FAA seeks permanent airspace restrictions near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago as expert warns rules are ‘not good enough’
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed permanent flight rules around President Donald J. Trump International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida, to secure the airspace near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate amid heightened concerns over unauthorized aircraft and rogue drones — moves that some say are insufficient to deter dedicated adversaries. The regulatory action was initiated at the request of the U.S. Secret Service, in the “interest of national security,” the agency confirmed to Fox News Digital. “At the request of the U.S. Secret Service in the interest of national security, the FAA is proposing Special Air Traffic Rules for the airspace near Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT),” an FAA spokesperson said. NORAD FIGHTER JETS INTERCEPT 2 AIRCRAFT NEAR TRUMP’S GOLF CLUB, 3RD PLANE DELAYS HIS NJ DEPARTURE Under the proposed mandate, a Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) would be established. Aircraft flying below 2,000 feet within one nautical mile of the designated zone would be required to obtain explicit clearance, maintain two-way contact with air traffic control, and continuously transmit an assigned transponder code. Arriving and departing aircraft would also need to meet strict security criteria before entering the airspace. TRUMP HAS BECOME AMERICA’S MOST TARGETED LEADER, FACING THREATS EVERY FEW MONTHS The heightened precautions follow multiple threats against Trump, including a June plot where five suspects attempted to coordinate an ambush using explosive-laden drones aimed at targeting him and other high-profile officials during the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House. However, drone experts argue that regulatory boundaries are “not good enough.” AMERICA’S POWER GRID, FOOD SUPPLY AND MORE ARE UNDER THREAT FROM DRONES “When you look at what happened in Butler [Pennsylvania] it was discovered later on that the shooter had done very basic surveillance with a drone — a Chinese drone that you could buy off Amazon — before he conducted the attack against the president,” Brett Velicovich, a former U.S. Army special operations intelligence analyst and drone expert, told Fox News Digital. Velicovich emphasized that government agencies must move faster to adopt active interdiction capabilities rather than relying solely on airspace designations. “We’re going to have to have more counter-drone systems in place because it is not good enough simply for the FAA to send a message saying this area is a no-drone zone,” he added. “When you’re a bad actor, that doesn’t matter.” The FAA proposal remains open for public comment through Oct. 2. The White House deferred questions regarding the security framework to the U.S. Secret Service, which did not immediately provide additional comment.
The primary is over; now come the primetime mistakes
There’s a reason football great Deion Sanders was known as “Primetime.” Sanders epitomized his sobriquet with electric performances on “Monday Night Football” and in the playoffs. But not every political candidate is ready for primetime. The roadside is littered with political failures from both sides. Candidates are better suited for late-night public access in the suburbs. Consider for a moment someone else who also wasn’t bad in primetime: former football star Herschel Walker. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1982. But when Walker ran for the Senate in Georgia in 2024, his political acumen could barely qualify him for a political practice squad. UNEARTHED INTERVIEW REVEALS EL-SAYED’S SHARIA ‘OBLIGATION’: ‘NOT BECAUSE OF FEAR’ This year, Democrats trotted out political novice Graham Platner to try to defeat 30-year veteran Sen. Susan Collins, R-Man. But his Nazi-era tattoo and allegations of rape and sexual abuse revealed that Platner was more downtrodden than Down East. So, how will some of this year’s political hopefuls fare? Platner would have been the Democrats’ most controversial candidate of the 2026 Senate election cycle. But Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has eclipsed Platner. El-Sayed is progressive. He holds extreme views and previously associated closely with left-wing influencer Hasan Piker. During an appearance on Fox, El-Sayed compared Sharia law to canon law in the Catholic Church, pitched ditching the Second Amendment and somehow wound up discussing private parts. El-Sayed’s performance scored headlines. But he also created headaches for Democrats. The party needs to hold the Michigan seat to flip the Senate. And El-Sayed is exactly what Republicans were looking for. Since El-Sayed captured the Democratic nomination to face former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., Republicans hope to use him to nationalize the midterms. They want to portray El-Sayed as “what’s wrong” with the Democratic Party and why he’s not aligned with mainstream voters. The GOP believes that message will trickle down to other Democratic candidates around the country. In other words, could El-Sayed’s echo undercut Democratic candidates beyond the Wolverine State? When campaigning, El-Sayed promoted polished policy positions. “You deserve good health care,” said El-Sayed. “You deserve protections at your job.” But when asked on Fox about boys playing sports with girls and sex changes for kids, his rhetoric devolved to this: “Circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling. So, you really want to bring that up? I just think you