LA mayor’s office silent on deputy who was in charge of fire dept., placed on leave for alleged bomb threat
As wildfires wreaked devastation across Los Angeles, the city official in charge of the fire department was out of the picture – placed on administrative leave in December while he remains under investigation for an alleged bomb threat against City Hall earlier this year. LA Deputy Mayor Brian Williams’ Pasadena, California home was raided by the FBI last month in connection to the investigation of a bomb threat which was made against City Hall in September. The Los Angeles Police Department referred the case to the FBI after it determined Williams was likely the “source of the threat,” FOX 11 Los Angeles reported. “Due to the department’s working relationship with Mr. Williams, the investigation was referred to the FBI,” the LAPD said in a statement at the time. “The FBI remains the investigating agency.” Embattled Mayor Karen Bass’ office said Williams was placed on administrative leave immediately after the FBI notified the mayor of the search. That happened three weeks before the fires erupted in Los Angeles County, scorching nearly four square miles of urban area, according to the Associated Press. LA DEPUTY MAYOR PLACED ON LEAVE AFTER FBI RAIDS HOME FOR ALLEGEDLY MAKING BOMB THREAT The Palisades and Eaton Fires are still burning, though heroic efforts by firefighters and calming winds have greatly reduced the rate of spread. At least 27 people have been killed and more than 12,000 buildings and homes destroyed in the blazes. The fires are likely to be among the most destructive in California history, the state fire agency CalFire said. When the first flames ignited, Bass, 71, was overseas on a diplomatic mission to Ghana. She was part of a delegation President Biden sent to the African nation for the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. She hurried home on a military plane soon after news of the fire emergency reached her, but she did not return to Los Angeles for a full 24 hours after disaster struck. LA MAYOR KAREN BASS POSED FOR PHOTOS AT A COCKTAIL PARTY AS PALISADES FIRE EXPLODED Her initial absence has prompted harsh criticism from LA residents, who are questioning Bass’ leadership amid the crisis. In that context, her decision to put Williams on administrative leave is also under fresh scrutiny. The Los Angeles mayor’s office did not respond to requests for comment. Bass appointed Williams to be deputy mayor in February 2023 and charged him with overseeing public safety in the city. EX-OBAMA STAFFER AND LIBERAL PODCASTER SLAMS LA MAYOR FOR BEING OVERSEAS DURING WILDFIRES Williams was placed in charge of the city’s police department, fire department, the Port of Los Angeles Police, the Los Angeles World Airport Police and the city’s Emergency Management Department, local news station KABC reported. Williams previously served seven years as the executive director of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission. He also served as deputy mayor under Mayor James Hahn, during which time he oversaw the Department of Transportation, Public Works and Information Technology Agency. Williams’ attorney Dmitry Gorin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gorin previously released a statement denying that his client had anything to do with the bomb threat made against City Hall. “Mr. Williams strongly maintains his innocence and intends to vigorously fight the allegations. Importantly, he has not been arrested, nor charged, and will continue cooperating with the investigation through attorneys. He has a lengthy career of public service and is presumed innocent of these allegations. We urge the public to allow the investigation process to play out and not to prejudge the facts of this case before they are known,” Gorin said last month. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump nominates Penny Schwinn for deputy secretary of US Department of Education
President-elect Trump announced on Saturday he has picked Penny Schwinn, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. While in Tennessee, Schwinn oversaw the department’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, implemented Gov. Bill Lee‘s school voucher program and overhauled the state’s school funding formula, the Associated Press reported. DEM SENATOR WHO BASHED HEGSETH’S QUALIFICATIONS STANDS BY DOD SEC WHO OVERSAW BOTCHED AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL Schwinn previously worked at the Texas Education Agency as the deputy commissioner of standards and engagement, deputy commissioner of special populations and monitoring, and chief deputy commissioner of academics. She was also the assistant secretary of education in Delaware. BONDI SPARS WITH SCHIFF AT TESTY CONFIRMATION HEARING: ‘YOU WERE CENSURED’ Trump congratulated Schwinn on Saturday in a post on Truth Social. “A former teacher herself, Penny became the founding principal of a charter school, because she believes in the power of School Choice, and is committed to delivering the American Dream to the next Generation by returning Education BACK TO THE STATES,” Trump wrote. “Congratulations to Penny and her wonderful family!” Schwinn holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins, and a Ph.D. from Claremont.
