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'Immediately reconvene': Scott urges Schumer to recall Senate amid Helene's devastation

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'Immediately reconvene': Scott urges Schumer to recall Senate amid Helene's devastation

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer needs to “immediately reconvene” the upper chamber so it can consider measures to approve FEMA funding in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation, Sen. Rick Scott said in a statement today.

“While I know from my experience with previous hurricanes that FEMA and SBA damage assessments take time, I am today urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to immediately reconvene the U.S. Senate when those assessments are completed so that we can pass the clean supplemental disaster funding bill and other disaster relief legislation, like my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, needed to ensure the full recovery of families in all impacted communities,” said the Florida Republican.

On Saturday night, following Sen. Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio’s letter to President Joe Biden urging his immediate approval of a Major Disaster Declaration for the State of Florida, President Biden approved the request. This Major Disaster Declaration approval follows last week’s approval of the State of Florida’s request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration for potentially impacted Florida counties at the request of Senators Scott and Rubio.

The interim spending bill approved last week to avoid a government shutdown “anticipated” the possibility of Hurricane Helene ravaging parts of the U.S. So that’s why lawmakers made sure that FEMA could spend down its current reserves more quickly to respond to immediate needs after the storm. Moreover, a senior House Republican source told Fox that “this is why it would have been a bad idea to shut down the government.”

BIDEN GETS DEFENSIVE WHEN PUSHED ON WHO’S COMMANDING’ HURRICANE HELENE RESPONSE

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The Rocky Broad River flows into Lake Lure and overflows the town with debris from Chimney Rock, North Carolina after heavy rains from Hurricane Helene on Sept. 28, 2024, in Lake Lure, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

But earlier today, ahead of Scott’s statement, a senior congressional source familiar with the purse strings conceded that “it would not surprise me” if lawmakers were recalled to Washington to approve additional money to respond to immediate needs because the devastation has been so bad.”

“I’m not adverse to that,” said one senior House Republican. “And I would not agree with those who say we’re not coming back.”

That said, another senior House Republican told Fox, “We will definitely need to appropriate emergency funds. Western North Carolina is like New Orleans during Katrina.” But the source cautioned that it was doubtful Congress would have to act in the next month. That’s different compared to Congress coming back into an emergency session just days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2006.

One thing to watch in the coming days is whether or not FEMA has enough money in the near-term to respond to the catastrophic impact of Helene.

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Congress left town without providing enough disaster relief to address “older” natural disasters. In particular, there has been a push to provide more money to address Hurricane Beryl which hit Texas in July. There are also issues responding to tornadoes in Iowa. And there is a longstanding issue with providing enough money to Hawaii after wildfires charred Maui last year. 

Some lawmakers wanted the additional disaster aid loaded onto the interim spending bill that Congress approved last week to keep the government open — and then left town through mid-November.

However, the temporary spending bill did give FEMA authority to draw down the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) more rapidly. The question is whether the DRF bottoms out after Helene. Or, certainly if there are impacts from other potential storms that may soon churn in the Gulf of Mexico. Fox is told a combination of another storm — coupled with addressing needs following Helene — could bleed the coffers at FEMA.

RESCUE MISSIONS UNDERWAY IN NORTH CAROLINA AFTER HURRICANE HELENE BRINGS ‘HISOTIRC’ FLOODING, LANDSLIDES

That said, one source familiar with congressional spending indicated that despite the near-apocalyptic nature of Helene, we just don’t know enough yet about the needs. A better sense of things could come later this week.

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In this August 2006 file photo, the city skyline is seen with Bayou St. John in the foreground Aug. 25, 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

So what happens if FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund dwindles too much?

Congress could be recalled to re-load the fund. That happened in the late summer of 2005 following Hurricane Katrina. Congress was out of session during the customary August recess — which often stretches a few days into early September. Several days after Katrina hit, it was clear that the impacts would drain FEMA’s funds quickly. In a dramatic midnight session, then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) recalled the Senate and a skeleton crew to approve the additional aid. The House shortly followed suit. 

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College soccer star, girlfriend dead as illegal immigrant’s record ignites lawmaker fury statewide

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College soccer star, girlfriend dead as illegal immigrant’s record ignites lawmaker fury statewide

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Lawmakers are voicing outrage as family and friends mourn a college soccer player and his girlfriend who were killed in a DUI crash allegedly caused by an illegal immigrant.

The case is reigniting debate over immigration enforcement and whether failures in the system contributed to the deaths of Fletcher Harris, 20, and Skylar Provenza, 19.

Prosecutors say Juan Alvarado Aguilar, 37, was driving under the influence when his vehicle slammed into the couple’s car on Friday, Jan. 16, killing them both and devastating their families and community. As mourners gather to say goodbye to Provenza and Harris, whose funeral was held Thursday, lawmakers are pointing to Aguilar’s immigration status and alleged criminal history as evidence of broader public safety failures they say demand immediate action.

North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Harris said the case highlights what he described as the deadly consequences of sanctuary policies and failures to enforce immigration laws. Harris argued the couple’s deaths were preventable and blamed state and local leadership for allowing the suspect to remain in the country and on the road.

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ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RAN FROM DEADLY WRONG-WAY DUI CRASH THAT KILLED MOTORCYCLIST, RECORDS SHOW

A funeral service for Fletcher Mark Daniel Harris was held at Williamson Chapel in Mooresville, North Carolina, on Thursday, January 22, 2026. Harris, 20, was killed in a car crash on Jan. 16, 2026. (Tim Jackson for Fox News Digital)

“Fletcher Harris and Skylar Provenza—two bright young lives full of promise—were brutally taken in a head-on crash allegedly caused by an illegal alien with a prior DUI who never should have been on our roads,” Harris said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This is the deadly cost of North Carolina’s sanctuary policies and radical Democrat refusal to enforce the law.”

Harris also questioned the lack of public response, suggesting the reaction would be far different in other cases.

“Where’s the outrage? Where are the protests? If this were any other tragedy, the streets would be filled—but when criminal aliens kill Americans, the silence from the Left is deafening.”

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CORNYN PUSHES ‘ZERO MERCY’ LAW TO DEPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF DEADLY DRUNK DRIVING

A funeral service for Fletcher Mark Daniel Harris was held at Williamson Chapel in Mooresville, North Carolina, on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Tim Jackson for Fox News Digital)

Authorities say the deadly crash occurred just after 11 p.m. on Jan. 16 in Rowan County, North Carolina, when a Chevrolet Silverado driven by Aguilar crossed the center line and slammed head-on into the car carrying Harris and Provenza. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said officers noted a strong odor of alcohol and that Aguilar appeared unsteady on his feet when he was arrested.

Court records reviewed by Fox News Digital show Aguilar had a prior driving-while-impaired charge from 2020 that was dismissed by a district attorney, a procedural move that has drawn renewed scrutiny following the deadly crash. Prosecutors also told the court that Aguilar had two prior failures to appear, and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer has been placed on him.

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GRIEVING FATHER SAYS DAUGHTER’S DEATH BY ILLEGAL ALIEN SHOWS COST OF SANCTUARY POLICIES

Juan Alvarado Aguilar is shown in a booking photo released by authorities. Police said Aguilar, 37, was identified as the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado involved in a DUI crash that killed two people. (Rowan County Sheriff’s Office)

Aguilar now faces two counts of felony death by vehicle, driving while impaired and other charges, and is being held on a bond of more than $5 million.

North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall said the deaths hit close to home and blamed what he described as failures in federal immigration enforcement. 

“I think it’s a failure of policy, and it’s a failure under the Biden administration, where essentially he allowed open borders,” Hall said. He argued that Democrats have taken the position that “no one should be deported, even those who are committing serious crimes,” adding that the suspect had previously been charged with DWI before the fatal crash.

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ILLINOIS FATHER SAYS PRITZKER SHOWS ‘INDIFFERENCE’ TO HIS DAUGHTER BEING KILLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

Hall pushed back against claims that North Carolina is a sanctuary state, pointing to legislative action taken in recent years to require cooperation with federal immigration authorities. He said that prior to 2018, all sheriffs in the state worked with ICE, but that changed after several Democratic sheriffs stopped honoring ICE detainers.

Republican lawmakers responded by passing legislation mandating cooperation with ICE, bills that were initially vetoed by then-Gov. Roy Cooper before lawmakers overrode the vetoes.

“So in this state right now, when somebody is charged with a crime, and they’re here illegally and ICE wants to take custody of that person, the local county sheriff has to do that,” Hall said.

MOTHER OF OFFICER KILLED BY ILLEGAL MIGRANT CRITICIZES MINNESOTA LEADERS’ ‘WARPED VIEW’ OF POLICE

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Fletcher Harris and Skylar Provenza are shown in a photo taken before their deaths. The two were killed in a DUI crash, according to authorities. (Instagram/ skylar_provenza)

Hall argued that enforcement later broke down at the federal level, despite state laws remaining in place, saying ICE under the Biden administration often failed to take custody of illegal immigrants charged with crimes.

He said stronger coordination between state and federal authorities is critical to preventing similar tragedies, crediting renewed enforcement efforts under the Trump administration and emphasizing the need for continued cooperation.

Reflecting on the victims, Hall said lawmakers are focused on preventing future losses.

“Know that we’re fighting very hard to make sure this never happens to anyone again,” he said.

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Harris was a standout student-athlete at Catawba College, where he played soccer and made the dean’s list. Provenza had just graduated in Esthetics from Dermacademy and was set to start her career at Datre Hair Co., according to her obituary.

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In a Facebook post, Provenza’s mother urged the public to reject hatred and honor the couple’s lives with love.

“Remember them. Remember love. Remember justice, and the Lord’s plan will prevail,” she wrote. “Hate will never bring them back. While my heart is broken, I pray for this world that we live in. Evil never wins, but love always will.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the North Carolina Democratic Party for comment. 

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Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.

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Florida attorney general demands nursing board revoke license of nurse who wished injury on Karoline Leavitt

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Florida attorney general demands nursing board revoke license of nurse who wished injury on Karoline Leavitt

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Florida attorney general James Uthmeier is calling for the Florida Board of Nursing to revoke the license of a woman after she said she hoped White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suffers a severe injury in childbirth. 

“Women shouldn’t have to worry about a politically driven nurse who wishes them pain and suffering being in the delivery room during childbirth,” Uthmeier told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“It’s evil,” he added. “The Florida Board of Nursing must take action to keep this person away from patients permanently.”

CITY COUNCIL MEMBER RESIGNS AFTER GOING VIRAL ON LIBS OF TIKTOK FOR VILE COMMENT MADE TO TRUMP SUPPORTER

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is expecting her second child this year. (Andrew Harnik)

In a video posted on TikTok, Lexie Lawler, a former labor and delivery nurse at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, said, “As a labor and delivery nurse, it gives me great joy to wish Karoline Leavitt a fourth degree tear.”

She continued with explicit language, saying she hoped Leavitt would suffer a permanent injury during childbirth.

“I hope you f——- rip from bow to stern and never s— normally again, you c—,” she said.

In December, Leavitt announced that she and her husband Nick are expecting a baby girl due in May, who will join their first son, Niko, born in July 2024.

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Lawler was subsequently fired from Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

The hospital told Fox News Digital that her comments “do not reflect our values or the standards we expect of healthcare professionals,” but Lawler has since defended her remarks in another video, and appeared to reference an unrelated shooting in Minnesota while responding to criticism over her comments.

WHITE HOUSE BABY BOOM IN FULL BLOOM AS USHA VANCE, TOP TRUMP AIDES ANNOUNCE PREGNANCIES

“Women shouldn’t have to worry about a politically-driven nurse who wishes them pain and suffering being in the delivery room during childbirth,” Uthmeier told Fox News Digital in a statement.  (DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

“So they just murdered a man in Minnesota, they murdered a man in Minnesota, and you mother——- are coming after me because I used bad language? F— you. I’m on the right side of this. F— you.”

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A “GoFundMe” has been set up for Lawler which has raised nearly $5,000 with a goal of $14,000. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Florida Board of Nursing and Lawler for comment. 

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A GoFundMe has been set up for Lawler which has raised over $4,000 with a goal of $14,000.  (Photo illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

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Grandson charged with murdering retired grandparents found dead in their South Carolina home

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Grandson charged with murdering retired grandparents found dead in their South Carolina home

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Authorities in upstate South Carolina have arrested the 19-year-old grandson of a retired couple found slain in their home earlier this month, charging him with two counts of murder in a case that has shaken a small rural community.

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office said Levi Kevin Jones was taken into custody late Friday and charged in connection with the deaths of Larry Moore, 76, and Sandra Moore, 75, who were discovered inside their residence on Cromer Moore Road near Westminster on Jan. 15.

Jones is also charged with two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to arrest warrants obtained by Fox News Digital. He remains in custody pending a bond hearing.

The couple was found after a family member requested a welfare check when repeated attempts to reach them were unsuccessful. Investigators and the county coroner later determined the deaths were homicides.

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RETIRED SOUTH CAROLINA COUPLE FOUND DEAD IN HOMICIDE AT HOME

Larry and Sandra Moore are pictured during a church gathering at Calvary Church. The couple was later remembered by the congregation following their deaths. (Calvary Church Facebook)

According to the Oconee County Coroner’s Office, Larry Moore died from multiple stabbing injuries, while Sandra Moore died from manual strangulation. Autopsies were conducted the following day.

Arrest warrants allege Jones stabbed his grandfather multiple times in the torso and neck and strangled his grandmother, cutting off her airway and blood flow. Authorities said a knife was used during the attack.

Authorities have not provided a motive for the attack.

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The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office said the couple’s grandson, Levi Kevin Jones, is charged with two counts of murder in the case, as well as two counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. (Oconee County Sheriff’s Office)

The Moores were longtime residents of the area and well known in the community as the former owners of Moore & Moore Fish Camp, a local restaurant that operated for decades before the couple retired.

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They were also active members of Calvary Church, where friends described them as regular attendees.

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“They were always there,” Stacy Brooks, who attended church, told Fox News Digital. “You expected to see them every time you went. They were faithful people.”

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The Oconee County Coroner’s Office, which assisted in the investigation into the deaths of Larry and Sandra Moore, is shown in an exterior view. (Oconee County Coroner’s Office)

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Brooks said the killings have been difficult for residents of the small upstate South Carolina town to process.

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“This is a close community, and something like this just doesn’t happen often,” she said.

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The sheriff’s office previously said the killings appeared to be an isolated incident and that there was no ongoing threat to the public.



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