a vehicle was burned. the gunman is on the run. it is a trend. d.c. law enforcement seeing across the board violent crime in the district has risen nearly 40% this year alone. the city shaken by carjackings and brazen smash and grab crime. two days ago a mob stole $250,000 worth of goods from a chanel store in downtown d.c. >> gillian: alexandria hoff is in washington with more. >> violent crime is up 39% in the district. even members of congress have been victimized the year and city shocked by how brazen criminals have become here. five suspects made off with a quarter of a million dollars earlier this week from that chanel store you were talking about. video shows a fire extinguisher being used against an officer during that crime.

in broad daylight yesterday a quadruple drive-by shooting took place one block from national stadium. a man and woman died as a result. two other victims are in critical condition. >> what we know there were some individuals at one of the corner stores on the block, a white jeep cherokee came around the corner and an individual began to discharge a firearm. >> the jeep involved in the shooting is the same one found torched last night. investigators said it was involved in an armed carjacking wednesday night, the night before the shooting. carjackings have more doubled in 2023. d.c. police have so far logged 943. the age most compare for thieves arrested in these crimes, 15 years old. withth ten days left in 2023 the were 225 homicides.

the highest number since 1997. that's when the nation's capital was emerging from a violent decade. the white house have shied away from recent questions about rising crime in the district. last month the press secretary said the administration is concerned but added that the president has done his part to curb violence with the american rescue plan. gillian. >> gillian: alex hoff in d.c. thank you. bret. >> bret: the biden white house wants to rev up the president's campaign events next year with abortion and reproductive rights set to be a main focus. peter doocy has the latest. >> good morning. the president's age will be a focus, too. the campaign thinks they can counter those concerns on the rope line. >> president biden is extremely good and is an excellent retail politician. we're excited to get him and the vice president out to all our states.

it may be under the guise of an official event going and doing things and important that he remains president of the united states. >> in a memo, the biden campaign manager is saying in the first months of 2024, we will continue to scale up our campaign infrastructure so by early summer when we expect voters to be thinking about the election more our campaign is operating at full steam. on the issues, biden and harris plan to warn voters they think a second trump term could bring an abortion ban and could mean the end of democracy. but there are democrats competing in the primary right now who think the real threat to democracy is the incumbent putting his finger on the scale and refusing to debate. president biden himself. >> joe biden is a good man, a man i respect. but he is going to lose to donald trump. the democratic party should be promoting a multi-candidate primary. we should be allowing all of you to assess different candidates. that's what we do. but we're not doing it.

>> biden, of course, not competing in new hampshire. he wants his 2024 debut a few weeks later to be in south carolina. >> bret: thank you. >> gillian: critics are blasting a 2024 campaign strategy ascii voters groups are souring on the president. democrats say it is not enough for him just to focus on former president trump. josh joins me now. take a look at this from nbc news. they report today a democrat from florida is the human embodiment of all the democratic leaning constituencies souring on joe biden. young, progressive, black and latino. he believes the president is struggling with voters of his background because they haven't re haven't heard an agenda how

biden would improve their lives to motivate them to elect him to a second term. are you -- is what you are seeing squaring with this disenchantment? >> yeah, gillian. that's the biggest part of the biden re-election campaign. essential parts of the biden coalition that propelled him to victory in 2020 are now defecting from the president largely over concerns about the economy. so you have younger voters, which biden won overwhelmingly in 2020 are leaning towards donald trump if you believe the latest polls. you have hispanic voters who again have been a huge part of the democratic coalition if you believe the latest polling, they're evenly split between the two candidates if trump is the nominee. and african-american voters, biden won 90% of the black vote in 2020. there was an a.p. poll out this week showing his approval rating with black voters only at 50%

and only getting about 70% support in head-to-head match-ups. this is the democratic base, the folks who need to show up and overwhelmingly support president biden. he is losing critical support in these constituencies that he can't afford any defections from. >> gillian: there is messaging trying to bridge the gap or narrow the gap. take a look at this from the campaign manager. she says this week we're treating this election like it will determine the fate of american democracy because it will. the threat donald trump posed in 2020 to american democracy has only grown more dire. this comes, josh, the statement comes as a whole lot of biden insiders publicly and behind the scenes are encouraging the campaign to focus forward in a different direction. people -- voters aren't as interested in relitigating donald trump's presidency as they are eager to hear biden's

