UNITED STATES

EXCLUSIVE: House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer accuse the White House of releasing a false transcript of President Biden’s remarks in which he apparently referred to supporters of former President Trump as “garbage,” warning that the revision could violate the Presidential Records Act. Fox News Digital obtained a letter Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Comer, R-Ky., sent to White House counsel Edward Siskel Wednesday afternoon in which they demand records relating to the remarks and the transcript are preserved. “In less than one week, the American people will determine the winner of the 2024 presidential election. They will choose between two candidates: President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. President Biden — marred by unpopular policies, scandal, and apparent cognitive deterioration — has chosen not to pursue a second term in office,” they wrote. “President Biden, however, has continued to play a prominent role in Vice President Harris’s campaign and, indeed, is the most powerful mouthpiece for the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies and views that Ms. Harris presumably seeks to continue under a hypothetical Harris-Walz Administration.” BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLYStefanik and Comer pointed to Biden’s remarks Tuesday night, saying, “Americans were rightfully insulted, then, when President Biden, seeking to boost Ms. Harris’ presidential campaign, referred to an enormous swath of the country as “floating … garbage.””President Biden’s vindictive words were unsurprising, given his previous statements regarding people who choose not to vote for his preferred candidate,” they wrote. “Unsurprising too were the White House’s actions after he said them.” Stefanik and Comer said the White House, “instead of apologizing or clarifying President Biden’s words,” sought to “change them (despite them being recorded on video) by releasing a false transcript of his remarks.” “The move is not only craven, but it also appears to be in violation of federal law, including the Presidential Records Act of 1978,” they wrote. “White House staff cannot rewrite the words of the President of the United States to be more politically on message.” The letter comes after President Biden spoke during a Zoom call with Voto Latino, one of the largest Latino voter and civic outreach organizations in the U.S. Tuesday. Biden was asked about a comment made Sunday during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in which comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”Biden replied, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” The White House has since denied that Biden called Trump supporters “garbage” and claimed the comment was taken out of context.The White House, on Wednesday, released a transcript of Biden’s remarks. The official White House transcript says, “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates sought to clarify Biden’s remarks, saying, “The president referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”TRUMP CALLS FOR SUPPORTERS TO ‘FORGIVE’ BIDEN IN SHOW OF UNITY AFTER PRESIDENT CALLS SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’And the president tweeted in the same vein. “Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it,” Biden posted to X. “His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.” Now, Vice President Kamala Harris is seeking to distance herself from the remarks, but she’s also defending the president, saying he “clarified his comments.” “But let me be clear, I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” Harris said.Harris, referring to her Tuesday night speech from the Ellipse near the White House, reiterated Wednesday how voters will decide “who we are as a nation and whether we are going to be a nation of people who attempt to unify and break through this era of divisiveness, or are we going to be a nation of people who have a president stewing in the Oval Office over his enemies list.’TREATED YOU LIKE GARBAGE’: TRUMP USES BIDEN CRITICISM AS RALLYING CRY IN BATTLEGROUND NORTH CAROLINA”You heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career,” Harris said. “I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not, and as President of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans whether you vote for me or not.”The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. In their letter to White House counsel, Stefanik and Comer wrote, “Though President Biden’s relevance continues to diminish, his words continue to matter, even as they become increasingly divisive and erratic.” Stefanik and Comer demanded the White House “retain and preserve all documents and internal communications regarding President Biden’s statement and the release of the inaccurate transcript.” “We also demand that the White House issue a corrected transcript with the accurate words,” they wrote. Trump, at a rally in North Carolina Wednesday, said Biden and Harris have “treated our whole country like garbage.” “My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans,” Trump declared. “And you can’t be president if you hate the American people, and there’s a lot of hatred there.” 



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Publish date : 2024-10-30 20:30:15

