Texas startups make products from the carbon in fossil fuels
As consumption of fossil fuels continues to rise, technologies developed by companies in Texas could help change the view of carbon as a hard-to-manage waste product.
Meet the Californian who pushed Texas lawmakers to help fix the state’s housing crisis
A bipartisan coalition, organized by Nicole Nosek, played a role in getting the Legislature to pass laws tackling the state’s housing affordability woes.
Federal judge partially blocks law banning adults from helping minors get out-of-state abortions
A federal judge has blocked a portion of a Tennessee law that made it a crime for adults to help minors obtain out-of-state abortions without parental consent. Known for prohibiting “abortion trafficking of a minor,” the law, enacted in 2024 by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, with support from the GOP-controlled legislature, criminalizes certain behavior toward pregnant, unemancipated minors by adults who are not their parents or legal guardians who help them receive abortions – even if the abortion is legal in another state. U.S. Circuit Judge Julia Gibbons, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, took issue with the law’s “recruitment provision,” which criminalizes giving information to minors about how to receive an abortion out of state or helping minors make travel plans. In a summary judgment Friday, Gibbons agreed the provision violates the First Amendment because it “prohibits speech encouraging lawful abortion while allowing speech discouraging lawful abortion.” FEDERAL JUDGE SLAPS TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER ON MISSISSIPPI DEI BAN “That is impermissible viewpoint discrimination, which the First Amendment rarely tolerates – and does not tolerate here,” Gibbons, who sits on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote. Gibbons permanently blocked enforcement of the provision banning encouraging a minor to seek a legal out-of-state abortion. “The recruitment provision targets speech because of its message – that abortion is safe, common and normal – and available in certain states – and is presumptively unconstitutional,” the judge added. Gibbons noted that she was brought in to hear this lower court case after four judges from the Middle District of Tennessee recused themselves. If Tennessee appeals the decision, the case will advance to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The Tennessee attorney general has already appealed a November decision by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger that temporarily blocked the recruitment provision. That appeal remains pending in the Sixth Circuit Court. The case was brought by Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn, who is a licensed social worker, and Rachel Welty, a Nashville attorney and pro-abortion advocate. “Because plaintiffs wish to speak about legal abortions and seek to help minors obtain legal, out-of-state abortions, their intended speech is protected under the First Amendment,” Gibbons wrote. WH PRAISES SCOTUS RULING UPHOLDING TN BAN ON TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS: ‘VICTORY FOR AMERICA’S CHILDREN’ In response to the decision, Welty and Behn’s lead counsel, Daniel A. Horwitz, said Gibbons’ “thoughtful and well-reasoned opinion protects the right of all Tennesseans to share truthful information about abortion without fear that crusading prosecutors will try to punish them criminally for doing so.” “It also affirms that the government has no authority to enact overbroad laws that criminalize pure speech based on the government’s disagreement with a speaker’s point of view,” he added in a statement. “This is a major victory for Ms. Welty, Representative Behn, and all Tennesseans who believe that the government has no right to prosecute citizens for sharing truthful information.” In the final decision, Gibbons, however, rejected the plaintiffs’ claims that the law is too vague to be constitutional under the Due Process Clause. The judge sided with the state on that matter, saying the law is sufficiently specific in what behavior is forbidden. Gibbons did not block portions of the law criminalizing physically transporting minors across state lines to receive an abortion or harboring a minor for the purpose of helping them receive an abortion. “The court grants summary judgment for the plaintiffs on their free speech claims and enjoins enforcement of the recruiting prong of the statute,” Gibbons wrote. “The statute is not, however, void for vagueness. The court therefore grants summary judgment for defendants on plaintiff’s vagueness claim.” The law does not apply to the minor’s parent or legal guardian, licensed media providers acting in emergency situations, or law enforcement acting within official duties. Violations constitute a Class A Misdemeanor punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail or a fine of up to $2,500. The statute provides that violators “may be held liable in a civil action for the wrongful death of an unborn child who was aborted.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Tennessee enforced a “trigger law,” effectively banning abortions in most cases, with limited exceptions.
