Walz faces new accusation of misrepresenting himself in blistering unearthed letter
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is facing another accusation of misrepresenting his background after a Nebraska Chamber of Commerce letter from 2006 resurfaced amid Walz’s campaign for vice president.
When Walz first ran for Congress in Minnesota, he touted on his campaign website that he received an award from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce in 1993 for his work with the business community, according to a 2006 article from the Post Bulletin.
He never received such an award, however, which was outlined to him in a blistering letter from the then-president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, Barry L. Kennedy.
“We researched this matter and can confirm that you have not been the recipient of any award from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce,” the letter addressed to Walz on Nov. 1, 2006, reads.
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“I am not going to draw a conclusion about your intentions by including this line in your biography. However, we respectfully request that you remove any reference to our organization as it could be considered an endorsement of your candidacy. It should be pointed out, however, that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has endorsed your opponent, Congressman Gil Gutknecht, for his support of small business issues,” Kennedy continued.
The letter was unearthed by Minnesota outlet Alpha News last week, after the controversy gained traction locally in 2006.
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The Post Bulletin, a Minnesota newspaper based in Rochester, reported in 2006 that Walz’s congressional campaign updated its website to reflect Walz did not win a Nebraska Chamber of Commerce award, but had won an award from the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce, known as the Jaycees. The then-campaign manager passed off the issue as a “typographical error,” the outlet reported at the time.
When approached by Fox Digital about the 2006 controversy, the Harris-Walz campaign said Walz frequently speaks “openly and off the cuff.”
“Governor Walz speaks the way real people speak – openly and off the cuff. The American people appreciate that Gov. Walz tells it like it is and doesn’t talk like a politician, and they appreciate the difference between someone who occasionally misspeaks and a pathological liar like Donald Trump,” the campaign said.
The claim follows a long history of people accusing Walz of misrepresenting himself and his history, most notably a bevy of veterans accusing the Gopher State Democrat of misrepresenting his military career.
Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard before retiring in 2005, when he launched a successful congressional campaign and served as a member of the U.S. House representing Minnesota from 2007 until 2019.
Following Vice President Kamala Harris naming him as her running mate, Walz has been slammed by a number of veterans for allegedly misrepresenting his service in the military, including identifying himself to the public as a retired “Command Sergeant Major.”
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Walz was promoted to the command sergeant major rank following a deployment to Italy in 2004, but he did not complete coursework with the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy to retain the rank in retirement. Walz instead retired as a master sergeant, one pay grade below command sergeant major.
“For 20 years, they let this guy go by with a lie that he deployed to Iraq, which he didn’t, and that he retired as a command sergeant major, which he did not. I mean, that’s just blatant lies,” Republican Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain, told The New York Post this month of Walz.
The battalion commander of Walz’s former Minnesota Army National Guard unit also issued a scathing message to Harris’ running mate earlier this month regarding him portraying himself as a “retired Command Sergeant Major.”
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“He did not earn the rank or successfully complete any assignment as an E9,” John Kolb, who served as a lieutenant colonel of the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery from 2005 to 2007, wrote in a social media post this month. “It is an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps that he continues to glom onto the title. I can sit in the cockpit of an airplane, it does not make me a pilot. Similarly, when the demands of service and leadership at the highest level got real, he chose another path.”
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The “retired Command Sergeant Major” rank was promoted by the Harris campaign until earlier this month, when it changed Walz’s biography on the campaign’s website to read that he “served as a command sergeant major.”
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Record number of Americans rip up their home deals with two issues to blame
A record 60,000 Americans have ripped up their home deals in July, citing high prices and fears about the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
While existing home sales rose slightly last month, they were still the lowest July level on record, according to a new report from real estate brokerage Redfin.
“Sales of existing homes rose 0.6% month over month in July but fell 2% year over year—to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4,094,991. That’s the lowest July level in records dating back to 2012,” Redfin’s Lily Katz wrote.
The technology-powered real estate firm noted pending sales also fell to the lowest level of any month on record aside from April 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first impeded transactions and the supply chain.
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While the average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage has dropped to 6.49%, down from its 7.22% peak in May, many homebuyers are waiting to see if rates drop further. Homebuyers are also concerned about home prices, which still sit near their record high.
Redfin found that the median sale price of a home increased 4.1% year over year in July to $439,170.
Nicole Stewart, a Redfin real estate agent based out of Boise, Idaho, said homebuyers have also expressed concern about the November election.
“A lot of people are also concerned about the political climate. They can afford to buy but have been holding off because it’s unclear where the country will be in six months. Though in reality, who is in the Oval Office probably won’t have much of an impact on the housing market,” she said.
HOME PRICES ARE FINALLY STARTING TO FALL – AND THEY DROPPED THE MOST IN THESE 3 CITIES
The 60,000 home purchase agreements canceled in July equal 16% of all homes under contract.
