Two Republicans vote with Dems as Senate GOP spikes bid to block Trump’s strikes on drug-smuggling boats
In a 51-48 vote, most Senate Republicans successfully slapped down a motion to discharge a measure aimed at putting the kibosh on President Donald Trump’s practice of unilaterally ordering strikes against vessels he alleges were ferrying drugs. Two Senate Republicans, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted with Democrats in support of the motion to discharge the joint resolution from the Committee on Foreign Relations, but the motion failed to pass. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only member of his party to join Republicans in voting against the discharge motion. WAR ON CARTELS? WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT HAS AN IRONCLAD CASE TO STRIKE NARCO-TERRORIST GROUPS “Fully support confronting the scourge of cartel drug trafficking to our nation,” Fetterman said in a post on X last month. The text of the proposal reads, in part, “Congress hereby directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities against any organization designated on or after February 20, 2025, as a foreign terrorist organization or specially designated global terrorist, any states in which those entities operate, or any non-state organization engaged in the promotion, trafficking, and distribution of illegal drugs and other related activities, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force.” Last month Trump announced several strikes against vessels, each of which he said resulted in the killing of “narcoterrorists.” TRUMP ADMIN TELLS CONGRESS IT DETERMINED US ENGAGED IN FORMAL ‘ARMED CONFLICT’ WITH ‘TERRORIST’ DRUG CARTELS War Secretary Pete Hegseth posted about a strike earlier this month as well. “Our intelligence, without a doubt, confirmed that this vessel was trafficking narcotics, the people onboard were narco-terrorists, and they were operating on a known narco-trafficking transit route,” Hegseth declared in the post on X. “These strikes will continue until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!” he exclaimed. US STRIKES ANOTHER ALLEGED DRUG-TRAFFICKING BOAT NEAR VENEZUELA, KILLING 4 CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP GOP Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who voted against the motion to discharge, said in part of a statement that he “cannot support a resolution that potentially handcuffs our ability to protect American service members in the Middle East.” “Despite my opposition to this resolution, I am highly concerned about the legality of recent strikes in the Caribbean and the trajectory of military operations without congressional approval or debate and the support of the American people. While the Constitution grants Article II authorities to the executive branch to defend against imminent threats, Congress alone is entrusted with decisions of war and peace,” he said in another portion of the statement.
Federal judge undercuts Trump’s executive order on ‘radical gender ideology’
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from forcing recipients of federal teen pregnancy prevention grants to follow new rules targeting “radical indoctrination” and “gender ideology.” U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, said President Donald Trump’s order was “motivated solely by political concerns, devoid of any considered process or analysis, and ignorant of the statutory emphasis on evidence-based programming.” The ruling marked a victory for Planned Parenthood affiliates in California, Iowa and New York, who sued to try to block enforcement of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy change. The ruling will apply to all organizations that receive grants. HHS, which oversees the program, declined to comment on Tuesday’s ruling. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WINS SUPREME COURT FIGHT TO SLASH NIH MEDICAL RESEARCH GRANTS TIED TO DEI, LGBTQ STUDIES HHS had previously said in a policy document issued in July that the guidance for the program “ensures that taxpayer dollars no longer support content that undermines parental rights, promotes radical gender ideology, or exposes children to sexually explicit material under the banner of public health.” Planned Parenthood affiliates argued the new directives conflicted with the program’s requirements and were so vague that it was unclear how to comply. KENNEDY’S HHS TERMINATES CALIFORNIA SEX ED GRANT AFTER IT REFUSES TO DROP ‘RADICAL’ GENDER LESSONS Howell agreed, writing in her ruling that the HHS policy provided “incomprehensibly vague” requirements and “seemingly relied on irrelevant ideological factors, and did not justify its change in position.” The changes to the pregnancy prevention program were part of a series of executive orders Trump signed on his first day back in the White House. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Senate GOP resists ‘nuclear option’ as Dem shutdown standoff deepens
Senate Republicans aren’t ready to go “nuclear” again to change the rules around the Senate filibuster as Senate Democrats dig deeper against the GOP’s push to reopen the government. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republicans need at least eight Democrats to cross the aisle and vote for their continuing resolution (CR) to pass through the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold. But only three Democratic caucus members have joined Republicans after six failed attempts to pass the short-term funding extension as the shutdown enters its second week. SENATE DEMOCRATS DEFY WHITE HOUSE WARNINGS, AGAIN BLOCK GOP BID TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT Republicans have already turned to the “nuclear option” to unilaterally change the rules this year to blast through Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats’ blockade of President Donald Trump’s nominees. But for many, the notion of changing the rules and nuking the filibuster is a third rail. “Never, never, ever, never, none,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital when asked if he would consider changing the rules. “I’ve never heard that since the Democrats