‘Culture of shame’: NYC council member sounds alarm over Mamdani voters falling for ‘pipe dream’
EXCLUSIVE – BROOKLYN, NY: NYC Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov revealed the popularity of socialist mayoral candidate Zohan Mamdani is driven by his supporters falling for the “pipe dream” that socialism and communism have to offer. Vernikov, who was born in Soviet Ukraine, told Fox News Digital that she remembers standing in milk and bread lines with her grandfather, adding that Mamdani’s policies are an “experiment that has been done before.” “When you look at the Soviet Union, this is exactly what they did,” Vernikov said. “They promised the people, everything, and at the end, who got rich? Only the government. And I think that’s what’s happening here.” When asked what is behind Mamdani’s surge in popularity that skyrocketed him to the top of the national conversation when he won the Democratic primary for the largest city in the United States, Vernikov suggested many of his voters are motivated by “guilt.” MAMDANI CONFRONTED ON STREETS OF NYC ABOUT ‘COMMUNIST’ LABEL, REFUSES TO ANSWER “This is my opinion, is that we’re living in a culture of shame that started during the George Floyd riots, when people who were White and who were rich were shamed into being White and rich and now we see who voted for Mamdani,” Vernikov said. “It’s not the Black community, it’s not the Hispanic community, not the brown community, it’s really not even the Jewish community, right? It’s, really, the White and the privileged who voted for Mamdani and I think they were shamed into voting for him, and it’s kind of a small price for them to pay to be accepted socially.” Vernikov explained that another part of the equation is that many young Mamdani voters who have never experienced communism and socialism and “grew up privileged” have been tricked into thinking “this pipe dream could actually be a reality.” MAMDANI SPARKS FIRESTORM WITH RESURFACED COMMENT ON ABOLISHING PRIVATE PROPERTY: ‘HE’S A COMMUNIST’ “In reality, these things can never happen,” Vernikov said. “What could happen is chaos. What could happen is bread lines, what could happen is us seeing the police flee, and this will not be New York City anymore as we know it. This will not be our country, and we cannot be proud of what it’s about to become.” Vernikov acknowledged that part of Mamdani’s rise can be attributed to his being “extremely charismatic” and “charming,” which has led to an “effective” campaign and that Republicans could learn from some of his campaign strategies. “I think the promises he’s making combined with the guilt, with the shame, combined with him being extremely charismatic and charming, he’s having a very, very effective campaign,” Vernikov said. However, ultimately, Vernikov said his platform is filled with unkeepable promises and that he is “absolutely” a communist. “His ideas, he might say he’s a socialist, but I don’t really draw the line,” Vernikov said. “I think it’s the same concepts, the same ideas in terms of the economy, in terms of these policies. I think that it’s very, very dangerous and it’s counter to the idea of capitalism and the cornerstone of our democracy.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment.
WATCH: Lawmakers break down how billions in the ‘big, beautiful bill’ boost Trump’s immigration crackdown
President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” was signed into law earlier this month, with Republican lawmakers celebrating a broad range of GOP victories in the massive tax-and-spending legislation. That includes billions of dollars aimed at Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration in the U.S. Nearly $30 billion is marked for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alone, and $45 billion is going toward building up detention facility capacity. House Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital last week hailed that funding boost, even as critics of the Trump administration accuse the White House of taking too heavy a hand on the issue. “Having that money to now be able to work on the wall along the southern border, to be able to hire more agents, to pay them more, to invest in the technology, to patrol and secure the border – it is hugely important,” Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital. “If you ask President Trump, that was the most important issue of the 2024 election.” COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ Rep. Michael Guest, R-Tenn., who chairs the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement on the House Homeland Security Committee, said the detention facility funding is particularly significant. Guest urged ICE to use those funds to ramp up “targeted” enforcement against illegal immigrants. It comes as many on the left and some on the right have urged the Trump administration not to go too far in rounding up suspected illegal immigrants who otherwise pose no known threat to the public. 148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS “I think targeted enforcement, making sure that they’re going after the worst of the worst – those individuals who have either committed crimes in the United States or we learn after they released into the interior that they had committed crimes in their country origin, [or] those people who have final orders of removal,” Guest said. “Those are the people that I believe that ICE needs to be targeting. Those are the people where you see widespread support from the American public that they want to get off the street.” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., pointed out that ICE had been asking for that funding for some time. “Tom Homan has done a tremendous job. He’s indicated for a while he needs more money to keep doing his job. And he’s being fought by everybody, particularly the sanctuary cities, to prevent that from happening,” Norman said. “The least we can do is provide the funding, and we did it.” And Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said he hoped the increased border and immigration crackdown would help fight the ongoing drug crisis still plaguing the U.S. “So in order to have a secured border, in order get rid of these criminal, illegal aliens that are raping and murdering American citizens on the regular, we have to have a very strong immigration enforcement system,” Van Orden said. Reps. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., highlighted the funding for Trump’s border wall and for more ICE personnel, respectively. The bill passed the House earlier this month and was signed into law by Trump on the Fourth of July. In addition to funding immigration operations, it also extends key parts of Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), rolls back some Biden administration-era green energy subsidies, and imposes new work requirements for federal aid.
