Congressional Republicans campaigned on border security last year. 

So it should be of little surprise that their initial legislative action of 2025 focused on illegal immigration and tightening up the border. 

One can argue about whether Congressional Republicans appropriated the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley for political gain. The 22-year-old Riley went for a run last February and never returned. Jose Antonio Ibarra murdered Riley. He entered the country illegally from Venezuela.

"He bashed her head in with a rock. This is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. People need to know what this animal did to her," said Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., the main sponsor of the immigration bill.

SENATE DEMS TO JOIN REPUBLICANS TO ADVANCE ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL NAMED AFTER LAKEN RILEY

Republicans seized on the episode. To the right, the Laken Riley case symbolized everything which was wrong about the border and the Biden Administration. Days after Riley’s death last year, the House approved the Laken Riley Act. The bill requires federal detention for anyone in the country illegally who is arrested for shoplifting or theft. Republicans argued that Riley would be with us today had such a policy been in place to pick up Ibarra. 

It will take months for Congressional Republicans to get on the same page when it comes to President-elect Donald Trump’s demand for a combined "big, beautiful bill" on tax policy, federal spending and immigration. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says the aim is to pass that reconciliation package in early April. 

Approving a border security package by itself would be challenging enough – and that’s to say nothing of the cost. So Congressional Republicans are targeting low-hanging fruit. Hence, the GOP turned to an old standby as their primary legislative effort for the new year: The Laken Riley Act. 

Progressive Democrats pounced, accusing Republicans of race-baiting.

"It is simply an attempt to score cheap political points off of a tragic death," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., during the floor debate. "This is the Republican playbook over and over again. Scare people about immigrants."

A USER'S MANUAL TO CERTIFYING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

"Their bill today is an empty and opportunistic measure," said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. "Pick a crime. Paste into it a template immigration law covering convicted criminals and then require detention or deportation of certain persons merely accused of committing the crime or arrested for committing the crime."

"It's very clear that House Republicans are going to push an anti-immigrant agenda," said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. "I personally voted against it because this would open a path for individuals with DACA, to be deported, even if they are just around someone who committed a crime."

Republicans clapped back.

"To my Democratic colleagues, I ask you how many more laws with names attached to them do we need to pass before you take this crisis seriously?" asked Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., during a debate on the House floor.

The majority of Democratic criticisms emanated from the left-wing of the party and progressives. 

But there’s an evolution underway in the Democratic Party. A practicality when it comes to border security, immigration and how the party mostly ignored the issue in the last election. And likely paid the price. 

LAKEN RILEY ACT PASSES HOUSE WITH 48 DEMS, ALL REPUBLICANS

Thirty-seven House Democrats voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act when the House approved the initial version of the bill last year. That figure ballooned to 48 Democratic yeas this week when the House approved the 2025 Laken Riley Act in its first legislative vote of 2025.

An examination of the vote matrix demonstrates how dozens of moderate Democrats or those representing swing districts voted yes. Six Democrats who voted nay last year flipped their vote to yea this time.

That includes Reps. Brendan Boyle, D-Penn., Val Hoyle, D-Ore., Lucy McBath, D-Ga., Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Terri Sewell, D-Ala.

"I'm concerned about what happened to Miss Riley." said Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee. "I want to make sure it doesn't happen to other people."

Other yeas came from longtime conservative Democrats like Rep. Henry Cueller, D-Tex. He represents a border district. When asked why he voted aye, Cueller responded, "That’s an easy one. We won’t welcome people that break the law."

Other moderates representing swing districts who voted yes included Reps. Angie Craig, D-Minn., Don Davis, D-N.C., Jared Golden, D-Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash. 

HOUSE, SENATE REPUBLICANS REVIVE TRUMP-BACKED PUSH TO CRACK DOWN ON NONCITIZEN VOTING

So were Democrats getting religion after the election?

"There was criticism that Democrats didn't take immigration seriously," yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. "Was there regret and that's why some of these votes changed?"

