Unearthed clip exposes the Talarico comment that triggered backlash from parents
James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, once dismissed public outcry about explicit material in Texas public schools as a kind of “conspiracy theory” at a July 2022 hearing on education. “We’re going to spend hours hearing bills that are just kind of conspiracy theory-driven and kind of kooky stuff. And we’re going to hear some of that today, I think, in the public testimony — not the invited testimony, but the public testimony,” Talarico said then as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. The resurfaced moment adds to the pile of past statements dealing with gender, immigration and law enforcement, complicating the political calculus for Talarico as he aims to convince voters in Texas that, even as a Democrat, he could represent a Republican-leaning constituency in the Lone Star State. TED CRUZ, CONSERVATIVES RESPOND AFTER TALARICO CRITICIZES BIBLE-RELATED EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS AS ‘PROPAGANDA’ At the time of the 2022 hearing, many parents were raising concerns about news that schools and libraries across the country were featuring explicit materials that bordered on pornography. In particular, an Ashland, Ohio, board meeting made news after a group of angry parents highlighted graphic illustrations from books like “It’s Perfectly Normal,” “Making a Baby,” “Own Your Period” and “Puberty is Gross but Also Really Awesome,” all titles featuring some level of sexual references. Similar outcries emerged in Kentucky, Oregon and North Carolina. In Texas, state Rep. Matt Krause, a Republican, sparked similar backlash when he circulated a list of roughly 800 titles he believed were inappropriate for students. He expressed his alarm in a letter to Texas school districts. “I am writing to you as the Chairman of the Texas House Committee on General Investigation,” Krause wrote. “The committee may initiate inquiries concerning any ‘matter the committee considers necessary for the information of the legislature or for the welfare and protection of state citizens.’ “Please identify any other books or content in your district, specifying the campus location and funds spent on acquisition that address or contain … sexually explicit images, graphic presentations of sexual behavior that is in violation of the law or contain material that might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex or convey that a student, by virtue of their race or sex is inherently racist sexist or oppressive whether consciously or unconsciously.” CONTROVERSIAL TEACHER TRAINING TARGETS PARENTAL AUTHORITY AS OPPRESSION, EDUCATION EXPERT WARNS In January 2022, several counties began evaluating their own books, leading some, like Granbury Independent School District, to pull 130 titles from shelves. By July, the issue had made its way before the Texas Legislature in the form of an “interim charge,” made by Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan. It was a kind of exhortation for lawmakers to examine the issue, charging them to “monitor and analyze the state policy on curriculum and instructional materials used in public schools.” As a part of the Committee on Public Education, Talarico received the charge but expressed reservations about its substance, making his “conspiracy theory” comment. He went on to ask Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath about the issue. “I want to ask you about curriculum in Texas, of course, critical race theory, pornography; these are the things we see bubbling up on social media that’s going to be discussed here,” Talarico said. “Are you aware of any curriculum in the state of Texas that, one, bullies students based on their race or, two, grooms students with pornography?” Morath, after noting that Texas is a very big state and the issue is “very complex,” gave his blunt assessment. “The answer is yes,” Morath said. “We have complaints that would appear to substantiate periodic problems in those areas, arguably. I can’t tell you it’s widespread. We’ve reviewed, in some cases, materials that were made available to students that I think the common citizen would agree would be inappropriate.” CARVILLE ADVISES TALARICO ‘TO DEAL WITH’ PAST CULTURE WAR COMMENTS IF HE WANTS TO WIN TEXAS Even after the testimony, Talarico challenged the idea that explicit materials in schools were widespread. “I would characterize as a conspiracy theory that’s being raised is that these are systemic policy problems in the state of Texas,” Talarico said. Following Talarico’s remarks, parents spoke out against his characterization. “I actually drove in last night, so I’ve been here a very long time. And hopefully my comments and testimony today aren’t gonna be as ‘kooky’ as Representative Talarico had stated it was gonna be,” one parent quipped. Talarico’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
GOP challenger tears into Dem’s ‘moderate’ image: ‘Votes with the squad 90% of the time’
Republican congressional candidate Scott Singer is making the case that party, not just policy, will be decisive in his closely watched South Florida showdown with Democrat Rep. Jared Moskowitz, arguing that the incumbent’s moderate, pro-Israel image is at odds with his voting record and the direction of the Democrat Party. Singer, the former mayor of Boca Raton, told Fox News Digital that he believes his record of cutting taxes and reducing crime at the local level, combined with unwavering support for Israel, gives voters a clear contrast in Florida’s newly redrawn 25th Congressional District. “Well, it is a tough cycle, but people understand the real Jared Moskowitz, one who votes with the squad 90% of the time, voted to put [Rep.] Ilhan Omar [D-Minn.] on the Foreign Affairs Committee, has passed no bills in Congress, but traded $4.5 million worth of stocks since he’s been there. This district, after redistricting, is now a Republican plus five district,” Singer told Fox News Digital. GOP’S SINGER ‘VERY PREPARED’ TO OUST DEM MOSKOWITZ IN TOSS-UP FLORIDA RACE THAT COULD DETERMINE HOUSE MAJORITY “It takes in all of Boca Raton, where I was mayor for eight years, cut taxes, red tape, and crime, and goes down to Miami Beach, where I was born, and Fort Lauderdale, where I was raised,” he continued. “Moskowitz doesn’t live in the district, he’s not from the district. “But beyond that, the Republican plus five, a trend in Jewish voters, of which we have 25% … in our district, moving more conservatively, and people who are opposed to socialism and communism, which he will not denounce, understand that this is a critical race for House leadership, and they want someone like me, a local leader with a record of results.” Singer’s business-friendly fiscal conservatism is the cornerstone of his campaign, and provides the policy framework for his priorities on Capitol Hill. “Well, it gives me the record of results one would need. As mayor of Boca Raton, not only did we have the lowest property tax rate of any full-service city in Florida, I cut the tax rate seven times. I cut red tape, 21 streamlining initiatives,” he said. “I cut crime by more than 25% from what were 40-year lows. Those are a record of results that people can relate to, because we improved the quality of life, improved the job base, lowered taxes, and made our streets safer.” UNEARTHED AUDIT EXPOSES VULNERABLE DEM’S HANDLING OF COVID RELIEF FUNDS: ‘GROSS OVERSIGHT’ Singer continued: “That’s what we want right now in America. We want secure borders, not like the porous borders that Jared Moskowitz supported under [former] President [Joe] Biden that have increased crime and ravaged communities. They want tax relief, not the tax hike that he voted for. $4 trillion, including taxes on Social Security, tipped workers, small businesses and families that are hurting. Now he’s trying to come around with a modest talk of the gas tax reduction. “He had the chance to vote on taxes and repeatedly has voted for higher taxes. People want a leader with a record of results. That’s what I bring.” While Moskowitz has carefully cultivated a moderate image during his tenure in Congress, Singer disputes that characterization. “No, he’s not. He’s been voting in lockstep. He’s already said he’ll vote for whoever the Democratic leadership is. And you can see that we’ll have committee chairs like [Rep.] Rashida Tlaib [D-Mich.] and AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.], if heaven forbid, the Democrats win Congress,” Singer said. “He already voted for Ilhan Omar on Foreign Affairs, despite his talking about her statements being bad, he voted to keep her in charge of foreign affairs in our country.” FLORIDA GOP NOMINEE BLASTS 20-YEAR DEM INCUMBENT AS A ‘SOCIALIST’ RUBBER-STAMP WITH ‘PRECIOUS LITTLE TO SHOW’ Added Singer: “He’s voted for tax hikes again … He says he’s strong on Israel, but he voted against US-Israeli cooperation, when other Democrats were willing to cross the aisle. And then just a few weeks ago, he would not denounce socialism, even though other Democrats would. He’s trying to have it out both ways, but his record is really Democratic, really liberal, 90% with the squad.” Both Moskowitz and Singer both position themselves as strong supporters of Israel, but Singer argues that membership in today’s Democrat Party makes effective advocacy for Israel difficult. “I’m a stronger supporter for Israel. I would never have put Ilhan Omar on the Foreign Affairs Committee. I would not have, like he did, voted against U.S.-Israel cooperation in the NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act],” Singer said. “I would have not voted to undercut President [Donald] Trump’s efforts and our military’s efforts with the War Powers Act vote months ago when the U.S. and Israel were fighting against a common enemy. “He’s done all of those things because Democratic leadership requires him. And he admitted three weeks ago to Jewish Insider that he’s being ostracized in his own party. He doesn’t have any more chits to give in. He has to go with the way the majority is going, and that expanded squad is going to tamp out any voice he has. “In my party, support for Israel is a feature, not a bug, and I don’t have to moderate my views or vote in accordance with the majority…I can be a strong supporter for Israel without reservation. Jared’s admitted he can’t be and won’t be.” Finally, while Singer said he is a strong supporter of the Trump administration’s military engagement in Iran, he would like to see an end to the conflict soon. “I think we need to have a resolution of this. I think we need to emerge victoriously. We have to remember that nuclear Iran is an existential threat,” he said. “We have seen how dastardly, vicious, murderous this regime has been over 47 years. Their foreign policy is death to America. They’ve killed Americans, they’ll kill more. “And even since this conflict started, they’ve started attacking other nations who weren’t
GOP fortress is under threat in one key red state, and these voters could decide whether it falls
DALLAS — A competitive Senate race is testing whether Texas is still safely red, with Black and Hispanic voters at the center of Democrat James Talarico’s path to victory. Talarico is seeking to become the first Democrat in more than 30 years to win a statewide race in the Lone Star State. “I definitely do think, if there’s any time for Texas to get a Democrat elected, this is the time to strike,” Mike, a military veteran from Dallas, told Fox News Digital. “I think it depends on whether the Black and Brown voters come out for Talarico.” POLL: TALARICO TIES PAXTON IN TEXAS SENATE RACE, THREATENING GOP STRONGHOLD “Everyone says, ‘Hey, we are Texas and we want change here, we want change there,’” Mike added. “Well, this is an opportunity for you guys to get change. Are you going to come out and show up at the polls? He’s got all the momentum in the world. He’s got everything going for him.” Mike’s comments reflect the challenge facing Talarico as he works to build support among Black and Hispanic voters and motivate them to turn out in November. Texas has more Black eligible voters than any other state, with roughly 2.7 million. That puts voters in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and East Texas in a potentially decisive position in any Democrat’s bid to win statewide. Former President Barack Obama’s appearance with Talarico at a May campaign stop in Austin underscored the stakes for Democrats to leverage a massive voting bloc in Texas. The party’s effort to win over Black voters could help determine whether Texas remains reliably red or becomes more competitive for Democrats in future elections. TEXAS VOTERS HAVE PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT WHETHER LONE STAR