Top 5 biggest political turkeys ripped by conservatives in 2024
As the 2024 election season comes to a close, several prominent figures in the media and Democratic Party found themselves on the short end of the stick with disappointing performances at the ballot box. Chuck Schumer & Nancy Pelosi Sen. Chuck Schumer’s Democratic Party lost the majority in the U.S. Senate in the November election, where Republicans now control the chamber “As I’ve said time and again, in both the majority and the minority, the only way to get things done in the Senate is through bipartisan legislation while maintaining our principles — and the next two years will be no different,” Schumer said in a statement following the November election. HARRIS DISAPPEARS FROM SPOTLIGHT, VACATIONS IN HAWAII AFTER ELECTION LOSS Despite Vice President Harris’ decisive loss to President-elect Donald Trump, the New York Democrat praised her for her “historic candidacy” that “inspired millions.” Both Schumer and House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi vigorously campaigned for the Biden and Harris tickets, and Pelosi was reportedly instrumental in pushing Biden off the ticket in favor of Harris, which ultimately was not successful. Following the election, Pelosi has faced intense scrutiny from Democrats and liberal media outlets for her role in pushing Biden out at the last minute. Pelosi has pointed the finger at Biden, arguing after the election that he should have dropped out sooner. “And as I say, Kamala may have, I think she would have done well in [a primary] and been stronger going forward. But we don’t know that. That didn’t happen. We live with what happened,” Pelosi told the New York Times. “And because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time. If it had been much earlier, it would have been different.” Axios reported in a piece headlined “Scoop: House Dems sick of Pelosi,” that while she “still instills fear in the members she led for two decades,” some Democrats are “clearly frustrated Pelosi isn’t fading into the sunset like she promised when she lost the gavel two years ago.” CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR? ANOTHER WHITE HOUSE RUN? KAMALA HARRIS UNSURE OF NEXT STEPS AFTER LOSING ELECTION: REPORT George & Alex Soros The Soros money machine that has propped up progressive lawmakers and district attorneys across the country suffered significant losses in blue California on election night as voters overwhelmingly rejected progressives on the issue of crime. California voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of Prop 36, which rolled back key provisions of Proposition 47 that was advertised by Democrats in the state as progressive crime reforms that would make the state safer. When Proposition 47 passed in 2014, it downgraded most thefts from felonies to misdemeanors if the amount stolen was under $950, “unless the defendant had prior convictions of murder, rape, certain sex offenses, or certain gun crimes.” Progressives suffered another major loss in the city of Los Angeles, where District Attorney George Gascón, who co-authored Prop 47 and was backed by Soros, was defeated by former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman as crime was seen as a top issue of the election cycle. ADAM SCHIFF SAYS ‘ENTIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’ BEARS THE BLAME FOR HARRIS LOSS: ‘MYSELF INCLUDED’ In another loss for Soros-backed prosecutors in the Golden State, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price was recalled, less than two years after taking office, following backlash for her alleged soft-on-crime approach. Oakland Democrat Mayor Sheng Thao, who faced heat from her constituents amid rising crime, was also ousted from office after her recall effort passed with 65% of the vote. In San Francisco, where crime has been a major concern with voters, Democrat Mayor London Breed lost her re-election campaign. “I think that this is broader than just a message from people who care about crime,” Cully Stimson, senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation and co-author of the book “Rogue Prosecutors: How Radical Soros Lawyers Are Destroying America’s Communities,” told Fox News Digital. “This is a massive mandate and cry for help from the general population that we want our state back. We want our counties back, and we want our cities back and that our failed social experiments have had enough time, and they’re an absolute, abysmal failure.” Soros’ son, Alex, who has taken over as the main face of the Soros empire, faced heat from conservatives on the campaign trail when he publicly huddled with VP candidate Tim Walz in his New York City penthouse. Celebrities endorsing Harris Harris’ presidential campaign was perhaps the most star-studded in modern political history, with high profile names like Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Usher, Beyoncé and many others hitting the campaign trail promoting her candidacy in person or in ads, which ultimately failed to move the needle with swing state voters. The Harris campaign, which shelled out more than $1 billion in a three-month spending spree, has faced scrutiny for spending millions of dollars on high-profile events with celebrities, including from the Chicago Tribune, whose editorial board wrote, “Having someone with a large following simply stand next to a candidate at a podium and say a few words, solo, is one thing; doing a whole livestreamed event with, say, Oprah Winfrey, is another.” “Better yet, rather than do such events, the Harris campaign would have been better advised to let its candidate answer questions from independent journalists and give her more of a chance to explain herself and lay out her plans for America’s future,” the editorial board wrote. “Celebrity osmosis did not work; voters wanted to hear more about what Harris would do for them.” Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, who won re-election in a state Trump won by more than 10 points, ripped his party this month for trotting out high-profile celebrity endorsements during the 2024 election cycle. DEMOCRATIC LEADER JEFFRIES REBUFFS ‘VIEW’ CO-HOST’S SUGGESTION ‘RACISM,’ ‘MISOGYNY’ COST HARRIS ELECTION “Like, no one cares what some of these – we like their movies, we like their music. Who they’re voting for? Eh, not so important,” the lawmaker told CNN anchor Kasie Hunt.
