This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Joe Biden and his entourage of family members have left the White House and Washington, D.C., for the next few days to spend them in St. Croix, the Virgin Islands.
It's at least the third time he's vacationed, since becoming president, at that location. But his vacation days have been numerous, according to a new report:
In fact, Fox News is reporting that he's been on vacation 570 days since becoming president, which would be about 40% of his entire tenure there.
A report at Econotimes said the numbers come from RNC Research and include "visits to his private residences in Delaware and trips to Camp David."
The numbers, in fact, have "ignited a fierce debate about how the president prioritizes his time amidst mounting challenges both at home and abroad," the report said.
It said, "Critics argue that the time spent away raises questions about Biden's commitment to leadership during a presidency marked by significant domestic and international crises."
Biden's supporters say his trips are "working retreats" where he is able to "Manage the nation's affairs while also balancing personal downtime."
Econotimes said Republican lawmakers are saying his days away are evidence "of a lack of focus on pressing issues such as inflation, the southern border crisis, and rising global tensions."
In fact, consumers have seen prices rise by more than 20% since Biden took office, millions of illegal aliens have flooded into the United States under Biden's open borders practice and multiple armed conflicts now are raging around the world, none of which was there when Biden took office.
In a landmark ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with Kevin Fair, allowing him to reclaim his home after it was taken over a $588 property tax debt.
Kevin Fair's long legal journey ended with a Supreme Court decision that deemed the loss of his Nebraska home over a minor tax debt unconstitutional.
Kevin Fair, together with his wife, has resided in their Scottsbluff, Nebraska home for nearly three decades. The couple had fully paid for their home, valued at $60,000, when they fell behind on a relatively modest property tax bill.
A Nebraska law allowed a private investor to pay off the unpaid $588 property tax bill and in return, take ownership of Fair's home. This drastic measure prompted Fair to challenge the law's fairness and constitutionality.
Taking his grievance to the highest court in the land, Fair contended that the law infringed upon his constitutional rights by punishing him excessively for a minor debt.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Fair, stating that the forceful takeover of his home for a small debt was unconstitutional, thus safeguarding personal property rights against excessive governmental actions.
The court's decision not only returned Fair to his rightful ownership but also set a significant legal precedent regarding property rights and state power limitations.
Senior attorney Christina Martin, representing Fair, shared her relief and the positive community reaction, noting, "He’s grateful and there’s already been a show of support."
Despite the legal win, Fair faced a severe health setback shortly after, suffering a stroke that has left him with significant mobility impairments.
To address his new health and financial needs, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched. Its goal is to help with necessary home modifications including a wheelchair ramp and to assist with his ongoing expenses.
Martin encourages public support for the campaign, emphasizing its importance in supporting Fair during his time of need: "If people want to thank Mr. Fair for defending the constitutional rights of all Nebraskans, they can visit the GoFundMe. Every dollar will count."
The GoFundMe campaign has seen a positive response, reflecting widespread appreciation for Fair's determination and his fight for homeowner rights under the law. This community support is helping to alleviate Fair's burdens as he adjusts to his health condition.
Reflecting on his predicament before the ruling, Fair remarked, "They stand to make the money, and I won’t have anything after living here for 25 years." This statement highlights the potential loss he faced over the tax dispute.
The resolve shown by Fair in his legal struggle highlights deep-seated issues within property law, emphasizing the need for balance between state authority and individual rights.
The Supreme Court's decision in Fair's case offers precedent for future cases and has broader implications for property tax laws and homeowner protections nationwide. This serves to limit excessive punishments for small debts and ensures greater fairness in the legal handling of property rights.
This landmark case underscores the judiciary's role in protecting individual rights against statutory overreach, establishing protections that extend beyond a single case to impact homeowners across the country.
As Fair continues to recover and adapt to life after his stroke, the ongoing community support through the GoFundMe campaign exemplifies the broader societal values of justice and mutual aid.
