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North Carolina school board member rips ‘mediocre White men’ in rant against DEI critics

A member of North Carolina’s largest school district’s board slammed critics of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and said the term is being bandied about by people who are racist in place of the “n-word.”

Wake County Schools board member Sam Hershey began his remarks at last week’s meeting in Raleigh by saying that if people are “searching for truth, we’re going to have to wait about four more years for that because, man, I’ve never seen someone lie so much as that person,” in an apparent reference to President Donald Trump.

Hershey, who is White, said that in recognition of Black History Month, he wanted to make some remarks about DEI in a meeting video posted to YouTube.

“I really want to highlight, as Dr. Ng mentioned, we’re celebrating 250 [years of America] next year that … it’s really important to talk about people being hired based on their skin color. And for 250 years, it has been mediocre White men who have been hired based on their skin color.”

DOGE SLASHES $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

“And those are facts. – I’ve heard people say DEI is racist. If that’s what you believe, you know nothing about diversity, equity, inclusion, and you know nothing about racism. And that speaks to you as a human being.”

Speaking about Wake County as a whole, which includes Raleigh as well as Fuquay-Varina and Zebulon, Hershey said DEI ensures kids who need more educational help receive it without lowering standards.

“That’s the thing that drives me nuts the most,” Hershey said. “That’s being real. And I’ve said this before: People who throw around ‘DEI hire,’ they’re just replacing the n-word with ‘DEI hire.’ That’s what they want to say. We get it. You guys are all losers.”

BALTIMORE SUES TRUMP FOR DITCHING DEI

He referenced the recent helicopter-plane collision above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia, where some pundits were hypothesizing about the personal identifiers of the pilots involved.

“Should I see a Black pilot or do I think they’re a DEI hire? No, that’s racism to think that way.”

In Wake County Schools, he said, candidates are hired based on their qualifications and that it would be insulting not to do so.

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“We’ve got vacancies, so we’re not turning away people because they’re White,” he said.

A communications official for Wake County Schools told Fox News Digital, “I don’t have any information to share with you,” when reached on Thursday.

Superintendent Robert Taylor did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and several assistant superintendents, as well as Hershey, did not respond to emailed inquiries whether any reprimand or other action was being considered because of his remarks.

On X, formerly Twitter, Hershey’s comments led to criticism, including one user who asked if he had ever listened to speeches from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“What happened to a world where one is not judged by the color of his skin (or other immutable outward characteristics for that matter?). Why should anyone consider skin color in hiring?”

“Sam Hershey has decades of experience in ‘white man mediocrity,” another user wrote. “Not exactly the best and brightest Wake County has to offer.”

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

February 13, 2025
Georgetown pressured to cancel event with convicted member of PFLP terror group

An anti-Israel student group at Georgetown University’s law school planned to hold an event on campus headlined by a Palestinian terror group member convicted for his role in the killing of a 17-year-old Israeli girl.

But the event was postponed by the university. Now, a Jewish legal advocacy group is calling on the law school to formally cancel the event.

Flyers on campus, captured in images taken by a Georgetown law student and shared with Fox News Digital, show that Georgetown Law Students for Justice in Palestine organized an event with Ribhi Karajah for Feb. 11.

“Palestinian Prisoners, an evening with Ribhi Karajah, student activist and former political prisoner,” the flyer states, adding that Karajah will speak to students about his “arrest, detention, and torture in the Israeli military judicial system.”

TRUMP MOVES TO DEPORT HAMAS-SYMPATHIZING STUDENTS

An image provided to Fox News Digital of flyers hung around Georgetown’s law school campus advertising the controversial event with Ribhi Karajah. (The Lawfare Project)

Karajah, a U.S. citizen, was arrested, along with two members of the U.S.-designated terror group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and spent 3½ years in prison for his involvement in an August 2019 roadside bombing that killed a young Israeli named Rina Shnerb and seriously injured her father and brother. Karajh was informed of intimate details of the attack by associates within the PFLP and subsequently admitted in a plea agreement he did nothing to stop it.

