Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
Here’s what’s happening…
– House Weaponization panel releases 17,000-page report exposing ‘two-tiered system of government’
– Kristi Noem boasts outpouring of police, border union support for DHS chief: Current leaders ‘betrayed us’
– Top Senate Dems pour cold water on latest GOP spending bill plans: ‘Ready to stay’ through Christmas
Biden’s Parting Gift to ‘Public Servants’
The Biden administration announced another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts as President Biden and Vice President Harris prepare to leave the White House.
The massive loan handout will give 54,900 public workers loan forgiveness.
“Four years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration made a pledge to America’s teachers, service members, nurses, first responders, and other public servants that we would fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and I’m proud to say that we delivered,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a release on Friday…Read more
US President Joe Biden speaks during an event in Madison, Wisconsin, US, on Monday, April 8, 2024. Biden’s alternative student-debt relief plan could forgive loans for as many as 26 million Americans, a far-reaching initiative that will be tested by the same challenges that beset his original program struck down by the Supreme Court. Photographer: Daniel Steinle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
White House
A HOLY EXIT: Biden heading to Vatican next month to meet with Pope Francis, Italian PM Meloni in final overseas trip…Read more
‘POSSIBLY CRIMINAL’: Trump files amicus brief to ‘immediately’ stop Biden sale of border wall, says conduct is ‘possibly criminal’…Read more
President Donald Trump tours a section of the border wall, Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in San Luis, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
LEFT-WING ‘LAUNDRY LIST’: Watchdog seeks to halt an 11th-hour Biden DOJ effort to ‘handcuff’ a KY police department…Read more
CHRISTMAS RUSH: Top DOGE senator to demand lame-duck Biden agencies halt costly telework talks, citing voter mandate…Read more
Capitol Hill
**Check out our new live blog on the spending bill fight — Trump-backed spending bill voted down in the House with shutdown looming**
The dome of the U.S. Capitol building is seen from a perch in Washington, D.C.(Fox News Digital)
‘NO DEALS WITH THE DEMOCRATS’: GOP lawmaker says vote on ‘very similar’ CR expected Friday morning…Read more
‘DOGE SPEAKER’: Mike Lee predicts demise of Johnson speakership, calls for ‘DOGE speaker’…Read more
‘PAY OUR TROOPS’: Senate Republicans attempt to fast track emergency military pay as they brace for shutdown…Read more
SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: House Republicans reach new plan to avoid government shutdown after back-to-back defeats: Sources…Read more
KILL THE BILL: Here’s a list of the 38 Republicans who defied Trump by voting ‘no’ on the failed spending bill…Read more
Across America
BUTTIGIEG BUZZ: Buttigieg appearance on New Hampshire talk radio fuels 2028 presidential race buzz…Read more
Pete Buttigieg, US secretary of transportation, speaks during a news conference in Long Beach, California, US, on Thursday, July 18, 2024. The Pier B on-dock rail project, which is expected to be the largest rail facility of any port in the US, will serve the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Photographer: Tim Rue/Bloomberg via Getty Images(Tim Rue)
OPEN BORDERS: ICE response team in NYC arrested a Mexican illegal immigrant sex offender who “has been removed from the US on 5 separate occasions”…Read more
Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
There are usually mixed reactions when NFL referees flag pass interference.
League policy does not include language to explain what constitutes pass interference, so it is still considered a judgment call.
Jon Gruden, who coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl title in 2002, weighed in on the often criticized rule.
In the NFL, when officials call pass interference, the ball is placed at the spot of the foul. There have been instances where a pass interference call has resulted in a team benefiting from 25 or more penalty yards before the next snap.
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Raiders head coach Jon Gruden runs off the field for halftime during a game against the Chicago Bears Oct. 10, 2021, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
After admitting pass interference was one of his top worries for the NFL, Gruden suggested the league adopt a penalty similar to what college football enforces. Instead of placing the ball where the foul occurred, Gruden would prefer the ball only move 15 yards per penalty.
49ERS’ BROCK PURDY IMPRESSES AFTER GIFTING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN BRAND-NEW CARS FOR CHRISTMAS
“I would make it the college rule, honestly, because some of these pass interference calls are impacting the game, just one play there,” Gruden said during a recent appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast.
