WATCH: Socialist protester blames ‘provocateurs’ after assaults at ‘closest entry point’ to Trump convention
A socialist “Never Trumpers” protester blamed “conservative provocateurs” for a tense confrontation with police that resulted in multiple arrests just outside the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas. Videos posted on social media Thursday afternoon showed what appeared to be hundreds of Never Trumpers confronting Dallas police just blocks from where the president was set to deliver his convention-closing speech. Authorities responded with a strong show of force that included officers in apparent riot gear. The Dallas Police Department confirmed with Fox News Digital that two protesters were arrested on charges related to their actions during the protest. The department said that officers assigned to the area arrested the two protesters after it said they “assaulted a counter-protester” and “obstructed a road.” The department said the suspects’ names and specific charges will be released after they are booked into jail. CAN THE ‘BEST SHOWMAN IN POLITICS’ DELIVER AGAIN? GOP BETS ON TRUMP AT HISTORIC MIDTERM CONVENTION Fox News Digital spoke with a protester named Rick Majumdar, who was wearing a shirt with the initials for the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), which, according to its website, is a “national organization of revolutionaries fighting for socialism in the United States.” Majumdar said that the protest was organized by the Dallas Against the Trump Agenda Coalition, which, he said, consists of 16 “faith-based organizations, pro-immigrants’ rights groups and labor organizations.” “We’re here to protest the Republican agenda, the Trump agenda and all its policies that it has enacted over the last few years,” he explained. “The march is an important event, we feel, against this convention that’s happening for the last two days.” REPUBLICANS HEAD TO DALLAS WITH ONE MISSION: DEFY HISTORY AND WIN BIG He said that, during the group’s march, “we encountered some street closures by the police” and that officers arrested a couple of protesters who “were at the front of the group.” Pressed on why the protesters were arrested, Majumdar said, “Those people were trying to draw people away from rioting provocateurs, and I think the police heard something. And they immediately tackled two of them and arrested them, and some of them even pulled out their guns as well.” The protest came amid heightened concerns over political violence and the targeting of public figures. It also coincided with the first anniversary of the assassination of conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk. CHARLIE KIRK CONTINUES TO INSPIRE REPUBLICANS AS PARTY RALLIES FOR MIDTERM BATTLE: ‘HAVE COURAGE’ SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Majumdar did not answer whether the protesters blocked any roads but said the confrontation occurred at the “closest entry point” to the convention. Asked whether he had any message directly for President Donald Trump, Majumdar paused, smiled and said, “Thank you.” After publication, Freedom Road Socialist Organization shared an additional statement from Majumdar in response to Fox News Digital’s question on his direct message to Trump. The statement said that “today the people of Dallas marched on a near empty RNC, in fact, the people made their decision to stand against the billionaires class— the same class that supports the Republican Agenda, and we are empowering people to find their home in our organization.”
