Rep. Victoria Spartz demands ‘assurances’ Speaker Johnson ‘won’t sell us out to the swamp’
As House Speaker Mike Johnson seeks to retain his grip on the gavel, Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., is demanding “assurances” that Johnson “won’t sell us out to the swamp.” Johnson, who secured the speaker’s gavel last year, got a major boost on Monday when Trump endorsed him to remain in the role. “I understand why President Trump is endorsing Speaker Johnson as he did Speaker Ryan, which is definitely important. However, we still need to get assurances that @SpeakerJohnson won’t sell us out to the swamp,” Spartz noted in a post on X. “President Trump will be able to save America only if we have a speaker with courage, vision and a plan – also public commitment to the American people how he will help deliver President Trump’s agenda to drain the swamp,” she added in another tweet. Spartz had previously issued a statement on Monday in which she called out Congress’s profligate spending and demanded a plan to accomplish President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, something which she said she has not seen from current House Speaker Mike Johnson. TRUMP GIVES JOHNSON ‘COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT’ AHEAD OF SPEAKERSHIP FIGHT “Congress has abandoned its constitutional duty to the American people to properly oversee the spending of their hard-earned money paid as taxes,” Spartz declared in the statement. “Our next speaker must show courageous leadership to get our country back on track before this ‘Titanic’ strikes an iceberg at any moment.” Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office but no comment was provided. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO FAILING TO ELECT A HOUSE SPEAKER QUICKLY In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Johnson as “a good, hard working, religious man,’ and declared, “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!” Speaker Johnson thanked Trump in a post on X, noting, “Together, we will quickly deliver on your America First agenda and usher in the new golden age of America. The American people demand and deserve that we waste no time. Let’s get to work!” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has said that he will not vote for Johnson to remain speaker, maintained his position on Monday after Trump’s endorsement. MASSIE COMES OUT AGAINST JOHNSON RETAINING SPEAKER’S GAVEL: ‘HE DOES NOT HAVE MY VOTE’ “I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan. We’ve seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget,” Massie tweeted.
Biden’s Defense Department announces new multi-billion-dollar aid packages for Ukraine
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced two weapons packages for Ukraine on Monday, totaling $2.47 billion. The first of the two, the Presidential Drawdown Authority package, with an “estimated value” of $1.25 billion, is meant to “provide Ukraine additional capabilities to meet its most urgent needs, including: missiles for air defense; munitions for rocket systems and artillery; and anti-tank weapons,” the DoD stated in a press release. “In addition, DoD announced an approximately $1.22 billion Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package to provide Ukraine with additional air defense, air-to-ground, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and other capabilities to fight Russian aggression.” The aid packages come as the national debt tracker stands at more than $36 billion as of Dec. 26. PUTIN ‘SEES MORE BENEFIT TO HIMSELF BY CONTINUING WAR THAN BY STOPPING,’ RETIRED GENERAL SAYS The DoD outlined the packages’ capabilities, including missile systems, missiles, munitions, ammunition, anti-armor systems, medical equipment and more. BIDEN WHITE HOUSE TO SEND $1.25 BILLION IN WEAPON AID TO UKRAINE BEFORE TRUMP TRANSITION: REPORT “This is the Biden Administration’s twenty-third USAI package and seventy-third tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021,” the statement reads. “The United States continues to work together with some 50 Allies and partners through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and its associated Capability Coalitions to provide the support Ukraine needs to prevail in its fight against Russian aggression.” FOX News’ Eric Revell and Liz Friden contributed to this report.
