Trump’s DOJ makeover hasn’t changed where the political cash is flowing — and the gap is growing
The Trump administration has sought to eliminate what it alleges is partisan bias within the Justice Department, but the vast majority of political donations from individuals identifying themselves as DOJ employees are still going to Democratic-aligned committees, according to a Fox News Digital analysis of federal campaign finance records. Between January 2025 and August of this year, just over 75% of campaign contributions from individuals identifying themselves as Department of Justice employees went to Democratic committees, the analysis of federal campaign finance records found. Fox News Digital analyzed roughly $300,000 in political contributions recorded by the Federal Election Commission between January 2025 and August 2026 from donors who listed their employer as “Department of Justice,” “DOJ” or a variation of those names. Contributions were categorized by the political affiliation of the recipient candidate or committee, while independent-expenditure committees were classified according to the candidates or parties they supported. When exporting data from the Federal Election Commission’s dashboard, an option to include donations from “unique individuals only” was selected to filter out duplicative records. As the Trump administration has progressed, the partisan slant of DOJ donations has become more pronounced. Through 2025, about 70% of donations from those identifying themselves as DOJ staff went to Democratic committees, a figure that rose to just under 90% in 2026, according to Fox News Digital’s findings. TODD BLANCHE EXPOSES HOW AGGRESSIVE BIDEN DOJ TARGETED LOW-LEVEL MAR-A-LAGO EMPLOYEES Attorney General Todd Blanche and his predecessor, Pam Bondi, both claimed that the Trump administration inherited a deeply corrupt DOJ, pointing to allegations that the agency was inundated with political bias under President Joe Biden’s tenure. “There are a lot of people in the FBI and also in the Department of Justice who despise Donald Trump, despise us,” Bondi said in early 2025. “Right now, we’re going to root them out; we will find them, and they will no longer be employed.” Critics have pushed back against claims of political weaponization during the Biden administration, arguing that high-profile investigations into President Donald Trump and other conservatives originated from legitimate legal concerns. DOJ DANGLES MASSIVE SIGNING BONUSES FOR LAWYERS READY TO FIGHT ‘LAWLESS’ CITIES FAR BEYOND DC Both of Trump’s attorneys general under his second administration have made strides to recruit a greater number of ideologically aligned lawyers while attempting to push those out who may not be willing to advance the administration’s interests. In early February 2026, DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle publicly encouraged lawyers who “support President Trump” to contact him about becoming federal prosecutors. Stephen Miller amplified the appeal on social media with the caption “patriots needed,” and sitting U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones reposted the appeal alongside the phrase “we are hiring!” Mizelle later defended the approach as ensuring that executive-branch lawyers were in line with the elected president’s agenda. LEGAL WAR ON TRUMP’S AGENDA GAINS FIREPOWER AS FEDERAL LAWYERS DEFECT TO DEMOCRATS The administration’s personnel overhaul has coincided with a substantial exodus of attorneys from federal service. Over 10,000 attorneys have left federal service since Trump took office for a second term. Fox News Digital reported in July that well over 100 federal attorneys had left the Trump administration for roles in Democratic-run state attorneys general offices. Many of these lawyers took decades of experience with them, prompting concerns that the Trump administration could be depriving itself of the ability to handle highly technical legal matters. Some of these seasoned former federal lawyers have since joined legal action against the Trump administration. While a significant number of government lawyers have left federal service under Trump, and some prominent conservatives have joined the administration, campaign finance records show that Democratic committees continue to receive the overwhelming majority of political contributions from donors identifying themselves as Justice Department employees. Among the most common recipients of donations from those identifying themselves as DOJ employees were Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, and Emily’s List, a pro-abortion group associated with the Democratic Party. Some conservative committees, such as those in Trump’s network of PACs, were also common targets for Justice Department donors. DEMOCRAT POLITICOS RERUN UNDERHANDED LEFTIST PLAYBOOK IN EFFORT TO TORPEDO TRUMP’S AG NOMINEE Much of the DOJ’s work concerns investigations and prosecutions unrelated to partisan politics, and the campaign finance records do not establish whether employees’ political preferences have influenced the department’s day-to-day operations. Progressive critics, to the contrary, have alleged that the Trump administration is using the Justice Department to target its political enemies. “Those who were fired from the Department were fired for a reason. Those who resigned or took the fork in the road option likely aligned more with the priorities of President Biden and would naturally leave, which is common during transitions,” a DOJ spokeswoman previously told Fox News Digital. “The Administration gave career employees the fork in the road option to intentionally reduce the size of the government and eliminate unnecessary layers of staff who don’t effectively contribute to the mission of aggressively tackling crime.” The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
Americans forced to change clocks again as Senate stalls Trump-backed daylight saving time bill