Jeffries attributed it to new members joining the Democratic Caucus. 

"It’s my understanding that there were approximately eight to ten additional Democratic votes this year as compared to last year. There are 30 new members of the House Democratic Caucus," said Jeffries.

But even though the bill passed the House, there’s always the Senate. And the Senate never considered the Laken Riley Act last year.

"The Senate," lamented Collins. "[The bill] got bogged down and never showed up anywhere. It fell into the black hole of the Senate. Like much of our legislation that we sent over there."

LEARNING CURVE: THE NEW PLAYERS IN CONGRESS

But Republicans now control the Senate. Not the Democrats. New Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made sure his body also made the Laken Riley Act its primary focus for early 2025.

"Senate Democrats uniformly opposed (the Laken Riley Act) last year, despite the bill receiving bipartisan support in the House of Representatives," said Thune. "We'll see what they do when the new Senate majority brings it up for a vote."

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., who often bucks his party, quickly signed on to the Laken Riley Act.

"It's not xenophobic to want a secure border," said Fetterman. "It's not xenophobic if you don't want people with criminal records and that are actively breaking the law to remain here in the nation."

Fetterman brushed off liberal concerns about violating the civil rights of undocumented persons who may be detained.

"If they’re here," said Fetterman, "Technically, they're already breaking the law."

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a freshman who represents a battleground border state, was among them. He argues that Democrats fouled up the border security issue in the election. 

"There was inaction all together. It certainly cost the Democratic Party. And I'd say potentially, the White House," said Gallego. "I think we have to take the lessons from that."

The Senate votes today to break a filibuster to begin debate on the Laken Riley Act. It will be set for passage next week if it clears that procedural hurdle today.

Republicans will offer other border security/immigration bills in the next few months. Watch to see if Democrats join them. The lesson culled from the Laken Riley Act is that Democrats who represent competitive turf believe the party messed up when it came to border security. They’re seeking to inoculate themselves on that issue. And even if it’s not all Democrats, this marks a different approach from the party on the border compared to last year. 

Washington, D.C. – Former President Jimmy Carter will be remembered for his kind spirit, faith and humanitarian efforts, viewers standing outside his funeral at the National Cathedral tell Fox News Digital.

Carter died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, the only American president to have reached the century mark. Several memorials have been held for the 39th president, in both D.C. and Georgia, since his passing.

Continuing with a long-held tradition, a memorial service was held for Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, where Fox New Digital spoke to people gathered outside the funeral about the late president's lasting legacy. 

One woman recalled meeting Carter when she was just 7 years old, telling Fox News Digital that the fond interaction sparked her lifelong love for politics.

JIMMY CARTER WAS A MAN OF FAITH AND THAT'S HOW WE SHOULD REMEMBER HIM

"My mom was a delegate to the '76 convention representing Arkansas. And he came to Arkansas to campaign, and I met him. And I just remember him being very sweet," she told Fox News Digital.

AMERICANS FLOCK TO THE CAPITOL TO PAY RESPECTS TO FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER AHEAD OF FUNERAL: ‘JOB WELL DONE’

"I think that was the beginning of my love of politics and I know he's just a really good man. And so we wanted to walk down and see if we could pay our respects," she said.

The woman's husband also reflected on Carter's legacy.

"What I find interesting about President Carter is that he had a very short political career, right. So no more than 8 to 10 years. But then his lifelong legacy was all the humanitarian efforts that he did to help other people. And he made no one a stranger," another individual told Fox. "I want to have a life that kind of reflects the life that he lived, really just supporting people and being there for them and making sure that everyone felt a part and no one was other."

President Biden declared Thursday to be a National Day of Mourning, meaning many Americans had the day off from work. Several of them spent the morning waiting outside the memorial to pay their respects.  

