Republicans tighten screws on Sherrill as noncitizen voter probe enters new phase
A coalition of House Republicans is escalating its push for answers after lawmakers said New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill failed to address most of their questions about the state’s noncitizen voter-registration scandal and instead directed criticism at President Donald Trump. Republican Study Committee member Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., told Fox News Digital there will be consequences after Sherrill sent a response that he characterized as “snarky” and politicized and said largely sidestepped the lawmakers’ questions. “The response that we got from the governor was almost like she took a political mailer and embossed it upon her official letterhead,” Van Drew said. “As governor of the state of New Jersey, it was beneath her, it was beneath me, and it was unfortunate.” SHERRILL ESCALATES TRUMP FIGHT OVER VOTER FIASCO DAY AFTER MULLIN PRAISES NJ COOPERATION “I state the obvious,” Van Drew said. “If you are an American, you should be voting in an American election. If you’re not an American, you shouldn’t be voting in an American election.” Lawmakers focused their original inquiry on how the registration failure occurred, its potential consequences and how New Jersey would prevent another breakdown. The July 24 letter from dozens of RSC members, led by Van Drew and Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, posed 12 specific questions about the registration failure and its potential impact. Sherrill replied that affected residents have been mailed notifications, but Van Drew said the overall response failed to address Congress’ concerns. “We’re not done with this,” Van Drew pledged. Van Drew said he is planning a hearing as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s Oversight Subcommittee, with expert witnesses expected to testify. Van Drew said he is working with the full committee under Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to get the requested information from Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, the state’s elections chief. ‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’: NJ ILLEGAL VOTING SCANDAL EXPLODES WITH MORE KEY SYSTEMS AT RISK “If there’s a complete lack of cooperation after we build up a case, there is a possibility, it’s not definite,” Van Drew said. “But if they’re not, we do, in my opinion, have to look at subpoenas as well.” Sherrill defended her administration while criticizing Congress, Trump and the Republican-backed SAVE America Act. SHERRILL DROPS HEAD-TURNING VOTER ID DECLARATION IN WAKE OF REGISTRATION FIASCO: ‘SIGNIFICANT SHIFT’ “Washington Republicans … seem much more concerned with using the issue for political gain than they are with protecting our elections,” Sherrill wrote, accusing several signatories of supporting Trump’s efforts to “undermine our election system” and noting that seven had challenged electoral votes after the 2020 election. Sherrill also disputed Republicans’ contention that the SAVE America Act would have prevented the error, writing, “I encourage you to become more familiar with the legislation you have cosponsored.” She also raised privacy and abuse-of-power concerns about proposals to expand the federal government’s role in voter registration, including through a centralized voter registry. Van Drew told Fox that “when you have a motor-voter law, [via which] people basically are automatically registered to vote – First of all, New Jersey is a sanctuary state… Illegal criminals shouldn’t be even in the state. But now we find out that illegals were also obviously having the ability to register to vote and were being registered and some of them actually were voting.” The White House also rebuked Sherrill’s response, calling it “laughable” that she would criticize the Trump administration on election integrity. “[This] after she and her fellow Democrats have denied for years that non-citizens are registering and voting in our elections,” said White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis. Sherrill spokesperson Sean Higgins hit back at the criticisms, telling Fox News Digital the governor’s reply detailed how Trenton “moved with transparency and accountability to remediate this error from 2023.” “But Republicans are more interested in playing political games. Considering that Jeff Van Drew’s campaign employed an operative convicted of voter fraud, bribery and blackmail, he might not be the best voice on what is too ‘political’ on this topic,” Higgins said, pointing to a 2020 Politico report about ex-Atlantic City council president Craig Callaway. Pfluger told Fox News Digital that Sherrill spent “three pages on political theater and barely a sentence answering our questions,” adding that she “dodged” whether any elections were decided by fewer votes than the number of illegal ballots cast. “We are not letting this story get buried. It is high time we pass the SAVE America Act to make sure our elections are secure, transparent, and worthy of the public’s trust,” he said. Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., the state delegation’s most senior member and an RSC colleague, said Trenton must give Congress “complete transparency” and a corrective path forward. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Secure elections are the bedrock of democracy; we must take all steps necessary to ensure that votes are cast only by those who have a right to vote,” Smith said. The inquiry will continue on several tracks. Van Drew’s subcommittee is preparing a hearing, the Judiciary Committee is seeking additional state records and lawmakers are weighing further compulsory action as separate executive branch scrutiny continues.
