Allies of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., are urging President-elect Trump to publicly reaffirm support for the House GOP leader to avoid a messy, protracted battle that could delay the certification of his own victory.

"If we have some kind of protracted fight where we can’t elect a speaker — the speaker’s not elected; we’re not sworn in. And if we’re not sworn in, we can’t certify the election," Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital.

"I would hope that President Trump would chime in and talk to those who are maybe a little hesitant, and say, ‘We’ve got to get going. We don’t have time.’"

Meanwhile, Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital "it would be immensely helpful" if Trump chimed in.

TOP TRUMP AIDES JOIN GROUP PREPPING TO SHORE UP SUPPORT FOR MAGA AGENDA

"Any time would be great, but right after Christmas if President Trump said, ‘You know, listen’ — it would even be really cool if somehow Mike Johnson ended up at Mar-a-Lago for Christmas… wherever the president is," Fallon said. "I think it would be incredibly powerful."

House lawmakers are returning to Washington, D.C., for a chamber-wide vote to elect the speaker on Friday, Jan. 3. Just days later, on Monday, Jan. 6, the House will meet to certify the results of the 2024 election.

Johnson is facing a potentially bruising battle to win the speaker’s gavel for a full Congressional term, with several House Republicans vocally critical of the Louisiana Republican and his handling of government funding.

His predecessor went through 14 public defeats in his quest to win the gavel, finally securing it after days of negotiations with holdouts on the 15th House-wide vote.

When he was ousted, Johnson won after a three-week inter-GOP battle that saw Congress paralyzed for its duration.

But some House Republicans are now warning that they can afford few delays in what Trump himself said he hopes will be a very active first 100 days of his second term.

"To ensure President Trump can take office and hit the ground running on Jan. 20, we must be able to certify the 2024 election on Jan. 6. However, without a speaker, we cannot complete this process," Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. 

Tenney warned it could delay "the launch of his agenda."

Congress narrowly avoided a partial government shutdown hours after the Dec. 20 federal funding deadline, passing a bill to extend that deadline to March 14 while also extending several other key programs and replenishing the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund.

It angered GOP hardliners who opposed the addition of unrelated policy riders to what they believed would be a more straightforward government funding extension.

Johnson also tried and failed to heed Trump’s demand to pair action on the debt limit — which was suspended until January 2025 — with his government funding bill, after 38 House Republicans and all but two Democrats voted against it.

Fallon told Fox News Digital that it did not necessarily mean they would defy Trump if he backed Johnson again ahead of Jan. 3.

"Some of the people in the 38 — that was more of a principle thing — they really want to attack the debt," Fallon said. "They felt like just letting the debt ceiling latch for two years — they like to use that as a negotiating tool to say, 'Let's reduce the debt to GDP ratio.'"

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But one of Johnson's biggest critics, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has already told reporters he is not voting for Johnson next year.

Two more, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, suggested they were no longer committed to backing Johnson over the weekend.

Meanwhile, there have been media reports that Trump is unhappy with how Johnson handled government funding and that his demand for the debt limit was not heeded. 

Trump himself has not mentioned Johnson publicly since the Friday vote. But top Trump allies, like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have come to Johnson’s defense.

"He’s undoubtedly the most conservative Speaker of the House we’ve had in our lifetime," Cruz said on his podcast "The Verdict." "If Mike Johnson is toppled as Speaker of the House, we will end up with a speaker of the House who is much, much more liberal than Mike Johnson."

Others have also signaled that Trump’s influence will weigh heavily on what ultimately happens.

One House Republican granted anonymity to speak freely told Fox News Digital early last week that they considered opposing Johnson but said Trump would be the final deciding factor.

"I think, ultimately, it's going to be decided who President Trump likes, because I believe that will weigh in heavily on the decision-making of that, because, currently, President Trump works very well with Mike Johnson. They have a great relationship," Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told CNN’s "State of the Union."

When asked if he would support Johnson if Trump did, despite opposing his government funding plans, Burchett said "Possibly."

Johnson will head into the Jan. 3 speaker vote with just a slim GOP margin of three votes — and is virtually unlikely to get Democratic support.

Former President Bill Clinton was admitted to a hospital Monday afternoon for testing and observation after developing a fever, a spokesperson for Clinton said.

"President Clinton was admitted to Georgetown University Medical Center this afternoon for testing and observation after developing a fever. He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving," Angel Urena wrote.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates. 

The White House is concerned that Iran’s weakened position will prompt the regime to pursue a nuclear weapon, and national security adviser Jake Sullivan is coordinating with the Trump team on this concern. 

Iran has suffered a year of setbacks amid Israeli assaults on its proxy forces and a pull-out from Syria amid the takeover by Sunni Muslim forces, hostile to Iran's Shiite government. 

Israeli strikes on Iranian facilities, including missile factories and air defenses, have reduced Iran’s conventional military capabilities, Sullivan told CNN on Sunday. 

