Several Pennsylvania officials, particularly in the Scranton area where President Joe Biden hails from, are calling on the city to undo its 2021 renaming of a freeway spur in his honor.

State Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Dallas, appeared to lead the charge with a scathing statement highlighting Biden’s recent pardon of a judge convicted in a "kids-for-cash" scandal wherein he received kickbacks for sentencing juveniles to for-profit prisons.

Wilkes-Barre Common Pleas Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella Jr. were convicted in 2008. The former served time in prison, followed by COVID-induced house arrest until Biden’s pardon. 

Walsh said some of the children affected had been convicted of minor offenses like jaywalking. The Democratic-majority Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out 4,000 juvenile convictions as a result of the scandal. 

ECONOMY BORDER & ABORTION DIVIDE BIDEN'S HOMETOWN AS RESIDENTS LOOK BACK ON NATIVE SON'S FIRST TERM

"In light of the recent decision made by the Biden administration to commute former Judge Conahan’s sentence, I implore city officials and Mayor [Paige Gebhardt Cognetti] to remove President Joe Biden’s name from the expressway sign that leads to the heart of the ‘Electric City’s’ downtown area."

In 2021, the mayor and city council unanimously approved the rebranding of the three-quarter-mile Central Scranton Expressway spur off Interstate 81 and its continuance via then-Spruce Street through downtown as the "President Biden Expressway" and "Biden Avenue," respectively.

The President Biden Expressway initially serves as a short bypass of PA-307 into the city, and continues as "Biden Ave" toward northbound US-11, which, in-turn, meets the terminus of the colloquial "Route 9" -- the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension.

"The children affected by Conahan’s actions of nearly 15 years ago are now adults suffering in their own ‘mental’ prisons due to his deeds of self-fulfillment," Walsh said in a statement.

WV DEMOCRATS RIP BIDEN'S ‘EGREGIOUS’ PUBLIC CORRUPTION PARDON CHOICES: ‘WHAT WE’D EXPECT FROM TRUMP'

"Crimes against children are everlasting, and there is no escape from the irreparable damage these predators caused by their actions."

Walsh argued that the issue is non-partisan but "right versus wrong" and that Biden no longer deserves the commemoration because his pardon "exonerates [Conahan’s] behavior" as a signal to future corrupt public officials.

State Rep-elect. Brenda Pugh, R-Luzerne, told WBRE that Conahan’s conduct is a "blight on Pennsylvania" and that Biden’s pardon is "nothing short of a travesty."

"[H]is clemency is a miscarriage of justice," Pugh said, adding the President Biden Expressway will therefore "forever be a scar reminding people of what happened here [in NEPA]."

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg, who was the GOP's 2022 gubernatorial nominee, told Fox News Digital it is embarrassing to see Biden's name while driving up I-81, especially given his choices of pardons.

"He's a failed president who couldn't help himself to pardon his corrupt criminal son from so many illegals schemes. His name is to be off the highway," Mastriano said.

Meanwhile, Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak made his case directly to Cognetti, writing the mayor a letter saying that reverting "Biden Avenue to Spruce Street" would help restore confidence in city leadership and reaffirm a commitment to governing in the best reflection of city values.

"This [pardon] has brought significant negative attention to Scranton, tarnishing the city's reputation and reflecting poorly on Lackawanna County as a whole," Chermak wrote.

In a Friday interview, Cognetti said that Biden’s commutation of Conahan was a "grave error" that freshly opened "deep and horrific" wounds for Scrantonians and NEPA residents.

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She echoed Gov. Josh Shapiro’s remark earlier this week that Conahan’s sentence was too light in the first place.

"[The case] was just the stuff that you think a screenwriter couldn't make up -- how systemic and how deep that scandal went," Cognetti said.

She said she had contacted the White House with her concerns and that she was sad to learn Conahan’s commutation is irreversible.

Cognetti noted she is currently mayor in part because of other officials’ public corruption as well.

Predecessor Bill Courtright resigned in July 2019 amid a conviction for bribery, corruption and conspiracy. Courtright’s departure led to two brief interim mayors before Cognetti was elected that November as an independent and, in 2021, as a Democrat. 

Cognetti added that the calls to strip Biden’s name from roadways are not new and continue to be mostly grounded in partisanship.

"The president is from here, and there are few communities that can boast of being the hometown of a President of the United States. We will continue to celebrate and be very proud of having a hometown son of Scranton as president."

"The two issues are conflated, I think, for political reasons. And I'd like us to treat these things as what they are. We need to continue to address corruption in government," Cognetti added.

"That’s separate from the president's legacy of 50 years in office and being the most successful son of Scranton."

BIDEN'S HOMETOWN EXPRESSES HOW IT REALLY FEELS ABOUT ‘BIDENOMICS’

When recently asked about Biden granting Conahan a pardon, Shapiro said that presidents have the "unique and absolute" power to do so, but should wield it "incredibly carefully."

"I study every single case that comes across my desk where there's a request for a pardon or clemency or worse, or a reduction in sentence. And I take it very seriously," said Shapiro, who previously served as attorney general.

"I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania. This was not only a black eye on the community because of the scandal, but it also affected families in really deep and profound and sad ways," he said.

The Senate’s top DOGE Republican will send 24 letters – one to each major federal agency head – demanding a halt to last-minute work-from-home negotiations before President Biden returns to Delaware.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate GOP Policy Committee, made the demand days after crafting legislation for 2025 that would "decentralize" and relocate one-third of the federal workforce outside Washington, D.C.

That bill’s lengthy acronym spells out "DRAIN THE SWAMP Act."

Ernst said that not a single government agency’s office space is half-occupied two-plus years on from the COVID-19 pandemic, and she previously called for the Biden administration to sell off unused real estate for taxpayers’ benefit.

DOGE CAUCUS LEADER ERNST EYES RELOCATION OUT OF DC FOR ONE-THIRD OF FEDERAL WORKERS

In her letters, Ernst laid out that 90% of telework-eligible federal employees are still working from home and only 6% report they are working on a "full-time basis." 

Additionally, she wrote that public-sector unions are purportedly "dictating personnel policy" without regard to federal directives from the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), which is running up a massive tab and leading to wastes of time, space and money.

"The union bosses are rushing to lock in last minute, lavish long-term deals with the lame-duck Biden administration—extending beyond President Trump’s next term in office—guaranteeing that bureaucrats can stay at home for another four years or longer," Ernst wrote in one letter prepped for Office of Personnel Management director Robert Shriver III.

"Apparently, protecting telework perks for public employees is a higher priority than showing up to serve American taxpayers," she wrote, calling Biden’s submission to union demands "shocking and unacceptable."

She noted it was a similarly liberal president who vociferously opposed unionization of public employees in the first place, as Democrat Franklin Roosevelt wrote in a letter to a union steward declining a 1937 invitation to a national federal employee union convention.

"All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service," Roosevelt said.

TOP DOGE SENATOR DEMANDS ANSWERS ON PLAN TO EXHAUST CHIPS ACT FUNDS BEFORE TRUMP ARRIVES

"It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with government employee organizations."

"The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress."

Ernst suggested federal workers and their union representatives have forgotten Roosevelt’s warning, citing the last-minute push to ratify collective bargaining agreements and telework privilege pacts before President-elect Donald Trump can begin his oversight endeavors through DOGE.

The lawmaker told Fox News Digital on Thursday that her report cited in the letters "exposed that telework abuse is so rampant in Washington that there are more reindeer on Santa’s sleigh than employees showing up at the Department of Energy headquarters."

