Trump team ‘confident’ Senate Republicans will approve cabinet selections
President-elect Trump’s team is confident that Senate Republicans will approve his cabinet selection – despite some of the picks raising eyebrows from Republicans and Democrats alike. A Trump transition official confirmed to Fox News that the president-elect is “confident that Senate Republicans will hold the line.” “President Trump is confident that Senate Republicans will hold the line and respect the will of the American people by approving his cabinet nominees,” the official said. The official said that Trump is “very happy” with the vice president-elect, saying that Vance is “laser focused on already getting the ball rolling on his highly-qualified nominees.” TRUMP PICKING CABINET AT BREAKNECK SPEED COMPARED TO 2016 Trump’s nominees and administration picks during his second administration are being publicly announced at a much faster pace than during his first administration in 2016, which the transition team attributed to Trump’s commitment to putting “America first.” “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt previously told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump’s speedy rollout of Cabinet picks. WATCH: Trump’s most contentious choice so far has been Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., for attorney general. The pick came as a surprise to many since the firebrand does not have any prior law enforcement experience and faces misconduct allegations. Gaetz was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which subpoenaed him as recently as September for an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual misconduct with a minor. LOYALTY MATTERS: TRUMP PICKS ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS TO FILL OUT HIS ADMINISTRATION Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and had told the panel he would “no longer voluntarily participate” in its probe. Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after Trump made the announcement. On Wednesday, Vance and Gaetz were spotted leaving the Capitol. A source familiar previously told Fox News Digital that Gaetz is “working the phones” to address concerns from GOP senators ahead of his confirmation hearings next year. He is also making the rounds with Vance on Capitol Hill to meet with senators directly. “The meetings have been productive with AG nominee Gaetz listening to senators’ thoughts on the role of the DOJ and the confirmation process. Gaetz is looking forward to meeting with more senators throughout this process on the Hill,” a Trump transition official told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
India strongly rejects new Canadian media report on Nijjar killing, says ‘smear campaigns like this…’
India has strongly rejected all the allegations made by Ottawa concerning the case and subsequently recalled the high commissioner. The Canadian government had said the Indian diplomats were expelled from the country.
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 21, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
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Senate rejects Bernie Sanders’ effort to block weapons sales to Israel
An effort by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to block certain U.S. weapons sales to Israel was overwhelmingly rejected by the U.S. Senate Wednesday evening. Sanders’ joint resolution of disapproval, which was supported by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.; Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; and Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., intended to stop the White House’s latest arms sales to the Israeli military. An effort to block the sales of tank rounds to Israel was voted down 79-18, and a measure intending to block mortar round shipments was rejected 78-19. Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanders claimed the Israeli government is controlled “not only by right-wing extremists, but by religious zealots.” “It is time to tell the Netanyahu government that they cannot use U.S. taxpayer dollars and American weapons in violation of U.S. and international law and our moral values despite receiving $18 billion from U.S. taxpayers in the last year,” Sanders said. ‘CHEERLEADING FOR TERRORISM’: TWITCH STAR CALLED FOR NEW 9/11, DISMISSED HORROR OF OCT 7 “And being the largest historical recipient of U.S. foreign aid, the Netanyahu government has completely ignored the repeated requests of President Biden and the U.S. government.” The 83-year-old politician also decried living conditions in Gaza during his speech. “Right now, there is raw sewage running through the streets of Gaza, and it is very difficult for the people there to obtain clean drinking water,” Sanders said. “Every one of Gaza’s 12 universities has been bombed … as have many hundreds of schools. For 13 months, there has been no electricity in Gaza. ISRAELI OFFICIAL PRAISES STEFANIK AS UN PICK, SAYS HER ‘MORAL CLARITY’ WILL COMBAT BODY’S ‘HATE AND LIES’ “As I have said many, many times, Israel had the absolute right to respond to that horrific Hamas attack as any other country would,” Sanders concluded. “I don’t think anybody here in the United States Senate disagrees with that. But Prime Minister Netanyahu’s extremist government has not simply waged war against Hamas. It has waged an all-out war against the Palestinian people.” Despite the vote, Sanders’ effort was not wholly unpopular. Earlier this week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., signaled support for the Vermont Independent’s proposal. “The failure by the Biden administration to follow U.S. law and to suspend arms shipments is a grave mistake that undermines American credibility worldwide,” Warren said in a statement to The Guardian. “If this administration will not act, Congress must step up to enforce U.S. law and hold the Netanyahu government accountable through a joint resolution of disapproval.” Fox News Digital’s Jessica Sonkin and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Trump-district House Democrat loses Alaska seat to political scion
