INTERNACIONAL
EXCLUSIVE: House GOP report alleges $20B green grants enriched Biden allies
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FIRST ON FOX: Republicans from the House Oversight Committee released a report outlining what they allege are conflicts of interest, financial mismanagement and oversight failures associated with a Biden-era green energy grant program that sent $20 billion to just 8 different nonprofits.
The money stems from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which budgeted roughly $27 billion to advance clean energy and «environmental justice» under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). An undercover recording of a former Biden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) political appointee, who described disbursements made through GGRF as akin to tossing gold bars off the Titanic at the end of Biden’s term, was cited by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in February when he announced that the agency would be looking into the matter. Republicans are currently trying to claw back the funds, which they claim were rushed out the door at the end of the Biden administration with little oversight and steered toward Democratic allies.
«Today’s report from the House Oversight Committee exposes the Biden administration’s sweeping green energy scheme, designed to funnel tens of billions in taxpayer dollars to enrich Democratic allies and fund partisan, politically motivated projects,» House Republican Oversight Chairman James Comer told Fox News Digital. «Americans deserve better than this green energy scam disguised as environmental justice, and Oversight Republicans will continue to hold the Biden administration accountable to ensure the EPA operates as intended and that taxpayer dollars are spent transparently, responsibly, and in the best interest of the American people.»
EPA HEAD BLASTS BIDEN-ERA DECISION TO ‘STRANGULATE’ ENERGY SECTORS ‘OUT OF EXISTENCE’
A new report from Oversight Republicans says Biden’s EPA turned a $20B clean energy fund into a slush pile for political allies. (Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
The EPA terminated most of these grants after the Trump administration took office, but the move was met with legal pushback from Democrats. However, last week, a federal appeals court judge struck down a lower court’s ruling that blocked the Trump administration’s move to freeze the funds, arguing the administration was acting in accordance with its role to provide «proper oversight» of how funds are distributed.
The EPA has referred the matter to the agency’s inspector general. The Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation are also running concurrent investigations, the EPA has indicated. However, up to this point, no criminal wrongdoing has been uncovered.
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., declined to comment on the matter. Additionally, several other top ranking Democrats, including the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., did not respond to requests for comment.
However, in an Aug. 11 letter to Zeldin signed by several ranking Democrats, including Clarke, they accused Zeldin of «lying» about the Inflation Reduction Act funding.
«Time and again, you have boasted about the unlawful activities EPA is conducting under your leadership without any credible evidence to justify your actions,» the letter stated.
ZELDIN SHUTTERS MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR BIDEN EPA MUSEUM THAT ‘SCARCELY’ SAW VISITORS
While there may not be any criminal wrongdoing alleged thus far, the picture painted by the investigation by House Oversight Republicans shows the Biden administration «turned the Environmental Protection Agency into a vehicle for rewarding political allies, all while risking the stability of our energy infrastructure,» according to Comer.
«Today’s report from the House Oversight Committee exposes the Biden administration’s sweeping green energy scheme, designed to funnel tens of billions in taxpayer dollars to enrich Democratic allies and fund partisan, politically motivated projects,» Comer added.
President Joe Biden speaks at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve in Palo Alto, California, Monday, June 19, 2023. Biden talked about climate change, clean energy jobs and protecting the environment. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
The report released by Oversight Republicans details how committee staff reviewed «tens of thousands» of documents produced by the GGRF awardees in question. The documents also included EPA materials for reviewing and awarding the GGRF funds, among other records.
The report shows how the EPA judged the applicants using a scoring system that awarded points for different parts of the nonprofits’ proposals. For example, flawless «financial risk management» awarded a total of 85 points, while flawless «legal and compliance risk management» could provide an applicant up to 40 possible points. Meanwhile, the EPA weighted «equity and environmental justice» the same way it did «financial statements» and more than it weighted good «governance» or «legal and compliance risk management,» among other categories.
«By doing so, the EPA all but ensured that the grants would go to President Biden’s political allies. All awardees of the GGRF had ‘climate equity’ or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in place or committed to putting equivalent policies in place,» the House Oversight report argues. «EPA criticized multiple applicants because their targeted reductions in emissions were too low. In other cases, the EPA staff complained that there was not enough ‘environmental justice’ expertise represented in leadership or on the boards of the nonprofits. The Biden EPA insisted on climate equity metrics over merit.»
EPA URGED BY STATE AGS TO AXE FUNDS FOR ‘RADICAL’ CLIMATE PROJECT ACCUSED OF TRAINING JUDGES
After receiving their scores, the program provided a «reconciliation process» for EPA staff to discuss their assessments and adjust their scores, according to the Oversight report. The ultimate decision was then passed to a single «selection official» who made the final determination.
The report also claims that the disbursement review process was «full of contradictions.» It says documents showed EPA officials had concerns about the groups receiving the funds related to overly optimistic projections for financial benefits or emissions reductions, lack of access to private capital, high uninsured cash balances, and lack of transparency. Simultaneously, in other documents, the EPA justified the GGRF recipients as entities «with track records, staff, risk management policies, and other programmatic capabilities,» according to the House Oversight report.
One of the groups under scrutiny, Climate United Fund, was established for the purpose of utilizing the GGRF, according to the Oversight report. The report points to claims from EPA staff indicating the group is «a new-entity purpose built for the execution of our program plan and does not have a robust reporting history.»
Climate United, reported just $95,557 in assets for fiscal year 2023 but received $6.97 billion from the EPA, representing a 7,293,980% increase in reported assets since 2023, the Oversight report points out.
Other groups also saw similarly significant increases.
CLIMATE LAWFARE CAMPAIGN DEALT BLOW IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Power Forward Communities received $2 billion as part of the GGRF disbursements. The group, not established until after the Biden administration announced the GGRF application process, reported just $100 in assets in its first and only tax filing – meaning that following the $2 billion GGRF award, the entities’ assets increased 2,000,000,000%, according to the House Oversight report.
«These tired allegations distract from the fact that EPA’s illegal funding freeze will drive up energy costs for hardworking Americans across the country. When household bills are skyrocketing, Congress should be focused on deploying cheap, clean energy technologies rather than resurfacing false claims,» Brooke Durham, a spokesperson for Climate United told Fox News Digital when reached for comment. «Climate United welcomes the opportunity to explain our work and the benefits of the NCIF program to Congress, federal agencies, and to the public.»
The spokesperson also noted that while the Climate United coalition – which is made up of three separate organizations – is new, the organizations that make it up are not.
«The organizations that make up Climate United have been investing in communities for over 30 years, and are experts in the capital markets who have collectively managed more than $30 billion in institutional and public funds,» Durham said. She added that the group was proud to tout a 946.5 point evaluation score by the EPA out of a possible 1050 points, which Durham noted was among the highest of all the awardees.
Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters Building in Washington, D.C. (Getty)
Power Forward declined to comment. However, the group’s CEO, Tim Mayopolous told CBS News last month that the GGRF award process «was a highly structured, competitive process that the United States government went through.»
EPA ADMINISTRATOR LEE ZELDIN OPENS UP ABOUT DEREGULATION: WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM HERE
«The organizations that are part of our coalition that actually do this work – they have been around collectively for nearly a century, and they have invested or disbursed over $100 billion of capital into communities all over America over those years,» Mayopolous added. «We’re not inexperienced people.»
Climate United, along with some of the other groups in question, are also under fire for allegedly inflating their executives’ salaries and travel benefits in proposed budgets. The CEO’s salary at Climate United was slated to be over $500,000, and at Power Forward $800,000, with an increase to over $900,00 in a year. One group produced a budget that paid its executive staff of seven employees a total of $24,862,419 over three years, according to the report.
Meanwhile, conflicts of interest, which Zeldin has described as «blatant,» were also laid bare in the report. The director of the GGRF selected by the Biden White House was a former policy director at the group that wanted to pay their executive staffers close to a combined $25 million over three years, according to the report. The report says the director had to recuse himself from the award process because of the conflict.
Republicans from the House Oversight Committee say a Biden-era green energy grant program was used to reward political allies of President Joe Biden.
At Climate United, the group currently staffs a former Biden climate advisor who worked during the last two years of the former president’s term. Their board makeup while pursuing the GGRF award also had ties to the Obama administration. However, Durham contested the implication that there were conflicts of interest, telling Fox News Digital that no staff or board members at Climate United helped with the design of the program, or the selection of the award recipients.
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Power Forward’s GGRF application process was also accused of being led by Democrat allies in the Republican Oversight report. Power Forward was founded by executives at nonprofit Rewiring America, co-founded by top Obama administration advisors, the report states. It also claims that Power Forward had planned on awarding Rewiring America with nearly $500,000,000.
«The nonprofits receiving awards are littered with connections to Biden Administration staff and allies. The executives and board members at some of the GGRF’s awardees even helped write the policies that created the GGRF and are now benefitting from exorbitant salaries provided by taxpayers,» the House Oversight report states.
«The GGRF was a huge step for the Left in realizing the Green New Deal. The program is a National Green Bank that will flood the economy with billions in taxpayer dollars to fund partisan projects regardless of whether they merit investment or not.»
green new deal,environment regulation,joe biden,corruption,politics
INTERNACIONAL
El soporte del gobierno de México a dictaduras de crimen organizado no puede continuar impune
El gobierno de México ha pasado de la narrativa ideológica a la humanitaria para tratar de justificar el sostenido soporte, encubrimiento y defensa de las organizaciones delictivas que bajo mando de La Habana someten con terrorismo de Estado a los pueblos de Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua y Bolivia. Desde operar su política exterior, el rescate de prófugos con cobertura diplomática, hasta la contratación de personal esclavo y entregas de petróleo, el apoyo y complicidad del gobierno de México a la dictadura de Cuba y sus satélites son violaciones al derecho interno e internacional que no pueden continuar impunes.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador, AMLO, convirtió a México en un gobierno “paradictatorial”, esto es un “gobierno elegido en democracia que sirve a las dictaduras de crimen organizado, las sostiene, busca legitimarlas e incumple obligaciones internacionales, traicionando y perjudicando sus intereses nacionales”.
La presidencia de Sheinbaum es solo la continuación de este sometimiento porque los gobiernos paradictatoriales se originan cuando el socialismo del siglo XXI -sigla política de la dictadura cubana y su expansión- promueve, financia y hace llegar al poder a los que una vez al mando ponen el país al servicio de sus comandantes.
El iter criminis de México bajo los gobiernos de AMLO y Sheinbaum para sostener al crimen organizado en las Américas es notorio y notable. Apoyo incondicional y sostenido a la dictadura de Cuba con contratación de médicos esclavos, compra de piedras, envío de petróleo y discursos humanitarios para cubrir el sostenimiento de un grupo criminal que mata de hambre y tortura a su pueblo desde hace más de 66 años. No se trata de apoyo, es servidumbre, vergüenza para un país como México que tuvo una política exterior proclamando respeto a la no intervención y a los derechos humanos.
En 2025, el Centro Mexicanos contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad ha documentado “55 envíos de crudo y derivados entre mayo y agosto a la dictadura de Cuba” y los “cargamentos han sido valorados en tres mil millones de dólares” pese a la escasez de gasolina en el propio México. Este monto ¿cómo se registra en el manejo estatal mexicano? Cuanto menos se trata de malversación de recursos públicos, de desfalco o de una cadena de falsificaciones que disfrazan el sostenimiento del crimen organizado con la denominada “Gasolina Bienestar” y que la democracia de México tiene la necesidad y la obligación de aclarar.
En México, al año 2024, se reportaban 678 médicos cubanos contratados para el sector público y el Director del Instituto Mexicano de Seguridad Social después de reunirse con el dictador cubano Díaz-Canel realizó la contratación de 1.200 médicos esclavos más. La esclavitud consiste en el pago al régimen cubano por el trabajo de personas cuyas familias permanecen como rehenes, como ha reportado el informe de las Naciones Unidas y los precedentes en Brasil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador y decenas de países más.
El apoyo a la dictadura de Cuba es soporte al grupo de crimen organizado más antiguo de las Américas, al primer narcoestado de la región, al punto más importante de violación a los derechos humanos por medio de terrorismo de Estado y al centro de conspiración y desestabilización que agrede sostenidamente a las democracias. Lo demuestra el servilismo mexicano en el sostenimiento del grupo delictivo que somete al pueblo de Venezuela cuando AMLO recibió con honores presidenciales a Nicolás Maduro e ignoró la orden internacional con 25 millones de dólares -que hoy son 50 millones- por su captura. Lo ratifica la decisión de apoyar la usurpación de la soberanía popular falsificando el resultado de las elecciones de 2024 y el actual sostenimiento al cartel de los soles.
El gobierno mexicano se ha convertido en el operador títere de la dictadura de Cuba extrayendo de Bolivia a Evo Morales en 2019 cuando renunció por fraude y crímenes infraganti, librándolo de ser procesado, con igual protección a los miembros de su grupo criminal en su embajada en La Paz. Repitió la maniobra en Ecuador protegiendo al condenado Jorge Glas, promoviendo el incidente diplomático que llevó al gobierno ecuatoriano a retirar al prófugo de la embajada mexicana. Intentó cobijar al golpista Pedro Castillo de Perú y da a su esposa Lilia Paredes “10.000 dólares mensuales, guardaespaldas y choferes particulares” como lo reportó Infobae en 2 Mayo 2024.
La abierta participación en la “migración forzada” contra Estados Unidos y el “narcotráfico de cocaína y fentanilo” no es un dato menor, cuando alegando cuestiones de soberanía se puso el territorio mexicano como plataforma de agresión contra el socio del tratado de libre comercio que le ha dado crecimiento y desarrollo legal. El gobierno de México ha permitido y tolera hasta ahora la existencia de narcoestados en estados de su país a los que ha fortalecido con la elección de jueces.
Este apretado resumen prueba que el gobierno mexicano viola la Convención de las Naciones Unidas contra la delincuencia organizada trasnacional o Convención de Palermo, el tratado de libre Comercio con EEUU y Canadá, la Convención Americana sobre Derechos Humanos o Pacto de San José, la Carta de la OEA, la Carta Democrática Interamericana, y más.
*El autor de este artículo es abogado, politólogo y Director del Interamerican Institute for Democracy.
Anniversaries,South America / Central America,Government / Politics,CARACAS
INTERNACIONAL
Two IDF soldiers killed amid ‘severe’ ceasefire violation, ‘it’s not the last,’ analyst says
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Two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed by terror operatives in Rafah, southern Gaza, threatening the ceasefire with Hamas, Israeli military sources confirmed to Fox News Digital on Sunday.
The soldiers, Major Yaniv Kula, 26, a company commander in the 932nd Battalion of the Nahal Brigade, and Staff Sergeant Itay Yavetz, 21, a combat soldier in the same battalion, were both based in Modi’in-Maccabim-Reut.
According to the initial IDF investigation, a militant cell had emerged from a tunnel and fired at an excavation vehicle, killing the two soldiers. A reserve soldier was also severely wounded and evacuated to a hospital, per The Times of Israel.
According to Professor Kobi Michael, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Misgav Institute, the attack showed the fragility of the ceasefire deal.
ISRAEL SAYS HAMAS VIOLATED CEASEFIRE WITH ‘MULTIPLE ATTACKS’ LEADING TO IDF RESPONSE
Major Yaniv Kula was killed by Palestinian terror operatives in IDF-controlled southern Gaza’s Rafah city on Oct. 19 (IDF)
«Today’s violation of the agreement was severe,» Michael said. «I assume that this is not going to be the last one,» he told Fox News Digital.
«Israel complies [with President Trump’s] plan and wants to continue with the realization of the plan,» he said.
«This agreement was violated since the first day by Hamas,» Michael added. «And it continued with their behavior with regard to the hostages, the dead hostages.»
«All the manipulation that they are doing plays on the nerves of Israeli society,» he continued, saying the terror group is «making themselves as if they are not able… to find the bodies where everybody knows that they can.»
STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS HAMAS MAY VIOLATE CEASEFIRE WITH ATTACK ON PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS
Staff Sergeant Itay Yavetz was killed by Palestinian terror operatives in IDF-controlled southern Gaza’s Rafah city on Oct. 19. (IDF)
Michael detailed how the first violation came immediately after the redeployment of the IDF along the so-called Yellow Line, «when Hamas first sent [civilian] children in order to provoke the IDF, in order to check if the IDF is aware enough and ready enough.»
«And then they sent militants of Hamas, and some of them were even killed along the yellow line,» he said.
«They continue reconstituting themselves and attacking the IDF by using the tunnels, using the shafts going out, because they now feel much freer, because the IDF left the populated area,» he explained.
Michael also cited Hamas’ «butchering» of civilians «because they suspect that they collaborated with Israel, or because they are afraid that these hamulas or clans might oppose them in the future… and weaken them.»
ISRAELI TROOPS ‘OPEN FIRE’ ON SUSPECTS WHO APPROACHED SOLDIERS IN NORTHERN GAZA
Terrorists in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah celebrate the ceasefire on Jan. 19, 2025. (TPS-IL)
In response to Sunday’s attack, the IDF launched air and ground strikes across southern Gaza.
«The IDF also struck and dismantled six kilometers of underground terrorist infrastructure, using over 120 munitions. The underground site was used by the terrorist organization to advance attacks against the State of Israel,» it said in a statement.
«The IDF will continue to respond firmly and will operate to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel,» it said.
Israel simultaneously announced a suspension of all humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Michael warned that Hamas has no intention of dismantling itself and cooperating with the plan when it comes to demilitarizing the Gaza Strip and establishing a mechanism of alternative governance.
«Hamas is still using the tunnels, and intends to reconstruct the tunnels that were destroyed by Israel, because they intend to continue the war against Israel,» he said.
STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS HAMAS MAY VIOLATE CEASEFIRE WITH ATTACK ON PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS
Suspected terrorists in Gaza come out of hiding as ceasefire for hostages deal gets underway in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area. (Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL)
He said that the militant organization has been rebuilding its ranks and reasserting control in the Strip.
«They immediately recruited [thousands] of people and deployed them and are butchering their own people,» Michael said.
«They do not intend to give up on their position and influence in the Gaza Strip. They do not accept the idea of dismantling themselves. And they do not accept the idea that a foreign force or board will govern the Gaza Strip,» he concluded.
The incident comes just days after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which took effect Oct. 10, temporarily halted the two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
Under the deal, hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and a ceasefire was declared.
Later on Sunday, the IDF announced the resumption of the ceasefire, following retaliatory strikes.
ISRAEL’S COVERT CAMPAIGN TARGETS HAMAS TERRORISTS BEHIND OCT 7 MASSACRE
IDF soldiers salute during a memorial ceremony marking two years since the Oct. 7 attack on Nahal Oz base. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
«In accordance with the directive of the political echelon and following a series of significant strikes in response to Hamas’ violations, the IDF has begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire,» a statement read.
«The IDF will continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly to any violation of it,» the military added.
In a statement, Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon said: «Earlier today, two IDF soldiers, Maj. Yaniv Kula and Staff Sgt. Itay Yavetz, were killed by Hamas terrorists in Rafah in what was a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement.»
«We mourn their loss and send our condolences to their families. Israel has abided by the terms of the ceasefire agreement, but we will make it clear to Hamas terrorists that the IDF will do whatever it takes to protect Israel’s security,» Danon added.
Michael, meanwhile, predicted delays in reopening the Rafah Crossing, a critical entry point for aid and movement.
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«I don’t think Rafah Crossing will open tomorrow,» he said. «It will take several days until it is opened,» he said.
israel,middle east,wars,conflicts
Los ataques
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Residentes cerca de su edificio de apartamentos, alcanzado por un ataque con drones rusos, en medio del ataque de Rusia contra Ucrania, en la ciudad de Shakhtarske, en la región de Dnipropetrovsk, Ucrania. Foto Reuters
Antimileísmo o antikirchnerismo, una contradicción que puede ser vieja
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