"As if that was not bad enough, President Biden is working hand in hand with unions to help ink more last-minute contracts allowing for telework privileges for years. Bureaucrats have forgotten their job is to serve the public, and I am happy to remind them with a little Christmas cheer."

In the letter, Ernst pointed out situations she said show union bosses and career agency management have the "government wrapped around their finger."

In the letters, she embedded a photo of former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley while he was serving as Biden’s Social Security Administration chief and who was wearing a Captain America T-shirt alongside a purported union official at a party.

Ernst cited news reports of O’Malley going to Florida to party with union members before endorsing a contract preventing easy reduction of work-from-home ability.

She said O’Malley spent the trip "crooning" Irish ballads on his guitar and drinking alcohol.

"This buddy-buddy relationship between the Social Security Commissioner and the union bosses representing his workforce during what is supposed to be a negotiation resulted in a contract unbelievably slanted towards the union and against the interests of taxpayers and the mission of the agency," she said.

In another case, she pointed to Housing & Urban Development employees who may not have deserved the TFUT or "taxpayer-funded union time" they filed for.

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One such worker successfully claimed compensation while in jail.

Ernst demanded the agencies report data on TFUT claims and payouts, unused or underused real estate holdings designated for use through collective bargaining, and any cases of each agency permitting unions or their employees to use department property at a discount or for free.

"Giving bureaucrats another four-year vacation from the office is unacceptable. Bureaucrats have had enough gap years—it’s time to get them back to work," she said.

Fox News' Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Oklahoma’s 2025 school-year curriculum will look markedly different after major adjustments are made to eschew "woke garbage" while making sure students learn all aspects of complex figures like Thomas Jefferson and Donald Trump, and issues like the BLM and Capitol riots.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said Wednesday his state is "taking the lead" on a "direct rejection" of politicizing influences on the curriculum like teachers' unions and activist educators.

"What we are not going to allow is these radical teachers' unions to push lies in the classroom. That's not how we're going to teach."

Walters said school curricula are set every six years, and that he plans to hold schools accountable by withholding accreditation from any institutions that don’t follow suit.

CHINESE INFLUENCE IN SCHOOLS A RISING CONCERN, EDUCATION LEADERS SAY

He suggested the new rules are an extension of Oklahoma’s previous push to return the Bible to the classroom as an "important historical document" that shaped America’s founding – in that it is important to similarly give students a fuller perspective on landmark events and figures throughout the rest of U.S. history.

"We are driving out this woke indoctrination and woke nonsense that has been injected into the classroom by undermining Republican presidents and American exceptionalism," he said.

"So our kids are going to know America is a great country. They're not going to be taught to hate this country. They're going to be taught to love this country and a patriotism to come from the principles that our country was founded in our history."

Giving the example of former President Ronald Reagan in the last generation’s education, and how some curricula focused more on shortcomings during Iran-Contra and Col. Oliver North's hearings, Walters said he will not tolerate educators "maligning" President-elect Trump in the same way.

"You're not going to come in and teach President Trump wanted an insurrection on Jan. 6 [2021]. We're not going to allow it. We will be crystal clear on what President Trump's victories were in the White House," he said.

UNIVERSITY CUTS TIES WITH CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES AMID GOP SCRUTINY ON $17M DOD GRANT

Similarly, the new curriculum will take a broader look at Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and the repercussions of coronavirus lockdowns.

He cited a recent clip he saw of a student stating that the only thing they knew about Thomas Jefferson was that he was a slaveholder, and did not know he was a president or the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

"And so we will drive these lies out of the classrooms and get back to an understanding of American greatness throughout our history," he said, noting that Oklahoma will teach "the good with the bad."

Walters was asked how the curriculum would teach COVID-19 lockdown history, given how states like Pennsylvania, New York and Hawaii were confident their zero-tolerance edicts were the right response, just as much as Florida believed its less restrictive response was right.

"I don't care to appease the left or make them happy. We're going to teach facts. We're going to stick to accurate history here. And they can be offended by that," Walters said.

"It is not debatable. Rights were taken from individuals during COVID. That's not debatable. It's also not debatable that lockdowns hurt kids. Lockdowns hurt families and businesses," he said, adding that current curriculum often glosses over that argument and offers only a more proverbially-northeastern view of the COVID years.

"We are ultimately going to let [students] come to their own conclusions," Walters said of the curriculum writ-large.

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U.S. history is strewn with successes and failures on all sides, he said, adding that the most responsible way to prepare the next generation to lead the country is to instill in them the widest view of its history and law possible.

"The left wants to browbeat kids into believing to hate their country, while conservatives, we just want history taught, and show that America is the greatest country in the history of the world."

"It will show you what policies work, what policies don't work. A kid should come to their own conclusions. That’s why every state has to look at their [civics curriculum] standards."

Fox News Digital also reached out to union leader Randi Weingarten via the AFT for comment on the general tenor of partially blaming teachers unions for purportedly slanted curricula.

Multiple Missouri lawmakers are reportedly preparing legislation to name several highways after President-elect Trump in the new year.

The most expansive reported bill would bestow Trump's name on carriageways of the Missouri state highway system not yet designated otherwise before next August, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

That bill, from state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, however, exempts roadways in counties encompassing St. Louis, Columbia and Kansas City, the paper reported.

Coleman previously floated a bill to rename a portion of Interstate 55 in her district the "Donald J. Trump Highway" in 2021, but the effort failed in the Republican-majority legislature.

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Under both the defunct and current proposals, MoDOT would erect and maintain the commemorative signage, but private donations would foot the bill for the signs.

A separate proposal from state Sen. Nick Schroer, R-St. Charles, would designate a portion of MO Route D west of St. Louis the "President Donald J. Trump Highway."

"It’s time to Make Missouri Roads Great Again," Schroer said in a social media post announcing his bill.

The post included an inset of Trump doing his viral "Y.M.C.A." dance on the shoulder of a freeway beside a "President Donald J. Trump Highway" sign.

Attempts to reach both Schroer and Coleman for further comment were unsuccessful.

FLASHBACK: TRUMP SPEAKS TO SUPPORTERS IN MISSOURI

Fox News Digital also reached out to Missouri Senate President Pro-Tempore Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia.

In announcing her 2021 bill, Coleman said Trump deserved the honor for "strengthening Missouri’s economy, defending our values, and making America great again during his historic first term."

Missouri lawmakers have also tried to commemorate other national conservatives, including the late radio host Rush Limbaugh – who was born and raised in Cape Girardeau.

Language to commemorate Jan. 12 as "Rush Limbaugh Day" did not make it to the final text of a 2021 designations bill, according to the Columbia Missourian.

Trump’s name has made it onto a handful of highways outside the Show-Me State, including in some politically-unfriendly areas.

In 2019, a man "adopted" portions of Burke Lake Road and Fairfax County Rte. 620 in the deep-blue Washington, D.C., suburb of Springfield, Virginia, in Trump’s name.

The man also successfully had the incoming president’s name festooned on VDOT adopt-a-highway signage on heavily-trafficked Ox Road in nearby Lorton, according to the Washingtonian.

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In 2021, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed legislation designating a 20-mile stretch of U.S. 287 in the state’s panhandle after Trump.

Meanwhile, Hialeah, Florida, Mayor Esteban Bovo joined Trump at a 2023 rally in the Miami suburb and offered him a commemorative sign after an avenue near a casino in the city was renamed Donald J. Trump Avenue.

In Trump’s home state, a controversial 430-acre tract of parkland also bears his name. Donald J. Trump State Park in Putnam Valley came into being in 2006 after he donated the parcel to New York state.

After Trump was unable to successfully develop a golf course on the site due to town permit roadblocks and the like, he passed the land on to Albany after originally purchasing it in two pieces in 1998 for about $2.5 million.

