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An Ohio child welfare agency created a “confidential spreadsheet” tracking the sexual orientation and transgender identity of children as young as 5, according to a document exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) created a database tracking the sexual orientation, transgender identity and pronouns of children that interacted with the child welfare system in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, featuring entries dated from March 2018 to the most recent entry on August 2024. The spreadsheet was part of their ‘Safe Identification’ program, which teaches social services staff how to collect information about the sexuality and gender identity of children.
In 2017, Cuyahoga County DCFS was one of four social services agencies nationwide chosen to research, develop and evaluate transgender ideology-based child welfare interventions that suggest parents and caregivers who do not affirm a child’s sexual orientation or gender confusion are unsafe and may need to have their children removed from their home. Members of the Biden-Harris administration called the Cuyahoga County group “trailblazers” and wanted to nationalize their model. The Cuyahoga County DCFS team influenced the recently finalized Biden-Harris rule which requires child welfare systems to validate and support gender confusion.
On the confidential spreadsheet, Cuyahoga County DCFS staff detailed how they helped children obtain sex-change drugs, purchased a chest binder for a “non binary” child and noted at least one tracked child was 5 years old. The document tracked if children were “transgender or gender diverse,” labeling them as pansexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, straight, or “questioning” their sexual orientation. One entry for a boy listed as gay said: “Youth says his gay b/c his peers told him so.”
Nearly half the children in the confidential spreadsheet were listed as living outside of the foster care system in their “own home” with their parents. The spreadsheet notes if parents are “accepting” or “rejecting” of their child’s gender confusion. Some transgender activists view rejecting a child’s gender confusion, such as not letting a child cross-dress, as an act of abuse or neglect.
The spreadsheet was one of hundreds of documents reviewed during the DCNF’s investigation into the federally-funded transformation of the child welfare system into that rejects a male-female understanding of sex and instead teaches social workers, children, and families to proactively “affirm,” meaning to validate, support, and embrace gender ideology.
‘Very Appreciated’
Emails obtained by the DCNF show Cuyahoga County DCFS worked closely with the Biden-Harris administration to influence and “imbed” their work into new federal regulations requiring child welfare systems to validate the gender confusion of children. Julie Kruse, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) senior advisor, called the Cuyahoga County DCFS “trailblazers” for “creating better services and outcomes for LGBTQIA2S+ children and families in child welfare,” saying their work was “very appreciated” by the Biden-Harris administration.
“Thank you so much for all you do in being trailblazers to creating better services and outcomes for LGBTQIA2S+ children and families in child welfare, you are very appreciated at ACF,” wrote Kruse. “I would really love ACF leadership to see first hand what it looks like when folks address the challenges LGBTQIA2S+ youth face in care, and deal with the hard issues – data collection, organizational culture, etc. etc.”
The research was funded by a $10 million federal grant awarded to the University of Maryland School of Social Work from the Children‘s Bureau, an agency within HHS. The grant funded the creation of a research group cumbersomely-named National Quality Improvement Center on Tailored Services, Placement Stability, and Permanency for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Two-Spirit Children and Youth (QIC-LGBTQ2S) in Foster Care.
The QIC-LGBTQ2S sought to systemically transform child welfare systems by teaching social workers, children, and families to reject a male-female view of sex and proactively “affirm” — meaning to validate, support, and embrace — the gender confusion of children. Ways parents and staff can be LGBTQ “affirming” include using preferred pronouns, taking children to LGBTQ events, and supporting their desired sex-change.
The DCNF has written an in-depth report on the research interventions developed by the QIC-LGBTQ2S, which are being pushed by the Biden-Harris administration.
‘Child Is 5’
In the spreadsheet, the Cuyahoga County DFCS staff noted if children had LGTBQ “affirming” parents or needed assistance to obtain sex change medications.
For example, one entry about a 5-year-old labeled as “transgender or gender diverse” reads: “Child is 5 y/o and has recently come out to the family. The family accept her and are reportedly supportive.”
Another entry notes: “Request for hormones submitted to Dr. to send in prior authorization to insurance. DCFS Director signed.” The spreadsheet does not list the child’s age.
One entry describes how the agency bought a chest binder, a garment that flattens female breasts, for a “non-binary” girl living with her parents.
“Youth is binding, new binders purchased by DCFS as old one broke. Youth is fluid in gender at times,” reads the spreadsheet.
Other notes describe a child engaged in a polyamorous relationship, having more than a single partner at a time, and another entry even notes a child identifies as a “furry” — a person who identifies as an animal. There are also columns to track if parents are engaging in services aimed at training them to validate and support their child’s chosen sexual orientation or transgender identity.
The most recent entry on the spreadsheet is dated Aug. 4.
‘Safe Identification’
The confidential spreadsheet was a part of the AFFIRM.ME program developed by Cuyahoga County DCFS through the QIC-LGBTQ2S research grant.
The AFFIRM.ME program is a practice model that provides a road map for child welfare systems to undergo a systemic transformation through a series of social services interventions that teach staff, youth, and parents to be LGBTQ affirming. As previously reported, these interventions include programs that train “non-affirming” parents to validate their child’s gender confusion and assist in finding children a “chosen affirming” family if their parents are not LGBTQ affirming.
Part of the AFFIRM.ME program is called Safe Identification, an intervention that proactively seeks to identify any LGBTQ youth that encounters the child welfare system, including those living outside of the foster care, and trains social workers to collect their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression (SOGIE) data.
In April 2022, Cuyahoga County adopted a policy requiring all DCFS staff to collect SOGIE data from youth ages 13 and older using their SOGIE Disclosure and Safe Identification forms.
The policy states: “Cuyahoga County DCFS believes that all youth involved with the agency have the right to live in an environment that is both physically and emotionally safe. Youth in their own homes or in substitute care deserve to reside with affirming caregivers and other household members. We can help ensure this by safely identifying LGBTQ2S + youth and understanding their individual needs.”
The SOGIE Disclosure form specifies that staff members can have a gender identity conversation with children as young as 3 if they “are very aware of their gender.”
According to a 2022 report on the AFFIRM.ME program, the Safe Identification intervention was originally meant for use for youth ages 12-21 who were in the care of the state. However, the report notes the “age range was later changed to 5–21 years old to account for younger children disclosing diverse gender identity or expression and to include youth involved with DCFS, not just those in the care of DCFS.” It also notes that approximately 10% of all identified youth were under age 12.
This was seen as a “positive change” as is it created an opportunity to “provide services to families and youth not in agency care in an effort to keep them from entering agency custody,” according to the report.
Ohio State Representative Gary Click, who sponsored an Ohio bill banning pediatric sex change, disagrees that the AFFIRM.ME program is creating a “positive change” in Ohio.
“The policies of the Cuyahoga County DCFS are the ultimate in government grooming practices and must stop immediately—their ‘Affirm.Me’ program goes far beyond the role of government to ensure the safety of children and serves only to indoctrinate and discriminate against families whose values differ from their official government mandate,” said Click told the DCNF.
“Additionally, their belittling, discrimination, and attempted reprogramming of people of faith is hideous, un-American, and very likely unconstitutional,” Click said. “The legislature will not sit idly by while local government attempts to usurp the role of the family.”
“Emotional Harm”
“Emotional harm” is included in the Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act definition of child abuse and neglect. Some transgender activists believe that rejecting a child’s gender confusion, such as refusing to use a child’s chosen name or pronouns, causes emotional harm and is a form of abuse and neglect.
During an HHS webinar filmed last fall, one LGBTQ activist stated “transphobia is child abuse,” comparing it to denying a child food or access to school, the DCNF previously reported.
If a community member believes a parent is causing a child “emotional harm” by refusing to “affirm” their gender confusion, they could call the Child Protective Services Hotline and report suspected child abuse or neglect. In Ohio, after a report of suspected abuse or neglect is made, a CPS investigator will interview the child and family and determine if the child is being abused or is at risk for abuse. Then, they may refer the case to additional social services or criminal court, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services website.
Erin Friday, a California attorney and co-founder of the parent group, Our Duty, whose mission is to protect children from the harms of pediatric sex changes, told the DCNF it’s difficult for parents to fight accusations of emotional harm in court.
“A problem with emotional stress accusations is there is wide latitude or discretion at the trial court level,” Friday said. “So when a judge says ‘Yes, you’ve been emotionally abusive,’ it is very hard to appeal that because they have wide discretion.”
