Thune says Trump’s border plan is 1st up in rigorous priority list for new Congress: ‘Real work begins’
Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., is planning to make ushering in President-Elect Donald Trump’s immigration agenda the first item on his to-do list when he succeeds Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in the new Congress, when Republicans will have a majority in both the upper chamber and the House. “Now the real work begins delivering on our agenda,” he said in a floor speech on Thursday. “That starts with ending the Biden-Harris border crisis and deporting illegal immigrants.” He said repairing the economy is also near the top of his list. As crucial elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 passed by Trump are set to expire in 2025, Thune said Republicans will take action through the budget reconciliation process to renew them. MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL The budget reconciliation process would allow Republicans to avoid Democrats blocking action on the economy, because it cannot be filibustered or delayed as bills can be. The 53-member incoming Republican majority would be able to push the item through without issues. The South Dakota Republican further highlighted the significant communication and procedural changes that his leadership will usher in, which have been a frequent point of criticism by senators under McConnell’s reign. According to Thune, his office would be “a resource, not a roadblock” for his conference members. THUNE WINS SECRET BALLOT TO BECOME NEW SENATE GOP LEADER, SUCCEEDING MCCONNELL In a notable win for many outspoken conservative hard-line senators, he stressed his “commitment to amendments.” “[A]ll members of the Senate, and not just the members of a particular committee, should have a voice in final legislation through amendments on the floor. Members should assume that amendment votes will be the norm,” he said. RICK SCOTT KNOCKED OUT OF SENATE LEADER RACE ON FIRST BALLOT AS THUNE AND CORNYN ADVANCE The Senate has operated in recent history by often using amendment trees, which are filled with pre-determined amendments offered by the majority leader. This prevented individual senators from offering their own amendments on the floor. In another achievement for vocal GOP critics of both McConnell and the current Congress, Thune made clear, “Members should also expect a return to regular order in the Senate next year.” This, he said, includes the appropriations process, “so that we don’t constantly wind up with an end of the year pileup and problematic continuing resolutions.” TED CRUZ GETS BEHIND RICK SCOTT FOR LEADER, IN BLOW TO FELLOW TEXAN JOHN CORNYN The Congress is notably on track for another potential stopgap spending bill ahead of Christmas when the deadline for the last continuing resolution expires. The minority whip added that confirming Trump’s nominees will also be high on his to-do list “and members should expect an aggressive schedule until those nominees are confirmed.” Further, he foreshadowed open lines of communication with both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Trump in order to deliver on these priorities with the new federal GOP trifecta.
Biden admin bans employers from discussing unionization with ‘captive audience’ employees
The Biden administration’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued an opinion on Wednesday that bars businesses from expressing their views on unionization to a “captive audience” of employees. The ruling came in response to a series of labor complaints issued against Amazon over mandatory meetings during which representatives of the company allegedly urged employees to reject unionization. According to the board, such meetings violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which was passed in 1935 to protect workers’ ability to organize. “Ensuring that workers can make a truly free choice about whether they want union representation is one of the fundamental goals of the National Labor Relations Act. Captive audience meetings—which give employers near-unfettered freedom to force their message about unionization on workers under threat of discipline or discharge—undermine this important goal,” NLRB Chairman Lauren McFerran said in a Wednesday press release. “Today’s decision better protects workers’ freedom to make their own choices in exercising their rights under the Act, while ensuring that employers can convey their views about unionization in a noncoercive manner.” The NLRB, an independent federal agency with leaders who were appointed by President Biden, articulated multiple reasons for why they believe “captive audience” meetings violate the law. NEW YORK TIMES TECH EMPLOYEES REMAIN ON STRIKE, GUILD TARGETS HIGH-PAID CEO MEREDITH KOPIT Among them was that these meetings violate employee rights under Section 7 of the NLRA. Section 7 protects employees’ ability to engage in, or not engage in, “concerted efforts” for the purposes of collective bargaining. The ruling did leave employers the right to engage in voluntary meetings that express their views on unionization. In a dissenting opinion, the NLRB’s only Republican member, Marvin Kaplan, wrote that the board’s ruling banning “captive audience” meetings was “flagrantly unconstitutional.” LABOR DAY A HARSH REMINDER UNIONS TURNED INTO THE BOSSES THEY PRETEND TO DISLIKE “The majority’s attempt to ban so-called ‘captive-audience speeches’ harkens back to an earlier era when the Board sought to impose on employers a policy of strict neutrality regarding unionization,” Kaplan also wrote. Meanwhile, an Amazon spokesperson echoed Kaplan’s points in a statement to Courthouse News Service. “This decision ignores over 75 years of precedent, contradicts the express language of the NLRA, and violates the First Amendment – it’s wrong on the facts and the law, and we intend to appeal,” said Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis. “Meetings like this are held by many companies because the decision about whether or not to join a union is an important one – and employees deserve to understand the facts so they can make an informed choice.” Neither the NLRB nor Amazon responded to inquiries from Fox News Digital in time for publication.
