NationalWatch

Voters in New England’s most populous city are casting ballots Tuesday in a mayoral election amid a new crackdown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts.

The voting comes as Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, who’s seeking re-election to a second four-year term, is pushing back against federal immigration enforcement in the city.

The Department of Homeland Security announced on Sunday that “ICE launched ‘Patriot 2.0’ to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens living in the state of Massachusetts, following the success of Operation Patriot in May.”

TRUMP’S AGENDA, DOGE CUTS, LOOM LARGE IN TUSDAY’S SPECIAL CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION

And taking aim at Wu, the statement argued, “Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but also place these public safety threats above the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities.”

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

Wu, on Monday, pushed back

“They are wrong on the law, and they are wrong on safety,” Wu charged. “This is why Boston has been the target. Boston is going to continue to uphold the Boston Trust Act, our state law, and the clear separation where our local officials and our city government does not cooperate in the mass deportation efforts that this federal administration is trying to push.”

And the mayor claimed, “For months, ICE has refused to provide any information about their activities in Boston and refuses to issue warrants, while we hear reports of ICE agents taking parents as they are dropping their kids off at school. That does not make our community safer.”

Boston’s Trust Act prevents police in the city from handing people over to ICE without a criminal warrant.

The latest confrontation comes as the Justice Department sues Boston city officials, including the mayor, for allegedly interfering with the immigration crackdown.

Polls indicate Wu is heavily favored in Tuesday’s preliminary mayoral contest, which will narrow the field to two for November’s general election in the left-leaning city..

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Wu is facing three challengers, with philanthropist Josh Kraft, the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, likely to join the mayor in advancing.

Jury selection is set to resume Tuesday in Fort Pierce, Florida, for the federal trial of Ryan Routh, charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024.

Three groups of 60 potential jurors are participating in the jury selection process, where prosecutors and Routh, who is representing himself in the case, ask jurors a series of questions to determine whether they can fairly participate in the trial. The jury selection process kicked off on Monday and is expected to wrap up Wednesday. 

RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE

Ultimately, the jury selection process will identify 12 jurors and four alternates for the trial. 

The first group of 60 appeared before prosecutors and Routh on Monday. His questions to potential jurors touched on the war in Gaza, the idea of the U.S. acquiring Greenland — a proposal once floated by the president — and how they might respond if they saw a turtle in the road while driving.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed Routh’s questions as “politically charged,” and said that they were unnecessary for jury selection. 

“None of the questions on your list have any bearing whatsoever. They were off base, sir, and have no relevance to jury selection,” Cannon said.

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CHALLENGES PRESIDENT TO ROUND OF GOLF

Prosecutors claim that Routh, a 59-year-old construction worker, sought to kill Trump for weeks, and staked out a spot in shrubbery on Sept. 15, 2024, when a Secret Service agent detected him pointing a rifle at Trump while the then-presidential candidate played golf at his West Palm Beach country club. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, but abandoned his weapon and the scene after the Secret Service agent opened fire. 

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN’T SEE CLASSIFIED INFO RELATING TO CASE, JUDGE RULES

Routh faces federal charges including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and various gun violations. The charges carry a potential life sentence if the jury finds him guilty. Meanwhile, Routh has maintained he’s innocent and pleaded not guilty to all federal charges, in addition to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. 

Opening statements for the trial are expected to kick off on Thursday, and prosecutors are poised to launch into their case immediately afterward. The court has allocated four weeks for Routh’s trial, and it is expected to wrap up no later than Oct. 3. 

Fox News’ Jamie Joseph, Heather Lacey and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Senate Republicans have started the process of going nuclear on Senate Democrats in their quest to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominees.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Monday laid the framework for the GOP to use the “nuclear option,” a move that allows for a rule change in the Senate with a simple majority vote in order to install a new rule that allows for nominees to be voted on in groups.

Republicans are moving forward with a plan originally devised by Democrats during the Biden administration, due to frustrations at the time with the sluggish pace that nominees were moving through the upper chamber.

TRUMP NOMINEES PILE UP AS GOP WEIGHS RULE SHIFT ONCE FLOATED BY DEMOCRATS

However, that pace has turned into an outright crawl during Trump’s second term. No nominee at any level has received a voice vote or moved through unanimous consent — two methods meant to fast-track the confirmation process for sub-cabinet level positions in the bureaucracy.

Thune quoted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who in 2022 railed against Republicans during a Senate floor speech for slowing some of former President Joe Biden’s nominees, and said, “Regardless of the party in the White House, both sides have long agreed that a President deserves to have his or her administration in place, quickly.” 

Thune charged that the Democrats’ blockade was “Trump derangement syndrome on steroids” and argued that if the nominees were as historically bad as they claimed, they would not have voted some of them out of committee on a bipartisan basis.

“We’ve got a crisis, and it’s time to take steps to restore Senate precedent and codify in Senate rules what was once understood to be standard practice,” he said. 

“This afternoon I will be taking the necessary procedural steps to amend the rules,” Thune continued. “It is an idea with a Democrat pedigree.”

Thune is expected to take the first step in the process Monday night and will file a resolution with dozens of nominees who advanced out of committee on a bipartisan basis. 

The plan, which takes its cue from a bill pushed by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Angus King, I-Maine, and former Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., would allow for nominees to be voted on in groups, or “en bloc.”

TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN READY TO ‘ROLL OVER’ DEMOCRATS WITH RULE CHANGE TO CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINEES

The original bill put a cap of 10 nominees per en bloc group and included both district judge and U.S. attorney picks. Republicans are likely to go beyond the cap but may not include judicial nominees.

Instead, the focus is on sub-cabinet level nominees that make their way through their respective committees with bipartisan support.

“What I’m just saying is we’re returning to the way the Senate used to work,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told Fox News Digital. “When the vast majority of nominees, after being scrutinized in committee, had their hearings voted out and sent to the floor. Then you know, Bush, Clinton — 99% of them by unanimous consent or by voice vote, and President Trump has had zero.”

Thune’s move comes after he and Schumer were unable to reach a deal on moving nominees last month before lawmakers left Washington for recess.

Both parties have turned to the nuclear option a handful of times since 2010. In 2013, then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., used the nuclear option to allow for all executive branch nominees to be confirmed by simple majority. 

SENATE GOP READY TO GO NUCLEAR AFTER SCHUMER’S ‘POLITICAL EXTORTION’ OF NOMINEES

Four years later, then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., went nuclear to allow for Supreme Court nominees to be confirmed by a simple majority. And in 2019, McConnell reduced the debate time to two hours for civilian nominees.

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Republicans voiced hope that using a proposal from Democrats would sway some to support the change and argued that the move is meant to further streamline the process and prevent future blockades by either party.

“I really look at this like they’re forcing us to do something,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. “There’s nothing nuclear about it, in my humble opinion. And again, this is their bill, and we’ll see. It’s great to watch them squirm as they try to figure out what to do with this.”

FAIRFAX, VA – He’s not on the ballot, but President Donald Trump is smack in the middle of Tuesday’s special congressional election in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.

The federal jobs cuts implemented by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), crime and immigration, transgender policies, and even the push to release the Justice Department’s files on the late convicted sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein are also in the spotlight as voters cast ballots in the Fairfax County anchored district.

James Walkinshaw, the Democratic Party nominee, told Fox News Digital the sweeping and controversial agenda Trump pushed during his first eight months back in the White House will have a “real impact” on the special election in Virginia’s left-leaning 11th Congressional District.

Republican nominee Stewart Whitson also says Trump’s in the campaign spotlight because of a “lot of the great policies that he’s been championing.”

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

The winner will succeed the late longtime Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who died in June after a battle with cancer.

The Republicans currently control the House 219-212, with three seats controlled by Democrats vacant, as well as one held by the GOP. And if Walkinshaw tops Whitson in a district Republicans haven’t won in nearly two decades, it will further narrow the GOP’s fragile House majority.

In a district that’s home to tens of thousands of federal workers and contractors, many voters have been affected by the DOGE implemented job cuts and layoffs.

