South Korean court issues arrest warrant for Yoon over martial law decree
BREAKINGBREAKING, Court’s issuance of warrant marks first time South Korean authorities have sought to detain a sitting president. A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived declaration of martial law in a historic first. Seoul Western District Court on Tuesday approved the warrant following an earlier request by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, which is investigating the embattled South Korean leader for insurrection and abuse of power. “The arrest warrant and search warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, requested by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, were issued this morning,” the Joint Investigation Headquarters said in a statement. The move marks the first time authorities have sought to detain a sitting South Korean president. It is unclear when authorities might attempt to take Yoon into custody. Yoon’s security detail has previously blocked investigators from executing a number of search warrants at the presidential office compound and the president’s official residence. South Korean media have speculated that Yoon is unlikely to be arrested imminently as authorities will probably seek to coordinate with the presidential security service. Advertisement Yoon faces possible life imprisonment, or even the death penalty, over his brief imposition of martial law on December 3, which has plunged the East Asian nation into its biggest political crisis in decades. Yun Gap-geun, a lawyer for Yoon, said in a statement that the warrant was “illegal and invalid”, arguing that the CIO does not have authority to investigate the president. Kwon Sung-dong, the floor leader of Yoon’s People’s Power Party, also criticised the court’s decision to issue a warrant, describing it as “inappropriate”. Yoon has been suspended from his duties since December 14, when the National Assembly voted for his impeachment in a 204-85 vote. In a deepening of the country’s leadership crisis, the opposition-controlled legislature on Friday voted to also impeach acting president Han Duck-soo, passing presidential authority to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok. The Democratic Party and several minor opposition parties voted to impeach Han over his refusal to immediately appoint three justices to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court, which is deliberating whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment. The court has up to six months to make its decision, after which Yoon will either be removed from office or restored to the presidency. Adblock test (Why?)
Texas public safety department announces systemwide outage, closes driver license offices
The outage appeared only to affect the public safety department. Websites for other state agencies were operational Monday evening.
Weather Update: Delhi, nearby regions brace for chilly New Year 2025, check IMD forecast here
According to the Meteorological department, there is a prediction of these conditions remaining in place until January 1. These conditions will impact visibility and lower daytime temperatures.
ICE shuts down programs offering services to illegal immigrants, citing ‘immense’ costs
EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ended two programs that provide social services to illegal immigrants who are released into the U.S. interior, telling lawmakers that one brings “immense cost with little improvement” and that another is out of line with ICE’s mission. The agency responded to Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and 15 members of Congress, who wrote to ICE in May asking for more information about the “Alternatives to Detention” program, which monitors illegal immigrants not in ICE detention. The agency defended the program and said it was “an efficient and effective” program for monitoring a segment of illegal immigrants on ICE’s non-detained docket. ICE only has around 40,000 beds available to it at one time, while it has a non-detained docket of nearly 7.7 million people – a number that has soared during the Biden administration. Of those, just over 181,000 are enrolled in Alternatives to Detention monitoring program, where migrants are monitored either by an app check-in or a GPS monitor. ICE DEPORTATIONS CATCH UP TO TRUMP-ERA NUMBERS IN FY 2024 AS BIDEN ADMIN COMES TO A CLOSE But in recent years, the agency has also created separate programs to offer various services and assistance to those not in detention. In the letter, the agency says that some of those programs are ending. One is the Wraparound Stabilization Service (WSS), which ICE says began in February 2020 and involves working with NGOs to offer “services that provide psychosocial and behavioral health support for vulnerable participants and their families who would benefit from additional stabilization services.” ICE says the program stopped referrals in July, and that the program was ineffective in what it sought to do, having only a 2% higher compliance rate from those who took part in services compared to those who did not. TRUMP’S TRANSITION TEAM EYES EXPANSION OF ANKLE MONITORS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NOT IN CUSTODY “ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations [ERO] notes the challenge with the WSS was its immense cost with little improvement,” it says. “As a result, ERO determined WSS was not cost effective enough to continue paying for these services when they did not benefit ICE or help the agency further its mission.” ICE had previously cited difficulties with the program including a cumbersome identification and referral process, a substantial increase in participants and a lack of resources. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS The agency also says it had decided in June not to continue a vendor contract for the Young Adult Case Management (YACMP) program. That program offered 18-and 19-year-old migrants legal services, screenings, referrals to social service programs and human trafficking screenings. It started in 2023 and was present in 16 cities. “In addition to fiscal limitations, a review of the program revealed that YACMP does not align with ERO’s mission or priorities. In short, ERO took steps to realign or stop using programs to address the budget challenges facing the agency,” the agency’s letter says. The letter also provided information about the operation of the ATD tracking by app or GPS, known as the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP). ICE said that 98.6% of those with court tracking appeared at their court hearings overall, while 90.4% appeared for final hearings. As of September, 13.2% of participants were being tracked by a GPS ankle or wrist device, and the average length on the program was 511.9 days. Lawmakers had also asked about those who were charged or convicted of crimes while enrolled in ATD. The agency said that in FY 2024, there were 3,913 charges and 688 convictions for those in the program, including 10 sex offense convictions, 364 traffic offense convictions, two homicide convictions, four kidnapping convictions and 65 assault convictions. The incoming Trump administration is eyeing a substantial increase in deportations, with President-elect Trump having promised a “historic” mass deportation operation. Fox Digital also reported this month that it wants to reduce numbers not in detention, while also increasing the use of ankle monitors on those who cannot be detained. Conservatives responded to the information provided to lawmakers by calling on the new administration to scrap even more programs providing services for illegal immigrants. “ICE is a law enforcement agency not a charity. The billions of dollars DHS has wasted to bring millions of illegal aliens into the country and provide them excessive amenities should be redirected to getting every illegal alien safely back to their home country,” Lora Ries, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital. Ries called the services a “boondoggle” and said “there are several other similar initiatives that must meet the same fate under President Trump.” “Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars in conflict with an agency mission, we should see a massive increase in resources for detaining and deporting illegal aliens. If you don’t support the agency’s mission, you shouldn’t get a dime,” she said.
‘Guardian Angels’ founder slams New York sanctuary city policies after woman set on fire
After announcing his citizen law enforcement group, the “Guardian Angels,” would be returning to patrol the New York subway, Curtis Sliwa is pushing back against New York Mayor Eric Adams and slamming the city’s migrant sanctuary policies, saying: “We’re in a crime crisis.” Sliwa announced the Guardian Angels would be resuming safety patrols on New York subway trains after a woman was burned to death on the New York City subway during Christmas week. The New York Post reported Sliwa saying the group would resume its patrols of the subway, walking up and down the inside of the trains “day and night.” The Guardian Angels founder called the brutal subway murder the “deadly consequences of NYC remaining a sanctuary city.” “We have 56,000 migrants identified as criminals by ICE roaming our streets, and vulnerable homeless folks left sleeping on our subways because shelters are filled and dangerous,” he said on X. “But Adams and City Hall pretend the city is safe and under control! While everyday New Yorkers see disturbing crime right before our eyes every single day!” CRITICS SPECULATE WHY BYSTANDERS FAILED TO SAVE WOMAN BURNING ON NYC SUBWAY: ‘DANIEL PENNY FACTOR’ | FOX NEWS VIDEO Recognizable by their distinctive red berets and jackets, Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels in 1979, and the group became a regular presence on the subway during many of the city’s most crime and homicide-ridden years. Currently, murders on the New York City subway are up by 60%, according to the New York Post. The outlet reported in September that eight people had been killed on subway trains in New York City, up from five during the same period in 2023. After last week’s brutal killing, Sliwa announced the Guardian Angels would be making a return to the New York subway and beefing up its presence on trains throughout the city. He said group members would be conducting wellness checks on homeless individuals and alerting police and subway authorities when there are problems. “We’re going to have to increase our numbers, increase the training and increase our presence as we did back in 1979,” said Sliwa. “We went from 13 to 1,000 back then within a period of a year. Because the need was there. The need is here now once again. We’re going to step up. We’re going to make sure we have a visual presence just like we had in