Chicago’s 12-language ballots make elections ‘harder to monitor,’ Illinois GOP chair warns
Chicago voters can cast ballots in 12 different languages this election, an expansion that Illinois Republican Party Chairman Bob Grogan warns is making an already complicated election system harder to independently monitor. Grogan told Fox News Digital the proliferation of versions in languages such as Tagalog, Gujarati and Urdu creates additional challenges for election judges and party observers tasked with ensuring voters receive accurate ballots. He also questioned how many voters need some of the translations, arguing that many immigrants who speak those languages also speak English. “It’s a solution in search of a problem,” Grogan told Fox News Digital. “It’s big city virtue signaling.” TRUMP ADMIN SUED OVER ALLEGED ILLEGAL COLLECTION OF SENSITIVE VOTER DATA FROM 47 STATES Chicago voters can cast ballots in 12 different languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Polish, Gujarati, Urdu, Ukrainian, Arabic and Russian. Section 203 of the U.S. Voting Rights Act requires the Chicago Board of Elections to make materials and ballots available in certain precincts for Spanish, Chinese and Hindi speakers, a spokesperson for the elections agency told Fox News Digital. The Board includes the other non-English languages to “maintain uniformity with the languages used by the Cook County Clerk’s office under a county ordinance, so that all voters throughout Cook County are afforded equal voting opportunities,” the spokesperson added. But Grogan, a former DuPage County auditor for 12 years, said he has “a fair number of Gujarati friends … and everyone in their family speaks English.” “Gujarati — it’s from India, and English is an official language in India,” Grogan added. TRUMP ADMIN’S PROPOSED ‘ENGLISH-ONLY’ HEAD START RULE DRAWS FIRE FROM LOS ANGELES MAYORAL CANDIDATE Data provided to Fox News Digital by the Chicago Board of Elections shows that some of the less commonly used language options accounted for only a handful of ballots cast during the March primary. Just nine ballots were cast using the English-Gujarati option, while 15 used English-Urdu, 10 used English-Arabic and 25 each used English-Russian and English-Ukrainian, according to the Board’s figures. Other translations were used more frequently, including 4,474 English-Polish ballots, 2,183 English-Chinese ballots, 664 English-Hindi ballots, 352 English-Korean ballots and 100 English-Tagalog ballots. Grogan also questioned why language requirements can change substantially across county lines, noting that Chicago offers touchscreen ballots in 12 languages while nearby DuPage County offers fewer language options. “You can have a Gujarati population in Peoria,” Grogan said. “You would think that there would be some more uniformity to all of that as well.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Beyond questioning the need for some of the translations, Grogan raised a broader concern about oversight, arguing that election judges and party observers cannot independently scrutinize ballots written in languages they do not understand. However, the Chicago Board of Elections pushed back, telling Fox News Digital that it has in-house staff who help translate ballots and signs and assist multilingual media ahead of elections. It also said voters are allowed to bring “interpreter[s] to assist them in understanding and casting their ballot” under certain conditions. When asked about multilingual judges, the Board noted that of the 7,218 election judges assigned for November’s general election as of Thursday, 810 are multilingual candidates. Those multilingual judges include speakers of Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Polish, Korean and Tagalog, according to the Board. Pressed on whether he believes the additional languages create an election security vulnerability, Grogan said the risk depends in part on how widely the translated ballots are used. Overall, the Board’s figures show 7,857 multilingual ballots were cast during the March primary, representing about 1.85% of the 424,564 ballots cast citywide. “I think it certainly makes it harder to monitor,” Grogan said. “If there is one ballot cast in that language, that’s a very small vulnerability you have. If all of a sudden we have 10,000 in some very small, poorly understood language, then that increases the risk.” Fox News Digital asked the Chicago Board of Elections how many languages are available for mail-in ballots but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Ex-FBI officials arrested in Hunter Biden laptop probe as testimony comes under scrutiny
