Senators see momentum on Russia sanctions even as Trump questions timing
Comments by Senate leadership have renewed expectations among lawmakers that the chamber will soon entertain sanctions on Russia — even as questions remain about whether President Donald Trump would support them. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters on Thursday that he thought the Senate could consider sanctions introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., “in the next 30 days.” Trump, in contrast, told reporters on Thursday that “it may not be perfect timing” to impose sanctions on Russia. The sanctions, which have been in the works for months, may have newfound momentum in Congress amid the Trump administration’s increased support for Ukraine in recent weeks — and as Zelenskyy returned to the U.S. this week to press his case for a more aggressive stance against Moscow. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle believe the sanctions bill is ripe for consideration. Senators like Blumenthal said those sanctions could be a missing component to ending the three-year conflict that has so far frustrated attempts at meaningful resolution. “Leader Thune is right. It’s time to bring the Graham-Blumenthal Russian Sanctions bill to the floor,” Blumenthal told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Passing it would show unity across our government in support of confronting Putin’s bloody atrocities against Ukraine. A vote on our bone-crushing sanctions bill within the next 30 days is imperative to bring Putin’s war machine to a grinding halt,” Blumenthal added. In its current form, the measure would allow the President of the United States enhanced powers to block energy sales, block visas, halt investment listings, impose tariffs of up to 500%, and more — if the president determines that Russia isn’t engaging in good-faith efforts to end the war. The bill creates some exceptions for humanitarian reasons. Despite Trump’s hesitations on Thursday, he’s signaled openness to sanctions before. Graham, the sponsor of the legislation, said it equips the president with an expanded negotiating arsenal. “Yeah, I hope so. It’s a tool available for the president,” Graham said of the legislation, “It empowers him. It’s up to him how to use it.” SENATE SIGNALS READINESS TO HIT RUSSIA WITH HARD SANCTIONS IF PEACE DEAL FAILS In addition to its 84 cosponsors in the Senate, the bill has 113 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. Despite its broad support, Thune warned there are still aspects of the legislation that need to be addressed before it can be put to a vote. “There are technical issues that are being worked out between the White House and Senator Graham, obviously, who’s the lead sponsor of the bill,” Thune told reporters on Thursday. He didn’t expand on what areas might need a second look. Thune added that to put the kind of pressure on Putin that lawmakers have in mind, the bill would also need the support of the international community. “We also need to have it amplified by the Europeans. And that’s one of the things the administration is working on. It doesn’t do any good to have the United States unilaterally going to all these countries and sanctioning them, and then having the Europeans buying energy from them,” Thune said. EU PREPARING 19TH ROUND OF RUSSIA SANCTIONS AS ZELENSKYY MEETS TRUMP Renewed expectations about the bill come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House on Friday, making the case that additional striking capabilities are needed to bring Putin to the negotiating table. DEMOCRATS DOUBTED TRUMP WOULD SECURE UKRAINE CEASE-FIRE IN ALASKA SUMMIT WITH PUTIN Its sponsor in the House, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., called the bill another way to ramp up the pressure to negotiate. “There are moments in history when hesitation carries a cost too great to bear. This is one of them. Bipartisan support for this bill is overwhelming, and every day of delay is a gift to Putin.” “We must give the president every tool to end this war and secure peace through strength. That’s how America leads. That’s how freedom prevails. I’m grateful to Leader Thune for recognizing the urgency of this moment, and I encourage Speaker Johnson to continue his leadership on this issue by scheduling a vote as soon as possible,” Fitzpatrick said. The Senate has recessed for the weekend and will return to Washington, D.C., on Monday.