JEWISH STUDENTS AT GEORGETOWN LAW FEAR VIOLENCE AMID HEATED RHETORIC FROM CLASSMATES AND ANTI-ISRAEL GROUPS

Karajah also spent several months in an Israeli prison in 2017 while attending Birzeit University, a school known to be a hotbed for terrorist sympathizers. According to Jewish activist Adar Rubin, the director of mobilization at End Jew Hatred, Karajah has promoted PFLP leadership on social media and spoken at PFLP-sponsored events.

While the student group cited inclement weather on social media as the reason for postponing Karajah’s event, it said in a statement that, two days before the event, the law school instructed the student group to postpone the event so that the university “could conduct a thorough investigation into serious safety and security concerns that had arisen in connection with the event.”

Now, The Lawfare Project, a legal advocacy group that supports students facing antisemitism on campus, is calling on the university to cancel the event. In a letter sent to the dean and vice dean of Georgetown’s law school Wednesday, The Lawfare Project cited federal law against providing material support for terrorism.

Georgetown University with an inset image of Palestinian terrorists. (Getty Images)

“Under 18 U.S.C. § 2339A, the term ‘material support or resources’ includes, but is not limited to, expert advice or assistance, lodging, training, personnel, and services. The U.S. Supreme Court, in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project (2010), upheld a broad interpretation of this statute, ruling that even seemingly benign support, such as providing a platform to an FTO member, can further terrorism and violate federal law,” The Lawfare Project said in its letter to the dean of Georgetown’s law school, William Treanor.

“By permitting Karajah to speak on its campus, GULC risks providing material support to a known terrorist operative. … The fact that this event was organized by a recognized student group does not absolve the university of liability.”

BLUE STATE DEMOCRATS SPEARHEAD BILLS TO CRACK DOWN ON CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM

The Lawfare Project is also calling for Georgetown to reveal whether any law school administrators were aware of Karajah’s affiliation with the PFLP before approving the event. As of Thursday, the group told Fox News Digital it had not heard back from the university.

Georgetown Law School in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

During Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent trip to the nation’s capital, he met with several U.S. college students and recent graduates who have been at the front of rising anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses. During the discussion with these students, Netanyahu was told about the event by Julia Wax Vanderwiel, founder and president of Georgetown Law Zionists.

“[Netanyahu] had a very visceral reaction to my speech,” she told Jewish Insider. “He’s appalled [about the upcoming event]. He said he knows exactly who [the murdered 17-year-old] is. He’s met the family. He said that we need to stay strong. He genuinely listened, cared and wants something done.”

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Vanderweil added in comments to Jewish Insider that Karajah’s “presence on our campus threatens the security of all Jewish students.”

February 13, 2025
LARRY KUDLOW: The markets applaud Trump’s reciprocal tariffs

Today, President Donald Trump expanded on his fair and reciprocal trade policy that is aimed at creating a level playing field for American workers and businesses — and will hopefully deal with the many unfair trading practices around the globe that are aimed at the United States.

He is using a simple metric: if you tax us, we’re going to tax you. But, if you lower your tax on us, then we’ll gladly lower our tax on you.

Actually, President Trump sees this as a road to free trade.

And taxes are really tariffs. So, one place the President singled out was the European Union for their nearly 20% value added tax (VAT), which, yes, functions as a tariff.

Plus, they have across the board tariffs that are much higher than ours. On that score, President Trump singled out the 10% European auto tariff, which is four times America’s 2.5%. That’s on top of the 20% VAT. Of course, that’s patently unfair.

And there are country-wide examples galore: India has six times the tariff rates that we do, Mexico three times, China nearly five times, Brazil six times.

President Donald Trump signs new executive orders on reciprocal tariffs from the Oval Office.

The world trading system has been broken for over 25 years. And most countries have taken advantage of America by aiming their trading barriers at us.

There is no international court to fix it. The World Trade Organization is a bust and is also corrupt, in bed with China.

So, President Trump’s going to try and fix this by applying a reciprocal tariff benchmark. It seems like a fairly straightforward metric.

At this point, we don’t know exactly how far the policy will go. Nor do we know how much in tariff revenues will be raised. These are important questions yet unanswered.

