Ukraine’s Starlink restored as Elon Musk claims Kyiv violated terms of service ‘to kill people’
Elon Musk on Saturday continued to defend Starlink after Ukraine faced more than a week of speed restrictions that disrupted its war effort against Russia, saying SpaceX has done more to defend the country than any other private company “by far,” while accusing the country of using the technology in violation of its terms of service “to kill people.” “Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be,” Musk wrote on X, claiming that Ukraine had “violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.” He explained that Starshield is a different system controlled by the U.S. government. “What they decide to do is up to them.” ELON MUSK BLAMES TRUMP, US MILITARY FOR SPACEX RESTRICTIONS UKRAINE WARNS COULD HAVE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES “Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now,” he wrote in response to an X post that stated Starlink is “not a weapons system.” “Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact,” he added. Musk said that Starlink was crucial at the beginning of the war because it was the only means of communication that couldn’t be “destroyed or jammed by Russia. “SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR,” he claimed. “That said, I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell. End of story.” Last week, Musk blamed the issue on the U.S. military. “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” the SpaceX, Tesla and X CEO wrote in a post. UKRAINE SHOWED TRUMP HOW EASILY AN ENEMY COULD CRIPPLE AN AI POWERHOUSE A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that Ukraine received no advance warning before the restrictions took effect overnight, despite relying on the service under arrangements contracted through the U.S. government until May 15, 2027. Ukrainian forces discovered the change after experiencing connectivity problems and contacting SpaceX customer support. They were told Starshield service would be restricted on platforms traveling at speeds of 100 mph or higher, the source said. Musk did not say whether President Donald Trump, War Secretary Pete Hegseth or another U.S. official personally authorized the new restriction or explain why it was imposed. Trump told reporters on Saturday that he had spoken to Musk about the issue, but wouldn’t elaborate. UKRAINE REGAINS CRITICAL STARLINK SERVICE AFTER RESTRICTIONS DISRUPT DRONE OPERATIONS Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced Saturday that it had regained broader access to Starlink, with connections remaining stable at speeds of 250 mph. It remains unclear what led to the slowdown in service, with Ukraine having accused both Trump and Musk of being behind it, and comes after renewed hope for Ukraine and Russia to reach a resolution in the war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth have denied that the U.S. government was responsible for slowing Ukraine’s Starlink service. Russia agreed Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told “Fox & Friends” this week he would be open to ending the war by freezing the fighting along the current front lines. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, SpaceX, along with the War and State departments for comment. Fox News’ James Cirrone contributed to this report.
Obama compares Trump’s White House renovations to ‘Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory’ at Ohio rally
Former President Barack Obama mocked President Donald Trump’s White House renovations Saturday, comparing the historic residence to a Cheesecake Factory run by Saddam Hussein while campaigning for Democrats in Ohio. Obama delivered the jab during a Cleveland rally supporting Democrat gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, criticizing Trump’s priorities just 10 days before the midterm elections. “I mean, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations,” Obama said. “He should be on HGTV.” OBAMA CLAIMS HE OCCUPIES ‘A SUITE’ IN TRUMP’S MIND, QUESTIONS THE PRESIDENT’S FOCUS ON AMERICANS Obama rattled off Trump’s ballroom project, Rose Garden makeover and South Lawn helipad before taking aim at the president’s affinity for gold décor. “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama quipped. The renovations, however, include several functional upgrades to the White House grounds. TRUMP DEFENDS US INTERVENTIONS ABROAD AHEAD OF ‘BIG DECISION’ ON IRAN: ‘SETTLING YEARS OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS’ The Rose Garden’s former central lawn was replaced with limestone paving in 2025, creating a patio for outdoor events, speeches and entertaining, while the traditional roses were retained around the perimeter. Trump also unveiled an upgraded granite White House helipad featuring the presidential seal in September. Official White House photographs show Marine One landing on and departing from the new facility during a Sept. 21 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The administration’s ballroom project is intended to provide permanent, secure space for large official events, addressing a longstanding reliance on temporary tents for major White House functions. A National Park Service environmental assessment notes that the need for expanded event space was identified in a White House planning document dating to 2000. Obama’s swipe at Trump’s White House makeover comes as his own presidential center in Chicago has faced criticism over its imposing, granite-clad tower, which some critics have dubbed the ‘Obamalisk,’ along with ballooning construction costs and years of delays. The Obama Presidential Center’s projected price tag has surpassed $1 billion, nearly triple its original $350 million estimate, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting. Subcontractors have alleged they are owed millions for their work, while taxpayers have been saddled with hundreds of millions of dollars in associated public infrastructure costs separate from the center’s construction budget. Obama’s criticism extended beyond the presidential residence to Trump’s handling of the conflict with Iran, which the former president blamed for higher energy costs. “Most importantly, he decided to start an unnecessary war that nobody asked for and nobody voted for,” Obama said. He also defended the nuclear agreement negotiated during his presidency. TRUMP RIPS OBAMA’S ‘STUPID’ IRAN DEAL, CLAIMS FORMER PRESIDENT THOUGHT ‘HE COULD BRIBE THEM’ “Iran didn’t have nuclear weapons because I had put a deal in place that everybody knows kept them from getting nukes,” Obama claimed. Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 agreement in 2018, arguing that its temporary nuclear restrictions were insufficient and that it failed to adequately address Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for regional militant terror groups. The agreement offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear restrictions and international inspections. Inspectors reported some Iranian compliance before the U.S. withdrawal, although Iran subsequently expanded uranium enrichment beyond the deal’s proposed limits. Obama also accused Trump of pursuing policies that increased consumer costs, criticizing immigration enforcement as he urged Ohio voters to hold Republicans accountable. Acton faces Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor’s race, while Brown is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted. The former president carried Ohio in both 2008 and 2012, but the state has backed Trump in his three presidential campaigns. Fox News Digital contacted the White House for comment on Obama’s remarks. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Second Amendment fight moves beyond guns with Supreme Court poised for big ruling
Two federal court rulings Wednesday extending Second Amendment protections to switchblade knives and body armor have fueled optimism among gun-rights advocates ahead of a major Supreme Court showdown over bans on AR-15-style rifles. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a federal law restricting the interstate commerce of switchblade knives violated the Second Amendment, while a federal judge in the Western District of New York struck down New York’s restrictions on personal body armor. In both cases, the courts determined that switchblades and body armor qualify as constitutionally protected “arms.” The twin rulings come as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in Viramontes v. Cook County, a case that could determine whether AR-15-style rifles qualify as “arms” protected by the Second Amendment. National Association for Gun Rights President Dudley Brown, whose organization filed an amicus brief in Viramontes, said a Supreme Court ruling against AR-15 bans could influence future legal challenges to restrictions on ammunition magazines, automatic knives, body armor and other defensive equipment. “The interesting thing about both of these cases is that they’re both going to be really decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Viramontes decision,” Brown told Fox News Digital. SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY LIMITS USE OF GUN LAW USED TO PROSECUTE HUNTER BIDEN The recent rulings rely on two major Supreme Court decisions defining the scope of the Second Amendment: District of Columbia v. Heller and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen — both of which will play a key role in the Supreme Court’s review of AR-15-style rifle bans. In its 2008 decision in Heller, the Supreme Court established that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess firearms for lawful purposes, including self-defense. The Court also ruled that the amendment protects weapons in lawful common use while acknowledging a longstanding tradition of restricting “dangerous and unusual” weapons. Heller recognized that the term “arms” encompasses both offensive weapons and defensive armor. The decision did not address switchblades or body armor directly but the recent rulings relied on its broader understanding of what may qualify as an arm. The decisions also reveal how Bruen ’s text-and-history test could shape the Supreme Court’s review of bans on AR-15-style rifles. Under Bruen, courts first determine whether the Second Amendment’s text covers the weapon or conduct at issue. Because both courts answered that question affirmatively, the burden shifted to the governments to show that the restrictions were consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of arms regulation. George Lyon, a Second Amendment attorney, said the governments in both cases failed to identify sufficiently similar historical laws justifying the modern restrictions. ATF SUSPENDS FEDERAL REGISTRATION AND APPROVAL RULES FOR CERTAIN FIREARMS “Once what you want to do is shown to come within the text of the Second Amendment, the presumption is that the regulation is unconstitutional,” Lyon said. The Fifth Circuit found that switchblades are commonly used “arms” protected by the Second Amendment, citing their historical use for defense and everyday