Zohran Mamdani’s NYC mayoral campaign took foreign cash, raising compliance questions
New York City’s leading mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, raised nearly $13,000 from donors with addresses outside the United States, a Fox News review of New York City Campaign Finance records show — raising questions about campaign compliance and transparency. As of Oct. 3, at least 170 of the nearly 54,000 contributions to the Mamdani campaign may violate campaign finance rules, as only U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents are permitted to contribute to American political campaigns. Candidates are expected to return illegal donations. As of Tuesday, records revealed that 91 of the foreign donations have been refunded. According to data from the New York City Campaign Finance Records contribution refunds, $5,723.50 of the $7,190 has been returned to foreign donors. A review of the donors revealed that Mamdani’s mother-in-law in Dubai, Bariah Dardari, donated $500 in January. Her donation was refunded four days later. MAMDANI PROPOSES MASSIVE AMOUNT OF LEGAL DEFENSE FUNDING FOR IMMIGRANTS IN ‘TRUMP-PROOFING’ NYC PLAN The New York Post was the first to report on the out-of-town donations. ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S $1M FUNDRAISING HAUL FUELED BY OUT-OF-STATE DONORS, DATA REVEALS According to the campaign finance records, Dardari is a physician at Genesis Healthcare in Dubai, where she works as a pediatrician, according to Genesis’ website. Overall, records revealed that Mamdani brought in at least $4 million in private donations, $12.7 million in public matching funds and has $6.1 million in cash on hand. There are at least 79 outstanding foreign donations that have not been returned by the Mamdani campaign as of Tuesday evening. The Mamdani campaign told The New York Post over the weekend that “we will of course return any donations that are not in compliance with CFB law.” His campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News’ comment request. More than half of the $1 million that Mamdani’s mayoral campaign hauled in over the summer was from out of town, New York City Campaign Finance Board data revealed in late August. The Mamdani campaign said that the democratic socialist raised $1,051,204.85 in July and August, but while his campaign touted more than 8,628 in unique donors, Campaign Finance Board data revealed that 53.5%, or $562,422, of Mamdani’s fundraising came from outside the state of New York. As Mayor Eric Adams suspended his re-election campaign last month, New Yorkers will elect a new mayor on Nov. 4. Mamdani has emerged as the frontrunner ahead of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an Independent, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. Fox News’ Ryan Rugani contributed to this report.
Intelligence officials voice alarm over US researchers’ collaboration with China
For many years, American and Chinese scholars worked shoulder to shoulder on cutting-edge technologies through open research, where findings are freely shared and accessible to all. But that openness, a long-standing practice celebrated for advancing knowledge, is raising alarms among some U.S. lawmakers. They are worried that China — now considered the most formidable challenger to American military dominance — is taking advantage of open research to catch up with the U.S. on military technology and even gain an edge. And they are calling for action. “For far too long, our adversaries have exploited American colleges and universities to advance their interests, while risking our national security and innovation,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He has introduced legislation to put new restrictions on federally funded research collaboration with academics at several Chinese institutions that work with the Chinese military, as well as institutions in other countries deemed adversarial to U.S. interests. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party makes it a priority to protect American research, having accused Beijing of weaponizing open research by converting it into a “pipeline of foreign talent and military modernization.” The rising concerns on Capitol Hill threaten to unravel deep, two-generations-old academic ties between the countries even as the world’s two largest economies are moving away from each other through tariffs and trade barriers. The relationship has shifted from engagement to competition, if not outright enmity. US UNIVERSITIES TRAINING CHINESE MILITARY SCIENTISTS ON TAXPAYER DIME, COMMITTEE WARNS “Foreign adversaries are increasingly exploiting the open and collaborative environment of U.S. academic institutions for their own gain,” said James Cangialosi, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, which in August issued a bulletin urging universities to do more to protect research from foreign meddling. The House committee released three reports in September alone. They targeted, respectively, Pentagon-funded research involving military-linked Chinese scholars; joint U.S.