Trump’s earliest supporter announces bid for Alabama Senate seat
FIRST ON FOX: Another House Republican has their eyes set on a Senate seat in the 2026 midterms. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital in an interview that he plans to run for Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s seat in the upper chamber. Moore, who has represented the southern Alabama 1st congressional district since 2021, styled himself as a fiscal hawk with a longstanding history of supporting President Donald Trump. Indeed, he was the first elected official in the country to endorse Trump during his first run for office in 2015. TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP ‘RIGHTLY’ TOOK OVER DC POLICE, DEMANDS BOWSER, OTHERS TESTIFY ON CRIME “I think my number one job is to protect the people’s liberty and to support the president in that process,” Moore said. “And so, for us, it’s an opportunity to continue to fight for the America First agenda, and also make sure we have conservatives in the Senate from Alabama that are truly the voice of the people.” And one of his top concerns in Washington is the ever-increasing national debt, which has neared $37 trillion and counting, according to the Fox Business National Debt Tracker. One of his top priorities when helping to craft Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” was to apply downward pressure on Congress’ spending habits to achieve roughly $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade. “I think that we’ll have to hold the line on spending,” Moore said. “But again, this didn’t get this way overnight. You’re not going to fix it overnight. So you have to do it gradually.” SENATE REPUBLICANS REVEAL DRAMATIC DEALMAKING BEHIND TRUMP’S $3.3T MEGABILL PASSAGE Moore, 58, is not alone in the race to replace Tuberville, who earlier this year announced that he would make a bid for the governor’s mansion after serving only one term in the upper chamber. He joins Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in the Republican primary. There are also a trio of candidates running on the Democratic side, including Kyle Sweetser, Dakarai Larriett and Mark Wheeler II. And despite his conservative bona fides — he is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and touted his deeply conservative voting record — Moore believed that the number one issue in the Senate, and Congress in general, is the growing partisan divide. TRUMP’S SENATE CLOSER: REPUBLICAN FRESHMAN EMERGES AS KEY WHITE HOUSE ALLY He noted that when he came to Washington in 2021, he was disappointed that Republicans and Democrats didn’t work together more in the lower chamber under former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “I think most people in D.C. are principled,” he said. “They’re trying to do the right thing. There’s perfect, and that’s sometimes the enemy of practical. And so we try to make sure that even on the ‘big, beautiful bill,’ it wasn’t perfect. There were 435 versions of perfect in the House, but having principled people come to the table and say, ‘Let’s get a practical solution so we can get wins for this administration and for our country’ – I think that’s what we have to do in the Senate.” “I don’t think we have to look at the opposing side as the enemy always,” he said. “And I think we have to keep in mind, too, that they represent areas, and they have a different experience in life.” Still, despite his desire to create bipartisan inroads in the upper chamber, which is a must in most legislative fights, given the 60-vote filibuster threshold, Moore supports a change to Senate rules for confirmations to blast through Senate Democrats’ blockade of Trump’s nominees. He’s in support of shortening the debate time on nominees, one of the options on the table for when lawmakers return from their August break, and argued that Democrats “are playing the obstructionist” despite Trump winning big in the 2024 election. “The American people are fed up with that, so I say we change the rules and allow these nominees to get the jobs and start doing the job so they can help the president achieve his agenda,” he said.