agenda for them looking forward. do you think it's good advice? >> well look, the biden campaign is trying to make this race a binary contest. they are assuming donald trump will be the republican nominee. they are trying to throw out the book. they are trying to throw out the negative things against trump early on and win some of these voters back by reminding them it is a choice between two candidates. i think the challenge, gillian, is that it actually there will be a lot of other candidates on ballots, third party candidates. so you have jill stein in the green party. cornel west running for president. robert f. kennedy, jr. there is a real likelihood that a lot of disaffected voters, especially young voters, could end up voting for third party candidates. could defect from biden even if they don't support donald trump. a little bit of overconfidence. biden campaign thinks everything is on track. even if a lot of their own voters don't support donald trump they could stay home or could support some of these more

progressive third party candidates. >> gillian: also the student loan contingent of voters here. new reports this week that as students are now for the first time trying to repay the loans that the president tried to spare them but was overridden by the supreme court they are having these major bureaucratic headaches. they aren't able to log onto websites or reach human beings on phones. it is causing a lot of angst. who will they end up blaming for that? >> well, the original thinking from the white house is that they would win support from younger voters by forgiving the billions of dollars in a lot of the student debt. even if the supreme court, as they did, overruled the legislation, the executive order, that they would blame republicans and blame the supreme court, not the biden white house. the problem, gillian, is that competence matters, too. a lot of people as they are

starting to repay student loans are seeing a lot of beer democratic problems and how to handle the repayments for student debt. a lot of them are frustrated and blaming the white house. they thought that they were going to get their student debt handled or relieved and they have been surprised by the fact the holiday season having to deal with the bureaucratic -- biden campaign thought it was a win/win to get rid of student debt and it's causing them unanticipated headaches. >> gillian: sounds like folks won't give him credit for trying but ultimately failing. i want to ask you about this. president trump reportedly pressuring the two detroit election workers. he told them not to certify the results. ronna mcdaniel was also on that call. what kind of fallout would you anticipate seeing from this

reporting, if any? >> it's a reminder of how brazen the former president was in the after math of losing the 2020 election. we've heard the call with the georgia secretary of state that caused him significant legal problems right now. now we know that it wasn't just georgia. it was michigan and he was threatening and trying to arm twist michigan election workers. this is another legal headache and political headache for trump. i think 2024 will be an issue for trump more on the legal front than on the political front. >> gillian: well said. josh, have to leave it there. happy holidays for you. thank you for taking time with us today. >> thanks, gillian. [gunfire] >> bret: as the war against hamas continues, israel is sending more ground forces into gaza, including combat engineers to target hamas terrorists above

ground and in the tunnels. meantime the u.n. security council set to vote this morning on aid for the gaza strip. the vote coming after two weeks of negotiations. we'll bring you the results when it happens. first senior foreign affairs correspondent greg palkot has the latest on the ground live from tel aviv. hi, greg. >> yeah, we have some sad hostage news to report. we'll get to that in a moment. let's catch you up on various fronts of the israel/hamas war. israel is focusing on a hamas stronghold and increasing troop strength in the south for that tricky part of the war and trying to wrap up things in the north where it has been fighting since the start of ground operations. late yesterday the idf revealed it had blown up a vast network of tunnels directly connected

with the homes of the leaders of hamas. said to be 70 feet deep with plumbing, electricity, weapons, now it's all gone. as the humanitarian situation in gaza worsens according to the hamas-run health ministry there are over 50,000 injured there, many of them women and children. 3/four of the hospitals in gaza are not functioning. and sadly, it was announced today that 73-year-old, an israeli american held hostage by hamas is dead in captivity. he was shot and killed on october 7th when his kibbutz was everyrun by hamas, his body taken to gaza. he leaves behind his wife, judy, also kidnapped by hamas, as well as four children, seven grandchildren. bret, all totaled there are eight american dual citizens being held. this is the first one who passed

away that we know of. a total of 129 hostages still being held in various conditions as talks between israel and hamas to try to get more of the hostages out seem to be stuck. a mention of the hostage release is included in that resolution. the u.n. supreme court -- security council. >> bret: have you seen an uptick in idf action or about the same in recent days? >> i would call it an uptick, bret. and again, fighting in areas where they have been fighting in the north where it was thought to be under control, still tenaciously hamas there in the central part of the gaza strip as we noted. yet another area not too far from gaza city is now all of a sudden a battlefield. and yes, more concentration, more forces down in the south. that's khan younis and hitting

