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Pro-Palestine demonstrators swarm inside Capitol Hill, demand ceasefire as police begin arresting protesters
Pro-Palestine protestors swarmed the Cannon Rotunda in Capitol Hill on Wednesday, with hundreds of protestors demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Footage from inside the Cannon Office Building shows a large group chanting “Ceasefire Now!” and calling for Congress to demand the fighting stop in Israel. The protestors were spotted wearing black T-shirts reading, ‘Jew Say Ceasefire Now.’
The group Jewish Voice for Peace said in a X post that “over 350″ demonstrators,” including two dozen rabbis,” are inside the large rotunda with thousands outside the U.S. Capitol.
PRESIDENT BIDEN VITIS ISRAEL AS IDF BLAMES GAZA HOSPITAL BLAST ON HAMAS
U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) say that demonstrations are not allowed inside Congressional buildings and are working to clear the crowd. USCP said in a X post that they warned the growing number of protesters to stop demonstrating and “when they did not comply we began arresting them.”
USCP did not say how many demonstrators have been arrested, but did say that so far three were arrested and charged with assault on a police officer during the demonstrations.
USCP also said more protesters are walking in the roadway around the House side of the Capitol Complex, and they have begun temporary rolling road closures for safety.
“A large group of protesters are walking in the roadway around the House side of the Capitol Complex,” the USCP wrote in a X post. “For safety reasons, we have temporary rolling road closures in effect.”
More than 30 protesters were arrested in front of the White House on Monday and over the weekend, thousands of pro-Palestinian activists took to the streets of the nation’s capital to advocate for a cease-fire between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hamas militant group.
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Jordan to hold third round speaker vote Thursday after back-to-back defeats
Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, intends to hold a third round vote for speaker on Thursday, a source familiar told Fox News Digital.
“We’re going to keep going,” Jordan’s spokesman told Fox News Digital earlier when asked if there will be a third round.
All House Democrats and 22 Republicans voted against Jordan’s bid for speaker on Wednesday. That’s two more GOP lawmakers than who voted against Jordan on Tuesday.
But nevertheless, Jordan’s allies have insisted that it was not an immediate sign of his campaign for speaker faltering.
“Don’t lose faith if [Jordan] loses a few votes on the second ballot. I’m committed to voting as many times as we must to get Jim elected as Speaker, as long as he is putting his name forward,” Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., wrote on X. “If that means we vote all night, then buckle up cause we will vote all night!”
And earlier, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., also expressed optimism.
“Just so there’s no surprises: Jordan will likely have FEWER votes today than yesterday — as I expected,” Perry said on social media.
“This is the fight — which Jim Jordan represents — to end the status quo, and it ain’t easy…Stay strong and keep praying.”
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Hawley pushes Mayorkas on encounters of ‘special interest aliens’ into US amid terror fears
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is quizzing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the numbers of “special interest aliens” being allowed into the U.S., amid concerns about a potential terror threat after that Hamas attack on Israel.
“I write with alarm regarding the uptick in potential terrorist-linked illegal aliens encountered at the southern border. This development follows the barbaric attack perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on innocent American and Israeli civilians,” Hawley said in a letter to Mayorkas.
“It is imperative that you address this issue immediately to ensure the safety of American citizens, especially Jewish Americans, who are facing increased threats to their physical safety following the Hamas attack.”
HAMAS TERROR ATTACK FUELS CONSERVATIVE CONCERNS ABOUT BORDER SECURITY AMID MIGRANT CRISIS
Hawley has noted both the record number of apprehensions of people on the terror watch list, with 151 people encountered at the southern border between ports of entry, higher than the previous six years combined, as well as recent reports about the number of “special interest aliens”
Fox News reported last week that thousands of “special interest aliens” from numerous countries, including the Middle East, have been arrested by Border Patrol agents while attempting to cross the U.S. southern border illegally over the last two years. “Special interest aliens” are people from countries identified by the U.S. government as having conditions that promote or protect terrorism or potentially pose some sort of national security threat to the U.S.
