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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving forward with a regulatory rule in the final days of the Biden administration that would effectively ban cigarettes currently on the market in favor of products with lower nicotine levels, which could end up boosting business for cartels operating on the black market, an expert tells Fox News Digital.

“Biden’s ban is a gift with a bow and balloons to organized crime cartels with it, whether it’s cartels, Chinese organized crime, or Russian mafia. It’s going to keep America smoking, and it’s going to make the streets more violent,” Rich Marianos, former assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the current chair of the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network, told Fox News Digital of the proposal. 

The FDA confirmed to Fox Digital on Monday that as of Jan. 3, the Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Level of Certain Tobacco Products had completed a regulatory review, but that the proposed rule has not yet been finalized. 

“The proposed rule, ‘Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Level of Certain Tobacco Products,’ is displaying in the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) ROCIS system as having completed regulatory review on January 3,” an FDA spokesman told Fox Digital. “As the FDA has previously said, a proposed product standard to establish a maximum nicotine level to reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products, when finalized, is estimated to be among the most impactful population-level actions in the history of U.S. tobacco product regulation. At this time, the FDA cannot provide any further comment until it is published.”

Fox New Digital reached out to the White House regarding concerns over the proposal if it were to take effect but did not receive a response. 

BIDEN ADMIN FACING CONGRESSIONAL PROBE OVER PROPOSED BAN ON MENTHOL CIGARETTES

President Biden speaks in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. The FDA confirmed to Fox Digital that as of Jan. 3, the Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Level of Certain Tobacco Products had completed a regulatory review but that the proposed rule has not yet been finalized. (Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in 2009, which granted the FDA the power to regulate tobacco products. In the years since, the agency has worked to lower nicotine levels, including in July 2017 under the Trump administration, when then-FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced it would seek to require tobacco companies to drastically cut nicotine in cigarettes in an effort to help adult smokers quit.

In 2022, the FDA under the Biden administration announced plans for the proposed rule that would lower levels of nicotine so they were less addictive or non-addictive.

“Lowering nicotine levels to minimally addictive or non-addictive levels would decrease the likelihood that future generations of young people become addicted to cigarettes and help more currently addicted smokers to quit,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said at the time. 

POPULAR ITALIAN CITY OFFICIALLY BANS CIGARETTE SMOKING OUTDOORS

Lowering the levels of nicotine in commonly purchased cigarettes and other tobacco products would open the floodgates to the illicit trafficking of tobacco products into the U.S., Marianos told Fox News Digital. 

“This decision is being thrown down the public’s throat without one ounce of thought and preparation. Nobody sat down with law enforcement, nobody sat down with any doctors, No one sat down with any regulators to find out, ‘Hey, look, what are the unintended ramifications of such a poor choice,’ and that’s what I’m going to call it, a poor choice,” Marianos said. 

Woman lighting a cigarette. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

He explained that Mexican cartels are well-positioned to bring illegal tobacco across the border, as they do with substances such as fentanyl that have devastated communities across the U.S., while Chinese criminal organizations have some of the best counterfeit operations stretching from baby formula to cigarettes, and Russian organized crime groups have their foot in the door in cities across the nation, including in bodegas and other stores that sell tobacco products. 

Marianos said that criminal groups would likely quickly catch on to the proposal if it takes effect and subsequently amplify their tobacco operations – which he says will serve as an economic boon for the criminals. 

Immigrants attempt to cross into the U.S. from Mexico at the border Dec. 17, 2023 in Jacumba Hot Springs, California. (Photo by Nick Ut/Getty Images)

Americans who want to purchase cigarettes with higher levels of nicotine would then need to go through the illicit channels to obtain them, similar to buying “loosie” cigarettes on the streets of New York, putting average Americans at further criminal risk while also offering them cigarettes that are not regulated and originating from foreign nations. 

WANT TO STOP SMOKING FOR GOOD? CDC LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN WITH FREE RESOURCES TO QUIT

Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers have already warned that tobacco trafficking in the U.S. poses a grave national security threat and already has its foot in the door. 

 A couple smoking cigarettes. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

“In 2015, the State Department cited activity by terrorist groups, and criminal networks who have used tobacco trafficking operations to finance other crimes, including ‘money laundering, bulk cash smuggling, and the trafficking in humans, weapons, drugs, antiquities, diamonds, and counterfeit goods,’” Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.;  Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; and then-Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., wrote in a 2023 letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 

BIDEN ADMIN ABRUPTLY DELAYS PLAN TO BAN MENTHOL CIGARETTES AMID WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION

“Recently, public reporting has also noted these financial linkages between Mexican transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) involved in narcotics and fentanyl trafficking, and these tobacco smuggling activities. Mexican TCOs pose a grave threat to American national security and public health.”

Marianos added that in addition to the criminal effect posed to America and its residents, lowering nicotine levels would also defeat the stated mission of weaning smokers off cigarettes and instead lead to an increase in smoking. 

The FDA is moving forward with a regulatory rule in the final days of the Biden administration that would effectively ban cigarettes currently on the market in favor of products with lower nicotine levels. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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“You’re going to create more smoking. And I thought that’s what we’re trying to get away from, right? Smoking is bad. I thought we’re trying to do everything possible to get away from that and get the country safer. Well, if you take down the nicotine levels, people are going to smoke more. That is proven. All you have to do is just drive here in DC and see, you know workers on their smoke break,” he said, saying work productivity will even be driven down as people take more smoke breaks in alleys to get their nicotine fix. 

The Biden administration previously attempted to outright ban menthol cigarettes, in what was described as a “critical” piece of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, but announced last year it was abruptly delaying such regulations as the public decried the move. A handful of groups argued that banning menthol unfairly targeted minority communities, while others argued the ban would open the floodgates to illicit menthol sales.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is reintroducing a measure to prevent biological male participation in women’s and girls’ sports in the newly Republican-led Senate, and with the approval of leadership, it’s expected to get a floor vote. 

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act has been a yearslong crusade for the Alabama Republican, who originally introduced it in 2023.

The measure would maintain that Title IX treats gender as “recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth” and does not adjust it to apply to gender identity. 

KAMALA HARRIS MAKES TRUMP’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL WIN OFFICIAL DURING JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Sen. Tommy Tuberville has led an effort to safeguard women’s and girls’ sports for years. (Getty Images)

Tuberville’s legislation would ban federal funding from going toward athletic programs that allow biological men to participate in women’s and girls’ sports.  

This would apply to biological men and boys who identify as transgender and seek to participate in events and leagues for women and girls. 

“President Trump ran on the issue of saving women’s sports and won in a landslide,” the senator said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “70% of Americans agree—men don’t belong in women’s sports or locker rooms. I have said many times that I think Title IX is one of the best things to come out of Washington. But in the last few years, it has been destroyed.”

“While I’m glad that the Biden administration ultimately rescinded the proposed rule, Congress has to ensure this never happens again. I am welcoming my first granddaughter this spring and won’t stop fighting until her rights to fairly compete are protected. I hope every one of my colleagues will join me in standing up for our daughters, nieces, and granddaughters by voting for this critical bill.”

NEW SENATOR BERNIE MORENO WANTS BORDER BILL ON TRUMP’S DESK ON DAY 1, PUTTING DEMS ON RECORD

Protecting women’s and girls’ sports has become a hot-button issue. (Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images)

The measure is co-sponsored by 23 Republican senators, including Sens. James Risch and Mike Crapo of Idaho, Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Thom Tillis and Ted Budd of North Carolina, Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., James Lankford, R-Okla., Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy of Montana, Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Mike Lee, R-Utah, John Kennedy, R-La., John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb. 

