Thursday, March 12, 2026
Home Blog Page 15

Illinois man said "Muslims must die" before stabbing boy—Mother

Fox News
-
0
Illinois man said "Muslims must die" before stabbing boy—Mother

A 71-year-old Illinois man accused of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy and seriously wounding his mother was charged with a hate crime on Sunday.

Police alleged Joseph M. Czuba singled out the victims in reaction to the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas and because of their faith.

Authorities in the U.S. have been on high alert for violence driven by Islamophobic or antisemitic sentiment, while both Muslim and Jewish groups have reported a rise in hateful rhetoric as Israel continues to launch airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip following Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on October 7.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office said the 32-year-old woman called 911 to report that her landlord had attacked her with a knife. She then ran into a bathroom and continued to fight him off as she called 911.

Authorities did not name the victims, but the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil liberties organization, identified the boy as Wadea Al-Fayoume and the woman as his mother, Hanaan Shahin.

Czuba yelled “you Muslims must die!” as he choked Shahin and attacked her with a knife, she wrote in text messages sent to her son’s father, according to CAIR-Chicago.

They had been living in the home for two years, Ahmed Rehab, the group’s executive director, said during a news conference on Sunday.

Officers found the boy and his mother at a home in an unincorporated area of Plainfield Township, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago, on Saturday morning, the sheriff’s office said. The boy was pronounced dead at a hospital, and his mother had sustained multiple stab wounds but was expected to survive.

An autopsy on the boy found he had been stabbed 26 times.

Responding officers found Czuba, of Plainfield, outside the home and “sitting upright outside on the ground near the driveway of the residence” with a cut on his forehead, the sheriff’s office said. He was treated at a local hospital then questioned by detectives.

Czuba “did not make any statements to detectives regarding his involvement in this heinous attack,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Despite the suspect not providing a statement to detectives, personnel were able to gather enough information through interviews and evidence to formally charge Joseph Czuba with numerous criminal offenses.”

He was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crimes and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” the sheriff’s office said.

He was transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility and is awaiting a court appearance. Newsweek could not immediately reach Czuba for comment and it was not clear if he had an attorney representing him.

CAIR-Chicago, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, called the crime “our worst nightmare” amid a rise in anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic incidents since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

Al-Fayoume “paid the price for the atmosphere of hate and otherization and dehumanization that, frankly, I think we are seeing here in the United States as a result of the irresponsible leadership and lopsided one-sided statements and coverage that we’re seeing in the media,” Rehab said during the news conference.

Czuba, he said, had “built a tree house for the boy and allowed him to swim in a makeshift pool and brought him toys but it wasn’t until he started watching the news and hearing the statements that something changed.”

He added: “Palestinians basically, again, with their hearts broken over what’s happening to their people… have to also worry about the immediate safety of life and limb living here in this most free of democracies in the world.”

Al-Fayoume’s uncle Yousef Hannon also called out the dehumanizing of Palestinians.

“We are not animals, we are humans,” said Hannon, a Palestinan-American who emigrated to the U.S. in 1999 and has worked as a public school teacher. “We want people to see us as humans, to feel us as humans, to deal with us as humans, because this is what we are.”

He said he has not heard from his family located in the besieged Gaza Strip for several days.

“I don’t know what was happening to them right now,” he said. “The last communication was three days ago. No power, no water, no food.”

Israel has cut off the flow of food, medicine, water and electricity into the long-blockaded territory, where an estimated 1 million Palestinians—about half of Gaza’s population— have been displaced. Israel has also positioned forces along the border ahead of an expected ground offensive to dismantle Hamas.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 2,670 Palestinians have been killed and 9,600 wounded since the fighting erupted, The Associated Press reported. More than 1,400 people were killed in Israel in the Palestinian militant group’s October 7 surprise attack, the AP said. More than 100 others were captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza.

The Illinois State Police are communicating with federal law enforcement and reaching out to Muslim communities and religious leaders to offer support in response to the increased threats, according to a press release from Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. FBI Director Chris Wray said on a call with reporters Sunday that the FBI is also moving quickly to mitigate the threats, the AP reported.

“To take a 6-year-old child’s life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil,” Pritzker said.

