NationalWatch

The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously blocked newly enacted Republican-backed congressional districts from being used in November’s midterm elections, ruling that voters must first approve the map in a statewide referendum.

The ruling marks a rare setback for Republicans in a national redistricting battle. 

The GOP had aimed to use Missouri’s new congressional map to help them win an additional seat and hold onto its slim House majority.

The court ruled that the referendum petition, filed in December after opponents submitted more than 300,000 signatures, prevented the new districts from taking effect unless approved by voters. 

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Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins waited until primary Election Day last month to reject the petition, arguing that the referendum process cannot be used for congressional redistricting. A lower court sided with Hoskins, but the state Supreme Court overturned his decision.

“The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise,” the court said in its ruling. The measure with the new districts “did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters.”

Now, the congressional map adopted after the 2020 census “remains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election,” the court said.

Once considered a swing state, Missouri has dramatically shifted to the right over the past two decades.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, plans to immediately appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Never before in American history has a court overturned a congressional map after a primary and before a general election. This unprecedented decision clearly violates federal law and has thrust our state into a full‑fledged constitutional crisis,” Hanaway said in a statement. 

“We are confident that the federal courts will not allow every Missouri voter to be disenfranchised, which is what today’s decision does.”

President Donald Trump called Thursday’s ruling “ridiculous” and argued it was unconstitutional, saying there will not be enough time to change the map before November’s elections.

“The Missouri Supreme Court just ridiculously ruled in favor of changing the maps back to what they were a long time ago,” he wrote on Truth Social. “It’s called, Ancient History! The problem is, according to Legal Scholars, that not only was the ruling horrible, ridiculous, and unConstitutional, but there won’t be enough time to change the map back with the Election coming up in a very short period of time. 

“The Election Process, as usual, is being disturbed in America! Missouri must be able to use the map that was in effect just a couple of months ago, in the Primary. This is a Dark Day for ‘Justice’ in Missouri!”

Missouri’s new districts were used in the primaries last month, but the state Supreme Court said they cannot be used again unless voters first uphold the new districts passed by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe last September.

Kehoe said he is “extremely disappointed in today’s decision by unelected judges and their lack of respect for the legislative process.”

“Holding a primary election under one congressional map and a general election under another is unprecedented and creates uncertainty for Missouri voters,” he said on X. “Today’s ruling does not change our belief in the Missouri First Map or the principles behind it, and we will continue to stand behind it as the legal process moves forward.”

Five of the seven current justices on the Missouri Supreme Court, including the chief justice, were appointed by Republican governors.

The new map targeted longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City-area district by shifting it eastward to include rural right-leaning voters. The map was intended to make Cleaver’s district more favorable to Republicans, who hoped it would produce a 7-1 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation.

SUPREME COURT ALLOWS ALABAMA GOP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAP FOR MIDTERMS

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Cleaver responded to the ruling by saying, “The people fought back and won.”

“More than 305,000 Missourians demanded a say in who will represent them in the halls of Congress,” he wrote on X. “Despite the cynical and deeply shameful attempt to silence many of our neighbors, the people fought back and won. This reaffirms that the people should choose their politicians, not the other way around. Democracy prevails.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin also called it a “big win for democracy and the people of Missouri.”

“Democrats will continue fighting to end the Republican gerrymandering sham and ensure all voters can make their voices heard,” he wrote on X.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday he will not put an “artificial timeline” on the war with Iran, warning that the conflict will continue on as long as Iran keeps shooting at ships.

“You’re asking me a question like, when will the Iranians stop shooting at ships? I think the reality is, I don’t know the answer to that question. You would have to ask the Iranians, when will the Iranians shooting at ships stop having an effect on world energy markets? And the answer is it has less effect day by day,” Vance said while hosting the first White House press briefing after former press secretary Karoline Leavitt exited in August.

Vance said the U.S. will not depend on the Iranians “behaving responsibly” or “negotiating in good faith,” pointing to recent attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration has taken negotiations off the table after June’s failed Memorandum of Understanding agreement and has pivoted back to economic and military pressure.

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“What we’re going to do is use the tools that we have at our disposal to ensure that the American people, one, never have to deal with the threat of an Iranian nuclear program and, two, the world, energy markets are properly supplied,” said Vance.

The conflict began on Feb. 28, 2026, when the U.S. and its partners launched Operation Epic Fury, striking targets across Iran at President Trump’s direction.

U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that American forces completed a wave of strikes against targets inside Iran, including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites.

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Vance said the conflict with Iran is not a war, citing that there are no active shootings but “places where this is flared up” and acknowledged major combat operations that lasted under six weeks.

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“Since then, we destroyed, of course, their nuclear facilities with Midnight Hammer. With Epic Fury, we destroyed their defense industrial base for producing weapons and also a lot of their conventional military and then we made it harder for them to rebuild that nuclear program,” Vance added.

Excavation work will begin over the next two weeks on a site where the Trump administration plans to build a tall memorial arch in Washington, D.C., a project that currently faces a lawsuit from opponents who argue the project will disrupt nearby historic sight lines.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Thursday announced that work would start on the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck, which will be located on Columbia Island, standing between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

“This will be one of the Great Pieces of American Architecture, honoring the history and significance of Arlington Cemetery and befitting the most powerful Capital in the World,” Burgum wrote on X, along with mock-ups of the towering 250-foot-tall arch.

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The images showed a white arch with gold detail, with “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” written on top. A gold Lady Liberty-like figure with wings and a torch stands above, as well as gold eagles with their wings spread outward.

The project faces opposition from three veterans and an architectural historian who argued that “congressional authorization is necessary and lacking for this project,” said Nicolas Sansone, an attorney with the Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the plaintiffs.

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“We believe that construction cannot and should not proceed apace, and we are prepared to inform the court that it needs to, at this juncture, step in,” Sansone told The Associated Press.

A 24-page report released last month by the National Park Service backs the idea for the arch.

However, the report noted that the project would have “direct and indirect adverse effects on the sight lines of historic properties.”

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In a series of posts on X, Burgum defended the project, saying the idea for a monument goes back decades. He cited attempts by past Congresses and old reports about discussions of the construction of a memorial.

The secretary noted that more than 70 cities, including Athens, London, Madrid, New Delhi, Paris and Rome, showcase arches.

“Interestingly, Washington, DC, is the only major Western capital without an arch,” he wrote. “Now after 125 years of waiting, the most powerful capital in the world will be the home of the most spectacular and beautiful arch of them all!”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Interior Department and the Public Citizen Litigation Group.

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The arch is one of several projects undertaken by the Trump administration, including the renaming of the Kennedy Center, a new White House ballroom and the refurbishing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The White House is rolling out a new website Thursday that will feature classic arcade-style games with a MAGA twist.

A promotional video for the site obtained by Fox News Digital shows MAGA remakes of old favorites, including Snake, Flappy Bird, Duck Hunt and a couple of originals. Each one is uniquely Trumpian.

The MAGA version of Snake, for example, features border czar Tom Homan leading a line of illegal aliens in orange jumpsuits while he chases others on the grid. In another game, reminiscent of Duck Hunt, the user employs a net to catch gold bars and money, illustrative of putting money into a Trump Account. The Washington Monument is depicted in the background of that game.

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The White House says the new site is a fun way to highlight Trump’s successes in his second term.

“This administration is laser focused on ways to innovate and tell the story of the president’s many accomplishments in a way that resonates with every American,” a White House official told Fox News Digital.

