Biden’s HHS secretary warns against implications of preemptive pardon for Fauci, others
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra warned against the impact of a preemptive presidential pardon for people like Dr. Anthony Fauci just hours after President Biden said in an interview that he was still considering it. “It sinks my heart to think that we’re going to use the pardon process in a way that will follow the whims of whoever’s in the White House,” Becerra, who previously served as California’s attorney general before taking his post at HHS, said in an interview with The New York Times on Wednesday. Becerra noted that he was speaking from his legal background as opposed to his position in Biden’s Cabinet. “I think we should hold that power, that only a president has, in very high regard,” he continued. “Because otherwise it becomes pedestrian, and it’s used anywhere, and I don’t think that should be the case.” When the HHS secretary was asked directly if he meant that the president should not pardon Fauci, who was Biden’s former chief medical adviser during the pandemic and served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for several decades, Becerra declined to clarify. BIDEN SETS RECORD WITH FIRST-TERM CLEMENCY GRANTS, HERE’S HOW OTHER PRESIDENTS RANK “I won’t try to interpret what you’re hearing; I just told you what I think,” he replied. Becerra’s comments came hours after Biden’s final interview as president with a print publication, during which he said preemptive pardons for Trump’s political targets were still under consideration. President-elect Trump’s nominees for director of the FBI and attorney general, Kash Patel and Pam Bondi, respectively, have previously indicated they are in favor of using the Justice Department to go after people they believe unfairly targeted Trump. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress and some of Trump’s top transition advisers, such as Elon Musk, have argued that Fauci should be prosecuted over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump’s nominee to be the successor to Becerra, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said while he was running for president – before joining Trump’s team – that he would prosecute Fauci if he won the November election and his attorney general determined that crimes had been committed in Fauci’s handling of the coronavirus. During the pandemic, Fauci was accused of working to evade public records laws and lying to Congress in apparent efforts to conceal the origins of the virus. Democrats are split on whether Biden should offer preemptive pardons to public officials who may be politically targeted by Trump. BIDEN COMMUTES 1,500 JAIL SENTENCES, GRANTS PARDONS FOR 39 OTHERS: ‘LARGEST SINGLE-DAY GRANT OF CLEMENCY’ “If we’re serious about stopping Trump’s authoritarian ambitions, we need to act decisively and use every tool at our disposal. Norms and traditions alone won’t stop – Trump has shown time and again that he’s willing to ignore them to consolidate power and punish his opponents,” Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., said in a statement last month calling on Biden to issue a blanket pardon for Trump’s political foes. “The time for cautious restraint is over. We must act with urgency to push back against these threats and prevent Trump from abusing his power.” Legal experts have said that Biden has the authority to issue premptive pardons, citing precedent set by former President Gerald Ford when he granted a blanket pardon to Richard Nixon for any crimes committed while in office, even though Nixon had not been charged with anything after resigning following the Watergate scandal. Fox News Digital reached out to HHS for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Ted Cruz defends Trump’s pitch to acquire Greenland
Sen. Ted Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stressed Greenland’s strategic location in the Arctic and its natural wealth of critical minerals.
Will Republican control of Congress lead to updated ag laws? Texas farmers hope so.
The historical bipartisan legislation includes a bevy of policies from crop insurance to food stamps.
Texas lawmaker accuses state GOP chair of ethics violation over threats in House speaker race
Rep. Cody Harris filed a complaint against Texas GOP Chair Abraham George for sending mailers and censuring lawmakers who support Rep. Dustin Burrows as House speaker.