These six states banned or limited DEI at colleges and universities in 2024
Six states, including one with a Democratic governor, have either banned or prohibited the use of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in public colleges and universities this year. The practice of DEI in higher educational institutions has been controversial for several years, most frequently opposed by Republicans and described by critics, such as civil rights attorney Devon Westhill, as an “industry that pushes a left-wing, far-left ideological orthodoxy in essentially every area of American life.” In 2024 alone, Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas and Utah either banned or limited the use of such teaching or use in the application process in their state’s education system. In January, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, signed legislation to prohibit institutions from engaging in “discriminatory practices” such as “that an individual, by virtue of the individual’s personal identity characteristics, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other individuals with the same personal identity characteristics.” INDIANA UNIVERSITY COURSE TEACHES PEOPLE ARE INHERENTLY ‘OPPRESSORS’ BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE, SEX, RELIGION The anti-DEI law also banned schools from having any policy, procedure, practice, program, office, initiative, or required training that is referred to or called “diversity, equity and inclusion.” In March, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama signed SB 129 into law. It prohibits certain DEI offices, as well as the “promotion, endorsement, and affirmation of certain divisive concepts in certain public settings.” The bill bans “divisive concepts,” such as “that any individual should accept, acknowledge, affirm, or assent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to apologize on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin” and “that meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist.” The legislation also required that restrooms be used on the basis of biological sex rather than gender identity, and that public institutions of higher education “authorize certain penalties for violation.” Also in March, Indiana adopted legislation to amend the duties of state educational institutions’ diversity committees and increase “intellectual diversity.” Additionally, the Indiana House introduced legislation to further prohibit DEI teachings in schools by mandating that educators “shall not promote in any course certain concepts related to race or sex.” BIDEN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPENT OVER $1 BILLION ON DEI GRANTS: REPORT Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, allowed legislation prohibiting postsecondary educational institutions from engaging in certain DEI-related actions to become law without her signature. The bill, passed in April, imposes a $10,000 fine on any public institution that employs DEI practices in faculty hiring or student enrollment processes. “While I have concerns about this legislation, I don’t believe that the conduct targeted in this legislation occurs in our universities,” Kelly wrote in her passage of the bill. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, another Republican, signed an education-funding bill in May that contained provisions to limit DEI in schools, just months after the state’s board of education began to scale back on such practices in higher education. The bill prohibits “any effort to promote, as the official position of the public institution of higher education, a particular, widely contested opinion referencing unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, allyship, transgender ideology, microaggressions, group marginalization, antiracism, systemic oppression, social justice, intersectionality, nee-pronouns, heteronormativity, disparate impact, gender theory, racial privilege, sexual privilege, or any related formulation of these concepts.” Idaho became the latest state to determine that institutions may not “require specific structures or activities related to DEI.” In December, the Idaho Board of Education unanimously agreed on a resolution requiring that institutions “ensure that no central offices, policies, procedures, or initiatives are dedicated to DEI ideology” and “ensure that no employee or student is required to declare gender identity or preferred pronouns.” Other states, such as Florida, Texas and Tennessee, have all previously banned the practice of DEI in higher education.
Smugglers abandon two migrant girls at southern border with note to authorities
Smugglers abandoned two migrant children at the southern border in Texas this week, fleeing back to Mexico as Texas authorities came to the little girls’ rescue, amid continued concerns about the numbers of unaccompanied minors coming across the border. The Texas Department of Public Safety said that its troopers had recovered the two little girls, who are five and nine years old, after the smuggler had abandoned them and fled back to Mexico. The girls, from El Salvador, carried only a note with an address and phone number, and were then referred to U.S. Border Patrol. ICE DEPORTATIONS CATCH UP TO TRUMP-ERA NUMBERS IN FY 2024 AS BIDEN ADMIN COMES TO A CLOSE The incident taps into ongoing concerns about unaccompanied migrant children coming across the border, with numbers increasing significantly during the recent migrant crisis. There have been a number of incidents of abandoned children being rescued, often with phone numbers or addresses of relatives or others written on paper or stitched into clothing. When children arrive unaccompanied, they are transferred eventually to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and released to sponsors in the U.S. The issue made headlines earlier this year when the DHS Office of Inspector General sent a report to Congress finding that, over the past five years, more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children [UCs] had not shown up for immigration court hearings, and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not account for the location of all of those who did not appear. “During our ongoing audit to assess ICE’s ability to monitor the location and status of UCs who were released or transferred from the custody of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), we learned ICE transferred more than 448,000 UCs to HHS from fiscal years 2019 to 2023,” the internal watchdog reported. TRUMP’S TRANSITION TEAM EYES EXPANSION OF ANKLE MONITORS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NOT IN CUSTODY “However, ICE was not able to account for the location of all UCs who were released by HHS and did not appear as scheduled in immigration court. ICE reported more than 32,000 UCs failed to appear for their immigration court hearings from FYs 2019 to 2023,” it said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS The watchdog also found that approximately 291,000 unaccompanied migrant children have not yet been marked for removal proceedings, because ICE has routinely failed to schedule immigration court dates and serve notices. ICEs FY 2024 report found that, despite the surge of more than 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children into the U.S. during the Biden administration, just 411 were removed in FY 2024, an increase from the 212 in FY 2023. For comparison, more than 4,000 were removed in FY 2022.
