Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Trump

Pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht thanks Trump, calls president ‘a man of his word’

After spending more than a decade in prison, Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht says the president gave him an “amazing blessing.” (Credit: X /@RealRossU)

Ross Ulbricht, founder of the anonymous online marketplace Silk Road, thanked President Donald Trump for giving him a full and unconditional pardon. In a video posted online, a visibly emotional Ulbricht praised Trump for being a “man of his word,” and thanked the president for giving him the “amazing blessing” of freedom.

“I am so, so grateful to have my life back, to have my future back, to have this second chance,” Ulbricht says in the video. He also said the pardon was an “an important moment for everybody, everywhere, who loves freedom and who cares about second chances.”

People hold signs in support of jailed darknet market Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, as former President Trump attends the Libertarian Party’s national convention in Washington, D.C., May 25, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder / Reuters)

TRUMP CRYPTO CZAR HAILS EXECUTIVE ORDER, SLAMS BIDEN’S TREATMENT OF INDUSTRY

Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he called Ulbricht’s mother to inform her of her son’s pardon. The president said it was done “in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly.”

“The scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me,” Trump wrote.

In a recent appearance on “The Will Cain Show,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, who was pushing for Ulbricht’s release, praised Trump for issuing the pardon. Paul pointed out that the people who used Silk Road to sell drugs got “minor sentences,” while Ulbricht was given two life sentences without the possibility of parole.

President Donald Trump signs a series of executive orders at the White House on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Jabin Botsford /The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)

TRUMP SIGNS ‘FULL AND UNCONDITIONAL’ PARDON OF SILK ROAD CREATOR ROSS ULBRICHT

Ulbricht was convicted after his website Silk Road, which was founded in 2011, was used by those looking to make illegal drug transactions with cryptocurrency. He operated the website from 2011 until his arrest in 2013. In 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced.

In a 2015 press release, ICE called Silk Road “the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the internet.

Last month, Ulbricht wrote, “For my last monthly resolution of 2024, I intend to study every day and to get up to speed as much as I can as I prepare for freedom.”

LEFT: Ross Ulbricht speaks in an emotional video after being pardoned RIGHT: President Trump signs documents in the Oval Office (@RealRossU/X/REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

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Trump vowed to pardon Ulbricht during his 2024 campaign, saying he would do it on “Day 1.” This move was seemingly part of Trump’s strategy to win over Libertarian voters. Trump spoke about commuting Ulbricht’s sentence at both the Libertarian National Convention and the Bitcoin 2024 conference.

In addition to Ulbricht, Trump issued pardons for pro-life activists convicted under the FACE Act and many Jan. 6 defendants. The pardons for pro-life protesters were issued the day before the March for Life in Washington, D.C., where Vice President JD Vance is expected to speak.

January 25, 2025
Trump administration ‘uniquely qualified’ to solve housing problem, real estate expert says

The Connor Group founder and managing partner discusses what needs to happen to unleash the housing market and the impact of regulations on rebuilding California following the wildfires.

The key to America’s housing problem may lie within the Trump administration, according to one real estate expert.

Larry Connor, The Connor Group founder and managing partner, explained how the new administration could tackle the persistent problems plaguing the housing industry during his appearance on “FOX Business Live,” Thursday.

“The reality is, across America we have an affordable housing problem, in some cases [a] crisis. You can solve it. I think the Trump administration is uniquely qualified to do so,” he expressed.

Connor said the first step in solving the country’s housing issue is through “common sense regulations.”

“You can’t have 30 or 40% of your total costs in permits and red tape,” he stressed.

LOOKING TO BUY YOUR FIRST HOME? THESE MARKETS ARE YOUR BEST BET IN 2025

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued an emergency order directing the heads of all executive departments and agencies to “deliver emergency price relief,” which he emphasized would include lowering the cost of housing and expanding supply.

The Trump administration cited regulatory requirements as a main driver behind why so many Americans are unable to purchase homes. In his first term, Trump reduced regulatory costs by almost $11,000 per household, the White House said in a fact sheet.

