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Leave the oil to me: Trump vows to unleash US energy, undo key Biden rules in 2nd term

Leave the oil to me: Trump vows to unleash US energy, undo key Biden rules in 2nd term

President-elect Donald Trump spent much of his time on the 2024 campaign trail pledging to restore U.S. energy dominance through bolstering oil and gas production, expanding fracking and lifting a pause on liquefied natural gas exports, a sharp contrast with his predecessor and prompting new questions over how he will move to enact some of these sweeping changes.  Trump vowed at a Pennsylvania rally last month that he would lift the Biden administration’s “war on energy” and “disastrous” energy policies that he argued permeated the current administration. “They annihilated your steel mills, decimated your coal jobs, assaulted your oil and gas jobs and sold off your manufacturing jobs to China and other foreign nations all over the world,” Trump said of the Biden administration. It’s not the first time Trump has used energy and climate issues to cut a sharp contrast with his predecessor.  BIDEN ADMIN TOUTS JOB WELL DONE REPLENISHING OIL RESERVES DESPITE DEPLETING THEM BY HALF OVER LAST 4 YEARS The Republican president-elect has vowed to use his second White House term to re-exit the Paris climate accord, undo strict emissions standards for vehicles and power plants, and bolster production of U.S. oil and gas, including through fracking, which is the controversial technology by which pressurized fluids are used to extract natural gas from shale rock. In the days after his victory, industry groups representing the nation’s biggest oil and gas producers told Fox News Digital they have little doubt Trump will make good on these promises in a second term. “Energy was on the ballot” in the 2024 elections, American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers said in a statement. In electing Trump, Sommers said voters “sent a clear signal that they want choices, not mandates, and an all-of-the-above approach that harnesses our nation’s resources and builds on the successes of his first term.” But some areas will be more difficult for Trump to act on unilaterally. EPA’S NEW RULE TO CHARGE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES FOR EMISSIONS COULD FACE A TRUMP RECKONING Trump has for months vowed to “undo” the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats’ marquee climate and clean energy spending legislation that allocates $369 billion in subsidies aimed at reshoring investments for electric vehicle manufacturing and battery production as well as new utility-scale wind and solar projects. Trump has described the law as the “greatest scam in history,” but on his own it’s unclear what actions he could take to undo the legislation. Though Trump now enjoys majority Republican support in both the House and Senate, it’s unlikely he would move to completely overturn the Inflation Reduction Act, in part because a large chunk of the funds designated under the law to help subsidize the build-out of clean energy projects and manufacturing plants has already been awarded. Much of the funding, in fact, has gone to Republican-led states. TRUMP’S ELECTION WIN SIGNALS A SHIFT IN US ENERGY: PAUL DABBER Other hurdles also exist. Since the IRA is a law, Trump could not move on his own to undo the legislation.  But he could take certain steps to restrict eligibility for certain tax credits or incentives. As president, Trump could tighten restrictions for automakers eligible for the electric vehicle tax credit, ramping up manufacturing costs and in turn making electric vehicles more expensive for consumers. Trump is also likely to introduce new tariffs on certain Chinese-made EVs and other products in a bid to incentivize Beijing to build more of its EVs in the U.S. On that front, Trump said this year he is considering tariffs of “60% or higher” on Chinese-made EVs to prevent their vehicles from saturating the U.S. market. But this could backfire, some experts warn. The Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy estimated that even a 10% tariff on Chinese-made EVs could raise taxes for U.S. consumers by more than $300 billion per year. It could also threaten retaliatory measures from Beijing and other trading partners, including retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, the group said. Still, Republicans and industry groups are unlikely to let up on the pressure to act.  TRUMP SELECTING ZELDIN FOR EPA ROLE SHOWS HE IS PREPARING TO ‘LAWYER UP’ THE AGENCY, JOURNALIST SAYS The American Petroleum Institute published a five point “policy road map” this week, seeking to influence the incoming administration’s actions in the auto manufacturing sector. Among its asks: Rolling back the Biden administration’s stringent fuel economy standards for vehicles, which target an 8% reduction in tailpipe pollution for both 2024 and 2025 model years and then increase to 10% in 2026. It also asked Trump to issue a five-year plan to expand offshore oil and gas drilling leases. “Our country has a generational opportunity to fully leverage U.S. energy leadership to improve the lives of all Americans and bring stability to a volatile world,” Sommers said in a letter that API sent to Trump alongside its plan. “It has never been more vital that America control its energy future.” But others doubt Trump will renege on an industry that has already seen billions of dollars of investments from automakers.  “Presidents come and go, but the auto industry motors on,” Mark Schirmer, director of industry insights and corporate communications at Cox Automotive, told reporters this week.

The Podcast Campaign: Is it curtains for mainstream media?

The Podcast Campaign: Is it curtains for mainstream media?

There’s growing chatter that it may be time to play taps for the purveyors of traditional media. Much of the presidential campaign played out on television. But TV, along with print, is being written off as old news, a horse-and-buggy relic, the last of the dinosaurs to inhabit the earth. Now this is the point in the narrative where I say that podcasts and digital media are the hot new players, that the candidates made all kinds of news on these outlets, and that they’re more entertaining than organizations built around actual journalism. All true. I’m a podcaster myself. It’s a freewheeling forum. But the phrase making the rounds in conservative circles is this: “You are the media now.” TRUMP, DEFYING MEDIA PREDICTIONS, MAINLY PICKS SEASONED CAPITOL HILL VETERANS SUCH AS MARCO RUBIO And what that means is that anyone can have a voice. The average person can start a Substack page or a blog or a podcast and draw a following. The average person can sound off on TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X. The corporate barbarians no longer control the gates. And this is a healthy thing. It opens up the national conversation and allows for unconventional and unorthodox ideas to circulate – such as that the Covid lockdown was not such a great idea and that the Hunter Biden laptop was not Russian disinformation. Elon Musk, in a pitch for X, has embraced the concept: “Something’s wrong with the press, guys. Journalism is dead. What the heck is going on? It’s bizarre.” But the mirror image of everyone being the media is that everyone has to be a media consumer. The online world, as everyone knows, is filled with vitriol and conspiracy theories. It’s up to each person to filter that out (or not), and whether to stay in a cocoon that reinforces his or her opinions. WHY THE MEDIA WAITED TILL NOW TO ADMIT HARRIS RAN A LOUSY CAMPAIGN This is especially true in the Trump era, given his attacks on “fake news” and a basic disagreement on fundamental facts. Despite the president-elect’s stunning margin of victory, this is still a fiercely divided country with two diametrically opposed views of reality.  Charlie Warzel at the Atlantic has written smartly about this: “Media institutions were somehow failing to meet the moment, but it was also unclear if they still had any meaningful power to shape outcomes at all. “News sites everywhere have seen traffic plummet in the past two years. That’s partly the fault of technology companies and their algorithmic changes, which have made people less likely to see or click on articles when using products like Google Search or Facebook.” But, says Warzel, “audiences are breaking up with news, too. An influencer economy has emerged on social-media platforms. It’s not an ecosystem that produces tons of original reporting, but it feels authentic to its audience.” Yet the obituaries for traditional media are premature. Sure, it was a great idea for Trump to spend three hours with Joe Rogan and for Kamala Harris to appear on “Call Her Daddy.” MEDIA LIBERALS SAVAGE KAMALA AS TRUMP PICKS EXPERIENCED HARD-LINERS But when Harris spent a month hiding from the media, the pressure grew for her to do a sitdown television interview. She eventually did with CNN’s Dana Bash. Another major event was the vice president’s contentious interview with Fox’s Bret Baier. Meanwhile, the leaks on Trump’s appointees have mainly been to the big newspapers and cable networks. So-called “legacy” outlets – which, by the way, all have major websites – do reporting as well as commentary. For all their flaws, they are slower because journalism takes time and mistakes are embarrassing. And even those who don’t trust these news organizations will cite them when it’s politically convenient: “Even the New York Times says–” In fact, for all of Trump’s use of Truth Social and self-posted videos, he cares about the legacy media as much as anyone. He talks to reporters virtually every day, even those he doesn’t like, and monitors the TV and newspaper coverage, so he can hit back at anything he deems inaccurate or unfair. And, as the campaign showed, he is impervious to the avalanche of negative coverage, and the consistently glowing coverage of Kamala didn’t help her in the end. Newspapers, while largely abandoned by younger people staring at their phones, also have an echo-chamber influence. The other day, The New York Times reported that lawyers at the Justice Department are worried about a Trump purge. The story was covered on cable all day long. Says Warzel: “Independent online creators aren’t encumbered by any of this hand-wringing over objectivity or standards: They are concerned with publishing as much as they can, in order to cultivate audiences and build relationships with them. For them, posting is a volume game. It’s also about working ideas out in public. Creators post and figure it out later; if they make mistakes, they post through it. Eventually people forget.” The old run-and-gun approach. So I’m not buying the notion that traditional journalism is washed up, especially those outlets that do investigative reporting. They still play a pretty central role, which is why the campaigns spent zillions on TV ads. But it may also be telling that Chris Wallace, with his three-year CNN contract expiring, is leaving to start a podcast. My takeaway is that those of us in the news business now have to share the microphone with millions of other voices. And I’m not losing any sleep over that.

