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Top Dem senator demands Biden admin hold oil lease sale after latest court ruling: ‘Complete mess’
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., blasted the Biden administration Thursday for its actions delaying a major offshore oil and gas lease sale, and called for it to move forward with the sale within two weeks.
Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, made his comments after a federal appeals court stayed a lower court ruling striking down the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) last-minute restrictions on the lease sale. Lease Sale 261 — which is set to span nearly 73 million acres across the Gulf of Mexico — was originally set for September but was delayed to early November amid the ongoing litigation.
OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS PERMITTING PLUMMETS TO 2-DECADE LOW UNDER BIDEN
“This administration has made a complete mess of Lease Sale 261, despite clear direction in the [Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)] to proceed with this sale by September 30,” Manchin said in a statement. “The Department of the Interior was so eager to capitulate to demands from environmental groups that it bypassed important legal requirements, leading to litigation which had already delayed this sale until November 8.”
“Shrinking or further delaying Lease Sale 261 threatens both our energy security and climate goals and could make us more dependent on dirty foreign oil and gas — especially since the IRA prohibits BOEM from continuing offshore wind leases if oil and gas leases are not proceeding,” he continued.
TED CRUZ, TOP DEM SENATOR TEAM UP TO PRESS BIDEN ADMIN ON OIL DRILLING RESTRICTIONS
The IRA, which Manchin spearheaded last year, mandated that the Biden administration hold Lease Sale 261 by September 30 in addition to two other previously planned offshore Gulf of Mexico lease sales. The White House attempted to axe the three sales, including 261, in an abrupt move in May 2022, arguing that there was little industry interest in the sales.
As Manchin pointed out, the legislation also tethers new offshore wind energy leases to new oil and gas leases, meaning the former could be threatened without consistent fossil fuel leasing.
In late August, the fossil fuel industry group American Petroleum Institute (API), alongside the State of Louisiana and U.S. oil company Chevron, sued BOEM after the agency issued its notice of sale for Lease Sale 261, which made six million fewer acres available to oil and gas extraction than previously scheduled, as part of a settlement with eco groups. The agency also created multiple restrictions for companies that obtain leases for drilling.
BIDEN ADMIN UNVEILS SWEEPING NEW ACTIONS INCREASING COSTS FOR OIL, GAS LEASING
Then, on September 21, Judge James Cain of the Western District of Louisiana granted a preliminary injunction to plaintiffs and ordered the Biden administration to proceed with Lease Sale 261 without restrictions. After the government appealed, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit allowed BOEM to delay the sale until November 8.
And on Thursday, the appeals panel issued an indefinite stay on the lower court’s preliminary injunction. The next arguments in the case are set for November 13, and it is unclear whether BOEM will delay the lease sale further as a result of Thursday’s ruling.
A BOEM spokesperson declined to comment.
“We believe the injunction that halted the Biden Administration’s unlawful restrictions on the continued access and development of reliable, lower-carbon energy in the Gulf of Mexico was fully justified and we look forward to making the case in the Fifth Circuit,” API Senior Vice President and General Counsel Ryan Meyers told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“We will continue to work to provide greater certainty for American energy workers, the Gulf Coast economy and a stronger future for U.S. energy security,” Meyers said.
BLUE STATE DELIVERS CRIPPLING BLOW TO GREEN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT, JEOPARDIZING BIDEN’S CLIMATE GOALS
On Thursday, Manchin added that if the federal government must withdraw from its voluntary settlement agreement with environmental groups to ensure that Lease Sale 261 will be held on November 8, “so be it.”
In the federal stipulated stay agreement filed on July 21, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) agreed to a number of conditions requested by the groups that, in response, agreed to temporarily pause litigation in the related case. The case dates back nearly three years when, in October 2020, the environmental coalition sued the NMFS for failing to properly assess the oil industry’s impacts on endangered and threatened marine wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.
The groups pursued the lawsuit after the NMFS coordinated a multi-agency consultation studying the effects that all federally regulated oil and gas activities would have on species listed under the Endangered Species Act in the Gulf of Mexico over the next 50 years. The groups argued in the original complaint that the NMFS’ biological opinion resulting from its consultation was not based on the best science.
The settlement specifically expands protections for the Rice’s whale, a species listed as endangered.
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Exclusive—Dinesh D’Souza Ahead of ‘Police State’ Premiere: FBI, DOJ Support the Party ‘Helping to Build the Police State’
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Ivanka Trump must testify at father’s civil trial in New York, judge rules
A judge in New York has ruled Friday that Ivanka Trump must take the stand as a witness in the civil case brought against her father, brothers and the Trump Organization – their family business.
