Ken Starr, Clinton investigator, dead at 76

Fox News - Latest Headlines Edit Unfollow Ken Starr, Clinton investigator, dead at 76 Sep 13, 2022 Ken Starr, a noted attorney who helped impeach one president and defended another from the same fate, died Tuesday at the age of 76. Starr died in Houston of complications from surgery, the statement said. "We are deeply saddened with the loss of our dear and loving Father and Grandfather, whom we admired for his prodigious work ethic, but who always put his family first,: Starr's son, Randall P. Starr, said in a statement released by his family. "The love, energy, endearing sense of humor, and fun-loving interest Dad exhibited to each of us was truly special, and we cherish the many wonderful memories we were able to experience with him. He is now with his Lord and Savior." Starr, a venerated lawyer and Republican operative, was best known for his role as the independent counsel in the Whitewater affair. Appointed in 1994 to probe a shadowy land deal involving President Bill Clinton’s tenure as governor of Arkansas, Starr widely expanded the probe.  The investigation snowballed from Clinton’s involvement in the failed real estate venture to misconduct in the White House travel office, the unauthorized obtaining of FBI personnel files by senior administration staffers, and finally the president’s affair with an intern named Monica Lewinsky.  Starr often told reporters and pundits that he was compelled to take the Whitewater appointment because of principle.  "Truth is a bedrock concept in morality and law," he often said.  KEN STARR: TRUMP'S IMPEACHMENT 'A VERY UGLY CHAPTER IN OUR CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY' Born in Vernon Texas in 1946, Starr was the son of a Congregationalist minister. He excelled at school, eventually graduating with a bachelor's of history from George Washington University in 1968.  Starr earned a master’s degree from Brown University the year after. In the early 1970s, he attended the Duke University Law School, where he edited the institution’s law journal.  After graduating from Duke Law in 1973, Starr clerked for a federal appellate court judge. The experience led to a two-year clerkship with Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger between 1975 and 1977.  The experience helped land Starr a Justice Department job in 1981 when President Ronald Reagan swept into office. Starr excelled in the role, serving as an aide to the Attorney General.  In 1983, at the age of 37, Starr was nominated by Reagan to serve on the United States District Court of Appeals. Starr served as a judge until 1989 when he was appointed to serve as Solicitor General by President George H.W. Bush.  In the role, Starr represented the federal government in front of the Supreme Court on a bevy of matters. In 1990, he was considered a front-runner to replace Associate Justice William Brennan on the Supreme Court. Bush opted instead to appoint David Souter after concerns emerged that Starr might not be conservative enough. KEN STARR: DEMOCRATS ARE 'DEFINING IMPEACHMENT DOWN' WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A CRIME After Bush lost reelection in 1992 to Clinton, Starr ventured into private practice, joining the firm of Kirkland & Ellis. Starr was at the firm when a special three-judge panel appointed him to oversee the Whitewater affair in August 1994.  Under Starr’s watch, the probe grew to include hundreds of staffers — costing taxpayers more than $52 million over a six-year time span. It resulted in more than two dozen indictments, a dozen convictions, and Clinton’s impeachment and eventual acquittal for allegedly lying and obstructing justice.  "What one finds out in getting into an investigation is, ‘Oh my word’ — there are different avenues that come to you," Starr told CNN in 2018 while discussing his tenure as investigative counsel.  Clinton’s impeachment backfired on Republicans, with the party losing four House seats in the 1998 midterms. The results defied historical trends, which usually show the president’s party losing seats after six years in office.  After his stint overseeing the Whitewater probe, Starr returned to private practice. In his later years, he served as a high-profile in front of the Supreme Court, arguing several cases successfully.  In 2010, Starr became the president of Baylor University in Waco, Texas. As president, he oversaw the opening of the university’s $250 million football stadium. His administration also prioritized expanding academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities for students.  "He was not someone who had a history with Baylor, but he was a big name, and they were looking to raise their profile and raise more money for the university and thought that bringing him in would really appeal to the donors," ESPN reporter Paula Lavigne told NPR earlier this year.  Starr’s tenure at the helm of the school was not without blemish, however. Starr resigned from the position in 2016 over the criticism surrounding the university’s handling of sexual assaults on campus.  "I didn't know about what was happening, but I have to, and I willingly do accept responsibility," Starr said at the time. "The captain goes down with the ship."  