Russian government says it is willing to improve ties—but onus is on Trump to make first move
Russia is willing to work with President-elect Donald Trump to help improve relations with Ukraine so long as the U.S. makes the first move, Kremlin officials said this week, adding fresh momentum for the possibility of peace talks as its war in Ukraine threatens to stretch into a third year. Speaking to reporters Thursday in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia could be ready to come to the negotiating table regarding its “special military operation” in Ukraine— echoing the phrasing used by the Kremlin to describe its war in Ukraine — so long as the U.S. acted first. “If the signals that are coming from the new team in Washington to restore the dialogue that Washington interrupted after the start of a special military operation [the war in Ukraine] are serious, of course, we will respond to them,” Lavrov said in Moscow. But he stressed that the U.S. should move first, telling reporters that “the Americans broke the dialogue, so they should make the first move.” US SLAPS SANCTIONS ON COMPANIES TIED TO NORD STREAM 2 IN BID TO SQUEEZE RUSSIA His remarks come after Trump’s pick for Ukraine envoy, retired Lieutenant-General Keith Kellogg, told Fox News in an interview this month that both Russia and Ukraine appear to be willing to negotiate an end to the war — citing heavy casualties, damage to critical infrastructure, and a general sense of exhaustion that has permeated both countries as the war drags well past the thousand-day mark. “I think both sides are ready,” Kellogg said in the interview. “After a thousand days of war, with 350,000, 400,000 Russian [soldiers] down, and 150,000 Ukrainian dead, or numbers like that — both sides are saying, ‘okay, maybe this is the time, and we need to step back.’” To date, Russia has lost tens of thousands of soldiers in the war. As of this fall, an average of 1,200 soldiers were killed or injured per day, according to U.S. estimates. In Ukraine, the country’s energy infrastructure has seen extreme damage as the result of a protracted Russian bombing campaign, designed to collapse portions of the power grid, plunge the country into darkness, and ultimately, wear down the resolve of the Ukrainian people. PUTIN SAYS RUSSIA READY TO COMPROMISE WITH TRUMP ON UKRAINE WAR Most recently, Russia launched a Christmas Day bombardment against Ukraine’s power grid, directing some 70 cruise and ballistic missiles and 100 strike drones to hit critical energy infrastructure in the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Christmas Day timing was a “deliberate” choice by Putin. “What could be more inhuman?” he said in a statement. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military has lost around 40% of the land it seized in Russia’s Kursk region — a loss that could further erode morale. UKRAINE TO SEEK NATO INVITATION IN BRUSSELS NEXT WEEK Lavrov’s remarks also come as Kellogg prepares to travel to Ukraine in January for what he described to Fox News as an information-gathering trip. He declined to elaborate further on what he will aim to accomplish during the visit, saying only that he believes both countries are ready to end the protracted war — and that incoming President Trump could serve as the “referee.” “Think of a cage fight. You’ve got two fighters, and both want to tap out. You need a referee to kind of separate them.” Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he is open to having the peace talks in the third country of Slovakia, citing an offer made by the country’s prime minister during a visit to the Kremlin earlier this week. It is unclear whether Ukraine would be willing to have the talks held in Slovakia, a country whose leaders have been vehemently opposed to sending more EU military aid to Ukraine. Ukraine did not immediately respond to Fox News’s request for comment on the peace talks, or whether it would be open to Slovakia’s offer to host.