guys are really selective about how you guys want to talk about things,” El-Sayed told Fox’s Jesse Watters. Political consultants on both sides of the aisle will likely agree. If a candidate finds himself on national television using euphemisms for private parts and not discussing the war in Iran or the cost of groceries, something is wrong. El-Sayed also backs Medicare-for-all and slavery reparations. “I just think it’s past time to have that conversation. That shouldn’t be a crazy thing,” said El-Sayed. Republicans are clamoring to hear more from El-Sayed. “It’s common sense versus communist crazy. And don’t believe my word. Listen to what El-Sayed says,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., told Fox Business. DEMOCRATS WHO ‘NEVER VOTED REPUBLICAN’ BACK ROGERS OVER EL-SAYED IN RAZOR-CLOSE RACE El-Sayed’s association with Piker worries Democrats because Piker espouses antisemitic views. “Those comments were dangerous, malicious and antisemitic and shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone in the public square,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said. But now El-Sayed is distancing himself from Piker. “I got so much exposure and empowerment from the Jewish community,” said El-Sayed at a rally. “Jewish people are a light unto the world.” But not everyone is buying it. “His response was pathetic, and it did not answer the call,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., one of the most pro-Israel Democrats in the House, said on Fox. “This is not a guy who any of us should embrace.” In fact, the campaign of Rogers went as far as to say that El-Sayed was making the case for their candidate. President Trump recently escalated the trade war with Canada. He renamed Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” El-Sayed vanquished moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in the primary. With all of this tumult, one wonders if Democrats would feel better wrestling with the president over trade with Stevens as their nominee versus El-Sayed. That said, politics is a funny thing. This doesn’t mean that El-Sayed is unelectable. Progressives throb with energy inside the Democratic Party right now. Someone like El-Sayed could actually bolster turnout among the left. This could work to the Democrats’ advantage if Republicans stay home because they’re disappointed in President Trump. Or, as House Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Ted Lieu, D-Calif., told voters this week, “Just go fu—– vote.” On the Republican side of the aisle, few had heard of Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., until brother Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died unexpectedly. Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster quickly appointed Darline to her brother’s seat and cajoled her to run for the full term. Darline Graham was a political neophyte. And despite President Trump tapping her for the permanent gig, it was far from clear that she was ready for primetime. During a debate in the GOP primary runoff with Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Graham stumbled when asked about U.S. interests regarding Taiwan. “I’m not that informed on national security,” said Graham. “But I do support the military.” Of course, foreign policy was her brother’s forte. He died just after jetting back to Washington after meetings in Turkey and Ukraine. But Darline Graham used the gaffe to pivot. She claimed that voters are more concerned with kitchen table issues. “You know how many (people) brought up Taiwan or national security?” Graham said when stumping. “Not one. They’re talking about the rising cost of health care and affordability.” A reporter pressed Graham for details about harnessing inflation. “Is there something from you, affirmatively (could do like) a piece of legislation, to help drive down the cost of goods?” a scribe asked. “We’ll see when I get there,” Graham replied. Well, Graham is already “here.” She’s been in
Blue state creates six-figure role for trans inmate services amid budget shortfalls
The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) hired a gender-affirming care coordinator last month, and the job will pay between $78,000 and $115,000 annually. The job includes oversight of a program for “managing and monitoring needs and safety risks of transgender, intersex and non-binary adults in custody,” according to the listing. The position also chairs a multidisciplinary team focused on their individualized needs. The role, which comes as the DOC is projected to have a $55 million deficit in 2026, continues gender-related initiatives spearheaded by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a longtime champion of the trans community, as she pursues re-election to a second term. It also highlights the logistical difficulties associated with trans prisoners. BIOLOGICAL MALE KILLER HOUSED IN OREGON WOMEN’S PRISON WINS HIGH-DOLLAR LEGAL SETTLEMENT IN SEX ABUSE SUIT After a 2023 review of Oregon’s only women-only prison, the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, Kotek said her administration would look for ways to address what the report called delayed care for its cisgender and trans inmates. “Transgender residents [are] being denied or delayed access to needed care, including hormone replacement therapy. This creates significant medical and mental health issues for some residents, including gender dysphoria,” the report stated. The report included one example of a transgender resident at the Coffee Creek who said her request for continuing her hormone blocker treatment had gone unheeded. “I had been accessing prescriptions at the