‘Kudlow’ panelists Steve Forbes, David Bahnsen and Jackie DeAngelis unpack the state of the U.S. economy heading into the new year.

Despite being against the tight regulations restricting growth in the housing sector, Connor suggested putting “tight regulations” on developers, “in terms of the quality of the build and the quality of how they maintain them.”

“You can’t ask a developer to spend $70 million building this affordable housing. And when they finish, it’s worth 65 million,” he argued.

HOW EXTREME WEATHER, HIGH HOME PRICES COULD AFFECT THE 2025 HOUSING MARKET

“The economics have to work,” Connor told FOX Business’ Cheryl Casone.

The Connor Group founder continued, arguing that the next step in curing the affordable housing market is by creating low-interest rate loans at the federal level.

‘Making Money’ Charles Payne discusses the return of ‘animal spirits’ since Trump won the election.

Trump echoed that sentiment during his remarks at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, arguing that he’ll “demand that interest rates drop immediately” and that they “should be dropping all over the world.”

Finally, the last effort to combat the problem, Connor said, is through tax credits.

“You do all those. You unleash the full power of the free enterprise system,” he explained.

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FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.

January 25, 2025
Experts say first week of ‘Trump effect’ is derailing global climate movement’s ‘house of cards’

The global climate movement is already feeling the sting of the “Trump effect” after green energy policies were a target of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders, according to energy experts who reacted to the president’s first week in office.

Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States Monday, signing numerous executive orders aimed at unraveling former President Joe Biden’s climate agenda.

“President Trump has not wasted any time to undo Biden’s many climate policies designed to make energy more expensive and less affordable. America and the world can look forward to a brighter future because of the actions that President Trump has started on his first day in office,” Myron Ebell, chairman of the American Lands Council, said in a statement.

But Ebell added that “it’s going to be a long, hard fight because of ferocious opposition” from climate groups.

ENERGY EXPERTS WEIGH IN AFTER CANADIAN PREMIER SAYS SHE WANTS TO DISCUSS KEYSTONE PIPELINE 2.0 WITH TRUMP

President Donald Trump was sworn in as president Monday. (Evan Vucci)

This week, Trump signed an executive order to ax the U.S. climate standards, which aimed to reduce emissions 61-66% by 2035.

Additionally, the president ended the electric vehicle (EV) mandate and withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, a legally binding treaty among more than 190 parties committed to international cooperation on climate change.

TRUMP ELIMINATING LNG PAUSE TO HAVE ‘QUICKEST EFFECT’ ON ENERGY INDUSTRY: RICK PERRY

“President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Accords is a victory for American workers and families, rejecting policies that prioritize the Chinese Communist Party’s interests over our own,” said Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute and a former Texas state representative.

Trump canceled Biden’s electric vehicle mandate Monday. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

“The Paris framework does nothing to mitigate a changing climate but drives up energy costs and burdens Americans with decarbonization mandates rooted in the climate hoax. By making American energy more affordable and accessible, President Trump is benefiting not only our nation but the world.”

Marc Morano, publisher of Climate Depot, a communication platform for climate issues designed by the Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow, a D.C.-based public policy group, said that Trump’s second term “could become one of our lifetimes’ most consequential presidencies.”

“Trump is poised to, once and for all, put a stake through the heart of the U.N. globalist climate change scam,” Morano said in a statement shared with Fox. “The Trump effect is already derailing the U.N. climate summits, canceling EV mandates, disintegrating the Wall Street climate group and Net Zero goals. Trump’s policies could have the effect of collapsing the entire climate house of cards.”

President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office from U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts during inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the Capitol Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Lamarque/AFP)

Trump’s executive orders were not accepted by many Democratic lawmakers and climate groups, who criticized the president’s executive orders.

“It’s the second day of the second Trump presidency, and there are three things we know for sure: there is no energy emergency; there is a climate emergency; and the policies rolled out in these past 24 hours will make the climate crisis worse,” said Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

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Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress plan on going even deeper on reversing green energy policies enacted over the past four years. Republicans in the House have already introduced legislation to block Biden’s climate standards on household appliances.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

January 25, 2025
‘Flooding the zone’: Trump hits warp speed in first week back in office

President Donald Trump is back in the White House and moving at warp speed to push through his long-awaited agenda with dozens of executive orders, surveying damaged areas in North Carolina and California, and rallying behind his Cabinet nominees to get confirmed.

