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President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden is set to plead guilty Wednesday to two federal misdemeanors for not paying taxes on time, a major step toward concluding the highly scrutinized Justice Department investigation into his troubled finances.

The former first lady has mostly retreated from public view — and steered clear of the campaign trail — while her husband fights to return to the White House and faces increasing legal peril.

In her post-presidential life, Melania Trump has pursued what could not get in the White House: a sense of privacy.

The president’s son is scheduled to appear in Federal District Court in Wilmington to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and accept an agreement that would avert prosecution on a gun charge.

If a judge approves the agreement, which Republicans have assailed, Hunter Biden would receive no prison time.

California, already struggling with an exodus of residents fleeing the state, will have about the same population in 2060 as it does now and fewer people than it had just three years ago, according to new government projections. The forecasts released by the California Department of Finance show the Golden State's population in 2060 is estimated to be 39.51 million people, which is lower than the 39.52 residents who lived there in 2020. Just under 39 million people live today in California, the country's most populated state. Just three years ago, forecasters estimated California's population in 2060 would be 45 million. A few years earlier, the projection was over 50 million, indicating an expected population boom.  Meanwhile, the latest projections show the Golden State having 40 million residents in 2050, a shocking drop from the 59.5 million residents predicted in the Department of Finance's forecasts in 2007. The difference between the two figures — 19.5 million people — is equivalent to the total population of New York state. CALIFORNIA EXODUS: REMOTE WORKERS MOVE TO MEXICO DUE TO SKY-HIGH GAS AND HOUSING COSTS California saw its first-ever population decline in 2020, when the state imposed rigid lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Californians continue to leave in droves, moving their homes and businesses to other parts of the country and creating problems for their former state. From January 2020 to July 2022, the state lost well over half a million people, with the number of residents leaving surpassing those moving in by almost 700,000. The U-Haul Growth Index, which measured more than 2 million one-way trips last year, found that California ranked last on the index as demand for trucks out of the Golden State spiked. HIGH-TAX STATE EXODUS ACCELERATES AS MORE AMERICANS FLEE TO FLORIDA, TEXAS Demographers note such an exodus can have compounding effects into the future as people who move take not only themselves but their children. California's population decline is having real consequences. In 2021, the state lost a House seat for the first time since achieving statehood in 1850. If the population continues to decline, another House seat could be at risk. Another effect of fewer people could be an erosion of California's tax base, already one of the country's most taxed populations with the nation's highest top income tax rate at 13.3% among other onerous taxes. In May, Newsom announced the state's budget deficit had grown to nearly $32 billion, which is about $10 billion more than he anticipated in January when he offered his first budget proposal. One reason for the higher figure was lower than expected tax revenue. The 10 states with the highest taxes lost nearly 1 in 100 residents in net domestic migration between July 2021 and July 2022, while the 10 states with the lowest taxes gained almost 1 in 100, according to a recent analysis by James Doti, president emeritus and economics professor at Chapman University.  "The latest census has shown that the highest tax states — California, New York and Illinois — have all seen massive population exodus," Nicholas Robinson, director of accountancy at Illinois University, recently told WalletHub. "The states that have grown the most, Florida and Texas, do not have an income tax. The benefits or detriments of being in a high-tax state versus a low-tax state could be assessed by the population voting with its feet." Still, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, defended his state and expressed optimism about the future despite a declining population. GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM ADDRESSES CALIFORNIA EXODUS, TELLS AMERICANS 'DON'T COUNT US OUT' "I love this state," Newsom said recently during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. "Don’t count us out." Newsom added that, per capita, "more Floridians move to California than California is moving to Florida." Last year, however, Florida saw the biggest rush of new residents migrating from predominantly blue states with steep taxes, with about 319,000 Americans making the move there, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. That amounts to a population increase of nearly 2%, well above the 0.4% national growth rate in the U.S. from July 2021 to July 2022. Texas, the second most populated state and another popular destination beyond Florida for moving Californians, is projected to expand from 30 million people to 36.7 million by 2060, according to its latest forecast from last year. According to Census data, Florida and Texas easily had the highest net migration of people moving there in 2021, while California by far had the lowest as twice as many people left as moved in. LA HOMELESS CRISIS DEEPENS, ENGULFS CITY IN CHAOS AS MAYOR EMPOWERS HERSELF WITH EMERGENCY DECLARATION As for California, the state is expected to return to its 2020 population level in the 2030s, regaining its population decline from the pandemic, and hit its peak in 2044 before declining. The forecasts are based on both net migration and a natural increase in population, which means births minus deaths. The number of deaths in California will exceed births by 2035, according to the data. California's total fertility rate, which has been below replacement level of 2.1 births per woman since 2009, is projected to decline to 1.5. This will be supplemented by an expected surge in the number of deaths over the next three decades as so-called baby boomers grow older. Experts warn to be wary of long-term projections, noting many factors can change, and the calculations can't be full-proof. However, in the near term, at least, many signs indicate California's exodus will continue. More than 40% of Californians are considering leaving the Golden State, according to a new poll from a consortium of California nonprofits. Almost a third of residents said their urge to leave was fueled by California's liberal politics. A high cost of living is another major factor for many. Some have also cited other social and cultural factors, such as the homeless crisis that is devastating major cities such as Los Angeles.  LA has seen a growing number of homeless encampments popping up along the streets of the city, coinciding with rising crime rates and creating scenes of trash, needles and even human feces and urine in public areas. Many business owners have complained, expressing outrage about such encampments being close to their establishments and potentially driving away customers. According to Department of Finance data, the County of Los Angeles is expected to shrink by 1.7 million people from 2020 to 2060.

Hoping to persuade G.O.P. voters that Donald Trump cannot win another general election, the Republican Accountability Project is running ads that feature voters who grew disillusioned with him.

The Republican Accountability Project’s goal is to help lift another contender to the G.O.P. nomination — anyone but Donald J. Trump.

Hunter Biden is set to make his first court appearance in Delaware where he is expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges Wednesday morning stemming from the years-long federal investigation into his tax affairs.  President Biden's son is expected to appear in front of Judge Maryellen Noreika at 10:00 a.m.  Hunter Biden, 53, has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax.  HUNTER BIDEN AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY TO FEDERAL TAX CHARGES "Despite owing in excess of $100,000 in federal income taxes each year, he did not pay the income tax due for either year," the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss’ office said upon announcing the charges last month. "According to the firearm Information, from on or about October 12, 2018 through October 23, 2018, Hunter Biden possessed a firearm despite knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance."  Weiss' office said if convicted, Hunter Biden faces a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison on each of the tax charges – a total of two years. There is a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the firearm charge for which he agreed to a pretrial diversion program.  Such programs according to the DOJ website, "divert certain offenders from traditional criminal justice processing into alternative systems of supervision and service" such as mental health or substance abuse treatment. Those who successfully complete diversion programs, the DOJ says, can see "declination of charges, dismissal or reduction of charges, or a more favorable recommendation at sentencing." EXCLUSIVE: JOE BIDEN ALLEGEDLY PAID $5M BY BURISMA EXECUTIVE AS PART OF A BRIBERY SCHEME, ACCORDING TO FBI DOCUMENT "A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors," Weiss' office said.  "The investigation is ongoing," the office said in a statement last month.  Hunter Biden will also enter into a pretrial diversion agreement regarding a separate felony charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. The plea deal, which has faced ire from Republicans and opponents of the president, is likely to keep Hunter Biden out of jail.  Hunter Biden's first court appearance comes after highly-anticipated public testimony from two IRS whistleblowers – Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler – who were part of the IRS' investigative team on the Hunter investigation. They alleged the investigation and prosecutorial decisions were influenced by politics. The Justice Department has denied the allegations.  The appearance also comes a day after Judge Noreika has threatened Hunter Biden's legal team with sanctions over allegations about lying to the clerk's office. His counsel is accused of avoiding proper court procedure to allegedly get information about IRS whistleblowers removed from the docket.  Specifically, a lawyer from Hunter's legal team is accused of misrepresenting who she was when asking to remove amicus materials from the docket. She allegedly called to ask the clerk to seal the information instead of making a formal request to the court. Noreika gave Biden's legal team until 9 p.m. on Tuesday to explain their side. Hunter Biden has been under federal investigation since 2018. That investigation into his "tax affairs" began amid the discovery of suspicious activity reports (SARs) regarding funds from "China and other foreign nations." IRS whistleblowers said the investigation began as an "offshoot" from an existing probe into a foreign pornography platform.  DOJ OFFERS HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATOR FOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE Fox News first reported in 2020 that the FBI had subpoenaed a laptop and hard drive purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden in connection with a money-laundering investigation in late 2019.  In December 2020, weeks after the 2020 presidential election, Biden publicly acknowledged he was under investigation related to his taxes. At the time, Biden said he took the matter "very seriously" and was "confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors."  BIDENS ALLEGEDLY 'COERCED' BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM The firearms charge stemmed from allegations that Hunter Biden lied during a gun purchase in 2018.  Fox News first reported in 2021 that police had responded to an incident in 2018, when a gun owned by Hunter Biden was thrown into a trash can outside a market in Delaware. A firearm transaction report reviewed by Fox News indicated that Hunter Biden purchased a gun earlier that month. On the firearm transaction report, Hunter Biden answered in the negative when asked if he was "an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?" CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Hunter Biden was discharged from the Navy in 2014 after testing positive for cocaine.  When asked for comment after the charges were announced, the White House released a statement saying: "The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment."

Decision has been made in Hunter Biden investigation: David Spunt

Fox News correspondent David Spunt has more on AG Merrick Garland's expected decision into the Hunter Biden criminal probe on 'Special Report.'

