Trump assassination attempt hearing devolves into screaming match
The acting director of the U.S. Secret Service and a Texas congressman got into a screaming match Thursday during a hearing on the agency’s failures leading to two assassination attempts against President-elect Trump. Acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe shouted at Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, after the GOP lawmaker lambasted the service for security lapses that made Trump a target of two failed shooting attempts. The outburst happened after Fallon showed a picture of Presidents Biden and Trump at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony this year and suggested that as the Special Agent in Charge of that detail, Rowe should have been close enough to Biden to be in the picture. Rowe was not pictured. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: SECRET SERVICE ACTING DIRECTOR REVEALS ‘NUMEROUS CHANGES’ AGENCY HAS IMPLEMENTED “Who is usually at an event like this closest to the President of the United States?” Fallon asked, pointing at the photo. “Were you the special agent in charge of the detail that day?” Rowe said the security detail was present but out of view of the camera. As he spoke, he became enraged and accused Fallon of using 9/11 for political purposes. SECRET SERVICE KNEW AIRSPACE PROTECTION WOULD END WITH FORMER PRESIDENT ONSTAGE “That is the day where we remember more than 3,000 people that have died on 911. I actually responded to Ground Zero,” Rowe said. “I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center.” “I’m not asking that, I’m asking you, if you were … were you the special agent in charge!?” Fallon interrupted, shouting at Rowe. Rowe raised his voice in response. “I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11!” he yelled back. “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe screamed at the lawmaker. SECRET SERVICE, FBI RESPOND TO TRUMP RALLY VIDEO SHOWING FIGURE ON ROOF MINUTES BEFORE GUNFIRE “I’m not,” Fallon fired back, as the committee chairman demanded order and banged his gavel. “You are, sir. You are out of line, congressman!” Rowe fumed. “Way out of line.” Fallon then accused Rowe of “playing politics” by refusing to answer his question. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I am a public servant who has served this nation,” Rowe retorted, saying he served on the nation’s “darkest day.” “You will not politicize it!” Rowe thundered.
Bengaluru-Chennai Vande Bharat travel time to reduce by…; check top speed, other details
On December 5, the Bengaluru division of South Western Railway (SWR) is conducting a speed trial on the Bengaluru-Jolarpettai section to raise the speed limit from 110 km/h to 130 km/h.
Arizona Republican lawmakers ask for investigation into county recorder’s handling of 2024 election
Republican lawmakers in Arizona are calling for Pima County recorder Gabriella Cazares-Kelly to be investigated for her handling of the 2024 General Election, accusing her of closing an early ballot request portal before the legal deadline for early ballot requests, among two other claims of potential misconduct. Arizona State Representatives Teresa Martinez and Rachel Jones penned a letter to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes last week requesting a probe following reports of “significant and highly concerning issues” involving Cazares-Kelly’s actions leading up to and during the election, the lawmakers said in a joint statement Monday. Cazares-Kelly, a progressive Democrat, has been in office since 2021. Martinez and Jones claim the Pima County Recorder’s Office disabled its online ballot request system six days before the legal deadline, impacting nearly 4,000 voters. They say the decision has raised concerns about compliance with Arizona election laws and potential voter disenfranchisement in the county, located in southern Arizona. The county has a population of just over 1 million people, per the 2020 census, making it Arizona’s second-most populous county, behind Maricopa County. END OF DEFUND POLICE ERA? CRIME, PROSECUTORIAL CRACKDOWN IN BLUE AND PURPLE STATES SIGNALS SHIFT, EXPERTS SAY The pair have also raised concerns that inadequate safeguards in the recorder’s voter registration program for prison inmates may have allowed ineligible individuals to vote. They say previous inquiries into this matter, including a letter sent by Jones and State Representative Cory McGarr on June 5, went unanswered. Thirdly, Martinez and Rachel Jones say that the method of how undeliverable ballots were processed, stored and tracked under Cazares-Kelly’s leadership, has also been raised. A follow-up letter sent by Jones and McGarr on Oct. 24 to clarify compliance with Arizona law likewise received no response, according to the letter. “Election integrity is the foundation of our democracy, and voters deserve to know their elections are being administered fairly, lawfully, and transparently,” Martinez said in a statement. “The numerous irregularities and lack of accountability from the Pima County Recorder’s Office demand a full investigation.” ARIZONA ALLEGED ‘FAKE ELECTORS’ WHO BACKED TRUMP IN 2020 INDICTED BY GRAND JURY Jones added that: “When nearly 4,000 voters face barriers to requesting a ballot, and when questions about unlawful voting and ballot processing are met with silence, it’s clear that immediate action is needed to restore public trust.” Fox News Digital reached out to Cazares-Kelly’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response. A spokesperson for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office says it has received the letter but is declining to comment further, telling Fox News Digital that the attorney general’s office does not comment on potential investigations. Cazares-Kelly is the first Native American woman elected to a seat in Pima County, according to her campaign website. She is the President of the Progressive Democrats of Southern Arizona and Vice President of the Arizona Democratic Party’s Native American Caucus. In Martinez’s and Jones’ letter, the pair made reference to Mayes’ comments last month that her office was investigating whether President-elect Trump’s remarks about former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney qualifies as a death threat under Arizona’s law. On the campaign trail, Trump called Cheney a war hawk and postulated how she might feel standing in a war zone with “nine barrels shooting at her.” “Arizonans deserve free, fair, and transparent elections,” the letter reads. “In light of your recent decision to immediately investigate President-elect Donald Trump over his speech (although you later determined his remarks were protected by the First Amendment), we hope you will agree that Recorder Cazares-Kelly’s alarming conduct administering the 2024 General Election warrants a thorough investigation.” READ THE LETTER BELOW. APP USERS CLICK HERE.