Dem Senate hopeful pivots on data centers as rising power costs collide with campaign
Despite having once applauded the growth of data centers during his tenure as North Carolina governor, Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper is now pitching voters with ways to reel in their expansion as he wages a bid for U.S. Senate. He has framed his stance as a part of his “make stuff cost less” campaign. “We need to make sure data centers pay for their own power and we need to encourage them to build their own energy sources because right now that’s causing rates to go up for consumers and we can’t have that,” Cooper said in an interview with local media. Cooper’s shift in position makes him the latest Democrat to fold the data center issue into affordability concerns — efforts to position themselves as the champions of bringing costs down by getting companies to shoulder the brunt of their utility usage. AI’S MASSIVE APPETITE FOR POWER, WATER IGNITES FIGHT IN HIGH-STAKES TEXAS SENATE RACE Notably, the bulk of North Carolina’s tax breaks already existed by the time Cooper came into office as governor in 2017. The year before, in 2016, the state had implemented statute G.S.105-164.13. Under that provision, lawmakers had expanded data center tax exemptions on taxes for sales, servers, storage and networking. To qualify, companies would have to invest at least $75 million in projects over five years. According to research from CBRE, a commercial real estate firm, the investments have paid off, bringing a 15x jump in data center construction that largely began to spur growth during Cooper’s term as governor. “Several trends are influencing the data center industry, including emerging markets for development due to tax incentives, advancements in renewable energy, power availability and a need for accelerated construction completion timelines,” the group said in its report. In one especially notable case, Cooper’s administration went further. Unlike most companies that qualified for the state’s general tax breaks, Apple received more incentives from North Carolina in 2019 in the form of a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG). The grant aimed to further the company’s data center development in Maiden, North Carolina, according to the tech giant’s 2019 annual report. Through the JDIG agreement, the company secured an $845 million grant over a period of 39 years alongside another $112.4 million that would go to an industrial development fund to build out rural infrastructure. At the time, Cooper celebrated the announcement, touting in a press release that the project was estimated to create 3,000 jobs. ONE OF THE WORLD’S HOTTEST INDUSTRIES IS SPARKING A BLUE-COLLAR JOBS BOOM “Innovation has long been North Carolina’s calling card and Apple’s decision to build this new campus in the Research Triangle showcases the importance of our state’s favorable business climate, world-class universities, our tech-ready workforce, and the welcoming and diverse communities that make so many people want to call North Carolina home,” Cooper said. “This announcement will benefit communities across our state, and we are proud to work together to continue to grow our economy and bring transformational industries and good-paying jobs to North Carolina.” Also during Cooper’s time as governor, companies like Meta, Corvid Technologies, GIGA, Microsoft, Segra and Google all either completed projects or announced new data center expansion in North Carolina. State reporting found that between 2015 and 2025, 37 companies had secured state tax exemptions. Like Apple, Corvid Technologies also received a JDIG: a $9 million reimbursement from the state spread over 12 years that would facilitate the construction of two, three-story data centers, according to a press release. The company also was set to partner with local groups like Duke Energy, a utility company. Cooper praised that development, although he didn’t mention the data centers themselves. “North Carolina is the perfect choice for Corvid, thanks to our world-class universities, major military installations, and highly skilled workers,” Gov. Cooper said. “I’m pleased Corvid decided to keep growing right here by bringing more, good-paying engineering jobs and its headquarters to Mooresville,” Cooper said. A few years later, developments like the one with Corvid have flipped on their heads as figures like Cooper’s successor, Gov. Josh Stein, have pointed to data centers as a driver of rising utility costs through providers like Duke. “Duke Energy’s proposed rate hike is simply too high and comes as the company is also retreating on more affordable clean energy. At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet, we should be doing everything we can to make life more affordable, not less,” Stein said at a press conference earlier this year. “I will continue to fight on behalf of every North Carolinian to lower costs and grow the economy.” Cooper has also joined those calls, touting his work in pushing back against rising utility pricing. “As Governor and Attorney General, I put aside party politics to fight utility cost increases for North Carolinians. I vetoed a Senate bill that prioritized higher profits for utility companies over more cost-effective energy solutions. And I battled Duke Energy in court to get their profit margin lowered,” Cooper said in a press release last month. Notably, Cooper hasn’t called for an outright ban on data centers, but has strongly advocated that they be required to pay more directly for their energy consumption. TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT EFFECTIVELY PAUSES NEW DATA CENTER PROJECTS PENDING STATEWIDE GRID AUDIT “The companies that build these data centers must pull their own weight, pay for the power they use and completely remove this burden from North Carolina families and small businesses. We must encourage companies that build data centers to also build their own power sources, which will help reduce utility costs for consumers,” Cooper added. Asked about his shifting rhetoric around data centers, the Cooper campaign stressed that he believes local communities should set the bar for how they want to approach data center expansion restrictions. “Roy believes local communities must have the final say on new projects coming to their area which includes local moratoriums, and data centers must pay for all of the energy
South Carolina mail-in voting law illegally discriminates, appeals court rules
A federal court in South Carolina ruled that the state’s rules for mail-in-voting violated the constitution last week. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling relates to South Carolina’s mail-in ballot laws and certain allowances it makes for voters over the age of 65. Typically, voters looking to send mail-in ballots must meet certain criteria, such as being out of the country during the early voting period or being disabled. SUPREME COURT RULES ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER ELECTION DAY A state law removed those requirements for all voters over the age of 65, however, and the fourth circuit’s ruling found that provision to be unconstitutional. “By granting voters aged sixty-five and older unconditional access to absentee-by-mail voting while conditioning that same option for younger voters on eligibility categories, documentation, and a rigid deadline, the state allocates voting opportunities unequally based solely on age,” U.S. Circuit Chief Judge Roger Gregory wrote in the order. The case arose after a group of younger voters sued the South Carolina Elections Commission in 2023, arguing the rule violated the 26th Amendment. A lower court initially dismissed their argument, but the case continued on appeal until it appeared before the Fourth Circuit. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT REJECTS TRUMP BID TO ENFORCE MAIL BALLOT ORDER AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS The new ruling sends the case back to lower courts with specific instructions on how to decide the case. Gregory wrote that either all South Carolina voters must be entitled to vote absentee without restrictions, or none of them can be. That is unlikely to be the end of the question, however, as representatives of South Carolina say they plan to appeal further, potentially reaching the Supreme Court. NEWSOM PROMISES NEW LEGAL FIGHT AFTER TRUMP GETS SUPREME COURT VICTORY ON MAIL-IN VOTING The order came the same week that the U.S. Supreme Court issued a largely favorable ruling for President Donald Trump’s effort to limit mail-in ballots across the country. Former White House deputy counsel Gene Hamilton said federal agencies such as the Postal Service can now move forward with parts of Trump’s election-integrity order, including new ballot-mail standards and efforts involving state citizenship lists, as opposing states wait to see which concrete federal actions could form the basis of new lawsuits. Further litigation is expected on that front as well.
Silicon Valley exec ignites firestorm after accusing JD Vance of bringing DEI back
Ankit Gupta, a general partner at Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator, is facing backlash after describing Vice President JD Vance’s call for American companies to “hire and train Americans” as a return of “DEI.” “In a win for the woke left DEI is back,” Gupta wrote on X. “No, Ankit. It’s called putting your own citizens first,” Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito wrote, arguing that American companies should prioritize American jobs and workers. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon, and Nalin Haley, the son of former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, also publicly pushed back on Gupta’s framing. Gupta’s X post came in response to Vance’s call for American corporations to hire and train American workers when they need employees. TRUMP ADMIN’S PUSH TO SCRAP DEI IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES LANDMARK STEP WITH NEW HIRING RULE “Y Combinator is a supposed champion of ‘Little Tech’ but perhaps they’re nothing more than a front for the far left,” Ferguson wrote in response to Gupta’s post, which has since become private after the CEO changed his social media settings, according to X. “I’m deeply uncomfortable with wealthy investors attacking American workers like this. I’m afraid it’s increasingly obvious to many people that individuals such as this guy do not have the best interests of America and her citizens in mind. The purpose of the American economy is to promote the general welfare of American workers, not provide jobs for the rest of the world.” Ferguson subsequently posted a screenshot of his X account, showing Gupta had blocked him amid the criticism. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE TORPEDOES TRUMP’S BID TO PROTECT US JOBS BY REFORMING CONTROVERSIAL IMMIGRATION POLICY “It’s now DEI to train and hire Americans? Plenty of data to show that Americans are more than qualified, but corporate greed refuses to pay them respectable wages,” Haley added on X following Gupta’s post. “You can have a meritocracy in AMERICA but it has to apply to AMERICANS. Otherwise we’re just a globalist entity and not even a country anymore. Ban the H-1B Visa now!” Fox News Digital reached out repeatedly to Y Combinator and Gupta for comment on his characterization but did not receive a response. CEO UNDER FIRE FOR MASS LAYOFFS AMID FOREIGN WORKER HIRING SPREE NOW APPOINTED TO FED’S TASK FORCE ON JOBS Dhillon, meanwhile, accused some technology companies and other employers of exploiting visa programs and hiring practices to obtain cheaper foreign labor for jobs she said Americans could perform, including by failing to advertise openings through regular channels and relying on staffing pipelines. “These are not good business practices; they are not patriotic economic practices; and they are illegal labor practices,” Dhillon wrote, adding that the Trump administration “will not allow American employers to discriminate against American workers.” FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN TRUMP’S $100K H-1B VISA FEE, RULING IT AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL TAX Dhillon added that the Justice Department, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Labor Department were working together to “level the playing field for U.S. workers.” The clash comes as the Trump administration pursues an overhaul of the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire temporary foreign workers in specialty occupations. The Trump administration’s 2025 effort to impose a $100,000 payment on new H-1B petitions through a presidential proclamation was blocked by a federal judge. The administration is now trying a different route, with the Department of Homeland Security proposing a formal rule that would establish a $103,265 fee for cap-subject petitions. The Labor Department has separately proposed changing how wages are calculated in H-1B and related visa programs. The department said the proposal is intended to curb incentives to hire foreign workers at below-market pay and to protect the wages and job opportunities of American workers.
West Virginia looks to AI data center boom to help eliminate state income tax
West Virginia leaders are escalating the debate over data centers, with Gov. Patrick Morrisey unveiling a seven-point plan developed with lawmakers to reduce and eventually eliminate the state income tax while addressing concerns about natural resources and infrastructure. The plan comes as data centers are becoming a political flashpoint nationwide, with states looking to cash in on billions of dollars in investment and new jobs while communities raise concerns about utility costs, water use and local control. The massive facilities needed to power the artificial intelligence boom are also driving electricity demand higher, putting new pressure on power grids across the country. Under the plan, West Virginia would dedicate 50% of revenue generated by approved hyperscale data center projects to reducing and eventually eliminating the state personal income tax, while directing some remaining revenue to counties and infrastructure projects. “Today, as the world stands on the cusp of a new digital and economic frontier, West Virginia is stepping forward once again to lead, not by repeating the mistakes of other states, but by implementing a proactive, 20-year development strategy on our terms,” Morrisey said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. ‘BACKYARD BRAWL’ IGNITES AS WEST VIRGINIA’S MORRISEY MOVES TO POACH BLUE STATE RIVAL SPANBERGER’S JOBS The second listed “principle” in Morrisey’s plan says all West Virginians should benefit from data center projects approved through Charleston’s “High Impact Data Center Designation (HIDC)” process and the revenue they generate. The process was established under a separate 2025 state law. Morrisey’s plan includes “direct tax relief for citizens,” with none of the HIDC revenue entering the state general fund. AN OVERLOOKED RED STATE QUIETLY BUILT ONE OF AMERICA’S MOST COMPETITIVE TAX SYSTEMS “By law, 50 percent of project revenue is dedicated directly to reducing and ultimately eliminating the State Personal Income Tax,” the plan reads. Counties hosting data centers would receive 30% of the revenue for schools and local government, while 10% would be distributed to all 55 counties and another 10% would fund infrastructure upgrades, including public water systems. Water infrastructure has become a flashpoint across parts of southern West Virginia that have struggled since the coal industry’s decline. ONE MONTHLY BILL AMERICANS CAN’T AVOID IS QUIETLY SURGING THANKS TO EMERGING INDUSTRY: DATA “This shared framework gives us the exact blueprint we need to attract billions in private investment, create thousands of high-paying construction and technology jobs, lower taxes for our citizens, and revitalize economically distressed regions, all while preserving the wild and wonderful state we call home,” Morrisey said. But the promise of tax relief comes as some West Virginians are raising concerns about who could bear the costs of the state’s data center expansion. The bipartisan bill underpinning the governor’s plan also sought to protect utility customers from added costs — a major concern across the Eastern Panhandle, which borders the Washington, D.C. metro area. MARXIST ORGANIZER LEADS CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIRGINIA AI DATA CENTER AS FOREIGN INFLUENCE CONCERNS MOUNT “No Data Centers” signs are becoming common along roads in Jefferson and Berkeley counties and neighboring Clarke County, Virginia, as residents point to nearby Loudoun County, Virginia, where sprawling data center development has increasingly pushed up against residential subdivisions and commercial centers. “We are a cautionary tale for the rest of the country,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., of Ashburn said in recent remarks critical of the data center explosion. “[I]f my district were a country, it would have more data centers than almost every other country in the world.” TEA PARTY FOUNDER LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE ‘DATA CENTER REVOLT’ AGAINST AI DATA CENTER EXPANSION Back in West Virginia, some state lawmakers are pushing for additional safeguards as data center development accelerates. West Virginia House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Huntington, was listed as a sponsor of the 2025 bill that helped set the plan in motion but recently said the law should be amended to allow some local control over data center development. FOX NEWS POLL: COOL YOUR SERVERS! VOTERS REJECT DATA CENTERS “We are not going to allow a hostile takeover in our communities. It’s not going to happen on our watch,” Hornbuckle said in June, according to the Steubenville Herald-Star. “We all know what House Bill 2014 did, and it’s setting a very dangerous precedent in the state of West Virginia, [where] we all know we love our property rights,” he added. But Morrisey emphasized in comments to Fox News Digital that “all West Virginians must directly benefit from data center revenue.” “By statute, 50% of the proceeds … will be dedicated to directly reducing and ultimately eliminating the state income tax.” “[It’s] very powerful [and] it’s going to benefit many, many West Virginians.” West Virginia income taxes have already been falling. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.V., signed a record 21% cut while serving as governor, and Morrisey followed with another 5% reduction this year. The top marginal rate stands at 4.58%. A spokesperson for West Virginia House Speaker Roger Hanshaw said the plan came from the governor’s office but echoes what the legislature enacted in the 2025 law. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Hanshaw has supported data center development in West Virginia, previously telling the Warren Tribune-Chronicle that Charleston is “not only working with industrial partners as friends and allies to grow and diversify an economy, but also to regulate appropriately industries that are important to the communities in which they’re situated to the people of West Virginia and to the residents that we all collectively represent.” Morrisey’s plan also focuses on power grid reliability, requiring data center developers to work directly with PJM and other interstate grid operators. The plan also casts data centers in West Virginia as strategic infrastructure with national security implications in the nation’s competition with China.
