Texas congressmen cleared in ethics investigation over campaign finance spending
The ethics committee said existing law and guidance from the Federal Election Commission is “often ambiguous” and provides gray areas of spending.
Biden closes government as ‘mark of respect’ for late former President Jimmy Carter
Following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, President Biden on Monday signed an executive order closing all executive departments and agencies of the federal government on Jan. 9. The closures, which Biden described as a “mark of respect” for the 39th president, will be in effect on the day of the late former president’s funeral. Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., before being buried at the Washington National Cathedral, according to statements from the White House and Carter Center. Biden signed a proclamation on Sunday, declaring Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning and ordering all American flags to fly at half-staff for the next 30 days. JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100 “I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr.,” Biden wrote in a statement. “I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.” Carter, whose family owned a peanut farm in Plains, Georgia, attended the United States Naval Academy and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. He was later elected state senator, Georgia’s 76th governor and president of the United States — playing key roles in the creation of the modern Department of Education and the Department of Energy, conservation efforts, and nuclear nonproliferation. JIMMY, ROSALYNN CARTER’S HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LEGACY WILL CONTINUE, ORGANIZATION SAYS “As President, he understood that Government must be as good as its people — and his faith in the people was boundless, just as his belief in America was limitless and his hope for our common future was perennial,” according to a statement from the White House. “Guided by an unwavering belief in the power of human goodness and the God‑given dignity of every human being, he worked tirelessly around the globe to broker peace; eradicate disease; house the homeless; and protect human rights, freedom, and democracy.” Carter’s late wife, Rosalynn, stood by his side for more than 77 years.
Bank holiday on New Year’s Eve? Know which states have declared public holiday
Some states which have declared December 31 a public holiday will have banks closed on Tuesday, that is, there will be bank holiday.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump’s Vote of Confidence
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… –2028 Watch: Here are the Democrats who may eventually jump into the next White House race -U.S. appeals court upholds Trump verdict in E. Jean Carroll defamation case -Biden admin suppressed intel officials’ views that supported COVID-19 lab leak theory President-elect Donald Trump gave his “complete” and “total” endorsement of Mike Johnson ahead of next month’s expected fight to hold onto the House speakership. “The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration. Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!” Trump, championing the GOP as “the Party of COMMON SENSE,” also included a warning to Republicans…Read more PICTURES OF A LIFE: Jimmy Carter: His life in pictures…Read more AIR TRAVEL FOR ALL: How former President Jimmy Carter transformed the airline industry…Read more TOP 10: Jimmy Carter nears the top of America’s ‘Most Admired Man’ list, according to Gallup…Read more HUMANITARIAN WORK: Former President Jimmy Carter remembered and praised as a humanitarian around the world…Read more ‘NIGHTMARE’: Jimmy Carter attacked by ‘killer rabbit’ highlighted presidency struggles…Read more ‘A SERVANT’S HEART’: Carter’s death spurs outpouring of tributes from state leaders of both parties: ‘A servant’s heart’…Read more ‘THANK YOU HILLARY!’: Trump hails Florida Dem’s decision to ditch party, join GOP…Read more PRICEY PROTECTION: Biden’s Defense Department announces new multi-billion-dollar aid packages for Ukraine…Read more ACHTUNG, ELON: Germany accuses Elon Musk of interfering in election…Read more ‘NOTHING WAS GAINED’: Trump accuses former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of ‘one of the dumbest political decisions made in years’…Read more HOUSE BATTLE: Trump’s convincing 2024 victory sets House GOP up for homefield advantage in 2026 midterm elections…Read more UNCONVINCED: Rep. Victoria Spartz demands ‘assurances’ Speaker Johnson ‘won’t sell us out to the swamp’…Read more PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED: Kentucky to consider bill that would hold parents accountable for children’s gun crimes…Read more ‘OZEMPIC SANTA’: Elon Musk admits to taking controversial weight loss drug previously opposed by RFK Jr…Read more BORDER HORROR: Smugglers abandon two migrant girls at southern border with note to authorities…Read more DEI: These six states banned or limited DEI at colleges and universities in 2024…Read more **NOTE: We are publishing tomorrow, New Year’s Eve, but will not publish on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.** Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Elon Musk admits to taking controversial weight loss drug previously opposed by RFK Jr.