“Wadea should be heading to school in the morning. Instead, his parents will wake up without their son. This wasn’t just a murder—it was a hate crime. And every single Illinoisan—including our Muslim, Jewish, and Palestinian neighbors—deserves to live free from the threat of such evil.”

In a statement on Sunday, President Joe Biden said: “This horrific act of hate has no place in America, and stands against our fundamental values: freedom from fear for how we pray, what we believe, and who we are.

“As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred. I have said repeatedly that I will not be silent in the face of hate. We must be unequivocal. There is no place in America for hate against anyone.”

Russian state TV host demands Israel sanctions

Fox News
-
0
Russian state TV host demands Israel sanctions

Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov has said that Israel should be sanctioned for possessing nuclear weapons, as the nation intensifies warnings of an imminent offensive in Gaza.

Solovyov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and one of the best-known figures in Kremlin-backed media, made the remarks on his show that airs on Russia-1—an excerpt of which was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by the Daily Beast’s Julia Davis.

Russia and Israel have maintained a close relationship since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Kremlin has so far said Russia is extremely concerned by the “spiral of violence” in Israel and has offered to be a potential mediator in the conflict.

Solovyov’s remarks come after Hamas on October 7 led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. The Israelis then launched their heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. As of Monday, at least 1,400 people had been killed in Israel, the Associated Press reported, citing the Israeli military. At least 2,670 people had been killed in Gaza, according to authorities there, the AP said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country is at war and has cut off supplies of food, fuel, electricity and medicine into Gaza. Israel has called up 360,000 army reservists as it prepares for a likely ground offensive into the territory, which has an estimated population of around 2.3 million.

Israel has not publicly conducted a nuclear test but is universally believed to possess nuclear arms, according to the Arms Control Association, which states that Israel is estimated to have 90 nuclear warheads.

“I look at what is happening in the world right now and think, what’s most important is to remain human? Don’t become like an animal, in one way or another. This is not part of our culture. We don’t have this concept. We never said it anywhere that entire nations and all their people are at fault,” Solovyov said.

“I look at the way they say, in all seriousness, for more than 2 million people to get out of there,” Solovyov added. This referred to Israeli orders to evacuate the Gaza City area and move to the southern part of the besieged territory ahead of an anticipated ground offensive.

“Americans say, ‘This is normal.’ When you simply level cities and then say, ‘First, we will level everything, then we will work everything over with heavy bombs, to destroy all bomb shelters, and then we’ll cleanse it all’, they say, ‘Go somewhere over there’. But this is their land!” Solovyov said.

“We will never act like those who believe that an entire nation has to be destroyed! Oh, you don’t think it should be allowed for Israel to treat the Palestinians this way? Impose sanctions against Israel! Does Israel have nuclear weapons? Apparently so! Are they sanctions for having nukes like North Korea? No! Why not?” Solovyov added.

Newsweek has contacted Russia’s Foreign Ministry via email for comment.

Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.

Donald Trump lands parting shots ahead of potential gag order

Fox News
-
0
Donald Trump lands parting shots ahead of potential gag order

Donald Trump has lashed out at the judge and prosecutor in his election interference case, just hours before Judge Tanya Chutkan considers whether to place Trump under a gag order.

Trump accused both Chutkan and the Department of Justice special counsel, Jack Smith, of being “political hacks and thugs” who are guilty of election interference.

Both Trump’s lawyers and Smith’s prosecution team are due before Judge Chutkan today to argue over a proposed gag order against the former president.

On the social media platform Truth Social on Sunday night, Trump attacked “a Leaking, Crooked and Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith, who has a terrible record of failure” asking “a highly partisan Obama appointed Judge, Tanya Chutkan, who should recuse herself based on the horrible things she has said, to silence me.”

Trump wrote that this is being done “through the use of a powerful GAG ORDER, making it impossible for me to criticize those who are doing the silencing, namely Crooked Joe Biden, and his corrupt and weaponized DOJ & FBI.”

“They want to take away my First Amendment rights, and my ability to both campaign and defend myself. In other words, they want to cheat and interfere in the 2024 Presidential Election.”

Trump went on to claim that “nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before. It is strictly Banana Republic kind of ‘stuff.’ These political Hacks and Thugs are destroying our Country. Let’s see what happens on Monday in Judge Chutkan’s courtroom. Will America survive, or not? I’ll be campaigning in the Great State of Iowa, where I am leading by 50 Points!!!”

