Iowa Dem Senate candidate says he’s too busy campaigning to attend all state House votes
Democratic Iowa State Rep. Josh Turek defended his attendance record after being called out by his opponent, Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, during a Tuesday night debate for the state’s open Senate seat. Hinson remarked on Turek’s absences while responding to a question posed to both candidates about Iowa’s rising cancer rates. “You have to show up to vote for things like pediatric cancer research, and I’ve invested in legislation to make sure that we’re redirecting those resources to get to where it needs to go to help get to the bottom of this cancer crisis,” Hinson said. As Fox News Digital first uncovered, Turek missed 261 votes in Iowa’s state legislature from Jan. 12, 2026, through May 3, representing nearly 58% of the total votes during that time. The debate’s moderator asked Turek directly why he missed the votes. DEM SENATE HOPEFUL RIPPED AS ‘ABSENTEE LEGISLATOR’ AFTER MISSING NEARLY 60% OF VOTES “I have gone out there, and I have met with Iowans all over the state, all 99 counties, hundreds of public forums,” Turek responded. FOX NEWS POLL: TUREK, HINSON IN CLOSE IOWA SENATE RACE “Meanwhile, Ashley Hinson, since she’s decided to run for U.S. Senate, has not done one in-person town forum. Also, in my first three years in the legislature, [I had] more than a 90% attendance record,” Turek continued. “I want to ask again, though, why did you miss those votes?” the moderator repeated. MEDIA NARRATIVE PREDICTING BLUE WAVE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE NOT MESHING WITH LOCAL REPUBLICANS: ‘FIRED UP’ “I’m out campaigning. I’m out meeting Iowans all over all 99 counties. I’ve done hundreds of in-person town halls. Meanwhile, Ashley Hinson, since she’s running for the U.S. Senate, has not done a single in-person town hall,” he said. Hinson objected to the notion that she hasn’t done any town halls during the campaign cycle. FOX NEWS POLL: A CLOSE SENATE CONTEST IS BREWING IN IOWA “I’ve done more town halls than the percentage of time he showed up to work this year. 42% of the time is all Rep. Turek showed up to work this year. That’s two out of every five days of work,” Hinson said. “Iowans, if you’re watching tonight, you should know if you don’t show up to work two out of five days, you’re not getting a promotion. You’re getting fired. I am proud of my bipartisan record working with both parties to get things across the finish line. I rank in the top 20% of bipartisan lawmakers in Congress and I have a 99% attendance record even while running a statewide campaign,” she concluded. OBAMA ENDORSES DEMOCRATIC IOWA STATE REP RUNNING FOR US SENATE AGAINST TRUMP-BACKED HOUSE REPUBLICAN Turek, before the moderator moved on, chimed in, adding, “She also missed 193 votes.” A spokesperson for the Hinson campaign clarified to Fox News Digital that the 193 votes Hinson missed accounted for her entire time in Congress, while the 261 votes Turek missed were in the 2026 legislative session alone. IOWA GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE RECOUNTS VIRAL CLASH THAT PUT OBAMA ON THE SPOT AT 2009 TOWN HALL The Hinson campaign also disputed the idea that she hasn’t held any town halls. “Since being elected to Congress, Ashley Hinson has held 47 in-person town halls and more than 30 telephone town halls — speaking directly to Iowans about the issues that matter most to them,” Billy Fuerst, the Hinson campaign communications director, told Fox News Digital. TRUMP-BACKED IOWA US SENATE HOPEFUL SAYS IRAN WAR MUST ‘BE BROUGHT TO A SUCCESSFUL AND IMMEDIATE END’ “Ashley has a 98.8% lifetime voting record while Josh Turek registered a 42% voting record in the State House this year. Ashley missed 16% (94 of 553) of committee amendment votes over the course of her congressional tenure, but has been present for all final passage votes (final passage votes include the amendment language) in her time on the Appropriations Committee — 70 total bills since 2021,” Fuerst concluded. Rep. Turek and his campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital for comment. Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.