Daylight saving time has dodged the wrath of President Donald Trump — for now. As Americans again participate in the twice-yearly ritual of fiddling with their clocks — this time rolling back an hour on Sunday morning — Congress has fallen short of tackling the issue in time. Earlier this year, the House passed legislation that would allow states to voluntarily observe daylight saving time year-round. But progress on the legislation has ground to a halt in the Senate, even though it’s a popular issue with voters and Trump. BATTLE OVER DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ERUPTS AS PUSH TO STOP CHANGING CLOCKS HITS SENATE WALL But it’s not for lack of trying. Trump has routinely pressured the upper chamber to pass the bill and re-upped that call earlier this week in the midst of traveling across the country to rally in key states and safe red bastions to urge voters to keep Republicans in power. “The United States Senate is letting the daylight saving bill die when a vast Majority of the Country want it,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Most people are demanding light in the evening, but ALL want not to change their clocks anymore. TAKE A VOTE!” Trump wants the Senate to pass, or at least take a vote on, the Sunshine Protection Act, but it’s facing heavy headwinds from a broad swathe of lawmakers in the upper chamber on both sides of the aisle. TRUMP FACES REPUBLICAN REBELLION OVER DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME AS SENATE BILL NEARS DEAD END His pressure campaign got to the point that he shared the cellphone number of one of his top allies, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., one of the more vocal opponents of the bill, urging supporters to call the lawmaker and demand he work on passing the bill. “No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Saving Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter,” Cotton said in response. “Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.” The House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act along bipartisan lines in July. Majorities of Democrats and Republicans voted in favor of the bill, which passed 307 to 117. Just 22 Republicans and 95 Democrats opposed it. But it’s one of several pieces of legislation that House lawmakers complain has fallen by the wayside in the upper chamber. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., pressed the Senate to take up that bill in comments to Fox News Digital in early October. TIME ENOUGH AT LAST: WHAT’S NEXT AFTER THE HOUSE PASSES BILL TO DO AWAY WITH DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME? Scalise told Fox News Digital, “There’s no reason Americans should lose an hour of sunlight at the end of the day when more daylight means more time with our families, more activity for our businesses and safer communities.” “President Trump has been pushing to make daylight saving time permanent, and House Republicans delivered by overwhelmingly passing the Sunshine Protection Act. It’s a commonsense change and the Senate should take it up,” Scalise said. And when the Senate returns after the election, lawmakers will have a densely packed schedule crammed with leftover legislation. With floor time being the top commodity in the upper chamber, squeezing the Sunshine Protection Act onto the floor may be a challenge, even without the resistance it already faces. “The president feels strongly on it like he does a lot of issues,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters earlier this month. “It’s something we’re having conversations about, but there’s no clear path forward or consensus on it yet.”
Everything to know about House and Senate control, ballot measures and 2026 Election Day poll closing
In two days, Americans voting in the midterm elections will decide control of the U.S. House and Senate for the next two years. Republicans are defending their slim congressional majorities, but President Donald Trump predicts the GOP will hold the House and Senate. “If you elect a Republican House and a Republican Senate on Nov. 3, we will continue to put America first every single day,” the president pledged on the campaign trail last week. And he claimed if the Democrats take control, “this country will go to hell.” CHECK OUT THE FINAL FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS Republicans are fighting political history, as the party in power in Washington has traditionally lost seats during midterm election years. The GOP also faces a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation tied in part to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s increasingly negative approval ratings. Also up for grabs in this year’s midterm elections — governorships in 36 of the 50 states (as well as the territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Plus, all but four states are holding legislative elections. And voters will also weigh in on 145 statewide ballot measures in states from coast to coast. Here’s a closer look at what’s up for grabs on Election Day 2026. Republicans currently control the chamber 53-47, with the final Fox News Power Rankings ahead of Election Day rating the race for Senate control a toss-up. Both parties are three seats short of a majority, according to the forecast. Democrats are favored in 48 seats and Republicans are ahead in 47. The GOP needs to hold 50 seats to retain control of the chamber, since Republican Vice President JD Vance is the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. WHO’S UP AND DOWN IN THE FINAL FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION POLLS If Democrats ride a blue wave to victory by winning most or all of the competitive races, they could potentially come away from the midterms with up to 54 seats. But if Republicans have a good night and defy expectations, the GOP could hold the majority with up to 52 seats, according to the forecast. Republicans are playing defense in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, South Carolina and Texas, which are all rated toss-ups in the Power Rankings. They’re also defending seats in competitive races in Kansas, which is rated Lean Republican, and Ohio, which is rated Lean Democrat. Democrats are on defense in Michigan, which is rated a toss-up, and in Minnesota and New Hampshire, which are listed as Lean Democrat. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The GOP is hanging on to a razor-thin majority in the House, and the Power Rankings point to the Democrats retaking control of the chamber. A good night for the Democrats could see them ending up with as many as 240 seats in the 435-seat chamber. But if Republicans have a good night, they could end up with 212 seats. That’s six short of a majority, but enough to make life difficult for the next Democratic House speaker, who would have to balance the demands of the moderate and far-left wings of the party. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The earliest-closing districts on election night will give some sense of the House’s future. “Keep an eye on Kentucky’s 6th District, which covers Lexington and a large central area of the state. Trump won here by 15 points in the last presidential election. Thanks to a combination of left-leaning college voters and farmers grappling with higher costs, it looks close this cycle,” Remy Numa, a Fox News contributor who steers the network’s Power Rankings, said. There are currently 26 Republican and 24 Democratic governors. The Power Rankings list three states where the GOP controls the governor’s office – Alaska, Nevada and Georgia – as toss-ups. Wisconsin, which has an open Democratic-controlled governor’s office, is also rated a toss-up. The gubernatorial races in red states Florida, Kansas and Texas are rated Lean Republican, according to the Power Rankings. DEMOCRACY 2026: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Five other races are also seen as competitive and rated Lean Democrat. They are Arizona, Michigan and Oregon, where Democrats are playing defense, and Iowa and Ohio, where the GOP is defending open governor’s offices. Referendums requiring voters to present identification when they show up at the polls, or bans on noncitizen voting, are on the ballot in 11 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota and West Virginia. Voters in Alaska will also decide if they want to repeal the state’s ranked choice voting system, open primaries and a campaign finance disclosure rule. Voters approved the current system in 2020 and narrowly kept it in 2024. But the voting system has come under fresh scrutiny amid the controversy over a potential spoiler candidate in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race. Voters in Virginia will decide whether the right to vote should be restored to convicted felons upon their release. California’s Proposition 40 is making national headlines. The measure, the first of its kind, would slap a one-time 5% tax on wealth for Californians worth over $1 billion, with the vast majority of the revenue generated going to pay for healthcare. Also in the spotlight is a millionaires’ tax in Washington state. If passed, the referendum would repeal a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million a year, which state lawmakers recently approved. Washington state currently does not have a personal income tax. Voters in Maryland, Missouri and Colorado weigh in on ballot measures on congressional redistricting, as the mid-decade redistricting fight between Democrats and Republicans will be waged again in 2028. Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington state have referendums on transgender students’ participation in sports. Colorado also has a referendum on blocking gender transition surgeries for minors and preventing state or federal funding from being used for those operations. Voters in Missouri weigh in on repealing a right to
Fox News Power Rankings: Kansas moves to Toss-up, Nebraska moves to Lean R
Updated Nov. 1: We’re updating this forecast to move Kansas from Lean R to Toss-up, and Nebraska from Likely R to Lean R. Kansas is a conservative stronghold, but Republicans are spending too much time and money relative to other states to conclude that Sen. Roger Marshall has an edge over Democrat Adam Hamilton. The odds remain in Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts’ favor in Nebraska. A larger-than-expected swing against the GOP could open the door for independent Dan Osborn to pull off an upset. We still consider Senate control a toss-up. Seven states are most likely to decide the majority. On a good night for the Democrats, their ceiling rises to 55 seats. A good night for the Republicans could see them retain control with up to 52 seats. TRUMP-BACKED SENATOR ADMITS GOP FACES NIGHTMARE SCENARIO IN STATE REPUBLICANS HAVEN’T LOST IN 90 YEARS — It seems like there are two electorates in these midterms. SCHOEN, COOPERMAN: DEMOCRATS COULD BE RIDING A MIDTERM WAVE. THESE NUMBERS SHOULD TERRIFY THE GOP The first is frustrated with President Donald Trump and ready to reject Republicans. It includes growing numbers of independent, rural and Hispanic voters who say they’ll vote for a Democrat. That’s what the latest round of House polling shows, including a survey last week that had Democrats up 11 points on the generic ballot, and Fox’s most recent national poll. The second electorate is wavering on Republicans but won’t necessarily hand Democrats the Senate. These are the voters in the Midwest and a few other places. They say they prefer the Democrat or Republican in their states by a point or two at most. That’s the right conclusion from most of the battleground Senate polling. How could both things be true? In other words, if Democrats have such a wide lead in the House, won’t the Senate fall too? Both are true, and a big lead in the House doesn’t necessarily translate to the Senate. These voters are all in the same electorate, and they only seem divorced from each other because the House and Senate maps are so far apart this year. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: FOR THE DEMOCRATS, WHERE COULD IT POSSIBLY GO WRONG? The president’s declining approval rating and Democratic advantages on the issues will likely deliver them the House, and possibly by many seats. Those advantages have also allowed the blue team to play in a lot of Senate races that Republicans thought were unreachable, but only to the point of making them battlegrounds. GOP SENATE MAJORITY FACES FRESH UNCERTAINTY AS 2 KEY RACES TIGHTEN DAYS BEFORE MIDTERMS The road to a Senate majority goes through several states that Trump won by 11 points or more. Democrats can win any of these races. If Republicans turn out and stay loyal to their party, the climb for the left will be steep. That’s why the Senate is a toss-up. Voters could give Democrats a majority, and maybe with several seats to spare. They could also let the Republicans keep control. We’ll find out next week. In his 11-year political career, Trump has triumphed over almost all the threats to his power. The exception was the coronavirus pandemic, which was the top issue for voters in the 2020 election and ushered in the Biden presidency. It was also one of the few threats that Trump has faced from abroad. This time, Trump and the Republicans face a new foreign opponent: Iran. The administration’s decision to start joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes against the nation in February has cast a shadow over the GOP. First, it has impacted Trump’s approval rating, which will decide the fate of many congressional Republicans and has fallen since the war began. It was 44% in the last pre-war survey and sits at 36% now. The war has also given Democrats advantages on the top issues. In Fox’s October survey, Iran played a role in four issues that more than two-thirds of voters said they were concerned about: inflation (85%), gas prices (83%), government leadership (79%), and the war in Iran itself (75%). Most voters said they preferred the Democrats to handle those issues: 16 points on inflation, 12 points on gas prices, 11 points on leadership, and 9 points on foreign policy. Still, voters are not convinced that the Senate should change hands. That comes down to the territory. Trump won seven of the 11 battleground states in 2024, and seven of them by double digits. That includes Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. Democrats don’t need to win all of those states to take the Senate, but it’s hard to see how they get to 51 seats without at least two of them. While former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown leads in Ohio, the other states are close. Turnout, a polling error in either direction or both could decide them. There are also a lot of undecided voters. In Alaska, Iowa and Kansas, three states with recent high-quality polling, an average of 10% of voters say they haven’t decided who they will support or won’t support the major candidates. Any guess on how those voters will break at the ballot box is only a guess. All we know from prior results is that the overall electorate leans conservative, so the Democrats have the tougher assignment to bring them over to their side (or keep them at home). There are far fewer undecided voters in Texas, where last week’s Fox News Poll showed a tied race at 49%-49%. If Democrats only win two Trump-won battlegrounds, they’ll need to win three other races where former Vice President Kamala Harris delivered single-digit victories in 2024: Maine, Minnesota and New Hampshire. Democrats are ahead in the latter two. Maine could go either way. While Democrats win its presidential races, it could just as easily be considered a Republican state when Susan Collins is on the ballot. Both parties are short of a majority in this forecast. Democrats are favored in 48 seats and Republicans
Veteran electrician who raised six kids says AI boom opens path to six-figure jobs
ASHBURN, Va. — Young Americans could be earning six-figure salaries without taking on college debt as the artificial intelligence boom fuels demand for skilled electricians, according to a veteran tradesman who says he has never struggled to find work in his 26-year career. Andrew Miller, who raised six children while working in the trades, said the rapid expansion of data centers is creating lucrative opportunities for young workers seeking financial independence without a traditional four-year college degree. “You don’t have the debt that you incur in college,” Miller told Fox News Digital inside one of Northern Virginia’s largest data centers. He also explained the one of the reasons why Northern Virginia is one of the wealthiest enclaves in the U.S. is “directly linked to data centers and data center development.” Miller claimed areas that reject the data center boom — like California — are seeing wealth leave the state. AMERICA’S NEW BLUE-COLLAR JOB BOOM IS ONE NOBODY SAW COMING — AND IT’S JUST GETTING STARTED Miller said thanks to the explosion in the industry, electricians can earn six-figure salaries after completing their training, noting: “That is life changing to a 22, 23 year old individual.” “They cannot produce enough electricians fast enough,” he said. “I have never been without work in all my career even through recessions.” While Miller acknowledged that the federal government’s presence in Northern Virginia has historically helped sustain employment, he said the rapid expansion of data centers is expected to create even greater demand. “Now with data centers expanding it’s going to just increase the demand for our trade,” he said. Northern Virginia has earned the nickname “Data Center Alley” for its massive concentration of data centers, with Loudoun County at the heart of the nation’s rapidly expanding AI infrastructure. As of March 2026, more than 230 data centers had been built or were under construction in the county, with another 116 projects in the pipeline. INSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIVING ON THE EDGE OF AMERICA’S TECH FRONTIER Bill McGraw of electrical contractor J.E. Richards said apprenticeship programs offer an alternative to traditional college degrees, allowing participants to receive classroom instruction while gaining paid, hands-on experience. McGraw said apprentices accepted into a program through International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26 can start at approximately $27 to $28 an hour, even without previous experience. At the journeyman level, McGraw cited wages of approximately $62 an hour, equivalent to nearly $129,000 annually based on a 40-hour workweek year-round, before overtime. Don Slaiman said Local 26’s hiring hall has grown from fewer than 9,000 workers to more than 17,500 amid Northern Virginia’s data center boom. IT TOOK 3 MONTHS TO GET INSIDE THIS MASSIVE TEXAS DATA CENTER — HERE’S WHAT WE SAW The demand extends beyond construction, with electricians needed for ongoing maintenance, equipment upgrades and infrastructure improvements. “There’s always continuous work there,” McGraw said. The economic benefits also reach surrounding communities. Miller said a single data center construction project can employ as many as 2,000 craft workers, generating business for local restaurants, housing providers and other services. “Those craft workers are gonna need a place to eat, sleep. They’re gonna live in the community,” Miller said. With artificial intelligence accelerating demand for new facilities, Slaiman said the growing industry offers workers a path to financial stability and opportunities to support their families. “We’re going to need more data centers and we’re going to build them and we are going to give great careers to folks,” Slaiman said, adding that those jobs can help workers “raise a family and live the American dream.”
