Bruce Blakeman calls Kathy Hochul Zohran Mamdani’s ‘puppet’ during New York campaign rally
Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman blasted Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as a “puppet” of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a campaign rally Sunday. Speaking at the event in Yorktown Heights, New York, Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive, accused his opponent of embracing the democratic socialist mayor’s agenda while failing to crack down on illegal immigration and crime. “Kathy Hochul, she was out campaigning with Mamdani this week,” Blakeman said, according to the New York Post. “And I say that’s great.” “Please take him everywhere you go, Kathy, because I want to remind people that this un-American, antisemite, anti-Christian mayor is running the Democratic Party and Kathy Hochul is nothing more than his puppet,” he continued. HOCHUL DEFLECTS WHEN PRESSED ON TIES TO ‘ANTI-CHRISTIAN’ MAMDANI IN FIERY DEBATE MOMENT: ‘SHAME ON YOU’ Hochul has been campaigning alongside Mamdani, including at a recent rally in Brooklyn. The political alliance between the mayor and the governor, who is seeking reelection to a second full term, comes as democratic socialists have gained greater influence in New York politics. Along with Mamdani’s victory in last year’s mayoral election, candidates aligned with Mamdani and New York’s democratic socialist movement scored major victories in congressional primaries this year, including the defeats of two Democratic incumbents. Blakeman has previously targeted Hochul and Mamdani over public safety, accusing both Democrats of failing to address crime in New York City. FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS During a campaign appearance on the city’s subway system earlier this month, Blakeman described Hochul as the “most pro-criminal governor” and accused both leaders of failing to keep commuters safe. Mamdani has also publicly criticized Blakeman, accusing the Republican gubernatorial candidate of engaging in “bigotry and racism” following a debate between Blakeman and Hochul earlier this month. “I think the governor did a good job,” Mamdani told reporters when asked about Hochul’s response to Blakeman’s criticism. “And I’ll never fault someone for not being able to catch all of it because that is a fool’s errand when it comes to Bruce Blakeman.” Hochul and Mamdani have emphasized affordability and child care while campaigning together, arguing their policies are aimed at lowering costs for working families. Fox News Digital has reached out to Hochul’s and Mamdani’s offices for comment. Fox News Digital’s Eric Mack and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this story.
Ninth Circuit questions Trump DOJ’s emergency request to set aside 20,000 California mail ballots
A federal appeals court on Sunday scrutinized the Trump administration’s emergency effort to force California to set aside thousands of mail-in ballots tied to people the Justice Department suspects are noncitizens ahead of the midterm elections. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit raised questions about both the government’s legal arguments and whether the court has jurisdiction to intervene during a hearing in which attorneys representing the Trump administration and California argued for nearly two hours, Fox News’ Matt Finn reported. The federal government asked the panel to rule immediately, arguing that hundreds of thousands of California ballots could be tabulated each day while the dispute remains unresolved. The hearing comes after the Trump administration filed an emergency request involving roughly 20,000 mail-in ballots sent to people it suspects are noncitizens. CALIFORNIA MUST RESPOND TO DOJ’S EMERGENCY REQUEST OVER BALLOTS MAILED TO ALLEGED NONCITIZENS, COURT RULES The DOJ wants California election officials to set aside ballots associated with individuals on its list while their eligibility is reviewed, rather than allowing the ballots to be processed alongside other votes. Circuit Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, questioned whether the administration’s requested injunction could be reconciled with the Constitution’s Elections Clause, which gives state legislatures authority over the times, places and manner of congressional elections, subject to congressional regulation. “It seems to me that you want us to issue an injunction that is entirely inconsistent with the law that the California legislature has adopted pursuant to the Elections Clause,” he told Justice Department attorney Matthew Donnelly. BLANCHE WON’T RULE OUT DOJ BLOCKING ELECTION CERTIFICATION IN ‘DOOMSDAY’ SCENARIO “How can we do that?” The panel also questioned whether the Ninth Circuit has jurisdiction to intervene at this stage. Judge Gabriel Sanchez, a Biden appointee, questioned why the Ninth Circuit should weigh in when the district court has yet to rule on the DOJ’s request and a hearing before U.S. District Judge David Carter remains scheduled for Tuesday. Judge Patrick Bumatay, another Trump appointee, focused more heavily on the government’s concerns about potential noncitizen voting and questioned California’s handling of challenges involving suspected ineligible voters. The Justice Department sought emergency relief from the appeals court after Carter did not rule by a deadline previously requested by the department. California, meanwhile, has argued that the Ninth Circuit should not intervene before the lower court has ruled. The Justice Department initially filed the suit Oct. 15, roughly two weeks after California began mailing ballots. TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN IN ELECTION INTEGRITY FIGHT AS STATES GAIN NEW VOTER ROLL TOOL Before oral arguments, the Trump administration accused California of having a history of “mishandling voter rolls.” California has disputed the federal government’s underlying data while emphasizing that it has robust safeguards against noncitizen voting. Los Angeles County officials have said a preliminary review of a portion of the federal government’s list identified apparent discrepancies, including people who were born in the United States or were not registered to vote. In a filing this weekend, California argued that the federal government’s theory would “turn the Constitution on its head.” “When it comes to rules of elections administration, the federal government has no power to interfere with the States unless Congress passes a law governing the time, place, or manner of elections,” the state contended. More than 3 million people have already cast ballots statewide, including more than 500,000 in Los Angeles County, according to figures cited during the litigation. The Justice Department has emphasized the urgency of its request, arguing that each day without a ruling risks allowing additional ballots to be processed before the citizenship dispute can be resolved. Bennett said the three-judge panel would try to issue a ruling as quickly as possible. Reuters contributed to this report.
