Conservative group debuts major ad buy in key senators’ states as ‘soft appeal’ for Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel
A top conservative grassroots group is launching a six-figure ad campaign to support the swift confirmation of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees. The $150,000 static digital ad campaign will target nine states with a “soft appeal” to voters who might, in turn, contact their senators and express how Trump “has a mandate from the American people,” Heritage Action for America Vice President Ryan Walker said Thursday. Walker said the $150,000 is the first tranche of $1 million the group has allocated through Inauguration Day to push for Americans to ask their senators to support the nominees. The first ad of the campaign sought to bolster Defense Secretary-nominee Pete Hegseth, and the overall initial ad buy will last through Dec. 31. CONSERVATIVE GROUP REGISTERS 50K VOTERS IN SWING STATES Other ads have or will highlight former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Kash Patel and former Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi – all of whom are Trump Cabinet nominees. This initial buy, Walker said, focuses on Alaska, Maine, Louisiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Utah, South Dakota and Washington, D.C. While most similar advertising campaigns may seek to appeal to voters in “swing states” or in a particular region of the country, the states included here have a unique link, Walker said. Some of the states included in the first ad buy are home to senators who either appear on the fence or have not stated a solid commitment for or against nominees like Hegseth, Gabbard and Patel. Alaska and Maine are represented by two high-profile moderate Republicans – Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, respectively. PROJECT 2025 REMAINS NONPARTISAN, TRUE TO 1980S GOOD-GOV’T INCEPTION DESPITE WILD OUTCRY: KEY FIGURES Both women voted to impeach Trump, but both also were supportive of some of the president-elect’s policies as well. “[Trump has] really about 18 months to get a substantial amount of his agenda through before the midterms. And time is of the essence in getting these folks, these Cabinet nominees, in a timely manner,” Walker said. “Uniting the Republican conference around them is what we’re trying to accomplish here.” Walker said Heritage Action is focusing on public commentary from senators in the target states, and also is very much in tune with which nominees are in the news or spending time on Capitol Hill on certain days. Last week and this week, Hegseth made the rounds seeking support for his confirmation, so the campaign began with the former Fox News host, Walker suggested. Next week, Health and Human Services Secretary-nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to visit Washington for the same purpose, and the advertising campaign is ready to pivot to focus on the Democratic Party scion if necessary. “We want to remain flexible in this campaign to be able to highlight in different states… or different nominees, depending on what the conversation is in the Senate,” Walker said, adding a direct-text-message campaign will also follow this initial advertising endeavor. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Then we’re likely to do a television ad,” he said, adding he hopes to air it on national media on Inauguration Day. Heritage Action also employs grassroots activists nationwide to forward conservative principles at the state-government level.
Biden says the GOP doesn’t understand the importance of advancing women’s well-being: ‘I mean it’
President Biden slammed Republicans for not understanding how advancing women’s health not only improves the lives of women but also the prosperity of the entire nation. He made the remark during a first-of-its-kind conference on women’s health research at the White House Wednesday afternoon. “The fact is, the health of our moms, and grandmothers, sisters and daughters, friends and colleagues, affects not just women’s well-being but the prosperity of the entire nation,” Biden said at the conference. “That’s a fact – we haven’t gotten that through to the other team yet. I mean it – across the board.” Republicans, meanwhile, questioned whether Democrats understand the need to protect women, citing, in particular, Biden administration policies that sought to allow transgender women to use biological women’s spaces and play on women’s sports teams. WOMEN ARE ‘LOSING RIGHTS’ BECAUSE OF KAMALA HARRIS AND JOE BIDEN, SAYS POLITICAL ADVISER MICHELE TAFOYA “Is any Democrat willing to stand up and defend girls and protect girls in private, in their private spaces, and protect girls in sports – not to force girls to participate in sports against men?” asked Tiffany Justice, the co-founder of the conservative nonprofit Moms for Liberty. “The idea that Democrats protect women or respect women is just absolutely nonsense.” Justice pointed to Biden’s appointment of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, “who was unwilling to define what a woman was” when pressed on the matter during her confirmation hearings. The Heritage Foundation’s Sarah Perry, a civil rights attorney who has extensive experience litigating Title IX issues, noted that Biden’s remarks had an underlying tone of “abortion is health care,” which was a hot-button issue for Republicans during this year’s election. BIDEN LEGACY INCLUDES RELENTLESS PUSH FOR TRANSGENDER AGENDA “This is an administration that has made a name for itself in advancing the most radical ideologue policies,” Perry said. “I mean, he’s got a man in a dress at HHS telling us what health care is. That is the specious nature of those kinds of representations.” Colin Reed, a GOP strategist, added that the electoral success seen last month by Republicans was an indication that the American people reject these sorts of arguments from Democrats. “The Democratic Party has become a one-trick pony trying to speak to voters facing across-the-board challenges,” he said. “Until Democrats start meeting voters where they are at, they will continue losing elections.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman, noted that Trump campaigned on “making ALL Americans” healthy again, including women, adding that Trump “will deliver on that promise.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response.