‘Democrat shutdown’ will next jeopardize US nuclear stockpile with imminent furloughs: White House
FIRST ON FOX: The White House railed against the “Democrat shutdown” for “jeopardizing national security” because 80% of the federal agency charged with protecting the U.S. nuclear stockpile will be furloughed in the coming days, the administration told Fox News Digital. “The Democrat shutdown is now jeopardizing our national security,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital Friday afternoon. “By refusing to pass the clean, bipartisan funding extension, the Democrats are causing funds to run out for critical programs, resulting in furloughs of personnel at the National Nuclear Security Administration who manage our nuclear stockpile. “This is reckless and could be completely avoided if the Democrats simply voted to reopen the government and stopped holding the American people hostage.” WHITE HOUSE SAYS FEDERAL LAYOFFS COULD HIT ‘THOUSANDS’ AHEAD OF TRUMP, VOUGHT MEETING An administration official confirmed to Fox Digital that 80% of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s staff will be furloughed because available funds will soon be expended. The National Nuclear Security Administration operates within the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains the nation’s nuclear stockpile and works to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons in foreign nations. The agency will next enter minimum safe operations, meaning remaining employees will focus on maintaining physical security, cybersecurity, nuclear safety and emergency management, according to an administration official. KAROLINE LEAVITT WARNS DEMOCRATS FACE ‘VERY REAL’ CONSEQUENCES IF SHUTDOWN STANDOFF DRAGS ON “We have not furloughed anyone yet, but we will be out of funds by tomorrow or early next week,” Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Bloomberg News Friday of the upcoming furloughs. “So, we will be forced to do that if this shutdown continues. “We’ve been paying them to date, but, starting tomorrow, Monday at the latest, we’re not going to be able to pay those workers. If that continues on for long, they may get other jobs,” Wright told Bloomberg, putting “the sovereignty of the country,” at stake. HERE’S WHAT TRUMP WANTS TO DO TO RESHAPE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DURING THE SHUTDOWN The administration official told Fox News Digital at there will be significant impacts on the agency’s nuclear deterrence mission as various offices shutter during the shutdown, and consequences of the shutdown are expected to last beyond the eventual reopening of the government. “As our adversaries build more silos and weapons, we will be turning off the lights,” the administration official said. Republican lawmakers also have sounded off on the upcoming furloughs, including Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers during a House news conference on Friday. “We were just informed last night the National Nuclear Security Administration, the group that handles the nuclear stockpile, that the carryover funding they’ve been using is about to run out,” he said. “These are not employees that you want to go home. They are managing and handling a very important strategic asset for us. They need to be at work and being paid.” The U.S. government has been in the midst of an ongoing shutdown since Oct. 1, when Senate lawmakers failed to pass funding legislation for 2026. The Trump administration and Republicans have since pinned blame for the shutdown on Democrats, claiming they sought taxpayer-funded medical benefits for illegal immigrants. Democrats have denied they want to fund healthcare for illegal immigrants and instead have blamed Republicans for the shutdown. “Every day that Republicans refuse to negotiate to end this shutdown, the worse it gets for Americans — and the clearer it becomes who’s fighting for them,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told Fox Digital earlier in October of the shutdown. “Each day our case to fix healthcare and end this shutdown gets better and better, stronger and stronger because families are opening their letters showing how high their premiums will climb if Republicans get their way.”
