The nomination of former Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation has unexpectedly garnered support from Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who has declared his intention to back the candidate, as Breitbart News reported.
In his X post, Fetterman announced the news and detailed a friendly meeting between the two lawmakers, where they discussed infrastructure safety and made a lighthearted reference to their respective football teams.
“I enjoyed meeting @SeanDuffyWI and expect to vote YES on his nomination,” Fetterman tweeted, adding a light-hearted touch to the political discourse by mentioning their discussion on football. “We agreed on many things, especially appreciating him quietly acknowledging the Steelers are better than the Packers.”
Sean Duffy, the nominee for Secretary of Transportation under Donald Trump, had previously posted, prompting this statement. Duffy had already said how much he had enjoyed talking to the PA lawmaker.
The nominee commented, saying “I enjoyed talking to @SenFettermanPA today! We didn’t quite agree on football, though lots to commiserate over lately in the NFC and AFC playoff races. We both know that safe roads and bridges in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin aren’t a partisan issue, but are a safety need for all Americans.”
On Tuesday, Fetterman of Pennsylvania spoke with FOX News' Special Report' anchor Bret Baier, who asked Fetterman why meeting with Trump's nominees for cabinet positions is "controversial."
"I'm open to hear from everyone, and I don't know why that's controversial," Fetterman said.
"And I also would like to remind everyone on the Democratic side, that's the way democracy works. Trump won, and now they're going to run the table, and so they get to pick those kinds of people, and if you don't have to agree with all of it, but I want to find a way to work together on a bunch of them."
I enjoyed talking to @SenFettermanPA today! We didn't quite agree on football, though lots to commiserate over lately in the NFC and AFC playoff races. We both know that safe roads and bridges in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin aren't a partisan issue, but are a safety need for all… pic.twitter.com/QFwqLxybko
— Sean Duffy (@SeanDuffyWI) January 8, 2025
Fetterman and Duffy's conversation highlights the possibility of bipartisan cooperation on infrastructure issues; both states are concerned about their outdated transportation networks.
The pragmatic approach to government exhibited by Fetterman—a Democrat—in supporting a Republican nominee demonstrates a focus on the interests of the community rather than party lines.
Many people in political and social circles have taken issue with Fetterman's outspoken position on Duffy's nomination.
While some see it as a welcome diversion from the heated political climate, others worry about what it could mean for party allegiance and campaign tactics.
The incoming administration's legislative agenda may see increased bipartisan cooperation as a result of this engagement.
On New Years Eve in Palm Beach, Florida, Melania Trump and her husband danced to the Village People's 1978 "YMCA" anthem to the crowd's amusement.
Donald and Melania Trump danced together to the president-elect's favorite song while at Mar-a-Lago during a New Year's Eve video, as Page Six reported.
Melania swayed to the anthem in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday with her husband, who performed the favored dancing routines at election campaign rallies.
Donald’s eldest child, son Donald Trump Jr., 47, captioned in an Instagram video, showing Melania grooving to the song as she mouthed the lyrics to the track and moved her hands as she bobbed about, saying “It’s fun to stay at the YMCA!!!! Happy new year all!”
The dance moves of the incoming First Lady, which went viral, came as a surprise to users of social media. One user on X expressed their opinion:
"Never in my life did I think Melania Trump would be jamming to YMCA on New Year's. Trump has infected the whole country, including his family and Elon Musk, with his dance moves. Everyone is doing it.'
"Love Melania doping her own moves to YMCA,'" another said. "And how some people can't crack a smile at Trump doing his dance is beyond me."
Elon Musk, Trump's friend and now advisor , was also present. He appeared to be in high spirits as he carried his mini-me son, X AE A-Xii, who wore a suit that was nearly identical to his fathers,. Elon smiled as his son held onto his face for support on his shoulders.
As the club hosted a New Year's Eve celebration on Tuesday night, Trump momentarily addressed reporters in the vicinity of a red carpet that had been set up for the event.
His fleeting appearance onstage was to address the attendees, which included a number of his potential Cabinet members and other positions in his forthcoming administration.
Trump utilizes his tablet's Spotify account to play many songs that were frequently played at his campaign rallies during banquets with friends and family.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, have all attended breakfasts, luncheons, and other social events at the Mar-a-Lago club.
According to online videos, Mike Love, one of the original members of the Beach Boys, performed the band's greatest hits under an outdoor tent over the weekend. Trump, who was being followed by Secret Service agents, wandered through the audience, swinging his fists to the music.
At other times of the evening, he stood near the pool, swaying his head in time to the music, alongside his wife, Melania.
Trump declared on Friday that the resort is the "Centre of the Universe" on social media, and he also mentioned that Bill Gates had requested to attend the event that evening.
