Victoria Fox's Blog, page 223

China’s AI dominance should be a wake-up call for us all

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For more than eight decades, the United States has stood alone as the wealthiest, most innovative, and most economically prosperous nation in the world. Our preeminence has ushered in an era of unprecedented abundance and unparalleled opportunities for the American people and billions across the globe.

Technology and innovation are driving forces behind our economic success. Every day, American entrepreneurs and tech companies are creating new products and services that create jobs, foster economic growth, and improve the way each of us work, live, and connect.

But the winds may now be shifting. China is determined to supplant the United States as the world’s premier economic and geopolitical power. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has launched several significant initiatives aimed at eroding America’s technological edge and positioning China as the preeminent economic and technological power of the 21st Century. Their “Made in China 2025” plan, for example, channels massive investments into emerging technologies.

WHAT CHINA IS DOING IN CUBA IS A BIG THREAT TO ALL OF US

Their Artificial Intelligence Development Plan outlines a comprehensive strategy to propel China to global leadership in AI by 2030. Their aggressive 5G research and development initiatives is successfully giving the Middle Kingdom a substantial lead in the race to pioneer the critical technology that will serve as the digital highway infrastructure of the future. And their state-sanctioned mercantilist policies, such as illicit technology transfers and intellectual property (IP) theft, bolster their domestic industries at the cost of countless U.S. jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars in economic production and value.

This comes at a pivotal moment. We are on the precipice of a new tech revolution—one in which a collection of next-generation capabilities—such as AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology—promise to fundamentally upend every facet of society.

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Experts weighed American and Chinese military and civil investments in artificial intelligence and while some believe the U.S. has a slight advantage in developing the technology currently, others worry China has already surpassed U.S. capability (Getty Images)

If China succeeds in pioneering these new, groundbreaking technologies, they will amass tens of trillions of dollars of economic value, establish dominance over critical supply chains, and secure a pivotal military and economic edge on the global stage.

This must serve as a wake-up call to U.S. leaders and policymakers. To safeguard America’s economic leadership, it is imperative that we adopt a comprehensive government strategy to accelerate innovation and unleash our unmatched entrepreneurial spirit and penchant for ingenuity.

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American innovation thrives within a rich ecosystem of startups, a robust patent portfolio, and a dynamic economy that supports businesses of all sizes and shapes. This success is fostered by an ethos of openness, a commitment to a free and accessible internet, and an environment that attracts substantial investment.

Saxby Chambliss was a United States Senator from Georgia from 2003 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative from 1995 to 2003.

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How Putin’s grip made Belarus a Russian ‘vassal state’ ahead of warlord’s exile

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Belarus has stood out as one of Moscow’s few allies and the only European nation to offer Russia direct support in its war effort, including in its most recent endeavor to end a mutiny against the Kremlin.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he helped bring about a peaceful resolution to an apparent mutiny by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin by offering him and his private military company troops a safe haven within Belarus’ borders in exchange for his “exile” from Russia.

Lukashenko’s claims have been questioned by regional experts and analysts alike who have asked why he stepped in and how his actions play into his deep allegiances to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

PUTIN CLAIMS WAGNER DID NOT HAVE PUBLIC BACKING IN MUTINY ATTEMPT: ‘THE PEOPLE WERE NOT WITH THEM’

Though Belarus and Russia share a long history together, Minsk has not always acted as Moscow’s subservient.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko enter the hall during the Supreme Economic Eurasian Council at the Grand Kremlin Palace on May 25, 2023, in Moscow. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Belarus declared its independence from the Soviet Union in August 1991, and by early December of that year, leaders from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia met to sign the Belovezha Accords. The agreement solidified the dissolution of the Soviet Union – a collapse that Putin would one day call the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.”

While Belarus and Russia have a shared past, their allegiances to one another have become far more pronounced in recent years.

“Belarus is a de facto vassal of Russia,” Peter Rough, senior fellow and director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia for the Hudson Institute, told Fox News Digital.

“This asymmetry is not what Lukashenko had in mind when he first launched the Union State with Russia in the 1990s,” he added in reference to a 1999 agreement signed by Lukashenko and Putin’s predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, to bolster Minsk and Moscow’s defense and economic ties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko talk during the plenary session of the Eurasian Economic Forum in Moscow on May 24, 2023. (Vyacheslav Viktorov, Roscongress Foundation via AP)

The neighboring nations saw a shift in their geopolitical dynamic after Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, prompting concern in Minsk that Putin may have plans for other former Soviet states as well.

“Putin wants to re-create the Russian Empire at least as big as the Soviet Union. To do so, he’s using every trick in the book tailored to the weaknesses and unique situations of his neighbors,” former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Michael Ryan told Fox News Digital. “Lukashenko wouldn’t be in power today if not for Putin.”

By the end of 2020, the dynamics between Lukashenko and Putin had shifted after the Belarusian leader saw massive uprisings after an allegedly botched presidential election.

Large-scale protests broke out after Belarusians, Western nations and human-rights groups accused Minsk of falsifying the election’s results to secure Lukashenko – who had been in power since 1994 – another win.