In his inauguration address on Monday, the new president vowed that things across the country would “change starting today, and it will change very quickly.” And moments later, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich took to social media to tease, “Now, comes SHOCK AND AWE.”

Trump signed an avalanche of executive orders and actions in his first eight hours in office, which not only fulfilled major campaign trail promises, but also allowed the returning president to flex his executive muscles as well as settle some longstanding grievances.

TRUMP UNPLUGGED: WHAT THE NEW PRESIDENT IS DOING THAT BIDEN RARELY DID

President Donald Trump holds up a document as he issues executive orders and pardons for Jan. 6 defendants in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (Reuters/Carlos Barria)

The president immediately cracked down on immigration; moved towards a trade war with top allies and adversaries; and reversed many policies implemented by former President Joe Biden, including scrapping much of the previous administration’s federal diversity actions and energy and climate provisions.

HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS UPDATES ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS IN THE WHITE HOUSE

He also sparked a major controversy by pardoning or commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 supporters who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to upend congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory. Among those whose sentences were commuted included some who violently assaulted police officers on one of America’s darkest days.

Trump also fired some top government officials; made a high-profile, half-trillion dollar tech investment announcement; held unscripted and wide-ranging, informal and impromptu news conferences during his first two days back at the White House; and even renamed the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The frenetic pace kept up throughout the week, with more executive orders signed and actions taken by Trump and his new administration during the first 100 hours in office.

Amid the fast-paced environment of the first week of the Trump White House, Senate Republicans and the president’s allies are rallying behind his Cabinet nominees and pushing them to get confirmed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Radcliffe were confirmed by the Senate earlier this week, and several other nominees are expected to be confirmed between the weekend and next week.

On Friday, the president took to the skies, flying to hurricane-ravaged western North Carolina and then on to Los Angeles, where horrific wildfires this month have left a wide path of destruction.

“I think it’s brilliant how they’ve been handling it, to immediately meet the moment with action. It’s exactly what he needs to do and it’s exactly what the people voted for,” veteran Republican strategist Kristin Davison told Fox News.

“Americans vote for decisive, fast action, and true leadership. And Trump understands that more than anyone. I think he and his team knew how important it was out of the gate to show that they heard what the people wanted and are answering with leadership,” she argued.

WATCH: TRUMP SITS DOWN IN OVAL OFFICE WITH FOX NEWS’ SEAN HANNITY

Longtime Republican consultant Alex Castellanos agreed.

“He’s flooding the zone. He’s making a case for action. He’s demonstrating action. He is rallying a wave of American support for a massive transformation of government,” Castellanos, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, told Fox News.

Seasoned Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo didn’t dispute Trump’s frenetic actions.

“The pace of this shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. Trump made it abundantly clear he was going to act quickly, he was going to act boldly, and he was going to do exactly what he told voters he would do,” he said.

But Caiazzo argued that “the things he is doing is going to directly negatively impact working families from coast to coast. It’s also a signal he has no respect for the rule of law.”

TRUMP’S AVALANCHE OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Asked if Trump’s actions were what Americans voted for this past autumn, Caiazzo replied, “Of course not. What Americans voted for was cheaper groceries. What Donald Trump is going to give us is a litany of policies that work to deteriorate our institutions, that work to enrich the wealthy and solidify his standing among the oligarchy in this country.”

President Donald Trump reviews the troops during his inauguration ceremony in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (Greg Nash/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

There’s another reason for Trump’s fast pace — even though he’s the new president, he’s also a term-limited and lame-duck president. And by Labor Day, much of the political world will start looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections.

“This is his second term. He’s got to move quickly,” Davison emphasized.

Trump’s show of force in the opening days of his second administration is also in contrast to eight years ago, when he first entered the White House.

The president and his team are much more seasoned the second time around, and the supporting cast is intensely loyal to Trump.