"What I found over the last four years is that when good things happen, like Iran being weaker than it was before, there are frequently bad things lurking around the corner," Sullivan said.

IRAN EXPANDS WEAPONIZATION CAPABILITIES CRITICAL FOR EMPLOYING NUCLEAR BOMB

"If you’re Iran right now and you’re looking around at the fact that your conventional capability has been reduced, your proxies have been reduced, your main client state has been eliminated, Assad has fallen, it’s no wonder there are voices saying: ‘Hey, maybe we need to go for a nuclear weapon right now,'" the outgoing national security official said. 

"They’re saying it publicly, in fact. They’re saying: Maybe we have to revisit our nuclear doctrine. A doctrine that has said: We’ll have a civilian nuclear program and certain capabilities, but we’re not going for a nuke," he added. "It’s a risk we’re trying to be vigilant about now."

While Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, but it has expanded uranium enrichment since the last Trump administration to 60% purity, a short step away from the 90% needed for a nuclear weapon. 

Last week the United Kingdom, Germany and France publicly called on Iran to "reverse its nuclear escalation," arguing there is no "credible civilian justification" to stockpile 60% uranium.

FALL OF ASSAD, RISE OF TRUMP: WHY 2024 WAS A VERY BAD YEAR FOR IRAN

Sullivan said there was a risk Iran would abandon its promise not to build nuclear weapons.

"It's a risk we are trying to be vigilant about now. It's a risk that I'm personally briefing the incoming team on," Sullivan said, adding that he was consulting with Israel too. 

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, could bring back his "maximum pressure" policy to cripple Iran’s oil financing.

Sullivan held out hope Trump could come in and use Iran’s weakened position to get them to agree to a new nuclear deal. 

"Maybe he can come around this time, with the situation Iran finds itself in, and actually deliver a nuclear deal that curbs Iran's nuclear ambitions for the long term," he said.

Trump's team is currently weighing its options to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, including preventive airstrikes. 

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is calling out the Biden administration for spending over a trillion taxpayer dollars on "government waste" this year, including on a bearded lady cabaret show, Arabic Sesame Street, and "girl-centered climate action."

The Kentucky senator released his annual "Festivus" report that details different ways in which the current administration spent taxpayer dollars throughout the year. 

The 2024 Festivus Waste Report found that the Biden-Harris administration spent over $1 trillion this year, including giving a $10,000 grant to "Beards on Ice" — an ice skating drag show on climate change put on by the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, a self-described "queer cabaret arts organization."

Additionally, the Agency for International Development (USAID) spent $20 million on a Sesame Street spin-off show in Iraq, titled "Ahlan Simsim," in an effort to promote "inclusion" and "mutual respect."

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About $1.5 was spent experimenting how different species, such as young female kittens, respond to motion sickness. 

According to the report, researchers would strap kittens to a table, where they are spun around in several directions and have holes drilled into their skulls to keep them in place — "and it’s all being done with your money," Paul writes in the report. "More than one and a half million dollars of it."

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reportedly gave New York University (NYU) over $400,000 to study whether lonely rats seek cocaine more than rats who are in positive environments, while the Department of the Interior (DOI) allocated $12 million to fund a pickleball complex in Las Vegas, according to the report.

"Now, did the government really need to spend nearly half a million dollars to verify that social isolation and starvation may lead to increased drug usage? One thing is for sure, we must end this rat-wheel of waste!" Paul wrote in the report.

THE 34 HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED AGAINST A BILL TO AVERT A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The State Department spent $3 million on "Girl-Centered Climate Action" in Brazil, a program reportedly designed to "empower young women to become climate leaders by integrating equity and inclusivity into environmental activism," the report writes, citing the grant details.

"As the average American taxpayers struggle to pay rent, their hard-earned dollars are ironically funneled into more real estate," the report read, referring to the Biden struggles spending $10B on maintaining and furnishing buildings that were almost entirely empty.

The Department of Energy (DOE) gave automakers $15.5 billion to push the industry into the electric vehicle (EV) sector, while another $388,000 was given to "Magic in the United States," a podcast discussing how magical beliefs and practices have evolved in the U.S.

The senator also mentioned the Biden administration giving $2.1 million to fund Paraguay's border: "Nothing says "America First" like securing someone else’s border," Paul wrote.

EXCLUSIVE: Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is charging that overseas conflicts escalated under the Biden administration.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken testified before the committee in December after a report on the administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan, where he was pressed to "take responsibility" for the widespread conflicts that erupted across the globe following the deadly event.

Speaking with Fox News Digital on Monday, Lawler delved into the report that claimed the Biden administration "has left the world in a worse off place than it inherited it" — beginning with the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"The report on the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan is his legacy and that of the Biden administration, because in my estimation, it's set about a series of events around the globe that have left us in the most precarious place since World War Two, starting with that disastrous withdrawal in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of 13 U.S. service members," Lawler told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

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The congressman detailed several tragic events under the Biden administration that followed the Afghanistan withdrawal, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel, threats in the Indo-Pacific from China, and the "illicit" oil trade between China and Iran that Lawler says is "funding terrorism."

