Trump’s first Texas visit after historic Rio Grande Valley win spurs mix of excitement, trepidation
The president-elect was in South Texas to witness a test flight at SpaceX, whose founder, Elon Musk, is co-leading Trump’s government efficiency commission.
Expect Trump to roll back habitually ‘defrauded’ immigration program, expert says
President-elect Donald Trump could quickly work to reform the H-1B visa program after years of the program straying further from its original intent, according to one expert. “It is not being used as was intended by Congress, so it needs to be reformed,” said Lora Ries, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, regarding the H-1B visa program in an interview with Fox News Digital. The comments come as Trump prepares to transition from candidate to president for the second time, with the president-elect already busy announcing his picks for critical Cabinet positions and rolling out an agenda for his return to the White House. One key area Trump is likely to once again focus on as he re-enters the Oval Office is the country’s immigration system, an issue that became a centerpiece of both of his campaigns for the nation’s highest office. HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS ON DAY 1 While securing the border and carrying out a large-scale deportation operation are two policies likely to top the list of priorities for Trump, the president-elect is also likely to attempt to tackle immigration more broadly in his second term. One such reform is likely to be the H-1B visa program, Ries argued, noting that it has long fallen victim to fraud and abuse. “Like so many programs, it has gone away from intent and been watered down and defrauded,” Ries said. Trump attempted to tackle the issue during his previous term in office, introducing several reforms in the hopes of eliminating that fraud and ensuring that the program was not harmful to American workers. Implementing stricter definitions of what is a “specialty occupation” and making it more difficult to obtain H-1B visas for those who do not meet those requirements was one such reform made by Trump, while the president-elect also sought to enforce stricter minimum wage requirements for H-1B holders. IN ELECTION VICTORY, TRUMP’S GAINS WENT BEYOND THE BATTLEGROUNDS Those reforms were meant to tackle what Trump viewed as a threat to American workers, who he believed were being passed over for jobs by companies that preferred to hire cheaper foreign labor. “The program needs more work protections for Americans,” Ries said. “There are plenty of stories of American high-skill workers who were replaced by lower-wage foreign workers who they then had to train to take their jobs.” Trump has in the past struck a similar tone when discussing the program, including a vow to commit to “eliminating rampant, widespread H-1B abuse and ending the outrageous practices such as those that occurred at Disney in Florida when Americans were forced to train their foreign replacements” on the campaign trail in 2016. While the program was originally intended to allow American companies to fill gaps in the American workforce with qualified foreign labor, Ries argued it has since strayed away from that goal. Any reforms by Trump are likely to be similar to his first term as president, Ries said, with the goal of making sure American workers are protected. “Protecting American workers and not replacing them with foreign workers just because you can pay less money, Ries said.
Incoming Senate Dem Elissa Slotkin torches identity politics in 2024 autopsy: ‘Go the way of the dodo’
Sen.-elect Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said Democrats need to ditch identity politics if they want to win over voters in future elections, telling reporters the ideology needed to “go the way of the dodo.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats who won Senate races in the 2024 elections held a briefing for reporters at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) on Tuesday, during which they explained how they managed to get elected despite President-elect Trump winning in their state. According to Slotkin, who represents a swing district in the House of Representatives that she initially flipped from red to blue, identity politics is not a winning strategy in a state like Michigan. RICK SCOTT OUTLINES CONSENSUS FOR ‘DRAMATIC CHANGE’ TO SENATE OPERATION IN POST-MCCONNELL ERA She defeated Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in what was considered a “toss-up” race in the presidential battleground state. Slotkin further attributed her win to focusing on the economy, or “kitchen table” issues. However, she said it isn’t enough just to focus on those issues, but to talk about them plainly. Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., DSCC Chair Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., were also at the briefing. MATT GAETZ ‘WORKING THE PHONES,’ SPEAKING TO GOP SENATORS DESPITE DIFFICULT CONFIRMATION ODDS For Schumer, the victories Democrats saw could be boiled down to three things: good candidate quality, economic accomplishments in the Senate that affected each of their states, and early strategic television ad investments. He also pointed to high digital ad spending in the rapidly changing media landscape that he believes helped push them over the edge. As for the Senate race in Pennsylvania, Schumer noted that DSCC staff will still be on the ground working in the state, where Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., allowed an automatic recount to be triggered by refusing to concede, despite Sen.