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Year: 2025

Here’s when 2025 Election Day early in-person voting comes to a close across the US

Here’s when 2025 Election Day early in-person voting comes to a close across the US

Election season is in full-swing, with only days left before races in 2025’s quiet election cycle are called.  Fox News Digital compiled key deadlines for early in-person voting as it comes to a close.  The 2025 election season is mild compared to the whirlwind federal election cycle of 2024, but will feature major races, including statewide elections for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, and New York City’s high-profile mayoral election, the ballot proposition over congressional redistricting in California, and three state Supreme Court contests in Pennsylvania. VOTING UNDERWAY IN 2025 ELECTION THAT MAY DETERMINE IF REPUBLICANS HOLD HOUSE IN 2026 MIDTERMS The races have seen a handful of political surprises in recent weeks as key races hit hot water — from Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones’s leaked text scandal to controversy over military records in New Jersey’s governor’s race, and backlash against Zohran Mamdani’s left-wing policies as the self-identified Democratic socialist works to secure Gracie Mansion.  Voter enthusiasm is high across the country — and there’s still time for people to cast their ballots early. New Jersey’s in-person early voting began Saturday and will conclude Nov. 2. Early in-person voting is held from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with Sunday hours running from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Appointments are not necessary to vote early.  FIVE RACES TO WATCH WITH 5 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY 2025 Big Apple residents began early in-person voting Saturday and will have until Nov. 2 to cast early in-person votes.  TRUMP’S SHADOW LOOMS LARGE OVER HEATED RACES ONE MONTH BEFORE ELECTION DAY Early in-person voting kicked off in the Old Dominion State Sept. 19 and will run until Nov. 1. All localities in the state offer early voting.  The Golden State is holding a special election in 2025 to decide ballot proposition 50, which would redraw state congressional district maps in response to efforts in Republican states to redraw congressional districts ahead of the midterms. Early in-person voting begins Saturday and will run through Election Day.  Pennsylvanians can vote early and in-person by returning mail ballots to their local election offices until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters must apply for a mail-in ballot by Tuesday or vote on Election Day. 

DHS to soon deport Abrego Garcia to African nation after illegal alien’s return from El Salvador, filing says

DHS to soon deport Abrego Garcia to African nation after illegal alien’s return from El Salvador, filing says

The Trump administration said it could soon deport Salvadoran illegal immigrant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the African nation of Liberia after reaching an agreement with that country, according to a Department of Homeland Security filing Friday. The court filing said that Abrego Garcia could be sent to the West African nation as soon as Oct. 31 to fulfill a standing deportation order against him. Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March despite a 2019 protection finding and a court order barring his removal to his home country. His case has become a focal point in the clash between Trump’s hardline deportation agenda and Democratic efforts to block removals. ABREGO GARCIA RELEASED FROM JAIL, WILL RETURN TO MARYLAND TO AWAIT TRIAL The filing noted that Abrego Garcia’s attorneys cited more than 20 countries he allegedly fears would prosecute or torture him if he were removed there and that Liberia is not on that list. “Liberia is a thriving democracy and one of the United States’s closest partners on the African continent,” the filing said. The filing said the country’s national language is English, its constitution “provides robust protections for human rights,” and Liberia is “committed to the humane treatment of refugees.” DHS said in the filing that it has received diplomatic assurances from Liberia about the humane treatment of people removed there. Attorneys for Abrego Garcia blasted the administration’s latest move as political retribution, arguing the latest deportation plan is part of a pattern of punitive deportation tactics. “After failed attempts with Uganda, Eswatini, and Ghana, ICE now seeks to deport our client, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, to Liberia, a country with which he has no connection, thousands of miles from his family and home in Maryland,” attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. ABREGO GARCIA RENEWS PUSH FOR ASYLUM IN US, REVEALS NEW COUNTRY WILLING TO ACCEPT HIM “Costa Rica stands ready to accept him as a refugee, a viable and lawful option,” the lawyer added. “Yet the government has chosen a course calculated to inflict maximum hardship. These actions are punitive, cruel and unconstitutional.” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a staunch supporter of Abrego Garcia, condemned the latest filing on Friday. Van Hollen flew to El Salvador in April in a publicized visit to meet Abrego Garcia in prison and has led the effort to get him released. “The Trump Administration has been desperately shopping for faraway countries they can ship Kilmar Abrego Garcia to in order to deny his constitutional due process right to defend himself against the charges they have brought,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “Clearly, Trump’s cronies want to avoid answering for the claim that they are engaged in a vindictive prosecution against Abrego Garcia, after a federal judge concluded earlier this month that his prosecution ‘may stem from retaliation by the DOJ and DHS due to Abrego’s successful challenge of his unlawful deportation in Maryland.’ Kilmar must be allowed his day in court to fight for his rights,” the senator said. Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was issued a deportation order in 2019. Two previous judges found he was likely affiliated with MS-13. Trump administration officials acknowledged in court that his deportation had been an administrative error, although some top Trump officials said he was correctly removed and contended he’s a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. READ THE FILING. APP USERS CLICK HERE One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang. The latest move to deport him comes as Abrego Garcia remains in immigration detention in Pennsylvania. A federal judge in Maryland previously barred his immediate deportation while reviewing claims that the government is retaliating against him for successfully challenging his wrongful removal earlier this year. The same judge wrote in an October order that his prosecution “may stem from retaliation by the DOJ and DHS,” while a separate case in Tennessee over human smuggling charges is still pending. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dems pressed on why they are using working families as ‘leverage’ amid shutdown