LUKASHENKO WARNS OF BELARUSIAN ‘COMBAT READINESS’: ‘IF RUSSIA COLLAPSES, ALL OF US WILL DIE’

Lukashenko responded by violently cracking down on protesters and calling in Russia to help suppress the uprisings as Minsk faced international ire.

Rough explained that Putin’s willingness to jump in and help Lukashenko was down to more than maintaining region stability; it has enabled him to keep Lukashenko beholden to Russia.

A man carrying the former white-red-white flag of Belarus stands in front of police during a rally to protest against the Belarus presidential election results in Minsk on Oct. 11, 2020. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)

“Putin has established dominance over Lukashenko since riding to his rescue during the Belarusian protests,” he said. “Now, Putin is turning Belarus into a front-line Russian garrison state, stationing Russian troops and deploying tactical nuclear weapons there.”

Belarus has not only allowed Russia to station and train troops within its borders, even serving as a launching point for the Russian troops that marched south on Kyiv in the early days of the war in Ukraine, Lukashenko has further allowed Putin to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus – a move that marked the Kremlin’s first deployment of such weaponry outside of Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, embraces his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, during a meeting in Moscow on Dec. 29, 2018. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via Reuters)

Belarus once again found itself embroiled in the fallout of Russia’s war in Ukraine this past weekend after Prigozhin ordered his troops to head for Moscow in a “march for justice” in retaliation for the ill-treatment his forces received while on the front lines by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

PRIGOZHIN MOVE TO BELARUS COULD BE STRATEGIC MOVE BY PUTIN, THREATEN BORDERING NATO COUNTRIES: EXPERT

But the terms of the alleged agreement brokered by Lukashenko remain opaque, and some experts are wary over its authenticity. 

Tanks move during the Union Courage Russia-Belarus military drills at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus on Feb. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr.)

Russia expert Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency intel officer specializing in Russian doctrine, told Fox News Digital that she believes the attempted mutiny over the weekend was most likely staged by Putin to strategically establish the Wagner forces in Belarus and potentially set up a second front to stretch Ukraine’s forces thin.

“Lukashenko became the beneficiary of Putin’s nuclear weapons, so Lukashenko supposedly negotiating Prigozhin’s ‘exile’ was in [on] it,” she said, alleging that she suspects the Belarusian leader of being aware of a Putin-directed scheme. “It’s part of the whole package.”

“Belarus is highly dependent on Russia economically and militarily,” she continued. “Lukashenko pretty much has to take orders from Putin.”

Though experts agree Lukashenko is beholden to Putin, they are divided on whether the mutiny signified that Putin is in a weakened state or acting as a strategically savvy maneuverer. Opinions on how Lukashenko and Prigozhin fit into the scenario are also divided.

Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is shown during the group’s pullout from the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. (Reuters/Alexander Ermochenko)

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“While Lukashenko likely relishes the attention he’s getting for the Putin-Prigozhin stand-down, he is not a meaningful actor in that feud,” Rough said. “Prigozhin must impress on Putin that going after him may spawn civil war. Lukashenko is insignificant in any of these calculations or decisions.”

But Rough also pointed out that if Russia does see a decline in Putin’s authority or power, it could “give Lukashenko an opportunity to break free” from Putin’s clutches.

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.

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Connecticut Rep. Khan allegedly assaulted at Muslim holiday service in Hartford, suspect arrested: report

A man is behind bars after allegedly assaulting a state representative in Hartford, Connecticut, Wednesday afternoon during a religious holiday celebration, officials announced.

Andrey Desmond, 30, of New Britain, was arrested by Hartford police after he allegedly assaulted Rep. Maryam Khan, a Democrat, when she and her family were observing Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s holiest days, at the city’s XL Center, WTNH reported. Muslims across the state were gathered at the convention center for the event.

Desmond attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended by a fellow worshiper, who restrained him until authorities arrived, per the report.

He is charged with second-degree unlawful restraint, third-degree assault, second-degree breach of peace and interfering with police.

MUSLIM ACTIVIST GIVES POWERFUL SPEECH AGAINST FORCED LGBTQ CURRICULUM: ‘OUR PEOPLE ARE NOT BACKWARD’

Connecticut state Rep. Maryam Khan, a Democrat, was allegedly assaulted outside a religious ceremony in Hartford, Wednesday evening, June 28, 2023. (Maryam Khan website)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Connecticut chapter (CAIR-CT) said Khan, her three children – 10, 12 and 15 years old – a friend and her sister were approached by Desmond, who “made vulgar and obscene remarks” before striking her.

“The attacker grabbed and hit her, and threw her to the ground,” the Connecticut chapter continued. “Another worshipper intervened, chased and held the suspect until police arrived.”

The organization’s chair called on law enforcement to investigate the alleged physical attack.

“We urge local, state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for this attack and to ensure the safety of the Connecticut Muslim community during the ongoing Eid al-Adha celebrations,” CAIR-CT Chair Farhan Memon said in a statement. “All too often we have seen American Muslims, or those perceived to be Muslim, targeted by hate because of their attire, race or ethnicity.”  

CAIR-CT also urged Hartford police to treat the attack as a hate crime.

