Erika Kirk shows TPUSA staff Charlie’s Medal of Freedom: ‘You guys are all part of the legacy’
A video shared on X shows Erika Kirk at the Turning Point USA office surrounded by staff members, proudly showing them the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to her late husband, Charlie Kirk. In the clip posted by Mikey McCoy, Charlie Kirk’s former chief of staff, Erika speaks movingly to the assembled team. CHARLIE KIRK’S COLLEAGUES AND PASTORS PRAISE HIS PATRIOTISM AS TRUMP READIES HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR In the clip, she can be heard saying, “I wanted you guys all to see the Medal of Freedom and be able to look at it and the back of it.” “You guys are all part of the legacy. Thank you,” she says warmly. ERIKA KIRK HONORS LATE HUSBAND CHARLIE IN EMOTIONAL WHITE HOUSE TRIBUTE: ‘A FREE MAN MADE FULLY FREE’ The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the U.S. It was awarded posthumously to Charlie Kirk by President Donald Trump on Oct. 14, 2025, a date that would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday. CHARLIE KIRK POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED MEDAL OF FREEDOM ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS 32ND BIRTHDAY Erika accepted the award on her husband’s behalf at a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House. She also delivered remarks highlighting her husband’s beliefs and sacrifice. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley State University in Orem, Utah. Following her husband’s death, Erika was unanimously appointed CEO and chair of Turning Point USA’s board.
NYC schools sue Education Department over nearly $50M in grant cuts due to transgender policies
New York City Public Schools filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday over its move to cut $47 million in promised grants in response to the schools’ policies regarding transgender students. The lawsuit seeks to reverse the move to pull the grants. City officials said the federal agency stripped funding without the required notice or hearing after it concluded that school policies allowing transgender students to participate on sports teams and use bathrooms matching their gender identity rather than biological sex violate Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. Last month, the Department of Education gave New York City Public Schools a Sept. 23 deadline to amend the policies or lose funding for 19 specialty magnet schools. DENVER SCHOOL’S ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS VIOLATE TITLE IX, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FINDS Under the policies, “male students who identify as female or transgender are given unqualified access to female intimate spaces,” Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the agency, said in a letter. Several other school districts, including in Chicago and Fairfax County, Virginia, received similar letters. New York City school officials affirm that they are fully compliant with Title IX and that the federal department’s “novel interpretation” contradicts state and city laws against sex-based discrimination. “U.S. DOE’s threat to cut off tens of millions of dollars in magnet funding unless we canceled our protections for transgender and gender-expansive students is contrary to federal, state and local law and, just as importantly, our values as New York City Public Schools,” Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said in a news release. An Education Department spokesperson said the agency “sees no merit in this lawsuit.” The spokesperson added that the magnet school grant program “requires certification of civil rights compliance, which we could obviously not do in the face of NYC’s continued determination to violate the rights of female students under Title IX.” Under the Trump administration, federal officials have sought to target school districts for policies allowing students to use bathrooms or participate on sports teams that correspond with their gender identity. Additionally, New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa ordered a school district in the New York City suburbs this week to temporarily abandon its new bathroom restrictions for transgender students. TRUMP ADMIN PUSHES CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO ABOLISH ‘BLACK STUDENT SUCCESS PLAN’ The Massapequa School District enacted a policy last month prohibiting transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities rather than biological sex. The district said after the commissioner’s order that it will continue to offer a gender-neutral locker room and bathroom option to “any student who will be more comfortable using such a space.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
National Guard not welcome: NYC mayoral candidates come out strong against troop deployments