Newsom hit with lawsuit threat as whistleblower begs Trump for help with ‘monumental’ fraud scandal
California’s “monumental problem” with rampant fraud is about to get significantly worse, according to Republican state Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that he warns will crack down on people investigating scammers. Officially titled “Privacy for immigration support services providers,” the new law creates privacy protections for immigration support service providers, employees and volunteers, including shielding their addresses and imposing penalties on those who publish their images on social media. DeMaio told Fox News Digital the bill amounts to criminalizing investigative journalism and works to “silence citizen journalists and shield taxpayer-funded organizations from public scrutiny.” “What does the Stop Nick Shirley Act do? It basically makes it illegal for a citizen journalist to document fraud of taxpayer money and post that on the internet in the form of an internet video,” he said. Newsom signed the bill into law last week, and it is set to take effect Oct. 1. DeMaio told Fox News Digital that he and a “coalition of civil liberty protectors” are prepared to file a lawsuit challenging the law. DEMS RIPPED FOR ‘STOP NICK SHIRLEY ACT’ THAT COULD ‘SHIELD’ FRAUD AND ABUSE IN CALIFORNIA “We have a plaintiff and are putting together the legal briefs,” he said, adding, “It is a matter of time before we’re going to get before a judge to stop this act.” “It is our hope,” he continued, “that the U.S. Department of Justice will file to intervene in that case, because this is an open-and-shut infringement on our First Amendment rights.” DeMaio said California’s fraud scandal makes the Minnesota fraud look like “garden variety government mismanagement.” “If you were worried about Somali daycare centers in Minnesota not having children in the daycare, take a look at California government NGOs receiving taxpayer funds and not having any sort of public services that they’re delivering,” he said. “They say they provide public services to immigrants when, in fact, they organize rallies, they harvest ballots, they endorse candidates and ballot measures during campaigns, and they are an extension of the Democrat Party.” DeMaio said the planned lawsuit follows discussions with the Justice Department’s Office for Civil Rights. NICK SHIRLEY WARNS CALIFORNIA BILL COULD PUNISH PEOPLE TRYING TO EXPOSE GOVERNMENT FRAUD “I have asked the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights to look at the Stop Nick Shirley Act … to see if they can do anything to intervene to prevent the implementation of this law. We have been dialoguing with the Department of Justice, and now we have a game plan as to how we will proceed forward in the courts to overturn this unconstitutional law,” he said. Addressing Newsom directly, DeMaio said, “Gavin Newsom, once again, you’re a bully trying to silence citizen watchdogs into not exercising their First Amendment rights and exposing your fraud, the billions of dollars that you’ve allowed to be wasted of precious taxpayer funds, all because you want the benefit of these left-wing NGOs to help you politically.” DeMaio said Newsom and California’s Democratic supermajority “created such a monumental problem with fraud of taxpayer money being abused that it’s clear that it is intentional.” “You’re going to be exposed as a bully,” he told Newsom. “You’re going to be exposed as the fraud ringleader.” SEE IT: LA DEM CANDIDATES TORCHED BY DISGUSTED RESIDENTS AFTER ‘DISGRACEFUL’ DEBATE: ‘BOTH BAD’ In response, Newsom spokesperson Diana Crofts-Pelayo told Fox News Digital that “this law has nothing to do with Nick Shirley” and that “the real controversy here is that MAGA Republicans are either lying to create up fake conspiracy theories, or none of them know how to read.” Crofts-Pelayo said the law does not affect Shirley’s journalism, which Newsom’s office previously referred to as “grifting” and “lying,” and does not hide fraud. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón, both Democrats, for comment.
Iceland voters say no to negotiations to join EU
Icelandic voters narrowly rejected a proposal to restart negotiations to join the European Union, as voters sided with independence versus the capital city’s general desire to restart talks that were suspended more than a decade ago. The “no” side won 52.8% of the vote to 47.2% for those who supported reopening talks, The Associated Press reported, citing Icelandic national broadcaster RUV. Reykjavik was the only part of the country where a majority backed the proposal. The vote was a setback for Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, who campaigned in favor of resuming negotiations, but she hoped the result would not deepen divisions after a campaign that exposed sharp differences over Iceland’s economy, sovereignty and control of its valuable fishing grounds. TRUMP TAUNTS CANADA ON RENAMING LAKE ONTARIO THE ‘LAKE AMERICA’ AMID RISING BORDER TRADE RIFT The vote came as President Donald Trump‘s push for U.S. control of neighboring Greenland added a new security dimension to a debate that has divided the NATO ally for years. Iceland, strategically positioned in the North Atlantic and roughly 180 miles from Greenland, has no military of its own and relies on NATO and a longstanding defense agreement with the United States for its security, according to RTE and The Associated Press. Trump’s repeated interest in acquiring Greenland has unsettled some Icelanders and raised questions about whether closer ties with the EU could provide another layer of security for the island nation. Roughly 275,000 eligible voters were asked whether Iceland should resume membership negotiations with the EU. TRUMP SAYS NATO FAILED TWO KEY TESTS DURING HIGH-STAKES TURKEY SUMMIT: ‘NOT HAPPY’ If the referendum had passed, Iceland would have resumed negotiations with the EU, followed by another referendum on actual membership. Iceland’s government, led by Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, has vowed to respect the result, although the referendum is technically nonbinding. Still, this was a setback for Frostadóttir, who hoped the result would not deepen divisions after a campaign that exposed sharp differences over Iceland’s economy, sovereignty and control of its valuable fishing grounds. “I don’t feel that there is bitterness,” Frostadóttir told RUV before the final results were tallied. “I know tempers run high for some people, but I have now spent time with a large group of people from all over the country and people are quite open to different outcomes.” The campaign had “lifted