After exiting academia, Starr returned to law and politics. In 2018, he emerged as a key defender of Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh during the latter’s confirmation process. In 2020, Starr was tapped as a defensive for President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial. The move brought the former investigative counsel full circle.  At the time, Starr said he was pushed to take the job because of the politicization of the impeachment process by Congressional Democrats.  "The Senate is being called to sit as the high court of impeachment all too frequently," he said. "Indeed, we are living in what I think can aptly be described as the age of impeachment." Starr will be buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.  Continue Reading Former Pennsylvania EMS chief allegedly used hidden cameras to record girls, women undressing in bathrooms Sep 13, 2022 A former EMS chief in Pennsylvania has been charged with secretly taking photos and videos of underage girls in bathrooms using a hidden camera following allegations he did the same thing to other female victims. Jason S. McCully, 39, of Morgantown, is the former Elverson-Honeybrook Area EMS chief and was taken into police custody in Berks County. He faces charges of sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography and invasion of privacy, Fox Philadelphia reported.  CHILD MARRIAGES, RAPE AND INCEST PERFORMED IN UTAH POLYGAMOUS GROUP, LAWSUIT ALLEGES Investigators found video and digital files of 11 females, two of whom are under 18, during a search of his home.  In total, McCully allegedly recorded 13 females. At least three are allegedly underage.  He was previously connected to a camera found inside a bathroom at his former workplace. Several women were recorded on camera hidden in a toiletry bag on the bathroom sink from October 2021 through May 2022.  McCully admitted that the bag belonged to him, the Berks County District Attorney's Office said. McCully is being held in the Berks County jail.  Continue Reading Kentucky football literally chomps gator after Florida victory Sep 13, 2022 The Kentucky Wildcats went into Gainesville this past weekend and defeated the No. 12-ranked Florida Gators. So, to celebrate, they had themselves a very fitting meal.  Kentucky’s starting quarterback, Will Levis, posted a photo to his Instagram story on Monday night showing a half-eaten alligator that the team dined on.  It’s pretty obvious it’s a play on the Florida mascot, who the Wildcats don’t mind taking a literal chomp out of as they did on the field Saturday.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM The Wildcats held the Gators scoreless in the second half after being down after the first, and collected 13 of their own points to defeat them, 26-16.  Levis went 13-for-24 for 202 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also had a rushing score.  FLORIDA'S TURNOVERS PROVE COSTLY AGAINST KENTUCKY IN SEC TOP 25 BATTLE Dane Key was his favorite target, though, catching three balls for 83 yards and a score.  With the win, Kentucky moved into No. 9 on the FBS rankings while Florida fell to No. 18.  Florida’s very talented quarterback, Anthony Richardson, wasn’t as sharp as he was against the University of Utah, where he had three rushing touchdowns on 11 carries and 106 yards.  AP TOP 25 POLL: GEORGIA KNOCKS ALABAMA FROM TOP SPOT AFTER CRIMSON TIDE'S NARROW WIN OVER TEXAS Richardson was shut down on the ground, having six carries for just four yards, as Kentucky forced him to throw. He was very inefficient, going 14-for-35 for 143 yards with two interceptions. Trevor Etienne had the lone touchdown for the Gators on the ground.  This SEC rivalry is just heating up here in the second week of the college season, and Kentucky is loving this unique jab at an opponent they could see down the road once conference playoffs come into play.  Continue Reading Florida student alerts teacher after finding bag of fentanyl Sep 13, 2022 Authorities in Florida are warning parents after drugs were found in one high school and a possible weapon was displayed during an altercation in another high school. On Friday, fentanyl was found inside a baggie that was discovered by a student near the lockers in Atlantic High School in Port Orange. The student turned in the bag to a teacher who alerted the school resource deputy, according to a post on the Volusia Sheriff’s office’s Twitter page. The deputy tested the powder in the bag which showed a presumptive positive result for fentanyl. MISSOURI LOOTER FACES SENTENCING IN MURDER OF RETIRED ST. LOUIS POLICE CAPTAIN DURING 2020 GEORGE FLOYD RIOTS  Bodycam video shows a teacher explaining to the deputy where the student found the fentanyl during school hours. The sheriff’s office also posted about a separate incident on Friday at Pine Ridge High School in Deltona, Florida. A high school student allegedly brought a BB gun to school and showed the weapon during a fight. BALTIMORE POLICE SHOOT WOMAN WHO DRAGGED OFFICER WITH HER CAR Deputies said this student struggled with deputies when they went to search his backpack, where they found the BB gun made to look like a Glock. "During a search of a student's backpack, deputies recovered a replica Glock BB gun," the sheriff's office said in the Twitter post. "The 16-year-old student violently resisted deputies and attempted to fight them, but was taken into custody on charges of campus disruption, resisting an officer with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer." Residents reacted to the news