NationalWatch

The White House has officially declared an imminent government shutdown after the Senate failed to pass a GOP-backed spending bill to keep federal agencies funded through Nov. 21.

A memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said current federal funding levels “expire at 11:59 p.m. tonight.”

“Unfortunately, Democrat senators are blocking passage of H.R. 5371 in the Senate due to Democrats’ insane policy demands, which include $1 trillion in new spending,” the memo said.

The memo went on to say that President Donald Trump is supportive of the GOP-led funding bill, which is a short-term extension of current federal spending levels called a continuing resolution (CR), aimed at keeping the government funded for seven weeks as lawmakers work on a deal for fiscal year (FY) 2026 priorities.

“But it is now clear that Democrats will prevent passage of this clean CR prior to 11:59 p.m. tonight and force a government shutdown. As such, affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown,” the memo said.

“It is unclear how long Democrats will maintain their untenable posture, making the duration of the shutdown difficult to predict. Regardless, employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities.”

OMB said a follow-up memo would be issued when a spending bill is passed and signed into law by Trump, resuming full federal operations.

The GOP-led CR was tanked in the Senate on Tuesday evening, failing to reach the chamber’s 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster and proceed with debate on the bill. The vote fell 55–45, with three members of the Democratic caucus crossing the aisle and voting with Republicans.

One Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted against the measure.

Democratic lawmakers in the upper chamber, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., banded together to vote against the GOP’s CR, a move that marked the second time Democrats impeded the legislation’s progress this month.

Democrats also tried to advance their own counter-proposal, but that bill was similarly blocked by Senate Republicans.

The Democrat-led CR would have kept the government open and funded through Oct. 31, while also including a host of priorities that Republicans deemed hyper-partisan.

Democrats’ funding plan would have repealed the Medicaid rollbacks made in Republicans’ One Big, Beautiful Bill, while restoring funding for NPR and PBS that was cut by the Trump administration earlier this year.

President Donald Trump and his administration have wide discretion over what changes occur during a shutdown.

However, it’s likely that thousands of government employees get furloughed, while others are made to work without paychecks until funding is re-instituted. A host of federal agencies and services could also be shuttered.

Some federal workers could lose their jobs permanently as well, with OMB Director Russ Vought issuing guidance earlier this month warning offices to consider plans for mass layoffs in the event of a shutdown.

The move comes after the top two Democrats and top two Republicans in the House and Senate all met with Trump at the White House to discuss a path forward on federal funding, but that meeting ended with no deal in sight.

Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and other Democratic leaders have fallen silent after it was discovered that illegal alien Ian Andre Roberts, who was recently arrested by ICE, is registered as an active Democratic voter in the state.

Fox News Digital reached out to Moore’s office and the offices of Maryland’s two Democratic senators, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, and Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., asking for their response to an illegal alien being a registered Democratic voter in their state, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

This week, the Maryland Freedom Caucus blew the whistle on Roberts being listed as an active Democratic voter on the state’s official elections board website despite not being a U.S. citizen and not having lived in Maryland for years.

IOWA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE, FACING PRIOR WEAPONS CHARGES, ALLEGEDLY FOUND WITH LOADED HANDGUN

On Tuesday, SBE sent a statement to Fox News Digital that a review of public information available through Maryland’s Public Information Act “did not show any voting history for any individual with the name Ian Andre Roberts in Maryland.”

The statement further said that due to Maryland law protecting personal identifying information from disclosure, SBE “cannot and will not publicly announce whether media reports about the individual in question is or is not or was or was not a registered voter in Maryland.”

Finally, SBE noted that according to Maryland law, it is not a crime to unintentionally register to vote despite not being eligible. The office added that “the right to vote is a sacred right that has been expanded through sacrifices of many before us” and “this office will not disenfranchise a voter based upon partial or unsubstantiated evidence.”

EX MICHELLE OBAMA AIDE LEADS DES MOINES SCHOOL BOARD’S DEFENSE OF SUPERINTENDENT ARRESTED BY ICE

In response, Republican state Delegate Matt Morgan, who is chair of the Maryland Freedom Caucus, told Fox News Digital that SBE’s statement only leads to more questions. The Maryland Freedom Caucus sent a letter to SBE on Monday demanding answers about “gaping holes” in the state’s election integrity systems.

“Basically, the board of elections has the excuse that Mr. Roberts was registered accidentally, and therefore he didn’t break a law. This leads me to ask how many other people are accidentally automatically registered? Why was he automatically registered as a Democrat?” said Morgan.

“The Maryland Freedom Caucus looks forward to receiving answers from the state [Board of Elections] on these questions soon,” he added.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER ICE ARREST OF SUPERINTENDENT IN IOWA: ‘CRAZY STORY’

According to Morgan, Roberts’ registration means that he is eligible to vote in all federal, state and local elections despite not being a U.S. citizen, and also despite likely not having lived in Maryland for the past decade.

Morgan pointed to a letter the elections board sent to the Justice Department in August in which State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis expressed concern that if the board gave over voter information to the federal government, that data would be “used for enforcement of immigration laws against Maryland residents.”

Roberts was working as the superintendent of public schools in Des Moines, Iowa, until he was arrested by ICE last week. According to officials, he attempted to flee ICE agents and was taken into custody on a fugitive warrant. He was found with $3,000 in cash, a fixed-blade hunting knife and a loaded Glock 19 firearm, according to ICE.

MARYLAND SENATOR SAYS ICE FACILITY HIDES ‘EVIL PERSISTING IN DARKNESS’ AFTER DENIED ACCESS

He came to the U.S. in 1999 from Guyana on a student visa and was arrested by ICE last week after having a final order of removal issued against him in 2024. He was hired as head of the Des Moines public schools in 2023 despite having illegal weapons possession charges against him from 2020.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

This comes after several Maryland Democrats, including Van Hollen and Ivey, have been outspoken in their support for the rights of illegal immigrants, even flying to El Salvador earlier this year to visit a suspected MS-13 gang member named Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who at the time was imprisoned after being deported by the Trump administration.

A Fox News survey of New Jersey voters finds Democrat Mikie Sherrill ahead of Republican Jack Ciattarelli by 8 percentage points among likely voters (50-42%) and 7 points among the larger sample of registered voters (48-41%) – both lead just outside the margin of sampling error. 

The candidates are vying for the seat being vacated by term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who beat Ciattarelli in the 2021 gubernatorial election by only about 3 points. 

FOX NEWS POLL: UNHAPPY WITH NYC’S DIRECTION, VOTERS FAVOR MAMDANI FOR MAYOR BY A WIDE MARGIN 

This analysis uses registered voter results. 

Sherrill, a congresswoman, gets her biggest backing from Black and Hispanic voters, those with a college degree, and voters under age 45. There is a 15-point gender gap, as women prefer Sherrill by 14 points and men favor Ciattarelli by 1. 

Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, does best among MAGA supporters, White Catholics, White men without a college degree, and voters ages 45-54.