‘Things need to change’: Senate Democrats sharpen criticism of Israel as humanitarian concerns grow
Senate Democrats have undergone a steady tonal shift on Israel, with a recent vote to block arms sales to the Jewish State giving a glimpse at the evolution on the Hill. More Democrats in the upper chamber than ever before voted alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to halt the $675 million sale of thousands of bombs and guidance kits for the bombs and to block the sale of automatic rifles to Israel. BERNIE SANDERS TO FORCE SENATE VOTE ON BLOCKING ARMS SALES TO ISRAEL Sanders’ push ultimately failed late last month, but over half of all Senate Democrats voted alongside him, with many voting with him for the first time. Meanwhile, all Senate Republicans voted against them. “The tide is turning,” Sanders, who routinely caucuses with Democrats, said in a statement. “The American people do not want to spend billions to starve children in Gaza. The Democrats are moving forward on this issue, and I look forward to Republican support in the near future.” Getting Republicans on board for future attempts, as Sanders hoped would happen, is a stretch at best. “Republicans stand with Israel,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch, R-Idaho, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Senator Sanders’ resolution to block arms sales would have reinstated the failed policies of the Biden administration and would abandon America’s closest ally in the Middle East,” he continued. “We can’t afford to go back there.” TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP ‘RIGHTLY’ TOOK OVER DC POLICE, DEMANDS BOWSER, OTHERS TESTIFY ON CRIME But the change within the Democratic caucus was likely spurred by the release of photos of starving children in the Gaza Strip, which earned shocked reactions from both lawmakers and President Donald Trump. Many Democrats have pinned the blame on Israel and argued that the Jewish state has put a chokehold on aid that is meant for civilians in Gaza, while Republicans contend that the terrorist organization Hamas is stealing the food. “What’s going on is unacceptable, and Israel has the power to fix it,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, told Fox News Digital. Like Sanders, King typically caucuses with Senate Democrats. But unlike his fellow Independent colleague, he has routinely stood firm in his support of Israel. But the photos and reports of widespread malnutrition prompted him to vote to block arms sales. “Israel’s the one that’s not letting the aid get in,” he said. “The humanitarian response is entirely within Israel’s hands, and they’ve been blocking, slowing, starting and stopping, to the point where I just could no longer stand silent.” And like King, Sen. Jean Shaheen, the top ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, changed course and voted in favor of blocking arms sales out of concern that food aid was not making its way to Palestinians. “I think it’s important to send the message to Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and his government that things need to change,” the New Hampshire Democrat said in an interview with PBS Newshour. SENATE REPUBLICANS REVEAL DRAMATIC DEALMAKING BEHIND TRUMP’S $3.3T MEGABILL PASSAGE But Republicans charged that it was not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fault that food aid was not making its way into Gaza, and instead believed that it was Hamas stealing the food. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said that Israel wants to make sure that the food aid actually makes it to civilians in Hamas. “Israel and the US have cut out, cut off most of Hamas’ cash flow,” Kennedy said. “And a lot of their cash flows depends on stealing the food and selling it, sometimes to their own people, absorbing the prices.” And not every Senate Democrat is on the same page when it comes to their position on the Jewish State. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has routinely slammed Democrats for criticizing Israel, and believed that his party was moving further away from his position. “What I really fundamentally believe, there’s been a wholesale shift, even within my party, to blame Israel for the situations and the circumstances overall,” Fetterman told Fox News Digital. “And I don’t really understand. It’s like we’ve seen the same pictures and, of course, what’s happened in Gaza is devastating.” “But so, for me, I blame Hamas and Iran,” he continued. “And I don’t know why there’s not like a collective global outrage.”