Ohio lawmaker pushes bill to defund sanctuary cities, boost ICE cooperation
An Ohio state legislator is looking to penalize sanctuary cities and push law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities amid President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown. Ohio state Rep. Josh Williams, a Republican running for U.S. House, is introducing the Protecting Ohio Communities Act, known as House Bill 26, which includes a 10% cut in funds from the state for areas deemed to be “sanctuary jurisdictions.” “We’ve seen Columbus and Cleveland mayors come out and openly say they’re going to defy this legislation within their city limits because we have home rule authority here in the state of Ohio,” Williams told Fox News Digital. TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKED FROM SLASHING FUNDING FROM DOZENS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS OVER ‘SANCTUARY’ POLICIES Under Ohio’s constitution, home rule authority gives municipalities the “authority to exercise all powers of local self-government and to adopt and enforce within their limits such local police, sanitary and other similar regulations, as are not in conflict with general laws.” “If you want to have these sanctuary policies, we’re going to defund you,” he added. Williams said he hopes the Trump administration will follow suit and apply “conditional funding to our states who are refusing to cooperate and even sometimes obstructing our enforcement efforts.” In the Midwest, one governor in particular has gone toe-to-toe with Trump on immigration enforcement: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Williams accused Pritzker of acting out of anger over Trump’s re-election, and he said it was important for states to back federal policies that Americans voted for. “The majority of the voters, through a popular vote, elected Donald Trump, and he campaigned on the idea of undergoing the largest immigration enforcement in our nation’s history to remove the millions of illegal immigrants that came across the border during the Biden administration. And we need to support him at every single level to make that happen,” Williams told Fox News Digital. REPUBLICAN BILL WOULD PUT ‘ANARCHIST JURISDICTIONS’ ON NOTICE, THREATEN FEDERAL FUNDING Williams also slammed Pritzker and Democratic governors like him for “defying and obstructing federal enforcement efforts” in their states. “Unfortunately, we have out of touch liberals that are able to afford to live in communities [where] they can avoid the chaos that their policies are creating,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “But the average working family in America can’t afford that.” Williams, whose hometown is Toledo, cited his own experience living in a poor community and what it means to rely on law enforcement for safety and security. “When I called 911, I expected law enforcement to respond,” he said. Williams added that law enforcement needs to be able to rely on local partners and know that their counterparts won’t “leave them hanging” because they’re working to enforce federal immigration policies. The Protecting Ohio Communities Act has a long way to go before it becomes state law. The Ohio legislature’s website shows the bill is in House committee as of Oct. 16. TOM HOMAN PUTS SANCTUARY CITIES ‘ON NOTICE’ AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON IMMIGRATION Williams said he believes Ohio has become the “epicenter of national politics,” making it a crucial piece of the Trump administration’s work to crack down on illegal immigration. “We do have a Buckeye in the White House,” Williams said, referring to Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio native who represented the state in the U.S. Senate before being tapped as Trump’s running mate. “I think you’re gonna continue to see Ohio be a spotlight for change here for the nation,” he added. Williams is looking to take his fight against sanctuary cities beyond Ohio as he campaigns for Congress. Cracking down on illegal immigration is a major part of his U.S. House campaign platform. Williams’ campaign website lists his priorities as defunding sanctuary cities and states, finishing the border wall, deporting criminal illegal immigrants and supporting law enforcement’s immigration efforts. “It’s critical we empower our brave law enforcement officers to enforce the laws already on the books as well as give them the resources and authority they need to keep our nation safe,” Williams’ campaign website reads.
Supreme Court sets date to hear FTC Slaughter case in test of Trump’s firing powers
The Supreme Court on Friday set a Dec. 8 date to hear oral arguments in a case centered on President Donald Trump’s authority to fire heads of independent agencies without cause. This closely watched court fight could overturn a longstanding court precedent and further expand executive branch powers. At issue is Trump’s attempted firing of Rebecca Slaughter, the lone Democrat on the Federal Trade Commission. Trump fired Slaughter and another Democratic member of the FTC in March, though that commissioner has since resigned. Slaughter sued earlier this year to block her removal, and a lower court judge ordered her temporarily reinstated to her role on the FTC while the case continued to play out on its merits. The Trump administration appealed the case to the Supreme Court in September. The justices agreed to hear the case and stayed the lower court ruling that ordered her reinstated — allowing Trump, for now, to proceed with Slaughter’s removal from the FTC. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP FROM FIRING FEDERAL BOARD MEMBERS, TEES UP SUPREME COURT FIGHT The court’s willingness to take up the case is seen by many as a sign that the justices plan to revisit the Supreme Court precedent in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States — a 1935 case in which justices unanimously blocked presidents from removing the heads of independent regulatory agencies without cause, and only in limited circumstances. Justices signaled as much in their directions to lawyers for the Trump administration and Slaughter. They ordered both parties to address two key questions in their briefs: whether the removal protections for FTC members “violates the separation of powers and, if so, whether Humphrey’s Executor, should be overruled,” and whether a federal court may prevent a person’s removal from public office, “either through relief at equity or at law.” Their review of the case also comes as justices have grappled with a flurry of lawsuits filed this year by other Trump-fired Democratic board members, including by National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member Gwynne Wilcox and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) member Cathy Harris, two Democratic appointees who were abruptly terminated by the Trump administration this year. LAWYERS FOR COOK, DOJ TRADE BLOWS AT HIGH-STAKES CLASH OVER FED FIRING The Supreme Court in May granted Trump’s request to remove both Wilcox and Harris from their respective boards while lower court challenges played out, though the high court did not invoke the Humphrey’s Executor precedent in the short, unsigned order. It also comes as the Supreme Court is slated to hear oral arguments in another key case centered on Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, with oral arguments set for January. The court’s approach in the Slaughter case may signal how it will handle arguments in Trump’s attempt to oust Cook the following month.
