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Daceat selvage squid thundercats viral squid

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Trump meets with Macron, Zelenskyy ahead of Notre Dame reopening ceremony in Paris

Politics
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President-elect Trump met with world leaders ahead of the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral as he steps back onto the global stage following his election victory. Trump traveled to France on Saturday to attend the reopening of Notre Dame, the famous cathedral that suffered serious damage during a fire five years ago. The trip marks Trump’s first international trip since he was elected to a second, non-consecutive term in office. Trump’s diplomacy was on full display during the trip as he met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Presidential Palace in Paris. The pair was later joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “It’s a great honor for French people to welcome you five years later,” Macron said of Trump. “And you were, at that time, president for the first time. And I remember the solidarity and your immediate action. So, welcome back again. We are very happy to have you here.” ‘BREATHTAKING SPEED’: TRUMP’S PARIS TRIP MARKS RETURN TO GLOBAL STAGE AS LEADERS TURN ‘THE PAGE’ ON BIDEN Ahead of the meeting, Trump said the world leaders would be talking about how “the world is going a little crazy right now.” “We have a great relationship. As everyone knows, we accomplished a lot together,” Trump said of Macron. “And the people of France are spectacular.” DAVID MARCUS: TRIUMPHANT TRUMP AT NOTRE DAME SIGNALS AMERICA AND THE WEST ARE BACK Trump is expected to meet with Prince William, who is attending the event in place of his father, King Charles III, after the ceremony, according to Kensington Palace. President Biden is not expected to attend the event, however, First Lady Jill Biden will be present. William was scheduled to meet with the First Lady at the UK residence in Paris, but due to weather, the meeting was canceled, and the two will meet at the ceremony. Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

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Conservative group compiles list of ‘woke’ senior officers they want Pete Hegseth to fire

Politics
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As Pete Hegseth continues to rally support for his nomination to lead the Department of Defense, a conservative research group has compiled a list of “woke” senior officers they want him to sack should he be confirmed to lead the Pentagon. In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) sent a letter to Hegseth with a list of 20 general officers or senior admirals whom it says are excessively focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and other similar left-wing initiatives. Eight of those 20 are women. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity. AAF says that focusing on such policies is an impediment to national security, while some miliary leaders have expressed concern about the list. DOZENS OF PROMINENT VETERANS SIGN ONTO LETTER SUPPORTING ‘OUTSTANDING’ HEGSETH NOMINATION AMID CONTROVERSIES “The woke takeover of the military is a major threat to our national security,” AAF President Thomas Jones wrote in the letter to Hegseth dated Tuesday and first published by the New York Post. “As global tensions rise, with Iran on the march, Russia at war, and China in the midst of a massive military buildup, we cannot afford to have a military distracted and demoralized by leftist ideology,” he added. “Those who were responsible for these policies being instituted in the first place must be dismissed.” The term “woke” is often used in reference to progressive, politically correct stances on race, gender ideology and other hot-button topics. The group posted on X that the woke leaders need to be fired on day one. “Wokeness has no place in the military,” the group wrote.  On Friday, the AAF doubled down on its position.  “Many don’t want to hear this, but it’s the truth: DEI in the military is going to get people killed. STOP IT NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE,” AAF posted on X. Hegseth, a former Minnesota National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, has embraced Trump’s effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. He has long railed against the military embracing DEI policies instead of meritocracy, complaining it also diverts focus away from war preparedness.  TRUMP FLOATS DESANTIS AS POTENTIAL DEFENSE SECRETARY REPLACEMENT IF HEGSETH FALTERS If confirmed to the role, Hegseth would be in charge of 1.3 million active-duty service members and the nearly 1 million civilians who work for the military. Some of those on the list include Air Force Col. Ben Jonsson, who penned an op-ed in July 2020 demanding his white colleagues “to give a damn” and “address our blind spots around race,” according to the letter. Also in the AAF crosshairs is Navy vice admiral Jeffery Hughes, who spoke at DEI summit in 2022 and underscored the importance of DEI recruiting “exceptional talent.” Air Force Maj. Gen. Elizabeth Arledge also made the list and was noted by AAF for making “woke posts” on her social media. In one post, Arledge shared articles that featured “discussions of whiteness in org[anization] theory and the ways in which whiteness (verb) has become naturalized as the ideal in orgs.” Navy Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield was also listed and panned for a 2015 speech where she bemoaned that lawmakers in the House of Representatives at the time were 80% males, proclaiming that “our diversity is our strength.” Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team, said in a statement that “No policy should be deemed official unless it comes directly from President Trump.” A defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the list said senior leaders are hoping that once Trump is sworn in, they will be able to discuss the issue further. They are prepared to provide additional context to the incoming administration, the official told The Associated Press, which reports it is not publishing the names to protect service members’ privacy. Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday that the list would have “considerable, wide and deep consequences.” He said when military members see people singled out, they will start focusing on their own survival rather than the mission or their job. Multiple sources confirmed to Fox News that Trump is reportedly considering nominating Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as defense secretary in place of Hegseth amid allegations against him. But Hegseth brushed off the potential replacement, telling reporters that he was prepared to fight.  “As long as Donald Trump wants me in this fight, I’m going to be standing right here in this fight, fighting to bring our Pentagon back to what it needs to be,” he said.  The Associated Press contributed to this report.  READ THE LETTER BELOW. APP USERS CLICK HERE. Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