discussions about the EU, about Iceland’s place in the world, about our general geopolitical situation and status, to a higher level,” she said. Opponents countered that EU membership would not fix domestic economic problems and could force Iceland to surrender too much control over decisions now made in Reykjavik. “These are not problems that Brussels will solve for us. These are problems that Icelandic politicians must solve,” opposition leader Gudrun Hafsteinsdottir, who led the “no” campaign, said. The fight over fisheries was among the most sensitive issues in the campaign. Fishing has long been central to Iceland’s economy and national identity, and opponents warned that eventual EU membership could weaken Iceland’s authority over its fishing grounds. Under EU rules, fishing quotas take historical fishing patterns into account, among other factors. Some Icelandic officials argued that the country would retain substantial control because fishing fleets from EU member states have not operated in Icelandic waters for decades. DENMARK VOWS TO DEFEND GREENLAND AFTER TRUMP REITERATES US SHOULD CONTROL TERRITORY Hafsteinsdottir remained skeptical that any protections negotiated with Brussels would last. “I know that the European Union will come up with some promises of some flexibility, especially in the beginning, but we know that it will not be for good,” she said. For many “no” voters, the question was also about whether Iceland needed to change a relationship with Europe that already gives it many of the advantages of integration. Iceland is part of the European Economic Area, giving it access to the EU’s single market, and belongs to the Schengen passport-free travel zone. Opponents argued those arrangements allow Iceland to maintain close links with Europe without assuming the obligations and compromises of full EU membership. “By staying independent as we are, we look brightly to the future,” said Ragnhildur Skarphedinsdottir, 70, before casting her “no” vote in Reykjavik. TRUMP ARRIVES AT NATO SUMMIT AS IRAN RIFT LOOMS ABOVE ALLIANCE TALKS While domestic and economic issues have played a central role in the referendum campaign, Trump’s ambitions for neighboring Greenland have also cast a shadow over Iceland’s debate about its place in Europe and the broader geopolitical landscape. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, previously saying the U.S. would obtain the strategically important Arctic island “one way or the other.” The Trump administration has also previously weighed options for acquiring Greenland, including the potential use of military force. Such a move against territory belonging to Denmark, a fellow NATO member, would pose an extraordinary challenge to the alliance and its collective-defense commitments. Iceland itself was drawn into the discussion earlier this year after former Rep. Billy Long, who is now Trump’s ambassador to Iceland, apologized for privately joking to House lawmakers that the country could become the “52nd state” with him as its governor. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Mississippi mayor argues against lowering flag for Dolly Parton after her death
The mayor of a small city in Mississippi is arguing against lowering the flag to honor Dolly Parton, worrying that it would “lessen the meaning of the gesture” in the future. “I believe lowering the American flag to half-staff should mean something very significant,” Olive Branch, Mississippi, Mayor Ken Adams wrote on the city’s Facebook page Friday. “In my opinion, it should be reserved for our military heroes, fallen first responders, presidents and other major national leaders, or events that have had a tremendous impact on our country. “If we lower the flag every time a well-known or beloved person passes away, I believe we eventually lessen the meaning of the gesture.” DOLLY PARTON’S LIFE IN HER OWN WORDS: FROM SMOKY MOUNTAINS POVERTY TO COUNTRY MUSIC IMMORTALITY Adams began his post by acknowledging the “9 to 5” songstress as a “great person” who “brought happiness to millions of people and has done tremendous things for others throughout her life.” He said he had “nothing but respect for her.” SHERRILL RIPPED AFTER NEW JERSEY SKIPS FLAG DIRECTIVE HONORING GRAHAM: ‘MOST POLITICAL GOVERNOR’ Adams said while he doesn’t believe local governments should disregard the president or the governor, Mississippi operates under home rule, which he said gives local governments broad discretion. Both President Donald Trump and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves ordered U.S. and state flags flown at half-staff for one week after her death at age 80 Tuesday. DOLLY PARTON REFUSED TO PICK POLITICAL SIDES FOR DECADES: ‘I’M NOT IN POLITICS, I’M AN ENTERTAINER’ “The President can make the decision for the country. The Governor can make the decision for the State of Mississippi. I believe a mayor should have the ability to make a decision for his or her city,” Adams continued. “I also don’t believe residents elected me to be a ‘salute and execute’ Mayor but to lead with conviction.” He stressed that his decision wasn’t about “disrespecting Dolly Parton. It isn’t about politics. And it certainly isn’t about saying she wasn’t a great American.” DOLLY PARTON’S BELOVED LITERACY MISSION SEES SURGE OF SUPPORT AFTER COUNTRY ICON’S DEATH “It’s simply my belief that the American flag at half-staff is one of the highest honors we can give, and I believe that honor should be reserved for truly extraordinary circumstances,” he said. “Sometimes preserving the meaning of an honor means being selective about when we use it.” Adams faced criticism in the comments, with one person writing, “She did more for children than any politician ever has. That should raise her status in your eyes from ‘just a celebrity.’” BROADCAST BIAS: DOLLY PARTON TAUGHT THE WORLD THE WAY TO BE UNIVERSALLY BELOVED “I’d lower it for Dolly before any politician,” a second person stated. A third commenter wrote, “When you said ‘it’s simply my belief’, I guess you said it all. Doesn’t matter to you what the President, the Governor or your residents believe. And ‘reserved for people who made a tremendous impact?’ Well…she was probably the most unifying figure of the past 40 years; and she donated 325 million books to kids. Sounds like an impact.” A fourth person who identified as a veteran and first responder wrote about being “100% ok with lowering the flags for Dolly. She gave her time and money to the military and multiply organizations. She earned this.” Adams didn’t clarify if his statement meant the flag would not be lowered in Olive Branch. Fox News Digital reached out to Adams’ office for comment.