purposes. It then ruled that the government had failed to identify a sufficient historical tradition for the Federal Switchblade Act’s specific restrictions on interstate commerce, which regulated switchblades in a way that differed from historical laws. In the New York ruling, the state argued that body armor was a tactical accessory to a firearm rather than an “arm” protected by the Second Amendment. The judge rejected that argument, finding that body armor falls within the historical definition of arms recognized in Heller. The court then concluded that New York had not shown a sufficient historical tradition supporting its civilian purchase ban. That reasoning could become important in Viramontes, where the Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether AR-15-style rifles fall within the definition of protected arms recognized in Heller. GUN RIGHTS GROUPS CAPITALIZE AFTER JUDGE REVERSES DECADES-OLD RESTRICTIONS: ‘MONUMENTAL’ The case arises from a challenge to Cook County’s assault-weapons ban. The Seventh Circuit concluded that AR-15-style rifles were comparable to machine guns and therefore fell outside the category of arms protected by the Second Amendment. The Supreme Court’s decision could resolve whether that reasoning is consistent with Heller and Bruen. Lyon said the Seventh Circuit improperly treated AR-15-style rifles as comparable to machine guns. “The current case at the Supreme Court, Viramontes, will address that because the Seventh Circuit had taken the position that because AR-15s are ‘like machine guns,’ they don’t constitute an arm as defined under Heller,” Lyon said. “That was just totally wrong in my view.” Justin Davis, director of public affairs for the National Rifle Association, said the dispute over AR-15-style rifles is part of a broader legal fight over what qualifies as an “arm” under the Second Amendment. “There’s a major discussion going on in the courts about what is and what aren’t arms,” Davis said. Davis pointed to litigation involving suppressors, ammunition magazines, stun guns, pepper spray and other equipment used for self-defense. “They talk about how the Second Amendment only applied to muskets because that’s what existed at the time of the Founders, but we don’t apply the First Amendment only to newspapers, books or speech in public forums,” Davis said. “Social media, texting and phones didn’t exist at that time, either.” “The world evolves, but the core fundamental rights never change,” Davis continued.
Bush dynasty delivers another blow to GOP in Texas Senate battle as family member breaks ranks
Another member of the Bush family dynasty, Neil Bush, is throwing his weight behind Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico, saying he voted against a political style he believes has “damaged our country.” “I have never posted a political message on Facebook, not wanting to offend friends whose views may be very different than mine. I’m breaking that tradition because I voted early today, and I voted for James Talarico for the United States Senate,” Neil Bush wrote on Facebook Tuesday. “My vote was motivated by two things: deep concern about Ken Paxton’s record and genuine admiration for the character and principles I see in James Talarico.” BUSH FAMILY ROYALTY BACKS DEMOCRAT IN BATTLE TO FLIP TEXAS BLUE Bush, the son of former President George H.W. Bush and brother of former President George W. Bush, broke with his family’s longstanding Republican political tradition in backing the Democrat. Former President George W. Bush has maintained friendly relationships with Democratic former presidents, but his relationship with President Donald Trump has been strained since the 2016 Republican presidential primary, when Trump repeatedly attacked his brother Jeb Bush and mocked their mother, former first lady Barbara Bush. “I believe Donald Trump and those who have enabled him have done enormous damage to the Republican Party. I worry about a political culture in which loyalty to an individual takes precedence over loyalty to principle, and where those who hold power begin to believe they are no longer accountable,” Neil Bush added. “But my vote today was about much more than opposition to Ken Paxton.” Neil is the second member of the Bush family to recently throw his support behind Talarico. Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush, contributed $2,500 on Sept. 23 to Lone Star Rising PAC, a super PAC supporting the Democrat, according to federal campaign finance records reviewed by Fox News Digital. TRUMP-LINKED MAGA INC POURS $10M INTO KEN PAXTON’S TEXAS SENATE RACE AGAINST JAMES TALARICO Lone Star Rising PAC is one of the major outside groups spending to support Talarico and oppose Paxton in the closely contested Texas Senate race, according to federal campaign finance records. The younger Bush’s support for a Democrat comes as his brother, former President George W. Bush, has increasingly embraced bipartisan relationships after his presidency, most recently attending the opening of former President Barack Obama’s presidential center in Chicago in June. RNC CHAIR SAYS TALARICO’S GOP CROSSOVER HOPES ARE A ‘PIPE DREAM’: ‘NOBODY IS GOING TO FOLLOW HIM’ Bush and Michelle Obama have repeatedly spoken warmly about their friendship despite their political differences. At the Obama Center opening, Bush even gave Michelle Obama Altoids, recreating their famous mint/cough-drop exchange from John McCain’s 2018 funeral. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, representatives for Neil Bush and the Paxton campaign for comment.
