Kentucky congressman announces death of longtime aide and campaign manager
Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., announced the death of his longtime aide and campaign manager on Christmas Day, a passing which “shocked” those who knew her during the holiday. The congressman and Senate candidate posted about the passing of his deputy chief of staff and campaign manager Tatum Dale on Thursday, noting the contributions she made not only to his current office, but to his mission to serve in statewide office. “For over 15 years, Tatum was the heart and soul of my team,” Barr posted to X. “With Tatum’s leadership, my office favorably closed thousands of cases for Kentuckians—helping veterans, seniors, and families throughout our district. She fought to deliver funds to support dozens of community projects across our Commonwealth.” “She loved helping people and was a servant of others, just as Christ envisioned us all to be. Maybe that’s why her birth in heaven is a shared birthday with our Lord and Savior,” Barr continued. “While our hearts are broken, our team finds peace and hope knowing that Tatum is now home with Christ, resting comfortably in the arms of her Savior.” 2021 AFGHAN REMARKS HAUNT GOP LAWMAKER’S SENATE BID AFTER DC GUARD SHOOTING Barr’s run to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, who announced his retirement in February, has been a battle between GOP candidates in the early stages of the race. Despite the competition, former Kentucky attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron set aside their differences to weigh in on the passing of Dale. “Tatum Dale was a friend,” Cameron posted on social media. “She will be truly missed.” ‘AMERICA FIRST’ ATTORNEY GENERAL DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM MCCONNELL — HIS FORMER BOSS — AS KENTUCKY RACE DEFINES GOP FUTURE “Makenze and I will be praying for her family and all of Team Barr,” Cameron added. Cameron’s post was joined by several others who posted to social media in remembrance of the staffer. GOP strategist and communications director for Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said he was shocked by the news and that “Tatum was one of those hardworking people who seemed to be at every GOP event.” GOP REP GEARS UP FOR POTENTIAL REMATCH AGAINST PROGRESSIVE ‘DARLING’ IN BID TO SUCCEED MCCONNELL Dale originally joined Barr’s Washington, D.C., office in 2013 as a scheduler. She then returned to Kentucky, where she served as a district representative, field operations director, district deputy director, district director and deputy chief of staff. She was born in Murray. Kentucky, and attended the University of Kentucky, according to Barr. The cause of death is not currently clear. “She made me a better Congressman, our staff better public servants, and we will all miss her forever,” Barr posted. “From Murray to Lexington and everywhere in the Commonwealth that she touched, we hope you will all join us in praying for Tatum’s family and friends—and be forever inspired by her memory to serve others.” Fox News Digital reached out to Barr’s office for comment.
2026 deadlines loom as Congress leaves DC with several unfinished battles
Capitol Hill is a ghost town with both the House and Senate out of session until a few days into the new year. Lawmakers left town the week before Christmas, and with their departure have left several key fights unresolved — with deadlines looming large for both Republicans and Democrats. Congress voted to end the longest-ever government shutdown in history last month after 43 days of gridlock. But lawmakers did not strike a deal on federal funding for the rest of fiscal year (FY) 2026, which they’re expected to do annually. Instead, they passed a portion of FY 2026 funding while punting the deadline for the majority of areas to Jan. 30. CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS WIDEN 2026 BATTLEFIELD, ZERO IN ON NEW HOUSE REPUBLICAN TARGETS Senate Republicans had hoped to strike a deal on the vast majority of the remaining funds before leaving town, but various objections from senators on both sides of the aisle delayed an actual vote. Now, that legislation will have to be reckoned with in early January. During that month, the House and Senate will only have a total of eight days in session together before the Jan. 30 deadline. The Senate will have 15 total days in session, while the House will have 12. Millions of people across the country are expected to see an increase in how much they pay for healthcare premiums every month starting in January. Congress, meanwhile, has failed to pass a compromise between the House and Senate to help Americans deal with the rising cost. For some Americans on Obamacare, part of that is due to COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced subsidies expiring at the end of 2025. Republicans have largely rejected the notion of extending those subsidies, at least without significant reforms. But a small group of moderate GOP lawmakers are pushing for a short-term extension to give Congress time to create a more permanent system for lowering costs. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHERE WE STAND WITH A HEALTHCARE PACKAGE The House passed a healthcare reform bill aimed at expanding options in the commercial insurance marketplace the week before leaving town. In the Senate, however, dueling plans by Republicans and Democrats failed to advance. It will now be an issue for GOP congressional leaders to tackle in 2026 — while Democrats are likely to seize on it as an election-year issue. Mid-decade redistricting has upended state and federal politics across the U.S. this year, with President Donald Trump pushing multiple GOP-controlled states to change their congressional lines in order to give Republicans an advantage in the 2026 midterms. Democrat-led states like California have responded by moving to redraw their own maps to give the left an advantage. It’s resulted in prolonged court battles on both sides. In Texas, where new maps could give Republicans as many as five new House seats, the Supreme Court granted an emergency stay on a lower court’s order allowing the GOP-led initiative to move forward. The federal court battle over the Golden State’s new map is likely to draw into the new year. Meanwhile, states like Virginia, Illinois, Alabama, and Louisiana could still move to make new lines before next November. Multiple House lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban mid-decade redistricting, but to no avail so far. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., warned at a press conference earlier this month, “Republicans may have started this redistricting battle. We as Democrats plan to finish it.” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., by contrast, has taken a largely hands-off approach, preferring to leave the matter to state legislatures and the courts.
Nonprofit uses underwater technology to search for missing service members
More than 80,000 service members who went missing in action in previous conflicts are still unaccounted for. However, through research and new technology, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency estimates the remains of 38,000 fallen veterans could be recoverable. Nonprofit organization Project Recover is working with the agency to bring some of those service members home through complex underwater missions. “This is a great American story here,” former Navy Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet said. “Our work is to use technology, like underwater drones and scuba diving gear, to find the platforms that these members perished on and then do the DNA analysis of detecting and recovering their remains and matching them to those that are missing.” Gallaudet also serves as a Project Recover advisory council member. The group was founded by Dr. Patrick Scannon. He came up with the idea in 1993 when he was touring the Palau islands with his wife and discovered a downed plane from World War II. “That 65-foot wing essentially changed my life,” Scannon said in an interview with GoPro. NEWLY RELEASED AMELIA EARHART DOCUMENTS REVEAL VIVID DETAILS OF JAPAN’S ROLE IN SEARCH FOR DOOMED AVIATOR Project Recover teams have located dozens of aircraft sites around the Palau islands associated with nearly 100 service members who went missing in action. “The recovery is difficult. We first have to find the aircraft or ships,” Gallaudet said. “And then we’ve got to go determine if there are any remains there and then ID them, match them to the service members. “ In 1944, U.S. officials determined the Palau islands were a crucial part of a larger mission to liberate the Philippines. The effort to capture the island of Peleliu ended up being a costly effort for the U.S. Located around 500 miles away from the Philippines, the island held an airfield, which U.S. officials believed could be used to launch an attack during their larger mission. More than 10,000 Japanese troops were stationed on Peleliu at the time. The battle was expected to last just a few days but ended up going on for 74. The U.S. began its bombardment by dropping more than 600 tons of bombs, but the Marines had little intelligence on enemy positions. Japanese troops hid in coral caves and mine shafts around the islands. The initial aerial attacks had little impact unless pilots flew dangerously close to the island. SEARCH FOR MISSING MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT 370 TO RESUME AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE On Peleliu, 1,800 Americans were killed in action and more than 8,000 were wounded or missing. Nearly all the 10,000 Japanese troops were killed in action. Across the Palau islands, the U.S. had carried out nine major air campaigns in which around 200 aircraft were lost. Now Project Recover is working to bring some of those service members home. “There were three service members on the aircraft that perished, a lieutenant and then two enlisted crew members. And over the last few years, we were able to recover the remains of all three. And we didn’t identify them all at the same time. It took forensic analysis and DNA. Technology. But the last one was finally identified,” Gallaudet said. Lt. Jay Manown, AOM1c Anthony Di Petta and ARM1c Wilbur Mitts took off for a bombing mission in September 1944. They were conducting pre-invasion strikes in preparation for the invasion of Peleliu when their plane spun out of control and crashed into surrounding waters. “The plane was hit by enemy fire, and it