The Department of Justice charged two former FBI officials with lying to Congress about their involvement in FBI investigations into Hunter Biden, including matters involving his laptop. Former FBI officials Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides, according to the DOJ, falsely denied involvement in the investigations into former President Joe Biden’s son when speaking to Congress. Both surrendered Friday on arrest warrants, according to the DOJ. “Lying to Congress by anyone strikes at the heart of our democratic system, but when senior FBI agents lie to Congress believing they are above the law, it’s time to bring the hammer of justice down on them,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said of the charges. “When senior officials entrusted with safeguarding our nation’s security choose deception over duty, they undermine the very institutions they swore to uphold. Today’s action makes clear that no one is above the law, and we will hold accountable all who obstruct the truth.” FBI CO-DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREW BAILEY RESIGNS AFTER YEAR IN ROLE The Justice Department claims to possess evidence that shows Benavides discussed the laptop story with others in the FBI, contradicting his testimony that he learned about the story from Wikipedia. Similarly, the department says that it has evidence Floris discussed Hunter Biden with members of the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, despite testifying to the contrary. “Nikki Floris is a patriot. She served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years. Yet today, the DOJ has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts. It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election,” her attorneys said in a statement. RUSSIAN SPIES ORCHESTRATED $40K MURDER PLOT IN NATION’S CAPITAL, US ALLEGES “This morning the FBI arrested two former FBI members of the now dissolved Foreign Influence Task Force, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, both of whom allegedly lied to Congress in 2023 on matters regarding investigations related to the 2020 election,” FBI Director Kash Patel said of the arrests. “One of these individuals is on record privately claiming to be ‘running a shadow government’ during the 2020 election. As we’ve said repeatedly: weaponization will never be tolerated at this FBI.” This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Jackson again publicly breaks with Supreme Court as justices side with GOP in last-minute voter ID fight
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the lone public dissenter in a Thursday decision allowing New Hampshire to block the use of student ID cards in the upcoming midterm elections. Other justices on the court cited the longstanding precedent “that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter the election rules on the eve of an election,” and said that lower courts failed to argue that the specific case in New Hampshire warranted an exception to the tradition. Jackson, however, argued the proximity to an election should not get in the way of properly applying the law. “I respectfully dissent because — even, and perhaps especially, when an election is looming — I would not disturb a clearly justifiable federal-court order issued to ensure that the public receives accurate information about a State’s electoral processes,” she wrote. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS INDIANA BAN ON STUDENT ID FOR VOTING The underlying dispute stems from a law signed in April that went into effect in June, striking student ID cards from the list of forms of identification that election officials can accept when an individual requests a ballot. A voting rights group sued New Hampshire on the grounds that the law illegally discriminated against young voters by making it more difficult for them to vote. New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan then issued guidance saying that student IDs could not be used to establish voter identity, even as supporting evidence under the state’s alternative verification procedures. A district judge blocked that portion of the guidance, arguing that it went beyond the scope of the law itself, which only removed student IDs from the list of expressly accepted forms of identification. Among the supporters of the guidance was the Republican National Committee. DEMS HAND GOP FRESH MIDTERM WEAPON BY OPPOSING WIDELY USED VOTER ID While Jackson was the lone public dissenter, it is possible that other justices dissented as well, but opted not to be named on the court order. During her roughly four years on the Supreme Court, Jackson has broken from the rest of her colleagues in areas such as campaign finance, immigration and congressional map litigation. In 2023, she was the lone dissenter in an 8-1 ruling allowing a concrete company to sue striking union workers. She also stood alone in a May 2026 decision involving federal prisoners seeking to challenge their convictions through compassionate release. TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN IN ELECTION INTEGRITY FIGHT AS STATES GAIN NEW VOTER ROLL TOOL New Hampshire is holding a handful of close races on Election Day, putting some weight behind the court’s decision. Fox News’ power rankings rate the state’s Senate race as leans Democratic, meaning that liberals have a slight advantage in a race that could decide control of Congress. The state’s governor’s race, meanwhile, is rated as likely going to the GOP. College students typically favor the Democratic Party, though it is unclear how many voters will be affected by the court ruling, as students who previously relied on their student IDs will now need another accepted form of identification. Some Democrats, however, believe allowing voters to use student IDs would be a good thing. Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, for instance, has pushed for such a thing in his state.
