Obama insisted Black men vote for Harris but now stumps against Virginia’s Black lieutenant governor
Former President Barack Obama is heading back to the campaign trail in the final days of a pair of high-stakes gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey to stump for the respective Democrats in the cycles. In the Old Dominion State, former CIA employee and former Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger is facing off against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Jamaican immigrant and Marine veteran. The election comes with a handful of historic firsts, including Earle-Sears becoming the state’s first Black female nominee for governor in a race that ultimately will result in Virginia electing the first female governor, regardless of which party wins the general election. Obama will head to Virginia Nov. 1 to headline a political rally for Spanberger in Norfolk after endorsing her in a pair of political ads earlier in October that took shots at Republicans. Obama stumping for the Virginia Democrats comes just a year after he landed in hot water for insisting Black male voters support then-Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign. Now, he is calling on Virginia voters to snub the Black female candidate in favor of Spanberger. WITH LEGACY ON THE LINE, OBAMA HITTING CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO BOOST DEMOCRATS IN KEY GOVERNOR ELECTIONS A year ago, Obama was hot on the campaign trail for the Harris campaign, criss-crossing battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin to rally votes during the unprecedented cycle that first began with former President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket before he dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris. Obama scolded Black men during a campaign stop at a Pittsburgh campaign office, saying they appeared apprehensive to support a woman for president and that they should get on board with the Harris ticket. “We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama said of support for Harris’ race. “Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So if you don’t mind – just for a second, I’ve got to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice that is this clean: When on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, went to college with you, understands the struggles (and the) pain and joy that comes from those experiences,” Obama said, continuing that Trump “has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person – and you are thinking about sitting out?” Part “of it makes me think, and I’m speaking to men directly… that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.” The remark garnered pushback from some voters and groups that described the comments as “insulting” and “offensive.” OBAMA ENDORSES SPANBERGER, ATTACKS REPUBLICANS IN VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE ADS “The general tone of it was disgusting,” one Black male voter from Philadelphia said of Obama’s comments during an MSNBC election panel at the time. “It was abhorrent. I didn’t respect it. I didn’t like nothing about it. And Kamala, two days after that, is like, ‘We love our Black men, we have programs and things that we’re rolling out for them’ and she rolled out policy.” Spanberger’s campaign was rocked by an undercover video showing a campaign organizer lamenting the Virginia race pitted a “White woman who was in the CIA” against “a Black woman.” “CIA agent, literally, which is crazy, like yeah, vote for the CIA agent, guys, like what the f—,” a campaign organizer for Spanberger said in a video with an undercover journalist in September that was first reported by Fox Digital. “I don’t know what happened. We’re in, like, the darkest timeline,” she continued. “Our only choices are between a Black woman, which ordinarily all for, but this time you think we should bring back slavery, Winsome.… Even with that, it’s like either vote for the Black woman who thinks that slavery should be brought back or vote for the White woman who was in the CIA.” Only two states across the country are holding gubernatorial elections this off-season election in 2025: New Jersey and Virginia. Earle-Sears is the only Black candidate to run for governor out of the four major-party candidates running in either state. OBAMA CONTINUES TRADITION OF SLOW-ROLLED POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS AS GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS HIT FEVER PITCH Obama officially endorsed Spanberger in a pair of ads released earlier in October celebrating her abortion and tax policies. “Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year. We know Republicans will keep attacking abortion rights and the rights of women. That’s why having the right governor matters, and I’m proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger,” Obama said in an ad released earlier in October. “Republican policies are raising costs on working families so (that) billionaires can get massive tax cuts,” he said in another ad endorsing Spanberger. Fox News Digital reached out to Earle-Sears’ campaign for comment on Obama’s support of Spanberger but did not immediately receive a reply. Obama’s office did not immediately respond when approached for comment on the upcoming Virginia rally and past remarks on Black male voters. Obama also will head to New Jersey Saturday, where he will stump for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill as she looks to defeat Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Federal workers brace for missed paycheck as shutdown enters 5th week
