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Chris Wright, President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Energy, is planning to tell senators in charge of his confirmation that he will focus on restoring American “energy dominance” at home and abroad. 

Wright, a fossil fuel executive who in the past has been critical of the media blaming climate change for repeated wildfires, is expected to deliver his opening statement before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday morning. Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the statement in advance ahead of the hearing scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET.

“I am humbled by the great responsibility this position holds,” Wright is expected to say in his opening statement. “America has a historic opportunity to secure our energy systems, deliver leadership in scientific and technological innovation, steward our weapons stockpiles, and meet Cold War legacy waste commitments.” 

Describing himself as a “science geek, turned tech nerd, turned lifelong energy entrepreneur,” Wright will tell the committee how his “fascination with energy started at a young age in Denver, Colorado.” His opening statement discusses how he enrolled at MIT “specifically to work on fusion energy” and later started graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley where he worked “on solar energy as well as power electronics.”

TRUMP EYES AN END TO NEW WINDMILL PRODUCTION UNDER SECOND TERM, SAYS THEY ARE ‘DRIVING THE WHALES CRAZY’

Liberty Oilfield Services Inc. CEO Chris Wright laughs as he celebrates the companies IPO on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, January 12, 2018. (Reuters)

“Energy is the essential agent of change that enables everything that we do. A low energy society is poor. A highly energized society can bring health, wealth, and opportunity for all,” Wright will say. “The stated mission of the company that I founded – Liberty Energy – is to better human lives through energy. Liberty works directly in oil, natural gas, next generation geothermal and has partnerships in next-generation nuclear energy and new battery technology.” 

“Energy has been a lifelong passion of mine, and I have never been shy about that fact,” Wright plans to tell the committee. “Then again, I have never been shy about much. President Trump shares my passion for energy and, if confirmed, I will work tirelessly to implement his bold agenda as an unabashed steward for all sources of affordable, reliable and secure American energy.”

On Tuesday, committee Democrats led by Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico called for Wright’s confirmation hearing to be delayed by at least a week, citing how they had not yet received “the standard financial disclosure report, ethics agreement, or the opinions from the designated agency ethics officer and the Office of Government Ethics stating that the nominee is in compliance with the ethics laws.” 

Chairman Mike Lee, R-Utah, has already pushed back the confirmation hearing for Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick for interior secretary, by two days until Thursday due to an OGE paperwork delay, but Wright’s remained on the schedule Wednesday. 

Liberty Oilfield Services CEO Chris Wright at Liberty January 17, 2018.  (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

If approved as secretary, Wright would manage energy policy and production in the United States, as well as the nation’s nuclear weapon stockpile. He would also work with Burgum on the National Energy Council, where they would develop Trump’s energy dominance policy involving increased production of U.S. oil and gas.

Wright has indicated that he plans to resign as CEO and chairman of his fracking company, Liberty Energy, if approved.

DEMS BLAME LA FIRE ON ‘CLIMATE CHANGE’ DESPITE CITY CUTTING FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET

Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum rides an elevator in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Dec. 10, 2024 in Washington, DC.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In his opening statement, Wright identifies three “immediate” tasks that he would focus his attention on if confirmed.

“The first is to unleash American energy at home and abroad to restore energy dominance,” Wright will say. “The security of our nation begins with energy. Previous administrations have viewed energy as a liability instead of the immense national asset that it is. To compete globally, we must expand energy production, including commercial nuclear and liquified natural gas, and cut the cost of energy.” 

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“Second, we must lead the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs,” the statement continues. “Throughout my lifetime, technology and innovation have immeasurably enhanced the human condition. We must protect and accelerate the work of the Department’s national laboratory network to secure America’s competitive edge and its security. I commit to working with Congress on the important missions of the national laboratories.” 

“Third, we must build things in America again and remove barriers to progress,” Wright will say. “Federal policies today make it too easy to stop projects and very hard to start and complete projects. This makes energy more expensive and less reliable. President Trump is committed to lowering energy costs and to do so, we must prioritize cutting red tape, enabling private sector investments, and building the infrastructure we need to make energy more affordable for families and businesses.” 

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., has been placing calls and informing people that she is likely to mount a gubernatorial bid, Axios reported, citing D.C. and Tennessee sources.

State and federal elected figures have been placing calls in support of Blackburn’s potential run, a source noted, according to the outlet.

Fox News Digital emailed Blackburn’s campaign on Wednesday to request a comment from the lawmaker, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

GOP SENATOR ANNOUNCES ‘DOGE ACTS’ TO BACK MUSK, RAMASWAMY GOVERNMENT COST-CUTTING OBJECTIVES

Chair Committee on Platform, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., speaks on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisc. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs indicated in a post on X that he will back Blackburn for the role if she runs.

“Senator Blackburn has done an outstanding job as a state senator, U.S. congresswoman, and U.S. Senator. She would do an equally outstanding job as Governor and would have my full support if that’s what she decides,” Jacobs noted.

TENNESSEE MAYOR GLENN JACOBS, EX-WWE STAR, SAYS HE WOULD ADVISE DWAYNE JOHNSON AGAINST GOING INTO POLITICS

Blackburn, who has served in the Senate since early 2019, just won re-election to another six-year term in 2024 — her current term ends in early 2031.

“The 2025 Tennessee Legislative Session kicked off day ONE today!” Blackburn declared in a tweet on Tuesday. “It’s time to get to work, protect our state’s conservative values, and fight for all Tennesseans.”

‘WHEN THEY FAIL, AMERICANS DIE’: TRUMP SOURCE BLASTS FBI, URGES SWIFT CONFIRMATION OF KASH PATEL AS DIRECTOR

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Current Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican who has been in office since early 2019, cannot run in the 2026 contest, which leaves the field wide open for other GOP figures interested in vying for the job.

President Biden released a farewell letter Wednesday saying that “It has been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years.” 

“Today, we have the strongest economy in the world and have created a record 16.6 million new jobs. Wages are up. Inflation continues to come down,” he added ahead of a speech tonight from the Oval Office. 

Biden began his letter by writing that four years ago when he took office, “We were in the grip of the worst pandemic in a century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.  

“But we came together as Americans, and we braved through it. We emerged stronger, more prosperous, and more secure,” he said. 

BIDEN SAYS HE’S BEEN CARRYING OUT ‘MOST AGGRESSIVE CLIMATE AGENDA’ IN HISTORY AS HE DESIGNATES CALIFORNIA MONUMENTS

President Joe Biden speaks about foreign policy during a speech at the State Department in Washington on Jan. 13. (AP/Susan Walsh)

While touting economic growth, Biden said “We’re rebuilding our entire nation — urban, suburban, rural, and Tribal communities.  

“Manufacturing is coming back to America. We’re leading the world again in science and innovation, including the semiconductor industry. And we finally beat Big Pharma to lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors,” he continued. “More people have health insurance today in America than ever before.” 

Biden said he “ran for president because I believed that the soul of America was at stake. 

“The very nature of who we are was at stake. And, that’s still the case. America is an idea stronger than any army and larger than any ocean,” he declared. 

WHITE HOUSE REMOVE’S CUBA’S STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM DESIGNATION, REVERSING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVE

President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington on Jan. 10. (AP/Ben Curtis)

Biden is now set to leave office next week with President-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House for a second term. 

“It has been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years. Nowhere else on Earth could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as President of the United States,” Biden wrote. “I have given my heart and my soul to our nation. And I have been blessed a million times in return with the love and support of the American people. 

At one point in the letter, Biden wrote that “Vice President Harris and I asked our staff to prepare a detailed summary of the progress we’ve made together throughout the last four years.”