Dems face uphill battle in challenge to Georgia congressional map under new SCOTUS rules
President Joe Biden put Georgia at the center of the national voting rights fight in 2021 when he branded the state’s Republican-backed election overhaul “Jim Crow in the 21st century.” Now, five years later, a separate Georgia voting rights battle involving allegations of racial discrimination is garnering national attention as it plays out in federal court. This time, the dispute centers on the state’s redrawn congressional and state maps redrawn in 2021, with challengers facing a significantly tougher burden of proof after the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. The latest development came when the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a lower court judgment striking down Georgia’s 2021 maps and returned the case to U.S. District Judge Steve Jones. SUPREME COURT RULES ON KEY VOTING RIGHTS ACT RULE AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WAGE REDISTRICTING WAR The appeals court instructed Jones to reconsider the challenge under the new framework established in Callais, which raised the bar for plaintiffs alleging racial discrimination in redistricting. Under that standard, evidence that a map weakened Black voters’ electoral influence is not enough by itself. Plaintiffs must present evidence supporting a “strong inference” of intentional racial discrimination and distinguish the effects of race from those of partisan politics. That distinction is especially important in Georgia, where Black voters overwhelmingly support Democratic candidates, creating significant overlap between race and partisan affiliation. That overlap could make it more difficult for the challengers to prove that race, rather than political advantage, drove the district lines. Black voters and voting rights organizations filed three lawsuits challenging the maps between December 2021 and January 2022, arguing that the districts diluted Black voting power in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Jones ruled for the challengers in 2023 and ordered Georgia to create additional majority-Black districts, including one congressional district, two state Senate districts and five state House districts. Georgia subsequently enacted replacement maps that satisfied Jones’ order while preserving the Republican Party’s political advantage elsewhere. Those maps were used in the 2024 elections and remain in place for the 2026 election cycle, while the legality of the original maps remained at the center of Georgia’s appeal. MEDIA OUTRAGE OVER SUPREME COURT’S VOTING RIGHTS ACT DECISION COLLIDES WITH REALITY Before Callais, plaintiffs suing based on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act could win their case without proving that lawmakers intentionally discriminated on the basis of race. Courts focused heavily on whether a map had the effect of diminishing minority voters’ ability to elect their preferred candidates. But under Callais, courts must more closely examine whether present-day racial discrimination was behind the redrawing of the maps rather than political advantages. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior fellow at Advancing American Freedom, said he does not believe the Georgia challenge will survive the new test. “I don’t think a challenge will succeed because there is no evidence of current racial discrimination going on in the state legislature,” von Spakovsky said. “Prior rulings against the state were based on judges misconstruing and misinterpreting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by claiming there was racial dilution resulting from partisan gerrymandering. “That is not the correct legal standard under Section 2,” he continued. “Partisan gerrymandering is constitutional and is not a violation of Section 2.” GEORGIA REDISTRICTING BATTLE REVIVED AFTER APPEALS COURT OVERTURNS FEDERAL COURT DECISION Georgia can argue that lawmakers were pursuing partisan objectives rather than targeting Black voters because of their race. Because the state’s Black and Democratic voting blocs substantially overlap, separating those possible motivations could prove difficult for the challengers. “The Supreme Court in the Callais decision specifically said that a viable claim under Section 2 can only be shown if there is evidence of current racial discrimination, and judges must distinguish between racial and political bases for the way people vote,” von Spakovsky said. “In other words, there’s no racial dilution going on when individuals are voting a particular way because of their politics.” Jones must now decide how to handle the remanded case. The plaintiffs could ask to supplement the record with revised maps, updated statistical analyses or additional evidence addressing the Supreme Court’s new requirements. The 11th Circuit, however, did not automatically grant them a new trial or authorize them to rebuild their case from the beginning. Georgia could argue that the plaintiffs have already received a full trial and that Jones should apply the new standard solely to the existing record. Whatever Jones decides is unlikely to alter Georgia’s districts before the November 2026 midterm elections. The appeals court did not order the state to reinstate the original 2021 maps, and Georgia has already conducted its primaries using the replacement districts created from the 2023 map.
