| Benghazi 10 years later: '13 Hours' survivor reflects on deadly battle, says US hasn't learned from mistakes | | Sep 11, 2022 | | Between bursts of machine gun and AK-47 fire, Mark "Oz" Geist and Tyrone Woods talked about their children. Geist’s daughter was seven months old, and Woods’ third son had been born shortly before his deployment to Libya, Geist said. "We're talking about our kids and the next thing you know, you're getting attacked again almost simultaneously," he told Fox News, smiling wryly at the memory. The Islamist militant group Ansar al-Sharia attacked the U.S. diplomatic outpost and CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Department of State employee Sean Smith and CIA contractors and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Woods were killed in the assault. The attackers stormed the U.S. consulate and started shooting around 9:40 p.m. About a mile away, members of the CIA annex security team heard the gunfire. Several members later testified that their chief of base ordered them to wait before responding. BENGHAZI SUSPECT CONVICTED ON FOUR LESSER COUNTS, DOES NOT FACE DEATH PENALTY "We just reached a point where we decided to leave on our own," one unidentified team member said, according to a 2016 report from the congressional Benghazi committee. Geist and a CIA officer were at a dinner meeting when the attack started, but Woods soon called them back to the annex, warning them to not drive past the consulate, recalled Geist, who was serving as a CIA security contractor at the time. Flames and smoke billowed from the consulate as Geist climbed on top of the annex roof, tasked with protecting the 20 or so Americans inside the CIA outpost. He heard gunfire and saw the bright glow of tracer rounds and rocket-propelled grenades flashing through the night sky. He heard the State Department’s armored vehicle approach the annex before he saw it. The tires slapped against the pavement, drained of their air. Dozens of bullets had turned the windshield into a spiderweb of cracks. Geist’s teammates arrived next and set up a perimeter. The attackers soon targeted the annex and the American security operators fought them off for hours without reinforcements. "It was the right six there," Geist, a Marine Corps veteran who started contracting after 9/11, said of his team. "We were all the right guys that should have been there." BENGHAZI HERO KRIS 'TANTO' PARONTO SHARES LESSONS LEARNED FROM 2012 TERROR ATTACK Doherty and his quick reaction force commandeered a plane in Tripoli and flew to Benghazi to aid the annex team. One of the many militias vying for control in Libya held the operators up at the airport, Geist said, resulting in an hours-long delay until they joined the fight. Shortly after Doherty met Geist and Woods on the rooftop, the assailants launched another attack using mortars and small arms fire. Geist opened up with his M4, emptied one magazine, and was reloading when he said the next mortar hit. As the debris and smoke settled, he raised his weapon to start shooting again, but couldn’t control his left hand. He looked down and saw his arm dangling at a 90-degree angle between his wrist and elbow. He knew he had to get back in the fight. "I'm going to do whatever I can and fight till my last breath," he said. The mortar attack killed Doherty and Woods. Then everything went quiet, Geist said. "There's no more gunfire, there's no more mortars," he said. Ten years later, it’s still not clear what ended the battle of Benghazi. "If they would have kept firing mortars, they would have killed me," Geist said. One security agent speculated in his congressional testimony that the sunrise had driven away the attackers. Geist told Fox News he reviewed drone footage and suspects the militia that transported Doherty’s team to the annex intervened. "I look back on it and I call it the seventh man on our team," he said. CLINTON TAKES ON CRITICS OVER BENGHAZI AT TENSE HILL HEARINGS Benghazi soon became a partisan political issue. Republicans accused then-President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of intentionally misleading the public by suggesting the attacks were a backlash against the film, "Innocence of Muslims." Several years of congressional inquiries followed but the final report ultimately didn't place all blame on any specific individual. Geist said he feels Clinton and other high-ranking officials lack the "intestinal fortitude" to accept responsibility for security deficiencies and a slow response time. Assets still were not on their way to Benghazi seven hours after the siege on the CIA annex was well underway, even though a surveillance drone had been flying overhead for much of the battle, according to the 2016 congressional report. "The