Contributing Writers

President Biden said during a Sunday afternoon press conference that the U.S. will support Syria’s neighboring nations and help bolster stability in the region after dictator Bashar al-Assad fled the country amid an ongoing civil war. “At long last, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. A fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice.

Islamist leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who led a lightning offensive through Syria, has a long history of extremism despite a recent appeal to moderate policies.”Golani is a specially designated global terrorist,” Bill Roggio, managing editor of Long War Journal, told Fox News Digital. “He was a member of al Qaeda… the U.S. keeps him on the list for a reason.

The Biden administration on Saturday announced a $988 million aid package to Ukraine to ensure it “has the tools it needs to prevail in its fight against Russian aggression.” “This administration has made its choice. And so has a bipartisan coalition in Congress. The next administration must make its own choice,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California.

Congressional leaders have agreed to terms for this year’s defense policy bill, with nearly $900 billion in spending, new limits on transgender-related medical care and a significant raise for young U.S. service members.Roughly 1,800 pages detailing the new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that outlines U.S. defense and national security priorities each fiscal year, were released Saturday evening.The bill details policy for $895.2 billion in federal spending.

President-elect Trump and Prince William shook hands at the re-opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday, and afterward held a sit-down meeting at the British Embassy ahead of Trump’s inauguration. Trump and William also separately met with world leaders at Notre Dame, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

President-elect Trump attended the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral alongside First Lady Jill Biden and several other prominent world leaders.Notre Dame was reopened on Saturday, five years after a fire caused serious damage to the landmark Gothic cathedral.Trump was seated between French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, during the ceremony, which was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prince William.

Social media users erupted over President-elect Trump’s “dominating” handshake with French President Emmanuel Macron at their meeting in Paris Saturday.Trump traveled to France to attend the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, his first international trip since winning the 2024 presidential election. Ahead of the event, Trump met Macron, and the two shook hands in a gesture that quickly went viral online.

President-elect Trump expressed public support for embattled defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth Friday, and the nominee said he had a “substantive conversation” with Sen. Joni Ernst. Hegseth, a former National Guard officer, has been meeting with Republican senators this week to rally support as allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking have surfaced. He has denied any wrongdoing. Ernst has not committed to voting for Hegseth.

China is the most active and persistent cyberthreat to American critical infrastructure, but that threat has changed over the last two decades, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says.”I do not think it is possible to design a foolproof system, but I do not think that should be the goal.

Conservatives on social media blasted former President Obama after his first speech since the presidential election in which he lamented polarization in politics.

Texas Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, the newly elected chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, spent years as a City Council member in Austin and led the charge to strip funding from local law enforcement — at one point bragging about it on social media.”We did it!!” Casar wrote on X after legislation he drafted in the Austin City Council passed, resulting in a more than $100 million cut in local police funding and an end to three incoming cadet classes.

President-elect Trump announced last week that he intends to nominate former White House aide and longtime ally Kash Patel to serve as FBI director, potentially making him the only U.S. president to have fired and installed two separate FBI directors in the middle of their 10-year terms.

President-elect Donald Trump has been aggressively rolling out his picks to serve in his Cabinet and other top roles. Thursday was no different as he focused on picks that would work hard to secure the border and carry out a mass deportation operation. Trump added nominees for homeland security and immigration, naming Rodney Scott as Commissioner of U.S.

President-elect Trump has tapped former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., to serve as U.S. Ambassador to China. In his announcement, Trump said Perdue “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China,” citing his decades-long career in business.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom railed against President-Elect Trump’s proposal to impose 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada during a visit to the southern border to announce plans to finish constructing the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry on Thursday afternoon.Newsom described the tariffs as “one of the biggest tax increases in U.S. history” that would affect Californians’ wallets and small businesses, especially farmers across the Golden State.

President-elect Trump named former PayPal Chief Operating Officer David Sacks to be his White House artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency czar.”In this important role, David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness,” Trump said in his announcement Thursday evening.”David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas,” he said.

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

FIRST ON FOX: The ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus is calling on Republican leaders to reject President Biden’s $98.4 billion disaster aid request.In an official position staked out by the GOP group on Wednesday evening, lawmakers are demanding a slimmed-down package covering what is “absolutely necessary,” to be offset with spending cuts elsewhere.

President-elect Trump announced Wednesday he is nominating former Missouri Rep. Billy Long to serve as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in his new administration.In a statement released Wednesday, Trump called the former congressman “an extremely hard worker, and respected by all, especially by those who know him in Congress.” The president-elect also referenced Long’s experience working as a tax adviser.

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

First son Hunter Biden was spotted on camera for the first time since his father, President Biden, pardoned him, smiling for the cameras as he picked up a fast-food order in California. Hunter was seen on Wednesday afternoon in Santa Barbara sporting a T-shirt, jeans and baseball cap while picking up food from an Arby’s. The media was heard asking Hunter in a short video outside the restaurant if he had any comment on the pardon.

Oklahoma will consider a new measure to make the role of school district superintendent an elected position in response to a spate of controversial situations involving scholastic leaders, Fox News Digital has learned.

Democrat Adam Gray has won California’s 13th Congressional District race, defeating incumbent Republican Rep. John Duarte, according to The Associated Press.California’s 13th Congressional District was the last seat to be called, with the district being one of the most competitive races in the Golden State. Republicans maintained the majority with 220, with Democrats trailing at 216.

The federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s tax case issued a sharp rebuke of President Biden’s claim that his son was unfairly treated as well as the president’s delivery method following the president’s last-minute pardon.U.S.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is considering a run to lead Democrats on the House Oversight Committee as younger members of the party seek to oust aging committee leaders. The New York Democrat may be looking to replace Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., if he vacates his seat to challenge Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., for the top Democratic spot on the House Judiciary Committee, Politico reported. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.

Attorneys for first son Hunter Biden filed a motion with the court arguing that the grand jury indictment against President Biden’s son be dismissed completely, though the special counsel assigned to the case says the dismissal should be denied.President Biden pardoned his son Hunter late Sunday evening, sparing him from being sentenced in a pair of separate court cases in which he was found guilty of illegally purchasing a gun and failing to pay $1.