Abdul El-Sayed peppered with questions on Hasan Piker link, fracture with Jewish Dems at Michigan convention
LANSING, Mich. — Socialist-adjacent Michigan U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed addressed the media during Saturday’s state Democratic Party Nominating Convention, where he was dogged by many of the same questions that have plagued his campaign for months. Surrounded by media in a hallway at the Lansing Center, where the convention took place, El-Sayed was peppered with questions from the press about his relationship with far-left online personality Hasan Piker, along with his stance on Israel and Gaza, which has driven a wedge between his campaign and some Democrats, especially Jewish ones. “We’re in the state of Michigan. If you want to make this race about a streamer in California, I just think you’re missing the boat,” El-Sayed told reporters. “This is about affordability in Michigan. This is about seeing a doctor in Michigan. This is about Donald Trump’s disastrous policies in Michigan. That’s what I’m focused on right now.” ABDUL EL-SAYED PLAYS DOWN HASAN PIKER TIES AFTER STREAMER’S VIRAL ANTISEMITISM FIRESTORM Four different reporters asked El-Sayed about Piker, with whom he campaigned and partied during his primary race. He dodged all of them, falling back on describing the polarizing streamer as “a streamer from California” who is irrelevant to his race in Michigan. “I am not interested in a conversation about a social media person in California. And to folks who want to make this about a social media person in California, let’s not forget what actually matters in our politics, what our politics are really about,” he said. “I don’t ever want my comments to hurt anybody’s feelings. It’s important to me that people understand that I take serious the pain of all communities in this state. But I don’t want to have a conversation about a Twitch streamer in California. This is not a serious conversation.” EL-SAYED DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM HASAN PIKER AFTER DISTURBING REMARKS ABOUT JEWISH AMERICANS Piker is known for saying “America deserved 9/11,” praising Mao Zedong and Communist China, arguing that capitalists should be murdered in the streets and making a litany of antisemitic comments. Fox News Digital asked El-Sayed about a recent controversy stemming from comments he made in March in response to an attack on a Michigan synagogue, when federal investigators say a gunman inspired and radicalized by Hezbollah crashed into the place of worship seeking to kill as many Jewish people as he could. “Hurt people, hurt people,” he said in response to the attack. He has been criticized by members of his own Party, including Michigan Secretary of State Dana Nessel, who discussed the comments in a recent interview with The Atlantic, and declined to attend Saturday’s convention partly over concerns of anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party. JEWISH DEM DEFECTIONS THREATEN EL-SAYED IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE DECIDED BY RAZOR-THIN MARGINS El-Sayed told Fox News Digital his comments “might have been misconstrued to be justifying something I did not intend to justify,” but then offered an apology. “To anybody who feels like my comments may have been hurtful, I’m really sorry. That was not my intention. We condemned that terrorist attack. We condemned it outright,” El-Sayed told Fox News Digital. “What I was trying to do was offer context for why it happened, but it wasn’t the time for context and you don’t ever want to trample somebody’s pain.” El-Sayed met Saturday in Lansing with the Democratic Jewish Caucus. “He just had a very good meeting with us,” Daniel Rivkin, a convention delegate and member of the caucus, told Fox News Digital, as he referred to El-Sayed. “We’re having real conversations.” But hours earlier, some Jewish leaders in Michigan went public with an open letter urging Jewish Democrats and independents in the state to sign their names in support of former Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP Senate nominee. “Many of us have been fiercely supportive of Democratic candidates and principles. All of us have felt threatened and alienated by the politics and allies embraced by Abdul El-Sayed, which has included demonization of Jews, equivocation on terrorism, exclusion of Jewish Americans from public life, and expression of implacable hatred of the world’s only Jewish nation,” the letter stated. Rogers, in a statement highlighting the letter, claimed that “Abdul El-Sayed fans the flames of antisemitism. We’re fighting to extinguish it.” JEWISH AG’S CONVENTION BOYCOTT EXPOSES DEEPENING ISRAEL FAULT LINE AMONG MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS El-Sayed, speaking to reporters, said his message to Jewish voters in Michigan is, “We may not agree on everything when it comes to foreign policy… I’m not going to stop fighting for Palestinian self-determination… but that does not mean that I will not stand up… for safety for all communities and I believe in the safety and dignity of Jewish kids like I believe in the safety and dignity of my own kids.” He also said it was the responsibility of the Democratic Party to come together. Michigan Democrats swarmed the convention center Saturday afternoon, where the theme was “unity” amid the controversies faced by the state’s highest-profile candidate for elected office. Other statewide candidates took the stage to rally attendees, and presented a united front, often invoking their opposition to President Donald Trump as a point of common interest.