A look inside the Somali mall where Omar reappeared after DC raid raises more failed assimilation concerns
MINNEAPOLIS — The day after Rep. Ilhan Omar’s first public appearance since the raid on her home, Fox News Digital was given a tour of the mall where she reemerged in her home state. The footage provides a glimpse inside an enclave within America that is dominated by Somalis and Somali culture, and gives a peak into the community that Omar represents in the U.S. House of Representatives. The mall isn’t just a place for people to buy clothing, food and receive services, but is a “community hub” of mostly women entrepreneurs, as described by a female shop owner. “We’re here today at Karmel Mall with brother Basim, to kind of browse through this amazing community corridor that is full of amazing women,” she told Fox News Digital, referring to the Karmel Mall of Somalia’s owner, Basim Sabri, who provided the tour. ‘RADICAL LEFT LUNATIC’ JUDGE TRUMP WANTED IMPEACHED TAKES UP ILHAN OMAR WARRANT FIGHT Sabri, a Gaza-born immigrant, came to the United States to study in Minneapolis. During that time, he became a real-estate investor and steadily grew his business. Now, he owns a vast real estate empire, which includes the mall and several apartment complexes in the area that house Somalis. He has political ties at all levels of local and state politics, and is friends with Omar. He also knew the Somali-born congresswoman’s father. Fox News Digital interviewed him separately, days before the official tour of the mall. For most inside, English is the mall’s second language. It’s packed with stores offering electronic SIM cards to call overseas, foreign money exchanges and travel agencies arranging trips to the Middle East and East Africa. Vendors also sell gold, fragrances and traditional Somali fashion items, mostly for women. There are Somali barber shops, cafes, traditional Somali food vendors and henna tattoo shops. Sabri gave conflicting figures on the exact number of stores, once saying 900, and later 750. SOMALIS IN MINNESOTA UNLEASH FURY ON TRUMP AFTER FEDS RAID ILHAN OMAR’S DC HOME It sports a food court with a giant Somali flag painted on the ceiling, as well as Somali, Palestinian and American flags hanging from the walls. Many politicians use that space for press conferences, Sabri explained. It’s also where Omar ate lunch with friends, supporters and state Attorney General Keith Ellison during Fox News Digital’s foray into the mall when the lawmaker reemerged after casting an early ballot in her own re-election. Karmel Mall also has an Islamic weekend school for children, where they’re taught the Quran and engage in recreational activities. While the mall isn’t strictly for Somalis, few outside the Somali community were present when Fox News Digital toured. Fox News Digital was initially bucked by security upon attempting to enter and film inside the mall without Sabri’s permission. The owner banned Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey from the premises in February 2024 after he vetoed an Israel-Gaza ceasefire resolution passed by the City Council. OMAR’S MIDTERM RIVAL EXPOSES ‘VICIOUS’ SOMALI GANGS AMID IMMIGRATION PROBE INTO EMBATTLED REP “It is kind of an incubator setting where many businesses start in here, and then many succeed and grow and move somewhere else, to a bigger space,” Sabri explained to Fox News Digital. He claims that the mall is a space where Somalis learn to integrate into the community. “You can see [the] Somalis not only integrating in the community, but also prospering,” he said. “Somalis are very smart business individuals.” But the mall’s very name — the Karmel Mall of Somalia — along with the overwhelmingly Somali culture inside, raise questions about whether the group is actually assimilating into American society. WORKING-CLASS AMERICANS SAY THEIR TOWN IS THE NEXT DEARBORN — AND THEY’VE HAD ENOUGH Steven Camerota is the director for research at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). He pointed Fox News Digital to a CIS report published in December of last year that describes Somalis as a “struggling group.” The report shows that more than half of children who live in the homes of Somali-born immigrants in Minnesota live in poverty, compared to only 8% of children living in homes of native-born Minnesotans. Among Somali-born immigrants who have lived in the United States for more than a decade, half cannot speak English “very well.” The report says that 89% of Somali households receive some form of welfare, and 39% don’t have high school diplomas, compared to only 8% of the native population. Camerota argued that across America, assimilation among various foreign-born groups, including Somalis, has dropped, though today’s immigration numbers are about the same as they were during America’s first great wave of immigration. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigrations from across the world flooded the United States. During that time, immigrants comprised about 15% of America’s population, on par with today’s numbers. After World War I, restrictive immigration policies that lasted until the 1960s took effect. In more recent history, immigration has ramped up to the tune of one million legal immigrants per year entering the United States, Camerota said. MINNESOTA SENATE HOPEFUL WARNS THREAT LEVEL RISING AMID RASH OF SOMALI GANG CRIME, TERROR PLOT “So, there are three big things about modern immigration that you can argue greatly hinder assimilation, and it has much less to do with the immigrants, and a lot more to do with just modern conditions,” he told Fox News Digital. “The first is technology. You can fly home and visit home for the holidays if you want. In a way that just wouldn’t have been possible in 1900, and in terms of costs.” Camerota noted that the internet allows people access to constant news from home, and the constant ability to stay connected with family and friends via phone and video calls. “So this technology, travel and communications is fundamentally different today than in the past. And that likely means that the connection with the home country doesn’t become as attenuated as quickly as it would have,” he said. The attitudes of those
Midterm voters reveal what’s driving them to the polls — but what they’re voting against may matter more
With just two days until Americans head to the polls, voters from across the country revealed that their midterm decisions may be driven more by frustration with what they oppose than by support for what they believe in. “The Democrats down the line because Trump is an idiot,” one voter from Colorado said when asked by Fox News Digital how he plans to vote. “I’m a Democratic voter,” Lucy from Washington, D.C., said. “I am sick of the administration. I have been very upset about what’s happening to this city and this area and this country — all the lies.” TRUMP’S NOT ON THE BALLOT BUT SWING STATE VOTERS STILL CAST BALLOTS WITH MAGA IN MIND Despite President Donald Trump not appearing on the midterm ballot, most Democrat voters whom Fox News Digital spoke with cited his administration as their driving factor to vote for Democrats for this year’s congressional slate. “Democrats,” Mark from Utah said about who he is voting for. “Because of corruption, cost of living, democracy. It doesn’t seem like this administration cares about the Constitution. The president’s enriching himself and the rest of the country is getting more poor.” Control of Congress is at stake in the midterms, with Democrats seeking to gain enough seats to challenge Trump’s legislative agenda during the remainder of his presidency. One Democrat voter even acknowledged his agreement with some Republican policies, but noted his opposition to Trump outweighs his right-leaning stances. “I generally vote Democrat,” Jeremy from New York said. He continued, “It’s funny because I agree with a lot of the Republican stances. I just feel like when you get behind someone who’s unfortunately in charge, like the man that is, then this is something I can’t really support.” FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: AS IRAN LOOMS LARGE, CAN THE GOP KEEP THE FAITHFUL? Another voter said he voted for Trump and Republicans in previous elections, but has decided to vote Democrat in the upcoming election because he claims there was a lack of follow-through by the Trump administration. “After six years of Make America Great Again, we’re not great again,” one voter from Virginia said. “So I’m switching.” Opposition wasn’t limited to Democrat voters. The few voters who told Fox News Digital they planned to vote Republican also expressed concerns about the opposing party as major factors in their midterm decisions. “I’m voting Republican,” Yago said. “The reason why is because I do not want to see socialism in this country. Socialism did nothing but destroy everything.” “First off, just social policies,” John from Illinois said about what’s motivating him to vote red. “I think that over the past couple of years, we’ve seen what the Democrats promote, as far as social policies go, and family policy, gender policy, all that stuff. I think particularly abortion, too.” Other voters pointed to specific issues driving their decisions, including immigration enforcement, foreign policy, gun rights and the economy. “My main concern is probably just everything that’s happening with ICE and DHS,” Emily from Texas, who plans to vote Democrat, said. FOX NEWS POLL: MAJORITY SAYS IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAS CROSSED THE LINE Another voter who pledged to support Republicans said his decision “comes down to gun control.” “The Second Amendment protects your First [Amendment],” Nelson from Washington, D.C., said. “When it comes to foreign policy, with helping out Israel and not giving any help to Palestine,” Kamil from Washington said, “That’s what’s driving me to vote for the Democrats instead.” For some Americans, the midterm elections are shaping up to be less about enthusiasm for either political party and more about opposition to the direction they believe the country is heading.
