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A Washington Post piece published last month knocked parents for speaking out against a novel describing oral sex between two ten-year-old boys, despite the book’s author admitting he never intended for his work to be placed in school libraries.

The education piece published online Dec. 22 discussed the controversy of “Lawn Boy,” a novel by Jonathan Evison. Several passages from the book, described by Post reporter Hannah Natanson, depict a pair of ten-year-old boys who “meet in the bushes after a church youth-group gathering, touch each other’s penis, and progress to oral sex.” 

In an interview with the Post, Evison said his book was not meant to be included in school libraries and was surprised to hear that the American Library Association gave “Lawn Boy” an award in 2019 for books written for adults that have “special appeal to young adults.” 

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BROADCASTS SEXUALLY EXPLICIT BOOKS, SOME COVERING ‘PEDOPHILES,’ KINK AND PORNOGRAPHIC IMAGES

The author added that he believes his book was included in school libraries because of the award, and if recommended to middle schoolers or lower, it was likely confused with the children’s book “Lawn Boy,” by Gary Paulsen. 

In the Post education piece, “A mom wrongly said the book showed pedophilia. School libraries banned it,” Natanson said that “misinformation” from parents about the book made it the second-most contested book of 2022. 

Natanson specifically focused on two parents, Brandi Burkman and Stacy Langton, who spoke out at their local school board meetings against the book, and incorrectly claimed that the book depicted sex between an adult male and a young boy. The Post credits the two parents for springboarding the novel to the national spotlight, garnering the attention of politicians and prominent news outlets. 

Langton, speaking with Fox News Digital, acknowledged she was wrong about her pedophilia claim and said that the passages of “Lawn Boy” describing the sexual encounter were confusing, as the tense of the passages consistently shifts between an adult male in the present and his sexual experience as a child.

But, she added that her comments about pedophilia were directed not just at the novel “Lawn Boy,” but also at another book, “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” written by Maia Kobabe. 

Indeed, the viral video of Langton at her Fairfax, Virginia, school board meeting shows her holding up both books while addressing the board. “Gender Queer” does in fact show drawings of a sexual encounter between a man and a young boy and has been removed from numerous school bookshelves. 

PENTAGON’S SCHOOLS INFESTED WITH SHOCKING PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL FOR MILITARY KIDS: ‘TIME TO SEND A D*CK PIC’

The Post piece defending “Lawn Boy” and labeling Langton as a purveyor of “misinformation” makes no mention of the “Gender Queer” memoir. 

Langston also took issue with the Post article characterizing parents’ objections to sex acts depicted in a book like “Lawn Boy” as unjustified “panic,” and said that calling parent protests “misinformation” does a disservice to those who stand up to protect kids from sexualization in school libraries. 

“I brought two books to the podium that day: one has sex between two little boys, one has an illustration of sex between a man and a boy, i.e. pedophilia,” Langton added. “Splitting hairs over which type of sex we are talking about in an effort to minimize the horror of pedophilia just shows the Post’s left-leaning bias, in the same vein as corporate media referring to pedophiles as ‘minor-attracted persons.'”

The Washington Post and the article’s writer did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request to comment on Langton’s criticism of the piece and why the book “Gender Queer” was not mentioned. 

Natanson has previously written about the sexual imagery found in “Gender Queer” in September 2021. 

NONPROFIT PARTNERED WITH AFT PROVIDES BOOKS WITH SEX IMAGERY, DRAG QUEENS AND GENDER IDEOLOGY TO K-12 TEACHERS

In the piece, “Fairfax school system pulls two books from libraries after complaints over sexual content,” the writer describes a page from the graphic novel which shows “a sexual fantasy of the author’s — in which an apparently teenage youth is about to engage in fellatio with an older, bearded man — that the book states was based on Plato’s ‘Symposium.” 

The writer further notes that the philosophical text “Symposium” details speeches on love, including an argument that “heavenly love” can only occur between a man and a boy.

The author of “Gender Queer,” Kobabe has said that the image in her book is based on an ancient Greek pottery cup of a “courting scene” on display in England. 

Concerned parents had spoken up at Fairfax County School Board meetings to protest the “Lawn Boy” and “Gender Queer’s” presence in school libraries, but the school district reinstated the books after two committees ruled that they do not contain pedophilia or obscene material.

KIRK CAMERON IS DENIED STORY-HOUR SLOT BY PUBLIC LIBRARIES FOR HIS NEW FAITH-BASED KIDS BOOK

Fairfax County Public Schools restored the books in the library after a committee review, which concluded that neither book contains pedophilia. 

In January 2022, nearby Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) removed “Gender Queer,” with then-superintendent Scott Zielger asserting that the “pictorial depictions” found in the book “ran counter” to what is school appropriate.

“I read every book that is submitted for my review in its entirety. I am not generally in favor of removing books from the library,” Zielger told the Post.

