U.S. to impose visa curbs on Hondurans over new prosecutor row
The United States is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on some Hondurans for “fomenting violence,” a U.S. official said on Tuesday, after ruling party lawmakers named a new attorney general last month while sidestepping the full Congress.
Explainer: What does the Texas Supreme Court ruling on emergency abortions mean for patients?
Monday’s ruling from the Texas Supreme Court denying a woman’s request for an emergency abortion shines a spotlight on the medical exceptions contained in many U.S. states’ abortion bans. Here are some of the most important facts about the case, and what it could mean:
Biden slams Congress for not passing Ukraine funding: ‘It’s stunning’
President Joe Biden said Tuesday afternoon “it’s stunning” that Congress has not passed the administration’s supplemental package that was first requested in October, which contains billions in emergency funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. In a press conference alongside Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden urged Congress to pass the measure, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine. He blamed Republicans for “holding Ukraine funding hostage” over their demands for stricter border policies woven in the package. Nonetheless, Biden indicated officials continue to negotiate with Senate Democrats and Republicans “to try to find a bipartisan compromise both in terms of changes in policy and provide the resources we need to secure the border.” Biden several times indicated he and Zelenskyy would be “asking questions” but corrected himself. “We’re going to ask a total of, each ask two questions —I will ask the first question,” Biden said. Biden then said, “I will recognize the first question-asker.” At times ,while answering questions, Biden appeared to be reading from a script. A total of four questions were asked by reporters from the U.S. and Ukraine. SENATE LIKELY TO RECESS WITHOUT PASSING UKRAINE AND ISRAEL FUNDING, SOURCES SAY Zelenskyy continued to suggest that Ukraine will continue fighting until it gets the return of all terrorists taken by Russian forces. Biden also didn’t indicate a faster path for Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, suggesting that the same requirements that have been outlined, which will take years to achieve, prevail. Biden said Ukraine would become a member of NATO “when all allies agree, and conditions are met.” “Right now we need me to make sure they win the war,” he said. Biden Tuesday said that the United States would support Ukraine with weaponry “as long as we can.” Biden has in the past repeatedly said the U.S. would support Ukraine “as long as it takes.” The White House did not immediately respond to a request to clarify whether this represented a policy change. But Biden also indicated it was U.S. policy for Ukraine to “win” the war. US SENATORS TO BE BRIEFED ON UKRAINE THIS WEEK AMID HEATED NEGOTIATIONS ON EMERGENCY AID Zelenskyy also met with Congressional leaders early Tuesday as part of a last ditch plea effort to get lawmakers on board with approving additional Ukraine funding. The federal government has given more than $100 billion to the Eastern European nation since Russia first invaded in January 2022. In the Senate, Republicans shot down a vote on the Biden administration’s national supplemental request last week, arguing that Israel and Ukraine aid should be split up and vowing to pass more Ukraine aid only if it’s tied with stricter border security measures, such as higher standards for asylum processing. The Senate is expected to recess on Thursday and return Jan. 9. SEN. MARSHALL URGES GOP TO SAY ‘HELL NO’ TO SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST WITHOUT TIGHTER BORDER SECURITY
Kamala Harris’ new campaign spokesman called for defunding the police, packing the Supreme Court
A former top Hillary Clinton campaign staffer, who was most recently the head of a far-left judicial advocacy group behind the court-packing push and tweeted in support of defunding the police, is being tapped by the Biden campaign to lead communications for Vice President Harris. Sheila Nix, Harris’ campaign chief of staff, said Fallon brings an array of understanding on matters important to Americans while touting his experience. “Brian brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge on the issues that matter most to the American people,” Nix said in a statement to the Washington Post, which first reported the hire. “We’re thrilled to have him join the team, and know he will be a huge asset to reelecting President Biden and Vice President Harris.” BILL CLINTON RIPPED HILLARY’S CAMPAIGN AS NOT BEING ABLE TO SELL ‘P—- ON A TROOP TRAIN,’ NEW BOOK SAYS Fallon, who will reportedly begin in his new role next month, previously served as the national press secretary for Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 campaign. He’s spent the past several years leading Demand Justice, a progressive judicial advocacy organization. Fallon’s group started with efforts to discredit Republican judicial picks while backing Democratic nominees and has since morphed into more advocacy-based endeavors, such as expanding the Supreme Court, or “court packing,” along with the lower courts. During a 2020 podcast episode, Fallon explained why his organization started leaning into court packing, citing advice from left-wing activist Elie Mystal, who has said he would push for the addition of 10 new Supreme Court Justices so that there are 19 total. He has also called the Constitution “trash.” Fallon said that Mystal “was one of the leading voices calling for ideas like reforming the Supreme Court.” He went on to say that if people like Mystal, who “are on the inside,” who write for “elite audiences like this are willing to call it out,” Demand Justice “should be willing to try to organize by it.” “So that’s when I first got acquainted with Elie, and we did an event together in December of 2018 and took the house down with storytelling that is on display here, right now, and that’s when we decided to sort of lean in on that issue,” he said. Demand Justice met with multiple Democratic senators in 2021 to discuss legislation proposing adding 4 seats to the Supreme Court. Several of Biden’s top aides have had connections to Demand Justice. Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki served as a “communications consultant” for the group. Paige Herwig, Biden’s point person on judicial nominations, also worked for the group before joining the administration. Christopher Kang, another co-founder of the group, served in the Obama-Biden administration, where he served as Obama’s deputy counsel and special assistant for legislative affairs. ‘DEEP, DEEP TROUBLE’: DEMS REPORTEDLY BRINGING IN HILLARY CLINTON TO HELP WITH BIDEN’S RE-ELECTION In addition to being an advocate for court packing, Fallon took to Twitter in 2020 to voice his support for the movement to defund police. During his time with Demand Justice, Fallon also enjoyed close access to the Democracy Alliance, a group of wealthy Democrat donors co-founded by George Soros that helps drive the progressive agenda. In 2018, Fallon mingled at an Atlanta gathering of the donor club, where he was in attendance to promote his group before its launch, the Washington Free Beacon previously reported. While Demand Justice’s complete list of donors is unknown, Soros is among its earliest-known backers. The Open Society Policy Center, the advocacy arm in Soros’ nonprofit network, donated $2.5 million to Demand Justice around the time of its inception in 2018. Since then, the policy center has provided $5.75 million more to support the group, according to its grant database. The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Calls grow for Congress to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs despite Democrat ‘stonewalling’