county. I did not get it when I got here. … I sent several [requests], but they kept bumping me to different places. Now I’ve gotten my period twice. It’s been terrorizing and humiliating,” the resident, a biological woman, said. Kotek promised to address issues raised by the report. “In the wake of national, systemic shortcomings in meeting the needs of women who are incarcerated, I am resolved to confront these issues head-on,” Kotek said in a press release. FORMER TOP OREGON GOP OFFICIAL SECURES NOMINATION FOR GOVERNOR AS REPUBLICANS TARGET BLUE-STATE PICKUP “The GIPA report was sobering to read. It is incumbent on Oregon’s corrections system to ensure that the use of carceral settings yield the best possible public safety outcomes and sets people up for successful re-entry.” As a part of the response, her office created the Advisory Panel on Gender Responsive Practices in Corrections. In turn, the panel recommended training staff who make decisions about housing and medical and behavioral care for the needs of transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse inmates. The panel did not specifically recommend the gender-affirming care coordinator position. The role is similar to a position that would have been established through SB 1120, a failed bill. Among other provisions, that law would have created a role tasked to “provide coordination of efforts and training across staff and adults in custody on best practices for supporting transgender, nonbinary or gender-diverse adults in custody.” The hire clashes with Kotek’s instruction to agencies to reduce spending. In 2025, when Republicans in Washington, D.C., passed tax cuts through President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” Oregon’s tax picture also changed. The state’s tax code mirrors many of the definitions of taxable income used by the federal government. When those definitions shrank, so did Oregon’s revenue, leaving the state with a negative general fund balance of $373.7 million, according to state reports. “This is not what we had planned for, but it is what we must do. I am asking you to leave no stone unturned to save tax-payer dollars. This challenge is not unique to Oregon, but how we respond will be. Our resilience, teamwork and determination have carried us through hard times before. They will again,” Kotek wrote in a letter to state department heads. Like other departments, the DOC was also affected, reporting a projected $55 million deficit. To remedy this, the department was instructed to slow operational spending, prepare for operational cost reductions and suspend non-essential out-of-state travel. Even so, Kotek has highlighted trans care as a priority, strongly advocating for a government-led approach to expanding access to trans procedures, calling them part of “health care.” “I want to be very clear. Gender-affirming care is health care. Period, end of story,” Kotek said at a bill signing in 2023 after the legislature passed a reproductive and gender-affirming care package. She has also pushed back against attempts from the Trump administration to limit federal funding for hospitals that provide transgender procedures to minors. TRUMP DIRECTS CMS ADMINISTRATOR MEHMET OZ TO END MEDICAID GENDER TRANSITION FUNDING FOR MINORS “The Trump administration cannot change the rules and restrict funding to hospitals and doctors who provide gender-affirming care to young people. Gender-affirming care is recognized by major medical organizations and plays an important role in helping young people stay safe, healthy and supported for who they are,” Kotek said in a video release. Kotek’s office did not respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital about the new position and additional details about its duties.
Vance’s mom fires back at El-Sayed over second family jabs: ‘Probably punch him’
Vice President JD Vance’s mom, Beverly Vance Aikins, says she’d like to clock Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed after his repeated attacks on the second family. “I’d probably punch the guy if I ever seen him, and then that would get me in trouble. So, I’ll just go with the flow,” Aikins told Outkick and Fox News host Tomi Lahren when asked how she felt about El-Sayed’s crude comments. Aikins sat down with Lahren for a wide-ranging interview about her triumph over opioid addiction, Netflix’s “Hillbilly Elegy” and her son’s rise to the vice presidency. She made the comments after El-Sayed has repeatedly taken aim at Vance and his family. VANCE’S DECADE-OLD ‘GREAT REGRETS’ RESURFACES AS EL-SAYED’S JAB AT SECOND LADY COMES BACK TO BITE HIM Lahren asked Aikins if she laughs off comments like El-Sayed’s or if she gets mad. “I mean, it makes me mad, honestly, because he doesn’t know JD, and he doesn’t know, you know, what type of person he is, and I do. But, in the long run. I’m not going to do anything about it. … I’d probably punch the guy if I ever seen him, and then that would get me in trouble,” Aikins said in jest. “So, I’ll just go with the flow.” El-Sayed made comments about second lady Usha Vance and the Vance children during an April appearance on “The Allen Analysis Show,” clips of which have recently resurfaced. “I think they’re jealous, honestly. I mean, JD is 42 years old. He’s handsome. He’s the vice president of the United States,” Aikins said. SWING-STATE DEM CANDIDATE’S ‘DISGUSTING’ COMMENTS ABOUT JD, USHA VANCE’S ‘BROWN CHILDREN’ SPARKS OUTRAGE “He’s got a beautiful wife, four beautiful children, and jealousy is the only thing I can think of,” she added. “I mean, he can take all the shots he wants. It’s going to go, you know, it’s going to get no merit from