Massive Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library to open in North Dakota Badlands
Theodore Roosevelt is best known as the 26th President of the United States and the legendary “rough-rider” of the Spanish-American War. But much less is known about his deep connection and love for North Dakota, a state that was instrumental in shaping his larger-than-life persona, adventuring spirit and immense love for the outdoors. Now, nearly 106 years after his death, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation plans to celebrate and honor that connection between the man and the land that shaped him by opening a massive state-of-the-art presidential library built on over 90 acres in the North Dakota Badlands. “IN THE ARENA” BOOK BY PETE HEGSETH USES THE TIMELESS TRUTHS OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT’S ICONIC ‘MAN IN THE ARENA’ SPEECH The project is founded on the three Roosevelt values of citizenship, leadership and conservation. The library, built on the edge of Medora, North Dakota, will overlook Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which is the only national park named after a person. In the spirit of Roosevelt, the foundation behind the project is not building just any ordinary library. The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library will harness the power of both technology and nature to give visitors a highly immersive experience that rather than shutting one in, inspires and pushes you to experience the joy of the outdoors as Roosevelt did. The library will not just seek to educate people about Roosevelt. Instead, it will use immersive storytelling methods, the latest technology, including augmented reality, and the surrounding nature in Medora, North Dakota, to show people of all ages what they can learn from the life and experiences of the man and president. ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, OCTOBER 14, 1912, TEDDY ROOSEVELT SHOT IN CHEST, MAKES CAMPAIGN STOP MINUTES LATER In a message announcing the project, Edward O’Keefe, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, said, “TR famously balked at the critic, and encouraged everyone to ‘get in the arena’ of life.” O’Keefe, a North Dakota native, explained that the vision for the library is to serve as a hub for civic engagement, learning, and research. The library will include a large auditorium which the foundation envisions as a space that could host future presidential debates. Above all, O’Keefe said that the library will seek to connect people with what Roosevelt used to describe as the “strenuous life” of the North Dakota wilderness. “North Dakota is the fulcrum of the hero’s journey in TR’s almost unbelievable life story,” said O’Keefe. “[Roosevelt] wrote that if all his memories were to be taken from him, and he was forced only one memory from his incredible life he would choose to remember ‘my life on the ranch with its experiences close to nature and among the men who lived nearest her,’” he explained. “He did not choose the memory of the Roughriders or the charge up Kettle Hill; he would not recall McKinley’s assassination and his rise from the vice presidency to the Oval Office … TR chose to remember North Dakota, and so North Dakota chooses to remember TR.” Roosevelt, who served two transformative presidential terms from 1901 to 1909, moved to the North Dakota Badlands in 1884 in his early twenties. He was suffering from a broken heart after both his wife and mother died on the same fateful day. It was in North Dakota that the broken man found comfort in the solitude and beauty of the wilderness. He later wrote that he “would not have been president had it not been for my experience in North Dakota.” With this in mind, O’Keefe said that the library “will not be a box in the Badlands with artifacts under glass,” but “like TR’s life, will be an experience.” “We want every visitor to the TR presidential library and museum to walk out understanding the role of nature as a restorative force in TR’s life, and that each of us can be the change we want to see in the world,” said O’Keefe. “This museum can be a platform for embracing civic dialogue, thoughtful debate, and inspiration around the globe.” After receiving the approval of Congress and then-President Donald Trump, the foundation completed its purchase of the land for the library from the U.S. Forest Service in 2022. The land is situated close to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and Roosevelt’s famous Elkhorn Ranch. The building is designed to be able to live off the land, just as Roosevelt did. The project website states that just as “through his action, passion, and foresight, Roosevelt ushered in a new era of conservation and stewardship of the American natural landscape,” the library’s design “will reflect and expand upon those values, setting an ambitious new standard for environmental conservation and sustainability leadership.” The foundation is utilizing local contractors and constructing the library with materials that will allow the building to minimize waste and emissions as well as water and energy usage. MEET THE AMERICAN WHO WAS THE ‘WORKING MAN’ FOUNDING FATHER, IRISH IRONSMITH GEORGE TAYLOR Instead of disrupting the sloping, grassy North Dakota “burning hills,” the library’s design team from the U.S.-Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta envisioned a building that blended in naturally with the landscape. The building has an earthen roof that curves with the nearby butte. The grounds and roof will be made up of native plants and grasses so as to help restore the biodiversity of the region which has been degraded over time. Pictures shared exclusively with Fox News Digital by the foundation show that the library interior is already taking shape. Natural light flows down from glass ceiling panels, coloring a set of already completed massive, rammed-earth walls, composed of a mixture of gravel, sand, silt and clay. Right in front of the library will be a large circular hiking trail surrounding the butte with several unique viewpoints along the way that encourage visitors to explore and reflect. The library is expected to open on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of America and the Declaration of Independence. Theodore Roosevelt V, a great-great-grandson
Top political courtroom moments of 2024
President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and the billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk were among just some of the well-known political figures who were ordered to court in 2024. The year saw a flurry of election-related lawsuits play out in swing states across the country, the winding down special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into the president-elect, and a July Supreme Court decision that expanded the view of presidential immunity–among many other things. As this year comes to a close, here is a look at some of the top political courtroom moments of 2024. Trump trial in Manhattan President-elect Donald Trump was found guilty by a Manhattan jury in April on 34 charges of falsifying business records stemming from payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels— which he railed against at the time as a “corrupt trial” and a “disgrace.” Trump’s sentencing hearing, originally planned for July 11, was delayed by Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan in light of the 2024 election and Trump’s status as the presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee, four days ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. TRUMP’S AG PICK HAS ‘HISTORY OF CONSENSUS BUILDING’ His decisive victory in November added further pressure on Merchan to dismiss the charges. Last week, Merchan granted Trump’s request to file a motion to dismiss the charges, giving the president-elect’s legal team until Dec. 2 to submit the motion for dismissal—and giving Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team of prosecutors until Dec. 9 to respond. Merchan also adjourned the sentencing date for Trump from the schedule, which Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung describing it as a “decisive win” for the president-elect. Still, the trial dominated news headlines throughout the 2024 campaign, including Trump’s repeated characterizations that the case was politically motivated and that the presiding judge was “corrupt.” Federal cases in D.C., Florida Special Counsel Jack Smith moved to drop two federal cases against president-elect Donald Trump this week— acknowledging Trump’s return to the White House, and long-held Justice Department policy that precludes the department from investigating a sitting president. Smith was tapped by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to investigate both the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump’s keeping of allegedly classified documents at his residence in Florida after leaving the White House in 2020. Prosecutors are guided by an Office of Legal Counsel memo first filed in 2000, which upholds a Watergate-era argument that asserts it is a violation of the separation of powers doctrine for the Justice Department to investigate a sitting president. Such proceedings, the memo states, would “unduly interfere in a direct or formal sense with the conduct of the Presidency.” In their filing, Smith and his team made clear that their winding down of both cases is based solely on these protections afforded sitting presidents, rather than a reflection of the cases themselves. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” prosecutors said in a filing. Trump, however, took to social media to revel in the outcome. “I persevered, against all odds, and WON,” he said in a post on Truth Social. Supreme Court expands presidential immunity The Supreme Court ruled in July that Trump should be granted absolute immunity from prosecution for actions taken while exercising any of his “core constitutional powers” as president. The 6-3 decision, which split justices along party lines, expanded the notion of presidential immunity not only in Trump’s case, but for past and future presidents as well. A presumption of immunity also applies to other actions taken while holding office, the justices said. Still, the decision did not specify whether a president is to be afforded the same level of constitutional protection for state convictions, however, and the matter has never been tested in court. HISTORY OF THE THANKSGIVING TURKEY PARDON: WHEN THE WHITE HOUSE BEGAN THE LONG-HELD HOLIDAY TRADITION Elon Musk sued over pro-Trump PAC’s $1m daily giveaways Philadelphia’s top prosecutor, Larry Krasner, sued Elon Musk in an effort to stop his Trump-backed PAC from conducting daily, $1 million giveaways to swing state voters in the run-up to the Nov. 5 elections, describing them as an “illegal lottery” that violated Pennsylvania law. The civil lawsuit claimed that both Musk and his political action committee, America PAC, were “lulling Philadelphia citizens” and others in the Commonwealth to “give up their personal identifying information and make a political pledge in exchange for the chance to win $1 million,” through its daily giveaway scheme. It also argued that the giveaways violated consumer protection laws in Pennsylvania, citing “deceptive” and “misleading” statements Musk made about the nature of the contest. Krasner’s office and Musk’s attorneys sparred over whether the case should be held in federal or state court, and when the proceedings should take place (Musk lost his bid to have the case heard in federal court). Earlier this month, Musk’s legal team admitted to Judge Angelo Foglietta that there “is no prize to be won” and winners “are not chosen at random.” Rather, Musk’s attorneys said they selected registrants who could best serve as spokespeople for the pro-Trump America PAC, and described the $1 million payments as a “salary” given to these people. Krasner, in response, described the scheme as a “political marketing masquerading as a lottery,” and a “grift.” Ultimately, though, the D.A.’s office requested last week that lawsuit against Musk and his America PAC be dropped. AN ‘ILLEGAL LOTTERY’: PHILADELPHIA DA SUES TO STOP MUSK’S $1 MILLION VOTER GIVEAWAYS Hunter Biden case: Testimony from exes, familial support Hunter Biden’s criminal trial in Wilmington, Delaware, dominated headlines this summer. A jury ultimately found Hunter guilty on all charges in the case, which centered on whether he made false statements in his 2018 purchase of a firearm—but it also laid bare some
Former high-level United Nations officials to launch ‘DOGE-UN’ to highlight agency inefficiencies
EXCLUSIVE: A group of former United Nations officials fed up with its inefficiency launched “DOGE-UN,” an investigative effort that will highlight waste by the world body. The effort, similar to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will culminate in a report online ahead of the 2026 secretary-general selection, in hopes that the next leader will prioritize making the agency run more efficiently. “Why stop at this country’s federal agencies?” said Hugh Dugan, a longtime member of the U.S. delegation to the U.N. and former National Security Council adviser on international organizations. “We need to centralize our understanding of our cash flow to and from the U.N. and the results we’d like to see from our participation in international organizations,” he told Fox News Digital. STEFANIK MEETS WITH SENATORS AS TRUMP’S UN AMBASSADOR NOMINEE, TOUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH’ Dugan is working with a group of former presidents of the U.N. General Assembly who meet regularly to discuss agency issues. He’s recruited “insiders and outsiders who used to be insiders” to identify where the U.N. is ineffective at its mission and where funds are going to waste. “Unfortunately, the mindset there over the years prefers to look at outputs over outcomes,” said Dugan. “How many meetings did we hold, how many pencils did we buy, instead of outcomes. Like, was there an opportunity to get peace underway more quickly in conflict settings, or to what extent are we ameliorating the rate of hunger in the world?” Dugan says his team will ask two questions: “Is the U.N. working?” and “Is it working for us?” The U.N. has an Office of Internal Oversight Services, but unlike the inspectors general for other government agencies, that office is internal, not independent, Dugan pointed out. Last month, a former high-ranking U.N. official was ordered to pay back $59 million the agency lost in deals he made with a British businessman who gave him interest-free loans, a Mercedes and other gifts for his sons. ISRAELI OFFICIAL PRAISES STEFANIK AS UN PICK, SAYS HER ‘MORAL CLARITY’ WILL COMBAT BODY’S ‘HATE AND LIES’ “Usually, there is no consequence for bad behavior, and that’s a rare thing that they caught this one,” said Dugan. He recalled the U.N.’s oil-for-food program, where former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein siphoned off more than $10 billion through illegal oil smuggling, according to a 2004 CIA