Dems pressed on why they are using working families as ‘leverage’ amid shutdown

When pressed on why Democrats are using working-class Americans as “leverage” amid the ongoing government shutdown, several Democratic senators offered varying responses — but only one rejected the premise that their party is holding Americans hostage. “It’s the only lever we have,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., responded when asked about the matter. “We’re doing this because we’re hearing from so many families concerned about their healthcare,” said Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J. “We’re doing this because we’re hearing from them and wanting to address that.” Kim also blamed President Donald Trump and his allies, arguing that “this administration has been unwilling to actually negotiate.” DEMOCRATS REFUSE TO BUDGE OVER OBAMACARE FIGHT AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON “Schumer and Jefferies have asked yet again to talk to Trump before Trump goes on an international trip,” Kim lamented. “When we have all this problem here at home, for the amount of money that Donald Trump has organized to send over to Argentina, we could have funded the ACA subsidies for another year.” Republicans counter that Democrats are the ones refusing to negotiate, noting the Obamacare subsidies at issue don’t expire until year’s end and can be debated once the government reopens. “The way I see it, 2024 was about one issue above and beyond all else, and that was about lowering costs,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. TOP REPUBLICAN SLAMS KATHERINE CLARK FOR ADMITTING SUFFERING FAMILIES ARE ‘LEVERAGE’ IN SHUTDOWN BATTLE  But, it was swing-state Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., who objected to the framing of the question, telling Fox News Digital that “this isn’t a political game.” “I would never say – I’m not going to describe the lives of millions of Americans as a euphemism, as ‘leverage,’” Fetterman shot back in response to the question. “This isn’t a political game. I’m not checking about how it’s polling or who’s going to blink. Millions of Pennsylvanians are going to lose their SNAP benefits and I think we should have them both at the same time.” Fetterman, appearing to side with an argument coming from the GOP that the Obamacare subsidies can be negotiated after the government reopens, said he believes there can be “an honest conversation” between Republicans and Democrats once the government gets to a place where it can turn the lights back on.  “I think plenty of [Republicans] are going to want this too – have that conversation – open up this government because that’s not leverage, this is a fail,” Fetterman said.

Trump says he’s ‘open’ to meeting with Kim Jong Un during Asia trip, North Korea is ‘sort of a nuclear power’

Trump says he’s ‘open’ to meeting with Kim Jong Un during Asia trip, North Korea is ‘sort of a nuclear power’

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he is “open” to meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) while he is in South Korea during his trip to Asia. “I’d be open to it, 100%. I got along very well with him, Kim Jong Un,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “They don’t have a lot of telephone service,” the president said. “They have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of telephone service.”  Trump, who departed for Asia on Friday night, told reporters that they could “put out the word” that he was willing to meet the dictator. The president also responded to a question about recognizing North Korea as a nuclear power.  TRUMP AND KIM JONG UN SHOULD MAKE ‘BOLD DECISION’ TO MEET DURING HIS ASIA TRIP, SOUTH KOREAN OFFICIAL SAYS “I think they are sort of a nuclear power,” Trump said. “I mean, I know how many weapons they have. I know everything about them and I have a very good relationship with Kim Jung Un. When you say they have to be recognized as a nuclear power, well, they’ve got a lot of nuclear weapons, I’ll say that.” South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young urged Trump and Kim to “make a bold decision,” according to Reuters, which reported he made the remark to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. A White House official noted Friday that Trump and the North Korean leader met during his first term in office. “President Trump in his first term, held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un that stabilized the Korean Peninsula,” the official said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “U.S. policy on North Korea has not changed. President Trump remains open to talking with Kim Jong Un, but such a meeting is not currently on the schedule for this trip.” Earlier this month, a White House official told Fox News Digital that, “President Trump remains open to talking with Kim Jong Un, without any preconditions.” “President Trump in his first term held three historic summits with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un that stabilized the Korean Peninsula. U.S. policy on North Korea has not changed,” the official added. NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES BALLISTIC MISSILES DAYS BEFORE TRUMP’S VISIT TO THE PENINSULA The week-long trip includes stops in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea. Additionally, the White House said that Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. In 2018, during his first term, Trump and Kim met in what was the first ever U.S.-North Korea summit. The meeting took place in Singapore. A joint statement at the time said that the two leaders “conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions on the issues related to the establishment of new U.S.-DPRK relations.” A summit between Kim and Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019 ended without the two reaching a deal. One year later, in June 2019, Trump met Kim again, this time in the DMZ, making him the first sitting U.S. leader to set foot in North Korea. He took 20 steps into North Korean territory during the visit where he shook hands with Kim. When speaking to reporters in 2019, Trump said he and Kim agreed to revive talks on North Korea’s nuclear program. He said he was not aiming to make a deal fast, but rather to “get it right.”