According to Tuberville’s office, he is working closely with President-elect Donald Trump to ensure there is fair competition under his administration. 

With the new Senate under the authority of Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Tuberville’s bill has gotten the proper blessing to move forward. A vote on the measure could come as soon as the end of the week. 

PRO-ISRAEL DEM COULD TIP SCALES IN KEY SENATE COMMITTEE AS MIDDLE EAST WAR CONTINUES

Sen. John Thune (AP Photo/Susan Walsh/File)

Democrats will be forced to put themselves on record about the transgender issue, which managed to rear its head during the 2024 presidential election and get pushback from Americans at the ballot box. One of the most memorable ads from the Trump campaign claimed, “Kamala is for they-them; President Trump is for you.” 

Last month, the Biden administration withdrew a proposed Title IX rule change in a lame-duck move after a long fight to adjust the policy. 

HOUSE REPUBLICANS REJOICE OVER QUICK SPEAKER VOTE WITH ONLY ONE DEFECTOR

Biden sought to include protections for gender identity. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta/File)

During his term, the administration sought to expand the definition of sex discrimination to include both sexual orientation and gender identity in order to protect LGBTQ students. 

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The proposal received inordinate levels of resistance and delayed plans to implement the new rule. 

Additionally, Biden’s effort was tied up in legal challenges. His rule change was struck down in several states by a U.S. district judge over the summer. 

Two of President-elect Trump’s former co-defendants in the classified documents case want a judge to block Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report from being released to the public. 

Trump’s valet Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, want U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to keep Smith’s report out of the public eye.

Fox News is told the report is days from being released. It could be later this week or sometime next week. Smith will resign from his position before Trump takes office on January 20. 

“These Defendants will irreparably suffer harm as civilian casualties of the Government’s impermissible and contumacious utilization of political lawfare to include release of the unauthorized Report,” Nauta and De Oliveira’s attorneys wrote in an emergency motion filed on Monday. “The Final Report relies on materials to which Smith, as disqualified special counsel, is no longer entitled access— making his attempt to share such materials with the public highly improper.” 

SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH PLANS TO RESIGN, FILE REPORT BEFORE TRUMP CAN FIRE HIM: REPORT

Jack Smith, US special counsel, speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The emergency motion asked the Court for an immediate hearing to “establish the impropriety of unchecked release; the scope of the resulting prejudice; and the specific materials contained in the Report for which release is impermissible.” 

“The Final Report promises to be a one-sided, slanted report, relying nearly exclusively on evidence presented to a grand jury and subject to all requisite protections—and which is known to Smith only as a result of his unconstitutional appointment—in order to serve a singular purpose: convincing the public that everyone Smith charged is guilty of the crimes charged,” Nauta and De Oliveira’s attorneys wrote. 

“But Nauta’s and De Oliveira’s criminal cases are not over; the appeal of this Court’s dismissal order by Smith is still pending,” the motion says. “The Government notably continued briefing the appeal even following the dismissal of the appeal as to President Trump. There remains the threat of future criminal proceedings as to Nauta and De Oliveira, and those proceedings will be irreversibly and irredeemably prejudiced by dissemination of the Final Report.” 

It is customary for a special counsel to release a final report when his or her work is done, detailing the findings of their investigation and explaining any prosecution or declination decisions they reached as a result of the probe. In Smith’s case, the prosecution decision is immaterial, given Trump’s status as president-elect and longstanding Justice Department policy against bringing criminal charges against a sitting president. 

The report would first go to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s office for review, according to standard practice.

Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche, who is poised to be in a senior role at the Department of Justice, is asking Garland not to release the report. 

“Smith’s proposed plan for releasing a report is unlawful, undertaken in bad faith, and contrary to the public interest,” Blanche wrote in an exhibit attached to the same motion. “Smith’s conduct also raises grave concerns under Article II because it unlawfully encroaches on the Executive authority of the incoming Administration of President Trump to resolve the issues surrounding Smith’s Office in accordance with President Trump’s commanding national mandate from the voters.” 

Wal Nauta, a personal aide to former President Trump, arrives at the Alto Lee Adams Sr. US Courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Aug. 10, 2023.  (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH REQUIRED TO SUBMIT TRUMP FINDINGS TO DOJ BEFORE LEAVING. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

“The time has come to put an end to this weaponization of the justice system and move forward constructively,” he argued further. “No report should be prepared or released, and Smith should be removed, including for even suggesting that course of action given his obvious political motivations and desire to lawlessly undermine the transition.” 

Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira all pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging they conspired to obstruct the FBI investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. 

Smith was tapped by Garland in 2022 to investigate both the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump’s keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Florida residence. 

Carlos De Oliveira, center, an employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, arrives for a court appearance with attorney John Irving, at the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building, Monday, July 31, 2023, in Miami. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

But he still must outline the investigation and its findings in his report to Garland, who will then decide whether to share it publicly. 

Notably, Garland has opted to release the reports from two other special counsels whose investigations concluded during his tenure — publishing both the summary reports submitted by John Durham, who was tapped by then-Attorney General Bill Barr in 2019 to review law enforcement and intelligence gathering during the 2016 presidential campaign and the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, as well as the final report from Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney whom he tapped in 2023 to investigate President Biden’s handling of classified documents.

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These reports were made public at the same time as they were shared with members of Congress. It is unclear whether Garland will move to do the same with Smith’s findings, given their sensitivity and Trump’s status as president-elect.

Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Meta is ending its fact-checking program and lifting restrictions on speech to “restore free expression” across Facebook, Instagram and Meta platforms, admitting its current content moderation practices have “gone too far.” 

“We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a video posted Tuesday morning. “More specifically, we’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with Community Notes similar to X, starting in the U.S.” 

Meta’s chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, will be on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning for an exclusive interview to discuss the changes. 

Meta’s third-party fact-checking program was put in place after the 2016 election and had been used to “manage content” and misinformation on its platforms, largely due to “political pressure,” executives said, but admitted the system has “gone too far.” 

HOUSE WEAPONIZATION PANEL RELEASES 17,000-PAGE REPORT EXPOSING ‘TWO-TIERED SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT’

Mark Zuckerberg is shown at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Jan. 31, 2024. (Kent Nishimura)

“We went to independent, third-party fact-checkers,” Kaplan told Fox News Digital in an interview. “It has become clear there is too much political bias in what they choose to fact-check because, basically, they get to fact-check whatever they see on the platform.” 

Kaplan told Fox News Digital that Meta is “ending that completely” and will replace it with a “Community Notes” model similar to the one used on X, formerly Twitter.

“Instead of going to some so-called expert, it instead relies on the community and the people on the platform to provide their own commentary to something that they’ve read,” Kaplan explained, noting that if a note gets support from “the broadest cross-section of users,” that note can be attached to the content for others to see. 

“We think that’s a much better approach rather than relying on so-called experts who bring their own biases into the program,” Kaplan said.

ZUCKERBERG SAYS TRUMP FIST-PUMP REACTION TO SHOOTING WAS ‘BADA–’

Kaplan also told Fox News Digital that Meta is changing some of its own content moderation rules, especially those that they feel are “too restrictive and not allowing enough discourse around sensitive topics like immigration, trans issues and gender.”

“We want to make sure that discourse can happen freely on the platform without fear of censorship,” Kaplan told Fox News Digital. “We have the power to change the rules and make them more supportive of free expression. And we’re not just changing the rules, we are actually changing how we enforce the rules.”