Jamaica accepts first flight of third-country deportations from US amid looming Supreme Court battle
Jamaica began receiving third-country deportations from the U.S. this week, with the first flight of migrants arriving on Tuesday. President Donald Trump’s administration has used the third-country policy to deport migrants who claim that their home countries are too dangerous to return to. Tuesday’s flight saw 22 migrants land at Kingston’s Norman Manley International Airport in Jamaica. VENEZUELANS, CUBANS, COLOMBIANS ARRIVE IN AFRICAN NATION UNDER TRUMP DEPORTATION DEAL Jamaican authorities signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. in June to allow transfers to begin. The agreement caps the number of migrants arriving to 25 “per fortnight.” Jamaica’s Ministry of National Security and Peace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade released a joint statement clarifying the new program on Tuesday, according to NBC News. LIBERIA AGREES TO ACCEPT 1,200 THIRD-COUNTRY DEPORTEES FROM US WITHIN A YEAR “The government reiterates that this is a transit arrangement intended to facilitate the return of Third Country Nationals to their country of origin or other receiving countries, with the support of the IOM (International Organization for Migration),” the statement read. “The arrangement will not be funded by the Government of Jamaica,” it continued. “No third-country national with criminal antecedents will be permitted to transit through Jamaica.” FEDERAL APPEALS COURT DEALS BLOW TO TRUMP DEPORTATION AGENDA Third-country deportations have faced heavy attacks from critics of the Trump administration, and the Supreme Court is set to consider the legality of the policy in December. The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration in September to continue its deportations while the question is being litigated. TRUMP PLANS TO DEPORT IRANIANS TO VIOLENCE-PLAGUED CENTRAL AFRICAN NATION IN NEW DEAL Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they would have denied the administration’s request for a stay. The decision gives the administration the immediate relief it sought as it presses ahead with third-country removals, even as the Supreme Court has yet to decide whether the policy remains. The dispute centers on the Trump administration’s efforts to remove illegal aliens to third countries. Lower courts have not categorically prohibited those removals but have required procedures intended to give aliens an opportunity to raise claims that they could face persecution or torture in the destination country.
Foul-mouthed anti-war protesters repeatedly derail Hegseth’s remarks at Army event in DC
Protesters repeatedly interrupted War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s headline appearance at the Army’s biggest annual conference on Wednesday, calling him a “war criminal” and a “coward” in protest of the Iran war. At least five times in the first half hour of a panel, foul-mouthed anti-war protesters shouted at Hegseth, calling him a “f—ing Nazi” among other insults. Hegseth responded with chuckles and sarcastic comments, at first — but his reactions became increasingly short and irritated as he slammed the “semi-coordinated” attack as one-by-one protesters emerged among the crowd in Washington, D.C. PETE HEGSETH HEADS TO CAPITOL HILL TO DEFEND TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS 60-DAY CONGRESSIONAL DEADLINE LOOMS “You’re not a warrior you’re a coward!” one demonstrator shouted at Hegseth. “Children in Gaza are starving! He is a war criminal!” “She thinks highly of me,” the Pentagon chief quipped after one outburst, which led to brief applause from the crowd. The protesters were spread among the room and waited a few minutes between outbursts to interrupt the panel with their anti-war messages. As Hegseth saw a pattern emerging among the outbreaks, he acknowledged: “Appears we have a bit of a tactic.” “The protesters are spouting off slogans, Iran really will never have a nuclear weapon,” he later added. The demonstrators were forcibly removed by security for the event — with at least one woman needing to be carried out of the room by multiple officers while she continued to scream her protest. The panel with Hegseth included acting Army Secretary Adam Telle, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink and assistant Secretary for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Derrick Evans. As the disruptions continued, the speakers stopped pausing amid the din of shouting and tried to talk over the protesters. It’s unclear how the protesters received credentials to attend the event known as AUSA, which brings together Army brass and the defense contractors that service them. EMERGING TECH HAS NEW ARMY LEADERS WARNING TROOPS CAN’T ‘AI’ THEIR WAY TO VICTORY ON THE BATTLEFIELD The panel focused on Project Agincourt, the Pentagon’s initiative to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous weapons and military systems. Hegseth joined senior leadership from the service branches to discuss how the military plans to integrate drones, robotics and other autonomous technologies.
NPR affiliate apologizes for sponsoring anarchist event linked to anti-ICE attackers
An NPR affiliate is apologizing after sponsoring an anarchist book fair that publicly expressed solidarity with defendants prosecuted over a violent attack on a Texas ICE detention facility that left a police officer wounded. New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) acknowledged it “erred” by accepting an invitation to sponsor and host a table at the “New Hampshire Anarchist Book Fair” in Hanover, New Hampshire, saying the decision ran afoul of its standards against involvement in activities that could be viewed as political. “NHPR erred in accepting an invitation to sponsor and host a table at the Anarchist Book Festival in Hanover on Saturday,” the station said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital by NHPR President and CEO Jim Schachter. “Our code of ethics makes clear that we should not compromise the integrity of our journalism by involvement in anything that can be viewed as political.” NPR GETS $80 MILLION GIFT FROM DEMOCRATIC MEGADONOR IN MAJOR BOOST AFTER LOSING GOVERNMENT FUNDING “No one from NHPR’s newsroom was aware of or involved in the decision to participate in this event,” the statement added. “We remain committed to our mission of independent, trustworthy journalism for everyone in New Hampshire, and we are evaluating our internal processes to ensure mistakes like this don’t happen again.” The controversy centers on promotional materials for the event that declared, “Solidarity with the Prairieland Defendants” — a reference to defendants prosecuted in connection with a July 4, 2025, attack on the Prairieland Detention Center, an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas. RUBIO PUTS ENTIRE WORLD ON NOTICE AGAINST RISE OF ‘POISONOUS’ FAR-LEFT TERROR ‘MASKED AS EQUALITY’ Federal prosecutors said members of what they described as a North Texas Antifa cell launched a coordinated attack on the facility, using fireworks and vandalism to draw law enforcement officers outside while armed participants positioned themselves nearby. An Alvarado police officer responding to the scene was shot in the neck. Nine defendants were later convicted of federal offenses stemming from the attack, while seven others pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists, according to the Justice Department. “NHPR didn’t ‘err,’ they got caught,” posted the Carroll County Republicans on X. “There better not be any taxpayer money going to this domestic terrorist allied corporation.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “NHPR promoting Antifa (shocking, I know),” added New Hampshire state Rep. Kristin Noble. Referring to NHPR’s statement that its journalists were not aware of the event, state Rep. Keith Ammon quipped: “Don’t feel bad. I thought it was a fair about cookbooks.”
Dem senator says ‘zero interest in running for president’ in debate with GOP opponent
Incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who has repeatedly shot down the prospect of mounting a 2028 presidential bid, reiterated his position during a Tuesday night Georgia U.S. Senate debate. Atlanta Journal-Constitution chief political reporter Greg Bluestein pressed Ossoff about the issue during the Atlanta Press Club U.S. Senate debate at the Georgia Public Broadcasting studios. “Senator Ossoff, you’ve repeatedly said you won’t run for president in 2028, but your name continues to surface as a potential contender,” Bluestein said, adding, “So will you pledge right now tonight to serve your full six-year term if you win?” “Yes, I will,” Ossoff replied. “I have zero interest in running for president. I’m not running for president. I’m running for re-election to the Senate.” GOP GOVERNOR CANDIDATE SKIPS DEBATE AGAINST FORMER BIDEN ADVISOR, REPLACED BY EMPTY PODIUM The Democrat faces Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., in the Peach State contest, a Republican congressman who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2023. Collins pushed back during the debate, saying Ossoff “is running for president” and will “be your DSA candidate,” apparently referring to the Democratic Socialists of America. EXCLUSIVE: OSSOFF CHALLENGED TO RETURN EPSTEIN-LINKED DONATION OR RETRACT ‘EPSTEIN CLASS’ ATTACK Ossoff has served in the U.S. Senate since early 2021. While President Donald Trump has endorsed Collins, former President Barack Obama is backing Ossoff. REPUBLICAN SOUNDS ALARM ON RISING DEM STAR: ‘THIS GUY’S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM’ The state — which currently has a Republican governor and two Democratic senators — went to Trump in the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections and to Joe Biden in 2020.