The Post was previously criticized for publishing a glowing review of a “play about pedophiles” that critics believe downplays sexual abuse and attempts to normalize pedophilia. 

The piece by Washington Post chief drama critic Peter Marks, “‘Downstate’ is a play about pedophiles. It’s also brilliant,” was first published on Nov. 23. 

The Post drama critic noted that “the predators who’ve completed their prison terms are depicted not as monsters but rather as complicated, troubled souls,” and wrote that the audience will learn what each pedophile has done. He also wrote that the “most disagreeable character” is one of the victims of pedophilia. 

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In law enforcement, our most fundamental duty is to ensure people can live free from fear—a task that has become more challenging over the past few years. FBI crime statistics released in October showed that in 2021, for the second year in a row, violent crime remained at alarmingly high levels. From conversations I routinely have with police chiefs and sheriffs every week, those violent crime trends have continued throughout 2022.

The top concern I hear from local law enforcement leaders is gang and gun violence — whether it’s gangs terrorizing a community, juveniles graduating from carjackings to even worse violence, or traffickers moving drugs through a neighborhood and inundating it with crime. Even major corporations are seeing the same thing and are having to make difficult decisions about where they operate.

While the specific drivers can be as varied and diverse as the communities we serve, in far too many instances, we’re seeing repeat or dangerous offenders end up back on the streets. For hardworking law enforcement officers, the only thing more frustrating than having to arrest a violent criminal who should be behind bars is having to arrest that same person over and over again.

The men and women of law enforcement are working tirelessly to tackle the threat. In 2022, across the nation, the FBI with our partners arrested more than 20,000 violent criminals and child predators – an average of 55 per day, every day. In the process, we seized more than 9,600 guns from those criminals, cut into the capabilities of 3,500 gangs and violent criminal enterprises and completely dismantled 370 more – arresting their leadership and seizing their assets.

US MURDER RATE CONTINUED GRIM CLIMB IN 2021, NEW FBI ESTIMATES SHOW

These efforts and others like them are making a real difference in communities plagued by violence and drugs, but the numbers and our lived experiences make clear there’s a lot more work to do. And at the FBI, we’re committed to working with our state and local partners to leverage our resources to combat these stubborn rates of homicides, carjackings and non-fatal shootings.

The answer is, of course, not to cut resources from over-worked, under-resourced departments. As it is, police departments and sheriffs’ offices across the country are struggling to recruit officers to replace those they’ve lost in recent years to a wave of retirements and resignations. Policing is already a tough job, and it’s even tougher when departments with fewer hands to do the work have to make hard decisions about how to prioritize their limited resources. On top of that, the job is becoming more and more dangerous at a time when officers are being called to take on increasingly complex challenges. In 2022, an average of one brave law enforcement officer was feloniously killed in the line of duty nearly every six days, marking the third-highest total in more than 20 years.

For our part, the FBI is working shoulder-to-shoulder with our state and local law enforcement partners through more than 300 violent crime task forces made up of close to 3,000 members. Through these task forces, we’ve built a strong and resilient ship capable of sailing through any storm. We’re using intelligence to drive proactive investigations to identify and target the most violent offenders. And we’re working to build capacity and deploy additional resources to some of the hardest-hit cities where that support is most needed.

Based on past successes in lowering violent crime, we know what works. It takes law enforcement agencies sharing intelligence and resources to dismantle the worst gangs and take — and keep — the most violent offenders off the streets. It means steering young offenders away from violence before they move on to more serious offenses. And it requires law enforcement agencies to better engage with the communities we serve to earn their trust and cooperation.

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We have to develop new ways to meet the long-term challenge of recruiting more of the everyday heroes who keep us all safe. Today’s tight labor market certainly contributes to police recruiting challenges, but what I often hear is that a bigger issue is a sense among rank-and-file cops that too many in our society no longer respect their work.

Law enforcement requires extraordinary citizens who are willing to put their lives on the line for a total stranger every day. And it’s more than a profession; it’s a calling. I urge our workforce all the time to do their best to block out the noise and stay focused on the mission—the people we do the work for and the people we do the work with. But on top of that, if we’re going to continue to attract dedicated public servants to this calling, we all need to be more outspoken in our support of the brave men and women who sacrifice so much to keep others safe.

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The new omicron subvariant, known as XBB.1.5, is spreading like wildfire across the U.S.

As colder weather brings in peak COVID infections, this novel mutation is beginning to worry health professionals.

So, what are some of the unique features of the strain that is now gripping swaths of the country?

THE NEW OMICRON SUBVARIANT XBB.1.5: WHAT YOU MUST KNOW NOW

First, this subvariant is immuno-evasive. It’s not as susceptible to natural immunity or vaccines — and it is very contagious, health professionals say. 

In a phone interview with Fox News Digital, Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel explained that there are actually two subvariants at play: XBB and XBB.1.5.

