Virginia Republicans announced their top legislative priorities for the new year, with curbing fentanyl deaths chief among them.

Under current case law, it is difficult to charge a drug dealer with the murder of a user who died from fentanyl they had purchased unless they are in the proximity of that dealer, according to GOP legislators.

State Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-New Kent, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Virginia hopes to address that legislative insufficiency.

"This [law] would say if you sell the drugs, it doesn't matter if you're in physical proximity," he said.

VIRGINIA DEMS ‘ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION’ AMID OUTRAGE OVER TRUMP'S FEDERAL WORKFORCE CUTS PLAN, GOP SAYS

McDougle and Senate Republican Caucus Leader Mark Obenshain are spearheading the effort.

Fox News Digital reached out to Obenshain, of Harrisonburg, for additional comment.

However, at a related press conference, Obenshain said that as long as people are "dying in every corner of Virginia, of every socioeconomic background, that means there’s people out there peddling this poison."

A pair of Senate special elections on Tuesday were set to determine whether Republicans will take a slightly belated majority in the chamber this term, as Democrats currently control it by one seat. 

Voters went to the polls in both Loudoun County and a swath of more red counties, including Buckingham, Fluvanna and Goochland.

On Wednesday, multiple outlets projected Democrats will hold their slim single-seat majority – requiring one liberal to side with McDougle and Obenshain on their counter-fentanyl proposal.

In 2022, the Old Dominion ranked 14th among states for total fentanyl-related deaths, with 1,973 fatalities, and was positioned near the national average in terms of death rate per capita, according to CDC data.

TOP DOGE SENATOR DEMANDS LAME-DUCK BIDEN AGENCIES HALT COSTLY TELEWORK, CITING VOTER MANDATE

For comparison, neighboring West Virginia leads the nation in fentanyl deaths per capita, but total deaths were 1,084, less than Virginia.

Seven out of 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, according to OnePillCanKill Virginia.

A representative for Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he believes prosecuting fentanyl dealers should receive bipartisan support:

"As Governor Youngkin has said time and time again, any person who knowingly and intentionally distributes fentanyl should be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," spokesman Christian Martinez told Fox News Digital.

"We cannot continue to let makers and dealers get away with murder – and it is time Democrat lawmakers side with victims' families over fentanyl makers and dealers."

In April, Youngkin signed Obenshain’s prior fentanyl-related bill, SB 469, which made unlawful possession, purchase or sale of encapsulating machines for the purpose of producing illicit drugs a Class 6 felony.

It also imposed felony penalties for subjects who allow a minor or mentally incapacitated person to be present during the manufacture of any substance containing fentanyl.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares previously said an average of five people die each day from fentanyl overdoses throughout the state. 

"By enhancing penalties and criminalizing the possession and use of machines to produce counterfeit drugs, we are supplying law enforcement personnel with the tools they need to hold drug dealers accountable for poisoning our communities," Miyares said.

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After her husband signed the 2023 legislation, Virginia first lady Suzanne Youngkin said there is "nothing more important" than protecting families and communities in Virginia. "I applaud all persons working hard to fight the spread of this illicit drug taking the lives of far too many Virginians," she said.

Virginia Republicans also indicated this week that they will work to put Youngkin’s December plan curtailing taxation of gratuities into law. The plan somewhat mirrors President-elect Donald Trump’s "No Tax on Tips" campaign pledge.

"Hard-working Virginians deserve to keep the tips they earn for their service," McDougle said. "Governor Youngkin’s inclusion of this policy in the budget is an important step in our support of hard-working Virginians, and we’re proud to introduce the bill to put it in the Code of Virginia."

McDougle said Tuesday the chamber will also pursue a ban on transgender women competing in women’s and girls’ sports.

As President-elect Donald Trump continues to express interest in the U.S. acquiring Greenland, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., conveyed a willingness to entertain the concept.

Fetterman noted that he would not support forcibly seizing Greenland — but the senator, who made the comments during an appearance on Fox News Channel's "Special Report," pointed to historical American land acquisitions, including the Louisiana purchase and the purchase of Alaska.

Trump declared in a post on Truth Social last month, "For 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."

DANISH PRIME MINISTER HAS BLUNT MESSAGE FOR TRUMP: GREENLAND IS NOT FOR SALE

"Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation. We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!" he said in a Truth Social post on Monday.

Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenland on Tuesday.