The good news is that the supply of homes rose a whopping 14% last month. Redfin suggested this will give buyers more options and further room to negotiate.
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Biden-Harris admin playing woke games with NASA, risking national security, scientists say
The Biden-Harris administration has been conditioning funding at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to advance research in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine (STEMM) on “diversity statements” and equity requirements in what academics are calling a “politicized litmus test.”
From day one, the Biden-Harris administration announced it would overhaul every single agency with the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). It ensured there were DEI bureaucracies in place to impose its agendas regularly.
Not only did the DEI mission affect training, internal policies and hiring, but how federal agencies selectively funded and advanced scientific research, according to academics who spoke to Fox News Digital. They added that the DEI mandates are a risk to national security as it depletes America’s competitive edge against adversaries.
“This is a very, very bad idea. It’s corrupt, and it is corrupting,” Princeton professor Robert George told Fox News Digital, adding the DEI agenda “came on like gangbusters.”
“Our science has to be the best in the world,” he said. “If we are not in a position to defend ourselves and to deter that kind of aggression [from adversaries], we’re going to be very, very badly harmed. Our people are going to be very, very badly harmed.”
Those inclusion plans would then be scored, according to NASA’s Amanda L. Nahm, a program officer in the Planetary Science Division. She said that proposals which do not have the “inclusion” agenda will not be considered because they are “non-compliant proposals.”
When asked about the consequences of filling out a statement of refusal, she said, “it would not be reviewed well,” but then added that it wouldn’t affect the scientist’s merits of being given funds.
“At their core, inclusion plans are designed to raise awareness of barriers to creating and sustaining positive, inclusive working environments and to get proposers actively thinking about ways to foster inclusive practices for their research teams,” Nahm said.
A slidedeck of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD), reviewed by Fox News Digital, stressed that “Inclusion is a core NASA value and SMD is committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive community.”
The DEI-inspired statements required scientists to “address ways in which the investigation team will work to attenuate or reduce these barriers.”
It also recommended they hire diversity consultants to “advise the team on the proposed… activities (consider paying them well, too!).”
Renowned chemist Anna Krylovat of the University of Southern California told Fox News Digital, “It’s not cultural war. It’s a war for our future. Unless we divorce this practice, the consequences for everyone will be very grim.”
Krylovat hails from Soviet Russia and attributes the communist country losing the Cold War to its politicizing science. For example, researchers would be forced to join communist clubs and to haveperfectly clean allegiance to [the] Communist Party” in order to get funded and promoted.
“The consequences ultimately was that Russia ultimately lost the Cold War and is now an economic and technological backwater,” she said. “If you look at how, ineffective Soviet space program was, it’s mind-boggling. It was ineffective because the things were not done by meritocracy.”
In 2021, Biden signed an executive order titled “Equity and Excellence: A Vision to Transform and Enhance the U.S. STEMM Ecosystem.” It promised to radically shift the way STEMM is funded to ensure that “science and technology both includes and benefits all of America.”
“[I]t is a task that requires concerted action. This work is urgent,” the announcement said. “[T]he Nation will seize opportunities for change, and cultivate a STEMM ecosystem that is… more equitable.”
Under this executive order, agencies such as the Department of Energy, NASA and the National Institutes of Health prioritized DEI agendas in place of the scientific merits of the research, according to George and his colleagues. They go as far as alleging the agencies have been playing politics in conditioning the funding.
Professors George and Krylovat as well as other academics signed a letter in July from the Academic Freedom Alliance demanding an end to what they deem DEI screening tests.
NASA was contacted for comment and released a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Inclusion is one of NASA’s core values, to enable the agency to access the wide variety of people, talent, ideas, and resources it needs to successfully accomplish its challenging missions,” the agency said.
It went onto explain that “Some NASA science research opportunities are piloting the addition of a required inclusion plan, to help sustain positive, inclusive working environments on proposal teams and support the full participation and contribution of team members.”
“Inclusion plans are evaluated against established criteria, and feedback is provided to proposers; however, the evaluation of the inclusion plan has no impact on the assessment of the proposal’s scientific merit or the odds of its selection. As part of their inclusion plan, proposers may request funds to hire consultants familiar with inclusion best practices, but this is not a requirement. Inclusion plans do not address the diversity or demographic makeup of a team, and such information is not evaluated if included.”
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At the Department of Energy, Krylov said researchers must disclose how their scientific research will advance DEI.
In addition to diversity statements, she said senior investigators feel they face expectations that they will bring on, not the best and brightest, but a team based on equity – race, gender and sexual orientation.
The former dean of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Jeffrey S. Flier, has also spoken out about the “diversity statements” in July, which he deemed “an implicit expectation of expressed allegiance to a politicized litmus test that is, in effect, compelled speech on a controversial issue in violation of academic freedom.”