Obama prepares to rally with Michigan Dem who once delivered scathing verdict on his presidency
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is set to rally with former President Barack Obama on Saturday as Republicans raise questions about his support among Black voters, a crucial Democratic constituency in the battleground state. Obama formally endorsed the Michigan Democrat earlier this month, filming a campaign ad that ran on Oct. 12 imploring his supporters “to support Abdul El-Sayed for the United States Senate.” His upcoming rally with El-Sayed has become a major political event as the progressive Senate candidate continues his effort to build bridges with the Democratic Party’s establishment. Obama’s support has also renewed scrutiny of El-Sayed’s past criticism of the former president, including a sharply worded 2012 essay accusing him of failing to deliver on the promises of his presidency. Conservatives have suggested that the El-Sayed campaign is leaning on Obama to build support among the African American community, whose turnout could be decisive on Election Day. ROGERS ARGUES EL-SAYED IS VULNERABLE WITH 2 TRADITIONALLY DEMOCRATIC BLOCS AS OBAMA HEADS TO MICHIGAN Claims that El-Sayed is only receiving lukewarm support from the Black community began during his primary race against Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens. El-Sayed performed strongly among Arab American voters during the Democratic primary, but he narrowly defeated Stevens after polls showed her attracting stronger support among Black Democratic voters. El-Sayed’s uneven support among key Democratic constituencies has raised questions about his ability to unite the party’s coalition heading into November. Black voters are crucial to the Democratic coalition in Michigan. Low turnout or defections to the GOP in Michigan among African Americans could seriously endanger the Democratic Party’s path to control of the Senate. OBAMA’S STAR POWER GETS A REALITY CHECK FROM BLACK VOTERS IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE: ‘IT’S A TURNOFF’ A poll conducted by Fox News Digital in late September found that just 77% of Black voters were supportive of El-Sayed, a figure well below where Democrats typically perform with the demographic. It is unclear what impact, if any, Obama wading into Michigan’s Senate election will have. Fox News Digital spoke with more than a dozen Black voters in Detroit about Obama’s endorsement, finding mixed reactions that included skepticism among undecided voters and enthusiasm from others who already planned to support El-Sayed. While the undecided voters largely agreed that Obama was still a leader within the Democratic Party, they generally did not put much weight on the former president’s endorsement of El-Sayed. “Honestly, it’s a turn-off just because I’ve seen too many candidates use him just to manipulate the Democratic vote,” Mercedes, one undecided Black voter, told Fox News Digital about Obama’s endorsement. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED SAYS LEADERS MUST ADDRESS ‘UNPAID DEBTS’ TO BLACK COMMUNITIES “What he’s been able to do is from an image standpoint, as far as ‘hope,’ he drove the point there,” another undecided African American voter told Fox News Digital. “But as far as really giving back to the community, minority owned businesses, and everyone across the board, I don’t really think he really got there for me … he really hasn’t swayed me one way or another.” Rita, an undecided Black voter who said she had recently been homeless, said that Obama’s endorsement would not move the needle for her as she prefers to do her own research on candidates. Juanita, another Black voter who wasn’t sure how she would vote in November, told Fox News Digital that, “I don’t want to be pushed to vote for him because somebody else is backing him.” Even some African Americans who voted early for El-Sayed said Obama’s backing didn’t mean much of anything to them. SOCIALIST POLITICIANS ARE ‘MORE RACIST THAN THE KKK,’ SAYS BLACK DEM OFFICIAL URGING VOTERS TO DITCH EL-SAYED “I think that a lot of people put more stock into who the person is than what he does … his yay or nay doesn’t sway me either way,” one such voter told Fox News Digital. Undecided voters, however, had mixed feelings about El-Sayed’s changing position on Obama. “Yeah, I don’t understand how you can endorse somebody that was kind of the opposition when you were in office,” Juanita told Fox News Digital. “I mean, that doesn’t make sense.” “I think I see it as a flip flop, but I also see it as an opportunity to pretty much highlight those things and how he’s actually changed and why their objectives may align now,” another voter said. “You know, people’s objectives change, their perspectives change.” ‘DESTROYING THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE’: EL-SAYED’S POLITICAL ORBIT COMPLICATES EFFORT TO MODERATE HIS IMAGE Others, however, pointed out that pivots like El-Sayed’s are nothing new in politics, pointing to the fact that Vice President JD Vance was once a staunch critic of President Donald Trump. The controversy surrounding El-Sayed’s purported flip-flop on Obama can be traced back to a 2012 Huffington Post essay where he accused Obama of failing to live up to the progressive rhetoric he campaigned on. “I realize that I have little hope because there has been less change,” El-Sayed wrote. “But I have to say now what I’ve been holding in throughout his campaign and what I think all of us have to admit: Obama was not