CBP data from between October 2021 and October 2023 shows that agents encountered 6,386 nationals from Afghanistan in that period as well as 3,153 from Egypt, 659 from Iran and 538 from Syria.
Agents also encountered 13,624 from Uzbekistan, 30,830 from Turkey, 1,613 from Pakistan, 164 from Lebanon, 185 from Jordan, 139 from Yemen, 123 from Iraq and 15,594 from Mauritania. The data does not include information on how many of those migrants were removed or who were released into the U.S. with a court date.
In the last two weeks, agents have also encountered dozens of migrants from Iran, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It’s raised concerns from conservatives that those with ties to terror groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, could be trying to enter the U.S.
DHS has acknowledged the potential risk. Its threat assessment warned that terrorists and criminals “may exploit the elevated flow and increasingly complex security environment to enter the United States.”
“Individuals with terrorism connections are interested in using established travel routes and permissive environments to facilitate access to the United States,” the assessment also said.
MIGRANT NUMBERS HIT HIGHEST EVER RECORDED IN ONE MONTH: SOURCES
“Illegal aliens with potential ties to terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah have no place in the United States. In the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is already alerting Americans about an elevated number of violent threats,” Hawley wrote. “It is therefore critical that you abandon your radical open border policies, and instead, take immediate action to secure the border. As Secretary, your number one priority should be protecting American citizens against potential terrorists entering our country.”
Hawley wants to know the number of special interest aliens released into the U.S. in the last two years, any steps DHS has taken to increase security at the border since the attack on Israel, and coordination with the FBI to monitor organizations with ties to Hamas within the U.S.
Last week, DHS told Fox News Digital that DHS does “not have specific and credible intelligence indicating a threat to the United States at this time stemming from the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.”
The DHS spokesperson added the department is “closely monitoring unfolding events and will continue to engage in information sharing with our intelligence and law enforcement partners at home and abroad.”
“This information-sharing helps ensure that we are positioned to help mitigate any risks to national security or public safety,” the spokesperson said. “Our multilayered border security efforts include various screening and vetting processes that work to detect and prevent individuals who pose national security or public safety risks from entering the United States.”
Hawley is one of a number of Republicans who have expressed immigration-related concerns in the wake of the attack on Israel. A number of Republicans, including presidential candidates, have said the U.S. should not take in any refugees from Gaza who may have been displaced by the conflict.
Fox News’ Griff Jenkins, Bill Melugin and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
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Ex-Wisconsin Supreme Court justice fights subpoena over Protasiewicz impeachment advice
A former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice is fighting a subpoena ordering her to appear in court in a lawsuit related to advice she gave about possible impeachment of a current liberal justice, calling it “unreasonable and oppressive.”
Republican lawmakers have threatened possible impeachment of current Justice Janet Protasiewicz related to comments she made during the campaign calling GOP-drawn legislative maps “rigged” and “unfair.” She joined with the liberal majority of the court in agreeing to hear a lawsuit supported by Democrats that seeks to overturn the GOP maps and enact new ones.
Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos asked three former conservative Supreme Court justices for advice on impeachment. Two of the three told him that impeaching Protasiewicz was not warranted. The third, former Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, has not said what her advice was and Vos has repeatedly refused to disclose it.
TOP WISCONSIN REPUBLICAN STANDS BY PROTASIEWICZ IMPEACHMENT THREATS
The liberal watchdog group American Oversight filed a lawsuit alleging that the three former justices researching impeachment for Vos had violated both the state open meetings and open records laws. American Oversight wants the judge to order the former justices to meet in public and to release records related to their work. It was also seeking attorneys fees.
Last week, Roggensack received a subpoena compelling her to attend a hearing in the case was scheduled for this Thursday. On Monday, she asked to be released from the subpoena.
“I believe it would be unreasonable and oppressive to require me to appear at a hearing on a motion for preliminary injunction and even for the Court to consider such a motion,” Roggensack wrote.
The judge scheduled another hearing for Wednesday afternoon, likely to address Roggensack’s request.
Roggensack, in her affidavit with the court, said the order being sought, which included requiring the former justices to meet in public, would impair her First Amendment rights of freedom of expression, peaceably assembling and petitioning the government.