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EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., are not promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as part of the Republicans’ policy plan for 2025, the House GOP leader suggested to Fox News Digital.”Despite the dishonest characterizations from the Harris campaign, the audio and transcript make clear that I offered no such promise to end ObamaCare, and in fact acknowledged that the policy is ‘deeply ingrained’ in our health care system,” Johnson told Fox News Digital.”Still, House Republicans will always seek to reduce the costs and improve the quality and availability of health care for all Americans. Anyone who has been a patient or known a loved one who has struggled with health issues understands why this is so important.”It comes amid a barrage of accusations from Democrats that Republicans want to end the ACA, popularly known as ObamaCare.SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED'”This is not President Trump’s policy position,” Trump national press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital.”As President Trump has said, he will make our health care system better by increasing transparency, promoting choice and competition, and expanding access to new affordable health care and insurance options.”A spokesperson for Johnson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the speaker’s position “is in line with President Trump’s.”Trump himself has not proposed a detailed health care platform for the 2024 race.A video of Johnson saying to voters in Pennsylvania, “Health care reform is going to be a big part of the agenda” if Republicans win the White House and Congress, went viral on Tuesday.Toward the end of the clip, shared with NBC News, someone can be heard asking, “No ObamaCare?”Johnson appeared to repeat the question, “No ObamaCare?” and then explained, “The ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work, and we’ve got a lot of ideas on how to do that.”JON STEWART ADMITS HE FINDS WIDELY CRITICIZED TRUMP RALLY COMEDIAN FUNNY”If you take government bureaucrats out of the health care equation, and you have doctor-patient relationships, it’s better for everybody, more efficient, more effective. That’s the free market. Trump is going to be for the free market,” Johnson said. “We want to take a blowtorch to the regulatory state.”Democrats interpreted Johnson’s remarks as affirming Republicans will end ObamaCare and seized on the moment.”Health care is on the ballot this November. Speaker Mike Johnson is making it clear – if Donald Trump wins, he and his Project 2025 allies in Congress will make sure there is ‘no ObamaCare.’ That means higher health care costs for millions of families and ripping away protections from Americans with preexisting conditions like diabetes, asthma or cancer,” Harris campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said Tuesday evening.That was followed by a similar statement by House Democrats’ campaign arm on Wednesday morning.”Take it from Mike Johnson himself, the choice before voters this election is clear: Democrats who will fight to lower health costs and expand access to affordable health care or Republicans who want to raise the cost of medicine and deny health insurance to millions of Americans,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spokesperson Viet Shelton said.CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTIONJohnson’s spokesperson told Fox News Digital “the characterization of his remarks by the Harris campaign is false and not substantiated by the audio.””Harris’ desperation now has her lying about Speaker Johnson,” the spokesperson also said, adding that the evidence makes “clear that the Speaker made no such promise.”Republicans tried and failed to repeal the ACA during Trump’s first term in office.A vote in the then-GOP-controlled Senate in 2017 failed when three Republican senators – including, notably, the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. – voted with Democrats against doing so.



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Publish date : 2024-10-30 19:34:40

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The Canadian government alleged on Tuesday that Indian Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, a close ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was behind the plots to target Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.The Indian government did not immediately respond but has dismissed Canada’s prior accusations as baseless, denying any involvement.CANADA-INDIA TIES COULD TAKE A LONG TIME TO RECOVERThe Washington Post newspaper first reported that Canadian officials alleged Shah, considered the number two in the Modi government, was behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists in Canada.Canadian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison said to a parliamentary panel on Tuesday that he told the U.S.-based newspaper that Shah was behind the plots.”The journalist called me and asked if it (Shah) was that person. I confirmed it was that person,” Morrison told the committee, without providing further details or evidence. The High Commission of India in Ottawa and the Indian foreign ministry had no immediate comment.The Indian home ministry directed queries to the foreign ministry.Canada told India about Shah’s alleged role in the plots around October 2023, one Indian government source told Reuters in New Delhi on Wednesday.But New Delhi thinks the information is very weak, flimsy and does not expect it to cause any trouble for Shah or the government, the source and another government source said.Both spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to the media.India has called Sikh separatists “terrorists” and threats to its security. Sikh separatists demand an independent homeland known as Khalistan to be carved out of India. An insurgency in India during the 1980s and 1990s killed tens of thousands.That period included the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that left thousands dead following the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards after she ordered security forces to storm the holiest Sikh temple to flush out Sikh separatists.Canada in mid-October expelled Indian diplomats, linking them to the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. India also ordered the expulsion of Canadian diplomats.The Canadian case is not the only instance of India’s alleged targeting of Sikh separatists on foreign soil.Washington has charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen and Indian critic in New York City.The FBI warned against such a retaliation aimed at a U.S. resident. India has said little publicly since announcing in November 2023 it would formally investigate the U.S. allegations.The accusations have tested Washington and Ottawa’s relations with India, often viewed by the West as a counterbalance to China.



