NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) -- Lux the Skunk predicted an early spring during the "Not So" Groundhog Day celebration at the Virginia Living Museum Sunday.

The museum's ambassador striped skunk thrilled the audience alongside WAVY-TV 10's Meteorologist Jeremy Wheeler reprising his role as master of ceremonies.

Lux made his debut prediction since the traditional forecaster, Chesapeake Chuck, remained in hibernation.

"Our native wildlife never ceases to amaze us with their remarkable adaptations. While Chesapeake Chuck follows his natural instinct to hibernate, Lux demonstrates the incredible diversity of winter survival strategies," said Deanna Orr, Ambassador Animal Manager. "By honoring these natural behaviors, we're not just celebrating our animals – we're showcasing the fascinating ways Virginia's wildlife adapts and thrives throughout the seasons."

Other animal predictions on upcoming current events also took place. The museum's white tail deer duo predicted the Philadelphia Eagles will win the Super Bowl, the turtles in Piedmont & Mountains Gallery predicted Sabrina Carpenter's "Short N' Sweet" will win the Grammy's Record of the Year and Danni the porcupine predicted that the Oscar's Best Picture will be awarded to "I'm Still Here".

EXCLUSIVE: Private citizens — right up to the governor himself — are primed to be part of a new Alaskan initiative aimed at promoting policies that have been effective in Juneau at a national level as a new administration signals a willingness to listen and adapt to new strategies.

Just as Florida's education policy under Gov. Jeb Bush served as a blueprint for national education reform, the nonprofit Future 49 aims to position Alaska as today's model, focusing primarily on national security and energy.

Its top funders are a group of Alaskans of all stripes as well as a few Washington, D.C.-based advocates. It is nonpartisan and simply pro-Alaskan, according to one of its proponents.

It also seeks to dispatch with what one source familiar with its founding called the "out of sight, out of mind" feeling of some in the Lower 48 when it comes to how far-flung Alaska can translate its own successes in the cold north to a federal government that could benefit from its advice.

One of Future 49's founders is a commercial airline pilot whose family has lived in Alaska for more than 125 years. He said he wanted to show Washington issues Alaska deals with every day.

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Bob Griffin's family has lived in Alaska since 1899, he said, remarking he is an example of grassroots support behind showcasing Alaska’s potential to be the driving force in key sectors for the rest of the country.

Griffin said while there has not been any direct contact yet with the new administration, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is an ally of Trump’s and, in turn, primed to have a role in the group.

"We’re focused on not only the Trump administration, but other decision makers, to just highlight and advertise that the successes we've had in Alaska in energy, natural resources and other policy priorities are a good fit and benefit to all Americans."

He noted the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge region spans the size of West Virginia, but the part of it federally budgeted for exploration in a recent fiscal year was only an area half the size of Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, illustrating how Juneau must guide Washington.

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A source familiar with the founding of Future 49 told Fox News Digital how the group's launch comes at a key juncture as one advice-averse administration transitions into one that has signaled its openness to undertake recommendations from states and local groups.

"The resources our nation needs to be energy-dominant are in Alaska, not in unfriendly nations like Russia and Iran who despise what we stand for and commit egregious environmental offenses on a daily basis," the source said.

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While the group is primed to express a pro-development approach to energy, it will remain nonpartisan and offer Washington successful strategies to develop both green and traditional energy based on work done in Alaska.

Dunleavy has offered a similarly two-fold approach, saying in a recent interview that opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to responsible development may yield just as much economic growth for the nation as emerging green technology, such as a proposal to harness the second-strongest tides in the world churning in Cook Inlet outside Anchorage.

Those parallels show why Future 49's advent is coming at the right time, a source told Fox News Digital.

Future 49's plan to use Alaska's long-term goal to utilize its energy resources as a roadmap was a sentiment also voiced in another confirmation hearing Thursday. Interior nominee Doug Burgum highlighted the need for domestic "energy dominance" for both economic and security reasons.

With Russia having invaded Ukraine, Dunleavy said most sensitive national defense assets are housed in Alaska, so the state has a deep background in what is needed to deter malign actors.

"We're very close to the bear," he said.

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Lessons learned from managing a National Guard force so closely tied to top-level national security concerns is another avenue Future 49 will likely seek to aid Washington in.

The group plans to commission a survey of Lower 48 Americans on their view of the Last Frontier and how they perceive Alaska from thousands of miles away, said Alaska pollster Matt Larkin.

Tiffany Williams Brewer, who resigned from the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation shortly after the watchdog agency announced her appointment to the role of CEO, made the abrupt move after the Asbury Park Press reported that she had claimed a Maryland property as her principal residence last year, but voted in the Garden State in the November election.

The outlet, which published an owner occupancy affidavit dated March 13, 2024, reported that the document indicated Williams Brewer would occupy the Maryland residence for at least seven of the next 12 months. 

Williams Brewer voted in Tinton Falls during last year's presidential contest, the Asbury Park Press reported, citing the Monmouth County Board of Elections. 

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"The Monmouth County election officials take the integrity of the election process very seriously," Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon said in a statement. "Upon referral by the County Clerk, the Superintendent/Registrar of Elections investigated the matter and has made the determination to make a referral to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office for review and will proceed to remove this individual from the voter rolls in Monmouth."

Monmouth County Superintendent of Elections Christopher P. Siciliano told Fox News Digital that he had removed Williams Brewer from the voter rolls, but noted that she could be reinstated if she furnishes evidence that she meets the requirements to register in New Jersey.

The New Jersey State Commission of Investigation's objective is to probe "waste, fraud and abuse of government tax dollars," according to the state's website. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, appointed Williams Brewer to the commission in 2022.

"Ms. Brewer previously served as the Chair of the four-member Commission from 2022 through 2024. She also has been serving on an interim basis in the day-to-day leadership role of the SCI following the death of former Executive Director Chadd W. Lackey in a July traffic accident," the agency noted in a Jan. 6 press release announcing her appointment as CEO.

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Williams Brewer is an assistant professor of law at Howard University's School of Law, the school's website indicates.

An individual at the school indicated that they shared Fox News Digital's comment request with Williams Brewer. But Williams Brewer did not respond in time for publication.

In a statement posted on LinkedIn regarding her resignation from the state agency, Williams Brewer addressed her residency status and work in academia.

"My dual residency in Maryland and New Jersey has always been transparent and in full compliance with all relevant regulations. It has never interfered with my duties at the SCI or constituted an ethical lapse. Let me be clear — my residency status has never run afoul of the NJ First Act," she asserted.

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"While I remain dedicated to public service, the recent events, including the revelation of employee-driven mischaracterizations of my actions to the media, have created a toxic climate that dissuades me from continuing in this role. I am disappointed that this environment, which undermines the integrity of the SCI, has necessitated my resignation," she noted in another part of her lengthy statement.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, New Jersey State Commission of Investigation chair John P. Lacey noted that the agency is seeking a new executive director. 

"For nearly 60 years, the State Commission of Investigation has stood as the sole independent fact-finding agency in New Jersey with the legal responsibility to investigate and issue reports concerning organized crime, as well as waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. SCI has a proud history of impactful work and a relentless dedication to serving the public interest. Following the recent resignation of the now-former Executive Director, we remain steadfast in serving as vigilant guardians of accountability and good governance in New Jersey," Lacey said in the statement.

 "The Commission is actively working to find a new Executive Director and has posted the job on the SCI’s website and on several other public websites. Additionally, with the new appointments recently issued by Governor Murphy, the Commission is now at its full complement with four Commissioners and newly-named Chair John P. Lacey. We remain committed to our core values and are confident that with renewed leadership, we will continue to serve the residents of New Jersey with the highest level of integrity."

Only days after Indiana Gov. Mike Braun was sworn-in in Indianapolis, the former Republican senator officially rid the state government of its Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) apparatus.

Instead, Braun – who grew a small Jasper truck-body business called Meyer Distributing into a major player with 700 product lines – said on Friday it takes a politician who "signed the front side of a paycheck" to understand what economic priorities actually matter, and DEI is not one of them.

"At the [Indiana] inaugural, which was over the weekend for me, there was so much excitement knowing something is afoot even in a good red state like Indiana, mostly because of what's going to happen out in D.C. and the partnership that can happen between enterprising states like ours has always been," Braun said on "Fox & Friends."

"We’ve never really had somebody from Main Street… be our own governor here."

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Braun contrasted the conservative economic vision with that of President Biden and other Democrats, whose platform is "built on big government."

"Rahm Emanuel said ‘never let a crisis go to waste’," he said in that respect, referring to the former President Barack Obama confidant’s motto during the 2008 financial crisis. The line was seen as a suggestion to use tough moments to force through tenets of one’s personal agenda. 

In comments to Fox News Digital, Braun said that in nearly 40 years of running a business, he knows what works and what does not.

Instead of DEI, Indiana needs "MEI" – or Merit, Excellence and Innovation – to be a priority, he said.

