Pence reveals what he told Trump during their first public appearance together in years
Former Vice President Mike Pence revealed his brief exchange with President-elect Trump, which was caught on camera at former President Carter’s state funeral.
The pair have not been seen publicly together since leaving the White House in disagreement over the 2020 election results. At the service at the National Cathedral, Pence stood up to shake Trump’s hand, and they appeared to exchange pleasantries.
Former second lady Karen Pence, who was seated next to her husband, did not stand up or acknowledge Trump.
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In an interview with Christianity Today, Pence said he “welcomed” the opportunity to speak with Trump.
“He greeted me when he came down the aisle. I stood up, extended my hand. He shook my hand. I said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President,’ and he said, ‘Thanks, Mike,’” Pence said.
Pence also recalled one of his final conversations with Trump in 2021, when he told Trump he would continue to pray for him. Trump responded, “Don’t bother,” the outlet reported.
“I said, ‘You know, there’s probably two things that we’re never going to agree on. … We’re probably never going to agree on what my duty was under the Constitution on Jan. 6.’ And then I said, ‘And I’m never going to stop praying for you,'” Pence told Christianity Today. “And he said, ‘That’s right, Mike, don’t ever change.'”
He said he kept his word.
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While the two appeared to remain cordial at the service for Carter, Pence told the outlet he doesn’t think Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is the right fit to manage Health and Human Services and was concerned about former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard serving as national intelligence director.
Fox News Digital reached out to Trump and Advancing American Freedom, a public policy advocacy organization founded by Pence, for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
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Newsom responds to public’s anger over wildfire response by pointing finger
Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., appeared to deflect when he was confronted about Los Angeles residents being angry over his wildfire response, saying local leaders and people on his own team weren’t giving him a clear picture of the devastation.
In an interview with liberal podcast, “Pod Save America,” released on Saturday, the governor said he has struggled to get “straight answers” about went wrong with the wildfire response from lower-level leaders, suggesting that it has hampered his response.
“So, I’m the governor of California and wanna know the answer. I’ve got that question, I can’t tell you, by how many people, ‘What happened?’ – on my own team, ‘What happened?’… I’ll be candid with you, I wasn’t getting straight answers,” Newsom told co-host Jon Favreau, referencing his conversations with local leaders.
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Favreau mentioned how one of his “best friends” who lost his home in The Palisades suggested that Newsom is “just trying to pass the blame” for the crisis. He added that many residents are “so angry” about the state’s response to the devastating blaze and asked him to respond as the man who is “ultimately responsible” for the state.
Newsom admitted he wasn’t fully clued in to why the response was lagging and appeared to pass the buck to other leaders.
“We had my team start talking to local leaders, saying, ‘What’s going on?’” Newsom began.
“And you weren’t getting straight answers from the local leaders?” Favreau cut in. “I was getting different answers,” Newsom affirmed, adding, “and so, for me, that’s not a – when you start getting different answers, then I’m not getting the actual story.”
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Newsom added that he has been giving these leaders “a little bit of grace,” as he understands they’re “assessing” the “emergency environment.”
He noted that tempers are flaring up over the wildfire response because “no one has any patience anymore.”
The governor then pointed a finger at President-elect Donald Trump, who he has been feuding with after Trump accused Newsom of mishandling the wildfire response.
Trump on Wednesday slammed Newsom for not doing “a good job” throughout the crisis. He added, “It’s very sad because I’ve been trying to get Gavin Newsom to allow water to come – you’d have tremendous water up there, they send it out from the Pacific – because they’re trying to protect a tiny little fish. For the sake of a smelt, they have no water… It’s a mistake of the governor, and you could say, the administration.”
Newsom’s press office responded to the comments on X, stating, “LADWP said that because of the high water demand, pump stations at lower elevations did not have enough pressure refill tanks at higher elevations, and the ongoing fire hampered the ability of crews to access the pumps.”
It added, “Broadly speaking, there is no water shortage in Southern California right now, despite Trump’s claims that he would open some imaginary spigot.”