Meta is ending its fact-checking program and lifting restrictions on speech to “restore free expression” across Facebook, Instagram and Meta platforms. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Kaplan said Meta currently uses automated systems, which he said make “too many mistakes” and removes content “that doesn’t even violate our standards.”

He also said there are certain things Meta will continue to moderate, like posts relating to terrorism, illegal drugs and child sexual exploitation.

But as for the timing of the changes, Kaplan told Fox News Digital the company has “a real opportunity now.”

ZUCKERBERG, EXPRESSING REGRETS, ADMITS BOWING TO BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PRESSURE TO REMOVE CONTENT

“We have a new administration coming in that is far from pressuring companies to censor and [is more] a huge supporter of free expression,” Kaplan said, referring to the incoming Trump administration. “It gets us back to the values that Mark founded the company on.”

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer/File)

Last year, Zuckerberg sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee in which he admitted that he felt pressure from the Biden administration, particularly with regard to COVID content, and even items like satire and humor. 

“The thing is, as American companies, when other governments around the world that don’t have our tradition or our First Amendment, when they see the United States government pressuring U.S. companies to take down content, it is just open season then for those governments to put more pressure [on their companies],” Kaplan explained. “We do think it is a real opportunity to work with the Trump administration and to work on free expression at home.”

MUSK PROVES HUNTER BIDEN CENSORSHIP CAME FROM COLLUSION AMONG BIDEN CAMPAIGN, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TWITTER

Kaplan also said Meta sees “opportunities for partnership” with the Trump administration, not only on issues of free expression but also in “promoting American business and America’s technological edge.” 

“Those are issues of great importance to Meta and our sector,” Kaplan told Fox News Digital. “And we’re excited to work with the Trump administration to advance those goals.”

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Meanwhile, Meta also said it plans to take a more personalized approach to political content, so that users who want to see more posts of that kind can do so.

Meta said it will refocus its enforcement efforts to “illegal and high-severity violations.”

The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has voted to expel former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from being associated with the party, pointing to his alleged efforts to undermine Republican candidates.

The decision, approved unanimously, was finalized on Jan. 6, cutting Duncan’s ties to the GOP after years of accusations of disloyalty.

The resolution makes several allegations against Duncan, including accusations that he undermined GOP candidates, endorsed Democrat opponents and used his affiliation with the Republican Party for personal gain.

In a post on X, Duncan suggested that the resolution was not a good use of the party’s time.

JIMMY CARTER’S FUNERAL SERVICES BEGIN WITH TREK TO CHILDHOOD HOME, ATLANTA

Geoff Duncan, former lieutenant governor of Georgia, during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Getty Images)

“Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace and global tariffs. Learn how to take a victory lap not light another dumpster fire @JoshMcKoon,” he wrote, calling out the Georgia GOP chair.

According to the resolution, Duncan is “banned from all property owned or leased by the Georgia Republican Party and all events held by or under the authority of the Georgia Republican Party.”

The Georgia GOP said Duncan is prohibited from qualifying as a candidate for the Georgia Republican Party. The group also said his previous GOP nominations for lieutenant governor and, before that, the state House of Representatives, both races in which he won the primary and general elections, have been expunged.

The Georgia Republican Party’s State Executive Committee has voted to expel former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan from being associated with the party over his alleged disloyalty. (Getty Images)

The resolution demanded Duncan cease calling himself a Republican for personal profit or to undermine and sabotage the Republican Party and its candidates.

The state party also urged media outlets to refer to Duncan as an “expelled Republican” in future references.

The resolution claims Duncan undermined and sabotaged some Republican candidates, including current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and failed 2022 Senate candidate Herschel Walker. 

It also notes Duncan’s public endorsements during the 2024 presidential race of President Biden and, when Biden dropped out, his subsequent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as a violation of his allegiance to the GOP.

GEORGIA AG URGES STATE SUPREME COURT TO REJECT DA WILLIS’ APPEAL IN TRUMP CASE

The Georgia Republican Party has asked that Duncan be referred to as an “expelled Republican” going forward. (Ben Hendren/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Georgia Republican Party chair Josh McKoon previously demanded that Duncan stop using his Republican credentials in public and media appearances.

The resolution also claims Duncan engaged in a “pattern of false and exaggerated claims” about his education and career.

The Georgia GOP additionally said Duncan, in his role as a CNN commentator, used his Republican title to “attack the Republican Party.”

FIRST ON FOX: Senate Republicans are preparing to take up several measures in the new year that were denied votes by Democrats in the last Congress. The first of these is the Laken Riley Act, being reintroduced by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and teed up for a vote by the end of the week. 

The measure was named for the 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia’s campus in February. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was found guilty of 10 total counts, including felony murder. He initially pleaded not guilty. 

He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in November. 

The bill would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that have committed theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. Additionally, states would have standing under the legislation to take civil action against members of the federal government that do not enforce immigration law. 

KAMALA HARRIS MAKES TRUMP’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL WIN OFFICIAL DURING JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

The Laken Riley Act was first introduced in the House by Rep. Mike Collins in March and in the Senate by Sen. Katie Britt.  (Getty Images)

“It’s impossible to fully describe what was taken from Laken and from our family on February 22, 2024. Laken’s life was abundantly and exceptionally full of promise. She was a beautiful, shining beacon in the life of everyone who knew her. Not only did the people who knew and loved Laken lose a beautiful soul, but so did our world. Laken shared her love for Jesus with everyone she encountered. Laken’s passion for sharing her faith through acts of kindness were felt by everyone she met. Laken was selfless, hardworking and made those around her feel special. Laken did not just talk about her faith, she led by example,” said Allyson and John Phillips, Laken Riley’s mother and stepfather, in a statement. 

“The Laken Riley Act has our full support because it would help save innocent lives and prevent more families from going through the kind of heartbreak we’ve experienced. Laken would have been 23 on January 10th.  There is no greater gift that could be given to her and our country than to continue her legacy by saving lives through this bill. Every single member of Congress should be able to get behind this purely commonsense bill that will make our country and communities safer. We thank Congressman Mike Collins, Senator Katie Britt, and Senator Ted Budd for continuing to work to honor Laken’s legacy and get this legislation enacted into law.”

It was first introduced in the House by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in March and in the Senate by Britt. 

PRO-ISRAEL DEM COULD TIP SCALES IN KEY SENATE COMMITTEE AS MIDDLE EAST WAR CONTINUES

Ibarra pleaded not guilty. (Brynn Anderson/Pool via AP)

However, the bill never received a Senate floor vote relating to the standalone legislation. 

Republicans have an incoming trifecta in the federal government, unified in its prioritization of the southern border and tackling illegal immigration, and GOP lawmakers see a big opportunity to push through key legislation. 

“Last year, Laken Riley was stolen from this earth—from her family and friends and from achieving her dreams—by a brutal, heartless killer. Make no mistake—he never should have been in the United States, much less allowed to freely roam American streets after being charged with multiple crimes. Laken’s murder was the direct consequence of willful open border policies,” Britt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

HOUSE REPUBLICANS REJOICE OVER QUICK SPEAKER VOTE WITH ONLY ONE DEFECTOR

Britt introduced the bill last year. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“The American people did not just deliver a mandate on November 5, they delivered a verdict. They made it clear they want to remove criminal illegal aliens and protect American families. We will soon know whether Democrats hear, respect, and obey that verdict. Congress has an obligation to Laken, her family, and to families in every corner of our country to do everything in our power to help prevent this type of tragedy from occurring again. That’s why it’s imperative we pass the commonsense Laken Riley Act with all due haste. No other American family needs to feel the pain Laken’s family still feels 320 days after losing her,” she added. 