Billionaire entrepreneur and top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, touted that he has reaped the benefits of a controversial class of weight-loss drugs, after fellow top Trump adviser, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said the trendy new class of drugs is bad for Americans’ health. “Ozempic Santa” Musk posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Christmas Day, alongside an image of himself in front of a well-decorated Christmas tree dressed as Santa Claus — but without his signature big belly. “Like Cocaine Bear, but Santa and Ozempic!” In a follow-up post, Musk clarified that he is taking the brand-name version called Mounjaro, but said the clunky name didn’t “have the same ring to it.” ‘MRS. DOUBTFIRE’ STAR DOWN 120 POUNDS AFTER WEIGHT-LOSS DRUG MAKES HIM FEEL ‘LIKE A NORMAL PERSON’ Musk has been tapped by Trump — along with former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — to head the soon-to-be Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aimed at cutting down on wasteful government spending and red tape. Meanwhile, Kennedy is Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and, if confirmed, Trump has given Kennedy permission to “go wild on health” as long as he doesn’t interfere with Trump’s domestic energy goals. Musk’s social media post over the holidays turned heads, considering Kennedy has expressed opposition to semaglutide. Originally developed as a diabetes medication, semaglutide has been used more widely in recent years for its appetite-suppressing effects. “There’s a huge push to sell this to the American people,” Kennedy said of the semaglutide medication Ozempic when asked about his thoughts on the medication in October by Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld. “They make this drug in Denmark, and in Denmark they do not recommend it for diabetes, or for obesity. They recommend dietary and behavioral changes.” “They’re counting on selling it to Americans because we are so stupid and so addicted to drugs,” Kennedy added. He also concluded that the U.S. could solve the obesity crisis in America “overnight” if they just had access to, and ate, better quality food. WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS COULD SHAKE UP FOOD INDUSTRY Kennedy has run on a platform to “Make America Healthy Again,” but Ozempic, he says, will not help in those efforts. Musk, however, has said that “nothing would do more to improve public health” than making Ozempic more widely available. During President Joe Biden’s final days in office, his administration proposed expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage for semaglutides to make them more widely available for those who want to reap the weight-losing benefits of the drug. Besides Musk, Kennedy could also potentially clash with Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who has also expressed support for drugs like Ozempic. “I think the amount of good done by these medications by helping people lose weight and improve their cardiovascular system — and it might have long-term benefits in a lot of other areas as well, where obesity causes inflammation — is massive,” Oz said last year in a video posted to his Instagram account. CHEAP OZEMPIC KNOCK-OFFS HAVE RISEN IN POPULARITY – BUT ARE THEY SAFE? Kennedy, who very well could become Oz’s boss if they are both approved by the Senate, appeared to scale back his criticism of the new weight-loss drug amid his efforts to court support for his nomination from members of Congress. “The first line of response should be lifestyle. It should be eating well, making sure that you don’t get obese,” Kennedy said during a quick interview with CNBC on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, before adding that anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic “have a place” in the American medical community. Representatives for Musk, Kennedy and the Trump transition team did not provide a comment to Fox News Digital for this story.
Biden admin suppressed intel officials’ views that supported COVID-19 lab leak theory: report
Members of the U.S. intelligence community who believed that the coronavirus may have originated from a lab leak in China were blocked from sharing their opinions and research with the broader intel community, according to sources inside the FBI and other government officials familiar with the Biden administration’s internal efforts during the pandemic. In the first few months after COVID arrived in the U.S., the prevailing view within the Biden administration was that COVID-19 most likely originated organically in Wuhan, China, and was transferred to humans from infected animals. They said this was potentially due to the country’s under-regulated and extensive wildlife trade. This viewpoint was opposed by a much smaller group within the intel community, who believed a purposeful or accidental lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the likely cause of the outbreak. Now, it has come to light in a new Wall Street Journal report that some of those officials who believed in the likelihood of a COVID-19 lab-leak theory were reportedly blocked by the Biden administration from sharing their viewpoints with the president and other intelligence community leaders. Early in Joe Biden’s presidency, he tasked the U.S. intelligence community with preparing a report on their most updated analysis on the origins of the coronavirus. The report came amid China’s blocking of U.S. officials’ access to the Wuhan Institute, preventing them from adequately studying the virus’ origins. COVID ‘MOST LIKELY’ LEAKED FROM WUHAN LAB, SOCIAL DISTANCING ‘NOT BASED ON SCIENCE,’ SELECT COMMITTEE FINDS At the time, the FBI was the only government agency concluding that a lab leak origin theory was most likely. Yet, according to FBI senior scientist Jason Bannan, who was tasked with helping lead the agency’s investigation into COVID-19’s origins, neither he nor any of his agency counterparts were invited to share their assessment during an August 2021 briefing with the president, led by the White House’s National Intelligence Council, that sought to share the intel community’s position on natural versus artificial origins of COVID-19. “Being the only agency that assessed that a laboratory origin was more likely, and the agency that expressed the highest level of confidence in its analysis of the source of the pandemic, we anticipated the FBI would be asked to attend the briefing,” Bannan told the Wall Street Journal. “I find it surprising that the White House didn’t ask.” Additionally, according to sources familiar with the matter, three scientists at the National Center for Medical Intelligence, a sub-agency within the Department of Defense’s Defense Intelligence Agency, were also blocked from sharing their research that concluded the coronavirus originated from a lab leak. Ultimately, a Defense Intelligence Agency Inspector General report was commissioned to find out whether the three scientists’ assessment was suppressed. A spokesperson for the ODNI declined to comment on the report, which has yet to be released. FAUCI DENIES SEEKING TO SUPPRESS COVID-19 LAB LEAK ORIGIN THEORY The three scientists at the National Center for Medical Intelligence, John Hardham, Robert Cutlip and Jean-Paul Chretien, argued that evidence they found had shown that Chinese scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were conducting dangerous “gain-of-function” research. In turn, the trio informed their counterparts, including someone at the FBI on Bannan’s team, about their findings. However, in July 2021, the three scientists were told by their superiors to halt any continued sharing of their work with people at the FBI, which they were told was “off the reservation,” the Wall Street Journal reported. In response to the assertions made in the Wall Street Journal’s report, a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said that the intelligence community-wide assessment of the origins of COVID-19 included input “from across the community on the two main hypotheses of the origins of the pandemic in line with all of the Intelligence Community’s analytic standards, including objectivity.” The spokesperson added that efforts were made to ensure that both of these viewpoints were included in the intelligence assessment, in line with the “standard process” for typical coordination of a National Intelligence Council assessment.
Carter’s death spurs outpouring of tributes from state leaders of both parties: ‘A servant’s heart’
Former President Jimmy Carter, the first U.S. commander-in-chief to reach the age of 100, was fondly remembered by state leaders across the political spectrum after his passing. Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement that he, first lady Marty Kemp and their children “join all Georgians and the entire nation in mourning the loss of former President Jimmy Carter.” “As the only American president thus far to come from Georgia, he showed the world the impact our state and its people have on the country. And as a son of Plains, he always valued Georgians and the virtues of our state, choosing to return to his rural home after his time in public office,” Kemp said. Georgia GOP Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a top potential contender to replace the term-limited Kemp in 2026, added in his own tribute that Georgia, the nation and world “lost a man who exemplified what it means to be a public servant and to put the needs of others before your own.” JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100 Jones said he once met the Carters and described them as kind and accepting. Georgia State Senate Leader John F. Kennedy, R-Fort Valley, said Carter’s life was “largely defined by his servant’s heart” and “steadfast commitment to our country and state.” “The lord has called home his good and faithful servant,” added Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Effingham. To the White House, he brought “pragmatic wisdom of a peanut farmer, work ethic of a homebuilder and unyielding faith of a Sunday School teacher,” he added. Former two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams said Carter “lived a life of courage, fortitude, kindness and grace.” “He was a giant who never saw anyone as smaller than himself. Whether at a Boys & Girls Club banquet or when he sponsored a medical clinic for the uninsured in his corner of rural Georgia, he lived James 2:17 each day,” said Abrams. Outside the late Democrat’s home state, tributes poured in from all 49 others. In neighboring North Carolina, Democratic Governor-elect Josh Stein called the late president a “principled man” who “represented the best of America: guided by faith and service and dedicated to our nation’s promise.” Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey noted that Carter grew up not far from the Yellowhammer State line, and praised the Democrat for his Navy service and work in taking over his family’s peanut farm after his father, James Sr., died. “Jimmy Carter not only lived the longest of any former U.S. President, but his life also brought greater dignity to the presidency,” Ivey said in a statement. “President Carter lived a great life marked by service to his country. Volunteering his time to build homes for those in need well into his 90s,” said Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican. CARTER EXPECTED TO LIE IN CAPITOL ROTUNDA West Virginia’s Democratic Party chairman, state Del. Mike Pushkin added that Carter’s legacy is one of “humility, integrity and relentless service.” “He taught us that true leadership is not about power, but about lifting others up and making the world a better place. His work continues to inspire generations of Americans to engage in public service and to strive for a more just and equitable society,” said Pushkin, D-Kanawha. Rhode Island Democratic Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement that America lost a “great man, compassionate leader and true humanitarian.” “In everything he did, President Carter put service above self. He believed fiercely in lifting up others and lending a hand to those in need – an example for all of us to follow,” McKee said. “We thank President Carter for his service to our nation and dedicating his life to making the world a better place.” One rising star in Carter’s party ordered flags across his state at half-staff Monday. “President Jimmy Carter was a humble, generous, and admirable public servant — both as our president and in his years after as a citizen in service,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement. In the current president’s home state, outgoing Delaware Gov. John Carney called Carter a “champion for peace and human rights.” Delaware Gov.-elect Matt Meyer wrote on X that Carter’s life “left an indelible mark on the world.” “[W]hat made him truly extraordinary was his humility and compassion,” Meyer said. Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called Carter “a truly moral man.” “His innate humanity, his humility, his devotion to serving his community and his country, and his belief that the world could live in peace is the remarkable legacy he leaves behind.” In California, potential 2028 presidential candidate Gov. Gavin Newsom also paid his respects. “Jennifer and I join the country and the world in mourning the passing of President Jimmy Carter, a tireless champion for human rights and democracy whose unparalleled life of service made the world a better place,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement that Carter proved “good people, wanting nothing more than to do good – can excel in politics and life.” Thousands of miles to the west, Hawaii Democratic Gov. Josh Green said the people of his state “send our Aloha and heartfelt condolences to the Carter ‘ohana during this difficult time.” “President Jimmy Carter truly exemplified what it meant to live a life full of service,” added Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another likely 2028 Democratic hopeful. “His towering legacy of compassion for others set a standard that will always be remembered,” the Hyatt Hotels heir added.
Rep. Victoria Spartz demands ‘assurances’ Speaker Johnson ‘won’t sell us out to the swamp’
As House Speaker Mike Johnson seeks to retain his grip on the gavel, Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., is demanding “assurances” that Johnson “won’t sell us out to the swamp.” Johnson, who secured the speaker’s gavel last year, got a major boost on Monday when Trump endorsed him to remain in the role. “I understand why President Trump is endorsing Speaker Johnson as he did Speaker Ryan, which is definitely important. However, we still need to get assurances that @SpeakerJohnson won’t sell us out to the swamp,” Spartz noted in a post on X. “President Trump will be able to save America only if we have a speaker with courage, vision and a plan – also public commitment to the American people how he will help deliver President Trump’s agenda to drain the swamp,” she added in another tweet. Spartz had previously issued a statement on Monday in which she called out Congress’s profligate spending and demanded a plan to accomplish President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, something which she said she has not seen from current House Speaker Mike Johnson. TRUMP GIVES JOHNSON ‘COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT’ AHEAD OF SPEAKERSHIP FIGHT “Congress has abandoned its constitutional duty to the American people to properly oversee the spending of their hard-earned money paid as taxes,” Spartz declared in the statement. “Our next speaker must show courageous leadership to get our country back on track before this ‘Titanic’ strikes an iceberg at any moment.” Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office but no comment was provided. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO FAILING TO ELECT A HOUSE SPEAKER QUICKLY In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Johnson as “a good, hard working, religious man,’ and declared, “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!” Speaker Johnson thanked Trump in a post on X, noting, “Together, we will quickly deliver on your America First agenda and usher in the new golden age of America. The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let’s get to work!” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has said that he will not vote for Johnson to remain speaker, maintained his position on Monday after Trump’s endorsement. MASSIE COMES OUT AGAINST JOHNSON RETAINING SPEAKER’S GAVEL: ‘HE DOES NOT HAVE MY VOTE’ “I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan. We’ve seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget,” Massie tweeted.