-China institutes that train STEM talent for China; and visa policies that have brought military-linked Chinese students to Ph.D. programs at American universities. The reports recommend more legislation to protect U.S. research, tighter visa policies to vet Chinese students and scholars and an end to academic partnerships that could be exploited to boost China’s military powers. More than 500 U.S. universities and institutes have collaborated with Chinese military researchers in recent years, helping Beijing develop advanced technologies with military applications, such as anti-jamming communications and hypersonic vehicles, according to a report by the private U.S. intelligence group Strider Technologies. TRUMP’S CHINESE STUDENT VISA PUSH SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AMID RISING CCP ‘INFLUENCE’ IN US Despite efforts in recent years by the U.S. government to set up guardrails to prevent such collaboration from boosting China’s military capabilities, the practice is still prevalent, according to Strider, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The report identified nearly 2,500 publications produced in collaboration between U.S. entities and Chinese military-affiliated research institutes in 2024 on STEM research, which includes physics, engineering, material science, computer science, biology, medicine and geology. While the number peaked at more than 3,500 in 2019, before some new restrictive measures came into effect, the level of collaboration remains high, the report said.This collaboration not only facilitates “potential illicit knowledge transfer,” but supports China’s “state-directed efforts to recruit top international talent, often to the detriment of U.S. national interests,” the report said. Foreign countries can exploit American research by stealing secrets for use in military and commercial settings, by poaching talented researchers for foreign companies and universities and by recruiting students and researchers as potential spies, authorities say.Fostering a climate of robust academic research takes funding and long-term support. Stealing the fruits of that labor, however, can be as easy as hacking into a university network, hiring away researchers or coopting the research itself. That’s why, authorities say, it’s so tempting for American adversaries looking to take advantage of U.S. institutions and research. The most recent threat assessment report from the Department of Homeland Security highlights concerns that American adversaries — and China specifically — seek to illicitly acquire U.S. technology. Authorities say China aims to steal military and computing technology that might give the U.S. an advantage, as well as the latest commercial innovations. TRUMP’S CHINESE STUDENT VISA PUSH SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AMID RISING CCP ‘INFLUENCE’ IN US Abigail Coplin, assistant professor of sociology and science, technology and society at Vassar College, said there are already guardrails for federally funded research to protect classified information and anything deemed sensitive. She also said open research goes both ways, benefiting the U.S. as well, and restrictions could be counterproductive by driving away talent. “American national security interests and economic competitiveness would be better served by continuing — if not increasing — research funding than they are by implementing costly research restrictions,” Coplin said. Arnie Bellini, a tech entrepreneur and investor, also said efforts to protect U.S. research risk stifling progress if they go too far and prevent U.S. colleges or startups from sharing information about new and emerging technology. Keeping up with China will also require big investments in efforts to protect innovation, said Bellini, who recently donated $40 million to establish a new cybersecurity and AI research college at the University of South Florida.Bellini said it’s imperative to encourage research and development without giving secrets away to America’s enemies. “In the U.S., it is a reality now that our digital borders are under siege — and businesses of every size are right to be concerned,” Bellini said. According to Department of Justice figures, about 80% of all economic espionage cases prosecuted in the U.S. involve alleged acts that would benefit China. Some members of Congress have pushed to reinstate a Department of Justice program created during the first Trump administration that sought to investigate Chinese intellectual espionage. The so-called “ChinaInitiative” ended in 2022 after critics said it failed to address the problem even as it perpetrated racist stereotypes about Asian American academics.
