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China has stepped up its diplomatic and military pressure against Taiwan, alarming U.S. officials and allies in the region that Beijing is looking to take back the island by force.

If projections of a Chinese military invasion to retake Taiwan are accurate, the U.S. can utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and other technology that will indicate to forces in the region that China isn’t engaging in yet another provocative military exercise but is launching the invasion so many predict.

According to experts, AI and machine learning (ML) can help the U.S. and its allies in the region improve the speed and efficiency of war plan development, intelligence assessments and targeting effectiveness.

Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, who serves as senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital AI and ML can help U.S. intelligence experts process the immense amount of surveillance data covering China and the Western Pacific Ocean the U.S. is ingesting. 

‘This data needs to be rapidly processed, evaluated and disseminated, and AI and ML can make that a more agile and efficient process. This, in turn, can give the U.S. military and policymakers decision-making advantages,’ Montgomery added.

Decision-makers can easily misinterpret the intentions of hostile forces, mistaking training exercises as an actual prelude to military action. New technology can prevent the possibility that miscalculation will lead to an unnecessary armed confrontation. 

‘When we are left in a spot where we can no longer derive enemy intentions — would-be enemy intentions — from their disposition in the field, we must go deeper, and that requires data, compute, talent. … What are those indications and warnings?’ Adm. Samuel Paparo, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet who was recently nominated to lead U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told a conference hosted by the Defense Innovation Unit, as reported by Breaking Defense. 

Paparo said the erosion of strategic, operational and tactical warnings is a real concern.

‘It presents a challenge to the joint force in our ability to go deeper, to find those indications and warnings that will enable us to be postured to support our allies and partners, and — if so — called by the commander in chief and answer to the readiness to defend Taiwan should the PRC decide to settle matters by the use of force,’ Paparo was quoted as saying in a Breaking Defense article.

The growing fear among policymakers in Washington is that China is preparing to invade Taiwan and reunify it with the mainland by force, reversing decades of democratic self-rule. China ramped up its military activities in the Taiwan Strait following Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan in August 2022. China sent 727 aircraft in and toward Taiwan’s airspace in 2022 and sent 850 planes in the first half of 2023, according to the Stimson Center.

Some in Beijing perceived the former House speaker’s visit as the U.S. moving away from its long-held recognition of the ‘One-China’ policy that has undergirded the approach to Taiwan since 1979. Several military officials have warned recently that China plans on invading Taiwan in the coming years. 

‘Taiwan is clearly one of their ambitions, and I think the threat is manifest during this decade, in fact, in the next six years,’ Adm. Philip Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in 2021.

It’s not just policymakers and observers of the region saying China will attack Taiwan. Chinese President Xi Jinping is on record and been candid about his ambitions toward Taiwan ahead of the 100th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

In his 2023 New Years address, Xi said reunification with Taiwan was inevitable and that the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will be achieved by 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. As far back as 2012, Xi said ‘achieving rejuvenation is the dream of the Chinese people.’

And a resolution adopted by the CCP Central Committee in November 2021 stated, ‘Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China’s complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the Party.’

A recent war game conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies predicted a U.S. victory over China, with staggering deaths and casualties, including ‘dozens of ships, hundreds of aircraft and tens of thousands of service members,’ for the U.S. and its allies. 

Other war games conducted by the Department of Defense, the House Select Committee on China and various other think tanks resulted in similar conclusions. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

China has stepped up its diplomatic and military pressure against Taiwan, alarming U.S. officials and allies in the region that Beijing is looking to take back the island by force.

If projections of a Chinese military invasion to retake Taiwan are accurate, the U.S. can utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and other technology that will indicate to forces in the region that China isn’t engaging in yet another provocative military exercise but is launching the invasion so many predict.

According to experts, AI and machine learning (ML) can help the U.S. and its allies in the region improve the speed and efficiency of war plan development, intelligence assessments and targeting effectiveness.

Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, who serves as senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital AI and ML can help U.S. intelligence experts process the immense amount of surveillance data covering China and the Western Pacific Ocean the U.S. is ingesting. 

‘This data needs to be rapidly processed, evaluated and disseminated, and AI and ML can make that a more agile and efficient process. This, in turn, can give the U.S. military and policymakers decision-making advantages,’ Montgomery added.

Decision-makers can easily misinterpret the intentions of hostile forces, mistaking training exercises as an actual prelude to military action. New technology can prevent the possibility that miscalculation will lead to an unnecessary armed confrontation. 

‘When we are left in a spot where we can no longer derive enemy intentions — would-be enemy intentions — from their disposition in the field, we must go deeper, and that requires data, compute, talent. … What are those indications and warnings?’ Adm. Samuel Paparo, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet who was recently nominated to lead U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told a conference hosted by the Defense Innovation Unit, as reported by Breaking Defense. 

Paparo said the erosion of strategic, operational and tactical warnings is a real concern.

‘It presents a challenge to the joint force in our ability to go deeper, to find those indications and warnings that will enable us to be postured to support our allies and partners, and — if so — called by the commander in chief and answer to the readiness to defend Taiwan should the PRC decide to settle matters by the use of force,’ Paparo was quoted as saying in a Breaking Defense article.

The growing fear among policymakers in Washington is that China is preparing to invade Taiwan and reunify it with the mainland by force, reversing decades of democratic self-rule. China ramped up its military activities in the Taiwan Strait following Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan in August 2022. China sent 727 aircraft in and toward Taiwan’s airspace in 2022 and sent 850 planes in the first half of 2023, according to the Stimson Center.

Some in Beijing perceived the former House speaker’s visit as the U.S. moving away from its long-held recognition of the ‘One-China’ policy that has undergirded the approach to Taiwan since 1979. Several military officials have warned recently that China plans on invading Taiwan in the coming years. 

‘Taiwan is clearly one of their ambitions, and I think the threat is manifest during this decade, in fact, in the next six years,’ Adm. Philip Davidson, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in 2021.

It’s not just policymakers and observers of the region saying China will attack Taiwan. Chinese President Xi Jinping is on record and been candid about his ambitions toward Taiwan ahead of the 100th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

In his 2023 New Years address, Xi said reunification with Taiwan was inevitable and that the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will be achieved by 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. As far back as 2012, Xi said ‘achieving rejuvenation is the dream of the Chinese people.’

And a resolution adopted by the CCP Central Committee in November 2021 stated, ‘Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China’s complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the Party.’

A recent war game conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies predicted a U.S. victory over China, with staggering deaths and casualties, including ‘dozens of ships, hundreds of aircraft and tens of thousands of service members,’ for the U.S. and its allies. 

Other war games conducted by the Department of Defense, the House Select Committee on China and various other think tanks resulted in similar conclusions. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The Pentagon came under a barrage of criticism Monday following the release of an internal review that investigated its failure last month to notify the president about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization for complications from prostate cancer surgery.

The review, carried out by Austin’s subordinates, largely absolves anyone of wrongdoing for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization, which included several days in the intensive care unit. The review states flatly that there was ‘no indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate.’

At a press conference Monday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder fielded multiple questions from reporters who pressed for answers on perceived gaps in the review.  

Ryder said Secretary Austin’s staff decided to transfer authority to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on January 2 as he was in the ICU. He said the secretary was never unconscious, though it remained unclear why his staff made that call. 

Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico, did not learn of Austin’s hospitalization until three days later, after he was transported to an intensive care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. 

Asked by Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin why Hicks was not told it would be a good idea to return to D.C., Ryder said Austin’s staff was faced with an ‘unprecedented situation.’ 

‘And so they executed a transfer of authority in the same way that they had previously done,’ Ryder said, adding that national HIPAA laws, which protect individuals’ medical records and other individually identifiable health information, prevented medical providers from sharing candid information with the secretary’s staff about Austin’s condition. 

‘[Austin’s staff] were hesitant to pry or share information that was in a state of flux,’ Ryder said, insisting that there were never gaps in command and control. 

Several reporters complained that the internal review did not adequately provide new information that wasn’t already known and that some questions remain unanswered.

‘We still have questions about the timeline here. And with all due respect, this answers none of them,’ one reporter said, adding that the ‘glaring question that remains is where was the vulnerability, here?’ 

The 30-day examination of the lapse in leadership says procedures must be improved and information shared better when the defense secretary must transfer decision-making authorities to the deputy.

Austin is set to appear before House lawmakers on Thursday for a hearing on the matter and is expected to face sharp criticism. The Defense Department’s inspector general is also conducting a review, which has not yet been completed.

Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December and went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for surgery on Dec. 22. On Jan. 1, he was taken back to Walter Reed by ambulance after experiencing significant pain and was moved to the intensive care unit the next day.

Although he transferred decision-making authorities to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks during his initial surgery and then again when he was in intensive care, he did not tell her why and he did not inform the White House.

Pentagon officials have acknowledged that public affairs and defense aides were told on Jan. 2, that Austin had been hospitalized but did not make it public and did not tell the military service leaders or the National Security Council until Jan. 4. Only then did President Joe Biden find out. It took four more days before the reason for his hospitalization was disclosed.

The 30-day review was finished and submitted to Austin on Feb. 8, but only parts of it were publicly released. The Pentagon has argued that portions of the report are classified.

Austin, in a press briefing after he returned to work, told reporters that he never told his staff to keep his surgery and hospitalization secret from the White House, but acknowledged he should have handled it differently and he apologized for keeping Biden and others in the dark for weeks. He denied there was a culture of secrecy in his office, and also said that staff members may have perceived that ‘they’re doing things in my best interest.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The Pentagon came under a barrage of criticism Monday following the release of an internal review that investigated its failure last month to notify the president about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization for complications from prostate cancer surgery.

The review, carried out by Austin’s subordinates, largely absolves anyone of wrongdoing for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization, which included several days in the intensive care unit. The review states flatly that there was ‘no indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate.’

At a press conference Monday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder fielded multiple questions from reporters who pressed for answers on perceived gaps in the review.  

Ryder said Secretary Austin’s staff decided to transfer authority to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on January 2 as he was in the ICU. He said the secretary was never unconscious, though it remained unclear why his staff made that call. 

Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico, did not learn of Austin’s hospitalization until three days later, after he was transported to an intensive care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. 

Asked by Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin why Hicks was not told it would be a good idea to return to D.C., Ryder said Austin’s staff was faced with an ‘unprecedented situation.’ 

‘And so they executed a transfer of authority in the same way that they had previously done,’ Ryder said, adding that national HIPAA laws, which protect individuals’ medical records and other individually identifiable health information, prevented medical providers from sharing candid information with the secretary’s staff about Austin’s condition. 

‘[Austin’s staff] were hesitant to pry or share information that was in a state of flux,’ Ryder said, insisting that there were never gaps in command and control. 

Several reporters complained that the internal review did not adequately provide new information that wasn’t already known and that some questions remain unanswered.

‘We still have questions about the timeline here. And with all due respect, this answers none of them,’ one reporter said, adding that the ‘glaring question that remains is where was the vulnerability, here?’ 

The 30-day examination of the lapse in leadership says procedures must be improved and information shared better when the defense secretary must transfer decision-making authorities to the deputy.

Austin is set to appear before House lawmakers on Thursday for a hearing on the matter and is expected to face sharp criticism. The Defense Department’s inspector general is also conducting a review, which has not yet been completed.

Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December and went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for surgery on Dec. 22. On Jan. 1, he was taken back to Walter Reed by ambulance after experiencing significant pain and was moved to the intensive care unit the next day.

Although he transferred decision-making authorities to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks during his initial surgery and then again when he was in intensive care, he did not tell her why and he did not inform the White House.

Pentagon officials have acknowledged that public affairs and defense aides were told on Jan. 2, that Austin had been hospitalized but did not make it public and did not tell the military service leaders or the National Security Council until Jan. 4. Only then did President Joe Biden find out. It took four more days before the reason for his hospitalization was disclosed.

The 30-day review was finished and submitted to Austin on Feb. 8, but only parts of it were publicly released. The Pentagon has argued that portions of the report are classified.

Austin, in a press briefing after he returned to work, told reporters that he never told his staff to keep his surgery and hospitalization secret from the White House, but acknowledged he should have handled it differently and he apologized for keeping Biden and others in the dark for weeks. He denied there was a culture of secrecy in his office, and also said that staff members may have perceived that ‘they’re doing things in my best interest.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

House Democrats have found a new political cudgel for the November 2024 elections after the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent ruling triggered a stoppage to IVF treatment around the state.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), House Democrats’ campaign arm, held a press conference on Monday morning to tie House Republicans to the ruling, even as top GOP figures continue to speak out for IVF access and accuse Democrats of twisting the issue.

‘House Republicans have furthered this agenda at every turn. They want a national abortion ban, full stop. With their razor-thin majority, they have pushed anti-abortion, anti-freedom policies, including legislation that would double down on the Alabama court’s ruling and ban IVF nationwide,’ DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., told reporters.

It’s a similar playbook to the one Democrats followed after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

Indeed, DelBene pointed to Democratic victories in states where abortion access was on the ballot and suggested the left would keep that momentum up in the wake of Alabama’s ruling.

‘It has proven to be a losing issue for Republicans, whether in New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kansas, or dozens of other states across the country, we’ve seen voters head to the ballot box to defend their rights,’ DelBene said. ‘And in this election, we’re fighting for our rights, our freedoms, our families, and Republicans keep making clear that they’re willing to do anything to rip those away.’

