Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., says he hopes President-elect Trump is successful, and spoke out against those who feel otherwise.
Fetterman appeared Sunday on ABC'S "This Week." His more than 10-minute sit-down segment was pre-recorded with co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
"I'm not rooting against him," the Democratic senator said. "If you're rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation. And and I'm not ever going to be where I want a president to fail. So, country first. I know that's become maybe like a cliche, but it happens to be true."
The senator told Karl he never believed Trump's movement was about fascism, while noting that it was Vice President Kamala Harris' "prerogative" to call Trump a fascist during her campaign.
"Fascism, that's not a word that regular people use, you know?" Fetterman said. "I think people are going to decide who is the candidate that's going to protect and project, you know, my version of the American way of life, and that's what happened."
Fetterman has been meeting with Trump's Cabinet nominees, noting that his decision about whether to vote to confirm the candidates will stem from an open mind and informed perspective.
"I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump's nominees. That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon," Fetterman declared in a post on X.
"My votes will come from an open mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That’s not controversial, it's my job," he continued.
More than a month ago, Fetterman said Democrats cannot afford to "freak out" over everything Trump says or does. He echoed that sentiment on Sunday, again mentioning that Trump has not even taken office yet.
Fox News' Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Tim Cook led Apple through a year of highs and lows in 2024.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Apple launched new products in 2024, including the Vision Pro and AI-powered iPhone 16.
It faced challenges in China with iPhone sales and antitrust issues in the US and Europe.
Apple also introduced Apple Intelligence at WWDC, marking its entry into the GenAI market.
It's been an eventful year for Apple.
The tech giant launched a brand new hardware product, made its official entrance into generative artificial intelligence, and added a new iPhone generation — all in the span of 12 months.
It's also faced questions about CEO succession, challenges in one of its largest markets, and criticism about being behind in the AI arms race compared to some of the industry's fiercest players. Meantime, it's been under antitrust scrutiny from both US and EU authorities.
"2024 has been a year of notable highs and lows for Apple as it expanded into mixed reality and AI while navigating shifting consumer preferences and market dynamics," Jacob Bourne, tech analyst at Business Insider's sister company EMARKETER, said.
Apple got off to a rocky start this year. Its stock got two analyst downgrades in early January, with bankers citing worries about poor iPhone sales in China. Still, it celebrated wins in the services department of its business and partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to new iPhones. It explored new territory with the Apple Vision Pro and upgraded company staples, including iPads and AirPods.
Here's a look back at Apple's 2024.
There was trouble in China
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks at a conference in Beijing, China in March 2024.
Fu Tian/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
Apple started 2024 with struggles in its important Greater China region — a trend that continued. Analysts called sales of the iPhone 15 in China "lackluster" as competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi stepped up their competition in the local smartphone market.
It showed throughout Apple's earnings in 2024. Although the company beat revenue estimates in its fiscal fourth-quarter, sales in China missed and dropped year over year.
Still, Apple CEO Tim Cook said there are "positive signs" in the region during the fiscal Q4 earnings call on October 31. Cook took frequent trips to China this year — at least three times, as of November — amid fears that Donald Trump's potential tariffs will affect the country that makes a majority of Apple's iPhones, AirPods, Macs, and iPads.
"China's just been a disappointment in '24, full stop," Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, said.
Apple launched the Vision Pro in February
Apple Vision Pro was met with weak demand, analysts previously told BI.
Anadolu/Getty Images
Apple launched its first headset, the Vision Pro, in February. The mixed reality device retails for $3,500, making it one of Apple's priciest products to date.
The headset was met with mixed reactions. Its uses are limited, and it was unclear if the tech was for gamers or professionals. Months after it released, Cook told The Wall Street Journal that the Vision Pro is for "people who want to have tomorrow's technology today."
"At $3,500, it's not a mass-market product," Cook said. "Right now, it's an early-adopter product."
Apple is reportedly slowing down its Vision Pro production and is instead eyeing a more affordable version of the headset.
It was hit with a DOJ lawsuit in March
The US Department of Justice accused Apple of maintaining an illegal monopoly on the smartphone market in an antitrust lawsuit. The DOJ alleged the iPhone maker was involved in "delaying, degrading, or outright blocking" rival technology. Apple denied the allegations.
The suit said the company "repeatedly responded" to competitive threats by "making it harder or more expensive for its users and developers to leave than by making it more attractive for them to stay."