U.S. military never reached Benghazi," the report states. "The only support unit that did arrive in Tripoli—the Marine ‘Fleet Anti-Terrorism Support Team’ or ‘FAST’ team—was anything but fast …. In fact, it did not take off until almost 12 hours after the attack ended." BENGHAZI LEGEND MARK GEIST PRESENTS K9 SERVICE DOG TO COMBAT VETERAN IN N.J. "We heard over the time after Benghazi that well, there was no assistance anywhere that could have got there in time," Geist said. "You can get a lot of places in 13 hours. To say that was kind of heart-wrenching for us because we knew better." He says he doesn't believe the U.S. government has learned from the mistakes made in Benghazi. "People are making decisions and not listening to the guys and gals on the ground," he said. "And that's what they should be doing. You can't fight a war from Washington, D.C." No one has been convicted of murder in connection with the four Americans' deaths. However, two Libyan nationals were ultimately convicted of charges including conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists and maliciously destroying a dwelling. In the days after the attacks, thousands of protesters marched in support of democracy and against militias. Some stormed Ansar al-Sharia’s headquarters, tearing down flags and setting fire to a car. Libyan President Mohammed al-Magariaf ordered all non-government-sanctioned militias to disband and banned people from carrying weapons in public. But deadly clashes between rival militias continue to this day. Geist quit contracting and he and his wife started the Shadow Warriors Project, a nonprofit that helps wounded contractors. They recently added a canine therapy program to the charity, pairing contractors or combat veterans with service dogs, he said. "It has been cathartic and very helpful, being able to share and be a part of something bigger than yourself," he said. Geist feels the battle of Benghazi is often overshadowed by the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, but he still hopes the American public will honor the four men who lost their lives 10 years ago. "Glen, Tyrone, Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, put their hand up in the air and swore to uphold the Constitution," he said. "They chose to go into harm's way. We have a lot of Americans around the world that are doing that, and we need to remember them as well." | | | | | LAPD arrests 2, seizes cache of illegal material used to make ghost guns | | Sep 11, 2022 | | Los Angeles police have arrested two men and seized firearms, as well as a large number of materials used in manufacturing "ghost guns." Search warrants were served on Thursday in San Pedro and Gardena. Members of a task force known as the Regional Illegal Firearms Trafficking Team "recovered approximately 200 ghost gun frames, handgun slides, 2 assault weapons, a rifle, firearms magazines, ammunition and numerous parts and tools for manufacturing ghost guns," according to a news release. The bust was announced Friday. It was the result of an investigation by RIFTT in which a foreign national had attempted to illegally export 11 ghost guns, two of which were assault weapons, along with three silencers, police said. Mavrick Von Haug, 54, was booked on suspicion of manufacturing assault weapons. Cristian Briton, 30, was booked on suspicion of violating laws involving transport and possession of weapons. LOS ANGELES DEMOCRATIC MAYORAL CANDIDATE KAREN BASS SAYS HOME WAS BURGLARIZED, TWO GUNS STOLEN Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact LAPD at 213-833-3700. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). DEATH OF PERSON WITH MONKEYPOX IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY UNDER INVESTIGATION The RIFTT includes law enforcement from the Los Angeles Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the LAX Police Department. | | | | | California man accused of killing 8-year-old girl arrested after 6 months on the run | | Sep 11, 2022 | | A California man wanted in connection with the murder of an 8-year-old girl has been arrested after six months on the run, authorities said Saturday. Dhante Jackson, 33, was taken into custody in Newark, California, around 1:40 p.m., the Merced Police Department said. He was booked into the Merced County Jail for murder and child abuse. Jackson is accused of killing Sophia Mason, whose body was found inside a Merced home in March after family members in Hayward reported her missing. Jackson was dating Sophia’s mother, 31-year-old Samantha Johnson, at the time of the child’s murder. "Our hearts and thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of little Sophia; we cannot imagine your pain as you continue to mourn her loss," the Hayward Police Department said. CALIFORNIA