Dems blame LA fire on ‘climate change’ despite city cutting fire department budget
Democratic lawmakers are claiming the severity of the Los Angeles wildfires was a result of climate change, despite reports that the city’s fire hydrants ran out of water and the fire department’s budget was slashed just weeks before the Palisades fire destroyed thousands of homes and burned more than 15,000 acres. Several fires broke out across the Southern California mountains in early January, quickly spreading to coastal residential areas and destroying more than 10,000 homes and structures. As the fires gained national attention, Democratic lawmakers across the country began to claim it was climate change rather than state policies that caused the disastrous fire damage. “And what has happened is that climate change has dried out our foliage, our flora. And coupled with these massive winds, these 50 to 100 miles an hour winds that happen every year around this time, a little ember can turn into a massive fire,” Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., who represents a district not far from the raging fires, told NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday.” LA COUNTRY CUT FIRE BUDGET WHILE SPENDING HEAVILY ON DEI, WOKE ITEMS: ‘MIDNIGHT STROLL TRANSGENDER CAFE’ “Climate change has wreaked havoc on us,” Min said. After the fires engulfed the Los Angeles mountains, it was reported that local fire hydrants were not producing water and that the firefighter funding had recently been cut by millions. Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged these reports, and demanded an independent investigation be conducted into the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) regarding the lack of water in the middle of the crisis, but Democratic lawmakers shifted the blame away from state leaders. “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,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in a social media post on Wednesday morning. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said that the state leaders who don’t acknowledge climate change as a crisis, who are commonly Republican, are at fault. “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,” Crockett wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Jan. 8. Another Democratic lawmaker, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington, said in January that he was “glad to be working with Gov. Newsom and helping CA, ravaged repeatedly by the effects of climate change.” Months before the fires broke out, Los Angeles city officials cut the fire department budget by $17.6 million, while hundreds of thousands of dollars were being allocated to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the state. Celebrities immediately began pointing fingers at city leadership for investing in programs such as a “syringe exchange” program that gives sterile syringes to homeless drug addicts, instead of more funding for fire prevention efforts. “We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits,” actress Sara Foster wrote in a post on X. On the same platform, Khloé Kardashian called out the city’s Democratic mayor, writing, “Mayor Bass you are a joke!!!!” Rick Caruso, founder of a real estate company and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate, suggested that forest management could have mitigated the fires. “We knew the winds were coming. We knew that there was brush that needed to be cleared 20 years ago,” Caruso, founder of a real estate company and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate, told the LA Times. “This fire could have been mitigated — maybe not prevented.”
Special Counsel Weiss blasts Biden in final Hunter prosecution report
FIRST ON FOX: FIRST ON FOX: Special Counsel David Weiss blasted President Biden in his highly-anticipated report on his years-long investigation into Hunter Biden, saying the commander-in-chief’s characterizations of the probe into his son were “wrong” and “unfairly” maligned Justice Department officials, while admitting that the presidential pardon made it “inappropriate” for him to discuss whether any additional charges against the first son were warranted. Fox News Digital obtained a copy of Weiss’s final report after his years-long investigation into Hunter Biden. The Justice Department transmitted the report to Congress on Monday evening. Weiss, in his report, chided President Biden for his Dec. 1, 2024 decision to grant his son a “Full and Unconditional Pardon” covering nearly eleven years of conduct, including conduct related to both convictions the special counsel obtained. Hunter Biden was found guilty of three felony firearm offenses stemming from Special Counsel David Weiss’ investigation. The first son was also charged with federal tax crimes regarding the failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. Before his trial, Hunter Biden entered a surprise guilty plea. HUNTER BIDEN: A LOOK AT HOW THE SAGA SPANNING OVER SIX YEARS UNFOLDED The charges carried up to 17 years behind bars. His sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 16, but his father, President Biden, pardoned him on all charges in December. Weiss, in the report, blasted the president’s decision to pardon but also the press release that was sent out to the public that “criticized the prosecution of his son as ‘selective,’ ‘unfair,’ ‘infected’ by ‘raw politics,’ and a ‘miscarriage of justice.’” “This statement is gratuitous and wrong,” Weiss wrote in his report. “Other presidents have pardoned family members, but in doing so, none have taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public servants at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations.” Weiss also pointed to a comment made by Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who said: “The Constitution provides the President with broad authority to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, U.S. Const. art. II, § 2, cl. 1, but nowhere does the Constitution give the President the authority to rewrite history.” “These prosecutions were the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics,” Weiss wrote in his report. “Eight judges across numerous courts have rejected claims that they were the result of selective or vindictive motives.” Weiss added: “Calling those rulings into question and injecting