![[Valid RSS]](images/valid-rss-rogers.png "Valid RSS")
This is a valid RSS feed.
This feed is valid, but interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendations.
line 50, column 0: (31 occurrences) [help]
<script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd ...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" di ...
line 336, column 0: (6 occurrences) [help]
<div style="width: 100%; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 320 ...
<div style="width: 100%; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 320 ...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"> <channel> <title>Washington Examiner</title> <atom:link href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com</link> <description>Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government</description> <lastBuildDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 16:13:57 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3</generator> <image> <url>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32x32.png</url> <title>Washington Examiner</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height></image> <item> <title>Reporter’s Notebook: Biden’s debunked tariffs claims</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3008547/reporters-notebook-bidens-debunked-tariffs-claims/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Washington Examiner Staff]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Campaigns]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Presidential]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Videos]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2024 Elections]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Inflation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tariffs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Video]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3008547</guid> <description><![CDATA[Washington Examiner White House Reporter Haisten Willis joins Magazine Executive Editor Jim Antle to discuss the controversy about President Joe Biden’s debunked tariffs claims, the Biden campaign’s efforts to push back against rising prices and debunked statements about inflation, and an update on Biden and former President Donald Trump agreeing on debate and its effects on […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Washington Examiner</em> White House Reporter Haisten Willis joins Magazine Executive Editor Jim Antle to discuss the controversy about President Joe Biden’s debunked <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/tariffs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">tariffs</a> claims, the Biden campaign’s efforts to push back against rising prices and debunked statements about <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/inflation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">inflation</a>, and an update on Biden and former President <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/donald-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Donald Trump</a> agreeing on debate and its effects on the election.</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_1655405","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","video":"1655405"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24138579722866.jpg.optimal.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Biden receives cold shoulder from some students at Morehouse College graduation</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3009310/biden-receives-cold-shoulder-from-some-students-at-morehouse-college-graduation/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jack Birle]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 15:58:41 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[White House]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Campus Protests]]></category> <category><![CDATA[College]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gaza]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Higher Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3009310</guid> <description><![CDATA[President Joe Biden acknowledged anti-Israel student protests while speaking at the Morehouse College commencement — but he also faced some protests of his own during the speech. The war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has been a hot-button issue on various college campuses, with protests reaching a fever pitch at the end of last […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>President <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/joe-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Joe Biden">Joe Biden</a> acknowledged anti-Israel student protests while speaking at the Morehouse <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/college/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="College">College</a> commencement — but he also faced some protests of his own during the speech.</p> <p>The war in <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/gaza/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Gaza">Gaza</a> between Israel and Hamas has been a hot-button issue on various college campuses, with protests reaching a fever pitch at the end of last month. Biden has denounced the violent protests seen at Columbia University and the University of California, Los Angeles, but did take time to say he hears protesters while speaking at the Morehouse College graduation ceremony on Sunday.</p> <p>“I want to say this very clearly. I support peaceful nonviolent protest. Your voices should be heard. I promise you, I hear them,” Biden said. </p> <p>Biden went into discussing the war in Gaza, emphasizing his belief that there should be an immediate ceasefire alongside the release of the hostages still being held by <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/Hamas" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Hamas</a>. Prior to Biden speaking, the student speaker for the ceremony also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.</p> <p>“That’s why I’ve called for an immediate ceasefire — an immediate ceasefire. Stop the fighting, bring the hostages home,” Biden said, while also pushing for a “lasting, durable peace.”</p> <p>While the president was addressing graduates at the historically black college, several turned their backs on Biden in an apparent silent protest against him. Another student held up a Palestinian flag during the president’s remarks, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/morehouse-college-graduation-biden-05-19-24/h_4b1ce6cea14d6602bb66c0b1bbe7e24c" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="according to CNN.">according to CNN.</a></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Morehouse College graduates turn their backs on Crooked Joe Biden <a href="https://t.co/jf9d5bVQbF">pic.twitter.com/jf9d5bVQbF</a></p>— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1792203405017985479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</a></strong></p> <p>Despite concerns over disruptions during the event, Biden was able to deliver his remarks without any audible protest.</p> <p>Biden’s administration has been more at odds with Israel in recent months with its handling of the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/war" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">war</a>, with the president drawing a red line over the Israel Defense Force’s proposed major operation in Rafah — the final Hamas stronghold.</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_1654731","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","video":"1654731"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24140511909935.jpg.optimal.