STATE COULD TURN BLUE But Talarico faces an uphill battle in uniting Democrats behind his campaign after a divisive primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. Talarico defeated Crockett in the Democratic primary earlier this year, and the outgoing congresswoman has not endorsed his Senate campaign. Crockett has said she supports the Democratic ticket in Texas, but her political action committee has not endorsed Talarico or campaigned for him. Rashaun, of Forney, Texas, said the primary loss may have left some Black voters frustrated. “Everyone was behind Jasmine,” Rashaun said. “So that’s what’s blocking, I’m going to say for my people, that was blocking their minds.” Still, Rashaun said she plans to vote for Talarico and hopes Texas will turn blue in November. “Yes, we are voting in November and it’s going to be Talarico,” she said. “We need Texas to flip. We can wish and hope and pray. But we need to get out and vote.” TEXAS VOTERS HAVE PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT WHETHER LONE STAR STATE COULD TURN BLUE Mike said the election may ultimately come down to whether voters are willing to act. “Right now it is on the Texas voters to get out and support James Talarico or sit at home if you don’t want to see that change,” he said. Bryant, of Coppell, Texas, likewise pointed to frustration with Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, both Republicans, as a potential motivator for people to support Talarico’s candidacy. “This is a critical election,” Bryant said. “I think we all can feel it in Texas, the need to get Greg Abbott out.” REPUBLICANS JUST GOT A POWERFUL NEW PLAYBOOK FOR THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS. HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE “It’s time for a change,” he added. “Plus, on the other side, you see how bad Ken Paxton is and his track record and just some of the things that he’s done. It’s no longer working and we need to do something different.” Ava, a college student from Denton, said Talarico’s outreach to younger voters has helped him connect with a generation that often feels overlooked. “I do think he’s going to pull through,” she said. “He engages with the younger community, which is important because we feel like we’re not represented.” She added that his social media presence has also helped younger voters connect with his campaign. She first learned about Talarico after meeting him at the Texas State Fair last year and later followed him online. “I think he’s going to flip the state.” While Ava focused on Talarico’s appeal among younger voters, Kiara, of Dallas, said supporters must turn that enthusiasm into votes. “I live in Texas, and I’ve been here for a really long time, and it’s time for a change, a positive change,” she said. “And I think Talarico is definitely going to bring that.” “We just have to vote,” Kiara added. “We can’t complain about the problems if you don’t want to vote to fix them.”
Democrats split on AOC as some battleground candidates distance themselves from ‘Squad’ lawmaker
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is fast becoming a central figurehead in the 2026 midterm election cycle, and a polarizing one at that. Some moderate candidates are shunning the progressive rising star’s endorsement, Axios reported this week, while others in tight races are welcoming her with open arms. Several Democratic strategists who spoke with Fox News Digital said they were not shocked that some on the left are keeping her at arm’s length. “It wasn’t especially surprising, like, her numbers with independent voters aren’t always great, and it’s very circumstantial depending upon where you would want to deploy somebody with that type of background and somebody who, you know, a lot of Americans have an impression of already — sometimes positive, sometimes negative,” Mike Nellis, a former political advisor for former Vice President Kamala Harris, told Fox News Digital. “I always just encourage people, like, you do what you gotta do, cause it’s hard to play coalition politics.” DEMOCRAT CHALLENGING MIKE LAWLER WON’T COMMIT ON CAMPAIGNING WITH AOC, MAMDANI OR REJECTING DSA And there are at least two candidates who appear to think the original “Squad” member is more of a liability. HASAN PIKER SAYS HE’D ‘ABSOLUTELY’ CAMPAIGN FOR AOC IN 2028 AS EL-SAYED DISTANCES HIMSELF Cait Conley, who is running to unseat Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., in a district near Ocasio-Cortez’s, told CNN’s “State of the Union,” “I’m good” when asked if she would campaign with Democratic socialists like her or New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Conley’s campaign did not return a request for comment by Fox News Digital by publication time. And Sam Forstag in Montana reportedly removed all mention of Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement from his campaign website. He told Axios, “I don’t intend to be having a lot of folks from out of state campaigning with me over these next 40 days.” Forstag’s campaign did not return multiple emailed requests for comment by Fox News Digital. JAMES CARVILLE PREDICTS 2028 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY WILL TEST TRUE STRENGTH OF PARTY’S SOCIALIST WING “In the final days leading up to an election, you want to make your message specific and local and repeatable and national celebrities just don’t help with that,” a veteran Democratic strategist who works on House and Senate campaigns told Fox News Digital. The strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said “AOC is more of a celebrity” than most of the other potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders. “I think AOC is one of the few Democrats who has transcended to just culture generally, which makes her visits heavier in the discourse.” And that celebrity status is being used in other key races. Ocasio-Cortez joined forces with fellow progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders to headline a trio of rallies for left-wing candidate Abdul El-Sayed in July, a couple of weeks before the Democratic Senate primary in the key battleground state of Michigan. El-Sayed ended up narrowly edging more moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in a nomination battle that highlighted the ongoing battle between the left and the center for the ideological future of the Democratic Party. While