A pickup truck driver and passenger are wanted for questioning in Washington state after shooting fireworks at another driver in what authorities described as an "apparent road rage incident."

The incident happened around 9 p.m. on Feb. 1 in Kitsap County, when a four-door Dodge pickup truck began following a female driver on Central Valley Road, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said.

Minutes later, the pickup passed the woman and began shooting fireworks out the passenger-side window toward the woman’s vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office. 

Cameras on the woman’s vehicle captured Roman candle-style fireworks launching from the pickup, according to video of the incident. 

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"The woman tried to drive away, but the truck pursued her," the sheriff’s office said. "At one point, she saw someone in the passenger seat launching those fireworks toward her."

The pickup truck finally drove away when the woman pulled into the parking lot of a Fred Meyer store, according to the sheriff's office.

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Deputies said the incident left the woman "terrified."

Authorities were unable to get a clear view of the license plate from the footage and asked anyone with information about the pickup truck to contact the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office.

A new Washington state bill characterized as a repeal of the state’s Parents Bill of Rights now includes a provision allowing information to be essentially withheld from parents regarding assaults of their children for up to 48 hours.

State Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Federal Way, attested to the Washington State Standard the bill overall "doesn’t change any rights" and is a "cleanup bill" that updates health privacy provisions to align with current law.

In a House Education Committee hearing this week, one lawmaker unsuccessfully attempted to undo the 48-hour rule and require immediate parental notification.

"The underlying bill essentially states that schools can wait 48 hours before they tell parents if their children were involved in any kind of criminal action or if there was any sexual misconduct of staff," said state Rep. Travis Couture, R-Shelton.

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"And we have seen a stunning amount of sexual misconduct and sexual assaults by educators in our schools just in the last year itself."

He cited reports that two principals in the Vancouver, Wash., area "hid information" from parents on sexual misconduct against a teen.

"As a parent myself, I would be disgusted and sickened to know if my kids had some kind of sexual abuse put upon them by staff, and I wasn't notified immediately of those things. . . . For God’s sake, vote yes [on the amendment]."

But Democrat Lillian Ortiz-Self argued that as a school guidance counselor, she was trained in how to best deal with such situations.

"It’s very clear that we take direction from law enforcement and from the Department of Children and Family Services whenever there's a crime that has taken place and that we must sit here and give them the time to do the investigation so that justice can be served. Our role in the schools is to support the child and support the parents," said Ortiz-Self, of Mukilteo.

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Ortiz-Self said authorities must not have their investigations "impeded," to which KTTH commentator Jason Rantz reacted incredulously in a column.

"She didn’t say, most likely because it’s a completely contrived concern," he wrote.

Couture’s amendment to ensure immediate parental notification failed in an ensuing voice vote, with House Education Committee chairwoman Sharon Tomiko-Santos, D-Seattle, voting "nay" and deeming the vote unsuccessful.

Following Couture’s attempt to undo the change, another committee member raised a new amendment regarding parental notification if they are accused of a crime and have "more than just a meet and greet with a police officer."

"We just heard if law enforcement are involved, parents should be involved as well. They should have the bare minimum of a notification when it comes to law enforcement questioning a child," said state Rep. Matt Marshall, R-Roy.

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"There are just certain protections that are afforded to all of us as members of society given by our Constitution. And one of them is the right to legal protection. And we're innocent until proven guilty. If parents aren't even involved, then children are potentially not aware of their rights. If they're being questioned, who's to say what they're going to admit to when they're being accused of a crime?"

Marshall later said committee Democrats rejected two dozen Republican amendments in what he called a "blatant disregard for parents’ rights" and children's safety.

"[This is] further proof that Dems care more about their woke agenda than protecting our kids," he said.

A bill introduced in the Washington state legislature would require drivers with a history of speeding to have a speed limiting device placed on their cars.

House Bill 1596 was proposed after supporters say an increase in fatal accidents was caused by speeding. The bill was heard in the House Transportation Committee on Thursday and would require an "intelligent speed assistance device" to be installed in the cars of certain drivers, according to Fox 13.