MAPPED: The states Trump and top Democrats are targeting before Election Day
With just nine days until Election Day, both parties are making a final push to shape the fight for control of Congress. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are rallying Republicans across the country, while former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris are campaigning for Democrats. The map traces their campaign stops so far this month, with states visited by both sides shaded gray. Trump’s stops span the country, from Texas and Oklahoma to Ohio, Georgia, Florida and Michigan. He said in early October he planned to hold five to seven rallies a week. This weekend, he campaigned in Florida on Friday, Georgia on Saturday and Michigan on Sunday. HIGH PRICES PUT TRUMP’S ECONOMY IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS THE GOP FIGHTS TO HOLD CONGRESS The map includes both reliably Republican states and states with competitive races. Oklahoma and Alabama, for example, are deep-red states where rallies can help energize the GOP base. Ohio, Texas and Iowa have competitive Senate contests; recent Cook Political Report polling showed Democratic candidates narrowly ahead in all three. Michigan is also a key Senate battleground. REPUBLICANS JUST GOT A POWERFUL NEW PLAYBOOK FOR THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS. HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE. The stops by Obama and Harris show Democrats are also leaning on well-known figures in states with consequential races. Obama campaigned in Ohio and Michigan, while Harris’s recent appearances included Nevada, Mississippi and New Hampshire. The map tracks campaign travel, not a formal ranking of battlegrounds. However, it offers a snapshot of where the parties are trying to rally voters in the final stretch before Nov. 3.
Trump immigration win could strengthen admin’s hand in looming Supreme Court fight
The Trump administration scored a major full-panel victory at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Friday, which ruled that detained illegal immigrants who were never formally admitted into the U. S. are not constitutionally entitled to bond hearings while awaiting deportation. The ruling comes as the Supreme Court prepares to hear Rhoney v. Barbosa da Cunha this term, a closely related fight over whether the federal mandatory-detention statute applies at all to longtime immigrants arrested inside the country — setting up the possibility that the justices could either undercut Friday’s ruling or strengthen the government’s hand. The Fifth Circuit answered the constitutional question in Ignacio Sosnava Rodriguez v. Sylvester M. Ortega, finding that three immigrant men detained under the mandatory-detention statute are not entitled to bond hearings under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. The court held that their years or even decades of residence in the United States, along with ties to the country and their communities, do not create a constitutional right to a bond hearing. “The Constitution does not entitle them to a bond hearing,” the court wrote. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT COMPARES TRUMP MIGRANT DETENTION POLICY TO JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNMENT Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will consider Rhoney, a case out of the Second Circuit, to determine whether the mandatory-detention law applies to longtime immigrants arrested inside the country in the first place. At the center of the issue is a 9-2 circuit split over which federal detention law applies to immigrants who entered the country illegally, were never formally admitted and were later arrested by immigration authorities after living in the U.S. for years — sometimes decades after crossing the border. The Fifth and Eighth Circuits have held that those immigrants remain “applicants for admission” under Section 1225 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, subjecting them to mandatory detention without an ordinary bond hearing while their removal proceedings play out. Nine other federal appeals courts have ruled that Section 1226 applies instead, which provides a path for them to seek release on bond. The Supreme Court will essentially decide whether immigrants who entered illegally and have lived in the U.S. for years can be subjected to the same mandatory-detention provision that applies to certain immigrants seeking admission into the country. If the Supreme Court sides with the Second Circuit, Barbosa da Cunha — a Brazilian national who entered the country illegally roughly two decades ago and was detained in 2025 — would have a path to seek release on bond. Such a ruling would likely apply to the three longtime immigrants at the center of Rodriguez as well, substantially undercutting the significance of Friday’s ruling by eliminating the need to answer the constitutional question of whether due process requires a bond hearing. SUPREME COURT TAKES UP FIGHT OVER TRUMP’S THIRD-COUNTRY ILLEGAL ALIEN DEPORTATION POLICY Judge Leslie Southwick pointed directly to the looming Supreme Court fight in her dissent. Should the Supreme Court eventually determine that this court was wrong as to the statute, then the constitutional issue we address here will have far less significance. It certainly has significance at the moment,” Southwick wrote. But conservative legal experts say Rodriguez could also strengthen the administration’s hand in Rhoney by undercutting one argument against the government’s interpretation of Section 1225: that applying the mandatory-detention provision to longtime residents would raise serious constitutional concerns. Michael Morley, a constitutional law professor at Florida State University, said Friday’s ruling could influence how the justices approach that question because courts often consider whether a particular reading of federal law would create constitutional problems. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT DEALS BLOW TO TRUMP DEPORTATION AGENDA “The Fifth Circuit’s en banc ruling in Rodriguez today takes the next step by holding that such detention would not violate the U.S. Constitution’s Due Process Clause,” Morley said. “This holding may impact the Supreme Court’s reasoning, because an important consideration in disputes over federal laws is whether a particular interpretation would be unconstitutional.” “If the Court agrees with the Fifth Circuit’s analysis that the Due Process Clause allows such detention, it may be more likely to conclude that federal law permits it, as well, Morley continued. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, argued that the decision could bolster the administration as the justices prepare to resolve the circuit split. “I actually think this ruling will help the government in the Rhoney case,” von Spakovsky said, pointing to the Fifth Circuit’s position that the applicable immigration statute does not require bond hearings for immigrants who were never admitted to the United States. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “There was already a split in the circuit courts on this issue but the Fifth Circuit has consistently held that the applicable immigration statute does not require bond hearings for aliens who were never admitted to the United States,” he said. “I will be surprised if a majority of the Supreme Court disagrees when they ultimately issue a decision in the Rhoney case.” The Supreme Court has not yet scheduled oral arguments in Rhoney, which it agreed to hear earlier this month.
Hochul faces revolt from unlikely New Yorkers as Democrats deliver scathing verdict on their party
BRONX, N.Y. – Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman is courting disaffected Democrats as he seeks to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul, betting that frustration over affordability, crime and the party’s leftward shift could help him make inroads with traditionally Democratic voters. “They’re not Democrats. They’re socialists and communists,” former Democratic Bronx Assemblyman Stephen Kaufman told Fox News Digital. “They’re just not Democrats, they’re not moderates.” Kaufman delivered the blistering criticism while rallying alongside Blakeman at the Crosstown Diner in the Bronx, where several voters expressed similar frustrations with Democratic leadership and said they were backing the Republican candidate. “Every time I go out and meet the people, another Democrat comes up to me and says, ‘Bruce, I’m a lifelong Democrat. I’ve never voted Republican in my life. We’re voting for you,’” Blakeman told Fox News Digital. NY SOCIALIST SURGE COULD PUSH DEM VOTERS TO DEFECT, GOP GOVERNOR CANDIDATE PREDICTS Kaufman accused the Democratic Socialists of America of gaining increasing influence over the party, warning that Democrats are “rapidly becoming a house of hatred” that no longer welcomes moderate voices. Several Bronx voters who spoke with Fox News Digital echoed those concerns, pointing to rising costs, public safety and the Democratic Party’s increasingly progressive direction as reasons they feel politically abandoned. “It’s not your Democratic Party anymore. It’s not your grandfather’s Democratic Party. It’s become the Democratic Socialist, a.k.a. Communist Party,” Lisa, a resident of the Bronx’s Throggs Neck neighborhood, said. “The socialists here literally said we’re land-hoarding if we only have a single-family home or a four-family home and that we were a problem… Kathy was all in support and quiet about it. She didn’t defend the homeowners,” another man from the Bronx added. BRUCE BLAKEMAN HAMMERS DEM GOV HOCHUL, MAMDANI OVER SUBWAY SAFETY DURING NYC CAMPAIGN RIDE One registered Democrat said the party’s failure to address the needs of working families was driving his political decisions. “I’m a registered Democrat. Ask me if I vote that way,” he said. “I vote to what affects me, my community, the people I live with. I vote who’s going to help the middle class.” SHOCK POLL: POWERFUL BLUE STATE GOV’S LEAD SHRINKS TO SINGLE DIGITS WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION Blakeman argued that growing frustration with Hochul’s leadership has created an opening for Republicans in a state long dominated by Democrats. “Kathy Hochul has raised taxes. She’s raised utility rates 48 times. Programs like cashless bail make it easier for criminals to operate in our neighborhoods. So now I have the evidences. I have her report card and it’s straight F’s,” said Blakeman. Kaufman said that Hochul has embraced and catered towards the further left of her party. THE IRAN WAR DIDN’T MAKE YOUR HEATING BILL THIS HIGH. BLUE-STATE ENERGY POLICY DID “The electricity rates have skyrocketed. She’s had 42 increases over time. She wouldn’t permit building of gas lines. She’s closed utility plants. All she does is move harder and harder to the left. Which don’t represent people in this neighborhood,” he said. “Every time she has a problem, she goes crying to the hard left. She’s totally controlled by them,” Kaufman added. Blakeman, meanwhile, told Fox News Digital he would take the opposite approach, pledging to cut taxes and utility bills while making communities safer. “I will cut taxes. I will cut utility bills. And I will make for safer communities just like I did in my own county as county executive,” Blakeman said. Blakeman pointed to his record as Nassau County executive, saying he has “not raised taxes a penny in five years” and has instead cut taxes by $150 million. “I’ll take my record, compare it to hers,” he said, arguing he would “cut their taxes, cut the utility bills and make safer communities.” The socialist wing of the Democratic Party has moved from the margins to positions of real political power, particularly in New York, where democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani became mayor and DSA-backed candidates went on to topple Democratic incumbents in congressional primaries. The movement has also scored victories beyond New York, with DSA-backed Melat Kiros defeating longtime Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado and self-described democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George capturing the Democratic mayoral nomination in Washington, D.C. Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul’s office for comment.
