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 American forces had previously withdrawn from Iraq in 2011 before returning three years later to help Iraqi and partner forces combat the terrorist group.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.
Obama-appointed judge clears way for White employee to challenge Seattle’s DEI policies
A unanimous federal appeals court ruled Monday that a jury should decide whether Seattle’s DEI initiatives created a racially hostile work environment for a White employee, while emphasizing that federal anti-discrimination law protects workers regardless of race. The three-judge panel did not rule on whether Seattle’s DEI programs violated the Constitution or federal anti-discrimination law. Instead, it found that the allegations were enough to let a jury decide whether the way the city carried out those initiatives created a racially hostile work environment. The ruling leaves the larger constitutional questions about Seattle’s race-based programs unanswered. “Workplace training programs designed to address racial barriers are not inherently discriminatory, and nothing in Title VII prohibits employers from either discussing historical and ongoing discrimination against persons of color or seeking to address such discrimination,” wrote Judge Mary Murguia, who was appointed by President Barack Obama. “Accordingly, race-conscious training programs may violate Title VII when they create a racially hostile work environment.” TRUMP ADMIN’S PUSH TO SCRAP DEI IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES LANDMARK STEP WITH NEW HIRING RULE Joshua Diemert, who worked for Seattle’s Human Services Department, alleged that over several years he had been subjected to repeated race-based comments and workplace incidents, including being asked by supervisors what he could contribute “being a straight White male,” being told it was “impossible” to discriminate against White people and being encouraged to give up a leadership role so a person of color could be promoted. He also attended DEI trainings where speakers allegedly said “White people are cannibals,” that racism is in “White people’s DNA” and that “White people are like the devil.” Laura D’Agostino, an attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation who argued the case, said the panel ruled only that Diemert lacked standing and did not decide whether Seattle’s race-based affinity groups and training programs were constitutional. INDIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ASSOCIATION OVER RACE-BASED BOARD QUOTA “This decision does not give government employers a green light to classify employees by race. The Ninth Circuit expressly reiterated that government racial classifications are constitutionally suspect and subject to strict scrutiny,” D’Agostino said. “It simply concluded that Mr. Diemert had not established the personal injury necessary for the court to reach that constitutional question in his case.” D’Agostino said the ruling shows that Title VII does not give protections to racial-equity training when it becomes the source of harassment. “Calling something racial-equity training does not place it outside the protections of federal civil rights law. Employers can address discrimination without creating or tolerating a racially hostile environment for their employees,” D’Agostino told Fox News Digital. The court ruled the case wasn’t about any one remark or training session. Instead, it concluded a jury should decide whether the alleged comments, DEI trainings and workplace incidents, taken together over several years, created a racially hostile work environment. “The evidence was sufficiently numerous, frequent, and severe that his hostile work environment claims must be decided at trial,” D’Agostino said. A spokesperson for the city of Seattle said they are reviewing the decision and discussing potential next steps for the city. WHITE DEVELOPER SUES BALTIMORE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL CLAIMING HE WAS FIRED BECAUSE OF HIS RACE Ilya Shapiro, of the Manhattan Institute, said the decision leaves constitutional challenges to similar DEI programs on the table despite the standing ruling. “Although the court affirmed the dismissal of Diemert’s equal-protection claim, it did so because he didn’t present evidence sufficient to show personal injury, not because equal-protection claims aren’t viable,” Shapiro told Fox News Digital. Shapiro said the “race-conscious” programs are standing on “dubious legal ground.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The decision also reinforced that federal anti-discrimination law applies equally to employees regardless of race. Citing the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, the panel noted that Title VII “draws no distinctions between majority-group plaintiffs and minority-group plaintiffs. Eric Wessan, Solicitor General for Iowa, said Monday’s ruling is a major wake-up call for DEI classes and trainings across the country, arguing that they breed hostile work environments. “I think the easiest way to think about it is if the same stuff was happening, but he was another race other than White,” Wessan told Fox News Digital. “How obvious would it have been that that was a hostile environment? And I think in this case, the answer is, it would have been pretty obvious.” “I’m not surprised that the hostile environment claim can go forward. And that’s really important too, because a lot of these DEI policies across the country do create hostile work environments for White employees. And for a long time, there was no pushback against that.”
