President Biden, first lady attend memorial service for Bourbon Street attack victims in New Orleans
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended a Monday memorial service for the victims of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack in New Orleans, paying their respects to the 14 victims who died. The event, which was an interfaith prayer service, was hosted at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, in the French Quarter. The church is located less than a mile away from the scene of the attack, where terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into a crowd of celebrants on New Year’s Day. Biden made short remarks toward the end of the service, expressing sympathy for the victims and their families. “The shock and pain is still so very raw,” Biden, who leaves office in exactly two weeks, said. “My wife Jill and I are here to stand with you, grieve with you, pray with you, [and] let you know you are not alone — the rest of the nation is looking at you as well.” WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK The president also noted that he recently met two officers who were injured during the attack, and commended the first responders who saved lives amid the chaos. “New Orleans defines strength and resilience,” Biden said. “You define it. Whether it’s in the form of this attack, from this attack or hurricanes or superstorms, this city’s people get back up. That’s the spirit of America as well.” The service came less than a week after the terrorist attack stunned the Big Easy. Jabbar died at the scene, bringing the total number of deaths to 15 as of Jan. 6, and over 30 injuries. Many of the decedents were in their 20s and visited New Orleans from across the U.S., including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York and New Jersey. The youngest victim who died was 18 years old, and the oldest was 63. NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST, MAN IN LAS VEGAS CYBERTRUCK EXPLOSION SHARED MORE LINKS IN ATTACKS JUST HOURS APART The incident is still under investigation, and federal and local officials are continuing to gather evidence about the terrorist attack. On Sunday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) said its National Response Team had completed its investigation of Jabbar’s Airbnb in New Orleans. Jabbar, who rented a house on Mandeville Street and left it hours before unleashing his attack, set a fire at the rental house to destroy evidence, but the fire eventually smoldered by the time authorities arrived. Accelerants that Jabbar strategically placed ended up not catching fire, allowing authorities to gather evidence. Officials also found traces of the explosive RDX, or cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, at the rental. The agency noted that Jabbar unknowingly foiled his plans by using an electric match to ignite explosive material that is typically set off by a detonator. “Jabbar used explosive material better suited for a detonator, but he didn’t have access to one, so he used an electric match to set the explosives off,” the ATF’s statement explained. “Jabbar’s lack of experience and crude nature of putting the device together is the reason why he used the wrong device to set the explosives off.” Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Trump escalates plans to acquire Greenland after resident pleads: ‘Denmark’s using us’
President-elect Trump ramped up his calls for the U.S. to take ownership of Greenland in an amusing social media post on Monday. The move comes as the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., is preparing to travel to Greenland on Tuesday. The trip will be undertaken in a personal capacity, and he is not expected to meet with government officials. In a Truth Social post, President-elect Trump said that he was “hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA’.” The Republican attached a video that purportedly shows a Greenlander asking the U.S. to buy his country. “If you could tell Trump anything, what would it be?” a woman is heard asking the man in the video. “Buy us. Buy Greenland,” the man, who was wearing a MAGA hat, replied. CANADA’S TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FOLLOWING PARTY PRESSURE AMID CRITICISMS OF TRUMP, BUDGET HANDLING The Greenlander then added that he “loved Americans” and wanted to be free of the Danish government. “We don’t want to be colonized by Danish government anymore,” he explained. “We get ripped [off] every year [with] our minerals from Greenland. We are the richest nation in the world. And we don’t get to use it. Denmark’s using us too much.” In his message, Trump confirmed that he plans to visit Greenland in the near future and that his son, Donald Trump, Jr., will be in the country soon. The president-elect said that he plans to see some of the island’s “most magnificent areas and sights.” “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” Trump wrote on Monday. “We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” Trump’s latest post comes two weeks after he first made headlines by expressing support for U.S. ownership of Greenland. “[F]or purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” the president-elect’s Truth Social post read. TRUMP PLANS TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ REVERSE BIDEN’S ‘RIDICULOUS’ BAN ON NEW OIL AND GAS DRILLING ALONG US COAST In response, Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede declared interest in his country gaining independence from Denmark. “The upcoming new election period must, together with the citizens, create