Whistleblower warns illegal immigrants are sending ‘shockwave’ through crucial industry
FIRST ON FOX: Following several high-profile, deadly auto accidents involving illegal alien truck drivers, a commercial trucking industry leader is blowing the whistle on the devastating “shockwave” illegal drivers carrying sanctuary state licenses have had on the industry. Mike Kucharski, co-owner and vice president of JKC Trucking, which is based in Illinois, told Fox News Digital that in addition to endangering American roads, illegal alien commercial drivers have been “killing the trucking business.” He said that though the problem has only recently been brought to the forefront of the public consciousness in recent months, drivers and trucking businesses have been feeling the impacts for years. “We knew there was an issue right after COVID because the rates dropped down, and we just thought, ‘OK, look, it’s just inflation… the wars, et cetera, all these aspects causing the volumes to be down. We’re thinking, ‘OK, in the long run, these volumes will go back up to what they were pre-COVID conditions or just go back to regular volumes, and we’ll be back in business.’ But what happened? The complete opposite happened,” he said. “They went down and stayed down, and we never knew, as truckers, what was the problem.” WHITE HOUSE SAYS CALIFORNIA GRANTED LICENSE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER CHARGED IN FATAL DUI CRASH Now, with recent revelations from the Trump Department of Transportation and Secretary Sean Duffy about rampant illegal alien truckers on American roads, Kucharski said the truth is finally out. Duffy issued a bombshell report on Thursday accusing California of violating federal law by issuing a commercial driver’s license to a foreign asylum seeker whose semi-truck crash killed three people last week. The report alleges that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration ignored a federal order to halt noncompliant licenses and revoke improperly issued credentials, a failure that, according to Duffy, cost “three innocent souls.” Federal regulators uncovered flaws in how California licenses were obtained by certain commercial truck drivers. The 2025 Annual Program Review and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) concluded that the state’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) system suffered from “systemic policy, procedural, and programming errors” when it came to handling non-domiciled licenses. In an audit letter dated Sept. 26, 2025, investigators also discovered that California had issued CDLs to non-domiciled drivers that were valid even after their federal work authorization expired. BLUE STATE INVESTIGATES HOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER GOT LICENSE BEFORE DEADLY FLORIDA CRASH Kucharski explained further that, though a heavily regulated industry, illegal alien truck drivers can exploit a “loophole” in the system by obtaining non-domiciled commercial drivers’ licenses from states such as California and New York. They are then able to outcompete legitimate trucking businesses by charging lower prices, leading to the demise of many American small businesses in the industry. “As a business owner, I was thinking, ‘Well, who is taking all these loads?’ Now I could figure it out that this is another shockwave that’s hitting the truck industry after COVID and violent volatility, these [non-domiciled] drivers are coming in and doing it for cheaper because they don’t care, and… they don’t have Social Security numbers, and I assume they’re probably not filing for taxes. So, if you’re not going to pay all your bills, of course, you can do it cheaper and keep on trucking.” “All our truckers are fighting for the same load, and it goes to the lowest bidder,” he went on. “If you have these drivers coming in that are non-domiciled, they have no family here, they have no home, they live in their truck… They’re saying, ‘OK, look, all the market’s doing for $2,000, we’ll do it for $1,700.’ So, it’s putting small trucking businesses out of business every day.” “We’re overregulated, honestly, in the trucking industry. And if you’re overregulated, you think, ‘Well, there’s no way that this could happen,’ and it is happening, right now as we speak,” he said. “It’s eye-opening, disturbing and jaw-dropping.” Kucharski called on Duffy as well as other industry leaders to take action. Along with the report last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued an emergency interim final rule that tightened standards for non-domiciled CDLs nationwide. In the rule, stipulations changed and limited eligibility to applicants holding certain employment-based visas. It requires every state to verify their legal status through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database. Under the new rule, any non-domiciled commercial learner’s permit or CDL must expire no later than the end date on the driver’s federal immigration record or after one year, whichever comes first. It also maintains that states must keep proof of their lawful presence on file for at least two years. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER IN FATAL CALIFORNIA CRASH SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAD LICENSE: DOT REPORT In response to Kucharski’s criticisms, a spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital that “California continues to follow federal rules regarding CDLs.” “Lost in the immigrant-bashing is the fact that drivers holding a California-issued CDL are involved in fatal crashes at a rate far lower than the national average. If the focus were on safety, California should be a poster child, not a scapegoat,” the spokesperson said. “Consistent with federal law, California issued commercial driver’s licenses only to drivers if the federal government confirmed their legal presence,” the spokesperson went on, adding, “The Trump administration didn’t like these federal rules and just recently changed them to restrict refugees, DACA holders, and others from being able to apply for a CDL.” “This is a very serious crisis issue,” Kucharski said. “The trucking industry depends on trust. That means ensuring every driver on the road is properly licensed, well-trained, and mentally and physically fit to operate heavy equipment.” “All I can say is strategies like this remind us that reform isn’t just about policies, [it’s] about human lives. And it’s on all of us, from the regulators to the fleet owners, to the driver trainers, to ensure the system works the way it should.” Fox News Digital also reached out to the office of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul
Federal judge slaps down lawsuit by expelled Tennessee Democrat
A federal judge in Tennessee dismissed a lawsuit that a Democratic state representative filed against several of his Republican colleagues regarding his expulsion and eventual reinstatement as a lawmaker in 2023. U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson for the Middle District of Tennessee wrote a 52-page opinion slapping down Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones’ lawsuit for a lack of legal standing. Jones had claimed in the suit that his four-day expulsion caused him financial and professional harm, that he was denied due process and that his punishment was more severe than his White colleague because he is a Black man. “Plaintiff has not plausibly suggested any ‘continuing, present adverse effects’ as to his committee removals, GOC-seat denial, or the application to him of the 2023 Special Session Rules or the 2024 New Rules,” the judge wrote. “Rather, Plaintiff has engaged in the kind of ‘speculation’ that is ‘insufficient to establish the existence of a present, controversy,’ necessary to permit this Court to exercise Article III standing.” DEMOCRATIC STATE REPRESENTATIVE CALLS PRAYERS AFTER MASS SHOOTINGS ‘THEOLOGICAL MALPRACTICE’ Jones was elected to the Tennessee State House in 2023 and was part of the “Tennessee Three” who staged a protest on the House floor for gun reform following the mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. The shooting killed three children and three adults. DEMOCRAT JUSTIN JONES, ON OF ‘TENNESSEE THREE’ LAWMAKERS, SAYS HE WAS BOOTED FROM COMMITTEE Jones, along with Democratic state representatives Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson, led chants inside the chamber and disrupted House proceedings. Jones and Pearson were expelled from the House because of their disruption, while Johnson, who is White, was not. Both Jones and Pearson later won back their House seats. Republicans in the state House have defended their decision to expel Jones and Pearson at the time, describing their actions as selfish political stunts. Fox News Digital’s David Spector contributed to this report.
Scoop: Combat veteran launches congressional run in bid to flip longtime Democrat-held seat red
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and Iraq War veteran Jennifer-Ruth Green says she’s “ready to finish the mission” as she launches a second Republican congressional bid in northwest Indiana for a seat long held by Democrats. “The stakes couldn’t be higher,” Green said in a campaign launch video shared first with Fox News Digital on Tuesday, as she jumped into the U.S. House race in Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, which is represented by three-term Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan. Green, who came within five points of defeating Mrvan in the 2022 midterm elections, says her rematch in Indiana could be crucial in deciding if the GOP keeps control of its fragile House majority next year. “When we fire Frank Mrvan and take back northwest Indiana for the first time since 1928, Republicans will keep the House and stop radical Democrats from impeaching President Trump,” Green emphasized in her video. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM INDIANA And in an interview with Fox News Digital, she added, “I firmly believe that the control of the House might just come down to Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, and I want to be on the team to make sure we can have a credible agenda to support President Trump.” Green launched her campaign the day after Republican Gov. Mike Braun called state lawmakers back for a special legislative session to redraw the GOP-dominated state’s congressional districts. It’s part of a broad Republican effort orchestrated by President Donald Trump and his political team to pad the GOP House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Democrats need a pickup of just three seats to win back control of the House. FIVE KEY RACES TO WATCH IN THE 2025 ELECTIONS Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House, when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections. Democrats, fighting back, aim to blunt the GOP effort by pushing redistricting in blue-leaning states. Republicans currently control seven of Indiana’s nine congressional districts, and any new map passed by the state’s GOP super majority in the legislature would likely shift the 1st Congressional District from blue-leaning to a red-leaning seat. “We believe Indiana’s First District… will become much more Republican,” a memo from the Green campaign states. And Green, in her Fox News Digital interview, argued, “I am in support of redistricting. I