Collins said in his own statement, “An illegal criminal came into my district and killed Laken Riley because our local law enforcement did not have the tools to stop him. Laken fought until her last breath, and so will I until this bill crosses the finish line and lands on the President’s desk.”

The measure was co-led in the Senate by Sen. Tedd Budd, R-N.C., who said in a statement, “What happened to Laken Riley should never happen to any American citizen. As we turn the page from the disastrous open-border policies of Joe Biden, the Laken Riley Act will empower the Trump administration to enforce our laws, keep our nation secure, and prevent tragedies. I thank Senator Britt for her partnership and her leadership in this bipartisan effort.”

Now that Republicans control the Senate, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., at the helm, a vote is expected on the bill, and in short measure. 

‘LIVES DEPEND ON IT’: REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR PROMPT TRUMP CONFIRMATIONS IN WAKE OF NEW ORLEANS ATTACK

Thune is the new Senate majority leader.  (TING SHEN/AFP via Getty Images)

A source familiar shared with Fox News Digital that a vote in the upper chamber is likely to take place on Friday, and Democrats will be forced to go on the record. 

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If the measure is only backed by Republicans, it will fail to overcome the legislative filibuster, which requires that bills garner 60 votes in order to end debate and proceed. Notably, new Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., voted in favor of the bill in the House last year. 

The vote will put a spotlight on the Georgia Senate delegation, as Riley was a constituent of theirs. In particular, all eyes will be on Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who is up for re-election in 2026 in the state that President-elect Donald Trump won. 

President Biden is expected to designate two new national monuments in California this week, which will bar roughly 850,000 acres of tribal lands from future development.

After signing the new orders, Biden will have shut down development on more public lands than any other president in history besides former President Jimmy Carter, according to the Washington Post.  

The move would establish a 644,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument located in the southern part of the state near Joshua Tree National Park, sources familiar with the matter said. While no public plans about the new monument have been announced, sources have leaked details to the media and the president’s public schedule shows he will be traveling Tuesday to Southern California’s east Coachella Valley, site of the designated tribal land. 

BIDEN ISSUES SWEEPING OFFSHORE OIL, GAS DRILLING BAN IN 625M ACRES OF FEDERAL WATERS AHEAD OF TRUMP TRANSITION

President Biden is expected to establish a new national monument in the Chuckwalla Valley, south of Joshua Tree National Park. (Watchara Phomicinda/MediaNews Group/The Press-Enterprise via Getty Images)

In addition to Biden’s plans to designate a large swath of the Colorado Desert located in Southern California as a national monument, the president also plans to designate roughly 200,000-acres of land in Northern California, near the Oregon border, as a national monument. The move would establish the Sáttítla National Monument and would also bar any future energy development in that area.

While environmentalists, tribal groups and Democrat lawmakers have urged Biden to designate these two new national monuments, Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., has argued that designating the roughly 200,000-acres of land in Northern California is unnecessary because it is already protected from development, according to local California news outlet, the Redding Record Searchlight. Additionally, he added, getting permits approved on forest service lands is already difficult and prohibiting them further could make it more difficult to fight wildfires in the area due to a scarcity of roads. 

Chairman Yatch Bamford of the Pit River Nation, Sáttítla – Medicine Lake Highlands, speaks at a rally to urge the Biden administration to expand national monuments and sacred lands, outside the U.S. Capitol on April 16, 2024. (Getty Images)

The new monuments will be designated by Biden via his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906, which allows presidents to bypass Congress when seeking to protect lands and water for the benefit of the nation. Since the start of his presidency, Biden has already used his executive authority under the act to establish eight new national monuments, while expanding four others, the Washington Post reported.

BIDEN MOVING TO BAN OIL AND GAS LEASES FOR 20 YEARS IN NEVADA REGION, JUST WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP INAUGURATION

President-elect Trump has vowed to unleash U.S. domestic energy dominance during his upcoming term. Meanwhile, in the final weeks and months ahead of Biden’s departure from the White House, his administration has made efforts to bolster its green energy priorities against any potential blowback from Trump.

Last month, the Biden administration unveiled a report detailing the negative public impact on increasing liquefied natural gas exports, a move that experts said could provide fodder for environmentalists seeking to challenge Trump’s efforts to increase U.S. energy production.

BIDEN ADMIN REPORT COULD SLOW TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO UNLEASH DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS, EXPERTS SAY 

Steve Milloy, a fellow at the Energy and Environmental Legal Institute, said Biden’s latest national monuments designation could serve the same purpose. “While Trump can undo whatever Biden does, Biden is trying to create litigation traps for Trump that will discourage investors from projects on public lands,” he said.

On Monday, Biden also used his executive authority to ban new oil and gas drilling off nearly all U.S. coasts. “The decision to unilaterally block areas from future offshore oil and gas development is a strategic error, driven not by science or voter mandate, but by political motives,” the National Ocean Industries Association said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication time. 

A Republican senator was expressing his unhappiness to Susie Wiles, the incoming White House chief of staff.

“I texted you three days ago,” the lawmaker said.

Wiles, who ran Donald Trump’s campaign, said she got it and would respond, without sounding like she was in a rush.

There’s little doubt that her phone must be flooded with messages from people who want a job – or influence – in the incoming Trump administration.

DONALD TRUMP’S TOUGH TALK—BUY GREENLAND! TAKE BACK PANAMA CANAL!—SPARKS DEFIANCE FROM MANY REPUBLICAN REBELS

Backstage jockeying in the leadup to the second Trump presidency might be shedding light on the legislative and administrative battles the next White House will be forced to fight. (Getty Images)

But the jockeying sheds light on a dilemma that Trump may face in a city that he controls, with both houses of Congress under Republican management (and Kamala Harris peacefully certifying the transfer of power yesterday, four years to the day after the Capitol riot).

The flip side of nearly unlimited clout is that when things go wrong, there’s no one else to blame.

And then there’s the black hole known as Congress. Having dragged Mike Johnson across the finish line in the election for speaker, by making calls even from his golf course, Trump now faces a dilemma after the Christmas debt ceiling battle that just delayed the budget fight until March.

Using a process known as reconciliation, which lowers the threshold from 60 Senate votes to 51 – both parties have used this for party-line dominance – Trump favors “one big beautiful bill.” That would include budget cuts, energy deregulation, tax cuts, the border crackdown and other presidential priorities.

But many on the Hill support two separate bills, and some in Trump World believe Congress simply doesn’t have the bandwidth to take the kitchen-sink approach.

So the big beautiful bill might not get passed until June, depriving the 47th president of an early win. 

TRUMP MAKES A BLIZZARD OF NEWS, SHOWS RESTRAINT AT PRESSER, EVEN WHILE SLAMMING THE MEDIA

Johnson will have just a 1-vote margin, making it hard for him to deliver the deep spending cuts that the hardliners want in an echo of the battle that toppled Kevin McCarthy.

In the meantime, the Homeland Security Department would have difficulty mounting a major initiative because, like other agencies, it’s operating on the stopgap spending budget that nearly shut down the government at Christmas.

The risk of pushing two bills is that once the first one passes, the momentum may dissipate for approving a second measure, even if it contains such Trump priorities as tax cuts.

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s one-vote majority leaves him little room for error in his bids to corral his caucus around the incoming president’s agenda. (Valerie Plesch)

Trump hedged his bets yesterday, telling radio host Hugh Hewitt: “I would prefer one, but…I’m open to either way, as long as we get something passed as quickly as possible.”