Donald J. Trump State Park soon fell into disrepair and remains largely unmaintained. New York Democrats have attempted to pass legislation stripping Trump’s name from the park, including a 2019 bid to rename it after the woman killed during the 2017 Charlottesville riot.

After Trump’s May conviction in his hush-money trial, New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal told The New York Times he hopes it "primes the pump" to restart talks to rename the park.

Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat, indicated he has visited the park and has seen "some improvements" since Trump gifted it to the Pataki administration.

A rule banning transgender people in Montana from changing the sex designation on their birth certificates and driver’s licenses will be temporarily blocked following a state judge’s ruling.

District Judge Mike Menahan on Monday ruled that the ban would be blocked while the case proceeds through the courts.

Under state law, transgender people born in Montana are blocked from changing the sex designation on their birth certificate, and transgender residents are prevented from changing the sex on their driver’s licenses without an amended birth certificate.

Two transgender women filed the case in April on behalf of themselves and others who have been unable to obtain documents "that accurately reflect their sex," the complaint said.

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The state had argued that sex is binary, either male or female, and that being transgender is not a protected class of people who could have their constitutional rights to privacy violated.

Menahan said it was not necessary at this point in the litigation to determine whether transgender Montanans constitute a special class on the basis of their transgender status, and disagreed with the state’s argument that discrimination on the basis of transgender status is not discrimination on the basis of sex.

TRANSGENDER WOMEN ARE ‘EVERY BIT AS ‘BIOLOGICALLY FEMALE’ AS CIS WOMEN,’ BISEXUAL, TRANS STATE LAWMAKER CLAIMS

"If the challenged state actions discriminate against transgender individuals on the basis of their transgender status, they also necessarily discriminate on the basis of sex," he wrote.

The ruling comes days after the Montana supreme court temporarily blocked a state law banning transgender surgeries for minors, saying the law likely violates Montana’s constitutional right to privacy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As Democrats hope to retain the governor’s seat in the swing state of Michigan with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer term-limited, a top Democratic figure has launched an independent bid, leading to a search on the left for an alternative standard-bearer.

Three-term Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, viewed for some time as very likely to seek the governor’s office, reportedly surprised the state’s body politic by announcing he will do so as an independent.

"I went to Lansing and built relationships with Democrats and Republicans. We took our neighborhoods out of the darkness of burned-out streetlights and we lit the entire city to the national standard… and reduced Detroit's unemployment rate to its lowest rate in more than 30 years," Duggan said in his campaign launch video.

"The current system forces people to choose sides that find solutions. I want to see if I can change that."

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He struck a similar tone in recent remarks to reporters:

Duggan said in his final year as mayor he wants to "establish a working relationship with the Trump administration," and noted he had done so with fellow Motor City native HUD Secretary Ben Carson one term prior.

He also told The Associated Press he views many Americans as being "tired of both parties and tired of the system – and so I want to offer people a choice."

That choice led Democrats to reportedly pivot to a prominent Indiana native who recently moved north to his husband’s home state.

At an event with Detroit autoworkers, one man shouted a question about the Lions – rather than Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s home-state Colts – which the AP illustrated as a potential challenge for the Traverse City newcomer to connect with Michiganders if he decides to run.

Another man at the event praised Buttigieg’s willingness to be "one of the few" politicians to speak to both liberal and conservative media audiences.

Buttigieg has said he won’t make any official political decisions on "how to make myself useful" until after his current boss, President Biden, leaves office, but has been contacted by several Michigan Democrats about entering the race.

Duggan’s announcement, however, was met with derision from Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, another potential Democratic contender.

"In moments like this, we don't flee from the party, but we stay and fix it," Benson told FOX-2, which reported she is considering tossing her hat in the ring.

Andrew Feldman, a Democratic strategist in the Great Lakes State, told the AP that people are "shocked and angry" at Duggan for eschewing the Democratic Party label.

"Many view this as a serious situation where Mike Duggan could put the governor’s mansion in the hands of Republicans and roll back years of progress," he said.

While the left wing is divided between Duggan’s independent run and jockeying to fill the Democratic row on the ballot, the Republican race appears wide open.

"You know what, [20]26 is always in the back of my mind, but right now, we’re focused on [20]24," conservative media host Tudor Dixon – the 2022 Republican nominee – said just before the presidential election when asked about running again.

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Other names floated in the Michigan press include businessman Perry Johnson – who briefly ran for president on the GOP line in 2024 – businessman Kevin Rinke, and several sitting GOP lawmakers.

Adding to the electoral uncertainty were Michigan’s 2024 split results, as voters there chose both Republican President-elect Trump and Democratic Sen.-elect Elissa Slotkin from the top-tier races. 

As for Whitmer, reports have viewed her as a top contender in the 2028 Democratic presidential contest, along with several other governors, like Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, California’s Gavin Newsom, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, Maryland’s Wes Moore, Illinois’ JB Pritzker and Minnesota’s Tim Walz.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Michigan GOP, Michigan Democrats and Buttigieg’s office for comment.

A West Virginia state delegate-elect was arrested Thursday after allegedly threatening to kill multiple lawmakers, reportedly after being informed he might be dropped from his GOP caucus position.

Del-elect Joseph de Soto, a medical doctor from Gerrardstown – about 100 miles west of Washington, D.C. – allegedly threatened several other delegates, including the Speaker of the House, on Tuesday, reportedly expressing outrage over being told to step down.

De Soto was listed in state jail records for Berkeley County as having been booked as a "pretrial felon" for making terroristic threats. 

Fox News Digital has learned that De Soto was advised of a vote removing him from a position for "undisclosed reasons," and that "he was upset" after hearing the news. 

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De Soto was reportedly being probed for potentially misrepresenting his medical and military information while running for office, and was subjected to a vote of expulsion from the GOP caucus, according to Huntington's CBS affiliate.

De Soto had threatened to kill several fellow Eastern Panhandle lawmakers as well as House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay.

"I am focused on four people who are evil … not angry, but at peace what I need to do," De Soto said, according to the criminal complaint. When an individual tried to stop de Soto from threatening people, his response was "I did say I am going to kill people. I said I am going (sic) what is necessary to put them (sic) from office."

De Soto said he had a vision from the Mormon Angel of Moroni to "destroy" Wayne Clark, R-Charles Town, and Dels. Michael Hite, Joe Funkhouser and Charles Horst, all R-Martinsburg. He also claimed to have been told by God to kill another lawmaker from Weirton.

"They play stupid games, they are getting stupid awards," de Soto wrote in an email to a person who complained to police, according to a law enforcement report obtained by Fox News Digital. 

"I am upset only with the Eastern Panhandle delegates. I have only begun... and won't stop," he said in an email to another individual according to the complaint, which ends with: "they can all go to Hell. I will send them there as commanded,"

In an interview Friday, one such delegate – Clark – said he received a call early in his five-hour commute home from Charleston to Charles Town that his family should relocate immediately due to a threat.

TRUMP, GOP CELEBRATE JOE MANCHIN RETIREMENT

"I was driving straight into a snowstorm. So, I didn't get to meet up with my family until almost 7 p.m., and I got the call at 3 p.m.," Clark said.

Clark praised the Charles Town Police Department and the Jefferson and Berkeley County sheriff’s offices for acting quickly to secure his family. He also said he hopes de Soto gets personal help.

"He obviously needs some sort of help because of some things that happened in his life prior. I don't know," he said.

The lawmaker said he understands that running for office means your identity and votes and comments are out in the public, but maintained that one’s family should never be.

