Gov. Greg Abbott wants to freeze tuition at Texas colleges and universities for another two years
The governor’s directive extends a tuition freeze for Texas’ public universities that was approved in the last legislative session.
What to know about Kristi Noem, the ‘border hawk’ nominated by Trump to lead DHS
President-elect Trump announced Tuesday he had chosen South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that addresses border security, emergency relief and cybersecurity. In his announcement Tuesday evening, Trump emphasized Noem’s moves as governor to send National Guard soldiers to the southern border in Texas, arguing she is “very strong” on border security. “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. EX-TRUMP OFFICIAL PREDICTS ‘ENTIRE MINDSET CHANGE’ AT SOUTHERN BORDER, HAILS ‘FANTASTIC’ PICK TO LEAD DHS Noem said she was “honored and humbled” by the selection. “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,” she said. Noem, a former member of Congress, was elected governor of the state in 2018 and won re-election in 2022. She has three children with her husband, Byron. TRUMP’S ‘BORDER CZAR’ WARNS DEM GOVS REJECTING TRUMP DEPORTATION PLAN: ‘GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY’ Noem’s selection came as a surprise to some political watchers, but a source familiar with the appointment told Fox News Digital Noem had set a precedent for other states by sending National Guard soldiers, rather than more generic assistance, to the border. She also brings experience of other parts of the agency’s mission. Noem 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. The governor’s website says the state has invested $90 million to equip DSU in expanding cyber programs and allowing high school students to take classes for college credit. The state said last year the sector has added thousands of jobs in a few years and grown by 25%. 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. FEMA sparked controversy over its handling of hurricanes this year and is likely to be under significant scrutiny in the months and years ahead. With respect to border security, Noem has 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. She is particularly in line with President-elect Trump on border security and prioritizing national security and public safety threats for deportations, a source noted to Fox News Digital. “My message to illegal immigrants is — Call me when you’re an American,” she said on Facebook in 2021. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Noem briefly sparked controversy this year when she revealed in a memoir she had shot and killed a family dog that she said had become a danger to people. While her appointment was a surprise to some, she has received backing from major figures, including former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf. “Gov. Noem is a fantastic pick,” he said. “She has been a successful governor and has been forward-leaning and helping to support the Border security mission with her National Guard. She also has extensive experience working with FEMA on natural disasters. I’m certain she will succeed.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been on the front lines of the crisis, said it was an “excellent selection.” “Governor Noem is a border hawk who has worked with me to secure the Texas border,” he said on X. “She has a no nonsense, rule of law approach, that will repair America from the carnage caused by Biden‘s open border policies.” The pick follows a number of other hawkish appointments to Trump’s administration. This week, he announced former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Tom Homan will be the “border czar.” On Wednesday, Trump officially announced that Stephen Miller, who spearheaded many immigration policies in Trump’s first term, will serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser.