Bill Bergey, the former NFL linebacker known for his tough play with the 1970s Philadelphia Eagles, has died after a battle with jaw cancer. He was 79.
The South Dayton, New York native's death was announced by his son Jake Bergey.
"After a long hard 3 year battle, Dad lost his fight with Cancer," he wrote on X. "The best father, friend, grand father, football player and out right great person in this world. I will truly miss him. Love you dad."
Bergey played college football at Arkansas State before getting drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1969. His career reached new heights with the Eagles, where he recorded nearly 1,200 tackles and four of his five career Pro Bowls.
He helped the Eagles get to their first Super Bowl in 1981, under coach Dick Vermeil. The Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders in what proved to be Bergey's last game.
On the field, Bergey became known for a rugged blue-collar work ethic that won him respect across the league, the Eagles said in a tribute.
The Eagles Hall of Famer died "peacefully" with his family by his side on Christmas morning, the team said.
"We are saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Bergey. An Eagles all-time great, Bill was a legendary linebacker who gained the respect of players and coaches across the league for his blue-collar work ethic and hard-nosed play," said Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie.
"He was rightfully inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 1988. Bill exemplified what it meant to be an Eagle in every way, and proudly represented the team in the community well after his playing days were over. We will all miss him dearly and extend our deepest condolences to the entire Bergey family."
Bergey stayed close to Eagles fans as a color commentator after his retirement in 1981.
In a 2023 interview, Bergey said he took the most pride in knowing he always gave it his all.
"Personally, I think the thing that makes me the proudest is I know that I left everything on the field. I played as hard as I could all the time," he said.
"I wasn't one of those players that takes plays off or anything like that. I've had an awful lot of pats on the back and a lot of awards and all of that, but just knowing that I gave everything I had every play that I had, that's pretty rewarding."
Bergey is survived by his wife of 55 years, Micky, three sons – Jason, Jake, and Josh, 10 grandkids, and two siblings, Bruce and Sylvia.
South Africa is facing the potential loss of its trade privileges with the United States as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to shift foreign policy in a tough new direction.
Republicans in Congress are pressuring Trump to remove South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides trade benefits for eligible developing countries, Fox News reported.
South Africa's critics have called for a more transactional approach with the country, which has fostered close ties with American rivals such as China and Russia despite its official policy of "non-alignment."
South Africa was accused of trying to please China when it asked Taiwan to move its unofficial embassy out of Praetoria, the South African capital.
South Africa has meanwhile accused Israel of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) has enjoyed warm ties with Russia that date to the apartheid era.
On the trade front, South Africa is part of BRICS, an economic alliance including Russia and China that has pushed to challenge the U.S. dollar. The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, called Russia a "valued ally" at a BRICS summit in October.
"We continue to see Russia as a valued ally, as a valued friend who supported us right from the beginning, from the days of our struggle against apartheid," he said.
South Africa's moves have caused critics to label the country an emerging member of a new, anti-Western alliance with Russia, China, and Iran.
Republican Jim Risch (Id.), the incoming chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox News Digital, "I remain concerned about South Africa’s efforts to cozy up to Russia, China and Iran, including Iran’s terror proxies, and the impact this has on U.S. national security — a vital element in AGOA eligibility. The country’s foreign policy actions will remain a focus of my oversight efforts."
Criticism of South Africa has also come from Republicans destined for Trump's Cabinet, like Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fl.), Trump's nominee for Secretary of State.
“The South African government is making a grave mistake by caving to Beijing’s demands,” he wrote on X on 24 October. “South Africa should not fall victim to Communist China’s diplomatic bullying tactics.”
Currently, South Africa gets trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which allows South Africa to export duty-free items like oranges and cars to the U.S.
Trump is known for using extreme pressure against countries that take advantage of the United States, and ahead of his second term, he has threatened 100% tariffs against South Africa and other countries in BRICS if they attempt to create their own currency.