Ilhan Omar hit with expulsion threat as GOP lawmaker vows to boot her from Congress over DOJ probe
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that he plans to pursue an effort to expel Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., if the Justice Department finds her guilty of immigration fraud. Fine, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, made the comments after Fox News Digital reported that a federal court filing identified Omar under the name “Ilhan Nur Said Elmi,” also listing “Ilhan Abdullahi Omar” as an alias. The filing has raised questions about Omar’s identity and immigration records but does not establish that she committed fraud. “I assume that she’s not a citizen, so we might not even have to do that,” Fine said. “You can’t be in Congress if you’re not a citizen of the United States, but if it isn’t automatic, I absolutely will demand expulsion immediately.” ILHAN OMAR IS NOT THE MINNESOTA CONGRESSWOMAN’S ‘REAL NAME’: SOURCES Omar is a naturalized U.S. citizen. She was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. She has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated. Fine said Democrats would attempt to block any Republican effort to censure or expel Omar. HOMAN SAYS ILHAN OMAR COULD BE STRIPPED OF NATURALIZATION, DEPORTED IF IMMIGRATION FRAUD IS PROVEN “I don’t think Democrats think you should have to be American. They don’t believe in borders,” Fine said. “They’ve made that clear. They don’t believe in America.” The House has the constitutional authority to expel a member, but doing so requires a two-thirds vote. A criminal investigation or allegation alone does not automatically remove a member from Congress. Fine also criticized Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., who in September introduced the Reimagining Safety Act, legislation that would dismantle the Department of Homeland Security and abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, while preserving some of its functions under a new agency, the Department of Community Safety. “Look at this bill filed by the congresswoman from Chicago, where she doesn’t believe we should have borders, border protection or the ability to deport anyone,” Fine said. ILHAN OMAR’S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS Fine also criticized Democrats who have called the Justice Department’s investigation into Omar politically motivated, pointing to the separate inquiry into her financial disclosures. The investigation into her finances began under former President Joe Biden in 2024, a detail that Fine claimed Democrats have intentionally overlooked. “Democrats don’t get held accountable for anything, and they agree on this agenda that is anti-American and anti-citizen,” Fine continued. Omar’s Washington, D.C., residence was searched by Homeland Security Investigations agents on Oct. 12 as part of a federal investigation into possible false statements on immigration and naturalization documents. Federal authorities have also issued grand jury subpoenas to members of Omar’s family and seized her cellphone, according to The Associated Press. Omar’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: Fed timeline challenges reports of migrant baby facing immigration judge alone
FIRST ON FOX: A federal timeline provided by officials overseeing unaccompanied migrant children challenges reports that a 1-year-old boy was left to navigate immigration court without counsel, showing that legal service providers intervened to secure representation following an initial hearing. Addressing media reports highlighting toddlers appearing before immigration judges, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Acting Director Angie Salazar and Senior Advisor John Fabbricatore pushed back on headlines alleging systemic gaps in child legal representation, arguing that contractor failures and lack of invoice oversight created the initial court lapses. “We don’t have this big movement where we have a bunch of 1-year-olds who are going to court,” Fabbricatore told Fox News Digital. SEX CRIMINALS, GANG MEMBERS ABUSED CHILD IMMIGRATION PROGRAM TO ENTER US, DHS REVEALS According to ORR timeline records obtained by Fox News Digital, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers first encountered the 1-year-old boy and his 17-year-old mother near Naco, Arizona, on June 25. The child was accompanied by his mother at all court proceedings. The critical gap occurred in July under the agency’s former contractor, the Acacia Center for Justice, records show. On July 1, Acacia completed legal orientation and consultation for the mother and child, but failed to file an E28 notice of appearance before the immigration court. Consequently, during the child’s first scheduled court hearing on July 8, no attorney was present — not even as a friend of the court — despite Acacia holding an active federal legal services contract at the time. The federal legal services contract with Acacia officially ended July 31. FORMER USCIS OFFICIAL, ACCOMPLICE CHARGED IN ALLEGED $960K CITIZENSHIP BRIBERY SCHEME Following the end of the Acacia contract, the agency transitioned legal service oversight to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), which officially initiated legal services Aug. 5. During an Aug. 7 appearance, the mother and child were granted additional time to obtain counsel, while USCRI representatives attended subsequent hearings on Aug. 17 and Aug. 28 as a friend of the court. On Aug. 31, a motion was filed by the friend of the court and mother requesting court-appointed counsel at government expense, which was later denied by the immigration