Three Tennessee lawmakers who faced expulsion votes after participating in protests over last month’s school shooting in Nashville will visit the White House to meet with President Joe Biden on Monday.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the visit on Wednesday. She said Biden was ‘proud’ and ‘appreciative’ to see the three state representatives calling for stronger gun restrictions, particularly a ban on so-called assault weapons.

The president spoke with the lawmakers to thank them ‘for speaking out and for standing their ground, and being very clear about what’s needed to protect their communities,’ Jean-Pierre said.

The expulsion votes added a level of political drama and controversy to the violence at The Covenant School, where three children and three adults were killed.

Two of the lawmakers — Rep. Justin Pearson and Rep. Justin Jones, both Black — were expelled by the Republican-controlled legislature. The third, Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white, was not.

Pearson and Jones have since been reinstated by local officials, returning them to their positions on an interim basis.

The state has set Aug. 3 as the special election date for the seats filled by Jones and Pearson, preceded by a June 15 primary election. Both lawmakers have said they intend to run.

Julia Bruck, the Tennessee secretary of state office’s spokesperson, said local officials believe the Nashville special election will cost about $120,000 to administer, while the Memphis one will cost between $375,000 and $500,000.

Vice President Kamala Harris visited Nashville earlier this month to support the ‘Tennessee Three’ and their calls for greater gun control.

‘Let’s not fall for the false choice — either you’re in favor of the Second Amendment or you want reasonable gun safety laws,’ Harris said. ‘We can and should do both.’

Mississippi must join most other states in allowing religious exemptions from vaccinations that children are required to receive so they can attend school, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden handed down the decision Monday in a lawsuit filed last year by several parents who say their religious beliefs have led them to keep their children unvaccinated and out of Mississippi schools. According to the lawsuit, some of the plaintiffs are homeschooling their children, while others have family or work connections in Mississippi but live in other states that allow religious exemptions for childhood vaccinations.

Ozerden set a July 15 deadline for the Mississippi State Department of Health to allow religious exemptions. The state already allows people to apply for medical exemptions for a series of five vaccinations that are required for children to enroll in public or private school. The immunizations are against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis; polio; hepatitis; measles, mumps and rubella; and chickenpox.

Mississippi does not require COVID-19 vaccinations.

The only states without religious or personal belief exemptions for school immunization requirements are California, Connecticut, Maine, Mississippi, New York and West Virginia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In response to questions from The Associated Press on Tuesday, health department spokesperson Liz Sharlot declined to say whether the department will appeal the judge’s ruling. She did not say whether the department has an estimate of how many people might seek religious exemptions from vaccinations.

‘The Mississippi State Department of Health continues to support strong immunization laws that protect our children,’ Sharlot said. ‘Beyond that, it is our long-standing policy that the Agency does not comment on pending litigation.’

The lawsuit, funded by the Texas-based Informed Consent Action Network, argued that Mississippi’s lack of a religious exemption for childhood vaccinations violates the U.S. Constitution.

‘The State of Mississippi affords a secular exemption to those with medical reasons that prohibit vaccination, reflecting that it can accommodate students that are unvaccinated,’ the network said in a statement. ‘It has simply chosen to not accord an exemption when it is someone’s immortal soul that a parent believes would be at risk.’

One of the families who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit believe ‘God has created humans with functioning immune systems that were well designed to counteract threats,’ the lawsuit said, adding that they only seek out medication ‘when an intervention is clearly necessary.’

Mississippi once had a religious exemption for childhood vaccinations, but it was overturned in 1979 by a state court judge who ruled that vaccinated children have a constitutional right to be free from associating with their unvaccinated peers, the lawsuit said.

Over the last several years, Mississippi legislators have rejected proposals to allow religious exemptions for childhood vaccinations. Health officials have argued that allowing more exemptions could lead to the spread of preventable diseases.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden reported a federal adjusted gross income of $579,514, according to their 2022 federal income tax returns, which were released by the White House on Tuesday.

The president and first lady filed their income tax return jointly and paid $169,820 in combined federal, Delaware and Virginia income taxes, according to the records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The president and first lady paid $137,658 in federal income tax and $29,023 in Delaware income tax. The first lady also reported paying $3,139 in Virginia income tax – from her teaching at Northern Virginia Community College.

An annual presidential salary is $400,000.

In 2021, the president and first lady reported a federal adjusted gross income of $610,702. In 2020, the first couple earned $607,336, which was down from the $985,223 they reported in 2019.

The Bidens’ 2022 effective federal income tax rate was 23.8 percent.

The first couple also reported contributions of $20,180 to 20 different charities, with the largest gift being $5,000 to the Beau Biden Foundation.