EXPERTS WARN SYRIAN REBEL VICTORY POSES ‘WILDLY COMPLEX’ NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: ‘WHO KNOWS WHAT’S NEXT?'

"This administration has left the world in a worse off place than it inherited it. And that, in my view, is the legacy of the Biden-Harris administration and that of Secretary Blinken," the New York Republican said.

Lawler added that while national security has appeared in the most "precarious" position since WW2, foreign policy will soon look different under the incoming Trump administration.

"I think President Trump obviously had four years in which there was greater peace and prosperity around the globe. And the difference between Biden and Trump is that Biden is unable to stop conflicts. Trump is willing to act," Lawler told Fox. "When you are strong, when your adversaries acknowledge and understand that you are willing to act and strike. They think twice about it."

Lawler also said that he thinks "President Trump will be a very strong leader when it comes to foreign policy, when it comes to bringing these conflicts to an end."

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., will serve as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee next Congress, where Lawler says there will be "a lot of the focus is going to be on reauthorizing the State Department operations," such as how the agency programs operate and how its funds are used.

"I think, obviously, with President Trump coming in, the foreign policy of the United States is going to change," Lawler said of the incoming administration. "It is going to be much stronger, much more unforgiving on our adversaries. And certainly seek to bring these conflicts to an end."

After the White House announced President Joe Biden's decision to commute the sentences of nearly all the inmates on federal death row, Republicans slammed him for being "soft-on-crime."

"Joe Biden is an addled, corrupt, and demented failure. The White House has become a memory care facility as Biden is led around by his corrupt kids and his Marxist staffers. That's why 37 depraved murderers have clemency," wrote Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on X. 

TOP TRUMP AIDES JOIN GROUP PREPPING TO SHORE UP SUPPORT FOR MAGA AGENDA DURING SECOND TERM

Cotton is the incoming chairman of both the Senate GOP conference and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. 

House Majority whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Unfortunately, this is not surprising given that the Biden-Harris administration has let murderers and rapists come in through our southern border for the last four years. Joe Biden’s soft-on-crime record is exactly why voters fired him and reelected President Trump on November 5."

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"Violent murderers should not have their sentences commuted," Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said on X. "We must end soft-on-crime policies."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., labeled the move "a slap in the face to the families who have suffered immeasurably at the hands of these animals."

While Republicans made their displeasure known, Biden's announcement was celebrated by some Democrats. 

BRIEF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN USHERED IN BEFORE CHRISTMAS AS SENATE WORKS TO ADVANCE HOUSE BILL

"The President’s decision today provides accountability with a term of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and ensures that these individuals never again pose a threat to public safety, but without implicating the myriad issues associated with capital punishment. I have long advocated for the abolition of the federal death penalty and commend President Biden for this act of justice and mercy and for his leadership," said Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in a statement. 

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In her own statement, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said, "This is a historic day in America. We thank President Biden for this extraordinary act to spare the 37 individuals facing the death penalty, a discriminatory and fundamentally inhumane punishment. This is a powerful use of executive action to save lives and deliver justice." 

She had previously encouraged the administration to take such action. 

Biden's death penalty commutations came after he already rolled out commutations for roughly 1,500 people's sentences in the largest single-day act of clemency. 

FIRST ON FOX: A conservative legal group is putting "sanctuary" jurisdictions across the U.S. on notice ahead of an expected mass deportation by the incoming Trump administration.

America First Legal says it has notified nearly 250 officials in jurisdictions which limit or forbid local law enforcement cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that there could be legal consequences for interfering with the feds or for concealing illegal immigrants.

President-elect Trump has promised to launch a "historic" deportation campaign when in office, and his transition team has already been making concrete steps toward that goal. America First Legal’s president is Stephen Miller, who will serve as deputy chief of staff for policy in the Trump White House.

TRUMP BORDER CZAR BLASTS NY GOVERNOR FOR TOUTING SUBWAY SAFETY HOURS AFTER HORRIFIC MURDER

But a number of Democratic officials in states including in Arizona, Colorado, California and Massachusetts have said they will not cooperate with the operation. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has hinted there could be legal consequences for those who get in the way of the operation.

Proponents of sanctuary policies argue that local jurisdictions cannot be compelled to assist the government, and that barring ICE cooperation encourages otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants to work with police and report crimes, making the area safer. Opponents say that policies result in the release of otherwise-deportable criminals back onto the streets.

AFL’s notice letter to the 249 officials says that the federal government has ultimate authority over immigration, and points to clauses in federal law that prohibit state and local governments from restricting communications with DHS about immigration status, and that make concealing, harboring or shielding an illegal immigrant a federal crime.

The group argues that sanctuary policies can therefore lead to criminal liability, and that victims of illegal immigrant crime may be able to sue for damages.

