Mauni Amavasya 2025 TODAY: Check time, rituals, significance and more
Mauni Amavasya is one of the most important occasions. This day is observed by honoring ancestors and forefathers. According to the Hindu calendar, it occurs in the Magha month on the Amavasya
Trump endorsed candidate wins GOP primary in Florida race to replace Mike Waltz in Congress
The candidate endorsed by President Trump on Tuesday won the Republican primary in a special election in Florida’s 6th Congressional District in the race to replace former GOP Rep. Michael Waltz. Waltz stepped down from his House seat last week to serve as national security adviser in Trump’s second administration. The Associated Press projects that state Sen. Randy Fine will win the GOP nomination in the Republican-leaning district, which stretches from Daytona Beach to the southern suburbs of Jacksonville along Florida’s Atlantic coast. Fine, who at one time was the only Jewish Republican lawmaker in the state legislature, topped a couple of other Republicans running in the primary. He will be considered the clear favorite in the April 1 general election. IT’S PRIMARY DAY IN PARTS OF THIS CRUCIAL STATE Republican and Democratic primaries were also being held Tuesday in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, in the special election to fill the seat left vacant after GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress abruptly late last year after Trump tapped him to be his attorney general. Gaetz eventually withdrew himself from consideration amid growing Republican opposition. The congressman’s resignation also came as the House Ethics Committee had been preparing its report on allegations against Gaetz that included illicit drug use and sex with a minor, all of which he has denied. Both of Tuesday’s Republican primaries in Florida are a test of Trump’s overwhelming clout over the GOP. The general election in Florida’s 1st District is also on April 1. With a fragile, razor-thin majority in the House, the likely reinforcements from both districts will be welcome news to Republican leadership in the chamber as it tries to pass Trump’s agenda.
Trump admin’s FDA withdraws proposed federal rule to ban menthol cigarettes
The Trump administration’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) formally withdrew a proposed rule seeking to ban menthol cigarettes, after the Biden administration said it intended to make the ban become a reality after years of advocacy from anti-smoking groups. Efforts to ban menthol cigarettes have been ongoing for multiple administrations, but, in April 2021, the Biden administration’s FDA announced plans to finalize the rule. The move was met with praise from anti-smoking advocates, such as the Truth Initiative, which argue that menthol in cigarettes makes them more addictive and disproportionately impacts minority communities. The Biden administration subsequently delayed implementation of the rule out of concern that more time was needed to consider public comments and concerns. DIET AND NUTRITION EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON HOW RFK JR’S NOMINATION COULD IMPACT HOW WE EAT But a regulatory filing from President Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the federal rulemaking process, slashed any hopes that the ban might come back any time soon. According to the filing, Trump moved to rescind the proposed rule during his first day in office. When reached for comment, the FDA cited an ongoing communications freeze imposed on all Health and Human Services Department sub-agencies. HHS WILL REEVALUATE PROGRAMS, REGULATIONS TO ENSURE TAXPAYER FUNDS ARE NOT PAYING FOR ELECTIVE ABORTIONS “It is deeply disappointing that the FDA’s rule to prohibit menthol cigarettes was not finalized in a timely manner and has now been withdrawn,” the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said in a statement. “We strongly support eliminating menthol cigarettes to end the tobacco industry’s decades-long, predatory marketing of these deadly products to kids, Black Americans and other communities.” The campaign said it will remain committed to building support to eliminate menthol cigarettes nationwide, noting “it is more critical than ever that states and cities step up their efforts to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products.” Those challenging a menthol cigarette ban, meanwhile, argue the move could create a massive black market for cigarettes. People against the ban also fear the impact it could have on policing in minority communities. THE YEAR IN CANCER: ADVANCES MADE IN 2024, PREDICTIONS FOR 2025 “Remember Eric Garner? New York City’s exorbitant taxes on cigarette packages generated an underground market in untaxed individual cigarettes, called ‘loosies.’ In 2014, police infamously encountered 43-year-old Eric Garner selling loosies on a street corner, and a policeman’s chokehold led to his death as he repeated ‘I can’t breathe.’ And this happened without a menthol ban,” Jeffrey Singer, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Department of Health Studies, wrote after the Biden administration moved to finalize the ban. “With menthol cigarettes more prevalent among Black and Hispanic Americans, expect police to focus their attention on minority communities. This might make inequities in criminal justice even worse.” While Trump signaled he is against banning menthol cigarettes, the president did act during his first term to ban most flavored e-cigarette pods used in disposable nicotine vapes. However, while the ban prohibited future sales of sweet- and fruit-flavored nicotine cartridges, it permitted continued sales of pods that are either menthol or tobacco flavored. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Trump administration offers buyouts to federal employees, including remote workers: ‘Deferred resignation’
The Trump administration is offering buyouts for nearly all federal employees, including those who work remotely, as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to get employees back into the office, but they only have until Feb. 6 to opt-in. During Trump’s first week in office, he issued several directives to the federal workforce, including a requirement that remote employees must return to in-person work. “After four years of incompetence and failure, President Donald Trump is committed to making our government efficient and productive again,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Tuesday. “American taxpayers pay for the salaries of federal government employees and therefore deserve employees working on their behalf who actually show up to work in our wonderful federal buildings, also paid for by taxpayers. “If they don’t want to work in the office and contribute to making America great again, then they are free to choose a different line of work, and the Trump Administration will provide a very generous payout of eight months,” she added. HOUSE OVERSIGHT REPORT SAYS TELEWORK IS ‘WASTING BILLIONS’ IN TAXPAYER CASH AHEAD OF 1ST HEARING On Tuesday, a government-wide email was sent out to ensure all federal workers were on board with the Trump administration’s plan. The email pointed to four pillars that Trump set forth, to bring accountability back to the federal government, including a return to in-person work, restored accountability for employees who have policy-making authority, restored accountability for senior executives, and a reformed federal hiring process based on merit. “The government-wide email being sent today is to make sure that all federal workers are on board with the new administration’s plan to have federal employees in office and adhering to higher standards,” a senior administration official said. “We’re five years past COVID and just 6 percent of federal employees work full-time in office. That is unacceptable.” ‘GET BACK TO WORK’: HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS The email noted that the majority of federal employees who have worked remotely since COVID will be required to return to their physical offices five days a week. “Going forward, we also expect our physical offices to undergo meaningful consolidation and divestitures, potentially resulting in physical office relocations for a number of federal workers,” the email read. For those who returned to office, the Trump administration thanked them for their “renewed focus” on serving the American people. But the future of their position could not be guaranteed, according to the email. SENATE DOGE LEADER ERNST TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK ABUSE AT FIRST MEETING WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY For those who do not want to continue in their role with the federal workforce, the Trump administration thanked them for their services, informing them they will be provided with a “dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program.” The program begins on Jan. 28 and will be available until Feb. 6, and should a federal employee choose to resign under the program, they will retain all pay and benefits, regardless of workload, and will be exempt from their in-person work requirements until Sep. 30, 2025. The buyouts do not apply to military personnel of the armed forces, the U.S. Postal Services, positions related to immigration enforcement and national security, and any other positions specifically excluded by the agency the federal workers are employed by. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “To be clear, as it was with President Trump’s executive order on Day One, implementation of return-to-work policies will be done by each individual agency in accordance with applicable law,” the senior administration official said. “We expect 5 to 10 percent of federal employees to quit, and it could lead to $100 billion annually in savings for federal taxpayers.”