Prosecutors claim in legal submissions that Trump’s outbursts are an attempt to influence the potential jury pool.

Trump’s lawyers claim in their submissions that the proposed gag order is an attempt to silence the former president.

The judge overseeing Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York has already imposed an order on Trump to stop him criticizing court staff after Trump’s social media attacks on the judge’s principal clerk.

Prosecutors want Chutkan to stop Trump making comments “that pose a substantial likelihood of material prejudice to this case,” including criticizing witnesses, attorneys and other people involved.

Judge Chutkan has said Trump doesn’t have to attend Monday’s hearing and she hasn’t said whether she will decide on the gagging order today.

Chutkan had already denied Trump’s request that she recuse herself from the case, in which Trump is accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election result. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Trump has frequently used social media to attack Chutkan, prosecutors, likely witnesses and others despite her warnings that his comments could force her to move the trial, which is currently scheduled to begin in March.

Prosecutors have said their proposal wouldn’t affect Trump’s ability to campaign or prevent him from declaring his innocence. In court papers, they wrote that Trump is demanding “special treatment” by claiming “he should have free rein to publicly intimidate witnesses.”

“In this case, Donald J. Trump is a criminal defendant like any other,” their legal submission states.

Kate Middleton’s chic rugby look relied on favorite fashion find

Fox News
-
0
Kate Middleton’s chic rugby look relied on favorite fashion find

The Princess of Wales cut a stylish figure in the stands of the Orange Vélodrome in Marseille, France, on Sunday as she attended a quarter-final match of the Rugby World Cup between England and Fiji.

Kate attended in her capacity as patron of England’s Rugby Football Union. A day earlier, her husband, Prince William, and son Prince George had watched the Welsh national team as they were knocked out of the tournament by Argentina.

For the game, Kate made a style statement in a chic white tweed blazer with gold buttons, paired with flared black pants and a matching black leather handbag with gold-chain shoulder strap. The look followed Kate’s new “business princess” style. This has seen the royal adopt a number of structured suit elements into her wardrobes from severe tailored pantsuits, to 1980s-inspired padded blazers and jackets.

Kate’s rugby blazer was purchased from Spanish mid-range brand Zara. It was first worn by the princess in February to celebrate the return of Captain Preet Chandi from her record-breaking solo expedition to Antarctica.

The flattering long line of the blazer accentuates the princess’ natural height. The widened lapels, when worn open or closed, create an inverted V shape, evening the proportion between the wearer’s shoulders and hips.

Kate has often looked to Zara for blazers, many of which are in the same cut and style to achieve a flattering overall look.

The princess owns a similar tweed style of Zara blazer in both red and green. Most recently, she wore the red version for a visit to an educational center in Kent, England, in September, where she met with parents and staff working with children who have special educational needs.

The blazer was first worn for a soccer game in 2021 and then again in 2022 for a visit to Denmark, the vivid red color being a characteristic nod by Kate to the nation’s flag.

Over the years, Kate has been praised for mixing high-end designer looks with pieces from low- and mid-range brands, with many of the more-affordable pieces selling out in a matter of hours.

This phenomenon is known as the “Kate effect,” and the princess’ overall value to the U.K. fashion economy has been estimated at over $1 billion.

Royal fashion expert and celebrity stylist Miranda Holder previously told Newsweek that Kate’s increasing choices of pantsuits and blazers for official engagements highlighted her more business-minded approach to royal duties since being made Princess of Wales by King Charles III in September 2022.

“This very apparent tailored approach to styling indicates that the princess’s new fashion ‘uniform’ is far more corporate in feel,” Holder said, “allowing her to fully immerse herself in the causes she supports.

“Princess Kate means business, and her looks most definitely reflect this mindset,” Holder added.

The princess celebrated on Sunday evening as England beat Fiji by 30 to 24 points. It means that the English team will progress to the semi-finals in Paris against South Africa on Saturday.

Kate has proved a hit with rugby fans during the tournament. At a group-stages game between England and Argentina, the princess received a wave of screaming cheers when her image was shown on the stadium’s big screens. In Marseille on Sunday, fans were spotted holding signs directed at the royal, with one reading: “Kate, divorce and marry me.”