The White House released a lengthy accompanying fact sheet titled “The Biden-Harris Administration Record,” mentioning accomplishments including “Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic,” “Catalyzing a Small Business Boom,” protecting Americans “from Terrorism and Wrongful Detention” and “Advancing the Most Ambitious Environmental Justice Agenda in History.”

Biden concluded his letter by saying that history, power and “the idea of America” is in the hands of its citizens. 

President Joe Biden listens during a meeting with senior officials as he is briefed on the federal response to the wildfires across Los Angeles during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Jan. 13, 2025. The map in the background shows the projected wind speeds. (AP/Susan Walsh)

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“We just have to keep the faith and remember who we are. We are the United States of America, and there is simply nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together,” he said. 

A Florida state lawmaker has introduced a bill to ban illegal migrants from being admitted to some public colleges and universities.

Republican state Sen. Randy Fine proposed the legislation the day after GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special legislative session to help push President-elect Trump’s immigration agenda.

“Is it fair to allow an illegal immigrant to take a spot that could be taken by a Floridian or an American? I would argue no,” Fine said.

Fine’s bill would ban public colleges and universities with an acceptance rate under 85% from admitting students who are in the country illegally, which would include the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida and Florida International University.

FLORIDA LAWMAKER INTRODUCES BILL TO REQUIRE DACA STUDENTS TO PAY OUT-OF-STATE TUITION

Then-Rep. Randy Fine, R-South Brevard County, closes on a gambling bill during a special session, Wednesday, May 19, 2021, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP)

There are an estimated 1.2 million illegal migrants living in Florida, according to the Pew Research Center.

Migrant students in the U.S. illegally can currently qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Fine also recently proposed a bill that would require high school graduates with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, status to pay out-of-state tuition.

During the 2023-2024 school year, about 6,500 migrant students who were in the U.S. illegally qualified for a waiver from paying out-of-state tuition at the state’s public colleges and universities, according to the nonprofit Florida Policy Institute.

Three states prohibit students in the U.S. illegally from enrolling in at least some colleges, while half of states allow these students to qualify for in-state tuition, according to the National Immigration Law Center.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa’s 2023 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023. (SERGIO FLORES/AFP via Getty Images)

DeSantis scheduled the special session to begin the week after Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration to fund efforts to address illegal immigration, including for detention and relocation. The governor has said the state must work to support Trump’s promises to tackle illegal immigration and ensure that “we don’t have any lingering incentives for people to come into our state illegally.”

Trump, in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, thanked DeSantis for calling a special session, saying “hopefully other Governors will follow!”

But the governor has faced criticism from the legislature’s Republican leaders, who described his call for a special session as “premature” and “irresponsible.”

GOP REVIVES ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DETENTION BILL NAMED AFTER 12-YEAR-OLD MURDER VICTIM: ‘JUSTICE FOR JOCELYN’

The bill would ban public colleges and universities with an acceptance rate under 85% from admitting students who are in the country illegally. (Getty Images)

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Fine is among the Republican lawmakers who have vowed to support Trump and his agenda but have criticized the governor’s push for a special session as rushed.

“This was not accompanied with a robust bill package for us to consider,” Fine told reporters. “You want to call a special session? Give me the bills you want me to vote for.”

Fine, who joined the state Senate in November, is resigning from the legislature, effective March 31, so he can run for the U.S. House seat that is expected to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., who was nominated by Trump to be his national security advisor.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: A Democrat senator admitted Tuesday that he would support Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s confirmation again if the vote was held today despite Austin’s many controversial actions and repeatedly grilling Trump’s SecDef nominee Pete Hegseth over his qualifications earlier in the day.

“Would you vote for Lloyd Austin if there were a vote on him today?” Fox News Digital asked Blumenthal on Tuesday. 

“I would support General Austin as Secretary of Defense,” Blumenthal responded. “I did when he was nominated. I would support Secretary Mattis that was nominated by President Trump during his first term. I would not support this nominee because [Hegseth] lacks the financial management skills, the character and confidence, as well as the moral compass.”

During the hearing, Blumenthal told Hegseth, “I don’t believe that you can tell this committee, or the people of America that you are qualified to lead them. I would support you as the spokesperson for the Pentagon. I don’t dispute your communication skills, but I believe that we are entitled to the facts here.”

TRUMP TEAM FIRES BACK AFTER DEM SENATOR DECLARES ‘THE FIGHT IS JUST BEGINNING’

Sen. Blumenthal grilled SecDef nominee Pete Hegseth during his confirmation hearing and later admitted he would support Lloyd Austin, President Biden’s defense secretary, again. (Getty Images)

Austin has been widely criticized by conservatives, as well as some Democrats, for presiding over the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as several other perceived missteps during his tenure, including a situation where he was forced to directly apologize to President Biden for not informing him that he was hospitalized. 

“Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin oversaw the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal, let the Chinese make rapid advancements to catch up to our defense capabilities, went MIA for days leaving the Pentagon without a leader, prioritized DEI policies over defense needs, and allowed Biden’s policy of appeasement,” GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X on Tuesday. “We need a DECISIVE leader who can focus the Department of Defense on its mission of protecting America. We need Pete Hegseth.”

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., an Army veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, unsuccessfully handed Austin articles of impeachment in 2023, blaming him for a “25,000-plus recruitment shortage” and saying there were “8,400 people who were unconstitutionally purged from the military … you’ve got pronouns and DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] being taught at our military academies when we need to be focusing on what the next threat is and how we mitigate it.”

“Not only do I believe that you should have resigned … I myself perceive this as a dereliction of duty, and I take that very seriously,” Mills told Austin during the hearing before recounting what he believed were Austin’s failures during the Afghanistan withdrawal. “Political optics was placed above the true military strategy, where we should have held Bagram Air Base, held the detention center … not shut down and entrap Americans by taking over HKIA (Hamid Karazai International Airport), the commercial airspace and abandoning thousands of Americans.”

BIDEN’S ‘POLITICAL’ AFGHANISTAN STRATEGY GUTTED US CREDIBILITY, ARMY VET CONGRESSMAN SAYS AS HEARINGS BEGIN

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC ( (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))

Conservatives on social media also brought up a controversy from 2010 when Blumenthal was first running for Senate, where he suggested on multiple occasions he had served in Vietnam when he had not. Blumenthal, who received several draft deferments before serving in the Marine Corps. Reserve,  ultimately acknowledged that he had “misspoken” about his record but described those instances as few and far between.

“Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, who lied about serving in Vietnam to get elected, berating combat vet Pete Hegseth is a bit hard to take,” Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich posted on X on Tuesday.

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US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) speaks during a press conference (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

“Reminder: Sen. Blumenthal lied for his entire adult life about fighting in a war that he did not,” Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sen. Blumenthal made the case that Tuesday’s hearing was about Hegseth’s record and not his. 

“The people of Connecticut have always been clear about my record of military service, which is why they overwhelmingly elected me three times to the United States Senate,” Blumenthal said. “This hearing was about Pete Hegseth’s record of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement that showed him to be unqualified and unprepared to command 3.4 million Americans who protect our nation’s security.”

Fox News’ Michael Lee contributed reporting.

California lawmakers called for unity amid the historic Los Angeles wildfires, while at least one fired off letters to Congress calling for federal investigations into Sacramento’s fire preparedness and environmental policies.

Republican lawmakers also said at a news conference Monday that any talk of gaveling-in the special session with the express purpose of buttressing the state against President-elect Trump should be quashed.

Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, said he is sending letters to members-designate of the new Trump administration and top oversight lawmakers, suggesting officials in Sacramento will not “get to the truth” on the blazes.

DeMaio said tragedies like wildfires are a rare issue that can unite Republicans and Democrats, adding Californians “stand united in wishing the best to these communities for a speedy recovery.”

ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM

A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire in Mandeville Canyon, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Etienne Laurent)

“But I also believe that Californians also stand united on a very important issue of accountability. Why were we not better prepared for this disaster? All Californians are asking that question.”