report. “I’m hoping this will serve to really crack open this dark chamber there that seems to just perpetuate itself on the goodwill of the charter, but actual performance is not serving the peoples of the world.” Founded with a mission to promote global peace, development and respect for human rights after World War II, the U.N. relies on the U.S. for about a third of its budget. President Biden increased U.S. financial contributions to the U.N. and its sister agencies, boosting it from $11.6 billion in 2020 to $18.1 billion in 2022. The U.S. gave about three times as much that year as the next-highest contributors, Germany, at $6.8 billion and Japan, at $2.7 billion. That amount of funding gives a new administration wiggle room to withhold funds to the U.N. if its global interests do not align with those of the U.S., a notion some Republicans have already pushed for. President-elect Trump will be in office when the international body elects its next secretary-general in 2026, and the U.S. will have veto power over any candidate. The U.N. particularly relies on the U.S. for global aid programs. In 2022, it provided half of all contributions to the World Food Programme, and about a third of all contributions to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the International Organization for Migration. Dugan said his report would also highlight ways to prevent China from “hijacking” the U.N. “deep state” to divert aid for its own Belt and Road Initiative. China doubled the number of its nationals employed at the U.N. to nearly 15,000 from 2009 to 2021. Musk and Ramaswamy outlined their efforts for DOGE in a Nov. 20 Wall Street Journal op-ed: “The DOGE Plan to Reform Government.” They said they would focus on driving change through “executive action based on existing legislation” rather than “passing new laws.” They would work to claw back regulations put forth by government agencies that were never passed by Congress, backed by newfound authority under the Supreme Court’s West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (2022), which stated agencies can’t impose regulations that touch on major economic or policy questions unless Congress allows them to do so.
Indian Railways announces to increase blanket cleaning frequency of THIS train due to…, check details here
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, earlier, informed the Lok Sabha that blankets are washed every one month, adding that an additional bedsheet is provided in bedroll kits as a quilt cover.
Commercial gas cylinders prices hiked by Rs…., domestic remain unchanged, check details here
Oil marketing companies have raised the prices of commercial LPG gas cylinders with immediate effect.
Delhi Air Pollution: AQI continues to remain under ‘very poor’ category, check area-wise list here
The Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital remained under the ‘very poor’ category on Sunday, i.e., December 1, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Kash Patel’s nomination sparks enthusiasm, anxiety; future of the FBI appears uncertain
President-elect Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel as FBI director evoked strong reactions from supporters and critics Saturday night. Patel’s nomination hints at massive changes the agency will likely undergo during the second Trump administration. As a staunch supporter of Trump, Patel is a fierce critic of government corruption and the so-called “deep state” and has blasted the bureau in the past. In a September interview with “The Shawn Ryan Show,” Patel said the FBI’s footprint “has gotten so frickin’ big.” “I would shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen the next day as a museum of the deep state,” Patel said. TRUMP NOMINATES KASH PATEL TO SERVE AS FBI DIRECTOR: ‘ADVOCATE FOR TRUTH’ Trump has not historically been a fan of the FBI, which raided his Florida estate in 2022 and years earlier investigated false claims he was a Russian asset. Most observers expect Trump will demand an agency overhaul by his director. “Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump said in a statement. “He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution.” Patel’s nomination was met with instant praise from Republicans. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Trump’s pick for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called Patel an “America First fighter.” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., also praised the pick. “Great choice by @realDonaldTrump,” Donalds wrote on X. “Kash is a patriot and 100% America First.” Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, also issued his congratulations. NEW YORK JUDGE GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO FILE MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES, CANCELS SENTENCING INDEFINITELY “Kash was INSTRUMENTAL in President Trump’s first term and will be EVEN GREATER in his second!” the former White House physician wrote. “Time to clean this place up, and Kash is the man to do it!!! MAGA!” Commentators on the left, however, panned the pick. MSNBC’s Morning Joe previously called Patel the “personification of MAGA rage about the Justice Department and the FBI.” On Saturday night, far-left commentator Mehdi Hasan accused Patel of being a “deeply strange and alarming and sycophantic figure.” Andrew McCabe, who briefly served as acting FBI director under Trump in 2017 before being fired for allegedly leaking to the media and a “lack of candor,” called Patel’s nomination “a plan to disrupt, to dismantle, to distract the FBI.” “It’s a terrible development for the men and women of the FBI and also for the nation that depends on a highly functioning, professional, independent Federal Bureau of Investigation,” McCabe said on CNN. “The fact that Kash Patel is profoundly unqualified for this job is not even, like, a matter for debate.” TRUMP NOMINATES CHARLES KUSHNER TO SERVE AS US AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE: ‘STRONG ADVOCATE’ Tom Nichols, a staff writer for The Atlantic, told MSNBC Patel is “as dangerous as it gets.” “I suppose if we still have the ability to be shocked, it’s shocking,” Nichols said. “But I think this is something … many of us saw it coming and, you know, shouldn’t be that surprising. But it’s an incredibly dangerous development.” Two conditions will need to be met for Patel to take office. Current FBI Director Christopher Wray will either need to resign or be fired, and Patel will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Wray has not signaled an intent to resign. On Saturday night, the FBI told Fox News Digital Wray is focused on his work at hand. “Every day, the men and women of the FBI continue to work to protect Americans from a growing array of threats,” an FBI spokesperson said. “Director Wray’s focus remains on the men and women of the FBI, the people we do the work with and the people we do the work for.” Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
Tamil Nadu: Cyclone Fengal makes landfall, flight operations resume in Chennai
Cyclone Fengal has crossed the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on Saturday night and is likely to continue inching towards west-southwestward weakening into a deep depression within the next few hours, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
Trump nominates Florida sheriff Chad Chronister to lead the DEA
President-elect Trump on Saturday nominated Florida sheriff Chad Chronister as administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). “For over 32 years, Sheriff Chad Chronister has served the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and received countless commendations and awards for keeping his community SAFE,” Trump wrote in his announcement moments before he nominated Kash Patel to replace Christopher Wray as FBI director. “A proud graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 260th Session, Chad is Co-Chairman of the Regional Domestic Security Task Force for Region IV Tampa Bay, Council Member of the Florida Attorney General’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, Chairman of the Criminal Justice Sub-Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council, and Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Schools Citizen Oversight Committee,” he continued. TRUMP NOMINATES KASH PATEL TO SERVE AS FBI DIRECTOR: ‘ADVOCATE FOR TRUTH’ Trump said Chronister would work with Pam Bondi, his nominee for attorney general after Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew as nominee, to “secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE LIVES.” Congratulations to Chad, his wife Nikki, and two wonderful sons!” he added. Chronister called his nomination the “honor of a lifetime” in a statement posted to social media. “I am deeply humbled by this opportunity to serve our nation,” he added. TRUMP NOMINATES CHARLES KUSHNER TO SERVE AS US AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE: ‘STRONG ADVOCATE’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Chronister was appointed by then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott to head the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in 2017, and has been re-elected twice.
Will Australia’s ban on under-16s using social media work?
The move has divided opinion internationally on how to protect children online. Under-16s have been banned from using social media under strict new legislation in Australia. The government says it is to protect children, but Big Tech companies and some human rights groups say it will not work. What are the arguments and the views worldwide? Presenter: Bernard Smith Guests: Mark Andrejevic – A professor at Monash University’s School of Media, Film, and Journalism in Melbourne and a specialist on the implications of data mining and online monitoring Nirali Bhatia – A cyberpsychologist and the founder of Cyber BAAP, an anti-cyberbullying campaign in New Delhi Noeline Blackwell – A human rights lawyer and online safety coordinator for the Children’s Rights Alliance in Ireland Adblock test (Why?)