Senate Republicans push major rule change to fast-track Trump nominees in batches this week
Senate Republicans are still not done with their effort to alter Senate procedure to expedite the confirmation of blocs of President Trump’s non-cabinet and judicial nominees all at once. But if all goes according to plan, Senate Republicans should be able to confirm the nominees in question by the end of the week. GOP TRIGGERS NUCLEAR OPTION IN SENATE TO BREAK DEM BLOCKADE OF TRUMP NOMINEES The Senate votes tonight to adopt the new “executive” resolution which Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) engineered to make it easier to approve batches of lower-level nominees in one fell swoop. Thune will likely “file cloture” (which is the method to cut off debate in the Senate) on the actual bloc of 48 nominees which he hopes to confirm as a slate later today. SENATE GOP HURTLES TOWARD NUCLEAR OPTION AFTER DEAL WITH DEMS FALLS APART By rule, there must be a day before the Senate can vote to break a filibuster on the slate of nominees. That will ripen for a vote on Wednesday with Tuesday serving as the “intervening day.” So Wednesday is the day to watch. That bloc of nominees will NOT score the 60 votes necessary to break a filibuster. TRUMP NOMINEES PILE UP AS GOP WEIGHS RULE SHIFT ONCE FLOATED BY DEMOCRATS But Thune will switch his vote to be on the prevailing side (in this case, the noes), and order a re-vote. Senate rules allow a senator on the “winning” side of an issue to call for a new vote. Thune will then make a point of order that the precedent of the Senate should be a simple majority to break a filibuster on a bloc of lower-level nominees like these. The chair will rule against Thune. But that’s what Thune wants. He will then appeal the ruling of the chair that is in fact a simple majority to break a filibuster on a batch of nominees like that. If the Senate then secures a simple majority to overrule the chair, Thune will have established a new precedent for this type of slate for nominees. Thune will then ask that the Senate re-vote the failed vote to break a filibuster. That is Thune’s right since he changed his vote earlier. But rather than 60 votes to break a filibuster, it will only take a simple majority. That is the new “precedent” for breaking a filibuster for low-level nominees. After the Senate burns off its “post cloture” time on Thursday, the Senate will finally vote to confirm this batch of 48 nominees.
White House pushes for $58M security increase in wake of Kirk assassination
The White House is seeking additional security funds from Congress for the executive and judicial branches as it navigates the aftermath of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Fox News Digital has learned. The White House has requested an additional $58 million in security funding for the executive and judicial branches from Congress, a spokesperson for the White House’s Office of Management and Budget confirmed Monday to Fox News Digital. The additional security funds would be added to a continuing resolution, the spokesperson said. A temporary spending bill will need to pass by the end of the month to keep the government open or else the government could face a shutdown Sept. 30 when funds expire. SECRET SERVICE UNDER PRESSURE: WHAT KIRK’S ASSASSINATION MEANS FOR TRUMP’S SECURITY Punchbowl News was the first to report the security funding request. Additional details on the funds were not immediately available. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Kirk, 31, was killed after he was shot in the neck during a stop on his American Comeback Tour Wednesday at Utah Valley University. The assassination comes roughly a year after two attempts to take President Donald Trump’s life. In July 2024, 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on Trump from a rooftop during a campaign rally. One of the eight bullets shot sliced Trump’s ear. The gunman also shot and killed Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, father and husband attending the rally, and injured two others. Likewise, Ryan Routh was apprehended and charged with attempting to assassinate Trump at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September 2024. Routh is currently on trial after being charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, among other things. CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION ROCKS CAPITOL HILL, HEIGHTENS LAWMAKERS’ SECURITY FEARS Nicholas John Roske, 29, pleaded guilty in April to attempting to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in June 2022, according to the Justice Department. Meanwhile, the U.S. Secret Service is ushering in a series of changes in response to the assassination attempts against the president and already is operating at an incredibly heightened state as a result, according to former agents. “The Secret Service now has to play at a level of enhanced security that they’ve never dreamed of before. I think (Secret Service Director Sean Curran) is doing a good job in leading that effort,” Tim Miller, who served as a Secret Service agent during Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton’s administrations, told Fox News Digital Thursday. “But here’s the bad news for the Secret Service: They don’t have time. This threat is now. Can you imagine — they already shot our president once. Can you imagine if they’re able to kill him?” SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SECURITY LAPSES SURROUNDING THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING Immediate changes to the agency following the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt included expanding the use of drones for surveillance purposes and introducing greater counter-drone technology to mitigate kinetic attacks, former Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe told lawmakers in December 2024. The Secret Service extended its condolences to the Kirk family but declined to comment on any specific changes to Trump’s security detail following Kirk’s death. “The safety and security of our protectees is the U.S. Secret Service’s top priority,” a Secret Service spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “President Trump receives the highest levels of U.S. Secret Service protection and the agency adjusts our protective posture as needed to mitigate evolving threats. Out of concern for operational security, we cannot discuss the means and methods used for our protective operations.”