really believe that it’s time for us to fight fire with fire, and we’ve seen how Democrats around the country have taken this opportunity … in their states to gerrymander.” Green, following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather, joined the Air Force. A 2005 Air Force Academy graduate, she began her military career in aviation before transitioning to serve as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and deploying to Baghdad during the Iraq War. She’s currently a lieutenant colonel in the Indiana Air National Guard and “as Indiana’s first secretary of public safety, I supported our first responders and helped the Trump administration remove dangerous illegal immigrants from our streets.” She also founded a faith-based nonprofit to “help at-risk youth through aerospace training.” Green, who outraised Mrvan in her 2022 campaign, is the only major Republican candidate to jump into the 2026 race. Pointing to her fundraising prowess, her campaign memo touts that Green “is the only candidate Republicans can put forward in this race to raise the money needed to win a hard-fought battle for this seat.” “When we fire Frank Mrvan and take back northwest Indiana for the first time since 1928, Republicans will keep the House,” Green said in her campaign video. And she pledged, if elected to Congress, to “stand shoulder to shoulder with our president to rebuild American manufacturing for middle class jobs, fight for bigger paychecks and lower prices, support our farmers and rural communities, secure the border and deport violent, illegal immigrants, back the blue, and defend the right to life and the Second Amendment.” Green, in her Fox News Digital interview, praised Trump, saying, “I believe that he’s doing a great job. He is taking care of our country, leading it in the right direction.” Asked if she would like the president’s help on the campaign trail, she said, “I look forward to bringing him out to northwest Indiana if he would come.”
The Decision: Jeffries toes the line, takes the plunge in long-awaited NYC mayoral endorsement
Even up until the last hour, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., played it coy about endorsing Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayor’s race. “Early voting, as you know, starts tomorrow,” observed a reporter to Jeffries at 11:06 a.m. on Friday. “Are you ready to endorse Mamdani?” “Stay tuned,” replied Jeffries. “What more do you need to hear at this point?” asked another scribe. ‘STAY TUNED’: JEFFRIES REPEATEDLY DODGES MAMDANI ENDORSEMENT AS SELF-IMPOSED DEADLINE LOOMS “Same answer,” said Jeffries. “I have not refused to endorse. I have refused to articulate my position and I will momentarily, at some point in advance of early voting.” Well, early voting began Saturday in New York. And true to his word, Jeffries articulated his position via a statement early Friday afternoon, throwing his political clout behind Mamdani. “Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a Mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” said Jeffries. “The communities I represent in Brooklyn are being devastated by this extreme version of the Republican Party. In this environment, we have a clear obligation to push back against the national nightmare being visited on the American people by Republican extremism.” Jeffries closed his endorsement with this key line: “I endorse the Democratic ticket.” In some respects, that was the least newsworthy line in Jeffries statement. It might be preposterous to think that the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, from New York City, would not endorse the Democratic candidate for mayor of his hometown. It would have been a bigger story had Jeffries not endorsed Mamdani. We don’t definitively know what Jeffries may have mulled for so long. But we do understand the fissure inside the Democratic Party between centrist Democrats and the far left. This is why Republicans shout from the Empire State Building that Mamdani is a “socialist” or even a “communist.” Republicans not-so-secretly love the fact Mamdani is the Democratic nominee. And they embrace the fact that Mamdani makes some Democrats squirm as the party tries to reach moderate voters – and simultaneously grapples with the leftist views of the nominee. ZOHRAN MAMDANI LANDS LONG-WAITED KEY ENDORSEMENT IN NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL RACE “What we’re witnessing is truly the end of the Democratic Party as we’ve known it,” opined House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “Hakeem Jeffries finally relented. He gave in and he gave his endorsement to the socialist running to be mayor of New York City. The House Democrats, they’ve shown the world what they really believe. There is no longer a place for [centrists] and moderates in their party.” Republicans also claim that the reason Democrats “shut down the government” is because Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., heard footsteps from the left and feared a primary challenge. In Schumer’s case: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. “They decided to save their own skin that they had to endorse the Marxist Mamdani,” speculated Johnson. “In an unprecedented move, they have also decided they had to shut down the government in an unprecedented move.” When pressed on MSNBC over the weekend why it took him so long to endorse Mamdani, Jeffries replied that he wasn’t “someone that I knew prior to him receiving the Democratic nomination.” Jeffries added that he wanted “to sit down and have some conversations” with Mamdani. But the endorsement question has been a tortured avenue for Jeffries ever since Mamdani captured