Biden’s Defense Department announces new multi-billion-dollar aid packages for Ukraine
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced two weapons packages for Ukraine on Monday, totaling $2.47 billion. The first of the two, the Presidential Drawdown Authority package, with an “estimated value” of $1.25 billion, is meant to “provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: missiles for air defense; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; and anti-tank weapons,” the DoD stated in a press release. “In addition, DoD announced an approximately $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package to provide Ukraine with additional air defense, air-to-ground, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and other capabilities to fight Russian aggression.” The aid packages come as the national debt tracker stands at more than $36 billion as of Dec. 26. PUTIN ‘SEES MORE BENEFIT TO HIMSELF BY CONTINUING WAR THAN BY STOPPING,’ RETIRED GENERAL SAYS The DoD outlined the packages’ capabilities, including missile systems, missiles, munitions, ammunition, anti-armor systems, medical equipment and more. BIDEN WHITE HOUSE TO SEND $1.25 BILLION IN WEAPON AID TO UKRAINE BEFORE TRUMP TRANSITION: REPORT “This is the Biden Administration’s twenty-third USAI package and seventy-third tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021,” the statement reads. “The United States continues to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated Capability Coalitions to provide the support Ukraine needs to prevail in its fight against Russian aggression.” FOX News’ Eric Revell and Liz Friden contributed to this report.
These six states banned or limited DEI at colleges and universities in 2024
Six states, including one with a Democratic governor, have either banned or prohibited the use of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in public colleges and universities this year. The practice of DEI in higher educational institutions has been controversial for several years, most frequently opposed by Republicans and described by critics, such as civil rights attorney Devon Westhill, as an “industry that pushes a left-wing, far-left ideological orthodoxy in essentially every area of American life.” In 2024 alone, Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas and Utah either banned or limited the use of such teaching or use in the application process in their state’s education system. In January, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, signed legislation to prohibit institutions from engaging in “discriminatory practices” such as “that an individual, by virtue of the individual’s personal identity characteristics, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other individuals with the same personal identity characteristics.” INDIANA UNIVERSITY COURSE TEACHES PEOPLE ARE INHERENTLY ‘OPPRESSORS’ BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE, SEX, RELIGION The anti-DEI law also banned schools from having any policy, procedure, practice, program, office, initiative, or required training that is referred to or called “diversity, equity and inclusion.” In March, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama signed SB 129 into law. It prohibits certain DEI offices, as well as the “promotion, endorsement, and affirmation of certain divisive concepts in certain public settings.” The bill bans “divisive concepts,” such as “that any individual should accept, acknowledge, affirm, or assent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to apologize on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin” and “that meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist.” The legislation also required that restrooms be used on the basis of biological sex rather than gender identity, and that public institutions of higher education “authorize certain penalties for violation.” Also in March, Indiana adopted legislation to amend the duties of state educational institutions’ diversity committees and increase “intellectual diversity.” Additionally, the Indiana House introduced legislation to further prohibit DEI teachings in schools by mandating that educators “shall not promote in any course certain concepts related to race or sex.” BIDEN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPENT OVER $1 BILLION ON DEI GRANTS: REPORT Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, allowed legislation prohibiting postsecondary educational institutions from engaging in certain DEI-related actions to become law without her signature. The bill, passed in April, imposes a $10,000 fine on any public institution that employs DEI practices in faculty hiring or student enrollment processes. “While I have concerns about this legislation, I don’t believe that the conduct targeted in this legislation occurs in our universities,” Kelly wrote in her passage of the bill. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, another Republican, signed an education-funding bill in May that contained provisions to limit DEI in schools, just months after the state’s board of education began to scale back on such practices in higher education. The bill prohibits “any effort to promote, as the official position of the public institution of higher education, a particular, widely contested opinion referencing unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, allyship, transgender ideology, microaggressions, group marginalization, antiracism, systemic oppression, social justice, intersectionality, nee-pronouns, heteronormativity, disparate impact, gender theory, racial privilege, sexual privilege, or any related formulation of these concepts.” Idaho became the latest state to determine that institutions may not “require specific structures or activities related to DEI.” In December, the Idaho Board of Education unanimously agreed on a resolution requiring that institutions “ensure that no central offices, policies, procedures, or initiatives are dedicated to DEI ideology” and “ensure that no employee or student is required to declare gender identity or preferred pronouns.” Other states, such as Florida, Texas and Tennessee, have all previously banned the practice of DEI in higher education.