rafah and a crossing point for humanitarian aid. all bets on across the gaza strip right now. >> bret: greg, thank you. >> gillian: check this out. a wild brawl breaking out between protestors and michigan democrats. people were left bloodied and bruised after 20 to 30 protestors stormed a christmas party to try to confront a lawmaker over his support for israel. at least one person there ended up going to the hospital. meanwhile, here in the nation's capital pro-palestinian vandals ta targeted the lincoln memorial. the site is closed to holiday tourists at the busiest time of year while park police try to clean up the graffiti. >> i just started floating

basically. all the other cars made it through. when i tried -- >> bret: major watch out. torrential rain and flooding threatening millions more. what you need to know. >> gillian: the holiday rush is on. the tsa is bracing or an onslaught of tens of millions of holiday travelers trying to catch flights. >> bill: tiktok's choice with the chinese government. is the video sharing platform doing the bidding of beijing? hi, i'll have the avocado toast... minus the avocado.

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>> bret: wild weather slamming parts of southern california ahead of the holiday weekend. heavy rain and flash floods leaving cars underwater in santa barbara. the flood damage across ventura county. a live look at those storms

making their way east, rain, hail, strong winds expected to hit millions. folks in the plains and rockies preparing for possible snowstorms. good for the skiing. >> gillian: those storms could impact holiday travel plans for the tens of millions of folks who plan to fly or drive. tsa says today may be one of the busiest days of the entire season. they expect 2.5 million flyers alone to be screened. travelers are dealing with long lines, major crowds there at denver international airport where we find senior corres correspondent. >> we noticed people are getting to the airport and checking in smiley and happy and get over here to the tsa security checkpoint and not as joyful, i would say. this is the third busiest airport in the world. if you are going to be flying over the holiday tsa has tips

for you for your carry on to keep the lines moving. if you are bringing gifts, put them in gift bags or boxes with tissue paper. wrapped presents are allowed. if your gifts set off their alarms it gets unwrapped. go ahead and bring the baked holiday treats but the tsa says syrups, preserves, eggnog go in a checked bag. finish your drinks before you get in line and before you head to the airport check with your airline for updates or delays. download the my tsa app to help out and get to the airport two or more hours before your flight. we talked to some young, not as young, first time and experienced travelers. >> what do you like about flying? >> you are in the air and you don't usually get to be in the air casually. >> is he a good traveler? >> his first time on a plane. he is good in cars and around people. >> your first time traveling and you decided to do it during

christmas? >> yes, yep. yeah. it has been a day. >> you have some goodies here. you have got all the presents. they're already wrapped. you wrapped your presents. was it hard to get through security. >> went right through no problem. >> so many people in the spirit trying to keep it light as they can. we have been checking the faa website for delays. you can do that as well. right the only trouble spot we see is albuquerque for de-icing. not trouble. so far, so good. >> gillian: here is wishing that dog a good first flight. thanks for that. >> bret: celebrity chef and drew greul says he won't open anymore restaurants in california. there is too much crime. according to the d.o.j. violent crime increased 13% in california between 2018 and 2022.

seen stats worse than that recently. the chef joins us now. thanks for being here. what is your thought about this? is it really, really bad in california from your perspective? >> look, i would much rather than talking about pizza and breakfast sandwiches. this is what has taken over my business. it has gotten that bad. i'm an optimist. the thing is doing business in california is like being in a haunted casino. newsom is the dealer, the legislature is the henchmen and floor staff keeping an eye on you. if you start to succeed then they make sure they throw you out of the casino or change the rules so you can't win and succeed and you are stuck in that casino. that's what it is starting to feel like in california especially with proposition 47, decriminalizing any felony and turned it to a miss demeanor. telling criminals they can do