Ocasio-Cortez has yet to return to Michigan since the early August primary, El-Sayed’s campaign says they’d welcome her return to the campaign trail. “There are a lot of Michiganders who can’t wait to have AOC back in town,” El-Sayed campaign communications director Roxie Richner told Fox News Digital. AOC BACKS FLORIDA DEM ANGIE NIXON FOR US SENATE: ‘I’M PROUD TO ENDORSE HER’ El-Sayed and former House Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., are facing off in the race to succeed Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. The midterm showdown is a must-hold for the Democrats as they try to win back the Senate majority from the Republicans. Ocasio-Cortez also appeared in Florida recently alongside far-left Senate candidate Angie Nixon, who is running an underdog campaign against Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla. A Democratic victory there is a long shot, but Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign trail travels come as speculation mounts about her own future political plans. The Democratic socialist is widely seen as a potential successor to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., when he is through in the upper chamber. But there’s also buzz about a potential 2028 presidential campaign — something Ocasio-Cortez has not confirmed nor denied. “I think she’s a unique political talent. She’s clearly got, like, a large group of people in the country who would get behind her, and those are the beginnings of what you need to build an operation to run for president. So I think she’d be stupid not to think about it,” Nellis said. “At the same time, you know, do you take a 5% chance of being the Democratic nominee… or do you take like a much better than 50-50 chance of being the next United States senator from New York? If it were me advising her, I’d probably tell her to run for Senate.” Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign for comment on the Axios report.
Senate hopeful’s ‘treading water’ narrative crumbles under $500K campaign payouts to family
Independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn repeatedly said his family is “treading water” financially because of rising grocery and gas prices last week, but federal campaign finance records show his campaign has paid more than $500,000 to members of his family since launching his Senate bid. Speaking at a Capitol Hill press conference on Sept. 24, Osborn said, “My family, we’re treading water here, and it feels like every day it’s hard to keep your head above water” because of the economy and rising grocery and gas prices. Later that day, during an NBC News interview, he made nearly identical remarks, again describing his family as “treading water.” Americans for Public Trust, a government ethics watchdog that has previously scrutinized Osborn’s campaign spending, estimates Osborn and members of his family received nearly $480,000 from his campaign and affiliated PACs through the first quarter of 2026. The organization told Fox News Digital that figure does not include additional campaign spending disclosed in Osborn’s second-quarter filing, which was filed in July. Fox News Digital’s review of that filing found additional payments to family members that pushed the total above $500,000. NEBRASKA SENATE CANDIDATE SEEMS TO CONFIRM AUDIO CLAIMING TRUMP SUPPORTERS’ LIVES ‘SUCK SO F—ING BAD’ The largest share of those payments went to Osborn’s wife, Megan Osborn, who has worked for the campaign since its launch. Campaign finance records also show payments to the candidate’s daughter, Georgia, who Osborn has described publicly as a part-time dancer who still needs help paying her bills. His daughter has been paid by the campaign for work including event staffing and campaign activities, alongside other relatives and entities tied to his family. Amid the scrutiny, Osborn’s wife stepped away from consulting firms she had a stake in, which were receiving thousands of dollars from Osborn’s campaign coffers, including from his 2024 war chest, even though that campaign was defunct. “It’s rich for Osborn to be co-opting the real financial pain of Nebraskans when he and his family have been profiting from his campaign since it launched,” Americans for Public Trust Executive Director Caitlin Sutherland told Fox News Digital. “He was all too comfortable using his campaign to enrich his immediate and extended family and only hastily restructured when he was caught. Nebraskans know better than to fall for this type of self-serving behavior.” DEM SENATOR FACES DOJ PROBE AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF SPENDING CAMPAIGN FUNDS ON LUXURY LIFESTYLE Earlier this year, Osborn and his wife announced they were restructuring how she was compensated by the campaign after Americans for Public Trust filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging Osborn had steered campaign funds to relatives through a network of consulting firms and affiliated political action committees. The complaint alleged the payments violated federal campaign finance law, while the Osborn campaign rejected the allegations and argued the payments were for legitimate campaign work. While paying family members is not illegal, it must be for bona-fide campaign services. Critics have challenged the political expertise and background of Osborn’s wife and other family members. As part of the restructuring, Osborn’s wife stepped away from two consulting firms that were receiving campaign payments — including Independent Campaigns LLC, in which she held a one-third ownership stake — and instead became the campaign’s full-time operations manager with a monthly salary. Osborn told the Omaha World-Herald at the time that his wife had been “instrumental” to the campaign and said he would not let political opponents dictate who ran it. But Sutherland argued the restructuring did not resolve the broader questions raised in the complaint. “Dan Osborn only restructured how he pays his wife after we filed a complaint with the FEC that he was running afoul of campaign finance laws,” Sutherland told Fox News Digital at the time. “However, questions still remain regarding his payments to his daughter, his brother-in-law, and two sisters-in-law, and his control over two federal PACs. Rest assured, Osborn may have changed tactics, but he isn’t off the hook in his attempt to funnel campaign cash to his entire family.”
