Bondi claps back at Hirono amid questions about political prosecutions: ‘Refused to meet with me’
Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s nominee for attorney general, engaged in a tense exchange with Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono during her confirmation hearing on Wednesday that resulted in praise from conservatives on social media. “You have an incoming president who said, ‘I have the absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department,’ and in fact, President-elect Trump considers the DOJ to be his law firm,” the Hawaii senator said to Bondi on Wednesday. “I ask you this: If President-elect Trump asks, suggests or hints that you as attorney general should investigate one of his perceived political enemies, would you do so?” “Sen. Hirono, I wish you had met with me. Had you met with me, we could have discussed many things and gotten to –” Bondi began to respond. Hirono then interrupted by saying, “I am listening to you now, could you please respond to the question?” DEM SENATOR WHO BASHED HEGSETH’S QUALIFICATIONS STANDS BY DOD SEC WHO OVERSAW BOTCHED AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL “You were the only one who refused to meet with me but what we would have discussed is that it is the job of the attorney general,” Bondie said before being interrupted by Hirono again. “I’m very happy to listen to your responses under oath, Miss Bondi,” Hirono said. “So I think it’s really important to us that the attorney general be independent of the White House, and you have a president-elect who considers the AG’s office his law firm. I would like to know whether if the president suggests, hints, asks, that you, as attorney general, should investigate one of his perceived enemies.” FRESHMAN GOP SENATOR SETS SOCIAL MEDIA ABLAZE WITH ‘BEST’ RESPONSE TO HEGSETH’S ANSWER ON GENDER QUESTION Bondi responded, “I certainly have not heard the president say that. But what I will tell you is two-thirds of Americans have lost faith in the Department of Justice, and its statements like that, I believe, that make people continue to lose faith.” Conservatives on social media praised Bondi for her handling of Hirono’s questions. “Pam Bondi CLAPS BACK,” Abigail Jackson, communications director for GOP Sen. Josh Hawley, posted on X. “Pam Bondi isn’t playing with these far-left Senators,” the Media Research Center posted on X. “Pam Bondi obliterates Sen. Mazie Hirono for refusing to meet with her,” conservative commentator Paul Szypula posted on X. “This was spectacular.” “Common @PamBondi W,” the Trump War Room posted on X. “Imagine thinking Maxie Hirono is qualified to be a U.S. Senator but Pam Bondi isn’t qualified to be U.S. Attorney General lol,” conservative commentator and former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines posted on X. Bondi is expected to be confirmed by the Senate, and some have speculated that she will earn some votes from Democrats.
The human toll of Israel’s war on Gaza – by the numbers
It has been 467 days since Israel began its war against Palestinians in Gaza. That’s more than 15 months of daily bombardments, death, injuries, displacement and starvation. The Israeli onslaught began on October 7, 2023, after attacks on southern Israel led by the Palestinian group Hamas. More than 1,100 people were killed in the attacks, and about 240 were taken captive. Many of the captives were either freed in a prisoner exchange in November 2023 or were killed during subsequent Israeli attacks. Israel began a brutal onslaught with air raids after the attacks and further tightened its blockade on the enclave, which has been in place since 2007. 46,707 Palestinians killed In the past 15 months, at least 46,707 people in Gaza have been killed, which includes about 18,000 children. The death toll means that one out of every 50 people has been killed in Gaza. Many analysts and rights groups believe the real number killed is far higher. Despite global condemnations and pleas from international organisations and rights groups, Israel has continued a collective punishment campaign on the besieged enclave, where half of the population is under the age of 18. In doing so, Israel has wiped out multiple generations of families from the civil registry. Advertisement More than 100,000 people injured At least 110,265 people have been injured in Gaza as a result of the war. That’s one in 20 people. According to the World Health Organization, nearly a quarter of the injured, an estimated 22,500 people, have life-altering injuries that require but are not receiving rehabilitation. Severe limb injuries are the main type of injury needing rehabilitation. According to UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, every day 10 children lose one or both legs with operations and amputations conducted with little or no anaesthesia due to Israel’s blockade. The Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that by the end of 2024 there had been at least 4,500 amputations. In addition to the confirmed casualties, thousands of people are feared buried under the rubble. With few tools to remove the rubble and rescue those trapped beneath concrete, volunteers and Palestinian Civil Defence workers rely on their bare hands. There is no way to know how many people have perished under the rubble. An estimated 85,000 tonnes of explosives have been dropped on Gaza, according to the Environmental Quality Authority of Palestine. Experts predicted it could take more than a decade to clear the debris left by the bombing, which totals more than 42 million tonnes, according to the UN Development Programme. On top of the work of clearing the rubble is the risk of dealing with unexploded bombs. Palestinians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings after an Israeli air strike on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip on December 29, 2024 [Khalil Ramzi Alkahlut/Anadolu] Gaza is starving Under the Rome Statute, a treaty that established the International Criminal Court, intentionally starving a population is a war crime when committed during an armed conflict. Advertisement An investigation by Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines found that Israel has systematically denied aid and water to starving people in Gaza. [embedded content] In January, the United Nations humanitarian agency stated that efforts to supply aid in Gaza are at a “breaking point”. Israel restricts aid deliveries and has carried out attacks on aid workers, creating a starving people heavily reliant on external help. [embedded content] At least eight babies have also died of hypothermia as Palestinians in Gaza struggle to survive in shelters inadequate for winter weather. Nearly 1.9 million people in Gaza are internally displaced, of which nearly 80 percent are living in makeshift shelters without adequate clothing or protection from the cold. UN agencies estimated that nearly half a million are in flood-prone areas. Authorities in Gaza said about 110,000 of the 135,000 tents being used as shelters in the Gaza Strip are worn out and not fit for use. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Staying alive was luck’: Joy and despair as Gaza ceasefire nears
Deir el-Balah, Gaza and Beirut, Lebanon – In the Gaza Strip, many Palestinians are celebrating, hoping that the a devastating 15-month war is finally over. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire proposal, according to Qatar and the United States, which would involve a captive and prisoner swap, and the return of Palestinians to their homes across Gaza. Israel says a few issues remain, while Hamas has announced its acceptance. In Gaza, the joy for Palestinians comes tempered with grief, having lived through the death of so many of their loved ones, in an Israeli war that rights groups and United Nations experts have described as a “genocide”. Several Palestinians told Al Jazeera they plan to return to their towns and villages the moment they get the opportunity to, having been displaced by Israeli attacks and so-called “evacuation orders”. “As soon as there is a ceasefire, I will return and kiss my land in Beit Hanoon in north Gaza,” said Umm Mohamed, a 66-year-old woman who lost two of her 10 children when an Israeli bomb fell on her home in December 2023. Advertisement “What I realised in this war is that your home, your homeland and your children are all you have,” she told Al Jazeera. Umm Mohamed [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 46,500 Palestinians and wounded more than 100,000. It began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 1,139 people were killed and about 250 were taken captive. During Israel’s offensive on Gaza, it systematically bombed schools, hospitals and displacement camps, destroying nearly all basic services and structures that sustain life, according to UN experts and rights groups. In September 2024, the United Nations Satellite Center found that 66 percent of all structures in the Gaza Strip were damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks. Israel also tightened its existing siege on Gaza at the start of the war, causing mass starvation and a breakdown in public order. Now that an end to the misery appears to be tantalisingly close, Palestinians are struggling to process everything – and everyone – they lost in the war. “I have mixed feelings … but I pray to God that we can return to our normal lives without feeling insecure,” said Mohamed Abu Rai, a 47-year-old medic, from his office in Deir el-Balah. Memory and grief Palestinians reflected on loved ones they lost to Israeli attacks before the now-expected ceasefire. Lubna Rayyes, who was the principal of the International American elementary school in Gaza City, said she lost one of her colleagues, Bilal Abu Saaman, who was rescuing people from the rubble when he was bombed. Advertisement Rayyes said she frequently calls Abu Saaman’s widow and asks about his young children. “He was a great and very kind teacher. When he died, it really affected me and it still hurts until now,” Rayyes told Al Jazeera via phone from Cairo, Egypt, where she has been living with her husband and three children since last year. “Bilal was really one of the best people in the world,” she added. Rayyes also spoke about her family home, which was burned to ashes by Israeli soldiers who lit it on fire. “There is nothing left from the house,” she said, sighing. “There are no more family photos, or any sort of memories [we retrieved]. It’s all gone.” Abu Rai also lost his house, but like Rayyes, he said the memory of deceased colleagues and friends brings him the most grief. He believes the real number of casualties far surpasses the official toll and he still cannot quite understand how he survived during the last 15 months. “Staying alive in Gaza was always just a matter of luck,” he said. Stay or go? While many Palestinians are looking forward to returning and rebuilding their communities, others can’t imagine staying in the besieged enclave any longer. Mahmoud Saada, 52, said he doesn’t believe there will be a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite the anticipated ceasefire. He says he will take his young children and leave Gaza as soon as the crossing to Egypt opens. “I swear to God I won’t return to Gaza. I’m so tired and fed up,” he said from Deir el-Balah, where he sleeps with his family inside a small crowded tent. Advertisement “I want to leave Gaza and just go anywhere else,” he told Al Jazeera. Mahmoud Saada [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] Abu Rai also said that he can’t imagine staying in Gaza now that everything is completely destroyed. He believes most survivors are deeply traumatised and simply can’t fathom rebuilding their communities and lives again, especially since Gaza has already struggled to recover from numerous previous wars with Israel. At the moment, he suspects many people are trying to find a way out, at least for the time being. “There has been so much destruction and we are starting from zero, again. Always rebuilding our communities steals so much time from our lives. Each day we lose, we don’t get back,” he told Al Jazeera. Abu Rai, Rayyes and Umm Mohamed all agree, however, that Palestinians will miss Gaza if they leave, making the move hard for many. In the end, they believe most people will stay or return to Gaza, if they can. “We need to go back eventually, you know?” Rayyes told Al Jazeera. “There really is no place like home.” Adblock test (Why?)
