Obama backs Ilhan Omar amid probe, accuses Trump admin of ‘appalling’ targeting in lengthy statement
Former President Barack Obama accused the Trump administration of weaponizing the federal government against its political enemies in a social media post defending Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., amid an investigation into the progressive lawmaker’s citizenship. Obama claimed the administration is attempting to strip Omar of her U.S. citizenship and deport her over her criticism of President Donald Trump, warning that the effort could set a dangerous precedent. “It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say,” Obama wrote Sunday on X. “But that’s exactly what the Trump Administration is doing to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.” ILHAN OMAR’S TURBULENT WEEK EXPLAINED: THE DUELING PROBES THAT THREW THE SOMALI-BORN PROGRESSIVE INTO CHAOS Obama’s remarks come after federal agents searched Omar’s Washington, D.C., home as part of a criminal investigation into her immigration status. Sources previously told Fox News Digital that investigators are examining whether Omar or her father committed fraud on immigration paperwork when she became a U.S. citizen decades ago. Obama defended the circumstances under which Omar became a U.S. citizen, saying, “To understand why this is so appalling, it’s important to know the facts.” Obama then said Omar arrived in the United States with her father at age 12 and automatically became a citizen at 17 when her father was naturalized. The former president accused investigators of pursuing an “unsubstantiated theory” that Omar was actually 18 at the time, which he said would have required her to apply for citizenship separately. “The full weight of the federal government is being brought down on a law-abiding elected official because she has dared to criticize the president,” Obama wrote. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Department of Homeland Security for comment on the former president’s allegations. Trump has denied involvement in the investigation, previously telling reporters that the matter was up to the Justice Department. “I’ve always found her to be totally crooked, personally, but that has nothing to do with me,” Trump said. Obama also accused the administration of repeatedly targeting perceived political opponents, pointing to federal actions involving New York’s attorney general, a former FBI director and members of the Federal Reserve. “The fact that any president, or any administration, is willing to engage in such transparent efforts to intimidate someone should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views,” Obama wrote. “Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.” Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
The nine key races that will decide who controls the Senate, and where they stand
Democrats have expanded their once-narrow path to reclaiming the Senate majority with just over two weeks until Election Day, but they’ll need to win several competitive races to take control of the chamber. If Democrats ride a massive blue wave in the midterm elections, they could end up with 52 or even 53 seats in the next Senate. But if Republicans out-perform the polls, they could hold their majority, which currently stands at 53-47. Here’s a look at the current battlefield and both parties’ routes to securing a Senate majority in the midterms. The latest Power Rankings point to Democrats and Republicans each taking 47 seats in the midterms, leaving six races rated as true toss-ups. Additionally, three races are rated as leaners — one step shy of a toss-up. These nine showdowns will likely determine whether the Democrats make a net gain of four seats to win control of the Senate or if the GOP holds the majority. DEMS SEE NEW CHANCES TO FLIP SENATE SEATS BUT GOP’S MASSIVE CASH ADVANTAGE AN OBSTACLE “Nine races will determine control of the Senate, and on the polling alone, you could call any of them toss-ups,” said Remy Numa, a Fox News contributor who steers the network’s Power Rankings. The GOP is fighting political history, as the party in power in Washington has traditionally lost seats during midterm election years. Republicans also face a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation Americans see at the grocery store, high gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and President Donald Trump‘s increasingly negative approval ratings. With Republicans controlling the seats in six of the nine competitive races in the Power Rankings, the GOP is playing more defense than the Democrats. The six toss-up states are Alaska, where Sen. Dan Sullivan is seeking re-election against Democratic challenger and former Rep. Mary Peltola; Iowa, where Rep. Ashley Hinson is trying to keep retiring Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat in GOP hands against Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek; and Maine, where longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins is running for re-election against former state Senate President Troy Jackson, the Democratic challenger. DEMOCRATS THINK A BLUE WAVE IS BUILDING – HERE ARE THREE FACTORS THAT COULD STOP IT Also on the list is Ohio, where appointed GOP Sen. Jon Husted is running to serve the final two years of the term won in 2022 by now-Vice President JD Vance. He’s facing former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. And in Texas, state Attorney General Ken Paxton is battling Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in the race to succeed longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn, who was ousted by Paxton in a bitter Republican primary. Democrats are playing defense in Michigan, the sixth toss-up, where nominee Abdul El-Sayed is trying to keep party control of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ seat, as he faces former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Democrats are also on defense in New Hampshire, where Rep. Chris Pappas is aiming to keep retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s seat blue against former GOP Sen. John E. Sununu. The Power Rankings rate the race “Lean Democrat.” It’s a similar story in Minnesota, where Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is trying to keep retiring Sen. Tina Smith’s seat in party hands. But the Power Rankings this past week shifted the race in the blue-leaning state toward the GOP, from Likely Democrat to Lean Democrat, as Republican nominee Michele Tafoya appears to gain traction. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Meanwhile, the GOP is on defense in red-leaning Kansas, where Republican Sen. Roger Marshall faces a difficult re-election fight against Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, a pastor. The Power Rankings rate the race Lean Republican. Numa, pointing to Kansas, Minnesota and New Hampshire, said that “the voter profiles and histories of those states are keeping them at ‘Lean D’ and ‘Lean R’ on the forecast, but this map has expanded, and with the exception of the North Star State, mostly into red territory.” Meanwhile, two states are now pretty much off the table for the GOP. Georgia was a top Republican target when the 2026 cycle began, but Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff holds a solid lead over GOP challenger Rep. Mike Collins in the southeastern battleground. Republican outside groups have cut their spending significantly in Georgia, and the Fox News Power Rankings rate the race as Likely Democrat. In neighboring North Carolina, Republicans appear to have conceded the seat held by retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis. Republican groups have pulled the plug on spending on behalf of GOP nominee Mike Whatley, who trails former Gov. Roy Cooper, the Democratic nominee, in polling. The Fox News Power Rankings also rate this race as Likely Democrat. The Democrats win the majority if they run the table by holding Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire, and flip North Carolina as well as at least three of the five GOP-controlled toss-up states. “Senate Democrats are in the strongest position yet to win the majority – with multiple paths to flip GOP-held seats and growing momentum across the map,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair, touted in a recent statement. Conversely, Republicans would keep control of the chamber by holding at least three of the toss-ups where they’re playing defense. A 50-50 Senate would remain in GOP hands, thanks to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President JD Vance. Gillibrand’s counterpart, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, remains optimistic. “I think it’s going very well for us,” Scott said Thursday in an interview on Fox News “America Reports.” “The momentum, frankly, is with us, not against us.” The GOP majority could be bolstered if the party goes on offense. While chances of Sununu flipping New Hampshire appear to be receding, Republicans are optimistic Rogers can top El-Sayed in Michigan. Trump is expected to hold a rally with Rogers in the Great
Trump tries different approach with Russia to bring Americans relief amid ongoing war with Ukraine
President Donald Trump is easing some of the economic pressure on Russia in hopes of bringing Vladimir Putin closer to a peace deal — a gamble that will test whether economic incentives can move Moscow where years of sanctions have not. The administration’s decision to temporarily ease restrictions on Russian diesel has drawn opposition from Republicans on Capitol Hill and skepticism over whether the move will meaningfully lower prices for Americans. Meanwhile, Russia has offered few public signs of concessions in return. Six Republican senators joined Democrats this week in urging Trump to reverse the decision, while five House Republicans signed a separate bipartisan letter Thursday seeking to revoke the Treasury authorization. The resistance comes as Washington approaches an Oct. 18, 2026, deadline to begin implementing a sweeping new sanctions law Congress overwhelmingly approved to increase economic pressure on Russia. BIPARTISAN SENATORS DEMAND TRUMP SCRAP RUSSIA DIESEL DEAL, CALL IT ‘BETRAYAL’ OF US ALLIES The administration argues that allowing Russian diesel back onto global markets could help bring down prices for American consumers while demonstrating the economic benefits Russia could gain through improved relations with the United States. Trump has defended the agreement as a way to add supply to a global diesel market strained by high prices, stressing that the Russian fuel does not necessarily need to come state side to benefit American consumers. “That’s a diesel deal that’s going to be released into the world for the world market because the world market suffers with high prices,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. But energy analysts have questioned whether the volumes involved would meaningfully affect prices. Russia, meanwhile, continued striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure after Trump declared an immediate energy ceasefire Sunday. John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, argued the diesel agreement would make more sense as part of a reciprocal deal under which Moscow and Kyiv both stopped attacking energy infrastructure. “The Ukrainians could stomach it if it were part of a mutual energy truce where both Russia and Ukraine don’t strike each other’s infrastructure,” Hardie told Fox News Digital. Instead, Hardie said, Trump pressed Ukraine to halt its refinery strikes without securing the same restraint from Putin. “The better solution is to go back to the Kremlin and try to get that two-way solution,” he said. Trump announced the diesel agreement Oct. 9 after a phone call with Putin, saying Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the “American and Global Marketplace,” followed by another 500,000 tons in November, 1 million tons shortly thereafter and eventually another 3 million tons depending on the condition of its refineries. TRUMP RUSSIA DEAL COULD FUEL PUTIN’S WAR, EX-NATO COMMANDER WARNS AS ZELENSKYY SAYS ‘NYET’ Treasury issued General License 135 the same day, temporarily authorizing transactions involving Russian-origin diesel through April 7, 2027. The diesel dispute has become part of a broader strain between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump has repeatedly pressed Kyiv to halt refinery attacks, while Zelenskyy has criticized the diesel deal and accused Russia of ignoring Trump’s energy ceasefire. Ukraine resumed attacks on Russian oil infrastructure this week after saying Moscow had failed to observe the pause. Russia, meanwhile, has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s energy system as winter approaches. A major missile and drone attack Wednesday damaged dozens of energy facilities and left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without power, according to Ukrainian officials. The White House says the deal serves two purposes: adding supply to global fuel markets and showing Moscow some of the economic benefits that could come with improved relations. Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed the agreement with Ukrainian officials as part of an effort to revive peace negotiations, Reuters reported. One person briefed on the talks said the deal could help “soften” Moscow’s position by signaling that Trump remains open to doing business with Russia. But analysts question how much genuinely new diesel Russia can provide. “The amount of diesel Russia can provide would be a drop in the bucket compared to global demand,” Masha Kotkin, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told S&P Global. “If you are asking about US diesel prices, I don’t think it’s going to make a difference,” she said. Sergey Vakulenko, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and former Russian oil executive, similarly cautioned against treating the roughly $7 billion value of the diesel contemplated under the agreement as new revenue for Moscow, noting that Russia was already exporting substantial quantities despite Western sanctions. He estimated the sanctions relief could instead benefit Russian exporters