Tim Scott says Biden regulators should quit it, give Trump a ‘fresh slate’
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said regulators under President Biden should quit doing their jobs to allow President-elect Trump a “fresh slate” when he takes office in January. In a letter to Biden on Sunday, Scott said Americans “across the country rejected your administration’s radical economic agenda and delivered President Trump and the incoming Congress a clear mandate to usher in a new era of government.” “Given this mandate,” Scott wrote, “it is incumbent upon you and your administration to ensure that President Trump can implement the agenda the American people voted for by allowing him to take office on January 20th with a fresh slate.” TRUMP ALLY SEN. TIM SCOTT’S NEW MISSION TO HELP INCOMING PRESIDENT: ‘INCREASE THE MAJORITY’ “To ensure an orderly transition, federal financial and housing regulators should suspend any rulemaking and nomination related activities,” Scott said. As the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Scott said he is calling on the agencies overseen by the committee to “cease all rulemaking, including the finalization of any pending or proposed regulations or guidance, and to comply with federal record retention laws and preserve all agency documents, records, and communications.” He also demanded that all pending nominations within the committee’s purview be withdrawn. “I will not vote for, or advance, any nominees put forth in front of the Committee by your administration,” Scott wrote. “Next Congress I look forward to confirming President Trump’s nominees who will bring about economic opportunity to all Americans.” JD VANCE IS THE HEIR APPARENT TO TRUMP, BUT HERE ARE SOME OTHER REPUBLICANS WHO MAY RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028 Copied on the letter were Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell. In addition to focusing on the Trump transition, Scott, who was elected as the incoming chair of the Senate Republican campaign committee last week, has taken on a role of looking to increase the GOP majority in the 2026 elections. After his fellow GOP lawmakers in the Senate chose him to chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee over the next two years, Scott told reporters that his “passion” is to make sure that Trump “does not have two years with a Republican majority in the Senate, he has four years in control.” Scott told Fox News Digital that “what we’re going to do is defend the seats that we have and expand the map so that we can increase the majority brought to us by the Trump victory.” Republicans won back control of the Senate in this month’s elections, ending four years of majority control by the Democrats. It is expected that once a mandated state recount is completed in the Senate contest in Pennsylvania – where GOP challenger Dave McCormick leads Democratic Sen. Bob Casey by roughly 17,000 votes – the Republicans will hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate come January. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Delhi AQI update: ‘Decision on work-from-home, odd -even measures to be taken soon’, says Environment Minister Gopal Rai
The air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘severe plus’ category for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, i.e., November 19, with the city choking on toxic air, posing serious threat to health, and lowering visibility.
UNT faculty slam university for removing references to race and equity in course names
Professors and instructors say the university is preemptively censoring itself after administrators removed references to race and equity in dozens of College of Education course titles and descriptions.
As Trump administration takes shape, Texas takes a back seat
So far Trump has looked elsewhere for his earliest cabinet and high-level staff appointments, in some cases passing over Texans who were in the mix.