Washington is barreling into its fifth week of a government shutdown, and despite a handful of payday deadlines for federal workers fast-approaching, there’s been little progress made toward turning the lights back on. The Senate is expected to again vote on a House-passed plan to reopen the government this week but has failed to advance the continuing resolution (CR) 12 times. As before, the legislation — which would reopen the government until Nov. 21 — is expected to fail again. The same dispute that triggered the shutdown nearly a month ago remains unresolved. DEMOCRATS EYE KEY OBAMACARE DEADLINE AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENTERS 4TH WEEK Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., want an ironclad deal to extend expiring Obamacare premium subsidies, while Senate Republicans want to address the issue only after the government is reopened. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued that Democrats’ position had little to do with the actual premium tax credits, nor a desire for negotiations. “It’s politics,” he said. “Well, they’d like you to believe that it’s about healthcare,” he said on the Senate floor last week. “It’s not. Republicans have been perfectly clear that we’re willing to have a discussion about healthcare, just not while government funding is being held hostage and all the federal employees that come with that. So if this were really about healthcare, Democrats would be voting in favor of the clean CR as the quickest way to reopen the government.” In the meantime, payday deadlines for air traffic controllers, military service members, and a funding cliff for federal nutrition assistance programs are right around the corner. Air traffic controllers are expected to miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday after being partially paid earlier this month. FISCAL DISASTER SCENARIO DURING SHUTDOWN SENDS GOP SCRAMBLING FOR NEW SPENDING PLAN Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Chair Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has a bill that would fill that funding gap that is expected to be put on the floor for a vote this week. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has not yet teed it up. Then there is the military payday coming on Oct. 31. President Donald Trump previously moved around billions in funding to cover troops’ paychecks earlier this month, but that money is not expected to cover this upcoming pay cycle. Sen. Ron Johnson’s, R-Wis., bill to pay troops and “excepted” federal workers — meaning federal workers who are currently working during the shutdown but not being paid — was blocked by Senate Democrats last week. However, there is an effort between Johnson and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., to bring a new version of the bill to the floor. Van Hollen also tried to get his own bill to pay federal workers and troops on the floor last week but was blocked in the process. Van Hollen, like other Senate Democrats, warned that Johnson’s version of the bill would allow Trump and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought a “blank check as to who they’re going to send home and who they’re going to punish by not paying.” SCHUMER BLOCKS 12TH GOP BID TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT AS TRUMP SAYS DEMOCRATS ‘LOST THE NEGOTIATION’ “Not one of our federal employees, service members, or contractors deserves to be punished for this government shutdown,” Van Hollen said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I’m continuing to work to make sure they’re not.” And on Nov. 1, the same day as the beginning of open enrollment for Obamacare, funding for food stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is expected to run out. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats received another blow to their unified front as the shutdown drags on from an outside ally that donates millions of dollars to Democratic political action committees and candidates. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union of federal employees in the nation that represents over 800,000 workers, demanded that Democrats swallow the Republicans’ clean CR to reopen the government. Everett Kelley, president of the massive union, said in an open letter on Monday that the best path forward was to, “Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues,” and ensure that every federal employee that has been working or furloughed under the shutdown receive back pay. “Because when the folks who serve this country are standing in line for food banks after missing a second paycheck because of this shutdown, they aren’t looking for partisan spin,” Kelley said. “They’re looking for the wages they earned. The fact that they’re being cheated out of it is a national disgrace.” “It’s long past time for our leaders to put aside partisan politics and embrace responsible government,” he continued. “A strong America requires a functioning government — one that pays its bills, honors its commitments, and treats its workforce with respect by paying them on time.”