“Parents are losing custody of their children over a name and a pronoun. That should scare parents,” Friday added.
Friday submitted an amicus brief in the upcoming Supreme Court case United States v. Skrmetti, which could determine the future of pediatric sex changes in America. Friday told the DCNF the outcome of this case will have long lasting reverberations for the child welfare system.
“The basis of my brief was if Tennessee or if the Supreme Court finds that there is a discrete group called transgender kids, then every parent in the United States, every single one, who doesn’t affirm their child is at risk of losing custody of their child,” said Friday.
“Because it becomes de facto life saving, de facto standard of care. And so it’s massively important that we win this case,” Friday said.
In the brief, Friday described the potential consequences for parents who refuse to affirm their child’s gender confusion if pediatric sex-change is “deemed a constitutional right, in children’s best interests, or medically necessary,”
“Parents in custody disputes who refuse medical intervention may not be granted custody of gender dysphoric children, and non-affirming parents could be adjudicated emotionally abusive or medically negligent,” reads Friday’s brief.
‘We Have A Form’
The investigation of a child and family after a report of abuse or neglect provides Cuyahoga County DCFS staff members the opportunity to collect the SOGIE data of a child using their SOGIE Disclosure Form.
The form states that the conversation about the child’s sexual identity “should be done in a private setting,” emphasizing that keeping the disclosed information private is “utmost importance to the Division of Children and Family Services.” It further specifies that any information shared by the youth will not be disclosed to anyone else, which would include their parents, unless there is a safety concern.
Included on the SOGIE Disclosure form is a script that recommends social workers introduce themselves using their preferred pronouns, ask the child if they feel like a girl, boy, or “something in between,” and find out who the child has crushes on.
If a Cuyahoga County DCFS staff member discovers a child has a “diverse SOGIE,” which the SOGIE Disclosure form defines as “anything other than heterosexual, male or female,” the staff member fills out a Safe Identification form that asks the child if their parents or caregiver affirm their sexual or gender identity.
DFCS staff are instructed to send the Safe Identification form to Kori Sewell, a social services supervisor at Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services, who inputs the information into a secret database. Sewell previously said on a podcast that only she and her colleague could access the confidential spreadsheet.
“We have a form that we have staff fill out when they have a young person who identifies as LGBTQ. That form then comes to me, and I start logging that information into the confidential spreadsheet,” said Sewell on the podcast.
Sewell explained how the Safe Identification process helps them identify non-affirming parents and refer them to courses aimed at convincing them to accept their child’s gender dysphoria, if needed.
“I have a conversation with the staff around what the needs of the family are, what the dynamics are, we call that our triage, so that we can triage the case to see if it may qualify for a service,” said Sewell.
“We had Chosen Affirming Family Finding and The Youth Acceptance Project. Those two services were available to families that we were working with here at the agency, and so part of the triage process was to see if those families qualified for one of those services,” Sewell continued.
Chosen Affirming Family Finding (CAFF) is a social services intervention that places LGBTQ kids with “affirming” caregivers. The Youth Acceptance Project (YAP) works to re-educate non-affirming parents to validate their child’s LGBTQ identity and avoid having them removed from their care. The confidential spreadsheet contained several columns indicating if caregivers were engaged in ‘YAP’ services.
The DCNF obtained a series of communications showing Cuyahoga County DCFS team working with HHS officials from May 2023 to October 2023, providing input on how interventions likes Safe Identification could be implemented at the federal level.
Sewell did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
‘Insightful Meeting’
Emails indicate Julie Kruse, a Senior Advisor for LGBTQI+ Initiatives in the Biden-Harris administration, had an “insightful meeting” meeting the Cuyahoga County DCFS team on June 9, 2023, which lead to a July 7 call with the then-assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).
In preparation for this call, Kruse sent the Cuyahoga County DCFS team a series of questions they should be prepared to answer, asking how their programs assure “transgender and nonbinary children” have access to binders and pediatric sex-change medical interventions. Kruse also asked how their data collection model was tied to providing “affirming” services.
The Cuyahoga County team put together a presentation agenda for the HHS call, which indicated they would explain why their program was “a promising model for replication” with “safe ID as foundation,” according to an agenda obtained by the DCNF.
After the call, the Cuyahoga County team thanked HHS for considering how to “imbed” their “life saving” work into policy.
Former acting ICE Director Tom Homan is “honored” to be tapped as the “border czar” for the incoming second Trump administration, and he’s prepared to do what it takes to get the crisis under control.
“I’ve been on this network for years complaining about what this administration did to this border. I’ve been yelling and screaming about it and what they need to do to fix it. So when the president asked me, ‘Would you come back and fix it?’ Of course. I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t. I’m honored the president asked me to come back and help solve this national security crisis, so I’m looking forward to it,” he told “Fox & Friends” Monday in his first interview since being tapped for the role.
“I think the calling is clear,” he continued, “I’ve got to go back and help because every morning… I’m pissed off with what this [Biden] administration did to the most secure border in my lifetime, so I’m going to go back and do what I can to fix it.”
Illegal border crossings surged under the Biden administration, with nearly 3 million in fiscal year 2024, according to Homeland Security’s website.
There have been more than 10.8 million illegal encounters since FY 2021.
Trump has made illegal immigration an issue integral to his campaign messaging since 2016.
This election cycle, as illegal migrants flooded communities across the U.S. and sidelined major cities like New York City, he offered an alternative vision to that of the Biden-Harris administration, focusing on calls for mass deportation and border wall construction as well as reinstating since-rescinded executive orders from his previous term.
Homan said this tough border stance would mean prioritizing illegal immigrants who pose public safety or national security threats. He specifically mentioned drug cartels and sex trafficking.
“I know exactly what I’m doing, and this is the second time I’ve come out of retirement for this president, because it matters. I was a Border Patrol agent, I wore that uniform, and I’m proud that I wore that uniform. I was an ICE agent. I was the first ICE director that came up through the ranks, so the 20,000 men and women that worked for me, I didn’t ask them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself, because I was one of them,” he said.
Since Friday, Homan has been inundated with calls, texts and emails amid rumors he was returning. Many came from ICE agents that he said are excited about his return.
“But more importantly, thousands of retired agents, retired military [have called] that want to come in and volunteer to help this president secure the border and do this deportation operation,” Homan added.
Death threats have also surfaced, however, but he remains determined not to give in to the pressure.
“That’s something we’re going to deal with. They’re not going to shut me up. They’re not going to make me go away. This is the biggest national security vulnerability this nation has seen since 9/11. We have to fix it.”
President-elect Trump demanded Sunday that the next Senate GOP leader allow him to make recess appointments, which would effectively let him fast-track his nominees and appointments without needing Senate approval.
Recess appointments, which are intended for emergencies, can last for up to two years, without the Senate ever giving their advice and consent. Trump on Sunday suggested using the practice as a way to avoid facing opposition in the Senate to his picks.
“Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” Trump wrote in a post on the social platform X.
“Sometimes the votes can take two years, or more. This is what they did four years ago, and we cannot let it happen again. We need positions filled IMMEDIATELY!”
Trump’s post comes as attention centers on the three-way race to succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
The race is set between Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who served as Senate GOP whip during Trump’s first two years in the White House.
Scott, whose bid to replace the outgoing Senate leader has long been seen as a long shot, has gained momentum in recent days among some allies of Trump’s, after his victory helped boost GOP chances in the upper chamber.
Scott immediately embraced Trump’s view on recess appointments, writing on X, “100% agree. I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.”
Thune and Cornyn took a more measured approach but still stressed the importance of getting Trump’s picks confirmed and installed in their offices.
“We must act quickly and decisively to get the president’s nominees in place as soon as possible, & all options are on the table to make that happen, including recess appointments. We cannot let Schumer and Senate Dems block the will of the American people,” Thune wrote on X.
“It is unacceptable for Senate Ds to blockade President @realDonaldTrump‘s cabinet appointments. If they do, we will stay in session, including weekends, until they relent. Additionally, the Constitution expressly confers the power on the President to make recess appointments,” Cornyn wrote on X, citing the section of the Constitution granting the president to fill vacancies while Congress is in recess.
Trump also called for Republicans to try to block judges appointments for the remainder of the year, until Republicans retake control of the White House and Senate.