Nearly equal numbers of Republicans back Ciattarelli (90%) as Democrats go for Sherrill (89%), and the preference among the small subgroup of independents splits. Sherrill is helped by more New Jersey voters identifying as Democrats than Republicans. 

Both Sherrill and Ciattarelli supporters have a high degree of vote certainty (84% each). Still, the race has room for movement as about one voter in seven says they could change their mind before casting their ballot.

FOX NEWS POLL: CAPITALISM REMAINS MORE POPULAR THAN SOCIALISM, YET MAJORITIES SUPPORT TAXING THE WEALTHY 

By an 8-point margin, a larger share of Ciattarelli supporters (50%) than Sherrill supporters (42%) say they are more enthusiastic about voting this year than usual.

The Fox News survey was completed after both the first gubernatorial debate on September 21 and news that the National Personnel Records Center at the National Archives had mistakenly released unredacted portions of Sherrill’s military file. That release, reported publicly on September 25, prompted complaints from Sherrill and other Democrats, while the Ciattarelli campaign began pressing her on the issue. 

By a 6-point margin, more voters have a positive opinion of Sherrill (51%) than of Ciattarelli (45%) and, by a 7-point spread, more think she is honest and trustworthy (56%) than say the same about him (49%). 

Murphy’s favorable rating is underwater by a single point (47% vs. 48%). 

While more than half remain dissatisfied with the direction of their state, New Jersey voters are happier now than when Murphy was elected: 46% are satisfied with how things are going, up 9 percentage points from 37% who felt that way in 2017. 

The New Jersey electorate is concerned about two main issues. In spontaneous, unprompted replies, 34% say taxes are the biggest problem facing the state and 20% say the cost of living. Other issues like housing and energy costs are mentioned by 5% or fewer. 

Sherrill is preferred by 16 points among those whose priority is the cost of living, while tax voters favor Ciattarelli by 5. 

Only 4% of voters volunteer President Donald Trump/the Republicans as the biggest problem for the state, but one-third say one reason for their vote is to express opposition to Trump (34%) — more than double the number who are voting to show him support (16%).

Six in 10 Democrats say their vote is to express opposition to Trump compared to 4 in 10 Republicans who say theirs is to show support. More than half of Republicans say Trump is not a factor in their vote (56%).

Overall, 42% of NJ voters have a favorable opinion of Trump, while 55% view him unfavorably. That’s a net negative by 13 points, which is an improvement since 2017, when his ratings were underwater by 26 points. 

While former Vice President Kamala Harris won New Jersey by 6 points (52%), Trump received 46% of the vote in last year’s presidential election, up from the 41% he received in both 2020 and 2016.

Poll-pourri

A 54% majority of New Jersey voters think the way Republicans talk about politics these days is leading to an increase in violence, while just under half, 48%, say the same about Democrats.

Conducted September 25-28, 2025 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,002 New Jersey registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (120) and cellphones (638) or completed the survey online by following a link received via text message (244). There was a subsample of 822 likely voters. Results based on both the registered voter and likely voter sample have a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Likely voters are identified based on past vote history and self-reported likelihood of voting. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration unconstitutionally violated the free speech rights of pro-Palestinian protesters and academics — saying in a blistering 161-page order that the actions had a chilling effect on college campuses nationwide. 

U.S. District Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee who was nominated to the federal bench in Boston more than 40 years ago, did not mince his words in his decision. He excoriated the Trump administration, saying senior government officials seized on prominent pro-Palestinian protesters and academics, including Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk, in an illegal effort to quash free speech and suppress additional protests from taking place at campuses across the country.

“No one’s freedom of speech is unlimited, of course, but these limits are the same for both citizens and non-citizens alike,” Young said. 

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP BAN FOR ALL INFANTS, TESTING LOWER COURT POWERS

“Having carefully considered the entirety of the record, this Court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with the subordinate officials and agents of each of them, deliberately and with purposeful aforethought, did so concert their actions and those of their two departments intentionally to chill the rights to freedom of speech and peacefully to assemble of the non-citizen plaintiff members of the plaintiff associations,” Young said.

“It was never the Secretaries’ immediate intention to deport all pro-Palestinian non-citizens for that obvious First Amendment violation, that could have raised a major outcry,” Young said.

“Rather, the intent of the Secretaries was more insidious … to target a few for speaking out and then use the full rigor of the Immigration and Nationality Act (in ways it had never been used before) to have them publicly deported with the goal of tamping down pro-Palestinian student protests and terrorizing similarly situated non-citizen (and other) pro-Palestinians into silence because their views were unwelcome.” 

The case was litigated during a two-week trial in July.

Young went on to lambaste Trump as a “bully,” and one who fundamentally misunderstands the country he serves as commander-in-chief; and whom he said in his decision is fixated on “hollow bragging” and “retribution,” including, primarily, on issues of speech.

“Yet government retribution for speech (precisely what has happened here) is directly forbidden by the First Amendment,” Young said.

The decision from Young comes after the American Association of University Professors and the Middle East Studies Association, both of whom represented pro-Palestinian protesters and academics, sued the Trump administration earlier this year over their efforts to crack down on free speech protections. 

CONTINUED COURT FIGHTS COULD PUT HARVARD IN UNWINNABLE POSITION VS TRUMP

Young sided with the groups who argued the case on behalf of university faculty, ruling that the Trump administration’s actions violated the First Amendment, as well as his oath to “preserve, protect and defend the constitution” as the commander-in-chief.

Trump’s “palpable misunderstanding that the government simply cannot seek retribution for speech he disdains poses a great threat to Americans’ freedom of speech,” he added. “It is at this juncture that the judiciary has robustly rebuffed the president and his administration.”

 CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“I fear President Trump believes the American people are so divided that today they will not stand up, fight for, and defend our most precious constitutional values so long as they are lulled into thinking their own personal interests are not affected,” Young said, finally. “Is he correct?”

New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill claims that her Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli is going on a “witch hunt” over her improperly released military records, which raised questions about her possible involvement in a cheating scandal that rocked the U.S. Naval Academy three decades ago.

“He has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, if you will. He’s now trying to divert from that,” Sherrill told reporters on Tuesday following a campaign event in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey.

The combustible ballot box battle in New Jersey, which is one of only two elections for governor across the country this year, was rocked last week after a New Jersey Globe report revealed that Sherrill’s military records indicated that the United States Naval Academy blocked her from taking part in her 1994 graduation amid the cheating scandal.

Ciattarelli and his campaign are calling on Sherrill, who went on to pilot helicopters during her military career after graduating from the Naval Academy, to release her military records to explain why she was prevented from attending her graduation ceremony.

FIVE RACES TO WATCH WITH FIVE WEEKS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2025

“What we learned today is that she was part of it in some way, shape or form. Come clean, release the records. Tell us what’s in your disciplinary records. I think the people of New Jersey deserve that,” Ciattarelli said Thursday night in an interview on Fox News’ “Hannity.”

