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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem heads to Capitol Hill on Friday for her confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Homeland Security — a hearing where border security and plans to launch a massive deportation operation are likely to take center stage.

Noem, nominated by President-elect Trump to lead DHS, will appear before the Senate Homeland Security Committee at 9 a.m. ET. 

The governor has largely stayed out of the spotlight, with more controversial nominees drawing attention from politicians and the media. But, if confirmed, she will play an important role in the next administration, leading the agency involved not only with border security but also cybersecurity, response to natural disasters and counterterrorism.

SENATE GOP TEES UP CONFIRMATION HEARING BLITZ IN EFFORT TO MEET AMBITIOUS TRUMP TARGETS 

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks before former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

That broad role has been highlighted in recent days with wildfires engulfing Los Angeles, where the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) plays a key role in response. FEMA’s importance was also on display late last year during the hurricane season.

She will also be engaged in the battle for cybersecurity, including against threats from communist China.

Dealing with natural disasters and cybersecurity are both areas where Noem has experience. As governor, she banned TikTok from state-owned devices in 2022, citing the company’s ties to China. Separately, Dakota State University has one of the top cyber units in the country, and cybersecurity is the fastest growing industry in South Dakota, an expansion encouraged by Noem. 

Noem has in-depth experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) because the state has dealt with flooding, including in June when there were record-setting floods in the state. 

Noem, a former member of Congress, was elected governor of South Dakota in 2018 and won re-election in 2022. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT KRISTI NOEM, THE ‘BORDER HAWK’ NOMINATED BY TRUMP TO LEAD DHS

But it is likely to be border security, and the promise by Trump to launch a historic deportation operation, which will feature in any contentious exchanges.

Trump, nominating Noem, had argued that she is “very strong” on border security.

Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listens as North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

“She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the border and will guarantee that our American homeland is secure from our adversaries. I have known Kristi for years and have worked with her on a wide variety of projects. She will be a great part of our mission to make America safe again,” Trump said in a statement.

“With Donald Trump, we will secure the border and restore safety to American communities so that families will again have the opportunity to pursue the American dream,” Noem said.

While Homan has been charged with leading the deportation operation, Noem will be in charge of DHS agencies, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.)

Democrats may choose to quiz Noem on their objections to mass deportations, although a number of Democrats have indicated their openness to border security and legislation mandating ICE detention for some illegal immigrants — after a historic border crisis during the Biden administration that only recently subsided, and which was a top issue in the 2024 election.

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Noem previously backed a pause on accepting migrants from terrorist hot spots. As governor, she pledged in 2021 not to take any more migrants from the Biden administration and also deployed National Guard to the border in Texas. 

“My message to illegal immigrants is — Call me when you’re an American,” she said on Facebook in 2021.

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Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the new chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told McClatchy that he believes there will be a quick confirmation of Noem, and that she will likely have a few Democrats voting in favor.

“I think the bar is so low that any kind of attempt to slow down the mass illegal migration would be an improvement,” Paul said. “I think they’re going to be very aggressive, not only her but the entire [Trump] administration.”

There were many things that preceded the “nonsensical” response from Los Angeles and California state leaders to the devastating wildfires that continue to blaze across the region, according to historian and political commentator Victor Davis Hanson.

“To mitigate you have to know what went wrong, and there were short-term and long-term problems,” Davis, a Hoover Institution public policy think tank senior fellow, told Fox News Digital in a Tuesday interview. “And I don’t think climate change played a role, at least a non-immediate role.”

Davis described the situation as a “woke green hydrogen bomb” — from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ absence during the critical first 24 hours of the inferno to empty fire hydrants, a dysfunctional reservoir, a defunded fire department and a lack of new water infrastructure despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s support of the billions of dollars earmarked to address it.

LA COUNCILWOMAN WHOSE DISTRICT RAVAGED BY WILDFIRES LOOKS TO HOLD LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR EMPTY RESERVOIRS

Historian Victor Davis Hanson shares his analysis of what went wrong and led up to the catastrophic wildfire management in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)

“It’s a very fragile system,” Hanson said. “What Gavin Newsom did not do is he did not take the allotted money and build the reservoirs that would have accommodated the increased population. Number two, that water that is being pumped across the [Sacramento-San Joaquin River] Delta, he let go out into the bay under the demands of environmentalists. He said in his defense that the reservoirs are full. That’s not true. If you look at the biggest one, it’s only 75% full, and we are in a semi-drought right now.”

Newsom told NBC News in a pretaped interview that aired Sunday, “The reservoirs are completely full — the state reservoirs here in Southern California. That mis- and disinformation, I don’t think, advantages or aids any of us.”

But as of Tuesday, Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir, was at 77% capacity, holding approximately 3.52 million acre-feet of water out of its total capacity of 4.55 million acre-feet, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment and has not yet received a response.

California’s existing reservoirs can only hold so much water, and many were built in the mid-20th century. 

In 2014, Golden State voters passed Proposition 1, also known as the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act, which authorized $2.7 billion in bonds to increase the state’s water storage capacity through building new reservoirs and groundwater storage facilities. Yet as of January, no new reservoirs have been completed under Prop. 1. 

In 2024, the state experienced record-breaking rainfall after an atmospheric river event, but the existing water infrastructure faced difficulties managing the sudden influx of water. A significant portion of that rainfall was dumped into the ocean as the state struggles to properly store water, multiple California agencies said. 

“There was a roughly 120 million gallon reservoir that could have been used because they only had three million in reserve — that would have probably made the difference,” Hanson said. “That had been idle for almost a year, and it was because the cover was torn. It was just nonsensical.”

The out-of-order reservoir Hanson referred to, known as the Santa Ynez Reservoir in Pacific Palisades, has been closed for repairs since February due to a tear in its covering, which was designed to maintain the water quality, the Los Angeles Times first reported Tuesday. 

FIRST HEARING IN ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ CALIFORNIA SPECIAL SESSION CANCELED AS CHAIRMAN’S DISTRICT HIT BY WILDFIRES

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has been criticized for being on a trip to Africa when the wildfires broke out, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom has shifted blame and ordered an independent review of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. (AP/Getty)

Hanson has a Central Valley farm that relies on snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, he explained. 

In California’s Central Valley, farming water typically comes from the Sierra, mainly through the San Joaquin River system, which is supported by major dams like Shaver, Huntington and Pine Flat. That water is often released into the Sacramento River, which flows into the Delta. Despite increasing demand, no new dams have been built on the San Joaquin system in decades. 

On the west side of the valley, water comes from snowmelt in northern California’s Cascade Range and northern Sierra, filling larger reservoirs like Oroville and Folsom. These reservoirs were designed to store water during wet years, ensuring a steady supply in average years and a backup for drought years. 

However, California has faced a prolonged dry spell, with little rain or snow in recent weeks, causing reservoir levels to drop.

“So when Gavin Newsom says, well, ‘they’re full,’ they’re not all full, but they’re descending at a rapid rate, because he will not stop the releases to the ocean,” Hanson said. “They’re still going on, as you and I speak, and they’re not pumping 100% of it to the aqueduct, which serves agriculture in Los Angeles.”

Newsom, meanwhile, has shifted the blame to local management and ordered an independent review of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. 

“We need answers to how that happened,” Newsom wrote to the department’s director and the director of Los Angeles County Public Works on Jan. 10, regarding reports of lost water supply. 

‘DEVASTATING’: CALIFORNIA HAD RECORD RAINFALL LAST YEAR, BUT LACKED INFRASTRUCTURE TO STORE IT

In this aerial drone photo, the primary pump in the foreground is part of a groundwater recharge project designed to capture excess flow for groundwater storage in Fresno County, California, on March 13, 2023. (Andrew Innerarity/California Department of Water Resources via AP)

For his part, Newsom also proposed allocating at least $2.5 billion in additional funding to bolster California’s emergency response and recovery efforts in Los Angeles, his office announced on Monday. 

