Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, has been living in a retirement facility, a source told Fox News on Sunday. The source also denied a local news report that said she was in a memory care facility.

Granger, who is retiring at the end of this congressional term, has largely remained absent from the Capitol in recent months, having last cast votes on July 24. She was not present for over 54% of votes this year.

The Dallas Express investigated the 81-year-old congresswoman’s absence, publishing a report on Friday that quoted a constituent of her district who said that Granger was residing in a memory care facility in Texas. The report was later picked up by other news outlets.

Fox News spoke with a source from Granger’s office who denied that Granger was in a memory care unit. The source told Fox News that Granger is in a retirement facility where memory care is provided, though not in the memory care unit itself.

Granger released a statement to Fox News, saying that she has faced ‘health challenges’ and is ‘deeply grateful for the outpouring of care and concern’ over the weekend.

‘As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year,’ Granger said in the statement. ‘However, since early September, my health challenges have progressed making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable. During this time, my incredible staff has remained steadfast, continuing to deliver exceptional constituent services, as they have for the past 27 years.’

Granger, who did not seek re-election for the coming term, has served in the House since 1997. She previously served as the first female mayor of Fort Worth, Texas.

While Granger appears to not have cast a vote since July, she did return to the Capitol in November for the unveiling of her portrait as Appropriations Committee Chairwoman, and a reception that followed. House Speaker Johnson, R-La., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., both spoke at the event.

One senior Republican source told Fox News that Granger did not step down earlier due to the paper-thin GOP House majority.

‘Frankly, we needed the numbers,’ the source told Fox News.

The slim majority presents a challenge for the speaker of the 119th Congress, in which vote attendance could be the difference between success or defeat for Republicans.

Fox News reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.

Granger’s long absence was blasted by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., in a post on X.

‘Kay Granger’s long absence reveals the problem with a Congress that rewards seniority & relationships more than merit & ideas,’ he wrote. ‘We have a sclerotic gerontocracy. We need term limits. We need to get big money out of politics so a new generation of Americans can run and serve.’

Khanna was one of the few lawmakers who previously criticized what he referred to as the ‘gerontocracy.’ In May 2023, he called on Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who was then aged 89, to step down as her own health issues kept her away from the Capitol. Feinstein died months later in September 2023.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., says he hopes President-elect Trump is successful, and spoke out against those who feel otherwise. 

Fetterman appeared Sunday on ABC’S ‘This Week.’ His more than 10-minute sit-down segment was pre-recorded with co-anchor Jonathan Karl. 

‘I’m not rooting against him,’ the Democratic senator said. ‘If you’re rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation. And and I’m not ever going to be where I want a president to fail. So, country first. I know that’s become maybe like a cliche, but it happens to be true.’

The senator told Karl he never believed Trump’s movement was about fascism, while noting that it was Vice President Kamala Harris’ ‘prerogative’ to call Trump a fascist during her campaign.

‘Fascism, that’s not a word that regular people use, you know?’ Fetterman said. ‘I think people are going to decide who is the candidate that’s going to protect and project, you know, my version of the American way of life, and that’s what happened.’

Fetterman has been meeting with Trump’s Cabinet nominees, noting that his decision about whether to vote to confirm the candidates will stem from an open mind and informed perspective.

‘I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump’s nominees. That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon,’ Fetterman declared in a post on X.

‘My votes will come from an open mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That’s not controversial, it’s my job,’ he continued.

More than a month ago, Fetterman said Democrats cannot afford to ‘freak out’ over everything Trump says or does. He echoed that sentiment on Sunday, again mentioning that Trump has not even taken office yet. 

Fox News’ Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report. 

President-elect Trump dropped his latest round of nominations Saturday afternoon, including two picks to help lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) and one to work within the Department of Transportation (DOT).

In a Truth Social post, the president-elect announced he was nominating Aaron Reitz to lead the DOJ’s Office of Legal Policy. Trump wrote that Reitz would ‘develop and implement DOJ’s battle plans to advance my Law and Order Agenda, and restore integrity to our Justice System.

‘Aaron is currently Senator Ted Cruz’s Chief of Staff, and was previously Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Deputy, where he led dozens of successful lawsuits against the lawless and crooked Biden Administration,’ Trump continued, adding Reitz would work closely with Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi.
 
‘Aaron is a true MAGA attorney, a warrior for our Constitution, and will do an outstanding job at DOJ. Congratulations Aaron!’

Trump followed up his first announcement by naming Chad Mizelle as the next chief of staff at the DOJ, who is also slated to work with Bondi. 

‘During my First Term, Chad was General Counsel and Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security, where he helped to secure our Border, and stop the flow of illegal drugs and aliens into our Country,’ the Republican leader explained. 

‘Chad is a MAGA warrior, who will help bring accountability, integrity, and Justice back to the DOJ.’

In a third post, Trump named David Fink as the next administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), describing his nominee as a ‘fifth generation Railroader.’

‘David will bring his 45+ years of transportation leadership and success, which will deliver the FRA into a new era of safety and technological innovation,’ Trump said. ‘Under David’s guidance, the Federal Railroad Administration will be GREAT again. Congratulations to David!’

Later on Saturday, Trump announced that he was nominating Tilman J. Fertitta, the owner of the Houston Rockets, to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Italy.

‘Tilman is an accomplished businessman, who has founded and built one of our Country’s premier entertainment and real estate companies, employing approximately 50,000 Americans,’ Trump’s post described. ‘Tilman has a long history of giving back to the community through numerous philanthropic initiatives, which include children’s charities, Law Enforcement, and the medical community.’

President-elect Trump dropped his latest round of nominations Saturday afternoon, naming two picks to help lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) and one to work within the Department of Transportation (DOT).

In a Truth Social post, the president-elect announced he was nominating Aaron Reitz to lead the DOJ’s Office of Legal Policy. Trump wrote that Reitz would ‘develop and implement DOJ’s battle plans to advance my Law and Order Agenda, and restore integrity to our Justice System.

‘Aaron is currently Senator Ted Cruz’s Chief of Staff, and was previously Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Deputy, where he led dozens of successful lawsuits against the lawless and crooked Biden Administration,’ Trump continued, adding Reitz would work closely with Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi.
 
‘Aaron is a true MAGA attorney, a warrior for our Constitution, and will do an outstanding job at DOJ. Congratulations Aaron!’

Trump followed up his first announcement by naming Chad Mizelle as the next chief of staff at the DOJ, who is also slated to work with Bondi. 

‘During my First Term, Chad was General Counsel and Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security, where he helped to secure our Border, and stop the flow of illegal drugs and aliens into our Country,’ the Republican leader explained. 

‘Chad is a MAGA warrior, who will help bring accountability, integrity, and Justice back to the DOJ.’
 
In a third post, Trump named David Fink as the next administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), describing his nominee as a ‘fifth generation Railroader.’

‘David will bring his 45+ years of transportation leadership and success, which will deliver the FRA into a new era of safety and technological innovation,’ Trump said. ‘Under David’s guidance, the Federal Railroad Administration will be GREAT again. Congratulations to David!’

As the dust settles on Congress frantically passing a stopgap bill at the eleventh hour to avoid a government shutdown, lawmakers are having their say on a chaotic week on Capitol Hill.

President Biden signed the 118-page bill into law on Saturday, extending government funding into March, the White House announced. The bill provides over $100 billion in disaster aid for those affected by storms Helene and Milton in the U.S. Southeast earlier this year. It also includes a $10 billion provision for economic assistance to farmers. 

President Biden has not yet publicly commented on the passage of the legislation, nor has President-elect Trump, although sources tell Fox that the incoming president is not that happy about the bill, because it does not suspend the debt ceiling. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for his handling of the negotiations, said after the House vote that the result was ‘a good outcome for the country.’ He said he had spoken with Trump and that the president-elect ‘was certainly happy about this outcome, as well.’

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., considered the legislation a win for his party. 

‘The House Democrats have successfully stopped extreme MAGA Republicans from shutting down the government, crashing the economy and hurting working-class Americans all across the nation,’ Jeffries said, referring to Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised Democrats, including Jeffries and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., for ‘their unity and courage withstanding the Trump-Musk irresponsibility.’

‘Democrats will always fight to protect the needs of America’s working families, veterans, seniors, farmers and first responders against the GOP’s agenda for billionaires and special interests.’

A bulging 1,547-page continuing resolution was thrown into disarray earlier in the week following objections by Elon Musk and President-elect Trump. A slimmed-down version was then rejected by House members on Thursday before the House approved Speaker Mike Johnson’s new bill overwhelmingly on Friday by 366 votes to 34.

The Senate worked into early Saturday morning to pass the bill 85-11, just after the deadline.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the passage of the funding legislation early Saturday.

‘There will be no government shutdown right before Christmas,’ Schumer wrote on X. ‘We will keep the government open with a bipartisan bill that funds the government, helps Americans affected by hurricanes and natural disasters, helps our farmers and avoids harmful cuts.’

Meanwhile, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said the revised funding package keeps government funded at current levels, delivers aid to Americans suffering from natural disasters and protects agricultural supply chains. 

‘Not only is this straightforward bill much more palatable to me, but it respects the taxpayers we represent, unlike the previous backroom boondoggle I opposed that was over 1,500 pages long and gave unnecessary and costly giveaways to the Democrats,’ Malliotakis wrote on X. 

‘Passing this legislation today gives us what we need until President Trump is sworn in and settled so our Republican trifecta can deliver the results the American people voted for.’

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., questioned why President Biden appeared to play a limited role in negotiations.

‘People fail to recognize that even though the focus has been on President Trump, Joe Biden is actually still the president, which is really mind-boggling, because nobody’s heard from him in weeks,’ Lawler told Fox & Friends Weekend on Saturday, adding that the debt ceiling has been used as a ‘political piñata for decades.’ 

‘The party in the minority uses it as leverage in a negotiation, and I think what President Trump is trying to avoid is giving Democrats a loaded gun to hold to his head here.’

Elsewhere, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., applauded the Senate for approving the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, which he had introduced and helped pass in the House.

The bill would give the District of Columbia control of the 174-acre RFK campus and revive potential plans for a new Washington Commanders stadium.

The surprising move came after a provision in the initial continuing resolution (CR) — to transfer control of the RFK campus from the federal government to the District — was eliminated from Thursday’s slimmed down version of the bill.

‘The Senate’s passage of the D.C. RFK Stadium Campus Revitalization Act is a historic moment for our nation’s capital. If Congress failed to act today, this decaying land in Washington would continue to cost taxpayers a fortune to maintain,’ Comer said.

‘Revitalizing this RFK Memorial Stadium site has been a top economic priority for the city, and I am proud to have partnered with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to get this bill across the finish line and to the President’s desk. This bipartisan success is a testament to the House Oversight Committee’s unwavering effort to protect taxpayers and our full commitment to ensuring a capital that is prosperous for residents and visitors for generations to come,’ he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President-elect Trump announced Saturday he has tapped the creator of ‘The Apprentice’ to serve a diplomatic role in the United Kingdom.

In a Truth Social post, Trump named Mark Burnett, a British-American TV producer who was born in London, as the next U.S. special envoy to the United Kingdom.

‘It is my great honor to appoint Mark Burnett as the Special Envoy to the United Kingdom,’ the president-elect said. ‘With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role.’

In addition to creating Trump’s former show ‘The Apprentice,’ Burnett also created ‘Shark Tank’ and led production of other programs such as ‘Survivor’ and ‘The Martha Stewart Show.’ In his Truth Social post, Trump said the producer had created some of the ‘biggest shows in Television History’ and touted his achievements.

‘He is the former Chairman of MGM, and has won 13 Emmy Awards!’ the Republican wrote. ‘Mark will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges. Congratulations Mark!’

No one is currently serving as a U.S. special envoy to the United Kingdom. Special envoy roles are typically temporary in nature and meant to fulfill a specific mission, though Trump did not specify the purpose of the role in his announcement.

Earlier in December, Trump tapped Warren A. Stephens to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James, also known as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom.

‘Over the last 38 years, while serving as the president, chairman, and CEO of his company, Stephens Inc., Warren has built a wonderful financial services firm, while selflessly giving back to his community as a philanthropist,’ Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 

‘Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full-time. I am thrilled that he will now have that opportunity as the top Diplomat, representing the U.S.A. to one of America’s most cherished and beloved Allies.’

Burnett did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Donald Trump will not be president of the United States for another month, at least not literally. Yet, his recent victory in the battle of the budget shows that, for all intents and purposes, he is already the nation’s leader, and not a moment too soon.

In the space of just a few days, Trump’s pressure on the Congress, including siccing his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) attack dogs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on reckless spending, turned a 1,500 page monstrosity of a bill into a slim 120-page banger of basic necessities, including disaster relief and help for farmers.

Prior to the intervention by Trump, it looked for all the world like House Speaker Mike Johnson would stuff the Democrats’ stockings with pork and goodies to ensure that a shutdown did not mar next month’s inauguration.

Johnson believed that enough Republicans would simply sigh and go along with the continuing resolution that he negotiated with the Democrats, and there was some logic to allowing sleeping dogs to lie until Trump takes over 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Republicans take the senate in January.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the bill’s passage. At Trump’s behest, Musk and Ramaswamy began posting on X all the deep flaws of the legislation, and there were some doozies.

For example, the bill had continued funding for the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, an organization that seems to exist only to promote online censorship of conservatives under the guise of fighting so-called misinformation.

The bill also contained a self-serving pay hike for lawmakers, as well as billions to be spent on pet projects all over the country.

Within hours of the torrent of posts from the dynamic duo of DOGE, the American people began to wake up to what was in the bill and object. A trickle of GOP lawmakers flipped from yes to no on the bill, and with that, the stage was set for our soon-to-be commander in chief.

With the target softened, Trump tore into the bill, going so far as to threaten lawmakers who voted for it with primary challenges. Trump even indicated that Johnson’s speakership could be in doubt if he did not get in line.

And that was it. Ding dong the bill was dead, and the American people dodged, or should we say, ‘Doged,’ a bullet. By Friday night, the cleaner and leaner bill passed the House and a shutdown was averted.

Guess who played no role whatsoever in getting all of this done? That’s right, Joe Biden. You remember him, he’s the president of the United States, or at least that’s what it says on his business cards.

You would have an easier time finding Waldo in a candy cane factory than finding Grandpa Joe’s fingerprints anywhere on this historic deal. 

Former GOP Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich knows a thing or two about how the congressional sausage gets made, and here is what he had to say on X:

‘Shrinking the continuing resolution from 1,547 pages to 118 pages is a major victory for President Trump and shows that the election did matter and he is really the de facto President while President Biden was absent and passive. A good start to real change in Washington!’

It was fascinating how people all week tried to paint the budget mess as Republicans in disarray with House members defying Trump and looming trouble between Trump and Musk. Yet, when the dust settled, we had shed 1,400 pages of blundering B.S. with nary a peep from Biden.

Trump’s first term as president, though a success in many ways, was marred by Democrats’ incessant and absurd investigations into nothing, but also, in fairness, by a bit of naïveté from Trump himself.

Trump was new to Washington and its mendacious machinations in 2017, but not anymore. Today, like a seasoned veteran, he is not only poised to lead the nation, let’s face it, he is already doing it.

Make no mistake, this fight was a risk. A shutdown could have blunted the sweeping sense of optimism across America after the election. But with risk comes reward and today, having slayed the dragon of out-of-control spending, that optimism is only set to grow.

That is what leaders do, they take risks to make life better, and they show up and explain themselves. We haven’t had that kind of leadership in four long years. 

Since Jan. 20, 2021, nobody has been very clear about who is actually running the country. Well, that is about to change. On Jan. 20 of next year, there will be no doubt, the country will be led squarely by Donald J. Trump. That is, if it isn’t already.

A pro-tech advocacy group has released a new report warning of the growing threat posed by China’s artificial intelligence technology and its open-source approach that could threaten the national and economic security of the United States.

The report, published by American Edge Project, states that ‘China is rapidly advancing its own open-source ecosystem as an alternative to American technology and using it as a Trojan horse to implant its CCP values into global infrastructure.’

‘Their progress is both significant and concerning: Chinese-developed open-source AI tools are already outperforming Western models on key benchmarks, while operating at dramatically lower costs, accelerating global adoption. Through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which spans more than 155 countries on four continents, and its Digital Silk Road (DSR), China is exporting its technology worldwide, fostering increased global dependence, undermining democratic norms, and threatening U.S. leadership and global security.’

The report outlines how Chinese AI models censor historical events that could paint China in a bad light, deny or minimize human rights abuses, and filter criticism of Chinese political leaders.

‘China is executing an ambitious $1.4 trillion plan to dominate global technology by 2030, with open-source systems as the cornerstone of its AI strategy,’ the report states. ‘While many Western companies focus on paid, proprietary AI models, China is aggressively promoting free and low-cost alternatives to drive rapid global adoption.’

The report continues, ‘By making much of its AI technology freely accessible, Beijing aims to ensure its systems and standards become embedded in the world’s financial, manufacturing and communications backbone. Through coordinated action between government and industry, China is working to reshape the global technology landscape while programming CCP values and control mechanisms into critical systems worldwide.’

The report explains that China is ‘racing’ to deploy AI while the United States is bogged down on prioritizing AI regulation.

‘While American and European governments focus on regulating AI, China is aggressively pushing its AI systems into global markets,’ the report states, adding that, ‘This playbook mirrors China’s successful strategy with 5G technology, where Huawei gained dominant market share through aggressive pricing and rapid deployment before Western nations could respond effectively. Now in AI, one Chinese firm alone, Alibaba Cloud, has released over 100 open-source models in 29 different languages, flooding global markets while Western companies must navigate increasingly complex regulatory requirements.’

The report lays out the differences between China and U.S. AI model responses and provides policy recommendations to ‘preserve U.S. AI leadership,’ which includes seizing the ‘historic opportunity to secure lasting American AI leadership’ and avoiding ‘unilateral restrictions on exporting and access to U.S. AI systems.

‘If America loses the global race to dominate both open-source and closed-source AI technology, authoritarian Chinese systems will write the future, and Washington policymakers can’t let that happen,’ Doug Kelly, CEO of the American Edge Project, told Fox News Digital. 

The report concludes that ‘the implications of Chinese leadership in global AI development are profound.’

‘A world of unchecked, Beijing-built AI ecosystems would be a major blow to the U.S. and to humanity writ large,’ the Center for New American Security says in the report. ‘If Chinese AI goes global, so too will brazen non-compliance with international agreements on the technology.’

After 9/11, Washington, D.C.’s airspace got a significant security boost. 

Now, over two decades later, this system is getting a cutting-edge makeover. 

The National Capital Region (NCR) is rolling out an advanced artificial intelligence-based visual recognition system that’s taking air defense to a whole new level.

The new eyes in the sky

The Enhanced Regional Situational Awareness (ERSA) system represents a dramatic upgrade from previous security technologies. These new cameras are giving air defense operators unprecedented capabilities in monitoring and protecting critical airspace. They come with some seriously cool features that take air defense to the next level. 

The cameras boast infrared vision with RGB filters for heat signature detection, allowing operators to spot targets even in low visibility conditions. A laser range finder provides accurate distance and altitude measurements, enhancing the system’s precision. Machine learning elements enable enhanced auto-tracking capabilities, making it easier to follow objects of interest. Additionally, a visual warning system is in place to alert non-compliant aircraft, using red and green lasers to illuminate cockpits and prompt immediate action from pilots.

The brains behind the operation

The Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) in Rome, New York, works in close coordination with the Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC) at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling to manage the ERSA system. This integrated approach ensures comprehensive surveillance and rapid response to potential threats. Air Force Master Sgt. Kendrick Wilburn, a capabilities and requirements officer at JADOC, explains that the system allows for more precise radar data validation. When uncertain radar data is detected, operators can use the cameras as an additional resource to confirm and assess the situation. This collaborative effort between EADS and JADOC enables swift decision-making and effective threat mitigation.

Technological innovation

The ERSA system, developed by Teleidoscope, underwent rigorous testing in 2022, with air defense operators evaluating prototypes from three companies. Teleidoscope’s cameras stood out due to their advanced software enhancements and significant improvements over existing systems. The Defense Innovation Unit played a crucial role in securing funding through the Air Force’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program, demonstrating a commitment to rapidly deploying cutting-edge defense technology. Marine Corps Maj. Nicholas Ksiazek of the Defense Innovation Unit likened the upgrade to ‘the technological leap we saw between a 2011 iPhone and a current one,’ highlighting the substantial advancements in capability. Currently, two operational cameras have been installed, with plans to add seven more annually, ensuring continuous improvement of the NCR’s air defense capabilities.

Kurt’s key takeaways

The rollout of the ERSA system marks a significant step forward in air defense for the National Capital Region. With AI-powered cameras that enhance detection and tracking capabilities, operators are equipped to respond to potential threats more effectively than ever before. This integration of advanced technology and skilled personnel underscores our commitment to national security, ensuring that Washington, D.C.’s airspace remains safe and secure as we move into the future.

What are your thoughts on expanding advanced air defense technologies like the ERSA system to other major cities across the country—do you believe they would enhance national security, or are there potential drawbacks to consider?  Let us know by writing us at

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