"I grew up when he was president, I was basically a kid. But also I followed him over the years for all the work he's done with the homeless and the house building," one viewer told Fox. "I had some good friends in Wisconsin who were part of his church. So I thought I would, on my day off, take a walk down and see if I could see anything."

A younger D.C. resident told Fox that while he did not experience Carter as president, he had followed his work during his post-presidency years.

"I think he was definitely president before my lifetime. But I think, like I've always heard a lot about his post-presidency work and kind of what he's done after the fact. I think, like that's been something that's really been meaningful just with Habitat for Humanity and stuff like that. I think like that generally is something that I'll be remembering him for."

Following the D.C. memorial, Carter will be transported back to his home state of Georgia, where he will be buried next to his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter.

Biden, President-elect Trump and former Presidents Obama and Clinton attended Thursday's funeral service in D.C., the first time all living presidents have come together since former President H.W. Bush's funeral in 2018.

The former health secretary has been giving evidence at the Thirlwall Inquiry into the nurse's crimes.

FIRST ON FOX: The House Oversight Committee is holding its first hearing of the new Congress next week focused on prolonged pandemic-era telework for federal employees, with Chairman James Comer telling Fox News Digital that his priority is to bring federal workers back into office. 

The hearing, titled the "Stay-at-Home Federal Workforce: Another Biden-Harris Administration Legacy," is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. 

SENATE DOGE LEADER ERNST TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK ABUSE AT FIRST MEETING WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY

Martin O’Malley, the former commissioner of the Social Security Administration; Rachel Greszler of the Economic Policy Innovation Center; and president of the board of the Federal City Council Tom Davis are set to testify. 

O’Malley, before the end of his tenure, locked in telework agreements for 42,000 Social Security employees until 2029. 

"President Donald Trump and his incoming Administration is set to be greeted by largely vacant federal government office buildings because the federal workforce is still taking advantage of the Biden Administration’s outdated and detrimental pandemic-era telework policies," Comer told Fox News Digital. "Not only do these telework policies jeopardize the ability of agencies to deliver vital services to the American people, but reports indicate the Biden Administration is now working with federal employee unions to cement long-term guarantees of telework." 

Comer told Fox News Digital that President-elect Donald Trump’s "agenda and critical services provided by the federal government should not be hindered or prevented because of unchecked federal workforce unions that are striking deals with the Biden Administration to stay at home." 

NATION'S LARGEST LABOR UNION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES REBUKES GOP'S EFFORTS TO END TELEWORK

"It’s past time for the federal workforce to get back to work in-person for the American people," he said. "The House Oversight Committee remains committed to ensuring federal employees show up for the American people they serve." 

According to a Senate report authored by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the federal government currently owns more than 7,000 vacant buildings and nearly 2,500 buildings that are partially empty. 

The report states that government buildings currently average an occupancy rate of 12%. 

During the hearing, the committee plans to examine how the Biden-Harris administration "failed to return federal workers to the office," and said that failure could "hinder" the incoming Trump administration’s ability to bring them back, due to long-term guarantees of telework in deals signed with federal employee unions. 

The planned measures will allow the UK to freeze the finances of illegal smuggling networks, Sir Keir said.

President-elect Trump and future First Lady Melania Trump paid their respects to former President Jimmy Carter at his funeral in Woodley Park, D.C. on Thursday, where he and one of his most prominent political foes appeared to put politics aside.

Seated at the end of the second row of presidential and vice-presidential families, Trump and former President Barack Obama shared several minutes of chatting and chuckling as the rest filed in.

Dressed in a dark suit and more subtle blue tie, versus his trademark red ‘Trump tie', Trump filed in a little before 10 a.m. ET.

As he entered his row, former Vice President Al Gore smiled and quickly stood up and was the first to greet him. 

CARTER'S DEATH SPURS OUTPOURING OF TRIBUTES FROM STATE LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES: ‘A SERVANT’S HEART'

Gore, a Tennessee Democrat, did not have a significant other with him at the ceremony. He has been separated from former First Lady Tipper Gore since 2010. 

