Christopher Wray has announced that he will step down as director of the FBI early next year in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel to take over the bureau. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Wray’s departure was an opportunity for a new era of transparency and accountability at the FBI. Attorney General Merrick Garland praised Wray’s tenure, writing that under Wray’s principled leadership, the FBI has worked to fulfill the Justice Department’s mission to keep America safe, protect civil rights, and uphold the rule of law. NTD sits down with John Malcolm, the vice president of the Heritage Foundation’s Institute for Constitutional Government, to discuss Wray’s decision.
Around 20,000 residents are under evacuation orders as the Franklin Fire burns through Malibu, California. Firefighters had some success in battling the blaze on Wednesday thanks to improving weather, but the fire continued to burn across inaccessible and steep terrain. More than a thousand firefighters are battling the blaze, which grew to more than 4,000 acres and is only 7 percent contained.
Inflation increased in November for the second month in a row as costs for shelter and food rose. It’s now at 2.7 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics—a tenth of one percent higher than in October. NTD sits down with Pete Sepp, the president of the National Taxpayers Union, to discuss what this means for the average American.