Apple asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit in August, saying the government's argument includes speculation. US District Court Judge Julien Xavier Neals will have to decide whether or not the case will go to trial.
Neals' decision could come as early as January, Bloomberg reported.
Meanwhile, in Europe, Apple was fined about $2 billion related to its App Store and was subject to other competition concerns in the region.
Apple rolled out new iPads
iPads performed well for Apple in 2024.
Apple; Business Insider
As OpenAI, Google, and others announced updates and demonstrated the power of their new AI assistants, Apple introduced new iPads in May.
The latest iPad Pro models are the first to have OLED display; Cook and Co. unveiled them at Apple's "Let Loose" event. Cook said it was "the biggest day for iPad since its introduction."
Although the launch came as Apple watchers waited for a bigger AI announcement, iPads performed well for Apple in Q3.
Apple's official debut into the AI wars, which have escalated since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, was the "biggest story" of the year, William Kerwin, a technology analyst at Morningstar, said.
The hype around Apple Intelligence was instant. Dan Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, said it would usher in a "golden upgrade cycle" for iPhones. Apple said it'd be a big part of the iOS 18 software update too, though Apple Intelligence is only available on iPhone 15 Pro models or later.
The company made some lofty promises at WWDC, and plans to deliver on them after the initial rollout in October and through 2025, although not all the features touted have launched yet. So far, US iPhone users have gotten access to "Writing Tools," AI-generated emojis, and ChatGPT through Siri. The company had been criticized for its late entry to the AI scene.
"They caught up by partnering and by adding AI to something only Apple can do," Munster said.
Meanwhile, the company is reportedly exploring ways it can bring Apple Intelligence to Chinese iPhone owners. Apple will have to partner with a local company if it wants to deliver AI to its most important international market.
The first AI iPhone launched
Finishes for the new iPhone 16 Pro.
Apple
Apple announced its first iPhone "built from the ground up to deliver Apple Intelligence" at its "Glowtime" event in September.
The company faced slowing iPhone sales in the quarters leading up to the launch; the new AI-enabled iPhone 16 was expected by some to be the boost it needed. It released without Apple Intelligence, though that was made available through a later iOS update. It did come with a new camera control button and some software updates.
The phones start at $999 for the iPhone 16 Pro and $1,199 for the Pro Max model. Although a golden upgrade cycle hasn't happened yet, analysts still have high expectations for the next year of iPhones.
"We believe iPhone 16 has kicked off a multi-year supercycle for Apple as the AI Revolution comes to the consumer," Ives said in an analyst note.
It scrapped some projects along the way
Among the new launches in 2024, Apple also axed some ideas that were said to be in the pipeline.
Bloomberg reported in December that Apple would no longer work on building a subscription service for iPhones. The team working to make iPhone ownership possible through monthly fees and annual upgrades was reassigned to other projects, according to the article.
The tech giant also shut down its buy now, pay later service, Apple Pay Later, in June, instead partnering with Klarna to bring its offering to Apple Pay, The Verge reported.
In April, Apple filed documents outlining that it planned to cut more than 600 employees working on projects related to screens and its electric car. Before that, the company reportedly told 2,000 employees that it would wind down its multi-year efforts to make an electric car.
Still, canceling the Apple Car to reassign talent to its Apple Intelligence efforts was part of a "one-two combo" that helped the company catch up in AI, Munster said.
Grace Chang has commuted roughly every other week from Washington, DC to New York City since starting her job in May.
Grace Chang
Grace Chang occasionally commutes from Washington, DC, to NYC for work.
She said the four-hour commute is worth it because the job is a good fit for her.
Remote working arrangements have made it easier for some Americans to become supercommuters.
Grace Chang says the occasionalfour-hour commute to her job is worth it but could be unsustainable in the long term.
Earlier this year, Chang, 28, felt burned out from her finance job at a hospitality companyin Washington, DC. She began exploring new opportunities but struggled to find a role in DC that would allow her to grow and be less demanding.
After expanding her search outside the Beltway, Chang accepted a financial planning and analysis position, which she started in May. The role pays$120,000 annually, but it came with a downside: a commuteroughly every other week from DC to New York City. Chang asked that the name of her employer be excluded for privacy reasons.
For her journey, Chang said she wakes up around 4 a.m. on Monday, catches the 5:05 a.m. Amtrak train at Union Station, arrives in New York City around 8:30 a.m., and is at her midtown Manhattan office 30 minutes later. She usually stays in New York until Wednesday or Thursday, and since her company doesn't pay for lodging, she crashes with friends or family who live in or near the city.