Michelle Obama, Dick Cheney among notable absences at Carter funeral
The state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral included every living former president, as well as various dignitaries from around the world. Also notable were some VIPs not in attendance. Former Vice President Dick Cheney was not seen at the funeral inside Washington, D.C.’s National Cathedral. The 83-year-old, who has had health issues, was the only living vice president who did not make the trip, as former Vice Presidents Al Gore, Joe Biden, Mike Pence and Dan Quayle were in attendance. Also missing from the ceremony was former first lady Michelle Obama, who was not seated alongside her husband, former President Barack Obama. “Mrs. Obama sends her thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from the remarkable former President,” Crystal Carson, a spokesperson for Michelle Obama, told Politico. JIMMY CARTER WAS A MAN OF FAITH AND THAT’S HOW WE SHOULD REMEMBER HIM The outlet reported that Michelle Obama, who would have sat next to Trump at the funeral, had a scheduling conflict and is in Hawaii. Former first lady Hillary Clinton was in attendance alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Also spotted at the funeral were former first ladies Laura Bush and Melania Trump, who sat alongside their husbands. Former second lady Karen Pence was next to her husband and first lady Jill Biden was seated alongside President Biden. AMERICANS FLOCK TO THE CAPITOL TO PAY RESPECTS TO FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER AHEAD OF FUNERAL: ‘JOB WELL DONE’ All five living men who once occupied the White House — the so-called presidents’ club — President Biden and former presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama and President-elect Trump came together for the first time since the 2018 funeral of former President George H.W. Bush. Other notable attendees included Vice President-elect JD Vance, Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Dave McCormick, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, first son Hunter Biden and Ted Mondale, the son of late Vice President Walter Mondale. Following the funeral, Carter’s remains will be flown to Georgia by the U.S. Air Force aboard Special Air Mission 39 for a private ceremony in his hometown of Plains. Carter, the 39th president, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100 after he was admitted to hospice care in 2023. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
GOP firebrands Boebert, Burlison introduce bill to abolish ATF
Hardline conservative Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Eric Burlison, R-Mo., have introduced legislation that would abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The one-page bill would eliminate the law enforcement agency, which regulates firearms and prosecutes federal gun crimes, in addition to crimes involving explosives, acts of arson, bombings, acts of terrorism and illegal activity related to alcohol and tobacco products. In statements, the Republican lawmakers argue ATF regulations violate the Second Amendment rights of Americans to keep and bear arms. ABOLISH THE ATF?: REP. BURLISON WANTS TO ELIMINATE ‘DISASTER AGENCY’ HE SAYS HAS BEEN VIOLATING 2ND AMENDMENT “I cannot imagine under any circumstance or administration where the ATF serves as an ally to the Second Amendment and law-abiding firearm owners across America,” said Boebert. “The ATF is emblematic of the deep-state bureaucracy that believes it can infringe on constitutional liberties without consequence,” added Burlison. “If this agency cannot uphold its duty to serve the people within the framework of the Constitution, it has no place in our government.” CONGRESSMAN ERIC BURLISON: IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, ‘THE INMATES ARE RUNNING THE PRISON’ The bill to abolish ATF has seven co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, including Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Mike Collins, R-Ga., Bob Onder, R-Mo., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Mary Miller, R-Ill., Keith Self, R-Texas and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. ATF did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. MATT GAETZ URGES COLLEAGUES TO ABOLISH THE ATF BEFORE IT STRIPS AMERICANS OF GUN RIGHTS: ‘CANNOT BE TRUSTED’ In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Burlison argued that the law enforcement responsibilities handled by ATF would be better left to the states. “There’s very few ATF officials,” he said, accusing the agency of “co-opting or commandeering [local] law enforcement to enforce laws” which state lawmakers did not pass. In a statement to Fox News Digital, ATF spokesperson Kristina Mastropasqua said, “ATF provides enormous benefits to the American public through all of its efforts fighting violent crime every day.” Burlison also said the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be abolished.
Mahakumbh Mela 2025: Gautam Adani to offer meals to devotees for 45 days, joins hands with…
The Mahaprasad will be distributed at 40 places in the Maha Kumbh area and 2,500 volunteers will be involved in this initiative.