the right choice — he just wasn’t the wrong one.” He went on to criticize the then-president for perpetuating war, violating civil liberties and carrying out more deportations than any previous president. The Michigan Democrat has since walked back some of those criticisms, noting that it is possible to disagree with someone while still admiring them and praising how Obama operated under the circumstances he inherited. DEM INSURGENT TURNS ON THE CHARM WITH PARTY ESTABLISHMENT AS SCHUMER LEAVES BITTER FEUD HANGING Some, however, don’t buy that explanation. Conservative commentator Jason Rantz said on a CNN panel that El-Sayed was setting aside his criticisms of Obama because he was in a desperate electoral position and needed to “try to bring in black voters.” Others, however, don’t think El-Sayed has a problem with Black voters at all. Kandia Milton, a
Omar’s deleted tweet could give clue on alleged brother marriage
A deleted 2013 social media post in which Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., appeared to refer to her father by a different name has resurfaced as federal investigators examine questions surrounding her identity and immigration records. “Happy Father’s Day to my aabo Nur Said, I am forever grateful to Allah for giving me the best father …,” Omar wrote in the June 2013 post, which was deleted in 2019. Several records, including a memorial post by the Congressional Black Caucus marking his death in 2020, refer to Omar’s father as “Nur Omar Mohamed.” But the now-deleted X post has Omar calling him “Nur Said,” a name that also appears similar to the name of her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. REP ILHAN OMAR’S IMMIGRATION HISTORY FACES NEW SCRUTINY AS FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS SUBPOENA RELATIVES The congresswoman deleted the social media post the morning of Sept. 19, 2019. An archived version of the post, first reported on by the Daily Caller in 2019, resurfaced after federal agents searched Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence on Oct. 12 as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into possible false statements on immigration and naturalization documents. Omar and her office have repeatedly denied allegations that her former husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, is her brother. She has also denied wrongdoing amid the federal probe, which she has called a political attack. Somali names generally consist of a person’s given name, their father’s given name and their paternal grandfather’s given name. The similarity between names alone does not establish a familial relationship. A statement allegedly attributed to Omar’s spokesperson and recirculated online said “Nur Said” was her father’s childhood nickname and that he maintained a public page using the name. The statement also said the tweet was deleted because Omar and her family had received threats. FEDERAL AGENTS SEIZE PHONE OF REP ILHAN OMAR IN RAID TIED TO IMMIGRATION FRAUD PROBE Omar’s office did not respond Friday to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the now-deleted social media post. Omar’s father is referred to as “Nur Said” in some reports. For example, a New York Post story on his alleged military experience quoted Oxford University historian Mohamed Haji Ingiriis as calling Omar’s father “Nur Said.” Fox News has not independently verified that Omar’s father’s name is Nur Said Elmi Mohamed, his alleged name, not Nur Omar Mohamed. In a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday, a spokesperson for the congresswoman said Omar has “repeatedly and unequivocally denied” the “baseless, disgusting conspiracy theory” that she married her brother. The spokesperson pointed to Omar’s interview Wednesday on MS NOW, in which she was asked whether her one-time husband may have been a “distant relative.” “Not to my knowledge,” Omar replied. Recent court documents related to the search warrant for Omar’s Washington, D.C. residence, first obtained by Fox News Digital, connected to the federal investigation identify Omar as “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a.k.a. Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” The filing does not explain why the name appears in the document or establish that Omar used a false identity. ILHAN OMAR CALLS TRUMP ‘CREEP’ AS PRESIDENT REVIVES ‘FAKE NAME,’ MARRIAGE ALLEGATIONS Omar told Fox News Digital on Friday that her “real name” is “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” and not “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi.” “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, you know it,” Omar told Fox News Digital when asked about her name. “It’s Ilhan Abdullahi Omar.” Omar’s marriage to Elmi ended in divorce in 2017. She later legally married Ahmed Hirsi in 2018. Two people familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital that “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi” may be Omar’s legal name. Omar’s office has disputed that characterization. A former Minnesota federal immigration judge told Fox News Digital that if investigators prove Omar knowingly used a false name on federal forms, the conduct could be brought into question under the federal false-statements statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Whether the statute applies would depend on the specific documents, the materiality of any alleged misstatement and the evidence of intent. The Justice Department did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.