Vivek Ramaswamy performs 'Lose Yourself' by Eminem

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A federal judge has vacated Bowe Bergdahl's dishonorable discharge from the US Army, roughly seven years after the former soldier was convicted of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy after abandoning his outpost in Afghanistan in 2009.

The House Republican majority is hitting its stride as a fully weaponized arm of Donald Trump's bid for a second White House term as it seeks to drag President Joe Biden into a swamp of so far unsubstantiated corruption allegations.

The judge presiding over the Hunter Biden criminal case threatened Biden's legal team with sanctions over allegations about lying to the clerk's office. Hunter Biden's counsel is accused of avoiding proper court procedure to allegedly get information about IRS whistleblowers removed from the docket. Delaware Judge Maryellen Noreika gave Biden's legal team until 9 p.m. on Tuesday to explain their side. Specifically, a lawyer from Hunter's legal team is accused of misrepresenting who she was when asking to remove amicus materials from the docket. She allegedly called to ask the clerk to seal the information instead of making a formal request to the court. "The Court has discussed the matter with the relevant individuals in the Clerk's Office and has been informed that the caller, Ms. Jessica Bengels, represented that she worked with Mr. Kittila and requested the amicus materials be taken down because they contained sensitive grand jury, taxpayer and social security information," the order read.  BIDEN'S CLAIM TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF HUNTER'S BUSINESS DEALINGS IS BECOMING HARDER TO MAINTAIN "It appears that the caller misrepresented her identity and who she worked for in an attempt to improperly convince the clerk's office to remove the amicus materials from the docket," the judge added.  "The Court will temporarily place the document under seal until close of business on July 26, 2023 to afford Defendant the opportunity to try to make the requisite showing," the order read. "Should Defendant fail to make that showing, the document will be unsealed in its entirety." In a letter obtained by Fox News, Biden's legal team told the judge that the lawyer who called the clerk had accurately represented her affiliation with her law firm. BIDEN REPEATEDLY DENIED DISCUSSING BUSINESS DEALS WITH HUNTER, BUT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS OTHERWISE "The matter under consideration appears to stem from an unfortunate and unintentional miscommunication between a staff member at our firm and employees of the Court," the lawyers' defense read. "We have no idea how the misunderstanding occurred, but our understanding is there was no misrepresentation." "We hope this letter and the attached declaration dispels any suggestion that undersigned counsel or our staff would ever intentionally misrepresent or mislead the Court with respect to any matter," the letter added. Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax on Wednesday. The First Son reportedly failed to pay more than $100,000 in taxes on over $1.5 million of earnings in 2017 and 2018. Biden is also set to enter a pretrial diversion agreement over a separate gun-related felony charge. A plea agreement – which has been called a sweetheart deal by critics – was negotiated between Biden and the Department of Justice, which Noreika has the power to reject or accept. Fox News Digital has reached out to Hunter Biden's defense.  Fox News' Claudia Tenney and Kyle Morris contributed to this report.

A former U.S. Army soldier who pleaded guilty to desertion after leaving his post while deployed in Afghanistan and was subsequently captured and tortured by the Taliban had his court-martial conviction vacated Tuesday.  The ruling by U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton in Washington D.C. said that military judge Jeffrey Nance, who presided over the court-martial of Bowe Bergdahl, failed to disclose that he had applied to the executive branch for a job as an immigration judge, creating a potential conflict of interest. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Army and Justice Department.  I TRULY UNDERSTOOD MEMORIAL DAY WHEN I BECAME PART OF THIS GOLD STAR FAMILY Walton noted that former President Trump criticized Bergdahl during the 2016 presidential campaign. Bergdahl's lawyers argued that the criticism placed command influence on Nance.  Walton rejected that argument, but he said a reasonable person could question the judge’s impartiality under the circumstances. It was not clear if the ruling could possibly result in the reinstatement of rank or change of status for Bargdahl's dishonorable discharge. "This case presents a unique situation where the military judge might be inclined to appeal to the president's expressed interest in the plaintiff's conviction and punishment when applying for the immigration judge position," Walton wrote. Bergdahl, from Hailey, Idaho, pleaded guilty in 2017 to desertion. He was spared prison time but was dishonorably discharged from the military and had his rank reduced to private, as well as the forfeiture of $10,000 in pay.  In 2009, he walked away from his post in Afghanistan and was captured by the Taliban and held for five years. Some of his fellow soldiers were injured trying to find him.  In 2014, then-President Barack Obama brought Bergdahl home in a controversial prison exchange for five Taliban prisoners, a deal that was roundly criticized by Republicans.  The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

A top election security official who was fired by President Donald Trump weeks after the 2020 election has confirmed to CNN that he was interviewed in recent months by the special counsel investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the election.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy revealed Republicans' red line for possible impeachment proceedings against President Biden, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that his party would, for now, continue seeking information related to the Biden family finances unless that information began being withheld. "What I've said is if they withhold information, the impeachment inquiry allows Congress to have the apex of power to get all the information they need. All this information people are finding out now is only because Republicans have investigated," McCarthy told Fox.  "The people of America have a right to know what went on. They have a president who lied to the American public and said they didn't get any money from China. We know that's true. We've had whistleblowers from the IRS come say the Biden family is treated differently and that other things were going on. And then you have a[n] informant with the FBI saying there was a bribe. We need to know the answer to this," he said.  McCarthy added that if "at any time" he felt they weren't going to be able to get the information they needed to progress through the investigation, then they "would have to rise to the level of impeachment inquiry."  MCCARTHY: BIDEN CASE WILL ‘RISE TO IMPEACHMENT’ AS 16 ROMANIAN PAYMENTS ALLEGEDLY WENT TO ‘SHELL COMPANIES’ "That's not happening today. But what I'm explaining to everybody that if we don't get the information, I will go to impeachment inquiry to make sure we get all the answers," he said. When asked whether he thought a sitting U.S. president could be impeached based off actions that occurred before they took office, McCarthy dismissed dealing in hypotheticals. "What we're looking right now is getting an answer to the questions and seeing, did [Attorney General Merrick] Garland lie to the American public or not? We know what has been said in these meetings, and we're going to get the answers," he said. McCarthy predicted during a Monday appearance on Fox News' "Hannity" that House Republicans would soon have enough evidence gathered to mount an impeachment inquiry against Biden as the corruption scandal enveloping him and his son Hunter continues to grow. HOUSE CONSERVATIVES HUNGRY FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT AFTER MCCARTHY'S COMMENTS: ‘GROUND SHIFTED’ During the interview, McCarthy said that 16 of the 17 payments the Bidens allegedly received from a Romanian national went to what he described as "Biden shell companies" while Biden was vice president. According to House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., the elder Biden had been "lecturing Romania on anti-corruption policies" while instead being a "walking billboard for his… family to collect money." "When President Biden was running for office, he told the American public that he's never talked about [Hunter's] business. He said his family has never received a dollar from China, which we now prove is not true," McCarthy said during the interview. Biden has long denied discussion or involvement in Hunter's business deals, recently rebuffing a New York Post reporter who asked why he is reportedly referred to as the "big guy" in the FBI form – which is the same nickname purportedly used as a pseudonym in a message gleaned from previously released documentation connected to Hunter. DOJ OFFERS HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATOR FOR TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE McCarthy's comments have riled up members of the House Freedom Caucus, who appeared eager Tuesday for him to make good on his veiled impeachment threats, with one saying the leader's words marked a "paradigm shift." "When he does speak to … impeachment, it carries a tremendous amount of weight. And that's why I think the ground shifted on that a little bit when he opened up the door," Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said after the group's Tuesday press conference. "I don't think there's any question that him speaking to that has caused a paradigm shift." CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News' Charles Creitz and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