"We have identified your jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction that is violating federal law. Such lawlessness subjects you and your subordinates to significant risk of criminal and civil liability. Accordingly, we are sending this letter to put you on notice of this risk and insist that you comply with our nation’s laws," the letter says.

The group is also launching a new website that gives users a map of "sanctuary strongholds," identifying jurisdictions with sanctuary policies and giving contact information for elected officials.

TRUMP'S INCOMING BORDER CZAR HAILS MEETING WITH MAYOR ERIC ADAMS: ‘NYC IS ABOUT TO GET A LOT SAFER’

The group also announced that it has also filed a petition with the DOJ’s Office of Violence Against Women to seek data on citizenship status and nationality information against those charged with a slew of crimes against women and children, including domestic violence, murder and child maltreatment. In addition, it is filing requests to officials, including mayors and governors, across the U.S. for information on organizations it believes are undermining federal immigration enforcement.

In a statement, America First Legal's Senior Vice President Reed D. Rubenstein pointed to the recent arrest of an illegal immigrant in New York City in connection with the death of a woman who was set on fire and burned to death as "another reminder that open borders and sanctuary jurisdictions are sheer insanity."

"The left-wing politicians who create and run them, and those who support them, put our citizens at risk, undermine our Constitution, and dangerously erode the rule of law. America First Legal will continue working tirelessly to protect our immigration laws and support the brave men and women who enforce them. Today’s actions are but a first step in our fight against sanctuary lawlessness," Rubenstein said.

The new announcements shine a spotlight on what could be a fierce fight between the Trump administration, and its allies, and Democrats and left-wing activists over the deportation push and the extent to which it can be resisted at state and local level.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Some have doubled down on their opposition, with the Boston City Council recently voting to limit ICE cooperation and to ban police from keeping migrants in custody for possible deportation unless there is a criminal warrant.

The resolution adopted by the council states that "proposals for mass deportations represent a direct attack on Boston’s immigrant families, and threaten to tear communities apart."

Some Democratic officials, however, have indicated their willingness to work with the incoming administration. Homan met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams last week to discuss areas of potential cooperation, including the deportation of violent illegal immigrant criminals. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also said he wanted to see "violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime" deported, and said he would welcome a meeting with Homan.

Fox News reported this month on new data provided to Congress that showed there are 1.4 million noncitizens who have deportation orders but are not currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.

FIRST ON FOX: Two top aides to President-elect Donald Trump are joining a key outside group ahead of his second term, as the organization preps to garner public support for his MAGA agenda. 

One of Trump's campaign managers in the 2024 election, Chris LaCivita, along with his campaign's chief pollster Tony Fabrizio are joining 501c4 Building America’s Future (BAF) as senior advisers. 

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"We are pleased to be joining BAF who in the 2024 cycle was a valuable and key ally in promoting President Trump’s agenda and his candidacy," LaCivita and Fabrizio said in a statement. "We look forward to helping guide BAF and their efforts to promote President Trump’s America First agenda so their efforts compliment and augment the President’s team’s efforts." 

The two will provide strategic counsel to the group as it looks to energize support for Trump's policy proposals during his presidency. 

BRIEF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN USHERED IN BEFORE CHRISTMAS AS SENATE WORKS TO ADVANCE HOUSE BILL

BAF, which was founded by Phil Cox and Generra Peck in 2018, led a $45 million effort during the election to support Trump and his campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris. The group has already signaled its intention to continue promoting Trump and his administration past the election, debuting an ad campaign in support of Pete Hegseth, Trump's choice to lead the Department of Defense. 

The group will take an active role, energizing the public in support of Trump's policy priorities as he enters his second term. 

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This comes as Republicans prepare to use the budget reconciliation process to pass key Trump items such as his economic and tax agenda as well as some elements of border security. By using this process, Republicans only need a simple majority in the Senate, rather than 60 votes to beat the legislative filibuster.

However, nearly all Republicans will need to be on board, as the party only has 53 seats in the new Senate. 

By ramping up public support for Trump's priorities, Republicans may feel some pressure to get behind certain items. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN

Other legislation is still expected to face an uphill battle due to the filibuster, but BAF's work to build public support for Trump's agenda could also pressure Democrats to join their Republican counterparts, particularly those who are up for re-election in 2026 in red or purple states. 

Trump's other co-campaign manager, Susie Wiles, was named as his White House chief of staff pick shortly after he was elected. 

The inmates on federal death row whose lives were spared by President Biden after he commuted their sentences have killed victims across all facets of American society, ranging from a sailor to children as young as 8 years old. 

Biden announced Monday that he commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole because he is "more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level." 

"Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss," Biden added. "In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted." 

Among those who have been spared are Jorge Avila-Torrez, a Marine veteran found guilty of killing Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Amanda Snell inside of her barracks in Arlington, Virginia, in July 2009.  

