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Here’s what’s different in the new spending legislation approved by the House

House lawmakers voted Friday to approve a newly negotiated spending bill that included many of the same components of the earlier legislation — but without the debt limit provision that had sparked consternation among many in the party. Republican leaders shared the text late Friday, shortly before lawmakers approved the spending legislation, 366-34. Lawmakers were scrambling for a path forward after an initial bill was tanked by President-elect Trump and his allies on Wednesday, and a later bill approved by Trump failed on the House floor Thursday. HOUSE PASSES SPENDING BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The bill, unlike the version rejected Thursday night, removes a debt limit extension sought by President-elect Donald Trump, which would have included a two-year suspension of the debt limit. That version failed to garner support among Democrats, who were more broadly opposed to the idea, and from fiscal conservatives within the Republican Party.  The new legislation includes provisions such as $10 billion in aid to farmers and agriculture subsidies included in the earlier version of the bill — which were considered must-pass provisions by many lawmakers. It also includes $100 billion in disaster aid for U.S. residents, including victims of devastating hurricanes in some U.S. states. “We will not have a government shutdown, and we will meet our obligations for our farmers who need aid, for the disaster victims all over the country, and for making sure that military and essential services, and everyone who relies upon the federal government for a paycheck is paid over the holidays,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters before Friday’s vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for a vote. 

The 34 House Republicans who voted against a bill to avert a partial government shutdown

Over 30 House Republicans voted Friday against a bill to avert a partial government shutdown. Lawmakers scrambled to reach consensus on a spending package ahead of the looming partial government shutdown deadline Friday. An initial 1,547-page bipartisan deal that would have extended the government funding deadline until March 14 was released Tuesday night, but the proposal crumbled after Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy criticized the spending bill. A more condensed, Trump-backed version was brought to the floor Thursday night but failed to pass.  In a last-minute vote Friday, the House succeeded in passing a funding bill with 34 Republicans voting against the legislation and zero Democrats voting against it. One Democrat, Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, voted present. HOUSE PASSES FUNDING BILL WITH JUST HOURS UNTIL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Among those who voted against the bill was Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who told Fox News Digital, “I don’t know why we’re giving Joe Biden $100 billion to play with in 30 days. “Oddly enough, it didn’t have what Trump wanted most of all.” Other House members who voted against the bill: WHITE HOUSE PRESSED ON BIDEN REFUSING TO SPEAK PUBLICLY AHEAD OF SHUTDOWN Rep. and Sen.-elect Jim Banks, R-Ind. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C.  Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. Asked why she voted against the bill, Boebert told Fox News Digital, “I’m just ready for president Trump to be back.” Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga. Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz. Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn. Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz. Rep. Greg Lopez, R-Colo. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas After passing in the House, the bill will head to the Senate for a vote.  President Biden signaled his intention to sign the bill if it reaches his desk. 

Aurora, Colorado, police say home invasion ‘without question’ Tren de Aragua gang activity

Aurora Police have confirmed that several members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) were involved in an “incredibly violent” armed home invasion and kidnapping that left two victims seriously injured in an apartment complex this week.  “I will say without question, in my opinion, that this is TdA activity. Some of these individuals have been identified as TdA gang members,” Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said. “It’s something that we are working very close with our partners in HSI [Homeland Security Investigations] and DHS [Homeland Security] to establish their relationship with gangs.” Chamberlain said authorities have little way of confirming that a suspect is a member of TdA since gang members do not typically broadcast their affiliation.  “It is a real challenge to try to say, ‘Hey, 100%, you are a gang member,’” he said. TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS ARRESTED IN NYC APARTMENT NEXT TO DAYCARE FACILITY Chamberlain said it was not a “big step” for him to identify them as members of the notorious Venezuelan gang. “But when you look at the circumstances of this, when you look at the events of this, when you look at the individuals involved in this, when you look at the veracity and the violence involved in this, again, it is not a big step for me to say that they are TdA gang members,” he said. The gang members allegedly forced their way into a couple’s apartment at the Edge at Lowry Apartments in the Denver suburbs and bound, beat, stabbed and kidnapped the victims, leaving them hospitalized. The perpetrators also allegedly stole jewelry from the victims. SANCTUARY CITY DENVER SPENDING A WHOPPING $356 MILLION ON MIGRANTS: STUDY  While the department cannot yet confirm whether all 19 of the suspects detained in the incident are TdA members, Chamberlain said he could categorically confirm that several are part of the gang that has been terrorizing Aurora residents in recent months.  WATCH: Chamberlain said one of the detained TdA members was also involved in the violent apartment takeover in Aurora earlier this year.  According to Chamberlain, this was not an isolated incident. He said the TdA members and their affiliates have regularly mistreated the couple and were extorting them for $500 every two weeks. He believes the couple were not the only victims being intimidated and extorted by the gang members.  Chamberlain also said Aurora Police are fully cooperating with ICE, DHS and Homeland Security Investigations to determine the identities and potential gang affiliation of those involved in the incident.  A total of 19 suspects were detained for questioning, three of whom have since been released and eight of whom are now in ICE custody. He said eight are still under investigation.  “Those pending charges range from everything from second-degree kidnaping, aggravated robbery, first-degree assault, extortion and burglary,” he said. Police have not released the names of the 16 arrested individuals. The police chief reiterated that authorities did not conduct a “mass sweep” for the suspects, but instead went door to door to thoroughly investigate all parties involved. During a press conference, Chamberlain emphasized that Aurora Police would respond to calls and help any victim in trouble “regardless of immigration status.”