"Having someone make threats that are now affecting my family, I don't know if you ever had that call: ‘Hey, Wayne. Get your family in a safe place’. Whoa. Okay. That's a tough one to deal with."

De Soto had been elected as a Republican in the 91st District, which includes the suburbs of Martinsburg. However, he reportedly filed to change his affiliation to Democratic just before his arrest.

That change could set up a partisan or legal fight as to how he is replaced, as West Virginia provides that if a delegate vacancy exists, the outgoing lawmaker's party’s county committee "shall appoint a member of the party" to the seat. The West Virginia State House is currently 89-11 Republican.

De Soto had reportedly been recently investigated for allegedly falsifying information about his medical career, which led to Republicans' concerns, according to Huntington's CBS affiliate.

West Virginia Democratic Party chair Del. Mike Pushkin said the party's thoughts are with the affected delegates and their families.

"No one—especially those working in public service—should ever have to fear for their safety or the safety of their loved ones," Pushkin, of Kanawha, said in a statement. "These allegations are deeply serious and should be treated with the full weight of the law."

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In a statement, WVGOP Chairman Matt Herridge said the party is aware of the allegations and facts of the case, "as well as the steps the House GOP Caucus has taken toward [de Soto's] expulsion."

"Our elected officials sacrifice a lot to serve their communities, and it is a travesty for anyone to face the additional burden of threats made against themselves and their families. The West Virginia Republican Party supports our House leadership and their expulsion efforts."

"We disavow and condemn the behavior of the former Republican Delegate-elect and continue to thank all those who are willing to serve their communities and state, in spite of the serious challenges it too often poses."

Fox News Digital reached out to the West Virginia State Police for additional comment on de Soto’s arrest.

A call to a number listed for de Soto was not returned.

Multiple top Alaskan officials are expressing outrage at the way the Biden administration is orchestrating its final congressionally mandated leasing of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Section 1002 land for fossil fuel exploration.

Both of Alaska's U.S. senators, the state’s governor and local officials in the remote communities nearest the North Slope refuge collectively expressed that the Department of Interior’s planned January sale was set up in bad faith.

"These leases should be executed in good faith along the established historical processes. And obviously, the Biden administration in the past four years has just been brutal on Alaska," said Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

"And, you know, they're in the twilight of their term here. But nonetheless, they're going to continue to double-down on denying Alaska opportunities, denying our people opportunities, denying America the opportunity to potentially get some more oil [exploration] going to the future."

AK GOV: BIDEN IS SEARCHING FOR OIL EVERYWHERE BUT AT HOME

Dunleavy added that, despite his top perch in Juneau, he remained unclear on exactly what the Biden administration sought to gain by treating Alaska as alleged while buying energy from America’s rivals and working to shepherd in alternative fuels.

"I think when we look back on this over time, there's going to be a lot of head-scratching as to what was the purpose of all this?" he said.

"I keep telling people the idea that nobody's going to want oil if you don't allow drilling in Alaska: it makes no sense."

For his part, Dunleavy has expressed an openness to pursuing alternative fuels, including the idea of harnessing tides in the Kenai Peninsula's Cook Inlet — the second-strongest in the world — to produce energy. 

The governor said that just as the Biden administration cancelled leases in ANWR-1002, President-elect Trump could nix those moves.

ALASKA GOV SAYS INLET TIDES THE NEXT RENEWABLE RESOURCE

"They defied the spirit of the law itself," he said. "So I look forward to January 20th."

Meanwhile, leaders in the Inupiat village of Kaktovik — the only community within ANWR-1002 — slammed the structure of the lease sale.

Green interests have long claimed local residents and Native communities oppose development on their lands, but in a statement to Fox News Digital, Inupiat leaders disagreed.

"The release of the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has left the community of Kaktovik, Alaska… frustrated and discontented," a community representative said.

"The lands under question are the traditional lands of the Kaktovikmiut. However, it is apparent once again that outside, well-funded environmental groups have had the preferential voice during the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) process."

Local leaders accused the administration of siding with outside interests, rather than hearing from locals who may not see it their way.

"Kaktovik does not support this outcome nor condone the process by which it was reached," community leaders jointly said of the lease sale structure.

Edward Rexford, the Native village president, called it a "predetermined outcome," and that as a small tribal entity, they were not afforded adequate opportunity to participate in the impact statement process.

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"The City of Kaktovik is outraged by this result," said Mayor Nathan Gordon, Jr.

Officials at the Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority (AIDEA) concurred, adding their analysis found the Biden administration's record-of-decision blocked "nearly all development of even a small part" of ANWR-1002.

"Sadly, the Biden administration continues to take illegal actions to stop all natural resource development in Alaska," said AIDEA executive director Randy Ruaro.

"Jobs from developing ANWR would offer high wages to Alaskans at a level that can keep families in-state."

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In a statement, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said the sale is an "eleventh-hour" decision and "yet another charade aimed at subverting the will of Congress in the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act."

The Trump-era law was the policy that set the timeline and compelled the Biden administration to conduct the sale.

"It’s a fitting finale for an administration that has routinely allowed Iran, Venezuela and other adversaries to produce their resources, regardless of the consequences, while attempting to shut everything down in Alaska," added Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of the Interior and the White House for response to the collective criticism, but did not receive a response by press time. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that state workers will get three extra days off this month.

"In addition to Christmas Day and New Years Day, our state workers will get three extra days off—December 23, 24 and 31—to spend more time with their families and loved ones this holiday season," the governor declared in a post on X.

State offices will be closed on all five of those days, according to a press release from the governor's office.

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"Florida is in great shape, and we want to reward our state employees," DeSantis said, according to the press release. "After a full year—including three costly hurricanes—we hope these extra days off allow for state workers to spend more time with their families and loved ones during this holiday season."

Last month, "state workers were given off for November 27," the day before Thanksgiving, Dan Barrow of the Florida Department of Management Services confirmed to Fox News Digital via email on Wednesday.

The department's website lists nine dates "observed as paid holidays by state agencies" in 2024, including New Year's Day, Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday following Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

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"Full-time employees are entitled to one personal holiday each year," the site also notes.

Last year, DeSantis announced that state offices would be closed Nov. 22, Dec. 26, December 29 and Jan. 2, on top of regular closures during the holidays, according to a November 2023 press release.

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"Our state employees have worked tirelessly throughout the year to aid and assist Florida families," DeSantis said, according to the release. "Over the past few months, they have selflessly responded to Hurricane Idalia and the State of Florida’s Israel Rescue Operation. Closing state offices on these additional days will provide state employees with some much-deserved time with their families and loved ones while enjoying the holiday season."

New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the first initiative of her 2025 State of the State plan: up to $500 in "inflation refunds" for New Yorkers dealing with spiking costs-of-living in the Empire State.

The proposal would take $3 billion in "excess" sales tax revenue that had been "driven by inflation" and return the money to nearly half of the state's population.

Families making less than $300,000 would be eligible for $500, and individual taxpayers making less than $150,000 would receive $300 under the plan. The governor's office said the announcement is one of several proposals aimed at lessening the burden on New Yorkers' cost-of-living.

"Because of inflation, New York has generated unprecedented revenues through the sales tax — now, we're returning that cash back to middle class families," Hochul said in a statement Monday.

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"My agenda for the coming year will be laser-focused on putting money back in your pockets, and that starts with proposing Inflation Refund checks of up to $500 to help millions of hard-working New Yorkers.

"It's simple: the cost of living is still too damn high, and New Yorkers deserve a break," said Hochul, offering a sentiment similar to that repeated by perennial candidate and Rent is Too Damn High Party founder Jimmy McMillan.