In today’s presser, Mr. Trump used a very moderate, low-key approach.

He wasn’t really bashing anybody, and he focused most of his remarks on how the industrial heartland and our whole economy will become bigger and more productive as a result of his reciprocity-based level playing field goal.

Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni, former World Bank president David Malpass, and Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-S.D., weigh in on President Donald Trump’s reciprocal trade policy on ‘Kudlow.’

The stock market rose nearly 400 points on the news. No actions will be taken until April 1st, after a review led by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Reporters keep nagging President Trump about inflationary tariffs. But they are wrong.

Foreign exporters will bear the largest burden, because they will be forced to cut their prices in order to sell in America. Plus, the export country currency will fall, while the U.S. dollar will rise.

And, if the European Union – or whoever – lower their tariffs, our consumer prices will go down.

That’s all counter inflationary.

All that said, I strongly support trade reciprocity. It is a noble mission.

Next up, I’d really like to see the President start talking up tax cuts, jobs, middle-class wages, and rapid economic growth.

Let’s not forget the growth message.

February 13, 2025
‘No reason’ for new nukes: Trump floats disarmament talks with China, Russia

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President Donald Trump floated a joint meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming he wants all countries to move toward denuclearization.

Trump on Thursday told reporters he plans to advance these denuclearization talks once “we straighten it all out” in the Middle East and Ukraine, comments that come as the U.S., Russia and Ukraine are actively pursuing negotiations to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons, we already have so many,” Trump said Thursday at the White House. “You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they’re building nuclear weapons.”

“We’re all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually, hopefully, much more productive,” he said.

The U.S. is projected to spend approximately $756 billion on nuclear weapons between 2023 and 2032, according to a Congressional Budget Office report released in 2023.

PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS

President Donald Trump floated a joint meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, claiming he wants all countries to move toward denuclearization. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via Reuters)

Additionally, Trump said that he was aiming to schedule meetings with Xi and Putin early on in his second term and request that the countries cut their military budgets in half. The president said he believes “we can do that,” and remained indifferent about whether he traveled to Xi or Putin, or if they visited the White House.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has dramatically reduced its nuclear arsenal since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

The U.S. maintains 3,748 nuclear warheads as of September 2023, a drop from the stockpile of 22,217 nuclear warheads in 1989, according to the Department of Energy. The agency reported the U.S. owned a maximum of 31,255 nuclear warheads in 1966.

In comparison, Russia has an estimated stockpile of roughly 4,380 nuclear warheads, while China boasts an arsenal of roughly 600, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

Trump on Thursday announced plans to pursue denuclearization talks with Russia and China. (AP/Alex Brandon)

Trump’s remarks build on previous statements he made in January at the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland, where he signaled interest in talks on denuclearization with both Russia and China.

“Tremendous amounts of money are being spent on nuclear, and the destructive capability is something that we don’t even want to talk about today, because you don’t want to hear it,” Trump said on Jan. 23.

Previous talks between the U.S., Russia and China fell through in 2020 during Trump’s first administration after he refused to sign an extension of the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia to impose limits on each country’s nuclear arsenals. The treaty ultimately was renewed under the Biden administration and now expires in 2026, but Russia suspended its participation.

On Thursday, Trump accused these negotiations of falling apart due what he called the “rigged election” in 2020.

NO LONGER TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF: TRUMP SIGNS ORDER PRIORITIZING ‘UNIFIED’ US FOREIGN POLICY FRONT

Trump said that he was aiming to schedule meetings with Xi and Putin early on in his second term and request that the countries cut their military budgets in half. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Trump also said on Thursday that Putin wants peace after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, comments that followed back-to-back calls with the Russian leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday.

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Trump, who met with Zelenskyy in New York in September 2024, urged Putin to cease the war — or face sanctions — in a post on Truth Social on Jan. 22.

“Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE,” Trump wrote. If we don’t make a ‘deal’, and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”

February 13, 2025
Louisiana AG to extradite NY doctor who prescribed abortion pills

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday rejected Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s motion to extradite the New York doctor who allegedly prescribed and mailed an abortion pill to a Louisiana mother.