The icy island "has its own extensive local government, but it is also part of the Realm of Denmark," according to denmark.dk. "Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953, when it was redefined as a district of Denmark. In addition to its own local government, Greenland has two representatives in the Danish Parliament, the Folketing."

TRUMP ESCALATES PLANS TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND AFTER RESIDENT PLEADS: ‘DENMARK’S USING US'

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act in a bipartisan 264-159 vote on Tuesday, and Fetterman said that he plans to support passage in the Senate. 

The measure is named after the 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student slain last year by an illegal alien in Georgia.

The legislation calls for the Homeland Security secretary to issue a detainer for an illegal alien who admits to, or is charged with, arrested, or convicted of actions that comprise the key elements of theft or similar offenses, and to take custody of the person if they have not been detained by federal, state, or local authorities. 

Fetterman said he doesn't know why anyone finds it controversial that people illegally in the U.S. who commit crimes "need to go."

"Do you think that this was one of, if not the biggest issue for this election?" Fox News' Brett Baier asked Fetterman.

The senator replied that if Senate Democrats cannot muster 7 votes in support of the measure, that is one of the reasons they lost. 

The Tory leader says a fresh inquiry is needed to "join the dots" but the PM says it would delay change.

President-elect Trump on Wednesday morning filed an emergency petition to the United States Supreme Court in an effort to block his sentencing in New York v. Trump. 

Judge Juan Merchan set Trump's sentencing in New York v. Trump for Jan. 10, after a jury found the now-president-elect guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree, stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and has appealed the ruling, but was rejected last week by Merchan. 

NEW YORK JUDGE SETS TRUMP SENTENCING DAYS BEFORE INAUGURATION

"President Trump’s legal team filed an emergency petition with the United States Supreme Court, asking the Court to correct the unjust actions by New York courts and stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt," Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. "The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the Constitution, and established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed." 

Cheung said 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." 

He added: "We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again."

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

The Mexican government is working hard to break up migrant caravans trying to make the treacherous journey north to the U.S. ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration in less than two weeks' time.

Faced with the prospect of massive tariffs on goods under the new administration, Mexico has been dispersing migrants throughout the country to keep them far from the U.S. border, including dropping them off at the once vibrant tourist hotspot of Acapulco, a beach resort town on Mexico's Pacific coast made famous by the jet set in the 1950s and ’60s.

Once a crown jewel of Mexico's tourism industry, the city now suffers under the thumb of organized crime and is still struggling to climb back after taking a direct hit from powerful Hurricane Otis in 2023. It now has one of Mexico's highest rates of homicides.

MORE MIGRANTS LIKELY TO RUSH BORDER DESPITE REPORTS OF SPLINTERING CARAVAN: EXPERTS

Yet authorities are dropping busloads of migrants there with little support and few options. 

The Mexican government has embraced a policy of "dispersion and exhaustion" to reduce the number of migrants reaching the U.S. border. Authorities let migrants walk for days until they're exhausted and then offer to bus them to various cities where they say their immigration status will be reviewed.

The migrants tell the Associated Press that they accepted an offer from immigration officials to come to the city under the premise that they could continue their journey north toward the U.S. border, but instead they have essentially been abandoned there. 

On Monday, desperate migrants could be seen sleeping in the streets in tents and say they fear Mexico's drug cartels could target them for kidnapping and extortion, though many migrants say authorities extort them too.

"Immigration (officials) told us they were going to give us a permit to transit the country freely for 10, 15 days and it wasn't like that," 28-year-old Venezuelan, Ender Antonio Castañeda, told the Associated Press. "They left us dumped here without any way to get out. They won't sell us (bus) tickets. They won't sell us anything."

MORE MIGRANTS LIKELY TO RUSH BORDER DESPITE REPORTS OF SPLINTERING CARAVAN: EXPERTS

Castañeda, is one of thousands of other migrants who had left the southern city of Tapachula near the Guatemalan border in recent weeks in the hope of crossing the Mexican border into the U.S. before Trump takes office.

It would take an adult migrant about 16 days of non-stop walking to get to the most southern point of the U.S. border is at the crossing at Matamoros, near Brownsville, Texas. Migrants prefer traveling in caravans because they believe there is safety in numbers as it is hard or impossible for immigration agents to detain large groups of hundreds of migrants.

Trump has threatened Mexico with a 25% tariff on imported goods from Mexico, and the country hopes the lower numbers will give them some defense from Trump's pressures.