SHERIFF'S DEPUTY CHARGED WITH MURDER OF SECRET LOVER AND HER HUSBAND No other details were released, and police said the case remains under investigation. Johnson was arrested days after her daughter’s body was discovered. She has since pleaded not guilty to the child’s murder. After Jackson’s arrest, Melissa Harris, Sophia’s cousin, told The Sacramento Bee that while she was thankful that justice will be served, the child’s death could have been prevented had the proper agencies acted when the family reported their suspicions of abuse. "(Those agencies) had multiple chances to intervene, and they never did," Harris said. "My hope is those who minimized the anguish of a small child will be fired." Harris said Sophia’s mother is developmentally challenged and believed that Jackson sexually trafficked both the girl and her mother. Jackson's arrest was part of a coordinated effort involving the Merced Police Department, the Merced Area Gang and Narcotic Enforcement Team (MAGNET) and the California Department of Justice Special Operations Unit. | | | | | UN Human Rights Council weighs accusing China of 'crimes against humanity' | | Sep 11, 2022 | | Western countries and China are waging an influence battle over the UN Human Rights Council, with China pushing aggressively to stop the organization from acting on its human rights abuses in Xinjiang this week. The HRC will open for business Monday for the first time since a UN report acknowledged abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang in late August. While China's abuses against Uyghurs have been widely documented, the report was the first time the UN specifically investigated the matter. Western democracies are considering a resolution condemning China and calling for further investigation, but China may hold enough sway over the body to defeat such a move, Reuters reported Sunday. "The developing world will reject all anti-China initiatives initiated by Western countries," China's UN ambassador, Chen Xu, argued last week. "Any kind of anti-China effort is doomed to failure." CHINA IMPOSES SANCTIONS ON US OFFICIALS OVER XINJIANG As an international organization, the HRC has little power to take action against sovereign states. Its role is typically to build consensus or push for the opening of investigations. HARVARD PROFESSOR CHARLES LIEBER CONVICTED OF HIDING TIES TO CHINA The U.S. has already condemned China's actions in Xinjiang as "genocide," one of the few points of agreement between President Joe Biden's administration and former President Donald Trump's. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed for further action when the UN released its report Aug. 31. "The United States welcomes … this important report, which describes authoritatively the abhorrent human rights treatment of the Uyghurs and other minority communities by the People's Republic of China government," Jean-Pierre told reporters at the time. "The report deepens our grave concern regarding the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity that China is perpetrating. Our position on the atrocities in Xinjiang has been clearly demonstrated with our words and in our actions." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP China, meanwhile, argues the UN report is a fabrication and continues to insist it is not committing crimes against Uyghurs. | | | | | 'Jihad against Americans' suspect in string of Seattle-area, New Jersey murders sentenced to another 93 years | | Sep 11, 2022 | | A man accused of going on a killing spree as part of a "jihad against Americans" was sentenced on Friday to nearly a century behind bars in connection to three murders in Washington state in 2014. Ali Muhammad Brown, 37, had already been serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for a fourth murder later that same year in New Jersey, but sentencing for three counts of premeditated murder in Washington state did not come until Friday in King County Superior Court. Judge Jim Rogers sentenced Brown to another 1,118 months. He is to serve that 93-year sentence consecutively, which should ensure he dies in prison. Brown, an accused ISIS sympathizer, fatally shot 30-year-old Leroy Henderson along a stretch of a road in Skyway, a community south of Seattle, in April 2014 "as a test" to see if he could kill for the cause of avenging U.S. policy in the Middle East, Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Castleton said. EX-NFL PLAYER KEVIN WARE ALLEGEDLY BURNED, BURIED CORPSE OF MISSING EX-GIRLFRIEND TAYLOR POMASKI: REPORT Five weeks later, Brown allegedly killed another two men, 27-year-old Ahmed Said and 23-year-old Dwone Anderson-Young, after allegedly targeting them because they were gay, The Seattle Times reported. He met them on the gay dating