Hamas hands over hostage’s body to Israel as Trump’s 48-hour warning nears
Israeli authorities have confirmed they received the body of a deceased hostage from the Red Cross on Monday evening, as President Donald Trump’s 48-hour deadline looms. The body was handed over to the IDF and Shin Bet by the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip. Hamas still has 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. Trump acknowledged on social media Saturday that some of the deceased hostages are “hard to reach.” TRUMP ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO BRING ISRAELI HOSTAGES HOME: HAMAS MUST BE ‘CONFRONTED AND DESTROYED’ “Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply with their obligations. Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.” Hours before Trump’s post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with the families of Itay Chen and Omer Neutra, two U.S. citizens who were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. TRUMP THANKS GROUP REPRESENTING FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE APPEAL Their bodies are among those still being held by Hamas. “We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas,” Rubio wrote in an X post. “We will not rest until their—and all—remains are returned.” Authorities believed Chen, a 19-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, but was later declared dead by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Huckabee noted Rubio’s visit to Israel was “very productive in moving forward” the U.S.-brokered Gaza peace plan, adding the plan cannot work until all hostages, living and deceased, are released. Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Trump admin warns 42 million Americans could lose food stamps as shutdown drags on
The Trump administration is warning that millions of Americans could lose out on federal food benefits within days if Democrats do not accept Republicans’ plan to end the government shutdown. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it does not have the ability to independently reshuffle funds into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, according to a recent memo obtained by Fox News Digital. “Due to Congressional Democrats’ refusal to pass a clean continuing resolution (CR), approximately 42 million individuals will not receive their SNAP benefits come November 1st,” the memo said. “This jeopardizes all SNAP recipients in November, including those that have applied for benefits in the last half of October, and furloughed Federal employees who will not receive their combined October/November benefits.” FLASHBACK: TED CRUZ PREDICTS BALLOONING OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES NOW AT CENTER OF SHUTDOWN FIGHT Democrats had been pressing the Trump administration to use the federal government’s SNAP contingency fund, which they said contains about $5 billion, to cover at least some of the shortfall. It takes about $8 to $9 billion per month to cover all SNAP benefits. But the USDA argued that the emergency funding was not “legally available” for use. “SNAP contingency funds are only available to supplement regular monthly benefits when amounts have been appropriated for, but are insufficient to cover, benefits. The contingency fund is not available to support [fiscal year (FY) 2026] regular benefits, because the appropriation for regular benefits no longer exists,” the memo said. “Instead, the contingency fund is a source of funds for contingencies, such as the Disaster SNAP program, which provides food purchasing benefits for individuals in disaster areas, including natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, that can come on quickly and without notice.” The department also argued that shuffling existing funds from other areas would harm Americans who rely on those programs. “Transfers from other sources would pull away funding for school meals and infant formula,” the memo said. “This Administration will not allow Democrats to jeopardize funding for school meals and infant formula in order to prolong their shutdown.” USDA emphasized its point with an announcement on its website seen Monday morning that said, “Senate Democrats have now voted 12 times to not fund the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).” ‘THE PANDEMIC’S OVER’: GOP, DEM SENATORS SPAR ON CAMERA OVER COSTLY OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES “Bottom line, the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 1. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance,” the department said. A letter signed by nearly all House Democrats sent to the USDA on Friday said the SNAP contingency fund was available “precisely for this reason.” “We urge USDA to use these funds for November SNAP benefits and issue clear guidance to states on how to navigate benefit issuance. Additionally, while the contingency reserve will not cover November benefits in full, we urge USDA to use its statutory transfer authority or any other legal authority at its disposal to supplement these dollars and fully fund November benefits,” they wrote. Democrats have said they would not accept any federal funding bill that does not also include an extension of Obamacare subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic — but which are set to expire at the end of this year. Republicans’ plan, a short-term extension of FY2025 federal funding called a continuing resolution (CR), passed the House on Sept. 19 but has since stalled in the Senate.
Trump warns Russia: US has world’s greatest nuclear submarine ‘right off their shores’
President Donald Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to recent missile tests, reminding him that the U.S. has a nuclear submarine stationed “right off their shores.” Trump made the comments during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One Monday morning, telling reporters that the U.S. is “not playing games” with Putin. “Russia said this week that they’ve tested a new missile that can go more than 8,000 miles. Is that saber-rattling for you? What is that?” a reporter asked. “I know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores. So, I mean, it doesn’t have to go 8,000 miles, and they’re not playing games with us. We’re not playing games with them either,” Trump responded. TRUMP AND PUTIN’S RELATIONSHIP TURNS SOUR AS PRESIDENT PUSHES FOR RESOLUTION WITH UKRAINE “We test missiles all the time. But, you know, we do have a submarine, a nuclear submarine. We don’t need to go 8,000 miles. And I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying either, by the way. You ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its soon fourth year. That’s what you ought to do instead of testing missiles,” he added. TRUMP FREEZES OUT PUTIN FOR LACK OF ‘ENOUGH ACTION’ TOWARD PEACE — FUTURE TALKS UNCERTAIN Trump later teased that he may be considering further sanctions against Russia, telling reporters simply, “You’ll find out.” Russia announced the successful test of its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile on Sunday, claiming it has a range of over 8,000 miles and can pierce defense shielding. Putin said Russia is moving to deploy the weapon. Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of Russia’s armed forces, told Putin that the missile traveled 8,700 miles and was in the air for about 15 hours when it was tested on October 21. Trump has been heavily critical of Putin in recent months for his unwillingness to negotiate a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. Trump met face-to-face with the leader in Alaska earlier this year, but no deal has materialized. Reuters contributed to this report.
