GOP senator compares Israel’s Hamas fight to US killing of Usama bin Laden
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., is traveling to Israel following the Jewish state’s strike in Qatar, a strike he argued was part of Israel’s “singular purpose” to eradicate Hamas. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) announced the strike, which was intended to target senior-level leadership in Hamas, on Tuesday. However, the attack took place over 1,300 miles away in Doha, Qatar. The Qatari government has been a key player at the negotiation table in the quest for a ceasefire and return of hostages in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas following the group’s brutal attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel’s targets were top negotiators in Hamas’ political bureau, who were mulling the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal. TRUMP DIRECTED ENVOY TO WARN QATAR AHEAD OF ‘UNFORTUNATE’ ISRAELI STRIKE, WHITE HOUSE SAYS So far, Qatari officials have condemned the strike, and the White House has taken a rare step against Israel in the aftermath. Daines, who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, likened Hamas to “a cancer” that Israel needed to eradicate. He put the Jewish state’s situation into perspective of, if the U.S. were in Israel’s position and “1,200 innocent Americans [were] slaughtered by terrorists 40 miles from Washington, D.C.,” then the “United States would do everything within its power to eradicate the threat.” “The Israelis, as we’ve seen, whether it’s with Iran or Hezbollah, sometimes doesn’t matter where these leaders are,” he told Fox News Digital. “They’re going to come after them, not unlike the United States did when we went after Usama bin Laden in Pakistan. We didn’t ask Pakistan for permission.” Following the attack, President Donald Trump told reporters that he was “not thrilled” about the situation. SEN. STEVE DAINES SAYS REGIME CHANGE IS THE BEST LONG-TERM PLAN IN IRAN “I was very unhappy about it, very unhappy about every aspect. And we got to get the hostages back, but I was very unhappy about the way that went down,” Trump said. The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and panned Israel’s move as a “criminal attack” that constituted “a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents of Qatar.” Daines’ plan to head to the Jewish state came before the strike and was initially meant to celebrate the excavation of ancient stone steps and a pathway, known as the Pilgrimage Road, which Jesus is believed to have walked, leading from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount. The lawmaker previously went to Israel to commemorate progress of the ongoing archaeological dig in 2023, a couple of months before Hamas’ blitz on Israel. ‘THE MISSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED’: SENATE REPUBLICANS PUSH BACK AGAINST LEAKED REPORT ON IRAN STRIKES Now, his planned trip, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are expected to attend, is likely to take a different tenor. Daines said he had just spoken with the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. on Monday and hoped that his schedule could line up for a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also noted that he had yet to see an assessment of the strike, which hit a residential complex in Doha. When asked if he was worried that the strike could derail ceasefire talks, Daines noted that he had appreciated Qatar’s cooperation and pointed out the U.S. has its largest military base in the Middle East there. But, he added that “Hamas, clearly, is trying to evade the reach of the Israeli government.” “And as we say, ‘Sometimes you can run, but you can’t hide,’ and Israel had to make a decision, knowing that, like they did with Iran, where they took out military leadership, they took out their nuclear scientists, because they could not allow Iran to get into their bomb,” Daines said. “Similarly, with Hamas, they would have to take out their command and control structure, leadership. And they have a singular mission, and Israel will do what it needs to do to protect herself,” he continued. Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment but did not immediately hear back. Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Trump calls for death penalty for suspect in Charlotte light rail stabbing