FOUR KEY SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTIONS

“Folks in Northern Virginia and Fairfax are feeling the impact of the Trump policies. And I like to say we’re kind of on the leading edge of the Trump economy here. Everybody in Fairfax knows someone, probably someone on their street, maybe the parent of their kid’s soccer team, who has lost their job because of DOGE or the Trump policies,” Walkinshaw said on Election Day eve.

Walkinshaw, a Fairfax County Board of Supervisors member who previously served as Connolly’s chief of staff, argued that “if the Trump policies continue, tariffs, the so-called big, beautiful bill, that’s going to be the case all around the country. So I think we’re on the leading edge of that. And I think voters tomorrow are going to send a statement about that.”

Whitson, an Army veteran and former FBI special agent who oversees federal affairs for a conservative think tank, told Fox News digital that “the people in our district who have lost their job or who are worried about losing their job, they don’t need empathy. They need solutions.”

He said Walkinshaw is “claiming he’s going to fight President Trump and fight the administration. And my pitch to voters in our district is: is that going to help? Is that going to help improve the situation? The answer is no.”

“We need someone to represent the people in our district who can work with any administration, whether it’s Republican or Democrat,” Whitson emphasized.

Pointing to federal workers and contractors who lost their jobs, he said, “I want to find a way to get them back in. I also want to find other economic opportunities for them as well.”

While Trump isn’t very popular in the district — the president won just 31% of the vote in his White House re-election last year – Whitson said that Trump’s polices “center on… common sense.”

And taking aim at Democrats, he argued, “People in our district are realizing that the radical left has just pushed so far away from common sense… the radical policies they’re pushing on our kids behind closed doors, the reckless soft on crime policies that are making us less safe. These are issues that are important to our voters.”

Whitson, pointing to the ongoing battle over allowing transgender children to use public school bathrooms in some Fairfax County schools, targeted Walkinshaw.

“My opponent believes it is a civil right for men who identify as girls or women to go into our girls’ locker rooms and watch them change. I think this is all backwards,” Whitson charged. “I think it is a civil right for girls and women when they see a female sign on a bathroom that they know they can go in there and be safe. And again, this just comes back to common sense. I’m a father with five kids. Three of those kids are daughters.”

Walkinshaw charged that Whitson has “been really obsessed with how maybe 1% of the kids in our schools use the bathrooms, and what I hear from folks in our community, and what I’m focused on is how 100% of our kids can succeed in the classrooms. So the threats to pull federal funding, the dismantling of the Department of Education, threatens the performance of our kids in the classrooms, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

Whitson has also been trying to link Walkinshaw to Zohran Mamdani, the socialist candidate who rocked the political world in June by winning the Democratic Party mayoral nomination in New York City.

Listing Walkinshaw’s record and his proposals, Whitson charged, “This is someone who has a history of supporting a lot of the exact same type of policies that Mamdani is supporting. And so I’ll let voters… draw the comparison.”

Asked about the comparison, Walkinshaw said during his four months on the campaign trail this summer, “not a single voter has asked me about the New York mayor’s election. I don’t care what happens in the New York mayor’s election. I care what happens to folks right here in the 11th District.”

But what Walkinshaw says he has heard about on the campaign trail is the push by both Democrats and Republicans for the Justice Department to release files related to the federal investigation of Epstein, who died in prison six years ago while awaiting federal charges related to sex trafficking.

“One of these things that I hear from Democrats, independents and a lot of Republicans and conservatives who believed Donald Trump when he said there was a cover-up of the files during the Biden administration. They took him at his word, and now they’re wondering if he was lying. So yeah, it comes up, and it comes up across the political spectrum,” Walkinshaw said.

And if he wins Tuesday’s election, Walkinshaw said he will immediately sign a discharge petition by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. The petition, which is currently just a few votes shy of passing, calls on the House to vote to urge the Justice Department to release the files.

“I absolutely will sign it,” he said. “I think the American people deserve to know. I want to know what the Trump administration, if anything, is covering up. And right now, the discharge petition is the vehicle to do that.”

Whitson argued that “my opponent’s really late to the game on this,” and that “months ago I called for a complete disclosure of all the records from Epstein files.”

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Whitson pointed to his years as a federal law enforcement officer in declassifying documents, and charged that Walkinshaw was using the issue as a political weapon.

“How long has this case been going on, and now he finally wants to reach on those records. And so what does that mean? It means he doesn’t care about these victims at all. He’s using the pain and the suffering that they experience to try to get political gain,” he argued.

Fox News’ Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.

James Talarico, a Democratic state lawmaker from Texas with a surging national profile, on Tuesday jumped into the Lone Star State’s high-profile and combustible Senate race.

Talarico, a state representative, former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who is considered a rising star among Democrats, becomes the second major contender from his party to launch a campaign in the race for the seat currently held by longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn.

Democrats believe they have a shot of flipping the seat as Cornyn trails scandal-scarred Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in most of the latest GOP Senate primary polls.

“The biggest divide in our country is not left vs right — it’s top vs bottom. Billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians have taken over our state and our country, rigging the system for themselves,” Talarico said in a statement shared with Fox News as he announced his candidacy.  “I’m running for the U.S. Senate to bring people together and take power back for working Texans.”

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

Talarico painted himself as an underdog, saying he’s “going up against the political establishment, and we’re going up against a lot of money. Big Money is powerful, but it’s nothing compared to people power.”

FOUR KEY SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Former Democratic Rep. Colin Allred launched a Senate campaign in July. Allred, a former college football star who later played in the National Football League, was the 2024 Democratic Senate nominee in Texas, losing to conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz by eight points.

Former astronaut Terry Virts is also running for the Democratic Senate nomination.

Democrats have long aimed to turn red-state Texas purple, but have repeatedly fallen short in statewide elections.

SENATE DEMOCRATS RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES IN PUSH TO WIN BACK MAJORITY

Along with Cruz’s comfortable re-election last year, President Donald Trump carried Texas by over 13 percentage points, besting his single-digit victory margins in the state in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. 

But Democrats see a pathway to victory in the 2026 general election if Paxton, who enjoys strong support among the GOP’s MAGA base, ousts Cornyn in the Republican primary next March.

Talarico, who speaks openly about his faith and how it shapes his progressive policy agenda, has garnered national attention through a slew of social media appearances that went viral. Also boosting his profile are his TikTok videos, which have grabbed millions of views, and his appearance on Joe Rogan’s top-rated podcast.

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Earlier this summer, Talarico was a regular on the cable news networks, conducting dozens of national media interviews, as he and dozens of his fellow Democrats in the Texas House fled the state for weeks, to delay the eventual Trump-led redistricting push in Texas to create up to five more right-leaning congressional seats.

Talarico, 36, will kick off his campaign with a rally Tuesday evening in his hometown of Round Rock, Texas, which is located north of Austin.

Federal agents detained nearly 500 workers during an immigration raid at a Hyundai battery plant construction site near Savannah, Georgia — an operation that has rattled U.S.–South Korea relations and drawn scrutiny regarding how America staffs its biggest industrial projects.

About 475 workers at the battery plant’s construction site were detained on Sept. 4 under suspicion of being in the U.S. illegally, with at least 300 reportedly hailing from the democratic half of the Korean peninsula – which is also a top U.S. ally and key Asian partner.

The incident at the plant in Bryan County – several miles west of the Savannah suburb of Pooler — renewed scrutiny on construction sites of large projects as the Trump administration continues to investigate illegal worksite practices.

TRUMP BACKS ICE RAID AT HYUNDAI PLANT, BUT SAYS US NEEDS FOREIGN EXPERTS TO TRAIN AMERICANS

Steven Schrank, a top official at Homeland Security Investigations’ Atlanta bureau, said the raid sent “a clear and unequivocal message that those who exploit our workforce, undermine our economy and violate federal laws will be held accountable.”

The plant, still under construction and aiming to produce “Hyundai-LG” batteries, was the largest single-site operation in DHS history, according to several reports.

Schrank alleged some workers either overstayed their visas or were improperly employed in violation of them.

James Kim, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, criticized challenges and confusion in U.S. visa process in comments to the Washington Post.