Trump’s US election leaves Ukraine scrambling for EU military assistance
Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory on November 5 has cast a sharp spotlight on what military and financial assistance Ukraine could expect from the European Union. Trump last year pressed United States lawmakers to delay a $61.4bn military aid package to Ukraine, and claimed he would end the Ukraine war “in a day” if he won. Ukraine was also concerned that the delivery of weapons promised under the administration of President Joe Biden be fulfilled before the handover of power on January 20. Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said the US had delivered 83 percent of munitions, 67 percent of critical air defences, and 60 percent of firepower capabilities committed to Ukraine under defence packages between April and mid-October. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that he did not expect the start of Trump’s presidency to change the US position on Ukraine. (Al Jazeera) But Trump has demanded that EU member states which are also NATO members raise defence spending to three percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and threatened to let Russia do “whatever the hell it wants” with them if they refuse, suggesting US backing for NATO, and potentially Ukraine, would be conditional under his presidency. That has raised questions about the extent of European military autonomy and political will to continue supporting Ukraine with or without a supportive administration in Washington. EU external affairs chief Josep Borrell told European Pravda that the bloc would deliver a million artillery shells by the end of the year. Those shells were promised in spring 2023 for delivery last spring. “We almost did it. We have already delivered more than 980 thousand shells, and very soon we will deliver one million shells,” Borrell said. Shells purchased from around the world under a Czech initiative will have provided another half million artillery rounds by year’s end, he said. In addition, Borrell said, EU production capacity had now ramped up to a million shells a year. Rescuers work at the site of an apartment building hit by a Russian missile attack in Kryvyi Rih, in the Dnipropetrovsk region [Danylo Antoniuk/Reuters] The EU has spent 122 billion euros ($129bn) supporting Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Should US aid come to a halt, the EU could hand over to Ukraine $300bn in Russian assets under management in the EU, and calls increased in the past week to do so. The EU has so far agreed to give Ukraine only the profits from those assets, fearing retaliatory effects on the bloc’s currency. Ukraine has received a first instalment of 400 million euros ($425m). At a meeting of EU directors of defence policy in Brussels on Tuesday, Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Serhiy Boyev asked the EU to rush a 1.5 billion-euro ($1.6bn) tranche of profits from frozen Russian assets promised this year, for investment in Ukraine’s defence industrial base. (Al Jazeera) There was also renewed pressure on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to break ranks with the cautious US policy not to use Western weapons to strike deep inside Russia, and supply Ukraine with 500km-range (310-mile) Taurus missiles, which could strike Russian airfields. “I think it is right, unchanged, that I have made my contribution to ensuring that there has been no escalation. And I would like to make it clear, that the country that is doing the most in Europe to ensure that Ukraine is not left alone and is supported is also a country that must ensure that an escalation does not occur,” Scholz told the Bundestag or lower house of the German parliament on Wednesday. Striking airfields would deprive Russia of its ability to launch heavy glide bombs, one of its most effective weapons against Ukrainian front lines. A grim situation on the front lines Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesman for Ukraine’s southern defences, on Saturday said Russia was intensifying the use of glide bombs in the south. “In October, the Russians used about 500 guided aerial bombs in the southern direction, specifically on Ukrainian positions and on populated areas near the line of combat,” he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday morning that Russia dropped 800 glide bombs across the entire front in the previous week – a rate he first reported in the first week of October – which computes to more than 3,000 glide bombs a month. In addition, Russia typically launches some 1,600 kamikaze drones and 80 missiles into Ukraine each week, Zelenskyy has said. Ukraine’s armed forces said the Russian strategy was also