NationalWatch

FIRST ON FOX: An illegal alien who left an obscenity-laden bomb threat to a member of Congress was arrested by ICE over the weekend, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, the DHS said that Rigoberto Albizar-Martinez, a 58-year-old Cuban illegal living in Tampa, was arrested by ICE over the weekend as part of its efforts to crack down on the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens.

DHS said that Albizar-Martinez threatened to bomb the office of Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla.

He was sentenced to a year in prison in May after being found guilty in December of leaving a “vulgar, racist, obscenity-laden voicemail” in which he threatened to plant a bomb in the congresswoman’s Tampa office, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

ICE AGENTS PRAISED FOR ‘HEROIC’ ACTIONS IN DALLAS ATTACK

Local outlet WFLA reported that in his message, Albizar-Martinez said in Spanish, “I’m going to plant a bomb in your office. It’s a threat,” and “It’s a threat, so take it however you want you son of a f****** b****.”

The outlet also reported that in the same message, Albizar-Martinez also attacked Democrats, black people and pro-Palestinian people.

Commenting on his arrest by ICE, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News Digital that “there is no place for political violence in America.”

“Rigoberto Albizar-Martinez threatened to bomb a Congresswoman’s office,” said McLaughlin. “Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE, this illegal alien and national security threat will be out of our country.

“Nothing will deter us to remove the worst of the worst from America communities,” she added.

Castor did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

CHICAGO ANTI-ICE AGITATOR FACES FEDERAL CHARGES AFTER THREATENING TO ‘KILL’ AGENT

This comes as many Democrats have criticized ICE agents for carrying out immigration enforcement operations, accusing them of racially profiling people, using “Gestapo tactics” and terrorizing communities.

DHS said that over the weekend, it also arrested several other criminal illegal aliens, including child rapists, gang members and a human smuggler.

Among those arrested was Jorge German Aglony, a Chilean illegal in California, who was convicted of inflicting pain and suffering on a dependent adult or elder, as well as receipt and possession of child pornography.

Another illegal arrested, Leonardo Velazquez-Marin, from Mexico, was also convicted of possession of child pornography in Dallas County, Texas. Also in Texas, ICE arrested Jose Elias Mejia-Orellana, a Honduran national who was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 in Collin County.

In Maryland, ICE arrested another child predator, Melvin Guiakora, from Central African Republic, who was convicted for sexual solicitation of a minor in Washington County.

ICE also arrested a member of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, Mexican national Adan Mares-Martinez, who was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon causing great bodily injury in Norwalk, California. 

ILLEGAL ALIEN ARRESTED BY ICE FOUND REGISTERED AS ACTIVE DEMOCRAT VOTER IN BLUE STATE

Another illegal, Elvin Humberto Madrigal-Calero, from Nicaragua, was arrested following a conviction of involuntary manslaughter in Pulaski County, Virginia. 

In El Centro, California, Mexican national Oscar Morales-Valencia, was arrested by ICE following a conviction of bringing in and harboring aliens.

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This comes shortly after DHS announced that two million illegal immigrants “have been removed or have self-deported” from the U.S. since Jan. 20, putting the Trump administration on pace to break records.

In less than 250 days, an estimated 1.6 million illegal immigrants have voluntarily self-deported, while 400,000 were removed by federal law enforcement, the DHS said last week, describing the situation as a “new milestone.”

“Ramped-up immigration enforcement targeting the worst of the worst is removing more and more criminal illegal aliens off our streets every day and is sending a clear message to anyone else in this country illegally: Self-deport or we will arrest and deport you,” said McLaughlin.

Democrats have come under fire for planning a luxury jaunt to California’s wine country while Washington heads toward a possible government shutdown.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), chaired by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, allegedly invited lawmakers to an expensive two-day Napa Retreat from Oct. 13–14 at Hotel Yountville, a five-star resort with hot tubs and vineyard views, according to an invitation obtained by Politico Playbook.

If Congress fails to pass funding legislation before the end of September, the government may still be shut down when some Democrats gather for wine tours and dinners, the outlet reported Saturday.

THUNE SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘COLD-BLOODED PARTISAN’ TACTICS AS FUNDING DEADLINE NEARS

The retreat, was also said to include dinner at the expensive Staglin Family Vineyards, an organic estate known to be one of Napa’s premier winemakers.

Attendees will include Gillibrand, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks and other Democrats. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich, is also expected to attend, a Democrat briefed on the plans told Politico.

In a statement to the Daily Caller, Alyssa Brouillet, spokesperson for GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers, criticized Stevens for “running off to wine and dine in California” while Michiganders brace for potential paycheck disruptions. 

TRUMP-APPROVED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SCUTTLED BY SENATE

“If it was outrageous for Trump, it’s hypocritical for Senate Democrats,” the GOP strategist told the outlet after Democrats had criticized Trump for heading to the Ryder Cup Friday at Bethpage.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas also shared news of the “invitation obtained by Playbook for a Napa Retreat” on X.

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So far, the DSCC has not disclosed the retreat’s costs, nor clarified whether the event would be canceled if a shutdown persists. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan for comment.

South Texas Democratic congressional candidate Bobby Pulido is being criticized for feeding a “sickness” and “spreading hate” through his rhetoric against President Donald Trump and Republicans, especially in light of a deadly anti-ICE shooting in Dallas this week.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, former Texas Republican Rep. Mayra Flores, the first Mexican-born woman elected to Congress, criticized Pulido and other Democrats for “attacking our men and women serving this country for enforcing the laws.”

“It’s this type of hateful rhetoric that is causing innocent lives to be lost,” Flores said. “And because of that, we’re seeing all these shootings, and it will continue to happen because, at the end of the day, this hateful rhetoric is coming from members of Congress, from senators.”

“They need to set an example,” she went on. “Americans are looking up to these individuals. And so, if they’re seeing that they’re spreading hate, then that instills in them hate as well towards our men and women [in law enforcement].”

‘MY FIRST EMOTION WAS FEAR’: GEORGETOWN STUDENTS REACT TO FLYERS CELEBRATING CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER

This comes as the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) accused Pulido, who is a Tejano music star, of having a “lengthy history of engaging in violent, extreme political rhetoric.”

The committee said that despite Pulido condemning political violence, such as Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and calling for a toning down in rhetoric on both sides, his own words through the years have not been consistent with this call.

On Sept. 10, Pulido posted on X, “I don’t care what side of the political aisle you are, what happened to Charlie Kirk is abhorrent. The political rhetoric needs to be brought down on both sides. I pray for him, his family and also for our country.”

According to the NRCC, however, Pulido’s inflammatory rhetoric goes back years, even including dressing up as a blood-soaked Trump for Halloween in 2015. A screenshot of the since-deleted post shared with Fox News Digital shows a bloodied Trump with a Spanish caption reading, “Years ago Donald Trump and Paquita had a son. Here is the exclusive image.”

EXCLUSIVE: IMMIGRATION AGENT REVEALS ‘BIGGEST FEAR’ AFTER DEADLY ANTI-ICE SHOOTING

He has also suggested that Trump voters are racist, commenting on a 2017 news story about California farms being untended due to the president’s immigration policies by saying, “That’s what racist America wanted, that’s what you got.”

