Bush family political dynasty may be eyeing a comeback in 2026 governor’s race in Maine
Jonathan Bush, cousin of former President George W. Bush, is signaling a possible run for Maine governor, blasting what he calls the state’s “learned helplessness” and outlining a policy vision to revive the “Maine Dream.” Bush’s message, published through his nonprofit, Maine for Keeps, offers a preview of how he could frame his pitch to voters. The Bangor Daily News reported that former President Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush recently attended a small fundraiser for Jonathan in Kennebunkport. Newsweek also reported he has already launched an exploratory committee for governor in addition to launching Maine for Keeps to promote his ideas. These moves may position him as the face of a potential Bush family revival in politics after George P. Bush’s defeat in Texas in 2022 was seen as a setback for the dynasty. SENATE DEMOCRATS ARE FEVERISHLY RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES TO WIN BACK MAJORITY IN 2026 MIDTERMS As of this reporting, however, Bush does not yet appear among the 18 gubernatorial candidates officially registered with Maine’s Ethics Commission. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is term limited, leaving an open 2026 gubernatorial seat in a state that leans left but prides itself on its independent streak. Mills was re-elected in 2022 by double digits over former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, showing Democratic strength in the Pine Tree State. The Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball currently rate the race as “Likely Democratic.” SCOOP: TRUMP ALLY TO LAUNCH KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE CAMPAIGN IN BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT In his Maine for Keeps blueprint, Bush roots his vision in family ties and a sense of place. “Maine is the best place on earth to live and raise a family! My family has been in Maine since the 1890s. My wife Fay’s family has been here since the 1700s,” he wrote. But he warns the state government has failed to foster opportunity. “Instead of creating an environment that fosters economic growth and independence, Maine state government has slipped into a ‘learned helplessness,’” he said. He also points to schools and housing as areas of decline, writing, “Our schools have dropped from among the best in the nation to the bottom of the barrel. … We’re experiencing a housing crisis because a spider web of development restrictions has shut down new construction for anything but high-end homes.” Bush has also sought to distinguish himself with entrepreneurial credentials and plainspoken appeals to civic duty. In a recent interview with journalist Polina Pompliano, he described an “unwritten Bush family rule”: “You need to earn both sides of a paycheck before you tell other people what to do with their tax dollars.” Bush said that philosophy led him to build businesses in Maine. “I moved to Maine, which is a tough state to do business in, and I’ve tried to help out as much as I can in my community,” he said. His philosophy, he added, is that “we should all be figuring out how to lean in, rather than just yell at the TV. The TV doesn’t care.” Bush, 55, is best known as a healthcare entrepreneur. He co-founded Athenahealth in the 1990s, expanding it into a major medical software company before stepping down in 2018 amid an activist investor fight. He later launched Zus Health, a Boston-based startup focused on health data interoperability. Several prominent Democrats are already exploring bids, including Angus King III, Hannah Pingree, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Senate President Troy Jackson. Republicans, meanwhile, face a fragmented field, with several candidates vying for attention in a party divided between Trump-aligned populists and moderates, analysts told Newsweek. One Gallup poll from Jan. 21 shows both Bush’s potential and his hurdles. Trump enjoys 93% favorability among Republicans, compared to 63% for Bush’s cousin, George W. Bush. Maine’s tradition of electing moderates, as seen with Sen. Susan Collins’ repeated victories, could, however, play to his advantage. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Jonathan Bush has not formally declared his candidacy but is expected to make a decision in the coming months. In the meantime, Maine for Keeps is continuing to release policy papers and podcast episodes. A gubernatorial run would test what the Bush family name still means to voters in the Trump era. The George W. Bush Presidential Center, Former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Susan Collins did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Jonathan Bush’s nonprofit Maine for Keeps could not be reached for comment.
Trump vowed DC takeover multiple times on 2024 campaign trail: ‘He’s keeping his promise’
Though the move by the Trump administration this week to federalize the nation’s capital in the name of public safety has drawn controversy, previous comments by the president show the bold action was a direct campaign promise. Hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents were deployed to deter crime and “beautify” the city after President Donald Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police Department on Monday. While coordination with the federal government came after former DOGE employee ‘Big Balls’ was violently beaten in Washington, D.C., the commanding step was promised on multiple occasions during Trump’s presidential campaign in 2024. “Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump because of his commonsense policies that are hugely popular with the American public–including restoring law and order. Making DC Safe Again and stopping violent crime is something President Trump pledged to do and now he’s keeping his promise,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. “Democrat politicians who oppose this move are suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome and it is just one of the many reasons why their approval rating is hitting record lows. Meanwhile, Americans from all backgrounds and communities can applaud efforts to stop violent crime.” ‘RADICAL’ DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS ‘LIKE CRAP,’ POLICE LEADER SAYS – 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER Following the January 2024 murder of Mike Gill, a Republican who worked under the Obama and Trump administrations, in Washington, D.C., Trump posted on Truth Social noting the violence was unacceptable. “Wonderful and brilliant Mike Gill, a highly respected member of the Trump Administration, was ruthlessly and viciously shot in the head during a carjacking in Washington D.C.,” Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday morning. “His family and friends are devastated. The Federal Government must take over D.C.” Gill was shot in broad daylight on Jan. 29, 2024 while sitting in his car parked just a few blocks north of the National Mall. He was waiting to pick his wife up from work when an armed carjacker opened fire. He suffered a gunshot wound to the head and died three days later. At a campaign event in Las Vegas, Trump doubled down on the promise to restore law and order in the capital. “We’re going to federalize it,” he said. “We’re going to have the toughest law enforcement in the country.” Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich also weighed in on the topic following Gill’s death, calling on Congress to “take back control.” “Mike Gill’s death from attack by a carjacker on 14th street in downtown Washington while picking his wife up from work is one more example of why Congress needs to take back control of our national capital,” Gingrich wrote in an X post. I SUPPORT TRUMP TAKING CONTROL OF DC POLICE — THE CONSTITUTION IS ON HIS SIDE Mayor Muriel Bowser said violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low, but city data shows robberies and homicides spiked after the pandemic. D.C. records show gun violence jumped 460% downtown, while homicides rose up to 500% in neighborhoods like Southwest/Waterfront and H Street. Trump has 30 days of temporary emergency control of the capital under current law, and warned he could declare a national emergency to prolong it if Congress resists. “You can’t have 30 days,” he said during a news conference at the Kennedy Center. “We’re going to do this very quickly, but we’re going to want extensions. I don’t want to call a national emergency, but if I have to, I will.” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Hundreds arrested as Trump’s Washington, DC, crime crackdown hits full stride
The Trump administration’s crackdown on violent crime in Washington, D.C., has already netted more than 240 arrests and taken 38 guns off the streets, a White House official told Fox News. The show of force has swept up gang members, robbery suspects and immigration violators. On Friday alone, 52 people were arrested, including 28 illegal immigrants, while three guns were seized. Federal teams also cleared 25 homeless encampments, and officials said those removals were carried out without confrontations or arrests. EXPERT FLIPS SCRIPT ON DEMS PUSHING ‘CHERRY-PICKED’ CRIME STATS TO RESIST TRUMP’S DC CRACKDOWN White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller hailed the scale of the operations and said the numbers are “breathtaking.” “We have seen a record number of violent offenders, bad guys, gang members and all kinds of threats to public safety removed off the streets as well as their illegal weapons that they’ve been using to terrorize the citizens of this city,” Miller told “Fox News Live.” “Additionally, we have seen over 70 homeless encampments that have scarred and disfigured the public streets of this city, dismantled and thrown away and the homeless cleared from those encampments. At the same time, we have the National Park Service going around and getting rid of the gang graffiti that has been left untouched by this city for decades.” The operation began quietly Aug. 7 with the launch of the “Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful” task force created by President Donald Trump in March through an executive order. He escalated it Aug. 11 by temporarily seizing federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under emergency powers in the Home Rule Act, the first such move in U.S. history. WOMAN GUNNED DOWN IN ‘SAFE’ DC NEIGHBORHOOD AS TRUMP LAUNCHES FEDERAL POLICE TAKEOVER The order puts the MPD under federal authority for up to 30 days, unless Congress extends it, and 800 National Guard troops were deployed. In all, 22 multi-agency teams with more than 1,800 personnel were deployed across all seven police districts as the president vowed to aggressively “take our capital back.” “We have a capital that’s very unsafe. … Something’s out of control. But we’re going to put it in control very quickly,” Trump said Monday. Other arrests included drug distribution, weapons violations and outstanding warrants. Police also detained suspects accused of fleeing law enforcement, reckless driving, assault with a dangerous weapon and kidnapping. The D.C. National Guard carried out roving patrols on foot and in vehicles around the National Mall and Union Station last night. While they remain armed, the officials stressed they are not making arrests, instead securing federal assets and providing cover for police. Trump began floating the idea of federalizing D.C. law enforcement after the brutal beating of a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee during an alleged attempted carjacking in Washington’s Logan Circle. He then moved to ramp up his crackdown on Monday, invoking the Home Rule Act. Democrats and local officials pushed back, noting MPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office report violent crime is at a 30-year low, down 35% from 2023 to 2024. FBI data for the same period shows a much smaller decrease of around 9%, highlighting a substantial gap between local and federal statistics. The discrepancy stems from differences in how crimes are classified and reported to federal databases. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser described the federal action as “unsettling and unprecedented,” while Democrats have introduced a joint resolution in an effort to put the brakes on the federal takeover of police.
First Lady Melania Trump’s ‘peace letter’ to Putin: ‘It is time’
EXCLUSIVE: First Lady Melania Trump wrote a “peace letter” to Russian President Vladimir Putin telling him “it is time” to protect children and future generations around the globe, Fox News Digital has learned. Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the “peace letter” the first lady penned to Putin, which President Trump hand-delivered to the Russian leader before their summit in Alaska, Fox News Digital has learned. TRUMP RATES PUTIN SUMMIT A ’10 OUT OF 10′ AND TOUTS ‘VERY GOOD PROGRESS’ TOWARD PEACE Immediately upon receiving the letter, Putin read it as the American and Russian delegations looked on. “Dear President Putin,” the first lady’s letter begins. “Every child shares the same quiet dreams in their heart, whether born randomly into a nation’s rustic countryside or a magnificent city-center. They dream of love, possibility, and safety from danger.” “As parents, it is our duty to nurture the next generation’s hope,” the letter continued. “As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few.” “Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all—so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded,” read the letter. “A simple yet profound concept, Mr. Putin, as I am sure you agree, is that each generation’s descendants begin their lives with a purity—an innocence which stands above geography, government, and ideology.” The first lady continued that “in today’s world, some children are forced to carry a quiet laughter, untouched by the darkness around them—a silent defiance against the forces that can potentially claim their future.” TRUMP REVEALS 10 STRIKING TAKEAWAYS FROM PUTIN SUMMIT IN HANNITY INTERVIEW “Mr. Putin, you can singlehandedly restore their melodic laughter,” the first lady wrote. “In protecting the innocence of these children, you will do more than serve Russia alone—you serve humanity itself.” “Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of the pen today,” she wrote. “It is time.” Mrs. Trump’s “peace letter” was written ahead of her husband’s historic meeting with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, Friday. The high-stakes meeting was the first U.S.-Russia summit since June 2021, which was under former President Joe Biden’s administration and only eight months before Putin invaded Ukraine. Though Trump and Putin had not met in person in years prior to Friday, they have spoken on the phone numerous times this year to discuss an end to the Russia’s war with Ukraine. Following the meeting, President Trump, said the summit was “extremely productive,” but that the parties were “not there yet” on ending the war. “There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say,” Trump told the press following the meeting. “A couple of big ones that we haven’t quite gotten there, but we’ve made some headway. So, there’s no deal until there’s a deal.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to travel to Washington D.C. to meet with President Trump on Monday. “On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, D.C., to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. I am grateful for the invitation,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. Zelenskyy said Trump told him about the main points of his meeting with Putin, adding that he fully supports Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia and the U.S.