“The governor of Louisiana sent an extradition request demanding New York turn over a physician who provided reproductive healthcare. New York is rejecting that request,” Hochul said.

Murrill announced on Wednesday she had filed a motion to extradite Dr. Margaret Carpenter, who was indicted by a Louisiana grand jury last month for knowingly providing a pregnant woman in Louisiana with an abortion drug.

“We will take any and all legal actions to enforce the criminal laws of this State,” Murrill said.

BONDI ANNOUNCES NEW LAWSUITS AGAINST STATES ALLEGEDLY FAILING TO COMPLY WITH IMMIGRATION ACTIONS: ‘A NEW DOJ’

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, right, has vowed to impede Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s motion to extradite the New York doctor indicted for prescribing an abortion bill to a Louisiana resident. (AP | Getty)

“We have sent out a law enforcement notice that certain out-of-state warrants are not enforceable in the state of New York,” Hochul replied Thursday. “So anyone who possibly pulls over an individual or is involved in a situation for a doctor who is protected under our laws is told, ‘You are not to cooperate and enforce this extradition.’ So I want to be clear that we have taken all the steps we can to protect this doctor.”

Since the indictment, Hochul has said she would not comply with extradition and signed a law allowing doctors to request their names be omitted from abortion pill prescriptions.

“I will never, under any circumstances, turn this doctor over to the state of Louisiana under any extradition request,” Hochul said.

NEW YORK GOV HOCHUL SIGNS LAW PROTECTING ABORTION PILL PRESCRIBERS AFTER DOCTOR INDICTED IN LOUISIANA

Murill said Hochul does not have the authority to resist extradition.

“New York officials, including the governor, are not at liberty to ignore interstate compacts and laws regarding extradition. As to the new law, a doctor prescribing these drugs and delivering them in our state is committing a crime. Masking their identity on a prescription bottle will not protect them,” Murrill said.

Murill warned Carpenter to be careful with her travel plans with a warrant out for her arrest.

“There’s an arrest warrant in the NCIC system. The doctor could be arrested in other places. If New York won’t cooperate, there are other states that will,” Murill said.

Attorney General of Louisiana Liz Murrill speaks during a press conference in New Orleans on Jan. 1, 2025. (Attorney General of Louisiana Liz Murrill)

After the indictment, Hochul doubled down on her commitment to protecting reproductive access in New York from “anti-abortion politicians.”

“We always knew that overturning Roe v. Wade wasn’t the end of the road for anti-abortion politicians. That’s why I worked with the legislature to pass nation-leading laws to protect providers and patients. It’s more critical than ever for states to step up and protect reproductive freedom, and I’ll never back down from this fight,” Hochul said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The case represents the first known criminal indictment of a doctor charged with prescribing abortion medication across state lines.

Louisiana has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Abortion has been illegal in Louisiana since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. The only exceptions are for non-viable pregnancies and the life of the mother.

New York has moved in the opposite direction since the Dobbs decision. The blue state enshrined abortion access into its constitution this year under Hochul’s leadership.

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“Louisiana has changed their laws, but that has no bearing on the laws here in the state of New York. Doctors take an oath to protect their patients. I took an oath of office to protect all New Yorkers, and I will uphold not only our constitution but also the laws of our land. And I will not be signing an extradition order that came from the governor of Louisiana, not now, not ever,” Hochul said Thursday.

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
Kayaker gets swallowed by humpback whale off Chilean coast: Watch

A humpback whale swallowed a man on a kayak off the coast of Chile last week, before he was quickly able to get out of the leviathan’s mouth unharmed.

Video shows the death-defying and terrifying moment from last Saturday, when Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell, in Bahía El Águila near the San Isidro Lighthouse in the Strait of Magellan, off Chilean Patagonia.

As Simancas was paddling in what appeared to be an inflatable kayak, a humpback whale rolled on the surface with its mouth open, swallowing the kayaker.

Moments later, the tail broke the surface and the whale dove to deeper depth. Simancas and his yellow kayak then resurfaced after being freed from the clutches of the whale’s jaws.