"Government should be laser-focused on one thing: getting results for the people they serve. We’re replacing the divisive DEI ideology with a level playing field of MEI -- the same reason we’re eliminating college degree requirements where they’re not essential and adding key performance metrics for accountability," Braun said.

"[That is] because everyone should be judged on what they do, not who they are."

Braun noted his business background and reiterated how his guiding principle of growing Meyer into the expansive business it is today has been "results – above everything else."

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"That’s exactly what we’re putting first in my administration."

In his order, Braun cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard – which found affirmative action programs violate the Equal Protection Clause – and said state resources would not be used to "support [DEI] positions, departments, activities, procedures or programs if they grant preferential treatment based upon one person's particular race..."

It also bans requirements of Indianans to have to disclose their personal pronouns or for employers to mandate job applicants to provide a DEI-related statement.

"We've grown the federal government to a place that I hope DOGE… brings it down because you’ve got a lot of anxious governors that want to double down on [DOGE] – we’re going to do it anyway," Braun said separately on Fox News Channel.

Braun said that since COVID-19, too many Indiana bureaucrats are still teleworking and that the DEI-nixing effort is also another way to streamline government to be more effective, just like Meyer.

The state’s DEI office had been established by Braun’s predecessor, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb.

After the George Floyd incident in Minnesota, Holcomb addressed Indianans on the issue of "getting to the root causes of inequities and not just reacting to the symptoms."

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Holcomb, who first ascended to the governorship when Mike Pence became vice president in 2017, appointed then-University of Notre Dame public affairs director Karrah Herring to lead the new DEI department.

Braun also received some pushback on his decision:

The Indiana legislature’s minority leader said he respects Braun’s right to position his new administration how he wants but questioned his chosen hierarchy.

"Thinking of the myriad issues Hoosiers are facing, though, I can’t understand why this is a top priority," State Rep. Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said in a statement.

GiaQuinta added a recent caucus meeting with the DEI office was "insightful and helpful" to their work addressing Indianans’ needs, and called the department’s sunset a "distraction from the real issues."

President Biden’s proclamation removing Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terror caused an uproar in Florida, notably among the president's fellow Democrats.

The rare political unity in the Sunshine State was pronounced after Biden certified on Tuesday that Havana's Miguel Diaz-Canel regime has "not provided any support for international terrorism" during the preceding six-month period.

Biden’s declaration also claimed Havana provided Washington with assurances it will not support terrorism in the future, and that the U.S. maintains its "core objective" of "more freedom and democracy" for the Cuban people.

However, Democratic Floridians were up in arms at the development.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, in heavily-blue Broward County, told Axios on Tuesday that the outgoing president is doing lasting political damage.

"This is Joe Biden literally sinking the Democratic Party in the state of Florida," he said. "Big time."

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Once the most notable "swing state" — rife with ballot "hanging chads" and the "Brooks Brothers Riot" of the 2000 election — Florida has seen a major rightward lurch in recent years.

State Gov. Ron DeSantis orchestrated an electoral blowout of Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist in 2022, and President-elect Trump shocked the state by flipping Miami-Dade County red in 2024.

Trump lost Miami-Dade by 30 points in 2020, but won by 11 points in November. The county has a sizable Latino and specifically Cuban-American population — highlighted by its famed "Little Havana" neighborhood along U.S. Highway 41.

"Just as we try to patch the hole in the boat, Biden punches another hole in it," Moskowitz told the outlet. 

"Florida is a red state, and Biden just waved the white flag of surrender."

Meanwhile, Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried said she is "disappointed" at the decision.

"We condemn in the strongest terms Cuba's removal from this list, as well as any possible lifting of economic sanctions, and call on the Biden Administration to reverse course immediately."

Fried said in a statement that generations of Floridian Cuban-Americans have shared stories of the Castro regime’s oppression, and that Diaz-Canel is Raul Castro’s "hand-picked successor" as the first non-Castro to lead Cuba since Fulgencio Batista was overthrown by the Castro brothers in 1959.

Following the terror-sponsored designation change, Havana officials reportedly pledged to release more than 500 political prisoners — for which the Catholic Church had been negotiating for some time.

As the news fell just ahead of Cuban-American Sen. Marco Rubio’s confirmation hearing to be Trump’s secretary of state, a spokesperson for Biden told Axios the timing is strictly coincidental.

Rubio is one of several lawmakers — and residents — of South Florida whose parents or grandparents fled the Communist nation.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla. — the only Cuban-born member of Congress — called Biden a "pathetic coward" for his decision to drop Cuba’s terror-sponsor designation.

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Gimenez added that Rubio will "pulverize the [Castro/Diaz-Canel] regime once and for all."

He told Fox News Digital that Biden’s decision is "morally bankrupt" and geopolitically "treacherous," for a malign regime that sits less than 90 miles from the edge of his own congressional district’s Monroe County boundary.

Gimenez went on to warn that the decision ignores Cuba’s coziness with the Chinese Communist Party, and intelligence sharing with Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega.  

"The [Cuban] dictatorship must be confronted and isolated — never appeased."

He praised Florida leaders from Biden’s side of the aisle for being willing to speak out at such an important time.

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican whose Miami-Dade district abuts Gimenez', said he is "disgusted but not surprised" by what he called Biden's "final acts of betrayal to the security interests of the United States."

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As Moskowitz and other Democrats warn of the damage being done to the Democratic Party by moves such as the removal of Cuba’s terror-sponsor designation, several Florida Democrats have fled the party and praised Trump in recent weeks.

Maureen Porras, the vice-mayor of Doral, Florida — the tony Miami suburb where Trump owns a golf club and resort — told The Floridian her now-former party "prioritized minority opinions" and "neglected to… address the real issues affecting our community." 

Meanwhile, State Reps. Susan Valdes of Tampa and Hillary Cassel of Hallandale Beach, Florida, recently changed their affiliation from Democratic to Republican.

A Washington state Democrat is floating a policy to help protect unemployed illegal immigrants who are unable to receive unemployment benefits.

The news comes as President-elect Trump and his border czar-designate Thomas Homan signal a crackdown on illegal immigration and talk of "mass deportation" plans in a reversal of the Biden-era status quo.

State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña is introducing a bill that would ensure Washington residents legally ineligible to work in the U.S. – a group for which illegal immigrants compose the vast majority – have access to assistance.

Saldaña, of Seattle, declined to comment further on her bill to Fox News Digital, but a representative for the lawmaker noted she had previously highlighted "undocumented workers' … substantial contributions to Washington’s economy."

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That group collectively paid almost $400 million in unemployment taxes over the past 10 years, and the bill will aim to ensure those who pay into the system are able to rely on it when they need to, her office said.

The representative said Saldaña has reintroduced similar legislation during both Democrat and Republican administrations in the past because the "inequities in our immigration system" are systemic and longstanding.

Saldaña has previously argued that providing unemployment benefits to undocumented workers who qualify will help stabilize the workforce and prevent future cases of poverty and homelessness due to job loss.

It will therefore have lasting positive effects on the Evergreen State’s economy, her office said.

Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, said he had not seen the text of the bill as of Monday afternoon but was aware of the proposal itself.

CALIFORNIA BILL AIMED AT MAKING IT EASIER FOR MIGRANTS TO BUY HOMES MAKES MAJOR ADVANCEMENT

"We have a lot of work to do on immigration, both on undocumented immigrants and on legal immigration in our state. That's largely a federal issue," Braun said.

"I look for the folks in D.C. to handle [the immigration issue] and for us [in state government] to stay clear."

Under federal law, illegal immigrants are not eligible to apply for work permits and, therefore, unable to register or file for unemployment compensation. Neither are individuals with expired work authorizations and dependents of people living in the U.S. under several visa classifications.

The excluded visa classes include O – "extraordinary ability"; R – Religious worker; and F – student visas.

According to a 1985 memo from the Department of Labor, "an alien must be legally authorized to work in the United States to be considered ‘available for work’ – Therefore, an alien without current, valid authorization to work from the INS is not legally ‘available for work’ and not eligible for benefits."

The memo referred to the INS, or Immigration and Naturalization Service, a predecessor entity to today’s Department of Homeland Security.

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Elsewhere in the U.S., the Colorado Office of New Americans allows undocumented workers to access a "Benefit Recovery Fund" to help those who have been "separated from employment through no fault of their own" and meet several other specifications.

In California, however, Democrat lawmakers sought to offer assistance similar to that Saldaña is seeking but were blocked by fellow liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom vetoed that legislation in September and also blocked a proposal that would have allowed illegal immigrants better access to home loans and mortgages.

In her State of the State address Tuesday, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to lay out her "Cap & Invest" anti-pollution program that critics warn will cause gasoline and utility costs to soar in the already fossil-fuel-averse state.

The plan seeks to reduce emissions by levying companies for their greenhouse gas outputs and investing that money into initiatives like retrofitting buildings to run on green electric power.

A "cap" refers to the limit of greenhouse gas emissions that is imposed by a state. The "cap" is often projected to decrease each year in order to meet climate change prevention goals.

The state then can set up an auction to let energy companies bid on pollution-weight-based "allowances" – the proceeds from which can be invested by the government in "green" initiatives, according to New York Focus.

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New York drivers could see more pain at the pump from such a proposal, according to critics like the nonpartisan group Upstate United, which advocates for boosting upstate New York's economy. 

The AAA average gas price in New York sits at $3.14/gallon – comparable to most of the surrounding states except Pennsylvania – which usually remains higher than the rest of the Northeast due to its nationally-third-highest gas tax.

A Hochul spokesman told the New York Post that the governor is "focused on lowering the cost of living, putting money back in New Yorkers’ pockets with refunds, tax credits and more."

Since Democrats took the executive reins from term-limited GOP Gov. George Pataki in 2007 and have held them without interruption, the Empire State has progressively restricted energy exploration in the state. 

The trend began with Gov. David Paterson’s 2010 "timeout" on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas that effectively remains to this day. 

The "Marcellus Shale" range is named for a town in New York – but any fracking activity since that time has occurred on the Pennsylvania end of the deposits.

State Sen. Tom O’Mara, R-Elmira, represents a district that sits on part of the Marcellus oil shale formation that remains untouchable under state policy.

Natural gas wells dot the countryside in neighboring Bradford and Tioga counties just to the south in Pennsylvania, but the landscape is clear of any signs of exploration to those traversing NY-17 through New York’s Southern Tier only a few miles away.

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On Monday, O’Mara criticized what he called the latest "radical climate mandate" to be handed down:

"Gov. Hochul and the Albany Democrats are going to keep talking about addressing New York's affordability crisis. But it's clear that their actions like Cap and Invest, more aptly called 'Cap and Tax'… will only keep driving this state into the ground economically," he said.

In 2014, O’Mara slammed New York’s original decision to ban fracking in his area, saying it "eviscerates the hope of so many Southern Tier farmers, landowners, businesses and potential jobs in the natural gas industry."

Hochul’s cap-and-tax plan, he said, will only increase the cost of doing business in New York and drive more families and employers out of the state while exacerbating the affordability crisis.

The plan shows the governor is out of touch with New Yorkers, Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay told Fox News Digital.

"The last thing we need is more unworkable environmental policy from Albany that drives costs up and drives residents away. Democrats constantly lecture us about the need for Cap and Invest and other misguided energy policy, but when people are paying more at the pump and can’t afford their heating bills, who benefits?" asked Barclay, R-Oneida.

"It’s our responsibility to make sure New Yorkers have reliable, affordable energy sources – not force consumers to subsidize the green dreams of the liberal environmental lobby." 

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In 2021, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo successfully shuttered the massive 2,000MW Indian Point nuclear power generation plant on the Hudson River opposite Haverstraw.

Cuomo cited safety concerns at the time and said "it does not belong… in close proximity to the most densely-populated area in the country." Critics responded that that area cited – New York City – relied heavily on the power it generated and complained of increased utility bills.

A 2019 law commits New York to net-zero emissions by 2050, according to The New York Times.

Nationally, "Cap & Trade" first entered the American lexicon during the 2008 presidential campaign, when then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., wooed environmentalists with the idea of taxing entities that release greenhouse gases and affect the atmosphere.

In Los Angeles right now, it’s not just acrid smoke that’s in the air. 

There’s fear, anxiety, and pain. When will they get these fires under control? What if the wind picks up? What if my neighborhood is next?

For those who have been evacuated: when can I go back? Why won’t they let me get my pet? Or my medicine?

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Worst of all, for those who have lost their home, or in the small but tragically growing number of cases, their loved ones, utter despair. And a sense that the people in charge are not responding with the urgency, energy -- or frankly, empathy -- we expect.

And that brings us to the other emotion that’s so palpable in L.A. today: rage.

Rage at a governor who, when confronted over the shocking revelations of dry fire hydrants and empty reservoirs, waved his arms around and said, "ask the local people."

Rage at the 'local person' -- Mayor Karen Bass – who, when confronted over her failure to prepare for this disaster, her failure to even be in town, simply froze on camera. A bizarre, pathetic two-minute silence instead of the strong leadership we need.

But these short term failures of preparation and response pale into relative insignificance compared to the long term failures that have brought us to this point.

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In March, my new book, 'Califailure - Reversing the Ruin of America's Worst-Run State' will catalog the terrible combination of incompetence and ideological extremism that has left California at the top of every list you'd want to be the bottom of, and bottom of every list you'd want to be at the top of -- from the highest rate of poverty in the nation to the worst business climate; the highest housing costs and the lowest homeownership. Crime and homelessness out of control. All paid for with the highest taxes in America.

Now, with the catastrophe in Los Angeles, everyone can see how badly things have gone wrong.

Every aspect of the wildfire crisis was either caused by, or made much worse by, Democrat policies and Democrat politicians.

Of course they try to blame "climate change." But other places with similar climates and similar geography don't seem to suffer the same way.

In California, environmental extremism stopped action to manage what's known as the "fuel load" in our forests and chaparral. Thinning overgrown forests, clearing undergrowth and brush -- blocked by misguided Democrat policies.

Money that should have been spent on fire prevention was diverted to ideological obsessions that do nothing to reduce wildfire risk, like EVs.

We keep hearing about "drought" -- but in truth it's mostly man-made. We have all the water we need: we just don't collect it, store it and get it to the right places.

And underlying everything, the insane rules and regulations, the crazy nanny state, the endless armies of bureaucrats and busybodies making it impossible to get anything done, to build the housing and the infrastructure we need.

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Their 'green' bureaucracy has even slowed down or blocked vital work like burying or insulating power lines that spark wildfires! How is that good for the environment?

It's time to stop all this nonsense. It's time for common sense policies and competent government.

That's what I'm focusing on. My California policy organization, Golden Together, has brought together leaders from business, the faith community, experts in firefighting and prevention, to develop positive, practical ideas for how we help people right now, and make sure we do the right things to help recover and rebuild quickly.

Pastor Jack Hibbs from Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills is mobilizing churches and places of worship to help displaced families and to support our brave (and exhausted) first responders.

We need to sweep away ridiculous rules hampering relief and recovery efforts -- for example, absurd 'climate' regulations that make it impossible to bring in emergency generators from out of state to provide power where supply has been disrupted.

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Let’s get rid of the bureaucracy that ties you up in knots of red tape. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he wants to "expedite" permitting for rebuilding homes. Great! Except: what exactly does he mean by "expedited"? Could it take over 120 days? For a permit to rebuild the exact house that was there before? It's all very unclear right now. But it should be instant!

After the Northridge earthquake in 1994, then-Gov. Pete Wilson -- a Republican -- tore up the rules and put in place clean-up and construction contracts that helped rebuild the Santa Monica freeway in 66 days.

I spoke with Gov. Wilson. We’ve included his suggestions in our policy recommendations, along with many practical ideas from homebuilders and entrepreneurs.

I’ve asked tech leaders in Silicon Valley to develop a plan for a new ‘Fire Force’ that will use AI, drones and autonomous firefighting vehicles to spot and extinguish potentially dangerous wildfires before they start.

All of this and more can be found in our policy document: Rescue, Reform, Rebuild.

It’s time for change in California, and this is the first step.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM STEVE HILTON

New York lawmakers called for the governor-appointed chairman of the New York City transit system to be fired amid accusations he downplayed a rash of subway crime to praise new Manhattan tolls that are aimed at driving commuters underground.

In comments on a Bloomberg podcast, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber argued that crime on the MTA has declined and that the recent viral incidents are giving an impression of a system-wide safety crisis.

"The overall stats are positive. Last year, we [had] actually 12.5% less crime than 2019 . . . , " he said.

"But there's no question that some of these high-profile incidents; terrible attacks, have gotten in people's heads and made the whole system feel less safe." 

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Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., shared a clip of Lieber ceremonially unveiling one of the new "Congestion Pricing" setups near Lincoln Center and said the agency "needs an enema; starting with Janno Lieber."

"Imagine being such an a--hole as to celebrate screwing New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money just for the privilege to drive to work," Lawler wrote, adding that Hochul "needs to be defeated in 2026."

Lieber ripped Lawler in response, telling MSNBC that the Rockland County lawmaker was dabbling in "grievance politics."

Lieber claimed that a plurality of Lawler’s constituents – in bedroom communities 30 miles north of the city – already rely on mass transit and that only "one percent" make the daily drive down the Palisades to the "congestion-pricing" zone.

HOCHUL CHRISTMASTIME BOAST OF SAFER SUBWAYS CAME AMID STRING OF ALARMING VIOLENT ATTACKS

New York’s new $9 toll to enter any part of Manhattan below Central Park has enraged commuters, as well as residents within its bounds.

Commuters from Long Island found themselves bottlenecked in trying to access the last unaffected entry to Manhattan – the Upper Level of the Queensboro Bridge.

One East Side luxury building's exit also unintentionally forced residents through a toll gantry, even if they are trying to go uptown; away from the zone, while outer neighborhoods braced for a deluge of suburbanites looking for parking to avoid the toll.

New York Senate Deputy Minority Leader Andrew Lanza, R-Staten Island, torched Lieber:

"Janno: pull your head out of your piles of statistics, get out from behind your computer, and walk a mile in your riders’ shoes before you ignore, dismiss and insult them," Lanza said.

"The people of this state and city deserve the truth and real solutions, not eggheads trying to convince themselves they’re doing a good job."

Sen. Bill Weber of Valley Cottage added: "Albany Democrats claim congestion pricing is to reduce traffic congestion, but at what cost? It punishes everyday people—working parents, firefighters, seniors going to doctor's appointments, and those who already struggle to make ends meet."

"For them, this isn’t just a toll; it’s another obstacle in their daily lives. Tell me, how is that progressive?" he asked.

Sen. Steve Rhoads of Nassau previously quipped that the MTA’s acronym stands for "Money Thrown Away" and said this week that his constituents who rely on trains like the LIRR have grown distrustful of the agency.

"[Lieber] has no idea what it is to be a working-class New Yorker," Rhoads said. "While affordability and safety are huge concerns for real people, they are abstract concepts for him."

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Lieber was previously an executive at Silverstein Properties — recently overseeing a World Trade Center project — a transportation adviser to President Bill Clinton and Mayor Ed Koch, and a journalist for the New Republic. 

He was also the MTA’s capital development officer under Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo, who still strongly supports the congestion pricing plan, recently told Fox News Digital through a spokesman that he, however, has reservations about whether now is the right time to activate the tolls – given the lack of confidence in subway safety and changes in the city since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is undeniable that New York is in a dramatically different place today than it was in 2019, and without a study forecasting its consequences based on facts, not politics, it could do more harm than good to New York City's recovery," Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said last week.

State Sen. Alexis Weik, R-Suffolk, called the video of Lieber’s Broadway sign-reveal "a despicable show of glee and greed" and called for a financial review board to scrutinize the transit agency’s books.

In response to the slew of calls for Lieber's ouster, MTA Chief of Policy & External Relations John J. McCarthy defended the transit boss.

"Under Chair Lieber’s leadership, the MTA has added service, opened new terminals and provided record on-time performance for their constituents on Long Island and the Hudson Valley, while delivering the most reliable subway service in a dozen years," McCarthy said.

"But apparently, none of that prevents out-of-touch politicians from bloviating."

Two Democrats in the 2025 race to succeed term-limited New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy did not cast votes this week in Congress on the Laken Riley Act, leading them to be lambasted by gubernatorial candidates from both parties.

The House Clerk’s office recorded Reps. Mikie Sherrill of Essex and Josh Gottheimer of Bergen County recorded as "not voting" on the landmark bill, which would require illegal immigrants convicted of theft-related crimes be detained by municipal and state authorities.

The bill takes its name from a young woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in Georgia who had been previously arrested and released on lesser charges.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop exclaimed, "This is cowardly," in an X post.

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"We lose elections when we don’t have any core convictions… when we can’t explain why we have a view and why we believe in it. Hiding is not an answer that wins elections," the Democrat said.

"Mikie and Josh are the same again – If you don’t have the courage to vote for a bill then what does that say about your courage to lead as Governor?" Fulop added.

Meanwhile, former Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli slammed the two lawmakers from their right.

"Shame on [Josh and Mikie] for gutlessly ducking a vote on the Laken Riley Act today," said Ciattarelli.

On X, Ciattarelli said Riley "fought till her last breath against a murderous illegal immigrant, but Josh/Mikie didn’t have the courage to stand up to their extreme far left base."

Ciattarelli ran against Murphy in 2021 and nearly defeated him by Garden State standards, losing by less than three points. In November, President-elect Trump only lost the state by four points, leading the GOP to signal their optimism about flipping Trenton red this fall.

When the bill last came up for a vote, Gottheimer voted "yea," and a spokesman told the Philadelphia Inquirer he would have supported the bill this week if he had voted.

New Jersey’s three Republican congressmen – Reps. Christopher Smith, Jeff Van Drew and Tom Kean Jr. – all voted for the Laken Riley Act.

Democratic Reps. Nellie Pou, Frank Pallone, Herbert Conaway, LaMonica McIver, Donald Norcross and Rob Menendez Jr. all voted against it.

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Republican Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia – who is not running for governor – torched the pair on Wednesday with a quip:

"The Road to Drumthwacket is paved with flat squirrels who couldn't make a decision," she said, referring to the historic governor’s mansion near Princeton.

State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that a lawmaker’s first responsibility is to their constituents, not their next campaign.

"I think you have to have campaign activities come secondary to your responsibility," Bramnick said when asked about Gottheimer’s and Sherrill’s non-votes.

"The key question is – if you’re going to run – campaign activities must be secondary to your voting," adding that systemically it seems "the more [someone] campaigns the less they vote."

Bramnick, who is also an attorney in Plainfield, added that he couldn’t assume what was on the two Democrats’ minds in terms of their vote, but that immigration is a hot issue and often difficult to navigate.

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With the Laken Riley Act scoring 48 Democratic "yea’s," Bramnick said immigration is a bipartisan issue.

If elected governor, he said he would "follow the law" when asked how he would approach President-elect Trump or border czar-designate Tom Homan.

"Unfortunately, the Congress hasn’t done anything to [create] a path to citizenship for people who may have an opportunity to stay here," he said, discussing those who have lived in the U.S. for many years as otherwise law-abiding members of their communities.

"If America doesn’t like the law, change it,  but state-by-state shouldn’t change the law based on how they feel on the issue."

Sherrill and Gottheimer did not immediately respond to inquiries made via their campaigns.

Another Democrat in the race, Ras Baraka – mayor of the state’s largest city, Newark – also did not respond.

Baraka, however, separately indicated he would have voted against the Laken Riley Act if he were in Congress.

Virginia Republicans announced their top legislative priorities for the new year, with curbing fentanyl deaths chief among them.

Under current case law, it is difficult to charge a drug dealer with the murder of a user who died from fentanyl they had purchased unless they are in the proximity of that dealer, according to GOP legislators.

State Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-New Kent, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Virginia hopes to address that legislative insufficiency.

"This [law] would say if you sell the drugs, it doesn't matter if you're in physical proximity," he said.

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McDougle and Senate Republican Caucus Leader Mark Obenshain are spearheading the effort.

Fox News Digital reached out to Obenshain, of Harrisonburg, for additional comment.

However, at a related press conference, Obenshain said that as long as people are "dying in every corner of Virginia, of every socioeconomic background, that means there’s people out there peddling this poison."

A pair of Senate special elections on Tuesday were set to determine whether Republicans will take a slightly belated majority in the chamber this term, as Democrats currently control it by one seat. 

Voters went to the polls in both Loudoun County and a swath of more red counties, including Buckingham, Fluvanna and Goochland.

On Wednesday, multiple outlets projected Democrats will hold their slim single-seat majority – requiring one liberal to side with McDougle and Obenshain on their counter-fentanyl proposal.

In 2022, the Old Dominion ranked 14th among states for total fentanyl-related deaths, with 1,973 fatalities, and was positioned near the national average in terms of death rate per capita, according to CDC data.

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For comparison, neighboring West Virginia leads the nation in fentanyl deaths per capita, but total deaths were 1,084, less than Virginia.

Seven out of 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, according to OnePillCanKill Virginia.

A representative for Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he believes prosecuting fentanyl dealers should receive bipartisan support:

"As Governor Youngkin has said time and time again, any person who knowingly and intentionally distributes fentanyl should be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," spokesman Christian Martinez told Fox News Digital.

"We cannot continue to let makers and dealers get away with murder – and it is time Democrat lawmakers side with victims' families over fentanyl makers and dealers."

In April, Youngkin signed Obenshain’s prior fentanyl-related bill, SB 469, which made unlawful possession, purchase or sale of encapsulating machines for the purpose of producing illicit drugs a Class 6 felony.

It also imposed felony penalties for subjects who allow a minor or mentally incapacitated person to be present during the manufacture of any substance containing fentanyl.

"People are dying in every corner of Virginia, of every socioeconomic background, that means there’s people out there peddling this poison. I was proud of our bipartisan effort last year to crack down on pill presses and their deadly effects and I hope that our colleagues will bring the same bipartisan spirit to this effort," Obenshain told Fox News Digital.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares previously said an average of five people die each day from fentanyl overdoses throughout the state. 

"By enhancing penalties and criminalizing the possession and use of machines to produce counterfeit drugs, we are supplying law enforcement personnel with the tools they need to hold drug dealers accountable for poisoning our communities," Miyares said.

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After her husband signed the 2023 legislation, Virginia first lady Suzanne Youngkin said there is "nothing more important" than protecting families and communities in Virginia. "I applaud all persons working hard to fight the spread of this illicit drug taking the lives of far too many Virginians," she said.

Virginia Republicans also indicated this week that they will work to put Youngkin’s December plan curtailing taxation of gratuities into law. The plan somewhat mirrors President-elect Donald Trump’s "No Tax on Tips" campaign pledge.

"Hard-working Virginians deserve to keep the tips they earn for their service," McDougle said. "Governor Youngkin’s inclusion of this policy in the budget is an important step in our support of hard-working Virginians, and we’re proud to introduce the bill to put it in the Code of Virginia."

McDougle said Tuesday the chamber will also pursue a ban on transgender women competing in women’s and girls’ sports.

A water treatment plant failure threw North America’s oldest continuous lawmaking body into crisis this week, as lawmakers were effectively shut out of the Virginia State Capitol for safety reasons.

Throughout the rest of Richmond, residents were dealing with a lack of water, and hospitals had to employ tanker trucks to provide the water needed not only to quench patients, but to provide heat and sanitization of medical implements, according to one state lawmaker.

The right-leaning group Virginia Project said the crisis may be the reason for the legislature to take an immediate interest in infrastructure funding, before offering a Confederate-era suggestion:

"Perhaps the waterless legislature should retreat to Appomattox," a social media post from the group said, referring to the community about 100 miles southwest of the Capitol: where the Richmond-based Confederate States of America surrendered to the Union in April 1865.

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Others, like Virginia Republican Party chair Richard Anderson, placed blame on the recently-departed Democratic mayor who is now running for lieutenant governor.

"[The crisis is] a direct result of inept leadership by former Mayor Levar Stoney of Richmond--who presided over his city's crumbling infrastructure," Anderson said.

"Stoney as LG? Never."

The crisis hit less than one week after the current Democratic mayor, Dr. Danny Avula, took office.

Avula, previously a pediatrician at Chippenham Hospital in neighboring Chesterfield County, said he has been hands-on since the water system first failed.

Avula said he spent much of Tuesday night at the city plant and announced Wednesday morning that some of the pumps are beginning to come back online.

"We're starting to see that reservoir level fill up. It's really encouraging. Right now the reservoir level is at 7ft for some context. [Our] reservoirs typically run at about 18ft."

Avula’s work drew him bipartisan praise, including from one prominent Republican.

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State Sen. Mark Obenshain of Harrisonburg, the Senate GOP Caucus Chair, said he’s never seen a legislative session begin in such chaos in his 21 years in the Capitol.

"Kudos to the new mayor for his tireless efforts to resolve this inherited crisis," he said on X, formerly Twitter. 

State Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, told Fox News Digital the water outage doubly affected his work, as both the Capitol and his district office in nearby Mechanicsville both felt the effects.

McDougle said the outage’s reach has gone beyond Richmond’s limits and into Henrico and Hanover counties to the north and east. Constituents have been reaching out to his office for help.

McDougle praised Gov. Glenn Youngkin for being "extremely aggressive in trying to find solutions to the problem that was created in the city," and offered the same for officials in suburban counties.

"[We are] trying to make sure that we're getting water to infrastructure like hospitals, so that they can continue to treat patients and to get water available to citizens so that they can take care of their families.

"But this has been a real effort on behalf of the state government and local jurisdictions trying to assist Richmond."

He said Avula does not deserve blame for the crisis, as he only took office days ago.

"It’s a shame this had to be on his first week," McDougle said. 

"But we need to really investigate and get to the bottom of how [the Stoney] administration could have let this become such an acute problem that would impact so many people."

Schools in McDougle’s district were shut down Wednesday, and the legislature was gaveled out until Monday — after concerns from leaders and staff that the fire-suppression system in the iconic Capitol could malfunction without enough water flow.

McDougle remarked that while exercising caution is wise, Virginia’s spot as the oldest continuous legislature obviously predated utilities, and that the people’s work can and should be done in whatever way possible while the Capitol is out-of-order.

Another state lawmaker put the blame at the foot of Richmond’s longtime Democratic leadership.

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Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart, said Richmond has been a city "plagued by systemic neglect and a lack of accountability."

"Now, Stoney wants to be our commonwealth's next lieutenant governor. Despite the city's growing infrastructure needs, Democrats in Richmond allowed critical issues like water contamination and aging pipes to fester, leaving residents vulnerable to unsafe drinking water and deteriorating public health," Williams said.

He previously proposed a bill that would have allowed state agencies to study utility upgrades and provide engineering support.

With Democrats marginally in control of the legislature and hoping to prevent Youngkin’s deputy Winsome Sears from succeeding him in November, Williams said the crisis is emblematic of Democrats’ "larger failure… in Virginia, where promises of progress and equity often ring hollow when the real work of maintaining essential services is neglected."

Richmond businessowner Jimmy Keady echoed Williams, telling Fox News Digital the crisis isn’t just a failure of infrastructure but of past city leadership:

"For nearly 48 hours, businesses have forced to close. Residents were left without clean water, and hourly workers lost wages," Keady said.

"The political implications are just as severe," added Keady, who is also a political consultant.

He noted Virginia’s legislature is only in session for a few months, and referenced how lawmakers must explicitly pass resolutions to extend business beyond a term’s end date.

"By losing nearly 11% of this short session, Virginia lawmakers are losing valuable time to pass legislation that will address growing problems throughout our commonwealth, such as economic growth, rising medical costs, and — sure enough — aging infrastructure."

Richmond’s water supply is primarily sourced by the James River.

Fox News Digital reached out to Stoney's campaign and House Speaker Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth. Avula could not be reached.

In remarks late Wednesday, Youngkin praised public and private partners around the capital region that have helped residents deal with the lack of water, from Avula to companies like Amazon and Publix.

"The collaboration from the surrounding counties with the city of Richmond and the state resources has been truly inspiring. The counties of Hanover, Henrico and Chesterfield not only brought to bear all their expertise in emergency management, but their resources."

"They all mobilized fire-pump trucks in order to make sure that if there was a fire emergency and there was no water available in the city, that in fact the city could react really quickly to those urgencies."

Washington state Democrats appeared to have accidentally emailed their sweeping revenue plans and internal talking points on tax hikes to the entirety of the upper chamber's members in Olympia, Fox News has learned.

Property tax hikes and a new double-digit tax on firearms are among proposals Washington state Democrats are considering, according to materials originally disseminated to all members by Washington Senate Deputy Floor Leader Noel Frame, D-Seattle, in late December and later obtained by Fox News Digital. 

A document titled "2025 Revenue Options" and a PowerPoint presentation describing how to talk to constituents in defense of the plan were included in the messages.

The document lists proposed figures for an 11% tax on ammunition and firearms, reclassifying storage unit rentals as a retail transaction and a lift on the property tax levy lid for certain Washingtonians.

A PowerPoint slide, highlighted by Seattle radio host Jason Rantz, described the "Best way to talk taxes" — with a chart of do’s and don’ts for lawmakers.

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Do say: "Pay what they owe" — but Don’t say: "Tax the rich" or "pay their fair share" because "taxes aren’t a punishment," the graph read.

It also suggested using the terms "funding," "providing" and "ensuring" when describing the apparent benefits of tax hikes, rather than the term "investing in [X]."

"Avoid centering the tax or talking in vague terms about ‘the economy’ or ‘education.’"

One of the new proposals is that of a "capital assets ownership tax."

It is described as similar to property taxes, but instead would extend the real estate-type tax to holdings in stocks, bonds and other financial instruments.

"We can ensure that extremely wealthy Washingtonians are taxed on their assets just like middle-class families are already taxed on theirs," the slide reads.

Another line directs lawmakers to proverbially "identify the villain" that is blocking "progress" and lay out "how we can take action to solve the issue."

"We have an upside-down tax code that benefits big corporations and the wealthiest few, that was written 100 years ago and desperately needs an update for the 21st century. If we ensure Washington’s wealthiest pay what they truly owe in taxes, the rest of us will have what we need — like affordable health care, housing, and food."

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Rantz said in a column for MyNorthwest.com that the plans accidentally shared present a "direct contradiction" to promises from Democrats during the election cycle and lay out 10 total new taxes on residents.

"These proposals come at a time when the state has seen years of record revenue," Rantz said, going on to claim some of the "tax schemes" may also be unconstitutional.

He added that capital gains taxes actually discourage growth and potentially lead to reduced job opportunities for the same workers pro-tax Democrats claim to want to help.

One example he presented was the departure of Amazon founder Jeffrey Bezos from Washington state. Upon establishing his new Florida residency, one of America’s richest men saved about $1 billion in taxes that also no longer go toward funding the Evergreen State’s programs.

Rantz added that the Washington state Democratic electorate often decries the affordability crisis but then goes on to re-elect the same politicians that exacerbate it.

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Additionally, as Democratic Gov.-elect Robert Ferguson is set to take office later this month, State Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, slammed outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee’s 2025 budget proposal.

"This budget is not a serious proposal," said Couture, the House budget panel’s top Republican.

"Our state has a spending problem, not a revenue problem," he said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Frame for comment but did not hear back by publication time.

On his way out the door, then-North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper commuted the sentences of 15 individuals on the Tarheel State’s death row.

Cooper, a Democrat whose name has been floated as one of the party’s topline names for the 2028 presidential contest, acted similarly to outgoing President Biden — who caught heat last week for commuting sentences for almost all federal death row inmates.

"These reviews are among the most difficult decisions a governor can make and the death penalty is the most severe sentence that the state can impose," Cooper said in a statement.

"After thorough review, reflection, and prayer, I concluded that the death sentence imposed on these 15 people should be commuted, while ensuring they will spend the rest of their lives in prison."

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No executions have occurred in North Carolina since 2006 due to ongoing litigation.

One of the inmates who saw his sentence commuted to life was felony murder inmate Hasson Bacote. Bacote had originally filed suit in 2010 challenging his death sentence under North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act, which reportedly allows defendants to challenge sentences if they can determine racial bias. 

Bacote, who is Black, had been convicted of shooting an 18-year-old by a White-majority Johnston County jury.

Rayford Burke, an Iredell County murder convict who received a commutation, also reportedly sought relief under the Racial Justice Act, according to WCNC.

Another commutation recipient, Christopher Roseboro, has been in prison for about 30 years. In 1994, Roseboro was indicted on first-degree rape and other charges stemming from allegations he and another man robbed an elderly neighbor who was later found dead along with evidence she had been sexually assaulted.

The co-defendant, Roger Bell, is already serving a life sentence.

A Union County man, Darrell Strickland, was convicted of manslaughter following a tragic Jan. 1, 1995, argument. He also saw his sentence commuted to life without parole.

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Vincent Wooten, a Pitt County man sentenced for the 1993 murder of Edward Wilson, also saw his sentence commuted, according to the Greenville Daily Reflector.

Wooten, then 20, saw evidence presented at his trial alleging he shot Wilson with a modified-to-automatic AR-15 rifle after a safe, filled with cocaine and cash, was stolen from the mother of Wooten’s girlfriend.

Another commuted convict, Guy T. LeGrande, had been sent to prison following a murder-for-hire incident. LeGrande was later diagnosed with a mental disorder, according to Mother Jones, and had previously claimed to be able to communicate with Oprah Winfrey through a television.

Cooper’s commutations follow Biden’s flurry of orders reclassifying death sentences to life without parole for 37 convicts.

"President Biden has dedicated his career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system," the White House said in a December statement.

"He believes that America must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder — which is why today’s actions apply to all but those cases."

A man sentenced to death for a 2003 Tennessee shooting said he was surprised Biden commuted so many convicts’ terms.

"I resolved not to squander this act of mercy, this grace of life. I resolved to be part of Biden's legacy — by the way I contribute to the betterment of society and prisons," Rejon Taylor told Newsweek. 

"Biden doesn't realize this now, but his act of mercy will resound through me, bearing fruit that will outlive his time on this earth."

Some of Biden’s other commutations, including a Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, judge jailed in a "kids-for-cash" scandal where juveniles were aggressively prosecuted and sent to for-profit prisons, have sparked bipartisan outrage.

Cooper’s 77 total pardons and commutations over his two terms, however, are dwarfed by the nearly 700 from fellow Democratic Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., who served four terms in two non-consecutive eight-year periods, according to NC Newsline.

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Only three men remain on federal death row after Biden’s actions: Robert Gregory Bowers, Dzhokar Anzorovich Tsarnaev and Dylann Storm Roof. Bowers was convicted in the 2018 Pennsylvania synagogue shooting; Roof massacred several Black churchgoers in South Carolina; and Tsarnaev — along with his now-deceased brother Tamerlan — masterminded the Boston Marathon bombing.

Then-North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, was sworn into the governor's office to succeed Cooper in Raleigh on Wednesday.

In the 1942 film "Holiday Inn," legendary crooner Bing Crosby describes the stroke of midnight on New Year’s as "one minute to say goodbye before we say hello." In 2025, Americans in several states around the country are "saying hello" to many new laws and changes in tax codes.

In West Virginia, for example, residents saw an automatic 2% personal income tax cut taking effect on New Year's Day.

"If anybody says there’s something [else] that could drive more growth to West Virginia than that, you’re out of your mind," outgoing Republican governor and Sen.-elect Jim Justice quipped of that particular policy change.

However, other states’ residents may face more proverbially "draconian" policies and regulations. Here's a look at some of them.

"Congestion pricing"

The Empire State’s heavily-debated congestion pricing law will take effect on Sunday, Jan. 5. 

While Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair Janno Lieber have been supportive of the change, which charges the average driver crossing or entering Manhattan below Central Park a photo-enforced $9 toll, many New Yorkers remain outraged.

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"Congestion pricing, the latest in a long string of tyrannical taxes, has been pressed forward through consistent opposition about the burden on New York families and workers," several New York Republican federal lawmakers wrote in a December letter.

Meanwhile, Democrats like State Sen. Andrew Gounardes of Bay Ridge had urged the congestion-pricing plan to begin "immediately, before [Donald] Trump can block it."

Lather up

Visitors to one of the most popular tourism states in the country will no longer be welcomed by travel-sized shampoo and lotion bottles, as they will be prohibited come the New Year. 

The Empire State's ban took effect on Jan. 1, while a similar ban in Illinois goes into practice on July 1 for larger hotels and Jan. 1, 2026, for smaller ones.

While many hotels across the country have transitioned to affixing bulk shampoo dispensers into shower walls, many tourists still prefer the tiny bottles.

Tax hikes

California’s SB-951 of 2022 stipulated that workers will have slightly more money withheld from their paychecks in 2025. The state’s disability insurance program rate is to increase from 1.1% to 1.2%.

The average California worker will see $8 less per month in their net pay.

Gas prices

California Republicans estimated that new regulations taking effect in the New Year will cause "major sticker shock" for drivers in the Golden State.

"I’m concerned Californians will … be unprepared for the rapid gas spike in 2025, which could be an additional 90 cents per gallon," said state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones.

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Jones estimated Californians will pay $900 more over the course of the year for gasoline.

Parental rights

AB-1955, or the SAFETY Act, took effect Jan. 1.

The law prohibits schools from enacting policies that require parental notification if their child changes their gender identity.

In December remarks to FOX-11, bill sponsor Assemblyman Chris Ward said "politically motivated attacks on the rights, safety, and dignity of transgender, nonbinary and other LGBTQ+ youth are on the rise nationwide, including in California."

Ward, D-San Diego, said school districts had wrongly adopted policies to "forcibly out" students and that parents should love their children unconditionally in all cases.

Immigrant health insurance coverage requirements

A 2022 bill relating to health insurance coverage for Coloradans regardless of immigration status will take effect next month, according to the Denver Post.

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HB-1289 requires the state to provide "full health insurance coverage for Colorado pregnant people who would be eligible for Medicaid and the children's basic health plan (CHIP) if not for their immigration status and continues that coverage for 12 months postpartum at the CHIP federal matching rate," according to the bill text.

Abortion

As of July 2025, Delaware colleges will be required to provide emergency abortion access and contraception or direct the patient to an external facility, according to the Wilmington News-Journal.

A law is also primed to take effect in the First State that mandates insurance coverage and eliminates deductibles for abortion procedures, according to multiple reports.

State Sen. Bryant Richardson, R-Blades, ripped the new law after it passed the legislature earlier in 2024.

"This is a procedure you want my tax dollars to pay for. I’m sorry, I think this is evil," he said.

Stop light

Washington, D.C., will institute a ban on right-turns-on-red within District boundaries. The law is a rare regulation in a blanket context, with New York City being one of the few other major cities with a similar law.

Signage denoting the otherwise tacit law is typically posted when entering New York City from highways like Major Deegan or one of the city's many river crossings, but it is often lacking on the hundreds of small streets on the grid that traverse into Westchester or Nassau Counties.

In the same vein, the District of Columbia reportedly lacks funding for signage on most of the streets entering the nation’s capital from Maryland or Virginia, which may or may not affect enforcement, according to reports.

The $385,000 in district funds allocated to notifying residents and drivers of the law was never identified, a DDOT official told WTTG.

Bird watch

D.C.’s Migratory Local Wildlife Protection Act of 2023 imposes a new building restriction as of Jan. 1.

Permit applications or glazing alterations will require bird-friendly materials on exterior walls and fenestration within 100 feet of grade level, according to WTTG.

The district is also one of a handful of places where the sales tax will see an increase. In the capital’s case, it will rise to 6.5%.

Firearms

Minnesota will institute a ban on "binary triggers" on personally owned weapons, according to reports. That is, the function that allows a gun to fire multiple rounds with one press of the trigger.