President Donald Trump called for Decarlos Brown Jr. to face the death penalty for the alleged murder of Iryna Zarutska on Wednesday. Trump made the statement on social media, saying the trial for suspect Decarlos Brown Jr. should be “quick.” “The ANIMAL who so violently killed the beautiful young lady from Ukraine, who came to America searching for peace and safety, should be given a ‘Quick’ (there is no doubt!) Trial, and only awarded THE DEATH PENALTY,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “There can be no other option!” Zarutska’s slaying has brought about heavy criticism of Democrats, who critics accuse of adopting soft-on-crime laws that allow violent criminals to roam the streets. Trump argued Monday that the victim’s “blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail.” JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HITS CHARLOTTE TRAIN STABBING SUSPECT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES Trump also placed blame for Zarutska’s killing on former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is now running for the Senate in battleground North Carolina in a crucial 2026 showdown that may determine if Republicans keep control of the chamber. UKRAINIAN WOMAN WHO FLED WAR STABBED TO DEATH AT CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL STATION The Charlotte killing came amid Trump’s focus this summer on spotlighting horrific crimes in Democrat-controlled cities as he moves federal law enforcement into urban areas. Brown, who is Black, was arrested soon after the stabbing and charged with first-degree murder. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice charged Brown with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. Records obtained by Fox News Digital showed that Brown has a history of arrests going back more than a decade, including convictions for felony larceny and felony breaking and entering in 2013, and a 2015 conviction for robbery with a dangerous weapon that sent him to prison for more than six years. He was released in 2020 but remained on parole until 2021, and subsequent charges against him included communicating threats and misuse of the 911 system earlier this year. On Monday, Trump noted other recent killings in the U.S., saying that actions, like his administration’s push to end cashless bail, must be taken. “This cashless bail started a wave in our country where a killer kills somebody and is out on the street by the afternoon and, in many cases, going out and killing again, cashless bail,” Trump said. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report
Trump’s rumored housing emergency would be a ‘game-changer,’ key GOP lawmaker says
EXCLUSIVE: One of the House GOP’s staunchest housing affordability advocates is calling President Donald Trump’s rumored emergency order on the issue a “game-changer.” House Main Street Caucus Chair Mike Flood, R-Neb., who also chairs the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee on the House Financial Services Committee, told Fox News Digital that he is hoping Trump ultimately follows through on declaring an emergency on housing affordability. “When you have a housing shortage and a supply issue, it pushes up valuations, which pushes up your property taxes, because your valuation goes up. It pushes up home insurance premiums because the value of your home is more expensive if there was some kind of a claim,” Flood explained. “So the president of the United States putting his thumb on the scale and saying that housing is in a crisis situation, and it’s an emergency – that changes the entire conversation.” HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner told FOX Business on Tuesday that talks were ongoing on the issue but declined to make any firm declarations ahead of Trump. “Those discussions are being had, not just from an emergency declaration standpoint, but what can we do in order to bring the costs down… and bring the supply up,” Turner said. Home prices have skyrocketed in recent years, outpacing wage growth and making small houses that were once considered “starters” for young families out of reach for millions of Americans. Zoning restrictions, high building costs, regulatory issues and insufficient levels of new construction have all been named as reasons for the current crisis. Additionally, new tariffs on materials like steel, aluminum and lumber are projected to add about $10,900 to the cost of building a new single-family home, according to the National Association of Home Builders. “It’s going to take the federal government, the state governments and the municipalities, most notably, to fix this,” Flood said. He added that his panel was also working on bipartisan legislation, expected in October or November, to make housing more affordable nationwide. “We have been working in our subcommittee and on Financial Services on our effort that will, I think, take a few steps forward, and hope to mark that up later this year in maybe October, November,” Flood said. “But the president coming in and making this a priority is what’s going to push this at light speed across the finish line.” He added: “I truly think we can get something done by June of next year.” GOP GOVERNOR NOMINEE PUSHES REDISTRICTING TO OUST STATE’S LONE HOUSE DEM Flood also stressed that housing affordability is a key election issue for Americans. “Since 2020, we’ve seen 20% inflation, home insurance premiums are more expensive, mortgage rates are higher. You know, you’ve got all these rules in the federal programs that make it nearly impossible to be really effective with the assistance that HUD provides,” Flood said. “And with the president doubling down on an issue that I am very passionate about, I think that this is going to resonate with Americans, because this is what people are talking about.” FOX Business’ Kevin Gora contributed to this report.