President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to major American cities loomed large over Thursday night’s New York City mayoral debate. During Thursday night’s debate, the candidates, Democrat Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, were asked about the “threat hanging over the city” of National Guard troops being sent to New York City. All three candidates indicated they would oppose troops being sent to the city. “If the president ordered troops to hit the streets of New York now, how would you respond?” a moderator asked. “We do not need the National Guard here in New York City,” Mamdani answered. ZOHRAN MAMDANI LAUNCHES ANTI-TRUMP TOUR ACROSS FIVE BOROUGHS IN NEW YORK CITY “If it was safety that President Trump was so concerned about, he would send them to the eight out of ten states that have the highest levels of crime in this country. But he won’t because they’re all run by Republicans,” he asserted. “What New Yorkers need is a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver on that safety,” he added. “When Donald Trump sent ICE agents on people in Los Angeles, Andrew Cuomo said that New Yorkers need not overreact. That is the furthest answer that New Yorkers are looking for. They are looking for someone who will lead, someone who will say that they will have their back, someone who will actually fight for the people of this city.” Cuomo said “the answer in the subways is not more National Guard. … More NYPD is the answer.” ZOHRAN MAMDANI LEVELS COUNTERPROPOSAL AFTER CUOMO CHALLENGES HIM TO DEBATES IN ALL 5 NYC BOROUGHS He asserted that Trump is “not sending in the National Guard to do any real function. It’s control. It’s power.” “He’s trying to say these Democrats don’t know how to run these cities, and it’s a political gesture by sending in the National Guard,” he continued, adding that if Mamdani is elected, Trump “will take over New York. Forget the National Guard.” Sliwa similarly said, “There’s no need for the National Guard in New York” adding “there are other cities that could desperately use their help in dealing with their crime crisis.” HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU MISSED FROM ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S FIRST FOX NEWS INTERVIEW Asked for a show of hands on whether there are any circumstances in which they would allow the New York Police Department to cooperate with National Guard troops sent by Trump, not a single candidate raised his hand. With under three weeks until Election Day, Mamdani holds a double-digit lead in the race for the nation’s most populous city, but Cuomo is narrowing the gap, according to the latest public polling. Mamdani stands at 46% support among likely voters in the most recent survey in the race from Quinnipiac University. Cuomo had 33% support in the survey and Sliwa stood at 15% in the poll.
Mamdani flip-flops on key Hamas position one day after refusing to call on it to disarm
Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani appeared to backtrack on his position about Hamas laying down arms in Thursday night’s mayoral debate. “Of course, I believe that they should lay down their arms,” Mamdani said on the debate stage in New York City alongside former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani was responding to a question from a moderator who said his previous answer, made to Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, was “confusing,” after he dodged questions when she asked if he believes Hamas should lay down weapons and leave leadership in Gaza, according to the ceasefire agreement it entered into. “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety,” Mamdani said, reiterating that both Hamas and the Israeli military should abide by international law. ‘ABSOLUTELY A COMMUNIST’: MAMDANI DODGES LABEL, BUT HIS RECORD AND EXPERT SAY OTHERWISE “I’m proud to be one of the first elected officials in the state who called for a ceasefire and calling for a ceasefire means ceasefire,” Mamdani said on the debate stage on Thursday. “That means all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons. And the reason that we call for that is not only for the end of the genocide, but also an unimpeded access of humanitarian aid. I, like many New Yorkers, and I’m hopeful that this ceasefire will hold.” Mamdani said he hopes President Trump’s negotiated ceasefire is “durable” and “just.” MAMDANI BREAKS SILENCE ON FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGES IN STATEMENT THAT DOESN’T MENTION TRUMP Shortly after Mamdani’s response, social media accounts labeled his comments as a “new answer.” In Mamdani’s Fox News interview on Wednesday, he said it was too early to give credit to Trump for the peace agreement. Republican Curtis Sliwa, the only candidate to mention Trump by name in his response to news of the Israeli hostages being released, took issue with that stance on the debate stage. “The president of the United States should have been applauded by you, Zohran Mamdani, and you, Andrew Cuomo,” Sliwa said. Mamdani has been widely criticized in recent months for his positions on Israel, including his hesitancy to definitively condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” “I want to be very clear,” Mamdani said on the debate stage. “The occupation is a reference to international law and the violation of it, which Mr. Cuomo has no regard for since he signed up to be Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal defense team during the course of this genocide.”