Gruden then brought up the subjective nature of the call.
“I don’t think there’s a common thread in what is and what isn’t pass interference,” he said. “I think this crew calls it a little different from that crew. That is a penalty right now that, I think, has taken over a lot of these games.”
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden speaks on his headset during the first half of a game against the Chicago Bears Oct. 10, 2021, in Las Vegas.(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
After the podcast co-host suggested an NFL quarterback could simply underthrow a ball and be rewarded with free yardage, Gruden argued pass interference should only be applied in situations where it was clear and “obvious” a foul was committed.
The NFL logo prior to a game between the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium Dec. 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
“Jerry Austin taught me that pass interference should call itself. We should all be sitting in a bar in Chicago and go, ‘That’s PI.’ It should be a common, obvious pass interference. Otherwise, let these guys play. That’s my feeling.”
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In 2019, the league approved a proposal that made pass interference a reviewable play. The decision appeared to be a response to a controversial play in the 2018 season’s NFC championship game.
Referees did not call what many argued was pass interference during the NFC title game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints. The Rams defeated the Saints in overtime and advanced to the Super Bowl.
NFL teams’ ability to review pass interference was scrapped in 2020.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
Senate Democrats labeled billionaire Elon Musk “co-president” and “shadow speaker” among other titles as they reacted to the original stopgap spending deal’s implosion on Wednesday after he and ultimately President-elect Donald Trump came out against it.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Musk “seems to be the guy in charge of the country now,” reacting to his apparent ability to influence the bill’s prompt failure despite it having been agreed upon by bipartisan leaders in Congress.
If a measure to provide funding for the government is not passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden by midnight on Saturday morning, a partial government shutdown will go into effect.
As of Thursday, the U.S. national debt was at $36,167,604,149,955.61 and continues to climb rapidly.
SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN
Musk was credited with taking down the first version of the spending bill.(Brandon Bell)
After a 1,547-page short-term spending bill was debuted this week. Musk quickly took to X, formerly Twitter, to trash it, pointing out various seemingly irrelevant provisions as well as its cost and length.
He was soon joined by other critics, and President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance issued their own statement opposing the bill.
This led to significant criticism from Democrats unhappy with Musk’s apparent ability to influence Trump and the Republicans in Congress.
TOP SENATE DEMS POUR COLD WATER ON LATEST GOP SPENDING BILL PLANS: ‘READY TO STAY’ THROUGH CHRISTMAS
Warren said Musk is running the show.(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“He’s the one who seems to be calling the shots,” Warren told reporters.
“Elon Musk is the one evidently in charge of the Republican Party and has blown that deal up. So I don’t know how the Republicans are planning to recover from that,” she said.
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., suggested that Musk is “already the shadow speaker of the House,” in a slight against House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
TIM SCOTT’S SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM STAFF REVEALED AHEAD OF CRUCIAL 2026 SWING STATE RACES
Fetterman called Musk the “shadow speaker.”(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I think he’s unelected, and he’s created a whole lot of damage,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.
He claimed Republicans in Congress were “busy listening to Co-President Musk and co-President Trump.”
“I’m listening to the people of Georgia, especially the farmers who are struggling to get disaster relief. And, we need to make sure that we get that over the finish line.”
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., reiterated that Musk is not an elected official. “He doesn’t have any official government job,” he said.
‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ CAUCUS LAUNCHED BY SEN MARSHALL AFTER RFK JR MEETING
Kelly pointed out that Musk was not elected.(Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“We had a deal with Republicans in the House and now, because of him, the president-elect is on the verge of people losing their jobs and not getting paid over the holidays,” he said of a potential partial shutdown if a bill is not passed by a deadline of midnight on Saturday morning.
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Despite their Democrat colleagues’ claims, Republicans pushed back on the idea that Trump was being influenced by Musk. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., noted that there are “lots of people around President Trump,” adding that he doesn’t think Musk has control over what the president-elect does.
Musk was tapped by Trump, along with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead what is called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a proposed advisory board tasked with eliminating government waste.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had conducted an airstrike that killed ISIS leader Abu Yusif in eastern Syria.
