A former Republican senator from Wisconsin, George Petak, has died at the age of 75.
Petak, who served in the state senate from 1991 to 1996, is mostly known for passing a controversial tax to build the ballpark used by the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. He paid a price for the vote, as he was recalled from his seat by angry constituents.
The Republican died on Christmas Eve from cancer, his son Brian said.
"Today is the 53rd anniversary of Dad's surrendering his life to Jesus on Christmas Eve 1971. He went home to be with him on Christmas Eve 2024," Petak's son, Rev. Brian Petak, of Monument, Colorado, wrote on Facebook.
In 1995, Petak cast the most critical vote of his career when he broke the tie on a .1% sales tax increase to pay for Miller Park, known today as American Family Field.
The next year, he lost his seat in a recall vote. The tax raised $600 million before it expired in 2020.
Petak always stood by his vote, even though it cost him his seat in the Senate.
"I did what I thought was in the best interests of the state and have been viewed as both a traitor and hero, all in the same breath, actually," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"I'm as convinced as I ever have been that losing major league baseball would be a devastating blow to the economy and the quality of life that a major league franchise brings to southeast Wisconsin," he said. "None of that has changed. That has been my sentiment all along."
Former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig paid tribute, calling Petak an unsung hero of baseball.
Without him, Wisconsin would not have the Brewers, he said.
"I was saddened to hear of the passing of George Petak. I spoke to George a couple of weeks ago and I think all of us should remember that he was a great hero in Milwaukee and Wisconsin," Selig said in a statement.
"As so often happens, heroes have to pay a tough price, but he was willing to do so. So in the coming years when you enter American Family Field and think of the Brewers, remember George played a vital and very important part of keeping the Brewers in Wisconsin. He was in my mind always a true Milwaukee and Wisconsin hero," Selig said.
Former President Bill Clinton is out of the hospital after a brief health scare just before Christmas.
The 78-year-old was discharged on Christmas Eve from a hospital in Washington D.C. after treatment for the flu.
"President Clinton was discharged earlier today after being treated for the flu," his spokesperson, Angel Urena wrote in a post on X. "He and his family are deeply grateful for the exceptional care provided by the team at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and are touched by the kind messages and well wishes he received. He sends his warmest wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season to all."
The former president was admitted Monday to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington for testing after he came down with a fever.
President Clinton was discharged earlier today after being treated for the flu. He and his family are deeply grateful for the exceptional care provided by the team at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and are touched by the kind messages and well wishes he received. He sends… https://t.co/URiITiMqF8
— Angel Ureña (@angelurena) December 24, 2024
The incident comes three years after Clinton was hospitalized for an infection that entered his bloodstream. He spent six days in the hospital before being released.
Clinton has also had some heart issues in recent years, leading to him getting a quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 at the age of 58. He later had stents placed to open up a coronary blockage.
Once famous for his love of a good hamburger, Clinton now eats a vegan diet.
Clinton hit the campaign trial in the fall for Kamala Harris, who lost the presidential election to Donald Trump in a historic wipeout for the Democrats.
The results have left the party adrift, with many arguing the Dems took a wrong turn by rejecting the political centrism that Clinton - a charismatic, two-term president - championed in the 1990s.
Now 78, the former Democratic president has a frail appearance but is in good shape mentally.
Clinton's new memoir, Citizen: My Life After the White House, addresses some of his biggest controversies through the years, including his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and the Monica Lewinsky affair.
“He hurt a lot of people, but I knew nothing about it, and by the time he was first arrested in 2005, I had stopped contact with him. I’ve never visited his island,” Clinton wrote of Epstein.
“I wish I had never met him,” he added.
On New Year's Eve, the longest-serving justice in Texas Supreme Court history will enter retirement.
Nathan Hect, 75, has served on the bench since 1989 and as chief justice since 2014, the Texas Tribune reported. It now falls to Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, to choose his replacement.
While Hecht won another six-year term as chief justice in 2020, the state's constitution requires him to step down because of his age.
