Republicans hammer Biden for federal death row reprieves ahead of leaving office
After the White House announced President Joe Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of nearly all the inmates on federal death row, Republicans slammed him for being “soft-on-crime.” “Joe Biden is an addled, corrupt, and demented failure. The White House has become a memory care facility as Biden is led around by his corrupt kids and his Marxist staffers. That’s why 37 depraved murderers have clemency,” wrote Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on X. TOP TRUMP AIDES JOIN GROUP PREPPING TO SHORE UP SUPPORT FOR MAGA AGENDA DURING SECOND TERM Cotton is the incoming chairman of both the Senate GOP conference and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. House Majority whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Unfortunately, this is not surprising given that the Biden-Harris administration has let murderers and rapists come in through our southern border for the last four years. Joe Biden’s soft-on-crime record is exactly why voters fired him and reelected President Trump on November 5.” SENATE PASSES BILL TO STOP SHUTDOWN, SENDING IT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S DESK “Violent murderers should not have their sentences commuted,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said on X. “We must end soft-on-crime policies.” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., labeled the move “a slap in the face to the families who have suffered immeasurably at the hands of these animals.” While Republicans made their displeasure known, Biden’s announcement was celebrated by some Democrats. BRIEF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN USHERED IN BEFORE CHRISTMAS AS SENATE WORKS TO ADVANCE HOUSE BILL “The President’s decision today provides accountability with a term of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and ensures that these individuals never again pose a threat to public safety, but without implicating the myriad issues associated with capital punishment. I have long advocated for the abolition of the federal death penalty and commend President Biden for this act of justice and mercy and for his leadership,” said Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in a statement. SENATE DEMS RAIL AGAINST ‘SHADOW SPEAKER’ BILLIONAIRE ELON MUSK: ‘NOT ELECTED TO ANYTHING’ In her own statement, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said, “This is a historic day in America. We thank President Biden for this extraordinary act to spare the 37 individuals facing the death penalty, a discriminatory and fundamentally inhumane punishment. This is a powerful use of executive action to save lives and deliver justice.” She had previously encouraged the administration to take such action. Biden’s death penalty commutations came after he already rolled out commutations for roughly 1,500 people’s sentences in the largest single-day act of clemency.
‘Sheer insanity’: Conservative watchdog puts ‘sanctuary’ officials on notice ahead of Trump deportation push
FIRST ON FOX: A conservative legal group is putting “sanctuary” jurisdictions across the U.S. on notice ahead of an expected mass deportation by the incoming Trump administration. America First Legal says it has notified nearly 250 officials in jurisdictions which limit or forbid local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that there could be legal consequences for interfering with the feds or for concealing illegal immigrants. President-elect Trump has promised to launch a “historic” deportation campaign when in office, and his transition team has already been making concrete steps toward that goal. America First Legal’s president is Stephen Miller, who will serve as deputy chief of staff for policy in the Trump White House. TRUMP BORDER CZAR BLASTS NY GOVERNOR FOR TOUTING SUBWAY SAFETY HOURS AFTER HORRIFIC MURDER But a number of Democratic officials in states including in Arizona, Colorado, California and Massachusetts have said they will not cooperate with the operation. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has hinted there could be legal consequences for those who get in the way of the operation. Proponents of sanctuary policies argue that local jurisdictions cannot be compelled to assist the government, and that barring ICE cooperation encourages otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants to work with police and report crimes, making the area safer. Opponents say that policies result in the release of otherwise-deportable criminals back onto the streets. AFL’s notice letter to the 249 officials says that the federal government has ultimate authority over immigration, and points to clauses in federal law that prohibit state and local governments from restricting communications with DHS about immigration status, and that make concealing, harboring or shielding an illegal immigrant a federal crime. The group argues that sanctuary policies can therefore lead to criminal liability, and that victims of illegal immigrant crime may be able to sue for damages. “We have identified your jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction that is violating federal law. Such lawlessness subjects you and your subordinates to significant risk of criminal and civil liability. Accordingly, we are sending this letter to put you on notice of this risk and insist that you comply with our nation’s laws,” the letter says. The group is also launching a new website that gives users a map of “sanctuary strongholds,” identifying jurisdictions with sanctuary policies