Newsom set to rally Texas Dems with victory lap days after Prop 50 passes: ‘California stepped up’
A newly emboldened Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking his show on the road. Four days after spearheading a ballot box landslide victory in his home state of California in the high-stakes battle over congressional redistricting, the two-term governor and potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender will headline a rally Saturday in Republican-leaning Texas. Newsom was the driving force behind Tuesday’s passage of Proposition 50, a ballot initiative which will temporarily sidetrack Democratic-leaning California’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democrat-dominated legislature. That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which would counter the passage earlier this year in the reliable red state of Texas of a new map that aims to create up to five right-leaning House seats. NEWSOM SCORES MAJOR BALLOT BOX VICTORY ON ELECTION NIGHT 2025 “California stepped up. Now, we are taking this fight across the country — helping Democrats in other states push back against Trump’s election rigging,” Newsom said in a statement to Fox News Digital, as he pointed to the push by President Donald Trump and Republicans for rare mid-decade redistricting. It’s part of a broad effort by Trump’s political team and the GOP to pad the party’s razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS, AND OPINION ON GAVIN NEWSOM Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections. Failure to approve what’s known as Proposition 50 would have been a stinging setback for Democrats. But Newsom was victorious and now has a message for fellow Democrats from coast to coast. “We need to see other states, their remarkable leaders that have been doing remarkable things, meet this moment head-on as well,” he said on Tuesday night as he celebrated passage of the ballot initiative. “We can de facto end Donald Trump’s presidency as we know it, the minute Speaker Jeffries gets sworn in as speaker of the House of Representatives. It is all on the line.” Newsom is expected to rally with Texas Democrats at an afternoon event in Houston. While two other Democratic blue state governors with likely national ambitions in 2028, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Wes Moore of Maryland, are mulling new maps in their states to create one or two more blue-leaning congressional districts, Newsom has been the most visible leader so far in the redistricting wars and the first Democrat to succeed. And the campaign for Prop 50 passage only burnished Newsom’s already solid credentials as an anti-Trump warrior, which could pay dividends for him down the road in what’s expected to be a crowded and competitive 2028 Democratic presidential nomination race. “He put a lot of effort into this, and it was not a sure thing when it first started,” veteran Democratic strategist Maria Cardona told Fox News Digital. “He galvanized and mobilized California voters.” And Cardona, a committee member on the Democratic National Committee, said, “I certainly think it burnished Gavin Newsom’s brand not just as the anti-Trump, but right now I think it puts him as one of the leaders in contention for 2028.”
Federal judge dismisses Boeing felony charges despite victims’ families opposition to $1.1B settlement deal
A federal judge ruled in favor of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday, dismissing felony charges against aircraft giant Boeing in relation to two commercial plane crashes that claimed the lives of 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Judge Reed O’Connor accepted the DOJ’s motion to dismiss in the Northern District of Texas. Boeing, which previously agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government, made a deal with the Trump administration in May in return for the charges — tied to the Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes in October 2018 and March 2019 — being dropped. O’Connor, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, said that despite some victims’ families’ opposition, the government did not act with bad faith, provided conclusory reasons for its dismissal, and satisfied its obligations under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, Politico reported. The non-prosecution agreement requires Boeing to pay more than $1.1 billion in fines, more than $455 million to strengthen the company’s compliance, safety and quality programs, and an additional $445 million for the crash victims’ families, a DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital. BOEING PAYING $1.1B AS DOJ DISMISSES CRIMINAL FRAUD CASE; FAMILIES OF VICTIMS IN CRASHES SET TO OBJECT TO DEAL “On top of the financial investments, Boeing must continue to improve the effectiveness of its anti-fraud compliance and ethics program and retain an independent compliance consultant,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. O’Connor noted it disregards the need for the company to be monitored by an unbiased consultant, as Boeing can choose who it hires, and said he understood families may be disappointed the agreement “fails to secure the necessary accountability to ensure the safety of the flying public,” according to the report. Tracy Brammeier, partner