Before Charlie Kirk murder, Utah Gov. Cox pushed effort to ‘disagree better’
After the deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox has been thrust into the national spotlight. The Republican has since been front and center as officials investigate suspect Tyler Robinson and other aspects of the case, which also has brought renewed attention to an effort Cox has led to convince Americans to “disagree better.” Like Kirk, who too traveled college campuses inviting liberal students to “prove me wrong,” Cox’s effort to make America “disagree better” has put the governor’s work in a unique light given the tragic events. “Disagree Better” was started by Cox when he was the chair of the National Governors Association from July 2023 to July 2024. CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER THE LATEST IN INCREASING POLITICAL VIOLENCE NATIONWIDE, FROM PA GOVERNOR TO SCOTUS The initiative reflected the National Governors Association’s bipartisan mission of “encouraging healthier dialogue and reducing political polarization,” an association spokesperson told Fox News Digital. When he ran for governor in 2020, Cox made national headlines for appearing with Democratic nominee Professor Christopher Peterson in a joint ad calling on Utahns to “debate issues without degrading each other’s character,” in the latter’s words. “We can disagree without hating each other,” Cox added. When the ad went viral, Cox said he could feel his “faith in the American idea start to rekindle,” according to the Deseret News. Cox joined current National Governors Association Vice Chair Wes Moore of Maryland for a “disagree better” event in 2024 that earned praise from then-President Joe Biden. “I appreciate Governor Cox’s effort to make the mission of the NGA to get those of us who disagree with one another to listen to one another, to treat one another with a sense of dignity and respect,” Biden said at the time. CHARLIE KIRK MURDER SPURS FIRST-IN-THE-NATION STATE POLITICAL VIOLENCE HATE-CRIME LEGISLATION Cox spent much of his term as National Governors Association chair pushing the “Disagree Better” message, and as governor he echoed that mindset in his viral PSA with Peterson. Other figures in the “Disagree Better” independent nonprofit include officials from the American Enterprise Institute, Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, former judges and at least 23 governors from both parties. “We’re working with celebrities, athletes, musicians, public figures, influencers, and political leaders to show what respectful disagreement looks like in action,” a statement on its website said. “What started as one governor’s nonpartisan rallying cry has grown into something much bigger.” After the first assassination attempt on the life of President Donald Trump in July 2024, Cox told Fox News’ Salt Lake City affiliate that the then-GOP nominee had the chance to unify and “save our country,” given the harrowing experience in Butler, Pennsylvania. Cox remarked that he also doesn’t think he’s important enough to force any change in presidential discourse, adding, “that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try.” At the time, Cox said Trump had a chance to “unify and save our country” after surviving the attempt on his life. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a podcast with then-National Governors Association Vice Chair Jared Polis of Colorado, Cox said he never changed his mind, and doesn’t believe others should, when he is subjected to personal attacks or “told ‘you’re a terrible human being.’” “The way you actually influence people and persuade people, and I still believe in persuasion, is by treating them with dignity and respect,” he said. Polis, who is also listed as an officer of Disagree Better — which did not immediately have public contact information — said it is important to be curious and ask questions. “It doesn’t mean you’re going to agree, nor does it mean that either side should feel any pressure to agree. But at the very least, you’ll validate the humanity of those you disagree with,” the Democrat said. In a similar way, Kirk aimed to civilly discuss pressing and at times sensitive political issues with willing students. Videos of his past campus visits show him responding to multiple instances of vitriol or at-times pointed language with a straight face and calm demeanor, echoing Cox’s own advice. Fox News Digital reached out to Cox for further comment. The Disagree Better organization could not be reached.