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Visitors to the new site can also play the administration’s version of Flappy Bird, flying a bald eagle through obstacles on the National Mall.

In the fourth game, the user is a boxer, punching unhealthy foods like candy away. The game features a graphic with the words “Seed Oils” with a red line through it in a nod to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again initiative.

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Another resembles Tetris, set at the southern border, where the user’s goal is to build a wall to stop the flow of illegal immigration into the U.S.

The site is also a jab at Democrat policies and what the White House describes as the political left’s “dark” vision for the future of the country.

“The president continues to rack up victory after victory on behalf of the American public, while opponents of his agenda are defending their record of raising taxes and empowering criminal illegal aliens,” the official told Fox News Digital. 

“This is an effort to further contrast between a culture of fun and winning and the dark socialist vision Democrats have for America.”

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Millions of foreigners have left the United States, either by voluntary self-deportation or by being arrested and removed, during Trump’s second term.

Those numbers are on the rise. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently broke its own monthly record for illegal alien arrests, topping 50,000 in July.

Parents are eligible to open Trump Accounts for their children this year, in which the federal government automatically deposits $1,000. Family members and friends can contribute up to $5,000 per year to a child’s account, which will appreciate in value until the child turns 18. The program will continue next year.

A Biden-appointed judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump‘s latest executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship, setting up another high-profile legal battle over the scope of the 14th Amendment.

In a 35-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman issued a preliminary injunction against the Oval Office’s Aug. 6 executive order, which was issued a month after the Supreme Court affirmed birthright citizenship in its ruling in Barbara v. Trump. The injunction is the first to halt Trump’s revised birthright citizenship order since the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship in June.

Boardman previously blocked Trump’s original birthright citizenship executive order before the Supreme Court weighed in on the issue.

Trump’s order sought to limit birthright citizenship for children whose parents are deemed alien enemies, including members of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and children whose foreign parents paid a surrogate in the U.S. to give birth, among several other restrictions. The executive order prompted Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

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“The 2026 Executive Order is almost certainly unconstitutional as applied to the certified class for the simple reason that the Supreme Court in Barbara already decided that the children in the class are citizens at birth,” Boardman wrote in her ruling. “This Court must, once again, preliminarily enjoin enforcement of the President’s most recent attempt to strip the right to citizenship from them.”

The White House rejected Boardman’s ruling as the work of an “activist judge appointed by Biden attempting to thwart President Trump’s commonsense agenda.”

“The birthright citizenship executive order is consistent with the holdings and analysis set forth by the Supreme Court,” Lauren Bis, White House spokeswoman, said in a statement.

In a 5-4 decision on the constitutional question of birthright citizenship, the high court held that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present in the country are “citizens at birth” under the 14th Amendment in Barbara v. Trump.

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While the Supreme Court has acknowledged exceptions to birthright citizenship, such as children of foreign diplomats or children born during an enemy’s hostile occupation of U.S. soil, Boardman rejected Trump’s latest executive order targeting children born to alleged alien enemies. She agreed with the plaintiffs’ concerns over the Trump administration’s “broad view of who qualifies as an enemy.” The plaintiffs alleged that the Trump administration had “sometimes resting its conclusions on false or speculative allegations, or even tenuous markers like tattoos or family affiliations.”

Boardman pointed to two plaintiffs — Andrea, who fled an area of Mexico where a designated cartel operates and whose child’s father has a relative in the group, and Monica, a Venezuelan woman who fears her family could be wrongly linked to Tren de Aragua.

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“Children whose parents may ‘rightly or wrongfully’ be deemed by the government to be alien enemies face a credible threat of “being denied or stripped of their birthright citizenship … even though they do not fall within a recognized exception to birthright citizenship,” Boardman wrote.

However, Abhi Kambli, a former Justice Department official, said Boardman was speculating on how the Trump administration could incorrectly bar someone from citizenship based upon being part of a foreign terrorist organization.

“Legally, where that falls short is that it’s a facial challenge to the entire executive order,” Kambli told Fox News Digital. “So, in legal terms, when something’s a facial challenge, you have to demonstrate that it’s unlawful in all of its applications, and not just the edge, the borderline cases.”

“She didn’t want to wade into the territory of whether that fits as an exception generally within Trump v. Barbara, but she said that based on how they’ve interpreted it in the past and in terms of what happened with Tren de Aragua and other organizations, she bought into plaintiff speculation that maybe they’ll get it wrong this time, and then that’ll affect their kids, and then that’s why it should get barred,” Kambli continued.

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Boardman used the First Circuit’s language to find that denying citizenship under the new executive order would cause irreparable harm — one of the requirements for issuing a preliminary injunction.

“The loss of birthright citizenship — even if temporary and later restored at the conclusion of litigation has cascading effects’ that will ‘very likely leave permanent scars’ on the child and their family,” the ruling stated.

Monica celebrated the preliminary injunction.

“During my pregnancy, I felt so much anxiety over the fact that my child could be born stateless,” Monica, said in a statement. “For now, my child and children like mine are protected and guaranteed U.S. citizenship. But I know this isn’t over. The threat to birthright citizenship is still out there. I’ll keep fighting for permanent protection for my child, and for every child born in this country.”

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“When it comes to attacking birthright citizenship, the Trump administration has lost before this court, lost before the Supreme Court, and lost again today,” Shana Khader, legal director at We Are CASA, said in a statement. “The White House must recognize it will not succeed in stripping children of their right to citizenship, evading binding court decisions or placing the president’s anti-immigrant agenda above the Constitution. We are very proud to continue this fight alongside the families who have endured more than a year of fear and uncertainty and still refuse to surrender their children’s constitutional rights.”

The Trump administration says it has uncovered evidence that the Smithsonian Institution violated federal nondiscrimination laws and is threatening to withdraw support from its museums unless it corrects course, according to a letter recently made public by the Department of the Interior.

“The administration has recently uncovered evidence that the Smithsonian leadership’s institutional culture may have resulted in significant violations of Federal antidiscrimination law, including creating a hostile work environment and engaging in practices that classify individuals and allocate opportunities, funding and other benefits on the basis of race, ethnicity and other protected characteristics,” a letter sent jointly to the Smithsonian by the DOI and White House reads.

Specific evidence of illegal activity on the part of the Smithsonian was not included in the letter, and the DOI did not provide further information when reached for comment. A recent Fox News Digital investigation found that many leading figures at the Smithsonian, including those involved in hiring, have been strong proponents of diversity, equity and inclusion — something the Trump administration has previously framed as racially discriminatory.

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Conservative political leaders, led by President Donald Trump, have accused the Smithsonian of allowing progressive ideology to shape its presentation of American history. An executive order signed in 2025 directed officials to remove what it called “improper ideology,” from the museum.

“The Executive Order signed by the President of the United States clearly states ‘the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator of General Services, and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy shall identify and utilize any and all available authorities to promote the policy of this order and to restore trust in the Smithsonian Institution,” a DOI spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

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Liberals, meanwhile, have framed conservative criticism of the Smithsonian as a partisan attempt to influence the public presentation of history.

Unless the Smithsonian remedies the issues outlined in the DOI’s recent letter, as well as the general bias which conservatives allege exists at the institution, the administration says it will consider pulling support from it. The threats this time around, however, differ from the ongoing fight over the roughly $1 billion a year in federal funding the Smithsonian receives.

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“Those executive departments and agencies cannot in good conscience continue to support the Smithsonian under current leadership by, for example, loaning artifacts for exhibits, enabling procurement processes and making discretionary grants,” the letter reads.