Socialism’s growing appeal meets an awkward reality check on college campus
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Socialism is gaining popularity among young Americans, but Fox News Digital found strikingly different understandings of the ideology among college students, some of whom acknowledged that their generation may not fully grasp what they’re embracing. A recent Fox News poll found that 48% of Americans ages 18 to 34 viewed socialism favorably, compared with 32% of Americans overall. When Fox News Digital asked more than a dozen University of Michigan students to define socialism, their answers ranged from government-funded safety nets and affordable health care to collective ownership of industry. “If the definition was more widely known, people would support it less honestly,” one student, Ahnika, told Fox News Digital. Other students acknowledged the confusion, while at least a dozen declined to be interviewed on camera because they said they did not know enough about socialism to give an informed answer. THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE. YOUNG AMERICANS ARE FALLING IN LOVE … WITH SOCIALISM “Absolutely. I feel like many people don’t really understand, I feel, the full grasp or scope of what socialism really means,” a student named Owen told Fox News Digital. “I think they kind of have a more idealistic image of it.” The divide over what socialism actually means comes as the ideology becomes an increasingly prominent issue in American politics, including Michigan’s closely watched Senate contest, where Republicans have sought to tie Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed to socialism – despite his rejection of the label. Socialism? It’s a safety net Some of the students interviewed used the word socialism as a way to describe a government that spends more money on subsidizing healthcare, housing or other basic necessities. “It’s an economic system in which the resources of the government … are allocated into public services such as housing, affordable housing, food like food banks, education, things like that,” James, one student, told Fox News Digital. “Socialism to me is a concept in politics where everybody gets a little bit of everything. Everybody benefits and everybody is really taken care of. Kind of that social net that you see in other types of politics,” Kayla, another student, said. “It’s a political system where less social goods are delivered by the market than in capitalism,” said her fellow student, Sam. Republicans and centrist Democrats have both raised concerns about the rising tide of socialism, while young people turn to it as a solution to the cost of living. “Does the socialism thing scare me? Yes. Is it the wrong solution? Yes,” Vice President JD Vance said in a July interview. “But one thing I try to persuade my fellow Republicans of is socialism is the alternative if we don’t have a pathway to give people a sense that the system is not rigged and that the American dream is attainable.” While the precise definition of socialism is debated by economists and philosophers, the ideology generally calls for replacing private ownership of major productive assets with some form of public, collective or worker ownership, though socialists differ sharply over whether that control should be exercised through the government, workers themselves or other institutions. Modern socialism emerged as a major political and economic movement in 19th-century Europe, fueled by concerns over wealth inequality, industrial working conditions and the concentration of economic power in private hands. A fair number of the students who spoke with Fox News Digital had understandings of socialism more in line with this traditional definition. EL-SAYED REVEALS HE WOULD GO ‘STEP FURTHER’ THAN SANDERS ON SOCIALIST PLAN FOR MAJOR US INDUSTRY Or is it government control? “It’s an economic system where certain aspects [of the economy] are controlled by the government such as health care, possibly housing, agriculture, general necessities,” Owen said. “It’s distinct from communism in that the government does not have free rein over every aspect of the market, but it’s not the same as capitalism where the free market determines everything.” How far government control should extend has long divided socialists. Some advocate government ownership of nearly all major industries, while others favor worker-owned businesses amid a mix of public and private enterprise. “I guess I would define it as an economic system where resources are shared in a more, in a somewhat equitable sense, and there’s some level of, you know, public control of that,” Zack, also a student at the university, told Fox News Digital. “It’s not really any more specific than that, socialism is a broad term, you know?” While some young Americans associate socialism with government control of private businesses, an idea that has long faced resistance in American politics, the ideology has gained support among younger voters, even as they differ over what it would mean in practice. The Democratic Socialists of America, which advocates replacing capitalism with a more collectively controlled economy, has seen its ranks swell with members and notched a series of electoral victories during the second Trump administration. “I’d say I define socialism by the government taking collective ownership of companies’ production and distribution of goods,” student Ahnika told Fox News Digital. “As far as I’m aware, it’s about like workers and members of society owning the product … as opposed to capitalism where you make the product, if you work on an assembly line, the product goes to your manager or whoever runs the factory and then they make most of the profit off of your work,” Noah, also a student, told Fox News Digital. Maybe it’s Canada? Others defined socialism in relation to countries or politicians. “Mostly I think of Canada when I think of socialism,” Samantha, another student, told Fox News Digital. Elyse, her peer, said that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani comes to mind when thinking of a definition for socialism. LIBERAL-CITY RESIDENT HESITATES WHEN PRESSED ON BELIEFS: ‘I HADN’T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT SOCIALISM THAT WAY’ The University of Michigan’s student body isn’t alone in its division over the definition of socialism. Gallup found in 2018 that 23% of Americans thought the word meant “equality,