But a separate report from CBS News revealed that the National Personnel Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, mistakenly released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information like her Social Security number, to a Ciattarelli ally. 

REPORTS ROCK TOP GUBERNATORIAL RACE 

The news spurred calls by top Democrats across the country for an investigation.

“To have a guy I’m running against, it will stop at nothing, it will stop at nothing, who will illegally obtain records. It’s just beyond the pale,” Sherrill, who served as a federal prosecutor before winning election to Congress, charged Thursday night on the campaign trail in Plainfield, New Jersey.

The National Archives, in a letter last week, apologized to Sherrill, saying the improper release was due to a government worker’s error over a legal records request.

Following the breach of the records, Sherrill’s campaign sent cease-and-desist letters to the National Archives and to Ciattarelli’s campaign, as well as to Ciattarelli’s top strategist, Chris Russell and Nicholas De Gregorio, who is described by Sherrill’s team as “an agent of the campaign working at the direction of” Russell.

On Tuesday, Sherrill reiterated that “Ciattarelli’s campaign has been requested legally to return those records.”

TRUMP LOOMS LARGE OVER THIS CRUCIAL RACE FOR GOVERNOR

Ciattarelli’s campaign, in a letter Friday, pushed back on the claims by the Sherrill campaign and top Democrats that pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration and Republicans may have been behind the errant document release.

The Ciattarelli campaign charged that Sherrill “tried to distract attention away from that fact with false accusations and half-truths about what amounts to a clerical error by the National Archives which they took responsibility for and apologized for publicly.”

On Tuesday, responding to Sherrill’s comments, Russell told Fox News Digital that “calling it a witch hunt is absurd. This is about getting to the bottom of what she did or didn’t do at the academy that earned her an incredibly severe punishment.”

And Ciattarelli’s top strategist argued that “her story that she just didn’t rat out some friends is likely a bunch of bull, and she knows and we want to know exactly what she told investigators. Did she lie to them? And how many times did she lie to them? And the only way we’re going to ever figure out what happened is [if] she releases these records.”

Sherrill, who was never accused of cheating in the scandal, said last week that “there was a test at the school that was stolen. I did not realize that it was stolen. I took the test afterwards. I knew what the rumor mill was. I knew people who were implicated in it.” 

“I didn’t come forward with that information, and when asked, I gave all the information I had, but as I mentioned, I come from an incredibly accountable place, so I didn’t walk,” she added. “And like I said, I’m happy to be accountable to all of you and to be transparent.”

HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS’ 2025 ELECTION COVERAGE

Asked by reporters on Tuesday why she wouldn’t release the records, Sherrill said, “I think the reason I haven’t released them publicly, they show many medals and commendations. So, I think my history.”

“They show my graduation from the Naval Academy, they show my commissioning, they show my service medals, they show the record of service that I have,” she added.

And pointing to Ciattarelli, she charged that “instead of returning the records that he illegally obtained, and that the archives, through the Trump administration, illegally released, he is trying to go on some other witch hunt, and I’m certainly not going to allow him to rampage through the records of my classmates from the Naval Academy.”

The accusations from both sides come as the latest public opinion polls indicate a very close contest in blue-leaning New Jersey in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states that hold statewide elections for governor the year after a presidential election, and the contests traditionally grab outsized national attention.

And this year’s ballot box showdowns in the two states are viewed as crucial early tests of the president’s popularity and agenda, and key barometers ahead of next year’s midterm elections for the House and Senate.

Fox News’ Courtney De George contributed to this report

Vice President JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. will attend events in the coming months for Turning Point USA, the influential conservative youth organization co-founded by their close friend, the late Charlie Kirk.

The news, first reported by Axios, was confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning by a source close to both the vice president and Trump Jr., the eldest son of President Donald Trump.

Kirk, the co-founder of the politically potent conservative youth organization, close ally and outside advisor to the president and vice president and media star, was shot and killed earlier this month while speaking at a college campus event at Utah Valley University.

MAJORITY OF VOTERS BELIEVE THIS IN WAKE OF KIRK ASSASSINATION: POLL

The source close to both Vance and Trump Jr. said they “were so personally close to Charlie that they are determined to do right by him and continue to work closely with Turning Point.”

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK

Vance accompanied Kirk’s widow Erika on Air Force two to transport Charlie Kirk’s body from Utah back to their hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.

A few days later, the vice president guest-hosted Kirk’s highly popular podcast. 

Both Vance and Trump Jr., as well as the president, also spoke at Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona.

“I would expect to see both of them turn up at TPUSA events over the next several months and long after that,” the source said of Vance and Trump Jr. “They understand that Turning Point is now Charlie’s political legacy, and they both want to help grow it to be bigger and more influential than ever.”

Turning Point USA’s political arm was successful in driving up the youth vote for Trump and Republicans in last year’s election, when the GOP won back the White House and control of the Senate and held onto its House majority. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

And Trump’s political team wants to make sure Turning Point USA, now under the leadership of Erika Kirk, remains well funded and politically potent ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office conducted an unprecedented large-scale investigation in Minneapolis this month, focused on those who were committing marriage and asylum fraud.

Under a mission known as Operation Twin Shield, officers targeted 1,000 cases, knocking on doors at more than 900 sites to conduct interviews and review immigration criteria. Coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI, they found fraud, non-compliance, or public safety and national security concerns in 275 cases.

It’s the first operation after a new rule finalized earlier this month allowed USCIS to expand its law enforcement duties.

In 44 of those cases, the immigrants were referred to ICE or given a notice to appear (NTA) in court. Two were detained on-site. The rest are still being investigated.

PATEL’S IMMIGRATION PUSH AT FBI YIELDS 10,000 ARRESTS SINCE JANUARY

In one example, an immigrant engaged in a sham marriage with an elderly U.S. citizen and subjected the citizen to “elder abuse and exploitation,” according to USCIS. Another immigrant admitted to fabricating a death certificate from Kenya for $100 to falsely claim the termination of a marriage — the spouse in question was alive, living in Minneapolis and the mother of five of his children.

Other cases included a petitioner who confessed to marriage fraud just hours after swearing under oath that her marriage was legitimate, and another involving an immigrant who had overstayed a visa waiver, was the son of a suspected terrorist, and had previously been denied benefits for fraud.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow described the operation as part of a broader shift in enforcement posture under President Donald Trump. “USCIS is declaring an all-out war on immigration fraud. We will relentlessly pursue everyone involved in undermining the integrity of our immigration system and laws. With help from ICE and the FBI, USCIS’ Operation Twin Shield was a tremendous success — hundreds of bad actors will be held accountable,” Edlow said.

DHS ‘BLITZES’ CHICAGOLAND, NETTING ‘MANY ARRESTS’ AS NOEM ONSITE FOR IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

The operation was conducted between Sept. 19 and 28 across the Minneapolis–St. Paul region. USCIS said it is the first time the agency has committed resources on this scale to a single geographic area and signaled more such crackdowns could follow.