the ’70s, 80’s and ’90s.” SUSPECT ACCUSED OF BURNING WOMAN TO DEATH ON NYC SUBWAY IS PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT Despite this, Adams’ office slammed the Guardian Angels’ announcement. Kayla Mamelak Altus, a representative for Adams, told Fox News Digital that the mayor has “surged 1,000 police officers per day into the subways, has brought down overall crime, and transit crime, delivering real action — not theatrics.” “Mayor Adams is committed to improving the lives of New Yorkers, which is why he frequently rides the subway to speak directly with everyday riders about how we can make it safer,” said Altus. “But he knows there’s still more work to be done,” Altus added. “Unlike others who only seek attention with meaningless stunts, Mayor Adams remains focused on real solutions.” MAYOR ADAMS CALLS FOR THE ‘INVOLUNTARY REMOVAL’ OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ‘A DANGER TO OTHERS’ ON THE STREETS In response, Sliwa urged Adams to station more police officers in the subway and challenged the mayor to join him in doing regular daily patrols on the subway to see how bad the problems have gotten since the surge in migrants in the city. “Head into the subway and patrol yourself,” Sliwa said, speaking directly to Adams. “I’ll match him. I go four hours a day, even with my busy schedule. The mayor has a busy schedule. He can run one patrol with his police. I’ll run a patrol with the Guardian Angels. That’s two more patrols we will have that we didn’t have before.” “We’re in a crime crisis, and the mayor should be happy to accept anybody’s help at this time,” he told Fox News Digital. “So, if we’re willing to patrol on the subways where it’s desperately needed in the cars as they’re moving, why would the mayor or anyone say it’s theatrics?” “The mayor and the governor have not met their primary responsibility, which is to provide public safety to the people in the subway,” he went on. “So, if you’re unwilling to do the job or maybe you can’t and won’t admit it, they should be welcoming all the help they can get from an organization that is renowned for 46 years of service to New Yorkers, asking nothing in return.” DR. PHIL WITNESSES TENSE HOMELESS ALTERCATION WHILE TOURING SUBWAY WITH MAYOR ADAMS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He said that most of the attacks are being carried out by “emotionally disturbed people” who live in the subways. “These attacks can occur anytime, anywhere, any place, to anybody, in any part of this city, and especially the subway,” he explained. “Shame on us for letting that happen. We need to rescue these people and get them mental health care. Shame on the fact that the mayor spent billions of our tax dollars housing migrants, but not our own citizens who live in the subways. The subway trains have become moving hotels. “If the mayor was doing a good job… nobody would be asking for the Guardian Angels to patrol the subways,” he added. “The people want police, and if they don’t have police, they’re more than happy to accept the service of the volunteer Guardian Angels.”
Texas congressmen cleared in ethics investigation over campaign finance spending
The ethics committee said existing law and guidance from the Federal Election Commission is “often ambiguous” and provides gray areas of spending.
Biden closes government as ‘mark of respect’ for late former President Jimmy Carter
Following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, President Biden on Monday signed an executive order closing all executive departments and agencies of the federal government on Jan. 9. The closures, which Biden described as a “mark of respect” for the 39th president, will be in effect on the day of the late former president’s funeral. Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., before being buried at the Washington National Cathedral, according to statements from the White House and Carter Center. Biden signed a proclamation on Sunday, declaring Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning and ordering all American flags to fly at half-staff for the next 30 days. JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100 “I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr.,” Biden wrote in a statement. “I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.” Carter, whose family owned a peanut farm in Plains, Georgia, attended the United States Naval Academy and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. He was later elected state senator, Georgia’s 76th governor and president of the United States — playing key roles in the creation of the modern Department of Education and the Department of Energy, conservation efforts, and nuclear nonproliferation. JIMMY, ROSALYNN CARTER’S HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LEGACY WILL CONTINUE, ORGANIZATION SAYS “As President, he understood that Government must be as good as its people — and his faith in the people was boundless, just as his belief in America was limitless and his hope for our common future was perennial,” according to a statement from the White House. “Guided by an unwavering belief in the power of human goodness and the God‑given dignity of every human being, he worked tirelessly around the globe to broker peace; eradicate disease; house the homeless; and protect human rights, freedom, and democracy.” Carter’s late wife, Rosalynn, stood by his side for more than 77 years.