‘Time for a change’: Outside 30 Rock, New Yorkers trade chants and arguments during tense mayoral showdown
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa faced off in their first general election debate on Thursday night, and, with no live audience, supporters flooded 50th Street outside 30 Rock, cheering on their preferred candidates with campaign signs and lobbing verbal attacks at their opponents. With less than three weeks until Election Day, the debate gave voters their clearest side-by-side look yet at the candidates vying to lead the nation’s largest city. On the debate stage, candidates made commitments to delivering affordability and public safety for New Yorkers. Outside the venue, while speaking to Fox News Digital, Mamdani supporters told Fox News Digital they are ready for change, while those cheering on Cuomo said they were voting for him for his experience. “He’s very experienced,” Emily, a Cuomo supporter who lives in Brooklyn, told Fox News Digital. “I feel that he’s going to keep our city safe and that he is going to keep small businesses alive and that he just has the right amount of experience for the job.” TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FIERY NYC MAYORAL DEBATE: ‘HE LITERALLY HAS NEVER HAD A JOB’ New York state Sen. Robert Jackson, who was cheering on Mamdani from across 50th Street, said Cuomo already had his chance to deliver for New Yorkers as governor, telling Fox News Digital Cuomo “was not the leader that we wanted. He never came through on it.” On the flip side, Jackson praised Mamdani for getting New Yorkers excited about politics, explaining that he loved Mamdani’s “straightforward” and “no nonsense” policies. MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: ‘YOU WON’T SUPPORT ISRAEL’ However, both Emily and Anthony Braue, a Bronx union worker, said Mamdani’s policies are driving their support for Cuomo. “Giving away free stuff is not the answer,” Brau said, telling Fox News Digital he appreciates how Cuomo supports union workers, wants to build infrastructure in New York City and make it a safer place to live. Emily added that Mamdani is “not experienced,” and his “policies seem too extreme.” “Nothing’s free. Giving free stuff means the hard-working people’s taxes are going to pay for the free stuff,” Braud said. “There’s nothing free. It never works out. It might be a good selling campaign pitch, but I don’t think it’s the right thing.” Braue said he couldn’t understand why members of the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, a union supporting hospitality workers, were across the street cheering for Mamdani. Ahead of the debate, the New York City Police Department designated three respective pens for supporters to gather. “I don’t know exactly what they’re doing over there,” he said. “They should be on this side with the rest of the union workers, but everyone’s got their own opinion. They’re entitled to it.” After Thursday night’s debate, Mamdani met with a roundtable of union workers at the Service Employees International Union headquarters Friday morning in Manhattan. “The reason I support Zoran Mandani is because he’s a make-it-make-sense politician,” SEIU member Pedro Francisco told Fox News Digital ahead of the debate. “He really understands what this city needs. The city needs to be affordable for all of us.” While acknowledging that Cuomo is a “great politician” with great ideas, Francisco said, “Cuomo was the past, Zohran is the present and the future of New York City.” Jim Golden, a 67-year-old New Yorker, agreed that “it’s time for a change, simple as that.” “We’ve screwed up this city enough, and it’s time to let some other people try and fix it. It’s a mess,” he said. Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa all greeted their supporters ahead of the debate on Thursday night, with Mamdani sparking the most raucous commotion as he marched through a gaggle of reporters and glad-handed his supporters lined up along a police barricade. Thursday’s mayoral debate was hosted by NBC 4 New York/WNBC and Telemundo 47/WNJU, in partnership with Politico. Election Day is Nov. 4 in New York City in the race to replace Mayor Eric Adams, who suspended his re-election campaign last month.