Inside the neighborhood living on the edge of America’s tech frontier
ASHBURN, Va. — First came the explosions, the heavy machinery and the red dust that coated the neighborhood. Soon after, towering, windowless buildings emerged just beyond a thin row of trees. Months after the construction noise faded, the silence gave way to a steady mechanical hum. For homeowners on the tucked-away cul-de-sac of Statesboro Place in Loudoun County, Virginia, suburban life now shares a fence line with the infrastructure powering America’s artificial intelligence (AI) boom. The facilities behind the neighborhood are operated by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, two of the world’s largest cloud computing companies. “It’s like 150 feet away and just constant noise,” one resident told Fox News Digital while looking out over the backyard on a rainy September afternoon. “So far, they’ve planted some trees, thinking that would solve the issue.” A SOUTHERN STATE JUST TOOK THE TOP SPOT IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST-GROWING INDUSTRIES A Microsoft spokesperson told Fox News Digital the company is “actively meeting with nearby HOAs to address community priorities, including landscaping, lighting and noise, working to ensure that our development lives up to residents’ expectations.” An Amazon spokesperson said the company has “been part of Loudoun for 20 years” and that its local team has been working directly with residents and the HOA to address concerns. “We’re committed to building responsibly and being good neighbors,” the spokesperson said. The residents interviewed for this story requested anonymity as they are engaged in ongoing discussions with the HOA and county officials. One resident, who bought the home nearly a decade ago, said the hum extends beyond the backyards and can be heard along the community’s walking trails. “Only two data centers are active right now and two additional ones are planned to be active next spring,” the resident said, adding that neighbors fear the noise will only grow louder. The neighborhood sits in Loudoun County, home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers and one of the epicenters of the nation’s AI infrastructure buildout. Residents say they were drawn to the spacious lots, unobstructed views and quiet streets, all of which are now overshadowed by featureless buildings. THIS TINY FARMING TOWN YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF IS HELPING MICROSOFT SELL AMERICA ON DATA CENTERS As of March 2026, more than 230 data centers had been built or were under construction across the Virginia county, with another 116 projects in the pipeline. “When I moved in, it was an open field. I had a nice backyard and there was not an ugly building to look at,” another resident told Fox News Digital. The resident says the question isn’t whether data centers should exist, but whether they belong so close to neighborhoods without a better understanding of how they affect the people living beside them. “Are we the guinea pigs? It feels that way.” The data centers that transformed the landscape have also reshaped Loudoun County’s finances. County officials say data centers generated $1.2 billion in tax revenue in fiscal year 2026 — 39% of the county budget — and project that figure will rise to $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2027. The revenue helps fund county services and keep tax rates lower, but residents say their individual bills have continued to rise. One Loudoun County homeowner shared six years of property tax records with Fox News Digital showing the annual real estate tax bill rose from $17,391 in 2021 to about $22,250 in 2026, an increase of nearly $5,000. “In our experience, our taxes have not gone down. We also own multiple properties and vehicles in Loudoun County, and we have not experienced a reduction in our real estate or personal property tax burden,” the homeowner said. The bill can rise even when tax rates fall if the assessed value increases. ONE OF THE WORLD’S HOTTEST INDUSTRIES IS SPARKING A BLUE-COLLAR JOBS BOOM That disconnect has raised questions about whether the industry’s financial benefits outweigh its impact on nearby communities. Little River District Supervisor Laura TeKrony said Loudoun County should limit data center development to industrial areas. “I have not voted for one data center application since my term started in 2024,” TeKrony told Fox News Digital. “There are some things that matter more than additional tax revenue: our land, our water, our quality of life and our community character.” AMERICA’S REDDEST STATE CHASES BILLION-DOLLAR BOOM AS OTHERS SOUR ON MASSIVE EMERGING INDUSTRY Residents told Fox News Digital they recognize the data centers are unlikely to go away. Instead, they want county leaders and operators to reduce the impact through sound barriers, ongoing noise monitoring and tax relief for homeowners living closest to the facilities. “Trees are not a solution,” one resident said, arguing for a sound wall similar to those installed along major highways. Another homeowner said nearby residents should receive property tax relief if the county continues approving data centers next to neighborhoods. “If you ask me what the county can help us with, it’s reduce our property tax by at least 50%,” the resident said. So while Americans are hoping the emerging tech boom will not negatively impact them, the nation’s AI ambitions have become impossible to ignore on Statesboro Place.