WV Gov. Jim Justice to delay US Senate swearing-in, averting brief bedlam in Charleston
West Virginia Republican Gov. Jim Justice announced that he would delay his U.S. Senate swearing-in, thereby preventing a whirlwind of four governors in a 10-day period due to coinciding changes in Charleston’s legislative leadership. In doing so, it leaves federal Republicans’ Senate majority briefly at two instead of three seats. Justice alluded to such in remarks late Thursday, saying he wants to do what’s best for Mountaineers. “My whole thinking behind all of this is that the continuity of government is essential during transitions. . . . When I took this job, I took this job to serve the people of West Virginia.” Justice said he doesn’t expect much to happen between Jan. 3 – when Congress is sworn in – and Jan. 20 – when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, but that in Charleston, many things might transpire. WV LAWMAKER ARRESTED AFTER THREATENING TO KILL ENTIRE REGION’S DELEGATION OVER CAUCUS BEEF West Virginia is one of seven states that does not have an independently-appointed or elected lieutenant governor. In Charleston, it is instead a statutory title given to the state Senate leader. So, if Justicewere to join the U.S. Senate on-schedule, current state Senate President Craig Blair would initially assume the role. However, Blair lost the GOP primary for his Martinsburg seat in April, and therefore leaves office on Jan. 8 when the new legislature is sworn in. On Jan. 8, the newly-selected leader, Sen. Randy Smith from Tucker County, would assume the governorship until Gov.-elect Patrick Morrisey took office on Jan. 13. “Between January 3rd and when President Trump takes office, there’ll be some things that happen, but there won’t be anything happening [in the U.S. Congress] really until when President Trump takes office,” Justice said Thursday. “I’m in constant contact with President Trump about my feelings about his selections for his appointments, my feelings about where we’re going to go on all kinds of issues like energy and on and on and on and everything,” he added. TRUMP, GOP CELEBRATE JOE MANCHIN RETIREMENT “So, I don’t think that there’s anything there that is going to rise to the level of what could happen here [in my absence].” Republicans also flipped the Senate by a comfortable-enough 53-47 margin that Justice’s absence will still allow a two-member buffer. “I don’t think that West Virginia needs to have four governors in 10 days,” he said. Justice said Thursday he made the decision after speaking about the situation with both the House Speaker and Senate Majority Leader-designate. “Senator Thune is really a good man. He’s going to do a great job as our leader and everything. And we had this discussion, and at the end of the day, I think you’ll find that everyone totally understands the complexities and everything and totally understands [my decision],” Justice said. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., Justice’s counterpart next session, said she looks forward to serving with him and working together to advance Trump’s agenda. “I very much respect Governor Justice’s decision to honor his commitment to complete his term as Governor of the State of West Virginia,” she said in a statement. “I believe this with all my soul,” Justice further told reporters. “The people of West Virginia elected me to this office, and they expected me to do right by them always . . . t has been an honor beyond belief being their governor.” A billionaire coal businessman who also owns The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, Justice was originally elected as a Democrat but changed parties during a 2017 rally with Trump in his first term in Charleston – and was re-elected as a Republican. Justice’s turn to the GOP and the retirement of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., completes a full shift from the blue state that for decades elected Sen. Robert Byrd and Rep. Nick Joe Rahall to a deep-red state that Democratic presidential candidates since Hillary Clinton have lost by double-digits. Bearing the wait until Jan. 13, Justice reiterated, will be worth it because he loves Trump “with all my soul.” “I think the world of his family and everything. And I’m going to be there [and] super supportive of what he’s doing. And we’re going to try in every way to . . . put this nation back on the right track.” “The people of West Virginia will know exactly where I stand with them.”
Former FBI and CIA chief urges senators to sink Patel, Gabbard
The Reagan-era director of the FBI, and later the CIA, is urging the Senate to reject two of President-elect Donald Trump’s selections for top law enforcement and intelligence posts. In a letter to senators on Thursday reported by Politico, former FBI and CIA director William Webster wrote that Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard are unqualified to be FBI director and director of national intelligence, respectively. Webster, who is 100 years old, is the only person to have led both the FBI and CIA. He warned senators that Patel’s personal loyalty to Trump could conflict with the FBI’s duty to uphold the rule of law. “His record of executing the president’s directives suggest [sic] a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law — a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice,” he wrote, according to Politico. TRUMP FBI DIRECTOR PICK KASH PATEL ‘INSTRUMENTAL IN UNRAVELING’ RUSSIA COLLUSION HOAX, FORMER CHAIR SAYS As for Gabbard, Webster criticized her “profound lack” of intelligence experience and said a seasoned leader is needed for the DNI post. “Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations,” he wrote. “Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely diminished.” ‘WARRIOR WHOSE VOTE CANNOT BE BOUGHT’: HUNDREDS OF VETS