the Democratic nomination for mayor on June 25. On the day Mamdani won the primary, Jeffries offered his “congratulations to Zohran Mamdani on a decisive primary victory.” But Jeffries did not endorse. SOCIALIST CANDIDATE MAMDANI MEETS WITH NY DEMS AS THEY WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS “We spoke this morning and plan to meet in central Brooklyn shortly,” said Jeffries. Four days later, ABC’s Jonathan Karl asked Jeffries if he had endorsed Mamdani yet. The answer was no. “He out-worked, he out-communicated, and he out-organized the opposition. And that’s clearly why he was successful,” said Jeffries. “So, what’s holding you back from endorsing him right now?” asked Karl. “Well, we don’t really know each other well. Our districts don’t overlap. I have never had a substantive conversation with him,” answered Jeffries. And that’s how it went, all summer long – and into the fall. Reporters frequently peppered Jeffries with questions about a potential endorsement or what the holdup was. And Jeffries was always circumspect. In fact, resistance to endorse fueled speculation that Jeffries harbored reservations about Mamdani. That’s nothing to say of possible headaches Mamdani could create for the party as it tries to court swing voters. EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY AMID HOTLY CONTESTED MAYOR AND GOVERNOR RACES “What does he need to do to secure your endorsement?” asked CNN’s Dana Bash on August 24. “(Rep.) Yvette Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and myself are scheduled to sit down with him in the next few days. I look forward to that conversation,” said Jeffries. “What do you want to hear from him? What’s missing? I mean, it’s pretty unusual for a high-ranking Democrat like yourself to withhold the endorsement of your party’s nominee for candidate for New York City mayor,” countered Bash. “I don’t think we have withheld an endorsement. We are engaging in a conversation about the future of New York City,” said Jeffries. Bash questioned if Jeffries wasn’t endorsing Mamdani because “he hasn’t denounced using the term or supporting the term ‘globalize the intifada?’” “I have raised several of the issues with him privately, as well as publicly spoken about some of the concerns that I have had,” said Jeffries. So, there were in fact “concerns.” “What do you say to your young constituents, energized young constituents that help put Mamdani in the position that he’s in and now they’re calling for you to represent their wishes and endorse him?” asked a reporter of Jeffries at the Capitol on October 6. CLINTON CAMPAIGN ALUM URGES JEFFRIES, SCHUMER NOT TO ‘TAKE THE
Man who went viral for heckling Winsome Sears with racist comment dealt another blow after getting fired
The man who went viral for lobbing racially charged insults at Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears during a college football game earlier this month, subsequently filed a police report claiming he was getting harassed after the incident went viral. The Fairfax County Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that it was aware of the police report that was filed and that, ultimately, the department’s threat assessment unit found that the information provided did not meet the criteria for a criminal investigation. “Go back to Haiti!,” the man from the viral video yelled at Sears, a Republican, during a James Madison University football game earlier this month. “Traitor!” After the incident, Sears clarified on social media that she is an immigrant from Jamaica, not Haiti. WINSOME SEARS RESPONDS TO JMU FAN TELLING HER TO ‘GO BACK TO HAITI’ AFTER WEEKEND OF LEFTIST INVECTIVE “I thought Democrats were supposed to love everyone,” Sears quipped at the time. The man, identified by local news reports as Scott Pogorelc, from Centerville, Virginia, was also reportedly fired by his employer, a subsidiary of government contractor Lockheed Martin. A JMU football player by the same last name is a redshirt senior on the Dukes’ offensive line. “We hold all of our employees and subsidiaries to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct. Any behavior that violates our Code of Ethics will be thoroughly investigated and employees found in violation will be held accountable. Zeta Associates investigated the matter, and the individual is no longer employed,” said a statement from a Lockheed Martin spokesperson, according to Fox 5 DC reporter Allison Papson. Meanwhile, Pogorelc is also a Democratic Party donor, according to Federal Election Commission filings and the Virginia Public Access Project. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor running against Sears, was among those he has donated to. TOP GOP GROUP DROPS BIG MONEY INTO VIRGINIA SHOWDOWN AFTER DEM AG NOMINEE’S VIOLENT TEXTS GO VIRAL The situation involving Pogorelc was not the first time Sears has faced racially insensitive remarks in recent months amid her campaign. In August, while speaking out against transgender bathroom policies outside an Arlington County school board meeting, a counter-protester held up a sign that read: “Hey Winsome, if trans can’t share your bathroom, then Blacks can’t share my water fountain.” Following that incident, current GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is facing the end of his term limit, blasted what he described as the “hypocrisy of the liberal left.” “Winsome is so much bigger than this idiocy,” Youngkin wrote on X. “This is wrong. [Winsome Earle-Sears] — and Virginia — deserve better,” added Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares in response to the sign. Miyares is running for reelection against Democratic Party candidate Jay Jones.
