Trump team signs memorandum of understanding with Biden White House to formalize transition
President-elect Trump’s transition team announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to a memorandum of understanding with the Biden White House allowing the two sides to formally begin the transition of power. “After completing the selection process of his incoming Cabinet, President-elect Trump is entering the next phase of his administration’s transition by executing a Memorandum of Understanding with President Joe Biden’s White House,” Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, announced in a press release. “This engagement allows our intended Cabinet nominees to begin critical preparations, including the deployment of landing teams to every department and agency, and complete the orderly transition of power.” The press release went on to explain that the transition “will not utilize taxpayer funding for costs related to the transition” in order to be “consistent with President Trump’s commitment to save taxpayers’ hard-earned money.” HARRIS CAMPAIGN CHAIR FUMES ABOUT NARRATIVE SHE WAS AFRAID TO DO INTERVIEWS: ‘COMPLETELY BULLS—‘ The press release added that the transition will “operate as a self-sufficient organization” in a “streamlined” manner and that “security and information protections” are already built in so that “additional government bureaucratic oversight” will not be required. The transition team also said an “existing” ethics plan is in place that will be posted to the website of the General Services Administration. SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S FEDERAL TRUMP CASES COST TAXPAYERS MORE THAN $50 MILLION, FINANCIALS SHOW “The Transition landing teams will quickly integrate directly into federal agencies and departments with access to documents and policy sharing,” the press release stated. “Per the agreement, the Transition will disclose the landing team members to the Biden Administration.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Trump has been facing heat from his Democratic critics in recent weeks for not agreeing to the memorandum sooner. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sent a letter to the GSA last week slamming the president-elect. Signing the documents means the government can now provide security clearances and briefings to incoming administration officials and the FBI can screen Trump’s picks for the Cabinet and other key posts. The agreements also provide “office space, IT equipment, office supplies, fleet vehicles, mail management, and payment of compensation and other expenses,” according to the GSA. That process is designed to uncover personal problems, criminal histories and other potential red flags that would raise questions about a nominee’s suitability for key jobs. Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report
Expert touts Trump’s energy sector nominations, outlines hopes for administration agenda to spark energy boom
President-elect Trump is expected by many of his supporters to preside over an energy “boom” in the United States by slashing Biden administration regulations, and one industry expert told Fox News Digital that she is encouraged by Trump’s energy sector cabinet nominees while outlining specific moves she hopes to see over the next four years. “I think the three cabinet picks that Trump has so far chosen to lead EPA, Interior and Energy are a vast improvement to who we have currently in those respective positions,” Gabriella Hoffman, Independent Women’s Forum Center for Energy & Conservation Director, told Fox News Digital. “They’re going to be taking a more tactful approach to energy development. They’re not going to be keeping things in the ground. They’re going to be prioritizing reliable energy sources like coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear even, and most recently, geothermal has also taken a renewed interest by Congress, and we will probably see geothermal as well unleashed. But also there’s going to be this balance of this energy abundant mindset with promoting land stewardship, expanding hunting and fishing opportunities, expanding ocean access, and reevaluating so-called clean energy projects that promise to be greener or are believed to be green but actually might be worse for the environment and don’t produce enough reliable energy or electricity.” Hoffman told Fox News Digital the country is going to see a “reassessment of what conservation looks like” that is “balanced out by this robust kind of development of energy here in the United States. I KNOW WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ENERGY POLICY WILL BE. I USED TO RUN HIS ENERGY REGULATORY AGENCY “So it’s going to be great for the economy, we believe. As a center, we believe it’s going to lead to better national security with more energy being produced here. We’re going to be less reliant on countries that produce certain energy sources less cleanly, less environmentally friendly than we do.” In recent days, President-elect Trump has named former Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin to head the EPA, Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright to head the Energy