burst into flames,” Di Petta’s niece, Suzanne Nakamura, said in an interview with Media Evolve. Project Recover located the plane in 2015. After more than a dozen dives to investigate the wreckage, teams began removing the remains of the three service members. Lt. Manown was the last to be repatriated. “We held the ceremony in his hometown in West Virginia, and the relatives of all three service members came to that final ceremony,” Gallaudet said. The three nieces of the men have become especially close. WWII HERO’S REMAINS FINALLY COMING HOME AFTER 80-YEAR MYSTERY IS SOLVED THROUGH MILITARY DEDICATION “We’ve communicated beautifully and become friends through this experience and almost a sisterhood of type,” Manown’s niece, Rebecca Sheets, said in an interview with Media Evolve. “We’ve talked so much by phone and feel so close,” Mitt’s niece, Diana Ward, told Media Evolve. “This is just a joy to meet each other in person, and we’re just sharing the emotion we’ve felt about bringing our uncles home.” The three women have also connected over how their grandmothers, or the mothers of Manown, Di Petta and Mitts, may have felt about their sons finally coming home. “We have a connection because our uncles were involved in not only defending the freedom of the United States, but as human beings who fought together and died together,” Nakamura said. AMELIA EARHART MYSTERY EXPEDITION HALTED AS RESEARCHERS SEEK ANSWERS ON MISSING PLANE Including their work in Palau, Project Recover has completed more than 100 missions across 25 countries. They have repatriated 24 missing Americans and have located more than 200 missing in action awaiting further recovery efforts. The group is raising money for a mission it hopes to complete in 2026 — the search for a B-52 aircraft that disappeared during a training accident. “It’s off the coast of Texas. We’ve not yet found the aircraft. And of those eight service members, they all had families,” Gallaudet said. “There are about 32 of those family members still alive today who want the answers to know what happened to their loved ones.” In addition to the more than 80,000 missing-in-action service members, 20,000 are missing from training accidents. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency is not permitted to allocate funds toward a search effort for the eight men who disappeared along with their B-52 because the crash occurred during a non-conflict training accident. “Not having found the wreck yet, we don’t know what the cause of the failure was. And so it’s our goal
Biden nearly invisible in own Christmas family photo as Hunter takes center stage
Former President Joe Biden shared a family photo on social media on Christmas Eve, sparking online criticism after he appeared partially visible in the image while son Hunter stood front and center. The photo shows several members of the Biden family standing in front of a decorated Christmas tree, with Hunter positioned prominently in the foreground. Former first lady Jill Biden is also in the image, standing in front of the former president with her head partially obstructing his face. All other family members appear fully framed and clearly visible. In the X post accompanying the image, Biden wrote, “Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas Eve filled with joy.” INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS CARD TRADITION – FROM COOLIDGE TO TRUMP The post did not address the framing of the photo, and representatives for Biden did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The image circulated widely on social media following its release, with users commenting on the positioning and composition of the family members shown. One person posted a close-up of Biden’s face, writing, “Took me a while to find ya, champ.” TRUMP LISTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS, SAYS ‘RADICAL LEFT SCUM’ ARE ‘FAILING BADLY’ IN CHRISTMAS MESSAGE Another commenter wrote, “I think it’s disrespectful to put the eldest family member in the back of a photo taken for the former president’s social media.” Appearing to compare the image to a Where’s Waldo? scene, one person wrote, “Where’s Joe?“ Another user asked Biden in the comments, “Why are you in the back, blocked by Jill?” TRUMP AND FIRST LADY GO ALL BLACK FOR OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT PHOTO Other users questioned why Hunter was positioned so prominently in the photo, with some comments focusing specifically on his placement. One person wrote, “Hunter is the alpha now.” Additional posts shared altered versions of the image, depicting Hunter either shirtless or with a white substance under his nose. “Wishing you and your entire family (specially your son) a white Christmas,” one user wrote. Not all the comments were critical of the photo or the former president. One person wrote, “Wishing you and your family a peaceful and joyful Christmas. Your strength and love inspire us all.” Another added, “Wishing you a peaceful Christmas Eve too, Mr. President. Let’s hope the spirit of goodwill extends into the new year and helps bridge some of the divides we’ve seen. The image is a nice reminder of simpler times.” Several others shared similar sentiments, including a message that said, “Merry Christmas to the whole Biden family!”
