Democrats refuse to budge over Obamacare fight as shutdown drags on
Senate Democrats appear ready for the long haul as the government shutdown continues and are putting the onus of reopening the government on Republicans. The Senate was out Thursday to observe the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur and is expected to return to action Friday to again vote on the dueling proposals to reopen the government. Though three Democratic caucus members have voted for the GOP’s plan, an end to the shutdown still seems a ways out. Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have largely unified around the push for expiring Obamacare tax credits that they say must be dealt with now rather than at the end of the year when they are set to end. FIRST BIPARTISAN SHUTDOWN NEGOTIATIONS SURFACE ON CAPITOL HILL AFTER FUNDING BILL BLOCKED AGAIN Republicans argue that any negotiations for the expiring subsidies can happen once the government reopens. “Democrats know we need to reopen the government, and they know that they’re appropriately getting blamed for shutting it down, and we’re going to continue to bring up the continuing resolution,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said. “There’s things they want to negotiate, and we can do that once the government is open.” The White House, particularly Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought, and President Donald Trump have ramped up pressure on Senate Democrats, too, with targeted spending cuts to blue states and threats of mass firings of federal workers. But Vought’s targeted cuts likely do not help Democrats move closer to supporting the GOP’s continuing resolution (CR). “Russ Vought is a menace whether the government is open or closed. He wakes up figuring, ‘What damage can I do today?’ That’s what he does,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said. “So, the status of government [being] open or closed, it’s not relevant to Russell Vought. He just goes on his rampage every day.” WHITE HOUSE MEMO SAYS DEMOCRATS’ PLAN COULD SPEND $200B ON HEALTHCARE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Senate Democratic leadership also appears unwilling to cave this early into a shutdown as Republicans plan to continue bringing their short-term extension to the floor. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said that he planned to continue to vote down the GOP’s plan. “How long can Republicans explain to the American people that they want to do nothing to help pay for health insurance?,” he asked. When asked if he was concerned by Vought targeting projects in blue states, Durbin said, “Sadly, it’s a consistent pattern.” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., charged that Trump didn’t have “superpowers during a shutdown” to fire federal workers and slash additional funding. “The news today is that the president is deciding to act illegally and shut down funding for Democratic states and keep money flowing for Republican states,” Murphy said. “This is not a functioning democracy if the president seizes spending power in order to reward his friends and punish his enemies.” Murphy said Democrats would not “get run over” during the shutdown, and that the government would reopen when the GOP gets “serious about talking to Democrats.” Early negotiations on a path forward materialized on the Senate floor on Wednesday, but no real deal came from those talks. Instead, Republicans and Democrats in the impromptu meeting said that they left with a better understanding of either side’s desires. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES AS SENATE DEMS BLOCK GOP FUNDING BILL FOR 3RD TIME Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., previously voted with Schumer in March to keep the government open. The retiring senator was also one of the nearly dozen lawmakers in a bipartisan huddle on the Senate floor that sparked early negotiations on the expiring credits. Peters said that it was “premature” to say there was a deal or plan locked in after those talks, but he warned that deeper issues were still at play for congressional Democrats when it came to dealing with the GOP and White House. “There are all sorts of trust issues, both in the Senate and the House, so we have to work through all of that,” he said. And Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., was one of just three Democratic caucus members who have now voted twice with Republicans on their CR. While she supported reopening the government, she still blamed Republicans for ignoring the Obamacare tax credits. “[Republicans] created this crisis … and they need to address it,” she said. “They have no moral standing, no moral standing to stand back and say that this is all on the Democrats. They are in control, they created this crisis. People are suffering.” When asked if she trusted Republicans in negotiations, Cortez Masto countered, “You tell me.” “They’re already entrenched in their positions, unfortunately, and not thinking about the American public,” she said.