However, New York Republicans were not as receptive to Hochul's plan, as NYSGOP Executive Director David Laska told Fox News Digital the governor appeared simply out to make friends rather than bring about long-term relief.

"With her approval rating deep underwater, Kathy Hochul is resorting to bribing New Yorkers to like her," Laska said. 

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"Handing out one-time checks won’t stop the crushing inflation Democrats’ policies have fueled – it will only add to it. New York needs real, permanent solutions: relief from our highest-in-the-nation tax burden and a rollback of job-killing regulations."

New York City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli claimed that the $300 offered to middle- and low-income residents would still be less than what is spent on each migrant daily.

"[That] is not that backslapping win the governor thinks it is," said Borelli, R-Staten Island. 

Borelli added that the plan "looks increasingly silly" in the face of Hochul's successful push for congestion pricing and her borrowing "costly energy cues from the Greta Thunberg School of Energy Policy."

"Newsflash for Kathy Hochul," added Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., "Taking thousands of dollars out of New Yorkers’ left pocket and then putting $500 in their right pocket isn’t a tax cut, it’s an insult."

State Sen. Rob Ortt, R-Niagara Falls, said that Democrats like Hochul continue to make New York State more expensive despite pleas for relief.

"The governor's mindset is promising, however words are words," said Ortt, the top Republican in the chamber.

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Ortt claimed that it is his caucus that is the true voice for hardworking New Yorkers seeking "real affordability… not just one-shot gimmicks."

Meanwhile, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said Albany needs to "stop treating New Yorkers like bottomless ATM machines" with their new tolls and tax hikes.

Malliotakis' constituents now face an extra $9 "congestion" toll to enter Lower Manhattan, on top of an approximate $20 round-trip cost to commute on the state-owned Verrazzano Bridge.

"If she’d allow her constituents to keep more of their hard-earned money from the start, there would be no need for these ‘inflation refund’ checks to begin with."

Hochul's office estimated 8.6 million out of 19.5 million New Yorkers would benefit from the planned "refunds."

Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul for further comment on the criticisms.

While Washington is enveloped in battles over President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees, a different but equally raucous appointments battle boiled over this week just 300 miles down US-1 from the nation's capital.

North Carolina Republicans, seeing their veto-proof supermajority slip away by a single legislative seat in the state House, are trying to override outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s disapproval of a bill that would move gubernatorial authority over the NC Board of Elections to the State Auditor’s office.

The Senate overrode the veto but not without an uproar that led to the gallery being cleared. The House is poised to attempt its complementary override, but the GOP’s plans have hit a snag there.

The proposal was part of a bill chiefly geared toward Hurricane Helene relief, and was lambasted by Democrats as a power grab, in part due to the fact the GOP flipped the executive branch office with Auditor-elect Dave Boliek – but failed to see their gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson best Gov.-elect Josh Stein.

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However, Robinson – as the Senate’s presiding officer – moved to clear the gallery after raucous protestations and chants of "Shame, Shame, Shame!" erupted above lawmakers preparing to vote on the veto override. Robinson has thus far had to do so twice, according to Carolina Public Press.

As the eventually successful vote was about take place, a woman shouted "[the law] destroys the will of the voter – it’s voter suppression!"

"It restructures the entire state constitution."

Robinson, without raising his voice, spoke into his mic that the woman was "disrupting … the legislative process."

When a gallery-watcher shouted that the bill lacked any "reasonable relief for hurricane victims," Robinson banged his gavel and called out, "Clear the gallery."

"Everybody’s gotta go," he said, as police calmly ushered spectators out, threatening those who remained with arrest.

"You can bang that gavel," one man was heard taunting Robinson as he left.

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State Sen. Natasha Marcus, D-Huntersville, was heard on video captured by the Raleigh News-Observer calling out to Robinson that he could not clear the whole gallery, because many people were respectfully watching the vote, and saying the capitol is "the people’s house."

Before he vetoed the bill, Cooper told NBC Charlotte that the legislation "really didn't provide immediate and direct funding to western North Carolina" despite being labeled as Helene relief. He called it a "massive power grab."

Jim Stirling, a research associate at the North Carolina-based John Locke Foundation, has done a deep dive into the controversy, and his group filed an amicus brief with lawmakers in a recent lawsuit related to the matter.

"It is not under the purview of the governor to execute all laws. The other executive agencies of the executive branch or indeed other executive elected officials are in charge of executing law. Not just the governor," Stirling said.

"Under [Cooper’s] argument, he says effectively that all appointments must be under him because he's in charge of executing the law, and he has the power of appointment on this."

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Overriding the veto, however, could render part of the lawsuit moot, he said.

The lawsuit will "probably need to be restarted based on the argument that these appointments must be under the governor, not any other executive agency (like the auditor)," he said.

Neither Cooper nor Robinson responded to a request for comment. 

In moving election boards’ appointment power to the state auditor’s office, the state board’s activities would remain independent of Boliek and the executive branch, but his office would control its appointments and funding, according to NBC Charlotte.

What would change would be the current Democratic control of the elections board, an official told the outlet. The state auditor would also be able to appoint chairpersons in all 100 Tarheel State counties.

Currently, Cooper – and would-be Stein – also appoint the state board’s members, who must consist of three majority-party and two minority-party individuals.

Attempts to move appointment powers away from the governor’s office have been subject to lawsuits in recent months and years. The most recent ruling, in Cooper v. Berger, held that an attempt to move appointment powers to the legislature unlawfully infringed on the executive branch’s express power in that regard.

A prior case, McCrory v. Berger – bearing the name of Cooper’s predecessor, Republican Gov. Patrick McCrory – resulted in a state supreme court ruling holding that some appointments made by legislators violate separation of powers.

In the state House, three Republicans from the Helene-ravaged western part of the state voted against the bill, with one, Rep. Mark Pless of Canton, saying it had nothing "that was going to send money to the many needs in Western NC – it was simply moving money from one account to another."

Pless, however, said the election board appointments portion appears "allowable by the legislature," according to FOX-8. The veto-override in the lower chamber, therefore, could come up just short if the trio do not change their original positions.

Oklahoma will consider a new measure to make the role of school district superintendent an elected position in response to a spate of controversial situations involving scholastic leaders, Fox News Digital has learned.

There have been allegations and news reports about several issues: the refusal to remove "pornographic books" from school libraries, the dismissal of a teacher for failure to comply with a COVID-19 face mask mandate, and media coverage of "nothing [being] done" in response to reports a school football coach was bragging about sexual conquests with parents.

In 2021, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt called firings of mask-averse teachers "preposterous" and said their talents are needed more than ever.

"This is about a school district not following state law — this isn’t a debate about masks," he said, after the Oklahoma City district reportedly fired multiple educators, adding the state previously banned such firings.

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In February, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools Ryan Walters — who is an elected official himself — threatened to lower the accreditation of Edmond, Oklahoma, schools if it didn’t remove the books "The Glass Castle" and "Kite Runner" from its high school libraries.

Walters called the inaction "subversion of accountability," though Edmond’s superintendent said the state lacked authority to remove the books based on a 1997 district policy.

In another case, in Edmond, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz from neighboring Texas, among others, blasted videos showing a portion of a school fundraiser wherein students were licking each other's toes. 

In a public statement, school officials appeared to celebrate the event:

"This afternoon, Deer Creek High School announced a grand total of $152,830.38 raised for Not Your Average Joe Coffee, an organization created to 'inspire our community by including students and adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities," school staff wrote. 

"All participants in the assembly were students who signed up for the game(s) they played ahead of time. No Deer Creek faculty or staff participated in any of the games during this Clash of Classes assembly," a portion of the latter part of the statement read.

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Walters called the fundraiser "filth," and Cruz said it was "child abuse."