When Hecht first won election to the top court in 1988, the bench was still dominated by Democrats. A series of corruption scandals helped propel Hecht to victory against his Democratic opponent, who had been the subject of a 60 Minutes expose on his cozy ties with lawyers arguing in his court.
“Party politics were changing in the state at the same time, but the broader issue on our court at the time was to ensure that judges were following the law,” Hecht told the Texas Tribune in a retirement interview. “That was a driving issue.”
By the early 2000s, Hecht had become known for his staunchly conservative and pro-life views, leading critics to label him an intellectual leader of the "right-wing fringe" in Texas' courts.
But Hecht never saw his work as political. He prioritized reforms to court administration and procedure, especially to help poor people gain equal access to the justice system.
“Some people call it the justice gap. I call it the justice chasm,” Hecht said. “Because it’s just a huge gulf between the people that need legal help and the ability to provide it.”
In 2005, Hecht gained national attention for participating in a blitz of media interviews in support of his friend, Harriet Miers, who was nominated to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court by President George W. Bush. Hecht's advocacy led to a lengthy legal battle that ended with him paying a $1,000 fine in 2016.
By 2013, Hecht had been planning to retire, but the outgoing chief justice encouraged him to seek the position.
“He wanted me to consider being his successor,” Hecht said. “So I did, and here I am. I didn’t say, ‘Let's spend 43 years on the bench,’ but one thing led to another.”
While others have used the court as a springboard for political careers - Gov. Abbott is a former Supreme Court Justice, for example - Hecht is content with the work that he accomplished on the state court, especially for the poor and disadvantaged.
"No judge wants to give his life's energy to a work that mocks the justice that he's trying to provide,” he said. “For the judiciary, this is an important issue, because when the promise of equal justice under law is denied because you're too poor, there's no such thing as equal justice under the law.”
President-elect Donald Trump has been praised for his hardline approach to rebuilding America's military into what it was under his first watch -- more focused on warfighting preparedness rather than diversity initiatives.
Part of that approach involved the potential firing of some of the military's top leaders and commanders, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
However, according to Newsmax, NBC News reported that a conversation between Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the current JCS chairman, might have changed the president-elect's mind as far as firing him when he enters the White House in January.
The two men met during the second quarter of Saturday's Army-Navy football game in Landover, Maryland, where they reportedly had a good chat in the owner's box for about 20 minutes, sources revealed.
Until the meeting, it appeared that Gen. Brown was definitely on the chopping block as soon as Trump takes over the White House on Jan. 20.
NBC News noted that it was reported that Trump has changed "his tone" on firing Brown right away, meaning he could still serve out his stint as the Joint Chiefs chairman.
An NBC source reportedly told the outlet that during the game, Brown "congratulated Trump on his election and made it clear he was ready to work with the president."
Trump reportedly liked what Brown had to say.
Reuters had reported last month that Brown was slated to be one of the first top military commanders to receive his walking orders.
Newsmax noted:
Brown has served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since October 2023, when he replaced Gen. Mark Milley. His four-year term is due to expire in 2027.
Earlier this month, it was reported military leaders are rattled by a list of "woke" senior officers that a conservative group urged Trump's Defense Department nominee, Pete Hegseth, to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon.
Brown definitely has powerful friends that wield some level of influence over Trump's decisions, including retired Air Force Gen. Terrence "T.J." O'Shaughnessy, who works with Elon Musk.
The retired general is one of several military commanders who have advocated for Trump to retain Brown during the upcoming transfer of power. Brown reportedly met with the Trump transition team this week.
"The chairman is actively supporting the transition team and the process," a defense official told the outlet. "He is focused on ensuring that the president-elect and folks on his national security team are well-informed about both existing and potential threats."
Only time will tell if Trump decides to keep him, but if he does, undoubtedly his mission within the military will drastically change.
Reporters took notice on Friday when Vice President Kamala Harris, who was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles , canceled her trip and opted to stay in Washington D.C.
According to Newsweek, several journalists reported that the vice president suddenly canceled her trip to California, which came at roughly the same time President Joe Biden canceled his trip to Delaware.
