Trump orders US nuclear weapons testing to begin ‘immediately’ after Russia tests new missiles
President Donald Trump announced that he has ordered the United States to resume nuclear weapons testing “immediately,” saying he directed the Department of War to match other nations’ programs. He called the move a necessary step to maintain global parity. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday night: “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office.” “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years,” Trump said. “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.” The announcement comes days after Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the U.S. has a nuclear submarine stationed “right off their shores.” The warning followed Russia’s recent missile tests. TRUMP REPOSITIONS 2 NUCLEAR SUBMARINES AFTER ‘HIGHLY PROVOCATIVE’ RUSSIAN COMMENTS Trump made the comments during a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday morning, saying the U.S. is “not playing games” with Putin. “Russia said this week that they’ve tested a new missile that can go more than 8,000 miles. Is that saber-rattling for you? What is that?” a reporter asked. PUTIN HAILS SUCCESSFUL TEST OF NUCLEAR-POWERED UNDERWATER TORPEDO “I know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores. So, I mean, it doesn’t have to go 8,000 miles, and they’re not playing games with us. We’re not playing games with them either,” Trump responded. “We test missiles all the time. But, you know, we do have a submarine, a nuclear submarine. We don’t need to go 8,000 miles. And I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying either, by the way. You ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its soon [to be] fourth year. That’s what you ought to do instead of testing missiles,” he added. TRUMP FREEZES OUT PUTIN FOR LACK OF ‘ENOUGH ACTION’ TOWARD PEACE — FUTURE TALKS UNCERTAIN Trump later hinted he may impose additional sanctions on Russia, telling reporters simply, “You’ll find out.” Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday it successfully tested a nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, claiming it can travel more than 8,000 miles and pierce defense systems. Putin said Russia is moving to deploy the weapon. Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, told Putin the missile traveled 8,700 miles and remained airborne for about 15 hours during its October 21 test. Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Reuters contributed to this report.
Major blue county in hot seat after violent illegal alien arrested 10 times finally nabbed by ICE
FIRST ON FOX: Fairfax County officials are in the hot seat after the Trump Department of Homeland Security says the county’s sanctuary policies allowed an illegal alien to walk free despite having been arrested ten times and having 19 criminal charges, including for malicious shooting and unlawful wounding. The top Fairfax County official is disputing DHS’ characterization of it as a sanctuary county. However, Salvadoran national Jorge Armando Melendez-Gonzalez, 27, was arrested 10 times and has been charged with 19 different crimes in just over seven years, between March 19, 2018, and July 18, 2025, according to DHS. He was finally arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Oct. 24 after DHS said officials at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center declined to honor an immigration detainer it lodged against him on July 18. The July detainer was not the first time Fairfax County ignored an ICE request to hold Melendez-Gonzalez. ICE also lodged a detainer against him in 2023. According to DHS, “Fairfax County officials refused to honor the immigration detainer and released this dangerous criminal alien back into the community.” ICE NABS 3-TIME DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER: ‘GOOD RIDDANCE’ The agency said Melendez-Gonzalez entered the U.S. illegally in June 2015. An immigration judge ordered his removal from the country just over a year later in October 2016. Despite this, Melendez-Gonzalez stayed in the country for just over ten years, racking up a long list of offenses in Virginia. He has arrests for three counts of malicious shooting, unlawful wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, assault and battery, assault on a family member, grand larceny, trespassing, possessing a false government identification, public intoxication, disturbing the peace and making a false statement to a law enforcement officer. He has two felony convictions for unlawful wounding stemming from a 2023 shooting, which carry sentences of three years in confinement. However, his sentence was reduced to a year. According to a statement from the Fairfax County Police Department, detectives arrested Melendez-Gonzalez in August 2023 in a shooting that injured three men outside a business in Falls Church, Virginia. Fox News Digital reached out to Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, a