CAIR-CT said Eid al-Adha, which is commonly referred to as just “Eid,” is usually celebrated with prayers, small gifts for children, distribution of meat to the needy, and social gatherings. It commemorates Abraham’s loyalty to God’s command.

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Connecticut’s Speaker of the House Matt Ritter and Majority Leader Jason Rojas, both Democrats, condemned the attack and said it was “especially painful” that it took place during a religious ceremony.

Muslim across Connecticut observed Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s holiest days, at the city’s XL Center in Hartford on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. (FOX 61)

“It is especially painful that Rep. Khan was attacked on a holy night of peace and prayer,” the two lawmakers said in a joint statement. “On a night she should be spending with her friends and family. Rep. Khan is an amazing leader and person who is committed to faith, love and service – we are sending our well-wishes and support tonight to Maryam and her family.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Khan and the Connecticut police for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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Biden regulations have cost Americans almost $10,000 per household: study

The Biden administration’s burdensome regulations have cost Americans about $10,000 per household, according to a new report, which noted that figure could skyrocket if President Joe Biden is reelected in 2024 and serves another four years.

Casey Mulligan, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, compares the regulatory records of President Biden and former Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama in a new study published by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity.

As of the end of last year, according to the study, the Biden administration imposed new regulatory costs on American households and businesses at a pace that is surpassing that of the Obama administration during a comparable time period. Specifically, Mulligan writes that the Biden administration has so far been adding regulatory costs at a rate of $617 billion per year of rulemaking, not counting regulatory costs created by statutes and other non-rule regulatory actions.

Mulligan calculates that the added costs of these Biden-era rules finalized in 2021 and 2022 — including both their current and expected future costs — amount to about $9,600 per household. These costs are spread over time rather than concentrated in the first year that the rules take effect — and could spike significantly if Biden is reelected.

131 MANUFACTURING ORGANIZATIONS ASK BIDEN WHITE HOUSE TO STOP UNPRECEDENTED REGULATORY ‘ONSLAUGHT’

President Joe Biden speaks during an event at the Nash Community College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on June 9, 2023. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

If rulemaking and regulatory costs continue to accelerate at the same rate as they did during the Obama administration, the report states, “[T]he result after eight years [under Biden] would be a cumulative $7 trillion, which is almost $60,000 per household.”

Still, Biden has fewer regulations per year than Obama and Trump in almost every category, according to the report. However, the current administration has implemented some especially costly regulations, such as actions on student loans and vaccine mandates.

Overall, automobile fuel economy and emissions standards account for a third of the total regulatory costs, with health, labor, telecommunications and consumer finance regulations also comprising a significant chunk.

Unlike Biden, Trump oversaw large-scale deregulation, as the report notes.

“The Trump administration’s agencies through four years reduced regulatory costs by almost $11,000 per household in present value,” according to Mulligan, who notes that figure doesn’t include Operation Warp Speed to produce a COVID vaccine. “On an annual basis, President Trump was on net reducing regulatory costs (more than $300 billion per year of rulemaking) almost as fast as Presidents Obama and Biden were creating them ($600 billion per year of rulemaking).”

BIDEN ADMIN TAKES AIM AT HUNTERS IN LATEST REGULATION: ‘PREVENTING AMERICANS FROM HUNTING’

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in at the Waco Regional Airport in March 2023. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Unlike Obama, who Mulligan notes “had virtually no deregulation in his first two years,” Biden has already implemented meaningful deregulations. However, on net, Trump’s deregulation was more far-reaching.

“President Trump showed that regulatory costs can be subtracted rather than perpetually added,” the report states. “Four years of President Trump reduced regulatory costs by about $11,000 per household. Eight years would have saved a total of more than $21,000, which is a gap of $61,000 to $80,000 from the Biden trajectory.”

Mulligan describes his report as the first “to comprehensively quantify the costs missing from agency cost assessments,” explaining that several studies have shown government agencies employ poor cost assessments and detailing how these agencies often impose large opportunity and resource costs without acknowledging them.

“However, even if we ignore the large number of regulatory costs missing from the agency estimates, they show a meaningful gap too,” Mulligan writes. “Eight years of President Trump would add only $561 to the average household’s cost (agency estimate), whereas eight years of Biden staying 15% ahead of the Obama administration would cost households almost $11,000 each on average. The stagnation of economic growth, declining worker productivity, and wages that fail to keep up with inflation could well be linked to the resurgence of regulatory burdens.”

The new report comes as Biden seeks to tout his economic policies heading into the 2024 presidential campaign.

ECONOMISTS MOCK ‘BIDENOMICS’ PUSH FROM WHITE HOUSE: ‘THEY SPEND LIKE DRUNKEN SAILORS’

Former President Barack Obama speaks about the Affordable Care Act and lowering health care costs for families during an event in the East Room of the White House on April 5, 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

On Wednesday, Biden delivered a speech in Chicago in which he condemned “trickle-down economics” and promoted so-called “Bidenomics,” arguing he’s steering the economy in the right direction with positive growth and low unemployment.

