Fox News

The Library of Congress email system suffered a substantial hack earlier this year by a “foreign adversary,” Fox News can confirm.

It is unclear if the hack compromised accounts of those who work directly for the House and Senate.

However, Fox News is told that U.S. Capitol Police has referred the matter to the FBI, and it is investigating the scope of the hack.

This is a developing story. Please check back here for more updates. 
 

The former White House coronavirus response coordinator on Sunday said she is looking forward to the Senate confirmation hearing of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who President-elect Trump tapped for his secretary of Health and Human Services, as a unique opportunity to have a transparent discussion on the health of Americans.

Dr. Deborah Birx, who served in Trump’s first administration, appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” where she was asked at length about Kennedy potentially leading the agency. and his views on health issues such as vaccines.

“That’s why when he talks about transparency, I’m actually excited that in a Senate hearing he would bring forward his data and the questions that come from the senators would bring forth their data,” Birx said of Kennedy. “What I know for sure is he’s a very smart man who can bring his data and his evidence base forward.” 

When Birx was asked about Kennedy’s past controversial comments on vaccines, she said he has raised concerns about issues that “many Americans believe already is a problem.”

TRUMP INNER CIRCLE SHARES MCDONALD’S MEAL AS DONALD JR. JOKES ‘MAKE AMERICAN HEALTHY AGAIN STARTS TOMORROW’

“Every mom is seeing a classroom of kindergartners where one of the children has autism,” she said. “That’s scary to moms and dads. They want to know why. So it’s not good enough for us to just say vaccines don’t cause autism. It’s us finding what is the cause of autism.”

Birx, who served under Trump from 2020 to 2021, said a Senate confirmation hearing would be a great forum to see data from both sides of the argument.

“That hearing would be a way for Americans to really see the data that you’re talking about that we can’t see that causation right now, but what is causing it?” Birx said, adding that addressing the cause of autism in children will be “critical.”

DEMOCRATIC COLORADO GOVERNOR COMMENDS TRUMP FOR NOMINATING RFK JR. AS HHS SECRETARY

Birx said the White House’s messaging surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine did not help matters.

“I think what has confused people is we weren’t clear about what COVID vaccines do and don’t,” she said. “And so now people are questioning, well, what are my childhood vaccines do and don’t. And they don’t understand that some of the vaccines that their children are getting protect them from both disease and create herd immunity. And some of them that they get are just for their child, like H Flu and pneumovax to prevent their child from getting very serious illness.”

“And we’re just not explaining all of this correctly,” she added of vaccines and what they do.

As for Kennedy’s potential appointment, Birx said there’s one important thing Kennedy can do to help him achieve success.

“I think the most important thing is what team he would bring with them, because you’re talking about really a large cap corporation with a highly diverse group, which you have to really bring together and, frankly, eliminate some of the duplications between these agencies to really become more cost-effective.”

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., says Democrats cannot afford to “freak out” over everything President-elect Trump says or does.

“It’s still not even Thanksgiving yet,” Fetterman told CNN “State of the Union” host Jake Tapper on Sunday. “If we’re having meltdowns, you know, every tweet or every appointment or all those things, I mean, it’s going to be four years.”

Fetterman said he previously warned of the “jackpot” for Trump, where Republicans gained control of the White House, House of Representatives and the Senate, along with a Supreme Court that has a “conservative slant.” 

“They have the absolute ability to run the table at least for the next two years, and that’s what I think we should all be concerned on, not small tweets or random kinds of appointments,” Fetterman said.

TRUMP FLANKED BY TOP ALLIES, CABINET PICKS AT UFC 309: ‘USA, USA’

He added that he is looking forward to voting for some of Trump’s picks, including Fetterman’s “colleague from Florida” Sen. Marco Rubio, who was tapped to be the next secretary of state, and “the representative from New York,” referring to Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is Trump’s choice to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 

“And then there are others that are just absolute trolls, just like Gaetz and those things,” the senator said, referring to the selection of former-Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who resigned from Congress last week as Trump tapped him to be his attorney general

TRUMP GOES FULL MAGA AS HE PICKS ALLIES AND LOYALISTS TO FILL HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION

Gaetz may face a tough confirmation path because he was previously under Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into sex trafficking allegations. Last year, Gaetz’s office said the DOJ ended their investigation and determined he would not be charged with any crimes. 

A House Ethics Committee investigation into Gaetz was also expected to be released soon, but Gaetz’s resignation means the House report may not become public.

A full list of Trump’s publicly announced Cabinet picks for his second administration can be found here. 

President Biden approved Ukraine’s military to use U.S.-provided long-range missiles on targets inside Russian territory, the New York Times reported Sunday, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said that such an escalation would constitute an act of war. He has yet to react to Biden’s announcement Sunday.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

Leaders in Dearborn, Michigan, who helped power President-elect Trump to victory in the critical swing state penned a letter urging him to make good on his promise to bring peace to Gaza.

“We are urging your administration and transition team to apply your political influence in demanding an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon and Palestine,” reads a letter to Trump released by the MENA (Middle East North Africa) American Chamber of Commerce. “This aligns to the commitment toward lasting peace which you made.”

The letter comes after a movement in Dearborn that started as a protest to President Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza eventually resulted in Trump’s shocking victory in both Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, Michigan, two cities with large Arab American populations.

JOE MANCHIN: THE AMERICAN PEOPLE PICKED TRUMP. NOW IS THE TIME TO DELIVER SOLUTIONS FOR EVERYONE

Those votes contributed to Trump’s victory in the critical swing state of Michigan, which the president-elect won by just under 1.5 percentage points.

Trump made outreach to the Muslim community in Michigan a priority in the stretch run of his successful campaign, earning the endorsement of multiple community leaders in the Dearborn and Metro Detroit areas.

But while Trump has yet to take office, the MENA American Chamber of Commerce argued that the president-elect’s significant political influence could be useful in bringing a quicker end to the conflict.

IN ELECTION VICTORY, TRUMP’S GAINS WENT BEYOND THE BATTLEGROUNDS

“We urge you to call for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon and Palestine while crafting a long-lasting peace in the region,” the letter reads. “Further, we believe your team’s leadership will be instrumental in advancing productive U.S.-Lebanese relations.”

The group also acknowledged Trump’s commitment to peace, noting that it aligned with the values of the Arab American community.

“Dearborn, Michigan, a city with the highest concentration of Arab Americans outside the Middle East, turned red in this presidential election due to your genuine outreach to our community and our belief that you are the optimal choice for our democracy, economy, and matters of foreign policy,” the letter said. “The over 3.5 million MENA Americans, some of whom reside in the swing states, are proud to have contributed to your margins of victory, particularly in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Your success is a testament to your resonance with the values and concerns of MENA Americans.”

Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

A Minnesota election judge is being charged after allegedly accepting people who were not properly registered to vote in the 2024 election.

Timothy Michael Scouton, who served as the head election judge for the Badoura Township Precinct in Hubbard County, Minnesota, is being charged with one count of accepting the vote of an unregistered voter and one count of neglect of duty by an election official, both felonies, according to a report from Fox 9.

Police say they were notified by an election auditor that 11 voters did not complete proper registration forms, yet were allowed to vote despite not being able to complete the forms that are used to authenticate their identity.

VOTER REGISTRATION FRAUD PROBE INVOLVING 2500 APPLICATIONS CONFIRMED BY PA. ELECTION OFFICIALS

Those votes were allowed despite Scouton reportedly completing his election judge training and head election judge training in July, the report notes.

Authorities spoke with another judge who worked with Scouton on the night of the election, with the judge telling police that Scouton instructed her not to use the proper registration forms. Another judge working with Scouton told police that she was not aware of the proper forms and was instructed by Scouton to have voters sign the back of a book.