In another district on the Arkansas line, now-former Muldrow Superintendent Leon Ashlock resigned after driving drunk and crashing a school vehicle on Creek Turnpike. Two 100-proof bottles of cinnamon schnapps were found in its console, according to KOCO.

Walters told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that a case involving a school’s response to an athletic director’s criminal exploits with a student also drew his attention.

"Even in a conservative state like Oklahoma, where voters have overwhelmingly made clear they want the radical progressive policies of the left out of public schools, we continually see superintendents defying their will, ignoring their concerns, and refusing to take action necessary to improve education outcomes while protecting Oklahoma children," Walters said.

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"This has to end."

"And, the best way to do that is by requiring superintendents to be elected by the voters."

Walters called the legislation a common-sense solution to efforts to improve education for Sooner State children.

Walters previously made headlines when he led his state in becoming the first to appropriate funding toward supplying a Bible to each school. The official said the move blunts "woke curricula" and provides students a "historical document" that the founders used to form their government.

Democratic Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was scolded by his hometown newspaper for "amping up violent rhetoric" with his vow to resist President-elect Trump’s deportation of illegal immigrants.

The editorial board at the Denver Post on Monday published an editorial with the headline, "Denver’s mayor was wrong to threaten armed conflict to protect immigrants," referring to Johnston’s recent suggestion of using the Denver Police to resist federal immigration officials attempting to carry out their job.

"We are not surprised Johnston recklessly elevated the rhetoric around protecting Coloradans without legal immigration status. But that doesn’t make it OK," the editorial said.

The newspaper said the mayor "must choose his words carefully" rather than joining "Trump’s arms race of amping up violent rhetoric around illegal immigration."

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"Johnston should keep his remarks far away from violent conflict and focus on peaceful resistance," the editorial said.

Johnston said during a recent interview with Denverite that he was prepared to protest against anything he believes is "illegal or immoral or un-American" in the city – predicting the use of city police against federal officers and a "Tiananmen Square moment."

The mayor was then asked if he was prepared to go to jail for standing in the way of policies enacted by the administration.

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"Yeah, I'm not afraid of that, and I'm also not seeking that," Johnston said. "I think the goal is we want to be able to negotiate with reasonable people [on] how to solve hard problems."

Tom Homan, Trump's "border czar" designate, told Fox News' Sean Hannity last week that he would jail Johnston if he broke the law in shielding illegal migrants. 

"All he has to do is look at Arizona v. U.S., and he would see he's breaking the law. But, look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing. He’s willing to go to jail, I’m willing to put him in jail."

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report. 

The mayor of Maryland’s second-largest city caused a firestorm after announcing his plan seeking the establishment of a taxpayer-funded "legal advocacy fund" to defend immigrants "who may be harmed by policies from the new (Trump) administration."

Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor, a Democrat, hearkened back to his ancestors’ arrival from Ireland in saying President-elect Donald Trump’s "first term is prologue" on how he will treat immigrants in announcing an appropriation request to "ensure [immigrants] have the legal support they need to stand strong and remain in this community they have chosen to call home."

"In many regards, this election did not go as I had hoped," said O’Connor, whose city of 86,000 sits halfway between Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

"As many residents know, our city council recently made a decision to provide voting rights to any resident that calls Frederick home, regardless of citizenship status. We will continue to make progress on implementation as it's our responsibility and not take any step that would seek to create division, target vulnerable populations or undermine the trust that we have worked hard to build in our community," O’Connor added.

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The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee criticized the move, saying O'Connor's "pledge to protect illegal aliens is particularly appalling." He highlighted the case of Walter Javier Martinez, an MS-13 gang member who was sentenced to 70 years for the rape, strangulation and murder of Kayla Hamilton, a young, autistic woman in nearby Harford County. Martinez, who was 17 at the time, had been released to a "sponsor" in Frederick before committing the crime. He pleaded guilty to Hamilton's murder in August. 

Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., said public officials at all levels of government have a responsibility to protect their citizens:

"I am confident the incoming Trump administration will disabuse these state and local leaders of the notion they are above federal immigration law." 

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins told Fox News Digital that O’Connor’s plan is "totally inappropriate."

"I think he's going to anger the taxpayers. And aside from that, I think it's unfair to the taxpayer," Jenkins said in a Monday interview.

He added there are enough private or non-profit advocacy groups that would front legal fees and such for migrants facing federal action.

Jenkins, whose department is responsible for enforcing laws outside Frederick city proper, predicts the move will invite increased criminal activity to the area under the "false perception" they’ll be protected.

"He’s not going to let the Frederick Police Department cooperate with ICE."

Jenkins praised incoming "border czar" Tom Homan, adding the ICE veteran doesn’t need Frederick city’s blessing to conduct federal operations.

He noted that local and county agencies don’t have jurisdiction to enforce immigration law, but reiterated he is fully supportive of Trump’s and Homan’s general policy plans.

"I am 100% supportive from the standpoint I want to do everything I can to keep my county safe, our citizens safe, reduce crime, remove a criminal element, and let's clean this country up."

In his remarks reported last week, O’Connor cited Vice President Kamala Harris’ concession speech, in which she said, "Now is the time we must be organized, energized and engaged." He said Frederick would add focusing on upholding the city's values to her sentiment.

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Fox News Digital reached out to O’Connor for further comment. Frederick notably hosts both the presidential Camp David retreat in the nearby Catoctin Mountains and the U.S. biological defense headquarters at Fort Detrick.

In his public remarks, O’Connor denied he was making a political message, but instead a "patriotic one."

"While we cannot predict every policy or action this administration may take. We have seen enough to know our path forward here in Frederick is clear. We will be steadfast in ensuring that our city continues to be a place where everyone feels safe, respected and protected."

O’Connor added that the Frederick Police Department — separate from Jenkins’ agency — is "committed to ensuring all residents feel safe in reporting crime and know that they will not be questioned about their immigration status."

"We refuse to aid and abet outside agencies attempting to detain, deport or remove any residents from our community," the mayor said.

Asked for first-hand comment, the FPD said it is committed to building trust and maintaining open lines of communication with all members of our diverse community."

"For years, we have focused solely on enforcing traffic and criminal laws, not immigration laws… Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of federal agencies, not the Frederick Police Department."

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In their statement sent to Fox News Digital, the department said it does not inquire about immigration status from residents who need help or are reporting a crime, and it wants everyone in Frederick to feel safe in their interactions with police.

In Anne Arundel County, which includes the capital Annapolis, Democratic County Executive Steuart Pittman suggested similar defenses to O'Connor's for immigrants facing deportation. FOXBaltimore reported Pittman said Anne Arundel will provide services to families of a deported breadwinner.

In Annapolis itself, Gov. Wes Moore told Fox News Digital the U.S. immigration system is broken and that Congress must fix it.

"Federal leaders need to set aside politics and work to ensure that our border is secure and that we have a fair and humane immigration system," he said, adding he comes from a family of immigrants and is "deeply connected to the immigrant story and contributions" of their communities.

Moore addressed "speculation" about how Trump will address immigration policy:

"As governor, I have an obligation to protect Marylanders, including members of our immigrant communities. I take that obligation seriously and will wait to see what actions the new administration takes."

Fox News Digital also reached out to potential Senate Homeland Security Committee chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., and a listed contact for Democratic Rep.-elect April McClain-Delaney, who will represent Frederick in the new term.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will convene the state legislature for a special emergency session Monday to propose a "Trump-proof" legal defense fund of up to $25 million for the state's justice department.

Newsom said in a statement the Golden State "is a tent pole of the country … protecting and investing in rights and freedoms for all people" and that officials "will work with the incoming administration and we want President Trump to succeed in serving all Americans." 