Trump is expected to clamp down heavily on illegal crossings, which have soared under the Biden-Harris administration. He has also vowed to carry out the largest deportation operation in the history of the U.S. and has appointed hardliner South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while Tom Homan will be the new "Border Czar." 

Additionally, he has also pledged to end the use of parole programs by the Biden administration that allow migrants to enter via the expanded "lawful pathways."

On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his threat in a press briefing where he also said he would change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

"Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country. They can stop them. And we’re going to put very serious tariffs on Mexico and Canada, because Canada, they come through Canada too, and the drugs that are coming through are at record numbers, record numbers. So we’re going to make up for that by putting tariffs on Mexico and Canada, substantial tariffs," he said. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A federal judge on Monday kicked the battle over an election to fill a spot on North Carolina's Supreme Court back to the state's highest court.

North Carolina's highest court on Tuesday then blocked the certification of the election results between Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs and GOP challenger Jefferson Griffin. 

Griffin lost the general election, and two recounts later, one statewide machine recount and a partial hand-to-eye recount of ballots from randomly selected early voting sites and Election Day precincts in each county, still showed Riggs in the lead, according to WUNC. The results show the Democrat ahead by just 734 votes from over 5.5 million ballots cast, but Riggs is contending that 60,000 ballots cast should be invalidated. 

The ultimate winner gets an eight-year term on a Supreme Court where five of the seven current justices are registered Republicans.

Most of the ballots that Griffin is challenging came from voters whose registration records lacked either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number — which a state law has required be sought in registration applications since 2004. Before the federal Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, of 2002, voter registration forms did not clearly require that people list the last four digits of their Social Security number or their driver's license number. 

GOP LAWMAKER, 81, RECEIVES MEDICAL ATTENTION AFTER FALL AT US CAPITOL

Yet it's still legal to vote in cases where a person's last four Social Security numbers or driver's license digits cannot be validated. People can still present a HAVA document, such as a utility bill, and the state elections administration office is required to then assign that person a special identification number to register to vote, according to WUNC. 

Other large categories of votes that Griffin is challenging were cast by overseas voters who have never lived in the U.S. but whose parents were deemed North Carolina residents and by military or overseas voters who did not provide copies of photo identification with their ballots. In accordance with federal law, the state administrative code says overseas voters are exempt from that requirement, WUNC reported. 

Lawyers for Griffin, who is a judge on the intermediate-level state Court of Appeals, initially asked the state Supreme Court to intervene three weeks ago.

But the elections board quickly moved the matter to federal court, saying Griffin's appeals involved matters of federal voting and voting rights laws.

Griffin disagreed, and so did U.S. District Judge Richard Myers, who on Monday returned the case to the state Supreme Court. 

Myers — a nominee to the bench by Donald Trump — wrote that Griffin’s protests raised "unsettled questions of state law" and had tenuous connections to federal law.

TWO HURRICANE HELENE VICTIMS, A FAMILY OF FOUR AND A VIETNAM VETERAN, GIFTED CAMPERS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Hours later, Griffin's attorneys asked the state Supreme Court for the temporary stay, which the court granted.

"In the absence of a stay from federal court, this matter should be addressed expeditiously because it concerns certification of an election," Tuesday's order read.

The order said that Riggs recused herself from the matter and that Associate Justice Anita Earls, the other Democrat on the court, opposed the stay in part because the "public interest requires that the Court not interfere with the ordinary course of democratic processes as set by statute and the state constitution."

Attorneys for the State Board of Elections and Riggs quickly filed appeals notices for Myers’ decision with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The state board later on Tuesday asked the appeals court to direct Myers to take back the litigation from the state Supreme Court and block its return to the state court while the matter is appealed.

Barring intervention by federal appeals judges, the Republican-majority state Supreme Court would essentially be asked to decide the winner for one of its own seats. 

The State Board of Elections dismissed Griffin's written protests challenging the ballots last month. That initiated a timeline in which the board would issue a certificate confirming Riggs' election this Friday — ending the litigation — unless a court stepped in. Tuesday's order stops such certification and tells Griffin and the board to file legal briefs with the justices over the next two weeks.

Democratic allies of Riggs have accused Griffin and the state GOP of trying to overturn legitimate election results.

Riggs "deserves her certificate of election and we are only in this position due to Jefferson Griffin refusing to accept the will of the people," state Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton said in a news release.