Jimmy Carter ‘killer rabbit attack’ story highlighted his struggles as president
After the passing of 100-year-old former President Jimmy Carter, many are recalling the “killer rabbit” incident in which Carter had to fight off a berserk swamp creature while fishing in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. The bizarre incident occurred in April 1979 but was not known to the public until months later when, according to an account by then White House Press Secretary Jody Powell, the press official shared the story with reporter Brooks Jackson. After the story broke, it captured the American imagination and came to be seen as emblematic of the Carter presidency, which many perceived as ineffective and flailing. Sensationalized headlines ran across the country such as the Washington Post’s “Bunny Goes Bugs. Rabbit Attacks President” and the New York Times’s “A Tale of Carter and the ‘Killer Rabbit.’” TRIBUTES POUR IN FROM CONGRESSIONAL LAWMAKERS AFTER JIMMY CARTER’S DEATH: ‘A GREAT HUMANITARIAN’ The story, which is backed by a photograph taken by a White House staffer, goes that Carter, while fishing near Plains, suddenly noticed a large swamp rabbit swimming quickly toward him. Powell said that “this large, wet animal, making strange hissing noises and gnashing its teeth, was intent upon climbing into the Presidential boat.” Carter used a paddle to splash water at the creature, causing it to change course and swim away. The New York Times reported in August 1979 that the rabbit had “penetrated Secret Service security and attacked President Carter,” forcing him to “beat back the animal with a canoe paddle.” The outlet reported one White House staffer saying, “the President was swinging for his life.” The picture, which was not released by the White House until after Carter lost his re-election effort to Ronald Reagan in 1980, shows the now-deceased president splashing water as a large rabbit, its ears poking out of the water, swims away. JIMMY CARTER, FORMER US PRESIDENT, REMEMBERED IN SPORTS WORLD AFTER DEATH Carter’s account of the incident is somewhat less dramatic. The deceased president said: “A rabbit was being chased by hounds and he jumped in the water and swam toward my boat. When he got almost there, I splashed some water with a paddle and the rabbit turned and went on and crawled out on the other side.” However, that did not stop national and local media outlets from running the story about the “killer rabbit” far and wide. In 1979, Carter was in the middle of his one-term presidency. He was facing several difficulties both at home and abroad, including an energy crisis and economic issues and the Iran hostage crisis. Amid these troubles, Carter’s approval ratings took a dramatic dip, and he reached some of the highest disapproval numbers of his entire presidency. BIDEN USES FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER’S DEATH TO CRITICIZE TRUMP IN A VERBAL SPAR AND MORE TOP HEADLINES While newspaper accounts of the “banzai bunny” and cartoons of giant, bucktoothed rabbits were clearly fanciful, many came to see the whole story as a sort of metaphor for Carter’s struggling presidency. Powell, who originally thought of the incident as an innocent, comical story, later said he had come to regret his decision to share it with the press because of the way it was used to portray the president as so weak and inept that he was even afraid of a bunny. Powell described the events as a “nightmare” in his 1985 memoir “The Other Side of the Story.” “It still makes my flesh crawl to think I could have been so foolish, I thought it was funny,” he wrote. “Had I been doing my job, I would have stopped the President at that moment, pointed out the dangers to him and his administration if such a story ever got out. . . . Sadly, I did nothing of the kind.” Carter, a Democrat, served as the nation’s 39th president from 1977 to 1981. He was the longest-living president in U.S. history, passing away at the age of 100 in his home in Plains on Dec. 29 at 3:45 p.m. An outspoken Christian, Carter was known for his significant humanitarian efforts after his presidency and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
U.S. appeals court upholds Trump verdict in E. Jean Carroll defamation case
A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a jury’s verdict finding Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing the writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s—delivering a blow to the president-elect, and leaving him on the hook for the $5 million payout ordered by the jury. A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said Monday in an unsigned opinion that Trump had failed to demonstrate “that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings” and “has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial.” The decision comes after a New York jury last year found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll, a former Elle magazine advice columnist, in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman store in the mid-1990s—and for subsequently defaming her when she came forward with her story during his first term in office. In a separate case, Trump was also ordered by a jury to pay Carroll more than $80 million in damages for the defamatory statements made in his first term in the White House, though the president-elect’s appeal of that decision is still pending. The decision was praised by Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan. “Both E. Jean Carroll and I are gratified by today’s decision,” Kaplan said in a statement. “We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments.” The Trump transition team were quick to respond to the decision Monday, which they vowed to appeal. They also took aim at what they described as the “political weaponization” of the courts. “The American People have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate, and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed,” Trump transition spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox News in a statement Monday. “We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again,” Cheung added. This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.