Youngkin to draft sanctuary city ban, making state funding contingent on ICE cooperation
EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will introduce a budget proposal banning “sanctuary cities” in his state, along with ensuring tax money will not go to counties or independent cities that aren’t complying with ICE. The proposal will require local police and corrections officers to fulfill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests for criminal illegal immigrants and notify the federal government within two days of releasing any such person who matriculates through the justice system. Additionally, any municipality that identifies as a sanctuary city or enacts similar policies will have state funding typically allocated toward supporting their police departments withheld by Richmond. The Department of Criminal Justice Services, currently led by Youngkin appointee and former Prince William County Officer Jackson Miller, will be advised to withhold what is called “599 Funding” in that regard. YOUNGKIN ‘PERSONALLY INVITES’ NEW TRUMP ADMIN TO RELOCATE TO VIRGINIA OVER DC “Criminals who are in the United States illegally will be turned over to ICE,” Youngkin told Fox News Digital on Thursday. “We must stop the cycle of violence and crime that is being enabled by some local governments. Virginia is not a sanctuary state, and we must be clear that we will not allow localities to become ‘sanctuary cities.’” The Republican governor, who is term-limited next year under Virginia’s one-and-done policy, said that if local governments “pander to pro-illegal immigrant groups” they’ll see the state-taxpayer assistance spigot turned off. The news comes amid recent violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Virginia, most recently the sexual assault of a jogger on a popular Herndon rail-trail. Shortly before Thanksgiving, Honduran national Denis Humberto Navarette-Romero was charged with intent to defile and rape a woman on the Old Dominion Trail. The Washington, D.C., suburb’s police chief said it was the first stranger-rape case in her 12 years on the job. YOUNGKIN: EDUCATION IS THE ‘BEDROCK OF THE AMERICAN DREAM’ Critics pointed to Fairfax County’s sanctuary-type policies as Navarette-Romero had been previously arrested for auto theft and indecent exposure. In 2018, Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid notified ICE her office will no longer hold inmates past release dates unless an administrative request to hold the suspects is accompanied by a legal criminal detainer. Kincaid told WJLA earlier this year her department requires such a warrant, after ICE officials criticized a lack of cooperation with Virginia’s largest county by-population. Only three of 725 “undocumented individuals” in Fairfax custody between July 2023 and July 2024 were transferred to ICE, the outlet reported. Also in November, Arlington County’s board voted 4-1 in favor of a policy stipulating police may only notify ICE in cases involving gang members and very serious crimes, according to ArlNow. The vote came as activists chanted “ICE Out Of Arlington!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Alexandria, an independent city, initiated a policy in 2007 stating it would not inquire about citizenship “beyond what is required by state and federal law.” In 2017, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney responded to President Trump’s immigration policies by ordering the city’s police department not to consent to participate in ICE collaboration agreements and not to inquire about citizenship status “in the interest of public safety.” Virginia officials have said the state Department of Corrections has always and continues to recognize ICE detainers during Youngkin’s tenure. Incoming Trump “Border Czar” Thomas Homan has repeatedly pledged a “mass deportation” initiative and similarly warned sanctuary cities he will use the might of the federal government to enforce compliance with the law.