Washington is a city obsessed with titles and perceived influence, and that will impact the way the White House is run.

Wiles has helped downgrade some jobs that have always been assistant to the president titles to deputy assistant to the president–something no sane outsider would care about but which is a major deal for the insiders. That’s because after reaching the limit for assistant jobs, the only alternative was to create a bunch of deputy slots.

Wiles, for her part, has told Axios: “I don’t welcome people who want to work solo or be a star… My team and I will not tolerate backbiting, second-guessing inappropriately, or drama. These are counterproductive to the mission.”

Karoline Leavitt, the incoming press secretary, is also being deprived of the big office that has been used by her predecessors for at least three decades. That’s going to another communications aide.

I can remember being in that second-floor office when Mike McCurry was press secretary, and Bill Clinton walking in and chatting while I was working on my book “Spin Cycle.” The reason for the large office was the gaggles taking place with the press, and sometimes interviews, which could not be accommodated by most smallish West Wing offices.

Anyone in Wiles’ sensitive position would invariably upset some officials during a process that determines winners and losers. But Trump views her as a grandmother and doesn’t yell at her the way he might at other officials over a disagreement. 

As for Elon Musk’s powerful role, Trump enjoys the company of wealthy people, and the X owner is the richest person on the planet. So he has influence until he doesn’t, if there is a future falling out. 

MUSK RENEWS HARSH REBUKE OF DEMS WHO REJECTED DEPORTING SEX OFFENDERS: VOTE OUT ‘EVERY ONE’

Besides, it will be harder for Musk to hang around once Trump moves from Mar-a-Lago to the White House, unless he wants to give Elon the Lincoln Bedroom.

For now, the transition is organized chaos. But as Trump knows all too well, having done this job before, when there’s a terror attack or border incident or rising grocery prices on his watch, he owns it.

Meanwhile, with Kamala Harris certifying her own defeat in routine fashion yesterday – drawing live coverage considering the history of Jan. 6 – Donald Trump posted this:

Trump has made his feelings on Team Biden’s handling of the presidential transition no secret. (Getty/AP)

“Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as  possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes. Fear not, these ‘Orders’ will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!”

Is that worse than what happened on Jan. 6, 202?

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

It’s true that the outgoing president has, among other things, issued orders to stop oil exploration along 625 million acres offshore, but there’s no reason the “drill, baby, drill” president can’t reverse that, although it could slow him down.

Harris gave a short talk yesterday about the peaceful transfer of power, and Biden made the case in a Washington Post op-ed that we must never forget what happened on that dark day.

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No matter who you agree with, I think it’s fair to say that issue was litigated in the election, and Americans voted to put Trump back in the White House knowing full well what happened during the televised riot.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested a Dominican illegal immigrant charged with sex crimes and kidnapping in Boston, after he was released from local custody despite a request by the agency to hand him over.

In a statement, ICE said it had arrested Emilio Jose Pena-Casilla, a 46-year-old, who is charged with assault to rape, kidnapping, two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older, and intimidation of an official, witness, or juror, was arrested Dec. 17 in Boston.

Pena-Casilla entered the U.S. illegally near Eagle Pass, Texas, in January 2023, and was enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program. Under that program, migrants are monitored by a GPS tracking device or check in via an app. He was removed from the program a month later.

‘SHEER INSANITY’: CONSERVATIVE WATCHDOG PUTS ‘SANCTUARY’ OFFICIALS ON NOTICE AHEAD OF TRUMP DEPORTATION PUSH

Emilio Jose Pena-Casilla, arrested by ICE last month.

In July this year, he was arraigned in Massachusetts. ICE says its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Boston issued a detainer, but it was ignored by the district court and he was released on GPS on bail. ICE would eventually track him down in December.

“Emilio Jose Pena-Casilla stands accused of some very serious offenses against a Massachusetts resident,” acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde of ERO Boston said in a statement. “We hold a sacred duty to protect the residents of our communities, and we will continue to do so by apprehending and removing egregious noncitizen offenders from our neighborhoods. Today, another victim in Massachusetts no longer needs to fear their predator.”

Boston is one of a number of “sanctuary” cities that limit or forbid cooperation by local law enforcement with ICE. Supporters of sanctuary policies say they allow illegal immigrants to cooperate with local law enforcement, but opponents say they result in the release of criminal illegal immigrants back onto the streets.

Boston City Council recently doubled down on its sanctuary policies, voting in favor of a resolution to limit ICE cooperation and to ban police from keeping migrants in custody for possible deportation unless there is a criminal warrant.

The resolution adopted by the council states that “proposals for mass deportations represent a direct attack on Boston’s immigrant families, and threaten to tear communities apart.”

TRUMP’S INCOMING BORDER CZAR HAILS MEETING WITH MAYOR ERIC ADAMS: ‘NYC IS ABOUT TO GET A LOT SAFER’

Incoming border czar Tom Homan spoke with Dr. Phil about the Trump administration’s plan to deport illegal migrants. (The Dr. Phil Podcast YouTube channe;l)

Sanctuary policies have been back in the spotlight with the approaching Trump administration, which has promised to ramp up deportations and launch a historic operation to potentially remove millions of illegal immigrants.

A number of Democratic officials in states, including Massachusetts, have said they will not cooperate in the deportation push. President-elect Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has hinted there could be legal consequences for those who get in the way of the operation.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Recently, America First Legal notified nearly 250 officials in jurisdictions that limit or forbid local law enforcement cooperation with ICE that there could be legal consequences for interfering with the feds or for concealing illegal immigrants.

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“We have identified your jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction that is violating federal law. Such lawlessness subjects you and your subordinates to significant risk of criminal and civil liability. Accordingly, we are sending this letter to put you on notice of this risk and insist that you comply with our nation’s laws,” the letter says.

Congressional Republicans were buoyant on Monday after lawmakers gathered to certify President-elect Donald Trump’s White House victory.

“It went great. It went smooth. This is a textbook transition of power. This is how democracy is supposed to operate,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., shared praise for both Republican and Democratic leaders who led the largely ceremonial event.

“It was really neat to see the certification go smoothly. I thought Vice President Harris handled it well. It was neat to have JD Vance in the chamber too, as a sitting senator at the time, but getting ready to become the vice president of the United States so that, you know, it’s very historic,” he told reporters.

A USER’S MANUAL TO CERTIFYING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Sen. Ted Cruz were two of the Republicans who signaled it was time for the GOP to get to work after certifying President-elect Trump’s victory. (Getty Images)

Like Comer, House GOP Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., remarked on how calm the process was.

“Everybody accepts the fact that President Trump won the Electoral College and the popular vote. So there really isn’t much of a denial by the Democrats, that he didn’t have a mandate to do his agenda. And we’re going to make sure we help him get it done,” Hern told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said Monday marked “a great day in American history.”

“We have no time to waste. We’ve got to get right to work immediately, ASAP, as soon as humanly possible,” Mace said.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, emphasized Republicans’ commanding victory in the November elections, telling Fox News Digital, “It was a clear mandate from the voters, and we now need to get to work delivering on that mandate.”

HARRIS TO OVERSEE CERTIFICATION OF HER DEFEAT TO TRUMP IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: ‘SACRED OBLIGATION’

First-term lawmaker Rep. Mike Haridolopos, R-Fla., said he was excited to now begin executing the GOP’s agenda and remarked on the snow storm that shut down much of Washington, D.C. save for Capitol Hill on Monday.