‘Toxic cocktail’ of renter protections destroyed $39M affordable housing investment as Dem cities follow suit
Seattle’s effort to protect renters allegedly helped destroy a $39 million investment meant to provide affordable housing, sending a 254-unit apartment complex that served lower-income residents into receivership. Now, its owners have scored a court victory in a battle that could influence similar fights in Philadelphia and other Democrat-led cities. The Washington Court of Appeals ruled Monday that GRE Downtowner LLC, the company behind Seattle’s 254-unit Addison on Fourth affordable housing development, can proceed with claims that the city’s sweeping rental regulations amounted to an unconstitutional taking of private property. GRE alleges the restrictions, including an ordinance requiring landlords to accommodate certain additional occupants without their consent, sent rent collections plummeting, triggered millions in losses and ultimately made the once-viable affordable housing investment financially unsustainable. The development operated under the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, which offers tax incentives to private investors in exchange for providing rent-restricted apartments to lower-income residents. Sean Flynn, executive director of the Rental Housing Association of Washington, explained that while such developments typically generate relatively modest profits, the federal tax credits make them financially attractive to investors, helping bring private money into affordable housing projects that might otherwise struggle to get built. Flynn, who is working with GRE Downtowner in its case against the City of Seattle, told Fox News Digital that the city’s successive ordinances targeting landlords ultimately created a “toxic cocktail of legislation” that took a functioning affordable housing property and “destroyed it.” PROPERTY OWNER ADVOCACY GROUPS PUSH BACK ON MAMDANI’S ‘RENTAL RIPOFF REPORT,’ PUBLIC DATABASE OF LANDLORDS According to court filings, GRE’s investment initially proved financially viable, with the property generating positive cash flow from 2015 through 2018. But as Seattle enacted a series of ordinances restricting criminal-background checks, expanding tenants’ ability to bring additional occupants into their apartments, limiting certain evictions and requiring relocation assistance following qualifying rent increases, GRE alleges its rent collections collapsed from 93.9% in 2018 to just 44.1% in 2023, contributing to nearly $5.8 million in cumulative operating losses. The financial deterioration ultimately culminated in a federal judge appointing a receiver in January 2026 to take control of the property following a mortgage default. “The policies they’re passing are detrimental to the folks they’re actually trying to help,” Flynn warned, arguing that excessive restrictions on landlords ultimately hurt renters by discouraging housing investment. “No one will invest to build more housing if they believe that the government can come in and effectuate a taking – to take the property out from under them – and they have no legal recourse.” OREGON DEMOCRATS PROPOSE ‘RIGHT TO REST ACT’ DECRIMINALIZING PUBLIC CAMPING AS HOMELESS CRISIS SURGES “What this decision says is, ‘Government, you can regulate, you can regulate to your heart’s content,’” Flynn added. “But if your regulations amount to the point of which you take my real property, I’m allowed to sue you for it.” Ilya Somin, a George Mason University law professor specializing in constitutional law and property rights, told Fox News Digital that the ruling is more consequential than a routine procedural decision but cautioned against overstating its broader impact. “This is only moderately significant, but it’s more significant than just a routine legal decision that only affects the people immediately involved,” Somin said, explaining that courts in other states could consider the Washington ruling when weighing similar constitutional challenges. He also said the case could theoretically go to the U.S. Supreme Court, but said that was fairly unlikely. Seattle is hardly alone in imposing sweeping restrictions on landlords. San Francisco has long enforced rent controls and limits on evictions, and New York City expanded eviction protections in 2024 under the state’s Good Cause Eviction law, limiting landlords’ ability to remove certain tenants or refuse lease renewals while allowing renters to challenge excessive rent increases. Portland, Oregon, limits landlords’ use of criminal histories when screening prospective tenants and requires relocation payments following certain rent increases of 10% or more. Philadelphia has also adopted restrictions involving criminal-history screening. These policies reflect a broader push to strengthen renters’ rights in major Democrat-led cities, even as property owners raise concerns about the consequences of increasingly restrictive housing regulations. OBAMA-ERA MANDATE SLASHED AFTER BEING BLAMED FOR ‘SKYROCKETING’ HOUSING COSTS Flynn warned that the consequences of Seattle’s housing policies extend well beyond Addison on Fourth, arguing that mounting restrictions have driven developers and smaller landlords away from Seattle — a city once bustling with residential construction. “Once upon a time in Seattle, you could stand from my office and you could see crane after crane after crane building housing,” Flynn said. “They’re gone, and they’re not coming back.” Flynn argued that the resulting decline in investment ultimately hurts ordinary renters, leaving them with fewer housing options and higher costs. “When you take the investment incentive out of providing a product, you get worse products at a higher cost,” he said. “Investors listen and they vote with their feet. And as a result, there’s less housing and the housing that is available is of lesser quality.” NYC RENT BOARD DISSENTER WARNS MAMDANI-BACKED FREEZE COULD HURT AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVER TIME: ‘SLOW BURN’ GRE’s lawsuit seeks compensation under a legal principle known as inverse condemnation, which allows property owners to pursue payment when they believe government actions have effectively taken or damaged their property without providing just compensation. GRE argues that Seattle’s ordinances, individually and collectively, went so far in restricting its property rights that the city should be held financially responsible for the resulting losses. The Seattle City Attorney’s Office told Fox News Digital that officials are reviewing the appellate ruling and weighing their next steps. “We haven’t made a decision on an appeal yet,” chief of staff Dan Nolte said in an email Thursday. “I believe the plaintiffs in this case deserve to win at least on that roommate provision,” Somin told Fox News Digital, referring to Seattle’s restrictions on landlords’ ability to exclude certain additional occupants from rental properties. Somin pointed to the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Cedar