and giving contact information for elected officials. TRUMP’S INCOMING BORDER CZAR HAILS MEETING WITH MAYOR ERIC ADAMS: ‘NYC IS ABOUT TO GET A LOT SAFER’ The group also announced that it has also filed a petition with the DOJ’s Office of Violence Against Women to seek data on citizenship status and nationality information against those charged with a slew of crimes against women and children, including domestic violence, murder and child maltreatment. In addition, it is filing requests to officials, including mayors and governors, across the U.S. for information on organizations it believes are undermining federal immigration enforcement. In a statement, America First Legal’s Senior Vice President Reed D. Rubenstein pointed to the recent arrest of an illegal immigrant in New York City in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire and burned to death as “another reminder that open borders and sanctuary jurisdictions are sheer insanity.” “The left-wing politicians who create and run them, and those who support them, put our citizens at risk, undermine our Constitution, and dangerously erode the rule of law. America First Legal will continue working tirelessly to protect our immigration laws and support the brave men and women who enforce them. Today’s actions are but a first step in our fight against sanctuary lawlessness,” Rubenstein said. The new announcements shine a spotlight on what could be a fierce fight between the Trump administration, and its allies, and Democrats and left-wing activists over the deportation push and the extent to which it can be resisted at state and local level. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Some have doubled down on their opposition, with the Boston City Council recently voting to limit ICE cooperation and to ban police from keeping migrants in custody for possible deportation unless there is a criminal warrant. The resolution adopted by the council states that “proposals for mass deportations represent a direct attack on Boston’s immigrant families, and threaten to tear communities apart.” Some Democratic officials, however, have indicated their willingness to work with the incoming administration. Homan met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams last week to discuss areas of potential cooperation, including the deportation of violent illegal immigrant criminals. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also said he wanted to see “violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime” deported, and said he would welcome a meeting with Homan. Fox News reported this month on new data provided to Congress that showed there are 1.4 million noncitizens who have deportation orders but are not currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.
Top Trump aides join group prepping to shore up support for MAGA agenda during second term
FIRST ON FOX: Two top aides to President-elect Donald Trump are joining a key outside group ahead of his second term, as the organization preps to garner public support for his MAGA agenda. One of Trump’s campaign managers in the 2024 election, Chris LaCivita, along with his campaign’s chief pollster Tony Fabrizio are joining 501c4 Building America’s Future (BAF) as senior advisers. SENATE PASSES BILL TO STOP SHUTDOWN, SENDING IT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S DESK “We are pleased to be joining BAF who in the 2024 cycle was a valuable and key ally in promoting President Trump’s agenda and his candidacy,” LaCivita and Fabrizio said in a statement. “We look forward to helping guide BAF and their efforts to promote President Trump’s America First agenda so their efforts compliment and augment the President’s team’s efforts.” The two will provide strategic counsel to the group as it looks to energize support for Trump’s policy proposals during his presidency. BRIEF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN USHERED IN BEFORE CHRISTMAS AS SENATE WORKS TO ADVANCE HOUSE BILL BAF, which was founded by Phil Cox and Generra Peck in 2018, led a $45 million effort during the election to support Trump and his campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris. The group has already signaled its intention to continue promoting Trump and his administration past the election, debuting an ad campaign in support of Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Defense. The group will take an active role, energizing the public in support of Trump’s policy priorities as he enters his second term. SENATE DEMS RAIL AGAINST ‘SHADOW SPEAKER’ BILLIONAIRE ELON MUSK: ‘NOT ELECTED TO ANYTHING’ This comes as Republicans prepare to use the budget reconciliation process to pass key Trump items such as his economic and tax agenda as well as some elements of border security. By using this process, Republicans only need a simple majority in the Senate, rather than 60 votes to beat the legislative filibuster. However, nearly all Republicans will need to be on board, as the party only has 53 seats in the new Senate. By ramping up public support for Trump’s priorities, Republicans may feel some pressure to get behind certain items. SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN Other legislation is still expected to face an uphill battle due to the filibuster, but BAF’s work to build public support for Trump’s agenda could also pressure Democrats to join their Republican counterparts, particularly those who are up for re-election in 2026 in red or purple states. Trump’s other co-campaign manager, Susie Wiles, was named as his White House chief of staff pick shortly after he was elected.
