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Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholds exclusion of certain mail-in ballots, in victory for GOP

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Monday that mail-in ballots with incorrect or missing dates cannot be counted in the 2024 election, delivering a victory to Republican Party officials as they moved to aggressively defend their narrow Senate victory in amid a recount challenge in the Keystone State.  In a 4-3 decision, the state Supreme Court reaffirmed its prior decision that counties in the state cannot count incorrectly dated or undated ballots, explicitly singling out Boards of Elections in Bucks County, Montgomery County, and Philadelphia County, whom they said “SHALL COMPLY with the prior rulings of this Court in which we have clarified” for mail-in and absentee ballots in their Nov. 1 ruling. The decision is a victory for Republican Party officials, who had filed 12 different lawsuits in the state amid an aggressive Senate recount effort following the narrow victory of Republican candidate David McCormick over three-term Democrat Sen. Bob Casey. REPUBLICANS FILE 12 PENNSYLVANIA LAWSUITS IN ‘AGGRESSIVE’ PUSH TO END RECOUNT McCormick had defeated Casey by some 17,000 ballots in the state, or within the 0.5% margin of error that allows Casey to qualify for an automatic recount under Pennsylvania law.  But ahead of the Pennsylvania Senate recount, which officially kicked off on Monday, Republicans had sounded the alarm by election county commissioners in Philadelphia, Bucks County, and Montgomery Count for moving to allow for the counting of incorrectly dated and undated mail-in and absentee ballots—an effort party officials said broke with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision. Speaking to reporters on a call Monday, Republican Party Chair Michael Whatley vowed to maintain “an aggressive, comprehensive and strategic legal posture for as long as it takes to ensure that this election is going to be certified” in Pennsylvania, and to bring an end to what party officials described as “corrupt and despicable conduct” by Democrats in the state. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP While the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Nov. 1 that requiring mail-in ballots to have handwritten dates is constitutional, in a victory for the GOP, the new framing is more direct— establishing that counties trying to count such ballots are indeed trying to violate the law.  This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for more updates. 

Former governor and presidential candidate becomes first to launch bid to chair Democratic Party

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley on Monday became the first person to announce a bid for chair of the Democratic National Committee. “I’m excited to offer my candidacy for Chair of the DNC,” the former two-term Baltimore mayor and two-term Maryland governor who ran for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination said. ‘We must connect our Party with the most important place in America — the kitchen table of every family’s home. Jobs, Opportunity, and Economic Security for all. Getting things done. Hope. A 50 state strategy. Now,” O’Malley emphasized in a social media post. WHO ELSE IS MULLING A BID TO STEER THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY O’Malley, who for the last year has served as commissioner of the Social Security Administration in President Biden’s administration, is hoping to succeed current DNC chair Jaime Harrison, whose term is up early next year.  Harrison is unlikely to seek a second four-year term steering the party in the wake of this month’s very disappointing election results for the Democrats, up and down the ballot. WOULD CALIFORNIANS LIKE VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS TO RUN FOR GOLDEN STATE GOVERNOR IN TWO YEARS? O’Malley, who led the Democratic Governors Association following his gubernatorial re-election in 2010, showcased himself in a New York Times interview published on Monday as a “proven operational leader and a turnaround manager.” “We face enormous challenges and a lot of soul-searching,” the 61-year-old O’Malley said in the interview. “We need to focus on fixing the problem and not the blame.” The next DNC chair will be chosen by the roughly 450 voting members of the national party committee, and O’Malley told the New York Times that he was launching his bid with three endorsements from DNC members and was speaking with others over the past few days. But another longtime DNC member, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, when asked about O’Malley, said, “Who? Where’s he been for the past nine years?” While O’Malley’s first to launch a bid, others are expected to follow, as the Democrats try to rebound after losing the White House and Senate in the 2024 elections and failing to recapture the House. Among those mulling a bid is Rahm Emanuel, a former congressman, Chicago mayor, White House chief of staff and current U.S. ambassador to Japan. Two sources in the DNC orbit confirmed to Fox News last week that Emanuel had been quietly reaching out to committee members as he contemplates a bid.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada ‘could have acted quicker’ on reining in immigration