continuing to bomb civilian areas in Kharkiv with glide bombs to demoralise the population. A Ukrainian counter-invasion in the Russian region of Kursk last August had produced a lull in bombardment. “In the last few weeks, the enemy has started using guided aerial bombs again, said Volodymyr Degtyarev, a spokesman for Ukraine’s National Guard. “Mostly in the city, on civilian infrastructure, mainly in the evening or at night, although there are also daytime shellings.” (Al Jazeera) Ukraine’s defenders continued to be under intense pressure throughout the front in the past week, with the Russian hammer falling hardest on Kurakhove and Pokrovsk, front-line towns west of Donetsk city. Ukraine’s General Staff reported 125 combat clashes on Monday, most in the direction of Pokrovsk, with Kurakhove remaining a “difficult situation”. Zelenskyy sent reinforcements to those two directions, but it appeared that by Tuesday Russian troops were advancing along Zaporizkyi Street in northeast Kurakhove. One of Ukraine’s greatest concerns has been Russia’s ability to absorb losses of men and armour in this war. Colonel Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Siversk group of forces, told a telethon that Russian assaults typically started with armour, followed by waves of infantry at 10-15 minute intervals, a tactic which led to high attrition rates for the Russians. Russian assaults have clearly been bloody, with Russian casualties last week at 9,800, according to Ukraine’s Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Pavlyuk – confirming the daily rate of about 1,400 casualties observed since June. Yet reinforcements have kept coming, leading Ukraine
Meta fined 798 million euros ($846m) for breaking EU antitrust rules
EU says Meta automatically ties its ad service – Facebook Marketplace – to Facebook, creating an unfair advantage. The European Union has hit technology giant Meta with a fine just shy of 800 million euros for what it called “abusive practices” involving its Facebook Marketplace online classified ads business. The EU’s European Commission issued the fine of 797.72 million euros ($846.13m) on Thursday. It accused Meta, which owns social media platform Facebook, of marketplace practices that give its own ad service an undue advantage over competitors. The advantage stems from Meta automatically tying its ad service – Facebook Marketplace – to Facebook, creating a “substantial distribution advantage”, according to the commission. “All Facebook users automatically have access and get regularly exposed to Facebook Marketplace whether they want it or not,” it said. Additionally, it said Meta imposed unfair conditions on other classified ads service providers who advertised on Facebook and Instagram, enabling it to “use ads-related data generated by other advertisers for the sole benefit of Facebook Marketplace”. Meta contended it did not “use advertisers’ data for this purpose” and has “built systems and controls to ensure that”. “It is disappointing that the Commission has chosen to take regulatory action against a free and innovative service built to meet consumer demand,” said Meta, adding it would comply with the commission’s order to end the offending conduct but also appeal. The fine is the latest in a string of hefty penalties that the commission, which regulates the 27-nation European Union, has imposed against Big Tech companies over their practices in recent years. It ranks among the 10 largest antitrust fines. The penalty takes into account the “duration and gravity of the infringement”, as well as the turnover of Meta and Facebook Marketplace, said the commission. Meta’s total revenue last year stood at around 125 billion euros ($133bn). Meta’s dominant position in the market for personal social networks comes with a special responsibility not to abuse it by restricting competition, according to the EU. Adblock test (Why?)
What does a second Trump presidency mean for Big Tech?
US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to reshape tech industry policy. Donald Trump had promised to curb the influence of Silicon Valley during his first presidency, which began in 2017. His relationship with tech leaders was marked by tension back then. He’s now won the United States presidential election for a second time, and those same executives have rushed to congratulate him on his victory. Big Tech’s wealth and power have exploded since his first term. But the industry has faced a crackdown through antitrust lawsuits under President Joe Biden. Trump’s return to the top job could signal policy changes. Spain’s floods, what’s the cost of climate inaction? Plus, why are big oil companies leaving Nigeria? Adblock test (Why?)
