Explosion of data centers causes planning struggles for Texas power grid
As companies look to build projects that consume more power than cities, the state’s grid manager is trying to plan how to provide enough electricity to meet the demand.
Many Texans will pay more for ACA health insurance. Here’s what to know about open enrollment.
The federal marketplace’s health insurance premiums will cost more for many people. Enrollment runs Nov. 1 to Jan. 15.
Texas judges won’t face sanctions for turning down same-sex weddings on religious grounds
Officiating weddings isn’t a requirement for judges or justices of the peace. A new rule will let them perform only opposite-sex marriage ceremonies.
Hunt calls for debate with Cornyn, Paxton in Senate GOP primary
The second-term congressman argued that voters should “hear directly from the candidates,” beyond the millions already being poured into paid advertising.
Trump surgeon general nominee confirmation hearing postponed as she goes into labor
A virtual confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s surgeon general pick Dr. Casey Means has been postponed because she went into labor. Means, 38, was appearing remotely because she was nine months pregnant with her first child. Her opening remarks for the hearing expected on Thursday had been prewritten. “Our nation is angry, exhausted, and hurting from preventable disease. Rates of high blood pressure, many cancers, autoimmune conditions, type 2 diabetes, mental health disorders, dementia, neurodevelopmental challenges, and youth suicide have all increased in the past two decades,” the prepared remarks, obtained by Fox News, said. INTO THE ARENA: HOSTILE DEMOCRATS, SKEPTICAL REPUBLICANS TEAR INTO KENNEDY ON THE HILL “This public-health crisis is touching every American family. It is robbing our children of possibility, our workforce of productivity, and our nation of security. It strains our federal budget and dims hope for millions,” she planned to say. As the nation’s doctor, the surgeon general is a leader for Americans and health officials on public health issues. If confirmed, Means will represent an administration that has already transformed the public health landscape by calling for increased scrutiny of vaccines, the nation’s food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. RFK JR AND TOP DEM CLASH DURING HEATED SENATE HEARING: ‘THIS IS ABOUT KIDS’ Means, a Stanford-educated physician who rose to popularity as a wellness influencer after becoming disillusioned with traditional medicine, was expected to share a vision for ending chronic disease by targeting its root causes, an idea that aligns with the Make America Healthy Again message of her close ally Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She has no government experience, and her license to practice as a physician is inactive, The Associated Press reported, adding that it was not immediately clear when the hearing would be rescheduled. “Everyone’s happy for Dr. Means and her family,” said Emily Hilliard, deputy press secretary for the Health and Human Services Department. “This is one of the few times in life it’s easy to ask to move a Senate hearing.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vance to meet with Duffy, aviation leaders as shutdown ‘gravely’ impacts crucial industry
FIRST ON FOX: Another aviation-related union is demanding lawmakers reopen the government as Vice President JD Vance prepares to hold a roundtable with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and airline industry leaders Thursday as shutdown woes mount, Fox News Digital learned. The roundtable will be held at the White House Thursday afternoon, and will include Airlines for America CEO and former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and other airline leaders, a White House official told Fox News Digital. The roundtable comes as the “Democrat Shutdown” has “gravely” impacted the aviation industry, according to the White House official, including air traffic controllers officially missing their first full paycheck, and unions calling on lawmakers to pass a clean continuing resolution. Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, an independent union representing aircraft maintenance technicians and other related employees, called on lawmakers on Wednesday to pass a “clean continuing resolution” and reopen the government. FLIGHT DELAYS WORSEN AS UNPAID AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FEEL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PAIN “On behalf of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) and our 4,400 members in the Unites States representing the aircraft maintenance technicians at Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Horizon Air, Spirit Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines, we urge Congress to end the government shutdown by passing a clean Continuing Resolution,” AMFA National President Bret Oestreich said in a press release published Wednesday. “We stand with our brothers and sisters in air traffic control and TSA who continue to ensure the safety of the flying public while working for no pay,” he continued. “It’s time for Congress to reconvene in a bipartisan manner to pass a clean CR and support all the men and women in aviation who contribute to the safest National Airspace System for us all to travel.” The government shutdown has persisted since Oct. 1, when Senate lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement before a midnight deadline. The Trump administration and Republicans