Politics
Biden imposes sanctions on more oligarchs as Russia intensifies attack on Ukraine
President Biden introduced new sanctions Thursday on greater than a dozen Russian oligarchs and their households, as stress continued to construct on Capitol Hill for a fair harder response to Moscow every week after it invaded Ukraine, notably banning imports of Russian vitality.
The White Home imposed sanctions on 19 rich Russian people and 47 of their members of the family and shut associates, together with President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, and Alisher Usmanov, one of many wealthiest males in Russia.
Unwilling to interact Russia’s navy immediately, the U.S. and Europe have additionally elevated their shipments of weapons and different materiel to Ukraine in latest days, as tv protection of Russia’s unprovoked aggression and social media posts from Ukraine have galvanized the West.
Biden, outlining the brand new sanctions at first of a Cupboard assembly Thursday, stated prior actions to chop Russia off from the worldwide monetary system have had a “profound impact” already.
“The purpose was to maximise the affect on Putin and Russia and decrease the hurt on us and our allies and mates around the globe,” he continued. “Our curiosity is in sustaining the strongest unified financial affect marketing campaign on Putin in all historical past, and I believe we’re properly on the best way to doing that.”
The U.S. restrictions will prohibit these sanctioned from touring to the US. By focusing on the elites’ members of the family, the administration is aiming to forestall them from simply transferring property to spouses or youngsters, a loophole typically utilized in related conditions to evade sanctions.
The newest transfer got here amid new indications from Putin that he has no intention of halting the battle till he has overrun all of Ukraine. And it marked the most recent effort by Washington to power him to recalculate his technique by a devastating financial stress marketing campaign.
On Wednesday, the Justice Division introduced a workforce to implement sanctions and export restrictions and to grab luxurious property belonging to Russia’s wealthiest residents.
The administration and European allies have so far prevented sanctioning Russia’s vitality sector, making an attempt to mitigate the affect on world vitality markets and customers. By placing the monetary screws to Russian millionaires and billionaires, the administration hopes it will likely be in a position to power these oligarchs to distance themselves from Putin and urge him to discover a diplomatic offramp to finish the battle in Ukraine.
However up to now the financial and geopolitical results of the swift world response to Moscow — the ruble has nose-dived, Russian planes have been barred from European and U.S. airspace, and long-neutral nations equivalent to Finland and Sweden have steered a newfound curiosity in becoming a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Group — haven’t deterred Putin. On Thursday after the Russian chief’s 90-minute phone name with French President Emmanuel Macron, an Elysee Palace official concluded that Putin was decided to overcome Ukraine irrespective of the price, stating flatly that “the worst is but to come back.”
Because the shelling of Ukraine’s main cities continues every week after Putin started the invasion, political stress continues to construct in Washington for sanctions on Russia’s vitality sector.
Republicans argue that going after the nation’s vitality exports would cripple Russia way more dramatically than different actions the U.S. has taken.
“Their Achilles’ heel is that their economic system will depend on oil and fuel income. By no means within the historical past of warfare have we had an opportunity to ship such a decisive blow with out firing a shot,” stated Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). “If the Ukrainians can stand as much as a tank, if a grandmother can get a rifle, certainly to God we will produce extra oil and fuel.”
A number of Republicans in addition to Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana have launched payments to ban the U.S. import of Russian oil.
Though Europe is much extra depending on Russian vitality sources, the U.S. buys nearly 700,000 barrels of oil per day from Russia, in line with Sen. Daniel Sullivan (R-Alaska).
“That’s $17 billion that we’re placing into Putin’s battle chest,” he stated. “That is nationwide safety suicide.”
Up to now, the administration has hesitated to impose vitality sanctions. The transfer, prone to wreak hardship on extraordinary Russians, might rally them behind their chief. On the similar time, such measures would in all probability improve oil costs on the worldwide market and will result in important financial and political penalties within the U.S.
“The president’s goal has been to maximise affect on President Putin and Russia whereas minimizing affect to us and our allies and companions,” White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated Thursday. “We don’t have a strategic curiosity in decreasing the worldwide provide of vitality.”
Many Democrats are skeptical of the thought, partially as a result of it will require the U.S. to extend home manufacturing to make up for it, however prime Home Democrats are on board.
“I’m all for that. Ban it,” stated Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). Home Majority Chief Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) reiterated that place.
Though Sen. Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.) stated that not shopping for Russian oil “appears like the proper factor to do,” he expressed skepticism that Congress ought to begin freelancing overseas coverage individually from the White Home.
