Five more migrants detained in Aurora, Colorado, home invasion possibly linked to brutal Venezuelan gang
Police in Aurora, Colorado, have detained five more migrants in an armed home invasion and kidnapping that occurred early Tuesday morning. This brings to 19 the number of migrants detained in the incident, which involved two victims being beaten, bound and kidnapped in a Denver suburb A spokesperson for ICE told Fox News Digital 16 of those in custody have been identified as Venezuelan nationals in the U.S. without authorization and “are suspected of being members or associates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.” Tren de Aragua, or TdA, is a violent international criminal group that has been terrorizing Aurora residents for over a year. TREN DE ARAGUA ARE IDEOLOGICAL TERRORISTS DISGUISED AS A STREET GANG WARNS FORMER MILITARY OFFICER The ICE official said the 16 suspects “will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings or hearings before an immigration judge.” Aurora Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain said Tuesday the home invasion was “without question a gang incident.” However, Joe Moylan, a representative for the Aurora Police Department, told Fox News Digital police are still working to identify the suspects and have not yet been able to officially confirm whether the incident was gang-related. Police were called to an Aurora housing complex, The Edge at Lowry Apartments, just before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday in response to a reported armed home invasion in which victims were assaulted and taken to another apartment in the same complex. COLORADO VIDEO SHOWS TREN DE ARAGUA GANG BEATING APARTMENT COMPLEX WORKER IN EXTORTION BID, COMPANY SAYS One of the victims, a man, sustained a stab wound but is expected to survive. Both victims are still at a hospital for treatment. Moylan said Aurora police served an additional warrant at the apartment complex late Tuesday afternoon, resulting in their taking in the five additional migrants for questioning. He said police are working in conjunction with federal authorities, including Homeland Security Investigators who are helping to identify everyone involved. Moylan said the Aurora police chief will likely address the incident further in another press conference once more details are confirmed. BLUE STATE FACES SPIKE IN MIGRANT SEX CRIMES AS TOP CITY PLEDGES RESISTANCE TO TRUMP DEPORTATIONS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Roger Hudson, a city council member in nearby Castle Pines, Colorado, who has had contact with the apartment owner, told Fox News Digital most people in the area believe Tren de Aragua is behind the incident. In recent months, the gang has only become “more powerful, more dangerous and more desperate,” he said. Hudson bashed the sanctuary policies passed by Colorado and the City of Denver, which he said have made it more difficult for state and local law enforcement to protect Coloradans from the likes of TdA. “These policies make all of our communities less safe,” he said. “This is lawlessness in the West, and you can’t have that. That’s not who we are as a country. That’s not who we are as a state.”
Newsom removes college degree requirement for 30K state government jobs
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he plans to double the number of state jobs that will no longer require a college degree — joining states like Minnesota, Virginia and Pennsylvania, which have already dropped degree requirements for most public jobs. Newsom unveiled his Master Plan for Career Education framework on Monday, which included eliminating the college degree requirement for 30,000 jobs in the state. The Democratic governor plans to double the number by removing the requirement for an additional 30,000 in the coming years in an overall effort to “help Californians translate their skills and knowledge into real progress toward a degree or career.” “Every Californian deserves the opportunity to build real-life skills and pursue a fulfilling career — including those that don’t require college degrees,” Newsom said in a statement. “California is working to ensure that every person has what they need to get a well-paying, long-lasting job so we can build an economy for the future that supports all families.” ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP LAUNCHES SIX-FIGURE AD BUY AGAINST NEWSOM’S ‘CLIMATE LEADERSHIP’ The framework also includes plans to establish “Career Passports” for citizens that will create a digital record of their skills and abilities for job applications. Veterans will also see new benefits, with the plan allowing them to gain college credit for their military experience. EPA GRANTS CALIFORNIA PERMISSION TO BAN GAS CAR SALES BY 2035 Reducing the emphasis on needing a college degree to secure a career has been endorsed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump. Musk recently stated that he believes “the value of a college education is somewhat overweighted.” “Too many people spend four years, accumulate a ton of debt and often don’t have useful skills that they can apply afterwards. I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands, and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters and that’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors,” Musk said while on the campaign trail for Trump. “I think we should not have this idea that in order to be successful you need a four-year college degree.” Newsom’s framework was released just months after a report found that the majority of students at for-profit colleges never graduate, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The report found that only 36% of students graduate in four years at California State University, while 62% graduate within six years. The elimination of college degree requirements for state jobs has received bipartisan support in recent years. Maryland, under Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, became the first state in the nation to eliminate degree requirements for most state jobs in 2022, setting the stage for more than a dozen other states to follow in his footsteps with similar orders. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued an executive order in 2023 to establish that 92% of state government jobs would no longer require a college degree, a move that received praise from Republican state lawmakers who said the decision was “a step in the right direction.” Additionally, the 2024 GOP platform framework, released during the presidential campaign cycle, stated that “Republicans will support the creation of additional, drastically more affordable alternatives to a traditional four-year college degree.”