DC councilman charged with corruption scheme says leaders are ‘responsible,’ don’t need ‘federal interference’
President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s law enforcement is facing criticism from an eyebrow-raising source: a D.C. city councilman who is facing charges of running a bribery scheme out of his office. Trayon White, 41, was sworn in to the city council on Friday, having been elected to the post despite facing an upcoming trial on federal bribery charges in 2026. Asked about Trump’s then-threatened takeover of D.C. law enforcement, White argued that D.C.’s leaders are already “responsible,” and that a federal takeover would only “cripple” the city. “I think we have one of the strongest budgets of any city for the last 20 years. We are fiscally responsible. We have a AAA bond rating. We’ve shown that we can be responsible with our funds. We don’t need federal interference. In fact, they’ve only crippled Washington D.C. and the progress we’ve made over the last four decades,” White told reporters. The D.C. council voted to expel White in February as his bribery charges began to play out. He nevertheless won back his seat in July, basing his campaign around claims that the FBI had targeted him unjustly. He claimed last week that the federal agency was out to “kill” him. TRUMP IS THREATENING TO ‘FEDERALIZE’ DC WITH NATIONAL GUARD AND MORE. HERE’S HOW THAT COULD PLAY OUT “You know the FBI is after me, you know, but I believe that, you know, not just arrest me, but, you know, but I believe they want to kill me,” White told reporters Friday. TRUMP VOWS TO MAKE DC ‘SAFER’ AND ‘BEAUTIFUL’ AS CAPITAL BATTLES CRIME AND HOMELESSNESS The FBI arrested White in August 2024 after he was accused by federal authorities of agreeing to accept $156,000 in bribes. His trial is scheduled to begin in January 2026. White denies any wrongdoing and is pleading not guilty in the federal case, despite apparent video of him allegedly pocketing cash-stuffed envelopes. A Justice Department statement from August 2024 alleges that White agreed to accept the bribes in exchange for “using his official position to pressure renewal” of contracts valued at $5.2 million. Trump announced on Monday that his administration was federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department and deploying 800 National Guardsmen to the city in an effort to combat crime and homelessness. U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro blames much of the problem on “young punks” who view themselves as untouchable by the law. DC COUNCIL EXPELS TRAYON WHITE FOLLOWING FEDERAL BRIBERY CHARGE The alleged bribery scheme was focused on violence-prevention programs, with White allegedly pressuring employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to re-up certain contracts. White was allowed to run in the special election because he had not been convicted of a felony. “So we sent a message loud and clear to D.C. City Council that Trayon White is here to stay,” White said in his victory speech, according to the Associated Press. The outlet added that the troubled, once-ousted council member told the story of his return to office as one of resilience and redemption.
Trump names conservative economist to lead labour statistics agency
US president’s nomination comes after firing of agency head raised concerns about integrity of US government statistics. United States President Donald Trump has tapped an economist from a conservative think tank to lead a key statistics agency after firing its previous head over her role in the release of weak employment figures. Trump said on Monday that he had nominated EJ Antoni, the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). “Our Economy is booming, and E.J. will ensure that the Numbers released are HONEST and ACCURATE. I know E.J. Antoni will do an incredible job in this new role. Congratulations E.J.!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Trump’s nomination of Antoni, who requires confirmation by the US Senate, comes after his firing of Erika McEntarfer earlier this month raised concerns about US government statistics remaining credible and free of political influence. Trump justified McEntarfer’s dismissal by claiming, without evidence, that the latest jobs report, which showed sharply slower jobs growth for May and June than previously estimated, had been “rigged” to make him look bad. At the Heritage Foundation, Antoni, who had called for McEntarfer’s removal shortly before she was fired, has consistently showered Trump with praise. After Trump’s announcement of a trade deal with Japan last month, Antoni described the agreement as “darn close” to perfect and the US president and his Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, as “artistic masters”. Last week, Antoni said in a social media post that there were “better ways to collect, process, and disseminate” economic data, and that the next head of the BLS would need to deliver “accurate data in a timely manner” to rebuild trust in the agency. Advertisement Antoni and the Heritage Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Antoni’s nomination swiftly drew criticism from economists, who raised concerns about his qualifications and partisan leanings. Jason Furman, an economist at Harvard Kennedy School who served as an adviser to former US President Barack Obama, called Antoni “completely unqualified”. “He is an extreme partisan and does not have any relevant expertise. He would be a break from decades of nonpartisan technocrats,” Furman said in a post on X. Erica Groshen, who led the BLS under Obama, voiced similar concerns. “So far, what worries me is that the nominee and his work are not well known in the business, academic or public service communities,” Groshen told Al Jazeera. Adblock test (Why?)