Thousands of left-wing demonstrators descend on Washington to protest Trump inauguration
Thousands of mainly female protesters descended on Washington, D.C. to protest President–elect Trump’s inauguration on Monday. However, the crowd is only a tenth of the half a million who turned out for the “Women’s March” in 2017. Saturday’s march, rebranded as the “People’s March,” is taking place at three different locations with demonstrators advocating for a wide range of left-wing causes and showcasing a united front to the new administration. This morning, a kickoff event took place in Franklin Park for “gender justice” and bodily autonomy, and then demonstrators walked downtown before making their way towards the Lincoln Memorial for the day’s main event. HIGHLIGHTS FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP’S 1ST INAUGURATION DAY; WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MONDAY “It’s really healing to be here with all of you today in solidarity and togetherness, in the face of what’s going to be some really horrible extremism,” Mini Timmaraju, the head of advocacy group Reproductive Freedom for All, told the crowd as events kicked off. Other protesters gathered at two other parks also near the White House, with one group focused on democracy and immigration and another on local Washington issues, Vendors hawked buttons that said #MeToo and “Love trumps hate,” and sold People’s March flags for $10. Demonstrators carried posters that read “Feminists v. Fascists” and “People over politics.” Lillian Fenske, 31, drove six hours from Greensboro, North Carolina, to participate. Her signs expressed concern over oligarchs and the disunity. “America is not for sale,” said one, while another said simply, “Divided We Fall.” WHO IS SEAN CURRAN? HEAD OF TRUMP’S PERSONAL DETAIL TO BE NOMINATED FOR SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR There is a heavy police presence, although law enforcement is not expecting a repeat of the violent scenes seen across the city ahead of Inauguration Day in 2017, where protesters shattered glass storefronts and torched cars, with police arresting more than 200 people in demonstrations that spanned several days. The enthusiasm behind the so-called resistance movement to Trump has waned somewhat, with many progressive voters expressing feelings of exhaustion and disappointment following Trump’s landslide win in November. He dominated both the Electoral College and the popular vote to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris after a historic campaign cycle. The 2017 Women’s March took place on the day after Trump’s inauguration. Celebrities like America Ferrera, Madonna, Ashley Judd, Cher, Katy Perry, Amy Schumer, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Michael Moore, Debra Messing, Patricia Arquette and others attended the march. President-elect Trump is expected to leave Mar-a-Lago later today and head to Washington. Trump’s advisers have not detailed how he will spend the first part of the day, and the only public event on Trump’s schedule is an evening reception and fireworks show at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. On Sunday, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and a “Make America Great Again” rally, at which Trump will deliver remarks, followed by a candlelit dinner. Monday is Inauguration Day when Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will participate in the swearing-in ceremony, which has been moved indoors due to the forecasted frigid temperatures. Fox News’ Brooke Singman, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
State lawmaker has House chamber ban revoked after viral scuffle left him hospitalized
A Georgia state senator has had his ban from entering the state House chamber revoked following an ugly incident on Thursday which saw him flung to the floor, arrested and subsequently hospitalized. State Sen. Colton Moore, a hardline supporter of President-elect Trump who previously tried to have Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis impeached for indicting the former president, was involved in a heated exchange at the entrance to the House chamber where officials refused him entry to attend Gov. Brian Kemp’s State of the State Address. Moore, of Trenton in Dade County, ended up being pushed to the floor by Keith Williams, a lawyer for House Speaker Jon Burns’ office, who was trying to enforce a ban placed on Moore by the speaker. Moore was banned from entering the chamber after he blasted the state Senate’s decision last year to consider a resolution to name a building at the University of North Georgia after the now-deceased former house speaker David Ralston. STATE SENATOR PUSHED TO THE GROUND, ARRESTED WHILE TRYING TO ENTER GEORGIA HOUSE CHAMBER Moore on Thursday made several attempts to brush past House staffers but was pushed back on several occasions. Then, at one point, William sent Moore flying, with the senator falling awkwardly to the floor. After another attempt to enter, Moore was arrested by state troopers and led away. Later in the evening, Moore posted a video of himself sitting on a hospital bed with a blood pressure monitor strapped to one of his arms. His other arm was elevated on the bed’s guard rail. “I did take a bit of a beating; my hand, it’s a bit swollen and purple; we’re waiting to get some X-rays to check it out,” Moore said. “Today they took my freedom and liberty away as I was fighting for your freedom and liberty. But I tell you what, we still have a constitutional duty to do work, and I’ll still be in that legislature tomorrow morning. Thank you all for the support.” Burns initially said that the incident was “incredibly unfortunate and said that Moore had “created a dangerous situation when he chose to use force against our law enforcement officers, dedicated doorkeepers and House staff.” Burns said that the integrity and decorum of this House was “non-negotiable—period.” On Friday, Burns, a Republican from Newington, lifted