FIRST ON FOX: New site exposes NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘radical’ record — in his own words
A conservative policy group is unveiling a new digital archive of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s political record, aiming to highlight what it calls the New York City mayoral candidate’s “radical agenda” through years of public statements, legislation and campaign pledges. The website, mamdanifile.appdc.org, was first shared with Fox News Digital ahead of its planned public release later this week. Developed by the American Principles Project (APP), the archive includes 43 entries spanning 2020 to 2025. APP President Terry Schilling told Fox News Digital the goal is to document Mamdani’s record in his own words. “Zohran Mamdani’s daily barrage of wild ideas, utterly detached from regular Americans, prompted us to launch the Mamdani Tracker to expose his madness,” Schilling said. “His radicalism may get covered up by the complicit left-wing media, but we’re reminding New Yorkers before Election Day of the chaos he’s plotting for NYC — and warning America: This is the Democrats’ agenda at your door. Mamdani’s vision is the Democrat agenda. DNC EMBRACES SOCIALIST MAMDANI AS RESURFACED ANTI-ISRAEL REMARKS RAISE ALARM: ‘BIG TENT PARTY’ “If they take New York, they’re coming for you next. In tight races in New Jersey and Virginia, where they’re pushing Mamdani’s extremism into schools and communities, we’re investing millions to halt this insanity and drive commonsense voters to the polls.” Each entry cites a primary source, such as a campaign statement, bill text or archived video clip with links allowing users to verify context for themselves. Among the site’s entries are Mamdani’s 2020 campaign pledge to guarantee “queer- and trans-inclusive medical care to all — including children — through a single-payer system” and his call to mandate curriculum reviews in K–12 schools to eliminate “transphobia, racism and xenophobia.” “We need to fully decriminalize both the buying and selling of consensual sex,” an essay on Mamdani’s archived campaign site titled “Feminism for All” states. MEET MAMDANI’S RADICAL ADVISORY CIRCLE THAT INCLUDES COMMUNIST ACTIVIST, ANTI-ISRAEL ADVOCATES The archive also highlights legislation Mamdani co-sponsored that would let inmates choose facilities based on gender identity and fund gender-transition procedures for prisoners. It also includes a 2025 quote for the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club Candidate Questionnaire in which he said he would be “proud to host and fund Drag Story Hours.” Each page features video clips, screenshots and original documents, giving the compilation a digital “paper trail” effect that APP says allows voters to see and hear Mamdani directly. The release comes as Mamdani debated Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa in a televised forum Thursday evening. A Fox News Poll also released Thursday found Mamdani maintaining a double-digit lead over both challengers. The American Principles Project says it plans to expand the site before Election Day as part of a broader push in local contests across New York, New Jersey and Virginia, where cultural policy and parental rights have become defining issues. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Jay Jones invokes Trump nearly 50 times during Virginia AG debate, ties Miyares to ‘MAGA’
Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones appeared to come out swinging during a spirited debate at the University of Richmond on Thursday — but more so against the president of the United States than his own Republican opponent, incumbent Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. A tally by Fox News Digital counted 37 references to “Donald Trump” or “Trump” as well as a dozen mentions of “the president” by Jones, whose campaign had been embroiled in dueling scandals between texts envisioning the murder of a former top Republican and the adjudication of his 116-mile-per-hour reckless driving arrest in New Kent, Virginia. When Miyares accused Jones of being a politician more than a prosecutor, the Democrat replied that the Republican says “a lot about prosecuting cases, but he can’t seem to prosecute a case against Donald Trump to save his life.” Miyares did reference a singular 2025 case against the Trump Department of Veterans Affairs over education benefits, which Jones later acknowledged. VIRGINIA DEM JAY JONES’ FATHERHOOD-THEMED POST SPARKS OUTRAGE OVER PAST TEXT WISHING HARM TO REPUBLICAN’S KIDS But Jones continued to slam Trump for “illegally firing” federal workers through DOGE efforts and claimed 350,000 Virginians will lose healthcare because of the president. “As attorney general, I can’t wait to see Donald Trump in court. I will never flinch or back down from him,” Jones pledged. “I relish that fight because this is about us here in Virginia. It’s not about some