Department, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to oversee the Interior Department. Hoffman outlined several top line agenda items that her center hopes to see from the three departments. TRUMP’S PROPOSED TARIFFS COULD DRIVE UP FOOD PRICES, EXPERTS SAY “Emphasizing reliable energy production, moving away from sources that are subsidized like solar and wind to reliable sources that don’t really need to be subsidized or that are actually very plentiful and can be extracted safely and responsibly here in the United States,” Hoffman said. “Another priority is to kind of clamp down on this regulatory overreach we have seen across all three agencies. We have seen them take extreme positions with devising so-called tailpipe emissions standards, all these different green energy efficiency, household appliance directives. We’ve seen them take extreme positions on policies like the America the Beautiful Plan, or the 30 by 30 plan to protect so-called 30% of waters in lands by 2030, which is a very extreme position, not rooted in conservation whatsoever. It’s a control mechanism, not a conservation tool.” Hoffman said she anticipates a “return back to true conservation” under Trump “where you don’t see environmentalist groups suing agencies in perpetuity to block different measures of progress to go into effect.” Trump often vowed on the campaign trail to unleash an energy boom in the United States by slashing regulations and expanding drilling in the United States and Hoffman told Fox News Digital she is optimistic that will happen. ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS PRESENT DIFFERING OPINIONS OF TRUMP’S ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT APPOINTEES “Our center is very optimistic that there will be an energy boom,” Hoffman said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but it could be seen within a couple of months. I think realistically, once we hit the six-month mark, perhaps the year-end mark if President-elect Trump is going to be able to repeal some of the Biden-Harris directives as it relates to all the climate measures, the day one executive orders are really going to be a weight off of the administrative state’s shoulders and then all other policies that emanate from that tackling the climate crisis executive order will similarly be probably clamped down.” Trump has for months vowed to “undo” the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats’ marquee climate and clean energy spending legislation that allocates $369 billion in subsidies aimed at re-shoring investments for electric vehicle manufacturing and battery production as well as new utility-scale wind and solar projects. Hoffman told Fox News Digital that repealing the IRA will be critical to unleashing American energy despite possible opposition from some Republicans in Congress who like certain aspects of the bill. “For gas prices, electricity prices to truly be lowered, you’re going to have to see that law terminated or repealed, because that is what invited a lot of the so-called energy or environmental inflation,” Hoffman said. “These higher prices at the pump, higher utility bills, higher food costs, because everything emanates from energy, transportation, food delivery, things of that sort. So that law really does have to be kind of called into question. And perhaps Trump will work with Congress to ensure that that is repealed.” Hoffman also explained that a focus on nuclear energy will be critical over the next four years. “It is a really safe technology, especially produced here, and we don’t want China or Russia to have an edge,” Hoffman said. Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Numbers of Afghans, Chinese coming through key migrant crossing surged since 2021: report
The number of nationals from countries like Afghanistan, China and Iran coming through a key migrant crossing linking Panama and Colombia has increased dramatically in the last four years, according to a new report by a conservative group. The report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) – which advocates for lower levels of immigration – looked at the increase in migration through the Darien Gap in the last four years since 2021, compared to 2010-2020. The report was first obtained by Fox News Digital. Citing statistics from Panama, it found that the number of Afghans passing through increased from 98 between 2010-2020, to 8,294 between 2021 and 2024, a 8,363% increase. Meanwhile, Chinese nationals increased from 299 to 39,921. Iranian crossings increased from 14 to 935, and Syrians increased from 28 to 762. US TO PAY FOR FLIGHTS TO HELP PANAMA REMOVE MIGRANTS WHO MAY BE HEADING NORTH Overall, numbers increased in the Darien Gap from 115,758 between 2010 and 2020 to 1.18 million in 2021-2024. There have been widespread concerns about nationals from Afghanistan and China in the US. China is a geopolitical foe of the U.S., and Republicans have expressed concern about the potential for espionage or cyberattacks from CCP members who infiltrate the U.S. “There have been numerous documented instances of Chinese nationals, at the direction of the CCP, engaging in espionage, stealing military and economic secrets,” lawmakers, led