In another post from 2016, Pulido wrote that Trump is “racist all the way” and that “his candidacy plays to the alt right.”

This August, he accused Republicans of “literally becoming everything they accused others of being. Marxists and fascists.”

Pulido also previously expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement by posting a black square on his Instagram for “Blackout Tuesday” and sharing a video of a Houston BLM rally with the caption “#GodBlessTexas.”

He has said in a video that “there’s a lot of great cops out there” but that “at the end of the day, there’s not a country out there that doesn’t oppress.”

Referring to allegedly racist police officers in a 2017 X post, Pulido used profanities in Spanish to describe them. 

SPECIAL AGENT SLAMS ‘DANGEROUS’ TREND OF DEMOCRATS USING ICE AS CAMPAIGN PROPS

Addressing Pulido and other Democrats directly, Flores asked them to “please stop playing political games with our men and women that are just doing their job.”

“At the end of the day, we’re all Americans. We want the best for our communities, and they should not be prioritizing their political party over safety,” she said.

Flores said that for many who grew up listening to Pulido’s music, he has a special responsibility to set an example of civility and respect.

“He is an icon in the Tejano industry. A lot of people look up to his music, and so he has an obligation to talk about this issue and to show respect towards our [law enforcement] men and women because he has such a huge fan base,” she said.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, NRCC spokesman Reilly Richardson said, “Bobby Pulido’s history of engaging in extreme political rhetoric is utterly disqualifying.”

DEMS FACE BACKLASH FOR VIOLENT RHETORIC AFTER DEADLY ICE SHOOTING: ‘MUST STOP’

“Radical Democrats like Pulido have been unapologetically demonizing ICE agents and our law enforcement for years,” said Reilly.

“A deep and pervasive sickness has infected the radical left in this country, and Democrats like Bobby Pulido are feeding it,” he added.

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Meanwhile, another Texas leader, Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson, said the problem goes far beyond Pulido.

He called the attack on the Dallas ICE facility last week “horrific,” saying it “proves the Left’s relentless attacks on law enforcement puts our officers in real danger.”

“It’s past time Democrats take responsibility for their violent rhetoric, which has fueled these attacks, and join the fight to protect our brave ICE officers!” said Jackson.

Pulido did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment by the time of publication.

Republican and Democratic congressional leaders left a meeting with President Donald Trump with no deal to avert a government shutdown as the deadline fast approaches. 

Leaders met with Trump on Monday for roughly an hour to negotiate a path forward to avert a partial government shutdown, but it appeared neither side was willing to budge from their position. 

Vice President JD Vance said after the meeting, “I think we’re headed into a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing. I hope they change their mind.”

“If you look at the original they did with this negotiation, it was a $1.5 trillion spending package, basically saying the American people want to give massive amounts of money, hundreds of billions of dollars to illegal aliens for their health care, while Americans are struggling to pay their health care bills,” Vance said. “That was their initial foray into this negotiation. We thought it was absurd.”

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

Democrats, however, have pushed back on assertions that they’re looking to salvage healthcare for anyone but the American people.

“There was a frank and direct discussion with the President of the United States and Republican leaders. But significant and meaningful differences remain,” Jeffries said. “Democrats are fighting to protect the health care of the American people, and we are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of every day America, period.”

Congress has until midnight Oct. 1 to pass a short-term funding extension, or continuing resolution (CR), to avert a partial government shutdown. The House already passed a funding extension, but the bill was blocked in the Senate earlier this month. 

Republicans and the White House want to move forward with their “clean,” short-term funding extension until Nov. 21, while Democrats have offered a counter-proposal that includes a permanent extension of expiring Obamacare tax credits and other wishlist items that are a bridge too far for the GOP. 

Vance appeared alongside Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought in a show of Republican unity after the meeting, but made clear both sides are still far apart.

Thune, holding up a copy of the funding extension, panned Jeffries and Schumer’s accusation that the bill was partisan in nature. 

Congressional Republicans argue that the House GOP’s is everything that Democrats pushed when they controlled the Senate: a “clean,” short-term extension to Nov. 21 without partisan policy riders or spending, save for millions in new spending for increased security for lawmakers. 

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

“To me, this is purely a hostage-taking exercise on the part of the Democrats,” Thune said. “We are willing to sit down and work with them on some of the issues they want to talk about, whether it’s an extension of premium tax credits, with reforms, we’re happy to have that conversation. But as of right now, this is a hijacking.”

Neither Schumer nor Jeffries took questions after their remarks, but appeared slightly more optimistic than their GOP counterparts after the meeting concluded.

“I think for the first time, the president heard our objections and heard why we needed a bipartisan bill,” Schumer said. “Their bill has not one iota of Democratic input. That is never how we’ve done this before.”

Vance said he was “highly skeptical” that it was Trump’s first time hearing the issue and said there was a bipartisan path forward on healthcare – but panned Democrats’ push to include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Affordable Care Act (ACA) extensions in the bill.

“We want to work across the aisle to make sure that people have access to good healthcare,” he said, but added, “We are not going to let Democrats shut down the government and take a hostage unless we give them everything that they want. That’s not how the people’s government has ever worked.”

The meeting in the Oval Office comes after Trump canceled a previously scheduled confab last week with just Schumer and Jeffries. At the time, the president railed against their demands on his social media platform Truth Social and contended that congressional Democrats were pushing “radical Left policies that nobody voted for” in their counter-CR. 

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Democrats’ demands center on an extension to expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, though their counter-proposal also included language to repeal the healthcare section of the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” and a clawback of canceled NPR and PBS funding. 

Senate Republicans have argued that Democrats’ desires are unserious, and Thune has publicly said that Republicans would be willing to have discussions on the ACA subsidies, which are set to sunset at the end of this year, after the government is funded. 

Schumer insisted Democrats needed it addressed immediately, however, in a press conference back on Capitol Hill after the meeting.

“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,” he said.

The White House is also leveraging the threat of mass firings should the government shut down that go beyond the standard furloughing of nonessential employees. Still, Schumer and Senate Democrats have not buckled. 

The Senate is expected to vote again on the bill on Tuesday.

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…

–Portland set to see Trump crime crackdown reckoning after 2020’s humiliating violence spree

-White House warns veterans’ services at risk if Dems block GOP funding bill

–Mamdani proposes massive amount of legal defense funding for immigrants in ‘Trump-proofing’ NYC plan

Shutdown 101

The clock is ticking to fund government, and so far, lawmakers do not have a path forward to avert a partial shutdown.

The Senate returned to Washington, D.C., on Monday, and congressional leaders are slated to meet with President Donald Trump to negotiate a deal on funding the government. But the last week has seen both sides point the finger at who would own closing the government.

