GOP activist reveals why New Jersey is not ‘just a Democrat state’ in push to flip governorship
Republican activist Scott Presler is pushing voter registration and turnout efforts in New Jersey in hopes of flipping the governorship red in November. Presler focused his 2024 efforts for the election on the neighboring battleground state of Pennsylvania, which went red, but said his group Early Vote Action is focusing on the Garden State based on promising numbers for Republicans in recent years. “So, I think the best place to start is a lot of people think that New Jersey is blue. However, look at 2021, and I think that context is Jack Ciattarelli, who is our Trump-endorsed Republican candidate this November, just narrowly lost the governorship in 2021, four years prior by 84,000 votes, and that was a much less favorable environment for the Republican Party, for Donald Trump, etc.,” Presler said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And so the fact that we were still close back then shows the appetite that it’s not just a Democrat state.” DEMOCRAT MIKIE SHERRILL WINS NJ GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY, SETTING UP SHOWDOWN WITH TRUMP-BACKED GOP WINNER In 2024, President Donald Trump lost the state by a narrower margin than expected, as he garnered 46% of the vote, compared with just over 41% in 2020. In 2021, Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who is the nominee again, lost to Gov. Phil Murphy by just over 84,000 votes, which was a much tighter race than the 2017 gubernatorial election. This year, Rep. Mikie Sherrill is the Democratic nominee as Murphy is wrapping up two consecutive terms in office. Presler said that team is “very diverse,” and they’re doing a variety of outreach efforts to not only boost turnout in deep-red areas of the state, but also to connect with key communities in the state, including Jewish, Muslim, Hispanic and Black Americans. “I definitely think that the America First emblem or the America First motto, that has been key to saying, ‘Listen, why are we the personal piggy bank of the rest of the world? Why aren’t we investing in the infrastructure and education here in our country?’ Whereas Democrats wanna put the rest of the globe first and not American citizens,” Presler said. TRUMP-BACKED JACK CIATTARELLI CAPTURES GOP NOMINATION FOR NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR He noted that in many areas of the state that border Pennsylvania, there are “shared values” that help better understand the electorate. “Our strategy is we want sky-high voter turnout in the rural areas. Therefore, Hunterdon, Salem, Warren, Sussex, those are going to be key to our victory. And sure, the margins of the vote population aren’t huge there,” he said. “But in a state that was decided by 84,000 votes four years ago, you betcha that a thousand here or a thousand there is gonna make a difference.” The race, along with other off-year contests, could be an earlier indicator of the political environment headed into the midterm election and the 2028 presidential race. The activist noted that in New Jersey, touting key Trump policies, like the creation of a major tax deduction on tips, could be crucial to getting out the vote. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT, BUT PRESIDENT FRONT AND CENTER IN NEW JERSEY’S PRIMARY FOR GOVERNOR “You have our beautiful casinos over there,” Presler said of Atlantic City. “What did President Trump and the Republican Party just put forth with the BBB? No tax on tips, no tax on overtime. A lot of New Jersey is tourist-centered, and a lot of it is working class in the hospitality industry. I think there’s going to be a direct correlation between the economy getting better and the people of New Jersey, especially independent voters coming over for President Trump,” he said. The general election in the Garden State is Nov. 4. Virginia is the only other state with a gubernatorial election this year.