Senate votes to consider former Trump lawyer for lifetime as appeals court judge
The Senate narrowly voted to move forward with considering the nomination of former Trump lawyer Emil Bove to a federal court of appeals on Tuesday. The 50-48 vote saw one Republican break ranks and vote against his nomination, while Democrats have done everything in their power to slow down the nomination. Bove, who currently works at the Justice Department, is nominated to serve on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Democrats have argued that Bove, a former defense attorney for President Donald Trump, is unfit for the role, pointing to allegations that he proposed behind closed doors that the Trump administration could simply ignore judicial orders. Bove denies those allegations. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted with Republicans to move forward but said in a statement that she will oppose Bove’s confirmation on a final vote. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was the lone Republican to vote against moving forward with Bove’s nomination. TRUMP CONSIDERS FORMER DEFENSE ATTORNEY EMIL BOVE FOR FEDERAL APPEALS COURT VACANCY “We have to have judges who will adhere to the rule of law and the Constitution and do so regardless of what their personal views may be,” Collins said in a statement. “Mr. Bove’s political profile and some of the actions he has taken in his leadership roles at the Department of Justice cause me to conclude he would not serve as an impartial jurist.” Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee stormed out of the meeting where the committee approved Bove last week. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., attempted to push for more debate time, but Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, pushed forward with the vote. “What are you afraid of?” Booker erupted, after Grassley tried to speak over him and hold the vote. “Debating this [nomination], putting things on the record — Dear God,” he said, “that’s what we are here for.” “What are they saying to you,” he said, referring to the Trump administration, “that is making you do something to violate the decorum, the decency and the respect of this committee to at least hear each other out?” TRUMP’S REMARKS COULD COME BACK TO BITE HIM IN ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION BATTLE Booker ended the sharp exchange with Grassley by saying simply, “This is wrong, sir, and I join with my colleagues in leaving,” before streaming out of the committee room. It comes as Trump administration officials have taken aim at “activist” judges they argue are blocking the president’s agenda and preventing him from enacting his sweeping policy goals, including the administration’s crackdown on border security and immigration. Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Coast Guard overhaul takes off amid Trump administration’s immigration, narcotics crackdown
Efforts to overhaul the Coast Guard are gaining traction on Capitol Hill — coinciding with the Trump administration’s endeavor to revamp the service to address illegal migrant crossings and drug seizures. Multiple initiatives to update the Coast Guard are underway in both chambers of Congress, and within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). All seek to elevate the service so it’s on par with the other branches of the military that fall under the Department of Defense, and better equip it to tackle drug and immigration interdiction missions. House legislation authorizing funding for the service through 2029 recently cleared a committee vote and aims to empower the service to conduct these missions, according to Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., a co-sponsor of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025. “The Coast Guard is very similar to law enforcement,” Ezell told Fox News Digital July 16. “It’s going to fight the narcotics epidemic that we have coming into the country. Our Coast Guard officers and men and women are going to really be able to go