What Vice President Harris plans to do after Jan. 20.
Second arrest made in Florida bowling alley shooting that paralyzed off-duty ATF agent
Florida authorities have charged a second person with attempted murder this week in connection with the December shooting of an off-duty federal agent that left him paralyzed.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested Tia Heyward, 23, on Wednesday after investigators determined she allegedly aided Christopher Smith, 18, in the Dec. 27, 2024, shooting of an off-duty Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent.
Heyward is charged with first-degree attempted murder with great bodily harm (accessory after the fact), aggravated battery with great bodily harm (accessory after the fact) and two counts of simple battery.
Smith, who was arrested hours later on Dec. 28, faces similar charges of first-degree attempted murder – discharging a firearm causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm with a deadly weapon, tampering with physical evidence and carrying a concealed firearm.
POLICE OFFICER KILLED IN NORTH CAROLINA GROCERY STORE SHOOTING JUST DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Tia Heyward, 23, is accused of aiding Christopher Smith, 18, after he allegedly shot an off-duty ATF agent in the neck at a Florida bowling alley. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
FOX 13 Tampa Bay identified the ATF agent as Special Agent Matthew Murray, who serves with the bureau’s Tampa Field Division.
Murray was shot at approximately 11:07 p.m. on Dec. 27 at The Alley at Southshore in Riverview, Florida, after attempting to deescalate a fight between two men and a woman in the parking lot of the bowling alley.
He was out for a night of bowling with his wife, their children, and family friends, when they saw the fight break out while standing near the front door.
Off-duty ATF agent Matthew Murray was shot in the neck after attempting to deescalate a fight at The Alley at Southshore on Dec. 27. (Google Earth)
SUSPECT ACCUSED OF FATALLY SHOOTING HOUSTON DEPUTY IS SHOT AND KILLED BY POLICE
Murray’s wife said during a pre-trial detention hearing for Smith that her husband identified himself as law enforcement and told the group of people to go home, FOX 13 reported. One of them allegedly threw a bottle or cup at Murray, according to his wife. Meanwhile, Smith alleged that Murray hit him in the shoulder.
Smith is then accused of shooting Murray in the back of the neck.
He was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition with permanent paralysis, Murray’s wife stated.
Smith allegedly fled the bowling alley in a Nissan Altima and was located by Hillsborough County deputies at a nearby home approximately seven hours later.
Christopher Smith, 18, is charged with attempted murder, among other crimes, in the December shooting of off-duty ATF agent Matthew Murray. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
Smith has been behind bars since Dec. 28 and was denied bond earlier this month. Heyward is in jail on $42,000 bond.
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“Our detectives have worked tirelessly to ensure that all those responsible for this senseless act of violence are held accountable and face the consequences of their actions,” HCSO Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Our prayers remain with the ATF agent as he courageously embarks on his road to recovery. His bravery and selflessness exemplify his dedication to protecting our community.”
Bracing for Life after TikTok, Americans Join the Chinese Internet
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Bracing for Life after TikTok, Americans Join the Chinese Internet
Hundreds of thousands of so-called TikTok refugees are flocking to Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media app also known as Red Note. Americans users say they feel welcome, but politically sensitive topics are off limits.
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I think I came to Red Note with a sense of rebellion, that if there’s going to be some of our opportunity taken away, then we may as well just go all the way with it. This idea that we’ll just flock back to whatever we’ve had in the past. Because we have no better options. No, we have options. This is the free market showing you what they want. This just happens to be the one where it seems to be the most people were going to. What happened in the past 24, 48 hours was something I would say phenomenal. And it’s never happened before. I made a video after I saw what’s happened on Xiaohongshu, TikTok refugees just flooding in. Our first reaction was — do you have a cat? So “cat tax” means show my pet. OK, well, I have a dog. I can do that. People are talking to each other. Some of them are actually sharing their farm life in America. And that’s really fascinating. People are curious about my artistic style, which is different than traditional Chinese. I posted a video explaining the concept of sweet tea, which everyone was baffled by how much sugar. A lot of people are interested in what it looks like to be a woodworker in the United States. I think there’s a lot of common ground that we share. I can see why that would be potentially limiting. For my case, It doesn’t feel like that. I think I can talk about woodworking and that should be able to be there. I remember even 20 years ago when we don’t have a wall on our internet, people in every country could just actually talk to each other. I just wish that this sweetness and friendliness and this conversation between these two groups of people can just last longer.