site Grindr and spent time with the two friends at a since-closed gay club in Seattle before killing them later that night. Brown then fled to New Jersey, where he also murdered 19-year-old Brendan Tevlin later that June. Tevlin was a student at the University of Richmond in Virginia, but he was back home for the summer in his native New Jersey when he was killed. During a 2018 court hearing, Brown admitted to the three other Washington killings, but that case had been delayed for years, N.Y. Daily News reported. "Eight years I have been waiting for my justice," Falana Young, the mother of Dwone Anderson Young, told the court ahead of Friday’s sentencing, according to KING-TV. "Your Honor, please give him the maximum of whatever you can do," Dwone’s grandmother, Shelly Young, added. "I am regretful for killing those people," Brown told the Washington courtroom on Friday. "I ask for forgiveness from the families. I ask that they can forgive me. If they can’t, if not, just let me rot in hell if you want to if you want to say that, but that is not going to change the past." | | | | | Strategists weigh implications of abortion, student loan handout, gun control on upcoming midterms | | Sep 11, 2022 | | The Democratic Party is seeking to hold on to its majority in the House this fall as the midterm elections approach and several candidates from the party place focus on issues they feel will motivate their base to turn out and vote, but some strategists suggest those issues will do little to impact the results as Americans remain focused on the economy. While President Biden and congressional leaders from the party have prioritized several issues in recent months, three controversial topics — abortion, gun control, and student loan debt — are at the forefront of several campaigns who are seeking to retain their seats in the House or defeat their Republican challengers in November. To better understand whether how those three topics will have an impact on the upcoming midterm elections, and whether Democrats will be able to keep control of the House by discussing those issues, Fox News Digital contacted political experts from both sides of the aisle to get their assessment. VULNERABLE HOUSE DEMOCRATS MOSTLY REFUSE TO SAY WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE ANY LIMITS ON ABORTION "Democrats will win if bold action is taken on kitchen table issues that tangibly improve people's lives." "That applies to making sure abortion access is legal, which is supported by overwhelming numbers of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. It applies to reducing gun shootings in schools by taking steps that are overwhelmingly popular with NRA members who love their kids and don't want them killed. And it certainly applies to helping millions of working-class families who have been cheated by a broken student debt system and saddled with spiraling debt." "Democrats need to highlight [Biden's] accomplishments – and others like lowering prescription prices, creating millions of jobs, protecting our democracy, and making air and water cleaner for kids. Voters need to be reminded that Republican politicians in DC opposed all this progress and now are campaigning on fringe ideas like privatizing Social Security and raising taxes on working class families to fund tax cuts for billionaires." "The easy answer is no. Despite all the political noise, the issue driving voters in this election is still the economy. The reason Democrats have closed the gap a bit in some polling is that voters are a bit less pessimistic about the economy. In my latest survey, 23% of voters said their finances are getting better while 40% say worse. That -17 net is not good, but it's not as bad as the -28 the month before." "The other thing to keep in mind is that uncommitted voters have a very negative view of President Biden — consistently more than 70% disapproval. That suggests we will see a gradual improvement for the GOP prospects as voters near a final decision. The Democrats will not win the House. And, while it's not quite as certain, the GOP remains likely to win control of the Senate." WHITE HOUSE SUGGESTS BIDEN'S $500B STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT WILL BE PAID FOR WITH DEFICIT SPENDING "Democrats doing lots of stuff to make people lives better is always a good strategy to help win political campaigns." "Unprecedented government spending and fiscal irresponsibility by the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress have brought our country to a financial breaking point. Families across our nation can no longer afford basic necessities like groceries, gas and household goods. Further, President Biden’s unprecedented student loan bailout is an outrageous, expensive overreach and