“I think we’re all excited to get started with the Republican trifecta,” he said. “I’m so excited about it and glad it’s behind us. It took a snow day to make it happen, but we are definitely here and ready to go to work.”

Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the certification process. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., who is also just beginning his first term in Congress, called the process “fascinating.”

“It was really great to see the process today. It was an honor to be there, and I was just privileged to be a part of it,” Sheehy said. “And the snow storm, I think, is symbolic — winds of change are coming. We’re gonna get this country back on track.”

House and Senate lawmakers gathered for a joint session of Congress to certify Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, who was constitutionally bound to preside over the proceedings.

The orderly process was a stark contrast to the scene in the House chamber four years ago when rioters protesting the results of the 2020 election halted proceedings and forced lawmakers into hiding for several hours.

Unlike four years ago, when lawmakers were forced to finish certification hours after midnight, Monday’s event was wrapped inside an hour.

Freshman Sen. Tim Sheehy said the snowy conditions were symbolic of the ‘winds of change’ in Washington. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

No Democrats raised objections to Trump’s victory, unlike 2016, which saw several progressives cast doubt on his win.

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“I think that just showed that America is really ready for… a new page and a new start,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said of the certification. “You saw that, at least on the Republican side, that we were pretty excited about the results for our elections.”

And Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., another Florida lawmaker and ally of Trump, told Fox News Digital, “We’re happy that we had no issue with certification, no contesting of the certification. And everyone’s very happy that we have Donald J. Trump and JD Vance in the White House, in the Naval Observatory, and we’re ready to make America great again.”

Washington, D.C. – Democratic lawmakers highlighted a smooth transition of power following the 2024 election certification for President-elect Trump, four years after protesters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Lawmakers gathered for a joint session in Washington, D.C., on Monday to certify the Electoral College votes for Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the certification, overseeing her own defeat to Trump after losing the presidential election in November.

Democratic lawmakers spoke with Fox News Digital as they left the ratification, recalling a “no-drama” ceremony in contrast to President Biden’s certification four years prior. 

“We still have a democracy, as long as we can keep it,” Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., told Fox News Digital when leaving the House floor.

KAMALA HARRIS MAKES TRUMP’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL WIN OFFICIAL DURING JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Vice President Kamala Harris shakes hands with Speaker Mike Johnson after she certifies the Electoral College vote during a joint session of Congress to ratify the presidential election at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Another Democrat, Rep. Jesús Garcia of Illinois, also commented on this year’s peaceful transition of power. 

“Smooth and done,” Garcia said. “No drama and no contesting. No false contestation of results.”

JEFFRIES CLAIM ‘NO ELECTION DENIERS’ AMONG DEMS DESPITE 2016 ‘ILLEGITIMATE’ REMARKS WHEN TRUMP WON

“This is a time-honored tradition,” said Rep. John Mannion, D-N.Y. “It’s a part of our country’s history and this is what we need to do. This is part of the job, and I’m glad I was able to participate today.”

Vice President-elect JD Vance reacts after the Electoral College vote was certified during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told Fox that “it’s a good moment for American democracy, and we’re proud of the vice president, that she presided over it.”

“We did our duty,” said Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania.

Harris also spoke to reporters following the certification.

Members of Congress meet to certify the presidential election results at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker)

“Today was obviously a very important day. And it was about what should be the norm and what the American people should be able to take for granted, which is that one of the most important pillars of our democracy is that there will be a peaceful transfer of power,” Harris said. “Today, America’s democracy stood.”

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Trump’s inauguration will take place in two weeks on Monday, Jan. 20.

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…

–Mental health disorders attributed to more service member hospital stays than any other ailment

-National Sheriffs’ Association slams state of policing under Biden, throws full support behind Patel for FBI

-ICE nabs illegal immigrant charged with sex crimes in blue city, after release from jail

‘Winds of change’ in DC

Congressional Republicans were buoyant on Monday after lawmakers gathered to certify President-elect Donald Trump’s White House victory.

“It went great. It went smooth. This is a textbook transition of power. This is how democracy is supposed to operate,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., shared praise for both Republican and Democratic leaders who led the largely ceremonial event…Read more

Vice President JD Vance, left, and President Donald Trump, right, with the White House, background  (AP/Getty)

White House

‘WHAT’S HE DOING?”: Trump plans to ‘immediately’ reverse Biden’s ‘ridiculous’ ban on new oil and gas drilling along U.S. coast…Read more

LAND GRAB: Biden to dedicate two new national monuments on 850K acres of tribal land in California…Read more

President Joe Biden speaks at a reception for new Democratic members of Congress in the State Dining Room of the White House, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

MEMORY LANE: In one of his last speeches in office, President Biden attempts to rehabilitate the image of the late segregationist Strom Thurmond…Read more

World Stage 

DEFENSE DEALS: Russia to share advanced satellite technology with North Korea, Blinken warns…Read more

‘THE WINNING CONTINUES’: Justin Trudeau’s resignation met with gleeful reaction from conservatives online…Read more

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with the media outside Rideau Cottage on Monday, Jan. 6, in Ottawa. (AP/Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Trump Transition

A HEALTHY AMERICA: Diet and nutrition experts weigh in on how RFK Jr’s nomination could impact how we eat…Read more

PERSONAL TRIP: Donald Trump Jr. takes a personal trip to Greenland after president-elect floats purchasing country…Read more

SACRED OBLIGATION: Harris to oversee certification of her defeat to Trump in presidential election…Read more

President Donald Trump, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris, right  (Getty)

’51ST STATE’: Trump reacts to Trudeau resignation: ‘Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State’…Read more

DIFFERENCES OF OPINION: RFK Jr. ‘wrong’ about vaccinations, GOP senator says…Read more

NO ‘DRAMA’: Trump chief of staff pledges no ‘drama’ or second-guessing in White House…Read more

Capitol Hill

NEW KID IN TOWN: New senator Bernie Moreno wants a border bill on Trump’s desk on day 1, putting Dems on record…Read more

‘NO TIME TO PLAY AROUND’: Senate must quickly confirm Noem as DHS chief in wake of terror attack, says Louisiana gov…Read more

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem greets attendees as she speaks on Day 1 of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15, 2024.  (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

BORDERLINE: Tidal wave of border security bills hit House as Republicans move fast on DC takeover…Read more

Across America

‘WITCH HUNT’: Trump files motion to stay ‘unlawful sentencing’ in New York case…Read more

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

New York Judge Juan Merchan denied President-elect Donald Trump’s request to delay sentencing in the New York v. Trump case. 

“Defendant’s motion for a stay of these proceedings, including the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, is hereby DENIED,” Merchan wrote in his decision Monday.

Earlier Monday, Trump’s legal team filed a motion to delay sentencing in the case. Trump is set to be sentenced on Jan. 10 at 9:30 a.m., 10 days ahead of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 20. 

“Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt. The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed,” Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox Digital on Monday morning.

TRUMP FILES MOTION TO STAY ‘UNLAWFUL SENTENCING’ IN NEW YORK CASE

Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his criminal trial in New York City on April 22, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Pool)

“The American People elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and all of the remaining Witch Hunts. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again,” Cheung continued. 

Judge Juan Merchan (AP/File)

Earlier Monday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office responded to Trump’s filing, calling on the court to deny the request. 

NEW YORK JUDGE SETS TRUMP SENTENCING DAYS BEFORE INAUGURATION

Merchan has already said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison and instead issue a sentence of an “unconditional discharge,” which means there would be no punishment imposed.

​​Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

NY JUDGE ANNOUNCES UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE SENTENCING FOR TRUMP ON JAN 10

Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of lawfare promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November. 