The proposed funding would support recovery and cleanup operations, enhance wildfire preparedness and assist in reopening schools closed due to the fires. The funding would come from the state’s Disaster Response Emergency Operations Account, with $1.5 billion coming from speeding up the use of climate bond funds for immediate use, according to his office. 

There has been a slight increase in containment for the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires burning in Los Angeles County, according to a Wednesday night update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 

The Palisades fire, the larger of the two at 23,713 acres burned as of Wednesday, is at 21% containment after its ignition in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood more than a week ago, according to the department. 

The Eaton Fire in the Altadena/Pasadena area was at 45% containment as of Wednesday night. Both fires broke out on Jan. 7. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Bass’ office for comment.

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

EXCLUSIVE: The FBI has closed its DEI office, Fox News can confirm. 

“In recent weeks, the FBI took steps to close the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), effective by December 2024,” the agency told Fox News Digital on Thursday. 

The agency didn’t specify why it had closed the office, although many Republicans have been critical of it prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion, saying that had overshadowed national security. 

Earlier this month, Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray claiming that “radical” DEI practices had “endangered” Americans following the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.

IS DEI DYING? HERE’S THE LIST OF COMPANIES THAT HAVE ROLLED BACK THE ‘WOKE’ POLICIES

The J. Edgar Hoover building, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters, is photographed on October 8, 2024 in Washington, DC.  (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

“I am deeply concerned that—under your leadership—the Bureau has prioritized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives over its core mission of protecting the American people,” Balckburn wrote in the Jan. 3 letter after referencing the attack. 

After the announcement, Blackburn said in a post on X: “The question is why were they allowed to be focused on DEI in the first place? The FBI should be focused on catching criminals, not winning participation trophies.”

President-elect Trump also commented on its closure, writing on Truth Social: “We demand that the FBI preserve and retain all records, documents, and information on the now closing DEI Office—Never should have been opened and, if it was, should have closed long ago. Why is it that they’re closing one day before the Inauguration of a new Administration? The reason is, CORRUPTION!”

The FBI page on diversity and inclusion – that was still on its website as of Thursday – says the agency is “committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce. In 2015, the FBI added diversity as one of the organization’s core values.

It continued: “We believe that differences in thought and belief, in race and religion, in orientation, and in ability contribute to more effective decision making, drive innovation, and enhance the employee experience. We know that a more diverse workforce allows us to connect with and maintain the trust of the American people. We also understand we have work to do. We stand committed, as today’s FBI, to fostering a culture of inclusivity and diversity.” 

Former FBI special agent and Fox News contributor Nicole Parker told Fox News Digital: “I appreciate all forms of diversity. Make no mistake of that. What I do not appreciate is when there is a constant push for social justice weaponization at the FBI whose top priorities are to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution.”  

NATIONAL SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION SLAMS STATE OF POLICING UNDER BIDEN, THROWS FULL SUPPORT BEHIND PATEL FOR FBI

Scott McMillion became the FBI’s first chief diversity officer in April 2021 and led the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which was established in 2012. (Reuters/FBI)

She added that FBI Director Christopher Wray has made it clear that threats across and against the nation are “at an all-time high. ‘Flashing red lights,’ as he has stated in congressional testimony. There is no time for clubs, groups, or social agendas that divert time, attention and resources away from the mission of the FBI to protect the American people.”

“DEI is a dangerous distraction,” she continued. “I have no issue in celebrating whatever you would like regarding your heritage or gender or religion. But that should be done on your own time and not with the U.S. taxpayers’ dollars while on official Bureau time.”

Parker added, “The FBI needs to focus on hiring the best and brightest based solely on meritocracy. Americans deserve the best. I have never been on an operation or heard of a civilian calling into the FBI and requesting an individual of a certain race or gender provide them with assistance in solving their problem or stopping a crime they’ve fallen victim to. Americans simply want to be safe.” 

The FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion was created in 2012 to provide “guidance and implement programs that promote a diverse and inclusive workplace that allows all employees to succeed and advance.”  (Getty/FBI)

“The FBI should be focused on being one in fighting crime, not various groups and divisions that divide,” she said. 

Parker also noted that there are numerous other groups within the FBI aside from the DEI office, including the American Indian and Alaska Native Advisory Committee, Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee, Black Affairs Diversity Committee, Bureau Equality, Hispanic Advisory Board, Near and Middle East Advisory Committee, Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee, Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee, and the Women’s Advisory Committee. 

She said the bureau also has numerous resource groups, including Blacks in Government, FBI African American Millennials, FBI Family, FBI Jewish Americans, FBI Latinos for Empowerment Advancement and Development, FBI Pride, Federal Asian Pacific American Counsel, Federally Employed Women, From Boots to Suits and the Toastmasters Club. 

Wray announced in December that he planned to resign with nearly three years left in his term, citing Trump’s desire for a change in leadership at the agency. 

This is President Biden’s last week in office. President-elect Trump will take office on Monday. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, for comment. 

The FBI’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion was created in 2012 during the Obama administration with its goal to provide “guidance and implement programs that promote a diverse and inclusive workplace that allows all employees to succeed and advance.”

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In 2021, after Biden took office, Scott McMillion became the FBI’s first chief diversity officer, saying that he planned to spearhead a “cultural shift” at the agency. 

The announcement by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg that Facebook and Instagram would end their work with third-party fact-checkers and ease certain content restrictions was praised by some conservative activists, who cheered it as a “vindication” for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who dissented from the rest of the court in late 2023 in a case involving content regulation that included a post by the former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

The case centered on whether Meta was acting outside its scope when its platform, Facebook, temporarily removed a 30-minute video posted by Kennedy, which included vaccine misinformation and other false claims about COVID-19. The Supreme Court majority declined to take up the case without explanation, but Alito disagreed, writing as the sole dissenter for the court.

Alito, a George W. Bush appointee, blasted the video’s removal in a scathing dissent, saying that the platform had censored a type of political speech in its attempts to crack down on misinformation, and could therefore be seen as acting on behalf of the U.S. government and possibly causing what he described as “irreparable” harm.

AG NOMINEE PAM BONDI SEEN AS STEADYING FORCE TO STEER DOJ IN TRUMP’S SECOND TERM

Justice Samuel Alito iseen during a formal group photograph at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Our democratic form of government is undermined if government officials prevent a candidate for high office from communicating with voters, and such efforts are especially dangerous when the officials engaging in such conduct are answerable to a rival candidate,” Alito said in the dissent. 

“I would allow him to intervene to ensure that we can reach the merits of respondents’ claims and to prevent the irreparable loss of his First Amendment rights,” he added.

“Because Mr. Kennedy’s arguments on the merits are essentially the same as respondents’, allowing intervention would not significantly affect petitioners’ burden with regard to that issue,” Alito wrote. “But the denial of intervention is likely to prevent Mr. Kennedy from vindicating the rights he claims until the spring of 2024 and perhaps as late as June of that year. And by that time, several months of the presidential campaign will have passed.” 

TRUMP INAUGURATION GUEST LIST INCLUDES TECH TITANS MARK ZUCKERBERG, JEFF BEZOS, ELON MUSK

Meta and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged in a video posted on social media that they had “gone too far” and allowed for too much political bias from outside fact-checkers. (Joe Rogan Experience)

Zuckerberg announced earlier this month that Meta would end its previous content restrictions used on Facebook and Instagram — which were put into place after the 2016 elections — acknowledging in a video posted on social media that they had “gone too far” and allowed for too much political bias from outside fact-checkers.

“We’ve reached a point where it’s just too many mistakes and too much censorship,” Zuckerberg said in the announcement.

“The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point toward once again prioritizing speech. So we are going to get back to our roots, focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms.”

Meta will now replace that system with a “Community Notes”-style program, similar to the approach taken by social media platform X, he said. X is owned by Elon Musk, the co-director of the planned Department of Government Efficiency.

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That news was praised by Mollie Hemingway, the editor-in-chief of The Federalist, who noted on X that the decision from Zuckerberg “vindicated” Alito’s dissent. “Kind of crazy how Zuck was like ‘what they did had to be illegal’ but majority on Court was like ‘I mean, who can know?'” Hemingway said of the Supreme Court’s decision not to take up the case.

A Georgia state senator and hardline supporter of President-elect Trump appeared to be pushed to the floor before being arrested while trying to enter the state House chamber on Thursday. 

State Sen. Colton Moore, who previously tried to have Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis impeached for indicting Trump, tried to enter the House floor to attend Gov. Brian Kemp’s State of the State Address — but was ultimately led away in handcuffs.

Moore is currently banned from entering the chamber after he blasted the state Senate’s decision last year to consider a resolution to name a building at the University of North Georgia after the now-deceased former speaker David Ralston.

The state senator appeared to be pushed to the floor and arrested while trying to enter the Georgia House chamber. (Fox News)

GEORGIA LAWMAKER SAYS WHISTLEBLOWER ALERTED HIM OF SECRET MIGRANT ROOM AT AIRPORT

“This body is about to memorialize, in my opinion, one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders that we are ever going to see in my lifetime,” Moore exclaimed at the time.

On Wednesday, Moore wrote to current House Speaker Jon Burns outlining why he thought the ban was unconstitutional and said he intended to be at today’s joint session.

“I will NEVER back down,” Moore wrote on X, sharing the letter he penned to Burns. “I will ALWAYS speak the truth and represent the people of Northwest Georgia as their trusted America First Senator.”

But when he tried to enter the chamber on Thursday, he was met by a wall of resistance and appeared to be pushed back by an attending doorman.

State Sen. Colton Moore was arrested on Thursday for trying to enter the Georgia House.  (Fox News)

Moore told state troopers in attendance that he had a constitutional right to enter and that a doorman should be arrested for breaking the law. 

“This is a joint session of the General Assembly. Your House rules do not apply,” Moore told the men. “I’m going into the chamber.”

Unable to get in, Moore asked a state trooper whether he was stopping him from entering. The trooper appeared to say that the doormen were responsible for who entered. 

A scuffle ensued, with video showing Moore appearing to be pushed to the floor by one of the doormen. He was then surrounded by state troopers and subsequently arrested. 

TRUMP CHEERS DISQUALIFICATION OF ‘CORRUPT’ FANI WILLIS, SAYS CASE IS ‘ENTIRELY DEAD’

Fox News Digital reached out to Georgia state police, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office and the state speaker about the scuffle but did not receive a response in time for publication. 

Moore said that the state was “ruled by authoritarians” on his way out and that the ban was censorship of his voice as an elected official.

Georgia Republican chairman Josh McKoon said that he was “deeply disappointed” that Moore had been denied admission to the chamber and “shocked” that he had been taken into custody.

“It was not only legally appropriate to admit him to today’s proceedings — it was simply the right thing to do,” McKoon wrote in a statement to FOX 5 Atlanta. “Our focus should be on the excellent agenda being outlined by Governor Kemp today to continue to make Georgia the best place in the country to live, work, and raise a family — not internal conflicts.”

In 2023, Georgia’s Republican Senate Caucus suspended Moore for attacking them for opposing his plan to impeach Willis for indicting Trump in an election interference case.

Georgia DA Fani Willis, left, indicted President-elect Trump, right, in an election interference case. (Getty)

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“The Georgia RINOs responded to my call to fight back against the Trump witch hunts by acting like children and throwing me out of the caucus,” Moore wrote on X at the time. “But I’m not going anywhere.”

Moore was the most prominent backer of a special session to impeach and remove Willis or defund her office, winning Trump’s endorsement. Kemp denounced the call as “some grifter scam” to raise campaign contributions for Moore.

The Willis case eventually unraveled, due in part to her having a romantic relationship with a prosecutor she had hired.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Former NFL veteran-turned-Texas state legislator Scott Turner said Thursday during his confirmation hearing to be the next Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary his goal will be to help people get off government assistance and become more self-sustainable.

Testifying before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Turner said, if confirmed, his priorities would be to advance and expand polices heralded by the incoming Trump administration. 

“This moment is not just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about continuing and expanding the policies from the first Trump administration — policies that worked,” Turner said Thursday. He added that his “goal” as HUD secretary will be “to help people get off government assistance, become self-sustainable and achieve the American dream.” 

Turner previously served as executive director of the Trump administration’s Opportunity and Revitalization Council that established “Opportunity Zones,” an economic revitalization plan aimed at helping low-income, minority communities, which Turner said he hopes to expand. Turner also said he plans to cut red tape, engage with state, local and private partners to improve the cost of housing and “maximize” HUD’s current budget. 

‘CLEAR VISION’: CONSERVATIVES RALLY AROUND HEGSETH AFTER ‘CRUSHING’ FIERY CONFIRMATION HEARING

Eric Scott Turner, President-elect Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is sworn in during a Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing for his pending confirmation on Capitol Hill Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington.  (Associated Press)

“There are many factors to why housing is so expensive now, and I believe first we need to get our own fiscal house in order,” Turner told Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., when she asked Turner if he would support additional federal investment to lower the cost to build more affordable housing. “I do look forward to looking at the HOME Program and other programs, but there’s record funding from HUD. HUD’s budget is nearly $70 billion at this point, and we’re still not meeting the need that we’re supposed to be meeting.”

Democrats at the hearing suggested they were concerned that Turner would slash federal funding for certain programs, such as HUD’s Section 8 housing program and the agency’s flagship HOME Investment Partnership Program. When probed about his approach to funding certain programs, Turner told Democrats he would work with them to review their concerns on a case-by-case basis but did not confirm one way or the other whether he would slash funding.

“The federal financing is a key part of financing housing, and affordable housing in Nevada,” Sen. Catherine Cortez, D-Nev., said Thursday. 

“We need to make some big changes,” Warren added. “To really move the needle, the federal government needs to be a good partner, investing in affordable housing and spurring local innovation to cut red tape.”

At one point during the hearing, Turner was asked about his support for work requirements for those receiving Section 8 housing assistance, telling committee members he thought it was a good idea. When Turner tried to explain his reasoning, he was cut off by the senator questioning him and unable to respond.

Eric Scott Turner, President-elect Trump’s nominee for U.S. secretary of Housing and Urban Development, during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.  (Getty Images)

In addition to their questions about funding HUD programs, Democrats also questioned Turner over whether he would work to remove alleged racial bias from the housing appraisal industry and whether he intends to go after “price gouging” from real estate investors. Again, Turner did not say “no” but said he would commit to looking into the issue with Democrats and make a determination from there. However, Turner did rail against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requirements at HUD for housing grant applicants.

 CONFIRMATION DELAYS STACK UP FOR TRUMP NOMINEE AS PAPERWORK LAGS IN FEDERAL OFFICES

“When we grant assistance, obviously there’s accountability, there’s transparency, but to hold anyone hostage because of a politicization of an agency, or a process, is wrong across the board,” Turner said when asked if he would investigate such polices.

Eric Scott Turner, President-elect Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development, arrives to testify at his Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)

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Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., chairman of the committee, echoed Turner’s concerns that HUD has failed to live up to its mission and that housing is about more than just putting a roof over someone’s head. 

“Housing isn’t just about shelter, it’s about opportunity, and it is about stability,” Scott said Thursday. “Despite all the subsidies and all the trillions of dollars [the Biden administration] spent, not much good has happened. But, today, it is a new day in America, and new leadership brings hope and opportunity and enthusiasm back to the American people.”

President Biden on Thursday thanked service members for their “strength” and “integrity” while giving his farewell address in Virginia. 

“There’s never been a time in history when we’ve asked our military to do so many different things so many places, all at the same time,” the president said at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Virginia. “And I want to be clear: You have done all these missions with strength and, maybe even importantly, integrity.” 

Biden’s address to troops came the morning after his farewell address to the nation in which he said it was his “great honor” to serve as the 46th president. 

It also comes four days before President-elect Trump succeeds him. 

WHILE TRUMP, BIDEN CLAIM CREDIT FOR ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE, SOME REPUBLICANS CALL IT A BAD DEAL

President Biden on Thursday thanked service members for their “strength” and “integrity” while giving his farewell address at the Department of Defense.  (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“You all represent what America is: character, honesty, integrity, commitment,” Biden told the troops. “You are simply the greatest fighting force in the history of the world.” 

The president said the troops “rose to the occasion” when he asked for the war in Afghanistan to end, “evacuating Americans, allies and our Afghan partners, accomplishing the largest airlift in military history and ending a war. The same courage is defined by American service in Afghanistan for over 20 years.”

He said he believes “history will reflect that was the right thing to do, but I know, I know, it was hard after decades of losing your brothers and sisters, including [during the] withdrawal. The pain was still real. And it was for me as well. Every day I still carry, every single day.” 

Biden has been criticized for his handling of the messy Afghanistan withdrawal, when 13 U.S. service members were killed. 

He added that six months after American troops withdrew from Afghanistan, “when Russia began its largest war in Europe since World War II, I asked you to help defend Ukraine. You didn’t hesitate. You kept Ukraine in the fight, trained Ukrainian soldiers and pilots, troops, bolstered NATO’s eastern flank. And, above all, you showed the world America stands up for freedom, stands with our friends.”

BIDEN THANKS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR THE GREAT HONOR TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT DURING FAREWELL ADDRESS

Lloyd Austin, the secretary of defense, during a commander in chief farewell ceremony at Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.  (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He also touted the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, which was announced Wednesday and first mentioned in his farewell address to the nation. 

“The road to that deal was not easy,” he admitted, saying he “laid down the elements of that deal eight months ago.” 

President-elect Trump has also taken credit for the cease-fire.

“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday. “I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones.” 

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at Biden’s commander in chief farewell celebration Thursday.  (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Biden also thanked military families who “sacrifice so much” in his speech. 

“Most Americans never see the sacrifices that you make every single day,” he continued. “Don’t ever see all those holidays and birthdays with an empty seat at the dinner table because mom or dad was deployed. Never see all the moves you had to make to new states, to new schools, to new jobs.” 

He added near the end of his speech, “You’re truly the finest fighting force in the history of the world,” adding that the American military has the best training, weapons, ships and planes. 

“But that alone is not what makes us strong,” he said. “It’s our values. American values. Our commitment to honor, to integrity, to unity, to protecting and defending. Not a person or a party or a place, but an idea.” 

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Before Biden’s speech, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thanked Biden for his service in their own remarks, which were part of the commander in chief farewell tribute to the president. 

While President-elect Trump and President Biden are jockeying for credit for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, some Republicans are wary of the deal and whether it will stick. 

“There’s no part of me that trusts Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa martyrs Brigade, Fatah or the rank-and-file people that voted for Hamas,” Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., the House’s new Foreign Affairs Committee chair, told Fox News Digital. 

“There’s no part of me that trusts them in any way whatsoever. I do trust there’s a fear of God in them from the fact that President Trump is coming in, Secretary Rubio and Stefanik, others, [and] what’s not going to continue with programs like UNRWA,” he added, referring to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. “I trust that there is a chilling effect, you know, how they see the world going forward. But there’s no part of me that trusts them in any way.”

Asked if he was celebrating the deal itself alongside some of his colleagues, Mast said, “I’m skeptical, like anything.” 

“If it gets Americans home, I’m happy about getting Americans home,” Mast went on. “That’s been a problem for me that, you know, if there’s Americans detained abroad, I would have every expectation that there’s an American coming to get them. And, to me, unfortunately, that hasn’t been the result.”

The cease-fire is meant as a way to bring home the remaining hostages taken from Israel and provide a path to peace for the 2 million Palestinians who have been living in a war zone since Hamas’ bloody attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Trump promised there would be “hell to pay” if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and Hamas did not agree to a cease-fire by the time he took office. (AP/Sebastian Scheiner)

The deal has implications for the U.S.: Seven hostages who remain in Hamas’ clutches are Americans. 

“Why is lame duck Joe Biden trying to cram down a bad deal on Israel on his way out the door?” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., wrote on X. “The only ‘deal’ should be unconditional surrender by Hamas—which is already nearly destroyed—and return of ALL hostages. Instead, we hear reports that Biden is demanding that Israel withdraw from key terrain in Gaza, release dozens of hardened terrorists for every one hostage, and get back only SOME hostages?”

Sources confirmed Israeli reporting to Fox News Digital that it was Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who traveled to Doha, Qatar and strong-handed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into sitting down to finalize the deal that had evaded the Biden administration’s mediation for the better part of the past year. 

The first cease-fire in November 2023 lasted only one week, with both sides accusing the other of breaking it. In that time, 105 hostages were released, as were 240 Palestinian prisoners.

ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU DELAYS GAZA CEASE-FIRE VOTE, ACCUSING HAMAS OF TRYING TO BACK OUT OF DEAL

Trump had promised there would be “hell to pay” if a cease-fire was not reached by the time he took office, which will be on Jan. 20. His surrogates developed close relationships with Arab leaders in swing states like Michigan throughout the campaign, promising Trump would bring peace to the Middle East.

Sen. Tom Cotton called the cease-fire a “bad deal.” (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images/File)

Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast, R-Fla., said he doesn’t trust Hamas or the Palestinians to uphold the deal. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images/File)

ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASE-FIRE, HOSTAGE RELEASE DEAL REACHED: ‘AMERICANS WILL BE PART OF THAT’

The deal, brokered by Qatari negotiators, with the help of mediation from both the outgoing Biden administration and Witkoff, is set up in three phases. It will see three hostages released on the first day – Sunday – with new hostages released each week. That phase will entail a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Philadelphi corridor on Egypt’s border and the so-called buffer zone in the Gazan territory bordering Israel. 

Women, children and men over 50 will be prioritized initially. Over the course of the 42-day first phase, 33 of the remaining Israeli hostages will be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. 

That group is likely to include some who have been convicted of murder. On Thursday, Netanyahu delayed ratification of the deal over disagreements about whether he would get a veto over which prisoners convicted of murder would be released. Israel’s Cabinet will now meet Friday to ratify the deal. 

“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote on social media. 

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Biden said from the White House that “my diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.”

He added, “This plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will be largely implemented by the incoming administration.”

The Department of Justice (DOJ) this week released the final nationwide crime statistics under the Biden administration as the president prepares to leave office. 

Following an uptick in violent crime in 2021 during the pandemic, it began to trend down significantly in 2023, “including double-digit drops in homicide rates across many major cities,” according to the DOJ. 

In 2024, violent crime continued to go down, according to preliminary DOJ data from 85 major cities. 

That included a 17.5% decrease in murder rates. There was also a 7.1% decrease in rape, 3.6% decrease in aggravated assault and 7.8% decline in robbery over the first three quarters of the year. 

Between 2021 and 2022, violent crime decreased by 1.7%, which became a 3% decrease between 2022 and 2023, and through the second quarter of 2023 to 2024 it went down by 10.3%. 

In the same time spans, the murder rate went down by 6.1% starting from 2021 to 2022, by 11.6% in 2023 and finally by 22.7% in 2024.

HOMICIDES ARE PLUNGING IN BIDEN’S LAST YEAR COMPARED TO TRUMP’S: REPORT

The Department of Justice this week released the final crime statistics in the country under the Biden administration as the president prepares to leave office.  (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“Since launching the Violent Crime Reduction Strategy in 2021, the Department has made historic progress against the most significant drivers of violent crime,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement. 

She added, “This report details the Department’s many successes in implementing its violent crime strategy and serves as a testament to the work of law enforcement officers around the country who have done so much to keep our communities safe.”

Shortly after taking office in 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that Monaco would be implementing a Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime.

