Amid heavy pollution in Delhi, these 12 Indian cities enjoy fresh, clean air
The primary pollutants in Delhi are particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
Here are the most talked-about candidates for top posts in Trump’s administration
After winning the 2024 presidential election, President-elect Trump’s next big move is to fill his Cabinet with the right leaders that will reinforce his agenda over the next four years. There are several candidates rumored for each post, but the following individuals are the most talked-about contenders for the top positions: Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who was a leading contender on Trump’s short list for vice president, has been floated for secretary of state. PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ALREADY MEETING WITH TRANSITION TEAM, STRATEGIZING HOW TO FILL ADMINISTRATION Rubio currently serves as vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence and is a senior member of the Committee on Foreign Relations – leading on various initiatives that seek to bolster national security. The Florida senator didn’t rule out taking a position in the administration during a post-election interview. “I always am interested in serving this country,” Rubio told CNN. “I haven’t had any set conversations with anybody in the Trump administration. Either way, I plan to work with them, whether it’s in the Senate, which is an important place to be, or in some other capacity.” RFK JR. WANTS TO CLEAR OUT ‘ENTIRE DEPARTMENTS’ IN THE FDA: ‘THEY HAVE TO GO’ Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., is also being considered for the Cabinet. Hagerty served as ambassador to Japan under Trump and has pushed back on the foreign policies of the Biden-Harris administration. Former Trump national security adviser Robert O’Brien is also in contention for the role, Fox News Digital was told. Since leaving the Trump administration, he cofounded the international policy advisory firm American Global Strategies. Fox News Digital was told that Richard Grenell is also eyeing the position. Grenell is the former ambassador to Germany and former acting director of national intelligence under Trump. He’s also a potential pick for national security adviser. Combat-decorated Green Beret Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., could be tapped to lead America’s defense agency. Waltz, who was CEO of defense contractor Metis Solutions and Pentagon defense policy director under Defense Secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, serves on the House China Task Force coordinating policy on China and working to reduce American reliance on Chinese minerals. Walz serves as the chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and as a member of the Oversight and Accountability Committee and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo could return to run the defense agency after serving during Trump’s first term. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., was being floated for the role but took his name out of consideration for a Cabinet position, a source close to the Republican senator told Fox News. Chad Wolf served as the acting secretary of Homeland Security under Trump during his first term. Wolf currently works as America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) executive director, chief strategy officer, and chair of the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration. Tom Homan, former acting director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump, is also a contender. Homan is a former police officer and visiting fellow at the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, an attorney who previously specialized in Supreme Court litigation, served as law clerk to Judge Dee Benson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, and then with future Supreme Court Justice Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Lee has supported Trump throughout his 2024 campaign, slamming the “Democratic Party establishment” for the criminal cases against the president-elect in an interview with Fox. While on the campaign trail, Trump said he would consider Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the AG position. Paxton has been a staunch supporter of Trump throughout his challenges to the 2020 election and legal battles. The day before the election, Paxton filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit supporting claims that special prosecutor Jack Smith was illegally appointed by the DOJ. Matt Whitiker served as the acting attorney general for a year during Trump’s first term. Prior to taking on the role, Whitiker served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa and then as chief of staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who was a leading contender to be Trump’s vice president, is reportedly being considered to head the Department of Energy. Burgum leads one of the top energy producing states in the country and has championed “innovation over regulation” on energy policy, saying that the U.S. needs to bolster oil production and not rely on foreign oil. In his speech at the Republican National Convention, Burgum focused heavily on American energy dominance. Former Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette could return to his post in the energy department he led for two years during Trump’s first term. Brouillette recently stepped down as president and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute. Trump could reassign his former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to lead the agency for another four years. Also rumored for the position is Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who has fought the Biden administration on energy over the years. Trump has said that he is going to close the Department of Education when he takes office. Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos could come back to serve another four years in the role under Trump’s second term. While on the campaign trail, Trump suggested former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy or former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin could be chosen to lead the administration on education. Billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent has worked as a top economic adviser to Trump. “I’m going to do whatever President Trump asks,” he told CNBC when asked about a potential Cabinet position. John Paulson, also a billionaire hedge fund manager, recently told the Wall Street Journal that if appointed, he would work with Elon Musk to cut spending and extend the former president’s 2017 tax cuts. Other contenders include Jay Clayton, who chaired the U.S. Securities
Biden congratulates Trump, pledges ‘peaceful and orderly’ transfer of power
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 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. He also praised Harris for running “an inspiring campaign,” and said she has “great character” and “backbone like a ramrod.” HARRIS FORMALLY CONCEDES ONE DAY AFTER TRUMP’S SWEEPING VICTORY Trump will make a triumphant return to the White House in January after more than 72 million Americans voted for him, securing at least 295 Electoral College votes and a majority of the national popular vote. Harris claimed 226 Electoral College votes and won at least 68 million votes. Ballots are still being counted in several states. The results were the culmination of a tumultuous campaign, which saw the incumbent Biden win the Democratic primary only for him to withdraw from the race, at the urging of his party, after a disastrous debate performance against Trump in June. Harris was then nominated by Democrats to bear their standard without contest and without earning a single primary vote. During the campaign, both Harris and Biden called Trump a “fascist” and argued that his re-election to the presidency would threaten democracy and prove dangerous to the American people. But after Trump’s decisive win, Biden changed his tune to emphasize unity. On Thursday, the president spoke about political campaigns as a “contest of competing visions.” HOW TRUMP WON: THE DETAILS FROM THE FOX NEWS VOTER ANALYSIS “A country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country made. I’ve said many times, you can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree. Something I hope we can do, no matter who you voted for, you see each other not as adversaries, but as fellow Americans.” He also said he hopes the 2024 election will “lay to rest the question about the integrity of the American electoral system.” “It is honest, it is fair, and it is transparent, and it can be trusted. Win or lose.” BIDEN SAYS SELECTING HARRIS AS RUNNING MATE WAS ‘BEST DECISION I MADE’ AFTER VP’S CONCESSION SPEECH The televised address comes after Harris conceded to Trump on Wednesday. The vice president made her first public comments about the race at Howard University, her lama mater, where she said that “while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.” In a staff memo earlier, her campaign manager and Biden ally Jen O’Malley Dillon called the defeat “unfathomably painful.” “This will take a long time to process. But the work of protecting America from the impacts of a Trump Presidency starts now,” she vowed. Biden, in his speech, said “setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable.” “We all get knocked down. But the measure of our character, as my dad would say, is how quickly we get back up. Remember, a defeat does not mean we are defeated. We lost this battle. The America of your dreams is calling for you to get back up.”
After S Jaishankar’s conference, India slams Canada for action against Australian news channel
India accuses Canada of hypocrisy on free speech after Canada blocks an Australian outlet that aired S. Jaishankar’s interview amid rising tensions and accusations over diplomatic issues.
Chuck Schumer preps for return to Senate minority after GOP victory