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.

Video shows Russian Mi-8 helicopter engulfed in inferno

Fox News
-
0
Video shows Russian Mi-8 helicopter engulfed in inferno

Ukrainian forces downed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter on Sunday, new footage from the Ukrainian military shows, as Russian advances on the Kyiv-held frontline town of Avdiivka appear to be slowing down.

The Russian Mi-8 was shot down by Ukraine’s 25th Separate Airborne Brigade, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraine’s ground forces, said in a post to Telegram on Sunday.

In a clip shared by Syrskyi, a burning but indistinct vehicle can be seen, with dark smoke billowing out of shot. Newsweek cannot independently verify the details of the footage, including when and where it was filmed. The Russian Defense Ministry has been contacted for comment via email.

Russia has lost at least 22 Mi-8 helicopters since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to Dutch open-source intelligence outlet, Oryx. However, this count is no longer updated as of late September, and only includes visually-verified losses, meaning the true tally is likely higher.

In updated statistics on Monday, Ukraine’s General Staff recorded the loss of one Russian aircraft and one helicopter over the past day, specifying in a statement that Russia had lost an Mi-8 helicopter.

In total, Moscow’s forces have lost 318 aircraft and 317 helicopters in the many months since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, according to Ukraine’s military. Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that Ukraine has lost 488 aircraft and 250 helicopters. Neither count can be independently verified.

Ukraine’s military said on Monday that throughout the previous day, there were around 70 combat clashes along the current front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine. Russia carried out “unsuccessful assault operations” around the Donetsk coking town of Avdiivka, the General Staff said, after days of what has been described as a major Russian offensive effort on the key settlement.

Ukrainian forces defended against more than 15 Russian attacks on Avdiivka, the military said. Sunday also saw a host of assaults by Moscow’s troops on a range of other villages and towns along the front line, including the Ukrainian-controlled Donetsk villages of Klishchiivka and Andriivka, and “four” attempts to retake the Zaporizhzhia village of Robotyne.

Russian forces pushed on with offensive operations “aimed at encircling Avdiivka” on Sunday, the U.S. think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its latest update. However, Moscow is “yet to make further gains amid a likely decreasing tempo of Russian operations in the area,” the think tank said.

Russia did not mention Avdiivka in its daily update on Sunday, but said that its forces had “repelled five attacks” from Ukrainian mechanized and territorial defense units around several villages close the decimated Donetsk city of Bakhmut.

Russian troops targeted troops and equipment belonging to several Ukrainian brigades around Andriivka and Klishchiivka on Sunday, Moscow’s defense ministry said in a statement.

If Biden Wants to Stop a Wider War, He Should Ready a Strike on Iran

Fox News
-
0
If Biden Wants to Stop a Wider War, He Should Ready a Strike on Iran

President Joe Biden gave a momentous speech on Tuesday, one that will undoubtedly resonate in Israeli history as one of the most profound pro-Israel addresses by a sitting president.

In his remarks, Biden showed what unwavering support for Israel looks like, making it unequivocally clear that there is no moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas. Biden emphasized that the State of Israel not only possesses the right but also bears a moral obligation to combat Hamas and dismantle its ruthless terrorist infrastructure.

During his address, Biden spoke about the deployment of U.S. navy warships to the eastern Mediterranean. He underscored the U.S. commitment to ensuring that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) remain well-equipped with smart bomb kits, artillery shells, and Iron Dome interceptors to secure victory in the ongoing conflict. Furthermore, he issued a stern warning to Hezbollah in Lebanon and a resounding message to any terrorist organization or nation contemplating an attack on Israel: “Don’t.”

While this is significant, there are two more steps that Biden can take to change the trajectory of the Middle East for years to come. The first step would be to change the destination of the carrier strike group, which includes the USS Gerald R. Ford. Instead of dispatching it to the eastern Mediterranean, Biden should send it to the Persian Gulf and park the strike group there, just a few miles off the Iranian coast.

In addition, he should dispatch several F-22 Raptor fighter jet squadrons to the region and park one in Israel while sending B-52 strategic bombers from their bases in Louisiana and North Dakota to fly nonstop over the region.