XBB.1.5 is more contagious, said Dr. Siegel, who is also a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

It’s more contagious due to its ability to grip tightly onto a host, he explained.

“The spike proteins are like suction cups,” he said. 

“So, the more it can get a grip … the more easily it transmits from cell to cell,” he added.

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Both XBB subvariants are “highly contagious,” Siegel added, since each omicron variant is “out-competing its predecessor.”

Dr. Shad Fani Marvasti, associate professor and director of public health and prevention at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, told Fox News Digital that each new strain develops with the intention of overshadowing those that went before it.

“Viruses always want to be more and more transmissible and infect more hosts,” he said.

In some cases, there’s a “trade-off” between mutations, in which some may become more transmissible but less virulent in terms of the health impact, Marvasti also said.

This is the hope for omicron and its developing variants, such as the “sticky” XBB, he noted.

‘GREAT CONCERN’: INVASIVE GROUP A STREP CASES SPIKING IN SOME PARTS OF US — CDC IS INVESTIGATING

He said he hopes that “we start seeing [the variants becoming] less severe,” he said. 

“And that can be both a function of the evolution of the virus … and also the fact that more people have been exposed to the virus through either vaccination boosters or previous infections,” he said.

Dr. Siegel added that so far there’s “no evidence” that XBB is more virulent.

“If it’s spreading like wildfire and it’s not killing more people, that means it’s less virulent,” he said. “But we don’t know the reason for that.”

Currently, XBB.1.5 accounts for almost 41% of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the country, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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The XBB mutation has picked up speed, jumping from just 21% of COVID-19 cases on Christmas Eve, the CDC noted.

During the last week of December 2022, XBB.1.5 made up 75.3% of COVID-19 cases in northeastern states.

Those states include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, the CDC said.

Even though XBB numbers are currently lower in western parts of the country, Dr. Marvasti of Arizona stressed there’s no doubt the subvariant will catch on just about everywhere else.

“It’s definitely the majority of cases in the Northeast, and we expect that to be for the whole country,” he said.

“In Arizona, my expectation is that it’s going to climb pretty quickly, especially since we have a lot of winter visitors here this time of year, and we’re going to have more folks with the Phoenix Open and the Super Bowl,” he also said. (The Phoenix Open golf tournament takes place Feb. 6-12, 2023; the Super Bowl is Feb. 12, 2023.) 

“It’s going to increase in the coming weeks no matter what level it’s at right now,” he added.

Although it’s still too soon to tell how the new strain will impact hospitalization and death rates, neither Siegel nor Marvasti is expecting a steep increase.

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Marvasti noted that hospitalizations have been less of an issue since omicron’s appearance.

This is because omicron variants are known for attacking the upper respiratory tract — the nose and sinuses — instead of the lower respiratory tract in the lungs, he said.

“Which is one of the reasons why you see less people on ventilators,” he explained.

Both experts stressed that even though symptoms may be less severe, people who are at high risk or immunocompromised should continue taking appropriate steps toward prevention, including wearing masks and getting vaccinated.

While keeping up with vaccinations is important, Siegel said, he added that these constantly emerging variants question the efficacy of current vaccines on the market.

The XBB’s immuno-evasive properties are “bothering” health experts the most, he noted.

At a recent news briefing, Harvard Medical School assistant professor of medicine Kathryn Stephenson said that even though the original COVID vaccines may have lost some of their punch against new variants, they’re still holding up well against severe illness and death.

One possible solution could be incorporating Omicron-updated boosters to further enhance protection, she said.

This would require more research and funding into “better” vaccines such as inhaled vaccinations, said Dr. Siegel.

“My philosophy toward protection from this virus is the more immunity you have, the better,” he said.

In an effort for everyone to stay healthy, Dr. Marvasti encouraged practicing other ways to boost immunity, including getting enough sleep, managing stress, reducing inflammation, eating healthier, taking probiotics, staying hydrated and exercising.

“People should recognize that there are a lot of things you can do to help boost immunity and improve your ability to fight off infections including COVID,” he said.

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Those who’ve come down with either XBB subvariant can continue treating it as they would any other coronavirus case.

Siegel also recommended the prescription medication Paxlovid as a treatment in some cases, under the guidance of a doctor. 

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The British royal family is bracing for impact as its “spare” gears up to unleash another series of tell-alls.

Prince Harry is speaking out again in two upcoming TV interviews to coincide with the release of his memoir, “Spare,” hitting bookshelves on Jan. 10. Both U.K.’s ITV and CBS News’ “60 Minutes” have shared portions of their sit-downs with the Duke of Sussex, which are both airing on Sunday. In them, the 38-year-old continues to air his grievances against the monarchy.

The father of two and his wife, Meghan Markle, announced in 2020 that they were stepping back as senior members of the British royal family. In 2021, they spoke about their decision to leave with Oprah Winfrey in an interview that was viewed by nearly 50 million people globally.