any of us.” El-Sayed suggested in April that the vice president’s political views are at odds with his own children’s biracial background. “JD Vance has brown kids who he thinks are less American than everyone else. Like, that’s wild to look at your own kids and be like you don’t actually belong as much in this country that I brought you into,” said El-Sayed. “Bro, it must break you every time you hug your own kids.” The Michigan socialist said he hopes Vance’s kids grow up to “undo” the vice president’s politics. SECOND LADY USHA VANCE FIRES BACK AT POINTED JAB FROM DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINEE ABDUL EL-SAYED He also appeared to call for the second lady to leave her husband, saying, “Usha get out … you’ve still got time.” El-Sayed more recently launched the attack after JD Vance slammed him for his stated adherence to Sharia law during a rally in Ohio, suggesting the practice would be completely alien to his grandfather, whom he calls his “Papaw.” VANCE UNLOADS ON EL-SAYED OVER SHARIA REMARKS: ‘THAT’S NOT MY GRANDPA’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY’ “So, do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no,” El-Sayed said, seemingly in reference to the second lady’s Indian ethnicity. The vice president addressed El-Sayed’s more recent remarks while rallying for GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers in Michigan. “I actually think that the people of Michigan think it’s kind of weird when you talk about another guy’s wife,” Vance said. “But whatever you want to talk about, Abdul, keep my wife’s name the hell out of your mouth, because she’s way out of your league,” he later added in the speech. Fox News Digital reached out to the office of the vice president and El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.
Sheriff suing Maryland says sanctuary laws ignore lessons of 9/11: ‘Stupidity at its best’
A Maryland sheriff leading 17 of the Old Line State’s 24 counties in a lawsuit challenging Annapolis’ sanctuary city policy told Congress the lessons of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks are being forgotten as the nation prepares to mark the 25th anniversary. Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of Harford County — where local women Rachel Morin and Kayla Hamilton were murdered by illegal immigrants in 2023 and 2022, respectively — is leading the suit and echoed concerns about the consequences of mandated limits on cooperation and communication between local and federal law enforcement. “There’s just many things that [Annapolis’] legislature has done over the past eight years or so, unfortunately, rang into that bell. But when you pass legislation in a world post-9/11 – in 9/11 we learned that we need to communicate with … all federal partners to keep our community safe,” Gahler said when questioned by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, as to why he called Maryland’s sanctuary laws as “pro-criminal.” 9/11 TAUGHT US DEADLY LESSONS. 25 YEARS LATER, WE NEED A NEW MODEL TO PREVENT ATTACKS “Yet, we in our state see fit to pass legislation to say we can’t communicate with this law enforcement or that law enforcement,” Gahler added. “It’s stupidity at its best.” Gahler also told lawmakers that Maryland’s law has changed what his deputies can do when federal immigration authorities want to take custody of someone being released from local detention. He said the restrictions can require deputies to release people they believe could pose a danger rather than hold them for federal authorities. SANCTUARY COUNTY REFUSED 615 ICE TRANSFER REQUESTS, TURNED OVER JUST 11 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, RECORDS SHOW Seated behind Gahler were several of the other plaintiff-sheriffs in the suit against the Moore administration. Gov. Wes Moore, who is locked in a gubernatorial rematch with former Del. Dan Cox, R-Frederick, signed Maryland’s ban on 287(g) agreements earlier this year while allowing a broader bill to become law without his signature. State Sen. Clarence Lam, D-Elkridge, authored the bill, called the Community Trust Act, which prohibits “Agents of State,” law enforcement and corrections officials from questioning immigration status, detaining suspects to investigate citizenship or immigration status, or detaining them because police believe they committed a civil immigration violation. The new law also bans law enforcement from notifying federal immigration authorities that a detainee is in their custody unless required by a court order, rather than just an ICE detainer. Gahler said it is not a burden on his job to honor detainers, contrary to Democrats who have considered whether working with ICE takes away resources from local communities. DHS UNLOADS ON ‘SANCTUARY CALAMITY’ VIRGINIA AFTER ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED OF HEINOUS CRIME RELEASED: ‘SICKO’ He answered in the affirmative when asked by Gill whether illegal immigrants who become “petty criminals” should be removed rather than limiting enforcement to cases involving more serious crimes. “That’s 100% what I believe,” Gahler said. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Moore has said the Community Trust Act advances important goals by keeping law enforcement focused on crime reduction, according to Ocean City’s NPR affiliate, while citing logistical concerns that should be addressed through executive action or during the 2027 legislative session. Meanwhile, Gahler and the other sheriffs suing the state argue the Community Trust Act prevents them from pursuing those goals in cases involving people sought by federal immigration authorities.