"I'm not 100% sure if the job is worth the commute, but it pays the bills and is a good stepping stone for other opportunities in the future," she said.
Chang is among the supercommuters who have embraced long treks to work in recent years: A Stanford University study published in June defined a supercommuter as anyone with a journey of more than 75 miles.The study, which was conducted by Stanfordeconomists Nick Bloom and Alex Finan, found that the share of supercommutes in the10 largest US cities was 32%higher between November 2023 and February than between the same time period four years earlier.
The economists said this uptick was likely tied to increased remote working arrangements. For example, some Americans who moved away from cities during the pandemic — in part for lower housing costs — decided they could tolerate their commute when their employers calledthem back to the office.
Supercommuting isn't the long-term goal
Chang said her employer doesn't have a specificin-office policy, buther manager wants her to work in person sometimes, particularly during busier periods.
When Chang landed the job, she never seriously considered moving to New York City. She and her husband have lived in the DC area for over a decade, and her husband works locally.
"We have friends and community here and didn't want to uproot so quickly," she said. "After I started making the commute, I just got used to it."
Staying with friends and family has helped Chang save money on accommodations while she's in New York, but her commute still comes with a financial cost. If she buys well in advance of her trip, she said she can generally get a one-way train ticket for less than $100. She said Amtrak offers a 10-ride ticket pass for $790, which amounts to $79 per one-way ticket.
However, Chang said her role would likely have a lower salary if it were based in DC, in part because the city has a lower cost of living than NYC.
In recent weeks, Chang's manager said she could reduce her commute to once a month. She said she'd previously requested a less frequent commute once she was fully trained for her job: She's been in the role for over six months.
While Chang is open to jobs closer to home, she said she's enjoying her current role and is getting the career development she wanted.
"It's definitely not a long-term goal or aspiration to continue to do this, but what has made this doable is having a positive mentality toward commuting," she said. "If I dreaded it every week, I would have quit in the first month."
Do you have a long commute to work? Are you willing to share your story with a reporter? Reach out to [email protected].
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., while speaking at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., called out House Republicans for breaking a bipartisan agreement to fund the government and avoid a government shutdown, accusing them of hurting everyday Americans across the country.
On Wednesday, House GOP leaders scrambled to search for a backup plan after reaching an initial bipartisan deal to avoid a partial government shutdown this Friday was buried by a barrage of opposition from conservative leaders.
Jeffries spoke about the failed deal, accusing Republicans and their leaders for not reaching the agreement.
"House Republicans, house democrats, Senate. Republicans and Senate Democrats reached a bipartisan agreement to fund the government, keep it open and meet the needs of the American people," Jeffries said, pointing out the agreement would provide disaster assistance for those affected by extreme weather events. "House Republicans have now unilaterally decided to break a bipartisan agreement that they made. House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government and hurt everyday Americans all across this country…An agreement is an agreement. It was bipartisan and there was nothing more to say."
The minority leader also fired off a post on X, saying, "House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt working class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement; you own the consequences that follow."
As of Wednesday, the U.S. national debt – which is a measure of what U.S. taxpayers were on the hook for to the nation’s creditors – had reached $36,189,345,826,140.62, and was climbing at a rapid pace, showing no signs of slowing down. The federal government's budget deficit in the recently concluded fiscal year totaled $1.834 trillion, ranking the third largest in U.S. history.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who was appointed by President-elect Trump to serve as a co-chair of the newly-established Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, lambasted the bill on his social media platform, saying the 1,547-page continuing resolution (CR) bill is full of "pork."
Musk also wrote in a separate post, "The voice of the people was heard. This was a good day for America."
Trump adamantly opposed the bill on Wednesday through a series of posts on Truth Social.
"Sounds like the ridiculous and extraordinarily expensive Continuing Resolution, PLUS, is dying fast, but can anyone imagine passing it without either terminating, or extending, the Debt Ceiling guillotine coming up in June?" the incoming president asked. "Unless the Democrats terminate or substantially extend [the] Debt Ceiling now, I will fight ‘till the end. This is a nasty TRAP set in place by the Radical Left Democrats!"
He continued, saying Democrats are looking to embarrass Republicans when it comes up for a vote in June, and the people who extended it from Sept. 28 to June 1, "should be ashamed of themselves."
Trump called the extension "political malpractice," and reiterated the bad timing of Congress asking for pay increases.