Firebrand GOP lawmaker demands Mayorkas preserve border crisis records for Trump admin: ‘Undo the damage done’
FIRST ON FOX: A firebrand Republican lawmaker in Congress is demanding that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas preserve all information related to the border crisis that took place over the last four years as part of an ongoing records request. “During your tenure as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary, we have seen recordbreaking illegal alien encounters at our borders, millions of aliens released into the interior, scores of criminals and other bad actors infiltrating our communities, endangering Americans and aliens alike, and much more. It is imperative DHS preserve any and all information related to the border crisis and mass influx of aliens into the interior so the incoming Trump administration can deliver on its mandate to undo the damage done,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said in a letter to Mayorkas, obtained first by Fox News Digital. Republicans have consistently complained that DHS has not been responsive to requests for information, a claim that DHS has denied – pointing to a slew of briefings, responses and hearing appearances that officials have given. DEM SENATOR URGES BIDEN TO EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN: ‘NOBODY IS SAFE’ Roy says his office and others have received “at best – delayed and insufficient responses or – at worst – no response from your office at all.” “As such, I request that you take all reasonable steps to prevent the destruction of all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information, that are or may be responsive to this congressional inquiry, including memoranda, numerical data, reports, letters, and subpoenas received by Congress surrounding border security and immigration policies of the Biden-Harris Administration from January 20, 2021, to the present,” he writes. The letter comes as a political sea change on how to handle border security and illegal immigration is about to hit Washington, D.C. While the Biden administration has taken a number of hawkish moves at the border in recent months, including a presidential proclamation in June that drastically limited asylum, the incoming Trump administration and Republican Congress are eyeing significant overhauls to how immigration and border security are handled. Given the historic crisis at the border, which started in early 2021 and continued deep into 2024, Republicans have hammered the administration on the border crisis, with Roy being a key member in the impeachment of Mayorkas earlier this year – although that impeachment was not taken up by the Senate. While the Trump administration will likely bring in sweeping changes at the border, Roy’s letter indicates there will be continued interest in how the Biden administration handled the crisis. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Roy’s letter requests that DHS preserves information, including the number of migrants released with court dates, their countries of origins, last known whereabouts, and similar information for those released into the U.S. under humanitarian parole and those allowed to stay under programs like Temporary Protected Status. It also seeks information on how the controversial CBP One app – which allows for migrants to schedule appointments to be paroled into the U.S. – was being used. Information requested also includes those who are no longer able to be contacted, those released with criminal charges or convictions, those with gang affiliations, and those given protection under Temporary Protected Status. Roy also wanted to see the number of visa overstays, those admitted with visas who are suspected of fraud, and the number of countries that are “recalcitrant” and who are not taking back illegal immigrants. He also wants to know the number of Chinese nationals released into the U.S. with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the names of organizations that have received DHS grants for caring for migrants and the number of worksite enforcement investigations conducted by ICE. The letter is the latest sign that immigration, which was a political hot topic in 2024, will likely remain a top item for Congress as well as the administration in 2025. President-elect Trump has already appointed former ICE Director Thomas Homan as his border czar, and has nominated South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be Mayorkas’ successor at DHS. Republicans are expected to push for additional legislation to aid in that operation. That push could take the form of HR 2, the Republican border bill that passed in the House in 2023, but has not been taken up by the Senate.