Mamdani clashes with rivals in fiery debate less than three weeks before NYC chooses next mayor
NEW YORK, N.Y. – The three men running to be the next mayor of New York City, the largest city in the United States, clashed on multiple occasions on the debate stage Thursday night on issues ranging from the war in Gaza to public safety to housing costs. Public safety was discussed throughout the debate, with Mamdani’s past disparaging comments about police and his calls to defund the New York City Police Department taking center stage. “He believes in defunding the police, disarming the police, disbanding the police,” Cuomo said. “That’s who he is.” Mamdani attempted to distance himself from his past tweets, pointing out that they were from 2020. HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU MISSED FROM ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S FIRST FOX NEWS INTERVIEW All three candidates discussed their plans to address the housing crisis in New York City with Mamdani’s plan to “freeze the rent” drawing sharp criticism from Cuomo and Sliwa. “Freeze the rent only postpones the rent,” Cuomo said about Mamdani’s plan, making the case that many of Mamdani’s opponents have made that rent freezes would do more harm than good to housing stock. Mamdani attempted to distance himself from his past support of legislation to decriminalize prostitution and faced criticism from both his opponents on that subject. Mamdani’s past statements on Israel were another flashpoint during the debate. At one point, Mamdani said, “of course” he supports calling on Hamas to disarm, despite dodging questions on that subject the previous day in an interview with Fox News Channel. “I have denounced Hamas time and time again and it will never be enough,” Mamdani said. Republican Curtis Sliwa told Mamdani, “Jews don’t trust that you’ll be there for them when they are victims of anti-Semitic attacks.” Experience was also brought up several times in the debate, focused on Mamdani and Cuomo making the case that they were the candidate with the right resume to lead the city going forward. “This is not a job for a first timer,” Cuomo said of Mamdani, adding, “he’s literally never had a job.” “Thank God I’m not a professional politician because they have helped create this crime crisis in the city that we face,” Sliwa said, criticizing both of his opponents’ records. Mamdani shot back with a line directly at Cuomo on the experience issue. “What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity,” Mamdani said to Cuomo. “What you don’t have in integrity, you could never make up for in experience.” With under three weeks until Election Day, Mamdani holds a double-digit lead in the race for the nation’s most populous city, but Cuomo is narrowing the gap, according to the latest public polling. The tightening contest underscores how Cuomo’s independent bid continues to draw support from disaffected Democrats following embattled Mayor Eric Adams’ withdrawal from the race. ‘ABSOLUTELY A COMMUNIST’: MAMDANI DODGES LABEL, BUT HIS RECORD AND EXPERT SAY OTHERWISE Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from the New York City borough of Queens who shocked the political world in June with his convincing win over Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party’s mayoral nomination, stands at 46% support among likely voters in the most recent survey in the race, from Quinnipiac University. Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and who is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary, had 33% support in the survey, which was conducted Oct. 3–7. Sliwa, who for a second straight election is the Republican mayoral nominee in the Democratic-dominated city, stood at 15% in the poll. Quinnipiac’s survey was the only major poll in the field entirely after Adams, a Democrat who was running for re-election as an independent, dropped out of the race. In Quinnipiac University’s previous poll, conducted in early September, Mamdani held a 22-point 45%-23% lead over Cuomo, with Sliwa at 15% and Adams at 12%. Despite Mamdani’s lead in the race for Gracie Mansion, the democratic socialist has struggled to secure endorsements from national party leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Mamdani did recently secure an endorsement from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who joined Mamdani on the campaign trail this week, but has since refused to return the favor. “It’s a decision that should be made after this general election,” Mamdai said when asked if the candidates are supporting Hochul for re-election.
Erika Kirk shows TPUSA staff Charlie’s Medal of Freedom: ‘You guys are all part of the legacy’
A video shared on X shows Erika Kirk at the Turning Point USA office surrounded by staff members, proudly showing them the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to her late husband, Charlie Kirk. In the clip posted by Mikey McCoy, Charlie Kirk’s former chief of staff, Erika speaks movingly to the assembled team. CHARLIE KIRK’S COLLEAGUES AND PASTORS PRAISE HIS PATRIOTISM AS TRUMP READIES HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR In the clip, she can be heard saying, “I wanted you guys all to see the Medal of Freedom and be able to look at it and the back of it.” “You guys are all part of the legacy. Thank you,” she says warmly. ERIKA KIRK HONORS LATE HUSBAND CHARLIE IN EMOTIONAL WHITE HOUSE TRIBUTE: ‘A FREE MAN MADE FULLY FREE’ The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the U.S. It was awarded posthumously to Charlie Kirk by President Donald Trump on Oct. 14, 2025, a date that would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday. CHARLIE KIRK POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED MEDAL OF FREEDOM ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS 32ND BIRTHDAY Erika accepted the award on her husband’s behalf at a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House. She also delivered remarks highlighting her husband’s beliefs and sacrifice. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley State University in Orem, Utah. Following her husband’s death, Erika was unanimously appointed CEO and chair of Turning Point USA’s board.
NYC schools sue Education Department over nearly $50M in grant cuts due to transgender policies
New York City Public Schools filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday over its move to cut $47 million in promised grants in response to the schools’ policies regarding transgender students. The lawsuit seeks to reverse the move to pull the grants. City officials said the federal agency stripped funding without the required notice or hearing after it concluded that school policies allowing transgender students to participate on sports teams and use bathrooms matching their gender identity rather than biological sex violate Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. Last month, the Department of Education gave New York City Public Schools a Sept. 23 deadline to amend the policies or lose funding for 19 specialty magnet schools. DENVER SCHOOL’S ALL-GENDER BATHROOMS VIOLATE TITLE IX, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FINDS Under the policies, “male students who identify as female or transgender are given unqualified access to female intimate spaces,” Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the agency, said in a letter. Several other school districts, including in Chicago and Fairfax County, Virginia, received similar letters. New York City school officials affirm that they are fully compliant with Title IX and that the federal department’s “novel interpretation” contradicts state and city laws against sex-based discrimination. “U.S. DOE’s threat to cut off tens of millions of dollars in magnet funding unless we canceled our protections for transgender and gender-expansive students is contrary to federal, state and local law and, just as importantly, our values as New York City Public Schools,” Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said in a news release. An Education Department spokesperson said the agency “sees no merit in this lawsuit.” The spokesperson added that the magnet school grant program “requires certification of civil rights compliance, which we could obviously not do in the face of NYC’s continued determination to violate the rights of female students under Title IX.” Under the Trump administration, federal officials have sought to target school districts for policies allowing students to use bathrooms or participate on sports teams that correspond with their gender identity. Additionally, New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa ordered a school district in the New York City suburbs this week to temporarily abandon its new bathroom restrictions for transgender students. TRUMP ADMIN PUSHES CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO ABOLISH ‘BLACK STUDENT SUCCESS PLAN’ The Massapequa School District enacted a policy last month prohibiting transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities rather than biological sex. The district said after the commissioner’s order that it will continue to offer a gender-neutral locker room and bathroom option to “any student who will be more comfortable using such a space.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
National Guard not welcome: NYC mayoral candidates come out strong against troop deployments