after that.” INSIDE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S OVERHAUL OF THE COAST GUARD AMID BORDER SECURITY BLITZ Such missions are only increasing for the Coast Guard. DHS announced July 15 that the service had seized a total of 242,244 pounds of cocaine since President Donald Trump took office in January. That amounts to a more than 100% increase in seizures in comparison to the same timeframe in 2024 during the Biden administration, according to DHS. Ezell, along with Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., introduced the Coast Guard Authorization Act July 2, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the measure July 15, paving the way for the measure to head to the House floor. One of the most significant provisions in the legislation would establish a civilian secretary of the Coast Guard to align more similarly with the other branches of the military that fall under the Department of Defense. The Coast Guard falls under the jurisdiction of DHS and does not have a top civilian leading the service. Installing a secretary of the service will “streamline some of this red tape that we’ve seen over the years that’s slowed progress down” because he or she will report directly to the White House and Congress — eliminating multiple layers of bureaucracy, according to Ezell. “This person is going to be instrumental in getting things done,” Ezell said. COAST GUARD RESCUES 4 PASSENGERS FROM CAPSIZED BOAT OFF FLORIDA COAST “Coming from my background as a sheriff and the chief of police, I know the importance of coordinating with other agencies to get the job done,” Ezell said. “When you have one person that’s a point of contact who will put all the information out from the president, from the DHS Secretary, it’ll be so much simpler.” Prior to being elected to the House, Ezell served as a law enforcement officer for over 40 years, including serving as sheriff of Jackson County, Mississippi. Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia introduced legislation in the Senate in April that would similarly establish a secretary for the Coast Guard. “The establishment of a Secretary of the Coast Guard is an important step in ensuring our nation’s maritime security is led with the strength and efficiency it deserves to ensure it can fulfill its mission and adapt to any challenges,” Scott said in an April statement. “It’s critical to have a dedicated Secretary for the U.S. Coast Guard working closely with President Trump, our military leaders, and the Department of Homeland Security for a coordinated, successful effort to keep the nation safe,” Scott said. The efforts on Capitol Hill also align with initiatives underway at the Department of Homeland Security to reform the service. In April, the Coast Guard unveiled its new Force Design 2028 plan to revamp the service’s organizational structure, personnel, acquisitions, contracting and technology, in keeping with directives from Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. COAST GUARD AIRLIFTS CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER WHO HAD STROKES 300 MILES OFF HAWAII COAST The proposal aims to beef up the Coast Guard’s force, which currently consists of roughly 43,000 active-duty personnel, and determine which specialties need reinforcement to expand training. The blueprint also calls for a series of changes to better align the Coast Guard with the Department of Defense’s standards for physical fitness, body composition and grooming. The Coast Guard, unlike other military services, does not enforce fitness standards unless personnel are attached to boat crews of law enforcement teams. The initiative comes in response to the Trump administration’s efforts to tackle illegal immigration and drug smuggling, a DHS official familiar with the plan told Fox News Digital in April. “We’ve been making changes practically daily in the service to really keep moving forward,” the official told Fox News Digital in April. “The goal of 2028 is that the transformation of the service will be complete by 2028.”