on social media. "Thank you to the brave students who reported and VCSO for responding," wrote one person on Facebook. "Parents...you must be parents and not your child's best friend (that should come after they become adults). Parents, you are not helping these types of situations." Investigators said they arrested the student, who faces charges of campus disruption, resisting an officer with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer. Continue Reading Commanders' defensive lineman trashes idea Carson Wentz is problem in locker room Sep 13, 2022 Carson Wentz's tenures with the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts both ended badly, but the Washington Commanders took a flier. It's only one week, but it's been a good bet so far. Wentz threw four touchdown passes in the Commanders' 28-22 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Wentz's team debut. Washington is Wentz's third team in as many seasons, which has prompted rumors he's a locker room cancer, but defensive lineman Jonathan Allen was quick to dismiss that notion. "I have absolutely no idea where that comes from," Allen told 106.7 The Fan.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM "Sometimes, I feel like the NFL can be like a high school. There's so much drama and just rumors and things that just, quite frankly, aren't true. I mean, I have no idea where that could be coming from." Wentz was just one win away from clinching a playoff berth with the Colts last season. But in his final two games against the Las Vegas Raiders and lowly Jaguars, he threw for just 333 yards combined, was sacked seven times threw just two touchdowns while turning the ball over twice. Sunday wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, either. Wentz threw two fourth-quarter interceptions on back-to-back drives. He certainly made up for it though. COMMANDERS' CARSON WENTZ THROWS 4 TOUCHDOWNS IN TEAM DEBUT TO BEAT JAGUARS In his final two drives, he completed eight of his 11 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns, sealing the win. "After he throws those two interceptions, quick memory, positive on the sideline, no pouting," Allen said. "I mean, I think you can just look at the guys around him and see how they respond to him and that tells you everything you need to know about his character." Wentz was an MVP candidate with Philadelphia in 2017 before going down with a torn ACL in Week 14. The Eagles still managed to win the Super Bowl with Nick Foles under center. Continue Reading Biden celebrates 'Inflation Reduction Act' after inflation rises in August Sep 13, 2022 President Biden on Tuesday held an event celebrating the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act just hours after a dismal report showing that the consumer price index rose 8.3% in August from a year ago.  Speaking from the White House lawn, Biden called the Inflation Reduction Act the "single most important legislation passed in the Congress to combat inflation and one of the most significant laws in our nation's history."  "We're going to build a … future here in the United States of America with American workers, with American companies, with American-made products. And after years of some of the biggest corporations in the United States paying zero in federal income tax," Biden said. "They'll now have to begin to literally pay their fair share today." Biden slammed Republican lawmakers for not supporting the bill, saying it "fell to Democrats to meet this moment and deliver for the American people."  The president later said the bill would address the long-neglected climate crisis, saying it would "triple wind power, unleash American manufacturing to own the global market on electric vehicles."  KARINE JEAN-PIERRE STUMBLES WHEN PRESSED ON SO-CALLED INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: ‘IS IT FAIR ?' "We're going to fight for environmental justice and create clean energy jobs and apprentices and front-line fence communities that have been smothered by the legacy of pollution," Biden said.  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, sharing the stage earlier with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, gave a few remarks, congratulating his colleagues for supposedly helping families make ends meet while "MAGA Republicans" are preoccupied with national abortion bans.  "I want to thank President Biden. We would never, never have gotten the inflation Reduction Act done without his steady hand for over a year and a half," Schumer said. "He dared us to dream big, pushed us to aim high, and urged us to never let go of our promise to the American people."  Pelosi commended Biden for not only making history, but making "progress." "When Congress passed this legislation, frankly, we jumped for joy," Pelosi said. "This was so exciting because of the transformative difference this law would make for America's working families. CRITICS SLAM PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR ‘CELEBRATING’ SIGNING OF INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’ Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law last month after it passed through Congress along party lines, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. The act, lawmakers said, was intended to combat climate change, address health care costs and raise taxes on large corporations.  