-elect Dave McCormick’s lead. SENATE GOP INITIATES THUNE-ENGINEERED SLOW DOWN AS SCHUMER LOOKS TO STACK JUDICIAL VOTES When asked what went wrong in Pennsylvania, where Casey did not run significantly ahead of Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Schumer just said that a recount was still going on in the state. Other Democrats in swing states and Republican states managed to run ahead of Harris by substantial margins, leading to some of the wins they saw in Trump-won states. One of those successful Democrats, Gallego, gave some insight to reporters about why he defeated Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake. He pointed to the voting group of male and Latino voters, who he saw early progress with in polls. He pointed to specific cultural messaging to this demographic through boxing match watch parties and rodeos. GOP CRIES FOUL ON DEM BORDER SPENDING BILL THEY SAY WOULD DRAG OUT MIGRANT CRISIS Additionally, he hit Lake for discussing the border crisis in the way that someone outside of Arizona and unfamiliar with the dynamic might talk about it. Gallego said Lake’s talk of shutting down the border sounded like someone from the East Coast. According to him, Arizona can’t fully shut down its border because its economy relies on travel and transportation of goods between the state and Mexico.
Biden admin warns AI in schools may exhibit racial bias, anti-trans discrimination and trigger investigations
On Tuesday, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released presidentially-mandated guidance that lays out how schools’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) can be discriminatory toward minority and transgender students, “likely” opening them up to federal investigations. President Biden signed Executive Order 14110 last year mandating that the Education Department develop resources, policies and guidance regarding AI in schools to help ensure responsible and non-discriminatory use, “including the impact AI systems have on vulnerable and underserved communities.” “The growing use of AI in schools, including for instructional and school safety purposes, and AI’s ability to operate on a mass scale can create or contribute to discrimination,” the Education Department’s guidance states. “This resource provides information regarding federal civil rights laws in OCR’s jurisdiction and includes examples of types of incidents that could, depending on the facts and circumstances, present OCR with sufficient reason to open an investigation.” BIDEN EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR ‘WOKE’ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CALLED ‘SOCIAL CANCER’ The first seven examples laid out in the guidance were scenarios where AI could potentially deny benefits, unfairly single out students or exclude them based on race, color or national origin. One scenario suggested that a plagiarism checker, run using generative AI with “a high error rate when evaluating essays written by non-native English speakers,” could be racist, unbeknownst to a teacher. Nonetheless, if the school continues using the racist plagiarism checker after students and parents complain, it could “likely” lead to a federal civil rights investigation, the guidance states. SEN. TOM COTTON TORCHES GOOGLE AI SYSTEM AS ‘RACIST, PREPOSTEROUSLY WOKE, HAMAS-SYMPATHIZING’ Another example suggested that schools using AI to determine appropriate disciplinary procedures for students could also be exhibiting a racial bias. “Significant disparities by race have persisted in the school’s application of student discipline, and Black students are disciplined more frequently and more harshly than other similarly situated students of another race,” the guidance reads. “As a result, the historic school discipline data that the software relies on reflects the school’s discriminatory disciplinary practices.” Other sections of the guidance touched on how AI could lead to sex discrimination, with one of the examples detailing a scenario in which AI could discriminate against students who do not conform to traditional gender norms. The scenario suggested that schools using facial recognition software to check students into school could improperly flag students as a security risk because “they do not conform to the technology’s assumptions as to what girls and boys should look like, based on the sex specified in their school records.” BEN AFFLECK IS CONFIDENT AI CANNOT REPLACE HOLLYWOOD MOVIES FOR THIS REASON The guidance notes that students who are falsely flagged can be subjected to “embarrassment and missed class time,” and if administrators are “aware of the problem” but continue to use the screening software anyway, it could result in a Title IX violation and a likely investigation by civil rights officers. Challenging discrimination within AI has been a focal point for the Biden administration, with top leaders at the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission pledging in April of last year that they would begin using existing federal civil rights and consumer protection laws to crack down on AI systems that are discriminatory. Those calls from leaders within the Biden administration preceded the president’s October 2023 executive order mandating various initiatives to root out discrimination in AI, including Tuesday’s published guidance from the Department of Education. President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he would be nominating former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon to be the next leader of the Department of Education. The Department of Education did not supply Fox News Digital with any on-the-record comments prior to publication of this story.
