Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signaled willingness to work with Donald Trump in an interview this week, saying the president-elect clearly cared about her state.

“People in Michigan, like a majority of Americans, voted for Donald Trump, and my oath is to Michigan,” Whitmer told CNN at a meeting of Democratic governors in Los Angeles. “Obviously, I’ve got experience in this type of environment that will help inform how I continue to fight for Michigan. But I know Donald Trump cares about Michigan. And I’m hoping that because of that, we’ll be able to find some common ground in some important ways.”

Trump won back Michigan in the 2024 election en route to re-capturing the White House. Whitmer is widely seen as a possible White House contender in 2028 given her status as a 2-term governor of a battleground state.

Whitmer seemed to be employing the tactic of not antagonizing Trump in public, given the federal government’s ability to allocate aid and prioritize certain states’ initiatives.

CNN AVOIDS ASKING GRETCHEN WHITMER ABOUT BIZARRE VIRAL DORITOS VIDEO

Whitmer and Trump butted heads in the media during his first term, particularly over his administration’s COVID-19 response. She was floated as a possible running mate for Kamala Harris, but declined consideration so she could conclude her second term in office, which is up in 2027.

Another governor at the meeting who spoke to CNN, New York’s Kathy Hochul, revealed she’d already had a phone conversation with Trump where she played up his status as an iconic New Yorker.

Hochul called him a “president who is a New Yorker, has been a New Yorker, would understand how important it is for the success of our state.”

DEMOCRAT GOVERNORS SPOTLIGHT THEY’RE THE ‘LAST LINE OF DEFENSE’ AGAINST TRUMP

Donald Trump sits down with Kristen Welker on Sunday for an interview on “Meet the Press.” (Screenshot/NBC)

Other Democratic governors at the meeting played up being the last line of defense against a second Trump administration.

“It would be irresponsible of me not to anticipate all scenarios of what could happen, especially listening to what the president said, what his advisers have said, what his appointees have said, what his candidates for various positions have said, and what Project 2025 says,” Hochul told CNN. “I have to be keenly aware of all those potential challenges and have a strategy to respond to each if they actually occur. So it’s playing some defense right now, getting the game plan together and being willing to work.”

Democrats find themselves without a clear national leader as the Biden administration comes to a close. President Biden has been largely absent from public view, as has Harris after her bruising loss to Trump.

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The 2028 Democratic primary is wide-open and could feature several governors, including Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

A small plane split in two after crashing onto a busy Texas roadway, damaging vehicles and scattering debris.

According to the Victoria Police Department, the crash occurred at an intersection in Victoria on Wednesday around 3 p.m.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed to Fox News Digital the twin-engine Piper PA-31 was carrying just the pilot at the time of the crash.

Police said the aircraft crashed at a busy intersection and hit three vehicles. Officials did not say how many people were involved in the crash, and their injury status was unknown, according to a police spokesperson.

GARBAGE TRUCK EXPLODES IN ILLINOIS SUBURB, SENDING DEBRIS FLYING AND INJURING FIRST RESPONDERS

WATCH:

Footage taken by an observer captured the devastation after the crash. Tony Pynor’s video footage showed the small aircraft splintered in two.

PEPPERDINE STUDENTS SHELTER IN LIBRARY, CAMPUS CENTER AS MALIBU FIRE FORCES EVACUATIONS

Police and firefighters responded to the crash.

According to FlightAware, the plane was in the air for around five hours before the crash after taking off from Victoria Regional Airport around 9:52 a.m.

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The Victoria Police Department and the FAA are continuing to investigate

The Victoria Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Juan Soto is the richest athlete in sports history.

However, $765 million apparently wasn’t enough for the newest New York Met.

Soto and the Mets made their record-breaking 15-year deal official Wednesday.

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There had been reports earlier this week that the Yankees “wouldn’t budge” on giving Soto a suite at Yankee Stadium, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman seemed to all but confirm that. But the Mets gave a suite to Soto.

The New York Post says that, along with the suite, Soto will also have four premium seats for home games and security for him and his family both at home and on the road.

His uniform number was another issue.

Since his MLB debut in 2018, Soto has worn No. 22 with the Nationals, Padres and Yankees. He will do the same with the Mets, and it is a part of his contract, the Post notes.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) embraces outfielder Juan Soto (22) during player introductions before Game 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium.  (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images)

NHL COULD HAVE OUTDOOR GAME IN UNLIKELY LOCATION NEXT SEASON: REPORT

Brett Baty had worn the number with the Mets since 2022. It is common for stars who join new teams to give a hefty gift to whomever was wearing a preferred number. It’s unknown if Soto is giving Baty anything.

Either way, Baty doesn’t have a choice in the matter.

The Yankees said their reported 16-year, $760 million offer was “above and beyond our comfort level.” Cashman also noted that “some high-end players that make a lot of money for us, if they want suites, they buy them.”

But Cashman said the Yankees’ reluctance to give Soto a complementary suite did not factor into the team losing Soto to the Mets. 

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after an out to end the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals in Game 2 of an ALDS during the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium in New York Oct. 7, 2024. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

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Soto finished in third place in the 2024 AL MVP vote. Aaron Judge, Soto’s teammate last season with the Yankees, won the 2024 AL MVP.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

-Trump border czar fires back after House Dem promises ‘resistance’ to deportations

-New mission for House Republican military veterans: Support Trump defense secretary nominee Hegseth

-Red state AG slams Biden admin’s attempt to ‘rewrite’ immigration law: ‘Alice in Wonderland stuff’

Head of FBI announces departure as Trump choice awaits confirmation

FBI Director Christopher Wray announced plans to step down from his post at the end of the Biden administration.

Fox News learned just moments before the announcement that Wray would make the announcement during an FBI town hall in Washington, D.C., during which thousands of FBI employees are expected to join virtually across the country.

“After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current Administration in January and then step down,” Wray said during the town hall. “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission – the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.”…Read more

White House

PARTING GIFTS: Biden admin extends $10B Iran sanctions waiver 2 days after Trump election win…Read more

WIDESPREAD DISAPPROVAL: Biden flip-flop on pardoning son Hunter is wildly unpopular with Americans, poll finds…Read more

BIG REPORT DROPS: House small business panel releases year-end report on ‘partisan’ Biden agency electioneering allegations…Read more

‘SORRY’: Outgoing Treasury Sec. Yellen ‘sorry that we haven’t made more progress,’ believes deficit must be decreased…Read more

 U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks alongside Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a Cabinet Meeting at the White House on June 6, 2023 in Washington, DC. Biden spoke on the U.S. economy and the bipartisan deal to raise the debt limit.  ( Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

BENCHED: Biden, Democrats back away from bill that would give Trump more federal judges to appoint…Read more

FINAL GOODBYES: Biden could pardon these Trump antagonists amid Dem fears that ‘revengeful first year’ is looming…Read more

‘TENS OF BILLIONS’: Mast blasts Blinken over ‘tens of billions’ of US taxpayer dollars sent to Taliban post-Afghanistan withdrawal…Read more

Trump Transition

MONEY MOVES: Trump Treasury pick reveals whether Fed Chair Powell will finish term…Read more

POST-PRESIDECNY SENTENCING?: Bragg pitches post-presidency Trump sentencing in renewed push urging Judge Merchan to keep conviction alive…Read more

‘FUELING OBESITY’: GOP governor calls on incoming Trump officials to ban junk food in food stamps: ‘Make America Healthy Again’…Read more

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders is calling for an end of junk food as part of the SNAP program (Getty Images)

Capitol Hill

CHIPS DEPLOYED: Top DOGE senator demands answers on plan to exhaust CHIPs Act funds before Trump arrives…Read more

COMING BACK?: Former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, convicted of illicit contact with minor, files to run for NYC Council…Read more

TIME IS MONEY: House GOP fiscal hawks warn Trump tax cuts in danger of expiring under new Senate-backed plan…Read more

The dome of the U.S. Capitol building is seen from a perch in Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital)

HANDICAPPING TRUMP: Manchin, Sinema tank Schumer lame-duck effort to secure Dem majority on top labor board…Read more

‘GOING CRAZY’: Outgoing Rep. Jamaal Bowman issues ‘Dear White People’ thread following Daniel Penny acquittal…Read more

ROOTING OUT WOKE: Democrats in a bind over defense bill that bans transgender surgeries for minors but boosts enlisted pay…Read more

‘COMMON GROUND’: Hakeem Jeffries says he’s ‘prepared to find common ground’ with Trump next year…Read more

Across America

WORKING REMOTE: Nation’s largest labor union for federal employees rebukes GOP’s efforts to end telework…Read more

‘REWARD’: ‘DeSanta Claus’ strikes again: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announces extra days off for state workers…Read more

D.A. DOUBLES DOWN: Fani Willis declines to share Jack Smith, Jan. 6 records, citing legal exemptions…Read more

Fulton County DA Fani Willis testified in a hearing last month regarding allegations that she engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a prosecutor she had hired to work on her case against former President Trump. (Getty Images)

FIGHTING BACK: Federal judge who refuses mental evaluation at age 97 fights suspension…Read more

E STREET SHUFFLE: Dem NJ gubernatorial candidate cops to faking playlist to feature Bruce Springsteen…Read more

‘WASTING TAXPAYERS’ MONEY’: New Yorkers protest removal of 400 migrants from Albany hotels…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi has been “found safe” about a month after surveillance footage captured her crossing into Mexico with a suitcase in a disappearance that made nationwide headlines. 

Kobayashi’s mother Brandi Yee and her sister Sydni Kobayashi said they were “incredibly relieved and grateful that Hannah has been found safe” in a statement issued through their attorney, Sara Azari, on X on Wednesday.

“This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through,” the family said.

HANNAH KOBAYASHI MISSED LOS ANGELES FLIGHT INTENTIONALLY, POLICE SAY; FAMILY CLAIMS EVIDENCE SHOWS OTHERWISE

“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us during this difficult time,” the statement continued. “Your kindness and concern have meant the world to us.”

In a statement to People, Azari did not comment on the circumstances of when, where or how Kobayashi’s family contacted her, and said there would be no further statements at this time. Azari could not immediately be reached for comment.

Earlier this month, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said surveillance footage and other evidence showed Kobayashi entering Mexico on foot, alone and carrying luggage, at the San Ysidro port of entry on Nov. 12. There was no evidence that she was “being trafficked or [was] the victim of foul play,” McDonnell said.

HANNAH KOBAYASHI LISTED AS ‘VOLUNTARY MISSING PERSON’ AFTER VIDEO SHOWS HER CROSSING INTO MEXICO: POLICE

Hannah Kobayashi’s mother filed a missing persons report after her daughter seemingly disappeared. (Hannah Kobayashi via Instagram)

Larie Pidgeon, Kobayashi’s aunt, who has acted as a family spokesperson during their search, said at the time that her “worry for Hannah [had] not lessened.” 

“Hannah never mentioned any plans to travel to Mexico, and no one in her life knew she intended to go there,” she previously told Fox News Digital. “What alarms me even more is her complete disconnection from her phone, her social media and her world – this is not who she is.”

Before Kobayashi was found, Pidgeon told Fox News Digital that she had “parted ways” with the rest of the family, saying that her “sole focus remain[ed] on finding Hannah” and that she intended to travel to Mexico to “verify that she is acting of her own free will and truly safe.” 

HANNAH KOBAYASHI MISSED LOS ANGELES FLIGHT INTENTIONALLY, POLICE SAY; FAMILY CLAIMS EVIDENCE SHOWS OTHERWISE

Pidgeon later told NewsNation that she did not see why funds raised were being used on an attorney rather than a private investigator. 

