Dem staffers rail against Republican Eli Crane’s border wall-themed Christmas decorations: ‘In terrible taste’
Democratic staffers didn’t take too kindly to the border wall-themed Christmas display outside the office of Republican Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona. An initial picture was posted on the X account of Jason Johnson, who is the press secretary for Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona. The picture shows a mock brick-red border wall capped with fake snow and plush elves outside the entrance to Crane’s office. A sign on one door reads “Border Patrol Elves Only.” Another door displays signs reading “Have Documents Ready” and “Port of Entry” above the entrance in obvious reference to checkpoints along the U.S.-Mexico border. REP. DAN GOLDMAN DENIES HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP IS ‘REAL,’ REVIVES DEBUNKED RUSSIAN MISINFORMATION THEORY “Normally Longworth 2nd floor Christmas decorations are a bipartisan and amiable contest,” Johnson posted. “Rep. Eli Crane’s office has the most insensitive, charged and insulting Christmas décor I’ve ever seen in my 5 years on Capitol Hill.” Aaron Fritschner, Deputy Chief of Staff to Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, responded to the post, accusing Crane and his staff of ignoring the original meaning of Christmas. “In addition to being stupid and in terrible taste, Eli Crane and his staff are showing impressive ignorance of the nativity story,” Fritschner wrote. “They should read Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Matthew to remind themselves what Christmas is all about.” Chapter 2 of Matthew details the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and the subsequent visit by the three wise men from the East. FORMER NAVAJO NATION PRESIDENT LAUNCHES BID TO UNSEAT ARIZONA REP. ELI CRANE In response to Johnson’s initial post, Crane press secretary Zach Kahler shared a snap on X of the door to Rep. Grijalva’s, showing it bare of any decorations, save for a lonely cactus in the corner. He quipped: “Looks like your office takes the contest about as seriously as your party does the crisis at the border.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Crane and Grijalva’s office for further comment.
Florida Democrats enrage long-shot Biden challenger Dean Phillips by excluding him from the ballot
The Florida Democratic Party has reportedly excluded long-shot President Biden challenger Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota from the primary ballot, effectively leaving Floridian Democrats with a single choice for a Democratic presidential candidate — the incumbent. In a statement provided to Politico, Phillips accused the Florida Democratic Party of foul play, and threatened legal retaliation if he wasn’t included on the ballot. “Americans would expect the absence of democracy in Tehran, not Tallahassee,” Phillips told the outlet. “The intentional disenfranchisement of voters runs counter to everything for which our Democratic Party and country stand. Our mission as Democrats is to defeat authoritarians, not become them.” The party, meanwhile, contends it followed protocol accordingly and has been transparent about the balloting process. TWO ARIZONA REPUBLICAN OFFICIALS IN RURAL BORDER COUNTY CRIMINALLY CHARGED WITH DELAYING 2022 ELECTION RESULTS “We are dismayed by Dean Phillps’ conspiratorial and inappropriate comments comparing the state of Florida to the Iranian regime as part of his knee-jerk reaction to long-established procedures,” Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried said in a statement. “This is unbecoming of someone running for higher office.” Phillips’ campaign and the Florida Democratic Party have offered contrasting timelines as to when Phillips requested to be on the ballot before the state party submitted only Biden as a candidate for nomination. Florida’s primary is slated for March 19. Phillips’ campaign, meanwhile, is weighing a lawsuit against the Florida Democratic Party and possibly even the Democratic National Committee. The move would echo Independent Bernie Sanders’ claims in 2016 that the primary process had conspired against his presidential campaign in favor of Hillary Clinton. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Florida Democratic Party and Phillips’ campaign team for further comment. WHITMER’S SISTER DROPS FROM NY HOUSE RACE, ENDORSES PROGRESSIVE DEM FOR HIGH STAKES GOP-CONTROLLED SEAT Phillips, virtually unknown to most Americans, launched his presidential bid Oct. 27, becoming the first elected Democrat to challenge Biden for the nomination. Phillips announced last Friday he will not seek reelection to Congress in 2024. “My journey to public service began the morning after the 2016 election, when I faced the reality that democracy requires participation — not observation,” the Minnesota congressman said in a statement. “Seven years have passed, each presenting historic opportunities to practice a brand of optimistic politics that repairs relationships and improves people’s lives. We have met those moments, and after three terms it is time to pass the torch,” he added. Phillips is one of the wealthiest members of Congress and heir to his stepfather’s Phillips Distilling Company empire, which holds major vodka and schnapps brands. Phillips once served as that company’s president but also ran the gelato maker Talenti.