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Publish date : 2024-10-30 18:39:36

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LeBron James and Bronny James made history when they became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game in the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.On Wednesday night, when the Lakers take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bronny is once again expected to take the court with his dad in a homecoming moment for the family.LeBron James spent 11 seasons with the Cavaliers over two stints, including leading them to a title in 2016 with a 3-1 comeback over the Golden State Warriors.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMBronny grew up as a kid running around the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland while his dad played.”It’s definitely going to be very special to be back home and be able to run the floor with my son who spent a lot of time on that floor throughout my days when I played there for 11 years,” LeBron said following Monday’s game in Phoenix.LeBron was just beginning his second season with the Cavaliers in 2004 when he and his wife Savannah welcomed Bronny, the first of three children the couple has. 76ERS FINED $100K AFTER NBA INVESTIGATION FINDS IMPROPER STATEMENTS ABOUT JOEL EMBIID’S HEALTHThe only time LeBron and Bronny have played together this season was in the second quarter of the Lakers’ 110-103 opening win over the Timberwolves.Bronny played three minutes in the win, missing both of his shots and grabbing one rebound. The rookie has not played since and is expected to join the Lakers G-League team, the South Bay Lakers, once their five-game road trip ends on Nov. 6.Bronny will make his first appearance in Cleveland one day after the 21st anniversary of his dad’s pro debut.The Lakers are 3-1 this season, with their last game a close 109-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.



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Publish date : 2024-10-30 17:25:28

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Boeing overcharged the Air Force for simple spare parts on C-17 aircraft by $1 million over a four-year period, according to the Pentagon.The defense giant marked up the cost of soap dispensers by 8,000%, putting taxpayers on the hook for such items that cost 80 times more than market value. While the cost that Boeing charged per dispenser was redacted from a new audit released this week, in total, the Air Force overpaid for the dispensers by $149,072 from 2018 to 2022, according to Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch.”The Air Force needs to establish and implement more effective internal controls to help prevent overpaying for spare parts for the remainder of this contract, which continues through 2031,” said Storch.”Significant overpayments for spare parts may reduce the number of spare parts that Boeing can purchase on the contract, potentially reducing C-17 readiness worldwide.” PENTAGON LACKS COUNTER-DRONE PROCEDURE LEADING TO INCURSIONS LIKE AT LANGLEY, EXPERTS SAYAn anonymous tip about the exorbitant soap dispenser prices prompted the inspector general’s audit into spare parts. Boeing has a 10-year contract with the Air Force that allows it to purchase the spare parts needed for C-17s and the Air Force reimburses Boeing for the spare parts. 

The IG’s review of 46 spare parts revealed that only nine, or 20%, were purchased by the Air Force at “fair and reasonable” prices, totaling $20.3 million.The IG found that the Air Force did not pay “fair and reasonable” prices for about 26% of the spare parts reviewed, about $4.3 million worth of equipment. For another 54% of the spare parts, valued at $22 million, the IG was not able to determine whether the Air Force paid fair prices: the service branch did not maintain historical data on pricing and they were unable to obtain supplier quotes for similar products. The IG found the Air Force failed to validate the accuracy of data in contract negotiations for spare parts, review price increases during contract execution, and review invoices to determine whether prices were “fair and reasonable” before paying them. Boeing said in a statement it was reviewing the report but cautioned that it appeared to compare prices for the parts that met aircraft standards to “basic commercial items” that wouldn’t meet the qualifications for military aircraft.”We are reviewing the report, which appears to be based on an inapt comparison of the prices paid for parts that meet aircraft and contract specifications and designs versus basic commercial items that would not be qualified or approved for use on the C-17. We will continue to work with the OIG and the U.S. Air Force to provide a detailed written response to the report in the coming days.”Around 220 C-17s are in use by the Air Force, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command. GOP SENATOR DEMANDS ANSWERS AFTER PENTAGON FINDS ARMY GAVE TAIWAN MOLDY GEAR, AMMO FROM 1983The Air Force calls the Boeing Globemaster C-17s “the most flexible cargo aircraft” in its fleet, capable of carrying people and cargo across a variety of distances. It’s become the primary aircraft used for evacuation and humanitarian missions. The Pentagon’s sprawling budget broke $900 billion last year, making overcharges by defense contractors a constant headache for internal watchdogs. Earlier this month, Raytheon agreed to pay $1 billion in a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for defrauding the Defense Department and paying bribes to a government official in Qatar to acquire business in the country.The company was accused of inflating its costs by $111 million on missile systems and operation of a radar surveillance system it sold to the Pentagon. Raytheon allegedly lied about the cost of building three Patriot missile batteries, with the Army agreeing to a $619 million contract. 



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Publish date : 2024-10-30 16:26:22

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