Biden says US, Israeli pressure on Hamas led to Gaza ceasefire
[unable to retrieve full-text content] US President Joe Biden says the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal is the agreement the US introduced in spring 2024.
Biden balks when asked if Trump deserves credit for Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal: ‘Is that a joke?’
President Biden balked at a question posed by Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Wednesday about whether President-elect Trump deserves credit for the recent Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal. The deal comes during Biden’s final days in office, less than a week before Trump’s second term starts on Jan. 20. A recent meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was reportedly an integral part of the deal, sources told Fox News Digital. “Who in the history books gets credit for this, Mr. President, you or Trump?” Heinrich asked Biden at Wednesday afternoon’s White House news conference. “Is that a joke?” the president responded. ISRAEL SENDS REPORT TO UN ON ‘BRUTAL’ TREATMENT USED BY TERRORISTS AGAINST HOSTAGES IN GAZA When Heinrich denied that her question was in jest, Biden responded, “Oh. Thank you,” and walked away. Minutes earlier, Biden explained that the cease-fire would consist of two phases. The first phase, which will last around six weeks, “includes a full and complete cease-fire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the populated areas of Gaza, and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women and elderly and the wounded.” “And I’m proud to say Americans will be part of that hostage release and phase one as well,” the president said. “And the vice president and I cannot wait to welcome them home.” Israel has also released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Biden said, and Palestinians “can also return to their neighborhoods in all areas of Gaza, and a surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza will begin.” The second phase of the cease-fire will begin after Israel negotiates “the necessary arrangements,” which Biden said would mark “a permanent end of the war.” “There are a number of details to negotiate the move from phase one to phase two,” he continued. “But the plan says if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the cease-fire will continue as long as the negotiations continue.” FOX NEWS GETS AN INSIDE LOOK AT IDF’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS Weeks ago, Trump warned that there would be “hell to pay” if there were no significant developments with a hostage deal by the time he took office. “Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East – But it’s all talk, and no action!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity,” Trump added. Shortly after Biden announced the deal, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller acknowledged the role that Trump’s team played in the negotiations and thanked them. “I don’t know if it’s unprecedented to have envoys from an outgoing and an incoming administration sitting at the same table negotiating a cease-fire agreement of this kind,” Miller said Wednesday. “But if it’s not unprecedented, it’s certainly unusual.” “And, we, of course, thank the Trump team for working with this on this cease-fire agreement. We think it’s important that they were at the table.” Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace, Greg Norman, Trey Yingst, Brooke Curto, Efrat Lachter and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.
Valley disappointed over no Delhi To Kashmir Vande Bharat Sleeper train
The railway authorities have recently announced a schedule stating that there will be no direct train to the Kashmir Valley. Passengers traveling to the valley will now be required to disembark and board a new train at Katra station.
TribCast: Power and influence under the pink dome
The Texas Tribune’s politics podcast digs into what the speaker’s race tells us about the next 140 days in Austin.