tried to do it, and I think we would all fight it pretty hard,” he continued. The last time the filibuster was put under the microscope was when Democrats controlled the Senate in 2022. Schumer, who was majority leader at the time, tried to change the rules for a “talking filibuster” in order to pass voting rights legislation. SENATE REPUBLICANS CONFIRM MORE THAN 100 TRUMP NOMINEES AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES However, the effort was thwarted when then-Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., joined Republicans to block the change. Both have since retired from the Senate and become Independents. Republicans are not actively discussing changes to the filibuster. “I don’t think that’s a conversation we’ve had,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. “Right now, we think that the Democrats’ position has been untenable, and the more they hear from their constituents of their unreasonable activities, that will break this because we got a clean CR, so we got the better argument.” Because of the filibuster, spending bills like a CR are generally bipartisan in nature. However, Senate Democrats have panned Republicans’ bill to reopen the government as partisan and argue that they had no input on it before it passed through the House late last month. “I’m generally aware of how important it is to try to keep things bipartisan, using the filibuster as the tool to do that, but I also get the fact that after a while, the frustration just boils over,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told Fox News Digital. GOVERNMENT LIMPS DEEPER INTO SHUTDOWN CRISIS WITH NO DEAL IN SIGHT Frustrations reached a new level in Congress on Wednesday, with Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., publicly arguing with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., over the shutdown. Then there was another public back-and-forth between House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. Still, neither side in the upper chamber is ready to budge from their positions. Most Senate Democratic caucus members are rooted in their position that unless they get a deal on expiring Obamacare tax credits, they will not join Republicans to reopen the government. Republicans have been adamant that negotiations on extending the subsidies — with reforms — can happen, but only after the government is reopened. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is the lone Senate Democrat who has voted with Republicans each time to reopen the government. He pointed out that Republicans had just changed Senate rules last month to advance Trump’s nominees. “I think we probably should. If you’re able to get out of the filibuster to prevent either party to make it a lot harder to shut the government down, I’d absolutely support that,” Fetterman said.
‘Getting desperate’: Governor debate gets personal after Democrat is mocked for cheating scandal
The New Jersey gubernatorial debate got tense and personal on Wednesday night after GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli mocked his Democratic opponent, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, over her involvement in a massive cheating scandal at the U.S. Naval Academy that kept her from participating in her graduation. The exchange was kicked off by Sherrill accusing Ciattarelli of being responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, saying, “He made his millions by working with some of the worst offenders and saying that opioids were safe.” In response to this attack, Ciattarelli said, “Shame on you,” and adding, “It’s a lie, I’m proud of my career.” “The difference between me and the congresswoman? I got to walk at my college graduation,” said Ciattarelli, referencing the Naval Academy scandal. TOP GUBERNATORIAL RACE ROCKED BY ALLEGATIONS OF LEAKS AND DIRTY TRICKS AMID IMPROPER MILITARY RECORDS RELEASE Bombshell private military records that were recently improperly unsealed by the National Archives and Records Administration revealed that Sherrill was not allowed to walk with her graduating class at the Naval Academy and that her name was not included in the commencement program due to her involvement in the scandal. Sherrill has not been accused of cheating at the Naval Academy but has said she faced disciplinary action for not reporting some of those who had cheated on an exam. Due to this incident, Sherrill’s name was not included on the commencement program during the May 25, 1994, ceremony, according to records obtained by the New Jersey Globe. Ciattarelli pressed hard on the Naval Academy controversy during Wednesday’s debate. He also accused Sherrill of improperly reporting stock trades during her time in Congress. BLUE STATE GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEES TRADE BARBS OVER CRUCIAL ISSUE WEEKS AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY “I’ve never broken the law,” he said. “She had to pay federal fines for breaking federal law on stock trades and stock reporting, and the New York Times reports that she was trading defense stocks while sitting on the House Armed Services Committee.” Sherrill shot back, “What [Ciattarelli] never learned, despite walking at his graduation, was accountability, integrity, care for the community, and I think that disqualifies him.” “This is the same old misinformation that he continues to promote, because he knows that I don’t trade in individual stocks, he knows I’ve gone above and beyond that. He also knows he promotes some garbage number, but he actually knows so much about my finances because they’re all to the dollar.” SHERRILL FIRES BACK AT GOP RIVAL AS QUESTIONS SWIRL OVER HER MILITARY RECORDS: ‘HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR’ Ciattarelli immediately dismissed this, saying, “She released two years of tax returns the years after she paid the federal fines; I released 12 years, going back every single year.” In response, Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of releasing the returns right before the debate, “Because you knew I was going to call you on it.” After that, Ciattarelli whistled and leaned over and remarked, “Getting desperate.”
