Politics

• First Lady Lights National Tree After President Counts Down
  
  First lady Melania Trump lit the National Christmas Tree on a chilly Thursday night in the nation's capital.
• Controversy Brewing Over McMahon Visiting N.J. School
  
  Education Secretary Linda McMahon is visiting a New Jersey middle school Friday, and not everyone is pleased.
• Trump Administration to Direct More Water to California Farms
  
  The Trump administration is making good on a promise to send more water to California farmers in the state's crop-rich Central Valley.
• Kash Patel to Newsmax: FBI Cracked Case With Proof Biden Ignored
  
  FBI Director Kash Patel told Newsmax on Thursday that the arrest in the 2021 pipe bomb case shows the Biden administration left key evidence untouched for years, forcing the incoming Trump team to rebuild the investigation from scratch.
• Vance Downplays Antisemitism on Right - Putting Him at Odds With Ted Cruz, Pro-Israel Groups
  
  Vice President JD Vance is forcefully rejecting warnings from within his own party about rising antisemitism on the political right, placing himself in direct contrast with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and other Republicans who say the threat is real and growing.
• Senate Dems Warn McMahon: Education Program Shifts Illegal
  
  Senate Democrats are blasting Education Secretary Linda McMahon, accusing her of acting unlawfully after she began shifting major federal education programs to other agencies.
• Trump Moves to Expand Travel Ban to 30+ Nations
  
  Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that President Donald Trump's administration is moving to expand the number of countries covered by its travel ban from the current 19 to "over 30."Noem made the comments in an interview on Fox News' "The Ingraham...
• Florida Legislature Moves Forward on Redistricting
  
  The Florida House of Representatives has officially begun efforts to redraw the state's congressional maps.
• Sen. Marshall to Newsmax: My Bill Targets Millions in Obamacare Fraud
  
  Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., slammed what he called "rampant, systemic fraud" in the Affordable Care Act, telling Newsmax on Thursday a new bill he introduced aims to stop billions in improper subsidies that he argued have flowed unchecked to insurers for years.
• Fla. Lawmakers Urge Trump to Reject Drilling in Gulf
  
  Florida's entire U.S. congressional delegation on Thursday urged President Donald Trump to leave their state out of a plan by his administration to expand oil and gas drilling to new coastal areas, saying it would threaten the state's military and tourism industries.
• Bondi Orders US Law Enforcement to Investigate 'Extremist Groups'
  
  *Bondi orders FBI to prioritize domestic terrorism investigations*Memo targets antifa and similar groups*FBI to develop strategies to disrupt criminal networks*DOJ calls for prosecuting extremist groups for tax crimes(Adds details from memo and background in paragraphs 3-5...
• Dr. Surasky to Newsmax: Why Does Press Ignore Trump's Tests?
  
  Neurologist Dr. Russell Surasky told Newsmax on Thursday that President Donald Trump's latest medical evaluations show a man who is "very cognitively sharp."
• Shaffer to Newsmax: Dems Back Cartels Over Americans
  
  Retired Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer told Newsmax on Thursday that Democrats are siding with drug cartels by criticizing a recent Navy strike on drug boats in the Caribbean, saying their reaction shows misplaced priorities.
• GOP Ramps Up Drug-Price Push as Lankford Targets Reforms
  
  Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., is pushing to attach a healthcare proposal targeting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to a major must-pass spending bill.
• Trump Said to Be Planning Nationwide Blitz to Tout Economic Agenda
  
  President Donald Trump soon will be traveling to Pennsylvania to tout his economic agenda ahead of the 2026 midterms, a White House spokesperson told Newsmax on Thursday.
• Biden Holding First Event for Future Presidential Library
  
  Former President Joe Biden will be holding a holiday reception in Washington later this month, the first event tied to a future presidential library, the New York Times reported.
• Supreme Court Clears Texas '26 Map in Huge Win for GOP
  
  The Supreme Court on Thursday paved the way for Texas to use its redrawn congressional map, a major victory for Republicans who could gain as many as five seats in the 2026 midterm elections.
• Trump Set to Win FIFA Peace Prize at World Cup Draw
  
  The main event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Friday will feature the draw for the 2026 World Cup, but the undercard could be the real prize for President Donald Trump.
• Vance Ties Illegal Immigration to Housing Costs as Rents Fall Again
  
  Vice President JD Vance says the connection between illegal immigration and skyrocketing housing costs "is as clear as day."
• Targeting of Both Parties Complicates Political Narratives in J6 Pipe-Bomb Case
  
  Federal prosecutors say a Virginia man accused of planting explosive devices outside the Republican and Democrat party headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021, targeted both parties equally - a finding that undercuts several political narratives that followed the events of Jan. 6.
• Grand Jury Declines New Charges for Letitia James
  
  A federal grand jury has declined to reindict New York Attorney General Letitia James after being asked for a second time to consider mortgage-fraud charges against her, CNN reported Thursday.
• Judge Weighs Removing Trump-Appointed Prosecutor
  
  Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York John Sarcone II, the prosecutor who subpoenaed New York Attorney General Letitia James, could be disqualified over claims he was improperly appointed to his role by the Trump administration, a federal judge said...
• Sen. Paul Wants Hegseth 'Under Oath' on Boat Strikes
  
  Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is pressing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide testimony and documents to Congress amid mounting scrutiny over U.S. military strikes on vessels the Trump administration has described as narcotics-trafficking "drug boats."
• Trump Endorses Retiring Rep. Nehls' Twin for His Seat
  
  President Donald Trump wants Texas' 22nd Congressional District to remain all in the Nehls family. Trump endorsed Rep. Troy Nehls' identical twin brother, Trever, to fill his seat in a Truth Social post Thursday. Troy is retiring after serving three terms.
• N.Y. AG Disputes Acting US Attorney's Power to Probe Trump Suits
  
  President Donald Trump's effort to install political loyalists as top federal prosecutors has run into a legal buzz saw lately, with judges ruling that his handpicked U.S. attorneys for New Jersey, eastern Virginia, Nevada, and Los Angeles were all serving unlawfully.

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