“When you are sending people for factories involving semiconductors or electric batteries, you need people on the floor who know what they’re doing,” Kim said, as the paper reported South Korea had dealt with roadblocks pertaining to a limit on popular H1-B and other visa types.

Kim told the paper the situation left many workers in a “gray zone” visa-wise.

Following the raid, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun left for the U.S. on Monday to repatriate the detained workers, as Seoul said Washington had agreed to release them in that way.

SOUTH KOREA REACHES DEAL WITH US TO RELEASE WORKERS DETAINED AFTER IMMIGRATION RAID

Cho was expected to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio upon his arrival, according to the Financial Times.

Kang Hoon-sik, a spokesman for President Lee Jae Myung, told the outlet that South Korean companies’ business activities and workers’ rights “should not be unfairly infringed in the U.S. law enforcement process.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump sought to reassure reporters that U.S.-South Korean relations remain strong.

Trump signaled he will continue to welcome foreign investment, contingent on such nations following U.S. immigration laws.

“Your Investments are welcome, and we encourage you to LEGALLY bring your very smart people, with great technical talent, to build World Class products, and we will make it quickly and legally possible for you to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“What we ask in return is that you hire and train American Workers. Together, we will all work hard to make our Nation not only productive, but closer in unity than ever before,” he said.

SOCIAL MEDIA FIRESTORM AFTER MASSIVE GEORGIA IMMIGRATION RAID: ‘TAKING BOLD ACTION’

Trade negotiations with South Korea led to a July deal, some details of which are still in flux, according to Reuters.

Hyundai itself had indicated it would invest $26 billion in the U.S. under the agreement.

Meanwhile, then-President Joe Biden caught flak amid the controversy as comments resurfaced from his 2022 trip to South Korea, where he described the Hyundai site as a boon for Americans’ employment.

“It’s great to be here to announce the more than $10 billion in new investment in American manufacturing. This new commitment of $5 billion for advanced automotive technology and $5.5 billion investment to open a new factory near Savannah, Georgia, is going to create more than 8,000 new American jobs,” he said at the time.

Hyundai Motor Company told Fox News Digital that none of the detained foreign nationals are directly employed by the automaker.

“We prioritize the safety and well-being of everyone working at the site and comply with all laws and regulations wherever we operate,” the company said in a statement.

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Trump separately told reporters one idea that should be considered is allowing foreign experts to temporarily reside in the U.S. to train Americans in advanced industries.

“If you don’t have people in this country right now that know about batteries, maybe we should help them along,” he said.

Critics of Trump’s tariffs have pointed to products where the U.S. has little or no domestic production capacity.

U.S. mainstays like coffee and chocolate are imported exponentially more than grown stateside, with Hawaii being the only major state source in either case.

Fox News Digital’s Cameron Arcand, Greg Wehner, and Michael Dorgan and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

If there’s one thing that Donald Trump absolutely, positively despises, it’s bad publicity.

And after RFK Jr. got absolutely hammered at that hearing the other day–including by a member of the leadership, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso–he realized that he had to cut his losses.

What was he going to do, say ignore those Republican senators, like Bill Cassidy, who’s a doctor, like Barrasso, when he says that vaccines work and he’s deeply concerned that Kennedy misled the Hill during his confirmation hearings?

So after months of letting him “go wild,” in his words, Donald has broken with Bobby.

REPUBLICAN DOCTORS CLASH WITH RFK JR OVER VACCINES IN TENSE SENATE SHOWDOWN

“You have some vaccines that are so incredible. I think you have to be very careful when you say some people don’t have to be vaccinated…,” the president said.

“Look, you have vaccines that work. They just pure and simple work. They’re not controversial at all, and I think those vaccines should be used, otherwise some people are going to catch it, and they endanger other people,”

The president has had enough.

What’s more, Kennedy’s family–including his sister Kerry and former congressman Joe Kennedy III–demanded he resign, along with every Democrat on the Senate committee.

There’s some chatter that Kennedy may be let go after a decent interval.  Trump really likes him, and the magic of the Kennedy name, but let’s face it, he’s damaged goods right now.

He also was poorly briefed, or didn’t do his homework. Remember that he cut a deal in exchange for dropping out of the presidential race, and offered the same arrangement to Kamala Harris.

When asked how many Americans had died of COVID, I instantly knew it was 1.2 million. RFK said he didn’t know. Asked whether the COVID vaccine had been helpful, he mumbled that he’d have to look at the data. There’s plenty of data available. 

And that’s the problem. The greatest achievement of Trump’s first term, as even his detractors admit, was Operation War Speed, bringing the COVID vaccine to market at the height of the pandemic.

JOE KENNEDY III BLASTS RFK JR. AFTER FIERY SENATE HEARING, FUELING KENNEDY FAMILY INFIGHTING: ‘HE MUST RESIGN’

But Kennedy is the same anti-vaccine crusader he’s always been. He has called COVID “the most dangerous vaccine” ever. He’s insisted that vaccines cause autism, completely debunked by mainstream science. 

CDC performed miserably during the pandemic, but Kennedy fired CDC chief Susan Monarez just one month after praising her appointment, and then called her a liar for supposedly admitting she was not trustworthy.

So RFK was in effect denigrating Trump’s huge accomplishment by firing the mainstream members of a vaccine panel and replacing them with vaccine skeptics or outright anti-vaxxers.

Kennedy’s view is that everyone else is conflicted because of ties to Big Pharma and that only he is pure. But his actions speak louder than his words.

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

Meanwhile, the president won a double victory at the Supreme Court. The justices, in what Politico says were 6-3 rulings, gave ICE the ability to carry out “roving” arrests and raids in California against those believed to be illegal immigrants.

SCOTUS also said the president can fire FTC member Rebecca Slaughter, one of two Democratic commissioners he dismissed in March at the supposedly independent agency.

Then Trump checks the conservative media.

The Wall Street Journal editorial page, in a piece titled “Operation Warped Speed,” asks whether RFK is suffering from long COVID. The usually supportive New York Post called RFK a “paranoid kook” with a “tinfoil hat” that is “blocking out all sense.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

So Trump got mostly booed at the U.S. Open, along with some cheers. Big deal. He’s endured far worse.

But having the nation’s highest court on your side is worth its weight in gold, Trump’s favorite decorating glitter.

Footnote: The Wall Street Journal has obtained Trump’s birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein, which he repeatedly insisted he never sent, prompting him to sue the paper.

Against the backdrop of a sketch of a naked woman–with Trump’s signature in the pubic area–there is this exchange:
Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.
Jeffrey: Yes we do, come to think of it.
Donald: Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?
Jeffrey: As a matter of face, it was clear to me the last time I saw you.
Donald: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday–and may every day be another wonderful secret.

By itself, I don’t think it’s that big a deal. Lots of friends and acquaintances were solicited to send messages for Epstein’s 50th birthday. He could have owned it. But Trump *still* insists it’s fake.

By vehemently insisting it wasn’t conceivable that he sent such a message, Trump now has a mess on his hands.

The first day of jury selection kicked off Monday in Fort Pierce, Florida, for the high-profile federal trial of Ryan Routh, who allegedly sought to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024.

Routh, who is representing himself, appeared at the federal courthouse on Monday morning wearing a gray suit and ankle shackles as the voir dire process began, with prosecutors and Routh questioning jurors to determine whether they can fairly participate in the trial. 

The jury selection process will identify 12 jurors and four alternates for the trial. 

RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE

During jury selection, Routh asked potential jurors their views on the war in Gaza, their position on the U.S. potentially acquiring Greenland as the president has floated, and how they would act if they were driving and spotted a turtle in the middle of the road.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed Routh’s questions as “politically charged,” and said that they were unnecessary for jury selection. 

“None of the questions on your list have any bearing whatsoever. They were off base, sir, and have no relevance to jury selection,” Cannon said. When Routh attempted to speak in protest, Cannon warned him not to interrupt. 

Routh also said a former co-worker listed on his witness list, Eric Zuniga, would not testify on Routh’s behalf because Zuniga lives in Costa Rica and “likes his freedom and doesn’t want to get arrested or deported.” Routh then withdrew Zuniga’s name as a potential witness. 

