Democrat Aftyn Behn advances to special election in battle for vacant congressional seat in deep-red district
Democrats on Tuesday picked their nominee in a special congressional election for a vacant seat in Tennessee. Aftyn Behn, a former healthcare community organizer and current Democrat state representative, captured her party’s nomination, according to The Associated Press. The Dickson County Democratic Party described Behn as “our very own AOC of TN,” in a reference to U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., according to The Tennessee Star. The primary field included three state representatives and a consultant in Tennessee’s solidly red 7th Congressional District. Behn will now be considered the underdog in the Dec. 2 general election in the race to succeed former Republican Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from office in June to take a private sector job. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF THE 2025 ELECTIONS President Donald Trump carried the district, which is located in central and western Tennessee and stretches from Kentucky to Alabama, by roughly 20 points in last year’s presidential election. TRUMP FRONT-AND-CENTER IN THESE 2025 ELECTION SHOWDOWNS Trump’s immense political clout in Republican nomination races faced a test Tuesday in a crowded and competitive GOP primary. This after the president last week endorsed Matt Van Epp, a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, and one of 11 names on the ballot in the GOP primary. Van Epp claimed victory on Tuesday. Republicans currently control the House 219-213, with two vacancies: the seat in Tennessee and Texas 18th Congressional District, following the death earlier this year of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner. Democrat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who won a special congressional election in Arizona last month, has yet to be sworn in.
Trump-backed candidate wins crowded GOP primary in battle for vacant House seat
President Donald Trump’s political muscle in Republican nomination races was on full display Tuesday as a candidate he endorsed last week won a crowded and competitive GOP special election primary for a vacant congressional seat in Tennessee. Trump-backed Matt Van Epps, a former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, came out on top in a field of 11 Republican candidates vying to fill the seat in the state’s solidly red 7th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. Van Epps will now be the favorite in the Dec. 2 general election in the race to succeed former Republican Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from office in June to take a private sector job. Trump’s endorsement of Van Epps in a field that also included state Reps. Jody Barrett, Gino Bulso and Lee Reeves, shaped the outcome of the primary battle even though the president’s backing came after the finish of early voting in the contest. THIS REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN RESIGNS FROM CONGRESS, FURTHER SHRINKING FRAGILE GOP MAJORITY The race among the major GOP contenders turned into a test of loyalty to Trump, and with the president’s endorsement, Reeves suspended his campaign and backed Van Epps. TRUMP FRONT-AND-CENTER IN THESE 2025 ELECTION SHOWDOWNS “Matt knows the WISDOM and COURAGE required to Defend our Country, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, and Ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump said in his endorsement statement. Van Epps, who was also endorsed by Green and Republican Gov. Bill Lee, called Trump’s support “an incredible honor.” And on Monday night, on the eve of the primary, the president joined Van Epps for a tele-rally that was co-hosted by the politically influential conservative outside group Club for Growth, which also backed Van Epps. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF THE 2025 ELECTIONS Trump carried the district, which is located in central and western Tennessee and stretches from Kentucky to Alabama, by roughly 20 points in last year’s presidential election. Van Epps, a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard and a former Army helicopter pilot, was also backed by prominent House Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio. But Barrett, who touted that he is the “most conservative state rep. in Tennessee history,” had the support of the political arm of the House Freedom Caucus, which spent heavily in the primary race. Four major Democrats were running for their party’s nomination. They were state Reps. Vincent Dixie, Aftyn Behn, Bo Mitchell and businessman Darden Copeland. Republicans currently control the House 219-213, with two vacancies: the seat in Tennessee and Texas 18th Congressional District, following the death earlier this year of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner. Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who won a special congressional election in Arizona last month, has yet to be sworn in.
