Happy New Year 2025

Tag: holds

  • Dem bill blames LA wildfire damage on fossil fuel emissions, holds oil and gas industry liable

    Dem bill blames LA wildfire damage on fossil fuel emissions, holds oil and gas industry liable

    California Democrats are attempting to make state oil and gas companies pay for damage caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, claiming that fossil fuel emissions are to blame for the deadly disaster.

    A new Democrat-introduced bill, the Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act, if passed, would allow for “victims of climate disasters,” such as the L.A. fires, and insurance groups to sue oil and gas companies for damages under the claim that their emissions fueled the raging fires.

    Democrat state Sen. Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill this week, said that fossil fuel companies should pay for fire damage, because they are “driving the climate crisis.”

    “Californians shouldn’t be the only ones to pay the costs of devastating climate disasters. From last year’s floods to the fires in LA, we know that the fossil fuel industry bears ultimate responsibility for fueling these disasters,” state Sen. Scott Wiener wrote in a post on X announcing the legislation. 

    TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND

    Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes)

    The bill, which received the backing of several state lawmakers, comes as Democrats have attempted to blame the recent fires on climate change rather than state and city policies, which have faced heightened criticism in the weeks following the deadly blaze.

    Just months before the wildfire, the city of Los Angeles slashed the fire department funding by over $17 million. The L.A. fire chief said that there are “not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude.”

    NEWSOM THANKS TRUMP FOR COMING TO CALIFORNIA TO TOUR FIRE DAMAGE IN TARMAC FACE-OFF

    “We pay the highest taxes in California. Our fire hydrants were empty. Our vegetation was overgrown, brush not cleared. Our reservoirs were emptied by our governor because tribal leaders wanted to save fish. Our fire department budget was cut by our mayor. But thank god drug addicts are getting their drug kits,” actress Sara Foster wrote in a post on X. “@MayorOfLA @GavinNewsom RESIGN. Your far-left policies have ruined our state. And also our party.”

    US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CALIFORNIA-FIRE

    President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tour a fire-affected area in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 24, 2025.  (Mandel Ngan)

    Trump used the power of his pen this week to sign an executive order to override the state’s environmental policies in order to create more water availability in the L.A. area. 

    In the executive order issued on Sunday, Trump called on federal agencies to override regulations potentially limiting water availability in the area, such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which seeks to minimize water infrastructure to protect certain fish species, such as the Delta smelt. 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    The order comes just weeks after Trump accused Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., of caring more about protecting an endangered fish species than the state’s residents amid the wildfires.

    Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

  • Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady amid inflation uncertainty

    Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady amid inflation uncertainty

    Kudlow panelists John Carney and Brian Brenberg discuss job growth and the Feds moves.

    The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced that it will leave interest rates unchanged amid uncertainty about inflation and economic conditions.

    The Fed’s decision leaves the benchmark federal funds rate at a range of 4.25% to 4.5% and follows three consecutive interest rate cuts at the central bank’s most recent meetings – including a 50-basis-point cut in September as well as a pair of 25-basis-point reductions in November and December.

    “Recent indicators suggest that economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace,” wrote members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the group responsible for guiding the Fed’s monetary policy. “The unemployment rate has stabilized at a low level in recent months, and labor market conditions remain solid. Inflation remains somewhat elevated.”

    The FOMC statement said that the Fed continues to pursue its dual mandate of achieving maximum employment and inflation at 2% over the longer run. It added that the “economic outlook is uncertain, and the Committee is attentive to risks to both sides of its dual mandate.”

    FOMC members were unanimous in the decision to leave rates unchanged at this time. The committee’s statement added that policymakers “would be prepared to adjust the stance of monetary policy as appropriate if risks emerge that could impede the attainment of the Committee’s goals” and that it will consider a range of information including labor market data, inflation pressures and expectations, as well as financial and international developments as it considers its next move.

    Fed Chair Jerome Powell will outline the central bank’s decision at a press conference where he will likely face questions about how policymakers view the impact of President Donald Trump’s economic agenda. He may also face questions about whether they considered his call for lower interest rates in their decision.

    This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

  • Trump administration holds first White House press conference with Karoline Leavitt

    Trump administration holds first White House press conference with Karoline Leavitt

    The Trump administration will hold its first White House press conference with newly minted press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday afternoon, according to the White House schedule. 

    President Donald Trump has been on a media blitz since his inauguration on Jan. 20, including sitting down for his first White House interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity and speaking with the media as he traveled to states rocked by natural disasters, including North Carolina and California. Trump’s press secretary also has frequently joined media outlets for interviews since Trump was sworn in, but has not yet held a White House press briefing. 

    Leavitt, 27, is the youngest press secretary in the nation’s history – unseating President Richard Nixon’s press secretary Ron Ziegler, who was 29 when he took the same position in 1969. Leavitt was a fierce defender of Trump throughout his hard-fought campaign against former Vice President Kamala Harris, and also made her own political mark with a congressional run in 2022. 

    Leavitt served in Trump’s first administration as assistant press secretary before working as New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s communications director following the 2020 election. She launched a congressional campaign in her home state of New Hampshire during the 2022 cycle, winning her primary but losing the election to a Democrat. 

    WHO IS KAROLINE LEAVITT?: A LOOK AT THE YOUNGEST WOMAN EVER NAMED TO SERVE AS WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY

    Karoline Leavitt, with President Donald Trump, is the youngest press secretary in the nation’s history.

    Leavitt picked up the torch of press secretary from the Biden administration’s chief spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre. 

    TRUMP’S ‘SHOCK AND AWE’: FORGET FIRST 100 DAYS, NEW PRESIDENT SHOWS OFF FRENETIC PACE IN FIRST 100 HOURS

    Trump’s first week in office was a whirlwind of executive orders and actions as part of his mission to follow through on campaign promises, such as securing the border and removing diversity, equity and inclusion practices from federal offices. 

    Donald Trump arrives prior to the inauguration

    President Donald Trump’s first few days in office were a whirlwind of executive orders and actions as part of his mission to follow through on campaign promises. (Melina Mara, Pool/Getty Images)

    “I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success,” Trump said during his inaugural speech on Jan. 20. “A tide of change is sweeping the country. Sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before.” 

    ‘TIP OF THE SPEAR’: TRUMP RAMPS UP UNSCRIPTED MEDIA BLITZ AFTER YEARS OF RECLUSIVE BIDEN DUCKING QUESTIONS

    trump hannity

    “I think we got there just in the nick of time,” President Donald Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in the Oval Office. (Fox News/Hannity)

    Trump repeatedly has made himself available to the media since his inauguration – a departure from former President Joe Biden’s infrequent availability to the media – speaking to reporters for about 45 minutes on the evening of his inauguration and again speaking with reporters on Tuesday for another 30 minutes. 

    Trump also sat down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday, where the pair discussed issues ranging from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s response to hurricanes and wildfires under the Biden administration and declaring that his return to the White House serves as evidence that policies from the “radical left” do not work and were rejected by voters. 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    “I think it’s bigger. It’s bigger than if it were more traditional,” he said on “Hannity,” referring to serving two nonconsecutive terms. “I think we got there just in the nick of time.”