“Additionally, no Judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their Judges as the Republicans fight over Leadership. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU!” Trump wrote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is not allowing Senator-elect Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania to attend Senate orientation in the coming week, pointing to outstanding ballots in the state, even though the race has already been called.
Two sources with knowledge confirmed to Fox News Digital that McCormick was not invited to orientation, despite having been projected by the Associated Press to win the Pennsylvania Senate race.
When reached by Fox News Digital, a Schumer spokesperson said in a statement, “With over 100,000 ballots left to be counted in Pennsylvania, the race has not been decided. As is custom, we will invite the winner once the votes are counted.”
Several Republican senators took to X on Sunday to slam Schumer for not inviting McCormick. “@AP declared @DaveMcCormickPA winner of #PASen 3 days ago. Denying legit election results & blocking @DaveMcCormickPA from participating in Sen. orientation this week is outrageous & a disservice PA & the country. Casey should concede. He has no path to overturn these results,” wrote National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who is also running for GOP leader this week, added, “Dave McCormick is the new senator for Pennsylvania. The idea that Schumer would not allow him to participate in Senate orientation is beyond unacceptable. The voters of Pennsylvania have spoken. Looking forward to having Dave’s strong voice in the Senate Republican Conference.”
“Schumer and Senate Democrats are denying the election results in #PASen. Trying to block @DaveMcCormickPA from attending Senate orientation this week is an outrage. Casey must concede immediately or Senate Democrats face consequences,” said Senate Republican conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
The Pennsylvania Senate race was called by the AP on Nov. 7, two days after Election Day. McCormick currently leads his incumbent opponent by more than 30,000 votes in the state.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for Casey said in a statement, “Each day, counties across the Commonwealth are confirming there are more ballots that need to be counted. We know there are more than 100,000 ballots left to be counted including tens of thousands of provisional ballots in counties favorable to Senator Casey, and the McCormick campaign has acknowledged these provisional ballots could impact the outcome of the election while pursuing unsuccessful lawsuits to get them thrown out. Pennsylvanians deserve to have their voices heard, and as state officials have made clear, counties across Pennsylvania need more time to tabulate remaining votes.”
In a Thursday statement, Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt said, “Throughout the day, the Department has communicated with counties who continue to conduct a secure election where every eligible vote is counted. We estimate there are at least 100,000 ballots remaining to be adjudicated, including provisional, military, overseas, and Election Day votes. We urge patience as election workers continue to do this important work, especially in contests where the margins are very close.”
However, critics have cast doubt on Casey’s ability to make up the difference with the current outstanding votes.
Pennsylvania Republican strategist Mark Harris claimed on Saturday that, “The votes for Casey to win are just not there,” citing Republicans’ record with the type of ballots that are still being counted.
Schumer’s office shared with Fox News Digital that Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., has not been invited to orientation either. The Arizona Senate race is still ongoing and has not been called by the AP.
A spokesperson for the majority leader also noted that Sen. Al Franken did not attend orientation in 2008 due to the close nature of his election. However, Franken’s election was won by only a few hundred votes, while McCormick is leading by tens of thousands.
Notably, even a member of Schumer’s caucus referred to McCormick as the senator-elect on Sunday. “While we are losing a good person and colleague in Senator Bob Casey, I believe the Senate will be gaining another good man in Senator-Elect David McCormick,” wrote outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., in a post to X.
Manchin has been known to occasionally go against the Democrat caucus during his tenure.
Several current GOP senators offered to escort McCormick to the Capitol on Tuesday so that he could attend, despite not being invited.
In a post on X on Monday, McCormick said, “Looking forward to joining the Senate freshman class of 2025 for orientation this week! I’m honored to represent the people of Pennsylvania, and will fight hard to make sure their voices are heard in Washington. Let’s get to work!”
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to announce in the coming days that Stephen Miller, his top immigration adviser, will serve as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, two sources familiar with the plans told CNN.
Miller, who served as a senior adviser to Trump and was his lead speechwriter during his first administration, has been a leading advocate for a more restrictive immigration policy and is expected to take on an expanded role in the president-elect’s second term. He’s been closely involved in Trump’s transition process and will have a key role in future staffing decisions. During the campaign, he frequently traveled to rallies with Trump on his private plane and was increasingly visible as a speaker at events in recent months.
Miller is also a lead architect of the president-elect’s plans for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. He has said that a second Trump administration would seek a tenfold increase in the number of deportations to more than 1 million per year. In an interview on Fox News last week, Miller expressed eagerness at the prospect of beginning mass deportations as soon as possible.
“They begin on Inauguration Day, as soon as he takes the oath of office,” he said.
Asked about the expected announcement, Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told CNN, “President-elect Trump will begin making decisions on who will serve in his second administration soon. Those decisions will be announced when they are made.”
A longtime hardliner on immigration, Miller was instrumental in setting up immigration restrictions during the first Trump administration, advocating for child separation in migrant detention facilities and a travel ban targeting people from majority-Muslim countries.
After Trump left office, Miller started an advisory group called America First Legal, which went on to contribute to Project 2025, the sweeping conservative blueprint for the next Republican president created by the Heritage Foundation. On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly distanced himself from Project 2025, claiming that he had no idea who was behind it, despite its close ties to Miller and other crucial figures in Trump’s orbit.
In an interview with The New York Times last year, Miller said that under a second Trump term, the military would build detention centers to house immigrants who have been arrested and are facing deportation. The new camps would likely be built “on open land in Texas near the border,” he told The Times.
Miller told The Times that Trump’s immigration plans are being designed to avoid having to create new substantial legislation. During Trump’s first term, he relied heavily on executive orders to implement immigration policy. Many of those moves were challenged in the courts, something Miller acknowledged would likely happen again in a second Trump term.
In his comments last year, Miller was up-front about his belief that Trump would not hesitate to implement harsh immigration measures in a second term.
“Any activists who doubt President Trump’s resolve in the slightest are making a drastic error: Trump will unleash the vast arsenal of federal powers to implement the most spectacular migration crackdown,” Miller said at the time.
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik has accepted President-elect Donald Trump’s offer to be his enforcer as United Nations ambassador.
The 40-year-old upstate Republican, who helped force out two Ivy League presidents with her sharp questioning on campus antisemitism, will the lead Trump’s “America first” and pro-Israel message in Turtle Bay.
“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump, 78, said in a statement to The Post Sunday night.
Stefanik, the No. 4 House Republican, has been a close Trump ally, including serving on his ceremonial defense team in 2020 during his first impeachment trial for pressuring Ukraine to investigate alleged Biden family corruption.
The Harvard grad worked to turn the tables on what she called the “Biden Crime Family” and has regularly appeared on TV to drive home the Republican positions on issues — setting up a likely a contrast from the outgoing UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who rarely courted media attention.
“I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” Stefanik said in a statement confirming her acceptance of the role.
“During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate.”
“President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead — both at home and abroad,” she told The Post.
“America continues to be the beacon of the world, but we expect and must demand that our friends and allies be strong partners in the peace we seek.”
Stefanik will come on as the UN has faced conservative criticism, including over the fact that the world’s dictatorships — such as China and Cuba — serve as reps on the Human Rights Council, while the General Assembly routinely passes measures critical of Israel by lopsided margins.
More recently, the UN has come under fire for its response to the Israel-Hamas war and has faced accusations that members of its organizations actively took part in Hamas attacks against Israel.
In his first term, Trump ordered the US to withdraw from the UN’s World Health Organization and end the annual $450 million US contribution over the WHO failing to effectively investigate the origins in China of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Retiring President Biden later rejoined.
The nomination was one of the first major staffing decisions from Trump after he completed a stunning political comeback with his Tuesday election sweep of swing states against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump previously announced his campaign chairwoman Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff, but he has not yet announced any other members of his Cabinet or other senior White House roles.
“The work ahead is immense as we see antisemitism skyrocketing coupled with four years of catastrophically weak U.S. leadership that significantly weakened our national security and diminished our standing in the eyes of both allies and adversaries,” Stefanik said in her statement.
“I stand ready to advance President Donald J. Trump’s restoration of America First peace through strength leadership on the world stage on Day One at the United Nations. “
Stefanik’s departure from the House would temporarily reduce Republicans’ already slim majority.
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) by law must call a special election within 10 days of the seat’s vacancy to be held within another 70-80 days. The Republican nominee in that election will be chosen by county GOP chairs rather than by a primary.
