11th-hour power play targets incoming Dem governor after historic GOP defeat
A GOP lawmaker in Texas is seeking to limit some of the incoming governor’s powers after Democrats flipped the state blue in Tuesday’s election. Republican Texas state Rep. Brian Harrison on Wednesday publicly urged outgoing Gov. Greg Abbott to convene a special session to “rein in” the governor’s executive emergency powers before Democratic Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa takes office. “Republicans lost last night, but Democrats were not sworn in,” Harrison wrote in a lengthy statement posted on X. “We still have total power in Texas, and we must act like it by using the remaining ten weeks to restore separation of powers and limit the emergency powers that Governor-Elect Hinojosa is set to inherit, that would allow her to destroy liberty in Texas by executive fiat.” Harrison also emphasized in the post that he believes Texas governors should not have “unchecked” emergency powers, regardless of their party affiliation. TED CRUZ SAYS ‘BLUE TSUNAMI’ TOOK OVER TEXAS AFTER DEMOCRATS SWEPT STATEWIDE RACES “Texas should have reined in executive emergency powers when I first demanded it in 2022,” Harrison told Fox News Digital on Thursday. “If these are not revoked, Gina Hinojosa will assume not just the powers our state constitution bestows upon a Governor, but will, in effect, inherit nearly all the powers of a dictator. Most people are shocked to learn Texas governors can write, edit, or change any statute on a whim if they just declare an ‘emergency,’ and this is unconstitutional.” Under Section 433.002 of the Texas Government Code, the governor may issue emergency directives and “amend, modify, or rescind” those directives during a declared state of emergency, subject to the requirements outlined in the law. “These powers have been abused in the past, and Governor-Elect Hinojosa has pledged to use them on day one,” the Texas Republican added. “Republicans are still in control for ten weeks, we need to start acting like it.” Harrison also said in the X post that the Texas Legislature should “immediately pass” legislation such as HB911, which he filed in December 2022 to restrict the governor’s “never ending emergency powers.” His comments come after Hinojosa defeated Abbott in Texas’ 2026 gubernatorial race on Tuesday, becoming the state’s first-ever Latina governor. While on the campaign trail, Hinojosa pledged that she would declare “a high-cost emergency” in Texas and introduce executive orders to halt the state’s gas and diesel taxes and to freeze residential electricity rates, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday. Abbott’s office and Hinojosa’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. In a Thursday X post, Harrison claimed that his demand to curb the Texas governor’s emergency powers “has REALLY triggered low-IQ leftists across America,” adding that he did not “recall them cussing and calling me every name in the book when I filed the same legislation 4 years ago… right after ABBOTT was re-elected!!” The governor of Texas possesses the ability to sign or veto bills passed by the state’s Legislature, serve as commander-in-chief of the state’s military forces and convene special legislative sessions “for specific purposes,” according to Abbott’s office. Under the Texas Disaster Act of 1975, the governor can declare a state of disaster and exercise certain emergency powers, including suspending specific regulatory requirements, but disaster declarations must be renewed after 30 days and can be terminated by the Legislature at any time. AMERICA SAW THE BLUE WAVE COMING — BUT DRASTICALLY UNDERESTIMATED THE EXTENT OF THE DEM TSUNAMI Hinojosa vowed in a Wednesday X post that her administration will “lead with a politics of courage, not convenience.” The Democratic Party notched another key victory in the Lone Star State on Tuesday after James Talarico toppled Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race. Ahead of Hinojosa taking office next year, some Republican Texas state senators have pledged to “hold the line” against Democrat-led policy goals in the state, The Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday. President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted Abbott in a Truth Social post, claiming the governor lost his re-election bid because he is a “RINO,” an acronym that stands for “Republican in name only.” “If Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, hadn’t become a RINO in the last six months of his Political Life, he wouldn’t have lost,” Trump wrote in the social media post. “He went back to his original formula, and it wasn’t pretty!” After conceding the race, Abbott told supporters on Tuesday that he had informed Hinojosa that he “would assist her and her team in a period of transition,” The Hill reported. “For weeks, I had been publicly warning on this podcast that we were in very real danger of losing everything in Texas,” Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday in an X post. “Far too few believed that was possible. I am very, very sorry that it came to pass. Texas has not had a Democrat governor since 1994.” “We haven’t had a Democrat senator since 1993,” Cruz added. “Now we’ll have both.” Hinojosa is set to officially take office in January 2027.