Calls are growing for Congress to subpoena convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs in order to identify possible perpetrators who may have partaken in his sex trafficking ring. In a Monday letter to the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said there were still many unanswered questions surrounding Epstein’s operation, including the identities of “America’s most powerful and well-known people” who may have been involved. “The American people have a right to know who took part in Epstein’s disgusting business that ruined so many lives,” Burchett wrote. “More importantly, their victims deserve justice and accountability.” GOP SENATOR MOVES TO FORCE RELEASE OF JEFFREY EPSTEIN FLIGHT LOGS, IDENTIFY PERPETRATORS IN ‘HORRIFIC CONDUCT’ Burchett also accused Senate Democrats of recently blocking an effort by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., to subpoena the flight logs. In a statement following the letter, Burchett accused Democrats of “stonewalling” attempts to get them. “This shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but Senate Democrats completely disrespected my friend Marsha’s attempts to find out who participated in Epstein’s disgusting business so we can hold them accountable,” Burchett said. “We should all be concerned about the horrors of sex trafficking, especially when it involves kids, but I’ll call on Republicans to show some leadership in this field if the Democrats insist on stonewalling it like this.” Blackburn first moved for the flight records to be subpoenaed in early November in response to efforts by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee to target justices on the Supreme Court. She then unsuccessfully moved to force a subpoena during a hearing on Nov. 30. WH SPURNS BIDEN FAMILY ‘CONSPIRACY THEORIES’ AHEAD OF LIKELY IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY VOTE, HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION The failure of that effort Blackburn blamed on Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the committee chair. “[Durbin] BLOCKED my request to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs. What are Democrats trying to hide?,” Blackburn posted on X after calling it a “sad day in the history of the prestigious Judiciary Committee.” In a statement following the failed subpoena attempt, Blackburn said Democrats “don’t want to have a conversation about the estate of Jeffrey Epstein to find out the names of every person who participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s human trafficking ring.” HOUSE OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT QUIETLY MEETING WITH GOP LAWMAKERS IN EFFORT TO QUASH IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY: SOURCES A Democrat aide to the committee told Fox News Digital that Durbin made clear he was willing to stay all day in order to allow Republicans to offer as well as debate the 177 amendments that they filed ahead of the hearing, and that the committee would vote on the subpoena authorization after. However, several Republicans on the committee allegedly began to filibuster and didn’t allow Blackburn to offer the first amendment to the authorization, the aide added. Dubbed by some in the media as “The Lolita Express,” Epstein’s plane was allegedly used to fly underage girls to his private island in the Carribean, as well as his other homes around the U.S. and other parts of the world. A number of big-name actors, politicians and other public figures have reportedly been passengers on the plane at some point, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker, Prince Andrew, billionaire businessman Bill Gates and a number of others. There is currently no evidence to suggest anyone who flew on Epstein’s plane participated in any crime. KEY MCCONNELL ALLY MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CRUCIAL SWING STATE RACE THAT COULD FLIP SENATE RED Epstein pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy in July 2019 in a New York court after being accused of having preyed on dozens of victims as young as 14. He was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell the following month. His death was ruled a suicide. Epstein previously pleaded guilty in Florida to charges of soliciting and procuring a person under age 18 for prostitution.
US Treasury, White House top brass signal Argentina support with early visits
Senior U.S. officials from the National Security Council and the Treasury will visit Argentina later this week, an important sign of support just days after libertarian President Javier Milei took office, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
US in touch with Beijing about arranging military communication -Pentagon
The United States has been coordinating with Beijing to arrange military-to-military talks, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, though it did not have any announcements on any talks.
US traffic deaths fell 4.5% in first nine months of year
U.S. traffic deaths fell 4.5% in the first nine months of the year to 30,435 after sharply rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will tell a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on Wednesday.
Texas attorney general sues Austin-based company accused of preying on veterans
The attorney generals’ charges against VA Claims Insider echo allegations surfaced in an investigation from The Texas Tribune published in July.
Trump legal team files motion to pause proceedings pending appeal
Lawyers for former President Donald Trump filed a motion Tuesday urging U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to pause proceedings against Trump while his appeal is pending. The filing comes after Special Counsel Jack Smith asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review Trump’s appeal in an expedited manner. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.