Republicans fail to ease one of Trump’s greatest fears as Supreme Court measure collapses
House Democrats are nuking Republicans’ effort to assuage one of President Donald Trump’s biggest concerns about the future of the federal government. A vote on a constitutional amendment to cap the number of Supreme Court justices failed on Wednesday afternoon after the vast majority of Democrats voted against it. Trump has warned for months that he believes Democrats would seek to expand the Supreme Court if they took back control of Congress, something affirmed by top progressives, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. House GOP leaders sought to head that off with a proposed amendment led by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., that would mandate that just nine justices can sit on the high court. KAMALA HARRIS BACKS MAJOR CHANGES TO THE SUPREME COURT, ELECTORAL COLLEGE AHEAD OF POSSIBLE 2028 CAMPAIGN Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., opted to fast-track the legislation past multiple procedural hurdles in exchange for raising the threshold for passage from a simple majority to two-thirds, a maneuver known as “suspending the rules.” But it failed to clinch that number, even though the majority of House lawmakers supported the amendment. The U.S. Constitution allows Congress to set the number of seats on the Supreme Court bench, which is currently occupied by eight justices and one chief justice. However, the Constitution itself does not dictate how many justices can exist. Republicans argued that changing that could make it much harder for a Democrat-led government to pack the court in the future to stack judicial odds in its favor. CARVILLE TELLS DEMS TO QUIETLY PREPARE POWER GRAB WITH DC, PUERTO RICO STATEHOOD AND SUPREME COURT PACKING “Here’s the question every American should ask: If a sitting majority can change the size of the Supreme Court the moment it dislikes rulings, what happens to the next time the other side is in power?” Biggs asked Wednesday. “Once you go down that road, the court stops being an independent check on government power. It becomes another political institution controlled by whoever happens to hold the majority.” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., among the progressives calling to increase the number of justices to 13, argued that Congress has changed the number of Supreme Court justices multiple times throughout history and dismissed the current tally as arbitrary. “MAGA’s proposal is to strip Congress of all authority in the matter, to freeze it and cement it permanently in the constitutional architecture for all time with the suddenly magic number nine,” Raskin said. “It’s another partisan power grab by MAGA, our colleagues, who fear for the results of the November election as their policies have brought us nothing but war, inflation, corruption, lawlessness and a $40 trillion debt — one quarter of it’s supplied by this presidential administration. So, the MAGA party wants to cement into place a profoundly partisan and lopsided … court that was gerrymandered and engineered by Mitch McConnell.” HARRIS LABELED ‘INSTITUTIONAL ARSONIST’ FOR PLAN TO FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM SCOTUS AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE He was referring to former Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his critical role in helping secure the current conservative majority on the high court. Progressives have argued that expanding the court to 13 would mean there is one justice for every federal circuit court. Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., attacked the left’s push as an effort to seize political power. “For decades, we have heard calls from those unhappy with the ideological balance of the Supreme Court to pack the court. The alarming rise of such calls should worry all of us, because their objective is not to uphold ethical principles or even to protect individual rights, but rather to consolidate power and intimidate the court,” Harris said. Later, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., said locking the number at nine would only extend the current conservative majority’s power. “I think it would be a grave mistake to dictate how many justices should sit on the Supreme Court in perpetuity, and thereby lock in for a generation or more a right-wing majority, which is engaged in an unprecedented assault on Supreme Court norms and our constitutional order for the past several years,” Scanlon said.