Vaping ban

The Ocean State is set to enact a ban on sales of and possession-with-intent-to-sell flavored vape products in 2025. The law is currently facing litigation but will be able to preliminarily go into effect, according to the Providence Journal.

Global warming

Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, which initiates limits on greenhouse gas emissions, will take effect in the New Year.

It requires a 26% reduction in 2025 emissions reduction versus 2005 levels, according to the Vermont Public.

The law, however, also opens the state up to legal action from green groups and more if it fails to reach the required reduction level. 

That aspect led Republicans to question the new law. Gov. Phil Scott vetoed the bill in 2020, saying it does not propose or create a good framework for "long-term mitigation and adaptation solutions to address climate change."

Meanwhile, Vermont Republican Party Chair Paul Dame recently said it opens up the state and taxpayers’ money to undue risk from such lawsuits.

"These goals were unattainable given the currently available technology, but now the state is getting dragged in to court for completely avoidable reasons," Dame told Fox News Digital.

No coal in your stocking

Oregon’s HB-4083 will direct the state onto a path toward divesting in coal firms and market instruments that include coal interests.

The laws that weren't

With many states, like those above, enacting tax hikes, new regulations and the like, Republicans in states with divided government are expressing cautious optimism that their trend of bucking liberal legislative interests can continue.

While Vermont’s Scott has seen key vetoes like the Global Warming Solutions Act overridden by the Democrat-dominated legislature, some states have the opposite dynamic where a Republican-majority chamber stymies the goals of Democrats.

With the state Senate in Republican hands, the State House one vote short of a 50-50 split and the governorship held by Democrats, Republicans expressed relief that legislation such as a 100% carbon-neutral 2050 Clean Energy Standard did not make it to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk.

In the gun control realm, both an assault weapons ban and proposed repeal of the state Stand Your Ground Law drafted by state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-Bristol, died in the legislature.

"It is time we take an evidence-based approach to our gun policy. ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws encourage gun violence. As such, it is time that we repeal ‘Stand Your Ground’ here in Pennsylvania," Santarsiero said in a memo.

Another bill enacting a firearms "Red Flag Law" languished through the legislative term.

A policy that would fund cost-free telephone calls from state prisoners also did not make it through, as did a bid for an "abortion protection package."

FLASHBACK: PA LAWMAKERS DRAFT BILL TO DIVERT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ‘GHOST FLIGHTS’ TO WILMINGTON

Those and several other top-line "draconian" bill failures are a product of GOP persistence, said state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg.

"With a Democrat governor and Democrat House, the state Senate is the last line of reason to prevent Pennsylvania from becoming like California," the 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee told Fox News Digital on Monday.

"There has been a litany of extreme legislation coming from Democrats."

As chair of the Emergency Preparedness committee, Mastriano added that the "most egregious" no-pass in 2024 was legislation to address Pennsylvanian effects from the biohazardous East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment.

Mastriano, along with state Sens. Elder Vogel Jr., R-Beaver, and Michele Brooks, R-Pymatuning, drafted legislation in July to exempt disaster relief payments from state taxes in one case.

That bill did not make it out of the legislature.

Republicans in the state also lamented the failure of the latest effort to withdraw Pennsylvania from a national "RGGI" Greenhouse Gas pact entered into by former Gov. Tom Wolf.

"Leaving our environmental and economic destiny to the whims of RGGI’s New England states is just bad policy for Pennsylvania," State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Williamsport, said after the Senate approved the eventually-failed bill.

"It is time to repeal this regulation and focus on putting forth commonsense, environmentally responsible energy policy that recognizes and champions Pennsylvania as an energy producer."

"Pennsylvania’s greatest asset is our ability to produce energy," State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Latrobe, added in a statement.

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Minimum wage hikes are also primed to take effect in several states.

Washington, Connecticut and California are set to see $16 per hour or higher as the minimum wage for most workers. Rhode Island's will rise to $15, Maine's to $14.65, Illinois to $15 and Vermont will go to $14.

More than a dozen states, including Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Utah, Tennessee and Mississippi, retain the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

In the days since New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared New York City’s subways had improved in safety, a woman was burned alive, a man was pushed in front of an oncoming train and gangs of illegal immigrants have robbed straphangers.

Just before Christmas, the Democrat took to X to claim that, since March, she has taken action to make subways "safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day."

"Since deploying the [New York National Guard] to support [the NYPD] and MTA, safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up," she wrote on Dec. 22.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), while mostly serving the five boroughs, Long Island and Lower Hudson Valley suburbs, is a state-operated, not city-operated, agency.

However, in that short time, an illegal immigrant allegedly set a woman on fire on an F train, a man miraculously survived being shoved in front of a 1 train and Venezuelan gang members have been robbing straphangers at will.

In Coney Island, Guatemalan national Sebastian Zapeta was charged with murder after allegedly lighting a Toms River, New Jersey, woman on fire while she slept on board an F train at the Stillwell Avenue Terminal. That incident occurred the morning of Dec. 22, hours before Hochul's post.

The victim, Debrina Kawam, once worked for Merck Pharmaceuticals in the early 2000s but had more recently lived in a New York City homeless shelter.

Zapeta’s arraignment has been set for Tuesday. He told the NYPD he overindulges in alcohol and "doesn’t know what happened," according to NBC News.

"My office is very confident about the evidence in this case and our ability to hold Zapeta accountable for his dastardly deeds," Kings County Democratic District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said of the case.

Earlier this week, 23-year-old Kamel Hawkins of Brooklyn allegedly shoved an unsuspecting straphanger into the path of a South Ferry-bound 1 train at W 18th Street Station in Chelsea.

Hawkins initially got away but was soon caught near Columbus Circle and Central Park, according to reports. The injured victim’s survival was lauded as a miracle, as he fell into a "trench" between the tracks as the train ran over him and was ambulanced to a hospital with head injuries.

ECONOMIC EXPERTS PAN HOCHUL'S ‘INFLATIONARY’ INFLATION REFUNDS

Hawkins had prior arrests for body-slamming a police officer in Queens. His father, Shamel Hawkins, told the New York Post, "We think somebody put something in his weed."

The elder Hawkins said his son had been "acting weird" recently and that he "needs help" but continues to refuse to seek it.

On New Year’s Day, WPIX reported two separate unprovoked subway stabbing incidents during daylight hours on the West Side. A 30-year-old man was reportedly stabbed in the head and hip awaiting a 1 train at 110 Street and Broadway. The station is in otherwise one of the safer areas of Manhattan, near Columbia University, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the diner made famous on the sitcom "Seinfeld."

Another man was stabbed while awaiting a 2 train at 14th Street and 7th Avenue that same day, according to the outlet.

Meanwhile, authorities found 22 Tren de Aragua migrant gang members during a raid on a residence in Crotona Park, Bronx last month. Federal law enforcement had tracked the ankle monitor of Jarwin Valero-Calderon — a Venezuelan national originally arrested in Nassau County and under a deportation order — to the building.

HOCHUL SPARKS BIPARTISAN OUTRAGE OVER CONGESTION PRICING REBOOT AS DEMS WORRIED TRUMP WOULD BLOCK IT

Hochul said in an X video on her account, called "This Week in New York," that her "five-point plan to improve subway safety" has led to overall subway crime dropping 10% since March 2023.

Hochul also said she will deploy 250 more National Guard members to take part in Joint Task Force: Empire Shield.

In its December report on November’s crime stats, the NYPD listed subway crime as having decreased 15% that month from 240 reported incidents to 202 and a year-to-date decrease of 6% from 2,137 to 2,002.

The NYPD said the subways saw their safest year-to-date figure in more than a decade.

"We are all in this together, and while the downward trends in violence and disorder across New York City are highly encouraging as we enter the final month of 2024, we have a lot more work to do to deliver the public safety that New Yorkers deserve," NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said in a Dec. 3 statement.

However, New Yorkers overall felt less safe on the MTA as of late.

"Kathy Hochul needs to resign," commentator Chaya Raichik — or "LibsOfTikTok" — wrote on X after chronicling some of the recent subway incidents and claiming some of the recent underground robberies were committed by Tren de Aragua gang members.

"Of course she won’t resign. These people care only about their power and the perks," FOX Business host David Asman wrote in a reply. "Only New Yorkers can get rid of her."

"Daniel Penny for governor," another X user commented, referring to the man acquitted in the death of a crazed straphanger who had been menacing passengers earlier this year.

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber pledged during a March transit board meeting "we are not going back" to the mid-20th century when the subway was incredibly unsafe. "This is a nightmare for New Yorkers," he said after learning Carlton McPherson — whom neighbors described to the Post as "a little off" — had recently fatally shoved a man in front of a Woodlawn-bound 4 train on 125 Street in Harlem.

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams also addressed the public sentiment in remarks earlier this year.

"Public safety is the actual safety and it's how people are feeling," he said in March. "We know we have over 4 million riders a day and a reliable system. We know we have approximately six felonies a day out of those 4 million riders. But if they don't feel safe, then we're not accomplishing our task."

"Stats don't matter if people don't believe they are in a safe environment," he said, according to WNBC.

Lieber said at the March meeting he would not be "surrendering our city to anyone."

President-elect Donald Trump congratulated and thanked Florida state Rep. Hillary Cassel after the Sunshine State lawmaker announced her decision to dump her Democratic Party affiliation and join the GOP.

"Today, I am announcing my decision to change my party affiliation from Democrat to Republican," Cassel said in a statement. "I will be joining the Republican Conference of the Florida House of Representatives because I believe in their vision for a better, more prosperous Florida."

In a statement hailing the move, Trump urged more Democrats to defect.

DESANTIS WELCOMES FLORIDA STATE LAWMAKER TO REPUBLICAN PARTY AS SHE DITCHES DEMOCRATS

"Congratulations to Hillary Cassel for becoming the second State Representative from the Great State of Florida to switch her Party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, once more expanding the GOP Supermajority in the State House! I would further like to invite other Disillusioned Democrats to switch Parties, and join us on this noble quest to Save our Country and, Make America Great Again - GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. THANK YOU HILLARY!" Trump exclaimed in a Truth Social post.

Cassel's announcement came after fellow Florida state Rep. Susan Valdés announced earlier this month that she was switching her registration from Democrat to Republican.

While seeking office in 2022, Cassel described herself as a "proud Democrat," "pro-choice champion," and "faithful ally of the LGBTQ+ community." 

FLORIDA BANS CHILDREN UNDER 14 FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

She also pledged that she would "stand up to #ClimateChange deniers" and "stand up to the NRA and fight for a ban on military style assault rifles and the high capacity ammunition that make them so lethal."

But now Cassel says the Democratic Party does not reflect her values.

"As a mother, I want to help build a world where our children are judged on their character and their actions not on their labels," she noted in her statement. "As a proud Jewish woman, I have been increasingly troubled by the Democratic Party's failure to unequivocally support Israel and its willingness to tolerate extreme progressive voices that justify or condone acts of terrorism. I'm constantly troubled by the inability of the current Democratic Party to relate to everyday Floridians. I can no longer remain in a party that doesn't represent my values.

TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE AIMING TO REPLACE MATT GAETZ WANTS FLORIDA TO ADOPT GOLD AND SILVER AS LEGAL TENDER

"I know I won't always agree on every detail with every Republican, but I do know that I will always have input, collaboration, and respect. The House Republican Conference empowers members to find common sense solutions to real issues facing all Floridians. They welcome different ideas and collaboration, which is the cornerstone of effective government. Those are my values," Cassel noted.

Kentucky’s legislature is primed to consider a bill in the new year that would make parents responsible for their juvenile child committing a crime involving the discharge of a firearm.

State Rep. Kim Banta, R-Erlanger, modeled her legislation after similar laws that hold parents accountable for property crimes and motor vehicle accidents.

In the Bluegrass State, parents are liable for up to $2,500 in cases where their kids deface property and the guardian who signed a minor’s driver's license application is "jointly and severally liable" for any findings of negligence or damage behind the wheel.

"The most important thing is that I am absolutely not trying to stop gun sales or enact gun control," Banta told Fox News Digital in a Friday interview.

BIDEN TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER AIMED AT REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE

"I'm simply trying to make parents aware that whether it is driving a car or doing anything else their child does, they need to know what they’re doing, and they need to exercise caution."

Similar to the language in the car-crash law, Banta’s bill imputes "negligence or willful misconduct" of a minor on their parents/guardians for civil damages stemming from injuries to another person that are caused by a person with a gun.

Factors in determining parental liability include whether the elder allowed the child to have the gun, was aware of previous gun law violations or believes the minor to have the propensity to be violent, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

On Friday, Banta said there had been a recent case in Kentucky where several 15-year-olds got into a disagreement, purportedly over drugs, and one boy went home, retrieved a gun, and came back and shot the two other youths.

WATCHDOG SEEKS TO HALT 11TH-HOUR BIDEN DOJ EFFORT TO HANDCUFF KY POLICE OVER BREONNA TAYLOR INCIDENT

"A 15-year-old does not have the mental ability to make snap decisions that adults do; not in anger, not in routine life, so a gun in their possession unsupervised is a little different than an adult with a gun," she said.

Foster parents, however, would be exempt from the law, according to Murray State University’s NPR affiliate.

The bill will be presented in January and Banta said if it makes it to a committee vote, there is a high likelihood it will make it to a full floor vote and be sent to Gov. Andrew Beshear’s desk.

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Fox News Digital reached out Beshear for comment but did not receive a response by press time. 

Both legislative chambers in Frankfort are held by Republican majorities, while Beshear is a Democrat.

Former President Jimmy Carter, the first U.S. commander-in-chief to reach the age of 100, was fondly remembered by state leaders across the political spectrum after his passing.

Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement that he, first lady Marty Kemp and their children "join all Georgians and the entire nation in mourning the loss of former President Jimmy Carter."

"As the only American president thus far to come from Georgia, he showed the world the impact our state and its people have on the country. And as a son of Plains, he always valued Georgians and the virtues of our state, choosing to return to his rural home after his time in public office," Kemp said.

Georgia GOP Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a top potential contender to replace the term-limited Kemp in 2026, added in his own tribute that Georgia, the nation and world "lost a man who exemplified what it means to be a public servant and to put the needs of others before your own."

JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100

Jones said he once met the Carters and described them as kind and accepting.

Georgia State Senate Leader John F. Kennedy, R-Fort Valley, said Carter’s life was "largely defined by his servant’s heart" and "steadfast commitment to our country and state."

"The lord has called home his good and faithful servant," added Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Effingham.

To the White House, he brought "pragmatic wisdom of a peanut farmer, work ethic of a homebuilder and unyielding faith of a Sunday School teacher," he added.

Former two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams said Carter "lived a life of courage, fortitude, kindness and grace."

"He was a giant who never saw anyone as smaller than himself. Whether at a Boys & Girls Club banquet or when he sponsored a medical clinic for the uninsured in his corner of rural Georgia, he lived James 2:17 each day," said Abrams.

Outside the late Democrat’s home state, tributes poured in from all 49 others.

In neighboring North Carolina, Democratic Governor-elect Josh Stein called the late president a "principled man" who "represented the best of America: guided by faith and service and dedicated to our nation's promise."

Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey noted that Carter grew up not far from the Yellowhammer State line, and praised the Democrat for his Navy service and work in taking over his family’s peanut farm after his father, James Sr., died.

"Jimmy Carter not only lived the longest of any former U.S. President, but his life also brought greater dignity to the presidency," Ivey said in a statement.

"President Carter lived a great life marked by service to his country. Volunteering his time to build homes for those in need well into his 90s," said Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican.

CARTER EXPECTED TO LIE IN CAPITOL ROTUNDA

West Virginia’s Democratic Party chairman, state Del. Mike Pushkin added that Carter’s legacy is one of "humility, integrity and relentless service."

"He taught us that true leadership is not about power, but about lifting others up and making the world a better place. His work continues to inspire generations of Americans to engage in public service and to strive for a more just and equitable society," said Pushkin, D-Kanawha.

Rhode Island Democratic Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement that America lost a "great man, compassionate leader and true humanitarian."

"In everything he did, President Carter put service above self. He believed fiercely in lifting up others and lending a hand to those in need – an example for all of us to follow," McKee said. "We thank President Carter for his service to our nation and dedicating his life to making the world a better place."

One rising star in Carter’s party ordered flags across his state at half-staff Monday.

"President Jimmy Carter was a humble, generous, and admirable public servant — both as our president and in his years after as a citizen in service," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement.

In the current president's home state, outgoing Delaware Gov. John Carney called Carter a "champion for peace and human rights."

Delaware Gov.-elect Matt Meyer wrote on X that Carter’s life "left an indelible mark on the world."

"[W]hat made him truly extraordinary was his humility and compassion," Meyer said.

Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called Carter "a truly moral man."

"His innate humanity, his humility, his devotion to serving his community and his country, and his belief that the world could live in peace is the remarkable legacy he leaves behind."

In California, potential 2028 presidential candidate Gov. Gavin Newsom also paid his respects.

"Jennifer and I join the country and the world in mourning the passing of President Jimmy Carter, a tireless champion for human rights and democracy whose unparalleled life of service made the world a better place," he said.

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Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement that Carter proved "good people, wanting nothing more than to do good – can excel in politics and life."

Thousands of miles to the west, Hawaii Democratic Gov. Josh Green said the people of his state "send our Aloha and heartfelt condolences to the Carter ‘ohana during this difficult time."

"President Jimmy Carter truly exemplified what it meant to live a life full of service," added Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another likely 2028 Democratic hopeful.

"His towering legacy of compassion for others set a standard that will always be remembered," the Hyatt Hotels heir added.