Federal appeals court compares Trump migrant detention policy to Japanese American internment
A Trump administration policy to detain migrants on bond without a chance for release harkens back to the mass detention of Japanese Americans during World War II, a federal court said Thursday. In a 2-1 decision, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the administration’s mass detention policy, a major part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. “Mass detention of marginalized individuals without due process harkens back to some of the darkest moments in our country’s history,” the court wrote. BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY Nine federal appeals courts have now separately ruled that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) new mandatory detention policy is illegal, concluding it could apply to recent arrivals at or near the border but not to migrants determined to be living elsewhere within the country. Two other appeals courts have upheld it, meaning the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to take up the case in its upcoming term. TRUMP SCORES SCOTUS ASYLUM WIN — BUT LIBERAL JUSTICE WARNS IT COULD BACKFIRE AT BORDER Immigrant rights groups say basic due process is being violated when longtime residents are denied bond hearings during removal proceedings. “The courts have resoundingly rejected the administration’s cruel policy and its blatant disrespect for the rule of law,” said My Khanh Ngo, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. “We are thrilled for our clients and their families.” Mass arrests of suspected illegal immigrants during President Donald Trump’s second term have prompted widespread protests, particularly in Democratic-led cities like Chicago. In July 2025, the administration announced it would detain every migrant found anywhere in the U.S. whom ICE determines was not granted permission to enter. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the agency was disappointed with Thursday’s decision but said it recently sought a Supreme Court review of a similar decision from the 6th Circuit. FEDERAL JUDGE IN NEW YORK TIES TRUMP ADMIN HANDS ON ARRESTS AT IMMIGRATION COURTS “Opinions from the Board of Immigration Appeals and two other federal courts of appeals reflect the soundness of DHS’ legal position,” the spokesperson said. “This legal position was the nail in the coffin for Biden’s catch and release policies. That is why the left and their activist proxies on the judiciary are resisting it so vigorously. “President Trump and Secretary Mullin are now enforcing the law as it was actually written to keep America safe,” the spokesperson added. “As our record in the U.S. Supreme Court demonstrates, the law is on our side.” Writing for the majority, 4th Circuit Judge Nicole Berner invoked the mass internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as a warning against sweeping executive detention authority without due process. “The stain of these detentions on our nation — and the judiciary’s abdication of its obligation to protect basic freedoms — continues to haunt us,” Berner wrote. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and ICE.
Undercover video exposes Dem Senate nominee’s plan to embrace socialists: ‘Got to be together’
FIRST ON FOX: Roy Cooper, the former North Carolina governor and a Democratic candidate for the Senate, believes his party should incorporate a big-tent approach to an emerging wave of socialist candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). When asked if he would sign the Promise to America, a repudiation of socialist stances put out by moderate Democrats, Cooper said he wouldn’t. “I don’t see any need to,” Cooper said in video footage obtained by Fox News Digital. “I think the party needs a wide spectrum, particularly at a time when the Republican Party is shrinking and having all kinds of loyalty tests. I think we need to have all kinds of folks to be a part of our party.” FLORIDA BOARD VOTES TO BAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM PUBLIC COLLEGE ADMISSIONS Cooper’s comment comes as he wages a bid to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and win over a historically Republican-leaning state. It also raises questions of whether moderate Democrats believe their platforms can coexist with the aims of the DSA. The DSA espouses positions like abolishing the U.S. Senate, establishing public ownership of corporations and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to its website. The group paints a picture of what those policies could look like in practice on its website. “You have no debt. You don’t need health insurance. You don’t pay a mortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is a human right. Your retirement is publicly funded. Food, education, energy, medicine and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities,” the group states. Cooper is not affiliated with or backed by the DSA and has pitched himself as a candidate with an ability to reach across the aisle. His campaign has highlighted his ability to work with a Republican-controlled legislature during his tenure as governor from 2017 to 2025. In his own words, Cooper has pushed back on questions about being tied to the DSA. TRUMP HERALDED AS GOP ‘KINGMAKER’ AFTER LOUISIANA SENATE RESULTS RATTLE PARTY ESTABLISHMENT “For the record, no,” he told The New York Times about whether he was a communist. “I have a record of working across the aisle. The people of North Carolina know that I can be a senator that puts them first. Before power, before party, before politics. I feel confident that, at the end of the day, they’ll send me to Washington.” When asked if Cooper’s platform is at odds with the DSA’s views, Cooper’s campaign declined to comment, noting that his commitments are reserved for his constituents. “The only pledge Roy makes is to the people of North Carolina. Roy is not a socialist, and he will work with anyone, including Republicans, as he has done his entire career to lower costs for hardworking families and fight for North Carolina,” his campaign told Fox News Digital. Some Republicans are skeptical of that reasoning. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, believes moderates are afraid to challenge their progressive flank as candidates championing the far left have surged in the 2026 midterm primaries. “That dynamic is dangerous right now because they are terrified of the extreme left. Finding a middle ground on ideological issues right now is … the prospects for success, particularly between now and election day, are not high,” Cruz said at an energy summit hosted by Club for Growth and Arnold Ventures Thursday. “Schumer is truly terrified right now,” he added, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. In the video interview, Cooper said he believes the party will only weaken itself in its resistance to the administration if it doesn’t band together. TRAFFIC DRAMA THREATENS TO END DEM GOVERNOR’S TENURE AS VOTERS HEAD TO POLLS IN RHODE ISLAND “Particularly now when we’re in such difficult straits, and we’re in a foxhole right now. We’ve all got to be together to take our government back,” Cooper said. “We could fall to the autocracy anytime we don’t stick together. So, I don’t see the need signing something.” Having secured the Democratic nomination, Cooper now heads to the Nov. 3 general election, where he faces Republican nominee Michael Whatley, the former chair of the Republican National Committee.