partisanship into the independent administration of the law undermines the very foundation of what makes America’s justice system fair and equitable. It erodes public confidence in an institution that is essential to preserving the rule of law.” In another section of the report, Weiss notes that, in light of the presidential pardon, he “cannot make any additional charging decisions” and said it would be “inappropriate” to discuss “whether additional charges are warranted.” “Politicians who attack the decisions of career prosecutors as politically motivated when they disagree with the outcome of a case undermine the public’s confidence in our criminal justice system,” Weiss wrote. “The President’s statements unfairly impugn the integrity not only of Department of Justice personnel, but all of the public servants making these difficult decisions in good faith.” Weiss added: “The President’s characterizations are incorrect based on the facts in this case, and, on a more fundamental level, they are wrong.” The federal investigation into Hunter Biden began in November 2018. But it wasn’t until 2023 that whistleblowers from the IRS, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, brought allegations of politicization in the federal probe of Hunter Biden to Congress. The two alleged that political influence had infected prosecutorial decisions in the federal probe, which was led by Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who they said had requested to become a special counsel. BIDEN PARDONS SON HUNTER BIDEN AHEAD OF EXIT FROM OVAL OFFICE After Shapley and Ziegler testified publicly, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss as special counsel to continue his investigation of the first son and, ultimately, bring federal charges against him in two separate jurisdictions — Delaware and California. Justice Department regulations require Weiss to transmit any final report to Attorney General Merrick Garland, who has pledged to release as much as possible to the public. The Justice Department and Special Counsel Weiss’ office declined to comment. Meanwhile, President Biden’s pardon of his son came after months of vowing to the American people that he would not do so. But last month, the president announced a blanket pardon that applies to any offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden “has committed or may have committed” from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024. “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” Biden said. “There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.” Biden added, “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision.”
Blue state proposes protections for unemployed illegal immigrants
A Washington state Democrat is floating a policy to help protect unemployed illegal immigrants who are unable to receive unemployment benefits. The news comes as President-elect Trump and his border czar-designate Thomas Homan signal a crackdown on illegal immigration and talk of “mass deportation” plans in a reversal of the Biden-era status quo. State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña is introducing a bill that would ensure Washington residents legally ineligible to work in the U.S. – a group for which illegal immigrants compose the vast majority – have access to assistance. Saldaña, of Seattle, declined to comment further on her bill to Fox News Digital, but a representative for the lawmaker noted she had previously highlighted “undocumented workers’ … substantial contributions to Washington’s economy.” BIDEN’S BORDER CRISIS WREAKING HAVOC ON K-12 SCHOOLS SAYS TOP GOP LAWMAKER That group collectively paid almost $400 million in unemployment taxes over the past 10 years, and the bill will aim to ensure those who pay into the system are able to rely on it when they need to, her office said. The representative said Saldaña has reintroduced similar legislation during both Democrat and Republican administrations in the past because the “inequities in our immigration system” are systemic and longstanding. Saldaña has previously argued that providing unemployment benefits to undocumented workers who qualify will help stabilize the workforce and prevent future cases of poverty and homelessness due to job loss. It will therefore have lasting positive effects on the Evergreen State’s economy, her office said. Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, said he had not seen the text of the bill as of Monday afternoon but was aware of the proposal itself. CALIFORNIA BILL AIMED AT MAKING IT EASIER FOR MIGRANTS TO BUY HOMES MAKES MAJOR ADVANCEMENT “We have a lot of work to do on immigration, both on undocumented immigrants and on legal immigration in our state. That’s largely a federal issue,” Braun said. “I look for the folks in D.C. to handle [the immigration issue] and for us [in state government] to stay clear.” Under federal law, illegal immigrants are not eligible to apply for work permits and, therefore, unable to register or file for unemployment compensation. Neither are individuals with expired work authorizations and dependents of people living in the U.S. under several visa classifications. The excluded visa classes include O – “extraordinary ability”; R – Religious worker; and F – student visas. According to a 1985 memo from the Department of Labor, “an alien must be legally authorized to work in the United States to be considered ‘available for work’ – Therefore, an alien without current, valid authorization to work from the INS is not legally ‘available for work’ and not eligible for benefits.” The memo referred to the INS, or Immigration and Naturalization Service, a predecessor entity to today’s Department of Homeland Security. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Elsewhere in the U.S., the Colorado Office of New Americans allows undocumented workers to access a “Benefit Recovery Fund” to help those who have been “separated from employment through no fault of their own” and meet several other specifications. In California, however, Democrat lawmakers sought to offer assistance similar to that Saldaña is seeking but were blocked by fellow liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom. Newsom vetoed that legislation in September and also blocked a proposal that would have allowed illegal immigrants better access to home loans and mortgages.