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government in Canada “could have acted quicker” to reign in the massive influx of migrants entering the country following the coronavirus pandemic.  Trudeau’s remarks came during a nearly seven-minute video he posted online over the weekend, during which the prime minister laid out the reasons why Canada was putting limits on its temporary foreign worker program, while also reducing the number of permanent residents allowed entry into Canada by as much as 27% by 2027.  Trudeau largely blamed “bad actors,” such as corporations and universities, for enticing immigrants to come to Canada, where there was a massive labor shortage following the pandemic. He pointed out that many of these predatory entities lured hordes of immigrant workers with false promises of college degrees, permanent residency, jobs and more.  CANADA’S TRUDEAU FACING REVOLT FROM WITHIN AS POPULAR CONSERVATIVE LEADER LOOKS TO CAPITALIZE However, Trudeau also suggested that the federal government was at least partly to blame for not “turn[ing] off the taps faster” after the country’s labor shortage waned. “Looking back, when the post-pandemic boom cooled and businesses no longer needed the additional labor help, as a federal team, we could have acted quicker, and turned off the taps faster,” Trudeau said in his video message. “Immigration is primarily a federal job. We have the levers to rein it in. So we are.” Canada’s new plan, introduced formally last month, seeks to reduce the threshold of immigrants allowed into the country who are seeking permanent residency over the next three years. In the first year, 2025, the allowable threshold will be reduced from 500,000 to 395,000, followed by a 2026 threshold of 380,000 immigrants seeking permanent residency and finally, in 2027, the limit will be set at 365,000. In addition to the changes impacting immigrants seeking permanent residency, Canada will also begin limiting the number of temporary foreign workers allowed into the country for the first time. The limit aims to reduce the share of temporary foreign workers in Canada to 5% of the overall population. CANADA LAUNCHES SUDDEN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AMID PUBLIC PRESSURE: REPORT Meanwhile, Trudeau’s liberal government has seen waning support among voters this year. Amid that decreasing support, Canada began cracking down on visa requirements and started turning away more immigrants showing up at its front door, Reuters reported in September. On average, Canada turned away roughly 20% more immigrants per month during the first seven months of this year, the outlet indicated. During a podcast conversation about Canada’s ongoing immigration challenges, released Friday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the chaos in Canada’s immigration system has largely occurred under Trudeau’s leadership, who Poilievre said ushered in a 300% increase in Canada’s population over several years. The Conservative Party leader also blamed Trudeau for much of the waste, fraud and abuse the prime minister spoke of in his video that resulted in such a massive influx in immigration post-coronavirus pandemic.  “Now, [Trudeau] is basically denouncing his entire immigration policy and expecting us to believe that he can fix the problems that he caused,” Poilievre concluded. “The bottom line is we have to fix our immigration, get back to the best system in the world, the one that brought my wife here as a refugee legally and lawfully, the one that brought so many people here to pursue the Canadian promise.”

At least five people killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s capital