POUR OUT IN SUPPORT OF TULSI GABBARD FOR DNI The Trump transition team defended the president-elect’s selection of Patel to lead the FBI. “Kash Patel is loyal to the Constitution. He’s worked under Presidents Obama and Trump in key national security roles,” said Alex Pfeiffer, a Trump transition team spokesman. Another transition official, Alexa Henning, observed that Webster had supported President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump. “Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active member of the Army and has served in the military for over two decades and in Congress. As someone who has consumed intelligence at the highest levels, including during wartime, she recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies to ensure close coordination to keep the American people safe,” said Henning. Patel and Gabbard have proven to be two of Trump’s more controversial nominees for key positions in his next administration. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ SPARKS BACKLASH FOR CLAIMING TULSI GABBARD IS A RUSSIAN ASSET Patel was the chief investigator in the congressional probe into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, uncovering government surveillance abuse that led to the appointment of two special counsels who determined that there was never any collusion and the premise of the FBI’s original investigation was bogus. He has raised concern among top law enforcement professionals for his outspoken criticism of the FBI and Justice Department, accusing them of partisanship. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and military officer from Hawaii, is likewise under scrutiny after she met with since-toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017, who was accused of using chemical weapons on his own citizens during the country’s civil war. Gabbard refused to call him a war criminal during her 2020 presidential campaign and said she was skeptical that his government had perpetrated a chemical weapons attack earlier that year that had killed dozens of Syrians. However, she later called Assad a brutal dictator. Webster was appointed to direct the FBI by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, and he remained atop the bureau under President Ronald Reagan’s two terms in office. In 1988, Webster became director of the CIA under President George H.W. Bush and served through 1991. “I urge you to weigh the critical importance of nonpartisan leadership and experience,” Webster wrote. “The safety of the American people — and your own families — depends on it.”
Trump tells EU to buy more American-made oil and gas or face ‘tariffs all the way’
President-elect Donald Trump is threatening tariffs against a bloc of countries when he assumes office as part of his anticipated effort to reinforce oil and gas production in the U.S. Trump, in a Truth Social post, said that he told the European Union that if it doesn’t begin to import more U.S. oil and gas, it will be faced with tariffs under his upcoming presidency. “I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas,” Trump wrote. “Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!” Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to restore energy dominance by bolstering the production of American-made oil and natural gas. Specifically, Trump has revealed that he plans to expand fracking and lift President Joe Biden’s pause on new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits. TRUMP SUGGESTS CANADA BECOME 51ST STATE AFTER TRUDEAU SAID TARIFF WOULD KILL ECONOMY: SOURCES Trump’s latest tariff threat comes amid a number of warnings against several countries, including China, Mexico, and Canada, if they don’t act to secure the border and stop drug trafficking. MAJORITY OF AMERICANS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TRUMP AGENDA, POLL FINDS, DESPITE TARIFF CONCERN Trump said he would impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican exports, unless the countries work to stop the flow of illegal immigration and illicit drugs coming into the U.S. After Trump’s proposed tariff against Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened to cut off energy and critical mineral exports to the U.S. if the incoming president implements such a tariff on all Canadian products. However, Trump was unfazed by the threat, saying, “That’s okay if he does that.” Trump has reportedly engaged in “very productive” conversations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau since threatening a new tax. The PM traveled to Mar-a-Lago to meet with the incoming president, where Trudeau reportedly told Trump he couldn’t levy the tariff, because it would kill the Canadian economy completely, Fox News previously reported. Trump then suggested to Trudeau that Canada become the 51st state, which, according to sources, reportedly caused the prime minister and others to laugh nervously. Fox News’ Bret Baier and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Musk and Ramaswamy ignite MAGA war over skilled immigration and American ‘mediocrity’
Trump world warriors Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have ignited an intra-MAGA battle with their proposals to increase immigration visas for high-skill workers. Musk and Ramaswamy, who have been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), argued that American culture has not prioritized education enough, and therefore foreign workers are needed for tech companies like Musk’s SpaceX and Tesla. The pair saw their conservative sway skyrocket throughout the 2024 election as they grew closer to Trump, but the wealthy businessmen now find themselves butting heads with Trump’s most ardent base that wants to see Trump make good on promises of immigration restrictions and promoting the U.S. labor workforce. Trump restricted access to foreign worker visas during his first administration and has critiqued the H-1B visas program, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley,” Musk wrote on X, arguing the tech industry needs to “double” the number of engineers working in the U.S. today. ‘WE’RE GOING TO GUT THE FISH’: REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY “The number of people who are super-talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low,” he added. Musk likened recruiting foreign workers to assembling a sports team. “You need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. That enables the whole TEAM to win.” Ramaswamy, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from India, backed up Musk and took shots at American society. “American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence,” he wrote on X. “A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad [sic] champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.” Those comments didn’t sit well with conservative crusaders like pundit Ann Coulter, commentator Laura Loomer, former Rep. Matt Gaetz and even former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. GOP SENATORS ‘VERY IMPRESSED’ WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY DOGE FRAMEWORK AMID MEETINGS ON CAPITOL HILL “There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture,” Haley wrote in a post on the social platform X. “All you have to do is look at the border and see how many want what we have. We should be investing and prioritizing in Americans, not foreign workers.” Haley and Ramaswamy have a long history of butting heads, starting with their competition in the 2024 Republican primary. “We welcomed the tech bros when they came running our way to avoid the 3rd grade teacher picking their kid’s gender – and the obvious Biden/Harris economic decline,” Gaetz, R-Fla., wrote in a social media post on Thursday. “We did not ask them to engineer an immigration policy.” Right-wing rabble-rouser Loomer said: “Our country was built by white Europeans, actually. Not third-world invaders from India. It’s not racist against Indians to want the original MAGA policies I voted for. I voted for a reduction in H-1B visas. Not an extension.” The skirmish kicked up after Trump nominated venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan to serve as his AI policy adviser. That nomination triggered anti-Indian backlash, and critics highlighted his past support for lifting the cap on green cards. “The Woodstock generation managed to build out aerospace, the one before went to the moon, America was doing great. Underlying your post is that we were all living in squalor until being rescued by H-1B’s. Then why did everyone want to come here?” right-wing personality Mike Cernovich responded to Ramaswamy on X.
Democratic pols ditch Twitter after Elon Musk takeover, report shows
Congressional Democrats’ use of X, formerly Twitter, has significantly dropped off in the years since Elon Musk took over the social media platform, a new report suggests. Significantly more Republican lawmakers used X in 2024 than their Democratic colleagues, public affairs firm Quorum calculated. Of the top 20 most active accounts for members of Congress, just one – Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla. – hails from the left, at No. 15. It’s a stark change even from Quorum’s 2023 report, which came out just over a year after Musk bought the site – at the time. The top 10 most active congressional accounts were nearly split evenly with six Republicans and four Democrats on the list. Now, they are all Republicans. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ Many on the left have decried Musk’s ownership of X, accusing him of using it to bolster President-elect Donald Trump and right-wing causes. But Musk and his allies have insisted that he is creating a more user-controlled experience that promotes free speech. The report pointed to a 2023 survey that showed a stark decrease in Americans who identify as Democrats using the app. “The use of X is on the decline among the general public after Elon Musk’s takeover — with Democrats driving the exodus, according to one survey conducted early last year,” the report said. “After looking at the data, it’s clear that the decline in usage isn’t just coming from the general public. Public officials, particularly those on the left, are also changing their social media habits.” REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa., for example, was the most active Democratic lawmaker on X in 2023 before his post frequency fell sharply by 66% this year, the report said. Activity on X accounts for California Reps. Robert Garcia and Ted Lieu, both Democrats, fell by 35% and 26%, respectively. In 2024, the most frequently active X accounts were those for Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Republican lawmakers, as a whole, made up 54.4% of X posts by members of Congress in 2024, compared to 45.1% for Democrats. In 2023, congressional Democrats made up 50.8% of lawmakers’ activity on X, compared to 48.8% being by Republicans, Quorum’s previous report said. It’s worth noting that it’s standard practice for congressional lawmakers to hand control of either their professional or personal X accounts – frequently both – to their staff. But some lawmakers like Cruz and Roy, as well as the third-ranked most active X poster, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., are known for frequently engaging with other X users directly. Frost, the lonely Democrat in the top 20 most frequent congressional X users of 2024, warned fellow liberals not to cede the popular app to Republicans, in an interview with Politico last month. “If we leave X, it will help Elon with his goal of making the platform void of any progressive ideology or the way we think about the world,” he said.