Defiant Letitia James rallies with far-left ally Mamdani after indictment, vows to keep fighting Trump
New York Attorney General Letitia James rallied with New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani on Monday night and vowed to continue fighting President Donald Trump’s “aggressive policies” in her first public appearance since she was indicted on fraud charges. With three weeks until Election Day, the “Our Time Has Come” rally in Washington Heights underscored how New Yorkers are uniting behind James as she faces federal charges. Mamdani was joined by James, Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Adriana Espaillat, and New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé. “Thank you to New York’s attorney general, Tish James,” Mamdani said. “For years, you have fought the good fight for New Yorkers, and now it’s our time to fight for you.” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan announced Thursday that a federal grand jury indicted James for bank fraud and making false statements to financial institutions. LEGAL EXPERT CALLS OUT ‘IRONIC’ TWIST AS NY AG WHO PROSECUTED TRUMP FACES FEDERAL BANK FRAUD CHARGES “I know what it feels like to be attacked for just doing your job,” James said Monday. “I also know what it feels like to overcome adversity, and so I stand on solid rock, and I will not bow. I will not break. I will not bend. I will not capitulate. I will not give in. I will not give up.” MAMDANI ASSAILS TRUMP FOR ‘POLITICAL RETRIBUTION’ AGAINST LETITIA JAMES IN SWEEPING DEFENSE OF EMBATTLED AG The Mamdani rally was James’ first public appearance since she was indicted last week. The attorney general has endorsed Mamdani and joined him on the campaign trail this year. “You come for me? You gonna come to all of us!” James shouted over the cheers of the Washington Heights crowd. The Mamdani campaign said 3,000 supporters attended the rally. James has dismissed the indictment as “nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system,” calling the “president’s actions” a violation of constitutional order. “I will keep fighting for justice,” James vowed on Monday. “I will keep fighting for New Yorkers. I will keep fighting the aggressive policies of Washington, D.C. And I will not stop. I won’t give up, and I won’t give in.” As New York attorney general, James brought a civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and The Trump Organization, accusing them of inflating asset values and net worth to secure loans and insurance terms. A New York judge found Trump and his company liable for fraud. “We have no time to linger and focus is on pettiness and revenge,” James said. “We’ve got to press on, press forward, continue the journey, claim the victory. Triumph over fear and courage. Courage, my friend, is resistance to fear. And so I fear no man. I see the courage that is embodied in Zohran.” Mamdani joined fellow New York Democrats to condemn James’ indictment on Friday, calling it an “attack on our city.” “We speak with a voice that recognizes that we are standing in front of the same courthouse where Attorney General Tish James did her job, upholding the law and holding Donald Trump accountable,” Mamdani said. James on Monday said she is supporting Mamdani for mayor because he is committed to fighting for a better New York City. “He, like me, knows what it’s like to be attacked, to be called names, to be threatened, to be harassed,” James said. “And each and every day he wakes up with this fire in his belly because he wants to build a better New York,” James said. While Mamdani self-identifies as a so-called democratic socialist, Trump has labeled him a “communist” since he secured the Democratic nomination for mayor of New York City. Mamdani has committed to fighting Trump’s agenda in New York City if elected, while the president has teased cutting federal funding to New York City if Mamdani doesn’t “behave” if elected. As Mayor Eric Adams suspended his re-election campaign last month, New Yorkers will elect a new mayor on Nov. 4. Mamdani has emerged as the frontrunner ahead of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an Independent, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Nation’s only two 2025 races for governor rocked with three weeks until Election Day
With Election Day 2025 fast approaching, the only two states this year holding showdowns for governor have been jolted by October surprises. In Virginia, explosive revelations in Virginia’s attorney general race that the GOP is aiming to leverage up and down the ballot shook up the race for governor, forcing Democratic Party nominee former Rep. Abigail Spanberger back on defense in a race where most polls indicated her enjoying a lead over Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. And in New Jersey, a couple of weeks after the controversy over Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s Naval Academy records sent shockwaves through her gubernatorial battle with Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli, the race was rocked again last week after her allegations that Ciattarelli was “complicit” with pharmaceutical companies in the opioid deaths of tens of thousands of New Jerseyans. Virginia and New Jersey are the only two states to hold gubernatorial showdowns in the year after a presidential election and the contests traditionally grab outsized attention and are viewed as political barometers ahead of the following year’s midterm elections. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS Here’s where things stand in both races with three weeks to go until Election Day. Virginia Virginia attorney general Democratic nominee Jay Jones has been in crisis mode since his controversial texts were first reported a week and a half ago by the National Review. Jones acknowledged and apologized for texts he sent in 2022, where he compared then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert to mass murderers Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, adding that if he was given two bullets, he would use both against the GOP lawmaker to shoot him in the head. But he’s facing a chorus of calls from Republicans to drop out of the race. TRUMP LOOMS LARGE OVER 2025 ELECTIONS Earle-Sears hasn’t wasted an opportunity to link Spanberger to Jones. And during last week’s chaotic and only gubernatorial debate, where Earle-Sears repeatedly interrupted Spanberger, the GOP gubernatorial nominee called on her Democratic rival to tell Jones to end his attorney general bid. “The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent,” Spanberger said at the debate. But she neither affirmed nor pulled back her support of Jones. Earle-Sears has kept up the pressure. “Abigail Spanberger should have been the first to call for Jay Jones to step down. Instead, she doubled down—because deep down, she’s OK with what he said,” Earle-Sears argued Monday in a social media post. But a leading Virginia-based political scientist isn’t sure if the controversy will be enough for Earle-Sears to close the gap with Spanberger. “It definitely made everybody wake up and made Spanberger take a stand,” University of Lynchburg political science chair David Richards told Fox News. “It may hurt her a little bit.” But Richards noted that the story broke well after early voting in Virginia had already begun. “Early voting has been off the charts. I think the race is kind of baked in at this moment,” he argued. But with the Virginia attorney general debate scheduled for later this week, the furor over the texts is certain to stay in the political spotlight a while longer. New Jersey Sherrill on Monday doubled down on her claim that Ciattarelli is “complicit” with opioid companies in the deaths of tens of thousands of New Jerseyans. Sherrill spoke during a press conference on the Garden State’s opioid epidemic, accusing Ciattarelli of “looking at ways to help people get access to the drugs that were killing them” through his ties to pharmaceutical-backed training programs. “So you heard it, Jack made millions,” she said. “The opioid companies made billions, and thousands of New Jerseyans were dying.” “I think we’ve laid out the case that Jack is complicit with these opioid companies, in league with these opioid companies,” Sherrill said. Sherrill first made her claims that Ciattarelli contributed to the opioid epidemic during last week’s second and final gubernatorial debate. “With regard to everything she just said about my professional career, which provided [for] my family, it’s a lie. I’m proud of my career,” Ciattarelli responded at the debate. And Ciattarelli’s campaign fired back the day after the debate, pledging to file a defamation lawsuit against Sherrill. On Monday, Ciattarelli charged during a campaign stop that Sherrill had “lied about me left and right.” And Ciattarelli campaign chief strategist Chris Russell charged in a statement that if Sherrill “had any decency, she would retract her slanderous comments and apologize.” Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker and a certified public accountant who started a medical publishing company before getting into politics and winning election as a state lawmaker, is making his third straight run for New Jersey governor. Four years ago, he grabbed national attention as he came close to upsetting Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. It was during his 2021 campaign that Ciattarelli’s connection to opioid manufacturers first surfaced. Ciattarelli sold his company, which published content promoting the use of opioids as a low-risk treatment for chronic pain, in 2017. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE 2025 ELECTIONS At a post-debate news conference last week, Ciattarelli claimed the attack by Sherrill was “a desperate tactic by a desperate campaign on behalf of a desperate candidate.” The race in New Jersey was rocked three weeks ago by a report that the National Personnel Records Center, which is a branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, mistakenly released Sherrill’s improperly redacted military personnel files, which included private information like her Social Security number, to a Ciattarelli ally. But Sherrill’s military records indicated that the United States Naval Academy blocked her from taking part in her 1994 graduation amid a cheating scandal that rocked the U.S. Naval Academy three decades ago. Sherrill has claimed that Ciattarelli was going on a “witch hunt,” to raise questions about her possible involvement in the cheating scandal. Ciattarelli and his campaign have repeatedly called on Sherrill, who went on to pilot helicopters during her military career after graduating from
Trump floats using Insurrection Act to combat Chicago crime, says Pritzker should ‘beg’ for his help