Trump orders National Guard, FBI to Memphis in new crime crackdown
President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Monday establishing a task force to address crime in Memphis, Tennessee, akin to his initiative cracking down on crime in Washington. “I’m signing a presidential memorandum to establish the Memphis Safe Task Force,” Trump said in the Oval Office Monday. “And it’s very important because of the crime that’s going on, not only in Memphis, in many cities, that we’re going to take care of all of them a step by step, just like we did in D.C.” TRUMP CLAIMS FBI DEPLOYMENT REDUCED MEMPHIS CRIME AS CITY FACES POTENTIAL NATIONAL GUARD INTERVENTION Trump said the effort would include the National Guard, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trump said in a Friday interview with “Fox & Friends” that Memphis, Tennessee, is “troubled” and that “we’re going to fix that just like we did Washington.” TRUMP EYES FEDERAL TAKEOVER OF BLUE CITY WITH HIGHEST VIOLENT CRIME RATE IN US: ‘DEEPLY TROUBLED’ Trump initially mobilized 800 D.C. National Guard troops to reduce crime in Washington Aug. 11. Additionally, National Guard troops from Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee were dispatched to support the Trump administration’s effort. “It’s very important because of the crime that’s going on, not only in Memphis, in many cities,” Trump said Monday. “The task force will be a replica of our extraordinarily successful efforts here, and you’ll see it’s a lot of the same thing.” BLUE CITIES IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS AFTER DC POLICE TAKEOVER National Guard troops are reserve forces that are activated to handle state and federal operations, like natural disasters. State governments typically oversee their respective National Guard forces. However, the federal government oversees the District of Columbia National Guard. Trump said that the request to address crime in Memphis came from Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee. Meanwhile, Memphis’ Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, said in a Saturday interview with CNN that he wasn’t “happy” about the upcoming deployment.
Neighbors of Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, speak out
WASHINGTON, Utah – Washington County neighbors who knew Tyler Robinson, the suspected assassin of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, told Fox News Digital that he was a “sweet,” smart, nice kid. Ray Hardy, a resident of the 22-year-old suspect’s hometown who said his kids went to high school with Robinson, described him as “normal.” “This is not who we are,” Hardy said. “This is not our society. It’s not our community. It is not who we grew up with. I don’t think this is the kid who grew up with us either. Something changed and affected him, almost infected him.” Robinson’s charging documents, which are expected Tuesday, could shed more light on the suspect’s motive. Attorney General Derek Brown told Fox News Digital on Friday that Robinson could face a combination of state and federal charges. CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED ASSASSIN’S TRANSGENDER ROOMMATE ‘HATES CONSERVATIVES AND CHRISTIANS,’ RELATIVE SAYS Gov. Spencer Cox, R-Utah, confirmed on Sunday that Kirk’s suspected assassin has a “leftist ideology,” despite his conservative upbringing. CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED SHOOTER NOT COOPERATING WITH AUTHORITIES, UTAH GOV. COX SAYS Robinson has lived in Washington County, Utah, for most of his life, a deep red county where 75% of residents voted to send President Donald Trump back to the White House last year. Robinson’s parents are registered Republicans, but Utah Voter Registration records reveal that Robinson is unaffiliated with a political party and that he did not vote in the past two general elections. A neighbor who lives across the street from the Robinson family said he was always polite and neighborly in their brief interactions. Another Washington County local told Fox News Digital that her brother was friends with him in high school, and he would occasionally come over to her family’s house. She said her brother lost touch with him over the past few years as he started working full-time and Robinson spent more time online. As the community tries to make sense of Robinson’s attack, the Utah governor said Robinson’s digital footprint could have the answers. “It seemed to happen kind of after that, after he had moved back to the southern part of Utah,” Cox said of Robinson’s shifting ideology. “Clearly, there was a lot of gaming going on. Friends have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep. And you saw that on the casings.” Robinson was a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah Board of Higher Education confirmed in a statement. He attended Utah State University for less than one semester in 2021, according to Cox, despite receiving a four-year merit scholarship. Cox told reporters on Friday that investigators interviewed a family member who said Robinson “had become more political in recent years.” “The family member referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to Sept. 10, and in that conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate,” Cox said. Cox said authorities had discovered ammunition inscribed with anti-fascist messages and video game memes. The governor called social media a “cancer” on Friday while announcing Robinson had been arrested. “I believe that social media has played a direct role in every single assassination and assassination attempt that we have seen over the last five, six years. There is no question in my mind that cancer probably isn’t a strong enough word. What we have done, especially to our kids, it took us a decade to realize how evil these algorithms are,” he said on Sunday. The New York Times reported on Saturday that Robinson messaged in a Discord chat in the hours following Kirk’s assassination, joking that his “doppelgänger” was trying to “get me in trouble.” “He does come from a conservative family, but his ideology was very different than his family,” Cox said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, confirming Fox News Digital reporting that Cox’s roommate in St. George is a “boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female.” Cox said Robinson’s roommate has been cooperating with authorities and had no prior knowledge of the attack. One of Robinson’s relatives told Fox News Digital that his transgender roommate “hates conservatives and Christians.” The Utah governor told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that Robinson is not cooperating and has not confessed to assassinating Kirk. Robinson’s neighbors told Fox News Digital that they never would have expected someone from Washington County to kill Kirk. “Not in a million years,” Diana, a Washington County local, said during a vigil on Sunday night. “It’s like our governor said, he was hoping it was from someone from a different country or some terrorist or something, and I just feel like a 22-year-old kid doesn’t really know. He’s just been brainwashed. He’s listened to lies from different people, and it’s easy to get mixed up.” Diana, who organized prayer boxes for the Robinson and Kirk families during Sunday’s vigil, said it has been a huge shock and loss for the community but that her neighbors have come together to show their support for the Robinson and Kirk families. “This family is an amazing family,” one neighbor said when Fox News Digital asked why she was leaving flowers on the front steps of Robinson’s family home on Saturday. The neighbor, who requested to remain anonymous, said she has known the family for almost a decade and visited the home a few months ago, adding that she only knew Tyler as a child. “It’s unfortunate what happened, but the family needs our support,” the neighbor said. Melissa Tate, a neighbor who spoke to Fox News on Friday, said she was thankful the family made the “unbelievable decision” to help the authorities arrest their son. “I’m very grateful
Duplantis breaks pole vault world record to win gold in Tokyo
Sweden’s Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis sails over the bar to set a 14th pole vault record at the World Athletic Championships in Tokyo. Published On 15 Sep 202515 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Mondo Duplantis has broken the pole vault world record for the 14th time with a jump of 6.3m (20ft, 8 inches) on his third attempt as he wins a third straight world title. The gold medal was already secure for the American-born Swede on Monday when he had the bar raised a centimetre (0.4 inches) higher than the record height of 6.29m he managed in Budapest last month. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list He failed by the narrowest of margins at his first two attempts but, roared on by a captivated crowd at the National Stadium, slid over on the third with the bar giving a slight wobble before settling. The stadium exploded as the 25-year-old raced over to celebrate with his family in the crowd before being mobbed by his delighted rivals. It was a stark contrast with the scenes at the same arena four years ago when Duplantis won the first of his two Olympic titles with the Tokyo public locked out because of the COVID pandemic. Seven of the 12 vaulters cleared 5.90m in an unusually strong competition but the contest, such as it was, soon came down to Duplantis and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis. Karalis, bronze medalist behind Duplantis at the Paris Olympics, secured the silver medal with a jump of 6.00m but failed at 6.10m, 6.15m and 6.20m as he tried to put some pressure on the reigning champion. Duplantis sailed over at 6.10m and 6.15m and then gave the crowd and athletics world what it wanted with his fourth world record jump of the season. Duplantis sets his new world record in the men’s pole vault final [Ben Stansall/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
Trump is moving away from aiding Ukraine
New York Times correspondent Steven Erlanger says Trump is pulling back on sending arms and money to Ukraine but continues providing a key element: operational intelligence. Published On 15 Sep 202515 Sep 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Who are the 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation?
Leaders from across the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have gathered in Doha for an Arab-Islamic summit to forge a unified stance on Israel following its attack on a Hamas office in Qatar’s capital on September 9 that killed six people. The emergency summit of the Arab League and OIC began on Monday, following a closed-door meeting of foreign ministers in Doha, where a draft resolution outlining concrete measures against Israel was prepared. “It’s time for the international community to abandon dual standards and to hold Israel accountable for all the crimes it has committed,” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said before the meeting, adding that the attack must be met with “fierce” and “firm” measures. Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani chairs a preparatory meeting in Doha on September 14, 2025, before the Arab-Islamic summit [Handout image from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AFP] The Qatari leader also chided Israel’s continuous derailment of Gaza ceasefire talks, stating: “Israel must know that the continuous genocidal war against the Palestinian people, aiming at forcibly transferring them outside their homeland, cannot succeed, no matter what false justification is provided.” Israel’s attack on Qatar was part of a broader wave of strikes extending beyond its borders, marking the sixth country Israel had targeted in 72 hours and the seventh since the start of this year. [Al Jazeera] Who are the 22 members of the Arab League? Among the attendees are representatives from the Arab League, a group of 22 member nations stretching from North Africa to the Gulf and representing primarily Arab-majority states, with a combined population of nearly 500 million — about six percent of the world’s population. Advertisement Officially known as the League of Arab States, the Arab League was established in Cairo on March 22, 1945, by seven founding members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan (now Jordan), Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen. Its creation reflected the shared desire of Arab countries emerging from colonial rule to coordinate their political stances, promote regional solidarity and safeguard their sovereignty and independence. Over the decades, membership grew to 22 states, stretching from North Africa to the Gulf. Egypt was suspended in 1979 after signing a peace treaty with Israel, but its membership was reinstated in 1989. Libya was suspended during the 2011 uprising but readmitted later that year. Syria was suspended in 2011 amid its civil war and reinstated in 2023. [Al Jazeera] The group accounts for about 3.25 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP), with several members ranked among the world’s leading oil producers. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, and Algeria are also part of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and hold some of the largest proven oil reserves. Collectively, Arab League members produce about a quarter of the world’s oil. All Arab League members are also part of the 57-member OIC. Who are the 57 members of the OIC? The OIC, which was formed in 1969 in response to an arson attack on Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, brings together 57 countries with significant Muslim populations across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. In September 1969, Muslim leaders met in Rabat, Morocco, to establish a body that would safeguard Islamic holy sites, protect shared political and economic interests, and promote solidarity among Muslim-majority nations on the global stage. Over time, its membership expanded from 30 to 57 states, reflecting its growing reach. Today, the OIC represents more than 2.1 billion people — about 26 percent of the world’s population and 8 percent of the world’s GDP. [Al Jazeera] In its early years, the OIC had loose membership rules. Its original charter allowed any Muslim state to join with the approval of two-thirds of existing members, which opened the door for countries without Muslim majorities but with significant Muslim populations. These include Gabon, the Maldives, Mauritania, Uganda, Mozambique, Cameroon, Togo, Benin, the Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau. In the Americas, Guyana and Suriname joined despite having relatively small Muslim communities. The 2008 charter revision made membership stricter. Now, a country must be a United Nations member (with Palestine as the exception), have a Muslim-majority population, abide by the charter and apply formally. Even then, admission requires consensus among all 57 members — a difficult task. Advertisement Albania is the only European state in the OIC. The organisation has maintained a consistent and forceful stance against Israeli actions, particularly regarding occupation and military offensives in Palestine. Over the past three years, the OIC has convened several emergency summits and ministerial meetings — most notably in Riyadh, Jeddah and Istanbul – to condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and, more recently, strikes involving Iran and Qatar. The group has repeatedly called for immediate ceasefires, protection of Palestinian civilians and international accountability for what it describes as “Israeli crimes”. Adblock test (Why?)
Acharya Devvrat sworn in as new governor of Maharashtra, succeeding CP Radhakrishnan
Acharya Devrat has succeeded CP Radhakrishnan, who stepped down to assume the role of Vice-President of India. Earlier, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, issued the appointment order for the latter’s role.
Delhi BMW Crash: Why victim Navjot Singh was taken 19 km away instead of nearby hospital, wife alleges in FIR
According to her FIR statement, Kaur told police that after the crash, she begged the driver several times to take them to a nearby hospital, so her husband could get immediate treatment, but her pleas were ignored.