‘3 headed monster’: Expert reveals how H-1B visa program is crushing American college graduates
As the Trump administration makes moves to change the H-1B visa program to benefit American-born workers, Skillstorm CEO Justin Vianello backed those efforts in an interview with Fox News Digital while offering his expertise on other issues that need to be addressed with work visas. Vianello told Fox News Digital that one of the “biggest challenges” with the current H-1B system is the “impact” on college hiring, particularly with computer science and computer engineering graduates. Vianello explained that the unemployment rate for college graduates with those degrees is significantly higher than the average for all college graduates and there is a “concerning” level of unemployment with college graduates in IT. “So that basically means they didn’t need degrees for the jobs that they’re currently in, being significantly under employed,” Vianello said. “How does the H-1B visa program impact that? Well, firstly, rough estimates are that there are about 730,000 H-1B holders in the U.S. and about 550,000 dependents. Most of them, in excess of 70% of them, are in IT.” TRUMP’S H-1B VISA REFORM PLAN NEEDS TO PUT AMERICANS FIRST Vianello went on to explain that data shows H-1B visa holders are paid “significantly less” than their counterparts doing equivalent IT roles, which gives them a leg up with employers who are looking to pay less. “I think it gets a little more broadly than that,” Vianello said. “In addition to competing with H-1B visa holders, college graduates, especially in IT, are also competing with OPT visa holders. This is optional practical training, basically an extension of the F-1 visa, which is a student visa, which allows you, if you’re a STEM graduate, to work in the U.S. for three years following your graduation.” “Now, the OPT visa holders don’t pay Social Security or Medicare taxes, so they’re automatically 15% cheaper, and they are typically paid 42% less than their U S counterparts. So as a college grad, you’re fighting this three-headed monster. You’re graduating with student debt, you’ve got H-1B visa holders and OPT visa holders who have the ability to take your job and cost an employer significantly less, and then you’re competing with the third one, which is the ability of an employer to simply offshore that work.” Many tech companies have embraced the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, but critics of the program say H-1B holders are often chosen over U.S. citizens for jobs. One of the reasons for this is that foreign workers are tied to their respective employers via the H-1B visa – as a company is required to sponsor the visa – and therefore quitting the job could ultimately see foreign workers losing their visa and their ability to legally remain in the country. LABOR DAY CELEBRATION: HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP IS CREATING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR AMERICAN WORKERS “The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B,” Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk posted on X last year as a rift inside the MAGA movement was raging on the issue. “The intention was good around bringing in people with skills and retaining people in the US that are doing skills and are studying in the universities,” Vianello said. “But the outcome to college grads that are competing for those roles has been really bad.” Earlier this year, the Trump administration unveiled a proposal designed to nudge employers toward offering higher salaries or reserving H-1B petitions for jobs that require advanced skills. The rule change, formally published in the Federal Register, came just days after President Donald Trump signed a proclamation introducing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications. The $100,000 fee — a one-time charge applying only to new H-1B petitions — will take effect in the next annual lottery, the system the U.S. government uses to select applications once the annual visa cap is reached. “The whole idea is no more will these Big Tech companies or other big companies train foreign workers. They have to pay the government $100,000, then they have to pay the employee, so it’s just not [economical],” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters on Friday as Trump signed the order. Vianello told Fox News Digital, “Certainly I think that the $100,000 fee on any new applications is gonna go a long way toward changing behavior, but that’s focused on H-1B.” “We’ve seen quite a bit of news recently around changes to the OPT visa program as well in terms of limiting the number of visas and limiting the countries that they come from. That’s gonna have a significant impact on the pipeline of people coming through as well. And so I believe those measures are gonna start changing the behavior of many of the employers.” The argument from H-1B supporters that the United States is bringing in the “best and the brightest” is a sentiment Vianello pushed back on. “In the last 18 months, according to layoffs.fyi, these large companies have laid off 250,000 tech professionals, but at the same time, the cap for H-1B visas was secured before the end of 2024 for the entire 2025, which is 85,000 people,” Vianello explained. “So you’re laying off 250,000 U.S. tech workers, but you’re applying for the maximum cap that you can for H-1B visa holders. That doesn’t make sense. If there’s a shortage of skills, why are you laying off 250,000 people? So you can see the way it’s structured. It’s being used as a labor arbitrage to bring down these large companies’ tech costs.” Vianello, who came here on a visa, told Fox News Digital he is not opposed to worker visa programs in general, but stressed they shouldn’t leave American workers behind. “I fully support using visas to attract top-tier technologists to the U.S. I came here on a Specialty Occupation Visa myself, which required my employer to invest significantly to bring me over,” Vianello said. “What I oppose