Sexual misconduct at Veterans Affairs facility is ‘disturbing and disgusting,’ House committee chairman says
Investigative documents shared with a congressional committee revealed “disturbing and disgusting” sexual relationships and misconduct among workers at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facility in Tennessee, the committee chairman said Wednesday. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, has been looking into allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault and inappropriate interpersonal relationships at the Mountain Home VA Medical Center in Tennessee since the allegations surfaced in July. On Wednesday, the VA shared certain documents from its investigation with the committee that showed sexual misconduct did occur on VA property in Mountain Home. “The sexual misconduct, harassment, and inappropriate interpersonal relationships that were allowed to persist at the Mountain Home VA facility are disturbing and disgusting,” Bost said in a statement on Wednesday. “If these allegations are verified, without question, these men and women have no business serving veterans in East Tennessee, and this should have never happened.” VETERANS’ PTSD SYMPTOMS COULD IMPROVE WITH HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY, STUDY SHOWS Concerns about sexual misconduct among staff at the facility were first raised in July, and later confirmed by whistleblowers, according to the committee. Since July, Bost has sent three letters to VA Secretary Denis McDonough inquiring about the allegations of “a serious culture problem” and requesting an investigation. The VA told Fox News Digital in a statement that the department has “zero tolerance” for sexual misconduct, and the “employees involved in any wrongdoing are no longer with the VA.” “As soon as allegations of misconduct at this facility were uncovered, VA reported the matter to the proper authorities, began our own investigation, and informed Congress,” a VA spokesperson said. “We continue to fully cooperate with all proper authorities in this matter, and we hold our employees accountable to the highest standards of care and respect. Whenever employees fail to live up to those standards, we take immediate action – as we have done in this case.” TRUMP NOMINATES FORMER REP. DOUG COLLINS FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS The committee on Wednesday said that though the VA’s investigation remains ongoing, to their knowledge, the senior leadership at Mountain Home, who were aware of the “sexually explicit activity,” were still employed by the VA. Fox News reached out to the VA Mountain Home health care facility but has not yet received a response. Bost said he’s committed to finding those ultimately responsible for allowing the behavior to occur at the facility and holding all those involved accountable. “As we continue to get more information from the Department on why this behavior was allowed, who committed these actions, whether those involved are still collecting a taxpayer-funded paycheck from VA, and who is ultimately responsible, I will continue to fight tooth and nail to urge the Biden administration to hold everyone involved accountable,” Bost said.
‘Miscarriage of justice’: Soros DA ripped by police for ‘war’ on cops after officer sentenced to prison
FIRST ON FOX: Austin, Texas, police officers past and present are speaking out against the county’s progressive district attorney after a fellow officer was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday for what they say was a case of him performing his job the right way. Austin police officer Christopher Taylor was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of deadly conduct, after originally being charged with murder in the shooting death of 46-year-old Mauris DeSilva in 2019. DeSilva was in the midst of a mental health episode, walking around an apartment complex, threatening to harm himself and holding a knife to his throat, when he failed to drop the knife after being instructed by officers to do so. Fox News Digital spoke to several members of the law enforcement community in Austin who say that Taylor’s prosecution represents a malicious targeting of police officers on the part of the county’s progressive District Attorney Jose Garza. SOROS-BACKED ‘ANTI-POLICE’ DA SPARKS OUTRAGE AFTER SHOWING UP TO FALLEN OFFICER FUNERAL: ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’ “The weaponization of our Justice System by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza has taken away the life of Officer Chris Taylor today,” Austin Police Officer Justin Berry told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Chris knew that by wearing the badge of a police officer he may be called to make the ultimate sacrifice in the service and protection of another officer or his community. I do not believe he, nor his family, ever thought his life would be taken by a malicious District Attorney with a spiteful agenda against a police officer trying to protect himself and others. I have spoken with Law Enforcement leaders from around Texas and we all stand behind Officer Chris Taylor and the other maliciously persecuted officers against the ongoing weaponization of the justice system for rogue District Attorneys to abuse with impunity.” Garza has long faced criticism from law enforcement in Austin for an alleged “war on cops” after the Soros-backed district attorney campaigned on indicting police officers and “reimagining” policing in Austin. Soros contributed $652,000 to the Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC in the months leading up to the 2020 Travis County DA election, according to campaign finance records. That same PAC spent almost $1 million on digital and mail advertisements to help Garza’s campaign. Berry, who was one of over a dozen police officers indicted by Garza for their role in quelling Black Lives Matter riots in 2020, told Fox News Digital that Taylor’s situation “highlights the historic abuse of office by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza to further his personal war against