Also notably absent were former Vice President Dick Cheney and former First Lady Lynne Cheney. Trump has notably clashed with his fellow Republican leader, and Cheney notably called him a "coward" during his daughter ex-Rep. Liz Cheney's doomed 2022 reelection bid in Wyoming.

As Trump entered his row, he shared a brief moment with his onetime ally and running-mate, former Vice President Mike Pence. The two men's relationship soured following the Capitol Riot on January 6, 2021, when supporters of Trump threatened to hang the Indiana Republican.

JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100

It was unclear what Pence said to Trump, but a rough reading of his lips appeared to say "good to see you." 

Former Second Lady Karen Pence notably remained seated and did not engage when her husband and Gore stood to greet Trump.

After the Trumps were seated, Obama arrived without Michelle Obama by his side. Obama paused to share a quick jovial comment with former Vice President Dan Quayle. 

Quayle – the first of the two Indiana Republican vice presidents of this generation – was seated on the aisle with former First Lady Marilyn Quayle, who also sat next to Gore.

Soon after, former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush arrived.

Bush appeared to receive the largest greeting of the living presidents assembled.

Pence, former First Lady Karen Pence, Gore and the Quayles reached over to greet Bush. Meanwhile, Obama and Trump could be seen continuing their conversation unimpeded.

When former President Bill Clinton and 2016 presidential runner-up Hillary Clinton arrived, Trump and Obama largely ignored them as they chatted.

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George Bush appeared to be the first to stand up when Hillary Clinton took her seat. Bill Clinton, who was recently hospitalized, appeared lively and healthy at the funeral.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff arrived next.

Trump did not visibly acknowledge Harris, nor Harris to him. 

Emhoff looked straight ahead as Harris briefly looked over her shoulder and appeared to grimace when she saw Obama conversing with Trump.

Emhoff and Harris shared a brief smile before focusing on the somber event once more, as the Clintons could be seen reading through their programs.

When President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived, Trump and Obama did not appear to greet them – as Trump soon began chatting with Melania.

Jill Biden sat first, taking Joe's program off of his chair so he too could sit.

President Biden appeared to wipe a mark from his pantleg and lightly brushed his brow before looking straight ahead. None of the other families appeared to greet the Bidens.

Screenshots posted to X also showed outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau watching Trump as the president-elect filed in.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra warned against the impact of a preemptive presidential pardon for people like Dr. Anthony Fauci just hours after President Biden said in an interview that he was still considering it.

"It sinks my heart to think that we’re going to use the pardon process in a way that will follow the whims of whoever’s in the White House," Becerra, who previously served as California's attorney general before taking his post at HHS, said in an interview with The New York Times on Wednesday. Becerra noted that he was speaking from his legal background as opposed to his position in Biden's Cabinet.

"I think we should hold that power, that only a president has, in very high regard," he continued. "Because otherwise it becomes pedestrian, and it’s used anywhere, and I don’t think that should be the case."

When the HHS secretary was asked directly if he meant that the president should not pardon Fauci, who was Biden's former chief medical adviser during the pandemic and served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for several decades, Becerra declined to clarify.

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

"I won’t try to interpret what you’re hearing; I just told you what I think," he replied. 

Becerra's comments came hours after Biden's final interview as president with a print publication, during which he said preemptive pardons for Trump's political targets were still under consideration.

President-elect Trump's nominees for director of the FBI and attorney general, Kash Patel and Pam Bondi, respectively, have previously indicated they are in favor of using the Justice Department to go after people they believe unfairly targeted Trump. 

Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress and some of Trump's top transition advisers, such as Elon Musk, have argued that Fauci should be prosecuted over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Trump's nominee to be the successor to Becerra, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said while he was running for president – before joining Trump's team – that he would prosecute Fauci if he won the November election and his attorney general determined that crimes had been committed in Fauci's handling of the coronavirus. During the pandemic, Fauci was accused of working to evade public records laws and lying to Congress in apparent efforts to conceal the origins of the virus.  