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Federal prosecutors said Avila-Torrez confessed to an inmate that he "entered Snell’s room through her unlocked door, jumped on her as she slept in her bed, bound her wrists with the power cord from her laptop computer and strangled her with the rest of the cord." 

Then years later, Avila-Torrez pleaded guilty to stabbing 8-year-old Laura Hobbs and 9-year-old Krystal Tobias to death on Mother’s Day 2005 in Zion, Illinois, and was told by a judge that he was a "serial killer," according to The Associated Press. 

Another inmate spared by Biden is Daryl Lawrence, who was convicted of killing Columbus Police Officer Bryan Hurst in 2005. 

The Justice Department, which posthumously awarded Hurst the Medal of Valor, said he was working uniformed special duty at a bank when a masked gunman entered and the two exchanged fire. 

"In spite of receiving a mortal wound, Hurst maneuvered around the counter and fired at the suspect before he collapsed. Authorities apprehended the gunman several days later when he sought medical attention at a hospital in Washington, D.C.," it added. "Officer Hurst's quick action, exceptional courage, and persistence protected the lives of the many people at the bank." 

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Thomas Sanders also will no longer face the federal death penalty despite being found guilty for the "brutal kidnapping and murder" of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts in 2010. 

In that case, prosecutors said Sanders was dating Roberts’ mother Suellen Roberts, whom he fatally shot in the head near Interstate 40 in Arizona during a trip to a wildlife park near the Grand Canyon over Labor Day weekend. He then forced Lexis into a vehicle and held her captive as he traveled east. 

"Sanders drove several days across the country before he murdered Lexis Roberts in a wooded area in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana," the Justice Department said. "Evidence at trial established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods where a hunter found her body on October 8, 2010." 

Other inmates who were once on federal death row include Alejandro Umana, an MS-13 gang member who fatally shot brothers Ruben and Manuel Garcia Salinas at a restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina, in December 2007 "after they ‘disrespected’ his gang signs by calling them ‘fake,’" according to federal prosecutors.  

Anthony Battle, who killed prison guard D’Antonio Andrew Washington with a ball-peen hammer inside a maximum-security unit at an Atlanta facility in 1994, has been spared as well. 

Amnesty International USA, a supporter of Biden’s decision, said Monday that the "death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment" and Biden’s move is "a big moment for human rights." 

"With a stroke of his pen, the President locks in his legacy as a leader who stands for racial justice, humanity, and morality," added Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "This will undoubtedly be one of the seminal achievements of the Biden presidency." 

President Biden is increasing the United States' emissions reduction goal for the next decade, but the green energy push could be hindered by the incoming administration under President-elect Trump.

In 2021, Biden set a climate target for the U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% from 2005 levels by 2030.

However, under the Paris climate agreement, which the U.S. is currently enrolled in, each country is required to submit their contribution to reducing global emissions every five years under the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

In his final contribution to the global climate change agreement under the NDC, Biden on Thursday set a new goal to reduce even more emissions within the next decade – but Trump has suggested initiating a potential withdrawal from the global climate treaty.

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Biden's new target, which was formally submitted to the United Nations Climate Change secretariat, seeks to reduce emissions 61-66% by 2035.

A POTENTIAL SECOND WITHDRAWAL FROM PARIS CLIMATE TREATY UNDER TRUMP COULD LOOK DIFFERENT THAN FIRST US EXIT

During his campaign, Trump told Politico that he would be in favor of withdrawing from the treaty when he assumes office, which could impact the new climate goal.

The Paris climate agreement was established at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in 2015 as a legally binding treaty among nearly 195 parties committed to international cooperation on climate change. 

The U.S. first entered into the agreement under former President Barack Obama in 2016, but was withdrawn under Trump in 2020.

If Trump chooses to withdraw from the agreement a second time, it could occur at a faster pace than the first.

Trump also has the option to submit the treaty to the Senate for advice and consent, which would require a two-thirds vote for the U.S. to rejoin the climate agreement – creating a potential hurdle for future administrations seeking to reenter the accord.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., allegedly paid multiple women for sex, including a 17-year-old high school girl, and used illicit drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, according to a House Ethics Committee report.

The 37-page report released Monday morning concluded that Gaetz violated multiple Florida state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office.

"The Committee concluded there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress," the report states.

Gaetz has consistently denied any accusations of wrongdoing, and an earlier federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against him. Earlier Monday, Gaetz filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the release of the report.

MATT GAETZ REPORT BY HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO BE RELEASED

The committee's report stated that Gaetz "continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed."

The report alleges that despite Gaetz’s denials, he made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women "likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use" from 2017 to 2020.

In one alleged sexual encounter, Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old minor at a summer 2017 party, according to the committee’s report. The report concluded that the act violated Florida’s statutory rape law even though the girl, identified in the report as "Victim A," said she never told Gaetz her age.

"The Committee received testimony that Victim A and Representative Gaetz had sex twice during the party, including at least once in the presence of other party attendees," the draft report alleged. 