Patel, FBI ‘flex resources’ for Windy City crime crackdown as part of Trump administration’s ‘focused effort’
EXCLUSIVE: As the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts are met with continued resistance in Chicago, FBI Director Kash Patel passionately defended the bureau’s supporting role in the Windy City, telling Fox News Digital that agents are “just doing their job to safeguard the streets.” Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche were on the ground touring the Chicago field office on Tuesday morning and explaining why the FBI needed to “flex resources” to help DHS. “The environment here in Chicago needs a focused effort, not just on crushing violent crime, but also, removing the illegal aliens that are correlated to that violent crime,” Patel told Fox News Digital. “And that’s a result over years of failures in policies by the prior administration to allow so many illegal aliens and so much criminal activity to occur here in Chicago, in the state of Illinois.” BONDI CLASHES WITH DURBIN ON NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT: ‘LOVE CHICAGO AS MUCH AS YOU HATE PRESIDENT TRUMP’ While immigration enforcement isn’t a typical part of the FBI’s job, Patel said that “every single three-letter agency” in the Trump administration is “driving towards the same mission.” He called the concerted campaign a “whole-of-government approach.” And Patel added that the mission goes well beyond immigration enforcement, also touching on narcotics distribution, government officials who are suddenly being targeted for death and agents whose lives are being endangered. Patel lauded the efforts of the officers serving with the Chicago Police Dept., calling them “great partners” and saying “they are doing their job with us every single day.”He drew a stark contrast, however, between the rank-and-file and their bosses.” DHS TAKES ON PRITZKER’S ‘SMORGASBORD OF LIES,’ RELEASES LIST DEBUNKING HIS CLAIMS But they report to the elected leadership,” he said. “And I think it’s our duty to call those out who prioritize illegal immigrants and crime over those that they serve in the city they’re supposed to protect. So I’ll call it out for as long as it takes.” President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops to protect federal officials and property in Chicago has already been kicked to the courts. But Blanche said it’s clear that the Guard is needed to help clean up the high-crime streets of Chicago. “I mean, at this point, it’s almost laughable, laughable that the state government is standing up and saying, don’t let the National Guard in,” Blanche said. “I mean, they have access to the same TV that I have access to. And of course, we need the National Guard.”
Virginia AG candidate embroiled in violent text message scandal cancels latest fundraiser amid backlash
Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general Jay Jones canceled a fundraiser scheduled for Thursday night in the wake of backlash he has faced over past text messages in which he fantasized about putting “two bullets” in the head of a Republican colleague. The fundraiser was planned to be held at the home of author David Baldacci, but donors expected to attend reportedly received a memo that their contributions would be refunded since the event will be canceled, a person familiar with the matter told Axios. The canceled fundraiser suggests the Jones campaign could still be in crisis repair mode after news of his violent rhetoric, which even fellow Virginia Democrats running alongside Jones have condemned. However, those same Virginia Democrats have stopped short of calling for Jones to exit the race. VIRGINIA AG REVEALS WHAT’S ‘STARTLING’ ABOUT DEM OPPONENT’S TEXTS On Tuesday, in a new campaign advertisement titled “Two bullets,” Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears blasted her Democrat opponent, former Virginia member of Congress from the state’s seventh congressional district, Abigail Spanberger, for failing to explicitly call for Jones to bow out of the race. “Jay Jones says he wants to put two bullets in a political opponent,” the ad starts out, before pivoting to Spanberger saying, “Let your rage fuel you.” The narrator then comes back and begins citing headlines that “Jones says he hopes an opponent’s children die,” before, again, highlighting Spanberger’s “rage” comments. “Abigail Spanberger continues to support Jones,” the ad’s narrator continues. “She stands with him, not us.” DEMOCRATS STAND BY VIRGINIA AG HOPEFUL WHO FANTASIZED ABOUT KILLING GOP LAWMAKER Jones’ opponent, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, released his own massive $1.5 million ad buy in response to Jones’ text messages as well. The text messages came from Jones in 2022, as he was attempting to describe a hypothetical situation about who he would kill if Jones had a gun with just two bullets and there were three people standing in front of him. “Three people, two bullets,” the text messages read. “Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones wrote, referring to then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. He added: “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.” The surfaced text messages from 2022 come at a time of heightened sensitivity to inflammatory and violent political rhetoric following the assassination of Charlie Kirk and two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump. Even Democrats have warned – in the wake of Kirk’s recent assassination – that “violent words precede violent actions” and “we should have a culture of condemning any rhetoric that glorifies violence.” Jones did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on this story. Representatives for Miyares declined to comment.