FORMER BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ALLEGEDLY HARASSING A HUMPBACK WHALE

Video captured the moment a kayaker off the coast of Chile was swallowed briefly by a humpback whale. (Credit: Dell Simancas)

The Associated Press reported that Dell captured the moment on video and encouraged his son to stay calm.

“Stay calm, stay calm,” the father was heard saying in Spanish after his son was released from the whale.

“I thought I was dead,” Adrián told the AP. “I thought it had eaten me, that it had swallowed me.”

KILLER WHALE MOTHERS PROTECT THEIR SONS MORE THAN THEIR DAUGHTERS, NEW STUDY FINDS

Video captured the moment a kayaker off the coast of Chile was swallowed briefly by a humpback whale. (Credit: Dell Simancas)

He described the few seconds of “terror” to the wire service, explaining that his real fear set in after resurfacing, fearing that the whale would hurt his father or that he would die in the cold waters.

“When I came up and started floating, I was scared that something might happen to my father too, that we wouldn’t reach the shore in time, or that I would get hypothermia,” Adrián said.

Adrián ultimately reached his father’s kayak, and both returned to shore without injuries.

SEE IT: HUMPBACK WHALE, NAMED ZILLION, SCOOPS UP SEAL IN RARE PHOTO

Video captured the moment a kayaker off the coast of Chile was swallowed briefly by a humpback whale. (Credit: Dell Simancas)

The Strait of Magellan, which is located about 1,600 miles south of Santiago, Chile, is a major tourist attraction in Chilean Patagonia, and is known for adventurous activities.

The frigid waters in the area pose a challenge for those who attempt to cross the strait.

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While whale attacks on humans are extremely rare in Chilean waters, whale deaths from collisions with cargo ships have increased in recent years, and strandings have become a recurring issue in the last decade.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter @GregWehner.

February 13, 2025
Tristan Thompson responds to Raptors coach Darko Rajaković’s suggestion Cavaliers star lacked class

On Wednesday, Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajaković described veteran Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson as a “no-class” player after the Cavs’ 131-108 win over the Raptors.

Rajaković also suggested Thompson’s actions showed a lack of respect.

“I think what Tristan did there was no class and disrespectful,” Rajaković said during a postgame press conference. “I’m not going to stand for that, for sure. I love when my team stands up for themselves. That was no class.”

Rajaković was irked by Thompson’s two-handed slam in the final seconds of the game.

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Raptors players Scottie Barnes and Jamal Shead confronted Thompson immediately after the final buzzer sounded, and some fans directed boos at the Cavs big man.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson, right, has words with the Toronto Raptors in Toronto Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Thompson took to social media Thursday to share his response to Rajaković’s remarks. Thompson asserted that the Raptors engaged in a “full court press” even as Toronto was trailing by double-digits late in the game.

LUKA DONČIĆ’S TRADE TO LAKERS COULDN’T BE VETOED, NBA COMMISH SAYS

“You wanna full court press with under a minute left in the game when you get cracked by 30 this will happen to you. Lose for draft lottery and be happy buddy boy. Hopefully you and most of your guys see the light at the end of Bobby and Masai long term plan. Bless up stay warm in MY CITY,” Thompson wrote on X Feb. 13.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said he didn’t understand Thompson’s thought process at the time, but he also did not believe there were “bad intentions” behind the dunk.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson dunks against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto Feb. 12, 2025. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images)

“I’m not sure what he was thinking,” Atkinson said. “Sometimes, though, you’re playing the game, and you just have a reaction. I know with Tristan, there’s no bad intention there. I think just sometimes you’re playing, and the goal of the game is to score. Unfortunate.”

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Thompson, who is from Canada, had four points in four minutes. He is averaging 1.7 points and 3 rebounds per game in 28 games this season.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 13, 2025
4 dead, 26 injured in explosion at upscale Taiwan department store

A gas explosion at a department store in Taiwan on Thursday killed four people and injured 26, fire authorities said.

The blast occurred at the food court on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung city, the Taichung Fire Bureau said. The higher floors of the upscale department store were blown out, raining debris on pedestrians below.