“Recognizing that every jurisdiction — large, small, rural, urban — faces unique challenges that cannot be addressed by a one-size-fits-all policy — the strategy was data-driven and deployed federal resources, including cutting-edge tools, in the most effective way: to act as a force multiplier for state and local law enforcement on the front lines of the fight against violent crime,” the report said. 

Shortly after taking office in 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco would be implementing a Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Of the 85 cities included in the statistics, violent crime went up in 23 and down in 62, and murder rates went up in 19 and down in 64, the report said. 

CNN PANEL CLASHES OVER WHETHER CRIME IS DOWN AFTER NEW FBI REPORT: ‘SO MUCH BETTER THAN IT USED TO BE’

The report said that while there is “no single cause” for the decline or increase in violent crime, “the work of law enforcement across the country — a partnership between federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies — has no doubt played a leading role.”

The DOJ said its strategy was to “focus on the most significant drivers of violent crime — including gun violence and repeat offenders.” 

It also prioritized building trust in communities and investing in community-based prevention and intervention programs.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 2024.  (Sha Hanting/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

“Since the start of this administration, this Department has been laser-focused on targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime — with gun violence at the top of that list,” Monaco said. “Our strategy is data-driven and focuses on doing what we do best: acting as a force multiplier with our state and local law enforcement partners — who are on the front lines of the fight against violent crime — and deploying technology and other cutting-edge tools to go after the individuals most responsible for crime in our communities.”

She added, “We are seeing returns on our efforts. After a peak during the pandemic, violent crime is on a downward trajectory — including double-digit drops in homicide rates across many major cities.”

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This is President Biden’s last week in office. President-elect Trump will assume office on Monday. 

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., appears to be getting more vocal about running for Florida governor in 2026 in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Donalds, a leading friend, ally and supporter of President-elect Trump in the House of Representatives, in recent days has been telling potential donors and Florida political players that he intends to run for governor, Republican sources confirm to Fox News.

Some of those conversations occurred last weekend in Orlando at the Florida GOP’s annual meeting.

“He’s serious,” a source with knowledge told Fox News.

WHAT BYRON DONALDS SAID ON FOX NEWS SUNDAY

Another signal came a week ago when Donalds hired prominent Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio’s research firm. Fabrizio was a top pollster in Trump’s 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns.

WHY TRUMP IS PRAISING ONE-TIME PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY RIVAL DESANTIS

The conservative former state lawmaker who has represented parts of southwest Florida’s 19th District in Congress for four years has been eyeing a potential gubernatorial bid for months.

“I’ve thought about it. I don’t really rule anything out,” Donalds said in a Fox News Digital interview last spring when asked about a possible run for governor.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. (Fox News Digital/Paul Steinhauser/File)

Donalds, who was a top surrogate on the campaign trail last year for Trump, was interviewed a few days after Trump, at a closed-door fundraiser in New York City, suggested that if Donalds ran for Florida governor in 2026, he’d have “many friends in the race.”

“It’s really cool that people back home in Florida consider me to be able to be the state’s next governor. It’s really an honor. It’s honestly surreal thinking about it because I’m 45 and my journey through politics has been a really fruitful one,” Donalds said at the time. “It’s really humbling and an honor, but I just focus on doing the job I have.”

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Another prominent Florida Republican who’s believed to be considering a run is state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, the former president of the state Senate.

And former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who was Trump’s first choice for attorney general in his second administration before dropping out amid controversy, has also said he’s thinking of running.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody was also thought to be mulling a run to succeed DeSantis, her ally in Tallahassee, but the governor on Thursday named Moody to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, who is likely to be one of the president-elect’s first Cabinet picks to be confirmed by the Senate.

And Florida’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, who was also believed to be interested in a potential gubernatorial campaign, is considered the front-runner in this month’s special congressional election to fill Gaetz’s seat.

“With Moody going to the Senate, should he choose to run for governor, Donalds would be the clear favorite over Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who is the Tallahassee establishment’s choice,” Fabrizio said. “We’ll see if the Tallahassee establishment smartens up after betting and losing badly in 2010 against [former two-term governor and current Sen.] Rick Scott and in 2018 against Ron DeSantis.”

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With Florida, which was once a top general election battleground state, now firmly red, the slowly emerging gubernatorial battle may be determined by whom Trump, the GOP’s kingmaker in his adopted home state of Florida and across the country, may eventually back.

But not to be discounted is any possible endorsement by DeSantis in the race to succeed the governor.

President-elect Trump on Thursday announced multiple nominations just days before his inauguration on Jan. 20.

In a series of posts on Truth Social on Thursday afternoon, Trump congratulated his picks.

Nominees include a former test engineer of missile defense systems for secretary of the Air Force, as well as a trade partnership CEO for secretary for trade and foreign agriculture affairs.

President-elect Donald Trump announced new Cabinet picks on Thursday afternoon. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

TRUMP NAMES LATEST WHITE HOUSE STAFF PICKS AS JAN. 20 INAUGURATION APPROACHES

Trump selected Chris Stallings to be assistant administrator for disaster recovery and resilience of the Small Business Administration.

Stallings currently serves as the director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency and will work closely with Kelly Loeffler, the incoming small business administrator.

“[Stallings and Loeffler will] make sure that when disasters happen, our Government responds quickly and capably to protect our Small Businesses, which are the backbone of our Economy,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Chris Stallings will be the U.S. assistant administrator for disaster recovery and resilience of the Small Business Administration. (Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency)

Trump tapped Luke Lindberg as U.S. undersecretary for trade and foreign agriculture affairs at the Department of Agriculture.

During Trump’s first term, Lindberg served as chief of staff and chief strategy officer at the Export-Import Bank, where he earned the Distinguished Service Award.

He is currently the president and CEO of South Dakota Trade and a member of the board of directors of the National Association of District Export Councils.

JEAN-PIERRE BRISTLES WHEN PRESSED ON PAST ‘DEMOCRACY’ WARNINGS: ‘DO NOT APPRECIATE HAVING MY WORDS TWISTED’

South Dakota Trade is a 501(c)(6) public-private partnership that navigates international trade for the state, according to the organization’s website.

Lindberg has been featured on Fox News and other outlets for his “Thought Leadership” on international affairs and agricultural policy.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Lindberg would make sure American farmers and ranchers get the “smart” trade deals they deserve.

Dr. Troy Meink will be the next secretary of the Air Force. (National Reconnaissance Office)

Troy Meink has been picked to serve as secretary of the Air Force. 

Meink is serving as the principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, and he began his career as a KC-135 tanker navigator, according to Trump’s post.

He later worked as a test engineer for missile defense systems.

“Troy will work with our incredible Secretary of Defense Nominee, Pete Hegseth, to ensure that our Nation’s Air Force is the most effective and deadly force in the World, as we secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump wrote. “Congratulations Troy!”

Dudley Hoskins was selected as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the Department of Agriculture.

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He currently holds the title of “counsel” on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and he previously spent four years at the Department of Agriculture during Trump’s first term as the chief of staff for marketing and regulatory programs and senior adviser to the secretary, according to Trump’s post.

“[Hoskins] will work with our great Secretary of Agriculture Nominee, Brooke Rollins, to make sure American food is the safest and healthiest in the World,” Trump wrote. “Congratulations Dudley!”

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…

-Biden warns of ‘ultra-wealthy’ ‘oligarchy’ despite accepting donations from Dem mega-donors

-‘Worst farewell speech in presidential history’: Biden’s Oval Office goodbye panned as ‘dark’

-Race for DNC chair narrows after longshot candidate drops out, endorses Minnesota’s Ken Martin

Bondi Battles Back 

Pam Bondi, President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Justice, was involved in a sharp clash with Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on Wednesday as the California senator quizzed Bondi over whether she would prosecute Trump’s political opponents.

Schiff, a vocal critic of the president-elect, asked Bondi about whether she would investigate former Special Counsel Jack Smith and also former Rep. Liz Cheney.