Ilhan Omar’s husband insists he has ‘no concerns’ amid federal immigration investigation
Rep. Ilhan Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, insisted he has “no concerns” about federal investigations into the Minnesota Democrat’s immigration paperwork after Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents raided the couple’s Washington, D.C., home. “My wife came here when she was 12 years old as a child war refugee,” Mynett told Fox News Digital. “No concerns.” His comments came the same day that Omar’s relatives were reportedly issued subpoenas, The New York Times reported Tuesday, as part of HSI’s investigation into her immigration paperwork. At least two of Omar’s relatives were subpoenaed — one was confirmed to be Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor. Fox News has also learned that subpoenas have been sent to multiple family members of Omar. The subpoenas were issued one day after federal agents searched their Washington, D.C., residence, as first reported by Fox News Digital, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into her immigration pathway to the United States, two sources familiar with the probe told Fox News Digital. ILHAN OMAR’S EMBATTLED HUSBAND APPEARS AT SCENE OF HSI RAID IN MIDST OF CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATION It was also reported by the New York Post on Tuesday that Omar’s staff helped to get her birth year adjusted from 1981 to 1982 in the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, as well as other sites such as Wikipedia and media outlets. The altered birthdate was published during her entire time serving in Minnesota’s House and for months into her time serving in Congress. She claims that she became a naturalized citizen by obtaining derivative citizenship through her father, Nur Omar Mohamed, when she was 17 years old — five years after leaving Somalia, as a “child war refugee,” according to how Mynett described her to Fox News Digital. Omar continues to deny allegations of immigration fraud amid HSI’s raid of her home. WATCH: ILHAN OMAR DENIES FEDS HAVE CONTACTED HER AFTER BORDER CZAR HOMAN CONFIRMS ‘CRIMINAL’ INVESTIGATION “For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation,” Omar posted to X on Monday. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced on Tuesday that her office is also investigating Omar’s financial disclosures about reporting of her and Mynett’s shared net worth. Scrutiny of Omar’s finances intensified after her 2024 congressional financial disclosure listed business interests associated with Mynett valued between $6 million and $30 million. Omar’s office subsequently said the figures were incorrect and amended the filing. The largest change in the documents was from Mynett’s assets. His reported ownership interests in both his winery and venture capital advisory firm, which were previously valued in the millions of dollars, are listed with no value now. ILHAN OMAR’S OFFICE SAYS SHE’S ‘NOT A MILLIONAIRE’ AFTER $30M FILING REVISED DOWN TO UNDER $100K: REPORT In Omar’s 2024 financial disclosure records, Mynett’s share in his winery was valued between $1 million and $5 million, and his share at the venture capital advisory firm was valued between $5 million and $25 million. Now, his equity interests are both listed at $0. Omar’s office previously told Fox News Digital that Mynett has partners in both businesses and said the earlier disclosure mistakenly reflected the businesses’ total equity rather than his ownership interest. The office also said the original filing listed assets without accounting for liabilities. Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
GOP lawmaker urges Johnson to scrutinize new socialist lawmakers’ ‘access to intelligence’
New York City’s lone Republican in the House of Representatives is raising alarms about the far-left Democrats poised to serve alongside her on Capitol Hill next year. “These people are extreme, they’re radical, they are dangerous, and they really have no business being in the United States House of Representatives,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. “And it scares me that they’re going to have access to intelligence.” New York City was one of the largest fronts in the nationwide civil war that’s gripped the Democratic Party this midterm election cycle. It’s where two members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) scored upset primary victories against establishment-backed candidates — in deep-blue seats that mean they are virtually guaranteed to win their general elections in November. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN WARNS OF ‘DANGEROUS’ SOCIALIST AGENDA AFTER FAR-LEFT PRIMARY WINS Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., in his Upper Manhattan and Bronx-area district, while New York State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez won an open race for the Brooklyn- and Queens-area district represented by retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y. Both Chevalier and Valdez have called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and have called Israel’s war on Gaza a “genocide.” DSA CO-CHAIR MOCKED FOR PROUDLY CONFIRMING SOCIALISTS WANT TO ABOLISH THE SENATE, NATIONAL BORDERS, PRISONS Malliotakis said their support of the DSA platform made both “un-American.” “I think they want to undermine the country. I mean, anybody whose campaign is based on no jails, no cops, no borders, is a real detriment to the country,” she said. “These are the people that are going to have access to intelligence? I think [Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.] really needs to look at that and see if they’re a national security threat.” JOHNSON WARNS COMMUNISM IS ‘ON OUR OWN SHORES’ AFTER FAR-LEFT CANDIDATES WIN NEW YORK PRIMARIES And if Republicans win the House majority in November, she called on Johnson to limit which committees the pair could serve on. “I do have a lot of concern about these members having access to sensitive information and intelligence that if put in the wrong hands, could be a detriment to our national security,” Malliotakis said. DEMOCRATIC INFIGHTING GROWS AS CONGRESSWOMAN EXPOSES ‘DISRESPECTFUL’ WELCOME OF SOCIALISTS INTO ‘BIG TENT’ The sentiment is just a preview of what is likely to be historic division within the House of Representatives next year, no matter who wins the midterms. The DSA has advocated for scrapping the U.S. Constitution in favor of a new system, as well as the abolition of prisons, the Supreme Court and the police. Malliotakis also pointed out that Chevalier once posted online, “I forgot to get napkins, so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.” But next year they are poised to be in the same congressional delegation, and the New York Republican, born to a Greek immigrant father and a Cuban immigrant mother, said she does not know how she could work with them. “They are so extreme, I don’t see where we would find common ground,” Malliotakis said. “I don’t think I could work with somebody who wipes her hands on the American flag because she doesn’t have a napkin.” Chevalier and Valdez’s campaigns did not respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Trump says ‘we are looking into’ other Dan Sullivan on Alaska ballot, warns about governor’s race
President Donald Trump says federal authorities are “looking into” Dan Sullivan, an independent challenger who goes by the same name as the Republican incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, in the Alaska Senate race. Trump made the statement in an interview with Fox News after a campaign rally in Alaska on Tuesday night. He suggested the second Sullivan’s presence in the race was a “hoax” by Democrats to siphon voters away from the Republican candidate. “We are looking, I can’t say federal, but we are looking into it. It’s a disgrace. We have, I call him the real Dan Sullivan, a great senator from Alaska. And in the race, they put somebody named Dan Sullivan who knows nothing about politics. His name happens to be Dan Sullivan. They even wanted to change his middle initial, which was different. They wanted to make it an S so that it could be exactly correct. I think it’s just terrible that they did it,” Trump said. SEEING DOUBLE: SECOND DAN SULLIVAN ADVANCES, SETTING UP BIZARRE ALASKA SENATE BALLOT “And actually, he got two points or something in the primary. The real Dan Sullivan won it, but … It’s a terrible thing. It’s another hoax by the Democrats,” he added. Trump also weighed in on the gubernatorial race in Alaska, where he has endorsed GOP candidate Bernadette Wilson. Other GOP candidates have been hangers-on in the race, despite Wilson winning the primary. Trump called on her Republican competitor, Dave Bronson, to drop out of the race. “He doesn’t have to, but he should, because, frankly, he lost in the primary by substantial numbers to Bernadette. And I’m not involved that much in, you know, Alaska politics, other than I want to see Dan and Nick get in. But she won in the primaries, and the others should have dropped out. So now you have three Republicans running against one Democrat. And I don’t like that. I don’t like those odds very much. But there, she’s great, and maybe she’ll get in, but I thought I had an obligation to endorse her,” Trump said. Trump went on to criticize the Democrat in the race, Mary Peltola, following her criticism that Sullivan had voted in favor of the war in Iran. GOP SENATOR, EX-HOUSE DEM EMERGE FROM ALASKA’S ‘JUNGLE PRIMARY’ DESPITE FAR-LEFT MEDDLING The president argued Americans understand that increased prices at the pump are a “small price to pay” to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “Can you imagine if they attacked our cities, and they attacked places where we are, including right here in Alaska? You would see turmoil far greater. We have a lot of oil flowing right now in the almost strait, we control it. The war is going to be over very, very soon. We’re going to have a big victory very shortly. Very, very shortly, and oil is going to come way, way down. Gasoline is going to come down to where it was before,” Trump said. “I had it down to $1.85 a gallon in some places like Iowa and a lot of places, actually. And I think we’re going to maybe even top those numbers. So you’re going to see it. But most importantly, Iran, the number-one state sponsor of terror, will never have a nuclear weapon. If they had one, you might not be standing here right now,” he added.