Among the dead were two people visiting from Macau, Macao’s Tourism Office confirmed Thursday. Local media reported that they were part of a family of seven who were there for tourism. The other five were also injured are now being treated at local hospitals in Taichung.

TAIWAN AIR FORCE OFFICER KILLED AFTER BEING ‘INHALED’ BY FIGHTER JET’S ENGINE

Part of the store was under renovation, but it’s not clear if the work was connected to the explosion, Taichung Vice Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin told reporters at the scene. “If it’s found there were illegal actions or parts that violated renovation regulations, it will be dealt with appropriately,” Cheng said.

This image taken from video by Taiwan’s TVBS shows the damaged facade of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store after an explosion in Taichung city in Taiwan on Thursday, Feb 13, 2025. (TVBS via AP)

Dozens of firefighters were deployed to the scene at about 11:30 a.m. Parts of the building’s exterior were damaged and scattered fragments were strewn on the streets.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen told reporters at the scene that she felt the shock at her office nearby. She said the fire bureau would focus on a rescue operation first, but an investigation was also underway and officers were checking whether there were other sources of danger.

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Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said he had asked all relevant government agencies to investigate the cause of the accident.

February 13, 2025
California taxpayers paying billions for illegal immigrants’ healthcare

A California budget official revealed this week that taxpayers in the Democrat-run state are paying billions of dollars more on healthcare for illegal immigrants than previously known.

Guadalupe Manriquez, the California Department of Finance program budget manager, told the state Assembly Budget Committee Monday the state is “spending $9.5 billion total funds” to “cover undocumented individuals in Medi-Cal” in the current year.

Manriquez explained that this is a “revised number based on the governor’s budget-updated estimates,” adding the earlier figure was from the earlier “budget act.”

CALIFORNIA FAMILIES CELEBRATE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PROBE INTO STATE’S REFUSAL TO FOLLOW TRANS ATHLETE ORDER

The California State Capitol July 17, 2022, in Sacramento. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“Of the $9.5 billion, $8.4 billion is general fund,” she said.

Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio noted that the cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants could be enough to help solve some of the state’s budget woes and “avoid going into the rainy day fund,” The Center Square reported. He said the number originally floated was roughly $6 billion.

A new state law enacted at the start of 2024 ensures that “immigration status doesn’t matter” for those looking to apply for taxpayer-backed insurance, according to the state’s health department website.

ICE ARRESTS HOMELESS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO ASKED TO BE DETAINED OR ELSE HE WOULD ‘GO OUT AND COMMIT CRIMES’

California Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (CQ/Getty)

California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement that gutting the insurance availability for illegal immigrants would make a significant dent in the state’s deficit.

“California’s budget is $30 billion in the red, but instead of tightening its belt, Sacramento is doubling down on reckless spending,” the Republican said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

“The state is shelling out $9.5 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants while emergency rooms overflow, hospitals teeter on the brink and working Californians struggle to see a doctor,” he continued. “Rather than making responsible choices, leaders are raiding the rainy-day fund to keep the spending spree going. This isn’t just a budget crisis — it’s a complete failure of leadership.”

Democratic Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo said during the hearing that healthcare costs are a major target of the new administration, which leads to uncertainty for the state.

California state law allows illegal immigrants to apply for taxpayer-backed health insurance. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

“We know that today unelected Elon Musk and DOGE have taken their sights to Medicare and Medicaid, which is Medi-Cal here in California. And that is, you know, well over half of our budget,” the lawmaker said.

The spending discussion comes at a time when the federal government is conducting a major crackdown on illegal immigration, including raids done by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and much stricter policies at the border itself.

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Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together and a Fox News contributor, said it’s “yet another example of California Democrats’ totally wrong priorities.”

“Here’s yet another example of California Democrats’ totally wrong priorities. They have nearly doubled the state budget in the last ten years, yet over a third of Californians cannot meet their basic needs,” Hilton said.

“We have the highest poverty rate in America. We pay the highest taxes and get the worst results. People are asking, “Where did all our money go?” And here’s the answer: ideological obsessions like this — free healthcare for people who are here illegally. People have had enough of all this. There’s going to be change in California sooner than people think.”