“DEI has gradually morphed… to promoting increasingly ideological and politicized goals that include participation and outcomes for groups based on criteria such as racial and sexual identity that are proportional to their representation in the population,” he continued. “This approach is neither morally justified nor legal under existing civil rights employment law.”
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Biden’s mandate followed his day-one order to advance racial equity at every agency, which has been derided by critics for softening America’s competitive edge. A review of Department of Defense’s 2022-2023 DEI strategic plan, for example, shows that it promises to ensure “equity” among its vendors.
“DoD will ensure its external relationships, such as those with DoD vendors or community partners, are fair and equitable for all groups, to the extent permitted by law,” the plan said. To help accomplish this, DoD will use a wide array of mechanisms, such as procurement structures and DoD programs, to bolster the representation of underserved communities in the Department’s external endeavors, to the extent permitted by law.”
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Multiple people electrocuted while swimming in backyard pool
Five swimmers in Indiana were electrocuted in what police described as a “freak accident” in a swimming pool Sunday afternoon.
Officers, fire and medical personnel responded to a home in the 2600 block of High St. just after 2:30 p.m. in the town of Logansport, Indiana, police said.
Police said five people – including two adults and three juveniles – were transported to local hospitals for their injuries.
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Medical personnel transported two of the juveniles to different hospitals for further treatment.
A spokesperson for the Logansport Police Department described the incident to Indianapolis’ FOX 59 as a “freak accident.”
Police determined that a wire on a pool pump had been pinched, causing a protective cover to break. The exposed wire made contact with the pool water and shocked the five swimmers, according to the station.
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Logansport is located in Northern Indiana, about a 90-minute drive north of Indianapolis.
15 officers assaulted, 3 people stabbed, and 80 arrested at single festival
At least three people were stabbed during the opening day of the Notting Hill Carnival in London on Sunday, with one still listed in life-threatening condition, according to the city’s police.
The London Metropolitan Police Service said on X it was aware of three stabbings, one of which involved a 32-year-old woman who was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.
Also stabbed was a 29-year-old man and a 24-year-old man, the former of whom was listed in non-life-threatening condition. Police were waiting on the condition of the 24-year-old at the time of the post.
“Hundreds of thousands of people came to Notting Hill Carnival today to enjoy a fantastic celebration. Our officers have been on duty working to keep them safe as part of a very carefully planned policing operation,” the police service said. “Regrettably, a minority came to commit crime and engage in violence.”
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Police said 15 officers were assaulted when things turned violent, though none of the officers sustained serious injuries.
Police made 90 arrests for various offenses.
Ten people were arrested for assaulting emergency workers, 18 for possession of an offensive weapon, four for sexual offenses, one for theft, four for robbery, six for assault, one for public order offense, eight for possession of drugs with distribution intent, and 30 for possession of drugs – four arrests of which were for possession of nitrous oxide.
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Ahead of the carnival, police announced they had been authorized to order the removal of face coverings being used to conceal a person’s identity. Anyone refusing the order, police said, could be arrested.
The Notting Hill Carnival attracts hundreds of thousands of revelers each year, who pack the streets of west London for two days, during one of the world’s biggest celebrations of Caribbean music and culture.
This year, the festivities take place Aug. 25-26.
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The carnival traces its history back to 1958, when Trinidadian human rights activist Claudia Jones began organizing a gathering to unify the community after a series of racist attacks on Black people in the Notting Hill neighborhood.
Launched in 1964 with a few Trinidadian steel bands, it has grown into a huge annual street party involving colorful floats, thousands of calypso dancers in spectacular feathered costumes, almost 20 steel bands and more than two dozen sound systems.
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The carnival returned to the neighborhood’s narrow streets in 2022 after two years when it had to be held online because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Murder-suicide claims 5 as family reportedly met to sell deceased woman’s home
A horrifying murder-suicide on New York’s Long Island left five people dead, and it reportedly happened before a family was set to meet with a realtor to sell a recently deceased woman’s home.
Nassau County police arrived at the home on Wyoming Court in Syosset around noon Sunday – about 30 miles east of New York City.
Responding officers found the gunman outside, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to authorities. They found four more victims dead inside the home.
Police did not immediately identify the victims.
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Mary Macaluso, a local realtor, told the local newspaper Newsday that she was supposed to meet a group of relatives at the address to discuss selling the home after the death of its owner and the family matriarch.
“The kids were all here for the funeral, and they asked me to come to look at the house,” she told the paper. One of the siblings had reportedly asked for the meeting while other relatives were in town from Florida for the funeral.
Fox News Digital could not immediately reach Macaluso for comment Sunday.