But midway into September, a new report indicated inflation rose more than expected in August, squeezing U.S. households even as the cost of gasoline fell and continued to create a political headache for the president.  The Labor Department said Tuesday that the consumer price index – a broad measure of the price for everyday goods, including gasoline groceries, and rents – rose 8.3% in August from a year ago. Prices climbed 0.1% in the one-month period from July.  Those figures were both higher than the 8.1% headline figure and 0.1% monthly decline forecast by Refinitiv economists, a worrisome sign for the Federal Reserve as it seeks to cool price gains and tame consumer demand with an aggressive interest rate hike campaign. Stock futures tanked on the surprisingly hot report, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 400 points. Earlier Tuesday, the president released a statement saying it "will take more time and resolve to bring inflation down."  "Today’s data show more progress in bringing global inflation down in the U.S. economy. Overall, prices have been essentially flat in our country these last two months: that is welcome news for American families, with more work still to do," Biden said.  He added: "Gas prices are down an average of $1.30 a gallon since the beginning of the summer. This month, we saw some price increases slow from the month before at the grocery store. And real wages went up again for a second month in a row, giving hard-working families a little breathing room." FOX Business’ Megan Henney contributed to this report.  Continue Reading Republicans slam Biden's new clean energy czar John Podesta as CCP 'shill' over ties to top Chinese official Sep 13, 2022 Republicans are slamming President Biden’s appointment to oversee the disbursement of the Democrats’ so-called Inflation Reduction Act over his close ties to a top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official. Former Obama and Clinton administration official John Podesta, who was tapped by Biden earlier this month to serve as senior adviser to the president for clean energy innovation and implementation, will be in charge of allocating $370 billion in taxpayer funds from the Democrats’ climate and health care spending bill, which passed in August without any Republican support. Fox News Digital reported Monday that Podesta has close ties to Tung Chee-hwa, a top CCP official, referring to him as his "friend" and taking several phone calls from him between 2015 and 2016 while serving as the chairman for Hillary Clinton’s failed campaign, according to emails. Podesta said he has the "highest regard" for Tung, who has been serving as a vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) since the early 2000s. Tung’s CPPCC is a "central part" of China’s united front system, which works to "co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)," according to a 2018 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a U.S. government agency. BIDEN’S NEW CLEAN ENERGY CZAR SAID HE HAS THE ‘HIGHEST REGARD’ FOR CCP OFFICIAL, CALLED HIM ‘FRIEND’ "Under no circumstances should hundreds of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars be at the discretion of ANYONE with ties to, or in this case an outright shill for, the Communist Party of China – a regime that is dead set on global dominance and has started a new cold war with the United States," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. "If Biden truly cares about putting American interests, economy and national security first, he’d retract this appointment immediately." "It’s no surprise Biden ‘climate czar’ John Podesta has pen pals in the Chinese Communist Party," Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, told Fox News Digital. "His anti-American climate agenda is terrible for the working men and women whose electric bills are predictably skyrocketing. We need less climate comrades in the White House and more focus on unleashing American energy to lower energy prices for families here at home." "Joe Biden is compromised," Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, told Fox News Digital. "We already knew about his son Hunter’s corrupt business dealings with Chinese companies, but this is one more example of someone close to this president having deeply concerning ties to the Chinese Communist Party. There must be transparency over Biden’s so-called clean energy czar’s management of taxpayer dollars. Make no mistake, House Republicans will hold the Biden administration accountable for its ties with the CCP for the sake of our economic and national security." "Disappointed but unsurprised that the Biden administration, which has tried to destroy American energy at every turn, would choose an ally of the CCP to lead their clean energy initiative," Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Ind., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), told Fox News Digital. Biden announced Podesta as his new clean energy czar on Sept 2, saying his "deep roots in climate and clean energy policy" will help the administration "hit the ground running" on implementing the sweeping clean energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. Fox News Digital reported Monday that four days after Podesta left the White House as a counselor to President Obama in February 2015, his assistant, Eryn Sepp, informed him that he would be receiving a call on his "house line" from the CPPCC’s Tung. A few weeks later, Sepp and one of Tung’s assistants exchanged emails to set up another call between Podesta and Tung in early March 2015, a month before Clinton would announce her candidacy. HUNTER BIDEN SAID HE WOULD BE ‘HAPPY’ TO INTRODUCE BUSINESS ASSOCIATES TO TOP CCP OFFICIAL In June 2015, Podesta said he had another call with Tung and asked Melanie Hart, then-director of China policy at the Center for American Progress (CAP), the think tank Podesta founded, for an update on who they had requested meetings with in China because he said that Tung could "probably be helpful."  