Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suffered an injury and has been admitted to a military hospital in Luxembourg to undergo emergency surgery.
Pelosi was traveling to Luxembourg to attend ceremonies remembering the Battle of the Bulge and was reportedly taking photos with other officials and lawmakers when she tripped and fell.
Pelosi was rushed to the hospital after falling down marble stairs and reportedly underwent hip replacement surgery at a U.S. military hospital in Germany.
Ian Krager, Pelosi's spokesman, issued a statement saying that the 84-year-old “is well on the mend,” despite the severity of her injury.
Pelosi was in Luxembourg with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
Pelosi's advanced age has become more apparent in recent months and this latest incident has put a spotlight on the need for Pelosi and other elderly Congressional members to retire.
An earlier statement prior to Pelosi's surgery from Krager read, "While traveling with a bipartisan Congressional delegation in Luxembourg to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation."
Krager's statement ended, "Speaker Emerita Pelosi conveys her thanks and praise to our veterans and gratitude to people of Luxembourg and Bastogne for their service in World War II and their role in bringing peace to Europe."
What is worth noting is that Krager's statement was very conservative with any details and it is clear that Pelosi's camp wanted news of her undergoing surgery to be hidden as long as possible.
Pelosi is engaged in a serious power struggle in the Democrat Party and this incident could be a major blow to her plans of wielding power in the Democrat Party.
Pelosi was elected to yet another term in Congress in November and shows no sign of relinquishing her influence and hold on the Democrat Party.
While Pelosi may not be the Speaker of the House anymore, she is still holding onto power and is currently engaged in a power struggle with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) who is seeking to be the next Democrat leader on the House Oversight Committee.
Pelosi is actively pushing fellow Democrats to back Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) over AOC in what is the latest front of the cold war between establishment Democrats and younger more radical Democrats.
Pelosi's fall and subsequent surgery has once again made it clear that Pelosi is old and really should have retired years ago and this will only spur young Democrats as they work to take power in the Democrat Party that has been dominated by the same few figures for decades.
While appealing to the Supreme Court, TikTok is attempting to have a bill that would prohibit the app delayed. On Wednesday, the DOJ requested a federal appeals court to deny this move.
Last Thursday, the rule was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. This means that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, must divest from the app or face a ban on January 19, as Fox Business reported.
The Department of Justice contended that TikTok had failed to provide a compelling reason to prevent the statute from being implemented as intended by Congress and had instead simply restated arguments that had previously been rejected by the appeals court, and is in defiance of what the former, and soon to be again, president has said he'll support.
Furthermore, it highlighted that the parties had reached a mutually agreeable timeline, which would provide TikTok the opportunity to submit a comparable petition to the Supreme Court.
“Petitioners are entitled to ask the Supreme Court to enjoin the law’s application pending that Court’s review, and they expressly reserved their right to do so and set a schedule that would allow time for it,” the government wrote.
“They are not entitled, however, to an injunction against an Act of Congress when the only court to consider their constitutional challenge has rejected it,” it continued.
“The Supreme Court can decide for itself whether the statute must be enjoined.”
Last Friday, a three-judge panel from the D.C. Circuit found in favor of the government and against TikTok, asserting that the law does not infringe upon the First Amendment.
On Monday, TikTok requested a stay of execution of the statute until its appeal is heard by the Supreme Court. The company claims that the app's 170 million American users will be impacted by the shutdown of the platform on the "eve of a presidential inauguration."
“Before that happens, the Supreme Court should have an opportunity, as the only court with appellate jurisdiction over this action, to decide whether to review this exceptionally important case,” TikTok wrote.
Earlier this year, the divest-or-ban bill swiftly made its way through Congress, passing with huge bipartisan majorities in both houses. President Biden signed it into law in April.
What President-elect Trump does with his new authority next month is, however, anyone's guess. Trump campaigned against the bill, saying it would be good for Facebook and other big platforms, and he promised to "save TikTok."