of Clifford Law Offices who serves on the plaintiff’s team, said there would be a quick appeal of O’Connor’s Thursday ruling. “The judge recognizes there is a miscarriage of justice on the part of the government’s decision not to prosecute the case, and that this was not in the best interest of the public, which the government serves,” Brammeier wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Unfortunately, he feels the power to right this wrong is limited by legal precedent. The families are disappointed by the outcome but will act quickly to protect the interests of the families and the public on appeal.” NTSB ISSUES URGENT SAFETY BULLETIN ABOUT ENGINES FOUND IN SOME BOEING 737 MAX JETS Three cases involving families of victims in the 2019 crash were settled Wednesday after jury selection, including a case on behalf of a 28-year-old mother from Kenya who left behind a daughter and her parents, Clifford Law Offices wrote in a news release. The other two cases that settled were that of a 38-year-old father of seven from Yemen and Kenya, and a 30-year-old father of three from the UK and Kenya, who left behind a pregnant wife, according to Clifford Law Offices. Flight ET-302 crashed in March 2019 shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia, heading to Kenya and killing all 157 on board. According to the attorneys, nearly a dozen cases related to the two crashes remain unresolved. A DOJ spokesperson told Fox News Digital “victims are at the heart of the Department’s mission” and the Boeing case is no exception. “Rather than allow for protracted litigation, this agreement provides finality for the victims and requires Boeing to act now,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement. “As the Court recognized, the Department in good faith complied with its statutory obligations and met extensively with the crash victims’ families. While they are all experiencing grief, and nothing will diminish their losses, the victims have expressed a broad set of views regarding the resolution, ranging from support to disagreement. Ultimately, in applying the facts, the law, and Department policy, we are confident that this resolution is the most just outcome.” A Boeing spokesperson told Fox News Digital the company is “committed to honoring the obligations of our agreement with the Department of Justice … [and] to continuing the significant efforts we have made as a company to strengthen our safety, quality, and compliance programs.”
State Dept says G20 boycott tied to South Africa’s ‘government-sponsored discrimination’ against Afrikaners
FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration on Friday intensified its dispute with South Africa, saying no U.S. government official will attend the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in protest of what it describes as state-backed discrimination against White Afrikaners. “The lives and property of Afrikaners have been endangered by politicians who incite race-based violence against them, threaten to confiscate their farms without compensation, and prop up a corrupt race-based scoring system that discriminates against Afrikaners in employment,” State Department Deputy Principal spokesperson Tommy Piggott told Fox News Digital. “South Africa must immediately end all government-sponsored discrimination against Afrikaners and condemn those who seek to ignite racial violence against them.” TRUMP PICKS HIS MIAMI DORAL RESORT TO HOST 2026 G20 SUMMIT IN FLORIDA DURING NATION’S ANNIVERSARY YEAR Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday that it’s a “total disgrace” the G20, scheduled for Nov. 22 and Nov. 23, will be held in South Africa. “Afrikaners (People who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated,” the president said. “No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!” Afrikaners have faced increasing hostility from some politicians who have called for violence against them and the threat of land confiscation. South Africa’s Expropriation Act of 2024 allows the government to take land for public use, including in some cases without compensation — a policy the government says is aimed at addressing racial inequities in ownership, but one that critics warn could unfairly affect White Afrikaner farmers. RUBIO BOOTS SOUTH AFRICAN AMBASSADOR FROM US: ‘PERSONA NON GRATA’ Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House in May, pressing him on “White genocide” in the country. Ramaphosa vehemently denied the claims. “There is just no genocide in South Africa,” he said. “We cannot equate what is alleged to be genocide to what we went through in the struggle because people were killed because of the oppression that was taking place in our country. So you cannot equate that.” Trump played a video in the Oval Office of white crosses along a highway that he said depicted burial sites of White farmers. “Have they told you where that is, Mr. President?” Ramaphosa asked. “I’d like to know where that is, because this I’ve never seen.” A senior State Department official told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration has set a refugee cap for fiscal year 2026 of 7,500, with a majority of the spots reserved for Afrikaners fleeing what it describes as government-sponsored race-based discrimination in South Africa.