by roughly $30 to $40 per ton through better commercial terms and lower shipping costs — tens of millions of dollars per month, only part of which would reach the Russian state through taxes. At the same time, Ukrainian strikes have sharply constrained Russia’s ability to increase supply. Vakulenko said Russian diesel available for export fell from roughly 3 million tons per month in April to about 325,000 tons in September, leaving both Russia’s additional financial benefit and the deal’s potential impact on global prices more limited than the headline figures suggest. Hardie said signs of division between Washington and Kyiv could encourage Putin to increase military pressure rather than compromise. “That message of irresolution and of division between Washington and Kyiv only encourages Putin to intensify military pressure, kind of seeing that opportunity,” Hardie said. He said the administration had previously presented sanctions relief and renewed economic ties as benefits Russia could unlock through a negotiated settlement. Offering some of those benefits beforehand, he warned, could undermine that incentive. “It’ll lead Putin to kind of digging his heels in on maximalist demands,” Hardie said. The debate comes as Congress is moving in the opposite direction. Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act into law Sept. 18, giving the administration new authorities to target Russian officials, financial institutions and entities helping sustain the war. Its first
House panel warns Singham-linked nonprofits: Comply with subpoenas or face Congress
Lawmakers have escalated their probe of three nonprofits linked to Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham’s funding network, warning that their leaders — and even Singham himself — could be hauled before Congress to answer questions under oath unless they comply with subpoenas by Tuesday. In new letters announced this week, the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee renewed its demands for financial records and other documents as lawmakers investigate whether millions of dollars flowing through Singham’s network of tax-exempt nonprofits are being used to advance Chinese Communist Party interests in the United States. Singham himself is among 21 individuals identified by the committee for potential questioning under oath, according to Fox News Digital sources. The list includes nonprofit executives, activists and journalists associated with the three organizations. PROBE INTO ‘SUBVERSIVE’ ANTI-AI SINGHAM NETWORK IS ‘ENORMOUS,’ FORMER TREASURY ADVISOR SAYS DOJ LAUNCHES GRAND JURY PROBE INTO MARXIST MOGUL NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S FUNDING OF LEFTIST GROUPS The letters were sent to The People’s Forum Inc., a New York City-based activist hub; BreakThrough News, a left-wing nonprofit media outlet that shares a Manhattan address with The People’s Forum; and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, a Massachusetts-based Marxist think tank. “Shanghai Singham has poured millions of dollars into these groups to take advantage of America’s nonprofit sector and promote Chinese Communist Party propaganda. That much is public. What these groups are fighting to keep hidden is even more concerning,” Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a statement. “Either these organizations turn over the documents, or their leaders will answer the Committee’s questions under oath.” The threatened depositions mark another escalation in a dispute that began with requests for financial records in 2025 and intensified when the committee subpoenaed the three nonprofits in July. The organizations have challenged the investigation, arguing lawmakers are targeting their political views and First Amendment-protected activities. The potential deposition targets include eight individuals at The People’s Forum, seven at BreakThrough News and six at Tricontinental. Among those named are The People’s Forum executive director Manolo De Los Santos, education director Layan Fuleihan and organizing director David Chung; BreakThrough News editor-in-chief Ben Becker, news director Zoe Alexandra and chief correspondent Rania Khalek; and Tricontinental executive director Vijay Prashad and Singham, who is listed as chairman of its international advisory board. The committee has not publicly announced that deposition subpoenas have been issued to any of the individuals. SUBPOENAED PRO-CHINA OUTLET DEFENDS ITSELF ON DEMOCRACY NOW!, WHICH PAID SINGHAM-FOUNDED COMPANY MILLIONS The panel alleges that Singham channeled money through shell companies and donor-advised funds before it reached the three tax-exempt groups. Such arrangements, the committee said, can allow foreign-linked funding to pass through intermediaries that “by design, obscure the original source of the contribution.” Singham is an American-born technology tycoon and longtime Marxist activist who sold his software company, ThoughtWorks, for an estimated $785 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai. Fox News Digital previously traced at least $278 million from Singham into six core U.S. nonprofits that served as funding hubs within a broader international network of activist groups, media organizations and think tanks promoting socialist, communist and pro-China causes. Of that funding, the investigation found $22.44 million flowed to The People’s Forum, $16.76 million to Tricontinental and $1.098 million to BreakThrough BT Media Inc., the parent organization of BreakThrough News. Together, the three received approximately $40.3 million, according to the investigation, which the committee cited in its earlier correspondence. The committee says it is examining whether existing tax laws adequately protect against foreign influence in the nonprofit sector and whether Congress should strengthen those laws. Separately, Singham is under federal grand jury investigation in the Southern District of New York over alleged financial crimes involving his nonprofit funding network, as previously reported by Fox News Digital. The investigation is examining possible wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and other financial offenses. No criminal charges against Singham have been announced. BreakThrough News condemned the latest demands in an Oct. 9 statement on its website, accusing the committee of targeting its journalists because of their political views. The outlet said it receives no outside editorial direction and that its major donations come from U.S. organizations. During an episode of its BT Live program, hosts Alexandra and Khalek, both named among those facing potential depositions, denounced the committee’s demands. “Unless BT gives up its legal rights, including our First Amendment protections, he’ll subpoena each of us individually and drag us to Washington for depositions,” Alexandra said. Khalek accused lawmakers of targeting journalists personally after the outlet challenged earlier demands. “They will come after us individually if we don’t comply with their unconstitutional demands,” she said. BreakThrough News also urged supporters to sign a petition opposing the investigation and donate to help cover its legal expenses. Fox News Digital contacted all three organizations and their attorneys for comment on the latest demands but had not received a response as of publication. The investigation has also drawn accusations of McCarthyism from prominent left-wing figures, including Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who called the July subpoenas “the McCarthy trials” and warned, “They will come for you,” and CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin, who described them as a “terrible attack on independent journalism.” ‘MCCARTHY TRIALS’: HASAN PIKER, FAR-LEFT FIGURES ERUPT OVER SUBPOENAS IN $39M SINGHAM PROBE The committee first sought records from The People’s Forum in September 2025 and expanded its investigation to BreakThrough News and Tricontinental in February 2026. After the organizations challenged the requests, lawmakers narrowed their demands in May before issuing subpoenas in July. The committee sought records involving foreign-linked funding, financial arrangements, communications with Singham and other foreign interests, and information about donors and overseas grants. Attorneys for BreakThrough News and The People’s Forum formally objected in August, arguing the subpoenas violated First Amendment protections and demanded information beyond the committee’s legitimate legislative authority. “A witch-hunt is not a valid legislative purpose,” the attorneys wrote in their Aug. 7 responses, comparing the investigation to the House Un-American Activities
This robot dog was made to save soldiers’ lives as US races into new era of autonomous warfare
A four-legged robot dog prowled the floor of the Army’s largest annual conference in Washington, D.C., this week. Nearby a handheld weapon promised to knock drones from the sky without firing a shot, and a new interceptor was built to chase down the faster, deadlier versions coming next. The displays offered a glimpse of a battlefield changing at a pace that is forcing the U.S. military and defense industry to race not only to develop new weapons, but to keep them from becoming outdated as quickly as they arrive. “It’s always a cat and mouse game, and we do have to be looking down the field,” Eric Brock, CEO of defense technology company Ondas, told Fox News Digital in an interview at the Association of the United States Army’s (AUSA) annual meeting. That race was hard to miss at the AUSA expo this week, where drones, counter-drone weapons and autonomous systems crowded the show floor as the Army looks to rapidly incorporate lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East into its battleplan. PENTAGON JUMPS FROM $225M TO $55B ON DRONES AS CHEAP ATTACKS OVERWHELM US DEFENSES “If you walk around the hall at AUSA, it’ll give you a good indication of the Army’s priorities. Our priorities are reflected in what we’re procuring,” Army Under Secretary Mike Obadal said ahead of the conference. On the ground, Ondas demonstrated a huge piece of that shift: Scout, a four-legged robotic system designed to move ahead of troops into buildings, tunnels and other potentially dangerous areas while sending imagery back to an operator. “The whole concept is that if the Scout takes fire, it’s better than the soldier,” Brock told Fox News Digital during the demonstration. The Army’s new autonomous systems command is part of a wider Pentagon effort to organize around unmanned warfare, while War Secretary Pete Hegseth said at AUSA this week that the department is working toward a four-star-led Autonomous Warfare Command. Obadal predicted an “immense number” of drones and counter-UAS systems at the show, saying their prevalence reflected procurement and budget priorities across the Pentagon. Ukraine, he said, had “cemented” counter-UAS as a critical part of modern operations. The Army is reorganizing around that reality. This month it announced a new Futures and Autonomous Systems Command tasked with accelerating autonomous capabilities across formations including aviation, armor, fires, sustainment and reconnaissance. At AUSA, the service also expanded drone and counter-drone marketplaces designed to allow the U.S. and its allies to purchase pre-approved systems in days rather than months. US MILITARY BASES ARE ‘ILL-EQUIPPED’ TO STOP DRONE SWARMS, TOP COMMANDER REVEALS AFTER RUBIO’S UAP WARNING For Brock, one of the clearest lessons from the recent war with Iran was the sheer number of threats defenses could be forced to confront. “It’s more about mass,” he said. “So we have to make these affordable, low cost, returnable systems, and we have to produce this to scale.” Ondas has rapidly expanded its own role in that push. Its Mistral subsidiary has secured more than $240 million in orders under the Army’s $982 million Lethal Unmanned Systems contract, including an additional order worth more than $50 million announced in August. The company also acquired DZYNE Technologies this summer in a deal valued at roughly $875 million, adding a portfolio of drones and counter-drone weapons that includes the IonStrike kinetic interceptor and handheld Dronebuster demonstrated for Fox News Digital at AUSA. INSIDE AMERICA’S LASER REVOLUTION AS THE MILITARY NEARS BIG BATTLEFIELD BREAKTHROUGH IonStrike is designed to physically intercept incoming drones, including Shahed-class one-way attack drones. Brock said newer versions of the threat are becoming faster and increasingly difficult for defenses built around earlier, slower drones to defeat. “The faster moving [Shaheds] now need more autonomous systems,” Brock said during a demonstration of the interceptor. “So this system is designed to be very fast.” The system uses onboard guidance to pursue a detected threat and is designed to be deployed in numbers when multiple drones are approaching. But no single weapon can address the growing range of unmanned threats. Ondas also demonstrated its handheld Dronebuster, which uses electronic warfare to jam or spoof communications and navigation links rather than physically destroying an incoming drone. The company recently unveiled a longer-range version under contract for delivery to the Office of Naval Research for testing and evaluation. Those tools illustrate the increasingly layered approach to counter-drone warfare: electronic attack may be enough against one type of drone, while another operating without a vulnerable radio link could require a physical interceptor. And each adaptation can prompt another. Brock pointed to Ukraine, where defenders have developed increasingly effective ways to counter the Shahed-type drones Russia has used in attacks across the country. Russia and its suppliers, in turn, have worked to make those weapons faster and harder to stop. That rapid cycle is putting pressure on a Pentagon acquisition system historically accustomed to developing major weapons over years or decades. The Army used AUSA itself to hunt for more affordable interceptor technology, offering up to $20 million through a competition focused on defeating air and missile threats at a more sustainable cost. The challenge is also moving beyond individual drones and interceptors. Ondas has partnered with Palantir on software aimed at connecting sensors, drones, robotic platforms and command systems so they can operate as part of a larger autonomous network. Its SkyWeaver system uses Palantir-powered AI as part of an architecture designed to link intelligence, mission planning and autonomous operations across multiple domains. “We’re moving from each platform being individually autonomous platforms to mission autonomy,” Brock said. That could mean connecting intelligence gathered by high-altitude balloons and long-endurance unmanned aircraft with smaller drones, ground systems and other sensors closer to the fight, including in environments where traditional communications are degraded. For Brock, keeping pace will increasingly depend on whether the U.S. can manufacture autonomous weapons and defenses in the numbers a future conflict could demand. “I think that’s the bigger challenge,” Brock said. “Technology is not really a
Mamdani praised over move to dismantle controversial NYC industry — but insiders say there’s more to the story
A century-old tradition is on the line in New York City, and horse carriage drivers are speaking out about who will ultimately pay the price if Mayor Zohran Mamdani succeeds in ending the iconic industry. Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced Tuesday that they had reached a deal to phase out horse-drawn carriages in the Big Apple, with a vote expected next week on a bill that would ban carriage operations beginning in June 2028. A longtime source of controversy, the horse-drawn carriages lined up at Central Park to take families and tourists for rides are at the center of a public safety debate after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan was killed from a fall in June. The bill was later renamed “Romanch’s Law.” Animal rights activists have targeted the industry, accusing carriage drivers of mistreating horses and even heckling some on the streets over concerns about proper care, food and water. Viral videos of horses collapsing and escaping into traffic have prompted calls to terminate the industry for good. MAN KILLED AFTER HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE BOLTS AND FLIPS NEAR POPULAR NEW YORK CITY TOURIST DESTINATION But Fox News Digital spoke to leaders in the industry who pushed back on the criticisms and argued that the New York City tradition is being unfairly maligned, and that livelihoods will be destroyed thanks to Mamdani’s efforts. “You have pedicabs flying around, so why are they permitted to have a business?” Frank Riccobono, owner and manager of NYC Horse Carriage Rides, told Fox News Digital. “And now a 168-year-old tradition, attraction is being forced to surrender, which is very taboo. I want my investment to stay there for the next 20 years, 50 years, 100.” Riccobono, who owns 12 horses and three carriages, said raising horses is like raising a child, and that “non-horse people” will never understand that bond. “I had horses give birth in front of me,” he said. “I’ve owned their mom and I have their baby and it’s like taking a child away from me.” The bill would not take the horses away from their owners. Owners could keep, sell or transfer them as long as they are not sent to slaughter, another carriage business or an “inhumane purposes,” but Riccobono could no longer use his horses for carriage rides in the city. He called the criticism “brainwashing,” adding his horses receive “the most perfect lifestyle” and regularly see certified veterinarians. “That’s what this bill shows,” he said. “It shows they’re trying to criminalize us because a horse is working.” Riccobono said he will also lose a huge investment after purchasing a medallion for nearly $400,000. Medallions are licenses that allow horse carriage drivers to legally operate in New York City. “I am going to take a very, very big loss here and there’s no reimbursement in this bill,” he said. MAMDANI, CITY COUNCIL MOVE TO END ICONIC NYC HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE INDUSTRY AS WORKERS FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE The ban means much more than just losing a business, according to Riccobono, who said it threatens a family legacy with horses spanning generations. Riccobono has spent more than two decades driving horse-drawn carriages after falling in love with the career through his father, who spent 47 years in the business. “I have a father that has medical conditions,” he said. “I have colleagues that are on dialysis. These people rely on these medallions for income, for retirement. But they’re trying to strip this away from us and they don’t even know how much they’re gonna give us.” Riccobono’s wife, Natalie, said that without her husband’s income, the family will not be able to “sustain what we have right now.” “By taking away these businesses from us, they are literally taking food off of our table and possibly a shelter from over our heads,” she said. However, what comes next remains up in the air to drivers who say their voices have been left unheard. Mamdani, who has made waves with his socialist agenda, and Menin have vowed to help the city’s roughly 200 carriage drivers transition into new jobs. MAMDANI’S LATEST FREEBIE SETS OFF ONLINE FURY AS CRITICS RIP CITY PRIORITIES: ‘OPERA SOCIALISM’ “I think that we have a civic responsibility to ensure that we are not leaving anybody out to dry,” Mamdani told reporters Wednesday. “They should not be ones that are simply left as an afterthought of what comes after this.” Christina Hansen, a veteran New York City horse carriage driver and Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 shop steward, told Fox News Digital drivers have yet to hear directly from Mamdani and are being treated “as if we don’t matter, as if we don’t count.” “The only cruelty in the New York City carriage industry has always been the way that the people in it, the way the carriage drivers and carriage owners and stable owners are treated,” she said. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Menin said she will remain involved in the transition that “must include meaningful protections for the workers” and said she invited TWU and the administration to join a new working group. “Through thoughtful conversations with labor and other stakeholders, the Council developed a framework to ensure better economic opportunities for these New Yorkers,” she said. With the city anticipating the horses will go to rescues or sanctuaries, Hansen warned those facilities already struggle to care for the horses they have because of declining donations and a lack of resources. Once the national attention fades, Hansen worries the horses could be left behind. “There’s no funding from the city or anything like that to say, we’re going to make sure that, you know, the city pays for the horse’s retirement,” she said. MAMDANI PLEDGES MILLIONS TO COMBAT ANTISEMITISM WHILE LEAVING KEY QUESTION UNRESOLVED This isn’t the first time carriage drivers have feared the industry could disappear. Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to ban horse-drawn carriages after taking office in 2014 and backed vintage-style electric cars
Becoming a lawyer could get cheaper and faster under looming Trump admin shakeup
The Trump administration is expected to decide by late December whether to strip the American Bar Association’s (ABA) law school accrediting arm of federal recognition, a move that would not automatically end the ABA’s accreditation of law schools or change state bar-admission rules but could accelerate states’ efforts to approve alternative paths to becoming a lawyer. Two legal education experts told Fox News Digital that while most law students would be unlikely to lose access to federal loans if the ABA’s accrediting arm loses recognition, the decision could accelerate a broader shift away from the organization’s longstanding dominance over legal education, with states increasingly exploring alternative accreditation pathways that could change how law schools operate and who qualifies to practice law. “I think the biggest thing is, everyone should know that the federal recognition of the ABA is just the first step,” Adam Biggs, general counsel of the University of Austin, told Fox News Digital. “If they get knocked off their perch, that’s going to supercharge the conversations of these state supreme courts to create alternative pathways that are not just the ABA.” The looming decision follows a September vote by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), the federal panel that advises the Education Department on accreditation matters, which remained deadlocked over whether to recommend renewing the ABA’s federal accreditation recognition. Education Department staff have already recommended denying renewal, and now the decision rests in the hands of Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent to rule on whether the ABA’s accrediting arm can retain its federally recognized status, which it has held since 1952. AI BACKLASH REACHES MAJOR UNIVERSITY WITH BOLD BAN ON LAPTOPS AND PHONES FOR LAW STUDENTS The ABA has long served as the primary gatekeeper for legal education in the United States, with most states requiring graduates to have attended an ABA-accredited law school to qualify for the bar exam. Although losing federal recognition would not automatically end that arrangement, critics argue it could accelerate efforts already underway in some states to recognize alternative law school approval systems, potentially allowing institutions to experiment with cheaper, shorter programs outside the ABA’s traditional accreditation model. One such alternative is taking shape in Texas, where Biggs is helping develop a new law school at the University of Austin (UATX) that would operate without ABA accreditation. The university is considering a two-year law program or a model that combines undergraduate and legal studies. It plans to make tuition free and avoid federal funding altogether. The proposed school could also depart from traditional law school staffing models by relying more heavily on practicing attorneys and federal judges as adjunct instructors, rather than maintaining the extensive full-time faculty structure that Biggs says ABA accreditation standards require and that can pose a high bar for institutions. Biggs argued that the ABA’s longstanding influence over legal education has discouraged such experimentation by imposing what he described as a “one size fits all elitist model of education,” which he said drives up costs and limits schools’ ability to offer alternative approaches to training future lawyers. DUKE LAW’S ALLEGED RACE-BASED ADMISSIONS ACCUSED OF DEFYING SUPREME COURT RULING: DOJ “Right now, the model they force makes it impossible to cut overhead, and it’s going to be an expensive product,” Biggs said, criticizing the ABA’s accreditation requirements. “That makes the decision for you. Because you need to live in a big city to go work at a firm to pay off your massive amount of debt.” Biggs added that reducing the cost of legal education could help address attorney shortages in rural and underserved communities, where graduates carrying substantial student debt may struggle to pursue lower-paying legal work. Allowing law schools to operate with less overhead, he said, could give new attorneys greater flexibility to serve those communities and potentially make legal services more affordable. The ABA faculty requirements criticized by Biggs are also facing scrutiny from the Justice Department, which has threatened an antitrust investigation over restrictions on adjunct professors teaching core law school courses. In an Oct. 7 letter, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward gave the ABA 15 days to revise or justify its rules, arguing that the requirements restrict competition and contribute to higher tuition costs, The Wall Street Journal reported. The emergence of alternative accreditation pathways could offer aspiring lawyers new opportunities, but also introduce complications for graduates hoping to practice in states other than where they attended law school. While the federal government determines which accrediting agencies it recognizes for federal purposes, state supreme courts generally set their own bar-admission requirements. Many states currently require graduation from an ABA-accredited law school, a requirement that would not automatically disappear if the ABA loses its federal recognition. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACCUSES PRESTIGIOUS LAW SCHOOL OF FAVORING BLACK APPLICANTS OVER WHITE, ASIAN PEERS That means graduates of schools approved through alternative state-level processes, such as the one UATX hopes to pursue in Texas, could qualify for the bar in their home state but face additional hurdles elsewhere. Biggs predicted that as more states adopt alternative pathways, others could face pressure to reconsider their requirements. “Eventually there’s gonna be a very large group of states that are not ABA or nothing,” Biggs said, predicting that states such as New York and Illinois would eventually have to confront the issue. “They’re gonna have to come to the table and try to figure out how portability is gonna work.” Several states have already begun loosening the ABA’s longstanding hold over legal education. In January, Texas became the first state to end its exclusive reliance on ABA accreditation for bar eligibility, with the state Supreme Court assuming authority to approve qualifying law schools. Florida followed nine days later, adopting its own approach to recognizing law schools outside the traditional ABA system. The movement has since extended to other states. Ohio’s Supreme Court proposed changes in May to establish a state-run law school approval process, while courts in Tennessee, Alabama and Washington have also taken steps toward reducing
Liberal-city resident hesitates when pressed on beliefs: ‘I hadn’t really thought about socialism that way’
