Elon Musk wades into Virginia transgender bathroom clash, says Dem gov candidate wrongly ‘blaming’ Trump
Elon Musk amplified a post from Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, weighing in as transgender bathroom policies again take center stage in the state’s off-year election. Musk alleged Spanberger “tr[ied] to weasel out” of a question from ABC Washington reporter Nick Minock about whether the former congresswoman supports biological males using women’s locker rooms as the Department of Education scrutinizes five major school districts. “Spanberger obviously does shamefully support boys in girl’s sports and is trying to weasel out of the question by blaming the president,” Musk said, retweeting Spanberger’s response to Minock – who encountered her after she visited an early-voting poll. Minock mentioned the Trump administration is investigating potential Title IX violations in allowing students to use their desired restroom or changing facility, for which Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria and Prince William County schools under scrutiny. VIRGINIA LEADERS REBUKE RACIST SIGN TARGETING GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE WINSOME EARLE-SEARS: ‘REPULSIVE’ Spanberger replied that court cases brought on the matter of transgender students’ restroom use have already played out, including the case of Gavin Grimm, a transgender student who challenged the local school’s bathroom policy in Grim v. Gloucester County School Board, arguing it violated equal protection and Title IX. In that case, the Richmond-based Fourth Circuit upheld a lower court’s judgment against the school district and ruled its biologically-based restroom policy led to discrimination against Grimm. “In fact, the argument is the assessment is there needs to be much clearer guidance in terms of what is an executive order’s binding assessment of Title IX versus what has been a decision of a court,” Spanberger said. “But ultimately, the real impact here is, once again, it is the Trump administration taking dollars away from Virginia. Threatening education dollars to our public schools is an attack on Virginia’s kids. It’s an attack on our economy. It’s an attack on Virginians.” POTENTIAL YOUNGKIN SUCCESSOR FOCUSED ON MESSAGE IN TOUGH RACE TO KEEP SWING STATE RED Spanberger said her priority is making Virginia schools the best in the country and painted President Donald Trump as an official who is “coming after Virginia.” When Minock asked again whether Spanberger specifically supported such policies, she did not respond. However, in comments to Fox News Digital, a Spanberger spokesperson rebuffed Musk, saying the Democratic nominee is a mother of three Virginia public schoolchildren and a former federal law enforcement officer who investigated child predators. “Nothing is more important to her than the safety of all of Virginia’s kids,” the spokesperson said. “Ultimately, Abigail believes that these are decisions between parents and local schools — and she believes that politicians need to stop politicizing Virginia’s public schools.” Fox News Digital also reached out to Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears – the Republican nominee for governor – for comment. In 2021, the issue of transgender bathroom policy in schools loomed large in the gubernatorial election. Current Gov. Glenn Youngkin was credited with pulling off an upset win against former Gov. Terry McAuliffe by making the overarching issue of “parental rights” front-and-center in the campaign. Many of the individual cases affected schools in heavily-Democratic areas like Loudoun County, where McAuliffe still won, but Youngkin mildly increased expected margins. A case in Loudoun involving a transgender student allegedly assaulting another student also made headlines during the campaign. At present-day, the issue – as well as Washington, D.C.-metro school systems like those mentioned are again front-and-center. Earle-Sears has called for requiring students to use the restroom assigned to their biological sex as “common sense,” and recently appeared alongside demonstrators outside a Loudoun school board meeting in Ashburn earlier this month. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Appearing at an Arlington school board meeting, where a protester held up a sign telling Earle-Sears – who is Black – she should not share her water fountain if people can’t share bathrooms, the Republican said the continuing trend is “dangerous, insane and has to stop.” “Here’s the truth. There are two sexes: boys and girls.” Musk’s former DOGE counterpart, Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, headlined a rally on Friday to endorse Earle-Sears, lieutenant governor candidate John Reid and Attorney General Jason Miyares. Reid, who approached and embraced Spanberger at her recent appearance in Henrico, highlighted Musk’s comments and said both sides of the aisle “can and should be polite to each other – but also must clearly highlight the differences between the candidates…” “Abigail Spanberger is dodging the trans in the girls locker room issues because she’s smart enough to know it’s a big loser for her,” Reid said. “No boys in girls’ sports. No boys in girls’ locker rooms and vice versa. No medical engagement with minors without parental consultation and consent. No underage surgical or hormonal procedures on anyone,” Reid said. “We should do our best to let adults make their own decisions as long as they fully own the costs and consequences.”