The ruling comes after Ivanka Trump was dismissed as a defendant in the case in June. New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, brought a lawsuit against former President Trump last September alleging he and his company misled banks and others about the value of his assets.
Judge Arthur Engoron sided with state attorneys who had argued that Ivanka, the former Trump Organization executive vice president, has relevant information to provide in the case. He cited documents showing that Ivanka Trump continued to have ties to some businesses in New York and still owns Manhattan apartments, according to The Associated Press.
“Ms. Trump has clearly availed herself of the privilege of doing business in New York,” Engoron said. He said her testimony would not be scheduled before Nov. 1, to give her lawyers time to appeal.
Ivanka Trump’s lawyer, Bennet Moskowitz, told the judge Friday that state lawyers “just don’t have jurisdiction over her.”
“The idea that somehow Ms. Trump is under the control of the Trump Organization or any of the defendants, her father — anyone who has raised a daughter past the age of 13 knows that they’re not under their control,” Christopher Kise, a lawyer for former President Trump, also told the AP.
Kise maintained that state lawyers “just want another free-for-all on another of President Trump’s children.”
However, Kevin Wallace, a lawyer for the New York State Attorney General’s Office, told the AP that, “She is 100% someone who can come in and testify.”
ACLU BACKS TRUMP IN FIGHT AGAINST DC JUDGE’S GAG ORDER
James claimed that Trump and his children, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric, as well as his associates and businesses, allegedly committed “numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation” on their financial statements.
James alleged Trump “inflated his net worth by billions of dollars” and said his children helped him to do so.
When Trump was president, James sued his administration dozens of times, challenging policies on the environment, immigration, education, health care and other issues.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has said the investigation is politically motivated and a “witch hunt.”
Fox News’ Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Joe Scarborough weighs in on Speaker Johnson: ‘Trump has his guy’
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough has let his thoughts on the new Speaker of the House be known.
“Donald Trump has his guy,” Scarborough, a frequent Trump critic and former House member said in a clip posted Friday. “He has the anti-democracy guy sitting in the Speaker’s chair.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected to the position Wednesday after weeks of turmoil in a Speakerless House. Johnson was the architect of his conference’s legal strategy legal strategy challenging current President Biden’s win in the 2020 election.
“President Trump called me this morning to let me know how much he appreciates the amicus brief we are filing on behalf of Members of Congress,” Johnson posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, after the brief was introduced. “Indeed, ‘this is the big one!’”
Trump congratulated Johnson on his Speakership win Wednesday, calling him a “tremendous leader and a tremendous man.”
“I just want to congratulate Mike Johnson. He will be a great Speaker of the House, and we were very happy to have helped,” Trump said to reporters outside a New York courtroom Wednesday. “I’ve known him for a long time.”
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IRS policy allowing surprise visits on taxpayers limited after Judiciary Republicans’ probing, report says
FIRST ON FOX: The House Judiciary Committee’s select subcommittee on government weaponization says the IRS rolled back unannounced visits to U.S. taxpayers after pressure from the panel.
“The Committee’s and Select Subcommittee’s oversight revealed, and led to the swift end of, the IRS’s weaponization of unannounced field visits to harass, intimidate, and target taxpayers,” the Republican-led report said.
“Taxpayers can now rest assured the IRS will not come knocking without providing prior notice—something that should have been the IRS’s practice all along.”
The 22-page document focuses on two instances in which the IRS is accused of abusing its policy, including one in which a tax agent is accused of entering someone’s home under false pretenses.
An IRS agent purportedly introduced himself as “Bill Haus” to a woman only identified as a “Marion County, Ohio taxpayer” when coming to her home in April this year. After allowing him inside, he allegedly told her that she owed a substantial amount of money on an estate she owned.
“Prior to the visit, however, the taxpayer had not received any notice from the IRS of an outstanding balance on the estate,” the report said.
After the taxpayer showed documents disputing that she owed any money, the report said, “Agent ‘Haus’ conceded that the true purpose of his visit was not due to any issue with the decedent’s estate, rather Agent ‘Haus’ was at the taxpayer’s home because the decedent allegedly had several delinquent tax return filings.”
IRS LOOKS TO HIRE 3,700 NEW AGENTS TO CRACK DOWN ON WEALTHY TAX CHEATS
A footnote on the report stated that the agent’s supervisor confirmed the taxpayer had nothing due and just one delinquent filing from 2016.