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During the podcast interview, Newsom again slammed Trump for the claims, stating the president is spreading misinformation.
“It’s words. It’s a salad. It’s the form and substance of fog. It’s made up. It’s delusional and it’s a consistent mantra from Trump going back years and years and years, and it’s reinforced over and over and over within the right wing.”
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The governor added that Trump has managed to bring this alleged affinity for misinformation “into this crisis in a profoundly demeaning and damaging way.”
Trump transition team spokesperson Steven Cheung replied to Newsom’s accusation, telling Fox News Digital, “Instead of appearing on liberal podcasts, maybe Newscum [sic] should be doing his f—ing job and actually help people who continue to suffer under his terrible leadership.”
Democrat senator claims fires ‘are preview of coming atrocities’ under Trump admin
As fires wreak havoc in California, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., claimed in a post on X the catastrophe is “what a climate emergency looks like.” In another tweet, he took aim at President-elect Trump, asserting the incoming president has been bought off by the oil industry.
“Trump has been bought for $1 billion by Big Oil. Just a payoff to kill the IRA and the Green New Deal. We know what will happen. More fires, more climate disasters, more death. The LA fires are preview of coming atrocities,” Markey declared in a post on X.
Markey, who claims there is a “climate crisis,” has also warned about the potential effects of artificial intelligence (AI).
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He suggested rising use of AI could result in “doubling data center electricity demand by 2026,” “increased carbon emissions,” “water supply shortages” and “electronic waste.”
“We are already facing a climate crisis. We can’t let AI make it worse,” Markey warned.
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Trump is slated to take office Jan. 20.
“In his first term, President Trump advanced conservation and environmental stewardship while promoting economic growth for families across the country,” incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
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“America’s energy agenda under President Trump produced affordable, reliable energy for consumers along with stable, high-paying jobs for small businesses — all while dropping U.S. carbon emissions to their lowest level in 25 years. In his second term, President Trump will once again deliver clean air and water for American families while Making America Wealthy Again.”
Residents of small Georgia town are legally required to own guns and ammunition
In Kennesaw, Georgia, it’s against the law to own a gun.
The city law, dating back to the 1980s, makes it a requirement for residents to own guns and ammo.
Kennesaw’s gun law states: “In order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the city and its inhabitants, every head of household residing in city limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition.” The law excludes residents with mental or physical disabilities, felony convictions or conflicting religious beliefs.
“It’s not like you go around wearing it on your hip like the Wild Wild West,” Derek Easterling, the town’s three-term mayor, told BBC News. “We’re not going to knock on your door and say, ‘Let me see your weapon.’”
The mayor told BBC that, according to his knowledge and that of multiple other local officials, there have been no prosecutions or arrests made for violating the 1982 law.
The law is a source of pride for some and embarrassment for others. Most residents told BBC that the law keeps citizens safe as there were no murders in town in 2023, according to Kennesaw Police Department data. There were two suicides, however, involving guns.
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“If anything, criminals need to be concerned, because if they break into your home, and you’re there, they don’t know what you got,” customers at a local pizza joint argued.
“It’s the attitude behind the guns here in Kennesaw that keep the gun crimes down, not the guns,” Blake Weatherby, a groundskeeper at the Kennesaw First Baptist Church, told the BBC. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a gun or a fork or a fist or a high heel shoe. We protect ourselves and our neighbors.”
At one point, Weatherby said he owned over 20 guns, but now he doesn’t own any.
Pat Ferris, who joined Kennesaw’s city council in 1984 just years after the gun law was passed, said that it was created to be “more of a political statement than anything” and added that he isn’t sure “how many people even know that the ordinance exists.”
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Morton Grove, Illinois, became the first city in the U.S. to ban gun ownership, but Kennesaw became the first city to require it. Similar laws have been passed in at least four other U.S. cities: Gun Barrel City, Texas; Virgin, Utah; Nelson, Georgia and Nucla, Colorado.
City council member Madelyn Orochena described the law as “a weird little factoid about our community.”
“Residents will either roll their eyes in a bit of shame or laugh along about it,” she told the BBC.
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‘The View’ co-host ripped for hypocrisy as husband’s legal trouble swirls around network
There’s been a cloudy forecast for “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin as her husband has been accused in a lawsuit of committing insurance fraud, which has become a “big thing” at ABC News, according to sources.
“It’s been discussed internally,” one source tells Fox News Digital of the situation at the ABC talk show. “But no one is sure what to make of it.”
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Emmanuel “Manny” Hostin and his practice, Hostin Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, were named among more than 180 defendants in a major RICO case filed in New York last month.
According to The Daily Mail, Hostin and the other defendants were allegedly receiving kickbacks for performing surgeries and fraudulently billing the insurance company that provides for Uber and Lyft drivers, as well as taxi companies. The lawsuit alleges Hostin was given an “investment” interest in the Empire State Ambulatory Surgery Center while receiving a “steady stream” of patient referrals in return.
Hostin’s attorney told The Daily Mail his client denies all the allegations and called the filing a “blanket, scattershot, meritless lawsuit by a near-bankrupt insurance carrier.”
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A former ABC insider said Hostin was always the first one to jump down a Republican’s throat when they’d done anything wrong on “The View,” and “now she’s not even talking about it on the show.”
“It’s pretty hypocritical,” they said, saying the controversy had become a “big thing at the network.” “It’s death by a thousand cuts. This is just another thing to make people not trust [The View] and not take them seriously.”
As co-host of “The View” and ABC’s senior legal correspondent, Hostin often cites her background as an attorney to weigh in on major legal stories that have made headlines, most notably the litany of criminal charges that were leveled against President-elect Donald Trump. Hostin is known for giving sarcastic readings of Trump’s denials of the charges against him when discussed on the program.
“Sunny Hostin will only look more foolish when she pontificates about ethics and morality and the rule of law,” Fox News contributor Joe Concha said.
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Many media experts, like Cornell Law School professor and media critic William A. Jacobson, don’t think the legal drama rocking the Hostin household will have much of an effect on ABC News nor the host’s standing with “The View.”
“It would be a stretch to claim that anything he did or did not do relates to Ms. Hostin, much less her ability to offer her opinions on ‘The View,'” Jacobson told Fox News Digital.
DePauw University journalism professor Jeffrey McCall similarly predicted the scandal will likely not move the needle as ABC News will “steer clear” from covering the lawsuit in a constantly packed news cycle that is bracing for Trump’s return to the White House.
“It does have a certain sensationalism to it in that Sunny is an outspoken personality on a rather raucous commentary program, but the interest factor is probably rather low for most American news consumers,” McCall said.
ABC News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. A representative for Hostin also did not comment.
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Disney-ownd ABC is still smarting from its $16 million settlement with Trump after he sued the network and “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos for defamation.
Hostin has remained mum about her husband’s legal troubles since the December lawsuit filing, but that hasn’t stopped her from commenting on her husband’s work, as she did last month while discussing the health insurance industry in the aftermath of the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“Doctors suffer because of big corporations as well, doctors that want to do good like my husband,” Hostin told her colleagues. “[He] operates on someone even though they don’t have insurance and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work that he’s been trained his whole life to do.”
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Additionally, comments Hostin made in March 2023 about the severity of insurance fraud went viral this week as she discussed potential charges against former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who had been serving a prison sentence for tax fraud.
“Prosecutors are like, ‘Oh really? Well, how about we add some additional fraud charges onto you?’ And they’re talking about threatening him with insurance fraud, which I would say you could get 20 years in prison. So that’s a death sentence for him,” Hostin said at the time.
Legal experts tell Fox News Digital the $459 million lawsuit embroiling Dr. Hostin and his co-defendants could keep them in court for years.