"We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy," Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump has issued similar tariff threats against Canada and Mexico, in part to force them to cooperate on controlling America's borders.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A departing member of Congress says one of the reasons she's leaving is that President-election Donald Trump "tried to kill me once."
Then Annie Kuster, a Democrat from New Hampshire, tried to walk back her outlandish claim.
Kuster chose not to seek re-election in 2024 and soon will be out of Congress, according to a report at the Daily Caller.
In comments made in both Roll Call and the Boston Globe, she said she's trying to set an example for colleagues who are in their 70s and 80s, but "stick around too long."
And then there is a part of it related to Donald Trump coming back, she explained. "I was one of the last members of Congress in the gallery on Jan. 6, and as it turns out, we have the security footage that shows it was only 30 seconds from when I was able to evacuate that the insurrectionists were in that hallway hunting for us with zip ties and bear mace and who knows what else.
"I just felt like, he tried to kill me once. I'm not available for it again."
She's been in Congress for six terms already.
But, the report noted, that in an interview with the Globe, Kuster was backtracking, suggesting her comment was "tongue-in-cheek."
"I've said somewhat facetiously, he tried to kill me once, I'm not available for that again," she claimed. "What we went through on Jan. 6 and his attempt to overthrow the government took a toll. That was that was really hard, and not just personally, but on my ability to work across the aisle."
Her claim that Trump was trying to "overthrow" the government lacks evidence, too, even though Democrats have claimed for years the riot events that day were an "insurrection."
A real overthrow attempt would include not only plans to remove present leaders, but take over the economy, the foreign policy, the military, the budgetary process and more, none of which Trump, who left the White House voluntarily to allow Joe Biden to move in, attempted.
The Daily Caller report explained Kuster "has consistently been a big fan of hyperbole regarding the protests at the Capitol in 2021."
Video released by her office showed "her and a pair of House Democrats on the third floor of the U.S. Capitol and three protesters wandering down the halls shortly thereafter. It was, she claimed, evidence of 'the threat that Donald Trump poses to our democracy going forward.'"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Middle East/Israel Morning Brief
Bethlehem's clergy says, 'We may face extinction'
Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ, marked a subdued Christmas, overshadowed by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the devastating local economy. For the second consecutive year, the city's Christian community faced a bleak holiday season, with rising fears about the survival of one of the world's oldest Christian populations.
Friar Ibrahim Faltas, vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, told The Media Line, "This has become an open-air prison. On top of the conflict in Gaza, people here have been struggling for 15 months without income, with restricted mobility, and no change in sight."
The Christian population of Bethlehem has plummeted precipitously since the Palestinian Authority took over its administration in 1995. In the intervening 29 years, the 85% majority Christian town is now between 7-12%.
The streets of Bethlehem reflected this despair. Palestinian scouts marched silently through the streets at noon, departing from the usual raucous brass band procession. At the end of the march, Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa addressed the crowd beside a picture of two Gazan children. "Despite the current suffering you are facing on every front, we stand with you. Do not surrender, do not be afraid, because you are the light in this darkness. This has to be the last Christmas like this," he declared.
Erdogan's son organizes massive protest, threatens to take over Jerusalem
It often seems to be the way with male rulers who have been the heads of their country's government for a good deal of time – their grown-up sons, looking to fulfill their more famous father's legacies, become involved with political machinations. It has happened with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and so too, it appears to have happened with his great rival, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
His son, Bilal, organized a massive rally in Istanbul the other day, whose title was, "Yesterday Hagia Sophia, today Umayyad Mosque, tomorrow Al-Aqsa."
This call to jihad is the latest in Turkey's history of Islamist imperialism, according to the GatewayPundit. Hagia Sophia was an eastern Orthodox Church that the Turks conquered and turned into a Mosque. The Umayyad Mosque is a Mosque in Syria recently captured by Turkish-backed Islamist forces. Al Aqsa refers to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem which apparently The Turks are threatening to conquer.
