Jimmy Blacklock named new chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court
Blacklock replaces Nathan Hecht, the longest serving justice on the high court. Gov. Greg Abbott also appointed his general counsel, James Sullivan, to the bench.
Elon Musk-backed bill to deport illegal immigrants convicted of sex crimes to get House vote
EXCLUSIVE: The House is poised to vote next week on a bill that would mandate the deportation of illegal immigrants who are found guilty of sex crimes. The legislation saw enthusiastic support just days ago from billionaire Elon Musk, who criticized the Democrats who previously opposed it. The Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act was first introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., last year and passed the House with bipartisan support. All Republican lawmakers voted for the bill, along with 51 House Democrats. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON TRUMP’S RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE Because it was not taken up by the formerly Democrat-controlled Senate, however, Mace introduced the bill again on Friday to start the process again in the new 119th Congress. “Let’s get it passed through both chambers of Congress this go around,” Mace wrote on social media over the weekend. Two sources told Fox News Digital that House GOP leaders intend to hold another vote on it next week, which would come just days before President-elect Trump’s inauguration. It’s one of several border security and other conservative policy bills introduced by House Republicans on Friday — the first day of the 119th Congress. 158 DEMS VOTE AGAINST BILL TO DEPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMIT SEX CRIMES Over the weekend, Musk called for challengers to the Democrats who voted against the bill in September. “There is no excuse. Please post the list of people who opposed this law and want to keep illegals who are convicted sex offenders in America,” Musk wrote on X in response to a conservative influencer discussing the bill. “They all need to be voted out of office. Every one of them.” GOP lawmakers are signaling that they want to waste no time in enacting their agenda after the November election saw Republicans retain the House while also taking the White House and Senate. In addition to Mace bringing her bill back, Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Mike Collins, R-Ga., also reintroduced their own legislation that passed the House last year but did not see a Senate vote. Roy introduced a bill mandating proof of citizenship in the voter registration process, while Collins is leading legislation to direct federal immigration authorities to issue detainers and take custody of illegal aliens who commit theft-related crimes, such as shoplifting, as defined by state and local law. The latter bill is expected to be up for another House vote this week.
Ken Paxton kicks off tour to pressure Republicans to support David Cook for House speaker
Paxton’s latest tour is the continuation of his efforts in the past year to get political revenge on House Republicans who supported his impeachment.
Judge Merchan denies Trump’s request to delay sentencing
New York Judge Juan Merchan denied President-elect Donald Trump’s request to delay sentencing in the New York v. Trump case. “Defendant’s motion for a stay of these proceedings, including the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, is hereby DENIED,” Merchan wrote in his decision Monday. Earlier Monday, Trump’s legal team filed a motion to delay sentencing in the case. Trump is set to be sentenced on Jan. 10 at 9:30 a.m., 10 days ahead of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 20. “Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt. The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed,” Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox Digital on Monday morning. TRUMP FILES MOTION TO STAY ‘UNLAWFUL SENTENCING’ IN NEW YORK CASE “The American People elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and all of the remaining Witch Hunts. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again,” Cheung continued. Earlier Monday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office responded to Trump’s filing, calling on the court to deny the request. NEW YORK JUDGE SETS TRUMP SENTENCING DAYS BEFORE INAUGURATION Merchan has already said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison and instead issue a sentence of an “unconditional discharge,” which means there would be no punishment imposed. Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. NY JUDGE ANNOUNCES UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE SENTENCING FOR TRUMP ON JAN 10 Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of lawfare promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November. “Virtually ever legal scholar and pundit says THERE IS NO (ZERO!) CASE AGAINST ME. The Judge fabricated the facts, and the law, no different than the other New York Judicial and Prosecutorial Witch Hunts. That’s why businesses are fleeing New York, taking with them millions of jobs, and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXES. The legal system is broken, and businesses can’t take a chance in getting caught up in this quicksand. IT’S ALL RIGGED, in this case against a political opponent, ME!!!” Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday evening of the case. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Winds of Change