what they want. the decarceration where they have repopulated the prisons on a local level from a state level. i could go on and on and on. the evidence is what we're seeing as business owners. as businesses are broken into left and right. nobody wants to carry cash on them anymore. people afraid to go out past dark. it has gotten that bad and all over california. >> bret: so you are seeing a lack of customers because of it? is it tougher for you to get people to work there cause of it? >> yeah. tougher for us to get people to work for us. a lack of customers. we have to start thinking about whether we'll hire private security. remember, the state just passed this workplace violence prevention bill where they are making it more difficult for businesses to stop any crimes that are in progress and you get penalized if you do so and a lot of those security companies are doing the same thing. we're running out of options all together. it is not even just the crime, right? couple that with a lot of the regulations and taxes that just keep piling up more and more

because so much money is leaving the state they have to figure out how to make up for all the money they're losing in tax dollars. they tax the existing businesses almost out of really out of being alive anymore. >> bret: here is "politico." it says retail theft drives possible return to tough on crime policies in california. the state was a leader in rewriting laws to move away from harsh sentences, prolonged incarceration and overcrowded prisons in the name of racial justice. some of the largest counties replaced district attorneys with those who wanted to imprison fewer people for less time. a new panic about the inability of law enforcement to control property crime might undermine those changes. is it possible, chef, that what you are seeing is getting through and that possibly you will see some changes there because of that? >> yeah look, now let's look at the positive. i firmly believe there is hope in california. i've said this over and over again. i hate to be the doomsday guy

here. even newsom said. i don't know if it was a few months ago or last year. he said in regards to san francisco just enforce the damn laws was his quote specifically. newsom is frustrated. he wrrecognizes he has egg on h face. now they need to think about rolling it back. the infrastructure is stripped down so much not just within the state and system but also amongst the mindset, psychology of these criminals. they have been told you can get away with whatever you want. it is completely out of control. so this is the beast that now just has taken over the tail wagging the dog if you will. how do you -- they don't have the space in these prisons and the court systems are so full that i don't know how they will turn this around quickly before there is a mass exodus of businesses and ultimately citizens in california. >> bret: it is a big story that we continue to cover. great to hear your voice on the ground. we appreciate it. >> thank you for having me.

>> as relates to what we're seeing the flow of migrants we're seeing at the border dhs is maximizing its enforcement efforts. the thing that is also, you have know, is important is the message that we have to send to smugglers. >> gillian: the white house saying it's increasing enforcement at the southern border. undocumented migrants continuing to stream by the thousands across that border. we'll bring you the latest from the ground coming up next. plus this. new york lawmakers targeting chick-fil-a again. why they're going after the fast food giant this time around? we have that for you as well. ♪ a force to be reckon with. no, not you saquon. hm? you! your business bank account with quickbooks money, now earns 5% apy. 5% apy? that's new!

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lawmakers are targeting chick-fil-a to force restaurants at roadside restaurants to be open seven days a week. that policy hurts travelers. lorne green has the details. >> you know as you said chick-fil-a is known for being closed sundays at a busy bustling location on a new york freeway. now two new york state lawmakers are co-sponsoring a bill that seems aimed at changing that policy. the proposed law is called the new york restaurant rest act requiring chick-fil-a and all food restaurants to be remain open seven days a week at freeway rest stops. chick-fil-a has been at the center of the controversy after its founder spoke out about his personal beliefs against gay marriage. in a press release new york state assembly member a bill co-sponsor said not only does chick-fil-a have a history of

opposing lgbfq rights and -- drivers are on the throughway on sundays. but chick-fil-a's six day schedule is part of the founder's commitment to his faith. the chain operates in ten recently renovated areas. in a statement to fox news channel a threw way officials says it is required to have at least one hot and food cold option available 24 hours a day at all locations. chick-fil-a's sunday closure is a brand requirement which apple green factored into their tenant plan. chick-fil-a has not commented on the proposal. if it legislation passes, it would affect and impact all food restaurants that are controlled by the port authority of new york and new jersey. lawmakers have not said when they will actually discuss the proposal. back to you.