Biden spares federal death row inmates: Murderers targeted sailor, young girls, law enforcement
The inmates on federal death row whose lives were spared by President Biden after he commuted their sentences have killed victims across all facets of American society, ranging from a sailor to children as young as 8 years old. Biden announced Monday that he commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole because he is “more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.” “Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden added. “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.” Among those who have been spared are Jorge Avila-Torrez, a Marine veteran found guilty of killing Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Amanda Snell inside of her barracks in Arlington, Virginia, in July 2009. ‘SQUAD’ DEMOCRAT APPLAUDS BIDEN FOR SPARING MURDERERS FROM ‘RACIST’ DEATH PENALTY Federal prosecutors said Avila-Torrez confessed to an inmate that he “entered Snell’s room through her unlocked door, jumped on her as she slept in her bed, bound her wrists with the power cord from her laptop computer and strangled her with the rest of the cord.” Then years later, Avila-Torrez pleaded guilty to stabbing 8-year-old Laura Hobbs and 9-year-old Krystal Tobias to death on Mother’s Day 2005 in Zion, Illinois, and was told by a judge that he was a “serial killer,” according to The Associated Press. Another inmate spared by Biden is Daryl Lawrence, who was convicted of killing Columbus Police Officer Bryan Hurst in 2005. The Justice Department, which posthumously awarded Hurst the Medal of Valor, said he was working uniformed special duty at a bank when a masked gunman entered and the two exchanged fire. “In spite of receiving a mortal wound, Hurst maneuvered around the counter and fired at the suspect before he collapsed. Authorities apprehended the gunman several days later when he sought medical attention at a hospital in Washington, D.C.,” it added. “Officer Hurst’s quick action, exceptional courage, and persistence protected the lives of the many people at the bank.” BIDEN COMMUTES 1,500 JAIL SENTENCES, GRANTS PARDONS FOR 39 OTHERS: ‘LARGEST SINGLE-DAY GRANT OF CLEMENCY’ Thomas Sanders also will no longer face the federal death penalty despite being found guilty for the “brutal kidnapping and murder” of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts in 2010. In that case, prosecutors said Sanders was dating Roberts’ mother Suellen Roberts, whom he fatally shot in the head near Interstate 40 in Arizona during a trip to a wildlife park near the Grand Canyon over Labor Day weekend. He then forced Lexis into a vehicle and held her captive as he traveled east. “Sanders drove several days across the country before he murdered Lexis Roberts in a wooded area in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana,” the Justice Department said. “Evidence at trial established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods where a hunter found her body on October 8, 2010.” Other inmates who were once on federal death row include Alejandro Umana, an MS-13 gang member who fatally shot brothers Ruben and Manuel Garcia Salinas at a restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina, in December 2007 “after they ‘disrespected’ his gang signs by calling them ‘fake,’” according to federal prosecutors. Anthony Battle, who killed prison guard D’Antonio Andrew Washington with a ball-peen hammer inside a maximum-security unit at an Atlanta facility in 1994, has been spared as well. Amnesty International USA, a supporter of Biden’s decision, said Monday that the “death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment” and Biden’s move is “a big moment for human rights.” “With a stroke of his pen, the President locks in his legacy as a leader who stands for racial justice, humanity, and morality,” added Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “This will undoubtedly be one of the seminal achievements of the Biden presidency.”
Biden’s last-minute emissions goal could be quickly reversed when Trump takes office
President Biden is increasing the United States’ emissions reduction goal for the next decade, but the green energy push could be hindered by the incoming administration under President-elect Trump. In 2021, Biden set a climate target for the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% from 2005 levels by 2030. However, under the Paris climate agreement, which the U.S. is currently enrolled in, each country is required to submit their contribution to reducing global emissions every five years under the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). In his final contribution to the global climate change agreement under the NDC, Biden on Thursday set a new goal to reduce even more emissions within the next decade – but Trump has suggested initiating a potential withdrawal from the global climate treaty. SIX HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES THAT HAVE TAKEN HEAT FROM BIDEN’S CRACKDOWN ON REGULATIONS Biden’s new target, which was formally submitted to the United Nations Climate Change secretariat, seeks to reduce emissions 61-66% by 2035. A POTENTIAL SECOND WITHDRAWAL FROM PARIS CLIMATE TREATY UNDER TRUMP COULD LOOK DIFFERENT THAN FIRST US EXIT During his campaign, Trump told Politico that he would be in favor of withdrawing from the treaty when he assumes office, which could impact the new climate goal. The Paris climate agreement was established at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in 2015 as a legally binding treaty among nearly 195 parties committed to international cooperation on climate change. The U.S. first entered into the agreement under former President Barack Obama in 2016, but was withdrawn under Trump in 2020. If Trump chooses to withdraw from the agreement a second time, it could occur at a faster pace than the first. Trump also has the option to submit the treaty to the Senate for advice and consent, which would require a two-thirds vote for the U.S. to rejoin the climate agreement – creating a potential hurdle for future administrations seeking to reenter the accord.