Obama-appointed judge ripped for blocking Trump mail-ballot rule: ‘Run out the clock’
An Obama-appointed federal judge is being branded an “activist” after she again blocked new U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail-ballot requirements ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a 14-day temporary restraining order last week blocking key portions of a new USPS policy governing the mailing of outbound ballots. The rule, developed in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump, would require election officials to submit ballot-envelope designs for approval and upload voter information and unique tracking barc odes to a new USPS portal. Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Election Project, accused Talwani of trying to “run out the clock,” arguing that the continued litigation could prevent the rule from taking effect before states begin mailing ballots for the midterms. “Because of the antics of the left in this case, it’s very possible that we will not be able to get this rule put in place for the 2026 midterms,” Snead told Fox News Digital. “Ballots do go out in just a couple of days, and I think, to a certain extent, their campaign to run out the clock may have succeeded.” MAIL-VOTING CRACKDOWN MOVES AHEAD AS TRUMP COURT WIN OPENS DOOR TO FEDERAL ACTION North Carolina county election boards are scheduled to begin mailing absentee ballots Friday. Snead and Gregory Teufel, founder of OGC Law, LLC, both noted that election officials in the state had already taken steps toward complying with the USPS requirements. Talwani found that the states lacked the time and money to redesign ballot envelopes, obtain USPS approval, modify election-management systems, train officials to use the new portal and upload voter information before the midterms. She concluded that compliance was “practically impossible” for the approaching election and warned that eligible voters could be disenfranchised. Snead pushed back on that conclusion, arguing that the rule puts longstanding USPS recommendations into mandatory requirements. “It’s a fairly straightforward rule,” Snead said. “It’s largely premised on best practices that are already in place and gathering data that states already possess. The burdens are extraordinarily minimal as far as compliance is concerned, and the Postal Service is really just trying to better regulate the mail—not attempt to seize control of elections or to take away fundamental constitutional questions, like who is eligible to vote, away from the states.” Talwani’s June 25 permanent injunction barred USPS from completing portions of the rulemaking process for the 2026 election. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT REJECTS TRUMP BID TO ENFORCE MAIL BALLOT ORDER AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS The dispute reached the Supreme Court, which stayed Talwani’s earlier judgment on Aug. 24 after concluding that the Trump administration was likely to prevail on its argument that the original challenge was premature because USPS had not yet issued a final rule. The justices did not decide whether the executive order or the subsequent USPS rule was lawful. After USPS finalized the policy, the Democratic-led states amended their lawsuit to directly challenge the rule. Talwani then issued the latest temporary restraining order. “Ironically, the judge created that problem because her original injunction prevented the U.S. Postal Service from developing the rules earlier, months earlier, which would have allowed the states more time to prepare to follow the rule if the Supreme Court were to allow the rule to proceed,” Teufel said. “When the judge points to expenses and practical difficulties, those are expenses and difficulties created in part by the court itself—not by the rule and not by the attempted implementation of the rule,” he added. Talwani disputed that characterization in her latest order, writing that “no such delay occurred” because USPS had proceeded with publishing a proposed rule, receiving comments and issuing its final policy despite the earlier injunction. POSTAL SERVICE THRUST INTO MAIL-IN BALLOT FIGHT AS TRUMP ORDER GETS TIED UP IN COURT Despite his criticism, Teufel stopped short of accusing Talwani of acting for partisan reasons. “It’s hard for me to accuse the court of partisanship based on the information I have at the present time,” Teufel said. “Certainly, the court exceeded its authority in issuing the initial injunction against the executive order, which is not a good look.” Talwani is set to hear arguments Thursday on the challengers’ request for a preliminary injunction, which could block the USPS rule for a longer period as the litigation continues. The existing 14-day temporary restraining order remains in place in the meantime while the Trump administration’s appeal of Talwani’s earlier judgment is pending before the First Circuit. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Snead argued that the legal dispute turns on whether USPS is regulating elections or merely setting conditions for the mail it carries. “What the government counters is that this is just a Postal Service rule like any other and that the Postal Service has broad authority to regulate the mail that is using the Postal Service,” Snead said. “This is essentially the same sort of rule as requiring that mail pieces be in envelopes, for instance, or have postage paid.” Even if the policy does not take effect for the midterms, Snead said states should have ample time to comply before the next presidential election. “This is a very mundane rule, very simple to comply with, especially on the kind of timeline that we’re talking about in preparation for 2028,” Snead said. “It’s not about being able to comply with this rule. It is just about resisting efforts to bring greater transparency and security to mail voting.”
