NationalWatch

FIRST ON FOX: Two major phone carriers took sharply different paths when former special counsel Jack Smith’s team subpoenaed phone records tied to Republican lawmakers in 2023, according to the redacted subpoenas and letters first shared with Fox News Digital.

The documents, provided by the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, reveal Verizon’s compliance and AT&T’s resistance when faced with Smith’s requests, which were part of Arctic Frost, the FBI probe that led to Smith bringing election charges against President Donald Trump.

The 12 phone numbers on the subpoena to Verizon are redacted and replaced by Grassley’s office with the names of the lawmakers associated with them. They include one House member and 10 senators, including Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fl., whose name was not previously reported.

AT&T received a similar request, according to a second subpoena. The company told Grassley the subpoenaed phone records were associated with two lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, according to a source directly familiar with the matter. The source said AT&T declined to disclose the second person.

REPUBLICANS CLAIM BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ‘ENEMIES LIST’ UNEARTHED FROM ARCTIC FROST INVESTIGATION

Accompanying the two subpoenas were gag orders, signed by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of Washington, D.C., that directed the two phone companies not to disclose the subpoenas to the lawmakers for one year. Prosecutors can seek such gag orders to temporarily keep investigative matters confidential.

The phone companies also wrote letters to Grassley, first shared with Fox News Digital, explaining how they handled the subpoenas they received, revealing two different approaches.

Verizon justified complying with the subpoenas, saying they were “facially valid” and contained only phone numbers, not names. Verizon said that with the “benefit of hindsight” and recent discussions with the Senate Sergeant at Arms, which handles congressional phone services, it has modified its policies so that it puts up more of a challenge to law enforcement requests pertaining to Congress members.

AT&T, meanwhile, did not comply with the subpoenas.

“When AT&T raised questions with Special Counsel Smith’s office concerning the legal basis for seeking records of members of Congress, the Special Counsel did not pursue the subpoena further, and no records were produced,” David Chorzempa, general counsel for AT&T, wrote.

The release of copies of the subpoenas and new details from phone companies comes after Grassley published earlier this month a one-page FBI document indicating the existence of the subpoenas and naming most of the senators. They included Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn, Josh Hawley, Lindsey Graham, Bill Hagerty, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson and Cynthia Lummis.

Cruz later revealed that he was in the mix, and Scott announced on Thursday that he too was a target.

Grassley said Wednesday that Smith’s subpoena to Verizon included Cruz’s office’s landline. In Verizon’s letter to Grassley, it noted that there were no records to give Smith pertaining to the landline request.

The two subpoenas to Verizon and AT&T sought toll records for a four-day period surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. They did not include the contents of phone calls or messages, which would require a warrant, but they did include “[call] detail records for inbound and outbound calls, text messages, direct connect, and voicemail messages” and phone number subscriber and payment information.

News of the subpoenas sparked an outcry from the senators, who claimed Smith improperly spied on them and that Arctic Frost was “worse” than the Watergate scandal. The lawmakers have raised numerous constitutional concerns, including claims that the subpoenas violated the speech and debate clause, which gives lawmakers an added layer of immunity from investigations.

JACK SMITH DEFENDS SUBPOENAING REPUBLICAN SENATORS’ PHONE RECORDS: ‘ENTIRELY PROPER’

Smith, in response, said in a letter through his lawyers that he mentioned subpoenaing senators’ phone records in his public, final special counsel report and that the subpoenas were narrowly tailored to the four-day period and “entirely proper.”

Smith has asked House and Senate lawmakers to allow him to testify before them in a public hearing to speak about his special counsel work. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, however, wants to question Smith behind closed doors and Grassley has said he needs more information before he hosts Smith in a public setting.

The DOJ has issued subpoenas for lawmakers’ information in the past, but former inspector general Michael Horowitz cautioned against it except in limited circumstances in a report published last year, saying that doing so “risks chilling Congress’s ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch.”

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Horowitz’s warning came in response to the first Trump administration subpoenaing phone records of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and then-Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and dozens of congressional staffers from both parties as part of an investigation into classified information being leaked to the media.

Despite enjoying additional constitutional protections, members of Congress can still be investigated and prosecuted. Former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez’s phone records were seized while he was serving in office. Menendez is now serving in prison after being found guilty by a jury last year of corruption charges.

Read copies of the letters from Verizon and AT&T and the subpoenas below. 

App users: 

Click to read the Verizon letter

Click to read the Verizon subpoena

Click to read the AT&T letter

Click to read the AT&T subpoena

President Donald Trump and the first lady handed out candy at the White House Thursday evening, during which Trump repeated his viral candy move that had folks both amused and confused in 2019. 

The White House holds an annual trick-or-treat event for kids, which included a viral off-script moment from the president that left some laughing and others poking fun at the president in 2019.

Trump, instead of putting candy in a child’s bag, who was dressed up as a minion from the Disney movie “Despicable Me,” put it on the kid’s head. Melania, following her husband’s lead, did so as well.

VIRAL COMEDIAN BRINGS TRUMP, OBAMA IMPRESSIONS TO FOX & FRIENDS 

The viral moment was then repeated by Trump on Thursday as a child dressed as the popular DJ Marshmello, with his signature rectangular marshmallow helmet, walked up to the president and first lady. As the child held out his bag, Trump moved to place a giant candy bar on top of the kid’s helmet.

The kid, seemingly confused, lifted his head back to see what Trump was doing, but eventually caught on and walked off with the candy bar on his head as Trump and the first lady smiled and watched. Melanie, however, did not follow her husband’s lead this time around. 

The move stirred a reaction on social media, with many calling it a recreation of the viral moment from 2019.

TRUMP HIT IN THE FACE WITH MICROPHONE, QUIPS OPERATOR ‘BECAME A BIG STORY’ 

“PART TWO: President Trump just put a candy bar on a trick-or-treaters head AGAIN,” conservative commentator Benny Johnson said on X alongside a laughing emoji.

“NO WAY! President Trump just put a candy bar on some kid’s head dressed as a marshmallow at the White House Halloween Party and made him balance it while waddling off,” added one of Johnson’s producers, Danny De Urbina. “He knows the meme. Gangster.”

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Visitors at the Thursday White House event commemorating Halloween included parents and children of military and law enforcement personnel, as well as foster and adoptive families. The families of various White House staff were also present.

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President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Republicans to end the filibuster in order to end the monthlong government shutdown.

In a late-night Truth Social post, Trump noted that Democrats had tried to eliminate the Senate procedure when they had control of both chambers of Congress and the White House during the Biden administration, but then-Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema — both of whom have since left the Democratic Party to become independents — helped block the effort.

Trump revived talk of the “nuclear option,” after his returning from his Asia trip this week. 

THUNE, GOP REJECT PUSHING ‘RIFLE-SHOT’ GOVERNMERNT FUNDING BILLS DURING SHUTDOWN

“The one question that kept coming up, however, was how did the Democrats SHUT DOWN the United States of America, and why did the powerful Republicans allow them to do it?” Trump wrote. “The fact is, in flying back, I thought a great deal about that question, WHY?” 

The president praised Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson for “doing a GREAT job,” but blasted Democrats as “crazed lunatics” suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” 

“They want Trillions of Dollars to be taken from our Healthcare System and given to others, who are not deserving — People who have come into our Country illegally, many from prisons and mental institutions,” Trump wrote. “This will hurt American citizens, and Republicans will not let it happen.”

Republicans and Democrats remain at an impasse over how to end the shutdown, now in its fourth week, with both sides trading blame for the stalemate. 

SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘SKIPPING TOWN’ DURING SHUTDOWN AS PRESIDENT HEADS TO ASIA FOR TRADE TALKS

Trump added that Republicans, who now hold control of Congress and the White House, should play their “Trump card” and go for the “nuclear option.”

“Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” he wrote.

Trump added that Democrats “fought so hard” to end the filibuster under Biden but failed. Now, he argued, Republicans should abolish the procedure to advance their own agenda and end the shutdown. 

“[I]f we did what we should be doing, it would immediately end this ridiculous, country-destroying shutdown,” Trump said. 

He added that Democrats would “do it on their first day” if they regained power. 

“In addition to all of the other things we would get, such as the best Judges, the best U.S. Attorneys, the best of everything, this was a concept from years ago of then President Barack Hussein Obama and former Majority Leader Harry Reid in order to take advantage of the Republicans. Now I want to do it in order to take advantage of the Democrats,” Trump added.

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The president was referring to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s 2013 decision to eliminate the 60-vote threshold for most executive branch and judicial nominees. The Senate, with a Democrat majority, voted 52–48 in 2013 to eliminate the 60-vote requirement.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, slammed the Trump administration after it held briefings with only Republican lawmakers on the U.S. military strikes targeting alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

Warner called the move to exclude Democrats from the national security briefings “indefensible and dangerous.”

“Shutting Democrats out of a briefing on U.S. military strikes and withholding the legal justification for those strikes from half the Senate is indefensible and dangerous,” the senator said in a statement. “Decisions about the use of American military force are not campaign strategy sessions, and they are not the private property of one political party.”

“For any administration to treat them that way erodes our national security and flies in the face of Congress’ constitutional obligation to oversee matters of war and peace,” he continued.

HEGSETH SAYS MILITARY CONDUCTED ANOTHER STRIKE ON BOAT CARRYING ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS

Warner said the partisan “stunt” is a “slap in the face” to Congress’ war powers responsibilities and to the men and women in uniform. He also stressed that it sets a “reckless and deeply troubling precedent.”

Reports indicate that the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) produced a legal opinion justifying the strikes, which Democrats have been demanding in recent weeks.

“The administration must immediately provide to Democrats the same briefing and the OLC opinion justifying these strikes, as Secretary Rubio personally promised me that he would in a face-to-face meeting on Capitol Hill just last week,” Warner said in his statement. “Americans deserve a government that fulfills its constitutional duties and treats decisions about the use of military force with the seriousness they demand.”

The Pentagon, responding to Warner’s criticism, claimed that the “appropriate” committees were briefed on the strikes.

“The Department of War has briefed the appropriate committees of jurisdiction, including the Senate Intelligence committee, numerous times throughout the operations targeting narco-terrorists,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a statement. “These have occurred on a bipartisan basis, and will continue as such.”

SENATORS LOOK TO BLOCK TRUMP FROM ENGAGING IN ‘HOSTILITIES’ IN VENEZUELA

On Wednesday, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee also penned a letter demanding to review the legal justification behind the series of boat strikes they say appear to violate several laws.

“Drug trafficking is a terrible crime that has had devastating impacts on American families and communities and should be prosecuted. Nonetheless, the President’s actions to hold alleged drug traffickers accountable must still conform with the law,” the letter states.

The Trump administration has also been scrutinized over the strikes by members of his own party, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who raised concerns about killing people without due process and the possibility of killing innocent people.

Paul has cited Coast Guard statistics that show a significant percentage of boats boarded for suspicion of drug trafficking are innocent.

The senator has also argued that if the administration plans to engage in a war with Venezuela after it has targeted boats it claims are transporting drugs for the Venezuela-linked Tren de Aragua gang, it must seek a declaration of war from Congress. In the House, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has made similar statements.

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This comes as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced the U.S. military on Wednesday struck another boat carrying people he said were narco-terrorists. The strikes were carried out in the Eastern Pacific region at the direction of President Donald Trump, killing four men on board.

That was the 14th strike on suspected drug boats carried out since September. A total of 61 have reportedly been killed while three survived, including at least two who were later repatriated to their home countries.

The Pentagon has not released the identities of those killed or evidence that drugs were on board.

In a televised town hall with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday, New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli announced which far-left policy will be his day-one priority to eliminate if he is elected governor.

With just five days until Election Day, Ciattarelli trails his Democratic opponent, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, by seven points in deep blue New Jersey. Nonetheless, while speaking with Hannity in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, Ciattarelli maintained that his campaign holds the momentum to upset Sherrill and flip the state red.

If he should win the race, Ciattarelli told Hannity that his very first priority would be eliminating New Jersey’s sanctuary policies, keeping local and state authorities from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement operations.

“Executive order number one, on day one, no town in this state will be a sanctuary city, we will not be a sanctuary state,” said Ciattarelli, as the crowd, filled with local New Jerseyans, broke into applause.

TRUMP TOUTS REPUBLICAN GARDEN STATE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE WHILE TRASHING DEM OPPONENT

“Here’s the good news,” he went on. “Many of the things that [current Democratic Gov. Phil] Murphy has done were by executive order. They weren’t codified by the legislature, which means I can reverse them on day one.”

“Having sanctuary cities and us being a sanctuary state encourages illegal immigration, and it handcuffs our local police in certain ways; we’re not doing that. I’m going to reverse that on day one,” he said, adding, “If a local police chief and mayor want to work together to preserve safety in our community by partnering with a federal agency, I’m not going to get in the way.”

Ciattarelli also announced he would prioritize eliminating cashless bail, saying the policy “has created a professional criminal who’s learned how to game the system.”

CRIME AND IMMIGRATION DIVIDE NEW JERSEY VOTERS AFTER EXPLOSIVE CIATTARELLI-SHERRILL DEBATE

“Talk to your local cops and they’ll tell you about this dynamic known as ‘arrest, release, repeat,’ it’s demoralizing for cops,” he explained.

Despite having unsuccessfully run for New Jersey governor two times already, Ciattarelli told Hannity the early voting results have him in a “really good position to win.”

During the town hall, he also knocked Sherrill for refusing to release her military records relating to the disciplinary action she faced for involvement in a cheating scandal at the U.S. Naval Academy. Sherrill has maintained that she did not cheat but was kept from walking with her graduating class for refusing to give up information on those who cheated.

“All she has to do is approve the release of her disciplinary records, and we’ll know why she was disciplined. And if what she is saying is true, her disciplinary records will confirm that, but she won’t release them,” he said, adding, “There’s a pattern here.”

NEW JERSEY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES TOUT EARLY VOTING NUMBERS AS TRUMP LOOMS OVER TIGHT RACE

He also dinged Sherrill over her endorsement from New York socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani.

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“We’ve called on her to reject that endorsement, but she hasn’t,” he said as Hannity noted, “Just like she’ll be the most transparent but never give out her naval records.”

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Dana Blanton contributed to this report.

Every time there’s a government shutdown, I turn to an unconventional barometer to understand the depth of the impasse.

I always observe the first few moments of the Senate session.

Logical, right?

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN KNOWLEDGE: GAMING OUT ITS POTENTIAL END

Any congressional reporter worth their salt would surely want to hear the musings of the Senate majority and minority leaders on the floor to digest where things stand with the shutdown.

But I tune in to hear someone who has their palm on the pulse of the Senate. They might not rank as high as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. But they have a direct line to someone who outranks everyone.

I listen to the Senate’s opening prayer from Senate Chaplain Barry Black.