One other ISIS operative was also killed in the strike that occurred on Thursday, the agency said in a release on Friday morning.
“As stated before, the United States — working with allies and partners in the region — will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute,” CENTCOM Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said. “ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria.”
“We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria,” he said.
US GROUP LOOKS FOR KIDNAPPED AMERICANS IN SYRIA AFTER FALL OF ASSAD REGIME
Rebel forces seized Mengh Airbase and the city of Tel Rifaat in the Aleppo countryside on December 1, 2024, following clashes with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syrian regime forces. (Rami Alsayed/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The agency said they carried out the targeted airstrike in the eastern province of Deir ez Zor in Syria, noting that it’s part of their ongoing commitment to “disrupt and degrade efforts” by terrorists.
ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR INSISTS NATION IS ‘NOT GETTING INVOLVED’ IN SYRIAN REGIME CHANGE
They said the area was previously controlled by the Syrian regime and Russian forces before the recent fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Al-Assad fled to Russia earlier this month and ended a nearly 14-year struggle to maintain power in his country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visit the Khmeimim air base in Latakia Province, Syria, on December 11, 2017.(RUSSIA-FLIGHTS/ Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/ via Reuters/File Photo)
Attacks by the Turkish military on Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have increased since the Syrian president fled to Russia on Dec. 8.
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Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Ryder said that in light of the instability in the region, as well as al-Assad’s departure, there are 2,000 U.S. troops deployed in Syria.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
President Joe Biden’s Department of Education has given up on a proposed rule change that would have punished schools for preventing trans athletes from competing in women’s sports.
The Department of Education released a docket on Friday announcing its withdrawal of the proposition. The Biden administration had proposed the rule change in April 2023. The proposition was titled “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance: Sex-Related Eligibility Criteria for Male and Female Athletic Teams”
The rule would have officially outlawed individual states from banning participation in single-sex sports by gender identity rather than just sex. There are 23 states in the U.S. that have legislation in place to restrict trans athletes from competing as females in public school sports.
The docket claims that the original intent of Biden’s proposal was to “propose a regulatory standard under Title IX that would govern a recipient’s adoption or application of sex-related criteria that would limit or deny a student’s eligibility to participate on a male or female athletic team consistent with their gender identity.”
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The department claims that its decision to withdraw comes after hearing testimony during the comment period, but that ongoing lawsuits have also played into the decision.
“The Department recognizes that there are multiple pending lawsuits related to the application of Title IX in the context of gender identity, including lawsuits related to Title IX’s application to athletic eligibility criteria in a variety of factual contexts. In light of the comments received and those various pending court cases, the Department has determined not to regulate on this issue at this time,” the docket read.
The withdrawal comes at the end of an election year when the current administration suffered multiple blows to its effort to enable trans inclusion in women’s sports.
Multiple states filed lawsuits and enacted their own laws to address the issue after the Biden-Harris administration issued a sweeping rule that clarified that Title IX’s ban on “sex” discrimination in schools covers discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and “pregnancy or related conditions.”
FATHER OF FEMALE RUNNER FORCED TO COMPETE WITH TRANS ATHLETE SHARES FURY OF SITUATION: ‘CAN’T EVEN DIGEST IT’
The administration insisted the regulation does not address athletic eligibility. However, multiple experts presented evidence to Fox News Digital in June that it would ultimately put more biological men in women’s sports.
In August, The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to deny the administration an emergency request to enforce portions of a new rule that includes protection from discrimination for transgender students under Title IX. The request would have permitted biological men in women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and dorms in 10 states where there are state-level and local-level rules in place to prevent it. Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch was the only conservative justice to dissent in that decision.
Democrats have proposed other federal legislation that would allow for more transgender inclusion in women’s sports. This record of support became a subject of nationwide backlash during the election cycle, that Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump seized on as a key campaign issue.
Past Democratic support for trans inclusion includes the Equality Act, which was proposed in 2019 and has seen revisions that “would force public schools to allow biologically male athletes who identify as transgender on girls’ sports teams.”
In March 2023, Democrats advocated for a transgender bill of rights, proposing a resolution “recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights.” The resolution specifically called for federal law to ensure that biological men can “participate in sports on teams and in programs that best align with their gender identity; [and] use school facilities that best align with their gender identity.”