Recent episodes in U.S.
AI scammers pretending to be Brad Pitt con woman out of $850,000
A happily-ever-after with whom a woman assumed to be Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt quickly turned into a living nightmare.
On Jan. 12, the French television channel TF1 aired an episode of its show “Sept à Huit,” which told the story of a 53-year-old interior designer named Anne who revealed that she had lost 830,000 euros (approximately $850,000) in personal funds because she thought she was sending money to a cancer-ridden Pitt.
Through falsified documents and images as well as artificial intelligence, Anne believed she was speaking to, and eventually in a relationship with, the 61-year-old actor.
WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?
A woman was conned into believing she was in a relationship with Brad Pitt after being contacted by someone claiming to be the actor on Instagram. (Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Reportedly contacted in February 2023 on Instagram by a person who introduced themselves as Pitt’s 85-year-old mother, Jane Etta Pitt, Anne received a message that said, “It’s a woman like you that my son needs,” per BFM TV and The Sunday Times.
“At first I said to myself that it was fake, that it’s ridiculous,” Anne said, per AFP. “But I’m not used to social media and I didn’t really understand what was happening to me.” Despite her skepticism, Anne proceeded with the conversation before being messaged by the alleged Pitt.
“My mother told me a lot about you,” the con artist wrote.
Anne was initially reeled into the scheme by someone pretending to be Brad Pitt’s mother, Jane. Jane and her son are seen here at the Academy Awards in 2012. (Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)
Anne was barraged with countless romantic messages and poetry as well as doctored photographs. The operation was multifaceted, with others posing as Pitt’s manager and daughter, Shiloh, who he shares with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, to aid in the con. Following a contentious eight-year legal battle, Pitt and Jolie finalized their divorce settlement in 2024 after being legally declared “single” in 2019.
“What makes these scams particularly dangerous is their multilayered approach,” Marva Bailer, AI expert and founder and CEO of Qualaix, told Fox News Digital. “Scammers build trust over time, often pretending to be a family member, a staff member or even someone close to the celebrity who claims they are helping the celebrity by managing their charitable efforts. This indirect approach makes the scam seem more credible, as it’s not the celebrity asking for help directly, it’s someone positioned to be more relatable or ‘realistic.’ It plays on the idea that the celebrity is too proud or private to ask for help themselves, which makes the situation seem more genuine.”
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie finalized their divorce settlement in 2024. (MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
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Anne was troubled by her lack of visual communication with the actor, prompting the scammer to send her an AI-curated video. Money was introduced into the conversation when Anne was told she’d need to pay more than 9,000 euros in customs tariffs in order to accept luxury gifts from the person posing as Pitt.
A recent divorcée, Anne relayed to the scammer that she’d received a hefty divorce settlement of 775,000 euros. After this admission, the Pitt impersonator told Anne that he had kidney cancer and was struggling to pay for his treatments due to his ongoing divorce proceedings with Jolie. Anne sent most of her divorce settlement to the fake Pitt.
Throughout the treatment, the alleged Pitt sent Anne a series of doctored pictures depicting his time in the hospital receiving treatment. In one picture, Pitt lies in a hospital bed holding a card that reads, “Anne I love you.”
Doctored photos of Brad Pitt were sent to Anne. An AI-generated video of Pitt was also sent. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin)
A novice at social media, Anne had lingering doubts and the wherewithal to block the scammer’s number on multiple occasions, ultimately succumbing to her feelings and resuming communication. After initially reading a report that Pitt was involved with businesswoman Inés de Ramon, she was sent a fake TV report to mitigate her qualms, which clarified the couple wasn’t together.
