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Democratic senator calls for ‘more effective leadership’ as Schumer faces mounting pressure

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Democratic senator calls for ‘more effective leadership’ as Schumer faces mounting pressure

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CONCORD, N.H. — Amid heated calls by some House Democrats and others in the party to remove Sen. Chuck Schumer from his longtime role as Senate Democratic leader, a top Democrat in the chamber is calling for “more effective leadership.”

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut told Fox News Digital that Schumer needs to lead a conversation to “stop having a group of members cross over and support Donald Trump’s agenda.”

Murphy was interviewed on Wednesday, two days after seven Senate Democrats and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with the party, bucked Senate Democratic leaders and voted with the majority Republicans to end the longest federal government shutdown in history.

Plenty of progressives and center-left Democrats have pilloried the deal to end the shutdown, which didn’t include the Democrats’ top priority, an agreement to extend expiring subsidies that make health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, known as the ACA or Obamacare, more affordable to millions of Americans.

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SCHUMER FACES FURY FROM THE LEFT OVER DEAL TO END SHUTDOWN

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., after a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on the government shutdown on Nov. 5, 2025. (Tom Williams/Getty)

And even though he opposed the agreement, Schumer, the top Democrat in the chamber, has faced calls from some House Democrats and others in the party to step down due to his inability to keep Senate Democrats unified.

But to date, no Senate Democrat has joined those calls for Schumer to step down.

Asked if Schumer was still up to the task of steering Senate Democrats, Murphy said, “I think his job is really, really hard. He obviously did not want this outcome. He wanted the caucus to stay together. He was not successful in that endeavor.”

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TRUMP ARGUES SCHUMER MADE A MISTAKE

“We’ve got to have a hard conversation as a caucus about what we all need to do, what kind of leadership we need in order to make sure that we don’t continue to break apart,” added Murphy, who as Deputy Democratic Conference Secretary is a member of the party’s leadership in the chamber.

And he noted that “this is the fourth major moment this year where a handful of Democrats have crossed over and voted with Donald Trump.”

“That means we need more effective leadership. That also means that the caucus has to decide for itself that we’re not going to continue to break apart like this,” he emphasized.

Sen. Chris Murphy sits for a Fox News Digital interview on Nov. 12, 2025, in Concord, New Hampshire. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

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And pointing to Schumer, he added, “That’s a conversation that, yes, the leader of the caucus has to head up, but it’s a conversation all of us have to have. We all have to hold each other accountable.”

Murphy was interviewed after headlining an event in New Hampshire’s capital city with the Merrimack County Democrats. New Hampshire’s two senators — Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan — were among the Democrats who supported the deal with Republicans.

SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: DEMOCRATIC SENATOR STANDS FIRM AFTER DEFYING PARTY 

Shaheen, who previously supported a bill to extend the ACA subsidies, on Monday defended breaking with her party to support the deal.

“We’re making sure that the people of America can get the food benefits that they need, that air traffic controllers can get paid, that federal workers are able to come back, the ones who were let go, that they get paid, that contractors get paid, that aviation moves forward,” Shaheen said in a “Fox and Friends” interview.

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Asked about Shaheen’s comments, Murphy said Senate Democrats “had a big disagreement.”

“I understand why my colleagues wanted to end the shutdown. I wanted to end this shutdown. The fact is that shutdowns hurt and Trump was making the shutdown even worse than it had to be by, for instance, illegally denying people food stamp benefits, nutrition benefits,” Murphy argued.

But he added, “I still think we could have won. I think as these premium increases were just becoming real for people, as folks are digesting an election that clearly was a referendum on the way that Donald Trump was plunging the country to shut down, we could have actually gotten a resolution that would have stopped at least some of the pain that’s coming to families as these healthcare premiums go into effect.”

The deal to end the shutdown does not include such a provision, but only a promise by the majority Republicans to hold an upcoming vote on extending the subsidies.

And Murphy lamented that the deal will only embolden the president.

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“I definitely worry that when Trump gets the opposition party to yield to him, as he did last week, that it just emboldens him, that he ends up acting even more lawlessly and recklessly and illegally,” he said. “I understand why my colleagues wanted to end this shutdown. I am just of the belief that Trump is going to constantly try to weaponize our compassion against us.”

Sen. Chris Murphy speaks to a gathering of Merrimack County Democrats on Nov. 12, 2025, in Concord, New Hampshire. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Murphy, who during former President Joe Biden’s tenure in the White House spent much of his time trying to reach across the aisle to find common ground with Republicans on such issues as gun control, immigration and Ukraine, is now helping fund organizations that are pushing back against Trump and his agenda.

“I’ve been making grants to protest organizations and grassroots organizations all around the country,” he said.

And the senator, who won re-election last year in blue-leaning Connecticut by nearly 20 points, highlighted that “I’ve been all over the country this year. I’ve been holding town halls, often with other colleagues, targeting mostly states that are represented by Republicans, so that they’re hearing the other side.”

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And looking ahead to next year’s midterm elections, he said, “I’ll likely be traveling throughout New England, but also throughout the rest of the country, to try to help stand up a national mobilization against Trump’s corruption.”