Israeli strikes on densely populated central Beirut have killed at least five people in the third attack in two days in the middle of Lebanon’s capital, the Ministry of Public Health says. “The Israeli enemy strike on Zuqaq al-Blat in Beirut killed five people and injured 24,” a ministry statement said about Monday’s attack. The official National News Agency (NNA) said an apartment near a Shia Muslim place of worship was targeted. The building is located near the parliament, several embassies and a United Nations building. “A hostile drone targeted a residential apartment behind the Husseiniya of Zuqaq al-Blat in the capital Beirut, causing great damage,” the NNA said. The working-class district of Zuqaq al-Blat has welcomed many displaced people who fled Israeli strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon as well as Beirut’s southern suburbs. Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem, reporting from Beirut, said the area that was hit is “very densely populated” and is packed with cafes. “At the moment, there is no indication who the target is,” Hashem said. The area was cordoned off by security forces as residents rushed to help with the rescue efforts. Monday’s attack took place several hundred metres away from the site of a strike on Sunday in the Mar Elias neighbourhood, which the Health Ministry said killed three people, including a woman. Israel has not commented on the strikes in central Beirut, but Hezbollah has confirmed that one air raid in the area killed its spokesman Mohammad Afif. That strike, also on Sunday, hit the Lebanese office of Syria’s ruling Baath Party, killing Afif and four members of his media team, Hezbollah said. The Health Ministry said seven people were killed in the attack. One killed in northern Israel Meanwhile, a woman was killed and 10 people were wounded on Monday when a rocket struck a building in a northern Israeli town, Israel’s ambulance service said. The rocket hit a multistorey building in the town of Shfaram. The Israeli military said Hezbollah had launched more than 100 projectiles towards Israel on Monday. “Interception attempts were made, and fallen projectiles were identified,” the military said. One such claimed interception left at least four people injured after falling shrapnel hit Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv. Earlier on Monday, an Israeli air strike targeted the main water facility in the southern port city of Tyre, killing two local officials and injuring two others. The attack severely damaged the facility, prompting the Tyre municipality to urge residents to ration their water use until repairs could be made, NNA said. Those killed in the attack included Samer Shaghri, a local elected official called a mukhtar, who handles residents’ administrative affairs, and Qassem Wehbi, the deputy mayor of Burj al-Shamali, a town east of Tyre. The strikes were carried out as a United States-backed proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is set to be discussed. A government minister close to Hezbollah said Lebanon will convey its “positive position” on the proposal this week. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who is mediating for the group, is expected to meet with US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut on Tuesday. Labour Minister Mostafa Bayram, who met with Berri on Monday, said Hezbollah’s function “is to make sure the [Israeli] aggression fails to achieve its goals while negotiation is for the state and the government”. Since September 23, Israel has ramped up its air campaign in Lebanon and has sent in ground troops after almost a year of cross-border exchanges following Israel’s assault on Gaza. Lebanese authorities said more than 3,510 people have been killed since Hezbollah and Israel began exchanging fire in October last year. Most of the casualties have been recorded since September. Adblock test (Why?)

Al Jazeera 360 pushes back against Swedish claims film is ‘dangerous’

The team behind an Al Jazeera 360 documentary has rejected claims by the Swedish prime minister that a film about child protection laws in Europe is “dangerous”. The three-part investigative documentary Behind Closed Doors, produced by Al Jazeera 360 – a video-on-demand platform that is part of the Al Jazeera Media Network – follows families from various backgrounds and nationalities who have faced the traumatic experience of having their children forcibly removed by social authorities in Norway, Sweden, Germany and Luxembourg. On November 10, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson likened the documentary to the so-called LVU campaign, a misinformation campaign that gained traction on social media in 2022 that suggested Swedish authorities were kidnapping children from Muslim families. But Awad Joumaa, head of originals at Al Jazeera 360, said the attacks on the film were “misleading”. “Al Jazeera 360 emphasises that the series was developed to explore a complex social issue affecting families across northern Europe,” a statement from Al Jazeera 360 said. “Behind Closed Doors presents diverse families from various backgrounds and nationalities who have faced the traumatic experience of having their children forcibly removed by social authorities. In some cases, children were not only separated from their parents but were also split up and placed in different cities, leaving parents unaware of their children’s whereabouts and with no access to them.” SVT, Sweden’s national broadcaster, also criticised the documentary, saying that it omitted some details on the cases included in court documents. However, Joumaa said that was misleading, adding that both court documents and the reasons for the child removals were prominently displayed on the screen and that rulings or decisions that contradicted the families’ claims were shown, ensuring that the official perspective was presented alongside the families’ narratives. “This approach provided viewers with both perspectives, allowing them to form their own opinions,” he said. ‘Security consequences’ Swedish authorities declined to participate in the documentary, unlike those in Germany, which provided an official for comment. However, the Swedish reaction to the film has been vocal, with PM Kristersson writing on social media that Behind Closed Doors could be “dangerous for Sweden”. He also told the Swedish newspaper Expressen that it could lead to a heightened threat level against the country. Sofia Bard, who heads the Swedish Institute, which analyses Sweden’s image in the rest of the world, told SVT that the documentary could contribute to a negative image of Sweden and affect the country’s influence internationally. She also stated that it could have “security consequences”, referencing the LVU campaign and the Quran burnings that have occurred in the Nordic nation and led to anti-Sweden protests in several Muslim-majority countries last year. At the time, the Swedish Security Service (SAPO) raised its assessment of the level of threat against Sweden to four on a scale of one to five amid mounting international tension over the burning of copies of the Quran at demonstrations. Joumaa, however, says the Swedish reaction overlooks the film’s depth and the broader issues it seeks to examine. “The assertion that Behind Closed Doors poses a security threat to Sweden seems to be based solely on the opinion of one security analyst, who appears to have made a rapid assessment of the series, which actually spans three parts,” Joumaa said. “This claim overlooks the film’s depth and the broader issues it seeks to explore, focusing instead on a narrow perspective without fully engaging with the content.” He added that the production team made several attempts to involve Swedish authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, offering them a chance to present their viewpoint. While the ministry redirected the request to the responsible agency, the Ministry of Social Affairs rejected an interview request and chose not to cooperate. Joumaa added that the documentary did not attempt to influence its audience, and instead presented the evidence and expert opinions, leaving the judgement up to the viewer. “We are simply putting the arguments and the perspective and the issue on the table, and that whole point of free debate has been missed,” he said. To view part one of Behind Closed Doors (in Arabic), click here. Adblock test (Why?)