PORTLAND, Maine — Americans who were asked for their opinions of socialism by Fox News Digital offered sharply different interpretations of the ideology, with some embracing its promises of economic equality while others expressed strong reservations about government control over the means of production. Fox News Digital took to the streets of Maine’s largest city, a progressive bastion, to talk to residents about their definitions of socialism and how far they would be willing to go to embrace its ideals. The topic of socialism has featured prominently in campaign coverage during this midterm election cycle, as candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) scored high-profile victories over more centrist rivals in a slew of Democratic primaries this year. DSA’s outsized influence has been a driving force in the ballot box battle for the Democratic Party’s ideological future. LIBERAL HOTSPOT RESIDENTS CAN’T AGREE ON WHAT SOCIALISM MEANS A new Fox News national poll indicates 32% of voters have a favorable view of socialism, with 64% seeing it in an unfavorable way. But the favorable rating matches an all-time high, first reached five years ago, since Fox News first began asking the question in 2019. And a September Gallup poll found that 43% of Americans had a positive image of socialism, the highest level since the polling organization began tracking the question in 2010. Lewis, a retired Navy veteran, said socialism was a good thing because it “looks out for people’s needs…. and it’s not communism.” Socialism and communism both emphasize collective ownership of the means of production, such as factories, businesses and major industries. But socialism encompasses a range of approaches, including those that allow private enterprise, while communism traditionally envisions the abolition of private ownership of productive assets and, ultimately, a classless society. CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLL Lewis turned skeptical when Fox News Digital asked whether he would personally surrender private property to government or collective control. “I guess. I hadn’t really thought about socialism that way. I think about taking care of the needs of people, you know, things like… national health care, things like that,” he answered. “I don’t like government taking things away from you.” Nolan, who recently moved to Portland, told Fox News Digital “there’s a lot of wealth imbalance in America right now, and we could benefit from some sort of leveling system.” He said socialism exists to help “people who aren’t as, you know, benefiting in society.” Nolan added that “business owners should have their autonomy” and that “people deserve to earn their money.” “But there are a lot of really high-end… corporations that benefit so much… that really don’t need that much wealth… there’s so much exorbitant wealth at the top end that a lot of that could trickle down to people who are disadvantaged and don’t have homes,” Nolan stated. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Nola, another resident passing through Portland’s Monument Square, said socialism’s “a good thing. It means equity.” Asked about the takeover of businesses and means of production under socialism, Nola said she still “100%” supported socialism. “I’m the daughter of a small business owner. I’ve seen how tough it is to run a small business in this country and how easy it is for corporations to just do whatever they want,” she explained. “So if we gave actually back to small businesses and the government helped them out… and so much of the market that’s privatized actually became public, I think… with how big the U.S. has gotten, it’s only a good thing.” Ted disagreed. “Socialism overall, I think it’s a horrible idea,” he emphasized. “If we can learn from history, anything from history, we see that it’s gonna really give way too much power to the government institution. It’s gonna… make things that are harmful overall for everyone… it’s like it’s dictatorship.” Ted argued that “socialism just impoverishes. Capitalism, the free market economy is a good thing.” He added that while “some people are very wealthy and very greedy,” that overall capitalism “creates other wealth for other people.” The new Fox News poll found that 51% of voters had a favorable view of capitalism, compared with 32% who viewed socialism favorably. Another 46% had an unfavorable view of capitalism.
Michigan Democrat confirms sister-in-law’s terror watchlist lawsuit days before Obama campaign appearance
Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed acknowledged Saturday night that his sister-in-law was involved in a federal terrorist watchlist lawsuit during the Obama administration, just days before former President Barack Obama is scheduled to campaign alongside him. El-Sayed was confronted by Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin about court documents identifying his sister-in-law, Mariam Jukaku, as a plaintiff in a 2016 lawsuit challenging her alleged placement on the federal Terrorism Screening Database, commonly known as the terrorist watchlist. “There’s reporting in a lawsuit that now backs it up. And documentation with the lawsuit that Mariam Jukaku, who’s your sister-in-law, that she was on the terrorist watch list?” Tobin asked. “Yeah,” El-Sayed responded. MICHIGAN SENATE DEBATE ERUPTS INTO PERSONAL ATTACKS AS ROGERS, EL-SAYED CLASH OVER ISRAEL, IRAN AND MORE El-Sayed then defended his sister-in-law, insisting she had committed no wrongdoing and turning his criticism toward Republican Senate rival Mike Rogers. “She did nothing wrong and was captured on that and then sued and got off,” El-Sayed said. “You’ve got this system where folks are guilty until proven innocent because they’ve got different kinds of names, because of the infrastructure that people like Mike Rogers set up.” The exchange comes as Obama prepares to campaign alongside El-Sayed in Michigan on Oct. 24, ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election. EL-SAYED ASKED IF HE BELIEVES AMERICA IS ‘READY FOR A MUSLIM PRESIDENT’ AHEAD OF SENATE RACE According to the 2016 complaint, Jukaku underwent additional airport screening in 2012, and alleged she was never told why she had been flagged. The filing said she was believed to have been removed from the watchlist by 2016. El-Sayed said she sued and won, but a federal appeals court overturned a ruling favoring the plaintiffs in 2021. A separate lawsuit seeking damages was dismissed in 2017. Despite El-Sayed’s claim that she sued and won, a federal appeals court overturned a ruling favoring the plaintiffs in 2021, while a separate lawsuit seeking damages was dismissed in 2017. TRUMP LINKS MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD: ‘HE’S A CON MAN’ The FBI said it does not confirm or deny individuals’ watchlist status. “It is the U.S. government’s policy to neither confirm nor deny a person’s inclusion in the Terrorist Screening Dataset, commonly known as the terrorist watchlist,” the agency told Fox News. The exchange follows separate allegations about El-Sayed’s family’s purported Muslim Brotherhood connections, which his campaign called “racist and untrue.” Rogers called the allegations “disqualifying” Saturday. The watchlist lawsuit does not establish wrongdoing by Jukaku or El-Sayed.
Top takeaways from JD Vance town hall: Costly gas, DC corruption, immigration hot takes and the war
Vice President JD Vance faced questions from Michigan voters during a town hall in Flat Rock as the state emerges as a key battleground in the fight for Senate control in November’s midterms. The town hall hosted by CBS News came just weeks before the midterm elections as Republicans are fighting to keep their majorities in the House and Senate. Vying for the open Senate seat in Michigan is Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Republican candidate Mike Rogers, a former member of the House of Representatives. Here are the top moments from the town hall: The first question Vance fielded Saturday came from a 43-year-old Detroit barber, who asked him why gas prices remain significantly higher than during Trump’s first term. Vance first pointed to Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping and the resulting disruption to global energy markets, but he also placed blame on the Biden administration. “That’s actually the biggest reason why gas prices are so high, because when Joe Biden was president, we had about 20% of American refining capacity that went offline,” Vance said. Vance said the Trump administration was using the Defense Production Act to help restore domestic refining capacity, but cautioned that rebuilding that infrastructure would take time. CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil pushed back on Vance’s attempts to blame Biden, noting that Trump and Vance have been in office for nearly two years while Americans continued to face high gas prices. MORNING GLORY: PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE AMERICAN MILITARY HAVE BEATEN IRAN Dokoupil shifted the conversation to government corruption, citing a Fox News poll showing that 60% of voters were extremely concerned about the issue. He asked Vance whether anything he had witnessed inside the Trump White House made him feel “squeamish.” “You certainly see evidence of corruption in Washington, D.C. Do I see evidence of corruption from the president of the United States, from the administration? No, Tony, I just don’t,” Vance said. The exchange came days after Kimberly Guilfoyle resigned as U.S. ambassador to Greece amid allegations that she sought $100,000 from a donor seeking access to Trump administration officials. Guilfoyle has denied wrongdoing. Dokoupil pressed Vance on the allegations involving Guilfoyle, along with concerns about restrictions on IRS scrutiny of Trump’s tax returns and the president’s cryptocurrency earnings. Vance said selling access to the White House would be “disgusting and despicable” and that anyone responsible should face consequences. Dokoupil then asked whether Vance would comply with subpoenas investigating alleged corruption if Democrats took control of Congress in January. “Of course, of course I will,” Vance said. “Look, we follow the law. I follow the law.” KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE FACES POTENTIAL SENATE PROBE OVER BOMBSHELL $100K ALLEGATION Vance was confronted over his immigration rhetoric by a naturalized U.S. citizen who said she voted for the vice president but questioned why the administration was “scapegoating immigrants.” The voter, who immigrated to the United States 20 years ago, challenged Vance over his characterization of certain H-1B visa workers as “foreign indentured servants.” “To the extent that my rhetoric has been imperfect here, that’s on me,” Vance said. But Vance defended his remarks, arguing that his criticism was aimed at companies exploiting foreign workers rather than immigrants themselves. He said the H-1B visa system gives employers too much power over foreign workers whose ability to remain in the country depends on their employment, while also allowing companies to replace American workers with visa holders. “That’s not a criticism of the H-1B visa holder. That’s a criticism of a company who brings a person in, who sometimes will literally lay off an American worker,” Vance said. Dokoupil pressed Vance on whether his rhetoric and that of the Trump administration dehumanized immigrants. “My goal here is not to dehumanize any immigrant. And in fact, I love a number of immigrants,” Vance said. But Vance argued that allowing too many immigrants into the country too quickly could undermine social cohesion and fundamentally change American communities. “I have neighbors, I have friends of mine who literally don’t know a single person in their neighborhood who speaks the language they do,” Vance said. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable for an American citizen to want to share their community with people they have something in common with.” Though the town hall was pre-recorded, Vance took to X shortly after it aired to share footage from showing a burning building in France amid mass riots. He said what’s unfolding in France is a cautionary tale for the United States. “Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion. They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility,” Vance posted on X. “They were told it would lead to this and they didn’t listen. I pray that France, a beautiful country of amazing people, will stop this madness before more of its landmarks burn,” Vance continued. Dokoupil pressed Vance on why the war with Iran had dragged on longer than the Trump administration anticipated, asking the vice president, “Why haven’t we won decisively?” Vance argued that the U.S. had “in some ways” already won the war, claiming that American military strikes had successfully destroyed Iran’s nuclear program, which he described as the central reason Trump launched the operation. “Have we destroyed the Iranian nuclear program? The answer is yes,” Vance said. But Vance said the administration was still working to secure a “long-term” and “verifiable” commitment from Iran that it would not rebuild its nuclear capabilities, while also preventing Tehran from disrupting global energy supplies. Vance said the Iranians responded by terrorizing commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil supplies and driving up gas prices. He claimed gas prices would be “three times as high” if it weren’t for the U.S. Navy protecting commercial shipping through the waterway. VANCE TAKES AIM AT SOFT-ON-CRIME DEMS AS GOP FACES UPHILL MIDTERM BATTLE: ‘LOST THEIR MINDS’ Vance was also urged by a Michigan voter to condemn antisemitism within his own political base, including rhetoric from