Rand Paul blocks bill responding to drone sightings: Shouldn’t rush to grant ‘sweeping surveillance powers’
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked a Senate bill Wednesday that would have authorized resources for state and local authorities to track drones that have mystified residents across New Jersey and the Northeast in recent weeks. Paul objected to the passage of the bill, citing his long-standing concerns over expanding governmental powers. “This body must not rush to grant sweeping surveillance powers without proper consideration and debate by the committees of jurisdiction,” he said. ‘DRONE’ SIGHTINGS IN THE NORTHEAST SPARK ‘UNFOUNDED’ PANIC, SAYS EXPERT Paul said the bill would “expand federal authority to intercept communications and disrupt drone activity – powers that raise serious concerns for Americans’ privacy, civil liberties, and Fourth Amendment protections against unwarranted search and seizure.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sought to speed a bipartisan bill through the Senate by seeking unanimous consent on the floor before it was blocked by Paul. “The people in New York and New Jersey have a lot of questions, and they’re not getting good enough answers,” said Schumer. “The utter confusion surrounding these drone sightings shows that the feds can’t respond all on their own.” NJ DRONE SIGHTINGS COULD BE A ‘CLASSIFIED EXERCISE’: FORMER CIA OFFICER In addition to giving local authorities the ability to track drones, the proposed legislation would expand some federal agencies’ authority to start a pilot program to allow states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior consent of the operator. The drone sightings across the Northeast have worried some local and state officials, but the Biden administration has said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference or a public safety threat. However, they have not determined who is responsible for them. President-elect Trump last week called for the administration to release information on the drones or shoot them down. Paul, who has often called for limiting governmental powers, said he objected to the bill because it wasn’t clear that urgent action was needed. “We’re being told that this legislation is urgent, that it is needed to address an imminent drone threat,” he said. “Yet the government itself admits no such threat exists.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
MAGAvenue: Lawmakers prep legislation to name several heartland highways after Trump
Multiple Missouri lawmakers are reportedly preparing legislation to name several highways after President-elect Trump in the new year. The most expansive reported bill would bestow Trump’s name on carriageways of the Missouri state highway system not yet designated otherwise before next August, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That bill, from state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, however, exempts roadways in counties encompassing St. Louis, Columbia and Kansas City, the paper reported. Coleman previously floated a bill to rename a portion of Interstate 55 in her district the “Donald J. Trump Highway” in 2021, but the effort failed in the Republican-majority legislature. TRUMP PICKS BILLY LONG TO LEAD IRS Under both the defunct and current proposals, MoDOT would erect and maintain the commemorative signage, but private donations would foot the bill for the signs. A separate proposal from state Sen. Nick Schroer, R-St. Charles, would designate a portion of MO Route D west of St. Louis the “President Donald J. Trump Highway.” “It’s time to Make Missouri Roads Great Again,” Schroer said in a social media post announcing his bill. The post included an inset of Trump doing his viral “Y.M.C.A.” dance on the shoulder of a freeway beside a “President Donald J. Trump Highway” sign. Attempts to reach both Schroer and Coleman for further comment were unsuccessful. FLASHBACK: TRUMP SPEAKS TO SUPPORTERS IN MISSOURI Fox News Digital also reached out to Missouri Senate President Pro-Tempore Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia. In announcing her 2021 bill, Coleman said Trump deserved the honor for “strengthening Missouri’s economy, defending our values, and making America great again during his historic first term.” Missouri lawmakers have also tried to commemorate other national conservatives, including the late radio host Rush Limbaugh – who was born and raised in Cape Girardeau. Language to commemorate Jan. 12 as “Rush Limbaugh Day” did not make it to the final text of a 2021 designations bill, according to the Columbia Missourian. Trump’s name has made it onto a handful of highways outside the Show-Me State, including in some politically-unfriendly areas. In 2019, a man “adopted” portions of Burke Lake Road and Fairfax County Rte. 620 in the deep-blue Washington, D.C., suburb of Springfield, Virginia, in Trump’s name. The man also successfully had the incoming president’s name festooned on VDOT adopt-a-highway signage on heavily-trafficked Ox Road in nearby Lorton, according to the Washingtonian. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In 2021, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed legislation designating a 20-mile stretch of U.S. 287 in the state’s panhandle after Trump. Meanwhile, Hialeah, Florida, Mayor Esteban Bovo joined Trump at a 2023 rally in the Miami suburb and offered him a commemorative sign after an avenue near a casino in the city was renamed Donald J. Trump Avenue. In Trump’s home state, a controversial 430-acre tract of parkland also bears his name. Donald J. Trump State Park in Putnam Valley came into being in 2006 after he donated the parcel to New York state. After Trump was unable to successfully develop a golf course on the site due to town permit roadblocks and the like, he passed the land on to Albany after originally purchasing it in two pieces in 1998 for about $2.5 million. Donald J. Trump State Park soon fell into disrepair and remains largely unmaintained. New York Democrats have attempted to pass legislation stripping Trump’s name from the park, including a 2019 bid to rename it after the woman killed during the 2017 Charlottesville riot. After Trump’s May conviction in his hush-money trial, New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal told The New York Times he hopes it “primes the pump” to restart talks to rename the park. Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat, indicated he has visited the park and has seen “some improvements” since Trump gifted it to the Pataki administration.
Johnson hit with possible speakership rivals as conservatives rebel over government funding plan
EXCLUSIVE: House GOP critics of how Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is handling government funding talks are already beginning to float names of possible challengers, people told Fox News Digital. Two GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., were all mentioned in early talks about alternatives. A source close to Donalds told Fox News Digital in response, “At this time, the Congressman has not made any statements regarding the future of House leadership.” A spokesperson for Emmer told Fox News Digital, “Whip Emmer supports Speaker Johnson and is focused on doing the job he was elected to do.” Fox News Digital also reached out to Donalds, Jordan and Johnson’s offices for comment. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT One of the lawmakers said they had not heard from any of the three, adding, “That would be suicidal.” But discussions about potential rivals to Johnson in the Jan. 3, 2025 House-wide speaker vote represent the latest warning shot from Republican lawmakers who are vehemently opposed to the short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR). Congressional leaders released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release Sunday. Since then, it’s seen fierce pushback from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated at the unrelated policy riders attached to the legislation – rather than a “clean” extension of government funding. In addition to averting a partial government shutdown through March 14, the bill also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, plus more than $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009. Multiple GOP lawmakers signaled Tuesday that Johnson could face a challenge to his leadership over the CR. DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER “The speaker definitely has some ‘no’ votes and some people considering their options,” a third House Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital when asked if Johnson could see blowback on Jan. 3, “There’s always consequences.” When previously asked about any potential speakership challenges, Emmer, Jordan and Donalds have all said they back Johnson. A source close to Jordan told Fox News Digital that the Ohio Republican is “not interested in challenging Johnson.” But all three ran for House Speaker last year after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted. Johnson ultimately won after a messy three-week fight. The Louisiana Republican, who Republicans chose unanimously to be their candidate for speaker last month, is also backed by President-elect Donald Trump, which is likely to keep a significant amount of backlash at bay. He’s also still expected to get a large share of GOP lawmakers to vote