Zelenskyy says Putin readying for ‘new offensive’ in Ukraine, not ceasefire
Russian President Putin ‘is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire’, says Zelenskyy, as US, and Russian leaders scheduled to meet in Alaska. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Vladimir Putin is not preparing for a ceasefire but is readying his troops for “new offensive operations” in Ukraine, even as the Russian leader is set to meet US President Donald Trump for peace talks in Alaska. Zelenskyy said reports from Ukrainian intelligence and military commanders indicate that Putin intends to present his meeting on Friday with Trump as “a personal victory and then continue acting exactly as before” in the war on Ukraine. “He is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war,” Zelenskyy said in a video message posted to his social media account on Monday night. “There is no indication whatsoever that the Russians have received signals to prepare for a post-war situation,” he said. “On the contrary, they are redeploying their troops and forces in ways that suggest preparations for new offensive operations. If someone is preparing for peace, this is not what he does,” he added. Today, there was a report from the intelligence and military command on what Putin is counting on and what he is actually preparing for, including military preparations. He is definitely not preparing for a ceasefire or an end to the war. Putin is determined only to present a… pic.twitter.com/T3sqQg0ltT — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 11, 2025 Ukraine’s military spokesperson for the southern front-line sector, Vladyslav Voloshyn, told the Reuters news agency on Monday that Russia was moving some military units in the Zaporizhia region for further assaults. Advertisement Earlier on Monday, Zelenskyy warned that any concessions to Russia would not persuade it to stop fighting in Ukraine. “Russia refuses to stop the killings, and therefore, must not receive any rewards or benefits,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Concessions do not persuade a killer,” he said. The Ukrainian leader’s warnings come in advance of Trump’s scheduled meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday, and after the US president said that Kyiv would have to cede land to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, a proposition that Ukraine has firmly rejected. “There’ll be some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody; to the good, for the good of Ukraine. Good stuff, not bad stuff. Also, some bad stuff for both,” Trump told a news conference in Washington, DC, on Monday. Trump also said he would know “probably in the first two minutes” of meeting with Putin, whether progress was possible. “I’m going to be telling him, ‘You’ve got to end this war,’” Trump said, adding that a future meeting with Putin could include Zelenskyy. United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also said on Monday that a peace deal for Ukraine must involve Kyiv and not be imposed upon it. “Both leaders underscored that Ukraine’s future must be one of freedom, sovereignty, and self-determination,” a spokesperson for Starmer said. Zelenskyy also said he had spoken to Canada’s Carney and told him that the “Russians simply want to buy time, not end the war”. “The situation on the battlefield and Russia’s wicked strikes on civilian infrastructure and ordinary people prove this clearly,” Zelenskyy said in a post on social media. US-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which monitors the conflict in Ukraine on a daily basis, said in a recent report that Moscow does not appear to be preparing the Russian public for accepting “a settlement short of a full victory in Ukraine”. That assessment, the ISW said, was based on “the lack of change in public Kremlin messaging, in combination with ongoing speculation that Putin is looking to ‘outplay’ the West”. European leaders and Zelenskyy plan to speak with Trump in advance of his meeting with Putin as fears mount that Washington may dictate unfavourable peace terms to Ukraine after the Alaska summit. Adblock test (Why?)
Why is Trump sending US National Guard to Washington, DC?