AG James’s ‘horrible judgement’ backing Mamdani puts New Yorkers in ‘jeopardy’: GOP challenger

AG James’s ‘horrible judgement’ backing Mamdani puts New Yorkers in ‘jeopardy’: GOP challenger

The Republican running against New York Democratic attorney general Letitia James took aim at her relationship with socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in an interview with Fox News Digital, arguing that it puts New York voters in jeopardy. “That association is not a surprise, because when she first ran for the New York City Council in New York City, she ran on the Working Family Party line because the Democrat party wouldn’t endorse her, she’s been a supporter of cashless her whole political career,” Michael Henry told Fox News Digital about James’s endorsement and association with Mamdani.  James spoke at a rally in front of Mamdani supporters earlier this month, telling the roughly 3,000 people in the crowd after she was indicted for mortgage fraud, “You come for me? You gonna come to all of us!”  Henry told Fox News Digital that James’s closeness to Mamdani, who has been labeled a communist by many, shows she’s “out of touch” and suggests that will be a “problem” for her long term. KNICKS SEND CEASE-AND-DESIST TO MAMDANI OVER LOGO USE, SAY THEY ‘WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR’ THEY DON’T ENDORSE HIM “She introduced him on election night, she says it’s her brother, she owns him and, you know something she’s jeopardizing the people of state of New York because, forget about the fact the kids an anti-semite and a communist he’s never had a job he’s never showed up five days a week to a real job, I will tell you, when there’s a blizzard, you’ve got to get the sanitation trucks out, when there is a structural collapse, there’s serious fire, there is civil unrest and the police are dealing with an uprising, maybe with rioters or some kind of confrontation, does anybody think this kid and his practice smile and his word salad is going to be able to handle those situations?” Henry said. “He’s not a serious person. He’s a failed actor.” CURTIS SLIWA VOWS TO BE ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S ‘WORST NIGHTMARE’ IF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST WINS NYC MAYORAL RACE James, who appeared in federal court on Friday to plead not guilty to mortgage fraud charges, has been a staunch advocate of Mamdani in recent months saying he is “the leader New York City needs” as the socialist candidate appears to hold a commanding lead in the polls to be the city’s next mayor.  “She’s put the people of the state of New York, all New Yorkers, not political affiliations included, all New Yorkers in jeopardy because of her horrible judgment by embracing this kid,” Henry told Fox News Digital. Henry ran unsuccessfully against James in 2020, but his 45% of the vote was one of the best showings for a Republican in the state in decades. Henry told Fox News Digital New Yorkers need an “outsider” candidate who has “no fear of Letitia James at all.” Henry explained, “Look, let’s be honest, she wakes up every day focused on three things: targeting the President of the United States, weaponizing her office against political opponents, and ignoring the issues that matter most to hardworking families.” “And she’s forgotten that the New York state attorney general is the people’s lawyer, and it’s not the enforcer for the Democrat National Committee.”