“On this third day of the government shutdown, inspire them to work for your glory in all they think, say and do,” Black prayed as he opened the Senate Oct. 3. “Equip our senators for their task.”

Black is a parliamentary pastor offering ecumenical intercessions in search of a shutdown solution.

The shutdown impasse deepened since Black’s initial invocation more than three weeks ago. But after days of political posturing and inaction by the Congressional laity, Black unloaded on his Senate flock Monday.

“When our children and grandchildren want to know what we were doing in the 119th Congress during the famous shutdown, may we not have to give these answers: ‘I helped set a new record for keeping the government closed. I failed to appeal to the better angels of my nature. I forgot Matthew 7:12, which states, do to others whatever you would like them to do to you,’” Black prayed.

“Lord, remind our lawmakers that no gold medals are given for breaking shutdown records. But a crown of righteousness is given to those who take care of the lost, last and least.”

Black’s sizzling sermons from the Senate pulpit are canon during times of crisis. He delivered similar prayers during the lengthy government shutdowns of 2013 and 2018-19.

A DIZZYING RIDE ON THE HILL: LAWMAKERS DEBATE IN CIRCLES AS SHUTDOWN ENTERS WEEK TWO

“Enough is enough,” Black prayed during the 2013 shutdown after death payments to the families of deceased U.S. soldiers ceased. “Cover our shame with the robe of your righteousness.”

After U.S. Capitol Police officers were injured following a high-speed chase and shooting at the Capitol — all while not being paid in the middle of that shutdown — Black chastised lawmakers in his prayer.

“Deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable,” prayed Black.

Black says his prayers are to God. But his position in the Senate grants him special status. Not every pastor enjoys the benefit (or pressure) of a 100-senator audience. That’s to say nothing of those watching across the country on C-Span.

Black was direct in his oration Tuesday.

“Lord, use our legislators to help end this government shutdown, increase their faith, hope, and love, enabling them to transform cacophony into concord,” he prayed.

By day 29 of the government shutdown, it was unclear if Black’s petitions were getting through to lawmakers. Tensions rose in the Capitol as members lashed out at one another in fits of anger.

“Self-serving, nasty, vicious bull!” yelled Schumer, casting aspersions at the president, calling him “a cold, heartless individual.”

SCHUMER, DEMS CALL ‘BULL—-‘ ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FOOD STAMP SHUTDOWN THREAT

Lawmakers sprinkled salty language into their rhetoric.

“We need five Democrat senators to pull their heads out of their asses,” implored House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla.

“I’ve got the damn statute,” bellowed Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. She demanded the Trump Administration release a contingency fund to pay for SNAP benefits.

“The money is there. Go get it, godd—it,” DeLauro fumed.

The usually genial Thune excoriated Democrats during a heated floor exchange on SNAP.

“This isn’t a political game! These are real people’s lives that we’re talking about!” thundered Thune. “And you all have just figured out that 29 days in there might be some consequences? That there’s people running out of money?”

That said — or yelled — Thune has long told Democrats he’s willing to engage them on their healthcare demands.

But with a caveat.

“You want to have discussion about healthcare? Open the government. Let’s do it,” said Thune.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHITE HOUSE POUNCES AFTER TOP DEM SAYS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN GIVES PARTY ‘LEVERAGE’

At least one Democrat is willing to take that offer.

“I think what’s a very fair deal is open the government and let’s just vote on extending these premiums for a year or more,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said on Fox.

But Democrats insist they’re not caving.

“There are zero cracks on the Democratic side,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Jeffries blasted President Trump for refusing to negotiate to end the shutdown — while the president was in Asia.

“Donald Trump has spent more time talking to Hamas and the Chinese Communist Party than he has in talking to Democrats on Capitol Hill to end the Trump shutdown,” the New York Democrat said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is exasperated with the Democratic brass.

“I’ve given up on the leadership,” said Johnson. “So, we’re trying to appeal to a handful of moderates or centrists who care more about the American people.”

THUNE, GOP REJECT PUSHING ‘RIFLE-SHOT’ GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILLS DURING SHUTDOWN

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., is one of three senators associated with the Democrats who voted repeatedly to fund the government. There is chatter about what it will take to halt the shutdown. But the talks are informal.

“I think that there’s an opportunity for us to come together, to open up the government, to address the looming health care crisis,” Cortez Masto told Chase Williams of Fox Business. 

“There is the will among senators on both sides of the aisle to do something. But the leadership’s getting in the way. And the one person that needs to be at the table is not. That’s Donald Trump. Because Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune will not do one thing unless he says and tells them what to do.”

Multiple lawmakers are forecasting what will compel lawmakers to reopen the government.

“I think Veterans Day is probably D-Day,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. “And that’s when you’re going to break the system.”

“I think it’s going to happen next week,” predicted Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

“Why?” yours truly asked.

“Just because the carnage is piling up, and Democrats are getting hurt more than they’re being helped,” replied Graham.

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It’s unclear if that compels lawmakers to reopen the government. There’s now pressure in the air — and on the ground — to reopen the government. Multiple airlines and the Teamsters demanded that Congress pass the GOP’s bill to fund the government.

To Graham’s point, next week represents the shutdown’s most significant inflection point yet, which could potentially force lawmakers to come around. SNAP benefits running out. A second missed paycheck. Worry about the airlines. It’s an “opportunity.” But only that. Those “opportunities” will soon multiply.

Barry Black will likely continue his daily invocations to end the shutdown. And only the Almighty knows when the shutdown will end.

But, until then, operations of the federal government are limping along.

On a wing. And a prayer.

POINT PLEASANT, N.J. – With six days to go until Election Day and one of only two races for governor in the nation this year careening towards a potential tight finish, New Jersey Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli is highlighting the state’s robust early voting numbers.

“We’ve seen more Republicans return vote by mail ballots than ever before,” Ciattarelli said Thursday during a town hall on Fox News’ “Hannity.”

The town hall, hosted by Fox News’ Sean Hannity in this seaside community along the Jersey Shore, took place six days into state’s early in-person voting period. Nearly one million voters have already cast a ballot, either in-person or through mail-in voting, far ahead of the pace four years ago when Ciattarelli came close to upsetting Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

Now, in his third bid for Garden State governor, Ciattarelli is facing off with Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill in an extremely competitive and combustible race to succeed the term-limited Murphy.

FIVE KEY RACES TO WATCH WITH TWO WEEKS UNTIL ELECTION DAY

“The return rate’s been phenomenal. And here through the first five or six days of early voting, which goes through Sunday, we’ve been matching them voter for voter. That puts us in a really good position to win,” Ciattarelli said.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND ANALYSIS ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS

But Sherrill, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who flew helicopters during her military career and briefly served as a federal prosecutor before first winning election to Congress in 2018, is also touting the early voting numbers, calling them “really great news.”

“We’re seeing such great results in the vote by mails and the early voting,” she told Fox News Digital on Wednesday after a meet and greet at a senior center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. “Certainly the trend is much better than ’21.”

Ciattarelli, a one-time certified public accountant who started a medical publishing company before getting into politics and winning election as a state lawmaker, landed President Donald Trump‘s endorsement earlier this year, in the closing stretch of the GOP gubernatorial nomination race. Trump’s backing helped Ciattarelli cruise to an easy and convincing primary victory in a nomination race that centered on support for the president.

Ciattarelli was joined on the campaign trail the past two weeks by two top MAGA stars and leading allies of President Donald Trump allies – former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy of Ohio and Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida.