Last month, Netflix released “Harry & Meghan,” a six-part series that also detailed the couple’s experiences leading to their decision to make a new start in the U.S. The couple previously shared on their Archewell Productions website that their goal was “to produce programming that informs, elevates, and inspires.”

PRINCE HARRY STATES HE WANTS HIS FATHER AND BROTHER ‘BACK,’ ALLEGES PLANTING OF STORIES IN UPCOMING INTERVIEWS

Kinsey Schofield, a royal expert and host of the “To Di For Daily” podcast, told Fox News Digital that there is a good reason why Buckingham Palace has not released a statement defending itself.

“The royal family is bracing for negative headlines, but they have survived much worse,” she explained. “They are confident that this is only temporary, and their team gets the sense that people are very much over this storyline. If the royal family responds, then it keeps Harry and Meghan’s drama going… If they remain quiet and Harry and Meghan keep beating the same drum, people will grow increasingly tired of this very shallow storyline.”

“Harry and Meghan are an inconvenience to the royal family, but they are not a dominant focus,” she shared. “The more distance the family places between the Sussexes and themselves, Harry and Meghan’s royal brand begins to fail. Then all we are left with is reality stars.”

In the Netflix documentary, Harry was scathing about how the royal press team worked and spoke about how his relationship with his older brother Prince William, as well as the rest of the royal household, broke down. Markle described wanting to end her life as she struggled to cope with toxic U.K. press coverage.

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Markle, 41, a former American actress who starred in the legal drama “Suits,” became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince in 2018. The couple now resides in Montecito, California with their son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 1.

Royal commentator Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that it is unlikely Buckingham Palace will feed into Harry’s latest press tour by offering a statement. Instead, she suspects the royal family will continue to keep calm and carry on.

“As Harry well knows, the royal family don’t speak freely about their feelings, and nor is he,” said Fordwich. “The operative word here is ‘freely.’ Literally and figuratively, Harry has sold his soul as he was paid by Netflix to bear his soul. Since the royal family will not be speaking freely, and haven’t sold their souls, we can gather from many that they are ‘completely exhausted’ and ‘weary’ with the misinformation from Harry. Historically and culturally the British tend to let actions speak louder than words. King Charles inviting them to the coronation shows that they are ‘keeping calm and carrying on.’ That infamous motto was a way of life for Brits during The Blitz because… it’s what is expected of the royal family by the British public and the Commonwealth at large.”

“Another way we can witness their feelings via their actions is to look at what [the royals did] during the Christmas season,” Fordwich pointed out. “They continued to serve the British public via [Kate Middleton’s] caroling service, their many walkabouts and events supporting a variety of charities. Everything was focused on others in need, not on themselves. This speaks volumes about their feelings. It is indeed business as usual – the business of serving the public as the royals do.”

PRINCE HARRY SHOULD BE STRIPPED OF ROYAL TITLE AFTER NETFLIX SERIES, ALMOST HALF OF THE BRITISH PUBLIC SAYS

Royal commentator Neil Sean chimed that Harry’s latest interviews are “simply dire drivel that we are all tired of now.”

“[His publishers] must be wondering what on Earth have they risked all that money on,” he said. “[The Sussexes] gave the best stuff loosely speaking to Oprah, so the royals will have nothing to worry about here.”

In clips released by ITV on Monday, Harry admitted he wants to have his father and brother back. The Duke of Sussex was also shown saying that “they feel as though it is better to keep us somehow as the villains” and that “they have shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile” — though it was not clear who he was referring to.

The prince added he wanted “a family, not an institution.”

PRINCE HARRY PLEDGED TO SUPPORT PRINCE WILLIAM BEFORE THEIR FEUD, AUTHOR CLAIMS: ‘THEY WERE INSEPARABLE’

Bestselling author Christopher Andersen, who has recently written a book about King Charles III, told Fox News Digital that Harry will continue to speak out against the palace in hopes of finally being heard. That, he said, should make the palace concerned.

“There’s no doubt that in [his memoir] ‘Spare,’ Harry will once again aim for the palace in general, and by extension at the king and Prince William,” said Andersen. “Harry and Meghan see themselves as waging a public relations war with the palace, and Harry’s memoir is a major offensive weapon in that war. Whether it explodes like the Oprah interview or fizzles like their Netflix documentary, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

“By chumming the waters with his ITV and ‘60 Minutes’ interviews, Harry is making it crystal clear that he will do whatever it takes for his book to make an impact,” Andersen noted. “So far it doesn’t seem as if Harry is pulling any punches. If I were a king less than five months from his coronation, I’d be worried… Publicly, King Charles has done a remarkable job of maintaining a stiff upper lip. [But] I’m sure it’s already started to tremble.”