Stefanik was re-elected Tuesday with more than 63% of the vote.
A source familiar with the looming special election campaign called the district “ruby red” and solidly “pro-Trump,” adding that “the seat will not remain vacant for long.”
Vice President Kamala Harris paid Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions $1 million, just one example of millions the campaign spent on various entertainers during the vice president’s failed bid for president.
The Harris campaign paid $1 million to Winfrey’s company on October 15, according to a report in the Washington Examiner, coming after a star-studded town hall that Winfrey hosted for the vice president in September.
Winfrey also appeared at Harris’ final rally in Philadelphia on the eve of Election Day, with the talk-show star offering a rare endorsement of a presidential candidate.
“We’re voting for values and integrity,” Winfrey said at the rally. “We’re voting for healing over hate.”
But Winfrey wasn’t the only star the Harris campaign spent big money on, with the Washington Examiner report also revealing that the campaign spent big on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
“A source familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner that the Harris campaign spent six figures on building a set for Harris’s appearance on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast with host Alex Cooper,” the Examiner wrote. “The interview came out in October and was reportedly filmed in a hotel room in Washington, D.C.”
The campaign also spent up to $20 million on swing state concerns on the eve of the election, according to a report in the New York Post, a sum that could have been more if a planned performance by Alanis Morissette had not been scrapped.
The campaign had seven swing-state concerts on Monday, the report noted, including performances by Jon Bon Jovi in Detroit, Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas, Katy Perry in Pittsburgh and Lady Gaga in Philadelphia, and a 2 Chainz performance at a rally three days before the election in Atlanta.
“Money can’t buy you love or a good candidate,” Republican political strategist Brad Todd told the Examiner, with regard to the massive spending.
“Advertising is a pretty important source of information for swing voters,” Todd said. “It no doubt matters, but it’s not enough. It doesn’t matter if you have the wrong message and it’s not delivered in a compelling way. What her campaign was missing was any effort to break with the unpopular administration she has been a part of.”
An arrest has been made after a shooting on the campus of Tuskegee University left one person dead and 16 others injured, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Tuskegee University President Dr. Mark A. Brown is expected to provide updates on campus procedures at a 2 p.m. news conference Monday. WSFA 12 News will carry it live on air and online.
Jaquez Myrick, 25, of Montgomery, has been arrested and charged federally with possession of a machine gun.
Authorities say Myrick was found in possession of a handgun with a machine gun conversion device.
He is not charged for firing or using the gun in the shooting.
Law enforcement officers found him leaving the scene of the shooting, ALEA confirmed Sunday afternoon. Myrick is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Facility for another agency, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said.
Myrick was arrested and charged federally with Possession of a Machine Gun.
— Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (@ALEAprotects) November 10, 2024
Macon County Sheriff André Brunson said he believes there are multiple suspects in the shooting.
“If you‘ve seen some of the videos, there was shooting all over the place. So, I think there will be multiple suspects,” he said. “We’re going to deal with it and try to get every last one of them.”
Agents with ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation were notified of the shooting around 1:40 a.m. Sunday.
Officials say an 18-year-old was confirmed dead at the scene. Macon County authorities have identified him as Latavion Johnson. He was a graduate of Charles Henderson High School in Troy. University officials said Johnson was not a student at Tuskegee University.
A total of 16 other people were injured in the incident. 12 were shot and taken to hospitals in Montgomery and Opelika. Four other people sustained injuries that were not related to gunfire.
#RIGHTNOW I’m looking at the scene of a shooting that happened around 1:40 AM on the campus of Tuskegee University where at least one person has lost their life and “multiple” others injured.
This is in the parking lot near the West Commons Dorm. @wsfa12news pic.twitter.com/7MtfvzmJKc
— Simon Schuessler (@SimonSchuessler) November 10, 2024
Tuskegee University announced that all classes on Monday and Tuesday will be canceled for mental health days and to allow law enforcement to continue processing the scene. Grief counselors will be available virtually and in-person in the chapel.
“As we navigate this challenge as a family, keep your classmates in mind as some work to heal physically and mentally from this event. The same applies to faculty and staff. The university experienced an exceptional Homecoming weekend, and this event has tarnished it. Asking for help is a sign of strength and not weakness. Standing strong together is also the Tuskegee Way.”
– Statement from Tuskegee University
ALEA is asking for the public’s help in the case. Anyone with information is asked to submit tips at 1-800-CALL-FBI and upload any digital files regarding the incident online at fbi.gov/tuskegeeshooting24.
The following agencies are assisting ALEA in the investigation: Tuskegee University Police Department, Tuskegee Police Department, Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation Mobile Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fifth Judicial Circuit and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office.
The private university, located in Macon County, about 40 miles from Alabama’s capital city, celebrated its 100th homecoming on Saturday.
Hamas operatives hung Palestinian civilians from ceilings with chains, put their heads in sacks and beat their feet with sticks in a series of CCTV videos recently uncovered by the Israel Defense Force, Jewish officials said Sunday.
The harrowing clips, which were recovered from northern Gaza, revealed the brutal tactics that the Palestinian terrorists employed between 2018 to 2020 at the former Outpost 17 base in Jabalia, where IDF troops continue to fight Hamas, Israel said.
“The materials uncovered, expose Hamas’s brutal methods for interrogating civilians, violating human rights, and systematically oppressing residents suspected of opposing the organization’s rule,” the IDF said in a statement.
The nearly 47-minute video compilation that the IDF uploaded to X on Sunday shows how Hamas interrogators chained suspects by their wrists and feet to the ceiling and put sacks over their heads during the questioning inside an office room.
Some of the victims struggle to stand on one foot when the Hamas operatives decide to chain one of their legs.
Others were chained up by their ankles and hung upside down by the interrogators, who beat their soles with a long stick.
🚨 Torture is a war crime, but you won’t see Canada’s media condemning Hamas for abusing Palestinian civilians in brutal interrogations.
Videos recently discovered by the @IDF reveal severe and serial human rights abuses by Hamas targeting Palestinian civilians. pic.twitter.com/QGSmCxQw1j
— HonestReporting Canada🎗️ (@HonestRepCanada) November 10, 2024
Some civilians were also shown being held in similar positions inside a dark and dirty tiled room.
Often times the Hamas interrogators could be seen chatting amongst themselves or completing paperwork as the suspects struggled just inches away from them.
Before publishing the clips, the IDF handed the footage over to the Daily Mail, which noted that the videos could not be independently verified.
There was also no context provided as to why the men in the videos were arrested by Hamas.
The Hamas terror group has long been accused of detaining and torturing civilians when the targeted people are suspected of collaborating with Israel.
The UN Watch Lobby also found that in 2022, two years after the incidents recorded in the tapes, Hamas regularly subjected human rights activists, women, LGBTQ people and political opponents to brutal punishments.
The tapes appear to match one man’s description of the repeated torture he endured in Gaza around that timeframe when Hamas agents discovered he was gay.
“They would torture me so badly,” he told i24News in 2022. “Sometimes, they would tie my feet up and beat them with a stick. After that, every few years, they would arrest me and torture me in the same way.
“They wouldn’t let me sleep or go to the bathroom inside. There was no food,” he added. “They made me swear on the Quran that I won’t be gay again.”
The temperature is rising in the battle to lead Senate Republicans, with Sens. John Thune (S.D.) and John Cornyn (Texas) facing a one-week sprint to win the top spot after the GOP clinched control of the upper chamber.
According to multiple senators and aides, Thune and Cornyn, along with their allies, have been burning up the phones of members in search of support ahead of next week’s election to replace outgoing Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).
Thune, the Senate GOP whip, has been considered a slight favorite to replace the Kentucky Republican. He is the top vote-counter on the GOP side and has proven an able fundraiser and campaigner.
But few are counting out Cornyn, a former whip and top ally to the outgoing leader who is considered to have strong ties with more conservative segments of the conference.
“It’s Thune’s to lose, but Cornyn’s going to make it close,” one GOP aide familiar with leadership dynamics told The Hill. “It’s going to be bloody and rough, and money is going to matter.”
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is also once again running for the post but is not expected to survive past the first ballot in what will be a secret tally Wednesday. The vote will only include the members who will be in office once the 119th Congress convenes next year.
The outcome of Tuesday’s election will likely play a key role in who succeeds McConnell.
