Ocasio-Cortez unveils 'Green New Deal' and raises red flags, sparks confusion

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Developing now, Friday, Feb. 8, 2019

GREEN RAW DEAL? - In what may be the most far-reaching proposal to ever be considered in Congress, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., unveiled her "Green New Deal" on Thursday -- a government-led overhaul of virtually every aspect of American life that would guarantee a host of taxpayer-covered benefits for all and phase out fossil fuels ... However the freshman lawmaker sparked confusion when she seemingly contradicted herself in a span of twelve hours on the nature of the government's role in the massive plan.

Ocasio-Cortez's office says the plan would aim to make air travel obsolete, upgrade or replace every building in America to ensure energy efficiency and give economic security even to those "unwilling" to work. The proposal, which calls for a massive package of big-government proposals including health care for all, quickly picked up the backing of major 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls including Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Cory Booker, D-N.J. -- who all co-sponsored the resolution.

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DEMS REPEAT CALL FOR VIRGINIA GOVERNOR TO RESIGN: Virginia's nine congressional Democrats issued a joint statement late Thursday restating that Gov. Ralph Northam should resign over a blackface photograph in his medical school yearbook -- but stopping short of calling for Lt. Gov Justin Fairfax to step down over an allegation of sexual assault from 2004 ... The statement, from Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Reps. Donald McEachin, Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Elaine Luria, Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton, also did not demand the resignation of the state's attorney general, Mark Herring, who admitted this week to wearing blackface at a college party in 1980.

The lawmakers' statement noted that Herring had reached out and expressed remorse. And in the controversy involving Fairfax, lawmakers said they found the allegations disturbing and respect the right of alleged sex assault victims to come forward. However, they wanted to wait to learn more about the claims made by Fairfax's accuser, Scripps College Associate Professor Vanessa Tyson.

‘GOVERNMENT ENTITY’ INVOLVED IN ALLEGED BEZOS BLACKMAIL? -  Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos wrote a scathing letter to American Media Inc. (AMI), the parent company of the National Enquirer, on Thursday, accusing the tabloid of threatening to publish “intimate photos” of him, including a “below the belt selfie,” and potentially compromising photos of his reported girlfriend, former TV anchor Lauren Sanchez, if he did not end an investigation into the company and its alleged political ties ...  A security consultant for Bezos believes the photos may have been acquired by a "government entity," a Washington Post reporter said.

The National Enquirer published a story last month that included lurid texts between Bezos and Sanchez. Since then, private investigators for the billionaire have been looking into how the Enquirer got the texts. That set off, according to Bezos, a threat to back off or risk having the personal photos exposed.

HEATED SHOWDOWN OVER MUELLER PROBE EXPECTED: After a tense back-and-forth between congressional Democrats and the Justice Department that included threats of no-shows and subpoenas, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler and the DOJ announced Thursday evening that Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will testify before the panel, as scheduled, on Friday ... House Democrats had threatened to subpoena Whitaker's testimony about Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. In response, Whitaker -- who previously had agreed to testify in the first place -- warned that he wouldn't show up unless lawmakers dropped the ultimatum he described as "political theater."

PAYING TRIBUTE TO REP. JOHN DINGELL AND HIS LIFETIME OF SERVICE: John Dingell, the longest-serving member in the history of Congress, died Thursday at 92 ...  Dingell served 21,572 days in Congress from December 1955 through January 2015. He succeeded his father in the House of Representatives. He is survived by his wife, Debbie, who currently holds his House seat and four children. A cause of death was not immediately known.

The Michigan Democrat was considered an authority on Congressional procedures, akin to the legendary Sen. Robert Byrd, D-WV. Dingell was best known for his legislative skills, deep reverence for history and stinging wit. Nicknamed “The Truck” during his longtime tenure as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the congressman from Detroit fueled the passage of many landmark measures, including health care reform, energy regulations and telecommunications expansion.

FILE- In a Feb. 4, 2009 file photo, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich. poses for a photograph inside his office in House Rayburn Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

THE SOUNDBITE

PROGRESSIVE 'PRIVILEGE' - "Being a progressive allows you to attack others for the very same sins that you yourself are committing in greater abundance. And it’s not just true of wearing blackface. It’s true of everything." – Tucker Carlson, on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," reflecting liberal hypocrisy in the scandals rocking government leadership in Virginia. WATCH


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#TheFlashback
2018: The federal government stumbles into a shutdown that would end by morning, its second in less than a month, as Senate Republicans block a speedy vote on a massive, bipartisan, budget-busting spending deal.
1993: General Motors sues NBC, alleging that "Dateline NBC" had rigged two car-truck crashes to show that 1973-to-87 GM pickups were prone to fires in side impact crashes. (NBC would settle the lawsuit the following day and apologize for its "unscientific demonstration.")
1965: The Supremes' record "Stop! In the Name of Love!" is released by Motown.

Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Have a good day and weekend! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Monday morning.

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