Lawmakers have until midnight Wednesday to pass a short-term funding extension, or else the government will close. And if it does, it would be the third shutdown under Trump…Read more

White House

TRUMP’S POWER PLAY: Supreme Court showdown: Trump’s strategy to test limits of his power could spell doom for administrative state

World Stage

BEIJING BLOCKS US: China won’t let Trump take back Bagram Air Base from the Taliban without a fight

GLOVES OFF PUTIN: Trump finds new leverage in Ukraine fight with Tomahawk threat and long-range strike authorization

OLIVE BRANCH: Netanyahu apologized for airstrikes during ‘heart-to-heart’ with Qatari leader, Trump says

Capitol Hill

FLIP THE SCRIPT: Top Dems say ‘no one is above the law’ on Trump, but decry Comey case

WINE NOT: Democrats plan luxury Napa retreat as government shutdown threat looms over Congress

DEM DELAY TACTICS: Mike Johnson prepares House Republicans for likely government shutdown in lawmaker-only call

SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: Chuck Schumer denies he’s caving to left-wing pressure to force a shutdown

Across America 

ALL ODDS ON: Prediction market traders give Mamdani 84% chance of winning New York mayoral race

‘RAGE’ RESPONSE: After death threat, Virginia lawmaker says Spanberger can’t escape ‘rage’ remarks

AGITATOR ARRESTED: Chicago anti-ICE agitator faces federal charges after threatening to ‘kill’ agent

‘NOT GOING ANYWHERE’: Erika Kirk tells husband’s audience to ‘buckle up’ as she promises countless hours of unseen content

MIGRANT KILLED: Victim identified in deadly Dallas ICE facility attack

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

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Qatar for striking its territory during a meeting with President Donald Trump, the White House said Monday.

Israel’s military targeted senior Hamas leadership in Qatar with an airstrike earlier this month that also killed a Qatari security official.

Trump distanced himself from Netanyahu’s decision to strike a top ally in the Middle East, writing on Truth Social at the time it “does not advance Israel or America’s goals.”

Qatar has been a key host of discussions aimed at hashing out a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. It also hosts about10,000 U.S. troops. 

TRUMP ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO BRING ISRAELI HOSTAGES HOME: HAMAS MUST BE ‘CONFRONTED AND DESTROYED’

During a trilateral call with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Netanyahu expressed “deep regret that Israel’s missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman,” according to a White House readout.

“He further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future.”

Al Thani welcomed the assurances, according to the readout, and Trump “expressed his desire to put Israeli-Qatar relations on a positive track after years of mutual grievances and miscommunications.”

“They really had a heart-to-heart conversation,” Trump said in a news conference after his meeting with Netanyahu. “It was a great conversation, and I thought it was productive.”

He said that the U.S., Israel and Qatar agreed to launch a formal trilateral mechanism to begin dialogue “to enhance mutual security, correct misperceptions, and avoid future misgivings.”

Trump praised the emir as a “fantastic person” and noted his role as a mediator in the peace process. He added that he hoped Qatar could join the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization deals between Middle Eastern nations and Israel that Trump brokered during his first administration.

ISRAEL’S STRIKE IN QATAR TRIGGERS RARE US REBUKE, TESTS TRUMP’S GULF DIPLOMACY

It came as Trump unveiled a 20-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza.

The plan includes granting Hamas terrorists who give up their arms in favor of peace “amnesty,” establishing Gaza as a “deradicalized terror-free zone” and Israel pulling back from the territory and ceasing military operations.

The plan explained that within 72 hours of Israel accepting the agreement, Hamas will release remaining hostages in its captivity — whether they are alive or deceased.

Upon the release of the remaining hostages, Israel will then release “250 life-sentence prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after Oct. 7, 2023,” according to the fifth point of the plan.

“Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries,” the sixth point of the plan read.

Gaza will not be controlled by Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, but by “those committed to peace,” according to Netanyahu.

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Hamas has not yet accepted the agreement, with Trump threatening the terrorist group to accept the plan or likely face further bloodshed.

“Israel would have my full backing to finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas,” Trump said Monday during a press conference, warning Hamas to accept the deal.

FIRST ON FOX: The partisan messaging war over a looming government shutdown is heating up with a new memo sent to House Republicans by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

In a memo titled, “Debunking the Democrats’ Shutdown Delusion,” sent to House GOP offices on Monday, obtained by Fox News Digital, Johnson is urging fellow House Republicans to keep the heat on Democrats in the government funding fight by arguing against their most often-used points in the ongoing battle.

“Republicans have acted responsibly by advancing a clean, nonpartisan 24-page continuing resolution that keeps funding at current levels through November 21 with no partisan policy riders. It averts a government shutdown and ensures essential services and benefits continue uninterrupted for the American people,” the memo said.

“Meanwhile, Democrats are doubling down on false narratives as the threat of a Democrat-led government shutdown looms. Democrats — who once claimed that shutdowns would be ‘dangerous,’ ‘disastrous,’ and ‘self-inflicted harm’ to seniors, veterans, servicemembers, families, and the economy — are now actively trying to force one over policies completely unrelated to government funding.”

SPEAKER JOHNSON FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM LEADERS WITH STAUNCH WARNING AGAINST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The memo first quoted Democrats’ attack that Republicans are working to end healthcare for millions of Americans, urging GOP lawmakers to fight back with “the current funding bill is a simple short-term funding extension with no policy changes and healthcare programs are fully funded at the current levels.”

“Democrats want to hold September government funding hostage over an unrelated December policy fight of their own making. Policy debates can happen separately, and Democrats don’t need to shut down the government to do it,” the memo said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other Democrats are pushing for any government funding bill to include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025.

Democrats also released their own alternative funding bill that would have repealed Medicaid reforms in President Donald Trump’s big, beautiful bill – all points which Republicans have panned as nonstarters.

Republican leaders have signaled openness to discussing Obamacare extensions but have argued against including them in a seven-week short-term funding bill.

The memo also urges GOP lawmakers to criticize Democrats’ proposal, saying it gives “free healthcare for illegal aliens,” “$500 million in taxpayer funding to prop up liberal news outlets,” “a $50 billion cut in investments for improving rural health care,” and “billions in funding for DEI and climate projects in foreign countries.”

On Democratic accusations that Republicans are using federal workers as “pawns” in a government shutdown battle, the memo said, “If Democrats choose to force a shutdown, the Trump administration must be ready to responsibly manage the situation, including making tough personnel decisions to prioritize operations.”

“But this disruption is entirely avoidable should Democrats support the responsible solution is on the table. If Democrats reject it, they alone will bear the blame for using federal workers as pawns in their political games,” it said.

HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

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The memo also encouraged Republicans to point out that their short-term funding bill passed the House earlier this month with nearly entirely GOP votes, and that Democrats in the Senate were responsible for scuttling it earlier this month.

It comes after Johnson urged House Republicans on a conference call earlier to stay united on federal funding, arguing Democrats had “no credible argument” in the fight.

Senate Republicans are expected to put the bill on the floor again sometime this week. If it fails to pass by midnight on Oct. 1, however, a partial government shutdown is all but certain.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House GOP leaders urged their fellow Republicans to stay united ahead of a likely government shutdown during a lawmaker-only phone call on Monday, Fox News Digital has learned.

