‘Mistake’ in Biden’s letter to fellow Democrats sparks political debate
A familiar face of America’s past political landscape has criticized Joe Biden’s letter to his party and finds it more “harmful” than helpful for the 46th president.
“I read that letter,” former Nebraska senator, governor and 1992 Democratic presidential candidate Bob Kerrey said on “The Claman Countdown” Monday.
“If I was a Democratic member of Congress, I’d call the White House and say, ‘You made a mistake. You don’t send this letter out to us,’” he continued. “If I question [whether] you can defeat Donald Trump, I’m bad for democracy? It’s blatantly untrue, it’s self-serving and not helpful.”
WHO ADDED MORE TO THE NATIONAL DEBT, BIDEN OR TRUMP?
On Monday morning, President Biden urged his colleagues to stop questioning whether he should end his re-election bid and “move forward as a unified party” in order to defeat former President Donald Trump in their 2024 election rematch.
Biden also reiterated that he’s “firmly committed to staying in this race” and argued that any further questioning of his candidacy “only helps Trump and hurts us.”
The president’s fitness for office has come into question following his rough debate performance a week and a half ago in his first face-to-face showdown with Trump.
Biden’s halting delivery and stumbling answers at the showdown in Atlanta sparked widespread panic in the Democratic Party and a rising tide of public and private calls from within his own party for him to step aside as its 2024 standard-bearer, before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.
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“It sounds to me like he’s decided to stay in no matter what happens, and we’ll find out,” Kerrey reacted. “He said well, you can challenge me in Chicago. Well, there’s no challenger in Chicago. He’s got the delegates all lined up to become the nominee of the Democratic Party.”
“And again, it kind of puts him in a position that I don’t think he wants to be in. He’s told people he’s got to run,” he added, “[so] go campaign, tell people what you’re going to do instead of getting angry that people are telling you that you shouldn’t run, questioning their patriotism when they do.”
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Rescued Israeli hostage takes action against US nonprofit tied to Hamas
EXCLUSIVE – A rescued Israeli hostage is filing a lawsuit Tuesday against a U.S. nonprofit with financial ties to the Hamas operative who reportedly kept him prisoner.
Twenty-two-year-old Almog Meir Jan was held captive by Hamas for nearly 250 days following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack and was found in the home of Abdallah Aljamal, a contributor to the website The Palestine Chronicle who also worked as a spokesman for the Hamas-run labor ministry in Gaza. Aljamal was killed during the IDF’s rescue mission.
The Palestine Chronicle is run by the tax-exempt group, the People Media Project.
Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, were also held captive at his family’s home in Nuseirat, Gaza, according to the Israeli Defense Forces.
HOUSE REPUBLICAN DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST US NONPROFIT WHOSE JOURNALIST HELD ISRAELI HOSTAGES AT GAZA HOME
“Under the leadership of Defendants [editor-in-chief] Ramzy Baroud and [People Media Project governor] John Harvey, Defendant Palestine Chronicle employed Hamas Operative Aljamal and offered him its U.S. platform to write and disseminate Hamas propaganda, ultimately subsidized, through its status as a tax-exempt charitable organization, by U.S. taxpayers,” the court filing reads. “Following the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, while Hamas Operative Aljamal imprisoned Plaintiff, Defendants permitted Hamas Operative Aljamal to use their platform to whitewash Hamas’s crimes and attract international support for its terrorist cause.”
“By providing this platform to Hamas Operative Aljamal and compensating Hamas Operative Aljamal for his propaganda, Defendants aided, abetted, and materially supported both Hamas Operative Aljamal and Hamas itself in their acts of terrorism, including kidnapping and holding Plaintiff hostage for 246 days, in violation of international law,” the suit continued.
ISRAEL DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM AL JAZEERA WHY ‘HAMAS TERRORIST’ ALLEGEDLY WORKED AS A REPORTER
The lawsuit, which will be filed Tuesday in Washington state’s western district court, goes on to claim that the defendants “knowingly and willfully procured and disseminated Hamas propaganda to the Palestine Chronicle’s readers in the United States,” citing reports alleging “at least six Palestine Chronicle writers and contributors have been affiliated with Iranian propaganda outlets.”