Federal judge rules Trump’s Portland National Guard deployment unconstitutional in permanent injunction
A federal judge on Friday ruled that the Trump administration’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, was unconstitutional. On Sunday, U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, temporarily extended an order blocking the administration from deploying troops to The Rose City, saying the government failed to justify the move. In the Sunday evening order, Immergut temporarily blocked “Defendant Secretary of Defense [Pete] Hegseth from implementing” memorandums that authorized the federalization and deployment of National Guard members from Oregon, Texas and California into Portland. The injunction remained in effect until Friday. WHITE HOUSE REBUKES ‘EGREGIOUS’ COURT ORDER BLOCKING TROOP DEPLOYMENTS AMID PORTLAND UNREST Friday’s 106-page ruling makes the order permanent. It followed a three-day trial over whether protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland warranted use of the military domestically under federal law. The administration said the troops were needed to protect federal personnel and property. PORTLAND POLICE ACCUSE FEDERAL TROOPS OF INFLAMING ANTI-ICE PROTESTS, WHICH CITY CLAIMS HAVE NOT BEEN VIOLENT Immergut said in the ruling the “evidence demonstrates that these deployments, which were objected to by Oregon’s governor and not requested by the federal officials in charge of protection of the ICE building, exceeded the President’s authority” because he wasn’t able to demonstrate there was a rebellion or threat of rebellion that couldn’t be enforced without the military. The judge added that “even giving great deference to the President’s determination, the President did not have a lawful basis to federalize the National Guard.” Immergut called the order unconstitutional, saying that it violated the 10th Amendment, “which ‘reserves to the States’ any powers not expressly delegated to the federal government in the Constitution.” The city of Portland and state of Oregon had sued the administration over the deployment in September after Hegseth sent 200 troops to the city. The administration can appeal the decision. The administration also faces a temporary injunction in Chicago, where a judge has barred the administration from deploying troops.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to a potential procedrual vote on an interim spending bill
Fox has learned that Senate Republicans are hopeful that just enough Senate Democrats may be willing to join with them to help break a filibuster on a test vote to fund the government through sometime in January. This proposal would also fund the Department of Agriculture and Department of Veterans Affairs, plus, Congress until Sept. 30, 2026. ‘TWISTED IRONY’: DEMOCRATS RISK BETRAYING THEIR OWN PET ISSUES WITH GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN GAMBLE If Republicans are able to coax enough Democrats to vote yes, the Senate could vote as early as tomorrow to break a filibuster on this combination bill. That would require 60 yeas. However, what is unclear is the status of Obamacare subsidies. Democrats have balked at the lack of a concrete remedy to spiking health care premiums. “They’re looking for an off-ramp,” said one Senate source familiar with the Democrats’ thinking. THUNE SAYS ‘WHEELS CAME OFF’ AS REPUBLICANS MULL NEXT SHUTDOWN MOVE Fox is told that air traffic control and flight delays are a major consideration in the thinking of the Democrats. It is believed that the Senate GOP leadership is reluctant to force a vote related to the combination spending bill on the floor without a guarantee it could break a filibuster. One Senate source told Fox it would be “bad form at this stage” to endure a failed procedural vote on a plan which Republicans believe is the only way out of the government shutdown cul-de-sac. OPTIMISM FADES AS SENATE DEMOCRATS DIG IN, HOLD OUT OVER OBAMACARE DEMANDS Moreover, a break by these Democrats without an agreement on health care would be a blow to progressives and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). It would also mark the first true progress toward re-opening the government. If enough Democrats are yeas, Fox is told the Senate could take a test vote on Saturday night. By the book, if the Senate breaks the filibuster, the Senate may not be able to take a final vote on the package until sometime Monday or Tuesday. But Fox is told there is a distinct possibility that Democrats could yield back time to expedite the process. If the Senate were to approve the deal, it’s on to the House. But the House’s disposition is unclear on this legislation. And the House would not even consider this plan until the middle of next week at the earliest. However, if the House aligns with the Senate, the government would re-open — at least for a couple of months.
