GOP gov changes the game for how people in his state vote in presidential elections
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is ordering all votes for the 2024 presidential election to be cast by paper ballot.
Youngkin issued Executive Order 35 on Wednesday, which codifies election security protocols established under his governance for all future elections.
“The Virginia model for Election Security works. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue, it’s an American and Virginian issue,” Youngkin said in an announcement. “Every legal vote deserves to be counted without being watered down by illegal votes or inaccurate machines. In Virginia, we don’t play games and our model for election security is working.”
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One of the most notable requirements of the security protocol is the exclusive use of paper ballots with a traceable chain of custody, offering a more concrete record of votes cast than widely-used electronic voting machines.
Other aspects of the Virginia voting security protocol include the use of DMV data to verify voter identity, offline counting machines and more.
“We use 100% paper ballots with a strict chain of custody. We use counting machines, not voting machines, that are tested prior to every election and never connected to the internet. We do not mass mail ballots. We monitor our drop boxes 24/7,” Young said.
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The governor added, “We verify the legal presence and identity of voters using DMV data and other trusted data sources to update our voter rolls daily, not only adding new voters, but scrubbing the lists to remove those that should not be on it, like the deceased, individuals that have moved, and non-citizens that have accidentally or maliciously attempted to register.”
Former President Donald Trump celebrated the codification of Youngkin’s protocols, writing on his proprietary social media platform Truth Social that Virginia is “taking a strong lead in securing the election in November.”
“The beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia, superbly led by Governor Glenn Youngkin, IS TAKING A STRONG LEAD IN SECURING THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER — PROTECTING EVERY LEGAL VOTE AND KEEPING ILLEGAL ALIENS THAT HAVE BEEN LET INTO OUR COUNTRY FROM VOTING. All votes will be on paper ballots and counted safely and fairly, not by machines connected to the internet — A big security risk.”
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“We must work hard to make sure the Election is FAIR and SECURE!!! EVERY STATE SHOULD FOLLOW VIRGINIA’S LEAD,” Trump continued. “We need volunteers to watch the polls – So important. The Election on November 5th will be the MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN OUR COUNTRY’S HISTORY. Thank you Glenn, GREAT JOB!!!”
Election security is a major concern for both political parties heading into this November’s presidential election.
Over the last few elections, both Republicans and Democrats have made various accusations of illegal manipulation of voters.
Fetterman turns to Democrats’ newest buzzword after being repeatedly asked about Shapiro
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., pushed back at MSNBC’s Ali Vitali’s repeated questions regarding his feelings toward Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro following claims he warned Kamala Harris about having Shapiro on the presidential ticket.
Fetterman appeared on MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports” Wednesday to discuss Harris’ recent choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. During the segment, Vitali, a guest host, referenced a past Politico report suggesting he advised the campaign days earlier that Shapiro was too focused on “his own personal ambitions” to be considered.
“So is it true? Did you or your team have concerns about Shapiro that you took to the Harris team?” Vitali asked.
“No, I never directed anyone on my team or anyone to do that. So that’s just not true,” Fetterman answered.
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Vitali followed up, “Did you have any concerns about Shapiro as a possible pick here?”
“No, my [only] issue that ever existed with the current governor has nothing to do with anything that’s been talked about or any kind of public baggage within that article,” Fetterman said, adding his conflict only came from their time on Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons together.
However, Vitali later remarked how during Shapiro’s remarks at a Pennsylvania rally introducing Walz as the VP candidate, Fetterman did not stand or applaud the governor.
“Is this just one of those old political rivalries in the same state or deeper policy issues like ones you reference on sentencing?” Vitali asked.
“If you’d like to ask, you can ask him,” Fetterman replied.
“I’ll ask you both,” Vitali interjected.
“But I thought I was here to talk about, you know, where we’re at now,” Fetterman added.
Vitali then shifted to asking Fetterman to respond to accusations Harris was discouraged from picking Shapiro based on his Jewish heritage and his pro-Israel stance in its war against Hamas.