judge. Progress continued into September as child advocates were officially appointed on Sept. 23, and USCRI filed a formal E28 notice of appearance on Sept. 25 to become the attorney of record. On Sept. 29, USCRI officially represented both mother and child in immigration court. The judge subsequently granted a continuance on Oct. 2, leading into a follow-up hearing scheduled for Friday. Officials explained that the July breakdowns highlighted the core reason the administration terminated Acacia’s multimillion-dollar contract, which was awarded under the Biden administration in November 2023. According to federal contract records on USAspending.gov, the Department of Health and Human Services had awarded the Acacia Center for Justice a $356.3 million bridge contract for legal services for unaccompanied children. Of that total award, more than $236.9 million had been outlaid prior to the contract’s dissolution. The network previously provided counsel to roughly 20,000 migrant children across the U.S., according to its website. “I knew we were signing off on every invoice that we were receiving for legal services to the tune of $20-plus million sometimes each month,” she told Fox News Digital. “So it made no sense to me that legal service providers were saying kids were unrepresented for a lack of funding.” “I tried to understand who was represented before,” she added. “I tried to understand what we were paying for under this direct representation, but the invoices we received were completely redacted. There is no way I could ever know exactly what service was provided during the month.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the Acacia Center for Justice for comment. The contract funded a slew of services, including legal screenings, representations and presentations on the rights of migrant children in detention. Following the dissolution of the Acacia contract, the ORR entered into a $20 million contract with USCRI, which expires Dec. 31. “So USCRI was showing up in court as a friend of the court to ensure that there was at least somebody present in case Acacia did not show up,” Fabbricatore said. “Now, as those cases are being looked at, USCRI is able to go in and actually meet with these children and then represent them in a follow-up hearing. So there may be some hearings where a child shows up, and initially they don’t have representation, but USCRI will be there, identify that child, and then be able to move forward in the future as a representative for that child.” WOMAN EXPOSED RUNNING VISA FRAUD SCHEME SPANNING YEARS, POSING AS IMMIGRATION OFFICER Salazar emphasized that ORR officials track which children are represented by which lawyers on specific dates, noting that the agency respects attorney-client privilege. “The former provider refused to give us those measurables,” Fabbricatore said. “They refused to give us the alien registration number so we could determine what cases they were actually representing. They didn’t want to give that. They refused to give that, and that was a holdup for us because we needed to know who was actually being represented so we can ensure that every kid at least had their legal orientation and had a legal representative that was talking to them.” HUNDREDS OF JAILED ILLEGAL ALIENS RELEASED BACK ONTO BLUE-STATE STREETS DESPITE ICE DETAINERS, RECORDS SHOW Salazar noted that about 2% of migrant children in ORR custody are under the age of 5. Another 85% are ages 13 to 17, with 62% falling into the 16-to-17 bracket. “What we said to our new grantee (USCRI): ‘We want you in 100% of the hearings where kids in our care are showing up to their immigration hearings,’” she said. “That is happening. I think we’re at like 98%.” Fabbricatore added there are currently 1,690 migrant children in ORR custody. “Under Biden, they had 22,000 in care a day. So it’s a very vast difference,” he said. “We’ve
White House blasts Biden border policies ahead of Trump Florida visit, citing brutal hammer killing
EXCLUSIVE – The White House is highlighting the brutal hammer killing of a Florida mother as President Donald Trump prepares to headline a midterm rally in Fort Myers on Friday, with a spokesperson telling Fox News Digital that the case demonstrates the consequences of former President Joe Biden’s border policies. Trump is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m. at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Alico Arena ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The White House is pointing to the killing in the same city as it prepares to put a spotlight on the president’s immigration enforcement record. “A few short months ago, an illegal alien barbarically killed a woman outside of a gas station in Fort Myers by hitting her on the head with a hammer multiple times,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital exclusively. DEM-LED PUSH TO EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIANS FACES OUTRAGE AFTER BRUTAL HAMMER KILLING “This heinous murderer was RELEASED into the country by the Biden administration. Not only did the Biden administration release him into the country, but they then gave him Temporary Protected Status. This is the result of Democrats open-border policies. If you import the third world, you become the third world.” Trump previously condemned the killing in an April Truth Social post, calling the surveillance video “one of the most vicious things you will ever see” and blaming the Biden administration for allowing the suspect into the country. “This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies,” Trump wrote at the time. The remarks refer to the brazen killing of