FIRST ON FOX: California’s top public university under fire for ‘LatinX’ and ‘Pilipinx’ race-based scholarship
Cornell Law professor William A. Jacobson, founder of the Equal Protection Project, has filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education‘s civil rights office accusing the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) of running more than a dozen scholarships that exclude students based on race, sex or national origin. The 13 programs named in the complaint include awards limited to “LatinX” freshmen, “Pilipinx” students, “undocumented undergraduates,” and female-only applicants. The filing claims those criteria violate Title VI and Title IX of federal civil-rights law, which bar discrimination by federally funded schools. “That race- and sex-based discriminatory scholarships exist at a major and highly visible public university is shocking,” Jacobson told Fox News Digital. “UCLA should know better than to run scholarships or programs that treat students differently based on race, color, national origin, or sex.” UC BERKELEY CLASS FOCUSES ON HOW ‘RACIAL SUPERIORITY’ SHAPES IMMIGRATION LAW, ANTI-ICE RHETORIC The UCLA Latino Alumni Association scholarship states it was created for “incoming LatinX freshmen and transfer students,” while a Pilipino Alumni Association award is for students “who indicate their membership in the Pilipinx community.” The Undocumented Alumni Association Scholarship restricts eligibility to undocumented students, and the Raza Women’s Alumni Scholarship gives preference to “incoming Latina freshmen and transfer students.” That language stands in contrast to remarks by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said earlier this year that “no one says Latinx.” Despite the governor’s disavowal of the term, UCLA, part of the UC system he oversees, still uses “LatinX” as an official eligibility label in a taxpayer-funded scholarship. Other programs cited include two scholarships for students of Armenian descent and a Deloitte Foundation award that supports “meritorious female students.” The complaint argues that UCLA’s use of racial or sex-based criteria “violates federal law and the university’s own nondiscrimination policies.” The filing asks federal officials to investigate and, if necessary, suspend UCLA’s federal funding until the programs are changed. UCLA’s scholarship portal contains a statement defending its process for “identity-conscious” awards. ELITE CALIFORNIA COLLEGES FACE TITLE VI COMPLAINT OVER DEI-LINKED SCHOLARSHIPS “UCLA administers all identity-conscious financial aid and scholarships in compliance with federal, state, and university regulations,” the statement says. “Identity-conscious awards may include a preference for a student’s race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, ethnicity, or national origin… The pooled application process allows students to be considered for multiple scholarships and is used in determining the source of a recipient’s aid, but not their eligibility, receipt, or amount of financial aid.” Jacobson said UCLA’s policies still cross a legal line. “Creating educational opportunities based on race, color, national origin, or sex violates Titles VI and IX of the Civil Rights Act,” he said. “It’s time for higher education to focus on the inherent worth of every student rather than categorizing them by identity groups.” The complaint, filed Nov. 7, 2025, asks the Education Department to open a formal investigation and enforce compliance with federal law. UCLA and Newsom’s office have not yet responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
House Dem reveals why she hijacked Speaker Johnson’s presser with viral outburst
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., defended her interruption of Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s press conference that went viral this week, arguing her rage was justifiable because Johnson has been unwilling to negotiate with Democratic Party leaders to reopen the government. GOP lawmakers have argued the two warring parties could agree to a budget resolution and negotiate public healthcare subsidies Democrats are holding out for down the road. But Houlahan said she disagreed despite Democratic Party Senate leader Chuck Schumer unveiling a plan Friday afternoon to extend the Obamacare subsidies in question for just a year and develop a committee to negotiate further how to handle the subsidies once the government is open. “Because I believe that he’s our speaker, the speaker of the House, and it’s important that he do his job,” Houlahan responded when asked why she decided to interrupt Johnson’s press conference. “And as near as I can tell, in the more than 40 days [of the government shutdown], he hasn’t picked up a phone call and tried to speak to more than half of the country.” “Democrats could end this in the Senate if they would just pass the CR and then handle healthcare separate. Why do you see these as connected?” the congresswoman was asked. SCHUMER, DEMS UNVEIL ALTERNATIVE SHUTDOWN PLAN, ASK FOR ONE-YEAR EXTENSION TO OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES “I believe them to be inextricably connected,” Houlahan responded. “This is literally the healthcare — the livelihood and ability of people to thrive in our country — and I think this is the time to have this conversation.” Houlahan added that the Trump administration “has been slowly strangling the American people” and said that by shutting down the government it is “trying to complete the job.” “Over the last nine months, this administration has been slowly strangling the American people,” she said. “Shutting back down the government by itself and now it’s trying to complete the job.” When pressed further, Houlahan’s staff stepped in and said she needed to go and could not answer any more questions. THUNE SAYS ‘WHEELS CAME OFF’ AS REPUBLICANS MULL NEXT SHUTDOWN MOVE The Democrat went viral earlier this week when House Speaker Johnson’s press conference outside the Capitol building briefly descended into chaos when she got into a heated exchange with the speaker demanding he meet with her caucus to end the shutdown. Houlahan was jeered at, and, at a certain point, Johnson told her to respect his free speech rights. “You should respect free speech,” Houlahan clapped back. “I’m asking you a question if you’re ready to have a conversation with the other side. You represent all of us. You are the speaker for all of us, sir.” Johnson attempted to take a question from a reporter, but he said, “I can’t hear you because we have someone who doesn’t respect the rights of their colleagues.” Meanwhile, Houlahan kept shouting over the speaker even as he tried to call order. “You have an obligation not just to speak lies to the American people. You have an obligation to call the leadership of both parties and bring us together and solve this problem together,” she yelled. The following day, Houlahan participated in a Democratic Party press conference of her own on the steps of the Capitol, during which no interruptions appeared to take place, according to recordings posted online. Houlahan referred to the viral moment between her and the speaker as a “dialogue” during her comments. “I like to think of it as a dialogue more than a confrontation,” she said. “He reminded me and the American people that he has literally not sat down and talked to Democratic leaders since before the shutdown. They refuse to sit down with us, and they refuse to tell the American public the truth.”