Lawmakers attempt to tackle NIL, giving it the ‘old college try’
Congress has done nil to fix NIL in college sports. Lawmakers get another chance to tackle NIL in early 2026. Let’s start with terms. “NIL” refers to “name, image, likeness.” College athletes have made bank over the past few years, marketing themselves as their own product. They skip from school to school for more playing time. A bigger spotlight. And that leads to a better NIL deal. Translation: You’ll probably make more from your NIL contract if you play for Ohio State and not North Dakota State. TRUMP RIPS NIL ‘DISASTER’ IN OVAL OFFICE, WARNS IT’S KILLING COLLEGE SPORTS As everyone watches bowl games and the College Football Playoff this holiday season, fans inevitably crow about the lack of parity for schools from the Big 10 and SEC compared to the Mid-American Conference and Sunbelt Conference. James Madison, we’re looking at you. The NCAA appears incapacitated to act to rein in NIL and issue nationwide rules. So, they’ve turned to Congress for a fix. Good luck with that. The House tried to advance a bill in early December. But that legislation plunged into a toxic political scrum. First of all, many Democrats opposed the bill. The legislation then lacked the votes, thanks to some GOP defections. The timing of the legislation was in question, too. The House wasn’t addressing annual spending bills or health care, but college sports. Some Republicans thought this was a bad optic. This commotion came just as former Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin defected to SEC rival Louisiana State University (LSU) for a king’s ransom. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wasted no time noting that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., are both LSU graduates and superfans of the school’s athletic programs. Jeffries questioned whether well-moneyed alumni connected to the school advocated for Johnson and Scalise to push the NIL bill at that time. Jeffries then anointed the legislation the “Lane Kiffin Protection Act.” “People are asking the question, ‘Why did you decide to bring this bill this week?’ with all the other issues that the country is demanding that we focus on, led by the affordability crisis that they claim is a scam and a hoax,” posited Jeffries. The controversy created a maelstrom too challenging for the House to handle. So the GOP brass yanked the legislation off the floor. NATIONAL CHAMPION COACH WANTS TRUMP ‘MORE INVOLVED’ IN NIL REGULATION: ‘OUR SPORT IS GETTING KILLED’ House leaders hope to try again to regulate NIL and manage money in college sports in 2026. “I think we need to do it sooner rather than later,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. “We need a national framework,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., at a House session to prepare a NIL bill over the summer. “One with clarity and real enforcement to bring fairness, transparency, and equity to the new NIL era.” Lawmakers are now revising the NIL bill to set national standards — and coax enough lawmakers to support it. It’s possible Congress could vote around the same time the nation crowns the next college football champion. “We want to get it right to really do what we can to save college sports,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., the main author of the legislation. The measure in question is known as the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act. The bill would cap money schools can use from athletic revenue to pay athletes at 22 percent. Most Republicans support the measure. But Democrats believe the plan favors schools. Not athletes. Especially when it comes to labor rights – and treating athletes as university workers. “Passing the SCORE Act as it stands would only eliminate students’ abilities to collectively bargain,” said Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio. HOUSE VOTE ON NIL REGULATION ACT CANCELED DESPITE TRUMP’S BACKING AS SOME REPUBLICANS STILL NOT ON BOARD From a labor perspective, is a running back the same as a physics professor? “I do not think they should be granted employee status,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., of student-athletes. Some lawmakers aren’t sure whether Congress should even mettle in intercollegiate athletics. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., the top Democrat on the Commerce Committee, questioned the wisdom of addressing this issue in higher education compared to more pressing topics. “You have to have a college to have college sports,” said Pallone as that panel prepped the bill over the summer. “And the way we’re going with this administration, I don’t even know if there’s going to be any colleges or universities left fighting for.” Pallone says lawmakers should focus instead on “very real threats to our nation’s colleges and universities.” Opponents of the legislation contend that the bill bends over backwards for major conferences. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, has problems with that. He demands overall better governance of college athletics. “We need to have a better structure around what is currently in NCAA. I think we need to have some reforms and some of the guardrails in what we’re doing. These coaches are getting these massive buyouts,” said Roy. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is pushing NIL regulation. But with a completely different approach. Hawley wants something which stretches far beyond the lines of the athletic fields and basketball arenas. He advocates universal NIL rules — because of Big Tech and AI. “We ought to give name, image and likeness rights to every single American. You should be able to control your image online. Control your data. Control your kids data,” said Hawley. “[It would be a] great thing to do for parents.” So, expect the House to try again on NIL in a few weeks. But consider the legislative agenda. A coalition of Democrats and four Republicans are deploying a gambit to go around the Speaker and force a vote to renew health care subsidies. That vote likely ripens around January 8 or 9. Obamacare subsidies expired. So that issue isn’t going away. And we haven’t even talked about trying to avoid a partial government