On the other side of the aisle, Idaho’s Republican Gov. Brad Little issued an executive order in August to enforce the “Defending Women’s Sports Act,” which would require schools and colleges to prohibit transgender athletes in women’s sports.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Little acknowledged concern that his order could have resulted in public schools in his state losing federal funding if Kamla Harris had become the 47th president.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Little said. “From a national standpoint, there are radical little groups that want to implement changes in the rules that we have already. I’m confident in what we have, and we will aggressively (act), as the state of Idaho, both legally and legislatively, to protect women’s athletes and the great advances they’ve made because of Title IX.”
But even states with those laws in effect have had to endure it continuing within their borders due to the interference of liberal federal judges.
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Multiple Obama-era federal judges have passed rulings that allow transgender inclusion in girls’ sports. Judges Landya McCafferty in New Hampshire and M. Hannah Lauck of Virginia each passed rulings this year that enabled biological males to play on high school girls’ soccer and tennis teams. Both judges were appointed by Obama in the early 2010s.
However, Democrats slowly backpedaled in their support for trans inclusion as the year went on. Multiple Democrats, including Texas Rep. Collin Allred, backtracked on past support for transgender inclusion in women’s sports.
That trend continued after the election when Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton spoke out against his party’s stance and actions in enabling transgender inclusion in multiple interviews, inciting fierce backlash and even a massive pro-transgender rally outside his office.
Now, in the Biden administration’s final weeks, it too has issued a major surrender on the issue as the party continues to debate what its stance will be, moving forward.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
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U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young scored another victory on Friday ahead of his high-profile defamation trial against CNN, as a Florida judge ruled that the network’s expert witness cannot testify that he suffered zero lost income or profits as a result of the segment at the center of the case.
Young alleges that CNN smeared him by implying he illegally profited via a “black market” when helping people flee Afghanistan during the Biden administration’s military withdrawal from the country in 2021. The veteran believes CNN “destroyed his reputation and business” during a segment that year on Jake Tapper’s program “The Lead,” which was shared on social media and also repackaged for CNN’s website.
Young’s legal team argued that Brian Buss, who CNN wanted to use as an expert, should not be able to testify “on the basis of his qualifications and methodology and that his opinion is cumulative of another retained expert” of CNN, according to a court filing obtained by Fox News Digital.
U.S. NAVY VETERAN SUING CNN LANDS KEY LEGAL VICTORIES AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES DEFAMATION TRIAL
U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young believes CNN “destroyed his reputation and business by branding him an illegal profiteer who exploited desperate Afghans” during a Nov. 11, 2021, segment on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” (CNN/Screenshot)
CNN pushed back, arguing that Buss’ “qualifications and methodology were sound, his opinions are proper and that his testimony is not cumulative of another expert’s opinion,” according to Judge William Henry.
Judge Henry cited Florida standards that expert opinion and testimony “must be relevant and reliable,” and noted that Buss was retained by CNN to “to opine regarding Young’s lost income/profits and mitigation of damages, and as a rebuttal witness to Plaintiffs’ expert.”
“In formulating his opinions, Mr. Buss reviewed documentation produced by Plaintiffs regarding past income, including tax returns, employment contracts, bank statements and other financial reports and records, along with deposition testimony,” Judge Henry wrote.
CNN FACES DEFAMATION SUIT OVER AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL STORY: ‘EVIDENCE OF ACTUAL MALICE’
Plaintiff Zachary Young’s photo was aired by CNN during the segment in question. (CNN/Screenshot)
Judge Henry added that Buss opined after analyzing these items that Young “did not experience a decline in personal income or business profits as a result of Defendant’s publications,” “any loss of income was the result of an employment contract ending and Plaintiffs not seeking additional employment,” Young “did not invest in new business activities after the publications” and “any financial losses experienced by Plaintiffs are likely the result of factors other than the publications.”
“Plaintiffs primarily attack Mr. Buss’ ability to testify on the grounds that he improperly opined regarding causation of damages, positing that Mr. Buss should just have assumed liability and thereafter rendered a lost income/profit calculation,” Judge Henry wrote.