The presence of the Microsoft co-founder amongst the rich and famous at to Mar-a-Lago was not specifically addressed by representatives of Trump and Gates.
Questions about the ethical nature of a Supreme Court Justice taking part in what could be seen as a partisan event, as the court is expected to deliberate a related case in the near future, as was pointed out during an interview on Fox News.
After appearing in a Broadway spinoff of "Romeo and Juliet," critics question Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's impartiality in a landmark case regarding minors' transgender surgical procedures.
Justice served. pic.twitter.com/DeeYRvxQum
— & Juliet Broadway (@AndJulietBway) December 16, 2024
"I think it's a huge mistake for federal judges, especially Supreme Court justices, to engage in activities that clearly put the stamp of approval on an ideological position regarding issues that could come before the court, which is practically the definition of a threat to their impartiality, the appearance of impropriety," Heritage Foundation senior legal counsel Thomas Jipping told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"The expert went on to lay out why this was outside of the rhelm of the approrpiate "It's unusual for judges to do this sort of thing under any circumstances. But I suppose if this was ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ if this was some recognized, established classic or something, it might be different.
"But this is obviously an advocacy production, so for a Supreme Court justice to participate in advocacy on an issue that is currently in the courts, and at least broadly speaking, before her, I think it's a huge mistake," he said.
The musical, which is called "& Juliet," includes strong LGBTQ+ themes as well as characters who do not hold a binary gender. In the same place where Shakespeare's original finishes, the musical begins.
It is said on the website of the company that "& Juliet" is a "hilarious new musical" that "flips the script on the greatest love story ever told."
Instead of taking her own life out of love, Juliet decides to make her own path, which is a shown as a risky move because it challenges the conventional gender roles.
In the musical, the character May, who is Juliet's best friend, is a character whose LGBTQ relationship is heavily portrayed and explored throughout the whole production.
Jackson became the first Supreme Court justice to play on Broadway when he joined the Broadway company for a one-time performance at New York's Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Saturday night.
Other Broadway artists, including TikTok sensation Charli D'Amelio, were also a part of the Broadway cast.
David West Read, who is best known for his work as a writer and producer on the television show "Schitt's Creek," is the author of the song "& Juliet."
While Justice Amy Coney Barrett has attracted attention for her ties to religious groups and their potential influence on cases involving LGBTQ+ issues, Justice Samuel Alito has come under fire for failing to disclose luxury trips funded by wealthy donors with business before the court.
There has been intense scrutiny directed toward Justice Clarence Thomas because of his wife's political activism. Additionally, Justice Brett Kavanaugh has encountered criticism regarding his confirmation process and prior financial disclosures.
"For two, three years now, liberals have been complaining about actions by Supreme Court justices that they say undermine the public's confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary," Jipping said. "Liberals in Congress want an enforceable code of conduct. I wonder what they say about this."
"Participating in an advocacy, in an exercise of advocacy, for a position on issues that come before the Supreme Court is an egregious violation of that principle in the code of conduct regarding impartiality. I don't think there's any question about that," he said.
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.
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.
On Monday, the federal prosecutor who oversaw the convictions of Sen. Robert Menendez, Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and disgraced cryptocurrency billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried announced his resignation as SDNY's U.S. attorney.
The prosecutor of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and rap superstar Sean “Diddy” Combs, Damian Williams, said, "It has been an honor to serve the American people." He will resign at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 13, according to a report by CBS News.
The first Black man to fill the prestigious and influential position, Williams, was nominated by President Joe Biden in 2021. Trump has already spoken to his intention to replace the attorney.
The Manhattan U.S. attorney's office, once led by Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, handles high-profile public corruption, securities fraud, and terrorism crimes.
Williams was instrumental in getting New Jersey's longstanding Democratic senator Robert Menendez convicted of bribery, FTX CEO Bankman-Fried convicted of fraud, and Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking while he was in office.
Adams is facing allegations of bribery and wire fraud, while Combs is facing a variety of counts, including sex trafficking and racketeering. Both individuals are currently awaiting trial. They have both entered not-guilty pleas.
An Iranian man was also under Williams' supervision earlier this year on charges related to a plan to kill then-candidate Trump.
As he announced his resignation, Williams used the term "bittersweet" to describe his time in the office.
“It is bitter in the sense that I am leaving my dream job, leading an institution I love that is filled with the finest public servants in the world," he said.
"It is sweet in that I am confident I am leaving at a time when the Office is functioning at an incredibly high level — upholding and exceeding its already high standard of excellence, integrity, and independence."
Edward Y. Kim, who was Williams' deputy, will take over as acting U.S. attorney once he leaves.
Earlier this month, Trump made public his intention to nominate Jay Clayton, his former head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to lead the office.