Trump’s war on drug cartels could gain powerful new ally after pivotal election
EXCLUSIVE: Brazil could join the U.S.-led effort to combat drug cartels if presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro wins the country’s Oct. 25 runoff election, according to his brother, Brazilian politician Eduardo Bolsonaro. The initiative, known as the Shield of the Americas, is designed to expand security cooperation among countries in the Western Hemisphere, including intelligence sharing, military coordination and joint efforts to disrupt cartel financing. The coalition follows the Trump administration’s decision in February 2025 to designate eight major criminal organizations as both Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The groups include Tren de Aragua, MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Northeast Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, La Nueva Familia Michoacana and Carteles Unidos. LATIN AMERICA’S CONSERVATIVE SHIFT FACES ITS BIGGEST TEST YET IN BRAZIL ELECTION “The main thing that we need to do is fight the cartels,” Eduardo Bolsonaro told Fox News Digital. “They work together in a lot of countries, so we should fight back then.” Brazil has not joined the initiative under left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Eduardo Bolsonaro said that if his brother’s conservative Liberal Party wins the presidency, Brazil would work with the Trump administration to combat the country’s powerful criminal organizations. ‘DONROE’ DOCTRINE AND CONSERVATIVE VICTORIES SQUEEZE CARTELS IN LATIN AMERICA “So I’m sure that, under the leadership of President Trump and the Shield of the Americas, we have the opportunity for the first time” to work together against the cartels, Eduardo Bolsonaro said. Brazil’s presidential runoff will pit Flávio Bolsonaro against Lula after Bolsonaro led Lula in the first round. He has said he would seek closer security cooperation with the United States and other conservative governments in the region. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON BRAZIL’S BIGGEST DRUG GANGS WITH ‘GLOBAL TERROR’ DESIGNATION The potential addition of Brazil would expand the coalition’s presence in South America, where criminal groups such as Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho have become major forces in the regional drug trade. Other countries participating in the U.S.-led effort include Argentina, El Salvador and Peru. The initiative has also drawn participation from countries including Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay and Chile, according to the State Department. DRUG CARTEL KINGPIN AMONG TARGETS IN SWEEPING TRUMP CRACKDOWN ON ALLEGED MEXICAN CORRUPTION NETWORK The coalition’s broader goals include combating drug trafficking, disrupting criminal financing and strengthening cooperation among law enforcement and military officials. U.S. officials have repeatedly linked cartel activity to the trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the United States. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has also attributed hundreds of thousands of American deaths to cartel-linked drug overdoses.
Canada is feeling the pain from Trump’s tariffs — but the trade fight didn’t start overnight
President Donald Trump’s escalating trade fight with Canada is squeezing the economy north of the border, threatening jobs and adding to families’ financial strain as steep U.S. tariffs on roughly $20 billion in goods remain in place. U.S. tariffs have hammered the country’s steel, aluminum, lumber and automobile producers that depend heavily on the American market. Steel exports have fallen by roughly half since the tariffs took effect, while lumber exports were about 20% below 2024 levels earlier this year, according to the Bank of Canada. Production and jobs have also declined in some of the hardest-hit industries. Canadian families are feeling the squeeze, too. Consumer prices were 3% higher in August than a year earlier, with grocery prices up 2.8% and transportation costs jumping 7.5%, according to the government’s own data. A MUST-WIN MIDTERM STATE IS THE REAL LOSER OF TRUMP’S CANADA TRADE WAR Retaliatory tariffs on American products have also added to those costs. Prices of affected goods, which includes groceries, household products, furniture, electronics and appliances, rose roughly 6% more than comparable products that were not hit by the tariffs, according to the country’s central bank. But while Canada is feeling the economic pain, the disputes driving Trump’s trade fight are not new. “The Trump administration is complaining about dairy access and, generally speaking, those complaints are completely valid,” David Clement, North American affairs manager at the Consumer Choice Center, told Fox News Digital. “Canada has exorbitant tariffs on imports from the United States and really from everywhere around the world when it comes to chicken, turkey, eggs, cheese and milk,” Clement said. THE OVERLOOKED WAY THE IRAN WAR IS MAKING GROCERIES, AMAZON PACKAGES AND NEW HOMES MORE EXPENSIVE Clement noted, however, that differences between American and European access to Canada’s market reflect terms negotiated under separate trade agreements, including the USMCA struck during Trump’s first term. But dairy represents just a fraction of the broader U.S.-Canada trading relationship. Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute and the Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, said more than 99% of U.S.-Canada trade was duty-free before 2025, with negotiators historically willing to tolerate disputes over politically sensitive products like dairy to preserve the broader relationship. “The Trump administration has so far refused to make the deal,” he said. Lincicome said free trade in products including fertilizer, energy and lumber helps keep costs down for American farmers, homebuilders and consumers. With the midterm elections just weeks away and the cost of living in focus, the trade dispute is unfolding as higher energy prices add another layer of pressure on consumers. Lincicome called the combination a “double whammy.” “First you had the tariffs which increased the prices of a lot of products. And then you had energy prices spike because of the Iran war,” he said. Higher diesel prices can ripple through the economy because they fuel tractors, trucks and trains, Lincicome said, acting “as kind of another tariff” by raising the cost of getting products to consumers. Despite the escalating tensions, Clement cautioned against allowing the dispute to undermine the broader relationship. “The partnership between Canada and the United States is one of the greatest trading relationships the world has ever known,” he said. “That should be embraced. It should be enhanced, and it shouldn’t be torn down by either side.”