“This isn’t easy for the royal family,” he continued. “The constant sniping from Montecito is far more than just a nuisance. At a time when the monarchy is at its most vulnerable, every hit from Harry and Meghan takes its toll, chipping away at the foundation of the institution itself. Charles, more than anyone, worries that by the time the crown is placed on his head, it will be battered and dented beyond repair.”

MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY ‘LACK SUBSTANCE AND DETAIL’; DUCHESS ‘NOT THRILLED’ WITH FINAL NETFLIX EDIT

Since he departed from the U.K., Harry has spoken about his estrangement from his father, 74, and elder brother, who is the heir to the throne. True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen previously told Fox News Digital that the relationship between William, 40, and Harry is at “an all-time low.” Andersen suspected it will only continue to worsen as William “famously holds grudges.”

“The royal family is holding its collective breath… and with good reason,” Andersen explained. “It appears that Harry and Meghan are hellbent on portraying themselves as the hapless victims of a heartless, soul-crushing system that was intended from the very beginning from denying them even the smallest chance at being happy… Can you imagine how Charles and William feel? In the wake of the queen’s death, they are now struggling to keep the thousand-year-old British monarchy – one of the world’s oldest and most revered institutions – afloat. From their perspective, it seems that all Harry and Meghan are trying to do is sink it. Ever since they packed their bags and left, Harry and Meghan have been lobbing one grenade after another over palace walls.”

Multiple sources have told Andersen that Harry is hoping for an apology from the palace. However, it is likely he will be doing plenty of waiting. Andersen wondered if it was time for the king to consider whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should keep their royal titles after all.

“William’s silence speaks volumes,” said Andersen. “Both the king and the Prince of Wales have epic tempers, and I shudder to think what is happening right now behind closed doors… It’s impossible to imagine that Harry’s book won’t just be another nail in the coffin of his relationship with the rest of the royals. It might be the final nail in the coffin. If Harry really wants his father and brother back in his life, he has a very peculiar way of showing it.”

THERE’S NO MYSTERY TO MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY. MEET TWO JUVENILES WHO CAN’T DEAL WITH THE REAL WORLD

“Harry has made it clear that he and Meghan offered to relinquish their titles – an offer he said was leaked to the press by the palace,” shared Andersen. “I never would have thought it’s possible, but it’s beginning to look as if the king may take him up on that offer.”

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Republicans who continue to vote against GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy as House speaker defended their past support for the California congressman after they forced the chamber into a seventh round of voting, which is expected to occur Thursday.

McCarthy only captured 201 Republican votes in the first three rounds of voting Wednesday, totaling six overall. Twenty Republicans voted for Florida Republican Byron Donalds, including himself, and Indiana Republican Victoria Spartz voted “present” after previously voting for McCarthy in Tuesday’s three rounds of voting.

House Democrats have remained united behind incoming Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York in all six rounds of voting, with all 212 casting a vote for him.

The House Freedom Caucus nominated Donalds for House speaker during Wednesday’s votes.

MCCARTHY ON TRACK TO LOSE 5TH VOTE FOR HOUSE SPEAKER

“Now, here we are. And for the first time in history, there have been two Black Americans placed into the nomination for speaker of the House,” said Rep.-elect Chip Roy, R-Texas, who nominated Donalds.

Republicans erupted into cheers and rose for a standing ovation after Roy’s remarks. Some Democrats also joined in the standing ovation.

McCarthy came up short even after former President Donald Trump called on House Republicans to back McCarthy and get going with the work of the 118th Congress.

Trump told Fox News Digital that the GOP holdouts are playing a “dangerous game.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence also called on Republicans to support McCarthy, tweeting Wednesday: “Urging Every Republican in [the House GOP] to support my friend, Kevin McCarthy as the next Speaker of the House.”

MCCARTHY LOSES HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP IN 4TH ROUND, SPLITTING VOTES WITH JEFFRIES, DONALDS

Despite the former administration’s pleas, 20 Republicans continued to vote against McCarthy in the sixth round of voting Wednesday afternoon after the House Freedom Caucus nominated Donalds.

Many of the Republicans have previously praised McCarthy’s leadership and even accepted re-election campaign money from McCarthy during last year’s midterm elections. 

Politico and Axios both reported this week that the vast majority of the 20 holdouts received campaign cash in past years from McCarthy’s leadership PAC, the Majority Committee, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, multiple Republican holdouts told Fox News Digital they don’t “engage in pay-to-play politics.”

Past tweets from House Freedom Caucus members also show that a lot can change in two years.

“We need a leader who puts the people over politics and who doesn’t answer to the Squad. That is why I proudly voted for @GOPLeader,” Donalds tweeted on the opening day of the 117th Congress two years ago.

Donalds’ office told Fox News Digital that the congressman “has never been in the anti-Kevin McCarthy club.”