Trump energy nominee heckled by climate protesters, derided by Dem senator as ‘enthusiast for fossil fuels’
Lawmakers questioned President-elect Trump’s energy secretary on climate change, the Los Angeles wildfires, and the Biden administration’s green energy agenda during his nomination hearing, which saw disruptions from several climate protesters. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a confirmation hearing for Chris Wright, Liberty Energy Inc. CEO and Trump’s pick to head the Energy Department, on Wednesday, which was also his birthday. The Trump nominee was introduced by a Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, who described him as “an unrestrained enthusiast for fossil fuels.” Wright focused his responses on energy dominance, saying that climate change is a “real issue,” global energy demand, and his focus on growing energy resources. “America has an historic opportunity to secure our energy systems, deliver leadership in scientific and technological innovation, steward our weapons stockpiles and meet Cold War legacy waste commitments,” Wright said in his opening statement. HOUSE GOP RESOLUTION WOULD OVERTURN BIDEN’S GAS WATER HEATER BAN Wright said he has identified three “immediate tasks” where he will focus his attention, if confirmed: unleashing American energy, leading the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs, and increasing production in America. “President Trump shares my passion for energy, and if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to implement his bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy,” Wright told the committee. Republicans, such as Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, positioned their questioning on Biden administration policies, such as a ban on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, regulations on household appliances, and most recently blocking drilling along the coast. Multiple Democratic senators claimed that the committee chairman, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, scheduled the confirmation hearing before all required paperwork on Wright was provided to the members of the committee. Other Democrats used their time at the mic to claim the Los Angeles fires were caused by “climate change.” “Despite the misinformation that’s circulating here in the Capitol, into California, and everywhere in between, it’s clear that these fires only reach the size and the scale that they have because of unseasonably dry vegetation and extremely high winds, both of which are a direct result of climate change,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said during the hearing. Asked about the issue of climate change, Wright said he believes it’s a “real issue” “I’ve studied and followed the data and the evolution of climate change for at least 20 years now. It is a global issue. It is a real issue. It’s a challenging issue,” Wright said, adding that he believes the solution to climate change “is to evolve our energy system.” Fox News Digital captured footage of several climate change protesters who disrupted Wright’s hearing on Wednesday. One protester stood up while Wright was being questioned and asked if his policies would “put out the fires in LA.” “Are you gonna ask any questions or just softball on the climate this entire time,” said another protester who was removed from the hearing room. Several other climate protesters were also stationed outside the hearing room, with shirts that read, “I won’t let my future burn.”
New poll shows Biden leaving office with approval ratings still buried deep in negative territory
A new national poll indicates that President Biden’s approval ratings remain well underwater as the nation’s 46th president is only days from leaving office. Just 36% of Americans approve of the job Biden’s doing in the White House, according to the latest CNN poll conducted by SSRS, with 64% saying they disapprove. The approval rating matches the president’s previous low mark in the cable news network’s polling during Biden’s single term in office. The poll was released on Wednesday, just hours before the president delivers his prime-time farewell address to the nation, with just days left before Biden’s term ends and he is succeeded by President-elect Trump in the White House. Biden’s approval rating stands at 43% – slightly higher but still in negative territory – in national polls by USA Today/Suffolk University and Marist College which, along with the CNN survey, were conducted earlier this month. WILL HISTORY BE KIND OR UNKIND TO PRESIDENT BIDEN? The trio of polls also indicates that many Americans view Biden’s presidency as a failure. Sixty-one percent of those questioned in the CNN survey said they see Biden’s presidency overall as a failure, with 38% viewing it as a success. According to the USA Today/Suffolk University survey, which was released on Tuesday, 44% of registered voters said history will assess Biden as a failed president, with 27% saying he will be judged as a fair president. Twenty-one percent of those questioned said history will view Biden as a good president, with only 5% saying he will be seen as a great president. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING RESULTS Just over a third of adults nationwide questioned in the Marist poll, which was released on Wednesday, said Biden will be remembered as one of the worst presidents in American history, with 19% saying he will be considered a below-average president. Twenty-eight percent of participants offered that Biden’s legacy will be considered average, with 19% saying he would be regarded as above average or one of the best presidents in the nation’s history. In his Oval Office speech, Biden will likely aim to cement his legacy as a president who pushed to stabilize politics at home while bolstering America’s leadership abroad, and as a leader who steered the nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic and made historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy while lowering prescription drug prices. Biden, in a letter to Americans released early Wednesday morning, emphasized that when he took office four years ago “we were in the grip of the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.” And he touted that “today, we have the strongest economy in the world and have created a record 16.6 million new jobs. Wages are up. Inflation continues to come down. The racial