“In the past administration, there would be logjams and bottlenecks because there were people who didn’t agree with him,” a senior White House source told Fox News. “Now we have a whole infrastructure and staff that’s built around him, in support of him. When he says something, it’s getting done. It’s testament to him and the team that he built.”

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as he departs for North Carolina on Friday. (Reuters/Leah Millis)

Credit is also being given to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who, as co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid, kept the trains on the tracks.

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“What Susie has done is look at the totality of Trump and found the best players and put them in the best positions to support the president. Trump is surrounded by Trump people who’ve all proven themselves over the years not just to be loyal but ultra-competent operators,” added an adviser, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

January 25, 2025
President Trump reinstates Mexico City Policy, separates taxpayer dollars and abortions

An executive order President Donald Trump signed Friday will overturn two Biden memorandums and reinstate the Mexico City Policy, which forbids using taxpayer dollars to fund nongovernmental organizations that perform or promote coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.

The Mexico City Policy, initiated by the Reagan administration, has been rescinded by every Democratic president and reinstated by every Republican president since its creation.

During the Biden administration, the Pentagon paid for service members to travel over state lines for abortions, and Veterans Affairs medical centers were allowed to offer abortion counseling and abortion procedures for service members and their beneficiaries, Fox News Digital previously reported.

President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20. (Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS PARDONED BY TRUMP, FOX CONFIRMS

The administration also provided abortion access to migrants detained at the border, offering transport of unaccompanied pregnant children to states without abortion restrictions.

The White House said that, for nearly five decades, Congress annually enacted the Hyde Amendment and similar laws that prevent federal funding of elective abortion, “reflecting a longstanding consensus that American taxpayers should not be forced to pay for that practice.”

Nuns arrive to participate in the annual March for Life Friday in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

BLUE STATE ‘RESISTANCE’ REPORTEDLY STOCKPILING ABORTION PILLS IN PREPARATION FOR ANOTHER TRUMP TERM

“However, the previous administration disregarded this established, commonsense policy by embedding forced taxpayer funding of elective abortions in a wide variety of Federal programs,” the White House wrote in a statement. “It is the policy of the United States, consistent with the Hyde Amendment, to end the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion.”

Biden’s Presidential Memorandum, Protecting Women’s Health at Home and Abroad, was signed Jan. 28, 2021, and alleged the policy’s restrictions negatively affected women’s reproductive health and undermined U.S. partnerships in global health efforts.

Pro-choice supporters hold signs during a rally. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Trump’s order rescinds two Biden executive actions that promoted access to abortions and included abortion in the definition of “reproductive healthcare.”

The language in the new order clarified the memorandum is “not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.”

The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) told Fox News Digital the policy “will decrease abortion access in countries around the world.”

“This far-reaching policy defunds health organizations in other countries that provide abortion services or information, even for victims of sexual assault,” CRR said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Many of these critical organizations will likely shutter as a result or be forced to stop providing or even talking about abortion services.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks after being sworn in by Vice President JD Vance in the Vice Presidential Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus Tuesday in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

CRR representatives also referenced the administration’s Geneva Consensus Declaration Friday night, which is a joint initiative to “secure meaningful health and development gains for women; to protect life at all stages; to defend the family as the fundamental unit of society; and to work together across the UN system to realize these values,” according to a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The CRR called the declaration “an anti-reproductive rights and anti-LGBTQ political statement” that “intentionally misrepresents itself as an official international agreement, and attempts to undermine the broad legal basis for reproductive rights as human rights.”

“The reinstatement of President Trump’s Global Gag Rule (GGR) and rejoining of the Geneva Consensus are direct assaults on the health and human rights of millions of people around the world,” said Rachana Desai Martin, CRR chief government and external relations officer.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference in front of the U.S. Capitol May 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

“We saw the devastating impact of the GGR during the last Trump administration when contraception and vital reproductive services were cut off,” Martin added. “There was a spike in pregnancy-related deaths, reproductive coercion and gender inequality worldwide. Many clinics and health programs shuttered, leaving vulnerable populations with nowhere to get birth control, pregnancy care and other vital health services.”