Donald Trump is shown in a New York courtroom last year. (Seth Wenig-Pool Photo via USA TODAY)

“Virtually ever legal scholar and pundit says THERE IS NO (ZERO!) CASE AGAINST ME. The Judge fabricated the facts, and the law, no different than the other New York Judicial and Prosecutorial Witch Hunts. That’s why businesses are fleeing New York, taking with them millions of jobs, and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXES. The legal system is broken, and businesses can’t take a chance in getting caught up in this quicksand. IT’S ALL RIGGED, in this case against a political opponent, ME!!!” Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday evening of the case.

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Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

President-elect Trump ramped up his calls for the U.S. to take ownership of Greenland in an amusing social media post on Monday.

The move comes as the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., is preparing to travel to Greenland on Tuesday. The trip will be undertaken in a personal capacity, and he is not expected to meet with government officials.

In a Truth Social post, President-elect Trump said that he was “hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA’.” The Republican attached a video that purportedly shows a Greenlander asking the U.S. to buy his country.

“If you could tell Trump anything, what would it be?” a woman is heard asking the man in the video.

“Buy us. Buy Greenland,” the man, who was wearing a MAGA hat, replied.

CANADA’S TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FOLLOWING PARTY PRESSURE AMID CRITICISMS OF TRUMP, BUDGET HANDLING 

A video appears to show a Greenlander asking Trump to buy his country. (iStock / Getty Images)

The Greenlander then added that he “loved Americans” and wanted to be free of the Danish government.

“We don’t want to be colonized by Danish government anymore,” he explained. “We get ripped [off] every year [with] our minerals from Greenland. We are the richest nation in the world. And we don’t get to use it. Denmark’s using us too much.”

In his message, Trump confirmed that he plans to visit Greenland in the near future and that his son, Donald Trump, Jr., will be in the country soon. The president-elect said that he plans to see some of the island’s “most magnificent areas and sights.”

“Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” Trump wrote on Monday. “We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump’s latest post comes two weeks after he first made headlines by expressing support for U.S. ownership of Greenland.

“[F]or purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” the president-elect’s Truth Social post read.

TRUMP PLANS TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ REVERSE BIDEN’S ‘RIDICULOUS’ BAN ON NEW OIL AND GAS DRILLING ALONG US COAST 

President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump arrive on New Year’s Eve at his Mar-A-Lago Club on December 31, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images)

In response, Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede declared interest in his country gaining independence from Denmark.

“The upcoming new election period must, together with the citizens, create these new steps, based on the foundations that have already been created,” Egede said. “It is about time that we ourselves take a step and shape our future, also with regard to who we will cooperate closely with, and who our trading partners will be.”

Trump has considered purchasing Greenland for several years now. In 2019, he floated the idea of buying Greenland and called it “a large real estate deal.”

“A lot of things can be done. It’s hurting Denmark very badly because they’re losing almost $700 million a year carrying it,” Trump said at the time. “So, they carry it at great loss, and strategically for the United States, it would be nice. And, we’re a big ally of Denmark and we help Denmark, and we protect Denmark.”

During a “Fox News Sunday” interview about Trump’s remarks, then-White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow confirmed that the president’s sentiment was genuine.

“Greenland is a strategic place up there, and they’ve got a lot of valuable minerals,” Kudlow explained at the time.

Houses are seen on the coastline in Nuuk, Greenland. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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“I don’t want to predict an outcome. I’m just saying the president, who knows a thing or two about buying real estate, wants to take a look.”

Fox News’ Nick Givas and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

The Biden administration on Monday announced the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees being held at a U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba to Oman, which has agreed to help re-settle them, amid steps to reduce the population at the controversial military facility. 

All of the men were captured in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and were held for more than two decades without being charged or put on trial, the New York Times reported.

“The United States appreciates the willingness of the government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility,” the Defense Department said in a statement.

BIDEN WHITE HOUSE TO SEND $1.25 BILLION IN WEAPON AID TO UKRAINE BEFORE TRUMP TRANSITION: REPORT

In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, the control tower of Camp VI detention facility is seen on April 17, 2019, in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. 

The 11 detainees were identified as: Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman, Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, Khalid Ahmed Qassim, Suhayl Abdul Anam al Sharabi, Hani Saleh Rashid Abdullah, Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani, Omar Mohammed Ali al-Rammah, Sanad Ali Yislam Al Kazimi, Hassan Muhammad Ali Bib Attash, Sharqawi Abdu Ali Al Hajj, and Abd Al-Salam Al-Hilah.

Detainees prepare themselves for the evening prayer 04 March 2002 at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba by facing towards Mecca.  (PETER MUHLY/AFP via Getty Images)

The transfer was carried out as part of an early-morning secret operation on Monday, days before Guantanamo’s most notorious prisoner, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, was scheduled to plead guilty to plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in exchange for a life sentence rather than face a death-penalty trial, the Times reported. 

The move had been in the works for about three years after an initial plan to conduct the transfer in October 2023 faced opposition from congressional lawmakers. 

JUDGE RESTORES CONTROVERSIAL 9/11 TERRORIST PLEA DEALS INVOLVING KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED: REPORT

In this April 17, 2019 image, the control tower is seen through the razor wire inside the Camp VI detention facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Authorities didn’t say why the detainees were delivered to Oman, one of the United States’ most stable allies in the Middle East, or what it gave the host country. 

The men in the latest transfer included Shaqawi al Hajj, who had undergone repeated hunger strikes and hospitalizations at Guantanamo to protest his 21 years in prison.

With the release, the total number of men detained at Guantanamo is just 15, the fewest since 2002, the year it was turned into a detention site to house men from around the world arrested in connection with the “War on Terror.”

The transfer leaves six never-charged men still being held at Guantanamo, two convicted and sentenced inmates, and seven others charged with the 2001 attacks, the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, and 2002 bombings in Bali.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammad is held at Guantanamo Bay. (Getty Images)

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Most of those at Guantanamo are from Yemen, a country ravaged by war and now dominated by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: The House is poised to vote next week on a bill that would mandate the deportation of illegal immigrants who are found guilty of sex crimes.

The legislation saw enthusiastic support just days ago from billionaire Elon Musk, who criticized the Democrats who previously opposed it.

The Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act was first introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., last year and passed the House with bipartisan support. All Republican lawmakers voted for the bill, along with 51 House Democrats.

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Elon Musk is backing a bill by Rep. Nancy Mace to deport migrants convicted of sex crimes (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Because it was not taken up by the formerly Democrat-controlled Senate, however, Mace introduced the bill again on Friday to start the process again in the new 119th Congress.

“Let’s get it passed through both chambers of Congress this go around,” Mace wrote on social media over the weekend.

Two sources told Fox News Digital that House GOP leaders intend to hold another vote on it next week, which would come just days before President-elect Trump’s inauguration.

It’s one of several border security and other conservative policy bills introduced by House Republicans on Friday — the first day of the 119th Congress.

158 DEMS VOTE AGAINST BILL TO DEPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMIT SEX CRIMES

Mace previously introduced the bill last year. (Getty Images)

Over the weekend, Musk called for challengers to the Democrats who voted against the bill in September.

“There is no excuse. Please post the list of people who opposed this law and want to keep illegals who are convicted sex offenders in America,” Musk wrote on X in response to a conservative influencer discussing the bill. “They all need to be voted out of office. Every one of them.”

GOP lawmakers are signaling that they want to waste no time in enacting their agenda after the November election saw Republicans retain the House while also taking the White House and Senate.

