Trump addresses House GOP ahead of speaker vote — and Johnson responds
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., is highlighting President-elect Trump’s support for the speaker race as he calls on the the GOP to unite ahead of Friday’s vote.
Trump, who endorsed Johnson on Monday, wished the congressman good luck ahead of the speaker vote, which is scheduled to take place on Friday afternoon.
Trump, in a Truth Social post, praised Johnson as a “fine man of great ability, who is close to having 100% support.”
“A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!!” Trump wrote.
Johnson responded to the post and thanked Trump for his support.”Thank you, President Trump! Today is a new day in America,” Johnson wrote in a post on X Friday morning.
“Congressional Republicans must stay united to quickly deliver President Trump’s America First agenda. Let’s get it done.”
The House of Representatives has convened for the last time of the 118th Congress.
Lawmakers convened for a a pro forma session on Friday, and will head into an immediate recess. Congress is expected to adjourn sine die at the end of the hour.
Shortly thereafter, the House will convene for the 119th Congress, beginning with a recorded vote on the quorum call. Lawmakers will then be called to vote for a speaker of the House – a race which could head into several rounds if Speaker Mike Johnson does not receive a majority of the vote.
Several Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Ralph Norman, Tim Burchett, and Andy Biggs, have said that they remain undecided if they will vote for Johnson as of Friday morning.
Republicans currently hold 219 seats in the chamber, while Democrats hold 215 House seats, meaning that if only two Republicans vote against Johnson, he loses.
After the House selects a speaker, members will be sworn into the new Congress. It remains unclear when the speaker will be named and members sworn in, as it took lawmakers four days to elect a speaker in 2023.
House Speaker Mike Johnson tells reporters ‘there’s no quid pro quo here’ in his fight to retain gavel.
As House Speaker Mike Johnson seeks to retain his grip on the gavel, Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., is demanding “assurances” that Johnson “won’t sell us out to the swamp.”
Johnson, who secured the speaker’s gavel last year, got a major boost on Monday when Trump endorsed him to remain in the role.
“I understand why President Trump is endorsing Speaker Johnson as he did Speaker Ryan, which is definitely important. However, we still need to get assurances that @SpeakerJohnson won’t sell us out to the swamp,” Spartz noted in a post on X.
“President Trump will be able to save America only if we have a speaker with courage, vision and a plan – also public commitment to the American people how he will help deliver President Trump’s agenda to drain the swamp,” she added in another tweet.
Spartz had previously issued a statement on Monday in which she called out Congress’s profligate spending and demanded a plan to accomplish President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, something which she said she has not seen from current House Speaker Mike Johnson.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., stressed the need for the next House speaker to focus on issues of fiscal responsibility— injecting further uncertainty into Mike Johnson’s ability to secure the 218 Republican majority votes needed to retain control of the gavel.
“I am not committed to Speaker Johnson,” Burchett told Fox News on Friday ahead of the speaker vote, adding that he is “still waiting on some conversations” with the Louisiana Republican.
Burchett is among the 34 Republicans who voted against the government spending bill late last month, which narrowly cleared the House to avert a partial government shutdown.
The bill had sparked opposition from including Burchett and other fiscal conservatives, including Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tex., who excoriated lawmakers last month for cutting against the Republican Party’s core tenet of fiscal responsibility.
Asked on Friday what conversations he would need to have with Johnson to select him as speaker, Burchett said: “I would like some serious talk about fiscal responsibility.”
He added that his sense among House Republicans is that today’s speaker vote will be “razor thin.”
Johnson can afford to lose just one Republican defection in today’s vote.
If more than three Republicans vote “present,” Johnson also loses.
Should the House fail to elect a speaker on the first ballot, it must proceed to a second ballot—a process that repeats until a speaker receives the majority votes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., received public support from Republicans in the Senate as he faces an uncertain vote Friday to determine whether he will maintain the role in the new Congress.
“My friend [Johnson] has done an incredible job in the House, and I’m glad he’s at the helm there as Congress looks forward to growing our economy and safeguarding our communities in the new year,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., on X.
Johnson also got the backing of the other member of Lousiana’s Senate delegation, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. “I agree with President Trump that [Johnson] is the right man to lead. He’s a committed conservative and a man of integrity,” he wrote on X, referencing President-elect Donald Trump’s recent endorsement.
During the last-minute government-spending fight last month, most Republican senators were careful not to call for Johnson’s replacement. However, that didn’t stop others, such as Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, from suggesting that someone else would do a better job.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson.
Two members of the House Freedom Caucus remain undecided on whether they will support Rep. Mike Johnson for speaker just hours before the first vote is scheduled to take place, Fox News Digital has learned.
The House is scheduled to vote for a speaker for the 119th congress on Friday afternoon. Johnson is seeking re-election in the chamber’s top post, but faces potential roadblocks as several members within his own party remain undecided on how they will vote.
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., remains unsure whether he will vote for Johnson, telling Fox News Digital that he will decide “at 11:59.” Another Republican, Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, also has not committed to supporting Johnson.
Several other members have revealed that they have not determined whether they will support Johnson. On Thursday. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital that he was “undecided,” while Rep. Chip Roy also remained on the fence in the days leading up to the highly anticipated vote.