Former Dem fundraiser sees ‘overwhelmingly positive’ response as her longtime donors give to Trump inaugural
FIRST ON FOX: Longtime Democrat fundraiser and Kamala Harris critic Lindy Li was named this month to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fundraising committee, an about-face that she says has been met with overwhelming support from donors, including from some longtime contributors to the Democratic Party vying to get a spot at the table. Li’s appointment to the Trump fundraising committee was previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital. It comes just weeks after Li announced her decision to leave the Democratic Party last month, citing what she described as its broader culture of finger-pointing, vitriol and blame in the aftermath of the 2024 elections. Li herself endured a torrent of criticism and calls to exit the party after she criticized certain spending decisions made by Harris’s campaign, despite having raised millions on its behalf and donating several Philadelphia-area buildings to the campaign. She in turn voiced concerns about party leadership “permitting no dissent, no criticism” and failing to learn from their wide losses in the House, Senate and presidential elections. For Li, her departure from the DNC’s national fundraising committee has been an eye-opening one. She told Fox News in an interview this week that she was approved as a member of Trump’s inaugural fundraising committee just three days before many of the events reached capacity, forcing the committee to block access, if only for the near-term, in hopes of securing a bigger venue. When she told the donors that they were at capacity, she noted, some responded by doubling their offer in hopes of gaining access. DNC FUNDRAISER TAKES AIM AT ‘VINDICTIVE’ TORRENT OF CRITICISM OVER HEGSETH COMMENTS “The demand has just been unprecedented,” Li said of the response from donors. “Honestly, Biden and Harris never had this issue. They never had to turn people away.” Fox News Digital was told that donors offering as much as $1 million to the inaugural committee have been turned away due to space limitations, as first reported by the New York Times. Since then, the inaugural committee said they are working to find a bigger location for some of the events in order to meet the intense and growing demand. To date, Trump’s inaugural committee has raised a record-shattering $170 million in donations, with proceeds used to fund both the inauguration weekend and longer-term projects, such as a presidential library. HARRIS CAMPAIGN STILL ASKING FOR DONATIONS WEEKS AFTER MASSIVE LOSS TO TRUMP For donors, their contribution earns them access to an inauguration weekend agenda of highly exclusive VIP events before the Inauguration Day ceremony, including intimate dinners, black-tie galas and sit-downs with Cabinet nominees. It’s an opportunity to make inroads and gain influence in an incoming administration. And ahead of Trump’s second term, many are shelling out big-time to do so. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are all among the tech executives who announced within the past month that they plan to donate at least $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. For Li, a prominent fundraiser whose experience is largely rooted in the Democrat world, pivoting to raising money for Trump’s inauguration has been easier than expected. Li formerly served as a member of the DNC’s national fundraising committee, a membership that requires raising “millions of dollars” on behalf of Democrat candidates. Still, she said, the inaugural committee donations and enthusiasm surrounding them feels unprecedented. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Li said in an interview of the funding raised, which could roughly triple the amount raised by Biden in 2021 and exceeds Trump’s first inaugural committee, which raised roughly $117 million. The committee is expecting donations to climb higher to upwards of $200 million, according to estimates shared with Fox News Digital. TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW CABINET DEPUTIES AS INAUGURATION DATE DRAWS NEAR Asked whether it was difficult to build out a base of Republican donors less than a month after leaving the Democratic Party, Li told Fox News that she is dealing with many of the same financial contributors. “These are Democratic donors,” she said. While Li noted they aren’t among the most liberal Democrat donors she has worked with, “They’re still donating,” she said. “They’re still so eager and willing to come to the table.” Many, she said, share in the belief that Trump has been “great for the business community” and hope to build on that in future conversations with the administration. And even donors who have been wait-listed or turned down from attending the VIP events during the inaugural weekend due to the lack of space have expressed interest in working with the administration in the future. Just yesterday, she said, a donor noted, “‘You know, even if we can’t can’t come this time, please let us know the next time that we can show our support.’” The reception as a whole has been “overwhelmingly positive,” Li said of the response from donors. “The enthusiasm is just through the stratosphere.”