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“I just don’t understand why we’re talking about a choice that was already made. I was very clear that the vice president is perfectly capable of picking whoever they want. They have effectively unlimited funding. She has access to every Democratic expert, and she made her choice. And that’s where we’re at right now,” Fetterman said.
“And [Walz]’s right on the stage right now in Wisconsin, and why are we talking about this weird stuff? I don’t understand that,” he said.
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Where Harris and Trump stand in new poll as VP sees sudden surge in favorability rating
Vice President Kamala Harris has established a 4-point lead over former President Trump among registered voters, according to a Thursday poll from Marquette Law School.
The poll, conducted from July 24 to Aug. 1, surveyed 879 registered voters from across the country. It advertised a margin of error of 4.1%. The poll found that Harris expanded her lead among likely voters, with Trump trailing 6 points in a 53% to 47% matchup.
Marquette says its likely voters result has a margin of error of 4.7% and was based on a survey of 683 people.
The poll comes as momentum for Harris continues to surge following President Biden’s unprecedented decision to withdraw from the race last month.
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A Wednesday poll from NPR, PBS and Marist found that Harris has a 3-point lead over the former president.
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The poll had found Harris leading Trump 51% to 48%, but clarified that the difference is within the margin of error. Harris has also narrowed Trump’s lead on key issues like the economy.
Both polls had Trump leading Harris on key issues, including illegal immigration and foreign policy issues like Israel’s war in Gaza.
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The Marquette poll showed that 49% of Americans believe Trump would be better for the economy than Harris, with just 37% saying the reverse.
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The surveys come days after a Fox News poll found Trump and Harris deadlocked in Pennsylvania, a key swing state for the presidential election.
The state of the race in the Keystone State is similar to where it was in April, when President Biden and Trump were tied 48%-48%. The survey, released Friday, shows Harris and Trump locked in a tie in Pennsylvania at 49%-49% — barely different from what the final election results were in the state in 2020 (49.85% Biden vs. 48.69% Trump).
Harris’ VP pick’s most ‘bizarre’ remarks flood social media, expose ‘radical’ political career
Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who immediately set social media ablaze as unearthed clips and headlines exposing his “radical” political career went viral.
The Minnesota Democrat, who was being hyped up to Harris by the far-left faction of her party, including lawmakers like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., accompanied Harris during a Philadelphia campaign rally Tuesday evening kicking off their swing state tour across multiple states.
“One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep,” Harris said Tuesday while announcing her VP choice.
Here are five standout remarks by the former lawmaker and potential future vice president, which have been dubbed as “weird” by critics:
“Weird” goes viral
Walz was responsible for an insult that quickly became a viral hit for Democrats across the United States when he described former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance as “weird.”
“These are weird people on the other side, they want to take books away, they want to be in your exam room, that’s what it comes down to,” he said on MSNBC last month. “Don’t get sugarcoating this, these are weird ideas.”
It’s a quip that the Harris campaign has embraced, and appears to have stuck to the Trump campaign, which in turn has aggressively redeployed the attack against Democrats by attacking their “radical” proposals.
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“You know what’s really weird?” Donald Trump Jr. responded. “Soft on crime politicians like Kamala allowing illegal aliens out of prison so they can violently assault Americans.”
Vance took advantage of the label over the weekend during an Atlanta rally and listed off several policy positions Harris has espoused.
Walz has not backed off using “weird” during public speeches, using it again after being announced as Harris’ running mate on Tuesday during a Philadelphia rally.
“These guys are creepy and yes, just weird as hell,” he said.
Socialism = neighborliness
When many people think of socialism, they think of forced redistribution of wealth, sky-high tax rates, or the worst crimes of regimes like the Soviet Union.
However, Walz recently painted socialism in a positive light by associating it with “neighborliness.”
“Don’t ever shy away from our progressive values,” the Minnesota Democrat said on a “White Dudes for Harris” call last week. “One person’s socialism is another person’s neighborliness.”