The state election board that dismissed Griffin's protests is composed of three Democrats and two Republicans.

The Supreme Court in the nation's ninth-largest state has been a partisan flash point in recent years in court battles involving redistricting, photo voter identification and other voting rights.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab is launching a campaign for the state's Democrat-held governor's seat in 2026, announcing his run exclusively with Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

Schwab, who is running as a Republican, is seeking to replace Kansas' Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly, who will have held the seat for eight years when her term ends next cycle.

"We need to return to the values and principles that have always fueled us, and gave me the strength to lead in Topeka," Schwab, Kansas' two-term secretary of state, said in a press release shared with Fox News Digital. "I have a proven conservative record. And a servant’s heart. It’s important for Kansas to take the right path."

Schwab was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2002, serving as speaker pro tempore of the state's House of Representatives before being elected secretary of state in 2018.

KANSAS GOVERNOR VETOES BILL BANNING TRANSGENDER TREATMENT TO MINORS, ABORTION RESTRICTIONS

"A Christian, a father, and a believer in the American dream. I believe that to do something great, you need to throw off the chains holding you back," Schwab said in his official campaign launch. "For Kansas, that’s big government, and that is why I am running for Governor."

TRUMP'S CONVINCING 2024 VICTORY SETS HOUSE GOP UP FOR HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE IN 2026 MIDTERMS

Schwab noted his alignment with President-elect Donald Trump on several key issues as one of the reasons he is launching a bid for governor.

Specifically, Schwab noted in his first campaign ad that, if elected, he intends to stop China from buying farmland, increase security as it pertains to elections and cut property taxes.

The candidate, who made his Christian faith a focal point of his campaign launch, also highlighted that he wants the U.S. to return to the "values that have always fueled us."

Although the state currently has a Democrat governor, its leadership is predominantly Republican, with two GOP senators and three of its four congressional seats held by Republicans.

Kelly, who has served two terms as governor, insinuated that she might not seek re-election in the 2026 midterms.

"It is really time for me to move on and to let others come up and serve," Kelly told KCUR's Up To Date in 2024.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, the recently elected chair of the Republican Governors Association, said the Kansas race is going to be a top priority for the GOP in 2026.

"I'm going to be very engaged, you can rest assured, to making sure that my [successors] are Republican," Kemp, who is term-limited next cycle, previously told Fox News Digital. 

"We'll be working with the Trump administration and a lot of other people to make sure that that's happening not only in Georgia, but in other states around the country, in places like Kansas, where we have a Democratic governor right now, in places like Arizona, where we have a really good shot at winning the governor's races. So we're going to be on offense."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Wednesday flatly said the European Union will not allow President-elect Trump to take Greenland by military force.

"It is out of the question that the European Union would let other countries ... attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are," Barrot said on French radio, according to Politico. 

Barrot added that he doubts Trump would take the extraordinary step of invading Greenland.

"If you're asking me whether I think the United States will invade Greenland, my answer is no. But have we entered into a period of time when it is survival of the fittest? Then my answer is yes," Barrot said.

DANISH PRIME MINISTER HAS BLUNT MESSAGE FOR TRUMP: GREENLAND IS NOT FOR SALE

That stark warning comes after Trump made various statements calling the island territory vital to U.S. national and economic security interests and expressing interest in purchasing it from Denmark. He has made similar comments about wresting the Panama Canal from Panama's control after the U.S. relinquished the canal in 1977. 

On Tuesday, the incoming U.S. president would not rule out using military force to gain control of Greenland  or the Panama Canal when asked about the issue at a press conference.

A reporter asked Trump if he could assure the world he would not use military or economic coercion to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.

"No, I can't assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security," Trump said. 

DONALD TRUMP JR ARRIVES IN GREENLAND AS HIS FATHER SAYS DENMARK ‘GIVE IT UP’

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphasized Tuesday that Greenland is not for sale.

Frederiksen told a Danish TV station that Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede "has been very, very clear – that there is a lot of support among the people of Greenland that Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either," according to The Hill.

She reportedly told TV 2 that Greenland will choose its own future and said, "We need to stay calm and stick to our principles," while praising the U.S. as a key Danish ally. 

TRUMP ESCALATES PLANS TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND AFTER RESIDENT PLEADS: ‘DENMARK’S USING US'

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said 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.