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CHALLENGES PRESIDENT TO ROUND OF GOLF

Routh also said another potential witness he’d listed would also unlikely to appear, due to scheduled travel to Vietnam during the trial. 

After the morning session wrapped up, Cannon asked if there was anything else, prompting Routh to say that he is “still in a situation at the jail where I can’t sleep.” 

“I don’t know if they could move me to general population or something,” Routh said. 

But Cannon once again shut Routh down, and said that the statement wasn’t appropriate at that time. 

Twenty-seven out of the 60 prospective jurors claimed that they had a hardship that would prevent them from participating on the jury for Routh’s case. Meanwhile, Routh claimed he had reservations about many potential jurors, but couldn’t identify specific concerns. 

Prosecutors claim that Routh sought to kill Trump for weeks, and staked out a spot in shrubbery on Sept. 15, 2024, when a Secret Service agent detected him pointing a rifle at Trump while the then-presidential candidate played golf at his West Palm Beach country club. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, but abandoned his weapon and the scene after the Secret Service agents opened fire. 

TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN’T SEE CLASSIFIED INFO RELATING TO CASE, JUDGE RULES

Routh faces federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and various gun violations. The charges carry a potential life sentence if the jury finds him guilty. Meanwhile, Routh has maintained he’s innocent and pleaded not guilty to all federal charges, in addition to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. 

Opening statements for the trial are expected to kick off on Thursday, and prosecutors are poised to launch into their case immediately afterward. The court has allocated four weeks for Routh’s trial, although it is expected to wrap up sooner. 

Fox News’ Jamie Joseph, Heather Lacey, Jake Gibson, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

The U.S. ramped up its fight against Caribbean drug cartels Monday as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine touched down in Puerto Rico to bolster military operations.

Puerto Rican Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón and First Gentleman Dr. José Yovín Vargas welcomed the pair, framing the visit as the Trump administration’s show of support for troops training on the island.

“We thank President Trump and his administration for recognizing Puerto Rico’s strategic importance to our national security, and for their commitment to combat drug cartels and the narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro,” the governor said. “We fully support America First policies that protect our borders and fight illicit activities in defense of the American people.”

The meeting took place at Muñiz Air Base in Carolina, outside San Juan, and drew top brass including Puerto Rico National Guard Adjutant General Carlos José Rivera-Román, Public Safety Secretary Brig. Gen. Arthur Garffer, and other senior military leaders.

RUBIO SAYS TRUMP ‘WANTS TO WAGE WAR’ ON VENEZUELAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS: ‘BLOW THEM UP IF THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES’

Hegseth spoke to nearly 300 soldiers at the base, thanking and describing them as “American warriors.” The secretary of war also provided affirmation that those serving in the Armed Forces will be the best equipped and prepared in the world.

The visit comes as the U.S. military expands its naval footprint near Venezuela, part of President Donald Trump’s push to choke off drug flows from Latin America.

Naval and air assets have been dispatched to confront traffickers and secure key maritime routes, with some already used this week against alleged narco-terrorists.

US BOLSTERS MILITARY PRESENCE IN CARIBBEAN NEAR VENEZUELA AMID TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO HALT DRUG TRAFFICKING

Last Tuesday, Marines hit a vessel in the southern Caribbean Sea that was allegedly ferrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang smuggling narcotics to the U.S.

While the U.S. military has long worked to counter cartel and international gang organizations beginning in the late 1980s, the strike killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua – which the Trump administration designated as a terrorist organization in February – marked a definite shift from previous seize and apprehend operations.

President Donald Trump has made it clear since his first administration that he strongly opposes Maduro’s regime and even announced a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

TRUMP TOUTS US STRIKE AS MADURO SLAMS MILITARY ‘THREAT’ OFF VENEZUELA

Hegseth has also sent major firepower to the region—including the USS Iwo Jima, USS Lake Erie, USS Jason Dunham, USS Gravely, and USS Sampson—to hunt criminal networks and narco-terrorists.

Trump’s decision to deploy U.S. troops off of the South American nation prompted Maduro, last Monday, to decry the move as an attempt to seek regime change and said, “Venezuela is confronting the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years.”

Against that backdrop, González-Colón cast Puerto Rico as America’s frontline in the regional crackdown.

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“President Trump’s leadership in the fight against narcotrafficking places Puerto Rico—our nation’s Caribbean border—at the forefront of our security and interests,” González-Colón added. “For the first time, I believe we are confronting the problem at its root, striking directly at the source of the drug flow.”

In its latest operations targeting the “worst of the worst” illegal immigrants residing in the U.S., ICE officials told Fox News Digital one particular suspect was found to have an astounding rap sheet.

ICE has arrested tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with additional criminal records since Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took over for Alejandro Mayorkas in January.

Miguel Barrera-Corona, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was living in California when he was arrested over the weekend.

Barrera-Corona has 49 prior criminal arrests, according to law enforcement.

ICE HAULS IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF CHILD CRIMES IN NATIONWIDE WEDNESDAY SWEEP: ‘CLEAR MESSAGE’

His convictions include burglary, vehicle theft, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats to terrorize, DUI, carrying a loaded firearm in public, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, shoplifting, trespassing, property damage, petty theft, carrying a concealed dagger, and vandalism – and Trump administration officials blame sanctuary state policies for allowing him to roam free.

“Over the weekend, ICE arrested drug traffickers, human traffickers, child predators, and sex offenders. One of the criminal illegal aliens was previously arrested 49 times,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.

DHS ARRESTS FIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF SERIOUS CRIMES, INCLUDING MURDER AND CHILD ABUSE

“Sanctuary politicians allowed this serial criminal to terrorize American citizens. President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to arrest the worst of the worst and get these criminal illegal aliens out of our country.”  

Other illegal immigrant suspects arrested included convicted pedophiles, drug dealers and human traffickers.

“Carlos Guzman-Santiago, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicted of second-degree forcible sex offense,” read one mugshot description.

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Another captured illegal immigrant, Dominican national Juan Carlos Jimenez, had a sexual assault conviction relating to “intercourse with kindred.”

Carlos Sipriano Moreno-Pineda of Honduras had been convicted of abusing a spouse or cohabitant, while Glenda Molina-Sorto of El Salvador was convicted of child abuse and drug offenses.

Benigno Carrillo-Hernandez, Mauricio Barrios-Satay, Miguel Perez-Herrera, Jorge Carmona-Martinez and Karen Hernandez-Medrano, were also captured in the latest operations.

“ICE will continue to enforce U.S. immigration laws to ensure criminal illegal aliens are identified, arrested, and removed, safeguarding communities across the nation,” DHS said in a statement.

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…

-SCOTUS temporarily greenlights firing of Biden-appointed FTC commissioner

-Trump condemns ‘lunatic’ in Charlotte stabbing: ‘If we don’t handle evil, we don’t have a country’ 

–Rand Paul rips JD Vance’s assertion that executing cartel members is the ‘best use of our military’

LAPD ends Kamala Harris security after union backlash over elite officer use: report

A specialized unit with the Los Angeles Police Department is no longer providing former Vice President Kamala Harris security, according to a new report. 

Officers with LAPD’s Metropolitan Division, which falls under the police department’s special operations group, stepped in to provide Harris with security after President Donald Trump yanked Harris’ security detail in August, The New York Times reported. 

But that protection ended on Saturday following backlash from the LAPD’s union, The Los Angeles Police Protective League. The union called the arrangement “nuts,” arguing that “LA taxpayers should not be footing the bill for this ridiculousness.”…READ MORE.
 

White House

DEADLY OBSESSION: Ryan Routh trial: Jury selection begins in Trump assassination attempt case

COURT WIN FOR TRUMP: Supreme Court allows Trump ICE raids to resume in California

VERDICT STANDS: Federal appeals court upholds $83.3M E. Jean Carroll judgment against Trump

‘RIGHTS VIOLATIONS’: ‘The View’ co-host urges people to take videos of ICE agents

‘TREMENDOUS ASSET’: New FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey begins transition to FBI role alongside Bongino

World Stage

FOREIGN WORKER FALLOUT: ICE raids Georgia Hyundai battery plant, sparking firestorm with South Korea – what to know

Capitol Hill

INSIDE THE FILES: Epstein estate hands over ‘birthday book,’ contact list to House investigators

PUSHING TO THE RIGHT: From ‘legislative terrorists’ to center of Trump’s DC revolution: Where key conservative caucus is now

PARTY CIVIL WAR: Bernie Sanders rips Dem leaders for snubbing Mamdani in mayoral race: ‘This is our guy!’