Brennan directed publication of ‘implausible’ reports claiming Putin preferred Trump in 2016, House found
FIRST ON FOX: The intelligence community did not have any direct information that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to help elect Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election, but, at the “unusual” direction of then-President Barack Obama, published “potentially biased” or “implausible” intelligence suggesting otherwise, the House Intelligence Committee found. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified a report prepared by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence back in 2020. OBAMA OFFICIALS ADMITTED THEY HAD NO ‘EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE’ OF TRUMP-RUSSIA COLLUSION: HOUSE INTEL TRANSCRIPTS The report, which was based on an investigation launched by former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., was dated Sept. 18, 2020. At the time of the publication of the report, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was the chairman of the committee. The report has never before been released to the public, and instead, has remained highly classified within the intelligence community. Fox News Digital obtained the “fully-sourced limited-access investigation report that was drafted and stored in a limited-access vault at CIA Headquarters.” The report includes some redactions. The committee focused on the creation of the Intelligence Community Assessment of 2017, in which then-CIA Director John Brennan pushed for the inclusion of the now-discredited anti-Trump dossier, despite knowing it was based largely on “internet rumor,” as Fox News Digital previously reported. According to the report, the ICA was a “high-profile product ordered by the President, directed by senior IC agency heads, and created by just five CIA analysts, using one principal drafter.” “Production of the ICA was subject to unusual directives from the President and senior political appointees, and particularly DCIA,” the report states. “The draft was not properly coordinated within CIA or the IC, ensuring it would be published without significant challenges to its conclusions.” The committee found that the five CIA analysts and drafter “rushed” the ICA’s production “in order to publish two weeks before President-elect Trump was sworn-in.” “Hurried coordination and limited access to the draft reduced opportunities for the IC to discover misquoting of sources and other tradecraft concerns,” the report states. FLASHBACK: HOUSE INTEL TRANSCRIPTS SHOW TOP OBAMA OFFICIALS HAD NO ‘EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE’ OF TRUMP-RUSSIA COLLUSION The report states that Brennan “ordered the post-election publication of 15 reports containing previously collected but unpublished intelligence, three of which were substandard—containing information that was unclear, of uncertain origin, potentially biased, or implausible—and those became foundational sources for the ICA judgements that Putin preferred Trump over Clinton.” READ THE REPORT – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: “The ICA misrepresented these reports as reliable, without mentioning their significant underlying flaws,” the committee found. “One scant, unclear, and unverifiable fragment of a sentence from one of the substandard reports constitutes the only classified information cited to suggest Putin ‘aspired’ to help Trump win,” the report states, adding that the ICA “ignored or selectively quoted reliable intelligence reports that challenged-and in some cases undermined—judgments that Putin sought to elect Trump.” The report also states that the ICA “failed to consider plausible alternative explanations of Putin’s intentions indicated by reliable intelligence and observed Russian actions.” The committee also found that two senior CIA officers warned Brennan that “we don’t have direct information that Putin wanted to get Trump elected.” Despite those warnings, the Obama administration moved to publish the ICA. The ICA “did not cite any report where Putin directly indicated helping Trump win was the objective.” OBAMA DENIES TRUMP’S ‘BIZARRE ALLEGATIONS’ THAT HE WAS RUSSIAGATE ‘RINGLEADER’ IN RARE STATEMENT The ICA, according to the report, excluded “significant intelligence” and “ignored or selectively quoted” reliable intelligence in an effort to push the Russia narrative. The report also includes intelligence from a longtime Putin confidant who explained to investigators that “Putin told him he did not care who won the election,” and that Putin “had often outlined the weaknesses of both major candidates.” The report also states that the ICA committed context showing that the claim that Putin preferred Trump was “implausible—if not ridiculous.” The committee also found that the ICA suppressed intelligence that showed that Russia was actually planning for a Hillary Clinton victory because “they knew where (she) stood” and believed Russia “could work with her.” The committee also noted that the ICA “did not address why Putin chose not to leak more discrediting material on Clinton,” even as polls tightened in the final weeks of the election.” The committee also found that the ICA suppressed intelligence showing that Putin was “not only demonstrating a clear lack of concern for Trump’s election fate,” but also indicated “that he preferred to see Secretary Clinton elected, knowing she would be a more vulnerable President.” The declassification of the report comes just days after Gabbard declassified and released documents that included “overwhelming evidence” that demonstrated how, after Trump won the 2016 election against Clinton, then-President Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe. Meanwhile, Fox News Digital, in 2020, exclusively obtained