DeMaio said the legislative special session should include oversight hearings on questions he claimed Gov. Gavin Newsom has not sufficiently answered.

“He’s given [questioners] nothing but evasion and yes, frankly, dishonesty,” DeMaio claimed. “I do not believe that we are going to get to the truth if we leave the investigation in the hands of Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state and local politicians.”

DeMaio said two of his letters have been sent to Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, both of Kentucky, to probe “a number of failures by state and local politicians on these fire disasters.”

He added that he will ask President-elect Trump to also sign an executive order requesting federal agencies investigate California’s lack of brush management, public land maintenance and inadequate water supply and infrastructure in the fire-affected areas.

CA DEMOCRATS URGE FEDS TO APPROVE HIGH SPEED RAIL FUNDING BEFORE DOGE NIXES BOONDOGGLE

Assemb. Carl DeMaio (CQ/Getty)

Lawmakers also hammered insurance companies and warned the state’s insurance market could go insolvent if changes aren’t made amid dropped coverages and private companies pulling out of the state.

Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, noted his district weathered the 2019 Paradise fire, and offered the caucus’ condolences and support to those dealing with the crisis in Los Angeles.

“Our thoughts and prayers are going out to those community members and those first responders who are fighting and doing God’s work fighting these fires as we speak. I want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to help get people safe, to help people recover,” Gallagher said.

“[W]e need to do a whole lot more to combat and prevent catastrophic wildfires in our state,” he said, adding that both wildfire prevention and issues with the state insurance market must be addressed in the special session.

Gallagher said that in 2021, he and other lawmakers fought for $1 billion in funding for such issues, and that there has been a major reduction in appropriations since then.

“We’re calling for immediate action on recovery to help ensure that these communities recover from this disaster, but also on the real solutions that will help us to be a stronger, more resilient state against catastrophic wildfires.”

CA DEMS MOVE TO TRUMP-PROOF THE STATE

DeMaio, Gallagher and Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, also voiced concerns about the state’s insurance market.

Grove listed off almost a dozen insurance companies which she claimed either stopped writing Californian homeowners’ insurance, limited renewals or left the state’s market.

She noted homeowners cannot get or refinance a mortgage without proof of insurance and called for “permanently eliminating red tape and expediting cleanup and recovery and rebuild for all Californians affected by wildfires.”

For his part, Newsom has reportedly proposed $2.5 billion in additional emergency response and preparedness funding.

Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, said seven of the 15 deadliest California wildfires have occurred over the past 10 years, and that little seems to change in the way of preparedness.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Getty)

Former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson reopened the Santa Monica Freeway only 66 days after a 1994 earthquake-spurred collapse, she said.

Under Newsom, CalFIRE’s ranks and budget have both nearly doubled to nearly 11,000 members and $3.8 billion. The state’s forest management budget also increased under the potential 2028 presidential candidate.

In a tweet rejecting Republicans’ claims about cuts to fire prevention funding, Newsom’s press office tweeted that it presented a “purposefully misleading graphic that starts when a one-time budget supplemental was injected to respond to the horrific fires in 2019/2020.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom, as well as the Trump Transition and Comer for response to DiMaio’s letters.

President-elect Trump is giving a shoutout to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for pushing a special legislative session to implement Trump’s expected immigration crackdown.

And Trump is urging other governors across the country to follow Florida’s lead.

“Thank you Ron, hopefully other governors will follow!” the president-elect said Tuesday in a social media post.

President-elect Trump is giving a shoutout to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for pushing a special legislative session to implement Trump’s expected immigration crackdown. (Scott Olson/Getty Images | AP/Jae C. Hong)

DeSantis is calling for a special legislative session in Florida on Jan. 27, with the goal of putting the state in a position to help implement Trump’s pledge of a massive deportation of people who entered the U.S. illegally.

The governor is calling for more law enforcement funding and other reforms, to assist the Trump immigration effort. 

TRUMP FLOATS DESANTIS AS DEFENSE SECRETARY REPLACEMENT SHOULD HEGSETH FALTER

“State and local officials in Florida must help the Trump administration enforce our nation’s immigration laws,” DeSantis told reporters on Monday. 

The governor said “in order to do that effectively, we are going to need legislation to impose additional duties on local officials and provide funding for those local officials. There also needs to be measures to hold people accountable for violating our anti-sanctuary policies and that Florida needs to make sure that we don’t have any lingering incentives for people to come into our state illegally.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks as Utah Gov. Spencer Cox listens before President-elect Trump talks at a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

While Republicans enjoy a super majority in Florida’s legislature, some state GOP legislative leaders are calling the request for a special session “premature.”

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The push by DeSantis and the praise by Trump is the latest sign that the two Republican powerhouses are continuing to mend their relationship after a very nasty showdown during the 2024 GOP presidential nomination race.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

DeSantis, a bitter Trump rival in 2023 and early last year, made peace with Trump after the former president trounced his rivals and clinched the nomination, and helped raise funds for Trump during the general election. DeSantis also spoke at last summer’s Republican National Convention.

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Last month, Trump briefly considered nominating DeSantis as defense secretary if his nominee, Pete Hegseth, had decided to drop out amid a rough patch in his confirmation drive, according to multiple sources. But Hegseth weathered the political storm and on Tuesday had his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said Tuesday that the state is going to stockpile abortion medication in preparation for President-elect Trump’s return to the White House next week with GOP control of both chambers of Congress.

The governor made comments about protecting abortion drugs like mifepristone during his state of the state address, when he vowed to work with Trump on issues where they share priorities, but also stressed that the state is ready to push back against the incoming administration in areas where they are opposed.

Murphy is one of a handful of Democrat governors who say they are open to cooperation with Trump’s administration. But Murphy emphasized that he will not back down from challenging “anti-choice” policies backed by the Republican-led House and Senate in Washington and said the state will stockpile mifepristone “so every woman can access this crucial form of reproductive care.”

“I will never back away from partnering with the Trump Administration where our priorities align,” Murphy said. “But just as importantly, I will never back down from defending our New Jersey values — if and when they are tested.”

MONTANA AG ASKS SUPREME COURT TO UPHOLD LAW REQUIRING PARENTAL CONSENT FOR A MINOR’S ABORTION

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Jan. 9, 2024. (AP)

New Jersey is the latest Democrat-led state to announce plans to stockpile mifepristone, one of two drugs used in combination to end pregnancies.

Trump, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, said last month he does not plan to restrict abortion drugs, but he also admitted that “things change.”

Pro-choice groups have expressed concern that Pam Bondi, who Trump nominated for attorney general, may bring back the Comstock Act, a law passed by Congress in 1873 that banned the mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD CHAPTER PROVIDED HARRIS CAMPAIGN WORKSPACE, VIOLATING TAX LAW: IRS COMPLAINT

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy speaks during a press conference in Newark in August. (AP/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled to preserve access to mifepristone. The case sought to restrict access to the drug, including in states where abortion is legal.

Abortion is banned, with some exceptions, at all stages of pregnancy in 14 states, and after about six weeks of pregnancy in three others.

In Murphy’s Tuesday state of the state address, which was his second-to-last, he emphasized his reluctance to become a lame-duck governor before his second term ends, unveiling several proposals for the year. The term-limited governor will be leaving office in a year after November’s gubernatorial election. New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states regularly scheduled with gubernatorial races this year.

Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey, speaks to members of the media after meeting with President Biden during the National Governors Association Winter Meeting at the White House on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“During this final chapter of our journey, our absolute top priority — as it has been since Day One — is delivering economic security and opportunity to every New Jerseyan,” Murphy said.

Other proposals Murphy announced include directing schools to ban cellphones in grades K-12.