What is Evacuation Day? The forgotten holiday that predates Thanksgiving
When President Abraham Lincoln first proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday, little did he know he was spelling the beginning of the end to the prominence of the original patriotic celebration held during the last week of November: Evacuation Day. In November 1863, Lincoln issued an order thanking God for harvest blessings, and by the 1940s, Congress had declared the 11th month of the calendar year’s fourth Thursday to be Thanksgiving Day. That commemoration, though, combined with the gradual move toward détente with what is now the U.S.’ strongest ally – Great Britain – displaced the day Americans celebrated the last of the Redcoats fleeing their land. Following the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776, New York City, just 99 miles to the northeast, remained a British stronghold until the end of the Revolutionary War. Captured Continentals were held aboard prison ships in New York Harbor and British political activity in the West was anchored in the Big Apple, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. GEORGE WASHINGTON’S SACRED TRADITION However, that all came crashing down on the crown after the Treaty of Paris was signed, and new “Americans” eagerly saw the British out of their hard-won home on Nov. 25, 1783. In their haste to flee the U.S., the British took time to grease flagpoles that still flew the Union Jack. One prominent post was at Bennett Park – on present-day West 183 Street near the northern tip of Manhattan. Undeterred, Sgt. John van Arsdale, a Revolution veteran, cobbled together cleats that allowed him to climb the slick pole and tear down the then-enemy flag. Van Arsdale replaced it with the Stars and Stripes – and without today’s skyscrapers in the way, the change of colors at the island’s highest point could be seen farther downtown. In the harbor, a final blast from a British warship aimed for Staten Island, but missed a crowd that had assembled to watch the 6,000-man military begin its journey back across the Atlantic to King George III. SYLVESTER STALLONE CALLS TRUMP ‘THE SECOND GEORGE WASHINGTON’ Later that day, future President George Washington and New York Gov. George Clinton – who had negotiated “evacuation” with England’s Canadian Gov. Sir Guy Carleton – led a military march down Broadway through throngs of revelers to what would today be the Wall Street financial district at the other end of Manhattan. Clinton hosted Washington for dinner and a “Farewell Toast” at nearby Fraunces’ Tavern, which houses a museum dedicated to the original U.S. holiday. Samuel Fraunces, who owned the watering hole, provided food and reportedly intelligence to the Continental Army. Washington convened at Fraunces’ just over a week later to announce his leave from the Army, surrounded by Clinton and other top Revolutionary figures like German-born Gen. Friedrich von Steuben – whom New York’s Oktoberfest-styled parade officially honors. “With a heart full of love and gratitude, I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your latter days may be as prosperous and happy, as your former ones have been glorious and honorable,” Washington said. Before Lincoln – and later Congress – normalized Thanksgiving as the mass family affair it has become, Evacuation Day was more prominent than both its successor and Independence Day, according to several sources, including Untapped New York. Nov. 25 was a school holiday in the 19th century and people re-created van Arsdale’s climb up the Bennett Park flagpole. Formal dinners were held at the Plaza Hotel and other upscale institutions for many years, according to the outlet. An official parade reminiscent of today’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was held every year in New York until the 1910s. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP As diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom warmed heading into the 20th century and the U.S. alliance with London during the World Wars proved crucial, celebrating Evacuation Day became less and less prominent. Into the 2010s, however, commemorative flag-raisings have been sporadically held at Bowling Green, the southern endpoint of Broadway. On the original Evacuation Day, Washington’s dinner at Fraunces Tavern was preceded by the new U.S. Army marching down the iconic avenue to formally take back New York. Thirteen toasts – marking the number of United States – were raised at Fraunces, each one spelling out the new government’s hope for the new nation or giving thanks to those who helped it come to be. An aide to Washington wrote them down for posterity, and the Sons of the American Revolution recite them at an annual dinner, according to the tavern’s museum site. “To the United States of America,” the first toast went. The second honored King Louis XVI, whose French Army was crucial in America’s victory. “To the vindicators of the rights of mankind in every quarter of the globe,” read another. “May a close union of the states guard the temple they have erected to liberty.” The 13th offered a warning to any other country that might ever seek to invade the new U.S.: “May the remembrance of this day be a lesson to princes.”