The iciest moments of 2025: The 5 political feuds that froze Washington
As temperatures drop in the nation’s capital and politicians hunker down for the holidays, here’s a look back at some of the political controversies that sent a chill through Washington, D.C., this year. The government was shut down for 43 days in 2025, setting the record for the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Republicans blamed Democrats and Democrats blamed Republicans, leaving Capitol Hill at a standstill for a staggering stretch that put Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, federal paychecks and even air-traffic safety in jeopardy. TRUMP SAYS ECONOMY WILL ‘ROCKET’ AFTER SIGNING ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’: ‘IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY GREAT’ Congress failed to find common ground on a short-term spending bill as Senate Democrats refused to support any plan that did not include extensions of enhanced Obamacare subsidies set to expire at year’s end. Ultimately, eight Senate Democrats broke with leadership to reach a bipartisan deal to reopen the government, and six House Democrats followed suit — ending the shutdown without securing the subsidies their party had demanded. TRUMP SAYS ECONOMY WILL ‘ROCKET’ AFTER SIGNING ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’: ‘IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY GREAT’ President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Inauguration Day establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with a mandate to cut waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government. Trump tapped Tesla CEO Elon Musk as a “special government employee” to spearhead spending reductions. According to DOGE, the agency has saved approximately $214 billion through asset sales, contract cancellations, improper payment recoveries, grant terminations, regulatory rollbacks, and workforce reductions. As Musk slashed spending, the agency overhauled federal operations, laying off tens of thousands of workers, cutting foreign-aid programs, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and shaking up global health efforts such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The DOGE disruptions and Trump’s sweeping second-term agenda triggered a wave of protest movements across the country. In February, the 50501 Movement, a coalition of activists rejecting Trump’s “executive overreach,” organized nationwide “Not My President’s Day,” or “No Kings Day,” demonstrations. From Austin to Orlando and Boston to Phoenix, crowds marched with handmade signs, chanting and singing in protest. More than a thousand gathered at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., on President’s Day. As Musk led efforts to slash government spending, some protesters targeted Tesla cars, dealerships, and showrooms as Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the attacks as “domestic terrorism.” By Oct. 18, millions of Americans joined another “No Kings Day,” as the protest movement showed no signs of fading throughout Trump’s second term. During Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, he promised to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in American history. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement delivered on that pledge this year, launching an aggressive nationwide effort to deport illegal immigrants. While Republicans celebrated what they viewed as a long-overdue restoration of security at the southern border, many Americans rejected the crackdown, protesting mistaken removals, due-process concerns and ICE’s enforcement surge. Democratic lawmakers and local officials joined demonstrations at ICE processing centers and immigration courts, urging constituents to know their legal rights. Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles as anti-ICE protests escalated into riots in June. It was the first time in more than 60 years that a president overrode a governor and federalized a state’s National Guard for a domestic law-enforcement mission. After federalizing the National Guard in Los Angeles in June, Trump deployed troops to the nation’s capital in August as part of the administration’s nationwide crime crackdown. The White House then moved to deploy the Guard to other Democratic-led cities, including Chicago and Memphis, and attempted a similar rollout in Portland before courts intervened. Democrats and progressive activists denounced the strategy as dangerous federal overreach, arguing that importing troops into local jurisdictions would escalate tensions rather than calm them. Tensions reached a boiling point on Nov. 26, when two National Guardsmen — U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, and Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20 — were shot just blocks from the White House. Beckstrom later died from the injuries. Federal authorities are investigating the attack as a potential act of terrorism. “God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People. I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!” Trump said in response.