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Trump ramps up rhetoric against RFK Jr.: ‘Not really an anti-vaxxer’</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/3009241/trump-rhetoric-rfk-jr-not-really-anti-vaxxer/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Breccan F. Thies]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 15:52:24 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Presidential]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2024 Elections]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Campaign]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Coronavirus]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[RFK Jr.]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Vaccine]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3009241</guid> <description><![CDATA[Former President Donald Trump ramped up his attacks on independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., going after his stances on guns and energy while also saying his skepticism of vaccines is “fake.” “You think he’s an anti-vaxxer, he’s not really an anti-vaxxer. That’s only his political moment. He said the other night he’s okay […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Former President <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/donald-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Donald Trump</a> ramped up his attacks on independent presidential candidate <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/rfk-jr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.</a>, going after his stances on guns and energy while also saying his skepticism of <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/coronavirus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">vaccines</a> is “fake.”</p> <p>“You think he’s an anti-vaxxer, he’s not really an anti-vaxxer. That’s only his political moment. He said the other night he’s okay with a vaccine,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112412516883521630" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">said</a> in a May 9 Truth Social post. “RFK’s views on vaccines are fake, as is everything else about his candidacy. He is not a Republican, so don’t think you’re going to vote for him and feel good. He is a rabid-left Democrat. Let the Democrats have RFK Jr. They deserve him.”</p> <p>The former <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/president/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">president</a>‘s comments come as political observers have noticed a change in Trump’s language around the the coronavirus vaccine, which some believe is a sign the campaign views Kennedy as being able to bleed off some more vaccine-skeptical voters.</p> <p>Republican strategist Jason Roe, former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/19/trump-vaccine-rfk-jr-00158743" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">told</a> <em>Politico</em> Trump is “insulating against it being a problem,” adding, “Trump is in a pretty commanding position in most of the polls in swing states, so why take the chance of RFK Jr. screwing it up for you.”</p> <p>Kennedy has consistently been skeptical of <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/vaccine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">vaccines</a> for years, not just the coronavirus vaccine, which was approved under expedited conditions during the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed. The independent candidate has supported claims that certain vaccines are linked to autism and has also said that the coronavirus was created to attack certain races or ethnic groups.</p> <p>Kennedy campaign communications director Del Bigtree told <em>Politico</em> that they see Trump’s attacks on the independent candidate as “trying to get back an audience that’s leaving him, that’s inspired by Robert Kennedy.”</p> <p>Trump, the presumptive <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/Republican/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Republican</a> nominee for president, has in the past touted Operation Warp Speed as “one of the greatest miracles” of his time in office, but his administration’s response to the pandemic was used by some of his Republican primary challengers as one of few openings to go on the attack.</p> <p>As a presidential candidate, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) attacked Trump from the right on the coronavirus response and pushing the vaccine, as well as not taking a harder line against states that maintained their shutdowns and giving Dr. <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/Anthony-Fauci" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Anthony Fauci</a>, the former director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, too much power.</p> <p>But the Trump campaign notes that the former president has been consistent since leaving office about his opposition to vaccine mandates and state lockdowns.</p> <p>“He has advocated for ending all unconstitutional Covid mandates and draconian lockdowns, and he fought vigorously against them,” Brian Hughes, Trump campaign senior advisor, told <em>Politico</em>. “After the initial ‘Slow the Spread’ period, President Trump was the most significant force for opening the country up, in spite of enormous media and Democrat resistance.”</p> <p>Despite the Republican voter base being critical of the pandemic response from political leadership across the board, the attacks against Trump have not done much to cut into his popularity with the base. Dampening the attacks against Trump is the fact that Joe Biden’s presidency, which has had the vaccine from Day One, had a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-marks-1-million-americans-dead-covid-2022-05-12/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">coronavirus death toll</a> just as high as the Trump presidency.</p> <p>In response to Biden’s State of the Union address in March, where he highlighted the vaccines as part of a national “comeback,” Trump posted to Truth Social, “YOU’RE WELCOME, JOE, NINE MONTH APPROVAL TIME VS. 12 YEARS THAT IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN YOU.”</p> <p>Some conservative commentators noted that Trump should not be so quick to tout the vaccine, particularly with Kennedy in the race. </p> <p>“Donald Trump taking credit for the vaccine — if RFK wasn’t in the race, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal,” <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/Charlie-Kirk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Charlie Kirk</a>, a prominent Trump supporter, said on his show in March. “But you have to understand that there are millions of voters that look at the vaccine issue as a highly personal issue. … With RFK on the ballot, you cannot dismiss this coalition.”</p> <p>Vaccine skepticism appears to be a winning stance among some Republican voters, and it is possible the Trump team is looking at polling like the recent Monmouth University survey showing a slight increase in Republican interest in Kennedy when being informed of his stance on vaccines, and responding by covering bases.</p> <p>“Support for Kennedy is not particularly strong even among voters who dislike both Biden and<br>Trump. If he can’t score a decisive win with these voters, it’s unclear what role he can play in this<br>election other than as a spoiler,” Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said of the survey. “The <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/polls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">poll</a> results suggest that the Kennedy effect is minimal. If the current situation holds, he would play a spoiler role only in a very close contest. Of course, everything is lining up for this election to be just that.”</p> <p>Murray also noted that while the “slight movement” is “not hugely perceptible … you can understand why it would be of concern to the Trump campaign” because “it only takes a few voters in key states to flip the Electoral College.”