“Realistically, the way [Democrats have] painted themselves into a corner, I don’t think they’ll be willing to yield. There’s going to be some shutdown at least on October 1st, for a few days at least,” Johnson said on the call, Fox News Digital was told. “I think that’s probably a good bet.”

House GOP leaders spent roughly an hour rallying their conference to stay on-message ahead of a possible government shutdown, which will occur if the Senate does not pass a short-term federal funding bill before midnight Wednesday. 

Johnson urged Republicans to “stay completely united,” Fox News Digital was told, while arguing that Democrats have “no credible argument” against rejecting the GOP spending bill.

SPEAKER JOHNSON FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM LEADERS WITH STAUNCH WARNING AGAINST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

He asked House Republicans to keep a low profile before they are due to return to Capitol Hill next week, including forgoing any House floor speeches and political events, Fox News Digital was told.

His comments on a shutdown being likely were in response to one House GOP lawmaker asking whether to pull out of a planned event this week.

Democrats and Republicans are at odds over how to avert a potential shutdown, with the former warning they will not vote for the latter’s bill without significant concessions on healthcare reform. 

Republicans, in turn, have pointed out that the funding levels are roughly the same as those Democrats supported under former President Joe Biden at the end of fiscal year (FY) 2024, and have accused Democrats of making unreasonable or partisan demands for a seven-week funding bill.

The measure, a stopgap bill keeping government spending levels mostly flat until Nov. 21, is aimed at giving the House and Senate more time to set funding priorities for FY 2026, which begins on Oct. 1.

It passed the House largely along party lines earlier this month. But in the Senate, where at least several Democrats are needed to meet a 60-vote threshold to advance the bill, its fate is more uncertain.

“If you want to win the shutdown, we have to stay on offense,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said on the call. 

HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

He emphasized that Republicans “did our job” in passing the funding bill.

“We need to keep emphasizing that. And if we do, we’re going to win this battle,” Emmer said, Fox News Digital was told.

House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., urged Republicans to keep the messaging focus on federal funding, rather than entering into a debate on healthcare, Fox News Digital was told.

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Democrats are demanding legislation that reverses some of the Republicans’ Medicaid cuts in their “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” and an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies.

Republicans, who have accused Democrats of trying to restore barriers on illegal immigrants getting Medicaid, have said the left’s demands would add about $1.5 trillion in spending.

It comes as the top four leaders in the House and Senate are expected to meet with President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon to discuss government funding in a last-ditch effort to avert a shutdown.

Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist running for mayor in New York City, plans to invest $165 million in legal defense services for immigrants if elected mayor this November. 

Mamdani called the policy proposal a “cornerstone” of his campaign on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” on Sept. 21, while affirming his commitment to increase funding by more than $100 million for New Yorkers he said are “in urgent risk of deportation.”

Mamdani’s ambitious platform includes commitments like free buses, rent freezes, city-owned grocery stores and a robust plan for “Trump-proofing” New York City. Chief among Mamdani’s plan to defend New York City from President Donald Trump’s executive authority is a commitment to creating the “strongest sanctuary city in the country,” which according to his campaign website, includes bolstering legal support for immigrants.

The 33-year-old mayoral hopeful fails to specify who qualifies to benefit from the $165 million fund. A distinction between legal and illegal immigration is missing from Mamdani’s proposal, and his campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s attempt to clarify. 

MAMDANI APPEALS TO NON-DEMOCRATS WITH GENERAL ELECTION PUSH, VOWS GOVERNMENT CAN MEET VOTERS’ ‘MATERIAL NEEDS’

During his MSNBC interview, Mamdani lamented that New York City residents are facing “urgent risk of deportation,” and claimed that those New Yorkers are more likely to stay in the United States if they are provided legal assistance. 

MAMDANI TAKES AIM AT TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN FIERY STATEN ISLAND SPEECH: ‘WE ARE FIGHTING TO KEEP NYC A SANCTUARY CITY’

Mamdani said his proposed investment is so that “we can ensure we’re taking every step we can to keep the Yorkers safe, to keep New Yorkers together and to show the world that they are welcome in this city.”

Mamdani’s plan to bolster New York City’s sanctuary city status also includes commitments to ending cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and protecting illegal immigrant’s personal information from the federal government. 

“The administration will increase funding for immigration legal services to provide representation for people and communities targeted by mass deportation,” Mamdani included in his “Trump-proofing” New York City proposal. 

Among the $165 million funding commitment, Mamdani is planning to increase funding for the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative from $500,000 to $25 million, “ensure families can stay together” by increasing funding from $16 million to $30 million for the New York Immigrant Family Unit Program and increasing funding from $20 million to $40 million for the Immigrant Opportunity Initiative. 

He also vowed to continue funding “essential programs” like interpretation services and “know your rights initiatives.”

Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s question about how he will pay for this additional funding. His platform does include raising taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers to pay for his proposals. 

During a press conference on Friday, Mamdani vowed to be a mayor “that ensures we increase legal representation of immigrant New Yorkers who are under attack.”

A Fox News survey of New York City registered voters found Mamdani leading the race by 18 percentage points with 45% support. 

Only 3% of those surveyed mentioned illegal immigration as the city’s No. 1 problem. Most (67%) favored only deporting those charged with crimes but allowing others to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship.

While Mamdani is a self-described Democratic socialist, Trump has labeled him a “communist.”

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said that Mamdani “will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party.”

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“He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!” Trump said. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has signaled that Democrats are not budging on their key demands ahead of a high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump about government funding.

The federal government will enter a partial shutdown at midnight on Wednesday if Republicans and Democrats do not reach a deal on funding priorities for fiscal year (FY) 2026, which ends at the end of the day on Sept. 30.

All but one House Democrat rejected Republicans’ plan for a roughly straightforward extension of FY 2025 funding levels, through Nov. 21, aimed at giving appropriators more time for a longer-term deal.

Jeffries blasted the measure — called a continuing resolution (CR) — as partisan and has demanded that Republicans make concessions on healthcare in exchange for Democratic support.

SPEAKER JOHNSON FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM LEADERS WITH STAUNCH WARNING AGAINST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

He signaled during a last-minute news conference on Monday that Democrats would reject anything less than a written plan to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No one can trust their word on healthcare. Are you kidding me? These people have been trying to repeal and displace people off the Affordable Care Act since 2010. That’s 15 years,” Jeffries said. “And on behalf of the American people, we’re supposed to simply take their word that they’re willing to negotiate? The American people know that would be an unreasonable thing for us to do.”

Jeffries also pointed out that an alternate CR offered by Democrats would expand those subsidies under the ACA, colloquially known as “Obamacare,” permanently.

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

It comes hours before he, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., are set to meet with Trump to discuss government funding at 3 p.m. on Monday.

Johnson and Thune, along with other Republicans in Congress, have been pushing Democrats to accept the deal on the table — pointing out that funding levels have remained roughly the same since former President Joe Biden’s time in office.

“We are ready, we are willing, we are able to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement that actually keeps the government open, but meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, their safety, and their economic well-being related to lowering the high cost of living, as opposed to allowing tens of millions of Americans to experience dramatically increased health care costs,” Jeffries told reporters.

