Democrat prematurely announces Senate campaign launch, but quickly deletes post
Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills appeared to announce the launch of her campaign for the Senate on X on Friday, but then quickly deleted the post. In a since-deleted announcement video, the 77-year-old Maine governor asked, “Folks, do you want Democrats to take back the Senate? Well, I’m Gov. Janet Mills, and I’m running to flip Maine’s Senate seat blue.” In the video, Mills took aim at incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican, saying she has “sold out Maine and bowed down to special interests and to Donald Trump, but that ends now.” SUSAN COLLINS FIRES BACK AT SCHUMER-LINKED PAC ADS ACCUSING HER OF STOCK ‘GREED’ The video directed supporters to donate to an ActBlue page that has also since been deleted. On the donation page, Mills touted her bona fides, saying, “I’ve spent my career standing up for Maine families as prosecutor, Attorney General, and Governor. I’ve taken on Big Pharma, expanded health care access, and took Donald Trump to court – and won.” After the posts were deleted, reactions started to flood in online. “In a now deleted tweet at 4:30pm on a Friday before a holiday weekend, Janet Mills confirms she is in fact running for Senate … Some poor digital staffer is about to get fired!” posted National Republican Senatorial Committee staffer Joanna Rodriguez. A progressive political commentator named Jack Cocchiarella commented, “If you thought democratic politics was missing geriatric candidates with no charisma, wait until you meet 77 year old Janet Mills Chuck Schumer’s pick for Senate. She posted this launch video today then deleted it after two hours.” Mills’ announcement has been long anticipated. She is seen as the favored candidate by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The top Democrat in the Senate urged Mills to run and sees her as the best candidate to defeat Collins, the only Republican senator up for re-election next year in a state the Democrats carried in the presidential election. A Collins defeat would be essential for the Democrats to have any chance of winning back the Senate majority. DEM GOVERNOR’S BURIED COCAINE INVESTIGATION DOCS HIT WITH OFFICIAL INQUIRY AS QUESTIONS SWIRL OVER SENATE RUN But before she reaches the general election, Mills first has to navigate a likely competitive and divisive primary among a crowded field of contenders that includes a much younger rising star on the left who’s backed by longtime progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Mills, a former elected county district attorney and former state lawmaker, made history serving as Maine’s first female attorney general. She later won election in 2018 as Maine’s first female governor, and, in 2022, she comfortably defeated former Republican Gov. Paul LePage by double digits to win re-election. While she will be considered the frontrunner for the Democratic Senate nomination, thanks in part to her vast name recognition in blue-leaning Maine, she could face a serious challenge from 41-year-old Graham Platner, a U.S. Marine, Army veteran and oyster farmer who launched his campaign in August. Platner, who hauled in over $3 million in fundraising during the first six weeks after declaring his candidacy, is backed by Sanders, the two-time Democratic presidential nomination runner-up, who recently stopped in Maine to headline a campaign rally. In a warning to Mills, Sanders said on social media last week that “Graham Platner is a great working class candidate for Senate in Maine who will defeat Susan Collins.” FOUR KEY SENATE SEATS THE GOP AIMS TO FLIP IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM ELECTIONS “It’s disappointing that some Democratic leaders are urging Governor Mills to run. We need to focus on winning that seat & not waste millions on an unnecessary & divisive primary,” Sanders added. Other candidates vying for the Democratic Senate nomination include Dan Kleban, a co-founder of the Maine Beer Co., and former congressional staffer Jordan Wood, who raked in roughly $3 million during the July-September third quarter of fundraising. Phil Rench, a former senior engineer for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is running as an independent candidate. Collins first won election to the Senate in 1996 and won comfortable double-digit re-elections in 2002, 2008 and 2014. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS She chairs the influential Senate Appropriations Committee. In her 2020 re-election, Collins faced off against Democratic State House Speaker Sara Gideon in a hotly contested race that became the most expensive in Maine history. While polls indicated Collins trailing her Democratic challenger, she ended up winning the election by more than eight points. Fox News Digital reached out to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Can Jay Jones be replaced?
