How zebra mussels and a Lake Texoma pump station spurred Texas to redraw its border with Oklahoma
The two states agreed to a landswap to ensure that a Dallas-area water district’s pump station lies wholly within Texas. Neither state gained in size from the small change.
DNC chair fires back after Bernie Sanders claims Dems lost working class in election: ‘straight up BS’
DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison fired back at Bernie Sanders in a post on X after the progressive senator from Vermont claimed that Democrats have lost the working class. “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” wrote Sanders in a Nov. 6 post. Harrison slammed the recently re-elected Senator Sanders in a post earlier on Thursday, claiming “this is straight up BS…” BERNIE SANDERS EXCORIATES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, CALLS CAMPAIGN ‘DISASTROUS’ AFTER TRUMP VICTORY “Biden was the most-pro worker President of my life time- saved Union pensions, created millions of good paying jobs and even marched in a picket line and some of MVP’s plans would have fundamentally transformed the quality of life and closed the racial wealth gap for working people across this country,” wrote Harrison. “From the child tax credits, to 25k for a down payment for a house to Medicare covering the cost of senior health care in their homes. There are a lot of post election takes and this one ain’t a good one,” he concluded. Harrison’s post currently has over 18,000 likes. Harrison’s post comes as many fingers are being pointed within Democratic circles to attribute Vice President Harris’ definitive loss to any possible guilty party. Sanders referred to the Harris campaign as “disastrous” in his X post, asking “Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign?” “Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing?” added Sanders. “Do they have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not.” HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS THE PARTY NEEDS TO GET PAST ‘TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME’ Vice President Harris has gained only 226 Electoral College votes thus far, according to the Fox News Decision Desk. She has been projected to lose critical swing states Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Democrats didn’t just suffer defeat at the top of the ticket, but across the board. According to projections from the Fox News Decision Desk, Republicans are set to take the majority of both the House and Senate. Harrison is not expected to seek re-election as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, per Reuters. He was first chosen for the post in 2021 after President Biden took office. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sanders, 83, has served as senator since 2007 and won another six-year term on Tuesday despite many seats in the chamber flipping red.
KJP says President Biden still has no plans to pardon Hunter Biden for tax fraud, gun charges
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden still has no plans to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who pleaded guilty to federal tax charges in September. Hunter Biden’s plea spared him from a public trial over his failure to pay taxes while he spent lavishly on drugs, escorts, luxury hotel stays, clothing and other personal items. The plea also came after he was convicted of three felony gun charges in June. The first son, prosecutors said, lied on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. After Hunter Biden was convicted of the crimes, President Biden indicated he did not plan to pardon his son. POLL COMPARES WHETHER TRUMP, HUNTER BIDEN SHOULD GET PRISON SENTENCES, ACCORDING TO US ADULTS On Thursday, Jean-Pierre was asked again if Biden had any intentions of pardoning Hunter, who is scheduled to be sentenced on the gun charges on Dec. 12 and the tax fraud charges on Dec. 16. “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no,” the press secretary said. Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich followed up on the question, asking if a commutation, or a lesser sentence, was off the table for Hunter Biden. BIDEN COMMITTED ‘IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT,’ DEFRAUDED UNITED STATES TO ENRICH HIS FAMILY’: HOUSE GOP REPORT Heinrich reminded Jean-Pierre that she had previously said Biden would not consider a commutation of Hunter’s sentence. “Yes, that stands,” Jean-Pierre said. “You’re saying that still stands?” Heinrich asked for clarification. ‘IT’S STILL NO’: KJP SUGGESTS BIDEN WON’T PARDON HIS SON IN THE TAX CASE “Yeah,” Jean-Pierre responded. The president’s son was indicted in December on three felonies and six misdemeanor counts alleging he evaded paying at least $1.4 million in taxes while simultaneously spending money on “drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes,” according to the December 2023 indictment. Prosecutors also allege the tax returns Hunter Biden ultimately did file falsely claimed that things like prostitutes, strip club visits, porn website subscriptions and other personal expenses were actually deductible business expenses. The aim, according to the indictment, was to “evade assessment of taxes to reduce the substantial tax liabilities” that Hunter Biden faced. Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Conservative politicos share reactions to protest response after Trump win: ‘It’s strangely quiet’
Conservative political experts pointed to President-elect Trump’s decisive victory Tuesday as a main reason anti-Trump protests have been more muted compared to 2016. While some protests have taken place across the country since Tuesday, their focus has not been solely on Trump, and the turnout has not been the same as when thousands took to the streets in 2016 after Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton. In Seattle, for example, where demonstrators protested on election night, the focus was more on the war in Gaza, and both Democrats and Republicans were chastised by demonstrators. A protest Wednesday night in Chicago similarly focused on that war and was only loosely connected to Trump’s win. Meanwhile, people around the country have taken notice of the more muted protests compared to 2016. SEATTLE POLICE ARREST 5 DEMONSTRATORS IN ELECTION NIGHT PROTEST “It’s strangely quiet,” Daily Wire reporter Kassy Akiva noted Wednesday on X, one day after the election. “I don’t see any major protests being planned right now.” “I have to say, Williams College was very quiet today. Certainly no demonstrations, no collective mourning, no whining or crying that I saw,” observed political science professor Darel Paul. CLIMATE ACTIVISTS SPRAY US EMBASSY IN LONDON WITH ORANGE PAINT AFTER TRUMP REELECTION VICTORY “There’s not going to be anyone out there saying this time that [Trump] is an illegitimate president,” political strategist David Kochel pointed out. “He certainly has a much more legitimate stake in the office, because he will end up winning the popular vote. And I do think there’s some tension in the country when a candidate doesn’t win the popular vote but wins the Electoral College, and he doesn’t have that tension this time.” Others, including Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and the co-author of “Next Gen Marxism: What It Is and How to Combat It,” agreed with Kochel’s point about Trump’s decisive victory resulting in a more muted protest response. “We haven’t seen the same level of hysteria yet that met Trump’s first victory,” Gonzalez said. “Trump’s first victory was a bigger surprise to the body politic, to the system, because nobody expected him to win. This time, he had won before.” “It is hard to gin up discord when the win was so significant,” Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund Chairwoman Jenny Beth Martin added. COLIN KAEPERNICK SUGGESTS TRUMP ‘TARGETED’ AND ‘MINIMIZED’ HIM FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM PROTESTS Gonzalez and others, however, did note that while the protest response to Trump’s victory may be lighter than what was seen in 2016, that could change once he begins enacting policy changes. “I think it’s important to use the word ‘yet,’ because I think that we will see the same level of out-of-control hysteric opposition to Trump,” Gonzalez said. Aron Boxer is a former special education teacher and the founder of the Connecticut-based Diversified Education Services. He describes himself as a moderate conservative and said he agreed with Gonzalez’s take that protests could heat up in the future. “There’s been some pretty inflammatory rhetoric coming from Adam Kinzinger, Leticia James, Gavin Newsom and even Kamala when she spoke the other night and said that they’re going to fight. Listening to their words, it really sounds like they’re almost giving the public a little wink and a nod, encouraging them to speak up,” Boxer said. “It seems like they’re trying to kind of rally the troops … and I think that these things do take some time to take shape.”
Trump names Susie Wiles as first female White House chief of staff in history
Susie Wiles, a longtime GOP operative, will serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff. Largely avoiding the spotlight, Wiles has been widely credited for running what was Trump’s most disciplined and well-executed campaign. During his victory celebration in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump gave a special thanks to Wiles for her prominent role in the campaign. “Let me also express my tremendous appreciation for Susie [Wiles] and Chris [LaCivita], on the job you did. Susie, come, Susie,” Trump said. “Susie likes to stay sort of in the back, let me tell you. The ice baby. We call her the ice baby. Susie likes to stay in the background. She’s not in the background.” INSIDE THE REPUBLICAN VICTORIES IN SUBURBAN NEW YORK: ‘FED UP WITH ONE PARTY DEMOCRATIC RULE’ Trump described Wiles as “tough, smart, innovative” and said she is “universally admired and respected.” He noted her place as the first female chief of staff in U.S. history, saying: “I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.” A longtime Florida-based Republican strategist who ran Trump’s campaign in the state in 2016 and 2020, Wiles’ decades-long political career stretches back to working as former President Reagan’s campaign scheduler for his 1980 presidential bid. Wiles also ran Rick Scott’s 2010 campaign for Florida governor and briefly served as the manager of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman’s 2012 presidential campaign. Wiles currently serves as a senior adviser to Trump and is campaign co-chair alongside Chris LaCivita. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was previously floated as a possible contender for chief of staff, but recently told “The Guy Benson Show” that he would not take the position if it was offered. “People always ask if I’m going to be chief of staff — no, I’m not going to be… that’s a no,” he said. Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