President Donald Trump said he could legally invoke the Insurrection Act to tackle violent crime in Chicago and urged Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to “beg for help,” intensifying the long-running standoff between the two leaders. Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way home from Egypt after wrapping up his Middle East peace tour, was remarking on earlier comments he made about that country’s approach to violent crime, saying their apparent success was down to strong leadership. He said U.S. governors in crime-ravaged jurisdictions should follow their lead. “I want them to be stronger and tougher and not allow us to have record-breaking crime in Chicago and other places. I want them to admit they have a problem,” Trump said. LONG-HELD SCOTUS PRECEDENTS COULD UNDERCUT PORTLAND, CHICAGO NATIONAL GUARD LAWSUITS “There were about 4,000 shootings in Chicago — murders — over a fairly short period of time, maybe a year and a half. Many thousands more were hit by bullets but didn’t die. I want [Pritzker] to say, we have a problem,” he added, while touting lower crime rates in Washington, D.C., and in Memphis, where he deployed the National Guard. A reporter then asked if he would invoke the Insurrection Act, given that courts have been blocking certain aspects of his deployment of the National Guard. For instance, a judge ruled on Saturday that National Guard troops sent to Illinois by Trump to combat crime can remain in the state but can’t patrol or deploy to protect federal property. “I could use it if I wanted to. I could use it — that’s a very simple answer. I’m allowed to use the Insurrection Act,” Trump said. “In fact, that was on Stephanopoulos today — ‘Sloppy’ Chris Christie was asked about it. He said, If you’re talking about the Insurrection Act, he’s got the absolute right to use that.” “He also said 50% of the presidents who’ve served in office have used the Insurrection Act — and that, according to all of them, it can’t even be challenged.” ‘UNTETHERED FROM REALITY’: LAWYERS FOR TRUMP, OREGON, SPAR OVER NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT IN COURT CLASH The Insurrection Act of 1807 gives the president authority to deploy active duty military or federalized National Guard troops inside the country in limited circumstances, such as to suppress civil disorder, rebellion or obstruction of federal law. It has been invoked about 30 times by roughly 10 presidents, most recently by George H. W. Bush during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Trump himself threatened to invoke the act in 2020 during the George Floyd protests, but never formally did. But on Monday, he said he didn’t have to “go there yet” because his administration is “winning on appeal.” “You know, we lose with radical-left judges at the lower level, but we’re winning on appeal. So we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. Asked if he had a message for Pritzker, Trump didn’t hold back. “I think he should beg for help because he’s running a bad operation,” Trump said. “He’s letting people be killed in his city because he doesn’t want to deal with Chicago. I love Chicago. Chicago can be a great city again — and very quickly. I’d have Chicago cleaned out, the criminals removed — we would remove them. “You know, in D.C., we took out 1,700 career criminals — hardline criminals — and that’s why it’s so good right now. D.C. is setting records the other way; it’s never been so safe. Restaurants have never done better — they were closing, now they’re opening new ones.” Trump said he could do the same thing on a larger scale in Chicago and that Pritzker should ask him to do it. “And when you mentioned the Insurrection Act — yeah, I could do that. Many presidents have,” Trump said.“Fifty percent of presidents have used the Insurrection Act, because they don’t want to go through this stuff where someone says, ‘There’s no crime,’ when 4,000 people got shot. You know?”
Watch Trump and France’s Macron share weirdly long 26-second marathon handshake
U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron clasped hands during an oddly lengthy handshake that lasted for around 26 seconds. The handshake, which began in a traditional form, morphed into an arm-wrestling-type grip part of the way through. The bizarrely long greeting occurred this week as world leaders converged in Egypt to mark the peace deal between Israel and Hamas that Trump helped to broker. SOCIAL MEDIA REACTS TO TRUMP ‘DOMINATING WORLD LEADERS’ WITH MACRON HANDSHAKE DURING MEETING IN FRANCE Trump and Macron previously shared an approximately 28-second marathon handshake back in 2017 while Trump was visiting France. That handshake similarly evolved from one grip into another midway through. During a small part of the peculiarly protracted handshake, Trump was simultaneously holding Macron with one hand and Macron’s wife with the other. WATCH: MACRON CALLS TRUMP AFTER PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADE BLOCKS HIM IN NYC TRAFFIC The two shared a substantial, but significantly less lengthy handshake slightly earlier in 2017, which Macron later commented on. “My handshake with him is not innocent, it is not the be-all and end-all of a policy, but a moment of truth,” Macron noted, according to a Google translation of a French-language quote reported by Le Journal du Dimanche. MACRON SAYS TRUMP HANDSHAKE WAS ‘MOMENT OF TRUTH’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We must show that we will not make small concessions, even symbolic ones, but we must not overhype anything either,” Macron said, according to the report.