Israeli strikes hit ‘component’ of Iran’s nuclear programme: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country’s air attack on Iran last month hit “a component” of Tehran’s nuclear programme and degraded its defence and missile production capabilities. “There is a specific component in their nuclear programme that was hit in this attack,” Netanyahu said in a speech in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Monday without providing details on the element hit. “The programme itself and its ability to operate here have not yet been thwarted,” he added. On October 26, Israeli fighter jets launched three waves of strikes targeting Iranian military assets, weeks after Iran had fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, saying its attack was in response to Israel’s killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. At the time of Israel’s attack, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said the strikes “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed”. United States President Joe Biden said before the strikes took place that he would not support an attack on Iranian nuclear sites, which would open up the possibility of an even further escalation in the region. In addition to the claim of an attack on Iran’s nuclear programme, Netanyahu also said in Monday’s speech – which was interrupted by family members of Israeli captives held in Gaza – that three Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defence batteries stationed near Tehran had been hit. Netanyahu said Russia had supplied four of the defence batteries to Iran and the other one had been destroyed during an exchange of direct attacks between Iran and Israel in April. Iran has not commented on the Israeli claims. Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, that his government was prepared to address concerns about its nuclear programme before US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in January. Grossi said achieving “results” in nuclear talks with Iran was vital to avoid a new conflict in the region already inflamed by Israel’s wars on Gaza and Lebanon, stressing that Iranian nuclear installations “should not be attacked”. Stepping up sanctions Netanyahu gave his speech as the European Union and the United Kingdom on Monday expanded their sanctions against Iran over its alleged support for Russia’s war on Ukraine. In a move decried by Tehran, the EU said it will prohibit the export, transfer, supply or sale from the EU to Iran of components used to make missiles and drones. It also banned any transactions with ports “owned, operated or controlled” by sanctioned individuals and entities or otherwise used to supply Russia with drones, missiles, related technology and components. “This measure includes the access to facilities of the ports and locks, such as Amirabad and Anzali, and the provision of any services to vessels,” the EU said in a statement, referring to two Iranian ports on the Caspian Sea. As the bloc’s foreign ministers met in Brussels, it also adopted restrictive measures against Iran’s state-run shipping company IRISL, its director Mohammad Reza Khiabani and three Russian shipping firms accused of ferrying weapons across the Caspian Sea. Brussels had already imposed sanctions on prominent Iranian officials and entities, including airlines, accused of aiding Russia’s war effort. Acting in parallel, Britain also announced new sanctions against Iran, freezing the assets of IRISL as well as national airline Iran Air for allegedly transporting ballistic missiles and military supplies to Russia for use in Ukraine. The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office also said the Russian cargo ship Port Olya-3, sanctioned for carrying missiles from Iran to Russia, would not be allowed to enter any UK port. “Iran’s attempts to undermine global security are dangerous and unacceptable,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said in a statement in advance of announcing the sanctions at the United Nations Security Council. “Alongside our international partners, we were clear that any transfer of ballistic missiles from Iran to Russia would face a significant response.” The decision follows a previous round of sanctions against Iran and Russia that the UK announced in September alongside Germany and France. Before the new sanctions announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that the EU was using a “nonexistent missile pretext” to target its shipping lines. “There is no legal, logical or moral basis for such behaviour. If anything, it will only compel what it ostensibly seeks to prevent,” Araghchi wrote on X. Iran’s economy has been struggling under the weight of US sanctions imposed after Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from a landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers in 2018. On Monday, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would respond in due course. Adblock test (Why?)