>> gillian: lauren green for yours on that story. merry christmas. thank you. >> bret: a judge ruling that whole foods did not violate workers rights by barring them from wearing black lives matter clothing to work. the national labor relations board arguing the whole foods employees wore the blm attire in 2020 to make their black co-workers feel safe during the nationwide protests against police violence. but the judge deciding the prosecution failed to prove wearing the clothing constituted a collective goal related to their jobs. >> gillian: hotel prices are rising thanks to restrictions placed on air b and b in cities and towns across country leaving a lot of travelers wondering where they can afford to stay this holiday season. let's bring in kelly o'grady from fox business with all the details. >> that's right. this holiday season is underscoring that the impact of the air b and b restrictions.

great news in the hotel business but not in you are a tourist. hundreds of cities and towns have issued restrictions on short-term rentals. you have san francisco, boston, christmastime in new york city is hammering home what this means for consumers. in september new york city issued these new restrictions. one of the most recent to do it limiting rentals to two guests in a unit. the stay had to be longer than 30 days. if you are traveling for the holidays to new york you probably thought about booking an air b and b. it's cheaper. i have done it before. over 75% of air b and b listings have disappeared and travelers have no choice to book hotels to the tune of $5 hundred a night. up 8% since last year. 102% above a non-holiday rate. it is about housing affordability. the criticism of short term rentals they drive up rent and

home prices. they list them on air b and b to make a quick buck. there are more air b and bs in new york than rentals. if you come to new york for the holidays it is going to cost you, i'm sorry. >> gillian: kelly o'grady there for us today. thanks so much. >> bret: israel's defense forces are targeting hamas forces and terrorists and terror infrastructure. key players behind the october 7th terror attacks remain at large. former c.i.a. chief of station and fox news contributor dan hoffman will talk about what it will take to find them. plus a study analyzes how china chooses to promote and pull certain videos on its popular app tiktok. why critics say it is posing more threats here at home. >> for mmef it's a clear national security risk. the fact that we have put the

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>> gillian: a new study is accusing the app tiktok of burning videos that benefit china politically. researchers at rutgers university found that a strong possibility that content on tiktok is either amp plea filed is suppressed based on its alignment with the chinese government. the app spokesperson is denying these claims. especially concerning about this study more and more adults lately say they get their news regularly from tiktok.

it rose to 32% earlier this year. hey, everybody, these two are looking for a turbo man. >> bret: the struggle the real for holiday shopping procrastinators. i have stuff to do. i'm one of them. if you are scrambling to buy last-minute presents for in your loved ones, more than long lines to worry about. rising prices taking a toll on shoppers. we're live from a mall in florida. hey, dana marie. >> good morning, bret. the fall is full of procras procrastinators. they expect more shoppers than black friday tomorrow. retailers are happy.

consumers are spending record breaking amounts of money. >> the first time since i believe 2017 since we've had a super saturday that is right before christmas. be ready for a lot of crowd. >> the national retail federation says shoppers on average are expecting to spend $875 on gifts, holiday decorations and food this year. clothing and gift cards are the most popular items. spending habits are shifting. 74% of holiday shoppers plan to use credit cards to buy gifts this year. >> people don't really like to think about the fact that they do have to pay off the debt in january and one really shocking statistic that we find every year is that about a third of people who bought their gifts with credit cards are still paying off that debt a year later. >> with retail sales exceeding expectations for the season, nrs says it's a good time to be a

consumer. stores have high inventory levels. >> we're seeing a lot more promotional shopping. something we haven't seen over the past two years because goods have been short and we haven't seen as many discounts. >> and here at the mall the stores opened earlier and we're even seeing shoppers line up outside. so a lot of busyness here this morning, bret. >> bret: you are saying i should get to the mall quickly. i get it. that your, dana marie. >> gillian: also this. israel's counter offensive against hamas is making significant ground gains taking out terrorists and destroying a lot of infrastructure in gaza. one target is proving more difficult. top leadership remains still mostly at large. fox news contributor dan hoffman is a former c.i.a. station chief. take a look at this reporting from "the new york times." they say today israel has battered

gaza in its quest to destroy hamas without finding commanders as the most important targets. the illusiveness of the top figures is depriving netanyahu and his government of tangible proof to show both his domestic audience and a growing chorus of foreign leaders call for a cease-fire. how much of a concern is that for israel. >> i do agree with that assessment. look, the tunnels underneath gaza give new meaning to the term strategic depth. hamas is able to use those tunnels in the gaza strip. it's only 140 square miles. the width of the gaza strip only a few miles and the length maybe 25 miles. so those tunnels give hamas terrorists the roughly 24,000 man battalions freedom to move

and allows the leadership, the opportunity to stay clear of israeli defense forces searching for them. i agree that prime minister benjamin netanyahu, who oversaw the worst intelligence failure in israel's history, so costly. absolutely has to take the fight to the finish. >> gillian: let's listen to john kirby yesterday and get your response to what he said. >> i said that many times from this podium. we don't believe you will be able to wipe out the ideology that inspires hamas through military action. i've said it many times. we want to make sure you are israeli counterparts don't turn a victory into a defeat. that's not a new notion and certainly we agree it's a risk here. >> gillian: given that the ideology is in no danger of going anywhere, how much does it matter if you decapitate the top leadership. won't they repopulate itself

within days or weeks? >> israel needs to absolutely destroy hamas. that's the maximum goal that netanyahu set out and the concern about hamas's overseas terror finance network and patrons overseas. but look, for anyone who wants a post conflict reconstruction plan there can be no prospect for a two-state solution if hamas and their leaders survive. we need to put the blame with hamas where it belongs. the united states biden administration needs to take a more pro-active and robust approach using diplomatic soft power to counter chinese and russian and iranian propaganda. those countries are using the war in gaza to target their main enemy, the united states and take a shot at us. we need to be more robust defending israel's prosecution of this war. >> gillian: we have to leave it

there. thanks for taking time with us today. the war goes on even though we'll be celebrating the holidays next week. merry christmas to you. >> same to you. >> gillian: bret. >> bret: a rise in nuns is reshaping religion in america. not that kind of nun, you might be thinking of. why more americans are disaffiliating from any kind of church. ♪

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okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete, balanced nutrition for strength and energy. yay - woo hoo! ensure, with 27 vitamins and minerals, nutrients for immune health. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. (♪) >> bret: americans are shifting to a more secular lifestyle. 30% of adults say they don't have any religious affiliation. that none denomination is a growing trend in people who seem less interested in organized

religion. bishop robert barron joins me to talk about this. thank you for being here, merry christmas. >> good morning, bret. >> bret: let me ask you, are you concerned about these numbers? >> yeah, very concerned. we've been following for a long time and you look at stats maybe from five or ten years ago it was getting up past 20%, 24, 25. this latest survey showing 30% is staggering. that number was 3% when i was a kid back in the 1970s. so during the last few decades there has been an increase in disaffiliation. i would say as a churchman it is our number one concern. >> bret: you look at some of these polls that deal with young people 18 to 29. religious affiliation, christians at 52%, none at 43%. other religions at 4%. you wrote an op-ed entitled what the christ child says to the nones, what was the message in

that? >> it said several things there. one is this whole question of religion and science. when you look at the polls, a major reason people disaffiliate saying religion is irrational and opposed to science. a lot of reasons for this problem, one is we tended to dumb down our faith precisely when colleges and universities were consistently presenting a very materialist, secular view of the world. that combination i think was deadly for a lot of people. again go back to 1950s. most people in our culture from the most simple to the best educated would have held a basically biblical view of things. that has changed so dramatically in the last 50 years. it is combination of those two things. the point i was making with the christ child there is the strange claim in the christian church that god becomes a child. god becomes one of us means that

god is not one being in the world competing with nature. god is not one cause among many. but god is the reason why there is anything at all. it is that being who is non-competitive with us, with nature, with the universe. so if we look deeply at the truth of christmas, we find this transcendent and non-competitive god. that's the source of solving a lot of this problem of a conflict of science and religion. >> bret: christmas season, the holiday season for different faiths, it is the best foot forward to get some of these nones to something, is that true? >> yeah. part of it is the beauty of christmas. i think of bono, he says the poetic appropriateness of the creator of the universe becoming a baby born in straw poverty.

that's beguileed the parts of heartists over the centuries. the beauty of christmas that can draw people in. they are drawn by the beauty of it and we can look deeply at the truth and goodness of it. it has been a commission of mine that evangelically start with the beautiful. christmas is a beautiful piece. >> bret: we appreciate you coming in and merry christmas. >> god bless you, thanks. >> bret: it is good to touch on that. you have a little one at home and a special time four, too. >> gillian: i don't know what you are talking about. cocoa is 2 1/2 and completely grown up now, bret. she has no time for me anymore. >> bret: 16 and 13 are -- >> gillian: thanks, bret. >> bret: "the faulkner focus" is next, juli