The 17-year-old girl claimed to have received $400 in cash from Gaetz, "which she understood to be payment for sex," according to the report. She said she was under the influence of ectasy at the time of the sexual encounter, while alleging that she saw Gaetz use cocaine.

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS 'DISHONEST'

The committee’s report stated that it did not receive any evidence indicating Gaetz was aware the girl was a minor when he allegedly had sex with her.

The report also alleges Gaetz refused to comply with a subpoena demanding an interview and "intentionally withheld information" about a trip to the Bahamas with women.

The committee said it obtained text messages Gaetz allegedly sent to women, asking them to bring drugs "to their rendezvous," referring to drugs as "party favors," "rolls" or "vitamins."

In interviews with the committee, witnesses said they observed Gaetz using marijuana, the report states.

The House Ethics Committee's multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Trump tapped him to be his attorney general. 

Gaetz later dropped out of consideration for the post amid quiet but steady GOP opposition.

The House Ethics Committee lost its jurisdiction to continue its investigation into the accusations against Gaetz after his resignation from Congress. While the committee "has typically not released its findings after losing jurisdiction in a matter," as noted in the report, a majority of committee members determined that the findings should be released as they  were in the public interest.

Gaetz had filed a lawsuit on Monday in an attempt to block the release of the committee's report.

The Biden administration has lifted a $10 million bounty on the head of Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the group that overthrew Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

In exchange, al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, agreed to a U.S. demand not to allow terrorism groups in Syria to threaten the U.S. or Syria’s neighbors. 

"We had a good, thoroughgoing discussion on a range of regional issues," Barbara Leaf, the U.S.’s top envoy to the Middle East, told reporters of her Friday meeting with al-Sharaa. 

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) drove Assad out of Damascus earlier this month. While other rebel factions remain throughout the country, HTS has amassed control over much of Syria. 

HTS was founded as an offshoot of al Qaeda but broke away from the group in 2016. It evolved from the Nusrah Front, which was designated as a terrorist group in 2012, and in 2018 the U.S. added HTS’ terrorism designation. 

FALL OF ASSAD, RISE OF TRUMP: WHY 2024 WAS A VERY BAD YEAR FOR IRAN

"It was a policy decision… aligned with the fact that we are beginning a discussion with HTS," Leaf explained. 

"So if I’m sitting with the HTS leader and having a lengthy detailed discussion about the interests of the US, interests of Syria, maybe interests of the region, it's suffice to say a little incoherent then to have a bounty on the guy’s head."

The group has been trying to shake its extremist reputation and the designation, with al-Sharaa claiming he does not want Syria to become the next Afghanistan and he believes in education for women.

"We've had universities in Idlib for more than eight years," Sharaa told BBC, referring to Syria's northwestern province that HTS has held since 2011. 

"I think the percentage of women in universities is more than 60%." 

"He came across as pragmatic," Leaf said. "It was a good first meeting. We will judge by deeds, not just by words."

U.S. officials have visited Syria to push for a pragmatic government and to find information on the whereabouts of detained U.S. journalist Austin Tice. 

TENSIONS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND TURKEY ESCALATE OVER SYRIA: 'IT’S TIME TO PAY ATTENTION'

The U.S. has had a mixed relationship with HTS due to its militant Islamist roots. 

Al-Sharaa has said HTS is not a terrorist group because it does not target civilians or civilian areas, and they consider themselves to be the victims of the crime of Assad's regime. 

The U.S. has launched an aggressive campaign of airstrikes in northeastern Syria to take out ISIS militants, fearing a resurgence amid the upheaval in Syria which could lead to the release of more than 8,000 IS prisoners, "a significant security concern," according to the Pentagon.

The Pentagon revealed on Thursday that the U.S. doubled the number of its forces from 900 to roughly 2,000 to fight IS before Assad’s fall. 

A leading progressive House Democrat is commending President Biden's sweeping commutation order for people on the federal death row, calling the death penalty itself "racist."

"The President’s decision to commute the death sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row is a historic and groundbreaking act of compassion that will save lives, address the deep racial disparities in our criminal legal system, and send a powerful message about redemption, decency, and humanity," Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said in a statement on Monday.

"The death penalty is a racist, flawed, and fundamentally unjust punishment that has no place in any society."

BIDEN SETS RECORD WITH FIRST-TERM CLEMENCY GRANTS, HERE'S HOW OTHER PRESIDENTS RANK

Pressley argued the death penalty has overwhelmingly targeted Black and Brown communities "and failed to make America any safer."

The Massachusetts lawmaker, a member of the hardline-left group of House Democrats dubbed the "Squad," has been on the forefront of the progressive push to abolish the death penalty.

Biden's clemency order affects nearly everyone on the federal death row in the United States.

 Just three of 40 inmates remain – Dylann Roof, who murdered nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina in 2015; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was found guilty for carrying out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; and Robert Bowers, who killed 11 worshipers at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue in 2018.