Erdogan urges end of foreign support for Kurdish fighters in Syria

Turkish president compares Kurdish YPG fighters to ISIL and says neither group has a future in Syria. Turkiye expects foreign countries to withdraw support for Kurdish fighters in Syria after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says, as Germany warns against an escalation in fighting with Kurdish forces. Speaking to reporters on a flight home from a summit in Egypt, Erdogan said there was no longer any reason for outsiders to back Kurdish fighters with the People’s Protection Units (YPG). His comments were released by his office on Friday. The YPG is the main force in a United States-backed alliance called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria. Turkiye considers the YPG an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has long fought the Turkish state and is designated as a “terrorist” group by Ankara, Washington and the European Union. In his remarks, Erdogan compared YPG fighters to ISIL (ISIS), an armed group also known as Daesh, and said neither group has a future in Syria. SDF forces operating in the neighbourhood of Ghwayran in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah [File: AFP] “In the upcoming period, we do not believe that any power will continue to collaborate with terrorist organisations. The heads of terrorist organisations such as Daesh and PKK-YPG will be crushed in the shortest possible time.” Advertisement The US still has 2,000 soldiers on the ground in Syria working alongside the SDF. The alliance played a major role on the ground defeating ISIL forces in 2014-2017 with US air support and still guards ISIL fighters in prison camps. Ankara, alongside Syrian allies, has mounted several cross-border offensives against the SDF in northern Syria while repeatedly demanding that its NATO ally Washington halts support for the fighters. Hostilities have escalated since President al-Assad was toppled less than two weeks ago with Turkiye and Syrian groups it backs seizing the city of Manbij from the SDF on December 9, prompting the US to broker a fragile ceasefire. Erdogan told reporters that Turkiye wanted to see a new Syria in which all ethnic and religious groups can live in harmony. To achieve this, ISIL, “the PKK and its versions, which threaten the survival of Syria, need to be eradicated”, he said. Security for Kurds ‘essential’ Later on Friday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told her Turkish counterpart that security for the Kurdish people is critical for Syria. “Security, especially for Kurds, is essential for a free and secure future for Syria,” she told journalists after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan while warning of the dangers of any “escalation” with Kurdish forces in Syria. Baerbock also raised the alarm over new violence in northern Syria. “Thousands of Kurds from Manbij and other places are on the run in Syria or are afraid of fresh violence,” the German minister said. “I made it very, very clear today that our common security interests must not be jeopardised by an escalation with the Kurds in Syria.” Advertisement Fidan told Baerbock that it was essential for Kurdish groups including the PKK and YPG to lay down their arms and dissolve, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said. Meanwhile, a senior US diplomat said on Friday that Washington was urging a ceasefire between Turkish-backed forces and the SDF around the flashpoint Syrian city known as Kobane in Kurdish and Ain al-Arab in Arabic. “We are working energetically in discussions with Turkish authorities, also with the SDF. We think the best way ahead is for a ceasefire around Kobane,” Barbara Leaf, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, told reporters after her first visit to Damascus since the fall of al-Assad. Adblock test (Why?)