While the letter does not provide specific changes that the administration would like to see from the Smithsonian, it does note that an “appropriate response” from the organization “must likewise address executive leadership and institutional ideology.”

That wording could be significant as the institution operates independently but is overseen by board members appointed by congressional resolutions that the president must sign into law. By October, there will be four openings on the institution’s board of regents, a fact the administration may leverage to increase its influence over the Smithsonian.

“Very few Americans want the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to be used, in the words of its director, as a ‘prime tool of social justice’ and as an instrument of ideological activism and advocacy,”  Vince Haley, the director of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council told Fox News Digital when asked about the letter. “Unfortunately, the Saving America’s Story report demonstrates, using the statements of Museum leadership and the interpretive guidelines adopted by the Museum, that this is exactly what the Smithsonian’s flagship museum has become.”

“During this 250th anniversary year of our heroic founding, the least our citizens are owed is an honest and inspiring account of American history. It should begin by telling the story of our Founding Fathers — who they were, what they did, and what they built. It is our hope and expectation that the Smithsonian will eventually rise once again to that noble obligation — to tell America’s story for our children, the world and future generations of Americans,” he added.

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DOI requests that representatives from the Smithsonian meet with administration officials “at [their] earliest convenience” to discuss the alleged bias and civil rights violations present at the institution.

“The museum does not take sides in America’s political debates. We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions,” National Museum of American History’s director Anthea Hartig said at a July congressional hearing.

The Smithsonian declined to comment on the letter when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

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Recent reporting has found that the museum’s leadership and many of its curators have backgrounds in liberal advocacy or Democratic politics. In addition to exhibits at the National Museum of American History, which the Trump administration characterized as demonizing America, even the Smithsonian-run National Zoo is inundated with information about DEI and gender equity.

Vice President JD Vance said Thursday he is “looking forward” to meeting with former President Joe Biden while in New York City next week for the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

“I’m really looking forward to hanging out with Joe Biden. I’m sure that we’ll have many, many intense intellectual conversations and, you know, it’ll be great. We’ll have a great time with Joe Biden and the other presidents,” Vance said while hosting the first White House press briefing after former press secretary Karoline Leavitt exited in August.

Vice President JD Vance will travel to Ground Zero on 9/11, joining former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush for a remembrance ceremony.

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The last known time Vance and Biden were in the same room was at President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

“We just decided as a team that I would go to New York for 9/11 and the president would stay here in D.C., of course, to commemorate what happened at the Pentagon, because that was a critical part of the tragedy of 9/11 as well,” said Vance.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP’S 9/11 TRIBUTE TO FEATURE MASSIVE PIECE OF GROUND ZERO HISTORY AT WHITE HOUSE

Trump is expected to attend a ceremony at the Pentagon, and other administration officials will represent the White House in Shanksville, Pennsylvania — marking all three locations targeted or affected by the attacks. Vance said during the press conference that there was no indication Trump was staying in the nation’s capital due to security concerns in New York City. 

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“I will say that as much as it’s tragic and it was a terrible day, I am looking forward to it because it’s such an amazing honor to be able to get to go to New York and to share in that moment,” said Vance.

Vance said it is especially meaningful for parents to show their children the names of those who were killed, recalling that he did so with his own family during the 2024 campaign.

“It’s one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and I encourage every American, particularly the people who are young enough to not really remember that day, just to tune in for a couple of hours and see what it meant,” Vance added.

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Vance said the tragic day brings a “sense of commonality and common purpose” for Americans to unite.

A prominent LGBT podcaster who formerly hosted a Christian reality television show was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles Thursday for allegedly threatening to kill President Donald Trump.

Benjamin Azariah Southworth, 40, was indicted by a grand jury on federal charges for cyberstalking, making harassing interstate calls and threatening to kill President Trump, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli announced on X.

He said that Southworth led a harassment campaign against the family of one of Trump’s personal attorneys.

TRUMP’S DECADE OF ASSASSINATION THREATS RUNS FROM BUTLER SHOOTING TO LATEST GOLF CLUB BREACH

“Southworth is charged with posting videos calling for President Trump’s assassination, then targeted the family of the President’s personal attorney by publishing their home address and phone numbers, and leaving voicemails threatening ‘justice comes to your door,” Essayli said.

The act of publicly revealing personal information of public officials and celebrities without their consent is known as “doxxing” and is usually done with the intent to harass, shame or cause harm.

“Threats against the President of the United States are federal crimes. We will not tolerate threats of political violence in the United States. My office will prosecute anyone who crosses that line to the fullest extent of the law,” the U.S. attorney wrote in a statement on X.

On Southworth’s website “Holy Menace,” which is still live at time of publication, the podcaster sells $5 stickers that say “Kill Trump.”

While being taken into custody by agents, Southworth yelled, “Donald Trump is a pedophile. The country has fallen!” according to the New York Post, which had a photographer present at the time of his arrest.

Court documents obtained by the publication allegedly state that on April 7, 2026, Southworth posted a video on his Instagram account that contained a series of threats against Trump.

“I have been vocal in calling for the execution of Donald Trump,” he allegedly said. “This government is illegitimate and out of control. It’s time for course correction. Kill Donald Trump.”

The documents allegedly include a myriad of other examples of Southworth making threatening comments against the president, but the papers are not publicly available.

MAN INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY POSTING GRUESOME DEATH THREATS AGAINST KRISTI NOEM, PAM BONDI ON SOCIAL MEDIA

“Anyone who engages in or endorses political violence or assassination culture must be condemned in the harshest terms possible,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital.

“They should also immediately seek psychiatric help to treat their severe and debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has warped their brains and made them sick in the head.”

In the late 2000s, Southworth hosted the Christian reality TV show “The Remix,” which aired on some of the largest Christian networks in the country, including National Religious Broadcasters TV. The show featured Christian musicians and bands.

In 2008, Southworth came out as gay. He was subsequently the opening act for gay Christian singer Ray Boltz on the singer’s nationwide tour in 2010.

In 2020, he started a podcast called “Yass, Jesus!'” which is described as “an interfaith and sexuality affirming comedy podcast that believes you don’t have to pick between gay and God.” He cohosts the show with “Mean Girls” actor Daniel Franzese, who is also gay.

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Southworth could not be immediately reached for comment.

FIRST ON FOX — The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is requesting a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the agency’s implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), a law designed to combat the import of Chinese goods made with slave labor, according to a letter shared exclusively with Fox News Digital.

The UFLPA, passed in 2021, directed DHS’ Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to develop a strategy for quelling the importation of goods into the United States that are “manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People’s Republic of China.”

Human rights groups began shining a spotlight on the alleged oppression and forced labor the CCP was imposing on Uyghurs, a Muslim ethnic minority in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), a sparsely populated Chinese territory in the country’s far west.

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“The Uyghurs are being politically persecuted in Xinjiang, China. They are being forced to give up their religion. They’re being forced to assimilate into Chinese culture. And many of them are being forced to do labor, to work for low wages or no wages and long hours,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., the ranking member on the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

Khanna argued that enforcement of the UFLPA is not just a moral issue, but one of economic and national security for Americans.

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“This is a human rights violation, but the broader problem also for Americans is that they’re making steel, they’re making aluminum, they’re making textiles, and then they’re dumping it into the U.S. market. How could U.S. Steel or Cleveland Cliffs or our aluminum manufacturers compete with slave labor? Of course we can’t. So what our letter does is it says that we need more of these companies that are using forced Uyghur labor to be designated by the Department of Homeland Security,” Khanna continued.