‘Full court press’: Freshman GOP lawmaker reveals blueprint to flip script on green energy mandates
Freshman GOP Rep. Gabe Evans spoke to Fox News Digital about the critical need for new energy policies in the United States and how he plans to push forward to overcome harmful green energy mandates like the ones in his home state of Colorado. “We know that we need more energy, not less, for our modern lifestyle, and all of the different emerging technologies, for example, United Power, they’re actually my local electric co-op that supplies my energy, and United Power is forecasting a double to triple increase in the amount of power that they’re going to need over the next 10 to 20 years, driven not only by population growth, but driven also by a lot of the new technologies that we’re seeing,” Evans told Fox News Digital. “Everybody knows about electric vehicles and the power that’s required there, and so whether that’s, you know, the switch to electric vehicles is driven by the free market or whether it’s driven by some heavy-handed government mandates, if you plug in something into the power grid, we need more power, and we need to make sure that we have a more robust power grid to deliver that and that all ties back to baseline energy generation,” he continued. Evans explained that “there’s also mandates in Colorado around things like electrifying drill rigs for a lot of the oil and gas, which is going to consume massive amounts of energy.” AMERICA’S ENERGY CRISIS IS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT AND IT’S WORSE THAN YOU KNOW “So we have massive new demands for electricity around AI or computing, and these are things that are of critical national security importance, because if we’re not making sure that we’re the dominant power in AI and a lot of this advanced computing, a lot of our international competitors are going to move into the first place position in those spaces. And so really, our entire modern way of life revolves around energy and having more energy.” Evans told Fox News Digital that the United States, particularly Colorado’s 8th Congressional District which he represents, makes “some of the cleanest and most environmentally responsible energy anywhere on the planet.” “So being able to advocate for that, all of the above approach to meet the demands that we have for our modern way of life is something that I’m super excited to work on and on,” Evans said. ENERGY EXPERTS WEIGH IN AFTER CANADIAN PREMIER SAYS SHE WANTS TO DISCUSS KEYSTONE PIPELINE 2.0 WITH TRUMP Evans told Fox News Digital that Democrat-led energy policies in Colorado, along with other places, are actually causing a larger carbon footprint from green energy policies. “Follow the science,” Evans said. “So we’ve talked a lot about electricity. The question that often doesn’t come up in the space of electricity is what is the carbon footprint required to produce electricity? And in Colorado right now, the carbon footprint of our electrical grid is actually about 40% higher than the carbon footprint for pure natural gas,” Evans explained. “So if there is a natural gas school bus versus an electric school bus, if there’s a natural gas RTD as in our local mass transit system in the Denver metro area, if we have a natural gas RTD bus versus an electric bus, the electric buses are actually contributing 40% more carbon to the atmosphere because of the carbon footprint required to generate and transmit that electricity than just pure natural gas.” Evans told Fox News Digital it is imperative that Republicans work hand in hand with the Republican secretary nominees, who are yet to be confirmed, at the Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, and Environmental Protection Agency. “Chris Wright is the energy nominee, he’s also from Colorado, and so we have a preexisting relationship based on my time in the state legislature where I was the ranking member on our State Energy and Environment Committee,” Evans said. “But we really do have to work hand-in-hand together, and I think the American people understand that, which is why the American people gave majorities in the House and the Senate and then obviously the presidency to my party, because they understand that we need to have a full court press to be able to deliver these solutions.” Evans continued, “And it’s not just the House or the Senate or the presidency and the administration. We all have to be able to work together. And so being able to continue, you know, specifically in the energy space, the existing relationship that I have with some of these nominees is going to be critically important to achieving that ultimate goal of empowering energy producers, getting the good jobs that come from that industry, protecting our environment by actually producing responsible energy and then ultimately providing the good paying jobs that are so critical to solving the affordability crisis that we have right now.”
TribCast: Is a water crisis looming in Texas?