“This is about who can reach 218 votes,” Donalds senior adviser Harrison Fields said. “The Congressman has respect and a good relationship with Mr. McCarthy, but he does not have the votes to get across the finish line. After six rounds of voting, how much longer will we do the same thing again before looking for alternatives?”

“The nomination humbles the Congressman, but his main focus is securing the votes for a solid conservative that can get the votes necessary to prevail,” he added. “Whether that is the Congressman, Mr. McCarthy, or someone else, we have to land this plane.”

Republican Rep.-elect Andy Biggs of Arizona also tweeted two years ago after McCarthy’s opening day speech: “Over the next two years, few Members of Congress will be more integral to fighting the Democrats’ radical efforts to transform America into a socialist utopia than @GOPLeader. Yesterday, he blistered Pelosi & House Dems – a must-watch speech for every freedom-loving American.” He also previously thanked McCarthy for his “leadership” in supporting his motion to censure Rep. Adam Schiff of California.

Biggs’ communications director Matthew Tragesser explained that the congressman’s tweet about McCarthy’s speech did not constitute an endorsement.

“Congressman Biggs believed that specific speech in 2021 warranted praise but the Tweet does not equate to a 2023 House Speaker endorsement for Kevin McCarthy,” Tragesser told Fox News Digital. “Congressman Biggs did receive campaign funds from McCarthy’s leadership PAC, but again, that does not translate to an automatic 2023 House Speaker endorsement. Congressman Biggs does not believe in or engage in pay-to-play politics.”

In November 2021, Rep.-elect Dan Bishop tweeted three muscle arm emojis to McCarthy following the leader’s 8.5-hour-long speech against the Build Back Better Act, adding, “We need to keep holding the line and fighting for the American people.” He also said McCarthy was “right” on multiple issues that have been raised by the Republican base, including opposing defunding the police and securing the border.

Bishop communications director Allie McCandless told Fox News Digital that the congressman “has no vendetta against Kevin McCarthy.”

“The tweet you’re referring to was from November 2021, when Congressman Bishop sat on the floor with Kevin McCarthy as he fought against President Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ spending bill,” McCandless said. “He is a strong supporter of any effort to prevent bloated spending bills from passing, and appreciated the fight from Kevin McCarthy.”

“Congressman Bishop has no vendetta against Kevin McCarthy. At this moment, he does not think that he is the right candidate for Speaker,” she added. “Congressman Bishop doesn’t participate in pay-to-play politics. His votes cannot be bought by campaign donations.”

Republican Rep.-elect Andrew Clyde of Georgia praised McCarthy in April 2021 for supporting his legislation.

“I’m glad to stand with @GOPLeader on the Biden Border Crisis,” Clyde tweeted at the time. “My bipartisan bill, H.R. 2076, will help achieve the fourth goal of Leader McCarthy’s plan.” 

Republican Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert thanked McCarthy for his support in August 2020 and received $5,000 from his leadership PAC in July of that year.

“I’m a Young Gun! Thank you to House Republican Leader @GOPLeader and the @NRCC,” she tweeted at the time. “I appreciate all of your support! I am fighting for freedom while crushing the Left’s socialist agenda!”

Clyde’s and Boebert’s offices did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this report.

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Hacking collective Anonymous has accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of acting as “Putin’s puppet” as Serbia stirs up conflict with Kosovo in an act that Russia hopes may distract the West from Ukraine.

“Russia is trying to open a new front in Europe to distract the West,” Ivana Stradner, an adviser to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Barish Center for Media Integrity, told Fox News Digital. 

“Russia does not want to send troops or tanks or jets in the Balkans where Kosovo and Serbia are located,” Stradner said. “What Russia wants to do [is] create chaos inside the region, so the United States and our allies, so we do not pay attention that much to Ukraine and Russia, you know, to be distracted with what’s going on in Kosovo.”

Kosovo last week closed its border with Serbia as the two nations face increasing tensions. Ethnic Serbs had set up barricades at the border to protest the arrest of an ex-policeman suspected of being involved in attacks against ethnic Albanian police officers, France 24 reported.

RUSSIA ADMITS HEAVY CASUALTIES IN UKRAINIAN STRIKE ON OCCUPIED DONETSK REGION; 63 RUSSIAN SOLDIERS KILLED

“Such an illegal blockade has prevented the free movement and circulation of people and goods, therefore we invite our citizens and compatriots to use other border points for circulation,” Kosovo police said in a statement.

Several shooting incidents followed, with attacks on Kosovar police and international peacekeepers. Serbian armed forces went on heightened alert, but Vucic appeared to ease tensions after reaching an agreement on Dec. 29 that would see the blockade removed, the BBC reported.

Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, Russian ambassador to Serbia, said Serbia may rely on Russia regarding the Kosovo situation, “regardless of the serious challenges … in the context of the confrontation with NATO,” according to Russian news agency TASS.