Trump lists accomplishments, says ‘Radical Left Scum’ are ‘failing badly’ in Christmas message
President Donald Trump used his Christmas Eve Truth Social post to tout his administration’s accomplishments and to bash those on the left whom he accused of trying to “destroy” the U.S. “Merry Christmas to all, including the radical left scum that is doing everything possible to destroy our country, but are failing badly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We no longer have open borders, men in women’s sports, transgender for everyone, or weak law enforcement. What we do have is a record stock market and 401K’s, lowest crime numbers in decades, no inflation, and yesterday, a 4.3 GDP, two points better than expected.” “Tariffs have given us trillions of dollars in growth and prosperity, and the strongest national security we have ever had. We are respected again, perhaps like never before. God Bless America!!!,” the president added. In the first year of Trump’s second term, the administration launched a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, introduced controversial tariffs, worked to cut DEI from government programs and took steps toward fulfilling other campaign promises. TRUMP TAKES NORAD SANTA CALLS WITH CHILDREN, PRAISES ‘CLEAN, BEAUTIFUL COAL’ AND ‘HIGH IQ’ PERSON The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that it had arrested 17,500 criminal illegal immigrants since Trump signed the Laken Riley Act in January 2025. In a separate DHS announcement, the department unveiled the “2025 Worst of the Worst Criminal Illegal Aliens,” saying that 70% of all ICE arrests are of illegal immigrants “convicted or charged with a crime in the U.S.” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on the results of the Laken Riley Act that “President Trump has empowered us to arrest and remove the millions of violent criminal illegal aliens unleashed on the United States by the previous administration. Now, these criminals will face justice and be removed from our country.” Trump’s Christmas Truth Social post on his administration’s accomplishments was also backed up by recent economic data. On Tuesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released its initial estimate of the third-quarter GDP, which showed the economy grew at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the three-month period including July, August and September. OPINION: MELANIA TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS IS A SHINING BEACON OF AMERICA “Compared to the second quarter, the acceleration in real GDP in the third quarter reflected a smaller decrease in investment, an acceleration in consumer spending, and upturns in exports and government spending. Imports decreased less in the third quarter,” the BEA said. While the president issued a cutting Christmas Eve statement on Truth Social, his official Christmas Day message was softer and more focused on the meaning of the holiday and the season. In the statement, which was released by the White House on Thursday, Trump and first lady Melania Trump relayed their warm wishes to Americans while emphasizing the religious significance of Christmas. MELANIA TRUMP GIVES UPLIFTING MESSAGE ABOUT SANTA TO YOUNG KIDS AT HOSPITAL “The First Lady and I send our warmest wishes to all Americans as we share in the joy of Christmas Day and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” the message reads. Trump went on to recount the biblical story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, calling it “the perfect expression of God’s boundless love and His desire to be close to His people.” The president then tied the story to the founding principles of the U.S. “For nearly 250 years, the principles of faith, family, and freedom have remained at the center of our way of life. As President, I will never waver in defending the fundamental values that make America the greatest country in the history of the world—and we will always remain one Nation under God.” The president also paid homage to U.S. servicemembers who are overseas and are unable to be with their families for the holiday. Trump thanked them for their service and sacrifice and their dedication to protecting Americans. “We are grateful for their devotion, and we keep them and their loved ones close in our hearts.” Trump ended his official message with a prayer for peace in the U.S. and across the globe, extending Christmas wishes to Americans and the world. “During the Christmas season, we pray for an outpouring of God’s abiding love, divine mercy, and everlasting peace upon our country and the entire world,” he said.. “To every American, and to those celebrating around the globe, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!”