Trump officials warn decades-long decline among American men could carry national security consequences
The Trump administration is targeting testosterone deficiency as a potential threat to military readiness, rolling out new screening guidelines for male service members amid growing concerns about the health of American men and the shrinking pool of young people qualified to serve. “There is absolutely a national defense readiness ramifications for [low testosterone],” Adm. Brian Christine, a senior Department of Health and Human Services official, told Fox News Digital in an interview. Christine also pointed to broader health challenges facing the military’s recruiting pool, warning that 77% of Americans ages 17 to 24 do not qualify for service without a waiver, with obesity, chronic disease and other barriers contributing to the problem. Among young men, he said, more than 70% are ineligible, while only about 3% of young Americans express interest in serving. The warning comes as the Trump administration places a renewed emphasis on military readiness, with Christine helping shape an initiative that led the Pentagon to issue testosterone deficiency screening guidelines for male service members ages 30 and older in September. THE REAL REASON BEHIND HEGSETH’S VIRAL MILITARY TESTOSTERONE SCREENING ORDER Trump entered his second term with an aggressive approach to rebuilding the American military, tightening fitness requirements, axing DEI policies, overhauling weapons acquisition, building up recruitment and refocusing the force on combat readiness and lethality. Christine, a urologist who spent more than 35 years specializing in men’s health, said testosterone levels have been declining for decades, raising concerns about the long-term health of American men and the physical demands placed on those serving in uniform. “I think it’s incredibly important, incredibly timely,” Christine said of the screening guidance. Under the Pentagon’s guidelines, male service members ages 30 and older undergo mandatory screening for testosterone deficiency, beginning with an assessment of symptoms and risk factors, with further testing and potential treatment available when medically appropriate. ‘WOKE’ MILITARY ACADEMIES TARGETED IN NEW BLUEPRINT FOR SWEEPING WARFIGHTING OVERHAUL “We’re not forcing testosterone on anybody,” Christine said. “But what we are doing is screening, taking those men who are symptomatic and have low numbers and offering them a pathway forward.” The HHS official pointed to obesity and chronic disease as established factors associated with low testosterone, while raising concerns that environmental exposures, including microplastics and other toxins, could also be contributing to the decline — a possibility researchers are still investigating. “In the mid-1970s, the average testosterone level for men in this country… was well over 650. Now it’s approaching 350,” Christine said. POPULAR WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS LINKED TO UNEXPECTED MALE FERTILITY BENEFIT National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya echoed those concerns in a separate interview with Fox News Digital, warning that some testosterone deficiency may be going undiagnosed even as medical guidelines stress that a diagnosis requires both symptoms and consistently low hormone levels. “It’s interesting because if you look at the epidemiological trends, testosterone levels in the American male population have been declining over the last decades. And again, we don’t know why. We don’t have an answer,” Bhattacharya said. Bhattacharya said researchers must determine not only why testosterone levels are declining, but also what medical guidance should follow for men diagnosed with a deficiency. “There are under-diagnosed testosterone deficiencies.” “The question of what to do about it, how to prevent it, that’s at the top of my mind,” he added. LONGER LIVES, WORSE HEALTH? SCIENTISTS UNCOVER TROUBLING TREND ACROSS GENERATIONS The NIH director also pointed to declining sperm counts as another area requiring further scientific investigation, suggesting that environmental exposures could be contributing to broader reproductive health concerns. “But even more importantly, what are the factors, probably environmental factors, that have led to the decline in sperm counts, for instance? We need an answer to those questions,” Bhattacharya said. Bhattacharya said the NIH is investing in research to better understand the potential causes of those trends and determine how doctors should advise American men. Christine said that testosterone is about more than muscle growth or physical appearance, arguing that hormone levels play an important role in men’s overall health. DEMS ROASTED FOR COMPARING HEGSETH’S TESTOSTERONE INITIATIVE TO ‘GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE’ “Testosterone levels in men are absolutely related to their overall well-being, to their lifespan, to their health span, and to their wellness,” Christine said. He also noted that men with low testosterone tend to experience higher rates of anxiety and depression. The administration is also developing separate hormonal health guidance for female service members, which the Defense Health Agency said would follow the September guidelines issued for male troops, with women’s health specialists contributing to the recommendations, Christine said. Christine said that the goal is ensuring that service members are equipped to perform their duties while addressing broader health challenges affecting American men. “If we truly want our men who are in uniform to be at their best,” Christine said, the focus must be on their ability to function and perform their jobs.