for his plan, with most in Congress in agreement that a partial government shutdown over the holidays would have a negative political and economic impact. But his CR plan is also under attack by members of Trump’s orbit – both Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy blasted the bill on Wednesday. “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk wrote on X. Johnson himself dismissed concerns about his job as the blowback began to build on Tuesday. “I’m not worried about the speaker vote,” he said. “We’re governing. Everybody knows we have difficult circumstances. We’re doing the very best we can under those circumstances.” The speaker and his allies have argued that they won the most they could while controlling one half of one third of government, and promised that Republicans would be in a better position to handle federal funding when the CR expires at the beginning of Trump’s term.
‘Evil terrorists’: House GOP border hawks rally around Trump’s deportation plan targeting ‘cartel thugs’
Members of the House Border Security Caucus pledged to back President-elect Trump and his border czar Tom Homan’s mass deportation plans and vowed to crack down on “particularly pernicious” sanctuary city policies protecting “evil terrorists” and “cartel thugs.” Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas, decried the historic level of illegal immigration under the Biden administration and the subsequent dramatic rise in migrant crime and gang activity, including the violent Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua. He called for the rest of Congress to stand behind Trump’s border security plans, saying that “every single one of these cartel thugs and evil terrorists needs to be deported immediately.” ‘100% ON BOARD’: BORDER STATE OFFERS TRUMP MASSIVE PLOT OF LAND TO AID MASS DEPORTATION OPERATION “The American people can finally breathe a very big and deep sigh of relief,” said Babin. “The disastrous Biden administration is coming to an end and with that, that will be an end of open borders, asylum abuse, lawlessness, sanctuary cities – all these will end as well.” “But for us, as members of the House Border Security Conference,” Babin went on, “our job is just begun.” California Republican Rep. Tom McClintock also said congressional Republicans’ “first priority” must be passing the Secure the Border Act. He said this would “assure that future presidents cannot subvert the law as Biden has.” “President Trump proved that simply enforcing laws can produce secure borders,” he said. “But President Biden proved that a president intent on leaving our borders wide open can do so as well.” ‘PATTERN OF DISREGARD’: RED STATES SEEK COURT ACTION AGAINST BIDEN ADMIN’S ‘SHAMEFUL’ BORDER WALL DISPOSAL McClintock also said Congress needs to sanction sanctuary jurisdictions that are protecting criminal illegal immigrants from deportation. Texas Republican Rep. Michael Cloud backed this idea as well, saying that Republicans in Congress need to “steel our spine” to defund agencies and cities that serve as magnets to draw illegal immigrants into the country. “As Congress, we need to defund the wrong things. We need to stop sending these agencies’ money to do bad things. And that includes the magnet that continues to draw people here through wrong and illegal processes,” he said. “So, we will have to take the tough votes. We will have to do the job that’s required of us in Congress… to make sure that we make good on the promise that we have the American people.” BLUE STATE FACES SPIKE IN MIGRANT SEX CRIMES AS TOP CITY PLEDGES RESISTANCE TO TRUMP DEPORTATIONS Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs called the sanctuary city issue “particularly pernicious.” He mentioned how his home state governor, Democrat Katie Hobbs, has pledged to resist Trump’s efforts to secure the border, saying she “unequivocally” “will not tolerate” the plan. Hobbs is one of several other Democratic leaders in over a dozen sanctuary states and dozens more sanctuary cities who have similarly pledged to resist the mass deportations. “The problem is this, when you prevent the arrest of a criminal, illegal alien, you prevent the safety of the community,” said Biggs. “When you ignore the law, the community is put at risk.” NEW YORK VOTERS WANT STATE TO SUPPORT TRUMP DEPORTATIONS, POLL FINDS Biggs said mayors and governors doubling down on sanctuary policies and pledging resistance are “going to find themselves in hot water,” and will likely face obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting criminal cartel charges. “The cartel knows that Donald Trump means business and Tom Homan means business,” he said. “And, hopefully, Congress means business.”