Macron stakes anti-Trump global role with Gaza initiative at UN summit
French President Emmanuel Macron opened his week at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with a dramatic announcement that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state, seeking to reset the diplomatic agenda on Gaza and signal France’s role on the world stage. As world leaders gather in New York for UNGA, Macron is seizing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to stake out global leadership — and, critics argue, to position himself as a counterweight to President Donald Trump. Renewing his call for recognition of a Palestinian state, Macron has also put forward a proposal for a multinational force to take over from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “the day after” the Gaza war, according to The Times of Israel. For Macron, the United Nations General Assembly is a stage to project France as an alternative power. “Macron’s policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict reflects his broader ambitions on France’s foreign policy, that is, the idea that the country, as a middle European power, can offer an alternative to the U.S.-China competition,” Jean-Loup Samaan, a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital. “In this specific case, Macron believes that his push for a Palestinian state will increase French credibility in the Arab world and the so-called ‘Global South.’” MACRON STRUTS ON WORLD STAGE AS REVOLT OVER FRANCE’S SOARING DEBT PUTS HIS PM ON THE BRINK “We have to recognize the legitimate right of Palestinian people to have a state,” Macron said in an interview broadcast Thursday on Israel’s Channel 12. “If you don’t give a political perspective, in fact, you just put them in the hands of those who are just proposing a security approach, an aggressive approach.” He went further, denouncing Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza City as “absolutely unacceptable” and “a huge mistake.” The comments infuriated both Israel and the United States, which argue that recognition emboldens extremists and rewards Hamas, the group responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. Macron, however, insists recognition is the only way forward, reviving the long-stalled two-state solution. More than 145 countries already recognize Palestine, and European allies, including the U.K., Canada, Australia, Portugal, Malta, Belgium, and Luxembourg, are expected to follow France’s lead in the coming days. Yet analysts warn Macron’s track record suggests otherwise. “If you want to know how UN-sponsored peacekeepers do with terrorist groups in the region, we have a 20-year case study in UNIFIL, which enabled rather than denied Hezbollah the ability to grow into a massive military threat,” Richard Goldberg, senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. “Macron is certainly driven by his beleaguered domestic political situation and the large French Muslim population, but in his own mind he’s also been down this road in Lebanon, where France has historic equities. The record is pretty clear: Macron has never delivered on anything; security improvements have only come through U.S. pressure and Israeli military might,” Goldberg said. Just days before Macron’s push, Trump met with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jared Kushner to discuss Gaza’s future — and is set to hold a meeting tomorrow with Arab leaders on “the day after,” sources confirm to Fox News Digital. The overlap has fueled speculation that Macron is maneuvering to outshine Trump and claim the mantle of statesman-in-chief. TRUMP WHISPERS ‘CRAZY’ PUTIN DEAL THEORY TO MACRON IN HOT MIC MOMENT Goldberg added bluntly: “He may perceive himself that way, but I don’t think many in Washington spend a lot of time thinking about him.” Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, called Macron’s maneuvering “a blatant power-grab.” She told Fox News Digital: “The fact is that would-be Emperor Macron has no clothes. The promise he is waving around of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ ‘promise’ to soon hold elections and abandon dictatorship and terror screams ‘scam.’” “At home, foreign policy topics are not driving the current political troubles, which are primarily focused on France’s need to reduce its fiscal deficit,” Samaan noted. “I think Macron’s initiative on Palestine has more to do with his personal aspirations in terms of legacy. He’ll leave office in 2027.” The proposed Gaza force, modeled on UNIFIL in Lebanon where France has long played a role, would demand French resources and likely face opposition in parliament from both the far left and far right, and without U.S. endorsement, Israeli buy-in, or domestic consensus in France, the initiative could stall before it begins.