MAGA STAR JOINS CIATTARELLI ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN NEW JERSEY AS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

Trump headlined a tele-rally for Ciattarelli last Friday, on the eve of the start of early voting, and his campaign told Fox News Digital that another tele-rally with the president is expected before Election Day.

In a likely close election where getting base voters to the polls will be crucial, the hope is that the tele-rallies with the president, and the recent campaign trail stops by Ramaswamy and Donalds will energize MAGA supporters, many of whom are low-propensity voters who often skip casting ballots in non-presidential election years.

“We go after those one out of four Republicans …who typically only vote in presidential years,” Ciattarelli said during the Hannity town hall. “We’ve done a magnificent job, our local Republican organizations have, in getting those people to vote by mail or vote early.”

While Democrats have long dominated federal and state legislative elections in blue-leaning New Jersey, Republicans are very competitive in gubernatorial contests, winning five out of the past 10 elections.

While Democrats still have a large voter registration advantage over Republicans in New Jersey, the GOP has narrowed the gap in the four years since Ciattarelli fell short of victory.

TRUMP PARACHUTES INTO KEY 2025 RACE

And Trump made major gains in New Jersey in last year’s presidential election, losing the state by only six percentage points, a vast improvement over his 16-point deficit four years earlier.

Ciattarelli, pointing to Trump’s 2024 finish in New Jersey, said “that improvement means there’s 300,000 more people today that are favorable to the president than back in 2021.”

Ciattarelli was not only predicting a win at the top of the ticket, he was also forecasting down-ballot victories for the GOP in the state legislature, which the Democrats have controlled for nearly a quarter-century.

Noting that the GOP flipped eight seats in 2021 “with the wind at my face,” Ciattarelli predicted that “with the wind at my back this time around I can flip 13 seats and that gives us a Republican majority for the first time in close to three decades.”

The town hall took place as three new public opinion polls released on Thursday pointed to a single digit contest, with Sherrill holding the advantage.

A Fox News poll conducted last Friday through Tuesday (Oct. 24–28) indicated Sherrill leading Ciattarelli 52%-45% among likely voters in New Jersey. A Quinnipiac University survey suggested Sherrill up by nine points, while a Suffolk University poll indicated Ciattarelli trailing by just four points.

But other recent surveys indicated an even tighter contest between Sherrill and Ciattarelli.

New Jersey traditionally elects a governor from the party out of power in the White House, which this year favors the Democrats.

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But Garden State voters haven’t elected a governor from the same party in three straight elections in over a half century, which would favor the Republicans.

One of those political trends will be busted in next month’s election.

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration is planning to claw back over $1 billion in federal Medicaid dollars it says are being spent by blue states on healthcare for illegal immigrants, including some with violent criminal records for murder and rape.  

A preliminary audit by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found that, over the last few years, mostly during 2024 and 2025, California; Washington, D.C.; Illinois; Washington; Colorado; and Oregon improperly spent a combined $1,351,204,127 in federal Medicaid funds to help pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants. 

While federal Medicaid dollars are supposed to be prohibited broadly from being used to cover healthcare for illegal immigrants, they can be used by states for emergency treatment regardless of a patient’s citizenship or immigration status. 

DR. OZ ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF ‘GASLIGHTING’ AMERICANS OVER $1B IN MEDICAID PAYMENTS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

States can also legally cover health insurance for illegal immigrants as long as it is only done with state tax dollars. But, according to some experts, Democrats are utilizing loopholes in the federal laws that allow them to provide comprehensive health benefits to illegal immigrants.  

“Protecting Medicaid from waste, fraud and abuse isn’t optional. It’s the law. Every dollar misspent on illegal healthcare spending is a dollar taken from vulnerable Americans,” CMS spokesperson Emily Hilliard told Fox News Digital. 

“Federal law forbids using Medicaid funds for illegal immigrants, yet several Democrat-led states did it anyway. The Trump administration won’t tolerate it. CMS is auditing aggressively, recovering every dollar and holding states accountable.”

California was far and away the biggest culprit, spending over $1 billion in federal Medicaid dollars on healthcare for illegal immigrants, according to CMS. The next largest violator was Illinois, which CMS said has improperly spent nearly $30 million, followed by Oregon, which the audit found improperly spent approximately $5.5 million. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office has denied claims his state is improperly using federal funds to pay for illegal immigrant healthcare, telling the Los Angeles Times claims from Republicans are “false.” 

But Steve Hilton, a former Fox News anchor and current Republican candidate running to be the next governor of California with Newsom term limited, has argued that California has been using a complex Medicaid provision known as a “provider tax” to obtain matching federal dollars, which then gets pooled into the money used by the state to pay for its healthcare offered to undocumented immigrants. 

Chris Pope, a public health policy expert at the Manhattan Institute, has argued California is abusing federal provisions that allow states to use federal Medicaid dollars for emergency care for undocumented aliens.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment on this story but did not receive a response.

CALIFORNIA USING BACK DOOR TO GET FEDERAL FUNDS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE, GOP SAYS; DEMS SAY NONSENSE    

“Medicaid is by far the largest source of federal funding for states. It was originally intended to only provide aid for eligible beneficiaries, but, over time, states have figured out how to game the system, padding permitted expenses and diverting the profits to fund activities which are supposedly prohibited,” said Pope. 

“Any claim that state healthcare expenditures don’t ultimately involve some form of federal funds should be regarded with suspicion.”

Jim O’Neill, the current acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a deputy secretary at the Health and Human Services Department, has also been highlighting that among the federal funds that are improperly going to illegal immigrants, some are even going to illegal immigrants with violent criminal pasts. O’Neill has been posting a daily “MorningMedicaidMugshot” with examples over the last several days. 

On Oct. 29, O’Neill highlighted Layth Kamil, a 24-year-old illegal alien from Iraq convicted of exposing himself to a 15-year-old, who, according to O’Neill, has received close to $16,000 in taxpayer-funded healthcare through Medicaid. The day before, O’Neill highlighted the story of Haissam Massalkhy, a 45-year-old illegal alien from Lebanon convicted after driving under the influence and killing an American citizen who was out jogging. Massalkhy has received over $30,000, according to O’Neill.

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Other illegal aliens O’Neill highlighted included people convicted of attempted murder and child rape.

“Democrats are demanding continued funding of this violent illegal alien’s Medicaid as a condition for reopening the government and paying the hardworking public servants at my department,” O’Neill lamented in one of his recent “MorningMedicaidMugshot” posts.          

Federal prosecutors are investigating whether senior leaders of the Black Lives Matter organization defrauded donors who contributed tens of millions of dollars during the 2020 protests, two sources familiar with the probe tell Fox News.

The Associated Press first reported that the Justice Department’s ongoing inquiry is focused on the foundation’s handling of donations collected in the wake of the George Floyd killing, when the group saw a surge of more than $90 million in contributions.

The probe is being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, sources said.

Investigators have issued subpoenas and executed at least one search warrant in recent weeks as they examine whether foundation leaders or related organizations improperly managed charitable funds.

RANK-AND-FILE DC OFFICERS ACCUSE SUPERIORS OF DOWNGRADING CRIMES TO MASK REAL LEVELS: REPORT

The scope of the probe remains unclear, and no criminal charges have been filed.

The Department of Justice declined to comment. Fox News has reached out to Black Lives Matter.

BLM HAS LEFT BLACK AMERICANS WORSE OFF SINCE THE MOVEMENT BEGAN, EXPERTS SAY

According to The AP, the investigation began during the Biden administration but has received renewed attention under the Trump administration. The AP also reported that the inquiry extends to other Black-led advocacy groups that gained prominence during the 2020 nationwide demonstrations.