guy in Washington who’s telling us what to do.” ‘CONSUMED WITH HATE’: WINSOME-SEARS, JASON MIYARES UNLOAD ON DEMOCRAT JAY JONES OVER VIOLENT TEXTS After several Trump name-drops, Miyares appeared to borrow a line from another Republican president — Ronald Reagan — to verbally shake his head at the Democrat’s persistent references. “There he goes again,” Miyares said. “Fifteen times he said the name of the president. Not one time did he say the name of a victim. That tells me he’s a politician, not a prosecutor.” Reagan famously defused a tense 1980 debate with then-President Jimmy Carter by remarking, “There you go again,” after the Georgia Democrat mischaracterized his record on support for Medicare. JAY JONES’ ‘TWO BULLETS’ SCANDAL OVER VIOLENT TEXTS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE VIRGINIA AG DEBATE Later in the debate, Jones again invoked Trump, criticizing Miyares for being too cozy with the White House. “[While] they hang out at MAGA rallies together, I will see Donald Trump in court to hold him accountable for Virginia,” he said. Jones also pointed to Trump’s words of endorsement of Miyares, in which he reportedly said the Republican will never “let us down.” TRUMP, VANCE BLAST DEMOCRATS FOR BACKING VIRGINIA AG CANDIDATE OVER TEXTS FANTASIZING GOP LAWMAKER’S MURDER Jones said that should be translated to show that Miyares works for the administration more than Virginia. “We have a chance to chart a very different future. Donald Trump doesn’t run this commonwealth. Jason Miyares seems to think that that’s who his boss is. He’d rather be Donald Trump’s pro bono attorney than do his job,” Jones claimed. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment. On “The Ingraham Angle” Thursday, former Trump advisor Jason Miller called Jones a “special kind of sick.”
Blue state bureaucracy orders euthanasia of rescued fawn, sparking bipartisan outrage
Michigan state Rep. Angela Rigas joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers Thursday in urging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to block the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from euthanizing two non-releasable animals, a rescued baby deer named Peanut and a coyote named Kota, currently housed at the Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG), a no-kill sanctuary. “These animals are not threats — they are survivors,” Rigas, a Republican, said in a news release. “Peanut and Kota have been cared for by licensed professionals and were intended to serve as education ambassadors. Their lives are now being taken over by arbitrary deadlines and bureaucratic technicalities. “Governor Whitmer must commute the death sentences of these animals.” NEW MAHA INITIATIVE AROUND BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IS UNITING THE GOP WITH SOME UNUSUAL BED FELLOWS The lawmakers’ letter to Whitmer asks the Democrat to direct the DNR to allow permanent educational and sanctuary placements for the animals and to establish a clearer, more humane process for appeals in similar cases. It also urges the state to drop its prosecution of DAWG and issue permits for ongoing care. Under Michigan law, wildlife that cannot survive in the wild must either be transferred to an approved educational facility or euthanized. DAWG, which has held a rehabilitation license since 2014, said it submitted all required paperwork but was told it missed a technical deadline. The sanctuary disputes that claim, saying the animals have been safely housed and inspected for years. The DNR has said the agency ordered euthanasia because DAWG failed to meet a deadline to apply for an educational permit to keep the animals in permanent captivity, The Midwesterner reported. The DNR declined to provide additional comment to Fox News Digital, citing ongoing litigation, but confirmed the matter is before an administrative law judge. In their letter, lawmakers warned the case illustrates how state agencies “can exercise disproportionate authority, often to the detriment of citizens and organizations acting in good faith.” Rigas cited “a lack of transparency, arbitrary deadlines and aggressive enforcement tactics” and called for immediate review of DNR procedures. Rigas accused the DNR of “harassing” DAWG and said it routinely enforces rules unevenly. “They make these regulations on a case-by-case basis — no consistency, no fairness,” Rigas told Fox News Digital. “They’re overfunded, overstaffed, and this is a perfect example of how government overreach hurts good people just trying to do the right thing.” ZOO’S REQUEST FOR DONATIONS OF PETS TO BE FED TO PREDATORY ANIMALS DRAWS PETA BLOWBACK DAWG says Peanut is not blind but does suffer from minor impairments that make her unreleasable, adding Kota’s domesticated behavior makes both animals unfit for release. DAWG stated that Peanut came to its facility for rehabilitation and, after completing treatment, was transferred