A hundred Hiroshimas
Hind Hassan examines the prospect of a new nuclear arms race, the companies helping to fuel it, and the dangers it poses. Eighty years after the first and only time nuclear weapons have been used – the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 – the risk of the unthinkable happening again has never been greater. The world’s largest nuclear powers – Russia and the United States – are as close as they’ve been to conflict since the height of the Cold War. As they upgrade their nuclear capabilities, even talking openly about using them, all signs point to the beginnings of a second nuclear arms race. Only this time, there aren’t just two players, but three: China, once a junior member of the nuclear club, is expanding its arsenal faster than any other nation. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump set to meet Ukraine’s Zelenskyy after ‘successful’ talks with Putin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss an end to the more than three-year war in Ukraine, hours after Trump’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without a concrete deal. In a post on his Truth Social platform after holding phone conversations with European Union and NATO leaders, Trump said the talks with Putin “went very well”. “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.” Trump’s pitch for the peace agreement, analysts say, came after no deal was announced in the Alaska talks. Prior to the meeting, Trump had threatened Moscow to agree to a ceasefire. Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Moscow, said there has been an atmosphere of success in Moscow. “Trump’s remarks on the need for a larger peace agreement fall in line with what Putin has been saying for the last few months,” he said. The Ukrainian leader and his European allies, who have been seeking a ceasefire, welcomed the Trump-Putin talks on Saturday but emphasised the need for a security guarantee for Kyiv. Zelenskyy, who was publicly berated by Trump and his officials during his last Oval Office meeting, said, “I am grateful for the invitation.” The Ukrainian leader said he had a “long and substantive conversation with Trump”. “In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be tightened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia evades an honest end to the war,” the Ukrainian leader said. Advertisement He said that Ukraine needed a real, long-lasting peace and not “just another pause” between Russian invasions. “Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the US,” he said on X following his call with the European leaders. Zelenskiy stressed that territorial issues can only be decided with Ukraine. Trilateral meeting In his first public comment after the Alaska talks, Zelenskyy said he supported Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US, and Russia, adding that Kyiv is “ready for constructive cooperation”. “Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace,” the Ukrainian president posted on X. But Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said on Russian state television on Saturday that a potential trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy has not been raised during the US-Russia discussions. “The topic has not been touched upon yet,” Ushakov said, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Trump rolled out the red carpet on Friday for Putin, who was in the US for the first time in a decade, but he gave little concrete detail afterwards of what was discussed. Trump said in Alaska that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” after Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.” Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kyiv, said Trump has been heavily criticised by the US media over the meeting in Alaska. “They are concerned about what has been described as far more of a conciliatory tone by Trump towards Putin, without coming out of that meeting with even a ceasefire,” he said. Stratford said that the eyes are now on the meeting in Washington as Zelenskyy and Trump try to set up a trilateral meeting with Putin. “If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,” the US president said. During an interview with Fox News Channel after the talks, Trump insisted that the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy “to get it done,” but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. Meanwhile, several European leaders on Saturday jointly pledged to continue support for Ukraine and maintain pressure on Russia until the war in Ukraine ends. Europe’s stance In a statement, EU leaders, including the French president and German chancellor, outlined key points in stopping the conflict. They said: “Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Advertisement Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine‘s pathway to the EU and NATO, the statement said. “It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.” Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Brussels, said reaching a ceasefire in Ukraine is the priority of European leaders. “They believe that there needs to be an immediate ceasefire before reaching a comprehensive deal on the future of Ukraine,” he said. “Then they seek to provide security guarantees by deploying their own forces to make sure Russians will not violate the terms of that agreement,” our correspondent stressed, adding that European countries reject the notion of changing the borders by force. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Will I make it back alive?’: Gaza journalists fear targeting by Israel