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., broke his silence on Wednesday night following poor election results for Democrats across the board, including a presidential loss and the Republicans retaking the Senate majority. “As I’ve said time and again, in both the majority and the minority, the only way to get things done in the Senate is through bipartisan legislation while maintaining our principles — and the next two years will be no different,” he said in a statement. Despite Vice President Kamala Harris’ decisive loss to President-Elect Donald Trump, the New York Democrat praised her for her “historic candidacy” that “inspired millions.” ELECTION NIGHT WINNERS AND LOSERS: 2024 EDITION “Her advocacy on many issues — from lower costs, more affordable housing, and a fairer tax system — will continue to have strong impacts on America and on our party,” he said. Schumer noted that there were several outstanding Senate races across the country, such as those in Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona. “As we await the final tallies in elections across the country, Senate Democrats remain committed to our values and to working with our Republican colleagues to deliver for the American people,” he added. MITCH MCCONNELL SINGS TRUMP CAMPAIGN PRAISES: ‘SHARPER OPERATION THIS TIME’ As voters trended toward Republicans across the country on Tuesday night, the GOP was quickly projected to take back control of the Senate. The conference picked up seats in West Virginia, Montana and Ohio and didn’t lose any incumbents. FOX NEWS DECISION DESK PROJECTS GOP TAKES BACK SENATE MAJORITY IN DEVASTATING BLOW TO DEMS Democrats did manage to re-elect Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., despite Trump winning the blue-wall state of Wisconsin. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., also won the open Senate seat in Trump-won Michigan, which is being vacated by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. However, both of the races were much closer than predicted by polling, with Democrats pulling off victories by very close margins. FOX NEWS PROJECTS TRUMP BEATS HARRIS IN WISCONSIN, FLIPPING ‘BLUE WALL’ STATE BACK TO RED While Republicans will have at least a 52-member majority, they won’t have the necessary 60 votes to overcome the legislative filibuster, which could make executing Republican and Trump administration priorities difficult without Democrat support. Moderate Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, could present additional obstacles on certain issues. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Rep. Thomas Massie ‘willing to help’ Trump, but hasn’t received ‘commitments or offers’ from the Trump team
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky — who has previously suggested that he could help the nation by serving as secretary of agriculture — said in a post on X that while he would be willing to assist President-elect Donald Trump with his agenda, he has not received a commitment or offer from the Trump team. “President Trump’s resounding victory secured a mandate for big ideas like reversing chronic disease, conserving our land, and empowering American farmers. His campaign unified many neglected constituencies, from the Amish who just want to be left alone to grow healthy food, to parents who want more access to nutritious food for their families,” Massie said in a post on X. “I stand ready and willing to help the President with any part of his bold agenda to focus on the health and well-being of Americans, but I have received no commitments or offers from President Trump’s team, and any discussion of the transition are premature,” he added. GOP REP. THOMAS MASSIE, ONCE TARGETED BY TRUMP, GIVES FORMER PRESIDENT ‘FULL ENDORSEMENT’ Massie has previously indicated that he would be interested in serving as secretary of agriculture. “I think I could do some good for this country as Secretary of Agriculture, for any president,” he tweeted in July. Massie issued a statement on Friday, Oct. 25, in which he endorsed Trump for president. On Sunday, Oct. 27, Massie told Fox News Digital in a statement that he had spoken with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Trump. Trump has said that he will let Kennedy “go wild” on health, food and medicine. “President Trump has asked me to do three things,” Kennedy noted in a post on X, explaining that those items include tackling “corruption in our government health agencies,” restoring them to “evidence-based science,” and “ending the chronic disease epidemic.” TRUMP PUSH TO DISMANTLE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT MET WITH ENTHUSIASM IN HOUSE GOP Massie, who describes himself on X as an engineer, farmer, and inventor, has called for reforming the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “End corruption in government. Reform FDA, USDA, and CDC, so people have real choices and honest information, uncorrupted by corporate influence,” he tweeted in September. The congressman, who has served in the House for more than a decade, secured another term during the 2024 election. KENTUCKY REP. THOMAS MASSIE SHARES UPDATE AFTER WIFE’S PASSING: ‘STILL DEVASTATED’ Last year, he endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president, before DeSantis launched his bid for the GOP presidential nomination. DeSantis dropped out and endorsed Trump in January 2024. Fox News Digital reached out to Rep. Massie for comment on Thursday but did not receive a response.
Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly announces cancer diagnosis 2 days after winning re-election
Rep. Gerald “Gerry” Connolly, D-Va., announced two days after winning re-election that he has esophageal cancer. In an “open letter to constituents,” Connolly called the diagnosis he learned about “a few days ago” a “surprise,” adding that aside from “some intermittent abdominal aches and pains,” he had no symptoms. The politician said he would begin chemotherapy and immunotherapy right away. “I will attack this the only way I know how – with Irish fight and humor,” he said, adding that he “may be a bit fatigued due to the treatment” while he does his job in his district and on Capitol Hill. COLLEGE STUDENTS AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY IN VIRGINIA MAKE ‘HUGE LINE’ TO VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: VIDEO Connolly is currently serving his eighth term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 11th District, according to his online biography. His district is centered in Fairfax County and includes the wealthy suburbs outside the nation’s capital. The 74-year-old won his ninth House term by defeating Republican Mike Van Meter, a Navy veteran and former FBI agent. VIRGINIA AG SAYS SCOTUS VOTER ROLLS RULING IS WIN FOR ‘COMMON SENSE’ Connolly has been a fixture in northern Virginia politics for roughly 30 years. He was first elected as a Fairfax County supervisor in 1995. In Congress, he has played a leading role in oversight investigations. While the Senate is now controlled by Republicans, the House is now tightly divided while the wait continues for more election results. “Be assured I’m full of hope and am sustained by the love, support, and encouragement of my family, friends, and of all of you,” Connolly said in the letter. “My wonderful staff and I look forward to serving you all in this new term and in the future. It is a privilege to represent and serve each and every one of you. See you on the hustings.” Fox News’ Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Giuliani set to appear in New York City courtroom after missing deadline to turn over assets
Rudy Giuliani is set to appear in a New York City courtroom Thursday in connection to his defamation case to explain why he has yet to surrender his belongings as part of the judgment. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman issued the order on Monday after plaintiffs Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, reported to the court that Giuliani had cleared out his apartment when representatives of theirs visited the premises. Liman had initially set Oct. 29 as the deadline for Giuliani to surrender his possessions to Freeman and Moss’ representatives. The judge then ordered Giuliani and his lawyers to appear in court on Thursday. The status conference was initially set to be by phone but was then switched to an in-person appearance. In a letter to the court filed on Monday, Freeman and Moss’ attorney wrote that the plaintiff’s representatives had visited Giuliani’s apartment on Oct. 31 after getting access the previous day. Upon arriving, they found the apartment had been cleared out four weeks prior. RUDY GIULIANI ORDERED TO PAY $148 MILLION AS DEFAMATION TRIAL WRAPS UP “Save for some rugs, a dining room table, some stray pieces of small furniture and inexpensive wall art, and a handful of smaller items like dishes and stereo equipment, the Apartment has been emptied of all of its contents,” the filing read. Freeman and Moss filed another letter Tuesday after receiving reports of Giuliani driving his Mercedes-Benz in Palm Beach, Florida, that was ordered to be turned over to the plaintiffs one week prior, according to court documents filed. RUDY GIULIANI FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY AFTER BEING ORDERED TO PAY $148M “This latest revelation indicates that he either does not understand those obligations or, more likely, is knowingly disregarding them,” the filing read. Ted Goodman, Giuliani’s spokesperson, told Fox News Digital: “Opposing counsel, acting either negligently or deliberately in a deceptive manner, are simply attempting to further bully and intimidate Mayor Giuliani until he is rendered penniless and homeless. This is just another way that they’ve weaponized our once-sacred justice system. It should concern each and every American.” “Mayor Giuliani has made available his property and possessions as ordered. A few items were put into storage over the course of the past year and anything else removed was related to his two livestream programs that stream each and every weeknight across his social media platforms,” Goodman said. ARIZONA AG CONFIRMS RUDY GIULIANI SERVED IN ELECTIONS CASE AMID FORMER TRUMP ASSOCIATE’S 80TH BIRTHDAY PARTY Giuliani had been ordered to pay $148,169,000 to Freeman and Moss after he falsely accused them of committing election fraud in the 2020 election. Both Freeman and Moss were formerly Georgia election workers. The former New York City mayor and former personal lawyer to President-elect Trump was on trial for the defamation suit in Washington, D.C., which wrapped up late last year. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell had already awarded default judgment to Freeman and Moss in August. His possessions include his $5 million Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes, his television and luxury watches. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Federal military draft agency reposts message suggesting US is becoming 1936 Nazi Germany: report