“What we will not do is support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people.”

The COVID-era Obamacare subsidies are due to expire at the end of this year without any action by Congress.

Thune told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that he would be open to negotiating a deal but not paired with the current government funding talks.

“We can have that conversation, but before we do, release the hostage. Set the American people free, keep the government open, and then let’s have a conversation about those premium tax credits. I’m certainly open to that. I think we all are,” he said. 

“I will say … that particular program is desperately in need of reform. It’s fraught with waste, fraud and abuse. So we are going to have reforms if we take action there, but I think there’s potentially a path forward.”

The GOP-led CR passed the House earlier this month largely along party lines.

It’s now on the Senate, where at least several Democrats will be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold to proceed with the bill.

Schumer is under tremendous pressure by his left flank after playing a key role in advancing Republicans’ earlier CR in March, which extended through Sept. 30.

This time, however, Jeffries assured that he and Schumer are in “lock-step” on bucking the Republican plan unless a compromise is reached.

He said of their upcoming sit-down with Trump, “We’re heading into the meeting to have a good faith negotiation about landing the plane in a way that avoids a government shutdown but does not continue the Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people.”

“Republicans control the House and the Senate, and there’s a Republican president. If the government shuts down, it’s because Republicans want to shut the government down,” Jeffries said at another point.

Johnson, meanwhile, hammered Democrats’ position in an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

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“We passed a continuing resolution, a simple, very clean, 24-page continuing resolution to keep the government open for seven more weeks, so the appropriators can finish that process,” Johnson said.

“And [Schumer] said, ‘No. Instead, I want to add $1.5 trillion in new spending to a seven-week stopgap bill…we want to reinstate free healthcare to illegal aliens paid for by U.S. taxpayer dollars. We want to claw back the $50 billion that we passed, Republicans passed, in our big, beautiful bill, the Working Families Tax Cuts, to provide for rural hospitals and healthcare, and a laundry list of other partisan priorities. He knows it’s a nonstarter.”

President Donald Trump is set to attend Tuesday’s unprecedented all-hands meeting of U.S. military commanders in Quantico, Va., he said Sunday.

As speculation swirls over why generals and flag officers from around the world were summoned, Trump insisted the purpose was celebratory.

“It’s really just a very nice meeting talking about how well we’re doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things. It’s just a good message,” Trump told NBC News.

“We have some great people coming in, and it’s just an ‘esprit de corps.’ You know the expression ‘esprit de corps’? That’s all it’s about. We’re talking about what we’re doing, what they’re doing, and how we’re doing.”

SEN TAMMY DUCKWORTH: WHY TRUMP’S PATTERN OF PURGING OUR HIGHEST-PERFORMING MILITARY OFFICERS IS DANGEROUS

The gathering represents a major logistical and security feat, concentrating nearly every top U.S. military leader in one location. Trump’s attendance raises the stakes further, putting the Secret Service in charge of security.

Hundreds of generals, admirals and their senior enlisted leaders — ranked one star and above — were ordered last week to attend the meeting with War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The invitation offered no stated reason, fueling speculation it could herald mass cuts consistent with Hegseth’s push to shrink the general officer corps.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., wrote to the Pentagon seeking details on the cost of flying in officers on such short notice and whether virtual alternatives were considered. About 800 general and flag officers are stationed worldwide, and together with their enlisted advisors and aides, the number descending on Quantico could exceed 1,000, according to Duckworth. She also asked what accounts would cover the costs, whether return travel might be disrupted by a potential government shutdown, and if a cost-benefit analysis preceded the decision to meet in person.

TOP US MILITARY BRASS TO HOLD SECRETIVE MEETING WITH HEGSETH AS TRUMP RAMPS UP RUSSIA CRITICISM

Defense officials and analysts have suggested the meeting may preview cuts not only to the general officer ranks but also to civilian and contractor roles at bases worldwide. Others believe it could foreshadow reductions to the U.S. force posture in Europe and the Middle East, consistent with an expected national defense strategy that prioritizes homeland defense after years of emphasis on the Indo-Pacific and China.

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Hegseth has pledged to cut the general officer corps by 20 percent and has already dismissed roughly two dozen senior officers. Reports also suggest he intends to use the meeting to stress his “warrior ethos,” which defense sources suggest could be a way to remind commanders of their duty to remain apolitical, and reassert his personal authority over the force.

Last week, Trump signed an executive order directing law enforcement and the military to counter “domestic terrorism and organized political violence.” On Sunday, at Trump’s direction, Hegseth informed the adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard that 200 troops would be deployed for 60 days to protect immigration enforcement officials facing protests. The federalized Guard members will serve under U.S. Northern Command.

The clock is ticking to fund government, and so far, lawmakers do not have a path forward to avert a partial shutdown.

The Senate returned to Washington, D.C., on Monday, and congressional leaders are slated to meet with President Donald Trump to negotiate a deal on funding the government. But the last week has seen both sides point the finger at who would own closing the government.

Lawmakers have until midnight Wednesday to pass a short-term funding extension, or else the government will close. And if it does, it would be the third shutdown under Trump.

A government shutdown happens when Congress can neither pass all 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the government, nor pass a continuing resolution (CR), which typically keeps funding levels static while lawmakers hustle to finish their work on spending bills.

SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FACE HEAT FOR SHIFTING STANCE ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREAT

Since 1980, there have been 10 government shutdowns. Only three have happened since the turn of the century.

All shutdowns are different, and the impending shutdown is no exception. However, it could have more devastating effects on the federal workforce than previous shutdowns given the administration’s orders to undertake mass firings.

Programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid will continue, along with the Postal Service, Veterans’ Affairs hospitals and clinics, and Immigration and Border Patrol security activities, among others. Federal employees will likely go without pay, however, and a string of agencies will see their services hampered by furloughs, like the IRS and Small Business Administration. Housing programs may also see a delay in rental assistance and loans.  

Typically, shutdowns see thousands of federal workers deemed “nonessential” furloughed, but the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memo last week that directed agencies to “use this opportunity to consider reduction in force (RIF) notices for all employees” in programs that have no other available funding source and that don’t comport with Trump’s priorities if lawmakers couldn’t fund the government.

SPEAKER JOHNSON FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEM LEADERS WITH STAUNCH WARNING AGAINST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

“RIF notices will be in addition to any furlough notices provided due to the lapse in appropriation,” the memo read, and they will be issued “regardless of whether the employee is excepted or furloughed during the lapse in appropriations.”

Then there is the cost of a shutdown. While the cost of a partial closure this year is unknown, the Congressional Budget Office did an analysis of the cost of the last time the government shuttered in 2019.

The report, published in January 2019, found that the shutdown saw roughly $18 billion in federal spending delayed, which led to a dip in that year’s first quarter gross domestic product of $8 billion. The report noted roughly $3 billion of that would not be recovered.

It also found that federal workers who received delayed payments and private businesses were the hardest hit.

“Some of those private-sector entities will never recoup that lost income,” the report stated.