an attempt to buy votes. This fall, Americans will choose conservative candidates in order to restore economic prosperity to our nation." CALIFRONIA GUN CONTROL LAW STAYS UNENFORCEABLE AFTER DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS FAIL KEY VOTE "There is no doubt that abortion is going to motivate some younger voters to turn out at higher rates than they would have in this election and that we are seeing more young women registering to vote. But that’s not likely to be enough to save the Democratic majority. We are seeing voters in battleground districts saying that the economy is more important to their vote than abortion by significant margins. And the bad Biden economy is pretty locked in as a significant negative for Democrats at this point." "Other issues that Democrats might hope to leverage like gun control just aren’t as salient and fall well down the list of top issues voters care about, after a variety of economic concerns, crime, and abortion. There’s some initial evidence that the student loan forgiveness handout is actually backfiring against Democrats and motivating more Republican-leaning blue collar and older voters. … It’s definitely not an issue that is going to help Democrats — the kinds of urban districts where most of the recipients live are deep blue areas anyhow." In August, Biden announced plans to forgive $10,000 in student debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 annually. Pell Grant recipients will receive $20,000 in debt handouts, provided their income is below the $125,000 threshold. Administration officials claim that no individual or household in the top 5% of earners will benefit from the decision. The Committee for a Responsible Budget estimates the cost of the handouts will be between $440 billion and $600 billion. The comments provided to Fox News Digital in this article are part of a weekend series in which strategists from across the political spectrum are asked the same questions related to political hot topics and are provided with an opportunity to offer their perspective. Fox News' Haris Alic contributed to this article. | | | | | I'm a 'Fox & Friends' anchor but I'll never forget the hilarious thing my late father did in the grocery store | | Sep 11, 2022 | | Editor’s note: Steve and Kathy Doocy’s brand new "The Simply Happy Cookbook," is not only a filled with easy, delicious, stress-free recipes—it’s also a family memoir with heartwarming and sometimes hilarious stories. Here’s one of them… When I was growing up, my parents had a standard they tried to apply to all their five kids. They wanted to treat us all equally— always. They didn’t want to give a compliment to one without complimenting all of us. This probably seemed like a thorough-enough plan to them—but a kid can never hear enough parental praise. That need for parental affirmation doesn’t end at childhood—we crave it our whole lives. Now that my parents are both gone, I miss that a lot—although I must admit that my dad, Jim Doocy, came very close to effusive praise… once, when I was in my forties. My mom died on Christmas morning 1997. Our whole family was a wreck for the longest time because her death was completely unexpected. I tried to comfort my father (and myself) the best I could, with phone calls to him at least once or twice a day. We’d run out of things to talk about, but it just felt good to touch base, because we both knew that someday one of us would not be around to pick up the phone. STEVE DOOCY: I TOLD MY DAD I'D PAY FOR A TRIP ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. HERE'S WHERE WE ENDED UP Kathy invited my dad to visit us in New Jersey for a week—with nothing on the agenda beyond having the chance to spend time together. We’d just drink coffee, talk about the news, and Kathy would send us both on honey-do errands for things I had put off doing because I needed a second set of hands. Dad was theoretically my helper, but in reality he took on the jobs and I was his backup man, just as it had been when he was in his thirties and I was a teenager. One day Kathy sent us to Home Depot and the cleaners, and then we had to swing by the grocery store to pick up a few necessities. In front of the store, my dad pulled a single shopping trolley out of a long line of chrome carts— and stopped dead in his tracks. I’d seen that look on his face before when he’d wrenched his back, and I’d figured he pulled the cart out too hard. "You OK?" I asked. He said nothing. He swiveled his head in my direction and pointed his arm like an Irish setter toward the front of the shopping basket. "Oh, that…" I saw what he was gesturing about and was a little embarrassed. I hadn’t told him that featured on the front of shopping carts across the country that month was an 