by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said last year. Meanwhile, concerns about Afghan nationals were highlighted when authorities foiled an Election Day terror plot being planned by an Afghan national who was paroled into the U.S. as part of the evacuation after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The report blames the crisis that has hit Panama on “open border policies” in the U.S. that “encourage migrants from all over the world to undertake a long, costly, and dangerous journey to reach the ‘El Dorado’ that is the United States.” “Migrants know that if they can somehow get to the porous borders of the U.S., they will likely be released into the country,” it argues. DARIEN JUNGLE, A TREACHEROUS ROUTE FOR MIGRANTS, BECOMES MORE ACCESSIBLE AS PANAMA SEES UPTICK IN ARRIVALS Overall, it finds that between 2021-2024, at least 760,000 nationals from “special interest” countries were encountered in the Gap – including nationals with links to Hezbollah and other terror groups. The report, citing data from Panama, found that over half of all those who crossed were adult men. The top nationalities in 2024 to cross were Venezuelans, Colombians, Ecuadorians, Chinese and Haitians. Numbers rocketed in the area from just over 6,000 in 2020 to more than 520,000 in 2023, and have since decreased to 286,000 in 2024. Panama elected a new president in May who campaigned on ending illegal migration through the area, and has since signed an accord with the U.S. Under that deal, the U.S. government would cover the costs of repatriations of those who entered through the Darien Gap. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS The agreement said the U.S. would support Panama with equipment, transportation and logistics to send migrants caught illegally entering Panama back to their countries. Meanwhile, there has been a sharp drop in migrant encounters at the U.S. border this year, including a more than 55% decrease in encounters after President Biden signed a proclamation in June limiting asylum in the U.S. President-elect Trump, meanwhile, has promised to provide additional border security and to launch a large-scale deportation operation after he is inaugurated. FAIR says in its report that Panama, even with U.S. assistance, won’t be able to fully rectify the situation at the Darien Gap. “A permanent solution to the Darién Gap crisis can only come from where the crisis originated, i.e., when American immigration policy stops inducing illegal aliens to make this dangerous trek,” it says. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ilhan Omar blasts Harris-Walz campaign for courting Liz Cheney: ‘Huge misstep’
Controversial “squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has explained where she thinks the Democratic presidential ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., went wrong. According to Omar, the campaign’s choice to embrace the endorsements of former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, was “a huge misstep.” This was especially true in battleground state Michigan, she told the Minnesota Star-Tribune, because it was where the Uncommitted Movement maintained a stronghold. TOM COTTON SLAMS ‘PARTISANS AND OBSTRUCTIONISTS’ IN DOD REPORTEDLY PLOTTING TO BLOCK TRUMP PLANS The Uncommitted Movement specifically withheld support from President Joe Biden — and then Harris — because of its disapproval of their handling of the war in Gaza. Particularly, a large population of Arabs and Muslims in Michigan believed the U.S. was not holding Israel accountable for death and destruction in Gaza. “You have the one name for my generation and generations younger than me that is synonymous with war,” Omar said of Cheney. CONGRESS HAS JUST WEEKS TO AVOID A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AFTER THANKSGIVING “It does say something about where your priorities are, even if those are not your priorities.” As part of the Harris-Walz campaign’s strategy to attract disaffected Republicans, they advertised former Rep. Cheney’s endorsement and even hosted an event with her and Harris in battleground state Wisconsin. SENATE GOP MOTIVATED TO RAPIDLY CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINATIONS AHEAD OF PARTY TRIFECTA IN WASHINGTON She also explained why she thought Harris lost the city of Dearborn, Michigan, which is home to a large Arab community. The congresswoman pointed to the fact that President-elect Donald Trump met with the Democratic mayor, but Harris and Walz were only willing to send staff. “I think that personal touch for that community made the difference,” Omar said. “We could have had that personal touch.” ‘CONVEYOR BELT OF RADICALS’: GOP SLAMMED OVER SENATE ABSENCES THAT HELPED BIDEN SCORE MORE JUDGES IN LAME DUCK Despite her past record of criticism of and opposition to Trump, Omar claimed she’d be open to collaborating with his administration. She maintained that she would still be opposing “hurtful” policies towards her constituents, though. With Trump returning to office, Omar said she is afraid that Israel will get the “green light” to “finish their genocidal war.” The Harris-Walz team did not provide comment in time for publication.