Roggensack said that Vos, the Republican legislator, asked for her advice on impeachment. Roggensack said she told him she had been researching the issue on her own “because I found the topic to be interesting and because I had not previously considered the standards for impeachment of a Supreme Court justice.”
Roggensack said she never considered Vos’s request to mean she was becoming part of a governmental body or committee as American Oversight alleged in its lawsuit.
Vos himself called the effort a panel when he announced in September that he was seeking their advice.
Roggensack said she had a lunch with the other two former justices, David Prosser and Jon Wilcox, along with Vos’s attorney. Prosser and Wilcox have also said that was the only meeting the three former justices had. They all said that they separately advised Vos and did not collaborate on their advice.
FORMER WI SUPREME COURT JUSTICE REFUSES TO NAME THOSE INVOLVED IN PROTASIEWICZ IMPEACHMENT PUSH
American Oversight filed open records requests with the former justices. Prosser released the email he sent Vos that included his impeachment advice, as well as voicemail messages from Roggensack and text messages they exchanged.
Neither Wilcox, Roggensack, nor Vos’ office have responded to its requests for records, American Oversight said.
Vos originally said he was considering impeachment if Protasiewicz did not recuse herself from the redistricting case. She didn’t recuse. Vos didn’t move to impeach her, following the advice against impeachment from the former justices. But now he’s suggesting he may attempt to impeach her if she does not rule in favor of upholding the current Republican maps.
The Wisconsin Constitution reserves impeachment for “corrupt conduct in office, or for crimes and misdemeanors.”
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Anti-Israel Protesters Descend on Downing Street After Media Blamed Israel for Explosion at Gaza Hospital
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US targets Iran missile, UAV programs in new sanctions
The U.S. targeted Iran’s missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs in new sanctions Wednesday.
“Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 11 individuals, eight entities, and one vessel based in Iran, Hong Kong, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and Venezuela that are enabling Iran’s destabilizing ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs,” a Treasury Department press release stated.
“The persons designated today have materially supported Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), or their subordinates in the production and proliferation of missiles and UAVs,” the release continued.
The release also stated OFAC is “taking this action jointly with the Department of State, which is designating eight individuals and entities related to Iran’s missile, conventional arms, and UAV activities.”
The sanctions come amid rising tensions in the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Hamas rages on more than a week after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Conflict in the Middle East continued to rise the day following the Hamas attack, when Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, exchanged fire with Israel.
President Biden visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday. The trip followed an explosion at a Gaza hospital that reportedly left more than 500 dead. Hamas and Israel dispute the origin of the explosion, with Hamas blaming an Israeli strike and Israel’s military saying it was the result of a “failed rocket launch” by the Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian group affiliated with Hamas.
President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon his arrival in Israel that the explosion was not caused by Israeli, but “appeared” to be the responsibility of “the other team.”
“The point is, is that I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion of the hospital in Gaza yesterday, and based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you, but there’s a lot of people out there not sure, so we’ve got a lot — we’ve got to overcome a lot of things,” Biden said.
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CA Gov. Newsom makes big legislative moves from supporting controversial bills to vetoing progressive measures
California Gov. Gavin Newsom again seized the national spotlight this year as he signed some of the most ambitious laws in the country to raise worker wages and to force companies to disclose a wide range of climate emissions, efforts that further cement the state’s — and the governor’s — status as a leader on a host of liberal causes.
But the Democrat disappointed some progressive advocates as he vetoed high-profile bills to give unemployment benefits to striking workers, require courts to weigh a parent’s support of their child’s gender identity in custody proceedings and decriminalize some psychedelic drugs. He also supported a controversial bill to force more people into mental health or addiction treatment, a proposal aimed at addressing the state’s persistent homelessness crisis.
His actions on more than 1,000 pieces of legislation — nearly 15% of which he vetoed — showcase how Newsom plans to govern in his second and final term as leader of the nation’s most populous state. Newsom’s moves are increasingly seen through the lens of a possible presidential bid beyond 2024, though he insists he does not plan to run.
Some observers say his moves are largely consistent with both the views of California voters and the political tone that Newsom struck in his first term.