One Republican has already vowed to vote against Johnson: Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.
Johnson will need a majority of the vote in order to win on Friday. Republicans currently hold 219 seats in the chamber, while Democrats hold 215, meaning that if only two Republicans vote against Johnson, he loses that round.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this post.
The House will convene at noon today to select the next speaker, officially kicking off the 119th session of Congress— at least, when a majority of Republicans agree on who should hold the gavel.
The speaker vote is required before the House can conduct any other official business, including, importantly, the swearing-in of other House lawmakers, and the certification of Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory.
A total of 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats are expected to vote Friday. This affords House Speaker Mike Johnson just one defection. Members can also vote “present” in lieu of a name, but Johnson needs a majority vote from the participating members.
If one Republican votes for someone else, then another GOP vote for someone else (or more than one “present” vote) means Johnson loses.
If more than three Republicans vote “present,” Johnson also loses.
If the House fails to elect a speaker on the first ballot, it must proceed to a second ballot. The process repeats until a speaker receives the majority votes. In 2023, lawmakers voted 15 times over five days before electing Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker— the longest speaker battle since before the Civil War.
The House of Representatives will soon vote for a speaker of the House to lead the chamber for the next two years under the incoming Republican administration.
The previous race for the top House post was plagued by infighting among the GOP, who have been unable to easily find consensus on a speaker candidate in recent years. Former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted as speaker by his Republican colleagues in October 2023, and it took lawmakers several weeks to finally elect their next leader: Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La.
Johnson is running to retain his position in the next Congress but has not yet received support from all of his Republican colleagues. The 2025 vote carries particularly intense pressure as the House must agree on and elect a speaker in order to certify President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory just days later.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., is urging his Republican colleagues to “unite ” and rally behind Rep. Mike Johnson for speaker.
Gimenez told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade that he is voting for Johnson on Friday, who currently faces one definite Republican “no” vote from Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Asked about the holdouts, he said that this race “is bigger than all of us.”
“I think outside of Massie, nobody else is a hard no,” Gimenez told Fox. “This is bigger than all of us. We have an agenda that we need to move forward. A very aggressive agenda that the Trump administration wants us to pursue. None of that can happen until we have a speaker. We need to unite, get behind Mike Johnson, and get to work for America.”
House Republicans released their proposed rules package for the 119th congress that included an altered process for ousting a speaker. Currently, only one lawmaker can introduce a motion to vacate the speaker and initiate a vote on the House floor – seen in 2023 when Rep. Matt Gaetz introduced a motion to oust former Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
The new rules require that any lawmaker in the majority who seeks to oust the speaker must have eight cosponsors in order to introduce the motion to vacate.
Gimenez said that the new rule, set to be voted on after the new congress is gaveled in, “doesn’t go far enough.”
“We can’t have the chaos that we had,” the congressman said, referencing the McCarthy ousting. “It can’t happen again. Again, this is about America, saving America. we need to move forward and unite as a party.”
President-elect Donald Trump wished House Speaker Mike Johnson good luck Friday in the House speaker vote, seeking to gin up support for Johnson among Republicans in the chamber ahead of the speaker vote Friday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Johnson as a “fine man of great ability, who is close to having 100% support.”
Trump added, “A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!!”
Johnson can afford just one Republican defection in order to win the 218 majority votes to retain control of the gavel.
Already, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has said he plans to vote against Johnson in the roll call vote. Others expressed frustration over Johnson’s handling of the spending bill last month, threatening his path to reelection.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., the only current outspoken Republican “no” against Speaker Mike Johnson in the House speaker race, shared a poll on social media asking whether he should be re-elected to the chamber’s top post.
The House is set to hold their first speaker vote for the new congress on Friday afternoon. Speaker Johnson is seeking re-election for the position, but faces potential roadblocks to retaining the gavel as Massie vows to vote against the Louisiana Republican.
“I conducted this poll just one week ago. Nearly everyone knows from his 18 month history of betraying Republicans and teaming with Democrats that Johnson isn’t the right guy,” Massie wrote in a post on X. “If he fails on the first round today, a better Speaker can be elected in a few hours or over the weekend.”
The congressman shared a screenshot of a poll, conducted on his social media page, that showed 7% of respondents think that Mike Johnson should win the race, while 93% opted for someone else to be elected Speaker.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stares down a difficult battle to retain the gavel on Friday, even despite an endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stares down a difficult battle to retain the gavel on Friday, even despite an endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.
Despite narrowly hanging on to the GOP majority, Johnson’s speakership hangs in the balance after a series of moves to fund the government that angered conservatives over the effort’s failure to cut spending.
On the opening day of the 119th Congress, the House will vote on a measure to elect a new speaker, and Americans will catch a rare glimpse of the drama that breaks out on the House floor. C-SPAN has been granted permission to run cameras inside the chamber.
If every member votes, Johnson can only afford one Republican defection and still hold on to his job. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has already said he will not vote for Johnson. While other Republicans have refused to affirm their support for Johnson, none have joined Massie in vowing publicly not to vote for him.
Read more about Johnson’s speakership fight from Fox News’ Morgan Phillips and Aubrie Spady.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who unsuccessfully sought to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson from the speakership last year, said that she will vote on Friday for Johnson to retain the gavel.
Last year, the congresswoman lambasted Johnson as “the Uniparty Speaker,” asserting that he “is exactly what is wrong with the Republican establishment” and had “done nothing for conservatives and given everything to Joe Biden and Democrats.”
But she now plans to vote on Friday for Johnson to remain in the leadership post.
“Let’s put aside our pride, let’s put aside our egos, and let’s put aside the infighting,” she said in a video, adding that it is time for the GOP to join together and “do whatever it takes to make sure that we deliver the mandate that the American people told us to do.”
Read more from Fox News’s Alex Nitzberg.
President-elect Trump gave Speaker Mike Johnson a major boost in his efforts to be re-elected as House Speaker this week when he announced his “complete and total endorsement” for the Republican leader.
“The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration. Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!”
Trump also had a warning for Republicans.
“We ran a flawless campaign, having spent FAR LESS, with lots of money left over. They ran a very expensive ‘sinking ship,’ embracing DOJ & FBI WEAPONIZATION against their political opponent, ME. BUT IT DIDN’T WORK, IT WAS A DISASTER!!!” Trump wrote, adding: “LETS NOT BLOW THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.”
The boost came after Johnson had taken criticism from some Republicans over a spending deal to keep the government open. Johnson had relied on Democrats to get the deal pushed through the House.
If no Speaker of the House is selected, the House of Representatives becomes paralyzed and cannot perform essential functions, including authorizing the swearing in of President-elect Donald Trump.
There is a good chance that there will be a battle over who the next speaker will be in the new Congress due to the slim majority Republicans have, and it could draw the process out for weeks potentially if the GOP cannot come to a consensus.
If that were to happen and no new speaker is immediately elected, the House won’t be able to do much of anything. That includes duties of swearing in new members of Congress and certifying the results of the Electoral College so the president-elect can be sworn in.
Meanwhile, the House could still continue holding hearings and votes without a speaker, but absent one there is no way to bring a bill to the floor for a full vote.
Additionally, without a speaker, the line of succession to the president is impacted. Typically, the Speaker of the House is next in line after the vice president, but without a speaker, the President pro tempore takes their place. As a result of this congressional paralysis, the House will continue to vote until a new speaker is selected or the current speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., is reelected.
With legislating at a standstill after three weeks of infighting, House Republicans finally decided on Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., for speaker on Oct. 25, 2023. The lower chamber had been without a speaker since Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted from the job on Oct. 3.
The 21-day gap between leaders was the longest since 1962, when it took 55 days to elect a speaker. There had only been five instances where a mid-session speaker election was needed, each time due to death or resignation, unlike the motion to vacate McCarthy.
The fractured House GOP went through three failed speaker candidates – Reps. Steve Scalise, R-La., Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Tom Emmer, R-Minn., before settling on Johnson in a 220-209 floor vote. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., had been serving as interim speaker, overseeing the election of an official speaker. When some Republicans tried to push McHenry to expand his powers and move legislation in the days of gridlock, he threatened to resign from the position.
The debt ceiling, the amount of money the government is allowed to borrow, is currently suspended January 2025.
In 2023, Congress passed a deal signed by President Biden that suspended the debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025. President-elect Donald Trump, however, has been calling on GOP lawmakers to increase the debt ceiling before he takes office.
Trump urged congressional Republicans to prioritize raising or eliminating the debt ceiling when they were negotiating on deals to avert a government shutdown in December.
“It’s a fantastic idea, and President Trump is in full support of it, as he has expressed in recent days,” incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo of the push to raise the limit. “As soon as Republicans return to the Hill in January, they have to deal with the debt ceiling. This is the last tool in Senator Schumer and the Democrats’ toolbox to try to obstruct President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda.”
Biden’s Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, recently warned that the debt limit could be reached as early as Jan. 14.
“Treasury currently expects to reach the new limit between January 14 and January 23, at which time it will be necessary for Treasury to start taking extraordinary measures,” Yellen wrote in a letter to lawmakers.
Ahead of the 118th Congress, former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R–Calif., was the leading contender for Speaker of the House, but his road to the gavel was plagued by GOP infighting that eventually resulted in his ousting after a 10-month tenure at the chamber’s top post.
On Jan. 3 2023, Republican lawmakers held their first vote for speaker, but McCarthy, who received 203 votes in the first round, was unable to secure enough votes after 19 Republicans opted for a different candidate. The speaker race turned into nearly a week-long process filled with Republican infighting and hours spent negotiating on the House floor.
It took lawmakers four days, five candidates, and 15 votes to reach a consensus and elect McCarthy as speaker for the 118th Congress – with six GOP members voting “present” during the last round of voting.
McCarthy would hold the gavel until October 2023, before a member of his own party, former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, introduced a motion to vacate the speakership. The motion initiated a vote, in which McCarthy was ultimately removed from his position.
The House was left without a formal speaker for several weeks, until lawmakers eventually elected Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., for the role. In December 2023, just two months later, McCarthy announced he would be resigning his seat at the end of the year.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s future remains uncertain as it pertains to keeping the Republicans’ top spot in the lower chamber. He received a helpful boost from President-elect Donald Trump over the holiday recess, getting his endorsement ahead of the upcoming vote.
“Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump said on Truth Social. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!”
Trump has demonstrated a significant influence over Republicans in the past, but the speaker race is expected to come down to just a handful of Republicans’ votes. While such a powerful endorsement can help Johnson, it certainly does not guarantee a win for him.
In order to be elected, a member must get a majority of the votes cast for speaker. Depending on whether all members are present, how many vacancies there are, and if anyone chooses to vote “present,” thereby lowering the majority threshold, Johnson could be in a situation where he can only afford to lose one GOP vote.
Some Republicans, such as Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., have already come out against Johnson, putting his speakership in danger.
While a potentially lengthy speaker fight would not put President-elect Donald Trump’s presidency at risk, it could delay him taking office and further limit his time in the White House.
If House Speaker Mike Johnson is unable to garner enough support in a timely fashion, Republicans may find themselves in another difficult speaker selection process. The House will be unable to begin its legislative duties until a speaker is selected.
In order for Trump’s 2024 election to be certified, Congress must meet in a joint session. But this can’t be done until a speaker receives enough votes. It is unlikely that any Democrats will lend Johnson or Republicans a hand and vote for their nominee. So Johnson or another candidate will need to try and scrape together enough GOP votes with a very slim House majority.
If this process delays the election certification, which is meant to take place on Jan. 6, Trump’s taking office could also be delayed. He would then have less time to begin work on implementing his agenda.
As Speaker of the House Mike Johnson faces reelection, Fox Digital took a look at the crucial role the speaker of the House holds in the upper echelons of government.
The Speaker of the House is an officer described in Article I, Section II of the U.S. Constitution, which also established the House of Representatives. He or she presides over the entire House and is elected by House colleagues. When a new Congress comes into session every two years, the speaker position is vacant and among the first duties of the House to fill.
The speaker supervises the day-to-day activities of House members, assigns committee leadership, decides which bills will be voted on, and serves as the most prominent spokesperson for the majority party’s agenda and priorities The speaker also serves as a key negotiator between the president and Congress.
The Speaker of the House also ranks notably high on the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. If a president no longer can serve in office, the speaker of the House is second in line to assume the position, behind the vice president
The House Speaker election is expected to be narrow and contentious. The 20th Amendment stipulates that a new session of Congress begins on Jan. 3.
With each session of Congress passing its own rules, House business is stymied until a Speaker is elected.
With former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., indicating he will not return to his seat despite being reelected in his Pensacola district, that leaves the Republican caucus only able to weather a one-vote defection.
Gaetz called President-elect Trump’s endorsement of current House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to retain his role “’Art of the Deal’-level practicality” in a post on social media.
“We could never have held up [Kevin] McCarthy two years ago for concessions if a Trump certification hung in the balance. Now, it does,” said Gaetz, whom McCarthy blames for his turbulent ouster in 2023.
So far, Rep. Thomas Massie, a fiscally conservative member from Ashland, Ky., has indicated he will not support Johnson’s bid to remain House speaker, comparing him unfavorably to ex-Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
Massie was also a no-vote on Ryan’s speakership, and wrote that the Wisconsinite “went on to offer a fake repeal of ObamaCare, increased spending, backed the deep state, and didn’t fund a [border] wall” – and that Johnson’s bids to “send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans and blow the budget” are comparable.
If other Republicans join Massie in either voting “present” or for a candidate other than Johnson, the House may be at a standstill for some time and unable to conduct other business including their own swearing-in.
One other speaker candidate is Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Suspects behind New Orleans attack, Vegas Cybertruck explosion shared more links
The Texas man who plowed a rented pickup truck into New Year’s revelers on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street Wednesday, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, and the man eyed in the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas hours later, Matthew Livelsberger, were both Army soldiers who served at Fort Liberty and deployed to Aghanistan in 2009, according to authorities.
A defense official, however, told Fox News that there was no evidence based on their military service that the attacks were related. While both men served at Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, they were there at different times. The North Carolina base is currently home to more than 50,000 service members.
Authorities continued to release new information at separate news briefings Thursday, with FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia telling reporters in New Orleans that there was “no definitive link” uncovered between the attack and the explosion.
BOMBMAKING MATERIALS FOUND AT NEW ORLEANS AIRBNB POTENTIALLY TIED TO BOURBON STREET TERRORIST: REPORT
In Las Vegas, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that while both men went to Afghanistan in 2009, any potential ties there were still under investigation. Between 2007 and 2015, Jabbar was a human resources specialist and an IT specialist. Livelsberger was an Army Green Beret in the 10th Special Forces group.
“We don’t have any evidence that they were in the same province in Afghanistan, the same location or the same unit,” McMahill said. “Again, something else that remains under investigation.”
The Army did not immediately respond to a request for more details on their time in Afghanistan.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK
Both men used the Turo app to rent electric pickup trucks used in the incidents, he said.
“We are heartbroken by the violence perpetrated in New Orleans and Las Vegas, and our prayers are with the victims and families,” Turo said in a statement. “We are actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents. We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat.”
Livelsberger, 37, was an active duty soldier at the time of his death.
Livelsberger was the only fatality in the Cybertruck explosion, McMahill said. Investigators believe he shot himself in the head before the truck blew up – sending flames, fireworks and shrapnel upward just steps away from the hotel’s glass doors, which were not damaged.
FBI Special Agent Spencer Evans added that investigators were looking for potential terror ties to Livelsberger but had not found any as of Thursday afternoon.
“The question about whether it’s being investigated globally, absolutely – like I said, we’re running down investigative leads around the world,” he told reporters. “No information that we’re aware of right now that connects this individual to any terrorist organization around the world, but that’s obviously the thrust of the investigation…ruling out that there’s any sort of terrorism nexus.”
The New Orleans attack, on the other hand, was clearly terror-inspired, authorities said. It killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more, according to authorities, who said Jabbar then opened fire on responding officers. They returned fire and neutralized the threat.
“Let me be clear about this point – this was an act of terrorism,” Raia told reporters at a news briefing Thursday. “It was premeditated and an evil act.”
Jabbar, 42, crashed the truck and died in a gun battle with police, who said they found an Islamic State group flag in the rented Ford F-150 EV Jabbar used in the attack. He posted videos to social media prior to his attack vowing allegiance to the Islamic State, according to authorities.
“He was 100% inspired by ISIS,” Raia said, adding that investigators believe he acted alone, however. They were no longer looking for additional persons of interest on Thursday.
Video shows Jabbar planting two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) hidden in coolers along Bourbon Street, Raia said. One was at the intersection of Bourbon and Orleans, the other was about two blocks away.
SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS FBI INVESTIGATES ACT OF TERRORISM AFTER BOURBON STREET ATTACK
Security cameras showed multiple people stopping and looking at the coolers before walking away, he added. Those people are asked to contact the FBI.
“We want to talk to anyone who was in the French quarter on New Year’s Eve or early on New Year’s Day,” he said. “That includes people spotted near one of the two IEDs on Bourbon Street. The IED was inside a cooler and maybe people stopped and looked at the cooler and then continued on their way.”
He said they are not considered suspects “in any way.”
“We want to speak to them as witnesses and want to know what they saw and when,” he added.
Jabbar was an Army veteran as a human resource specialist and IT specialist from March 2007 until 2015. He then continued as an IT specialist in the Army Reserve until July 2020.
More recently, he worked for Deloitte, a major international accounting firm where he made about $10,000 a month, according to FOX Business.
Raia said it was still “very early” in the investigation, but the FBI had not uncovered any ties between the New Orleans attack and an explosion of a rented Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
David Katz, a former federal agent and firearms trainer and now the CEO of Global Security Group, told Fox News Digital that a potential military connection would be a red flag reminiscent of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. The bomber Timothy McVeigh and accomplice Terry Nichols met while in the Army.
“It’s just worth noting that sometimes military service brings people who are like-minded together,” he said. “And of course, those people can be very dangerous because of their military training.”
Both investigations remain ongoing.
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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry condemned the ideology that spurred the Bourbon Street attack and praised law enforcement.
“In order to protect Americans from evil, you have to crush it,” he said.
Alcohol linked to cancer risk in US Surgeon General’s new advisory
The U.S. surgeon general has released a new advisory warning of alcohol-related cancer risk.
Dr. Vivek Murthy issued the guidance on Friday following research that has linked alcohol to at least seven types of cancer.
In particular, the advisory notes that alcohol can increase the risk of throat, liver, esophageal, mouth, larynx (voice box), colon and rectal cancers.
DRINKING ALCOHOL IS LINKED TO CANCER, EXPERTS SAY
Alcohol consumption has been named as the “third leading preventable cause of cancer” in the country, the advisory noted, with tobacco and obesity taking the top two spots.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” said Murthy in the advisory.
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“This Advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”
4 ways alcohol increases cancer risk
The advisory breaks down four different ways in which cancer can increase cancer risk.
In one mechanism, the alcohol breaks down into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which damages DNA and increases cancer risk.
Alcohol also induces “oxidative stress,” the advisory warns, which damages protein, DNA and cells, and also causes inflammation.
‘ALCOHOL GENE’ COULD PREDICT HOW COCKTAILS MAY AFFECT YOU — AND THERE’S A TEST FOR IT
In a third mechanism, alcohol changes hormone levels, namely estrogen, which can increase the risk of breast cancer. More than 16% of all breast cancer cases have been linked to alcohol, the advisory states.
Finally, cancer creates conditions in which alcohol is more easily absorbed into the body.
Individual risk for alcohol-related cancers will also depend on “a complex interaction of biological, environmental, social and economic factors,” the same source stated.
Recommendations for reducing risk
In the new advisory, Murthy calls for a warning label to be placed on alcoholic beverages stating that they may increase cancer risk.
“Too many Americans are living with an outdated assumption that some amount of alcohol is not only harmless, but also good for you.”
The advisor also calls for a “reassessment of the guideline limits” for alcohol consumption and encourages people to be cognizant of the risk when deciding how much to consume.
The surgeon general also calls for doctors, health professionals and community groups to emphasize the link between alcohol and cancer to help raise awareness of the risk.
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Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, applauded Murthy’s advisory.
“Too many Americans are living with an outdated assumption that some amount of alcohol is not only harmless, but also good for you,” he told Fox News Digital. “Increasing evidence shows that isn’t true.”
Though wine and other alcoholic beverages may relieve stress and dilate arteries in the short term, the doctor warned that alcohol is a “proven toxin” with direct links to liver, heart and brain disease.
“Even though traditional advice has been up to one drink a day for women and two drinks per day for men, in fact, no amount of alcohol is healthy,” Siegel said.
Multiple studies have shown that 25% of people increased their alcohol use during the pandemic, according to Siegel.
“This was in part because of stress and also because of social isolation — and the numbers have persisted since the pandemic ended,” he said.
“The timing of this advisory is right on the mark.”
College football fans showed their patriotism Thursday afternoon at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Before Notre Dame and Georgia played their College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Caesars Superdome, there was a moment of silence for those killed and injured in the New Orleans terror attack New Year’s Day.
More than a dozen people were killed and many more were injured when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck through a crowd on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street.
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After the moment of silence was completed inside the Caesars Superdome, the crowd erupted into “U-S-A!” chants.
The singing of the national anthem followed with a large American flag covering the turf.
SAINTS, PELICANS ANNOUNCE MEMBER OF VIDEO PRODUCTION TEAM AMONG THOSE KILLED IN NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK
The terror attack prompted the postponement of the Sugar Bowl, which determines who will play No. 6 Penn State in one semifinal of the College Football Playoff.
Authorities opened Bourbon Street hours before the game Thursday, which Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry attended.
“Security is going to be tight,” Landry said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.” “We have all confidence that we’re gonna put this game on. The Superdome is completely secure. Again, the FBI continues to pour resources into the state.”
Many reacted to the senseless act of violence, including Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, who spoke to his team about what happened.
“The first part of that meeting was to mourn and pray for our country,” he said during an appearance on ESPN.
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“In the toughest moments, the culture of any program, of a nation, are revealed. I have a lot of faith we’re going to rally around the city of New Orleans and support all the victims and families that were affected today.”
New ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff after beloved show wraps its final episodes — what to know
Now that “Yellowstone” has wrapped up its final episodes, Taylor Sheridan and the crew of the hit Western are shifting their focus to Michelle Pfeiffer’s “The Madison.”
Christina Voros, executive producer on “Yellowstone,” told The Hollywood Reporter the crew has walked away from the main series and is putting its efforts into the new spinoff.
“The team that I’ve been working with has moved from ‘Yellowstone’ into ‘The Madison,’ so I know that new show is happening, and Taylor is excited about writing it,” Voros said in December.
MICHELLE PFEIFFER TO STAR IN ‘YELLOWSTONE’ SPINOFF ‘THE MADISON’: ‘EXCITED FOR THIS!’
There were reports season 6 of “Yellowstone,” starring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, is not off the table.
Below is a look at everything to know about Sheridan’s latest series, “The Madison.”
‘The Madison’
Pfeiffer is the latest star to join the “Yellowstone” universe.
The 66-year-old actress will lead the hit flagship series’ spinoff show “The Madison,” which she will also executive produce, Variety reported.
Pfeiffer confirmed the casting news in a post she shared on her Instagram in August.
“This cats out of the bag. Excited for this! #Madison,” she captioned her post.
Sheridan will pen “The Madison,” which will follow a family of New York City natives who live in the Madison River valley of central Montana, according to the Paramount Network, via Variety.
The network described “The Madison” as a “heartfelt study of grief and human connection.”
Is ‘The Madison’ a ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff?
Although the upcoming series is considered a “spinoff” of “Yellowstone,” Voros told Variety this series is different from the original Western, which starred Kevin Costner.
“It’s such a different story. The common ground is the landscape,” she told the outlet in November.
“We are in Montana, but it is seen through a completely different lens. So, it feels like another facet of this cut stone that has been polished. There are parallels in the scope of landscape and a human being’s place in that space, but it’s coming at it from a completely different point of view.”
The cast
In August, Paramount announced Pfeiffer would take the lead role in “The Madison.”
“Michelle Pfeiffer is a remarkable talent who imbues every role with emotional depth, authenticity and grace. She is the perfect anchor to the newest chapter of the ‘Yellowstone’ universe, ‘The Madison,’ from the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan,” Chris McCarthy, Paramount Global co-CEO and president and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement to Variety at the time.
In August, The Hollywood Reporter revealed Matthew Fox would star alongside Pfeiffer.
Fox will star as Paul, a “self-reliant bachelor who loves the outdoors.”
“Suits” star Patrick J. Adams will also appear in the series.
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Adams was asked by TVLine in October about the impressive cast on “The Madison,” and the actor said, “Yes — and I have what I’m allowed to say about that show. So, I’m going to say absolutely nothing except ‘yes’ to what you just said.”
Elle Chapman and Beau Garrett will star as Pfeiffer’s daughters, Paige and Abigail. Adams will star as Russell McIntosh, Paige’s investment-banker husband.