Democrats are split on whether Biden should offer preemptive pardons to public officials who may be politically targeted by Trump.

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

"If we’re serious about stopping Trump’s authoritarian ambitions, we need to act decisively and use every tool at our disposal. Norms and traditions alone won’t stop – Trump has shown time and again that he’s willing to ignore them to consolidate power and punish his opponents," Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., said in a statement last month calling on Biden to issue a blanket pardon for Trump's political foes. "The time for cautious restraint is over. We must act with urgency to push back against these threats and prevent Trump from abusing his power."

Legal experts have said that Biden has the authority to issue premptive pardons, citing precedent set by former President Gerald Ford when he granted a blanket pardon to Richard Nixon for any crimes committed while in office, even though Nixon had not been charged with anything after resigning following the Watergate scandal.

Fox News Digital reached out to HHS for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

The state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral included every living former president as well as various dignitaries from around the world. 

Also notable were some VIPs not in attendance.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney was not seen at the funeral inside Washington, D.C.'s National Cathedral. The 83-year-old, who has had health issues, was the only living vice president who did not make the trip as former Vice Presidents Al Gore, Joe Biden, Mike Pence and Dan Quayle were in attendance.

Also missing from the ceremony was former first lady Michelle Obama, who was not seated alongside her husband, former President Barack Obama.

"Mrs. Obama sends her thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from the remarkable former President," Crystal Carson, a spokesperson for Michelle Obama, told Politico.

JIMMY CARTER WAS A MAN OF FAITH AND THAT’S HOW WE SHOULD REMEMBER HIM 

The outlet reported that Michelle Obama, who would have sat next to Trump at the funeral, had a scheduling conflict and is in Hawaii.

Former first lady Hillary Clinton was in attendance alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Also spotted at the funeral were former first ladies Karen Pence, Laura Bush and Melania Trump, who sat alongside their husbands. First lady Jill Biden was seated alongside President Biden.

AMERICANS FLOCK TO THE CAPITOL TO PAY RESPECTS TO FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER AHEAD OF FUNERAL: 'JOB WELL DONE'

 All five living men who once occupied the White House — the so-called presidents’ club — President Biden and former presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama and President-elect Trump came together for the first time since the 2018 funeral of former President George H.W. Bush.

Other notable attendees included Vice President-elect JD Vance, Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Dave McCormick, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, first son Hunter Biden and Ted Mondale, the son of late Vice President Walter Mondale.

Following the funeral, Carter's remains will be flown to Georgia by the U.S. Air Force aboard Special Air Mission 39 for a private ceremony in his hometown of Plains.

Carter, the 39th president, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100 after he was admitted to hospice care in 2023.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

The deputy prime minister says Anas Sarwar will always get a "listening ear" from Downing Street.

The X owner shared false claims that a Home Office memo urged police not to intervene in child grooming cases.

The postcode lookup allows anyone in England to monitor new home-building targets in their area.

Hardline conservative Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Eric Burlison, R-Mo., have introduced legislation that would abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The one-page bill would eliminate the law enforcement agency, which regulates firearms and prosecutes federal gun crimes, in addition to crimes involving explosives, acts of arson, bombings, acts of terrorism and illegal activity related to alcohol and tobacco products.

In statements, the Republican lawmakers argue ATF regulations violate the Second Amendment rights of Americans to keep and bear arms.

ABOLISH THE ATF?: REP. BURLISON WANTS TO ELIMINATE ‘DISASTER AGENCY’ HE SAYS HAS BEEN VIOLATING 2ND AMENDMENT

"I cannot imagine under any circumstance or administration where the ATF serves as an ally to the Second Amendment and law-abiding firearm owners across America," said Boebert.  