Officials expect the number of NTAs, referrals to ICE and adverse adjudications to increase as investigations continue.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The agency pointed to Executive Order 14161, which directs federal agencies to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other public safety threats, as the framework guiding the operation. Officials emphasized that unlike during the Biden administration, USCIS officers are now empowered to thoroughly vet applicants and aggressively pursue fraud wherever it is encountered.

The Minneapolis surge marks the first time USCIS has deployed resources at this scale in a single region, and leadership suggested it could become a model for future crackdowns in other parts of the country. With more administrative investigations still underway, the number of arrests and court referrals is expected to rise.

Past government shutdowns have been more political theater than economic shock, with markets and jobs bouncing back quickly.

This time, though, President Donald Trump‘s warning that some furloughed workers may not return to their jobs raises the stakes, turning a routine disruption into a threat to an already fragile labor market.

If Trump carries out that threat, it would almost certainly face an immediate court challenge. But if it stands, a shutdown usually dismissed as partisan brinkmanship rather than financial disruption could deliver lasting economic consequences. 

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

Robert Conzo, CEO and managing director at The Wealth Alliance, a financial advisory firm, said that such a move would mark uncharted territory.

“If the U.S. federal government dismisses workers instead of furloughing them, I believe the labor market may see a shock with a higher unemployment rate and initial jobless claims,” Conzo told Fox News Digital.

“The big question to me is whether Trump is using this as a headline negotiation tactic or as a turning point to lower federal spending in the future. I believe using a government shutdown to dismiss federal workers would be unprecedented and face a myriad of questions. Federal workers typically are covered by civil service protections, as such, they need to be dismissed with cause,” he added.

The government is set to shut down at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday if Congress fails to approve a funding extension. A shutdown requires federal agencies to send home workers in roles that are not considered essential. These furloughs are temporary; once Congress resolves the standoff, employees are brought back and receive back pay. 

Each week of a shutdown trims about 0.2% from U.S. economic growth, though that loss is typically recouped once federal workers return and agencies reopen.

PARTISAN STANDOFF THREATENS CRUCIAL ECONOMIC DATA, LEAVING FED — AND FAMILIES — IN THE DARK

The job market is already on shaky ground. The Washington, D.C. area, home to a large share of federal workers, has been hit especially hard after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) advisory board pushed for layoffs earlier this year.

Asked how many federal workers could be laid off, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, “We may do a lot,” placing the blame squarely on Democrats for the stalemate.

The Trump administration is preparing to oversee what could be the largest mass resignation in U.S. history, with more than 100,000 federal employees scheduled to leave under its deferred resignation program. 

At the same time, federal agencies have drafted plans for sweeping layoffs if lawmakers fail to strike a deal, raising the stakes for a workforce already bracing for upheaval.

And the timing couldn’t be worse: those workers are stepping into a job market that has been losing momentum, with unemployment rising to 4.3% in August — the highest since 2021.

The weak August report came on the heels of another soft reading in July, which prompted Trump to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Erika McEntarfer. Her removal came hours after the agency released new data showing that job growth had been significantly overstated. The bureau revised its May and June figures downward by 258,000 jobs, marking an unusually large correction that drew sharp criticism from Trump.

WHITE HOUSE SLAMS 911K JOBS REVISION, THE LARGEST ON RECORD, DEMANDS FED RATE CUT

The latest BLS revisions now suggest earlier reports overstated employment by more than 900,000 jobs. The adjustment, the largest correction on record and at the higher end of Wall Street forecasts, comes as Trump intensifies pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to prop up growth.

Against that backdrop, the threat of a government shutdown looms large. Analysts warn that sidelining federal workers could add another layer of strain to a labor market already showing cracks.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Brian Mulberry, senior portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management, told Fox News Digital as many as 100,000 jobs could be at risk if a shutdown occurs, with Washington-area workers hit hardest.

Still, he noted the broader economic effect may be muted: 

“Would losing 100,000 federal workers move the unemployment rate higher? The answer is no,” Mulberry said, estimating that it would add just 0.06 percentage points if private-sector hiring failed to offset the losses.

President Donald Trump told senior military leaders on Tuesday that they have his steadfast support as he looks to rekindle the “warrior spirit” in America’s military.

Trump delivered what he called a “very simple” message to senior military leaders at Marine Corps University on Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

“We’re a team. And so my message to you is very simple,” the president said. “I am with you, I support you, and as president, I have your backs 100%.”

Trump told the senior military leadership that “together, we’re reawakening the warrior spirit,” invoking the names of Gens. George S. Patton, Omar Bradley and Douglas MacArthur.

AMERICA’S NEW STEALTH B-21 RAIDER TAKES NEXT STEP WITH SECOND BOMBER’S FIRST FLIGHT

Trump said that the Navy, Air Force and Space Force have all met or surpassed their recruiting goals after recruitment struggles under the Biden administration, and laid out changes that his administration is bringing to the military.

“We’re bringing back a focus on fitness, ability, character and strength,” he said. “And that’s because the purpose of America’s military is not to protect anyone’s feelings. It’s to protect our republic.”

HEGSETH CHAIRS FIRST-EVER GOLD STAR ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING, GIVING FAMILIES DIRECT LINE TO PENTAGON

Trump criticized what he described as a shift toward political correctness and away from merit in the military and its leadership.

“The apparatus of our country was not set up for merit,” Trump said. “It was set up for political correctness. And you can never be great if you’re going to do that.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“We will not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom, and we will be a fighting and winning machine,” he continued. “We want to fight. We want to win, and we want to fight as little as possible.”

House Democrats are ready to go to war to save enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year, even if it means risking a partial government shutdown.

Democrats and some moderate House Republicans have been sounding the alarm about the expiring healthcare subsidies for weeks, a fight that’s now coming to a head as the Senate is poised to vote on a short-term federal funding bill called a “continuing resolution” (CR) aimed at keeping the government funded through Nov. 21.

House Democrats held an in-person caucus meeting on Capitol Hill Monday night to paint a contrasting image with House Republicans who are home in their districts during a potential shutdown.

“One, yes, we should get it done in this CR,” Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital after the meeting when asked if getting the subsidies included was worth risking a potential shutdown. “The Republicans in the last 20 years have asked for policy goal after policy goal in this similar situation.”

DEMS NOT BUDGING ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEMANDS AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES TRUMP MEETING, JEFFRIES SUGGESTS

“And number two, we need some commitments that if we sign up for a budget, the budget will actually be observed,” he added.

Both Himes and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, referenced earlier comments by senior appropriator Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., to Politico, questioning why Democrats would join the GOP in funding negotiations given the Trump administration’s propensity for cutting spending that Congress agrees on.

DeLauro told reporters after the meeting that Republicans “absolutely” needed to deliver on Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in written legislation.

“Why should we believe them if it’s not in legislation?” she asked.

DeLauro said earlier, “We certainly don’t want to shut down. We’ve said that all along, and all we need is good, bipartisan cooperation. That’s what’s necessary. We’ve been able to do that before, I anticipate we ought to be getting there now. And all this is about is affordability, affordability of health care costs.”