"Hopefully, you’ll be entitled to such an increase in the near future when we, "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" he said.
In another post, Trump explained that trying to pass a clean CR without all of the bells and whistles Democrats want will be destructive to the country and his administration instead of the Biden administration.
"Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will be Primaried," Trump warned. "Everything should be done, and fully negotiated, prior to my taking office on January 20th, 2025."
Congressional leaders released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release on Sunday. A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital more specifically that the deal was largely struck between the top two Democrats and Republicans in each chamber.
Since its release, the CR has seen fierce pushback from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated with unrelenting policy riders attached to the legislation, rather than a "clean" extension of government funding.
While the bill would avert a partial government shutdown through March 14 if passed, it also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, along with $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The bill also includes the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
President-elect Trump commented Wednesday that it was "too bad" Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was recently turned down for a leadership position on a House committee, prompting an amused response by the progressive politician.
"Really too bad that AOC lost the Battle for the Leadership Seat in the Democrat Party," Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. "She should keep trying. Someday, she will be successful!"
Later, the New York congresswoman screenshot Trump's remarks and wrote a humorous response.
"Damn you know it’s bad when even Trump is feeling bad for me," Ocasio-Cortez said, adding a laughing emoji.
The amusing exchange came just one day after the 36-year-old Democrat was defeated in her bid to serve as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. The leadership role went to Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, who received 131 votes to Ocasio-Cortez's 84.
"I thank my colleagues for their support and the confidence they’ve placed in me to lead House Democrats on the Oversight Committee," Connolly said in a statement after being elected by the House Democratic Caucus.
"This will be trench warfare," he added. "Now is not the time to be timid. I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from day one to counter Republican gaslighting."
Ocasio-Cortez, who has served on the oversight committee since 2023, wrote on the social media platform Bluesky that she "tried her best" with her bid.
"Tried my best. Sorry I couldn’t pull it through everyone — we live to fight another day," she wrote.
Fox News Digital's Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
President-elect Trump on Wednesday said he is "totally against" the continuing resolution (CR) being debated by the House to keep the government from shutting down through March.
Trump spoke with "FOX & Friends" co-host Lawrence Jones on Wednesday, telling him the "fight starts now."
"I just spoke with President-elect [Trump], and he is ‘totally against’ the proposed CR," Jones wrote in a post on X.
In another post, the morning show co-host wrote, "The President-elect [Trump] believes that the ‘fight starts now,’ rather than waiting until he is sworn in.
Jones later wrote, "The President-elect [Trump] acknowledged [House Speaker Mike Johnson’s] challenging situation but emphasized that this approach is not the appropriate course of action."
Congressional leaders in Washington, D.C., released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release on Sunday. A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital more specifically that the deal was largely struck between the top two Democrats and Republicans in each chamber.
Since its release, the CR has seen strong opposition from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated with unrelenting policy riders attached to the legislation, rather than a "clean" extension of government funding.
While the bill would avert a partial government shutdown through March 14 if passed, it also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, along with $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The bill also includes the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.
Republican congressional leaders have defended their plan for a stopgap spending bill, arguing it would allow Trump to have a greater influence on spending when the question comes up again in the spring.
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance released a statement on the spending bill on Wednesday.
"The most foolish and inept thing ever done by Congressional Republicans was allowing our country to hit the debt ceiling in 2025. It was a mistake and is now something that must be addressed," they wrote. "Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch.
"If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want.
"Republicans want to support farmers and pay for disaster relief while setting the country up for success in 2025."
"The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country," they said. "Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH.
"If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF. It is Schumer and Biden who are holding up aid to our farmers and disaster relief. THIS CHAOS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT. WE WILL IN 32 DAYS!"
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who was appointed co-chair of Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), also came out in opposition to Johnson’s proposed bill to keep the government funded on Wednesday.
Musk turned to his social media platform X to argue that the 1,547-page document is full of "pork."
The other co-chair of DOGE, Vivek Ramaswamy, expressed skepticism of the bill on Tuesday, though he did not outright oppose Johnson’s solution.
"Currently reading the 1,547-page bill to fund the government through mid-March. Expecting every U.S. Congressman & Senator to do the same," Ramaswamy wrote on X.
The GOP holds a one-seat majority in the House, meaning Johnson will likely have to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill. The legislation must also pass the Senate by the Friday deadline to avoid a shutdown.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
The Louisiana resident infected with H5N1 bird flu is hospitalized in critical condition and suffering from severe respiratory symptoms, the Louisiana health department revealed Wednesday.