Blue state county ignores ICE detainers against illegal immigrant charged with rape
Boston ICE agents had to arrest a Brazilian illegal immigrant charged with rape and extortion twice because of sanctuary policies in the state of Massachusetts. An ICE statement published last week said that Boston Enforcement and Removal Operations officials arrested 29-year-old Agnaldo Moreira da Cruz, for the second time in December. This came after officials in Barnstable County, in Massachusetts’ Cape Cod, twice ignored ICE detainer requests against Moreira da Cruz. MAJOR BLUE CITY MAYOR SILENT AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT USES SHELTER FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY According to the ICE statement, the Barnstable County Superior Court not only ignored their detainer requests but also violated the terms of their own agreement by refusing to return Moreira da Cruz to ICE, after obtaining him through a “writ of habeas corpus.” Moreira da Cruz was originally arrested in August 2023 by police in Yarmouth. He was arraigned in December 2023 and held at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility, which is run by the Barnstable Sheriff’s Office, until he was released on June 18, 2024, despite there being an ICE detainer against him. ICE tracked down and arrested Moreira da Cruz several months later on Oct. 16 and, after receiving a habeas corpus request, had to again turn him over to the Barnstable Superior Court on Nov. 27. The court then ignored the ICE detainer and released him on Dec. 5. Moreira da Cruz is charged with a series of violent felonies, including rape and extortion with threat of injury. BLUE STATE GOV CHANGES TUNE AFTER VOWING TO FIGHT TRUMP DEPORTATION EFFORTS, NOW HOPES HE FIXES BORDER “This is not someone you want to release into the community, but twice now our detainers have been ignored,” said ICE. “These decisions have repeatedly put the citizens of Massachusetts at risk of being victimized by an alleged dangerous offender.” Asked why the ICE detainer was not honored, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Trial Court sent Fox News Digital a copy of the policy followed by the court, which is based on a precedent set by a 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling called “Lunn vs. Commonwealth.” The policy stipulates that Trial Court employees “do not have authority to detain an individual based solely” on ICE detainers and those immigrants subject to these requests “shall be processed and handled in the same way that all other individuals coming before the court are processed and handled.” The policy also states that no court officer or employee may “call or otherwise initiate communication with any ICE official” to notify them that an immigrant is in court custody and that “no ICE official shall be permitted to take an individual into custody pursuant to a civil immigration detainer in a courtroom.” ICE NABS ILLEGAL MIGRANT ACCUSED OF HEINOUS CRIME AND RELEASED BY MASSACHUSETTS SHERIFF’S OFFICE Barnstable Sheriff Donna Buckley told Fox News Digital that Lunn vs. Commonwealth makes it so that “it is unlawful for state and local law enforcement agencies to arrest or detain people solely on the basis of an ICE detainer, beyond the time that the individual would otherwise be entitled to be released from State custody.” “The Massachusetts sheriffs operate within the scope and parameters of federal, state and local laws and regulations,” said Buckley. “As such, the sheriffs are bound to follow the law of the Commonwealth, and therefore cannot hold an individual based on an ICE detention request alone, if that incarcerated individual is not subject to separate judicially issued detention orders.” “The sheriffs do not make the law. The sheriffs enforce the law,” she added. DEM GOVERNOR THREATENS TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP-ERA DEPORTATIONS Meanwhile, Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and law and policy expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, told Fox News Digital, though the Massachusetts courts have the final say in instances such as this, “it’s important to note that’s not necessarily the final word.” “Immigration is the ultimate federal issue,” said Arthur. “When states interpose themselves in that process, they’re really getting into an area in which they have no expertise based upon anecdote and speculation.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE He noted that states and localities receive billions of dollars in federal funding every year, which can be made dependent on complying with federal immigration authorities. “On the one hand, they’re demanding money from the federal government, and on the other hand, they’re telling the federal government that they won’t assist them in a key government duty,” he said. “Congress can always place any conditions that they want on funding, and this is a reasonable condition for them to put in place.” ICE ARRESTS ALLEGED CHILD SEX PREDATOR, MS-13 GANG MEMBER IN MASSACHUSETTS Arthur said that he anticipates the Trump administration and incoming border czar Tom Homan will move quickly to push Congress to put such stipulations in place. “The biggest issue with this is that it places ICE enforcement and removal officers in great danger because, rather than taking custody of a criminal in a secure location, a local jail or a state prison, they have to actually go out on the street. They have to find that person at their house, and that puts their lives at danger,” he explained. “It’s also important to note this is a community safety issue.” “If we really want to keep our streets safe,” he went on, “the best way to do that is to take the criminals off the street. And really, that’s what should be happening, and I anticipate you will see a movement, particularly under a second Trump administration, to make that happen.” Despite the actions by Barnstable County officials, Moreira da Cruz is currently in ICE custody, pending immigration and criminal proceedings.
First hearing in ‘Trump-proof’ California special session canceled as chairman’s district hit by wildfires
A committee of the California legislature has indefinitely postponed its planned first hearing in a special session called to “Trump-proof” the state and bolster its legal defense in case of attacks from the incoming administration. KCRA first reported that the Assembly Budget Committee’s Tuesday hearing, is now off the docket. The committee’s chairman, Democratic Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, represents one of the districts impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires and is currently under evacuation orders. Democrats were previously hoping to have legislation passed by Inauguration Day. LA COUNTY CUT FIRE BUDGET WHILE SPENDING HEAVILY ON DEI, WOKE ITEMS: ‘MIDNIGHT STROLL TRANSGENDER CAFE’ State lawmakers also made changes to legislation connected to former President Trump on Friday as the Los Angeles wildfires continue to ravage the region. They suggested creating a website to track lawsuits between California and the Trump administration, set guidelines for using $25 million in extra funding for the state Department of Justice’s legal battles, and proposed $25 million in grants for immigration services. “This Special Session funding agreement cements California’s readiness to serve as a bulwark against Trump’s extremist agenda. During the last Trump Administration, California successfully defended reproductive freedoms, attacks on our immigrant communities, LGBTQ civil rights, and threats to our environment, from the unlawful assault launched by the Trump Administration,” Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener said in a press release. ‘IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME … TO FIGHT DONALD TRUMP?’: CA HOUSE SPEAKER DODGES FIERY QUESTIONING FROM REPORTER Shortly after Trump’s electoral victory, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a special legislative session to bolster the state’s legal fund in case of attacks from the Trump administration. Trump hit back at Newsom after the announcement, saying on his Truth Social account, “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election.” Between 2017 and 2021, California’s Department of Justice filed 122 lawsuits against Trump administration policies, spending $42 million. In one case, the federal government was ordered to repay California nearly $60 million in public safety grants, according to Newsom’s office. ‘DEVASTATING’: CALIFORNIA HAD RECORD RAINFALL LAST YEAR, BUT LACKED INFRASTRUCTURE TO STORE IT While California filed over 100 lawsuits, Trump’s administration only brought four major lawsuits against the state. In 2018, the Trump DOJ sued over three sanctuary state laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and over California’s state-level net neutrality law. In 2019, Trump also filed a lawsuit against California’s vehicle emissions standards, attempting to revoke California’s ability to set its own emissions rules. The Trump administration also sued California over its controversial independent contractor law, AB 5, in 2020. Fox News Digital did not hear back from Newsom’s office for comment by press deadline.
Border leaders say their communities are regaining ‘normalcy’ ahead of Trump inauguration
Leaders at the southern border are telling Fox News Digital that despite rumors of a sudden rush, illegal immigration numbers are down, and their communities are beginning to regain a sense of “normalcy” ahead of President-elect Trump’s second inauguration this month. Sheriff Brad Coe of Kinney County, Texas, whose community sits between Eagle Pass and Del Rio, told Fox News Digital that “the pendulum has gone from total chaos and has swung back to where it’s more peaceful and everybody’s a little more relaxed.” Illegal border crossings in Coe’s area soared during the Biden administration, reaching 480,000 in 2022. The city of Eagle Pass, which has a population of just about 28,000, became the center of a legal battle between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and federal authorities as the state attempted to crack down on the record-level border crossings. INCOMING BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN VISITS EAGLE PASS, TEXAS: THERE WILL BE A ‘MASS DEPORTATION’ Under the Biden administration’s lax border policies, Coe said people in his county had to deal with huge financial losses and a constant sense of danger and uncertainty. He also said there was a dramatic increase in dangerous law enforcement pursuits in his county. “In a career, a law enforcement officer might have 10 or 15 good pursuits after a 25- or 30-year career. [In] 2023, one of my deputies was involved in 54 pursuits in one year,” he said. “That same year we did 255 pursuits. So, it’s gone from one or two pursuits a year to 250 pursuits a year… So, yes, it was total chaos.” But now, with Trump retaking power on Jan. 20, Coe said he is “very optimistic” about the future. Why the optimism? Coe said: “It’s the change in attitude coming from the administration, plus the change in the attitude of the American people because they’re tired [of the border crisis].” HARRIS TO OVERSEE CERTIFICATION OF HER DEFEAT TO TRUMP IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: ‘SACRED OBLIGATION’ He believes the Trump administration will listen to border communities and allow Customs and Border Protection authorities to do their job. “One of the things that they need to do is A, contact the border sheriffs, the border police chiefs and everybody in border communities to find out what’s going on, keep tabs on that,” he