Spanberger’s ICE restrictions dealt major setback as judge warns other blue states
A judge paused a key part of Virginia’s new restrictions on local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, handing Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s administration a major legal setback as a similar fight plays out in neighboring Maryland. George H.W. Bush-appointed Judge Robert Payne on Monday blocked a key piece of a law signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger that heavily restricts interagency cooperation and would have required local sheriffs to modify or dissolve their individual policies, known as 287(g) agreements, by a Tuesday deadline. Payne ruled the federal government is likely to prevail on several claims in its lawsuit against Virginia, finding “the Virginia 287(g) Law violates the Contracts Clause [of the] U.S. Constitution because it is a ‘substantial impairment’ of the existing contracts between the federal government and Virginia localities.” Payne did not strike down the law but paused its implementation as the feds’ case against Richmond proceeds. FIRST ON FOX: DOJ SUES SPANBERGER’S VIRGINIA OVER LAWS KNEECAPPING FEDERAL AGENTS AS MASK WAR ESCALATES He also found that Virginia’s law wrongly attempts to “regulate conduct of federal law enforcement in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” “At this point, saying ‘I told you so’ seems almost pointless,” Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, told Fox News Digital when responding to the news. LEGAL EXPERT UNLEASHES ON SPANBERGER’S NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER TARGETING ICE: ‘POLITICAL THEATER’ Kilgore said Republicans repeatedly warned Spanberger’s administration that its limits on cooperation with ICE would waste taxpayer money and run into these kinds of legal problems. “States cannot tell the federal government how to do its job. But Democrats refused to listen,” Kilgore said. In that regard, Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., drafted a bill at the federal level aimed directly at Spanberger’s law. Cline’s 287(g) Cooperation Act would require state and local law enforcement to enter into interagency agreements with ICE as a condition of receiving federal Community-Oriented Policing (COPS) grants. Additionally, all five of Virginia’s Republican members of Congress wrote Spanberger earlier this year urging her not to undo former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s statewide directive of Richmond-Washington cooperation on the immigration enforcement front. The major setback to Democrats’ plans came as neighboring Maryland found itself in a similar legal fight, though a judge has not yet ruled in that case. HOCHUL REMAINS DEFIANT AFTER SHERIFFS SUE OVER LAW BANNING COOPERATION WITH ICE: ‘BRING IT ON’ Gov. Wes Moore allowed a similar bill to become law earlier this year that would prevent most cooperation between local sheriffs and ICE. Despite Maryland being one of the bluest states in the union, the majority of its counties are geographically red. That dynamic revealed itself as 17 of its 24 sheriffs, led by Harford County’s Jeffrey Gahler, Wicomico County’s Mike Lewis and Frederick County’s Charles Jenkins launched a lawsuit against the law. “They want to do everything they can to handcuff law enforcement, handcuff sheriffs across the state,” Jenkins said in March. Sen. Clarence Lam, D-Elkridge, a bill sponsor, argued the measure ensures local jails won’t be used as a “front door to the federal government’s oftentimes deportation pipeline,” according to Maryland Matters. Lam’s Community Trust Act requires a court order to provide immigration-related information and to transfer inmates based on immigration status, according to the outlet. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Moore did not sign the legislation, but it became law after he notified Senate President Bill Ferguson IV, D-Baltimore, of his decision after the bill passed 32-15. Gahler’s coalition later sued, setting up a potentially similar battle in Greenbelt federal court to the one making a splash across the Potomac.
Coast Guard plane with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin on board makes emergency landing after engine failure
A plane carrying Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin made an emergency landing Wednesday after the aircraft experienced engine failure. Mullin was traveling from Georgia to Washington, D.C., when the U.S. Coast Guard C101, a C-37A Gulfstream V jet, was diverted to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia. “We just lost our right engine and would like to declare an emergency and immediate landing at DCA,” the pilot told the airport’s control tower, according to an audio recording. ICE MAKES NATIONWIDE ARRESTS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, MURDERERS, PEDOPHILES IN HOLIDAY BLITZ The pilot told controllers the plane had 14 people on board and 2½ hours of fuel. “The United States Coast Guard pilots made the single-engine landing feel routine,” Mullin wrote on X about the ordeal. “No panic, just straight professionalism. After we landed, the pilots told me that was a first for them! We could not have been in better hands.” The aircraft is one of the Coast Guard planes that DHS flagged last year because of its age. DHS oversees the Coast Guard. ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER, RAPE AND CHILD SEX CRIMES IN TARGETED CRACKDOWN At the time, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem faced backlash and congressional scrutiny for purchasing two luxury Gulfstream G700 private jets for the Coast Guard costing between $172 million and $200 million, far exceeding her initial $50 million request. DHS has previously voiced concerns about aging aircraft. In 2025, the agency said the C101 was more than “20 years old, outside of Gulfstream’s service life and well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft.” “Much like the U.S. Coast Guard’s ships that are well beyond their service life and safe operational usage, Coast Guard’s aircraft are, too. The Trump administration is taking action to restore our nation’s finest maritime armed service to a capable fighting force,” then-DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. In May 2025, Democratic Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and LaMonica McIver of New Jersey pressed DHS on why upgrading executive aircraft was prioritized over modernizing aging Coast Guard search-and-rescue planes. “We know President Trump has set a high bar for wasteful luxury travel by government officials with his unconstitutional attempt to personally acquire a $400 million jet from a foreign government,” the pair wrote in a letter to Noem. “That does not mean members of his Cabinet must follow suit. Your desire to travel in luxury should not eclipse the need for USCG service members to fly safely and conduct lifesaving missions.” Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS and the Coast Guard.