have since pinned blame for the shutdown on Democrats, claiming they worked to include taxpayer-funded medical benefits for illegal immigrants. Democrats have denied the claims and argue that Republicans refused to negotiate on healthcare demands. “We need to end this shutdown as soon as possible,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in floor remarks Oct. 9. “Every day that Republicans refuse to negotiate to end this shutdown the worse it gets for Americans, and the clearer it becomes who’s fighting for them.” Vance has hammered the argument that Democrats are to blame for the shutdown, including during his remarks at a Turning Point USA event Wednesday at the University of Mississippi. “The reality here is that there’s a very simple bill that just reopens the government,” he said. “It does it through pretty much the end of the year. That got every single Republican in the House of Representatives to support it, and then it got 52 Republicans in the Senate and three Democrats in the Senate to support it. But because of weird Senate procedural rules, it requires a 60 vote threshold.” SEAN DUFFY WARNS OF RECORD STRAIN ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AHEAD OF FIRST MISSED PAYCHECK “When you have every single Republican with like two exceptions in both houses of Congress, I feel pretty confident. I know that I’m partisan,” he added. “I know I have an R next to my name, but I feel pretty damn good saying the shutdown is the Democrats’ fault because we voted again and again to open.” The shutdown comes as Americans prepare to travel for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, with the White House previously telling Fox News Digital that as the shutdown continues it “threatens to ruin the holidays.” The Air Line Pilots Association, the world’s largest airline pilot union, called on lawmakers to reopen the government earlier in October. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association issued a similar statement later in October, urging lawmakers to pass a “clean Continuing Resolution” and reopen the federal government while pointing to the state of air traffic controllers during a shutdown. The shutdown has rocked families as they prepare to temporarily lose federal food assistance, while small business owners are losing out on billions in Small Business Administration-backed funding, and an estimated 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed. AMERICANS COULD FACE AIRPORT CHAOS IF DEMS DON’T END SHUTDOWN, TRUMP OFFICIAL WARNS As for air travel, massive hubs such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Newark, New Jersey, have seen delays in recent weeks, as air traffic controllers, who are employed by the Federal Aviation Administration, cope with staffing shortages. Air traffic controllers lost their first full paychecks beginning Tuesday. “I’ve made clear to our air traffic controllers: they need to show up for work. They do really important work for our country, and they need to show up. But I’m not going to lie to anybody to not say that they’re not feeling the stress,” Transportation chief Duffy said during a press conference at LaGuardia Airport in New York City Tuesday. “The fact that they are working, and oftentimes, they are head of households, they’re the only income earners in their homes, and they have families, and they’re having a hard time paying their bills.”
Vance tells Republicans to stop fearing federal power, says Democrats pioneered weaponizing it
Vice President JD Vance told a Turning Point USA audience Wednesday that Republicans shouldn’t fear using federal power, arguing the left has already weaponized it in the past. Vance was responding to a question from an audience member at the University of Mississippi, also known as “Ole Miss,” who asked whether Republicans risk “abusing that power” if they use the federal government aggressively when governing. “We cannot be afraid to do something because the left might do it in the future,” Vance said. “The left is already going to do it, regardless of whether we do it. That is the takeaway of the last 40 years.” ERIKA KIRK DELIVERS RAW, FAITH-FILLED TRIBUTE TO LATE HUSBAND AT OLE MISS: ‘I SLEPT ON HIS SIDE OF THE BED’ Vance sarcastically prefaced his answer by saying, “What if Joe Biden sent the Federal Bureau of Investigation to start arresting his political opponents,” a dig at the criminal cases brought against former President Donald Trump over the last few years. The Trump administration has deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Memphis, Tenn., with plans to send troops to as many as 19 states to support immigration enforcement and fight crime. VANCE ISSUES MIDTERM WARNING, SAYS DEMOCRATS’ ANGER COULD DRIVE 2026 TURNOUT “If Joe Biden wanted to deploy the National Guard to a red state in a place where the murder rate was twice what it is in third-world countries to actually go after murderers, that would be a great use of the National Guard,” Vance continued. “Unfortunately, I don’t think Joe Biden would use it like that,” the vice president added. “What I’m worried about, frankly, is what the far left already did with American law enforcement — and that is the thing we have to prevent against.” He said that preventing future misuse of federal power requires holding those responsible to account. “And the answer to that question is, you make sure the people who did it face penalties for using the federal power against American citizens,” he said. “And by the way, that’s exactly what we’re trying to do.”