said. “But what the federal government needs to [also] do is let the Border Patrol agents and the ICE agents do their job. Don’t rein them in and say we’re only going to accept these people, we’re only going to deport these people, give them the full range of authority that they have and let them run them with it.” “The president-elect is taking a very serious stand on this,” he said, adding that “he’s got the right people in the right place to handle this” and the effect is already showing in his community. “You can see it in the people in town, you see it among the deputies, the personnel working for the county, et cetera, et cetera. It’s like OK, we’re finally back to where we can actually relax,” he explained. “We don’t have to bring our kids in every time we hear sirens and gather up the kids when we hear the helicopters fly by. We’ve gotten back some kind of normalcy.” SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY BELIEVE TRUMP WILL ‘CONTROL ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION’: POLL Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Mayor Douglas Nicholls of Yuma, a town of just under 101,000 residents on the Arizona-Mexico border, told Fox News Digital things are also returning to normal. Like the Del Rio sector, Yuma also saw a historic surge in illegal immigration under the Biden administration, with over 310,000 crossing in 2022, three times the population of the city. Now, Nicholls said the number of migrants coming across in the Yuma area has fallen to around 50 per day, which he said is fully contained by Border Patrol. Nicholls said he is optimistic that his city will receive at least the same level of support from the new administration that it did during Trump’s first term. “Within two weeks [of the first Trump term], the president invited me to the White House. We sat down in the Oval Office with the [Homeland Security] secretary and the three of us had a conversation for about half an hour. I walked out of that meeting with resources and weeks later, we had the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program that dramatically changed the nature of crossers along the border,” said Nicholls, adding that “essentially in about 3 to 5 months… the situation I was concerned about was pretty much put to rest.” SECRET DRUG TUNNEL FOUND NEAR BORDER WALL IN ARIZONA “So, I really anticipate that same level of engagement,” he explained, adding that he will soon be reaching out and “testing the waters” to make sure Yuma has strong communications with the president and his staff. “The Yuma area is a vibrant, growing community. It’s got great partnerships across the border, throughout the nation, throughout the world and those things are really what we’re focused on are, the growth opportunities, the ability to take our community to the next level, provide more opportunity for our residents, and really just having that more robust economic environment and flourishing.” Back in Del Rio, Police Chief Frank Ramirez told Fox News Digital that he is also “definitely hopeful.” He said that although the current level of illegal immigration is “not as bad as it has been in the past,” city police continue to have to deal with a considerable amount of human smuggling and cartel activity. This continues to take a toll on both the Del Rio Police Department’s resources and officers. TEXAS LAWMAKERS SOUND THE ALARM ON IMMIGRATION CRISIS IN DEL RIO: THE PROBLEM WILL ‘SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL’ He said officers in Del Rio are honored to be the “first line of defense,” helping to keep criminal illegal immigrants from getting farther into the country. “If we can get somebody that doesn’t need
California lawmakers postpone special session to ‘Trump-proof’ state due to wildfires
California lawmakers, on Monday, postponed a special legislation session scheduled for Tuesday to “Trump-proof” the Gold State ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration, due to wildfires devastating the Los Angeles region. A member of the California Assembly budget office told Fox News Digital the hearing was postponed because of the fires, adding that the chairman of the committee, Assembly Member Jesse Gabriel, is unable to attend the session because he represents areas devastated by the wild infernos. When asked when the session would be rescheduled before Trump is inaugurated on Jan. 20, the budget office said the new date is still “up in the air.” While the session has been postponed, lawmakers, on Friday, adjusted the legislation. ‘IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME…TO FIGHT DONALD TRUMP?’: CA HOUSE SPEAKER DODGES FIERY QUESTIONING FROM REPORTER KCRA in Sacramento reported that the lawmakers added a proposal for a new website to track anticipated lawsuits between the state and the Trump administration, additional rules surrounding the use of an additional $25 million for the California Department of Justice to fight the legal battles, and a proposal for $25 million in grants for legal services and immigration support. The proposals were added to the special session bills, ABX1-1 and ABX1-2. The news comes just days after a reporter with KCRA pressed the Democratic speaker of the California Assembly, Robert Rivas, if it were the right time to have a legislative session on allocating money to fight Trump in a way that lawmakers could already do without having a special session. Rivas deflected the question, saying he was there to address the wildfires. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM “This is a historic, historic wildfire,” he told the reporter. “This is, this is a historic event. These wildfires, as I mentioned, are going to be, quite possibly, some of the worst wildfires and disasters in the state and national history.” But the reporter pressed on, saying, “while this wildfire is happening, and while people are trying to understand what’s going on and are worried about disaster relief, worried about the ability to get homeowners insurance, your chamber gaveled into a special legislative session to prepare for Donald Trump in a way that you are already able to do without a special legislative session. So again, is now the right time for that?” Again, Rivas focused on wildfire recovery and did not directly answer the reporter’s question. ‘DEVASTATING’: CALIFORNIA HAD RECORD RAINFALL LAST YEAR, BUT LACKED INFRASTRUCTURE TO STORE IT Rivas’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional information about the postponement of the special session. Shortly after Trump’s electoral victory, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a special legislative session to bolster the state’s legal fund in the case of attacks from the Trump administration. Trump hit back at Newsom after the announcement, saying on his Truth Social account, “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election.” Between 2017 and 2021, California’s Department of Justice led 122 lawsuits against Trump administration policies, spending $42 million on litigation. Newsom’s office said in one case, the federal government was ordered to reimburse California nearly $60 million in public safety grants. While California filed over 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration, Trump lobbed only four major lawsuits against the state. In 2018, Trump’s DOJ filed a lawsuit over three California sanctuary state laws that restricted cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. That same year, Trump sued California for its state-level net neutrality law. Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
‘Living legend’: Schumer honors centenarian Holocaust survivor with Capitol flag, Senate floor recognition
Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer celebrated a 100-year-old Holocaust survivor living on Long Island on Monday, gifting her with a flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol in her honor, as well as bestowing her with a special Senate floor recognition as a New York “hometown hero,” Fox News Digital learned. “I am proud to honor a living legend right here on Long Island today, and that is Pina Frassineti Wax,” Schumer said Monday, according to a press release provided to Fox Digital. “Pina is whip smart, energetic and going strong—but she also remembers the horrors of the Holocaust, and having seen it all, Pina has dedicated her life to teaching, loving and learning.” “The number of Americans who are both 100-years-old, and also survived the Holocaust, is not a high number, so knowing that a living legend is right on Long Island should give Pina’s family, friends, neighbors and all New Yorkers an amazing life story to celebrate,” Schumer continued. Pina Frassineti Wax, 100, is originally from Rome, Italy, and survived the Holocaust before settling in Long Island’s hamlet of Baldwin. Schumer gifted Frassineti Wax a flag that flew in her honor at the Capitol, and announced she will also receive a Senate floor recognition later Monday commemorating her “living legend status on Long Island.” HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE 2024 AS SCOPE OF DEATH, HORROR AND THREAT STILL HARD TO COMPREHEND TODAY “As a centenarian, and going—Pina, born in Rome, Italy, has witnessed a century of profound change in the world, from the devastating losses of the Holocaust to the remarkable advancements in human rights, democracy, and peace, always advocating for truth, justice, and remembrance,” Schumer said while presenting the Holocaust survivor with the flag that flew in her honor. The New York senator explained that before Frassineti Wax fled Europe for America, she and her family hid in a Catholic convent to escape the Nazis. HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR: IT ‘NEVER OCCURRED’ TO ME I’D HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY GRANDCHILDREN “Pina has not only survived, but she has thrived—from the Jewish ghetto in Rome to the promise of America and her community on Long Island. Pina’s history includes the loss of family in Dachau. Pina remembers well, having to hide with her mother and brother in a Catholic convent to escape the Nazis,” Schumer said. “She would face great trauma and worry during the Holocaust, but she never gave up. Her loving husband, Mario Wax, was also a Jewish Italian. Mario joined the U.S. Army, being awarded a Bronze Star. They shared forty-four wonderful years together.” SUNNY HOSTIN LIKENS JANUARY 6 RIOT TO THE HOLOCAUST, SAYS WE CAN ‘NEVER FORGET’ Schumer’s announcement comes just ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27. “Pina’s milestone year—her hundredth—serves as a remarkable testament to her perseverance and triumph during one of the darkest chapters of human history, emerging from the horrors of the Holocaust with an unwavering commitment to survival, and rebuilding, while ensuring that the atrocities committed are never forgotten,” Schumer continued. Frassineti Wax was joined by members of her family, as well as Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman on Monday. The recognition comes as the war in Israel continues since October of 2023. New York was rocked by antisemitic protests in response to the war last year, including agitators and student protesters flooding college campuses, notably at Columbia University.