Mike Johnson’s future hangs in balance as the ‘accidental speaker’ marks 3 years
Three years ago today marked the end of one of the most chaotic periods in American political history. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., took control of the House of Representatives after a unanimous vote by his fellow Republicans, ending three weeks of paralysis in the federal government. His predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, had been ousted by GOP rebels in the first such rebellion against a sitting House speaker in U.S. history. The Louisiana Republican, having served in Congress only since 2017, surprised his peers and the country with his rapid ascent to power. And since then, Johnson — who has been dubbed the “accidental speaker” by multiple parties — has made a name for himself as one of the most effective speakers the House has seen, given his razor-thin majority. But the third anniversary of his speakership comes just over a week before an election that could see Johnson lose it all — despite his best efforts to defy history and keep the House GOP in power. JOHNSON DELIVERS BIG FOR TRUMP, BUT FRUSTRATION GROWS ACROSS RAZOR-THIN GOP MAJORITY “Over the last three years — in spite of the constant challenges governing with one of the smallest majorities in history — House Republicans have delivered landmark victories for the American people,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “We enacted the largest tax cuts for hardworking families in U.S. history, added 1 million private sector jobs, cut $1.6 trillion in wasteful spending, secured the border, reversed outrageous Biden-era regulations, achieved the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years and the largest decline in prescription drug prices in 60 years,” he said. “We created Trump accounts for every child and the first nationwide school choice program, voted to ban stock trading in Congress, passed landmark housing legislation, and so much more.” JOHNSON TURNS DEMOCRATS’ SOCIALIST CIVIL WAR INTO NEW WEAPON FOR MIDTERMS He’s done much of that with a majority fluctuating between one and four seats, a remarkably tight margin during a tenure that Newt Gingrich called “the most challenging speakership since the Civil War.” Johnson also touted breaking fundraising records and his work “endlessly” traveling the country campaigning for other GOP candidates. MIKE JOHNSON TAUNTS HAKEEM JEFFRIES FOR LOSING DEMS’ CIVIL WAR ‘IN HIS OWN BACKYARD’ “I remain grateful every day to my colleagues for their continued confidence as we fight together to protect our House majority. Serving as their 56th Speaker of the House is the honor of my life,” he said. In his three years, Johnson has already become one of the GOP’s most prolific fundraisers in history. He’s raised $526 million for Republicans during this election cycle alone. The month before Election Day, Johnson campaigned in more than 40 districts across 22 states, and of his 55 endorsed candidates, 97% won their respective primaries. But the million-dollar question is: Is it enough come Nov. 3? House Republicans are facing significant headwinds in their quest to keep the majority. Political convention dictates that the president’s party traditionally loses control of Congress during the midterms, and President Donald Trump’s low approval numbers are expected to complicate matters for Republicans in tight races across the country. Johnson, for his part, has remained optimistic but has tried not to give any hints about what he would do if the GOP lost. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS BRACES FOR POST-ELECTION GAME OF MUSICAL CHAIRS AS LEADERSHIP BATTLES LOOM “Heaven forbid, if we lose this majority or whatever, I don’t know what my next chapter of life is,” Johnson told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie this month. “If God moves on our hearts and says we should, you know, go back to my hometown of Shreveport and start a lawn business, I’ll do that with equal fervor.” Days later he told CBS News, “I don’t think it’s going to happen, so I don’t spend any time thinking about it … But in the unlikely scenario where we lost the majority, I would expect my colleagues would ask me to continue leading this conference, even if we have divided government.” Whether Johnson’s fellow House Republicans even want him to stay will come down to how well Republicans do, and if they lose, how bad that loss will be. Multiple GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital earlier this month said they anticipated Johnson would step aside if Republicans lost the House. If they win, however, Johnson is all but assured of keeping his job — and with Trump’s blessing. “Speaker Mike Johnson is an example of the American Dream. As Speaker, he’s continued to defy the odds with a slim House majority and pass America First bills,” Trump’s campaign posted on X. “After Republicans win in November, they should re-elect Mike as Speaker quickly!”