Trump lawyers demand Bragg case be ‘immediately dismissed,’ say election ‘supersedes’ political ‘motivations’
Trump lawyers called for an “immediate dismissal” of New York v. Trump, declaring that the American people’s choice to elect the former president to a second term “supersedes” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “political motivations.” In a letter to Judge Juan Merchan on Wednesday, Trump defense attorney and now-nominee for Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche demanded the case against the president-elect be tossed. BRAGG CASE ‘EFFECTIVELY OVER’ IN ‘MAJOR VICTORY,’ TRUMP OFFICIALS SAY “On November 5, 2024, the Nation’s People issued a mandate that supersedes the political motivations of DANY’s ‘People,’” Blanche wrote. “This case must be immediately dismissed.” Blanche said that “immediate dismissal of this case is mandated by the federal Constitution, the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, and the interests of justice, in order to facilitate the orderly transition of Executive power following President Trump’s overwhelming victory in the 2024 Presidential Election.” Blanche’s pre-motion letter Wednesday was sent in order to request permission to file a motion to dismiss by Dec. 20, 2024 and to request a stay on all deadlines, which Bragg and New York prosecutors have agreed to. Blanche argued that Bragg “appears to not yet be ready to dismiss this politically-motivated and fatally flawed case, which is what is mandated by the law and will happen as justice takes its course.” Blanche pointed to Bragg’s own election campaign for another term as Manhattan DA. Blanche argued that “continuing with this case would be ‘uniquely destabilizing’ and threatens to ‘hamstring the operation of the whole governmental apparatus, both in foreign and domestic affairs.’” “The Court must address these new issues and dismiss the case, prior to issuing a decision on the previously filed Presidential immunity motion,” Blanche explained. “Any other action would obviously violate the presidential immunity doctrine and the Supremacy Clause.” Blanche added that “even if the Court were to wrongly deny the new interests-of-justice motion, which it should not do, the appropriate forum for any additional proceedings must first be resolved in President Trump’s removal appeal.” Blanche said that if the court denies any aspect of relief, including by moving forward with any proceedings, Trump would request that the court stay the implementation of the ruling so that President Trump has “adequate time to pursue appellate review.” The letter comes after Bragg on Tuesday sent a letter to Merchan requesting a stay on the case until 2029. Bragg said he would oppose Trump’s motion to dismiss, but said he would be open to receiving the defense argument. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree stemming from the years-long investigation related to alleged hush money payments run by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Former Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance initiated the investigation and Bragg prosecuted Trump. After an unprecedented six-week trial in New York City, a jury found the president guilty on all counts. PROSECUTORS REQUEST STAY IN TRUMP NY CASE UNTIL 2029 AS DEFENSE PLANS MOTION FOR DISMISSAL ‘ONCE AND FOR ALL’ Judge Juan Merchan last week granted a stay on all deadlines associated with conviction proceedings against Trump in the final weeks before he is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States – including the Nov. 26 sentencing date. Trump officials on Tuesday argued that Bragg’s request was a representation of “a total failure of the prosecution,” and interpreted the case as being “effectively over.” Meanwhile, Trump attorneys have already requested that Merchan overturn the guilty verdict altogether, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that former presidents have substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office. Merchan has not yet ruled on the immunity argument, which prosecutors anticipate being included in the coming dismissal motion from the defense. Trump’s legal team argued that certain evidence presented by Bragg and New York prosecutors during the trial should not have been admitted, as they were “official acts.” In that argument, Blanche said that testimony from former White House communications director Hope Hicks; former special assistant to the president Madeleine Westerhout; testimony regarding the Special Counsel’s Office and congressional investigations and the pardon power; testimony regarding President Trump’s response to FEC Inquiries; his presidential Twitter posts and other related testimony was impermissably admitted during trial. Trump attorneys also pointed to Trump’s disclosures to the Office of Government Ethics