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… –Mental health disorders attributed to more service member hospital stays than any other ailment -National Sheriffs’ Association slams state of policing under Biden, throws full support behind Patel for FBI -ICE nabs illegal immigrant charged with sex crimes in blue city, after release from jail Congressional Republicans were buoyant on Monday after lawmakers gathered to certify President-elect Donald Trump’s White House victory. “It went great. It went smooth. This is a textbook transition of power. This is how democracy is supposed to operate,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., shared praise for both Republican and Democratic leaders who led the largely ceremonial event…Read more ‘WHAT’S HE DOING?”: Trump plans to ‘immediately’ reverse Biden’s ‘ridiculous’ ban on new oil and gas drilling along U.S. coast…Read more LAND GRAB: Biden to dedicate two new national monuments on 850K acres of tribal land in California…Read more MEMORY LANE: In one of his last speeches in office, President Biden attempts to rehabilitate the image of the late segregationist Strom Thurmond…Read more DEFENSE DEALS: Russia to share advanced satellite technology with North Korea, Blinken warns…Read more ‘THE WINNING CONTINUES’: Justin Trudeau’s resignation met with gleeful reaction from conservatives online…Read more A HEALTHY AMERICA: Diet and nutrition experts weigh in on how RFK Jr’s nomination could impact how we eat…Read more PERSONAL TRIP: Donald Trump Jr. takes a personal trip to Greenland after president-elect floats purchasing country…Read more SACRED OBLIGATION: Harris to oversee certification of her defeat to Trump in presidential election…Read more ’51ST STATE’: Trump reacts to Trudeau resignation: ‘Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State’…Read more DIFFERENCES OF OPINION: RFK Jr. ‘wrong’ about vaccinations, GOP senator says…Read more NO ‘DRAMA’: Trump chief of staff pledges no ‘drama’ or second-guessing in White House…Read more NEW KID IN TOWN: New senator Bernie Moreno wants a border bill on Trump’s desk on day 1, putting Dems on record…Read more ‘NO TIME TO PLAY AROUND’: Senate must quickly confirm Noem as DHS chief in wake of terror attack, says Louisiana gov…Read more BORDERLINE: Tidal wave of border security bills hit House as Republicans move fast on DC takeover…Read more ‘WITCH HUNT’: Trump files motion to stay ‘unlawful sentencing’ in New York case…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com
Dem lawmakers recall ‘no drama’ at Trump’s election certification: ‘We still have a democracy’
Washington, D.C. – Democratic lawmakers highlighted a smooth transition of power following the 2024 election certification for President-elect Trump, four years after protesters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Lawmakers gathered for a joint session in Washington, D.C., on Monday to certify the Electoral College votes for Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the certification, overseeing her own defeat to Trump after losing the presidential election in November. Democratic lawmakers spoke with Fox News Digital as they left the ratification, recalling a “no-drama” ceremony in contrast to President Biden’s certification four years prior. “We still have a democracy, as long as we can keep it,” Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., told Fox News Digital when leaving the House floor. KAMALA HARRIS MAKES TRUMP’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL WIN OFFICIAL DURING JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS Another Democrat, Rep. Jesús Garcia of Illinois, also commented on this year’s peaceful transition of power. “Smooth and done,” Garcia said. “No drama and no contesting. No false contestation of results.” JEFFRIES CLAIM ‘NO ELECTION DENIERS’ AMONG DEMS DESPITE 2016 ‘ILLEGITIMATE’ REMARKS WHEN TRUMP WON “This is a time-honored tradition,” said Rep. John Mannion, D-N.Y. “It’s a part of our country’s history and this is what we need to do. This is part of the job, and I’m glad I was able to participate today.” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told Fox that “it’s a good moment for American democracy, and we’re proud of the vice president, that she presided over it.” “We did our duty,” said Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania. Harris also spoke to reporters following the certification. “Today was obviously a very important day. And it was about what should be the norm and what the American people should be able to take for granted, which is that one of the most important pillars of our democracy is that there will be a peaceful transfer of power,” Harris said. “Today, America’s democracy stood.” Trump’s inauguration will take place in two weeks on Monday, Jan. 20.