From Kirk to Kimmel: Fiery NJ debate spotlights political violence and free speech
Republican Jack Ciattarelli said it was “wrong” for Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill to criticize Charlie Kirk after voting “yes” on a U.S. House resolution condemning his assassination — a clash that escalated when Sherrill invoked Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension over remarks about Kirk during their first debate Sunday. During their first debate of the general election in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, on Sunday, moderators asked the candidates if they would support legislation designating political violence as a hate crime in the state of New Jersey. “My opponent on Friday went down to Washington, voted yes on a resolution to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s life, but then within minutes sent out a statement that basically condemned him. I think that was wrong,” Jack Ciattarelli said, while affirming his support for the New Jersey bill. When pressed about her disagreement with Kirk, Sherrill said, “I think it’s fair to have free speech, but I think it should go to everyone, to Jimmy Kimmel and to myself as well.” WATCH: LAWMAKERS WRESTLE WITH HOW TO APPROACH HATEFUL POLITICAL RHETORIC IN WAKE OF KIRK ASSASSINATION ABC on Thursday suspended the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host indefinitely following controversial comments he made about Kirk’s assassination. 58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK Questions about political violence seeped onto the New Jersey gubernatorial debate stage on Sunday night as mourners gathered more than 2,000 miles away to honor Kirk’s life and legacy. After voting “yes” on the resolution condemning Kirk’s assassination, Sherrill released a statement criticizing Kirk’s character. “Charlie Kirk was advocating for a Christian nationalist government and to roll back the rights of women and Black people — this flies in the face of every value I hold dear and that I fight for. But the Constitution protects free speech, even for those I vehemently oppose,” she said. While ripping his opponent for her comments about Kirk, Ciattarelli also criticized Sherrill for not answering the moderator’s question about the state legislation. “My direct answer is I voted to protect free speech. I voted to end political violence. I also think it’s fair, Jack, to speak up when you disagree with something,” Sherrill said. “In this nation, we should be able to have free speech,” Sherrill said. “I vow to defend and fight for free speech my entire life, but it should never devolve into political violence.” Kirk’s assassination less than two weeks ago on Utah Valley University’s campus reignited a fierce debate about the rise of political violence in the United States. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I think it is the responsibility of any public official and candidate for office to engage in rhetoric that doesn’t divide us,” Ciattarelli said Sunday. “My campaign has been about uniting us, not dividing us. I do think we need to take down the temperature a whole lot.”
Trump to reveal medical finding he calls ‘answer to autism’ in major announcement
President Donald Trump is poised to unveil a “significant” medical and scientific finding for U.S. children Monday — and said Sunday he believes there may be an “answer” to autism now. The Trump administration said in April it would kick off a massive research initiative to understand the cause of autism by September. “Tomorrow we’re going to have one of the biggest announcement(s) … medically, I think, in the history of our country. I think you’re going to find it to be amazing,” Trump said Sunday at the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk. “I think we found an answer to autism.” RFK JR ATTRIBUTES RISE IN AUTISM TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, WHILE CDC POINTS TO IMPROVED DIAGNOSTIC PRACTICES No additional details were immediately provided, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the announcement was related to the “childhood autism epidemic.” “This will be a powerful display of how the entire Trump administration is committed to addressing root causes of chronic conditions and diseases, embracing full transparency in government and championing gold standard science,” Leavitt said. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is expected to announce that it will caution pregnant women against using Tylenol during pregnancy except if they have a fever, the Washington Post reports, as the administration studies if use of the drug might be tied to autism. Tylenol maker Kenvue did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. However, Kenvue recently said in a statement that acetaminophen, the generic name for Tylenol, is the safest pain reliever for pregnant women. “Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy,” Kenvue said in a statement Sunday. “Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through conditions like fever that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives.” MEDICAL GROUP GOES AGAINST CDC, RECOMMENDS COVID SHOTS FOR YOUNG KIDS The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a survey in April that found that autism prevalence is on the rise and said the increase “might be due to differences in availability of services for early detection and evaluation and diagnostic practices.” Specifically, the survey found that one in 31 8-year-old children were diagnosed with autism in 2022 — up from one in 36 in 2000. TRUMP DEMANDS DEFINITIVE ANSWER AMID ONGOING DEBATE OVER COVID-19 VACCINES Meanwhile, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pointed to environmental factors as the root cause of autism. “This is coming from an environmental toxin, and somebody made a profit by putting that environmental toxin into our air, our water, our medicines, our food,” Kennedy said in April at an event related to the CDC’s report. “And it’s to their benefit to say ‘Oh, to normalize it, to say all this is all normal, it’s always been here.’ That’s not good for our country.”