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -First lady Melania Trump announces 8 Ukrainian children reunited with families after being taken into Russia -Pentagon agrees to host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots at Idaho air base –Ivy League professor who mocked Charlie Kirk’s death still employed despite public outcry and ‘resignation’ When asked whether Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones should drop out of the race following violent text messages coming to light, many Democrats have either been silent or defended Jones’ candidacy while condemning the messages. The situation raises questions about whether Democrats may be concerned about the idea of replacing Jones on the Democratic ticket against Republican incumbent Jason Miyares — and whether it is even legally possible. Fox News Digital contacted the Commonwealth of Virginia about what could happen and whether Jones is locked on the ballot as his scandal unravels…READ MORE. ‘COWARD’ CAUGHT: Bondi announces arrest of ‘coward’ who allegedly threatened conservative influencer following Kirk’s murder ‘CHAMPION OF PEACE’: Nobel Peace Prize goes to Maria Corina Machado despite calls for Trump to receive the award PATRIOTS ANSWER CALL: EXCLUSIVE: USCIS sees massive surge in ‘homeland defender’ job applications ICE COLD WAR: US turns to Finland to close Arctic ‘icebreaker gap’ as Russia, China expand polar presence TRADE WAR ERUPTS: Trump threatens ‘massive’ China tariffs, sees ‘no reason’ to meet with Xi PEACE DIVIDEND: White House to begin work on new Abraham Accords ‘very soon’ after Gaza deal GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY: Washington’s shadow war: How strikes on cartels threaten to collapse Maduro’s regime PINK SLIPS: Sweeping layoffs ‘have begun’ as government shutdown drags on PRIVACY QUESTIONS: Hagerty presses Verizon over FBI’s access to his phone records during Jack Smith probe LIGHTS OUT DC: Johnson raises stakes on Schumer as government shutdown barrels into week 3 ENERGY UNDER SIEGE: Scalise leads GOP fight at SCOTUS to stop radical left’s ‘war on American energy’ NO PAYDAY: Senate leaves Washington as government shutdown nears 3rd week, military pay at risk SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: GOP senators back Russ Vought’s hardball shutdown strategy as standoff intensifies GROUNDED IN GA: Georgia’s Mike Collins needles Ossoff in new ad over shutdown’s toll on airports, workers HIGHWAY HAZARD: Blue state in the hot seat after ICE busts Illegal immigrant with ‘NO NAME GIVEN’ on license CATCHING UP: New poll reveals Mamdani’s lead is shrinking as Cuomo gains ground in NYC showdown CIRCLING THE WAGONS: Allies stand by Katie Porter despite controversial videos sparking political firestorm in California campaign ‘CROSSES THE LINE’: NJ Republican Ciattarelli threatens to sue Sherrill over opioid claim NO MORAL COURAGE: Spanberger excoriated online as a ‘coward’ for refusal to ditch ‘unhinged’ Jay Jones TRANSGENDER TENSION: ‘Nude men in locker rooms’: Earle-Sears blasts Spanberger over transgender locker room stance in heated debate ALARM BELLS: Top Insurance CEO in the hot seat after scathing ad campaign exposes China ties NO ANSWER GIVEN: Spanberger refuses to urge Jay Jones to exit race, dodges questions after ‘two bullets’ texts OLD DOMINION CLASH: Earle-Sears comes out swinging in heated debate as Spanberger dodges Jay Jones questions Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Long-held SCOTUS precedents could undercut Portland, Chicago National Guard lawsuits
President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard in Oregon and Illinois faced dual tests in court this week, as his administration argued the two Democrat-led states are obstructing federal immigration enforcement. Drawing on a well of constitutional provisions and court precedents, government lawyers have sought to justify deploying the National Guard in Portland and Chicago. Some legal experts say the president has the law on his side, while others worry Trump is threatening state sovereignty. Democratic leaders have responded with outrage and indignation to Trump’s attempts to send federal troops to their jurisdictions. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson established “ICE-free zones” across Chicago to prevent federal agents from using any city-owned property in their ongoing operations. Conservative critics have compared this action and similar opposition to the Trump administration from Democratic leaders to attempts to nullify federal law, hearkening back to the 19th century. “Illinois’s own Abraham Lincoln had some ideas about how to deal with this John C. Calhoun-esque ‘nullification,’” attorney and conservative commentator Josh Hammer wrote on X. PRITZKER SUES TRUMP TO BLOCK NATIONAL GUARD ACTION IN ILLINOIS Joshua Blackman, South Texas College of Law professor, said the federal government does not need permission from states to defend federal facilities. The Trump administration’s position is that it needs to deploy the National Guard to protect federal personnel and Immigration and Customs Enforcement buildings. “This is a principle that goes back to the beginning of the Republic,” Blackman told Fox News Digital, pointing to the landmark case McCulloch v. Maryland, which found that Maryland could not tax a national bank created by Congress. The high court said in that case that allowing a state to impose such a burden on a federal institution would violate the Constitution’s supremacy clause, which says federal law trumps state law. During one set of oral arguments this week before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, a Trump administration lawyer argued that unrest in Portland, prompted by ICE activity, justified the deployment of about 200 National Guard soldiers. “For months, the ICE facility in Portland and the federal law enforcement officers who work there have faced a steady stream of violence, threats of violence and harassment from violent agitators bent on impeding federal immigration enforcement,” said Eric McArthur, arguing for the Justice Department. The rebellion statute that Trump is using to federalize the National Guard, which governors have shared authority over, can be invoked in those situations, McArthur argued. He also said it was the government’s position that the courts had no say over Trump’s assessment of the need for the military. Blackman made a similar point. “The statute lets the president make the judgment over the need. It’s not clear to me that a court can second-guess it,” Blackman said. In court papers, the Trump administration has also cited a case from 1890, Neagle v. Cunningham, which established that the president has authority under the Constitution’s take care clause to “take care” that federal laws be carried out, including by doing what is necessary to protect those executing immigration laws. In Neagle, a U.S. marshal shot and killed a person who attacked a Supreme Court justice, and the Supreme Court found that the State of California could not prosecute the marshal for murder since the marshal was protecting a federal officer. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO PORTLAND AMID CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE Blackman said that states have for years been “frustrating” federal immigration enforcement and that these blue-state lawsuits trying to challenge the National Guard’s presence were an instance of that. He said the states’ resistance did not “quite rise to the level of nullification,” like when states in the South tried to block integration of segregated schools, but that it was “in the ballpark.” If states were to defy court orders, that could escalate matters, Blackman said. The lawsuits, which could rise to the Supreme Court, especially if the circuit courts were to rule against Trump in the coming days, could help to sharpen the dividing line between state and federal authority over law enforcement. Like Oregon and Illinois, Matt Cavedon, a director at the CATO Institute, said the 10th Amendment is also in play in these cases and that it implies that the Trump administration cannot typically take over a state’s law enforcement responsibilities. Cavedon also said it was unusual, in his view, that a Republican government would adopt a more expanded view of federal power. “It’s not usually conservatives who are arguing that there are just vast unenumerated federal powers belonging to the president, certainly in the domestic context,” Cavedon told Fox News Digital. Cavedon said the events in the two states are “really core issues of public security and safety, which are at the heart of what a state’s responsibilities are.” Oregon and Illinois leaders have made similar claims that nothing extraordinary was playing out crime-wise to warrant National Guard intervention. “I think the 10th Amendment answers a question: Any powers that are not conferred on the federal government are reserved to the states, respectively,” Cavedon added.