Israeli attacks target Palestinians across Gaza amid ceasefire talks
World Food Programme condemns Israeli forces for firing at one of its convoys in Gaza in ‘unacceptable’ incident. Recent Israeli attacks have killed and injured dozens of Palestinians across the Gaza Strip amid ongoing talks to reach a truce deal in the besieged territory. Medical sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that Israeli bombardment injured about 40 people north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Monday. Casualties, including children, were also reported in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis. The Palestinian Civil Defence said that it retrieved the bodies of three people who were killed in Israeli bombing in Nuseirat and another person in Khirbet al-Adas, north of Rafah. The Gaza Health Ministry had said earlier on Monday that at least 49 people were killed over the previous 24 hours, bringing the Palestinian death toll from the war to 45,854. Israel has been killing dozens of Palestinians in Gaza daily since the war broke out in October 2023. It has also imposed a suffocating blockade on the territory and displaced nearly its entire population. Harsh winter conditions have added to the woes of Palestinians sheltering in makeshift tents, already contending with hunger and lack of medical care. Advertisement The Gaza Government Media Office said on Monday that eight displaced Palestinians have died due to severe cold in recent weeks, warning that the number could rise amid dire conditions in the territory. “We hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the deterioration of humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip as well as the American administration and countries that have supported and participated in the genocide,” the office said in a statement. It called on international organisations and Arab and Muslim countries to urgently intervene to save civilians in Gaza. The World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday accused Israeli forces of firing at one of its convoys a day earlier. It described the shooting, which did not result in casualties, as “unacceptable”. “The World Food Programme strongly condemns the horrifying incident on January 5, when a clearly marked WFP convoy was shot at by Israeli forces near the Wadi Gaza checkpoint, putting the lives of our staff at tremendous risk and leaving the vehicles immobilised,” WFP said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant are facing arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes in Gaza, including using “starvation as a method of warfare”. Against the backdrop of the violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, diplomatic efforts have continued to reach a ceasefire deal that would lead to the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas and other Palestinian groups. Advertisement Hamas officials told several media outlets on Monday that the group is willing to free 34 Israeli captives in the first stage of the deal that would also see the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. It is unclear how many of the Israeli captives on the initial list are still alive. Hamas has said that Israeli bombardment has killed several captives since the start of the war. Israeli media outlets reported on Monday that Mossad chief David Barnea postponed a trip to Doha to finalise the deal while Israel awaits Hamas’s response to a proposal. Incoming United States President Donald Trump reiterated on Monday that “there would be hell to pay” if the captives are not released by the time he returns to the White House for a second term on January 20. Adblock test (Why?)
US Congress certifies Donald Trump’s victory in 2024 presidential election
The quiet proceeding contrasts with efforts by Trump’s own supporters to overturn his 2020 loss by storming the US Capitol. The United States Congress has certified Donald Trump’s victory in November’s presidential election, clearing a final hurdle for his return to the White House later this month. Monday’s ceremony in Congress officially validated the 2024 Electoral College results. Overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s main rival in the election, the event passed quickly and with little fanfare. “Today was obviously a very important day,” Harris, who also serves as the president of the Senate, said in remarks afterwards. “It was about what should be the norm and what the American people should be able to take for granted, which is that one of the most important pillars of our democracy is that there will be a peaceful transfer of power.” The largely procedural affair marked a stark contrast with the last time Congress convened to certify Electoral College votes, on January 6, 2021. During that ceremony, thousands of Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol in an effort to overturn then-President Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election. Advertisement Lawmakers were forced to evacuate as doors were smashed, police officers were attacked and one protester was shot to death while trying to enter a chamber through a broken window. The attack took place after Trump held a rally nearby on the Ellipse, a park south of the White House, where he reiterated false claims that the election had been stolen through massive fraud. Critics roundly condemned the attack as an assault on democracy, and the US Department of Justice has since charged 1,583 participants with federal crimes. As of Monday, approximately 1,009 have pleaded guilty, with 327 offering guilty pleas to felony charges. Trump himself faced two criminal indictments for his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election results: A federal case in Washington, DC, was recently dismissed, while a state-level case in Georgia is stalled but ongoing. Nevertheless, four years later, Trump is set to return to power on the heels of his most successful presidential campaign to date. In November, Trump won 312 Electoral College votes to Harris’s 226 and became the first Republican candidate to win the popular vote since 2004. Trump’s Republican Party will also take control of Congress after winning majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Many in the party have since embraced the Republican leader’s false claims about the 2020 election. “Congress certifies our great election victory today – a big moment in history. MAGA!” Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social on Monday, using an acronym for his slogan, “Make America Great Again”. Advertisement Harris, meanwhile, urged respect for the tenets of US democracy. She cited Monday’s peaceful certification as an example of the right way forward. “I do believe very strongly that America’s democracy is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it,” she said. “Otherwise it is very fragile, and it will not be able to withstand moments of crisis.” Adblock test (Why?)