Cyberattack on European airports caused by ransomware, EU finds
Since Friday, Europe’s busiest airports have faced significant disruptions after hackers hit automated check-in systems. By News Agencies Published On 22 Sep 202522 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A cyberattack that has caused major airport disruptions in the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium was caused by ransomware, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) says. In a statement on Monday, ENISA said law enforcement was involved to investigate the software that holds data until those targeted pay to have their access back. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list ENISA did not elaborate on where the ransomware had originated. Since Friday night, several of Europe’s biggest airports have faced disruptions after hackers took out automated check-in systems developed by Collins Aerospace, affecting dozens of flights and thousands of passengers. Collins Aerospace, owned by weaponsmaker RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies, said on Monday that it was working with the airports targeted by the ransomware, including Brussels and London’s Heathrow, and was in the final stages of completing updates to help restore them to full functionality. However, Berlin Brandenburg Airport still did not have its check-in systems restored on Monday, and delays of more than an hour for departures were reported. At Brussels Airport, iPads and laptops were being used to check in passengers online. Among the 550 departing and arriving flights on Monday, 60 had to be cancelled, the airport said. According to Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at the British cybersecurity firm Sophos, there have been more ransomware attempts targeting high-profile victims due to the attention they bring but these kinds of attacks have not been happening frequently. Advertisement “Disruptive attacks are becoming more visible in Europe, but visibility doesn’t necessarily equal frequency,” he told the Reuters news agency. “Truly large-scale, disruptive attacks that spill into the physical world remain the exception rather than the rule,” he added. Last week, the German industry group Bitkom found that in a survey of about 1,000 companies, malicious software was the most common form of cyberattack. One in seven of the companies reported having paid a ransom to access data that had been locked up. It added that the most effective method remained cyberattacks, often carried out with ransomware, and ransom payments had reached a record high of 202 billion euros ($238bn) this year. Adblock test (Why?)
US public opinion on Israel is changing, US policy will have to as well
The Zionist narrative has been a dominating force in the United States for more than seven decades. Promoted by powerful lobbies, nurtured by Christian evangelicals, and echoed by mainstream media, it remained largely unchallenged until the outbreak of the genocide in Gaza. In nearly two years, the unyielding images of horror, the scale of devastation, and the shocking loss of human lives have created an indomitable record of horror that has challenged the Zionist narrative. Poll after poll is registering a shift in public opinion vis-a-vis Israel. On both sides of the political divide, Americans are growing less enthusiastic about blanket support for the longstanding US ally. So what does this mean for US-Israeli relations? In the short and medium term, not much. US arms, aid, security cooperation, and diplomatic backing for Israel will barely be affected. The support structure built up over almost eight decades cannot be expected to evaporate overnight. But in the long term, US backing will be reduced. This means Israel will be forced to reconsider its aggressive posture in the region and roll back its plans to rule over all of historic Palestine. What the polls say Polls started picking up a shift in US public opinion, especially among young Democrats, even before the October 7, 2023 attacks. But afterwards, this change appeared to accelerate dramatically. A poll conducted by Pew Research in March this year suggests that negative attitudes towards Israel have risen from 42 percent to 53 percent of all US adults since 2022. The shift is more pronounced among Democrats, from 53 percent to 69 percent for the same period. Advertisement What is remarkable about this change is that it is cross-generational. Among Democrats 50 and older – people who are usually moderate on foreign policy issues – negative attitudes towards Israel increased from 43 percent to 66 percent. Expressions of sympathy have also changed. According to an August poll (PDF) by The Economist and YouGov, 44 percent of Democrats sympathise more with Palestinians, compared with 15 percent with Israelis; among Independents, these figures are 30 and 21 percent. The same poll suggests that a plurality of Americans now believes Israel’s continuing bombing of Gaza is unwarranted, and some 78 percent want an immediate ceasefire, including 75 percent of Republicans. The percentage of respondents who said Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians was 43 percent; those who disagreed were just 28 percent. More significantly, a plurality – 42 percent – favour decreasing support for Israel; among Republicans this number stands at 24 percent. A Harvard-Harris poll (PDF) from July reveals perhaps the most concerning trend for Israel’s advocates: 40 percent of young Americans now favour Hamas, not Israel. While this is likely a reflection of general sympathy for the Palestinians, it shows significant cracks in the dominance of Israel’s “Palestinian terrorism” narrative among the American youth. The same poll suggested that only 27 percent support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a disastrous vote of no confidence that is far removed from the welcome he has enjoyed at the White House and Congress. How policy may change As older voters – Israel’s last electoral stronghold – make way for younger voters more sympathetic to the cause of Palestinian rights, the political math will shift towards profound political change. The question is no longer if the US will rethink its special relationship with Israel, but when. The special relationship with Israel is one of those rare issues for which there is bipartisan support. Changing that would take a long time. Of course, in the short term, there are some