“Our children are inundated with screens,” he said. “And they are making it incredibly difficult for our kids, not only to learn, but to retain the substance of what they learn.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee, the House’s chief tax writing committee, pointed out during a Tuesday hearing that if Congress lets President-elect Trump’s tax cuts from his first term expire, millions of small businesses in the United States will see a top tax rate that is higher than what small businesses in communist China pay.   

Tuesday’s hearing launched debate in the new Congress over how to handle Trump’s expiring tax credits, key provisions of which are slated to expire later this year. Among those key provisions is a new 20% tax deduction ushered in by Trump in 2017, known as Section 199-A, which provides tax relief for qualified trade or business expenses incurred by taxpayers that are not corporations. 

But, if Trump’s Section 199-A deduction expires later this year, small business owners could see their top tax rate more than double to 43.4%, which is roughly 20 points higher than what businesses in communist China face, Ways & Means Chairman Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., laid out in a report earlier this month and reiterated during Tuesday’s hearing. 

“If Congress fails to act … 26 million small businesses will be hit with a 43.4 percent top tax rate, more than 20 points higher than what businesses pay in Communist China,” Smith said Tuesday. 

TRUMP DETAILS STRATEGY TO GET NECESSARY VOTES WITH ONE-BILL APPROACH TO BORDER, TAXES

Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., talks during Tuesday’s hearing about making Trump’s tax cuts permanent.  (House Ways & Means)

Smith’s concerns were also echoed by other Republicans on the committee during Tuesday’s hearing.

“I guess my colleagues want to go back to when we had higher tax rates than communist China,” said Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. “What’s pro-American about that? How are we going to unleash economic growth, job creation, and prosperity with that kind of tax rate? We reduced it to 21% and we’re not even in the top quarter of the most competitive tax rates. So, I guess my colleagues want to go back to the highest business tax rate in the free world. It makes no sense.”

“The 21% rate in the United States of America – when you add the average state rate across the United States – is at 25%,” added Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla. “Our greatest adversary in the world economically – no one is even close – is China at 25%.”

Congressman Jodey Arrington speaks at Tuesday’s full Ways & Means Committee on what to do about the expiring Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed under Trump in 2017. (Ways & Means Committee)

Allison Couch, the founder of Ignite Accounting and one of the witnesses present at Tuesday’s hearing, referred to 199-A as “the single most beneficial deduction for small business owners.”

“Allowing this deduction to lapse when it has been in place for so many years will not feel like a sunset, but a tax increase,” said Couch, who also submitted a report into the congressional record during Tuesday’s hearing from global accounting firm Ernst & Young, which indicated 25.9 million small businesses in the United States utilize the 199-A deduction.

TRUMP TASKS BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS WITH ‘HOMEWORK’ AS GOP PLOTS MASSIVE CONSERVATIVE POLICY OVERHAUL

Other provisions that Republicans and the pro-TCJA witnesses at the hearing called on to become permanent included Trump’s beefed up child tax credit, which doubled parents’ eligible deduction, his death tax reforms, which doubled the amount heirs could pass on before being taxed, and lower marginal tax rates for individuals, a move that one witness said Tuesday has helped workers earn more take-home pay.  

Closeup woman filling form of Individual Income Tax Return. (iStock)

However, Democrats at the hearing argued that an extension of Trump’s tax cuts will benefit the ultra wealthy more than anyone else. They also argued that Republicans are ignoring the deficit impact, and not providing adequate solutions for how to pay for the extended cuts, noting that increased deficits could result in increased interest rates, a grater cost burden for middle-class people and less economic growth.  

“There’s no free lunch here,” said Brendan Duke, senior director of economic policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress. “The tax cuts will likely be paid for eventually in the form of spending cuts or tax increases down the line. In the meantime, continued, or even higher deficits could mean continued or even higher interest rates. That makes housing, student loans and credit card debt less affordable for working people.”

PLANNED PARENTHOOD CHAPTER PROVIDED HARRIS CAMPAIGN WORKSPACE, BREAKING TAX LAW: IRS COMPLAINT

“Republican reliance on tariff taxes to off-set their tax breaks for the super wealthy will continue to shift the tax burden to some of the very type of businesses that [Republicans want to protect]” warned Democratic Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett. “The biggest loser of their plan overall will be our debt, but the impact that that has on the solvency of Social Security, and Medicare and other investments, is also very critical. So, as we move forward we need to consider all of these impacts and look for a tax code that is mor fair for working Americans and less of a gift to those at the top.”

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, stops to speak with a reporter inside the underground tunnels underneath the U.S. Capitol ((Photo by Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images))

In response to the battle in Congress over the expiring tax cuts, a fiscally conservative political advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity, launched a $20 million campaign to urge lawmakers on Capitol Hill “to protect prosperity” by renewing Trump’s tax cuts. 

The campaign will include ads in all 50 states as the group says Congress is “facing a countdown to crisis that threatens the family budgets of virtually every American.” Notably, Americans for Prosperity, endorsed Trump’s presidential contender Nikki Haley prior to Trump becoming the GOP’s nominee. 

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Expect a traffic jam in the Senate soon as the race is on to confirm President-elect Trump’s cabinet nominees.

In short, nothing can happen until President-elect Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Yes, there will be plenty of Trump loyalists attending various inaugural balls around town.

But once the inauguration festivities conclude at the Capitol, the Senate will get down to business. A handful of committees are already angling to schedule “markups” to potentially discharge or send various nominations to the floor. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has already teed up a meeting for 3:15 pm et on January 20 for the nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to be Secretary of State. And if the custom holds, the Senate will confirm at least a few of Mr. Trump’s nominees just hours after he takes the oath of office.

A USER’S MANUAL TO CERTIFYING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Let history be our guide:

The Senate confirmed Trump’s Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly on the evening of January 20, 2017. The next confirmation didn’t come until January 31, 2017. That was Elaine Chao, wife of former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), to be Transportation Secretary.

In 2021, the Senate confirmed one of President Biden’s nominees shortly after he was sworn-in. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines was the first Biden nominee confirmed – on the night of January 20, 2021. The first, full cabinet-level vote did not come until January 22, when the Senate confirmed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The coming weeks are littered with confirmation hearings for President-elect Trump’s Cabinet picks – but the pace at which we can expect them to be confirmed and take office is an entirely different animal. (All photos via Getty Images)

So, while everyone is trying to squeeze into their tux on Monday night, look for the Senate to potentially vote on a nominee or two on the evening of January 20th.

Fox is told that the most likely candidates might include Rubio – since he is a known quantity in the Senate and has bipartisan support. Another possibility would be CIA Director nominee John Ratcliffe. The Senate previously confirmed Ratcliffe as the Director of National Intelligence during the first Trump Administration. He is also a known entity in the halls of Congress and served as a Republican congressman from Texas. His hearing is on for tomorrow.

Frankly, the ambitious timetable of approving several of the nominees quickly could be challenging.

THE SPEAKER’S LOBBY: THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO ELECTING A HOUSE SPEAKER

The Senate Energy Committee had to postpone Tuesday’s confirmation hearing for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum from Tuesday until Thursday due to delays over paperwork. Veterans Affairs Secretary nominee Doug Collins is not controversial. He is a former GOP congressman from Georgia. But his confirmation hearing for Tuesday was pushed back until next week. Collins may have been one figure who could have been confirmed quickly.

Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi is also one who could secure relatively speedy confirmation. Her hearing is Wednesday and Thursday. So maybe next week for her? Unclear.

But let’s examine the track record of the Senate confirming President Biden’s nominees and place it against expectations for the new Trump Administration.