White House says Biden believes he made right decision to drop out of 2024 race despite Trump victory
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden believed he made the right decision to drop out of the presidential race in July, acknowledging there are many election experts analyzing the failed efforts by the Democratic Party with their own opinions on the race dominated by Republican President-elect Trump. Jean-Pierre spoke to reporters during a press briefing Thursday afternoon, saying Biden had called Trump to congratulate him on his victory, assuring Trump he would direct his administration to work with Trump’s team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power. Additionally, Jean-Pierre said Biden had spoken with Vice President Kamala Harris to congratulate her on a “history-inspiring campaign.” “For some people, this election is a time of victory, and for others, it’s a time of loss,” she said. “To state the obvious, Tuesday night’s results were not our team’s desired outcome. There’s going to be a lot of postmortem analysis of what happened in the coming days, in the coming weeks, even in the coming months.” BIDEN CONGRATULATES TRUMP, PLEDGES ‘PEACEFUL AND ORDERLY’ TRANSFER OF POWER One reporter asked Jean-Pierre to address the criticism directed at Biden for the loss. “What I can say, and this is something the president says all the time: ‘You get knocked down, you get back up,’” Jean-Pierre said, noting the president made that exact statement moments earlier. “The president believes he made the right decision on behalf of the American people, on behalf of this country, to step aside.” After the 2022 midterms, Biden decided to seek re-election despite polls in 2023 showing that about 80% of the American public believed the octogenarian was too old to serve another term. HARRIS FORMALLY CONCEDES ONE DAY AFTER TRUMP’S SWEEPING VICTORY “What he believed is that 14 million voters decided in the primary to make him and the vice president, obviously she was on the ticket, the nominee,” Jean-Pierre said when asked again if Biden made the right decision to run for president. “Fourteen million Americans decided that. So, they made their decision on who they wanted. “Now, as we know, in July the president made a decision to step aside and he immediately … endorsed the vice president,” she added. Jean-Pierre was also pressed on whether it was wrong for the president’s team in 2023 to firmly encourage rising stars in the Democratic Party and others who participated in the 2020 cycle to rally behind Biden and not consider running for president. HOW TRUMP WON: THE DETAILS FROM THE FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS She refused to get into a specific conversation but said it was not unusual for party members to rally behind their leader, which, in this case, was Biden. “What I can say is what the president decided to do, what the president believed and what the president is going to continue to do, [which] is put the American people first,” Jean-Pierre said. She was also pressed about whether Biden still stands by his description of Trump being an existential threat to democracy. Jean-Pierre said Biden believes what he said at the time and believes he had an obligation to be honest with Americans. She backed her statement up by pointing to comments made by former chief of staff John Kelly, who referred to Trump as a “fascist.” During a series of interviews conducted with the media and published in October, Kelly recounted multiple occasions when the former president allegedly praised Adolf Hitler. Kelly also insisted Trump met the “general definition of a fascist” and would govern like a dictator if allowed. Jean-Pierre said Kelly was clear in his statements, while also pointing to statements made by Trump about the enemy within, going after people who disagree with him. “Look, we’re being very clear here,” Jean-Pierre said. “The outcome was not what we wanted, and the Americans have made a decision that we want to respect. We want to respect the decision that the American people have made, and we are going to make sure that the American people get what they deserve, which is a peaceful transfer of power.”
Texas State University condemns demonstrators who brought offensive signs to campus
The university is exploring potential legal responses after two men came on campus the day after the election with misogynistic and homophobic signs.
Trump flips border county that hasn’t voted for Republican in over 100 years with massive 76-point swing
President-elect Donald Trump won a majority Hispanic county in Texas for the first time in over 100 years on Tuesday night in a massive swing since losing that same county eight years ago. Trump defeated VP Harris in Starr County, Texas on Tuesday night by a margin of 57.7% to 41.8% becoming the first Republican to carry the county, which sits along the U.S.-Mexico border, since 1898, Fox 4 Dallas reported. In 2016, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defeated Trump by 60 points, a 76-point swing. Census data from 2020 shows that over 90% of residents in Starr County identify as Hispanic or Latino. TRUMP’S STAMINA AT AGE 78 IMPRESSES THE EXPERTS: ‘MENTAL AND PHYSICAL RESILIENCE’ Trump’s historic performance in Starr County comes in an election where he continued to make inroads with Hispanic voters nationwide. Trump gained six points of support from Hispanics over 2020, leaving Democrats single-digit favorites among the bloc, according to data compiled by the Financial Times and other outlets. FOX NEWS CHANNEL DRAWS MORE THAN 10 MILLION VIEWERS ON ELECTION NIGHT AS TRUMP’S HISTORIC VICTORY UNFOLDED Trump flipped Miami-Dade County in Florida, one of the largest Latino communities in the nation, winning it by about 2% more than President Joe Biden did in 2020. “Hispanics are people of faith, family, hard work, searching for the American dream, and I think those are the values of the Republican Party” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Republican who represents the southern half of Miami plus the Keys, told Fox News Digital. “The Democrat Party has gone way left to the extreme left, almost to the point of socialism. And many of us fled our countries fleeing socialism. And so that doesn’t attract us,” said Gimenez, who is the only Cuban-born congressman. A Fox News Voter Analysis showed Trump’s crossover appeal to Democratic constituencies was foundational to his success. He improved on his 2020 numbers among Hispanics (41%, +6 points), Black voters (15%, +7 points), and young voters (46%, +10 points). These rightward shifts were particularly notable among Hispanic men (+8 points), Black men (+12 points), and men under 30 (+14 points) from 2020. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report
Fox News Politics: Biden congratulates Trump
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. Here’s what’s happening… – 8 possible replacements for VP-elect JD Vance’s Senate seat – How Kamala Harris’ failed 2024 presidential run mirrors her ill-fated 2020 campaign – JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, will become first Indian American second lady President Biden addressed the nation from the Rose Garden on Thursday after his vice president, Kamala Harris, conceded the 2024 presidential election to President-elect Trump. In brief remarks, Biden announced that he spoke with Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him on his victory and assure him that the entire Biden administration will work with his team “to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition.” “That’s what the American people deserve,” Biden said…Read more DOUBLE DOWN: President Trump and Grover Cleveland: How presidential candidates triumphantly returned to the White House…Read more IRAN’S ENEMY: Iran ‘terrified’ of Trump presidency as currency falls to an all-time low…Read more ‘FULL FIREPOWER’: ACLU vows to oppose Trump policies on LGBT issues, abortion and deportations…Read more CABINET CANDIDATES: Here are the most talked-about candidates for top posts in Trump’s administration…Read more FLORIDA TO DC?: DeSantis floats Florida surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo as candidate for Trump’s HHS secretary…Read more CHIEF OF STAFF: Longtime Republican political operative Susie Wiles top contender for President-elect Trump’s Chief of Staff…Read more ‘YOU’LL LOSE’: Xi Jinping warns Trump US would ‘lose from confrontation’ with China as renewed trade war looms…Read more GARDEN STATE VOTES: GOP Rep Thomas Kean projected to survive Susan Altman’s challenge in hotly contested New Jersey district…Read more TEXAS REPUBLICAN SAFE: GOP Rep Monica De La Cruz projected to win re-election in Texas, fending off Democrat Michelle Vallejo…Read more ‘DOWN TO THE WIRE’: Steve Scalise predicts House control may be decided today…Read more TRUMP FARM TEAM?: Rep.Massie ‘willing to help’ as agriculture secretary, but hasn’t received ‘commitments or offers’ …Read more ‘COMMITTED TO OUR VALUES’: Chuck Schumer preps for return to Senate minority after GOP victory…Read more TIME TO MOVE ON?: House Democrat says the party needs to get past ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’…Read more SOMBER ANNOUNCEMENT: Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly announces cancer diagnosis 2 days after winning re-election…Read more INCUMBENT OUSTED: New York Dem Laura Gillen ousts incumbent Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito in toss-up House race…Read more RACE TO THE TOP: Rick Scott sees red wave as ‘best case scenario’ for Senate leader bid as he lobbies Trump for support…Read more POWER GRAB: House leaders move quickly to consolidate power in show of confidence