Speculation as to why the two canceled their planned trips was rampant when the news broke, with some suggesting that it had to do with the looming partial government shutdown.
A fight over a spending bill in Congress caused many to cancel their plans and prepare to dig in as both sides entered negotiations after several previous versions of the bill were shot down.
It's still unclear as to why Harris canceled her plans, and the White House has been tight-lipped according to Newsweek, with no comment returned on questions about the situation.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH KAMMY AND JOE.
Kamala abruptly cancels her planned trip to California and races back to the White House, per reporters. Biden also just suddenly returned to DC, after he was expected to stay in Delaware until after Christmas.pic.twitter.com/1af9xrIeXT
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) December 20, 2024
Newsweek noted:
There were no public details outlining the reason for Harris' trip, but it was speculated that she may have been intending to spend time at her home in Brentwood.
It also remains unclear whether her decision to return to Washington D.C. was tied to the looming threat of a partial government shutdown as Congress struggles to reach an agreement on a funding bill.
Other theories emerged regarding her cancellation, including a bombshell report from the Daily Mail that indicated it could have been a result of reports that Biden was in poor health.
The Daily Mail report went on to say that her cancellation was likely due to the spending bill fight, given that she would hold a tie-breaking vote in the Senate if it came to that.
Luckily, a bill was finally passed in the House and in the Senate, and was sent to Biden's desk for a signature.
Still, social media users weighed in on Harris' canceled trip, many of them mocking the vice president.
"They forgot they planned a weekend false flag event & needed to be near the situation room," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Must be time to bemoan the closing of the Government. I love that they finally show up to work as it's closing."
Who knows what the real reason was, thought we'll probably never find out anyway.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) backed out of an event with Donald Trump on Friday as Congress scrambled to pass a spending bill to stop a government shutdown.
Johnson had been scheduled to appear at a Turning Point USA event Friday with Trump and Tucker Carlson, but Johnson's plans were changed by the spending fight, which has placed Johnson's job in jeopardy.
After three days of legislative drama, Johnson passed a bill Friday to keep the government open - but the bill importantly did not include Trump's demands to raise the debt limit.
Earlier in the week, Trump had killed Johnson's first spending bill, a bloated 1,500-page compromise with Democrats that sparked ire from the right while raising doubts about Johnson's future. Trump urged Johnson to get a better deal, which Trump said must include a suspension of the debt limit.
Trump wants the debt limit resolved now, rather than later, as it could give Democrats future leverage during Trump's first months back in office.
Throughout the week, Trump made it clear that he would prefer to shut down the government, arguing President Biden would get the blame, rather than compromise on a bad deal with Democrats.
But the bill that Johnson blessed hours before midnight Friday would keep the government open, without satisfying Trump's debt limit demands.
Trump gave his seal of approval Thursday to a second version of the bill, which would have suspended the debt limit until January 2027. But Democrats and 38 House Republicans rejected the legislation, defying Trump.
Many of the Republicans who voted "no" on Trump's bill were hard-right deficit hawks, like Chip Roy (R-Tx.), who have long caused headaches for Johnson and who triggered the removal of his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, over similar spending disputes.
The final deal passed 366-34 and funds the government until March, with $100 billion in disaster aid for hurricane victims and $10 billion for farmers. While smaller than Johnson's original bill, it does not include the debt limit suspension that Trump wanted.
Johnson's handling of the spending battle has damaged his standing among Republicans and Trump, who appeared to send a warning to the embattled Speaker Thursday.
"If the speaker acts decisively, and tough, and gets rid of all of the traps being set by the Democrats, which will economically and, in other ways, destroy our country, he will easily remain speaker," Trump told Fox News Digital.
Real Clear Politics’ Philip Wegmann reported Thursday that Johnson backed out of an appearance at Turning Point USA's AmFest in Arizona, where Trump is giving the headliner speech on Sunday.
With Johnson now defying Trump's wishes in the open, the president-elect could turn on the Speaker, who he has long supported, ahead of Johnson's January 3 re-election vote.