“We continue to take part in settling current international crises, including in Kosovo,” Botsan-Kharchenko said. “We will continue close coordination with Belgrade in defending Serbia’s legal rights concerning Kosovo and Metohija.”

ZELENSKYY WARNS RUSSIA WILL ‘THROW EVERYTHING THEY HAVE’ IN ATTEMPT TO TURN WAR AROUND

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, but Serbia has never recognized it and has actively encouraged the country’s ethnic Serbian population to defy Kosovar authority.

This potentially chaotic situation presented a prime opportunity for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who treats Serbia as a “very close ally,” according to Stradner.

“[Serbia] does not border Russia, but in every possible sense they are supporting Russia when it comes to the war in Ukraine,” she said, adding that the Russian ambassador “received extra instructions from Moscow on how to proceed” on the issue.

Despite the removal of the blockade, Anonymous called out Vucic and accused him of prompting the blockade at Putin’s request, eventually declaring war on Vucic.

CZECH GOVERNMENT APPROVES BILL AIMED AT 2% GDP SPENDING ON MILITARY AMID RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE

In the first week of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia attacked Ukraine’s government websites. The use of cyberattacks prompted Anonymous to declare war on Russia and start targeting Russian websites and commence a series of “hack and dump” attacks.

The large impact of the attacks has seen a large volume of information dumped out in public, including the release of 120,000 Russian soldiers’ personal details, access to the Kremlin’s CCTV system, and also gas pipelines out of Russia, according to the AnonymousTV Twitter account (it should be noted that Anonymous, by nature, has no single “official” account).

Recent attacks have hit more selective targets such as SIBUR, Russia’s largest petrochemical company, and a claim that Vucic is “Mr. Putin’s puppet.”

“It has come to our attention that the tensions and military provocations in the north of Kosovo by Serbian criminal elements are trying to cause armed conflict,” the group said in a video posted to Twitter. “Serbian autocrat President Aleksandar Vucic, a puppet of Vladimir Putin, is trying to destabilize the region using war criminal Slobodan Milosevic’s mechanisms of violence and terror, but it is known that this effort will be suicidal for him.”

PUTIN DEPLOYS FRIGATE TO ATLANTIC OCEAN ARMED WITH HYPERSONIC ZIRCON CRUISE MISSILES

The threat made little dent on Vucic, who responded by posting a picture of himself playing with his dogs on Instagram with the message: “We are getting ready for the fight against Anonymous.”

The group fired back, saying, “#Anonymous is not a small group of powerless people to ignore, we are an organized, globally active, collective of like-minded individuals and our message will be clear, if you don’t stop your dangerous actions in #Kosovo,” a post on AnonymousTV’s Twitter read.

Dustin Carmack, a research fellow for cybersecurity, intelligence and emerging technologies at the Heritage Foundation, cautioned that while such revelations may have good intentions, it’s hard to predict the knock-on effects.

“You saw that throughout different intelligence revelations over the last decade and the impacts that can have in Europe and other places,” Carmack told Fox News Digital.

“I think it’s very difficult in the environment that we are in for anybody to judge – especially a hacktivist group that may have a slim picture of something they think is revealing on one end, even if it is … to know it may affect second-hand or third-hand,” Carmack continued. “I think [in] this context, you don’t know the nature of Anonymous and who is making that decision.”

“You don’t know what the final tie-in for that person is who makes that decision, and that makes it very difficult for the Brits or Americans or anybody,” he added.

Fox News Digital sent requests for comment to the Serbian foreign ministry and the U.S. State Department.

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The House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker for the first time since 1923 — as nearly two dozen Republicans refused to support Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California for the job.

Here are the winners and losers so far from the ongoing debate over the speakership.

THE VOTE FOR HOUSE SPEAKER: LIVE UPDATES

House Democrats embraced the GOP divide Tuesday and Wednesday as leadership advised its members to remain present at all votes to ensure the majority threshold remains a challenge to McCarthy and his allies.

Democratic members cheered as Republican nominations and vote tallies against McCarthy were announced. They chanted in unison for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as he continued to be announced for nomination and unanimously voted for within the party. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., suggested Democrats were drinking on the House floor as votes continued.

This image of Democratic unison contrasted with the Republican divide. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., tweeted Wednesday that he wants to “break up the DC Cartel,” in a reference to McCarthy and his allies. Biggs’ comments were likely a response to Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who labeled McCarthy’s opponents Tuesday as the “Taliban 20.”

Opponents from within the conservative Freedom Caucus to McCarthy’s bid for speakership are outnumbered 10 to 1 within the Republican Party, but they have been able to spike attempts to move forward due to the narrow Republican majority in the chamber.

House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., and other members have complained that the speaker position has too much power over its members and demanded McCarthy make reforms. They also claim McCarthy has been too agreeable to spending as the national debt continues to rise. Biggs, a member of the caucus, announced his intention to challenge McCarthy for the speakership late last year.