EXCLUSIVE: New GOP report accuses Democrats of trying to ‘undermine’ healthcare in government shutdown fight
FIRST ON FOX: The House GOP is releasing a report accusing Democrats of trying to undermine U.S. healthcare as the standoff over federal funding escalates. The government shutdown is in its 14th day with Republicans and Democrats still unable to agree on a path forward for at least part of fiscal year (FY) 2026. Republicans are pushing a relatively straightforward extension of FY2025 funding through Nov. 21, but Democrats have said they will not agree to any federal funding bill that is not paired with significant reforms on healthcare. The new report led by the House GOP, however, accuses Democrats of trying to undermine the system with their counter-proposal for a federal funding bill — specifically its suggested rollback of healthcare measures in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). JOHNSON RAISES STAKES ON SCHUMER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BARRELS INTO WEEK 3 The report said the bill, which was rebranded as the “Working Families Tax Cuts” (WFTC), “advanced a vision of Medicaid that balances compassion with accountability, prioritizing care for the most vulnerable Americans while ensuring that federal resources are used responsibly.” “The legislation’s reforms to rural hospital funding, Medicaid financing practices, and federal reimbursements for non-citizen medical care collectively strengthen the long-term sustainability of the program,” it said. “By contrast, the Democratic Continuing Resolution would dismantle these reforms, reversing progress toward a more efficient, transparent, and equitable Medicaid system. Such a repeal would undermine rural healthcare stability, reintroduce opportunities for funding misuse, and impose unnecessary costs on American taxpayers.” A continuing resolution (CR) is meant to be a short-term extension of current federal funding levels aimed at giving negotiators more time to strike a deal for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES Republicans’ CR would extend FY2025 funding levels through Nov. 21, while Democrats’ counter-proposal would run through Oct. 31. In addition to the OBBBA repeal being pushed in Democrats’ CR, they are also calling for any deal to also extend Obamacare subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic and which are set to expire at the end of this year. Republicans have painted Democrats’ counter-proposal as a means to return healthcare to illegal immigrants after the OBBBA tightened certain measures that made it harder for non-citizens to access federal Medicaid dollars. Democratic leaders have accused the GOP of lying about the situation. But the GOP has also pointed out that repealing all of their healthcare reforms would also mean repealing $50 billion their bill adds to fund rural hospitals. “This targeted investment supports states in stabilizing critical healthcare infrastructure and ensures that rural Americans, often located far from major medical centers, can continue to access essential services,” the report said. The five-page memo appears to be a rebuttal to Democrats’ defense in the shutdown fight that they are fighting to preserve Americans’ healthcare access. The GOP’s CR passed the House on Sept. 19 but has been stalled in the Senate, where at least five Democrats are needed under the current tally to reach a 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster. Senate Democrats rejected the GOP CR seven times, however. The chamber is expected to vote on it again Tuesday evening. Fox News Digital reached out to the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for a response to the GOP report but did not immediately hear back.
Charlie Kirk’s colleagues and pastors praise his patriotism as Trump readies highest civilian honor
The friends, colleagues and pastors of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) co-founder Charlie Kirk are celebrating his life and legacy promoting faith, family and patriotism as President Donald Trump prepares to award him the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Tuesday. “Although he was taken from us far too soon, his legacy will inspire generations to come and outlive us all,” “The Charlie Kirk Show” executive producer Andrew Kolvet told Fox News Digital. “He represents the very best of America and is deserving of this and every other possible accolade. Thank you to President Trump for quite literally shifting world events to honor Charlie on what would have been his 32nd birthday.” “Only Charlie could do that,” Kolvet added. Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 while attending a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University’s campus. The conservative movement leader was sitting under a tent while chatting with students when a shot rang out and struck Kirk in the neck, killing him. TURNING POINT USA EXPANDS ITS MERCHANDISE COLLECTION WITH ITEMS COMMEMORATING CHARLIE KIRK Following Kirk’s shocking assassination, Republicans and conservatives have vowed that his legacy of promoting family values, upholding the Constitution and spreading his Christian faith will continue. Trump announced in September he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.” “I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on,” Trump said Sept. 11 when announcing he would award Kirk the honor. TPUSA’s Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer told Fox News Digital that the award ceremony will be felt by every young adult who has been involved with the conservative advocacy group. “Charlie will be honored today on behalf of the millions of conservative activists he helped lift up to save the movement and the country. Today in the White House this award will be felt by every young man and young woman who was impacted by his work. They can wear it too by carrying on doing the work,” Bowyer said. David Engelhardt, lead pastor of Kings’ Church New York City and board member of TPUSA, told Fox News Digital that it’s a “profound privilege to be able to witness this moment recognizing Charlie’s