Trump's son arrived Tuesday in Nuuk, the Arctic territory's capital. He met with locals, visited cultural sites and shot video for a podcast. The president-elect posted a video showing a plane emblazoned with the word "TRUMP" landing in Nuuk.

"Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland," Trump wrote. "The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!" 

At Tuesday's press conference, Trump said of Greenland, "Denmark should give it up." 

Most Americans believe President Biden will be remembered as a below-average president once he leaves office, according to a Wednesday poll.

The new poll from Gallup found that 54% of Americans say Biden will be remembered as either "below average" (37%) or "poor" (17%). Meanwhile, just 19% are confident he will have a positive legacy, with 6% saying he was "outstanding" and 13% saying he was "above average."

Just over a quarter of Americans, 26%, predict Biden will be remembered as an average president, the poll found.

Gallup's poll ranked Biden alongside nine other recent presidents, and only President Richard Nixon proved to be less popular. Nixon received a net positivity rating of -42, compared to Biden's -35. The next closest president was George W. Bush at -9.

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Gallup noted that presidents who serve challenging terms like Biden typically see their approval ratings rise in the years after they leave office. The pollster noted that Presidents Jimmy Carter, Trump and Bush all benefited from this trend.

President-elect Trump's first term received a net positivity rating of -4. The most popular president was John F. Kennedy, at +68, followed by Ronald Reagan at +38.

BIDEN RIPPED FOR 'SLAP IN THE FACE' TO CRIME VICTIMS AFTER AWARDING SOROS MEDAL OF FREEDOM: 'DISGUSTING'

Gallup conducted the poll from Dec. 2 - 18, surveying 1,003 U.S. adults via cellphone and landline. The poll advertises a margin of error of 4%.

The poll came the same day that Biden acknowledged concerns about his age and discussed his legacy in an interview with USA Today in the Oval Office. He still claimed he would have won another term if he'd run against Trump, but he admitted he's not sure if he could have lasted four more years.

"Do you think you would've had the vigor to serve another four years in office?" USA Today's Susan Page asked.

"I don't know," Biden said. "That's why I thought when I first announced, talking to Barack [Obama] about it, I said I thought I was the person. I had no intention of running after [my son] Beau died – for real, not a joke. And then when Trump was running again for re-election, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him."

OBAMA ALUMS TRASH 'STUBBORN OLD MAN' BIDEN’S ‘FECKLESS’ JAN. 6 OP-ED

"But I also wasn't looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old. And so I did talk about passing the baton," Biden added, reflecting on concerns over his age, especially before he dropped out of the presidential race.

Biden says his "hope" is that history remembers "that I came in and I had a plan how to restore the economy and reestablish America's leadership in the world."

"I hope that my legacy is one that says I took an economy that was in disarray and set it on track to lead the world, in terms of the new sort of rules of the road," he said.

The White House declined to comment on the record when contacted by Fox News Digital regarding the poll.

On the heels of President-elect Donald Trump's announcement on Tuesday about renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., swiftly served up legislation to enact the idea.

"The Gulf of America, what a beautiful name," Trump said after declaring that the name would be changed.

Greene quickly announced that she would introduce a measure "ASAP" to rename the body of water. 

Later on Tuesday she released the text of the proposal, indicating in a statement that it would be filed on Thursday morning.

‘BEAUTIFUL NAME’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES GULF OF MEXICO WILL GET NEW, PRO-AMERICA REVAMP

"The Gulf of Mexico shall be known as the 'Gulf of America,'" the text of the proposal reads in part, calling for federal documents and maps to be updated accordingly.

"Mexican cartels currently use the Gulf of Mexico to traffic humans, drugs, weapons, and God knows what else while the Mexican government allows them to do it," Greene said in a statement.

"The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the maritime waterways for commerce to be conducted. Our U.S. armed forces protect the area from any military threats from foreign countries. It’s our gulf. The rightful name is the Gulf of America and it’s what the entire world should refer to it as," she asserted. "We already have the bill written with legislative council and ready to file first thing Thursday morning."

Other lawmakers also jumped on the "Gulf of America" bandwagon after Trump's announcement.

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE TO VOTE FOR JOHNSON AFTER SEEKING TO OUST HIM FROM SPEAKERSHIP LAST YEAR

In a post on X, Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., invited people to "visit our beautiful district and take a dip in the Gulf of AMERICA!"

"Proud to represent Alabama's First District on the beautiful GULF OF AMERICA," Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala. declared in a tweet.