Democrats’ midterm sweep opens path to bypassing Electoral College by 2028
Democrats’ midterm gains have opened a new front in the fight over how America chooses its president — one that could reshape the 2028 race for the White House. Democrats now control the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, already enacted by 18 states and Washington, D.C., has 222 electoral votes pledged to it — 48 short of the 270 needed to take effect. If the four states join, their combined 50 electoral votes would push the compact to 272 and activate it. Arizona could push the total to 283 if Democrats ultimately gain control of both chambers there. National Popular Vote (NPV), the nonprofit organization that authored the compact and is campaigning to enact it state by state, says it has identified multiple legislative sponsors in each of the five states whose combined electoral votes could push the compact over the 270-vote threshold. It expects bills to be pre-filed before, or introduced early, in the 2027 legislative sessions. “I am confident we have multiple paths to secure the 48 electoral votes required to deliver what 63% of Americans want,” Patrick Rosenstiel, a senior consultant for NPV, told Fox News Digital. VANCE, CRUZ AND DESANTIS DIAGNOSE GOP’S MIDTERM DISASTER AS BATTLE OVER PARTY’S FUTURE BEGINS Under the current electoral system, every state except Maine and Nebraska awards its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the statewide vote. If the compact takes effect, participating states would instead award their electors to the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide, leaving the Electoral College formally in place but making the national tally decisive. Supporters argue the compact would give every vote equal weight by counting ballots toward a single national total. The Electoral College, by contrast, was structured to give both populous and smaller states a meaningful role in choosing the president. “They can’t use a compact to, in essence, change the Electoral College,” Hans von Spakovsky, an election law expert with the conservative group Advancing American Freedom, told Fox News Digital when asked about the potential activation of the compact before the 2028 election. “This is unprecedented,” von Spakovsky, a former commissioner on the Federal Election Commission (FEC), continued. “In the past, the only kind of compacts that have been agreed on between states have been things like water sharing — when rivers run between states, they enter into compacts to agree on that. But a compact that changes a fundamental structural given in the Constitution, I think the Supreme Court would say you can’t do that.” HILLARY CLINTON STILL FUMING OVER ELECTORAL COLLEGE, CALLS IT AN ‘ABOMINATION’ IN NEW NETFLIX SERIES Rosenstiel rejected the argument that the compact would improperly alter the Constitution, saying NPV believes Article II, Section 1 gives states the authority to determine how their presidential electors are appointed. “Any clean read of Article II, Section 1 makes it clear that states have the exclusive power to award electors,” Rosenstiel said. “The only credible legal question is whether this compact requires congressional consent.” Von Spakovsky argued that because the NPV compact is an agreement between states, Congress would have to approve it under the Constitution’s compact clause in Article I. He noted Congress could approve the compact with simple majorities in the House and Senate and that the Constitution does not explicitly require the president’s signature — meaning a presidential veto might not stop it. However, von Spakovsky added that states choosing not to participate in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact would have a strong basis for litigation. “Given that the NPV is entirely a creation of Democrats and only supported by Democrats, the new Congress will no doubt easily pass this compact,” he told Fox News Digital. “However, I believe the non-participating states would have a good basis for litigation, which would end up in the Supreme Court, arguing that the compact is unconstitutional because it changes a fundamental structural part of the Constitution without going through the constitutional amendment process. The argument would be that states cannot make agreements among themselves that damage the federal system provided by the Constitution.” National Popular Vote’s campaign has identified sponsors in all five potential additions following the midterms that could help push the compact over its 270-vote threshold and plans to begin pushing bills before or early in the 2027 legislative sessions, according to Rosenstiel. Rosenstiel said the compact would apply to the 2028 election only if states representing at least 270 electoral votes join before July 20 of that year. That gives state lawmakers, Congress — if approval is required — and the courts less than two years to resolve the political and constitutional questions. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Until then, the Electoral College remains unchanged. “I’m increasingly confident we can achieve that goal and we will have a national popular vote for president in 2028. I would certainly prepare for it,” he said.