Spending bill to fund State Department agency accused of censoring, blacklisting Americans
A State Department agency – which has been chided by conservatives for its alleged blacklisting of Americans and news outlets – is set to be refunded in the continuing resolution (CR) bill currently being hammered out among lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The Global Engagement Center has been included in page 139 of the CR. Although it doesn’t specify its budget allocation, a previous Inspector General report shows the agency’s FY 2020 budget totaled $74.26 million, of which $60 million was appropriated by Congress. The provision in the CR can be found under “Foreign Affairs Section 301. Global Engagement Center Extension,” and comes despite the State Department saying in response to a lawsuit that it intended to shut down the agency by next week. OBAMA-ERA INTERAGENCY ORGANIZATION ‘BLACKLISTED’ AMERICANS IN ATTEMPT TO CURB ‘FOREIGN DISINFORMATION’: REPORT The GEC, according to reporter Matt Taibbi, “funded a secret list of subcontractors and helped pioneer and insidious—and idiotic—new form of blacklisting” during the pandemic. Taibbi wrote last year when exposing the Twitter Files that the GEC “flagged accounts as ‘Russian personas and proxies’ based on criteria like, ‘Describing the Coronavirus as an engineered bioweapon,’ blaming ‘research conducted at the Wuhan institute,’ and ‘attributing the appearance of the virus to the CIA.’” “State also flagged accounts that retweeted news that Twitter banned the popular U.S. website ZeroHedge, claiming it ‘led to another flurry of disinformation narratives.’” ZeroHedge had made reports speculating that the virus had a lab origin. Elon Musk previously described the GEC as being the “worst offender in US government censorship & media manipulation.” “They are a threat to our democracy,” Musk wrote in a subsequent tweet. The GEC is part of the State Department but also partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Special Operations Command and the Department of Homeland Security. The GEC also funds the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab). Taibbi offered various instances in which the DFRLab and the GEC sent Twitter a list of accounts they believed were engaged in “state-backed coordinated manipulation.” However, a quick glance from Twitter employees determined that the list was shoddy and included the accounts of multiple American citizens with seemingly no connection to the foreign entity in question. STATE DEPARTMENT FUNDS ‘DISINFORMATION’ INDEX TARGETING NON-LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE NEWS OUTLETS: REPORT DFRLab Director Graham Brookie previously denied the claim that they use tax money to track Americans, saying its GEC grants have “an exclusively international focus.” A 2024 report from the Republican-led House Small Business Committee criticized the GEC for awarding grants to organizations whose work includes tracking domestic as well as foreign misinformation and rating the credibility of U.S.-based publishers, according to the Washington Post. The State Department, in response to a lawsuit, said it intended to shut down the agency on Dec. 23. But the CR provision means, if passed, it will continue to operate. The lawsuit was brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Daily Wire and the Federalist, who sued the State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other government officials earlier this month for “engaging in a conspiracy to censor, deplatform and demonetize American media outlets disfavored by the federal government.” The lawsuit stated that the GEC was used as a tool for the defendants to carry out its censorship. “Congress authorized the creation of the Global Engagement Center expressly to counter foreign propaganda and misinformation,” the Texas Attorney General’s Office said in a press release. “Instead, the agency weaponized this authority to violate the First Amendment and suppress Americans’ constitutionally-protected speech. The complaint describes the State Department’s project as “one of the most egregious government operations to censor the American press in the history of the nation.’” The lawsuit argued that The Daily Wire, The Federalist, and other conservative news organizations were branded “unreliable” or “risky” by the agency, “starving them of advertising revenue and reducing the circulation of their reporting and speech—all as a direct result of [the State Department’s] unlawful censorship scheme.” Meanwhile, America First Legal, headed up by Stephen Miller, President-elect Trump’s pick for deputy chief of staff for policy, revealed that the GEC used taxpayer dollars to create a video game called “Cat Park” to “Inoculate Youth Against Disinformation” abroad. The game “inoculates players … by showing how sensational headlines, memes, and manipulated media can be used to advance conspiracy theories and incite real-world violence,” according to a memo obtained by America First Legal. Mike Benz, the executive director at the Foundation For Freedom Online, said the game was “anti-populist” and pushed certain political beliefs instead of protecting Americans from foreign disinformation, per the Tennessee Star. Fox News Digital reached out to the GEC for comment on its potential refunding but did not immediately receive a response. Fox News Nikolas Lanum and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Justice Jackson’s role in ‘queer’ Broadway show ‘really reckless’ as court weighs trans case: legal expert