Such a military presence would constitute the largest American force buildup in the region since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The second step would be for Biden to give an address to the nation—similar to the one that he gave on Tuesday—and issue a direct warning not to Hezbollah, but to Iran.

It would be a simple speech explaining that if Hezbollah or Iran launch an attack against Israel, America will retaliate not against Beirut but in Iran. One of the missiles, he could add, would be launched at the home of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei alongside hundreds of more Tomahawk missiles that will destroy the Iranian military, nuclear facilities, and key infrastructure.

Skeptics will say that this approach is implausible. Biden, these skeptics would argue, has no interest in a military confrontation with Iran, and prefers appeasement and cash payments.

That might have been true but the Hamas massacre in Israel has given the U.S. an opportunity to pivot. By butchering children, beheading soldiers, raping women, and abducting Holocaust survivors, Hamas showed the world the true face of Islamic extremism which is first and foremost led by Iran.

As The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week, Iran played a substantial role in assisting Hamas in planning its attacks against Israel, aiding in air, land, and sea incursions.

That report was not a surprise. Alongside its nuclear program, Iran is the greatest state sponsor of terrorism and has spent years cultivating an army of non-state actors throughout the Middle East which the ayatollahs activate to do their dirty work. That is what Hezbollah does in Lebanon; Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza; the Houthis in Yemen; and the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Iran is the head of the serpent and if Biden wants to ensure that massacres like the one in Israel never happen again, the Iranian head needs to be cut off. Only when Iran is no longer powerful and flush with money, will the proxies start to crumble. That is the real way to defeat Islamic terrorism.

There is also reason to believe that such a strategy can work. In 2003, as the United States built up its military forces in the Persian Gulf ahead of its invasion of Iraq, Iran feared that it would be next, and Khamenei decided to stop all of his country’s nuclear activity.

He stopped enriching uranium; stopped the construction of the Arak heavy-water nuclear facility; and he had all of the physicists stop the covert weapons program.

This unprecedented freeze lasted for two years, after which Iran felt that the Americans were not invading, and Tehran could renew its nuclear program.

In the years since, many Israeli and American defense officials have looked back at the events of 2003 as proof that when Iran is presented with a credible military threat it prefers the survival of the regime over any other consideration. All that is needed is a credible military threat to do the trick.

The problem is that in the years since, when it came to the nuclear program, the U.S. was reluctant to issue threats. While it paid lip service to “all options on the table,” the Obama administration and the Biden White House preferred diplomacy and cash deals to try and contain Iran.

But this is a flawed strategy, and the proof is what happened in Israel on Saturday. When dealing with Islamic radicals, containment does not work. For almost 20 years, since pulling out of the Gaza Strip in 2005, Israel maintained a policy of containment vis-a-vis Hamas, believing that it could deter the Gaza group through an occasional military confrontation as well as economic incentives.

This myth blew up in Israelis’ faces on Saturday, and while the results are horrific, the silver lining is that what happened presents the U.S. and the rest of the world with an opportunity to reset the region and make clear that what was, will no longer be.

The Hamas massacre in Israel is a chance for a new regional order that will not only lead to the weakening and hopefully end of this ruthless terrorist organization, but also force Iran to stop its pursuit of a nuclear weapon and prevent another front from opening for Israel in the north.

This is a unique and historic opportunity. Biden should seize it.

Yaakov Katz is a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, a former editor of the Jerusalem Post where he remains a columnist, and the author of three books on Israeli military affairs. Follow him on Twitter @yaakovkatz.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.

What Suzanne Somers said about supporting Donald Trump

Fox News
-
0
What Suzanne Somers said about supporting Donald Trump

Suzanne Somers had been an open supporter of Donald Trump prior to her death.

The actress died on Sunday at the age of 76, according to a statement posted to her official Instagram account. She would have been 77 on Monday.

“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th,” the statement read.

“She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years. Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family. Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”

Newsweek reached out to Somers’ manager via email for additional comment.

In 2018, the Three’s Company star praised then-U.S. President Trump.

“I’m happy about him. I’m happy that the economy is doing so much better,” she said in a video to TMZ following Trump’s first year in office. “And now my career is over!” she laughed.

Previously, Somers said she wasn’t happy with Barack Obama‘s administration.