Israel calls prominent Democrat ‘mouthpiece for Hamas’ in blistering Oct. 7 post
Israel’s Foreign Ministry blasted Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, after he marked the day with a post criticizing Israel and the U.S. and calling to end what he described as “occupation and apartheid.” “Two years after Hamas launched its barbaric massacre against Israel and the Jewish people, Mamdani has chosen to act as a mouthpiece for Hamas propaganda — spreading Hamas’s fake genocide campaign,” wrote the ministry. The Israel Foreign Ministry said that “by repeating Hamas’s lies, he excuses terror and normalizes antisemitism.” ZOHRAN MAMDANI EMPLOYED WOMAN CAUGHT ON CAMERA TEARING DOWN HOSTAGE POSTERS “He stands with Jews only when they are dead. Shameful,” the ministry added. Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response. In his statement, Mamdani acknowledged that “two years ago today, Hamas carried out a horrific war crime, killing more than 1,100 Israelis and kidnapping 250 more.” He wrote, “I mourn these lives and pray for the safe return of every hostage.” ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’: JEWISH LEADERS WARN OF NYC ‘MASS EXODUS’ IF ZOHRAN MAMDANI WINS IN NOVEMBER At the same time, Mamdani also criticized Israel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for having “launched a genocidal war” with a death toll that, he said, “far exceeds 67,000: with the Israeli military bombing homes, hospitals, and schools into rubble.” “Every day in Gaza has become a place where grief itself has run out of language,” Mamdani wrote, adding, “our government has been complicit through it all.” Mamdani also wrote that “the occupation and apartheid must end” and that the U.S. “must hold those responsible to account.” “The last two years have demonstrated the very worst of humanity. We must answer it by modeling the very best: a relentless pursuit of our higher ideals and an unwavering commitment to universal human rights,” wrote Mamdani. Jewish leaders and advocates have criticized 33-year-old socialist Zohran Mamdani since he secured the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City, particularly for his hesitancy to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” NEW YORKERS SKEPTICAL AFTER ZOHRAN MAMDANI DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM PHRASE ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ After months of refusing to condemn the anti-Israel rallying cry, which, according to the American Jewish Committee, “calls for people from around the globe to participate in rising up against Israel,” Mamdani shared with business leaders during a closed-door meeting in July that he would not use the slogan and would discourage others from using it moving forward. However, his previous record has left many still very concerned. “If Zohran Mamdani is elected, expect a Jewish exodus out of New York City,” Yuval David, an actor, filmmaker and Jewish activist told Fox News Digital. In an interview with “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker in June, Mamdani was asked to condemn the phrase three times but refused. He attempted to justify his position, saying, “My concern is, to start to walk down the line of language and making clear what language I believe is permissible or impermissible, takes me into a place similar to that of the president, who is looking to do those very kinds of things, putting people in jail for writing an op-ed, putting them in jail for protesting.” JEWISH LEADER PREDICTS VIOLENT FUTURE FOR NYC RESIDENTS IF MAMDANI WINS IN NOVEMBER: ‘REAL CONCERN’ “Ultimately, it is not language that I use. It is language, I understand there are concerns about, and what I will do is showcase my vision for the city through my words and my actions,” he said. Mamdani has also been criticized for supporting a slate of anti-Israel positions such as supporting BDS, an acronym for boycott, divestment and sanctions, and sanctions against Israel. After Mamdani’s Oct. 7 post, the antisemitism awareness group Canary Mission also criticized him, saying he “pays lip service to condemning the Hamas massacre” while he “reserves much more vitriol for Israel, which he accuses of perpetuating a Nakba, occupation and apartheid on a regular basis- including in his October 7 statement itself!”