Foster children’s autism therapy at risk as Georgia lawmakers step into funding fight
A fight over cuts to autism therapy for Georgia foster children is escalating at the state Capitol, with a Republican lawmaker and families now calling for the 30% reimbursement reduction to be reversed as advocates warn children could lose hard-earned progress. State Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, joined parents and providers Thursday to demand action over a reduction in reimbursement rates for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy that went into effect Sept. 1 through Amerigroup, which administers Medicaid coverage for children in Georgia’s foster care system. “As a parent of a child with autism, I know what ABA therapy means for a family and Georgia’s foster children, which is why I stood at the Capitol to make clear that these cuts are indefensible,” Strickland told Fox News Digital. Strickland, who is running for state attorney general, also pledged to hold companies accountable if elected. AUTISM PROVIDERS WARN FOSTER KIDS AT RISK FROM UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF TRUMP’S MEDICAID FRAUD CRACKDOWN The political pushback comes after Fox News Digital first reported earlier this month that autism advocates feared the reduction could force providers to stop treating foster children as an unintended consequence of the Trump administration’s Medicaid fraud crackdown. Taylor Sanders of the Autism Families Alliance told Fox News Digital on Saturday that families and clinicians have increasingly begun speaking out since the cuts took effect, emphasizing that “time is crucial to these families.” “Every moment where their child is not receiving services, we’re seeing a regression in possible communication, safety skills,” Sanders said. “Maybe we’re seeing an increase in some of those challenging behaviors.” Sanders previously warned that as many as 75% of clinics could close or stop serving foster children because of the cuts. AUTISM PROVIDERS CHEER TRUMP CRACKDOWN AFTER MILLIONS ALLEGEDLY STOLEN FROM CHILDREN THROUGH MEDICAID FRAUD She described a family whose 3-year-old child had begun using words for the first time after receiving ABA therapy and whose mother now fears losing access to treatment. “She was in absolute tears and so worried and frustrated,” Sanders said, recalling their recent conversation. The mother, Sanders explained, fears losing the consistent one-on-one therapy that she said helped the child begin communicating. Sanders said the child had not received enough therapy to ensure those newly learned communication skills could be maintained across different settings. “For these children and their families, time matters,” Kelsey Bennett of the Autism Families Alliance told Fox News Digital. “Every day without critical care risks reversing hard-earned progress and limiting opportunities for continued development.” HOUSE GOP BILL MOVES TO CLOSE WHISTLEBLOWER GAPS EXPOSED BY MINNESOTA MEDICAID FRAUD SCANDAL Bennett added, “Reverse the cuts.” Advocates are calling not only for the cuts to be reconsidered, but also for families, clinicians and other stakeholders to be involved in reviewing the policy rather than relying on a blanket approach. In a statement to FOX 5 Atlanta, Amerigroup said it rebalanced ABA reimbursement rates based on service complexity and clinical expertise, increasing rates for treatment planning and caregiver-engagement services while decreasing rates for some technician-delivered services. The company also said rates for licensed clinicians did not decrease and that medically necessary autism services remain covered. In response, Sanders emphasized that the reductions affected technicians who provide much of the one-on-one care. COALITION OF 25 STATES SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER MEDICAID WORK RULE DESIGNED TO PREVENT FRAUD “Just because we put something down on paper doesn’t mean that it’s gonna be clinically effective or that these children are gonna be able to access care because companies are now having to maybe close their doors to these individuals because they can’t afford the rate cut,” Sanders said. Sanders reiterated her concerns about the potential long-term consequences for children whose therapy is interrupted. “Progress lost is extremely hard to come back from, which is the biggest concern that we’re facing here,” Sanders said. “Reconsider before ripping the rug from families. Start to involve the clinicians, involve families before making major cuts.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Amerigroup and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for additional comment. Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Inside the Pentagon’s doomsday plan to keep America fighting if global war erupts