Scalise hints GOP may push nationwide crime crackdown after DC overhaul
EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are having early talks about cracking down on crime nationwide, the No. 2 GOP lawmaker suggested on Tuesday. “There are discussions about addressing some of these problems at a more federal level, but right now, we’re focused on D.C.,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital. “The president’s been very effectively reducing crime in D.C., and he’s got some limitations right now with a lot of these ordinances, and that’s what we’re focused on cleaning up.” He added, however, “But we’re not done.” NEWSOM DEPLOYS CRIME TEAMS STATEWIDE AS WHITE HOUSE MOCKS ‘COPYING TRUMP AGENDA’ It comes after President Donald Trump federalized the Washington, D.C., police force and deployed federal troops to the capital city in a bid to end violent crime. He’s now eyeing National Guard deployments in other cities across the country, though the idea has been met with criticism by Democrats. The House Oversight Committee is slated to advance several bills dealing with D.C. criminal sentencing this week, which will likely get full House votes in the coming months. Scalise’s comments suggest that while lawmakers are currently focused on overhauling Washington, D.C.’s criminal policies, it’s possible they could turn to the rest of the country at some point as well. TRUMP CLAIMS ‘WE’RE AGAINST CRIME. DEMOCRATS LIKE CRIME’ Trump similarly signaled last month that he wanted to see a bill dealing with crime across the U.S. “Speaker Mike Johnson, and Leader John Thune, are working with me, and other Republicans, on a Comprehensive Crime Bill. It’s what our Country needs,” he wrote on Truth Social. House GOP leaders also railed against crime in Democratic-run cities and states during their weekly press briefing on Tuesday – specifically their leaders’ opposition to National Guard deployments. Such moves by the federal government could risk court battles with Democrat-run states and cities, as was the case when Trump sent the National Guard into Los Angeles earlier this year over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “I mean, these mayors in these big blue cities have to ask this question – and I think their voters and the residents and the law-abiding citizens in all these cities should be asking local leadership, ‘How long are you going to put up with this? When are you going to put your foot down and do the right thing?’” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., posed. “This is common sense. And I cannot, for the life of me, understand how the Democrats think this is some sort of winning political message. Yield, man. Let the troops come into your city, and show how crime can be reduced.” Scalise, meanwhile, said at the press conference that Democrats “want crime to continue.” “They want to continue defunding the police and try to have it both ways. And President Trump is tired of that game, because he’s tired of watching people be hurt. There’s no reason for this violent crime wave that we see in so many cities,” Scalise said. “So we’re going to continue to have the president’s back and, frankly, have the American people’s back, regardless of their party, regardless of what city they live in. Everybody deserves to be safe, and Republicans are going to continue to push policies to help put that in place.”
Newsom says Trump has ‘relentless, unhinged’ obsession with California during State of the State address
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, on Tuesday argued that President Donald Trump and his administration have a “relentless, unhinged California obsession.” In a letter to the state legislature, Newsom touted the state’s achievements during the State of the State address on its 175th anniversary of statehood. The governor also posted a clip of himself delivering a shortened version of the address on social media. Newsom has not delivered a formal State of the State address the last three years, despite decades of tradition of doing just that. He has instead opted for letters and prerecorded videos. “We are now nine months into a battle to protect the values we hold most dear and to preserve the economic and social foundation we built for California,” Newsom wrote. “We are facing a federal administration built on incompetence and malicious ignorance, one that seeks the death of independent thinking.” NEWSOM WARNS AMERICANS ‘YOU WILL LOSE YOUR COUNTRY’ UNDER TRUMP AT CALIFORNIA SUMMIT California has been a target for the Trump administration over issues such as immigration, in which federal raids targeting migrant workers over the summer sparked protests against arrests and deportations. Newsom butted heads with the administration over its move to deploy the National Guard and the Marines to the Los Angeles area to respond to the demonstrations and support immigration enforcement. The federal government has also cut funding for the state’s long-delayed high-speed rail project, rolled back the state’s rule prohibiting the sale of new gas-powered vehicles and sued the state over a law that allows transgender girls to compete on sports teams matching their gender identity rather than their biological sex. California, meanwhile, has filed 41 lawsuits against the administration. Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved giving $50 million to the state’s Department of Justice and other legal groups to help preserve its progressive policies. NEWSOM ESCALATES TRUMP IMMIGRATION FEUD WITH FOUL-MOUTHED INSULT Newsom said California is also challenging the president’s move to suspend funding to the University of California, Los Angeles, over allegations of antisemitism on campus and affirmative action. “It would be a mistake to think California is cowering in the face of this onslaught,” Newsom said. The governor’s letter also detailed what he described as the state’s achievements, including the state’s resiliency and quick recovery effort after the wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year, as well as advancements in tech, green energy and education. Newsom also lauded the state’s tens of thousands of young volunteers and a tax credit program to bring back Hollywood productions. State Republicans contended that Newsom, seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, is focusing more on boosting his national profile rather than on working on issues in the Golden State, with James Gallagher, the GOP leader of the state Assembly, citing the state’s ongoing budget deficits, its homelessness crisis and high costs of living. “Stop refusing to show up and actually do the work of being a governor,” Gallagher said in a video posted to social media. Gallagher also criticized Newsom’s push for a U.S. House redistricting plan to boost Democrats and potentially win control of the chamber ahead of the 2026 midterms. The move by California lawmakers was done in response to a similar Trump-endorsed effort by Republican lawmakers in Texas. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hellfire missile bounces off mysterious orb in stunning UAP footage shown to Congress
A House hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) stunned lawmakers when video evidence showed a U.S. drone firing a Hellfire missile at an orb off Yemen—only for the object to remain intact and keep moving, raising urgent questions about technology beyond known military capabilities. At a House Oversight subcommittee meeting on UFO transparency and whistleblower protection, Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., unveiled the video. The footage showed an MQ-9 drone tracking a UAP orb as another MQ-9 launched a Hellfire missile at it. The missile struck the orb, but instead of destroying it, the round appeared to “bounce right off.” “That’s a Hellfire missile smacking into that UFO and [it] just bounced right off, and it kept going,” journalist George Knapp said. “There are servers where there’s a whole bank of these kind of videos that Congress has not been allowed to see.” HOUSE WITNESS TESTIFIES UFOS NEARLY ACTIVATED RUSSIAN NUCLEAR MISSILES DURING 1982 INCIDENT Lawmakers and witnesses stressed that no known U.S. technology could withstand a Hellfire strike. “Are you aware of anything in the U.S. arsenal that can split a Hellfire missile like this…and do whatever blob thing it did, and then keep going?” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., asked each witness. Nuccetelli and Wiggins testified that no U.S. technology is capable of surviving such a strike. UFO MANIA GRIPS SMALL TOWN AFTER MYSTERIOUS GLOWING OBJECT SIGHTING GOES VIRAL Asked if the video frightened them, all three – Nuccetelli, Wiggins and U.S. Air Force Veteran Dylan Borland – answered “yes.” Beyond the Hellfire video, witnesses also shared their own UAP encounters. JD VANCE SAYS HE’S ‘OBSESSED’ WITH EERIE UFO VIDEOS Nuccetelli described the “Vandenberg Red Square,” a 2003 incident at what is now Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. At the time, it was still an Air Force installation. He recalled hearing chaos unfold over the radio. His friend screamed, “It’s coming right at us! It’s coming right for us!” Just moments later, he said he heard them say the object “shot off and was done.” Wiggins also recalled a “Tic Tac” encounter, noting the craft showed no “conventional propulsion signatures” as it left. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Though the origins remain unknown, lawmakers pressed for answers, demanding greater transparency on UAPs. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Charlotte mayor scores primary re-election victory amid national backlash over gruesome train murder
Mayor Vi Lyles of Charlotte, North Carolina, won Tuesday’s Democratic Party mayoral primary in an election overshadowed the past few days by the deadly stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee aboard a city train. The stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska last month on a light-rail train by a man with a history of mental illness and over a dozen arrests quickly grabbed national attention and reignited a conversation about crime after security video of the gruesome attack was released and went viral. Lyles’ response to the slaying has been criticized, and Republicans claim the mayor and other Democrats are too soft on people with criminal records. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HITS CHARLOTTE TRAIN STABBING SUSPECT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES While not specifically criticizing the mayor, President Donald Trump on Monday argued that the victim’s “blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail.” Trump also placed blame for Zarutska’s killing on former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is now running for the Senate in battleground North Carolina in a crucial 2026 showdown that may determine if Republicans keep control of the chamber. UKRAINIAN WOMAN WHO FLED WAR STABBED TO DEATH AT CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL STATION The Charlotte killing came amid Trump’s focus this summer on spotlighting horrific crimes in Democrat-controlled cities as he moves federal forces into urban areas. Decarlos Brown Jr., who is Black, was arrested soon after the stabbing and charged with first-degree murder. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice charged Brown with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. According to police records, he was arrested 14 times over the past 12 years. Lyles, who is Charlotte’s first Black female mayor, faced four lesser-known challengers in the Democratic primary, with the killing increasingly in the spotlight. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP One of the mayor’s rivals, Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel, accused Lyles’ response of being a “day late and a dollar short.” Lyles now advances to the general election in the Democrat-dominated city against Republican nominee Terrie Donovan, a real estate agent who had already made crime her top issue even before the killing. The Associated Press contributed to this report
Hawley pushes legal action against Meta after whistleblowers detail child abuse in VR
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called to “open the courtroom doors” so parents can sue Meta, accusing founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of misleading Congress after whistleblowers detailed child safety failures on the company’s virtual reality (VR) platforms. Two former Meta researchers told a Senate panel Tuesday that the company buried child harm evidence in VR, killed age-verification studies and let AI chatbots flirt with kids, prompting a bipartisan push to pass measures protecting minors online. “The claims at the heart of this hearing are nonsense; they’re based on selectively leaked internal documents that were picked specifically to craft a false narrative,” a Meta spokesperson said. “The truth is there was never any blanket prohibition on conducting research with young people and, since the start of 2022, Meta approved nearly 180 Reality Labs-related studies on issues including youth safety and well-being.” MARK ZUCKERBERG SUES META OVER FACEBOOK SUSPENSIONS — BUT NOT THE ONE YOU THINK Testifying before the Senate were Cayce Savage and Jason Sattizahn, both former Meta researchers. Sattizahn alleged Meta routinely prioritized engagement and profit over safety — especially for kids — and manipulated or erased research showing harm. He said despite attempts to curb data collection, the studies researchers could run still showed the company’s products endangered users. Germany once banned Meta’s VR sales over data treatment concerns; after sales resumed in 2022, Sattizahn was sent to conduct research there. META AI DOCS EXPOSED, ALLOWING CHATBOTS TO FLIRT WITH KIDS He said he understood Meta was trying to show its VR headsets were safe for Germans. But when research uncovered that underage children using Meta VR in Germany were subjected to demands for sex acts, nude photos and other acts children should never be exposed to, Sattizahn alleged Meta demanded all evidence be erased. “My research still revealed emotional and psychological damage, particularly to women who were sexually solicited, molested or worse,” he testified. “In response, Meta demanded I change my research in the future to not gather this data on emotional and psychological harm.” Savage testified she led youth safety research in VR and likewise said Meta prioritized engagement over child safety. HAWLEY OPENS PROBE INTO META AFTER REPORTS OF AI ROMANTIC EXCHANGES WITH MINORS She said the company employed suppression tactics, including editing reports, demanding deletions and threatening jobs. Hawley asked Savage why it was important for Meta to have children under 13 using VR. She told him kids drive household adoption of gaming devices, which means more money for Meta. “So, this is about profits at the end of the day,” Hawley told Savage while seeking clarification on whether Meta will do anything for a profit, including exposing children to vile sexual abuse. “When I was doing research to identify the harms that children were facing in VR, which I had to be sneaky about because legal wouldn’t actually let me do it, I identified that Roblox, the app on in VR, was being used by coordinated pedophile rings,” Savage said. “They set up strip clubs, and they paid children to strip.” She added that Robux could be converted into real money. LOUISIANA SUES ONLINE GAMING PLATFORM ROBLOX FOR ALLEGEDLY ENABLING CHILD PREDATORS Savage said she flagged the issue to Meta, saying under no circumstances should Meta host the Roblox app on the headset. “You can now download it in their app store,” she said. Later, under questioning, Savage told the panel she estimates any child in a social VR space will come in contact with, or be directly exposed to, something inappropriate. “She said every single child who goes into the platform will 100% be exposed to child sex abuse material. Every single one,” Hawley told Fox News