Biden claims nation facing ‘dark days’ as he accepts lifetime achievement award
Former President Joe Biden suggested that the U.S. is currently facing “dark days.” During a ceremony where he was honored with a lifetime achievement award for inspired leadership from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, Biden described the current state of affairs as the “worst” he has seen in his many decades of “elected public life,” opining that “our very democracy is at stake in my view.” “Friends, I can’t sugarcoat any of this. These are dark days,” Biden asserted. JOE MANCHIN LAMENTS BIDEN PRESIDENCY AS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY SQUANDERED BY ‘FAR-LEFT’ WHO HAD PRESIDENT’S EAR But the Democrat said the U.S. is one of the only nations that comes out of each crisis it faces “stronger” than before. Biden said he believes the U.S. will “emerge… stronger, wiser, more resilient, more just, so long as we keep the faith,” urging people to “fight like hell.” KARINE JEAN-PIERRE HAS NO WHITE HOUSE REGRETS, DECLARES ‘I DON’T TAKE ANYTHING BACK’ The lifetime achievement award recognizes Biden for serving 36 years as a senator, eight years as vice president alongside President Barack Obama, and four years as president. Before his time in federal posts, he served on the New Castle County Council in Delaware. KAMALA HARRIS GRILLED BY BBC JOURNALIST ON WHY SHE DIDN’T RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT BIDEN’S CAPACITY CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Biden, who left office earlier this year at the age of 82, was the oldest person ever to serve as president in American history.
The Tomahawk factor: US long-range missiles are the battlefield gamechanger Putin should fear
The U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk cruise missile would put Moscow well within target range if President Donald Trump were to fulfill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request. The Tomahawk has long been one of the most recognizable weapons in America’s arsenal. At $2 million per missile and $6 million per launcher, it can strike up to 1,500 miles into enemy territory. If the United States were to authorize Ukraine to use it, it would mark a dramatic escalation in both capability and psychology. For the first time, Russian forces and strategic sites far beyond the front lines — including inside Russian territory — would fall within reach of a Western-supplied, precision long-range weapon that Moscow has no reliable defense against. Unlike the shorter-range Storm Shadow or ATACMS systems already used by Kyiv, the Tomahawk would give Ukraine the ability to strike targets hundreds of miles inside Russia — air bases, ammunition depots, logistics hubs and naval assets supporting the war in Ukraine. That reach would instantly change the strategic balance. TRUMP MULLS TOMAHAWK DELIVERIES TO UKRAINE IF RUSSIA KEEPS WAR GOING Critically, it would give Ukraine the ability to hit at Russia’s energy industry, which, through exports to nations like China, Iran and India, funds the war effort. Ukraine has used ATACMS systems to strike behind enemy lines in Russian-occupied Ukraine and near Russia’s borders — helicopter shelters, ammunition depots and runways. But even as missiles regularly rain down on Kyiv, its defense forces have not been able to respond in kind to Moscow, leaving the Kremlin hub unscathed and largely secure after three and a half years of war. Recently, Ukraine used U.K.-made Storm Shadow missiles to strike a gun depot in Russia. The U.S. supplies targeting data for the Storm Shadow, and The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration had lifted a ban on using the missiles to strike inside Russia. “Transferring Tomahawks to Ukraine would mark a major inflection point for Western support of Ukraine,” Hudson Institute defense analyst Can Kasapoglu wrote in a recent essay. “The Tomahawk is one of the most effective missiles in the arsenals of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations.” Kasapoglu noted that the Tomahawk’s strategic appeal “lies less in its raw explosive yield and more in its precision.” For Moscow, the implications would be profound. Russia’s military doctrine has long depended on the assumption that its homeland infrastructure — especially command and logistics networks — would remain beyond direct threat from Western-supplied weapons. The introduction of Tomahawks into Ukrainian hands would destroy that assumption overnight. The missile’s ability to fly low and evade radar would make it extremely difficult for Russian defenses to stop. Even advanced systems like the S-400 or S-500, already stretched across multiple fronts, could not guarantee interception. Each