However, during a weekend interview, the president-elect seemed hesitant to commit to any measures to secure the app.
“I’m going to try and make it so that other companies don’t become an even bigger monopoly,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
According to sources who were present at the internal town hall on Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray announced his resignation to employees.
He stated that he will be resigning at the conclusion of the current Biden administration, as Fox News reported.
"After weeks of careful thought, I've decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down.
"My goal is to keep the focus on our mission -- the indispensable work you're doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work," he said in his remarks.
Kash Patel has been selected by President-elect Donald Trump to succeed Wray at the FBI, subject to Senate confirmation.
Trump issued a statement shortly thereafter, in which he denounced Wray and lauded Patel, who was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to bolster the support of Republican senators.
"The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice," Trump wrote on his social media platform.
"I just don't know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans."
The departing head of one of the nation's premier law enforcement agencies went on to talk about his personal feelings on the bureau: "It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway -- this is not easy for me. I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people -- but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what's right for the FBI," he said.
"When you look at where the threats are headed, it's clear that the importance of our work -- keeping Americans safe and upholding the Constitution -- will not change. And what absolutely cannot, must not change is our commitment to doing the right thing, the right way, every time. Our adherence to our core values, our dedication to independence and objectivity, and our defense of the rule of law -- those fundamental aspects of who we are must never change," he said.
Wray also spoke about what he believes is the importance and the power behind the FBI: "That's the real strength of the FBI -- the importance of our mission, the quality of our people, and their dedication to service over self.
"It's an unshakeable foundation that's stood the test of time, and cannot be easily moved. And it -- you, the men and women of the FBI -- are why the bureau will endure and remain successful long into the future," Wray continued.
Trump attacked the probes that special counsel Jack Smith had launched against him on behalf of the Justice Department.
"Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America," Trump wrote.
"They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them."
Some questions have been answered in a recent retelling of the illness that very nearly took one of an award winning actor.
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx has spoken up about his health crisis from last year, detailing his experience with a brain bleed and subsequent stroke, as PEOPLE reported.
"Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was," a Netflix program that debuted on Tuesday, chronicled the Hollywood star's health battles during the past year.
“It is a mystery,” Foxx said explaining his health issues. “We still don’t know exactly what happened to me.”
“April 11, I was having a bad headache and I asked my boy for an aspirin. And I realized quickly that when you’re in a medical emergency, your boys don’t know what the f**k to do,” he said.
“Before I could get the aspirin I went out,” he said. “I don’t remember 20 days," offering context about the events before and after his almost three weeks of unconscious recovery.
He thanked his sister, “4 foot 11 of nothing but pure love,” for driving him around Atlanta to find a hospital.
They arrived at Piedmont Hospital, where Foxx was informed by a doctor that he was suffering from a brain bleed that had caused a stroke. The actor added that he would not survive without surgery.
Doctors told Foxx he might have a full recovery after the operation, "but it's going to be the worst year of his life," as Foxx said.
Foxx's family chose to keep him out of the spotlight due to his severe vertigo and his daughter's fears that he may become an online meme if people witnessed his condition, he explained.
The actor recalled telling his pal, "Jamie Foxx don't get strokes," in response to his disbelief upon learning he had suffered a stroke on May 4, which left him unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair.
He claims that he was advised to stop acting "arrogant" if he wished to achieve a complete recovery after being sent to Chicago for rehabilitation.
The event took place while filming a Netflix project in Atlanta in April 2023, and the actor's health problems spiraled, tho it was not reported at the time.
His daughter Corinne Foxx posted on social media about her father's "medical complication" while he was in the hospital, but other family members and friends mostly kept quiet about the actor's health, respecting his desire for privacy.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been banned from leaving the country after he was charged with treason for declaring martial law last week.
Yoon made the bizarre decision to declare martial law on Tuesday night, saying that he was doing it to combat “unscrupulous pro-Pyongyang anti-state forces.”