While Newsom delighted labor advocates with many of his signatures, he also angered them with some vetoes. He even won praise from Republicans for signing a bill to increase penalties for child sex trafficking after criticizing some Democratic lawmakers for initially opposing the bill.
Political consultant Elizabeth Ashford, who advises Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and has worked for former governors Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger, is skeptical of the idea that Newsom’s actions are about appealing to a national audience. If he’s taking more moderate stances on some issues, including crime and homelessness, it’s likely in response to what California voters want, she said.
Indeed, California’s unabated homelessness crisis and the proliferation of fentanyl on the streets have been among the most visible and stubborn issues during Newsom’s tenure.
“I think that it’s very much how you see both Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger move into a more middle posture,” Ashford said. “It’s because that’s what Californians want their governor to be.”
Newsom’s actions reflect that he is “a consistently left-of-center Democratic governor,” said Wesley Hussey, a political science professor at California State University, Sacramento. “I think maybe he draws the line where it’s going to cost the state a lot more money.”
Newsom justified many of his vetoes — such as on a bill to make free condoms available to public high school students — by saying there was not enough money in the state budget to cover the cost. It came after he worked with lawmakers this year to try to close a projected $31.5 billion budget deficit.
Californians typically rank the economy and jobs as the most important issues in the state, said Mark Baldassare, the statewide survey director at the Public Policy Institute of California, and Newsom signed key legislation aimed at boosting workers. Health care workers will gradually receive a minimum hourly wage of $25, fast-food workers will be paid at least $20 an hour, workers will get more paid sick leave and lower-level legislative staffers will be able to unionize.
CALIFORNIA GOV. NEWSOM VETOES BILL DECRIMINALIZING PSYCHEDELIC MUSHROOMS
But in a year when hotel workers, Hollywood actors and writers, and health care workers went on strike, Newsom also vetoed a bill that would have given unemployment benefits to striking workers.
Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, who heads the California Labor Federation, said “it’s almost cruel” that workers who go on strike aren’t guaranteed insurance benefits.
“We have workers who are putting everything on the line right now by going on strike,” she said. “They’re doing this because, quite honestly, this economy has failed them.”
Newsom also vetoed a bill that would have protected domestic workers who get injured or sick on the job and a proposal to save driver jobs while automated semi-trucks are tested for their safety on public roads.
In recent years, Californians have had to cope with wildfires, intense heat waves, and violent winds and rain. So it’s not surprising that many of them also say the environment is one of the state’s most pressing issues, Baldassare said.
Newsom started the year off by pushing a proposal to punish oil companies for profiting from high gas prices. The idea evolved from a tax on oil company profits to a law that makes regulators decide whether to penalize oil companies for price gouging. So far no penalties have been placed on oil companies, and Republicans still fault Newsom for failing to tackle the state’s sky-high gas prices.
He also signed two climate proposals that are the most aggressive mandates of their kind in the country: One to require companies making more than $1 billion annually to disclose their direct and indirect emissions, and another to require companies making more than $500 million annually to disclose how climate change poses a risk to them financially.
“He cares about climate, he cares about being a national leader on climate, and this is how he does it,” said Melissa Romero, deputy legislative director at advocacy group California Environmental Voters.
Homelessness also remains top of mind for voters in the state with the highest unhoused population in the country. Newsom sent two measures to voters aimed at transforming the state’s mental health system and addressing the homelessness crisis. He also signed a law to force more people into treatment if they have untreated mental illness or addiction issues and are unable to provide themselves with basic needs like food and shelter. The policies are controversial and reflect Newsom’s desire to tackle an issue that’s often the subject of national criticism.
Assemblymember Chris Ward, a Democrat and vice chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, said it was a “very successful year” for laws strengthening protections for LGBTQ+ people in the state. Newsom signed legislation to make sure LGBTQ+ foster youth are placed with families able to support their well-being, train school staff to better support LGBTQ+ students and seal legal gender-change petition documents for minors.