DOJ signals it would rather deport Abrego Garcia than prosecute him
The Trump administration signaled to a federal judge on Monday during a hearing that it would rather deport Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Africa than follow through with prosecuting him on charges of transporting illegal migrants. Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland grilled a Department of Justice lawyer over the plans, asking if the administration would remove Abrego Garcia to Liberia this week if it could overcome legal hurdles. Xinis currently has an injunction in place blocking Abrego Garcia from being deported. “I have been told that if there was no prohibition, we would remove him on Friday,” DOJ lawyer Drew Ensign said. Xinis pressed Ensign about Abrego Garcia’s criminal case in Tennessee, and Ensign replied that he did not know how deporting Abrego Garcia would affect that case. The judge voiced skepticism about the timing of the administration’s desired deportation date of Friday. FEDERAL JUDGE LOSES PATIENCE WITH TRUMP DOJ AS ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION STALLS AGAIN Xinis noted that a high-pressure hearing is happening next week over whether the DOJ vindictively brought criminal charges against Abrego Garcia after initially admitting to erroneously deporting him to a prison in El Salvador earlier this year. “I don’t believe a criminal case can go forward if there’s no defendant,” Xinis said, adding, “I’m trying to figure out how useful this Friday is, and the reason why I’m asking is because it’s common knowledge there is an evidentiary hearing [in Tennessee] next week.” Liberia is now the fourth African country raised by lawyers for the Trump administration after they previously identified three others, Uganda, Ghana and Eswatini, that could potentially accept Abrego Garcia, pending dissolution of Xinis’ injunction keeping him in the United States. The judge signaled that the Department of Homeland Security’s position of wanting to deport him and the DOJ’s position of wanting to take him to trial did not add up and that she suspected some behind-the-scenes logistical discussions were taking place. “It just doesn’t pass the sniff test that there hasn’t been some coordination,” Xinis said. DHS TO SOON DEPORT ABREGO GARCIA TO AFRICAN NATION AFTER ILLEGAL ALIEN’S RETURN FROM EL SALVADOR, FILING SAYS Abrego Garcia’s defense attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg told the judge his team was unsatisfied with Liberia, saying they were unclear on whether their client would be detained or free in Liberia and that they currently suspect he could be re-deported to El Salvador, where he has established a credible fear of persecution. Sandoval-Moshenberg reiterated that Abrego Garcia is open to being deported to Costa Rica, the only country that has explicitly agreed to grant him asylum and to not send him back to El Salvador. Xinis questioned Ensign about the administration’s position on deporting him to Costa Rica, after Abrego Garcia’s attorneys previously accused the government of dangling that option in exchange for him pleading guilty in his criminal case in Tennessee. FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY BARS ABREGO GARCIA FROM DEPORTATION TO UGANDA “Any insight you can shed on why we’re continuing this hearing when you could deport him to a third country tomorrow?” Xinis asked, adding, “Now we’re about to burn significant resources … to now talk about a fourth African country.” Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment. In August, when Abrego Garcia’s attorneys first told the court about the DOJ floating Costa Rica as part of a plea deal, a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement that pleading guilty or standing trial were Abrego Garcia’s only options because he presented a “clear danger” to the community. Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty to the charges. “This defendant can plead guilty and accept responsibility or stand trial before a jury,” the spokesperson said. “Either way, we will hold Abrego Garcia accountable and protect the American people.” Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch and Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
Mamdani forced to clarify relative invoked in viral Islamophobia anecdote as questions swirl
New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani offered up a clarification on Monday about an anecdote that sparked controversy on social media related to an anecdote he told about his “aunt” not using the subway in New York City due to post-9/11 Islamophobia. “I was speaking about Zehra fuhi, my father’s cousin, who passed away a few years ago,” Mamdani told reporters on Monday, using the term “fuhi” which the New York Post reported means paternal aunt in Hindi and Urdu, after social media users had raised questions about the veracity of his story. “I want to speak to the memory of my aunt who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab,” Mamdani, fighting back tears, told a crowd on Oct. 24 while outlining his concerns about Islamophobia and suggesting that criticisms of his anti-Israel