Democrat, for the reason for Melendez-Gonzalez’s sentence being suspended. A spokesperson for the commonwealth’s attorney’s office declined to comment, referring Fox News Digital to the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, which, the spokesperson said, “is responsible for handling ICE detainers.” SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SCREAMS DURING VIRAL DC ARREST: ‘WHAT I VOTED FOR’ Allyson Conroy, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, which runs the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, told Fox News Digital, “We did not have a judicial warrant on file from ICE for Jorge Armando Melendez-Gonzalez for either date, Aug. 28, 2023, nor for July 18 of this year.” Conroy said “the sheriff’s office could not maintain custody over Mr. Melendez-Gonzalez.” Regarding the suspension of Melendez-Gonalez’s sentence, Conroy said that decision “is in the discretion of the judge or the assigned commonwealth’s attorney. You should contact those individuals for further information.” Fox News Digital also reached out to representatives for Fairfax County regarding the Fairfax County Circuit Court’s decision but did not immediately receive a response. Fairfax County Chairman Jeffrey McKay, also a Democrat, responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, saying, “Fairfax County, through the Board of Supervisors, does not control or make decisions regarding ICE detainers or judicial sentencing; those responsibilities fall to the sheriff and the courts, respectively.” He said Fairfax County “does not consider itself a sanctuary jurisdiction and continues to follow all applicable federal and state laws.” ILLEGAL MIGRANT WITH HISTORY OF CHILD ABUSE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO RAM ICE AGENTS IN COLORADO DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, however, placed the blame squarely on the county’s sanctuary policies. “These sanctuary policies make Virginians less safe,” McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “Fairfax County refused to honor two ICE arrest detainers and chose to release this criminal back onto Virginia’s streets. Virginia sanctuary politicians protected this criminal illegal alien and allowed him to terrorize American citizens,” she added. “Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this serial violent criminal with 10 previous arrests is now off of Virginia’s streets.”
Nearly 37,000 VA employees furloughed or working without pay amid government shutdown
The Department of Veterans Affairs said the federal government shutdown has forced nearly 37,000 employees to be furloughed or work without pay. The department’s medical centers, outpatient clinics and veterans centers remain open and are operating normally during the shutdown because of advanced appropriations from Congress, the agency said. “The Democrats’ government shutdown is limiting services for veterans and making life miserable for VA employees, and things are only going to get worse as time goes on,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “It’s time for Democrats to stop using the suffering of Americans as political leverage to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants. SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN IS LEAVING OUR TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES HIGH AND DRY “I call on them to open the government and enable VA to provide the complete and comprehensive services America’s veterans, families, caregivers and survivors have earned,” he added. Despite some services still being offered, others have stopped. A news release said more than 900,000 veterans are unable to get assistance from the GI Bill hotline, which has shut down, and 100,000 enrolled veterans cannot get Veteran Readiness and Employment program counseling or case management services because employees from those departments have been furloughed. SEN. GALLEGO CLASHES WITH CNBC HOST OVER DEMOCRATIC PUSH TO EXTEND OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES In addition, 56 VA regional benefits offices are closed to the public. More than 16,000 service members who are preparing to leave the military can’t receive VA transition briefings because the contract that provides for this service is not operational during the lapse in appropriations. And 157 VA national cemeteries across the country are no longer doing maintenance or placing permanent headstones. However, burials will also continue at VA national cemeteries. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP VA benefit claims continue to be processed and delivered, including compensation, pension, education and housing benefits, the agency said. Republicans have blamed Democrats for the ongoing shutdown, accusing them of prioritizing healthcare for illegal immigrants over taxpayers. Democrats say GOP leaders need to negotiate a bipartisan deal that also protects people from a spike in healthcare costs.