Abdul El-Sayed dubbed ‘veteran’ by Soros-linked propaganda newspaper distributed in Michigan
DETROIT — A propaganda newspaper that once accepted a massive grant from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation falsely described beleaguered leftist Michigan U.S. Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed as a veteran, according to a copy of that paper obtained by Fox News Digital. “El-Sayed — veteran, doctor, and former health official — is Democratic Senate pick,” reads a headline in the August 2026 edition of The Michigan Independent. The papers were distributed in Michigan, and photos of the headline made the rounds on social media last week. The breadth of the paper’s circulation is unclear, but Fox News Digital obtained a physical copy in Michigan. LIZ PEEK: MICHIGAN CAN STOP THE SOCIALIST FEVER RAGE — OR WATCH IT SWALLOW THE SENATE The purportedly independent paper circulating in Michigan has a Washington, D.C. non-profit’s name and address — The American Independent Foundation at 800 Maine Ave SW — emblazoned in the bottom left corner of the front cover. As it turns out, the papers aren’t independent at all. TOP MEDIA OUTLETS FAIL TO DISCLOSE WHO IS BANKROLLING THEIR AI REPORTERS In 2024, The American Independent Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, received a $500,000 grant from George Soros’ Foundation to Promote Open Society, according to that organization’s IRS 990 disclosure form. Soros, a billionaire businessman, investor and philanthropist, is a renowned leftist mega donor known for his support of progressive and Democratic causes. The Washington Free Beacon first reported the Soros connection. The content of the Michigan Independent story mentions nothing of El-Sayed being a veteran, nor does it clarify that while El-Sayed holds an M.D., he has never been a physician. El-Sayed’s campaign forcefully condemned the publication’s classification of the candidate. “Abdul has never claimed to be a veteran, he never would out of his respect for those who served, and any outlet or group writing about our campaign should do their homework and not allow this to happen again,” spokesman Cole Wozniak told Fox News Digital. The American Independent did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment. JONATHAN TURLEY: FAKE POLLSTER’S STUNT WAS A RECKLESS GAME WITH REAL RACES Twelve other state-based newspapers are part of the network Soros helped fund, including papers in key swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia and others that have become increasingly important in the 2026 midterms due to competitive U.S. Senate races, including Maine and Alaska. Some of the outlets share the same featured stories. At the time of this writing, both The Ohio Independent and The Pennsylvania Independent feature a story titled “Report: Trump and Big Oil see financial windfall as Americans pay more at pump”. SOROS NETWORK REBUILDS PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTOR PUSH AFTER STRING OF ELECTION LOSSES An associated 501(c)(4) political activism organization, American Independent Media, is also affiliated with the network of news outlets. Each state-based website says it is a project of American Independent Media whose mission is “to use journalism to educate the public, giving them the information they need about local and federal issues.” David Brock, founder of the far-left media watchdog Media Matters and a high-profile Democratic operative, is also connected to the shadowy network of papers. He is the founder of the 501(c)(3) American Bridge, also a titan in left-wing politics. American Bridge’s 501(c)(4) arm, the AB Foundation, donated $23.5 million to American Independent Media in 2024. DEM SENATE HOPEFUL’S ‘PHYSICIAN’ CAMPAIGN PITCH UNDER FIRE AFTER LICENSE RECORDS REVEAL KEY GAPS The story about El-Sayed was penned by Alyssa Burr, whose LinkedIn page says she’s the Michigan Politics Reporter at The American Independent. She previously worked at MLive Media Group, which publishes prominent state newspaper Michigan Live, and before that, the New York Times.