After the spending deal passed Friday, Johnson claimed that he was in touch with Trump and that he approved of the outcome.
"He knew exactly what we were doing and why," Johnson said. "I think he certainly is happy about this outcome as well."
The father of JonBenet Ramsey received a letter from a woman who says her ex-husband killed the child beauty queen, as a new Netflix series brings new interest in the cold case.
"Based on all this publicity, recently I got a letter from a lady saying, 'My ex-husband's the killer, and I've kept this inside for as long as I can – please, please call me," John Ramsey told the Daily Mail.
In a devastating twist, the woman has not answered back after John Ramsey, who is now 81, called her to follow up.
"We reached out to her, but she didn't answer the phone, so I don't know. We've shared at this point with a private investigator," he said.
It was John Ramsey who found his daughter dead in the basement of their home on the day after Christmas in 1996. The girl had been strangled, sexually assaulted and crushed in the head.
From the case's inception, a cloud of suspicion has hung over the Ramsey family, who quickly became the prime suspects in the eyes of police and the media. John's wife, Patsey, died of ovarian cancer in 2006, leaving John to advocate for JonBenet and clear the family name.
John told the Daily Mail that solving the case won't change his life at this stage, "but it'll change my children's lives, my grandchildren's lives."
"They need to have this cloud removed, clarified, and an answer. That's why we're pushing so hard to get an answer."
Public interest in the case has been renewed by the Netflix series Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey, which focuses on police errors, sensational media coverage targeting the Ramseys and the possibility of an intruder being responsible.
The final episode in the three-part series focuses heavily on John Mark Karr, a pedophile and teacher who was extradited from Thailand after he claimed to kill JonBenet. His DNA did not match the crime, however, and graphic details that he shared of the murder were not consistent with the evidence.
Because of past confessions that turned out to be false, John Ramsey is guarded about new leads like the letter he just received - but he maintains that new DNA analysis techniques can help find the culprit.
"Bureaucrats, politicians, are impacted by public pressure bigtime, and we sense that that's happening" with the Netflix series, he said.
The Boulder Police have denied obstructing the investigation.
"We are committed to following up on every lead and we are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved," the police said in a recent update.
A beloved Tucson, Arizona news anchor has passed away at the young age of 28.
Local CBS affiliate KOLD News 13 announced that morning news anchor Ana Orsini died from a brain aneurysm, leaving colleagues and family shattered.
The up-and-coming journalist, who was known for her joyful personality and love of her rescue dog Harley, had been with the station since June 2023.
The Denver native had studied at the University of Arizona before completing her degree in journalism at Texas A&M in 2018, she wrote in her station biography.
She launched her career in Lubbock, Texas and also worked for a station in Medford, Oregon before moving back to Arizona.
“The 13 News Family is saddened to report the passing of our beloved friend and co-anchor Ana Orsini,” the KOLD team shared on Tuesday.
Her colleague Carsyn Currier could not hold back tears as she broke the tragic news to viewers Monday with her co-anchor Tyler Butler, who grabbed Currier's hand in consolation.
"Our beloved friend and co-anchor Ana Orsini passed away unexpectedly last week," Butler began.
"Ana had been here at 13 News since June of 2023", Currier added. "We are devastated by this loss."
"We had the opportunity to work with every day and we do want you to know that what you saw with her on-air, the funny, crazy person she was - she was just like that off camera and more so," Butler added.
Last week, we lost a beloved member of our KOLD news team. Ana Orsini was our anchor, a leader of the morning team, and most importantly a great friend to so many at the station. I had the pleasure of working with her during the morning, even though it was for too short of a… pic.twitter.com/oau04UsS9h
— Cory Kowitz (@cory_kowitz) December 16, 2024
Tributes for Orsini have continued to pour in.
“We lost a beloved member of our KOLD news team. Ana Orsini was our anchor, a leader of the morning team, and most importantly a great friend to so many at the station,” co-anchor Cory Kowitz wrote on social media.
“I had the pleasure of working with her during the morning,” Kowitz added. “Rest in peace Ana.”