DROPPING THE HAMMER: Republican wants judges held accountable if they release repeat violent criminals who strike again

Across America 

SANCTUARY SHOWDOWN: DHS confirms probe of former ‘undocumented’ Boston lawmaker sentenced in corruption case

DEFYING TRUMP: Chicago cops struggle to staff streets as Trump presses on crime

‘SHIFT THE BLAME’: Dem governor breaks silence on murder of Ukrainian refugee after social media backlash

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

The House Oversight Committee has released another tranche of files related to Jeffrey Epstein on Monday night, which includes a message from former President Bill Clinton in the late pedophile’s infamous “birthday book.”

The surprise document dump by the GOP-led panel came hours after Epstein’s estate turned materials over to House investigators, pursuant to a congressional subpoena.

Among the documents released by the committee is the reported book compiled by Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell for the late pedophile’s 50th birthday.

What appears to be an entry by Clinton praises Epstein’s “childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference, and the [illegible] of friends.”

HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE

The book also appears to include entries by former Epstein attorney Alan Dershowitz and President Donald Trump, though the White House and the president himself have vehemently denied its veracity on multiple occasions.

“As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it. President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X, specifically in reference to a Wall Street Journal story that first mentioned allegations of Trump writing in the book.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Clinton’s office for comment.

Epstein and Clinton were known to have a cordial relationship, and Clinton is known to have flown on Epstein’s plane on numerous occasions. 

Neither he nor Trump have been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, however.

The birthday book included a letter from Epstein’s mother, Pauline Stolofsky Epstein, who wrote that she’d been “very busy reminiscing since Ghislaine asked me to write about you.”

“Jeff[,] you have been a good son since day one and we have been proud of you ever since,” Epstein’s mother wrote.

She continued, detailing fond childhood memories of Epstein’s life, from his early childhood to his young adult years.

“I recall you refused to sleep unless I read a story from Grandma’s Golden Book that she bought for 25c,” she wrote. “At PTA meetings I begged your teachers to improve your handwriting.”

EPSTEIN ESTATE HIT WITH NEW HOUSE SUBPOENA FOR ‘CLIENT LIST,’ CALL LOGS

“At age 21 Cosmopolitan magazine featured you as ‘Bachelor of the Month,” she added. “Today you still hold that title.”

Stolofsky also referenced nachus, or the Yiddish word for joy, in relation to Epstein’s deceased father.

“Jeff, I’m so sorry that Dad can’t share the nachus we have regarding your achievements,” she wrote. “He would have been overjoyed reading the article about you in the New York Magazine.”

The birthday book also includes a picture of Epstein holding up a large, fake check for $22,500, with what appears to be Trump’s signature.

Beneath the photo, the book reads, “Jeffrey showing early talents with money +women! Sells ‘fully dedicated’ <redacted text> to Donald Trump for $22,500. Showed early ‘people skills’ too. Even though I handled the deal I didn’t get any of the money or the girl!”

The book features hundreds of photos, including pictures of Epstein as a child and a teenager, as well as formal school photos and pictures of him hanging out with friends.

TRUMP DOJ HANDING EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS TO HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON FRIDAY AS SUBPOENA DEADLINE LOOMS

The book also contains pictures of Epstein shirtless, Epstein embracing women and what appears to be a redacted photo of him and Maxwell laughing in a pool. The photo is censored around her body, implying that she was swimming topless.

Among the suggestive photos are pictures of mating lions and zebras, along with photos of women in revealing bikinis.

A picture of a woman in a bikini is also included with the caption, “Visiting you down in Palm Beach. Can’t get a second of privacy with you and a camera around ha ha!”

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters when asked about Trump’s entry in the book, “I’m told that it’s fake.”

The entry under Dershowitz’s name references a news article that he took credit for influencing, perhaps in a joking manner, changing the focus from Epstein to Clinton.

COMER SUBPOENAS THE CLINTONS, TRUMP’S DOJ IN HOUSE OVERSIGHT’S EPSTEIN PROBE

“Dear Jeffrey, as a birthday gift to you, I managed to obtain an early version of the Vanity Unfair article. I talked them into changing the focus from you to Bill Clinton, as you will see from the enclosed excerpt. Happy birthday and best regards,” the entry said.

Dershowitz has also consistently denied wrongdoing as it relates to Epstein.

A cartoon drawn underneath, that was not attributed to anyone, shows a man at a bar with the caption, “I’ve come to the conclusion that I should be thinking less about money and more about naked women, and biomathematical research.”

Other entries in the “birthday book” appear to be Epstein during various stages of his life.

Another entry appeared to make a joke about Epstein being a U.S. intelligence asset. Below a photo of Epstein next to a woman with her face redacted reads a note, “He is the boyfriend of [redacted]…We think he works for the CIA.”

A photo on another page shows a young Epstein in front of what appears to be a store counter, with the accompanying caption, “Are you sure this will make my ‘winkie’ grow?”

The tranche of documents released by the House Oversight Committee also includes details of Epstein’s last will and testament, what appears to be an address book of contacts, and details of his 2007-2008 non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Southern Florida.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE RELEASES THOUSANDS OF EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS

In a statement upon the files’ release, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., criticized Democrats for earlier releasing only the portion of the files that included Trump’s name – and asserted that the president was not implicated in any wrongdoing.

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“It’s appalling Democrats on the Oversight Committee are cherry-picking documents and politicizing information received from the Epstein Estate today. Oversight Committee Republicans are focused on running a thorough investigation to bring transparency and accountability for survivors of Epstein’s heinous crimes and the American people,” Comer said.

“President Trump is not accused of any wrongdoing and Democrats are ignoring the new information the Committee received today. The Committee will pursue additional Epstein bank records based on this new information. Democrats must decide if their priority is justice for the survivors or politics.”

The release comes a day before former Obama administration Attorney General Loretta Lynch was set to appear before Comer’s panel for a closed-door deposition on Epstein. The deposition has since been postponed pending further negotiations with Lynch’s counsel.

Late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) detonated the first Senate “nuclear option” in 2013, curbing the filibuster to confirm executive branch nominees – except for the Supreme Court.

Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ignited the second “nuclear option” in 2017 to confirm Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, and lower the filibuster bar for nominations to the High Court.

THUNE LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR NUCLEAR OPTION IN SENATE FIGHT OVER TRUMP NOMINEES

Now, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is likely to detonate the parliamentary equivalent of a “suitcase nuke” later this week.

Thune will follow the playbook established by Reid and McConnell to alter the Senate precedent (not a rules change) to expedite the confirmation of lower-level nominees in groups. This plan will not include judges nor cabinet secretaries.

Thune sets his gambit into motion tonight by introducing a resolution to speed up a slate of about 40 nominees. By rule, the Senate will take a procedural vote to break a filibuster on his resolution to confirm the batch of nominees on Thursday. That needs 60 yeas. The Senate won’t get 60 yeas.

But this is EXACTLY the scenario that Thune wants.

TRUMP NOMINEES PILE UP AS GOP WEIGHS RULE SHIFT ONCE FLOATED BY DEMOCRATS

The coin of the realm in the Senate is unlimited debate. But the only time it CAN’T DEBATE SOMETHING is when an issue fails. So a FAILED vote to break the filibuster backs the Senate into the exact parliamentary cul-de-sac which Thune wants.

At the end of the roll call vote, Thune will likely switch his vote from yes to no on breaking the filibuster. That’s because Senate rules allow a senator to demand a re-vote if they are on the prevailing side of the issue. In this case, Thune is suddenly with the “noes,” even though he initially voted yes to break the filibuster.