A longtime friend and ally of Hunter Biden and the Biden family served as a prosecutor in the Delaware U.S. Attorney's office when that office led the federal investigation into Hunter Biden and has visited the White House at least five times during the Biden administration, a Fox News Digital investigation has found. Alexander Snyder-Mackler, a former legal counsel to Joe Biden when he was vice president and a press secretary for then-Sen. Biden between 2007 and 2008, served as an assistant United States attorney in the Delaware U.S. Attorney's office under David Weiss from August 2016 to May 2019. During that time, Weiss was leading the federal investigation into Hunter Biden for tax fraud and illegal foreign business dealings.  According to emails from Hunter’s abandoned laptop, which were reviewed and verified by Fox News Digital, Mackler and Hunter Biden remained in close contact, with Mackler once signing off an email saying, "Love you brother."  It's unclear what, if any, role Mackler played in the probe. Even if Mackler played no role in the Hunter Biden investigation, his professional closeness with Weiss' team is sure to lead to conflict of interest questions from Republicans on Capitol Hill. Fox News Digital has reached out to Weiss and Mackler for comment. BIDEN’S NARRATIVE ON NEVER DISCUSSING BUSINESS DEALS WITH HUNTER CONTINUES TO CRUMBLE Hunter Biden had been under federal investigation since 2018. That investigation into his "tax affairs" began amid the discovery of suspicious activity reports (SARs) regarding funds from "China and other foreign nations."  Mackler, who also worked for Joe Biden in 2008 as his press secretary during his time in the U.S. Senate, previously told The Washington Times he did not know about the case when he was a federal prosecutor and only learned about it with the rest of the world through Hunter Biden’s press statement Dec. 9, 2020, which came a month after his father's presidential win. Last month, Biden agreed to a deal with the Justice Department to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and entered a pretrial diversion agreement regarding a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. WHO IS DAVID WEISS? HUNTER BIDEN PROSECUTOR COMES UNDER MICROSCOPE AFTER CONTROVERSIAL PLEA DEAL Mackler has been the Deputy Attorney General of Delaware since May 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile.  According to visitor logs reviewed by Fox News Digital, he visited the White House five times last year, including a one-on-one meeting with President Biden.  On March 28, 2022, Mackler met with White House counsel Steve Ricchetti for a one-on-one meeting. On April 11, he met with President Biden in a one-on-one meeting. On Aug. 28, he met with Biden's 2024 campaign manager, Julie Rodriguez, who was also serving as Biden's senior adviser, for a one-on-one meeting. And on Sept. 21, he met one on one with Claudia Marconi, senior adviser for congressional engagement. Mackler also attended a White House event in December.  Fox News Digital reviewed emails and text messages that reveal Mackler has maintained relatively frequent contact with the younger Biden for many years.  In a text message dated March 10, 2019, well after the federal investigation was underway, Mackler texted Hunter Biden, saying he was "in the car for a long drive" and "just wanted to say hi."  Biden responded the next day, calling him "buddy." HUNTER BIDEN REVEALED LONGTIME BUSINESS PARTNER WAS VP BIDEN'S 'CLOSE CONFIDANT AND COUNSEL' IN 2014 EMAIL On Oct. 16, 2018, Mackler emailed Biden "wondering how life is on [his] end" before signing off, "Love you brother."  Two years earlier, in August 2016, when he first started working under Weiss, Mackler emailed Hunter Biden and Eric Schwerin, president of Hunter Biden’s now-dissolved Rosemont Seneca Partners, boasting about his "first day at the new job," according to an Aug. 22, 2016, email. "Literally the first page on all the paperwork I have to review--the first page!--was about preserving all federal records, especially emails. Just like at the WH. Incredible how this all could've happened," Mackler said, referring to a Politico report about the State Department being ordered to review 15,000 emails for a potential release. One week later, Mackler gave his two cents on a drafted statement regarding the launch of the Biden Institute at the University of Delaware, writing to Hunter Biden and others, "Looks good to me." HUNTER BIDEN RIPPED BILL CLINTON AS ‘A--HOLE’ WHO ‘LOOKS LIKE S---,' SAID CLINTON AIDES ARE 'GREEDY': EMAILS Mackler also frequently vented to Hunter Biden and Schwerin following Hillary Clinton’s upset defeat to former President Donald Trump later that November.  "I'm trying very hard to take solace in the fact that more people in this country feel like us than like Trump's people," Mackler said. "It's hard," he wrote to Hunter Biden and Schwerin Nov. 9, 2016, one day after the election. The next day, he wrote to Hunter Biden and Schwerin, "I truly hope he picks all these clowns," referring to Trump’s potential cabinet picks at the time, including former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. A few days later, he blasted the Democrats backing Hillary Clinton at the time as "pompous … a--holes." Six months later, Mackler was still perceivably upset about the election after Schwerin shared a story about David Axelrod, who had criticized Clinton for blaming her loss on virtually everything but her own campaign. "I'm old enough to remember when he took a whole afternoon of JRB's [Joseph Robinette Biden] time in the West Wing, arguing that he needed to get out of HRC's [Hillary Rodham Clinton] way because she was the better candidate and would win," Mackler fumed. Weiss has repeatedly denied claims by two IRS whistleblowers who alleged officials at the Justice Department, FBI and IRS interfered with Weiss’ five-year investigation into President Biden’s son. The House Oversight Committee, House Judiciary Committee and House Ways and Means Committee are conducting a joint investigation into the federal probe into Hunter Biden and whether prosecutorial decisions were influenced by politics. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in June that Weiss, who was nominated by President Donald Trump in November 2017, "was given complete authority" in the prosecutorial decisions concerning Hunter Biden. In June, House Republicans demanded testimony from Weiss and more than a dozen federal officials, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf, who allegedly blocked lines of questioning in the investigation related to President Biden. In a Monday letter obtained by Fox, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte wrote to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, that the DOJ has accepted the offer for Weiss to testify "at a public hearing before the committee." A source close to the Delaware Biden probe told the Daily Mail this month that Mackler worked with Wolf on at least one Delaware federal case and that the two were friends.  "The source said there were concerns about Wolf's ties to the ex-Biden advisor while she was investigating Hunter and that their collegiate relationship was even allegedly referred to the 'Designated Agency Ethics Officer' for Weiss's office," the Daily Mail reported July 14. Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed reporting.

Arkansas Treasurer Mark Lowery is leaving office in September after experiencing two strokes over the past several months, his office announced Tuesday. Lowery, a Republican who took office in January, will retire on Sept. 30. The state treasury will be run by the chief of staff and deputy treasurer until Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appoints a replacement, his office said. "Treasurer Lowery has been a dedicated public servant and has had a successful political and professional career that spans over 30 years. We are incredibly sad to see him retire, and his leadership will be missed," Chief of Staff Stephen Bright said in a statement. ARKANSAS STATE TREASURER HOSPITALIZED FOR SECOND STROKE THIS YEAR Lowery, 66, experienced two strokes, one in March and another in June. After the first, Lowery spent several weeks rehabilitating in Arkansas before recovering with his daughter in Maryland. Lowery's office described the second stroke as more severe and said it led him and his family to decide to announce his retirement. "It was the joy of his life traveling across Arkansas and building lasting relationships with constituents throughout the state," Lowery's family said in a statement. "Every moment of every day he lived his dream by serving others and fighting for Arkansans." The treasurer oversees the state’s investments and serves on several panels including the boards of trustees for the state employees and teacher retirement systems. Alexa Henning, a spokeswoman for Sanders, said the governor was praying for Lowery and his family. ARKANSAS FORMER TREASURER JIMMIE LOU FISHER DIES AT 80 "She appreciates his decades-long service to the state and to Arkansans," Henning said. Before being elected treasurer in November, Lowery had served 10 years in the state House. Lowery sponsored a 2017 law that reinstated the state’s requirement that voters show photo identification before being allowed to cast a ballot. A previous voter ID law had been struck down by the state Supreme Court, but justices in 2018 upheld Lowery’s revision. Lowery also sponsored a 2021 law that removed the ability of people without identification to cast a ballot, even if they sign an affidavit affirming their identity.

The judge presiding over the Hunter Biden criminal case threatened Biden's legal team with sanctions over allegations about lying to the clerk's office. Hunter Biden's legal team is accused of avoiding proper court procedure to allegedly get information about IRS whistleblowers removed from the docket. Delaware Judge Maryellen Noreika gave Biden's legal team until 9 p.m. on Tuesday to explain their side. Specifically, a lawyer from Hunter's legal team is accused of misrepresenting who she was when asking to remove amicus materials. She allegedly called to ask the clerk to seal the information instead of making a formal request to the court. "The Court has discussed the matter with the relevant individuals in the Clerk's Office and has been informed that the caller, Ms. Jessica Bengels, represented that she worked with Mr. Kittila and requested the amicus materials be taken down because they contained sensitive grand jury, taxpayer and social security information," the order read.  BIDEN'S CLAIM TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF HUNTER'S BUSINESS DEALINGS IS BECOMING HARDER TO MAINTAIN "It appears that the caller misrepresented her identity and who she worked for in an attempt to improperly convince the clerk's office to remove the amicus materials from the docket," the judge added.  "The Court will temporarily place the document under seal until close of business on July 26, 2023 to afford Defendant the opportunity to try to make the requisite showing," the order read. "Should Defendant fail to make that showing, the document will be unsealed in its entirety." BIDEN REPEATEDLY DENIED DISCUSSING BUSINESS DEALS WITH HUNTER, BUT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS OTHERWISE Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax on Wednesday. The First Son reportedly failed to pay more than $100,000 in taxes on over $1.5 million of earnings in 2017 and 2018. Biden is also set to enter a pretrial diversion agreement over a separate gun-related felony charge. A plea agreement – which has been called a sweetheart deal by critics – was negotiated between Biden and the Department of Justice, which Noreika has the power to reject or accept. Fox News Digital has reached out to Hunter Biden's defense.  Fox News' Claudia Tenney and Kyle Morris contributed to this report.

The chairman of the Ways and Means Committee filed a brief in federal court saying the plea agreement for the president’s son had been tainted by political interference.

Representative Jason Smith of Missouri has urged Attorney General Merrick Garland and David C. Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, to enter materials into the court file in an attempt to undermine the plea deal.

President Biden said on Tuesday, during a speech on mental health, that over 100 people died of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The president delivered remarks on the expansion of mental health care in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday afternoon. After an introduction by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Richele Keas, a mother who hit several snags with insurance companies while trying to access mental health services for her daughter, Biden took to the podium. He thanked Keas for sharing her story, which he said was the story of millions across the country. BIDEN'S DOG COMMANDER TERRORIZES SECRET SERVICE IN ‘EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE’ RAMPAGE: EMAILS "One of the things that the pandemic demonstrated is a need for a lot more help," Biden said. "Over a million people died from COVID. That’s estimated to mean 8 million people left behind who are close to them." Toward the end of the speech, the president’s numbers changed. "We’re still feeling the profound loss of a pandemic, as I mentioned, of over 100 people dead," Biden said. "That's 100 empty chairs around the kitchen table, every single loss. There are so many people left behind and broken folks." BIDEN SUPPORTERS DISAGREE WITH PRESIDENT'S REFUSAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE 7TH GRANDKID: ‘A BIT HYPOCRITICAL' While there have been more than 100 deaths from the pandemic, he was a bit shy of the correct number of deaths. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 1,127,152 deaths caused by COVID in the U.S. between Jan. 3, 2020 and July 19, 2023. Biden announced that his administration is taking new steps to expand access to mental health care, requiring health insurance companies to find gaps in the mental health care they provide. TEXAS GOV ABBOTT SWIPES BIDEN IN LATEST WAR OF WORDS OVER BORDER SECURITY, IMPENDING DOJ LAWSUIT In the Biden administration’s plan, they will require insurance companies to measure how many mental health providers are in their network, how much they pay the providers, how difficult it is for someone to join the network and how often doctors must get prior authorization before treating a patient. Then, insurance companies will be required by law to fix the gaps. When it comes to mental health coverage, Biden said, "it should be provided," but to do so, coverage, care and causes must be addressed. He said care needs to continue to be expanded by increasing access to telemedicine, expanding the mental health workforce. Biden also said his administration needs to address prevention and the root cause of pain and trauma people feel, like loneliness, isolation, social media, online bullying and gun violence. "It's important for people to realize they're not alone," he said. "That's what I want everyone to want. Everyone in America, not to feel isolated."

