Jacksonville's Morning News Interviews

Rep. Kevin McCarthy has pledged to make major committee changes in the next House session, as well as additional changes to House voting procedures, security protocols, and more.

Republicans are posturing outrage that Attorney General Merrick Garland approved a special investigator in the ongoing Trump investigations for the January 6th insurrection, Mar-A-Lago documents, and more, despite their previous post-election disinterest in association with him.

Kennedy previews a great kids outreach program that teaches them life skills and fight skills! Hear the whole story at 5:45 on Action News Jax!

Ryan looks at the "next generation" of House Democratic party leadership, as Pelosi and other senior representatives decline seeking leadership roles for the next term. The next likely minority leader is Hakeem Jefferies, but where is the Squad in all of this?

This week, the Department of Justice released new guidance for student debt relief. DOJ says this policy will make it easier for people to discharge student debt in bankruptcy by helping borrowers argue their payments meet the standard of "undue hardship." It comes as the Biden Administration’s boarder debt forgiveness plan remains on pause. That’s because an appeals court and lower court have both blocked it for now. We breakdown this latest guidance from DOJ plus reaction from lawmakers as they returned to Capitol Hill this week.

CBS47/FOX30 FIRST ALERT FORECAST – FRI. NOV. 18TH CHIEF METEOROLOGIST MIKE BURESH WOKV RADIO The WOKV Weather Meter for Today: 8 TODAY: Partly sunny & chilly. High: 61 TONIGHT: Cold… fair to partly cloudy. Low: 37 SATURDAY: Increasing & thickening clouds. High: 64 SUNDAY: Cool with clouds with a few sprinkles or light showers. High: 62 MONDAY: Mostly cloudy & breezy. High: 68 TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy & breezy with a few showers. High: 69

Another weekend with so much to do! Enjoy a beautiful weekend at the Riverside Arts Market, or maybe catch a family friendly Disney Jr. show at the Florida Theatre! It's Dirty Dancing Live with a movie & live show combination at the Center for Performing Arts! Are you a fighter, not a dancer? Then check out Rocky! with the Jax Symphony, as they show the movie and play the score live. Concerts your thing? At the Amp, you can catch the Last Waltz tour or get in the holiday spirit with Mannheim Steamroller. All that and more, read about it in local news and leave us an Open Mic with your weekend plans!

Jared looks at what's next for House Democrats. Speaker Pelosi hasn't disclosed her plans for the next session when she passes the gavel to the GOP majority, and questions arise as to who will be the minority leader.

Blair reports on the future of the House, as Republicans reached the necessary 218 reps for majority. Kevin McCarthy is the frontrunner for being the next Speaker, though that won't be assured until the House votes in January. In the meantime, the lingering question is "What's next, Nancy?" as Pelosi's role in the future is undecided.

Jared looks at the challenge Rick Scott is raising in his attempt to campaign for minority leadership in the Senate, and whether he poses an actual challenge to Mitch McConnell.

Eben Brown recounts the experience of attending Trump's campaign announcement, and the atmosphere of the ballroom during the announcement.

WOKV political analyst Rick Mullaney joins JMN to look at what Trump's announced candidacy means for the 2024 election, particularly with regard to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. For his part, DeSantis doesn't need to address candidacy issues for a while yet, if at all, as a new Florida legislative session is on his immediate agenda.

Jessica reports from the scene of a house fire on Coldfield Drive. While no one was home, JFRD is providing care for dogs that were in the property at the time.

Blair reports on a proposal to codify same sex marriage in legislation, but it's unclear whether Sen. Schumer's proposal will garner enough Republican support to pass.

Griff joins JMN to review former President Trump's campaign confirmation speech last night, where the questions raised are: (1) does this discourage potential Republican candidates (esp. DeSantis), and (2) does announcing this early help or harm the GOP?

Jared looks at the House leadership bids expected, and what internal challenges the GOP will face between McCarthy and the "Freedom Caucus," and the upcoming announcement from Trump later this evening.

Today, federal lawmakers are examining the various aspect of decriminalizing cannabis at the federal level. The committee says this includes the tackling the racial disparities in the criminal justice system, improving treatment options for veterans, and allowing marijuana companies to access traditional banking services. Right now, 19 states and District of Columbia allow recreational marijuana usage and while more states allow it for medical uses only. We breakdown what we can expect from this hearing and the potential impact.

Jessica reports on expensive Nicole recovery plans in St. Johns County, including a proposal before county commissioners to address erosion concerns.

Brian joins JMN to look at the latest political developments in the House, as McCarthy angles toward being named Speaker, and at the anti-Trump trend in recent voting as Kari Lake is the latest Trump ally to lose an election before Trump's "special announcement" tonight, where everyone expects him to announce his Presidential candidacy. All this and more with Brian Kilmeade from 9a to noon today!

Jared looks at what we can expect from Congress in its next session, with changes in House leadership, continuity in Senate leadership, and whether either can count on sufficient cooperation to make any legislative progress.