Digital Tuesday evening. “I just come back to the fact that we have got to protect our children. “It can’t be that if you go online as a kid, you are 100% likely to be sexually abused, and that’s what the witnesses said today. If you are online, if you’re on their virtual reality program platform rather, you are going to get sexually abused. That was their testimony.” Hawley called out Zuckerberg for testifying on Jan. 31, 2024, that Meta does not allow people under the age of 13 on the service. I LOST MY 16-YEAR-OLD SON TO SUICIDE FROM ADDICTIVE AI ALGORITHMS. WE CAN’T LET BIG TECH DESTROY OUR CHILDREN During his testimony last year, the CEO said anyone under the age of 13 will be removed from the service, and, in response to another question, Zuckerberg said Meta does not want users under the age of 13. Hawley said Zuckerberg misled Americans with that testimony, pointing to whistleblowers who said under-13 users are rampant on the platform. “I don’t see how you can square what he told us under oath last year with what these whistleblowers said today,” Hawley told Fox News Digital. “But that’s true of a lot of his statements. I mean, he said over and over, whether it’s the safety protocols Facebook has put into place, that’s not true. “Whether it’s regarding their work in China, he said, ‘Oh, we don’t do work in China.’ That is not true. He said, ‘We don’t have any contacts with the Chinese government.’ That’s not true. So, I mean, we’re really piling up a long list here.” Hawley said he has called for Zuckerberg to testify again under oath, though he’s heard Meta isn’t interested. Ultimately, Hawley said, it was time to “open the courtroom doors” so victims and families can sue Meta for failing to protect children. “It is abundantly clear to me that it is time to allow parents and victims to sue this company,” he said. “They have got to be able to get into court and to get in front of a jury and hold this company accountable, and that begins with Mark Zuckerberg. There has to be accountability. We have to open the courtroom doors and allow victims to have their day in court.” Earlier this year, Hawley
Thune’s suitcase nuke – and the filibuster’s latest blast injury
It was a full-on nuclear explosion. Just like the Pacific Testing Grounds near the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia. But this political blast tore through the Senate chamber. In November 2013, late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., detonated the first Senate “nuclear option.” He curbed the filibuster to confirm executive branch nominees — except the Supreme Court. Rather than 60 votes to break a filibuster, such nominees would only need a simple majority. SENATE GOP LEADER MOVES TO LOWER FILIBUSTER THRESHOLD FOR TRUMP NOMINEES THROUGH NUCLEAR OPTION Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., ignited the second “nuclear option” in 2017. The Kentucky Republican anticipated a Democratic filibuster as the Senate tried to confirm Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. So, McConnell chipped away at the filibuster bar for nominations to the High Court. McConnell also lowered that bar from 60 yeas to 51. Both of these instances were so dramatic, they featured parliamentary mushroom clouds erupting over the Capitol. The Senate eventually fell into nuclear winter after both instances, paralyzed from the fallout. Now, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is poised to discharge the parliamentary equivalent of a “suitcase nuke” on Thursday. Thune’s gambit isn’t something to ignore. It won’t carry the same immediate parliamentary weight of the maneuvers executed by Reid and McConnell. However, it’s another crack in the Senate custom of the filibuster. The legislative filibuster still exists. Senators can still block bills if they can prevent the body from cobbling together 60 yeas to break a filibuster. Thune will follow the playbook established by Reid and McConnell to alter the Senate precedent (Note: this is not a rules change. The Senate requires 67 votes to break a filibuster on a rules change.) to expedite the confirmation of lower-level nominees in groups. This plan will not include judges nor cabinet secretaries. Thune set his gambit into motion Monday by introducing a resolution to accelerate a slate of about 40 nominees. By rule, the Senate will take a procedural vote to break a filibuster on his resolution to confirm the batch of nominees on Thursday. The resolution itself, which is specific to this type of batch of nominees, needs 60 yeas. The Senate won’t get 60 yeas. THUNE LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR NUCLEAR OPTION IN SENATE FIGHT OVER TRUMP NOMINEES But this is exactly the scenario that Thune needs to go nuclear. The coin of the realm in the Senate is unlimited debate. But one of the rare occasions senators can’t debate something is when an issue fails and a senator requests a re-vote. So, a failed vote to break the filibuster backs the Senate into the exact parliamentary cul-de-sac that Thune wants. At the end of the roll call vote, Thune will likely switch his vote from yes to no on breaking the filibuster. The Senate allows members to demand a mulligan if they are on the prevailing side of the issue. In this case, Thune is suddenly with the “noes,” even though he initially voted yes to break the filibuster. But remember, Thune