positions are rooted in a disdain toward his Muslim faith. Shortly after that clip hit the internet, a wave of criticism hit from conservatives and internet sleuths who poked holes in the story and suggested Mamdani had embellished it, pointing to his one direct biological aunt, Dr. Masuma Mamdani, listing on her LinkedIn that she worked and presumably lived in Tanzania from January 2000 to December 2003. Additionally, publicly available photos of Masuma Mamdani don’t show her wearing a hijab. DESANTIS PREDICTS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF MAMDANI WINS NYC ELECTION: ‘GREAT’ FOR GOP, ‘BAD FOR NEW YORK CITY’ The controversy reached the White House in the form of a post on X from Vice President JD Vance who expressed skepticism about the story. “According to Zohran the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks,” the vice president wrote. INSIDE THE MAMDANI MACHINE: SOROS CASH, SOCIALISTS AND RADICAL IMAMS ENGINEERED ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S PATH TO POWER Mamdani’s father Mahmood, who Zohran Mamdani says is the cousin of the deceased aunt, has faced criticism during the campaign for his past controversial statements as a professor at Columbia University, including a claim that Hitler was inspired by Abraham Lincoln, which resurfaced on social media in recent days. Mahmood Mamdani also sits on the advisory council of an anti-Israel organization that supports boycotts and sanctions of Israel, and routinely accuses the Israeli government of committing “genocide”, Fox News Digital reported this summer. “Suicide bombing needs to be understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism,” the elder Mamdani wrote in his 2004 book Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror. “We need to recognize the suicide bomber, first and foremost, as a category of soldier.” Zohran Mamdani has pushed back in recent days against critics of his various anti-Israel policies and statements dating back to his time in college and suggested that those criticisms are rooted in anti-Muslim bigotry. “The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker,” Mamdani posted on X on Friday with a video that was viewed at least 24 million times. “And yet, for too long, we have been told to ask for less than that, and endure hatred and bigotry in the shadows. No more.”
Shutdown crushes small business owners as losses hit billions — industry leaders beg Congress for ‘clean CR’
FIRST ON FOX: Small business owners are losing billions in funding due to the government shutdown, with industry leaders publishing a letter Monday demanding lawmakers pass a “clean CR” and reopen the federal government. “On behalf of our organizations representing millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners, we are calling on U.S. Senators to put an end to the instability and hardship by passing a clean continuing resolution, which will allow negotiations to continue on spending measures moving through Congress, including the future of the COVID credits that will expire at year-end,” a letter addressed to U.S. senators across the board and first obtained by Fox News Digital states. “The viability of thousands of small businesses is at risk due to the shutdown, and it is unacceptable that the livelihoods of owners and their employees are being sacrificed for spending demands that can be resolved through regular order.” The letter was signed by six industry groups, including the Family Business Coalition, International Franchise Association, Job Creators Network, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, National Restaurant Association and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. The government shut down Oct. 1 after Senate lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement before a midnight deadline. Leaders of both political parties have since cast blame for the shutdown on each other, with Republicans arguing Democrats sought taxpayer-funded medical benefits for illegal immigrants in their legislation, while Democrats have denied the accusation and claimed Republicans won’t join the negotiation table on healthcare for citizens. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN 101: WE’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, HERE’S WHAT HAPPENS NEXT The letter urged lawmakers to reopen the government while pointing to a handful of examples of how Americans are suffering due to the shutdown, including small business owners losing out on billions in funding. “According to the (Small Business Administration), 4,800 small businesses have been blocked from receiving $2.5 billion in capital since the start of the shutdown,” the groups warned. “Every day the shutdown continues means another 320 small businesses will not have access to the SBA-backed commercial loans these businesses were counting on for expansion and growth. Hundreds of thousands of workers are impacted by the suspension through furloughs, reduced jobs and wages, along with missed opportunities for local economies.” The Small Business Administration released data earlier in October showing 320 small business owners have lost $170 million in funding each day due to the shutdown, which has resulted in at least $2.5 billion in funding that cannot be delivered to business owners. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox Digital that the “Democrat shutdown” has caused “chaos” that is gripping business owners no matter the size of the company. SHUTDOWN IGNITES STRATEGIST DEBATE: WILL TRUMP AND GOP PAY THE POLITICAL PRICE IN 2026? “From Wall Street to Main Street, the Democrat shutdown has generated unnecessary chaos and economic uncertainty. Millions of small businesses and entrepreneurs have made it very clear — it is time for Senate Democrats to pass the clean continuing resolution, reopen the government, and stop using Americans as ‘leverage’ for their radical policies,” Rogers said. The letter added that disruptions to air travel and air traffic controller shortages have affected business owners and consumers, alike, and that small business owners are feeling the pinch of “ever-increasing costs and diminishing choices” as they relate to healthcare coverage. SOCIAL SECURITY, AIRPORTS, FOOD STAMPS: HOW ARE YOU AFFECTED DURING A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN? “With respect to the rising cost of health insurance premiums, small businesses have been the hardest hit by years of ever-increasing costs and diminishing choices. Premium tax credit expiration represents only a fraction of the reason why many small businesses are seeing hefty premium increases for next year. Lowering costs and increasing affordable choices will be resolved through comprehensive reforms that need to be addressed by Congress and state legislatures. Congress must commit to this important task as well,” the letter stated. “The effects of the shutdown will only grow wider with each passing day unless the Senate acts. Passing a clean CR is a smart, responsible, and bipartisan course of action. It will provide certainty for small business owners, employees and workers who are counting on actions from their elected officials that produce certainty and stability. We urge every Senator to support a clean CR that allows the appropriations process to move forward to ensure the federal government remains open and operational,” the letter said. The shutdown currently does not have an end in sight. Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are taking issue with Trump traveling to Asia this week to meet with foreign leaders. “Americans deserve a government that works as hard as they do — not a leader that flies away from responsibility at the time they need one most,” Schumer said Friday. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, when asked about Schumer’s remarks, told the media Monday that “President Trump has entrusted us to fix this because this is an Article I branch problem.” “The president tried his best, he brought them in before all this madness started, and Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries effectively told him to jump in the Potomac,” Johnson said, CBS News reported. “So it’s up to the Democrats, everybody knows that. The president said he’ll meet with them on any issue under the sun. We’re delighted to talk about it, but they have to get the government reopened first.”
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Hamas to return hostage body amid Trump warning
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Cuomo closes gap on Mamdani as NYC mayor race tightens dramatically in new poll -Trump admin warns 42 million Americans could lose food stamps as shutdown drags on -Newsom and Harris both position themselves as potential 2028 White House contenders Hamas says it will hand over another body of an Israeli hostage on Monday, as President Donald Trump’s 48-hour deadline looms. If the latest body is handed over, Hamas will still have the bodies of 12 Israeli hostages in its custody. Trump’s deadline will expire Monday night. Hamas has made no mention of the identity of the deceased hostage set to be released. “Within the framework of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades will hand over the body of one of the occupation prisoners, which was recovered today in the Gaza Strip, at 9 PM Gaza time,” Hamas announced in a statement…READ MORE. ‘PERFECT’ SCAN: Trump reveals he had ‘perfect’ MRI during recent Walter Reed physical ‘DARK DAYS’: Biden claims nation facing ‘dark days’ as he accepts lifetime achievement award RUNWAY REVENGE: America’s ‘BAT’ man unveils tech built to outsmart a Chinese first strike MOSCOW IN RANGE: The Tomahawk factor: US long-range missiles are the battlefield gamechanger Putin should fear ASIA POWER PLAY: Trump courts Japan’s emperor and new PM before high-stakes Xi summit this week WEEK AHEAD: Trump’s focus turns to Japan and South Korea as Asia trip continues FROM SEA TO SOIL: Graham says Trump has ‘all the authority he needs’ in Venezuela strikes PAYDAY PANIC: Federal workers brace for missed paycheck as shutdown enters 5th week WIFE UNDER SIEGE: House Republicans accuse Biden’s FBI of retaliating against whistleblower who exposed misconduct CAPITOL CLASH: Republicans, Democrats clash over expiring Obamacare subsidies during ongoing shutdown talks WRECKING BALL RAGE: Swalwell mocked for demanding 2028 Democrats pledge to demolish Trump’s ballroom ‘LEFTIST AGENDA’: DeSantis predicts what would happen if Mamdani wins NYC election: ‘Great’ for GOP, ‘bad for New York City’ TECH HIRING TENSION: ‘3 headed monster’: Expert reveals how H1B visa program is crushing American college graduates ‘CRAZY STAT’: Bill Maher calls out Democrats for failing to properly stop crime and repeat offenders COLLEGE CLASH: Turning Point USA chapter denied official status by Loyola University New Orleans student government Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