to a wildlife center as an education ambassador. Kota has been with the nonprofit since 2018, and Peanut was taken in after being deemed non-releasable by veterinarians. “Peanut is a gentle animal who relies on staff for daily care,” DAWG said in a statement. “We have provided all medical documentation and licensing updates required, and we believe the decision to euthanize her is both unnecessary and cruel.” In a Facebook post, “Peanut’s Journey,” DAWG detailed the fawn’s recovery after she was found collapsed and unable to stand. “She came in lateral, on her side, very weak and unable to move,” the post reads. “After warming and getting her glucose up with IV fluids and dextrose, she was treated as a neurologic patient.” Over several weeks, staff documented the tiny deer’s slow progress — lifting her head, learning to stand, then walking on her own. “Every day she became stronger and stronger,” the sanctuary wrote. “She was so small but held her own with the bigger fawns.” HOUSE DOGE LEADER PUSHES TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR ASSAULTS ON POLICE K9S, HORSES AMID ANTI-ICE VIOLENCE The post concludes: “She fought to get this far so we then carried her torch to find her a safe haven to live out her life. She is absolutely precious and deserves every opportunity… However, the Michigan DNR has now ordered her to be killed for absolutely no reason. Please be her voice and help save her life.” Former Republican Michigan gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon also weighed in, telling Fox News Digital, “Whitmer and her band of enforcers are obsessed with malicious obedience to their unreasonable government regulations. Too bad Peanut didn’t illegally cross the border — she’d have free healthcare for life.” Rigas and her colleagues also referenced findings from the Michigan House Committee on the Weaponization of the State Government, which investigated what it calls overreach by state agencies. In that context, they argued, DAWG’s situation is part of a larger pattern of what Rigas called “government overreach” and disregard for “compassion and common sense.” Rigas said she expects the Michigan House Oversight Committee to hold a hearing later this month to review the DNR’s authority. “This isn’t just about one deer,” she said. “It’s about whether unelected bureaucrats get to decide life and death without accountability. “The blood of Peanut and Kota will be on the governor’s hands if she does not act,” Rigas added. “This is not just about wildlife — it’s about compassion, common sense and the proper role of government.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The case echoes last fall’s seizure and killing of P’Nut the squirrel in New York State under Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, which sparked national outrage. Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Dem AG candidate Jay Jones grilled over reckless driving conviction by GOP opponent
Democratic Party candidate for Virginia attorney general Jay Jones was pressed on accountability and asked why voters should trust his judgment following revelations of politically violent rhetoric he made in 2022 about wanting to kill his GOP rival and a reckless driving conviction that he has been accused of trying to skirt his community service requirements for. His GOP opponent, incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares, accused Jones of going 116 miles per hour on Interstate 64 in Virginia in his opening remarks of a debate Thursday night at the University of Richmond. Miyares claimed that the day Jones went to court after getting caught for reckless driving, there were four people, including Jones, who had all been caught driving roughly the same speed. But, Miyares claimed, Jones was the only person not to receive a jail or suspended jail sentence. Miyares also claimed Jones sought to undermine his 1,000-hour community service requirement that was part of his conviction, alleging he completed the service for a political action committee he controlled. JOE SCARBOROUGH TELLS DEM CANDIDATE JAY JONES TO LEAVE RACE OVER VIOLENT COMMENTS AGAINST GOP LAWMAKER “I was held accountable. And, several years ago, I made very grave mistakes, but I was held accountable not just by the people in my party, but the Virginia State Police,” Jones said when asked why Virginia voters should trust his judgment. The reckless driving criticism coincides with criticism about text messages Jones sent to someone about his Republican political rival in 2022. Jones fantasized in the text exchange about putting “two bullets” in the head of then-GOP Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. Jones also fantasized about violence against Gilbert’s children in the text exchange, which has earned him a lot of heat amid the campaign for attorney general. “I’ve taken accountability for my mistakes, and I know that people in Virginia right now demand