“The economy that grows the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, instead of just the top down — when that happens, everyone does well,” Biden said in a nearly 40-minute address. “This vision is a fundamental break from the economic theory that has failed the middle class for decades now. It’s called trickle-down economics.”

Economists disputed the notion that “Bidenomics” benefits all Americans, telling Fox News Digital that massive spending and historically high inflation have marked the president’s economic policies since he entered office.

Meanwhile, a White House memo this week touted Biden’s economic agenda and accomplishments, which includes job growth, low unemployment and a major infrastructure plan.

BIDEN TOUTS ‘BIDENOMICS’ DESPITE TERRIBLE POLL NUMBERS ON ECONOMY

President Joe Biden, left, former President Donald Trump, center, and former President Barack Obama (AP | AP | Getty Images)

“Bidenomics is rooted in the simple idea that we need to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up—not the top down,” the memo stated.

Biden tweeted Tuesday that he created more jobs in two years than previous administrations did in the entirety of their first terms — a point dismissed by critics as misleading due to lost jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite Biden’s confident tone, Americans have very little confidence in his ability to steer the U.S. economy, according to recent polling. As of late May, some 83% of voters say the economy is in only fair or poor shape. That stat is worse by 14 points than shortly after Biden entered office in April 2021, when just 69% thought the same. Critically, just 20% of Americans say they believe Biden’s policies are helping them.

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The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment for this story.

Aaron Kliegman is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital. 

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On this day in history, June 29, 2007, the first iPhone goes on sale

Apple’s revolutionary iPhone first went on sale on this day in history, June 29, 2007, at Apple retail stores nationwide. 

All 164 Apple retail stores in the U.S. stayed open until midnight that evening so that eager customers could purchase up to two iPhones on a “first-come, first-served basis,” according to a press release by Apple on that date.

First announced on Jan. 9, 2007, by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the iPhone was considered one of Apple’s worst-kept secrets — but even so, it was arguably the most anticipated gadget of all time.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JUNE 28, 1778, ‘MOLLY PITCHER’ PROVIDES WATER TO HUSBAND’S REGIMENT, ASCENDS TO FAME

“Prior to the unveiling at Macworld Expo, tech blogs published rumors purporting to contain details on the iPhone,” Wired said. “And days before the iPhone finally landed, [on] June 29, hundreds of fanatical consumers camped outside Apple and AT&T stores for the $600 gadget.”

The iPhone is a “revolutionary and magical product” that is “literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone,” Jobs said during his keynote speech.

The very first iPhone model is shown above.  (Oleksandr Rupeta/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The first iPhone introduced an entirely new user interface based on a revolutionary multi-touch display, along with pioneering new software that allowed users to control an iPhone with just a tap, flick or pinch of their fingers, according to Apple. 

“We are all born with the ultimate pointing device — our fingers — and iPhone uses them to create the most revolutionary user interface since the mouse,” Jobs also said during his keynote speech.

The first iPhone combined three products in its one small handheld device, serving as “a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod and the Internet in your pocket, with best-ever applications on a mobile phone for email web browsing and maps,” Apple said.

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Also, the original iPhone had 15 apps: Calendar, Camera, Clock, Contacts, iPod, Maps (Google Maps), Messages, Notes, Phone, Photos, Safari, Stocks, Voice Memos, Weather and Settings, according to CNET. 

The App Store opened on July 10, 2008, with 500 apps, according to CNET.

An iPhone is exhibited at MacPaw’s Ukrainian Apple Museum in Kiev, Ukraine on Jan. 26, 2017.  (Oleksandr Rupeta/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Despite drawing significant interest, the iPhone didn’t immediately charm its way into the mainstream due to its high price tag, according to Wired. 

“Just two months after the iPhone’s initial release, Apple trimmed the handset’s price down to $400,” that publication noted. 

“That helped a little, but it wasn’t until 2008 — when Apple unveiled the iPhone 3G with a new $200 price tag and access to the faster 3G network — that the smartphone exploded in popularity. Apple sold over 10 million iPhone 3G units worldwide in just five months,” it also said.

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On Sept. 10, 2007, 74 days after the launch of the original iPhone, Apple sold its millionth iPhone, according to CNET.

In 2008, only a year after its debut, Apple released a second version of the iPhone that was updated to use third-generation (3G) wireless technology.

The back of an iPhone 6 is photographed on October 25, 2017.  (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“As with the original iPhone, demand was high, and the new iPhone 3G sold one million units in the first three days after its introduction,” said Britannica.com.

 In addition to hardware changes, the new iPhone boasted a 3-megapixel digital camera that could also record digital videos – and it had an internal digital compass, capable of working with various mapping software.

In June 2010, the iPhone 4 was introduced; it was thinner with improved battery life, and offered a 5-megapixel camera and a front-facing camera for video chat and selfies, Britannica also noted.

The iPhone 5 entered the scene in September 2012, and the 5C and the more expensive 5S were released in September 2013. 

The 5S had a fingerprint lock system called Touch ID, that site also said.

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Apple unveiled two iPhones in 2014: the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, both offering upgraded cameras, said ComputerWorld.

Next, in 2016, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus premiered in two new colors: Black (a matte-finish charcoal color) and the super shiny Jet Black.