Biden-era ‘unvetted’ immigrants nabbed after Virginia highway gunfire as border debate hits governor’s race
EXCLUSIVE: Hours after Virginia gubernatorial candidates Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger sparred over illegal immigration concerns in Virginia, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News Digital it had filed detainers to deport two teen “thugs,” allegedly unscreened by the Biden administration, accused of firing guns on a busy suburban interstate. Earle-Sears, a legal immigrant from Jamaica, claimed Spanberger will make Virginia a “sanctuary state,” while the Democrat rebutted that assertion, saying she would “absolutely” cooperate with the feds during official criminal investigations involving illegal immigrants. Two “criminal illegal alien thugs whipped around” Interstate 295 near the Chickahominy River bridges east of Richmond, Virginia, “with complete neglect for the safety of Virginians” while allegedly firing weapons on the typically busy bypass of the Old Dominion’s capital, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital Friday. McLaughlin said the two males were allegedly released “unvetted” under the Biden administration’s lax immigration policies, and ICE lodged a detainer request after state authorities captured them and sent them to a juvenile prison in Williamsburg, Virginia. EARLE-SEARS COMES OUT SWINGING IN HEATED DEBATE AS SPANBERGER DODGES JAY JONES QUESTIONS “We are not going to allow criminal illegal aliens to terrorize American citizens,” McLaughlin said. The two 17-year-old illegal immigrants from Honduras had allegedly acquired a BMW and sped northbound on I-295 and caught the attention of a Hanover County, Virginia, sheriff’s deputy who had pulled over another motorist several miles southwest of Old Church, Virginia. DHS said the deputy noticed the BMW matching the description of one announced over the radio, and the teens immediately led the officer on a chase. WINSOME EARLE-SEARS REBUKES SPANBERGER PLAN TO UNDO VIRGINIA’S ICE PACT: ‘THIS IS NOT HARD’ The teens eventually exited the highway and crashed on a side street off Mechanicsville Turnpike, according to DHS, which otherwise could have taken them into downtown Richmond, Virginia. The illegal immigrants were arrested and charged with shooting from a vehicle, possession of a firearm under age 18, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reckless handling of a firearm, according to a DHS statement. A Virginia State Police official told Richmond’s CBS affiliate the swift apprehension of the suspects was a testament to interdepartmental cooperation between Virginia State Police and local Henrico and Hanover authorities. Interstate 295 is a heavily traveled alternative to Interstate 95, which proceeds through Richmond, Colonial Heights and Petersburg, Virginia, while traffic bound for North Carolina or Washington, D.C., tends to use the higher-speed alternative.
Former NCAA swim captain warns Virginia elections could decide future of women’s sports
A former NCAA swim captain from Virginia who has alleged retaliation by university officials after objecting to a transgender student joining her team said she is “100%” concerned about the results of the upcoming statewide elections and the impact they could have on women in sports. Former Roanoke College swimmer Lily Mullens spoke to Fox News Digital ahead of Virginia’s upcoming elections about her experience raising concerns with her college about a transgender classmate, who was born a biological male, joining the school’s female collegiate swim team. The concerns about the matter fell on deaf ears and were brushed aside by college administrators, Mullens said, but she noted that Republican officials in the state came to her and her teammates’ defense. ‘NUDE MEN IN LOCKER ROOMS’: EARLE-SEARS BLASTS SPANBERGER OVER TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM STANCE IN HEATED DEBATE “Gov. Youngkin had reached out to the captains and I personally and asked how we were and how things kind of played out. And that was such a huge thing, because not even the president of my school was able to do so,” Mullens told Fox News Digital. “Seeing somebody who’s the leader of an entire state do that and then not have my school president, who’s only overseeing 2,000 people … it’s hard to describe. I was so shocked, and I was grateful at the same time.” The state of Virginia is gearing up for several consequential statewide elections later this year, including a race for the governor’s seat and for attorney general. Incumbent Gov. Glenn Youngkin has reached his term limit, so Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears was handed the baton to keep the governor’s mansion Republican. She is facing off against former Rep. Abigail Spanberger. Current Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares is also up for re-election and is being challenged by Democrat Jay Jones, who is dealing with the fallout from resurfaced text messages showing him wishing death upon a Republican colleague. Earlier this year, Miyares said he found reasonable cause to determine that Roanoke College discriminated against Mullens and her teammates on the basis of sex and retaliated after the girls spoke up. It was a finding the college subsequently contested, calling the allegations “unsubstantiated” in a press release the school put out at the time and sent to Fox News Digital. The issue stemmed from a transgender student who previously swam on the school’s all-male swim team but wanted to switch to the all-female team following hormone therapy and other transitioning measures in the fall of 2023. A meeting of the swim team and its members to discuss the new swimmer’s upcoming participation was one moment Mullens saw firsthand that her college’s administrators were unlikely to support her objections. SPANBERGER REFUSES TO URGE JAY JONES TO EXIT RACE, DODGES QUESTIONS AFTER ‘TWO BULLETS’ TEXTS “The purpose of the meeting was to bring us all together with this individual to, in a way, hash out whatever feelings or opinions we had to the individual with administrators in the room,” Mullens recalled