House report accuses Matt Gaetz of paying women for sex, using illegal drugs, accepting improper gifts
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., allegedly paid multiple women for sex, including a 17-year-old high school girl, and used illicit drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, according to a House Ethics Committee report. The 37-page report released Monday morning concluded that Gaetz violated multiple Florida state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office. “The Committee concluded there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report states. Gaetz has consistently denied any accusations of wrongdoing, and an earlier federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against him. Earlier Monday, Gaetz filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the release of the report. MATT GAETZ REPORT BY HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO BE RELEASED The committee’s report stated that Gaetz “continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed.” The report alleges that despite Gaetz’s denials, he made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use” from 2017 to 2020. In one alleged sexual encounter, Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old minor at a summer 2017 party, according to the committee’s report. The report concluded that the act violated Florida’s statutory rape law even though the girl, identified in the report as “Victim A,” said she never told Gaetz her age. “The Committee received testimony that Victim A and Representative Gaetz had sex twice during the party, including at least once in the presence of other party attendees,” the draft report alleged. The 17-year-old girl claimed to have received $400 in cash from Gaetz, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report. She said she was under the influence of ectasy at the time of the sexual encounter, while alleging that she saw Gaetz use cocaine. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ The committee’s report stated that it did not receive any evidence indicating Gaetz was aware the girl was a minor when he allegedly had sex with her. The report also alleges Gaetz refused to comply with a subpoena demanding an interview and “intentionally withheld information” about a trip to the Bahamas with women. The committee said it obtained text messages Gaetz allegedly sent to women, asking them to bring drugs “to their rendezvous,” referring to drugs as “party favors,” “rolls” or “vitamins.” In interviews with the committee, witnesses said they observed Gaetz using marijuana, the report states. The House Ethics Committee’s multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Trump tapped him to be his attorney general. Gaetz later dropped out of consideration for the post amid quiet but steady GOP opposition. The House Ethics Committee lost its jurisdiction to continue its investigation into the accusations against Gaetz after his resignation from Congress. While the committee “has typically not released its findings after losing jurisdiction in a matter,” as noted in the report, a majority of committee members determined that the findings should be released as they were in the public interest. Gaetz had filed a lawsuit on Monday in an attempt to block the release of the committee’s report.
Delhi Weather Update: Drizzle in national capital fails to improve ‘severe’ air quality, AQI recorded at…
Foggy conditions were observed early in the day, with humidity levels ranging from 79 per cent to 95 per cent.