An Apple associate holds one of the new iPhone Pros during a launch event for new products at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on Sept. 7, 2022. (BRITTANY HOSEA-SMALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Apple introduced the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in 2017, with a new glass and aluminum enclosure and an improved 12-megapixel camera that had a larger and faster sensor, a new color filter, deeper pixels and more capabilities, according to ComputerWorld. 

There was no iPhone 9 model released.

Also in 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone X, in which the screen covered the whole front surface of the device. 

The home button at the bottom of the iPhone was removed, and users no longer used their fingerprint but instead facial recognition to unlock their phones, according to Britannica.

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In the late 2010s and early 2020s, new iPhone models concentrated on incremental improvements to the cameras, screen resolution and processing power. “The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max (introduced in September 2019) were the first models to have three cameras on the back, the third camera being able to take ultrawide-angle pictures,” Britannica said.

In October 2020, the iPhone 12 Pro got an even larger big brother with the 6.7-in. iPhone 12 Pro Max, according to ComputerWorld. Next, in 2021, iPhone 13 and 13 mini offered users a new processor and better battery life.

 A man holds an iPhone with apps displayed on its front. (Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)

The next year, 2022, Apple released the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, and both models featured improved cameras and Emergency SOS via Satellite, according to CNET.

The highly anticipated iPhone 15 is expected in 2023 – likely to be released in September 2023, if Apple follows its traditional September launch timeline, according to MacRumors.

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Apple is one of the most influential brands in the world and is responsible for the rise of the smartphone with the iPhone, according to The Business of Apps, which noted, “Valued at over $2 trillion in 2021, it is also the most valuable technology company in the world.”

With over 2.3 billion units sold since 2007, Apple has taken the top spot in the global smartphone market. 

Apple generated $394.3 billion revenue in 2022, with 52% coming from iPhone sales, the same site reported.

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Additionally, with over 2.3 billion units sold since 2007, Apple has taken the top spot in the global smartphone market, with a 27.71% market share in the first quarter of 2023, according to website Bank My Cell.

Erica Lamberg is a contributing reporter for Fox News Digital.

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GREG GUTFELD: Kamala Harris is the most unpopular VP in recorded history

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Happy Wednesday, everybody. Tonight’s monologue is dedicated to all our friends on the left who are failing upward. Leading the charge, VP Kamala Harris. It’s the only time she’s ever led. And congrats. According to a new poll from NBC, which is like a news network, but with Chuck Todd, Kamala is the most unpopular VP in recorded history. Think about that. She beat out Al Gore, some guy named Biden and even Dick Cheney and he shot a guy in the face. He had it coming, though, I think. I really don’t know that story too well. Anyway, so who says women can’t beat men when given the chance? Yes, ladies, you too, could suck every bit as much as men. She truly is the Bud Light of veeps. Roll the latest Sven. 

VIDEO FO KAMALA HARRIS AND ANDY BRAVO DANCING 

That was brutal. I haven’t heard so much forced laughter since Kimmel hosted the Oscars. It was more uncomfortable than Hunter Biden on bring your daughter to work day. But even with Kamala’s approval numbers in CNN territory, she’s still a heartbeat away from the presidency. And when I say a heartbeat, I’m assuming that Joe still has one. He isn’t even working at half-speed anymore. Here he is talking about Putin. 

REPORTER: To what extent has Vladimir Putin been weakened by recent events? 

PRESIDENT BIDEN: It’s hard to tell, but he’s clearly losing the war in Iraq. He’s losing the war at home. 

Oh, my God. We are in some deep trouble. Hey, Iraq, Ukraine, tomato, tomatoe. Let’s just invade both. Still, the Dems want Kamala right beside the president, perhaps in case he falls. At this point, she’s less a vice president and more a visiting angel. 

VIDEO FROM VISITING ANGELS 

If only that were true. At least then she’d be useful. Instead, she disappears for days or weeks, only to be found in Joe’s kitchen, lacing his Ensure with Prestone. She’s like a cicada surfacing occasionally to make an annoying noise. Her staff hates her. She really is the Janice Dean of politicians. 

KAMALA HARRIS, GAFFE MACHINE: VP’S PUBLIC APPEARANCES MARKED BY AWKWARD MOMENTS, CONTROVERSIES

I know. It’s all the scuttlebutt. Still, her chances of going from VP to P continue to rise. But isn’t this all supposed to work the other way around? Aren’t we supposed to be rewarding success and not failure? I mean, how about Karine Jean-Pierre? She just goes to show you you could be historic and still suck.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was bombarded with questions about the growing Hunter Biden scandal at Friday’s press briefing. (hoto by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Many things that made me incredibly proud to be at that podium during this historic moment. Again, this is a historic administration. I’m a historic figure and I certainly walk in history every day.