as president. Blanche said “official-acts evidence” that Bragg presented to the grand jury “contravened the holding in Trump because Presidents ‘cannot be indicted based on conduct for which they are immune from prosecution,’” the motion read. “The Presidential immunity doctrine recognized in Trump pertains to all ‘criminal proceedings,’ including grand jury proceedings when a prosecutor ‘seeks to charge’ a former President using evidence of official acts.” Blanche argued that Bragg “violated the Presidential immunity doctrine by using similar official-acts evidence in the grand jury proceedings that gave rise to the politically motivated charges in this case.” “Because an Indictment so tainted cannot stand, the charges must be dismissed,” Blanche argued. The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision on presidential immunity came from a question that stemmed from charges brought against Trump in a separate, federal case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith related to the events on Jan. 6, 2021 and any alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges in that case. Smith is winding down his cases against Trump following his election as the 47th president. Smith’s classified records case against Trump was dismissed earlier this year by a federal judge in Florida who ruled that the special counsel was unlawfully appointed.
Sprint to confirm Trump nominees kicks off in January
How many? And how fast? That’s the question for the Senate in early January as it will sprint to confirm as many of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees as possible. Senators cannot do much right now for a couple of reasons: Republicans are not in charge of the Senate, and Trump does not take office until noon EST on Jan. 20. However, there will be a flurry of action in January. First the mechanics. The incoming president was caught flat-footed in 2016 when he won. Trump lacked the personnel and political infrastructure to quickly develop a Cabinet, so he relied on the Republican National Committee and other “establishment” Republicans to assemble his slate of nominees. Many of the nominees were not “Trump people.” They struggled to build chemistry with the new president. Thus, Trump canned many when they rejected his wishes. This time around, the incoming president is certainly tapping nominees who are aligned with his movement and are Trump loyalists. They may outrage the left – and, frankly, some on the right. However, they are his picks. That alone might smooth the confirmation process in some respects. MATT GAETZ ‘WORKING THE PHONES,’ SPEAKING TO GOP SENATORS DESPITE DIFFICULT CONFIRMATION ODDS And frankly, it creates simultaneous headaches. In late 2016, Republicans controlled the Senate. That enabled them to prepare prompt confirmation hearings for early January 2017. The confirmation hearing for former Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., to serve as attorney general came on Jan. 10-11. Future Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly appeared before senators for his hearing on Jan. 10. The hearing for Rex Tillerson to become secretary of state was Jan. 11. The Senate Armed Services Committee heard from Defense secretary nominee James Mattis on Jan. 12. However, the Senate could not vote to confirm those nominees until the new president took office on Jan. 20. In the waning hours of Jan. 20, the Senate confirmed Mattis and Kelly. For instance, the Senate did not confirm then-Transportation Secretary Elain Chao – and the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. – until Jan. 31. The Senate will have a rocket docket in early 2025. As soon as senators brave the January chill and return from the viewing stand on the West Front of the Capitol on Jan. 20, they will warm their hands. Maybe sip a hot coffee or a scotch. It is then likely the Senate will vote on a comprehensive slate of Trump’s nominees into the evening. “I want to see us ready and poised to put President Trump’s nominees into the job on day one,” said Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn. “We should be ready with his many Cabinet positions to confirm on the 21st of January as we possibly can.” SENATE GOP INITIATES THUNE-ENGINEERED SLOW DOWN AS SCHUMER LOOKS TO STACK JUDICIAL VOTES However, Democrats intend to erect roadblocks. “What are Democrats prepared to do in response? Whatever it takes,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said on MSNBC. “Donald Trump is way beyond making a mockery of what an incoming president should be doing, regardless of who’s in the majority of Congress.” Others want to at least conduct due diligence on the nominees. They are especially leery of the Senate circumventing the conventional confirmation process and installing some nominees without a vote during a recess of