US envoy says Israeli army will withdraw completely from south Lebanon
The Israeli military will withdraw completely from south Lebanon, United States envoy Amos Hochstein has said, despite recent reports that Israel is planning to maintain a permanent presence in the country. Hochstein’s statement on Monday came as Israel was withdrawing its forces from Naqoura in the western sector of the border, with the Lebanese army deploying in the area. “The Israeli military started its withdrawal from Naqoura, most of the western sector and back into Israel proper today, south of the Blue Line,” Hochstein told reporters in Beirut, referring to the unofficial border between the two countries. “These withdrawals will continue until all Israeli forces are out of Lebanon completely.” However, the US official did not specify a timetable for the Israeli withdrawal. A ceasefire agreement reached in November between Israel and Hezbollah stipulates that Israeli forces must leave Lebanon within 60 days, by January 26. But media reports from Israel have suggested that the Israeli military does not plan on honouring the deadline. Advertisement Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement after meeting Hochstein on Monday that delaying the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon is “strongly rejected”. Last week, the United Nations reiterated its call for a “timely” Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. The Israeli military has been conducting near-daily attacks in Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire, including air strikes across the country, ground advances and the destruction of homes in areas under its control. Israel argues that it is enforcing the agreement, which says that Hezbollah must withdraw its forces to the north of the Litani River, about 30km (19 miles) from the Israeli border. Despite the Israeli attacks, Hezbollah has held its fire since the agreement came into effect, with the exception of a single “warning attack” against an Israeli base last month. Hezbollah officials have said that they are allowing space for the Lebanese government to address the Israeli violations through diplomatic channels and the US-led “mechanism” to monitor the agreement. But the Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem warned on Saturday that the group’s patience may run out before or after the 60-day period. “When we decide to do something, you will see it directly,” Qassem said in a televised speech. Hezbollah started attacking Israeli military positions after the outbreak of the 15-month war on Gaza in a campaign that it said was meant to pressure Israel to end its offensive against the besieged enclave. After nearly a year of low-level cross-border hostilities, Israel launched an all-out war in Lebanon, killing thousands of people and destroying large parts of the country. Advertisement During its onslaught, Israel dealt heavy blows to Hezbollah, assassinating several of its top military and political officials, including its powerful leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli army also claimed it had wiped out most of the group’s rocket arsenal. However, Hezbollah claimed victory after the war, saying that it halted Israel’s ground advances and inflicted heavy damage on the invading soldiers. The Lebanese group also continued to fire rockets and drones at Israel throughout the conflict. On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that the country would be “forced to act” if Hezbollah does not pull away from the border. But Hochstein has suggested that the fragile ceasefire is holding. “This process is not smooth, but it is successful,” he said on Monday. The Lebanese army had confirmed its deployment in Naqoura earlier on Monday, but the municipality urged residents against returning to the town before the green light from the authorities after opening the roads and clearing unexploded ordnances. Adblock test (Why?)