How and where to watch DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate with Fox News’ Sean Hannity
PROGRAMMING ALERT: Watch the debate between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on “Hannity” on the Fox News Channel at 9 pm ET. Fox News’ Sean Hannity is hosting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a great state debate tonight at 9 p.m. ET in Alpharetta, Georgia. For years, the Peach State was flooded with red voters, but has emerged as a swing state in recent elections. The debate on “Hannity” will air for 90 minutes on Fox News Channel and will be simulcast on Fox News Radio. The primetime showdown will cover the policies of Republican and Democratic candidates and feature no audience. DESANTIS VS. NEWSOM: LIVE UPDATES The opposing governors are known to vocalize their distaste for one another. “To me, this is all business. I understand how this game is played,” DeSantis told Fox News of his ongoing feud with Newsom in late Septemeber. “For him, it may be a little bit different. “California and Florida just have two very different models, and we’ve seen the results of those models. People have fled California since he’s been governor. That’s never happened before. California used to be the state everyone aspired to go to. A lot of them have moved to Florida, which we never had before when I was growing up.” FIERCE DESANTIS-NEWSOM RIVALRY HEADS TO FACE-TO-FACE SHOWDOWN Newsom spoke of baiting DeSantis during a September interview with FOX 11 Los Angeles anchor Elex Michaelson. “Of course. I mean why is he debating a guy who’s not even running for president when he’s running for president?” Newsom wondered. “He’s showing up at the Reagan Library, hallowed ground, and he puts out an ad today, not for his presidential campaign, to promote a debate against the governor of California. I mean, this guy’s distracted, so I don’t know that he has it in his heart. I think — here’s my personal opinion about Ron DeSantis — he regrets running for president.”
Texas judge orders release of Uvalde shooting records, but DPS could still delay
The Department of Public Safety for 18 months has blocked the release of its investigation of the shooting, and it could choose to appeal this latest ruling, too.
Pentagon confirms 74th attack on US troops in Middle East since Oct. 17
U.S. forces stationed in Syria were attacked Tuesday, Pentagon officials said Thursday, marking the 74th time since Oct. 17 that troops were targeted in the Middle East. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh confirmed the attack during Thursday’s Department of Defense briefing. “There was an attack on Tuesday…that brings the total attacks up to 74 attacks from October 17th until now,” she said, adding that there were no additional attacks over the last two days. US NAVY WARSHIP SHOOTS DOWN IRANIAN-MADE HOUTHI DRONE LAUNCHED FROM YEMEN Singh also said there were no injuries reported from the attack, nor any damage to infrastructure. The 74 attacks on U.S. troops have taken place in Iraq and Syria and began on Oct. 17 by Iraqi militia groups. The attacks are reportedly linked to the U.S.’s support for Israel in its retaliation against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, following its attack on Oct. 7. The attacks do not include ballistic missiles being shot in the direction of U.S. military vessels, which commanding officers on those ships have ordered to be shot down. FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE CLAIMS HAMAS’ GAZA LEADER WAS SILENT AFTER CONFRONTING HIM IN TUNNEL On Wednesday, the U.S. Navy Destroyer USS Carney shot down an Iranian-made Houthi drone launched from Yemen. There was no damage to the Carney or any injuries to the U.S. personnel onboard the vessel, which was sailing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the time of the attack. During the briefing, Singh was asked why Houthi drones and missiles heading in the vicinity of U.S. ships were not being included in the number of attacks. US TROOPS TARGETED IN THREE MORE ATTACKS AT BASES IN IRAQ, SYRIA, LEAVING ONE INJURED She explained that action is being taken against drones and missiles when commanding officers on those ships