Portland mayor orders removal of police tape despite federal demand for perimeter at ICE facility, report says
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson ordered the removal of police tape near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility this week despite the federal government’s call for the establishment of a perimeter around the ICE location, according to a report on oregonlive.com. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the ICE facility on Tuesday and Portland Police Bureau Chief Bob Day noted that authorities had the vicinity cordoned off for the occasion. But the perimeter was removed on Wednesday, according to the report. PORTLAND MAYOR CONDEMNS FEDERAL INTERVENTION, CLAIMS VIDEOS OF ANTI-ICE RIOTS WERE FROM YEARS AGO According to the City of Portland, a message to Day from U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott Bradford stated, in part, that “all federal officers must be able to come and go from the ICE office without harassment or hindrance” and that “Portland must create a perimeter around the ICE office.” He specified that this “perimeter must be at least as large as the perimeter state and local police set up today for the Secretary’s visit.” The city also indicated that in a message to General Counsel for DHS James Percival, Mayor Wilson noted, in part, “You have requested that federal officers be able to ingress and egress from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility without hindrance. The Mayor and our local public safety professionals will continue to evaluate the situation on the ground, and they will continue to make public order decisions based on what they believe will be in the best interest of Portland and our community.” NOEM: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DOUBLING DOWN WITH NEW FEDERAL FACILITIES IN CHICAGO, PORTLAND Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon on Friday and to the City of Portland to request comments from Bradford and Wilson, respectively. Last month, President Donald Trump called for deploying National Guard troops into Portland, but his plan has been stymied amid legal wranglings. ‘UNTETHERED FROM REALITY’: LAWYERS FOR TRUMP, OREGON SPAR OVER NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT IN COURT CLASH CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” he declared in a September Truth Social post.
Democrats struggle for cohesive messaging strategy amid shutdown standoff
The government shutdown is poised to enter a third week, and Democrats still appear to be struggling in the search for a cohesive messaging strategy. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., received a barrage of GOP-led attacks on Thursday after he told Punchbowl News, “Every day gets better for us” in reference to the shutdown dragging on. Meanwhile, House Democrats’ group selfie taken on Sept. 29, just before the shutdown, received criticism from both sides of the aisle. Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who’s become a fierce critic of the GOP since leaving office, wrote on X, “These selfie things need to stop guys. Honestly, the democrats were great at social media but social media moved on from them. The kitschy, goofy ‘choose your fighter’ type stuff needs to stop.” Democrats have been fighting to center the discussion on healthcare, and their argument that any deal to reopen the federal government must at least include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. SENATE DEMOCRATS BLOCK GOP PLAN AGAIN TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT AS MILITARY PAY DEADLINE LOOMS And while polls show that Americans overwhelmingly do support extending the subsidies, surveys taken of the government shutdown have been more mixed, with a significant number of Americans blaming both parties. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday showed 67% of Americans believe Republicans deserve “a fair amount or a great deal of blame” for the shutdown, compared to 63% for Democrats. A New York Times/Siena poll taken on the eve of the shutdown showed that Democrats had a similarly thin edge over the GOP in the shutdown fight, but that 65% of people did not believe Democrats should shut down the government if their demands were not met. “Democrats keep choosing the wrong fights, including the shutdown fight. At best, the shutdown will give them a political draw where the public will blame both parties,” Julian Epstein, a former Democratic staffer for the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News Digital. “But they will not get a game change out of this conflict, and the risk for them is the longer it goes on, the public will see it’s the Democrats who are narcissistically voting to shut down the government after losing the election.” During an appearance on “Real Time With Bill Maher” earlier this month, CNN political commentator and former Obama administration appointee Van Jones said Democrats “do the wrong thing at the wrong time for the right reason.” Jones said he was in favor of extending the Obamacare subsidies but argued that it may have been folly for his party to pick that fight over the shutdown before people even got notice of their premiums potentially rising. “I get it, the base is upset … ’Please do something, do anything,’ but the ‘something’ probably shouldn’t be throwing a bunch of people out of work in the federal government and crushing the American government’s ability to function right before the pain was about to start,” he said. And it’s not yet clear if Democrats have an agreed-upon roadmap for how to navigate the shutdown yet. Late last week, just before Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced that the House would be out of session for another week while Republicans’ funding bill stalled in the Senate, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., unequivocally told Fox News Digital that “yes,” he would call all House Democrats back to Washington to draw a contrast between the two sides. He walked that back somewhat on Monday, however. When asked by Fox News Digital if he would still call the full caucus back, Jeffries said, “We have a caucus meeting at 6 p.m. today. We’ll have a House Democratic Caucus leadership meeting, that’s the full leadership, tomorrow. And I expect a strong presence of House Democrats throughout here in Washington.” What he did not specify, however, was that the 6 p.m. caucus meeting was virtual. At another press conference this week, Jeffries called a one-year Obamacare subsidy extension compromise bill “laughable” despite it getting support from 11 members of his own Democratic caucus. SENATE ADVANCES 2026 DEFENSE BILL AFTER WEEKS OF DELAY AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON He walked those comments back again, “If anything is presented to us, of course, the caucus will consider it in good faith.” But Republicans have also garnered their share of public criticism for shutdown messaging as well. President Donald Trump’s aggressive rhetoric on federal employee layoffs put congressional Republicans in a difficult position earlier this month, though Trump has since softened his language and not yet carried out those firings. The White House’s depiction of Jeffries in a sombrero on multiple occasions has also been panned as racist by critics. Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist and founder of campaign consulting firm Authentic, said Democrats were doing the right thing in focusing on health care while criticizing Republicans’ messaging. “I think that focusing on the health care subsidies, which are undeniably popular, has been a really smart thing for Democrats to do,” Nellis told Fox News Digital. “I think that the Republicans have played right into their worst tendencies on this, which is, much of their messaging is aggressively online-focused. The sombrero stuff is mildly funny. But then they went all in on it, and they don’t have a good answer to the health care subsidies.” Nellis also argued that Republicans’ touting of a “landslide” electoral victory has set them up for a larger share of the blame. “When you create the conditions where you talked about the mandate that you have and the government shuts down on your watch, you’re responsible for the government shutdown,” he said. Still, he said he would grade Democrats with a “B, B minus” on their messaging, adding that it’s “not perfect.” “Maybe the answer is … Republicans are losing the shutdown fight, rather than Democrats are winning it,” Nellis said. “But I mean, I just think we’ve got a lot more right than a lot
Dems fundraise off government shutdown as Hakeem Jeffries urges supporters to ‘keep the faith’
As the government shutdown slogs into a third week and service members and federal workers are set to begin missing out on paychecks, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other Democrats continue to point to President Donald Trump and Republicans. In an email sent to supporters this week, Jeffries signed off with his usual slogan, “keep the faith.” In the email, Jeffries indicated his party would not bend regarding its demands before reopening the government, saying that “Democrats will continue to stand up to address the Republican healthcare crisis, and we will NOT back down until it’s fixed. America deserves better.” In the Senate, talks have continued in the background behind closed doors, but nothing has quite yet materialized into full-blown negotiations on expiring Obamacare tax credits to find an off-ramp to end the shutdown. DEMS NOT BUDGING ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEMANDS AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES TRUMP MEETING, JEFFRIES SUGGESTS If Jeffries’ rhetoric is an indication, the Democrats are nowhere near budging. “Republicans thought we’d back down because of their deepfake videos, threats and lies,” he wrote. “Not a chance. Cancel the Cuts. Lower the Cost. Save Healthcare. Keep the faith.” Other House Democrats have also been actively fundraising off of the shutdown. Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Ore., has been particularly active, sending several fundraising emails, including one in which her team told supporters, “The stakes couldn’t be higher.” “That’s why Janelle won’t back down from her fight to put Oregonians first and ensure our government works for the people,” wrote Bynum’s team. “If you’re with her, pitch in today to help her keep up this critical fight for hardworking Americans in the House.” In another email to supporters, Bynum complained that “Republicans just launched an attack ad blaming me for the government shutdown.” TOP HOUSE DEM EXPOSES PARTY’S STRATEGY TO BLAME REPUBLICANS FOR LOOMING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN “They’re targeting me for their failed leadership and the chaos they’ve created in Washington. We can’t allow their shameful attacks to go unanswered,” she wrote, adding, “Will you rush a donation now to help our team push back on National Republicans and stand up for Oregonians?” Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., wrote in another fundraising email that “if we want to stop these shutdowns from happening in the future, we need to take back control of Congress next year.” “That’s why I’m turning to you: If you’re in a position to give, will you chip in whatever you can to help me defend this toss-up district next year?” he implored. “Democrats’ demands are simple,” he wrote in another email. “Reversal of GOP Medicaid cuts, and the extension of Obamacare tax credits to make health insurance more affordable. Neither of these should be controversial!” he wrote, providing a link to donate. DEMOCRATS ROLL OUT NEW CAMPAIGN ADS TARGETING REPUBLICANS OVER ONGOING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, cut straight to the chase and askedsupporters in an email to “chip in $10, $25, or whatever makes sense for you to stand with me against this reckless shutdown and help us take back the House next fall.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Speaking with reporters on Friday, Jeffries tripled down on his rejection of the GOP’s continuing resolution spending bill that would reopen the government, calling it a “partisan spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people and threatens to raise the costs of living on tens of millions of people.” Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Jeffries, Bynum, Min and Kaptur for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
BIG update in Cough Syrup case: Delhi govt bans sale, purchase, distribution of Coldrif, here’s all you need to know
The Delhi government has banned the sale, purchase, and distribution of Coldrif cough syrup after it was declared “not of standard quality,” according to an official order.
BIG boost to agriculture sector as PM Modi inaugurates two major schemes worth Rs 35440 crore, here’s all you need to know
PM launched the schemes in a special Krishi programme at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute held in New Delhi on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan.
IPS officer Y Puran Kumar suicide: Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya transferred, THIS IPS officer takes charge
The action follows pressure built by the family members of Kumar, seeking action against officers named in a ‘final note’ left behind by the deceased, in which he accused eight senior cops. According to an official order, IPS officer Surinder Singh Bhoria has been appointed as the new Rohtak SP.
IndiGo resumes Delhi-China’s Guangzhou flight from November 10, check new route, timings; Delhi to Hanoi to resume…
“We are pleased to share with you that IndiGo has announced two more international routes from Delhi, connecting the Indian Capital to Guangzhou (China) and Hanoi (Vietnam),” IndiGo said in its announcement.
Delhi firecracker ban may get lifted, SC eyes relaxing norms on one condition
The apex court on Friday indicated lifting restrictions on the bursting of green firecrackers in the National Capital Region for Diwali. A bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran reserved its order and said it will decide on relaxing the absolute ban on firecrackers.
Democrats under fire for standing by Virginia AG hopeful who joked about shooting GOP rival
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, declined to call on her party’s attorney general hopeful, Jay Jones, to drop out of the race during a Thursday night debate. She stands among many other Democrats who have also declined to do so after text messages surfaced in which Jones fantasized about killing his Republican colleague in 2022. Jones, a former delegate from Norfolk, Virginia, has faced mounting calls – mostly from Republicans – to bow out of the race for Virginia attorney general. But Virginia Democrats and other party leaders around the country have refused to cave to pressure they are getting to demand Jones drop out. The Jones’ text message scandal has become a flashpoint in Virginia’s elections, particularly considering it came at a time of heightened sensitivity to inflammatory and violent political rhetoric following the assassination of Charlie Kirk and two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump. SPANBERGER EXCORIATED ONLINE AS A ‘COWARD’ FOR REFUSAL TO DITCH ‘UNHINGED’ JAY JONES Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., remained silent when asked by Fox News Digital repeatedly if Jones should drop out of the race. Warner was also pressed on whether he would demand Jones return a $25,000 donation made to his campaign in August, or whether he regretted the show of support in light of the controversy about Jones’ violent political speech, but he once again averted his gaze and remained silent. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was also unwilling to call on Jones’ to drop out. He told Fox News Digital he’s still a supporter of the embattled candidate for his state’s attorney general seat. “I think those statements were not in character, and he has apologized — I wish other people in public life would sincerely apologize for stuff,” the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee said. “I’ve known Jay Jones for 25 years.” Several other Democrats outside of Virginia who were approached by Fox News Digital similarly walked away, or refused to respond when asked about the Jones controversy, which revolves around a text message exchange he had in 2022 with another lawmaker. During the texts, Jones fantasized about putting “two bullets” into the head of then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. He also quipped about murdering Gilbert’s children. “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones wrote. In a subsequent text, Jones also wrote, “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.” “Jay. Please stop,” the lawmaker on the receiving end of the tests from Jones said at the time. Jones has since apologized, calling the remarks “embarrassing and shameful,” and said he had reached out personally to Gilbert and his family. “I’m really not familiar with the situation in Virginia,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said when asked if Jones should drop out. “Haven’t given it a thought,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called the texts “horrifying,” but when pressed further on whether Jones should drop out, Wyden said, “I’m going to leave it at that, thank you.” SANDERS, DEM LEADERS DODGE QUESTIONS ON VIRGINIA CANDIDATE WHO JOKED ABOUT SHOOTING GOP LAWMAKER Other Democrats who Fox News approached, such as Sens. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., condemned political violence but admitted they were not following the matter involving Jones. “I can’t say that I’ve done my due diligence to really understand, but what I will say is that what I saw was absolutely horrible,” said Kim. “I hope that in a time right now, where there’s so much concern about political violence, we can say that, ‘Yes, we need to make sure that we are holding ourselves up to a high standard, especially those in elected office.’” Republican responses to the Jones text scandal were starkly different. Speaking with Fox News Digital, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the text messages “staggering, particularly with the spate of political violence we have seen.” “There are far too many on the left that celebrate political violence,” Cruz continued, adding, “When Charlie Kirk was assassinated, we saw leftists, college professors, leftist schoolteachers, politicians, journalists celebrating that heinous murder.” “And every Democrat in Washington is turning a blind eye,” Cruz added. “In my view, the notion that someone advocating for the murder of children because he disagrees politically with their father is manifestly unsuitable for public office, especially the chief law enforcement officer of Virginia. And I wish there were even one Democrat with the courage to say that publicly.” “It’s really sickening calling for the assassination of a rival, calling for the death of his children. I mean, I think, hopefully, all of us can agree that’s beyond the bounds of what is reasonable here, and he ought to step down,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said when asked about the controversy. “What’s amazing though, is, I’ve not heard one Democrat – hopefully you’re asking that question to other Democrats. I’ve not heard anybody say anything about it, which is pretty sad.” During a debate Thursday night between Republican and Democrat candidates for governor in Virginia, Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears repeatedly pressed her Democratic opponent, Spanberger, to call on Jones to step down. “Jay Jones advocated the murder — Abigail — the murder of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were 2 years and 5 years old. You have little girls. Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it?” Earle-Sears asked Thursday night. “Please ask him to get out of the race. Have some courage.”
Northern California voters weigh in on Prop 50 redistricting fight
Voting began this week for a statewide special election that would drastically alter California’s congressional map. Proposition 50, or Prop 50, could add as many as five Democratic-held seats in Congress in time for the 2026 midterms. The measure asks California voters to temporarily allow the legislature to decide the state’s district maps through 2030, after which the power would return to the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission. If Prop 50 wins, it could leave as a few as four Republican-held seats across the state after 2026. Recent polling shows Prop 50 will likely pass. Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats say Prop 50 is a necessary countermeasure to Republican-led redistricting efforts in Texas. ABBOTT SIGNS TEXAS REDISTRICTING MAP INTO LAW, SECURING MAJOR GOP VICTORY AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS However, UC Davis Professor Jim Adams warned a win for the Democrats in the short term could have negative long-term consequences. “I think that even if Prop 50 does help the Democrats win a handful of additional seats in California, by winning the battle in California, the Democrats may make themselves lose the war nationally,” Adams told Fox. Adams, a Democrat, said he agrees with Prop 50 supporters that he wants to see something done to curb Republican redistricting efforts in other parts of the country. TRUMP-BACKED MAP VICTORY IN MISSOURI COULD TRIGGER REDISTRICTING BATTLES IN THESE STATES “There is certainly a visceral satisfaction for the Democrats in feeling that Proposition 50 helps them to fight back. I don’t question the Democrats need to fight back. The question is, are they fighting smart with Proposition 50,” he added. Prop 50 has the potential to spark political backlash, not only within California Republicans or independents in 2026, but on a national scale during the presidential election in 2028. If Prop 50 passes, California’s northern districts risk going from mostly red to completely blue after the midterms. Chico, California, sits in Republican-held District 1, which is represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa. It’s one of the districts targeted in Prop 50. The proposed map would likely flip the district by pulling in voters from closer to the more Democrat-leaning Bay Area. In 2024, President Donald Trump won Butte County by about 3,000 votes over then-Vice President Kamala Harris. On the streets of downtown Chico, that political split showed when asking voters their feelings on Prop 50. VOTING UNDERWAY IN 2025 ELECTION THAT MAY DETERMINE IF REPUBLICANS HOLD HOUSE IN 2026 MIDTERMS Don Tarman and Martin Bettencourt both said they support the proposition, adding that it’s a reaction to Trump’s presidency. “We agree with Gavin Newsom that Trump is trying to sway the election for the House. He picked up supposedly five votes in Texas. We’ll see how the vote comes out when we get to the election. But yeah, we’re not Trump fans. I think Gavin Newsom is trying to fight back a little bit,” Tarman said. Bettencourt said he doesn’t typically support redistricting, but this is “a different time.” “I don’t like redistricting. I think it’s mean to the voters. I think they take away power from them, because they move it around and adjust it,” he said. “I think we’re in kind of a different time, so we’re reacting off the top of the ticket, which is the president, and we have to do what we have to do to compensate for that until we get someone better in a position of power.” Jim Henderson and Eleanor Engelbrecht are among those who don’t agree with the proposition – both of them saying that redistricting in California is not an ideal response to the efforts in Texas. “When say they do it in Iowa, then do we have to have Oregon do the same thing and the next thing you know everything is being gerrymandered? It’s unfortunate the governor of Texas didn’t recognize that this wasn’t an appropriate way of dealing with the elections, but he made his decision, and I don’t think we should feel compelled to say, well, if you’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it also,” Henderson said. Engelbrecht said the country is going through enough change and things need to just “settle.” “Right now, we’re going through a lot of change already, and I don’t think this is the time we need to be, I don’t know, dusting and cleaning really. I think that we really need to let things settle. I think where our country is at right now, there’s a lot of divide already, and I think really this comes down to defending fair elections,” she said. If Prop 50 passes, there will likely be a legal battle. California Republicans are already filing lawsuits against the measure.