America’s quietest crop is set to take center stage in Trump-Xi talks
As President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to meet Thursday, one soft-spoken U.S. export star will take center stage: soybeans. The humble crop, a $30 billion pillar of U.S. agriculture exports, has become a powerful symbol of the economic interdependence and political tension between Washington and Beijing. In short, soybeans have come to embody the volatility of the U.S.–China trade war. Beijing halted purchases of American soybeans in response to Trump’s earlier tariffs on Chinese goods. China pivoted to suppliers in Brazil and Argentina, a move that underscored how quickly global trade patterns can shift and how vulnerable U.S. farmers are to diplomatic rifts between Washington and Beijing. CHINA TRADE FREEZE SQUEEZES US SOYBEAN FARMERS AS COSTS CLIMB, PROFITS VANISH What began as tit-for-tat posturing between the world’s two largest economies has turned into a symbolic and economic gut punch for Trump’s rural base, whose livelihoods depend on the very trade ties now caught in the crossfire. According to the American Soybean Association, the U.S. has traditionally served as China’s leading soybean source. Prior to the 2018 trade conflict, roughly 28% of U.S. soybean production was exported to China. Those crop exports fell sharply to 11% in 2018 and 2019, recovered to 31% by 2021 amid pandemic-era demand and eased back to 22% in 2024. But some policy experts argue that China’s shift away from U.S. soybeans was already underway. BEIJING IS QUIETLY DICTATING THE TRADE WAR’S NEXT MOVES AS TRUMP AND XI PREPARE TO MEET “China was always going to reduce its reliance on the United States for food security,” Bryan Burack, a senior policy advisor for China and the Indo-Pacific at the Heritage Foundation told Fox News Digital. “China started signing purchase agreements with other countries for soybeans well before President Trump took office.” He added that Beijing has “been decoupling from the U.S. for a long time.” “Unfortunately, the only way for us to respond is to do the same, and that process is painful and excruciating,” Burack said. But for farmers thousands of miles from Washington and Beijing, those policy shifts translate into shrinking markets and tighter margins. “We rely on trade with other countries, specifically China, to buy our soybeans,” Brad Arnold, a multigenerational soybean farmer in southwestern Missouri, told FOX Business. He said China’s decision to boycott U.S. soybean purchases “has huge impacts on our business and our bottom line.” AMERICAN SOYBEAN FARMERS FACE FINANCIAL CRISIS AS CHINA TRADE DISPUTE THREATENS LIVELIHOODS “There are domestic uses for soybeans, looking at renewable diesel, biodiesel specifically produced from soybeans,” Arnold said. “In the grand scheme of things, that’s such a small percentage currently, you know it’s going to take a customer like China to buy beans to make a noticeable impact. You can’t take our No. 1 customer, shut them off and just overnight find a replacement.” That reliance on China adds new weight to the diplomatic stage this week as Trump and Xi prepare to meet in South Korea. The two leaders will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Busan, South Korea, marking their first in-person talks since Trump’s return to office. Ahead of the meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expected China to delay rare earth restrictions and resume U.S. soybean purchases, calling it part of a “substantial framework” both sides aim to maintain. Bessent also said that trade negotiations were moving toward averting a fresh 100% U.S. tariff on Chinese goods. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP And in a possible gesture of easing tensions, Reuters reported that China bought around 180,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans in the run-up to Trump and Xi’s meeting. Whether it marks a true thaw in U.S.–China trade relations or just a temporary reprieve, the purchase underscores how deeply intertwined diplomacy and agriculture remain. Fox Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.