feel they pose a threat. “In terms of intended target…our initial assessment is that the ships were not the intended target, but they came close enough where, at least the Carney, felt the need that it had to engage the drone that was coming its way or headed toward the general direction,” Singh said. She could not say what the intended target of the drones or missiles were, but the initial assessment, Singh added, was that the ships were not the intended target. “It is up to the commanders of these ships if they feel that they are under attack, or they feel like their personnel are threatened, to be able to respond and take action,” Singh said. Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
Massachusetts weighs temporary shelter funding amid homeless, migrant crises
Massachusetts lawmakers are weighing a spending bill that includes money for temporary shelter spaces for homeless families as the state struggles to find newly arriving migrants places to stay after hitting a state-imposed limit of 7,500 families in its emergency homeless shelter system. House and Senate Democratic leaders announced Thursday they had reached a deal on a $2.8 billion spending bill two weeks after wrapping up their formal session. The bill would steer hundreds of millions of dollars to the state’s emergency shelters buckling under a crush of migrant and homeless families. Republican lawmakers, who are in the minority in both chambers, urged Democrats to split up the spending bill. GOP leaders say they support parts that would fund overdue pay raises and disaster relief efforts but oppose funding for migrant families without significant reforms. MASSACHUSETTS INITIATES $5 MILLION GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES “There is currently no plan in place to stem the flow of new arrivals and no policy reforms implemented to ensure that longtime residents in need are not denied housing assistance, which is completely unacceptable,” Minority Leader Bradley Jones wrote in a statement Wednesday. In an informal session, a single lawmaker can kill a bill. Formal sessions are set to begin again in January. Democratic House Speaker Ronald Mariano said in a statement Thursday that the supplemental budget plan includes $250 million to help respond to families seeking shelter, including up to $50 million for an emergency overflow site for families stuck on the wait list. Over 100 families are currently waiting for emergency shelter spaces. To create more space in the shelter system, the state has been collaborating with federal officials to help migrants get work authorizations needed to find a job. At a series of recent work clinics sponsored by the state, more than 1,700 migrants have applied for work authorizations, officials said. The migrants, all of whom are in the country legally, are eager to get work and leave the shelters according to the state’s Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice. “We see first-hand a lot of these migrants coming in here, their objective is to get into a community and work,” Rice said. Nearly 500 families have exited shelters since Sept. 1, he said. Last week, Catholic Charities Boston became first organization to be awarded a grant to provide temporary rooms for up to 27 extremely low-income families with children and pregnant individuals waiting for shelter spaces. MASSACHUSETTS TO LET HOMELESS FAMILIES CAMP IN STATE TRANSPORTATION BUILDING AS SHELTER SYSTEM OVERFLOWS Democratic Gov. Maura Healey announced the $5 million grant program earlier this month. The state also began last week letting homeless families stay overnight in the state transportation building in Boston. The space in the office building is large enough to provide overnight shelter for up to 25 families with cots and limited amenities and will only be used in the evening and overnight hours, officials said. On Wednesday, the state announced it was joining with the YMCA of Greater Boston to give the families a welcoming environment including food and recreational opportunities during daytime hours when the temporary shelter isn’t available. The surge in demand is being driven in part by migrant families entering the state, officials said.
Kevin McCarthy, Matt Gaetz trade jabs as fierce rivalry continues: He ‘belongs in jail’
The fierce rivalry between former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., continued full throttle this week as the two traded jabs in separate media interviews centered on questions about divisions within the Florida congressional delegation. “You have a cross-section [of the delegation],” McCarthy told Politico when asked about the House’s Florida Republicans. “You have Gaetz, who belongs in jail, and you have serious members.” McCarthy’s criticism appeared to be referencing the ongoing probe of Gaetz by the House Ethics Committee into allegations of sexual misconduct and misuse of his funding. WATCH: KARINE JEAN-PIERRE STORMS OUT OF WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING WHEN PRESSED BY AFRICAN REPORTER Gaetz later hit back at McCarthy, telling the outlet those were “tough words from a guy who sucker punches people in the back,” referencing recent allegations that McCarthy assaulted Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., by elbowing him in the kidneys. “The only assault I committed was against Kevin’s fragile ego,” he added. The two never appeared to have a rosy relationship, but the back-and-forth worsened after Gaetz filed a motion to vacate against McCarthy in October, setting up the vote that ultimately removed him as House speaker. MORE AMERICANS THAN EVER THINK US HEADED IN WRONG DIRECTION AS CONGRESS’ APPROVAL NEAR ROCK BOTTOM: SURVEY McCarthy frequently took shots at Gaetz throughout the subsequent process of selecting a new House speaker, which ultimately landed in the lap of now-House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Gaetz and Burchett were two of eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to oust McCarthy. The Florida congressman called for a House ethics investigation into McCarthy on Nov. 14, after the alleged assault of Burchett. CONFIDENCE IN US PRESIDENCY HITS LOWEST POINT EVER AS TRUMP LEADS BIDEN IN 2024 REMATCH: SURVEY McCarthy denied the incident was intentional, but Burchett said he saw it in a different light. “You don’t expect that sort of thing from an adult, certainly not one who was once third in line for the White House,” he told reporters. “I’ll take a polygraph test. And have Kevin take a polygraph test,” he added. “It was deliberate. It was just a cheap shot by a bully.”
North Carolina judges block Legislature’s bid to take power over elections board appointments
North Carolina trial judges on Thursday blocked portions of a new law that would transfer Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s authority to pick election board members to the Republican-dominated General Assembly. Following a 90-minute hearing, the three state judges agreed unanimously to issue a preliminary injunction sought by Cooper. His lawyers argued that the alterations to the State Board of Elections and county boards in all 100 counties need to be stopped now or his directive in the state constitution to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed” will be harmed irreparably. The Republican legislative leaders whom Cooper has sued can appeal the decision to the state Court of Appeals. The outcome of the injunction request and Cooper’s broader litigation on the law, which was enacted just last month, could affect how the 2024 elections are administered in the ninth-largest U.S. state, where races for president and governor are likely to be closely contested. The changes would take effect on Jan. 1. NORTH CAROLINA EXPANDS MEDICAID COVERAGE, PROVIDING HEALTH CARE TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN NEED The state elections board currently comprises five members appointed by the governor — a format that goes back to 1901. The governor’s party always holds three of the seats. The new law, which went into effect after Republican lawmakers overrode Cooper’s veto, would increase the board to eight members appointed by the General Assembly based on the recommendations of top legislative leaders from both parties. This would likely create a 4-4 split among Democrats and Republicans. For several years, Republicans have pushed unsuccessfully to alter the composition of the board: They’ve been thwarted both by court rulings and a constitutional amendment that voters rejected in 2018. Republican lawmakers say this measure is different, however, and will promote bipartisan election administration and consensus. And with Republicans now holding five of the seven seats on the state Supreme Court, supporters hope the state’s highest court is more inclined to uphold the law. Cooper and his allies have countered that the changes are a GOP power grab that will lead to board impasses that could erode early voting access and send outcomes of contested elections to the courts or the General Assembly to settle. “Administering fair, secure elections is critical for our democracy and the courts have repeatedly found that partisan legislative attempts to take over the State Board of Elections are unconstitutional,” Cooper said in a written statement after the judges’ ruling. A spokesperson for Senate leader Phil