New York governor debate heats up as Blakeman, Hochul spar over Trump, sanctuary status, ICE shooting
The New York gubernatorial race heated up Tuesday as Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman clashed on the debate stage, with the pair trading jabs over President Donald Trump, a recent ICE-involved shooting and inflation. The debate opened with the candidates being asked about the conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which last week drew outrage in New York City following the shooting of a 28-year-old Dominican national whom the Department of Homeland Security said refused to comply with lawful orders during a targeted operation in the Bronx. A 5-year-old boy inside Oscar Bergal’s vehicle was unharmed. “Kathy Hochul appealed to ICE to let this criminal out. The question that New Yorkers have to ask is what was this guy doing in New York in the first place? It’s because Kathy Hochul has made us a sanctuary state,” said Blakeman, a Republican. “Think about it. This guy came into the country illegally. He’s been convicted of a crime. He’s got pending charges for dealing drugs, poison to our children. And he’s a gangbanger. This is who Kathy Hochul is defending?” Blakeman continued. “I have a cooperative agreement with ICE until Kathy Hochul said we could no longer cooperate with ICE. We got over 2,000 illegal migrants out of my county with criminal records ranging from rape, attempted murder, robbery, burglary, drug dealing, carjacking, gang activity. And that’s because we cooperated with ICE, and we didn’t raid one school, one hospital, one daycare center or one church. If you cooperate with federal law enforcement, it makes for a safer community. That’s what I did. Kathy Hochul is taking that ability away from us. That’s why things like this happen.” Hochul called Blakeman’s response a “non-answer,” because “he refused to condemn what ICE did.” “So he basically says in the state of New York, he’d be fine if ICE agents shoot into cars, shoot guns into vehicles, not knowing who’s inside and could have killed a 5-year-old child. If that doesn’t shock the conscience of everybody — and it should shock his conscience as well — that he says, that’s OK, that’s how ICE is supposed to do it,” Hochul added. “I’ll tell you what. I oversee over 500 policing agencies in the state of New York, over half a million arrests every year. That’s not how you conduct yourself. ICE is out of control. It’s out of control in Nassau County.” Blakeman pushed back, saying, “it never would have happened” but for Hochul’s “sanctuary policy.” “You have invited criminals to come into our state and prey on our communities. And now you won’t let local law enforcement cooperate with ICE in an orderly way, like we did in my county,” Blakeman added. “We didn’t have any incidents in my county because we were allowed to cooperate with local law enforcement. But you took that tool away. The reason why that happened is because of you, Kathy Hochul, and your immigration policies, where you actually invite people into our state, give them free everything, and you don’t care whether they’re criminals or not. That’s a bad policy.” As part of her rebuttal, Hochul said, “I have a right to answer this one because this is so absurd. I have said, from the president on down, I said, New York is not a sanctuary for criminals, not a sanctuary for criminals. Full stop.” The two candidates also clashed over Trump and the state of the U.S. economy. “He promised to cut energy costs. He promised to cut down grocery costs. And you know what? Everything has happened under your friend, Donald Trump, who you are the president of the fan club for Donald Trump. It’s absurd how adoring you are of him. My gosh,” Hochul told Blakeman. “Well, what he has done is raise gasoline prices and energy prices and the cost of tariffs have driven up everything in the state. If you bought groceries lately, my God, the people are suffering. And that didn’t have to be the case. Why are we at war with the rest of the world?” “You like to talk about Donald Trump all the time, because you don’t want to talk about your record,” Blakeman responded. “I’m talking about my record right now,” Hochul said. “Because it’s a record of misery and failure,” Blakeman continued. “The highest taxes, utility rates that are 70% higher than the national average. But let me say something about Donald Trump. Donald Trump is my friend. He’s endorsed me. But so is Bonnie Lautenberg, a liberal Democrat whose husband, Frank, served in the United States Senate and was a pillar of the Democratic Party. Actor Debra Messing, who is a liberal Democrat who supports me because she trusts me to make safer communities, improve the quality of life here in New York.” “Alright, you got two votes,” Hochul said. “Good for you.”
Bipartisan senators demand Trump scrap Russia diesel deal, call it ‘betrayal’ of US allies
A bipartisan group of senators is urging Donald Trump to scrap his recently announced diesel deal with Russia, warning it could help President Vladimir Putin finance his war against Ukraine and calling the agreement “a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies.” “The Treasury Department’s General License No. 135, which lifts sanctions on Russia’s diesel exports, only provides Putin with more fuel to finance his war machine and enables Russia to continue its brutal attacks on Ukrainian civilians. Granting Moscow the ability to sell Russian diesel freely in global markets damages American security interests and is a betrayal of the people of Ukraine, who continue to defend themselves from Putin’s murderous, illegal war. This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies; it should be rescinded,” the senators asserted in the missive. The letter, which also includes a note of cc to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is signed by GOP Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Alan Stuart Armstrong of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Cornyn of Texas, as well as Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Chris Coons of Delaware. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS BREAK WITH TRUMP ON DIESEL DEAL WITH RUSSIA “We also recognize the urgent need to lower energy costs for American families and address the disruptions caused by the war with Iran. However, allowing Russian-origin diesel into global markets will offer limited to no relief to Americans. It will have a negligible impact on fuel prices, but the revenues the Kremlin will receive from this agreement will undoubtedly finance its desired war of attrition and advance its security cooperation with China, Iran, and North Korea. It will also endanger servicemembers operating overseas in support of Operation Epic Fury,” the senators declared in their message. “Putin is a tyrant. Withdraw from this agreement, rescind General License No. 135, and execute the authorities provided under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. Maintain our legacy – and the duty America holds – as leader of the free world,” they urged. TRUMP RUSSIA DEAL COULD FUEL PUTIN’S WAR, EX-NATO COMMANDER WARNS AS ZELENSKYY SAYS ‘NYET’ When asked during a gaggle on Tuesday whether he had been told that Russia would not utilize diesel money for bombs to use against Ukraine, Trump said no one “told me anything. That’s a diesel deal not for us. That’s being released into the world. That’s not being released to us. That’s a diesel deal that’s gonna be released into the world for the world market, because the world market suffered with high prices,” he said. “But they’re not releasing that to us, they’re releasing it to the entire world.” The senators’ message to the president comes after Trump, in a Truth Social post on Friday, announced, “I have just concluded a highly successful discussion with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, wherein it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter. Additionally, based on the condition of their Diesel Refineries, Russia will then deliver, within a short period of time, 3,000,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel. TRUMP SAYS RUSSIA HAS AGREED TO DELIVER MILLIONS IN DIESEL FUEL AFTER ‘HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL DISCUSSION’ “Between our TOTAL CONTROL of the Strait of Hormuz, and this great announcement on Russian Energy, Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST! Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority. This is a very big and important announcement. Additionally, it must be understood, that Iran will not have a Nuclear Weapon!” the president declared in the post.