Rep. Byron Donalds took office in 2020 and had high hopes for the newly elected 117th Congress when he ran for conference chair, but he lost to Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is a key McCarthy ally. The tumult in the House has given him a moment to revel in the spotlight anyway. He flipped his vote to oppose McCarthy in the third failed attempt Tuesday, drawing wide attention. The congressman then went on Fox News and CNN Wednesday morning to describe his logic.

“So, my thought is: If he doesn’t have the votes, what are we going to do as a conference?” Donalds told “Fox & Friends.” “We either find someone to get to 218, or at a minimum, adjourn what we were doing and get off the floor so the needed negotiations can happen.”

HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS NOMINATES BYRON DONALDS FOR HOUSE SPEAKER

McCarthy’s critics then nominated Donalds for speaker all day Wednesday in opposition to McCarthy — touting the move as a historic event in which two Black members (along with Jeffries) were nominated for the position.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., used the GOP divide to poke fun at McCarthy, of whom he has been a vocal critic. Gaetz wrote a letter to the Architect of the Capitol agency to investigate why McCarthy was using the House speaker’s office when he has yet to win the position.

“I write to inform you that the Speaker of the House Office located in the U.S. Capitol Building is currently occupied by Rep. Kevin McCarthy,” Gaetz wrote in the letter he later posted online. “What is the basis in law, House rule, or precedent to allow someone who has placed second in three successive speaker elections to occupy the Speaker of the House Office? How long will he remain there before he is considered a squatter? Please write back promptly as it seems Mr. McCarthy can no longer be considered Speaker-Designate following today’s balloting.”

Journalists in the nation’s capital had the pleasure of covering a circus of events. They were at it early, up late, inundated with endless inches of easy copy. And they got to write a true first draft of history — or at least get the first crack at a footnote that will be cited every time future speaker seekers have a problem getting the gavel.

With no structured leadership elected in the new Congress to establish rules, C-SPAN, the network covering the Capitol, was given free rein for its cameras to explore beyond the typical wide shot it uses for House floor debates. The broadcast cut back and forth to closeups of cheers, jeers, whispers and huddled-up meetings.

ANDY BIGGS SAYS ‘DC CARTEL’ MUST END AS REPUBLICANS CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS FOR SPEAKERSHIP

McCarthy first ran for speaker in 2015 but later dropped out in a decision that he said was because “there just wasn’t a path to 218.”

McCarthy in 2023 has failed to gain 218 votes but has yet to agree that there again isn’t a path to winning. The California congressman watched as Republicans who only last month were serving under him as minority leader rejected his bid to ascend to the speakership. Even if he eventually wins the job, he will be both tarnished and weakened by the challenge he has suffered.

Trump endorsed McCarthy for speaker in late 2022, seemed to pull back as his choice failed to gain a majority of votes, and then changed his mind again Wednesday morning as he urged Republicans to unite behind McCarthy.

“Some really good conversations took place last night, and it’s now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “CLOSE THE DEAL, TAKE THE VICTORY, & WATCH CRAZY NANCY PELOSI FLY BACK HOME TO A VERY BROKEN CALIFORNIA, THE ONLY SPEAKER IN U.S. HISTORY TO HAVE LOST THE ‘HOUSE’ TWICE! REPUBLICANS, DO NOT TURN A GREAT TRIUMPH INTO A GIANT & EMBARRASSING DEFEAT. IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE, YOU DESERVE IT.”

This endorsement, however, made no difference as the 20 Republican members in opposition continued to vote against McCarthy in the three subsequent votes Wednesday, suggesting that Trump’s ability to dictate terms to the party is at an end.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, was put in an awkward spot Tuesday as he was nominated for speaker despite his endorsement and introduction of McCarthy for the position. Jordan said McCarthy is the best choice to stop the agenda of Democrats.

“I think Kevin McCarthy is the right guy to lead us,” Jordan said on the House floor as he introduced McCarthy for speaker.

This introduction was followed by a nomination of Jordan for speaker by Gaetz.

“Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who wants it so bad,” Gaetz said. “Maybe the right person for the job of speaker of the House isn’t someone who has sold shares of himself for more than a decade to get it.”

With McCarthy’s bid stuck, Jordan’s decision not to stick with a portion of his House Freedom Caucus in opposing him seemed to be a gamble that wasn’t paying off. Next year, he will be a senior member of a badly divided conservative alliance of lawmakers.

The two-day debacle over leadership elections has delayed the swearing-in of newly elected members to the House. Family members were forced cool their heels in Washington and add extra nights to their stays at the local Courtyard by Marriott or Holiday Inn Express.

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They had arrived to celebrate and watch proudly as sons, daughters, dads and moms were sworn in by the speaker for the first time.

Except, there was no speaker.

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