The bipartisan letter, addressed to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, asks the agency to address 10 concerns the committee has, including what work DHS and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are doing to update the list of companies and entities on the UFLPA Entity List.

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DHS added an additional 43 companies to the list in July, an action that Khanna applauded.

“I think the administration may have gotten wind that we were doing this letter and that precipitated action. You know, for a year, they hadn’t done anything. Now, I give them some credit for having 44 of these companies on the list. But hopefully, once the letter goes out, we’ll see more action,” he said.

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The committee’s letter highlights concerns that products produced by companies on the list and that are coming from the XUAR are still making their way to U.S. customers. Those products, the letter alleges, cover supply chains ranging from steel and aluminum to silicon-carbon materials critical to technology production.

The letter highlights a New York Times report that suggests the cotton contained in popular “Labubu” dolls comes from slave labor.

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“A lot of the textiles are coming, they come from China, are coming from Uyghurs. It’s one of the easiest places to force people into labor, and that’s why we included it, because of the reports that Uyghurs are involved in textile production,” Khanna added.

Khanna also explained how China circumvents the import bans by outsourcing manufacturing.

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“It’s very challenging. I mean, obviously, conventionally, China has been evading some of the tariffs and protections by having their companies open up in Malaysia or Vietnam. Here, of course, you’ve got actual slave labor. And so what we’re saying is identify these products back to the source. And if the source of the textile or steel or aluminum is forced Uyghur labor, then that should not be in the United States,” he told Fox News Digital.

Ultimately, Khanna stressed, the problem of forced labor in China is a bipartisan issue, a statement seemingly reflected by the fact that the letter was signed by eight lawmakers, four Republicans and four Democrats.

CHINESE ESPIONAGE STEALS $600 BILLION FROM US FIRMS YEARLY. IT’S TIME FOR GOVERNMENT TO ACT

“This is about fair trade and human rights. Americans aren’t concerned about fair competition. If China had laborers that were being paid a fair wage and they were making something and we wanted to buy from them and they weren’t dumping, and if China were buying from us, that would be fine. But what can’t happen is them using slave labor, undercutting our market and our companies, and then not allowing our companies to sell to them. That’s just not fair,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Most Americans believe in trade, but they want fair trade and they don’t want to be competing with slave labor,” Khanna concluded.

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Fox News Digital contacted the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., and Pop Mart, the maker of Labubu, for further comment.

A Democrat running for the Senate in ruby-red Arkansas once called to defund immigration enforcement, but has since changed her tune.

Arkansas Senate Democratic nominee Hallie Shoffner, a farmer and political newcomer whose first time in the political arena is this midterm cycle, is running to unseat Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., in November.

As Election Day creeps closer, Cotton has gone on the offensive against her, attacking an apparent flip-flop in her position on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the immigration enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security that became a political lightning rod in Congress earlier this year.

DEM REP SETH MOULTON SAYS PARTY HAS NO IMMIGRATION PLAN, IS ONLY ‘OPPOSITION TO TRUMP’

Shoffner, during an appearance in June at the Immigrant Heritage Month Business Expo in Springdale, Ark., was asked whether she would defund ICE — a position several Democrats running for office have taken this cycle, including progressives Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota.

“I would vote to defund ICE as it exists right now,” Shoffner said. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement was created not that long ago, and it no longer serves the purpose it was originally created for.” 

“I would not spend one more dime on ICE, because — not just because of the human dignity issue — but also the fact that it is now the largest law enforcement agency in the country,” she continued. “It has 10 times the budget of the organization that fights child sex trafficking.”

GOP ADVANCES ICE FUNDING PACKAGE AFTER FORCING TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND INTO RETREAT

ICE became a political third rail earlier this year after fatal shootings in Minnesota and was at the center of the longest government shutdown in history, when Senate Democrats refused to fund the agency absent stringent reforms.

That prompted Senate Republicans to front-load $70 billion in funding for ICE and Border Patrol earlier this year.

Cotton’s campaign cut Shoffner’s comments into attack ads and accused her of donating to former Vice President Kamala Harris 25 times, which prompted Shoffner to further define her position.

In a Facebook post from Tuesday in which Cotton was asked by a voter about Shoffner’s ICE position, she jumped into the comment section to argue, “I don’t want to defund ICE, I want to reform it.”

‘ABOLISH ICE’ DEMOCRAT FREEZES IN LIVE INTERVIEW WHEN ASKED WHO SHOULD ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS

“My opponent wants to defund ICE, just like Democrat socialists Alexandra Ocasio Cortez and Abdul El-Sayed,” Cotton told Fox News Digital. “Doing so would protect criminals from deportation, like the illegal alien gang member who was arrested in Carroll County just days ago. Defunding ICE would make Arkansas more dangerous.”

Shoffner’s bid to unseat Cotton, who is running for a third term in the upper chamber, is one of the tougher battles during this midterm cycle for Democrats.

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Arkansas hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since former Sen. Mark Pryor, who Cotton defeated in 2014. Shoffner also doesn’t have the backing of the Democratic establishment, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in Washington, D.C.

Shoffner has put distance between herself and Schumer, too, telling Politico in March that while Democrats had found the issue of affordability to be a “magic bullet” at the national level, Arkansans were going to give Schumer “the side eye, because what does he know about affordability?”

Elon Musk’s super PAC made its first major publicly disclosed burst of midterm spending, dumping significant amounts of cash over a very short period of time into races Republicans virtually must win to retain control of Congress.

Between Aug. 19 and Aug. 31, Musk’s America PAC reported just over $800,000 in expenditures supporting Republican candidates and opposing their Democratic rivals — an average of roughly $70,000 per day. By far the largest concentration of Musk’s spending was in the Texas Senate race, where America PAC spent nearly $248,000 supporting Paxton and opposing Talarico.

Republicans are heading into the midterms with a massive cash advantage, but are struggling to secure advantageous positions in even traditionally Republican states such as Alaska, Iowa, Texas and Ohio, according to Fox News’ Power Rankings. Musk opening his pocketbook for the GOP, an eventuality that was once in doubt given his prior split with the president, could provide Republicans with a much-needed lifeline as November approaches.

JOHNSON DOWNPLAYS GOP’S MIDTERM WOES AS DEMOCRATS EYE HOUSE TAKEOVER: ‘I AM VERY BULLISH’

The bulk of the spending went toward “printing” expenses paid out to Storytellers Group, a political vendor that specializes in direct-mail work.

Over his 12-day expenditure period, Musk spent $123,000 opposing Talarico’s candidacy and about $125,000 supporting Paxton, according to a campaign finance filing released Wednesday.

RNC CHAIR SAYS TALARICO’S GOP CROSSOVER HOPES ARE A ‘PIPE DREAM’: ‘NOBODY IS GOING TO FOLLOW HIM’

The spending, while helpful to Republicans, gives Democrats a new angle of attack to use in the districts where Musk’s PAC is deploying resources. Musk has suffered from low favorability ratings among Americans, and his efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency, likewise, proved unpopular.

Democrats running in the competitive races where Musk is spending can now credibly tie their opponents to the billionaire. Talarico, for instance, has made running against billionaire interests a focal point of his campaign, a plank that increases in relevance now that Musk has waded into his race.