The clip immediately ignited backlash on social media.
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“Neighborliness killed members of my family,” journalist Karol Markowicz posted on X.
“Walz’s statement that socialism is mere ‘neighborliness’ is a lie that disregards the harsh realities countless families have faced under socialist regimes,” Virginia Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares posted on X.
“Weird,” said Manhattan Institute senior fellow Ilya Shapiro.
“A 30-foot ladder factory”
Walz’s immigration views have been a focus from critics, including his moves to grant driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and his support for sanctuary policies.
But Walz raised eyebrows by suggesting that, should President Trump attempt to build another wall at the southern border, he would launch his own moneymaking scheme.
“He talks about this wall, I always say, let me know how high it is. If it’s 25 feet, then I’ll invest in the 30-foot ladder factory,” he said on CNN. “That’s not how you stop this.”
The Trump campaign, Republican National Committee, and several conservative critics used the soundbite to attack Harris and pointed to her record as “border czar,” which still haunts her tenure as vice president.
“Get off the couch”
Walz appeared to dip his toe in the water of some false claims about Vance on Tuesday, when he talked about his counterpart debating him.
“I can’t wait to debate this guy,” Walz said. “That’s if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up. See what I did there?”
The roar of the crowd, and Harris’ facial expression made it clear they knew to what he was referring to.
VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS NAMES MINNESOTA GOV TIM WALZ AS HER RUNNING MATE
The quip references a false online rumor, debunked by multiple fact checkers, that Vance had claimed in his book “Hillbilly Elegy” to have had sex with a couch.
But despite the repeated debunking, Walz appeared to revel in the false claims and became its most high-profile spreader to date.
Chinese luxury
The New York Post this week unearthed remarks by Walz in 1990 in which he said he praised the living conditions he encountered in China.
“No matter how long I live, I will never be treated that well again,” he told a local outlet.
“They gave me more gifts than I could bring home. It was an excellent experience,” Walz said, adding that he was “treated exceptionally well.”
The remark came in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 and amid continued and still ongoing mass human rights abuses in the communist regime.
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Walz wasn’t the only member of his family to face the wrath of social media with unearthed clips. His wife, Minnesota’s First Lady Gwen Walz, set social media ablaze Tuesday and Wednesday when a clip from one of her 2020 interviews went viral.
“Again we had more sleepless nights during the riots,” Walz’s wife told KSTP in July 2020. “I could smell the burning tires, and that was a very real thing. And I kept the windows open as long as I could because I felt like that was such a touchstone of what was happening.”
The comment was dubbed as “weird” and “bizarre” on social media.
New details on deadly devices found in home of Taylor Swift terror plot suspect
One of the suspects arrested in an alleged plot to attack now-canceled Taylor Swift concerts in Austria this week had chemical substances and technical devices at his home, officials have revealed.
That individual, a 19-year-old Austrian with North Macedonian roots, was “clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels,” Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, the head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, said on Thursday. The suspect quit his job on July 25 and made the statement “that he still had big plans.”
Officials also say investigators found ISIS and Al Qaeda materials at the home of the second suspect linked to the foiled plot – a 17-year-old Austrian with Turkish and Croatian roots, who had broken up with his girlfriend recently.
“He wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made,” Haijawi-Pirchner added, citing a confession officials say the 19-year-old made.
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Swift was set to perform a trio of sold-out shows at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna starting today, drawing an estimated crowd of 170,000. The stadium now sits empty as the shows have been canceled, but London’s Metropolitan Police says a series of Swift concerts scheduled for next week in the United Kingdom will go along as planned.
“The situation surrounding the apparently planned terrorist attack in Vienna was very serious,” Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer wrote on X Wednesday, but added that “the threat was recognized early, combated and a tragedy prevented.
“Many thanks to the emergency services who are currently investigating at full speed. We live in a time in which violent means are being used to attack our western way of life,” he also said. “Islamist terrorism threatens security and freedom in many western countries.”