Live Action, a global human rights movement dedicated to ending abortion, posted on X after the order was signed.

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“The Mexico City policy which ensures American tax dollars do not fund killing children internationally through abortion has been reinstated by President Trump!” the post said.

Fox News Digital requested comment from Planned Parenthood and Physicians for Reproductive Health but did not immediately receive a response.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

January 25, 2025
Pete Hegseth confirmed as Trump defense secretary, with help from VP Vance

The Senate voted to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee, Pete Hegseth, as defense secretary on Friday night after a high-tempered battle to sway lawmakers in his favor that was almost derailed by accusations about his behavior.

The final vote came down to the wire: three Republicans opposed, making for a 50 to 50 vote. Vice President JD Vance was needed to break the tie in the upper chamber.

The Senate’s two moderate Republican women: Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted no. As did Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the former GOP leader.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis’ support was not a given, and he did not reveal his stance until the vote was already underway. He ultimately said he would back Trump’s pick, giving him enough support to be confirmed with Vance’s tie-breaking vote.

MODERATE REPUBLICAN MURKOWSKI WON’T BACK TRUMP PICK HEGSETH FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY

Hegseth denied all allegations of sexual, physical or alcohol abuse. (Tom Williams)

In her reasoning, Murkowski cited infidelity, “allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking” and Hegseth’s previous comments on women serving in the military.

The behaviors he has admitted to alone, she said, show “a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.”

Concerned Veterans for America (CVA), the nonprofit advocacy group at the center of many of the accusations brought up during Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, praised his confirmation in a statement.

“The confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense presents a real opportunity to prioritize the security and prosperity of our citizens, champion prudence and effectiveness in our defense strategy, and focus our Department of Defense on America’s most vital interests,” the statement read.

The New Yorker reported in December that Hegseth was forced out of CVA, the group he once ran, over allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety and personal misconduct.

All Democrats opposed the confirmation, a far cry from an earlier vote this week, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio was confirmed unanimously, 99-0.

Hegseth will now lead the government’s largest agency, having long promised to root out Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) measures across each branch.

Hegseth is a former Fox News weekend host. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

HEGSETH CLEARS SENATE HURDLE AND ADVANCES TO A FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

The Pentagon under Trump, however, has not waited for a confirmed secretary.

This week, the commander of the Air Force‘s 613th Air Operations Center in Hawaii, who had advocated for more women in roles like her own, was removed from her position. Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of Pacific Air Forces, relieved Col. Julie Sposito-Salceies from the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, “due to loss of confidence in her ability to command the organization.”

Shortly after Trump took office, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the first uniformed woman to lead any military branch, was removed from her position.

Trump this week also nominated former Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier and former Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller to top Defense Department posts – both men who were deeply critical of the Biden administration’s policies at the Pentagon.

Lohmeier, who had been nominated to serve as undersecretary of the Air Force, was fired as commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force base, after he wrote a book and appeared on podcasts claiming Marxism had infiltrated the armed forces and criticizing diversity policies.

Trump’s administration has already taken action despite not having a secretary confirmed. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Scheller made headlines for posting videos in uniform criticizing senior military leaders over the Afghanistan withdrawal. Scheller, the new senior advisor to the Department of Defense Under Secretary for personnel and readiness, was sent to the brig and court-martialed over the clips.

Hegseth’s nomination was dealt a last-minute hurdle earlier this week when reports emerged that his ex-sister-in-law alleged he had abused his second wife.

On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleged he had an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was previously married to Pete Hegseth’s brother and has no relation to Samantha.

KEY SENATE CHAIRMAN CRITICIZES ‘ANONYMOUS SOURCES WITH ULTERIOR MOTIVES,’ STANDS BY HEGSETH NOMINATION

But Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, by Pete against Samantha.

Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement to NBC News.

Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker said in a statement Wednesday night that reports “regarding a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Pete Hegseth that I received last week are starkly and factually inaccurate,” and that he stands by Hegseth’s nomination.

Wicker had remained supportive of Hegseth’s nomination. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Earlier Thursday, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged Republicans to join him in opposing the former Fox News host and Army national guardsman.

HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW

“Hegseth is so utterly unqualified, he ranks up there [as] … one of the very worst nominees that could be put forward,” Schumer said.

Hegseth, who has been married three times, has admitted he was a “serial cheater” before he became a Christian and married his current wife, Jenny.

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The 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran, who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is relatively young and inexperienced, compared to defense secretaries in the past, retiring as a major. But Republicans say they don’t want someone who made it to the top brass who’s become entrenched in the Pentagon establishment.

January 25, 2025
Plea to President Trump: Tell Cuba to hand over terrorist killers

They gathered for a moment of silence at 1:19 pm, the moment the bomb exploded.

The attack 50 years ago today was aimed at the heart of American liberty.

It targeted a place where our nation was forged during the revolution and where George Washington took his leave knowing the future of his new nation was secured.

On December 4, 1783, nine days after the British evacuated New York City, Washington held a banquet at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan to bid farewell to his troops.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, DECEMBER 4, 1783, WASHINGTON BIDS FAREWELL TO HIS TROOPS AT FRAUNCES TAVERN IN NYC

On January 24, 1975, the Puerto Rican separatist group, the FALN, planted a bomb that ripped through the historic site at lunchtime, killing four and wounding more than 50 others in lower Manhattan. Sixty-six-year-old banker Harold Sherburne, 28-year-old businessmen Alex Berger and 32-year-old James Gezork were killed.

“They were really attacking the American people,” says Joe Connor, whose father, Frank, was a 33-year-old banker who was killed in the terrorist attack.

“They attacked Fraunces Tavern because that’s where George Washington bade farewell to his officers after the Revolutionary War, where the Sons of Liberty met and was a symbol of American liberty and justice and freedom, and they couldn’t abide by that.”

A bomb explodes at Fraunces Tavern. Four people were killed and more than 50 were injured. The FALN, a Puerto Rican nationalist group, claimed responsibility. (New York Daily News via Getty Images)

Joe was 9 years old the day his father was killed, and in the decades since, he has dedicated his life to bringing justice for his father and the other victims. He is the author of “Shattered Lives: Overcoming the Fraunces Tavern Terror,” which is also now a documentary. Connor has, with other families, elected officials and law enforcement, waged a mission to hold the terrorists to account.

No one has ever been charged in the attack, but the man believed to be the terrorist group’s chief bomb maker, Willie Morales, escaped to Cuba, where he has lived along with an estimated 50 other U.S. fugitives. A bill in Congress named for Joe’s father and New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, who was killed by Black Liberation Army militant Joanne Chesimard, aka Assata Shakur, who also is on the lam in Cuba, demands Havana return the fugitives.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, OCTOBER 25, 1944, FIRST KAMIKAZE SUICIDE PILOTS ATTACK US NAVY IN WORLD WAR II

“It’s a very concise, clear bill demanding the return,” says Connor. “There has been a mystique about the Castro regime and Che Guevara, of some fanciful romantic view of these people. But they were nothing but Marxist thugs and were waging their own war on the United States for many, many years.”

In his final days in office, former President Joe Biden removed Cuba from the State Department list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.

President Donald Trump immediately put Havana back on the list, and in his first term also vowed to put pressure on Cuba to return Morales and the other fugitives.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., attends a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at Trump National Doral Golf Club July 9, 2024, in Doral, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

During his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for Cuba to cough up the criminals who remain on the lam.

“There are fugitives of American justice, including cop killers and others who are actively hosted in Cuba and protected from the long arm of American justice by the Cuban regime. So, there is no doubt in my mind that they meet all the qualifications for being a state sponsor of terrorism,” Rubio said.

Over the last two decades, FALN members have been granted clemency, as if the years that passed lessened their crimes. President Barack Obama commuted the 70-year sentence of Oscar Lopez Rivera, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and charged with other crimes. President Bill Clinton offered clemency to the terrorist group’s imprisoned members, which eleven accepted in 1999.

NYPD SAYS ‘NOT A TERRORIST ATTACK’ AFTER 10 SHOT OUTSIDE NYC EVENT SPACE ON NEW YEAR’S DAY

At a ceremony marking the bombing, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the bombing “was terrorism in its purest form, meant to frighten, intimidate, to injure, maim and kill in order to achieve their political purpose.

“For 50 years, no one has been held accountable for this attack, which remains an open investigation by the NYPD and the Joint Terrorism Taskforce,” Tisch said. “Our department never forgets.”

Jessica Tisch speaks after being sworn in as the next commissioner of the New York Police Department during a ceremony at One Police Plaza Nov. 25, 2024, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Before the ceremony marking the bombing, there was an emotional luncheon attended by family members, dozens of former FBI agents, survivors of the bombing and others.

Joe Connor’s son, Frank, named for his grandfather and who is studying to be a priest, gave the benediction.

“We remember the four men who were killed 50 years ago today in this very place, and all of those whose lives were cut short by terrorism.”

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Joe noted how the gathering was being held by the door where the bomb, which consisted of ten pounds of dynamite, was placed inside an unassuming briefcase.

“Cuba has to eventually turn these people over, and the only way that will happen is by keeping them on the State Sponsor of Terrorism list and by keeping the pressure on Cuba,” he says. “This is the moment to do it.”

Eric Shawn, a New York-based anchor and senior correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC), joined the network when it launched in 1996. He is currently the co-anchor of FOX News Live. Shawn is also the host of Riddle: The Search for James R. Hoffa on FOX Nation, FNC’s on-demand subscription-based streaming service, which is based upon his extensive reporting into the appearance of notorious Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa.

January 25, 2025
Trump meets with California residents, fire, law enforcement officials to see LA wildfire damage

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency after touring the devastation of the Los Angeles fires with residents who were personally impacted by the disastrous event.

Trump traveled to Southern California on Friday to survey the damage from the recent wildfires that destroyed over 10,000 structures in the Los Angeles area and tragically took the lives of nearly 30 people.

Trump took an aerial tour of the area before his landing, with images showing the once ritzy neighborhood in ashes.

The president and first lady Melania Trump then experienced the damage up close, meeting with local law enforcement and members of the community for a tour of the destroyed Pacific Palisades neighborhoods.

‘FEMA IS NOT GOOD’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES AGENCY OVERHAUL DURING VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tour a fire-damaged area in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Friday. (Mandel Ngan)

“Not even believable,” Trump told reporters on site.

Trump sat down for a roundtable with LA Mayor Karen Bass and other state officials. When the president entered the room, individuals were heard chanting “USA, USA, USA!” Bass greeted the president and said that his presence was welcomed.

“This is an honor to be with you,” during the meeting, saying that homeowners told him that they want to rebuild their homes in the area.

Trump said he would sign an executive order to open up the water valves in the area.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump meet residents as they tour a fire-affected area in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Mandel Ngan)

“I don’t think you can realize how rough, how devastating it is until you see it,” Trump said of the wildfire damage. “The federal government is standing behind you, 100%.”

Trump said that he is going to waive federal permits for rebuilding in the area. “I’m gonna be the president to help you fix it,” he said. “We’re going to waive all federal permits… Because a federal permit can take 10 years… we don’t want to take 10 days.”

LOS ANGELES AGENCY REVEALS ESTIMATED ECONOMIC IMPACT OF DEADLY WILDFIRES AS INFERNOS STILL RAGE

After the fires broke out, Trump blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic city policies for the damage, citing their forest and water management policies.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump shake hands on a tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday. (Pool)

Newsom was waiting for Trump on the tarmac when he exited Air Force One and was seen shaking hands with the president in their first face-to-face encounter since the inauguration.

“Thank you first for being here. It means a great deal to all of us,” Newsom told Trump after they met on the tarmac of LAX in Los Angeles just after 3 p.m. local time. “We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help.”

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Speaking about his meeting with Newsom, Trump said that “we had a good talk, a very positive talk.”