Congressional Republicans and Democrats are at a stalemate on the current CR, not so much because of what’s in the bill — it would keep the government open until Nov. 21 and includes tens of millions in new spending for lawmakers’ security — but because of what it lacks.

Democratic lawmakers demanded that the short-term extension at least include an extension to expiring Obamacare premium subsidies and have warned that if Congress doesn’t act, millions of Americans will see their health care costs increase.

TRUMP CANCELS MEETING WITH SCHUMER, JEFFRIES OVER ‘RIDICULOUS DEMANDS’ AS FUNDING DEADLINE LOOMS

While the subsidies don’t expire until the end of the year, congressional Democrats have noted that insurers are gearing up to send out new rates on Oct. 1.

But Senate Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have said that conversations about the subsidies can happen after the government is funded, but that has so far not been enough for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate 
Democrats.

“Fundamentally, nothing has changed, though, and the choice remains the same: Democrats can either vote for a clean, short-term, nonpartisan CR that prioritizes the American people, or they can choose a completely avoidable shutdown that prioritizes politics above all else,” Thune told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

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Both Thune and Schumer, along with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., will meet with Trump Monday afternoon. The confab comes after Trump canceled a meeting with the Democratic leaders earlier this week.

Schumer and Jeffries said in a joint statement after a new meeting was set that “Democrats will meet anywhere, at any time and with anyone to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people.”

“We are resolute in our determination to avoid a government shutdown and address the Republican health care crisis,” they said. “Time is running out.” 

President Donald Trump meets Monday at 2 p.m. ET with top bipartisan, bicameral congressional leaders as the clock ticks down toward a potential government shutdown at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. 

But there is little optimism for the meeting. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have not met with Trump since he returned to office. Democrats are insisting on subsidies to make Obamacare coverage cheaper and a reinstatement of money cut for public radio and television.

Previous meetings between Trump and top Democrats have ended badly. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stormed out of one such session.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHANCES ASTRONOMICAL AS CONGRESS BARRELS TOWARD DEADLINE

The prospects of a shutdown are extremely high. There have been no talks or trading of offers for weeks. The House approved a stopgap bill to simply renew all existing funding at present levels, and then they left town.

Only the Senate is in session today. The Senate likely re-votes a procedural vote which failed just to start debate on the House-approved bill tomorrow, hours before the deadline. That needs 60 yeas to break a filibuster. Otherwise, the government is on cruise control for a shutdown.

GARBAGE COLLECTION, TOURS TO BE SUSPENDED ON CAPITOL HILL IF THERE’S A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

House Republicans may not be in Washington, but House Democrats will descend on the Capitol late this afternoon for a caucus meeting.

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The government last shut down in late 2018 — early 2019. It closed for a record 35 days over a dispute about money for Trump’s border wall.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris revealed her debate preparation against Donald Trump during the 2024 election cycle included how to handle a handful of crude hypothetical attacks on abortion and Viagra use, according to her new book, “107 Days.”

Bolstered by a team of advisers and a veteran trial attorney Harris compared to a “wartime consigliere,” the then-vice president traveled to the basement of Howard University, her undergraduate alma mater, to prepare for her debate against Trump. Harris had prepped to debate JD Vance in a vice presidential debate ahead of then-President Joe Biden dropping out of the race in July 2024. 

Amid typical debate prep focused on providing Harris with intimate knowledge of topics so she could effectively present her argument on stage, she also was trained for the “the painful matter of imagining what kinds of personal attacks Trump might mount against me.”

“‘He might ask you if you’ve ever had an abortion,’ one adviser said,” Harris wrote of her time devising her debate strategies. 

NEW BOOK REVEALS WHAT KAMALA HARRIS ‘MOANED’ TO HER HUSBAND DURING WALZ’S DISASTROUS VP DEBATE

“If he did, the response would be: That’s none of your business and that’s not what we’re here for,” she continued. 

Harris continued that another individual in the debate prep room floated “a dark joke that if he got that personal, I should ask if he took Viagra.”

“Another: Had he ever paid for an abortion?” she continued. 

The pair were asked about abortion during the debate, but it never culminated into personal attacks on hypothetical abortions or Viagra use. 

KAMALA HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE ON BIDEN DROPOUT, ADMITS SHE HAS REGRETS ABOUT HER HANDLING OF SITUATION

“In the end, he didn’t go down that track. He probably knew a question like that would be exceedingly thin ice for him—and would infuriate just about every woman in America,” Harris wrote. 

Harris added that her team wrote a debate card “for every nuance of every subject, and once I memorized what was on that card, I’d draw a big, loopy X across it.”

KAMALA HARRIS REVEALS WHAT BIDEN TOLD HER JUST BEFORE CRUCIAL DEBATE WITH TRUMP THAT LEFT HER ‘ANGRY’

“I am not a trained seal; I’m not going to memorize lines and spout them. I have to understand the logic and building blocks of every argument so I can present it clearly and defend it persuasively,” she wrote.

Harris’ book, “107 Days,” hit shelves Tuesday and reflects on the 107 days she had on the presidential campaign trail after Biden dropped out of the race amid mounting concern over his mental acuity. 

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Harris failed to rally enough support to defeat Trump, losing each of the seven battleground states Nov. 4, 2024. 

The Pentagon is gathering hundreds of top U.S. military leaders for an unusual meeting — one that comes as President Donald Trump has ramped up his criticism of Russia and as the Pentagon gears up a new national defense strategy prioritizing homeland defense. 

Several War Department officials confirmed to Fox News that the Pentagon requested top military commanders to convene in Virginia for the meeting this week. However, the topic of the discussion remains unclear. 

The Pentagon confirmed the meeting but did not offer details.

HEGSETH ORDERS HUNDREDS OF MILITARY COMMANDERS TO VIRGINIA FOR UNPRECEDENTED MEETING

“The Secretary of War will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement last week. 

The unusual meeting would involve approximately 800 generals and admirals who are based all throughout the U.S. and stationed in various parts of the world. 

Those invited to the meeting say they’ve been told little, sources told Fox News Digital. Generals on Thursday exchanged messages from across the globe speculating on why the secretary might want to see them face-to-face.

The Washington Post first reported War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plans for the Thursday meeting. The Post also reported on Friday that Hegseth plans to discuss “warrior ethos” with the officers. 

Meanwhile, the meeting comes amid several key global and national security developments, including Trump leveling criticism and ire toward Russia amid its ongoing war with Ukraine. 

NATO DEFENSE CHIEFS STRESS COMMITMENT TO UKRAINE, DISCUSS SECURITY GUARANTEES DURING VIRTUAL SUMMIT

For example, Trump voiced his frustration with Russia Tuesday and accused Moscow of “fighting aimlessly” and compared Russia to a “paper tiger,” after he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York at the United Nations General Assembly. 

Additionally, he said that he believes Ukraine, with the backing of the European Union, could secure back all of its territory as the war between Russia and Ukraine persists.

“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option,” Trump said in a Tuesday social media post. “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”

In recent weeks, Russia has been testing the boundaries of NATO, seemingly daring members of the defensive alliance to respond. Russian drones have been found in Polish and Romanian airspace and three Russian jets carrying missiles flew over Estonia recently. 