Thousands protest as Maori rights march reaches New Zealand parliament
NewsFeed Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in front of New Zealand’s parliament as a march against proposed changes to Maori rights reached the capital. Al Jazeera’s Adrian Brown was at the scene. Published On 19 Nov 202419 Nov 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Opposition’s Abdullahi wins presidential election in breakaway Somaliland
‘Irro’ took over 60 percent of the vote having pledged to push efforts to gain international recognition for the region. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, leader of Somaliland’s opposition, has been elected president of the breakaway region of Somalia, according to reports. Abdullahi – also known as Irro – of the Waddani Party received close to 64 percent of the vote, beating the incumbent, President Muse Bihi Abdi of the Kulmiye Party, the Somaliland National Electoral Commission (NEC) said on Tuesday, according to local media and The Associated Press news agency. Voters in Somalia’s breakaway region cast their ballot last week in an election that was delayed for two years due to lack of funding and other reasons. Abdi, who was seeking a second term after seven years in office, trailed badly with about 35 percent of the vote. Both candidates had campaigned promising they would resuscitate an ailing economy and push efforts to gain international recognition for Somaliland. #BREAKING: Somaliland Electoral Commission announces Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro” as the winner of the presidential election with 63.92% of the vote, defeating Muse Bihi, who secured 34.81%. Three political parties—WADANI, KULMIYE, and KAAH—emerge as key players in the… pic.twitter.com/pNlbrIit5I — GAROWE ONLINE (@GaroweOnline) November 19, 2024 Somaliland, which declared independence in 1991 as Somalia descended into conflict, has built a stable political environment, in sharp contrast to Somalia’s security struggles. The self-proclaimed republic sustains its own government, currency and security structures. However, it is not recognised by any country in the world, restricting access to international finance and the ability of its six million people to travel. The government in the capital, Hargeisa, hopes to soon finalise a controversial deal that would grant neighbouring Ethiopia sea access. In return, Addis Ababa would provide an “in-depth assessment” of recognition. The deal aroused fury in Somalia, which views it as a violation of its sovereignty, and prompted fears of conflict. Ethiopia is a major contributor to a peacekeeping force in Somalia, fighting against armed groups there. But the agreement has drawn Somalia closer to Ethiopia’s historical rivals, Egypt and Eritrea. Somaliland is also optimistic that the incoming Trump administration will revisit the United States’s longstanding recognition of Mogadishu’s sovereignty over Somaliland. Several leading US Department of State officials who worked on Africa policy during Republican leader Donald Trump’s first term have publicly voiced support for recognising Somaliland. Adblock test (Why?)
US envoy Amos Hochstein arrives in Lebanon for ceasefire talks
Top Biden administration official visits Beirut hours after the Israeli military strikes the centre of the Lebanese capital. A senior United States envoy is visiting Lebanon for talks on a draft ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah as both sides continue to trade fire. Amos Hochstein landed in Beirut on Tuesday after Hezbollah and the Lebanese government reacted to the text “in a positive way,” but have “some comments on the content”, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reported from the Lebanese capital. The administration of US President Joe Biden is making a last-ditch attempt for a truce as fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli military has escalated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday pledged to continue to “systematically operate” against Hezbollah even if a ceasefire deal is reached. “This is a nonstarter for Lebanon. They see this as a violation of the country’s sovereignty,” Khodr said. An aide to the Lebanese parliament’s speaker, Nabih Berri, who has been endorsed by the Iran-aligned group to negotiate – told the Reuters news agency on Monday that both the Lebanese government and Hezbollah have agreed to the US proposal that was submitted in writing last week. He declined to outline the comments made by Lebanon on the draft but said they were presented in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted following the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006. The resolution calls on Hezbollah to pull back north of the Litani River – about 30km (18.6 miles) from the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese soil and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south of the country alongside United Nations peacekeepers. According to Khodr: “Lebanon’s message is – we are committed to 1701, nothing more.” During a visit to Beirut in October, Hochstein said commitments to the UN resolution were not enough as it failed to be implemented since its adoption 18 years ago. He called instead for a new enforcement mechanism to be set up. “Statements we hear from Lebanese officials is that there is cautious optimism, but the reality is that there are major sticking points, especially concerning a Western-led committee that the US wants to create to oversee the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 – this is not accepted by Lebanon,” Khodr said. On Tuesday, emergency workers were still recovering bodies from the rubble after the Israeli military’s latest attack on central Beirut that killed at least five people. Hezbollah, meanwhile, launched a missile at Tel Aviv, wounding seven people. “These attacks – as well as Israel’s ongoing ground offensive in southern Lebanon and the continued rocket fire from Hezbollah – are adding to scepticism of the prospects of a real ceasefire,” said Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Beirut. At least 3,516 people have been killed and 14,929 wounded in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since the Gaza war began last October. Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 43,922 Palestinians and wounded 103,898 since October 7, 2023. Adblock test (Why?)
Air pollution: Delhi govt seeks centre’s nod for artificial rain amid 500 AQI
Rai said the GRAP should be implemented across north India and accused BJP-led states of violating the rules. “GRAP-IV will remain in force if pollution persists, we will not give any relaxation, the minister said.