By doing so, Thune can then order a revote on the failed vote. And since the Senate is in this unique posture of not allowing any debate, Democrats are paralyzed. They can’t do anything to stop Thune from what he plans next.

Thune will then make a point of order. 

Thune will assert that on a resolution like the one he drafted, a bloc of lower-level nominees (e.g. – the ones now before the Senate) does not need 60 votes to break a filibuster. The chair – potentially Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) or even Vice President Vance, who is the President of the Senate – will rule that Thune is wrong. Senate rules and precedent DO require 60 votes to break a filibuster on this type of resolution.

COMER VOWS ‘ACCOUNTABILITY,’ TRUMP RIPS ‘SCANDAL’ AFTER BOMBSHELL REPORT ON BIDEN AUTOPEN PARDONS

Thune will then demand a vote OVERTURNING what the the chair ruled. He will assert that a simple majority is necessary for this type of resolution – even though that’s never been the case before.

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The Senate will vote. And if 51 senators vote in favor of ruling against the chair, the Senate will have established a new precedent for lowering the threshold from 60 to 51 on this type of resolution – quickly moving a batch of nominees all at once.

Once the Senate does that, Thune will need to set up ANOTHER procedural vote under the NEW provisions to break a filibuster on Monday, September 15. That would enable the Senate to confirm all of the nominees in question – in one fell swoop – on Wednesday, September 17.

President Donald Trump said that “blood is on the hands of the Democrats” after the brutal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina, who was attacked and killed on a light rail train by a man with a lengthy criminal history last month. 

Social media exploded over the weekend after surveillance footage, released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), showed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska boarding a Lynx Blue line last month before a man pulled out a knife and began stabbing Zarutska three times, including at least once in the neck.

“The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer’s knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail, including Former Disgraced Governor and ‘Wannabe Senator’ Roy Cooper,” Trump said on Truth Social. “North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it! Additionally, where is the outrage from the Mainstream Media on this horrible tragedy? VOTE FOR MICHAEL WHATLEY FOR UNITED STATES SENATE, HE WON’T LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!”

GOFUNDME PULLS FUNDRAISERS FOR FELON ACCUSED OF KILLING COMMUTER IN RANDOM CHARLOTTE TRAIN ATTACK

Earlier in the day, the White House posted  reaction from Trump on X.com, saying, “The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES. What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP.”

The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, was arrested shortly after the stabbing and hospitalized before being arrested on a charge of first-degree murder. Records obtained by The New York Post showed that Brown has a history of arrests going back more than a decade, including charges of felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats. Police said Brown did not know Zarutska and the attack was random.

By taking aim at the Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Trump directly injected the tragedy into the center of the upcoming U.S. senate race in North Carolina, slated for next year. Cooper and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley are the two major front-runners. 

On Monday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) echoed Trump’s argument, insisting Cooper’s policies “kept violent criminals like this on the streets instead of in jail where they belong.”

Meanwhile, Whatley said in a X post on Monday that “a vote for Roy Cooper is a vote for more crime, more violence, more criminals.”

REPUBLICAN WANTS JUDGES HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY RELEASE REPEAT VIOLENT CRIMINALS WHO STRIKE AGAIN

He followed up later in the day after Trump’s Truth Social post, adding that the president was “spot on” with his assessment of Democrats. 

“My far-left opponent Roy Cooper’s spineless, soft-on-crime policies have unleashed predators like Decarlos Brown Jr. and countless other violent thugs who unleash hell on innocent people because they know they’ll face no real justice,” Whatley said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Cooper campaign for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. The former governor announced his run at the end of July in a video posted to social media. 

A Fox News analysis of Cooper’s social media did not uncover any posts about the incident. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s social media does not appear to have any comments on the matter, either.

North Carolina’s Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, was slammed over the weekend, when the video of the stabbing was first released, for not speaking out earlier. He finally commented on the matter Monday morning.

“I am heartbroken for the family of Iryna Zarutska, who lost their loved one to this senseless act of violence, and I am appalled by the footage of her murder. We need more cops on the beat to keep people safe,” Stein posted on X. 

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“That’s why my budget calls for more funding to hire more well-trained police officers. I call upon the legislature to pass my law enforcement recruitment and retention package to address vacancies in our state and local agencies so they can stop these horrific crimes and hold violent criminals accountable.”

During a tour of the Museum of the Bible in the nation’s capital on Monday, Trump weighed in on the event once again after the video of the attack surfaced over the weekend.

“We’re all people of religion, but there are evil people,” Trump said. “And we have to confront that.”

Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett pushed back against partisan portrayals of the Supreme Court, telling Fox News’ Bret Baier that justices “wear black, not red or blue” and follow the Constitution, not politics.

She appeared on Fox to promote her new book, “Listening to the Law,” and to address public perceptions of the Court’s work and independence.

Barrett stressed that the Court is not divided into partisan teams. She also defended its approach to presidential power, clarified misconceptions about the Dobbs decision, and reflected on her originalist judicial philosophy.

Her book touches on details such as assigned seating, courtroom traditions, and the gap between outside perception and inside reality.

AMY CONEY BARRETT DETAILS BATTLE BETWEEN HER OWN PERSONAL VIEWS AND THE LAW IN NEW BOOK

“You know, we don’t wear red and blue, we all wear black because judges are nonpartisan. And the idea is that we are all listening to the law. We’re all trying to get it right. We’re not playing for a team,” she told Baier. “We don’t sit on specific sides of the bench, left and right. You know, we sit in order of seniority.”

Barrett underscored the disconnect between public perception and the Court’s inner workings, noting:

“I often ask new law clerks what surprised you most when you started? And one of the most common answers is the difference between what’s happening on the inside and what people think is happening on the inside.”

JUSTICE BARRETT OPENS UP ABOUT ‘AWKWARD’ START ON SCOTUS, SHADOW DOCKET AND MORE IN FORTHCOMING MEMOIR

Critics on the left argue the Court is shielding former President Donald Trump, a view reflected in headlines from outlets such as The New York Times and NBC.

Barrett responded by placing the Court’s work in historical context, stressing that cases on presidential power extend beyond any one occupant of the office.

“We’re not deciding cases just for today, and we’re not deciding cases based on the president,” Barrett said. “As the current occupant of the office, we’re deciding cases about the presidency. So we’re taking each case, and we’re looking at the question of presidential power as it comes. And the cases that we decide today are going to matter.

JUSTICE BARRETT DEFENDS JACKSON JABS AS ‘WARRANTED’ IN RARE PUBLIC APPEARANCE

“Four presidencies from now, six presidencies from now, and so on. Each of these cases that we’re getting, you know, well, I mean, some of them overlap, but many present different constitutional issues,” she added.

She stressed the Court rules on the presidency as an institution, with decisions that resonate across administrations.

Turning to the Dobbs decision, Barrett said the ruling did not outlaw abortion but returned the issue to the political process—a point she argued has been widely misunderstood.

“Dobbs did not say that abortion is illegal. Dobbs said it belongs to the political process,” Barrett said.

Barrett acknowledged growing threats to judges, stressing violence should not be “the cost of public service.”

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Returning to public perception, she said the Court must follow the law even when rulings are unpopular, stressing integrity over public opinion.

“The court… can’t take into account public opinion in making individual decisions… you have to follow the law where it leads, even if it leads in a place where the majority of people don’t want you to go,” she said.

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s push to establish “America’s global AI dominance” could run into friction from an unlikely source: the “effective altruism” movement, a small but influential group that has a darker outlook on artificial intelligence.

Trump signed an executive order earlier this year titled, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.” This week he met with top technology industry leaders, including Mark Zuckerburg, Bill Gates and others, for meetings at the White House in which AI loomed large in the discussions. However, not all the industry’s leaders share the president’s vision for American AI dominance. 

Jason Matheny, a former senior Biden official who currently serves as the CEO of the RAND Corporation, is a leader in the effective altruism movement, which, among other priorities, seeks to regulate the development of artificial intelligence with the goal of reducing its risks. 