Thune was consistently on the road in support of Senate GOP candidates throughout October, appearing for all of those in competitive races — save for Kari Lake in Arizona — during the final month, according to a source familiar with the South Dakotan’s operation.
He also raised more than $33 million across his accounts, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the party’s fleet of candidates, the source added.
Cornyn also posted strong figures, having raked in $26 million, including nearly $12 million for the NRSC, as of late September, while traveling to key battleground states to stump and fundraise in Michigan, Nevada and Indiana, among others.
His team has also noted he has raised $406 million overall since he became a senator in 2002.
But President-elect Trump, who scored a decisive victory in the White House race, remains the biggest X factor heading into next week. Neither Thune nor Cornyn has been a dyed-in-the-wool MAGA backer, but both have sought to repair their relationships with him since the beginning of the year.
Thune has had more work to do on that end than Cornyn after he backed Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) presidential campaign and Trump called for him to receive a primary challenge in the Mount Rushmore State. None materialized, and Thune ultimately cruised to a fourth term.
But Thune has appeared determined to be on good terms with the president-elect. According to the same source, the two met at Mar-a-Lago in March and have spoken several times since, including Wednesday.
Another feather in Thune’s cap is that two of his top supporters are Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the outgoing chair of the Senate GOP campaign arm, and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), a member of Thune’s whip team. Both are key allies of Trump who have been in frequent contact with him throughout the 2024 cycle.
“John Thune’s worked pretty hard at … making sure that he and Trump are on the same page,” Mullin told The Hill in an interview. “He’s done a good job staying relevant to the president, calling him and checking in on him. I think it’s good.”
As for Cornyn, he came out earlier for Trump this cycle and has also maintained a presence with the president-elect, having seen him recently when Trump visited Texas in late October and earlier in the month in Nevada.
Thune indicated to Fox News on Wednesday that he has urged Trump avoid getting involved in the leadership race but noted that it is certainly his “prerogative” if he wants to.
“The president obviously has tremendous influence, and if he chooses to use it, I think, in in the leadership elections, particularly in the Senate … it is a very sort of inside baseball thin,” Thune said. “And the president, if he chooses to, it’s his prerogative to weigh in on that. Frankly, I think if he lets it play out, we’ll get the right person.”
However, Mullin expressed supreme confidence that Thune will take over atop the conference and argued that he already has the votes.
“The way it’s playing out, it’s 100 percent Thune’s at this point. It’s just a formality. I don’t see how Cornyn gets there, and I don’t see how Rick Scott gets there. They’re both good guys, I just don’t see how they get there,” Mullin said. “This leadership election has been going on a long time. … Now, it’s a closing argument and making sure your vote stays where it’s at [and] following up.”
On Sunday, a whip-count memo was allegedly leaked by a GOP Senate source for the upcoming leadership vote.
Here is where the race stands now:
- John Thune (24 votes)
- John Cornyn (18 votes)
- Rick Scott (11 votes)
- Banks – Thune
- Barrasso – Thune
- Blackburn – Thune
- Boozman – Cornyn
- Britt – Cornyn
- Budd – Cornyn
- Capito – Cornyn
- Cassidy – Thune
- Collins – Thune
- Cornyn – Cornyn
- Cotton – Thune
- Cramer – Thune
- Crapo – Cornyn
- Cruz – Thune
- Curtis – Thune
- Daines – Thune
- Ernst – Cornyn
- Fischer – Cornyn
- Graham – Cornyn
- Grassley – Cornyn
- Hagerty – Scott
- Hawley – Cornyn
- Hoeven – Thune
- Hyde-Smith – Cornyn
- Johnson – Scott
- Justice – Thune
- Kennedy – Cornyn
- Lankford – Cornyn
- Lee – Scott
- Lummis – Thune
- Marshall – Scott
- McConnell – Thune
- McCormick – Cornyn
- Moran – Cornyn
- Moreno – Scott
- Mullin – Thune
- Murkowski – Thune
- Paul – Scott
- Ricketts – Cornyn
- Risch – Cornyn
- Rounds – Thune
- Rubio – Scott
- Schmitt – Scott
- Scott (FL) – Scott
- Scott (SC) – Thune
- Sheehy – Thune
- Sullivan – Thune
- Tillis – Thune
- Thune – Cornyn
- Tuberville – Scott
- Vance – Scott
- Wicker – Thune
- Young – Thune
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Sunday endorsed lawmaker Rick Scott for Senate majority leader, joining a growing list of MAGA figures who are throwing their support behind the Florida Republican.
“Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader!” Musk wrote in a post on X Sunday afternoon, days after Republicans won back control of the Senate on Election Day.
Musk’s post came in response to a post from Scott, who was responding to President-elect Trump’s demand that “Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments (in the Senate!), without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner.”
“100% agree,” Scott responded. “I will do whatever it takes to get your nominations through as quickly as possible.”
Musk is the latest Trump-ally calling for Scott to be the Senate GOP leader.
Scott’s senate Republican colleagues, including Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, and Rand Paul of Kentucky have each pledged to vote for Scott.
Rick Scott for Senate Majority Leader! https://t.co/lpT34yHTKk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 10, 2024
Scott, whose bid for the position is seen as a long shot by some observers, is up against fellow Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, and John Thune of South Dakota for the job McConnell has held since 2007.
Scott has expressed hope that Trump will publicly endorse his bid for the top job, though some reports have indicated the president-elect has been hesitant to weigh in on the race.
President-elect Donald Trump will tap his former head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tom Homan, to be the “border czar” in his administration.
Trump announced late Sunday evening that he would make Homan responsible for the southern border, northern border, coastal and air borders. Homan was under consideration to lead the entire Department of Homeland Security, a Senate-confirmed Cabinet position.
“I am pleased to announce that the Former ICE Director, and stalwart on Border Control, Tom Homan, will be joining the Trump Administration, in charge of our Nation’s Borders (“The Border Czar”), including, but not limited to, the Southern Border, the Northern Border, all Maritime, and Aviation Security,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“I’ve known Tom for a long time, and there is nobody better at policing and controlling our Borders,” Trump said. “Likewise, Tom Homan will be in charge of all Deportation of Illegal Aliens back to their Country of Origin. Congratulations to Tom. I have no doubt he will do a fantastic, and long awaited for, job.”
Trump’s selection of Homan comes less than a week after he won the presidential election, including the popular vote and all seven swing states.
Trump promised to carry out the largest deportation in U.S. history, vowing to remove the 20 million to 25 million illegal immigrants that he claimed were in the country.
Homan said in an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures that Trump planned to first target illegal immigrants with criminal histories for deportation.
“It’s going to be the worst first,” said Homan, adding that he hasn’t advocated for military involvement.
“It will be a humane operation, but it’s a necessary mass deportation operation.”
Homan’s appointment means he will not need to get Senate confirmation, avoiding an ugly and potentially difficult process given Homan’s loyalty to Trump through the years. As a “czar,” Homan will advise the president on border issues and be the point person on related matters.
Trump attacked Vice President Kamala Harris throughout his campaign as being an ineffective “border czar.” Harris was technically never appointed border czar, but had been tapped by President Joe Biden early on in 2021 to take action that would stop the flow of immigrants illegally entering the country from Central America.
Under Biden, more than 10 million immigrants have been encountered at the nation’s borders, more than any two-term White House administration.
Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) conceded to her Republican challenger Gabe Evans in the House race for Colorado‘s 8th Congressional District Sunday, a key flip that helps the GOP’s hopes of keeping its majority in the House of Representatives.
The Republican challenger has yet to be projected as the winner by the Associated Press, but Evans leads Caraveo 49%-48.2%, with an estimated 92% of the vote counted. The current margin shows 2,596 votes separating the two leading candidates.
Caraveo conceded defeat in a statement Sunday, calling her past two years representing the district “the honor of a lifetime.”
“While this isn’t the outcome we hoped for, the work is not over,” Caraveo said. “I look forward to returning to Washington to finish out this term and will continue to be an independent voice for the people of this district.”
Evans celebrated the victory in a statement Sunday, in which he thanked Caraveo for her service and “gracious concession” and stated that he looked “forward to working with her and her team to transition this office over the next few months.”
“I am incredibly humbled to be chosen as the next Congressman for Colorado’s 8th. It is an honor to be entrusted with the job of representing you and your families, and I am ready to fight back for a better direction for all Coloradans,” Evans said.