AFTER PLATNER IMPLOSION, MAINE DEMOCRATS RUSH TOWARD NEW SENATE NOMINEE DESPITE FRESH WARNING SIGNS

Musk’s PAC also spent a considerable amount in Maine’s Senate race, deploying roughly $135,000 against Democratic nominee Troy Jackson and about $35,000 to assist incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins. Collins has worked to distance herself from the Trump administration and national Republicans as she seeks re-election in a left-leaning state, an effort Musk’s spending could complicate.

Other races Musk’s PAC spent in include the Senate races in Michigan, Ohio and New Hampshire as well as a handful of competitive House races in states like New York, Florida and Wisconsin.

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GOP donors, fundraisers and lawmakers are worried that their current cash advantage may not be enough to deliver victory in November. They worry that President Donald Trump may not deploy his $400 million political war chest aggressively enough.

Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores asked a federal judge Wednesday to dismiss the drug trafficking charges against them, arguing, among other things, that the pair have sovereign immunity, according to court documents.

“No American court has ever presided over the criminal trial of a foreign leader who was recognized by their own country as the sitting head of state at the time the charges were brought. That is not an accident of history. It reflects a rule older than the common law: heads of state are exempt from the criminal process of any national court but their own,” a memorandum Maduro’s lawyers filed in support of their motion to dismiss read.

“That immunity flows not from goodwill that can be withdrawn on a whim, but from the perfect equality and absolute independence of sovereigns. Thus, this Court lacks jurisdiction with respect to Mr. Maduro, who is recognized by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as its head of state,” the document continued.

MADURO ALLY DEPORTED TO US OVER ALLEGED BILLION-DOLLAR CORRUPTION SCHEME TIED TO OIL, FOOD PROGRAM

In January 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed a fourth superseding indictment against Maduro and Flores. The indictment charged Maduro with narco-terrorism conspiracy, and both Flores and Maduro with cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

The indictment alleged that for decades, Maduro used his position — first as a deputy in Venezuela’s National Assembly and then as the country’s president — to conspire with narco-terrorists from some of the world’s largest cartels to import cocaine into the United States.

Maduro’s lawyers, however, claim that sovereign immunity prevents the U.S. from taking action against Maduro.

“The official character of these acts — such as issuing diplomatic passports, deploying the military, and announcing Venezuelan foreign policy — is apparent from the face of the Indictment. Because these actions were undertaken in his official capacity on behalf of a foreign sovereign, he may not be required to respond in this Court to the Indictment’s characterizations of his motives and intent in taking these actions,” the document reads.

STATE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES ‘TOTAL COMPLIANCE’ FROM VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT IN RELIEF EFFORTS AFTER MADURO ARREST

The U.S. government officially declared Maduro to be an illegitimate president in 2019 after Maduro declared victory in the disputed 2018 presidential election.

Maduro’s lawyers also argue that the indictment violates his and Flores’ due process, according to court documents.

The document asserts that Maduro “vehemently denies that he had anything to do with drug trafficking or intended to benefit anyone engaged in terrorism.”

The motion to dismiss then argues that the charges against Maduro fail to establish that his alleged crimes took place in or were aimed at the United States, and therefore do not meet the standards of due process.

ARMY SOLDIER INVOLVED IN MADURO CAPTURE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY USING CLASSIFIED INTEL TO WIN $410K IN BETS

“The narcoterrorism statute, which was enacted in 2006 in connection with the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT ACT, was intended to target foreign conduct. Recognizing that its power to police the rest of the world is not unlimited, Congress included a jurisdictional element that authorizes the use of the statute to prosecute foreign conduct under only five enumerated scenarios in which the foreign conduct is connected to the United States. Ignoring those parameters set by Congress, the Indictment fails — even by tracking the statutory language — to allege any basis for jurisdiction over the solely foreign conduct it alleges,” the motion to dismiss reads.

The U.S. apprehended Maduro and Flores during a January military operation, titled Operation Absolute Resolve, in which U.S. forces captured the couple in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas and extradited them back to the United States to be prosecuted in New York federal court.

TRUMP PICKS JAMES MCDONALD TO LEAD POWERFUL SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AFTER JAY CLAYTON’S DEPARTURE

Maduro is set to appear in court in November to begin oral arguments in support of his motion to dismiss.

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Fox News Digital contacted Maduro and Flores’ legal team and the SDNY for further comment.

FIRST ON FOX: One of the top union leaders in the country has waded into a key Senate contest, backing the Republican incumbent in a race that could determine the balance of power in the upper chamber.

Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien is backing Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., in his bid for reelection as Republicans look to solidify their grip in the upper chamber, and push back against the headwinds that browbeat the party in power during a midterm election cycle.

“Sen. Marshall has proven time and time again that he is a friend of labor,” O’Brien said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital. “As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Sen. Marshall has been eager to partner with us on legislation that protects workers, even when it requires breaking rank with his own party.”

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP-BACKED CHALLENGER GAINS LABOR UNION SUPPORT IN KEY RACE FOR HOUSE CONTROL

“We look forward to continuing to work together with Sen. Marshall to fight for the rights of hardworking Americans,” he continued.

O’Brien’s green light to Marshall comes as Teamsters Local 696, the Topeka, Kansas-based chapter of the Teamsters also threw its support behind the lawmaker, who is seeking a second term in the Senate.

“We are proud to endorse the candidate in this race who continues to be a voice for the middle-class workers of our great state, and that candidate is Sen. Marshall,” Local 696 President Mike Scribner said in a statement.

“Kansas Teamsters need someone in Washington who is willing to fight on their behalf,” he continued. “Throughout his tenure, Sen. Marshall has shown that he is the person for the job.”

O’Brien has morphed into a notable figure in the GOP after his appearance as one of the opening speakers at the Republican National Convention in 2024.

‘LET’S BREW IT IN THE UNITED STATES’: TEAMSTERS TARGET MODELO AND CORONA IN PUSH FOR MEXICAN BEER TARIFFS

He also formed a political alliance and friendship with one of President Donald Trump’s top allies, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and even backed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to the job after nearly coming to blows with the Trump official two years prior.

It’s Marshall’s backing of pro-labor bills, like Hawley’s Faster Labor Contracts Act, and Sen. Ed Markey’s, D-Mass., Warehouse Worker Protection Act and his own Railway Safety Act that scored him the backing of the Teamsters. He also led the Overtime Wages Relief Act, which eliminated federal income tax on up to $10,000 of overtime wages for individuals and $20,000 for married filers as part of Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.”

Marshall is running against Kansas Senate Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton, the lead pastor of the state’s largest Methodist megachurch. Kansas is a ruby-red stronghold, meaning national Republicans aren’t rushing to aid the incumbent in warding off Hamilton.

FOUR MONTHS TO MIDTERMS: 12 RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE MAJORITY

Still, Hamilton has already proven a deft fundraiser, nearly matching Marshall’s war chest in a fraction of the time.

Hamilton has so far raised just north of $4.1 million, while Marshall has brought in just over $6.2 million in a race that Cook Political Report has rated as “likely Republican.”

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But Hamilton will have to battle both a strong incumbent and history to have a chance at the seat. That’s because Kansas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate in nearly a century. The last time was in the 1930s, when Kansans elected former Sen. George McGill. He only served one term before being ousted by a Republican.

Republicans are warning President Donald Trump that his decision to flood supermarkets with foreign ground beef is hurting a key group in his base as the midterm elections near their climax.

Voters in beef-industry-heavy states, like South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas, supported Trump in his bid for a second term. Now, lawmakers from those states say his decision to lift tariffs on hundreds of thousands of tons of foreign beef is putting the very people who elected him in a bind.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., who is running for re-election, said his voters in South Dakota “love the president,” and view him like a member of the family, but the beef import order feels like the administration “pulled the rug right out from underneath” them.