The woman called her lawyer after being asked to fill out sensitive tax documents, upon which her attorney “immediately and repeatedly told Agent ‘Haus’ to leave the taxpayer’s home since the taxpayer had not received any prior notice from the IRS of any issue with the decedent’s estate or delinquent tax returns.”
“Agent ‘Haus’ responded aggressively, insisting, ‘I am an IRS agent, I can be at and go into anyone’s house at any time I want to be.’ At the end of his unannounced visit, Agent ‘Haus’ told the taxpayer he would mail her paperwork for her to execute and threatened that she would have exactly one week to satisfy the remaining balance or he would freeze all her assets and put a lien on her house,” the report said.
The woman contacted police after the visit, who later found that the agent did work for the IRS — but that “Bill Haus” was not his real name. His supervisor apologized to her the following May, the report said.
IRS WARNS TAXPAYERS OF NEW MAILING REFUND SCAM
The other incident mentioned is involves journalist Matt Taibbi, whose home received a surprise IRS visit while he was in Washington, D.C. testifying about social media censorship uncovered by the “Twitter Files.”
“The IRS’s dossier on Mr. Taibbi included information such as Mr. Taibbi’s voter registration records, whether he possessed a hunting or fishing license, and whether he had a concealed weapons permit. The revenue officer also examined and saved Mr. Taibbi’s Wikipedia page, which contained extensive details about Mr. Taibbi’s work on the Twitter Files,” the report said.
“Instead of reinitiating contact with Mr. Taibbi by less intrusive means after several years had passed since he filed his 2018 return, the revenue officer scheduled its field visit for March 9, 2023-the day Mr. Taibbi was to testify before Congress.”
The IRS announced in late July that it “will end most unannounced visits…to reduce public confusion and enhance overall safety measures for taxpayers and employees.”
But the GOP report heaped doubt on that explanation for reducing the practice.
“The IRS’s attempt to justify its decision as being in the best interest of the safety of its revenue officers lacks concrete evidence. To the extent this data does exist, the IRS has not made it publicly available or supplied it to the Committee or Select Subcommittee,” it said.
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Trespasser arrested twice at RFK Jr’s home in same day
A young man trespassed Wednesday morning onto the property of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and was arrested by police.
Hours later, Jonathan Macht was released, but he attempted to enter the same property again and was re-arrested.
“Yesterday an intruder climbed the fence at my home and was arrested,” Kennedy wrote on X.
“After being released from police custody later in the day, he immediately returned to my home and was arrested again,” he continued.
Macht, 28, was first arrested on the property at 9:30 a.m. He was released, and an emergency protective order was issued to keep him away from Kennedy and his property.
Macht was arrested again at 6:10 p.m. in the same area, attempting to break in again.
FLASHBACK: RFK JR ENDORSED HILARY CLINTON MULTIPLE TIMES, PRAISED HER ‘CHARACTER’
Kennedy, a former Democrat, is running as an independent in the 2024 presidential election against President Biden, Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump and fellow independent Cornel West.
He argued that the double break-in was evidence that he needs Secret Service protection provided while he runs for the Oval Office.
While some have argued that Kennedy will steal support from Trump, his family members have expressed concern that he will hurt the Democrats’ chances in 2024.
In a statement earlier this month, Kennedy’s siblings Kerry Kennedy, Rory Kennedy, Joseph P. Kennedy II and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend denounced his candidacy as “perilous for our country.”
They claimed that he does not “share the same values, vision or judgment” of his father, Robert F. Kennedy.
“Leaving the party of my family is very, very difficult for me. But it was a choice that, I didn’t feel that I had a choice. And I feel it’s the right thing right now, because we’re seeing that it’s the same corporate donors that control both parties, and the parties are in paralysis,” the candidate said.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Heckman contributed to this report.
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GOP Rep Santos pleads not guilty to new fraud charges in New York
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., pleaded not guilty in a New York court Friday on a revised federal indictment charging him with multiple counts of fraud.
Santos appeared at a courthouse on Long Island to enter the plea to the new allegations, which include conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S., wire fraud, lying to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and more.
He is due back in court on Dec. 12.
The U.S. Attorney’s office filed a 23-count superseding indictment against Santos earlier this month in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
GEORGE SANTOS IN CUSTODY, FEDERAL INDICTMENT UNSEALED AHEAD OF FIRST COURT APPEARANCE
The new indictment contains one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S., two counts of wire fraud, two counts of making false statements to the FEC, two counts of falsifying records submitted to the FEC, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of device fraud.