At least two dead as car slams into crowded Christmas market in Germany

At least two people are dead and as many as 68 injured after a car rammed into a crowded Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, the capital of the central German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Officials on Friday night described the incident as an intentional attack and announced that the driver had been taken into custody at the scene. An investigation is under way. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was among the many offering their condolences in the immediate aftermath of the incident. His office indicated that he would be visiting the scene on Saturday. “The reports from Magdeburg suggest something terrible has happened. My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” Scholz wrote on the social media platform X. “We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours.” A police officer speaks with a man outside a cordoned-off area after a suspected attack in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20 [Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo] The interior minister for Saxony-Anhalt, Tamara Zieschang, identified the suspect as a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who arrived in Germany in 2006. He was previously unknown to security services. Advertisement Another state official, Premier Reiner Haseloff, told a local news outlets that one of the dead was a child and the other an adult. He added that he could not say whether there would be further deaths as a result of the suspected attack. “That is speculation now. Every human life that has fallen victim to this attack is a terrible tragedy and one human life too many,” Haseloff told reporters. He said that officials currently believe the suspect in custody was the sole perpetrator behind the car ramming. “As things stand, he is a lone perpetrator, so that as far as we know, there is no further danger to the city,” Haseloff told reporters. Among the injured, 15 were identified as being in critical condition, according to the city government’s website. Another 37 people had injuries of medium severity and 16 were lightly injured. Local media reports indicate the car involved was seen driving at high speeds before striking the crowd at about 7pm local time (18:00 GMT). A police officer blocks a road near the scene of a suspected attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20 [Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo] Christmas markets are a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages in German-speaking parts of Europe. In Magdeburg, a city of about 240,000 residents, the market was set up in a town square, with stalls selling regional food and drink. “It’s a terrible tragedy. This is a catastrophe for the city of Magdeburg and for the state, and for German generally as well,” Haseloff said. “It is really one of the worst things one can imagine, particularly in connection with what a Christmas market should bring.” Advertisement Al Jazeera correspondent Dominic Kane, who was headed to the scene of Friday’s suspected attack, said the Christmas market would have been especially crowded when the car struck. “ It’s the last Friday before Christmas. It’s the tradition all over Germany that Christmas markets are places that people go to, especially on Friday night,” Kane said. “And then think about the physical geography of the market concerned, where it is. It’s not that far from the town… not that far from the river Elbe, in quite a picturesque city actually.  So there will have been lots of reasons for people to be in the centre of the city at the time.” Kane added that the suspect’s reported use of a rental car would provide investigators an avenue to learn more about his actions in the lead-up to the attack. “Obviously, there will be a record of when the car was picked up, where it was picked up and what documentation was used to get the car in the first place. These are all lines of inquiry,” Kane said. Friday night’s suspected attack comes eight years after a similar car ramming in the German capital of Berlin on December 19, 2016. In that case, a Tunisian suspect, 24-year-old Anis Amri, intentionally drove a truck into a Christmas market in a major public square, Breitscheidplatz. Twelve people were killed in that attack and as many as 56 were wounded. Amri was eventually killed in a shootout in Milan, after fleeing to Italy. Raphael Bossong, a senior associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, speculated that the two incidents will likely be seen as related, though it is too early to speculate. “ Unfortunately, this is a very sad anniversary, and I’m sure the perpetrator chose this thing for that purpose, to bring up this memory,” Bossong told Al Jazeera shortly after the news broke. He added that Friday’s suspected attack was likely to have political repercussions in Germany, which is slated to hold federal elections in February 2025. Advertisement “We are entering an election period, and the German debate is already very polarised around these issues of migration,” Bossong explained. “I’m sure this will only add fuel to the fire, as sad as it is.” In particular, security arrangements – both at the market and in the country as a whole – are likely to come under scrutiny. “All Christmas markets and all these facilities in general now are supposed to be cordoned off against traffic, in the sense that since no car and no lorry could drive into them,” Bossong told Al Jazeera. “Probably the authorities will have to do some explaining.” Already, the billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk – an increasingly prominent figure on the far right – has used the attack to call for Chancellor Scholz’s resignation. “Scholz should resign immediately,” he wrote in a comment on his social media platform X. “Incompetent fool.” Earlier in the day, Musk had announced he would back the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Germany’s upcoming elections. “Only the AfD can save Germany,” he posted, signalling

Starbucks workers’ union goes on strike in US cities

Some members of the workers’ union representing more than 10,000 baristas at Starbucks in the United States have begun a five-day strike at stores in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, citing unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules. The strike, which started on Friday, is the latest in a series of labour actions in the US that have picked up pace across service industries following a period when workers of automotive, aerospace and rail manufacturers won substantial concessions from employers. The Starbucks Workers United Union, which represents employees at 525 stores across the US, said late on Thursday that walkouts would escalate daily and could reach “hundreds of stores” nationwide by Christmas Eve. “It’s estimated that 10 stores out of 10,000 company-operated stores did not open today,” Starbucks said, adding that there was no significant impact on store operations on Friday. About 20 people joined a picket line at a Starbucks location on Chicago’s north side, buffeted by snow and wind, but cheering in response to the honking horns of passing cars. Advertisement A few confused customers tried to walk into the closed store before strikers began chanting, but union member Shep Searl said the reaction had been mostly positive. Searl said 100 percent of the unionised workers at the Starbucks location in Chicago’s Edgewater neighbourhood were participating in the strike and, according to the workers, they have been subject to numerous unfair labour practices including write-ups, “captive-audience” meetings and firings. (A captive-audience meeting is a mandatory meeting organised by a firm where employees are interested in unionising and where it brings in labour relations consultants to talk about the pros and cons of unionising.) The union members said they made about $21 an hour and added that this “would have been a great wage in 2013”. It is an inadequate wage, the baristas said, given inflation and the high cost of living in a large city, especially since they rarely got 40-hour work weeks. “We’re planning to escalate if we need to,” they said. Deadlock Negotiations between the company and Workers United began in April, based on an established framework agreed upon in February, which could also help resolve numerous pending legal disputes. Starbucks workers picket outside of a closed Starbucks on Friday in Burbank, California [Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo] The company said on Thursday it has held more than nine bargaining sessions with the union since April, and reached more than 30 agreements on “hundreds of topics”, including economic issues. Advertisement The firm, whose headquarters are in Seattle, said it was ready to continue negotiations, claiming the union delegates prematurely ended the bargaining session this week. The union, however, said in a Facebook post on Friday that Starbucks had yet to present a serious economic proposal with less than two weeks remaining until the year-end contract deadline. The workers’ group also snubbed an offer of no immediate wage hike and a guarantee of a 1.5 percent increase in future years. “Workers United proposals call for an immediate increase in the minimum wage of hourly partners by 64 percent, and by 77 percent over the life of a three-year contract. This is not sustainable,” Starbucks said on Friday. Hundreds of complaints have been filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), accusing Starbucks of unlawful labour practices such as firing union supporters and closing stores during labour campaigns. Starbucks has denied wrongdoing and said it respects the right of workers to choose whether to unionise. Last month, the NLRB said that Starbucks broke the law by telling workers at its flagship Seattle cafe that they would lose benefits if they joined a union. “It’s [the strike] taking place during one of the busiest times of the year for Starbucks, which could magnify its impact while bringing unwanted public scrutiny into the company’s labour practices,” Rachel Wolff, an analyst with market researcher Emarketer, said. The coffee chain is undergoing a turnaround under its newly-appointed boss Brian Niccol, who aims to restore “coffee house culture” by overhauling cafes and simplifying the menu, among other measures. Advertisement “Given how much Starbucks is already struggling to win over customers, it can ill afford any negative publicity – or impact to sales – that the strike could bring,” Wolff said. The union has called for support at the picket lines in the three cities starting at about 18:00 GMT, according to a post on X. The Starbucks workers’ strike comes in the same week as Amazon workers at seven US facilities walked off the job, on Thursday, during the holiday shopping rush. There were 33 work stoppages in 2023, the most since 2000, though far lower than in past decades, data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed. Adblock test (Why?)

Texas lawmaker files bill to reduce “forever chemicals” in sewage-based fertilizer

The bill would require companies to test fertilizer made from sewage sludge for PFAS and meet limits before selling them to Texas farmers and ranchers.

Fox News Politics: Biden’s Early Christmas Gift to Public Workers

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – House Weaponization panel releases 17,000-page report exposing ‘two-tiered system of government’ – Kristi Noem boasts outpouring of police, border union support for DHS chief: Current leaders ‘betrayed us’ – Top Senate Dems pour cold water on latest GOP spending bill plans: ‘Ready to stay’ through Christmas The Biden administration announced another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts as President Biden and Vice President Harris prepare to leave the White House. The massive loan handout will give 54,900 public workers loan forgiveness. “Four years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration made a pledge to America’s teachers, service members, nurses, first responders, and other public servants that we would fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and I’m proud to say that we delivered,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a release on Friday…Read more A HOLY EXIT: Biden heading to Vatican next month to meet with Pope Francis, Italian PM Meloni in final overseas trip…Read more ‘POSSIBLY CRIMINAL’: Trump files amicus brief to ‘immediately’ stop Biden sale of border wall, says conduct is ‘possibly criminal’…Read more LEFT-WING ‘LAUNDRY LIST’: Watchdog seeks to halt an 11th-hour Biden DOJ effort to ‘handcuff’ a KY police department…Read more CHRISTMAS RUSH: Top DOGE senator to demand lame-duck Biden agencies halt costly telework talks, citing voter mandate…Read more ‘NO DEALS WITH THE DEMOCRATS’: GOP lawmaker says vote on ‘very similar’ CR expected Friday morning…Read more ‘DOGE SPEAKER’: Mike Lee predicts demise of Johnson speakership, calls for ‘DOGE speaker’…Read more ‘PAY OUR TROOPS’: Senate Republicans attempt to fast track emergency military pay as they brace for shutdown…Read more SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: House Republicans reach new plan to avoid government shutdown after back-to-back defeats: Sources…Read more KILL THE BILL: Here’s a list of the 38 Republicans who defied Trump by voting ‘no’ on the failed spending bill…Read more BUTTIGIEG BUZZ: Buttigieg appearance on New Hampshire talk radio fuels 2028 presidential race buzz…Read more OPEN BORDERS: ICE response team in NYC arrested a Mexican illegal immigrant sex offender who “has been removed from the US on 5 separate occasions”…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Senate Dems rail against ‘shadow speaker’ billionaire Elon Musk: ‘Not elected to anything’

Senate Democrats labeled billionaire Elon Musk “co-president” and “shadow speaker” among other titles as they reacted to the original stopgap spending deal’s implosion on Wednesday after he and ultimately President-elect Trump came out against it.  Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Musk “seems to be the guy in charge of the country now,” reacting to his apparent ability to influence the bill’s prompt failure despite it having been agreed upon by bipartisan leaders in Congress.  If a measure to provide funding for the government is not passed by Congress and signed by President Biden by midnight on Saturday morning, a partial government shutdown will go into effect.  As of Thursday, the U.S. national debt was at $36,167,604,149,955.61 and continues to climb rapidly.  SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN After a 1,547-page short-term spending bill was debuted this week. Musk quickly took to X to trash it, pointing out various seemingly irrelevant provisions as well as its cost and length.  He was soon joined by other critics, and Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance issued their own statement opposing the bill.  This led to significant criticism from Democrats unhappy with Musk’s apparent ability to influence Trump and the Republicans in Congress.  TOP SENATE DEMS POUR COLD WATER ON LATEST GOP SPENDING BILL PLANS: ‘READY TO STAY’ THROUGH CHRISTMAS “He’s the one who seems to be calling the shots,” Warren told reporters.  “Elon Musk is the one evidently in charge of the Republican Party and has blown that deal up. So I don’t know how the Republicans are planning to recover from that,” she said.  Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., suggested that Musk is “already the shadow speaker of the House,” in a slight against House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. TIM SCOTT’S SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM STAFF REVEALED AHEAD OF CRUCIAL 2026 SWING STATE RACES “I think he’s unelected, and he’s created a whole lot of damage,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. He claimed Republicans in Congress were “busy listening to Co-President Musk and co-President Trump.”  “I’m listening to the people of Georgia, especially the farmers who are struggling to get disaster relief. And, we need to make sure that we get that over the finish line,” said Warnock. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., reiterated that Musk is not an elected official. “He doesn’t have any official government job,” he said.  ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ CAUCUS LAUNCHED BY SEN MARSHALL AFTER RFK JR MEETING “We had a deal with Republicans in the House and now, because of him, the president-elect is on the verge of people losing their jobs and not getting paid over the holidays,” Kelly said of a potential partial shutdown if a bill is not passed by a deadline of midnight on Saturday morning.  Despite their Democratic colleagues’ claims, Republicans pushed back on the idea that Trump was being influenced by Musk. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., noted that there are “lots of people around President Trump,” adding that he doesn’t think Musk has control over what the president-elect does.  Musk was tapped by Trump, along with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead what is called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a proposed advisory board tasked with eliminating government waste.

US says it killed ISIS leader in Syria in ‘targeted’ airstrike

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had conducted an airstrike that killed ISIS leader Abu Yusif in eastern Syria. One other ISIS operative was also killed in the strike that occurred on Thursday, the agency said in a release on Friday morning. “As stated before, the United States — working with allies and partners in the region — will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute,” CENTCOM Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said. “ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria.” “We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria,” he said. US GROUP LOOKS FOR KIDNAPPED AMERICANS IN SYRIA AFTER FALL OF ASSAD REGIME The agency said they carried out the targeted airstrike in the eastern province of Deir ez Zor in Syria, noting that it’s part of their ongoing commitment to “disrupt and degrade efforts” by terrorists. ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR INSISTS NATION IS ‘NOT GETTING INVOLVED’ IN SYRIAN REGIME CHANGE They said the area was previously controlled by the Syrian regime and Russian forces before the recent fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  Al-Assad fled to Russia earlier this month and ended a nearly 14-year struggle to maintain power in his country. Attacks by the Turkish military on Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have increased since the Syrian president fled to Russia on Dec. 8. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Ryder said that in light of the instability in the region, as well as al-Assad’s departure, there are 2,000 U.S. troops deployed in Syria. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.