“This has been the most divisive of all the administrations that I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime,” she told Fox Business in 2014. “And it’s become divisive in the industry that if you’re not part of the group, you should probably keep your thoughts to yourself.”

The New York Times bestselling author has long been outspoken about politics. In 2012, Somers explained her thoughts on voting to HuffPost.

“My politics are very personal: I am an independent and vote the candidate, never the party,” she said at the time. “I am also an entrepreneur, and entrepreneurs made America the most exceptional and wealthiest country in the world, excelling in technology, science, medicine, physics, literature and, most of all, self-reliance and unbridled imagination.”

She said, “I love America and feel blessed to have been born into the greatest idea since the dawn of civilization.”

While Hollywood is often perceived as leaning left when it comes to politics, there have been plenty of celebrities who have praised Trump over the years including late actress Kirstie Alley, Jon Voight, Kid Rock, Roseanne Barr, Kelsey Grammer, and more.

Following Somers’ passing, stars expressed their shock and shared tributes.

“OH NO,” Real Housewives of New York City alum Bethenny Frankel wrote via Instagram.

“Sad so sad,” Goldie Hawn also wrote on Instagram, while Olivia Munn said, “Oh no” alongside a broken heart emoji.

Caitlyn Jenner, meanwhile, shared a throwback photo with Somers on her own Instagram account. “We lost a true American Icon today,” she captioned the image. “@suzannesomers you will be missed. It was always a pleasure and a riot working with you over the years! Here we are way back in the 70’s at Pepperdine with Howard! Rest in Peace.”

While Somers was best known for her role as Chrissy Snow on Three’s Company, she also made millions selling Thighmaster and wrote numerous books.

Sean Hannity email to Jim Jordan opponents raises questions

Fox News
-
0
Sean Hannity email to Jim Jordan opponents raises questions

Sean Hannity’s Fox News show is reportedly involving itself in trying to get Republicans to elect a new House speaker, including by asking moderate GOP lawmakers why they aren’t supporting Ohio congressman Jim Jordan for the role.

Axios reporter Juliegrace Brufke revealed an email from a member of Hannity’s production team named “Stephanie” sent to some House Republicans seeking a response as to why they aren’t backing Jordan for House speaker. Jordan was elected by the GOP as its candidate to replace rep. Kevin McCarthy for the position on Friday, with previously elected candidate House Majority Speaker Steve Scalise dropping out of the race as it became clear he wouldn’t get enough votes on the House floor.

However, just like his predecessor, it appears Jordan doesn’t have enough support from his own party to achieve a 217-vote House majority. A follow-up secret ballot on Friday showed a 152-55 split in support for Jordan as House speaker.

Jordan is now attempting to garner the backing of almost all House Republicans to clinch the nomination for the position, ahead of an expected vote on Tuesday. Brufke posted on X, formerly Twitter, that moderate Republicans are “growing increasingly irritated” by allies of Jordan trying to “pressure” them into voting for the MAGA congressman, who has been endorsed by former president Donald Trump.

One House member said that Fox News’ Hannity show has “gotten involved in the efforts” to elect the speaker and end the deadlock in the lower chamber by sending emails asking them why they aren’t supporting Jordan.

The email has led to other social media users asking why Hannity and Fox News are allegedly trying to influence the outcome of the House vote.

Fox News has been contacted for comment via email.

“Sources tell Hannity that rep xxxx is not supporting Rep Jim Jordan for Speaker. Can you please let me know if this is accurate?” the purported email from Stephanie reads.

“And, if true, Hannity would like to know why during a war breaking out between Israel and Hamas, with the war in Ukraine, with the wide open borders, with a budget that’s unfinished why would Rep. xxxx be against Jim Jordan for speaker? Please let us know when Rep xxx plans on opening the People’s House so work can be done. Lastly, are there any conditions Rep xxxx will work with Democrats on the process of electing a new speaker?”

Washington Post Live anchor Leigh Ann Caldwell said she is also aware of the email, posting on X: “One member said Hannity reached out directly with this same message—that the war in Israel is a reason to get behind Jordan. Member told me it’s not going to persuade them.”

Questions are now being raised as to why Fox News and Hannity are apparently trying to influence how lawmakers vote for House speaker, a role that is second in line for the presidency after the vice president.