‘Tax the rich!’: Mamdani steps in to defend Hochul after supporters heckle governor at NYC rally
NEW YORK CITY – New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani defended Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., on Monday after his supporters drowned her out at the podium with chants of “Tax the rich!” at her during Sunday night’s high-profile rally in Forest Hills, Queens. Mamdani’s plan to raise taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers to pay for his ambitious campaign promises, like free childcare, fast and free buses and city-run grocery stores, would require state approval, but the governor has ruled out raising taxes on New Yorkers. “Whenever I speak with the governor, it always comes back to affordability, and we have both made clear that that is the defining purpose of our politics, and that’s what we’re going to deliver,” Mamdani told reporters in Manhattan on Monday. But Mamdani’s supporters, knowing Hochul has been unwilling to budge on raising taxes, disrupted her remarks on Sunday, shouting, “Tax the rich!” The chants forced Mamdani to walk out on stage early and taking her hand in his to affirm his support for the governor. MAMDANI SPARKS ONLINE FRENZY OVER RESPONSE TO WHETHER HE ENDORSES NY GOV HOCHUL: ‘HUMILIATING’ “I can hear you,” Hochul responded as the stadium erupted with the chant. Yet Hochul told reporters on Monday that she knows there is “passion” to raise taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers, but the governor said she attended Mamdani’s rally, as leader of New York’s Democratic Party, to reaffirm her support for the Democratic mayoral nominee. MAMDANI’S SOCIALIST, CITY-RUN GROCERY PLAN FACES BACKLASH FROM HOCHUL: ‘I FAVOR FREE ENTERPRISE’ “What I saw in that stadium was refreshing and energizing to know we can harness all that, to be on the same team and to make sure we can do a lot of great things for the people of this state and indeed the country,” Hochul said. Mamdani was joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Sunday for the “New York is Not for Sale Rally,” with more than 10,000 people packed into Forest Hills Stadium, according to the campaign. When pressed by a reporter if she would be willing to change her mind about raising taxes, Hochul said, “I’m having a lot of conversations about everything.” “They want to know my timeline. I said let’s get through this election. Let’s let the focus be on your race,” Hochul added, explaining that she wanted to attend Sunday’s rally as the leader of a diverse Democratic Party. She also said she wasn’t sure what the hecklers were saying. “I couldn’t hear what they were chanting. I thought they were saying, ‘Let’s go, Bills.’ I wasn’t sure,” Hochul said. “I appreciated the governor speaking at yesterday’s rally,” Mamdani said when asked about the hecklers. “I appreciated her remarks. I appreciate her support for universal childcare, which is something that’s been a longstanding priority for her.” “I went out to hold her hand and hold our hands together to show New York City that the relationship between a mayor and a governor need not always be what it was with Andrew Cuomo. It could, in fact, be one that’s committed to the same set of constituents,” Mamdani added. With nearly one week until Election Day, Mamdani maintains a double-digit lead over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, with 44% of support among likely voters in the most recent survey in the race, from Suffolk University. Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and who is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary to Mamdani, has 34% support in the latest survey. Hochul endorsed Mamdani last month after previously withholding for months after Mamdani secured the Democratic nomination. While Hochul has now thrown her political weight behind Mamdani as he campaigns to become the next mayor of the nation’s most populous city, Mamdani has refused to endorse her own re-election campaign. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is considering a gubernatorial challenge against Hochul next year, said in a statement that Sunday’s rally “could not have been more of a disaster” for Hochul. “Hochul truly is the Worst Governor in America and voters across the political spectrum, including even the Socialists she bent the knee to, all know that she is truly the Worst Governor in America. New Yorkers will fire Kathy Hochul next year,” Stefanik said. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.