TRUMP WANTS CHEAPER BEEF. REPUBLICANS IN KEY RACES WARN HIS PLAN GOES TOO FAR

“They’re hurt. I mean, they feel like they’ve been let down,” Rounds said.

“Like, how could, you know, our friend, this guy that’s as close to us as they’ve ever been to a president, how could he do this to them? I mean, that’s the way they feel,” he continued. “And that’s the expression they’re giving me is, ‘Why would he do this to us? Doesn’t he understand ag?’”

Republicans are searching for an economic message to bring to voters as grocery bills, gas prices and other day-to-day necessities grow more expensive. Some argue that kneecapping ranchers and farmers, some of Trump’s most loyal supporters, in the name of affordability runs counter to that.

“I think people want an explanation,” a House Republican granted anonymity to speak freely told Fox News Digital. “We want to be able to go to the ranchers, who are big Trump supporters, right, to be able to go to them and say, this administration is fighting for you.”

THE UNEXPECTED FORCE KEEPING BEEF PRICES HIGH AND WHY THE PRESSURE COULD LAST FOR YEARS

Trump signed the order last week with the intent of flooding the market with 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef, with the idea being that it would lower costs for consumers thanks to a commitment that the product would be sold at 25% below current market prices over a 90-day span.

He also contended that it would allow ranchers to regrow the nation’s herds, which, thanks to a combination of drought and the invasive New World screwworm, has dwindled to historic lows not seen since the 1950s, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“I’m sympathetic to what he’s trying to get done,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Keloland. “He’s trying to lower beef prices, which I think we’re all supportive of. I just don’t think this is the way to do it. And so, we have a lot of beef producers here in South Dakota; they produce the highest-quality beef in the world, and we’re trying to build our herds back up.”

As the blowback mounts, the administration has acknowledged that ranchers are bearing the brunt of the blow. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer huddled privately with House Republicans on Wednesday afternoon, where several lawmakers pressed him on the subject of Trump’s beef imports.

NEBRASKA RANCHERS STRUGGLE TO RECOVER FROM HISTORIC WILDFIRES AS DROUGHT WORSENS CRISIS

Sources inside the room told Fox News Digital that Greer acknowledged ranchers were frustrated but maintained the import strategy was temporary. He argued it was the administration’s way of easing high prices on the market in the short term, the sources said.

But multiple House GOP lawmakers still said they were concerned as they exited the meeting.

“This is not just a one-year issue on the affordability of beef. We’ve got to make sure that we’ve got a Made-in-America-first beef program. That means standing with our cattlemen on that,” Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital. “We’ve said the same thing to [Greer] in there.”

Nunn, who is a top target for Democrats in November, said he planned to raise the issue again during dinner with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday evening.

Rep. Troy Downing, R-Mont., pointed out that it was a relatively small amount of beef for just a 90-day period but said he was worried about its timing overlapping with the time of year that farmers bring their cattle to market.

“If a rancher is expecting to get a price at market that suddenly drops out from underneath them, they’re faced with two things — they don’t have a stable market, so do I invest in heifers for next year? Or do I have to sell more calves to make up for that deficit for my operating costs? Which, neither one is helping rebuild the herd,” Downing told Fox News Digital.

House Main Street Caucus Chairman Mike Flood, R-Neb., said he was opposed to a “tariff regime that undercuts American ranchers,” but said Trump’s policies were helping in the “big picture.”

Compounding people’s anxiety in the meeting was Trump’s trade war with Canada, which that House Republican said made northern-border-state GOP lawmakers “nervous.”

Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital there would likely be “quite a few” follow-up meetings.

“It was absolutely outstanding, we had a tremendous amount of participation and people that were really excited to ask good questions,” he said of the meeting in general.

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And U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said at an event in Iowa on Tuesday that the administration understood that “ranchers felt like that was a gut punch.”

The White House argued that Trump has “has done more for American agriculture than anyone” with trade deals, foreign market access expansion, lowering input costs, bolstering the farm safety net, doubling the death tax exemption, ending taxes on rural property loan interest, and creating rural opportunity zones.”

At the same time, he is delivering on his promise to consumers by reducing beef prices while allowing our American beef herd to grow,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. The President will continue taking actions to support our great farmers while driving economic prosperity for all Americans.”

Republican critics of the move are urging the administration to look at other methods to expand the nation’s cattle herds.

Several Republicans, led by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., wrote to Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to lift Biden-era rules and ease federal guardrails to allow for more access to grazing land for cattle.

“The Federal government must remain laser-focused on partnering with the industry and state efforts for ranchers, expand grazing on public and private lands, and improve protein processing capacity,” they wrote in a letter to the top Trump officials on Tuesday.

The hunt is on for the next secretary of the Army after Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to the White House, opening a key leadership vacancy atop the nation’s largest military branch.

Driscoll said Wednesday will be his “last full day” serving as Army secretary, adding that serving in the role under President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been “the honor of a lifetime.”

The next Army secretary will inherit a service undergoing a major transformation, with questions over readiness and the Army’s role as the conflict with Iran continues.

ARMY CUTS HELICOPTERS, PUSHES ‘AMAZON FOR WAR’ AS DRONE COMBAT RESHAPES MILITARY

Army Undersecretary Mike Obadal could serve as acting secretary once Driscoll’s departure is finalized. A former special operations officer and defense industry executive, Obadal has also taken on a more public-facing role, including speaking at conferences.

In the Trump administration, deputy officials have repeatedly stepped into top leadership roles after resignations or firings— including then-Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao becoming acting Navy secretary after John Phelan’s departure this year.

Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman and a senior adviser to Hegseth, has emerged as one potential candidate, according to sources.

PENTAGON FIRES BACK AFTER MARK KELLY ACCUSES PETE HEGSETH OF TARGETING WOMEN AND BLACK MILITARY OFFICERS

“A lot of people inside [Office of the Secretary of War] want to see Sean Parnell become the next Secretary of the Army because they’ve worked alongside him and know what he brings to the table,” a senior administration official told Fox News Digital.

Parnell, who serves as assistant to the secretary of War for Public Affairs, is a former United States Army captain whose platoon killed over 350 enemy fighters at the height of the Afghan War.

He unsuccessfully ran for the House in 2020 before launching a 2021 campaign for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat, earning Trump’s endorsement. He later suspended his campaign amid domestic abuse allegations from his ex-wife, Laurie Snell, which he denied.

HEGSETH TURNS TABLES ON DEMS AS SPARKS FLY DURING HEARING CLASH: ‘I PUT THIS ON YOU’

The senior administration official said Parnell understands the Pentagon and the problems inside from military experience paired with his work at the highest levels of the institution.

“He also understands the importance of working alongside General LeNeve, who has been carrying an enormous load to keep the Army moving, and giving the Army Staff the leadership and support they need to get it back on track,” the official said, referring to the acting Army chief of staff.

A senior Pentagon official told Fox News Digital Parnell has “proven time and time again” that he is loyal to the president, citing that Parnell was present at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was shot.

After the president was removed from the rally, Parnell stayed behind to help others get out, the senior Pentagon official said. Parnell returned with Trump to Butler three months after the assassination attempt.

“Their relationship goes back many, many, years at this point, and it’s not just with the president. It’s also very senior members of the White House that are with the President every single day,” said the senior Pentagon official.