FIRST ON FOX — The Pentagon is preparing U.S. military bases to keep operating for at least 90 days without outside support as it prepares for the possibility of a major war that could cripple power grids, disrupt supply chains and threaten critical infrastructure on American soil. The new requirement is part of FORTRESS, a broader military initiative aimed at ensuring American forces can continue fighting even if the civilian systems they depend on are disrupted, according to documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. AMERICA’S NEXT WAR COULD REACH US SOIL, TOP ARMY GENERAL WARNS “We don’t want to rely on standard civilian municipal infrastructure to run our national defense. We just simply can’t. It’s an intolerable risk,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital. The Pentagon is also laying the groundwork for civilian factories to shift to defense production during a crisis, while preparing alternative supply chains and strategic reserves to keep weapons, fuel and other essential materials flowing. “Power is combat now. Without electricity, you lose communications, water, logistics, assembly lines and just basic military command structures,” Parnell said. Under FORTRESS, every major military installation in the continental United States would be expected to sustain essential operations independently for at least 90 days, including access to electricity, water, fuel and communications. TRUMP PENTAGON LAUNCHES COMPETITION FOR AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT MILITARY BASE The requirement reflects a broader shift in how the Pentagon is preparing for threats to the American homeland, including the possibility that a major conflict could disrupt the infrastructure supporting military operations inside the United States. “I realized that a lot of the way we think about homeland defense was built around the antiquated assumption that two oceans would protect us,” Parnell said. “President Trump understands that world is gone, and he’s already paved the way for new thinking: Golden Dome, a renewed focus on the Western Hemisphere, Greenland, Panama.” A central concern is the military’s reliance on civilian power grids, which support everything from communications and logistics to weapons manufacturing. FORTRESS envisions portable nuclear reactors, large-scale battery storage and microgrids capable of disconnecting military installations from the civilian electrical grid, allowing them to continue operating during prolonged power disruptions. “Mission-critical power must be independent, hardened, and redundant,” Parnell said. The Pentagon has already announced plans to reduce major military installations’ dependence on civilian power grids. The 90-day self-sufficiency standard goes further, extending the requirement beyond electricity to other essential services needed to sustain military operations. The strategy also anticipates major disruptions to the global supply chains that provide the military with weapons, equipment and critical materials. “The next conflict will likely be fought on multiple fronts. Look at the geopolitics behind any major war. When that happens, global supply chains will break,” Parnell said. To prepare, FORTRESS calls for strategic reserves of munitions, fuel, critical minerals, electronics, spare parts and medical supplies that could sustain military operations if international supply routes are disrupted or domestic manufacturers cannot keep pace with wartime demand. Reserve targets would vary depending on how quickly supplies are consumed during a major conflict and how long manufacturers would need to replace them. STARTUPS BRING INNOVATION TO DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE For the military’s most critical defense dependencies, the initiative also establishes a requirement for at least two qualified supply or production pathways, reducing the risk that the loss of a single factory, supplier or industrial capability could interrupt military operations. Another major component involves preparing America’s civilian manufacturing sector to support a wartime mobilization. Through the Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network, an existing initiative incorporated into FORTRESS, the Pentagon plans to identify commercial factories capable of shifting to defense production during a crisis. The new details describe plans to assess manufacturers’ capabilities and establish technical specifications, cybersecurity protections, contracting arrangements and conversion procedures in advance, rather than waiting until a conflict begins. FORTRESS also calls for recurring industrial stress tests and mobilization exercises to assess whether manufacturers could maintain production through prolonged disruptions. Beyond energy and manufacturing, the initiative includes efforts to strengthen military communications, navigation and satellite capabilities against interference, including preparations to maintain operations when GPS signals are jammed or space-based assets are disrupted. Together, the measures are intended to reduce the military’s dependence on civilian infrastructure and vulnerable supply networks during a prolonged conflict. “You don’t want to be making these decisions in the middle of a global multi-front conflict. We have to have a plan,” Parnell said. He described FORTRESS as an insurance policy for the homeland, designed to ensure American forces can continue operating even if a major war disrupts the infrastructure and supply chains they rely on.