Bank holiday on New Year’s Eve? Know which states have declared public holiday
Some states which have declared December 31 a public holiday will have banks closed on Tuesday, that is, there will be bank holiday.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump’s Vote of Confidence
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… –2028 Watch: Here are the Democrats who may eventually jump into the next White House race -U.S. appeals court upholds Trump verdict in E. Jean Carroll defamation case -Biden admin suppressed intel officials’ views that supported COVID-19 lab leak theory President-elect Donald Trump gave his “complete” and “total” endorsement of Mike Johnson ahead of next month’s expected fight to hold onto the House speakership. “The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration. Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!” Trump, championing the GOP as “the Party of COMMON SENSE,” also included a warning to Republicans…Read more PICTURES OF A LIFE: Jimmy Carter: His life in pictures…Read more AIR TRAVEL FOR ALL: How former President Jimmy Carter transformed the airline industry…Read more TOP 10: Jimmy Carter nears the top of America’s ‘Most Admired Man’ list, according to Gallup…Read more HUMANITARIAN WORK: Former President Jimmy Carter remembered and praised as a humanitarian around the world…Read more ‘NIGHTMARE’: Jimmy Carter attacked by ‘killer rabbit’ highlighted presidency struggles…Read more ‘A SERVANT’S HEART’: Carter’s death spurs outpouring of tributes from state leaders of both parties: ‘A servant’s heart’…Read more ‘THANK YOU HILLARY!’: Trump hails Florida Dem’s decision to ditch party, join GOP…Read more PRICEY PROTECTION: Biden’s Defense Department announces new multi-billion-dollar aid packages for Ukraine…Read more ACHTUNG, ELON: Germany accuses Elon Musk of interfering in election…Read more ‘NOTHING WAS GAINED’: Trump accuses former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of ‘one of the dumbest political decisions made in years’…Read more HOUSE BATTLE: Trump’s convincing 2024 victory sets House GOP up for homefield advantage in 2026 midterm elections…Read more UNCONVINCED: Rep. Victoria Spartz demands ‘assurances’ Speaker Johnson ‘won’t sell us out to the swamp’…Read more PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED: Kentucky to consider bill that would hold parents accountable for children’s gun crimes…Read more ‘OZEMPIC SANTA’: Elon Musk admits to taking controversial weight loss drug previously opposed by RFK Jr…Read more BORDER HORROR: Smugglers abandon two migrant girls at southern border with note to authorities…Read more DEI: These six states banned or limited DEI at colleges and universities in 2024…Read more **NOTE: We are publishing tomorrow, New Year’s Eve, but will not publish on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.** Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Elon Musk admits to taking controversial weight loss drug previously opposed by RFK Jr.
Billionaire entrepreneur and top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, touted that he has reaped the benefits of a controversial class of weight-loss drugs, after fellow top Trump adviser, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said the trendy new class of drugs is bad for Americans’ health. “Ozempic Santa” Musk posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Christmas Day, alongside an image of himself in front of a well-decorated Christmas tree dressed as Santa Claus — but without his signature big belly. “Like Cocaine Bear, but Santa and Ozempic!” In a follow-up post, Musk clarified that he is taking the brand-name version called Mounjaro, but said the clunky name didn’t “have the same ring to it.” ‘MRS. DOUBTFIRE’ STAR DOWN 120 POUNDS AFTER WEIGHT-LOSS DRUG MAKES HIM FEEL ‘LIKE A NORMAL PERSON’ Musk has been tapped by Trump — along with former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — to head the soon-to-be Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aimed at cutting down on wasteful government spending and red tape. Meanwhile, Kennedy is Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and, if confirmed, Trump has given Kennedy permission to “go wild on health” as long as he doesn’t interfere with Trump’s domestic energy goals. Musk’s social media post over the holidays turned heads, considering Kennedy has expressed opposition to semaglutide. Originally developed as a diabetes medication, semaglutide has been used more widely in recent years for its appetite-suppressing effects. “There’s a huge push to sell this to the American people,” Kennedy said of the semaglutide medication Ozempic when asked about his thoughts on the medication in October by Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld. “They make this drug in Denmark, and in Denmark they do not recommend it for diabetes, or for obesity. They recommend dietary and behavioral changes.” “They’re counting on selling it to Americans because we are so stupid and so addicted to drugs,” Kennedy added. He also concluded that the U.S. could solve the obesity crisis in America “overnight” if they just had access to, and ate, better quality food. WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS COULD SHAKE UP FOOD INDUSTRY Kennedy has run on a platform to “Make America Healthy Again,” but Ozempic, he says, will not help in those efforts. Musk, however, has said that “nothing would do more to improve public health” than making Ozempic more widely available. During President Joe Biden’s final days in office, his administration proposed expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage for semaglutides to make them more widely available for those who want to reap the weight-losing benefits of the drug. Besides Musk, Kennedy could also potentially clash with Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who has also expressed support for drugs like Ozempic. “I think the amount of good done by these medications by helping people lose weight and improve their cardiovascular system — and it might have long-term benefits in a lot of other areas as well, where obesity causes inflammation — is massive,” Oz said last year in a video posted to his Instagram account. CHEAP OZEMPIC KNOCK-OFFS HAVE RISEN IN POPULARITY – BUT ARE THEY SAFE? Kennedy, who very well could become Oz’s boss if they are both approved by the Senate, appeared to scale back his criticism of the new weight-loss drug amid his efforts to court support for his nomination from members of Congress. “The first line of response should be lifestyle. It should be eating well, making sure that you don’t get obese,” Kennedy said during a quick interview with CNBC on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, before adding that anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic “have a place” in the American medical community. Representatives for Musk, Kennedy and the Trump transition team did not provide a comment to Fox News Digital for this story.