Reporter’s Notebook: A DOGE in the fight
Every Member of Congress will have a DOGE in the fight. As in DOGE, the incipient but still unofficial “Department of Government Efficiency.” Congress hasn’t voted to create such a department. There’s been no presidential executive order. But quasi-President Trump-elect advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are spearheading the enterprise. “It’s unclear to me what exactly the objective is related to this so-called DOGE initiative,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Incoming President Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy say the goal is to cut spending. Perhaps by as much as $2 trillion in the next two and a half years. Slates of congressional Republicans met with Musk and Ramaswamy on Capitol Hill late last week. The message? ‘Tis the season to be frugal. “Elon and Vivek talked about having a naughty list and a nice list for members of Congress and senators and how we vote and how we’re spending the American people’s money,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. TIDE TURNS IN FAVOR OF TRUMP DOD PICK PETE HEGSETH AFTER MATT GAETZ FAILURE Republican expectations for DOGE are stratospheric. “We need to start cutting our budget and cutting it soon,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. “Every single Republican wants to get about the business of cutting fraud, waste and abuse,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “We can’t just continue to do everything for everyone,” said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. But Republican political aspirations for DOGE and spending cuts could soon slam into legislative reality. “It’s going to require not only statutory authority to do it, which means it’ll have to go to the committees of jurisdiction. But then it has to go to where everything gets funded,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. “And how we can get enough votes to actually put it into force.” Cuts don’t just happen magically in Congress. There’s no magic wand. Implementation of everything requires votes on the floor. And Republicans barely control the House. “It’s clear that the incoming House Republican majority will not be able to do much without us,” said Jeffries. House Republicans begin the new Congress in January with a 219-215 advantage over the Democrats. But that slips to a margin of one vote in late January after Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., leaves to become National Security Adviser. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will depart after the Senate confirms her for United Nations Ambassador. So Republicans have no votes to spare to do things on their own. Plus, many Democrats aren’t enamored with Elon Musk. “Elon Musk has largely proved himself to be an efficient liar and self-serving plutocrat. And so I don’t have high hopes for him having anything other than pretty awful ideas,” said Rep. Greg Casar, D-Tex., the incoming chairman of the House Progressive Caucus. Musk and Ramaswamy are political icons. But this is not the first ambitious effort to slice substantial federal spending. Some “blue ribbon” commissions lacked the star power wattage of the dynamic duo of Musk and Ramaswamy. One of the most ballyhooed – and successful – efforts to pare the federal government came in 1993. President Clinton and Vice President Gore promised they were “reinventing government” and planned to change things in Washington. Their initiative wasn’t focused so much on debt reduction – but reducing the size and scope of federal influence. “At the end of six months, we will have real results and real proposals to offer,” said Gore in March, 1993. “Write it down. Check back with us. We’ll be checking back with you. We don’t need another report to put on the shelf to collect dust. We do need a real plan for action.” In the end, the Clinton-Gore approach sliced more than 400,000 federal jobs and shrank the size of 13 of 14 federal departments. But over time, those jobs crept back up to where they are today. The federal government currently employs about three million workers. In 2010, late Sen. and Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and late Clinton Budget Director Alice Rivlin assembled a budget plan known as “Domenici-Rivlin” in the Washington vernacular. The package was designed to help the U.S. recover from the 2008 recession and curb the debt. They tried to address exploding health care costs. Lawmakers adopted a few components of their recommendations over the years, but the impact was minimal. In 2011, the U.S. faced a debt ceiling crisis. Congress created a “supercommittee” comprised of bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers to concoct a plan to reduce spending – or force a set of Draconian, mandatory cuts known as “sequestration.” It would chop about $1 trillion in federal spending each year. Well, the committee