Trump sees ‘unprecedented opportunity’ to cut government during shutdown
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he’s working to determine which “Democrat” agencies will face cuts after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on a government funding package. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he was meeting with Russell Vought, director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, later Thursday to discuss which agencies “are a political SCAM.” The president said he wanted Vought to recommend which agencies should face cuts and whether those cuts should be temporary or permanent. “I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity,” read Trump’s post. “They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” The federal government entered a partial shutdown Wednesday after the midnight funding deadline passed, with Democrats and Republicans failing to agree on a funding bill. DEMOCRATS AT A BIG DISADVANTAGE IN SHUTDOWN AS TRUMP STARTS SLASHING THEIR PROGRAMS Trump has warned the administration could make “irreversible” changes to the federal workforce, most notably through a new wave of fresh layoffs. He has underscored that he and his allies did not want the government to shut down, but that it opened the door for some “good” that could come from it. Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday accused Democrats of forcing the shutdown over providing illegal immigrants with taxpayer-funded emergency healthcare and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., fearing a primary challenge from progressive “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. VANCE BRINGS RECEIPTS TO TARGET DEMS ON HEALTHCARE BENEFITS FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS “But the reality here, and let’s be honest about the politics, is that Chuck Schumer is terrified he’s going to get a primary challenge from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” Vance said. “The reason why the American people’s government is shut down is because Chuck Schumer is listening to the far-left radicals in his own party because he’s terrified of a primary challenge.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also alleged Democrats engineered the shutdown to force taxpayers to fund healthcare for undocumented immigrants given a $37 trillion debt. “To put this all into perspective, the Democrats refused to keep the government open over healthcare to illegal aliens and now have jeopardized critical health care programs for American citizens,” she said. “Instead, the women, infants and children program, community health center funding, Medicare treatment options and other health programs are now all at risk because of the Democrats rejecting the clean C.R. [continuing resolution].” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Media bashes Trump admin messaging for pinning shutdown on Dems, White House fires back
EXCLUSIVE: The White House responded to various reports that President Donald Trump’s administration is breaking federal law by including commentary that blames Senate Democrats for the government shutdown in out-of-office emails and letters furloughing federal employees. A number of reports suggested that including partisan messaging in official emails and communication channels could be a violation of the Anti-Lobbying Act, which prevents federal funding from being used in lobbying efforts. “The Trump administration is committed to sharing the truth with the American people, and it’s simply a fact that the Democrats shut down the government,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital. “Democrats opposed the clean CR that they supported just 6 months ago and 13 times under the Biden administration because they want free healthcare for illegal aliens.” WHITE HOUSE PREPARES FOR ‘IMMINENT’ FEDERAL LAYOFFS AFTER DEMOCRATS FORCE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN “And now, the Democrats are upset the administration is sharing the truth — they are desperately trying to lie to the American people because they know their shutdown is hurting families and workers around the country,” Jackson added. “Unfortunately for the Democrats, facts are facts.” Atop the Department of Justice website, a red banner reads: “Democrats have shut down the government. Department of Justice websites are not currently regularly updated.” Fox News Digital obtained a DOJ memo which was sent to all employees of the agency outlining the plan for furloughing federal employees in the event of a shutdown, stating DOJ “has contingency plans in place for executing an orderly shutdown of activities that would be affected by any lapse in appropriations forced by Congressional Democrats.” JOHNSON SAYS SCHUMER HANDED TRUMP ‘KEYS TO THE KINGDOM’ WITH GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DECISION “Unfortunately, Democrats are blocking this Continuing Resolution in the U.S. Senate due to unrelated policy demands,” the memo continues. “A funding lapse will result in certain Department activities ceasing due to a lack of appropriated funding, and designated pre-notified employees will be furloughed subject to certain laws and regulations.” On visiting the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website, a pop-up appears on the center page that reads: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government. HUD