A cornerstone of House Democrats’ push is the GOP’s Life At Conception Act, which says life starts at the moment of conception and which critics warn could lead to nationwide abortion restrictions. With no mention of IVF, Democrats have argued that the bill’s lack of protections for the procedure could allow for its restriction as well. 

But Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., one of the 125 Republicans supporting the bill who is also one of the right’s leading voices on reproductive health access, said the accusation is ‘a leftist myth.’

‘Some people are getting knocked for signing on to the Life of Conception Act, but that act doesn’t do anything to ban or prohibit access to IVF. That’s a leftist myth. What it does do is, it says the scientific fact that life begins at conception. That’s basic science, most people feel that way,’ Mace said.

Alabama’s conservative Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that three couples trying in vitro fertilization (IVF) who lost their frozen embryos in an accident at a storage facility in the state are able to sue the medical providers for wrongful death of a child.

Since then, three Alabama medical facilities have stopped providing IVF treatment.

It’s prompted pushback from key national Republicans like Mace, who told Fox News Digital she plans to introduce a resolution to support IVF access on a federal level.

‘It’s a lie,’ Mace said of the left-wing efforts to lump Republicans together on reproductive rights. ‘I’ve always believed that life begins at conception, that’s a belief of mine. That doesn’t mean I want to ban IVF.’

Mace warned fellow Republicans on Monday that IVF could be a ‘huge issue’ and urged them to be ‘on board’ with speaking out in support of the procedure.

She dismissed concerns that it could be an election problem for Republicans, however, pointing to IVF access’ support from high-level Republicans like former President Donald Trump. Trump said at a rally over the weekend that he would ‘strongly support the availability of IVF.’

‘I really liked seeing Donald Trump’s comments at the rally at Rock Hill on Friday. He’s spot on, 100%. That is where we need to be as a party,’ Mace said.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also spoke out in favor of IVF access, as have a large share of establishment and moderate Republicans.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) told Fox News Digital, ‘Republican mothers, grandmothers, and foster parents all looked voters directly in the eyes and said they support IVF access. Democrats are cynically twisting a serious family issue and expecting voters to believe their lies; they’re going too far, and it will blow up in their faces.’

The NRCC also pointed out that Republicans targeted by the DCCC over the IVF ruling have spoken out in favor of the procedure.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

President Biden is calling all four congressional leaders to the White House on Tuesday as the federal government stares down the barrel of a partial shutdown at the end of this week.

The president is convening the meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to discuss the ongoing negotiations on how to fund the government, which appear to have gotten rocky over the last several days. 

Johnson and Schumer were expected to announce some kind of deal on Sunday to fund government agencies and departments whose current dollars expire on March 1. The remaining funding expires March 8.

However, no compromise was announced over the weekend; instead, both Johnson and Schumer released public statements blaming the other side for the delays.

Johnson’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that he accepted Biden’s invitation and will be at the White House on Tuesday.

It comes after the speaker accused Senate Democrats of making last-minute demands in the government spending negotiations. In a Sunday evening statement to Fox News Digital, he said ‘many of the points still being debated come from new Democrat demands’ that Senate appropriators did not include in their versions of fiscal year 2024 spending bills.

‘At a time of divided government, Senate Democrats are attempting at this late stage to spend on priorities that are farther left than what their chamber agreed upon,’ Johnson said.

A source familiar with negotiations told Fox News Digital that one of the main delays has to do with a supplemental nutrition benefits program for low-income women, infants and children under age 5, known as WIC. Senate Democrats want $7 billion for the program, the source said, higher than House Republicans’ proposed $6 billion and Biden’s budgetary request for $6.3 billion.

Schumer’s office did not immediately return a request for comment on the WIC issue or on the White House meeting.

The Senate Democratic leader wrote a letter to colleagues on Sunday fully pinning the blame for the delay – and a potential shutdown – on House Republicans.

‘Unfortunately, extreme House Republicans have shown they’re more capable of causing chaos than passing legislation,’ Schumer said.

‘It is my sincere hope that in the face of a disruptive shutdown that would hurt our economy and make American families less safe, Speaker Johnson will step up to once again buck the extremists in his caucus and do the right thing. While we had hoped to have legislation ready this weekend that would give ample time for members to review the text, it is clear now that House Republicans need more time to sort themselves out.’

If no deal is reached on new federal funding or an extension of current levels by March 1, the government will fall into a partial shutdown.

Fox News Digital’s requests for comment to the White House and the offices of Schumer, McConnell and Jeffries were not immediately returned.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

President Biden is calling all four congressional leaders to the White House on Tuesday as the federal government stares down the barrel of a partial shutdown at the end of this week.

The president is convening the meeting with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to discuss the ongoing negotiations on how to fund the government, which appear to have gotten rocky over the last several days. 

Johnson and Schumer were expected to announce some kind of deal on Sunday to fund government agencies and departments whose current dollars expire on March 1. The remaining funding expires March 8.

However, no compromise was announced over the weekend; instead, both Johnson and Schumer released public statements blaming the other side for the delays.

Johnson’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that he accepted Biden’s invitation and will be at the White House on Tuesday.

It comes after the speaker accused Senate Democrats of making last-minute demands in the government spending negotiations. In a Sunday evening statement to Fox News Digital, he said ‘many of the points still being debated come from new Democrat demands’ that Senate appropriators did not include in their versions of fiscal year 2024 spending bills.

‘At a time of divided government, Senate Democrats are attempting at this late stage to spend on priorities that are farther left than what their chamber agreed upon,’ Johnson said.

A source familiar with negotiations told Fox News Digital that one of the main delays has to do with a supplemental nutrition benefits program for low-income women, infants and children under age 5, known as WIC. Senate Democrats want $7 billion for the program, the source said, higher than House Republicans’ proposed $6 billion and Biden’s budgetary request for $6.3 billion.

Schumer’s office did not immediately return a request for comment on the WIC issue or on the White House meeting.

The Senate Democratic leader wrote a letter to colleagues on Sunday fully pinning the blame for the delay – and a potential shutdown – on House Republicans.

‘Unfortunately, extreme House Republicans have shown they’re more capable of causing chaos than passing legislation,’ Schumer said.

‘It is my sincere hope that in the face of a disruptive shutdown that would hurt our economy and make American families less safe, Speaker Johnson will step up to once again buck the extremists in his caucus and do the right thing. While we had hoped to have legislation ready this weekend that would give ample time for members to review the text, it is clear now that House Republicans need more time to sort themselves out.’

If no deal is reached on new federal funding or an extension of current levels by March 1, the government will fall into a partial shutdown.

Fox News Digital’s requests for comment to the White House and the offices of Schumer, McConnell and Jeffries were not immediately returned.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

A House Republican who has been critical of rushing to impeach President Biden is calling for his removal over questions about his mental fitness for the job.

Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., told Fox News Digital that he plans to introduce a resolution on Monday to call on Biden’s Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution. 

His most-cited reason was Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s handling of classified documents. The report did not recommend any charges for the president but repeatedly painted him as an aging leader with a poor memory.

Buck said the report ‘addressed what many Americans have long witnessed with their own eyes – that President Biden is no longer fit to successfully discharge the critical duties of his office.’

‘Numerous instances were articulated in the report, and have played out in full public view, showing President Biden’s apparent cognitive decline and lack of mental stamina,’ he told Fox News Digital.

‘The societal challenges and security threats our country faces are innumerable and require a chief executive with both strong mental and physical faculties. The time has come for the vice president and the Cabinet to put our country first and move forward on invoking the 25th Amendment.’

In his resolution text, Buck also cited Biden’s verbal stumbles and public gaffes as evidence of mental decline. It pointed out that Biden recently confused French President Emmanuel Macron with a predecessor who died decades prior, and that he also mixed up German leaders’ names and mistakenly referred to the president of Egypt as the president of Mexico.

Biden and his allies have vigorously denied that his mental acuity is suffering.

But Buck’s resolution is a significant addition to the growing pressure for Biden officials to address scrutiny over the president’s mental fitness. 

The Colorado Republican, who is retiring at the end of this term, is one of the few House GOP lawmakers who have publicly expressed wariness over the push to impeach Biden over allegations that he and his family’s businesses profited off of his political weight.

Buck voted along with the rest of the House GOP Conference to formalize the Biden impeachment inquiry in December, but just last week he criticized the probe’s leaders for relying on allegations made by FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, who was recently indicted for lying to the bureau.

‘We’ve always been looking for a link between what Hunter Biden received in terms of money and Joe Biden’s activities or Joe Biden receiving money. This clearly is not a credible link at this point,’ Buck said in a CNN interview.

He told the network in September, ‘I want to make sure we don’t ruin this institution over a tit-for-tat impeachment. If the evidence is there… I will absolutely vote for impeachment. I don’t see the evidence at this point.’

Section 4 of the 25th Amendment allows the vice president and a majority of the White House Cabinet to declare the president unfit to perform his duties, transferring power to the vice president. 

The president is able to take those powers back by writing to Congress that he is able to serve. The Cabinet would then have four days to refute that, after which Congress would vote on whether the president could remain in power.

Buck is one of several Republican lawmakers who have called for the constitutional amendment to be invoked in the wake of Hur’s report, including Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, as well as Reps. Mary Miller, R-Ill., and Mike Collins, R-Ga.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment on Buck’s resolution.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes (24-4) are firmly back in the winning column after beating the Illinois Illini (13-13) 101-85 in a Big 10 matchup back home at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Sunday.

Lisa Bluder’s squad played team basketball and had four players score double digits. They drained 17 3-point shots, their second highest output from behind the arc of the season.

Clark was the leading scorer with her fifth triple-double of the season and 16th of her career. She finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

For the Illini, Makira Cook had 26 points.

The Hawkeyes have two more games in the regular season, away at Minnesota and then hosting Ohio State. That means Clark has two more chances to pass “Pistol Pete” Maravich to become the college basketball all-time leading scorer.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates, highlights and more from Iowa’s win over Illinois below:

Caitlin Clark inches closer to NCAA scoring record in Iowa win

This was not the dominant shooting day for Caitlin Clark — it was the dominant all-around day.

Clark recorded a 24-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple double as the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes routed Illinois Sunday, 101-85.  This marked Clark’s fifth triple-double of the season and the 16th of her career.

Clark is now 50 points shy of matching former LSU guard Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA men’s and women’s scoring record of 3,667 points.

Clark shot 6-of-18 from the field and 5-of-14 from beyond the arc, but she was instrumental in pushing the pace of play all game long. Clark often led fast break opportunities that never allowed Illinois to settle into their halfcourt defense.

The Illini never posed a real threat, as Iowa led the game wire-to-wire. Illinois, in particular, struggled from 3-point range, making just 8-of-23 attempts, while the Hawkeyes more than doubled the Illini output with 17 made threes on 45.9% shooting from deep.

Iowa’s ball movement destabilized Illinois on defense all game, as the Hawkeyes assisted on 28 of their 36 field goals.

Iowa improved to 24-4, while Illinois fell to 13-13.

Caitlin Clark notches triple-double vs. Illinois

It wasn’t Caitlin Clark’s most impressive scoring effort, but the star senior managed to notch a triple-double in Iowa’s game against Illinois.

She earned the mark with her 10th assist of the game. With 6:40 left in the fourth quarter, Clark tossed the ball to Hannah Stuelke, who jumped for a layup to put the Hawkeyes up 88-70 over their Big 10 foe.

The 10 assists join Clark’s 24 points and 13 rebounds. She checked out of the matchup with 2:54 left in the game.

According to the FS1 broadcast, this is her fifth triple-double this season and 16th of her historic career.

Iowa leads despite rough shooting day for Caitlin Clark

While Clark was on the bench in the middle of the third to get a quick rest, the Hawkeyes maintained their sizable lead.

Iowa is up 13 headed into the fourth quarter, and the Hawkeyes have done an excellent job all game long of sharing the ball.

Clark, who has pushed the pace of play and distributed to her teammates, enters the fourth quarter three assists shy of her fifth triple-double of the season. She has 15 points on 4-of-14 shooting, 11 rebounds and seven assists. At the start of the third quarter, she hit a pair of early 3-pointers, but her long-distance shooting against the Illini has been spotty; Clark has made just 3-of-12 shots beyond the arc.

Still, the Hawkeyes have assisted on 21 of their 27 field goals and are up 74-61 at the start of the fourth.

Caitlin Clark drains back-to-back 3-point shots to keep Iowa in lead

So far in the game, Caitlin Clark has shown her skills as a teammate more than as a shooter.

But midway through the third quarter, the senior shot and made back-to-back 3-point shots.

The pair of scores ended a 2:18 scoring drought for the Hawkeyes and furthered their lead to 58-44.

Clark has a double double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. She has a chance at a triple double with six assists and a quarter and a half left in the game.

Caitlin Clark flirting with triple double as Iowa leads at halftime

Though it hasn’t been Clark’s best shooting day, she has found several ways to impact the game. More importantly for the Hawkeyes, they opened a 16-point lead on Illinois and look to be in complete control.

Clark scored 9 points on 2-of-9 shooting — including going just 1-of-7 from 3-point range — but she’s on pace for a triple double; Clark has added eight rebounds and six assists.

She remains 65 points away from setting the NCAA all-time scoring record.

Clark has been the spark in Iowa’s offense, grabbing defensive rebounds and pushing the pace up the court. With all the defensive attention paid to Clark, she has often sliced through gaps in Illinois’ defense and then dished out to teammates when the defense collapsed on her.

Iowa takes a 50-34 lead into the half.

Iowa lengthens lead with help of 3-pointers

Iowa is up 40-22 at a timeout midway through the second quarter.

Their lead is boosted by going 6-for-11 in 3-point shots. Kate Martin started the Hawkeyes’ scoring in the second quarter with a trey. Molly Davis followed with a 3-point shot of her own.

Two other areas where the Hawkeyes are controlling the game are ball movement and fast break points. Iowa is pushing the pace and has already scored 12 fast break points — compared to four for Illinois — and the Hawkeyes have recorded 12 assists on 14 field goals. – Victoria Hernandez and Lorenzo Reyes

Caitlin Clark leads Hawkeyes in scoring after big Iowa first quarter

The women’s college basketball game between the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini  is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in Iowa City, Iowa. It will be broadcast nationally on FS1 and streamed live on the Fox Sports app.  

After a blazing hot start, the Hawkeyes cooled some as the first quarter wrapped up. Still, Iowa took a commanding 12-point lead into the break.

After taking a quick breather, Clark re-entered the game with a couple of minutes left in the first and was mostly a distributor. She did draw a foul late in the period, eventually sinking both free throws. She leads all players with 9 points on 2-of-6 shooting, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. Clark has also added four rebounds.

The Hawkeyes are shooting 50%, while Illinois has struggled from the field, connecting on only 7-of-18 shots (38.9%).

With the second quarter set to begin, the Hawkeyes are up 30-18.

Caitlin Clark reaches 3,600 points in game against Illinois

Caitlin Clark is already the all-time women’s basketball leading scorer. She became the first woman to reach 3,600 points with a pair of free throws in the first quarter of Iowa’s matchup against Illinois, per the FS1 broadcast. The senior has seven points in the game and the free throws put the Hawkeyes up 19-10.

Iowa starts on 9-0 run

The Hawkeyes zipped out to a quick start in their game against the Illini. Sophomore Hannah Stuelke scored the first basket, a layup. Caitlin Clark followed with a jumper. Kate Martin then added five points off a layup and a 3-point shot to give Iowa the 9-0 lead.

Why is Iowa wearing pink?

Iowa is wearing pink-trimmed uniforms for its game against Illinois as part of the Play 4 Kay initiative. The campaign aims to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research in honor of legendary North Carolina State women’s basketball coach Kay Yow. The Hall of Famer battled breast cancer on-and-off for 22 years. She passed away in 2009.

Fans might be wondering why Caitlin Clark is wearing the nameplate ‘Keough’ on her jersey. It’s because each member of the Hawkeyes is paying tribute to a loved one during their Play 4 Kay breast cancer awareness game.

What type of Caitlin Clark fan are you? Take the quiz. 

Do you love Caitlin Clark or do you LOVE Caitlin Clark?  

Love her, hate her, like her or think she’s overrated, one thing is for sure: The senior guard from Iowa has serious game.  Not sure exactly where you stand? We can help you out. This USA TODAY Sports quiz will reveal the answer to a crucial question as we prep for March Madness: What kind of Caitlin Clark fan are you? – Lindsay Schnell

WNBA legend Sue Bird: Caitlin Clark will have ‘success early’ in league 

Four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird believes Caitlin Clark’s game will translate well into the WNBA. 

‘I do think she has a chance at having a lot of success early,’ Bird said during an appearance on ’The Sports Media Podcast’ with Richard Deitsch, which airs in full on Thursday. Bird cites the Iowa star’s range as the key weapon to her success. (Clark did break the women’s all-time NCAA scoring record last week on a 35-foot logo shot, after all.) ‘I think a lot of it comes down to her long-distance shooting. That is her separator. You’re not really used to guarding people out there,’ Bird explained.  – Cydney Henderson

How tall is Caitlin Clark?   

Clark is 6-foot. Big guards have become more common in women’s basketball the last decade or so, and Clark’s size absolutely helps her because she’s able to see over defenders on the break and helps her get vertical separation when she goes up for a shot.   

Also of note: Clark, who’s pretty thin, worked hard last summer to put on eight pounds of muscle and that has made a huge difference in her game, particularly when she drives to the rim. 

Can anyone challenge Caitlin Clark’s new NCAA scoring record? 

Kelsey Plum’s record stood for seven years. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder thinks Caitlin Clark’s could stand even longer. 

Clark has 3,569 points, and still has the rest of this season to play. Maybe next year, too. Clark is eligible to play a fifth COVID year and has not yet said whether she plans to return to Iowa or go to the WNBA. 

“This record is going to stand for a long time and I’m just glad she’s wearing black and gold,” Bluder said. 

Bluder also said she loved that Clark set the record with a logo 3, the shot that’s become her signature. Clark also set a career-high with 49 points. 

“You do it, you do it well, girl,” Bluder said.  – Nancy Armour 

Should Caitlin Clark stay at Iowa or go to WNBA? It’s complicated. 

The Greatest Show in Sports is humming along, barnstorming the nation, hitting logo threes and breaking records as February works its way to the madness of March, bringing us closer to the answer to two intriguing questions: 

Will Caitlin Clark stay at Iowa for her fifth COVID year or will she go to the WNBA? And, is she going to represent the United States at the Olympics this summer in Paris? 

Clark-mania: A look at how much Caitlin Clark fans travel and spend to watch Iowa star  

By now you’ve probably heard that Iowa All-American Caitlin Clark, the reigning national player of the year, has a tendency to sell out any arena she plays in. But for a closer look at #Clarkonomics — as ESPN analyst Debbie Antonelli has termed it — USA TODAY reporter Jim Sergent worked up a graphic look at just how much Iowa fans will spend and how far they’ll travel to see Clark in person. The numbers are telling, to say the least.  

Caitlin Clark game-by-game points this season  

Here’s a breakdown of Clark’s scoring this season for the Hawkeyes:  

vs. Illinois, 2/25/24:
at Indiana, 2/22/24: 24 points 
vs. Michigan, 2/15/24: 49 points  (season-high, school record for single game)  
vs. Nebraska, 2/11/24: 31 points 
vs. Penn State, 2/8/24: 27 points  
at Maryland, 2/3/24: 38 points  
at Northwestern, 1/31/24: 35 points  
vs. Nebraska, 1/27/2024: 38 points  
at Ohio State, 1/21/2024: 45 points 
vs. Wisconsin, 1/16/2024: 32 points  
vs. Indiana, 1/13/2024: 30 points  
at Purdue, 1/10/2024: 26 points  
at Rutgers, 1/5/2024: 29 points  
vs. Michigan State, 1/2/2024: 40 points  
vs. Minnesota, 12/30/2023: 35 points  
vs. Loyola Chicago, 12/21/2023: 35 points  
vs. Cleveland State, 12/16/2023: 38 points  
at Wisconsin, 12/10/2023: 28 points  
vs. Iowa State, 12/6/2023: 35 points  
vs. Bowling Green, 12/2/2023: 24 points  
vs. Kansas State, 11/26/2023: 32 points  
vs. Florida Gulf Coast, 11/25/2023: 21 points  
vs. Purdue Fort Wayne, 11/24/2023: 29 points  
vs. Drake, 11/19/2023: 35 points  
vs. Kansas State, 11/16/2023: 24 points  
at UNI, 11/12/2023: 24 points  
vs. Virginia Tech, 11/9/2023: 44 points  
vs. FDU, 11/6/2023: 28 points  

Iowa vs. Illinois: Time, TV for Hawkeyes-Illini 

The women’s college basketball game between the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini  is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in Iowa City, Iowa. It will be broadcast nationally on FS1 and streamed live on the Fox Sports app.  

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Even in star-studded Los Angeles, Lionel Messi remains a marquee draw.

Among those in attendance were Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua — who earned a Pro Bowl nod after a record-setting rookie season — and record-setting tennis star Novak Djokovic, the men’s all-time leader in Grand Slam titles.

U.S. women’s national soccer team icons Tobin Heath and Christen Press — who were both members of the 2015 and 2019 World Cup-winning teams — were also on hand.

Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua and Buffalo Bills TE Dalton Kincaid

USWNT’s Christen Press and Tobin Heath

Green Bay Packers CB/return specialist Keisean Nixon

Inter Miami co-owner, and former Galaxy player, David Beckham

Novak Djokovic, 24-time men’s Grand Slam singles titles

Tennis star Novak Djokovic and basketball great Diana Taurasi

Actress Halle Berry, with musicians Halle Bailey and DDG

Actor Ed Norton

Former Los Angeles Kings hockey player Luc Robitaille

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