Tony Gonzales, Chip Roy clash over mass deportation plans

Gonzales’ warning that mass removals of undocumented immigrants are unfeasible got pushback from Roy, who said everyone in the country illegally must be deported.

‘Sanctuary’ city mayor vows she will defy Trump’s mass deportation push: ‘Causing widespread fear’

Boston’s Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu said in an interview on Sunday that her city won’t cooperate with the looming mass deportation operation from the incoming Trump administration — even as the region sees a number of illegal immigrants with criminal charges released back onto the streets. Wu was asked in an interview with WCVB about the Trump administration’s plans to launch a mass deportation operation when it takes office in January, and was asked what Boston’s response will be. “Elections have consequences, and the federal government is responsible for a certain set of actions, and cities, no individual city, can reverse or override some parts of that,” she said. “But what we can do is make sure that we are doing our part to protect our residents in every possible way, that we are not cooperating with those efforts that actually threaten the safety of everyone by causing widespread fear and and having large scale economic impact.” TRUMP CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR MAJOR STEP IN MASS DEPORTATION PUSH TO ‘REVERSE THE BIDEN INVASION’ “And then we are providing the spaces to reach out directly to our residents, because the last thing we want is for people who are part of our economy, part of our school system, part of our community and the fabric of our city, to feel that all of a sudden they have to retreat into the shadows with because of fear that reaching out to city services, whether it’s calling 911, when you need it, or taking your child to school, those are all city services that have nothing to do with immigration enforcement, and we will continue to protect our residents within those spaces,” she said. Trump made a mass deportation operation a centerpiece of his campaign and on Monday said he was open to declaring a national emergency and using military assets. Fox News Digital reported last week that the Trump administration is already discussing where it can expand detention centers in anticipation of the operation and has spoken to private prison companies about potential expansion. But there is already brewing resistance from blue cities and states, including those that are “sanctuary” cities — meaning they do not cooperate with ICE requests that detained illegal immigrants with criminal charges or convictions be transferred to ICE custody. INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN EYES MASSIVE EXPANSION OF IMMIGRATION DETENTION: ‘HE WILL DELIVER’ Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she is prepared to use “every tool in the tool box” to protect its citizens and residents and vowed that state police would “absolutely not” assist Trump in the operation. But the state, and the Boston area, have seen a number of ICE arrests of illegal immigrants who have been charged with crimes, including child sex offenses, but then released back onto the streets.  ICE announced this month that it apprehended a Colombian illegal immigrant, who had been arrested on charges of enticing a child under 16, distribution of obscene matter, and lascivious posing and exhibiting a child in the nude. ICE had filed a detainer against him, but it was ignored, the agency said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS In March, Fox News embedded with ICE officers in Boston and saw them make five arrests, including four alleged child rapists and a member of MS-13, a group of potential dangerous criminals the officers say were allowed on the streets because of local sanctuary policies that denied the agency’s detainer requests. But the lack of cooperation from those states and cities is unlikely to dissuade the administration. Tom Homan, appointed to be the border czar by President-elect Trump, had a message for those jurisdictions this month. “If you don’t want to work with us, then get the hell out all the way. We’re going to do it. What it means is, rather than send 100 people to Boston, we’re going to send 200 agents to Boston. We’re going to get the job done,” he said.