Patel dismisses perp walk rumors, says no ‘theater’ in Comey indictment
EXCLUSIVE: Top Department of Justice officials brushed off rumors on Tuesday that James Comey would be arrested and paraded in front of the media, providing their remarks on the former FBI director’s court case one day before his scheduled arraignment. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview at the FBI Chicago Field Office that media reports about a possible camera-ready Comey arrest, sometimes known as a perp walk, were mere distractions. “We conduct arrests, the FBI conducts arrests at every courthouse in this country every single day of the year,” Blanche said, calling the rumors about Comey’s circumstances “gossip.” COMEY INDICTED FOR ALLEGED FALSE STATEMENT, OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDING “Mr. Comey has been directed to appear, and I expect that he will. But the noise from MSNBC and from retired agents or unnamed anonymous sources about perp walks is just that,” Blanche said. “It’s just noise.” Reuters, MSNBC and other outlets reported in recent days that an FBI official was fired for refusing to partake in a showy arrest of Comey and staged walk. Comey has been summoned to appear at a courthouse in Virginia on charges of making a false statement to Congress, but it is unclear if an arrest is also planned. HOW JAMES COMEY’S INDICTMENT COULD GO SOUTH FOR THE DOJ Patel, meanwhile, spoke as part of a visit to Chicago’s field office to show support for FBI personnel who have been partaking in “Operation Midway Blitz,” a massive immigration enforcement operation that has been rife with tension among city leaders, federal law enforcement and activists. He called the media reports about Comey a “detraction” from the FBI’s work. “The mainstream media wants to take the eye off the ball and create theater,” Patel said. “We’re not about theater. We’re about producing our results in court. And that’s what you’re going to see tomorrow start, the revelation of details, and it will be forthcoming in the judicial process as everyone in America is entitled to, including Mr. Comey, and we want him to have his day in court, and it starts tomorrow.” Fox News Digital reached out to Comey’s attorney for comment.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Government crawls into crisis as shutdown continues
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, your source for the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening … –Supreme Court to decide if faith-based counseling on gender identity is protected speech -Dem senator’s hefty donation to disgraced AG candidate’s campaign comes back to haunt him -Who is the Trump-appointed judge blocking deployment of the National Guard to Portland? The Senate remains deadlocked on a path to end the shutdown as it nears its second week, and Republicans’ meager support across the aisle to reopen the government may be crumbling. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., needs at least eight Senate Democratic caucus members to join Republicans to reopen the government, given that Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has consistently voted against the GOP’s bill. So far, a trio of Democratic caucus members, Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, have crossed the aisle to reopen the government … Read more FEDERAL OVERRIDE: Trump says he’d consider invoking the Insurrection Act as courts, governors seek to block his crime crackdown ‘SUBSTANTIAL’: Trump says ‘substantial’ number of jobs will be permanently lost if shutdown persists. Dems ‘have no leader’ COVER-UP EXPOSED: Biden blocked dissemination of intel showing Ukrainian officials’ concerns about his family’s ‘corrupt’ business ties PRESIDENT’S PICK: Trump looms large over special congressional election Republican primary in deep red district CLASH OF POWERS: White House slams ‘egregious’ court order blocking troop deployments amid Portland unrest BREAKTHROUGH: Trump, Brazil’s Lula move to mend fences after trade clash, judicial firestorm with ‘friendly’ call TALKS END: Trump ends Venezuela talks, military options loom, new report NEW DESTINATION: Cuban-led caravan aims for Mexico City as Trump policies deter migrants from US WAR ON DRUGS: War on cartels? The White House says it has an iron-clad case to strike narco-terrorist groups ‘ACCOUNTABILITY’: FBI fires agents, dismantles corruption squad after probe unveils monitoring of GOP senators, Patel says CAMPAIGN FALLOUT: Kaine defends Jay Jones amid AG candidate’s texts envisioning murder of top Republican: ‘Still a supporter’ ‘ABUSE OF POWER’: Hawley rips Jack Smith’s ‘Biden’s Stasi’ probe, calls alleged spying ‘abuse of power beyond Watergate’ NOTHING TO HIDE: House committee withdraws James Comey subpoena for Jeffrey Epstein testimony ‘NOT NORMAL’: Dem shellacked by McConnell in 2020 mounts new Senate bid: ‘cowards in Washington are bowing to Donald Trump’ DEMS DIG IN: Schumer’s shutdown holds as Senate Dems block GOP bid to reopen government CASE IN LIMBO: Georgia prosecutors request 90-day extension to replace Willis in Trump election case ‘IT’S MY JOB’: Bondi clashes with Durbin on National Guard deployment: ‘Love Chicago as much as you hate President Trump’ CLAIM VS. REALITY: DHS takes on Pritzker’s ‘Smorgasbord of Lies,’ releases list debunking his claims DEATH WISH: Jay Jones said if more police were killed it would reduce shootings of civilians, according to Virginia lawmaker ROOMMATES RISING: The only two Dems running for governor this year are former roommates with mirroring political careers PHOTO FINISH: Cuomo slams Mamdani for photo with anti-LGBTQ Uganda official: ‘If he’s smiling, he’s lying’ TAMPERING DETECTED: Maine investigates claim that 250 unmarked ballots found in Amazon box COURT FIGHT AHEAD: New Jersey Dem hopeful vows to sue Trump over troop deployments, says states would pay the price LONE STAR RISING: Abbott Deploys ‘Elite Texas National Guard’ After Trump Call for Reinforcements: “Ever Ready” COMMON GROUND: New MAHA initiative around biomedical research is uniting the GOP with some unusual bed fellows DEFYING FEDERAL LAW: Federal agent says Chicago’s ‘ICE-free zones’ endanger operations, embolden protesters ‘ROCK BOTTOM’: Ex-Chicago police officer rips city’s stand-down order for swarmed ICE agents: ‘Most disgusting act’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
New Navy Under Secretary Cao to ‘supercharge’ force by ditching DEI, raising standards, modernizing IT
Navy Secretary John C. Phelan has tapped new Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao to lead a sweeping overhaul of the service and “supercharge the Navy and Marine Corps,” including modernizing its business and IT systems. Cao, sworn in Oct. 3. by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, returns to the Department of the Navy with direct orders to “cut red tape and raise standards.” Phelan said in a memo shared exclusively to Fox News Digital that the reforms are to “sharpen readiness, fix faster, and put sailors, Marines, and their families first” as well as restore the Navy and Marine Corps’ warrior ethos. Cao, a former U.S. Navy captain, is also a well-known Republican figure, who ran for the U.S. Senate in Virginia in 2024 and in 2025, was nominated by Trump and confirmed as the 35th Navy under secretary. HEGSETH ORDERS ABOUT FACE ON PENTAGON’S SLIPPING GROOMING STANDARDS The move follows remarks by Hegseth Sept. 30 to flag and general officers at Marine Corps Base Quantico. “First and foremost, we must restore a ruthless, dispassionate and common-sense application of standards,” Hesgeth said. “Standards must be uniform, gender-neutral, and high. If not, they’re not standards — they’re suggestions. Suggestions that get our sons and daughters killed.” Cao’s reforms will start at home and include launching a new inspection system with 60-day repair timelines to overhaul military family housing. Base dining will shift to healthier, locally sourced menus designed to mirror combat readiness and improve nutrition. HEGSETH VOWS TO REBUILD MILITARY DETERRENCE SO ENEMIES ‘DON’T WANT TO F— WITH US’ Outdated IT and business systems will be replaced with modern, mobile-ready platforms to streamline daily operations and empower sailors with tools that work for the first time. Beyond quality-of-life upgrades, the Navy is targeting full audit compliance by FY2026 to strengthen transparency and accountability. Recruiting reforms will eliminate DEI-based waivers in favor of merit-only accessions, while reserve forces will integrate more closely with active-duty training pipelines. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders will move faster, and new policies will expand school choice for military families. On Guam, infrastructure upgrades, from runways to fuel and housing capacity will harden the island’s role as a vital Indo-Pacific power-projection hub. AIR FORCE TIGHTENS RULES ON TRANSGENDER AIRMEN; SUPPORTERS SAY IT PRIORITIZES READINESS: REPORT “These aren’t talking points, they’re timelines,” Cao said of the reforms. “We’re ending bureaucratic drift and restoring excellence.” Cao’s initiatives will also aim to unify family welfare and combat readiness under what Phelan describes as “one quarterback, one playbook.” On Capitol Hill, Rep. Jack Whitfield, R-Texas, chair of the House Armed Services readiness panel, said Congress would “support the Navy’s renewed focus on lethality and accountability.” HEGSETH TELLS TROOPS TO RESIGN IF THEY OPPOSE HIS PLAN TO SCRAP ‘WOKE’ POLICIES AND RESTORE WARRIOR ETHOS A Democratic staffer on the Senate Armed Services Committee called it “an overdue reset” and confirmed oversight “will track results closely.” The sweeping, new portfolio integrates quality-of-service improvements, modernization, and reserve reform under a single chain of command. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This is about speed, standards, and service,” Phelan said. “When the basics work the first time, ships sail more, aircraft fly farther, and the world’s greatest maritime force only gets stronger.” Hegseth and Phelan did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Mamdani funnels big money to radical allies plotting control of City Hall: ‘Seize state power’
FIRST ON FOX: Newly released campaign finance records reveal New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaign gave over $28,000 last month to the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, a radical group that has boasted about the level of influence it will have if Mamdani is elected mayor. The Mamdani campaign made a payment of $28,677.57 to DSA’s NYC chapter on Sept. 15 and filled in the purpose field that the funds were for “Other: explntion / Texting.” Mamdani’s campaign has previously given numerous smaller payments totaling roughly $3,000 to DSA for “Fundraising / Fundraising Emails” but the September donation represents by far the largest contribution to the group since his campaign was launched. NYC-DSA has received 36 payments, totaling over $33,000 from Mamdani’s campaign since early 2025. The donation comes amid public boasting from DSA that they wield massive influence on Mamdani’s platform. ‘ABSOLUTELY A COMMUNIST’: MAMDANI DODGES LABEL, BUT HIS RECORD AND EXPERT SAY OTHERWISE During a July panel discussion, Fox News Digital previously reported how DSA members discussed how they have been closely collaborating with Mamdani and how he has the organization positioned to “seize state power.” DSA organizer Daniel Goulden claimed the organization has been intimately involved in Mamdani’s campaign, even helping to write portions of his platform. “With Zohran, we’re in basically the best possible position to seize state power that we can be in because, you know, we’re like this,” Goulden said, indicating with his fingers that the campaign and organization are very close. Goulden went on to suggest that “one of the things that made Zohran really successful with his policy rollouts is specifically relying on DSA.” “DSA has regular meetings with him, let alone his team. His policy director is my friend. I’ve been working with his campaign manager for well over a year. You know? I have friends who are his staff,” he said. He went on to say the DSA worked especially closely with Mamdani on his “trans rights” platform to use city resources to give free transgender treatments to people across the country. “We wrote the platform with him. The team was so happy to work with us on this,” he explained. “What we explicitly wanted to do was use the power of New York City to provide free gender-affirming care – and I say free in case insurance companies decide to boot us off – free gender-affirming care, not just to people in New York City, but across the country.” “Our endorsed candidates are expected to follow the will of the membership,” chapter leader Darren Goldner concluded. Last week, New York Post reported from a DSA event that group leaders boasted about a “symbiotic” relationship with Mamdani that will last past the election if Mamdani wins. Mamdani revealed during a 2021 interview that he was “very excited about being a member of DSA, specifically the New York City chapter” and that the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement was a major issue pushed by DSA in order to get endorsements, Fox News Digital previously reported. “Within the questionnaire when you submit to be considered a candidate to be endorsed by the organization, you’re asked what your views are on BDS and I think that has also brought what it is typically thought of as a separate issue into the sphere of local politics where we create a bench of candidates,” Mamdani said. “We’re not legislating on BDS on a daily basis, but it’s clear that our commitment is unabashed to justice.” The national DSA organization and its chapters, including the NYC-DSA, have shared views on several issues that they have been vocal about, including their disdain for ICE and cracking down on on “bad landlords” by having the city