TRUMP EXECUTION RESTART TO PUT BOSTON MARATHON BOMBER, CHARLESTON CHURCH SHOOTER, MORE KILLERS IN HOT SEAT

Among those whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment are Thomas Sanders, who kidnapped and killed a 12-year-old girl; Jorge Avila-Torrez, who sexually assaulted and stabbed two young girls to death and strangled a 20-year-old female Naval officer four years later; and Anthony Battle, who murdered an Atlanta prison guard with a hammer 30 years ago.

Democrats had been mounting pressure on Biden to use his clemency powers after the controversial and broad pardon he granted to his son, Hunter Biden, just weeks before he was expected to be sentenced on federal gun charges.

Biden heeded that pressure earlier this month when he commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 Americans in the largest such single-day order. 

It comes as President-elect Trump has touted plans for months to expand the death penalty to drug traffickers, child rapists and illegal immigrants who kill U.S. citizens.

At the tail end of his first term, Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) performed the first federal executions in 20 years, carrying out sentences for 13 federal prisoners on death row.

BIDEN COMMUTES 1,500 JAIL SENTENCES, GRANTS PARDONS FOR 39 OTHERS: 'LARGEST SINGLE-DAY GRANT OF CLEMENCY'

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Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a top Trump ally, blasted Biden for his order on Monday.

"Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency," Cotton wrote on X.

"Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases. Democrats are the party of politically convenient justice."

The deputy PM said the UK was "quibbling" over the sum to be handed over to Mauritius.

Lord Peter Mandelson will be the UK's next ambassador to the US, an appointment he describes as "a great honour".

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., filed a lawsuit Monday in an attempt to block the release of a House Ethics Committee report on his alleged behavior.

In a complaint filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C., the Republican's attorneys maintain Gaetz's innocence, say that the conduct detailed in the report is untrue, and claim the committee does not have jurisdiction over him because he is no longer in office.

The House Ethics Committee's multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Trump tapped him to be his attorney general. Gaetz later withdrew his nomination.

The House Ethics Committee then released the report on Monday. 

MATT GAETZ REPORT BY HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO BE RELEASED 

"The anticipated statements and release of information by Defendants is expected to include reference and make conclusions that Plaintiff engaged in conduct amounting to 'misconduct' or was otherwise unethical," the complaint says. "The anticipated statements and information is false, factually incorrect, and untrue because Plaintiff did not violate any criminal code or other standard of ethics within the jurisdiction of Defendants." 

"Once released, the damage to Plaintiff's reputation and professional standing would be immediate, severe and irreversible, particularly because: a. The Committee's findings would carry the imprimatur of official Congressional action; b. Media coverage would be immediate and widespread; c. The allegations would permanently remain in the public record; d. No adequate remedy exists to retract or correct information once released," it adds.

The filing says, "After Plaintiff’s resignation from Congress, Defendants improperly continued to act on its investigation, and apparently voted to publicly release reports and/or investigative materials related to Plaintiff without proper notice or disclosure to Plaintiff."

"The Committee's apparent intention to release its report after explicitly acknowledging it lacks jurisdiction over former members, its failure to follow constitutional notions of due process, and failure to adhere to its own procedural rules and precedent represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections," it also states.

Last week, after the committee voted to release the report, Gaetz wrote on X, "I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED."

GAETZ WITHDRAWS AS ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE

"Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me. Then, the very ‘witnesses’ DOJ deemed not-credible were assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys. I’ve had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I’ve never been charged. I’ve never been sued," Gaetz said.

"In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated – even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18," he continued. "Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court – which is why no such claim was ever made in court." 

"My 30’s were an era of working very hard – and playing hard too. It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life," Gaetz concluded. "I live a different life now."

The House Ethics Committee did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment by Fox News Digital. 

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

In a call, the leaders agree to refine the UK's training programme to "bolster" Ukraine's defence.

Planned legal changes will see three neonicotinoid pesticides completely banned from any future use.

EXCLUSIVE: House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar told Fox News Digital that President-elect Donald Trump is the "perfect leader" to negotiate and deliver the "deal of the century" to keep TikTok available in the U.S.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments on Jan. 10, 2025 on the law that requires a divestment of TikTok from foreign adversary control. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a company based in Beijing and connected to the Chinese Communist Party. 

TIKTOK: MCCAUL SAYS HE 'CAN'T THINK OF A GREATER PROPAGANDA TOOL' FOR CHINA

That legislation, which was signed into law in the spring, requires a sale of TikTok from ByteDance by Jan. 19. If ByteDance does not divest by the deadline, Google and Apple are no longer able to feature TikTok in their app stores in the U.S.

Supreme Court Justices said they will hold a special session on Jan. 10 to hear oral arguments in the case -- an expedited timeline that will allow them to consider the case just nine days before the Jan. 19 ban is slated to take effect. The law allows the president to extend the deadline by up to 90 days if ByteDance is in the process of divesting. 