You’re not supposed to tell people you’re historic. Other people tell you that you’re historic, OK? And you are historic. You’re the first press secretary ever to rely solely on the Fifth Amendment. Meanwhile, as mayor of South Bend, Pete Buttigieg presided over a 75% rise in crime, including record homicides. There would have been even more drive-by shootings if it weren’t for all the potholes. True, the streets, had more gaping wounds than Sonny Corleone at a toll booth. But all Biden cared about was that the guy married a dude, and the new job would be his honeymoon. What could go wrong? Right? No wonder the nation’s tarmacs are a mess and no one seems to care. And wait, did the teachers union actually force our schools to stay closed? And your kids can’t read or write at grade level anymore? Then why not give Randi Weingarten a gig with Homeland Security’s School Safety Board? Just absolutely no security background. But then again, her face alone could scare off the Wagner group.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers and a member of the AFL–CIO, speaks alongside Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, a New York City teachers union, left, during a news conference, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, in the Manhattan borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

But you see a trend, don’t you? It’s as plain as the bolts in John Fetterman’s neck. When the rest of us fail, something admittedly I know very little about, we take our lumps and we walk away. But when the less chosen ones flunk, and boy, do they ever, their careers defy gravity like Jerry Nadler’s pants. Look at that. How is that? How does that stay up? Anthony Fauci, who presided over grants of US tax dollars to the Chinese lab that almost certainly invented COVID. Well, he’ll soon join the staff at Georgetown as a distinguished professor of infectious diseases. After all, who’s a better expert of infectious diseases than the president of its fan club? 

FAUCI LANDS NEW ‘DISTINGUISHED’ GIG TO OVERSEE INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AT GEORGETOWN MEDICAL SCHOOL

And what do former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot have in common? You know, other than making up one-half of the Addams Family? That’s true! More like 2/5. They’re both teaching at Harvard. You know the crime rate in those classes are going to skyrocket. I hope there’s extra credit for public urination. And what about fired S.F. D.A. Chesa Boudin? Well, he went to Berkeley Law. Disgraced FBI Director James Comey went to Columbia Law and Hillary Clinton? She went to Columbia’s School of Public Affairs. Public Affairs. Yeah, I’ll just say them anyway. 

But it does sound like a course her husband should be teaching. I mean, you could even lose the L and it would still work. Less than one would be the proper use of cigars. But, hey in Hillary’s defense, I hear she’s a killer behind the podium and in Jeffrey Epstein’s jail cell. What are you booing for? Look, we all know that academia is where lefty failures go to make future lefty failures. But for all their education, no one taught them the meaning of meritocracy. 

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It’s supposed to be one of America’s basic principles. It inspires achievement and excellence. You reward success and the nation gets stronger. Ignore that and you have a round-robin of cronyism that undermines quality in our roads, our schools, our government, our leaders. But if America is going to survive and compete with nations that actually send their kids to school, we better stop protecting and rewarding failures just because they check a box. But since I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy and I am, if we do end up with four more years of Kamala, at least we always got the bongos. 

VIDEO OF KAMALA HARRIS SPEAKING WHILE BONGOS PLAY IN THE BACKGROUND 

Greg Gutfeld currently serves as host of Gutfeld! (weeknights, 11PM-12AM/ET) and co-host of cable news’ highest-rated program The Five (weekdays, 5-6PM/ET). 

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‘No rip currents’ involved in Ryan Mallett’s drowning at Destin beach, officials say

Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett died on Tuesday after drowning at a beach in Destin, Florida.

While an investigation is still underway, officials did say that there were “no rip currents” present when Mallett drowned.

“Flag condition was yellow. A yellow flag indicates medium hazard, moderate surf and/or currents,” Destin Beach Safety said. “There were no rip currents present in the area in which we responded to Ryan Mallett.”

Mallett began struggling while attempting to swim to a second sandbar about 150 feet offshore, according to investigators with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. 

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Ryan Mallett, 35, was the quarterback at the University of Arkansas from 2009 to 2010. He was drafted to the New England Patriots in 2011 and played five seasons in the NFL. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

A 911 caller said Mallett was one of six people “struggling to make it back to shore,” Destin Beach Safety said.

“Destin Beach Safety quickly arrived on scene, where they were informed that one of the swimmers had submerged and failed to resurface,” they said.

“Two lifeguards promptly entered the water to assist the swimmers and recover the submerged individual. An additional lifeguard entered to help locate and rescue the submerged swimmer.

“Once the patient was brought to shore, lifeguards along with the help of Destin Fire paramedics immediately commenced life-saving measures.”

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Ryan Mallett was a backup for New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady from 2011 to 2013. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

From June 14 to June 25, flags were either “Single Red” or “Double Red” because of life-threatening currents – it is against the law to enter the Gulf of Mexico on a Double Red flag.

Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford warned those going to the beach to be careful after the recent uptick in drowning deaths, which he said put first responders at risk.

“I’m beyond frustrated at the situation that we have with tragic and unnecessary deaths in the Gulf,” Ford wrote on Facebook on Sunday. “I have watched while deputies, firefighters and lifeguards have risked their lives to save strangers. I have seen strangers die trying to save their children and loved ones, including two fathers on (Father’s Day).”

A police report from earlier this week revealed seven people have died at nearby Panama City Beach this year and all the deaths took place in June. The death toll is the highest of any U.S. beach for 2023, according to data tracked by the National Weather Service. 