will use available resources to help Americans in need.” Reports also suggested that the administration may be in violation of the Hatch Act, a federal law that prevents tax dollars from being spent in a partisan or politically biased manner, as a result of the messaging. SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS Legal expert Andrew Cherkasy, co-founder of Golden Law, Inc. and former Air Force JAG, told Fox News Digital that “the Hatch Act does not apply to the President or Vice President. It does apply to most other federal employees.” “The law is intended to prohibit government officials from using their official authority to interfere with, or affect elections,” Cherkasky explained. “The President of the United States and his agents under his authority have an unquestionable constitutional right to speak directly to the American people about what is happening in their government and who is responsible for it.” The Hatch Act, which was signed into law in 1939, is enforced by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and is also designed to keep federal employees from influencing or interfering with elections while working in any official capacity. BLAME GAME: GOP SPOTLIGHTS ‘SCHUMER SHUTDOWN’ WHILE DEMS LASH OUT AT REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS “For years, unelected bureaucrats and left-leaning agencies openly leaked, editorialized, and interfered in policy debates without consequence,” Cherkasky told Fox. “The Hatch Act does not prohibit the President from holding democrats accountable for shutting down the government.” The Biden administration also partook in messaging that pushed certain legislation. Biden’s Office of Management and Budget issued a statement regarding the Right to IVF Act last June, stating: “When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade nearly two years ago, it paved the way for Republican elected officials’ extreme, out-of-touch agenda, which has eroded access to reproductive healthcare for families across the country.” The Obama administration issued similar messaging in 2013 specifically blaming Republicans for a government shutdown threat, saying “House Republicans are pushing the Government toward shutdown.” The federal government entered a partial shutdown at midnight Wednesday morning after a bill that would fund the government through Nov. 21 failed in the Senate. Senate Democrats pushed for Obamacare subsidies that were set to expire to be included in the legislation and reportedly felt sidelined in negotiations surrounding government funding. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Despite a Republican majority in both the House and the Senate, the spending bill requires 60 votes to pass in the Senate, meaning some Democrat senators will need to break ranks with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to prevent the bill from failing.
Trump presidential library to be built in Miami after Florida gifts waterfront site
Florida officials on Tuesday paved the way for President Donald Trump’s presidential library to be built in a prime location in downtown Miami next to the city’s iconic Freedom Tower. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet voted to gift a 2.63-acre parcel on Biscayne Boulevard to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation on condition that construction must begin within five years, which would be about a year after the president completes his second term. Trump’s son Eric, who is the president and one of three trustees at the foundation, hailed the announcement. OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER DEPOSITS JUST $1M INTO $470M RESERVE FUND AIMED TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS “No monument can fully capture the scale of my father’s legacy, but this library will stand as a tribute to the leader who reshaped history and restored America’s strength,” Eric Trump said in a statement. No architectural plans have been released, but Eric Trump said it would not look like former President Barack Obama’s presidential center, which is slowly rising in Chicago. “Consistent with our family’s DNA, this will be one of the most beautiful buildings ever built, an icon on the Miami skyline — rest assured, it will not look like President Obama’s ‘prison-like structure,’” Eric Trump wrote on X, referring to the Obama Center’s 235-foot-tall concrete museum at the site. At 19.3 acres, the Obama Presidential Center sits on a site more than seven times larger than Trump’s. The Miami site is currently used as an employee parking lot for Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus and is adjacent to the historic Freedom Tower, which served as a resource center for hundreds of thousands of Cubans who fled communism in the 1960s and 1970s and sought asylum in the United States. The 100-year-old structure is considered a symbol of the city’s vibrant immigrant heritage. The site is surrounded by luxury high-rise apartment buildings and has waterfront views, facing directly at the Kaseya Center, home to the NBA’s Miami Heat, as well as Dodge Island, where many of the world’s largest cruise liners dock. OBAMA LIBRARY, BEGUN WITH LOFTY DEI GOALS, NOW PLAGUED BY $40M RACIALLY CHARGED SUIT, BALLOONING COSTS The parcel was appraised at more than $66 million, according to media reports, but it could sell for at least $360 million, The New York