Boeing lands $20B-plus Navy deal for sixth-generation fighter to deliver ‘absolute air superiority’
The U.S. Navy has tapped Boeing to build a new fighter jet that officials say will help American pilots dominate the skies, defeat enemies and come home safely. The Department of War announced Tuesday that Boeing secured a contract worth more than $20 billion for full-scale development of the F/A-XX, a sixth-generation strike fighter intended to expand the reach of Navy aircraft carriers and eventually replace some of the service’s longtime combat aircraft. The deal gives Boeing its second sixth-generation fighter program following its selection for the Air Force’s F-47 in 2025, the company said. “Delivering two advanced fighters in parallel was always our plan, and we invested accordingly. We are ready and able to build multiple concurrent future combat aircraft franchise programs,” Steve Parker, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said in a statement. EUROPE’S $116B FIGHTER JET ‘FAILURE’ RAISES FRESH DOUBTS ABOUT ABILITY TO DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US The Navy contract includes multiple test aircraft for ground testing, airworthiness evaluations and systems and weapons integration, according to the Department of War. STARTUPS BRING INNOVATION TO DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE “The F/A-XX is a critical pillar in our commitment to maintaining peace through strength. F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter,” Michael P. Duffey, under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment, said in the announcement. Duffey called the aircraft a “crucial, non-negotiable investment” in America’s national security and long-term air combat capabilities. PENTAGON CONSOLIDATES DRONE OVERSIGHT AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PUSHES RAPID UNMANNED WARFARE EXPANSION “We are joining forces with Boeing to field these capabilities rapidly, ensuring our warfighters possess the lethal and highly networked systems required to deter aggression, project undisputed power, and secure absolute air superiority,” he said. The F/A-XX falls under the Next Generation Air Dominance program. The department said the carrier-based fighter will extend the Navy’s operational reach and work alongside both manned and unmanned aircraft, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft. BATTLEFIELD ROBOTS OPEN NEW FRONT IN INNOVATION WAR WITH MAJOR US ADVERSARY Officials said the fighter will also increase the capability of the unmanned aircraft it teams with. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao hailed the contract as the beginning of “a new era” for the service. TRUMP TAPS ‘TRUE WARRIOR’ HUNG CAO AS NAVY SECRETARY AFTER 4 MONTHS AS ACTING LEADER “The Sixth-Generation fighter is a generational leap in air superiority and will provide the world’s best aviators with unparalleled capabilities to fight, win, and come home safe,” Cao said. “We are excited to partner with Boeing, and for our warfighters to continue to dominate the skies and defeat our nation’s enemies.” AMERICA FACES A CRISIS IN OUR MILITARY ARSENAL THAT TRUMP IS RACING TO FIX Boeing said the aircraft will bring advances in mission systems and operational reach and capacity, though technical and program details remain classified under U.S. national security and export laws. “It’s an honor to be selected to produce the Navy’s first sixth-generation platform,” Parker said, adding that the company’s team is “ready to execute this critical program.” INNOVATION IS KEY TO AMERICA STAYING A SUPERPOWER. BUT IT IS MISSING AN ESSENTIAL PIECE The company said construction continues on a secure manufacturing facility in St. Louis as it prepares to build multiple aircraft with next-generation capabilities. “Investment in facilities is just one part of the story; we’re also investing in technology and people so that we can deliver for our customers,” Parker said. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe celebrated the announcement, pointing to the state’s role in building America’s next generation of military aircraft. “St. Louis is Fighterland, USA!” Kehoe wrote on X. “Proud of this incredible win that further cements Missouri as a critical leader in the future of America’s air dominance, innovation, and national defense.” Beginning in the 2030s, the F/A-XX is expected to augment and eventually replace legacy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, according to the Department of War. It will also operate alongside the F-35C.
