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,
Leavitt says Trump is defying midterm headwinds as he barnstorms country
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Donald Trump is determined to defy a challenging midterm political landscape as Republicans fight to defend their narrow majorities in the House and Senate. “The president is defiant, and he always is optimistic,” Leavitt said this week in a Fox News Digital interview in her home state of New Hampshire. 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 campaign 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 Trump’s increasingly negative approval ratings. KAROLINE LEAVITT SAYS TRUMP NEEDS A ‘FIGHTER’ AS SHE WEIGHS IN ON HER SUCCESSOR’S QUICK DEPARTURE Leavitt said Trump “totally understands that history is not on the Republican side right now if you just frankly look at the history books, but that’s not stopping him from going out and barnstorming the country. He’s been everywhere this week from North Carolina to South Carolina. Be in Michigan again this weekend.” Republicans are also facing a low propensity problem in the midterms – MAGA supporters who don’t always vote when Trump isn’t on the ballot. “The president is getting out there and reminding voters what’s at stake in this election and why it’s so important to get out and vote in the midterms,” Leavitt noted. “He’s being frank and honest with his voters that ‘I know you don’t turn out in midterm cycles, but we need you to this time.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Democrats appear energized as Election Day nears. “The Republicans are running scared!” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said recently in a social media post. “They are increasingly spending more and more money in the reddest of red areas in an attempt to hold on. We have them on the run – all gas, no brakes.” DEMOCRACY 2026: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB But Leavitt, taking a page from the GOP midterm playbook, argued that “this election is a contrast between, between commonsense Republican conservative candidates who believe in cutting taxes, securing the border, putting American citizens over illegal aliens, and radical extreme liberal crazy candidates, some of the most radical Democrats we’ve ever seen run in the history of our country.” And pointing to the GOP’s fundraising superiority over Democratic Party groups, Leavitt added, “We have a huge cash advantage across the country. We are making sure voters understand again what’s at stake in this election and why it’s so important that we win.”
Iran’s oil lifeline is drying up. The biggest pain may fall on ordinary citizens
Iran is approaching a financial reckoning as a U.S. naval blockade threatens to wipe out its seaborne crude oil revenues by mid-December — but the economic pain may fall more heavily on ordinary Iranians than on the military Washington is trying to constrain. Iran’s trackable floating oil inventory outside the U.S. blockade zone has fallen to zero, according to energy intelligence firm Kpler, which projects that Tehran’s crude revenues could dry up by the middle of December as outstanding payments are settled. But the loss of oil revenue would not necessarily translate into an immediate military funding crisis. Tehran could shield military spending while cutting civilian programs, allowing inflation to erode purchasing power and drawing on alternative revenue sources. BESSENT SAYS IRAN WILL HAVE ‘NOTHING LEFT TO TRADE’ WITHIN TWO WEEKS AS OIL LIFELINE DRIES UP That complicates Washington’s pressure campaign: The blockade may deprive Tehran of one of its biggest sources of cash without immediately starving the military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the money they need to operate. Oil directly accounts for roughly 30% of Iran’s government budget, according to Gregory Brew, a senior Iran and energy analyst at Eurasia Group, and Miad Maleki, an Iran sanctions and financial expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Iran entered the year expecting to export about 1.7 million barrels per day at roughly $54 per barrel, Brew said. Actual exports have fallen short of that target, though higher oil prices allowed Tehran to build some financial cushion. Maleki estimated that oil and refined petroleum products account for between 50% and 60% of regime revenue when indirect income is included. Still, the December deadline is not a date on which Iran suddenly runs out of money. “The December timeline is more of a cash flow kind of disruption, and not really a collapse state,” Maleki told Fox News Digital. Tehran has so far allowed inflation and the weakening rial to absorb some of the pressure rather than abruptly stopping government salaries or allowing widespread shortages to develop. “The purchasing power of Iranians incrementally declines,” Maleki said. Losing a revenue stream that covers roughly 30% of the government budget would nevertheless force increasingly difficult choices. Tehran can cut spending, borrow more or run larger deficits. Deeper cuts could hit subsidies, pensions and other government programs, while deficit spending risks fueling already high inflation. “There’s already expectations that government spending next year is going to be greatly reduced,” Brew said . “A bigger chunk of the budget is likely going to be met through borrowing and deficit spending, which is of course going to add to inflation.” IRAN LOSES KEY ECONOMIC LIFELINE IN MIDDLE EAST THAT TRUMP’S SANCTIONS COULDN’T REACH AS DEADLOCK PERSISTS Military spending, however, could prove more resistant. “There is a broad expectation that non-military spending is going to be slashed significantly, while military spending is going to be maintained and might even increase because of the overall war footing that the Iranian regime has been put on,” Brew said. Iran is already spending resources to rebuild missile production facilities and other military infrastructure, expand underground facilities and repair damage to its nuclear program, Brew said. Iran’s armed forces also have a direct connection to the country’s oil trade. US TARGETS CHINESE REFINERY IN SWEEPING IRAN OIL CRACKDOWN, SANCTIONS ‘SHADOW FLEET’ TANKERS The Treasury Department