Hart, who is currently Biden's China policy coordinator for the Office of the Undersecretary of State, listed two CCP officials and said she "shared the three names above with [Tung's] team so they are in the loop. We are also working to confirm a good slot for a breakfast or lunch meeting with you and [Tung]."  In a September 2015 email to Alex Cherin, a partner at Englander Knabe & Allen, Podesta referred to Tung as his "friend from Hong Kong" whom he met with the week prior. Cherin's email communications with Podesta do not appear to be related to any of Podesta's emails regarding Tung or the China-U.S. Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), which Tung founded. "Had dinner with him last Thursday," Podesta wrote. Podesta and Tung also co-authored a paper for CAP in December 2013 that called for the strengthening of "major power relations" between the U.S. and China. In addition to Tung being a top official in the CPPCC, he also founded CUSEF, which has bankrolled several American universities, think tanks and nonprofit organizations, and has received increased scrutiny over the last few years for its activity with the CCP’s "united front" system, the sprawling Chinese Communist Party apparatus that conducts influence operations abroad, the Washington Free Beacon reported. Tung continues to be listed as chairman of the foundation on the organization’s website. In May 2013, Tung and Podesta spoke at a luncheon hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which included China’s ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai. "For the last four years though, Center for American Progress and China-U.S. Exchange Foundation have co-hosted a US.-China track II dialogue, and we continue to host these dialogues on an annual basis," Podesta said. "I have the highest regard for C.H. Tung's tireless efforts to bring our two nations closer together. He is always looking ahead to anticipate emerging challenges in the U.S.-China relations and to figure out what he can do to make those challenges more manageable." Later during the event, Podesta walked up to the mic to introduce Tung and said he wanted to join all the people in the room for thanking Tung for his "leadership," prompting Tung to later thank Podesta for his "inspirational talk." Podesta also had multiple calls with Tung during the latter part of 2015 and early 2016, including calls in July, August, September, January and March, according to Wikileaks emails reviewed by Fox News Digital. The Daily Caller reported that Podesta is currently sitting on the "U.S.-China 2022 Steering Committee" of CUSEF and has penned at least three pieces on CUSEF's website. The failed Hillary Clinton campaign chairman isn’t the only Biden administration official with ties to Tung. Biden’s staff secretary, Neera Tanden, who formerly served as the president and CEO of CAP before joining the Biden administration, was also tied to CUSEF. During a 2014 CAP event in Washington, D.C., that featured Tung as a speaker, Tanden highlighted how it had "become clear" that China and the United States were "interdependent" and said since 2008 CAP and CUSEF have organized five track II dialogues. Tanden mentioned Tung’s name twice during her opening remarks. Later during the event, Tung praised CAP and said he was "delighted" to be back. He said it was in 2005 that he began exploring the "landscape in Washington" because he wanted to find a way to develop a relationship between the countries and found that CAP’s position on China-U.S. relations was the most "progressive" of the D.C.-based think tanks. "You were thinking ahead of the curve of most of your peers, and I was really impressed and you may have not known things then, but I was trying to court you and your colleagues, trying to work together with you," Tung said. "I’m delighted to be back at Center for American Progress." HUNTER BIDEN SAID HE WOULD BE ‘HAPPY’ TO INTRODUCE BUSINESS ASSOCIATES TO TOP CCP OFFICIAL He went on to say that the relationship between CAP and CUSEF has been "very, very fruitful" dialogue, adding that he is really excited that the dialogue is "reaching climax," referring to his appearance at the event and the high-level discussions they were having. He also alluded to Podesta without mentioning his name, saying, "We miss the other person who is the architect of all this, but he’s now – I’m afraid he has a better job to do, so he’s not with us today," referring to his role in the White House. When reached for comment on Monday’s story about whether the White House was concerned about ties between CUSEF/Tung and some of the aforementioned officials in the Biden administration, a White House official told Fox News Digital that "White House employees are required to step down from outside positions and he will have