"Alabamians know just how important the Gulf and Gulf Coast are for our great country. The Gulf of AMERICA sounds pretty good to me," Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., noted in a post.

TRUMP TROLLS CANADA AGAIN, SHARES MAP WITH COUNTRY AS PART OF US: ‘OH CANADA!’

Trump will take office in less than two weeks when he is inaugurated on Jan. 20.

Thurrock Council will ask Westminster to cancel local elections.

It comes after the Treasury minister was named in an anti-corruption probe in the country.

"People need to step up to the mark" to tackle child abuse grooming gangs, Prof Alexis Jay tells BBC.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., became the second Democrat to co-sponsor the Laken Riley Act, which will get a vote on the Senate floor Friday after passing the House on Tuesday. 

The measure would require Immigration and Customs Enforcement to arrest and detain illegal immigrants that have committed theft, burglary or shoplifting until they are deported. Under the bill, states would also have standing to take civil action against members of the federal government who do not enforce immigration law. 

"Arizonans know the real-life consequences of today’s border crisis," Gallego told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We must give law enforcement the means to take action when illegal immigrants break the law, to prevent situations like what occurred to Laken Riley."

"I will continue to fight for the safety of Arizonans by pushing for comprehensive immigration reform and increased border security." 

RFK JR TO MEET WITH SLEW OF DEMS INCLUDING ELIZABETH WARREN, BERNIE SANDERS

The bill was re-introduced in the 119th Congress by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in the House and Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., in the Senate. It was named for the 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student who was found dead on the University of Georgia campus in February. Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant, was found guilty on 10 total counts, including felony murder. He initially pleaded not guilty.

He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in November. 

The House passed the bill, 264 to 159, on Tuesday, with 48 Democrats joining Republicans.

TRUMP, GOP SENATORS TO HUDDLE AT CAPITOL, WEIGH STRATEGY ON BUDGET, TAXES AND BORDER

"I’d like to thank Senator Gallego for cosponsoring the bipartisan Laken Riley Act. This commonsense legislation would keep American families safe, and every single senator should support it," Britt said in a statement after Gallego joined the bill. 

The Alabama senator reintroduced the bill in the Senate on Tuesday after first debuting it last year. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., quickly teed the measure up for a floor vote on Friday. 

Britt's bill has the full backing of every Republican in the Senate and is now co-sponsored by Democrat Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Gallego. 

MIDWESTERN STATE SENATOR REVIVES DOGE-ALIGNED BILLS AS GOP PREPARES FOR DC TAKEOVER

Gallego notably voted in favor of the bill in the House last year, one of a few dozen Democrats to do so. 

The Arizona Democrat won the swing state's Senate race in November, taking over the seat vacated by former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., who did not run for re-election. Gallego defeated Trump ally Kari Lake in the election, despite President-elect Donald Trump carrying the battleground state. 

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., revealed to Fox News Digital he would be voting in favor of the measure. The Democrat is up for re-election in Michigan in 2026, another state won by Trump. 

TRANSGENDER BILL BARRING MEN FROM WOMEN'S SPORTS TO GET FLOOR VOTE IN NEWLY GOP-LED SENATE

Republicans will ultimately have a 53-seat majority in the Senate. However, because Sen.-elect Jim Justice of West Virginia delayed his swearing-in, the conference only has a 52-seat majority. 

To overcome the legislative filibuster, the bill needs 60 votes. The measure's fate is thus expected to come down to the votes of a handful of Democrats.

In particular, the vote will put a spotlight on the Georgia Senate delegation, as Riley was a constituent of theirs. All eyes will be on Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who has his own re-election battle in 2026 in yet another Trump-won state.

Ossoff did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.

The education secretary criticises a push for a new inquiry into grooming gangs by halting progress of the bill.

The health secretary sees patients left crying and distressed, as hospitals declare critical incidents.

The home secretary says those who fail to report child sexual abuse could face criminal sanctions.

Illegal use of the drug reached record levels last year, the Home Office said.

A member of House GOP leadership has introduced a new bill to radically expand concealed carry permissions for Americans across the country.

National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the leader of the House GOP campaign arm, is unveiling his Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act on Tuesday, a bill already backed by more than 120 fellow House Republicans.

It's also gotten support from a lone member of the House Democratic Caucus, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine.