Germany accuses Elon Musk of trying to interfere in its national elections
German government officials accused Tesla founder Elon Musk on Monday of attempting to interfere in the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections on behalf of the country’s far-right political party, citing recent social media posts and a weekend op-ed doubling down on his endorsement. Musk has attempted to bill the German Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party as the party best positioned to usher in a fiscally responsible economy in Germany—praising the party’s approach to regulations and taxes, while also strenuously defending against allegations of radicalism and neo-Nazi ties. His comments have sparked the ire of top German government officials, who noted Monday that the timing comes just weeks ahead of Germany’s snap parliamentary elections—and are, in their view, clearly intended to influence a German audience, regardless of whether Musk’s messaging accomplishes that goal. RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS IT IS WILLING TO IMPROVE TIES—BUT ONUS IS ON TRUMP TO MAKE FIRST MOVE “It is indeed the case that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election,” German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann told reporters at a press briefing Monday. Hoffmann said that Musk is free to express his opinion, adding: “After all, freedom of opinion also covers the greatest nonsense.” Musk has come under sharp criticism for his apparent endorsement for the Alternative for Germany political party just weeks before it holds snap parliamentary elections in February. Musk has railed against German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this fall as a “fool.” Musk also praised the AfD last week on his social media platform, X, writing: “Only the AfD can save Germany.” Musk doubled down on his endorsement in an op-ed published in the German center-right newspaper, Welt am Sonntag. “The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk said of AfD co-chair Alice Weidel. He added that in his view, the AfD “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality.” Those remarks have sparked criticism from current and former U.S. lawmakers, and from leaders in Berlin, who noted the party’s reputation as a neo-Nazi group. German health minister Karl Lauterbach, also a member of the Social Democratic party (SPD), criticized Musk’s intervention as “undignified and highly problematic.” TRUMP URGED TO STEP IN TO UNITE GOP AS LAWMAKERS FEAR SPEAKER SHOWDOWN COULD DELAY ELECTION CERTIFICATION All mainstream German political parties have ruled out working with the AfD, and its youth wing was designated as a “confirmed extremist” group by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency earlier this year. The AfD, for its part, has rejected that characterization. The pushback from U.S. and German officials has done little to deter Musk, who used his op-ed to argue that the German economy is crippled by regulatory overreach and bureaucracy, describing the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as “the last spark of hope for this country.” “The traditional parties have failed in Germany,” Musk wrote in the op-ed of Germany’s SPD and other mainstream parties. “Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest, and the erosion of national identity.” The decision to run Musks’s op-ed in a center-right newspaper was heavily criticized and prompted Welt am Sonntag’s opinion editor, Eva Marie Kogel, to announce her resignation.
Trump hails Florida Dem’s decision to ditch party, join GOP: ‘THANK YOU HILLARY!’
President-elect Donald Trump congratulated and thanked Florida state Rep. Hillary Cassel after the Sunshine State lawmaker announced her decision to dump her Democratic Party affiliation and join the GOP. “Today, I am announcing my decision to change my party affiliation from Democrat to Republican,” Cassel said in a statement. “I will be joining the Republican Conference of the Florida House of Representatives because I believe in their vision for a better, more prosperous Florida.” In a statement hailing the move, Trump urged more Democrats to defect. DESANTIS WELCOMES FLORIDA STATE LAWMAKER TO REPUBLICAN PARTY AS SHE DITCHES DEMOCRATS “Congratulations to Hillary Cassel for becoming the second State Representative from the Great State of Florida to switch her Party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, once more expanding the GOP Supermajority in the State House! I would further like to invite other Disillusioned Democrats to switch Parties, and join us on this noble quest to Save our Country and, Make America Great Again – GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. THANK YOU HILLARY!” Trump exclaimed in a Truth Social post. Cassel’s announcement came after fellow Florida state Rep. Susan Valdés announced earlier this month that she was switching her registration from Democrat to Republican. While seeking office in 2022, Cassel described herself as a “proud Democrat,” “pro-choice champion,” and “faithful ally of the LGBTQ+ community.” FLORIDA BANS CHILDREN UNDER 14 FROM SOCIAL MEDIA She also pledged that she would “stand up to #ClimateChange deniers” and “stand up to the NRA and fight for a ban on military style assault rifles and the high capacity ammunition that make them so lethal.” But now Cassel says the Democratic Party does not reflect her values. “As a mother, I want to help build a world where our children are judged on their character and their actions not on their labels,” she noted in her statement. “As a proud Jewish woman, I have been increasingly troubled by the Democratic Party’s failure to unequivocally support Israel and its willingness to tolerate extreme progressive voices that justify or condone acts of terrorism. I’m constantly troubled by the inability of the current Democratic Party to relate to everyday Floridians. I can no longer remain in a party that doesn’t represent my values. TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE AIMING TO REPLACE MATT GAETZ WANTS FLORIDA TO ADOPT GOLD AND SILVER AS LEGAL TENDER “I know I won’t always agree on every detail with every Republican, but I do know that I will always have input, collaboration, and respect. The House Republican Conference empowers members to find common sense solutions to real issues facing all Floridians. They welcome different ideas and collaboration, which is the cornerstone of effective government. Those are my values,” Cassel noted.