GOP Rep. Michael McCaul ‘briefly detained’ by police at airport for ‘appearing intoxicated’
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, was detained at Dulles International Airport earlier this month for “appearing intoxicated,” Fox News has confirmed. McCaul admitted to taking an Ambien and drinking before a flight from D.C. to Texas, Semafor first reported. He said he missed his flight and found himself “disoriented.” McCaul said he was “briefly detained” by police and picked up by a family member. “Two weekends ago, I made a mistake—one for which I take full responsibility. I missed a flight to Texas and found myself disoriented in the airport. This was the result of a poor decision I made to mix an Ambien—which I took in order to sleep on the upcoming flight—with some alcohol,” McCaul said in a statement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the officers who intercepted me that evening. This incident does not reflect who I am and who I strive to be. As a human, I am not perfect. But I am determined to learn from this mistake and, God-willing, make myself a better person.” Fox News’ Tyler Olson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
EPA’s new rule to charge oil and gas companies for emissions could face a Trump reckoning
The Biden administration is moving to charge oil and gas companies a new fee on methane emissions, but opponents of the rule suggest such efforts could be short-lived under incoming Republican leadership. On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will try to “incentivize” the oil and gas industry to reduce methane emissions by imposing a Waste Emissions Charge, allowed under the Inflation Reduction Act. Under the Biden administration’s new rule, certain oil and gas facilities would be charged $900 per metric ton of “wasteful” emissions in CY 2024, $1,200 for CY 2025 and $1,500 for CY 2026. The charge would be applied to high-emitting facilities and those with emissions of “more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year to the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program,” according to the EPA. TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA Opponents of the new rule are already making plans to avert the proposed methane fee. In a press release Tuesday, the American Petroleum Institute released a policy road map for the incoming Trump administration and hit back against the EPA’s final rule. TRUMP TO INSTALL ‘ENERGY CZAR’ TO DISMANTLE BIDEN CLIMATE RULES: REPORT Included in the suggested plan was for the Trump administration to “end EPA’s methane fee that misinterprets Congressional intent and does little beyond increasing the cost of production for American oil and natural gas.” The Western Caucus also slammed the charge, but highlighted that the incoming administration will make changes to the current EPA’s agenda. “The lame-duck Biden Administration will do everything they can to sabotage traditional energy sources in their final days,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash. “The EPA’s Waste Emissions Charge rule will further increase energy costs by placing an effective tax on America’s oil and gas industry that will be passed directly to consumers. Luckily, this administration’s days are numbered, and I look forward to helping a unified Republican government reduce energy costs across rural and Western America.” President-elect Trump recently tapped former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to head the EPA under his administration, which is likely to derail many of the Biden administration’s energy policies. The EPA has suggested, meanwhile, that the Waste Emissions Charge will improve the vital industry. “The final Waste Emissions Charge is the latest in a series of actions under President Biden’s methane strategy to improve efficiency in the oil and gas sector, support American jobs, protect clean air, and reinforce U.S. leadership on the global stage,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement. Maggie Coulter, a lawyer at the Center for Biological Diversity, also praised the rule, saying that “while we expect the next administration to recklessly greenlight fossil fuel extraction, it’s heartening to see this effort to make polluters pay for their leakage of the super climate pollutant methane.”
Matt Gaetz faces GOP Senate opposition after Trump selection for attorney general
President-Elect Donald Trump’s latest selection for his next administration is facing immediate backlash from some within the Senate GOP, as they say his attorney general pick Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., will not get confirmed. “He will never get confirmed,” a Republican senator, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital. One Senate Republican source simply said, “Ain’t gonna happen,” about the prospect of Gaetz’s confirmation. THUNE WINS SECRET BALLOT TO BECOME NEW SENATE GOP LEADER, SUCCEEDING MCCONNELL Gaetz’s office referred Fox News Digital to his response on X, “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!” and did not comment on the GOP criticism about his potential confirmation. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters, “I think we have to consider any nominee by the president seriously, but we also have a constitutional responsibility.” He was prompted about whether the House Ethics investigation currently being conducted into Gaetz would factor in to his confirmation, to which the senator replied: “That might come up.” The allegations being probed by the committee include sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts. RICK SCOTT KNOCKED OUT OF SENATE LEADER RACE ON FIRST BALLOT AS THUNE AND CORNYN ADVANCE Responding to the announcement of Gaetz’s selection for attorney general, Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., who chairs the Ethics Committee said “once a member is no longer a member of Congress, then ethics has no jurisdiction. So if Matt Gaetz were to be appointed as the Attorney General, the ethics investigation [which] is currently ongoing would cease at that point.” However, Senate Republicans were not explicitly supportive. “He’s under investigation by the House Committee on Ethics,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, acknowledged. “Obviously, the president has the right to nominate whomever he wishes, but this is why the background checks that are done by the FBI and the advice and consent process in the Senate, and public hearings are also important.” “He will go through the nomination process just like everyone else,” said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told reporters, “I got nothing for you on that,” when asked about Trump’s choice. TED CRUZ GETS BEHIND RICK SCOTT FOR LEADER, IN BLOW TO FELLOW TEXAN JOHN CORNYN “I think what we can tell you right now is that we always allow the President to have the benefit of the doubt, but we still have to do our role in terms of due diligence,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., when asked if he would vote to confirm Gaetz. In addition to the ethics investigation, Gaetz was at one point being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a years-long probe into sex trafficking allegations. But last year, Gaetz’s office said the DOJ ended their investigation and determined he would not be charged with any crimes. While Republicans could very well be poised not to confirm Gaetz, who has proven controversial among his own party, Trump could look to appoint him through a recess appointment. The president-elect made an appeal to Senate Republican leader candidates earlier this week, telling them they must agree to allow him to make such appointments. REPUBLICANS TO HUDDLE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO ELECT MCCONNELL’S SUCCESSOR WEDNESDAY Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who won the leader election Wednesday morning, signaled being open to this in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. However, he didn’t commit to it. “We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s cabinet and other nominees in place as soon as possible to start delivering on the mandate we’ve been sent to execute, and all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments,” he said. If Trump were successful in appointing a cabinet member through a recess appointment, they would be able to serve in the role for nearly two years, according to the Congressional Research Service. The appointment would expire once the next session of Congress, following the recess, adjourns. “Recess appointments expire at the end of the next session of the Senate,” according to a recent CRS report. “As a result, a recess appointment may last for less than a year or nearly two years, depending on when the appointment is made.”
McClain elected to replace Stefanik in House GOP leadership
House Republicans have chosen a fellow member to replace GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., in their party’s leadership ranks. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., was elected House GOP Conference Chair on Wednesday evening, the No. 4 leadership position for Republicans in the chamber. She was the favorite to win the internal race against Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla. McClain is already a lower-level member of leadership, serving as House Republicans’ conference secretary in the 118th Congress. Cammack’s bid was bolstered by an endorsement from ally Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and groups like the Log Cabin Republicans and the national Young Republicans organization. Meanwhile, McClain had support from a wide range of the Republican Conference, from House Freedom Caucus members to rank-and-file national security hawks. Stefanik was originally intending to run for the job again before accepting President-elect Trump’s nomination to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations. The conference chair is in charge of overseeing and executing messaging strategy within the House GOP. It comes as the House GOP unanimously backed Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for his job again, two sources in the room told Fox News Digital. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., were also elected unanimously to return to their roles, sources said.
Democratic politician repeatedly insults officer’s manhood during DUI arrest
A Democratic elected official was arrested in Chicago after allegedly causing a three-car pileup and making inappropriate comments about the arresting officer’s penis. The Chicago Sun Times first reported the incident. According to the outlet, the elected official, Samantha Steele, 45, was arrested around 8:50 p.m. on Sunday after crashing into another vehicle and causing a three-car pileup in north Chicago. During the arrest, Steele repeatedly asked the arresting officer, “Is your penis that small?” Steele serves as the commissioner for the second district of the Cook County Board of Review, which oversees property tax assessments in and around the city of Chicago. DEMOCRATS ACCUSED OF ‘INTENTIONALLY’ SUBVERTING THE WILL OF VOTERS WITH ‘11TH-HOUR SABOTAGE’ OF TRUMP AGENDA The Chicago Sun Times reported that Chicago Police arriving on the scene observed “extensive” damage to the involved vehicles and found Steele lying on the sidewalk. One officer wrote in the report, “I observed her eyes were bloodshot and glassy” and “I also detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from her breath as she spoke.” The police report said that officers immediately detected a strong alcohol scent and noticed an open bottle of red wine on the passenger side floor of Steele’s car. After officers asked Steele how much she had to drink, she replied, “I want my lawyer, and I’m not talking to you.” She refused to perform a field sobriety test and was arrested and handcuffed. Rather than calling her attorney, the Chicago Sun Times reported that Steele called a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Scott Britton, who has since referred her to a criminal attorney. Steele is being charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence. Her court date is set for Dec. 27. Steele was elected as a Cook County Board of Review commissioner in 2022 and is serving a four-year term until 2026. Steele and the Cook County Board of Review did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
North Carolina to override Dem veto calling for cooperation with ICE while Trump calls for agency reform
GOP North Carolina legislators are poised to overrule outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s block on legislation mandating local law enforcement agencies cooperate with ICE, but Democrats narrowly ended the GOP’s veto-proofing supermajority for next session. The news comes as President-elect Trump’s pick for “border czar,” former ICE Director Thomas Homan. has signaled agreement with mass deportation and other stringent enforcement operations. Legislation that would require state-federal cooperation has languished for five years, and the GOP’s ability to continue its pattern of overriding the executive branch may soon end. Raleigh Republicans appear to have lost their three-fifths grip by one seat after last week’s election but retained it in the Senate. The governorship will remain in Democratic hands with current Attorney General Joshua Stein succeeding Cooper. COOPER, STATE DEM LEADERS RALLY BEHIND BIDEN AFTER LACKLUSTER DEBATE A top Republican in the state House who is favored to succeed U.S. Rep-elect Timothy Moore as speaker, said the veto override will be taken up Tuesday. State Rep. Destin Hall, R-Lenoir, previously said some criticism of the bill was “factually incorrect,” adding it only applies to people who committed “serious felonies … or violent misdemeanors” and that it will not prompt law enforcement to actively seek out illegal immigrants. EX-ICE CHIEF SCOFFS AT HOCHUL’S SUDDEN OUTRAGE AT VIOLENT MIGRANTS: ‘POLITICAL COVER’ The bill includes both the ICE provision and additional funds for school vouchers. In his September veto statement, Cooper only referenced the school choice provision. However, after he vetoed duplicate legislation in the 2022 session, Cooper said the policy is “only about scoring political points and using fear to divide North Carolinians.” “As the state’s former top law enforcement officer, I know that current law already allows the state to incarcerate and prosecute dangerous criminals regardless of immigration status,” Cooper said, calling the bill unconstitutional and a misuse of local resources. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., responded by saying Cooper effectively declared North Carolina a sanctuary state. Fox News Digital reached out to Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Reidsville, for further comment on the plan. A call to Cooper’s office was not returned. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The North Carolina branch of the ACLU also slammed the bill, saying it “circumvents the local authority of sheriffs by requiring them to cooperate with ICE and assist in the federal government’s deportation pipeline. “HB10 will not make our communities safer,” the group said in a statement. Berger previously said other work in the upcoming legislative session “beyond the override… has not been determined,” according to The Raleigh News-Observer. During the last Trump administration, some law enforcement in the Tar Heel State bucked Trump’s overtures, and Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden ended the Charlotte-area jurisdiction’s “287(g)” agreement with ICE, according to The Charlotte Observer. Additionally, sheriffs in Wilson, Asheville, Durham and Hillsborough publicly objected to the bill when it was first proposed. A statement from the consortium of lawmen obtained by WNCN said it was concerned it “will jeopardize their ability to fulfill their local duties and set a dangerous precedent for overstepping local authority.” Homan told Fox News Monday that if places like New York City won’t offer assistance, he’ll double the number of federal agents there. “We’re going to do the job with you or without you,” he said. Republicans will retain their supermajority for the brief, four-day session next week. When they return in 2025, one Democrat would have to cross the aisle to kill any Stein veto.