Lawmakers race to stop ‘next fentanyl crisis’ with crackdown on nitazenes synthetic opioids
FIRST ON FOX: A trio of Republican senators is introducing a coordinated slate of legislation to crack down on nitazenes — a class of synthetic opioids that are little known to the public but increasingly viewed by law enforcement and health officials as potentially the next fentanyl-level crisis. Sens. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska and Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania unveiled three new bills aimed at addressing the growing spread of nitazenes through law enforcement, technology and foreign policy measures. The push represents one of the most aggressive congressional efforts yet to get ahead of what experts warn could be a deadly new chapter in America’s opioid epidemic. Schmitt’s Detection Equipment and Technology Evaluation to Counter the Threat of Nitazenes Act of 2025, or DETECT Nitazenes Act, directs the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Drug Enforcement Administration to develop and deploy new technology capable of detecting trace amounts of nitazenes. The bill also updates the Homeland Security Act to explicitly include nitazenes in federal efforts to identify and disrupt illicit substances. Ricketts and Schmitt joined McCormick and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in introducing the Nitazene Control Act, which would permanently classify nitazenes as Schedule I controlled substances under federal law — the same category as heroin, fentanyl and LSD. DEADLY DRUG MIX DRIVES STAGGERING RISE IN OVERDOSE DEATHS AMONG SENIORS And in a third measure, Ricketts, Schmitt and McCormick rolled out the Nitazene Sanctions Act, which targets the Chinese supply chain behind the synthetic opioids. The bill would expand sanctions on persons and entities in Communist China that support the manufacturing of nitazenes and require the State and Justice Departments to develop a coordinated strategy to cut off the flow of precursor chemicals into the United States. “Nitazenes could become the next fentanyl crisis if not stopped,” Ricketts said. “It’s already killed thousands of Europeans, and it’s quickly making its way to our shores. The Nitazene Sanctions Act will unleash sweeping sanctions against those in Communist China who are helping to poison and kill Americans.” Schmitt echoed that warning. “Nitazenes are powerful synthetic opioids which overwhelmingly originate from Communist China. The Nitazene Sanctions Act will combat this deadly drug by unleashing devastating sanctions against any entity in Communist China that is manufacturing this deadly drug to poison and kill American citizens,” he said. DEA MAKES MASS ARRESTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE FENTANYL AND METH BUST TIED TO SINALOA CARTEL McCormick added that the scope of the problem should serve as a wake-up call. “The fact that nitazenes are oftentimes more deadly than fentanyl, which killed nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians last year alone, should be a wake-up call to us all,” he said. “We must target nitazenes before they become the next drug epidemic. These illicit drugs are extremely potent and difficult to detect.” Nitazenes belong to a class of synthetic opioids known as benzimidazole-opioids. First developed in the 1950s as experimental painkillers, they were never approved for medical use due to their extreme potency and risk of overdose. The most common forms are estimated to be five to nine times stronger than fentanyl, and some variants can be up to 40 times more potent, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Once obscure laboratory compounds, nitazenes began appearing around 2019 in seizures and toxicology reports across North America, Europe and beyond. Because they often contaminate counterfeit pills or powders without users’ knowledge, even trace amounts can be lethal. Recent data from the National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS) highlight the rapid rise of nitazene-related overdoses across the country. Between January 2023 and April 2025, emergency medical services recorded 18,449 encounters tied to nitazene use — 99.4% non-fatal and 0.6% fatal — with the highest rates concentrated in the Southeast. The DEA’s Houston office has also warned of a spike in fatal poisonings involving nitazenes in Houston, Austin and San Antonio. The true scale of the crisis, however, remains difficult to measure. Many state toxicology systems and CDC overdose tracking programs do not yet distinguish nitazenes from other synthetic opioids, leaving significant blind spots in federal data. Unlike opium-based narcotics, nitazenes and other synthetic opioids can be produced anywhere using widely available precursor chemicals. U.S. officials have warned that Chinese chemical manufacturers can easily synthesize these compounds — and that Mexican cartels could exploit their supply networks with Chinese partners to funnel nitazenes into the U.S. Together, the three new Senate bills — the DETECT Nitazenes Act, Nitazene Control Act, and Nitazene Sanctions Act — mark a coordinated Republican effort to confront the emerging threat from multiple angles: technology, law enforcement and international pressure. While fentanyl remains the leading driver of America’s overdose epidemic, lawmakers and health officials are increasingly concerned that nitazenes could represent a new and even deadlier frontier in the synthetic-opioid crisis — one that the GOP senators say must be confronted before it spirals out of control.