</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</a></strong></p> <p>Trump’s offensive against Kennedy did not stop at the vaccine, as he said the independent candidate is a “Democrat ‘Plant,’ a Radical Left <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/Liberal" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Liberal</a> who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden … get Re-Elected.”</p> <p>“Jr. is totally anti-gun, extreme environmentalist who makes the green new scammers look very conservative by comparison, a big time taxer — he wants to tax you — an open border advocate — he wants those borders to be wide open for more people to come in from prisons and mental institutions — and he’s anti-military and he’s anti-vet,” Trump said in the Truth Social post. “He’s an extreme liberal, he’s radical left, and radicalized also are his family.”</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_1654731","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","video":"1654731"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24139840519993-1024x683.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Helicopter carrying Iran’s president suffers a ‘hard landing,’ state TV says, and rescue is underway</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/3009261/helicopter-iran-president-hard-landing-state-tv-says/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Associated Press]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 15:46:31 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[World]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Helicopters]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Military]]></category> <category><![CDATA[TV]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3009261</guid> <description><![CDATA[DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suffered a “hard landing” on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without elaborating. Some began urging the public to pray for Raisi and the others on board as rescue crews sped through a misty, rural forest where his helicopter was believed to be. The likely […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —</strong> A helicopter carrying <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ebrahim-raisi" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi</a> suffered a “hard landing” on Sunday, Iranian state media reported, without elaborating. Some began urging the public to pray for Raisi and the others on board as rescue crews sped through a misty, rural forest where his helicopter was believed to be.</p> <p>The likely crash comes as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-president-raisi-helicopter-a02630b6dca3cac455cacd16690b710f" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Iran, under Raisi</a> and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel just last month and has enriched uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. Meanwhile, Iran has faced years of mass protests against its Shiite theocracy over an ailing economy and women’s rights — making the moment that much more sensitive for Tehran and the future of the country as the Israel-Hamas war inflames the wider Middle East.</p> <p>Raisi was traveling in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. State TV said the incident happened near Jolfa, a city on the border with with the nation of Azerbaijan, some 600 kilometers (375 miles) northwest of the Iranian capital, Tehran. Later, state TV put it farther east near the village of Uzi, but details remained contradictory.</p> <p>Traveling with Raisi were Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province and other officials and bodyguards, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. One local government official used the word “crash” to describe the incident, but he acknowledged to an Iranian newspaper that he had yet to reach the site himself.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cuellar-bribery-investigation-azerbaijan-mexico-832b32f502f4a5606f0f1f6fedfe6db2"></a></p> <p>Neither IRNA nor state TV offered any information on Raisi’s condition in the hours afterward. However, hard-liners urged the public to pray for him. State <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/TV/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">TV</a> later aired images of the faithful praying at Imam Reza Shrine in the city of Mashhad, one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites, as well as in Qom and other locations across the country.</p> <p>“The esteemed president and company were on their way back aboard some helicopters and one of the helicopters was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog,” Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said in comments aired on state TV. “Various rescue teams are on their way to the region but because of the poor <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/weather/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">weather</a> and fogginess it might take time for them to reach the helicopter.”</p> <p>He added: “The region is a bit (rugged) and it’s difficult to make contact. We are waiting for rescue teams to reach the landing site and give us more information.”</p> <p>Rescuers were attempting to reach the site, state TV said, but had been hampered by poor weather conditions. There had been heavy rain and fog reported with some wind. IRNA called the area a “forest” and the region is known to be mountainous as well. State TV aired images of SUVs racing through a wooded area.</p> <p>A rescue helicopter tried to reach the area where authorities believe Raisi’s helicopter was, but it couldn’t land due to the heavy mist, emergency services spokesman Babak Yektaparast told IRNA.</p> <p>Raisi had been on the border with Azerbaijan early Sunday to inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev. The dam is the third one that the two nations built on the Aras River. The visit came despite <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-azerbaijan-tensions-diplomats-expelled-6d24a9b5a8c0cfb49b76e02f251468a4" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">chilly relations between the two nations,</a> including over a gun attack on Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Tehran in 2023, and Azerbaijan’s diplomatic relations with Israel, which Iran’s Shiite theocracy views as its main enemy in the region.</p> <p>Iran flies a variety of helicopters in the country, but international sanctions make it difficult to obtain parts for them. Its military air fleet also largely dates back to before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.</p> <p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-election-ebrahim-raisi-judiciary-turnout-middle-east-4d60554fd608a5dea2c76a303ec352d8" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Raisi, 63,</a> is a hard-liner who formerly led the country’s judiciary. He is viewed as a protégé of Khamenei and some analysts have suggested he could replace the 85-year-old leader after his death or resignation from the role.</p> <p>Raisi <a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-iran-iran-nuclear-biden-inauguration-fe35a7b837d2b7966840cf14030f9073" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">won Iran’s 2021 presidential election,</a> a vote that saw the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. Raisi is sanctioned by the U.S. in part over his involvement in the mass execution of thousands of political prisoners in 1988 at the end of the bloody Iran-Iraq war.