The seat in the Centennial State was viewed as one of the most vulnerable for Democrats, with the Cook Political Report giving the district an “even” partisan voting index and rating the race as a “toss up.”
Caraveo won the seat in 2022, narrowly defeating Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer 48.4%-47.7%, and in 2020, the district voted for then-candidate Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump by 4.7%.
The seat was listed as a target for pickup by the National Republican Congressional Committee, and was part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s front-line program. Polls ahead of the election showed a tight race within the margin of error of various surveys.
The district has the largest Hispanic community of any of the state’s congressional districts, a demographic Republicans have gained ground with nationwide in recent elections.
News
WATCH: Biden Stumbles Multiple Times — Needs Assist from Jill — As He Struggles to Walk on Delaware Beach
President Joe Biden was spotted battling with the sand near his home in Delaware over the weekend as First Lady Jill Biden was slammed for not helping him.
The 81-year-old was seen struggling to make his way down Gordons Pond Trail in Rehoboth Beach near his home on Sunday as he took a walk.
Biden nearly faceplanted as he shuffled nervously over the hazardous terrain and appeared to nearly lose his footing completely, while his wife remained surefooted.
Reporters near by who recorded the scene could be heard gasping as he stumbled down the sands, seemingly anticipating that he was going to fall.
Social media users have since criticized Jill Biden for seemingly not offering her husband a helping hand.
One person posted: ‘Wouldn’t you think Jill could hold her husband’s hand or grab his arm for safety’s sake?’
Joe Biden’s latest opponent: Sand
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 10, 2024
Another added: ‘That’s just pathetic. Jill just doesn’t even care he’s about to eat sand at any moment.’
Someone else commented: ‘I would be ashamed of myself if this was my dad or husband and I didn’t just held is hand to help him out.
‘Everyone knows he is old and needs help, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Just help the guy.’
It comes after Biden announced that he would host President-elect Donald Trump in the White House on Wednesday.
Their encounter will be the first time the two have met since Biden’s disastrous debate performance in June which saw him bow out of the election.
Such a meeting is traditional between the outgoing and incoming presidents, but Trump did not host his successor following the 2020 election.
Biden said on Wednesday that he had spoken with Trump to congratulate him and ‘expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition’.
When asked over the weekend if Trump was a threat to democracy, Biden told reporters: ‘I’m going to see him on Wednesday’.
Biden also called Kamala Harris after her election defeat, and reportedly congratulated her on a ‘historic campaign.’
When Biden emerged from the White House to acknowledge Trump’s landslide win, many noted how he appeared with a large smile and was seemingly at ease despite the defeat.
In his address, he promised to work with Donald Trump to secure a peaceful transition and urged the country to come together an as he broke his silence on the election.
‘I will do my duty as president. I’ll fulfill my oath, and I will honor the Constitution. On January 20, we’ll have a peaceful transfer of power here in America,’ Biden said.
His display on the sand comes after Biden was forced to drop out of the election race over questions about his cognitive abilities.
The president has been left bitter after democratic kingmaker Nancy Pelosi helped orchestrate his campaign cancellation in mid-July.
Pelosi twisted the knife even further earlier this week by suggesting that Democrats should have gotten the opportunity to pick another candidate.
She said that had Biden dropped out earlier, the party she has led for decades would have had time to weigh up its options.
Civil war has since broke out against Biden and Harris’ teams for squandering $1 billion in donor cash on their campaign.
Democrats have been in disarray over how their sizable war chest was not able to ward off Trump, who spent a fraction of what they did.
Harris aides are saying it was Biden’s debate performance that led to the loss, while Biden staffers say the veep ran a terrible campaign.
Not only did their campaign end in disaster, but to add insult to injury the operation is reportedly in debt, Politico reports, to the tune of $20 million dollars.
President-elect Donald Trump offered Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) the role of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, according to a CNN report.
Stefanik was already considered to be at the top of Trump’s short list for the position, according to a report from earlier in the week.
One of Trump’s most vocal supporters, Stefanik was one of the runners-up to be Trump’s vice president.
She gained increased attention earlier this year for criticizing university presidents’ responses to antisemitism on college campuses following widespread anti-Israel protests across the country.
She is currently chairwoman of the House Republican Conference.
Stefanik just handily secured her reelection to represent New York’s 21st Congressional District earlier this week. Now that the seat will be vacated, a special election will be held to fill it. It would most likely go to another Republican, as the district is R+4, according to Cook Political Report.
Barack Obama is “nervous about his legacy” after President-elect Donald Trump’s historic victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, the former president’s biographer said.
“He has been and remains extremely concerned and nervous about his historical legacy,” said David Garrow, who wrote the 2017 biography, “Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama.” “That has certainly taken a big hit with Trump once again triumphing.”
“The conclusion for Democrats is that they’ve got to dispense with these people from the past, including Hillary Clinton too, and move to a new generation of figures who are not in the AOC club at all,” Garrow added.
Garrow cited Obama and his wife, Michelle, lecturing voters as they campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris, telling The Daily Mail, “People do not want to be talked down to, no matter who they are. … I thought it was tone-deaf and clueless for them to preach as they did. … I would expect that perception will be shared by lots of people. If so, I think it reduces their relevance to Bill Clinton territory.”
“Even before last night, I was of the quite strong belief that the tone and condescension with which both Barack and Michelle spoke, particularly towards black men, was self-defeating to the point of backfire,” Garrow posited.
On October 11, at a local Harris campaign office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Obama criticized black men for not displaying the same “energy and turnout” for Harris they showed when he ran.
“You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses,” Obama said. “I’ve got a problem with that, because part of it makes me think — I’m speaking to men directly — part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.”
Some black men took offense to Obama’s remarks.
During an October rally in Kalamazoo, Michelle Obama made similar remarks about men in general, saying she did not “expect any man to fully grasp how vulnerable” the election makes women feel.
“So fellas, before you cast your votes, ask yourself, what side of history do you want to be on? Now I recognize that there are a lot of angry disillusioned people out there upset with the slow pace of change,” Michelle Obama said. “So are you as men prepared to look into the eyes of the women and children you love and tell them that you supported this assault on our safety?”
“Certainly at the margins, I think they both harmed her,” Garrow said of the Obamas’ effect on Harris’s chances.
“He still has the celebrity factor of being an ex-president,” Garrow insisted, adding that he surmised the Obamas would “continue to hang out with celebrities and live on Martha’s Vineyard.”
Still, Garrow predicts Trump’s victory will change some things for the Obamas.
“I certainly expect them to be spending less time in Washington after early January,” he said.
An election conspiracy theory is spreading on social media alleging that billionaire Elon Musk hacked the 2024 election in favor of President-elect Donald Trump using his Starlink satellite internet company.
Left-wing conspiracy theorists allege that Starlink, a satellite constellation developed by Musk’s SpaceX designed to provide high-speed broadband internet across the globe, was connected to the voting machine supply chain.
A 9-minute TikTok video by the account @etheria77 states, for starters, that “California and other swing states were able to use Starlink in order to tally up and to count voting ballots in their state.”
The video was shared to X by the @AesPolitics1 account and now has been viewed over 1.6 million times as of Sunday morning.
“This woman just made the most convincing case for Biden to investigate the election. She exposes Starlink,” AesPolitics1 wrote in the X post above the video.
The @AnAct4Progress account, who has “Biden Harris & Harris Walz” in its X bio, attempted to back those claims by replying to the viral post, with a video of podcaster Joe Rogan explaining that Musk allegedly knew that Trump would defeat Vice President Kamala Harris “four hours before the election was called.”
Meanwhile, the conspiracy theories surrounding Starlink’s ability to hack the election in favor of Trump seem to fall flat.
According to the Associated Press last month, voting machines are, generally, not connected to the internet. With a few exceptions, however, there are some jurisdictions in a few states that permit ballot scanners to transmit unofficial results using a mobile private network after voting ends on Election Day, and after memory cards containing the vote tallies have been removed.
When an internet connection is necessary, election officials typically utilize private networks to reduce the risk of malicious activity. They also take additional measures to scan their systems for potential vulnerabilities and threats.
Chip Trowbridge, the chief technology officer of Clear Ballot, a voting system manufacturer tested and approved by the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC), told ABC News last month, “Those systems absolutely cannot have any network,” he said. “In fact, if you look at the machines from Clear Ballot, the only wire that comes out of them is a power cord.”