REPUBLICANS DEFY JOHNSON TO ADVANCE DEMOCRAT-BACKED UKRAINE AID

A third senior administration official told Fox News Digital that “Sean Parnell is 100% focused on the job he was appointed to by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth.”

Florida Rep. Brian Mast may also be under consideration, a source with knowledge told Fox News Digital. The Trump-endorsed candidate serves as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and previously served in the Army for 12 years.

Driscoll’s exit comes after reportedly butting heads with Hegseth over concerns with the administration about the Army’s transformation and readiness, including his belief that Hegseth had hindered those efforts, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Parnell defended Hegseth’s leadership and said the department remains united behind his vision.

“Secretary Hegseth has been a transformative leader for the Department of War and, at President Trump’s direction, has ushered in a new era of Peace Through Strength. Standards and merit are back, our arsenal is stronger than ever before, and morale and recruitment across every service are at all-time highs,” Parnell told Fox News Digital. “Secretary Hegseth has slashed bureaucracy, unleashed innovation, and delivered for our warfighters every step of the way.”

“The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision and will continue working to put our warfighters and America first,” he added.

Democrats and some Republican lawmakers unloaded on Trump and Hegseth over the changes in the Department of War.

North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Hegseth is “creating a leadership void at the top of our military ranks” while ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed of Rhode Island said, “Hegseth is cultivating a culture where dissent is punished and competence is secondary to personal allegiance.”

Navy Secretary John Phelan was ousted in April after reportedly clashing with Hegseth over shipbuilding and management.

FIRST ON FOX: TRUMP TO OPEN DIRECT LINE WITH MILITARY FAMILIES IN GROUND-UP READINESS PUSH

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The White House directed Fox News Digital to DOW when asked for comment.

Fox News Digital reached out to Parnell, Mast, the Army and DOW for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: The nationwide battle over how and when Americans can vote has hit Capitol Hill, with two allies of President Donald Trump unveiling a new proposal they say will help restore confidence in U.S. elections.

Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., plans to introduce legislation on Thursday mandating that absentee and mail-in ballots are received by the relevant officials by the end of the day on Election Day. A corresponding bill is being led in the Senate by Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla.

“This is something that we’ve done in Florida for many years, and it’s a really effective way of making sure that elections stay organized and that we have timely election results,” Lee told Fox News Digital.

SUPREME COURT RULES ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER ELECTION DAY

Lee is Florida’s former top elections official, having served as its secretary of state from 2019 until May 2022.

“Florida is proof-positive that this works, that it does not deny any voter the right to vote. Our job as elected officials or as elections officials throughout the states is just to make sure that voters know the deadlines, that they know the rules and tell them your ballot has to be received,” Lee said. “They can do that just as easy as they can get it postmarked by Election Day.”

TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS

It follows an executive order Trump issued in March 2025 essentially setting an Election Day deadline for when mail-in ballots can be received.

If passed, the legislation could have a significant impact on millions of Americans, nearly a third of whom vote by mail.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM RESTRICTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

However, the topic of mail-in ballots has been a political lightning rod that’s divided the GOP. Republicans in states where voting by mail is popular have expressed concern about changing the current system ahead of November.

But Lee argued her bill does not curb people’s ability to vote by mail.

REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP’S TOP ELECTION PRIORITY ‘DEAD’ IN SENATE AS GOP FRACTURES AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

“One thing that’s important to understand about this bill is that it doesn’t limit voting by mail. It simply says that for states who allow mail voting, ballots must be received by Election Day,” she said. “So it still keeps all of those options that states have chosen to implement on the table for them. It just creates a different deadline.”

Meanwhile, a separate Trump order making significant changes to the mail-in voting system is currently at the center of a dramatic legal battle between the White House and over 20 states.

That order would create new hurdles for the U.S. Postal Service and other agencies to verify proof of citizenship before delivering ballots, as well as mandate the use of specific stationery denoting federal election mail.

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Supporters of the rule have argued it’s key to enhancing voter confidence in elections, while opponents have said it would do the opposite by sowing chaos in the current system.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, had a sly way of addressing reports that Troy Jackson, her Democratic opponent, fathered two children with his second cousin.

“Well, I’m not going to bring up the fact that the mother of his two children is his second cousin,” Collins told a Politico reporter when asked if Jackson’s personal life would be fair game on the campaign trail. “I don’t know whether people know that or not.”

“But you just mentioned it,” the reporter shot back.

The clip quickly spread across social media as conservatives praised Collins for her political savvy.

TOP DEM OPERATIVE BRUSHES OFF LATEST SCANDAL PLAGUING MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE AS ‘SALACIOUS GOSSIP’

Republican political operative Jesse Hunt reacted to a clip of the interview by calling Collins a “silent killer.”

“A less-than-2-minute precis of how Susan Collins is as stone-cold a political combatant as the Senate has ever seen,” Politico editor Mike DeBonis wrote on X.

National Rifle Association public affairs director and Maine native Justin Davis responded to the clip by predicting that “the upcoming debates are going to be gold.” NOTUS reporter Igor Bobic, meanwhile, said that Collins used a “Trump tactic” by bringing up a subject while pretending not to mention it.

“Count Collins out (like everyone did in ‘20) at your own peril,” Targeted Victory CCO Matt Gorman posted on X.

“Susan Collins from the top rope on Troy Jackson,” GOP communicator Steve Guest posted on X.

Reports about Jackson’s relationship with his second cousin first surfaced in July, when The Maine Wire reported that Jackson and his longtime partner share the same great-grandparents.

MAINE DEMOCRATS CROWN TROY JACKSON AS PLATNER REPLACEMENT AS FRESH SCRUTINY CLOUDS SENATE RESET

“It’s truly hysterical how Democrats can’t seem to find one normal dude to run for office,” conservative commentator Greg Price posted on X, alluding to the fact that Jackson replaced Graham Platner on the ballot in Maine after he terminated his campaign amid a rape allegation.

Other aspects of Jackson’s personal life have come to the forefront of his Senate campaign, including a 1988 police report which claims he assaulted a man at a bar. The report also states that his partner accused him of pushing her around.

Jackson does not dispute that he attacked another man, but strongly denies laying a hand on his partner, who has said she does not recall giving a statement to that effect to the police.

When asked about the police report in August, Collins told Fox News Digital that “he’s the one that needs to respond to the reports. I’m not going to comment on them. But I will say that based on widespread reporting it appears that he struggles to control his temper … From my perspective, it seems that vetting is very important. We learned the failure of vetting with Graham Platner. But that’s really up to the Democrats.”

EMBATTLED MAINE DEMOCRAT DEADLOCKED WITH COLLINS DESPITE CONTROVERSIES IN KEY SENATE RACE, NEW POLL SHOWS

During her interview with Politico, Collins denied that Jackson would necessarily be an easier opponent than Platner, pointing out that the former has a long political record that he can be criticized over — something that Platner lacked as a political outsider.

Jackson has framed the GOP focus on his personal life as a distraction from the issues Mainers actually care about.

“Susan Collins will do anything to distract from the fact that she votes with Trump 96% of the time and has sold out working people in Maine,” his campaign previously told Fox News Digital. “Personal attacks on Troy’s family are shameful and desperate.”

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The Jackson campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

With a slew of polls showing that most Americans oppose the construction in their communities of new data centers to power AI, a growing number of Republicans running in this year’s elections are putting daylight between themselves and President Donald Trump.

Trump, a strong proponent of data center development, took to social media Monday to argue that if communities “want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign.”