Environmental groups present differing opinions of Trump’s energy and environment appointees

Energy and climate-focused groups have mixed feelings about the new appointees selected to lead the charge on environmental issues over the next four years. President-elect Donald Trump tapped fracking CEO Chris Wright to head the Department of Energy, while former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin was nominated to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Both candidates are teed up to align themselves with Trump’s position on achieving U.S. energy independence and cut back on the Biden administration’s environmental policies, such as emissions standards. When interviewed by Fox News Digital, leaders of environmental groups said that neither inspired much hope that Trump would seriously address their concerns about the future.  Zeldin previously supported environmental causes during his time in Congress, such as cleaning up Long Island Sound, which was applauded by environmental groups after he was nominated for the top administration position. TRUMP TAPS LIBERTY ENERGY CEO CHRIS WRIGHT FOR DEPARTMENT TO ENERGY: ‘LEADING TECHNOLOGIST AND ENTREPRENEUR’ “Lee Zeldin is deeply familiar with the environmental issues we face in the Long Island Sound region and has championed the Sound’s health as co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus,” Save the Sound, a group focused on stopping water pollution, and restoring wildlife habitats, said in a statement. “We appreciate Representative Zeldin’s prior support of the funding that is critical for the restoration of Long Island Sound, his role in passing the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act, and his support for the permanent preservation of Plum Island.” The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) also highlighted their work with Zeldin over the years on environmental issues. TRUMP TAPS FORMER NEW YORK REP LEE ZELDIN TO LEAD EPA “While we did not always see eye to eye with Rep. Zeldin, we did work to find common ground on several issues during his time in office, including on Plum Island, the Great American Outdoors Act, fighting offshore drilling on the East Coast, EPA actions on PFAS, and restoring funding for Long Island Sound,” NYLCV said in a statement after Zeldin was nominated.  “The former congressman has called himself a champion for conservation within the Republican Party. He has also said he is committed to public health and that he supports energy independence. He opposed cuts to the EPA from both Democratic and Republican presidents because, he said, they would hurt the people he was in office to serve,” NYLCV continued. “For the health and wellness of the American people and given the urgency of the climate crisis, we hope his EPA will reflect these values.” However, the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit of 250 scientists whose research is geared towards a mission to “combat climate change,” claimed that Zeldin does not have the experience for the role. “If confirmed, Lee Zeldin would come to the crucial position of EPA administrator lacking relevant experience and has already signaled that he would put corporations over people,” Rachel Cleetus, the policy director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a statement. “The EPA’s mission is to protect public health and the environment, and he must make decisions based on the best available science, not pressure from oil and gas companies seeking to expand their profits. His focus should be on cutting harmful pollution—including heat-trapping emissions—to safeguard people, the economy and ecosystems.”  Earthjustice, the San Francisco-based nonprofit that dates back to 1971, expressed skepticism that Zeldin could get rid of many of the current environmental policies of the Biden administration. “We need a steady, experienced hand at EPA to marshal federal resources to fight climate change and utilize the full power of the law to protect communities from toxic pollution. Lee Zeldin is not that person,” Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen said, according to Roll Call. “His loyalty to Donald Trump indicates he will gladly take a sledgehammer to EPA’s most recent lifesaving regulations, putting politics over science and endangering our communities.” Environmental groups have been widely critical of pro-fracking candidate Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, to head the Department of Energy in Trump’s second term. Jeff Deyette, deputy director of the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that “the nomination of Chris Wright makes crystal clear the fossil fuel industry’s out-sized and undue influence on shaping and implementing the Trump administration’s agenda.” “DOE must prioritize confronting the reality of the climate crisis, maintaining focus on the technological and policy innovation required to enable a rapid phase out of dirty fossil fuels and transition to clean and reliable renewable energy,” Deyette added. Wright, who described himself as a “lifelong environmentalist,” has said that he believes climate change is an issue, but not a crisis, and accused the movement of using “deceptive marketing terms.”  “Climate change is a real problem, and I’ve been speaking on it for 20 years,” Wright said while speaking at the 2023 American Conservation Coalition Summit in Salt Lake City. “We can make progress on that. But we can’t make progress towards solving a climate challenge if we’re keeping people in poverty and not letting them rise up.” The Sierra Club, an environmental group that “works to promote clean energy,” slammed his views on climate change. “Not since Donald Trump’s most recent cabinet pick has a nominee ever been so utterly unqualified for the job,” Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous said of Chris Wright. “Clean air and clean water are not a priority for these people, and their reckless ideas and policies will only further harm the American people. Chris Wright is not merely unqualified, he’s a direct threat to our future and the planet’s.” Wright is likely to push back on the Biden administration’s target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