and deserve leaders who accept when they make mistakes and can acknowledge that and ever been held accountable. This job right now demands someone who will hold Donald Trump accountable,” Jones said when pressed by the debate moderator for a clear answer on why voters should trust his judgment. “For the last nine months, Jason’s had 50 chances to sue the administration, to protect us, to protect our workers, to protect our health care, to protect our K-12 funding, funding for law enforcement. And his office hasn’t done a thing because he’s too weak and too scared to stand up to the president.” WATCH: KAINE DEFENDS JONES AMID AG CANDIDATE’S TEXTS ENVISIONING MURDER OF GOP LEADER: ‘STILL A SUPPORTER’ Miyares pushed back, however. He argued he has “sued both administrations,” meaning the Biden and Trump administrations. Miyares touted his record supporting veterans and their GI benefits in the courts and circled back to comments about how he has been tough on crime to “protect all Virginians.” “Every day I work to make Virginians more safe, more prosperous. That’s been our mission,” Miyares said. “This office is an executive office. If Jay Jones wants to fight the fights in Washington, then he should run for Congress.” Miyares frequently called Jones a “politician” and not a prosecutor throughout the debate. Miyares added that Jones was hurting Virginiains with his soft-on-crime stances, such as voting in favor of an early-release program for felons. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP While lambasting Jones over his policies Thursday night, Miyares noted how one of Jones’ public safety agenda items is to protect children. He used it as an opportunity to drill down on the “two bullets” scandal that has gotten national attention. “How can anybody who’s ever worked in any of the crimes against children — all of the areas of federal and state local law department — how can they ever take you seriously, be the top prosecutor knowing that you view the children should die to advance a political agenda?” Miyares asked. “How can you ever say you want to represent people to think differently than you politically? Now that we know that you want to see violence against those because they have the wrong ideas.”
Shutdown standstill: No headway until there’s ‘incentive,’ politicos lament
We’re two weeks into the government shutdown. There’s no movement by either side. Is President Trump seemingly relishing it? “The Democrats are getting killed on the shutdown because we’re closing up programs that are Democrat programs that we were opposed to,” the president boasted. “They’re never going to come back in many cases. So, we’re being able to do things that we were unable to do before. So, we’re closing up programs that are Democrat programs that we wanted to close up or that we never wanted to happen.” He added that his administration would simultaneously preserve “Republican programs.” As a result, fired feds are fuming. NO. 2 HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS HEALTHCARE DRIVES PARTY’S STRATEGY AS SHUTDOWN HEADS INTO NEXT WEEK “Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!” chanted a group of RIF’d federal workers, egged on by Virginia and Maryland Democrats during a protest at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Trump administration’s scythe slashed the job of Christopher Pumford at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in February. “It’s very hard to find a job in this economy,” said Pumford. “It’s very hard for me to find my next step, especially since I invested a lot of time and money into being specialized in international relations.” Pumford said he thought he might spend his “career serving the American people.” But he’s out of work now. “I would love to be there for you and to be able to serve. But unfortunately the administration has other ideas,” said Pumford. The FDA just canned Jessica Weinberg. Weinberg says even her 6-year-old son realized the financial distress now facing the family. “He knows that mommy is out of work, and we’re worried about paying our bills,” said Weinberg. So, her son offered to print 3D Minecraft Legos to sell. “He didn’t want to make money so he could buy himself more toys, which he’s always asking for, but so he can help us pay our mortgage,” said Weinberg. “It was the sweetest and most heartbreaking thing he’s ever said.” JOHNSON RAISES STAKES ON SCHUMER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BARRELS INTO WEEK 3 OMB warned people on social media to “batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats’ intransigence.” Republicans are doubling down. That’s why nothing has evolved during the shutdown in weeks. “There is nothing to negotiate,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., refuses to recall the House until Senate Democrats cave to the GOP demand to fund the government — without any add-ons — through Nov. 21. That means no