‘F— her’: Jasmine Crockett torched by ex-Dem colleague over who she left off endorsement list
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, drew backlash from a former colleague for leaving James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, off her list of endorsements Monday. Talarico, who beat Crockett in the party’s Senate primary earlier this year, was not among 14 candidates supported by Crockett’s Feuling Individual Rights Everywhere (FIRE) PAC. To former Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., who served three terms in Congress, the list is clear evidence Crockett is putting personal reservations over the party’s success in the Lone Star State. “F— her. That’s all I can say. And that statement has nothing to do with blind loyalty to Dems,” Wild said in a post to X. “It has everything to do with her being a narcissistic drama queen who has used her platform (such as it is) only to advance herself. Karma will suck.” Wild’s post is just the most recent controversy surrounding Crockett, a progressive who has called on her party to inch further left through fiery rhetoric that’s garnered national attention during her time in Congress. LONGTIME GOP AIDE DEFECTS TO DEM RISING STAR AS TEXAS SENATE BATTLE FOR CORNYN’S SEAT HEATS UP In the past, Crockett has drawn scrutiny for incendiary comments, like calling Gov. Greg Abbott, who is permanently in a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels,” describing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., as having a “beach-blond, bad-built, butch body,” and describing MAGA Latino voters as having a “slave mentality.” Most recently, Crockett received public backlash for entering Chris Brown into the congressional record, honoring his musical legacy in the Black community despite a history of violence against women. JASMINE CROCKETT TORCHED FOR HONORING SINGER WITH NOTORIOUS HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: ‘COMPLETELY VILE’ Crockett posted her own reply to Wild and others, noting that she had personally extended congratulations to Talarico after he beat her earlier this year in the March primary. “Y’all are corny! Keep receipts. I’ll be happy when people either give a damn about FACTS or news media goes back to the news instead of deciding to ride the tabloid lane. NOW FOR THE 1000th time maybe write an article about KEN F*in PAXTON. Y’all sound like corny groupies,” Crockett wrote. Crockett, who lost to Talarico by a margin of 52.4% to 46.2%, did endorse Talarico the day after the election after results were finalized. “This morning I called James and congratulated him on becoming the Senate nominee. Texas is primed to turn blue, and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person. This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track. With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win,” Crockett wrote. “I’m committed to doing my part and will continue working to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.” SHOCK POLL: TALARICO TIES PAXTON IN TEXAS SENATE RACE, THREATENING GOP STRONGHOLD Crockett’s FIRE PAC has raised only $144,960 and mostly focuses on smaller races. All 14 candidates listed on the post highlighted by Wild are state or local candidates. Gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa was also not on the list. Representatives for Crockett did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Unearthed audit exposes vulnerable Dem’s handling of COVID relief funds: ‘Gross oversight’
During his time as director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., allowed over $1 billion in COVID-19 relief funding to go out the door without required monitoring, records reveal. The 2022 State of Florida Compliance and Internal Controls over Financial Reporting and Federal Awards flagged the weakness in its annual audit, stating, “FDEM did not monitor the activities of any subrecipients.” While Fox News Digital is not aware of fraud that may have been committed with those funds, the resurfaced audit casts an unflattering light on Moskowitz as he pursues re-election in one of the country’s most competitive districts. It also raises questions about oversight efforts for state-level allocations