take control of properties when a landlord refuses to make repairs or “demonstrates consistent neglect” of their tenants. He also believes he can fix New York City’s affordable housing crisis by immediately freezing the rents of the over two million New York residents who live in rent-stabilized apartments, which is part of DSA’s housing justice platform. “Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani is here to bring New Yorkers back to the left. With a platform focused on cost of living: from utility bills to grocery bills to bus fares to childcare to rent, Zohran is the candidate who wants to make life in New York City more affordable,” NYC-DSA’s website says. “His platform focuses on the pillars of free childcare, fast and free buses, and freezing rent for all rent-stabilized tenants.” A Fox News Digital review found that multiple staff members of Mamdani’s campaign are directly involved with DSA, including Tascha Van Auken, who has been paid over $100K by the campaign and is the campaign’s field director. In a July 2025 profile piece, she explained how the Mamdani campaign adopted the DSA’s model of canvassing. “So I would say that the beginning of the campaign for us is building up the leadership structure, building up the infrastructure, really honing in on what we’re talking to voters about,” Auken, who has been branded as the NYC-DSA’s “field operations guru,” said. “Then once petitioning is over, we go full force into persuasion, which is basically just lots and lots of talking to voters that we haven’t talked to before, persuading them to vote for Zohran or just identifying that they are Zohran supporters or not.” CUOMO WARNS DEM SOCIALIST RIVAL’S TAX PLAN WOULD TRIGGER MASS EXODUS OF NYC’S WEALTHY Elliana Bisgaard-Church, who previously served as Mamdani’s campaign manager during the Democratic primary and is member of his inner circle, is also a member of the NYC-DSA and worked closely with top leaders of the DSA chapter. Mamdani and Bisgaard-Church, who raked in a six-figure salary working for Mamdani, met on a weekly basis with NYC-DSA co-chairs Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo, according to The Nation. “Toward the end of the race, in a final get-out-the-vote push, Mausser recalled a meeting in which Bisgaard-Church requested help to secure as much youth turnout as possible. NYC-DSA
Italy to propose global ceasefire for 2026 Winter Olympics
A global truce for the duration of February’s 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina will be sought by hosts Italy. Published On 7 Oct 20257 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Italy will submit a proposal for a worldwide ceasefire to the United Nations before next year’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani said. As a concept, a global truce during the Olympics dates to the ancient games in Greece, where warring factions agreed to put down their arms for the duration of the event, so that athletes could safely travel to and from ancient Olympia. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Calls by Olympics organisers and the UN for global ceasefires have not been heeded on the occasion of modern-era Games since 1896, including the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Milano Cortina Games open on February 6 and run to February 22. “In view of the Milano Cortina Olympics, we are presenting a proposal for an Olympic truce for all wars, including Ukraine and the Middle East, to the United Nations,” Tajani said on Tuesday. “We must be champions of peace,” he said on the sidelines of an international conference in Rome. “We support the US plan (to end the war in Gaza), and, as Pope Leo has said, we must never give up hoping for peace.” The 20-point plan presented by United States President Donald Trump, on which Israel and Hamas began indirect talks on Monday, is seen as the most promising initiative to end a war that has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023. The Hamas-led attack on Israel that day killed 1,200 people. Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the war on Gaza. In response to Gaza’s devastation and humanitarian disaster wrought by Israel’s military campaign, a number of major Western countries, though not Italy, have formally recognised Palestinian statehood, endorsing longstanding Palestinian aspirations to an independent homeland on Israeli-occupied land. Advertisement In Ukraine, the pro-Western government has been battling a Russian invasion for more than three and a half years, in Europe’s biggest armed conflict since World War II and one that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. Adblock test (Why?)