Bioweapon threat exposed as Anthropic sounds alarm on foreign actors plotting virus experiments
Researchers outside the United States used frontier AI models to plan experiments involving highly pathogenic bird flu, chikungunya and other biological agents with potential weapons applications, according to a new threat report from Anthropic. The researchers used AI to study viruses’ transmissibility and immune evasion, investigate orthopoxvirus immune-response genes and help design novel toxins at times while taking steps to evade safeguards meant to restrict access to dangerous biological capabilities. Anthropic detailed five cases in the report published Thursday but withheld the countries, institutions and specific biological agents involved. The company stressed that it is not claiming the researchers intended to develop biological weapons. AI KILL SWITCH BILL COULD SHUT DOWN ROGUE MODELS The findings offer a concrete glimpse at a threat that has largely been discussed in hypothetical terms. Scientists who already possess biological expertise, materials and laboratory access are using increasingly powerful AI systems to accelerate sensitive dual-use research. They also land amid a renewed debate over catastrophic AI risks. Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher, recently resigned while accusing the companies of “racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.” His warning drew more than 100 million views on X. SEN BERNIE SANDERS: YES, WE MUST HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON ON AI BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE Evan Hubinger, Anthropic’s alignment science lead, separately said he personally believed there was a greater than 10% chance AI could kill all humans within the next decade. But Anthropic’s report points to a threat that is already taking shape: researchers using frontier AI for potentially dangerous biological work, circumventing geographic restrictions and adapting when the models’ safeguards get in their way. In one case, Anthropic blocked a grant application for chikungunya gain-of-function research at a military research institute. The proposed work focused on identifying mutations that could increase the virus’s transmissibility and ability to evade the immune system. The researchers planned to engineer those mutations into infectious clones and repeatedly pass the virus through live animals, selecting for variants that caused the most severe disease. That work could help scientists develop better vaccines and treatments for chikungunya. It could also produce a more dangerous pathogen that would be difficult to distinguish from a naturally occurring outbreak, Anthropic said. The researchers accessed Claude through a life sciences platform that tunneled traffic through U.S. infrastructure to evade Anthropic’s regional restrictions. When Claude refused to answer sensitive prompts, the platform routed those requests to another model with more permissive safeguards. Anthropic said the research continued after the company banned accounts connected to the activity. The platform operator reestablished access within days using new identities, while Claude continued to provide editorial assistance on research materials. In another case, a researcher spent weeks using Claude to plan experiments involving mammalian adaptation and airborne transmission in highly pathogenic avian influenza. FDA APPROVES FIRST-EVER MRNA FLU VACCINE FOR MILLIONS OF OLDER AMERICANS The researcher was studying viral traits that could allow bird flu to spread more effectively among mammals and cause severe disease outside the respiratory system. A version capable of efficient human-to-human transmission would pose a significant pandemic threat, according to the report. Anthropic said the researcher appeared to have access to virus isolates and animal-model facilities. The company confined the work to weaker models, limiting the assistance primarily to study design, data analysis and editorial support. The company said the case provided evidence of an active research program developing the knowledge and biological materials needed to create pathogens with enhanced pandemic potential. The researcher also took steps to hide his identity while accessing the models from an unsupported region. A separate user connected to a state-associated infectious-disease laboratory used Claude to draft an orthopoxvirus research grant from start to finish in about an hour. Orthopoxviruses include variola, the virus that causes smallpox, as well as mpox. The grant application proposed studying viral genes that disable the human immune response and included the central hypothesis, experimental design, dosing, statistical plans and contingency strategies. Because the work was framed around weakening the virus, Claude’s safeguards did not block the assistance. But Anthropic said the same knowledge could also help a researcher