Joe Biden poses with Hunter’s Chinese business associates in newly surfaced photos: ‘Incredibly damning’
President Biden is seen in newly uncovered photos meeting with Hunter Biden’s Chinese business associates in China while he served as vice president, bringing further scrutiny to his claim he “never” discussed business with his son. The photos, obtained by conservative-leaning America First Legal through litigation against the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), appear to show then-Vice President Biden introducing his son to Chinese President Xi Jinping and then-Vice President Li Yuanchao. Other photos show Joe Biden posing with Hunter’s business associates from BHR Partners, including Jonathan Li and Ming Xue. “These images shed light on the connections between then-Vice President Biden, Hunter and his Chinese business associates, and Chinese government officials including President Xi Jinping,” America First Legal said in a press release this week. “Lawyers and representatives for President Biden and President Obama delayed NARA’s release of these photographs, as they did with other records, until after Election Day.” “These photos corroborate the House Oversight Committee’s investigative findings that Hunter Biden arranged for his father to meet with Jonathan Li and other BHR executives during the 2013 China trip, where ‘Mr. Li sought— and received — access to Vice President Biden’s political power, including, for example, preferential access to then-U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus … a condition of Hunter Biden and his associates participating in the BHR deal,’” America First Legal wrote. HUNTER BIDEN: A LOOK AT HOW THE SAGA SPANNING OVER SIX YEARS UNFOLDED America First Legal also wrote that, according to the committee’s investigation, “the Biden Family benefited from their business dealings with BHR.” Hunter Biden was asked earlier this year by the House Oversight Committee about his meetings while traveling to Asia with his father. “When we returned from an event to the hotel, there was a rope line, and Jonathan Li was in the lobby of the hotel where I was going to meet him for coffee,” Hunter Biden said at the time. “In that line, I introduced my dad to Jonathan Li and a friend of his, and they shook hands and I believe probably took a photograph. And then my father went up to his room, and I went to have coffee with Jonathan Li.” Hunter Biden added that he didn’t tell his father “anything” about who Li was. Joe Biden has repeatedly denied any role in his son’s businesses. HUNTER BIDEN WAS PAID $100K THROUGH JOINT VENTURE WITH CHINESE ENERGY FIRM, EX-ASSOCIATE TESTIFIED “I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings,” Joe Biden said on the presidential campaign trail in 2019. But emails sent to and from Hunter Biden have cast doubt on that, including a 2017 email obtained by Fox News that shows Hunter requesting keys for Joe and Jill Biden, along with his uncle, Jim Biden, for space he planned to share with an “emissary” to the chairman of a now-bankrupt Chinese energy company. In another 2017 email also obtained by Fox News, Biden wrote to the same Chinese energy company’s chairman extending “best wishes from the entire Biden family,” and urging the chairman to “quickly” send a $10 million wire to “properly fund and operate” the Biden joint venture with the company. JOE BIDEN SAYS HUNTER HAS DONE ‘NOTHING WRONG.’ REALLY? LET’S COUNT THE WAYS Devon Archer, a former business partner and longtime friend of Hunter Biden, sat for hours before the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door hearing last year and contradicted the president’s claim, saying Hunter put his father on speakerphone while meeting with business partners at least 20 times. Archer described how Joe Biden was put on the phone to sell “the brand.” The photos drew strong criticism on social media in light of President Biden’s frequent claims he never discussed business with his son. “Astonishing,” Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. “These photos are incredibly damning and speak volumes,” author and journalist Peter Schweizer posted on X. “It is such a disgrace that only through litigation, and only at the conclusion of the Biden administration is its corruption by ties to the Chinese Communist Party fully coming into focus,” Real Clear Politics editor Benjamin Weingarten posted on X. “The Biden Crime Family Christmas card just dropped,” GOP Rep. Eric Burlison posted on X. “China has the Bidens in its back pocket,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton posted on X. The newly unearthed photos of the Bidens meeting with Hunter’s Chinese business associates renews scrutiny of an email exchange previously reported by Fox News Digital. The 2014 email exchange reveals Hunter Biden once said he would be “happy” to introduce his business associates to a top Chinese Communist Party official to discuss potential investments after that official allegedly sat at Hunter’s table during a 2013 dinner in Beijing to welcome his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden. Hunter’s 2014 email exchange with James