“There’s no purpose for us to doubt the competence and effectiveness of this administration on Ukraine coverage,” he stated. “They’ve carried out past folks’s wildest expectations, and I don’t know that that is the second for Congress to be setting a distinct path from the administration.”
Additionally on Thursday, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that it has paused deportation flights to Ukraine due to the “ongoing humanitarian disaster” there.
“ICE will proceed to watch the continuing scenario and make operational modifications as vital,” the spokesman stated.
Six members of Congress on Thursday launched bipartisan laws to grant Ukrainians within the U.S. momentary protected standing to forestall their deportation. The Middle for Migration Research of New York estimates that 28,000 Ukrainians within the U.S. may gain advantage from the designation.
“One of many first issues we have to do is guarantee Ukrainians right here within the U.S. that we’ll not ship harmless Ukrainians again to this battle zone — which might solely exacerbate situations in Ukraine and inflict trauma on these already dealing with an unimaginable scenario,” Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) stated in a information launch.
The Division of Homeland Safety on Thursday designated Ukraine for momentary protected standing for 18 months. To be eligible, Ukrainians should have constantly resided within the U.S. since March 1. International locations might be designated for TPS on account of ongoing armed battle, environmental disasters or different extraordinary situations.
“Russia’s premeditated and unprovoked assault on Ukraine has resulted in an ongoing battle, mindless violence, and Ukrainians compelled to hunt refuge in different nations,” Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas stated in a information launch. “In these extraordinary occasions, we’ll proceed to supply our help and safety to Ukrainian nationals in the US.”
Occasions workers author Andrea Castillo contributed to this report.
Politics
Capitol Police arrest suspect after allegedly assaulting Rep Nancy Mace
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said she was physically accosted on Capitol grounds Tuesday night, and the suspect has since been arrested.
The U.S. Capitol Police said that just before 6 p.m. the office of a member of Congress, later identified as Mace, reported an incident in the Rayburn House Office Building.
House division officers and agents with the Threat Assessment Section of the police department tracked down the suspect, identified as 33-year-old James McIntyre of Illinois.
NANCY MACE’S EFFORT TO BAN TRANSGENDER DELAWARE DEMOCRAT FROM CAPITOL WOMEN’S RESTROOMS GAINS SUPPORT
Police interviewed McIntyre and ultimately arrested him on the grounds of assaulting a government official.
“I was physically accosted tonight on Capitol grounds over my fight to protect women. Capitol police have arrested him,” Mace said in a post on X. “All the violence and threats keep proving our point. Women deserve to be safe. Your threats will not stop my fight for women!”
Mace has been vocal about her opposition to transgender individuals using bathrooms not assigned to their biological gender.
MACE FACES BACKLASH OVER EFFORT TO BAN TRANSGENDER MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM WOMEN’S BATHROOMS
She led the charge against allowing Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, a Democrat from Delaware, to use the women’s restrooms on Capitol Hill. McBride is a biological man who identifies and presents as a woman.
Mace said last month she was receiving death threats, adding that she was being “unfairly targeted.”
Mace also drafted resolution H.R. 1579, which would prohibit members, officers and employees of the House from using facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.
Mace’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Politics
Trump names Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece
Kimberly Guilfoyle has been nominated to serve as United States ambassador to Greece, President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday.
Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host now deeply enmeshed in the broader Trump orbit, was married to California Gov. Gavin Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco. The former prosecutor announced her engagement to Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. in 2022, though questions about the couple’s current relationship status dogged tabloid headlines on Tuesday.
Guilfoyle was a prominent surrogate for Trump during the 2024 campaign.
“For many years, Kimberly has been a close friend and ally,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social website, praising her “extensive experience and leadership in law, media, and politics” and her “sharp intellect.”
The post, which requires Senate confirmation, is currently held by Biden appointee George Tsunis.
Guilfoyle said Tuesday on X that it “was the democratic values born in Greece that helped shape the founding of America,” adding that she looked forward “to delivering on the Trump agenda, supporting our Greek allies, and ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity.”
She also once worked in the San Francisco district attorney’s office with future Vice President Kamala Harris, and the rumored frosty relationship between the ambitious up-and-comers was the topic of San Francisco gossip early in their careers.
Guilfoyle and Newsom — who famously posed together on a rug in a glamorous Harper’s Bazaar profile that declared them “the New Kennedys” — divorced in 2006, the same year she joined Fox News.