the men and women of the Austin Police Department.” “Today Garza sent a clear message that police officers in Travis County, Texas are prohibited from defending themselves and others (to include members of this very community),” Berry told Fox News Digital. “When an armed subject charges at an officer to harm or kill that officer, every police officer has always been trained and taught they are legally justified in defending themselves or others from serious bodily injury or death. Today that is no longer the case in Austin, Texas. Jose Garza has set the policy that no police officer should respond to ANY call involving anyone in a mental health crisis, especially if they are armed with a weapon.” SOROS DA PUT MURDER CASE ON ‘BACK BURNER’ BECAUSE IT DOESN’T ‘FIT’ LIBERAL AGENDA: VICTIM’S FAMILY A second Austin police officer, who was granted anonymity in order to speak freely, called Tuesday a “sad” and “dark day” for Austin, Texas. “No one wants to go to these mental health calls anymore and, if we do go, there will be some hesitation,” the officer said. “This conviction will cause people to get hurt when they otherwise wouldn’t have.” “We’re all heart broken for Chris and his family. Chris showed up, answered the call, utilized sound tactics and decision making, and is now looking at a two-year prison sentence. We haven’t gotten any meaningful guidance because – what do you change when Chris did it the right way?” AUSTIN’S SOROS-BACKED DA BLASTED AFTER MAN CHARGED WITH 7TH DUI, KILLING 2 PEOPLE RELEASED ON BOND The officers who spoke with Fox News Digital maintain that Taylor followed his training, which was backed up by testimony in Taylor’s defense from former Austin police chief Brian Manley and former Austin assistant city manager Bruce Mills. Additionally, an internal police department review of the incident concluded Taylor followed protocol, and he was allowed to return to work. The prosecution argued that Taylor, believed to be the first police officer in Travis County to be convicted for use of force, could have diffused the situation without deadly force and that DeSilva was not a threat at the time deadly force was used. “We lost him because of your ignorance,” DeSilva’s father said in court. “You were reckless. You know very well that he was not a danger to you, Mr. Taylor, or anyone else. I have no idea why you decided to shoot him.” Dennis Farris, president of Austin Police Retired Officers Association, pointed Fox News Digital to evidence in the trial that DeSilva had meth in his system, a blood alcohol level of over .20 and testimony that DeSilva was moving toward the officers armed with a knife from a short distance away. “We as a society cannot expect police officers to go out every day and protect us while they worry if they will be indicted by some elected DA who decides what they did was criminal,” Farris told Fox News Digital. “Chris Taylor followed the law and his training in dealing with this situation and somehow the prosecutors convinced a jury that it was unlawful.” ‘FAILED EXPERIMENT’: EXPERTS REVEAL WHY SOROS-BACKED POLICIES TOOK BEATING IN DEEP BLUE STATE “This verdict and sentence are absolutely a miscarriage of justice by a DA who is targeting police officers for doing their job and letting real criminals off with little or no punishment.” In a
Dem Rep. Nadler steps down from top spot on Judiciary Committee, endorses Raskin
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., has bowed out of the race for ranking member on the high profile House Judiciary Committee, according to a Dear Colleague letter he sent Wednesday. Nadler’s decision opens a pathway for Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., to take over as the top Democrat on the committee. Raskin had launched a bid to challenge Nadler. “As our country faces the return of Donald Trump, and the renewed threats to our democracy and our way of life that he represents, I am very confident that Jamie would ably lead the Judiciary Committee as we confront this growing danger,” Nadler wrote, endorsing Raskin to succeed him. HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO MEET WITH VOTE ON RELEASING GAETZ REPORT LOOMING “Although I will not be Ranking Member, I will still be an active member of the Committee, and I am eager to work alongside its new leadership in the battle to protect our most vulnerable communities and our most precious democratic ideals,” the 17-term New York Democrat added. Nadler steps aside as several younger House Democrats have ambitions to unseat older, but established, party leaders in the next Congress. DEM REP. NADLER PICTURED WITH HEAD DOWN, EYES CLOSED DURING TESTIMONY FROM OTHERS OF MIGRANT CRIME VICTIMS Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., earlier this week withdrew from the race for the top Democratic spot on the Natural Resources Committee after Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., announced his bid. A handful of lawmakers are also challenging Agriculture Committee ranking member Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., for his job, Politico reported. Nadler’s ` did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NY DEM CALLS ON ‘CEASEFIRE NOW CAMP’ TO DEMAND PEOPLE STOP TEARING DOWN ISRAELI HOSTAGE POSTERS Raskin thanked Nadler for his endorsement in a post on X. “Jerry Nadler is an extraordinary lawyer, patriot and public servant. His dogged defense of civil rights and civil liberties is a great inspiration to our people. I am honored and humbled to have his support in the battles ahead,” the Maryland Democrat wrote. His presumptive elevation to the Judiciary Committee creates an opening for the ranking member position on the House Oversight Committee. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has voiced interest in that role, among others. “I’m having a lot of conversations with my colleagues,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters Wednesday. “It’s incredibly important that we prepare ourselves fully for an incoming Trump administration as well as fighting for everyday working Americans.”