"What we're talking about is just requiring states to recognize the permit of another state just like you recognize a driver's license," Hudson told Fox News Digital. "When I drive to D.C. from North Carolina across Virginia, I don't stop at the Virginia line and take a driver's test to get another license. The state recognizes that North Carolina license."

President-elect Trump has already said he would sign such a bill if it reached his desk.

BIDEN TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER AIMED AT REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE

"I will sign concealed carry reciprocity. Your Second Amendment does not end at the state line," he said in a video from the beginning of his 2024 campaign.

His son, Donald Trump Jr., shared the clip days after his father won the presidency in early November.

Hudson said he has discussed the issue with Trump but not about the specific legislation.

"I know I'll need his help to get it through the Senate," the North Carolina Republican said.

The bill previously passed the House in 2017 but was not taken up in the Senate.

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He is optimistic this time, however, that the bill can get all the way to the White House, given Republicans' control of Congress and the presidency.

"I think we've got the best chance of getting this into law we've had since 2017," Hudson said. 

Nearly 22 million Americans have some form of concealed carry permit, according to data published by the Social Science Research Network in 2023.

He raised the example of Shaneen Allen, a single mother from Philadelphia who was pulled over during a routine traffic stop in New Jersey but was arrested for unlawful possession when she informed officers of her concealed carry permit and the firearm in her vehicle. 

"There's a hodgepodge of different state laws when it comes to concealed carry, and so this bill just clarifies that and then rectifies the situation where a law-abiding citizen can become a criminal just by crossing an invisible state line," Hudson said.

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The bill is also backed by pro-gun groups Gun Owners of America (GOA), the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the U.S. Concealed Carry Association.

"With all 50 states now issuing concealed carry permits, 49 states allowing nonresident carry and 29 states with permitless or constitutional carry, it is simply common sense for Congress to ensure that each state’s concealed carry license is valid in every other state," GOA Director of Federal Affairs Aidan Johnston told Fox News Digital.

Former President Jimmy Carter's body was brought to the District of Columbia on Tuesday afternoon and will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol before a state funeral set for Thursday across town at the Washington National Cathedral.

Carter died Sunday, Dec. 29, at 100 years old. His death came just over a year after the death of his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter. 

Carter’s ceremonial arrival at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda came after the start of six days of funeral ceremonies that began Saturday morning in the 39th president's hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Carter's casket was greeted at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C., on Tuesday by the U.S. Air Force Band playing "Abide with Me." From Andrews, a hearse took Carter's casket to the U.S. Navy Memorial for a brief ceremony. Carter, a Naval Academy alumnus, served as a submarine officer before leaving the Navy to take over his family's farm.

At the Navy Memorial, the casket was transferred to a horse-drawn caisson for a procession up Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol.

Vice President Harris delivered a eulogy at the Capitol's lying-in-state ceremony and was joined by second gentleman Doug Emhoff in presenting a memorial wreath on behalf of the executive branch of the government.

The U.S. Capitol ceremony on Tuesday featured remarks from both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., representing their respective houses of Congress.

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Johnson praised Carter in his speech as an "extraordinary man" and applauded both his service in the military and his work for charitable causes such as Habitat for Humanity and The Carter Center, the latter founded in 1982 by the former first couple.

"I'm reminded of his admonition to quote, 'Live our lives as though Christ were coming this afternoon,'" Johnson remarked on Tuesday. "And of his amazing personal reflection, 'If I have one life and one chance to make it count for something.'"

"We all agree that he certainly did," he concluded. "So today, in these hallowed halls of our republic, we honor President Carter, his family and his enduring legacy that he leaves not only upon this nation but upon the world."

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Johnson announced last month that Carter would lie in state in a letter to Carter's second-eldest son, James Carter III.

"In recognition of President Carter’s long and distinguished service to the nation, it is our intention to ask the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to permit his remains lie in state in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol," the leaders wrote.

Besides Carter, just 12 presidents have lain in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, the use of which requires approval by both the House and Senate. The last president to lie in state was George H.W. Bush in December 2018. Since 1865, nearly all services held in the Capitol Rotunda have used the catafalque that was constructed in 1865 for displaying President Lincoln's casket.

Members of the public can view Carter’s casket from early Wednesday through early Thursday, when his official state funeral service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral. 

The former president will be honored and remembered through several days of funeral services before returning to his hometown for private funeral and interment ceremonies. He will be laid to rest by his wife.