the declassified transcripts from Obama-era national security officials’ closed-door testimonies before the House Intelligence Committee, in which those officials testified that they had no “empirical evidence” of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election, but continued to publicly push the “narrative” of collusion. The House Intelligence Committee, in 2017, conducted depositions of top Obama intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Attorney General Loretta Lynch, among others. The officials’ responses in the transcripts of those interviews align with the results of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation — which found no evidence of criminal coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016, while not reaching a determination on obstruction of justice. OBAMA ADMIN ‘MANUFACTURED’ INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE 2016 RUSSIAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTS SHOW The transcripts, from 2017 and 2018, revealed top Obama officials were questioned by House Intelligence Committee lawmakers and investigators about whether they had or had seen evidence of such collusion, coordination or conspiracy — the issue that drove the FBI’s initial case and later
After meeting with Trump, Republican in key House battleground announces major decision on ‘Fox and Friends’
FIRST ON FOX: Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York will seek re-election in next year’s midterms in his crucial battleground House district, which covers a large swath of New York City’s northern suburbs. Lawler, who announced his news in an interview Wednesday morning on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” had been seriously mulling a bid for New York State governor. “There’s no question Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America,” Lawler told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade, before adding, “In 2026, she needs to be defeated. But after months of deliberating over this and really working through it, I’ve decided the right thing to do for me and my family and my district is to run for re-election.” His news is seen as a major relief to the White House and congressional Republicans, who are defending their razor-thin House majority in the 2026 midterms. Top House Republicans as well as President Donald Trump had urged Lawler to seek re-election, and Fox News confirmed that Lawler met with Trump last week at the White House to discuss his 2026 plans and other issues. WHY MIKE LAWLER TOLD A HOUSE DEMOCRAT TO ‘F—OFF’ “While I fundamentally believe I am best positioned to take on Kathy Hochul and offer New Yorkers a real choice for Governor, I have made the decision to run for re-election to the House and continue the important work I’ve been doing over the past two and a half years,” Lawler shared in a statement with Fox News Digital Wednesday morning. Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, is currently one of only three House Republicans who represent seats carried by then-Vice President Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election. Democrats are targeting his district in the midterms as they aim to retake the House majority. Their job in flipping the seat would have been made easier if Lawler had decided to run for governor. TRUMP ALLY STEFANIK SIGNALS RUN FOR NEW YORK GOVERNOR If he had run for governor, Lawler would likely have faced off for the GOP nomination against Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents a district in northern New York. Stefanik, who is a top House Trump ally, is gearing up for her own campaign against Hochul, who Republicans consider vulnerable. Stefanik released a statement Wednesday morning as the news broke, calling Republicans “more unified than ever in our mission to fire the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul in 2026” and Lawler a “great, effective, and hardworking Representative for New York’s 17th Congressional District.” “As I have previously stated, I am focused on supporting strong Republican local and county candidates on the ballot this November to lay the groundwork with a strong team for next year. I will make a final decision and announcement after this year’s November election which we are all focused on,” Stefanik added. Trump in May endorsed Lawler’s congressional re-election, in a move seen as a likely indicator of the president’s support for a gubernatorial run by Stefanik, who represents a red-leaning House district. Lawler, a one-time Republican political strategist, won election in 2020 to the New York State Assembly by defeating a Democratic incumbent. He grabbed national attention in the 2022 midterm elections by narrowly defeating incumbent Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who at the time was chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Democrats, who are both targeting his district and defending their New York governorship, were quick to criticize Lawler’s decision Wednesday morning. “Mike Lawler caving to Donald Trump before his campaign even starts proves he’s too weak to take on Governor Hochul – and he knows it,” New York State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs said in a statement, arguing New York voters will reject Lawler “no matter where his name shows up on the ballot.” And Democratic Governors Association (DGA) spokesperson, Kevin Donohoe, trolled Lawler on Wednesday morning, “Donald Trump has officially killed Mike Lawler’s dream of becoming governor of New York and given the GOP gubernatorial nomination to his top D.C. ally Elise Stefanik. Our condolences.” Hochul herself chimed in, writing on X, “This is the same Mike Lawler who caved to Trump the minute he asked to rip away New Yorkers’ healthcare. Of course he doesn’t have the spine to face me,” in reference to Medicaid reform included in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”