Syrian authorities say rebel groups have agreed to disband
Syria's rebel groups who fought to oust Bashar al-Assad have agreed to disband and merge into the defense ministry, according to the new administration, reported Semafor.
The groups will report to Murhaf Abu Qasra, the former military head of leading rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and will include army officers who defected from Assad's regime. Syria's leaders now face the "daunting" task of trying to avoid clashes between the different groups.
The move comes as mass protests in Damascus and elsewhere erupted Tuesday after a Christmas tree was deliberately set on fire. The demonstrators demanded that HTS protect religious freedoms, and the group said two foreign fighters were detained over the incident.
Hamas says list of hostages only possible once truce starts
The familiar story of claims and counter-claims about whether Hamas or Israel is responsible for the collapse of previous hostage negotiations is being repeated, as both sides declare the other is the impediment to a deal.
According to the Times of Israel, reports have emerged about Hamas' inability to provide a fulsome list of living hostages, because it says it is not in contact with all the groups or individuals holding them. It has stated the imposition of a truce would facilitate easier communication.
Ben Gvir prays peace of soldiers, hostages' release when he prayed on Temple Mount, Hamas calls to 'escalate clashes'
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Temple Mount on Thursday morning, the first day of Hanukkah, reported i24NEWS.
According to a statement from his office, the minister prayed for "the peace of soldiers, the return of hostages, both living and dead, and total victory in the war."
This visit, as his previous visits, immediately provoked a strong reaction from Mansour Abbas, chairman of the Ra'am party, who accused Ben Gvir of "desecrating the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque" and trying to "drag the Arab citizens of Israel into a confrontation with the state." Abbas also slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his responsibility in authorizing the visit.
An update to the story posted under i24NEWS' X handle is that Hamas has called on Muslims to "escalate attacks" as a response to Ben Gvir's visit.
A rare ceramic oil lamp dated to the late Roman period which bears images of items used in the Second Temple was discovered in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Thursday.
The Antiquities Authority explained that the lamp was a "unique find" and, judging by the soot marks on its nozzle, it was probably used about 1,700 years ago, reported the Jerusalem Post.
The symbols which decorate the lamp include a depiction of the menorah used in the Second Temple, an incense shovel, and lulav (the date palm branch used in Jewish ritual during Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles).
Lost ancient village described by Josephus, Jewish sources found in Galilee
Archaeologists working in Israel's Galilee determined they have found the remnants, including a synagogue, of small town close to Sepphoris, which both Jewish-Roman historian Josephus and other Jewish sources mentioned.
According to Haaretz, the town, which was developed sometime in the second century B.C. and finally abandoned in the third century A.D. was built with the express intention of serving the pottery needs of Sepphoris (Tzipori in Hebrew), and the wider Galilee.
"Ptolemy fell upon Asochis, a city of Galilee, and took it by force on the sabbath day: and there he took about ten thousand slaves, and a great deal of other prey." – Josephus Chapter 12, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XIII.
IDF eliminates several terrorists in Samaria operation
The IDF, ISA, and Israel Border Police concluded a two-day-long counterterrorism operation in the area of Tulkarem on Wednesday, which produced a number of positive results, reported Israel National News.
In a joint statement, the security forces said: "During the operation, IAF aircraft struck a number of armed terrorist cells on several different occasions. Additionally, IDF soldiers eliminated two additional terrorists during close-quarter encounters, dismantled dozens of improvised explosive devices hidden beneath roads , apprehended a number of suspects, and confiscated weapons."
Among the eliminated terrorists were: Qusai Amin Ibrahim Oqasha, a senior terrorist in the Tulkarem terrorist network, who replaced the terrorist Tarek Doush who was eliminated last week in a joint IDF and ISA aerial strike.
Invoking ancient Maccabee resistance, Netanyahu warns Houthi leaders
At a menorah-lighting ceremony on Wednesday evening in his office, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered words of warning to the Houthi chiefs.
"Today we are lighting the first candle of Chanukah to mark the victory of the Maccabees then, and also the victory of the Maccabees of today," said Netanyahu.