West Bank mourns Palestinian man killed in Israeli settler arson attack
NewsFeed Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral for 40-year-old Khamis Ayyad, who died from smoke inhalation after an Israeli settler arson attack in the occupied West Bank. His death follows a surge in settler violence this year. Published On 1 Aug 20251 Aug 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Prosecutors want PSG and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi to face rape trial
Paris Saint-Germain which the Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi denies the alleged rape of a woman in 2023. French prosecutors on Friday called for Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi to face trial for the alleged rape of a woman in 2023, which the Moroccan international denies. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office told the AFP news agency that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court. “It is now up to the investigating magistrate to make a decision within the framework of his order,” the prosecutor’s office told AFP in a statement. Hakimi, 26, played a major role in PSG’s run to their first Champions League title, with the full-back scoring the opener in the 5-0 rout of Inter Milan in the final in May. Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic run to the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March 2023 with raping a 24-year-old woman. Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his home on February 25, 2023, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife and children were away on holiday. The woman went to a police station following the encounter, alleging rape and was questioned by police. Although the woman refused to make a formal accusation, prosecutors decided to press charges against the player. She told police at the time that she had met Hakimi in January 2023 on Instagram. On the night in question, she said she had travelled to his house in a taxi paid for by Hakimi. She told police Hakimi had started kissing her and making non-consensual sexual advances, before raping her, a police source told AFP at the time. Advertisement She said she managed to break free to text a friend who came to pick her up. Contacted by AFP after Friday’s development, Hakimi’s lawyer Fanny Colin described the call by prosecutors for a trial as “incomprehensible and senseless in light of the case’s elements”. “We, along with Achraf Hakimi, remain as calm as we were at the start of the proceedings. “If these requisitions were to be followed, we would obviously pursue all avenues of appeal,” she added. “My client welcomes this news with immense relief,” Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the woman, told AFP. Hakimi, born in Madrid, came through the youth system at Real Madrid before joining Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He went on to make 73 appearances for the German club. He moved to Inter Milan in 2020 and then on to PSG in 2021, where he has established himself as an integral part of the team. In Qatar, Hakimi was a cornerstone of the Morocco team that became the first African or Arab nation to reach the semifinals of a World Cup. Adblock test (Why?)
India rock England on Day Two of latest fractious Test
Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj took four wickets each as India fought back in the fifth and deciding Test against England at the Oval on Friday. India roared back into contention on an exhilarating day two of the final Test on Friday as their seamers restricted England to a 23-run lead after the hosts had threatened to run away with a match that the tourists need to win to square the series. After mopping up India’s brittle tail in less than 30 minutes in the morning, openers Zac Crawley and Ben Duckett raced to 92-0 in 12 overs in a blistering return of Bazball. However, continuing the back-and-forth theme of the entire series, India responded as their bowlers ran in relentlessly to peg England back to 247. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal then scored quickly in a potentially awkward last 90 minutes, ending unbeaten on 51 with India closing on 75-2, 52 runs ahead to leave the pivotal match fascinatingly poised. Another fabulously undulating day began with India resuming at 204-6, but soon skittled for 224 as pace bowler Gus Atkinson took five wickets in his first Test since May. It was an all-too-familiar collapse by the tourists this summer as Karun Nair fell lbw for 57 and Washington Sundar was caught for 26. Atkinson then bowled Mohammed Siraj and had Prasidh Krishna caught behind, both for ducks, to finish with 5-33. England set about their reply in their usual, swashbuckling fashion, exemplified by Duckett’s extraordinary “reverse hook” for six off Akash Deep. Akash Deep of India puts his arm around Ben Duckett of England after dismissing him for 43 [Shaun Botterill/Getty Images] They reached 50 in seven overs – the fastest 50 opening partnership England have ever managed in a Test – but fell just short of the 100 as Duckett was caught behind reversing for 43. Advertisement They were 109-1 at lunch, and England looked poised to take command, but India, as they have all summer, refused to buckle as Crawley (64) and Ollie Pope (22) quickly departed. Joe Root brought his usual calm to proceedings until Siraj nipped one back at him for an lbw on 29, with Jacob Bethell going the same way soon after. Krishna finished off the session in style by having Jamie Smith brilliantly caught in the slips for eight by KL Rahul, then getting Jamie Overton lbw for nought and followed up with the wicket of Atkinson to finish with 4-62. Harry Brook had a late flurry either side of a rain delay before becoming Siraj’s fourth victim when bowled for 53 as England, with injured Chris Woakes absent, were all out for 247. India’s openers quickly erased that and pushed on well beyond, with Jaiswal looking particularly enterprising en route to a quickfire 51 – though he was badly dropped in the deep on 40. Rahul departed tamely for seven off Josh Tongue, and Sai Sudharsan followed, lbw to Atkinson for 11, leaving Deep not out four. With good weather forecast for Saturday, another Oval full house will turn up in expectation of more fireworks, and what has been one of the most entertaining series for years is still in the balance. Adblock test (Why?)