Times reported, citing a real estate consultant. Presidential libraries are part of a system administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which preserves documents, records and other historical materials of U.S. presidents after they leave office. According to the NARA website, the records of the Trump administration will remain in the capital region, which likely means the Miami site will function more like a museum and exhibit center akin to the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Fox News Digital has sought clarification from the Trump Presidential Library Foundation. The site selection comes just months after Trump carried Miami-Dade County by 13 points, the first Republican to carry it since 1988. DeSantis formally presented the plan and publicly backed it, stating ahead of the vote that Florida “would be honored” to house Trump’s presidential library and arguing it would provide a “greater benefit to the public” and “increase economic development activities.” Under the state constitution, the gifting of certain state properties requires approval by a collective decision-making body comprised of the attorney general, the chief financial officer and the commissioner of agriculture as well as the governor. Locations associated with Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and Florida International University in suburban Miami had previously been floated as potential library sites. DeSantis signed a bill this year preempting local governments from blocking development of a presidential library, aiming to overrule potential opposition in liberal-leaning counties or municipalities. The Trump Presidential Library Foundation’s other trustees are Tiffany Trump’s husband Michael Boulos and Trump attorney James Kiley. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Campus rifle arrest of repeat offender draws sharp rebuke of Dems from GOP lawmaker
After a repeat offender was discovered on a college campus with a rifle, Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., slammed Democratic leaders in Colorado for “devastating law enforcement morale” by what he described as siding with illegals and criminals above police and federal officials. Ephraim Debisa, a 21-year-old reported refugee from Tanzania, was arrested again last week for unlawful possession of a weapon on school grounds and trespassing after being previously arrested for suspicion of attempting to commit second-degree murder, first-degree assault and engaging in a riot, according to the Weld County Sheriff’s Office. The statement said that Debisa was also facing charges of felony menacing and first-degree burglary from earlier in the year. Just a few weeks earlier, the sheriff’s office released a warning to the public that it was having to release Debisa, who the office called a “potential danger to the community,” because he did not meet the competency requirements to stand trial under a new Colorado law passed under Democratic leadership in 2024. VENEZUELAN SUSPECT ‘SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES,’ POLICE CHIEF SAYS AFTER DEADLY SHOOTING In the statement, Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams criticized Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and the Democrat-controlled state legislature, saying they “created a crisis” and “have continued to weaken the criminal justice system by handcuffing law enforcement, prosecutors and judges for the sake of criminals.” “I pray this individual doesn’t hurt another innocent victim but the public deserves to know of his past violent actions so they can protect themselves accordingly,” said Reams. “God help this State,” he added. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Evans, whose district includes portions of Weld County, said that as a former police officer, he knows that cases like these take an “emotional and mental health toll on the cops.” “This is just devastating to public safety in Colorado, and it’s devastating to law enforcement morale, because you go, and you arrest a repeat violent offender who then gets released, and then you got to go catch him again two weeks later when he’s armed with a gun, and you know that you’re going to put your life on the line to go get an unstable individual armed with the firearm again,” Evans said, adding, “And he’s probably just going to get released — this is devastating to law enforcement morale as well.” ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AFTER FAILED SANCTUARY ATTEMPT AT COLORADO PROBATION OFFICE He explained that “one of the largest indicators of PTSD in law enforcement is: do they feel like they’re being backed by their agencies and by the government?” “When the government of Colorado, the governor, is signing laws that re-releases violent individuals back into the community, cops don’t feel like anyone’s got their back,” he said. “For the last five years plus, we have seen the left double down on their anti-law enforcement rhetoric, going back to the riots of 2020,” he went on. “They are at an ideological point where they struggle to be able to actually back law enforcement and condemn political violence when it’s against conservative figures.” In response, Polis told Fox News Digital, “I’ll work with anyone to reduce crime and don’t just pay it lip service.” “We are getting real results: double-digit reductions in crime in auto theft, property