"Like then, we are striking at our enemies…. The Houthis will also learn what Hamas, Hezbollah, the Assad regime and others have learned, and this will also take time. This lesson will be learned across the Middle East," he added.
A day earlier, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz had delivered a similar message saying the IDF would target the Houthi leaders.
The warnings came after the Houthi fired five ballistic missiles at Israel in a seven-day period.
IDF unveils massive Hezbollah weapons cache
The IDF revealed for the first time the massive arsenal seized from Hezbollah's Radwan Forces in the border area with Lebanon, reported Ynet.
Nearly a month after the northern ceasefire began, the IDF on Wednesday showcased the significant collection of weapons and equipment Hezbollah had prepared for a large-scale invasion of Israel. The plan, described as far deadlier and more extensive than the Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel, was thwarted during IDF ground operations.
IDF forces confiscated at least 85,000 weapons and intelligence items, with additional findings still being uncovered along the Lebanon border. Tens of thousands of other pieces of weaponry were destroyed in Lebanon but could not be retrieved due to logistical reasons.
Hezbollah's weapons are sourced mostly from Russia and Iran, although some are locally produced.
Will Trump's re-entrance to the WH allow IDF to 'open gates of hell' on Hamas?
An article in Thursday's IsraelHayom posits that President-elect Donald Trump's reentry into the White House might enable Israel and the IDF to remove the shackles outgoing President Joe Biden and his administration has placed on them.
Some senior Israeli officials have reportedly stated that starting Jan. 20, 2025, "it will be possible to take additional actions in Gaza." The prevailing impression in Israel is that Trump does not particularly care what measures Israel employs in the Gaza Strip. He has two clear objectives: the release of the hostages and an Israeli victory to conclude the war. The methods to achieve these aims appear irrelevant to him.
In Jerusalem, as well as in the Kirya (IDF HQ) in Tel Aviv, preparations for the Trump era are being kept under strict secrecy. When that moment arrives, if no deal has been reached by then, Israel is expected to reset the rules of engagement against Hamas.
What actions could Israel take that are currently off the table? According to a source, humanitarian aid that the outgoing administration insisted Israel deliver to Gaza will no longer matter to Trump. Reducing such aid, or taking full control over what enters the strip, could worsen Hamas's situation and increase pressure on the organization to release the hostages.
Another critical aspect is armaments. Trump has pledged to release all the weapons shipments currently delayed under Biden on his first day in office. Once the delayed bombs and shells arrive, the IDF will have the means to expand its military operations significantly.
Ministry of Health report highlights released hostages brutal treatment at hands of Hamas
A draft Ministry of Health report, which is based on testimonies from hostages who were released or rescued from Gaza, describes the horrific conditions in which their captors kept them. It also highlights the ongoing consequences, reported Ynet.
"It contains materials that tell the story of those who returned from captivity over the past year, some in the major return operation in the last week of November 2023, and some in other cases of rescue," a senior official at the Health Ministry said of the report. The Health Ministry was careful to word the information provided in the report in a way that would prevent identification of the freed hostage and there is no mention of ages or family composition.
The senior official at the Health Ministry added that the report "includes information that the returning hostages did not share in the first weeks after returning home. As time passed, they allowed themselves to share more. It describes many aspects of neglect, torture, humiliation, and physical and mental abuse."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The green ideology that has swept around the globe since activists claimed there was global cooling, then global warming and now "climate change" has generated a list of new words for everyday use, such as "carbon footprint," meaning the amount of energy from fossil fuels that a person uses.
And now a study has concluded that those carbon footprints are bigger for people who own electric vehicles to try to reduce their carbon footprint.
But it's not necessarily because of their choice of vehicle alone, it's because they are wealthy and live lives that demand more energy and more energy consumption, according to a new report at Slay News.
The report explained scientists at the University of Turku, in Finland, discovered that on average, drivers with EVs "have a larger 'carbon footprint' those drivers who own gas or diesel cars."