The device limits the speed of the car using GPS technology to follow the speed limit where the vehicle is being driven. These drivers could exceed the speed limit up to three times a month.

A driver would have the device on their car if they have a new restricted license established by the bill. This is similar to how ignition interlock devices are used for people with a history of drunk driving.

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Drivers would also receive the device during the probation period after their license was suspended for racing or "excessive speeding," which is defined as driving at least 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. Drivers could also be ordered by a court to have a speed-limiting device on their car.

"We’re losing Washingtonians and family members are losing loved ones unnecessarily, tragically and preventably," Democrat state Rep. Mari Leavitt, a prime sponsor of the bill, said.

"These aren’t accidents," she added. "They’re intentionally folks choosing behavior that is harming and often killing folks."

According to data in 2023 from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, one in three fatal crashes in the state involved a speeding driver. The total number of fatal crashes and the number involving speeding has been trending upward since 2019.

"Between 2019 and 2024, tickets to speeding drivers in excess of 50 miles an hour over the speed limit increased by 200%," the commission's Shelly Baldwin testified. "So we know that this is an increasing problem that we’ve been dealing with."

Republican state Rep. Gloria Mendoza questioned how the bill helps keep people safe by allowing speeders to continue driving.

"So we're trying to help them get back their license by giving them this tool," Mendoza said. "So how is this helping save lives?"

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Leavitt responded: "We want to find a way for them to be able to drive lawfully, but safely. And having them on the road in a safe manner is going to save lives, because they’re driving anyway, and they’re driving fast. And this device, these speed limiters, are going to ensure that they can't."

The bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote out of committee.

An American figure skater’s social media post sparked concern about his whereabouts as it appeared he was on the plane that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter on Wednesday night.

Spencer Lane posted a photo on his Instagram while the American Airlines flight was on the runway at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. The plane appeared to be waiting to take off for Reagan International Airport near Washington, D.C.

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"ICT (to) DCA," the post on his Instagram Stories read.

Lane did not post anything else after that. Another post on his Instagram Stories showed him warming up with Kohaku Murai. He had also shared a collage of pictures with other team members who were in Wichita, Kansas.

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Later Thursday, Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe named Lane as one of those who were lost in the crash.

"Our sport and this Club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy," Zeghibe said in a statement posted to social media. "Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together 6 of 7 days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.

"These athletes, coaches, parents were returning from U.S. Figure Skating’s National Development Camp, following last week’s U.S. Championships in Wichita. This camp is for young competitive skaters of tomorrow with the promise to be a champion of tomorrow. The club sent 18 athletes to compete at the U.S. Championships. It sent 12 athletes to the National Development Camp."

U.S. Figure Skating said earlier Thursday that athletes, coaches and family members involved with its organization were on board the flight.

"U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.," the organization said. "These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas

"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."

Officials said Thursday they didn’t think there were any survivors.

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Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were a Russian figure skating pair who competed in multiple Olympic Games and medaled in multiple world championships.

The Kremlin said Thursday the figure skating stars were among those aboard an American Airlines flight that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter near Reagan International Airport on Wednesday night.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Shishkova and Naumov were on the plane.

"Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash," he said.

It was Naumov’s coach who introduced the pair in 1985, wanting them to work together despite Naumov rebuffing the idea at first. They began to work together in 1987 and competed and won bronze in the 1991 European Championships while representing the former Soviet Union. The pair would go on to win two more bronze and silver medals in the event.

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Shishkova and Naumov earned accolades on the world stage as well. At the 1993 World Championships, the two earned a bronze medal. The following year in Chiba, Japan, the two picked up their first gold medal. They finished with a silver in 1995 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

The pair competed in the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, and the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. They finished in fifth in 1992 and fourth in 1994.

Shishkova and Naumov married in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1995, and they moved to Connecticut. They had a son, Maxim, who competed in men’s singles in the U.S.

The Russian pair were listed as professional pairs coaches on the Skating Club of Boston’s website.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Washington State University (WSU) is offering free "Queer Pole Fit" classes to help challenge the stigma surrounding pole dancing and offer an inclusive "safe space" for "queer" people.

The free classes, hosted each Friday, do not require registration and are "open to all who identify as LGBTQ+ and allies!" according to a description on the university's website. 

"Queer Pole Fit is meant to create a community and environment that helps folks feel safe and disrupt stereotypical ideas about pole dancing. Taught by our queer pole instructors, come as you are, and enjoy this fun and challenging format," the class description continues.

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Laura Yasinitsky, the University Recreation fitness coordinator, told The Daily Evergreen – the university's news source – in a recent piece that the classes serve a purpose of welcoming those who are traditionally left out or not "supported" in their fitness journey.

"This is labeled queer. You’re allowed to present however you are, and you will be seen exactly in that way," she said.

Yasinitsky added that the program's goal is to "break" boundaries and welcome beginners to a "safe space" that allows them to "try something new."

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Ri Scovel, a Queer Pole Fit instructor, told the outlet that, by focusing on the "queer" demographic, the course challenges the pattern of pole classes being addressed to "ladies," expanding the sport to a frequently ignored group while also granting space to a stigmatized method of dance.

The university began offering the classes last January and continues to attract new people, reports say.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Washington State University for additional comment about the course but has yet to receive a response. 

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, has ordered flags to fly at full-staff on Monday for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

"I hereby direct that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be raised to full-staff on Monday, January 20, 2025, in honor of Inauguration Day," Ferguson said.

This, despite the official order by President Biden after the death of former President Jimmy Carter on Dec. 29 that flags at all government and public buildings and grounds across the country fly at half-staff for a 30-day mourning period, which just happens to include Inauguration Day.

It is a tradition when a former president dies to order a 30-day mourning period and order flags at half-staff.

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Biden said the U.S. flag "should be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions."

Flags will return to half-staff in Washington state on Tuesday to continue the mourning period for Carter.

"Flags should return to half-staff at sunrise on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, and should remain at half-staff until the close of business or sunset on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, in continuance of honoring former President Jimmy Carter for 30 days following his death," Ferguson said.

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Ferguson joins California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis as the Democrats who have broken tradition and ordered flags to be raised for Trump's inauguration before the mourning period ends Jan. 28.

The orders from the Democratic governors follow several Republicans who have directed flags to be raised on Monday, including Idaho Gov. Brad Little, North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

House Speaker Mike Johnson also ordered flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at full-staff on Inauguration Day.

Trump has criticized the possibility of flags being displayed at half-staff for his inauguration following Carter's death.

"The Democrats are all 'giddy' about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at 'half mast' during my Inauguration," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 3. "They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don't love our Country, they only think about themselves."

"Look at what they’ve done to our once GREAT America over the past four years - It’s a total mess! In any event, because of the death of President Jimmy Carter, the Flag may, for the first time ever during an Inauguration of a future President, be at half mast," he continued. "Nobody wants to see this, and no American can be happy about it. Let’s see how it plays out. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Flags were flown at half-staff when former President Nixon was sworn-in for his second term in 1973 after Nixon ordered the flags to be lowered following the death of former President Truman.

A Washington state Democrat is floating a policy to help protect unemployed illegal immigrants who are unable to receive unemployment benefits.

The news comes as President-elect Trump and his border czar-designate Thomas Homan signal a crackdown on illegal immigration and talk of "mass deportation" plans in a reversal of the Biden-era status quo.

State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña is introducing a bill that would ensure Washington residents legally ineligible to work in the U.S. – a group for which illegal immigrants compose the vast majority – have access to assistance.

Saldaña, of Seattle, declined to comment further on her bill to Fox News Digital, but a representative for the lawmaker noted she had previously highlighted "undocumented workers' … substantial contributions to Washington’s economy."

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That group collectively paid almost $400 million in unemployment taxes over the past 10 years, and the bill will aim to ensure those who pay into the system are able to rely on it when they need to, her office said.

The representative said Saldaña has reintroduced similar legislation during both Democrat and Republican administrations in the past because the "inequities in our immigration system" are systemic and longstanding.

Saldaña has previously argued that providing unemployment benefits to undocumented workers who qualify will help stabilize the workforce and prevent future cases of poverty and homelessness due to job loss.