his ban after state Senate and Republican Party leaders lined up to support Moore. GEORGIA LAWMAKER SAYS WHISTLEBLOWER ALERTED HIM OF SECRET MIGRANT ROOM AT AIRPORT He said that Moore’s desire to “cause a disturbance and gain notoriety in the press broke longstanding rules and precedents of decorum that each member of the General Assembly has a responsibility to uphold.” But he said he’d admit Moore for joint sessions without an apology because Ralston wouldn’t have wanted the legislature’s work to be hindered. “For this reason, the Ralston family has expressed to their family here in the House that they desire for our chamber to resume business as normal — with all members of the General Assembly present — for any future joint sessions with or without the apology they and the House deserve,” Burns said. Moore’s ban had stemmed from a speech he gave last year blasting former speaker Ralston, who was also a Republican. Moore accused Ralston of using his office to delay court cases for criminal defendants he had represented as an attorney. Ralston claimed in 2019 that his actions were entirely legal. “This body is about to memorialize, in my opinion, one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders that we are ever going to see in my lifetime,” Moore exclaimed at the time. It’s not the first time Colton, a self-described “RINO wrangler,” has clashed with his Republican colleagues. In 2023, Georgia’s Republican Senate Caucus suspended Moore for attacking them for opposing his plan to impeach Willis for indicting Trump in an election interference case. Moore was the most prominent backer of a special session to impeach and remove Willis or defund her office, winning Trump’s endorsement. Kemp denounced the call as “some grifter scam” to raise campaign contributions for Moore. The Willis case eventually unraveled, in part because she was in a romantic relationship with a prosecutor she had hired. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Moore was booked into Fulton County jail on a misdemeanor charge of willful obstruction of law enforcement officers. After Moore took a mug shot imitating one Donald Trump famously took at the same jail, a supporter posted Moore’s $1,000 bail. Lt. Edward Starling, a troopers spokesperson, said he had no update on whether charges would be dropped. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Porn case in the Supreme Court this week is about protecting children, says Republican AG
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is fighting to uphold a Texas law he says is keeping the pornography industry from targeting children with harmful content. Passed in 2023 and signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the law requires porn sites to verify users’ ages through official documentation such as a driver’s license or government-issued I.D. Under the law, failure to implement this age verification results in fines. Meanwhile, a collection of porn sites calling itself the Free Speech Coalition argues that the Texas law curbs their First Amendment rights and places an undue burden on Texas adults from accessing their content. TEXAS A&M CANCELS CONFERENCE TRIP EXCLUDING WHITE AND ASIAN STUDENTS AFTER GOVERNOR BACKLASH Pornhub, the country’s most popular adult content website, went so far as to disable access to their website for all users in Texas after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to uphold the law. The two sides finally came face to face this Wednesday to make their case before the Supreme Court. For its part, the nation’s highest court appeared united in agreeing with Paxton’s argument that states have a vested interest in limiting children’s access to pornographic content. Some justices, however, seemed to still have concerns about whether the Texas law’s prohibitions were too broad and could impact other areas of free speech expression. The question before the court now is whether the Texas law should be subject to “rational basis” or “strict scrutiny” review, the latter of which would require Texas to meet the narrowest standards to uphold the age verification requirement. THE BIGGEST SUPREME COURT DECISIONS OF 2024: FROM PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY TO OVERTURNING THE CHEVRON DOCTRINE Whichever way the court rules will likely impact not only the Texas law but also the over a dozen other porn site age verification laws in states across the country. In an interview with Fox News Digital after the hearing, Paxton said he feels confident that the Supreme Court will rule in Texas’ favor. “Hearing the questions and seeing the comments by the justices I feel very optimistic, I think we’re going to win this,” he said. “I really feel good about it. I think most of the justices are going to come down on the right side.” “Even the other side making their arguments admitted that we have an interest in protecting minors,” he went on. “They just said that the way we were doing that was some type of overburden on adults, and so they offered up other suggestions, those suggestions don’t actually work and that’s probably why they offered them up, they don’t want age verification because it actually works, and it affects their bottom line.” TEXAS AG SUES NCAA OVER TRANS INCLUSION IN WOMEN’S SPORTS In response to criticisms about the law potentially violating free speech, Paxton said: “Look I’m a huge free speech advocate. I see very few limitations on free speech. However, we have recognized that we need to protect children in all kinds of different ways. We don’t let them sign contracts, we don’t let them get married until they’re 18, we don’t let them be served alcohol, we don’t let them get tobacco, we have protected children, it’s been [throughout] our entire history.” “If you look anywhere in the developed world or anywhere [else], children are protected,” he added. “It’s my job to enforce Texas law. In this case I feel very comfortable protecting our children from having this put in front of them.”