Other House Democrats who spoke with Fox News Digital did not directly say the subsidies were worth risking a shutdown, but argued they needed to be addressed immediately.

“Healthcare costs are skyrocketing, and so look, I mean, to not address that reality is political malpractice. Congress has an obligation to do something, and we have to do something now. We’re here in Washington because we want to fix the problem. Republicans aren’t here,” Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said.

“It’s about whether people continue to afford to have adequate healthcare…this is a big issue, and this is a fight the American people, I think, are on our side on.”

Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, said when asked if the subsidies were worth risking a shutdown now, “I think this will be [President Donald Trump’s] shutdown, because he’s not just the president, but for his entire second term, he has tried to give everyone the impression that he is all powerful. And that does come at a cost.”

“[Republicans] could extend these tax credits that are very popular and necessary at a time with rising costs, by simply sitting down and negotiating with us,” Landsman said.

Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., pointed out that “notices are supposed to go out as early as Wednesday that ACA tax credits are going away.”

SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

“The Democrats are happy to support any bill that would protect Americans’ healthcare, our education, and we’re ready to vote. We’re here working right now, Republicans aren’t here,” Vindman said.

Already existing ACA subsidies were increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic under former President Joe Biden. 

And while the credits were meant as a temporary expansion, they’ve since become a political lightning rod with healthcare premiums poised to rise for millions of Americans.

There have been some conversations about limiting the income brackets eligible for those enhanced subsidies, while conservatives have pushed for them to be eliminated altogether.

House and Senate GOP leaders have signaled they would be willing to have those discussions later this year and are accusing Democrats of trying to jam partisan demands into a seven-week government funding bill.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

While House Democrats appear united on the matter, however, it’s the Senate that is pivotal in the current equation. 

The House passed the CR largely along party lines earlier this month, and it’s now on the Senate to advance the measure before midnight on Oct. 1 to avert a shutdown.

But even Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., signaled on Monday evening that Democrats would hold firm.

“They say give us 45 days. Since March, we’ve had 45 days and 45 days and 45 days and 45 days. We asked to meet earlier, they didn’t want to,” Schumer told reporters. “So we think when they say later, they mean never. We have to do it now, first because of the timing issue, and second, because now is the time we can get it done.”

FIRST ON FOX: Less than one week until the primary election, Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tenn., is endorsing Republican Matt Van Epps to replace former Rep. Mark Green in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Green’s retirement triggered a competitive special election with a staggering 19-candidate field, including 11 Republicans vying for the party’s nomination. Van Epps secured Green’s endorsement ahead of his last day representing Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District in July. 

“My friend Matt Van Epps has my complete and total endorsement, and I look forward to calling him my congressman,” Lee announced Tuesday. “I’ll be casting my vote for Matt, and I encourage all conservatives to join me in doing the same on October 7th.”

Van Epps told Fox News Digital that he is “deeply honored” by Lee’s endorsement, vowing to defend President Donald Trump’s agenda in the House and be a “strong conservative voice.”

MARK GREEN RESIGNS FROM CONGRESS, FURTHER SHRINKING HOUSE GOP MAJORITY

“Matt Van Epps is the conservative, America First fighter we need representing Tennessee,” Lee said in a statement. “As a West Point graduate, decorated Special Operations combat pilot, current National Guardsman, and former member of my cabinet, Matt has the character and the courage to go to Washington and fight for Tennesseans.”

‘A TRUE WARRIOR’: RETIRING REP MARK GREEN ENDORSES HIS POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT IN GOP RACE

Van Epps was appointed DGS commissioner in 2024 and has worked for several Tennessee state agencies, including the Department of Veteran Services and the Department of Transportation. 

“In his time as commissioner, he worked to cut red tape, increase accountability, and drive government efficiency. He will stand fully with President Trump, bringing that same results-driven leadership to Congress to defend our conservative values, and fight back against the liberal policies that threaten our way of life,” the governor said. 

Van Epps graduated from West Point in 2005. He served nine combat tours as an Apache pilot for the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade and as a Chinook pilot for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers. 

Green announced his retirement from Congress last month, notifying House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that he would resign as soon as the House voted on Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which Republicans managed to pass by their self-imposed July 4 deadline. 

Green had served Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District since 2019, and his last day in Congress was July 20. He served as chair of the House Homeland Security Committee. 

His early retirement from Congress narrowed the already slim majority in the House to 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats in July. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Tennessee’s 7th district voted for Trump by more than 20 points last year.

The primary is set for Oct. 7, ahead of the special election on Dec. 2.

The Trump administration is looking to cut funding for a program that provides permanent housing to the homeless, a move that may leave those the program aims to help back on the streets, according to a report.

More than 170,000 people could be at risk of experiencing homelessness when more than half the funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) permanent housing program is cut, Politico reported on Monday, citing three HUD employees, internal HUD documents and a person with knowledge of the Continuum of Care (CoC) program.

The cut funds will be moved to transitional housing assistance with some work or service requirements, according to the internal documents and those with knowledge of the situation. The cuts could have a greater impact on rural areas that have less access to city and state funds to supplement federal dollars, the people told the outlet.

“When the subsidy and the support that goes along with those subsidies is removed, it puts people at grave risk,” said the person with inside knowledge of the CoC program. “And most of these folks without these supports will likely end up back in emergency shelters or back on our nation’s streets.”

HUD LAUNCHES CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IN PUBLIC HOUSING: ‘RIDING THE COATTAILS’

HUD Secretary Scott Turner wrote in a  Fox News Digital opinion piecei earlier this month about a “paradigm shift” in the department’s approach to homelessness and housing.

“But our goal is to let HUD use real, proven effective strategies, and there is no evidence that giving free apartments to the homeless without preconditions or participation requirements – like job training or treatment – leads to good outcomes,” Turner wrote. 

TOP TRUMP OFFICIAL VOWS TO END ‘CYCLE OF GOVERNMENT DEPENDENCY’ IN HOMELESS CRACKDOWN

“There is evidence, however, that countless lives have been lost to overdoses in HUD-funded housing because of this failed ideology,” the secretary continued.

Turner wrote that HUD wants to continue to help support work that aims to aid those experiencing homelessness and battling addiction to recover and become self-sufficient.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Permanent housing funding for 2026 is currently $3.3 billion and could be cut in half to $1.1 billion through the Trump administration’s effort, according to Politico. 

FIRST ON FOX: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uncovered that the Biden administration placed some Americans who resisted the COVID-19 mask mandate or were involved in the events of Jan 6, 2021, on prolonged TSA watchlists, including some on a no-fly list typically reserved for suspected terrorists.

Fox News Digital acquired the findings of an internal investigation conducted by the agencies that showed that then-President Joe Biden’s TSA initiated “Operation Freedom to Breathe” in September 2021, roughly six months after the CDC relaxed the COVID-19 mask mandate, which targeted Americans who previously resisted mask mandates set forth by the Biden Administration. 