House hearings. In fact, the House last conducted a hearing — in Charlotte, N.C., on crime — on Sept. 29. As a result, the House only convenes for a few seconds every three days for what’s called a “pro forma” session. The House gavels in, conducts some quick ministerial business like the Pledge of Allegiance and an opening prayer and then gavels out without legislative business, debate or votes. House Democrats are taking note of the GOP’s conspicuous absence. “They need to get their butts back working,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md. DEMOCRATS ROLL OUT NEW CAMPAIGN ADS TARGETING REPUBLICANS OVER ONGOING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN During the 2013 government shutdown, Congress traded competing spending proposals. In fact, the House passed one measure and sent it to the Senate. But the Senate immediately flushed it, sending the measure back to the House. It was a 45-minute round-trip from the House to the Senate for that spending package. The House also conducted hearings on Obamacare and veterans issues during the 2013 shutdown. Both bodies handled some business on the floor during the record 34-day shutdown that stretched from late 2018 into early 2019. Congress has even postponed a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for 90-year-old Willie O’Ree, the first Black player in the National Hockey League. Despite the paucity of congressional action during this shutdown, Johnson concedes the House is handling some tasks — behind the scenes. “The attorneys for the House Oversight Committee during the shutdown are still doing work. They were in New York City combing through the Epstein estate files,” said Johnson. Really. DEMOCRAT SUCCEEDS HER LATE FATHER IN CONGRESS AS GOP HOUSE MAJORITY SHRINKS Johnson still refuses to seat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz. She’s the daughter of late Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., who died of cancer in March after serving in Congress for more than two decades. The younger Grijalva won the special election to succeed her father more than three weeks ago. The congresswoman-elect would provide the pivotal, 218th signature on a petition to go over the head of the speaker and force a vote on the House floor to release the Epstein files. Johnson has long said his refusal to swear-in Grijalva has nothing to do with the Epstein files. He even said the House would swear her in “whenever” she wanted. But then Johnson said he couldn’t do so since the House wasn’t meeting in regular session. He added that Grijalva deserved the “pomp and circumstance” of a full House session to become a member. “Doesn’t your resistance to (swearing her in) add fuel to the fire that this is about the Epstein files?” yours truly asked. “No,” replied Johnson, saying the House wanted to release the files in an orderly way and not expose names of some of the women victimized by Epstein. “We have a duty and responsibility. You can’t just wave a wand and just, you know, open the floodgates.” Democrats aren’t buying Johnson’s reasoning. “She is not concerned about the pomp and circumstance. She wants to get about the business of doing the job that she was elected to do,” said Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz. “By the way, the speaker did forego the pomp and circumstance with the two Republican members from Florida when they were sworn in the day after their elections in a pro forma. I mean, the hypocrisy is blatant, and it’s unacceptable.” That’s a reference to Johnson swearing in Reps. Randy Fine,
Israel’s exploding robots still terrorise Gaza neighbourhoods
Gaza City – The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas brought thousands of people back to their homes in Gaza City, to assess the damage, see what can be salvaged, and start to rebuild. In Jabalia, Sheikh Radwan, Abu Iskandar and beyond, people returned to flattened neighbourhoods, and to the knowledge that, still among the rubble, some of the explosive robots that had caused it sat, silent and undetonated. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list People aren’t sure where all the undetonated robots lurk, nor do they know what to do if they encounter one, adding to the anguish and uncertainty that clouds this homecoming. Exploding robots The “robots” had become a common fear in northern Gaza since the Israeli army first used them on Jabalia refugee camp in May 2024. Their deployment hit an “unprecedented pace” leading up to the October ceasefire, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor noted in a report on September 1, adding that they were used to destroy “about 300 residential units daily in Gaza City and Jabalia”. The robots are armoured carriers that Israeli soldiers would load with explosives, then drag into place using armoured bulldozers. Once the soldiers had retreated, they would remotely detonate the booby-trapped vehicle, destroying