crime, and violent crime. We are doing this by getting tough on crime, increasing criminal penalties for crimes like auto theft, and investing in our police,” he said. Polis also said that the Trump administration “is withholding a major amount of Colorado’s federal public safety funding, including funds for emergency management and response, which I hope draws outrage from Rep. Evans.” COLORADO DEPUTIES VIOLATED NEW STATE LAW WHEN SHARING INFORMATION WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS “Evans and Republicans are blocking public safety funding — and now he wants to distract people from issues he owns in Congress: kicking people off healthcare, increasing the federal deficit, the administration’s withholding of public safety money, and now, the … shutdown of the federal government,” he said. In a letter that Polis’ office sent to Evans and other Colorado Republicans, Reps. Lauren Boebert and Jeff Crank, the governor noted that the new law passed with bipartisan, veto-proof majorities, but acknowledged it has had “unintended consequences.” He wrote that he is “actively working with and supporting district attorneys, law enforcement, the Colorado Department of Human Services, and legislators” to find a solution, and that he is “always willing to look at making changes where necessary, such as fixing or repealing” the law. “The reality is, Colorado has seen reductions in crime, including in auto theft, property crime, and violent crime,” Polis wrote, while adding, “But we need to do more.” DEMS’ SANCTUARY POLICIES SHIELD ‘GANGBANGERS,’ HARM LATINO FAMILIES, BUSINESSES, SAYS HISPANIC GOP LAWMAKER Yet, according to Evans, law enforcement in Colorado is feeling the effects of Democrats “soft on crime” policies and the community is reeling from the impacts. “Myself and some of the other members from Colorado weighed in on this, calling on the governor to fix a lot of these laws that he has personally signed over the last few years that have made Colorado the second most dangerous state in the country,” he explained. “Denver is a top ten most dangerous major city in the country, and it goes back to all of these laws,” said Evans. “There is, unfortunately, a lot of anti-law enforcement sentiment just nationally against law enforcement. In Colorado, the Democrats have doubled down on that.”
Lawmaker warns government shutdown chaos potentially leading to big waste in the military, impacting readiness
FIRST ON FOX: A Republican member of the House of Representatives is sounding the alarm over the consequences that a government shutdown could have on the military. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., sent a letter to the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday describing concerns raised to him about servicemen and women who are nearing the completion of temporary duty assignments, which are typically orders focused on specific, time-limited tasks, training or support roles. Due to the shutdown, they are being forced back to their home units before completing their assigned tasks. Mast, a veteran himself who lost both his legs while in the service, said that the news is concerning if it is indeed true, as just the costs associated with a service member’s per diem while on temporary duty assignment can range from $178 per day, to more than $1,000 per day for others. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BEGINS AS HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN ARM HEAPS PRESSURE ON DEMS “It is an irresponsible waste of taxpayer dollars and a disservice to our troops and overall readiness,” Mast wrote in the letter. “Talk about lighting money on fire,” the congressman added in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Not only is this Democrat shutdown wasting taxpayer dollars, it’s wasting the time of our servicemembers.” The government shuttered at midnight Tuesday, after Republicans and Democrats failed to come to a consensus on a federal appropriations package needed to keep the government open and funded. REPUBLICANS ERUPT OVER SHUTDOWN CHAOS, ACCUSE DEMS OF HOLDING GOVERNMENT ‘HOSTAGE’ Both sides are pointing the finger at each other for causing the shutdown, which is the first in seven years following a shutdown in 2018 that lasted for 35 days. Democratic Party leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, has accused Republicans of forcing the shutdown because they are unwilling to “protect Americans’ healthcare” via an extension of Obamacare subsidies that Democrats are demanding. Most Republicans oppose the extension, citing concerns the extension would lead to a massive increase in taxpayer-funded healthcare for immigrants who enter the country illegally. Meanwhile, top Republicans are blasting Schumer for playing politics, arguing he is seeking political cover from the far-left corner of his party amid speculation he could face a progressive challenger, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., when he comes back up for re-election. “There is one reason and one reason alone that Chuck Schumer is leading the Democrats off this cliff. He is trying to get political cover from the far-left corner of his base. He’s afraid of a challenge for his Senate seat by AOC or someone like that,” House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed in a Wednesday interview on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria.”