The lawsuit was filed under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, in the Eastern District of New York—a strategy that legal experts say is designed to have a chilling effect on behavior. It’s also one that risks entangling defendants such as Hostin in years of complex court proceedings—and potentially saddling them with massive payouts as a result.
American Transit alleges that Hostin and other defendants abused New York’s no-fault laws to bill “hundreds of millions” of dollars in fraudulent payments between 2009 and December 2024.
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Americans born within specific window just got helping hand with new IRS rule
They say you get better as you get older. This might just be true for 401(k) plans in 2025 for those striding into their golden years. Planning for retirement just got a significant boost for Americans aged 60 to 63, thanks to provisions in the SECURE Act 2.0.
Beginning in 2025, individuals in this age group will be eligible for something called a “super catch-up” contribution limit for employer-sponsored retirement plans, including 401(k)s. This exciting change, recently clarified by the IRS, provides a unique opportunity to accelerate your retirement savings during those crucial pre-retirement years.
The basics: Catch-up contributions
Catch-up contributions allow individuals aged 50 and older to save extra money for retirement beyond the standard contribution limits. For 2024, the catch-up contribution limit was $7,500, on top of the $22,500 annual contribution cap for 401(k)s and similar plans. These additional contributions are designed to help older workers close any retirement savings gaps they may have accumulated over the years.
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Introducing the super catch-up
Under the SECURE Act 2.0, individuals aged 60, 61, 62, and 63 can contribute even more to their retirement accounts starting in 2025. The new “super catch-up” limit will be the greater of $10,000 or 150% of the regular catch-up contribution limit for the given year, adjusted annually for inflation. At 64, you go to the regular catch-up.
For example, if the regular catch-up contribution in 2025 remains at $7,500, the super catch-up limit would increase to $11,250 (150% of $7,500). If the $10,000 floor is adjusted for inflation, it could rise even higher, allowing individuals to add substantially more to their retirement savings.
Why is this important?
This enhancement comes at a pivotal time for many individuals. Those in their early 60s often find themselves at the peak of their earning potential, with more disposable income available for saving. At the same time, they are rapidly approaching retirement and may feel pressure to bolster their nest eggs. The super catch-up offers a golden opportunity to bridge any shortfalls and strengthen their financial security.
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Additionally, this provision aligns with the reality that many Americans are living longer. Increasing retirement savings can help ensure a more comfortable and secure retirement in the face of rising healthcare costs, inflation and other financial challenges.
Key considerations
To take full advantage of the super catch-up, it’s essential to plan strategically:
- Evaluate Your Budget: Ensure you have the financial flexibility to maximize contributions. Cutting unnecessary expenses or reallocating resources may be necessary.
- Consult a Financial Adviser: Professional guidance can help optimize your savings strategy, factoring in tax implications and long-term goals. One good place to start is at Exit Wealth to learn more about this technique.
- Understand Tax Implications: Contributions to traditional 401(k)s are tax-deferred, reducing your taxable income now but subject to taxes during retirement withdrawals. Consider how this fits into your overall tax strategy and whether the regular 401(k) or the Roth 401(k) make more sense for your situation.
- Stay Informed: Keep an eye on annual IRS updates regarding contribution limits and inflation adjustments.
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The super catch-up offers a golden opportunity to bridge any shortfalls and strengthen their financial security.
A new era of retirement savings
The super catch-up contribution is a testament to the growing focus on enhancing retirement readiness for Americans. By leveraging this opportunity, individuals aged 60 to 63 can significantly boost their retirement savings, potentially lower their overall tax liability, and provide greater peace of mind as they transition into their golden years.
If you’re approaching this age bracket, now is the time to review your retirement strategy and prepare to make the most of this exciting new provision. Retirement is a journey, and with the super catch-up, you can ensure yours is as secure and fulfilling as possible.
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Study finds one ‘underappreciated’ berry could be key to losing weight
A new study led by Washington State University researchers found that elderberry juice could be a “potent tool” for weight management and improving metabolic health.
The study, published in the journal Nutrients, found that a week of consuming 12 ounces of elderberry juice each day led to positive changes in the gut microbiome, a release from Washington State University said.
“Elderberry is an underappreciated berry, commercially and nutritionally,” said Patrick Solverson, an assistant professor in the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. Solverson is one of the corresponding authors of the study.
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The results of the study are “very exciting,” he said — and scientists are “starting to recognize” the value of elderberries for human health.
Elderberries are small, dark, purple berries that grow on elder trees, which are native to Europe. They have long been promoted as a way to improve the immune system, noted the Washington State University release.
The results of the study hint that there could be other potential medicinal uses for the elderberry, said the university.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom,” said Solverson.
“This study contributes to a growing body of evidence that elderberry, which has been used as a folk remedy for centuries, has numerous benefits for metabolic as well as prebiotic health.”
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The study tested the metabolic health of 18 overweight adults.
During the experiment, participants drank either 12 ounces of elderberry juice each day, or a placebo that was tinted to look and taste like elderberries.
“Food is medicine, and science is catching up to that popular wisdom.”
Their diet was otherwise unchanged, said Washington State University.
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After the experiment, the researchers found that those who had consumed elderberry juice “had significantly increased amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, including firmicutes and actinobacteria, and decreased amounts of harmful bacteria, such as bacteroidetes.”
Those who drank elderberry juice had an improved metabolism, said the release.
“Results showed that the elderberry juice reduced participants’ blood glucose levels by an average of 24%, indicating a significantly improved ability to process sugars following carbohydrate consumption,” said Washington State University.
Further, those who drank elderberry juice experienced a 9% decrease in their insulin levels.
Elderberries might also enhance a person’s ability to burn fat, said the release.
“Participants who received the elderberry juice showed significantly increased fat oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids, after a high carbohydrate meal and during exercise,” said Washington State University.
Elderberries are high in anthocyanins, which are “plant-based bioactive compounds that have a variety of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antimicrobial effects.”
These anthocyanins are theorized as to why elderberries have these effects on people, said the release.
While other berries and foods contain anthocyanins, elderberries have a particularly high concentration of the compounds.
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“A person would have to consume four cups of blackberries a day to achieve the same anthocyanin dose contained in six ounces of elderberry juice,” said Solverson.
Fox News Digital reached out to Washington State University for further comment about the study.
NFL reportedly considering drastic changes to playoff format
The Minnesota Vikings are tied for the second-best record in the NFC this year, but their first playoff game will be on the road.
That’s because the one team ahead of them is the 15-2 Detroit Lions, who won the NFC North with a victory over Minnesota in Week 18.
The Lions earned a top seed and a bye, while the Vikings head to Arizona to face the Los Angeles Rams. The game was originally scheduled for LA, but it was moved due to wildfires.
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It’s not the first oddity in the NFL playoffs. In the past, seven-win teams have hosted wild-card round games.
However, that could change soon.
According to CBS Sports, the NFL will take another look this offseason at changing its playoff format.
Jonathan Jones of CBS said one proposal is to give the top four teams based on winning percentage home games, instead of automatically giving them to division winners.
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If that system were in place this year, it would mean the Lions, Vikings, Eagles and Commanders would host games on the NFC side. For the AFC, it would be the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens and Chargers.
The Commanders and Chargers are on the road this weekend against the Buccaneers and Texans, respectively, because the latter two teams won the NFC and AFC South divisions.
Jones later added, though, that team owners have not shown “much of an appetite” to change the format.
Ahead of winning the division, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown suggested change.
“Obviously, if you win the division, you should obviously make a playoff spot, but having a 14-win team having to go on the road is kind of crazy. But I guess I don’t make the rules,” he said at the time.
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The last time the playoff format was changed was ahead of the 2020 season, when it was expanded from 12 to 14 teams. That resulted in just one team in each conference receiving a first-round bye as opposed to two. It also led to six wild-card round games, instead of four.