Conservative Republican Nick Begich has won a tight race for Alaska’s lone seat in the House of Representatives, according to the Associated Press. Begich defeated his main rival, Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, the first Native Alaskan in Congress, and one of only five House Democrats currently representing a district won by President-elect Trump in 2020. The win widens the Republican majority in the House to 219 and 213 for Democrats. SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ The GOP candidate is no stranger to politics, having been born into a prominent political family in Alaska – made up of mostly Democrats. His grandfather, Nick Begich, Sr., was an Alaska congressman, before mysteriously disappearing on a flight and being pronounced dead in 1972. His uncle, Mark Begich, was a U.S. senator for Alaska from 2009 to 2015. The other two hopefuls in the race were Alaska Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe and Democratic candidate Eric Hafner. In a statement, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) congratulated Begich for his “resounding victory.” “Congratulations to Congressman-elect Nick Begich on his resounding victory,” NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen said in a statement. “Alaskans just sent an America First fighter to drain the swamp and stop the liberal war on Alaska, and Congressman-elect Begich will deliver.” HERITAGE FOUNDATION SUES DHS FOR DOCUMENTS THAT SAY ‘HARRIS’ AND ‘BORDER CZAR’ Alaska is one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in federal elections, something that benefited Peltola in 2022, when Begich and former Gov. Sarah Palin knocked each other out of the running by splitting the Republican vote. Republicans took a lesson from that defeat, however, and instead, coalesced around Begich earlier in the race. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION Alaska has just one House seat given its modest population compared to more densely packed states. It is also one of only two states to use ranked-choice voting in its federal elections. Peltola won her seat in a special election following the sudden death of longtime Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, in 2022. Young’s daughters and several former staffers endorsed Peltola for re-election in the November race later that year. The moderate Democrat has been known to break from her party on certain climate and energy issues, among others. Begich’s victory is a much-needed win for House Republicans who have fought tooth-and-nail to retain and even expand their majority. He was added to the House GOP campaign arm’s “Young Guns” list in August of this year, giving him access to National Republican Congressional Committee resources, support, and advisement. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump picks former congressman Pete Hoekstra to be ambassador to Canada
President-elect Trump chose former ambassador and Rep. Pete Hoekstra for his pick for the U.S. ambassador to Canada. “Pete is well-respected in the Great State of Michigan – A State we won sizably. He represented Michigan’s 2nd District in Congress for nearly 20 years, where he was also Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and was a great help to our Campaign as Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party,” Trump wrote in a Wednesday evening release. Trump said that Hoekstra would help the president-elect’s “American First” agenda. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” he wrote. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role. Thank you, Pete!” GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? Hoekstra was the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump’s first term. Prior to his ambassadorship, he served 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 2nd District of Michigan, and served as chairman and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. Trump’s pick of Hoekstra on Wednesday came after he tapped former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to become U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in his new administration.
Opponents of failed California measure to raise minimum wage say voters ‘made the right call’
Opponents of a defeated California ballot measure to raise the state’s minimum wage said voters made the right call in pushing back against a proposal that would otherwise have resulted in higher inflation. Proposition 32, which would have raised California’s minimum wage to $18 per hour, was narrowly beaten back as only 49.2% of voters supported the proposed hike. The current minimum wage in the state is $16 per hour. Fast-food restaurants with 60 or more locations are already mandated to pay their employees at least $20 per hour. NEWSOM: CRITICS SAID CA WAGE INCREASE WOULD BE A JOB-KILLER; THE OPPOSITE HAPPENED “Basic economics shows that raising the minimum wage ultimately drives up inflation and unemployment, predictably hurting workers and families,” Republican State Sen. Brian Jones, the upper chamber’s minority leader, told Fox News Digital. “More inflation and higher costs are the last things we need right now. Californians made the right call to reject Prop 32 and protect financial stability.” Business groups, including the California Chamber of Commerce, California Restaurant Association and California Grocers Association opposed the measure, saying high labor costs would hurt small businesses. Chamber of Commerce CEO Jennifer Barrera told The Associated Press that the economy and personal costs were top of mind in the election, a message that resonated with the voters. John Kabateck, the California director for the National Federation of Independent Business, said minimum wage hikes amid a period of inflation would have added to the current economic woes many residents already face. “At the end of the day, this really came down to affordability for Californians already struggling,” Kabateck told Fox News Digital. “People realized a higher minimum wage was not going to make their bad situation that much better.” TOP REPUBLICANS WARN NEWSOM HIS OIL REFINING PHASE-OUT ENDANGERS MILITARY READINESS Prop 32 was authored by startup entrepreneur Joseph Sanberg, an anti-poverty advocate and major investor in Blue Apron, the ingredient-and-recipe meal kit company. “The time is now, because the pandemic has heightened the people’s understanding of the realities so many Californians face,” Sanberg said in his official ballot argument. “Cost of living is rising faster and faster… but wages haven’t increased commensurately.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Sanberg and various trade groups. Sanberg was heavily involved in spearheading Prop 32. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Jones called the measure a failed “publicity stunt” hatched by Sanberg that was part of “his pattern of misleading Californians.” “Known for posing as an environmentalist while facing scrutiny for dubious claims, Sanberg shifted tactics by pushing a minimum wage hike and falsely branding himself as a champion of the working class,” he said. “Californians saw through his deception and rightly rejected his Prop 32 that would have decimated our economy.” Kabateck said policymakers in Sacremento didn’t seem to be in touch with small business owners and voters struggling to get by. “At the end of the day, who doesn’t want a few dollars in their pocket? But at what cost?” he said.