Just days after Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared in a “queer” Broadway spinoff of “Romeo and Juliet,” critics are questioning whether her involvement could compromise her impartiality as the court considers a landmark case about banning transgender surgical procedures for minors. “I think it’s a huge mistake for federal judges, especially Supreme Court justices, to engage in activities that clearly put the stamp of approval on an ideological position regarding issues that could come before the court, which is practically the definition of a threat to their impartiality, the appearance of impropriety,” Heritage Foundation senior legal counsel Thomas Jipping told Fox News Digital in an interview. “It’s unusual for judges to do this sort of thing under any circumstances. But I suppose if this was ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ if this was some recognized, established classic or something, it might be different. But this is obviously an advocacy production, so for a Supreme Court justice to participate in advocacy on an issue that is currently in the courts, and at least broadly speaking, before her, I think it’s a huge mistake,” he said. LIBERAL SUPREME COURT JUSTICE MAKES ‘CRINGE’ CAMEO PERFORMANCE ON BROADWAY The musical, called “& Juliet,” features prominent LGBTQ+ themes and nonbinary characters. The musical begins where Shakespeare’s original ends. Instead of dying by suicide for love, Juliet chooses to forge her own path, challenging traditional gender roles. On its website, “& Juliet” is described as a “hilarious new musical” that “flips the script on the greatest love story ever told.” Juliet’s best friend, May, is a nonbinary character whose queer relationship is prominently featured and explored throughout the musical. Jackson joined the Broadway cast, which includes TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and other Broadway performers, for a one-time performance at New York’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Saturday night, becoming the first Supreme Court justice to perform on Broadway. “& Juliet” was written by David West Read, best known for his work as a writer and producer on the TV show “Schitt’s Creek.” The musical premiered in November 2019, at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End. Its Broadway debut followed in November 2022, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City. LEFT-LEANING JUSTICES COMPARE SEX CHANGES FOR KIDS TO TAKING ASPIRIN DURING SCOTUS ARGUMENTS Liberals have criticized several conservative Supreme Court justices in recent years over ethical concerns, fueling calls for stricter oversight. Justice Clarence Thomas has faced scrutiny over his wife’s political activism. Justice Samuel Alito has been criticized for failing to disclose luxury trips funded by wealthy donors with business before the court, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett has drawn attention for her ties to religious groups and their potential influence on cases involving LGBTQ+ issues and abortion. Justice Brett Kavanaugh has also faced criticism over his confirmation process and past financial disclosures. “For two, three years now, liberals have been complaining about actions by Supreme Court justices that they say undermine the public’s confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary,” Jipping said. “Liberals in Congress want an enforceable code of conduct. I wonder what they say about this.” “Participating in an advocacy, in an exercise of advocacy, for a position on issues that come before the Supreme Court is an egregious violation of that principle in the code of conduct regarding impartiality. I don’t think there’s any question about that,” he said. Jackson wore jeans and an all-blue costume with a corset and a flowery hat. In one clip of the performance posted by the production’s social media account, her character excitedly exclaims, “Female empowerment, sick!,” and in another, she sings the Backstreet Boys’ “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely.” The “& Juliet” marketing team said in an