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The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation said in a statement to AP that it “is not a target of any federal criminal investigation” and remains committed to transparency and accountability.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Conservatives are not holding back on social media after Gen Z congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh was indicted by the Justice Department Wednesday for blocking vehicles outside a federal immigration facility last month.

Abughazaleh “physically hindered and impeded” a federal agent who was “forced to drive at an extremely slow rate of speed to avoid injuring any of the conspirators,” according to the indictment. The charges stem from Abughazaleh’s protesting at a Broadview, Illinois immigration detention center, where law enforcement has been forced to make arrests and take non-lethal measures to control angry protesters.

After news of the indictment hit the internet, many conservatives posted the acronym “FAFO” on social media, which stands for “F–k Around And Find Out.” Others took the opportunity to highlight Abughazaleh’s relationship with satirical news site The Onion’s CEO, Ben Collins, and her history working for the left-wing media watchdog group Media Matters for America. One person pointed out she used to bartend before entering politics, similar to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., before she was elected.  

FAR-LEFT UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PROFESSOR CHARGED WITH VIOLENT FELONIES DURING ANTI-ICE RIOTS IN BROADVIEW    

“This nut job Democrat running for Congress physically pushed and obstructed an ICE vehicle from conducting official business, got indicted, and is now saying it was ‘free speech,’ conservative strategist Rogan O’Handley said on X. “FAFO.”

“Far-left congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, who worked for leftist group Media Matters, has been federally indicted,” said conservative journalist and commentator Andy Ngo. “She was recorded on video physically obstructing government officials. She’s lying on social media, saying her speech is under attack.”

“Nobody is above the law,” Article III Project Founder Mike Davis posted on X.

“You surrounded and physically blocked a federal agent’s car because illegal aliens are being deported,” former Trump White House staffer Greg Price posted on X, responding to a clip of Abughazaleh saying her First Amendment rights were being trampled on.

“LOL just found out that Kat Abughazaleh is dating Ben Collins,” said Will Chamberlain, senior counsel for the Internet Accountability Project and the Article III Project. “Perhaps the brazen criminality was just a desperate way to escape his clutches.”

“This former Media Matters blogger-turned congressional candidate attacked and impeded federal officers at an ICE facility and is now playing the victim when accountability comes,” Fox News contributor Joe Concha posted on X. “Par for the course. She’ll now be all over MSNBC and CNN. Guaranteed.”

DHS RIPS ‘DISHONEST, DESPERATE’ GEN Z CANDIDATE WHO RAGED AGAINST KRISTI NOEM’S ‘CRIMES’ AT ANTI-ICE PROTEST  

But, Illinois Democrats directly competing against Abughazaleh to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, decided to steer clear of condemning their opponent and instead focused their ire on federal immigration officials and the Trump administration. 

Abughazaleh responded to the indictment by posting a video on X, saying, “This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt to silence dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment.”

Evanston Illinois Mayor Daniel Bliss (D) and Democratic state Sen. Laura Fine, both running against Abughazaleh, echoed Abughazaleh’s message of political persecution by the Trump administration after news of the indictment came down. 

“The only people engaged in violent and dangerous behavior at Broadview have been ICE,” Bliss said of the indictment against Abughazaleh, which also included charges against five other protesters, according to local paper Evanston Now. 

“As someone who has protested at Broadview multiple times, I know these protests are nonviolent demonstrations against the kidnapping of our neighbors,” Bliss continued. “Now, the Trump administration is targeting protesters, including political candidates, in an effort to silence dissent and scare residents into submission. It won’t work.”

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“Today it’s Kat. Tomorrow it could be any one of us,” Fine wrote in a press release she shared on social media. “This administration wants to rob us of our empathy – to make us afraid to fight for one another. But we cannot abandon the values that make us who we are. We’re a community that shows up, links arms, and refuses to look away. No indictment, no threat, no act of intimidation will change that.”

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-New Jersey gubernatorial candidates tout early voting numbers as Trump looms over tight race

-Vance tells Republicans to stop fearing federal power, says Democrats pioneered weaponizing it

-Ex-FBI agents say the bureau used internal probes to punish whistleblowers

2025 Election Day survival guide: Your last-minute roadmap to voting across the nation

While 2025 is considered an “off-year election,” without the high-profile presidential showdown of last year or the competitive midterm elections that could shift the congressional balance of power next year, there are more than a dozen local races across the U.S.

Election Day is just five days away. From New Jersey’s and Virginia’s gubernatorial races, to the New York City mayoral election and California’s special election, here’s everything you need to know to exercise your right to vote…READ MORE.

White House

‘EVERYONE’S HAPPY’: Trump surgeon general nominee confirmation hearing postponed as she goes into labor

GROUND CONTROL: Vance to meet with Duffy, aviation leaders as shutdown ‘gravely’ impacts crucial industry

SPIRITUAL STAND: JD Vance says Christian values must guide America’s future during TPUSA tribute to Charlie Kirk at Ole Miss

TELLS ALL: Kamala Harris suggests Biden ‘didn’t want’ debate against Trump: ‘Something was a little off’

TRUMP 1, POLL 0: Trump’s lawsuit moves to Iowa State Court: What’s next in his case against pollster, Des Moines Register

World Stage

CROP TALK: Once a trade war weapon, US soybeans return to China’s shopping list

CHINA’S POISON: Lawmakers race to stop ‘next fentanyl crisis’ with crackdown on nitazenes synthetic opioids

Capitol Hill

POWER PLAY DENIED: Senate defies Trump on global tariffs as Republicans join Democrats in rare bipartisan vote

PILL PUSHBACK: Republican senators blast FDA for expanding abortion pill access

NO FREE LUNCH: House Republican says he’ll field bill to block all welfare for noncitizens: ‘If you want free stuff, go home’

Across America 

TEXAS TAKEDOWN: Trump’s shadow looms over Texas race as Hunt accuses Cornyn of betrayal

WILD NORTHWEST: Portland police accuse ICE of inflaming protests, which city claims have not been violent

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Embattled Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ post-debate boast that his campaign took in $500,000 in 24 hours appears not to hold water, as Republicans pointed to new public fundraising disclosures poking holes in that claim.

The RNC and Republican Attorney Generals Association (RAGA) both issued separate condemnations of the claim, as the latter called it a “desperate” attempt to distract from scandals related to violent rhetoric and a reckless driving charge.

In the latest tranche of fundraising figures posted by the nonpartisan Virginia Political Access Project (VPAP), Jones recorded donations on the day of and day following his debate with his opponent, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares — Oct. 16 and 17 — totaling just over $339,000.

That figure included $250,000 from DAGA PAC, which is the campaign arm of the Democratic Attorneys General Association, leaving about $90,000 to be accounted for incoming from other donors.

SOROS-BACKED PROSECUTOR DOWNPLAYS DEM AG NOMINEE’S VIOLENT RHETORIC AS ‘FALSE OUTRAGE’

Small-dollar donations of $50 or less — often the bellwether for a candidate’s populist draw — totaled about $2,400 in that timeframe.

Adam Piper, a top official at RAGA, said in a statement that Jones is “the Pinocchio of Virginia politics” — referring to the Walt Disney character whose nose grew when he lied.

DEMOCRATS POURED MORE THAN $1M INTO JAY JONES’ CAMPAIGN SINCE DUELING SCANDALS BROKE, DISCLOSURES SHOW

“We all know IOUs and Monopoly Money cannot pay the bills, but Jay seems to think so, probably because he got away with his Get Out of Jail Free card,” Piper added.

In 2022, Jones was stopped for driving 116 mph in a 70 mph zone in New Kent County and was convicted of reckless driving, which in Virginia is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail, a $2,500 fine, and license suspension. Instead of jail time, Jones paid a fine and completed community service. 

The episode sparked renewed criticism after reports revealed Jones had logged hundreds of those service hours with his own PAC.

RAGA recently released faux-Community Chest and Chance cards depicting Jones “get[ting] out of jail free.”

“He lied about his completed community service hours. Now, he’s lying about his campaign finance reports,” Piper added.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER DISGRACED DEM NOMINEE LEANS ON TRUMP ATTACKS IN VIRGINIA AG DEBATE

An ongoing investigation into Jones’ reckless driving conviction was recently punted to a third jurisdiction, after the New Kent County and James City County commonwealth’s attorneys both subsequently recused themselves.

However, Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney Don Caldwell, an Independent, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that he has yet to receive any official notice that his office has now been tasked with the case.

In a statement, RAGA officials said that when Jones’ campaign was pressed about the $500,000 figure, they cited a then-“outstanding” pledge of an additional $250,000 from DAGA PAC — which did arrive days later.

JAY JONES INVOKES TRUMP NEARLY 50 TIMES DURING VIRGINIA AG DEBATE, TIES MIYARES TO ‘MAGA’

“No matter how you do the math, it doesn’t add up,” said RAGA political director Klarke Kilgore.

“Whether it’s a fake apology about his violent text messages, falsified community service hours, or now, bogus fundraising numbers, deception is Jay Jones’ default.”

In a press release following the debate, Jones’ campaign reported the $500,000 claim, with campaign manager Rachel Rothman saying it was proof of Virginians “stepping up to join our campaign because the stakes of this election are clear.”

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“Either ‘MAGA Miyares’ lets Trump control Virginia, or we finally elect an attorney general who puts Virginians first,” Rothman said.

The statement went on to say there is elevated enthusiasm for Jones’ bid.

Fox News Digital recently asked DNC Chairman Ken Martin about Jones’ candidacy, and the fact they’ve “stuck with him.”

“[L]et me be very clear, I immediately condemned those vile and indefensible comments and text messages that he made and called on him to apologize,” Martin said of Jones.

“Unlike the Republicans, who never actually condemn their own elected officials or hold them to account or to any sort of moral, moral standards the Democrats always do. We hold our elected officials and our candidates to high standards as we should. And as I made very clear, his comments were indefensible, inexcusable, and he needed to apologize to Virginians, which he did.”

“And now the question for Virginians is whether or not they’ve accepted his apology, and we’ll see soon enough, in a few days.”

When asked if the DNC ever considered calling on Jones to drop out, Martin said it was not up to him but to voters to decide whether the murder-texts were disqualifying.

“[W]e called him out. He apologized, and now Virginians will have to make their decision on who they think will be the best attorney general for Virginia,” Martin said.

Some lawmakers are getting anxious to fund key programs and pay federal workers as the shutdown drags on, but even so, most Senate Republicans argue that the best way to ensure paydays and benefits is to reopen the government.

While Senate Republicans and Democrats are entrenched in a stalemate that has seen the shutdown drag into its 29th day, a handful of lawmakers have pushed bills that would pay the military, working federal workers, air traffic controllers, and fund federal food benefits.

One of those bills, from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., got a chance on the floor but was blocked by Senate Democrats last week.

SCHUMER, DEMS CALL ‘BULL—-‘ ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FOOD STAMP SHUTDOWN THREAT

Since then others, including Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have pushed piecemeal funding bills, dubbed “rifle shots” by Republicans, as a way to fund portions of the federal workforce.

Both Hawley and Cruz, whose bill would pay air traffic controllers, were hopeful that their legislation would get a shot on the floor.

“Listen, my goal is just to make sure that 42 million Americans don’t go without food starting this weekend,” Hawley told Fox News Digital. “So, the only way I can see to do that is to vote on the floor. It will get blocked any other way.”

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., pumped the brakes on the likelihood of those bills seeing floor time, doubling down throughout the week against funding the government one chunk at a time.

SCHUMER AGAIN BLOCKS GOP BID TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT AS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS GO UNPAID

“You start going down that road with one-off bills or take care of this group or that group, and it’s just like, it begs the larger question, how long … is this going to drag on? I think that the quickest way to end it is to just open everything up and then everybody gets paid,” Thune said.

While there is a demand among Republicans to see federal workers get paid and to ensure the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, does not run out of funding on Saturday, most of the conference is unwilling to break ranks with Thune’s position.

“I think we should close the door on it. Why are we picking winners and losers inside the government? The fact is, we’re shut down. We need to open it back up,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla, told Fox News Digital. “Say you decided to fund the SNAP program. What about the employees that got to produce the paperwork and get it done? Are you not going to pay them?”

SENATE GOP DIVIDED AS MILLIONS RISK LOSING FOOD AID IN SHUTDOWN STANDOFF

“We had an opportunity to pay all essential employees. [Democrats] chose not to,” he continued.

“I mean, it’s ridiculous to think that we’re going to pick pieces of it when we should just open it all up. And there’s no reason why we shouldn’t.”

Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have blocked the GOP’s plan to reopen the government 13 times since the shutdown began.

And they’ve shown little signs of cracking under pressure as pain points like food stamps funding and federal worker paydays mount.

But, Schumer and Senate Democrats are largely in favor of supporting a rifle-shot food stamps bill, even going so far as to draft their own — the top Senate Democrat said that his caucus would support either their bills from Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., or Hawley’s measure.

“If John Thune would put it on the floor, it would pass overwhelmingly,” Schumer said. “But he’s afraid of Trump. He’s going along in this heartless, cruel thing.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is also a co-sponsor of both bills, and said that Thune “should call these bills up.”

“He should call both of them up immediately, and as Senator Schumer said, they would pass,” she said. “So that’s why this is such a false crisis.”

As of Thursday, Hawley’s bill had 29 co-sponsors, including Schumer and 14 other Senate Democrats.

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But given Democrats’ recent history of blocking bill after bill as the shutdown drags on, not every Republican trusted Schumer’s vow. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital that “with all due respect to Chuck, I don’t believe him.”

“They’re not going to get on the floor,” he said. “They’re not going to get on the floor for two reasons. Number one, we’ve seen this vampire move. The Democrats get right up to it, and then they pull back. They’re not serious. And number two, we’re not going to — it’s not going to get on the floor because Thune says he’s tired of playing the games.”

The War Department showed off photos of War Secretary Pete Hegseth working out with U.S. troops stationed in Malaysia, vowing America’s soldiers will be “fit, not fat.”

“Secretary Hegseth joined our warriors for morning PT in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,” the DOW’s rapid response account wrote on X. “From the top down, we will be FIT, NOT FAT!”

The images come just one month after Hegseth announced that all combat personnel would be required to meet the highest male physical standard in order to maintain their positions. 

During the Sept. 30 presentation at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Hegseth called on the department to “restore a ruthless, dispassionate and commonsense application of standards.”

‘COME-TO-JESUS MEETING’: MILITARY COMMUNITY REACTS TO HEGSETH’S GET FIT, GET IN LINE OR GET OUT SPEECH

The secretary said that as part of the new mandate, “every member of the joint force at every rank is required to take a test twice a year, as well as meet height and weight requirements twice a year, every year of service.” Additionally, members of the joint force will be required to do PT [physical training] every duty day, something Hegseth said is standard in many units but would be officially codified.

“If the Secretary of War can do regular hard PT, so can every member of our joint force,” he said.

HEGSETH INSTATES ‘HIGHEST MALE STANDARD ONLY’ FOR COMBAT, OTHER CHANGES, DECLARING DEPT OF DEFENSE ‘IS OVER’

Hegseth railed against “fat troops” and “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” arguing that physical standards for American service members had eroded, and it was time to raise the bar.

In September, President Donald Trump issued an executive order turning the Department of Defense back into the Department of War. In the order, Trump said that the founders chose the department’s original name “to signal our strength and resolve to the world.”

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When Hegseth unveiled the new physical requirements, just weeks after Trump issued his order, the secretary declared “the era of the Department of Defense is over.”

“From this moment forward, the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: war fighting. Preparing for war and preparing to win,” Hegseth added.

In response to a request for comment, the Pentagon referred Fox News Digital to Hegseth’s social media posts and his speech at Quantico. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Thursday that the U.S. is “prepared to offer immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Cuba” affected by Hurricane Melissa.

The move comes as the State Department deployed teams that are expected to arrive in the Caribbean as early as Thursday to support disaster response after Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica on Tuesday.

“In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s devastation of eastern Cuba, the Trump Administration stands with the brave Cuban people who continue to struggle to meet basic needs. As in neighboring Caribbean countries, the Department is issuing a Declaration of Humanitarian Assistance for Cuba and is prepared to provide immediate humanitarian assistance directly and via local partners who can most effectively deliver it to those in need,” Rubio said.

“U.S. law includes exemptions and authorizations relating to private donations of food, medicine, and other humanitarian goods to Cuba, as well as disaster response,” he added. “We encourage those seeking to directly support the Cuban people to contact us if there are any issues.”

US RESCUE TEAMS TO DESCEND ON HARD-HIT CARIBBEAN AFTER CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE MELISSA’S IMPACT

People in Cuba began to clear blocked roads and highways with heavy equipment and even enlisted the help of the military on Thursday. The military rescued people trapped in isolated communities and those at risk from landslides, according to The Associated Press. No fatalities were reported after Cuba’s Civil Defense evacuated more than 735,000 people across the eastern part of the country, the AP also reported.

A televised Civil Defense meeting chaired by President Miguel Díaz-Canel did not provide an official estimate of the damage. However, officials from the affected provinces — Santiago, Granma, Holguín, Guantánamo and Las Tunas — reported losses of roofs, power lines, fiber optic telecommunications cables, cut roads, isolated communities and losses of banana, cassava and coffee plantations.

TEXAS HONEYMOONERS TRAPPED IN JAMAICA AS CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE MELISSA SLAMS ISLAND

“We went through this very badly. So much wind, so much wind. Zinc roofs were torn off, some houses completely collapsed. It was a disaster,” Odalys Ojeda, a 61-year-old resident of the Santiago de Cuba province, told the news agency.

In southern Haiti, the mayor of Petit-Grove said at least 25 people were killed after a flooded river overflowed its banks, FOX Weather reported.

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At least four people were confirmed dead in St. Elizabeth Parish in Jamaica because of the hurricane, FOX Weather added.

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancey and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Another aviation-related union is demanding lawmakers reopen the government as Vice President JD Vance prepares to hold a roundtable with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and airline industry leaders Thursday as shutdown woes mount, Fox News Digital learned. 

The roundtable will be held at the White House Thursday afternoon, and will include Airlines for America CEO and former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and other airline leaders, a White House official told Fox News Digital. 

The roundtable comes as the “Democrat Shutdown” has “gravely” impacted the aviation industry, according to the White House official, including air traffic controllers officially missing their first full paycheck, and unions calling on lawmakers to pass a clean continuing resolution. 

Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, an independent union representing aircraft maintenance technicians and other related employees, called on lawmakers on Wednesday to pass a “clean continuing resolution” and reopen the government. 

FLIGHT DELAYS WORSEN AS UNPAID AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FEEL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PAIN

“On behalf of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) and our 4,400 members in the Unites States representing the aircraft maintenance technicians at Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Horizon Air, Spirit Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines, we urge Congress to end the government shutdown by passing a clean Continuing Resolution,” AMFA National President Bret Oestreich said in a press release published Wednesday. 

“We stand with our brothers and sisters in air traffic control and TSA who continue to ensure the safety of the flying public while working for no pay,” he continued. “It’s time for Congress to reconvene in a bipartisan manner to pass a clean CR and support all the men and women in aviation who contribute to the safest National Airspace System for us all to travel.” 

The government shutdown has persisted since Oct. 1, when Senate lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement before a midnight deadline. The Trump administration and Republicans have since pinned blame for the shutdown on Democrats, claiming they worked to include taxpayer-funded medical benefits for illegal immigrants. Democrats have denied the claims and argue that Republicans refused to negotiate on healthcare demands. 

“We need to end this shutdown as soon as possible,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in floor remarks Oct. 9. “Every day that Republicans refuse to negotiate to end this shutdown the worse it gets for Americans, and the clearer it becomes who’s fighting for them.” 

Vance has hammered the argument that Democrats are to blame for the shutdown, including during his remarks at a Turning Point USA event Wednesday at the University of Mississippi. 

“The reality here is that there’s a very simple bill that just reopens the government,” he said. “It does it through pretty much the end of the year. That got every single Republican in the House of Representatives to support it, and then it got 52 Republicans in the Senate and three Democrats in the Senate to support it. But because of weird Senate procedural rules, it requires a 60 vote threshold.” 

SEAN DUFFY WARNS OF RECORD STRAIN ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AHEAD OF FIRST MISSED PAYCHECK

“When you have every single Republican with like two exceptions in both houses of Congress, I feel pretty confident. I know that I’m partisan,” he added. “I know I have an R next to my name, but I feel pretty damn good saying the shutdown is the Democrats’ fault because we voted again and again to open.” 

The shutdown comes as Americans prepare to travel for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, with the White House previously telling Fox News Digital that as the shutdown continues it “threatens to ruin the holidays.”

The Air Line Pilots Association, the world’s largest airline pilot union, called on lawmakers to reopen the government earlier in October. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association issued a similar statement later in October, urging lawmakers to pass a “clean Continuing Resolution” and reopen the federal government while pointing to the state of air traffic controllers during a shutdown. 

The shutdown has rocked families as they prepare to temporarily lose federal food assistance, while small business owners are losing out on billions in Small Business Administration-backed funding, and an estimated 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed. 

AMERICANS COULD FACE AIRPORT CHAOS IF DEMS DON’T END SHUTDOWN, TRUMP OFFICIAL WARNS

As for air travel, massive hubs such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Newark, New Jersey, have seen delays in recent weeks, as air traffic controllers, who are employed by the Federal Aviation Administration, cope with staffing shortages. 

Air traffic controllers lost their first full paychecks beginning Tuesday. 

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“I’ve made clear to our air traffic controllers: they need to show up for work. They do really important work for our country, and they need to show up. But I’m not going to lie to anybody to not say that they’re not feeling the stress,” Transportation chief Duffy said during a press conference at LaGuardia Airport in New York City Tuesday. “The fact that they are working, and oftentimes, they are head of households, they’re the only income earners in their homes, and they have families, and they’re having a hard time paying their bills.”

A virtual confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s surgeon general pick, Dr. Casey Means, has been postponed because she went into labor.

Means, 38, was appearing remotely because she was nine months pregnant with her first child.

Her opening remarks for the hearing expected on Thursday had been prewritten.

“Our nation is angry, exhausted, and hurting from preventable disease. Rates of high blood pressure, many cancers, autoimmune conditions, type 2 diabetes, mental health disorders, dementia, neurodevelopmental challenges, and youth suicide have all increased in the past two decades,” the prepared remarks, obtained by Fox News, said.

INTO THE ARENA: HOSTILE DEMOCRATS, SKEPTICAL REPUBLICANS TEAR INTO KENNEDY ON THE HILL

“This public-health crisis is touching every American family. It is robbing our children of possibility, our workforce of productivity, and our nation of security. It strains our federal budget and dims hope for millions,” she planned to say.

As the nation’s doctor, the surgeon general is a leader for Americans and health officials on public health issues. If confirmed, Means will represent an administration that has already transformed the public health landscape by calling for increased scrutiny of vaccines, the nation’s food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs.

RFK JR AND TOP DEM CLASH DURING HEATED SENATE HEARING: ‘THIS IS ABOUT KIDS’

Means, a Stanford-educated physician who rose to popularity as a wellness influencer after becoming disillusioned with traditional medicine, was expected to share a vision for ending chronic disease by targeting its root causes, an idea that aligns with the Make America Healthy Again message of her close ally, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

She has no government experience and her license to practice as a physician is inactive, The Associated Press reported, adding that it was not immediately clear when the hearing would be rescheduled.

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“Everyone’s happy for Dr. Means and her family,” said Emily Hilliard, deputy press secretary for the Health and Human Services Department. “This is one of the few times in life it’s easy to ask to move a Senate hearing.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

While 2025 is considered an “off-year election,” without the high-profile presidential showdown of last year or the competitive midterm elections that could shift the congressional balance of power next year, there are more than a dozen local races across the U.S.

Election Day is just five days away. From New Jersey’s and Virginia’s gubernatorial races, to the New York City mayoral election and California’s special election, here’s everything you need to know to exercise your right to vote.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ELECTION DAY 2025: CRITICAL ELECTIONS, BALLOT MEASURES AND MORE

Where to Vote

Most people who vote on Election Day choose to vote in person at a voting location, according to the U.S. government’s official voting guidance website.

First things first, confirm your voter registration status here. 

Once confirmed, you can find your polling site on the website for the National Association of Secretaries of State.

When you arrive at the voting location on Election Day, an election worker will help distribute your paper ballot or electronic voting device.

Opening and closing times for voting locations vary by jurisdiction. Check state or local election offices for any questions about polling sites.

HERE’S WHEN 2025 ELECTION DAY EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING COMES TO A CLOSE ACROSS THE US

Early Voting

Most states or territories now offer early in-person voting, but timing and duration vary.

Check your local election office for early voting dates. Some polling locations might change for early voting.

Absentee Voting

Each state has its own guidance on absentee voting or voting by mail.

Check local guidance on submitting absentee ballots. Some states come with prepaid return envelopes, while others require adding postage to your envelope, according to the U.S. voting guidance website.

Be sure to follow the directions carefully to avoid a mistake on your mail-in ballot that could cost you your vote.

If dropping off a mail-in ballot in-person at your polling site or a local drop box, no stamp is required.

FIRST TIME VOTING? HERE IS THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BALLOT BOXES, CRITICAL ISSUES ON ELECTION DAY

Voter ID Requirements

While each state and territory follows its own rules on voter ID, most states require voters to bring identification to vote in person.

You can learn more about your state’s ID requirements by checking the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Language Support

If English isn’t your primary language, contact your state or local election office to learn what support is available, including whether voting information and materials are available in your language, whether a poll worker can communicate in your language or if a family member can help translate.

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FIRST ON FOX: Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst introduced legislation Thursday that would clear the way for the Trump administration to sell underutilized federal buildings, Fox News Digital learned. 

“Despite President Trump calling federal employees back to work, vacant government buildings could easily be mistaken as future locations for Spirit Halloween stores,” Ernst said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

“For too long, the entrenched bureaucracy has used red tape to prevent these ghost towns from being sold off,” she continued. Her Disposal Act “immediately lists six prime pieces of D.C. real estate on the auction block and slashes through pointless regulations to fast-track the sale of the government’s graveyard of lifeless real estate to generate hundreds of millions of dollars and save taxpayers billions.” 

Ernst is the founder and chair of the Senate Department of Government Efficiency Caucus, and first exposed the federal government’s lack of use of its federal buildings back in 2023 when she released a “naughty list of no-show federal agencies” following the pandemic, when federal employees worked from home amid government-mandated shutdowns. 

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Dubbed the “Disposing of Inactive Structures and Properties by Offering for Sale And Lease (DISPOSAL) Act,” the legislation works to renew efforts to sell six pieces of underutilized federal properties in Washington, D.C., that headquarter various federal agencies. 

The legislation specifically calls on the General Services Administration to sell the Frances Perkins Federal Building, home to the United States Department of Labor; the Department of Energy’s James V. Forrestal Building; the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building, which is home to the Office of Personnel Management; Robert C. Weaver Federal Building, where the Department of Housing and Urban Development was headquartered before announcing in June it planned to move; United States Department of Agriculture’s headquarters at the Department of Agriculture South Building; and the Hubert H. Humphrey Federal Building, which headquarters the Department of Health and Human Services. 

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There are an estimated 7,700 vacant federal buildings nationwide and another 2,265 that are largely sitting empty, according to Ernst’s office. 

The Office of Management and Budget reported in 2023 that the annual cost of operating federal buildings deemed “underutilized” sits at $81.346 million, while the General Services Administration reported in 2025 that deferred maintenance and repair backlogs at federal buildings exceeds $6 billion and will balloon to more than $20 billion in five years. The General Services Administration identified hundreds of “non-core” federal properties across the nation in March that could be put up for sale. 

Mold, cockroaches and undrinkable water also have plagued the federal buildings, according to various recent media reports. 

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The legislation would clear the path for the Trump administration to make additional sales down the line, should it pass. Sales of federal buildings are wrapped in red tape and procedures, with the bill working to streamline the process by mandating the sale of up to 20 additional federal buildings per calendar year, and charging the GSA chief with determining whether a sale or ground lease would be in the “best interests of the United States.”

President Donald Trump‘s DOGE efforts to slim down the size of the federal government and remove overspending and fraud have been a hallmark of his first back in office. Trump repeatedly has railed against federal employees who stopped reporting to the office since the pandemic, vowing during his joint address to Congress in March that “unaccountable bureaucracy” will end. 

“We have hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have not been showing up to work,” he said. “My administration will reclaim power from this unaccountable bureaucracy, and we will restore true democracy to America again. Any federal bureaucrat who resists this change will be removed from office immediately.” 

Ernst and DOGE previously successfully mandated the sale of the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in June, which headquartered Voice of America in a 1.2 million-square-foot building. Only 72 people worked in the building as of 2024, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

Fox News Digital reported back in February that the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters in D.C., which can accommodate roughly 6,000 people, had become so desolate of employees during the Biden administration that it looked like an off-season “Spirit Halloween” store. Administration officials confirmed to Fox News Digital at the time that one HUD office even still had a business card left over from the first Trump administration still tacked on a white board when officials with the second administration reported to work following Trump’s inauguration. 

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Ernst’s October legislation follows a bill she introduced in June that called for the sale of six federal properties that would yield at least $400 million in revenue while canceling roughly $2.9 billion in overdue maintenance at the buildings.