a Florida mother in April. Haitian national Rolbert Joachim is accused of repeatedly striking the woman in the head with a hammer outside a Fort Myers gas station. ICE-LED FLORIDA OPERATION NETS 500 — INCLUDING ILLEGAL ALIENS ACCUSED OF MURDER, CHILD ABUSE, CARTEL TIES According to the Department of Homeland Security, surveillance video showed the suspect smashing the woman’s windshield before approaching her and repeatedly striking her in the head with a hammer in broad daylight. The victim, a gas station clerk and mother of two teenage daughters, died in the attack. Fort Myers police enlisted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help locate Joachim, who was subsequently arrested on Mango Street, DHS said. The department said Joachim entered the United States in August 2022 and was released into the country under the Biden administration. A federal judge issued a final removal order against him that year, but he later received Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which expired in 2024. The designation allows eligible foreign nationals from certain countries to remain and work temporarily in the United States because of conditions in their home countries. It does not provide permanent residency. TRUMP ADMIN MARKS 15 STRAIGHT MONTHS WITH ZERO BORDER RELEASES AS APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE 94% The White House is putting a spotlight on the case as Trump prepares to address supporters in southwest Florida, a region that has delivered strong election results for the president. Trump carried Florida in all three of his presidential campaigns, expanding his statewide winning margin from roughly one percentage point in 2016 to more than 13 points in 2024. In Lee County, home to Fort Myers, Trump won 63.6% of the vote in 2024, compared with 35.3% for former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to official county election results. The White House says Trump’s immigration crackdown has led to 17 straight months without releases at the border and the deportation of more than 3 million people who were in the United States illegally. DHS said in April that ICE had lodged an immigration detainer against Joachim following his arrest and that he would face deportation regardless of the outcome of his criminal case. Prosecutors later announced they would seek the death penalty against Joachim, according to local reporting. Friday’s rally comes as Trump continues to hit the campaign trail supporting Republican candidates across the country ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump sidelines sweeping Russia sanctions as GOP allies warn pressure on Putin is slipping
President Donald Trump is holding back on sweeping new economic penalties Congress handed him to squeeze Russia. He is betting that keeping those sanctions in reserve will help bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, a strategy drawing criticism from Republican allies amid questions about whether Moscow believes he will ever use them. Over roughly a week, the administration waived most of the new Russia sanctions and tariffs enacted last month while separately easing restrictions on Russian diesel exports, moves one foreign policy expert described as Trump’s most significant effort yet to unwind economic pressure on Moscow. “It’s probably the biggest effort that the Trump administration has made to start unwinding the U.S. sanctions architecture that’s been in place against Russia since 2022 or even earlier in some cases,” Hal Brands, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, told Fox News Digital. TRUMP TRIES DIFFERENT APPROACH WITH RUSSIA TO BRING AMERICANS RELIEF AMID ONGOING WAR WITH UKRAINE Trump argues that imposing the new penalties could drive Russia away from peace negotiations. But Brands said repeatedly holding back economic punishment risks convincing Putin that Washington is unwilling to follow through on its threats. “The threat of imposition may lose some credibility if over a period of time you’ve demonstrated that you would prefer not to impose those penalties in the first place,” Brands said. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS BREAK WITH TRUMP ON DIESEL DEAL WITH RUSSIA The decision has drawn criticism from Republicans who helped advance the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, including Trump allies who worked with his White House to pass it. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who played a leading role in passing the legislation and joined Trump in the Oval Office when he signed it last month, said Tuesday the administration should be turning up economic pressure on Moscow. “It is my belief that we need to use economic firepower to help drive Putin to the table,” Britt told Semafor. “I believe that Russia is at the darkest point that they’ve been at in this entire war, and now is the time for us to turn up the pressure.” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said Congress had coordinated the legislation’s timing with the White House, making Trump’s decision to waive most of its new penalties particularly surprising. “This was an act of Congress that we had worked with the White House on,” Capito said. “We had timed this to when the president and the White House felt it was a good time to move forward with this, where it could be effective.” Other Republicans were more blunt in their criticism. “Beyond irresponsible,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., wrote on X. “What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?” “It’s unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day,” he added. Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., the lead sponsor of the legislation named for her late brother and a Trump-endorsed candidate, said she would “choose to keep the pressure on Russia” because “I don’t trust Putin and I don’t trust Russia.” The Graham Act, signed into law in September, provided for steep tariffs targeting Russia and major purchasers of Russian energy, along with sanctions on Russian financial institutions and foreign entities doing significant business with them. Congress also included presidential waiver authority, which Trump invoked to put most of the law’s new Russia penalties on hold. Brands said including a waiver was not necessarily a mistake, even if it ultimately allowed Trump to avoid imposing the penalties lawmakers had sought. “It’s really tough to craft a sanctions or tariffs bill that forces the president to do something, and typically you don’t want to do that because there are always circumstances one can imagine in which you might want to be able to waive sanctions,” he said. Trump has defended his decision as necessary to keep Putin at the negotiating table. “My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table,” Trump wrote Sunday. In his formal certification to Congress, Trump said imposing the Graham Act penalties now “would impede ongoing U.S. efforts to negotiate a durable and comprehensive peace.” He left open the possibility of imposing them later to “incentivize resolution” of the war. Brands acknowledged that holding sanctions in reserve can give a president bargaining power, but questioned whether Putin believes Trump is prepared to follow through. “The challenge is that it’s been clear for about 18 months now, since Lindsey Graham started pushing this bill in the first place in the early parts of 2025, that the president simply doesn’t have much appetite for squeezing the Russian energy export system to the degree that people like the late Senator Graham envisioned and desired,” Brands said. The administration has separately eased existing restrictions to allow more Russian diesel onto the market, a move intended to relieve pressure on global fuel prices. Trump has criticized Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, arguing they are straining diesel markets. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has described sanctions relief as a “carrot” that could encourage Russia to de-escalate. Brands said the immediate financial benefit to Moscow from diesel relief is probably “fairly marginal.” The more consequential decision, he argued, was Trump’s refusal to activate the broader sanctions and tariffs Congress authorized. “There’s a potential for pretty serious pressure to be exerted if he had used both the sanctions authorities and essentially the secondary tariff authorities to go after purchasers of Russian energy products overseas,” Brands said. Such measures could “put a fairly significant squeeze on the Russian war economy” while discouraging other countries from doing business with Moscow, he added. Brands acknowledged that squeezing Russian energy exports could further
Trump pushback, Biden ‘disaster’ and gender surprise: 5 key moments from Kansas Senate debate
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton sparred over President Donald Trump, immigration, Iran, transgender athletes, artificial intelligence and personal controversies during a contentious Kansas Senate debate Wednesday night. The hourlong showdown came less than two weeks before Election Day as Marshall seeks a second term and Hamilton, a longtime pastor, tries to become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Kansas since 1932. The race has drawn increased national attention as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the Senate, with Trump traveling to Kansas earlier this week to campaign for Marshall â a topic touched on during the debate. Here are five moments that stood out from Wednesday night’s debate. SLEEPER SENATE RACE EMERGES AS UNEXPECTED HEADACHE FOR REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS The debate wasted little time getting contentious, opening with questions about controversies that have fueled attacks against both candidates. Marshall was confronted with a New York Times review that found his former medical practice sued more than 700 patients over unpaid bills. “Every year we gave away $3 to $4 million of charity, but we also had a business,” Marshall responded. “We had 300 employees, we had a mortgage payment, we had electric.” Hamilton, meanwhile, was questioned about his handling of allegations involving a volunteer at his church’s summer camp who was accused of sexual abuse. Hamilton acknowledged that he should have ensured the individual did not return to the camp following an initial investigation. FROM ‘THIRD REICH’ TO âNOT THAT INFORMEDâ: SENATE DEBATES DELIVER FIREWORKS BEFORE MIDTERMS “I should have checked to make sure that he wasn’t going back,” Hamilton said. “That was a mistake on my part.” Trump became part of the debate after moderators played footage from the president’s campaign appearance for Marshall in Kansas earlier in the week. “And at this election, I’m asking you to pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot. Just pretend,” Trump told the crowd. Marshall was then asked whether Trump’s support meant Kansans should expect him to back every part of the president’s agenda. “No,” Marshall responded, saying there had been “multiple times” when he objected to Trump. Pressed to identify a specific disagreement, Marshall pointed to recent immigration enforcement in southwest Kansas and Trump’s approach to beef imports. “Just like with