Supreme Court blocks lower court order forcing Trump administration to fully fund SNAP program
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a temporary block on Friday on a lower court’s order requiring the Trump administration to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program amid the government shutdown. The decision came shortly after a federal appeals court on Friday denied a Trump administration request to temporarily block the lower court ruling. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Jack McConnell rejected the administration’s effort to only partially fund the benefits program for some 42 million low-income Americans for November as the shutdown drags on, giving the government 24 hours to comply. “People have gone without for too long,” McConnell said in court. DOJ ACCUSES FEDERAL JUDGE OF ‘MAKING MOCKERY OF THE SEPARATION OF POWERS’ IN SNAP APPEAL After the appeals court ruling, the Trump administration filed the emergency appeal to SCOTUS late Friday. “Given the imminent, irreparable harms posed by these orders, which require the government to transfer an estimated $4 billion by tonight, the Solicitor General respectfully requests an immediate administrative stay of the orders pending the resolution of this application by no later than 9:30pm this evening,” an administration spokesperson told Fox News. New York Attorney General Letitia James responded to the Supreme Court decision Friday, calling it a “tragedy.” “This decision is a tragedy for the millions of Americans who rely on SNAP to feed their families. It is disgraceful that the Trump administration chose to fight this in court instead of fulfilling its responsibility to the American people,” she said in a statement. The Supreme Court ruling came after the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday said it is working to comply with a judge’s order to fully fund the program for November. In a letter sent to all regional directors of the SNAP program on Friday, Patrick Penn, deputy undersecretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, said, “FNS is working towards implementing November 2025 full benefit issuances in compliance with the November 6, 2025, order from the District Court of Rhode Island.” He added, “Later today, FNS will complete the processes necessary to make funds available to support your subsequent transmittal of full issuance files to your EBT processor.” TRUMP SAYS SNAP BENEFITS WILL ONLY RESUME WHEN ‘RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS’ OPEN GOVERNMENT Penn said the department would keep regional directors “as up to date as possible on any future developments and appreciate your continued partnership to serve program beneficiaries across the country. State agencies with questions should contact their FNS Regional Office representative.” He scolded the Trump administration for failing to comply with the order he issued last week, which required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund the SNAP benefits programs before its funds were slated to lapse on Nov. 1, marking the first time in the program’s 60-year history that its payments were halted. The judge also said Trump officials failed to address a known funding distribution problem that could cause SNAP payments to be delayed for weeks or months in some states. He ordered the USDA to tap other contingency funds as needed. DOJ ACCUSES FEDERAL JUDGE OF MAKING ‘MOCKERY OF THE SEPARATION OF POWERS’ IN SNAP APPEAL “It’s likely that SNAP recipients are hungry as we sit here,” McConnell said Thursday. Trump administration officials said in a court filing earlier this week that they would pay just 65% of the roughly $9 billion owed to fund the SNAP program for November, prompting the judge to update his order and give the administration just 24 hours to comply. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The evidence shows that people will go hungry, food pantries will be overburdened, and needless suffering will occur,” McConnell said. “That’s what irreparable harm here means.” Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Dems block GOP bill ensuring federal worker, military paychecks continue during shutdown
Senate Democrats again blocked a plan by Republicans to ensure that federal workers and the military would receive a paycheck as the shutdown back and forth revs into high gear. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., again tried to advance a modified version of his “Shutdown Fairness Act” bill that would see federal workers and the military paid now and during subsequent government shutdowns. However, the bill failed 53-43 with 3 Democrats defecting to support the bill. Georgia Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico voted for the bill. Last month, it was blocked over concerns from Senate Democrats that it did not include furloughed workers. SCHUMER, DEMS UNVEIL ALTERNATIVE SHUTDOWN PLAN, ASK FOR ONE-YEAR EXTENSION TO OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES Johnson noted on the Senate floor that after discussions with Senate Democrats he changed the bill to include furloughed workers, and that his