President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to major American cities loomed large over Thursday night’s New York City mayoral debate. During Thursday night’s debate, the candidates, Democrat Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, were asked about the “threat hanging over the city” of National Guard troops being sent to New York City. All three candidates indicated they would oppose troops being sent to the city. “If the president ordered troops to hit the streets of New York now, how would you respond?” a moderator asked. “We do not need the National Guard here in New York City,” Mamdani answered. ZOHRAN MAMDANI LAUNCHES ANTI-TRUMP TOUR ACROSS FIVE BOROUGHS IN NEW YORK CITY “If it was safety that President Trump was so concerned about, he would send them to the eight out of ten states that have the highest levels of crime in this country. But he won’t because they’re all run by Republicans,” he asserted. “What New Yorkers need is a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver on that safety,” he added. “When Donald Trump sent ICE agents on people in Los Angeles, Andrew Cuomo said that New Yorkers need not overreact. That is the furthest answer that New Yorkers are looking for. They are looking for someone who will lead, someone who will say that they will have their back, someone who will actually fight for the people of this city.” Cuomo said “the answer in the subways is not more National Guard. … More NYPD is the answer.” ZOHRAN MAMDANI LEVELS COUNTERPROPOSAL AFTER CUOMO CHALLENGES HIM TO DEBATES IN ALL 5 NYC BOROUGHS He asserted that Trump is “not sending in the National Guard to do any real function. It’s control. It’s power.” “He’s trying to say these Democrats don’t know how to run these cities, and it’s a political gesture by sending in the National Guard,” he continued, adding that if Mamdani is elected, Trump “will take over New York. Forget the National Guard.” Sliwa similarly said, “There’s no need for the National Guard in New York” adding “there are other cities that could desperately use their help in dealing with their crime crisis.” HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU MISSED FROM ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S FIRST FOX NEWS INTERVIEW Asked for a show of hands on whether there are any circumstances in which they would allow the New York Police Department to cooperate with National Guard troops sent by Trump, not a single candidate raised his hand. With under three weeks until Election Day, Mamdani holds a double-digit lead in the race for the nation’s most populous city, but Cuomo is narrowing the gap, according to the latest public polling. Mamdani stands at 46% support among likely voters in the most recent survey in the race from Quinnipiac University. Cuomo had 33% support in the survey and Sliwa stood at 15% in the poll.
Mamdani flip-flops on key Hamas position one day after refusing to call on it to disarm
Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani appeared to backtrack on his position about Hamas laying down arms in Thursday night’s mayoral debate. “Of course, I believe that they should lay down their arms,” Mamdani said on the debate stage in New York City alongside former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani was responding to a question from a moderator who said his previous answer, made to Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, was “confusing,” after he dodged questions when she asked if he believes Hamas should lay down weapons and leave leadership in Gaza, according to the ceasefire agreement it entered into. “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety,” Mamdani said, reiterating that both Hamas and the Israeli military should abide by international law. ‘ABSOLUTELY A COMMUNIST’: MAMDANI DODGES LABEL, BUT HIS RECORD AND EXPERT SAY OTHERWISE “I’m proud to be one of the first elected officials in the state who called for a ceasefire and calling for a ceasefire means ceasefire,” Mamdani said on the debate stage on Thursday. “That means all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons. And the reason that we call for that is not only for the end of the genocide, but also an unimpeded access of humanitarian aid. I, like many New Yorkers, and I’m hopeful that this ceasefire will hold.” Mamdani said he hopes President Trump’s negotiated ceasefire is “durable” and “just.” MAMDANI BREAKS SILENCE ON FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGES IN STATEMENT THAT DOESN’T MENTION TRUMP Shortly after Mamdani’s response, social media accounts labeled his comments as a “new answer.” In Mamdani’s Fox News interview on Wednesday, he said it was too early to give credit to Trump for the peace agreement. Republican Curtis Sliwa, the only candidate to mention Trump by name in his response to news of the Israeli hostages being released, took issue with that stance on the debate stage. “The president of the United States should have been applauded by you, Zohran Mamdani, and you, Andrew Cuomo,” Sliwa said. Mamdani has been widely criticized in recent months for his positions on Israel, including his hesitancy to definitively condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.” “I want to be very clear,” Mamdani said on the debate stage. “The occupation is a reference to international law and the violation of it, which Mr. Cuomo has no regard for since he signed up to be Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal defense team during the course of this genocide.”