Oklahoma’s new Republican attorney general accused Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday of failing to follow state law and said he’s stepping into a long-running legal dispute over tribal gambling agreements Stitt signed in 2020. In a letter and personal phone call to the fellow Republican, Attorney General Gentner Drummond said he notified Stitt that he’s joining the lawsuit to represent the state’s interest at the request of House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat. OKLAHOMA SENATE BUCKS STITT VETO, VOTES TO EXTEND TRIBAL COMPACTS FOR ANOTHER YEAR "As you should fully understand, this long running and costly litigation is a direct result of your refusal to follow Oklahoma law," Drummond wrote. "The four tribal gaming compacts you signed were invalid from the start because you did not have the approval or authorization from the Oklahoma Legislature to enter the gaming compacts." Stitt's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Drummond's action. The Cherokee, Chickasaw, Citizen Potawatomi and Choctaw nations filed a federal lawsuit in federal district court in Washington over the governor's gambling compacts with four other tribes: the Comanche Nation, the Otoe-Missouria, the Kialegee Tribal Town and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Private law firms hired by Stitt to defend the compacts have already racked up nearly $600,000 in legal fees, Drummond said. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES TULSA POLICE LACK JURISDICTION TO PROSECUTE NATIVE AMERICAN FOR SPEEDING Stitt entered into those agreements after his failed attempt in 2019 to renegotiate the gambling compacts with all of the Oklahoma-based tribes, seeking a greater share of revenue for the state and arguing that the compacts approved by voters in 2004 had expired. A federal judge ultimately sided with the tribes and said the compacts automatically renewed. Since then, Stitt's relationship with tribal leaders has continued to worsen, prompting criticism from fellow Republicans about his hostile approach to tribal negotiations. Treat, the Republican leader of the state Senate, said this week lawmakers may consider taking control of negotiating tribal compacts away from the governor. Casino gambling is a booming industry in Oklahoma, with more than 130 casinos dotting the state, ranging from gas station annexes to resort-style hotel casinos, many of them in border communities, since voters approved a gambling expansion in 2004. The fees the tribes paid to the state for the exclusive right to casino-style gambling totaled nearly $200 million last year, most of which was earmarked for public schools.

The speaker’s comments came on the eve of a hearing in the tax case against Hunter Biden, and ahead of a potential third indictment of former President Donald J. Trump.

“You’ve got to get to the bottom of the truth, and the only way Congress can do that is go to impeachment inquiry that gives Republicans and Democrats the ability to get all the information,” Speaker Kevin McCarthy said.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced Tuesday that organizers submitted enough valid signatures to put an amendment on the November ballot to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution.

The House Judiciary Committee has announced it will hold a hearing on Thursday to begin contempt proceedings against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for failing to comply with a series of subpoenas to turn over documents related to the panel's investigation into whether the company censored free speech on its platform.

Gov. Kim Reynolds next month will hold “Fair-Side Chats” with candidates including Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott and Perry Johnson, but not the former president.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, right, interviewing Casey DeSantis, the wife of Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, in July.

The ouster of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from the ultraconservative group and the rise of another rebel faction have raised questions about where the real power lies on the far right.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s expulsion from the Freedom Caucus reflects a larger dilemma for the group.

NARRATIVE BUSTER: The White House has long insisted President Biden never talked about his son Hunter's business… Read more: Biden’s narrative on never discussing business deals with Hunter continues to crumble PSAKI BOMB: Biden's former White House press secretary's story on Hunter isn't holding up… Read more: White House talking points about Hunter Biden’s pricey art sales turned out to be blatantly wrong MAKE AMERICA HOT AGAIN: Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton found someone to blame for heat waves… Read more: Hillary Clinton blames 'MAGA Republicans' for making it hot outside COMMANDER CONTROL: The Biden family dog has attacked numerous people at the White House, Secret Service emails reveal… Read more: Biden's dog Commander terrorizes Secret Service in 'extremely aggressive' rampage: emails NOT JUST STOVES… The Biden administration is going after gas fueled water heaters… Read more: Biden admin cracks down on another popular home appliance PRO-PIPELINE PRESIDENT: A major gas pipeline project has Biden administration support… Read more: Biden admin urges Supreme Court to reinstate major gas pipeline in West Virginia DIVERSITY HIRING: President Biden's nominee for top defense post made Diversity, Equality and Inclusion a centerpiece of his career… Read more: ‘I hire for diversity’: Biden Joint Chiefs chairman nominee placed DEI at 'forefront' as Air Force leader BURISMA BIDEN: A newly released FBI form alleges the Bidens solicited bribes… Read more: Bidens allegedly 'coerced' Burisma CEO to pay them millions to help get Ukraine prosecutor fired: FBI form BIDEN'S GARAGE: Photos of Hunter Biden in his dad's treasured Corvette appear to be taken on same day as suspicious messages to his business partners… Read more: Photos show Hunter Biden in dad's Corvette at Delaware home on same day as 'shakedown' message SPOTTED: Attorney ripping a bong while hosting the president's son, according to reports… Read more: Hunter Biden's 'sugar brother' lawyer spotted smoking bong on home balcony during visit from president's son REVISIONISM: VP's attacks on Florida's history curriculum ridiculed as divisive and unhistorical… Read more: Critics unleash on Kamala Harris' 'evil,' 'astonishing lie' about Florida's school curriculum on slavery IM-PEACHY KEEN: GOP calls to impeach Biden over recent Hunter-related accusations gather steam… Read more: Republican calls to impeach Biden grow following release of FBI document detailing bribery allegations JUSTICE RESPONDS: The DOJ is ready to send someone to testify on Hunter Biden… Read more: DOJ offers Hunter Biden investigator for testimony before the House SEND IN THE CLOWNS: Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi maintains she respects whistleblowers while ridiculing Biden family hearings… Read more: Pelosi claims she has 'respect for whistleblowers' despite dismissing testimony as 'ridiculous clown show' ‘FAILURE’ OF PROTOCOL: The FBI improperly searched emails of politicians using powerful — and often abused — surveillance tool… Read more: FISA Court opinion reveals a US senator, state senator, state judge got swept up in 702 queries FAMILIAR SECURITY: Progressive Democrat's campaign pays husband for security… Read more: Cori Bush's campaign continues to shell out thousands of dollars to her husband for private security DESANTIS 2.0: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign is in the middle of a major shakeup… Read more: DeSantis campaign cuts more staff as part of push to 'streamline' presidential bid ISLAND BOY: Tech mogul with former ties to Jeffrey Epstein boosts Democratic campaigns… Read more: Billionaire who visited Epstein island pours thousands into coffers of vulnerable Dem Senate races GROWING FIELD: A former governor has thrown her hat into the 2024 GOP primary ring… Read more: Former New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte launches Republican bid for governor Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

President Biden and Vice President Harris took veiled swipes at GOP presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the White House Tuesday, while announcing a new national monument in memory of Emmett Till, a Black teenager whose 1955 lynching catalyzed the Civil Rights Movement.  "Our history as a nation is born of tragedy and triumph, of struggle and success. That is who we are. And as people who love our country, as patriots, we know that we must remember and teach our full history even when it is painful, especially when it is painful," Harris said. "Today, there are those in our nation who would prefer to erase or even rewrite the ugly parts of our past."  "Those who attempt to teach that enslaved people benefited from slavery," Harris continued. "Those who insult us in an attempt to gaslight us. Who try to divide us with unnecessary debates. Let us not be seduced into believing that somehow we will be better if we forget. We will be better if we remember. We will be stronger if we remember because we all here know, it is only by understanding and learning from our past that we can continue to work together to build a better future."  Biden, who signed a proclamation establishing the new Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois, commended the courage of Till’s mother for choosing to have an open casket to reveal to the world her 14-year-old son’s brutalized and maimed body. The president also praised "the Black media," noting how Jet magazine, Chicago Defender and other newspapers published the graphic photos, effectively driving the course of the Civil Rights Movement in America.  CONSERVATIVE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARD OKS CURRICULUM ON GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST AFTER NEWSOM THREATENED $1.5M FINE "At a time when there are those who seek to ban books, bury history, we're making it clear – crystal, crystal clear – how darkness and denialism can hide much, but they erase nothing," Biden added. "You can hide, but they erased nothing. We can't just choose to learn what we want to know. We have to learn what we should know. We should know about our country. We should know everything. The good, the bad, the truth of who we are as a nation. That's what great nations do. And we are a great nation. That's what they do. For only with truth comes healing, justice, repair and another step forward toward forming a more perfect union. We got a hell of a long way to go."  Their speeches also referenced how Biden last year signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which codified lynching as a federal hate crime. Fox News Digital reached out to the DeSantis campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back.  The remarks come as Harris and DeSantis have already traded public barbs regarding the Florida Department of Education’s new curriculum regarding slavery in America. Democrats have also accused the Republican presidential candidate of banning books during his fight against woke ideology. DeSantis and his team have denied that he has banned books or that his state teaches that Black people benefited from slavery – a claim Harris recently made, drawing pushback in the media. During a speech in Jacksonville Friday, Harris charged that the Florida state curriculum meant "middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefited from slavery."  DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION FIRES BACK AT CRITICISM OVER NEWLY ADOPTED AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES STANDARDS "Democrats like Kamala Harris have to lie about Florida's educational standards to cover for their agenda of indoctrinating students and pushing sexual topics onto children," DeSantis tweeted in response. "Florida stands in their way, and we will continue to expose their agenda and their lies."  In March, DeSantis spoke out against those who accused him of banning books, calling the narrative a "hoax." He condemned "pornographic and inappropriate materials" in schools and libraries that violate state standards, and said he wants to keep education "free from sexualization and harmful materials that are not age appropriate." Earlier Tuesday, DeSantis was involved in a car accident while on the campaign trail but was not injured.  The Emmett Till memorial comes nearly 68 years after Till's death. While on a trip from his home in Chicago visiting family in Mississippi, Till was accused of making inappropriate advances toward a White female grocery clerk. Four days later, he was pulled from his bed, kidnapped and brutally murdered by at least two White men. Till’s mutilated body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River another three days later, Aug. 31, 1955. As many as 125,000 people attended the visitation and funeral.  Two of his accused killers were acquitted by an all-White jury on capital murder charges.  The White House fact sheet said the new national monument "will tell the story of the events surrounding Emmett Till’s murder, their significance in the Civil Rights Movement and American history, and the broader story of Black oppression, survival and bravery in America."  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Look, telling the truth and the full history of our nation is important. For our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren," Biden said.  "Silence is complicity. I will not be silent, nor will you be silent about what happened," he added. "There's really critical work ahead to continue the fight for racial justice and equality for all Americans. And my administration is committed to leading the path forward."  The president said the monument would tell the story "of a family's promise and loss and the nation's reckoning with hate, violence, racism, overwhelming abuse of power and brutality."  "It's hard to fathom, hard to fathom. It's even a war," Biden said. "For me, it's hard to fathom."