is only temporarily switching his vote in order to advance his cause. He may lose the battle. But he may ultimately win the war. By changing his position, Thune can then order a re-vote on the roll call that failed. And since the Senate is in this unique posture of not allowing any debate, Democrats are paralyzed. They can’t do anything to stop Thune from what he plans next. This is similar to what Reid did in 2013, followed up by McConnell in 2017, on the first two nuclear options. Thune will then make a point of order on the floor. Thune will assert that on the resolutions like the one he drafted a bloc of lower-level nominees (e.g. – the ones now before the Senate) does not need 60 votes to break a filibuster. The chair — potentially Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, or even Vice President Vance, who is the President of the Senate — will presumably rule that Thune is wrong. Senate rules and precedent do require 60 votes to break a filibuster on this type of resolution. CONGRESS RETURNS WITH DEMOCRATS REFUSING TO NEGOTIATE AS OCT 1 SHUTDOWN DEADLINE LOOMS But Thune doesn’t stop there. The majority leader will then request a vote to overturn how the chair ruled. He will assert that a simple majority is necessary to break a filibuster for this type of resolution — even though that’s never been the case before. The Senate will vote. And if 51 senators vote in favor of ruling against the chair, the Senate will have established a new precedent. It will lower the threshold from 60 to 51 on this type of resolution to speedily advance a batch of nominees all at once. Once the Senate does that, Thune will need to set up another procedural vote under the new precedents to break a filibuster. If Thune “files cloture” again on Thursday, the Senate can vote on Monday to break a filibuster — needing only 51 yeas — on Monday, Sept. 15. If the Senate votes to break the filibuster on the resolution under the revamped precedents, the Senate could vote to confirm the 48 nominees in question on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Here’s an example of some of the nominees in the queue for confirmation: Former Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., is up for under secretary for nuclear security. President Trump tapped Leslie Beyer to serve as assistant secretary of the interior. Richard Anderson to become an assistant secretary of the Air Force. Jovan Jovanovic to lead the Export-Import Bank. Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., is the president’s pick as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Thune says Democrats are obstinate, not allowing the Senate to confirm a batch of nominees in one fell swoop. He accuses Democrats of obstruction, saying the minority is trying to undermine the president. “This is simply the world’s longest, most drawn out temper tantrum over losing
Mayor of sanctuary city advances to November election amid ICE crackdown resistance
Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston on Tuesday easily came out on top in a preliminary municipal contest to advance to November’s mayoral election, amid a new crackdown in Massachusetts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Voters in New England’s most populous city cast ballots to narrow the mayoral field to two in Democrat-dominated Boston. Wu, the first woman and person of color elected Boston mayor, faced off against three challengers. Philanthropist Josh Kraft, a fellow Democrat and the son of billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, was expected to also advance to November’s mayoral election. TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT BUT FRONT-AND-CENTER IN 2025 ELECTIONS The voting came as Wu, who’s seeking re-election to a second four-year term, is pushing back against federal immigration enforcement in the city. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Sunday that “ICE launched ‘Patriot 2.0’ to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens living in the state of Massachusetts, following the success of Operation Patriot in May.” And taking aim at Wu, the statement argued, “Sanctuary policies like those pushed by Mayor Wu not only attract and harbor criminals but also place these public safety threats above the interests of law-abiding American citizens. ICE is arresting sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, and gang members released by local authorities.” Wu, on Monday, pushed back “They are wrong on the law, and they are wrong on safety,” Wu charged. “This is why Boston has been the target. Boston is going to continue to uphold the Boston Trust Act, our state law, and the clear separation where our local officials and our city government does not cooperate in the mass deportation efforts that this federal administration is trying to push.” And the mayor claimed, “For months, ICE has refused to provide any information about their activities in Boston and refuses to issue warrants, while we hear reports of ICE agents taking parents as they are dropping their kids off at school. That does not make our community safer.” Boston’s Trust Act prevents police in the city from handing people over to ICE without a criminal warrant. The latest confrontation comes as the Justice Department sues Boston city officials, including the mayor, for allegedly interfering with the immigration crackdown.