Meanwhile, CNN argued that damages necessarily must have “some ‘connexity’ between the defendant’s conduct and the claimant’s damages,” according to the judge.
“What naturally would flow from this case law are three things: first, Plaintiffs need to present testimony and evidence that ties the alleged wrong to the damages being claimed; second, any expert testifying must be competent to render their opinions, whether it is on calculation of damages or causation; and third, causation can be presented through one or multiple witnesses or other evidence,” Judge Henry wrote.
“For instance, if Plaintiffs had a company they contracted with that canceled the contract because of the publications, the causation element of that portion of lost income would come from a lay witness from that company saying it canceled because of the publication as opposed to any expert,” he continued. “In this case, Mr. Buss would be competent to perform a calculation of lost profits or income. And the items he looked at for this purpose are generally the types of information used to formulate such an opinion. To some extent, his decision to exclude certain items from the calculation… would appropriately be within his purview. Likewise, Mr. Buss could reasonably opine regarding efforts Plaintiffs made (or lack thereof) to obtain work after the publications such that they did not mitigate their damages.”
However, Judge Henry ruled that “Buss goes too far in ultimately opining that Defendant’s publications had no effect on Plaintiffs’ income.”
“While he could certainly talk about the expiring contract and lack on recurring revenue, his ultimate conclusion was essentially ‘Plaintiffs did not provide proof that no one would talk to him or hire him because of the publications, and therefore he lost no income because of the publications,’” Judge Henry wrote.
DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST CNN COULD EXPOSE COMPANY’S FINANCIAL SECRETS AS COURT SEEKS TO EXPOSE NET WORTH
CNN host Jake Tapper and correspondent Alex Marquardt during the segment at the center of a defamation lawsuit. (CNN/Screenshot)
“If he was performing forensic consulting work or acting as a certified financial analyst for a business in a private setting, this type of conclusion may be appropriate. However, for purposes of rendering such opinion, which in essence was that ‘I do not believe Plaintiffs that no one would talk to them because they have shown me that people wouldn’t,’ that does not pass evidentiary muster,” he continued. “For this purpose, he would be acting as the arbiter of truthfulness and credibility, which is the jury’s job and not something for which Mr. Buss is qualified.”
The judge decided “Buss can testify as to what he reviewed, what the documentation demonstrated in terms of pre-publication income and prospects of ongoing revenues, what items of revenue were not recurring or future expected income, and what Plaintiffs did or did not do to obtain income after the date of the publications” but “concluding that Plaintiffs suffered zero lost income/profits as a result of the publications is too speculative and beyond Mr. Buss’ qualifications for the reasons discussed above.”
Judge Henry added: “However, concluding that Plaintiffs suffered zero lost income/profits as a result of the publications is too speculative and beyond Mr. Buss’ qualifications for the reasons discussed above.”
Judge Henry previously denied CNN’s motion for summary judgment, allowing Young to “proceed with his claim for punitive damages” and declaring the court found he “did not take money from Afghans.”
The civil trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 6 in front of Judge Henry in the Circuit Court for Bay County, Florida.
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JERUSALEM — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could be on the brink of engulfing Syria in a new war with his slated invasion of the country’s north in an effort to decimate the U.S.-allied Syrian Kurds who helped President-elect Trump defeat the Islamic State in 2019.
The White House-brokered cease-fire between Turkey and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been largely ignored by pro-Turkey forces and Erdoğan, according to Fox News information from northern Syria. The SDF, which lost 12,000 fighters in its campaign to aid the U.S. in the victory over the Islamic State, is faced with an existential crisis.
An SDF source in northern Syria told Fox News Digital that the Syrian Opposition and the Syrian National Army, both of whom are aligned with Erdoğan’s government, “are building up around Kobani from the east and west directions. Assaults on the Tishreen Dam are still taking place intermittently. SDF confront them and push them back continuously. Additionally, the Kobani frontlines are subjected constantly to Turkish armed drones and artillery targeting. No support from any nation. Just the U.S. helping with mediation between us and the Turks aims to have a permanent cease-fire.”