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz promised the U.S. would defend “every inch” of NATO in his U.N. address and Trump mused that nations should shoot down Russian aircraft that traverse into their territory. 

Behind closed doors, U.S. officials worry the situation may escalate. 

“Almost all wars, if you look at them, they don’t necessarily start with a big bang,” one senior State Department official told Fox News Digital. “They start with an escalation, and then somebody feels they need to respond to this, and then you just get in a toxic spiral.”

“The last thing we want is to have NATO get drawn into a war with Russia.”

JOINT CHIEFS, NATO COUNTERPARTS TO DISCUSS UKRAINE SECURITY GUARANTEES AFTER TRUMP SUGGESTS US AIR SUPPORT

The meeting also comes as administration officials are assembling a new National Defense Strategy that identifies homeland defense as the top priority — in alignment with Trump’s “America First” agenda. Previously, the National Defense Strategy has identified countering threats from China as its top focus. 

Likewise, the meeting comes as the Pentagon has eyes on slimming down its top officers. Hegseth previously unveiled plans in May to trim down 20% of four-star generals and admirals, along with an additional 10% reduction in general and flag officers across the military. 

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump is slated to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday in an attempt to broker a ceasefire agreement and an end the war in Gaza.

Previewing the talks on Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “We have a real chance for greatness in the Middle East. All are on board for something special, first time ever. We will get it done.”

TRUMP SAYS ‘I THINK WE HAVE A DEAL’ ON GAZA WAR

Trump did not elaborate on the precise terms of a ceasefire, exit or demilitarization plans for Gaza, or hostage-prisoner swap arrangements. He has previously said that both Israel and Hamas have agreed to indirect talks later this week in Qatar.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance told “Fox News Sunday” that top U.S. officials are immersed in “very complicated” negotiations with both Israeli and Arab counterparts.

“I feel more optimistic about where we are right now than where we have been at any point in the last few months, but let’s be realistic, these things can get derailed at the very last minute,” Vance said.

TRUMP STAKES GAZA PEACE HOPES ON 21-POINT PLAN AS ISRAEL, HOUTHIS CONTINUE DEADLY FIGHTING

He added that the Trump administration’s proposal centers on three main points: securing the release of all hostages, eliminating the Hamas threat to Israel, and expanding humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“So I think we’re close to accomplishing all three of those objectives,” Vance said.

In an exclusive interview on Fox News Channel’s “The Sunday Briefing,” Netanyahu said his team is working with U.S. officials to secure the release of hostages, a top priority for the Israeli leader.

“I hope we can make it a go because we want to free our hostages. We want to get rid of Hamas rule and have them disarmed, Gaza demilitarized, and a new future set up for Gazans and Israelis alike and for the whole region,” he told co-host Jacqui Heinrich.

NETANYAHU BROADCASTS UNITED NATIONS MESSAGE INTO GAZA ACCUSING WORLD LEADERS OF APPEASING ‘EVIL’

The meeting, the third one between Trump and Netanyahu since January, comes on the heels of the United Nations General Assembly. 

Dozens of U.N. delegates left the General Assembly hall during the prime minister’s address, leaving rows of empty seats behind.

Later, member states voted to permit Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to deliver his remarks remotely on Thursday. 

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In his speech, Abbas accused Israel of “genocide” and called for full U.N. membership for a Palestinian state — drawing about 30 seconds of applause.

Score another victory for President Donald Trump in the high-stakes political battle between Republicans and Democrats over congressional redistricting.

GOP Gov. Mike Kehoe of Missouri on Sunday signed into law a new congressional map, Missouri First, that is likely to hand Republicans an additional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of next year’s midterms elections.

Missouri, once considered a swing state that has dramatically shifted to the right over the past decade and a half, is the latest battleground in the congressional redistricting showdown after the passage of new maps in GOP-dominated Texas and a redistricting push by Democrats in heavily blue California. 

“I was proud to officially sign the Missouri First Map into law today ahead of the 2026 midterm election,” Kehoe said in a statement. “We believe this map best represents Missourians, and I appreciate the support and efforts of state legislators, our congressional delegation, and President Trump in getting this map to my desk.”

TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING PUSH TURNS MIDWESTERN STATE INTO NEXT POLITICAL BATTLEGROUND

Trump, in a social media statement following passage in the GOP-dominated state legislature, called the new map “FANTASTIC” and said it “will help send an additional MAGA Republican to Congress in the 2026 Midterm Elections.”

The new map targets longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-area district by shifting it eastward to include rural right-leaning voters. The new map would likely flip Cleaver’s seat and give Republicans a 7-1 advantage in the state’s House delegation.

Cleaver has vowed to take legal action if the new map is signed into law by the governor.

“I want to warn all of us that if you fight fire with fire long enough, all you’re going to have left is ashes,” Cleaver said earlier this month as he testified in front of a Missouri Senate committee.

And pointing to recent public opinion polling, he called the redistricting plan “immensely unpopular.”

And Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune accused Republicans of pushing to “rig our maps and eliminate our representation in Congress.”

ABBOTT CLEARS FINAL REDISTRICTING HURDLE AS TEXAS SENATE PASSES NEW TRUMP-APPROVED MAP

Kehoe’s announcement teeing up the special session came hours after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed into law a redistricting bill passed by the Republican supermajority in the state legislature that aims to create up to five right-leaning congressional districts at the expense of current Democrat-controlled seats in the reliably red state.

The efforts in Missouri and Texas are part of a broad effort by the GOP to pad its razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House, when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.

Democrats are fighting back against the rare, but not unheard-of mid-decade redistricting.

State lawmakers in heavily blue California have approved a special ballot proposition this November to obtain voter approval to temporarily sidetrack the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature.

The effort in California, which aims to create five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts and counter the shift in Texas, is being spearheaded by two-term Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is seen as a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender.

With Democrats currently needing just a three-seat pickup in next year’s midterms to win back the House majority, Republicans in Indiana, South Carolina, Florida, Kansas and Nebraska are mulling their own GOP-friendly redistricting plans ahead of the 2026 elections. And right-leaning Ohio is under a court order to draw new maps ahead of the midterms.

Democrats, as they push back, are looking to New York, Illinois and Maryland in the hopes of creating more left-leaning congressional seats.

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In Illinois and Maryland, where governors J.B. Pritzker and Wes Moore are discussing redistricting, Democrats hope to pick up to three more left-leaning seats.

And Democrats could pick up a seat in Republican-dominated Utah, where a judge recently ordered the GOP-controlled legislature to draw new maps after ruling that lawmakers four years ago ignored an independent commission approved by voters to prevent partisan gerrymandering. 

 

 

The state of Oregon filed a lawsuit Sunday to block President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy 200 National Guard troops to Portland.

The suit was announced by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield within hours of Gov. Tina Kotek receiving a memo from Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, in which he authorized the troop deployment for 60 days.

According to the order seen by Fox News Digital, the federally controlled Oregon National Guard would be stationed in Portland to protect federal property “where protests are occurring or likely to occur.”