Attorney General pick Pam Bondi is one of a few Trump nominees who may enjoy comparatively speedy confirmation, though vote delays are far from uncommon. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

After Lloyd Austin, the Senate confirmed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on January 25, 2021, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on January 26. Most cabinet officials weren’t confirmed until February or March. The Senate did not confirm Interior Secretary Deb Haaland until March 15, 2021, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra until March 18, 2021, and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh until March 22, 2021.

You get the idea.

Every nominee must go through a hearing. Committees have different rules about how they discharge a nomination to the floor. So that could consume some time as well. Some nominees could be bottled up in committee, depending on opposition or attendance problems. Then there may be debate on the floor.

THE POLITICAL FIRESTORM THAT’S ABOUT TO SINGE CAPITOL HILL

If Democrats filibuster a nominee, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) may need to tee up a procedural gambit to break filibusters. The process of just initiating a procedural vote to break a filibuster consumes parts of three days alone. If a nominee’s opponents still don’t relent, it’s possible that senators could drag out debate on a nominee for day or two – even though the Senate has broken a filibuster.

In February 2017, Mike Pence became the first Vice President to break a tie to confirm a cabinet official. He did so to confirm former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

In other words, floor time is at a premium. There are various parliamentary “meridians” for when the Senate can take certain procedural votes to advance a nominee. That’s why the Senate took a procedural vote at 7 am on the DeVos nomination in February 2017. The Senate also confirmed then Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price around 2 am one morning.

Mike Pence was the first Vice President whose vote was needed to break a tie in a Cabinet secretary’s confirmation – that secretary being former Department of Education head Betsy DeVos. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

And we haven’t even gotten to other nominations which are important to the Administration – such as Pete Hoekstra to be Ambassador to Canada or Mike Huckabee to serve as Ambassador to Israel. There are more than 800 positions which require Senate confirmation.

To accelerate things, the Senate could confirm some swaths of non-controversial nominees “en bloc.” That means the Senate clears the nominees on both sides to make sure there are no objections. If there are none, the Senate compiles a list and confirms a group of nominees together in one fell swoop.

But this is a long and tedious process. Confirming various positions in the Trump administration is going to take months. It consumes hours of floor time. That’s the most precious commodity in the Senate. Keep in mind that the push to confirm Trump nominees comes as the Senate is trying to work out a time agreement and amendments to pass the Laken Riley Act and a bill to sanction the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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This is a monster process. And it will likely consume some early mornings, very late nights and even some weekend sessions before this is settled.

President Biden on Tuesday signed proclamations to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, which will protect hundreds of thousands of acres of land in California, during his last week in office. 

The event was delayed by a week due to the destructive wildfires raging in Southern California, and Biden revealed that he had wanted to do the ceremony in the state, but it had to be moved to the White House. 

“We’ve been carrying out the most aggressive climate agenda ever in the history of the world,” the president said in the East Room of the White House, before discussing the national monuments. “Our natural wonders are the heart and soul of our nation.” 

He said in his second week as president he signed an executive order “establishing the first ever conservation goal to protect 30% of all our lands and waters everywhere in America by 2030 … I call this national campaign America the Beautiful … And over the last four years, we’ve delivered … putting America on track to meet that bold goal, restoring it, creating new national monuments, conserving hundreds of millions of acres of land and waters all across America, from New England to Minnesota, Texas to Colorado, Arizona, Alaska.” 

BIDEN ISSUES SECOND AI ACTION DURING FINAL WEEK IN OFFICE WITH EXECUTIVE ORDER FAST-TRACKING US INFRASTRUCTURE

Biden signed a proclamation to establish Chuckwalla National Monument and Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in California on Tuesday.  (Anna Rose Layden/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He added, “Over the past four years, I’m proud to have kept my commitment to protect more land and water than any president in American history.” 

WHITE HOUSE REMOVES CUBA’S STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM DESIGNATION, REVERSING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVE

President Biden on Tuesday signed proclamations to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, which will protect hundreds of thousands of acres of land in California, during his last week in office.  (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

The Chuckwalla National Monument will protect more than 600,000 acres of public land in the California desert near Joshua Tree National Park and the Colorado River, according to the National Parks Conservation Association. 

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Biden listens to California officials update him on the wildfires on Jan. 10.  (eigh Vogel/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Sáttítla Highlands National Monument will protect more than 224,000 acres of land in Northern California in the Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath national forests and “provides protection to tribal ancestral homelands, historic and scientific treasures, rare flora and fauna, and the headwaters of vital sources of water,” according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Them’s fightin’ words. 

The House Oversight Committee devolved into chaos on Tuesday after Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., challenged Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to a fight. 

“If you wanna take it outside, we can do that,” Mace said.

The squabble was sparked when Crockett said “child, listen” during a back-and-forth about civil rights, women’s rights and transgender rights.

TWO HOUSE DEMS JOIN GOP TO BAN BIOLOGICAL MALES FORM GIRLS’ SCHOOL SPORTS

Reps. Nancy Mace and Jasmine Crockett shared a heated exchange over trans rights and women’s rights. (Fox News)

“Somebody’s campaign coffers are struggling right now. So she gon’ keep sayin’ ‘trans, trans trans’ so that people will feel threatened and child, listen,” Crockett said. 

Mace erupted in anger. 

“I’m no child! Do not call me a child! I’m no child. Don’t even start,” Mace said, interrupting Crockett. “I’m a grown woman. I’m 47 years old. I’ve broken more glass ceilings than you ever have… You will not do that. I’m not a child… If you wanna take it outside, we can do that.”

TRANS VOLLEYBALL PLAYER ACCUSED OF PLAN TO HARM TEAMMATE AFTER TAKING SCHOLARSHIPS FROM FEMALE PLAYERS

The two talked over each other as House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., attempted to control the chaos as he slammed his gavel. 

“Order! Order! Order!,” members could be heard saying.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer attempted to get the meeting under control. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Crockett later attacked Republicans, accusing them of going after “the most vulnerable in our country.” 

She said, “Trans people ain’t goin’ no where. Just like when the racists wanted to make sure that Black people somehow were going to be dismissed in this country. We ain’t left either.”

Mace later took to X to continue her war of words with Crockett. 

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER SUGGESTS ‘SLAVE MENTALITY’ BEHIND HISPANIC TRUMP VOTERS

“I’m no child. And if I wanted a physical fight, you’d know it. That’s not what this was,” she wrote. “I won’t be bullied by someone who wants to take away women’s rights while lecturing about civil rights. I won’t be bullied by someone who thinks being scared of rape is a ‘fantasy.’ This ain’t political, it’s personal.”

Mace further attempted to clarify her comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“There’s been a lot of speculation about my intentions during a heated exchange on women’s rights earlier today on Oversight,” she said in the statement. “Let me be clear: I wanted to take the conversation off the floor to have a more constructive conversation, not to fight. At no point was there any intention of causing harm to anyone. I was just assaulted by a pro tr*ns man a few weeks ago and am still in physical therapy for my injuries. I know firsthand how the Left is capable of doing real physical harm. I will not be bullied into submission, I will not be called names by my colleagues like I was today, I will not be belittled, or invalidated—especially as a rape survivor. I will always stand up for women and push back against left-wing extremism that seeks to silence our voices and dismiss our rights.”

NANCY MACE SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP

Crockett also took to X to address the exchange, writing, in part: “Today, I introduced an amendment to reinstate the Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. My Republican colleague threatened to physically fight me about it. Bless her heart.”

Crockett’s office also fired back at Mace, claiming it was clear Mace was threatening physical violence against Crockett.

“It was clear that Rep. Mace was threatening physical violence against Congresswoman Crockett as part of her performative, ridiculous meltdown,” Crockett’s office said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Her slur-ridden screed exemplifies exactly why the House Oversight Committee needs to pass Congresswoman Crockett’s amendment to reinstate the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Congresswoman Crockett ignored her obvious, desperate baiting – if Rep. Mace wants to raise money off of the back of a qualified Black woman, she can try someone else.” 