It will therefore have lasting positive effects on the Evergreen State’s economy, her office said.

Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, said he had not seen the text of the bill as of Monday afternoon but was aware of the proposal itself.

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"We have a lot of work to do on immigration, both on undocumented immigrants and on legal immigration in our state. That's largely a federal issue," Braun said.

"I look for the folks in D.C. to handle [the immigration issue] and for us [in state government] to stay clear."

Under federal law, illegal immigrants are not eligible to apply for work permits and, therefore, unable to register or file for unemployment compensation. Neither are individuals with expired work authorizations and dependents of people living in the U.S. under several visa classifications.

The excluded visa classes include O – "extraordinary ability"; R – Religious worker; and F – student visas.

According to a 1985 memo from the Department of Labor, "an alien must be legally authorized to work in the United States to be considered ‘available for work’ – Therefore, an alien without current, valid authorization to work from the INS is not legally ‘available for work’ and not eligible for benefits."

The memo referred to the INS, or Immigration and Naturalization Service, a predecessor entity to today’s Department of Homeland Security.

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Elsewhere in the U.S., the Colorado Office of New Americans allows undocumented workers to access a "Benefit Recovery Fund" to help those who have been "separated from employment through no fault of their own" and meet several other specifications.

In California, however, Democrat lawmakers sought to offer assistance similar to that Saldaña is seeking but were blocked by fellow liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Newsom vetoed that legislation in September and also blocked a proposal that would have allowed illegal immigrants better access to home loans and mortgages.

"The Emperor has no clothes." These are the words that went through my mind the first time my client, Mozzy Clark, recounted the abuse she endured at the hands of a man she was forced to share a cell with at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. Washington, like some other blue states across the country, created policies to allow male convicts who claim they are transgender to be housed in women’s prisons—in some cases based on nothing more than the individual’s self-declared gender identity. 

Under these policies, a man can be convicted of the most heinous, violent crimes imaginable—rape, torture, murder—and will still be allowed to serve his time in a women’s prison. Without surgery. Without cross-gender hormones. Without so much as a psychological evaluation. 

Merely reciting the magic words, "I identify as a woman," is enough to give these men access to hundreds of confined and vulnerable women who have no choice or say in the matter. And the most inexplicable part is that all the supposed gatekeepers in our society—legislators, judges, corrections officers, and civil rights organizations, like the ACLU—not only go along with it but are actively complicit in crafting and forcing these policies on the general public and the women who are most impacted by it. 

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In our recently filed lawsuit, alleging the violation of Mozzy’s civil rights by the State of Washington and prison employees, we detail how Mozzy was locked in a cage with a 6-foot-4, fully intact man who had previously been convicted of domestic abuse and child molestation. 

The lawsuit alleges that while they were forced to share a cell, the man, Christopher Williams, would fondle himself in front of Mozzy, leer at her in the shower and bathrooms, and eventually sexually assaulted her. During this time, prison officials ignored, dismissed, and laughed off her desperate pleas for help. 

Since her release, Mozzy has made it her mission to ensure that no woman suffers the same fate. That no woman’s safety is so egregiously compromised by the system charged with protecting her. 

In Mozzy’s own words: "Being alone behind bars, without my family or any support system, was punishment enough. But the trauma of being forced into a cell and sexually assaulted by a man with a long history of child molestation and extreme violence is a pain I wouldn't wish on anyone. And what’s worse is that the people in the prison whose job it was to keep us safe, it feels like they just offered us up to this man as a sacrifice to protect themselves."

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Which brings us back to the story of "The Emperor’s New Clothes." The timelessness of Andersen’s fairytale can be ascribed not only to the power of the metaphor but to the visceral reaction the image invokes in the reader: Disgust, incredulity, revelation. A grown man, parading completely naked in front of throngs of onlookers—both aware of the obscenity they are observing and simultaneously ignoring it, either due to fear of social ostracism or because they have become true believers in the mass illusion. This is why Andersen’s story, more than any other tale about collective delusions that arise out of social pressure, is the one that we still tell to this day. 

And it is this tale that has the most to teach us about the radical gender ideology that has spread like wildfire across our nation. Currently, there are dozens of violent male convicts being housed in women’s prisons, most of them in California and Washington. However, the number is set to radically increase as a result of new laws being passed by blue state legislators and precedent created by left-wing judges that requires prison assignment based on "gender identity." 

This new reality, something that would have been considered outrageous and absurd just a short time ago, is being celebrated by true believers in the transgender delusion and conveniently swept under the rug by progressives too timid to speak out against their religion’s orthodoxy. Notably, many of the men who requested to be transferred to women’s prisons have already committed violence against female inmates. 

Right now, Mozzy, on behalf of millions of vulnerable women across the country—who are trying to preserve female spaces in schools, in sports, and even in prisons—is telling us that the emperor has no clothes. If we continue to ignore her, it is at our civilization’s peril. 

Washington state Democrats appeared to have accidentally emailed their sweeping revenue plans and internal talking points on tax hikes to the entirety of the upper chamber's members in Olympia, Fox News has learned.

Property tax hikes and a new double-digit tax on firearms are among proposals Washington state Democrats are considering, according to materials originally disseminated to all members by Washington Senate Deputy Floor Leader Noel Frame, D-Seattle, in late December and later obtained by Fox News Digital. 

A document titled "2025 Revenue Options" and a PowerPoint presentation describing how to talk to constituents in defense of the plan were included in the messages.

The document lists proposed figures for an 11% tax on ammunition and firearms, reclassifying storage unit rentals as a retail transaction and a lift on the property tax levy lid for certain Washingtonians.

A PowerPoint slide, highlighted by Seattle radio host Jason Rantz, described the "Best way to talk taxes" — with a chart of do’s and don’ts for lawmakers.

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Do say: "Pay what they owe" — but Don’t say: "Tax the rich" or "pay their fair share" because "taxes aren’t a punishment," the graph read.

It also suggested using the terms "funding," "providing" and "ensuring" when describing the apparent benefits of tax hikes, rather than the term "investing in [X]."

"Avoid centering the tax or talking in vague terms about ‘the economy’ or ‘education.’"

One of the new proposals is that of a "capital assets ownership tax."

It is described as similar to property taxes, but instead would extend the real estate-type tax to holdings in stocks, bonds and other financial instruments.

"We can ensure that extremely wealthy Washingtonians are taxed on their assets just like middle-class families are already taxed on theirs," the slide reads.

Another line directs lawmakers to proverbially "identify the villain" that is blocking "progress" and lay out "how we can take action to solve the issue."

"We have an upside-down tax code that benefits big corporations and the wealthiest few, that was written 100 years ago and desperately needs an update for the 21st century. If we ensure Washington’s wealthiest pay what they truly owe in taxes, the rest of us will have what we need — like affordable health care, housing, and food."

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Rantz said in a column for MyNorthwest.com that the plans accidentally shared present a "direct contradiction" to promises from Democrats during the election cycle and lay out 10 total new taxes on residents.

"These proposals come at a time when the state has seen years of record revenue," Rantz said, going on to claim some of the "tax schemes" may also be unconstitutional.

He added that capital gains taxes actually discourage growth and potentially lead to reduced job opportunities for the same workers pro-tax Democrats claim to want to help.

One example he presented was the departure of Amazon founder Jeffrey Bezos from Washington state. Upon establishing his new Florida residency, one of America’s richest men saved about $1 billion in taxes that also no longer go toward funding the Evergreen State’s programs.

Rantz added that the Washington state Democratic electorate often decries the affordability crisis but then goes on to re-elect the same politicians that exacerbate it.

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Additionally, as Democratic Gov.-elect Robert Ferguson is set to take office later this month, State Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, slammed outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee’s 2025 budget proposal.

"This budget is not a serious proposal," said Couture, the House budget panel’s top Republican.

"Our state has a spending problem, not a revenue problem," he said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Frame for comment but did not hear back by publication time.

In the 1942 film "Holiday Inn," legendary crooner Bing Crosby describes the stroke of midnight on New Year’s as "one minute to say goodbye before we say hello." In 2025, Americans in several states around the country are "saying hello" to many new laws and changes in tax codes.

In West Virginia, for example, residents saw an automatic 2% personal income tax cut taking effect on New Year's Day.

"If anybody says there’s something [else] that could drive more growth to West Virginia than that, you’re out of your mind," outgoing Republican governor and Sen.-elect Jim Justice quipped of that particular policy change.

However, other states’ residents may face more proverbially "draconian" policies and regulations. Here's a look at some of them.

"Congestion pricing"

The Empire State’s heavily-debated congestion pricing law will take effect on Sunday, Jan. 5. 

While Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair Janno Lieber have been supportive of the change, which charges the average driver crossing or entering Manhattan below Central Park a photo-enforced $9 toll, many New Yorkers remain outraged.

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"Congestion pricing, the latest in a long string of tyrannical taxes, has been pressed forward through consistent opposition about the burden on New York families and workers," several New York Republican federal lawmakers wrote in a December letter.

Meanwhile, Democrats like State Sen. Andrew Gounardes of Bay Ridge had urged the congestion-pricing plan to begin "immediately, before [Donald] Trump can block it."

Lather up

Visitors to one of the most popular tourism states in the country will no longer be welcomed by travel-sized shampoo and lotion bottles, as they will be prohibited come the New Year. 

The Empire State's ban took effect on Jan. 1, while a similar ban in Illinois goes into practice on July 1 for larger hotels and Jan. 1, 2026, for smaller ones.

While many hotels across the country have transitioned to affixing bulk shampoo dispensers into shower walls, many tourists still prefer the tiny bottles.

Tax hikes

California’s SB-951 of 2022 stipulated that workers will have slightly more money withheld from their paychecks in 2025. The state’s disability insurance program rate is to increase from 1.1% to 1.2%.

The average California worker will see $8 less per month in their net pay.

Gas prices

California Republicans estimated that new regulations taking effect in the New Year will cause "major sticker shock" for drivers in the Golden State.

"I’m concerned Californians will … be unprepared for the rapid gas spike in 2025, which could be an additional 90 cents per gallon," said state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones.

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Jones estimated Californians will pay $900 more over the course of the year for gasoline.

Parental rights

AB-1955, or the SAFETY Act, took effect Jan. 1.

The law prohibits schools from enacting policies that require parental notification if their child changes their gender identity.

In December remarks to FOX-11, bill sponsor Assemblyman Chris Ward said "politically motivated attacks on the rights, safety, and dignity of transgender, nonbinary and other LGBTQ+ youth are on the rise nationwide, including in California."

Ward, D-San Diego, said school districts had wrongly adopted policies to "forcibly out" students and that parents should love their children unconditionally in all cases.

Immigrant health insurance coverage requirements

A 2022 bill relating to health insurance coverage for Coloradans regardless of immigration status will take effect next month, according to the Denver Post.

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HB-1289 requires the state to provide "full health insurance coverage for Colorado pregnant people who would be eligible for Medicaid and the children's basic health plan (CHIP) if not for their immigration status and continues that coverage for 12 months postpartum at the CHIP federal matching rate," according to the bill text.

Abortion

As of July 2025, Delaware colleges will be required to provide emergency abortion access and contraception or direct the patient to an external facility, according to the Wilmington News-Journal.

A law is also primed to take effect in the First State that mandates insurance coverage and eliminates deductibles for abortion procedures, according to multiple reports.

State Sen. Bryant Richardson, R-Blades, ripped the new law after it passed the legislature earlier in 2024.

"This is a procedure you want my tax dollars to pay for. I’m sorry, I think this is evil," he said.

Stop light

Washington, D.C., will institute a ban on right-turns-on-red within District boundaries. The law is a rare regulation in a blanket context, with New York City being one of the few other major cities with a similar law.

Signage denoting the otherwise tacit law is typically posted when entering New York City from highways like Major Deegan or one of the city's many river crossings, but it is often lacking on the hundreds of small streets on the grid that traverse into Westchester or Nassau Counties.

In the same vein, the District of Columbia reportedly lacks funding for signage on most of the streets entering the nation’s capital from Maryland or Virginia, which may or may not affect enforcement, according to reports.