When photos of the couple were released over the summer, Anne knew it was all a con and decided to take legal action. The story was ultimately pulled by TF1 because she started to experience extreme ridicule. The network released a statement saying they’d chosen to pull the story from their platforms after the initial broadcast “sparked a wave of harassment” against the victim.
Brad Pitt and his girlfriend, Inés de Ramon, are photographed together at the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain. (Kym Illman/Getty Images)
A representative for Pitt told E! News on Jan. 15 that the situation involving Anne was “awful.”
“It’s awful that scammers take advantage of fans’ strong connection with celebrities,” the rep said, “but this is an important reminder to not respond to unsolicited online outreach, especially from actors who have no social media presence.”
Pitt does not have any verified social media platforms. The actor’s representative did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Bailer echoed those sentiments, sharing that with how easily accessible celebrity imagery is, people are at risk: “With access to a celebrity’s public persona and online presence, they can create fake social media accounts or send highly convincing emails or messages that look as though they come directly from the celebrity or their team. Fans, eager to be a part of something that feels exclusive, can easily be misled into thinking they are engaging with someone they trust.”
Brad Pitt does not have any verified social media platforms. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Lexus)
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Luke Arrigoni, CEO of Loti AI, a company that specializes in facial recognition and deepfake detection, told Fox News Digital that scams like this one involving Pitt’s likeness “are becoming increasingly common.”
“For everyone who is interacting with these scam accounts, please be aware that the scammers often give reasons why they have to hide their relationships. They fake medical issues or being stranded somewhere, these are all red flags. But the biggest red flag is asking for any kind of money at all.”
“These types of scams are rampant and the deepfakes being made through the use of artificial intelligence are getting better and better all of the time,” Rob Rosenburg, who runs the consulting firm Telluride Legal Strategies, told Fox News Digital. “Unless you travel in celebrity circles, you should treat any communication originating from a celebrity with caution. It is more likely a scam than authentic.”
A representative for Brad Pitt condemned the actions of the scammers. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
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Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Looks to Trump and the U.S. to Avoid Prison
Jair Bolsonaro has had a rough couple of years: election losses, criminal cases, questionable embassy sleepovers. So when he finally received a piece of good news last week — an invitation to President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration — it lifted his spirits.
“I’m feeling like a kid again with Trump’s invite. I’m fired up. I’m not even taking Viagra anymore,” the former Brazilian president said in an interview on Tuesday, employing his trademark sophomoric humor. “Trump’s gesture is something to be proud of, right? Who’s Trump? The most important guy in the world.”
But reality has a way of spoiling plans.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has confiscated Mr. Bolsonaro’s passport as part of an investigation into whether he tried to stage a coup after losing re-election in 2022. To attend Monday’s inauguration, Mr. Bolsonaro had to request permission from a Supreme Court justice who is also his political nemesis.
On Thursday, that justice rejected his request. Mr. Bolsonaro will watch from home.
That likely split screen — Mr. Trump returning to the world’s most powerful job while Mr. Bolsonaro stays home on court orders — will encapsulate the two political doppelgängers’ starkly divergent paths since they were voted out of office and then claimed fraud.
In 2025, Mr. Trump will head to the White House — and Mr. Bolsonaro could be headed to prison.
Three separate criminal investigations are closing in on Mr. Bolsonaro, and there are widespread expectations in Brazil — including from Mr. Bolsonaro himself — that he could soon be at the center of one of the highest-profile trials in Brazil’s history.
“I’m being watched all the time,” Mr. Bolsonaro, 69, said in the lively 90-minute interview, in which he aired grievances, repeated conspiracy theories and confessed his anxiety about his future. “I think the system doesn’t want me locked up; it wants me eliminated.”
But developments in the United States have given Mr. Bolsonaro new hope. Mr. Trump, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are leading a global push for free speech, he said, and he hopes that could somehow transform the political landscape in Brazil. “Social networks decide elections,” he said.
For years, Mr. Bolsonaro has accused a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, Alexandre de Moraes, of censoring conservative voices and politically persecuting him. Justice Moraes has indeed become one of the most aggressive policemen of the internet in a democracy, ordering social networks to block at least 340 accounts in Brazil since 2020, and often keeping his reasons under seal.
That led to a clash with Mr. Musk last year, resulting in the judge’s ban on Mr. Musk’s social network, X, in Brazil. Mr. Musk eventually backed down. But the dispute drew global attention to Mr. Bolsonaro’s complaints about Brazil’s Supreme Court.
So Mr. Bolsonaro said he was delighted last week when Mr. Zuckerberg said his company would “work with President Trump to push back against” foreign governments that want to “censor more.” One of his main examples were “secret courts” in Latin America “that can order companies to quietly take things down.”
Brazilian officials took that as a shot across the bow. The next day, Justice Moraes warned that social networks could only operate in Brazil if they follow Brazilian law, “regardless of the bravado of big tech executives.”
Mr. Bolsonaro had a different view. “I’m liking Zuckerberg,” he said. “Welcome to the world of good people, of freedom.”
How exactly will Mr. Trump and the tech executives affect his many legal and political challenges? Mr. Bolsonaro was vague. “I’m not going to try to give Trump any tips, ever,” he said. “But I hope his politics really spill over into Brazil.”
Elizabeth Bagley, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Brazil, said Mr. Bolsonaro’s wish that the United States could come to his rescue is far-fetched. The U.S. government does not interfere with another country’s judicial process, she said.
Mr. Bolsonaro has bigger problems than censorship. Over the past year, Brazil’s federal police has formally accused him of crimes in three separate cases.
In one, the police said Mr. Bolsonaro took money from the sale of jewelry he received as state gifts, including a diamond Rolex watch from the Saudis that his aide later sold at a Pennsylvania mall. Mr. Bolsonaro blamed the situation on unclear rules around who owned such gifts.
In a second, the police said he participated in a plot to falsify his Covid-19 vaccination records so he could travel to the United States. Mr. Bolsonaro said he did not receive the vaccine, but denied knowing of efforts to fake his records.
And in the most grave accusation, the police said Mr. Bolsonaro “planned, acted in, and had direct and effective control over” a conspiracy to carry out a coup.
The federal police recently released two reports, totaling 1,105 pages, that detailed its accusations, including that he personally edited a decree for a national state of emergency designed to prevent the election’s winner, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, from taking office.
Mr. Bolsonaro abandoned the plan after he pitched three leaders of Brazil’s military and two refused to take part, the police said.
In the interview, Mr. Bolsonaro vehemently denied any coup plot — he handed over power after all, he said — but he did admit having discussed the decree. “I won’t deny it to you,” he said. “But in the second conversation it was given up.”
He said he considered a state of emergency because he believed the election had been stolen, but Justice Moraes had blocked his party’s request to overturn the results. Then his team realized Congress would have to approve the measure, too. “Forget it,” he said. “We lost.”
Yet the police said there was a far darker plan at the center of the conspiracy: assassinating Mr. Lula, his running mate and Justice Moraes. The police have arrested five men whom they accuse of planning to carry out the assassinations, four of them from an elite Brazilian military unit.
The men, the police said, deployed to Justice Moraes’s neighborhood several weeks before Mr. Lula’s inauguration. They were prepared to kidnap the judge but abandoned the plot after Mr. Bolsonaro did not declare the state of emergency, the police said.
The police said Mr. Bolsonaro was aware of the plan. The closest link the police disclosed was that the plan had been printed at the presidential offices and later taken to the presidential residence.
Mr. Bolsonaro denied he knew anything about such a plot. “Whoever made this possible plan should respond,” he said. “On my part, there was no attempt to execute three authorities.”