for Republican takeover…Read more STAYING RED: Trump-backed incumbent Rep. Scott Perry wins re-election in Pennsylvania…Read more BIG TENT: Trump’s big tent: President-elect improved on 2020 performance in 4 counties with big minority populations…Read more ACHILLES HEEL?: How Harris’ campaign was dogged by border czar, radical immigration views…Read more ‘MORALITY MATTERS’: Pro-life advocate says Trump victory is ‘huge’ for Catholic voters: ‘Morality matters’…Read more GO WOKE, GO BROKE: New York Democrat rips ‘far left’ for Trump victory: ‘Ivory-towered nonsense’…Read more ‘NO RESPECT’: Top Philly Dem torches Harris camp as Dem blame game intensifies…Read more ‘DISASTROUS CAMPAIGN’: Bernie Sanders excoriates Democratic Party, calls campaign ‘disastrous’ after Trump victory…Read more ‘DOOMED’: Experts say this crucial campaign decision led to VP Harris’ ‘disastrous’ defeat…Read more GENDER THEORY: Kamala Harris underperformed Biden’s numbers with women. South Dakota’s governor thinks she knows why…Read more FAILED MOVEMENT: Moderate Republicans buck Cheney, throw support behind Trump…Read more ‘READY TO FIGHT’: Blue state gov summons legislature in response to Trump victory…Read more BECOMING NAZI GERMANY?: Federal military draft agency reposts message suggesting US is becoming 1936 Nazi Germany: report…Read more ‘DECEPTIVE MANNER’: Giuliani set to appear in New York City courtroom after missing deadline to turn over assets…Read more LEGAL LIMBO: Where does Trump’s New York sentencing stand after massive election win?…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Inside the Republican victories in suburban New York: ‘fed up with one party Democratic rule’
Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican who delivered a critical victory for the GOP on election night, explained his success to Fox News on Thursday, saying that “voters in New York are fed up with one party Democratic rule.” Two days after the election, several House races remain uncalled, and control of the lower chamber of Congress remains undetermined. If Republicans can eke out a majority, the party will have a unified federal government until at least 2026. Lawler won his race with 52.4 percent of the vote, defeating his Democratic challenger, former Rep. Mondaire Jones, by 6.8 points. REPUBLICANS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF HOUSE MAJORITY AS KEY RACES REMAIN TOO CLOSE TO CALL Lawler’s district, New York Congressional District 17, is just north of New York City and is primarily suburban and middle-class. Politically, the district is fairly split between party lines, making it a highly targeted district for both sides. Democrats poured in millions in hopes of flipping the seat blue. The race ended up being one of the most expensive House races in the country. Republicans also garnered victories in nearby districts 1, 11 and 12, all of which are suburban areas near New York City. Lawler said that, ultimately, New Yorkers’ concerns over inflation, the cost of living and crime pushed him to victory. “In a state like New York where Democrats control everything and they have created an affordability crisis, a crime crisis, the migrant crisis exploding, billions of dollars of taxpayer money, voters had had enough,” he said. “Voters want us to focus on the issues that impact them most acutely and that is the economy, that is the border, that is the international crises that we’re seeing, energy policy.” TRUMP-BACKED PA SENATE CANDIDATE FLIPS LONGTIME DEM SEAT RED IN NAIL-BITER ELECTION Lawler homed in on the border crisis as especially important to his constituents. “What [President] Joe Biden and [Vice President] Kamala Harris allowed over the last three and a half plus years, 10.5 million migrants coming into the United States, it’s unfathomable,” he said. “It’s created a crisis in states like New York, where they’re spending billions of dollars.” David Laska, spokesperson for the New York state Republican Party, told Fox News Digital that the victories in his state were spurred on by President-elect Trump’s clear messaging to voters on issues that they care about. In the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris won New York. However, she earned nearly 6 percent less of the vote share than Biden did in 2020. “Kamala Harris tried to run on vibes. What does that even mean? What a joke,” he said. “President Trump ran on inflation, immigration, those were the issues that mattered to Americans. And you saw Republican victories up and down the ballot.” TRUMP TRAIN CHUGS PAST 2020 MARGINS, PARTICULARLY AMONG HISPANICS, URBAN NORTHEASTERNERS Laska believes Tuesday’s election is indicative of a broader political realignment of working-class voters who no longer believe the Democratic Party cares about their needs. Put simply, he said that people just wanted change. “Look, New York is a blue state, but it’s not progressive blue. It’s not woke blue. It’s blue-collar blue. It’s working-class blue. These are the old ‘Reagan Democrats,’ as we used to call them. And you might be calling a lot of them ‘Trump Democrats,’” he said. “When you look back on this chapter of history, because voters of all stripes had economic concerns, had concerns about immigration, and again, President Trump spoke to those. Kamala Harris did not.”