preserve or enhance the virus’ immune-evasion capabilities. The final two cases involved venom peptides and toxins. One researcher used Claude to build an atlas of toxin peptides from multiple venomous animal lineages and then created a generative pipeline to optimize their characteristics. The stated goal was to develop new painkillers, antidepressants and other treatments. But the atlas also included structures associated with paralytic toxins that could potentially be used as incapacitating agents. Anthropic said the work was part of a state-supported research program. In the other case, a researcher used Claude to computationally redesign several toxins, including a bacterial toxin and a protein from a hemorrhagic fever virus identified by the World Health Organization as a priority disease threat. The researcher used Claude to help prepare progress reports but instructed the model to keep the identities of the toxins deliberately vague. The cases illustrate why biological misuse can be difficult to prevent through automated filters alone. Anthropic’s safeguards blocked the clearest attempts involving enhanced pandemic pathogens, but they were less effective when users framed their work as medical, defensive or therapeutic research. “Biological capabilities are dual use,” Anthropic said in the report. “The same information that can be used to develop a biological weapon could also be used to develop, for example, a vaccine or a cure for a disease.” The company said it recently reviewed 30 days of activity associated with adversarial state institutions and found roughly 35 distinct biological research efforts. Most involved ordinary civilian science, but some had “notable dual-use potential.” Anthropic said the findings do not show that Claude has enabled an imminent biological attack. They do show, the company said, that researchers tied to state-associated programs are attempting to evade access controls and use frontier AI models in biological research that could have weapons applications. The company said future safeguards will likely require more than content
Prosecutor Joseph diGenova resigns from DOJ role investigating Trump-Russia probes
Joseph diGenova has resigned from his Justice Department role investigating the alleged “Grand Conspiracy” surrounding the Trump-Russia investigations, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Fox News has learned diGenova lost the confidence of both the Justice Department and the White House. According to sources familiar with the matter, he had been effectively sidelined well before his departure. His resignation comes after months in which his role had diminished internally, ending his involvement in the investigation amid questions about his standing within both the administration and DOJ leadership. DOJ ORDERED TO FREEZE ANTITRUST WORK WITH CANADA AS TRADE TENSIONS INTENSIFY ABC News first reported his resignation. “It was an honor and a privilege to serve the president and the department,” diGenova told CBS News. He declined to comment further about the circumstances surrounding his departure. DiGenova’s wife, attorney Victoria Toensing, who also joined the federal prosecution team in South Florida, is expected to leave the Justice Department on Friday, according to CBS News. The so-called “Grand Conspiracy” investigation is based out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Fort Pierce, Florida. It examines whether Obama- and Biden-era officials were involved in a long-running effort to prevent Trump from returning to political office. The probe has scrutinized officials involved in past investigations of Trump, including former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey. DiGenova was also overseeing a separate criminal investigation into whether Brennan lied to Congress about the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. MAJOR BLUE STATE HOSPITAL PULLS PLUG ON CONTROVERSIAL CHILD TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS AFTER DOJ INTERVENTION The investigation has issued dozens of subpoenas over the past year. Lawyers for some witnesses were recently notified that their clients would receive grand jury subpoenas, while investigators also sought voluntary interviews with former FBI agents involved in the Mar-a-Lago investigation, according to CBS News. Prosecutors have not filed charges in either case. DiGenova was tapped to oversee the probe in April after career prosecutor Maria Medetis Long was removed from the case. He had criticized delays in the investigation and said indictments could have been brought within 30 days. His departure, along with Toensing’s expected exit, leaves the future of the investigation uncertain. The longtime Washington attorney previously served as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia from 1983 to 1988. He later represented Trump’s campaign during its unsuccessful effort to challenge the 2020 election results.