wealth gap is the lowest it’s been in 20 years.” A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY THIS IS HOW THEY’LL VIEW BIDEN’S PRESIDENCY Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House. However, the president’s numbers started sagging in August 2021 in the wake of Biden’s much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan, and following a surge in COVID-19 cases that summer that was mainly among unvaccinated people. The plunge in the president’s approval rating was also fueled by soaring inflation – which started spiking in the summer of 2021 and remains to date a major pocketbook concern with Americans – and the surge of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. along the southern border. Biden’s approval ratings slipped underwater in the autumn of 2021 and never reemerged into positive territory. The president’s single term in the White House ends Monday, Jan. 20, as Trump is inaugurated as Biden’s successor. However, according to the USA Today/Suffolk University poll, 44% also said that Trump will be seen by history as a failed president. One in five said Trump would be viewed as a great president, with 19% saying good and 27% saying he would be judged a fair president. Trump ended his first term in office with approval ratings in negative territory, including 47% approval in Fox News polling from four years ago. In Marist polling four years ago, as Trump finished his first term, 47% thought he would be remembered as one of the nation’s worst presidents. As Trump gets ready to once again assume the presidency, the Marist poll indicates opinions of him remain low, with 44% of Americans viewing him favorably and 49% holding an unfavorable opinion of the incoming president. However, opinions about Trump’s first term have risen in numerous polls conducted since his convincing victory in November’s presidential election over Vice President Kamala Harris. The vice president succeeded Biden in July as the Democrats’ 2024 standard-bearer after the president dropped out of the race following a disastrous debate performance against Trump. The poll also indicates that Americans have high expectations for Trump when it comes to the economy. “While many Americans feel the current economy is not working well for them, residents nationally have grown more optimistic about the future of their own finances,” the poll’s release highlighted. The survey also indicated Americans are divided about Trump’s proposed mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. According to the poll, more than six in 10 disapprove of Trump’s pledge to pardon his supporters who were convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The Marist poll was conducted Jan. 7-9, with 1,387 adults nationwide questioned. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. The CNN poll was conducted Jan. 9-12, with 1,205 adults nationwide questioned. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
Government agencies concerned Trump inauguration ‘potential target’ for extremists: report
Government agencies are cautioning that President-elect Trump’s inauguration may attract violent extremists – especially those harboring “election-related grievances,” according to a new report. While no specific credible threats have been identified, agencies like the FBI, Secret Service and Capitol Police authored a threat assessment asserting that extremists may view the inauguration as “their last opportunity to influence the election results through violence,” Politico reports. The threat assessment identified foreign terrorists, domestic extremists or lone wolves who could pull off violent acts, including vehicle-ramming attacks, bomb hoaxes or swatting calls. Likewise, law enforcement cited concerns about protests breaking into chaos, especially since certain groups who’ve faced arrests in previous protests have applied for demonstration permits. TRAVEL TIPS FOR ATTENDING PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP’S INAUGURATION AS EXPERTS WEIGH IN “Past protests by some of these individuals have involved traffic blockades, trespassing, property destruction, and resisting arrest,” the threat assessment said. Meanwhile, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger cautioned Monday that “lone actors” are the most serious threat to inauguration festivities, during a press conference with federal and local law enforcement officials about the inauguration. CHECK OUT TRUMP’S PICKS FOR TOP CABINET AND ADMINISTRATION POSITIONS “The biggest threat, I think, for all of us remains the lone actor,” Manger said. “Just in the past week, while President Carter was lying in state, we had two lone actors show up at the Capitol: one trying to bring in knives and a machete; another one who was trying – what I believe – to disrupt the proceedings by setting their car on fire down in the peace circle area.” “Capitol Police were able to interdict these folks before they had a chance to do any harm,” Manger said. “But that threat of the lone actor remains the biggest justification for us being at this heightened state of alert throughout the next week.” As a result, the inauguration will feature a beefed up law enforcement presence. Approximately 4,000 local law enforcement officers have volunteered to assist, and 7,800 National Guard soldiers will also be deployed. ABBOTT ORDERS FLAGS AT FULL-STAFF FOR TRUMP’S INAUGURATION DESPITE ONE MONTH ORDER TO HONOR CARTER Matt McCool, the Secret Service’s special agent in charge of the agency’s Washington field office, said that altogether roughly 25,000 law enforcement officers will be working. McCool said this year’s inauguration plan features a “slightly more robust security plan,” in comparison to President Biden’s inauguration in 2021. “What I can tell you is that we are 100% confident in the plan that we have put in place for this inauguration that the public and our protectees will be safe,” McCool said. Additionally, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said it is bracing for 12 separate First Amendment demonstrations at the inauguration, noting that they will have a right to peacefully protest. Still, she said violence won’t be permitted. “I want to reiterate – as I always have – that violence, destruction and unlawful behavior will not be tolerated,” Smith said Monday. “Offenders will face swift and decisive consequences.” Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.