possible changes. If there is a sudden rift between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump – perhaps even on a personal level – the latter will have the polls to justify a move away from Israel. The clear shift in public opinion would provide him with the political cover that he is listening to the American people. However, such a dramatic change is not likely. What is more likely is that, under pressure from the public, members of Congress will increasingly start shifting on Israel-Palestine. Those who stubbornly refuse may be challenged by younger, more energetic candidates who rebuff funding by pro-Israel organisations like AIPAC. Advertisement The shift in Congress, however, would take a lot of time, not least because there will be stiff resistance to it. Pro-Israel lobby groups regard this as a pivotal moment in US-Israeli history. They will employ their vast resources to eliminate any candidate expressing sympathy for the Palestinians or questioning automatic support for Israel. Furthermore, other issues, such as the economy and various social ills, will continue to dominate political agendas; foreign policy rarely shapes US elections. The transition will not be bipartisan in the near term. Republican support for Israel is more consistent. The Democratic establishment has been under mounting pressure from its base since Joe Biden’s presidency. As younger members gain political ascendancy – as exemplified by the spectacular victory of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary – the Democratic leadership will be forced to change tack. With more pro-Palestinian officials elected into office, especially in Congress, the progressive bloc will grow and intensify the pressure to change policy from within. This process, however, will not be quick enough to immediately improve the situation in Palestine or even stop the looming ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Relief is more likely to come due to international pressure and developments on the ground rather than a change in US policy. Nevertheless, in the longer term, lessened support for Israel from Congress or even a US president would mean the Israeli government would have to change its overly aggressive posture in the region and rein in its adventurous militarism. It will likely also be forced to make concessions on the Palestinian question. Whether this would be enough to establish a Palestinian state remains to be seen. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
US targets Brazilian justice’s wife with sanctions; will revoke more visas
Six officials will see their visas revoked following the sentencing of Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro. By Reuters Published On 22 Sep 202522 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The United States is reportedly revoking visas for six more Brazilian judicial officials while the US Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on the wife of a Supreme Court justice. In an expansion of its sanctions targeting Brazil’s judiciary, the administration of US President Donald Trump on Monday imposed sanctions on Viviane Barci de Moraes, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list It also imposed sanctions on the Lex Instituto de Estudos Juridicos, a financial entity controlled by Barci de Moraes and other family members that the US government believes could serve as a vehicle to evade pre-existing sanctions, a Treasury Department notice said. Shortly after those sanction notices were published, a White House official told the Reuters news agency that the government is revoking the visas of Brazilian Solicitor General Jorge Messias and five other former and current Brazilian judicial officials. Brazil’s Supreme Court declined to comment. Barci de Moraes’s law firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alexandre de Moraes presided over the criminal case of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted this month of attempting a coup to stay in power after he lost the 2022 election to current leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison. His lawyers said they will appeal the conviction although jurists said their chances of success are remote. Alexandre de Moraes himself was hit in July with sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act, which allows the US to impose economic penalties against foreigners it considers to have a record of corruption or human rights abuses. Advertisement Taken as a whole, the latest sanctions represent a deepening of an ongoing diplomatic crisis between the Western Hemisphere’s two largest democracies. Trump and his political allies have long dismissed the criminal case against Bolsonaro as a political witch-hunt. The US president, who was himself criminally indicted for trying to stay in power after his 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden, has frequently indicated that he sees a kindred spirit in the former Brazilian leader. Alexandre de Moraes has stood firm on Brazil’s judicial independence after being hit with the US sanctions. “Respect comes from independence. A subservient, cowardly judiciary, one that makes deals just to calm the country down, is not independent,” he said in August. Earlier in July, the Trump administration yanked US visas held by the justice and several of his Supreme Court colleagues. The US also hit Brazil with a 50 percent tariff on most goods. Adblock test (Why?)
Good News for UP commuters, THIS 594 km-long expressway is set to link 518 villages in 12 districts of Uttar Pradesh, to be operational by…
Spanning an impressive 594 kilometers, the Ganga Expressway is a 6-lane (expandable to 8 lanes) greenfield expressway connecting Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh to Prayagraj in the east.
Shardiya Navratri 2025: 7 must-visit places to experience magic of Ramlila in Delhi-NCR
As Navratri 2025 begins today, Delhi-NCR comes alive with grand Ramlila performances that celebrate tradition, culture, and devotion. From historic venues to vibrant local grounds, here are seven must-visit places to witness the magic of Ramlila this festive season.
PM Modi in Arunachal Pradesh hails next-gen GST reforms as ‘double bonanza’ for people, slams Congress
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Heo Hydro Electric Project (240 MW) and Tato-I Hydro Electric Project (186 MW) to be developed in the Siyom sub-basin of Arunachal Pradesh.