Berger, who along with House Speaker Tim Moore is a chief defendants in Cooper’s lawsuit, said that legislative leadership would continue to fight to ensure that “North Carolinians trust the outcomes of the 2024 elections.” “The legislature voted to make the State Board of Elections a truly bipartisan board with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Gov. Cooper sued to have it controlled by only Democrats,” Berger spokesperson Lauren Horsch said. In presenting their arguments, Cooper’s lawyers relied on three state Supreme Court decisions going back 40 years that they say demand that a governor have control over executive agencies to carry out laws. Such control is necessary so that the governor can appoint a majority that shares his views and priorities, attorney Jim Phillips said. One of the previous court rulings, in 2018, struck down a previous iteration of the state elections board that also would have the membership split evenly among Democrats and Republicans, but appointed by Cooper. The latest law, Phillips told the judges, is “a far more egregious, invasive and unconstitutional structure.” An outside attorney for Berger and Moore, Martin Warf, argued that the law should be carried out while the lawsuit continues. He also wrote this week that since the state constitution fails to expressly prohibit the legislature from forming the elections board in this manner, the judicial branch should not decide the issue. “If there is no limitation on the General Assembly’s authority to make laws, then they can make those laws if they deem it wise in the matter of public opinion,” Warf said Thursday. If the law takes effect on time, changes could happen quickly. For example, if a new eight-person state board can’t agree on hiring an executive director by Jan. 10, the law directs Berger to name one. NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS GIVE FINAL APPROVAL TO CURB DEMOCRATIC GOV. COOPER’S APPOINTMENT POWERS Republicans have been critical of current Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell — hired by the board’s Democratic majority four years ago — in part for a legal settlement that extended deadlines to receive mail-in absentee ballots in the 2020 election. Superior Court Judges Lori Hamilton and Andrew Womble — both Republicans — and Edwin Wilson, a Democrat, didn’t give a reason in court for issuing the injunction later Thursday. But Hamilton suggested during questioning that allowing the law to be carried out on Jan. 1 — only to have it be possibly struck down later — could cause confusion and disarray in a presidential election year. “It seems to me that it’s seriously dangerous to be making changes of this nature” when the Supreme Court struck down a previous version of the board advanced by legislators, Hamilton said. The new law is not the only one being targeted by opponents. At least three lawsuits filed by Democrats and allied groups have been filed challenging a law that would tighten some rules for early in-person voting and eliminate a three-day grace period to receive and count absentee ballots as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. Those changes would take effect with the March primaries.
Ferry operators around the country to receive $220M in federal grants to modernize fleets
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Biden administration will issue $220 million in grants to modernize the country’s ferry systems, officials announced Thursday. The grant program will focus on expanding ferry service in rural communities, helping them acquire modern ferries, including electric boats, and upgrading shore infrastructure to support low-emission ferry service, officials said. WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES TO RECEIVE $38 MILLION FROM FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION Twelve ferry operators in the territory of American Samoa and the states of California, Washington, Alaska, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina will receive grants, said Nuria Fernandez, administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. The grants “will help transit agencies around the country buy and retrofit vessels, upgrade terminals and modernize equipment,” she said during a news conference at San Francisco’s Ferry Building. The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority and the Golden Gate Ferry will receive about $22 million to retrofit two of their existing ferry floats in the cities of Alameda and San Francisco and replace the ferry landing at Sausalito Ferry Terminal. The New York City Department of Transportation will receive nearly $7.5 million to build shoreside terminal infrastructure to enable rapid charging for vessels serving Governors Island, which is only accessible by ferry. The new charging system will reduce emissions, decrease maintenance costs and improve reliability for riders, officials said.
Rice University relocates its founder’s remains after reckoning with his ties to slavery
William “Willy” Rice, the founder of Rice University, will be buried at his family plot after students called for his removal due to his slave-owning past.