Mike Bloomberg reiterates support for Andrew Cuomo as NYC mayoral race heats up in final stretch
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reaffirmed his support for Andrew Cuomo on social media Wednesday, saying the former New York governor’s experience and toughness make him the best choice to lead New York City as voters begin casting early ballots. Bloomberg said on X, “Four months ago I endorsed @AndrewCuomo because I thought his management experience and government know-how made him the best choice for New Yorkers. I still do. And today, with early voting underway, I wanted to reiterate my support for Andrew Cuomo. “Being Mayor of New York City is the second toughest job in America, and the next mayor will face immense challenges. “Andrew Cuomo has the experience and toughness to stand up for New Yorkers and get things done. I hope you will join me in supporting him.” NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI STILL HOLDS COMMANDING DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD OVER RIVALS IN NYC MAYORAL RACE Fox News Digital has reached out to Cuomo’s campaign for comment on the matter. Bloomberg, who served three terms as mayor, first endorsed Cuomo two weeks before New York City’s June 24 primary, just four days before early voting began. At the time, Bloomberg said he cares “deeply about the future of our city, and since leaving office, it has been difficult to watch its struggles, especially since the pandemic. In sizing up the field in the race for mayor, there is one candidate whose management experience and government know-how stand above the others: Andrew Cuomo.” With just over a week until Election Day, state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani holds a double-digit, 10-point lead in the race for mayor of New York City, though Cuomo is narrowing the gap, according to the latest public polling. NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI’S LEAD IS SHRINKING AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC SHOWDOWN Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from Queens, shocked the political world in June by defeating Cuomo and nine other candidates to win the Democratic nomination. He now holds 43% support among likely voters, according to a survey released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University. Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and is running as an independent after losing the primary, had 33% support in the poll. The survey was conducted Thursday through Monday, after incumbent Mayor Eric Adams endorsed Cuomo in a bid to defeat Mamdani. Adams, who had been seeking re-election as an independent, dropped out late last month, though his name remains on the ballot. FINAL STRETCH: MAMDANI’S LARGE LEAD SHRINKING AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC MAYORAL RACE Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, running again as the Republican nominee, had 14% support in the poll. The poll also showed 6% of likely voters are undecided and 3% refused to respond. Mamdani’s 10-point advantage over Cuomo is down from his 13-point lead in Quinnipiac’s previous poll, which was conducted at the beginning of October. Cuomo sharpened his attacks on Mamdani in the final stretch, warning that “mayhem” would follow a Mamdani victory. Meanwhile, Sliwa, a longtime fixture in New York City politics, has faced mounting pressure to drop out, clearing the way for a one-on-one race between Cuomo and Mamdani. Among those urging Sliwa to end his bid is billionaire businessman and conservative radio host John Catsimatidis, a top New York City Republican and ally of President Donald Trump. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser, Andrew Mark Miller and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.
‘Squad’ Dem dishes out campaign cash to anti-Israel nonprofit tied to ‘Terrorist University’
FIRST ON FOX: The campaign for “Squad” Rep. Ilhan Omar recently sent over a thousand dollars to a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that partnered with a Palestinian university with alleged terrorist ties, according to new Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by Fox News Digital. The Palestine House of Freedom, also known by its Arabic name, “Dar Alhurriya,” is a nonprofit headquartered just blocks from the U.S. Capitol building. According to a video on the group’s website, it is “dedicated to the liberation of Palestine” and “the dismantling of apartheid in Palestine and the establishment of a free, democratic state from the river to the sea.” The group’s website emphasizes that Israel is “operating as an apartheid state.” The website further states that its mission is to “embark on an aggressive educational campaign targeting everyone from lawmakers, staffers, the media, to the general public” to “show how dismantling apartheid and establishing a free democratic Palestine from the River to the Sea with equal rights, is the path to peace and will benefit all parties involved.” PRO-PALESTINIAN CONFERENCE PANELIST CALLS US ‘EVIL,’ URGES ‘DESTROYING THE IDEA OF AMERICA’ The filings show that Omar’s campaign, Ilhan for Congress, sent $1,559.25 to the anti-Israel Palestine House of Freedom for “event tickets” in September. However, it is unclear which event the payments were for. The Palestine House of Freedom made headlines earlier this year for hosting a fundraiser in June for the Palestinian Birzeit University, a