said last year that Tehran was allocating roughly 200,000 barrels of crude per day to its armed forces, with the value of planned allocations expected to exceed $10 billion annually. Military organizations can sell allocated oil abroad and use the proceeds themselves. Maleki said those sales have helped finance equipment, chemicals and weapons components and support Iran-backed groups including Hezbollah and Hamas. The IRGC also draws revenue from smuggling, black-market commerce and sanctions-evasion networks outside the formal state budget. Brew said its economic influence has expanded as sanctions have squeezed Iran’s private economy. “If the IRGC is the single most important institution in the country, and if it largely benefits from sanctions and blockades and various forms of U.S. economic pressure, then there’s a world in which it benefits from this new environment rather than being squeezed like the overall government budget,” Brew said. Iran’s oil squeeze has been months in the making. Tehran held roughly 135 million barrels of crude in floating storage before the war began in February, providing a stockpile it could continue selling after U.S. forces restricted new exports. That offshore inventory has now been exhausted. U.S. Central Command estimates the blockade has already denied Tehran at least $25 billion in oil revenue. Buyers of Iranian crude typically settle payments one to two months after delivery, creating the lag between the disappearance of Iran’s floating inventory and Kpler’s projected revenue cutoff in December. Even if that projection broadly holds, however, Iran is unlikely to stop earning money from hydrocarbons altogether. Smaller quantities of oil can still move overland by truck and rail and across the Caspian Sea, while refined petroleum and petrochemical products can travel through routes outside the seaborne crude trade targeted by the blockade. “While the amount of Iranian oil that can be tracked has fallen to zero, it’s unlikely Iran’s oil exports completely fall to nothing,” Brew said. “The amount will likely be fairly small, but it won’t be completely zeroed.” Both experts said an agreement with Washington allowing Iranian tankers to resume leaving the Persian Gulf could reverse the trajectory . Without a deal or relaxation of the blockade, the financial pressure is expected to build into next year. The bigger test may arrive in March, when Iran begins its new fiscal year and must reconcile its spending plans with dramatically lower oil income. “There’s going to be a fiscal squeeze, and there’s going to be pressure around the release of the new budget,” Brew said. “There’s going to be economic unrest, potentially even economic turmoil as the government rolls out spending cuts.” By then, Tehran could have gone months without its traditional seaborne crude
Ukraine’s Starlink restored as Elon Musk claims Kyiv violated terms of service ‘to kill people’
Elon Musk on Saturday continued to defend Starlink after Ukraine faced more than a week of speed restrictions that disrupted its war effort against Russia, saying SpaceX has done more to defend the country than any other private company “by far,” while accusing the country of using the technology in violation of its terms of service “to kill people.” “Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be,” Musk wrote on X, claiming that Ukraine had “violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.” He explained that Starshield is a different system controlled by the U.S. government. “What they decide to do is up to them.” ELON MUSK BLAMES TRUMP, US MILITARY FOR SPACEX RESTRICTIONS UKRAINE WARNS COULD HAVE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES “Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now,” he wrote in response to an X post that stated Starlink is “not a weapons system.” “Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact,” he added. Musk said that Starlink was crucial at the beginning of the war because it was the only means of communication that couldn’t be “destroyed or jammed by Russia. “SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR,” he claimed. “That said, I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell. End of story.” Last week, Musk blamed the issue on the U.S. military. “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” the SpaceX, Tesla and X CEO wrote in a post. UKRAINE SHOWED TRUMP HOW EASILY AN ENEMY COULD CRIPPLE AN AI POWERHOUSE A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that Ukraine received no advance warning before the restrictions took effect overnight, despite relying on the service under arrangements contracted through the U.S. government until May 15, 2027. Ukrainian forces discovered the change after experiencing connectivity problems and contacting SpaceX customer support. They were told Starshield service would be restricted on platforms traveling at speeds of 100 mph or higher, the source said. Musk did not say whether President Donald Trump, War Secretary Pete Hegseth or another U.S. official personally authorized the new restriction or explain why it was imposed. Trump told reporters on Saturday that he had spoken to Musk about the issue, but wouldn’t elaborate. UKRAINE REGAINS CRITICAL STARLINK SERVICE AFTER RESTRICTIONS DISRUPT DRONE OPERATIONS Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced Saturday that it had regained broader access to Starlink, with connections remaining stable at speeds of 250 mph. It remains unclear what led to the slowdown in service, with Ukraine having accused both Trump and Musk of being behind it, and comes after renewed hope for Ukraine and Russia to reach a resolution in the war. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth have denied that the U.S. government was responsible for slowing Ukraine’s Starlink service. Russia agreed Wednesday to resume three-way negotiations with Washington and Kyiv next month, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told “Fox & Friends” this week he would be open to ending the war by freezing the fighting along the current front lines. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, SpaceX, along with the War and State departments for comment. Fox News’ James Cirrone contributed to this report.