He then downplayed the accusations. “Even so, I think it was just another fantasy — bravado. Nothing. This plan is unfeasible. Impossible,” he said. He admitted he knew the accused leader of the plot. “Everyone is responsible for their actions,” he said. “Although, as far as I know, he did not take any action.”
Brazil’s attorney general is weighing whether to indict the former president, which would likely lead to a high-profile trial this year and a potential prison sentence.
While maintaining his innocence, Mr. Bolsonaro admitted he worried about his freedom because Justice Moraes could help convict him. “I’m not worried about being judged,” he said. “My worry is who will judge me.” After police confiscated his passport last year, he slept for two nights at the Hungarian embassy in an apparent bid for asylum.
Brazil’s courts have already taken action. Six months after he left office, Brazil’s electoral court, led by Justice Moraes, barred Mr. Bolsonaro from office until 2030 because of his attacks on Brazil’s voting systems.
Mr. Bolsonaro called the ruling “a rape of democracy” and said he was trying to find a way to run in next year’s presidential election. Two Supreme Court justices he nominated will lead the electoral court before the election, he said. Those judges have told him, he said, “that my ineligibility is absurd.”
Polls show Mr. Bolsonaro remains by far Brazil’s most popular conservative candidate, but many on the right are seeking new options. Some have speculated about his sons: One, Flávio, 43, is an experienced senator, while another, Eduardo, 40, is a congressman who speaks English and has built close ties to the MAGA movement.
But Mr. Bolsonaro is not yet ready to hand over the keys to his movement. He said he would only support his sons staying in Congress for now. “For you to be president here and do the right thing, you have to have a certain amount of experience,” he said, as another son, Carlos, 42, looked on with a blank expression.
Should Mr. Bolsonaro stage a political comeback, he said he would focus his administration on deepening ties with the United States and moving away from China.
But first, he wished he could just go to Washington this weekend. “I ask God for the chance to shake his hand,” Mr. Bolsonaro said of Mr. Trump. “I don’t even need a photo, just to shake his hand.”
DeSantis touts Florida’s ‘future way of thinking,’ vows to help Trump admin
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis doubled down on his past criticism of California, praising the Sunshine State’s “future way of thinking” on “Hannity” Thursday.
“Seeing what’s happened in California shows the failures that we were talking about that night unfortunately exacerbated a really horrific situation,” DeSantis said, referencing his debate with Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023. “They have not managed that well. Water resources or forest management. And it is the ideology that has kept up with that.”
“That’s kind of the past way of thinking. Florida’s the future way of thinking.”
California’s leaders have faced intense scrutiny since wildfires broke out in the Golden State last week. However, criticism of the state’s “leftist ideology” is not new.
“You almost have to try to mess California up. That’s what Gavin Newsom has done since he’s been governor,” DeSantis said during the “Hannity” special on Nov. 30, 2023. “The reality is they have failed because of his leftist ideology.”
In the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires, many have voiced concern over policies by California’s Democratic leaders, including funding for first responders, particularly as the incoming Trump administration prepares to take office.
DeSantis told Fox News host Sean Hannity that Americans are going to see a “huge contrast between a state like Florida, which takes seriously its responsibility to uphold the laws and wants to work constructively with the new administration, and a state like California, which is going to double down on failure.”
The executive specifically pointed to immigration and border security as a top area of contrast.
“When Donald Trump takes office, he’s going to be serious about the border and illegal immigration. California is a sanctuary state. LA’s a sanctuary city. They’re going to fight him every step of the way. They’re not going to cooperate. In Florida…we’re not a sanctuary state. We banned sanctuary cities my first year as governor.”
DeSantis vowed his state will “do our duty” to support the Trump agenda, urging other states to “step up” alongside it.
“We’re going to put resources to bear. There’s going to be a lot of things we’re going to be able to do to really make an impact. And I think you’re going to see really serious, positive changes very, very soon,” he said.
“We’ve been talking as Republicans about illegal immigration in the border for decades. Now is the time to put up or shut up. President Trump can’t do it alone. He needs Congress to be supportive, and he needs the states to step up and supplement their efforts.”
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Israel Launches Deadly Strikes Despite Announcement of Cease-Fire Deal, Gazan Officials Say
Despite the announcement of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, deadly strikes in Gaza have continued.
Gaza’s health ministry said on Thursday morning that at least eight Israeli attacks in the territory had killed 81 people and injured nearly 200 others over the previous 24 hours.
The Palestinian Civil Defense, an emergency service organization, said that Israeli strikes had killed at least 77 people since the deal was announced. The claims could not be independently verified.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Thursday that it had struck about 50 targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day.
The targets included militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, their compounds, weapons storage and manufacturing sites and launch and observation posts, the military said, adding that “numerous steps” were taken to prevent civilian harm before the strikes.
“The reality in the strip remains very difficult and catastrophic,” said Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for the rescue and emergency service.
Rawan Sheikh Ahmad contributed reporting.
Biden’s Guantanamo Bay legacy : NPR
Joe Biden vowed to close the U.S. military court and prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but — like several presidents before him — did not succeed. What did he accomplish, and what’s next under Trump?
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Now a story about hopes versus reality. When President Obama was elected, he pledged to shut down the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which became a symbol of unlawful detention for holding hundreds of suspected foreign terrorists without charge or trial. Here’s Obama in 2008.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BARACK OBAMA: I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that.
KELLY: But eight years later…
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
OBAMA: With respect to Guantanamo, it is true that I have not been able to close the darn thing.
KELLY: Then came Donald Trump, who made this vow in 2016.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
DONALD TRUMP: This morning, I watched President Obama talking about Gitmo – right? – Guantanamo Bay…
(BOOING)
TRUMP: …Which, by the way – which, by the way – we are keeping open…
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: …Which we are keeping open. And we’re going to load it up with some bad dudes, believe me. We’re going to load it up.
KELLY: But President Trump did not send any new prisoners there. Then, when Joe Biden won the presidency, he renewed a goal he had made as vice president in 2016.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED JOURNALIST: Do you think that you will succeed in getting Guantanamo Bay closed?
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: That is my hope and expectation.
KELLY: Well, now that President Biden’s time in office is almost over, how successful was he at fulfilling his Guantanamo objectives? Here’s NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer.
SACHA PFEIFFER, BYLINE: Biden, like Obama before him, faced staunch opposition to closing Guantanamo from a core group of Republicans in Congress. Here’s Texas Senator Ted Cruz, addressing Obama in 2016.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TED CRUZ: Let me say this, Mr. President – don’t shut down Gitmo. Expand it, and let’s have some new terrorists there.
PFEIFFER: Still, Biden was able to make some progress. Early on, he reopened a government office that had been closed by Trump that works to release Guantanamo prisoners. Biden also transferred several prisoners to other countries. And his administration took a major step toward resolving the 9/11 case, which has dragged on more than two decades without going to trial. The alleged mastermind of the attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, agreed to plead guilty and serve life in prison in exchange for no longer facing the death penalty. Karen Greenberg is director of the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School.
KAREN GREENBERG: It was a sense of aggressive movement, and then it just sort of dissipated.
PFEIFFER: She’s watched with dismay as the Biden administration has backtracked on some of its Guantanamo decisions. For example, two days after that plea deal was reached with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed last summer, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reversed it. Here’s Greenberg again.
GREENBERG: It’s always been one step forward, several steps backwards. That’s been the story of Guantanamo, and I don’t think the Biden administration has changed that at all.
PFEIFFER: A federal appeals court is considering whether the plea deal can go forward, and that legal fight will now play out during the Trump administration. Considering Trump’s support of Guantanamo, that leaves Greenberg wondering if it will stay open until some of the other remaining detainees die of illness or old age.
GREENBERG: I now cannot see a path forward for closure, and this is the first time I’ve really felt it’s not going to happen – ever.
PFEIFFER: In just the past month, Biden did release more than a dozen additional Guantanamo detainees, but why the flurry of prisoner releases right before Biden leaves office and not earlier? Georgetown law professor Steve Vladeck thinks it’s because Biden was trying to avoid controversy during his tight reelection race last year.
STEVE VLADECK: It reflects a view that they couldn’t do this before the election without provoking political blowback and that, if they don’t do it now, it’s going to be at least four years, and maybe eight, before there’s anyone else in a position to do it.
PFEIFFER: Vladeck suspects a lack of political courage is also why the Biden administration backtracked on its plea deals with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two of his alleged accomplices. But Vladeck doesn’t get why the Biden White House keeps fighting the deals, since Biden no longer has to worry about losing votes over unpopular moves.
VLADECK: Man, I mean, especially now that President Biden’s a lame duck, I don’t understand the politics of this at all.
PFEIFFER: Scott Roehm of the Center for Victims of Torture says, by waiting till the closing days of his administration to release prisoners who had been cleared for release years earlier, Biden let those people languish behind bars unnecessarily. Now Roehm will be watching to see how President Trump handles Guantanamo.
Do you see his administration trying to undo the pleas?
SCOTT ROEHM: It’s definitely a possibility.
PFEIFFER: Legally, could it be done?
ROEHM: I don’t – no, I don’t think, legally, it could be done. Does that mean an incoming Trump administration won’t try? No.
PFEIFFER: And although Roehm gives Biden credit for reducing Guantanamo’s population to less than half what it was when he entered office…
ROEHM: I think, at the end of the day, Guantanamo is going to be open in some fashion when the Biden administration leaves office, and that is a failure.
PFEIFFER: Sacha Pfeiffer, NPR News.
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Biden defends inflation policies, says ‘red states really screwed up’ their economies in final interview
President Biden defended his administration by insisting inflation was down and that “red states” were screwing up their own economies.
Biden sat down with MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell for the last interview of his administration before officially leaving office on Monday. The two discussed many topics, including Biden’s handling of the economy and the threat of inflation.
The president dismissed criticisms of how he handled inflation by claiming the alternative was to lose jobs.
President Biden discussed many topics surrounding his administration with MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell. (MSNBC screenshot)
LIBERAL MEDIA RAVES OVER BIDEN’S FAREWELL ADDRESS: ‘PUT A CHILL DOWN MY SPINE’
Rejecting warnings from economists like Larry Summers that his COVID stimulus spending would cause more inflation, Biden claimed otherwise “the only way to deal with inflation is to create unemployment and another recession.”
“But guess what? I was absolutely convinced. Give the American people half a shot. They’ll step up and get the job done if you give them the opportunity. Look what they did. They stepped up in every major endeavor,” he said. “I never believed we couldn’t have a soft landing. We had a soft landing. Inflation is down almost to 2%, a lot going on.”
The Labor Department said on Wednesday that inflation rose by 2.9% in December, up from 2.7% in November and the highest rate since July 2024.
Biden went on to claim red states “screwed up” on their own and needed more investment in them than blue states.
“And look, the other thing, Lawrence, I got a lot of criticism. Understandably. We’ve invested more in red states than blue states…for two reasons. One, red states really screwed up in terms of the way they handled their economy and the way they handle manufacturing, the way they handle access to supply chains,” Biden said.
A majority of Americans still rated the economy as only “fair” or “poor” in a new Fox News survey. (Photographer: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Reports have found that Republican-led states like Florida and Texas recovered far more quickly than blue states after the pandemic.
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A new Fox News survey on Thursday showed almost twice as many people think the Biden administration has made the economy worse rather than better, 52% vs. 28%. Plus, nearly all voters, 89%, say they are either extremely or very concerned about inflation — up from 83% in the beginning of Biden’s term.
Inflation rose by 2.9% in December, up .2% from November, according to the Labor Department. (istock)
70% of voters say the economy is in bad shape with six out of 10 Democrats agreeing that the economy was only fair or in poor condition.
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Fox News’ Dana Blanton contributed to this report.