my wife, I can disagree with her. My wife is always right,” Marshall joked. “And President Trump is not always right.” Marshall nevertheless urged Trump voters to turn out for him, arguing that electing Hamilton could help Democrats capture the Senate. The two rivals found themselves in agreement when the moderator asked each candidate how many genders there are. “There’s two. There’s a boy and there’s a girl,” Marshall said. “I delivered 5,000 of them and almost half were boys and half were girls.” “There are two genders, male and female,” Hamilton responded. TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM JD VANCE TOWN HALL: COSTLY GAS, DC CORRUPTION, IMMIGRATION HOT TAKES AND THE WAR The candidates then turned to the debate over transgender participation in women’s sports. Hamilton said decisions over athletic eligibility should generally be made locally but was unequivocal about whether biological males should compete against females. “I have a 12-year-old granddaughter. I don’t want biological men or boys competing against her that could harm her,” Hamilton said. “It’s not a fair, fair fight.” Marshall argued that by high school, “boys need to be in boys sports, girls in girls sports,” while accusing national Democrats of pushing “transgender ideology.” Hamilton later accused Marshall of using the issue to “pick on” and “bully” people. Hamilton called for greater federal oversight of artificial intelligence and compared the emerging technology to the development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons. “We developed a Nuclear Regulatory Commission. We need to do the same thing with AI,” Hamilton said. But when the moderator pressed him to identify specific federal regulations he would support, Hamilton acknowledged he did not yet have an answer. “You know what? I’m not sure, to be honest,” Hamilton said, arguing that even experts are struggling to understand the technology’s potential dangers. Marshall advocated a “light touch” approach focused on national security, transparency, protecting children and privacy, while slamming a one-size-fits-all global order for artificial intelligence advancement. Hamilton pushed back sharply. “This is an existential â potential existential threat to the human race,” Hamilton said. “We can’t just go with a light touch and hope everybody does their best.” BIDEN CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT FROM CAMPAIGN TRAIL AS OBAMA, HARRIS STEP UP FOR MIDTERM PUSH Hamilton sought to put distance between himself and former President Joe Biden when moderators challenged the Democrat over his claim that he would “lead from the middle.” The moderator pointed to Hamilton’s past donations to Democrats, including Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., before asking him to identify a progressive policy he opposed. “The Biden policies when it came to the border were a disaster,” Hamilton responded. “I believe in strong and secure borders.” “I’m not somebody who favors the Socialist Party,” Hamilton added. “I’m somebody who stands in the middle.” Hamilton also reiterated during the debate that he would not support Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for majority leader if Democrats capture control of the chamber.
Antifa supporter charged with stealing GOP campaign signs in NY race to replace Stefanik
A New York man was arrested after he was allegedly captured on video stealing campaign signs belonging to Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino while driving his employer’s vehicle. Josef Marris was charged with two counts of criminal possession of stolen property, according to the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. He was also fired from East Branch Organics, according to Constantino’s campaign. Constantino, who is running in New York’s 21st Congressional District, said the alleged thefts were intended to intimidate his supporters. TRUMP ENDORSES STICKER MULE CEO WHO BATTLED OFFICIALS OVER 100-FOOT PRO-TRUMP SIGN FOR STEFANIK’S HOUSE SEAT “My campaign has lost more than $100,000 to sign theft and vandalism,” Constantino told Fox News Digital. “There are now multiple attempts to intimidate my supporters by people who are clearly pro-crime and pro-violence. The media needs to stop pretending this is a both-sides problem.” Constantino’s campaign alleged that Marris carried out the thefts on behalf of Democratic candidate Blake Gendebien. Gendebien’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. TOP ELECTION SCHEMES ROILING KEY MIDTERM RACES AS BOTH PARTIES ACCUSE RIVALS OF TRICKERY Constantino also criticized Gendebien in a post on X, writing that the Democrat “is surrounded by FAR LEFT EXTREMISTS.” WE NEED TO TALK TO COMMUNISTS BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH THEY NEED TO LEARN Marris has described himself as a communist and an Antifa supporter, according to social media posts reviewed by Fox News Digital. In April 2023, he posted an image of the three-arrow symbol, which has historically been associated with several socialist and anti-fascist movements. The symbol alone does not establish that Marris is a member of Antifa or that Gendebien’s campaign had any connection to the alleged thefts. THE BLUE WAVE LOOKS REAL UNTIL YOU LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER The incident comes as Gendebien leads Constantino in a closely watched race to succeed retiring Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., in the 21st Congressional District. One of the district’s media stations, North Country Public Radio, has flipped the congressional district from “solid” Republican to “likely” Republican.