8×10-inch full-color advertisement featuring the "Fox & Friends" crew. He stared at me with the biggest grin and rhymed "Stephen, you’re the host… with the toast!" Yes, in the photo I was hoisting toward the camera a piece of cinnamon-raisin swirl toast. I was a bit uncomfortable; I may have a 6 to 9 a.m. job as a TV broadcaster, but when I’m out in the real world, such as at the grocery store, I like to be a bit anonymous. But Dad was about to make that impossible, because his father brag gene kicked in and he spent the next ten minutes doing grinning double-takes at me and the cart, trying to get random shoppers to notice that his son was starring on the front grill of every cart in the store. Nobody noticed. Think about it—if you noticed an ad on a shopping cart, would you even look closely enough to realize that a person in the ad was pushing the cart? Of course not. STEVE DOOCY: HOW CURIOUS GEORGE, WHEATIES AND AN ADAM SANDLER WATER BOTTLE WERE AT THANKSGIVING 2020 In the express checkout lane, I quickly placed my items on the belt, the clerk announced the purchase amount, and I scribbled out a check and handed it to him. "May I have your check cashing card?" I nodded and pulled out my car keys, which had the store card on the ring. But I’d grabbed Kathy’s keys by mistake. "I got my wife’s keys," I said, waving them in his direction. "Lemme give you our phone number . . ." "Sorry, sir, you have to see the manager in the convenience booth," he said, pointing at the other end of the store. Embarrassed that this was happening in front of my father, who’d thought I was a big star just forty-five seconds ago, the following words left my lips for the very first time: "Don’t you know who I am?" We locked eyes and he waited for me to say something, so I did. "I’ve been in this store every week for the last five years." "I’m new," he said as somebody queued up their cart behind us. Because it was New Jersey, I knew they were thinking, What the hell is taking so long? Come on, chop chop! Then, out of nowhere, my father spoke directly to the clerk: "Son, cut my boy some slack, he works here." "Since when? I’ve never seen him." "If he doesn’t work here," Dad started, "then why is he on your cart?" He pulled the cart back so the cashier could look at me—then the cart. Me—then the cart. Yep, it was me. He was speechless. Then, much like a Vegas hypnotist, Jim Doocy instructed him, "Now you’re going to take his check and we’re going to leave." I scribbled our phone number on the check and paid. As we walked out to the parking lot, Dad pried the "Fox & Friends" ad off the fronts of three carts. I could tell he was proud . . . but he didn’t say it out loud. Dammit! STEVE DOOCY: I PRAYED A DESPERATE PRAYER TO GOD AND THIS SHOCKING THING HAPPENED NEXT Fifteen years later, Kathy and I were in a Topeka, Kansas, ballroom where I was being recognized as the Distinguished Kansan of the Year. My dad and sisters were there with us. "It’s official," I said, starting my acceptance speech, "the State of Kansas has officially run out of people to give awards to." I gave a good-natured retrospective of my life growing up in Kansas, talking about attending a one-room schoolhouse, and how I’d had the best job in my town for somebody who would one day make a living talking—I was a salesman at a men’s clothing store, where all day long I started conversations with total strangers. I told the crowd, "I learned it was better to tell the truth than to make a sale. If somebody asked if they looked fat in those pants, I’d say, Yes, you look fat.’ I was seventeen. Only much later, when I got married, did I discover that I’d been answering that question wrong my whole life." At the end of my comments I shared with them that while this boy may have left Kansas, Kansas had never left the boy. I recited the principles I’d learned in my home state. "Always be humble; don’t brag. There are no shortcuts; do the work. Enjoy every minute. Do the right thing, not the easy thing. And always tell the truth— unless it’s about whether somebody looks fat in their pants." The last one was a joke, but every one of those other principles was something I had learned from my father. I looked over at him, and he had the most sincere grin on his face. I’d seen that smile before, but the tears running down his face were new. CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER As they presented me with a plaque—which is hanging above my desk as I type this—a photographer asked if he could get some pictures of me with my dad. I said, "Absolutely!" I pulled Dad toward the stage and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the actual Kansan of the Year." And I meant it. After the last picture was taken, Dad leaned in close and said, with his voice cracking