Bulger referred to the same China trip referenced in the America First Legal press release. Bulger, who goes by “Jimmy,” served as the chairman of Boston-based Thornton Group LLC, a firm that joined forces with Hunter’s now-defunct Rosemont Seneca to launch its joint venture with Chinese investment firm Bohai Capital to create BHR Partners shortly after the Bidens traveled to China. BHR Partners is controlled by Bank of China Limited. In the 2014 email, Bulger asked Hunter to introduce BHR CEO Jonathan Li and Andy Lu, who was a BHR committee member, to “Mr. Tung,” which refers to C.H. Tung, a former governor of Hong Kong and billionaire who served as vice chairman of the CCP-linked Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, to discuss “BHR investment targets” and “fundraising.” The email alleged Hunter sat next to Tung at the December 2013 dinner welcoming Vice President Joe Biden to Beijing. Fox News Digital previously reached out to the White House multiple times requesting the seating chart for the Beijing dinner, specifically Hunter’s table, but it did not respond. “It is my understanding that during the trip to Beijing that you made with your father, President Xi hosted a welcome dinner,” Bulger wrote. “[A]t that dinner, you were seated right
Dem senator reveals how she narrowly won key state that Trump flipped: ‘Be practical to find results’
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who just won re-election narrowly in a state that also went to President-elect Trump, is advocating for Democrats to make Nevada the first in the nation primary in the 2028 presidential election. “We are so proud to look like the rest of the nation. We’re the most – one of the most ethnically diverse states,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital. In a memo earlier this month, Nevada’s Democratic Party also made the argument that the state should go first in the next presidential race. REPUBLICANS HAMMER BIDEN FOR FEDERAL DEATH ROW REPRIEVES AHEAD OF LEAVING OFFICE “If Democrats want to win back working class voters and rebuild our broad coalition of voters of color, we should elevate the most working class and most diverse battleground state in the nation to be the first presidential preference primary for the 2028 cycle,” wrote state party Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno, reported the Nevada Independent. Rosen listed some of the attributes Nevada’s residents have that make it a great place for Democrats to start. “We have one of the fastest growing Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander populations in the nation. We have a really robust and engaged Black community,” she explained. “We are a strong union state – heavy labor state. We have tourism. We can talk about tourism – top economic driver in every state in this nation.” TOP TRUMP AIDES JOIN GROUP PREPPING TO SHORE UP SUPPORT FOR MAGA AGENDA DURING SECOND TERM “What I would hope is that anyone who wants to be the leader of the Democratic Party… if they come to Nevada, they can hear from a diverse group of businesses, of individuals – with about 200,000 veterans,” the senator said. “Come hear from our small businesses, our veterans, our seniors, all of the different groups. You’ll be able to hear what people are worried about again and what they hope for,” she added. The Democratic senator’s angling for Nevada to have the first primary in 2028 comes as Democrats prepare to select a new party leader. Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Jaime Harrison announced his intention to step down following the 2024 election. A number of Democrats have already announced their bids to be the next leader. SENATE PASSES BILL TO STOP SHUTDOWN, SENDING IT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S DESK The campaign for Nevada to be the first primary also comes after a decision to make South Carolina’s primary first in the 2024 election caused significant pushback, particularly from New Hampshire, which had previously held the title of the first-in-the-nation Democratic primary. Rosen also reflected on her narrow electoral win against Republican candidate Sam Brown and running ahead of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. “Nevada races are always tight,” she prefaced. According to the Democrat, “I will tell you that my motto really is: Agree where you can. Fight where you must. Be practical to find results.” BRIEF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN USHERED IN BEFORE CHRISTMAS AS SENATE WORKS TO ADVANCE HOUSE BILL Rosen emphasized her bipartisan efforts during her campaign, pointing to several groups that had ranked her among the most bipartisan members of Congress and the Senate. “I’ve been able to deliver for Nevada, making me one of the most bipartisan, effective and independent senators, always putting Nevada first,” she said. Her advice for Democrats across the country, including those running in competitive races in 2026, is “be present. Be engaged. Listen to people. Find out what they’re worried about. Find out what they hope for. Be practical and do those things. Be practical and find the places where you can agree.”