"The ATF is emblematic of the deep-state bureaucracy that believes it can infringe on constitutional liberties without consequence," added Burlison. "If this agency cannot uphold its duty to serve the people within the framework of the Constitution, it has no place in our government."

CONGRESSMAN ERIC BURLISON: IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, ‘THE INMATES ARE RUNNING THE PRISON’

The bill to abolish ATF has seven co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, including Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Mike Collins, R-Ga., Bob Onder, R-Mo., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Mary Miller, R-Ill., Keith Self, R-Texas and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.

ATF did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

MATT GAETZ URGES COLLEAGUES TO ABOLISH THE ATF BEFORE IT STRIPS AMERICANS OF GUN RIGHTS: ‘CANNOT BE TRUSTED’

In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Burlison argued that the law enforcement responsibilities handled by ATF would be better left to the states.

"There's very few ATF officials," he said, accusing the agency of "co-opting or commandeering [local] law enforcement to enforce laws" which state lawmakers did not pass.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, ATF spokesperson Kristina Mastropasqua said, "ATF provides enormous benefits to the American public through all of its efforts fighting violent crime every day."

Burlison also said the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be abolished.

As wildfires ravage California, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is facing pushback for promoting climate alarmism.

Sanders asserted that "Climate change is real" and that President-elect Donald Trump must tackle the "existential crisis."

"80,000 people told to evacuate. Blazes 0% contained. Eight months since the area has seen rain. The scale of damage and loss is unimaginable. Climate change is real, not 'a hoax.' Donald Trump must treat this like the existential crisis it is," Sanders declared in the tweet on Wednesday morning.

Mike Solana, editor-in-chief of Pirate Wires, mocked the senator's comments, writing in a post on X, "'[G]lobal warming ate my homework' doesn't work anymore. literally every single politician in california responsible for the catastrophic failure to prepare for this, from water management and controlled burns to the fire department's budget, is a democrat."

ELON MUSK ANNOUNCES SPACEX WILL PROVIDE FREE STARLINK TERMINALS IN LA AMID RAGING FIRES

Conservative commentator and author Justin Haskins, director of the Socialism Research Center at the Heartland Institute, noted, "Wildfires, including ones much larger than this, have been happening in California forever." 

Nicole Shanahan — who was Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential running mate last year before the pair dropped out and supported GOP candidate Donald Trump — was also among those who responded to Sanders' comments. 

"State mismanagement is real, Bernie," she noted.

Sanders has long issued such dire warnings.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES DEVASTATE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, KILLING 5 AND THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES

"Climate change is an existential disaster facing the entire world," he asserted in a tweet nearly six years ago in February 2019. "We must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. A Green New Deal can save the planet and create millions of new jobs."

Business tycoon Elon Musk has asserted that regulations prevent steps from being taken to avoid California wildfires.

"Climate change risk is real, just much slower than alarmists claim. The immense loss of homes in LA is primarily due to: 1. Nonsensical overregulation that prevented creating fire breaks and doing brush clearing. 2. Bad governance at the state and local level that resulted in a shortage of water," Musk opined in a post on X.  

Sanders was not the only left-wing lawmaker deploying the climate narrative amid the disaster.

NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP'S CLAIMS ‘PURE FICTION’ AFTER PRESIDENT-ELECT POINTS FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY

"I’m so heartbroken at the devastation that’s continuously inflicted upon our country & the world & elected 'leaders' are ignorant, impotent, or just incompetent to doing the smart thing, which is to acknowledge that climate change is real & start to solve it," Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, lamented in a tweet. "California, stay safe. First responders, we thank you for your selflessness. I join the chorus of prayers for all, but as an elected, I want to actually work!"

Freshman Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first transgender-identifying member of Congress, described the fire as a climate catastrophe.

"I’m praying for the victims of the raging fires around Los Angeles. The loss of life, homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods is devastating. I stand ready to work with my colleagues representing these communities to guarantee they have the resources they need to contain these fires, recover, rebuild, and prevent these climate catastrophes in the future," McBride declared in a post on X.