DOJ ONCE OK’D LAW AT CENTER OF YOUNGKIN VOTER ROLL-CULLING ORDER FEDS NOW SUING TO BLOCK

Scouton was arrested on the charges by the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office, who said he “declined to provide a statement.”

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Secretary of State acknowledged that the charges against Scouton were “very serious.”

“These allegations are extremely serious and must be fully and thoroughly investigated,” the Secretary of State’s office said in a statement to Fox 9. “Election judges take an oath to administer elections in accordance with the law, a deliberate failure to do so is unlawful and a betrayal of the public trust. Minnesota’s elections rely on the dedication and public service of 30,000 people and they are required to conduct their work fairly, impartially, and within the letter of the law. The Hubbard County Auditor took prompt and correct action in notifying local authorities of the uncovered discrepancies so they could investigate.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson explained his opposition to releasing the House Ethics Committee report on Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on Sunday.

Johnson, R-La., made the comments during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream. He argued that releasing such a report after Gaetz’s resignation could open a “Pandora’s box.” Gaetz resigned from Congress last week shortly after President-elect Trump nominated him to serve as U.S. attorney general.

Bream began by asking Johnson whether he was aware of the contents of the ethics report, which pertained to alleged sexual misconduct.

“I don’t know anything about the contents of the report because the way the rules work, of course, the speaker of the House can’t put a thumb on the scale or be involved in an Ethics Committee report. What I do know is that the comments about there being a precedent for releasing reports is not exactly accurate,” Johnson said.

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT

“There’s a very important reason for the tradition and the rule that we always have – almost always followed – and that is that we don’t issue investigations and ethics reports on people who are not members of Congress. I’m afraid that that would open a Pandora’s box because the jurisdiction of the Ethics Committee is limited to those who are serving in the institution. That’s its very purpose. And I think this would be a breach of protocol that could be dangerous for us going forward in the future,” he added.

MATT GAETZ FACES GOP SENATE OPPOSITION AFTER TRUMP SELECTION FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

ABC News reported on Thursday that a woman testified to the ethics committee that she had sexual relations with Gaetz when she was 17 years old. The House investigation ceased when Gaetz resigned on Wednesday.

Gaetz told Fox News Digital in response to the new report, “These allegations are invented and would constitute false testimony to Congress. This false smear following a three-year criminal investigation should be viewed with great skepticism.”

The chief counsel for the House Ethics Committee declined to comment when asked by Fox News Digital.

REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA

Fox News Digital also reached out to Gaetz’s congressional office for comment.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) had previously spoken to the woman, now in her 20s, according to ABC, as part of its years-long investigation into Gaetz related to accusations of sex trafficking and obstruction of justice.

The DOJ ultimately did not press charges, and Gaetz has consistently denied all wrongdoing.

Details of the matter could come out if Gaetz goes through the Senate confirmation process to lead the department that once investigated him.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, suggested he would want to see the report.

“I think there should not be any limitation on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation, including whatever the House Ethics Committee has generated,” he told reporters.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind and Tyler Olsen contributed to this report

President-elect Trump and members of his inner circle shared a McDonald’s meal aboard Trump’s private plane, with Donald Trump Jr. posting a photo Sunday morning and joking that the Trump campaign’s mission to make Americans healthier will have to wait a day.

Trump and his entourage included Elon Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Donald Trump Jr. and, perhaps most surprisingly, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary. Kennedy, an outspoken critic of processed foods, was pictured with McDonald’s food and a Coca-Cola.

Trump Jr. captioned the photo, “Make America Healthy Again starts TOMORROW.”

The group had traveled to New York City on Saturday to attend UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, the site of Trump’s historic campaign rally last month. 

TRUMP FLANKED BY TOP ALLIES, CABINET PICKS AT UFC 309: ‘USA, USA’

Kennedy has not been shy about sharing his opinions about the president-elect’s diet.

“The stuff that he eats is really, like, bad,” Kennedy told podcaster Joe Polish on Monday.

“Campaign food is always bad, but the food that goes onto that airplane is, like, just poison,” he said of the food aboard Trump’s private plane. “You have a choice between – you don’t have the choice, you’re either given KFC or Big Macs. That’s when you’re lucky, and then the rest of the stuff I consider kind of inedible.”

DEMOCRATIC COLORADO GOVERNOR COMMENDS TRUMP FOR NOMINATING RFK JR. AS HHS SECRETARY

Kennedy also vowed earlier this month to clear out “entire departments” within the Food and Drug Administration for “not doing their job.”

Kennedy endorsed Trump after suspending his own presidential campaign, becoming one of Trump’s most prominent surrogates and incorporating the “MAHA” (Make America Healthy Again) movement into his closing argument to voters. 

Kennedy has already begun asking ordinary Americans to make suggestions about what policies and people should be put in place as HHS secretary, launching a website called “Policies for the People” that allows people to nominate, suggest and vote for the leaders and policies they want to see coming from the Trump White House.

Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino has officially tossed his hat in the ring to fill the vacancy left by New York Rep. Elise Stefanik’s appointment to serve in the Trump administration.

The pro-Trump businessman, who installed a 100-ft. “Vote for Trump” sign in upstate New York before the election, tells Fox News Digital he will spend $2.6 million to self-fund his bid to succeed Stefanik once she becomes the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in January.

“My phones are ringing off the hook with people encouraging me to run, who wanted me to run,” Constantino, 40, said in an interview. “And just like President Trump was an outsider who brought a great skill set to politics, a great skill set to government, I think the country needs more people with similar backgrounds that are outsiders, that are talented people. And I happen to be one of them.” 

Stefanik currently represents New York’s 21st Congressional District, which encompasses the solidly Republican North Country, a large swath of upstate New York that includes most of the Adirondack Mountains and Thousand Islands regions. She is expected to resign from Congress after President-elect Trump tapped her to represent the United States at the U.N.

PRO-TRUMP TECH CEO MULLING CONGRESSIONAL RUN TO FILL STEFANIK’S SEAT IDENTIFIES NEW YORK’S ‘BIGGEST PROBLEM’

“I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said. 

Stefanik gladly accepted the nomination, stating, “I am truly honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cabinet as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. During my conversation with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination and that I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the United States Senate. President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American people and is a reminder that brighter days are ahead — both at home and abroad.” 

Her appointment sets the stage for a special election to fill her seat in the 21st congressional district following her successful re-election bid last week. Stefanik secured victory by more than 24% of the vote against her opponent, Paula Collins. 

Constantino filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission on Thursday to set up his campaign committee. Formerly a registered Democrat, he is now one of several Republicans expected to contend for the GOP nomination, a group that could include established state lawmakers, local officials and other experienced politicians. What makes him stand out, in his view, is that he had no intention of entering politics until about three months ago. 

TECH CEO WHO WENT VIRAL FOR PRO-TRUMP EMAIL DEFENDS CALL TO ACTION OVER ‘POLITICAL HATE’

“The best thing about my situation is until recently, I had no political ambitions, which I think makes me a better candidate,” he said. “I just got involved because a bullet hit President Trump, and immediately I spoke up, and I sent out a message to five million customers that was a massively viral message.”

A would-be assassin’s bullet struck Trump in the right ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The gunfire injured two others in the crowd and killed a third, volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore. 

Constantino says he was inspired by that horrific act of violence to take a stand against “anti-Trump hate” and seek to unify the country. He worked “around the clock” to support Trump’s White House campaign, formed a political action committee and defeated local Democratic officials who had sued to remove his $125,000 pro-Trump sign on the repurposed Fownes glove factory building in Amsterdam.

“President Trump has really done great things. He’s a great human. He’s done great things for the world. And he doesn’t deserve all the hate directed at him, and his supporters don’t deserve it either,” Constantino previously told Fox News Digital. 

BLUE STATE CEO SUED OVER PRO-TRUMP SIGN NETS ‘EPIC WIN FOR FREE SPEECH’

Now that Trump has won in a historic victory, Constantino believes the anti-Trump fervor that consumed half of the country before the election is dying down. And with a desire to “do big things” and make an impact, he is eyeing a seat in Congress. 

“I like to be impactful. I like to do big things. And right now, this is probably the biggest, most impactful thing I can do with my life,” he said. 

If elected, Constantino said his priorities would be to support businesses and help make New York a happier place to live.

“The biggest problem in New York is people are leaving, and we’ve got to bring energy and enthusiasm back to New York. And we’ve got to show America that New York is safe for people from all parties, Democrats and Republicans alike,” he said. 

There will not be a traditional Republican primary for the special election. Instead, both the GOP and Democratic nominees will be chosen by party chairs in the district. It’s a process that could advantage political insiders – other candidates floated for the position include ousted Rep. Marc Molinaro, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, state Sens. Dan Stec and Jake Ashby and Assembly Members Chris Tague and Robert Smullen, according to City & State New York. 

But Constantino enters the fray as a wealthy self-made man and favorite of the online MAGA movement thanks to his viral pro-Trump sign. He plans to meet with the GOP chairs in his district to discuss how he can fund his candidacy without relying on party resources. He also hopes to earn Stefanik’s support as she is likely to play kingmaker when it comes to her successor. 

“I’m going to be funding my own campaign. I don’t want to be a drain on the party,” Constantino told Fox News Digital. “I want people to know that I won’t be beholden to any special interests. I’m doing this for the right reasons. I will always do what I think is right, what I think is ethically right, morally right and what’s best for people.” 

Fox News Digital’s Bailee Hill contributed to this report.

Republicans are pushing to expand their slim majority in the House of Representatives as the final handful of undecided races near their conclusion.

Five House races remain uncalled as of Sunday morning. The balance of power currently sits at 218 seats for Republicans, and 212 for the Democrats.

Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola is in a tight race in Alaska’s at-large congressional district, where she is trailing Republican entrepreneur Nick Begich.

As of Sunday morning, Begich holds a nearly 3-point lead at 48.7% of the vote compared to Peltola’s 46.1%. The vote count sits at 155,120 to 146,782 with roughly 98% of the vote counted.

GOP INCUMBENT PROJECTED TO DEFEAT DEM CHALLENGER IN CLOSELY WATCHED ARIZONA HOUSE RACE

Republican Rep. John Duarte is leading former Democratic state assembly member Adam Gray in California’s 13th Congressional District, but the highly contested race remains uncalled as of Sunday morning.

Roughly 86% of the vote has been counted, and Duarte holds a 50.6% to 49.4% lead. The pair is separated by just over 2,000 votes.

REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA

Democratic challenger Derek Tran has taken the lead over Republican incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel in the 45th District. Steel had been in the lead by a few hundred votes late last week, but Tran now has a razor-thin 36-vote lead.

Roughly 94% of the vote has been counted for the district.

Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannet Miller-Meeks holds a less than 1% lead over challenger Christina Bohannan with 99% of the vote counted. Miller-Meeks’ lead sits at just under 1,000 votes.

TRUMP THROWS FULL SUPPORT BEHIND MIKE JOHNSON BEFORE SPEAKER ELECTION

Bohannan has requested a recount in her bid to unseat Miller-Meeks. The Associated Press has not yet called the race because the margin was close enough that it could prompt a recount. Miller-Meeks has declared victory and said she was confident in her lead.

Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur leads her Republican challenger, Derek Merrin, by less than 1 point with 99% of the votes counted. Kaptur’s lead sits at just over 1,000 votes as of Sunday morning.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Races with a margin of 0.5% or less trigger an automatic recount in Ohio.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo and Jasmine Baehr and the Associated Press contributed to this report.