California has come up with a new way to fight methamphetamine addiction: incentivizing users to stay sober with gift cards. The Golden State will debut its expanded pilot program to 24 counties, targeting big city hubs grappling with drug-addicted homelessness as seen in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento. "Individuals will be able to earn motivational incentives in the form of low-denomination gift cards, with a retail value determined per treatment episode," according to the state's Department of Health Care Services website. Eligible participants will be placed in a 24-week outpatient program, followed by additional recovery treatments for another six months if needed. If participants in the program test positive, they will not receive a gift card or other type of incentive. LA HOMELESS CRISIS DEEPENS, ENGULFS CITY IN CHAOS AS MAYOR EMPOWERS HERSELF WITH EMERGENCY DECLARATION "If a beneficiary tests negative for stimulants, they are eligible to receive an incentive during that visit," a state health department FAQ published in September 2022 reads. "The presence of opioids or other drugs shall not be an indication to terminate the beneficiary from [contingency management] treatment but rather shall be an indication the beneficiary may need additional treatment, either concurrently or subsequently." But some residents in Los Angeles County aren’t so sure this program will hit home with its homeless population, which has been riddled with mental illness and drug addiction. Meth is often the preferred drug among the homeless population in the county.  Venice Beach resident and neighborhood councilmember Soledad Ursua told Fox News Digital she’s concerned that drug addiction among the homeless is too powerful to be overcome by small financial incentives, as she has grown accustomed to seeing "homeless persons experiencing psychotic breaks daily" induced by drugs.  SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS OWNER SAYS MEDIA HAVE 'NO IDEA' HOW BAD HOMELESS CRISIS IS: 'APOCALYPTIC' "It sounds like another ill-conceived attempt to put a Band-Aid on a bullet wound," Ursua said. "This will solve nothing in a state that enables drug addiction." California follows what's known as a "harm reduction model" when dealing with drug addiction on the streets, handing out clean needles and syringes to users in exchange for their dirty ones, as well as containers for cooking drugs. Proponents of this model argue it reduces transmissions of infections and diseases. DRUG ARRESTS PROVE THIS CITY IS A 'MAGNET' FOR HOMELESSNESS, CRIME, ACTIVIST SAYS "You can use meth, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs without fear of arrest," Ursua said of the conditions in LA. "This has lead to an explosion of encampments, people living on our streets and in RVs."  According to a May report, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found a troubling trend among the homeless: fatal fentanyl overdoses tripled from 2019 to 2020 and often involved methamphetamine in 2021, amounting to at least two deaths daily. Statewide, California boasts the largest number of unhoused homeless people in the nation, with an estimated 171,000 recorded last year. Gov. Gavin Newsom touted a plan earlier this year to pour $1 billion into counties investing in building 1,200 temporary small homes for homeless people, with access to expanded drug recovery treatment. "The crisis of homelessness will never be solved without first solving the crisis of housing — the two issues are inextricably linked," Newsom said in March.  Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom's office for comment.

House Freedom Caucus members on Tuesday appeared eager for Speaker Kevin McCarthy to make good on his recent veiled impeachment threat against President Biden, and one member of the conservative group of GOP members said the leader’s words marked a "paradigm shift." "When he does speak to … impeachment, it carries a tremendous amount of weight. And that's why I think the ground shifted on that a little bit when he opened up the door," Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said after a Freedom Caucus press conference on Tuesday. "I don't think there's any question that him speaking to that has caused a paradigm shift." After a series of hearings and briefings on alleged misconduct by Biden and his family, McCarthy said on Fox News's "Hannity" Monday night, "This is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed." It’s the most direct comment yet the speaker has made about impeaching Biden, something the hardliners in his conference have been clamoring for since the House GOP took the majority this year. IRS WHISTLEBLOWER: 'INDEPENDENT ATTORNEY' NEEDED IN HUNTER BIDEN DELAWARE CASE Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., suggested there would be "an uprising" against Biden if the House did not move forward with trying to remove him. "Look, the evidence is mounting against this guy. Look at what he’s done," Norman said. "What Donald Trump’s done with papers pales in comparison." JORDAN ROASTS DEMS AFTER RFK JR HEARING: PARTY TURNED AGAINST ITS MOST FAMOUS NAME Norman said there was a "difference of opinion" on whether to take such a severe step but dismissed the idea of risking an impeachment vote that fails.  "Some people think that what he’s done isn’t that bad. A lot of us in general — the public, it’s gonna be an uprising against this guy, I think, at the end of the day." It's not just Biden that Republicans are looking to target. GOP members have called for impeachment proceedings against some of the president’s top Cabinet officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Norman answered "all of the above" during the press conference when asked about which Biden official should be impeached first. BIDENS ALLEGEDLY ‘COERCED’ BURISMA CEO TO PAY THEM MILLIONS TO HELP GET UKRAINE PROSECUTOR FIRED: FBI FORM Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said Mayorkas would be the "low hanging fruit" to initially consider. "But with the evidence that we've induced in the Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee with regard to the Biden — I would call it from the crime syndicate, I don't know what else you can call it — the corruption that's there," he said. "That would certainly be a very interesting and perhaps even necessary step," he said. "I’ll just tell you that the evidence I’ve seen is overwhelming, and it would lead one to believe our president, our sitting president, is corrupted and compromised." CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP At one point Norman took a jab at Vice President Kamala Harris that earned some nervous laughter by saying, "I realize the replacement for Joe Biden is probably giggling somewhere now, so she’s not an alternative." Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back.

FIRST ON FOX: Conservative activist Leonard Leo today told Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee he will "not be part" of their investigation into the travel habits of conservative Supreme Court justices and cited the Bill of Rights and liberal hypocrisy as reasons. "Your investigation of Mr. Leo infringes two provisions of the Bill of Rights," lawyers for Leonard Leo wrote in a letter to Democratic senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Dick Durbin, which was obtained by Fox News Digital. "By selectively targeting Mr. Leo for investigation on a politically charged basis, while ignoring other potential sources of information on the asserted topic of interest who are similarly situated to Mr. Leo but have different political views that are more consistent with those of the Committee majority, your inquiry appears to be political retaliation against a private citizen in violation of the First Amendment," they wrote. This month, Whitehouse and Durbin sent a letter to Leo and billionaires Paul Singer and Robin Arkley II demanding more information regarding a ProPublica report that Alito "accepted and failed to disclose a luxury Alaskan fishing vacation" in 2008 with the two billionaires. Leo allegedly organized the trip. LEFT, MEDIA'S RACIAL ATTACKS ON CLARENCE THOMAS SPARK BIPARTISAN REBUKE The senators asked for an itemized list of gifts and payments from Leo or groups he is associated with dating back decades and related to any Supreme Court justice he has associated with. "To date, Chief Justice Roberts has barely acknowledged, much less investigated or sought to fix, the ethics crises swirling around our highest Court. So, if the Court won’t investigate or act, Congress must," Whitehouse and Durbin said in a press release. "Answers to these questions will help the Committee’s work to create reliable ethics guardrails at the Court, under Congress’s clearly established oversight and legislative authority." Leo's lawyers responded by saying the Democrats' request doesn't comport with the First Amendment and other parts of the Constitution. FAR-LEFT REPORTER ACCUSED OF 'WISHING DEATH' ON SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: 'TAKE HIM TO SEE THE TITANIC' "For similar reasons, your inquiry cannot be reconciled with the Equal Protection component of the Due Process clause of the Fifth Amendment. And regardless of its other constitutional infirmities, it appears that your investigation lacks a valid legislative purpose, because the legislation the Committee is considering would be unconstitutional if enacted," his lawyers said. The response also pointed out several examples of liberal Supreme Court justices accepting lavish trips, failing to recuse themselves from cases to which they had connections and accepting funds from undisclosed donors. The letter explains that former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer took more than 200 trips "paid for by private individuals," including a 2013 trip to a Nantucket compound that was paid for by a billionaire. In another instance, late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg accepted a $1 million award from a billionaire's foundation and then dispersed that money to undisclosed liberal causes. "None of these incidents has resulted in inquiries from the Committee," the letter from Leo’s attorneys stated. HERE’S WHY CLARENCE THOMAS IS ‘THE PEOPLE’S JUSTICE’ It also argued that Senate Democrats have an "extensive record of vilifying" Leo for his political advocacy through the Federalist Society and said it is "hard to conclude that the disparate treatment to which Mr. Leo is being subjected is the result of anything other than sheer vindictiveness motivated by politics." The Federalist Society, which Leo has been a part of for decades, has long been criticized by liberal activists for its involvement in helping advise and lobby former President Trump through the nominations of Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett using alleged "dark money." ProPublica’s reporting in recent months on the travel habits of Alito and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been widely criticized by conservatives who point out that many of the "experts" cited in the various articles have undisclosed ties to Democratic causes. Additionally, conservatives have called out ProPublica for being largely funded by organizations and donors who support liberal causes, including court packing and removing conservative justices from the court. Alito has defended himself against ProPublica's reporting, and Leo has released a statement dismissing the idea that the fishing trip was somehow being kept from the public. "Justice Alito talked about this trip in front of dozens of journalists and over 2,000 people after being introduced by Paul Singer at a Federalist Society dinner fourteen years ago," Leo said in a statement earlier this month. "Nobody questioned Justice Alito’s impartiality then, or thereafter." Leo added that "the only thing that has changed over all these years is that ProPublica and its large pool of liberal dark money donors are having a hard time accepting the fact that they are now losing cases because there aren’t enough Justices around anymore to disregard the law and affirm their policy preferences." Supporters of Thomas have insisted he broke no laws or ethics codes. A friend of his, former Trump OMB General CounseI Mark Paoletta, laid out the facts of the disclosures in a lengthy Twitter post in May. "This is politics," said the Heritage Foundation's Roger Severino, who served from 2017-2021 as director for the U.S. Department Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. In that position, Severino oversaw compliance with ethical rules including those regarding gifts. Leo has dealt with left wing-activists protesting in front of his home in recent days, including a protester who dressed up in an "angry uterus" costume. The letter from his lawyers said Whitehouse and Durbin are turning the Senate into a "platform of irresponsible sensationalism" where a person's "right to hold unpopular beliefs" is "disregarded." "We will not be part of that journey," the letter concluded.

The White House narrative that Hunter Biden’s art buyers will remain anonymous to prevent the appearance of any undue influence is falling apart after it was reported a President Biden appointee is one of Hunter Biden's friends and buyers. Hunter Biden’s artwork has brought in at least $1.3 million, and one of the buyers is Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, who was appointed by President Biden to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in July 2022, Business Insider reported Monday. Hirsh Naftali previously donated over $200,000 to President Biden’s 2020 campaign and has visited the White House over a dozen times since he’s been in office. Her appointment came eight months after Hunter Biden’s first art opening, though it’s not clear whether her purchase came before or after the appointment. HUNTER BIDEN’S ART DEALER PRAISES FIRST SON, SAYS HIS PERSPECTIVE IS ‘VERY MUCH NEEDED’ AS PROBES HEAT UP Hunter Biden learned of Hirsh Naftali’s identity and one other buyer because they were his friends, his counsel, Abbe Lowell, told Business Insider. "The gallery sets the pricing and handles all sales based on the highest ethical standards of the industry and does not disclose the names of any purchasers to Mr. Biden," Lowell wrote. The White House has repeatedly pledged that the buyers’ identities would remain unknown to both Hunter Biden and the Biden administration and that there would be no disclosure to the public. "After careful consideration, a system has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within reasonable safeguards," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said July 9, 2021. "Of course, he has the right to pursue an artistic career just like any child of a president has the right to pursue a career, but all interactions regarding the selling of art and the setting of prices will be handled by a professional gallerist adhering to the highest industry standards, and any offer out of the normal, of course, would be rejected out of hand. "The gallerist will not share information about buyers or prospective buyers, including their identities, with Hunter Biden or the administration." Days later, Psaki defended Hunter Biden’s plans to attend gallery events with potential buyers of his art, saying the fact the buyers were remaining anonymous would prevent the appearance of any "undue influence" in the administration. "He is attending gallery events that had been prior planned and announced," Psaki said at her daily press briefing. "That is different than meeting with prospective buyers." "He's not going to have any conversations related to the selling of art," Psaki said July 22, 2021. "That will be left to the gallerist, as was outlined in the agreement that we announced just a few weeks ago. We believe this is a reasonable system that has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within appropriate safeguards." REP. COMER VOWS TO PROBE HUNTER BIDEN’S ART SALES, DEALER’S CHINA CONNECTIONS: ‘IT IS DEEPLY CONCERNING’ A reporter asked Psaki whether it would be "more transparent to just release the names of the buyers so that everyone would know who purchased this art and how much they paid." "Well, we won't know who the buyers are," Psaki responded. "Hunter Biden won't know who the buyers are. So, I think the origin — I think of this line of questioning, which is understandable, is about whether this would provide a situation for undue influence. But we won't know who they are, so there's no scenario where they could provide influence." Psaki reiterated the next day that Hunter Biden "will not be informed" of the identities of the buyers, saying, "He will not know, we will not know who purchases his art." Psaki grew irritated when questioned on the topic again that October.  "Did you have another question on something else?" she snapped at a New York Post reporter. "Otherwise, we’re going to move on to some other topics. There’s a lot going on in the world." PSAKI DEFENDS HUNTER BIDEN’S PARTICIPATION IN ART SHOWS: ‘NO SCENARIO’ IN WHICH BUYERS CAN ‘PROVIDE INFLUENCE’ Walter Shaub, who served as the ethics chief during the Obama administration, repeatedly blasted Hunter and the Biden administration in 2021 for what he perceived was an "absolutely appalling" art scheme. "This is a guy who has clearly endeavored to make money off his dad being a politician rather than carving out his own path. And the only thing you have to do to understand that is go find The New Yorker article written by Adam Entous, who was very sympathetic of him in many ways but also honestly reported things like him just accepting a gigantic diamond from a foreign businessman who had interests before the United States government," Shaub said on Law & Crime’s "Objections" podcast. "Just as hotel charges and real estate purchases created a risk of unknown parties funneling money to the Trump family for potentially unsavory purposes, Hunter Biden's grotesquely inflated art prices create a similar risk of influence-seekers funneling money to the Biden family," Shaub said in a June 2021 statement to Fox News Digital. Shaub added that Biden and his art dealer, Georges Berges, "should disclose the identity of the purchasers" so the public can see if the buyers try to "gain access to [the] government." Hirsh Naftali has visited the White House at least 13 times during the Biden administration between 2021 and 2023, according to the most up-to-date White House visitor logs reviewed by Fox News Digital. Most of the visits appear to be bigger events hosted at the White House. However, a few of the visits show one-on-one meetings with White House aides.  Visitor logs show Hirsh Naftali met with policy adviser Richard Figueroa Dec. 14, 2021, and Sept. 14, 2022. Another listing in the visitor logs shows her and a few others meeting with Alana Mounce, currently a special assistant to President Biden. The most recent visit was March of this year in a one-on-one meeting with Neera Tanden, who was recently appointed Biden's chief domestic policy adviser. Hirsh Naftali is a prominent Democratic donor who donated more than $200,000 to the Biden Victory Fund during the 2020 election cycle and over $30,000 to the Democratic National Committee this year. She is also a maxed out donor to the Biden campaign with two $3,300 donations in April. In addition to Naftali, Hunter's so-called "sugar brother" lawyer and confidante Kevin Morris also reportedly bought art from Hunter, Business Insider reported, citing three sources familiar with Hunter's account. The Malibu-based multimillionaire has made headlines in recent months for his generosity toward Hunter, including lavish financial support, help writing a book, and lending a private jet to fly to and from an Arkansas courthouse for his May child support hearing. Last week, Morris made headlines after he was spotted smoking from a bong on the balcony of his Malibu home during Hunter's visit to his home. Hunter was not on the balcony when Morris was seen smoking from the bong. Fox News Digital reported in January that Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, sent a letter to Hunter Biden’s art dealer, Georges Bergès, demanding he turn over all communications between his gallery and the White House related to a reported deal to withhold all records of the prices and final buyers for Biden's art.  Bergès staunchly defended Hunter Biden in a statement to Fox News Digital at the time, saying the embattled first son has a "personal narrative" to tell through his art. "I represent Hunter Biden because I feel that not only his art merits my representation, but because his personal narrative, which gives birth to his art, is very much needed in the world," Bergès said.  "Hunter Biden will become one of the most consequential artists in this century because the world needs his art now more than ever," he added. "In a world that beats us down, we need art in our lives that reminds of the unrelenting divinity within each of us." The White House, Hunter Biden’s lawyer and Hirsh Naftali did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Houston Keene contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: A retired New York City Police Department detective turned private security executive and Republican business leader who’s taking on embattled GOP freshman Rep. George Santos says if he were in Congress right now, "I would be voting to expel him." Mike Sapraicone, in his first national interview since announcing his campaign for New York’s 3rd Congressional District, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Santos has "put a stain on just the district, the state, and the country." "I think the world looks at us as a laughingstock the way we’ve handled this and what’s going on with him," Sapraicone argued.  Pointing to his district – which includes a sliver of the northeast portion of the New York City borough of Queens, the northern half of Nassau County, and the northwestern portion of neighboring Suffolk County on New York’s Long Island – Sapraicone said "we haven’t had any representation since he was elected in November of ’22." WHAT FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ACCUSE GEORGE SANTOS OF DOING He said that constituents "can’t go to his [Santos’] office. He’s never there. There are protesters in front of his office. How do we get the basic simple things done that we need as a district? There’s no one to talk to." Santos, who was elected to the House of Representatives last November and who’s known for fabricating key parts of his resume and life story, is awaiting trial in a federal fraud and money laundering case. He pleaded not guilty last month to charges he duped donors, stole from his campaign, collected fraudulent unemployment benefits and lied to Congress about being a millionaire. Prosecutors have charged Santos with 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.  HOUSE ETHICS ISSUES 30 SUBPOENAS IN GEORGE SANTOS INVESTIGATION Santos has condemned the federal investigation as a "witch hunt," vowing not only to remain in Congress but to seek re-election. House Republicans leaders have urged Santos not to run again in 2024, but have deferred efforts to expel him, as that could narrow their already fragile and razor-thin majority. If Santos is eventually expelled from Congress, setting up a special election in the district, the chairs of the two major parties would choose their candidates. "I’m hoping to be their [the GOP’s] candidate if we get to that situation," Sapraicone told Fox News. Pointing to Congress, the first-time candidate claimed that "most of our politicians are partisan guys who really worry about their own agenda and their party’s own agenda and that base, and they’re really not listening to their constituents – to people like me. People who vote for them. They’re kind of ignoring them and just beating to their own drum." "In my experience as an ex-police officer and detective and business owner, it’s important to listen to people, to make them feel valued in what they have to say and try to move their agendas forward, because they’re the people who are electing you," he emphasized. Sapraicone said "the important things right now are public safety and the economy," when asked which issues he’d spotlight as he runs for Congress. "Crime is rampant in New York City… we need to come up with serious way to stop the crime that’s going on. To make people safe to go to the city… we don’t have that right now." The 67-year-old Queens native whose wife, Eileen Daly-Sapraicone, is a state Supreme Court judge in Nassau County, said he expects to talk very soon with the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is the House GOP’s campaign arm. And he said he hopes to get time with House Republican leaders "once we start getting a little momentum." Sapraicone won a crucial early endorsement from former Sen. Al D’Amato, a longtime power broker among Republicans on Long Island. New York City Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo also is supporting Sapraicone. Democrats are eyeing the district as they aim to win back the House majority in the 2024 elections, and the race is expected to become expensive. "I’ve always been the person giving money. I’ve never been the person asking for money. So I find this as one of the more difficult parts of this task to run for Congress," Sapraicone said when asked about fundraising. "It’s going to be a tough task but I look forward to the opportunity to get my message out. To explaining to people what I see as a vision and what I think I can do to make this a better district, a better state, a better country. I’m looking forward to that challenge." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP But he acknowledged "I think it’s going to take a lot of money… I would guess it’s somewhere between $2-4 million." To date, only one other Republican candidate has jumped into the race – Kellen Curry, an Afghanistan war veteran and former vice president at the financial services firm JP Morgan. Three Democrats have so far declared their candidacies. Material from The Associated Press was used in this report