NBC News ripped for headline touting ‘historically affordable’ Thanksgiving costs: ‘This is bull—-‘
An article from NBC News suggesting that Thanksgiving dinner costs are historically low and enable a 10-person gathering to feed itself for under $60 was ripped by conservatives on social media this week. “You may not know it by looking at sticker prices in grocery aisles, but Thanksgiving dinner is more affordable than it has been in years,” NBC News wrote citing data from the American Farm Bureau Federation. “The costs of this year’s holiday feast – estimated at $58.08 for a 10-person gathering, or $5.81 a head – dropped 5% since last year, the lowest level since 2021.” The article’s headline read: “Thanksgiving dinner is historically affordable this year” BRINE YOUR THANKSGIVING TURKEY IN THIS FOR GOLDEN SKIN: ‘DRIPPING WITH JUICE’ Conservatives on social media quickly blasted the reporting and the suggestion that Americans will experience relief from inflation at the Thanksgiving dinner table this year. “I just bought a single turkey for $85,” Grabien founder Tom Elliot posted on X. “It costs $60 for a family of 4 to eat at McDonalds,” author John LeFevre posted on X. “But NBC News wants you to believe that Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people is $58 – the most affordable in 40 years.” HISTORY OF THE THANKSGIVING TURKEY PARDON: WHEN THE WHITE HOUSE BEGAN THE LONG-HELD HOLIDAY TRADITION “No one who buys groceries believes this,” conservative radio host and commentator Dana Loesch posted on X. “If anyone can pay for everything needed for a 10-person Thanksgiving dinner for $58.08, I want to see a picture of all of your groceries,” journalist Jennifer Van Laar posted on X. “This is bull—-, of course,” attorney Harmeet Dhillon posted on X. “Carry on.” “What are they eating?” Breitbart News reporter Elizabeth Weibel posted on X. “Mozzarella sticks? I just got groceries for a Thanksgiving dinner for 16 that cost roughly $240.” The Commerce Department on Wednesday reported that the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index rose 0.2% in October and 2.3% year over year, and inflation ticked up slightly in October as prices remained stubbornly high for consumers, October food prices were up 0.2% on a monthly basis and 2.1% from a year ago. Food away from home was up 3.8% annually, while food at home was up just 1.1% in comparison. The largest price increase among food items was for eggs, with prices up 30.4% on an annual basis in October even though they declined 6.5% from September. Fox News Digital’s Eric Revell contributed to this report
Appeals court rules Texas has right to build razor wire border wall to deter illegal immigration: ‘Huge win’
A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that Texas has the right to build a razor wire border wall to deter illegal immigration into the Lone Star State. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the ruling on X, saying President Biden was “wrong to cut our razor wire.” “We continue adding more razor wire border barrier,” the Republican leader wrote. Wednesday’s 2-1 decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals clears the way for Texas to pursue a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of trespassing without having to remove the fencing. TRUMP SAYS MEXICO WILL STOP FLOW OF MIGRANTS AFTER SPEAKING WITH MEXICAN PRESIDENT FOLLOWING TARIFF THREATS It also reversed a federal judge’s November 2023 refusal to grant a preliminary injunction to Texas as the state resisted federal efforts to remove fencing along the Rio Grande in the vicinity of Eagle Pass, Texas. Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan, a Trump appointee during the president-elect’s first term, wrote for Wednesday’s majority that Texas was trying only to safeguard its own property, not “regulate” U.S. Border Patrol, and was likely to succeed in its trespass claims. LIBERAL NANTUCKET REELS FROM MIGRANT CRIME WAVE AS BIDEN SPENDS THANKSGIVING IN RICH FRIEND’S MANSION Duncan said the federal government waived its sovereign immunity and rejected its concerns that a ruling by Texas would impede the enforcement of immigration law and undermine the government’s relationship with Mexico. He said the public interest “supports clear protections for property rights from government intrusion and control” and ensuring that federal immigration law enforcement does not “unnecessarily intrude into the rights of countless property owners.” Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton called the ruling a “huge win for Texas.” “The Biden Administration has been enjoined from damaging, destroying, or otherwise interfering with Texas’s border fencing,” Paxton wrote in a post on X. “We sued immediately when the federal government was observed destroying fences to let illegal aliens enter, and we’ve fought every step of the way for Texas sovereignty and security.” The White House has been locked in legal battles with Texas and other states that have tried to deter illegal immigration. In May, the full 5th Circuit heard arguments in a separate case between Texas and the White House over whether the state can keep a 1,000-foot floating barrier on the Rio Grande. The appeals court is also reviewing a judge’s order blocking a Texas law that would allow state officials to arrest, prosecute and order the removal of people in the country illegally.
Trump says Mexico will stop flow of migrants after speaking with Mexican president following tariff threats
President-elect Trump said he spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, saying she has agreed to “stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States” following threats this week to significantly tariff goods from Mexico. Trump vowed to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada if both nations failed to do more to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. Sheinbaum, who recently took office, said on Wednesday that Mexico would retaliate if Trump followed through on his promise. TRUMP LIKELY TO MAKE SEVERAL BORDER SECURITY MOVES ON FIRST DAY, SAYS EXPERT “If there are U.S. tariffs, Mexico would also raise tariffs,” Sheinbaum said during a press conference. On Wednesday, Trump said he spoke with his Sheinbaum about the matter. “Just had a wonderful conversation with the new President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo,” he wrote on Truth Social. “She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border. We also talked about what can be done to stop the massive drug inflow into the United States, and also, U.S. consumption of these drugs. It was a very productive conversation!” MEXICAN PRESIDENT MIGHT BE CHANGING VIEW ON US AS TRUMP WIN SENDS WARNING TO RULING SOCIALISTS In a subsequent post, he said that: “Mexico will stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately. THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARD STOPPING THE ILLEGAL INVASION OF THE USA. Thank you!!!” Sheinbaum and Trump spoke by phone later on Wednesday, the Mexican president said on social-media platform X, adding the two discussed “strengthening collaboration on security issues” and that the conversation was “excellent,” Reuters reported. Trump has long complained that Mexico has failed to do enough to stop the flow of migrants on its side of the southern border. Trump also threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on China over the massive amounts of fentanyl coming into the U.S. from Mexico. In response, the China Daily newspaper – which is run by the Chinese Communist Party – published an editorial Tuesday saying, “The excuse the president-elect has given to justify his threat of additional tariffs on imports from China is far-fetched,” according to Reuters.
Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks beats Dem challenger in state’s 1st Congressional District
Republican Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks has successfully fended off Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan in the race for the state’s 1st Congressional District, The Associated Press reported Wednesday. Miller-Meeks has served in the U.S. House since 2021, and currently represents the state’s 1st Congressional District, which includes cities such as Davenport and Iowa City in the southeastern portion of the state. She flipped her seat from blue to red in 2020 and saw this year’s race move from a “likely” victory for Republicans to a toss-up. She won her 2020 race by a slim margin of just six votes but expanded that advantage in 2022. REP. MILLER-MEEKS BEATS BACK CONSERVATIVE PRIMARY CHALLENGE IN IOWA RACE Miller-Meeks fended off a GOP primary challenger earlier in the cycle who accused her of voting “against you and the Republican platform over 40% of the time,” while she pitched herself to voters as a “proven conservative.” The Iowa Republican received endorsements from the Trump orbit amid her election cycle, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell and former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “There is no better conservative fighter for Iowa’s First Congressional District than Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks. I am proud to endorse and serve beside Mariannette to deliver for the American people and help claw back disastrous policies from the Biden administration,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said in his endorsement of Miller-Meeks earlier in the election cycle. Miller-Meeks is a doctor and military veteran who served in the U.S. Army for 24 years before retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Democratic challenger Bohannon is a law professor at the University of Iowa College of Law, who previously served in the Iowa state House of Representatives from 2021 to 2023. She campaigned on making the Iowa public school system top-rate nationally, instituting “common-sense gun laws,” fighting to “put Roe v. Wade back into federal law” and vowing to “work with anyone to secure the border.” FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: CRITICAL ‘TOSS-UP’ RACES WILL DETERMINE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE HOUSE The pair sparred during a debate last month that included exchanges on abortion and the economy, as well as immigration reform. Miller-Meeks, similar to Republicans across the nation, pinned blame for the illegal immigration crisis on the Biden-Harris administration following former President Donald Trump’s White House border policies. “Trump-era policies that reduced the amount of illegal immigrants coming across our border, that helped to keep down the amount of illegal drugs, illegal fentanyl, that our customs and border protections agents actually felt like they were doing their job,” Miller-Meeks said during the debate. Bohannan argued that a bipartisan piece of legislation this year that would have addressed the border but argued Republicans “killed it.” Republicans have said the immigration bill would have further worsened the crisis, and that the legislation was essentially dead on arrival. GREG GUTFELD: MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS ‘MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY’ TO GRILL COVID ERA OFFICIAL ON THE LIVES RUINED “We had a golden opportunity recently to pass the strictest border security bill that we have seen in this country in a very long time, maybe ever. And Rep. Miller-Meeks and her party in the House killed it,” Bohannan said last month. Miller-Meeks previously defeated Bohannan in the 2022 general election, 53% to 47%. The 1st district as a whole went for Trump in the 2020 election, voting for him by about three percentage points over President Biden. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Homan taking death threats against him ‘more seriously’ after Trump officials targeted with violent threats
Incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan reacted to news of death threats against Trump nominees on Wednesday and said he now takes the death threats he has previously received seriously. “I have not taken this serious up to this point,” Homan told Fox News anchor Gillian Turner on “The Story” on Wednesday, referring to previous death threats made against him and his family. “Now that I know what’s happened in the last 24 hours. I will take it a little more serious. But look, I’ve been dealing with this. When I was the ICE director in the first administration, I had numerous death threats. I had a security detail with me all the time. Even after I retired, death threats continued and even after I retired as the ICE director. I had U.S. marshals protection for a long time to protect me and my family.” Homan explained that what “doesn’t help” the situation is the “negative press” around Trump. HARRIS NEVER LED TRUMP, INTERNAL POLLS SHOWED — BUT DNC OFFICIALS WERE KEPT IN THE DARK “I’m not in the Cabinet, but, you know, I’ve read numerous hit pieces. I mean, you know, I’m a racist and, you know, I’m the father of family separation, all this other stuff. So the hate media doesn’t help at all because there are some nuts out there. They’ll take advantage. So that doesn’t help.” Homan’s comments come shortly after Fox News Digital first reported that nearly a dozen of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees and other appointees tapped for the incoming administration were targeted Tuesday night with “violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” prompting