Texas’ uneven population boom is creating ghost towns in many rural counties
Local leaders and rural revitalization experts say Texas’ smallest towns can survive — despite a shift to urban and suburban counties — but it will take investments.
Texas names new higher education chief
Wynn Rosser will be in charge of guiding the state’s postsecondary education policies. He currently leads a foundation focused on rural East Texas and previously worked at Texas A&M.
Who are Trump’s likely top contenders to lead comms team, interact with the media?
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President-elect Donald Trump is on a Cabinet announcement spree just a week after his massive win against Vice President Kamala Harris, with his eyes locked on who he will announce to head up his White House communications team. Karoline Leavitt is 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 spokeswoman and adviser, was also viewed as a front-runner for the position but said Thursday she would “be better served in other capacities.” “While I am flattered by the support and speculation, the role of Press Secretary is not a role I am considering. Although I love screaming from a podium I will be better served in other capacities. This adminstration is going to be epic! So proud of the Trump team, the latest appointments and 47!” she posted to X on Thursday morning. Speculation has mounted that in addition to Leavitt – and previously Habba – Trump could potentially announce former President George W. Bush aide and CNN contributor Scott Jennings for the role, or longtime Trump adviser and ally Jason Miller, or campaign spokesman and adviser Steven Cheung. Other names floated as potential contenders include former ESPN host Sage Steele, RNC spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko and former Trump administration official Monica Crowley. TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT During Trump’s first administration, the communications team saw, at times, a revolving door of press secretaries and communications directors. TRUMP’S VICTORY IS THE ‘REVENGE OF THE WORKING-CLASS AMERICAN,’ SAYS CNN’S SCOTT JENNINGS Back in 2016, Trump announced Sean Spicer as his first press secretary, who served in the position from Jan. 20, 2017 to July of that year. Spicer resigned after Trump named Anthony Scaramucci as communications director in a communications team shake-up. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who currently serves as governor of Arkansas, took over the position from July 2017 until July 2019. Scaramucci served as communications director for about 10 days before he was shown the door and has since been a top critic of the former and upcoming president. Spicer had also served as acting communications director during Trump’s first administration and was followed by Scaramucci, Hope Hicks, Bill Shine and finally Stephanie Grisham as communications directors. TRUMP’S SPEEDY CABINET PICKS SHOW HIS ‘PRIORITY TO PUT AMERICA FIRST,’ TRANSITION TEAM SAYS On the press secretary front, Grisham followed Sanders as press secretary, notably serving in the role in the early days of the pandemic before Kayleigh McEnany took over the role, serving in the position until President Biden’s inauguration in 2021. Trump’s second administration is already coming together at a much faster pace than during his 2016 transition phase, with Trump announcing 20 individuals for key Cabinet and administration positions as of Thursday. “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail — and his Cabinet picks reflect his priority to put America First. President Trump will continue to appoint highly qualified men and women who have the talent, experience and necessary skill sets to Make America Great Again,” Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Trump’s speedy roll-out of Cabinet picks earlier this week. LOYALTY MATTERS: TRUMP PICKS ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS TO FILL OUT HIS ADMINISTRATION Trump tapped Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., for example, to serve as his national security adviser, announcing that pick on Tuesday, about three days ahead of his announcement for the same role in 2016, when he chose former Army Gen. Mike Flynn for the position about 10 days after Election Day. Trump also announced he chose former New York Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a pick Trump did not make until Dec. 7, 2016, when he tapped Scott Pruitt to serve in the role. Trump’s first pick for his administration, Susie Wiles for chief of staff, was announced the day after the election, while his 2016 announcement of Reince Priebus as chief of staff was made five days after the election. Trump has made one communications appointment announcement, revealing on Wednesday that Taylor Budowich will serve as an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel. Trump did not announce his first press secretary pick back in 2016 until Dec. 22, 2016, though this year’s pick is anticipated to be publicly announced much sooner, similar to his Cabinet announcements.