for government funds, an issue Republicans have signaled merits more attention. COVID CASH MEANT TO GET KIDS BACK ON TRACK TOOK SURPRISING DETOUR IN BLUE-STATE SCHOOL DISTRICT Moskowitz’s FDEM approved $210,562,500 in funding to 39 local government recipients in the 2020-2021 fiscal year from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), according to the audit. The next year, it distributed $1,026,225,200 to 55 locations. Taken together, the grants add up to $1.23 billion. “Contrary to Federal regulations, the FDEM did not monitor the activities of CRF subrecipients,” the audit states. “Such monitoring is to include, for example, reviewing subrecipient audit reports and determining whether management decisions are required for any audit findings related to the federal award.” According to the report, an acceptable level of oversight would normally include inquiries of the recipients as well as checks like onsite evaluations. “Monitoring of the subrecipient must include reviewing financial and performance reports, following up and ensuring that the subrecipient takes timely and appropriate action on all deficiencies pertaining to the federal award detected through audits, on-site reviews and other means,” the audit states. MOSKOWITZ REJECTS RICK SCOTT’S CLAIMS HE’S ‘SCARED TO DEATH’ OF SOCIALISTS, BEHOLDEN TO HASAN PIKER Notably, Moskowitz wasn’t head of FDEM for the entire 2020-2021 fiscal year. He resigned from the post at the end of April, two months before the end of the fiscal year in June, making him the head of the FDEM for the vast majority of the 2020-2021 audit cycle but not the complete window. Even so, his congressional opponent, Republican candidate Scott Singer, believes the responsibility lies squarely on Moskowitz’s shoulders. “When Jared Moskowitz ran a state agency, federal regulators and state auditors found that there was a gross lack of oversight of billions of dollars of taxpayer funds, a lack of reporting, a lack of review of where the funds were going,” Singer said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “And that’s unacceptable, especially with public tax dollars. But it’s not surprising.” Singer argued the audit echoed earlier questions about Moskowitz’s work involving disaster recovery funds. He pointed to an incident in 2017, when Moskowitz, as an attorney for AshBritt, a disaster-cleanup company, had renegotiated compensation from the City of Parkland after Hurricane Irma. Disclosure reports showed that he was being paid over $400,000 by the company while also serving as a state legislator. “When Jared was a state representative, he went to his own city and demanded that they pay more for hurricane cleanup that went to a disaster recovery company that paid him millions,” Singer said. “We can’t afford people who are continuing to do the same thing. A gross oversight of funds and self-dealing.” When asked about Singer’s criticisms, Moskowitz’s campaign fired back, stating that the congressman was proud of the work that he did, noting that he had been reappointed to the role by a Republican governor. “As Director of FDEM, I worked directly for Governor DeSantis and his administration. Florida had one of the best COVID responses in the country,” Moskowitz told Fox News Digital. TRUMP ANTI-FRAUD DIVISION’S FUTURE RESTS WITH SENATE DEMS AFTER BIPARTISAN HOUSE WIN “I left almost a year before this report was issued as I had to leave the agency to be with my dad, who was battling cancer. Governor DeSantis appointed me again to the Broward County commission. To my knowledge, Florida COVID spending has passed the FEMA audit for reimbursements,” he added. Moskowitz also pointed out that he had received praise from even Republicans for his disaster-related work, including from Singer himself. Moskowitz shared communications between them in which Singer said the state was “in a much better place because of what you’ve done.” Singer also highlighted a second communication from Singer to Moskowitz stating, “seriously, thank you for all of the amazing work you’ve done and all the help you’re providing to our stay [sic].” Having cleared their parties’ respective primaries, Moskowitz and Singer will face off in the Florida general election Nov. 3.