The health department had reported the presumptive positive case on Friday and noted the person was hospitalized, as Ars reported. But a spokesperson had, at the time, declined to provide Ars with the patient's condition or further details, citing patient confidentiality and an ongoing public health investigation.
This morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it had confirmed the state's H5N1 testing and determined that the case "marks the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States."
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese revealed on the latest episode of her podcast that prisoners found out her mom’s address and started to write her love letters.
Reese, who attended Maryland before transferring to LSU and winning a national championship, said on "Unapologetically Angel" that her mom had to get police involved.
"When I was in college, somehow, some way, these men in jail used to send letters – like love letters. Somehow, one of them got my address, my mom’s address. And my mom had to like do all that and call the police and all that," she said.
"He talking about, ‘When I get out I’m coming for you. I’m going to be with you. We going to have kids.’ Sir, take a timeout."
Reese’s guest, Coco Jones, joked that the person who sent her the weird message should get an extra two years in prison for "scary behavior."
Reese, who is from Baltimore, played two seasons with the Terrapins before she transferred to LSU for her junior and senior seasons. She led the nation in scoring and rebounding during the 2022-23 season with 23 points and 15.4 rebounds per game.
She averaged 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.
The Sky selected her with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game in 34 games. Her season was cut short due to an injury.
Members of Congress are vulnerable. They’re not super men and women. They are of flesh and bone like anyone else.
A series of unconnected events in recent days spoke to the vulnerabilities of those who work on Capitol Hill as health scares impacted three well-known Congressional figures.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fell during the weekly Senate lunch last week. DC Fire and Rescue came to the Capitol to evaluate the GOP leader after he cut his face and sprained his wrist. He was spotted later wearing a brace on his arm which stretched across his hand and thumb. He was initially "cleared to resume his schedule." However, McConnell did not appear at the Capitol later in the week and his office said he was working from home.
He suffered a concussion last year after falling at a hotel and was out for two months. McConnell also froze up at several news conferences – both in Washington and in Kentucky. He fell at his home in 2019, fracturing his shoulder.
The 83-year-old McConnell leaves his position as the top Republican in the Senate in early January, but will remain in the chamber. McConnell is the longest-serving leader of either party in Senate history.
McConnell did not appear at what is presumably the final Senate GOP leadership news conference of the year Tuesday. He also didn’t attend a ceremony with the other top bipartisan, bicameral Congressional leaders to light the Capitol menorah for Hanukkah.
McConnell isn’t the only prominent lawmaker to stumble lately.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was hospitalized in Germany after a tumble that resulted in her hip needing to be replaced. She was there with other lawmakers for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.
"I was right next to her," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas. "She likes to wear high heels. Very high. She was on one of her last steps on this marble staircase that didn't have a railing, and she lost her footing and fell to the ground."
McCaul later said he spoke to Pelosi on the phone.
"She had a lot of energy. Very spunky," McCaul said of the former Speaker.
Retired Rear Admiral Barry Black isn’t a senator, but frankly, his commanding, rumbling bass is better known than the voice of many senators. Always sporting his signature bow tie, Black has served as Senate Chaplain since 2003. He suffered a subdural hematoma and bleeding on the brain last week and has been hospitalized.
"Chaplain Black is one of the most beloved individuals in the entire Senate. Every day we gavel into session, he is always here to start us off in prayer, delivered with his profound sense of wisdom, grace, and eloquence," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
The only thing more resonant than Black’s powerful vocal instrument are his words. Black artfully weaves friendly, pastoral counsel into his daily intercessions. He prayed that senators "not permit fatigue or cynicism to jeopardize friendships" in 2019 ahead of the first impeachment trial of President-elect Trump.
During the 2013 government shutdown, Black gently chided senators who shuttered the government – even though U.S. Capitol Police remained on the job and were injured during a wild car chase and shootout which locked down the Congressional complex.
"Deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable," prayed Black.
There’s not a lot which is reasonable on Capitol Hill, and perhaps the most unreasonable thing heard over the past week came from U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger.
While the chief was just the messenger, Manger informed a Senate committee that his department recorded a staggering 700 individual threats of violence lodged against lawmakers in November alone. More horrifically, Manger said there were a record 55 "swatting" calls made against lawmakers at their homes.
"Swatting" is where someone phones in a fake distress call. Police then dispatch the "SWAT" team to the address, generally rattling the intended targets.