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The brouhaha between Mace and Crockett happened on the same day the House passed a bill banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports at schools that receive federal funding. 

Two House Democrats voted alongside Republicans to pass the Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Vicente Gonzales, D-Texas, were the lone Democrats to vote for the bill when it passed 218 to 206. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., voted “present.”

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, officially endorsed Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense on Tuesday night, despite expressing some initial uncertainty following their first meeting. 

“After four years of weakness in the White House, Americans deserve a strong Secretary of Defense,” Ernst told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.

‘WASTE LESS, SAVE MORE’: DOGE CAUCUS MEMBER ROLLS OUT EXPANSIVE BILL PACKAGE AHEAD OF TRUMP INAUGURATION

Ernst officially announced her support of Hegseth on Tuesday.  (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

“Our next commander in chief selected Pete Hegseth to serve in this role, and after our conversations, hearing from Iowans, and doing my job as a United States Senator, I will support President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense. As I serve on the Armed Services Committee, I will work with Pete to create the most lethal fighting force and hold him to his commitments of auditing the Pentagon, ensuring opportunity for women in combat while maintaining high standards, and selecting a senior official to address and prevent sexual assault in the ranks.”

President-elect Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense (DOD) went before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning, where he faced questions from both Democratic and Republican members. 

SCHUMER GATHERS KEY COMMITTEE DEMS TO TALK LOOMING HEGSETH CONFIRMATION HEARING

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 14: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. Hegseth, an Army veteran and the former host of “FOX & Friends Weekend” on FOX News will be the first of the incoming Trump administration’s nominees to face questions from Senators. ( (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))

During the hearing, Ernst pressed Trump’s DOD choice on women in combat, sexual assault in the military and auditing the department. 

Ernst, a survivor of sexual assault herself, said, “A priority of mine has been combating sexual assault in the military and making sure that all of our service members are treated with dignity and respect. This has been so important. Senator Gillibrand and I have worked on this, and we were able to get changes made to the uniform code of military justice to make sure that we have improvements, and on how we address the tragic and life altering, issues of rape, sexual assault. It will demand time and attention from the Pentagon under your watch, if you are confirmed.”

MEET LEADER JOHN THUNE’S ALL-STAR CABINET AS REPUBLICANS TAKE OVER SENATE MAJORITY

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 14: Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) (L) introduces U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)

“So, as secretary of Defense, will you appoint a senior level official dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response?” she asked Hegseth. 

Trump’s DOD choice told the senator that he would agree to do so. 

Ernst had previously expressed uncertainty about her support for Hegseth, agreeing with Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer when he suggested she wasn’t quite ready to say yes to his confirmation. “I think you are right,” she said on “America’s Newsroom.”

The senator’s support is a welcome development for Hegseth because, in order to be confirmed, its expected he will need nearly every Republican to back him, with room to lose only two of their votes. This is assuming that no Democratic senators choose to back him, in which case, he would have more flexibility with Republicans. 

Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, left, and President Elect Donald Trump, right  (Getty)

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Hegseth took numerous pointed questions from Democrats, along with several criticisms. The senators prodded him over allegations regarding alcohol consumption, sexual assault and financial mismanagement. 

He has denied each of the allegations. However, Democratic senators emerged from the hearing unconvinced by Hegseth. 

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

-GOP senator flips script on Dems for ‘hypocritical’ grilling of Hegseth: ‘So ridiculous’

–Massie removed from powerful House committee after vote against Johnson

-Speaker Johnson announces flags to fly full-staff at US Capitol during presidential inauguration

Grilled on the Hill

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, faced a Senate grilling on Tuesday as lawmakers determine whether they will vote in support of the nominee. 

Hegseth faced intense questioning from Democrats in his Armed Services Committee hearing, including his previous comments related to women serving in military combat roles, and was also interrupted by protesters who disturbed the hearing at some points. 

Trump nominated Hegseth in November, just days after his decisive election win over Vice President Harris, lauding him “as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country.”…Read more

Pete Hegseth, military analyst at Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. and US secretary of defense nominee for US President-elect Donald Trump, during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday,  Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty Images)

White House

‘LEAD THE WORLD’: Biden issues second AI action during final week in office with executive order fast-tracking US infrastructure…Read more

ANCHORS AWAY: Biden announces names of future aircraft carriers: USS William J Clinton, George W Bush…Read more

FEMA FUNDS: Biden announces $770  checks for residents impacted by California wildfires…Read more

Vehicles and a house burn as powerful winds fueling devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area force people to evacuate, at the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, U.S. January 8, 2025.  (REUTERS/David Swanson)

‘CASHING IN’: ‘Incomplete’ Hunter Biden report, protection of ‘Biden Crime Family’ shredded by Comer, IRS whistleblowers…Read more

World Stage

Trump Transition

COZY AT THE WHITE HOUSE: Elon Musk poised to take White House office space: report…Read more

LOUD NOISES: Hegseth interrupted by multiple protesters during Senate confirmation hearing…Read more

US Capitol Police officers remove a demonstrator during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty Images)

ABSENT AGAIN: Michelle Obama to skip Trump inauguration, 11 days after missing Carter funeral…Read more

‘I WANT TO KNOW…’: GOP Hegseth holdout presses defense secretary nominee on her top 3 issues in military…Read more

‘CLOWN SHOW’: Dem senator’s ‘lies and stupidity’ at Hegseth hearing roasted on social media…Read more

Capitol Hill

SPORTS: Two House Dems vote with GOP to ban biological males from girls’ school sports…Read more

House GOP Members And Female Athletes Mark Passage Of The Protection Of Women And Girls In Sports Act WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 20: Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) (C) and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-VA) (L) raise their hands when asked if they know a transgender woman during an event to celebrate the House passing The Protection Of Women And Girls In Sports Act outside the U.S. Capitol on April 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. President Joe Biden has promised to veto the legislation, which defines sex as ‘based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth’ and would ban all transgender women and girls from competing in female school sports.  (Chip Somodevilla)

WHO-DUNIT: Global health agency on chopping block as Republicans threaten to cut off funds…Read more

DOGE HOUSE: House DOGE Caucus eyes federal employees, government regulations in new goal-setting memo…Read more

Across America

‘SPREAD SO THIN’: LA councilwoman whose district ravaged by wildfires looks to hold leaders accountable for empty reservoirs…Read more

People watch the smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 7, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Palisades Fire has grown to over 2,900 acres and 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate while a second fire has emerged near Eaton Canyon.  (Tiffany Rose/Getty Images)

BORDER CRISIS COSTS: Oklahoma education superintendent suing for reimbursement of costs of education for illegal aliens…Read more

JUMPING IN: Top lawmaker first Republican to launch gubernatorial campaign in race to succeed Michigan’s Whitmer…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com

FIRST ON FOX: A Kentucky judge declined to immediately sign a police reform consent decree forged by the Justice Department and city of Louisville during a hearing one courtroom participant described as a hasty attempt by the Biden administration to hamstring President-elect Donald Trump.

The Monday hearing was one of at least three instances of ongoing litigation in which the Biden administration is seeking to enshrine progressive policing policies in their 11th hour in a difficult-to-reverse manner.

Federal Judge Benjamin Beaton refused to be a “rubber stamp” for a 240-page reform plan spurred by the 2020 police-involved shooting of Breonna Taylor, Oversight Project counsel Kyle Brosnan said in a Tuesday interview.

Taylor had been killed in a hail of police gunfire after Louisville officers sought to serve a drug warrant at her boyfriend Kenneth Walker’s house, when her beau fired a “warning shot” through the door and struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg.