The initiative placed 19 Americans on various levels of intensive watchlists, with more than half added to the highest severity no-fly list, preventing them from boarding a flight in the U.S. entirely. Eleven of the individuals remained on watchlists until April 2022, when the national mask mandate was lifted by the Biden administration. 

“Biden’s TSA Administrator [David] Pekoske and his cronies abused their authority and weaponized the federal government against the very people they were charged with protecting,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital. 

NEW TSA PROGRAM LAUNCHED TO ELIMINATE DOUBLE SCREENINGS FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS

“Biden’s TSA wildly abused their authority, targeting Americans who posed no aviation security risk under the banner of political differences,” Noem added. “President Trump promised to end the weaponization of government against the American people, and we are making good on that promise.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Pekoske, but did not receive a response.

FBI’S PATEL CLARIFIES ROLE OF HUNDREDS OF AGENTS ON JAN 6, SAYS WRAY LIED TO CONGRESS

The investigation also concluded that Biden’s TSA placed roughly 280 individuals allegedly involved in the Capitol protests on Jan 6, 2021, on watchlists, including five on a no-fly list. 

Biden’s TSA ignored internal concerns raised by career intelligence officials and TSA’s Chief Privacy Officer that placing individuals on the list “is clearly unrelated to transportation security,” and that “TSA is punishing people for the expression of their ideas when they haven’t been charged, let alone convicted of incitement or sedition,” according to emails from a top privacy official at TSA dated Jan 13, 2021, obtained by Fox News Digital.

Another TSA intelligence employee also expressed worry over watchlisting individuals allegedly involved in the Capitol protest, saying most individuals who were arrested “are technically curfew breakers,” and that “I hope we don’t end up adding them [to a watchlist] on just the arrest,” according to an internal email obtained by Fox.

FEDERAL JUDGE DUMPS PETER STRZOK LAWSUIT OVER FBI FIRING FOR ANTI-TRUMP TEXTS

Internal emails said that TSA mainly relied on the George Washington University Program of Extremism academic database and social media, rather than traditional sources like the FBI and local police, to determine which individuals should be placed on watchlists.

One individual, a national guardsman deployed to the Capitol for Biden’s inauguration on Jan 20, 2021 and was not present at the Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, was added to a no-fly list because of bad intelligence from Biden’s FBI.

Another individual, the wife of a federal air marshal who was also not present at the Capitol on Jan 6, was added to a watchlist due to additional bad intelligence from the Biden FBI.

TRUMP ANSWERS WHETHER COMEY INDICTMENT IS ABOUT JUSTICE OR REVENGE

Americans allegedly involved with the events of Jan 6, 2021, who were not tied to unrelated, individual incidents, were removed from various watchlists on June, 28, 2021. 

A majority of Americans allegedly involved with the events of Jan 6, 2021, who were placed on watchlists were removed from them on June, 28, 2021, though some who had been charged remained watchlisted until they were cleared.

Sources at TSA say the Biden administration’s targeting of Americans is the most expansive use of putting U.S. citizens on a no-fly list in history. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Noem told Fox News Digital that the agency will be “referring this case to the Department of Justice and for Congressional investigation.”

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, who is currently embroiled in a controversy involving a cheating scandal while she studied at the U.S. Naval Academy, is facing questions and accusations of nepotism over her children being admitted to that same academy earlier this year.

“I am so proud of all the young men and women from NJ-11 who are reporting to the military academies or academy preparatory programs this summer,” Sherrill said in a June press release highlighting 24 students from her district being appointed to various military academies including two of her children, Lincoln and Margaret Hedberg. 

The press release did not note that the two students with her husband’s last name were her children and the photo in the release showing Sherrill posing with the students does not include her children.

“From my time at the Naval Academy, I remember how challenging the academy’s programs are — both academically and physically,” the press release added. “Learning to work as a team and overcoming those challenges prepared me to lead servicemembers as a military officer. I am grateful for these young men and women who are willing to serve our nation in uniform and I wish them the best of luck as they start their careers as future military leaders.”

MIKIE SHERRILL STAYS SILENT AS NEW JERSEY POLITICIANS REACT TO CONVICTED COP KILLER’S DEATH

Members of Congress nominate students to the service academies while the actual academies make the appointments after the representatives submit a list of nominees by the end of January and the academies appoint qualified candidates. 

Some on social media have suggested nepotism was at play with their acceptance into the academy given that only 22 students from her district were admitted to the military academies, including just nine to the naval academy, according to the press release. 

College rankings show that admissions to the Naval Academy are very competitive with a 9% acceptance rate.

“Mikie Sherrill’s two kids are at the Naval Academy, one of the hardest schools to get into, because of her nepotism,” Rasmussen pollster Mark Mitchell posted on X. “Meanwhile, some hardworking, impoverished, and unconnected teenagers lose out on a life dream they earned.”

Journalist Jennifer Jean Miller posted on X, “Far left politicians like Mikie Sherrill like to virtue signal about privilege…yet have no problem exerting their own privilege. How did Mikie Sherrill’s two kids get into the Naval Academy? Did two other deserving students miss out because of her nepotism?”

While many on social media have claimed that Sherrill nominated one of her children, an aide for Democratic Sen. Cory Booker confirmed to Fox News Digital that Booker nominated one of Sherrill’s children for this year’s freshman class. 

“Each year, Senator Booker, as a member of Congress, has the honor of nominating qualified young people to serve in the United States military service academies,” Booker’s office told Fox News Digital. 

“Prospective candidates go through an extensive application and screening process with service members and academy volunteers to recommend the best candidates to the academy based on merit. The candidates put forth for each academy represent the best and brightest that New Jersey has to offer.”

Sherrill’s other child was nominated by now-former Democratic Sen. George Helmy, a Helmy spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Sherrill told Fox News Digital in a statement that, in “order to remove even the appearance of a conflict of interest, my children did not compete in my office’s service academy nomination process.”

“Instead, they applied to the offices of the U.S. Senators from New Jersey, who also run academy nomination processes each year, and I am proud that they each earned nominations on their own,” Sherrill added.

“Every year, our office runs a competitive and nonpolitical process to select the best nominees to submit to the academies. I am honored to nominate the service academy appointees from our district who step up to serve our country.”

MIKIE SHERRILL REMAINS SILENT ON ISSUE OF TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS AS TRUMP CALLS HER OUT FOR IT

When asked by Fox News Digital why Sherrill’s press release did not include her children in the picture or mention their relationship to her, Sherrill’s office said that her child appointed by Booker attended that ceremony and that the press release listed all the students from NJ-11 who were appointed to academies, not just those she nominated, which is “routine for the office.”

Sherrill’s campaign called the nepotism questions a “depraved attack” in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

“The Trump administration, in concert with the Ciattarelli campaign, released Mikie Sherrill’s unredacted service records — including her Social Security number and parents’ address — and now is desperately doubling down by attacking Mikie’s husband and kids,” the statement said. “It’s despicable, wrong, and underscores just how unfit Jack Ciattarelli is to be governor.” 