courage, conviction and leadership in defense of faith and freedom.” ‘SLEEPING GIANT’ LIKELY WOKE UP FOR TURNING POINT USA AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION “Charlie is the right recipient to the Medal of Freedom because he believed that God’s moral order found in faith is not a limit to freedom but the soil it grows in,” said Engelhardt, the pastor and friend of both Charlie Kirk and his wife, Erika. “People who destroy that soil in the name of safe-spaces and to protect against ‘dangerous ideas’ will soon find their land barren. Charlie stood for freedom rightly ordered and founded in the gravity of God’s system.” Kolvet added in his remarks that the conservative powerhouse’s deep faith and calls to protect freedom and the Constitution will continue to invigorate Americans even after his death. “Charlie devoted his entire being to saving America, and in many ways, he accomplished even more than that,” Kolvet said. “He proved that the blessings of liberty could be passed down to a whole new generation, even when so many believed all hope was lost. He proved them all wrong. In both life and death his message sparked a revival of faith and freedom all across the world, an impact we’ll never fully understand.” TRUMP TO AWARD CHARLIE KIRK MEDAL OF FREEDOM AFTER CAMPUS ASSASSINATION Kirk is set to receive the highest civilian honor Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT, on what would have been his 32nd birthday. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals whom presidents determine have made exceptional contributions to the country. Rob McCoy — Kirk’s longtime pastor, friend and co-chair of TPUSA Faith — told Fox News Digital that Kirk “paid the ultimate sacrifice” to promote and protect freedom. CHARLIE KIRK PAINTED AS ‘CONTROVERSIAL,’ ‘PROVOCATIVE’ IN MEDIA’S ASSASSINATION COVERAGE “Charlie Kirk contended for freedom his entire adult life and paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect and defend this inalienable right given to mankind by the God Charlie trusted and loved,” McCoy said. Following Kirk’s death, his widow, Erika, was elected as TPUSA’s new chief executive officer to carry on her husband’s legacy of rallying younger generations with conservative principles. “I feel a sense of deep gratitude to Erika Kirk and the entire Turning Point USA team for their tireless work in continuing to shape a generation grounded in truth and purpose,” Engelhardt added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The award ceremony will be held at the White House and comes on the heels of Trump’s return from the Middle East earlier Tuesday after he announced an end to the war in Gaza, which has raged since 2023.
Democratic socialist group backing Mamdani condemns Gaza ceasefire, calls for more anti-Israel resistance
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the political party to which New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani belongs, brushed off Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas on Monday and called for further resistance to Israel’s “apartheid and occupation” of Gaza. The DSA released the statement, titled “Until Palestinian Liberation,” on its website, declaring that they have “no illusions that Israel will honor any negotiated agreement that preserves Palestinian life or self-determination.” The statement made no mention of the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity and accused Israel of “terrorizing” the Palestinian people and nations in the region. “This will not end Israel’s assault on the Palestinian people or the theft and occupation of Palestinian lands. A conditional ceasefire agreement does not wash the hands of the ruling class,” the DSA wrote. “The Occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, eroding under illegal settler expansion, continue to struggle under violent Israeli apartheid and occupation. Across the region, Israel terrorizes the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Qatar, and Iran while wielding the implicit threat of nuclear engagement to violently impose its fascist, expansionist aspirations,” the statement continued. UN ACCUSED OF DOWNPLAYING HAMAS TERRORISTS’ USE OF GAZA HOSPITALS AS NEW REPORT IGNORES IMPORTANT DETAILS Mamdani’s own statement on the ceasefire echoed the “occupation and apartheid” allegations against Israel, leading to quick criticism from both his mayoral race opponents and New York City officials. “Today’s scenes of Israelis and Palestinians are profoundly moving: Israeli hostages being freed and families reunited after years of fear, uncertainty, and torture; the first days in Gaza without relentless Israeli bombardment of Palestinians as families return to rubble and loved ones freed from detention,” Mamdani wrote in a statement on X. “We must work towards a future built upon justice, one without occupation and apartheid, and for a world where every person can live with safety and dignity,” he added. MAMDANI BREAKS SILENCE ON FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGES IN STATEMENT THAT DOESN’T MENTION TRUMP New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, who is Jewish, lashed out at Mamdani soon afterward, calling his statement a “word-salad” and noting the absence of any mention of Hamas or its crimes. Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running against Mamdani for mayor, noted how long it took the Democratic socialist candidate to address the ceasefire. IDF KILLS HAMAS TERRORIST IT SAYS WORKED FOR UNRWA, LED CHARGE ON REIM BOMB SHELTER MASSACRE “His silence speaks volumes,” Cuomo wrote in the hours that stretched between the release of the remaining living hostages and Mamdani’s eventual statement. The exchange came as Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, also found herself the focus of criticism on Monday after she publicly mourned the death of a Palestinian social media influencer who praised Hamas’ actions on Oct. 7. The man, Saleh al-Jafarawi, was killed this weekend as Hamas clashed with rivals in Gaza after the Israeli military’s withdrawal. “Beloved Jafarawi,” she wrote on Instagram.