Obama compares Trump’s White House renovations to ‘Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory’ at Ohio rally
Former President Barack Obama mocked President Donald Trump’s White House renovations Saturday, comparing the historic residence to a Cheesecake Factory run by Saddam Hussein while campaigning for Democrats in Ohio. Obama delivered the jab during a Cleveland rally supporting Democrat gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, criticizing Trump’s priorities just 10 days before the midterm elections. “I mean, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations,” Obama said. “He should be on HGTV.” OBAMA CLAIMS HE OCCUPIES ‘A SUITE’ IN TRUMP’S MIND, QUESTIONS THE PRESIDENT’S FOCUS ON AMERICANS Obama rattled off Trump’s ballroom project, Rose Garden makeover and South Lawn helipad before taking aim at the president’s affinity for gold décor. “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama quipped. The renovations, however, include several functional upgrades to the White House grounds. TRUMP DEFENDS US INTERVENTIONS ABROAD AHEAD OF ‘BIG DECISION’ ON IRAN: ‘SETTLING YEARS OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS’ The Rose Garden’s former central lawn was replaced with limestone paving in 2025, creating a patio for outdoor events, speeches and entertaining, while the traditional roses were retained around the perimeter. Trump also unveiled an upgraded granite White House helipad featuring the presidential seal in September. Official White House photographs show Marine One landing on and departing from the new facility during a Sept. 21 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The administration’s ballroom project is intended to provide permanent, secure space for large official events, addressing a longstanding reliance on temporary tents for major White House functions. A National Park Service environmental assessment notes that the need for expanded event space was identified in a White House planning document dating to 2000. Obama’s swipe at Trump’s White House makeover comes as his own presidential center in Chicago has faced criticism over its imposing, granite-clad tower, which some critics have dubbed the ‘Obamalisk,’ along with ballooning construction costs and years of delays. The Obama Presidential Center’s projected price tag has surpassed $1 billion, nearly triple its original $350 million estimate, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting. Subcontractors have alleged they are owed millions for their work, while taxpayers have been saddled with hundreds of millions of dollars in associated public infrastructure costs separate from the center’s construction budget. Obama’s criticism extended beyond the presidential residence to Trump’s handling of the conflict with Iran, which the former president blamed for higher energy costs. “Most importantly, he decided to start an unnecessary war that nobody asked for and nobody voted for,” Obama said. He also defended the nuclear agreement negotiated during his presidency. TRUMP RIPS OBAMA’S ‘STUPID’ IRAN DEAL, CLAIMS FORMER PRESIDENT THOUGHT ‘HE COULD BRIBE THEM’ “Iran didn’t have nuclear weapons because I had put a deal in place that everybody knows kept them from getting nukes,” Obama claimed. Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 agreement in 2018, arguing that its temporary nuclear restrictions were insufficient and that it failed to adequately address Iran’s ballistic missile program and support for regional militant terror groups. The agreement offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for nuclear restrictions and international inspections. Inspectors reported some Iranian compliance before the U.S. withdrawal, although Iran subsequently expanded uranium enrichment beyond the deal’s proposed limits. Obama also accused Trump of pursuing policies that increased consumer costs, criticizing immigration enforcement as he urged Ohio voters to hold Republicans accountable. Acton faces Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor’s race, while Brown is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted. The former president carried Ohio in both 2008 and 2012, but the state has backed Trump in his three presidential campaigns. Fox News Digital contacted the White House for comment on Obama’s remarks. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.