Construction trade group leaders look forward to new leadership under Trump: ‘Relief on the horizon’
Leaders from two of the nation’s top construction trade groups told Fox News Digital they are looking forward to the new Trump administration with hopes their industry will be burdened by fewer regulations and policies enacted under President Biden that they said stymied additional growth in their sector. On Monday, the Biden administration touted the addition of 1.6 million new construction and manufacturing jobs. However, Ben Brubeck, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Associated Builders and Contractors, cautioned that beneath this seemingly big announcement, “the growth can be much better if we’re in the right economic and policy environment.” Brubeck said his association’s members have broadly indicated disappointment at the opportunities available to them under various Biden administration programs, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IJA), the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). “We survey our members on a pretty regular basis, and the number of members who reported participation in the IJA- and CHIPS- and IRA- and ARPA-funded projects has been pretty — it’s been low,” Brubeck said. “It’s been less than expected.” WHITE HOUSE INSISTS BIDEN, HARRIS HAVE ‘ONE OF MOST SUCCESSFUL ADMINISTRATIONS IN HISTORY’ DESPITE 2024 LOSS Brubeck pointed to the fact that it has taken a long time for the money from these programs to be disbursed due to burdensome regulations, such as permitting requirements. He also pointed to oppressive labor policies, such as project labor agreements and increased borrowing costs as other elements that have added to less growth than could have been seen otherwise under President Biden. Brian Turmail, the vice president of public affairs and workforce for the Associated General Contractors of America, also noted the failure of Biden’s major construction investments due to regulations and review processes. BIDEN ADMIN AIMS TO PUSH TOWNS, CITIES TO ADOPT GREEN ENERGY BUILDING CODES: ‘VERY SUSPICIOUS’ “Our analysis is [the Biden administration] kind of got in their own way affecting the market, because they couldn’t help themselves but to put in so many kinds of social and environmental rules on top of their funding that they slowed down the progress they so desperately wanted to see,” Turmail said. He also pointed out that the administration “put a lot of new strings” on semiconductor plant construction that has stymied growth. Turmail and Brubeck said they have hopes growth in the construction sector will ramp up under the Trump administration as companies manage their way through federal requirements enacted under Biden and see others potentially rolled back. I HAD A JOB ON THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE UNTIL BIDEN FIRED ME TO SATISFY CLIMATE EXTREMISTS “The irony is that, by the time President Trump comes back into office, we do anticipate a big bump up in infrastructure construction,” Turmail said. “Because all those projects where they’ve announced funding over the last two to three years will finally clear their environmental hurdle and begin construction.” “Our federal contractors are completely on the sidelines right now for these large-scale projects, and this all started at the beginning of the year in January,” Brubeck added. “So, they’re really excited for the potential of regulatory relief on the horizon as a result of the Trump administration coming in.” The White House did not provide Fox News Digital with an on-the-record comment in time for publication.
Walt Disney agrees to pay $43.3m to settle pay discrimination suit
The suit was filed in 2019 after the plaintiff learned that six men with same job title earned substantially more. Walt Disney has agreed to pay $43.3m to settle a lawsuit alleging that its female employees in California earned $150m less than their male counterparts over an eight-year period, the plaintiffs’ lawyers have said. As part of the settlement, Disney has agreed to retain a labour economist for three years to analyse pay equity among full-time, non-union California employees below the vice president level, and address differences, the three law firms representing the plaintiffs said in a statement on Monday. The suit was originally filed by LaRonda Rasmussen in 2019, after she learned that six men with the same job title earned substantially more than her, including one man with several years less experience, who was earning $20,000 a year more than she did. Some 9,000 current and former female employees of the entertainment company eventually joined the suit. Disney attempted to stop the class action, but a judge ruled last December that it could proceed, Andrus Anderson, one of the law firms, said at the time. “I strongly commend Ms Rasmussen and the women who brought this discrimination suit against Disney, one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. They risked their careers to raise pay disparity at Disney,” Lori Andrus, a partner at Andrus Anderson, said in Monday’s statement. “We have always been committed to paying our employees fairly and have demonstrated that commitment throughout this case, and we are pleased to have resolved this matter,” a Disney spokesperson told Reuters. The case was also supported by an analysis of Disney’s human resource data from April 2015 until December 2022 that found female Disney employees were paid roughly 2 percent less than their male counterparts. The analysis was conducted by David Neumark, a University of California Irvine professor and labour economist. The settlement agreement, which was filed in a California state court, still requires approval by a judge, according to the lawyers. Adblock test (Why?)