"Electric cars have become the ultimate status symbol for 'woke' celebrities and those claiming to be 'saving the planet' from 'climate change,'" the report said. "However, scientists now say that buying an expensive electric vehicle (EV) is actually doing more harm to the environment than helping it."
The study results, in the journal PLOS Climate, confirmed that while EV owners may have vehicles that "produce lower emissions," their "more ostentatious lifestyles mean they contribute more to 'global warming' overall." EVs typically 20%, even 40%, more than similar vehicles powered by gas or diesel.
The results came from the study done by Nils Sandman, Elisa Sahari, and Aki Koponen.
Their study found that owners of performance EVs on average contributed 10.2 tons of carbon dioxide per year to the so-called "climate change" measurements. Those with gas or diesel vehicles were contributing 8.04 tons. Even the "average" EV owners contributed 8.66 tons.
The study looked at the lives of some 4,000 residents of Finland.
"The participants also provided answers about their housing, transport, and purchasing habits which scientists used to estimate their 'carbon footprint,'" the report said.
Slay News reported, "The researchers also noticed that there was a big difference between the two types of EV owners. EV owners who said they were most concerned with the economy and reliability of their cars produced much less pollution – contributing just 7.59 tonnes per year. Owners who said they were more concerned about their car's performance on the other hand were significantly more polluting than any other group."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Archaeologists in Jerusalem revealed an exciting find Thursday, as the Israel Antiquities Authority published images of a dig on the Mount of Olives in which a 4th century A.D oil lamp with intricate decorations was found.
The images delicately "pressed into limestone moulds," according to IAA research archaeologist, Benjamin Storchan, include the Temple menorah, an incense shovel, as well as a lulav or palm frond, waved during the Sukkot or Feast of Tabernacles holiday.
"This unique find, which, judging by the soot marks on its nozzle, was used for lighting about 1,700 years ago, provides a fascinating glimpse into Jewish cultural and religious life during this period," a statement from the Israel Antiquities Authority read.
Michael Chernin, excavation director on behalf of the IAA, said the "exquisite artistic workmanship of the lamp, which was found complete, makes it an outstanding and extremely rare example. The menorah, incense shovel and lulav are symbols associated with the Jewish connection to the Temple. This finding is particularly surprising, since, we have very little evidence of the existence of a Jewish settlement in and around Jerusalem from this period. After the Roman emperor Hadrian suppressed the Bar Kochba rebellion in 135 CE, Jews were expelled from the city. The Mount of Olives lamp is one of the few material traces of a Jewish presence around Jerusalem in the 3rd-5th centuries CE."
The Romans infamously destroyed the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., following a several-year rebellion during the first Jewish-Roman war. Jews were expelled from Jerusalem, which Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed Aelia Capitolina, sparking the second Jewish revolt against the Romans. Therefore, "the Mount of Olives lamp is one of the few material traces of a Jewish presence around Jerusalem in the 3rd-5th centuries CE," Chernin said.
"This unique oil lamp, which in an exciting manner bears the symbols of the Temple, connects the lights of the past with the Chanukah holiday of today, and expresses the deep and long-standing connection of the nation of Israel to its heritage and to the Temple's memory," Minister of Heritage Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu said in a statement.
For those familiar with the Hanukkah story, one of the best-known parts of it is the miracle of the olive oil used to light the menorah in the Temple lasting for eight days of use, when it appeared its volume was only enough for one.
Congress could be thrown into turmoil at the beginning of the new year as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faces a Republican mutiny.
Johnson's vulnerability was exposed during last week's spending battle, which left many Republicans angry and President-elect Trump, who has long supported him, voicing doubt over Johnson's future ahead of a January 3 vote.
The list of hypothetical successors, if Johnson loses re-election, ranges from political outsiders like Elon Musk to traditional House Republicans like Tom Emmer (Mn.)
For 13 months, Johnson has kept a tenuous hold on his position with support from Trump, but the president-elect wavered last week as Johnson scrambled to renegotiate a bloated spending bill that many Republicans opposed.
In an apparent warning shot, Trump said Johnson would "easily" win another term as Speaker if he passed a spending bill satisfactory to Trump.
After days of scrambling, Johnson ultimately secured an agreement to fund the government for another three months, without meeting Trump's demands to raise the debt limit.
Trump has so far remained quiet ahead of the Speaker vote on January 3, when the next Congress is sworn in - and some Republicans have expressed doubts Johnson will survive.
His predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, was just months into his job when he was sacked in a Republican mutiny triggered by disputes over spending.
Over the course of three weeks, Republicans went through three different failed candidates before rallying behind Johnson.
Some of the Republicans who may wish to succeed Johnson include pro-Trump stalwart Jim Jordan (R-Oh.), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Mn.), who both ran unsuccessfully in the scramble to replace McCarthy last year.
Emmer is the more conventional pick, but he lacks critical support from Trump, who sank Emmer's Speaker bid last year while calling him a "globalist RINO."
Some Republicans have voiced support for Elon Musk to become Speaker, and indeed, Musk is already wielding some influence as a member of Trump's circle. The Tesla CEO played a role, along with Trump, in sinking Johnson's original 1,500-page spending bill last week.
Despite misgivings many Republicans have about Johnson's leadership, some are urging Trump to support him to avoid a protracted Speaker battle that could derail the start of Trump's second term.
"To ensure President Trump can take office and hit the ground running on Jan. 20, we must be able to certify the 2024 election on Jan. 6. However, without a speaker, we cannot complete this process," Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
What could go wrong with a public vote to change a state law, and ban slavery within its borders?
Colorado could explain. Officials now are in a legal fight over their practices that force prison inmates to work, because of the law change.
A report from Westword explains two Colorado inmates brought the case in 2022 after voters approved Amendment A, a 2018 ballot measure that eliminated a provision in the state constitution allowing "slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime … in all circumstances."
They argued that prevents the state from forcing prisoners to work under threat of losing privileges, being placed in isolation or adding time to their sentence, and now those allegations are part of a class action case against the state.
That ruling was from Denver District Court Judge Sarah B. Wallace, who said the case launched by Richard Lilgerose and Harold Mortis will continue.
Wallce approved class-action status for the case, which means that any number of additional plaintiff-class individuals could benefit. That class includes "all people incarcerated by the State of Colorado who are now, or will in the future be subjected to mandatory work policies and practices of the Colorado Department of Corrections."
Valerie Collins, a lawyer working on the case, said, "It's huge. The lawsuit itself is the first in this kind of procedural case where a state has gotten rid of the exemption clause."
She noted other states have adopted language similar to Colorado's: Alabama, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Tennessee and Vermont.
Democrat Gov. Jared Polis has shown no inclination to back down.
"The state and the Polis administration have continued to fight against this case for years," explained David Seligman, a spokesman for Towards Justice. "That's why the court certifying the class action represents a really important step for the litigation."
The change had been pushed by a group called Abolish Slavery Colorado, and organizer Jumoke Emery said, "However we feel about the criminal justice system, whether we feel like it's doing a great job or a bad job, we don't want our criminal justice system to be slavery."
The amendment itself said it was not intended to "withdraw legitimate opportunities to work for individuals who have been convicted," but that it was instead to "prohibit compulsory labor from such individuals."
The report explains Mortis, recovering from COVID-19, was ordered to start working eight-hour shifts in a prison kitchen, and was told he could be removed from the "incentive-living program" if he didn't comply. Eventually he did.
Lilgerose, also still was recovering from COVID when he was ordered into a food-services job. He lost earned time when he stopped working.
Wallace pointed out that inmates were "being held in their cells more than twenty hours a day for failing to work" and noted state rules that confirm inmates can be "moved to a higher security prison or higher security area within their current facility because he or she refuses to work."