a two year recusal under the Pledge from all of his previous affiliations." Fox News Digital followed up to clarify whether Podesta would still be allowed to communicate with Tung, but the White House did not respond. In response to Monday’s story, a CAP spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The Center for American Progress is an independent, nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans. At no point has CAP funded research with CUSEF. CAP has engaged in dialogues with a variety of stakeholders, even where and as we may disagree, to try to work toward better outcomes for our country, our world, and our shared climate concerns. CAP strongly supports greater transparency regarding foreign government funding sources across all think tanks. In fact, CAP’s most recent China strategy calls for the Internal Revenue Service to incorporate foreign funding." CUSEF did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on Monday’s story.  "Democrats’ radical Green New Deal initiatives benefit China so it comes as no surprise that President Biden’s new green energy czar has a cozy relationship with the CCP," Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. "China monopolizes many of the components needed for so-called green energy which makes the United States dependent on this hostile nation for the implementation of Democrats’ anti-energy agenda. Energy security is critical to national security and the Biden Administration must unleash domestic energy production at home instead of relying on hostile nations like China for its radical climate policies." "The selection of a CCP sympathizer to dole out $370 billion in taxpayer-funded green energy subsidies is just the latest example of the Biden Administration’s suspect relations with Chinese Communists," Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, told Fox News Digital. "This should concern every American. As voters head to the polls in November, they should remember who stood for this green energy bailout and who stood against it." "President Biden surrounds himself with people who are connected the Chinese Communist Party," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. "It is naive and dangerous. Podesta’s past praise of Tung should be disqualifying. We need people in government who truly understand the threat of Communist China, not those who are eager to make friends with a genocidal regime." "Top members of the Biden administration like John Podesta have been palling around with the Chinese Communist Party for years," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital. "The Biden administration isn’t fighting the China Lobby – his administration is the China Lobby." "It's unsurprising that Biden officials are entangled with the CCP," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. "China poses the single greatest geopolitical threat to the United States and yet the entire Democrat Party is structurally pro-China. Their Big Tech and Hollywood donors, to say nothing of Big Business and Big Universities, float on Chinese money." Fox News Digital's Cameron Cawthorne and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report. Continue Reading James Taylor sings 'Fire and Rain' to kick off White House Inflation Reduction Act celebration Sep 13, 2022 James Taylor is kicking off the White House’s Inflation Reduction Act celebration. The six-time Grammy Award winner, 74, sang "Fire and Rain" in front of the White House on Tuesday afternoon. Taylor was seated in a navy-blue blazer and a gray hat as he strummed his guitar in front of the cameras and audience. Taylor has shared his opinion on politics in the past. Under former President Barack Obama’s terms, the musician shared that he believed Obama was the greatest president of all time. "I've been watching politics since (Dwight) Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, and Obama is my favorite, favorite president," Taylor said in an interview in 2016. "I am just thankful for every day that he's in office. I am so proud that he represents my country and I think he represents me — I think he represents the America that I know." ANALYSIS SUGGESTS INFLATION REDUCTION ACT WILL REDUCE ANNUAL INFLATION BY ONLY 0.1 PERCENTAGE POINTS The pop icon performed "America the Beautiful" at Obama's second inauguration in 2013 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the former leader in 2015. Obama isn't the only politician Taylor has supported. The singer said he was in support of Hillary Clinton during her run for office in 2016.  "And aside from the fact that she's a woman running, she's the right person. ... The whole point — black or white, male or female, gay or straight, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, atheist — it doesn't matter what these other connections are," he said. "Our country needs to come together and the question is, 'Is this public servant someone who will bring us together?' And I think she is." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August, saying "the American people won, and the special interests lost" with the new legislation. "With this law, the American people won, and the special interests lost," Biden said at the time. "This administration began amid a dark time in America … a once-in-a-century pandemic, devastating joblessness, clear and present threats to democracy and the rule of law, doubts about America's future itself — and yet we've not wavered, we've not flinched, and we've not given in." Biden said, instead, the law will "deliver results for the American people." "We didn't tear down. We built up. We didn't look back. We look forward," Biden said. "And today, today, offers further proof that the soul of America is vibrant. The future of America is bright, and the promise of America is real. And just beginning." The bill, which was passed by the Senate in early August and by the House of Representatives shortly after, costs an estimated $437 billion, with $369 billion going toward investments in "Energy Security and Climate Change," according to a summary by Senate Democrats. The Associated Press and Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report. Continue Reading San Bernardino ends decade-long bankruptcy status Sep 13, 2022 A federal judge has closed out the bankruptcy case filed by a Southern California city that grappled with a dire cash shortage a decade ago, officials said Monday. The city of San Bernardino said in a statement that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Scott Clarkson closed the case last week because the city had resolved claims and has shown it can pay its outstanding long-term obligations. When the city filed for bankruptcy on Aug. 1, 2012, vendors hadn’t been paid and cash was running out to make payroll. SENATE REPUBLICANS LOOK TO PROTECT AMERICANS EARNING LESS THAN $400K FROM IRS AUDITS "The grueling and deep cuts we all experienced are in the rearview mirror of San Bernardino’s history," Mayor John Valdivia said. Officials said the city of 220,000 people some 60 miles east of Los Angeles is now in a much better financial position and has been tackling street paving and tree trimming projects and hiring much-needed staff. For the current fiscal year, the city has forecast a $2.5 million budget surplus — a far cry from the $45 million budget shortfall that was projected when the city entered bankruptcy, the statement said. A decade ago, San Bernardino was in tough financial straits thanks to weak property and sales tax revenues, rising pension costs and a decline in state redevelopment funding. It went into bankruptcy amid an unprecedented wave of cities doing so, including Vallejo, California, and Detroit. BANK OF AMERICA CEO PUSHES BACK ON CRITICISMS OF ZERO-DOWN MORTGAGES FOR MINORITY COMMUNITIES In 2017, San Bernardino began paying creditors again under a bankruptcy exit plan approved by the judge. At the time, there were more than 1,000 claims against the city. Continue Reading Carolina Herrera's new line 'The Secret Garden' unveiled at NY Fashion Week Sep 13, 2022 Carolina Herrera breathed spring back to life at Monday's New York Fashion Week show with a romantic portrayal of nature and beauty, accentuating that the brand's modern and striking feminine aesthetics work for every woman throughout the seasons and decades. Inspired by one of his favorite childhood novels, "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett, designer Wes Gordon said that "in a world that can be dark and scary and unpredictable, it’s okay for some things to just be pure joy and beauty." "That’s what this morning was about," he added. LARRY DAVID'S DAUGHTER SAYS HE HAD A 'BREAKDOWN' BECAUSE IT WAS 'TOO LOUD' AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK EVENT The Plaza Hotel ballroom's grand elegance boomed with Barbara Streisand’s classic "Funny Girl" hit "Don't Rain on My Parade," complementing the romantic bliss emanating from the maximalist hand-painted tea roses and peonies gowns, mini-dresses and matching bucket hats and denim jumpsuits worn by models adorned with a classic crimson red lip and, in some cases, chunky, droopy earrings. "I really created a palette of five beautiful floral prints, that I reimagined in lots of different scales and colorways," Gordon said. "I view this collection as a garden." Gordon and his team skillfully handcrafted a multitude of looks starting with the opening gown, a striped cotton blouse paired with a taffeta ball skirt, illustrating a whimsical high-class gardener vibe in line with true Herrera fashion. Models Stella Maxwell and Karlie Kloss each had two separate looks. Maxwell shined in a mini yellow taxicab-colored floral dress while Kloss' height accentuated her second look, a long sleeve, yellow peony trench gown. Sitting in the front row were Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, Martha Stewart and singers Ellie Goulding, Sabrina Carpenter and Becky G. Standout pieces included a bold dramatic body-hugging column dress with a large rosette sleeve, which was seen on actress Kate Hudson the previous night at the Toronto Film Festival. Another eye-catching moment featured a mini yellow tent dress that almost looked like it was floating on the model. FACE MASKS ARE MUST-HAVE ACCESSORY OF LONDON FASHION WEEK AMID CORONAVIRUS PANIC But the showstopper was Precious Lee's closing gown, a strapless, bodysuit black silk chiffon dress trimmed with tulle. Lee held the extravagant train with her hands as she closed the show. Gordon emphasized that Herrera's ability to evolve each season is because of the brand's ability to listen, specifically to women. "It’s not hard to evolve with the times if you just pay attention to women who wear your clothes," Gordon said. Continue Reading

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