America’s ‘BAT’ man unveils tech built to outsmart a Chinese first strike

America’s ‘BAT’ man unveils tech built to outsmart a Chinese first strike

Analysts say China has developed a chilling strategy for fighting a war with the United States: destroy America’s fighter jets before they ever leave the ground. In nearly every modern conflict, disabling enemy aircraft on the ground has been the first move. When Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites earlier this year, it began by destroying Iranian runways — grounding Tehran’s air force before it could take off. Russia and Ukraine have done the same throughout their ongoing war, targeting airfields to cripple enemy aircraft. And when India clashed with Pakistan, the opening salvos hit Pakistani air bases. Beijing has taken that lesson to heart. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has spent years building an arsenal of long-range precision missiles — including “carrier killers” like the DF-21D and DF-26 — capable of destroying U.S. aircraft carriers and striking American airfields across the Pacific. The goal: keep U.S. air power out of range before it can even launch. ISRAEL TO DEPLOY FIRST COMBAT-READY LASER WEAPON SYSTEM FOR OPERATIONAL AIR DEFENSE Now, a U.S. defense technology firm says it has built a way to fight back. Shield AI, based in San Diego, has unveiled a new AI-piloted fighter jet designed to operate without runways, without GPS, and without constant communication links — an aircraft that can think, fly, and fight on its own. Shield AI says the jet, called X-BAT, can take off vertically, reach 50,000 feet, fly more than 2,000 nautical miles, and execute strike or air defense missions using an onboard autonomy system known as Hivemind. It’s designed to operate from ships, small islands, or improvised sites — places where traditional jets can’t. The aircraft’s dash speed remains classified. “China has built this anti-access aerial denial bubble that holds our runways at risk,” said Armor Harris, Shield AI’s senior vice president of aircraft engineering, in an interview with Fox News. “They’ve basically said, ‘We’re not going to compete stealth-on-stealth in the air — we’ll target your aircraft before they even get off the ground.’” The jet launches vertically, and three X-BATs can fit in the space of one legacy fighter or helicopter. According to Harris, the U.S. has spent decades perfecting stealth and survivability in the air while leaving its forces vulnerable on the ground. “The way to solve that problem is mobility,” he said. “You’re always moving around. This is the only VTOL fighter being built today.” X-BAT’s Hivemind autonomy allows it to operate in denied or jammed environments, where traditional aircraft would be blind. The system uses onboard sensors to interpret its surroundings, reroute around threats, and identify targets in real time. “It’s reading and reacting to the situation around it,” Harris said. “It’s not flying a pre-programmed route. If new threats appear, it can reroute itself or identify targets and then ask a human for permission to engage.” That human element, he emphasized, remains essential. “It’s very important to us that a human is always involved in making the use of lethal force decision,” Harris said. “That doesn’t mean the person has to be in the cockpit — it could be remote or delegated through tasking — but there will always be a human decision-maker.” Shield AI says X-BAT will be combat-ready by 2029 and is designed to deliver fifth- or sixth-generation performance at a small fraction of the cost of manned fighters. The aircraft’s compact footprint allows up to three X-BATs to fit in the deck space of a single legacy fighter or helicopter, giving commanders more flexibility in launching sorties from limited space. AMERICA’S NEW STEALTH B-21 RAIDER TAKES NEXT STEP WITH SECOND BOMBER’S FIRST FLIGHT While Shield AI isn’t disclosing specific numbers, the company says X-BAT is priced in the same range as the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, the next generation of autonomous wingmen meant to fly alongside — and eventually ahead of — manned fighters. Costs vary depending on mission systems and configurations, but the company’s goal is to scale production to keep the jet affordable and sustainable throughout its lifecycle, breaking what it calls the traditional “fighter cost curve.” The company estimates the aircraft will deliver about a tenfold improvement in cost per effect compared to legacy fifth-generation jets, including the F-35, while remaining “affordable and attritable” enough to be risked in high-end combat. Shield AI is in discussions with both the Air Force and Navy about integrating X-BAT into future combat programs and with several allied militaries exploring joint development opportunities. Harris said the company views X-BAT as part of a generational shift toward distributed airpower — one that mirrors what SpaceX did in space. “Historically, the United States had a small number of extremely capable, extremely expensive satellites,” he said. “Then you had SpaceX come along and put up hundreds of smaller, cheaper ones. The same thing is happening in air power. There’s always going to be a role for manned platforms, but over time, unmanned systems will outnumber them ten-to-one or twenty-to-one.” For Harris, that shift is about restoring deterrence through flexibility. “X-BAT presents an asymmetric dilemma to an adversary like China,” he said. “They don’t know where it’s coming from, and the cost of countering it is high. It’s an important part of a broader joint force that becomes significantly more lethal.

Ethanol and Petrol: Mix that’s reshaping India’s energy future

Ethanol and Petrol: Mix that’s reshaping India’s energy future

India has achieved 20% ethanol blending in petrol, and it has done so five years ahead of schedule. This means that every litre of petrol you buy today contains 200 ml of ethanol-an alcohol made from crops like sugarcane, corn, and even rice-and 800 ml of regular petrol.