‘Riot Inc.’: Trump launches ‘whole-of-government’ push to expose Antifa funding networks, dark money sources
The Trump administration is intensifying efforts to trace the funding behind Antifa and other protest movements, pursuing what officials describe as a coordinated campaign to expose the nonprofit and dark money networks they believe are fueling organized unrest across the country. President Donald Trump hosted a White House roundtable Wednesday with independent journalists who have experienced Antifa’s violence firsthand, part of his administration’s broader push to confront domestic unrest. Among those attending was Seamus Bruner, research director at the Government Accountability Institute, who said the administration’s “whole-of-government” approach is now fully underway. TRUMP CALLS ANTIFA ‘TERRORIST GROUP,’ FUELING FIGHT OVER FREE SPEECH AND LIMITS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT “President Trump is taking it very seriously,” Bruner said, noting the president stressed the need to follow the money to officials including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel. He argued that unmasking Antifa requires tracing its finances. “It’s not just Antifa, but there is a whole ecosystem of radical, professional protesting organizations,” he said, describing what he calls “Riot Inc.” as a corporate-style operation with divisions for boots on the ground, marketing, PR and legal support. Bruner also cited bail fund networks that allegedly enable repeat offenders to return to protests. He pointed to GAI investigations showing coordination across cities such as Portland, Seattle and Chicago involving paid and transported individuals, including homeless people exploited to participate in unrest. NOEM LIKENS ANTIFA TO ISIS, OTHER TERROR GROUPS THAT WANT TO ‘KILL’ AMERICANS He pointed to major funding sources, including billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundation, the Tides Foundation, and foreign donors such as Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss. To curb funding for unrest, he said federal authorities could use RICO statutes to target networks and urged the IRS and Office of Management and Budget to review or revoke tax-exempt status for nonprofits misusing charitable funds. If those agencies find that funding supports criminal activity, Bruner said, they could force organizations to open their books and justify their grants. TRUMP TO DESIGNATE ANTIFA A ‘MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION’ “They can absolutely cancel any future grants if they deem that the charitable purposes are less than charitable,” he said, pointing out that over $100 million in taxpayer funds have flowed through major networks linked to protest activities. The roundtable followed Trump’s order to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, part of the administration’s broader effort to curb crime and illegal immigration — a move temporarily blocked by a federal judge Sunday. Antifa is a far-left militant movement that describes itself as antifascist. It has been accused of organizing or encouraging violent riots, notably during the 2020 “defund the police” protests and, more recently, in attacks targeting federal immigration facilities. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Haryana ADGP Y Puran Kumar who shot himself dead, named top IPS, IAS officers in 9 page suicide note, wife files complaint against DGP
Haryana Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Y Puran Kuram, 52, died by suicide at his Sector 11 residence in Chandigarh on Tuesday, October 7. His suicide note names seven to eight IPS officer and two IAS officer, both serving and retired.
Cough syrup row: Owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, maker of Coldrif syrup, arrested over child deaths
S Ranganathan, owner of Sresan Pharmaceuticals, maker of Coldrif cough syrup, was detained in connection with the deaths of several children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
This is world’s longest railway platform, longer than many Olympic tracks, not in China, Singapore, US, or Japan, it’s located in…
India’s railway network boasts extremes, from the world’s longest railway platform at Hubballi Junction (1,507 meters) in Karnataka to Banspani Railway Station, India’s smallest (200 meters). Both stations serve crucial roles in connectivity, reflecting India’s diverse rail infrastructure.