WATCHDOG SEEKS HALT TO 11TH HOUR BIDEN DOJ EFFORT TO ‘HANDCUFF’ KY POLICE OVER BREONNA TAYLOR INCIDENT

Biden and Garland (Getty)

Brosnan noted a consent decree is different from other legal agreements — in that they cannot simply be reversed by presidential order or a change of heart by one of the parties involved.

Brosnan characterized the Kentucky decree’s reforms as “woke,” while his colleague, Oversight Project executive director Mike Howell, previously called them a “laundry list of BLM-type standards” the left has long called for.

The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund joined the amicus brief filed, as Brosnan noted LELDF’s leader Jason Johnson has “first-hand experience” with consent decrees following the Freddie Gray riots and ensuing investigation.

The consent decree alleged a pattern or practice of racial bias in Louisville policing, including in traffic stops, sexual assault probes or use-of-force.

“And the judge went through each of those topics and said, ‘OK, what is your basis for this?’,” Brosnan recounted.

In court, DOJ attorney Paul Killebrew was asked for data on lethal force incidents to better understand patterns alleged in the consent decree.

Killebrew reportedly replied that the DOJ could not provide such information in order to “maintain leverage” in any future litigation.

That dynamic was a theme during the marathon hearing, according to Brosnan.

However, it was not the only opportunity for the DOJ and city to convince Beaton to sign their decree, as the judge gave until Friday for additional documents to be filed, but time is of the essence.

While Inauguration Day is not necessarily a deadline for the Biden DOJ to get the decree approved, it won’t be long after that they will likely run out of time, Brosnan said.

He compared the dynamic to how Trump — early in his first term — fired Obama-holdover acting DOJ chief Sally Yates for refusing to enforce his “Muslim ban.”

PROPOSED CHICAGO POLICE RESOURCE CUTS COULD LAND CITY IN COURT UNDER CONSENT DECREE, OFFICIALS WARN

Outgoing administration officials at various levels will remain in “acting” roles until the Senate confirms incoming nominees. 

Therefore, the Biden DOJ effectively has until Pamela Bondi as attorney general or Harmeet Dhillon as head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division are in office to get their decree across the finish line, the attorney said.

Brosnan said there are at least two other police reform consent decrees matriculating through the legal process: in Maryland and Minnesota.

On Jan. 6, the DOJ reached an agreement with Minneapolis — that still requires court approval — to reform the department’s “unconstitutional and unlawful practices” allegedly counter to the Americans With Disabilities Act and 14th Amendment.

In October 2024, the feds sued the Maryland Department of State Police alleging Civil Rights Act violations.

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A side-by-side of President-elect Donald Trump and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. (Getty Images)

“The United States claims MDSP violated Title VII when it used a certain physical fitness test and a certain written test to hire entry-level Troopers because the tests disqualified more female and African-American applicants than others and were not job related,” a court document reads. 

Maryland police dispute the allegations.

Monday’s petitioners noted how the last Trump administration began with then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions reexamining Obama-era consent decrees.

“You are well within your power as judge to sort of pump the brakes and wait and see what the new administration has to say here,” Brosnan characterized their testimony to Beaton.

“Trump has a right to sort of not be handcuffed by the Biden administration — he won by-and-large because of the crime problems of urban America.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.

Reactions poured in on social media and elsewhere as Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth was grilled by Democrats on Capitol Hill following a tense confirmation hearing that often got personal.

“Pete Hegseth is crushing it,” Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer posted on X. “It is refreshing to hear someone relentlessly focus on warriors and lethality, without playing Washington’s word-salad game of forcing nominees to talk like social workers who run government agencies.”

“The Senate likes to claim that hearings as serious, deliberative acts of policy making and statesmanship, but many Senate Armed Service Committee Democrats’ behavior during Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing on Tuesday revealed the sad truth that most Senate hearings, confirmation or not, are kabuki theater,” Bradley Devlin, The Daily Signal politics editor, told Fox News Digital. 

Ned Ryun, President of ‘American Majority’, told Fox News Digital that Hegseth handled himself “magnificently.” 

DEM SENATOR’S ‘LIES AND STUPIDITY’ AT HEGSETH HEARING ROASTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘CLOWN SHOW’

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“He communicated a clear vision for a new day at the Pentagon where the Department of Defense leaves behind the weakness of woke and focuses on deterrence through strength,” Ryun said. “And when Democrats attempted to use the anonymously sourced attacks to undermine Pete, he handled those with grace. It really was a fantastic hearing for him and leaves little doubt in my mind that he’ll easily be confirmed.”

“They didn’t lay a glove on Hegseth today,” CNN political commentator Scott Jennings posted on X. “Why do Dems send their dumbest members to this important committee?”

THE TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH’S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

Pete Hegseth, US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill (Allison Robbert)

“This hearing has made two things abundantly clear: 1. The left remains fully committed to the disastrous, woke, weak, and failed policies that were soundly rejected in November,” the account belonging to former HUD Secretary Ben Carson and his wife Candy posted on X. “It’s actually sad. 2. Pete Hegseth is going to be a fantastic Secretary of Defense. This is how it’s done.”

“While Democratic senators distracted with hearsay allegations and character assassinations, Pete Hegseth stayed the course on what the military is about: lethality,” Caroline Downey, National Review Staff Writer and visiting fellow with Independent Women’s Forum, told Fox News Digital. 

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be defense secretary, makes his way to a meeting with Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., in Russell building on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. (Tom Williams)

“As the daughter of a West Point graduate and Army Captain who served in Vietnam, I can say that those prime objectives have fallen subservient to progressive political goals,” she continued. “The military academies have surrendered to woke ideology, jeopardizing their purpose which is to form upstanding leaders of intellectual, mental, and physical fortitude that can protect and defend the United States. Despite Democratic lawmakers accusing him of forsaking veterans, Hegseth proved that he has always been dedicated to their welfare not just in words but in deeds.”

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Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said after the hearing that it is important that Hegseth is confirmed “immediately” and allowed to start as soon as possible.

“To me, it’s important he gets on the job immediately,” Banks told reporters.

“We can’t vote on confirming him out of the committee until President Trump is President Trump again. So January 20th, the committee will meet and we’ll pass him out of the committee… and hopefully he immediately goes to a vote on the floor because we can’t wait,” he continued.

Following the hearing, several Senate Democrats expressed a continued unwillingness to support Hegseth and claimed he wasn’t qualified.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report

Families who lost loved ones during the disastrous 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan are throwing their support behind Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth, who Trump tapped to head the Defense Department, underwent questioning from the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, where he faced over four hours of questioning from Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

The Abbey Gate Coalition, a group of the parents and families of those who tragically lost their lives in a terrorist attack after President Biden withdrew troops from Afghanistan, penned a letter to senators on Tuesday urging them to confirm President-elect Trump’s defense nominee and doubling down on their criticism of the current administration’s handling of the deadly event.

“We have been sitting by watching the current administration do nothing but attempt to take victory laps and thumb their noses at the sacrifice that our children made on that fateful day,” the letter reads. “They have had no interest in giving us any of those answers that we seek, and have attempted to put Afghanistan in the rear view mirror as was further evidenced yesterday in President Biden’s final address on his foreign affairs and his supposed successes.

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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 9: A sign displaying photos and names of the 13 service members killed in a terrorist attack at Abbey Gate outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport is seen during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on September 9, 2024 in Washington, DC.  (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The coalition has been critical of the Biden administration since the withdrawal, writing in the letter that they have been “stonewalled” by his administration.

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“We have been stonewalled at every turn and only given ‘bread-crumbs’ to attempt to make us just go away! We feel that there has been a complete coverup at the department of Defense with the current Secretary of Defense leading the way,” the coalition wrote.

Pete Hegseth, US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill on January 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Allison Robbert)

The families said that the process for accountability for Afghanistan begins with the confirmation of Hegseth to lead the defense department.