It also links Baroud with Aljamal by citing an opinion piece they co-authored in 2019 for Al Jazeera.
“We filed this lawsuit against Palestine Chronicle and its directors because they knowingly supported a Hamas operative who held our client as a hostage in his home. We look forward to seeking justice from the federal court for our client,” Mark Goldfeder, director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center and counsel for Jan, told Fox News Digital.
Fellow counsel Jason Torchinsky added, “Palestine Chronicle needs to be held accountable for its support of the Hamas operative who held our client hostage in Gaza. We filed this suit to seek relief for our client and to help expose the network of Hamas-linked PR fronts operating within the United States.”
The Palestine Chronicle did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment.
BIDEN SPEAKS WITH NETANYAHU ON LATEST HAMAS CEASEFIRE PROPOSAL
Last month, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Biden administration to revoke the People Media Project’s tax-exempt status following Jan’s rescue.
“Obviously, it’s disturbing, but to find out that a journalist, quote unquote, was engaged in the holding of hostages, is deeply troubling. And that’s why myself and my colleagues have called for the 501(c)(3) status, to be revoked, and to make sure that we certainly, as the United States, government and U.S. taxpayers are not giving benefits, in any way, to entities or organizations affiliated with terrorism,” Lawler told Fox News Digital.
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Locals armed with water guns confront visitors, insisting they high-tail it out
Residents of Barcelona took out their frustrations against the increased mass tourism by visiting popular spots around the city this weekend and spraying people with water guns, demanding they go home.
“Enough, let’s put limits on tourism,” was another rallying cry for the thousands of people – around 2,800, according to Catalan News – who turned up on Saturday evening at the city center and started marching around to major tourist hot spots in the city.
Organizers claimed that the protest provided an outlet for the “discomfort that exists in Barcelona” regarding increased mass tourism, which local officials have blamed for higher cost of living and housing, making it difficult for locals to live in the city.
Neighborhood associations, housing activists and ecologists joined the gathering and argued that “enormous negative impacts” to employment, society and the environment have made it “impossible” for locals to live in Barcelona.
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Euronews reported that the organizers have also claimed that the rising number of tourists – around 12 million people a year, many arriving via cruise ship – has also put pressure on health services, waste management and water supplies.
Barcelona’s Mayor Jaume Collboni announced a plan to eliminate all of the city’s roughly 10,000 short-term rentals by 2028, but the housing activists argue that the legislation will pave the way for more hotels instead.
SAFEST DESTINATIONS FOR A SOLO TRAVELER: TOKYO, STOCKHOLM AND OTHER MEMORABLE VACATION SPOTS
Barcelona serves as the latest major European tourist destination to complain about the increased tourism and the wear and tear the city has to bear under such demands.
On the Canary Islands, just off the coast of Africa but owned by Spain, activists have gone on a hunger strike to prevent the building of new hotels, the BBC reported. The organizers abandoned the protest after 20 days, determining that officials had “zero interest” in their well-being, but construction briefly halted due to concerns over environmental breaches.
‘PERSONAL HERITAGE JOURNEYS’ BRING TRAVELERS MUCH CLOSER TO THEIR FAMILY’S STORIES
Residents have urged the government to abandon its plans to expand hotel building across the islands, with slogans reminding them that “people live here” and that they “don’t want to see our island die.”
Florence, Italy, last year announced a ban on new short-term rentals, which it defines as properties that have an occupancy for less than 30 days for any single occupant. Mayor Dario Nardella last year acknowledged the law would face resistance, but he believed it was fully and legally defensible, The Associated Press reported.
2 OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GARDENS IN THE WORLD ARE IN THE US, THE OTHERS SCATTERED ACROSS THE GLOBE
Nardella at the time argued locals had found themselves living in “apartment hotels” as the city saw the total apartments available on Airbnb surging from 6,000 to over 14,000 in just five years. The city would not vacate the 8,000 listings in the city center but would look to convert when possible.
Venice, Italy officials upset locals by introducing a 5 euro “day-tripper” entry fee to the city center, with advocates arguing that the fee does little to disincentivize visitors and simply fills the city coffers while the available supply of apartments remains limited.