Records and an online obituary show Theresa Martha DeLucia, 95, is the home’s most recent resident and was buried last week, Newsday reported.
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The online obituary was no longer visible online as of Sunday evening.
A couple living in the neighborhood told FOX 5 New York the alleged gunman was in his 60s and had recently lost his mother, who was in her 90s.
The couple said the son and mother had been living in the neighborhood for years.
“I didn’t think that… he’d take his whole family, his siblings. I thought maybe he was distraught, and he did this to himself only,” the neighbor told the local station.
“This is really heartbreaking. This is such a quiet little neighborhood they used to call it a bedroom community. It’s shocking,” another neighbor told FOX 5.
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The home had not yet been listed for sale – but real estate website Zillow estimated its value at nearly $900,000.
Other homes nearby have sold for close to $1 million, according to the site.
‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ stars disclose their earnings from TikTok
The entire premise surrounding the upcoming reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” will likely shock you. It involves swinging, and not the kind on the playground. But when you find out how much these women are making through their TikTok deals and partnerships, your jaw might just hit the floor.
The series follows the lives of several influencers, all of whom are Mormon moms, in the aftermath of a swinging sex scandal exposed by self-proclaimed creator of #MomTalk Taylor Frankie Paul.
She shocked the world when she revealed that she and her ex-husband partook in “soft swinging,” an agreement that involved having several partners but not going “all the way.”
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She not only changed her own life but the lives of other women in her community, including Whitney Leavitt and Mayci Neeley, who both star on the new Hulu show. Although both women say they weren’t involved in the swinging scandal, they acknowledged how it affected their paychecks as working influencers, both positively and negatively.
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“If anything, it just gave us more publicity, to be honest with you,” Leavitt told E News! of how the scandal has affected her paychecks.
But Neeley disagrees to some extent.
“It’s kind of a mix, though,” she said. “I threw an event for my business launch that I did on the show, and I had a couple of vendors that almost pulled out because they’re like, ‘Wait, are you in that swinging stuff?’ So, I think reputation-wise [we] took a little bit of a hit, but income-wise I don’t think it really affected us too much.”
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In terms of what they’re raking in, Leavitt says it’s difficult to estimate.
“It’s hard because each year is different. … You could get a really big brand deal, like, ‘Hey, we want to have like a six-month contract with you,’ and then next year you don’t get it at all. It varies drastically.”
“It will vary for people depending on what your specialty is, like fitness and health or beauty,” the soon-to-be mother of three said, “toys or mommy products for your children.”
“Each industry varies. Some pay more than the others,” Neeley added.
Leavitt, who has 2 million followers on TikTok, gave an example of one of her larger deals. She said she was paid $20,000 to promote a sex toy on social media. But that five-figure number isn’t the highest that she or Neeley have seen.
“We both have gotten one – we can’t say what it was – but we’ve gotten a deal that was $75,000 one year,” said Neeley, who has 1.3 million followers on TikTok.
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“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” premieres on Hulu on Sept. 6.
RFK Jr responds to family’s bitter attacks, wife’s discomfort over Trump alliance
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. responded to criticism he has faced from his wife and other members of the Kennedy family on Sunday after endorsing former President Trump.
Kennedy faced questions about the family drama during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream. Bream referenced a letter from Kennedy’s siblings condemning his endorsement on Friday.
“You know, my family is at the center of the Democratic Party. I have members of my family that are working for the Biden administration. Biden has a bust of my father behind him at the Oval Office, and he’s been a family friend for many years,” Kennedy said.
“My family is – I understand that they’re troubled by my decisions. I love my family. I feel like we were raised in a milieu where we were encouraged to debate each other and debate ferociously and passionately about things and still love each other,” he added. “They’re free to take their positions on these issues. There are many, many members of my family working at my campaign and who are supporting me.”
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“I think we all need to be able to disagree with each other and still love each other,” he concluded.
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Kennedy had previously noted that his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, has not been totally on board. Hines posted on social media about the decision to withdraw, and Kennedy acknowledged that she was “very uncomfortable” with his decision.
Kennedy’s siblings reiterated their support for Vice President Kamala Harris in a public letter released shortly after Kennedy endorsed Trump, arguing he had “betrayed” their family’s values.
“We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic promise and national pride,” a statement signed by five of the former third-party presidential candidate’s siblings said.
“We believe in Harris and Walz,” the statement continued. “Our brother Bobby’s decision to endorse Trump [Friday] is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story.”
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The statement, signed by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy, was shared by Joe Kennedy III, a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, who wrote that it was “well said.”
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When announcing his endorsement of Trump, RFK Jr. said the Democratic National Committee “waged continued legal war” on both Trump and him. He also accused the DNC of running a “sham primary” that prevented a serious challenge to President Biden before he secured the Democratic nomination and dropped out in July and endorsed Harris.