‘Greater reckoning’: Obama’s spot in the Democratic sun fading after Harris loss
Former President Barack Obama’s years of dominating Democratic Party politics may be drawing to a close, as he and party leaders will likely face a “greater reckoning” after Democrats’ losses in the 2024 election, experts predict. The whirlwind presidential election saw the Democratic Party rally around both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as their nominee at separate times – all with Obama’s seal of approval. The political landscape shifted with a single tweet from Biden on a Sunday July afternoon, with Obama and his allies deeply entwined with efforts to navigate the party to what they hoped would be an electoral victory come Nov. 5, a look back at the cycle shows. President-elect Trump notched a decisive win last month, racking up 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226 and taking a victory lap for what the media has described as an “historic political comeback” that has shaken the Democratic establishment as they pivot to combating Trump 2.0 and his policies. “I think there are going to be big demands for a greater reckoning. The Democratic politburo – Obama, Pelosi, Schumer, Jeffries and others – all participated in the obvious lie that Biden was capable of a second term, in the anti-Democratic move to install a wholly untested Vice President Harris,” Democratic strategist Julian Epstein told Fox News Digital when asked about Obama’s legacy following the election. “And in lacking the courage for the past four years to stand up a progressive left whose policies are far out of touch with most voters.” “They all failed the test of leadership in this respect.” OBAMA ALLIES, ADVISERS HELPED LEAD THE CHARGE AMONG DEMS LOOKING TO SINK BIDEN AHEAD OF OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT This month, Obama delivered a speech at the 2024 Obama Democracy Forum, which earned him a headline on MSNBC, reading, “Obama still doesn’t get why Trump won. That’s the problem.“ “Obama’s characteristic rhetorical virtues were on full display. He was a constitutional law professor before he was a politician, and he still sounds like one. At the same time, he was a once-in-a-generation talent as a political communicator. He knows how to convey a complex set of ideas in a digestible and appealing way,” the op-ed read. “But there was a massive gaping hole at the center of his speech. He still doesn’t understand why his eight years in power culminated in the rise of Trump,” the op-ed continued, arguing that the “first step” to better respond to Americans’ demand for change from the status quo “is to stop listening to Barack Obama.” BLUE STATE DEMOCRATS ISSUE SCATHING REFLECTION ON ELECTION LOSS: ‘WE’RE OUT OF TOUCH’ The Democratic Party and Harris campaign have been dragged by some allies, such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, for moving away from working-class voters while Trump rallied their support. Harris came under fire, for example, for featuring Hollywood celebrities and musicians during her campaign rallies, which were viewed as tone-deaf as Americans struggled with inflation, and their anxiety mounted over ongoing wars in Israel and Ukraine. Now, the Democratic Party is in the midst of a reckoning over the failed election efforts, which saw the White House and Senate flip red and the House remain in the GOP’s control. “Harris’ advisers blame everything but themselves for their loss,” an op-ed published in the Washington Post this month reads. The piece took issue with how a handful of Harris campaign staffers joined the left-wing “Pod Save America” podcast, which is hosted by former Obama aides, and defended their work on the campaign. David Plouffe, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, Stephanie Cutter and Quentin Fulks joined the show – all of whom, except Fulks, previously worked for Obama’s presidential campaigns or administration. “What the four never did is directly admit any major mistakes they made. ‘We should have really pushed Harris to distance herself from President Biden’; ‘Maybe we spent too much time in Arizona’ (Harris lost there by 6 percentage points); ‘We should have had a Palestinian speaker at the Democratic National Convention.’ There were no blunt statements like that,” the op-ed read. NANCY PELOSI FIRES BACK AT BERNIE SANDERS FOR COMMENTS ON DEMS’ SWEEPING ELECTION LOSS: NO ‘RESPECT’ While the New York Post editorial board declared in a headline following the election: “Trump and America bury the Obama doctrine.” When “Obama installed Kamala Harris as the latest face of his revolution, the American public of all colors, ages and genders finally called time,” the Post editorial board argued. “Voters at last saw through the industrialized demonization of Trump and woke up to the truth that his policies are far closer to the American ideal and what they consider normal.” “Let’s all pray that our self-proclaimed betters in their Martha’s Vineyard mansions will finally realize that