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“It is a further advance toward the Venice that we do not want, the ‘museum city,’ a step toward the normalization of this image, which is all the more dangerous the more it enters the international imagination,” Susanna Polloni, from the Venice-based Solidarity Network for Housing, told reporters.
“This measure will help make it even more concretely real,” Polloni continued. “A city empty of residents and soul, given that the tourist monoculture is now devouring everything needed for the life of a city: housing, protected employment, public services, neighborhood shops and crafts.”
Trump drops major hint on his running mate — and timing of announcement
With the Republican National Convention set to kick off in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in less than one week, speculation is soaring regarding whom former President Trump will name as his running mate, and when he’ll make the announcement.
And the former president is giving some hints.
“I’d love to do it during the convention,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
But Trump, in his Monday night interview, added that “my people say that’s a little complicated.”
BIG SWITCH ON ABORTION IN TRUMP-APPROVED GOP PLATFORM IRKS SOME SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE LEADERS
“Probably a little before the convention, but not much. It could even be during the convention that we’d do it,” he reiterated.
As for whom he’ll choose, Fox News’ host Sean Hannity mentioned four names that are generally considered to be on Trump’s short list – Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, JD Vance of Ohio, and Tim Scott of South Carolina, as well as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
“The names that you mentioned, absolutely they’re under consideration,” the former president responded.
LISTEN: WHAT TRUMP TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT HIS RUNNING MATE SEARCH
And he added that “we have a lot of good people. As they call it, we have a great bench in the Republican Party.”
“I haven’t made a final decision, but I have some ideas as to where we’re going,” Trump emphasized.
That’s different from what Trump said last month, during a campaign stop in Philadelphia, when he explained that he had made up his mind about who would be his running mate, but that he hadn’t told that person.
“In my mind, yeah,” Trump said when asked by NBC News if he had decided on his running mate.
When asked if the person he has picked is aware, the former president responded, “No, nobody knows.”
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The former president, in his Fox News interview on Monday, said his running mate would be “a person that can do a fantastic job as president” as well as “somebody that helps you get elected, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Trump, who in May was convicted of 34 felony counts in the first criminal trial in the nation’s history of a former or current president, has appeared to revel in the intrigue and speculation surrounding his decision on naming a vice presidential nominee, as he continues to offer hints.
Multiple sources in Trump’s political orbit who have talked with Fox News have shared various opinions on which contenders are considered the frontrunners. But three names continue to come up – Burgum, Vance and Rubio.
Rubio will team up with Trump on Tuesday evening at a campaign rally at Trump’s Doral golf club near Miami, Florida.
On Saturday the former president will hold a rally near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, not far from the Ohio border. But there’s no word at this time if Vance will join Trump at the campaign event.
Trump’s campaign continues to push back on the rampant speculation.
“Anyone claiming to know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying, unless the person is named Donald J. Trump,” Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes told Fox News.
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Some potential jurors claim they can’t ‘be fair’ in Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ shooting trial
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer kicked off the jury selection process in the Alec Baldwin “Rust” shooting trial by asking a pool of potential jurors if they felt they can’t be impartial about the case.
One potential juror responded, “I have read the case extensively and looked at it and reviewed it and don’t feel I can be fair.”
Another possible member of the jury said they can’t, “due to biases regarding unions.” They also noted they would be very biased towards Baldwin.
Judge Sommer told the potential jurors that the trial would last more than one week, and asked if the timing would cause any undue hardships.
Moments later, Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey and Baldwin’s defense attorney Alex Spiro had a sidebar with the judge and two potential jurors were excused.
Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Fox News Digital’s Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey was allotted 50 minutes to voir dire.
Once Morrissey took over questioning from Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, she focused on asking the potential juror pool about their press coverage consumption, gun ownership and whether they work in the film industry or know anyone who does. Although not every juror is asked each question.
Juror number 52 told Morrissey: “I’m not a big fan of the news.”
Morrissey replied, “That makes two of us.”
A handful of the potential jurors did not own guns and others admitted they want more regulations on firearms.
The prosecution’s questioning came after the judge initially quizzed the potential pool of 70 jurors.
One juror revealed she uses marijuana when asked by Judge Sommer if she suffers from an undue hardship that might affect her ability to sit on the jury.