He also blamed the majority leftist-led National Assembly for making it impossible for him to govern by blocking his policy objectives, saying that they were aiding “North Korean communist forces.”
National Assembly members had to climb over gates and walls as well as fight through armed soldiers to get to their chamber to vote against the martial law, which the constitution of South Korea allows them to do.
It seems like some soldiers did not try as hard as they could to prevent the lawmakers from convening, which may be due to the irregularity of the situation.
The assembly voted unanimously against martial law and opened a treason investigation against Yoon. They tried to impeach him but were blocked by factions in the People's Power Party (PPP), to which Yoon belongs.
The travel ban was imposed on Yoon because he was considered a flight risk. The assembly is also considering banning the first lady, Kim Keon-hee, from leaving the country as well.
Some other members of his administration are also banned from traveling due to their involvement in the decision to declare martial law.
The ban could prevent Yoon from engaging in diplomacy, as presidents often need to do.
Yoon is technically still in charge of the military, but the legislature has vowed to ignore any subsequent declarations of martial law from Yoon.
Yoon promised that “there will never be a second martial law” and said that the PPP will decide his fate as president.
“This declaration of martial law was born out of desperation as the president, the ultimate head of state. But it has caused anxiety and discomfort to the people in the process,” Yoon said. “I am deeply sorry for this, and I sincerely apologize to the people who must have been greatly surprised.”
Leftist groups have been calling for Yoon's resignation during daily protests, but there have been conservative rallies in his support.
It's good to see democracy working and squelching this kind of power grab.
Soon-to-be First Lady Melania Trump talked about her collection of ornaments on Fox & Friends on Friday, letting the audience know that the proceeds of any ornaments sold goes to charity.
“After I left the White House, I established my Web3 and Web2 platforms where I design, where I have collectibles like ornaments every season,” Trump said.
“This is the third season and many other collectibles that are available now,” she added.
The ornaments are made more collectible because some are retired each season.
The 2024 collection is titled "Merry Christmas, America!" and has four ornaments that have the first lady-to-be's signature on them. A golden star with “USA” in the middle sells for $90 while the other three--a golden version of Lady Liberty, a red, white and blue snowflake and a golden clover--sell for $75 each.
Trump said she supports foster children with the proceeds of her sales.
“So with those, I have students from a foster community that I sponsor and I’m very proud of, and we have many of them so their life changes because they will have an education,” she said.
The ornaments are inspired by some of her experiences; for instance, the Lady Liberty ornament is modeled after a necklace she got while modeling in her younger years.
A similar necklace is also available on MelaniaTrump.com, she said.
Trump is expected to resume her duties supervising the White House Christmas decor when President-elect Donald Trump takes office again in 2025.
Most first ladies are responsible for decorating the White House for the holidays, and her previous efforts were always simple and elegant.
In contrast, current First Lady Jill Biden chose a circus theme this year that has others laughing about the ironic nature of the choice.
Last year, Biden chose a theme that featured items from childrens' books that some thought were gaudy and cheap-looking.
A return to the elegance of Trump will be something for us all to look forward to next season.
Police arrested a man with a knife, handcuffs, tape, and a prop gun outside the Swedish Royal Family's residence on Wednesday.
Fox News reported that the man was arrested outside of the official residence of Crown Princess Victoria, her husband Prince Daniel, and their two children, Princess Estelle, and Prince Oscar.
The man was first spotted by castle guards early in the evening who then reported the suspicious man to the Swedish police.
Per Fahlström, a spokesperson for Stockholm Police issued a statement on the arrest saying, "It is a man who has been in the area and behaved strangely and who was then checked. A knife was found."
That statement is frustratingly lacking any details and for many, it appears that police are being deliberately short with information about what appears to be a highly concerning situation.
Violence and rising crime are serious concerns in Sweden which has become increasingly unstable and beset by gang violence.
Over the past decade, Sweden has gone from an idyllic and quiet northern European country to an increasingly violent and unsafe country. Things are becoming so bad that even the Royal Family is being affected by suspicious characters carrying weapons.
The Guardian reported that since 2013, fatal shootings in the country have more than doubled, and drug and gun crimes have steadily increased since the beginning of the 2000s.
Fatal shootings are steadily rising despite Sweden's robust gun control laws which are often cited by American leftists as evidence that gun control prevents crime. The opposite is true as Sweden is learning that criminals have nothing to fear from disarmed citizens.
Sweden's largest cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Uppsala have all been beset by rising crime largely due to a massive influx of migrants who have created ethnic enclaves creating social unrest and disruption.
The Royal Family's residence is located in Stockholm which has been particularly hard hit by the rise in crime. The Royal Family may have to invest in increased security as the situation continues to deteriorate.
Sweden has some of the most lax asylum systems in Europe which has led to many immigrants coming to Sweden to take advantage of the Scandinavian country's extensive social safety nets.
This massive amount of immigration has been aided by leftist political groups that have allowed thousands of immigrants into the country with little to no vetting and little to no restrictions. This has led to ghettos forming in Sweden's cities and the emergence of no-go zones for police.
Those no-go zones have been the subject of much political misinformation as leftist politicians have outright denied their existence despite extensive evidence.
While it remains to be seen if the man arrested outside of the Royal Family's residences was targeting the family, this incident has cast the spotlight on Sweden's rising crime and social dysfunction that should serve as a warning to other western countries.
Romania’s Constitutional Court has overturned the outcome of the country's presidential election after Romania's intelligence agency claimed that foreign interference had changed the outcome of the election.
The court overturned the election results after a declassified report from its intelligence agency was released that alleged foreign interference via TikTok. This marks the first major instance of a country overturning an election due to allegations of foreign interference.
The recent election saw Călin Georgescu, 62, who ran without a party and made no campaign appearances, come in first in the first round of elections with 22.9% of the vote.
His stunning victory shocked every political observer as his campaign was entirely conducted through TikTok.
Politico noted that Georgescu's TikTok had garnered over 3.8 million likes and 298,000 followers, while his videos routinely received millions of views which propelled him to the top. However, Georgescu's populist rise to the top as a total outsider is running into trouble as the Romanian court system is attempting to stop him.
If Georgescu is to be believed, the Romanian court system and intelligence community are working together to stop a populist political movement, similar to how Democrats and American intelligence agencies have united against President-elect Donald Trump.
Georgescu issued a statement following the decision overturning the election saying, "Today, the Romanian state has trampled on democracy. We wrote history. It is time to show that we are a brave people. Democracy is under attack. … On this day, the corrupt system made a pact with the devil. I have only one pact — with the Romanian people and God.”
The declassified report named many of Georgescu's biggest supporters on TikTok promptly inciting outrage as it appears that the Romanian government is trying to intimidate Georgescu's supporters.
Călin Donca, a pro-Georgescu TikToker with 680,000 followers who was on the report, said "I appear on the declassified lists as the largest account that supported Călin Georgescu and I also appear as one of the people who continue to support him. And I support him, I don’t back down, I walk alongside him."
In yet another striking similarity to Trump, Georgescu's opponents claim that it was Russia that was behind his meteoric rise to fame and prominence.
A recount was held after the country’s largest party, the Social Democratic Party, demanded one alleging widespread voter fraud. After none was found, they instead resorted to claims that Georgescu was propped up by Russia.
George Simion, the leader of the right-wing Alliance for the Union of Romanians, expressed outrage over the decision saying, "Constitutional Court just annulled the entire electoral process for the presidential elections, i.e. both rounds. SHAMEFUL!!! Coup d’etat in full force! We are not taking to the streets, we will not be challenged, this system must fall democratically! God bless Romania!"