both the House and Senate. “That’s why we have to have hearings. That’s why this commotion about recess appointments in which Trump would get some of his cabinet picks in place without hearings and confirmation votes is incredibly disturbing because there are some really serious financial questions about his team. Especially his national security team,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., on CNN. Trump has signaled – and incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has indicated a willingness – to potentially put some flailing nominees in place via recess appointments. “Recess appointments go back to the beginning of our republic,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Fox, arguing their legitimacy. GOP CRIES FOUL ON DEM BORDER SPENDING BILL THEY SAY WOULD DRAG OUT MIGRANT CRISIS However, Cotton suggested it was only liberals who were exercised about the possibility of recess appointments. “Once again, the left doesn’t seem to have learned anything from the campaign or really the last eight years. Hyperventilating about a supposedly anti-constitutional practice, which is in the Constitution itself.,” said Cotton. “But I don’t foresee a need for recess appointments because I expect the Senate to work promptly and efficiently to process all of these nominations and to put Donald Trump’s Cabinet in place.” Republicans are willing to blame Democrats for potential holdups on various nominees – potentially necessitating recess appointments. Ironically though, the issue would lie with the GOP. Senate Republicans will have 53 seats next year. It only takes 51 “yeas” to overcome a filibuster on a nominee for an administration post. Also, a simple majority to confirm. That is why some Republicans are keeping an eye on senators who they believe could defect – depending on the nominee. It starts with McConnell. The Kentucky Republican suffered from polio as a child. Watch to see how he might vote when it comes to Health and Human Services secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Of course, McConnell will no longer lead Senate Republicans, so it is unclear how much sway he still commands around the Senate. “When he speaks, people will listen,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to Al Weaver of The Hill. SPENDING BILL TROUBLE BREWS AS SEN MIKE LEE WARNS OF CHRISTMAS ‘SWAMPBUS’ Also in play is Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., along with Rep. and Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah. Then there are Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine. Both periodically bucked Trump during his previous term. “It would be a mistake in most cases to curtail the investigative process and the public hearings, because that is the Senate’s constitutional responsibility,” said Collins. The Maine Republican noted it is OK to short-circuit the process for “minor roles in the administration,” but nothing else. “Certainly,
Trump taps former acting AG Matthew Whitaker as NATO ambassador
President-elect Trump on Wednesday tapped former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to become U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in his new administration. Trump described Whitaker, who is from Iowa, as “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot, who will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended.” “Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability – He will put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement. “I have full confidence in Matt’s ability to represent the United States with Strength, Integrity, and unwavering Dedication. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to promote PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, Freedom, and Prosperity around the World.” US ALLIES ACCUSE RUSSIA OF ‘ESCALATING HYBRID ACTIVITIES’ AGAINST NATO, EU NATIONS AFTER DATA CABLES SEVERED “Matt is also the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, and is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a B.A., MBA and J.D., where he played football, and received the Big Ten Medal of Honor,” Trump added. The appointment Wednesday comes at a significant juncture for the alliance. President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday formally lowered the threshold for Russia’s use of its nuclear weapons, a move that follows President Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russian territory with American-supplied longer-range missiles. The new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukraine fired six U.S.-made ATACMS missiles early Tuesday at a military facility in Russia’s Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, adding that air defenses shot down five of them and damaged one more. Ukraine’s military claimed the strike hit a Russian ammunition depot.