“We’re talking about whether you can sit on this case for an undue hardship,” Sommer explained.
She replied, “No, if I can take my marijuana.”
“How often do you have to take that?” Sommer questioned.
“Every morning,” the potential juror replied, before adding, “I didn’t take it this morning because I knew I was driving.”
The revelation did not cause the judge to excuse the juror for Alec Baldwin’s shooting trial.
Fox News Digital’s Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
Actor Stephen Baldwin
was spotted entering the courtroom Tuesday ahead of brother Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Stephen, 58, arrived shortly after Alec and his wife Hilaria showed up at the courthouse in a pair of black SUVs for jury selection.
The Baldwin clan appears to be rallying behind Alec, 66, who could go to prison for up to 18 months if convicted at trial. Stephen is one of five Baldwin siblings.
Stephen’s acting career has been quiet recently, but he had a streak of hit films in the ‘90s including “The Usual Suspects,” “Posse” and “8 Seconds.”
Baldwin’s daughter, Hailey Bieber, is pregnant and expecting her first child with husband Justin Bieber.
Alec Baldwin was in the court room as Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer began the jury selection process Tuesday.
A two-hour delay was due to technical issues and heat in the courtroom, and proceedings continued after the court switched rooms.
Judge Sommer told the potential jurors that if chosen, “you will decide whether Mr. Baldwin is guilty or not guilty.”
Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Fox News Digital’s Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
Judge Jeanine Pirro gave insight on Alec Baldwin’s “Rust” trial as jury selection began Tuesday in New Mexico.
Pirro told “America’s Newsroom” that Baldwin’s case began with “an age old problem.”
“First of all, you never speak to the press. You never do interviews when there’s a death involved. I mean, you can call it an accident, but just because it’s an accident doesn’t mean it isn’t a type of homicide,” she said.
“Understand one thing, the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed
— she was charged as the armorer, with involuntary manslaughter. She was convicted. She was convicted and the same experts that they used in that Hannah Gutierrez Reed trial, they will be using in Alec Baldwin’s trial.”
Gutierrez Reed is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence.
Pirro noted there could be a “culture clash” in the court room between Baldwin’s high-end New York lawyers and the small-town prosecutors in Santa Fe.
“The case is significant because it not only represents the death of an individual at a movie set, which is horrific in itself, but it represents the whole issue as to whether or not these kinds of guns, these prop guns, that were supposed to be cold, in other words that didn’t have a live round in them, can be responsible, can be used on a movie set,” Pirro said.
“There should not have been any live rounds anywhere near that set. But we know that there were people who walked off that set, walked off of it because of the danger that was involved in live rounds being shot at that location as well.”
Alec Baldwin could be “a liability” for his own defense, but compromised key evidence could help him beat the case, legal experts tell Fox News Digital.
Lawyer Todd Spodek said the “30 Rock” star could well blow his top — and his defense — if he takes the stand.
“It’s incredibly risky if he testifies,” Spodek told Fox News Digital. “He’s always having outbursts. He’s someone who isn’t in control of his emotions and is extremely volatile.“
Defense attorney Mark Bederow agreed with Spodek and added that prosecutors will seek to tear Baldwin apart for the contradictory accounts of the accident he gave in interviews to the media and police.
“He is in New Mexico, which is a long way from Hollywood and New York,” Bederow noted. “There is a real risk that a New Mexico jury may find him insincere and insufferable.”
Read more about what legal experts believe Alec Baldwin’s next move could be in his “Rust” trial.
Halyna Hutchins was the Ukrainian-born cinematographer who lost her life from the prop gun incident on the set of “Rust.”
She was fatally shot in October 2021 by the prop gun in Alec Baldwin’s hand that unknowingly contained a live round.
Halyna was born in Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, according to her biography. She earned a graduate degree in journalism from Kyiv National University and worked as an investigative journalist in Europe before moving to Los Angeles to pursue her career. Her family, however, remained in Kyiv.
The cinematographer worked on several films before “Rust,” including “Archenemy” (2020) and “The Mad Hatter” (2021).