House Republicans eye FEMA fund overhaul ahead of high-stakes hearing on Helene recovery
A group of House Republicans is pushing to overhaul how funds are organized at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to more quickly get aid to communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., chair of the House GOP Policy Committee, is leading a new bill that would move unspent funds the agency has from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as certain unspent funds earmarked for previous natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, into the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund. It comes just hours before the House Oversight Committee is set to hold a high-stakes hearing over accusations that FEMA aid was politicized. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT “Millions of Americans were impacted by devastating hurricanes, and many are still seeking assistance and aid from FEMA to this day. Reports have now surfaced that a FEMA official recently instructed relief workers to avoid homes displaying support for President Donald Trump,” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said last week when announcing the hearing. “Not only are these actions by a FEMA employee completely unacceptable, but the committee remains deeply concerned that this is not an isolated incident at the agency.” Palmer’s bill is backed by a wide spectrum of GOP lawmakers, from House Freedom Caucus members, like Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., to more moderate Republicans, like Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Young Kim, R-Calif. It’s one of several solutions proposed in Congress to help get more immediate dollars to FEMA’s disaster fund. MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters on Monday that her agency “will need additional funding of approximately $40 billion beyond its 2025 budget request to support the ongoing recovery efforts to these storms and meet our overall mission requirements through the end of the fiscal year.” The White House also requested $98 billion in additional disaster relief funding from Congress. Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have pledged to act swiftly once getting a formal request from the Biden administration. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ Helene ravaged part of the U.S. Southeast in late September, killing more than 100 people in North Carolina alone. It’s estimated to have caused billions of dollars worth of damage as well. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., previously told Fox News Digital that he believed it could be one of the most expensive storms in U.S. history.
Trump naming cabinet officials at ‘warp speed,’ far head of first term pace
President-elect Trump appears to be a politician in a hurry when it comes to staffing his upcoming second administration’s top jobs. Trump has announced roughly 20 cabinet and other top level positions in the nearly two weeks since decisively winning the 2024 presidential election over Vice President Kamala Harris. The former and future president’s staffing pace is far ahead of where he was eight years ago, after his first White House victory. And he’s also making his picks at a quicker rate than President Biden following his 2020 election, and former President Obama 16 years ago. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION One reason for the quick pace – unlike eight years ago when Trump and his top aides were relatively new to the process, this time they’re experienced hands. And this time around, Trump enjoys a larger national mandate, due to his sweeping Electoral College victory and his capturing of the national vote, which he didn’t accomplish in his 2016 White House win. GET TO KNOW TRUMP’S CABINET- WHO THE PRESIDENT-ELECT HAS PICKED SO FAR “He certainly knows the ropes and I guess in some ways, he kind of knows the dopes. He knows who he likes and knows who he doesn’t. He knows what he wants to accomplish,” Matt Mowers, a veteran Republican consultant and 2020 GOP congressional nominee in New Hampshire who worked on Trump’s 2016-2017 transition and served in the first Trump administration, told Fox News. Mowers noted that the clock’s ticking for Trump. “It shows that they recognize that with only four guaranteed years, they have to make an impact starting on day one. So it’s one of the reasons why they’ve chosen candidates at the speed he has and really started to announce policy at the speed he has – because they know they only have four years to really fundamentally guarantee a change of direction of the country based on what he campaigned on,” Mowers emphasized. DESANTIS SETS TIMETABLE FOR RUBIO REPLACEMENT IN THE SENATE Matthew Bartlett, another Republican consultant who also served at the State Department during Trump’s first term, told Fox News that “we are seeing the operation warp speed, that Trump is rapid fire naming cabinet and agency heads.” “Some of that is because he absolutely knows who he wants in place for his second term,” Bartlett said. “And it’s possible that some of it is because he is extemporaneously firing off names that are in his ear. So this looks like a mix of professionals and possibles.” But the past-face of announcements could potentially have a downside when it comes to the Senate confirmation of some of the more controversial picks by Trump. “The American people have an appetite, maybe even a demand, for a disruptor, but I’m not sure that they voted to see a destroyer as a cabinet secretary,” Bartlett said. And he predicted that some of the nominees “are going to go down” during the Senate confirmation process.