Anti-Israel protesters arrested after storming Schumer, Gillibrand’s NYC office building
Anti-Israel protesters were arrested after storming the lobby of Sen. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s offices in New York City. The NYPD confirmed to Fox News Digital that officers made arrests at “an unscheduled demonstration” at 780 Third Avenue, where both senators’ NYC offices are located. The protesters, clad in black and yellow, put out signs with various slogans, including two that addressed Schumer and Gillibrand directly, demanding they “stop starving Gaza.” They also chanted “Free, free Palestine, stop the genocide.” Among the activists was actor Sara Ramirez, who starred in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “And Just Like That,” according to Reuters. TRUMP: HAMAS SURRENDER, HOSTAGE RELEASE IS ‘FASTEST WAY’ TO END GAZA WAR It is unclear exactly how many people were arrested, as the NYPD was not disclosing that information at the time of this writing. Earlier this week, Schumer released a statement decrying the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. “The reporting and images out of Gaza – depicting the devastating levels of hunger, starvation, suffering, and death – are wholly unacceptable and underscore the dire human cost of this ongoing conflict that cannot be ignored,” the statement read. PRO-ISRAEL DEM SAYS THOSE WHO WON’T DECRY HAMAS OVER OCT. 7 ATTACK ‘HAVE NO BUSINESS’ POSING AS HUMANITARIANS “Regardless of the status of negotiations, the Trump administration and the Israeli government must urgently work with experienced and long-standing humanitarian and development partners of the United States to surge the delivery of food, services, and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. The action taken by the Israeli government to lift some restrictions on aid is a step forward – but much more must be done,” Schumer added. On Friday, President Donald Trump told Axios that he is working on a plan to “get people fed” in Gaza. The outlet noted that the president was concerned about starvation in Gaza, but placed the blame on Hamas. Additionally, Trump told Axios that Witkoff was “doing great work,” but that he had not gotten a briefing from his special envoy yet. DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER ‘NO LONGER ON SPEAKING TERMS’ WITH SOME FAMILY OVER ISRAEL SUPPORT Also on Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited aid distribution sites run by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). “Went into Gaza today [and] observed humanitarian food program by U.S.-launched GHF. Hamas hates GHF [because] it gets food to [people without] it being looted by Hamas. Over 100 MILLION meals served in 2 months,” Huckabee wrote on X. In a separate post, Huckabee hailed GHF’s work as “an incredible feat.” Huckabee also told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade that the situation in Gaza is “a mess” because of Hamas. He added that he had seen evidence of the terror group stealing aid and selling it on the black market. According to Huckabee, a 4-kilogram (8.8-pound) bag of sugar is being sold on the black market for as much as $200. Witkoff said that he and Huckabee spent five hours in Gaza “level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions and meeting with [GHF] and other agencies.” He added that the aim of the visit was to give President Donald Trump “a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.” Fox News Digital reached out to the NYPD as well as the offices of Schumer and Gillibrand.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: All Quiet on the Southern Front
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… -Trump endorses ‘MAGA warrior’ for RNC chairman after Whatley launches Senate campaign –Senate GOP threatens to ‘grind it out’ through August as Trump nominees face Democratic delays -Linda McMahon pulls back the curtain on Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education The southern border has largely gone quiet. United States Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks posted to X on Friday that southwest border apprehensions hit a monthly record low in July, with only 4,399 apprehensions. For the third month in a row, there have been zero releases. This is the new all-time record low, beating the prior record low of 6,070 in June…READ MORE ‘CAN’T GO WRONG’: Trump takes jab at GOP senator, urging Republicans to ‘vote the exact opposite of’ how she does FIGHTING LUNATICS: Trump blasts reporter over tariffs questions: ‘Lunatics like you’ NUCLEAR NAILBITER: China’s growing nuclear arsenal aims to break US alliances and dominate Asia, report warns BEYOND REPAIR: US report urges UN agency’s shutdown over Hamas ties, Oct. 7 terror links FREE TO RUN: Trump ally Bukele’s party amends El Salvador constitution to allow indefinite presidential re-election CAPITAL RULE DISPUTE: Senate Republicans launch crackdown on DC permitting illegal immigrants, noncitizens to vote in elections DEFEND FROM DEFUND: Democrats