missile launched would carry not only destructive power but psychological weight — forcing Russia to divert resources away from its offensive operations in Ukraine to protect bases hundreds of miles away. REBECCA GRANT: HOW TOMAHAWKS WORK AND HOW THEY COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING FOR UKRAINE “Such a move would inevitably free up airspace for the Ukrainian Air Force’s growing fleet of F-16 aircraft and Western-supplied ground-attack smart munitions,” Kasapoglu wrote. It would also inject uncertainty into Russian planning. Commanders would have to assume that every major staging area — from Belgorod to the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol — could be targeted. That uncertainty erodes confidence, slows operations, and imposes constant strain on air defense assets. Trump explained on Wednesday why he did not provide Tomahawks to Ukraine despite speculation that he would do so. “There is a tremendous learning curve with the Tomahawk. It’s a very powerful weapon, very accurate weapon,” Trump said Wednesday. “And maybe that’s what makes it so complex. But it will take a year. It takes a year of intense training to learn how to use it, and we know how to use it. And we’re not going to be teaching other people. It will be just too far out into the future.” Trump also made clear he believes the U.S. has few to spare. “We need Tomahawks for the United States of America too. We have a lot of them, but we need them.” The U.S. supply of Tomahawks is classified. But analysts say providing Ukraine with the missiles would weaken preparations for conflict in the Indo-Pacific. “Tomahawk is one of the few munitions (Patriot is another) that would be useful both in Ukraine and the Western Pacific,” an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said. The Department of War has already established a review process to ensure that weapons offered to Ukraine do not weaken what it regards as higher priority needs. “This review process will almost certainly raise objections to this transfer, and presidential intervention may be required,” the analysis found. Over the weekend, Zelenskyy told Axios Ukraine would welcome other long-range missiles as well. “We speak not only about Tomahawks. The U.S. has a lot of similar things that doesn’t require much time for training. I think the way to work with Putin is only through pressure,” Zelensky said. Earlier in the week, he expressed skepticism that Ukraine could win the war. “They could still win it. I don’t think they will, but they could still win it,” Trump told reporters Monday. Putin’s calculus depends heavily on escalation control — the belief that NATO will stop short of providing weapons capable of directly threatening Russian territory. Tomahawks would shatter that red line. For the Kremlin, it would signal that Washington is prepared to move from containment to punishment — just after Trump triggered sanctions on Russia’s lucrative energy exports. Putin told journalists this week that if Russia were attacked with Western long-range missiles, the response would be “very serious, if not overwhelming. Let them think about it.”
‘Both sides are wrong’: Longtime Obamacare critic says GOP is mistaken in shutdown struggle
In the view of Avik Roy — one of the first and most vocal critics of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare — Republicans and Democrats alike have missed the mark in the healthcare debate that has dragged the government into a 24-day shutdown. “Both sides are wrong,” Avik said. “I’m sympathetic to the Republican view, but it’s a strategic mistake.” The way Roy sees things, Republican wariness over renewing expanded government subsidies should be directed at the bigger problem behind them. “The subsidies aren’t inherently the problem,” Roy said. “If you want low-income people who are near the poverty line to have insurance, you’re going to have to subsidize. Subsidies have been a part of Republican [healthcare] plans and Democratic plans. I would argue that the approach to subsidies that Obamacare used was actually pretty reasonable.” That doesn’t mean he believes the government’s current healthcare trajectory is sustainable, either. FLASHBACK: TED CRUZ PREDICTS BALLOONING OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES NOW AT CENTER OF SHUTDOWN FIGHT The federal government entered a 24-day shutdown at the beginning of October when lawmakers failed to come to an agreement over spending legislation to begin the new fiscal year. Republicans advanced a short-term spending bill that would have bought more time for lawmakers to finalize funding for 2026. But Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have shot down that measure repeatedly, demanding that Congress first address expiring COVID-era insurance subsidies. As a part of its American Rescue Plan, the Biden administration greatly widened the pool of eligible applicants who could receive a federal subsidy to help pay for their Obamacare health insurance. In its original form, Obamacare capped subsidies for anyone making over 400% of the federal poverty level. But that changed in 2021 when, as an emergency response to COVID-19, Congress temporarily removed that cap. The cap will go back into effect at the end of 2025. ‘THE PANDEMIC’S OVER’: GOP, DEM SENATORS SPAR ON CAMERA OVER COSTLY OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES Findings by KFF, a healthcare policy think tank, indicate that over 90% of the 24 million Obamacare enrollees make use of the expanded credits. Letting them expire could leave those Obamacare enrollees suddenly footing a substantially heftier bill. But, according to the Committee of a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal policy think tank, continuing the policy would also come with a steep price tag; upwards of $30 billion annually. Republicans — especially the Hill’s most fiscally conservative lawmakers — have called for the subsidies to expire to help reel the country’s spending back under control. Despite agreeing with Republicans that Obamacare did little to make health insurance more affordable, Roy believes Republican insistence on letting them expire won’t solve Obamacare’s underlying problems that are driving prices higher: regulations. Roy believes Republicans should use the moment to negotiate, extending the subsidies for maybe one to two years for existing enrollees in exchange for a permanent fix of the costliest Obamacare regulations driving costs upward. OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES AT CENTER OF DEM SHUTDOWN FIGHT ‘FUEL’ HEALTHCARE COST INFLATION, CONSERVATIVES SAY “In Switzerland [health insurance] costs $200 a month or $300 a month. The same plan in America costs $1,000 a month or $15,000 a month. Subsidizing it also costs a lot. But having a scale where the subsidy fades out gradually as you go up the income scale — that part is fine.” Roy praised efforts from the Trump administration to bring the underlying costs of healthcare down, most recently through the most favored nation strategy. Under that plan, the Trump administration had leveraged the price other countries pay for pharmaceuticals to bring U.S. prices down. In theory, the most favored nation plan would set American prices at the lowest rates other countries pay. “They’re not actually deals that truly establish most favored nation status because it’s company by company, and they are on particular drugs. But the general idea — if you want to participate in the U.S. market you’ve got to give us the lowest price you give any other advanced economy — I think that’s eminently reasonable,” Roy said of the administration’s negotiations. In response to Democratic demands, Republicans in Congress maintain that the enhanced premium tax credits are completely unrelated to the government’s funding and rejected those demands out of hand. The Senate has voted on a short-term funding bill 12 times since the beginning of the shutdown and appeared no closer to finding a resolution when the lawmakers left town on Thursday. The Senate will return to Washington, D.C., at the beginning of next week.
US Navy identifies possible cause of two separate crashes in South China Sea, Trump says
President Donald Trump says the U.S. does not suspect foul play in the two separate crashes of U.S. Navy aircraft in the South China Sea this weekend. Trump made the statement during a gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One, saying he expected to get answers regarding the crashes soon. One possibility he’d been given was that the planes had faulty fuel, the president said. “You’ve been briefed on the incident, on the Nimitz, both a fighter jet and a helicopter?” a reporter asked. “I’ve heard about it, yeah,” Trump responded. NTSB LAUNCHES 3-DAY INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON DEADLY DC PLANE CRASH “Do you know what happened there? What was that?” the reporter asked. “They’re going to let me know pretty soon. I think they should be able to find out. It could be bad fuel. I mean, it’s possible it’s bad fuel. Very unusual that that would happen,” Trump said. NAVY CALLS OFF SEARCH FOR MISSING SAILOR ASSIGNED TO USS GEORGE WASHINGTON NEAR AUSTRALIA “You don’t think it was foul play or anything?” the reporter pressed. “No, I don’t,” Trump replied. “They think it might be bad fuel.” Two U.S. Navy aircraft from USS Nimitz — a Sea Hawk helicopter and an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet — crashed during separate “routine operations” over the South China Sea on Sunday. All five crew members aboard the two craft were rescued and remain in stable condition, according to the Navy. The U.S. Pacific Fleet — the Navy’s largest operational command — said in a post on X that around 2:54 p.m. local time, an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 crashed in the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Search-and-rescue teams from Carrier Strike Group 11, operating alongside the Nimitz, quickly launched recovery efforts and safely pulled all three helicopter crew members from the water. Roughly 30 minutes after the helicopter incident, an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Nimitz, assigned to the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron 22, also went down in the South China Sea during flight operations. Search-and-rescue teams again responded swiftly, recovering the jet’s two crew members, who had successfully ejected before the aircraft hit the water. Both aviators were transported back to the Nimitz and are reported to be in stable condition. USS Nimitz has been commissioned in the U.S. Navy for 50 years, and its current tour is set to be its last before being retired. Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.