Trowbridge added that machines used to scan ballots at voting precincts aren’t capable of having any Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio or network connection at all.
In 2023, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems, a leading voting machine company, $787 million to settle a defamation lawsuit and avoid trial.
What Is Elon Musk’s Starlink?
Starlink is a satellite constellation developed by SpaceX and was designed to provide high-speed broadband internet, particularly in remote areas. Unlike traditional communication satellites placed in geostationary orbits (around 22,000 miles above Earth), Starlink satellites operate in low earth orbit, at about 342 miles above the ground. This lower altitude reduces latency (delay in data transmission across a network), allowing for faster communication speeds.
“Starlink is ideally suited for areas where connectivity has been unreliable or completely unavailable,” Starlink’s website says. “People across the globe are using Starlink to gain access to education, health services and even communications support during natural disasters.”
Areas where Starlink’s network is available can be seen in a map on its website. Most of North America, Western Europe and Australia are covered.
Trump had high praise for Musk, SpaceX and Starlink satellites in his election night victory speech.
Trump specifically lauded Starlink, describing how he discussed with Musk the satellites’ use in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s destruction in North Carolina and Hurricane Milton’s impacts across Florida.
This comes as Musk’s SpaceX made Starlink internet service free for people living in areas affected by the hurricanes across Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia—but only until the end of the year.
A Starlink receiver is required to access the Starlink network and costs $349. SpaceX reportedly distributed 10,000 receiver kits in the storm-hit areas.
“He had that there so fast. It was incredible,” Trump said. “So and it was great. It saved a lot of lives. He saved a lot of lives. But he’s a character. He’s a special guy. He’s a super genius. We have to protect our geniuses. We don’t have that many of them. We have to.”
How Many Satellites Does Starlink Have?
So far, 7,213 Starlink satellites have been launched into space, 6,554 of which are still in orbit, with 6,499 remaining functional, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who tracks the constellation on his website.
This means that Starlink makes up roughly half of all satellites in orbit around the Earth. As of September 20, there were 13,230 satellites in space, about 10,200 of which are still functioning, according to the European Space Agency.
SpaceX hopes to eventually have as many as 42,000 satellites orbiting around the Earth, in a mega-constellation.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and advised him not to escalate the Ukraine war, a source familiar with the conversation told Reuters on Sunday, as President Joe Biden plans to urge Trump not to abandon Kyiv.
Trump and Putin spoke in recent days, said the source. Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday. Trump has criticised the scale of U.S. military and financial support for Kyiv, vowing to end the war quickly, without saying how.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said it was not informed in advance of the call between Trump and Putin and subsequently could neither endorse or object to it.
“We do not comment on private calls between President Trump and other world leaders,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, when asked about the phone call, which was first reported by The Washington Post.
Republican Trump will take office on Jan. 20 after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 presidential election. Biden has invited Trump to come to the Oval Office on Wednesday, the White House said.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that Biden’s top message will be his commitment to ensure a peaceful transfer of power, and he will also talk to Trump about what’s happening in Europe, in Asia and the Middle East.
“President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe,” Sullivan told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” show.
Sullivan’s comments came as Ukraine attacked Moscow on Sunday with at least 34 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the beginning of the war.
When asked if Biden would ask Congress to pass legislation to authorize more funding for Ukraine, Sullivan deferred.
“I’m not here to put forward a specific legislative proposal. President Biden will make the case that we do need ongoing resources for Ukraine beyond the end of his term,” Sullivan said.
Ukraine Funding
Washington has provided tens of billions of dollars worth of U.S. military and economic aid to Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia in February of 2022, funding that Trump has repeatedly criticized and rallied against with other Republican lawmakers.
Trump insisted last year that Putin never would have invaded Ukraine if he had been in the White House at the time. He told Reuters Ukraine may have to cede territory to reach a peace agreement, something the Ukrainians reject and Biden has never suggested.
Zelenskiy said on Thursday he was not aware of any details of Trump’s plan to end the Ukraine war quickly and that he was convinced a rapid end would entail major concessions for Kyiv.
According to the Government Accountability Office, Congress appropriated over $174 billion to Ukraine under Biden. The pace of the aid is almost sure to drop under Trump with Republicans set to take control of the U.S. Senate with a 52-seat majority.
Control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the next Congress is not yet clear with some votes still being counted. Republicans have won 213 seats, according to Edison Research, just shy of the 218 needed for a majority. If Republicans win both chambers, it will mean the majority of Trump’s agenda will have a significantly easier time passing through Congress.
Republican U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty, a Trump ally who is considered a top contender for secretary of state, criticized U.S. funding for Ukraine in a CBS interview.
“The American people want sovereignty protected here in America before we spend our funds and resources protecting the sovereignty of another nation,” Hagerty said.
The 2-1/2-year-old war in Ukraine is entering what some officials say could be its final act after Moscow’s forces advanced at the fastest pace since the early days of the war.
Any fresh attempt to end the war is likely to involve peace talks of some kind, which have not been held since the early months of the war.
Moscow’s forces occupy around a fifth of Ukraine. Russia says the war cannot end until its claimed annexations are recognized. Kyiv demands all of its territory back, a position that has largely been supported by Western allies.
Following their success in securing a majority of Senate seats in the general election, the Republican Party is preparing to replace Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who is rushing to find his replacement after announcing he will step down at year’s end. The race has highlighted divisions within the party, with contenders including Senate Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota, Senator John Cornyn of Texas, and Florida Senator Rick Scott.
Thune and Cornyn are considered McConnell allies but have drawn ire from pro-Trump factions within the GOP, according to The Independent. Earlier this year, Donald Trump Jr. criticized both men, referring to them as “RINOs” (Republicans in name only) for their positions on foreign aid to Ukraine. In February, Trump Jr. posted, “Both of them also voted to send billions more to Ukraine. MAGA must do everything in our power to stop either of these two RINOs from ever becoming Senate Leader!”
RINO Senators John Thune & John Cornyn both want to replace Mitch McConnell, once he finally gets put out to pasture. Both of them also voted to send billions more to Ukraine. MAGA must do everything in our power to stop either of these two RINOs from ever becoming Senate Leader!
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 13, 2024
Cornyn has also faced criticism from President-elect Donald Trump for his role in negotiating bipartisan gun safety legislation under President Biden, which Trump described as “the first step in the movement to TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY.” The National Association for Gun Rights similarly denounced Cornyn, labeling him “the arch traitor” and vowing to oppose his leadership bid.
The arch traitor John Cornyn is being floated as the next Senate Majority Leader.
This absolutely cannot be allowed to happen.
All of the momentum we have gained for gun rights could hit a wall if the man who spearheaded the largest gun control bill in decades is in charge. pic.twitter.com/Rsqyjc6ire
— National Association for Gun Rights (@NatlGunRights) November 8, 2024
Tucker Carlson voiced strong opposition to McConnell’s influence, accusing him of orchestrating a “coup” against Trump’s agenda by scheduling early leadership elections in the Senate.
“What the hell is going on in the US Senate? Hours after Donald Trump wins the most conclusive mandate in 40 years, Mitch McConnell engineers a coup against his agenda by calling early leadership elections in the Senate,” Carlson posted on X. “Two of the three candidates hate Trump and what he ran on. One of them, John Cornyn, is an angry liberal whose politics are indistinguishable from Liz Cheney’s.”
“The election is Wednesday, it’s by secret ballot, and it will determine whether or not the new administration succeeds. Rick Scott of Florida is the only candidate who agrees with Donald Trump. Call your senator and demand a public endorsement of Rick Scott. Don’t let McConnell get away with it again,” Carlson added.
What the hell is going on in the US Senate? Hours after Donald Trump wins the most conclusive mandate in 40 years, Mitch McConnell engineers a coup against his agenda by calling early leadership elections in the senate. Two of the three candidates hate Trump and what he ran on.…
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) November 9, 2024
Rick Scott is viewed as a more favorable choice by the pro-Trump wing of the party. Scott has been endorsed by Senators Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, and Bill Hagerty. Trump has yet to weigh in on the race.
The leadership election is scheduled for November 13. Scott explained his candidacy in a post on Saturday where he said that the party needs “need dramatic change in Washington to upend the status quo & make sure President Trump’s agenda gets done.”