Trump’s MAGA faithful send warning to Republicans ahead of high-stakes midterm elections
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — President Donald Trump‘s loyal base of supporters still have his and Republicans’ back in Iowa, but some are growing concerned over lingering issues, like the economy and gridlock in Congress, as Election Day nears. Trump and Republicans ran on a platform of lowering inflation, halting “forever wars” and repairing an economy that they say was wrecked by former President Joe Biden and his administration. But prices are still high, and the war in Iran is still ongoing, causing a spike in fuel prices that have stuck around heading into Nov. 3. Outside of Trump’s rally in Sioux City, Iowa, where the president was set to rile up support for Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, in a tightening Senate race against Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, his supporters who spoke with Fox News Digital still backed Republicans but expressed hope that change would soon come. VOTERS PREPARE TO WEIGH-IN ON TRUMP’S ECONOMY AS COSTS CONTINUE TO SURGE Beth Fitzl, an Iowa voter, said of Trump that she didn’t “agree with everything he does, but in the end, he’s here for us.” “This is the way I see it,” Fitzl told Fox News Digital. “He’s like the Packers, OK? They may be getting in deep, but they always pull it off in the end, and I truly think he’s going to do something to turn it around. I really think he’s going to pull something to turn it around.” Chuck Jones, a veteran and Purple Heart recipient who made the trek from Minnesota for the Iowa rally, was frustrated about the divisive, tribal nature of politics. He told Fox News Digital that “these politicians, they’re fighting for one thing on one side, and other people are fighting for something on the other side, but there’s nobody sitting at the table in the middle.” TRUMP VOTERS REVEAL THEIR BIGGEST FEAR HEADING INTO MIDTERMS — AND IT’S NOT RISING PRICES When asked if Republicans and Trump needed to do something different should they hold onto control of Washington, D.C., after the election, Jones said, “Well, I think it’s time that we’re going to have to show some difference, because people aren’t happy with the way things have been in the last few years.” “And we’re going to have to do something about it and decisively show the American public that you can get it done and get it done correctly,” he said. “They’re going to have to work together instead of fighting each other.” Hinson’s race is one of six toss-ups that Republicans in the Senate are trying to hold onto. She and Turek are vying for Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat after she opted to retire from the upper chamber last year. Their race, like others during this cycle, has become surprisingly close, given that Trump won the state in 2024 by roughly 13 points and has won it each time he’s been on the ballot. THUNE MAKES BOLD PREDICTION ABOUT REPUBLICANS’ SENATE CHANCES AS GOP PULLS MILLIONS FROM KEY RACES Dawn Stanley, an Iowa voter who has voted for Trump in each of the last three elections, still planned to support him and Hinson. She told Fox News Digital that Turek hadn’t “showed up” for Iowa and noted that he’d been absent from the state legislature “42% of the time” — Turek missed 261 votes between January and May of this year while on the campaign trail. Still, her biggest frustration with Republicans was their inability to pass the SAVE America Act, voter ID and election security legislation that has been consistently blocked by Senate Democrats. “I really do think it comes down to the SAVE Act,” Stanley said. “I really do, because we can’t have all these Democrats in there and bringing over all these illegals who are going to vote for those people and have chaos. That’s what it is.” “The United States is in chaos and I really believe it’s because of the illegals and the Islamic terrorists that are coming over,” she continued. “And just look at what’s going on in France. I mean, it’s terrible. And I don’t want that for our country, and that’s what Trump can stop. And that’s why we need to bring in all the conservatives that we can.” Others were concerned about Democrats regaining power and feared that Republicans may not show up on Nov. 3 to support GOP candidates. “We need to get the people out to vote,” Kurt, who traveled from South Dakota for the rally, told Fox News Digital. “Republican people need to get out the vote. They stay home too much. This is a war to be won with the Left, as far as I’m concerned.”