AI arms race: US and China weaponize drones, code and biotech for the next great war
From drone swarms to gene-edited soldiers, the United States and China are racing to integrate artificial intelligence into nearly every facet of their war machines — and a potential conflict over Taiwan may be the world’s first real test of who holds the technological edge. For millennia, victory in war was determined by manpower, firepower and the grit of battlefield commanders. However, in this ongoing technological revolution, algorithms and autonomy may matter more than conventional arms. “War will come down to who has the best AI,” said Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and defense investor, in an interview with Fox News Digital. U.S. planners now consider Taiwan the likely locus of a 21st-century great power conflict. Though America doesn’t formally ally with Taiwan, it has steadily armed the island and shifted its forces to focus on the Indo-Pacific. CHINA IS EXPLOITING OUR GOVERNMENT’S TECH WEAKNESS. WE NEED A RAPID REBOOT The Pentagon is responding with urgency, and nowhere is that transformation more visible than in the U.S. Army‘s sweeping AI overhaul. Under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership, the Army has launched a $36 billion modernization initiative aimed directly at countering China in the Indo-Pacific. By 2026, each of its 10 active combat divisions will be equipped with roughly 1,000 drones, dramatically shifting the battlefield from crewed helicopters to autonomous systems. Army leaders highlight that legacy weapons and bureaucratic lag are incompatible with future warfare. The new push includes AI-assisted command-and-control, real-world testing under challenging conditions in places like the Philippines and a rapid feedback model to keep doctrine updated. Beyond hardware, AI may prove most powerful in prevention. Bellini believes U.S. cyber espionage, combined with AI, could strike preemptively. “The United States is the very best at cyber espionage and cyber warfare… once you combine [that] with AI, you can stop a war before it even happens.” This could involve infiltrating Chinese naval systems via cyber-AI tools and neutralizing threats before ships ever set sail. AI isn’t just about machines — it’s changing biology too. The U.S. military is exploring AI-driven trauma care, synthetic blood and regenerative medicine to save lives. However, China may be pushing the envelope further. “China has been one of the more forward-leaning countries in using biotech within its military,” defense strategist Jack Burnham said. “In military hospitals, there is significant research on gene editing … some of this might be dual-use.” Reports from intelligence chiefs and former DNI John Ratcliffe suggest China may be experimenting with gene-edited soldiers, raising alarms about the ethical gray zone of AI-biotech integration. HOUSE BIPARTISAN BILL DIRECTS NSA TO CREATE ‘AI SECURITY PLAYBOOK’ AMID CHINESE TECH RACE “The future of warfare is not going to be with people,” Bellini predicted. “It’s going to be robots. It’s going to be drones. And it’s the synchronization.” Tesla is developing its “Optimus” robot, he noted, complete with an AI-optimized “brain” to complete chores that are “dangerous, repetitive and boring” in warehouses, homes and even hazardous facilities like nuclear plants. CEO Elon Musk has spoken out against using Optimus as a “killer robot,” but still, foreign adversaries worry about the potential for dual use. China has imposed export restrictions on the rare-earth magnets needed for Optimus actuators, specifically requesting assurances that the units won’t be used for military purposes. U.S. forces are already simulating this future in AI-enhanced war games. Through these exercises, commanders learn to operate at AI pace — modeling logistics, battlefield flows, and adversaries at an unprecedented scale. “AI is really good at modeling logistics… visualizing and integrating vast quantities of data… [creating] a more immersive experience at a much larger scale,” Burnham said. “These AI opponents are like intelligent enemies you’re playing against in a war game,” explained Dr. Randall Hill, executive director of the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies. “It’s important to train not just with AI but also about AI — so soldiers understand where to trust it and where its limits are.” Hill’s team is developing tools like PAL3, a personalized AI teaching assistant for military trainees that adapts to individual learning speeds. “It’s about helping both humans and machines understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” he said. The U.S. insists on a “human-in-the-loop” for lethal AI decisions — but China may not, experts warn. “Here in the U.S., we are focused on ethical and legal decisions on the battlefield… our adversaries… might not be as worried about keeping a human in the loop,” said RJ Blake, a former defense official. Hill echoed this concern, emphasizing the need for AI systems to be interpretable and stress-tested rigorously. “We need protocols aligned with American values,” he said. “The AI must be explainable and capable of justifying its conclusions — and humans must recognize when those systems are outside their trained boundaries.” As AI redefines warfare — from cyber and command systems to autonomous weapons and biotech — it’s not just a war machine being built. It’s a system of systems, blending digital, physical and biological domains. Should Beijing move against Taiwan, the battlefield may no longer be measured in tanks or missiles — but in algorithms, networks and gene sequences.