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Social media reacts to Trump ‘dominating world leaders’ with Macron handshake during meeting in France

Politics
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Social media users erupted over President-elect Trump’s “dominating” handshake with French President Emmanuel Macron at their meeting in Paris Saturday. Trump traveled to France to attend the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, his first international trip since winning the 2024 presidential election. Ahead of the event, Trump met Macron, and the two shook hands in a gesture that quickly went viral online. “President Trump is back to dominating world leaders with his handshake,” one user, George, wrote in a post on X. “Macron is going to need a hand massage after all that twisting and pulling Trump did to him.” TRUMP MEETS WITH MACRON, ZELENSKYY AHEAD OF THE NOTRE DAME REOPENING CEREMONY IN PARIS “President Trump manhandles French President Emmanuel Macron with one of the most dominating handshakes I’ve ever seen,” said commentator Drew Hernandez. “We are so back.” DAVID MARCUS: TRIUMPHANT TRUMP AT NOTRE DAME SIGNALS AMERICA AND THE WEST ARE BACK Colin Rugg wrote, “7 years later and the handshake battle continues between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron.” During a meeting in 2017, during Trump’s first term in office, the two world leaders had a 29-second handshake and appeared to be tugging back and forth as they walked with their wives. “The Trump-Macron handshake is hilarious,” author John Lefevre said in a post on X. “Because it happened twice. And you know Macron was told to prepare and probably practiced and then still got dominated.” Trump’s handshakes with world leaders have gone viral over the years, including when he pulled in Russian President Putin’s arm during a handshake at the G-20 Summit in 2019. Trump attended the reopening ceremony alongside political figures, including first lady Jill Biden and Prince William. Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

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Trump, Jill Biden attend Notre Dame reopening in France with world leaders

Politics
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President-elect Trump attended the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral alongside First Lady Jill Biden and several other prominent world leaders. Notre Dame was reopened on Saturday, five years after a fire caused serious damage to the landmark Gothic cathedral. Trump was seated between French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, during the ceremony, which was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prince William. Also in the same row as Trump was First Lady Jill Biden, who attended the event with her daughter, Ashley. President Joe Biden was not present. TRUMP MEETS WITH MACRON, ZELENSKYY AHEAD OF NOTRE DAME REOPENING CEREMONY IN PARIS Trump and the first lady greeted one another ahead of the ceremony. Tesla CEO and close Trump ally Elon Musk also attended the ceremony. The president-elect met privately with Macron and Zelenskyy ahead of the ceremony and was expected to meet with Prince William following the event. The $740 million restoration project was funded by donations from 150 countries and involved the application of carpentry methods dating back to the 13th century.  NOTRE DAME RISES FROM THE ASHES AS A SYMBOL OF HOPE Sources familiar with the president-elect’s plans told Fox News that Trump’s attendance was at the invitation of Macron, who was the first foreign leader to congratulate Trump after his election win over Vice President Kamala Harris in November, CNN reported.  About 50 heads of state were expected to be in attendance, Paris Police Chief Laurent Nuñez said in an interview published by French media outlet Le Parisien, but he did not specify who or from which countries.  Latest Political News on Fox News Read More

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Alvin Bragg trying to ‘strong-arm’ Daniel Penny jury into deciding on negligent homicide: Andy McCarthy

Headlines
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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is trying to “strong-arm” the jury in the Daniel Penny case into deciding on a verdict by dismissing manslaughter charges when they appeared deadlocked, former U.S. assistant attorney Andy McCarthy says. “Bragg added a baseless recklessness charge to the indictment so the jury would have two counts, increasing the odds of conviction by giving the jury something to compromise on,” McCarthy wrote in National Review. The manslaughter charge required prosecutors to prove that Penny acted with recklessness when he put mentally ill homeless man Jordan Neely in a chokehold on May 1, 2023. Neely had barged onto a subway car while high on drugs, threatening to kill passengers during a psychotic episode, according to trial testimony. DANIEL PENNY MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE DISMISSED AS JURY BREAKS FOR WEEKEND The judge initially ruled that the jury could not deliberate on the second charge unless they found Penny not guilty of manslaughter by some reason other than that the chokehold was justified. However, after jurors said they were deadlocked a second time, Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Dafna Yoran asked to have the top charge dismissed to allow the jury to debate the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide, which carries a maximum punishment of four years in prison. “Today, the jurors have been Allen-charged to try to strong-arm them into deciding the count despite indicating, after three days, that they were deadlocked,” McCarthy wrote. McCarthy said that he believes Bragg’s strategy in the case against Penny was to push forward with two charges, manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, in order to maximize his chances in the court system. “Unfortunately the strategy is working the way it’s designed to work,” McCarthy said on Fox News Channel on Friday.  In National Review, he said the prosecution should never have happened. “This was not remotely a recklessness case, where it could be said that Penny wantonly disregarded an obvious risk of death,” he wrote. “There is evidence that Penny moved Neely into a position that would make breathing easier, waited for the police to come and fully cooperated with them, and did not even know Neely was dead when he voluntarily spoke to police and explained what happened — that he wasn’t trying to hurt Neely, just subdue him until the police arrived.”  DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER Other commentators, including Claremont Institute senior fellow Jeremy Carl, responded angrily to the recent court developments.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE “Kyle Rittenhouse was clearly not guilty, but the Daniel Penny case makes the Kyle Rittenhouse case look like a model of blind justice,” Carl wrote. “He is unquestionably in every way a hero and the prosecution against him a total disgrace.” “I don’t think the left fully grasps how much they are radicalizing people when a Marine who saved a bunch of people on the subway from a violent person with mental illness yelling ‘someone is going to die today’ is demonized,” former “The View” co-host Meghan McCain argued. “Daniel Penny did nothing wrong, you lunatics.” Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and CB Cotton contributed to this report.  Latest & Breaking News on Fox News Read More

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College basketball fans break silence, storm the court as part of unique Christmas tradition

Headlines
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It’s a tradition like no other.  Since 1997, the Taylor University Trojans created an official Christmas celebration which has come to be known as “Silent Night.”  The tradition, meant to celebrate the holiday season and the end of the semester, involves a typically sold out basketball game where fans dress up in costumes and remain utterly silent until Taylor scores its 10th point of the game.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Fans then break the silence by storming the court at Odle Arena.  Friday marked the annual game, this time against Moody Bible Institute. And fans didn’t have to keep quiet for too long.  Just 90 seconds into the game, junior Nate Paarlberg broke free down court, dunking the ball for the Trojan’s 10th point. Fans stormed the court in unison celebrating and, to avoid a technical, a media timeout is always called.  LOYOLA CHICAGO MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM FINDS CREATIVE WAY TO APOLOGIZE TO SISTER JEAN AFTER VIRAL SNUB VIDEO The traditions continued in the final minute of the game as the crowd, arm-in-arm, began to sing “Silent Night.” Taylor walked away with a 107-59 and improved to 26-1 all-time in “Silent Night” games.  According to the school’s website, Taylor is an “interdenominational liberal arts university of evangelical faith” in Upland, Indiana.  Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Latest & Breaking News on Fox News Read More

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St John’s coach Rick Pitino pays homage to late school legend Lou Carnesecca with vintage look

Headlines
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It’s been over three decades since Lou Carnesecca was last on the sidelines for the St. John’s Red Storm, but his presence continues to be felt. “Looie” died last week at the age of 99, prompting a multitude of tributes in the college basketball world as well as the tri-state area. But the St. John’s legend is still fresh in the minds of many, including current head coach Rick Pitino. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM During the Jonnies’ game against Kansas State on Saturday, Carnesecca wore a replica vintage sweater that Carnesecca made famous during his time with the school. It’s the school’s first game since his passing.  The game was played at the arena that bears Carnesecca’s name – the arena opened in 1961 and was named after the Hall of Fame coach in 2004. Carnesecca was the coach of St. John’s for 24 seasons over two stints. He led the team to 18 seasons in which the team won at least 20 games and 18 NCAA Tournament appearances. His teams produced star players like Chris Mullin, Bill Wennington, Mark Jackson and Walter Berry. TEXAS LONGHORNS’ LIVE MASCOT, BEVO, BARRED FROM SEC CHAMPIONSHIP St. John’s won the NIT Championship in 1989, and Carnesecca was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992 – the year he retired from the sport. Carnesecca took over for Joe Lapchick before the start of the 1965-66 season. He became the head coach for the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association in 1970 and later came back to the team, known then as the Redmen, replacing Frank Mulzoff. His best team was the 1984-85 squad led by Mullin, Berry, Jackson and Wennington. They had 31 wins and were 15-1 in the Big East, making it to the Final Four before losing to the Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas. Carnesecca was 526-200 in his coaching career. He was a three-time Big East Coach of the Year and two-time U.S. Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year. Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Latest & Breaking News on Fox News Read More

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Trump says US shouldn’t intervene in Syria as opposition forces gain ground

Breaking
views 5 mins

A Syrian opposition fighter holds a rocket launcher in front of the provincial government office, where an image of Syrian President Bashar Assad is riddled with bullets on the facade, in the aftermath of the opposition’s takeover of Hama, Syria, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) 2024-12-07T16:28:22Z WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria amid an opposition offensive that has reached the capital’s suburbs, declaring in a social media post, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.” Trump’s first extensive comments on the dramatic rebel push came while he was in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral. He argued that Syrian President Bashar Assad did not deserve U.S. support to stay in power. Assad’s government has been propped up by the Russian and Iranian military, along with Hezbollah and other Iranian-allied militias, in a now 13-year-old war against opposition groups seeking his overthrow. The war, which began as a mostly peaceful uprising in 2011 against the Assad family’s rule, has killed a half-million people, fractured Syria and drawn in a more than a half-dozen foreign militaries and militias. The insurgents are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the United States has designated as a terrorist group and says has links to al-Qaida, although the group has since broken ties with al-Qaida.” The insurgents have met little resistance so far from the Syrian army. The Biden administration has suggested that their fast-moving advances toward Damascus demonstrate just how distracted those countries are by the war in Ukraine and other conflicts, but said that the U.S. is not backing the offensive and has not suggested the U.S. military will intervene. The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria, including U.S. forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have nonetheless been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration on how the U.S. would handle the sudden rebel advances against Assad. The United Nations’ special envoy for Syria called Saturday for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition” in Syria. In his post, Trump said Russia “is so tied up in Ukraine” that it “seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years.” He said rebels could possibly force Assad from power. The president-elect condemned the overall U.S. handling of the war, but said the routing of Assad and Russian forces might be for the best. “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” he wrote in Saturday’s post. An influential Syrian opposition activist in Washington, Mouaz Moustafa, interrupted a briefing to reporters to read Trump’s post and appeared to choke up. He said Trump’s declaration that the U.S. should stay out of the fight was the best outcome that the the Syrians aligned against Assad could hope for. Rebels have been freeing political detainees of the Assad government from prisons as they advance across Syria, taking cities. Moustafa pledged to reporters Saturday that opposition forces would be alert for any U.S. detainees among them and do their utmost to protect them. Moustafa said that includes Austin Tice, an American journalist missing for more than a decade and suspected to be held by Assad. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham renounced al-Qaida in 2016 and has worked to rebrand itself, including cracking down on some Islamic extremist groups and fighters in its territory and portraying itself as a protector of Christians and other religious minorities. While the U.S. and United Nations still designate it as a terrorist organization, Trump’s first administration told lawmakers that the U.S. was no longer targeting the group’s leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani. ELLEN KNICKMEYER Foreign policy, national security, foreign policy & climate twitter WILL WEISSERT Weissert covers national politics and the White House. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto