Dem AG’s ‘too many golf courses’ remark goes viral as critics tee off
Arizona’s Senate president took aim at viral comments about the future of golf from the state’s Democratic attorney general as their battle to be the state’s top law enforcement officer entered its final stretch before next week’s midterm elections. A remark about potentially restricting golf courses and the Grand Canyon State having “too much grass” turned a debate over water conservation into a campaign flashpoint, with Sen. Warren Petersen accusing Attorney General Kris Mayes of targeting a multibillion-dollar industry in the desert state while Mayes later insisted her remarks were taken out of context. “Kris Mayes thinks Arizona has too many golf courses. I think Arizona has too many radical politicians who believe government should dictate which industries get to thrive,” Petersen, R-Maricopa, told Fox News Digital Tuesday. 100 DAYS UNTIL MIDTERMS AND DEMOCRATS ARE WINNING BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A MESSAGE “Our golf courses support jobs, tourism, small businesses and communities across this state. Instead of attacking an industry that contributes to our economy, the attorney general should be focused on enforcing the law, protecting consumers and defending Arizona families.” In an interview with Politico delving into the data center debate and whether the proliferation of water-intensive buildings is wise, particularly in an arid state, Mayes cited neighboring states allegedly “backed by” the Trump administration as hindrances to Arizona’s local supply. Mayes’ golf course remarks came shortly after she warned that Arizona was headed toward a potential Supreme Court showdown over Colorado River water supplies. “We could do a hell of a lot more when it comes to conservation,” she said, citing tax incentives for catchment and removal of lawns. GRAND CANYON WATER PIPELINE DAMAGED AGAIN AS FLOODING COMPLICATES REPAIRS “We have way, way too much grass in Arizona. We probably, frankly — and I’m sure the golf industry is not going to like this when I say this — we probably have too many golf courses in Arizona right now.” That remark sparked blowback from Petersen and many others. “We don’t have a golf course problem in Arizona. We have a dumocrat (sic) problem in Arizona,” quipped Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz. “Kris Mayes is promising to get rid of golf courses. I promise to get rid of Kris Mayes,” Petersen added in his own tweet. E-procurement software CEO Tom Spengler added that Arizona “honestly need[s] more golf courses.” “Tee times are very hard to get and rates have doubled or tripled since COVID,” he said. “We have too much grass — said no one ever, other than Kris Mayes,” added Turning Point USA executive Justin Streiff. Arizona’s business community also took notice, and Arizona Chamber of Commerce Vice President Courtney Coolidge responded to Mayes with several statistics about golf’s impact on the state. Coolidge reported a $6 billion economic impact, 66,000 jobs, $2.3 billion in wages and $520 million in tax revenue. Most relevant to the water debate, she said golf courses collectively use 2% or less of the state’s water resources. Those stats also lined up closely with separate figures in a 2023 study by the Arizona Alliance for Golf. Popular golf satire site PGA Tuor shared a clip of Mayes’ comments, writing, “How to not get re-elected 101.” Another putting enthusiast said Mayes’ comments cost her his vote, saying, “[She] has no idea what the economic impact golf has on our entire state.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mayes for comment on the viral nature and content of her remarks. The Democrat separately tweeted that she was intending to make a larger point about water usage. “Relax, nobody’s closing golf courses,” Mayes said. “My point is we need incentives to help all Arizonans and major industries swap thirsty grass and catch rainwater, especially if our water situation gets worse — while I take on the foreign mega-farms and data centers draining our water.” She then accused Petersen of spreading “false claims.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER But Mayes’ response was also met with ridicule. X critics called it “condescending” while one also quipped, “you relax – we all heard you.” Others characterized her stated approach toward the golf industry as “communist.” With Election Day just days away, Petersen is betting the controversy will resonate beyond the fairways, casting Mayes’ remarks as part of a larger dispute over government intervention in Arizona’s economy as Republicans seek to regain control of a state government they once reliably held.
Dueling rallies thrust deep-red Lone Star town into the center of the political universe
LUBBOCK, Texas — Two rallies, two crowds and two very different visions for Texas converged in deep-red Lubbock on Tuesday night as Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico made their cases to voters. Trump supporters camped out at Lubbock’s Civic Center as early as Monday night, calling the event a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” About four miles away, roughly 4,000 Talarico supporters descended on the neighborhood around the Fiesta Center. The rallies put Lubbock’s political identity on display. Long a ruby-red Republican stronghold, the city is now a battleground in a Senate race in which polls show Talarico narrowly leading Paxton. Outside Paxton’s rally, supporters remained confident the Lone Star State would stay red. Jenny, who traveled from Brownsville, dismissed the idea that the race was close. “What else do the Democrats have? They have Talarico going against Paxton,” she told Fox News Digital. “All they’ve got is the ability to try and make people think that it’s close and there is no point in voting.” “No, it’s not close,” Jenny added. “Paxton is going to wipe the floor with him.” MEET THE VOTERS WHO COULD BREAK THE GOP’S DECADESLONG GRIP ON A REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLD Eric, a Lubbock resident, also predicted a Republican win, saying Democratic policies do not align with his views. “Most of the Democrats that you talk to, when you start talking common sense to them, a lot of them, they don’t know if it’s a red or a blue policy, and a lot of them line up with red as well,” he said. “It’s gonna stay red, absolutely.” Nathan, from Milton, said he wants to preserve what he sees as Texas’ traditional values, including gun rights and opposition to abortion. “I want to make sure we are keeping all the normal values that we have in Texas,” he said. “I want to make sure that we are keeping our guns, we are keeping our safety, keeping abortion as far away from Texas and do everything we can to keep Texas, Texas.” Across town, Talarico supporters said Trump’s appearance alongside Paxton showed Republicans were worried about losing ground in a reliably red state. “Trump’s in Lubbock? Trump’s in Lubbock, Texas? He’s scared, he is scared,” one supporter told Fox News Digital. Natalie, from Friona, also viewed the same-day rallies as a sign of nervousness. “I think they have to be nervous, and I think it’s performative, like to come the exact same day as he is here,” she said. “I really hope so, and looking at all of this, I think it is.” DEEP IN TRUMP COUNTRY, A NEW GENERATION REVEALS THE DIVIDE BEHIND TEXAS’ TIGHT SENATE RACE Elias, a Lubbock resident, said Paxton’s reliance on Trump reflected poorly on the Republican candidate. He pointed to Paxton’s past controversies and impeachment by the Texas House. “I think it shows that Paxton is a weak leader,” Elias said. “He had a chance to kind of redeem himself despite his ugly past, but he’s not a man, he can’t stand up for himself. He needs daddy Trump to come and support him.” Other Talarico supporters said they believed Texas could turn blue. Jessica, from Lubbock, and Shelby, from Houston, cited dissatisfaction with how the state has been run in recent years. “I think they’re scared that it is going to flip, and I believe it will because of how they have run this county the last few years,” they said. Christine and John, both from Lubbock, also predicted change. “They are nervous, and this is the year we are going to change it all,” Christine said. Paloma, a Lubbock resident, put their optimism plainly: “This is the year that we flip blue. We are definitely going to flip the state.”
‘Radical Left Lunatic’ judge Trump wanted impeached takes up Ilhan Omar warrant fight
A federal judge who has become a frequent legal thorn in the side of President Donald Trump and his allies is now presiding over a fight to unseal the warrant used to search the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. The battle over whether to unseal the search warrant comes amid two separate federal investigations into the Democratic congresswoman stemming from concerns about discrepancies between financial disclosures filed a year apart and allegations that her father committed fraud when completing immigration paperwork. Omar immigrated to the United States from Somalia in 1995, when she was 12 years old. Investigators are examining whether her father misstated her age on his citizenship paperwork in 2000, potentially allowing her to obtain citizenship through him as a minor. Trump, a longtime foe of the progressive congresswoman, has been vocal in his attacks against Omar, having also accused her of committing immigration fraud by allegedly marrying her brother — referring to her first husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi. In the weeks following the Oct. 12 raid on Omar’s Washington, D.C., home, Trump called for Omar to be “put in jail.” TRUMP SAYS ILHAN OMAR COULD GO TO JAIL OR BE DEPORTED, CALLS HER ‘A DISGRACE TO OUR COUNTRY’ But the fight over whether to unseal the records is being overseen by Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, an Obama appointee and longtime target of Trump. In March 2025, after Boasberg temporarily blocked deportation flights carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members, Trump called him a “Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator” and called for his impeachment. Trump also accused Boasberg of bias, saying it was “virtually impossible for me to get an Honest Ruling in D.C.” The raid on Omar’s home came just weeks before the midterm elections, as alleged fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs had become a major political issue in the state. ILHAN OMAR’S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS Days after Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI conducted a raid on Omar’s home under a search warrant issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh, three separate requests were made to unseal the warrant — by the New York Times; Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group; and 14 press organizations. Boasberg ordered the Justice Department to defend its position on keeping the warrant sealed in response to a consolidated request from the Times and 14 press organizations by Oct. 22, but he extended the deadline following a Justice Department request to wait until the search warrant was “fully executed.” The Justice Department argued that releasing the information could compromise the integrity of the investigation. “This request sounds rash because it is rash,” Pirro wrote. “The Court should reject it without prejudice for renewal after the search warrant has been fully executed and a charging decision is made public.” The filing indicated that the Justice Department was still in the process of executing the search warrant, while other details about the investigation and warrant records remained redacted from the public record. But the Times and other media groups argue that the physical search occurred weeks ago and that any sensitive information in the warrant should be redacted rather than the entire warrant being withheld. Meanwhile, Omar is engaged in a separate dispute with the Justice Department. Her attorneys have demanded the return of property seized from her home, arguing that agents violated protections for her congressional work. They have also alleged that agents failed to provide her with a copy of the warrant and prevented her from contacting her attorneys during the search. FEDERAL AGENTS SEIZE PHONE OF REP ILHAN OMAR IN RAID TIED TO IMMIGRATION FRAUD PROBE Boasberg’s oversight of efforts to unseal the records follows a series of decisions that have drawn criticism from Trump and his allies. In June 2025, he ordered federal agencies to preserve Signal messages exchanged by senior officials while discussing U.S. military strikes in Yemen, saying the communications could constitute federal records. During the Biden administration’s Arctic Frost investigation, he signed nondisclosure orders barring phone carriers from notifying Republican lawmakers that prosecutors had subpoenaed their records. Boasberg also drew criticism over his sentencing of former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith. Clinesmith pleaded guilty to altering an email used in an application to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to renew surveillance of Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser suspected of acting as a Russian agent. Boasberg, who previously served a seven-year term on the FISA Court, said Clinesmith’s alteration of the email undermined the court’s integrity but was a misguided mistake that provided Clinesmith no personal benefit. He sentenced Clinesmith to 12 months of probation and 400 hours of community service. Boasberg said in his sentencing decision that he believed Clinesmith’s role at the center of a years-long media “hurricane” had provided sufficient punishment.
Mary Peltola’s campaign, Dems backed covert scheme to field spoiler candidates in Alaska Senate race: report
The campaign for Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola actively participated in an effort to peel votes away from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan by recruiting namesake and spoiler candidates, according to an investigation The New York Times published Wednesday. The covert operation, internally dubbed the “ballot composition project,” allegedly involved aides from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), top campaign advisors, party lawyers and an operative who traveled across the state under assumed names. In a series of posts on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said Peltola shouldn’t be allowed to keep her name on the ballot, citing the instance as “ELECTION FRAUD.” The effort began in the summer of 2025, when a Peltola staffer was directed to comb through state voter rolls to compile a list of Alaskans named Dan Sullivan, according to the report. The plan worked earlier this year when Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher and left-leaning voter from Petersburg, switched his voter registration to Republican shortly before filing his candidacy in the Senate race. TRUMP SAYS ‘WE ARE LOOKING INTO’ OTHER DAN SULLIVAN ON ALASKA BALLOT, WARNS ABOUT GOVERNOR’S RACE PERSONAL ATTACKS FLY AS SULLIVAN, PELTOLA SPAR OVER CORRUPTION, CHARACTER AND CONTROVERSY Elisa Rios, Peltola’s former campaign manager who was fired in August, told the Times that while Peltola was not directly involved in orchestrating the project, she was “definitely aware.” “Alaskan voters need to know,” Rios said. “There was a lot of speculation, and voters should get the full picture when making their decisions.” Rios later attempted to retract her comments prior to publication, but the newspaper noted that her initial interviews were corroborated by text messages, internal documents and 11 other sources. Central to the plan was Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz, who allegedly traveled through Alaska using aliases such as “Zane,” the report states. TOP ELECTION SCHEMES ROILING KEY MIDTERM RACES AS BOTH PARTIES ACCUSE RIVALS OF TRICKERY Kurtz allegedly met potential recruits at local pubs and diners, offering outside financial backing to persuade conservative and independent candidates to run and split the right-leaning vote. “The Democrats cheated!” Trump wrote. “They found a man named Dan Sullivan, put him on the Ballot, then lied to the Court, and said they didn’t know anything about it. That’s perjury. She shouldn’t be allowed to run, and neither should the FAKE Dan Sullivan!” “Peltola should suffer the Legal and Political consequences for what she has done, A FRAUD ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, and Dan Sullivan should be allowed to run without either Mary Peltola or FAKE Dan Sullivan on the Ballot,” he added. Beyond the second Sullivan, operatives recruited other potential candidates, including drywall contractor Gerald Heikes, according to the report. GOP SENATOR, EX-HOUSE DEM EMERGE FROM ALASKA’S ‘JUNGLE PRIMARY’ DESPITE FAR-LEFT MEDDLING They also allegedly successfully pressured progressive candidate David Leslie to drop out of the race to avoid siphoning votes from Peltola, paving the way for Heikes to claim the fourth spot on Alaska’s ranked-choice ballot. Campaign advisors and the DSCC also weighed creating a third-party “MAGA party” to siphon votes from the incumbent senator before abandoning the idea in May, according to the report. Jacquelyn Lopez, an attorney with the prominent Democratic firm Elias Law Group, which represents both the DSCC and Peltola’s campaign, was looped into discussions regarding the third-party strategy and field operations, the Times wrote. Internal messages allegedly showed staff asking whether they needed to “follow up with Jackie about maga party stuff,” while another noted that Lopez was in touch with Kurtz. CLICK HERE FOR MORE U.S. NEWS “The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign and did not recruit any candidates into the race,” Peltola’s campaign said in a statement to the Times. The DSCC echoed that stance, stating it had no role in recruiting either Sullivan or any other Republican candidate. In a statement to Fox News, the DSCC said it was not involved with Dan J. Sullivan, while pointing to Republicans’ allegations of political shenanigans. “Republicans have a long history of recruiting and propping up candidates in an attempt to boost their own campaigns, including recruiting a prisoner with a New York address to run against Mary Peltola and spending nearly half a million dollars to secure a spot on the ballot in Alaska for an Arizona resident in the Senate race this cycle,” a DSCC spokesperson said. The White House pointed to a social media post by Communications Director Steven Cheung on X: “BREAKING: Democrats’ secret, CORRUPT plan to stack Alaska’s ballot EXPOSED!” The report came just days before Election Day and amid a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of the election if the incumbent Sullivan loses due to voter confusion over the two identical candidate names. Under Alaska’s four-person general election system, Peltola enters Tuesday as the sole Democrat on the ballot, facing off against Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, Dan J. Sullivan and Gerald Heikes.
Peltola campaign’s alleged Dan Sullivan spoiler plot takes new turn as DOJ faces major legal hurdle
The Department of Justice faces an uphill legal battle in Alaska, where it is trying to convince a federal court that confusion between two Senate candidates with nearly identical names could be enough to delay certification of the election results. Roughly two weeks before Election Day on Oct. 22, the DOJ filed a federal lawsuit seeking to delay certification if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses and votes cast for another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan could have changed the result, pending an investigation into whether voters mistakenly selected the wrong candidate. The DOJ’s complaint stems from a controversy in Alaska where two individuals by the name of Dan Sullivan, one a retired schoolteacher and the other the state’s incumbent senator, appear alongside each other on the state’s ballots. Although Alaska has traditionally been a Republican stronghold in Senate elections, the state’s race could carry greater national significance this year as Republicans seek to defend their narrow Senate majority. The New York Times reported Wednesday that the campaign of Mary Peltola, the Democrat running for Senate in Alaska, reportedly worked with operatives to recruit another Dan Sullivan to run for Alaska’s Senate seat, hoping voter confusion would draw support from the incumbent Republican senator. Citing interviews, text messages and documents prepared for a potential lawsuit, the Times reported that the effort also targeted other potential spoiler candidates, despite the Peltola campaign’s repeated denials of involvement in the second Sullivan’s candidacy. TODD BLANCHE CHALLENGES DANA BASH FOR ONLY CITING PART OF CONSTITUTION DURING HEATED ELECTION CLASH Fox News learned Wednesday that federal prosecutors are conducting an “aggressive criminal investigation” into how the second Sullivan secured a spot on Alaska’s ballot, according to two sources familiar with the probe. Investigators are preparing grand jury subpoenas and examining potential violations of voters’ rights, with the investigation expected to continue beyond Election Day. The DOJ declined to comment. On Sunday, Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee filed a proposed motion to dismiss the Justice Department’s lawsuit, arguing that the federal law cited by the DOJ governs voter registration, not candidate eligibility or ballot design. They also urged the court to resolve the case before Election Day. Conservatives have argued that two similar names on the same ballot could possibly lead to voters who would prefer to reelect the state’s Republican senator accidentally voting for the retired school teacher. Opponents of the effort to remove Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot argue that sharing a name with an incumbent is not grounds for disqualification and that Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system allows voters to rank both candidates, potentially limiting the effects of mistaken selections. Alaska’s Division of Elections initially sided with conservatives, disqualifying Sullivan the schoolteacher by finding that his candidacy was not a genuine, good-faith bid for office but instead was designed to confuse voters into mistaking him for the senator. Alaska Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews overturned the decision in June, holding that the Division of Elections had no authority to void a candidacy on that basis. Alaska’s general election ballot identifies the incumbent as “Sullivan, Dan S.,” with Republican and incumbent designations, while listing the other candidate as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.,” without a party affiliation, a measure some argue is enough to clear up potential confusion. Lawyers at the Justice Department, however, remain unconvinced. Although Attorney General Todd Blanche has suggested that officials could examine ranked-choice ballot patterns for signs of confusion, the Justice Department has not explained how those patterns could establish that individual voters mistakenly selected the wrong candidate. Voter privacy protections pose a major obstacle to a potential federal case, as it would be nigh impossible to tie specific voters to specific ballots to serve as evidence of confusion. ALASKA HAS A VOTING SYSTEM LIKE NO OTHER STATE; REPUBLICANS WORRY IT COULD COST THEM IN NOVEMBER “This is just the stuff that is just impossible to measure after the fact,” Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller said of the DOJ’s plan to infer voter intentions from anonymous ballots. Blanche, in interviews with the press, has provided some insight into how he would like the DOJ to go about solving this problem. “So, because of rank-based voting, voters… they write not just one, not just two, but multiple names on the ballot. And so there are a number of scenarios where it could be obvious that a voter was confused by the way they wrote down candidates,” Blanche told CNN’s Dana Bash. Blanche’s comments suggest that the Justice Department could examine ranked-choice ballot patterns for potential signs of confusion, although such patterns alone would not establish whether voters intended to support a different candidate. “It will be obvious from the results and from the ballots that voters were confused, and that could be obvious from the way that they rank the Dan Sullivans or not including a Dan Sullivan on the ballot,” he said in a later interview with CBS. ALASKA REPUBLICANS SCRAMBLE TO EDUCATE VOTERS ON SUSPECTED DEM PLANT AS ‘BALLOT FATIGUE’ THREATENS RACE Don Palmer, senior legal fellow for election integrity at the right-of-center Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that he feels the Justice Department might have a case if the agency’s lawyers construct it properly. Statistical analysis of ballots alone, he maintains, will likely not be sufficient to convince a judge of the administration’s position. “You’ll have the opportunity to interview witnesses, do some statistical analysis, and make a decision whether or not the campaign wants to contest the results of the election,” Palmer said. “So it’s actually quite a high standard where you have to bring in witnesses. You can’t generally just prove it with some statistical analysis… the campaign would have to show to the court through statistical and expert testimony, plus witness testimony, plus affidavits, that enough voters were confused, that they made inaccurate choices on what they intended to do. Then and only then could the court determine whether the race should be overturned.” “If voters voted for the non-Republican Dan
Democrat House candidate hit with felony summons at campaign event
A Democratic candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives said she is facing criminal charges and that she was hit with a police summons while at her own campaign event this month. Lakesha Womack, who is running to represent North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District, which is currently held by Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., said in a Facebook video she was confronted by police about felony charges related to failure to pay for a rental car in 2019 when she arrived to a campaign event in Polk County, N.C., on Oct. 11. Womack claimed she was first made aware of the felony case just days before despite records showing it had been opened in January 2020. Moore’s campaign said the incident “raises serious questions” and that “she owes voters an explanation, especially since her court date is one week after the election.” DEM HOUSE CANDIDATE SETTLES YEARS-LONG $55K DEBT FIGHT WITH FORMER MOTHER-IN-LAW WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION “How is she going to be an advocate for our community when she can’t manage her own personal affairs? As an attorney for over 30 years, I think everyone should be held to the same standard of justice, and this situation is no different. Free legal advice: When the rental agreement ends, so does your right to keep the car,” Moore’s campaign told Fox News Digital. The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Womack was served a criminal summons for felony failure to return a hired motor vehicle on Oct. 11 by a deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It did not confirm that it took place at a campaign event. DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE SEEN SOBBING, PRAYING IN PATROL CAR AFTER DUI ARREST: VIDEO Womack recalled being told about her criminal charges days before the campaign event during a conversation with Gastonia, North Carolina’s NAACP branch. In 2019, she said she was homeless with little money when she had a medical incident that sent her to the intensive care unit (ICU). During that time, her son was placed into foster care with no one immediately able to look after him. After retrieving her son, Womack said, “I’m living in a hotel and, you know, scraping together, you know, dollars to buy food from Dollar Tree, to like, buy dinner for him every night. And I had a rental car. Couldn’t afford the rental car, and they came and got it. And, so, I never knew that, you know, they have filed, you know, I guess that it was a pending felony. DEM HOUSE HOPEFUL ALLEGES SHE WAS BRUTALLY ATTACKED DURING 2 AM CAMPAIGN ERRAND “I didn’t post that I was gonna be in Polk County, but they knew exactly what car I was driving. And as soon as I parked, they pulled up behind me and served my papers with my address from 2019. So, y’all hadn’t looked for me in the past seven years, but now all of a sudden, you know exactly what car I drive and where I’m going to be,” Womack said. She did admit in an Oct. 9 video addressing the charges that she did owe fees, “but I just want you all to know that, you know, I do owe them people some money.” She said in the same video that she thought she previously “had resolved the issue, but it’s not resolved.” Womack said in that video that she could not receive the January 2020 criminal summons at the time because she was homeless and therefore did not have a stable address. That video appears to have since been deleted from her campaign Facebook page. Womack said in later videos that she could not discuss an active case. If found guilty, she could face between four and 24 months behind bars or community service for that duration. North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District is located in the western part of the state and spans from the suburbs of Charlotte to more rural areas in the North Carolina foothills. Fox News Digital reached out to Womack’s campaign for comment.
Hochul reveals which election result would make her job ‘a lot easier’ — and it’s not her own
Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday that her job would be “a lot easier” if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu loses his bid to remain in power. “A lot easier. And here’s the challenge: I represent the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel,” Hochul told Politico Magazine when asked “How much easier would your job get if [Benjamin] Netanyahu loses?” “And I know they’re suffering,” Hochul continued. “A lot of people are anxious about antisemitism, which is sky-high right now. And I take that personally, because I represent everyone. I went to Israel right after Oct. 7. I saw a lot of pain there. But I actually cautioned the government there, in private conversations, not to overreach.” Israelis cast their ballots on Tuesday in the country’s first general election since the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. Tuesday’s election in Israel notably came just one week before the U.S. midterm elections – which includes Hochul’s race to retain her position as New York’s top leader. POTENTIAL 2028 DEM CONTENDER UNLOADS ON NETANYAHU, ADMITS US-ISRAEL TIES AT ‘CROSSROADS’ “The world is with you when it comes to the brutal assault by a terrorist organization known as Hamas on innocent Israeli people,” she continued. “An overreach could change that dynamic, and that’s what’s happened.” The Democratic governor went on to say that she does not believe it is currently in Netanyahu’s “interest” to “have a safe Palestinian state.” Hochul is not the only prominent New York Democrat to criticize Netanyahu. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been even more outspoken, calling the Israeli leader “the architect of horrific genocide against Palestinians” in September. Hochul is also facing voters in November, but a Siena Research Institute poll released Wednesday showed her holding a 14-point lead over Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman, 54% to 40%. RAHM EMANUEL ACCUSES ANTI-ISRAEL DEMS OF HAVING NO MIDDLE EAST PLAN BESIDES CUTTING FUNDING TO JEWISH STATE Hochul notably issued a proclamation on May 11 recognizing the month as Jewish American Heritage Month in her state. “We have to have leadership there that understands the security of Israel is paramount — critically important to me, but also the world — but to have a safe Palestinian state as well, which has been talked about my entire life,” Hochul told Politico Magazine. “I still believe that this can happen. I believe we have to get people of goodwill who can make this happen, and as long as Netanyahu is sitting there, that is not in his interest to do that. It’s just not, and it won’t happen.” When reached for comment, Hochul’s office directed Fox News Digital to the governor’s remarks to Spectrum News NY1 during a Q&A with the press in New York City on Wednesday. “Well, that’s certainly [voters’] prerogative to decide who they want to lead Israel,” Hochul told NY1. “It’s not mine. But I was simply asked a question, if you see how it’s framed. Would your life be a lot easier if Netanyahu was not the leader of Israel? I’m like, yes.” FORMER ISRAELI ARMY CHIEF GADI EISENKOT EMERGES AS NETANYAHU’S LEADING ELECTION CHALLENGER Tuesday’s vote marked a major test for Netanyahu’s political future as Israelis headed to the polls for the first time since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. “I am proud of Israel’s democratic process,” Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told Fox News Digital. “Yesterday, millions of Israelis exercised their democratic right to vote, with voter turnout reaching one of the highest levels recorded in Israel this century – 77.7%. The Israeli people have made their voices heard, and their democratic choice deserves to be respected.” “I encourage all elected officials in the United States to respect Israel’s democratic process, just as Israel respects the democratic process in the United States,” Danon added. “Our shared commitment to democracy is a fundamental pillar of the strong and enduring partnership between our two countries.” With about 70% of the votes tallied as of Wednesday morning, partial results reported by Israeli media showed Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc leading with 54 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, versus 47 for the main opposition and 19 for Arab parties.
DOJ fires back at Dem AG over Election Day guidance telling officials when to call cops on federal agents
The Justice Department blasted Virginia Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones’ Election Day guidance as “bluster and political posturing,” pushing back against his 10-page directive advising local election officials to call police when federal agents approach polling places and to document their activities. The Oct. 15 bulletin, jointly issued by Jones’ office and the Virginia Department of Elections, outlines how officials should respond to federal agents, scrutinize requests from DOJ election monitors and prepare for potential federal demands for ballots and voting equipment. The dispute comes as conservative litigation firm America First Legal pursues records concerning the state’s warnings about potential federal election interference, which Fox News Digital has learned. “The Virginia Attorney General’s performative actions attack a strawman,” a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “DOJ’s election monitors will be engaging in the same routine monitoring we’ve done for decades.” SPANBERGER AG DRAWS FIRE OVER TWO-FRONT FIGHT AGAINST TRUMP ENFORCEMENT AGENDA “We’re hopeful local election officials in Virginia continue their longstanding practice of allowing DOJ election monitors into polling places to evaluate for compliance with federal law,” the spokesperson continued. “The Virginia AG’s statement reads as nothing more than bluster and political posturing for his own self-interested purposes.” DOJ has already announced it plans to send election monitors to Democratic-heavy Fairfax and Prince William Counties. Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart, an attorney who battled Jones over Democrats’ failed redistricting-related litigation, said Jones has his election-security priorities backward. “Jay Jones wants poll workers collecting ICE agents’ badge numbers, but God forbid they verify a voter’s ID,” Williams said. “Plus, I thought Democrats said illegals weren’t voting, so who exactly is Jones trying to protect?” MAP IT: DOJ ILLEGAL VOTING CRACKDOWN SWEEPS 17 STATES AS RAZOR-THIN ELECTIONS FACE SCRUTINY Virginia still requires voters to present identification or sign an identity confirmation statement, although legislation enacted this year eliminated Election Day challenges to individual voters’ qualifications at polling places. The blueprint noted that ELECT — the Virginia elections agency — received multiple inquiries about how to respond to federal representatives showing up at polls. It instructed election officials to consult with lawyers and establish communications with local prosecutors and police: “Having these discussions prior to Election Day ensures that election officials can provide their perspective to local law enforcement about what counts as intimidation and interference during elections, including issues related to the presence of unauthorized individuals.” “If, for example, an armed individual attempts to gain access to a polling location, officials should call local law enforcement immediately,” it added in a section addressing unauthorized individuals and prohibited conduct. The bulletin separately advises officials to consider contacting police and counsel if federal agents approach or enter polls, while cautioning against physically obstructing them. Virginia State Sen. Danny Diggs, R-Poquoson — the former sheriff of York County — told Fox News Digital that in his 45 years in law enforcement he never saw an officer or official observer “make a polling place less safe.” “I routinely visited every polling place, inside and outside, while armed and in uniform and was always welcomed by election officials and voters. The Attorney General apparently thinks otherwise,” Diggs said. He also called it “reckless” for the attorney general’s game plan to urge election officials to confront federal observers. On Page 4, the plan says ordinary DOJ monitors must obtain local authorization to enter polling locations, under rules similar to those for neutral observers. If a DOJ monitor requests access, the plan prescribes that local registrars discuss the scope of the monitoring with the agency before consenting, and “consider asking whether DOJ is assessing compliance with civil or criminal federal laws.” The bulletin also advises election officials to consult attorneys and prepare to respond to federal subpoenas seeking ballots or voting equipment. Fox News Digital reached out to Jones and ELECT for comment and a response to critics. Jones, however, spoke out days earlier after launching a related new Voter Protection Section within his office. “I was raised by people who understood that the right to vote was never simply given. Generations of Americans had to sacrifice, organize, and show extraordinary courage to claim that right,” Jones said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “That history is personal to me, and it reminds us that the work of civil rights and voting rights is never finished. “That is why we created a dedicated Voter Protection Section within the Office of the Attorney General. This work now has a permanent home, and a team focused every day on defending voting rights and enforcing Virginia law. Virginia votes every year, and protecting the franchise must be a year-round responsibility. In Virginia, the right to vote will be defended.” Virginia Beach attorney Tim Anderson also analyzed Jones’ gameplan, calling it a “remarkable directive to election officials.” “While all this is happening, Virginia has eliminated the ability to challenge a voter’s qualifications at the polling place,” Anderson said. “Think about what we’re witnessing: The attorney general is preparing election officials to scrutinize federal law enforcement while Virginia has eliminated a longstanding Election Day safeguard for questioning voter eligibility,” he said in a statement. “The bulletin identifies no specific planned unlawful federal operation in Virginia.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER America First Legal (AFL) exclusively told Fox News Digital on Tuesday it filed a public-records request Monday seeking legal analyses and communications behind the bulletin, records concerning Jones’ newly launched Voter Protection Section and inquiries about federal election monitoring. The dispute now turns on what evidence, if any, prompted Jones’ office to prepare for potential federal interference at Virginia polling places, and whether the records sought by America First Legal will shed light on the attorney general’s concerns ahead of Election Day.
Manhunt underway for violent illegal immigrant who was released under NYC sanctuary policies
FIRST ON FOX: New York City’s sanctuary policy is again coming under fire after authorities released an illegal immigrant accused of assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon without notifying or cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent repeated requests for federal officials to detain Alpha Bah, an illegal immigrant from Guinea, after he was arrested on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and intent to obtain transportation without paying, Fox News Digital has learned. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer request with Queens Central Booking on Oct. 7, 2026. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) ignored the detainer and released Bah without notifying ICE. “This is the vision of sanctuary politicians in a nutshell: the open-border policies of the Biden Administration let this criminal into our country, and then sanctuary politicians in New York released him after arresting him without notifying ICE,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News Digital. Bah’s release is just one of many examples of sanctuary cities in the U.S. allowing illegal immigrants back into the U.S. following their arrest, and it flies in the face of the Trump administration’s crackdown on allowing people without legal status to remain in the country. HOUSE REPORT SAYS NYC PROSECUTORS TAILORED PLEA DEALS TO SHIELD ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM DEPORTATION “This illegal alien from Guinea was arrested for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon. Despite these violent charges, New York City sanctuary politicians refused to honor ICE’s detainer and RELEASED him back onto the streets, and he remains at large,” Mullin said in a statement. He added, “DHS is calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to knock it off with these evil sanctuary policies before another American gets hurt, or worse.” ICE has now twice requested that Bah be held in custody. He was previously charged with intent to obtain transportation without paying in June 2026. ICE lodged a detainer with Manhattan Central Booking, but the NYPD also released him following that arrest. Bah entered the United States illegally in November 2023. He resided in Arizona before being arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol. He was also arrested in January 2025 for criminal trespassing but was released before ICE was able to request a detainer on him under Biden-era policies, according to DHS. HOCHUL REMAINS DEFIANT AFTER SHERIFFS SUE OVER LAW BANNING COOPERATION WITH ICE: ‘BRING IT ON’ Bah’s release has prompted DHS to call on all pro-sanctuary politicians, not just Hochul and Mamdani, to reconsider policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., has been a large proponent of implementing policies that place restrictions on state and local law enforcement cooperating with federal immigration authorities. In May, she signed legislation that imposed laws blocking New York’s law enforcement agencies from entering into official agreements with ICE. New York City’s socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani has similarly supported sanctuary policies in the city, signing an executive order to “reaffirm the city’s commitment to being a sanctuary for all New Yorkers.” The order made it more difficult to access data of illegal immigrants, restricted federal immigration enforcement on city property and put in place an audit to check that city agencies are complying with sanctuary policies. MAMDANI MESSAGE TO RESIDENTS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH ICE RESULTS IN VIRAL INTERNET BACKLASH: ‘TREASON’ “The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) partnerships with local law enforcement are key to removing criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from American communities,” DHS said in a statement responding to the introduced policies. “7 of the 10 safest cities in the U.S. cooperate with ICE.” Neither Hochul’s nor Mamdani’s offices immediately replied to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Federal judge who oversaw Maduro, Trump cases dead at 92
Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who was overseeing the case against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, died at the age of 92 on Tuesday. Hellerstein had served as a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York since 1998, after being appointed by then-President Bill Clinton. He had also presided over President Donald Trump’s attempts to move his New York criminal case from state courts to federal courts. The court said Hellerstein died of natural causes just short of his 93rd birthday. TRUMP PICKS JAMES MCDONALD TO LEAD POWERFUL SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AFTER JAY CLAYTON’S DEPARTURE Hellerstein earned his J.D. and bachelor’s degree from Columbia University, according to the Federal Judicial Center. He served in the U.S. Army, JAG Corps from 1957-1960 before 38 years of private practice prior to his judicial appointment. DENVER MAN’S ESCAPE EXPOSES CHILLING TREN DE ARAGUA KIDNAPPING PLOT THAT LANDS TRIO IN PRISON A new judge is set to be randomly assigned to handle the Maduro case following Hellerstein’s passing. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are both charged with conspiracy to commit torture against Americans and others to stay in power, according to a superseding indictment filed in early October. Maduro’s government, according to the indictment, “presided over a system of repression that relied on violence against political opposition, arbitrary detention, and the torture of detainees, including United States citizens.” The torture included “electric shock, asphyxiation, rape, forced nudity, prolonged isolation, starvation, punishment cells, and psychological torture, such as threats to harm and kill victims’ families, including children,” the indictment read. MADURO ALLY DEPORTED TO US OVER ALLEGED BILLION-DOLLAR CORRUPTION SCHEME TIED TO OIL, FOOD PROGRAM The charge carries a maximum of life imprisonment if any of the alleged torture resulted in death, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if not. The indictment alleges Maduro and Flores “inflicted severe physical and mental pain and suffering to repress and punish political opposition, silence dissent and perceived dissent, preserve and protect the power and authority of the members of the conspiracy, and intimidate, harass, and neutralize their opponents, including through kidnappings.” MADURO’S ALLEGED ‘BAG MAN’ ALEX SAAB ARRESTED LESS THAN 3 YEARS AFTER BIDEN PARDON: REPORT The pair, who face numerous other charges, were arrested in Venezuela in January during Operation Absolute Resolve. Maduro was originally charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices in a 2011 indictment that President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice unsealed in 2020. Flores was then charged in a superseding indictment in January with cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. They have pleaded not guilty, and a trial is scheduled for June 2027. Flores appeared in court earlier this month for a bond hearing on her motion for release from jail. Her lawyers were requesting home confinement with GPS tracking, citing a heart condition and arguing she does not pose a danger to the community. Hellerstein denied the request. Fox News’ Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.