In a touching post, Currier said that Orsini made getting up early for work a pleasure.
"Ana was unlike anyone I've ever met — beautiful, talented, hilarious, and completely genuine," Currier wrote.
"She made everyone feel special, heard, and understood. Waking up early for work was easier knowing she'd be there. She was an amazing friend, a devoted daughter and sister, and the best dog mom to her beloved Harley. I promise to keep living fully in her honor. Rest in peace, sister."
Once seen as a rising star of the left, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in serious political jeopardy after the resignation of his top deputy, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
The shocking news resonated across Canada's border with America, as President-elect Trump celebrated the development in a sarcastic post. Trump has made no secret of his dislike for Freeland, who renegotiated NAFTA with the first Trump administration.
"The Great State of Canada is stunned as the Finance Minister resigns, or was fired, from her position by Governor Justin Trudeau. Her behavior was totally toxic, and not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada. She will not be missed!!!" Trump wrote.
In her resignation letter, Freeland criticized Trudeau's response to Trump's "extremely serious" threats to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian imports. Trudeau scrambled to Mar-A-Lago last month for dinner with Trump and took a picture with him.
Freeland criticized Trudeau for responding to Trump's threats with "costly political gimmicks" like a tax holiday to help Canadians deal with inflation. Freeland said Canada must keep its "fiscal powder dry" for a protracted trade war with the United States.
"For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada," Freeland wrote.
“Our country is facing a grave challenge,” Freeland said in her letter. “That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war.”
Trudeau has replaced Freeland with Dominic LeBlanc, a close ally who joined Trudeau for dinner at Mar-A-Lago last month.
Freeland's resignation is a shocking blow to Trudeau, who had long counted her as one of his closest supporters.
But the prime minister's political star has dimmed as Canadians simmer over a housing crisis worsened by high immigration rates. The crisis has challenged Trudeau's image as an immigrant-friendly liberal, as even he has admitted Canada needs to tighten its borders.
But the about face may be coming too late, with many seeing Freeland's resignation as a bad omen for Trudeau and his tenuous hold on power.
Trump has belittled Trudeau's embattled position, recently labeling him the governor of the 51st American state. If Trudeau is not forced to resign soon, he is facing a widely anticipated shellacking in an election next year.
Two Massachusetts men have been arrested for flying drones "dangerously close" to Boston's Logan Airport.
Robert Duffy, 42, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, were charged with trespassing Saturday night, and they could face additional charges, Boston Police said in a press release.
The suspects attempted to flee when police confronted them on Long Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands. Police are looking for a third suspect who escaped the island in a small vessel.
A Boston Police officer detected the drone near Boston's airport around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Using advanced technology, he identified the operators' position on Long Island, where police found three men inside the decommissioned Long Island Health Campus.
"Upon attempting to make contact, the suspects fled on foot. Two of the three individuals were apprehended and identified as Duffy and Folcik. During the investigation, a drone was discovered inside a backpack carried by Duffy," police said.
The police coordinated with state and federal departments including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS.)
"The Boston Police Department reminds recreational drone operators of the importance of adhering to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety guidelines. Operators are prohibited from flying drones over people or vehicles and must be aware of airspace restrictions,” the police said.
“Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to airplanes and helicopters,” they added.
“Near-collisions can cause pilots to veer off course, putting lives and property at risk.”
The arrests come as public concern mounts over unexplained drone sightings along the East coast.
The drones have led to different theories, ranging from foreign surveillance to an extra-terrestrial invasion or an insidious operation by America's federal government. But the Biden administration said Monday that they have seen no evidence of anything malicious.
White House spokesman John Kirby pointed to "a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and even stars."
Meanwhile, President-elect Trump accused the feds of a cover-up during a Monday press conference at Mar-A-Lago. Trump said he may avoid his New Jersey golf course after drones were seen there.
"The government knows what is happening," Trump told reporters. "Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it's a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went. And for some reason, they don't want to comment. And I think they'd be better off saying what it is. our military knows and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense."