FIRST ON FOX: New site exposes NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘radical’ record — in his own words
A conservative policy group is unveiling a new digital archive of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s political record, aiming to highlight what it calls the New York City mayoral candidate’s “radical agenda” through years of public statements, legislation and campaign pledges. The website, mamdanifile.appdc.org, was first shared with Fox News Digital ahead of its planned public release later this week. Developed by the American Principles Project (APP), the archive includes 43 entries spanning 2020 to 2025. APP President Terry Schilling told Fox News Digital the goal is to document Mamdani’s record in his own words. “Zohran Mamdani’s daily barrage of wild ideas, utterly detached from regular Americans, prompted us to launch the Mamdani Tracker to expose his madness,” Schilling said. “His radicalism may get covered up by the complicit left-wing media, but we’re reminding New Yorkers before Election Day of the chaos he’s plotting for NYC — and warning America: This is the Democrats’ agenda at your door. Mamdani’s vision is the Democrat agenda. DNC EMBRACES SOCIALIST MAMDANI AS RESURFACED ANTI-ISRAEL REMARKS RAISE ALARM: ‘BIG TENT PARTY’ “If they take New York, they’re coming for you next. In tight races in New Jersey and Virginia, where they’re pushing Mamdani’s extremism into schools and communities, we’re investing millions to halt this insanity and drive commonsense voters to the polls.” Each entry cites a primary source, such as a campaign statement, bill text or archived video clip with links allowing users to verify context for themselves. Among the site’s entries are Mamdani’s 2020 campaign pledge to guarantee “queer- and trans-inclusive medical care to all — including children — through a single-payer system” and his call to mandate curriculum reviews in K–12 schools to eliminate “transphobia, racism and xenophobia.” “We need to fully decriminalize both the buying and selling of consensual sex,” an essay on Mamdani’s archived campaign site titled “Feminism for All” states. MEET MAMDANI’S RADICAL ADVISORY CIRCLE THAT INCLUDES COMMUNIST ACTIVIST, ANTI-ISRAEL ADVOCATES The archive also highlights legislation Mamdani co-sponsored that would let inmates choose facilities based on gender identity and fund gender-transition procedures for prisoners. It also includes a 2025 quote for the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club Candidate Questionnaire in which he said he would be “proud to host and fund Drag Story Hours.” Each page features video clips, screenshots and original documents, giving the compilation a digital “paper trail” effect that APP says allows voters to see and hear Mamdani directly. The release comes as Mamdani debated Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa in a televised forum Thursday evening. A Fox News Poll also released Thursday found Mamdani maintaining a double-digit lead over both challengers. The American Principles Project says it plans to expand the site before Election Day as part of a broader push in local contests across New York, New Jersey and Virginia, where cultural policy and parental rights have become defining issues. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Jay Jones invokes Trump nearly 50 times during Virginia AG debate, ties Miyares to ‘MAGA’
Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones appeared to come out swinging during a spirited debate at the University of Richmond on Thursday — but more so against the president of the United States than his own Republican opponent, incumbent Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. A tally by Fox News Digital counted 37 references to “Donald Trump” or “Trump” as well as a dozen mentions of “the president” by Jones, whose campaign had been embroiled in dueling scandals between texts envisioning the murder of a former top Republican and the adjudication of his 116-mile-per-hour reckless driving arrest in New Kent, Virginia. When Miyares accused Jones of being a politician more than a prosecutor, the Democrat replied that the Republican says “a lot about prosecuting cases, but he can’t seem to prosecute a case against Donald Trump to save his life.” Miyares did reference a singular 2025 case against the Trump Department of Veterans Affairs over education benefits, which Jones later acknowledged. VIRGINIA DEM JAY JONES’ FATHERHOOD-THEMED POST SPARKS OUTRAGE OVER PAST TEXT WISHING HARM TO REPUBLICAN’S KIDS But Jones continued to slam Trump for “illegally firing” federal workers through DOGE efforts and claimed 350,000 Virginians will lose healthcare because of the president. “As attorney general, I can’t wait to see Donald Trump in court. I will never flinch or back down from him,” Jones pledged. “I relish that fight because this is about us here in Virginia. It’s not about some guy in Washington who’s telling us what to do.” ‘CONSUMED WITH HATE’: WINSOME-SEARS, JASON MIYARES UNLOAD ON DEMOCRAT JAY JONES OVER VIOLENT TEXTS After several Trump name-drops, Miyares appeared to borrow a line from another Republican president — Ronald Reagan — to verbally shake his head at the Democrat’s persistent references. “There he goes again,” Miyares said. “Fifteen times he said the name of the president. Not one time did he say the name of a victim. That tells me he’s a politician, not a prosecutor.” Reagan famously defused a tense 1980 debate with then-President Jimmy Carter by remarking, “There you go again,” after the Georgia Democrat mischaracterized his record on support for Medicare. JAY JONES’ ‘TWO BULLETS’ SCANDAL OVER VIOLENT TEXTS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE VIRGINIA AG DEBATE Later in the debate, Jones again invoked Trump, criticizing Miyares for being too cozy with the White House. “[While] they hang out at MAGA rallies together, I will see Donald Trump in court to hold him accountable for Virginia,” he said. Jones also pointed to Trump’s words of endorsement of Miyares, in which he reportedly said the Republican will never “let us down.” TRUMP, VANCE BLAST DEMOCRATS FOR BACKING VIRGINIA AG CANDIDATE OVER TEXTS FANTASIZING GOP LAWMAKER’S MURDER Jones said that should be translated to show that Miyares works for the administration more than Virginia. “We have a chance to chart a very different future. Donald Trump doesn’t run this commonwealth. Jason Miyares seems to think that that’s who his boss is. He’d rather be Donald Trump’s pro bono attorney than do his job,” Jones claimed. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment. On “The Ingraham Angle” Thursday, former Trump advisor Jason Miller called Jones a “special kind of sick.”
Blue state bureaucracy orders euthanasia of rescued fawn, sparking bipartisan outrage
Michigan state Rep. Angela Rigas joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers Thursday in urging Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to block the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from euthanizing two non-releasable animals, a rescued baby deer named Peanut and a coyote named Kota, currently housed at the Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG), a no-kill sanctuary. “These animals are not threats — they are survivors,” Rigas, a Republican, said in a news release. “Peanut and Kota have been cared for by licensed professionals and were intended to serve as education ambassadors. Their lives are now being taken over by arbitrary deadlines and bureaucratic technicalities. “Governor Whitmer must commute the death sentences of these animals.” NEW MAHA INITIATIVE AROUND BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IS UNITING THE GOP WITH SOME UNUSUAL BED FELLOWS The lawmakers’ letter to Whitmer asks the Democrat to direct the DNR to allow permanent educational and sanctuary placements for the animals and to establish a clearer, more humane process for appeals in similar cases. It also urges the state to drop its prosecution of DAWG and issue permits for ongoing care. Under Michigan law, wildlife that cannot survive in the wild must either be transferred to an approved educational facility or euthanized. DAWG, which has held a rehabilitation license since 2014, said it submitted all required paperwork but was told it missed a technical deadline. The sanctuary disputes that claim, saying the animals have been safely housed and inspected for years. The DNR has said the agency ordered euthanasia because DAWG failed to meet a deadline to apply for an educational permit to keep the animals in permanent captivity, The Midwesterner reported. The DNR declined to provide additional comment to Fox News Digital, citing ongoing litigation, but confirmed the matter is before an administrative law judge. In their letter, lawmakers warned the case illustrates how state agencies “can exercise disproportionate authority, often to the detriment of citizens and organizations acting in good faith.” Rigas cited “a lack of transparency, arbitrary deadlines and aggressive enforcement tactics” and called for immediate review of DNR procedures. Rigas accused the DNR of “harassing” DAWG and said it routinely enforces rules unevenly. “They make these regulations on a case-by-case basis — no consistency, no fairness,” Rigas told Fox News Digital. “They’re overfunded, overstaffed, and this is a perfect example of how government overreach hurts good people just trying to do the right thing.” ZOO’S REQUEST FOR DONATIONS OF PETS TO BE FED TO PREDATORY ANIMALS DRAWS PETA BLOWBACK DAWG says Peanut is not blind but does suffer from minor impairments that make her unreleasable, adding Kota’s domesticated behavior makes both animals unfit for release. DAWG stated that Peanut came to its facility for rehabilitation and, after completing treatment, was transferred to a wildlife center as an education ambassador. Kota has been with the nonprofit since 2018, and Peanut was taken in after being deemed non-releasable by veterinarians. “Peanut is a gentle animal who relies on staff for daily care,” DAWG said in a statement. “We have provided all medical documentation and licensing updates required, and we believe the decision to euthanize her is both unnecessary and cruel.” In a Facebook post, “Peanut’s Journey,” DAWG detailed the fawn’s recovery after she was found collapsed and unable to stand. “She came in lateral, on her side, very weak and unable to move,” the post reads. “After warming and getting her glucose up with IV fluids and dextrose, she was treated as a neurologic patient.” Over several weeks, staff documented the tiny deer’s slow progress — lifting her head, learning to stand, then walking on her own. “Every day she became stronger and stronger,” the sanctuary wrote. “She was so small but held her own with the bigger fawns.” HOUSE DOGE LEADER PUSHES TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR ASSAULTS ON POLICE K9S, HORSES AMID ANTI-ICE VIOLENCE The post concludes: “She fought to get this far so we then carried her torch to find her a safe haven to live out her life. She is absolutely precious and deserves every opportunity… However, the Michigan DNR has now ordered her to be killed for absolutely no reason. Please be her voice and help save her life.” Former Republican Michigan gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon also weighed in, telling Fox News Digital, “Whitmer and her band of enforcers are obsessed with malicious obedience to their unreasonable government regulations. Too bad Peanut didn’t illegally cross the border — she’d have free healthcare for life.” Rigas and her colleagues also referenced findings from the Michigan House Committee on the Weaponization of the State Government, which investigated what it calls overreach by state agencies. In that context, they argued, DAWG’s situation is part of a larger pattern of what Rigas called “government overreach” and disregard for “compassion and common sense.” Rigas said she expects the Michigan House Oversight Committee to hold a hearing later this month to review the DNR’s authority. “This isn’t just about one deer,” she said. “It’s about whether unelected bureaucrats get to decide life and death without accountability. “The blood of Peanut and Kota will be on the governor’s hands if she does not act,” Rigas added. “This is not just about wildlife — it’s about compassion, common sense and the proper role of government.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The case echoes last fall’s seizure and killing of P’Nut the squirrel in New York State under Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, which sparked national outrage. Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Dem AG candidate Jay Jones grilled over reckless driving conviction by GOP opponent
Democratic Party candidate for Virginia attorney general Jay Jones was pressed on accountability and asked why voters should trust his judgment following revelations of politically violent rhetoric he made in 2022 about wanting to kill his GOP rival and a reckless driving conviction that he has been accused of trying to skirt his community service requirements for. His GOP opponent, incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares, accused Jones of going 116 miles per hour on Interstate 64 in Virginia in his opening remarks of a debate Thursday night at the University of Richmond. Miyares claimed that the day Jones went to court after getting caught for reckless driving, there were four people, including Jones, who had all been caught driving roughly the same speed. But, Miyares claimed, Jones was the only person not to receive a jail or suspended jail sentence. Miyares also claimed Jones sought to undermine his 1,000-hour community service requirement that was part of his conviction, alleging he completed the service for a political action committee he controlled. JOE SCARBOROUGH TELLS DEM CANDIDATE JAY JONES TO LEAVE RACE OVER VIOLENT COMMENTS AGAINST GOP LAWMAKER “I was held accountable. And, several years ago, I made very grave mistakes, but I was held accountable not just by the people in my party, but the Virginia State Police,” Jones said when asked why Virginia voters should trust his judgment. The reckless driving criticism coincides with criticism about text messages Jones sent to someone about his Republican political rival in 2022. Jones fantasized in the text exchange about putting “two bullets” in the head of then-GOP Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. Jones also fantasized about violence against Gilbert’s children in the text exchange, which has earned him a lot of heat amid the campaign for attorney general. “I’ve taken accountability for my mistakes, and I know that people in Virginia right now demand and deserve leaders who accept when they make mistakes and can acknowledge that and ever been held accountable. This job right now demands someone who will hold Donald Trump accountable,” Jones said when pressed by the debate moderator for a clear answer on why voters should trust his judgment. “For the last nine months, Jason’s had 50 chances to sue the administration, to protect us, to protect our workers, to protect our health care, to protect our K-12 funding, funding for law enforcement. And his office hasn’t done a thing because he’s too weak and too scared to stand up to the president.” WATCH: KAINE DEFENDS JONES AMID AG CANDIDATE’S TEXTS ENVISIONING MURDER OF GOP LEADER: ‘STILL A SUPPORTER’ Miyares pushed back, however. He argued he has “sued both administrations,” meaning the Biden and Trump administrations. Miyares touted his record supporting veterans and their GI benefits in the courts and circled back to comments about how he has been tough on crime to “protect all Virginians.” “Every day I work to make Virginians more safe, more prosperous. That’s been our mission,” Miyares said. “This office is an executive office. If Jay Jones wants to fight the fights in Washington, then he should run for Congress.” Miyares frequently called Jones a “politician” and not a prosecutor throughout the debate. Miyares added that Jones was hurting Virginiains with his soft-on-crime stances, such as voting in favor of an early-release program for felons. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP While lambasting Jones over his policies Thursday night, Miyares noted how one of Jones’ public safety agenda items is to protect children. He used it as an opportunity to drill down on the “two bullets” scandal that has gotten national attention. “How can anybody who’s ever worked in any of the crimes against children — all of the areas of federal and state local law department — how can they ever take you seriously, be the top prosecutor knowing that you view the children should die to advance a political agenda?” Miyares asked. “How can you ever say you want to represent people to think differently than you politically? Now that we know that you want to see violence against those because they have the wrong ideas.”
Shutdown standstill: No headway until there’s ‘incentive,’ politicos lament
We’re two weeks into the government shutdown. There’s no movement by either side. Is President Trump seemingly relishing it? “The Democrats are getting killed on the shutdown because we’re closing up programs that are Democrat programs that we were opposed to,” the president boasted. “They’re never going to come back in many cases. So, we’re being able to do things that we were unable to do before. So, we’re closing up programs that are Democrat programs that we wanted to close up or that we never wanted to happen.” He added that his administration would simultaneously preserve “Republican programs.” As a result, fired feds are fuming. NO. 2 HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS HEALTHCARE DRIVES PARTY’S STRATEGY AS SHUTDOWN HEADS INTO NEXT WEEK “Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!” chanted a group of RIF’d federal workers, egged on by Virginia and Maryland Democrats during a protest at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Trump administration’s scythe slashed the job of Christopher Pumford at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in February. “It’s very hard to find a job in this economy,” said Pumford. “It’s very hard for me to find my next step, especially since I invested a lot of time and money into being specialized in international relations.” Pumford said he thought he might spend his “career serving the American people.” But he’s out of work now. “I would love to be there for you and to be able to serve. But unfortunately the administration has other ideas,” said Pumford. The FDA just canned Jessica Weinberg. Weinberg says even her 6-year-old son realized the financial distress now facing the family. “He knows that mommy is out of work, and we’re worried about paying our bills,” said Weinberg. So, her son offered to print 3D Minecraft Legos to sell. “He didn’t want to make money so he could buy himself more toys, which he’s always asking for, but so he can help us pay our mortgage,” said Weinberg. “It was the sweetest and most heartbreaking thing he’s ever said.” JOHNSON RAISES STAKES ON SCHUMER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BARRELS INTO WEEK 3 OMB warned people on social media to “batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats’ intransigence.” Republicans are doubling down. That’s why nothing has evolved during the shutdown in weeks. “There is nothing to negotiate,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., refuses to recall the House until Senate Democrats cave to the GOP demand to fund the government — without any add-ons — through Nov. 21. That means no House hearings. In fact, the House last conducted a hearing — in Charlotte, N.C., on crime — on Sept. 29. As a result, the House only convenes for a few seconds every three days for what’s called a “pro forma” session. The House gavels in, conducts some quick ministerial business like the Pledge of Allegiance and an opening prayer and then gavels out without legislative business, debate or votes. House Democrats are taking note of the GOP’s conspicuous absence. “They need to get their butts back working,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md. DEMOCRATS ROLL OUT NEW CAMPAIGN ADS TARGETING REPUBLICANS OVER ONGOING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN During the 2013 government shutdown, Congress traded competing spending proposals. In fact, the House passed one measure and sent it to the Senate. But the Senate immediately flushed it, sending the measure back to the House. It was a 45-minute round-trip from the House to the Senate for that spending package. The House also conducted hearings on Obamacare and veterans issues during the 2013 shutdown. Both bodies handled some business on the floor during the record 34-day shutdown that stretched from late 2018 into early 2019. Congress has even postponed a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for 90-year-old Willie O’Ree, the first Black player in the National Hockey League. Despite the paucity of congressional action during this shutdown, Johnson concedes the House is handling some tasks — behind the scenes. “The attorneys for the House Oversight Committee during the shutdown are still doing work. They were in New York City combing through the Epstein estate files,” said Johnson. Really. DEMOCRAT SUCCEEDS HER LATE FATHER IN CONGRESS AS GOP HOUSE MAJORITY SHRINKS Johnson still refuses to seat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz. She’s the daughter of late Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., who died of cancer in March after serving in Congress for more than two decades. The younger Grijalva won the special election to succeed her father more than three weeks ago. The congresswoman-elect would provide the pivotal, 218th signature on a petition to go over the head of the speaker and force a vote on the House floor to release the Epstein files. Johnson has long said his refusal to swear-in Grijalva has nothing to do with the Epstein files. He even said the House would swear her in “whenever” she wanted. But then Johnson said he couldn’t do so since the House wasn’t meeting in regular session. He added that Grijalva deserved the “pomp and circumstance” of a full House session to become a member. “Doesn’t your resistance to (swearing her in) add fuel to the fire that this is about the Epstein files?” yours truly asked. “No,” replied Johnson, saying the House wanted to release the files in an orderly way and not expose names of some of the women victimized by Epstein. “We have a duty and responsibility. You can’t just wave a wand and just, you know, open the floodgates.” Democrats aren’t buying Johnson’s reasoning. “She is not concerned about the pomp and circumstance. She wants to get about the business of doing the job that she was elected to do,” said Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz. “By the way, the speaker did forego the pomp and circumstance with the two Republican members from Florida when they were sworn in the day after their elections in a pro forma. I mean, the hypocrisy is blatant, and it’s unacceptable.” That’s a reference to Johnson swearing in Reps. Randy Fine,
Soros-backed prosecutor downplays Dem AG nominee’s violent rhetoric as ‘false outrage’
An elected Virginia prosecutor whose campaigns received big sums from groups tied to Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros downplayed violent rhetoric from Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones as “fake outrage.” Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti – whose office was previously embroiled in controversy over how it prosecuted a shopkeeper for shooting at burglars – slammed the media’s coverage of Jones’ texts envisioning the murder of a former top Republican official. Dehghani-Tafti criticized Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, arguing he should act independently of the governor’s office and voicing her support for Jones instead. Her message came in response to a post on the social media platform Bluesky by the left-leaning Virginia politics blog Blue Virginia. DEM SENATOR’S HEFTY DONATION TO DISGRACED AG CANDIDATE’S CAMPAIGN COMES BACK TO HAUNT HIM Referring to Hampton Roads’ paper-of-record, Blue Virginia had written that the Virginian-Pilot’s lead story and top op-ed were wrongly centered on Jones. “Nothing on the government shutdown or decimation of CDC or a million other important stories,” she wrote, before adding, “Your [quotes sic] ‘liberal media’ at work.” Dehghani-Tafti wrote that re-electing Miyares would place him “in the position to obstruct and block [Abigail] Spanberger’s agenda” – further suggesting Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ loss is fait accompli. “If we fall for the false outrage and get frightened into abandoning Jay, Miyares as AG will remain Trump’s right hand in Richmond,” she warned. Dehghani-Tafti’s campaigns since 2019 have received $325,000 from Soros-funded political action committee Democracy PAC II and $190,000 from another related organization called Justice and Public Safety PAC. The next-highest donor over that period was Alexandria attorney Christopher R.K. Leibig, who gave $10,900, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Soros Fund Management and Democracy PAC (separate from Democracy PAC II) are top multi-million-dollar donors to Justice and Public Safety PAC, according to OpenSecrets. JAY JONES TEXT SCANDAL SPARKS DONATION SURGE AS GOP GROUP POURS MILLIONS MORE INTO VA RACE While Arlington County has won praise for choosing to prosecute serial sex offender Richard Kenneth Cox – a key figure in the election-centric transgender bathroom and crime wave controversies – versus how Fairfax County’s liberal leadership has reacted – Dehghani-Tafti had her own controversies boil up over the years as well. WATCH: KAINE DEFENDS JONES AMID AG CANDIDATE’S TEXTS ENVISIONING MURDER OF GOP LEADER: ‘STILL A SUPPORTER’ In 2020, Dehghani-Tafti faced backlash for prosecuting a Shirlington smoke shop employee who fired at burglars after being awakened in the store’s back room. Hamzeh Abushariah shot one intruder in the back as several young people broke in around 4:50 a.m., according to reports. Shop owner Jowan Zuber defended Abushariah, telling WMAL Radio that CCTV footage showed a suspect “lunged toward Hamzeh when he opened the door… what would you do?” Prosecutors argued the “castle doctrine” didn’t apply because the store wasn’t his home and charged Abushariah with malicious wounding and a gun offense. The prosecution argued Abushariah had other options, such as running away or barricading himself, according to reports. A judge initially denied bond at prosecutors’ request, but a jury later acquitted him. Dehghani-Tafti told ABC’s Washington affiliate she “cannot ethically discuss an ongoing investigation,” adding there was evidence supporting the charges and urging the public “not to rush to judgment.” Arlington County police later charged two juveniles in the burglary. Democracy PAC and Democracy PAC II collectively poured more than $42 million into the 2022 races alone, according to FactCheck.org.
Senate Democrats block GOP plan for 10th time, ensuring shutdown lasts into next week
Senate Democrats for a 10th time blocked Republicans’ attempts to reopen the government and have ensured that the shutdown goes into next week. That’s because after one final vote series later on Thursday, lawmakers will leave Washington, D.C., for another long weekend after just three short days on the Hill. Neither Republicans nor Democrats are ready to flinch in their deeply entrenched positions, and talks between both sides, though largely informal exercises, have begun to fade. REPUBLICANS PUSH TO PAY TROOPS, REOPEN GOVERNMENT AS DEMOCRATS BALK Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is determined to continue on the same course of action to keep bringing the House-passed continuing resolution (CR), which would reopen the government until Nov. 21, up for a vote again and again. Though some in the GOP are mulling a new end date for the CR, that would require the House, which has been out of session for nearly a month, to come back and pass a new one. While Thune and Republicans are adamant that their plan is the only pathway to ending the shutdown, now on Day 16, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Senate Democratic caucus still want to hammer out a deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies — and they want President Donald Trump to get directly involved in negotiations. “We’re willing to have, as I said, conversations about all the other issues that they want to talk about,” Thune said. “But that can’t happen while they are holding the federal government and all these federal employees and our troops and our air traffic controllers and our TSA agents and our border Patrol officials hostage. Open up the government.” REPUBLICANS FUME AS DEMOCRATS BLOCK 9TH GOP BID TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT “Every day that this goes on, the problems are compounded for federal workers and for ordinary Americans,” he continued. “Chuck Schumer may think that every day gets better for them politically, but I can tell you that is not the experience of the American people.” When asked if he would compromise on the Democrats’ demands as the shutdown dragged on, Schumer dodged and countered that he wouldn’t negotiate in the public eye. “The bottom line is [Republicans] won’t even negotiate with us,” Schumer said. “So that’s a premature question. But of course, I’m not going to negotiate in public. We need to address the crisis that is afflicted, and that’s the right word, the American people.” However, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said that Republicans weren’t working on a subsidy proposal to show Democrats, and he noted that talks between the parties were “not really” happening anymore. When asked if it was possible to get an extension of the credits before the Nov. 1 open enrollment date, he said, “I don’t think there’s a way to do that.” “And I think if you don’t have it done by Christmas, it becomes a political issue,” Mullin said. “But you could maybe push it to January, to February, if you wanted to, but we get bumped up against, you know, everybody’s primaries, from the Democrat primaries and Republican primaries, and it becomes a political issue, because, unfortunately, healthcare is political.” REPUBLICANS EYE FRESH FUNDING FIGHT AS SHUTDOWN STANDOFF DRAGS ON Republicans are also trying to reignite the appropriations process in the Senate as the shutdown continues on. Thune teed up a procedural vote later Thursday on the Senate’s defense spending bill, which, among other things, would fund paychecks for the military. Whether Democrats support the spending bill after spending months demanding a bipartisan government funding process remains an open question — many argued after their closed-door meeting on Wednesday that they didn’t know exactly what Republicans were going to put on the floor and considered a vote on it moot. As with most of the past 10 attempts to send the House-passed CR to Trump’s desk, the same trio of Democratic caucus members, Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, voted with Senate Republicans. Fetterman, who has consistently voted with the GOP every time, echoed his counterparts across the aisle and said that any outside issues aside from reopening the government could be dealt with after the lights were turned back on in Washington. “It was wrong to shut it down in March,” he said. “I’m in the same position. It’s not going to change. Everything else we’re talking about, open up the government first, and then we can figure out the rest.”
Grenell praises Trump’s ‘common sense’ foreign policy, slams Biden for avoiding Putin
EXCLUSIVE: Kennedy Center President and Ambassador Richard Grenell slammed former President Joe Biden for avoiding Russian President Vladimir Putin as war raged between Russia and Ukraine, while praising President Donald Trump’s “common sense” foreign policies. “You have a president who is really watching the situation, unlike the last president, Joe Biden, who literally didn’t talk to Vladimir Putin for three and a half years,” he said. “President Trump doesn’t believe in that strategy. He wants to confront the issues. He wants to figure out ways to fix them.” Trump plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday — just hours after Russian missiles and drones attacked Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy already had been scheduled to head to Washington to meet with Trump Friday, to discuss the war and strengthening his country’s defenses. Trump vowed from the campaign trail that he would facilitate negotiations for a peace deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has raged since 2022, but ongoing talks have yet to yield an agreement. RUBIO HAILS TRUMP AS ‘ONLY LEADER IN THE WORLD’ WHO CAN BROKER UKRAINE PEACE DEAL AFTER TALKS In addition to Russia and Ukraine, Trump also has been active in efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. Trump secured a historic peace declaration as of Monday, when he traveled to Israel and Egypt to meet with foreign leaders stretching from the Middle East to Europe. BACK FROM ALASKA, TRUMP STARTS WEEK WITH CRUCIAL FOREIGN POLICY TALKS OVER UKRAINE WAR Grenell discussed Trump’s strategy for international conflicts during his second term in office while attending “The Sound of Music” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. “Well, first of all, I’ve worked with President Trump for a long time, and the one thing about President Trump is that he’s filled with common sense, and he evaluates his decisions constantly,” Grenell told Fox News Digital. Grenell said Trump can make America stronger on the world stage with his ability and willingness to adapt to different international conflicts. “You see him adjust the policy,” he said. “Something isn’t working, he’s not afraid to replace somebody or change the policy.” HAMAS ACCEPTS TRUMP PEACE PLAN ENDING 2 YEARS OF WAR IN GAZA, RETURNING HOSTAGES Grenell described Trump as an “active president” who is ready to make moves and advance U.S. interests. “I think that what we’re seeing on the global stage is someone who is an activist president, watching the situation, adjusting the policy so that it’s making America stronger, more prosperous, and solving problems around the world,” Grenell said.
Here’s everything you missed from Zohran Mamdani’s first Fox News interview
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani made his Fox News debut on Wednesday in a wide-ranging interview with “The Story” host Martha MacCallum. On the eve of the first general election mayoral debate, MacCallum pressed Mamdani, during the nearly 30-minute interview, on the self-identified democratic socialist’s affordability agenda, public safety and war in the Middle East. Before New Yorkers turn their attention to Thursday night’s debate between Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, here are the top five takeaways from Mamdani’s first Fox News interview. MAMDANI SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO TRUMP, STOPS SHORT OF GIVING HIM CREDIT IN MIDEAST PEACE DEAL During the interview, MacCallum asked Mamdani if he would apologize for calling the New York City Police Department “racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety” in 2020 on social media, among other insults. Mamdani said he has apologized to rank-and-file members of the NYPD behind closed doors, but MacCallum said the officers she spoke to want a broad, public apology. “Will you do that right now?” the Fox News host asked. “Absolutely,” Mamdani said, turning to face the camera directly. “I’ll apologize to police officers right here, because this is the apology that I’ve been sharing with many rank-and-file officers. And I apologize because of the fact that I’m looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day. And I will be a mayor.” ZOHRAN MAMDANI FIRES BACK AT WHITE HOUSE MISPRONOUNCING HIS NAME: ‘M-A-M-D-A-N-I’ President Donald Trump this week said Mamdani “practically hasn’t worked a day in his life.” Quoting Trump, MacCallum asked Mamdani what qualifies him to run the largest city in the country. Mamdani seized the opportunity to address Trump directly. “I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams, who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail,” Mamdani said, again breaking the fourth wall and looking directly into the camera. “I won’t be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo, who will call you to ask how to win this election,” he continued. “I can do those things on my own. I will, however, be a mayor who is ready to speak at any time to lower the cost of living.” While knocking Mayor Eric Adams, who suspended his re-election bid, and his closest