Meet Leader John Thune’s all-star cabinet as Republicans take over Senate majority
FIRST ON FOX: Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has selected four top Republican allies to be part of his unofficial cabinet as he looks to make his own impression on the upper chamber after taking the mantle from longtime GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., The new Republican leader has tapped Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, to advise him in his new role and sit in on key leadership meetings. McConnell had his own group of personally selected senators that joined him for meetings. At times, that included Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Katie Britt, R-Ala., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Deb Fischer, R-Neb. SCHUMER DIRECTS DEMS TO TO PUT PRESSURE ON TRUMP NOMINEES AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARINGS Weekly leadership meetings are also routinely attended by elected leaders in the conference, such as Senate President Pro-Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Senate Republican Conference Chairman Cotton, Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairwoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Republican Conference Vice Chair James Lankford, R-Okla., and National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C. Each of the members of Thune’s new informal team brings their own style and priorities along with them. Blackburn brings with her the advantage of her ties to President-elect Trump and his sphere of influence. The Tennessee Republican has her finger on the pulse of the “Make America Great Again” movement and, in this capacity, can help keep the leadership team as plugged in as possible. She can also attempt to bridge any gaps between the group of conservative Republicans that clashed with McConnell, namely Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, as Blackburn has aligned with them on several issues. In a statement, Blackburn told Fox News Digital, “My role helping Leader Thune will be to move forward the President’s nominees and ensure we are championing the President’s agenda in the Senate to Make America Great Again.” SENATE GOP TEES UP CONFIRMATION HEARING BLITZ IN EFFORT TO MEET AMBITIOUS TRUMP TARGETS Fresh off of a stint as chairman of the NRSC, during which he helped elect a Republican Senate majority, Daines will also bring to the table his great relationship with Trump and the team he’s bringing with him to the White House. The senator also sits on the Finance Committee, which will be front and center during the tax debate that Trump has made one of his top priorities. Republicans are planning to extend key provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as they are set to expire this year. Daines will be a key point persoon between the committee and leadership as they work to accomplish Trump’s agenda. Also sitting on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), the Montana Republican brings key knowledge of the intersection of policy and politics, as Trump and the GOP set out to accomplish as much as they can in the first 100 days of his administration – including action on several global issues. “Senate Republicans are ready to get to work enacting President Trump’s agenda of a secure border, lower taxes, safe cities, lower prices, affordable gas, an end to reckless spending and strong national security. I look forward to working with Leader Thune and the rest of our colleagues to deliver these wins to the American people,” Daines said in a statement to Fox News Digital. TULSI GABBARD CHANGES TUNE ON CONTROVERSIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL FOLLOWING GOP LOBBYING Mullin has made himself invaluable to his colleagues as a key link between Trump, the House of Representatives and the Senate. He was the first senator to publicly endorse Thune for the leader role, and he previously was part of his deputy whip team. His solid relationship with Trump is expected to help guide relations between the chamber and the incoming president. Notably, Mullin was one of Trump’s 2024 campaign surrogates, traveling with both the president-elect and Vice President-elect JD Vance, as well as assisting Republican Senate candidates across the country. “It’s an honor to be included at Senator Thune’s leadership table,” Mullin told Fox News Digital in a statement. “From border security and slashing regulations to funding our military and extending tax relief, Leader Thune is the right person to lead the Senate effort to implement President Donald J. Trump’s America First agenda. I’m proud to be in this fight with him. As the Leader often says, ‘if someone else is in a better position to take the shot, you always make the extra pass.’ That’s how we intend to govern this majority. It’s all hands on deck to deliver for the American people, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve.” ‘DELAYING AND OBSTRUCTING’: TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN HITS BACK AS DEM CALLS FOUL ON TRUMP CONFIRMATION HEARINGS As a 22-year veteran senator and a former leadership member, Cornyn brings crucial experience to Thune’s leadership team. The Texas senator is a member of the all-important budget committee and is expected to make passing a budget and reining in federal spending one of his priorities in this capacity. He’s also a member of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) caucus, which will help facilitate the new advisory board announced by Trump. DOGE will be led by billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Now at the helm of the Senate, House and presidency, Republicans have their best shot in years to dictate spending levels. In recent floor remarks, Cornyn outlined his priorities for this Congress. “We have an opportunity to pass huge wins for President Trump and more specifically, for the American people, and that comes first through the budget reconciliation process. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” he emphasized. “We can’t let this go to waste by not taking this occasion to finally address our skyrocketing debt,” he said. Cornyn concluded, “We have a lot of work to do, but this is an incredible opportunity that I trust we will not squander.”