Destin Beach Safety said there were no drownings in Destin between June 14 and June 25, but there were 48 people rescued. It was noted that the beach also saw more than 200,000 visitors during the same time frame.

After the New England Patriots, QB Ryan Mallett spent time with the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)

Mallett was an Arkansas Razorbacks legend during his time there in 2009 and 2010. He began his college career at Michigan, but transferred to Fayetteville and became a star. 

He threw for 3,624 yards with 30 touchdowns to seven interceptions in 2009 and followed that up with 3,869 yards with 32 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in 2010. 

Ryan Mallett became a star for the Arkansas Razorbacks after he transferred to the university from Michigan. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

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A third-round draft pick by the New England Patriots in 2011, Mallett accumulated just eight starts during his 21 appearances in the NFL.

In February 2022, Mallett took over as the head football coach at White Hall High School in Arkansas. 

Fox News’ Scott Thompson and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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California man ‘knocked out’ by good Samaritan after allegedly throwing lighter fluid on pizzeria cook

A California man was arrested after allegedly throwing lighter fluid on an employee at a pizza joint and threatening to light him on fire.

The incident took place at Allegro Pizza in the city of Thousand Oaks on Sunday at around 1:45 p.m. before the restaurant opened its doors to customers, restaurant owner Raul Ferrero told FOX 11 LA.

A cook was preparing pizzas for his shift when a man, later identified as Robert Haight, walked into the restaurant with his small dog, approached the worker and tossed liquid at him.

“He thought it was a joke,” Ferrero said, referring to his cook. “He thought it was water. When he smelled the gasoline that was when he reacted.”

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A California man was arrested after he allegedly threw lighter fluid on a cook at Allegro Pizza in Thousand Oaks and threatened to light him on fire. (FOX 11 LA)

Haight allegedly sprayed the cook with lighter fluid then picked up a knife from the prep kitchen and followed the cook as he retreated into the kitchen.

The restaurant’s surveillance cameras showed the cook walking into the kitchen with a chef’s knife in one hand and a head of lettuce in the other. Haight can be seen following with a knife in one hand and his dog’s leash and a small bottle in the other.

Both men ultimately exited out the back door of the restaurant and a good Samaritan jumped out of his truck and attempted to intervene. That man was also doused with lighter fluid before a witness said he “knocked out” Haight.

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Robert Haight came into the restaurant with his small dog and approached the cook before tossing liquid at him. (FOX 11 LA)

“I just pulled up, and the guy just got knocked out,” one witness told FOX 11. “His head is bleeding and there was another guy in the parking lot, and he was saying, ‘You need to get out of here, or I’m going to knock you out again.’”

Police arrived at the scene shortly after the punch.

Robert Haight, who walked into the kitchen with a small dog, sprayed the cook with lighter fluid for an unknown reason. (FOX 11)

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Haight was taken into custody and charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and assault with a caustic chemical, according to Thousand Oaks Police. His bail was set at $500,000.

The dog Haight brought into the pizzeria was taken to an animal shelter.

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Voice recognition: Leaked Trump tape contradicts denials on sharing Iran war plan

There’s nothing stronger than the power of a person’s voice.

And few have a more recognizable one than Donald Trump.

The media have gone into high-decibel mode over an audio recording, obtained by CNN, which appears to prove that he did show a highly classified document to one or more staffers, contradicting his past denials.

You may have read part of the transcript of this 2021 conversation – it’s included in the indictment – but there are new details on the tape (including the sound of Trump ruffling papers) that make it more newsworthy.

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Former President Trump remains the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination. (SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)

At the same time, this leak from the Justice Department is entirely improper and designed to turn public opinion against the indicted former president. Without denigrating CNN’s scoop, it fuels perceptions, especially on the right, that prosecutors are working hand in glove with the network and being unfair to the defendant. This may sound quaint, but criminal investigations are supposed to be conducted in secret.

Trump’s response, on Truth Social: “The Deranged Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith, working in conjunction with the DOJ & FBI, illegally leaked and ‘spun’ a tape and transcript of me which is actually an exoneration, rather than what they would have you believe. This continuing Witch Hunt is another ELECTION INTERFERENCE Scam. They are cheaters and thugs!”

He’s right to be upset about the leaks, but I don’t quite see how this is an exoneration.

In an interview last week, Fox’s Bret Baier asked about the transcript strongly suggesting that he had shared a plan to attack Iran with an aide who did not have a security clearance.

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“There was no document,” Trump said then. “That was a massive amount of papers and everything else talking about Iran and other things. And it may have been held up or may not, but that was not a document. I didn’t have a document, per se. There was nothing to declassify. These were newspaper stories, magazine stories and articles.”

The fuller tape tells a different tale.

But more of the backstory: It was also CNN that obtained a partial transcript of the conversation earlier this month, before Trump was indicted. Referring to a secret document, he said: “As president, I could have declassified, but now I can’t.” 

Former President Donald Trump speaks to guests at the 2023 NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on April 14, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Trump’s conversation at his Bedminster golf club was with a writer and a publisher who were helping former chief of staff Mark Meadows with a planned book, and two of Trump’s aides.

