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Major pro-life group releases ‘Make America Pro-Life Again Roadmap’

Major pro-life group releases ‘Make America Pro-Life Again Roadmap’

Students for Life of Action, the legislative arm of one of the largest pro-life groups in the country, released a “Make America Pro-Life Again Roadmap” this week signaling their plans to combat abortion during the new Trump administration.  In a press call on Tuesday, Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins said that despite abortion ballots being passed in seven states, the election showed that there are significant opportunities for pro-life victories in the next few years.  “America had the option of choosing the most radical pro-abortion ticket in world history and soundly rejected it,” she said. “We’ve been working on this for months leading up until the election. Now that the election is over, now that we have a Republican trifecta in Washington, D.C., [and] Republican majority control of legislatures, it’s going to be time to get to work.”  SENATE DEMS RACE TO CONFIRM BIDEN JUDGES AHEAD OF TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY Hawkins explained that the plan also prioritizes increasing protections for unborn babies in states, including such as Michigan, Ohio and Arizona, that have recently enshrined abortion rights in their state constitutions.  “And for those who believe that states are locked down by ballot initiatives, guess again,” she said.  The group is working in conjunction with state lawmakers and has already confirmed a slate of pro-life bills in 13 different state legislatures.  HOCHUL SPURS BIPARTISAN OUTRAGE OVER MASSIVE TOLL REBOOT, AS DEMS WORRY TRUMP WILL BLOCK IT A major focus of the bills is chemical abortion, which now accounts for most U.S. abortions. While some of these bills would move to ban or restrict chemical abortions, some seek to simply reduce or raise awareness about their harmful effects.  West Virginia state Sen. Patricia Rucker told Fox News Digital that with the help of Students for Life she will be reintroducing a “Clean Water for All” bill, which she believes will not only lessen the environmental impact of abortion pills on the state’s water supply and rivers, but also raise awareness of the dangers of chemical abortion.  “It’s completely unknown. When I bring it up, most folks, I mean, you see their eyes just getting really big. They’re like, ‘I had no idea, never even thought about that,’” she said.  After West Virginia Republicans further strengthened their majority in the state legislature, Rucker said she is feeling optimistic about the bill’s future. Despite recent setbacks under the Biden administration and a slew of losses at the state level, Students for Life is confident that the momentum is about to change.   Kristi Hamrick, Students for Life’s vice president of media and policy, told Fox News Digital that “as we know from Roe, a legal roadblock does not mean nothing can be done.”  She pointed to the 2007 Supreme Court case Gonzalez vs. Carhart that set a precedent allowing states to protect unborn babies from partial-birth abortions despite Roe v. Wade being in place at the time. She said that “the win in Carhart lays a legal foundation for how to proceed at the state and federal level.”  In Arizona, where a sweeping abortion amendment was passed by voters on election day, state Rep. Rachel Jones is already working on drafting a bill which she hopes will push back. She envisions the bill as a way to help women and young girls truly understand the dangers of chemical abortion and to be aware of “all the options facing them.”  “A lot of these women are making a decision based on fear,” Jones told Fox News Digital. “They’re being led to believe that’s their only option. And then some of them end up regretting that decision later. And it really affects their mental health a lot.”  Jones said that even some of her Democratic colleagues have signaled openness to a bill increasing education on chemical abortion, something she said makes her optimistic that her bill can receive bipartisan support.  “I think that a lot of these women were so misled because they weren’t really told all the facts,” she went on. “We’re really protecting women, and I think that’s really important right now.” 