Bernie Sanders takes heat for blaming California wildfires on climate change: ‘Global warming ate my homework’
As wildfires ravage California, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is facing pushback for promoting climate alarmism. Sanders asserted that “Climate change is real” and that President-elect Donald Trump must tackle the “existential crisis.” “80,000 people told to evacuate. Blazes 0% contained. Eight months since the area has seen rain. The scale of damage and loss is unimaginable. Climate change is real, not ‘a hoax.’ Donald Trump must treat this like the existential crisis it is,” Sanders declared in the post on Wednesday morning. Mike Solana, editor-in-chief of Pirate Wires, mocked the senator’s comments, writing in a post on X, “‘[G]lobal warming ate my homework’ doesn’t work anymore. literally every single politician in california responsible for the catastrophic failure to prepare for this, from water management and controlled burns to the fire department’s budget, is a democrat.” ELON MUSK ANNOUNCES SPACEX WILL PROVIDE FREE STARLINK TERMINALS IN LA AMID RAGING FIRES Conservative commentator and author Justin Haskins, director of the Socialism Research Center at the Heartland Institute, noted, “Wildfires, including ones much larger than this, have been happening in California forever.” Nicole Shanahan — who was Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential running mate last year before the pair dropped out and supported GOP candidate Donald Trump — was also among those who responded to Sanders’ comments. “State mismanagement is real, Bernie,” she noted. Sanders has long issued such dire warnings. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES DEVASTATE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, KILLING 5 AND THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES “Climate change is an existential disaster facing the entire world,” he asserted in a tweet nearly six years ago in February 2019. “We must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. A Green New Deal can save the planet and create millions of new jobs.” Business tycoon Elon Musk has asserted that regulations prevent steps from being taken to avoid California wildfires. “Climate change risk is real, just much slower than alarmists claim. The immense loss of homes in LA is primarily due to: 1. Nonsensical overregulation that prevented creating fire breaks and doing brush clearing. 2. Bad governance at the state and local level that resulted in a shortage of water,” Musk opined in a post on X. Sanders was not the only left-wing lawmaker deploying the climate narrative amid the disaster. “I’m so heartbroken at the devastation that’s continuously inflicted upon our country & the world & elected ‘leaders’ are ignorant, impotent, or just incompetent to doing the smart thing, which is to acknowledge that climate change is real & start to solve it,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, lamented in a post. “California, stay safe. First responders, we thank you for your selflessness. I join the chorus of prayers for all, but as an elected, I want to actually work!” NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP’S CLAIMS ‘PURE FICTION’ AFTER PRESIDENT-ELECT POINTS FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY Freshman Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first transgender-identifying member of Congress, described the fire as a climate catastrophe. “I’m praying for the victims of the raging fires around Los Angeles. The loss of life, homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods is devastating. I stand ready to work with my colleagues representing these communities to guarantee they have the resources they need to contain these fires, recover, rebuild, and prevent these climate catastrophes in the future,” McBride declared in a post on X. Trump has declared that California Gov. Gavin Newsom should resign. “One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post late Wednesday night. Earlier on Wednesday evening, Newsom noted in a post on X, “People are literally fleeing. Kids have lost their schools. Communities have lost their churches. Families have lost their homes. Some have even lost their lives. And the President-Elect’s response is to politicize it. We’ll continue to focus on what matters: saving lives and putting out these unprecedented fires.” The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection currently reports partial containment of the Lidia and Hurst fires, while others are listed at 0% containment on fire.ca.gov. Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report
Karen Bass’ 2021 tweet comes back to haunt her as LA residents demand accountability