Fatwas, holy wars and socialism: Inside the Islamic conference where El-Sayed drew a hero’s welcome
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed headlined an Islamic conference over Labor Day weekend where the United States was described as an empire in decline, early Islamic conquests were praised and the aftermath of 9/11 was framed around Islamophobia and discrimination. The event, held annually by the Islamic Society of North America, featured a range of speakers discussing topics from Muslim civic participation to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Over the course of the conference’s speeches and panel discussions, participants took positions that were generally critical of the United States and the broader Western world and expressed opinions that some may regard as extreme. EXILED MUSLIM SCHOLAR WARNS FAR-LEFT–ISLAMIST ALLIANCE BEHIND ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS ECHOES IRAN’S RISE Fox News Digital attended the event over the weekend, sitting in on many of the panels held on Saturday and Sunday before and after El-Sayed’s speech. The Michigan Democrat is running in one of the most hotly contested Senate races of the 2026 cycle, the outcome of which may decide control of the Senate. At one panel, “Rising Islamophobia in the U.S.,” a speaker described recently passed legislation that could bar colleges participating in certain commercial boycotts of Israel from receiving some federal higher education funds as “an anti-Muslim bill.” Shortly after that, a man in the audience wearing a Pakistani flag pin stood up and called for a fatwa to be issued against the bipartisan group of lawmakers who voted for the bill. A fatwa is a religious ruling or opinion that can range from a formal condemnation to, in some cases, a call for or justification of violence. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., and co-sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. After the man called for a fatwa against members of Congress, members of the audience — and one panelist — applauded. Earlier, during the same discussion, a panelist criticized Congress for moving to censure Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib for making “the most lighthearted comments” Tlaib was censured in part for endorsing the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which calls for the destruction of Israel as bounded by the Jordan River in the east and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. Critics characterized the phrase as a call for ethnic cleansing, while the congresswoman defended it as “an aspirational call for freedom, human rights and peaceful coexistence.” ISNA is a nonprofit Muslim religious organization established in 1981 to provide America’s growing Muslim population with a platform for civic coordination and education. Detroit, where the event took place, is situated in a metropolitan area that has a significant Arab American population concentrated in areas such as Dearborn and Hamtramck. EL-SAYED CAMPAIGN BACKED BY OVER $100,000 FROM DOZENS OF MEMBERS OF GROUP WITH ALLEGED TERROR TIES Panelists also accused billionaire Elon Musk of funding a White supremacist global anti-Muslim movement, suggested that some of the narrative regarding 9/11 taught in American schools has been “debunked” and asserted that Muslims were treated unfairly in the wake of the 2001 attacks. Criticism of America’s response to 9/11 surfaced repeatedly across the conference’s events and breakout sessions. One speaker asserted that one of the most important things to reflect on as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches is that “Islamophobia is at an all-time high.” Another called the War on Terror, a series of post-9/11 military operations that claimed the lives of over 7,000 U.S. military personnel, the “War of Terror.” El-Sayed has sought to moderate his public image since launching his Senate campaign, even as he has maintained ties to prominent socialists and socialist-aligned activists. His attendance at the recent ISNA conference is the latest in a series of associations that have drawn criticism, including ties to Nation of Islam figures, Muslim clerics accused of expressing support for terrorist organizations and activists on the socialist left. In response to these charges, the Democrat has pointed out that GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers has links to individuals who echo conspiracy theories about the 2020 election or who have called for bans on gay marriage. EL-SAYED’S HASAN PIKER PROBLEM FOLLOWS HIM TO DEM CONVENTION AS JEWISH VOTERS BREAK RANKS Before the event, El-Sayed’s campaign moved to distance the candidate from other conference speakers. “Abdul is not affiliated with and does not endorse any other participant of the conference,” a spokeswoman for his campaign told media outlets in the lead-up to the event. The statement followed reports that he would appear alongside Islamic clerics who defended child marriage and praised U.S.