escalate anti-Trump lawfare by targeting Congress in Planned Parenthood funding fight ‘LAWLESS’: Lawmaker unveils ‘ERIC ADAMS Act’ threatening criminal penalties for sanctuary city mayors SWAMP STOCK SHOWDOWN: Trump ‘wants to get’ stock-trading ban done, Hawley insists after president’s brutal attack on bill RAISING THE BAR: Top DHS official calls citizenship test ‘too soft,’ urges major overhaul of naturalization process ‘HALF A BRAIN’: Mamdani defund police walk back ripped as ‘political theatre’: ‘No one with half a brain is buying it’ TOXIC DANGER: Banned chemicals found in American shampoo, sunscreen and tampons across major brands Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Federal appeals court weighs Trump birthright citizenship order as admin outlines enforcement details
A federal appeals court will hear oral arguments Friday afternoon in a challenge to President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship in the U.S., one of several lower court cases that took shape after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in June. The three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit agreed this summer to hear arguments in two consolidated cases centered on the matter, O. Doe. v. Trump, and the State of New Jersey v. Trump, joining several other appeals courts in reviewing the legality of Trump’s executive order. The hearing comes roughly five weeks after the Supreme Court partially sided with the Trump administration in a case centered on the birthright citizenship order. Justices narrowed when lower courts can issue so-called “universal injunctions” blocking the president’s orders from taking effect nationwide. Trump signed his birthright citizenship executive order on his first day in office. It seeks to clarify the 14th Amendment, which states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” NINTH CIRCUIT REJECTS TRUMP’S BID TO REINSTATE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER Instead, the language put forth by the Trump administration, and subsequently blocked, would have clarified that individuals born to illegal immigrant parents, or those who were here legally but on temporary non-immigrant visas, are not citizens by birthright. The Supreme Court declined to rule on the merits, instead giving the Trump administration 30 days to outline how it would enforce the order — effectively punting the issue back to the lower courts. So far, the administration hasn’t found much success there. A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a nationwide injunction last month blocking Trump’s order from taking force, and certified as a class all infants born in the U.S. who would be denied citizenship under the order. Arguments before the First Circuit come just one week after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals also blocked Trump’s birthright citizenship order from taking force nationwide. Judges on the Ninth Circuit voted 2-1 to block the order, siding with the Democratic-led states in ruling it unconstitutional. They also ruled it “is impossible to avoid this harm” caused by the order “absent a uniform application of the citizenship clause throughout the United States,” prompting them to issue the nationwide injunction. “The district court below concluded that a universal preliminary injunction is necessary to provide the states with complete relief,” U.S. Circuit Judge Ronald Gould, writing for the Ninth Circuit majority, said in the ruling. “We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in issuing a universal injunction in order to give the states complete relief.” It’s unclear how judges on the First Circuit will rule. But their oral arguments come days after the Trump administration detailed new specifics on how it plans to enforce its order in question. Guidance from roughly half a dozen U.S. agencies outlines these new requirements for parents. One document published by the Social Security Administration outlines new requirements parents will need to meet to prove their child is a U.S. citizen at birth. “With respect to citizenship, an SSN applicant may currently demonstrate U.S. citizenship by providing a birth certificate showing a U.S. place of birth,” a document from SSA said. “Once the EO takes effect, a birth certificate showing a U.S. place of birth will not be sufficient documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship for persons born after the EO takes effect.” The policy, which remains halted by the lower courts, is widely unpopular. More than 22 U.S. states and immigrants’ rights groups have sued the Trump administration to block the change to birthright citizenship, arguing in court filings that the executive order is both unconstitutional and “unprecedented.” And to date, no court has sided with the Trump administration’s executive order seeking to ban birthright citizenship, though multiple district courts have blocked it, including in wake of the Supreme Court ruling, from taking effect. This is a developing news story. Check back soon for updates.