France’s Macron to appoint new prime minister within 48 hours
The announcement came after last-ditch talks by outgoing premier Sebastien Lecornu failed to find a solution to crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron will name a new prime minister within the next 48 hours, his office has said, in the latest effort to chart a path out of the worst political crisis of his presidency. The announcement on Wednesday followed two days of last-ditch talks with party leaders by outgoing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu in a bid to break the country’s political deadlock, after his cabinet lineup, unveiled on Sunday, was rejected by allies and rivals alike. The Elysee presidential office said in a statement that Lecornu’s discussions with various parties had concluded that a majority of lawmakers were not in favour of parliament being dissolved for early elections, and that there was “a platform for stability” that could make it possible for a budget to be passed by the year’s end. “On this basis, the President of the Republic will appoint a Prime Minister within the next 48 hours,” said the statement. Macron thanked Lecornu for his work since Monday to resolve the crisis, the office said. Ahead of the announcement, it had been unclear whether Macron would opt to reappoint Lecornu or name a replacement, call snap elections or even resign himself. Escalating crisis In September, Macron tasked Lecornu – the fifth prime minister he has installed in less than two years – with forming a government after the divided French parliament toppled his predecessor, Francois Bayrou, over a much-maligned austerity budget intended to tackle a debt crisis. But despite Lecornu’s promises of a departure from Bayrou’s approach, his cabinet, unveiled on Sunday evening, immediately drew fierce criticism from both the right and left for containing many of the same faces from the previous administration. Advertisement Lecornu resigned the following day, making his 14-hour administration the shortest in modern French history, but then added to the confusion when he announced he would hold 48 hours of talks at Macron’s request to try to agree on a new cabinet. The move prompted renewed criticism of the increasingly isolated Macron, including from former premier Edouard Philippe, once a close ally of the president, who was one of many calling for presidential elections to resolve the crisis. ‘I tried everything’ Speaking to French TV earlier Wednesday, Lecornu said he had told Macron that the prospects of snap elections had diminished as there was a majority in the lower house opposed to the dissolution of parliament. “I tried everything,” he said of his efforts to find a deal to end the crisis. “This evening, my mission is finished.” He suggested that a more technocratic and less political administration could follow, saying that any new cabinet appointments should not harbour ambitions to stand in the next presidential elections. He also pushed back against calls for snap presidential polls ahead of the scheduled 2027 elections, saying it was “not the time to change the president”. “Let’s not make the French believe that it’s the president who votes the budget,” he said. The French parliament has been sharply divided since Macron, in response to surging gains by the far right, announced snap elections last year, resulting in a hung parliament. With no governing majority, the parliament has been unable to approve a crucial budget to tackle France’s growing debt crisis. Meanwhile, proposed spending cuts have prompted nationwide protests, while opposition parties – who are calling for early elections and are pledging to block any new cabinet – have seized momentum. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,323
Here are the key events from day 1,323 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 9 Oct 20259 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is how things stand on Thursday, October 9, 2025: Fighting Three people were killed and one injured by Ukrainian shelling in Russia’s Belgorod region, the local governor said. The Russian Ministry of Defence said its forces had taken control of the settlement of Novohryhorivka in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region. Russia’s air defence units destroyed 53 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing Russian Defence Ministry data. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that his country’s forces had killed thousands of Russian soldiers in the Dobropillia region of eastern Ukraine since August 21, when they launched a counteroffensive against Moscow’s occupying troops. Zelenskyy said this information was based on a report he had received from the Ukrainian army’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskii. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s oil facilities had degraded them to an extent that the country was experiencing energy shortages. Russia, he claimed, had been forced to turn to its diesel reserves, which it had been saving for “a rainy day”. Ukrainian soldiers ride a military vehicle with Russian POWs in the truck bed, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near the Russian border in the Sumy region, Ukraine, August 13, 2024 [Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters] Regional security European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said recent drone incidents and other airspace violations show Europe is facing hybrid warfare to which it must respond with measures that go beyond traditional defences, speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Von der Leyen said it was clear Russia’s aim was to “sow division” and “weaken support for Ukraine”, and that Europe could “either shy away and watch Russian threats escalate, or meet them with unity, deterrence and resolve”. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, has denied that Moscow was behind the recent drone incursions into the airspaces of multiple European nations. Advertisement Military aid Russia will respond harshly if the United States supplies Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, said, emphasising that “those who supply them and those who use them will have problems”. Diplomacy Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said the impetus to find a Ukrainian peace deal, which emerged after the summit between President Putin and US President Donald Trump in August, had proven to be exhausted. Ryabkov urged US leadership to take a “sober and responsible approach” to a possible transfer of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, saying such transactions could lead to a “qualitative change” in the situation. Adblock test (Why?)