Effective altruism is a philanthropic social movement where proponents claim to be aiming to maximize the good they can do in the world and give to what they calculate are the most effective charities and interventions. Part of this movement includes powerful donors from across many sectors, including technology, where funds are poured into fighting against what the group sees as existential threats, including artificial intelligence. 

NEW AI APPS HELP RENTAL DRIVERS AVOID FAKE DAMAGE FEES

Some in the movement have also pledged to give away a portion of their income, while others have argued about the morality of earning as much money as possible in order to give it away.

A former Defense Department official familiar with the industry’s leaders told Fox News Digital that since a 2017 speech at an effective altruism forum in which he laid out his vision, Matheny has “been very deliberate about inserting personnel who share his AI-doomerism worldview” into government and government contractor roles. 

“Since then, he has made good on every single one of his calls to action to explicitly infiltrate think tanks, in-government decision makers, and trusted government contractors with this effective altruism, AI kind of doomsayer philosophy,” the official continued. 

A RAND Corporation spokesperson pushed back against this label and said that Matheny “believes a wide range of views and backgrounds are essential to analyzing and informing sound public policy. His interest is in encouraging talented young people to embrace public service.”

The spokesperson added that AI being an “existential threat” is “not the lens” through which the company approaches AI, but said, “Our researchers are taking a broad look at the many ways AI is and will impact society – including both opportunities and threats.”

In his 2017 speech, Matheny discussed his vision of influencing the government from the inside and outside to advance effective altruistic goals. 

“The work that I’ve done at IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity) has convinced me that there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit within government positions that we should be picking as effective altruists. There are many different roles that effective altruists can have within government organizations,” Matheny told an effective altruism forum in 2017, before going on to explain how even “fairly junior positions” can “wield incredible influence.”

GOOGLE CEO, MAJOR TECH LEADERS JOIN FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP AT WHITE HOUSE AI MEETING

Matheny went on to explain the need for “influence” on the “outside” in the form of contractors working for government agencies specialized in fields like biology and chemistry along with experts at various think tanks. 

“That’s another way you can have an influence on the government,” Matheny said. 

Matheny advanced the philosophy’s ideals in the Biden White House in his roles as deputy assistant to the president for technology and national security, deputy director for national security in the Office of Science and Technology Policy and coordinator for technology and national security at the National Security Council. 

According to reporting by Politico, RAND officials were involved in writing former President Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.” The order mirrored many effective altruist goals regarding AI, such as the idea that “harnessing AI for good and realizing its myriad benefits requires mitigating its substantial risks.” 

However, a RAND spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Matheny had “no role” crafting the Biden EO, but said its “researchers did provide technical expertise and analysis to inform the EO in response to requests from policymakers.”

The order read that “responsible AI use has the potential to help solve urgent challenges while making our world more prosperous, productive, innovative, and secure. At the same time, irresponsible use could exacerbate societal harms such as fraud, discrimination, bias, and disinformation; displace and disempower workers; stifle competition; and pose risks to national security.”

Its solution was to increase regulations on the development of AI and add new government reporting requirements for companies developing the technology. For many in the industry, this was seen as an example of government overreach that stifled innovation and hurt the U.S.’s ability to compete with countries like China. 

The order has since been revoked by Trump’s AI order, which was signed in the first few days of his second administration. However, as head of RAND, a public policy and research advising group, Matheny and RAND have continued to push their vision for AI regulation and warn about the potential pitfalls.

RAND has posted on social media in recent months warning that AI will “fundamentally reshape the economics of cybersecurity” and that the “growing use of AI chatbots for mental health support means society is ‘deploying pseudo-therapists at an unprecedented scale.'”

Semafor reported earlier this year that the Trump administration was butting heads with Anthropic, a top artificial intelligence company with ties to the EA movement and the Biden administration, on AI policy. 

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“It’s hard to tell a clean story of every single actor involved, but at the heart, the Doomerism community that Jason’s really at the heart of, what they are really concerned with is they truly believe about a runaway super-intelligent model that takes over the world like a Terminator scenario,” the former DOD official told Fox News Digital, adding that the fear of Effective Altruists that AI is an “existential threat” has led to their push that is “restrictive” to the “growth of the technology.”

“With respect to the Trump administration’s AI policies, much RAND analysis is focused on key parts of the President’s AI Action Plan, including analysis we’ve done on AI evaluations, secure data centers, energy options for AI, cybersecurity and biosecurity,” the RAND spokesperson said.

“Mr. Matheny appreciates that the Trump Administration may have different views than the prior administration on AI policy,” the spokesperson continued. “He remains committed, along with RAND, to contributing expertise and analysis to helping the Trump Administration shape policies to advance the United States’ interests.”

The House is preparing to take up its annual defense policy bill this week, with Democrats filing hundreds of amendments — many aimed at rebuking President Donald Trump’s administration and current GOP priorities.

Lawmakers submitted roughly 450 proposed amendments to the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Among them are measures dealing with diversity, Israel funding and Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

The House Rules Committee will review the bill Monday afternoon and set parameters for debate, paving the way for a floor vote later this week.

Most of the progressive amendments are unlikely to survive, underscoring their symbolic nature. Still, Democrats are using the traditionally bipartisan defense package to spotlight opposition to the White House and Republican leadership.

HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, filed several amendments, including one to strike the NDAA’s prohibition on using defense funds for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Similarly, Reps. Luz Rivas, D-Calif., and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, offered an amendment to block a ban on DEI programs at the Pentagon.

Crockett also introduced language aimed at halting construction of migrant detention facilities on military installations, directly challenging Trump administration policy.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., put forward an amendment barring Defense Department funds from supporting migrant processing and detention operations.

The Pentagon announced last month it is building the country’s largest federal migrant detention center in Fort Bliss, Texas.

Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., filed two amendments targeting Trump-era immigration policies. One would prohibit funding for family separation, while another “prohibits funds from being used to transfer non-citizens to foreign prisons, except under treaties and extradition laws,” according to the Rules Committee website. The latter proposal would effectively block deportations to El Salvador.

Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., introduced measures aimed at limiting U.S. support for Israel.

FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP

Tlaib’s amendment would ban U.S. arms sales to countries whose governments include officials with outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants. The ICC issued warrants in late 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials.

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Omar’s proposal seeks to repeal Israel’s emergency access to a U.S.-managed weapons stockpile located in the country.

The NDAA is a bill passed every fiscal year that sets national security and defense policy for the U.S. government.

More than 1,000 total amendments have been introduced to this year’s bill.

Nearly 100 pro-life groups are urging Congress to ensure that if they choose to extend subsidies in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) they need to also include specific provisions ensuring that those subsidies do not get used to pay for elective abortions. 

The letter, spearheaded by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (formerly Susan B. Anthony List), argues that pro-choice Democrats “craftily” authored the ACA to avoid protections from the Hyde Amendment, passed in the late 70s to prevent tax dollars from going toward elective abortions. Coverage for elective abortions through ACA insurance plans, the letter says, comes from cost-sharing reduction payments and premium tax credits set to expire at the end of the year.

Under Republicans’ “one big, beautiful” spending package passed in early July, federal Medicaid payments were prohibited to entities that provided abortions beyond the Hyde Amendment’s exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother. But, according to the 88 different pro-life groups who signed the SBA’s letter to Congress, that progress could be lost if Americans become compelled to pay for abortion services through the ACA, also known as “Obamacare.”

BIDEN-ERA POLICY INDIRECTLY PAYING FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS’ ABORTIONS RESCINDED BY TRUMP DOJ 

“The American people clearly don’t want to be in the business of subsidizing the violence of abortion,” SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Sixty percent of voters, including Democrats, pro-choice voters, and the majority of independents, oppose taxpayer funding of abortion.”

When the ACA was written, a provision of the landmark health legislation, Section 1303, sought to prohibit any federal funds from going towards non-Hyde exempt abortions. The ACA provision requires any ACA health insurers that provide elective abortion coverage to collect a separate private payment from enrollees for such coverage, to ensure that it is not being covered by federal funds. 

However, subsequent Obama-era guidance allowed the separate abortion premium payments to be consolidated into a single transaction with payments for non-abortion coverage, effectively removing any distinction between abortion-related coverage payments and non-abortion related coverage payments. 