to Fox News Digital in August. “At one point, it was discussed that this individual, without the transition, had thought about and gone through with planning a suicide. So, that was something that was told to all of us.” Mullens, who described herself as a religious person, said she and her teammates’ first reaction was confusion after the swimmer shared specific details about a suicide plan. “All of us felt emotionally confused. We didn’t know what to do,” Mullens previously shared with Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, school administrators present at the meeting “didn’t say anything,” according to Mullens recollection of the event. And on-campus mental health professionals were never notified about the situation until after Mullens and others went public with the matter in a press conference. Following the press conference, Mullens and her teammates were denied opportunities to study abroad in locations of their choice despite good academic performance and a history of extensive extracurricular activities, according to Miyares’ findings. Mullens told Fox News Digital the explanations she and other swimmers got for their denials only added confusion to the whole matter even further. “Basically, it said, ‘Not only is the professor responsible for the student’s academics, but also for their behavior,’” Mullens said. “I had no idea what that means. I’ve never had any sort of disciplinary action to me.” CAN JAY JONES BE REPLACED? DEMOCRATS’ DEFENSE OF SCANDAL-PLAGUED CANDIDATE DRAWS QUESTIONS In additional conversations with Fox News Digital leading up to Virginia’s November elections, Mullens said she felt like the college simply brushed aside all of her concerns, while taking actions that suggested support for the transgender swimmer. “Every single email that was sent in response to us Roanoke girls speaking out — I remember our original press conference, as well as when we spoke at the Trump rally in Salem that he had last year — our president sent out emails where he said, ‘We love and support our LGBTQ students.’ So, it was like, ‘Well, if you preach inclusion and diversity that includes of ideals.’ So, when people kind of brush over that and then don’t say anything else about it, it’s so hypocritical to me and I don’t … I’ve never understood how we can have one without the other. “We need leaders who are able to say, ‘Absolutely not, we’re just not going to let this happen,’” Mullens said. Approximately a week ago, Youngkin issued Executive Directive 14, which directed the state board of health to begin drafting new policies requiring private spaces, such as locker rooms and bathrooms, and for sports teams to remain separated by students’ gender assigned at birth. Mullens said she feared that, just like a new president could overturn President Donald Trump’s plethora of executive orders, a new Democratic governor could do the same in her state. During a gubernatorial debate Thursday night, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Democratic Party candidate, would not answer definitively whether she would rescind Youngkin’s Executive Directive 14, but she
Jay Jones text scandal sparks donation surge as GOP group pours millions more into VA race
FIRST ON FOX: A top fundraising group in the Virginia election doubled its investment in the state’s attorney general race following the revelation of Democrat Jay Jones’ violent text messages, a sign that the controversy could be having concrete effects on his candidacy. The Republican Attorneys General Association invested $2.5 million in Republican incumbent Jason Miyares on Friday, after dropping $2 million in the race earlier this week, Fox News Digital has learned. Those figures bring the group’s total contributions to Miyares to a historic $8.5 million. Spokesman Adam Piper said the texting incident has driven new interest from donors, which has allowed the group to up its investment in the race. YOUNGKIN PRESSES DEMS TO PUSH JAY JONES OFF VIRGINIA AG TICKET AFTER ‘BEYOND DISQUALIFYING’ MESSAGES SURFACE Piper, the group’s executive director, said the Republican Attorneys General Association has been “all in” on Miyares from the outset but that the text messages “completely changed the dynamics” of the race. “Jason Miyares is surging in the polls and RAGA has been overwhelmed with millions in new donations, allowing us to double our investment in Virginia over the last week,” Piper told Fox News Digital. The group has outspent all other political committees up and down the gubernatorial race ticket, according to the most updated data from the Virginia Public Access Project. It also broke its prior record of $7 million, which it spent on their attorney general candidate in 2017. WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES ‘TWO BULLETS’ AD SCATHING OPPONENT FOR FAILING TO DEMAND JAY JONES’ OUSTER The incidence of down-ticket donations overshadowing those for the governor’s race comes after Jones, a lawyer and former state delegate, fantasized in newly surfaced texts from 2022 about the violent death of a Republican lawmaker. The GOP attorneys general group this week released internal polling, conducted Oct. 6-7 by Cygnal, that found a sharp drop of 21 points in Jones’ favorability compared to one month ago. The poll found Miyares leading Jones by two points with one month until Election Day. At the top of the ticket, recent polls have shown Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger leading Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by roughly ten points while the attorney general race is slightly tighter. With early voting well underway, it is unclear how much, if it all, the texts from Jones will hurt him and other Democratic candidates’ chances of winning in a blue-leaning state. Jones has apologized for the texts but continues to face fierce backlash over them. In addition to the new fundraising headwinds, Jones has been hit with widespread calls by Republicans to drop out of the race amid a heightened national concern over political violence. Democrats, including Spanberger, have disavowed the texts but stopped short of asking Jones to bow out.