just a little, "Stephen, you did good… we’re all proud of you." Some kids wait a lifetime for that moment, and when it arrived I was so choked up the only thing I could say was "Thank you." The next day my family gathered for a big celebratory breakfast of chicken-fried steak and eggs, the perfect capper to a wonderful weekend. As we got into our car to go to the airport, I gave my dad a hug and told him I loved him, then Kathy and I flew back to New York. That was the last time I would ever see him alive. Two days later my sister called me from the emergency room. Our dad was in excruciating pain, and they had no idea what was causing it—he hadn’t even been sick. Scans soon showed he had a bursting abdominal aortic aneurysm, which ultimately killed him. One year later my sister Lisa sent me some of my father’s personal effects, including a scrapbook I’d never seen. The paper was yellowed and the edges were curled from being opened and closed so many times. It was full of newspaper clippings he’d saved over my entire thirtysome-year TV career. Looking at it was like a time capsule, bringing up many memories of long-ago assignments. I turned to the last page—and it took my breath away. Taped on the page was one of the "Fox & Friends" advertisements that he’d proudly pried off a New Jersey grocery store cart. It was a fond memory of his son—the host with the toast. Adapted from Steve & Kathy’s "The Simply Happy Cookbook." Click here to order your copy. Used with permission of William Murrow, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. All rights reserved. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM STEVE DOOCY | | | | | Queen Elizabeth's many tributes to 9/11 victims included 2010 trip to New York City's Ground Zero | | Sep 11, 2022 | | England’s Queen Elizabeth, who died Thursday at the age of 96, traveled to New York City in 2010 to honor the victims of 9/11, which represented one of many tributes the late monarch paid to those affected by the terrorist attack over the years. After delivering an eight-minute speech at the United Nations in Lower Manhattan Sept. 11, 2010, Queen Elizabeth traveled by police motorcade to Ground Zero and placed a wreath at the site where the South Tower had once stood before greeting families of victims and first responders. Queen Elizabeth then made her way to nearby Hanover Square, where she officially opened the British Garden paying tribute to the 67 British citizens who died on 9/11. Glenn Guzi, a Port Authority official and friend of the royal family, escorted Queen Elizabeth at Ground Zero that day and told Fox News Digital she and her husband were "so moved" during the visit and "deeply understood the enormity of what happened." QUEEN ELIZABETH II WAS A GUTSY WOMAN, 21 YEARS AFTER 9/11, AND MORE FROM FOX NEWS OPINION "They were there to strictly show support to the families," Guzi said. "It was important to her that this visit wasn’t a ‘head of state’ visit. The whole focus was on the family members and first responders. She spent quite a bit of time talking with families. "She spent time with the young people whose parents had been lost and a lot of time speaking with first responders and just really showing appreciation for what they do every single day. " Guzi explained to Fox News Digital that Queen Elizabeth's "ability to connect" with people was "enormous" and she was "very down to earth" with everyone she met. PRINCE WILLIAM SPEAKS OUT FOR FIRST TIME ON QUEEN ELIZABETH'S DEATH: 'I...HAVE LOST A GRANDMOTHER' "The human being she was, was a very loving, caring, inquisitive, bright, funny person," Guzi said. "She didn’t take herself seriously, but she took her job seriously. The most important connection was with real people, not world leaders, and her ability to connect was incredible." In 2001, the day after the terrorist attack, Queen Elizabeth broke tradition by modifying the changing of the guard ceremony to include the playing of the "The Star-Spangled Banner" in front of a crowd of about 3,000 outside Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth bucked tradition for a second time by joining in on the singing and could be seen wiping away a tear during the emotional service.
Ten days after the attack, Queen Elizabeth again brought attention to the victims of 9/11 by mentioning them in remarks that were read aloud at a New York City church service. KING CHARLES III SAYS DEATH OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II WAS A 'MOMENT I'VE BEEN DREADING' IN MEETING WITH PM TRUSS "These are dark and harrowing times for families and friends of those who are missing or who suffered in the attack — many of you here today," the queen said in remarks delivered by the British ambassador to Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer, at a prayer service at St. Thomas Church in New York City Sept. 21, 2001. "My thoughts and my prayers are with you all now and in the difficult days ahead. But nothing that can be said can begin to take away the anguish and the pain of these moments. Grief is the price we pay for love." During her Christmas address in December of that same year, Queen Elizabeth mentioned 9/11 victims once again. QUEEN'S FORMER BODYGUARD RECOUNTS HER REACTION WHEN A TOURIST DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HER: 'LOVELY SENSE OF HUMOR' "The terrorist outrages in the United States last September brought home to us the pain and grief of ordinary people the world over who find themselves innocently caught up in such evil," she said. In 2021, Queen Elizabeth once again played the national anthem of the United States at Windsor Castle on the 20th anniversary of the attack and issued a message of support to President Biden. "As we mark the 20th anniversary of the terrible attacks on 11th September 2001, my thoughts and prayers — and those of my family and the entire nation — remain with the victims, survivors and families affected, as well as the first responders and rescue workers called to duty on that day," Queen Elizabeth wrote. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "My visit to the site of the World Trade Centre in 2010 is held fast in my memory. It reminds me that as we honour those from many nations, faiths and backgrounds who lost their lives, we also pay tribute to the resilience and determination of the communities who joined together to rebuild."
| | | | | Trump attorney who was former DOJ official questions department's appeal of special master | | Sep 11, 2022 | | Trump attorney Jim Trusty, who previously served in the DOJ and as a federal prosecutor in Maryland, questioned his former employer's steadfast opposition to a special master sorting through documents seized during the Mar-a-Lago raid. Trusty recounted the court session in West Palm Beach, Fla., where he asked what the harm would be to the Justice Department if someone essentially checked their work. "What we have in this situation is such a historical first, and I mean that in a very negative way — to have this search warrant based on failed, narrow negotiations, I suppose, that allowed the government to basically ransack the president's residence," he said. "You'd think that in this era of the attorney general constantly talking about rule of law and transparency, that he would be the first one to say, ‘Sure, another set of eyes is perfectly fine.'" BIDEN ‘LOOKED LIKE HE WAS IN THE DEPTHS OF HELL’ DEMONIZING HALF THE COUNTRY: HALEY Trusty nodded to "Life, Liberty & Levin" host Mark Levin's past post as chief of staff to Attorney General Ed Meese to say he was always proud to have worked at DOJ and questioned why the custom of "small justice" and trying to "do the right thing" for the American people seems to be eroding. "What is it that DOJ is so worried about by having an independent, established, well, esteemed person, just give a second look and give some classifications or some categories to what they seized?" he added. "They fought [the special master imposition] tooth-and-nail. And frankly, when the judge asked them that very same question, they didn't have much of an answer. It was kind of like this overarching theme of, 'Leave us alone, we know what we're doing. We don't need anybody to second guess us.'" HILLARY DECLARES AS MANY REPUBLICANS AS POSSIBLE MUST LOSE FOR GOOD OF THE US; GOP MUST ‘PURGE DISEASE’ That, he said, is a marked change in how the Justice Department presents itself since the time he and Levin worked there. "It's extraordinary," Trusty added. "I would have been so much more respectful of the department and of this attorney general if they turned around and said, 'You know what, good idea to have a special master. We have nothing to hide, let's get at it.' -But that's not the approach. It's a constant fight." CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP After Judge Bruce Reinhart signed off on the Mar-a-Lago raid, Trump petitioned the court for a special master to be installed — the litigation for which fell to another South Florida jurist, Judge Aileen Cannon. "We still need judicial intervention. We need a judge to monitor our access to these documents. We haven't had a single phone call from the filter team telling us anything. This is the first knowledge we had about their findings on attorney-client privilege," Trusty said in a prior Fox News interview. He added the Biden Justice Department decided to "ignore the concept of executive privilege" in the case, as well as the Presidential Records Act. | | | | |
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