MAGA voters reveal who they want to see lead GOP in 2028
With Democrats taking control of Congress in the midterm elections, MAGA voters are already sizing up potential successors to President Donald Trump in 2028 — with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeatedly emerging as favorites among those interviewed by Fox News Digital. “I like [Rubio],” one American told Fox News Digital. “I like that he’s no-nonsense, similar to Trump.” “Well, I like JD Vance obviously,” another said. “I like Marco Rubio. There’s some other ones, too, that are maybe not so much mainstream that are coming up that I like too.” TRUMP TOLD DONORS ‘WE NEED TO ELECT JD,’ SOURCE CONFIRMS, AS HE WEIGHS VANCE OR RUBIO IN 2028 “JD is great too, but Rubio has a little more experience,” one said. “He’s articulate, he’s well-spoken. He’s got good ideas. I just really like him.” Fox News Digital spoke with Americans attending a Trump rally in Bangor, Maine, as one of Trump’s final stops before Tuesday’s midterms that ended in a stunning blue wave. Fueled by anger over high costs and the war with Iran, Americans voted to oust Trump and his agenda, boosting Democrats to large majorities in the House and Senate. With Democrats looking to rebuke Trump and his allies, Republicans that Fox News Digital spoke with are looking for a presidential candidate to fill in Trump’s “footsteps.” “I’m really open to see who can fill Trump’s footsteps, not just the next person in line,” one told Fox News Digital. FOX NEWS/NORC STUDY: VOTERS LOOK TO 2028 FOCUSED ON THE ECONOMY “I wish Trump could run again,” another said. Another brought up the prospect of another presidential run by Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., who has tried to distance himself from the results of Tuesday’s midterms. In a news conference Wednesday, he praised Florida for keeping the state under GOP control — suggesting his governance was a reason Florida Republicans held on. “I would like to see either JD and Marco, or JD and Gov. DeSantis,” one said at the Trump rally. “That’s what I would feel comfortable with. “ Beyond Vance, Rubio and DeSantis, other prominent Republicans whose names have surfaced in early 2028 discussions include Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Josh Hawley, R-Mo. CRUZ-VANCE RIVALRY HEATS UP AS TEXAS SENATOR SUGGESTS VP IS ‘FEELING INSECURE’ No major Republican contender has formally announced a 2028 presidential campaign, though the conclusion of the midterms has brought the party’s next presidential nomination into sharper focus. Despite some that Fox News Digital spoke with expressing a preference for Rubio over Vance, other Trump supporters stopped short of choosing between the two, praising both as potential successors to the president. “I like JD Vance, and I like Marco Rubio,” one said. “I think those are two very outstanding candidates that will continue to make America great again.”
Texas officials acknowledge problems with voter registration system, will work with locals on a fix
Election officials for more than a year sought fixes to TEAM, the state’s voter registration and management system.
Kanpur woman learner driver rams Thar into scooter, kills man on Diwali eve, flees
After the crash, the three occupants abandoned the damaged SUV and escaped in another car that arrived at the scene shortly afterwards, police said.
PM Modi credits LK Advani for shaping BJP over decades as he turns 100
Sharing the article on X, PM Modi wrote that as a youngster in 1947, Advani experienced the pain of leaving behind his world in Sindh, yet rebuilt his life “without bitterness.” That trait, he said, defined Advani’s work in strengthening the Jana Sangh and building the BJP.
PM Modi joins jawans in Bastar, says, ‘First Diwali when India is free from Naxalism’
Addressing the security personnel, the Prime Minister said that Diwali 2026 was particularly significant as every district in the country was now free from Naxalism, and crores of citizens had overcome the fear associated with the Maoist insurgency.
‘No Place In UP’: Yogi Adityanath hits back at Owaisi’s ‘Abdul will win in UP’ remark
Yogi Adityanath hits back at Asaduddin Owaisi’s ‘Abdul will win in UP’ remark after Michigan Senate win, says no place for anti-India, anti-Hindu agenda in Uttar Pradesh, Muslim CM wish won’t be fulfilled.