"But when there is overreach, when lives are threatened, when rights and freedoms are targeted, we will take action," Newsom said. "And that is exactly what this special session is about – setting this state up for success, regardless of who is in the White House."

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State lawmakers, who are majority Democratic, are expected to introduce the proposed legislation in the coming weeks. Officials anticipate the legislation will be signed into law before Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

"It’s not a resistance brand," Newsom told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. "It’s around pragmatism. It’s about preparedness. We would be fools not to get on top of this before January."

Between 2017 and 2021, California's Department of Justice led 122 lawsuits against Trump administration policies, spending $42 million on litigation. Newsom's office said in one case, the federal government was ordered to reimburse California nearly $60 million in public safety grants.

While California filed over 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration, President-elect Donald Trump lobbed only four major lawsuits against the state. In 2018, Trump's DOJ filed a lawsuit over three California sanctuary state laws that restricted cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. That same year, Trump sued California for its state-level net neutrality law.

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In 2019, Trump also filed a lawsuit against California's vehicle emissions standards, attempting to revoke California's ability to set its own emissions rules. The Trump administration also sued California over its controversial independent contractor law, AB 5, in 2020. 

California, a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants, abortion procedures and transgender transition treatments for children, could be targeted by the Trump administration, especially considering Trump's mass deportation plan of illegal immigrants. 

Meanwhile, Republican state Sen. Brian Jones, who serves as the upper chamber's minority leader, said last month the special session "is clearly just another political stunt" and a "desperate attempt to distract from Democrats’ significant losses across California on Tuesday — in the state Senate, state Assembly, U.S. House, and on key ballot measures, including Prop 5’s defeat and Prop 36’s overwhelming win."

"Californians have made it clear: affordability is their top concern," Jones said. "Yet, even with the massive deficit he created, Gov. Newsom wants to hand his attorney general a blank check to wage endless battles against the federal government — while our own state is on fire, both literally and metaphorically."

The Redwood City Council in California voted 4-3 in favor of calling for staff to draft an ordinance for consideration that would restrict the city from cooperating with immigration authorities.

"Council voted 4 to 3 to direct staff to place an ordinance restricting the use of city resources to cooperate with ICE on a future agenda in the first quarter of 2025. Thank you, RWC!" council member Chris Sturken said in a Facebook post.

The vote came ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming Jan. 20, 2025, inauguration — Trump pledged that as president he will initiate the "largest mass deportation" in American history.

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"The outcome of the national and state election has brought up feelings of uncertainty and anxiety for many of us. I assure you that as your representative I will do everything in my power to make Redwood City a safer and more inclusive community for all," Sturken said in a Facebook post earlier this month.

During discussion of his proposal on Monday, Sturken argued in favor of passing an ordinance to ensure that no city resources may be utilized to cooperate with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, unless required under law.

Sturken said that the "ordinance would codify our existing non-cooperation policy with ICE and expand it across the whole city."

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Redwood City's website indicates that "the Redwood City Police Department does not actively participate in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, which are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

"This means that police officers do not conduct sweeps looking for suspected undocumented persons, and we serve all members of the public regardless of immigration status," the site also states.

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Trump has tapped former acting ICE Director Tom Homan to serve as border czar.

EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will release a video ad Tuesday inviting the countless new workers and officials in the second Trump administration to settle in his state, versus the District of Columbia and neighboring Maryland.

Youngkin, who made education policy a pillar of his 2021 campaign against ex-Gov. Terence McAuliffe amid several school controversies in Northern Virginia, said the commonwealth has better schools than its neighbors.

Youngkin cited a CNBC study ranking Virginia first in the U.S. in education, and first in the nation overall for business – displacing its neighbor in 2023, first-place North Carolina.

"To the new members of President Trump's administration moving to the area, I want to personally invite you to make Virginia your home," Youngkin said.

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"Virginia is right across the Potomac. We offer a great quality of life, safe communities, award-winning schools where parents matter, and lower taxes than D.C. or Maryland."

Maryland was listed 31st in best-for-business, and the District of Columbia was unranked, according to the study.

The ad flashed through several scenes in the Old Dominion, from the capital, Richmond, to the King Street Trolley slinking through Old Town Alexandria. 

"It's why so many people choose Virginia as the best place to live, work and raise a family," Youngkin said.

Youngkin has called education the "bedrock of attaining the American dream," and the CNBC study credited both Youngkin and the Democratic state legislative majority for compromising on $2.5 billion in new K-12 funding and 3% raises for teachers.

When asked about Virginia being pitched as a new home for the new administration, Trump transition team spokesman Brian Hughes said Youngkin's performance speaks for itself as its own advertisement.

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"With the amazing job Governor Youngkin has done bringing common sense, low taxes, and high quality of life to his state, it's no wonder that he has a compelling case to make to people who are exploring next steps in the region." Hughes said.

Youngkin was swept into office in 2021 after a major political upset of McAuliffe – as Republicans had been out of power in Richmond for about a decade.

The last Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, reappeared on the political scene during President-elect Donald Trump's various legal trials, as he, too, had been subject to prosecution by now-special counsel Jack Smith.

In McDonnell's case, the once-rumored 2012 running-mate candidate's political future imploded during his own corruption litigation, but the Supreme Court later unanimously threw out Smith's conviction. Now-Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, ultimately chose then-Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. to run with him that cycle.

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With Virginia being the rare state that does not allow its governor to run for consecutive terms, Youngkin's deputy, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, has launched a 2025 gubernatorial campaign she said seeks to build on the Youngkin-Sears record.

The prominent Democrat in the upcoming contest thus far is Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who gave up her seat in launching her bid. Spanberger will be replaced in Congress by Rep-elect Yevgeny "Eugene" Vindman, D-Va., – the twin brother of Trump impeachment witness Col. Alexander Vindman.

Roughly half the country is represented by Democratic attorneys general, and a significant number seem ready to confront President-elect Donald Trump, just as many did during his first term.

Twenty-three states plus the District of Columbia and Northern Marianas Islands have Democrats as their top law enforcement officers, and many have positioned themselves as a line of defense against a Trump administration.

The most prolific state-government-litigant last term was Washington Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson, who as attorney general filed or was party to suits against the Trump administration 99 times. He lost three times.

He litigated the Muslim "travel ban," and has expressed concern about Trump-era changes to abortion, immigration and LGBTQ policy.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Ferguson, but he told the Washington Standard the state has been working "for many months … to prepare for this."

Ferguson’s team reportedly read the Heritage Foundation’s entire 900-page Project 2025 publication and prepared successor Attorney General-elect Nick Brown to continue his work.

"Obviously, Trump’s [first] administration turned out to be a train wreck for our country and his efforts to trample on the rights of Americans and Washingtonians on our environment, reproductive freedom; the list goes on," Ferguson told Democracy Docket in October.

Brown told Fox News Digital he pledged to "enforce and defend our laws, stand up for our values and protect our communities: And I intend to fully honor that commitment."

"I have no interest in needlessly creating or seeking out conflict with the incoming Trump administration," Brown said.

"But if they take actions that violate our laws or harm our people, I am ready and willing to use all available legal options to protect the residents of Washington State from such unwanted intrusions."

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Ferguson said a lot of Trump’s actions may be legal and "no one will be more happy than me" if Olympia never goes to court again.

In New Jersey, then-Attorney General Gurbir Grewal participated in dozens of suits against the first Trump administration, and Gov. Phil Murphy said while he hopes to find common ground with Trump, he will "fight to the death" to defend Jersey values.