The first couple also donated to the National Fraternal Order of Police Foundation, St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church, which is the Bidens’ home parish, and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, among other charities.

The White House said Biden has released 25 years of tax returns to the American public, which it says demonstrates his ‘commitment to being transparent with the American people about the finances of the Commander-in-Chief.’

Meanwhile, the White House also shared the tax returns of Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff.

The second couple reported a federal adjusted gross income of $456,918. They paid $93,570 in federal income tax, with a 2022 effective federal income tax rate of 20.5 percent.

Harris and Emhoff also paid $17,612 in California income tax. Emhoff paid $9,697 in District of Columbia income tax. 

The second couple contributed $23,000 to charity in 2022.

U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday announced charges against a diamond and art dealer who had allegedly funded Lebanon’s terrorist wing Hezbollah. It also sanctioned what it believes is a vast money laundering network connected to him.

Nazem Ahmad, who had already been sanctioned in 2019 by the U.S. under global terrorism sanctions regulations for acting as a financier with the Iranian-backed group, is accused of being part of a group that used a complex web of businesses to obtain artwork from U.S. art galleries and diamond-grading services while hiding his involvement. 

The U.S. government says that approximately $160 million of artwork and diamond services were transacted through the U.S. system. 

One of the defendants was arrested in the United Kingdom and eight others, including Ahmad, are not believed to live in the U.S. Ahmad and eight co-defendants are charged with conspiring to defraud the U.S. and other governments, evading sanctions and making money laundering transactions by securing goods for Ahmad’s benefit.

The Treasury also announced additional sanctions against a network of 52 individuals and entities across the globe it says were involved in funneling money to Hezbollah.

Separately, the U.K. said it had frozen Ahmad’s assets in the U.K. because he financed Hezbollah, which is designated as an international terror group. Consequently, no one in the U.K. or U.S. is allowed to do business with Ahmad or his businesses.

‘The international actions we are announcing today against Nazem Ahmad for his involvement with the terrorist organization Hezbollah should serve as a reminder that the U.S. government and our allies will tirelessly prosecute those who are sanctioned for illicitly financing terrorist activities,’ said Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security John K. Tien. 

‘I am very proud to not only share the results of this investigation into the Ahmad criminal organization but also recognize the outstanding international and interagency collaboration that led to this moment.’

The actions are part of a years-long investigation into the group led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

‘This HSI investigation speaks to the unwavering commitment of the U.S. and U.K. governments to prevent art and diamond markets from becoming a haven of illicit financial activity,’ acting ICE Director Tae Johnson said in a statement. ‘I commend HSI and our investigative partners for their dedication in seeing this investigation through — over many years — to substantial actions. We will utilize every tool at our disposal to dismantle these illicit networks.’

Rewards for Justice, the U.S. State Department’s national security rewards program, is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information related to Ahmad.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 

A source in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political orbit tells Fox News he wouldn’t be surprised if up to 30-40 Republican members of Congress stop by a reception being headlined by the conservative two-term Florida governor late Tuesday afternoon and evening in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington D.C.

The ‘meet-and-greet policy discussion’ gathering is being hosted by And to the Republic, a recently formed nonprofit group that organized the Florida governor’s February events in New York City and suburban Philadelphia and Chicago that supported law enforcement. And the DC mixer is taking place at a Heritage Foundation townhouse on Capitol Hill. Heritage is one of the oldest and most influential think tanks in the conservative movement.

The source told Fox News that DeSantis, who has rarely returned to the nation’s capital since he left Congress in 2018 amid his successful gubernatorial campaign, came back this week to say hello to old colleagues and friends, and because of the interest among congressional Republicans in the conservative legislative victories by DeSantis and GOP state lawmakers. The source added that the governor wanted ‘to thank these guys for holding the line against [President] Biden and encouraging them to keep doing it.’

Among the small group of Republican House members and senators who were co-hosting the event or expected to attend were Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Chip Roy (R-Texas), the only two members of Congress who have endorsed the Florida governor’s anticipated presidential run.

While he currently remains on the 2024 sidelines, DeSantis is expected to launch a presidential campaign after next month’s conclusion of the Florida legislative session.

Sources in DeSantis political orbit for months have told Fox News that a declaration of candidacy by the governor in the White House race – should it happen – would occur likely in late May or June, after state government legislative business in Tallahassee quiets down. 

Meanwhile, in the past couple of months, DeSantis has slowly started to build up his political operation. And a pro-DeSantis super PAC named Never Back Down – which sources say will be the main outside vehicle helping an expected DeSantis 2024 campaign – was formed in March and over the past month has dramatically beefed up its staff with top Republican operatives and communications. Never Back Down is now trading fire with MAGA Inc., the top super PAC supporter former President Donald Trump’s third White House bid.