Republicans and pro-life advocates have argued that this move has led to taxpayer funds being commingled with the separate private funds meant for abortion coverage, which, in turn, indirectly funds elective abortions. They also argue it obscures information from pro-life consumers who may not want to be party to a health insurance plan that provides funding for abortion.

DEMOCRATS SEEK TO ABOLISH ANTI-ABORTION HYDE AMENDMENT – BUT HOW FAR ARE THEY WILLING TO GO?

In 2014, the Government Accountability Project (GAO) examined compliance with Section 1303 of the ACA among a sample of 18 insurance companies that provide coverage for non-Hyde exempt abortions. While the analysis found no evidence of federal funds being used directly for abortions, not a single one of the 18 insurers it looked into was fully complying with the ACA’s mandate to collect a separate payment specifically for abortion coverage.

Nationwide, the GAO found that 1,036 Qualified Health Plans that covered non-Hyde exempt abortions, most of them had highly subsidized enrollment rates around the 87% average that encompasses all ACA health plans.

During President Donald Trump’s first term, he attempted to mandate stricter separate transaction requirements, but they were ultimately repealed under Biden.  

“We just defunded Big Abortion, but our progress is lost if Americans are forced to fund abortion on demand through Obamacare. Obamacare was the largest ever expansion of taxpayer-funded abortion since Roe v. Wade, subsidizing insurance plans that cover elective abortion. As if that wasn’t enough, Biden significantly expanded Obamacare as a form COVID-19 relief, which in turn vastly expanded taxpayer funding for abortion through Obamacare,” Dannenfelser said. “”This pro-life Congress must not further extend Obama and Biden’s legacy of taxpayer- funded subsidies that end the lives of countless unborn children.”

Fox News Digital reached out to numerous pro-choice groups for their take on the letter calling for Hyde-specific protections for any ACA expansion. 

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Liz McCaman Taylor, senior federal policy counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the letter from the coalition of 88 pro-life groups serves “to push abortion services even further out of reach, including in states where abortion is legal.”

“The reality is that people already have extremely limited access to abortion care through the Affordable Care Act,” McCaman argued. 

“This is an attempt to dictate states’ decisions about what benefits they can and cannot offer their citizens,” McCaman said. “Anti-abortion advocates’ claims to ‘leave abortion up to the states’ were clearly a lie.”

Some epic drama in the first two weeks of the college football season.

The defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes shut down the then-No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns at the goal line three times. Ohio State quickly curbed talk about the greatness of Texas quarterback Arch Manning. The Buckeyes are now the No. 1 team in the country. Especially after they shellacked Grambling State 70-0 in Week 2.

Florida State whipped Alabama. And we haven’t even talked about Bill Belichick’s coaching debut at North Carolina.

So settle in for quite a season between now and mid-January.

But there could be new rules off the playing field. Congress may attempt to referee what collegiate athletes can earn from their own name, likeness and image, better known as NILs.

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“Without clear rules and an enforcement mechanism, the NIL landscape has become akin to the Wild West,” said Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C.

There are competing bills in the House and Senate to address compensation for student-athletes. The House bill, prepped over the summer by the Energy and Commerce Committee, sets a national standard for NILs and allows schools to directly pay athletes. That would supersede a bevy of differing rules which change from state to state.

“We’ve already seen states competing with one another to get a leg up. And that patchwork is threatening the values and the balance that makes college sports so special,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO REGULATE THE BUSINESS OF COLLEGE SPORTS

She has reservations about the current House bill.

The House legislation comes on the heels of a multibillion-dollar agreement approved by a federal judge earlier this summer. That agreement lets schools pay student-athletes up to $20.5 million per year.

That’s just a sliver of what most major schools in big conferences reel in annually. But the schools will likely fork out most of the money to football and basketball. Those sports generate the most revenue in college athletics.

But the score is far from settled.

“Whether or not we should allow student-athletes to be considered employees under the law, the ramifications of that would be pretty profound,” said Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind.

SWEEPING BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD NATIONALIZE STANDARDS FOR STUDENT-ATHLETE PAY

He noted that a Senate bill to regulate pay in college sports is on “the proverbial one-yard line.”

Most House Democrats oppose the plan. They believe it inhibits the rights of college athletes – as workers.

“This bill bans student-athletes from First Amendment rights to form unions, also guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act,” said Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla. “They have basic rights. Like the right to organize.”

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee. She said the House Energy and Commerce Committee bill rolls back money for minor sports, women’s programs and only benefits major conferences like the Big 10 and SEC. She claims the bill will trigger “a conflict” between sports that earn money at schools and those that don’t.

Most Democrats argue that lawmakers should focus instead on problems in higher education, not the athletic field. Especially as some schools now face a threat from the federal government and the Trump administration.

TOM BRADY IMPLORES PARENTS TO ‘TEACH YOUR KID THE RIGHT VALUES’ AMID RISE OF NIL IN COLLEGE SPORTS

“You have to have a college to have college sports,” said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee. “And the way we’re going with this administration, I don’t even know if there’s going to be any colleges or universities worth fighting for.”

Pallone added that the committee’s focus was misguided amid questions about education and healthcare.

“Yet Republicans are ignoring them. And instead would rather talk about college sports,” said Pallone. 

Republicans on the Energy and Commerce panel supported the package, but Democratic support was limited. In addition, players associations for Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Soccer all oppose the legislation. They believe the bill inhibits college athletes from negotiating a fair wage.

The “pay” and “NIL” issues have vexed top collegiate athletic officials for years. The NCAA and many schools have long pushed for congressional intervention.

“We feel like there’s a better destination and a stabilization coming forward. But we need the help of Congress and national legislation,” said ACC commissioner Jim Phillips on Fox News earlier this year.

Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban echoed Phillips during an interview with colleague Bret Baier.

“Now we just have state legislation, and every state is different,” said Saban. “We need some kind of federal standard and guidelines that allow people to enforce their own rules.”

NICK SABAN PRAISES TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER CRACKING DOWN ON PAY-TO-PLAY IN COLLEGE SPORTS

Pallone may have questioned the priorities of his committee focusing on paying student-athletes, but other lawmakers question why the NCAA itself couldn’t settle the pay-for-play fight.

“I think if they had had stronger management, if they made some decisions early on, we wouldn’t be in this position,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. “It’s unfortunate that Congress has to step in at all.”

However, the North Carolina Republican added he was “deeply concerned about the future of college sports if we don’t act.”

That’s why Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., wants Congress involved – even if she opposes the current House plan.

“We simply cannot turn to the same entities that created the broken and inequitable system of the past to serve as the stewards of a new system,” said Clarke.

Attorneys general from Florida, Ohio, New York, Tennessee and the District of Columbia are worried about antitrust provisions in the House plan. The Big West Conference believes the legislation is skewed toward major conferences.

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So this fight may spill into overtime on Capitol Hill.

Congress could vote sometime on legislation refining NILs. Or lawmakers may again punt – as they’ve done for several years now.

But this is a lower priority for Congress. Lawmakers must avoid a government shutdown by Oct. 1, and they may need to wrestle with another government funding round later this fall.

The college football season just started, but the real challenge is whether Congress will address this issue before the National Championship Game on Jan. 19, 2026.

The Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to continue carrying out immigration raids in California after local leaders and advocacy groups argued that federal authorities were stopping suspected illegal immigrants without a valid cause.

The high court’s 6-3 decision, issued along ideological lines, is temporary while the case proceeds in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

It came after a federal judge in July blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement from conducting raids in Los Angeles County, finding plaintiffs likely would succeed in their argument that the raids violated the Fourth Amendment. The Ninth Circuit upheld that order, leading the Trump administration to turn to the Supreme Court.

APPEALS COURT DENIES TRUMP ADMIN’S REQUEST TO LIFT LIMITS ON LOS ANGELES IMMIGRATION RAIDS

Justice Sonia Sotomayor filed a dissent, saying the emergency order greenlighting the raids was “troubling” because the majority gave no explanation for the move, which she said was “unconscionably irreconcilable” with the Constitution.

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“We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job,” Sotomayor wrote.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.