The charges were in addition to the original indictment filed in May, which included seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making false statements to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Santos pleaded not guilty to those charges.
The latest indictment alleges that Santos, who also goes by Anthony Devloder, participated in two fraudulent schemes, in addition to the multiple fraudulent schemes alleged in the original indictment.
A group of House Republicans from New York on Thursday officially filed a privileged resolution to expel Santos from Congress.
Fox News’ Kirill Clark and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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White House launches new virtual tour
The White House is opening its virtual doors with a new tour that allows visitors to step into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. without making the trek to the nation’s capital.
Jill Biden announced Friday the launch of a new virtual White House tour that utilizes Google Street View technology. The tour features a welcome video from President Biden and the first lady — the same clip that in-person visitors see at the White House Visitor Center in Washington.
“Room by room, we can trace the history of our country, and see the legacies of each generation woven into our past and present,” Jill Biden says in the video.
For the first time, the virtual tour also features a Spanish translation as well as audio captions, which were narrated by White House social secretary Carlos Elizondo.
“Not everyone can make the trip to Washington, D.C., to tour the White House, so [the first lady] is bringing the White House to them,” Elizabeth Alexander, Jill Biden’s communications director, said in a statement.
Alexander said the virtual tour, released to coincide with National Civics Day, is part of an effort to “open the doors of the White House wider and wider, using technology and digital platforms to bring the ‘People’s House’ to as many people as possible.”
The virtual visit includes looks at all the areas of the public tour, including the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, the Vermeil, East and Blue Rooms and the State Dining Room, among several other spaces.
The virtual tour is available on the White House’s website, along with Google Maps and the Google Arts & Culture page.
Go to Source: Administration News | The Hill
Hollywood agent who accused Israel of ‘genocide’ donated thousands to Kamala Harris, top Dems
The Hollywood agent recently dropped by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin after ripping Israel’s retaliatory Gaza strikes as “genocide” has shown support for several high-profile Democrats through her pocketbook, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed presidential campaign.
Maha Dakhil, a Creative Artists Agency (CAA) agent and co-head of Motion Pictures, whose clients include stars like Tom Cruise, Anne Hathaway and Madonna, found herself engulfed in controversy after posting two anti-Israel messages on one of her social media accounts.
Following Israel’s Gaza strikes, Dakhil took to Instagram and reposted a message that accused Israel of committing genocide.
“You’re currently learning who supports genocide,” the reposted message read. “That’s the line for me,” she added in the caption.
SPLC SILENT ON WHETHER BLM, DEM SOCIALISTS’ PRO-HAMAS ACTIVISM RAISES ‘HATE’ CONCERNS
Dakhil later shared a second photo on the social media platform with the caption, “What’s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.”
Dakhil’s actions ignited criticism and led to Sorkin ditching her and moving to another agency. “Maha isn’t an antisemite, she’s just wrong,” Sorkin told The Hollywood Reporter. “She’s a great agent and I’m very proud of the work we did together over the last six years. I’m excited to be returning to WME.”
Dakhil, like most others in Hollywood, has long supported Democrats with thousands of dollars in political donations, campaign filings show.
Among those who have received money from her is Vice President Harris. In 2019, Dakhil pushed a $2,800 contribution to Harris’ disastrous presidential campaign, according to the records.
TOP REPUBLICAN SLAMS ALMA MATER HARVARD AFTER STUDENT GROUPS BLAME ISRAEL FOR HAMAS ATTACK
Dakhil has also thrown thousands of dollars behind Democrat Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey.
During the 2016 elections, she donated $2,000 to Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign.
Dakhil has since deleted her anti-Israel posts and resigned from the CAA’s internal agency board. She also temporarily stepped away from her day-to-day responsibilities.
“I made a mistake with a repost in my Instagram story, which used hurtful language,” she told Variety. “Like so many of us, I have been reeling with heartbreak. I pride myself on being on the side of humanity and peace. I’m so grateful to Jewish friends and colleagues who pointed out the implications and further educated me. I immediately took the repost down. I’m sorry for the pain I have caused.”
The controversy also prompted Dakhil to make another post addressing the messages.
“Choice of words is important. Dialogue is healing. As each excruciating day passes, I’m listening and learning more from my friends,” she wrote.
“Thank you. I’m holding all our families in my prayers…I am grieving for everyone who is suffering right now. I continue to mourn all innocent lives. My mission is peace.”
Dakhil and Vice President Harris’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
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