How House Democrats’ ‘deterrence message’ on Trump jobs could backfire
Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s warning to young Americans not to join the Trump administration could backfire by handing Trump officials legal ammunition to derail the investigations Democrats hope to launch if they retake Congress, a former federal prosecutor warned. The freshman Michigan Democrat said last month that she wants her party to pursue “signature cases” against officials who helped Trump, reasoning that it would discourage young Americans from considering jobs in his administration. “I want that deterrence message sent,” Slotkin said during an Oct. 13 event at the University of Chicago, describing how young graduates might fear “buying myself a ton of problems” by joining the administration. But Abhishek Kambli, a former deputy associate attorney general in Trump’s Justice Department, said Slotkin’s remarks could backfire if Democrats retake either chamber of Congress in the midterm elections and gain greater control over congressional investigations. “If they just throw in boilerplate language that this is for legislative purpose, anyone challenging those subpoenas will have that entire record to demonstrate that it’s anything but that,” Kambli, a partner at Holtzman Vogel, told Fox News Digital. HOUSE DEMS PLOT TRUMP INVESTIGATION BLITZ IF THEY SEIZE MAJORITY While Congress has broad authority to conduct investigations, subpoena witnesses and review government operations, the Supreme Court has ruled that lawmakers cannot use those powers solely to punish individuals. The Supreme Court confronted those limits in 2020, when House Democrats attempted to obtain Trump’s personal financial records through congressional subpoenas. In Trump v. Mazars, the justices established a four-factor test requiring courts to examine whether Congress demonstrated a legitimate legislative need for the records, whether its requests were sufficiently narrow, whether the information could be obtained elsewhere and what burden the subpoenas would impose on the president. The court sent the dispute back to lower courts without ruling that the subpoenas satisfied those standards, leaving unresolved questions about how the framework would be applied. “So it’s not enough just to tack on a legislative purpose,” Kambli said, arguing that courts must look beyond Congress’ stated reasons for an investigation to determine whether its demands are constitutionally justified. Democrats’ public remarks could become evidence against them if future subpoenas are challenged, according to Kambli. SLOTKIN WANTS GOP PROSECUTIONS TO DETER YOUNG PEOPLE FROM TRUMP ADMINISTRATION JOBS “They don’t have to bury their head in the sand,” Kambli said of the courts. “I think they have to look at the facts of the case and look at it in terms of how they fits into the broader comments that they made.” House Democrats are already laying the groundwork for investigations into Trump’s family business dealings and potential conflicts of interest if they regain control of Congress. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has also vowed to expand his investigation into donors funding Trump’s White House ballroom if Democrats retake the Senate, But another constitutional law expert questioned whether Democrats’ remarks would carry enough legal weight to undermine future congressional investigations. Michael Morley, a professor at Florida State University College of Law, said courts generally recognize that politicians bring partisan motivations to congressional investigations and would be reluctant to invalidate subpoenas merely because of provocative public remarks. “I don’t think that the fact that there might be partisan motivations for a congressional investigation would ultimately be a valid basis for refusing to comply with a subpoena,” Morley told Fox News Digital. “At the end of the day, a court is going to be very reluctant to conclude, based on one or more members’ possible subjective motivations, that Congress lacks constitutional authority to investigate,” Morley said. SLOTKIN’S VIRAL ‘THREAT’ TO CONSERVATIVES TAKES NEW TWIST AS STUDENT MOVES TO HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE: ‘SHOCKING’ He also emphasized that Trump v. Mazars focused specifically on subpoenas for the president’s personal records, arguing that applying the same heightened legal standards to subpoenas targeting other administration officials would be a stretch. But Morley said Slotkin’s language could give judges pause when the legal basis for a subpoena is already uncertain. “It’s bad atmospherics,” he said, adding that such statements could make courts “marginally less likely” to resolve doubts in Democrats’ favor. Slotkin has rejected accusations that she wants to target Americans merely for working for Republicans. She told CNN that she was talking about officials who break the law or misuse taxpayer dollars, calling the criticism “manufactured outrage.” But Kambli warned the consequences could extend beyond whether Democratic subpoenas survive legal challenges, saying that investigations could inflict financial and reputational damage even without criminal charges. “There is the idea that the process is the punishment, and there is no doubt that some members of Congress intend to use the process to bankrupt people that can’t afford legal representation,” Kambli said. He also said that while Trump’s Justice Department would be unlikely to prosecute administration officials over criminal contempt referrals from a Democratic-controlled Congress, that could change under a future Democratic administration. Morley also criticized the prospect of intimidating young government employees who may lack the resources to defend themselves. “That’s just not how we want our political disputes to be handled,” Morley said.