TURKEY HITS US-ALLIED KURDS IN SYRIA, IRAQ FOLLOWING TERRORIST ATTACK ON DEFENSE GROUP
President Biden listens to a question shouted from the press as he arrives at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 19, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
According to the SDF source, “The main attackers are called SNA, which constitute the Al Hamza division and Sultan Suliman Shah division, who are loyal to the Turkish MHP party leader Dewlet Bahçelî.” Erdoğan is aligned with the extremist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Simone Ledeen, a former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, told Fox News Digital, “The U.S. must reinforce support for the SDF — using all available tools to ensure they remain capable on the ground — while addressing the reality that Turkey, our NATO ally, is enabling a rapidly expanding jihadist threat.”
When approached by Fox News Digital, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said, “Syria is in a fragile state right now. We don’t want to see any party take an action to pursue their own unilateral interests over the broader interests of the Syrian people. We continue to talk to the Government of Türkiye and others in the region about a path forward that de-escalates tensions, not one that escalates them. This is a time to increase stability, not to further devolve into fighting.”
The spokesperson added, “Our focus is on promoting a Syrian-led political process in the spirit of U.N. Security Council resolution 2254, while ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS. Given that we know ISIS exploits instability, it’s incumbent on all countries with influence on the ground — including Türkiye — to promote stability, dialogue, and restraint. The United States supports Syria’s territorial integrity.”
President Biden, left, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are seen on day two of the 50th G7 summit in Fasano, Italy, on June 14. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
The Biden administration’s alleged failure to rope in Erdoğan aggression could mean the escape of 10,000 Islamic State terrorists held in SDS-run prisons. The SDF has had to redeploy its forces to counter Turkey’s campaign to depopulate northern Syria of SDS fighters. The reemergence of the Islamic State in Syria could adversely affect American security, argue counter-terrorism experts.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., declared repeatedly in an address to Erdoğan in Congress, “Leave the Kurds alone.” He added, “The Kurds are America’s friends… The people most responsible for helping us, most responsible for destroying ISIS, were the Kurds.”
Kennedy warned Erdoğan, “If you invade Syria and touch a hair on the head of the Kurds, I’m going to ask this United States Congress to do something,” noting, “Our sanctions are not going to help the economy of Turkey.”
Turkey’s economy is wobbly, and potent U.S. economic sanctions could destabilize Erdoğan’s government.
FALL OF SYRIA’S BASHAR ASSAD IS STRATEGIC BLOW TO IRAN AND RUSSIA, EXPERTS SAY
U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV) patrol in the Suwaydiyah oil fields in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah province on Feb. 13, 2021.(Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images)
When asked about the reports of Turkish-aligned forces attacking Syrian Kurds, a spokesman for Turkey’s Foreign Ministry told Fox News Digital, “The mentioned reports are groundless. Türkiye never had a problem with the Syrian Kurds — to the contrary, embraced them and supported them to become part of a unified Syria. The clear distinction should be made between the Syrian Kurds and the ones associated with the terrorist organizations.”
The spokesman added, “The continued dedication and sacrifices of Türkiye in the fight against Daesh (ISIS) should not be overlooked. At the end of the day, Türkiye remains as the most credible and capable actor in the region in the fight against Daesh.”
Turkey’s government uses Daesh, the transliteration of the Arabic acronym Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), to designate the Sunni Jihadi terrorist movement.
When confronted with the SDF statement that the U.S.-led mediation efforts collapsed because Turkey failed to accept key points, “including the transfer of remaining Manbij Military Council fighters and civilians wishing to move to safer areas within north and eastern Syria, as well as the resolution of the issue concerning the transfer of Suleiman Shah’s remains to their former location,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “It is not Türkiye escalating the situation on the ground, it is the determination of Syrian people to act against the terrorist organization.”
U.S. forces provide military training to members of the YPG/SDF, which Turkey considers an extension of PKK, in the Qamisli district in the Al-Hasakah province, Syria, on Aug. 18, 2023.(Hedil Amir/Anadolu Agency via )
He added, “The Syrian people, empowered by the confidence gained from overthrowing the Ba’ath regime, are striving to expel the PKK/YPG/’SDF’ terrorist organization, which has long occupied their territories and subjected them to violence and oppression. They have successfully removed the organization from Manbij and Deir ez-Zor, and are on the verge of doing so in Raqqa. At the end of the day, this is merely the reflection of the will of the Syrian people.”