Instagram post announcing the cameo that Jackson’s performance fulfilled a lifelong fantasy of her “becoming the first Black, female Supreme Court justice to appear on a Broadway stage.” ‘THE PENDULUM IS SWINGING’: EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON HISTORIC SCOTUS TRANSGENDER CASE AMID ORAL ARGUMENTS “She should stay on her side of the bench, and judges should protect their impartiality and the appearance of impartiality more, not less. And this, this was really reckless, in my view,” Jipping added. This isn’t the first time a Supreme Court justice has stepped into the spotlight of the performing arts. In 1994, Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg appeared as supernumeraries – non-speaking, background roles – in a Washington National Opera production of “Ariadne auf Naxos.” The two, known for their ideological differences but close personal friendship, shared a love of opera. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Earlier this month, SCOTUS heard oral arguments in the U.S. v. Skrmetti case. The court’s decision could have sweeping implications, potentially shaping future legal battles over transgender issues, such as access to bathrooms and school sports participation. The court will resume arguments in January and a decision is expected by July 2025. The Supreme Court’s press office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request by press deadline. Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
Senate passes annual defense policy bill with transgender care restrictions and pay boost for junior troops
The Senate voted to pass the $895 billion annual defense policy bill, that includes a pay raise for U.S. troops and a provision that restricts transgender care. The bill passed 85 to 14, and now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature. The legislation scored a more bipartisan vote in the Senate than it did in the House, where more Democrats voted no on the legislation in protests of the transgender provisions. The bill prohibits military health care provider Tricare from paying for transgender care “that could result in sterilization” for children under 18. The legislation passed the House last week 281-140, with 16 Republicans voting “no.” Only 81 Democrats voted yes – 124 voting no – a much larger margin than in years passed when the legislation typically enjoyed bipartisan support. The 1,800-page bill details how $895.2 billion allocated toward defense and national security will be spent. It will be voted on more than two months after the start of the fiscal year. The $895.2 billion represents a 1% increase over last year’s budget, a smaller number than some defense hawks would have liked. And while the NDAA outlines policy, a separate spending bill will actually fund the programs it lays out. That spending legislation will be voted on in the next Congress, when Republicans will have a narrow majority in both chambers. A significant portion of the legislation focused on quality-of-life improvements for service members amid record recruitment issues, a focus of much bipartisan discussion over the last year. That includes a 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted troops and increasing access to child care for service members while also providing job support to military spouses. The measure authorizes a 4.5% across-the-board pay raise for all service members starting Jan. 1, and a 2% increase for civilian personnel within the Department of Defense (DoD). It also puts more restrictions on Chinese-made drones, fearing their use in the U.S. could be for foreign surveillance. It specifically targets China-based DJI and Autel Robotoics. The NDAA mandates that a national security agency must determine within one year if drones from DJI or Autel Robotics pose unacceptable national security risks. If no agency completes the study, the companies would automatically be added to the FCC’s “covered lists,” preventing them from operating in the U.S. DJI is the world’s largest drone manufacturer and sells more than half of all U.S. commercial drones. The bill recommends a $20 million increase in counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS) Advanced Development budget and requires the Defense Secretary to establish a ‘C-UAS task force’ within 30 days and provide a report to congressional defense committees on the military’s latest counter-drone training efforts within four months. PENTAGON ANNOUNCES NEW COUNTER-DRONE STRATEGY AS UNMANNED ATTACKS ON US INTERESTS SKYROCKET Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., had led a group of 21 Democratic senators demanding an amendment to remove the transgender care restrictions from the NDAA. That amendment was not included as it would have forced the bill back to the House. Congressional leaders spent months