Federal law (10 U.S.C. § 8454) states that members of Congress may nominate up to 15 candidates for each available vacancy at the U.S. Naval Academy. “Each member of Congress can have 5 constituents attending the Naval Academy at any time,” according to their admissions website.

The combustible ballot box battle in New Jersey, which is one of only two elections for governor across the country this year, was rocked last week after a report revealed that the United States Naval Academy blocked Sherrill from taking part in her 1994 graduation amid a cheating scandal.

Ciattarelli and his campaign are calling on Sherrill, who went on to pilot helicopters during her military career after graduating from the Naval Academy, to release her military records to explain why she was blocked from attending her graduation ceremony.

“What we learned today is that she was part of it in some way, shape or form. Come clean, release the records. Tell us what’s in your disciplinary records. I think the people of New Jersey deserve that,” Ciattarelli said Thursday night in an interview on Fox News’ “Hannity.”

But a second report revealed that the National Personnel Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, errantly released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information including her social security number, to a Ciattarelli ally. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The news spurred calls by top Democrats across the country for an investigation.

“To have a guy I’m running against, it will stop at nothing, it will stop at nothing, who will illegally obtain records. It’s just beyond the pale,” Sherrill, who served as a federal prosecutor before winning election to Congress, charged Thursday night on the campaign trail in Plainfield, New Jersey.

The two candidates face off next week in the second and final debate in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
 

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the number three Republican in Senate leadership, is turning up the volume on his effort to protect and strengthen the GOP’s majority in the chamber in next year’s elections.

A non-profit public advocacy group aligned with the senator on Tuesday launched an ad highlighting GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa, who’s running in the 2026 race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst.

The ad is the latest effort by Cotton, the Army veteran who served in combat in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars before becoming a rising GOP star, to support Republicans in key Senate races in next year’s midterm elections when the party will be defending its 53-47 majority in the chamber.

“Iowa has a fighter in Washington. Her name is Ashley Hinson,” says the narrator in the spot by America One Policies, which was first shared with Fox News Digital.

HINSON LAUNCHES SENATE BID IN RACE TO SUCCEED IOWA’S ERNST

Hinson, a former local TV anchor, has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) as she runs to keep Iowa’s open Senate seat in the party’s hands.

The narrator highlights that Hinson “is tough on crime, and she’s tough on China. Ashley fought to stop China from buying our farmland, and she voted for President Trump’s tax cuts.”

TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS

“Ashley Hinson is putting more money in your pocket. Tell her to keep fighting for Iowa,” the narrator adds.

The Cotton-aligned group tells Fox News that it will spend six-figures to run the ad on broadcast TV and digital in the Des Moines market.

It’s the second spot this cycle by America One Policies following an ad that targets Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, whom Republicans consider the most vulnerable Democratic senator running for re-election in 2026.

And earlier this month, Cotton’s leadership PAC went up with an ad that takes aim at North Carolina’s former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who’s running against former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whately in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.

An America One Polices spokesperson told Fox News that “Senator Cotton plans to fight for his colleagues in the US Senate, to ensure that we grow our majority in the senate, to fundraise and advertise for our candidates and to make sure that the American people know the records of their Democrat opponents. American One Policies will be assisting our candidates across the United States throughout this election cycle.”  

TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS

Cotton, who didn’t face a Democratic Party opponent as he cruised to re-election in 2020 and who isn’t expected to face a difficult re-election next year in red state Arkansas, has crisscrossed the country in recent election cycles to campaign on behalf of fellow Republicans.

“As Tom Cotton has done since the first day he was elected to office, he will continue to help support Republicans around the country who are running for office at any level, to win,” a source in the senator’s political orbit told Fox News Digital.

The 48-year-old Cotton took a hard look at running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination as he made numerous trips to Iowa and New Hampshire, the two states that have long kicked off the GOP’s presidential primary calendar.

But days before the 2022 midterms, Cotton announced he wouldn’t run for the White House in 2024. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

And last year, Cotton was considered to be on now-President Donald Trump’s larger list of potential running mates.

Cotton’s support for Hinson in Iowa may spark speculation about a potential future run by the senator for the White House.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Monday accused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers of harassing people “for not being white.” 

Speaking at a press conference alongside Chicago Mayor Brandon, the Democratic governor lambasted the Trump administration for sending in federal agents into the Windy City over the weekend. 

TRUMP OFFICIALS SLAM BLUE STATE GOVERNOR FOR IGNORING CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE ‘RIOTERS’ DISRUPTING OPERATION

“Donald Trump and [DHS Secretary] Kristi Noem and [White House Border Czar] said they were targeting the worst of the worst criminals. They lie and they continue to lie,” Pritzker said, adding that “Sixty percent of the individuals that ICE has taken in Illinois this year have no criminal convictions of any kind.” 

“ICE is running around the Loop harassing people for not being white. Just a year ago, that was illegal in the United States. Now, ICE is making it commonplace. That’s not making America great.” 

ICE RIPS PRITZKER FOR ‘SIDING WITH CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN’ AFTER OFFICER DRAGGED, SUSPECT SHOT DEAD

The governor’s comments come after masked federal agents were spotted in downtown Chicago on Sunday – flouting the mayor’s recent executive order barring masks by all law enforcement – and the hundreds of immigrants that the federal government says it has detained in its sweep have underscored local leaders’ limitations against presidential authority.

Chicago has become a target of the Trump administration because of a city ordinance prohibiting city employees, including police, from assisting with federal immigration enforcement.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump, a Republican, aims to deport record numbers of immigrants in the U.S. illegally, which he says is needed because of high levels of illegal border crossings under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.

Reuters contributed to this report.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth has blocked a new wave of terminations at Voice of America, offering harsh words for Kari Lake and saying the Trump administration’s conduct in his case would support civil contempt proceedings, if only the plaintiffs had asked.

In the 19-page ruling, Judge Lamberth halted the mass reduction in force at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and issued a warning that cuts would “cement” VOA’s failure to meet legal obligations to provide reliable news.

Lamberth’s list of failures included statutory violations involving VOA shutting down mandated language services despite clear congressional directives.

KARI LAKE CUTS 532 GOVERNMENT POSITIONS AT VOICE OF AMERICA, PARENT AGENCY

He stated that VOA acknowledged its “radio presence” had shrunk to a single 30-minute daily program in Dari and Pashto, leaving gaps in coverage for nations like North Korea and China.

Kari Lake was called out for admitting under oath that she hadn’t “given it a lot of thought” whether Africa qualifies as a “significant region of the world” under the law and confirmed VOA produces no programming for South America.

And Lamberth accused the Trump administration of misleading the court, going as far as to call it incredible to suggest the RIF was “uncertain” while evidence showed it was already in motion.

The RIF notices covered both VOA and USAGM employees, and Lamberth rejected the government’s attempt to carve out non-VOA staff.

JUDGE PUTS TEMPORARY PAUSE ON TRUMP’S MASS LAYOFFS AT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

He accused Lake and her team of “thumbing their noses at Congress’s commands” and showing “brazen disinterest” in statutory duties — strong language worth including.

The contempt warning wasn’t just about tone; it was also tied to their failure to produce required documents about future RIFs, despite court orders.

Overall, the order keeps VOA’s workforce intact through Oct. 14, when Lake will be forced to work with her team to file a plan showing how they will restore the legally required programming.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The judge warned that their “disrespect” for other rulings would have been enough to trigger a contempt trial.

“Equity is allergic to rigidity,” Lamberth wrote, pointing out the court’s power to stop executive overreach.

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Minnesota over its sanctuary policies that the Trump administration says interfere with the federal government’s enforcement efforts on illegal immigration. 

The complaint, filed Monday, names the State of Minnesota, Hennepin County, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna S. Witt, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, as defendants. 

The complaint argues that not only are sanctuary policies illegal under federal law, but lead to the release of dangerous criminals who would otherwise be subject to removal, including illegal immigrants convicted of serious crimes. 

“Minnesota officials are jeopardizing the safety of their own citizens by allowing illegal aliens to circumvent the legal process,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “This Department of Justice will continue to bring litigation against any jurisdiction that uses sanctuary policies to defy federal law and undermine law enforcement.”

SANCTUARY CITIES DEFY BONDI’S DEADLINE TO COOPERATE: ‘NO INTENTION OF CHANGING’

Saint Paul characterized the lawsuit as an effective attack on the city’s “long-standing separation ordinance – an essential policy that promotes public safety, builds community trust, and reflects Saint Paul’s commitment to serving and protecting all residents regardless of immigration status.” 

BONDI PUTS SANCTUARY CITIES NATIONWIDE ON NOTICE AFTER DC POLICE FEDERAL TAKEOVER

“City employees don’t work for the president, we work for the people who live here. We will stand with our immigrant and refugee neighbors no matter how many unconstitutional claims the White House makes,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said in a statement. “We’ve proven our resolve in two successful court actions already this year, and we look forward to winning our third legal victory in a row against this embarrassing federal regime.” 

Monday’s complaint comes after Attorney General Bondi last month published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions that included Minnesota. Boston, New York City, New Jersey, Colorado and Los Angeles were among the other jurisdictions included.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the offices of Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Ellison, Hennepin County, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna S. Witt, and the City of Minneapolis for comment. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Trump Justice Department filed similar lawsuits against the cities of New York and Los Angeles over the summer as well as Boston earlier this month. 

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry says he has formally requested federal assistance (RFA) to activate up to 1,000 Louisiana National Guard personnel under Title 32.

Landry announced his intentions during an appearance on “Hannity” Monday evening, stating his request for federal assistance had been submitted to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Landry cited “ongoing public safety concerns regarding high crime rates throughout the state,” adding that local law enforcement is overwhelmed by the number of homicides, carjackings and gang violence that “significantly exceed the national average.”

COLLEGE STUDENT’S KILLING FUELS CURFEW TALK AS TRUMP THREATENS TO SEND TROOPS INTO CRIME-RIDDEN STATE

He also says manpower shortages have been compounded by hurricanes and other natural disasters, causing the already thin police force to be stretched to its breaking point.

Louisiana faces “a convergence of elevated violent crime rates in Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans coupled with critical personnel shortages within local law enforcement,” according to Landry.

The additional Guard support is expected to “supplement law enforcement presence in high-crime areas, provide logistical and communication support, and secure critical infrastructure.”

Under Title 32 authority, they would patrol high-crime neighborhoods, bolster police presence in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport, while securing critical infrastructure.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HEGSETH AUTHORIZES 2,000 NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO CARRY WEAPONS IN DC IF NECESSARY: US OFFICIAL

In the past, deployments of the National Guard have proven effective, Landry said, pointing to a 50% drop in crime during Mardi Gras and other major events earlier this year.

According to USA Facts, Louisiana ranks among the nation’s most dangerous states consistently. In 2024, for every 100,000 people, there were 520 violent crimes and 2,296 property crimes. Compared to the U.S. average, the violent crime rate in 2024 in Louisiana was 44.8% higher, and its rate of property crime was 30.5% higher.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Although not everyone is on board, as local officials in Shreveport and New Orleans have voiced concerns, Landry insists the crisis demands urgent action.

His request is now in Washington, leaving the fight over Louisiana’s safety in the hands of Hegseth, who will decide whether the support is necessary.

The three New Jersey Republicans in the U.S. House are pubically urging Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the state’s Democratic nominee for governor, to authorize for the immediate release of her military records connected to a major cheating scandal that rocked the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994.

Reps. Christopher Smith, Jeff Van Drew, and Tom Kean, Jr., the three Republican members of New Jersey’s 12-member House delegation, on Monday said it was “imperative” that Sherrill reveal her records at the Naval Academy.

The combustible ballot box battle in New Jersey, one of only two races for governor in the country this year, was rocked last week after a report revealed that the United States Naval Academy blocked Sherrill from taking part in her graduation amid the cheating scandal.

“The only way that level of transparency can be achieved is for all of Representative Sherrill’s academic, disciplinary, and investigatory records to be made public – something only Representative Sherrill can authorize,” the three lawmakers argued.  

REPORTS ROCK TOP GUBERNATORIAL RACE 

They added, “If those sealed disciplinary records match Representative Sherrill’s current explanation, we are unsure why she would refuse to release the records and put this matter to rest.”

TRUMP LOOMS LARGE OVER THIS CRUCIAL RACE FOR GOVERNOR

Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli and his campaign have repeatedly called on Sherrill, who was never accused of cheating in the scandal and went on to pilot helicopters during her military career after graduating from the Naval Academy, to release her military records to explain why she was blocked from attending her graduation ceremony.

“What we learned today is that she was part of it in some way, shape or form. Come clean, release the records. Tell us what’s in your disciplinary records. I think the people of New Jersey deserve that,” Ciattarelli said Thursday night in an interview on Fox News’ “Hannity.”

But a second report revealed that the National Personnel Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, errantly released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information including her social security number, to a Ciattarelli ally. 

HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS’ 2025 ELECTION COVERAGE

The news spurred calls by top Democrats across the country for an investigation.

“To have a guy I’m running against, it will stop at nothing, it will stop at nothing, who will illegally obtain records. It’s just beyond the pale,” Sherrill, who served as a federal prosecutor before winning election to Congress, charged Thursday night on the campaign trail in Plainfield, New Jersey.

The National Archives, in a letter last week, apologized to Sherrill, saying the improper release was due to a government worker’s error over a legal records request.

The two candidates face off next week in the second and final debate in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Ciattarelli, who is making his third straight run for governor, came close to upsetting Murphy four years ago. Ciattarelli is a former state lawmaker and a certified public accountant who started a medical publishing company before getting into politics.

After her career in the Navy, Sherrill served as a federal prosecutor before winning election to Congress in 2018.