-designated terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda. Of the controversial speakers, only the cleric who had defended child marriage was ultimately disinvited, The Washington Free Beacon previously reported. ISNA appeared to anticipate scrutiny over some of the speakers it invited to the conference. In the conference venue’s main hallway, the organization posted a prominent sign which says, “ISNA does not endorse the actions of convention participants and explicitly disclaims any responsibility for the views expressed, information provided, or materials displayed, sold or distributed by convention speakers, performers, exhibitors, vendors, or attendees.” COUNTERTERRORISM EXPERT WARNS ABDUL EL-SAYED SENATE BID RAISES HOMELAND SECURITY CONCERNS While ISNA sought to distance itself from the controversial views expressed by some conference speakers, the organization itself took actions that also drew scrutiny. Fox News Digital spoke to three Christian evangelists outside the conference who claimed they were removed from it without warning. Each of them said they were simply having conversations with individuals who wanted to speak with them before they were escorted outside by security. Attendance at the conference was open to people of all faiths, and registration did not require attendees to be Muslim. The conference also held an interfaith banquet on Sunday. The disclaimer took on added significance in light of books available for purchase at the conference’s on-site bazaar. Fox News Digital found books that defended Islamic warfare while portraying Christianity as uniquely violent. “Christians are the last people on earth who should bring the charge of bloodshed
For ‘horrible moment,’ Bush White House thought US military shot down Flight 93
Former President George W. Bush discussed his memories of 9/11 with his former secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks this week. Bush and Rice said they both remember sitting in a bunker in the hours after the attacks, coordinating the U.S. domestic response. Rice recounted how they were working to ground civilian flights across the country and said at one point they thought the U.S. military had shot down United Airlines Flight 93. “I do want to say one thing to Gen. [Daniel] Caine, because something in what you said, our paths crossed in a strange way. So you mentioned that you heard that as the president, you have to understand the hard decisions that this man had to make, just like that. And one of them was what would happen if a plane was not properly identifying itself, because every plane had become a missile,” Rice said. FLIGHT 93 HERO’S DAD WARNS ‘ENEMIES FROM WITHIN’ AIM TO DESTROY AMERICA AT THE BALLOT BOX “And so we were trying to land, I remember Norm Mineta, the transportation secretary, trying to land planes on a legal pad, yellow pad, legal pad. But you’d given the order through the vice president that should a plane not squawk properly, it should be shot down. Gen. Caine, we thought initially, standing in that bunker, that Flight 93 had been shot down,” she continued. 9/11 MUSEUM UNVEILS EXHIBITION FOR GENERATION TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER THE ATTACKS: ‘CALLED EVERYBODY TO LEAD’ “Yeah, I thought it was the same thing,” Bush said. “And there was this horrible moment where the vice president kept trying to get confirmation as to what had happened. And for about 10 minutes we thought we’d shot down a civilian aircraft. And that always, to me, represented just how hard the decisions were that you had to take under a lot of pressure,” Rice said. The event, called, “A Legacy of Service: America at the 25th Anniversary of 9/11,” saw Bush host many members of his 2001 administration in Texas. As part of the 25th anniversary commemoration, Bush painted 16 works of art that “reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and resilience that emerged from one of the most defining moments in American history,” that will be displayed at Freedom Hall at the Bush Museum through September. Fox News’ Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
9/11 hero’s memory preserved through massive effort to ‘do good’ for vets, first responders: ‘His legacy’
On one of the darkest days in America’s history, New York City firefighter Stephen Siller strapped on his gear and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the collapsing Twin Towers, ultimately giving his life to save those caught in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Two and a half decades later, Tunnel to Towers, founded by Siller’s family, has continued his legacy through its commitment to “do good” for veterans and first responders and their families across the country. Since its founding, inspired by Siller and his favorite quote, “While we have time, let us do good,” Tunnel to Towers has provided more than 1,700 mortgage-free homes to the families of fallen service members and first responders, as well as to disabled veterans and first responders. The organization has also delivered housing assistance and support services to more than 20,000 homeless veterans and holds hundreds of events nationwide to honor America’s heroes and preserve the memory of those who lost their lives for future generations. Tunnel to Towers CEO Frank Siller, the brother of the 34-year-old firefighter who gave his life on Sept. 11, previously warned in 2020 that America was “very close to forgetting the impact 9/11 had on our nation.” Now, with anti-American sentiment on the rise and some online commentators belittling the Sept. 11 attacks or even justifying them, many worry the legacy of those who lost their lives, including the 343 members of the New York City Fire Department who made the ultimate sacrifice, will be forgotten. Siller, however, has vowed that “Tunnel to Towers will never let that happen.” 