United States President Donald Trump has announced that he is temporarily taking control of the Washington, DC, police department, while deploying 800 National Guard troops to the city. Trump said his actions are needed to “rescue” the US capital from a surge in crime. While violent crime spiked in Washington, DC, in 2023, data shows it has been falling quickly since then. Here is what we know: What has Trump announced? During a 78-minute news conference, Trump announced that the federal government would take control of the District of Columbia (DC) Metropolitan Police Department to address surging crime. “I’m announcing a historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse,” Trump said during the conference in which he was joined by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who will oversee the city’s police force while it is under federal control. “This is Liberation Day in DC, and we’re going to take our capital back. We’re taking it back,” Trump said. “Under the authorities vested in me as the President of the United States, I’m officially invoking section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act… and placing the DC Metropolitan and Police Department under direct federal control,” he said. He also announced the deployment of the National Guard. “I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order and public safety in Washington, DC, and they’re going to be allowed to do their job properly,” he said. Trump also said that he intends to remove the capital’s homeless population, but did not provide details on how the plan would be carried out. What is the Home Rule Act of 1973? The Home Rule Act of 1973 is a US federal law that gave Washington, DC, a significant degree of self-government for the first time. Advertisement Washington, DC, is the seat of the federal government and the only US city that is not part of the 50 states. As a result, it has no voting representation in Congress. For about a century, up until 1973, the city was run by three presidentially appointed commissioners. That was until then-President Richard Nixon signed the Home Rule Act, enabling district residents to elect a mayor and city council. But the Home Rule Act also says the president can take control of the city’s police force if “special conditions of an emergency nature exist”. This is something Trump threatened to do in 2020, amid nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd. The city’s police can be used for “federal purposes”. The president can use the DC police force for 48 hours, or up to 30 days if he notifies Congress. Trump said he plans to keep the federal takeover of the force going past the first 48 hours, and will officially inform the appropriate parties. The mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser, is adamant that the city still has control: “Let me be clear. Chief Pamela Smith is the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, and its 3,100 members work under her direction.” “Nothing about our organisational chart has changed,” Bowser said. “And nothing in the executive order would indicate otherwise.” According to a report by the news outlet Politico, federal law enforcement officers will be tasked with protecting federal buildings and national monuments. What do we know about the National Guard deployment? According to a statement from the US Army, “between 100-200 soldiers will be supporting law enforcement at any given time”. “Their duties will include an array of tasks from administrative, logistics and physical presence in support of law enforcement,” the army said. The National Guard will operate under Title 32 status, meaning they remain under local control but are funded by the federal government. In this status, they are not bound by the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars US service members from engaging in law enforcement activities. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the Guard would begin flowing into DC this week. According to a report by CNN, deployed troops are not expected to openly carry rifles as they patrol the streets. Instead, they will probably keep their weapons nearby, for example, in their trucks, so they can access them if necessary for self-defence, the official said. Hegseth said the Pentagon was “prepared to bring in other National Guard units – other specialised units”, but did not offer any further details. Advertisement When asked whether the military would assist with clearing homeless people from the city, Hegseth said that the soldiers would assist local law enforcement. “Our job is to stand alongside law enforcement,” he said. Why is Trump taking these measures? In the executive order, Trump states that rising violence in the capital has become an emergency. The “rising violence in the capital now urgently endangers public servants, citizens, and tourists, disrupts safe and secure transportation and the proper functioning of the Federal Government”, the order states. “The magnitude of the violent crime crisis places the District of Columbia among the most violent jurisdictions in the United States.” It also says that the attorney general shall regularly update the president “on the status of the special conditions of an emergency nature that exist in the District of Columbia”. MAKE D.C. SAFE AGAIN 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/xJRIcgy4ld — The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 11, 2025 According to reports, the move seems to have been triggered by an assault involving Edward Coristine, a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer and protege of Elon Musk, who previously led DOGE. Police say 10 teenagers attacked the 19-year-old and his partner early on August 3. Two 15-year-olds were later arrested and charged. “If DC doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, days after the attack, with an image showing a shirtless Coristine with what appeared to be blood spattered on his face, body and trousers. “Perhaps
Independence Day 2025: Traffic restrictions in Delhi on Aug 13 for I-Day rehearsal; check timings, diversions
Commuters have been advised to use public transport, especially the Delhi Metro, and plan their journeys in advance.
Pune: 7 killed, over 20 injured after van carrying pilgrims, including children, falls off hilly road
Seven people were killed while several others were injured after a pick-up van fell 25-30 feet down a slope in Papalwadi village under the Mahalunge MIDC police station area in Maharashtra.
Heavy rains lashes Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Gurugram, IMD issues yellow alert, check traffic advisory here, video
Heavy rain lashed Delhi and National capital Region (NCR) on Tuesday (12 August), causing waterlogging and traffic chaos in several areas. The downpour from late Monday night have disrupted traffic in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad.
State utility commission sues Texas attorney general to avoid releasing data on crypto companies’ power use
After The Texas Tribune and other news outlets requested the information, the Public Utility Commission argued that it could lead to acts of terrorism. When the AG’s office disagreed, the PUC sued.