Biden admin lifts $10M bounty on the head of leader of Islamist group now in charge in Syria
The Biden administration has lifted a $10 million bounty on the head of Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the group that overthrew Bashar al-Assad in Syria. In exchange, al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, agreed to a U.S. demand not to allow terrorism groups in Syria to threaten the U.S. or Syria’s neighbors. “We had a good, thoroughgoing discussion on a range of regional issues,” Barbara Leaf, the U.S.’s top envoy to the Middle East, told reporters of her Friday meeting with al-Sharaa. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) drove Assad out of Damascus earlier this month. While other rebel factions remain throughout the country, HTS has amassed control over much of Syria. HTS was founded as an offshoot of al Qaeda but broke away from the group in 2016. It evolved from the Nusrah Front, which was designated as a terrorist group in 2012, and in 2018 the U.S. added HTS’ terrorism designation. FALL OF ASSAD, RISE OF TRUMP: WHY 2024 WAS A VERY BAD YEAR FOR IRAN “It was a policy decision… aligned with the fact that we are beginning a discussion with HTS,” Leaf explained. “So if I’m sitting with the HTS leader and having a lengthy detailed discussion about the interests of the US, interests of Syria, maybe interests of the region, it’s suffice to say a little incoherent then to have a bounty on the guy’s head.” The group has been trying to shake its extremist reputation and the designation, with al-Sharaa claiming he does not want Syria to become the next Afghanistan and he believes in education for women. “We’ve had universities in Idlib for more than eight years,” Sharaa told BBC, referring to Syria’s northwestern province that HTS has held since 2011. “I think the percentage of women in universities is more than 60%.” “He came across as pragmatic,” Leaf said. “It was a good first meeting. We will judge by deeds, not just by words.” U.S. officials have visited Syria to push for a pragmatic government and to find information on the whereabouts of detained U.S. journalist Austin Tice. TENSIONS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND TURKEY ESCALATE OVER SYRIA: ‘IT’S TIME TO PAY ATTENTION’ The U.S. has had a mixed relationship with HTS due to its militant Islamist roots. Al-Sharaa has said HTS is not a terrorist group because it does not target civilians or civilian areas, and they consider themselves to be the victims of the crime of Assad’s regime. The U.S. has launched an aggressive campaign of airstrikes in northeastern Syria to take out ISIS militants, fearing a resurgence amid the upheaval in Syria which could lead to the release of more than 8,000 IS prisoners, “a significant security concern,” according to the Pentagon. The Pentagon revealed on Thursday that the U.S. doubled the number of its forces from 900 to roughly 2,000 to fight IS before Assad’s fall.
‘Squad’ Dem applauds Biden for sparing murderers from ‘racist’ death penalty in 11th-hour clemency move
A leading progressive House Democrat is commending President Biden’s sweeping commutation order for people on the federal death row, calling the death penalty itself “racist.” “The President’s decision to commute the death sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row is a historic and groundbreaking act of compassion that will save lives, address the deep racial disparities in our criminal legal system, and send a powerful message about redemption, decency, and humanity,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said in a statement on Monday. “The death penalty is a racist, flawed, and fundamentally unjust punishment that has no place in any society.” BIDEN SETS RECORD WITH FIRST-TERM CLEMENCY GRANTS, HERE’S HOW OTHER PRESIDENTS RANK Pressley argued the death penalty has overwhelmingly targeted Black and Brown communities “and failed to make America any safer.” The Massachusetts lawmaker, a member of the hardline-left group of House Democrats dubbed the “Squad,” has been on the forefront of the progressive push to abolish the death penalty. Biden’s clemency order affects nearly everyone on the federal death row in the United States. Just three of 40 inmates remain – Dylann Roof, who murdered nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina in 2015; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was found guilty for carrying out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; and Robert Bowers, who killed 11 worshipers at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018. TRUMP EXECUTION RESTART TO PUT BOSTON MARATHON BOMBER, CHARLESTON CHURCH SHOOTER, MORE KILLERS IN HOT SEAT Among those whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment are Thomas Sanders, who kidnapped and killed a 12-year-old girl; Jorge Avila-Torrez, who sexually assaulted and stabbed two young girls to death and strangled a 20-year-old female Naval officer four years later; and Anthony Battle, who murdered an Atlanta prison guard with a hammer 30 years ago. Democrats had been mounting pressure on Biden to use his clemency powers after the controversial and broad pardon he granted to his son, Hunter Biden, just weeks before he was expected to be sentenced on federal gun charges. Biden heeded that pressure earlier this month when he commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 Americans in the largest such single-day order. It comes as President-elect Trump has touted plans for months to expand the death penalty to drug traffickers, child rapists and illegal immigrants who kill U.S. citizens. At the tail end of his first term, Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) performed the first federal executions in 20 years, carrying out sentences for 13 federal prisoners on death row. BIDEN COMMUTES 1,500 JAIL SENTENCES, GRANTS PARDONS FOR 39 OTHERS: ‘LARGEST SINGLE-DAY GRANT OF CLEMENCY’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a top Trump ally, blasted Biden for his order on Monday. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases. Democrats are the party of politically convenient justice.”
Know IAS Ria Dabi’s love story and all about husband IPS Manish Kumar
IPS Manish Kumar and IAS Tina Dabi first met at Mussorie Academy. They became friends first and then love blossomed between them.