everything around it. Not much is known about the payload – or if it was ever consistent – Gaza City Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal told Al Jazeera. However, their destructive capacity was apparent, Bassal said, describing the robots’ “kill radius” which he said extended as far as 500 metres (550 yards). Advertisement The damage to infrastructure, he added, was “staggering”. Palestinians continue returning north on the second day of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with those arriving in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood finding widespread devastation after the Israeli army’s withdrawal, Gaza City, October 11 [Abdalrahman T. A. Abusalama/ Anadolu Agency] ‘Nothing remained’ Last November, Sharif Shadi realised he had not yet learned all the sounds of war. The sounds of air attacks, artillery, and rockets were etched into his memory from countless Israeli wars on Gaza since childhood. But during Israel’s brutal ground assault on northern Gaza, the 22-year-old from Jabalia refugee camp heard a new, more horrifying sound. It was the sound of the robots. Shortly after, the devices explode, swallowing entire neighbourhoods. “The explosive robot enters a complete residential block … and moments later, everything is reduced into bits of rubble,” Shadi explains of the Israeli military’s latest weapon. On that November morning, Shadi was in the street, going about the daunting daily quest of securing essentials for himself and his family of eight other members, when he saw a robot being dragged towards his neighbourhood by a D10 bulldozer. “They entered the block, and I started running away. “I ran at least 100 metres (110 yards), and suddenly found myself under rubble, the explosion was that strong. Those who were closer, nothing remained of them – not even remains or body parts.” Days later, he lost a friend. “My friend was unwell and needed to go to Kamal Adwan Hospital. I accompanied him, and on the way, we saw a robot coming in. In a moment of sheer panic and chaos, my friend and I ran in different directions. “The blast was immense and rocked the earth beneath my feet. When I went back to that same spot where I had last seen my friend … I found no trace of him. His body was completely vapourised.” According to Euro-Med’s report, these devices’ indiscriminate, widespread destruction puts them “under the category of prohibited arms, and their use in populated areas constitutes both a war crime and a crime against humanity”. Neither the Israeli military nor the government have publically acknowledged the use of these weapons, although some Israeli media outlets have reported on their use. The Israeli military has not responded to a request for comment from Al Jazeera. Toxic aftermath, respiratory crisis The effect doesn’t end with the explosion, as Dr Mohammed Abu Afash, director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society in Gaza, explains. Advertisement The “explosive robots” leave behind toxic vapours and gases, he says, “a powerful foul smell” that lingers and causes people serious respiratory problems. “Repeated cases of suffocation and breathing difficulties have appeared, and citizens continue to suffer from these symptoms due to inhaling toxic gases believed to contain lead and dangerous chemicals,” he adds. Um Ahmed al-Dreimli, who lives in Sabra in Gaza City, described the smell as “a mixture of gunpowder and burned metal that clung to our lungs, making our breathing difficult long after the explosion”. The 50-year-old mother of three – her eldest is 10-year-old Ahmed – was with her family in her damaged childhood home when she heard neighbours’ screams from the street, alerting her to the danger. The explosions came shortly after, with Israel giving no warning or time to flee. The sound of the explosion was different, Um Ahmed said. It had a heavy metallic rumble, not like “the sounds of hovering jets or drones, nor the screech of approaching missiles, which we’ve gotten used to … and it felt as if the ground was being pulled from under our feet”, she recalls. A drone view shows Palestinian houses and buildings lying in ruins, following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 22, 2025 [Mohammed Salem/Reuters] A prelude to invasion Mohammed Abu Tamous from the Civil Defence and Ambulance media department has seen explosive robots multiple times during fieldwork. “When planning to invade a specific area, the army uses these robots to level buildings and erase landmarks in preparation for advancing vehicles,” he adds. He says they have been used across northern Gaza, including Jabalia camp, Beit Hanoon, Tal az-Zaatar, Beit Lahiya, Tuffah neighbourhood, Shujayea, Zeitoun, Sabra, Sheikh Radwan, Abu Iskandar, and Jabalia downtown. There is no whistle of an incoming rocket or air raid siren – just the explosion, followed by huge plumes of white smoke. “Air strikes