FIRST ON FOX: Republican leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are unveiling a draft of legislation aimed at streamlining permitting for pipelines and other related energy projects. The Pipeline Safety, Modernization, and Expansion Act of 2023 — authored by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Duncan, R-S.C. — focuses on four key pillars: expanding pipeline infrastructure, lowering prices, reducing emissions and strengthening pipeline safety. "Pipelines are among the safest and most efficient ways to move the fuels that heat our homes, power our cars, and power our nation’s economy," McMorris Rodgers and Duncan said in a joint statement to Fox News Digital.  "Yet President Biden and Democrats are proactively working to shut down America’s pipelines and prevent the necessary maintenance to ensure pipelines are operating safely and efficiently," they continued. "The administration is also making it more difficult for new infrastructure to be built. This is preventing critical resources from getting to people who need them most." BIDEN ADMIN QUIETLY SETTLES WITH ECO GROUPS TO RESTRICT OIL DRILLING IN GULF OF MEXICO Among its key provisions, the legislation would authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue any federal permit required for the construction, modification, expansion, inspection, repair or maintenance of a pipeline. It would also enable individuals to request FERC make a final decision on a permit if the federal agency tasked with permitting a pipeline fails to complete a proceeding within one year. It would also prohibit a state or local jurisdiction from banning transportation of an energy source like natural gas that are sold in interstate commerce using a pipeline regulated by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).  BIDEN ADMIN DELIVERS BLOW TO FOSSIL FUEL PROJECT IN VICTORY FOR ECO GROUPS Also, under the bill, PHMSA would be required to factor in "safety and economic benefits within the United States" when conducting its cost-benefit analysis of proposed pipeline regulations. "To address the needs of the American people, today, we are unveiling the Pipeline Safety, Modernization, and Expansion Act of 2023, which will ensure we can build more pipelines, maintain our current critical infrastructure, operate pipelines safely, transport more energy, and lower energy prices," McMorris Rodgers and Duncan added.  "We look forward to continuing to engage with stakeholders on this draft legislation to ensure everyone will have access to these critical energy resources," the two GOP leaders said. In addition, the draft legislation includes a number of provisions aimed at shoring up pipeline safety.  For example, it would require the PHMSA to conduct technical safety advisory meetings more regularly, up penalties for "damaging, destroying, or impairing the operation of" pipeline facilities, directs PHMSA to conduct a pilot program to test innovative pipeline safety technologies, and establishes a PHMSA information sharing system to "gather, evaluate, and quantify critical pipeline safety data and information to improve safety." BIDEN ADMIN URGES SUPREME COURT TO REINSTATE MAJOR GAS PIPELINE IN WEST VIRGINIA And the bill would further require PHMSA to finalize safety standards for carbon dioxide transportation pipeline facilities no later than one year from the date of enactment. It also clarifies the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to identify areas suitable for underground sequestration of carbon dioxide. That provisions would address how carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is regulated. CCS is a nascent technology boosted by some environmentalists and which involves separating carbon emissions at fossil fuel-fired power plants and industrial factories before transporting that gas via pipeline into a deep underground cavern where it is stored forever.  The effort from McMorris Rodgers and Duncan on Tuesday comes amid a broader push from both Republicans and Democrats to streamline energy permitting. In May, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, reintroduced his Building American Energy Security Act. His office said the legislation was intended to serve as the starting point for upcoming conversations in Congress about "reforming energy permitting to ensure American energy security and independence." Manchin first introduced the Building American Energy Security Act in September 2022 after Congress passed and President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act. The legislation was billed as a necessary counterpart to the IRA, ensuring that green energy projects supported by that bill would receive quicker federal approvals. After the legislation stalled, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., agreed in December to attach it to the annual National Defense Authorization Act in a move supported by Biden and green energy groups, but opposed by environmental groups. However, in a 47-47 vote where 40 Democrats and seven Republicans voted in favor of the bill, the Senate rejected the amendment.

FIRST ON FOX: He passed on running for the White House, but popular Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu will team up Friday with nearly the entire field of GOP presidential candidates at a major cattle call in Iowa. Sununu is traveling to Des Moines, where he will attend the Republican Party of Iowa’s 2023 Lincoln Dinner, which is the state party’s top annual fundraising gala. Word of Sununu’s travels was shared first with Fox News on Tuesday. All but one of the more than a dozen Republican White House candidates — including former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, and entrepreneur and political commentator Vivek Ramasamy — will speak at the dinner in the state whose caucuses kick off the GOP presidential nominating calendar. The only candidate not attending is former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is concentrating his second White House bid in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP schedule, and South Carolina, which votes third. Sununu, who has indicated he will likely make an endorsement ahead of next year’s New Hampshire primary, said in a Fox News Digital interview that one of the reasons he is attending the Iowa GOP dinner is "it’s just a great opportunity to see." MEET THE GOVERNOR IN DEMAND WITH THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES "I’m kind of looking at these candidates, not just in terms of what they say and their policies. I really believe right now it’s about who’s got the personality. Who has the style. Who gets people excited. It’s not just what they say but what you see and kind of the tone that they deliver and how they’ll do that with all the other candidates around them for the first time is actually quite fascinating," Sununu explained. FIRST ON FOX: NEARLY ENTIRE GOP FIELD OTHER THAN TRUMP TO TEAM UP WITH IOWA'S GOVERNOR AT STATE FAIR Pointing to the GOP presidential primary debates, which kick off Aug. 23 with a Fox News-hosted showdown in Milwaukee, the governor highlighted, "I think this is a little bit of a precursor to the debates maybe. They’re not debating, but how are they going to handle themselves against each other? I think it’s a little bit of a curiosity factor… who’s going to really be able to give the punch and take the punch, and give it back to Trump." Sununu is attending the dinner as a guest of Run GenZ, a non-profit group that says it is focused on "empowering and mentoring conservative trailblazers from Generation Z to pursue leadership opportunities, including public office that allow them to work toward a more constitutionally-focused government." The governor was last in Iowa a year ago when he attended a Run GenZ Summer Summit. "I know a lot of other folks who are out there, and I’m looking forward to catching up with them and giving them the New Hampshire perspective on things," Sununu shared. He also emphasized that when it comes to the GOP presidential nomination race, "Iowa and New Hampshire kind of lead the charge in the conversation." When asked if he will use Friday’s dinner as a screen test for a likely endorsement, Sununu said, "The screen test, if you will, is when they come on the campaign trail with me. They come to some of my Super 603 Days, or I go to events with them and I kind of take them around. I’ll be doing a lot of that this fall with many of the candidates. "The best screen test is when they’re with me and my constituents and how they handle it," the governor spotlighted. "They have to earn their stripes with me on my home turf." HOW THIS ONE-TIME BATTLEGROUND STATE IN AMERICA'S HEARTLAND TURNED BRIGHT RED  Sununu, who announced in early June that he would pass on a White House campaign, and last week announced that he would not run next year for what would have been an unprecedented fifth two-year term as New Hampshire governor, has long been a vocal GOP critic of the former president. The dinner will bring Sununu and Trump under the same roof at the same time. "I have no problem going up and saying hello if I have the opportunity," Sununu said, "I appreciate the service he gave to the country, the four years he gave. We just need to move on. It’s not personal." He added that, "I’m always polite. I’m always willing to shake somebody’s hand and look them in the eye and try and try to encourage them to get out of the race… clear the field for the next generation." Sununu also reiterated that the large GOP field of rivals to Trump needs to winnow down by the end of the year, ahead of the first nominating contests, in order to prevent the former president – who currently enjoys a commanding lead in the latest Republican primary polls – from easily capturing the nomination. When asked if he will try to help narrow the field, Sununu answered "I absolutely will… I’m never shy about what I think should happen or where I think the party should go." "If you’re not in the first or second debate, I think that’s probably a good sign that it’s not going to happen. So that’s probably going to be the first filter," Sununu said. "I think as you get into the November and December timeframe, if other candidates just aren’t going anywhere still, then I have no problem having polite conversations behind the scenes — I don’t want to embarrass anybody. But I think a lot of folks will be having those conversations, by the way, not just me." He also emphasized that "at some point the pressure has to be brought to bear." No candidate had the "courage" to do that in 2016, as Trump conquered a crowd field of rivals, Sununu said.  "We took it for granted in ’16 and tried to go around Trump."