I am running for Senate Republican leader because I believe now is a moment we need dramatic change in Washington to upend the status quo & make sure President Trump’s agenda gets done.
Read the letter I wrote to my colleagues back in May👇 pic.twitter.com/B9TLGfESDu
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) November 9, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump made a multitude of “day one” promises throughout the campaign to begin work on an array of issues, setting himself up for an extremely busy first day back in office.
Many of his promises involve reinstating past Executive Orders that the Biden administration rescinded, and some entail advancing initiatives such as energy production. Others involve planning for a year-long anniversary celebration for the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Trump made headlines late last year during a Fox News forum with moderator Sean Hannity during which he promised that he would not abuse power or act as a dictator “except for day one.”
“We’re closing the border and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. Other than that I’m not gonna be a dictator,” he quipped. His opponents took his quip literally, but in either event Trump’s day one promises extend beyond those two key issues. Here’s a look at what his first day in office may look like.
‘Salute to America 250’
One of Trump’s first planned moves is a relatively lighthearted and apolitical effort to celebrate a key milestone in American history.
“On day one, I will convene a White House task force called ‘Salute to America 250,'” Trump declared this week. The task force will be responsible for organizing a year-long celebration to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.”
The celebration will run from Memorial Day 2025 to July 4, 2026 and include what he called the “Great American State Fair,” which will feature pavilions from each state in the Union. Trump also vowed to issue an Executive Order to build his planned garden of noteworthy Americans, which President Joe Biden canceled.
Mass deportations
A signature issue for Trump, the removal of illegal immigrants from the U.S. is expected to take priority. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has reported more than 10 million immigrant encounters under the Biden administration. Media outlets regularly cited an 11 million illegal immigrant figure prior to Trump’s first term and that the current number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. may exceed 20 million.
“On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program of criminals in American history,” Trump declared during a recent rally in Reading, Pa. “We’re going to get them out.”
He further cited Operation Wetback, a mass deportation effort during the Presidency of Dwight Eisenhower that removed millions of undocumented workers during the 1950s. That effort had the cooperation of the Mexican government, though it remains unclear whether Trump will be able to secure that nation’s help this time.
Mexican tariffs
To that end, he has planned a trade-based approach. During a recent rally, Trump promised he would demand that the President of Mexico work to shut down illegal border crossings or face a 25% tariff on all goods exported to the United States.
“I’m going to inform her one day, one or sooner that if they don’t stop this onslaught of criminals and drugs coming into our country, I’m going to immediately impose a 25% tariff on everything they send in to the United States of America,” he said at a rally in North Carolina earlier this month.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has often repeated his conversations with former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador during which he secured Mexico’s deployment of troops to secure the border through a similar trade-related threat.
Birthright citizenship
In May of last year, Trump promised to issue an Executive Order directing federal agencies to interpret federal law in a manner that would not grant birthright citizenship to the children of illegal aliens.
“As part of my plan to secure the border on day one… I will sign an Executive Order making clear to federal agencies that under the correct interpretation of the law, going forward the future children of illegal aliens will not receive automatic U.S. citizenship,” he vowed.
So-called “anchor babies” have been a longstanding issue in U.S. immigration policy and have complicated efforts to remove illegal immigrants whose children are considered U.S. citizens.
Migrant flights
Under the Biden administration, the Department of Homeland Security has admitted illegal immigrants through the CBP One App and organized flights for migrants from their home countries into the U.S. interior.
“On day one of my new administration, I will stop all migrant flights immediately. They should stop them tonight,” Trump said in late September.
Deregulation to lower costs
Inflation and economic issues stood at the forefront of voter concerns this election. Trump’s approach to lower prices is a mix of energy production, which he expects to result in lower costs across the board, and deregulation.
“On day one, I will sign an Executive Order directing every federal agency to immediately remove every single burdensome regulation driving up the cost of goods,” he promised at a late October rally.
Natural gas and electric vehicles
A proponent of both natural gas and traditional oil, Trump campaigned extensively on opening up American natural resources for cultivation, development, and sale. “On day one. I will end Kamala’s devastating natural gas export ban,” he promised in October. “Do you believe we have a ban? A lot of people don’t know that. I will immediately terminate the green new scam – the greatest scam in the history of any country.”
‘I will cancel her insane electric vehicle mandate. It’ll be ended on day one,” he added.
“On day one of my new administration, I will end Kamala’s war on Pennsylvania energy, and we will frack, frack and drill, baby drill, we’re going to drill,” he said at a Pennsylvania rally that same month.
Transgender issues/Critical Race Theory
On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly tackled transgender issues and Critical Race Theory, promising to end biological men from competing in women’s sports and to eliminate divisive social justice practices in schools and other institutions.
“On day one, I will sign an Executive Order banning schools from promoting critical race theory or transgender insanity,” he promised in October at a North Carolina event. “I will take historic action to defeat the toxic poison of gender ideology and reaffirm that God created two genders, male and female. I will keep men out of women’s sports. I will sign a law banning child sexual mutilation in all 50 states.”
“On day one, I will get critical race theory and transgender insanity the hell out of our US armed forces, we’re taking it out. Our warriors should be focused on defeating America’s enemies, not figuring out their genders,” he said in August.
The Deep State
Trump repeatedly clashed with executive branch personnel and has long insisted that unelected federal bureaucrats worked to subvert his initiatives from within the administration.
“I will immediately reissue my 2020 Executive Order restoring the president’s authority to remove rogue bureaucrats and I will wield that power very aggressively,” Trump promised in a policy video. “Second, we will clean out all of the corrupt actors in our national security and intelligence apparatus.”
He further vowed to end the weaponization of federal agencies for political purposes to prevent them from targeting conservative-leaning groups. “The departments and agencies that have been weaponized will be completely overhauled so that faceless bureaucrats will never again be able to target and persecute conservatives, Christians, and the left’s political enemies,” he said.
A teenager was killed and 16 other people injured when gunfire broke out at Tuskegee University’s homecoming early Sunday — with videos capturing the sound of bullets flying on the Alabama campus.
The dead victim – an 18-year-old man – was not a student, but several of the wounded were.
At least 12 people were hurt by the gunfire, while four more were otherwise injured, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Sunday afternoon.
No arrests have been announced.
The gunfire erupted just before 2 a.m. as the campus and streets were filled with students, faculty, alumni and parents while the festivities at the historically black university’s 100th homecoming wound down.
Shocking footage shared on social media captured volleys of shots ringing out in rapid succession across the dark campus, as people crouched for cover behind cars or lay flat on quad lawns.
The gunfire seemed to be coming from more than one weapon and sounded as if shooters were engaged in a firefight.
Police responded to a call of shots fired at 1200 West Montgomery Road, West Commons, one of the school’s apartment complexes.
Among those injured was a female student who was shot in the stomach and a male student who took a bullet to the arm, according to Tuskegee Police Chief Patrick Mardis.
“Some idiots started shooting,” Mardis told AL.com. “You couldn’t get the emergency vehicles in there, there were so many people there.”
#tuskegee #tuskegeeuniversity pic.twitter.com/lUYRgi7fN4
— alyssa (@alyssa70953495) November 10, 2024
The Alabama Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe into the shooting, while Monday classes have been canceled as police continue to check over the scene.
Tuskegee University is located about 39 miles east of Montgomery.
“It’s horrible,” said Mardis, the school’s former campus police chief. “I was always on pins and needles when I was there. You see it happen everywhere. It’s happened everywhere else but us.”
Roughly 47,300 people had filled Alumni Stadium, which has an official capacity of 10,000, for the university’s homecoming football game against Miles College hours before the deadly shooting.
Last year, four people were injured when a shooting broke out at an “unauthorized party,” at the West Commons, according to WSFA.
Whoever shorty is recording brave af. Them YNs got them buttons and they playing COD in real life at Tuskegee Homecoming .. My fit would’ve looked like I’m playing at a HS football game. pic.twitter.com/G7VqmZ7Oo8
— ❤️🩹 (@TheKomeUp_1004L) November 10, 2024
One student blamed the university officials for the safety issues that plagued the school and allowed visitors to freely enter without being checked,
“Them saying that the party was unauthorized to kind of switch the blame unto us, it’s crazy because even if it was an authorized party, with the security measures we have in place, the same thing could have happened,” Mechel Winters told the outlet.
“I just expected it to be a safe place because we are on campus, and there should be security measures in place,” she said.
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