“I’m asking you sitting here today whether you are aware of a factual predicate to investigate Liz Cheney,” he said….Read more

Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Justice Department as attorney general, is sworn in before the Senate Judiciary Committee for her confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

White House

FAILURE TO LAUNCH: Comer calls out Biden’s ‘failure’ to get fed employees to return to the office, vows to get it done…Read more

‘DISGRACEFUL’: Lame duck Biden’s DOJ gives brutal gang leader sweetheart plea deal in murder spree that killed 7…Read more

‘RINGS HOLLOW’: Biden ripped for warning of oligarchy ‘taking shape’ in US despite deep ties to billionaires…Read more

President Biden has been criticized for his lack of media availability.  (Anna Moneymaker)

‘UNNECESSARY BURDENS’: President Biden’s climate standards for walk-in freezers could face reckoning under new GOP resolution…Read more

World Stage

‘WE’RE CONFIDENT’: Kirby ‘confident’ Americans in Gaza will be freed Sunday amid reports of Israel, Hamas deal holdup…Read more

DEAL IN JEOPARDY?: Israel’s Netanyahu delays Gaza cease-fire deal, accusing Hamas of trying to back out…Read more

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress (Getty Images)

Trump Transition

YOU’RE NOT HIRED: President-elect describes the type of people he doesn’t want to hire…Read more

‘BACK TO BASICS’: Trump AG pick Pam Bondi would ‘make America safe again’ with firm but fair approach: former colleague…Read more

STEADY PRESENCE: AG nominee Bondi seen as steadying force to steer DOJ in Trump’s second term…Read more

ON THE GUEST LIST: Trump invites TikTok CEO to inauguration…Read more

President-elect Trump is pictured in front of the TikTok logo. (Getty Images)

‘NO BETTER DEALMAKER’: ‘No better dealmaker’: Trump reportedly considering executive order to ‘save’ TikTok…Read more

FOSSIL FUEL ‘ENTHUSIAST’: Trump energy nominee heckled by climate protesters, derided by Dem senator as ‘enthusiast for fossil fuels’…Read more

ZELDIN HEARING: Zeldin grilled by Democrats on climate change, Trump’s stance on carbon emissions during EPA hearing…Read more

HEIR APPARENT: Vance hosts top-dollar fundraiser ahead of Trump inauguration…Read more

ARTWORK: Trump, Vance official portraits released ahead of inauguration…Read more

On January 20, 2025, Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States and JD Vance as the 50th Vice President of the United States. (Trump-Vance Transition Team)

‘IDEALOGUES WITH AN AGENDA’: Conservative group reveals how Trump can clean house at Department of Education, lists top bureaucrats to fire…Read more

SWAMP SHAKEUP: Trump transition asks 3 State Department officials to resign…Read more

CONSPICUOUS ABSENCE: Nancy Pelosi will skip Trump’s inauguration…Read more

Capitol Hill

FAMILY FIGHT: House Freedom Caucus to draw battle lines on reconciliation fight after presenting plan to Trump…Read more 

JAN 6TH: Jan. 6 committee member says pardons are unnecessary: ‘We didn’t do anything wrong’…Read more

Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., makes remarks during the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

CASE DISMISSED?: House Dems push Garland to drop charges, release second part of Jack Smith report…Read more

‘UNFAIR MANDATE’: Service members who refused the COVID ‘jab’ would get their jobs back and back pay, too, under new GOP bill…Read more

DESANTIS APPOINTS STATE AG: Who is Ashley Moody?: The Senate’s newest member from Florida…Read more

REDIRECTING FUNDS: House Republican introduces bill to redirect funds from the IRS to hire more southern border agents…Read more

Across America 

U-TURN: Dem Massachusetts governor now wants to limit illegals in crime-ridden migrant shelters…Read more

TUNNEL VISION: Feds shut down cross-border tunnel used by Mexican cartels for smuggling into US…Read more

LONE WOLF: Gov. Newsom joins handful of GOP governors raising flags to full height for Trump inauguration…Read more

BORDER SECURITY: 145 House Dems vote against bill to deport migrants who commit sexual assault…Read more

WILD WEST: Los Angeles wildfires: Armed homeowners patrol for looters inside evacuation zone…Read more

A house in on fire as residents try to escape the site in Pacific Palisades, California, Los Angeles, United States on January 8, 2025. A fast-moving wildfire has forced 30,000 people to evacuate, with officials warning that worsening winds could further escalate the blaze. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

NEARLY 50,000: Red state illegal immigration crackdown produces nearly 50,000 criminal arrests…Read more

‘DESPICABLE’: Newsom calls for looting to be a felony in evacuation zones amid LA inferno…Read more

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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is telling lawmakers that the Laken Riley Act, an anti-illegal immigration bill expected to hit President-elect Trump’s desk in the coming weeks, will cost an additional $3 billion due to the agency needing an additional 60,000 detention beds.

ICE responded to questions by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., on the impact of the Laken Riley Act. The bill passed the House this month and looks likely to pass the Senate. It requires DHS to detain illegal immigrants who have been arrested for theft-related crimes. 

It also allows for states to sue DHS for alleged failures in enforcing immigration law. The bill is named after Laken Riley, a Georgia student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela last year. It has picked up the support of Republicans as well as a number of Democrats.

BIDEN DHS EXEMPTED THOUSANDS OF IMMIGRANTS FROM TERROR-RELATED ENTRY RESTRICTIONS IN FY 2024

ICE agents are pictured arresting a man. ICE agents arrested an Indian citizen following his convictions for child sex abuse.  (ICE ERO El Paso/X)

In the letter, obtained by Fox, ICE says it has identified tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who would meet the criteria for arrest both on its detained docket and non-detained docket. It said that its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has estimated that the number of illegal immigrants on its national docket who meet the criteria would be over 60,000. The letter was first reported by Politico.

“Since the Laken Riley Act requires ERO to immediately detain those noncitizens, ERO would then require, at minimum, 64,000 additional detention beds; however this does not account for other immigration enforcement mandates that may place a need for increased detention capacity.”

SENATE DEMS TO JOIN REPUBLICANS TO ADVANCE ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL NAMED AFTER LAKEN RILEY

ICE estimates that increasing that capacity would require a funding increase of approximately $3.2 billion. Additionally, it estimates that it will need 10 new Mobile Crisis Assistance Teams (MCAT) and a HQ law enforcement officer across eight field offices, requiring an additional nearly $15 million along with associated equipment.

Notably, ERO says it currently possesses the authority to fulfill the requirements of the Act and would require no additional authorities.

The agency warned that it may have to release tens of thousands of illegal immigrants if it does not get the additional bedspace.

An ICE agent monitors hundreds of asylum seekers being processed upon entering the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on June 6, 2023, in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

“…[I]f supplemental funding is not received and ICE remains at its current bed capacity, the agency would not have the detention capacity to accommodate the immediate arrest and detention of noncitizens convicted or charged with property crimes,” it says. “ERO anticipates that tens of thousands of noncitizens would need to be released by the end of the fiscal year, resulting in the potential release of public safety threats.”

As challenges to implementation, it cites the challenges of having ICE officers, and also the challenges of sanctuary cities: “A complicating factor is a lack of cooperation from ICE’s state and local law enforcement partners.”

This is not the first alarm that ICE has sounded about its funding levels, noting in its FY 24 report that it is already underfunded with its existing responsibilities.

“Throughout the year, the agency was called on to do more without commensurate funding, working within the confines of strained resources and competing priorities while steadfastly supporting the Department of Homeland Security and its component agencies in their efforts to secure the border,” the agency said.

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President-elect Trump has promised to launch a mass deportation operation, in which ICE would be the operative agency. In Congress, Republicans are preparing to make significant funding changes via the budget reconciliation process. Border security and interior enforcement would likely be top priorities for Republicans, given the issues’ prominence in the 2024 election.

EXCLUSIVE: Congressional Republicans are pushing back against President Biden’s regulations on appliances with a resolution that seeks to circumvent new green energy standards for freezers.