Trump traveled to North Carolina to tour the hurricane damage, before heading to California for his first visit to the state since becoming president.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

January 25, 2025
Marco Rubio tells Chinese foreign minister Trump admin will put ‘American people first’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Chinese Foreign Minister and Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi that the Trump administration will put the “American people first” and advance U.S. interests in its relationship with China, according to a readout of the call from spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

The meeting was the first between Rubio and Wang since the former Florida senator was unanimously approved by the Senate this week to become President Donald Trump’s first Cabinet official following Monday’s inauguration.

“The Secretary also stressed the United States’ commitment to our allies in the region and serious concern over China’s coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea,” Bruce said. “The Secretary also discussed other issues of bilateral, regional, and global importance with his Chinese counterpart.”

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Chinese Foreign Minister and Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi that the Trump administration will put the “American people first” and advance U.S. interests in its relationship with China, according to a readout of the call from spokesperson Tammy Bruce. (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz/File)

Wang told Rubio during the call that he hoped he would “conduct” himself well and “play a constructive role in the future of the Chinese and American people and in world peace and stability.”

He added that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had already set the tone for U.S.-Chinese relations.

TRUMP, CHINA’S XI SPEAK ON PHONE AHEAD OF INAUGURATION

President Donald Trump on Thursday told the World Economic Forum virtually that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have “always had a great relationship,” and all his administration wants is “fairness. We just want a level playing field.” (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images)

“The teams of both sides should implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, maintain communication, manage differences, expand cooperation, promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations, and find the right way for China and the United States to get along in the new era,” Wang said.

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Trump has threatened China with 10% tariffs on imports over its role in fentanyl trafficking, starting as early as Feb. 1, and Rubio called the country the gravest threat to the U.S. during his confirmation hearing.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, flanked by his wife, Jeanette, and Vice President JD Vance, is sworn in on Tuesday in the Vice Presidential Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington, D.C. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Trump n Thursday told the World Economic Forum virtually that he and Xi have “always had a great relationship,” and all his administration wants is “fairness. We just want a level playing field.”

January 25, 2025
Trump Department of Education dismisses book ban complaints

The Department of Education has dismissed 11 complaints related to “book bans” and eliminated a Biden-era position tasked with investigating school districts and parents, the agency announced Friday.

The department said it was ending Biden’s “Book Ban Hoax” regarding complaints that alleged that the removal of age-inappropriate, sexually explicit or obscene materials from school libraries created a hostile environment for students.

It also eliminated the “book ban coordinator,” which investigated school districts and parents “working to protect students from obscene content.”

GOP SENATOR DEBUTS BILL TO ABOLISH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOLLOWING TRUMP CAMPAIGN PROMISE

The Department of Education has dismissed 11 complaints regarding so-called book bans. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

“By dismissing these complaints and eliminating the position and authorities of a so-called ‘book ban coordinator,’ the department is beginning the process of restoring the fundamental rights of parents to direct their children’s education,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor.

“The department adheres to the deeply rooted American principle that local control over public education best allows parents and teachers alike to assess the educational needs of their children and communities.

“Parents and school boards have broad discretion to fulfill that important responsibility,” Trainor added. “These decisions will no longer be second-guessed by the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education.”

Six pending allegations were also dismissed.

TRUMP WANTS TO DISSOLVE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. EXPERTS SAY IT COULD CHANGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The U.S. Department of Education building Aug. 21, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Tierney L. Cross)

The DOE called the book removals “meritless” and based “upon a dubious legal theory.” The agency began investigating the complaints Jan. 20, finding that school districts and parents have “established commonsense processes by which to evaluate and remove age-inappropriate materials.”

The first complaint was filed with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Feb. 23, 2022, against the Forsyth County School District in Georgia. The complainant alleged the district violated Title IX and Title VI by removing eight books from the school library because they contained sexually explicit content, the DOE said.

The OCR’s office in Atlanta sought to have the complaint dismissed, but the Biden administration overruled a determination that the complaint had no merit, the agency said. The school district agreed to a resolution under threat of further federal intervention, officials said.

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“This included requiring the district to post a statement in all of its middle and high schools that embraced Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” the OCR said. “The department will terminate the agreement and any obligations under it.”

January 25, 2025