conferencing to find agreement between the chambers and the parties on the yearly must-pass legislation. “Let’s be clear: we’re talking about parents who are in uniform serving our country who have earned the right to make the best decisions for their families,” Baldwin said in a statement. “I trust our servicemembers and their doctors to make the best health care decisions for their kids, not politicians.” The amendment will affect care for 7,000 children, according to Baldwin, who said she would support the NDAA if not for the provision. Other Democrats said they had objections to the provision, but the bill’s provisions to strengthen U.S. defenses against China, raise pay for troops, invest in new military technologies and replenish weapons stockpiles. CONGRESS UNVEILS BILL TO AVERT FRIDAY GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WITH OVER $100B IN DISASTER AID “Of course, the NDAA is not perfect. It doesn’t have everything either side would like … But of course, you need bipartisanship to get this through the finish line,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters Tuesday he shares his colleagues’ “frustration” with House Speaker Mike Johnson’s “extreme, misguided provision,” but said Democrats during the negotiation process were able to strip out “the vast majority of very far right provisions that had passed in the House bill.” Provisions like a blanket ban on funding for gender transition surgeries for adults, did not make their way into the bill. Neither did a ban on requiring masks to prevent the spread of diseases. The bill also supports deploying the National Guard to the southern border to help with illegal immigrant apprehensions and drug flow. Another provision opens the door to allowing airmen and Space Force personnel to grow facial hair; it directs the secretary of the Air Force to brief lawmakers on “the feasibility and advisability” of establishing a pilot program to test out allowing beards. Democrats are also upset the bill did not include a provision expanding access to IVF for service members. Currently, military health care only covers IVF for troops whose infertility is linked to service-related illness or injury. But the bill did not include an amendment to walk back a provision allowing the Pentagon to reimburse service members who have to travel out of state to get an abortion. The bill extends a hiring freeze on DEI-related roles and stops all such recruitment until “an investigation of the Pentagon’s DEI programs” can be completed. Johnson, meanwhile, touted $31 billion in savings in the legislation that would come from cutting “inefficient programs, obsolete weapons, and bloated Pentagon bureaucracy.”
Fetterman meets with Trump nominees, pledges ‘open-mind and an informed opinion’ for confirmation votes
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has suggested that it is his duty to meet with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees, noting that his decision about whether to vote to confirm the candidates will stem from an open mind and informed perspective. “I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. Senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump’s nominees. That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon,” Fetterman declared in a post on X. “My votes will come from an open-mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That’s not controversial, it’s my job,” he continued. FETTERMAN SLAMS LEGAL CASES AGAINST TRUMP, HUNTER BIDEN IN FIRST TRUTH SOCIAL POST: ‘CASES WERE BOTH BULLS—’ Trump has tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for the role of director of national intelligence. While Fetterman has previously noted that he plans to support Stefanik, it is unclear whether he will ultimately back Hegseth and Gabbard for confirmation. Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the senator, but a spokesperson did not provide any additional insight into Fetterman’s voting plans regarding Hegseth and Gabbard. FETTERMAN STILL ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTIVE OF STEFANIK FOR US AMBASSADOR TO UN: ‘ALWAYS WAS A HARD YES’ Fetterman has been unflinching in his staunch support for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack against the U.S. ally. “Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation. I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views,” Fetterman declared in a post earlier this month. He has also pledged to support Sen. Marco Rubio’s confirmation to serve as secretary of state. FETTERMAN HAILS RUBIO AS ‘STRONG CHOICE’ FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYS HE WILL VOTE TO CONFIRM HIM “Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own,” Fetterman noted in a post on X last month. “That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation.”