How US troops celebrate Christmas abroad
As families across the United States gather for the holidays, thousands of U.S. service members are spending the season overseas, marking the occasion far from home while continuing their duties. American troops remain deployed across Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, supporting missions that range from NATO deterrence operations to maritime patrols and humanitarian assistance. While Christmas abroad rarely resembles celebrations back home, service members often find ways to recognize the holiday within the constraints of their mission and location. Across overseas installations, troops commonly decorate workspaces, living areas and dining facilities with lights, trees or improvised decorations. Many bases organize special holiday meals, often with commanders and senior enlisted leaders serving food. Chaplains typically hold Christmas services when schedules and security allow, sometimes in chapels, hangars or temporary facilities. For sailors deployed at sea, Christmas is often marked between watches, with decorated mess decks and holiday meals worked around operational demands. The holiday season also brings outreach from senior leaders. In recent days, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth placed Christmas morale calls from the Pentagon to service members stationed across the globe, including troops in South Korea, Kuwait, Norway, Greenland and aboard a Navy aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific. The calls were intended to thank service members for standing watch away from home and to recognize the range of missions continuing through the holidays. AMERICANS TURNED CHRISTMAS DINNER INTO PATRIOTIC DUTY DURING WWI WITH WARTIME RECIPES In Japan, where thousands of U.S. service members are stationed year-round, bases often emphasize morale and community traditions during the holidays. At Yokota Air Base, leaders delivered baked cookies to airmen living in dorms as part of the installation’s annual “Cookie Crunch,” a tradition aimed at supporting those spending the holidays away from family. Other installations across Japan and the Pacific typically host concerts, meals and volunteer events that sometimes include host-nation communities. MILITARY REVEALS JUST HOW MUCH TURKEY SHIPPED GLOBALLY TO ENSURE AMERICAN TROOPS ENJOY THANKSGIVING MEAL Elsewhere in Japan, the U.S. Band of the Pacific performed holiday music for local audiences, using seasonal concerts as a way to engage surrounding communities during the holiday period. One of the military’s most visible holiday efforts in the region is Operation Christmas Drop, the Department of War’s longest-running humanitarian airlift mission. Now in its 74th year, the operation recently concluded at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, where multinational teams prepared and delivered hundreds of aid bundles by C-130 aircraft to remote Pacific island communities. The mission combines humanitarian assistance with airlift training and regional cooperation. Holiday experiences also vary based on assignment type. In places like Japan and parts of Europe, many U.S. troops serve on accompanied tours, meaning spouses and children live with them overseas. Bases in those regions often host larger holiday events and family-focused activities. In contrast, deployments to the Middle East and parts of Africa are typically unaccompanied, with service members living on base or at forward locations without family present. In those environments, holiday observances are usually smaller and shaped by operational and security constraints. That distinction also affects leave. Troops stationed overseas on long-term assignments may be eligible to travel home during the holidays if schedules allow, while service members deployed on rotational or combat deployments generally remain in place, with units maintaining normal staffing and mission requirements throughout the season. Across Europe, U.S. forces mark the holidays while supporting NATO missions and forward presence efforts. Senior leaders use the season to acknowledge the sacrifices of those stationed abroad. In a holiday message to troops, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. T.J. Holland encouraged soldiers to spend time embracing local culture and connecting with family when possible. U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich also thanked service members and their families for their service. For many deployed troops, the United Service Organizations (USO) plays a key role during the holidays. Across Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, USO centers, mobile vehicles and expeditionary teams provide festive meals, seasonal decorations and spaces where service members can rest and connect. Mobile USO teams often reach personnel stationed at remote or demanding locations, offering brief opportunities to recharge. For deployed units, the holidays often are marked quietly rather than ceremonially. Traditions differ by location, mission and security environment, but service members continue to find small ways to recognize the season before returning to the routines of deployment.