Shutdown threatens rural hospitals, veterans’ care as Democrats block GOP plan, Emmer warns
EXCLUSIVE: The No. 3 House Republican is accusing Democrats of making a hypocritical argument in their resistance to the GOP’s federal funding bill. The government shutdown is in its 14th day with Republicans and Democrats still unable to agree on a path forward. The Trump administration is taking steps to prevent the military from missing paychecks this week, while also beginning to lay off scores of federal workers amid the standoff. Democrats have said they will not agree to any solution that does not include serious concessions on healthcare from the GOP — but House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., argued that they are themselves harming healthcare access by allowing the shutdown to continue. “They are [jeopardizing healthcare],” Emmer told Fox News Digital, pointing out that certain telehealth services, for example, are going without funding during the shutdown. JOHNSON RAISES STAKES ON SCHUMER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BARRELS INTO WEEK 3 “We had a huge advance during the pandemic when it came to remote care. You’ve got all kinds of constituents that don’t live in a condensed or a dense urban area right next to a hospital, right next to a provider, they may be a distance away. And the telehealth option actually made a big difference,” Emmer said. “I know it did for our veterans.” “I don’t know if the VA — [House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill.] made it sound like they’re going to protect that under his jurisdiction, not sure how — but I do worry about it for the private providers, hospitals. How are they going to do it if they’re not getting reimbursed?” He was referring to the Acute Hospital Care At Home program, originally created during the COVID-19 pandemic. It allows healthcare providers to bill Medicare for telehealth appointments and at-home aid that previously was only reserved for hospital care. It’s become a popular program for elderly or otherwise vulnerable Medicaid recipients, but the ongoing shutdown has prevented Congress from being able to extend it. SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES The government entered into a shutdown nearly two weeks ago on Oct. 1 after Senate Democrats rejected the GOP’s federal funding plan. They have since blocked consideration of the same bill six more times. Republicans proposed a seven-week bill extending fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal funding levels through Nov. 21 called a continuing resolution (CR). It’s aimed at giving congressional negotiators more time to strike a longer-term agreement on FY2026, which began on Oct. 1. It passed the House along mostly partisan lines on Sept. 19. But Democrats in the House and Senate were largely infuriated by being sidelined in federal funding talks and are now demanding any spending deal that also include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. Democrats also introduced a separate counter-proposal that would completely eliminate healthcare reforms made in the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and restore funding to NPR and PBS that the Trump administration revoked earlier this year. Democrats have said that proposal is aimed at rolling back Republicans’ Medicaid cuts. But Republicans have positioned it as the left’s effort at restoring federal funding for illegal immigrants’ healthcare — though Democratic leaders panned that as a lie. Emmer also pointed out that it would revoke $50 billion for a rural hospital fund that OBBBA put in place. “The Rural Health Care Fund is a great example. I mean, right now, it’s our job, it’s the representatives’ job back in their districts, to try and work with our hospitals to make sure that they can access the funds,” he said. “Because you don’t know exactly how deep the shutdown is going to impact hospitals, providers, ultimately consumers and patients.”