Former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer never took up the bill. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

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In addition to Mace bringing her bill back, Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Mike Collins, R-Ga., also reintroduced their own legislation that passed the House last year but did not see a Senate vote.

Roy introduced a bill mandating proof of citizenship in the voter registration process, while Collins is leading legislation to direct federal immigration authorities to issue detainers and take custody of illegal aliens who commit theft-related crimes, such as shoplifting, as defined by state and local law.

The latter bill is expected to be up for another House vote this week.

FIRST ON FOX: The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) has endorsed Kash Patel as the director of the FBI in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders that also railed against the state of law enforcement under the Biden administration. 

“We are pleased to give our enthusiastic endorsement of Mr. Patel’s nomination to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and urge the Committee hold hearings expeditiously. We believe there will be broad support for Mr. Patel and we look forward to his swift confirmation by the full United States Senate,” NSA President Kieran Donahue wrote in a letter Monday to Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, respectively. 

The NSA is a professional association that boasts roughly 10,000 active members. 

President-elect Trump nominated Kash Patel as FBI director in November. Patel is an outspoken crusader against the “deep state.” In a book published last year, he explicitly called for revamping the FBI in a chapter dubbed “Overhauling the FBI,” and moving the FBI’s headquarters out of Washington, D.C.

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

Kash Patel speaks during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at Findlay Toyota Center on Oct. 13, 2024, in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

In his letter to the senators, Donahue lauded Patel’s resume as evidence he has the “credentials, skills, temperament, commitment, and experience for this critical position.”

Patel previously served as a public defender in Florida’s Miami-Dade area, where he tried “scores of complex cases ranging from murder, to narco-trafficking, to complex financial crimes in jury trials in state and federal courts,” according to his Defense Department biography. He also won a DOJ award in 2017 under the Obama administration for his prosecution and conviction of 12 terrorists responsible for the World Cup bombings in 2010. 

Patel hit the national radar during Trump’s first administration, including when he worked as the national security adviser and senior counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence under committee Chair Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

I WORKED WITH KASH PATEL TO EXPOSE THE RUSSIA HOAX AND KNOW HE’S THE BEST PICK TO REFORM THE FBI

“Mr. Patel’s service will undoubtedly prioritize the restoration of confidence in the Bureau through increased transparency, integrity, collaboration, and commitment to excellence. Mr. Patel promised NSA – if confirmed – his unwavering dedication to working hand in glove with local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement at the rank-and- file and leadership levels. His commitment to the reciprocity of access-to-advise is essential to combating the most serious security and policing challenges ahead. We are certain Mr. Patel’s engagement will result in vital and effective partnerships nationwide to protect communities large and small,” Donahue wrote. 

President-elect Trump arrives to speak at a news conference at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Oct. 25, 2024, in Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The sheriff group’s leader also took direct aim at policies affecting law enforcement that were rolled out under the Biden administration, which he said has “undermined the rule of law and burdened our nation with great risk and vulnerability.”

GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL OFFER SUPPORT FOR TRUMP FBI PICK KASH PATEL, URGE SENATORS TO DO THE SAME

“Equally detrimental are the border policies that permit unchecked access to our homeland. These two factors have sadly but predictably granted domestic and international criminals unprecedented opportunity to victimize or endanger the citizens and residents of our nation. As a result, countless communities across America are under siege. Through the exploitation of these vulnerabilities, complex criminal and terror schemes are taking hold and flourishing. The blind spot created by inadequate border control and law enforcement policies has facilitated criminal activity that falls under multiple jurisdictions and therefore demands a robust and coordinated response,” he wrote to the senators. 

WHO IS KASH PATEL? TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD THE FBI HAS LONG HISTORY VOWING TO BUST UP ‘DEEP STATE’

The sheriff continued that local law enforcement agencies want to work more closely with federal leaders in order to combat the infiltration of cartels and organized crime groups in the U.S., but have “been denied direct unfiltered access to the President” in the last four years. 

President-elect Trump’s nominee to be FBI director, Kash Patel, arrives at Sen. Joni Ernst’s office for a meeting in the Russell Senate Office Building on Dec. 9, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“As a result, there is a perception within law enforcement and the public that our national leaders do not comprehend the ground truth about criminal trends and lack the will, policy tools, and resources to thwart the criminal activities undermining the security of our nation,” he wrote. 

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“Our federal law enforcement hierarchy, armed with knowledge gained through local collaboration, must be heard by the decisionmakers in Washington. In this time of uncertainty, it is critical the Federal Bureau of Investigation be led by someone who has the complete confidence of the President,” he continued. 

Donald Trump Jr. is expected to travel to Greenland Tuesday after his father, President-elect Trump, signaled an interest in U.S. “ownership and control” of the country, Fox News Digital has learned. 

A source familiar with Trump Jr.’s plans told Fox News Digital that the president-elect’s son, who is traveling in a personal capacity, is set to arrive in Nuuk, Greenland, midday Tuesday for meetings with locals, to visit cultural sites and more. 

“As someone who has traveled to some fascinating places across the globe as an outdoorsman, I’m excited to stop into Greenland for a little bit of fun this week,” Donald Trump Jr. told Fox News Digital. 

A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Trump Jr. is “popping in for a quick day-long trip to shoot some fun video content for podcasting.”

Donald Trump Jr. speaks before his father at a campaign rally, July 9, 2024, in Doral, Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

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“He will not be meeting with any government officials or political figures,” the source told Fox News Digital. 

The trip comes as President-elect Trump seeks to buy the mineral-rich, geographically important territory. 

American interest in Greenland dates back to the 1800s. 

President-elect Trump during a meeting with France’s president at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on Dec. 7, 2024. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Getty Images)

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In 1867, the State Department explored buying both Greenland and Iceland, recognizing their strategic importance, Fox News reported. After World War II, Denmark turned down a $100 million offer from President Harry Truman for the island.

Acquiring the land would mark the largest expansion of American territory in history, topping the Louisiana Purchase.

Houses are seen on the coastline in Nuuk, Greenland. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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But Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said last week that the country is not interested. 

“Greenland is ours,” he said. “We are not for sale, and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said during an interview on “Fox News Sunday” that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is “wrong” on the issue of vaccinations.

President-elect Donald Trump tapped Kennedy to serve as Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary. 

Cassidy, a gastroenterologist who is currently serving Louisianans in the Senate, is the incoming chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

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Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee ranking member Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., left, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Health and Human Services. (Left: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Right: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The senator, who noted that he is looking forward to meeting with Kennedy in the coming week, said that he agrees with Kennedy on some issues but disagrees with him on others. 

While Cassidy described ultra-processed food as a problem, he said Kennedy is “wrong” about vaccinations.

Fox News Digital inquired about whether Cassidy plans to vote against confirming Kennedy to HHS due to the disagreement on vaccines. 

“Cassidy does not discuss his votes prior to meetings with the nominees and the Senate process playing itself out,” a Cassidy spokesman said in a statement. “Cassidy explained these are topics he wants to discuss with RFK Jr in his meeting with him this week and he looks forward to having a good dialogue with him.”

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Reached by Fox News Digital on Monday, Kennedy declined to comment on Cassidy’s assertion that he is “wrong” on the vaccine issue.

But Kennedy has previously said that he does not want to block people from getting vaccines.

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“Bottom line: I’m not going to take anyone’s vaccines away from them. I just want to be sure every American knows the safety profile, the risk profile, and the efficacy of each vaccine. That’s it,” he declared in a tweet last year.