a “swift” law enforcement response. ARMED FELON ARRESTED FOR THREATENING TO KILL TRUMP ATTENDED RALLY WEEKS AFTER BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT The “attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting,’” according to Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” she told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “In response, law enforcement acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action.” Sources told Fox News Digital that John Ratcliffe, the nominee to be CIA director, Pete Hegseth, the nominee for secretary of defense, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, the nominee for U.N. ambassador, were among those targeted. Brooke Rollins, who Trump has tapped to be secretary of agriculture, and Lee Zeldin, Trump’s nominee to be EPA administrator, separately revealed they were also targeted. Threats were also made against Trump’s labor secretary nominee, GOP Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and the family of former Trump attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz. Homan told Fox News that he is “not going to be intimidated by these people” and “I’m not going to let them silence me.” “What I’ve learned today I’ll start taking a little more serious.” Homan added that he believes “we need to have a strong response once we find out who is behind all this.” “It’s illegal to threaten someone’s life. And we need to follow through with that.” The threats on Tuesday night came mere months after Trump survived two assassination attempts. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report
Democrat Derek Tran unseats Rep. Michelle Steel in California’s 45th Congressional District
First-time Democratic candidate and Army veteran Derek Tran has won California’s 45th Congressional District, unseating Trump-endorsed Rep. Michelle Steel in what was considered one of the Golden State’s closely watched races, per The Associated Press. Tran challenged Steel in what was a traditionally conservative district, although in recent years it has become somewhat of a swing district. The district covers parts of Orange County, including Fountain Valley, Westminster and Garden Grove. The voting demographic is predominately Asian American. CALIFORNIA REP IN HEAVILY ASIAN AMERICAN DISTRICT FIGHTS AGAINST CHINESE COMMUNIST INFLUENCE IN EDUCATION Steel was first elected to Congress in 2020 in the neighboring 48th District, in which she defeated incumbent Democrat Harley Rhouda, flipping the district red. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In 2018, Democrat Katie Porter flipped the district blue after defeating Republican incumbent Mimi Waters. Steel reclaimed the seat in 2020 and held onto it in 2022 by a narrow lead, making CA-45 one of the Republican-dominated districts that President Biden won in 2020 by around 6%.
Ohio governor signs ‘bathroom bill’ into law, restricting students from using opposite-sex restrooms
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill into law that will prevent schools from allowing students of the opposite sex into restrooms and locker rooms. The legislation, the Protect All Students Act, dubbed the “bathroom bill,” was sent to DeWine’s desk earlier this month after the state Senate passed the bill 24-7 on a party-line vote. The House version of the bill was passed before the chamber went on summer break in June. The law will take effect in 90 days and will restrict transgender students from using facilities associated with their gender identities. SJSU TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS, POLITICAL IMPACT AND A RAGING CULTURE MOVEMENT It applies to public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. It requires schools to designate separate bathrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations “for the exclusive use” of either males and females, based on one’s gender assigned at or near birth, in both school buildings and facilities used for a school-sponsored event. DeWine’s signature was not guaranteed and Democrats, teachers unions and civil rights groups had hoped that his veto earlier this year to a ban on sex changes for minors and hormone therapies for transgender individuals under 18 would yield a similar course of action. In the end, the state’s Republican-dominated Senate voted to override that veto and the ban came into force. DeWine did not release a statement announcing he signed the bathroom bill on Wednesday. “Common sense is on a winning streak in America today,” said Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, which backed the bill, in a statement. “No student should be forced to go into the bathroom or locker room with a student of the opposite sex, and Ohio’s kids are better protected now because of Governor DeWine’s decision to sign this bill.” Riley Gaines, a former 12-time All-American swimmer at the University of Kentucky and an advocate of keeping biological males out of female sports, echoed those words. TRANSGENDER ACTIVISTS URGE SUPPORTERS NOT TO ‘VILIFY’ CRITICS AFTER TRUMP WIN, DIP IN PUBLIC SUPPORT: REPORT “Common sense is making a comeback nationwide,” Gaines wrote on X. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost thanked DeWine “for siding with biology, history, safety and common sense.” The ACLU of Ohio was among the groups that had lobbied for a veto and condemned the measure as a violation of the right of privacy of transgender Ohioans that would make them less safe. “We will always have the backs of our trans community,” the organization wrote on X. “Every Ohioan deserves the freedom to be loved, to be safe, to be trusted with decisions about healthcare and to access the facilities that align with their gender identity. We will not leave anyone behind. Trans Ohioans belong.” School employees, emergency situations and people assisting young children or someone with a disability are exempted from the restrictions, and schools can still offer single-use or family bathrooms. Various battles regarding the issue of transgender people using bathrooms that align with their gender as well as participating in female sports are playing out across the nation. President-elect Trump has repeatedly vowed to keep men out of women’s sports. At least 11 states have adopted laws barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s bathrooms in public schools and, in some cases, other government facilities. The laws are in effect in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. A judge’s order putting enforcement on hold is in place in Idaho. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
RNC rails against California’s late mail-in ballot counting amid national litigation: ‘It is absurd’
The Republican National Committee (RNC) said it has filed national lawsuits to stop several states from counting mail-in-ballots after Election Day, as California has taken nearly a month to certify some races. “It is absurd for California to accept ballots by mail up to 7 days after Election Day and take almost a month to count them,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley wrote on X. Whatley said the RNC, alongside the California Republican Party, “will continue to fight aggressively to force all states to stop accepting ballots after Election Day.” Republicans on the ground in California are working with attorneys and observers “throughout the process of voting, curing, and counting,” he added. The RNC has also partnered with the National Republican Congressional Committee and Elon Musk’s PAC to launch a new statewide ballot curing operation. “The RNC, NRCC, and CAGOP’s election integrity operation was on the ground in California before Election Day, on Election Day, and has continued working ever since November 5th. Our attorneys and trained volunteers are in place to ensure transparency throughout the election process,” Gates McGavick, senior adviser to Whatley, told Fox News Digital in a statement. CALIFORNIA COASTAL ENCLAVE NEAR SANCTUARY CITY TRIES TO ‘NEWSOM-PROOF’ ITSELF California’s vote-counting process has been prolonged due to the high volume of mail-in-ballots, with a majority of Californians opting to vote by mail. In the state’s 2022 election, nearly 90% of votes were cast via mail-in ballots. State law also permits mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive up to a week later. Mail-in ballots are typically put through a verification process that can also lengthen the amount of time they are tallied. The election certification deadline is Dec. 16. As of Wednesday, several races remain undecided in the Golden State, including for the 13th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. John Duarte is being challenged by Democrat Adam Gray. MIGRANT MURDERS PUT AMERICAN COMMUNITIES ON EDGE AS OVER 1.4 MILLION AVOID DEPORTATION WITH SHADY TACTICS “Every vote in every state matters, and the RNC will work with our state parties and candidates to ensure Election Integrity across the country,” Whatley said. “It is clear that we need real election reforms to Protect the Vote in California.” Liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several laws during his term to expand mail-in voting. In 2021, Newsom signed AB 37, making California one of the first states to require that all active registered voters automatically receive absentee ballots, codifying a temporary COVID-era emergency measure passed in 2020. Two laws signed in 2023, AB 626 and AB 545, require a curbside voting option at all polling places and permit voters to drop off their mail-in ballots at polling stations to have them counted immediately. NEW WALL CONSTRUCTION AT TEXAS BORDER KICKS OFF WITH FAMILY OF SLAIN JOCELYN NUNGARAY WATCHING California is one of 14 states where voters are not required to show voter ID at polling stations. In March 2024, Huntington Beach – a conservative hotspot on the southern coastal line – officials passed a local measure requiring voter ID to vote in elections, which Newsom quickly bucked through state legislation in September that prohibited local governments from enforcing laws that require voter ID. “The right to freely cast your vote is the foundation of our democracy and Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy flies in the face of this principle,” state Attorney General Bob Bonta said in a statement at the time. Republican criticism of extended vote-counting periods has intensified this election cycle, including in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Prior to Sen. Bob Casey’s concession last week in Pennsylvania’s Senate race to his Republican opponent, Dave McCormick, national and state Republican parties went to court arguing counties should not count mail-in-ballots where the voter either didn’t write a date on the return envelope or wrote the wrong one, the AP reported. President-Elect Trump has also taken notice of California’s voter ID laws, writing on his Truth Social account he would demand proof of citizenship and voter ID in elections. Meanwhile, Newsom is gearing up to “Trump-proof” the state and has called an emergency special legislative session on Dec. 2. “California is ready to fight,” Newsom wrote on X after the election. “Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate action – we refuse to turn back the clock and allow our values and laws to be attacked.”