Halyna’s death had a deep impact on the film industry. After her passing, the American Film Institute tweeted, “As is profoundly true in the art of cinematography, words alone cannot capture the loss of one so dear to the AFI community. At AFI, we pledge to see that Halyna Hutchins will live on in the spirit of all who strive to see their dreams realized in stories well told.”
She also left behind a legacy as a wife and mother. Halyna and her husband, Matthew, had one son, Andros, who was nine years old at the time of her death.
Fox News Digital’s Breana Scheckwitz contributed to this report.
It’s still not clear how a live bullet ended up on the set of “Rust,” but prosecutors argued the film’s armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed unknowingly brought the rounds onto the set – leading to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The armorer was also accused of putting the cast and crew at risk by not enforcing industry safety protocols on the Western set.
Gutierrez Reed was hired as the armorer along with the role of prop assistant by producers of the movie. She had recently completed work on Nicolas Cage’s “The Old Way.”
Hutchins died on set after a gun loaded by Gutierrez Reed discharged. Actor Alec Baldwin had been filming a close-up shot with the gun at the time of the shooting. Gutierrez Reed’s lawyer argued she was not able to focus on her armorer duties due to her two jobs on set.
Gutierrez Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in March. The “Rust” armorer was sentenced to the maximum of 18 months in prison.
Alec Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria, accompanied the “Rust” actor to court Tuesday for the start of his involuntary manslaughter trial.
The pair arrived at the New Mexico courthouse in separate black SUVs. Baldwin stepped out of the second vehicle with his attorney Alex Spiro.
As the “30 Rock” star walked toward the first SUV to meet his wife, he shooed away a reporter with a legal pad who got too close to the vehicle.
Hilaria, donning a tan pantsuit and oversized glasses, stepped out of the first SUV and handed her baby to another woman then followed her husband into the First Judicial District Court where jury selection is slated to get underway Tuesday morning.
Alec and Hilaria recently celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary. The couple has seven children.
The judge overseeing Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter case is Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, a judge in the First Judicial District of New Mexico.
She was appointed to the court in March 2010 by Governor Bill Richardson and was elected that November. She later served as Chief Justice of the 1st Judicial Court for five years, from 2017 to 2022.
Before her appointment by Governor Richardson, Judge Marlowe Sommer served as a child support hearing officer starting in 2008, was a partner and shareholder at the Marlowe Law Firm, and served as an assistant attorney general with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office.
Marlowe Sommer received her law degree from George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School, in 1983.
Judge Marlowe Sommer also ruled in the case against “Rust” armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Fox News Digital’s Lori A. Bashian contributed to this report.
Alec Baldwin
arrived in court Tuesday to begin the jury selection process on the first day of his involuntary manslaughter trial.
Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of Halyna Hutchins.
The cinematographer died Oct. 21, 2021 after a gun Baldwin was holding discharged on the “Rust” film set.
The trial is expected to last through July 19. If convicted, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison.
Alec Baldwin was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter – involuntary manslaughter, negligent use of a firearm, or, in the alternative, involuntary manslaughter without due caution or circumspection – on January 19, 2024.
The actor was originally charged in January 2023, but the involuntary manslaughter charge was dropped in April 2023.
“We look forward to our day in court,” Baldwin’s legal team, Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas, told Fox News Digital in a statement at the time.
The involuntary manslaughter charge stemmed from the on-set death of Halyna Hutchins. The “Rust” cinematographer died after a gun Baldwin was holding discharged. Hutchins and Baldwin had been practicing a close-up shot where the “It’s Complicated” actor had to cross draw a revolver when the gun fired inside a small church on the Bonanza Creek Ranch.
The gun used in the shooting was later destroyed by the FBI during ballistics testing.
Baldwin attempted to use the destruction of evidence to have the case dismissed, but a judge denied the request.
Alec Baldwin, American actor, writer, comedian and film producer, is on trial for the charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Halyna Hutchins that occurred on the set of “Rust” in October 2021.
He is best known for his roles in “The Departed” (2006), “It’s Complicated” (2009), “The Cooler” (2003) and “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992), according to his IMDB profile. He is also recognized for performances on “Saturday Night Live” and his role in the television series “30 Rock.”
As an actor, he has received numerous awards including the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series in 2009 for his role in “30 Rock.” He has won Emmys for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series in 2017 and outstanding lead actor in a comedy series in 2008 and 2009. Alec also won several Golden Globe Awards for best actor.
Alec is married to Hilaria Baldwin and they share seven children. He is also father to Ireland Baldwin from his previous marriage to Kim Basinger.
Baldwin fulfilled several responsibilities on the set of “Rust.”
He not only starred, but was also a producer on the film. It was on this movie set that the gun in his hand went off and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Alec Baldwin is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter.
Fox News Digital’s Breana Scheckwitz contributed to this report.
McDonald’s to temporarily bring back ‘everyone’s favorite sandwich’
The Smoky BLT Quarter Pounder with Cheese is making a temporary comeback at U.S. McDonald’s restaurants.
The entree – described by McDonald’s as “everyone’s favorite sandwich” – will make its “limited time” reappearance beginning on Wednesday, with participating restaurants across the country expected to sell it “while supplies last,” according to the fast-food chain.
MCDONALD’S SAYS VERDICT IS IN: US CUSTOMERS DO NOT LIKE MCPLANT BURGERS
McDonald’s said it will make the Smoky BLT Quarter Pounder with Cheese with a “100% free beef Quarter Pounder patty … two slices of melty American cheese, three half strips of thick cut Applewood Smoked bacon, three fresh Roma tomatoes, shredded lettuce and a special, smoky BLT sauce – all on a toasted sesame seed bun.”
The sandwich will be accompanied on the menu by the Smoky BLT Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese during its limited-time run, the fast-food chain said.
MCDONALD’S USA PRESIDENT TALKS $5 MEAL DEALS: CUSTOMERS ARE ‘REALLY STRETCHED’
McDonald’s previously introduced them as temporary offerings back in November 2022. In that instance, a limited edition Oreo Fudge McFlurry also rolled out at the same time.
From time to time, the fast-food chain adds temporary items to its menu alongside permanent staples like the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets and Egg McMuffin.
Its core menu items bring McDonald’s about $75 billion in global annual food sales, the chain said in early December.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCD | MCDONALD’S CORP. | 247.85 | -3.24 | -1.29% |
McDonald’s is slated to reveal its second-quarter financial results later in the month.
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Elite university cleans house after shocking text exchange exposed
Columbia University has “permanently removed” three staff members after they were caught sending text messages that pushed “ancient antisemitic tropes.”
The messages were allegedly sent during the “Jewish Life on Campus: Past, Present and Future” reunion event on campus, according to FOX 5.
Columbia President Minouche Shafik condemned the messages in a Monday letter to the Columbia community. She said the “unacceptable and deeply upsetting” exchange highlighted the lack of concern regarding negative experiences voiced by Jewish community members.
The university plans to launch a “vigorous program” of antisemitism and antidiscrimination training for faculty and staff in the fall.
JEWISH COLUMBIA STUDENT GROUP CLAIMS ‘ANTISEMITISM IS SHAPESHIFTING’ IN OPEN LETTER
“While this disturbing incident has presented us challenges as a community, Columbia’s leadership team recognizes this as an important moment to implement changes that will build a stronger institution as a result. I know that you all share this commitment,” he wrote.
Dean Josef Sorett, one of the staff members involved in the incident, apologized in his own letter on Monday.
“I am deeply sorry that this happened in a community that I lead and that I was part of any of the exchanges, and I pledge to spearhead the change we need to ensure this never happens again.”
The New York Post reported that Susan Chang-Kim, Matthew Patashnick and Cristen Kromm are the three administrators who have been removed. They have been on leave for the past month.
The incident comes three weeks after a Columbia University task force on campus antisemitism reported a string of disturbing incidents at the Ivy League university, exposing what it characterized as the “harassment of Jewish students” and antisemitic remarks made by professors.
PARENTS WARN OF ‘NIGHTMARE’ CLIMATE ON COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CAMPUS: JEWISH STUDENTS ‘ARE BEING THREATENED’
One professor reportedly told his class to avoid the mainstream media because “it is owned by Jews.”