Lori Chavez-DeRemer heading to Mar-a-Lago after being floated for Labor Secretary: sources
A House Republican whose name has been floated for Secretary of Labor is traveling to Mar-a-Lago at the end of this week, two sources told Fox News Digital. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., who recently lost re-election in a close race against Democrat Janelle Bynum, is in consideration to lead the Labor Department, according to Politico. Her travel down to President-elect Trump’s Florida home could mean that she is a serious contender for the role. Chavez-DeRemer’s candidacy is backed by the Teamsters Union, who Trump allies had been trying to court earlier this year in their bid to broaden the Republican base ahead of the 2024 election. TRUMP’S FORMER EDUCATION SECRETARY REACTS TO PRESIDENT-ELECT’S NEW PICK FOR THE ROLE She would be the fourth current House Republican selected for the new Trump administration after House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Reps. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. But unlike the others, her elevation to Trump’s Cabinet would not take away from the GOP’s razor-thin House majority. When reached by Fox News Digital, Chavez-DeRemer’s spokesperson did not comment directly on the congresswoman’s travel plans but shared her statement on the Teamsters’ endorsement for the role. “I’d be honored to have the opportunity to support President Trump’s mission to empower and grow our nation’s workforce. Hardworking Americans finally have a lifeline with the president, and I’d work tirelessly to support his impressive efforts to remake the Republican Party into the Party of the American worker,” she said. MUSK, RAMASWAMY LAY OUT DOGE’S PLAN FOR SLASHING GOVERNMENT WASTE Multiple House Republican allies of hers have also lauded her as a potential Trump Cabinet pick on social media. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, a former Trump 2020 campaign staffer, wrote on X that she “would be a fantastic Labor Secretary.” Reps. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., and Pete Sauber, R-Minn., shared similar praise on the platform, among others. “She is a champion for workers; she is a problem solver, and she is a no nonsense leader,” Rep. Marc Molinaro, who a source said is also being considered for a high-ranking role in the Department of Transportation, wrote on X. Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.
Indian conglomerate chair Gautam Adani indicted in the US
Gautam Adani, the chair of Indian conglomerate Adani Group and one of the world’s richest people, has been indicted in New York over an alleged multibillion-dollar fraud scheme, United States prosecutors have said. On Wednesday authorities charged Adani and two other executives at Adani Green Energy, his nephew Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain, with agreeing between 2020 and 2024 to pay more than $250m in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain solar energy supply contracts expected to yield $2bn in profits. Prosecutors said the renewable energy company also raised more than $3bn in loans and bonds during this period based on false and misleading statements. Five other people were hit with related criminal conspiracy charges, including two executives of another renewable energy company, and three employees of a Canadian institutional investor. Adani Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside business hours in India, where the charges were announced early Thursday morning. India’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to court records, a judge has issued arrest warrants for Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani, and prosecutors plan to hand those warrants to foreign law enforcement. The case involves alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a US anti-bribery law. Seven of the eight defendants are Indian citizens and lived in India, while the eighth, Cyril Cabanes, is a dual French-Australian citizen who lived in Singapore, prosecutors said. The US Securities and Exchange Commission filed related civil charges against Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Cabanes, 50, an executive at Azure Power Global. Prosecutors identified Cabanes as one of the Canadian investor’s employees. Gautam Adani is worth $69.8bn, according to Forbes magazine, making him the world’s 22nd richest and India’s second-richest person. ‘Elaborate scheme’ “The defendants orchestrated an elaborate scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure contracts worth billions of dollars and Gautam S Adani, Sagar R Adani and Vneet S Jaain lied about the bribery scheme as they sought to raise capital from US and international investors,” US Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “These offenses were allegedly committed by senior executives and directors to obtain and finance massive state energy supply contracts through corruption and fraud at the expense of US investors,” added Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa H Miller. On several occasions, Gautam Adani personally met with an Indian government official to advance the bribery scheme, and the defendants held in-person meetings with each other to discuss aspects of its execution, the prosecutors alleged. According to the indictment, some conspirators referred privately to Gautam Adami with the code names “Numero Uno” and “The Big Man”, while Sagar Adani allegedly used his cellphone to track specifics about the bribes. The charges were announced hours after Adani on Wednesday raised $600m from a sale of 20-year “green” bonds. Last week, Gautam Adani said in a post on social media platform X that his conglomerate planned to invest $10bn in US energy security and infrastructure projects, creating a potential 15,000 jobs, without providing a timetable. Adani announced the investment while also congratulating US President-elect Donald Trump on his election win. Trump has pledged to make it easier for energy companies to drill on federal land and build new pipelines. The $32bn (revenues) Adani Group has interests in ports, airports, power generation and transmission, and green energy, among other businesses. Last year in January, US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research accused Adani and his companies of stock market manipulation and fraud, allegations denied by the group. India’s top court ruled in favour of the group a year later. Adblock test (Why?)