GOP incumbent projected to defeat Dem challenger in closely watched Arizona House race

GOP incumbent projected to defeat Dem challenger in closely watched Arizona House race

Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., will keep his seat in Arizona after fending off a challenge from Democrat Kirsten Engel, according to The Associated Press’ race call Wednesday night. The race for the 6th Arizona Congressional District seat was tight, with Ciscomani receiving 49.6% of the vote compared to Engel’s 47.9%. Unofficial election results on the state’s website show he only leads Engel by 7,020 votes. Democrats were hoping to flip the seat after a tight race between the same candidates in 2022. Ciscomani’s win completed the congressional races in Arizona and secured a Republican majority in the U.S. House by hitting the 218 threshold. REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA Ciscomani has brandished bipartisan credentials and fought off a conservative challenger in July, where he touted the endorsement of President-elect Donald Trump. “Congressman Juan Ciscomani is doing an incredible job representing the great people of Arizona’s 6th Congressional District,” Trump said on Truth Social in May. “Juan is working hard to Secure our Border, Defend our Wonderful Military and Veterans, Promote Election Integrity, and Expand American Jobs and the Economy.” REP. CISCOMANI FENDS OFF PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM FELLOW REPUBLICAN AHEAD OF TIGHT ELECTION Ciscomani had embraced border security as a key issue, with the state being at the front of the historic crisis at the southern border. “I have been consistent in my willingness to work with anyone – on either side of the aisle – to address the crisis at the border,” Ciscomani told Fox News Digital in September. “However, Vice President Harris’ visit to the border smells like nothing more than a photo opportunity to try and score political points.” Engel had hit Ciscomani on the question of abortion, and in a recent debate revealed that she has experienced a miscarriage. “I’m a woman. I’ve had complications. I’ve had miscarriages,” she said in October, according to Arizona Central. “This is not something that we leave to politicians. Last time I checked, Juan, you’re not a doctor. I don’t trust you with my health care. I’m sorry, I don’t trust you with my daughter’s health care. We need to leave this to women and their doctors.” She also challenged his claim to be a moderate. “You present yourself as a moderate, but you cave to the extremists in your party. The extremists are driving the dysfunction. They are scaring seniors because if they are in control, they will do these things,” she said. Arizona, which had a number of close House and Senate races, was also seen as a key swing state for the presidential election. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Land drug trafficking patterns in North-Eastern Region

Land drug trafficking patterns in North-Eastern Region

Drug trafficking is also often connected with other forms of crime, such as money laundering or corruption. Trafficking routes are used by criminal networks to transport other illicit products including firearms, human trafficking and wildlife trafficking.

Republicans projected to keep control of House as Trump prepares to implement agenda

Republicans projected to keep control of House as Trump prepares to implement agenda

The Fox News Decision Desk can project that Republicans will keep their majority in the House of Representatives. The number of seats the party will hold depends on the outcome in a handful of remaining districts. There are nine races yet to be called. They are: Alaska’s at-large district, California’s 9th, 13th, 21st, and 45th districts, Iowa’s 1st district, Maine’s 2nd district, Ohio’s 9th district and Oregon’s 5th district. Republicans soared to the 218 threshold for majority after Republican Juan Ciscomani was elected in Arizona’s 6th District. The first-term Republican won a rematch against Democrat Kirsten Engel, whom Ciscomani narrowly defeated in the 2022 midterms. ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS In a statement, The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said that the majority win came after a “historically tumultuous cycle,” saying that they “never lost focus and never stopped working.” “They said it couldn’t be done, but the American people have spoken. As Chairman of the NRCC it has been my mission since day one to hold our House majority. Today it is clear that we accomplished that mission. Even through a historically tumultuous cycle our team never lost focus and never stopped working,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson said in a release on Wednesday night. “Americans are fed up with extreme Democrats who threw open the border, set inflation on fire, and invited drugs and crime to flood our communities,” he said. “With a Republican House majority, President Donald Trump back in the White House, and a new Senate majority, help is on the way. I am looking forward to working with my newly elected colleagues to clean up Democrats’ mess with an America First agenda.” WATCH: Mike Johnson, whose rise to speaker last year ended a leadership battle in the House, is likely to continue serving as the 56th Speaker. It comes despite a tumultuous term for the House GOP marked by fierce public infighting over government spending and the first-ever ouster of a speaker of the House. SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ Republicans’ chances of keeping the House majority seemed like a pipe dream in October 2023. Congress was paralyzed while GOP lawmakers fought behind closed doors to select a new leader after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was booted by all House Democrats and eight Republican rebels. Those odds improved significantly when Democrats had their own leadership crisis as top liberals pressured President Biden to drop out of the race after his disastrous debate against former President Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris gave Democrats an enthusiasm and funding boost when she took over Biden’s mantle, but it was not a big enough bump to carry their House candidates through November. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital late last month that he anticipated the battle for control to come down to roughly 40 or 45 races. “There’s really only about 10% — roughly 45 seats — that are truly competitive. And, by that, I mean the really battleground districts are about half Republican-held and about half Democrat-held,” Scalise said. “We’re going around the country helping the incumbents on the Republican side or in tough races. But, also, we’re working on those challengers who have a real opportunity to flip a seat from Democrat to Republican.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.