“We ask that you please hear our words and feel the pain that we do, knowing that it was avoidable in respect to what happened to our children,” the letter reads.

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This image made available to AFP on August 20, 2021 by Human Rights Activist Omar Haidari, shows a US Marine grabbing an infant over a fence of barbed wire during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on August 19, 2021.  (Photo by -/Courtesy of Omar Haidiri/AFP via Getty Images)

The Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members defending the Kabul airport during the operation, while hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of Afghan allies were left in the country under Taliban rule. Conservative critics, such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said the withdrawal paved the way for adversaries such as Russia to invade Ukraine. 

The Taliban claimed control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal. 

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The families who lost loved ones during the botched withdrawal have previously and repeatedly slammed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over their deaths, including launching a scathing defense attack against Harris — when she was running for president – after the anniversary of the withdrawal last year. Parents and other loved ones claimed that the “administration killed my son” and that they “have not seen any support from you or your administration.”

Taliban fighters celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)

Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly remembered the service members who died, and invited their families to the RNC in Milwaukee in July. 

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Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump stands alongside  Misty Fuoco, whose sister Sgt. Nicole Gee died in Abbey Gate Bombing, at a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on August 26, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“Look at our faces. Look at our pain, and our heartbreak. And look at our rage. [The Afghanistan withdrawal] was not an extraordinary success,” said Cheryl Juels, the aunt of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, at the RNC. “Joe Biden owes the men and women who served in Afghanistan a debt of gratitude, and an apology.”

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​​”While Joe Biden has refused to recognize their sacrifice, Donald Trump spent six hours in Bedminster with us,” said the mother-in-law of Nicole Gee at the RNC. “He allowed us to grieve, he allowed us to remember our heroes. Donald Trump knew all of our children’s names, he knew their stories, and he spoke to us in a way that made us feel understood, like he knew our kids.”

The Biden administration reportedly plans to lift Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism on Tuesday, reversing a move made by the Trump administration in 2021.

The Associated Press reported the news on Tuesday afternoon, though the White House has not yet denied or confirmed the reports. The move is reportedly part of a Catholic Church-sponsored deal to free political prisoners in Cuba.

 Cuba was given the designation in January 2021, shortly before Biden took office. At the time, the U.S. Embassy of Cuba accused the country of “repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists.”

“The Trump Administration has been focused from the start on denying the Castro regime the resources it uses to oppress its people at home, and countering its malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere,” the statement read. “With this action, we will once again hold Cuba’s government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of U.S. justice.”

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The Biden administration lifted Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism on Tuesday. (Getty Images)

The statement referenced Raul Castro, the then-first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and the brother of notorious dictator Fidel Castro. According to the State Department, Cuba was first named a state sponsor of terrorism in 1982, and the designation was rescinded in 2015.

“Cuba maintains close and collaborative ties with designated state sponsors of terror such as Iran and North Korea,” the State Department’s 2019 report read. “The Cuban regime continues to host ELN leaders associated with now-defunct peace talks to reside in Cuba, despite Colombia’s repeated requests for their extradition.  Cuba also continues to harbor multiple fugitives who committed or supported acts of terrorism in the United States.”

Trump, who will be inaugurated for his second presidential term next week, is expected to reverse Biden’s move. His incoming secretary of state, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, is of Cuban descent and has vocally criticized Cuba’s communist leaders.

In 2021, Rubio sponsored legislation that supported “courageous Cuban people as they lead historic protests throughout the island against six decades of repression and tyranny from the Castro and Díaz-Canel regime.”

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Aerial view of the city of Havana on August 02, 2017 in Havana, Cuba. (Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images)

“The Cuban people are courageously standing up for their freedoms after 62 years of subjugation under a communist dictatorship,” Rubio said of the 2021 protests. “This is truly a historic moment, and one that as a Cuban American I’m proud to witness. The people of Cuba have made their voices clear. We must stand in support of the Cuban people’s ongoing efforts to live in a nation free from tyranny and censorship.” 

Before Tuesday’s announcement was made, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz denounced the Biden administration’s move, calling it “unacceptable on its merits.”

“The terrorism advanced by the Cuban regime has not ceased,” Cruz said in a statement. “I will work with President Trump and my colleagues to immediately reverse and limit the damage from the decision.”

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President-elect Trump will succeed President Biden next week. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, left, Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg, right)

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment, but officials declined to comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House for confirmation.

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, was interrupted by at least three protesters during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday. 

“Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza,” one female protester wearing fatigues shouted as she was escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows. 

Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning, when he was grilled by lawmakers ahead of a committee vote and final confirmation vote on his nomination as secretary of Defense. 

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A female protester wearing fatigues was removed from Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing in the Senate on Tuesday. (Fox Digital )

An elderly man who was handcuffed with zipties was also seen being escorted out of the hearing. Another man, also appearing to wear fatigues, was seen being carried out by Capitol Police. 

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A protester is escorted from Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing to serve as secretary of Defense. (Fox Digital )

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has spent his days in recent weeks on Capitol Hill meeting with senators to rally support as he battled allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit organization. Hegseth has denied the allegations and vowed that he won’t drink “a drop of alcohol” if confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet.

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U.S. Capitol Police officers remove a demonstrator during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including regarding the war in Israel that has been ongoing since 2023. 

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., questions President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, during his Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 14, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel’s war in Gaza. I support Israel’s existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well,” Cotton said. 

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“I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas,” Hegseth responded. 

US Capitol Police officers remove a demonstrator during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“And the third protester said something about 20 years of genocide. I assume that’s our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think our troops are committing genocide in Iraq and Afghanistan?” Cotton continued. 

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“Senator, I do not. I think … our troops, as you know, as so many in this committee know, did the best they could with what they had. … And tragically, the outcome we saw in Afghanistan under the Biden administration put a stain on that, but it doesn’t put a stain on what those men and women did in uniform, as you know full well, Senator,” Hegseth responded. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced on Tuesday that flags at the U.S. Capitol will be raised to full-staff next Monday, Jan. 20, to mark President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The move comes despite the official order by President Biden after the Dec. 29 death of former President Jimmy Carter that flags across the country would fly at half-staff for a 30-day mourning period.

“On January 20th, the flags at the Capitol will fly at full-staff to celebrate our country coming together behind the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald Trump. The flags will be lowered back to half-staff the following day to continue honoring President Jimmy Carter,” Johnson said in a statement.

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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, left, shakes hands with President-elect Donald Trump onstage at a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on Nov. 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Johnson is a strong supporter of Trump, and the president-elect’s recent backing of him helped Johnson diffuse opposition by some far-right Republicans to his re-election as speaker in the new Congress. 

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According to the U.S. flag code, U.S. flags are flown at half-staff for a 30-day period to mark the passing of a current or former president, at federal government buildings, military installations and vessels and at U.S. embassies and other facilities around the world.

Flags fly at half-staff in memorial to former President Jimmy Carter during a winter snow storm at Union Station in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Trump earlier this month claimed on social media that “Democrats are all ‘giddy’” about flags being flown at half-staff during his inauguration.

“Nobody wants to see this,” Trump argued. “No American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

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The U.S. flag code is not mandatory, which means that Trump could technically override it once he is inaugurated as president.

The U.S. flag is shown at the Mar-a-Lago compound in Palm Beach, Florida, while a U.S. Coast Guard boat patrols around the vicinity, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. U.S. flags at President-elect Donald Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago club are back to flying at full height. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The Associated Press observed that a flag at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, was flying at full height on Monday.

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The flag had been flying at half-staff but was raised in the days after Carter’s funeral service at National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and burial in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, both of which took place on Thursday.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced that flags at the state Capitol building in Austin and at all state office buildings would also be raised to full-staff next Monday to mark Trump’s inauguration.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report