But with GOP strategists warning that data centers have become politically radioactive, some Republicans on the midterm ballot are reversing course, which is a stark shift in a party that previously had fully embraced the burgeoning AI industry.

Seventy percent of voters questioned in a recent Fox News poll said they wanted to hit the brakes on building data centers in their area to support artificial intelligence, with only 30% in favor. Only 40% of Republicans, and 46% of MAGA Republicans supported new data center construction.

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Fueling the opposition are concerns over rising electricity costs and energy and water consumption.

“I think we need to take a pause, probably, and make sure that we’re answering all the questions that people have on them,” former Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP Senate nominee in battleground Michigan, said two weeks ago when asked about data center construction.

Rogers, who previously welcomed data center expansion in Michigan, later outlined a one-year moratorium, arguing that “Michigan needs stronger guardrails to protect community control, prevent utility price hikes, protect our water, and stop pay-to-play schemes.”

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He’s far from alone.

In Ohio’s crucial Senate race between appointed GOP Sen. Jon Husted and his Democratic challenger, former longtime Sen. Sherrod Brown, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) warned that the issue could help the Democrats flip the seat. Brown and allied groups have shelled out millions of dollars to run ads calling Husted “the face of data centers in Ohio.”

“More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted’s neck,” the NRSC memo emphasized.

Husted has introduced a Senate bill to stop average Americans from paying for data center energy costs.

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The political pushback stretches well beyond Michigan and Ohio.

Texas Attorney General and U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton last month unveiled a four-point plan to curb rapid data center growth and address public concerns over resource strain.  

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican running for a fourth term steering the Lone Star State, halted new data center connections to the state’s power grid pending a comprehensive regulatory audit.

Ohio Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy pledged to issue a first-day-in-office executive order halting approval of all new data center projects until his proposed safeguards are enacted.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, the GOP nominee for governor in swing state Wisconsin, has highlighted that he opposes new data centers unless strict conditions are met. Tiffany has made data centers a centerpiece of his gubernatorial campaign, slamming his Democratic rival, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, as “Data Center David Crowley.”

Pennsylvania Treasurer and Republican gubernatorial nominee Stacy Garrity has called for a temporary pause on new and uncontracted major data center developments in her battleground state.

Other Republicans are stopping short of moratoriums. Rep. Byron Donalds, the GOP gubernatorial nominee who opposes bans or moratoriums and whose primary campaign received significant backing from the AI industry, introduced legislation this summer that would require large AI data centers to generate their own power and water rather than draw from public utilities.

COOL YOUR SERVERS: CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL ON AI DATA CENTERS

Trump is standing firm.

The president recently called Abbott’s decision to pump the brakes on data center development a “mistake.”

And Trump, on Monday said, “If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame.”

The president, who has made data centers a key ingredient in winning the AI race with China, argued: “China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement.”

But Trump, at least for now, seems to be giving Republicans some wiggle room.

“If a Republican’s against a data center, that’s OK with me,” Trump said.

Veteran Republican strategist Matt Gorman told Fox News Digital that “Trump is smartly taking the long view of this.”

Gorman said “Republicans on the ballot this year are being responsive to the very real concerns people have,” adding that “these companies and their champions have to do more to make the case.”

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

The AI industry is responding to the political backlash.

Build American AI, an industry-aligned group powered by top AI leaders, this week launched a multi-million-dollar public engagement campaign to build support for “clear, strong, and commonsense policies governing the development of the data centers and energy infrastructure.”

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It highlighted that the “policies should protect residential ratepayers, safeguard the environment and water resources, require developers to pay their fair share, and preserve the right of every community to decide whether it wants to welcome data center investment.”

“We can protect ratepayers, safeguard our natural resources, respect the right of communities to decide whether they want to welcome this investment, and still build the infrastructure America needs to lead the world in artificial intelligence,” Build American AI added.

The Justice Department warned states they could lose billions of dollars in welfare funding if they do not report known illegal migrants to the federal government, according to a legal opinion released Wednesday.

The DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel said tates participating in two key welfare programs must require all state agencies to report individuals known to be unlawfully present to the Department of Homeland Security, a significant shift that the administration says will help enforce President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The opinion reverses a 1998 Office of Legal Counsel interpretation that limited the reporting requirement to agencies administering the programs.

Previously, only the state agencies that administered the funding for the welfare programs were required to report illegal migrants, while other state agencies that might be aware of these individuals, including colleges and departments of motor vehicles, were not subject to this mandate.

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“Failure to comply may lead to serious consequences, including loss of program funding,” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Craddock said in a statement.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has taken an aggressive approach targeting both illegal and legal immigration.

The president’s crackdown on illegal immigration has included deploying federal agents into cities across the country to conduct raids on migrant communities and increasingly partnering with state and local law enforcement and outside companies to locate suspected illegal migrants.

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The administration has repeatedly attempted to pressure Democrat-led states that have refused cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, including by threatening federal funding.

The shift could face legal challenges. Democrat-led states have already sued to block DHS from collecting personal details of people receiving funds under one of the programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Courts have also limited some administration efforts to require the sharing of information on migrants with DHS. But in some cases, judges allowed federal immigration authorities to collect certain information, including Medicaid data.

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All 50 states and Washington, D.C., participate in the reporting requirements tied to the two programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Security Income.

Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grants exceed $16.5 billion annually, and Supplemental Security Income federal benefits exceed $60 billion annually.

Illegal migrants are not eligible for either program.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The Pentagon on Wednesday issued clinical guidelines establishing a new mandatory testosterone deficiency screening policy for active-duty and reserve service members ages 30 and up.

This comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in July that he was authorizing the screening program for troops to ensure “you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best.”

“Taking care of your long-term health means ensuring you remain strong, resilient and capable — not just for your next deployment, but for the rest of your life, so you can thrive long after you take off the uniform,” he said at the time.

THE REAL REASON BEHIND HEGSETH’S VIRAL MILITARY TESTOSTERONE SCREENING ORDER

According to the new guidance, which is effective immediately, men ages 30 and older will undergo mandatory testosterone blood tests, while younger men will be tested only if requested or if clinicians identify warning signs.

Men found to have low testosterone levels may undergo further evaluation and, if clinically appropriate, may be offered voluntary hormone replacement therapy.

Levels of testosterone naturally increase during puberty. The hormone helps boys develop muscle strength and body hair as well as make sperm. Between ages 30 and 40, testosterone levels in men naturally start to decline.

Women will not be required to take routine testosterone blood tests under the new guidance, but they will be subject to screening for fatigue and disrupted menstrual cycles that can be associated with hormonal dysregulation and conditions called low-energy availability and relative energy deficiency in sport.

Guidelines were put into place for when it is appropriate to prescribe off-label testosterone in women, particularly for postmenopausal women with unusually low sexual desire.

Testosterone use for non-medical purposes, including performance enhancement without a doctor’s prescription, remains prohibited in the military.

ARMY UNVEILS COMBAT FIELD TEST WITH NEW FITNESS ASSESSMENT: ‘A CRITICAL STEP FORWARD’

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The Pentagon said the standardized screening and treatment pathways for men and women seek to boost military readiness by identifying and managing hormonal and energy-availability issues.

Some endocrinologists and other medical experts have raised concerns that broad testosterone testing could lead to unnecessary or potentially harmful treatment, saying there is a lack of evidence to support the claim that universal screening for low testosterone among service members would improve military readiness.

The Food and Drug Administration intends to hold a meeting later this month with experts to discuss the medical use of testosterone.

Reuters contributed to this report.