failed to forge an agreement. Thus, the panel became “the committee, formerly known as super.” The automatic sequestration spending cuts then set in. President Obama signed an executive order to establish the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. Former Senate Majority Whip Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles co-chaired the commission. Its proposals were known simply as “Simpson-Bowles.” The panel recommended a host of cuts, including a reduction in military spending and tax hikes – plus a levy on gasoline. Congress later adopted a few individual recommendations from Simpson-Bowles. The House even soundly defeated a budget modeled on Simpson-Bowles in 2012. But what about cutting actual spending? Expect some lawmakers to attempt to dodge the DOGE. Denting the debt could mean trimming popular programs. On Meet the Press, NBC’s Kristen Welker asked President-elect Trump about his plans for the most expensive government programs: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. “We’re not touching Social other than we make it more efficient. But the people are going to get what they’re getting,” said the next president. “So the entitlement’s off the table?” asked Welker. “And we’re not raising ages or any of that,” replied Mr. Trump. “Off the table?” followed up Welker. “I won’t do it,” said the President-elect. THE SPEAKER’S LOBBY: THERMONUCLEAR FRACAS Entitlements consume more than 60% of all federal spending. And
Tide turns in favor of Trump DOD pick Pete Hegseth after Matt Gaetz failure
The pick by President-elect Trump to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, seems to be on track to get enough GOP Senate support to be confirmed, despite facing a handful of allegations ranging from sexual assault, excessive drinking and fund mismanagement, all of which he has denied. One Republican senator told Fox News Digital that they weren’t aware of any GOP senators who are a “hard no” on confirming Hegseth. Hegseth “certainly” doesn’t seem to be in a position where he may feel pressured to withdraw, they added. GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL OFFER SUPPORT FOR TRUMP FBI PICK KASH PATEL, URGE SENATORS TO DO THE SAME This is much different than the landscape for former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s previous selection to be attorney general, who faced several definitive “no” votes from senators. Contending with the significant lack of support espoused most candidly behind closed doors, Gaetz withdrew from the process just days after being selected. Republicans will have a 53-47 majority in the next Senate, and there is only room for Trump nominees to lose a few GOP votes, assuming no Democrats choose to back them. MANCHIN, SINEMA TANK SCHUMER LAME-DUCK EFFORT TO SECURE DEM MAJORITY ON TOP LABOR BOARD However, as the Republican senator conveyed, Hegseth doesn’t appear to have lost any Republicans in the upper chamber at this point, including more moderate lawmakers such as Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Hegseth met with both of them this week on Capitol Hill. According to Collins, “I had a good substantive discussion that lasted more than an hour.” “We covered a wide range of topics ranging from defense procurement reforms to the role of women in the military, sexual assault in the military. Ukraine, NATO, a wide range of issues. I obviously always wait until we have an FBI background check and one is underway in the case of Mr. Hegseth, and I wait to see the committee hearing before reaching a final decision.” MCCONNELL’S SENATE MONEY MACHINE MAKES TRANSITION TO THUNE AS NEW ERA BEGINS Murkowski refused to discuss her meeting with Hegseth, a former Fox News host, when asked by reporters. Trump’s defense secretary choice has also met twice with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. After their first meeting earlier this month, Ernst admitted on Fox News that she wasn’t sold on Hegseth yet. But after their second meeting this week, she released a statement, saying, “As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” ‘EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED’: TRUMP TRANSITION ROLLS OUT VIDEO HYPING HEGSETH AMID CAPITOL HILL MEETINGS Ernst is notably the first female combat veteran ever elected to the Senate and also sits on the Armed Services Committee. She is additionally a survivor of sexual assault herself, which Hegseth has been accused of but denied. The changing tide, seemingly in favor of Hegseth’s confirmation, was articulated by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to reporters. “You can feel the difference this week versus last week,” he said. “Kash [Patel] is not going to have an issue. Tulsi [Gabbard] is not going to have issue. People are going to ask the questions they should, but they’re going to get confirmed,” he added of other somewhat controversial Trump picks.
DOJ IG reveals number of FBI confidential sources on the ground during Jan 6
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said there were more than two dozen confidential human sources in the crowd on Jan. 6, but only three were assigned by the FBI to be present for the event, while stressing that none of the sources were authorized or directed by the bureau to “break the law” or “encourage others to commit illegal acts,” Fox News has learned. Horowitz on Thursday released his highly anticipated report on the FBI’s Handling of its Confidential Human Sources and Intelligence Collection Efforts in the Lead Up to the Jan. 6, 2021 Electoral Certification. DOJ INSPECTOR GENERAL DOES NOT DENY FBI INFORMANTS WERE AMONG JAN 6 CROWD “Today’s report also details our findings regarding FBI CHSs who were in Washington, D.C., on January 6,” the report states. “Our review determined that none of these FBI CHSs was authorized by the FBI to enter the Capitol or a restricted area or to otherwise break the law on January 6, nor was any CHS directed by the FBI to encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6.” The report revealed that the FBI had a minor supporting role in responding on Jan. 6, 2021—largely because the event was not deemed at the highest security level by the Department of Homeland Security. Horowitz, though, said the FBI took significant and appropriate steps to prepare for that role. According to the report, there were a total of 26 confidential human sources in the crowd that day, but only three of them were assigned by the bureau to be there. One of the three confidential human sources tasked by the FBI to attend the rally entered the Capitol building, while the other two entered the restricted area around the Capitol. If a confidential human source is directed to be at a certain event, they are paid by the FBI for their time. SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF JAN. 6 CAPITOL RIOT PARTICIPANT WHO CHALLENGED OBSTRUCTION CONVICTION Horowitz stressed that no sources were encouraged or authorized by the FBI to enter the Capitol or any restricted area and stressed that they were not encouraged or authorized to commit any illegal acts. Twenty-three of the confidential human sources present on Jan. 6 came to Washington, D.C., to the Capitol on their own. Of that group, three entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 11 sources entered the restricted area around the Capitol. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
China denies new report linking CCP to four sites in Cuba allegedly used to spy on the US
China is denying a new report linking it to four bases in Cuba that a think tank says allows the CCP to spy on the U.S. The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a report last week detailing facilities in Cuba that it claims China may be using to gather signal intelligence (SIGINT) on the U.S. “The cooperation between China and Cuba is aboveboard, not targeting any third party, and does not allow any malicious slander from third parties,” Chinese foreign minister Mao Ning told reporters on Wednesday. Cuban foreign minister Carlos de Cossio claimed reports of Chinese spying hubs in Cuba originate from “Cuba’s enemies” in the U.S. “as a way of justifying the criminal policy of economic aggression. It is absolutely false.” CSIS analyzed over a dozen “sites of interest” in Cuba and four stuck out as most likely to be supporting China and its spying ambitions. “These sites have undergone observable upgrades in recent years, even as Cuba has faced increasingly dire economic prospects that have drawn it closer to China,” the report’s authors said. Each of the four sites had “observable SIGINT instrumentation,” clear physical security infrastructure and other signs of intelligence collection. One such station located on a hill overlooking Havana, Bejucal, has been suspected of ties to Chinese intelligence for years. The complex gained notoriety for housing Soviet missiles during the Cuban missile crisis. REPUBLICANS LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO FORCE THROUGH CHINA CRACKDOWNS LEFT OUT OF YEARLY DEFENSE BILL During the 2016 presidential debates, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called on Cuba to “[kick] out this Chinese listening station in Bejucal.” According to CSIS findings, satellite imagery shows that the site was active as of March 2024 and had been for some time. There are at least five entrances to underground facilities at the base, but what the facilities contain could not be discerned by satellite imagery. Antennas dot the ground, including satellite antennas used for intercepting satellite communications. With Havana situated just 100 miles off the coast of Florida, the site could potentially be used to collect data on U.S. rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. BIDEN FINALIZES CRACKDOWN ON US MILITARY TECH INVESTMENTS IN CHINA WITH ONE WEEK TO LAME DUCK SESSION The U.S. and China are locked in a space race and rocket launches that deliver U.S. satellites to space will likely garner a high level of interest within the CCP. On another site on the opposite side of the island, east of the city of Santiago de Cuba, a large radio signal finding technology project is under construction, one capable of detecting signals between 3,000 and 8,000 nautical miles away. Cuba has a history of allowing U.S. adversaries to use its soil to snoop on U.S. communications. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union operated a SIGINT facility at the Lourdes Signals Intelligence Complex near Havana. That site monitored U.S. satellites and intercepted sensitive military and commercial telecommunications. In recent decades, the alliance between China and Cuba has grown – and China has provided around $7.8 billion in development financing to the island nation.
‘Despicable’: Immigration activists fume at blue city mayor’s meeting with Trump border czar
Immigration activists in New York City on Thursday slammed Mayor Eric Adam’s meeting with incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan, accusing him of “collaborating” with the new administration. “It’s despicable that Mayor Adams continues to shirk his responsibilities to uphold New York City’s existing policies and values as a sanctuary city by collaborating with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan,” Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said in a statement. Adams will meet with Homan on Thursday afternoon. Adams had said that he wants to sit down with Homan and talk about cooperation on deporting violent criminals specifically. Homan has repeatedly said that public safety threats will be the priority for the expected mass deportation campaign. TRUMP BORDER CZAR MEETING WITH NYC MAYOR ADAMS DESPITE SANCTUARY CITY STATUS “I’m not going to be warring with this administration, I’m going to be working with this administration,” Adams said last week. “President Trump is the president-elect. And whomever he chooses to run his agencies. I’m looking forward to sitting down and see how do we better New York.” “I would like to speak with our border czar and find out what his plans are. Where our common grounds are, we can work together. And I strongly believe, my history is sitting down with those across the aisle with different ways of thinking and sit down and share my ideas,” he said. “I believe I have some ideas that could deal with this issue, and we can reach what the American people have been saying to us: Secure our borders, address the people who are committing violent acts in our country and make sure that … our citizens are going to be safe.” But he also clarified that otherwise law-abiding immigrants “should not be rounded up in the middle of the night.” Adams also had a message for critics from the left, telling them to “cancel me.” ‘WE’VE TURNED THE CORNER’: BLUE CITY ANNOUNCES SHUTTERING OF MIGRANT SHELTERS AS NUMBERS DROP “Well, cancel me, because I’m going to protect the people of this city, and if you come into this country, in this city, and think you’re going to harm innocent New Yorkers and innocent migrants and asylum seekers, this is not the mayor you want to be in a city under,” he said. But that has not stopped the criticism from activist groups over the meeting. “New Yorkers know that under Homan ICE will be used to divide us, cruelly targeting and demonizing immigrants, while making every New Yorker even more unsafe, Awawdeh said. “Too many of us remember the gunfire and street brawl that took place as a result of ICE’s actions in a residential Brooklyn neighborhood, in 2020, which resulted in an immigrant New Yorker being shot in the face.” “Targeting immigrants for arrests and deportation is destructive and diverts resources away from initiatives that actually promote safety and well-being. Mayor Adams has an obligation to every New York family to maintain our public safety by refusing to participate in ICE’s cruel, politicized immigration agenda.” “Study after study shows that cities with large immigrant populations are safer than those with fewer immigrants, and places with sanctuary policies have lower crime rates. Adams is clearly prioritizing his own political self-interest over the needs and the public safety of all New Yorkers,” Awawdeh said. Homan, meanwhile, said last week that he was open to a meeting with Adams. “I’m willing to meet with him, and I’m willing to meet with anybody to help make their communities safer,” Homan said on “America’s Newsroom” after being contacted by the Adams administration. “Prioritization out of the gate is public safety threats; work with us on that. It makes your community safer. It keeps my officers safe. It keeps the community safe. Let’s work together and get this done.” Adams has taken a tougher approach to illegal immigration than many of his Democratic counterparts, including by suggesting that sanctuary policies be rolled back to allow for the deportation of criminals. Other Democrats have promised to either resist or not assist in deportation operations.
Drunk immigrant killed 7 year old months after he was released from ICE detainer
Seven-year-old Ivory Smith was killed by Venezuelan migrant Joel Enrique Gonzalez Chacin in a late-night drunk driving accident in north Houston just two and a half months after ICE released a hold against him, court documents revealed. Fox 26 Houston reported that court records revealed that Chacin had previously been placed on another ICE hold earlier this year after being arrested for assaulting a family member in June. The felony assault charge against him ended up being dropped to a misdemeanor and, after pleading guilty, Chacin was sentenced to 113 days in jail, which he had already served, and was released that same day. The ICE detainer against him was also lifted that same day for an unknown reason. ILLEGAL MIGRANT ALLEGEDLY COMMITS 22 CRIMES IN 6 MONTHS: ‘IT WILL GET WORSE,’ EXPERT SAYS Fox News Digital reached out to ICE to find out why the detainer against Chacin was lifted and has not yet heard back. Authorities confirmed to Fox News Digital that the 41-year-old migrant was intoxicated when he T-boned Christina Smith and her daughter Ivory at 2:45 a.m. Police said that Chacin took photographs of the scene of the crash “instead of helping” and then drove off. The two victims were only a few minutes from home. Smith was severely injured in the wreck but has since been released from the hospital. Chacin was arrested for intoxicated manslaughter and has been put on a new ICE detainer. Ivory was in second grade. According to a statement released by the family, the mother continues to “endure immense physical and emotional pain” from the accident. TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBER, ILLEGAL VENEZUELAN MIGRANT, ARRESTED IN HOUSTON CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “No parent should have to suffer the unbearable loss of a child, especially under circumstances that could and should have been prevented,” said the family, adding, the incident is a “stark reminder that we need stronger accountability and justice to prevent further suffering for families like ours.” “Even more troubling is the fact that this individual was released after being detained earlier this year, only to find themselves back in custody after causing irreparable harm,” the family went on. “Why do we have holds in place if they fail to keep dangerous individuals off our streets? … How can a system allow such leniency, where a person with such a record is given a chance to walk free and re-offend?” Speaking of Ivory, the family said, “Her life, filled with innocence and joy, was taken far too soon due to the reckless actions of an individual who chose to drive under the influence.” “We will continue to demand answers and advocate for change so that no other family has to endure the pain, loss, and injustice that we are experiencing,” they said. “Ivory’s light and legacy deserve better, and her memory will guide us as we work toward a safer future for all.” Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
House Pentagon funding bill would ban transgender treatments for minor children of military personnel
The GOP-controlled House of Representatives passed its annual defense spending bill Wednesday, including a key culture-war caveat: a ban on transgender medical treatments for minor children of U.S. service members. The provision in the 1,800-page bill states that “medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization may not be provided to a child under the age of 18,” referring to the transgender children of military personnel. Republicans argued that taxpayer dollars should not fund potentially experimental and harmful procedures for minors. House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the passage of the defense measure, though it now heads to the Senate for approval in the Democrat-run chamber. HOUSE PASSES NEARLY $1 TRILLION DEFENSE SPENDING BILL, ADDING TO U.S. DEBT OF $36 TRILLION “Our men and women in uniform should know their first obligation is protecting our nation, not woke ideology,” Johnson said in a statement after the measure passed. While the provision was a win for Republicans that could further push President-Elect Donald Trump’s policy agenda, the measure did not incorporate several other Republican-backed provisions related to social issues. Notably absent were efforts to ban TRICARE, the military’s health program, from covering transgender treatments for adults and a proposal to overturn the Pentagon’s hotly-debated policy of reimbursing travel expenses for service members seeking abortions stationed in states where the procedure is restricted. Democrats were largely outraged by the provision to strip TRICARE from service members’ transgender children, with the House Armed Services Committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Adam Smith, vowing to vote against the bill on Tuesday despite helping on other portions of the package. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not advise his party members to vote for or against it. 124 DEMS OPPOSE HISTORICALLY BIPARTISAN DEFENSE BILL OVER RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS FOR MINORS The measure also drew the ire of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (HRC), which called it an “attack” on military families. “This cruel and hateful bill suddenly strips away access to medical care for families that members of our armed forces are counting on, and it could force service members to choose between staying in the military or providing health care for their children,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement. The Senate’s response to the transgender treatment provision will be pivotal in determining the final content of the defense policy for the upcoming fiscal year. If it passes, it would align with Trump’s criticisms of the military’s “woke” policies. The Supreme Court also heard oral arguments last week for a first-of-its-kind case involving Tennessee’s ban on transgender medical procedures for minors, which could place further restrictions on the procedures. RED STATE AG SLAMS BIDEN ADMIN’S ATTEMPT TO ‘REWRITE’ IMMIGRATION LAW: ‘ALICE IN WONDERLAND STUFF’ The $884 billion National Defense Authorization Act, which sets policies for the Defense Department, was passed in a 281-140 vote, with 124 Democrats and 16 Republicans voting against it. Other provisions also place limits on diversity, equity and inclusion-based recruitment and the teaching of critical race theory in military-run schools. Other policies include a 14.5% pay boost for junior enlisted troops, expanded child care access and enhanced job assistance for military spouses, reflecting a year of bipartisan focus on addressing record recruitment struggles. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.