Cameron Arcand is a politics writer at Fox News Digital in Washington D.C. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @cameron_arcand

February 13, 2025
House Dem fumes over Musk’s DOGE crackdown during fiery interview: ‘I’m pissed’

Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts blasted Elon Musk on Wednesday and argued that his DOGE efforts are undermining the “values” of the United States, and promised to “fight” against them.

“Elon Musk has probably never stepped into a public school, his kids will get private tutors, he doesn’t understand it, he has no idea what this is all about,” McGovern, who represents the 2nd Congressional District of Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital after a rally against DOGE cuts to the Department of Education.

“Our teachers do an incredible job. They deserve to be respected. The Department of Education is more than just a line item,” he continued. “It represents real people, and it represents our future. And so, yeah, I’m pissed.”

McGovern explained that “not a single” Democrat protesting is upset about cutting fraud or waste, but said that education is not the place to start.

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT SAYS PARTY NEEDS TO ‘BRING ACTUAL WEAPONS’ IN THE ‘FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY’ AGAINST ELON MUSK

Dem. Rep. Jim McGovern railed against Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts on Wednesday (Fox/Getty)

“I use colorful language because I can’t believe we’re at this moment, and I’m really pissed at my Republican colleagues who are sitting there twiddling their thumbs, afraid to say anything because they’re afraid they might get a primary challenge,” the House Democrat continued. “But you know what? Being in Congress is about helping people, not screwing people. And it’s about time they grew a backbone and came out here and joined us and pushed back against this nonsense.”

McGovern argued that the Department of Education is “not a line item” and that it “represents real people” who could lose important funding for their children in schools.

“I’d like to start with the Department of Defense first, McGovern said, “where I can tell you there’s tons and tons of waste. They’ve never been audited successfully. All these other departments and agencies have been audited. But here’s the deal. This is not about rooting out fraud, waste, or abuse. This is about them shutting down important agencies of departments so they can have money to give billionaires and big corporations a tax break, and I’m just sick and tired of the well-off and the well-connected to this country, getting whatever the hell they want while everybody else gets screwed. We can’t stand for that.”

ELON MUSK DESCRIBES LIMESTONE MINE USED FOR PROCESSING FEDERAL WORKERS’ RETIREMENT PAPERS: ‘LIKE A TIME WARP’

Elon Musk speaks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and guests at a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship, in Brownsville, Texas, November 19, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)

“I mean, when is the last time Musk ever walked into a public school?” McGovern said. “When’s the last time you walked into a supermarket? When’s the last time he actually talked to, like, real people? And as far as this DOGE thing, I don’t even know what kind of clearances Musk has or the young minions that he has around him.”

“I don’t know what kind of clearances they have going through all this stuff. But we should be worried. They’re undermining our democracy here. They’re undermining, you know, our values. And as I said, if they want to fight, I’ll give them a goddamn fight. We’re ready for this fight.”

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Ranking member Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., speaks during the House Rules Committee meeting on a resolution denouncing the horrors of socialism, in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. (Tom Williams)

When asked whether he wants Musk to answer questions before Congress, McGovern said he’d like to see the Tesla and Space X CEO testify under oath.

“I do, I want him to come before Congress. I want them to be sworn in. So he can’t lie. I mean, I saw that press conference, and It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I mean, these guys, this is. You can’t make this stuff up.”

DOGE’s spending cuts have drawn the ire of numerous Democrats in recent weeks prompting rallies where lawmakers have pledged to fight Musk’s efforts.

The Department of Education, which Trump pledged to eliminate when he was on the campaign trail, has been a particularly heated subject, and Trump recently suggested that he still intends to get rid of it and send education decisions to the states.

“Oh, I’d like it to be closed immediately. Look at the Department of Education. It’s a big con job,” Trump said this week. “They ranked the top countries in the world. We’re ranked No. 40, but we’re ranked No. 1 in one department: cost per pupil. So, we spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, but we’re ranked No. 40.”

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].

February 13, 2025