From ‘Red Sprouts’ to school board races, DSA’s years-long effort to reach children gains momentum
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is taking its message into classrooms, child-care programs and school boards, urging organizers to approach child care “from a socialist perspective” through initiatives such as Socialist Sprouts, and its been an initiative for years, a parental-rights watchdog warns. In New York City, the DSA’s “Red Sprouts” program held a training session in October 2026 to equip organizers to provide “resistance-driven childcare” at demonstrations, meetings and community events. The training encouraged participants to incorporate political themes into childcare through “radical storytelling”, “cooperative games” and age-appropriate discussions. “There’s been a real influx in enthusiasm and their ability and desire to recruit and grow their movement,” American Parents Coalition leader Alleigh Marré told Fox News Digital. “What’s particularly concerning and insidious, is their direct efforts to apply that to not just adults, but to youth.” Marré said the American Parents Coalition is working to equip parents with resources to identify and question political activism in schools, including through its “Lookout” initiative. PARENTS SHOULDN’T NEED THE HELP OF CONGRESS TO SEE THEIR CHILDREN’S SCHOOL CURRICULUM The New York City DSA chapter also established Comrades With Kids, a family-focused organizing group that seeks to be a “political and social home base for working-class families.” The group posted photos of DSA-themed coloring pages for children provided at a Zohran for Parents event in September 2025. The New York initiatives are part of a larger effort by the DSA to incorporate childcare and political education into its organizing activities. For years, the DSA’s National Political Education Committee has offered training on approaching childcare for activists “from a socialist perspective”, including activities for children at organizing events. In 2025, the committee outlined plans to develop a “Socialist Sprouts” curriculum geared for children, parents and caregivers involved in the movement. The organization’s efforts to introduce socialist ideas to children date back at least a decade. In 2016, New York City DSA members launched a Socialist Sunday School for children ages 2 to 6. The program used political songs such as “Union Maid” and “Solidarity Forever,” alongside children’s books, including “The Lorax,” to introduce discussions about corporate greed, environmentalism and organizing against unfairness. In Ohio, the Cleveland DSA chapter created a children’s coloring book to “help kids learn what we work on at DSA.” Its illustrations include a version of “The Three Little Pigs” tied to the chapter’s housing agenda. POLITICAL ACTIVISM, ANTISEMITISM ALLEGATIONS PUT PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The DSA’s online store has also sold children’s clothing promoting a “Green New Deal for Public Schools.” The DSA describes much of its childcare programming as a way to make political organizing more accessible to working-class families. Marré, however, argued that introducing socialist ideas to young children raises concerns about political indoctrination. “The DSA really understands and values that if you can indoctrinate and teach these kids really young, their perceived value of, of socialism, that that’s going to stick with kids for a lifetime,” Marre said. “It’s much easier to teach a child an idea or ideal in their infancy, and when they’re very young and they’re forming their worldview, and we have seen many efforts to try and capitalize on that.” “There’s this really concerted effort to instill an ideology in really, really young children, rather than teaching kids how to think and introducing a breadth of ideologies of religious interests, etc.,” Marré said. “It’s really focused on socialist and communist aligned ideas.” Beyond its childcare programs, the DSA has also pursued a strategy to expand its influence over public education through local school board elections. At its 2023 national convention, the DSA adopted an amendment prioritizing the recruitment and support of socialist school board candidates. Rose DuBois, one of the amendment’s authors, argued that school board elections could help the organization reach “new kinds of voters, such as parents,” while building the infrastructure needed to win higher-profile races. MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST WINS NYC HOUSE SEAT AS DSA EXPANDS ITS REACH IN CONGRESS The Los Angeles chapter of the DSA established its own Public Education Committee, with priorities that include expanding the organization’s influence on school boards, recruiting school board candidates, working with teachers unions and promoting policies such as the Green New Deal. Those longstanding efforts come as the DSA gains political ground following the 2026 midterm elections, with DSA-backed candidates winning congressional, state legislative and local school board races. DSA-backed positions prevailed on 23 ballot measures, including a measure in Washington where voters rejected a proposal to restore expanded parental rights in public schools. The election results highlight the growing political reach of an organization whose members advocate shifting economic power away from private corporations and expanding government-funded programs, including universal healthcare and childcare. The 2025 victory of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a card-carrying member of the DSA, heightened awareness of the movement’s growing influence, particularly among young people. Following the 2026 midterms, three card-carrying DSA members — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Reps.-elect Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, both New York Democrats — are set to represent parts of New York City in Congress. Marré said the American Parents Coalition is working to equip parents with resources to identify and question political activism in schools, including through its “Lookout” initiative. She warned that the impact could become more visible as newly elected DSA-backed officials take office. “We’re gonna see a lot more of the firsthand resources and the effects of this brand new class of DSA members being folded into their communities,” Marré said.