school that has alleged terrorist ties and has seen its student council elections favor the pro-Hamas wing of student council members, according to The Washington Reporter. The university’s student council has long been dominated by the Hamas-affiliated Al-Wafaa bloc and has been previously dubbed, “Terrorist University.” Student campus parades have also reportedly included people marching with mock suicide bomb vests and rockets, as reported by Memri TV. A Fox News Digital review found that the Hamas-affiliated Al-Wafaa bloc has won several student council elections at Birzeit dating back to the 1990’s, including victories in 2022 and 2023. After the 2023 victory, a top Hamas operative reportedly told the Middle East Monitor the victory represents an “extension” of the movement. “The second message is that the bloc has proven its ability to adapt to changes, overcome complexities, and fill the void created by arrests, martyrdom, or deportation,” Ismail Haniyeh, who was head of Hamas’ Political Bureau until he was assassinated by Israel Defense Forces last year in Tehran, told the Middle East Monitor. He added that Hamas is “unbreakable” in its homeland and that it will confront the “occupier, oppression and terrorism.” This wasn’t the first time a top Hamas operative praised the Al-Wafaa bloc’s victory at Birzeit. In 2017, a top Hamas spokesperson reportedly congratulated the student body on the election results. REP. ELISE STEFANIK LABELS NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI A ‘JIHADIST’ Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Mich., sent a letter Sept. 29 to Harvard University, expressing concern about the university’s failure to issue a public decision on its prior partnership with Birzeit. In the letter, the lawmakers called Birzeit “an institution whose student body overwhelmingly supports Hamas” and a school that “explicitly endorses a U.S. designated terrorist organization.” Harvard announced this spring it would not renew its cooperation agreement with Birzeit and would issue a permanent decision about the partnership after an internal review, according to The Harvard Crimson. According to the June event’s flyer, all the proceeds from the Palestine House of Freedom fundraiser, “From Birzeit and Beyond: How academia shapes resistance and resilience,” went to Birzeit. DEMS SILENT ON PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATE’S NAZI-STYLE TATTOO AFTER KNOCKING HEGSETH FOR CHRISTIAN SYMBOL Omar was one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress in 2018. She has taken heavy criticism for making anti-American and antisemitic comments over the years, including saying that “some people did something” in reference to the 9/11 attacks and saying that “Israel has hypnotized the world.” She later apologized for the comment about Israel. In September, a vote to censure Omar over comments she made about the assassination of Charlie Kirk narrowly failed to pass the House of Representatives. Fox News Digital reached out to Harvard, the Palestinian House of Freedom, Omar’s office and Ilhan for Congress for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
Democratic congressional candidate indicted in anti-ICE protest that turned violent in Illinois
A Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois has been indicted on federal charges relating to an incident in which protesters allegedly attacked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle outside a Chicago suburb facility last month. Katherine “Kat” Abughazaleh, 26, who has branded herself a “Gen Z influencer” running for Congress in Illinois’s 9th District, is accused of conspiracy to impede or injure an ICE officer while on duty in Broadview, Illinois, Sept. 26, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. Abughazaleh had been expected to win the Democratic nomination to succeed Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., 81, who is retiring. Five other protesters were also indicted with Abughazaleh, including one of her associates and two other political candidates. DHS RIPS ‘DISHONEST, DESPERATE’ GEN Z CANDIDATE WHO RAGED AGAINST KRISTI NOEM’S ‘CRIMES’ AT ANTI-ICE PROTEST The defendants include Andre Martin, described in the indictment as an associate who worked for or with her; Michael Rabbit, a Democratic committee person in Chicago’s 45th Ward; Catherine Sharp, a candidate for the Cook County Board of Commissioners; and Brian Straw and Joselyn Walsh, who are listed as Illinois residents. According to the indictment, a group of individuals surrounded a government vehicle with “intent to hinder or impede” operations by “aggressively” banging and pushing the car. The protesters allegedly etched derogatory messages including the word “PIG” into the car, broke a side mirror and damaged a rear windshield wiper. The indictment also alleges that Abughazaleh moved to the front of the government vehicle during the confrontation, pressing her hands against the hood and using her body to block its path. “No one is above the law, and no one has the right to obstruct it,” Todd Blanche, deputy attorney general, said in a statement Wednesday. “The Department of Justice will never tolerate such conduct and will continue to hold accountable anyone who seeks to impede lawful federal operations.” “All federal officials must be able to discharge the duties of their office without confronting force, intimidation or threats,” Andrew S. Boutros, United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, added in a statement Wednesday. “As we have warned repeatedly, we will seek to hold accountable those who cross the line from peaceful protests to unlawful actions or conspiracies that interrupt, hinder or impede the due administration of Justice.