Kobayashi flew from Hawaii to Los Angeles and was scheduled to take a connecting flight to New York on Nov. 8, with a 42-minute layover at 11 a.m., but did not board a flight despite a detailed itinerary and a booked hotel room in New York City. 

Previously, Pidgeon told Fox News Digital that friends and family received a flurry of bizarre text messages from Kobayashi after her missed flight that didn’t match her usual cadence. She texted a friend that she “got tricked into pretty much giving away all my funds” and that she was tricked “for someone I thought I loved.”

HAWAII WOMAN’S CRYPTIC TEXT MESSAGES PROMPT CONCERN AFTER DISAPPEARANCE

Kobayashi, 30, was heading to New York City to visit family. (Hannah Kobayashi via Instagram)

“She [wrote she] was having a spiritual awakening, that she was concerned about the matrix. It was just the most bizarre text messages,” Pidgeon previously said. “And it went from, ‘Hi, I can’t wait to see you guys. Love you. Everything’s great.'”

Ryan Kobayashi, the 30-year-old’s father, was found dead on Nov. 24 of an apparent suicide after jumping from a parking structure in Los Angeles, while he and his family were searching for the missing woman. 

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Los Angeles Magazine reported that Kobayashi had fallen victim to an immigration scheme before going missing. Kobayashi’s mother reportedly found documents in her daughter’s Hawaii home that listed an immigration attorney, according to the outlet, and turned that information over to law enforcement.

But family attorney Azari wrote in a post on X that the family “has not confirmed the authenticity of the images or the accuracy of the information provided about a possible secret marriage… we did not have the facts or the necessary documents to verify the legitimacy of this information.”

There is surely no shortage of Christmas trees in Oregon. 

Oregon is the largest producer of Christmas trees in the United States, harvesting around 4 million trees annually, according to World Population Review. That equals out to be about 33% of the total amount of Christmas trees produced in the country each year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. 

That number equates to around $120 million annually, per the source. 

THE WORLD’S TALLEST SNOWMAN, MEASURING 122 FEET, BUILT BY RESIDENTS IN BETHEL, MAINE

In Oregon lies Holiday Tree Farms, which is widely regarded as the largest Christmas tree producer in the world. The farm is one of 15,000 growing Christmas trees throughout the United States, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

Holiday Tree Farms was established in 1955 by the Schudel family. 

The farm spans over a whopping 8,500 acres, with 1 million trees harvested each year from the location, according to the Holiday Tree Farms website. 

During harvest season, the farm’s 12 separate processing yards employ around 600 employees, per the website. 

The Christmas trees grown at Holiday Tree Farms are not just bought by residents of Oregon, or even the United States. The trees grown here are sent around the world. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

25-30M CHRISTMAS TREES ARE CUT DOWN ANNUALLY, DISPLAYED IN HOMES, BUSINESSES ACROSS THE US

The farm is home to several different types of trees commonly displayed in homes during the holiday season, but the most popular is their Douglas fir.

The Douglas firs grown at Holiday Tree Farms are not just sold to Oregon residences; they are also shipped out around the United States and exported outside the country to Mexico, Guam, Asia, Central America and more, according to the farm’s website.

Holiday Tree Farms also grows Grand fir, Noble fir and Nordmann fir trees, according to their website. 

Behind Oregon in terms of tree production is North Carolina. The state is not too far behind Oregon, producing about 4 million trees each year and bringing in about $86 million, according to World Population Review. 

Oregon produces more Christmas trees than any other state. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

THE WORLD’S OLDEST DOUGLAS FIR TREES HAVE LIVED OVER 1,000 YEARS

As a whole, there are about 25 to 30 million real Christmas trees sold in the United States annually, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, with about 350 million growing around the country. 

The process of growing a Christmas tree is no small order. For an average sized tree of about six to seven feet, the average growth time is seven years, but it could take upwards of 15 years to grow, according to the source. 

Every spring, farmers around the country place one to three seedlings in place of every single tree that was harvested during the fall for the holidays, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. 

Christmas trees take several years to grow to an average height of six to seven feet. (iStock)

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From there, the slow growing process of the freshly planted trees begins. 

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch says police have matched a 3D-printed gun allegedly recovered from suspected killer Luigi Mangione to shell casings found outside a New York City Hilton where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down from behind last week.

“First, we got the gun in question back from Pennsylvania,” she told reporters at a news briefing Wednesday. “It’s now at the NYPD crime lab. We were able to match that gun to the three shell casings that we found in Midtown at the scene of the homicide.”

They also have his fingerprints on a snack bar wrapper and a water bottle, she said.

“We were also able at our crime lab to match the person of interest’s fingerprints with fingerprints that we found on both the water bottle and the KIND bar near the scene of the homicide in midtown,” she added.

UNITED HEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE IS FIGHTING EXTRADITION: LIVE UPDATES

Tisch and NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny previously told Fox News they found a burner phone and other physical evidence linked to the suspect which they were checking for prints and DNA evidence.

Altoona police likely fingerprinted Mangione after his arrest in Pennsylvania Monday on fake ID and firearms charges and uploaded them to a law enforcement database the same day, according to Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector. 

UNITED HEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE COMPLAINED ABOUT BACK SURGERY BEFORE SLAYING

Surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows the alleged suspect wanted for the shooting death of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (NYPD)

From there, investigators in New York could quickly match them with samples recovered in the Big Apple after the murder.

Altoona police said they found a black 3D-printed pistol and a black suppressor when they arrested Mangione.

“The pistol had a metal slide and a plastic handle with a metal threaded barrel,” according to court documents. “The pistol had one loaded Glock magazine with six nine-millimeter full metal jacket rounds.”

The NYPD previously said it recovered both spent casings and unfired rounds from outside the Hilton hotel, where Thompson was murdered on Wednesday, Dec. 4. The shells had writing on them, according to authorities, including the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose.”

Those words are similar to the title of a book critical of the health care industry, “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” Although Mangione had an active Goodreads account, that particular missive was not on his reading list.

But investigators said they were looking into whether a denied claim played a role in the slaying.

Mangione is being held without bail in a Pennsylvania jail awaiting extradition to New York to face murder and other charges.

His lawyer said in court Tuesday that he planned to fight extradition, potentially delaying his transfer to New York custody by days or weeks.

This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows UnitedHealthcare chief executive officer Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group)

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He is also facing firearms and other charges in Pennsylvania, where police say they found him with a 3D-printed ghost gun, the same fake ID he used to check into a New York hostel, and $10,000 cash.

Local prosecutors said they planned to move forward with their case but the more serious homicide charges out of state will take precedence.

Two police officers are recovering, and a firefighter is back on the job after a garbage truck explosion in an Illinois suburb injured them late last week.

The incident happened in Arlington Heights, located outside Chicago, on Friday. Two video clips shared by police show it all going down from an officer’s body camera and a squad car dash-mounted camera. 

The blast happened just before 4 p.m. while authorities were responding to the truck on fire, FOX 32 Chicago reported. 

“The cause of the fire and explosion is under investigation, with the working theory being uncontrolled combustion in a garbage truck hopper, igniting Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tanks,” Arlington Heights Police Department wrote on Facebook. 

PEPPERDINE STUDENTS SHELTER IN LIBRARY, CAMPUS CENTER AS MALIBU FIRE FORCES EVACUATIONS

The police department told the local Fox station that the blast’s shockwave shattered windows, including the windshield of a fire engine, and caused roof and siding damage to nearby homes.

EXPLOSION AT LOUISVILLE FACTORY KILLS 2, INJURES SEVERAL, COMPANY CONFIRMS

The blast sent a damaging shockwave throughout the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois, on Dec. 6, 2024. (Arlington Heights Police Department )

Debris was sent flying through the neighborhood, injuring cars and homes, as this dashcam shows. (Arlington Heights Police Department )

The three first responders were injured by flying debris and a “post-blast concussion,” FOX 32 reported. 

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None of the injuries were deemed life-threatening.