Georgescu was elected through an organic populist campaign that circumvented the establishment and they won't let it stand without a fight.
This situation is rapidly evolving and Americans ought to keep an eye on it as this could get ugly quickly. The Romanian establishment may do everything in their power to stop populism and preserve their power.
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from an environmental case involving a former client of his, billionaire Philip Anschutz, after Democrats said he had a conflict of interest.
Anschutz is not directly involved in the case, but filed a brief arguing that his company, Anschutz Exploration, would be affected by the outcome.
Early in Gorsuch's career, he represented Anschutz and reportedly has close ties with him.
After reviewing the court's newly adopted code of conduct, Gorsuch said he would not adjudicate the case.
He didn't really give a reason for his recusal but published the announcement on his website.
The case is about whether to consider the environmental impacts of oil and gas production and refining when deciding whether to build a railway line in Utah.
The other eight justices will decide whether federal environmental reviews are warranted in such projects.
The recusal is ammunition the justices can use about the new code of conduct being effective as a self-policing mechanism.
Democrats had argued that it lacked any method of enforcement and that legislation codifying it should be passed, but it seems to be working in this case.
When Gorsuch was an appeals court judge, he recused himself from several other cases involving Anschutz.
The author of the letter by the Democrats asking for Gorsuch's recusal, Rep. Hank Johnson (GA) took credit for the recusal in this case, however.
"I applaud Justice Gorsuch for doing the right and honorable thing," Johnson said in a statement. “It is important that the court show the public that it is not in the pocket of billionaire benefactors."
But much of the Democrats' indignation seems misplaced, since Gorsuch was refusing himself from cases with Anschutz long before that letter.
It only makes sense that the nation's most powerful jurists would have ties to other wealthy and powerful people, and courts have been dealing with such conflicts for many years before any laws were made about it.
Possible changes coming to the White House press corps have many in the media in an uproar.
According to reports from those close to President-elect Donald Trump, his previously tenuous relationship with the media is likely to get even more fragile after possible changes to the press briefing room, as The Hill reported.
Journalists are in an uproar as news that the incoming administration will change not only who has access to the president, but the seating position in the briefing room could reflect the value that Trump puts on various members of the media.
There have been rumors that podcasters, internet personalities and media deemed less left-leaning could replace major outlets like television networks, The New York Times and The Washington Post in the room’s front rows.
When asked about their reactions to the idea, reporters covering the White House expressed feelings of annoyance, frustration, and dread in conversations with The Hill this week.
Historically, the first row of the James Brady Briefing Room has been occupied by the four major networks of NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox, as well as The Associated Press, CNN, and Reuters.
The second row is occupied by seats from other larger outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, CBS News Radio, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg. However, certain news organizations lack formal seating in the room.
Numerous journalists declined to provide on-the-record comments or requested anonymity in order to speak candidly about the potential for a significantly altered press room and the resulting controversy.
“It would be a total mess,” one White House reporter told The Hill this week.
“I would expect people would probably boycott the briefings, though that would put certain outlets in a tough spot deciding if they want to go along with what the Trump people are trying to pull.”
While The White House has always prioritized major news organizations when dealing with the press, Trump has not traditionally held that position.
In an effort to limit off-camera press briefings, the first Trump administration sought to exclude outlets it deemed unflattering. Among these were CNN, the BBC, Politico, and the New York Times.
A number of reporters from Politico, Axios, and Puck News were among those his campaign barred from attending last week's election watch event in Mar-a-Lago.
At present, the briefing room can accommodate 49 reporters from various outlets. Current publications would have to be targeted if pro-Trump sites like Steve Bannon's War Room were to be granted access to daily press briefings.
Although press credentials are decided by the White House, the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) formally controls seating.
After conservative news network One America News Network (OANN) failed to comply with WHCA COVID regulations in 2020, the WHCA famously removed it from the daily White House briefing rotation.