</p> <p>Under Raisi, Iran now enriches uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels and hampers international inspections. Iran has armed Russia in its war on Ukraine, as well as launched a massive drone-and-missile attack on Israel amid its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It also has continued arming proxy groups in the Mideast, like Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.</p> <p>Meanwhile, mass protests in the country have raged for years. The most recent involved the 2022 death of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/eu-sakharov-prize-masha-amini-5a24ba82e8b7819afae72e9dff4bc25e" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Mahsa Amini,</a> a woman who had been earlier detained over allegedly not wearing a hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities. The monthslong security crackdown that followed the demonstrations killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained.</p> <p>In March, a United Nations investigative panel found that Iran was responsible for the “physical violence” that led to Amini’s death.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</a></strong></p> <p>The U.S. <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/State-Department/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">State Department</a> said it was “closely following reports of a possible hard landing of a helicopter in Iran carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister.”</p> <p>It added: “We have no further comment at this time.”</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_1654731","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","video":"1654731"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AP24080390018950-1024x683.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Rubio shows support for Florida’s abortion ban despite Trump’s disapproval</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/3009255/rubio-shows-support-for-floridas-abortion-ban-despite-trumps-disapproval/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jenny Goldsberry]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 15:16:53 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Healthcare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2024 Elections]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Abortion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Florida]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Health Care]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marco Rubio]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3009255</guid> <description><![CDATA[Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) reiterated his support for all anti-abortion laws, even though former President and 2024 GOP candidate Donald Trump has said Florida’s six-week ban is “terrible.” Rubio appeared on Meet the Press on Sunday to once again express his opinion on banning abortion, an effort he is trying to federalize in a bill […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sen. <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/marco-rubio" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Marco Rubio</a> (R-FL) reiterated his support for all anti-abortion laws, even though former President and 2024 GOP candidate <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Donald Trump</a> has said Florida’s six-week ban is “terrible.”</p> <p>Rubio appeared on <em><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Meet the Press">Meet the Press</a></em> on Sunday to once again express his opinion on banning abortion, an effort he is trying to federalize in a bill that would ban the procedure at 15 weeks, with exceptions for the mother’s health.</p> <p>“I’m pro-life, so I support laws that save unborn human life and other people have opinions on what that law should be,” Rubio said. “Other people have different views, but in our representative democracy, people will have to answer to voters in the state of Florida who voted for that and voters will now get to take that into account in this election and any future election.”</p> <div style="width: 100%; max-width: 640px; max-height: 360px; min-width: 320px; min-height: 180px; overflow: hidden;"><div style="position: relative; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://share.grabien.com/share.php?id=2420557&userid=11311&loginid=10455&playercolor=%23000000&playersize=auto&code=e6bd8ab7dcdca4299e2c6546a06e93d6" style="position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0px;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div> <p>Rubio acknowledged that even among those who are against <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/abortion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">abortion</a>, there can be disagreement on the topic. The senator claimed he supports “any bill that protects unborn life.”</p> <p>“But I don’t consider other people in the pro-life movement to have a different view to be apostate,” Rubio said. “We are not like the Democrats where unless you are in favor of their bills that basically say, ‘let’s just put in fancy language’ but it’s not meaningful in terms of any restrictions, you won’t get any — <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/Planned-Parenthood/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Planned Parenthood</a>, for example, who supports all these Democrats, to get their support you have to be for abortion at any time. I don’t care what they say, that’s the practical impact of their laws. They are radicals on this.”</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</a></strong></p> <p>While Florida’s bill was signed into law last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has since added an amendment to ensure that cases of ectopic pregnancies, molar pregnancies, and premature rupture of membranes are assured “medically appropriate” care.</p> <p>Rubio is on the shortlist for Trump’s running mate this November. However, the pair could hit a snag being on the same ticket as they are both residents of Florida. The <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/2986276/how-trump-could-use-marco-rubio-veepstakes-flex-muscle-desantis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">12th Amendment</a> states that should a presidential ticket include residents from the same state, that state is prohibited from voting for them.</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_1641314","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","video":"1641314"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AP22310815339264-1024x683.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Netanyahu obstructing Israeli intelligence officials from meeting with US officials: Report</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/foreign-policy/3009246/netanyahu-obstructing-israeli-intelligence-officials-from-meeting-with-us-officials-report/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jack Birle]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 14:48:54 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Foreign Policy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Benjamin Netanyahu]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Biden Administration]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gaza]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Intelligence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3009246</guid> <description><![CDATA[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly blocked various intelligence and security chiefs from meeting with U.S. officials. The effort, reported by Axios, appears to be an attempt from the prime minister to control what information officials from the United States hear directly from the Jewish State as it fights in its war in Gaza […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/israel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Israeli">Israeli</a> Prime Minister <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/Benjamin-Netanyahu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="Israeli">Benjamin Netanyahu</a> has reportedly blocked various intelligence and security chiefs from meeting with U.S. officials.</p> <p>The effort, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/05/19/netanyahu-israel-agencies-ban-us-gaza-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="reported">reported</a> by <em>Axios</em>, appears to be an attempt from the prime minister to control what information officials from the United States hear directly from the Jewish State as it fights in its war in Gaza against Hamas.</p> <p>The outlet points to a requested meeting between the directors of Israel’s intelligence and security agencies from meeting with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) when in Israel last month. Rubio had reportedly asked to meet with the officials, but instead, met with Netanyahu himself while in the country.</p> <p>The <em>Washington Examiner</em> reached out to Rubio’s office for comment.</p> <p>Netanyahu has been under increased pressure domestically and internationally over his handling of the war in Gaza. Several officials in the country, including Netanyahu’s main political rival, have <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ultimatum-raises-pressure-netanyahu-make-postwar-plans-gaza-110366002" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="increased pressure">increased pressure</a> on getting him to elaborate on how Israel plans to handle Gaza after the war against Hamas is finished.</p> <p>Benny Gantz, who is Netanyahu’s main political rival and serves in the country’s war Cabinet, has threatened to leave the government if the prime minister does not detail a plan for post-war Gaza by June 8.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</a></strong></p> <p>President <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/Joe-Biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Joe Biden</a> and his administration have expressed their disapproval of an operation in Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza, by the Israel Defense Force — fearing the number of civilian casualties in the densely populated area. Biden has halted some weapons shipments to Israel over the looming Rafah offensive.</p> <p>Despite Biden’s public opposition to the Rafah opposition, Netanyahu has vowed to continue with or without U.S. support.</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_1654731","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","video":"1654731"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24134341706622.jpg.optimal.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Taiwan prepares to inaugurate new Biden-esque president</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/3008914/taiwan-prepares-inaugurate-new-biden-esque-president/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Naomi Lim]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 14:39:14 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[World]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category> <category><![CDATA[China]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Foreign Policy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Taiwan]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3008914</guid> <description><![CDATA[TAIPEI, Taiwan — President Joe Biden and Taiwanese President-elect Lai Ching-te have more in common than just being former vice presidents. Biden, 81, could be heading toward the end of his fourth year in office, and Lai, 64, starts his first on Monday. Both men desire de-escalation in cross-strait tensions with China while defending Taiwan’s […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>TAIPEI, Taiwan —</strong> President <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/joe-biden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Joe Biden</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/taiwan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Taiwanese</a> President-elect Lai Ching-te have more in common than just being former <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/vice-president/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">vice presidents</a>.</p> <p>Biden, 81, could be heading toward <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/2024-elections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">the end of his fourth year in office</a>, and Lai, 64, starts his first on Monday. Both men desire de-escalation in cross-strait tensions with <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">China</a> while defending Taiwan’s sovereignty and dealing with political problems at home.</p> <p>While the United States was focused on the 2024 <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/republican-primary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Republican presidential</a> primary <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/iowa-caucuses/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">caucuses in Iowa</a>, Lai won Taiwan’s presidential election in January by 7 percentage points, or 915,000 votes, arguing his campaign was a “fight for the survival of the country.” Although he retained the presidency for Taiwan’s center-left party, the Democratic Progressive Party, over the historically powerful center-right to right-wing party, the Kuomintang, he did not receive a majority of the vote nor did his party gain outright control of Taiwan’s unicameral legislature in the relatively young democracy.</p> <p>With Lai’s <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/section/policy/foreign-policy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">foreign policy</a> toward the U.S. and China a centerpiece issue of his election, the U.S. has been concerned about how China will react to Lai’s inauguration on Monday and his administration during the next four years. China, for instance, has increased aggression around Taiwan’s Kinmen Islands since a February incident involving two Chinese fishermen and Taiwan’s coast guard.</p> <p>Lai, a deep green, more liberal than Biden member of the DPP, once described himself as a “worker for Taiwanese independence” and China has denounced him and his vice president, former de facto Taiwanese ambassador to the U.S. Hsiao Bi-khim, as a “separatist duo.” But his U.S. and China foreign policy appears to be an extension of that of his predecessor, former President Tsai Ing-Wen. The pair have advocated for the status quo between Taiwan and China while seeking a closer relationship with the U.S. as they prepare for the prospect of an invasion. Chinese President <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/xi-jinping/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Xi Jinping</a> has ordered his military to be ready for reunification under the One China policy by 2027.</p> <p>During a pre-inauguration reception at Taipei Guest House, Lai told dignitaries, including the <em>Washington Examiner</em>, that he would “build upon the solid foundation created by … Tsai over the past eight years.”</p> <p>“Together, we will continue to work on the path of democracy and we will continue to engage with the world to make Taiwan stronger,” he said through translators. “We will continue to defend Taiwan’s democracy. We will continue to make Taiwan’s economy more prosperous and vibrant democracy. In addition, we will also play a key role and become a key force in maintaining stability in the region.”</p> <p>Lai has shown “a willingness to signal a pragmatic approach to outreach to Beijing, effectively a continuation of President Tsai’s approach,” according to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/center-for-american-progress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Center for American Progress</a> senior vice president for <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/national-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">national security </a>and international policy Alan Yu.</p> <p>“The question is if Beijing sees the opening offered by Lai, and missed with Tsai, to turn down the temperature, particularly at a moment of elevated geopolitical tension and a rocky domestic <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/economy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">economic</a> situation,” the former adviser to special presidential envoy for climate <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/john-kerry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">John Kerry</a> at the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/state-department/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">State Department</a> told the <em>Washington Examiner</em>. “I’m skeptical, but if Beijing does, it will be slow and nearly invisible to the naked eye at the outset.”</p> <p>For <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/aei/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">American Enterprise Institute</a> Asia senior fellow Zack Cooper, Lai “may feel that he has to push back a little bit more firmly against China in some cases.”</p> <p>“He’s probably slightly more skeptical about Beijing’s willingness to engage in a productive manner, but I think the basic logic of his approach will be quite similar [to that of Tsai],” the former White House <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/national-security-council/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">National Security Council</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/pentagon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Pentagon</a> adviser told the <em>Washington Examiner</em>.</p> <p>The U.S. and Taiwan are aligned regarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait amid “growing threats” from the Chinese Communist Party, per House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/michael-mccaul/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">Michael McCaul</a> (R-TX).</p> <p>“President-elect Lai’s choice of prominent national security and foreign policy leaders represents both continuity in Taiwan policy and familiarity with U.S. policy spanning several administrations,” McCaul told the <em>Washington Examiner</em>.</p> <p>Raymond Kuo, the inaugural director of the RAND Corporation’s Taiwan Policy Initiative, agreed with McCaul that personnel is policy, including Lai’s vice presidential nominee. Critics have scrutinized Lai’s lack of foreign policy experience and clarity related to his defense posture, as well as controversial statements he has made in the past. For example, Lai said last July that “when Taiwan’s president can enter the White House, the political goal that we’re pursuing will have been achieved.” His remarks caused consternation in Washington, D.C.</p> <p>“Hsiao Bi-khim was the former Taiwanese ambassador to the U.S. and was hailed for her leadership and diplomacy,” Kuo told the <em>Washington Examiner</em>. “I expect her to play an important, supporting role in keeping U.S.-Taiwan relations steady.”</p> <p>Aside from foreign policy, Kuo said the U.S. and Taiwan are also aligned on economic issues as they negotiate the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and hope to secure <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/supply-chain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">supply chains</a>, such as those for <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/semiconductors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">semiconductors</a>.</p> <p>Becoming president will create complications for Lai taking high-level meetings without eliciting a response from China, but McCaul said he sat down with Lai last April when he and other members of a <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/congress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">congressional delegation</a> traveled to Taiwan. Biden also dispatched a bipartisan group comprising former White House <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/national-economic-council/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Economic Council</a> director <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/brian-deese/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brian Deese</a>, former <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/george-w-bush/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">George W. Bush</a> Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, one-time American Institute in Taiwan chair Richard Bush, and current chair of the U.S. de facto embassy in Taiwan Lauren Rosenberger to attend Lai’s inauguration in his stead. </p> <p>Another congressional delegation is expected in Taipei on Friday.</p> <p>“We oppose unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We do not support Taiwan independence. We support cross-strait dialogue and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means free from coercion,” a senior Biden administration official told reporters last week, adding her colleagues had been in contact with their Taiwanese counterparts with respect to Lai’s inaugural address. “Throughout this sensitive period, we intend to keep channels of communication open both with Beijing through diplomatic and mil-mil channels, but also in keeping with our unofficial relationship with Taiwan.”</p> <p>Simultaneously, Lai is contending with political issues at home, from an economy stagnating, in part because of Taiwan’s aging population, to post-pandemic cost of living pressures. He will also have to grapple with a legislature controlled by the Kuomintang with the Taiwan People’s Party, the latter of which outperformed expectations thanks to protest votes against the two major parties and skepticism that the U.S. will be a reliable partner.</p> <p>National Cheng Kung University political science professor Hung-Jen Wang underscored that Taiwan does not want any “surprises” with China, especially during a U.S. presidential <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/2024-elections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">election year</a>. For Wang, Lai’s priority will be building “the greatest possible consensus on the new domestic policies they intend to implement, ensuring that the public feels the government is addressing their needs.” </p> <p><a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</strong></a></p> <p>“This inward-focused approach necessitates stability in foreign policy to ensure that U.S. support for Taiwan does not waver,” the professor told the <em>Washington Examiner</em>. “The appointment of the new ambassador to the United States by President Lai Ching-te will thus become crucial.”</p> <p>“Regarding cross-strait relations, while it may not be possible to achieve any breakthroughs, at the very least, the aim will be to avoid giving China too many excuses to escalate tensions,” he said.</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_1654764","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","video":"1654764"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AP24013526397868-1024x683.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>State coffers gain $18.9M from April sports wagers</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3009286/state-coffers-gain-18-9m-from-april-sports-wagers-2/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Alan Wooten | The Center Square]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 13:58:38 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gambling]]></category> <category><![CDATA[North Carolina]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3009286</guid> <description><![CDATA[(The Center Square) – With a full 30-day month, North Carolina’s gross wagering revenue cleared $105 million in April – up more than $38 million on the first month launch of legal sports gambling. March counted just the final 21 days following the long-awaited beginning on the Monday of the ACC men’s basketball tournament. Selection […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(The Center Square) – With a full 30-day month, North Carolina’s gross wagering revenue cleared $105 million in April – up more than $38 million on the first month launch of legal sports gambling.</p> <p>March counted just the final 21 days following the long-awaited beginning on the Monday of the ACC men’s basketball tournament. Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament followed and N.C. State went on an unprecedented run from the league, winning the conference showcase with five triumphs in as many days and eventually reaching the Final Four the first weekend in April.</p> <p>The end of the NHL regular season and the first full month of Major League Baseball were significant timelines for April.</p> <p>The gross wagering revenue has an 18% tax rate, meaning the state’s take was $18,945,301 on the $105,251,672. Combined with $11,969,318 in the first month, state coffers have gained $30,914,619 heading into May.</p> <p>Bettors won more than $538 million.</p> <p>Gross wagering revenue is the total of amounts received by interactive sports wagering operators from sports wagers as authorized under state law, less the amounts paid as winnings before any deductions for expenses, fees or taxes. It’s the sum multiplied by 18% that yields money for state coffers.</p> <p>Five things, per Session Law 2023-42, can happen with the proceeds. There’s $2 million annually to the Department of Health and Human Services for gambling addiction education and treatment programs; and there’s $1 million annually to the North Carolina Amateur Sports to expand youth sports opportunities.</p> <p>Also annually, a third element is $300,000 to each of 13 state public school collegiate athletic departments. Fourth is $1 million annually to the N.C. Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission, which awards grants.</p> <p>Finally, there are certain reimbursements to the state Lottery Commission and Department of Revenue for expenses incurred to implement and administer the new law. After that, it’s 20% to the 13 public collegiate athletic departments; 30% to a new fund to attract major events, games and investments; and 50% to the state’s General Fund.</p> <p>Of note on the help to collegiate athletics programs, the language of the bill says “to support collegiate athletic departments.” One thing it can’t be used for is name, image and likeness money to athletes.</p> <p>Times of the year, as seen in other states considered both more heavily collegiate or more heavily professional, can impact a consistent revenue stream from gambling. For example, there’s March Madness in the spring and the NFL season in the fall.</p> <p>The first two months set a 12-month pace of $185.5 million, and a pace by the June 30 end of the fiscal year of $61.8 million. A legislative fiscal analysis estimated the state’s 18% betting tax will generate $64.4 million the first fiscal year.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</a></strong></p> <p>Other estimates ranged from $47 million after three years to $126 million in year one.</p> <p>The collegiate athletics department recipients are Appalachian State, East Carolina, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, N.C. A&T, N.C. Central, UNC Asheville, UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, UNC Pembroke, UNC Wilmington, Western Carolina and Winston-Salem State. The other two institutions in the UNC System are the UNC School of the Arts, which doesn’t play intercollegiate athletics, and a high school, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_21230","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","playlist":"21230"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AP24028630681581-1024x729.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Opponents of three initiatives on fall ballot come out swinging</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3009282/opponents-of-three-initiatives-on-fall-ballot-come-out-swinging/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Carleen Johnson | The Center Square]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 13:52:15 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Elections]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Legislation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Voting]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Washington]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3009282</guid> <description><![CDATA[(The Center Square) – Efforts to convince Washington state voters to reject three initiatives on the ballot this fall are in full swing. Initiative 2117 would repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act, Initiative 2109 would repeal the state’s capital gains tax and Initiative 2124 would allow Washingtonians to opt out of the state’s mandatory long-term […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(The Center Square) – Efforts to convince Washington state voters to reject three initiatives on the ballot this fall are in full swing.</p> <p>Initiative 2117 would repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act, Initiative 2109 would repeal the state’s capital gains tax and Initiative 2124 would allow Washingtonians to opt out of the state’s mandatory long-term care benefit program.</p> <p>There are individual campaigns against each measure – No on 2117, No on 2109, and No on 2124 – and a fourth campaign called Defend Washington that attacks all three.</p> <p>Defend Washington spokesperson Sandeep Kaushik says the organization’s recent polling shows voters are likely to reject all three initiatives.</p> <p>“Whether it’s funding to protect our air and water, or funding for schools and early learning, or long-term care for workers and seniors, that’s the sort of thing people don’t want to see happen in Washington state,” he told The Center Square.</p> <p>A poll conducted April 11-14 involved phone and web interviews. Defend Washington reports that the sample for the poll “came from a voter file” of 600 likely Washington voters, with 30% of their sample identified as conservative, 27% as liberal and 38% as moderate.</p> <p>Poll results show below 50% support for all three measures, with more voters opposed than in favor.</p> <p>Less than a quarter of voters indicated that they were “definitely” going to vote in favor of each initiative.</p> <p>“Even if people may have an initial inclination to think they are favorable to these, they see the major cuts that they would enact are a huge impediment,” Kaushik said.</p> <p>Asked about the hundreds of thousands of voters who signed petitions to qualify the initiatives for the ballot, Kaushik noted, “Just because hundreds of thousands of voters signed petitions, it does not mean they are actually popular.”</p> <p>He went on to say, “I mean if you spend money on paid signature gatherers, you can get signatures. Brian Heywood has spent millions of dollars of his own money to get these initiatives on the ballot. I would not take that as indicative of where the electorate is in Washington more broadly.”</p> <p>Heywood is a hedge fund executive who bankrolled the ballot initiatives via voter advocacy group Let’s Go Washington.</p> <p>Earlier this week, Heywood told The Center Square that internal polling shows all three measures are likely to pass.