Brett Meiselas, co-founder of the progressive group Meidas Touch, posted on X while sharing the alleged email: “So is it normal for a major political party to use a cable ‘news’ host to extort party members into voting for their Speaker pick?”

Sherrilyn Ifill, a lawyer and the former director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, wrote: “A cable news station. Why are they given press credentials for the White House? They are not a news organization. They are a political/pr entity.”

Democratic strategist Tim Hogan added: “Is this a campaign finance violation regarding every member they called? Could it even be crime for Hannity if he failed to register as a lobbyist?”

Former Illinois GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger said the alleged email was proof of “bully tactics” from Jordan’s allies, adding: “But why is Hannity actively taking a side @FoxNews?”

John Dean, a former White House counsel to Republican president Richard Nixon, also criticized the conservative news network over the apparent email to GOP lawmakers.

“Fox News should be required to register as a lobbyist for Jim Jordan! The First Amendment does not exempt lobbyists, and this is blatant, conspicuously blatant,” Dean wrote.

Hannity, and other Fox News presenters, are vocal Trump supporters, with Hannity previously appearing on stage with the former president at campaign rallies.

In April, Fox settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million after the company sued the network for defamation for repeatedly amplifying false claims that Dominion machines were used to rig ballots in favor of Joe Biden over Trump in the 2020 election.

The House of Representatives will vote to choose a new speaker at midday on Tuesday, October 17, according to House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark.

US investment fund financing China’s military buildup

Fox News
-
0
US investment fund financing China’s military buildup

A U.S. asset management company is continuing to invest in Chinese companies linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) despite growing scrutiny, a new report has revealed.

The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) reported that the Vanguard Group has invested in 2,100 Chinese A-share companies, exposing U.S. investors to PLA’s subsidiaries despite growing strategic tensions between Washington and Beijing.

CPA wrote that Vanguard’s fund has invested in “60 subsidiaries of Chinese Military Industrial-Complex Companies (CMIC)” and “20 companies denied access to U.S. technology because they are deemed “Military End Users” (MEU).”

One example of Vanguard’s investment is an investment into a subsidiary linked to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), which makes Beijing’s most advanced J-20 stealth jet, based initially on stolen U.S. technology.

The Vanguard Group has $8 trillion in global assets under its management, making it the second-largest asset manager in the world—and a preferred U.S. investment fund for diversified investment options.

Beginning in 2016, Vanguard’s emerging market exchange-traded fund (ETF) transitioned into setting up a benchmark FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index to gain exposure to mainland companies.

Vanguard used the Stock Connect program, a mutual market access program, to invest in A-share companies listed on the Chinese mainland. The same program allowed Chinese companies listed on the mainland to purchase stocks of some Hong Kong-listed companies.

Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has invested in A-share in Chinese companies linked to China’s military-industrial complex.

The Stock Connect allows a phenomenon called “northbound traffic,” in which U.S. funds buy A-shared stocks listed on the Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges. CPA found that A-shared monthly turnover activity (including buying and selling) and the ETF averages add up to $350 billion.

The A-shares are a problematic list of equities traded in Renminbi on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges. Many of these A-shares are Chinese companies acting as an extension of the People’s Liberation Army-backed companies or state-owned defense conglomerates.

Vanguard’s holding of the A-shares outstrips the shares held by Blackrock’s EM fund, which has holdings in 402 A-share companies. Another fund, State Street, holds stocks in 778 A-share companies in its EM funds.

“There is no coherent U.S. policy on investing in Chinese publicly traded securities or private companies. The legal status of A-shares and the appropriateness of holding these equities in American investment portfolios remains an open question,” CPA said in its report.

CPA said that Vanguard needs to adequately inform the retail investors about the risks involved as the Chinese A-share companies aren’t subject to international accounting standards to protect the interests of U.S. customers.

CPA is a bipartisan national organization representing U.S. domestic companies across different sectors and industries of the economy. CPA’s latest report draws attention to the loophole large asset management companies use to pour even people’s retirement savings into PLA-linked companies.