Saif Ali Khan attack case: Police reaches Lilavati hospital to record actor’s statement, doctors deny due to…
Days after the attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra west-based apartment in Mumbai, police reached Lilavati hospital on Saturday, i.e., January 18 to record his statement.
Appeals court rules against DACA, but leaves protections for migrants in place
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hailed the ruling as a victory. But DACA recipients can continue renewing permits to live and work in the U.S.
Saif Ali Khan attack case: Suspect held was travelling from Jnaneswari Express train, to be handed over to Mumbai police
The suspect detained in connection with the stabbing attack on actor Saif Ali Khan, was nabbed by the Raipur Railway Protection Force (RPF) in Durg, Chhattisgarh, while he was travelling by the Jnaneswari Express train and will be handed over to the Mumbai Police for further investigation.
Saif Ali Khan attack case: Police reaches Lilavati hospital to record actor’s statement, here’s what happened next
Days after the attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra west-based apartment in Mumbai, police reached Lilavati hospital on Saturday, i.e., January 18 to record his statement.
HHS cuts off funding for EcoHealth Alliance in light of COVID Committee evidence
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) debarred EcoHealth Alliance Inc. and its former President Dr. Peter Daszak, formally blocking both the firm and the doctor from receiving federal funds for five years. EcoHealth allegedly failed to report dangerous gain-of-function experiments to the government, which eventually led to the debarment. In the notice of debarment for Daszak, an HHS official wrote that the actions taken were “necessary” to protect US government business interests. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., cheered on the debarment in a statement, calling it “justice for the American people.” Comer went on to slam “bad actor” EcoHealth and “its corrupt former president” for using taxpayer dollars to carry out “dangerous gain-of-function research in China.” In May, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, which is under the House Oversight Committee, issued an interim report detailing the findings of its investigation into government funding and lack of oversight on gain-of-function research. HHS MOVES TO DEBAR ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE PRESIDENT OVER FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH GRANT PROCEDURES The subcommittee noted in the report that it had found “significant evidence” that Daszak “repeatedly violated the terms of the NIH grant awarded to EcoHealth.” In light of the findings, the committee ultimately recommended EcoHealth and Deszak be formally debarred and blocked from receiving “any” federal funding. Additionally, in its review, the committee accused EcoHealth of failing to submit an annual research update, only to file it in August 2021, nearly two years after the September 2019 deadline. “EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak is not a good steward of US taxpayer dollars and should never again receive funding from the US taxpayer,” committee chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Oh, said in the May 2024 memo. “Dr. Daszak and his organization conducted dangerous gain-of-function research at the [Wuhan Institute of Virology], willfully violated the terms of a multi-million-dollar NIH grant, and placed US national security at risk. This blatant contempt for the American people is reprehensible.” The period of debarment for EcoHealth Alliance is set to end on May 14, 2029, and Dr. Daszak’s debarment is set to end six days later on May 20, 2029. DISGRACED ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE REAPED NEARLY $100M IN TAXPAYER FUNDS SINCE 2008 It was revealed in May that the disgraced research firm received nearly $100 million from the federal government over the last decade and a half. From FY 2008 to FY 2024, the US government provided EcoHealth Alliance an estimated $94.3 million in taxpayer funds through contracts, grants, direct payments, loans and other financial assistance, according to a Fox News Digital review of government spending data provided by USAspending.gov. A spokesperson for EcoHealth did not respond to a request for comment. Kyle Morris contributed to this report.