Trump has declared that California Gov. Gavin Newsom should resign.

"One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!" Trump declared in a Truth Social post late Wednesday night.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, Newsom noted in a post on X, "People are literally fleeing. Kids have lost their schools. Communities have lost their churches. Families have lost their homes. Some have even lost their lives. And the President-Elect’s response is to politicize it. We’ll continue to focus on what matters: saving lives and putting out these unprecedented fires."

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) currently reports partial containment of the Lidia and Hurst fires, while others are listed at 0% containment on fire.ca.gov. 

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing major backlash for being in Ghana while her city battled devastating wildfires. Now, a 2021 tweet in which she criticized Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for going to Cancun, Mexico, with his family as his state dealt with a severe winter storm.

Social media users were quick to accuse the mayor of being hypocritical. While Bass left for Ghana before the wildfires started, she still faced condemnations over the trip and fierce criticism of her leadership.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES DEVASTATE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, KILLING 5 AND THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES

Several social media users said the mayor’s tweet did not "age well," and urged her to delete the nearly 4-year-old post.

President-elect Trump took to Truth Social to condemn the mayor, blaming the wildfires' spread on "gross incompetence" by Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP'S CLAIMS 'PURE FICTION' AFTER PRESIDENT-ELECT POINTS FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY

Multiple wildfires are raging across California, claiming five lives, and putting thousands under evacuation orders. As of Thursday morning, more than 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures were either damaged or destroyed by the devastating fires.

Upon her return from Ghana, Bass was confronted by a reporter about her trip, but she remained silent. Bass also refused to say whether she had any "regret" about slashing the city’s Fire Department’s budget last year. However, during a news conference on Wednesday, Bass said she took the "fastest route back, which included being on a military plane." She also said that she was "able to be on the phone the entire time of the flight."

Cruz flew to Mexico as Texans faced a deadly winter storm that left millions without power.

"With school canceled for the week, our girls asked to take a trip with friends," Cruz said at the time. "Wanting to be a good dad, I flew down with them last night and am flying back this afternoon. My staff and I are in constant communication with state and local leaders to get to the bottom of what happened in Texas. We want our power back, our water on, and our homes warm. My team and I will continue using all our resources to keep Texans informed and safe."

Cruz later admitted that the trip was a "mistake."

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Tyler Olson and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Mr Lynch steered the union through fierce pay strikes in 2022 and 2023 before securing a new deal.

The government says its policies will boost food production and clear planning red tape for farmers.

The Greater Manchester mayor says local reviews do not have the same powers as a national probe.

The House is expected to pass legislation sanctioning the International Criminal Court on Thursday in protest of its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This would be one of the first acts of the new Congress. 

The bill will then head to the Senate, where Republican Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has promised a swift vote to have it on President-elect Donald Trump’s desk by the time he takes office. 

Last time the House voted on the bill in June, 42 Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the legislation, despite opposition to it from President Joe Biden. 

Libertarian-minded Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has not been afraid to break with his colleagues on Israel-related bills, questioned why the legislation was a week-one priority for the new congressional term. 

"The United States is a sovereign country, so I don’t assign any credibility to decisions of the International Criminal Court. But how did a bill to protect Netanyahu make it into the House rules package to be voted on immediately after the Speaker vote? Where are our priorities?!" he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, last week. 

The legislation was reintroduced by Texas Reps. Chip Roy, and Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast, both Republicans. 

On May 20, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif. All three Hamas leaders were killed in the past year. 

Netanyahu fired Gallant shortly after the U.S. presidential election. 

TRUMP REINFORCES 'ALL HELL WILL BREAK OUT' IF HOSTAGES NOT RETURNED BY INAUGURATION

Khan’s application was unprecedented – the first time the criminal court had sought arrests for Western-allied officials. 