competitor, Cuomo, Mamdani said he is willing to build a partnership with “anyone across this country” to create a more affordable New York City. If elected mayor, Mamdani on Wednesday maintained his commitment to arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York City. “I’ve said that this is a city that believes in international law, and this is a city that wants to uplift and uphold those beliefs,” Mamdani said. But MacCallum pointed out that the U.S. doesn’t abide by the International Criminal Court, which has a warrant out for Netanyahu’s arrest for “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” for the war in Gaza. “I believe that we should uphold arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court,” Mamdani confirmed, while explaining he would not “make a new law to ensure that we can.” Mamdani dodged MacCallum’s questions when she asked if he believes Hamas should lay down their weapons and leave leadership in Gaza. “I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that’s affordable for all,” Mamdani said. “And as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace and that is the future that we have to fight for.” “But you won’t say that Hamas should lay down their arms and give up leadership in Gaza?” MacCallum asked again. “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. MacCallum began the interview by asking Mamdani if he would give credit to Trump for striking a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, including the return of the hostages. Mamdani said he continues to have concerns, which gives him “pause about issuing any kind of praise or celebration at a moment when it is still so in its infancy.” When pressed again about whether Mamdani would give Trump credit for the ceasefire, Mamdani maintained that it’s “too early to do so, too early to say.” “But if it proves to be something that is lasting, something that is durable, then I think that that’s where you give credit,” Mamdani said.
GOP lawmaker seeks ‘permanent’ federal presence in Memphis after Trump crime order
EXCLUSIVE: A Memphis-area House Republican is eyeing a permanent federal law enforcement presence in the southwest Tennessee city after President Donald Trump’s order cracking down on crime. Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tenn., whose district includes suburbs in the Memphis metropolitan area and rural areas outside of it, spent the day with Trump’s new Memphis Safe Task Force on Thursday. He told Fox News Digital that the task force should serve as a blueprint for other U.S. cities dealing with high crime, while suggesting there should be some continuity plan in Memphis whenever its work is done. “Because of the local law enforcement numbers being down, it makes sense to have a stronger federal law enforcement presence,” Kustoff said. LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION He vowed to work with other Tennessee officials and the Trump administration “to make sure that, on a permanent basis, we have extra federal law enforcement once this task force sees its completion.” Trump authorized the Memphis Safe Task Force on Sept. 15 as part of a growing nationwide crackdown on violent crime, which began with the president federalizing Washington, D.C., police on a temporary basis earlier this year. Memphis had the highest rate of crime of any big city in 2024, according to FBI data, though the Memphis Police Department reported a significant drop in the first eight months of 2025. The Memphis Police Department recorded 250 murders, 753 cases of rape and over 12,800 aggravated assaults in 2024 alone, according to state crime data. 58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK “I’ve lived here my entire life. I’m talking to you right now from Memphis, within the city limits. It’s a good community,” Kustoff said. “There are really good people, but there have been high rates of crime and high rates of violent crime, and we saw that really exacerbated during the [Biden administration].” There was notably a nationwide spike in crime during the COVID-19 pandemic, during the first part of former President Joe Biden’s term. And while Trump’s move to send federal forces into major cities to deal with remnants of that crime has been met with resistance by his critics, Kustoff said Memphis residents were relieved. “I know by talking to people here that they do appreciate the presence of the law enforcement and the National Guard. We heard that before they were deployed here, and we really hear it now,” Kustoff said. “These agents and the guard who are here … tell me that all different types of people are coming up, thanking them, hugging them. Of course, that’s the Memphis way, that’s the Southern way, that’s the Tennessee way. But they are appreciative.” Since its creation, the task force recovered 45 missing children and made over 900 arrests, Kustoff told Fox News Digital. He said its work should serve as a model for other cities. “This is a blueprint, what is being done in Memphis, for other big cities across the country,” Kustoff argued. “And I would think that any mayor and any governor who has a problem with crime in their communities would welcome such an effort.”