Liberal stronghold set to adopt eye-popping minimum wage amid business exodus
Seattle is slated to increase its minimum wage to $22.14 an hour in 2027 as the broader metro area contends with a sharp drop in job openings and Seattle businesses face mounting cost pressures. Beginning in 2025, all Seattle employers, including small businesses, were required to pay the same minimum wage, which is adjusted annually for inflation. Several Seattle restaurant owners who have since closed their businesses have cited rising labor costs among the financial pressures that contributed to their decisions. During the first half of 2025, shortly after the wage hikes went into effect for all businesses, 450 Seattle restaurants — about 16% of the city’s total — closed. Restaurant and retail transactions fell by as much as 7% over the prior year in some business and shopping districts around Amazon and Microsoft campuses, according to Square data cited by The Wall Street Journal. SANDERS-AOC BACKED PROGRESSIVE DEBUTS FEDERAL $25 MINIMUM WAGE BILL WITH COALITION OF 100+ ORGANIZATIONS If no other jurisdictions increase their minimum wages to match or surpass Seattle, the Emerald City will have the highest minimum wage in the country next year. An individual working full-time on minimum wage in the city will make just over $46,000 annually. “If the servers are making $20 an hour, then I gotta pay the cooks $35,” one Seattle restaurant owner said of the wage increases to Eater in 2024. LA HOTEL LEADERS WARN MAYOR BASS’ $30 WAGE MANDATE IS KILLING BUSINESS AHEAD OF WORLD CUP, OLYMPICS “Operators are making less money than ever and are charging more than ever,” Anthony Anton, CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association, said last year, according to The Center Square. A peer-reviewed study published by researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, found that the mere announcement of Seattle’s minimum wage increase decreased the formation of new businesses in city limits while actually increasing the founding of new businesses in adjacent suburbs with lower wage floors. Proponents of Seattle’s minimum wage increase, however, argue that the city’s high cost of living necessitates higher pay for those on the lower end of the economic spectrum to avoid more people falling into poverty. They also claim that higher pay can help businesses with staff retention. DOWNTOWN SEATTLE LOST 30,000 JOBS, BILLIONS IN OFFICE VALUE SINCE 2020 PAYROLL TAX: NEW REPORT FINDS Seattle’s degrading business environment predates the widespread implementation of its inflation-indexed minimum wage laws. From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 to 2023, about 500 local businesses closed, according to the Downtown Seattle Association. A year later, the association counted 543 vacant storefronts in the city. During this period, many business owners cited property crime as well as local economic factors as the reasoning behind their exits. Declining business formation comes at an inopportune time for Seattle residents as job postings in the city’s metropolitan area fell by 35% between February 2020 and October 2025, a decline second only to San Francisco, according to an Axios analysis. Local business owners have reported that individuals with master’s degrees, and those with experience at prestigious companies such as Microsoft, are applying to work as baristas. Seattle’s once-booming tech-driven economy is now showing clear signs of strain, from weaker hiring to elevated downtown office vacancies. As of the fourth quarter of 2025, 35.6% of Seattle’s downtown office space was vacant, up from 32.3% the year before, according to Cushman & Wakefield data. Some iconic Seattle businesses, Starbucks, for example, have shifted operations away from the city.
US faces another major Middle East troop withdrawal, but threat remains
The U.S. military is scheduled to end its mission in Iraq on Wednesday, bringing to a close a military operation that has lasted more than two decades — despite an ongoing war in Iran sparked earlier this year. The Iraq mission began with the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and later evolved into a campaign to help Iraqi forces defeat the Islamic State group after the terrorist organization’s rapid rise across Iraq and Syria. In recent years, however, the remaining U.S. military presence has increasingly served as both a counterweight to Iran’s influence and a frequent target of Iran-backed militias. The Iraq agreement was reached before the U.S. and Iran entered direct conflict earlier this year and under a different administration and military leadership — leaving the final phase of the withdrawal to unfold in a dramatically different security environment than the one envisioned when the timeline was negotiated. TRUMP REVEALS WHEN US MILITARY WILL LEAVE IRAQ AFTER 23-YEAR MISSION The deadline stems from an agreement reached by Washington and Baghdad in 2024 under President Joe Biden to wind down the U.S.-led coalition’s military mission after Iraqi officials concluded their security forces were increasingly capable of handling the fight against ISIS. It follows the U.S. military’s 2021 departure from Afghanistan, also under the Biden administration, which ended another two-decade American war and left no U.S. troops in the country. The withdrawal, however, was chaotic, widely viewed as “botched” and resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and dozens of civilians. HOW IRAN ATTACKS ARE FORCING THE PENTAGON TO RETHINK ITS DECADES-OLD MIDDLE EAST BASE STRATEGY The Pentagon declined to confirm to Fox News Digital whether the timeline remains on track or provide details about any continuing U.S. military involvement in Iraq after Wednesday. The Iraqi Embassy did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The danger to U.S. forces persisted through the final months of the mission. Army Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, was killed at Erbil Air Base in July during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone. About 2,500 U.S. troops had remained in Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition established in 2014 after ISIS seized large swaths of Iraq and Syria. American forces had previously withdrawn from Iraq in 2011 before returning three years later to help Iraqi and partner forces combat the terrorist group. That threat has since diminished significantly. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessed this summer that ISIS in Iraq “almost certainly remains severely degraded,” focused largely on its own survival and unable to capitalize on instability from the war with Iran, according to the latest Lead Inspector General report on Operation Inherent Resolve. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper told lawmakers in May that ISIS attacks in Iraq and Syria had fallen 70% since 2023 and were at their lowest level since 2013. The U.S. mission had already shifted accordingly. Rather than routinely fighting alongside Iraqi forces, American troops increasingly trained, advised and provided intelligence to local forces expected to carry out counterterrorism operations with limited or no direct U.S. involvement. The Pentagon also began moving the infrastructure for that fight out of Iraq. Operation Inherent Resolve shifted its headquarters to Amman, Jordan, this year, allowing U.S. personnel and assets to redeploy while Iraqi forces assumed greater responsibility for counterterrorism operations. But the declining ISIS threat has coincided with a different challenge for Baghdad: powerful Iran-backed armed groups that have resisted efforts to surrender their weapons. US-BACKED EFFORT TO DISARM IRAQ’S IRAN-LINKED MILITIAS HITS SETBACK, EXPERTS SAY The Iraqi government had initially sought to bring armed groups operating outside state control to heel by the same Sept. 30 deadline. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi argued that the departure of U.S. forces would eliminate a key justification for the militias to remain armed. Several powerful Iran-backed groups, however, have resisted calls to disarm. Two prominent factions initially agreed to surrender their weapons by the deadline, while other armed groups refused, according to a U.S. government report released this summer. Baghdad has since pushed back its timeline. Zaidi said last week that the government now aims to complete the process by June 30, 2027, beginning with a 90-day period in which armed groups would halt attacks in exchange for assurances that U.S. forces would not target them. The groups would then gradually surrender their weapons or be brought under state control. The holdouts remain heavily armed. U.S. military officials said the groups retain rockets, missiles, drones and, in some cases, air defense systems capable of threatening American personnel and facilities across the region. The DIA reported that Iran-aligned militias launched hundreds of attacks on U.S. forces and diplomatic facilities in Iraq after the war with Iran began. That leaves the end of the U.S. mission arriving as the threat that brought American forces back to Iraq has substantially diminished, while Baghdad’s effort to disarm some of the groups that have targeted those forces remains unfinished.
Schumer preaches affordability in Dem midterm pitch while sabotaging GOP fixes for soaring costs
Democrats are pitching themselves as the answer to the economic woes Americans are facing in their pursuit of power in Congress, but they have made a habit of blocking the GOP’s attempts to tackle cost of living issues. Affordability has become the centerpiece of the Democrats’ campaign messaging heading into Election Day in November, and they’ve wielded it like a political cudgel that left-wing candidates from Michigan to Texas are using to browbeat Republicans. But in the Senate, it requires cooperation and compromise to tackle those issues, and Republicans say that their colleagues across the aisle have bedeviled that process. They’ll have one last shot Wednesday to address a sliver of the issue with a bill targeting data centers and voters’ pocketbooks, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus are poised to block it. FIRST DATA CENTER BILL CLEARS HOUSE AS BOTH PARTIES SCRAMBLE FOR ANSWERS ON AFFORDABILITY “I think right now, the whole thing is just, you know, play politics with all these issues and get to the election,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital. “I think that, you know, what you’re seeing is that this is the party of no, can’t take yes for an answer, and is interested in just trying to politicize everything going into the election.” When asked if blocking the data center bill, and another that would ban members of Congress from trading stocks, could turn the table on Democrats’ messaging, Thune said, “Well, it makes it pretty hard for Democrats to make that argument.” Democrats don’t believe that blocking the bill from Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, would hurt their affordability message, particularly because the legislation lacks teeth — many of the requirements for large-load customers, like data centers, to repay their electricity usage are optional. Schumer trashed the data center bill as being purely politically motivated to bolster a vulnerable candidate staring down a tough race in November against former Sen. Sherrod Brown, even though only three House Democrats voted against it earlier this month. ANXIETY GROWS OVER EMERGING ELECTION ISSUE, BUT GOP SAYS WASHINGTON ISN’T THE ANSWER “Because we don’t vote for frauds,” Schumer said when asked why Senate Democrats wouldn’t vote for it. “It’s voluntary. Not a single company has to comply with it.” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital that if “you guys do your job and explain that the bill does nothing,” the political ramifications would be low for Democrats. “It does nothing, and so people know that, but there’s more political risk for them than for us,” Murphy said. When asked if there was a concern that shutting the bill down could hamper their best weapon on the campaign trail, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., told Fox News Digital, “Absolutely not.” “The American people can see through just the politics of this. They know that this bill is good for Senator Husted, but not necessarily for them, because it’s not — it doesn’t have anything that would actually force change,” Kim said. REPUBLICANS FEAR THEY ‘HAVEN’T DONE A DAMN THING’ TO LOWER PRICES AHEAD OF MIDTERM RECKONING Not all Democrats want to outright kill the GOP’s latest affordability push, however. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., isn’t totally against allowing the legislation to proceed, but he wants a guarantee from Thune that his bill, the Power for the People Act, would get an amendment vote to add some regulatory heft to the measure. “You want to address the affordability issue, you need to do something real,” Van Hollen told Fox News Digital. “As soon as Senator Thune says he’ll have a vote on Power for the People Act, then for sure, we should go forward.” It’s not the only attempt at grappling with affordability issues that Democrats have sunk, or at least kneecapped, near the finish line before the midterms. Republican leaders wanted to get a deal on permitting reform, which would lower costs on energy projects and reform the regulatory process writ large, on the floor during this final sprint before the election, but Democrats walked away from the deal last week. “I would tell you, all the chemistry, I think, was perfect for getting this deal done,” Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., who has led the permitting reform push, told Fox News Digital. “And that doesn’t happen very often on such a complex issue. So it’s very disappointing.” The deal is reportedly back on, but won’t be handled until after the election during Congress’ lame duck period, where several agenda items have been punted that may never see the light of day. Still, Republicans will need Democrats to get anything post-election, and the track record of bipartisanship over the near two years that they’ve controlled the chamber has ebbed and flowed. “I mean, we got 53 Republicans, you got to have 60. I’d have busted the filibuster a long time ago, and we would’ve had a lot more done,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital. “But we wasted a year and a half of President Trump.”