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Still, Newsom surprised some when he vetoed a bill that would have required courts to weigh a parent’s affirmation of their child’s gender identity in custody and visitation cases. He said he vetoed it in part because he was concerned about lawmakers using their power to dictate “in prescriptive terms” how judges make decisions and warned such an approach could be alternatively used to “to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities.” Ward disagreed with that reasoning, saying judges regularly rely on language from laws passed by the Legislature to help inform their decisions.
Something else out-of-the-ordinary happened in California politics this year: Newsom took the unusual step of publicly opposing a move by lawmakers in his party to block a bill authored by a Republican. The dispute revolved around legislation to increase penalties for child traffickers.
State Sen. Shannon Grove, who introduced the bill, does not remember something like that happening since she first arrived at the Legislature in 2010. Newsom spoke with her after the bill was initially blocked, she said.
“He just said that ‘I’m disappointed in what happened in public safety,'” Grove said. “And I said, ‘Me too.’”
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Tim Scott blasts media, ‘The Squad’ for becoming ‘disgusting’ extension of ‘Hamas propaganda machine’
South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott blasted media outlets for spreading Hamas’ claim that an Israeli missile struck a Gaza hospital killing hundreds — which Israel has flatly denied — and called progressive members of the so-called Squad “disgusting” for spreading what he called “propaganda.”
“Frankly, I know we shouldn’t expect more from the Squad, but The Squad becoming an extension of the Hamas propaganda machine, it is disgraceful, and it is costly,” the GOP presidential candidate told Fox News Digital by phone on Wednesday.
“I think we should be very careful to allow it any daylight.”
Progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress, faced intense scrutiny on social media this week after she immediately accused Israel of bombing a Christian hospital in the Gaza Strip and “killing 500 Palestinians,” including doctors, patients and children.
As of midday Wednesday, the social media post was still up, despite mounting evidence presented by Israel that the hospital was hit by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket. A community note on X.com beneath Tlaib’s tweet said, “There is currently no evidence that Israel bombed this hospital.”
“It’s just disgusting, to be honest with you, I can’t think of a clearer word,” Scott told Fox News Digital. “Not only is it misinformed and wrongheaded, but it’s deadly.”
“This morning, I started thinking about the fact that now Israel’s going to have to fight a war, a second war, but it is a war against information, and this could be the most dangerous war, because this war has real consequences, and we’re seeing the consequences immediately taking the word of an evil, lying terrorist organization.”
Scott explained how Biden’s summit with Jordan was canceled after the reports of the hospital bombing as well as violent protests at Israeli embassies in the region.
“Hezbollah is mobilizing, there’s been a specific and clear attempt led by Hamas to weaken Israel’s standing, and when the media buys into that, it creates a misinformation war that could be more deadly than the actual physical war.”
Scott told Fox News Digital the best thing the Biden administration can do right now is to give unequivocal support.
“Stop questioning Israel’s intentions and their objective of having the clearest, strongest response. All the guardrails that they’re putting on Israel can only lead to more delays, denial of success, and that will be devastating,” Scott said.
“These are dangerous times, and part of that being led by members of Congress, having one flying the Palestinian flag the last time I checked in the halls of Congress, paid for by the American taxpayers,” Scott said, referring to the Palestinian flag hanging outside of Tlaib’s office.
“That’s a dangerous mixed message to send right now.”
Tlaib’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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In Arkansas, retired Army colonel announces Democratic campaign for GOP-held House seat
A retired Army colonel has announced he’s running as a Democrat for a Republican-held U.S. House seat that includes Little Rock and central Arkansas.
Marcus Jones filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission Monday night for the 2nd Congressional District seat held by Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill, who was first elected to the seat in 2014.
Jones retired Sept. 30 from the U.S. Army after 29 years of active service, including multiple deployments to Iraq and Kuwait. For his final military assignment, he served as the senior Army advisor to the Arkansas Army National Guard at Camp Robinson.
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Republicans have held the 2nd District seat since 2011 and Democrats have tried unsuccessfully to reclaim it in recent years. The GOP holds all four of Arkansas’ U.S. House seats and its two Senate seats.
The state filing period to run for office in Arkansas begins on Nov. 6.
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