9/11 IS BECOMING HISTORY. MY GENERATION MUST MAKE SURE AMERICA NEVER FORGETS The Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Institute has helped to educate students from kindergarten through 12th grade on the “extraordinary heroism and goodness of everyday people” on Sept. 11, “while demonstrating the strength and resilience of America’s spirit.” Its mobile 9/11 exhibit has traveled to nearly all 50 states as well as Canada. This year, Tunnel to Towers launched its “Steel Across America” display, in which a 16,000-pound steel beam pulled from the wreckage of the World Trade Center traveled more than 10,500 miles to 35 stops across 21 states and the District of Columbia, culminating in New York City. NEW 9/11 MUSEUM EXHIBIT AIMS TO CONNECT YOUNGER AMERICANS TO THE ATTACKS THROUGH POWERFUL ARTIFACTS To mark the 25th anniversary, Tunnel to Towers also launched its 343 Homes Initiative this year to honor the 343 New York firefighters who died on Sept. 11. According to the group, this initiative will deliver 343 mortgage-free homes to the families of fallen service members and fallen first responders as well as to catastrophically injured service members across the country. This initiative builds on Tunnel to Towers’ “In the Line of Duty Programs,” which have provided more than 1,700 mortgage-free homes to the families of fallen service members and first responders, as well as to catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. More than 220 of those homes have been custom “Smart Homes,” modified to be fully accessible to catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER In a recent Fox News opinion piece, Siller put it simply: “Stephen’s life and heroic death serve as a reminder to us all to live life to the fullest and to spend our time here on earth doing good—this is his legacy.”
Supreme Court again blocks Missouri from using Trump-backed congressional maps
The Supreme Court turned back another effort to use Missouri congressional maps supported by President Donald Trump. “The application for stay presented to Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh and by him referred to the Court is granted,” Thursday’s ruling read. The court’s brief order was unsigned and gave no explanation, as is common when the justices handle emergency matters. No justice publicly dissented from the decision. MISSOURI AG FILES PETITION ASKING SUPREME COURT TO REVIVE TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING MAP While the Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling paved the way for use of the old maps, the state’s Aug. 4 primary was already held under the new maps. “After repeated legal victories defending Missouri’s fair and lawful map, this 11th-hour ruling pulls the rug out from under voters who already cast their primary ballots,” RNC Election Integrity Communications Director Ally Triolo wrote in a statement. “Changing the rules mid-election is reckless and wrong.” The court’s decision came after U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark ordered Missouri to use the new map, conflicting with a unanimous ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court that said the districts had not legally taken effect and that the state’s older map should be used unless voters approve the changes. Republican state officials have argued it would violate voters’ federal rights to switch districts before the general election. MISSOURI HIGH COURT BLOCKS GOP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS; TRUMP BLASTS ‘RIDICULOUS’ RULING The Missouri Supreme Court also ordered Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to appear at a contempt hearing Thursday, after he instructed local election officials to use the new districts. A federal judge declined to halt that hearing before the Supreme Court issued its order. The redrawn map was approved by Missouri Republicans in 2025. It dismantles the Kansas City-based 5th Congressional District held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., by shifting portions of the seat into neighboring districts and extending the remainder into heavily Republican areas. The way the map was designed gave Republicans a strong chance of winning seven of Missouri’s eight House seats, compared with the current six-to-two Republican advantage. Opponents of the map, including the group People Not Politicians, submitted hundreds of thousands of petition signatures seeking a statewide referendum. The Missouri Supreme Court ordered that referendum to appear on the November ballot, meaning voters will decide whether the redrawn map can be used in future elections. Republicans currently hold a 219-214 majority in the House, including one independent who caucuses with the GOP. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Mamdani, touting RI socialist’s victory, answers question of ‘What is the Democratic Party?’