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED AFTER RAMMING BORDER PATROL IN CHICAGO AMID VIOLENT CLASH WITH PROTESTERS Abughazaleh responded to the charges in a post on X Wednesday, claiming she is being targeted for exercising her First Amendment rights. “This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt at silencing dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment,” Abughazaleh said. “This case is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish those who dare to speak up. That’s why I’m going to fight these unjust charges.” The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge April Perry, who is also presiding over a separate case involving President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy the National Guard to Chicago. Perry had previously blocked the deployment of troops, saying there was no evidence of a “danger of rebellion” in the state after the Trump administration had requested an emergency stay. ARCHITECT OF LA ICE RAIDS REPORTEDLY ARRIVES IN CHICAGO AS FOCUS SHIFTS TO WINDY CITY, AGENT’S HISTORY Protests at the ICE facility have recently thrust Abughazaleh into the spotlight, including an incident last month when an agent reportedly threw her to the ground, a moment that went viral on social media. The “Gen Z influencer” is a former video producer at the liberal watchdog Media Matters for America, which has developed a large TikTok following. Abughazaleh’s indictment comes shortly after another Democratic politician, Rep. LaMonica McIver D-N.J., was charged with assaulting ICE agents, underscoring an increase in cases involving political figures allegedly interfering with immigration enforcement. Fox News’ Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
Senate Republicans defect, reject Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods
A small contingent of Senate Republicans again joined with Senate Democrats to reject President Donald Trump’s tariffs — this time on Canadian goods. The Senate advanced a resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., on a bipartisan basis to terminate the emergency powers Trump used to declare retaliatory tariffs against Canada earlier this year. Roughly the same core group of Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined Senate Democrats to reject the duties. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., opted to vote against this latest attempt to reject Trump’s tariffs. SENATE REPUBLICANS DEFY VANCE’S WARNING, VOTE TO BLOCK TRUMP’S BRAZIL TARIFFS AMID SHUTDOWN “The vice president came up yesterday to try to corral Republicans at their lunch,” Kaine said before the lunch. “That shows the White House is worried about defectors on this.” Indeed, their votes against Trump’s tariffs on Canada came after Vice President JD Vance warned Republicans that it would be a “huge mistake” to break with the White House on the president’s tariff strategy, and he argued that using duties on countries across the globe offered leverage to generate better trade deals in return. Paul, one of the co-sponsors of Kaine’s resolution, has consistently rejected Trump’s usage of tariffs and argued that it was a tax on consumers in the U.S. rather than on foreign countries. SCHUMER, DEMS CALL ‘BULL—-‘ ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER FOOD STAMP SHUTDOWN THREAT He noted that the message it would send to the White House, despite pressure from Vance to support Trump’s duties, was “that a rule by emergency is not what the Constitution intended, that taxes are supposed to originate in the House of Representatives.” The resolution was in response to Trump’s usage of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in July to impose tariffs on Canadian goods. The tariffs on the country vary, with Trump initially placing 35% duties on the country earlier this year, along with a blanket 50% tariff on steel from other countries. However, he recently cranked up the tariffs on Canada by 10% following an ad that ran last week that featured former President Ronald Reagan, which used audio from the former president’s 1987 “Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade.” TRUMP SLAPS CANADA WITH EXTRA 10% TARIFF OVER ‘FRAUDULENT’ REAGAN ADVERTISEMENT: ‘HOSTILE ACT’ Trump railed against the ad, which was run by the government of Ontario, Canada, and declared, “ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED,” in a post on Truth Social. The latest tariff vote is the second in a trio of resolutions from Kaine and several Senate Democrats. Despite the resolution terminating Trump’s emergency powers on tariffs in Brazil and Canada both advancing in the Senate, they will likely stall in the House. McConnell staked his position against the tariffs in a statement, where he argued that retaliatory tariffs have negatively affected Kentucky farmers and distillers. “Tariffs make both building and buying in America more expensive. The economic harms of trade wars are not the exception to history, but the rule. And no cross-eyed reading of Reagan will reveal otherwise,” he said. “This week, I will vote in favor of resolutions to end emergency tariff authorities.”