Biden Defense secretary argues women, racial diversity ‘make us stronger’ as Trump admin looms
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin defended his efforts to expand diversity in the military during a wide-ranging interview on Wednesday. Austin affirmed to NBC News his belief that having women and increased diversity in the U.S. military “makes us stronger.” “I have spent 41 years in uniform, three long tours in Iraq, one in Afghanistan, and everywhere I went on a battlefield, there were women in our formation,” Austin told NBC. “I would tell you that, you know, our women are the finest troops in the world. Quite frankly, some of the finest in the world.” “They do impact readiness. They make us better. They make us stronger. And again, what I’ve seen from our women is quite incredible, and I’m not — this is not hyperbole. This is fact,” Austin said. MILITARY SUICIDES WERE ON THE RISE LAST YEAR, DESPITE A MASSIVE INVESTMENT IN PREVENTION PROGRAMS “We’re a diverse nation, and we’re going to remain a diverse nation. Our military is going to remain a diverse military,” Austin argued. TRUMP NOMINATES PETE HEGSETH TO SERVE AS DEFENSE SECRETARY The interview comes roughly a week after President-elect Donald Trump nominated veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be Austin’s successor. Austin did not mention Hegseth directly in his comments, but the interview comes days after clips resurfaced of Hegseth arguing against using women in combat roles. He has also been vocally opposed to prioritizing diversity over effectiveness in the military. Meanwhile, officials at the Pentagon are bracing for sweeping policy changes under the incoming Trump administration, and some high-level officers could find their careers on the chopping block. The Trump administration is expected to do away with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs across the government, including in the military. “If you want to have a sex change or a social justice seminar, then you can do it somewhere else, but you’re not going to do it in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Space Force or the United States Marines. Sorry,” Trump said at an Aug. 21 rally in Asheboro, North Carolina. “The military brass that led these absurd and insulting initiatives will likewise be removed, and they will no longer be in command. They’re going to be gone. Gone so fast,” he added. Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Manipur violence: Prohibitory orders to be relaxed in Imphal Valley for 7 hours
The prohibitory orders issued in the five Imphal Valley districts of Manipur will be relaxed for seven hours every morning to enable people to buy essential items, according to notifications issued on Wednesday.
California voters narrowly reject $18 minimum wage; first such no-vote nationwide since 1996
California voters rejected a ballot measure that would have raised the state’s minimum wage to $18 per hour; the first failure of such an initiative nationwide in almost 30 years. The tabulation came two weeks after Election Day due to the narrowing margin, as 49.2% of Californians ultimately supported the wage hike, falling just short. The vote was geographically disparate, with every Bay Area and coastal county except San Luis Obispo, Orange, Ventura and Del Norte supporting the measure – and every inland county except Alpine and Imperial opposing it. The current minimum wage in California is $16 per hour, but it includes a $20 per hour exclusion for fast-food restaurants with 60 or more locations. The latter was instituted in 2023 with the approval of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. NEWSOM: CRITICS SAID CA WAGE INCREASE WOULD BE A JOB-KILLER; THE OPPOSITE HAPPENED “Californians are sending Gavin Newsom and the SEIU a clear message: They’re sick of being lab rats for their pet projects,” Rebekah Paxton, research director for the Employment Policies Institute said in a statement. “Voters saw the devastating economic fallout of the $20 fast food minimum wage law, and for the first time in state history, voted against a statewide minimum wage hike.” Newsom, however, previously defended his support for wage hikes, saying the fast-food pay increase gave workers a “greater voice in workplace standards.” TOP REPUBLICANS WARN NEWSOM HIS OIL REFINING PHASE-OUT ENDANGERS MILITARY READINESS “Predictably, this modest law prompted fainting spells from conservatives and their enablers in the media,” he wrote in a Fox News Opinion column earlier this fall. “Even before I signed the bill, they quickly said it would lead to devastating job cuts and cause scores of businesses to close.” “We believe in fairness, equity and the idea that everyone deserves a chance to succeed. And these results dispel the cynics who say we must choose between protecting workers and growing the economy.” California Chamber of Commerce CEO Jennifer Barrera appeared to disagree, telling The Associated Press after the outlet called the tally for Proposition 32 that the economy and personal costs were top of mind in the election, and that that message resonated with the voters. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Millions of dollars were poured into support for the effort, according to CalMatters, which reported startup entrepreneur Joe Sanberg earmarked $10 million while spearheading the Proposition 32 effort. The outlet reported Democratic Los Angeles City Councilman and former state Senate President Kevin de Leon was a second prominent backer. There have been about two dozen minimum-wage-hike ballot initiatives since 1996; the last time one failed. In that election, Missourians declined to approve a hike to $6.75 and Montana decided against moving its minimum wage up to $6.25 per hour. The Associated Press contributed to this report.