Republican senators blast FDA for expanding abortion pill access
Republican senators on Wednesday urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to tighten safety standards and reconsider partnerships tied to abortion pills, accusing the agency of expanding access without adequate oversight. On the call, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo, and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., expressed frustration that the agency hadn’t already overhauled safety parameters around abortion pills — and that it had instead expanded its partnerships with producers of the drugs that make chemical abortions available. “My plea to the FDA is to follow the science to put back safety guardrails,” Hawley said. “I’ve called on the director of the FDA to take these steps. The public deserves to have answers.” HAWLEY BLASTS FDA APPROVAL OF NEW ABORTION DRUG, CITES SAFETY AND TRUST CONCERNS The press conference held by the senators indicates that abortion policy is still a mainstay priority for some Republican lawmakers — even as President Donald Trump has previously signaled contentment with leaving questions about abortion policy at the state level. Hawley and Cassidy both questioned the safety of chemical abortions and their proliferation. Notably, Republicans passed a short-term prohibition of Medicaid funding from going to nonprofit organizations that provide abortions as part of its One, Big Beautiful Bill Act that became law earlier this year. But that change hasn’t stopped Hawley and other lawmakers from torching the FDA for announcing a partnership with Evita Solutions, looking to create a new version of the key abortion drug, mifepristone. “When I heard the FDA approved another generic form of misoprostol, I was upset,” Sen. Cassidy said, referring to the drug often used in conjunction with mifepristone. “I call them up, ‘Why are you doing this?’” Cassidy joined 17 other Republican senators in sending a letter to the FDA earlier this month, demanding to know why the agency had approved a new form of the abortion drug. They asked for an answer by Oct. 30. Cassidy said the group has not received anything from the agency. “They have not responded, but the government’s been shut down, and so I’m sure they would say, ‘Well, we can’t respond,’ but we will have the FDA commissioner to come in and speak to FDA issues.” Without mifepristone and misoprostol, most of the country’s abortions would be impossible. The pair of compounds undermine the vitality of a pregnancy and prompt the body to expel pregnancy tissue. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a sexual health and reproductive rights organization, mifepristone was used to induce 63% of all U.S. abortions in 2023. ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR CALIFORNIA DOCTOR IN LOUISIANA ABORTION PILL CASE “This is shocking,” Hawley said in a post to X earlier this month. “FDA just approved ANOTHER chemical abortion drug, when evidence shows chemical abortion drugs are dangerous and even deadly for the mother. And of course, 100% lethal to the child.” Hawley claimed on Wednesday that 11% of women who use a chemical abortion experience some sort of adverse health event. “The science is really quite significant. We’ve just had one of the largest studies ever performed of claims relating to chemical abortions based on insurance data. It came out this summer — 865,000 insurance claims that were made and analyzed,” Hawley said. The Ethics & Public Policy Center published findings in April that evaluated 865,000 medical abortions prescribed between 2017–2023. It concluded that the rate of serious side effects was 22 times higher than indicated by the FDA label. “That’s a sanitized way of saying they’re in very serious danger,” Hawley said. Critics of the study have said it lacks context and may overlook unrelated, complicating factors. Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, an anti-abortion advocacy group, shares Hawley’s concern about the pill’s safety. She also believes abortion pills are an easy way for women to access abortion — even in states that have passed restrictions on them. “This abortion pill is an instrument of beating back [state] sovereignty. State laws are being undermined. The abortion rate overall in this nation has gone up since Dobbs because of the abortion pill,” Dannenfelser said, referring to the landmark 2022 case Dobbs v. Jackson that overturned a federal right to an abortion. MAJOR PRO-LIFE GROUP DEMANDS INVESTIGATION INTO ABORTION PILL BILLBOARDS IN FLORIDA Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America was one of the key groups calling on Republicans to cut Medicaid funding for abortions through Trump’s One, Big Beautiful