</p> <p>Heywood pointed out that the number of people who opted out of WA Cares, the state’s mandatory long-term care plan, by purchasing their own plan before the deadline to do so is an indication of the plan’s unpopularity.</p> <p>“Five hundred thousand people in Washington got out, and then the state said, ‘Everybody else, you’re stuck in it forever, and you can’t get out,’” he said. “Part of our messaging is to say that’s patently unfair.”</p> <p>That figure doesn’t include the people who signed the petition in favor of I-2124.</p> <p>“You have 420,000 people who signed our initiative saying I want out, too,” Heywood observed.</p> <p>“They can try and defend the thing, and say this replaces long-term care, but it absolutely does not,” he said. “It’s got two or maybe three months of support and then you’re done. So someone who thinks they may need long-term care and now they think I’ve got this state plan that covers it, they’re going to be in for this rude awakening.”</p> <p>Kaushik says despite the promising Defend Washington poll results, nothing is being taken for granted.</p> <p>“We think these measures are really destructive and will have negative impacts on Washington state, and we’re building a broad and growing coalition of opposition against these initiatives,” he said.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</a></strong></p> <p>Hallie Balch, spokesperson for Let’s Go Washington, disagreed.</p> <p>“The opposition can deny the truth all they want, but the reality is that over 800,000 people signed onto these initiatives, and 57% of them were Democrats and independents,” she said.” The reason there’s such broad support is that people are tired of paying for programs that aren’t working. We’re pro-environment, we’re pro-education, and we’re pro-long-term care for seniors – but these programs haven’t done any of those things, yet we’re still paying for them. That’s insane.”</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_21230","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","playlist":"21230"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/iStock-1401415080-1024x683.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Prosecutors charge 6 with faking robberies to get U.S. visas for ‘victims’</title> <link>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3009272/prosecutors-charge-6-with-faking-robberies-to-get-u-s-visas-for-victims/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Brett Rowland | The Center Square]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 13:45:36 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Border Crisis]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Crime]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Immigration]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Law Enforcement]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/?p=3009272</guid> <description><![CDATA[(The Center Square) – Federal prosecutors have charged six people with staging armed robberies to help purported victims get U.S. immigration visas reserved for crime victims. Prosecutors said Parth Nayi, a 26-year-old from Woodridge, Illinois, and Kewon Young, a 31-year-old from Mansfield, Ohio, allegedly organized the scheme from July 2022 through January. Prosecutors said they […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(The Center Square) – Federal prosecutors have charged six people with staging armed robberies to help purported victims get U.S. immigration visas reserved for crime victims.</p> <p>Prosecutors said Parth Nayi, a 26-year-old from Woodridge, Illinois, and Kewon Young, a 31-year-old from Mansfield, Ohio, allegedly organized the scheme from July 2022 through January.</p> <p>Prosecutors said they participated in staged armed robberies at restaurants, coffee shops, liquor stores, and gas stations in Chicago and the suburbs of Lombard, Elmwood Park, St. Charles, Hickory Hills, River Grove, Lake Villa, and South Holland, and restaurants in Rayne, La., and Belvidere, Tenn.</p> <p>The indictment alleges four people paid Nayi thousands of dollars to be purported victims. The four charged were Bhikhabhai Patel, Nilesh Patel, Ravinaben Patel, and Rajnikumar Patel. The arrangement was so that they could submit applications for U nonimmigrant status. Such “U-visas” are set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in an investigation or prosecution, according to the indictment.</p> <p>The indictment alleges that the purported victims paid Nayi thousands of dollars to participate in the scam.</p> <p>During the staged robberies, prosecutors said people acting as robbers brandished what appeared to be firearms, approached the purported victims, and demanded money and property.</p> <p>“At the direction of Nayi and Young, the individuals acting as robbers, on certain occasions, struck purported victims to make the staged robbery appear real,” the indictment stated. “The individuals acting as robbers took items from the purported victims and fled the scene.”</p> <p>Prosecutors said Nayi and Young recruited others to pose as robbers during the staged robberies and provided directions to those people. They also arranged times and places with the purported victims. Nayi and Young paid the pretend robbers with cash from the purported victims, according to the indictment.</p> <p>Afterward, some of the purported victims submitted forms to local law enforcement to obtain certification that they were victims of a qualifying crime and had been or would be helpful in the investigation, according to the indictment. After getting certification, some of the purported victims then submitted fraudulent U-visa applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.</p> <p>Nayi, 26, of Woodridge, Ill., Young, 31, of Mansfield, Ohio, Bhikhabhai Patel, 51, of Elizabethtown, Ky., Nilesh Patel, 32, of Jackson, Tenn., Ravinaben Patel, 23, of Racine, Wis., and Rajnikumar Patel, 32, of Jacksonville, Fla., were charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud.</p> <p>Ravinaben Patel also was charged with a count of making a false statement in a visa application.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER</a></strong></p> <p>The conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. The false statement charge is punishable by up to ten years.</p> <p>Prosecutors from the Northern District of Illinois charged a Chicago immigration attorney in 2023 with helping clients file immigration forms filled with sham marriages, fake jobs and false accusations of domestic abuse.</p><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting("has-featured-video","true")})}();</script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({"div":"Brid_21230","obj":{"id":"27789","width":"1280","height":"720","stickyDirection":"below","playlist":"21230"}});</script><script defer src="https://services.brid.tv/player/build/brid.min.js"></script>]]></content:encoded> <media:content url="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/istock-police-siren-1024x591.jpg" medium="image" /> </item> </channel></rss> <!-- plugin=object-cache-pro client=phpredis metric#hits=6771 metric#misses=136 metric#hit-ratio=98.0 metric#bytes=2841917 metric#prefetches=0 metric#store-reads=259 metric#store-writes=155 metric#store-hits=255 metric#store-misses=127 metric#sql-queries=55 metric#ms-total=8035.93 metric#ms-cache=25.86 metric#ms-cache-avg=0.0626 metric#ms-cache-ratio=0.3 --> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
Download the "valid RSS" banner.
Upload the image to your own server. (This step is important. Please do not link directly to the image on this server.)
Add this HTML to your page (change the image src attribute if necessary):
If you would like to create a text link instead, here is the URL you can use:
http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=https%3A//www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/