House committee demands interviews with FEMA employees about order to avoid Trump supporters’ houses

FIRST ON FOX — The House Homeland Security Committee is demanding interviews with three FEMA employees on possible “systemic bias” against Trump supporters — as the agency deals with fallout from now-fired employee Marn’i Washington telling relief workers to skip houses visibly advertising support for President-elect Trump during recovery efforts after Hurricane Milton.  In a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., asks to speak with three employees who would have been responsible for policy in Florida, where Washington was assigned. Those employees are FEMA Region 4 Administrator Robert Samaan, Deputy Region 4 Administrator Robert Ashe and Chad Hershey, the lead for FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance crew.  The letter cites recent comments by Washington, including to Fox News, that she’s being scapegoated for doing what her superiors told her to do.  Green is joined on the letter by Reps. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., and Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., who chair relevant Homeland Security subcommittees.  FEMA OFFICIAL SAID TO AVOID HOMES WITH TRUMP SIGNS: ‘TO SAY I WAS SURPRISED WOULD BE A LIE’ “Ms. Washington’s statement contradicts FEMA’s press release and points to a possibly systemic bias within FEMA against individuals that support President-elect Donald J. Trump,” the lawmakers said in the letter. “If such bias is present within FEMA, the Committee is deeply concerned that households that support President-elect Trump and even neighborhoods consisting of primarily Republican-aligned households might be receiving diminished levels of resources, manpower, and support, significantly protracting recovery following natural disasters.”  Criswell said in a statement after the Daily Wire first reported on Washington’s order that it was “reprehensible” and “a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles.” “I’m just simply executing, again, what was coming down from my superiors,” Washington shot back in an interview with Trace Gallagher on “Fox News @ Night” last week.  “This was the culture. They were already avoiding these homes based on community trends from hostile political encounters,” Washington also said.  HOUSE OVERSIGHT CALLS ON FEMA DIRECTOR TO TESTIFY AFTER OFFICIAL TELLS WORKERS TO AVOID HOME WITH TRUMP SIGNS Green’s letter asks that FEMA schedule the interviews with Hershey, Ashe and Samaan by the end of this week. Fox News is also told by a source familiar that the Homeland Security Committee will have another transcribed interview request on FEMA oversight soon.  “If [Washington] is right and there is a broader ‘policy’ of discriminatory practices in the agency’s recovery efforts, this Committee will demand accountability from the highest levels,” Green said in a statement to Fox News.  Washington emphasized to Fox News that FEMA prioritizes “avoidance” and “de-escalation” in situations where some employees may feel unsafe, and that isn’t necessarily politically targeted at Trump supporters. This could include other situations, like urban areas where there are unleashed dogs, she said.  Washington told Gallagher that discriminating against people explicitly because of political leanings would violate the Hatch Act, but said “unfortunately, again, the passionate supporters for Trump, some of them were a little bit violent.”  Criswell will nevertheless face a congressional grilling Tuesday. She appears before a House Transportation & Infrastructure subcommittee at 10 a.m. EST and then will testify to the House Oversight Committee at 2 p.m. EST.   Fox News’ Trace Gallagher and Melissa Summers contributed to this report.