Minnesota candidate ‘stress tests’ state’s new fraud law — what she found raised major red flags
A Minnesota state Senate candidate revealed she found several vulnerabilities in a fraud prevention law signed by Gov. Tim Walz after testing it against the state’s previous fraud scandals to see whether it could have caught them sooner. The measure in question, the Office of the Inspector General law, creates an independent statewide watchdog that oversees inspectors general, investigates alleged fraud across state programs, establishes fraud prevention standards, and improves coordination and data sharing. However, Heidi Heino, the Republican candidate for Minnesota’s 36th Senate District, told Fox News Digital her test against the Feeding Our Future scheme and other past fraud cases found the law lacks extra safeguards when potential risks emerge. “When I stress tested against Feeding Our Future and some of the other fraud schemes that we had in Minnesota, it would have found the fraud eventually, but it’s way after the money was already gone and we would still be stuck trying to claw it back,” Heino said. MINNESOTA MAN CAPTURED IN SOMALIA AFTER ALLEGEDLY HELPING ORCHESTRATE $250M CHILD NUTRITION FRAUD SCHEME The law was passed as Minnesota faces the fallout from massive fraud schemes involving childcare, autism, housing and disability services. Republicans have blamed leadership and oversight failures, while the Trump administration launched a federal anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance. Working as a corporate leader whose day job involves underwriting, Heino said she used similar review and auditing practices to test where Minnesota’s fraud safeguards fell short. “Business does a lot with a little,” she said. “Government does the opposite. They do a little with a lot of resources.” Heino said she used a 2,800% increase in payments to Feeding Our Future from 2020 to 2021 in her test, a jump that should have automatically raised alarm bells and led to further review. The scheme alone allegedly stole $250 million from a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. FRAUD EXPERT EXPOSES HOW HIDDEN NETWORKS DROVE MINNESOTA FRAUD, OTHER MAJOR SCAMS: ‘CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE’ “You don’t have to be a detective to see that there’s some issue there and so to investigate that and check and see if those claims are legitimate, and if they were legitimate, have someone actually sign off on it,” she said, adding that filling out extra paperwork may be frustrating but can help prevent fraud in the long run. Heino also argued Feeding Our Future should not have been allowed to address complaints against itself. “We had 30 complaints to the Minnesota Department of Education regarding the fraud and they are mostly overlooked or Feeding Our Future had to go correct itself and that was a huge gap there,” she said. She proposed immediately freezing payments, conducting a full review, and triggering an outside audit. “The OIG has good bones, but it needs teeth,” she said. Without independent audits, Heino said Minnesota will not be able to uncover fraud-related gaps, saying the additional oversight would save more money than it costs. GOP ACCUSES WALZ ALLIES OF BURYING $52M MEDICAID FRAUD REPORT BEFORE ELECTION “We get a lot of pushback saying this is going to be expensive, but is it?” she said. “It will be less expensive to have an independent audit than it is going to be to have all the fraud and lose taxpayer dollars to fraudulent activities.” Those same issues apply to current state programs like Minnesota’s Paid Leave program, according to Heino. “However, we need to rein it in and have more investigation before we start sending out the checks, especially with paid family leave,” she said. “They pay out before they have the doctor’s note certifying that this is actually true and they have verified it.” She acknowledged that the law is a “great first step” toward addressing the problem but said it does not go far enough to protect taxpayers and prevent future fraud. As a mother, grandmother and taxpayer, Heino said she is fed up with how leaders in her home state have handled fraud, adding the problem has gotten so bad that Minnesota has become the “laughing stock of the nation” and people no longer want to say they are from the state anymore. “We need to funnel those resources to the people that actually need them and keep people committing fraud from taking our money and running away with it, buying luxury condos or homes, and then funneling it out of the country,” she said. Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s office and the Minnesota Department of Education for comment. “We have not slowed down, there is no sense in which the fraud has been stopped in Minnesota,” Bill Glahn, a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, told Fox News Digital in August, making the case that the fraud situation in the state has not been properly addressed.