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing major backlash for being in Ghana while her city battled devastating wildfires. Now, a 2021 tweet in which she criticized Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for going to Cancun, Mexico, with his family as his state dealt with a severe winter storm. Social media users were quick to accuse the mayor of being hypocritical. While Bass left for Ghana before the wildfires started, she still faced condemnations over the trip and fierce criticism of her leadership. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES DEVASTATE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, KILLING 5 AND THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES Several social media users said the mayor’s tweet did not “age well,” and urged her to delete the nearly 4-year-old post. President-elect Trump took to Truth Social to condemn the mayor, blaming the wildfires’ spread on “gross incompetence” by Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom. NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP’S CLAIMS ‘PURE FICTION’ AFTER PRESIDENT-ELECT POINTS FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY Multiple wildfires are raging across California, claiming five lives, and putting thousands under evacuation orders. As of Thursday morning, more than 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures were either damaged or destroyed by the devastating fires. Upon her return from Ghana, Bass was confronted by a reporter about her trip, but she remained silent. Bass also refused to say whether she had any “regret” about slashing the city’s Fire Department’s budget last year. However, during a news conference on Wednesday, Bass said she took the “fastest route back, which included being on a military plane.” She also said that she was “able to be on the phone the entire time of the flight.” Cruz flew to Mexico as Texans faced a deadly winter storm that left millions without power. “With school canceled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends,” Cruz said at the time. “Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon. My staff and I are in constant communication with state and local leaders to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas. We want our power back, our water on, and our homes warm. My team and I will continue using all our resources to keep Texans informed and safe.” Cruz later admitted that the trip was a “mistake.” Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Tyler Olson and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
House poised to pass bill that would sanction International Criminal Court for trying to arrest Netanyahu
The House is expected to pass legislation sanctioning the International Criminal Court on Thursday in protest of its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This would be one of the first acts of the new Congress. The bill will then head to the Senate, where Republican Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has promised a swift vote to have it on President-elect Donald Trump’s desk by the time he takes office. Last time the House voted on the bill in June, 42 Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the legislation, despite opposition to it from President Joe Biden. Libertarian-minded Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has not been afraid to break with his colleagues on Israel-related bills, questioned why the legislation was a week-one priority for the new congressional term. “The United States is a sovereign country, so I don’t assign any credibility to decisions of the International Criminal Court. But how did a bill to protect Netanyahu make it into the House rules package to be voted on immediately after the Speaker vote? Where are our priorities?!” he wrote on X last week. The legislation was reintroduced by Texas Reps. Chip Roy, and Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast, both Republicans. On May 20, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif. All three Hamas leaders were killed in the past year. Netanyahu fired Gallant shortly after the U.S. presidential election. TRUMP REINFORCES ‘ALL HELL WILL BREAK OUT’ IF HOSTAGES NOT RETURNED BY INAUGURATION Khan’s application was unprecedented – the first time the criminal court had sought arrests for Western-allied officials. The judges on the ICC panel in November granted the warrants, finding that Netanyahu and Gallant had “committed the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, as a direct perpetrator, acting jointly with others. The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that they are each responsible for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against civilians as a superior.” “The ICC is an illegitimate body that has no business interfering with our sovereignty or that of our allies,” said Roy. LINDSEY GRAHAM DEMANDS ICC REVEAL DETAILS OF PROBE INTO PROSECUTOR KHAN’S MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS “The ICC’s attempt to obstruct Israel’s right to defend itself has only prolonged the war and prevented the release of American hostages by boosting Hamas’ morale,” Mast said in a statement. Israel has carried out a vicious campaign to eliminate Hamas in Gaza since Hamas’ bloody attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Trump has warned both sides to wrap up the conflict, and Hamas to return the hostages by the time he takes office on Jan. 20. The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act would sanction any foreigner working to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute U.S. citizens or those of an allied country. It spans the 32-member NATO security alliance and 19 major non-NATO countries, including Israel. It would also claw back any funds the U.S. has designated for the ICC and prohibit any future money from going to the court. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has introduced companion legislation in the Senate. When the legislation passed the House last during the Congress, then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not take it up for a vote in the upper chamber. With Republicans in charge, Thune is intent on passing the legislation and getting it to the president’s desk by the time he is inaugurated.