Chicago-area mayor insists ‘we don’t need’ Guard troops despite repeated anti-ICE clashes
The mayor of a small town outside of Chicago on Tuesday insisted her community doesn’t want National Guard troops deployed to the area after weeks of protesters clashing with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. Katrina Thompson, the mayor of Broadview, a village with a population of under 8,000 just west of downtown Chicago, held a press conference Tuesday about the federal presence in the town, emphatically saying, “We don’t want them here.” “We don’t need them,” Thompson later told WLS-TV in an interview. “We can govern ourselves, and we have been doing that until this point.” Thompson’s remarks come after multiple suggestions from President Donald Trump that the Chicago area could benefit from having National Guard troops. Trump even told senior U.S. military officers at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Tuesday that the National Guard would be “going into Chicago very soon.” CHICAGO MAYOR SAYS ‘UNSTABLE HUMAN BEING’ TRUMP MUST BE ‘CHECKED’ ON MILITARY USE IN US CITIES The Trump administration has already deployed the National Guard to cities such as Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., to address crime and assist with deportations. Thompson claimed protesters had been “peaceful” and mostly lobbed verbal insults at agents in Broadview despite clashes with ICE agents that resulted in multiple people being arrested and charged with assaulting federal officers. “That happens to me all the time, and I don’t go out and throw tear gas on people,” Thompson told the outlet. HUNDREDS OF FEDERAL AGENTS IN CHICAGO CARRY OUT OPERATION TARGETING SUSPECTED TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS ICE responded to Thompson in a statement on Tuesday, saying the mayor “can either continue to be part of the problem or choose to be part of the solution by directing your police to enforce local ordinances and working with us to remove violent offenders.” “Mayor Thompson is distorting reality, pointing her finger in the wrong direction, while our officers are protecting her community — and others — from real threats, while also facing skyrocketing violence against them, including at the Broadview facility,” ICE said.
Israeli forces board Gaza flotilla, detain Greta Thunberg, other activists
The Israeli military has intercepted several ships from the flotilla of vessels carrying humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, detaining many of the activists on board. At least three ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of 44 vessels and some 500 activists, were intercepted approximately 70 nautical miles (130km) from the coast of Gaza, according to organisers. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X on Wednesday that “several vessels” of the flotilla were “safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port”. It wrote that Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who had been on board the lead ship Alma, “and her friends are safe and healthy”. The ministry also shared a video showing Thunberg. So far, at least six ships have been intercepted by the Israeli navy, according to the activist group. The names of the vessels are Deir Yassin/Mali, Huga, Spectre, Adara, Alma and Sirius. Several ships were targeted by acts of “active aggression”, it said. “Florida vessel has been deliberately rammed at sea. Yulara, Meteque and others have been targeted with water cannons,” it said on Telegram. All passengers on board were unharmed, it added. Before being intercepted, the vessels had succeeded in sailing beyond the point where the Madleen Flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces earlier this year. Before the interceptions began, the activists warned the Israeli military had cut off their connection by disabling their devices, which affected their cameras, their livestreams and communications systems that allowed the ships to relay messages to the world. Advertisement The Global Sumud Flotilla’s official channels denounced Israel’s actions in a statement, saying the mission’s vessels were being “illegally intercepted”. “People of conscience have been abducted,” it said on X. “The flotilla broke no laws. What is illegal is Israel’s genocide, Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza, and Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon.” The statement urged supporters to pressure governments to act, writing: “Demand your government cut ties with Israel.” United States citizen and activist Leila Hegazy, who is on one of the vessels, posted a prerecorded message on social media stating that her sharing the video means she has been “kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces and brought to Israel against [her] will”. “I ask you all to pressure the United States government to end its complicity in the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza and also to ensure the safe return of every humanitarian on this mission,” she said. Hassan Jabareen, director of the legal centre Adalah, which has represented flotilla activists in the past, told Al Jazeera that “this time, we do not know what Israel will do”. The activists could be deported within 72 hours, according to the law, or brought to court within 96 hours. He added that some activists could be arrested but noted that Israel usually opts for immediate release. “If they arrest and detain them, it can lead to a losing situation, because media coverage will continue as long as they are in custody,” Jabareen said. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said the activists would be deported once the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur concludes on Thursday. Turkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s interception of the boats, denouncing it as an “act of terrorism” and a severe breach of international law. In a statement, the ministry said it was taking initiatives to ensure the immediate release of Turkish citizens and other passengers detained by the Israeli forces. Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the Israeli operation was expected to take two to three hours. He told state TV Rai that the boats would be towed to Israel’s port of Ashdod and the activists would be deported in the coming days. He also said Israeli forces have been told “not to use violence”. As news of the interceptions circulated on social media, protests broke out across several major world cities, including Athens, Rome, Berlin, Brussels, Tunis and Ankara. Italy’s largest union called a general strike for Friday in protest over the treatment of the Sumud Flotilla. Adblock test (Why?)