Judges delay Jan. 6 trials ahead of Trump inauguration

Judges delay Jan. 6 trials ahead of Trump inauguration

In light of President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming second-term, two federal judges ruled to delay criminal trials for several defendants charged with trespassing on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.  Politico reported on Thursday that Washington, D.C., circuit court judges Carl Nichols and Rudolph Contreras – Trump and Obama appointees, respectively – ruled to delay the trials until after Trump’s inauguration. The judges reasoned that Trump may call off the cases and issue pardons to those convicted when he assumes control of the presidency and Department of Justice.  This is the first time that judges have agreed to Jan. 6 defendants’ pleas to delays in anticipation of potential Trump pardons.  CNN reported that Contreras, who delayed a trial set for defendant William Pope till late February, said it would be a waste to call in a jury and expend taxpayer resources when there is a “real possibility” of a Trump pardon. “I’m focused on conservation of the resources of the parties, the court and citizens,” Contreras said. Pope has already had his felony obstruction charge dropped because of the Supreme Court’s June ruling. He is now being charged with misdemeanor violations. His trial was set for December.  Nichols delayed trials for three other Jan. 6 defendants charged with misdemeanor trespassing. He issued the decision after asking federal prosecutors whether they expected the trial to continue under the Trump administration. When prosecutors could not guarantee, Nichols ruled to delay the trial to April.  Marina Medvin, an attorney representing two of the defendants in Nichols’ court, said that “as soon as the prosecutor asked for a trial date, Judge Nichols confronted her on whether she could assure the court that this matter would be moving forward to trial once the new administration takes office.”  “Of course, the prosecutor could make no such assurances,” she said. 

Former ESPN personality Sage Steele denies Trump press secretary rumors

Former ESPN personality Sage Steele denies Trump press secretary rumors

Sage Steele, the veteran sportscaster best known for her decade-plus career at ESPN, has shot down swirling rumors she wants to be press secretary in the new Trump administration, labeling the murmurings as “fake news.” President-elect Donald Trump has been quickly filling his incoming Cabinet since he stormed to election victory last week, but he has yet to name someone to be his top public spokesperson at the White House. Axios reported Wednesday that Steele along with CNN contributor and Bush White House official Scott Jennings, as well as Republican National Committee spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko are all “vying” for the much-coveted role. Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt and former Trump administration official Monica Crowley are also “in the mix,” according to Axios. SAGE STEELE IS OFF THE SIDELINES AND SPEAKING HER MIND Trump attorney Alina Habba said Thursday that she is not considering the role of press secretary. Steele, 51, has been a public supporter of the president-elect and stumped for him on the campaign trail, appearing at an event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, last month.  However, she took to X on Thursday to deny she was interested in the press secretary role.  “Not sure how these rumors began about me ‘vying’ to be Press Secretary, but it’s definitely fake news! I haven’t had a single conversation with anyone about that job, and have no desire to do so!” Steele wrote. SAGE STEELE UNLEASHES ON ‘TERRIBLE’ BIDEN, SAYS HE ‘TRAILED OFF’ DURING CHAT BEFORE TAPING ESPN INTERVIEW “Honestly, it was the honor of a lifetime to be a small part of @TeamTrump during the campaign – something I NEVER imagined – but I wholeheartedly believe in @realDonaldTrump @JDVance & am excited to find ways to continue to serve. It took me years to not be afraid to speak up. That fear is gone forever, and I hope others are beginning to feel the same. LFG!” In 2023, Steele left ESPN after 15 years at the network where she hosted its flagship program “SportsCenter as well as “NBA Countdown,” among other roles.  In April 2022, Steele filed a lawsuit against ESPN alleging the network violated her free speech rights after she was punished in 2021 for speaking out against parent company Disney’s COVID vaccine mandate and knocked former President Barack Obama for identifying as Black instead of biracial.  They settled the lawsuit, and she left the network last August. “Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely,” Steele wrote last August. “I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!” In March, Steele was named the first podcast host on Bill Maher’s Club Random Studios podcast network. Karoline Leavitt appears to be the leading name for press secretary after she worked as the Trump campaign’s national press secretary throughout the high-stakes election cycle.  Alina Habba, Trump’s legal spokesperson and adviser, was also viewed as a frontrunner for the position but said Thursday she would “be better served in other capacities.” Other names being floated include Trump adviser and ally Jason Miller, campaign spokesperson and adviser Steven Cheung and former Trump administration official Monica Crowley. Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Lara Trump says she’d ‘love to consider’ filling Rubio’s Senate seat if asked by DeSantis

Lara Trump says she’d ‘love to consider’ filling Rubio’s Senate seat if asked by DeSantis

Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo that she would “seriously consider” serving in the U.S. Senate if Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis asks her to fill the vacancy that will arise when Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., resigns to serve as secretary of state. She told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that she “would love to serve the people of Florida” and “would love to consider” filling the seat if asked. President-elect Donald Trump tapped Rubio to fill the Cabinet-level role, and if Rubio is confirmed by his colleagues and resigns from the Senate, DeSantis will have the opportunity to select a temporary replacement to fill the seat until a special election is held. FETTERMAN HAILS RUBIO AS ‘STRONG CHOICE’ FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYS HE WILL VOTE TO CONFIRM HIM Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on “Hannity” that he “would be like over-the-top excited” and that Republicans “could not do better … than Lara Trump.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who served as the Sunshine State’s governor prior to DeSantis, said he hopes DeSantis chooses Lara Trump, according to Axios.  HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS TO SEN. RUBIO’S SEAT IF HE BECOMES SECRETARY OF STATE AND WHO COULD REPLACE HIM In a post on X, he declared that she “would be a GREAT Senator and represent Floridians well!” Republicans won the Senate and House majorities during the 2024 elections. Rubio has served in the Senate since 2011. TRUMP’S FIRST CABINET PICKS DECIDEDLY NOT ISOLATIONISTS: UKRAINE, ISRAEL BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF “As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda,” the senator said in a post on X, referring to Trump. “Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else. I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate so the President has his national security and foreign policy team in place when he takes office on January 20,” he noted.

Biden concludes foreign diplomacy in region where US influence overshadowed by China

Biden concludes foreign diplomacy in region where US influence overshadowed by China

In what could potentially be President Biden’s last foreign diplomacy trip, he will soon head to South America to meet with global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. Biden will first travel to Lima, Peru, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where he is slated to meet with Xi, possibly their final encounter as heads of state, according to a senior administration official. Biden’s attendance at the summit is expected to be followed by a stop in Brazil early next week, where the Group of 20 summit, a gathering of the nation’s foremost economic powers, is being held. While in Brazil, Biden will also become the first sitting U.S. president to make a visit to spots in the Amazon rainforest. Biden’s foreign diplomacy curtain call in South America comes as the U.S.’s influence in the region has been getting overshadowed by China’s, experts have argued. GOP REP SOUNDS ALARM ON GROWING CHINESE INFLUENCE IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA The U.S.’s contemporary policy toward the region has shifted over the last century, from focusing on issues related to the political stability of the region to now on issues of illegal immigration and narcotics and how they impact the country domestically. Meanwhile, China has been taking advantage of the holes left open by the U.S. due to this shift in priorities. For example, South American countries have turned to China when the U.S. has failed to establish trade agreements with them, the Wall Street Journal reported. Near the start of the Biden administration, Uruguay and Ecuador’s attempts to develop free-trade agreements with the U.S. were stymied, so they turned to China. While Ecuador’s priority is to establish a trade agreement with the U.S., its ambassador said the country is “prioritizing alternatives” while the U.S. transitions to the Trump administration.  The U.S. still holds more trade agreements in South America than China, but the communist nation has expanded its influence in other ways. Beijing has invested in parts of South America with projects like ports in places such as Peru that trade in Chinese currency, and satellites in Las Lajas, Argentina. China has also established mineral and foodstuff purchases in the region, seen potentially as an effort to fortify resources ahead of any conflict in the South China Sea in light of the increased global tensions surrounding Taiwan. TAIWAN EYES $15B MILITARY PACKAGE IN SIGNAL TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IT IS ‘SERIOUS’ ON DEFENSE: REPORT Meanwhile, the U.S. International Development Finance Corp., a federal agency that directs investments in developing countries, invested $30 million in funding for a critical mineral mine in Brazil. However, under the investment’s current mandate, all Latin American countries, except Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua and Haiti, are considered to be too wealthy to benefit from the investment. Under President-elect Donald Trump, relations with South America could continue to worsen as his threats of tariffs have create concern among global trade leaders. Biden and Xi’s meeting while in Peru will be the pair’s third in-person meeting since Biden took office.  According to a senior administration official, the two are expected to discuss a range of issues covering military-to-military communications, human rights, fentanyl, artifical intelligence, climate change, cybersecurity, Taiwan and the incoming Trump administration. The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.