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Moolenaar, R-Mich., said he has been meeting with top investors, and that he has "full confidence" that Trump "will be able to make a great deal for America." 

"It will be the deal of the century," Moolenaar said, noting that the divestment "could happen in phases." 

"First with a buyout and then a massive IPO—probably the largest IPO in history," he said. "And I believe President Trump is the perfect leader to negotiate and deliver this win." 

He added: "President Trump has the opportunity to make the deal of the century because of the leverage of the TikTok legislation passed by Congress." 

SUPREME COURT TO TAKE UP CHALLENGE TO TIKTOK BAN

Moolenaar predicted that the sale of TikTok could be completed quickly after it exhausts its appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court decides the case. He said a "massive" IPO could occur "later, as one piece of the solution." 

"I think TikTok and ByteDance have been dragging their feet," Moolenaar said. "Once they realize they’re required to follow U.S. law, I believe this will move forward fairly quickly." 

TikTok and ByteDance filed an emergency application to the high court earlier this month asking justices to temporarily block the law from being enforced while it appealed a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. 

Lawyers for TikTok have argued that the law passed earlier this year is a First Amendment violation, noting in their Supreme Court request that "Congress's unprecedented attempt to single out applicants and bar them from operating one of the most significant speech platforms in this nation" and "presents grave constitutional problems that this court likely will not allow to stand."

But Moolenaar warned that without divestment, the CCP could attempt to "manipulate perceptions in the United States," and said they have "access to Americans’ data" through TikTok. 

"It is very profitable, very popular, and it is a major inroad for the CCP to influence American culture," said Moolenaar.

But as for CCP access to the data of U.S. citizens, TikTok created its "Project Texas" initiative, which is dedicated to addressing concerns about U.S. national security. 

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew says "Project Texas" creates a stand-alone version of the TikTok platform for the U.S. isolated on servers in Oracle’s U.S. cloud environment. It was developed by CFIUS and cost the company approximately $1.5 billion to implement.

Chew has argued that TikTok is not beholden to any one country, though executives in the past have admitted that Chinese officials had access to Americans' data even when U.S.-based TikTok officials did not.

TikTok claims that the new initiative keeps U.S. user data safe, and told Fox News Digital that data is managed "by Americans, in America."

But Moolenaar says that even "Project Texas" "really is not enough." 

TECH LEADERS BEZOS, ZUCKERBERG, COOK AND PICHAI LOOK FOR FACE TIME WITH TRUMP   

"When you consider that ByteDance is affiliated with the CCP, and they call the shots for TikTok, the TikTok algorithm is very different in the U.S. than it is in China," he explained. "There needs to be a divestment, and we need to know either an American company or a company affiliated with like-minded nations, friendly nations, not adversarial nations, is in charge of this app." 

He added: "Only that will satisfy the law and protect our national security." 

Moolenaar said that, until now, the Chinese Communist Party "didn’t have a reason to allow the sale of TikTok." 

"But that has changed, and President Trump knows from experience that the only language the CCP speaks is hardball," Moolenaar said. "He is an incredible negotiator, and our legislation is giving him the leverage he needs to make this historic deal." 

Yet, Trump has signaled support for TikTok. Earlier this month, he met with Chew at Mar-a-Lago, telling reporters during a press conference ahead of the meeting that his incoming administration will "take a look at TikTok" and the looming U.S. ban.

"I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok," Trump told reporters.

Panama's president has responded to President-elect Trump's idea that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal.

After Trump said Sunday that the United States "foolishly gave it away" and is now "being ripped off" at the waterway, Panama's conservative President José Raúl Mulino released a video declaring that "every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong" to his country.

Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed Trump's complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors.

"The tariffs are not set on a whim," Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic "on its own initiative," and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements.

TRUMP FLOATS IDEA OF US RECLAIMING PANAMA CANAL: 'FOOLISHLY GAVE IT AWAY'

"Panamanians may have different views on many issues," Mulino said. "But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag."

Trump then took to his social media site to offer in response, "We'll see about that!" He also posted a picture of a U.S. flag planted in the canal zone under the phrase, "Welcome to the United States Canal!"

FETTERMAN: THOSE HOPING TRUMP FAILS ARE 'ROOTING AGAINST THE NATION'

Trump had previously addressed the canal in a Saturday Truth Social post, where he complained at length about the fees levied on U.S. ships going through the Big Ditch. The Panama Canal's tolls can range from three to six figures depending on how large a vessel is and how much cargo it carries, with the largest ships being charged as much as $500,000.

The United States built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.

The canal depends on reservoirs to operate its locks and was heavily affected by 2023 Central American drought that forced it to substantially reduce the number of daily slots for crossing ships. With fewer ships using the canal each day, administrators also increased the fees that are charged all shippers for reserving a slot.

With the weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized, but price increases are still expected for next year.

Fox News' Andrea Margolis and the Associated Press contributed to this report.