In this week’s episode, we talk about state House politics, proposals for the budget and the condition of water infrastructure in the state.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Foreign Aid Freeze
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -FBI director nominee Kash Patel broke hostage rescue protocol: whistleblower -Freshman GOP lawmaker rallies behind Trump’s rapid illegal immigration crackdown: ‘No time to waste’ –The JFK files: Here’s what’s happened since their original planned release Dozens of senior officials in the U.S. agency that administers foreign aid were reportedly placed on leave Monday amid an investigation into alleged resistance to President Donald Trump’s orders. At least 56 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officials were placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits, Politico first reported. Several hundred contractors based in Washington and elsewhere were also laid off, a current and a former official told the Associated Press. These actions come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting on Trump’s executive order, paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID. The 90-day pause has halted thousands of U.S.-funded humanitarian, development and security programs worldwide and forced aid organizations to lay off hundreds of employees because they can’t make payroll…Read more FUNDING ON HOLD: Trump admin to pause financial assistance programs…Read more REFOCUSING THE FORCES: Trump signs executive orders banning ‘radical gender ideology,’ DEI initiatives in the military…Read more END THE ‘WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT’: Trump admin pauses federal grants, demands return to office details in memo blitz…Read more BEAT THE PRESS: Trump White House press secretary mixes it up with reporters…Read more ‘WE ARE UNWAVERING’: Rubio’s State Dept caps migration-heavy first week with Colombia deportation win…Read more NATIONAL SECURITY RISK?: China’s influence on Panama Canal poses ‘acute’ danger to US interests, Cruz warns…Read more ‘SAFEGUARDING THE INNOCENT’: Ogles and other Republicans push federal ban on chemical abortions…Read more KEEP ‘EM ROLLING: Sean Duffy latest Trump Cabinet to pass Senate on bipartisan vote…Read more BATTLEGROUND SHOCKER: Gary Peters, Democratic senator from Trump state, won’t seek re-election…Read more SENATOR PETE?: Buttigieg giving ‘serious look’ to 2026 run in state Trump carried…Read more NEW DIRECTION: Ratcliffe, allies promise workforce changes at CIA….Read more RESISTANCE IS FUTILE: USAID workers put on leave as Trump officials investigate resistance…Read more DC CORRUPTION?: Councilmember faces expulsion hearing over federal bribery charge…Read more SANCTUARY STORM: Kristi Noem joins immigration raid to catch ‘dirtbags’ in Democrat-run city…Read more NEW GIG: Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff lands private sector job days after leaving DC…Read more BOTTOMS UP: Former Atlanta mayor mulls Georgia gubernatorial run…Read more WILDFIRES: Trump claims military entered California to release water flow, but state says that did not happen…Read more ‘COMPLETELY IMPROPER’: ‘Non-sanctuary’ coastal enclave sues CA for right to enforce its own laws…Read more NEW GUIDANCE: HHS will reevaluate programs, regulations to ensure taxpayer money not paying for elective abortions…Read more ‘JUST LIKE TRUMP’: ISIS murder victim Kayla Mueller’s parents endorse Patel for FBI…Read more ‘SYSTEMATIC EFFORT’: Illinois ‘super mayor’ conducted cover-up of excessive spending, Lightfoot investigation finds…Read more ‘CLEAR EYES AND NO BIAS’: Dozens of former intel officials urge senators to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as DNI…Read more ‘UNLAWFULLY TRANSFERRED’: Trans inmate’s lawsuit challenges Trump ‘two-sexes’ order cutting off tax money for gender therapy…Read more ‘UNDO THE DAMAGE’: Texas lawmaker launches strategy to help ICE amid Trump deportation blitz…Read more BACKING THE BLUE: ‘Defund the police’ movement turned on its head as sheriff touts achievements in state’s ‘murder capital’…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
New York leaders express guarded support for Trump ICE raids in country’s biggest sanctuary city
New York political leaders are split over the recent increase in ICE deportation and removal operations of illegal immigrants under the Trump administration, with Republicans praising the crackdown and Democrats stressing authorities respect local migrant “sanctuary” policies. ICE agents and federal authorities have been spotted in New York City and throughout the surrounding area, carrying out arrests of illegal immigrants. Among those arrested on Tuesday was a 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant named Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, who is a member of the violent criminal group Tren de Aragua. Zambrano-Pacheco is charged with kidnapping, assault and burglary. New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said Tuesday afternoon that the New York City Police Department had supported federal authorities carrying out the criminal raid. CHICAGO MAYOR RIPS ICE OPERATIONS, SAYS TRUMP ‘IS ATTEMPTING TO GET US TO SURRENDER OUR HUMANITY’ “Early this morning — as it regularly does as part of a multi-agency task force — our city coordinated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on a federal criminal investigation involving a suspect hiding in New York City,” said Adams. “Beforehand, I directed the NYPD to coordinate with DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations and other federal law enforcement agencies — as allowed by law — to conduct a targeted operation to arrest an individual connected with multiple violent crimes, both here in New York and in Aurora, Colorado, including burglary, kidnapping, extortion, firearms possession, menacing with a firearm, crime of violence, and other charges.” “As I have repeatedly said,” Adams went on, “we will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years. Our commitment to protecting our city’s law-abiding residents, both citizens and immigrants, remains unwavering.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul took a similar tone, saying: “My understanding is that they had specific names of people who committed crimes, serious offenders, and those are exactly the people that we want removed from the state of New York.” “I want to be clear,” she said, “there has always been ICE raids in the state of New York, even in the past, and this is not a new dynamic.” WH PRESS SECRETARY CAROLYN LEAVITT ANSWERS QUESTION ON HOW MANY ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE CRIMINALS New York Attorney General Letitia James, meanwhile, issued an apparent warning to state and local law enforcement cooperating with federal authorities, saying in a Tuesday X post that she would be monitoring the situation closely to ensure that state sanctuary policies are not violated. “My office is aware of the increased presence of ICE across New York City,” she said. “I am monitoring the situation to ensure our laws are being respected and people’s rights are not being violated. We have sent guidance to law enforcement, and it must be followed.” ICE SNAGS CRIMINAL ALIEN PAROLED 17 YEARS INTO LIFE SENTENCE FOR PREGNANT WOMAN’S MURDER For its part, a spokesperson for the New York City Police Department clarified that the NYPD does not engage or assist in any manner with civil immigration enforcement, but rather does “work daily with federal law enforcement agencies in connection with a wide range of criminal investigations.” The spokesperson told Fox News that “in particular, the Department participates in task forces with a variety of federal law enforcement agencies investigating violations of federal criminal law.” New York Republicans, on the other hand, were quick to express their relief over the ICE raids. U.S. Rep Nicole Malliotakis, whose district includes portions of Staten Island and Brooklyn, issued a statement saying: “I thank President Donald Trump, Border Czar Tom Homan, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem for their leadership and wasting no time to initiate the removal of dangerous, violent foreign criminals and gangs from New York City streets—groups that have wreaked havoc in our city over the past four years and have committed thousands of crimes including robberies, sex crimes, assaulting NYPD officers, and even murder.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “The mass illegal migration crisis created by the Biden Administration cost American lives and New York’s taxpayers billions of dollars,” Malliotakis went on. “New York City must fully cooperate with ICE to rid our city of this criminal activity. No local or state elected official or government agency should stand in the way as federal authorities enforce our nation’s immigration laws to ensure the safety of all Americans.” ‘ON NOTICE’: EX-VENEZUELAN MILITARY OFFICIAL APPLAUDS TRUMP’S ‘FIRST GOOD STEP’ TARGETING BLOODTHIRSTY GANG Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican who represents parts of Upstate New York, called the raids “tremendous” and said they demonstrate “true leadership” from the Trump administration. “This is tremendous. … I am so happy to see this,” Tenney said on the Fox News Business Channel. “All I’ve heard from especially a lot of senior citizens and others is how thrilled they are that we’re seeing these absolutely violent criminal illegal immigrants that are being harbored by these sanctuary cities being taken out of our communities and making our communities safer. This is a huge win for the Trump administration. It shows that we have decisive leadership. We do not have the paralysis of analysis.” Alexis McAdams and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
NJ files lawsuit seeking to stymie Hochul’s NYC driving tax after asking Trump for help