Leftist club smears Charlie Kirk on campus flyers spotted ahead of their event honoring George Floyd instead
A far-left activist organization with a history of causing anti-ICE and anti-Israel unrest is set to host an event next week on a college campus disparaging Charlie Kirk and pushing for George Floyd to be celebrated instead. “The federal government decided to celebrate Charlie Kirk Remembrance Day on George Floyd’s birthday (Oct. 14th),” the University of Minnesota Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) chapter posted on Facebook. “Instead of celebrating a white supremacist bigot, join us for a rally celebrating what would have been George Floyd’s 51st Birthday and continuing to tell UMN admin white supremacy is not allowed on campus.” Flyers for the event were spotted on campus and posted on X by Alpha News editor Anthony Gockowski. “The Real Legacy of Charlie Kirk,” the flyer’s headline said. EXPERTS WARN LEFTIST CELEBRATIONS OF CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH SIGNAL A DANGEROUS MAINSTREAM SHIFT IN POLITICS SDS has been active so far this year organizing counter-protests, including in July when protesters clashed with conservatives at a Turning Point USA event in Tampa Bay, Florida, Fox News Digital reported. In January, Fox News Digital reported that an SDS-related protest at a Turning Point USA event featuring a women’s rights speaker at the University of Washington devolved into chaos when protesters proceeded to bang on the windows of the classroom where the event was held, shattering one window. A noisemaker was thrown into the building, and a pulled fire alarm resulted in several moments of confusion and an eventual evacuation from the building, despite no visible fire, shortly after. JIMMY KIMMEL CLAIMS HIS COMMENTS ON CHARLIE KIRK’S ALLEGED ASSASSIN WERE ‘MALICIOUSLY’ MISCHARACTERIZED The Minnesota SDS chapter’s website, which doesn’t appear to have been updated since 2016, describes SDS as an “organization of progressive young people” that is seeking to “create a sustained community of educational and political concern; one bringing together liberals and radicals, activists and scholars, students and workers.” Posts this year on the group’s Facebook page include instructions on how to identify and report ICE agents, mourning the “genocide” in Palestine, picketing with the Teamsters Union, and the organization of an event on Independence Day called, “F— The Fourth.” Fox News Digital reached out to SDS at UMN for comment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A spokesperson for the University of Minnesota told Fox News Digital that SDS is “not affiliated with the University nor is this an official university event.” “As a public institution, the University is an open and public place that provides reasonable access to spaces on campus that are open to the public, subject to reasonable time, place and manner restrictions. This includes campus outdoor sidewalks and green spaces. The Guidelines for Demonstrations and Protests at this page has more specifics on our policies.” College campuses have become a hot-bed of outrage directed at conservatives since the assassination of Charlie Kirk last month, which has spilled into the faculty on several occasions with professors ultimately terminated from employment due to their justification of Kirk’s killing. Across the country, vigils and memorials for Kirk have been disrupted by protesters, including at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in September where a mural honoring Kirk was defaced with paint, Fox News Digital reported. In September, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution declaring Oct. 14, 2025, Kirk’s birthday, as the National Day of Remembrance.
Tsunami threat as magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes off southern Philippines
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Tsunami evacuation warning after quake strikes in waters off Davao Oriental in the country’s Mindanao region. Published On 10 Oct 202510 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The Philippines and some regions of Indonesia have issued a tsunami warning urging coastal communities to evacuate after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck offshore in the southern Philippines The strong quake struck at a depth of 23 kilometres (14 miles) at 9:43 am local time on Friday, according to the US National Tsunami Warning Centre. The centre warned the earthquake could trigger waves of up to 1 to 3 metres above tide level along the coast of the Philippines, and waves of 0.3 to 1 metres above tide level in parts of Indonesia and Palau. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology “strongly advised” people living in coastal communities in the southern and central Philippines to evacuate to higher ground, as waves of more than 1 metre were expected to hit the area. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr — popularly known as Bongbong Marcos — said that the Philippines government was “assessing the situation on the ground and ensuring that everyone is safe.” “I have directed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Office of Civil Defense, the Armed Forces, the Philippine Coast Guard, and all concerned agencies to immediately carry out evacuations in coastal areas, activate emergency communication lines, and coordinate closely with local governments,” Marcos said, according to the Inquirer, a leading media organisation in the Philippines. Indonesia’s northern Sulawesi and Papua regions also issued tsunami warnings that waves as high as 50 cm could hit coastal areas, according to Reuters. Advertisement There were no immediate reports of casualties in the Philippines following the earthquake, but videos shared on social media show damage to infrastructure. The US National Tsunami Warning Centre said that tsunami waves can persist for many hours after the first wave hits, and the impact will vary depending on the shape and elevation of the local shoreline. This is a developing story. More to follow… Adblock test (Why?)
Belgian police arrest three for plotting drone attack on prime minister
Evidence was found in a building a few hundred metres from Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s Antwerp residence. By News Agencies Published On 10 Oct 202510 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Belgian authorities say they have arrested three people in connection with a plot to attack Prime Minister Bart De Wever and other politicians using drone-mounted explosives. Federal prosecutor Ann Fransen announced the arrests on Thursday and said the group were under investigation for an “attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group”, according to Belgian public broadcaster RTBF. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “Certain elements indicate that the suspects intended to carry out a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack against political figures,” Fransen told reporters. “There are also indications that the suspects aimed to construct a drone to which a payload could be attached,” she added. Fransen did not name their intended targets, but social media posts from senior figures in De Wever’s government indicate that he was on the list. “The news of a planned attack targeting Prime Minister Bart De Wever is deeply shocking,” wrote Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot in a post on X. “I express my full support to the Prime Minister, his wife, and his family, as well as my gratitude to the security and justice services whose swift action prevented the worst.” Defence Minister Theo Francken shared a similar message on X. “Prime Minister, Bart, all our support for you and your family. Thanks to the security services. Never surrender,” he said. De Wever did not immediately comment on the case. Belgium’s Gazet van Antwerpen newspaper said explosives were found by police in an Antwerp building a few hundred metres from De Wever’s residence. Advertisement Evidence included an improvised explosive device still under construction, a bag of steel balls, and a 3D printer, the newspaper said. Police believe the group were trying to build a drone capable of carrying an explosive payload. Authorities did not release the names of the suspects but said they had been born in 2001, 2002, and 2007. One of the suspects has been released, according to Fransen, and two are due to appear before an investigating judge on Friday. Gazet van Antwerpen said De Wever has been the subject of previous threats. Earlier this year, a Belgian court convicted five people of making preparations to carry out an attack against him. Adblock test (Why?)
Complete list of Nobel Peace Prize winners (1901–2024)
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize is scheduled to be announced on Friday, October 10, at 11:00 am local time in Oslo, Norway (09:00 GMT). The announcement comes from the Norwegian Nobel Institute on behalf of the all-Norwegian, five-member Nobel Committee, appointed by the Norwegian Parliament and responsible for selecting and presenting the laureates. Nominations for this year’s award closed on January 31, and the selection process remains shrouded in secrecy. A brief history of the Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes are named after Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), a Swedish chemist, engineer and industrialist best known for inventing dynamite, an explosive that transformed the modern world through advances in construction and mining, but which was also responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people in wars. Motivated by a desire to shape his legacy, Nobel left a multimillion-dollar fortune to fund annual prizes, awarded to those who “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind” in the preceding year. A view of a bust of Alfred Nobel in the Nobel Forum in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 6, 2025 [Tom Little / Reuters] The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901 for outstanding achievement in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace. In 1968, Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, established the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, expanding the categories to six. So far this year, four Nobel Prizes have been announced. After the Peace Prize on October 10, the final award for economics will be revealed on October 13. Who can be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize? The Nobel Peace Prize is meant to recognise individuals and organisations that have made exceptional efforts to promote peace, resolve conflicts and advance human rights. Advertisement The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has 338 nominees, including 244 individuals and 94 organisations, up from 286 candidates in 2024. Nominations are kept confidential, and committee members are prohibited from discussing their decisions for 50 years. Only the nominators themselves may choose to disclose their submissions. While a person cannot nominate themselves, they may be nominated multiple times by others. This year, United States President Donald Trump has become a focus of Nobel Peace Prize nominations. Trump, who has said, “Everyone says I should get the Nobel Peace Prize,” has received several endorsements: Israel, Cambodia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan, even as many have questioned his credentials. While many well-known figures have been nominated in the past but never received the Nobel Peace Prize, the names most frequently searched in the Nobel nomination database are Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi and Joseph Stalin. These individuals represent vastly different legacies: Hitler was nominated in 1939 as a satirical gesture, Gandhi was nominated multiple times between 1937 and 1948 but never awarded, and Stalin was nominated in 1945 and 1948 for his role in ending World War II. Who has received the Nobel Peace Prize? As of 2024, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 105 times to 142 laureates – 111 individuals and 31 organisations. Among the individual recipients, 92 are men and 19 are women. The youngest laureate to date is Malala Yousafzai, who received the award at the age of 17 in 2014, while the oldest is Joseph Rotblat, honoured at 86 for his work against nuclear weapons. The International Committee of the Red Cross holds the record for the most Peace Prizes, having been recognised three times, followed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has won twice. Geographically, Europe accounts for the largest share of laureates at 45 percent, followed by North America (20 percent), Asia (16 percent), Africa (9 percent) and South America (3 percent). In addition, United Nations organisations represent about 7 percent of all Nobel Peace Prize recipients. When was the Peace Prize not awarded? The Nobel Peace Prize has not been awarded every year. It was skipped on 19 occasions, specifically in 1914–1916, 1918, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1939–1943, 1948, 1955–1956, 1966–1967, and 1972, usually due to war or the absence of a suitable candidate. According to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, if none of the candidates’ work is deemed significant enough, the prize may be withheld and the prize money carried forward to the next year. If it still cannot be awarded, the amount is transferred to the Foundation’s restricted funds. Advertisement One notable instance came in 1948, the year Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. Gandhi had been nominated several times – in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947, and again in 1948 – for his nonviolent leadership of India’s freedom movement. In 1948, the Nobel Committee chose not to award the prize, citing “no suitable living candidate”, widely seen as an implicit tribute to him. Has anyone refused the award? The Nobel Peace Prize has only been refused on one occasion. In 1973, Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho and US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger were awarded the prize for their efforts to end the Vietnam War. Tho declined the award, citing the ongoing conflict in Vietnam. The Vietnam War lasted from the late 1950s to 1975, ending with the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, and killed millions of people. Henry Kissinger, left, President Richard Nixon’s national security adviser, and Le Duc Tho, member of Hanoi’s politburo, are shown outside a suburban house at Gif-sur-Yvette in Paris on June 13, 1973 [Michel Lipchitz/AP Photo] Has the award ever been shared? Yes, very often. Out of the 105 awards presented so far: 71 prizes were given to a single laureate, 31 prizes were shared between two laureates, and 3 prizes were shared among three laureates. According to the Nobel Foundation’s statutes, a prize can be divided equally between two recipients or shared among up to three if their work is considered to merit the award jointly. The prize cannot be divided among more than three people. Who are all the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize? The table below lists all Nobel Peace Prize laureates from 1901 to 2024,