Newsweek previously revealed that the U.S. federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan was investing funds in federal employee’s retirement savings plans into Beijing’s military companies. Though the investment into these companies may not be illegal under U.S. law, it raises the ethical question about backing the military-linked companies of the U.S.’ primary strategic adversary.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) asked Congress to pass legislation to “stop funding the Chinese Communist Party‘s military and human rights abuses” in a video message posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

“Many of these companies are creating weapon systems that may be targeting American service members as we speak. Vanguard is directing Americans’ savings to fund our own potential destruction. God forbid there’s ever a Taiwan Strait conflict where weapons that Vanguard underwrote are used against American men and women in uniform,” said Gallagher.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has called out Vanguard for funneling U.S. dollars into Chinese companies.

“China continues to exploit America’s capital markets, and firms like Vanguard held make that possible by funneling American dollars into Chinese companies,” he said.

Rite Aid bankruptcy explained as more than 2,000 stores to close

Fox News
-
0
Rite Aid bankruptcy explained as more than 2,000 stores to close

Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sunday in New Jersey, citing slumping sales and more than a thousand lawsuits linked to its alleged role in the U.S. opioid crisis as the main reasons behind this move.

The company, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the U.S., said it has received a commitment for $3.45 billion in new funding from some of its lenders to provide “sufficient liquidity” to help it through the bankruptcy process. It has also appointed Jeffrey Stein as its new CEO and chief restructuring officer in charge of leading the company through bankruptcy, replacing Elizabeth Burr, who will remain on the board.

Following the filing, Rite Aid announced it will close more of its underperforming stores and will transfer employees to other locations whenever possible. The company currently has more than 2,000 stores across 17 states in the country.

Bankruptcy filings have surged in the U.S. in the past year with rising interest rates and stubborn inflation weighing on the corporate sector, soaring by 68 percent in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year, according to Epiq Bankruptcy, a provider of U.S. bankruptcy filing data.

However, Rite Aid is a different case which has seen the high debt burden contracted by the company combined with an explosion of opioid lawsuits against the chain. Here is what happened to the drugstore giant.

Struggling Sales

According to a court filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, Rite Aid was facing $8.6 billion in debt as of June 3, while listing total assets for $7.65 billion. Some of this debt has to be repaid in 2025.

During the same period, the most recent quarter ending on June 3, revenue for the drugstore chain fell to $5.6 billion, down from $6.01 billion during the same timeframe in 2022. Net losses for the company have accumulated to reach $306.7 million, or $5.56 per share, compared to $110.2 million last year, as reported by CNBC.

Slumping sales for the company have been linked to a stark drop in demand for COVID-19 vaccines and testing as the health emergency was officially declared over earlier this year by President Joe Biden‘s administration, as well as a general loss of customers to retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart and competitors such as CVS and Walgreens.

Opioid Lawsuits

Rite Aid is one of several pharmacy chains which have been accused of being involved in the U.S. opioid crisis, which has claimed thousands of lives in recent years. Of an estimated total of 107,622 drug overdose deaths reported in the U.S. in 2021, the latest data made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows, 75.4 percent were linked to opioids.

The company is facing more than a thousand opioid lawsuits, including one from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which sued Rite Aid earlier this year, alleging it violated the Controlled Substances Act by illegally filling prescriptions for controlled substances like fentanyl. The DOJ said the pharmacy chain has ignored obvious “red flags” in doing so.

Rite Aid has denied the allegations and asked a court to dismiss the DOJ’s lawsuit.

As Rite Aid struggled with falling sales, the company was left unable to shoulder the huge cost of the hundreds of federal, state and private lawsuits which have piled up in recent months.

The bankruptcy will halt new opioid lawsuits against the company.

Rising Crime in Stores

Another factor that is likely to have played a part in Rite Aid’s recent move is a rise in crime in its stores, especially in New York City. Talking to the New York Post last month, a Rite Aid spokesperson reported “a higher level of brazen shoplifting and organized retail crime” in its stores, adding that the company was “taking an active role in helping the police in their pursuit of shoplifters.”

According to the newspaper, one of the Rite Aid stores in New York City, in Hell’s Kitchen, had lost more than $200,000 in stolen merchandise over just two months before closing in February.

Earlier this month, the company called out New York City specifically in its earnings report, blaming the rise in thefts in its stores there for $5 million losses in the most recent quarter.

Newsweek contacted Rite Aid for comment by email on Monday.

1...141516...86Page 15 of 86

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY