NEWS AND OPINION:
The nation’s leading cable news channel is in a holiday mood.
“Fox News Media will present its fifth annual ’All-American Christmas Tree Lighting’ on Friday, at 5 p.m. ET during a special edition of ’The Five.’ Co-hosts Harold Ford Jr., Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Judge Jeanine Pirro, Jessica Tarlov and Jesse Watters will light the tree on Fox Square outside the network’s New York City headquarters along with a live performance from American singer songwriter Gavin DeGraw,” the network noted Monday in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
This is quite a tree.
“Standing at 50 feet tall, the Fox News Media All-American Christmas Tree will be decorated with 18,000 ornaments and 340,000 warm white, true white and red lights. Made by holiday lighting and display company American Christmas based in Mt. Vernon, NY, the tree has a six-foot dove topper with 4,800 embedded lights,” the statement noted.
The programming gets pleasantly personal
“During the holiday special, ’The Five’ co-hosts will discuss their favorite holiday memories and traditions in front of a live audience. Later in the program, the network’s chief religion correspondent Lauren Green will introduce Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Reverend Jacques DeGraff who will speak on the importance of the holiday season, while Rabbi Haskel Lookstein and Franklin Graham will each share a message of hope for the season,” the network’s statement said.
And one more thing.
The special will take viewers to North Carolina’s largest Christmas tree for a holiday performance from High Point University’s Chapel Choir. The tree in question is 70 feet tall and adorned with 100,000 Christmas lights, and 235 large decorative nutcrackers.
The university, by the way, also has raised over $30,000 to assist neighboring towns affected by the Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina — and donated water, blankets and other helpful items for those who are still struggling in the aftermath.
THE ’TRUMP PLAN’
To start off his busy week, President-elect Donald Trump publicly vowed to enact “mass deportation” of illegal immigrants. The announcement immediately rattled through the news media — and here’s a few headlines from the last 24 hours.
“Trump confirms plan to declare national emergency, use military for mass deportations” (ABC News); “Migrants hope Trump mass deportations only ’for criminals’” (BBC); “How Trump’s plans for mass deportations, tariffs and Fed could affect the economy” (New York Times); “Trump confirms plan to deploy military for mass deportation of undocumented migrants” (France 24); “Donald Trump confirms plan to declare a national emergency to carry out mass deportations” (People.com); “San Francisco isn’t ready for Trump’s mass deportation plans” (San Francisco Standard); and “How will Donald Trump’s return to White House affect immigrant rights, deportation?” (El Paso Times).
MELANIA STILL NO. 1
In case you wondered, former first lady Melania’s Trump’s book “Melania” remains No. 1 on the Publishers Weekly list of nonfiction as of Monday — and No. 3 on the roster of top 10 books overall.
Her 256-page book was published by Skyhorse on Oct. 8.
THE ’TRAVEL EXPERIENCE’
Leaders from the travel and business fields, plus those hailing from the governmental or commercial side of things, will convene to explore the opportunities and policies transforming the future of travel at the fourth annual “Future of Travel Mobility” conference — set for Wednesday at the Union Station East Hall in the nation’s capital.
“As the U.S. prepares to host major global events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, the need to enhance the travel experience for millions of visitors has never been greater. This one-day event will explore how the U.S. can strengthen its competitiveness in an era of booming travel demand while simultaneously increasing security,” the U.S. Travel Association says in a mission statement for the event.
Confirmed speakers include high profile folk who represent federal agencies, airports, corporations, plus former diplomats, interest groups, and federal policy experts.
“The Future of Travel Mobility conference is the premier forum shaping the next decade of seamless, secure, and sustainable travel in the United States. As the nation prepares to welcome millions of visitors for global events like the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, the event convenes business leaders across travel, transportation, aviation and more with policymakers to enhance U.S. competitiveness in an era of surging travel demand,” notes a mission statement.
“This year’s program will address the imperative of creating frictionless travel experiences — from streamlined visa processes and new investments in security protocols to efficient and sustainable airport operations,” it noted.
SOME ADVANCE NOTICE
Fenway Park Events announced Monday that the iconic home of baseball’s Boston Red Sox will host the 2025 Secretaries’ Cup — a longstanding annual football matchup featuring the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA).
The big game is set for next Nov. 15.
“The matchup is a cherished college athletic tradition featuring the only two federal service academies that compete in NCAA Division III sports. The game will kick off at 12:00 p.m. ET and be broadcast live on ESPN+” the events organization noted in an advisory shared with Inside the Beltway.
“The U.S. Coast Guard is excited to bring the Secretaries’ Cup rivalry to a whole new level by hosting the game at historic Fenway Park in 2025,” said Dan Rose, director of athletics for U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
“We are looking forward to seeing the entire Coast Guard community in blue and orange in Boston next fall to support our service’s team at this iconic venue,” Mr. Rose said.
POLL DU JOUR
• 6% of U.S. adults say the information they get from “news influencers” on social media is “extremely different” from news they get from other sources.
• 17% say the news they get from social media influencers is “very different.”
• 48% say the news they get is “somewhat different.”
• 25% say the news they get is “not too different.”
• 4% say the news they get is “not at all different.”
• 1% had no answer.
SOURCE: A Pew Research Center poll of 2,012 U.S. adults conducted July 15-Aug. 4 and released Monday.
• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.