National Sheriffs’ Association slams state of policing under Biden, throws full support behind Patel for FBI
FIRST ON FOX: The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) has endorsed Kash Patel as the director of the FBI in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders that also railed against the state of law enforcement under the Biden administration. “We are pleased to give our enthusiastic endorsement of Mr. Patel’s nomination to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and urge the Committee hold hearings expeditiously. We believe there will be broad support for Mr. Patel and we look forward to his swift confirmation by the full United States Senate,” NSA President Kieran Donahue wrote in a letter Monday to Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, respectively. The NSA is a professional association that boasts roughly 10,000 active members. President-elect Trump nominated Kash Patel as FBI director in November. Patel is an outspoken crusader against the “deep state.” In a book published last year, he explicitly called for revamping the FBI in a chapter dubbed “Overhauling the FBI,” and moving the FBI’s headquarters out of Washington, D.C. ‘WHEN THEY FAIL, AMERICANS DIE’: TRUMP SOURCE BLASTS FBI, URGES SWIFT CONFIRMATION OF KASH PATEL AS DIRECTOR In his letter to the senators, Donahue lauded Patel’s resume as evidence he has the “credentials, skills, temperament, commitment, and experience for this critical position.” Patel previously served as a public defender in Florida’s Miami-Dade area, where he tried “scores of complex cases ranging from murder, to narco-trafficking, to complex financial crimes in jury trials in state and federal courts,” according to his Defense Department biography. He also won a DOJ award in 2017 under the Obama administration for his prosecution and conviction of 12 terrorists responsible for the World Cup bombings in 2010. Patel hit the national radar during Trump’s first administration, including when he worked as the national security adviser and senior counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence under committee Chair Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif. I WORKED WITH KASH PATEL TO EXPOSE THE RUSSIA HOAX AND KNOW HE’S THE BEST PICK TO REFORM THE FBI “Mr. Patel’s service will undoubtedly prioritize the restoration of confidence in the Bureau through increased transparency, integrity, collaboration, and commitment to excellence. Mr. Patel promised NSA – if confirmed – his unwavering dedication to working hand in glove with local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement at the rank-and- file and leadership levels. His commitment to the reciprocity of access-to-advise is essential to combating the most serious security and policing challenges ahead. We are certain Mr. Patel’s engagement will result in vital and effective partnerships nationwide to protect communities large and small,” Donahue wrote. The sheriff group’s leader also took direct aim at policies affecting law enforcement that were rolled out under the Biden administration, which he said has “undermined the rule of law and burdened our nation with great risk and vulnerability.” GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL OFFER SUPPORT FOR TRUMP FBI PICK KASH PATEL, URGE SENATORS TO DO THE SAME “Equally detrimental are the border policies that permit unchecked access to our homeland. These two factors have sadly but predictably granted domestic and international criminals unprecedented opportunity to victimize or endanger the citizens and residents of our nation. As a result, countless communities across America are under siege. Through the exploitation of these vulnerabilities, complex criminal and terror schemes are taking hold and flourishing. The blind spot created by inadequate border control and law enforcement policies has facilitated criminal activity that falls under multiple jurisdictions and therefore demands a robust and coordinated response,” he wrote to the senators. WHO IS KASH PATEL? TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD THE FBI HAS LONG HISTORY VOWING TO BUST UP ‘DEEP STATE’ The sheriff continued that local law enforcement agencies want to work more closely with federal leaders in order to combat the infiltration of cartels and organized crime groups in the U.S., but have “been denied direct unfiltered access to the President” in the last four years. “As a result, there is a perception within law enforcement and the public that our national leaders do not comprehend the ground truth about criminal trends and lack the will, policy tools, and resources to thwart the criminal activities undermining the security of our nation,” he wrote. “Our federal law enforcement hierarchy, armed with knowledge gained through local collaboration, must be heard by the decisionmakers in Washington. In this time of uncertainty, it is critical the Federal Bureau of Investigation be led by someone who has the complete confidence of the President,” he continued.