After Israel’s attack on a tent housing journalists in Gaza City, Palestinians say press vests now feel like a target. Palestinian journalists have long known Gaza to be the most dangerous place on earth for media workers, but Israel’s latest attack on a tent housing journalists in Gaza City has left many reeling from shock and fear. Four Al Jazeera staff were among seven people killed in an Israeli drone strike outside al-Shifa Hospital on August 10. The Israeli military has admitted to deliberately targeting the tent after making unsubstantiated accusations that one of those killed, Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, was a member of Hamas. Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least 238 media workers since October 2023, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. This toll is higher than that of World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, the war in Afghanistan and the Yugoslavia wars combined. Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud said, “Press vests and helmets, once considered a shield, now feel like a target.” “The fear is constant — and justified,” Mahmoud said. “Every assignment is accompanied by the same unspoken question: Will [I] make it back alive?” The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists has been among several organisations denouncing Israel’s longstanding pattern of accusing journalists of being “terrorists” without credible proof. “It is no coincidence that the smears against al-Sharif — who has reported night and day for Al Jazeera since the start of the war — surfaced every time he reported on a major development in the war, most recently the starvation brought about by Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into the territory,” CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah said in the aftermath of Israel’s attack. In light of Israel’s systematic targeting of journalists, media workers in Gaza are forced to make difficult choices. Advertisement “As a mother and a journalist, I go through this mental dissonance almost daily, whether to go to work or stay with my daughters and being afraid of the random shelling of the Israeli occupation army,” Palestinian journalist Sally Thabet told Al Jazeera. Across the street from the ruins of the School of Media Studies at al-Quds Open University in Gaza City, where he used to teach, Hussein Saad has been recovering from an injury he sustained while running to safety. “The deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists has a strong effect on the disappearance of the Palestinian story and the disappearance of the media narrative,” he said. Saad argued the Strip was witnessing “the disappearance of the truth”. While journalists report on mass killings, human suffering and starvation, they also cope with their own losses and deprivation. Photographer and correspondent Amer al-Sultan said hunger was a major challenge. “I used to go to work, and when I didn’t find anything to eat, I would just drink water,” he said. “I did this for two days. I had to live for two or three days on water. This is one of the most difficult challenges we face amid this war against our people: starvation.” Journalist and film director Hassan Abu Dan said reporters “live in conditions that are more difficult than the mind can imagine.” “You live in a tent. You drink water that is not good for drinking. You eat unhealthy food … We are all, as journalists, confused. There is a part of our lives that has been ruined and gone far away,” he said. Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud said that despite the psychological trauma and the personal risks, Palestinian journalists continue to do their jobs, “driven by a belief that documenting the truth is not just a profession, but a duty to their people and history”. Adblock test (Why?)
Moments of cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar caught on camera, video shows flash floods sweeping away homes, shops, WATCH
A massive cloudburst, followed by flash floods, struck the Chishoti area in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on August 14. Videos of the moments of the flash floods are circulating on social media.
After Axiom-4 mission success, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is returning to India on…, set to meet PM Modi, reunite with family
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla is returning to India. He became the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) and completed a successful 18-day mission. He is set to meet PM Modi, and reunite with his family members after so long.
Railways’ Big Update: Passengers can now book Vande Bharat train tickets online even 15 minutes before departure, know how
In its Vande Bharat train, the Railways has made yet another change. Passengers will be able to book current tickets as well 15 minutes before the train departs.