Biden imposes a new methane emissions tax as he prepares to leave the White House
President Joe Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency finalized a new rule Tuesday, taxing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. The new tax was born out of Biden’s sweeping climate legislation passed by Congress, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, which included a Waste Emissions Charge provision. Although the waste emissions charge was mandated by Congress, the Biden administration had discretion on how tightly to clamp down. The fee will start at $900 per metric ton of methane emitted over a specific performance level during 2024. In subsequent years, the fee will increase. In 2025, it will grow to $1,200 per metric ton. In 2026, it will increase to $1,500 per ton. Meanwhile, each subsequent year after that, the fee will continue to rise, according to the EPA. BIDEN ADMIN SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE POSES NATIONAL SECURITY RISKS, SENDS DELEGATION TO ADDRESS THEM “The final Waste Emissions Charge is the latest in a series of actions under President Biden’s methane strategy to improve efficiency in the oil and gas sector, support American jobs, protect clean air, and reinforce U.S. leadership on the global stage,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a press release. Prior to Tuesday’s new methane emissions rule, Biden and his administration imposed other rules aimed at clamping down on methane. Shortly after taking office in 2021, he signed a law repealing a Trump-era action that rescinded stricter methane-emissions standards imposed under then-President Barack Obama. While climate change advocates, such as the Clean Air Task Force, have praised Biden’s rule regulating methane emissions, Steve Milloy, a fellow at the Energy and Environmental Legal Institute, described the action as “irrelevant.” Milloy said that because upwards of 95% or more of the greenhouse gasses trapped by the earth’s atmosphere are water vapor and carbon dioxide, little to no room remains for methane to be stored. VOTERS DECIDE ON CLIMATE MEASURES, REJECT INITIATIVE TO TAX NATURAL GAS POWERED BUILDINGS IN CALIFORNIA CITY Milloy also suggested the new methane emissions rule will likely be ineffective, considering it targets the oil and gas sector but not the agricultural sector as well. “The largest source of methane is actually microbes,” Milloy pointed out — as opposed to man-made power plants. Microbes are tiny organisms that live in cow’s stomachs, agricultural fields and wetlands, according to The Washington Post. In addition to the effectiveness, Milloy pointed out that the tax will also be to the benefit of Big Oil companies, while hurting smaller ones. “It’s because all these regulations cripple the competition,” Milloy said. “Taxing the oil industry, you know, Big Oil is going to be all for that.” North Carolina Republican Rep. Greg Murphy, who was endorsed by Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions during his bid for re-election this year, echoed that going after the oil and gas industry with this latest tax will serve to “raise costs and prevent investment.” “Thankfully, this insanity will end in January,” Murphy said. President-elect Donald Trump has suggested he would repeal many of the green energy initiatives implanted within Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. TRUMP TO INSTALL ‘ENERGY CZAR’ TO DISMANTLE BIDEN CLIMATE RULES: REPORT This week, the new president-elect nominated former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to be his next EPA chief. Meanwhile, Republican Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has been floated as a possibility for Trump’s next Energy Secretary, among others. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and EPA for comment but did not receive an on-the-record response. But the White House did point to a fact sheet it released Tuesday, on how the Biden-Harris administration has “leverage[d] historic U.S. climate leadership at home and abroad.”
Mike Johnson wins Republican support to be House speaker again after Trump endorsement
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was selected to lead the GOP conference again during a closed-door vote on Wednesday. It comes after President-elect Donald Trump addressed House Republicans earlier in the day and said he was “100%” behind Johnson, multiple sources in the room told Fox News Digital. Several hard-line GOP members are still holding out their support, however, over his handling of government spending and foreign aid in the current Congress. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ It’s been a meteoric rise for the Louisiana Republican, who was a relatively little-known lawmaker when he was elected to succeed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., after he was ousted by all House Democrats and eight fellow Republicans. Johnson has endured much of the same chaos as McCarthy while presiding over a razor-thin House majority, with GOP rebels weaponizing the small margin in efforts to force the conference to pass more conservative policy. SHUTDOWN STANDOFF LOOMS IN CONGRESS’ FINAL WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE But Johnson did not face any significant challengers on Wednesday, nor was he expected to with House Republicans on track to hold onto the chamber majority in the 119th Congress. It could be a different story in January, when he will need a majority of the entire House chamber to be elected speaker. McCarthy infamously had to endure 15 rounds of House votes and was forced to make concessions to a small group of holdouts in exchange for their support. HOUSE LEADERS MOVE QUICKLY TO CONSOLIDATE POWER IN SHOW OF CONFIDENCE FOR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP With Johnson projected to win just a slim single-digit majority again, he can afford little opposition – or risk paralyzing the House under a new Trump administration. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., ran uncontested for their current roles and are expected to win.