AOC laughs off sarcastic sympathy from President-elect Trump
President-elect Trump commented Wednesday that it was “too bad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was recently turned down for a leadership position on a House committee, prompting an amused response by the progressive politician.
“Really too bad that AOC lost the Battle for the Leadership Seat in the Democrat Party,” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. “She should keep trying. Someday, she will be successful!”
Later, the New York congresswoman screenshot Trump’s remarks and wrote a humorous response.
“Damn you know it’s bad when even Trump is feeling bad for me,” Ocasio-Cortez said, adding a laughing emoji.
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The amusing exchange came just one day after the 36-year-old Democrat was defeated in her bid to serve as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. The leadership role went to Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, who received 131 votes to Ocasio-Cortez’s 84.
“I thank my colleagues for their support and the confidence they’ve placed in me to lead House Democrats on the Oversight Committee,” Connolly said in a statement after being elected by the House Democratic Caucus.
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“This will be trench warfare,” he added. “Now is not the time to be timid. I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from day one to counter Republican gaslighting.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who has served on the oversight committee since 2023, wrote on the social media platform Bluesky that she “tried her best” with her bid.
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“Tried my best. Sorry I couldn’t pull it through everyone — we live to fight another day,” she wrote.
Colorado official livid after suspected migrant gang apprehended in home invasion
Nineteen suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang were detained this week following a violent home invasion that left two Aurora residents hospitalized. The incident has sparked renewed outrage from City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky, who has long warned about rising migrant-related crime in the city.
“This is unfortunately not something you want to be able to say I told you so on, but I told you so,” Jurinsky said during an interview on ‘Fox & Friends’ Wednesday.
“Nobody wanted to listen to me. This very much turned into political theater leading up to the presidential election. Many people have suffered.”
According to Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, the suspects entered an apartment at a complex that had previously been the center of gang-related violence. The suspects allegedly took two victims to another unit, where they were beaten, pistol-whipped, and threatened.
“This isn’t just assault. This isn’t just fistfights. This is absolute torture,” said Jurinsky, referencing claims that the female victim’s fingernails were forcibly removed. A male victim suffered a stab wound, but both are expected to recover.
Chief Chamberlain, who took office in September, described the attack as “a gang incident” during a press conference on Tuesday, but stopped short of confirming what group the suspects were affiliated with. “So, does this fall into the category of torture for me? Yeah, it does,” he said.
Jurinsky has been vocal about her concerns regarding migrant-related crime, particularly the growing presence of Tren de Aragua (TDA), a violent gang that originated in Venezuela. A previous incident at the same apartment complex, involving TDA members pounding on doors and brandishing weapons, gained national attention earlier this year.
“Once the Americans were moved out of the complex. This is the most vulnerable population left. These are other migrants. Some of them don’t even realize where they are. They were simply dropped off in the middle of the night in some cases.”
The gang’s growing footprint in the United States has raised alarms at both local and federal levels. Texas Congressman Troy Nehls, R-Texas, recently stated that TDA now operates in 17 states. Members of the gang have also been linked to other high-profile crimes, including the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.
Jurinsky has pointed to federal immigration policies under the Biden administration as a contributing factor to the rise of TDA in the United States. Telling Fox’s Laura Ingraham in September, “These folks are a product of our current administration’s failed border policies. American citizens have had to suffer because of it.”
A recent New York Times report confirmed that the Biden administration oversaw the highest net immigration numbers in U.S. history – much of that due to illegal immigration.
President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to prioritize mass deportations during his second term, made Aurora a pivotal campaign message ahead of the election.
During an October 11th rally in Aurora, the President-elect announced “Operation Aurora,” a plan to target undocumented immigrants with gang ties. Trump says he intends to use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to “expedite the removal of these savage gangs.”
While Jurinsky remains critical of the city’s previous leadership, she expressed support for Chief Chamberlain’s transparency and commitment to tackling the issue. “He has made clear that we will not stand for this. It is a new day in the Aurora police chief’s office.”
For now, Aurora residents wait to see whether these arrests will mark a turning point in the fight against TDA and other violent groups infiltrating the city.
14-year-old student and teacher killed in Christian school shooting identified
The teenage student and substitute teacher who were killed during the shooting at a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday have been identified, as new details about the alleged shooter have been revealed.
The Dane County Medical Examiner shared its report late Wednesday with Fox News Digital, and identified 14-year-old student Rubi Patricia Vergara and 42-year-old teacher Erin M. West as the deceased victims in a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School.
The report stated that West, of Deforest, and Vergara, of Madison, were both pronounced dead at the scene and that preliminary results of the examinations confirm that both died as a result of “homicidal firearm related trauma.”
The report also identified the alleged shooter as 15-year-old Natalie “Samantha” L. Rupnow, who was also pronounced dead at the scene as a result of “firearm related trauma.”
MADISON, WISCONSIN, SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL
The medical examiner said that more testing is still underway at this time.
“These deaths remain under investigation by the City of Madison Police Department and the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office. No further information will be released at this time,” the report read.
According to an obituary, Vergara was a freshman at Abundant Life Christian School and was described as being “an avid reader, lover of art, and singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band.”
Vergara’s aunt told Fox News Digital that it has been a “very hard week” for their family, and they are trying to get through her niece’s funeral, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday in Madison.
The Madison Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that two guns were recovered from the school following the shooting. However, only one gun was allegedly used by Rupnow.
MADISON, WISCONSIN, SCHOOL SHOOTING LEAVES 2 DEAD, 6 INJURED; JUVENILE SUSPECT DEAD
During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said “identifying a motive is our top priority.” He said the motive appears to be a combination of factors, but he did not elaborate any further.
“Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. We need to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened,” Barnes said.
Police were speaking with Rupnow’s father and other family members, who were cooperating, and searching Rupnow’s home, Barnes said. He declined to offer additional details about the shooter, partly out of respect for the family.
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“He lost someone as well,” Barnes said of Rupnow’s father. “And so we’re not going to rush the information. We’ll take our time and make sure we do our due diligence.”
Barnes added that two students are still in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. A teacher and three other students were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Barnes said two of those individuals have since been released.
James and Rebekah Smith, whose 17-year-old daughter is a student at the Abundant Life Christian School, told Fox News that they know all the victims and their families.
The Smiths said their daughter wasn’t in the same class as Rupnow, the alleged shooter, or knew her well, but said that Rupnow was new to the school and had enrolled sometime during the current semester.
They added that their daughter and her group of friends said they never saw Rupnow speaking to anyone at school.
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Rebekah Smith said the teacher who was killed had a daughter who was in sports with the Smiths’ daughter, and they talked with the mother at the games all the time.
She added that the victim had been a long-term substitute teacher at the school and just became a full-time teacher this year.
NYC mayor accuses Biden-Harris admin of political persecution
New York City Mayor Eric Adams hypothesized he drew the ire of the Department of Justice after he spoke out against the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury in September and faces five charges, including bribery, soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, wire fraud and conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“I did not break the law. I did nothing wrong — that is how I live my life. And that is how I’m going to continue to live my life,” Adams said Wednesday in an exclusive sit-down interview with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum on “The Story.”
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He claimed the timing of the indictment was “clearly suspect” and vowed to keep fighting for what he believes is right.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement at the time the indictment was released that Adams “abused his position as this City’s highest elected official, and before that as Brooklyn Borough President, to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions.”
“By allegedly taking improper and illegal benefits from foreign nationals — including to allow a Manhattan skyscraper to open without a fire inspection — Adams put the interests of his benefactors, including a foreign official, above those of his constituents,” the statement read in part.
MacCallum asked the mayor if he was concerned about what the FBI may uncover in its investigation after his chief adviser resigned earlier this week amid reports she will be indicted on criminal charges.
“No,” said Adams curtly. “All of them have attorneys. And I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize their cases, but I tell my team, and I do so, we follow the law. This is about following the law. I didn’t spend 22 years as a police officer enforcing the law to break the law.”
A former Adams aide was charged with witness tampering and destruction of evidence in October after he allegedly deleted Signal, an encrypted communication app, from his phone that was reportedly used to communicate with the mayor.
President-elect Trump said he would consider pardoning Adams after he was asked by a reporter at a Mar-a-Lago news conference earlier this week.
“Yeah, I think that he was treated pretty unfairly. Now, I haven’t seen the gravity of it all, but it seems, you know, like being upgraded in an airplane many years ago,” said Trump.
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Adams said he didn’t ask the incoming 47th president for a pardon and in their conversations, they’ve only talked about their love for New York City and how they can potentially work together.
“I’m working with the president and his administration, not warring with him. I say that quote over and over again. And my attorney is an excellent attorney. He’s going to handle every avenue to pursue justice. I should not have been charged,” Adams maintained.
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“No American should go through what I’m going through right now. This country believes in fairness and what I’m experienc[ing] is not only a professional tragedy; it’s a personal tragedy.”
Dem senator spars with CNN reporter questioning pay raise for Congress
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., locked horns with a CNN reporter on Wednesday after he learned the “good news” that lawmakers would potentially be getting a pay raise.
The proposed spending bill in Congress will give lawmakers their first pay raise since 2009, something which has received mix reaction across the political spectrum.
Durbin was asked about the congressional pay raises by CNN host Manu Raju, who asked, “members are giving themselves a pay raise. Do you guys deserve a pay raise?”
“Well, that‘s news to me. It‘s good news,” Durbin responded. “You know what has it been 10 years or 14 years and no cola, no change at all? I think it‘s about time something‘s done.”
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When asked again whether he supports the raise, Durbin continued to express surprise at the provision, “How would I not know about a pay raise?”
Raju pressed the senator, suggesting that “people look at the performance of Congress and say, ‘Why should we give them more money?'”
However, Durbin fired back at the CNN reporter, asking him how he and his colleagues in the media get paid the same when their ratings are down.
“What about the media? Think about that for a second,” Durbin said.
“We’re not paid by public money,” Raju replied.
“I know you’re not,” Durbin said. “But I mean, half of your listeners are not there anymore. You‘re still getting the same paycheck. What‘s going on?”
“Well, I mean, you’re taxpayer money, I mean, you guys deserve a raise?” Raju asked.
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The exchange was discussed by a CNN panel where they defended their colleague Raju.
“I thought it was so interesting this morning. Dick Durbin did not know this was in the bill when Manu was asking him about it this morning, and he was arguing that it was pleasant information for him because it had been a decade,” CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox said.
“And he is one of those who is a normal person when it comes to his bank account,” CNN host Dana Bash added.
According to a recent Gallup poll, the news media is the “least trusted group among 10 U.S. civic and political institutions,” with the U.S. Congress only slightly behind at 34%.
Liberal news networks have indeed taken a hit since Trump won the election.
MSNBC averaged 807,000 total day viewers and CNN managed 488,000. During primetime, MSNBC averaged 1.7 million viewers from 8-11 p.m. ET and CNN settled for only 700,000.
In early December, despite the busy news cycle, CNN’s bleak audience was smaller than TNT, Food Network, Freeform, Discovery, INSP, Hallmark Mystery, TLC, TBS, History, HGTV, USA, MSNBC, Paramount, Hallmark Channel, ESPN and Fox News.
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Biden DOJ asks court to undo Derek Chauvin legal victory in George Floyd case
Graphic content warning
Federal prosecutors in Minnesota are asking a judge to reconsider his decision to allow former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to re-examine George Floyd’s heart as part of an appeal after he was convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights.
U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson on Monday ordered that Chauvin’s lawyers be allowed access to Floyd’s heart tissue and histology slides, photographs of his heart and samples of Floyd’s bodily fluids, as his legal team is investigating the possibility that Floyd died from a heart condition and not Chauvin’s actions.
In a 10-page motion to reconsider filed Tuesday, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota argued that Chauvin had “no legal basis for [his] discovery requests, all of which stem solely from an email he received from an unvetted doctor offering a weaker version of the medical defense than the version that the jury had previously rejected at his state trial.”
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Prosecutors also disputed Chauvin’s claim that he had ineffective counsel at trial, claiming that his original defense team’s decision not to examine Floyd’s heart was a “strategic decision that courts have recognized as ‘virtually unchallengeable.’”
Magnuson, however, said the evidence would help Chauvin’s defense investigate information from Dr. William Schaetzel, who contacted Chauvin’s original trial lawyer, Eric Nelson, and argued that Floyd died of a specific type of heart attack.
Chauvin’s new legal team said Nelson never told his client about the doctor’s theory, and therefore, no testing was done to try and confirm it.
“Given the significant nature of the criminal case that Mr. Chauvin was convicted of, and given that the discovery that Mr. Chauvin seeks could support Dr. Schaetzel’s opinion of how Mr. Floyd died, the Court finds that there is good cause to allow Mr. Chauvin to take the discovery that he seeks,” Magnuson ordered Monday.
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Read the government’s filing
Experts told Fox News Digital that Chauvin’s defense has a right to the materials, whether they help him win on appeal or not.
“Chauvin should have every opportunity to exhaust his appeals just like any other defendant,” said David Gelman, a Philadelphia-area criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. “If this was any other case, I bet the Justice Department wouldn’t have objected.”
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Chauvin was also convicted of state murder charges in connection with Floyd’s death on Memorial Day in 2020, when he appeared on video holding his knee on the man’s neck for more than nine minutes, prompting riots around the country.
Warning: Graphic image below
Nelson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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After Chauvin’s conviction, another inmate stabbed Chauvin 22 times in a federal prison in an attack allegedly inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, which picked up steam after Floyd’s death and has been criticized for violent demonstrations around the country.
Chauvin was one of four officers who arrested Floyd after he allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill at a coffee shop and refused to cooperate with police.
Chauvin’s appeal of his state murder charges was rejected by the Supreme Court last year.
Cruise passenger dies after being detained for chaotic incident caught on video
A cruise ship passenger caught on camera acting unruly died shortly after being detained.
Michael Virgil, 35, was seen trying to kick down a door on a ship shortly after it left the Los Angeles Cruise Terminal headed for Ensenada, Mexico, FOX 11 reported.
“The gentleman that was drunk said he was going to kill us,” cruise passenger Christifer Mikhail told the local station. “He started chasing us down the hallway.”
Virgil allegedly attacked two Royal Caribbean crew members aboard the Navigator of the Seas and was attempting to kick down a door to a towel room to get to one of them.
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“I was kind of scared,” Mikhail said. “I’m stuck in this hallway.”
Virgil was said to be uttering profanity and racial slurs.
Video showed him shirtless prior to security restraining him, with what FOX 11 reported was either bear or pepper spray, towels, zip ties and handcuffs.
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A family member of Virgil told FOX 11 he died within an hour of security injecting him with some sort of sedative. They said what happened was not characteristic of him.
“He didn’t deserve to die over it,” the relative told FOX 11.
Virigl leaves behind a wife and 7-year-old son who were also with him on the cruise, according to the station.
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A statement from Royal Caribbean to Fox News Digital said, “We are saddened by the passing of one of our guests. We offered support to the family and are working with authorities on their investigation.”
Virgil’s exact cause of death is not yet known, but FOX 11 reported that the FBI is investigating the incident. The FBI has not responded to a Fox News Digital inquiry regarding the status of the investigation.
Pain reliever you likely have in your cabinet should be ‘carefully considered’: study
New research has revealed that a common medication might not be safe for everyone.
Acetaminophen, brand name Tylenol, is a pain reliever and fever reducer that’s often included in other drugs, such as cold and flu medicines.
The U.K.-based study — published in Arthritis Care & Research, an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology — analyzed the safety of the drug in older individuals.
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The researchers looked at data for more than 180,000 acetaminophen users compared to 400,000 non-users from 1998 to 2018.
The findings revealed that the use of acetaminophen – sometimes also called paracetamol – was associated with an increased risk of serious medical complications.
This includes peptic ulcer bleeding, uncomplicated peptic-ulcers, lower gastrointestinal bleeding, heart failure, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
In a University of Nottingham press release sent to Fox News Digital, lead study author Professor Weiya Zhang, PhD, clarified that long-term use of the drug should be “carefully considered.”
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“Due to its perceived safety, paracetamol has long been recommended as the first-line drug treatment for osteoarthritis by many treatment guidelines, especially in older people who are at higher risk of drug-related complications,” he wrote.
“While further research is now needed to confirm our findings, given its minimal pain-relief effect, the use of paracetamol as a first-line painkiller for long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis in older people needs to be carefully considered.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and senior medical analyst at Fox News, shared his reaction with Fox News Digital.
“It is generally accepted doctrine that acetaminophen is not associated with GI bleeding or advancing kidney disease, but the thinking is starting to change on this front,” said the doctor, who was not involved in the study.
“Yes, over-the-counter medications are still medications.”
There is evidence suggesting that acetaminophen “modulates the same cyclooxygenase-related pathways” as anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, which can “increase adverse GI side effects,” according to Siegel.
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The large U.K. study, the doctor commented, is limited by “being observational,” as well as by an “inability to track over-the-counter as opposed to prescriptions, which were tracked.”
Another potential limitation was that some users had other contributing factors and behaviors, such as smoking and obesity.
“Still, this is a good reminder that all medicines used chronically have side effects, and we are not always sure what they are,” he said. “This is why we continue to do post-market analysis and to re-evaluate medicines.”
He continued, “And yes, over-the-counter medications are still medications. Acetaminophen is well-known for its liver toxicity, but there are other side effects as well, as this study suggests.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Kenvue, Inc., maker of Tylenol, requesting comment on the study.
Risks for older adults
Gerontologist Dr. Macie P. Smith in South Carolina, who was not involved in the study, also reacted to the findings.
“I am happy someone is talking about the side effects of certain medications and how they disproportionately impact … those over [age] 65,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Several medications are not recommended for the older adult population, Smith said.
“Simply because they could tolerate the medications at a younger age does not mean their body can tolerate the same medications at an older age, since their body and brain will change as they age,” she noted.
Some of the complications mentioned in the study, such as GI bleeding, hypertension and kidney disease, can increase the risk of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, even premature death, according to Smith.
“I would recommend that older adults consult with their primary care doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications, since acetaminophen can be found in cold and flu medications and in creams and [ointments],” she advised.
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“Anything that is identified as a medication or drug should be discussed with the doctor, as geriatrics is a specialized practice and those who fall under this category should receive specialized care.”
Smith also recommended that older adults use only one pharmacy, so the pharmacist can consult the patient’s “running ledger” of prescription medications.
“I would recommend that older adults consult with their primary care doctor before taking any over-the-counter medications.”
“If someone over the age of 65 comes in for over-the-counter medications, the pharmacist can easily and quickly check for medication side effects and possible interactions between their prescription and OTC medications,” she said.
Acetaminophen in particular should be “taken with caution” and under the direction of a doctor for those 65 and older, she cautioned.
Smith urged older individuals and their caretakers to “read the important information that comes with any and all medications.”
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She added, “Don’t hesitate to speak to the pharmacist and/or your doctor about the risks and the benefits, then make an informed decision and choose well.”
Fox News Digital reached out to a number of drug manufacturers for comment.