Former Miss India duped in ‘digital arrest’ scam, loses Rs 99,000
The scam started when Shivankita, who lives in Agra, received a call from someone pretending to be a CBI officer.
Noida Metro: Major update on Aqua Line extension, UP govt submits…
The proposed extension spans 17.435 km and will add 11 new stations to the Aqua Line.
‘The pendulum is swinging’: Experts weigh in on historic SCOTUS transgender case amid oral arguments
The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) began hearing oral arguments for the high-profile case involving Tennessee’s ban on transgender medical procedures for minors on Wednesday, and one expert is saying the historic case shows “the pendulum is swinging.” The case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, will decide whether Tennessee’s ban on transgender medical procedures is constitutional and could impact whether states will enact more bans and allow individuals to sue medical providers. “I think you’re finding more of these people willing and certainly wanting to sue the pharmaceutical companies, as well as the doctors who prescribe medication or did the surgery,” Mat Staver, chairman of nonprofit legal group Liberty Counsel, told Fox News Digital in an interview. SUPREME COURT TO WEIGH STATE BAN ON TRANSGENDER ‘MEDICAL TREATMENTS’ FOR MINORS “So I think that the pendulum is swinging,” said Staver, whose legal group filed an amicus brief in support of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. “So even no matter what the Supreme Court does, I think the lawsuits will ultimately be the death mill of this kind of intervention.” As oral arguments commenced Wednesday morning, supporters and opponents of gender transition treatments gathered outside the SCOTUS building holding transgender Pride flags and “Kids’ Health Matters.” Over the course of more than two hours, the justices listened to each side present their arguments and asked questions. The court’s ruling could affect other current legal fights over transgender rights, including bathroom access and participation in scholastic sports. It could also serve as a legal template for future disputes involving the LGBTQ community and whether sexual orientation is a “protected class” that deserves the same rights that involve a person’s race and national origin. Staver said appellate courts have consistently upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for minors, though some lower court rulings have been overturned on appeal. He predicts the Supreme Court will likely follow this trend, framing the issue as one of regulating medical procedures rather than a question of constitutional protection. “I think it’s really a question of whether or not this rises to a level of constitutional protection, which I don’t think it does,” Staver said. ‘OF COURSE I SUPPORT THE PARDON OF MY SON,’ JILL BIDEN TELLS REPORTER The Biden administration joined the lawsuit by filing a petition to the Supreme Court in November 2023. The Department of Justice argued that the Tennessee law, which limits access to puberty blockers and hormone therapies for transgender minors, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This clause requires equal treatment of individuals in similar circumstances under the law. “It is no surprise to my mind that this is something I believe the Biden administration would love to hang its hat on as a victory for so-called transgender rights,” Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Sarah Perry told Fox News Digital. The administration’s petition emphasized the “urgent need” for Supreme Court review, citing the impact on families who risk losing essential medical care. The DOJ also highlighted the broader implications of similar laws in other states, arguing that the bans disproportionately target transgender youth while permitting similar treatment for non-transgender minors. TRUMP TEAM DISMISSES REPORTS HE WILL DISCHARGE TRANS IN MILITARY: ‘NO DECISIONS ON THIS ISSUE HAVE BEEN MADE’ “But I will say this is going to present a very interesting potential, about FACE [The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act] with the incoming Trump administration, they have made very clear during the campaign that they want to restrict these procedures for minors,” Perry said. “So the Department of Justice under President Trump has an opportunity to reverse course, to file a motion to dismiss, voluntarily dismiss the case, and then it presents an interesting question: what do the justices do?” she added. The case comes as transgender issues have become a hotly debated topic in the country’s culture wars. Several large medical groups, including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, all endorse transgender medical procedures for children. Meanwhile, more than 26 states have either restricted or passed laws banning them. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti told reporters after the arguments, “The Constitution allows the states to protect kids from unproven, life-altering procedures based on uncertain science.” A ruling is expected by July 2025. Fox News’ Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.