Netanyahu says he will present Lebanon ceasefire deal to cabinet
NewsFeed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will present a ceasefire deal to his cabinet that would stop the fighting in Lebanon but how long it will last depends on Hezbollah. Published On 26 Nov 202426 Nov 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Syrian Civil Defence creates early warning system for schools in Idlib
[unable to retrieve full-text content] The Syrian Civil Defence team created an early warning system to detect warplanes for schools in Idlib.
New wall construction at Texas border kicks off with family of slain Jocelyn Nungaray watching
Texas officials took another step Tuesday morning toward fulfilling their promise of continuing construction of the southern border wall, after purchasing a 1,400-acre ranch along the Rio Grande in a critical region identified by officials as a hotspot for human trafficking, as well as weapons and drug smuggling. “It is my promise to all Texans that as land commissioner, I will do everything in my power to stop the pain and suffering that has been happening on this property,” Dawn Buckingham said during a press conference with other officials Tuesday. “The previous owner would not allow law enforcement on this ranch.” Officials will construct another mile of the wall in the coming weeks, Buckingham said, as the first panel was installed Tuesday while the family of Jocelyn Nungaray, killed by suspected illegal immigrants, looked on. BATTLEGROUND STATE RANCHER ‘OUTRAGED’ BY BIDEN STOPPING WALL CONSTRUCTION AS MIGRANTS POUR INTO US “Every day, it’s a struggle. Every day it’s hard. Some days are easier than others, but it never takes away the fact that she’s not here anymore due to the pain of people who were let in this country to do what they did to her,” Alexis – mother of Jocelyn – said during the news conference. Gov. Greg Abbott announced in 2021 funding for a state project to continue construction of a wall after the Biden administration abruptly ended the Trump-era project. Abbott has also built a floating buoy barrier in the Rio Grande. His administration has linked the barriers, and a broader effort by the state, to a drop in apprehensions. Buckingham said she has offered President-elect Trump and incoming border czar Tom Homan use of the 1,400-acre property “to construct a facility for the processing, detention and coordination efforts of what will be the largest deportation of violent criminals in our nation’s history.” Homan and Abbott greeted and served meals to Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in Eagle Pass, Texas, also on Tuesday. ‘SHUT IT DOWN’: RED STATE MAKES MASSIVE LAND BUY TO RAMP UP BORDER WALL EFFORTS AMID MIGRANT SURGE Rep. Chip Roy, also in attendance, urged his fellow Republicans to pass stricter immigration policies once Trump takes office in January. “No excuses,” he said. “Americans are dying. That is why President Trump was swept into office. That is why Republicans were given the trifecta in Washington,” Roy added. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Biden administration seeking to finalize $6.6B loan to build EV factory before term ends
The Biden administration is seeking to hand out a multi-billion dollar federal loan to fund a large scale electric vehicle manufacturing plant just months before the president’s term ends. The Department of Energy announced on Monday that they will be giving Rivian Automotive, an EV manufacturer, a $6.57 billion loan to finance construction of a 9 million-square-foot electric vehicle facility in Georgia, called Project Horizon. The DOE said that the initiative “supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal that half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 be zero-emissions,” an EV target likely to be tossed out by the incoming administration under President-elect Donald Trump. The conditional commitment comes as President Joe Biden has been dishing out billions of dollars to fund climate-related initiatives around the country to cement his legacy on the issue during the final months of his presidency. TRUMP PLANNING TO LIFT BIDEN’S LNG PAUSE, INCREASE OIL DRILLING DURING 1ST DAYS IN OFFICE: REPORT If the deal is finalized, the DOE anticipates the facility in Stanton Springs North, Georgia could produce up to 400,000 mass-market electric SUVs and crossover vehicles. GAVIN NEWSOM THREATENS INTERVENTION IF TRUMP KILLS BIDEN’S $7.5K EV TAX CREDIT However, before it is finalized, the company must satisfy certain technical, legal, environmental and financial conditions before the financing documents can be signed, according to the DOE. This means the White House only has two months to finalize the deal before the Trump administration steps in and could derail any plans that don’t align with its agenda. The funds will come from the Biden administration’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) and include $5.975 billion of principal and $592 million of capitalized interest, according to a press release announcing the loan. “Today’s announcement reinforces the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to strengthen the nation’s manufacturing competitiveness, helping ensure American businesses remain global leaders in the rapidly expanding EV industry,” the DOE said in a press release announcing the project.