In December 2024, Biden’s Department of Energy (DOE) announced a final rule setting more stringent climate standards for walk-in coolers and freezers. The new regulation is currently set to go into effect in February, but could soon be impeded by Republican lawmakers seeking to overturn the rule.

Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oka., introduced a joint resolution of disapproval against the DOE standards for coolers and freezers on Thursday, shared exclusively with Fox News Digital. Joint resolutions of disapproval are used by lawmakers to invalidate a final rule enacted by a federal agency, meaning that if passed, the Republican-led Congress can overturn Biden’s new green energy standard for appliances.

“The Biden administration has done everything it can to regulate all aspects of our homes and businesses. Walk-in coolers and freezers are used everywhere; from pharmacies, convenience stores, food processing facilities, food banks, restaurants, and more,” Bice told Fox News Digital.

HOUSE GOP RESOLUTION WOULD OVERTURN BIDEN’S GAS WATER HEATER BAN

Rep. Stephanie Bice speaks during a markup meeting with the House Budget Committee on Capitol Hill on Sept. 20, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

According to the DOE’s final rule, the amended freezer standards would “result in significant conservation of energy and are technologically feasible and economically justified,” but Bice suggests that such regulations are an overreach of the federal government into consumers’ lives.

“These rules continue to add unnecessary burdens on everyday Americans and ultimately suppress consumer choice,” Bice said. “This is a direct overreach of power that my colleagues and I are fighting back against.” The joint resolution is being cosponsored by GOP Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama.

TRUMP ENERGY NOMINEE HECKLED BY CLIMATE PROTESTERS, DERIDED BY DEM SENATOR AS ‘ENTHUSIAST FOR FOSSIL FUELS’

The bill comes as Republicans, who have a trifecta of leadership in Washington, are teeing up legislation and resolutions to push back on Biden’s green energy regulations on several household appliances.

President Biden set new clean energy standards for several appliances during his administration. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)

The Department of Energy recently announced a new rule banning non-condensing, natural gas-fired water heaters by 2029. However, on Wednesday, Palmer introduced a resolution to block the ban on water heaters, which was announced first by Fox News Digital.

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President-elect Trump has said that when he assumes office, he intends to overturn many environmental regulations enacted as part of Biden’s climate agenda.

FIRST ON FOX – Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., is introducing a bill that aims to redirect funding from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to fund the hiring of more Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The bill, titled the “Diverting IRS Resources to the Exigent Crisis Today Act” or the “DIRECT Act,” aims to “rescind certain balances made available to the Internal Revenue Service and redirect them to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” 

Specifically, the proposal seeks to have “unobligated balances” appropriated or otherwise made available to the IRS for “enforcement activities” under federal law instead go to the CBP “for the salaries and expenses of new agents and officers hired for the security of the southern border of the United States,” according to the bill’s language. Tenney is reintroducing the 2023 bill to the newly sworn-in 119th Congress. 

HOUSE REPUBLICAN’S BILL WOULD RIP FEDERAL FUNDS FROM STATES THAT GIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DRIVER’S LICENSES

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., speaks during a hearing with the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Capitol Hill on June 12, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“The Biden-Harris administration has overseen the entry of over 10 million illegal immigrants into our country,” Tenney said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Yet, instead of prioritizing border security and supporting CBP agents, they focused on sending the IRS to harass middle-class families. The DIRECT Act stops Biden’s IRS army from launching audits of middle-class families and reinvests those funds to hiring additional Customs and Border Protection agents to secure the Southern Border.”

The congresswoman added: “As we transition to the new administration, it is vital to provide CBP agents with the additional resources needed to secure our borders and deport illegal immigrants, ensuring they can effectively support President Trump’s and Border Czar Homan’s agenda.” 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C.  (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

TRUMP BORDER CZAR BLASTS NY GOVERNOR FOR TOUTING SUBWAY SAFETY HOURS AFTER HORRIFIC MURDER: ‘SHAME ON YOU’

Congress passed Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 without any support from Republicans. The package allocated about $80 billion to the IRS, green-lighting the hiring of 87,000 new IRS agents by 2035, including enforcement agents.

That stipulation became a flash-point issue for Republicans, including Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who accused the Biden IRS of trying to “harass hard-working Americans.”

Former Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Thomas Homan speaks during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump has chosen billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to spearhead the newly developed Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The nongovernmental task force will be responsible for finding ways to slash the federal workforce, and ax programs and federal regulations, as part of Trump’s “Save America” agenda for a second term. 

Trump announced on Wednesday he would establish another new agency, the External Revenue Service, to collect tariffs and other funding owed to the U.S. by foreign entities. 

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Incoming border czar Tom Homan, who like Tenney is a native New Yorker, is tasked with delivering on Trump’s promise of mass deportations of criminal illegal immigrants and drug traffickers.

Tenney, who co-chaired the House Election Integrity Caucus amid the 2024 race that ended in Trump’s victory, also recently re-introduced a bill that aims to rip federal funds from states that allow illegal immigrants to hold driver’s licenses.

Former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin sat for his confirmation hearing to lead the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, and was grilled by Democrats on his views of climate change.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse questioned Zeldin on the effects of carbon dioxide and pollutants on the atmosphere.

“Is carbon dioxide a pollutant?” the Rhode Island Democrat asked.

“As far as the carbon dioxide emitted by you during that question – no,” Zeldin replied, adding that in larger masses, the EPA should indeed focus on carbon dioxide output.

DEM LAWMAKER BACKS ZELDIN OVER HOCHUL

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y. arrives at EPA confirmation hearing (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

Whitehouse also produced a topographic map of the Ocean State, showing colored ranges he said are at danger of becoming underwater due to climate change.

He said Zeldin likely understands the issue with sealevels – as his former congressional district is diagonally across Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean from Westerly.

Later, Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, told Zeldin that 2024 was the “hottest year in recorded history.”

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, added the past decade has also been the hottest on record and cited “unprecedented wildfires in the West Coast and Canada as well as “unprecedented flooding in China” and drought in South America and Africa.

He said Trump has called climate change a “hoax; time and time again.”

DONALD TRUMP CABINET PICKS SIT FOR SENATE HEARINGS ON THURSDAY

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse D-RI – the top Democrat on the Environment/Public Works committee

“What we’re seeing right now in L.A. right now is apocalyptic… Montpelier was underwater recently in a way we have not seen.”

He pressed Zeldin to disclose whether he believes climate change is an existential threat.

By contrast, Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, praised Zeldin for his measured belief in climate change.

“There’s a lot that should unite us…as it relates to the environment,” he said.

Around that time, a cell phone near Zeldin rang loudly.

“That was the fossil fuel industry,” Sanders quipped.

Later, Green New Deal co-sponsor Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts questioned Zeldin on comments from a 2016 congressional debate where he said it is the U.S.’ job to “reduce reliance on fossil fuels.”

“I support all of the above energy,” Zeldin replied before Markey cut in.

“Considering all factors, in an ideal world, we would be able to pursue always the cleanest, greenest energy sources possible,” Zeldin later continued, leading Markey to suggest present-day Lee Zeldin doesn’t agree with 2016 Lee Zeldin.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., brought up constituents ravaged by wildfires.

Zeldin asked to visit California to bring assistance, and Schiff accepted.

“Your response will not depend on whether disaster strikes a red state or a blue state…?” Schiff later asked.

Zeldin assured him that would not be the case.

In his opening statement at the start of the hearing, Zeldin pledged to uphold the EPA’s core mission, which he described as protecting human health and the environment.

“We must do everything in our power to harness the greatness of American innovation with the greatness of American conservation and environmental stewardship. We must ensure we are protecting our environment, while also protecting our economy,” he said.

“The American people need leaders who can find common ground to solve the urgent issues we face. I want my daughters, your loved ones, and every child across our country to thrive in a world with clean air, clean water, and boundless opportunity,” Zeldin went on.

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If confirmed, Zeldin pledged to “foster a collaborative culture within the agency, supporting career staff who have dedicated themselves to this mission. I strongly believe we have a moral responsibility to be good stewards of our environment for generations to come.”