this was the death of ‘Obamaism’ once this latest thumping fully sinks in,” they concluded. Amid the unprecedented election cycle for Democrats, Obama and his longtime allies have been entwined with Biden’s exit and Harris’ rise and fall as the nominee. Concerns over President Biden’s mental fitness had circulated for years, heightening last winter when Special Counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating the president’s alleged mishandling of classified documents when he was vice president, characterized Biden in his report as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” 5 MISTAKES THAT DOOMED KAMALA HARRIS’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST TRUMP Biden’s actions on the national and international stage soon came under further scrutiny, showcasing a handful of gaffes and miscues, including Obama taking Biden’s wrist to seemingly lead him offstage at a fundraiser in LA in June, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni directing Biden back to a gaggle of world leaders in Italy that same month, and data showing Biden frequently delivered remarks to supporters at campaign rallies for a shorter amount of time than a sitcom. Amid the controversy, however, Obama was seemingly acting as Biden’s political closer to help lock up votes and donations, joining the 46th president at swank fundraisers in California and New York City, and at a
Hochul signs bill that will charge oil and gas firms $75B, but critics say customers will really foot the tab
Today New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the Climate Change Superfund Act, which will charge oil and gas firms an estimated $75 billion over the next 25 years. The controversial measure, sponsored by Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz, is modeled on federal and state superfund laws, which charge firms accused of pollution. While environmental groups heralded the legislation, business groups argued that it will increase the cost of doing business in the state and that consumers will ultimately bear the brunt in terms of higher energy prices. WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO GAS PRICES IF BIDEN ISSUES NEW SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIAN ENERGY SECTOR? “The Climate Change Superfund Act is now law,” said Senator Krueger. “Too often over the last decade, courts have dismissed lawsuits against the oil and gas industry by saying that the issue of climate culpability should be decided by legislatures. Well, the Legislature of the State of New York – the 10th largest economy in the world – has accepted the invitation, and I hope we have made ourselves very clear: the planet’s largest climate polluters bear a unique responsibility for creating the climate crisis, and they must pay their fair share to help regular New Yorkers deal with the consequences.” However, critics have deemed the bill impractical and contend that it will be subject to protracted legal challenges. “What would you have them do? Not sell fuel in New York State,” said Ken Pokalsky, vice president of the New York State Business Council. A group of business and industry leaders also lambasted the measure: “This legislation is bad public policy that raises significant implementation questions and constitutional concerns. Moreover, its $75 billion price tag will result in unintended consequences and increased costs for households and businesses.” However, Gov. Hochul heralded the legislation as a victory for the state’s citizens, stating that the funds will be used for climate mitigation efforts. “This bill would allow the state to recoup $75 billion from major polluters…For too long New Yorkers have borne the costs of the climate crisis, which is impacting every part of the state.” The bill will result in significant assessments for both domestic and foreign energy producers, with Saudi Aramco of Saudi Arabia likely facing the largest charge at $640 million a year, while state-owned Mexican firm Pemex will be looking at a $193 million annual charge. Russia’s Lukoil will likely face charges of around $100 million per year. The assessments are based on estimated yearly CO2 emissions, measured in millions of tons of greenhouse gases. In total, 38 firms deemed carbon polluters will be on the hook, including American oil giants Exxon and Chevron, the UK’s Shell and BP, and Brazil’s Petrobras. Critics of the legislation have also noted the potential difficulty in collecting the stipulated assessments from foreign firms. The bill is also concerning consumer advocacy groups in light of its implementation in conjunction with other new measures which stand to greatly affect commuters and consumers: “We also note this measure would come on the heels of the reinstatement of congestion pricing in New York City, and in advance of the Environmental Department’s pending `cap and invest’ rule, which combined will also impose billions of dollars in new assessments on fossil fuel usage, impacting a wide range of consumers,” stated bill opponents.