New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy announced the Garden State updated its lawsuit against the federal government over the Biden-era approval of New York’s “congestion pricing” that the Democrat claims is burdening working-class residents. The news comes days after Murphy wrote a letter to President Donald Trump seeking assistance and “common ground” on an issue the Republican also railed against. Approved in the waning days of the Biden administration, a $9 fee is charged for vehicles traversing below Central Park, or 60th Street, by the state-owned MTA. NJ RESIDENTS HIT WITH DOUBLED BILLS AS LAWMAKERS FUME AT MURPHY’S ‘ENERGY DISASTER PLAN’, DEMAND HEARINGS Murphy said the Federal Highway Administration [FHWA] wrongly “fast-tracked” approval of the tolling plan that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said would reduce gridlock, improve the environment and erase red ink on the New York City transit ledger. “The decision by the federal government and the MTA to fast-track a proposal that solely benefits New York’s transportation system at the expense of hardworking New Jerseyites must be reevaluated and rescinded,” Murphy said in a statement, adding the “scheme” is causing “financial strain” on his constituents. New Jersey officials said the tolls are affecting commuters both financially and geographically. While drivers entering Manhattan via the Holland and Lincoln tunnels receive a small “rebate” on the driving tax, those who cut through Staten Island or cross the George Washington Bridge (GWB) receive no benefit. In its amended complaint, New Jersey alleged the FHWA appeared to miss the effects that added traffic at the world’s busiest bridge would have on urban Bergen County communities already facing unfavorable air quality. “Fort Lee has pre-existing pollution and chronic disease burdens at the 90th percentile. Under the congestion pricing scheme, Fort Lee is one of the communities with the ‘highest propensity for truck diversion if the proposed action is implemented,’” the lawsuit said, describing the city on the Jersey side of the GWB. Murphy said the feds cannot “continue to turn a blind eye to the significant environmental impacts that congestion pricing will have on New Jersey, favoring New York at the expense of its neighbors.” As Hochul and Lieber continue full steam ahead with the tax, suburban drivers have expressed outrage, including those from Long Island, who, because of the placement of toll gantries, cannot leave Manhattan without paying even if they do not intend to drive into the business district. NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP ACTIONS CONTRARY TO ‘VALUES’ The tax is compounded by the $19 charged by the Port Authority to leave New Jersey eastward across water. Last week, Murphy demanded that the bi-state agency’s chairman — Chris Christie appointee Kevin O’Toole — provide monthly data on revenue from changes in driving patterns for those trying to avoid New York’s new fees. “The statistical information we are requesting will help us advocate for our commuters and the broader region as we fight this unfair policy,” Murphy said. While Murphy previously pledged to “fight to the death” against White House attacks on New Jersey “values” and communities, he also said he would work with the administration when finding common ground. In a letter to Trump, Murphy noted the president pledged to “terminate congestion pricing in [his] first week in office” as a “massive business-killer” and had knocked Hochul for devising the “worst plan in the history of womankind.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I am open to congestion pricing in concept, but New York’s scheme has never been well-designed or adequately studied,” Murphy wrote, asking Trump for assistance and noting Hochul’s “indefinite pause” on the program only lasted until it was clear former Vice President Kamala Harris would not win the election last November. N.J. Assembly Transportation Committee member Christopher DePhillips offered bipartisan support for Murphy’s position, telling Fox News Digital that while he backs the governor’s goal of ending the “scheme,” it will take Trump to “kill it.” “I would also like [Murphy] to apply the same effort he puts forth to stop the congestion pricing to help the mass transit riders at home. Drivers shouldn’t have to pay more to cross into Manhattan, and [NJ Transit riders] shouldn’t have to pay 15% higher fares,” said DePhillips, R-Wyckoff. Hochul recently said she has tried to work with New Jersey to avoid ongoing litigation. She said Albany offered a “generous” nine-figure settlement that Trenton rejected. “We’ve made multiple offers to settle this lawsuit. I wish I could describe them to you because you would say they’re generous. I’m not at liberty to do that,” she told New York Streetsblog. Members of Congress from Big Apple suburbs called for Lieber’s ouster after he held a ceremony to unveil tolling signs on Broadway. “Imagine being such an a–hole as to celebrate screwing New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money just for the privilege to drive to work,” Rep. Michael Lawler, R-Nyack, said. MTA executive John McCarthy said in response that Lieber has overseen better service and on-time performance and that “out-of-touch politicians” are simply “bloviating.” The FHWA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Leavitt says egg shortage, grocery prices why Senate must ‘move swiftly’ to confirm Trump nominees
President Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urged members of Congress to confirm Trump’s nominees to address problems like the U.S. egg shortage and the cost of living crisis. “This is an example of why it’s so incredibly important that the Senate moves swiftly to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees, including his nominee for the United States Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, who is already speaking with Kevin Hassett, who’s leading the economic team here at the White House, on how we can address the egg shortage in this country,” Leavitt told reporters Tuesday at her first White House press briefing. “We also have seen the cost of everything, not just eggs, bacon, groceries, gasoline, have increased because of the inflationary policies of the last administration,” Leavitt said. Leavitt’s comments came directly after Democrats took several jabs at Trump’s handling of the cost of living crisis just days after his inauguration, citing rising prices for eggs amid larger conversations about the price of groceries and cost of living as a whole. While the consumer price index shows consumer prices increased roughly 20% under former President Joe Biden’s administration, Democrats remain skeptical that Trump’s economic proposals will prove effective. “The price of eggs and the cost of living was supposed to go down. Not up,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a post on X on Friday. SHELLING OUT: EGG PRICES RISE NEARLY 37 PERCENT “Trump’s ‘concepts of a plan’ at work,” Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said in a post on X on Friday, pointing to a photo claiming a dozen eggs cost nearly $9. It’s unclear where the photo originated or its authenticity. Subramanyam’s post referenced Trump’s comments that he had “concepts of a plan” to replace the Affordable Care Act, during a September 2024 presidential debate with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, the consumer price index shows egg prices have soared nearly 37% in the past year. For example, a dozen Grade A large eggs cost an average of $4.15 in December — up from $2.51 in December 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In some states like California, those numbers have gone up to nearly $9 per dozen in certain areas. California, like other states including Arizona, Massachusetts and Michigan, requires all eggs sold in the state to come from cage-free hens, which typically are more expensive. The rise in egg prices comes amid high demand and a massive outbreak of avian flu, known as the highly pathogenic avian influenza, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture attributes to killing more than 20 million egg-laying hens in the last quarter of 2024. All birds from an infected flock are culled, exacerbating the impact of the flu. Leavitt on Tuesday blamed this killing policy for contributing to the egg shortage. “The Biden Administration’s slow and ineffective response to the avian influenza outbreak, which began in 2022, has negatively impacted U.S. poultry producers, and his USDA forced farmers to massively cut their livestock populations,” Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary, said in a Monday statement to Fox News Digital. As a result, Kelly said Trump and Rollins would take “bold, decisive action” to address problems related to the avian flu, and direct the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to refocus on the health of animals and plants. Democrats previously have questioned Trump’s ability to reduce grocery prices, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said in early January that “Trump has no idea” how to cut down such prices. SWALWELL SLAMMED ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR QUESTIONING HOW TRUMP WILL LOWER GROCERY PRICES “I don’t care if Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland. I just want to know what he’s going to do to lower the cost of groceries,” Rep. Swalwell wrote on X on Jan. 7. Vice President JD Vance addressed the cost of groceries in an interview Sunday with CBS’ Margaret Brennan, citing several executive orders that Trump signed his first week in office focused on the economy and reducing energy prices. Among those orders was a directive instructing every department and agency to address the cost of living crisis. VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE PRESSED ON WHEN GROCERY PRICES WILL COME DOWN: ‘WHICH ONE LOWERS PRICES?’ “Prices are going to come down, but it’s going to take a little bit of time, right?” Vance said. “The president has been president for all of five days. I think that, in those five days, he’s accomplished more than Joe Biden did in four years.” The state of the economy ranked as the top issue in the 2024 election, according to a Gallup poll conducted in September 2024. Voters also believed Trump better equipped to address the economy than his opponent, Harris. While 54% of American voters claimed Trump could better handle the economy, only 45% backed Kamala, the poll found. Fox Business’ Alexandra Koch and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.