CNN's John Berman speaks with former House impeachment manager Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested Republican lawmakers may pursue an impeachment probe of President Joe Biden.

US intelligence officials have warned that Russia is building a drone-manufacturing facility in country with Iran's help that could have a significant impact on the war in Ukraine once it is completed.

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are pushing to let U.S. citizens sue individual federal employees who help orchestrate the censorship of free speech on social media. The Censorship Accountability Act, being introduced Tuesday by Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., would authorize lawsuits against executive branch employees when they direct a social media company to censor or "shadow ban" posts. "Freedom of speech is the bedrock principle of our nation. Unfortunately, many malicious actors, especially federal bureaucrats, are bent on undermining the First Amendment and censoring Americans at every turn," Bishop told Fox News Digital. "Current law allows government agents to censor and suppress free speech with little recourse for those being silenced. My bill will change that by finally allowing Americans to sue federal employees who violate their First Amendment rights," he said. "The Censorship Industrial Complex should no longer be allowed to operate with impunity, and those who seek to destroy the freedom of speech should have to answer for it in a court of law." TWITTER REBRAND IS 'NOT SIMPLY A COMPANY RENAMING ITSELF' AS PLATFORM ADDS NEW FEATURES, MUSK SAYS The bill is co-sponsored by GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Harriet Hageman of Wyoming and others. "A Federal employee who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of the United States, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or any person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the First Amendment, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress," the text of the bill states. FORMER ACLU PRESIDENT CAUTIONS THAT AMERICAN SELF-CENSORSHIP IS ERODING FREE SPEECH Republicans have accused the Biden administration of crossing a line by urging social media companies to be proactive about judging misinformation and limiting it, particularly around issues like elections and COVID-19. Bishop’s new bill comes after fallout from a federal judge’s ruling in Missouri v. Biden earlier this month that found "substantial evidence" of a "censorship campaign" coordinated between the government and social platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a scathing opinion, the judge compared the Biden administration to an Orwellian "Ministry of Truth." DEMOCRATS TRY TO CENSOR, REMOVE RFK JR. AT HEARING ON CENSORSHIP The resulting injunction restricted some federal agencies and officials from coordinating with social media companies to remove or limit the reach of posts. Tuesday’s bill is not the first step House Republicans have taken with their majority power to limit collusion between the federal government and social media. In March, the House passed a bill along party lines to stop "federal employees from advocating for censorship of viewpoints in their official capacity" or encouraging third parties to engage in the same practices.

President Biden's dog Commander — the nearly two and a half year old German shepherd who replaced former first dog Major over aggressive behavior — bit seven people in a four-month period, according to a new report. One of the more serious incidents involving Commander, according to internal Secret Service communications first reported by the New York Post, led to the White House physician's office referring a Secret Service officer to the hospital for treatment on Nov. 3, 2022, after the individual was bitten by the dog on the thigh and arm. Other emails released under the Freedom of Information Act to conservative legal group Judicial Watch revealed that Commander had broken the skin of another Secret Service member's hand and arm just weeks later, after Biden removed his leash outside the White House following a family movie night. In January, Commander bit and "latched on" to a security technician's back at Biden's home in Wilmington, Delaware. "These shocking records raise fundamental questions about President Biden and the Secret Service," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, according to the outlet. "This is a special sort of craziness and corruption where a president would allow his dog to repeatedly attack and bite Secret Service and White House personnel. And rather than protect its agents, the Secret Service tried to illegally hide documents about the abuse of its agents and officers by the Biden family." BIDEN'S DOG, MAJOR, BIT SECRET SERVICE MEMBERS FOR 8 DAYS IN A ROW, EMAIL SAYS In October 2022, a Secret Service officer emailed colleagues warning that it was only a matter of time before the Biden's canine pet bit an officer. "Commander has been exhibiting extremely aggressive behavior," the officer wrote on Oct. 26. The most serious incident involving Commander occurred on Nov. 3, 2022, when a Secret Service officer was seated at the bottom of a stairwell at the White House. The dog "came down the stairs and walked toward" the officer, according to an internal agency email, before he bit the officer’s arm on the tricep area. When the officer stood up, Commander bit down on the quad muscle area of the officer's the leg. One officer stated that the attack victim reported "a considerable amount of pain" and used a steel cart to shield himself from the dog's attack. Two days after the incident took place, the officer who was attacked emailed a colleague who asked about their recovery, writing, "My leg and arm still hurts. He bit me twice and ran at me twice." The inquiring colleague responded, "What a joke… if it wasn’t their dog he would already have been put down – freaking clown needs a muzzle." Several other incidents involving Commander were also noted in the report highlighting the emails, including some that directly involved members of the first family. While first lady Jill Biden walked Commander in the Kennedy Garden near the East Wing of the White House, the dog bit a Secret Service uniformed officer on the left high, causing "bruising, tenderness and pain in the bite area," according to communications reported by the New York Post. Four days later, on Nov. 14, another officer noted in an email that he had to defend himself from the dog with a chair. The officer said he "heard the dog bark with a loud aggressive sound" and "looked up and saw him at the landing of the ushers staircase. I made eye contact with him and grabbed the black chair I was sitting on and held it in front of me while backing up." BIDEN'S DOG MAJOR BITES ANOTHER WHITE HOUSE EMPLOYEE "For the past several Presidential administrations, the Secret Services has navigated how to best operate around family pets and these incidents are no exception. We take the safety and wellbeing of our employees extremely seriously," Anthony Guglielmi, U.S. Secret Service chief of communications said in a statement to Fox.  "Agency employees are encouraged to report any job-related injuries to their immediate supervisors for appropriate documentation. As such, we are aware of past incidents involving first-family pets and these instances were treated similarly to comparable workplace injuries, to include with relevant notifications and reporting procedures followed. While special agents and officers neither care for nor handle the first family’s pets, we continuously work with all applicable entities to minimize adverse impacts in an environment that includes pets," Guglielmi said. Following The Post's report, Elizabeth Alexander, who serves as communications director for the first lady, told Fox that the Bidens are working on "additional leashing protocols and training" for Commander. "The White House complex is a unique and often stressful environment for family pets, and the First Family is working through ways to make this situation better for everyone. They have been partnering with the Secret Service and Executive Residence staff on additional leashing protocols and training, as well as establishing designated areas for Commander to run and exercise," Alexander said. "According to the Secret Service, each incident referenced was treated similarly to comparable workplace injuries, with relevant notifications and reporting procedures followed. The President and First Lady are incredibly grateful to the Secret Service and Executive Residence staff for all they do to keep them, their family, and the country safe." The string of attacks from Commander — ranging from September 2022 to January 2023 — came after Biden's former dog, Major, was ousted from the White House over similar behavior. In early 2021, shortly after Biden's tenure in the White House started, Major bit someone at the White House, causing a "minor injury," then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed to reporters. Major was subsequently sent to live at Biden's Delaware home before he returned. Two weeks after the incident, Biden announced Major would be returning to the White House, insisting that "he's a sweet dog" and that "85% of the people there love him." Upon his return, Major was involved in another incident involving a White House employee who sought medical attention. The encounter took place on the White House South Lawn. CNN first reported the bite, adding that the employee worked for the National Park Service.  First Lady Jill Biden’s then-press secretary Michael de Rosa confirmed the dog had "nipped" someone in a statement to Fox News at the time, saying "Major is still adjusting to his new surroundings and he nipped someone while on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by WHMU and then returned to work without injury." The Post reported in August 2021 that Major had "attacked many more people than the White House has disclosed," with the outlet noting that he "bit members of the Secret Service eight days in a row in early March — though only one such incident was publicly acknowledged." The outlet, based on emails released by Judicial Watch, noted that at least one visitor at the White House was bitten in March 2021. "We’re sure Major is a good dog but these records show he was involved in many more biting incidents than the Biden White House has publicly acknowledged," Fitton said at the time. "It is disturbing to see a White House cover-up of numerous injuries to Secret Service and White House personnel by the Bidens’ family pet." Major was later relocated from the White House to reportedly be cared for by friends of the Biden family. It is unclear whether Commander has been involved in any other incident since January 2023 or upon his arrival to the White House, which came nine months prior to the first documented incident in the emails revealed Tuesday. Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.