Democrat senator reacts to Gaetz nomination: ‘Red alert moment’
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., warned Tuesday that President-elect Trump’s selection of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to be U.S. attorney general signaled Trump’s intention to follow through on promises to persecute his opponents. Murphy called the firebrand Floridian “dangerously unqualified” to lead the Justice Department, noting that Gaetz urged the need to abolish the FBI and other law enforcement agencies that do not get in line with conservative priorities. “Gaetz has been Trump’s chief defender when it comes to Trump’s assault on democracy. His attempt to overthrow the government on January 6th. And he has openly called for the abolition of law enforcement agencies if they don’t get in line with conservative political priorities,” Murphy said. MATT GAETZ RESIGNS FROM CONGRESS OVER TRUMP NOD TO BE ATTORNEY GENERAL, JOHNSON SAYS “This is going to be a red alert moment for American democracy. Matt Gaetz is being nominated for one reason and one reason only: Because he will implement Donald Trump’s transition of the Department of Justice from an agency that stands up for all of us to an agency that is simply an arm of the White House designed to persecute and prosecute Trump’s political enemies.” Trump sent shock waves through the political world on Wednesday, when he tapped Gaetz, who has never worked in law enforcement, to be the nation’s top law enforcement officer. In a statement, Trump lauded Gaetz as “a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney” who “will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.” JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ Murphy noted that several Republican senators have already signaled their opposition to the controversial now ex-congressman, who was previously under a yearlong investigation stemming from accusations he had a sexual relationship with a minor. The Department of Justice ultimately did not press charges. “You could literally hear the jaws dropping to the floor of Republican senators who are now going to be in a position to stand up to Donald Trump in a way that they have been unwilling to,” said Murphy. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE GAETZ HOUSE ETHICS REPORT? However, he added the announcement was “not surprising” since “Trump told us during the campaign that he was going to use the White House to go after people who politically opposed him.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “It seems that this pick for the head of the Department of Justice is very much in line with the promises he made during the campaign.”
Could Vice President Kamala Harris make a run for California governor in 2 years?
Nearly half of voters in Vice President Kamala Harris’ home state of California say they would be open to supporting her if she decided to run for governor in two years. Forty-six percent of Golden State registered voters said they would be very likely or somewhat likely to back Harris for governor, according to a poll from the University of California at Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times. Forty-two percent of respondents said they would be very unlikely or somewhat unlikely to support the vice president. WHAT BIDEN TOLD TRUMP WHEN THEY MET AT THE WHITE HOUSE The poll, released on Wednesday, was conducted Oct. 22-29, before former President Donald Trump’s sweeping Electoral College and popular vote victory over Harris in the White House race. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot seek a third term in 2026. HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028 The race to succeed Newsom in steering the nation’s most populous state is expected to grab plenty of national attention. In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a roughly two-to-one margin and where no Republican has been elected governor in nearly two decades, the race is expected to draw interest from top politicians. Harris, a California resident, served as San Francisco district attorney and state attorney general before winning election in 2016 to the U.S. Senate representing her home state. The vice president and Democratic Party presidential nominee easily captured California’s 54 electoral votes in last week’s election, and with nearly 87% of the vote counted in her home state, she leads Trump by just over 20 points. After replacing President Biden on the Democrats’ 2024 ticket in July, Harris was repeatedly criticized by Trump as he blamed the vice president for the crime, high prices and other ailments facing California. Additionally, he repeatedly argued that Harris and her policies had contributed to the ruin of San Francisco. Trump held a large rally last month in California, which has not voted for a Republican in a presidential election in more than 35 years. Harris, who grew up in the state’s Bay Area, keeps a home in the West Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood with her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff. There has been plenty of speculation about what Harris will do when she leaves office in two months, but the vice president has not publicly discussed any potential future plans. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis of California, a longtime Harris ally, is already running to succeed Newsom. Kounalakis launched her 2026 gubernatorial bid over a year ago.