Lawmakers advance bill to protect Texans from real estate fraudsters
Senate Bill 15 seeks to prevent the use of fraudulent deeds to sell someone else’s property or take out loans. Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a previous version of the bill.
Federal judge halts Trump TPS policy, accuses DHS of making migrants ‘atone for their race’
A federal judge in California delayed the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to terminate protections for immigrants from three countries, a move that adds to the legal hurdles for the Trump administration as it pushes to carry out its deportation agenda. Judge Trina Thompson said that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s terminations of temporary protected status, also known as TPS, for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal were likely “preordained decisions” that violated the Administrative Procedure Act and were driven by racial animus. “The freedom to live fearlessly, the opportunity of liberty, and the American dream. That is all Plaintiffs seek,” Thompson, a Biden-appointee, wrote in an order. “Instead, they are told to atone for their race, leave because of their names, and purify their blood. The Court disagrees.” Thompson later added: “Color is neither a poison nor a crime.” DHS TERMINATES TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR AROUND 76K HONDURAN, NICARAGUAN MIGRANTS The lawsuit was brought by a group representing TPS holders, including some who have lived in the country for more than two decades. Attorneys wrote in court papers on behalf of the immigrants that they were “laborers, health care workers, artists, and caretakers” who have “relied on TPS to provide the most basic forms of human security — a stable place to live and a chance to work for a living during a time of severe crisis in their home countries.” They argued that Noem declining to extend their TPS status was, by law, supposed to be reached based on an individualized analysis of each country. The judge found that Noem likely failed to condition TPS termination on factors specific to the immigrants’ countries of origin. They also said Noem had given the immigrants a historically short notice period of 60 days before they would lose their TPS status. And she and other Trump administration officials have normalized using “racist invective” to explain their TPS decisions, the attorneys said. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICY IN SHOCKING DECISION ON HAITIAN PROTECTIONS The attorneys cited dozens of examples of Trump or Noem describing migrants as MS-13 gang members, murderers, terrorists and people who have it in their “genes” to commit crime. They pointed to Trump’s viral debate moment in which he made the unproven claim that Haitian immigrants were eating Ohioans’ house pets. The TPS program gives the DHS authority to permit immigrants who might otherwise have no legal status to temporarily reside in the United States because of extraordinary circumstances in their home countries, such as wars or natural disasters. The plaintiffs argued that roughly 61,000 people would lose their TPS as a result of Noem’s decision, which would end the immigrants’ legal status and work authorizations and make them eligible for deportation. The Trump administration has argued that the statute governing TPS gives DHS secretaries sole discretion over TPS designations and that Noem should be allowed to end the status using the same authority that past secretaries used to grant it. In May, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration in an emergency order related to a case involving TPS for Venezuelans. The order temporarily paused a lower court order, clearing the way for Noem to end TPS for about 350,000 immigrants. Thompson’s decision will stay in place until at least November, when the next hearing is scheduled. DHS told Fox News Digital it plans to appeal the decision.
Encounter breaks out between security forces, terrorists in J-K’s Kulgam
An encounter broke out on Friday, i.e., August 1, between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police said.