Speaking to one of his staffers, Trump is anxious to convince the person that it was Gen. Mark Milley, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was pushing the idea of invading Iran.

“He said that I wanted to attack Iran, isn’t it amazing?” Trump says as the sound of papers shuffling can be heard. “I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him. They presented me this – this is off the record but – they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him.”

There’s also Trump saying, “Let’s see here. Look,” and a brief pause, in which Trump appears to show papers to the assembled group and they laugh.

Former President Donald Trump gestures before speaking at the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women Lilac Luncheon, Tuesday, June 27, 2023, in Concord, N.H.  (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

“This totally wins my case, you know,” Trump says, adding that the documents are “highly confidential, secret. This is secret information.”

So: Donald Trump tells the gathering that he knows he has secret documents, that he wanted to declassify them but couldn’t, but appears to show them to one or more people in the group. That undercuts his argument that he had automatically declassified the papers he took from the White House, that he didn’t understand the system, and that it was really just a bunch of clippings.

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Can there be any document more sensitive than a memo about attacking a potentially nuclear Iran, even if it was a general pushing the idea or, at the end of the administration, trying to stop the president from taking reckless military action?

There was also some joking on the tape about Hillary Clinton and her secret documents, kept on her private server as secretary of State, and how they wound up on Anthony Weiner’s laptop.

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The thing about a person’s voice on tape is that it can’t be cross-examined. He said what he said. Whether that rises to the level of a criminal conviction will ultimately be up to a jury.

Howard Kurtz is the host of FOX News Channel’s MediaBuzz (Sundays 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET). Based in Washington, D.C., he joined the network in July 2013 and regularly appears on Special Report with Bret Baier and other programs.

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Domestic violence rates remain high three years after record spike during pandemic

NEW ORLEANS – The United Nations referred to domestic violence as “the shadow pandemic” during COVID-19 lockdowns as rates across the country spiked to record levels.

Now, three years later, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) says the number of victims remains concerning. 

“We are still experiencing a really high contact volume at the National Domestic Violence Hotline,” said CEO Katie Ray-Jones. “About a 25% increase in contact volume.”

In New Orleans, the recent death of a young mother – allegedly by her former boyfriend – has led city leaders and residents to demand more help for victims.  

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Asia Davis poses with her 6-year-old daughter, Myles, before she was shot and killed in May. Her ex-boyfriend is charged in connection with her death. (Kenya Davis)

In May, Asia Davis, 28, was found run over and shot to death. Her boyfriend, 44-year-old Henry Talley Jr., is now facing a second-degree murder charge.

He was previously convicted of murder for the killing of a 12-year-old boy in 1996 and received a life sentence, but was released two years ago following a Supreme Court decision that deemed life sentences for juveniles unconstitutional.

“She was a very vibrant, life of the party type of girl,” said Asia’s mother, Kenya Davis. “She touched the lives of so many people around her.” 

Kenya says her daughter tried to break up with Talley Jr.

“He didn’t want to let her go,” Kenya said. “We didn’t know more was going on.”

After the death of her only daughter, Kenya Davis is now raising her 6-year-old granddaughter, Myles. (Fox News)

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Asia’s story is likely happening behind closed doors in hundreds of thousands of homes across the country as NCADV statistics report nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the U.S.

“On any given day, we can see anywhere around 3,000 contacts coming into the organization,” Ray-Jones said.

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine said that domestic violence cases increased by 25% to 33% globally from 2020 to 2021 – the first year of the pandemic.

“Many companies are still doing at-home work or hybrid work and so many employees are still working at home with their abusive partner,” Ray-Jones said, adding that calls to the hotline have not slowed down.

The CEO also believes reporting has increased because more women are learning there are resources available that can help them.

“There’s been a lot of increased awareness about domestic violence,” Ray-Jones said. “Google even launched a new search feature to make finding resources more accessible.”

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is still seeing a high call volume since calls first increased in 2020. 

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The national police officer shortage and slower response times in some cities is another concern. Asia’s mother said her daughter called the New Orleans Police Department on two separate occasions to report domestic violence before she was killed.

“The first time she called it was like 6 p.m. that evening and they didn’t show up until 5 a.m. the next morning, and they labeled it ‘gone on arrival,'” Kenya said. “It was 12 hours later.” 

Officers will mark a call as “gone on arrival” if the suspect or caller is no longer there when police arrive at the scene.

The national police officer shortage and slower response times in some cities is another cause for concern for victims of domestic violence. (iStock)

“It is hard for us to have victims take us seriously when we do not prioritize their safety by thinking a 12-hour response time on a domestic violence complaint is acceptable,” New Orleans City Council President J.P. Morrell said during a May meeting. 

In a statement, the New Orleans Police Department said domestic violence calls are high priority, adding that the first available officer was dispatched both times Asia called, but received no answer at the door.

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Now focusing on raising Asia’s 6-year-old daughter, Kenya said doesn’t have time to dwell on what she can’t change.

“She knows her mother’s gone,” Kenya said. “I have to be strong for my grandchild.”

Rebekah Castor joined Fox News in 2021 as a multimedia reporter based in New Orleans. 

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