Zeldin earned a 14% lifetime environmental voting score from the League of Conservation Voters, but while in office he also battled efforts to improve the air and water quality in and around New York.

He pushed back against efforts to dump dredge-waste in Long Island Sound, tripled funding for the EPA’s Long Island Sound Program.

Trump said in a previous statement that Zeldin will ensure fair deregulation decisions and enact them in “a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.”

According to Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, the state’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and Tren de Aragua (TdA) migrant gang activity have reduced illegal crossings by nearly 90% and resulted in close to 50,000 criminal arrests.

Abbott’s office said that the Texas-led campaign called “Operation Lonestar,” which was first launched in March 2021 and has seen the participation of over a dozen other Republican states, has led to 530,400 illegal immigrant apprehensions and over 49,900 criminal arrests, with more than 42,900 felony charges.

During this operation, Texas also became the first state to build a border wall on its own, continuing border wall construction at strategic points despite President Biden putting a stop to it in the early days of his administration.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has touted his state’s efforts to curb illegal immigration while criticizing the Biden administration over its border policies. (Getty/Gov. Greg Abbott’s office)

“Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including against the growing threat of Tren de Aragua,” Abbott said on X. “We will not allow this gang to operate or gain a foothold in Texas.”

The governor’s office also said that during Operation Lonestar, Texas law enforcement seized over 620 million lethal doses of fentanyl, which they said is “enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States, Mexico, and Canada combined.”

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The office noted that Abbott designated TdA, whose violent crime has been sweeping across the nation, a foreign terrorist organization and launched a strike team to target, identify and arrest members of the group.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrested four TdA members crossing the border on New Year’s Eve, one of whom was identified as a possible high-ranking member of the gang.

TREN DE ARAGUA BELIEVED TO BE BEHIND MURDER OF IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL NEAR BORDER

Tren de Aragua members arrested in Texas. (Fox News)

The statement also said that Texas has transported a total of 119,400 migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles, all of which have migrant sanctuary policies in place.

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Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, told Fox News Digital that Operation Lone Star has cost Texas more than $11 billion, all of which was spent on efforts to secure the border, including deploying thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers, transporting migrants to sanctuary cities, installing strategic barriers, cracking down against violent gangs like TdA, and building new border wall.

“Because of these efforts, Texas has decreased illegal crossings into the state by 87%,” said Mahaleris. “Texas has held the line against the Biden-Harris border crisis for the past four years, and Governor Abbott looks forward to continuing to work closely with President Trump and his incoming administration to protect our state and the nation.” 

More than 140 Democrats voted against a House bill to deport illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes on Thursday.

The legislation passed along bipartisan lines in a 274 to 145 vote. All present Republicans supported the bill, while the opposition was all made up of Democratic lawmakers. 

The bill was first introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in the 118th Congress but was not taken up by the formerly Democrat-controlled Senate. At the time, 158 Democrats voted against the bill.

“Our country has been ravaged by a horror of illegal immigrants…violently raping American women and girls,” Mace said during debate on the bill. “I know the lifelong scars, the irreversible scars, these heinous crimes leave behind.”

Elon Musk has notably been among the bill’s most ardent supporters, even calling for lawmakers who voted against it to lose their House seats.

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House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is among the Democrats who voted against the bill. (Getty Images)

“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.”

In addition to deporting migrants convicted of sex crimes, the legislation would also deem illegal immigrants who admit to domestic violence or sex-related charges — or are convicted of them — to be inadmissible in the U.S.

But Democrats argued the bill would harm domestic abuse victims who fight back against their partner, and broadens the definition to domestic violence to the detriment of survivors.

GOP REVIVES ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DETENTION BILL NAMED AFTER 12-YEAR-OLD MURDER VICTIM 

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., first introduced the bill in the 118th Congress (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project)

During debate on the bill Thursday morning, progressive Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said the bill “does absolutely nothing to address the needs of the American people” and “widens the highway to Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans.”

Jayapal said it would “create a chilling effect for reporting future crimes” and “empower abusers to go after immigrant women and children.”

Mace wrote on X during debate for the bill, “The Left justifying why they are against deporting r*pists, p*deophiles, and m*rderers who are here ILLEGALLY, never ceases to amaze me.”

Elon Musk backed the bill last year (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House Republican, also criticized Democrats who voted against the bill.

“House Democrats’ votes against H.R. 30 should be seen for what they are: Prioritizing criminal illegal immigrants over the safety and well-being of their constituents. It’s unconscionable that we have to pass legislation like this, much less have members oppose it,” Emmer told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, one of the Republicans who voted for the bill, argued the Biden administration’s border policies made the bill necessary and said the legislation would “ensure that any illegal immigrant who commits a sex crime or domestic violence offense is swiftly detained and deported.”

President Biden is warning Americans of an “ultra-wealthy” “oligarchy” taking shape that is presenting a danger to the country, but did not mention in his farewell speech Wednesday night the numerous billionaires that have supported his campaigns in recent years. 

Biden spoke about the “dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few, ultra-wealthy people” and said “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights, freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.” 

Here are five billionaires who have recently supported President Biden: 

1. George Soros 

George Soros, a left-wing billionaire, investor and philanthropist, sent $250,000 to the Biden Victory Fund in September 2023, filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show. 

BIDEN WARNS OF ‘ULTRA-WEALTHY’ ‘OLIGARCHY’ DESPITE ACCEPTING DONATIONS FROM DEMOCRAT MEGA-DONORS 

President Biden awarded George Soros with the Medal of Freedom in early January. (Getty Images)

Soros’ check followed a maxed-out contribution directly to Biden’s campaign that summer. Soros and his son Alex, who recently took control of the Open Society Foundations network that funnels large amounts of money to left-wing nonprofits and causes, both pushed $6,600 to Biden’s campaign on June 30. 

During the last presidential election, George provided $500,000 to the Biden Victory Fund while sending millions more to super PACs backing him. Alex added $721,300 to the Biden Victory Fund in 2020. 

2. Reid Hoffman 

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman donated $699,600.00 on April 26, 2023, to the Biden Victory Fund, the campaign’s joint fundraising vehicle, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records. 

Biden attended a fundraiser that Hoffman hosted on behalf of the super PAC at the private residence of Shannon Hunt-Scott and Kevin Scott in Los Gatos, California, in June 2023. 

3. Michael Bloomberg  

Former New York City mayor, billionaire entrepreneur and media magnate Michael Bloomberg contributed nearly $20 million to help boost President Biden in his 2024 election rematch with former President Trump, sources confirmed to Fox News last year. 

U.S. President Joe Biden, former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and former U.S. President Donald Trump attend the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum on Sept. 11, 2024, in New York City.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Bloomberg, a one-time Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat, wrote a massive $19 million check to the Future Forward PAC, known as the FF PAC, which was the leading super PAC supporting Biden’s bid for a second term in the White House. 

4. Howard Schultz 

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced in 2020 that he would be voting for Biden that year and would be contributing to the former vice president’s campaign. 

BIDEN TAKENS SOLE CREDIT FOR ISRAEL-HAMAS DEAL, WARNS OF ‘OLIGARCHY’ IN FAREWELL SPEECH   

“In my view, our choice this November is not just for one candidate over another,” Schultz wrote in a letter to supporters at the time. “We are choosing to vote for the future of our republic.” 

Schultz went on to say, “What is at risk is democracy itself: Checks and balances. Rigorous debate. A free press. An acceptance of facts, not ‘alternate facts.’ Belief in science. Trust in the rule of law. A strong judicial system. Unity in preserving all of our rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 29, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Schultz previously has supported President Biden. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

5. Tom Steyer 

In 2020, Biden reportedly brought in $4 million during a virtual fundraiser hosted by a small group of billionaires and other Silicon Valley donors. 

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The virtual event was held by Climate Leaders for Biden, a group of environmental activists that includes billionaire and former Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer, according to an invitation.