Current New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin told Fox News Digital the election was fair and that Trenton will respect the democratic process that put Trump in the White House.

"As the president, he has the right to implement the policy agenda that he sees fit for the country. What he does not have the right to do is to violate the laws of this nation [or] this state…" Platkin said, citing a focus on gun safety, health care, the environment and immigration issues.

"I do not wake up every day dying to sue the president of the United States, but I also will not hesitate to do so when it’s in the best interests of our residents."

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been preparing for another Trump administration as his office also reportedly observes the behavior of Trump’s circle.

"President Trump has made no secret of his agenda for his second term. We’re taking him at his word when he tells us what he plans to do: whether that be rolling back environmental protections, threatening immigrant and civil rights, or restricting access to essential reproductive care," Bonta said.

"Fortunately, and unfortunately, we have four years of ‘Trump-1.0’ under our belts. We know what to expect, and we won’t be caught flat-footed: What happens next is up to the president-elect. If he doesn’t violate the law, and we hope he won’t, we won’t need to take action.

"But based on our experience with the first Trump administration and the president-elect’s own words, we expect that won’t be the case…"

In Delaware, Attorney General Kathy Jennings made opposing Trump key to her 2018 campaign.

"Donald Trump threatens our civil rights. He undermines the rule of law," Jennings said in an ad. "As attorney general, I'll stand up to Donald Trump when his agenda hurts Delaware."

Fox News Digital reached out to Jennings, who previously challenged Trump’s child migrant detention system.

Wisconsin was party to several lawsuits in Trump’s first term, and Attorney General Josh Kaul signaled he's "prepared to defend the rights of Wisconsinites if necessary." 

"Let me say if the new administration infringes upon the freedoms of Wisconsinites or attempts to use our system of justice as a tool for vengeance, we will act," he said recently.

In Connecticut, Attorney General William Tong is coordinating with other attorneys general.

"I’m sad to say we are here again. But we went through this the first time with the Muslim ban and the border wall, and we are even more ready now," he said, according to WSHU.

"[W]hen they attack the American-born children of immigrants, and they talk about denying birthright citizenship, they are talking about me," said Tong.

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Then-Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin succeeded in blocking Trump’s "travel ban," crediting the Aloha State as the first to launch litigation. Fox News Digital reached out to successor Anne Lopez regarding her stance toward Trump.

Fox also sought comment from the most high-profile of attorney-general-litigants. New York's Letitia James pledged to be a "real pain in the a--" and led a $450 million fraud case against Trump.

She did not respond, but recently said she’s ready to "fight back again."

The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment, but the president-elect did recently say of James, "she’s got serious Trump Derangement Syndrome."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit Thursday targeting the blue city of Dallas over a ballot measure that decriminalizes marijuana.

Paxton alleges that Proposition R, which "prohibits the Dallas Police Department from making arrests or issuing citations for marijuana possession or considering the odor of marijuana as probable cause for search or seizure," violates state law.

The attorney general argues in the lawsuit that the ballot measure is preempted by Texas law, which criminalizes the possession and distribution of marijuana. Paxton also claims the Texas Constitution prohibits municipalities from adopting an ordinance that conflicts with laws enacted by the state legislature.

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"Cities cannot pick and choose which State laws they follow," Paxton said in a statement. "The City of Dallas has no authority to override Texas drug laws or prohibit the police from enforcing them."

Paxton called the ballot measure "a backdoor attempt to violate the Texas Constitution" and threatened to sue any other city that "tries to constrain police in this fashion." 

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The lawsuit comes after interim Dallas Police Department Chief Michael Igo directed Dallas police officers not to enforce marijuana laws against those found to be in possession of less than 4 ounces. 

Ground Game Texas, a progressive nonprofit group that campaigned in favor of the ballot measure, argued it would help "keep people out of jail for marijuana possession," "reduce racially biased policing" and "save millions in public funding." 

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"It's unfortunate but not surprising that Attorney General Ken Paxton has apparently chosen to waste everyone's time and money by filing yet another baseless lawsuit against marijuana decriminalization," said Catina Voellinger, executive director for Ground Game Texas.

"Judges in Travis and Hays counties have already dismissed identical lawsuits filed there. The Dallas Freedom Act was overwhelmingly approved by 67% of voters — this is democracy in action."

Since January 2024, Paxton has filed lawsuits against five Texas cities that decriminalized marijuana possession, arguing these policies promote crime, drug abuse and violence. 

Maryland’s Democratic governor tapped one of the world’s largest risk-management firms for a short-term contract in preparation for Republican President-elect Trump moving in next door.

Gov. Wes Moore hired Accenture PLC, an Irish IT and consulting firm with an estimated $60 billion in revenue, to be its eyes and ears on Trump’s return to Washington, D.C.

Two days after Trump was projected to win, Maryland finalized its $190,000 contract.

Consultants at Accenture have been charged with analyzing how Trump and congressional Republicans will affect Maryland, including in terms of federal monies sent across the Anacostia River as the new administration signals a major belt-tightening.

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The contract includes a section focused on identifying state "resources and efforts and consider potential avenues for legal challenges."

It also seeks to track Trump’s agenda and his circle’s engagements with third-party groups like the Heritage Foundation, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Moore appeared to acknowledge there will be times Maryland’s interests run counter to the White House’s, but suggested his hiring of Accenture was not to create such an overtly adversarial relationship as critics have suggested.

A spokesman for Moore appeared to dismiss claims the governor is trying to set up a showdown, saying there are four tenets guiding him into a new Trump era: "Defend our constitutional rights, grow our economy, and restore faith in our public servants [and] our institutions, and our democracy."

"Governor Moore is ready to work with the incoming administration to ensure these goals are accomplished, and where there is common ground to be found, he will find it. Not only as a matter of principle – but as a responsibility to the people the Moore-Miller administration represents."

The spokesman said hiring a firm like Accenture is standard practice in business, and that with the "unique role" the federal government plays in Maryland’s economy, it is important to fully understand how best to work with Trump.

"With billions of dollars in potential liabilities for the state, it would be reckless of the Moore-Miller administration to not be prepared for any new policy directions taken by the federal government."

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Like Virginia and the District of Columbia itself, Maryland is inextricably linked to the federal government, which also comprises just under 10% of the state’s workforce.

The Old Line State houses several federal agency headquarters. NASA’s Goddard Space Center boasts its own private exit off the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, the NIH campus sits in Bethesda and the FDA calls Silver Spring home.

Geographically, what remains of the original federal district is also entirely former Maryland territory – as Arlington and Alexandria retroceded to Virginia in 1847.

Fox News Digital reached out for comment from state House Minority Leader Jason Buckel, R-Cumberland.

Buckel told Maryland Matters that the contract is "not in the best interests of any Marylander, particularly under the unified control of our federal government by Republicans," and suggested the contract is ill-timed given Maryland's reported billion-dollar deficit.

D.C. and Virginia have also keyed into sweeping changes the Trump administration could bring to the region.

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District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser has requested a meeting with Trump, according to FOX5DC, while Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was – unlike the other two leaders – a prominent Trump backer with few apparent concerns.

"I look forward to having the wind at our backs as opposed to in our faces about everything that we’re doing because we’ve gone from the bottom of job growth to near the top of the country," Youngkin said.

However, in Fairfax County, which, like Maryland’s Prince Georges and Montgomery counties, is home to a high proportion of federal workers, the top municipal leader warned of repercussions.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay told FOX5DC that Fairfax must "prepare to address the potential impacts of the new administration."

He said a second Trump term poses a "risk" and noted Trump has a stated goal of "dismantling government bureaucracy."

A representative for Accenture referred Fox News Digital back to Moore's office.