PKK is an abbreviation for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, an organization classified by the U.S. and the EU as a terrorist entity. The U.S. has a long-standing military alliance with the Syrian Kurdish military organization, The People’s Defense Units (YPG), in Syria. The YPG is part of a broader organization known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and played a key role in dismantling the Islamic State in Syria.
In a growing act of bi-partisan congressional support for the Syrian Kurds, lawmakers are sending messages to the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration.
On Wednesday, Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threatened to impose sanctions on Erdoğan. The senators wrote in a joint statement, “While Turkey has some legitimate security concerns that can be addressed, these developments are undermining regional security, and the United States cannot sit idly by.”
“In the wake of the Assad regime’s fall, Turkish-backed forces have ramped up attacks against our Syrian Kurdish partners, once again threatening the vital mission of preventing the resurgence of ISIS,” they said.
US GROUP LOOKS FOR KIDNAPPED AMERICANS IN SYRIA AFTER FALL OF ASSAD REGIME
President Trump, left, talks with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as they arrive at a summit of heads of state and government at NATO headquarters in Brussels on July 11, 2018.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
Several requests for comment from Fox News Digital to President-elect Trump’s spokespeople and his incoming National Security Council adviser, Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., were not immediately returned.
Shukriya Bradost, an expert on the Kurds, who was born and raised in the Kurdistan region of Iran, told Fox News Digital, “Turkey’s most pragmatic option is to engage in dialogue with the Kurdish administration in Syria, facilitated by the United States. A cooperative relationship could serve both Turkish and Kurdish interests, stabilizing the region while addressing Turkey’s security concerns and the experience that Turkey already has with the Kurdistan Region of Government in Iraq (KRG).”
She added, “Turkey has already shown that it can cooperate with a Kurdish administration in Syria. In the past, oil from northern Syria flowed through KRG into Turkey, demonstrating the potential for economic and political collaboration. This precedent proves that mutual interests can override historical hostilities.”
Bradost recommended that Washington “broker a historic agreement that addresses Turkey’s security concerns without dismantling Kurdish autonomy in Syria. Much like the Abraham Accords brought unprecedented diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East, a U.S.-facilitated deal between Turkey and the Syrian Kurds could offer a transformative path forward.”
On Friday, the State Department’s top diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, met with representatives of the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus. HTS and its Islamist allies ousted the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad less than two weeks ago.
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Leaf told reporters after the meeting that there is a cease-fire around Manbij and there are concerns about “the effects of fighting near the Tishreen Dam and damage to that dam, especially if it were significant structural damage.” She added the U.S. is working with Turkish authorities and the SDF for a cease-fire around Kobani.
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
The former Central Scranton Expressway — now the President Biden Expressway — diverges from I-81, which continues toward Binghamton, N.Y.(Charles Creitz)
“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’
Ex-Luzerne County Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella.(AP Photo/The Citizens’ Voice, Mark Moran)
“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].”
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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Biden and Scranton Democratic Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti(Reuters)
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’
Biden Street; formerly Spruce Street(Getty)
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.
Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.
He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.
Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.
Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].
X owner, billionaire and Trump-appointed co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, got into an online feud with former MSNBC anchor, Keith Olbermann.
The two exchanged brutal insults on Musk’s platform following the furor over Musk’s role in tanking an initial bipartisan deal to avoid a partial government shutdown this week.
Olbermann started the feud with an obscenity-laced post calling Musk a “fascist,” while the billionaire and incoming Trump cabinet member ripped him for having a neurological disability.
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE INTERIM SPENDING BILL
Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann and Elon Musk blasted each other on X this week in a spat that seemed motivated by the ongoing spending bill fight in Congress.(Left: (Photo by Lou Rocco/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images), RIght: (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))
Olbermann wrote on Thursday, “So @elonmusk you also suck at politics lol f— you fascist.”
“You elevate Tourette’s to poetry,” Musk fired back at Olbermann that evening.
Olbermann’s provocative post appeared to be another of the many strong reactions liberals had, concerning Musk, after he helped shoot down the first iteration of a 1,547 short-term government spending bill.
Musk and other conservatives expressed frustration at many of the bill’s provisions they deemed unrelated and unnecessary to a “clean” extension of government funding. The billionaire demanded that members of Congress who planned on voting for the bill get tossed out.
“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk wrote on X this week.
Shortly after Musk posted his reaction to the bill, Trump’s presidential transition team released an official joint statement by Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance opposing the initial iteration of the deal.
REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE DUO
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks briefly to reporters just before a vote on an amended interim spending bill to prevent a government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The stiff pushback from these figures caused negotiations between lawmakers on that version of the bill to implode, leaving them scrambling to come up with a new proposal ahead of a looming shut down at midnight on Friday.
In the wake of Musk’s post, liberal lawmakers and pundits have raged against the billionaire, accusing him of tanking the bill, and accusing the GOP of letting the non-elected commandeer the party and meddle in the government process.
Other prominent conservatives on the platform laid into Olbermann.
Conservative actor Matthew Marsden pointed out the irony of Olbermann having an X subscription, writing, “You support him by paying for your blue tick. Hilarious.”
Comedian Chrissie Mayr also replied, “I thought you were leaving twitter Keith.
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Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
While eggs haven’t historically been considered a “health food,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now classifies them as a “healthy, nutrient-dense” food, according to a new proposed rule.
The update is the result of changes in nutrition science and dietary recommendations, according to the agency.
The FDA’s “healthy” designation for food labeling purposes has been in use since the early 1990s.
‘I’M A HEART SURGEON, HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT EGGS, YOUR HEART AND YOUR HEALTH’
“Healthy diets are made up of a variety of food groups and nutrients, and the ‘healthy’ claim can help consumers identify those foods that are the foundation of healthy dietary patterns,” the agency stated in its guidance.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration now classifies eggs as a “healthy, nutrient-dense” food, according to a new proposed rule. (iStock)
“On behalf of America’s egg farmers, we are thrilled to see the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announce that eggs meet the updated definition of ‘healthy,’” said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
“This is an important milestone for eggs, bringing current nutrition science and federal dietary guidance into alignment, and affirming eggs’ role in supporting the health of American families, with nutritional benefits for everyone.”
5 EGG MYTHS DISPELLED BY AN EXPERT, PLUS TIPS FOR EVERY EGG LOVER
Metz referred to eggs as a “nutritional powerhouse,” noting that they contain eight essential nutrients that support health at every age.
“Eggs are particularly known for being one of the highest quality proteins available, playing a vital role in muscle health and overall wellness,” she added.
“This is a significant milestone, as eggs are an affordable source of high-quality protein and a rich source of nutrients.”
Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, who practices as The Lupus Dietitian, noted that eggs are a “fantastic source” of protein, choline, B vitamins and selenium, as well as a “fair source” of vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium and zinc.
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“While in the past, many people were told to avoid eggs due to their cholesterol content, in more recent years, research has shown that dietary cholesterol intake does not increase your blood levels of cholesterol as much as previously understood,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Eggs, especially pasture-raised or omega 3-enriched, are particularly nutritious.”
The president and CEO of the American Egg Board referred to eggs as a “nutritional powerhouse,” noting that they contain eight essential nutrients that support health at every age. (iStock)
While eggs are a “superior” replacement for sugary cereals or a doughnut, Freirich cautioned that, like other foods, they should be consumed in moderation.
“[The FDA’s announcement] doesn’t mean we should all consume multiple eggs every day,” she said. “Current studies and recommendations support consuming up to one egg a day.”
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New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade also said she was “very happy” to hear the FDA’s recognition of eggs as a healthy food.
While eggs are a “superior” replacement for sugary cereals or a doughnut, one dietitian cautioned that, like other foods, they should be consumed in moderation.(iStock)
“This is a significant milestone, as eggs are an affordable source of high-quality protein and a rich source of nutrients such as choline, vitamin D and essential fatty acids that many of us fall short on in our diets,” she told Fox News Digital.
The dietitian said she hopes that the designation will dispel the “outdated concerns” about eggs and dietary cholesterol.
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“This will go a long way in helping consumers make informed choices about their dietary protein sources and support eggs as part of a nutritious diet.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA for comment.
Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].