Bangladesh’s fugitive ex-leader warns of mass voter boycott in 2026 polls
Sheikh Hasina puts up defiant front from exile in India, saying ban on her Awami League will disenfranchise millions. By News Agencies Published On 29 Oct 202529 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Bangladesh’s fugitive former leader Sheikh Hasina has warned that excluding her Awami League party from next year’s elections would deepen divisions in the country as millions of her supporters are set to boycott the vote. Now exiled in India, the 78-year-old is currently being tried for crimes against humanity after being toppled in August 2024 by a student-led uprising that, according to the United Nations, saw up to 1,400 people killed in crackdowns as she clung to power. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The interim government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has pledged to hold elections in February but has banned the Awami League under amendments to the antiterrorism act, citing national security threats and war crimes investigations into the party’s senior leaders. “The ban on the Awami League is not only unjust, it is self-defeating,” Hasina said in emailed comments to the Reuters news agency published on Wednesday. “Millions of people support the Awami League, so as things stand, they will not vote. You cannot disenfranchise millions of people if you want a political system that works.” The Awami League and the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have long dominated the politics of Bangladesh, which has more than 126 million registered voters. The elections in January 2024 were boycotted by the BNP as its top leaders were either jailed or in exile. Human Rights Watch has condemned the ban on the Awami League as “draconian”. In the party’s absence, the BNP is predicted to lead in next year’s election while Jamaat-e-Islami, the Muslim-majority country’s largest Islamist party, is rising in popularity. Advertisement “We are not asking Awami League voters to support other parties,” Hasina told Reuters of the upcoming elections. “We still hope common sense will prevail and we will be allowed to contest the election ourselves.” ‘The nucleus’ of all crimes The International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh’s domestic war crimes court, has concluded proceedings against Hasina, and a verdict is expected on November 13. Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam accused Hasina of being “the nucleus around whom all the crimes were committed” during the uprising and called for the death penalty if she is found guilty. Prosecutors also alleged she oversaw disappearances and torture of opposition activists at clandestine detention centres run by security agencies. Hasina has defied court orders to return to attend the trial. She told Reuters the proceedings were “a politically motivated charade”. “They’ve been brought by kangaroo courts with guilty verdicts a foregone conclusion.” In an emailed interview with the AFP news agency also published on Wednesday, Hasina called charges that she had ordered security forces to fire on protesters as “bogus” and said she “mourned all the lives lost during the terrible days” of her crackdown. The prosecution, which insisted her trial was fair, has played audiotapes verified by police that suggested Hasina directly ordered her security forces to “use lethal weapons” against protesters. This month, lawyers for the Awami League requested that the International Criminal Court in The Hague investigate reported “retaliatory violence”, including allegations of “beatings and lynchings”. Adblock test (Why?)
Fact checking a viral chart on US food stamps recipients’ race, ethnicity
With millions of people in the United States at risk of losing access to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – also known as food stamps – from November 1, a viral chart has claimed to show the majority of the nation’s food stamp recipients are non-white and noncitizens. The chart, titled Food Stamps by Ethnicity, listed 36 groups of people and said it showed the “percentage of US households receiving SNAP benefits”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The groups were labelled by nationality, such as “Afghan”, “Somali”, “Iraqi”, along with the racial groups “white”, “Black” and “native”. The chart appeared to show that Afghan people were the largest group receiving SNAP benefits, at 45.6 percent, followed by Somali (42.4 percent) and Iraqi (34.8 percent). White people, represented on the chart with the US flag, were third to last at 8.6 percent. The federal government shutdown, which started on October 1, is the cause of the looming SNAP funding lapse. SNAP provides food purchasing benefits to low-income households. Conservatives have peddled the misleading narrative that Democrats are pushing for healthcare for undocumented migrants, and people commenting on the chart rehashed a similar talking point. “Who is getting their EBT cut?” read the caption of an October 25 X post sharing the chart, which had 3.1 million views as of October 27. EBT stands for Electronic Benefits Transfer, which is a SNAP payment system. “Only 18.7% of EBT or food stamp recipients are American. Let that sink in …” read another post sharing the chart, seemingly mistakenly referring to the figure next to the word “Armenian”; there was no “American” category in the chart. “We are subsidizing foreigners on the taxpayers dime.” Who is getting their EBT cut pic.twitter.com/el8x9X5iVX — The General (@1776General_) October 25, 2025 Advertisement The chart doesn’t show the full picture of SNAP recipients by race or ethnicity. The most reliable source for the breakdown of SNAP recipients by demographics comes from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers the programme. According to the most recent USDA data available, from 2023, white people are the largest racial group receiving SNAP benefits, at 35.4 percent. African Americans are next, making up 25.7 percent of recipients, then Hispanic people at 15.6 percent, Asian people at 3.9 percent, Native Americans at 1.3 percent and multiracial people at 1 percent. The race of 17 percent of participants is unknown. The same report found that 89.4 percent of SNAP recipients were US-born citizens, meaning less than 11 percent of SNAP participants were foreign-born. Of the latter figure, 6.2 percent were naturalised citizens, 1.1 percent were refugees and 3.3 percent were other noncitizens, including lawful permanent residents and other eligible noncitizens. While large shares of the groups listed in the chart may receive food stamps, “they are certainly a tiny share of the households and spending on SNAP”, said Tracy Roof, University of Richmond associate professor of political science. Survey data shows an incomplete picture on SNAP recipients The chart shared on social media originated from a June blog post from The Personal Finance Wizards, which cited “US Census Table S0201” as its source. The site offers financial advice, but published a disclaimer saying it cannot guarantee the “completeness, accuracy, or reliability” of its information. The site’s authors appeared to cherry-pick groups to include in the chart, noting, “It’s important to note that the graph highlights a selection of ethnicities we felt would be most relevant and engaging for our audience.” It did not name an author. In a comment on an Instagram post sharing the chart, Personal Finance Wizards shared a link to the US Census table it used. It shows data from the 2024 American Community Survey, filtered by 49 racial and ethnic groups. The filtered groups don’t completely overlap with the groups in the chart, but the dataset has a column for “households with food stamp/SNAP benefits”, which shows percentages similar to the ones in the chart. The data does not show what percentage of all SNAP beneficiaries belong to an ethnic or nationality group. Joseph Llobrera, senior director of research for the food assistance team at the liberal think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the chart appeared to show the shares of households receiving SNAP based on the household respondents’ reported ancestry, which is different from citizenship status. Advertisement “Without context, this graphic is misleading and may lead some to conclude that many non-citizens are participating in SNAP, which is not true,” he said. The American Community Survey allows respondents to self-identify their race. It also defines ancestry as a “person’s ethnic origin or descent, roots or heritage, place of birth, or place of parents’ ancestors before their arrival in the United States”. Colleen Heflin, Syracuse University expert on food insecurity, nutrition and welfare policy, said the American Community Survey data on SNAP receipts is self-reported, and that question “is known to have a great deal of measurement error” when compared with SNAP administrative data. Chart reflects higher levels of need in groups with higher shares of SNAP participation Groups such as Afghans and Iraqis, who are first and third on the chart, would have been more likely to have immediately qualified for the SNAP programme before the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s passage because of their special immigration status. Before the law’s passage, refugees and people who had been granted asylum were also eligible for SNAP without a waiting period. Somalis, who were second on the chart, are “more likely” to qualify based on those criteria, Roof said. Other noncitizens, such as lawful permanent residents, could be eligible for SNAP only after a five-year waiting period. But the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act changed the eligibility, making refugees and asylum seekers ineligible. Immigrants in the country illegally are not and have never been eligible for SNAP. Adblock test (Why?)