The 19-year-old had downloaded manuals for bomb making and investigators found homemade explosives, detonators and hydrogen peroxide at his residence in Ternitz, south of Vienna, NBC News quoted Haijawi-Pirchner as saying.d.
Haijawi-Pirchner reportedly added that investigators found videos and screenshots of home laboratories on both suspects’ phones.
No other suspects are being sought after the two were arrested, though a 15-year-old who had been in contact with both suspects was also interrogated by police, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said Thursday in Vienna.
Karner also said the foiled attack was planned for either Thursday or Friday and neither of the two suspects arrested had any tickets to the concerts.
Their names have not been publicly disclosed due to Austrian privacy rules.
Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria’s Interior Ministry, told public broadcaster ORF on Thursday that the 19-year-old suspect had uploaded an oath of allegiance to ISIS on an internet account a few weeks ago.
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The 17-year-old suspect, meanwhile, was arrested by special police forces near the stadium where the concerts were supposed to take place.
He was employed a few days ago by a facility company providing services at the venue during the concerts, The Associated Press cited Austrian security officials as saying. Investigators revealed they found extensive material related to the Islamic State group and Al Qaeda at his home.
Event organizer Barracuda Music shared on Instagram that “we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.”
Swift’s website shared that all tickets will be automatically refunded within the next 10 business days.
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“Taylor Swift, the Eras Tour Vienna shows canceled due to government officials’ confirmation of planned terrorist attack,” Barracuda wrote Wednesday on Instagram. “With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety.”
‘Safest city in America’ now the scene of gruesome murder as chilling details come to light
A 31-year-old man is charged with murder in the “gruesome” killing of his father that has shocked one of the oldest and otherwise safest towns in America.
Steven James Uricchio of Ridgefield, Connecticut, was arrested Saturday and charged with murder after police responded to a domestic violence incident and found his father dead inside the residence. The suspect was held over the weekend on $1.5 million bond and did not enter a plea at his court appearance on Monday, online records show.
The Ridgefield Police Department identified the victim as the suspect’s 83-year-old father, Marc Joel Uricchio. The victim was discovered with his face, abdomen and groin mutilated, and his internal organs were found outside his body, according to a police report obtained by local news outlet The Hour.
Danbury State’s Attorney David Applegate described the crime as “gruesome” at the arraignment hearing, but did not disclose further details, The Hour reported.
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Defense attorney Willie Dow said he has had only “limited” communication with his client and raised concerns about Steven Uricchio’s mental health. Dow reportedly requested that a suicide watch be continued because “there is a significant mental health history” involved in this case.
During the hearing, Uricchio leaned forward and put his head on a table in the courtroom. He refused to rise at the instruction of Superior Court Judge Thomas Saadi. Eventually, court marshals forced him to stand, according to The Hour.
The judge reportedly ordered a competency review to determine whether Uricchio is able to stand trial.
Uricchio is next due in court on Sept. 4.
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Details of the crime as stated in the police report are horrific. Ridgefield police responded to a domestic incident call at Powerderhorn Drive at 1 a.m. Saturday in which the caller stated he hurt his father, according to the police report reviewed by The Hour.
When officers arrived at the house, they discovered Uricchio with his hands in the air wearing a dark blue T-shirt and boxer shorts, police said. Officers instructed Uricchio to step toward them with his arms extended, according to the report.
When Uricchio reached the end of a cement walkway that leads to the front door, officers had the suspect lie on his stomach with his arms stretched out, The Hour reported. Uricchio was frisked for weapons and police observed he was sweating profusely and appeared to have blood on his hands, the report said.
Officers then asked Uricchio what he had done to his father. “I murdered him,” the suspect replied, pausing and then adding, “really, really badly,” according to police.
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Police handcuffed Uricchio and asked him where his father was. The suspect indicated his father was in his upstairs bedroom, according to police.