"It used to be that if you know when you went home, you might be able to relax a little bit while," Manger testified to the Senate Rules Committee. "Those days are gone."
Threats were called in on Thanksgiving Day to the entire Connecticut House and Senate delegation.
Some lawmakers face more problems than others.
"I'm sadly the record holder possibly for swatting calls," lamented Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
And these faux threats sometimes result in utter calamity for innocent bystanders.
Rome, Ga., bomb squad member David Metroka was racing to join the rest of his team at Greene’s house when he crashed into a car driven by Tammie Pickelsimer. She later died at a hospital.
In fact, the threat to Greene’s residence wasn’t even unfolding in real time. It was emailed to local police and wound up in a junk email folder. Officers found the message several days later and dispatched the bomb squad.
How do lawmakers protect themselves in such a supercharged environment?
"I'm a gun owner," said Greene. "It’s extremely important to be able to defend myself if need be."
Lawmakers have long faced threats. Some of the most tragic, chaotic moments in recent Congressional history have involved violence. January 6. The shooting of former Reps. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and Ron Barber, D-Ariz. The Congressional baseball practice shooting, which nearly killed House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.
And then there is something else which spooked everyone who works on Capitol Hill, especially lawmakers who have been targeted before: A recent cold-blooded assassination in Midtown Manhattan.
"I find it troubling that there have been public figures who either have been silent or have come dangerously close to rationalizing the assassination of (UnitedHealthcare CEO) Brian Thompson," said Rep. Richie Torres, D-N.Y. "If we as a society accept the notion that political differences can be resolved by violence, then that's the end of our civilization."
"I think the worst part of that is when you saw the reaction where people are supporting the murderer," added Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio.
At some point, the threats may be too much for lawmakers.
"We're not here to put ourselves or our families in danger," said Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt.
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., has served in Congress since 1997.
"The level of contempt, the level of hatred has risen," said Smith. "When I arrived as a freshman, I would have never for a second thought that I was in any greater physical danger because I was a member of Congress than anybody else walking in the street."
Getting paid in cryptocurrencies may sound like a bad idea, but this could be an actually useful feature for international contractors. Remote, the company that lets you hire people and manage contractors all around the world, is introducing crypto payouts on Tuesday. Companies based in the U.S. can start paying their contractors with stablecoins in […]
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."
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.
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 Washington, D.C. committee tasked with investigating bribery allegations against City Councilmember Trayon White Sr. voted on Monday to recommend the lawmaker be expelled for allegedly accepting over $150,000 in bribes.
The committee voted unanimously to recommend White be expelled, after reviewing a report that found "substantial evidence" that the councilman violated the D.C. Code of Conduct while in office.
Following the vote, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson released a statement about the committee's decision.
"Let’s cut through the legal jargon. Trayon White is accused of taking bribes," Mendelson said. "The prosecutors have established probable cause, our own independent investigation found substantial evidence that he took bribes, and public servants are prohibited from taking bribes. This is quintessential corruption.
"There is only one remedy: to remove the corruption from our body," the councilman later added. "This incident has damaged the public trust necessary for government to function well. Anything less than expulsion will not rectify the situation."
Over the summer, White was arrested on a federal bribery charge after being accused of accepting over $150,000 from an associate in exchange for extending violence interruption contracts.
In response to the allegations, the ad hoc committee of the council commissioned an independent investigation, which was conducted by the law firm Latham and Watkins LLP.
The report was provided to the council last week, and it included an in-depth analysis along with 29 supporting exhibits, FOX 5 in DC reported.
After reviewing documents, interviews, emails and texts, investigators found "substantial evidence that Councilmember White violated Council Rules and several provisions of the Code of Official Conduct."
The investigators specifically said White accepted cash from business owners in exchange for agreeing to meet with and influence government officials who approve their contracts, the station reported.
The report also claimed White had a ledger detailing the profits he intended to earn, including a kickback of 3% of the grants he helped renew.
Mendelson and White did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.
The station reported that White spoke before the meeting on Monday, saying, "I do want to say that there has been no clear evidence of nobody in all these interviews saying that I tried to grab them. And so, I’m confident to that."
The council needed a five-sixths vote to adopt a resolution of expulsion, which is the most severe punishment available. A proceeding on the expulsion is to be held within 45 days, during which time White will be able to defend himself.
White’s federal bribery charge trial is on the calendar to begin in January 2026. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he would withdraw the U.S. from a global climate change agreement when he assumes office — but a second withdrawal could look different from the first.