FBI cuts ties with Anti-Defamation League amid conservative backlash
FBI Director Kash Patel announces break with anti-Semitism watchdog amid outrage over description of Charlie Kirk. Published On 2 Oct 20252 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The top law enforcement agency in the United States has cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), accusing the Jewish advocacy organisation and anti-Semitism watchdog of spying on conservatives. FBI Director Kash Patel made the announcement on Wednesday after prominent conservative influencers, including Elon Musk, pounced on the ADL’s inclusion of the murdered right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in its “Glossary of Extremism and Hate”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list In a brief statement, Patel singled out the ADL’s associations with former FBI Director James Comey, a strident critic of President Donald Trump who was indicted last week on charges of obstruction and lying to the US Congress. Patel said Comey had written “love letters” to the ADL and embedded agents within the group, which he accused of running “disgraceful ops spying on Americans”. “This FBI won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs,” Patel said in a social media post. In a 2014 speech to the ADL’s National Leadership Summit, Comey said the FBI had made the advocacy group’s Law Enforcement and Society training mandatory for personnel and partnered with it to draft a “Hate Crimes Training Manual”. Comey called the ADL’s experience in investigating hate crimes “essential” and its training “eye-opening and insightful”. “If this sounds a bit like a love letter to the ADL, it is, and rightly so,” he said. While Patel did not mention Kirk in his statement, his announcement came just a day after the ADL removed more than 1,000 entries about alleged extremism from its website amid right-wing outrage over references to the late activist. Advertisement The ADL said it made the decision as many of the terms were outdated and a number of entries had been “intentionally misrepresented and misused”. In a since-deleted entry on Kirk and his youth organisation Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the ADL said Kirk promoted “Christian nationalism” and “numerous conspiracy theories about election fraud and Covid-19 and has demonised the transgender community”. The entry also said TPUSA attracted racists, that its representatives had made “bigoted remarks” about minority groups and the LGBTQ community, and that white nationalists had attended its events, “even though the group says it rejects white supremacist ideology”. Kirk himself strongly criticised the ADL while he was alive, once describing it as a “hate group that dons a religious mask to justify stoking hatred of the left’s enemies”. In a statement responding to Patel’s remarks on Wednesday, the ADL said it had “deep respect” for the FBI and all law enforcement officers who work to protect Americans regardless of their ancestry, religion, ethnicity, faith and political affiliation. “In light of an unprecedented surge of antisemitism, we remain more committed than ever to our core purpose to protect the Jewish people,” it said. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel intercepts Gaza Sumud flotilla vessels: What we know so far
Israeli forces have boarded and taken control of several ships that are part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which had been attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, and that had garnered global attention as one of the biggest naval aid missions to the Palestinian enclave. The flotilla – which in all includes more than 40 civilian boats and about 500 activists – was intercepted by Israeli forces late on Wednesday, with activists on board detained and taken to Israel. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Israel had previously said that it would do whatever it takes to stop the Gaza-bound flotilla, claiming the volunteers were trying to “breach a lawful naval blockade” – a claim that goes against international law. Israel has blockaded Gaza to varying degrees since Hamas took control of the Strip in 2007. Gaza’s residents have largely been trapped in the territory since then, with the entry of food, goods and aid strictly controlled by Israel. Here is what to know. What happened to the flotilla on Wednesday? Israel intercepted a flotilla of boats carrying humanitarian aid, according to statements from the flotilla organisers. They reported that Israeli naval forces boarded the vessels about 70 nautical miles (130km) off the coast of Gaza, cutting communications and jamming signals as the flotilla neared the blockaded enclave. In total, at least 13 vessels that are part of the flotilla have been intercepted at sea. Saif Abukeshek, spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, said