these new steps, based on the foundations that have already been created,” Egede said. “It is about time that we ourselves take a step and shape our future, also with regard to who we will cooperate closely with, and who our trading partners will be.” Trump has considered purchasing Greenland for several years now. In 2019, he floated the idea of buying Greenland and called it “a large real estate deal.” “A lot of things can be done. It’s hurting Denmark very badly because they’re losing almost $700 million a year carrying it,” Trump said at the time. “So, they carry it at great loss, and strategically for the United States, it would be nice. And, we’re a big ally of Denmark and we help Denmark, and we protect Denmark.” During a “Fox News Sunday” interview about Trump’s remarks, then-White House chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow confirmed that the president’s sentiment was genuine. “Greenland is a strategic place up there, and they’ve got a lot of valuable minerals,” Kudlow explained at the time. “I don’t want to predict an outcome. I’m just saying the president, who knows a thing or two about buying real estate, wants to take a look.” Fox News’ Nick Givas and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Biden admin sends 11 Guantanamo detainees to Oman for resettlement
The Biden administration on Monday announced the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees being held at a U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba to Oman, which has agreed to help re-settle them, amid steps to reduce the population at the controversial military facility. All of the men were captured in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and were held for more than two decades without being charged or put on trial, the New York Times reported. “The United States appreciates the willingness of the government of Oman and other partners to support ongoing U.S. efforts focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility,” the Defense Department said in a statement. BIDEN WHITE HOUSE TO SEND $1.25 BILLION IN WEAPON AID TO UKRAINE BEFORE TRUMP TRANSITION: REPORT Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. The 11 detainees were identified as: Uthman Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Uthman, Moath Hamza Ahmed al-Alwi, Khalid Ahmed Qassim, Suhayl Abdul Anam al Sharabi, Hani Saleh Rashid Abdullah, Tawfiq Nasir Awad Al-Bihani, Omar Mohammed Ali al-Rammah, Sanad Ali Yislam Al Kazimi, Hassan Muhammad Ali Bib Attash, Sharqawi Abdu Ali Al Hajj, and Abd Al-Salam Al-Hilah. The transfer was carried out as part of an early-morning secret operation on Monday, days before Guantanamo’s most notorious prisoner, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, was scheduled to plead guilty to plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in exchange for a life sentence rather than face a death-penalty trial, the Times reported. The move had been in the works for about three years after an initial plan to conduct the transfer in October 2023 faced opposition from congressional lawmakers. JUDGE RESTORES CONTROVERSIAL 9/11 TERRORIST PLEA DEALS INVOLVING KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED: REPORT Authorities didn’t say why the detainees were delivered to Oman, one of the United States’ most stable allies in the Middle East, or what it gave the host country. The men in the latest transfer included Shaqawi al Hajj, who had undergone repeated hunger strikes and hospitalizations at Guantanamo to protest his 21 years in prison. With the release, the total number of men detained at Guantanamo is just 15, the fewest since 2002, the year it was turned into a detention site to house men from around the world arrested in connection with the “War on Terror.” The transfer leaves six never-charged men still being held at Guantanamo, two convicted and sentenced inmates, and seven others charged with the 2001 attacks, the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, and 2002 bombings in Bali. Most of those at Guantanamo are from Yemen, a country ravaged by war and now dominated by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Rudy Giuliani held in contempt of court in 2020 election defamation case
A federal judge is holding Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court for failing to comply with requests for information about his assets related to his defamation verdict ordering him to pay two Georgia election workers $148 million. The Associated Press reported that New York-based U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that the former Trump lawyer and New York mayor “willfully violated an unambiguous order of the court” when he “blew past” a Dec. 20 deadline to submit information. Liman said that Giuliani “attempted to run the clock by stalling” and withholding information about assets he could use to pay Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss after he accused them of committing fraud during the 2020 election. RUDY GIULIANI SUSPENDED FROM PRACTICING LAW IN NEW YORK AFTER STATEMENTS CHALLENGING 2020 ELECTION RESULTS This comes after Giuliani, 80, testified for three hours on Friday and again on Monday explaining the delays in sharing information about his assets. Liman said that he would be issuing sanctions against Giuliani over the contempt, which he would decide on later. Another trial set for Jan. 16 will decide whether a New York Yankees World Series ring and Giuliani’s Florida home can be used to help pay his debt to Freeman and Moss.
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.