Trump gives Johnson ‘complete and total endorsement’ ahead of speakership fight
President-elect Donald Trump gave his “complete” and “total” endorsement of Mike Johnson ahead of next month’s expected fight to hold onto the House speakership. “The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration. Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump wrote on TRUTHSocial Monday. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!” Trump, championing the GOP as “the Party of COMMON SENSE,” also included a warning to Republicans. “We ran a flawless campaign, having spent FAR LESS, with lots of money left over. They ran a very expensive ‘sinking ship,’ embracing DOJ & FBI WEAPONIZATION against their political opponent, ME. BUT IT DIDN’T WORK, IT WAS A DISASTER!!!” Trump wrote, adding: “LETS NOT BLOW THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.” JOHNSON ALLIES URGE TRUMP TO INTERVENE AS MESSY SPEAKER BATTLE THREATENS TO DELAY 2024 CERTIFICATION Deeming his win as the culmination of a “magnificent and historic Presidential Election of 2024,” Trump reiterated how he and Vice President-elect JD Vance picked up seven swing states, 317 electoral college votes and the popular vote by millions of voters. Trump also decried how it took several weeks after Election Day before the state of California certified its results. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO FAILING TO ELECT A HOUSE SPEAKER QUICKLY He pointed out how Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed presidential campaign shelled out millions of dollars for celebrity endorsements. “Republicans are being praised for having run a ‘legendary’ campaign! Democrats are being excoriated for their effort, having wasted 2.5 Billion Dollars, much of it unaccounted for, with some being used to illegally buy endorsements,” he wrote. ($11,000,000 to Beyoncé, who never even sang a song, $2,000,000 to Oprah for doing next to nothing, and even $500,000 to Reverend AL, a professional con man and instigator, who agreed to ‘interview’ their ‘star spangled’ candidates, Kamala and Joe).” This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Jimmy Carter nears the top of America’s ‘Most Admired Man’ list, according to Gallup
When it comes to Gallup’s “Most Admired Man list,” Jimmy Carter is number three in the top 10 finishes, behind only Rev. Billy Graham and Ronald Reagan. From 1946 to 2020, Carter made the list 29 times, according to Gallup. Carter, the nation’s 39th president, died Sunday, Dec. 29, at the age of 100. He served a single term as president, and will also be remembered for his decades of humanitarian work. “When Gallup asked Americans to retrospectively evaluate Carter’s presidency in June 2023, 57% said they approved of the job he did, and 36% disapproved,” a Gallup blog reads. “His retrospective approval ranks in the bottom half of presidents, better than Nixon and Trump, but similar to George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.” JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT, REMEMBERED FOR HIS INTEGRITY AND DEVOTION TO HUMANITY Carter earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development,” its website states. The Plains, Georgia, native undertook peace negotiations, campaigned for human rights and worked for social welfare while President George W. Bush was planning war on Iraq in the fall of 2002. BIDEN TAKES JAB AT TRUMP WHILE APPLAUDING JIMMY CARTER’S DECENCY, SHARES FONDEST MEMORY WITH LATE PRESIDENT “According to the Chairman of the Nobel Committee, Carter ought to have been awarded the Prize as early as in 1978, when he successfully mediated a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel,” the Nobel Prize website says. “As ex-President, Carter conducted an active peace and mediation campaign which sometimes seemed to run counter to official US policy.” The Carter Center, which Carter opened with his wife, Rosalynn, in 1982, has been a pioneer of election observation, monitoring at least 113 elections in Africa, Latin America, and Asia since 1989. In perhaps its most widely hailed public health effort, the organization recently announced that only 14 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported in all of 2021, the result of years of public health campaigns to improve access to safe drinking water in Africa. For his humanitarian work, Craig Shirley, a Reagan biographer and historian, said Carter will be remembered as “one of the best ex-presidents of the 20th century.” “We’re going to remember him kindly. He was a terrific former president with what he did with the Carter Center and the various initiatives around the country. His book writing stands out [as does] his charitable works. So, he goes down in his history as an extraordinarily good former president.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.