Murphy is seen by political pundits as a possible contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, which is expected to be a crowded and competitive race.

After his interview with Fox News Digital, Murphy headlined the latest “Stand Up New Hampshire Town Hall.” The speaking series, organized by top New Hampshire Democratic elected officials and party leaders, is seen as an early cattle call for potential White House contenders.

The New Hampshire Republican Party welcomed Murphy to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state with an email released titled “NHGOP Welcomes Future Failed Presidential Candidate Chris Murphy to New Hampshire.”

Asked about a possible presidential run in 2028, Murphy said, “I think it’d be so foolish for any of us to be thinking about running in an election in 2028 that may not happen. I mean, I think this moment is really serious. I think Donald Trump is trying to rig the rules of American democracy so that either he can run again or that the opposition party has no chance to win.”

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Pointing to his current mission “to help save our democracy,” Murphy insisted “that’s all I’m focused on right now. And I think that is what I would recommend to all of my colleagues, whether they’re thinking about running for national office in 2028 or whether they have no plans to do so.”

“We have one mission right now, which is to make sure there actually is an election in 2028 where a Democrat has a reasonable chance of winning,” he added.

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Northeast

Brown University shooting videos show awareness and planning, experts say

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Brown University shooting videos show awareness and planning, experts say

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Federal investigators are continuing to piece together the December shootings that killed two Brown University students and an MIT professor, leaving nine others wounded, authorities said.

Authorities on Tuesday released transcripts of videos they say were recorded by Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, the man responsible for the Brown University mass shooting and the killing of an MIT physicist.

Two Brown students, Ella Cook, 19, and Muhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, were killed in the Dec. 13 shooting on the Providence, Rhode Island, campus, and nine other people were wounded, authorities said. Just two days later, Nuno Loureiro, a professor at MIT, was killed in Brookline, Mass.

As of the latest update, eight of the students injured at Brown had been released from the hospital, while one person remained hospitalized.

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Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts released this image showing the man identified in the deadly shootings of Brown University students in Rhode Island and a professor from MIT. (Justice Department)

BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTER CONFESSED IN VIDEOS TO PLANNING ATTACK FOR LONG TIME, SHOWED NO REMORSE: DOJ

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Dec. 18 at a storage facility used by Neves Valente, a Portuguese national. The FBI recovered an electronic device containing several short videos recorded after the shootings. Transcripts of those videos, translated from Portuguese to English, were released Tuesday.

In the recordings, prosecutors said Neves Valente admitted he had been planning the Brown shooting for a long time and said Brown was his intended target. Authorities said he did not provide a motive for targeting Brown students or the MIT professor.

Investigators said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traced the gun used in the shootings as part of the investigation.

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Officials have not publicly released details about the weapon’s origin or purchase history. Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI for comment.

Split image showing Brown University victims Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, alongside MIT professor Nuno Loureiro, who was killed. (Instagram/elinacoutlakis/GoFundMe/Jake Belcher for MIT)

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Josh Schirard, a former tactical emergency response director at the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting and director of Byrna Law Enforcement, said the transcripts confirm responsibility for the attack but offer little clarity about why it occurred.

“He understood what he did. He understood that he had a why behind it,” Schirard said. “He just didn’t opine on why that was.”

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Schirard said the shooter rejected ideological explanations and denied being mentally ill.

Investigators tow away the Nissan Sentra used by Brown University shooter Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, Salem, N.H., Thursday, Dec. 19, 2025. (David McGlynn for Fox News Digital)

EVIDENCE SHOWS DEADLY BROWN, MIT SHOOTINGS MAY BE LINKED, SOURCES SAY: REPORT

“He even says, ‘I’m not mentally ill. I am very sane, and I did this knowing what I was doing,’” Schirard said.

“He talks about how killing those people was hard,” Schirard said, adding that the shooter said he envied people who could do so “without difficulty.”

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A split image shows Claudio Neves-Valente, identified as the Brown University gunman, wearing the same jacket as a man identified earlier as a person of interest in the case. (Providence Police Department)

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An autopsy previously found Neves Valente died by suicide two days before his body was discovered in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire.

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Authorities said they do not believe there is any ongoing public safety threat associated with the shootings and that additional updates will be provided.

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Boston, MA

Boston woman flummoxed after rat makes a home in stroller she left on porch

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Boston woman flummoxed after rat makes a home in stroller she left on porch


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Boston Reddit did not mince words when it came to the best way of evicting this brazen stroller squatter.

A Boston woman is dealing with an unwelcome tenant on her front porch — a rat that has turned a baby stroller into a cozy winter hideaway.

The woman shared her ordeal Thursday on the r/Boston subreddit, explaining that she had left her stroller, complete with a muff, on her second-floor porch. When she checked on it later, she discovered a rat had moved in.

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“I stupidly left our stroller with a muff out on the porch,” she wrote. “Today I found a big rat is nested in there. I can’t see clearly, but it seems it has chewed up the muff lining and is using the filling for a nest.”

The woman said she’s called a few pest control companies, but instead of offering immediate removal, they just tried to sell her a long-term bait boxing service. 

“…Which is fine, but I urgently need someone to just safely remove the rat and the nest so I can clean or dispose of the stroller if needed,” she wrote, adding that she couldn’t secure a next-day appointment and felt Monday was too far away.

Turning to Reddit for advice, the woman asked whether she should attempt to remove the rat herself, saying she was worried about being bitten or contracting a disease. “Which professional can I call?” she asked.

Redditors reacted with a mix of humor and practical advice. The top comment began, “Sounds like it’s their porch now,” before offering an elaborate plan involving a bucket trap and joking that the rat could then “go on to be a Michelin star chef at a French restaurant,” a nod to the 2007 film “Ratatouille.”

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Others suggested she evict the rat by vigorously shaking the stroller or whacking it with a broom, while many urged her to cut her losses entirely and throw the stroller out.

“I honestly wouldn’t ever use it for a small child after a rat had been cribbed up there,” one commenter wrote.

Pest control experts generally advise against handling rats without professional help. According to Terminix, rodents can become aggressive and scratch when threatened and may carry diseases such as hantavirus and leptospirosis.

“When it comes to getting rid of a rat’s nest in the house, DIY treatments won’t cut it,” the company warns on its website.

Boston has been grappling with heightened rat activity in recent years, prompting a citywide rodent action plan known as BRAP. City officials urge residents to “see something, squeak something!” and report rodent activity to 311. Officials said response teams are typically dispatched within one to two days.

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Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.





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Pittsburg, PA

Pittsburgh Pirates Swap with A’s That Makes Sense For Both Clubs

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Pittsburgh Pirates Swap with A’s That Makes Sense For Both Clubs


The Pittsburgh Pirates could use some bats, and the A’s are still looking to add some pitching this winter, so how likely is it that these clubs come together on a deal?

According to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates are still on the lookout for some help on the left side of the infield. Over at Roster Resource, their starters at short and third as listed as Nick Gonzales (82 wRC+ in 2025) and Jared Triolo (86).

While the A’s are having a little showdown of their own at third base this spring, they have a number of players in the mix. Perhaps they could move one of them in a deal with Pittsburgh in order to land a relief pitcher with some upside.

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The proposed deal that we have in mind is the A’s sending third baseman Brett Harris, who may be starting as the third option at the hot corner this spring. Harris has a tremendous glove at third, and statistically it appears to be at least on par with the glove what Triolo provided last season.

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In just 183 2/3 innings with the A’s in 2025, Harris put up a +5 DRS, and +2 in both OAA and FRV. Triolo, in roughly 80 extra innings finished with a +7 DRS and +4 in both OAA and FRV. Both players are solid defensively.

Triolo has had more experience in the big leagues, which does account for something, but if you’re the Pirates, do you consider making a change and taking a chance on a similar defender with more upside in the bat? Their current option hit .227 with a .311 OBP and an 86 wRC+ last season in 376 plate appearances. Harris could put together a double-digit home run season at the very least.

Harris played in just 32 games (84 plate appearances) and hit .274 with a .349 OBP and a 96 wRC+. While he certainly looked like an improved player over his initial stint in the big leagues with the A’s in 2024, there was also some luck involved in his improvement—mainly his .377 BABIP. The risk for the Pirates would be taking the chance on that bat being for real.

In exchange, the proposed piece that the Pirates would send back in 30-year-old Yohan Ramírez. The right-hander ranks in the 94th percentile in extension on top of sitting at 96.4 miles per hour with his heater, which is quite appealing. He also held a 5.40 ERA (3.80 FIP) last season, so he’s far from a finished product, and given his age, he’s a flier himself.

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This is the type of pitcher that the A’s have had success with in recent seasons—guys that can collect strikeouts but also tend to issue free passes. In 2025 with the Pirates, he struck out 29% of the batters he faced and walked 10.3%.

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There are two interesting tidbits in his profile that could cause a little worry. The first is that he’s bounced around quite a bit in recent seasons, including spending time with the Dodgers, Mets, Orioles and Red Sox in 2024. Those are all teams that love to pull extra value from guys, and if they all gave up on him, then that’s not the greatest track record.

All of those teams seemed to view him as a guy that could provide a few innings when their bullpens were gassed, which led to him having short stints with each club, totaling a 6.20 ERA (4.26 FIP) across 45 innings.

The other interesting piece here is that when he has been with the Pirates, in both 2025 and back in 2022, his velocity has ticked up considerably. In 2022, he also spent time with the Mariners, and he was sitting 94.2. But with Pittsburgh, that went up to 96.5. In 2024, he topped out at 95.3 mph with the O’s and Mets.

This past season he was back to 96.2 mph. Is there something special for him about pitching in Pittsburgh? Do their radar guns run a little hot? Is this more of a time of year situation that gets hammered out over longer stints (like with the Pirates)? It’s unclear.

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But if he’s truly a 96-mile-per-hour reliever that the A’s could add to their ‘pen, then this trade may be worth some heavy consideration.

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Of course, Ramírez is out of options which would make this a little tricky, and Harris has roughly double the amount of team control, so the value may have to be squared away by adding another piece or two to the ledger. But these two players, Harris and Ramírez, could do a lot of good for the opposite clubs.

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