Bill Act. Anti-abortion advocates have zeroed in on access to mifepristone as a way to continue pushing back against abortion access — especially since the FDA approved remote prescriptions of the drug in the wake of COVID-19. In June, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge brought by the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (AHM), arguing that the FDA had improperly approved mifepristone for use back in 2001, skirting safety requirements. Since then, mifepristone has remained widely available, but the Supreme Court’s ruling left the door open to future challenges to the FDA’s certification of the drug. Like other critics of chemical abortions, Hawley has urged the FDA to undergo its own evaluation of whether abortion pills are safe, reliable products — a priority shared with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “We need to have a full and thorough review of the data related to mifepristone [and] the health risks related to mifepristone. We need to see the reinstatement of safety guardrails that have historically accompanied this drug,” Hawley said. The FDA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
2025 Election Day survival guide: Your last-minute roadmap to voting across the nation
While 2025 is considered an “off-year election,” without the high-profile presidential showdown of last year or the competitive midterm elections that could shift the congressional balance of power next year, there are more than a dozen local races across the U.S. Election Day is just five days away. From New Jersey’s and Virginia’s gubernatorial races, to the New York City mayoral election and California’s special election, here’s everything you need to know to exercise your right to vote. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ELECTION DAY 2025: CRITICAL ELECTIONS, BALLOT MEASURES AND MORE Most people who vote on Election Day choose to vote in person at a voting location, according to the U.S. government’s official voting guidance website. First things first, confirm your voter registration status here. Once confirmed, you can find your polling site on the website for the National Association of Secretaries of State. When you arrive at the voting location on Election Day, an election worker will help distribute your paper ballot or electronic voting device. Opening and closing times for voting locations vary by jurisdiction. Check state or local election offices for any questions about polling sites. HERE’S WHEN 2025 ELECTION DAY EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING COMES TO A CLOSE ACROSS THE US Most states or territories now offer early in-person voting, but timing and duration vary. Check your local election office for early voting dates. Some polling locations might change for early voting. Each state has its own guidance on absentee voting or voting by mail. Check local guidance on submitting absentee ballots. Some states come with prepaid return envelopes, while others require adding postage to your envelope, according to the U.S. voting guidance website. Be sure to follow the directions carefully to avoid a mistake on your mail-in ballot that could cost you your vote. If dropping off a mail-in ballot in-person at your polling site or a local drop box, no stamp is required. FIRST TIME VOTING? HERE IS THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BALLOT BOXES, CRITICAL ISSUES ON ELECTION DAY While each state and territory follows its own rules on voter ID, most states require voters to bring identification to vote in person. You can learn more about your state’s ID requirements by checking the National Conference of State Legislatures. If English isn’t your primary language, contact your state or local election office to learn what support is available, including whether voting information and materials are available in your language, whether a poll worker can communicate in your language or if a family member can help translate. Visit the U.S. government’s website to learn more. According to the U.S. government’s voting guidance website, anyone with a disability has the legal right to accessible voting materials, such as ballots with larger print or audio formats. For those voting in-person, voters have the right to accessible voting equipment and an accessible voting location. And if your local election website or polling site is not accessible, voters have the right to request accommodations. Voters can once again reach out to their local election officials for more guidance. Many state and local election offices post sample ballots online to review ahead of casting your vote. Study up on who is running for elected office in your area to make the most informed decision on Election Day.