The Paris Climate Agreement was established at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in 2015 as a legally binding treaty between nearly 195 parties who are committed to international cooperation on climate change. The U.S. officially entered into the agreement under former President Barack Obama in 2016.
Under Article 28 of the treaty, parties are allowed to withdraw from the agreement, but no earlier than three years after they officially entered. Therefore, Trump was barred from immediately leaving the treaty when he first took office and the U.S. was not officially withdrawn until the end of 2020.
President Joe Biden, in one of his first orders as president, reinstated the U.S. to the climate agreement in 2021. Ahead of the presidential election, Trump told Politico that he would be in favor of withdrawing from the treaty a second time, and given that Biden withdrew at the beginning of his term, this could be accomplished at a much quicker pace.
"It would be a very different timeline now," David Waskow, director of the international climate initiative at the World Resources Institute, told Scientific American.
Max Boykoff, professor in the Department of Environmental Studies and a fellow in the Cooperative Institute for Research and Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at CU Boulder, told the university's paper that re-exiting from the agreement could cause "a loss of trust" among world leaders.
Boykoff also suggested that a U.S. withdrawal could encourage other countries to also exit the treaty, as it was recently reported that Argentina's Libertarian President Javier Milei is considering it.
"The withdrawal may also cause other leaders, who have also expressed resistance to addressing climate policy as a priority in their own countries, to leave the agreement," Boykoff told CU Boulder Today.
However, those in favor of Trump releasing the U.S. from the agreement tell Fox News Digital that there would be many benefits to a second withdrawal.
"The benefits of exiting the Paris climate agreement are many, first and foremost reclaiming U.S. sovereignty while respecting the rule of law," said H. Sterling Burnett, Director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at the Heartland Institute.
"Paris encourages the U.S. to agree to emission reductions that are both unnecessary from a climate perspective, since we don't control the climate, but which do place substantial costs on Americans while putting the nation at a competitive and geopolitical disadvantage to China, which emits more than double the U.S. with no firm reduction commitments," he added.
Burnett also suggested that Trump submit the treaty to the Senate for advice and consent, which would require a two-thirds vote for the U.S. to rejoin the climate agreement — creating a potential hurdle for future administrations seeking to reenter the accord.
Also under consideration is whether the incoming president will withdraw from the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a treaty established in 1992 to prevent "dangerous human interference with the climate system."
Mandy Gunasekara, former EPA chief of staff during Trump's first term, suggested that the incoming president should not only withdraw from the treaty, but also exit UNFCCC, POLITICO E&E Reported.
Gunasekara said that the administration should get out of UNFCCC "if they’re looking for a more permanent response to getting out of bad deals for the American economy that do little to actually improve the environment."
Other leaders have suggested that the Paris Agreement itself could suffer in the future if the U.S. is not involved.
"The Paris Agreement can survive, but people sometimes can lose important organs or lose the legs and survive. But we don’t want a crippled Paris agreement. We want a real Paris agreement," Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, told the Guardian. "It’s very important that the United States remain in the Paris Agreement, and more than remain in the Paris agreement, that the United States adopts the kind of policies that are necessary to make the 1.5 degrees still a realistic objective."
EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will introduce a budget proposal banning "sanctuary cities" in his state, along with ensuring tax money will not go to counties or independent cities that aren’t complying with ICE.
The proposal will require local police and corrections officers to fulfill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests for criminal illegal immigrants and notify the federal government within two days of releasing any such person who matriculates through the justice system.
Additionally, any municipality that identifies as a sanctuary city or enacts similar policies will have state funding typically allocated toward supporting their police departments withheld by Richmond.
The Department of Criminal Justice Services, currently led by Youngkin appointee and former Prince William County Officer Jackson Miller, will be advised to withhold what is called "599 Funding" in that regard.
"Criminals who are in the United States illegally will be turned over to ICE," Youngkin told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
"We must stop the cycle of violence and crime that is being enabled by some local governments. Virginia is not a sanctuary state, and we must be clear that we will not allow localities to become ‘sanctuary cities.'"
The Republican governor, who is term-limited next year under Virginia’s one-and-done policy, said that if local governments "pander to pro-illegal immigrant groups" they’ll see the state-taxpayer assistance spigot turned off.
The news comes amid recent violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Virginia, most recently the sexual assault of a jogger on a popular Herndon rail-trail.
Shortly before Thanksgiving, Honduran national Denis Humberto Navarette-Romero was charged with intent to defile and rape a woman on the Old Dominion Trail. The Washington, D.C., suburb’s police chief said it was the first stranger-rape case in her 12 years on the job.
Critics pointed to Fairfax County’s sanctuary-type policies as Navarette-Romero had been previously arrested for auto theft and indecent exposure.
In 2018, Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid notified ICE her office will no longer hold inmates past release dates unless an administrative request to hold the suspects is accompanied by a legal criminal detainer.
Kincaid told WJLA earlier this year her department requires such a warrant, after ICE officials criticized a lack of cooperation with Virginia’s largest county by-population.
Only three of 725 "undocumented individuals" in Fairfax custody between July 2023 and July 2024 were transferred to ICE, the outlet reported.
Also in November, Arlington County’s board voted 4-1 in favor of a policy stipulating police may only notify ICE in cases involving gang members and very serious crimes, according to ArlNow.
The vote came as activists chanted "ICE Out Of Arlington!"
Alexandria, an independent city, initiated a policy in 2007 stating it would not inquire about citizenship "beyond what is required by state and federal law."
In 2017, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney responded to President Trump’s immigration policies by ordering the city's police department not to consent to participate in ICE collaboration agreements and not to inquire about citizenship status "in the interest of public safety."
Virginia officials have said the state Department of Corrections has always and continues to recognize ICE detainers during Youngkin’s tenure.
Incoming Trump "Border Czar" Thomas Homan has repeatedly pledged a "mass deportation" initiative and similarly warned sanctuary cities he will use the might of the federal government to enforce compliance with the law.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News he is getting a "classified briefing" Thursday in Washington on the mysterious drones that are being spotted flying across New Jersey.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently told WNYC that his state government is running down every theory of what the source of the drones could be.
"I'm relying overwhelmingly on the experts in the federal government who do this for a living. There's no evidence that anything is armed," he said. "There's some theories out there. Again, we take nothing off the table. Even if somebody says something crazy with absolutely no evidence. We've been running everything down."
A New Jersey state senator is also calling on the Department of Defense to investigate the recent mysterious nighttime drone sightings amid rising public frustration over a lack of answers.
"Let me be clear: The state police, this is way beyond their expertise … We know the Department of Defense has the technology to monitor these drones," State Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-N.J., told co-anchor John Roberts Wednesday on "America Reports."
"The problem is we don't have the Department of Defense in New Jersey at this time. And that's what I call for. Until the Department of Defense comes in, shuts down airspace completely to drones, do a limited state of emergency – no drones in the sky until we figure out what's going on here," Bramnick warned. "But without the Department of Defense, we will have no information because the technology is way beyond state officials."
Fox News’ Joshua Comins contributed to this report.
Washington, D.C., councilman Trayon White edged closer to expulsion this week after an investigative report found he violated multiple city code of conduct provisions.
Despite being arrested by the FBI on a federal bribery charge in August, White, a Democrat representing Ward 8, recently secured a third term on Election Day in a landslide victory.
While the federal criminal case remains pending, the report, commissioned by an ad hoc committee and conducted by the law firm Latham & Watkins LLP, was submitted to the council on Monday following an independent probe into whether White violated applicable D.C. law, the D.C. Code of Conduct, or Council Rules. The council is meeting next Monday to deliberate the findings and consider whether to recommend sanctions against White.
The councilman has pleaded not guilty to allegations he accepted $156,000 in cash payments in exchange for using his position to pressure government employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to extend several D.C. contracts. The federal complaint says the contracts were valued at $5.2 million and were for two companies to provide "Violence Intervention" services in D.C.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson established the ad hoc committee in August.
White has declined multiple offers to meet with the committee since.
Councilman Kenyan McDuffie, who chairs the ad hoc committee, said the investigation found "substantial evidence" that White’s alleged conduct connected to the bribery claims violated several provisions of the D.C. Council’s Code of Official Conduct, FOX 5 DC reported. McDuffie said that the report does not support allegations White violated residency requirements outlined in the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973.
The investigation spanned 11 weeks and involved 22 interviews with officials from multiple D.C. agencies, including DYRS, ONSE and the Office of Risk Management; current and former members of White’s staff; leaders in the violence intervention community and other individuals believed to have information related to the allegations against White.
The law firm also reviewed relevant documents and records obtained from D.C. agencies and thousands of emails from the official accounts of White and his staff.