Maine Dem Sen candidate’s ‘working class’ cred shredded by both parties when internet sees latest ‘cringey’ ad
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson, a fifth-generation logger who has touted his working-class bonafides on the campaign trail, is facing backlash from both sides of the aisle over a viral ad that critics are labeling as tone-deaf pandering. “If Republicans spend $46 million on these TV ads, who’s gunna be convinced by that?” Jackson is asked in the ad as he sips a boba tea. Jackson then looks around and smiles before saying “the 1%ers” as a photo of his opponent, Sen. Susan Collins, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are shown on the screen. The ad’s caption reads “sips boba tea” alongside a boba and wide-eyed emoji. SUSAN COLLINS TEARS INTO BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS AS NEW CLAIMS EMERGE DURING CRITICAL SENATE BATTLE The ad’s post on X was widely mocked by Democrats and Republicans and has been viewed over 2 million times. “Maine is the oldest median age electorate in the nation,” Democratic strategist Steve Schale posted on X. “I know I’m not a DC strategist but I really, really don’t get it.” “Troy Jackson needs to win but videos like this are unhelpful and cringey,” liberal influencer Harry Sisson posted on X. “Please change it up! No boba tea!” “The same people that ran Mallory McMorrow’s campaign into the ground are telling you to do this goofy s—,” left-wing podcaster Kyle Kulinski posted on X. “Just get out there and tell the truth and speak from the heart for economic justice and against war and stop with all this bulls—. C’mon man. You’re smarter than this.” DEM SENATE NOMINEE BREAKS SILENCE AFTER SUSAN COLLINS’ OFFICE WAS VANDALIZED WITH VULGAR MESSAGE “It’s a little bit funny to be desperately trying to position as working class masculine male and have gen-z women run your socials like they would run their own personals,” Republican communicator Matt Whitlock posted on X. “… ,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Southern regional press secretary Reilly Richardson posted on X. ” Weird,” GOP communicator Steve Guest posted on X. “Looks like the first time that Troy Jackson has ever had boba.” “Boba tea! Just like regular people! ” journalist Chris Cillizza posted on X. “Want to remind you that Democrats were openly proud of how masculine their Maine campaign was going to be and then they ran this ad,” former Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh posted on X. Fox News Digital reached out to Jackson’s campaign for comment. A recent poll indicates Collins is ahead of her Democratic challenger in a crucial Senate showdown in blue-leaning Maine that could determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Collins, who is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate, stands at 49% support among likely voters, with former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee, at 46%, with 5% undecided in the New York Times/Siena poll. Collins’ three-point edge is within the survey’s margin of error. The survey, which was conducted Sept. 15–22, is one of the first to indicate Collins ahead of Jackson since he replaced former Senate nominee Graham Platner in late July. Platner, a combat veteran and oyster farmer, won the June Democratic Senate primary in a landslide. But a month later he dropped out following an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the report but stepped aside. Collins slightly trailed Platner in most polling at the time he ended his campaign. Jackson, who campaigned alongside Platner earlier this year as he unsuccessfully ran for governor, won a special nominating convention to fill the party’s vacant Senate nomination. The poll release came as Collins pushed back against a report by ProPublica that the FBI sought to launch a pay-to-play investigation examining Collins and others. The investigation was later dropped and no one working for Collins was charged. Collins ripped the report as “offensive” and a “partisan hit job” orchestrated by Democrats. Jackson took to social media to claim that “Susan Collins is blatantly corrupt.” Collins’ advantage over Jackson in the new survey comes even as 55% of those questioned said they prefer Democrats to control the Senate next year, with 43% saying they’d like the GOP to retain the majority. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.