At least 150 people killed over past week in Haiti’s Port-au-Prince: UN
At least 150 people have been killed in Port-au-Prince over the past week, the United Nations says, as the Haitian capital reels from a surge in gang violence. In a statement on Wednesday, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said more than half of the deaths – at least 55 percent – came “from exchanges of fire between gang members and police”. Another 92 people were injured in the violence, and about 20,000 others have been forcibly displaced from their homes. “Port-au-Prince’s estimated four million people are practically being held hostage as gangs now control all the main roads in and out of the capital,” Volker Turk, the high commissioner, said in the statement. “The latest upsurge in violence in Haiti’s capital is a harbinger of worse to come. The gang violence must be promptly halted. Haiti must not be allowed to descend further into chaos.” Haiti has reeled from years of violence as powerful armed groups – often with ties to the country’s political and business leaders – have vied for influence and control of territory. But the situation worsened dramatically after the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, which created a power vacuum. Earlier this year, the gangs launched attacks on prisons and other state institutions across Port-au-Prince, fuelling a renewed political crisis. The campaign of violence led to the resignation of Haiti’s unelected prime minister, the creation of a transitional presidential council, and the deployment of a UN-backed, multinational police mission. That Kenya-led police force – formally known as the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) – has failed to take control back from the gangs, however. Only a fraction of the planned contingent has arrived in Haiti so far, while the United States, the MSS’s key backer, has been pushing to get more funding and personnel to bolster the force. The US also has been pushing to transform the mission into a UN peacekeeping force, a proposal that has the backing of Haitian leaders but is opposed by veto-holding UN Security Council members China and Russia. Monica Juma, a national security adviser to the Kenyan presidency, said during a special UNSC session on Haiti on Wednesday afternoon that Nairobi “strongly supports” that push. Juma said the MSS currently counts 416 “boots on the ground” from Belize, Bahamas, Jamaica and Kenya, but that is “too few for the task ahead”. “The urgency for a surge in the MSS personnel deployment is evident,” she told the council in New York. Many Haitians remain wary of UN interventions, however, saying past deployments have brought more harm than good. A deadly 2010 cholera outbreak was linked to a UN peacekeeping base, for example, and UN forces in Haiti were also accused of rape and sexual abuse. Still, civil society leaders in Haiti have cautiously welcomed the Kenya-led multinational mission as a needed boost in the fight against the gangs while also stressing that the problems facing the Caribbean country will not be solved by force alone. They have called for more support and training for Haiti’s national police force, as well as an end to corruption and a Haitian-led political process. In the meantime, Haitian armed groups are now believed to control at least 80 percent of Port-au-Prince. Planes were hit by gunfire earlier this month at the airport in the capital, prompting international airlines to suspend flights into the city and isolating the country further. The incidents came amid an internal power struggle that saw the transitional presidential council tasked with rebuilding Haitian state institutions vote to dismiss another interim prime minister, Gary Conille, and appoint his replacement, Alix Didier Fils-Aime. Speaking at the UNSC session on Wednesday, Miroslav Jenca, the UN’s assistant secretary-general for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, said Haiti is facing more than “just another wave of insecurity”. “It is a dramatic escalation that shows no signs of abating,” Jenca told the council. “The human consequences are severe. We are deeply concerned about the safety, basic needs and human rights of people residing in gang-controlled areas, in particular, those of women and children.” Adblock test (Why?)