Democratic socialist David Morales’ victory in Rhode Island’s mayoral primary Wednesday night got the attention of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who says it is evidence of where the party as a whole is headed as November’s midterm elections draw near. “I think it comes back to what I’ve said before, which is what is the Democratic Party, if not its voters?” Mamdani asked during a Thursday morning news conference on the first day of school in his city. “We’re seeing that the voters across this country are eager for not only a change, but also for a vision of something that we are fighting for,” Mamdani added. “And, you know, I’ve spoken a lot about childcare this morning. I’ve often couched it as the second driver of the cost of living crisis. The first driver is housing.” MAMDANI CLAIMS DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS CAN WIN ‘ANYWHERE’ AS DEMOCRATS FEUD OVER PARTY’S FUTURE Mamdani was hailing a new free education program for 2,000 needy families, as Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a pledge for $425 million more in next year’s state budget to expand early childhood programs, including services for families with disabilities. At the end of Thursday’s news conference, Mamdani responded to a question about Morales, a 27-year-old state representative and Democratic socialist who defeated one-term Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, 47, in the Democratic primary. Republicans hold no seats on the Providence City Council, and Democrats make up a majority of registered voters in the city. Former Vice President Kamala Harris beat President Donald Trump in the city by 51 points in 2024. Mamdani hailed Morales’ campaign for rent stabilization and affordability in the deep-blue city. MAMDANI RIPPED OVER RECORD-HIGH NYC RENTS WITH CRITICS POINTING TO POLICY THEY SAY IS FUELING CRISIS “The little that I do know about this soon-to-be new mayor is that one of the central issues in his race was around rent stabilization and around the importance of delivering on affordability, not just as a goal, but as a result,” Mamdani concluded. “And what we’ve seen is that his constituents agreed with exactly that.” Morales, who was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., won roughly 54% of the vote to Smiley’s 46%, ousting the incumbent after one term. If he wins the November general election, Morales would become Providence’s youngest mayor. “Few believed that a 27-year-old democratic socialist could ever, few believed that we could ever take on big money, corporate real estate interests and endless attack ads — and we took them on and we won,” Morales said in his victory speech. SOCIALIST SURGE: MAMDANI FLEXES GROWING POLITICAL MUSCLE AS HE TAKES ON DEM ESTABLISHMENT The Providence contest unfolded amid a broader debate within the Democratic Party over the influence of democratic socialists and progressive candidates. Housing costs and rent control were key issues in the primary, with Morales backing rent control while Smiley argued that the policy could discourage development. Providence rents have risen sharply since 2020 and the race centered on how to address the city’s housing affordability crisis. Republicans, particularly Vice President JD Vance, argue that former President Joe Biden’s open border policies and blue-state sanctuary for illegal migrants brought exploding demand for a finite supply of housing in Democratic-run sanctuary cities like Providence. “The city of Providence must use every tool that we have at our disposal to defend our immigrant community and protect us from the fascist ICE agents,” Morales said in his primary victory speech.