Task force members who spoke with Israeli publication Haaretz described a pattern of anti-Jewish bias at the Manhattan university, which has been plagued by anti-Israel protests since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre.
Jewish and Israeli students regularly felt “targeted and ostracized” on campus and were often singled out in the classroom, task force members told the paper.
The report also found that professors repeatedly encouraged students to take part in the anti-Israel protests or the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. Some even offered extra credit or conducted classes at the protest site.
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Columbia University did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Angel Reese caught off guard by hot mic moment at WNBA press conference
A Chicago Sky press conference was interrupted by mysterious audio on Sunday night after the team fell to the Seattle Storm, 84-71.
Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon, rookie sensation Angel Reese and starting guard Marina Mabrey were at their desk awaiting questions from reporters when someone appeared to forget to mute their audio.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Video from the press conference showed the trio listening in on an apparent conversation about someone’s “intimate relationship” and their reactions were priceless. Eventually, the person’s audio was muted, but it still appeared to stun Weatherspoon, Reese and Mabrey.
Reese later reacted to the ordeal.
“I was shook,” she wrote on X.
Even as the Sky lost to the Storm, Reese was able to set the record for most consecutive double-doubles by a player. She surpassed Candace Parker’s mark with her 13th. Reese had 17 points and 14 rebounds and is the lone rookie averaging a double-double this year.
2024 WNBA ODDS: ANGEL REESE CHALLENGING CAITLIN CLARK FOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
“I’m just trying to be consistent for my teammates, doing whatever I can to help my team,” Reese said, via EPSN. “I think I didn’t do enough tonight, but just being able to be there for my teammates and knowing that I have a job to do every day no matter if I’m a rookie or a vet.”
Reese and Caitlin Clark are the top candidates for the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.
After Reese tied Parker’s mark, the Sky’s social media account made clear who it believes is the front-runner.
“Record setter. THE front runner,” the team wrote.
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Reese now has 14 double-doubles on the season. According to ESPN, it’s tied for fifth most from a rookie in WNBA history.
Track star known as ‘world’s sexiest athlete’ emotional as she learns Olympic fate
Alica Schmidt, the German track and field competitor who was dubbed the “world’s sexiest athlete,” revealed she made the Olympic team in a video on Friday.
Schmidt appeared to be overcome with emotions as she received the call that she would represent Germany in Paris later this summer. A TikTok video showed her in tears as she got the call.
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“When you get the call that you’ve made the Olympic team,” she screencapped the video.
She captioned a separate post, “Never stop chasing your dreams.”
@alicaschmidt My biggest dream came true 🥺 #teamdeutschland #olympics #paris #parisolympics2024 ♬ Scott Street (Slowed Down) – Phoebe Bridgers
She added a photo of herself on Instagram with the Olympic rings behind her.
“My biggest dream came true!” she wrote.
“In just one month, I will be in Paris, creating memories that will last a lifetime. This thought has been my motivation every single day for several years now, reminding me of why it is important to never give up on my goals and to put in the work.
JESSICA SPRINGSTEEN, DAUGHTER OF ROCK LEGEND BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, SNUBBED FROM PARIS OLYMPICS
“No matter how big your dreams are, if you stay committed and believe in yourself, good things will come your way.
“A big thank you to my family who always have my back and support me no matter what, to @marcello_h without him I wouldn‘t be where I‘m at right now. My coach Sven Buggel for being the mastermind in training, @noir.boutiquegym for pushing my limits in the weights room. Big thank you to my team mates, for making this journey so much more fun!! My medical team who keep me healthy and of course a big thank you to all my sponsors for believing in me and supporting my journey as an athlete. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The 24-year-old qualified for the Olympics as she competed in the mixed 4×400-meter relays in the Bahamas back in May.
Schmidt is an accomplished track athlete on the European circuit. In 2017, she helped the German team to a silver medal in the 4×400 relay at the 2017 European Athletics U20 Championships. Schmidt and her teammates won a bronze medal at the 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships.
The team would finish in sixth place in the 2022 European Championships. She and her team also failed to qualify at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.
She said in 2021 that she was “taking a break” from the sport after failing to medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
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Schmidt was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 member in 2023. She has more than 5 million followers on Instagram and more than 2 million on TikTok.