Veteran Dem operative says subpar GOP candidates poised to hand over Senate majority
A top Democratic operative warned that poor campaigns and candidate choice from Republicans are opening the door for Democrats to seize control of the Senate during an interview with Fox News Digital. Dan Turrentine, who served as chief of staff to current Colorado Gov. Jared Polis when he was a member of Congress, said several close Senate races seem to be trending Democrat in the leadup to Tuesday’s election. “Five days out, Democrats have a pretty good chance to retake the Senate,” Turrentine said. He cited several races, including North Carolina, where incumbent Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is retiring. That seat, which has long been red, seems poised to flip as polls show former Gov. Roy Cooper holds a commanding lead over former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley. SENATE CONTROL IS A COIN FLIP — AND DEMOCRATS’ PATH RUNS THROUGH TRUMP COUNTRY Republicans, who are widely projected to lose their slim House majority, currently hold a 53-47 lead in the Senate. In addition to North Carolina, a number of surprisingly close Senate races in both swing states like Ohio and Michigan, and in typically deep red states such as Texas, Kansas and Missouri, have Democrats like Turrentine hopeful they can gain full control of Congress on Tuesday. While crediting smart campaigning from Democrats, Turrentine also pinned Republican shortcomings on what he called poor candidate quality. He cited Ken Paxton in Texas, Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, Roger Marshall in Kansas and Darlene Graham Nordone, who is running to take the seat of her late brother, former Sen. Lindsey Graham. GOP SENATE MAJORITY FACES FRESH UNCERTAINTY AS 2 KEY RACES TIGHTEN DAYS BEFORE MIDTERMS “If Republicans lose the Senate, it’s likely one of those four loses,” said Turrentine, who hosts “The Huddle” podcast with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. “While the president’s standing is part of the problem, that last mile comes down to weak candidate quality.” FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: SOUTH CAROLINA MOVES TO TOSS-UP But while Democrats are performing well in polls, Turrentine acknowledged that previous surveys have overstated support for his party. “Campaigns are terrified about polling,” he said, adding that “reaching voters is harder than ever; people don’t have landlines and routinely ignore unknown numbers.” THE SILENT MAJORITY PROBLEM AND WHY CAMPAIGN POLLSTERS KEEP ‘FIGHTING THE LAST WAR’ ON ELECTIONS “We’ve had consecutive change elections — 2016, 2022, 2024 — where polling struggled to capture late-breaking dynamics. Will frustrated Trump voters stay home, or will early Democratic surges in Texas just reflect high-propensity voters banking votes early rather than expanding the electorate? Nobody knows, and people have a knot in their stomach about Tuesday,” he said. Turrentine was a even more confident in a Democratic takeover of the Senate before this week’s bombshell New York Times report alleging that Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola helped recruit a man named Daniel J. Sullivan to run against incumbent Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan, R-Alaska, to ostensibly confuse voters into accidentally choosing Daniel J. Sullivan over the incumbent senator. MARY PELTOLA’S CAMPAIGN, DEMS BACKED COVERT SCHEME TO FIELD SPOILER CANDIDATES IN ALASKA SENATE RACE: REPORT Peltola has denied any involvement in the former Sullivan’s campaign. “Peltola has led almost every single poll until yesterday. Like so many of these states, Democrats win on disgruntled Republicans. It wouldn’t take much for those voters to say they can’t stomach the Democrat,” said Turrentine, adding that the Frontier State may now be a tossup. If Alaska’s Senate seat slips from the Democrats’ grip, a majority could come down to the Democrats winning Ohio, Texas and one of Michigan, Maine, Kansas or Mississippi, Turrentine said. “In Maine, we’ve spent entire careers thinking we’re going to defeat [GOP incumbent] Susan Collins. It feels slightly different this time, but it also doesn’t; she’s within a point or two. No Democrat wants the majority coming down to Maine or Alaska,” he added. Collins trails Graham Platner replacement Troy Jackson 49-45, according to a recent CNN poll. If the Democrats do take the Senate, Turrentine suggested, they will have to contend with the rising tide of socialism and an increasingly popular far-left wing within the party. “This tension between who will be what I’ll call the majority makers and the base that feels like… both feel like, ‘You need me,’ right? A moderate can’t win if the base doesn’t turn out,” Turrentine added. He relayed party criticisms of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is poised to become speaker should the Democrats wrest control of the lower chamber from the GOP. “Nobody knows where Hakeem Jeffries comes down. And no one knows who Hakeem Jeffries is,” Turrentine said. “Pelosi had the trust of both wings; Hakeem Jeffries still faces questions from both sides about where he stands, all while [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer watches for a primary challenge from his left,” he added.