The judges on the ICC panel in November granted the warrants, finding that Netanyahu and Gallant "committed the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, as a direct perpetrator, acting jointly with others. The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that they are each responsible for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against civilians as a superior." 

"The ICC is an illegitimate body that has no business interfering with our sovereignty or that of our allies," said Roy. 

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"The ICC’s attempt to obstruct Israel’s right to defend itself has only prolonged the war and prevented the release of American hostages by boosting Hamas’ morale," Mast said in a statement. 

Israel has carried out a vicious campaign to eliminate Hamas in Gaza since Hamas' bloody attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Trump has warned both sides to wrap up the conflict and Hamas to return the hostages by the time he takes office on Jan. 20. 

The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act would sanction any foreigner working to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute U.S. citizens or those of an allied country. 

It spans the 32-member NATO security alliance and 19 major non-NATO countries, including Israel. 

It would also claw back any funds the U.S. has designated for the ICC and prohibit any future money from going to the court. 

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has introduced companion legislation in the Senate. When the legislation passed the House last Congress, then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not take it up for a vote in the upper chamber. With Republicans in charge, Thune is intent on passing the legislation and getting it to the president’s desk by the time he is inaugurated. 

FIRST ON FOX: New Republican Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana laced into Democrats over what he said are attempts to delay confirmation hearings for Trump nominees, in particular that of the Department of Defense pick Pete Hegseth. 

Banks urged Senate Committee on Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., to move forward with Hegseth's scheduled confirmation hearing on Jan. 14 as planned and not to be swayed by Democrats' requests. 

"As you are aware, Senators who are going to oppose the Hegseth nomination no matter what are seeking to delay and deny President Trump his Secretary of Defense being confirmed quickly. If they are successful, this will harm America’s national security during the crucial transition of power later this month," he wrote to Wicker on Wednesday. 

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The Republican's letter comes after fellow committee member, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent his own correspondence to Wicker, arguing the committee needs more information and documentation from the nominee to properly consider him. 

"I am deeply concerned that the Senate Armed Services Committee is considering the nomination of Pete Hegseth for this critically significant position without full information regarding his capacity and experience to lead our military and steward a budget of nearly $850 billion," Blumenthal said, referencing allegations that Hegseth mismanaged finances while leading a veterans' nonprofit. 

The Connecticut Democrat added, "I do not see how this committee can, in good conscience, consider Mr. Hegseth's nomination without a full review of his conduct while leading these organizations - the only civilian management experience of his career."

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Blumenthal said he requested additional documents of Hegseth's be reviewed, "including credit card transactions and other uses of resources." 

Additionally, the Democrat claimed Hegseth "refuses to make himself available to meet with me and my Democratic colleagues in advance of his nomination hearing." 

However, a source familiar told Fox News Digital that Hegseth reached out to Democrats in early to mid-December to meet. The only Democrat who was willing to was Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who sat down with him last month. 

BORDER STATE DEMOCRAT RUBEN GALLEGO BACKS GOP'S LAKEN RILEY ACT AHEAD OF SENATE VOTE

The others, the source said, waited until days before the scheduled Jan. 14 hearing to respond. As is the case for these types of nominees, Hegseth is scheduled to be in hearing preparation in the days leading up to it. 

In his letter to Wicker, Banks blasted Blumenthal's request. "Senator Blumenthal’s letter to you and the rest of the Committee is the latest attempt to accomplish their goal. In his letter, he raises unsubstantiated and anonymous accusations against Mr. Hegseth about his time as a leader of two organizations that advocated for America’s veterans. Senator Blumenthal’s letter purposely omits the fact that veterans who have worked with Mr. Hegseth professionally are on the record supporting his nomination," he wrote. 

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

The Republican acknowledged that Blumenthal has the right to question Hegseth on the floor and ultimately oppose his confirmation. But, "He does not have the right to delay the Armed Services Committee’s important work for the national security of the United States," Banks said. 

Wicker did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves may have to choose between tax rises and spending cuts, writes Henry Zeffman.