The 2020 candidacy of Trump's nominee Clayton was ultimately withdrawn due to resistance from Democratic senators from New York, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as the circumstances surrounding the resignation of then-US Attorney Geoffrey Berman.
As he announced Clayton's possible nomination, Trump praised him as "a highly respected business leader, counsel, and public servant."
"Jay is going to be a strong Fighter for the Truth as we Make America Great Again," Trump wrote.
A top aide to Kamala Harris said that internal surveys revealed the VP was never ahead of Trump in the swing states, and that the campaign was relying on hope leading up to the election.
Harris was "surprised" to see herself in the lead according to public polls, according to David Plouffe, who had previously stated that she began the race trailing Trump, as Breitbart News reported.
When asked about the surprise, he attributed it to the release of public surveys in late September and early October that revealed leads that had previously been invisible.
Plouffe, who advised President Barack Obama's successful campaigns in 2008 and 2012 spoke about the race on the Pod Save America podcast on Tuesday.
Internal analytics, Plouffe said, showed Harris tied with Trump in Wisconsin 47-47 and Trump leading in Pennsylvania 48-47.
"I think we were, you know, we were hopeful. I don't know how optimistic we were, but we thought, okay, this is tied," he said.
Also, Plouffe conceded that Harris's debate performance, which they deemed excellent, did not have the desired impact on the margins.
"I think even after the debate, we might have gained what, 0.51. It wasn't a race that moved a lot," he said.
He conceded that turnout was lower than anticipated in some areas but said the campaign had hoped that undecided voters would switch to Harris.
"You know, you've got to have undecided break your way more than your opponents, and you've got to get a little benefit from turnout, which we weren't able to do," he said.
Plouffe conceded there was no progress in the race after spending more than $1 billion on the campaign.
There was a discussion on the reliability of polls after Plouffe made his remarks, considering that the reporting on the polls was so wildly different in a number of outlets and from a number of pollsters leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
Despite repeated criticism from Democrats who felt the polls were too optimistic for Trump, pollster Rasmussen Reports used the news to bolster their claims that their polls were the most accurate.
"Plouffe said the campaign’s internal polling NEVER HAD HER AHEAD OF TRUMP," the poll company wrote on X, highlighting results. "You mean, internally, it looked something like - this?"
"Plouffe said the campaign’s internal polling NEVER HAD HER AHEAD OF TRUMP."
You mean, internally, it looked something like - this? https://t.co/iGKub3d6iE pic.twitter.com/2dbmP92Es1
— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) November 27, 2024
The news that Vince and Linda McMahon are no longer together was recently disclosed in a Washington Post article that was published this morning.
The article was a profile of Linda McMahon. In a statement, Laura Brevetti, who represents Mrs. McMahon, confirmed the news of the couple's separation, as The Daily Mail reported.
The news that President-elect Trump had declared that he had selected Ms. McMahon as his choice for Secretary of Education in his upcoming cabinet came just a few hours after the announcement was made public.
Neither of the McMahons has ever made a public announcement regarding their marriage or their divorce before.
According to a report that appeared in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 2022, Vince and Linda had separated but had not ended their marriage. Neither of the McMahons made any comments regarding the report at that time.
With the exception of the initial confirmation, no other information was provided concerning the separation, nor was it specified how long the McMahons have been apart together.
From 1980 to 2009, Linda McMahon served as the Chief Executive Officer of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Prior to that, she was the administrator of the Small Business Administration during the first Clinton administration, starting in 2017. She resigned from her position in 2019 to take the helm of America First Action, a super PAC that supports Trump.
McMahon is also the chairperson of the America First Policy Institute, which is a think organization that supports Trump.
TKO Group Holdings was formerly led by Vince McMahon, who also served as the company's Executive Chairman. In January, after a lawsuit that had been filed by Janel Grant became public, he resigned from his position at the corporation.
Grant, who worked for WWE between the years of 2019 and 2022, has filed a lawsuit against Mr. McMahon, John Laurinaitis, and the entertainment business as a whole.
All of the charges have been refuted by Mr. McMahon. In addition, Mr. Laurinaitis has indicated that he was a victim and has denied any misconduct that may have occurred.
McMahon was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for the position of Secretary of Education in a statement issued just days ago.
“It is my great honor to announce that Linda McMahon, former Administrator of the Small Business Administration, will be the United States Secretary of Education," the President-elect wrote in a statement, posted to his Truth Social account.
"For the past four years, as the Chair of the Board at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), Linda has been a fierce advocate for Parents’ Rights, working hard at both AFPI and America First Works (AFW) to achieve Universal School Choice in 12 States, giving children the opportunity to receive an excellent Education, regardless of zip code or income. As Secretary of Education, Linda will fight tirelessly to expand ‘Choice’ to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families.”