The former president and his allies – who view DeSantis as Trump’s top threat to capturing the GOP presidential nomination – have been targeting DeSantis since last autumn, but have picked up the pace of attacks the past couple of months.

The DeSantis trip to DC – he’ll return to the DC area to headline the Friday morning session of Heritage’s leadership summit, which is being held at National Harbor – comes after Reps. Greg Steube, John Rutherford, and Brian Mast this week brought to seven the number of GOP House members to endorse Trump, who’s also a Sunshine State resident.

Trump’s presidential campaign in November was followed by only a trickle of endorsements from Republican members of Congress. 

But as Trump’s position as the clear front-runner in the burgeoning Republican presidential nomination race has become more pronounced this spring, the pace of congressional endorsements has accelerated.

Trump – as of Tuesday evening – could boast the backing of nine senators and 46 House members. 

Lawmakers in Iowa’s Senate passed a controversial bill Tuesday that would allow minors to work longer hours and work in currently banned roles, like serving alcohol at restaurants, the Des Moines Register reported.

Supporters of the bill — mainly Republicans — said it would give children valuable opportunities to work and get paid, whereas opponents — largely Democrats — said it would harm children.

Although two Republicans defied their party and voted against the bill with Democrats, the measure still passed 32-17 in the GOP-controlled Senate. The bill requires approval from the Republican-controlled House and from Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds to become law.

The bill would allow kids under 16 to work up to six hours a day, which is two more hours than currently allowed for that age group. It would also allow 16- and 17-year-olds to serve alcohol at restaurants, with written permission from their parent or guardian.

‘Ultimately, parents and kids will decide if they want to work or not,’ Reynolds has said favorably about the bill. ‘It teaches the kids a lot. And if they have the time to do it and they want to earn some additional money, I don’t think we should discourage that.’

The U.S. Department of Labor’s top lawyer, Seema Nanda, disagreed, saying it is ‘irresponsible for states to consider loosening child labor protections.’

Democrats and labor unions echoed that sentiment, saying the bill would increase the chance of workplace accidents and injuries among youth.

The Biden administration this month urged U.S. companies to make sure they aren’t illegally hiring children to perform dangerous jobs, after an investigation found more than 100 kids working overnight and handling hazardous equipment — like skull splitters and bone saws — for a company that cleans slaughterhouses across the country.

The Labor Department says it has more than 600 child labor investigations underway, and officials are concerned about the exploitation of children, particularly migrants who may not even have a parent in the United States.

Republican Texas Congressman Lance Gooden announced Tuesday his endorsement of former President Donald Trump in his effort to win back the White House in 2024 despite what he said was a ‘positive’ meeting with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

‘I met with Governor DeSantis, and while he has done commendable work in Florida, there is no doubt in my mind that President Trump is the only leader who can save America from the leftist onslaught we are currently facing,’ Gooden said in a press release.

‘President Trump is a tireless fighter, a champion of American jobs, a guardian of our economy, and a bulwark against the relentless invasion of our borders by illegal immigrants. He unyieldingly supported our military and veterans, and bravely stood up to the dangerous socialist agenda propagated by the radical left,’ he said. 

‘I wholeheartedly endorse President Donald J. Trump for the 2024 presidential election and vow to fight alongside him to reclaim our country from the leftist forces that threaten to destroy it. Together we will ensure a prosperous and secure future for our great nation,’ he added.

Gooden is the latest in a long line of members of Congress to endorse Trump in recent days, including Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., and Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., among others.

DeSantis is reportedly mulling his own run for the White House, but has not yet said whether he will officially launch a campaign.

Polls have shown Trump as the clear front-runner in the race, far ahead of his already declared opponents, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and businessman Perry Johnson, as well as potential opponents DeSantis, and former Vice President Mike Pence.

A bipartisan bill designating carjacking as a criminal offense and creating harsher penalties for people who use a weapon to steal a vehicle received final approval in the Wisconsin Legislature on Tuesday.

Passage by the Assembly sends the bill to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who has said he supports the measure. The Senate passed it last month on a bipartisan 23-8 vote. Evers earlier this month signed into law a Republican-sponsored bill to crack down on reckless driving.

The Republican-controlled Legislature has moved quickly this year to pass stricter criminal penalties after the GOP made rising crime rates an election issue in the 2022 midterm.

Currently, someone who uses force or threatens force to steal a vehicle can be charged with operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent. The bill passed Tuesday would formally recognize that crime as carjacking.