The federal agency responsible for registering Americans for a military draft if the need arises reposted a message suggesting that the U.S. is becoming 1936 Nazi Germany, reports say. The post shared by the Selective Service System on its X account Wednesday said, “For all you stupid f—s out there that still believe military service will be voluntary. Remember Germany 1936,” according to the New York Post. A CBS News reporter also flagged the repost, writing on X, “What’s going on with the @SSS_gov (Selective Service) X account?” For more than an hour, the repost remained on the agency’s account, according to the newspaper, before it apparently was taken down. The Selective Service System did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The message comes as Democrats and opponents of Donald Trump in recent weeks have tried to cast the president-elect as the second coming of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. WALZ REPEATS CLINTON ATTACK THAT TRUMP MADISON SQUARE GARDEN EVENT MIRRORED 1930S NAZI RALLY In the final days of the election, Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz repeated Hillary Clinton’s attack that Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City mirrored a 1930s Nazi event. The post reportedly shared by the Selective Service System appears to reference Hitler’s decision in March 1935 to reintroduce military conscription in Germany, in a move the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum says defied the Treaty of Versailles. The following year, Hitler “ordered the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) into the demilitarized Rhineland” region of the country, according to the Museum. HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR BLASTS HARRIS FOR COMPARING TRUMP TO HITLER The Selective Service System says on its website, “While there is currently no draft, registration with the Selective Service System is the most publicly visible program during peacetime that ensures operational readiness in a fair and equitable manner. If authorized by the President and Congress, our Agency would rapidly provide personnel to the Department of Defense while at the same time providing an Alternative Service Program for conscientious objectors. “Federal Law requires nearly all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants, 18 through 25, register with Selective Service,” it adds. “The Fake News Washington Post came up with the ridiculous idea that Donald J. Trump will call for Mandatory Military Service,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account in June. “The Story is completely untrue. In fact, I never even thought of that idea,” Trump said at the time. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
‘Down to the wire’: Steve Scalise predicts House control may be decided today
EXCLUSIVE: Americans could know the balance of power in the House of Representatives as soon as Thursday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., anticipates. The top House Republican spoke with Fox News Digital after his party won commanding victories in the White House and Senate on Election Day. The Fox News Decision Desk projected the GOP having a slight edge over Democrats in the House as of Wednesday afternoon. “I mean, California’s the main state still. You know, in a lot of those close races, our incumbents are leading the way – by small margins, but we knew there would be small margins,” Scalise told Fox News Digital on Wednesday evening. “We also have some seats that we have a chance to flip that are leaning our way, too. So, you know, we’re watching all of them, and they’re coming down the wire. But I think we’ll know by [Thursday], hopefully.” SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ Republicans in President-elect Trump’s sphere and elsewhere are “in a great mood” after Tuesday night, Scalise said. “It appears we’re going to hold the House and flip the Senate,” Scalise said. “You know, it’s going to be a rare opportunity within any government to really focus in January on turning this country around.” Scalise already signaled part of what that may look like earlier in the day, when he publicly called for the various prosecutions into Trump to end now that he was re-elected president. He and other Trump allies had long dismissed the criminal probes as a misuse of the federal government, despite some of them leading to grand jury indictments and criminal convictions. Asked if a Republican-led Washington would look to reform the justice system to make such perceived attacks harder, Scalise said, “There needs to be reform.” HOUSE GOP LEADERS RIP ACTBLUE AFTER DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT HIT WITH SUBPOENA “I think this is one of the issues where the public spoke very loudly last night, that they want to end the weaponization of the federal government against political enemies,” Scalise said. The Biden administration has denied the federal investigations into Trump are politically motivated. “President Trump’s made it clear, he’s going to clean house. I think people want to see, you know, in essence, the dirty cops get removed,” Scalise said. “They want to have restored faith in all of these once great agencies. And the American people deserve that, because these agencies need to be focused on doing their job, and that’s to keep Americans safe.” In a further show of confidence that Republicans would win the House, Scalise sent a letter to House Republicans on Wednesday evening announcing he was running for majority leader again. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ In the four-page memo, he detailed what the first 100 day goals of a Republican federal government would look like. “Now it is up to us to work closely with Trump to enact legislation that will provide long-term relief and put our country on a sustainable trajectory. In the first 100 days, House Republicans will advance a bold, conservative agenda that will get the economy back on track, lock in low tax rates, and secure our southern border,” he wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital. He pledged Republicans would push through conservative reforms via a process called “reconciliation,” which has been used by both parties in the past to force through significant policy reforms in a budget bill that only needs a simple majority to pass the Senate, instead of the traditional 60-vote threshold.