The $385,000 in district funds allocated to notifying residents and drivers of the law was never identified, a DDOT official told WTTG.

Bird watch

D.C.’s Migratory Local Wildlife Protection Act of 2023 imposes a new building restriction as of Jan. 1.

Permit applications or glazing alterations will require bird-friendly materials on exterior walls and fenestration within 100 feet of grade level, according to WTTG.

The district is also one of a handful of places where the sales tax will see an increase. In the capital’s case, it will rise to 6.5%.

Firearms

Minnesota will institute a ban on "binary triggers" on personally owned weapons, according to reports. That is, the function that allows a gun to fire multiple rounds with one press of the trigger.

Vaping ban

The Ocean State is set to enact a ban on sales of and possession-with-intent-to-sell flavored vape products in 2025. The law is currently facing litigation but will be able to preliminarily go into effect, according to the Providence Journal.

Global warming

Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, which initiates limits on greenhouse gas emissions, will take effect in the New Year.

It requires a 26% reduction in 2025 emissions reduction versus 2005 levels, according to the Vermont Public.

The law, however, also opens the state up to legal action from green groups and more if it fails to reach the required reduction level. 

That aspect led Republicans to question the new law. Gov. Phil Scott vetoed the bill in 2020, saying it does not propose or create a good framework for "long-term mitigation and adaptation solutions to address climate change."

Meanwhile, Vermont Republican Party Chair Paul Dame recently said it opens up the state and taxpayers’ money to undue risk from such lawsuits.

"These goals were unattainable given the currently available technology, but now the state is getting dragged in to court for completely avoidable reasons," Dame told Fox News Digital.

No coal in your stocking

Oregon’s HB-4083 will direct the state onto a path toward divesting in coal firms and market instruments that include coal interests.

The laws that weren't

With many states, like those above, enacting tax hikes, new regulations and the like, Republicans in states with divided government are expressing cautious optimism that their trend of bucking liberal legislative interests can continue.

While Vermont’s Scott has seen key vetoes like the Global Warming Solutions Act overridden by the Democrat-dominated legislature, some states have the opposite dynamic where a Republican-majority chamber stymies the goals of Democrats.

With the state Senate in Republican hands, the State House one vote short of a 50-50 split and the governorship held by Democrats, Republicans expressed relief that legislation such as a 100% carbon-neutral 2050 Clean Energy Standard did not make it to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk.

In the gun control realm, both an assault weapons ban and proposed repeal of the state Stand Your Ground Law drafted by state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-Bristol, died in the legislature.

"It is time we take an evidence-based approach to our gun policy. ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws encourage gun violence. As such, it is time that we repeal ‘Stand Your Ground’ here in Pennsylvania," Santarsiero said in a memo.

Another bill enacting a firearms "Red Flag Law" languished through the legislative term.

A policy that would fund cost-free telephone calls from state prisoners also did not make it through, as did a bid for an "abortion protection package."

FLASHBACK: PA LAWMAKERS DRAFT BILL TO DIVERT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ‘GHOST FLIGHTS’ TO WILMINGTON

Those and several other top-line "draconian" bill failures are a product of GOP persistence, said state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg.

"With a Democrat governor and Democrat House, the state Senate is the last line of reason to prevent Pennsylvania from becoming like California," the 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee told Fox News Digital on Monday.

"There has been a litany of extreme legislation coming from Democrats."

As chair of the Emergency Preparedness committee, Mastriano added that the "most egregious" no-pass in 2024 was legislation to address Pennsylvanian effects from the biohazardous East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment.

Mastriano, along with state Sens. Elder Vogel Jr., R-Beaver, and Michele Brooks, R-Pymatuning, drafted legislation in July to exempt disaster relief payments from state taxes in one case.

That bill did not make it out of the legislature.

Republicans in the state also lamented the failure of the latest effort to withdraw Pennsylvania from a national "RGGI" Greenhouse Gas pact entered into by former Gov. Tom Wolf.

"Leaving our environmental and economic destiny to the whims of RGGI’s New England states is just bad policy for Pennsylvania," State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Williamsport, said after the Senate approved the eventually-failed bill.

"It is time to repeal this regulation and focus on putting forth commonsense, environmentally responsible energy policy that recognizes and champions Pennsylvania as an energy producer."

"Pennsylvania’s greatest asset is our ability to produce energy," State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Latrobe, added in a statement.

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Minimum wage hikes are also primed to take effect in several states.

Washington, Connecticut and California are set to see $16 per hour or higher as the minimum wage for most workers. Rhode Island's will rise to $15, Maine's to $14.65, Illinois to $15 and Vermont will go to $14.

More than a dozen states, including Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Utah, Tennessee and Mississippi, retain the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

Two men from Portland died searching for Sasquatch during Christmas week, according to officials.

Around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day, Skamania County Communications Center received a report from a family member of two people who were searching for Sasquatch and were missing after they had planned to return home on Dec. 24, according to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).

A "flock camera," also known as a license plate reader, located the men's car off of Oklahoma Road, near Willard, Washington, SCSO said.

Over three days, search and rescue resources, including more than 60 volunteers, canines, drones and ground search teams and a U.S. Coast Guard air asset searched for the men. 

UTAH BROTHERS SURVIVE AVALANCHE AFTER ONE PULLS OTHER OUT OF SNOW BURIAL

"After a grueling, three-day search over difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions, the 59-year-old male and 37-year-old-male, both from Portland, Oregon, who were reported missing/endangered were located, deceased, in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest," the sheriff's office said on Facebook.

"Both deaths appear to be due to exposure, based on weather conditions and ill-preparedness," SCSO added.

WASHINGTON STATE TEENS CHARGED AS ADULTS IN GANG-LINKED STABBING OF BOY, 14, WHO WAS TIED TO TREE, CUT OPEN

The sheriff's office thanked the volunteers who spent Christmas week searching for the men through "freezing temperatures, snow, high water levels, heavy rain, downfall, and heavily wooded terrain," allowing the men to be taken home to their family. 

"The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office extends our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the loved ones lost in this tragic incident," SCSO said.

The men's names were not released. 

Back in 2019, a Travel Channel blog post said Washington was the "world's most active region" for Sasquatch sightings. Of particular note were the Blue Mountains and Okanogan County, which the Travel Channel wrote is "the locale of one of the most aggressive Bigfoot encounters ever recorded."

Two 17-year-olds have been charged as adults in the gruesome stabbing earlier this month of a 14-year-old in Snohomish County, Washington.

Milo Canales and Hayden Lusebrink have been charged with first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and first-degree kidnapping, according to FOX 13. 

The victim was allegedly tied to a tree in Lions Park in Everett, Washington, Dec. 16, after he went there with a girl. The two male suspects allegedly grabbed him as he was opening a door for the girl, who then drove away, FOX 13 reported, citing court documents. 

BROOKLYN HOMELESS SHELTER WORKER STABBED TO DEATH BY MASKED SUSPECT

The teen later told investigators he thought he had been set up by the girl, the station reported. 

Canales and Lusebrink are accused of ordering the victim to take off his clothes, tying him to a tree and stabbing him at least eight times around his stomach. 

The stabbing left him "disemboweled," according to the news station. 

He was also allegedly pistol-whipped by the suspects and had the letter "N" carved into his chest, referring to the "Norte" or "Norteno" gang, which is active in the area. 

Investigators said the suspects were motivated by gang ties and an altercation they had with the victim at their school. 

The victim told investigators he recognized his assailants as fellow students at his high school. 

PREGNANT WOMAN STABBED 14 TIMES IN FRONT OF YOUNG DAUGHTER OVER BAD PIZZA DELIVERY TIP: DEPUTIES

The victim managed to untie himself and ran to a nearby house for help. 

He was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. 

Canales and Lusebrink were arrested within 24 hours of the stabbing. 

Canales’ bail was set at $1 million. Lusebrink’s was set at $300,000, and he was released on bond, according to FOX 13. 

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Canales was allegedly found with the victim’s bloody clothing, the station reported. 

He had already been facing felony charges for a robbery in Seattle last month, but he was released on bail earlier this month, according to KOMO-TV.