Under the bill, someone who uses a weapon to steal a vehicle would be guilty of the second-highest level felony in the state and could be sentenced to up to 60 years in prison. Currently, the maximum sentence is up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

People who are charged with stealing a car by force without using a weapon would still face up to 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $50,000 under the bill.

INDIANAPOLIS – EXCLUSIVE: Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem took firm action over the weekend to strengthen the Second Amendment rights of people in her state, signing an executive order on stage during her address to the annual National Rifle Association convention to stop what she called ‘discriminatory action’ against those rights.

Speaking with Fox News Digital immediately after signing of the order, the rumored 2024 presidential candidate stressed the need to ‘lead by example’ when it came to the Second Amendment, and shared what was on her mind as she mulls a potential run for the White House.

‘We’ve recently seen in this country that banking institutions are discriminating against firearm companies or ammunition companies. So what I did was sign an executive order that would prevent the state of South Dakota from doing any business with financial institutions that would do that type of discriminatory action against our Second Amendment rights,’ Noem said when asked about the order she signed in front of the thousands of NRA convention attendees.

‘It’s incredibly important that we set and lead by example. And this executive order is one way that we can do that to continue to stand for constitutional rights of the people in our state right now,’ she said.

In addressing the numerous recent deadly shootings snatching headlines across the country, Noem argued there were laws already in place needing to be enforced that she said would protect citizens and ensure the safety of children. 

‘Now, it’s more important than ever that those of us who value this country, that they value what our founders gave us as our rights to continue to defend them and to explain why they’re in place. They’re in place so a normal, everyday citizen has the chance to deter a corrupt government that would come in and take away their ability to provide for their families,’ she said.

When asked about the rumors swirling around the possibility she might launch a campaign for president, Noem said she wasn’t going to announce a decision just yet, but instead said she saw a country ‘desperate for a president’ that would fight for the values and principles America was built on.

‘I’m looking for an individual like that. I hope that people in this country are as well, because now more than ever, we’re seeing federal government come in and take away our ability to even conduct business, to raise our families as we see fit and to use our values that we were raised with,’ she said. 

‘I do think that it’s important that we keep our eye on the ball and make sure that we have the best individuals stepping forward to take on that role because we’ve got some big fights ahead and we need to make sure that we have a president who will hang in there with us,’ she added.

Concerning the 34 felony falsification of business records charges facing Trump in a New York court, Noem described them as ‘unprecedented action,’ and argued district attorney Alvin Bragg was ignoring the statute of limitations on the former president’s alleged crimes.

‘It’s clearly all politics. You know, I’m sure President Trump will go through the process and will come out recognizing that these kinds of attacks can be withstood and that he will continue to work for the people in this country,’ she said.

Pornography websites that don’t require their users in Louisiana to present proof of age, such as by uploading their license, could face fines of $5,000 a day under a bill advancing in the House.

Lawmakers in the Louisiana House overwhelmingly approved the measure on Monday and sent it to the Senate for consideration. The legislation would allow the state’s Attorney General to investigate and fine pornographic websites that do not comply with the state’s recently enacted age verification law.

‘In preparation for this bill today, I went to one of the largest non-compliant porn sites, so I could tell you exactly what non-compliance to age verification looks like. With only one click I was able to access hardcore pornography on the landing page alone, depicting acts of incest, sexual assault, rape, and sex with minors,’ said Rep. Laurie Laurie Schlegel, the Republican sponsoring the bill.

The bill is a companion to a law that went into effect at the start of this year, which requires adult websites to screen their visitors using ‘reasonable age verification.’ The new law applies to websites, where at least one-third of their content is pornographic material considered ‘harmful to minors.’

Certain adult websites, including Pornhub, began using LA Wallet — which can maintain a copy of a Louisiana resident’s digital driver’s license, as well as vaccination records, virtual court appearances and hunting and fishing licenses. LA Wallet’s system simply tells a third-party verification company whether or not the user is at least 18 years old, The Advocate reported.

Schlegel, who also sponsored last year’s law, said she created the legislation to ‘protect children from the dangers of online pornography.’

While people can sue companies that aren’t complying, Schlegel said her new legislation is meant to address websites that have ‘simply disregarded’ the law.

‘I know that many of you have heard me say, ‘This isn’t your daddy’s Playboy’ —- but, heck. This isn’t even the Hustler you hid underneath your bed … what we’re discussing today is hardcore pornography that is one click away from our children,’ said Schlegel, who is a sex addiction therapist.

Those skeptical of the bill raised privacy concerns and fears of initially broad language. But by the end of the debate, most lawmakers agreed on the bill, which passed 101-1. The sole opposing vote was from Democratic Rep. Mandie Landry. The legislation will move to the Senate to be assigned to a committee for further discussion.