Alarming fraud trend puts small-town mosque with industry and foreign govt ties in focus: ‘Our motherland now’
This article is Part 2 of a Fox News Digital exclusive series investigating trucking fraud, public safety, and assimilation concerns in southwest Ohio. You can read Part 1 here. MAINEVILLE, OHIO — A mosque rising amid rural homes and farmland in southwest Ohio has become a focal point in the community’s growing concerns over an influx of foreign-owned trucking companies and trucking fraud, with a Fox News Digital review revealing significant financial ties between the mosque, trucking companies and the government of Uzbekistan. Roughly one mile north of the main intersection in Maineville, a small Warren County village with about 1,400 residents, sits the Islamic Center of Maineville, which has been under construction for the past four years following its approval by Hamilton Township in April 2022. Fox News Digital found that the mosque received substantial donations from trucking companies that government records show were cited for serious safety and compliance violations, while the mosque’s own Telegram channel displayed associations with people identified as current or former Uzbek officials. For years, the Islamic Center of Maineville has posted on Telegram to its 3,600 members, courting donations, acknowledging partnerships with trucking companies, and even sharing screenshots of donations from local trucking companies, owned by Uzbeks, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. HOW AN UZBEK TRUCK DRIVER’S FATAL CRASH EXPOSED TROUBLING FRAUD TREND IN MIDDLE AMERICA: ‘CHAMELEON CARRIERS’ Buraq Limited, a Springboro trucking company associated with Rukhshona Sultonova, donated at least $28,000 to the Islamic Center across 28 gifts, according to Telegram screenshots reviewed by Fox News Digital. A review of the company’s records found dozens of reported violations, including multiple English-proficiency violations, four ELD (electronic logging device) violations, three invalid-CDL violations, four expired medical cards and four hours-of-service violations. Premier Trucking Group Inc., owned by Sam Avazov, has received over 100 total violations, including for unsafe driving and invalid CDLs. In September, the Islamic Center posted a screenshot of a $1,000 donation from Premier Trucking Group, which has donated at least $25,000 to the mosque. OUT OF CONTROL, UNQUALIFIED ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKERS ENDANGERING KIDS ON US ROADS, INSIDER WARNS: ‘JUST MADNESS’ Foko Logistics LLC, owned by Abubakr Olimov and based in Hilliard, donated $20,000 in a single gift to the mosque, and had 52 violations across 37 inspections in FMCSA’s current 24-month record. The company had vehicle-maintenance violations involving damaged brake hoses, an inoperable tractor-protection valve and severely underinflated tires. Ten of its 24 vehicle inspections resulted in an out-of-service designation, a rate of 41.7%. Maca Transportation and Services LLC, based in Dayton and owned by Muminkhuja Kholkhujaev, donated at least $7,000 across eight gifts. FMCSA’s records show 120 violations across 72 inspections, including an English-proficiency failure and multiple false or incomplete hours-of-service records. The company also had serious brake, tire, and other vehicle-maintenance violations, with 14 of 36 vehicle inspections resulting in an out-of-service designation, or 38.9%. One trucking company that gave $150,000 to the mosque and helped organize the overall fundraising effort , Phoenix Cargo, told Fox News Digital the mosque approached the company multiple times asking for donations but said the $150,000 figure the company ultimately donated “represents only a fraction of the mosque’s total construction budget” and that “Phoenix Cargo is not even among the project’s top 100 donors.” Phoenix Cargo has been cited hundreds of times for safety violations, including English proficiency, ELD tampering, and unsafe driving violations. Fox News Digital reached out to the mosque for comment but did not receive a response. Earlier this month, the Islamic Center said it is “committed to operating responsibly and in accordance with applicable law.” “The fundraising for the Islamic Center concerns me because a large percentage of the Uzbek truck companies that donate have been repeatedly cited for the same kinds of serious inspection violations,” Nodawolf, an online researcher who lives in the area and has been documenting alleged trucking fraud in southwest Ohio for months and was granted anonymity due to death threats he’s received, said. “Those violations suggest a pattern of non-compliance with our laws and regulations among the donors, which is troubling given the community’s concentration in the freight industry in Maineville.” Fox News Digital also asked the mosque if an administrator for their Telegram channel with the name “Bek A” is Bekhzod Asrarov, an Uzbek truck driver living in Maineville who authorities say struck and killed 21-year-old Ohio soccer player Tobias “Toby” Forsythe earlier this year. Asrarov was unable to communicate effectively in English at the scene, according to authorities, and has been accused of removing and concealing his dashcam after the crash. ICE LAUNCHES CDL FRAUD TIPLINE AS DHS HIGHLIGHTS DEADLY CRASHES INVOLVING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS The mosque did not provide a response. The Islamic Center’s website says it does “not solicit donations from any foreign government, organization, association, partnership or individual or any agent thereof” and that “any such attempt” should be reported to the mosque immediately. However, the organization’s Telegram account suggests close ties with the government of Uzbekistan, specifically when it comes to trucking companies. Hamkor Uz Cincinnati Association is a nonprofit organization established in 2020 to unite Uzbeks in the Cincinnati area and support community projects, including the construction of religious and cultural centers. Hamilton Township records identify Hamkor as the owner of the roughly 6.7-acre property where the Islamic Center of Maineville is being built. Telegram screenshots reviewed by Fox News Digital show the organization’s ties to former Uzbek government officials. One image shows the Mason office of Erkinbay Abdulla, with an accompanying message describing him as a former Uzbek official who “creates the trucking companies.” Another screenshot contains a community statement attributed to Sukhrob Norbekov, whom an accompanying message identifies as another former Uzbek official who represents the mosque. The material places officials linked to Uzbekistan alongside an organization involved in the mosque project and individuals involved in creating local trucking companies. Current Uzbek officials also appear to be involved with the mosque and local trucking industry via the central Asian nation’s Ministry of Digital Technologies,