Chapman took to Instagram in August to share the news she had joined “The Madison” and wrote, “I guess dreams really do come true.”
Is Matthew McConaughey involved?
According to Variety, “The Madison” is the show that was previously slated as “2024.”
It was previously reported that Matthew McConaughey would lead a “Yellowstone” spinoff.
Last fall, it was announced Sheridan’s television universe was expanding with two new shows, initially called “2024” and “1944.” The spinoffs join “Yellowstone” prequels “1923” starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, which is releasing its second season in February 2025, and “1883,” starring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, which has one season available for streaming.
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Since reports surfaced that “2024” had become “The Madison,” it appears McConaughey’s role in Sheridan’s television world is on pause.
There have been no reports of him signing on to “The Madison” or any other potential “Yellowstone” spinoff.
‘The Madison’ release date
There is no set release date for “The Madison,” but Deadline reported that production was slated for late August in Montana, and a 2025 premiere date is expected.
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Based on Pfeiffer’s Instagram posts, it appears filming is underway. The actress shared a series of photos in October with the caption, “Landscapes from beautiful Montana.”
To ring in the new year, Pfeiffer posted a video that included photos of her with some of her “The Madison” co-stars, as well as shots of the cast filming in Montana.
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Biden administration hits airline with $2M fine over chronic flight delays
JetBlue Airways is facing a $2 million fine after a federal government investigation revealed that it was “operating multiple chronically delayed flights.”
This marks the first time the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has imposed a penalty on an airline for consistently delaying flights. The government lambasted this action, calling it a “prohibited unrealistic scheduling practice which can harm both passengers and fair competition across the airline industry.”
DOT’s order requires JetBlue to stop chronic flight delays and pay a $2 million penalty, half of which will go directly to the U.S. Treasury. The other half will be used to compensate passengers that were impacted by the chronically delayed flights or any future flight disruptions of three hours or more caused by JetBlue within the next year, the DOT said in its Friday announcement.
The future compensation must be valued at a minimum of $75 for each harmed passenger, the DOT said.
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“Today’s action puts the entire airline industry on notice that we expect their flight schedules to reflect reality,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement on Friday. “The department will enforce the law against airlines with chronic delays or other unrealistic scheduling practices in order to protect healthy competition in commercial aviation and ensure passengers are treated fairly.”
Under the DOT rules, flights are considered chronically delayed if they are flown at least 10 times a month and arrive more than 30 minutes late, more than half of the time. Cancelations are included as delays within this calculation, the government said. Consistently delaying a flight for more than four consecutive months is considered unrealistic scheduling.
Following the DOT investigation, government officials discovered that JetBlue operated four chronically delayed flights at least 145 times between June 2022 through November 2023. Each of the four flights was delayed consistently for at least five straight months, according to the DOT. In total, there were 395 delays and cancellations across these four chronically delayed flights in total.
Additionally, JetBlue continued to operate three more chronically delayed flights between Florida, New York and Connecticut despite receiving warnings from the DOT, officials said.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimated that the airline was responsible for over 70% of the disruptions for the four chronically delayed flights based off of data submitted to DOT by JetBlue.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JBLU | JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORP. | 7.48 | -0.38 | -4.83% |
Under DOT rules, airlines are given “adequate time to fix their schedule after a flight becomes chronically delayed to avoid illegal unrealistic scheduling.” However, the DOT said “JetBlue failed to do so.”
However, JetBlue told FOX Business in a statement that it has “invested tens of millions of dollars to reduce flight delays, particularly related to ongoing air traffic control challenges” in its largest markets in the Northeast and Florida over the past two years.
“Through these efforts, we have seen significant operational improvements in 2024 including better on-time performance during this year’s peak summer travel season,” the New York City-based carrier said.
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The carrier continued saying that while it reached a settlement to resolve this matter regarding four flights in 2022 and 2023, the carrier believes “accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the U.S. government, which operates our nation’s air traffic control system.”
The carrier argued that the incoming administration needs to “prioritize modernizing outdated ATC technology” and address “chronic air traffic controller staffing shortages to reduce ATC delays that affect millions of air travelers each year.”
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But JetBlue isn’t alone. The DOT stated it is currently investigating other airlines for “unrealistic flight schedules” as well.
The DOT considers unrealistic scheduling to be deceptive and anticompetitive practice as it denies travelers reliable scheduling information and “allows airlines to unfairly capture business from competitors by misleading consumers.”
NFL teams heading into final regular season game with everything on the line
The final week of the 2024 NFL regular season is here, and for some teams, there is not much to play for due to already having their spot set in the playoffs, or worse, being knocked out of playoff contention.
However, for other teams not on either end of the spectrum, there is everything to play for, making this week a must-win situation while also looking at the rest of the league.
Looking at the current playoff picture, there is only one available playoff spot in both the AFC and NFC. In turn, four games in the AFC and three games in the NFC have playoff implications for nine total teams, whether it is simply making the playoffs or seeding within the bracket.
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Let’s dive into which teams and matchups to watch in Week 18, starting with a potential deep playoff run squad in the AFC:
BALTIMORE RAVENS (vs. Cleveland Browns) – CLINCHED
Lamar Jackson and company already have their playoff spot locked in for 2024 with an 11-5 record, but the AFC North title is still on the line with the Pittsburgh Steelers (more on them in a bit) sitting just one game behind them at 10-6.
So, with a win or tie for Baltimore, they would win the division and lock up the No. 3 seed, which is an automatic home game in the Wild Card Round. They would also lock those up with a Steelers loss.
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PITTSBURGH STEELERS (vs. Cincinnati Bengals) – CLINCHED
Like the Ravens, the Steelers have already reached the playoffs as well, but they want that No. 3 seed if they can get it.
However, unlike the Ravens, they will be going against a much tougher AFC North foe in the Bengals, who are also gunning for an improbable spot in the postseason.
A slight advantage for the Steelers, though, is that the Ravens will be playing earlier in the day. So, they will know their situation when they take the field against Cincinnati. They would clinch the division title with a win and a Baltimore loss.
CINCINNATI BENGALS (vs. Steelers)
On the other sideline in this game is a Bengals team that has stayed alive with wins over the last four games to give themselves an 8-8 and a shot at that final wild card slot.
A fifth straight win is paramount if they wish to attain that spot, but they also need things to happen in their favor in order to be granted a chance at the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
After a win, the Bengals will need the Denver Broncos to lose and the Miami Dolphins to either lose or tie. Only then can Joe Burrow and his squad of stars sneak into the playoffs.
DENVER BRONCOS (vs. Kansas City Chiefs)
The Chiefs have the No. 1 seed in the AFC etched in stone with their league-best 15-1 record, so they will be resting most of their starters on Sunday in preparation for the bye week and to ensure key players like Patrick Mahomes are healthy for the Divisional Round.
For Bo Nix and the Broncos, however, they have the same plan as they needed a couple of weeks ago: Win and in. The Broncos have lost two straight games, which has kept teams like the Bengals and Dolphins alive in the playoff hunt.
Can this 9-7 group led by their breakout rookie quarterback and stellar defense get Denver back into the postseason for the first time since they won the Super Bowl in 2015? They will not be seeing the usual Chiefs, and they will be at home to get the job done.
MIAMI DOLPHINS (@ New York Jets)
Like the Bengals, the Dolphins need some help to make the playoffs, but Cincinnati does not fall into those cards.
Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins will need to beat their AFC East rival at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and have someone watch the Broncos-Chiefs matchup because they will need a Denver loss along with their win to claim that final playoff spot.
DETROIT LIONS – MINNESOTA VIKINGS: FOR THE NFC NO. 1 SEED
This is perhaps the best game that Week 18 has to offer NFL fans, because the No. 1 seed in the NFC will be determined by who wins the NFC North.
Both the Lions and Vikings are 14-2, as the latter has ripped off a nine-game win streak and will be hosting the former on “Sunday Night Football” in a highly anticipated bout between two squads that each would love to host every single playoff game except for the Super Bowl.
If that is not enough, the loser would be the No. 5 seed – not the No. 2-4 as those are reserved for division winners. Being the No. 5 seed means going on the road to face the winner of the NFC South (on to that in just a second).
Buckle up, football fans. Two of the best offenses squaring off in Week 18 with tons on the line. It is playoff football without the true elimination.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS OR ATLANTA FALCONS?
Once again, the NFC South has not been pretty, but Week 18 provides some suspense as both the Bucs and Falcons will be gunning for that final playoff spot, and it will only be secured by the division title.
Tampa Bay has the edge, though, as a win over the Carolina Panthers at home would ensure they win the division no matter what happens with the Falcons’ game against the New Orleans Saints.
However, if the Bucs were to lose and the Falcons were to win, it would be Atlanta winning the division.
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However, they’d have the same 9-8 record, you say? Kirk Cousins might not be Atlanta’s starting quarterback anymore, but he had two of his best games of the season against Tampa Bay, which led to Falcons wins in both matchups. A clean sweep in the regular season means the Falcons own the tiebreaker over the Bucs, which would crown them NFC South champions.
Both games will be happening at the same time, 1 p.m. ET, which will create the perfect amount of suspense for fans of both franchises.
Ski accident at popular tourist destination claims life of 12-year-old boy
A tragic accident on New Year’s Eve claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy during a ski trip at Cranmore Mountain in New Hampshire.
According to officials, the boy was skiing on a trail for intermediate skiers when he crashed into a tree.
North Conway Fire and rescue team arrived on the scene and the boy had already been transported to the mountain base where he was unconscious.
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CPR was performed by the Cranmore Ski Patrol team but was unsuccessful, and he was transported via ambulance to MaineHealth Memorial Hospital where he was unable to recover. He was pronounced dead due to the extent of his injuries.
Cranmore Mountain resort as well as Conway Police Chief Christopher Mattei released statements expressing their condolences.
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“On behalf of Cranmore Mountain Resort, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family,” a spokesperson from Cranmore Mountain said in a statement. “The entire Cranmore family grieves for this tragic loss.”
“On behalf of the Conway Police Department, and all the first responders who assisted, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the family members of the 12-year-old boy,” Mattei wrote.
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The victim’s name has not been released at this time.
An investigation is in progress.