Scavenger hunts, Christmas mass, Cajun-fried turkey: Capitol Hill’s favorite holiday traditions
Late December, for many people, is a time for family and holiday cheer. It’s no different for folks on Capitol Hill, which is currently a ghost town after lawmakers went home to their various districts to celebrate their favorite end-of-year traditions. For some, like Reps. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., and Byron Donalds, R-Mo., that means annual Christmas traditions with loved ones. “So, Christmas Eve is Spanish bean soup and Cuban sandwiches,” Donalds told Fox News Digital. “And Christmas Day we just spend time, and Christmas night will be some basketball, some football, and maybe a fire.” Burlison described a “special” Christmas scavenger hunt his mother puts on for her grandchildren to find in their stockings. AJ BROWN, TEE HIGGINS AMONG NFL STARS REMINISCING ON CHRISTMAS MEMORIES AS THEY IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITIES “And then we do Christmas bingo for our White Elephant gifts, and it gets pretty competitive,” Burlison smiled. “One of the funny things that happens every year is my brother will, whatever home we’re in, he’ll steal something from the house and then throw it in as one of the gifts.” “You’ll end up opening it and you’re like, ‘Oh, we have a vase just like this, Oh, wait, that’s our vase!’ It’s so funny. He does it all the time.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital his favorite Christmas tradition is opening presents with his children and eating Cajun fried turkey. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said he always keeps his faith close on Christmas. “The holidays always begin with attending Christmas Mass and thanking God for the miracle of the birth of Christ,” Cuellar told Fox News Digital. “From there, it’s about being at home with family — gathering around the table, sharing home-cooked meals, and keeping traditions that bring everyone together.” Meanwhile, Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., likes to share the end-of-year holidays with her chosen family of friends and neighbors. ‘CHRISTMAS LAWYER’ WHO WENT TO WAR WITH HOA SPENDS WINDFALL ON HOLIDAY CHEER That includes making and sharing Christmas cookies with those same people, as well as “holiday dinner with my college roommates and holiday dinner with my poker group.” And Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said Hanukkah and the rest of the holiday season was about his loved ones as well. “The holidays are a special time for me to celebrate with my family — whether that’s lighting the menorah with my kids, donating toys at local toy drives, or joining our community for tree and menorah lightings,” Gottheimer said.
Nearly 20 states sue HHS over declaration to restrict gender transition treatment for minors
A group of 19 Democrat-led states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a declaration that aims to restrict gender transition treatment for minors. The lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; and its inspector general comes after the declaration issued last week described treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender surgeries as unsafe and ineffective for children experiencing gender dysphoria. The declaration also warned doctors they could be excluded from federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, if they provide these treatments to minors. The move seeks to build on President Donald Trump’s executive order in January calling on HHS to protect children from “chemical and surgical mutilation.” HHS UNLEASHES SWEEPING CRACKDOWN ON CHILD ‘SEX-REJECTING PROCEDURES,’ THREATENS HOSPITAL, MEDICAID FUNDING “We are taking six decisive actions guided by gold standard science and the week one executive order from President Trump to protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation,” Kennedy said during a press conference last week. HHS has also proposed new rules designed to further block gender transition treatment for minors, although the lawsuit does not address the rules, which have yet to be finalized. The states’ lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Eugene, Oregon, argues that the declaration is inaccurate and unlawful and urges the court to prevent it from being enforced. “Secretary Kennedy cannot unilaterally change medical standards by posting a document online, and no one should lose access to medically necessary health care because their federal government tried to interfere in decisions that belong in doctors’ offices,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the lawsuit, said in a statement. The lawsuit claims the declaration attempts to pressure providers into ending gender transition treatment for young people and circumvent legal requirements for policy changes. The complaint said federal law requires the public be given notice and an opportunity to comment before substantively amending health policy and that neither of these were done before the declaration was released. The declaration based its conclusions on a peer-reviewed report that the department conducted earlier this year that called for more reliance on behavioral therapy rather than broad gender transition treatment for minors with gender dysphoria. The report raised questions about standards for the treatment of transgender children issued by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and brought concerns that youths may be too young to give consent to life-changing treatments that could result in future infertility. Major medical groups and physicians who treat transgender children have criticized the report as inaccurate. HHS also announced last week two proposed federal rules — one to cut off federal Medicaid and Medicare funding from hospitals that offer gender transition treatment to children and another to block federal Medicaid money from being used for these procedures. HOUSE APPROVES MTG-SPONSORED BILL TO CRIMINALIZE GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR MINORS The proposals have not yet been made final and are not legally binding because they must go through a lengthy rulemaking process and public comment before they can be enforced. Several major medical providers have already pulled back on gender transition treatment for youths since Trump returned to office, even those in Democrat-led states where the procedures are legal under state law. Medicaid programs in just under half of states currently cover gender transition treatment. At least 27 states have adopted laws restricting or banning the treatment, and the Supreme Court’s decision this year upholding Tennessee’s ban likely means other state laws will remain in place. Democrat attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington state and Washington, D.C., as well as Pennsylvania’s Democrat governor, joined James in the lawsuit. The Associated Press contributed to this report.