The former first lady of San Francisco portrayed the city in dystopian terms during the 2020 Republican National Convention.
Politics
Wisconsin mom mulls lawsuit alleging school district is pushing 'horrifying' race-based policy: 'Problematic'
FIRST ON FOX: A Wisconsin parent is mulling legal action over a situation where she alleges her son was passed over being given the extra learning attention he needed due to language on the school’s website that says it prioritizes additional help for students based on race.
Attorneys for the Wisconsin Institute by Law & Liberty to the Green Bay Area Public School District, argue on behalf of their client, Mrs. Colbey Decker, that a “troubling” and “unlawful” policy in the district “explicitly prioritizes reading support resources based on race, thereby violating the U.S. Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Mrs. Decker’s child, who suffers from dyslexia, has received different (and less favorable) services because he is white,” the letter states. “If he was Black, Hispanic, or Native American, Mrs. Decker’s son would have been treated more favorably and received different services.”
Decker told Fox News Digital that her son had been receiving one-on-one reading services in another district and that she assumed he would continue receiving that when he moved into the current district in January 2024 but that he was waitlisted for that additional help.
NEARLY ALL FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES STILL MAINTAIN CORPORATE DEI COMMITMENTS: REPORT
Decker explained that she learned of the policy while looking at the school’s website.
“I asked them point blank, does he receive less services or is he less of a priority because he’s white?” Decker said. “And even asking that question made me extremely uncomfortable because to think that someone isn’t getting the services they deserve because of the color of their skin is just horrifying. So the principal did respond to me, and much to my surprise, he was very excited to explain to me the work they do in these priority groups.”
The letter alleges, citing the school’s website, that the “district’s literacy policy establishes ‘priority groups’ race—namely, Black, Hispanic, and Native American students—and states that the school will conduct intentional work educating our focus students, prioritizing additional resources to First Nations, Black, and Hispanic students.”
“This policy is in effect and has been applied to Mrs. Decker’s son, according to multiple district employees.”
SCHOOLS ACROSS COUNTRY DISBANDING DEI PROGRAMS IN DROVES; EDUCATION EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY
The language on the school website also states next to an asterisk at the bottom of the page that, “Priority performance goals are established based on data that shows us we are meeting the needs of some student groups better than others.”
“Focusing on a priority performance group of students will elevate our skills as educators and ultimately benefit all students.”
The letter to the district asks that the policy, known as the King Elementary School Success Plan, be rescinded in favor of a “colorblind approach” to resource allocation along with “immediate and adequate support” to Decker’s son “who has been unfairly excluded from the opportunity to receive necessary resources.”
“Seeing a policy that explicitly prioritizes resources based on race is really troubling, both morally and legally,” WILL associate counsel Cory Brewer told Fox News Digital. “The law demands that Colbey’s son and any child be treated equally to other children, regardless of their race. There should not be special treatment based on skin color. And the fact that this district is embracing the idea that they need to treat children differently based on race is really problematic.”
“We are asking the district to rescind its discriminatory policy immediately to implement a colorblind approach to how it allocates resources, focusing on the needs of the individual student. And we’re also asking the district to provide Colby’s son with the resources that he needs,” Brewer continued. “There’s no reason it should be taking this long for him to get that support. If the district does not change its discriminatory policy, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty will pursue all legal avenues to protect the rights of Colbey’s son.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Green Bay Area School District for comment and received the following statement on Tuesday, “The District received the letter from WILL yesterday and we are investigating the allegations. However, we can state unequivocally that the District does not have a policy that includes the language included in the letter.”
“All District policies must be approved by the Board of Education and no such policy language exists.”
The spokesperson added that the language in the School Success Plan is “developed to outline the school’s goals toward continuous improvement, but would not be considered Board (District) policy” which the spokesperson called an “important distinction.”
Decker told Fox News Digital that other parents she has spoken to “can’t believe” the situation when told about it and every parent “just wants their child to be treated equally.”
“Any time a parent or a grandparent advocates for a child, I know that their sincere hope is that that child is just treated equally,” Decker said. “And that’s not what’s happening when someone is a priority. If someone is more of a priority than someone else’s child has to be less of a priority. And I don’t think that’s the way most of America wants to move forward with education.”
“I think everybody wants us to just be completely color-blind and look at children as simply being children. My son is in the 17th percentile in the state for reading, and there are children who are performing at a higher level than him that are more of a priority only because of their skin color. And I don’t think most parents want anything like that to ever happen in any educational setting ever.”
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