more than 201 people from 37 countries were on board these boats. This included 30 participants from Spain, 22 from Italy, 21 from Turkiye and 12 from Malaysia, among others. Advertisement “We have around 30 ships that are still fighting their way away from the military vessels of the occupation forces trying to reach to the shores of Gaza. They are determined,” he added. Those are now 85km (46 nautical miles) from Gaza’s coast, according to the flotilla organisers. The flotilla’s progress across the Mediterranean had already drawn international attention, and the arrests of activists on board sparked protests in cities including Rome, Buenos Aires and Istanbul on Wednesday night. Earlier in the day, activists described shadowy encounters with unlit boats and drones tailing the convoy, heightening tensions on board. “On Wednesday … at around 8:30pm [17:30 GMT], multiple vessels of Global Sumud Flotilla – notably Alma, Surius, Adara – were illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli Occupation Forces in international waters,” a flotilla statement said. “Prior to illegally boarding the ships, it appears as though the Israeli naval vessels intentionally damaged ship communications, in an attempt to block distress signals and stop the livestream of their illegal boat boarding.” Despite carrying only a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, the flotilla had pressed forward with its mission to establish a maritime corridor into Gaza, where nearly two years of Israel’s war have left the population facing an acute humanitarian crisis. How did Israel respond? Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a video showing a woman in military uniform speaking by phone, introducing herself as a representative of the Israeli navy. In the call, she warns the flotilla that it is nearing a restricted, blockaded area and explains that any aid for Gaza must be sent “through the established channels”. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also said that activists on board the Gaza aid flotilla will be deported once the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur concludes on Thursday. “Reports suggest more interceptions are expected,” Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Doha, said. “Israeli soldiers have boarded the ships and detained many of the activists on board. Those detained would normally go through a legal process, but Israel is currently under near-total shutdown because of the Yom Kippur holiday,” she added. “That means courts and prisons are not functioning, creating a limbo for the activists if they are detained.” A video published by Israel’s Foreign Ministry showed Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate campaigner, sitting on a deck with soldiers around her. Advertisement “Several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port,” the ministry said on X. “Greta and her friends are safe and healthy.” We will not allow any PR stunt approaching an active war zone to violate our sovereignty. Those who tried to enter Israeli territory illegally will be deported immediately after Yom Kippur in Israel. Israel has repeatedly offered ways to peacefully deliver aid to Gaza, but this… pic.twitter.com/JVZldN0kYb — Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון (@dannydanon) October 1, 2025 Since 2009, Israel has formally enforced a naval blockade it says is necessary to prevent weapons from being smuggled in. Israeli authorities have also alleged that some flotilla organisers are connected to Hamas, a claim the activists strongly reject as unfounded. Israel has yet to present any evidence to prove its claims. Has this happened before? Vessels and convoys have attempted to break the blockade of Gaza since 2010. A few key examples include: 2010 – The Mavi Marmara incident: The most infamous case, when Israeli commandos boarded the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Clashes broke out, and 10 activists were killed as a result, drawing global condemnation and straining Israel-Turkiye relations. Israel apologised for “operational mistakes” in the raid in 2013. A compensation deal is still being negotiated between the two countries. Israeli soldiers and officials who took part in the attack are being tried in absentia in Turkiye for war crimes. 2011-2018 – Smaller flotillas stopped: Several subsequent flotillas, including vessels in 2011, 2015, and 2018. Israel typically diverted the ships to Ashdod port, detained activists, and confiscated cargo. In 2018, activists were arrested, and some reported they were tasered and beaten. 2024 – Flotilla attempts: Activist groups continued organising flotillas, but Israel either prevented them from leaving ports abroad or intercepted them before they could approach Gaza. 2025 – Several flotilla missions set sail to challenge Israel’s naval blockade. One such mission in June involved the