Officers then entered the home to investigate. According to The Hour, the police report states that officers observed drops of blood on the steps and blood on both sides of the wall. They found a bloodied filet-style knife at the top of the stairs, according to the report.
Marc Uricchio was found in his bedroom, lying on the ground, facing the doorway, police said. The victim had reportedly been mutilated and some of his internal organs found outside his body. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, according to police.
Steven Uricchio was taken into custody and charged with murder.
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The shocking crime was the first homicide reported in Ridgefield since 2003, police Capt. Jeffrey Raines told the News-Times.
Such a killing “shakes the town up,” said Raines. “This is a very safe community.”
Incorporated in 1709, Ridgefield was listed as the No. 1 safest city in America last year by NeighborhoodScout, with a total crime rate of 1.9 per 1,000 residents. The chance of being a victim was reported to be 1 in 510.
Following his arrest, Uricchio told police he had stomach problems because he had taken a quarter of a bottle of Advil earlier.
Uricchio was transported to Danbury Hospital and handcuffed to a hospital bed while medical staff gave him an evaluation, police said.
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The suspect told doctors he was prescribed a medication that he had not taken “in a month or two,” and that he occasionally used cannabis, The Hour reported.
He returned to police custody after his discharge from the hospital.
The Ridgefield Police Department’s Detective Division and Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad are in charge of the investigation.
“We want to reassure everyone that this was an isolated incident and there is no danger to the public,” police said.
Olympic track star carried off on stretcher after terrifying fall in men’s final
Ethiopian track star Lamecha Girma is recovering after a scary scene in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase final where the current world record holder was taken off the track on a stretcher after going down in the final lap of Wednesday’s race.
The 23-year-old Olympian was jostling for third place in the final lap of the race when he attempted to clear a hurdle. His back leg appeared to catch it, causing him to go down hard as the rest of the pack made their way past him.
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Girma laid motionless on the track at Stade de France after appearing to hit the back of his head after clipping the hurdle.
He was tended to by several medics before a neck brace was placed on him. He was then taken off the track on a stretcher.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) provided a positive update on Girma Thursday.
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“We understand he is in good shape and he is okay, he is recovering,” the IOC said in a statement, via Reuters.
Girma was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics defending silver medalist in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase. He is currently the world record holder as well, with a time of 7:52.11 which he set in Paris in 2023.
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Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco won the gold medal, followed by American Kenneth Rooks for the silver and Abraham Kibiwot of Kenya for bronze.
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Camping World does complete opposite when ordered to take down American flag
A major RV retailer is fighting a Northern California county over its right to display a giant American flag.
Camping World RV Sales in San Joaquin County, like many of the company’s other 250 locations, flies a giant American flag over its grounds. That was stopped in April when the county ordered the dealership to remove the flag, citing safety reasons and a lack of permission, according to Fox40.
“Camping World’s flagpole was installed with neither a building permit nor planning approval, therefore they are in conversation with the code enforcement division,” the county said in a statement to the local outlet.
The county feels the flagpole could be dangerous because of its closeness to property lines and the highway. However, Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis disagreed and ordered the flag to be reinstalled at the location on Monday.
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“If we felt like we were putting people in danger or causing any issues with air traffic, which would absolutely not be OK, then I wouldn’t do it,” Lemonis said to FOX40.
Lemonis argued the flagpole was secure and set deeply in the ground. If it were any other flag but the American flag, he would have no problem taking it down while the permit issues were being resolved. However, he feels strongly about keeping the American flag up, no matter what.
“It’s symbolism about how we feel about this country. We have a lot of veterans who work for us, and a lot of veterans who shop with us,” Lemonis told Fox40. “I happen to be an immigrant. I was given the blessing of being able to enter this country and become a citizen, and I’m grateful for it. It’s been part of my life since I was a little child down in Miami, Florida, where we had the largest flag pole in Miami at our car dealership.”
The county said that Camping World has since applied for a building permit for the flagpole, which is under review.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to San Joaquin County and the Camping World CEO for comment but has yet to receive a response.