Kotek, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, and Rayfield, all Democrats, responded by jointly filing the challenge in federal court, arguing the administration’s move is “unlawful” and unnecessary.

DC ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES TRUMP OVER NATIONAL GUARD ‘INVOLUNTARY MILITARY OCCUPATION’

“Oregon communities are stable, and our local officials have been clear: we have the capacity to manage public safety without federal interference,” Rayfield said in a statement. 

On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had directed Hegseth to send “all necessary Troops to protect war-ravaged Portland, and any other ICE facilities under siege from attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists.”

Kotek also said Saturday she had spoken directly with the president before Sunday’s order and had urged him not to send in troops. 

“Our city is a far cry from the war-ravaged community he has posted on social media,” Kotek told reporters at a news conference at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

“There is no insurrection, there is no threat to national security and there is no need for military troops in our major city,” she added.

PORTLAND MAYOR WARNS CITY TO FIX HOMELESS PROBLEM BEFORE TRUMP ‘DEPLOYS BULLDOZERS’

Despite those objections, federal agents began arriving in Portland over the weekend, with one clash already reported outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. 

Mayor Wilson condemned the arrival of National Guard troops.

“We did not ask for them to come. They are here without precedent or purpose,” he said.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., urged demonstrators to avoid confrontations with federal agents. “Their goal is to create an engagement that will lead to conflict,” he said.

TRUMP VOWS ‘FULL FORCE’ AS HE PLANS TO SEND TROOPS TO PORTLAND AMID ANTI-ICE PROTESTS

The lawsuit follows a similar case filed by California in June, after the administration sent troops to Los Angeles.

“This will only serve to divide us as a nation and community under the guise of caring about public safety,” Rayfield said. “The number of necessary troops is zero.”

“As standing policy, the Department does not comment on active litigation. We have no comment on this nor the Oregon ARNG deployment at this time,” a Department of War spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

The Department of War’s Gold Star Advisory Council (GSAC) convenes for the first time Monday, providing an unprecedented, direct channel for families of fallen service members to meet and engage with senior military leadership and have their voices heard at the decision-making level.

Gold Star Families, relatives of U.S. military members who lost their lives in service, have long carried the weight of sacrifice while often feeling overlooked in military policy discussions and, according to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, this new council arrangement is to “drive changes that will stick.”

PENTAGON’S NEW PRESS RULES MAY BE ‘BRIDGE TOO FAR,’ TURLEY WARNS

“Today marks the first time a Gold Star Advisory Council convened at the Secretary of War level,” Hegseth told Fox News Digital, underscoring the historic significance of the moment.

“This council is long overdue for Gold Star Families to elevate their voices directly to Department leadership, tackle real concerns, and transform the casualty process for good,” he added. 

“It has my full backing to call out the failures, shake up the bureaucratic status quo, and drive the changes that will stick across the entire Department of War.”

The GSAC was formally established on May 6, 2025, through a memorandum signed by the Secretary. Its mission is rooted in honoring the ultimate sacrifice of America’s warfighters and ensuring that the families left behind are never forgotten.

HEGSETH DELIVERS STERN WARNING TO CHINA IN FIRST CALL AFTER XI’S MILITARY PARADE

Meeting at least twice each year, the Council will be charged with offering policy recommendations, holding the Department accountable, and providing a permanent forum for Gold Star Families to share concerns and propose solutions.

Leadership of the Council reflects both institutional authority and lived experience. 

Co-vice chairs include Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata, alongside Jane Horton, a Gold Star Wife and senior adviser to the Secretary of War. 

Together, they are to bring senior-level expertise and the deeply personal perspective of those who have borne loss firsthand.

FEMALE MILITARY RECRUITS SURGE ACROSS ALL SERVICE BRANCHES

“Gold Star Families are vital to our military community and our mission,” Tata said. 

“Their strength and resilience are truly inspiring and emblematic of the warrior ethos that we strive to promote throughout the Total Force. The Gold Star Advisory Council is a testament to their enduring service to our nation.”

He added that the council represents an enduring commitment:

“The Gold Star Advisory Council will enable the Department to continue remembering our fallen Service members and delivering on our promise to take care of the families they left behind. It has played a key role in elevating our Gold Star Families, telling their stories, and keeping the memories of our fallen heroes alive. I appreciate her advocacy, representation, and leadership. We remain grateful for her extraordinary efforts, and I look forward to serving alongside her on the Gold Star Advisory Council.”

Jane Horton echoed both the Secretary and Tata’s charge and highlighted the council’s mission-driven purpose rather than symbolism.

“The Secretary’s charge is clear: every warrior must know that if the worst should happen, their family will never be forgotten, and their sacrifice will never be overlooked,” she said.

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“The Gold Star Advisory Council exists to create real, lasting change. We are not symbolic. We are a mission-driven body of Gold Star Families and senior leaders focused on reforming the systems that shape casualty assistance, long-term care, and how our nation honors the fallen.

“The strength of this council lies in those who have borne unimaginable loss and still choose to lead. We are here to serve our warriors.”

With New York City Mayor Eric Adams abruptly ending his reelection campaign on Sunday, rivals of front-runner Zohran Mamdani scrambled to capitalize.

Adams announced his decision in a nearly nine-minute video posted on X. He offered no clues about his plans after leaving office and did not endorse any of the remaining mayoral candidates.

ERIC ADAMS DROPS OUT OF NYC MAYORAL RACE AS MAMDANI GAINS GROUND

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, cast the moment as a turning point, vowing that on November 4, “New Yorkers will turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas.”

“Donald Trump and his billionaire donors might be able to determine Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo’s actions but they will not dictate the results of this election,” Mamdani wrote in a statement. 

“New York deserves better than trading in one disgraced, corrupt politician for another. On November 4th, we are going to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas and deliver a government every New Yorker can be proud of,” he added.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa’s campaign framed him as the strongest challenger to Mamdani.

NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI STILL HOLDS COMMANDING DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OVER RIVALS IN NYC MAYORAL RACE

“Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani. Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched,” campaign spokesperson Daniel Kurzyna wrote in a statement. 

“Most importantly, we have the best solutions to help working people afford to stay in New York City and feel safe,” Kurzyna added.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he believed Adams’ decision was “sincere in putting the well-being of New York City ahead of personal ambition.”

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“Mayor Adams has much to be proud of in his accomplishments. Whatever differences we may have, Eric Adams’ story is undeniably one of resilience, a testament to the spirit of this city,” Cuomo added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., thanked Adams for his service but held off endorsing a successor, saying he will share his views before early voting begins.

“During his time in office, violent crime is down, the building of affordable housing units is up and New York City has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Jeffries wrote in a statement.

“Over the next few days, my entire focus will be on addressing the Republican healthcare crisis and funding the government,” Jeffries said, adding that he will “publicly weigh in” on the remaining mayoral candidates before the start of early voting.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she has been proud to work alongside Adams to “make New York City safer, stronger, and more affordable,” she wrote in a post on X. 

“He leaves New York City better than he inherited it and it will always be central to his legacy as mayor,” she added.