Inside a rancher family’s clash with gov’t that could have ripple effect right to SCOTUS: ‘Existential threat’
The owners of a multigenerational cattle ranch say they are facing an “existential threat” after the Washington State Department of Ecology fined them hundreds of thousands of dollars over their stockwater ponds, and they are warning the case could have substantial implications nationwide. The department fined Wade and Teresa King, owners of King Ranch in Grant and Douglas counties, $267,540 in 2023 for allegedly damaging regulated wetlands by digging ponds to provide water for their ranching operations. The Kings argue the areas, which they were ordered to restore, are longstanding stockwater ponds for their livestock, not regulated wetlands. The Kings, who have been trying to get their case in front of a jury, told Fox News Digital that, not only is their financial stability at stake, so are the rights of other ranchers. “Losing this fight would be an existential threat,” Wade said. “I don’t know how we would recover from that, to be honest with you.” HOW A LOBSTERMAN’S PRIVACY FIGHT REACHED SCOTUS — AND COULD RIPPLE FAR BEYOND THE WATER: ‘AIN’T OVER YET’ When the Kings were first hit with the fines and restoration orders, they immediately set out to challenge them. However, the department’s required process directed them to bring their case before the Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB), an administrative panel that does not provide jury trials. In March, the Kings filed a separate lawsuit in Grant County Superior Court, arguing the case should not be decided by the PCHB and that doing so would violate their right to a jury trial. Months later, a judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the Kings first had to complete the administrative process. The Kings appealed the decision, and a Washington Court of Appeals commissioner paused the PCHB proceedings in September while the court considers whether they are entitled to a jury trial. “It’s all under the executive branch, and they very rarely go with the property owner,” Wade said, adding that Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, who was attorney general when the fight began, now has appointment authority over the board alongside the state Senate. “They almost always side with the agencies and it’s just not a fair trial for appellants like us.” The PCHB declined to comment due to the pending case. Oliver Dunford, a senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation representing the Kings, told Fox News Digital they are prepared to petition the U.S. Supreme Court if they are unsuccessful in Washington. HOW A SIX PACK OF BEER AND THE MAGNA CARTA COULD FINALLY FIX A PROBLEM PLAGUING AMERICANS FOR DECADES “We have to ask them one question: to rule that the Seventh Amendment does apply against the states, and then to argue that the Kings should have had a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment,” Dunford said. He said if the case reaches the Supreme Court, a ruling could have ripple effects across other states. “If we prevail, it would have an enormous effect, certainly across the state of Washington, but hopefully across the country, and prevent these agencies from just issuing these fines and then essentially putting the burden on you to prove your innocence and take the case all the way to the Supreme Court just to get a chance at a jury trial,” he said. The Kings’ attorneys estimate the cost of complying with the department’s orders could exceed $3.7 million. But beyond the financial toll, Teresa said the orders would be “unachievable” because the areas were never wetlands in the first place. BLUE STATE’S WATER FAILURES COULD THREATEN FOOD SUPPLIES ACROSS US, LAWMAKER WARNS “How do we as ranchers turn these into wetlands and comply with everything that Ecology wants us to?” she said. “It’ll be unachievable and it would just spin us in the ground financially.” “How are we supposed to make wetlands from non-wetlands?” Wade added. Wade said the department has failed to give them any details on how to fix the alleged damage. He said the wetlands designation gives the department greater authority over the areas than it would if they were considered stockwater ponds. “That’s the big reason why they want to call them wetlands when they’re not wetlands,” Wade said. Wade and Teresa described how the fight could also hurt their children and their children’s children. The Kings have ranched in Grant and Douglas counties since the 1950s, where Teresa said multiple generations now live and work. TRUMP ADMIN SCRAPS ‘WEAPONIZED’ WILDLIFE RULE THAT BECAME ‘BURDEN’ ON AMERICAN FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES: BURGUM “It’s fourth generation, then we have fifth and sixth living and working on this ranch and we want to continue with this,” she said. “We just want to be left alone.” The department said its investigation found no evidence the areas were previously stockwater ponds and accused the Kings of “damaging 23 naturally occurring wetlands” in Grant County. “Ecology inspectors made site visits to these damaged areas where possible, but also used satellite imagery, aerial images dating from as far back as 1949, and other records to determine that the Kings had damaged 6.37 acres of naturally occurring wetlands by excavating, recontouring, and putting fill in them,” the department said. The department added it “repeatedly sought to resolve concerns about the damage” but the Kings “refused to cooperate with these efforts.” They said they ordered the Kings to restore 11 more areas in Douglas County last year, bringing the total to 34, and most were on state land. Wade said they have always protected and cared for the land that the department is now accusing them of damaging. “We want clean water,” Wade said. “Why would we pollute or cause damage to the land or the water that we rely on in our livelihood? We’re generational. Why would we do something to harm ourselves that way and harm the environment?” The Kings said the fight is far from over, with Teresa arguing the case could jeopardize exemptions other ranchers rely on to provide water for livestock. “It’s not just us,” Teresa said. “We are defending