legislation had the backing of several federal employee unions. “They are sick and tired, being used as pawns in this political dysfunction here. They’re tired of it,” Johnson said. Still, after fireworks on the Senate floor where Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who initially blocked the bill over concerns that it allowed President Donald Trump to pick and choose who got paid, the bill was blocked largely along party lines. THUNE SAYS ‘WHEELS CAME OFF’ AS REPUBLICANS MULL NEXT SHUTDOWN MOVE “It’s about leverage, isn’t it? Isn’t that what y’all have been saying? It’s about leverage,” Thune said. “This isn’t leverage. This is the lives of the American people.” Johnson’s bill appearing on the floor wasn’t the initial plan Senate Republicans had going into Friday. Thune wanted to put the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) up for a vote again, but newfound Democratic unity after a sweeping victory on Election Night earlier this week had derailed bipartisan attempts to build an off-ramp. The GOP’s attempt to pay federal workers amid the ongoing, 38-day shutdown came as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus announced their counter-offer to Senate Republicans’ plan to reopen the government. ‘TWISTED IRONY’: DEMOCRATS RISK BETRAYING THEIR OWN PET ISSUES WITH GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN GAMBLE Schumer’s offer included attaching a one-year extension onto expiring Obamacare subsidies — the main sticking point of the shutdown — in exchange for the Democratic votes to reopen the government. But the offer, which a source told Fox News Digital had been made in private to Senate Republicans last week and was summarily rejected, was again not going over well with Republicans. The Senate is expected to return on Saturday to vote on the House-passed plan for a 15th time. Whether Schumer and his caucus block it once more remains to be seen.
EXCLUSIVE: House Republican targets ‘woke’ testing in bill to restore classical education at military schools
Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has introduced legislation that would require U.S. service academies and federally operated secondary schools to incorporate a new standardized test based on classical learning principles. The Promoting Classical Learning Act of 2025, introduced in the House Nov. 7, would direct West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and other service academies to accept the Classic Learning Test (CLT) alongside the SAT and ACT for admissions. It would also require federally-run schools to administer the exam to 11th grade students. “America’s service academies should represent the highest ideals of our nation — courage, integrity and intellect. The Classic Learning Test upholds those same ideals,” Miller said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. TEACHERS UNIONS LOSE, PARENTS WIN UNDER MAJOR POLICY MOVE SAYS RED STATE SCHOOLS CHIEF “Requiring our military academies to accept the CLT will help cultivate a new generation of leaders who are not only exceptionally capable but deeply grounded in the principles that make America strong.” “The College Board claims to be neutral but pressures schools to adopt leftist curricula while censoring right-of-center materials,” Miller’s office said in a summary of the legislation. “The CLT validates the educational choices of millions of families nationwide who choose private, religious, classical and homeschool models.” NATION’S REPORT CARD GIVES PUBLIC SCHOOLS A FAILING GRADE. PARENTS ARE DEMANDING BETTER Miller introduced the measure in partnership with Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind. The bill would compel both the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to administer the CLT to all 11th grade students in their school systems. According to Miller’s office, the proposal would codify Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s earlier directive that U.S. service academies begin accepting the CLT starting with the 2027 admissions cycle, a policy the Pentagon formally announced in September 2025. Created in 2015 by Jeremy Tate, the CLT assesses reading, writing and math skills using classical texts drawn from the Western canon. Supporters describe it as an alternative to the Common Core-aligned SAT and ACT. More than 320 colleges and universities nationwide now accept CLT scores, and Florida and Arkansas have approved the exam for use in public schools. Miller’s office says more than 120,000 students in Florida have taken the test since September 2023. “The College Board acts as a taxpayer-funded monopoly that dictates the curriculum for schoolchildren despite being unelected and unaccountable,” Miller’s summary continues. “This bill codifies Secretary Hegseth’s directive to military academies to accept the CLT beginning in 2027.” Miller’s office says the legislation is designed to break up that monopoly and expand access to “classical testing” for students in federal schools, offering what it calls a rigorous, standards-based alternative rooted in logic and timeless literature. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.