NYC judge orders Mamdani to redo second-home tax rollout
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday quickly appealed a judge’s decision to cancel previously mailed notices for his second-home tax, triggering an automatic stay of the ruling. “The auto stay allows the city to continue, as we have been, with the implementation of the pied-a-terre surcharge and puts the lower court’s order on pause,” a city official said. Just hours earlier, Judge Wayne Ozzi found that the city failed to follow required procedures before mailing the notices, which he described as “arbitrary and capricious, affected by errors of law, and in violation of the recipients’ due process rights,” according to the ruling. Despite the ruling, Ozzi noted that the policy itself could still survive. He said the city can still apply the tax by removing the current list of taxed properties from its website and posting a corrected list after following the proper procedures. MAMDANI’S LUXURY-HOME TAX ROLLOUT DERAILED FOR NOW AS JUDGE DELIVERS WIN TO NYC HOMEOWNERS OVER MASSIVE LIST New notices must then be mailed in compliance with the law. Tuesday’s decision served as a legal speed bump for Mamdani as he approaches nearly a year since he was elected New York City mayor and is among a handful of other legal challenges he faces as he attempts to implement government-first approaches to promises to bring down costs of living, expand housing and increase public transportation. In addition to his second-home tax, Mamdani has also faced legal pushback on his rent freeze plan, which landlords have characterized as overly punitive, his state-sponsored grocery store plan, which has sparked challenges from the National Supermarket Association and what they see as unfair competition and challenges to specialized high school admissions that some parents believe unfairly discriminates against Asian-American enrollees. Mamdani announced the second-home tax back in April. In its original form, it was designed to levy an annual surcharge on one to three family homes, condominiums and co-ops valued at above $5 million. It also only applied to owners who also had additional property outside of New York City. MAMDANI WARNING TO WEALTHY NEW YORKERS ABOUT ‘FAIR SHARE’ SPARKS ONLINE FIRESTORM: ‘FULL BLOWN COMMUNIST’ “Thanks to the support of Governor Hochul, we are one step closer to balancing our budget by taxing the ultra-wealthy and global elites with a pied-à-terre tax — the first of its kind in our state. Alongside the governor, our administration is fighting every day to make sure we address this fiscal deficit fairly, where the wealthy contribute what they owe and our budget reflects our commitment to the working New Yorkers being priced out of our city,” Mamdani said in a press release at the time. Asked about the plan after Tuesday’s decision, representatives for Mamdani said the mayor would stand by his plan. Matt Rauschenbach, a spokesperson for the mayor, defended the tax rollout, arguing that the pied-à-terre surcharge is a “basic principle of fairness” that supports a city he said should not be a “tax haven for the wealthy few.” “If you can afford a luxury second home in New York City, you can afford to pay your fair share for the schools, streets and parks that make this city work,” Rauschenbach said. “Our administration is fighting every day to deliver for working New Yorkers. The ultra-wealthy are fighting in court to avoid paying their fair share. They have filed lawsuit after lawsuit to protect their privilege, and we will not back down. “Today’s decision is wrong, and we will invoke a stay of the injunction. With a stay, we will continue implementing the surcharge fairly, efficiently and in full compliance with the law, as we have since day one.”
Supreme Court takes up fight over Trump’s third-country illegal alien deportation policy
The Supreme Court on Tuesday handed the Trump administration an interim victory in its ongoing immigration crackdown, clearing the way for officials to continue deporting illegal aliens to third countries while the justices consider a legal challenge to the policy. The justices granted the administration‘s request to stay a February ruling from a federal district court in Massachusetts that imposed additional procedural requirements before illegal immigrants could be removed to countries other than their own. The high court also agreed to hear the administration’s challenge, treating its emergency application as a petition for review and ordering the parties to prepare for arguments during the court’s December session. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT DEALS BLOW TO TRUMP DEPORTATION AGENDA Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson said they would have denied the administration’s request for a stay. The decision gives the administration the immediate relief it sought as it presses ahead with third-country removals, even as the Supreme Court has yet to decide whether the policy remains. The dispute centers on the Trump administration’s efforts to remove illegal aliens to third countries. Lower courts have not categorically prohibited those removals but have required procedures intended to give aliens an opportunity to raise claims that they could face persecution or torture in the destination country. The Trump administration returned to the Supreme Court last week, arguing that those requirements were interfering with its ability to carry out removals and disrupting sensitive diplomatic negotiations with countries willing to accept deportees. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE’S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY “The order below also undermines our standing abroad,” the administration argued in its filing, according to the ruling. “Finding third countries willing and able to accept aliens is a delicate diplomatic endeavor.” The government also argued that judicial intervention in those arrangements could cause “significant and irreparable harm to U.S. foreign policy.” Attorneys challenging their policy pushed back, arguing that the lower court’s ruling did not prevent the administration from conducting third-country removals but instead required the government to provide notice and an opportunity for illegal aliens to raise protection claims before they were sent abroad. “The judgment does not require release from detention, prohibit third-country removals, or undo existing arrangements,” the challengers argued in their response. DHS’ TOP LAWYER THREATENS PENALTIES FOR ATTORNEYS CLOGGING ASYLUM SYSTEM They alleged that illegal aliens removed without meaningful notice or an opportunity to raise country-specific protection claims had faced “prolonged and arbitrary detention, beatings and sexual assault, disappearance, and chain refoulement.” Tuesday’s order puts the February district court judgment on hold while the Supreme Court considers the case. The stay will remain in effect until the high court sends down its judgment. The decision gives the administration the immediate relief it sought as it presses ahead with third-country removals, even as the Supreme Court has yet to decide. “For the third time in 18 months, the Supreme Court has been called upon to stay the same local district judge’s campaign to halt the Trump Administration from removing illegal aliens including many of the worst-of-the-worst criminals to countries willing to receive them,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital. “The President will stop at nothing in his effort to make America safe again,” Bis added. “Today’s ruling from the Supreme Court yet again affirms the lawfulness of the President’s homeland security agenda.” The court directed its clerk to establish a briefing schedule allowing the case to be argued during its December 2026 argument session.
FBI’s Andrew Bailey blasts exit ‘lies’ as he reveals real reason he’s leaving agency
EXCLUSIVE — Andrew Bailey is heading home to Missouri, and the outgoing FBI co-deputy director has a blunt message for anyone suggesting turmoil at the bureau pushed him out. “This was 100% about my need to get home and raise my four small children,” Bailey told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I love my kids.” Bailey, who announced Monday that he is leaving the FBI after just over a year, rejected suggestions that problems at the bureau played a part in his decision. KASH PATEL TO TOUT ‘LARGEST’ YEAR-TO-YEAR VIOLENT CRIME DROP IN US HISTORY “My decision to go home is based solely upon my need to be a parent to my four children,” he said. He accused some news outlets of spreading “lies” about the reason for his departure and offered a forceful defense of FBI Director Kash Patel amid scrutiny of the bureau’s leadership. “Any accusation that Director Patel has focused on anything other than fulfilling the president’s promise to make America safe again are bold-faced lies,” Bailey said. “We wake up every day and work early every morning and stay up late, oftentimes without sleep, to ensure mission accomplishment.” ‘WORSE THAN WATERGATE’ NEW FBI FILES DETAIL AGENT’S PUSH TO JOIN TRUMP PROBE, INVESTIGATE ELON MUSK Patel, in his own statement Monday, said Bailey was leaving to return to his family in Missouri and praised his role in the FBI’s overhaul. “Andrew’s leadership at the FBI will be missed but we are grateful he answered the call to serve!” Patel wrote. He said Bailey had helped institute “critical reforms” and thanked him for his dedication to the bureau’s mission. EXCLUSIVE: FBI EXTRADITIONS SOAR AS PATEL RAMPS UP FOREIGN OUTREACH, VOWS ‘NO SANCTUARY’ Bailey had left his post as Missouri attorney general to join the bureau in 2025. Asked whether anything about the job factored into the timing of his exit, Bailey insisted it did not. He said protecting children had been central to his work as Missouri attorney general and remained a priority at the FBI. FBI NABS MORE THAN 350 ALLEGED CHILD SEX ABUSE OFFENDERS According to Bailey, the bureau added 55 agents to child protection efforts and increased the number of victim service providers in field offices nationwide. During field office reviews, Bailey said he pressed staff on whether the bureau was “fulfilling our moral and legal obligation for victim notification and quality victim services.” He called the FBI’s victim services program “top-notch.” FBI AND TEXAS AUTHORITIES ARREST 276 SUSPECTED CHILD PREDATORS, RESCUE 89 CHILDREN IN SWEEPING OPERATION Bailey portrayed his time in Washington as part of what he called a “truly historic transformation” of federal law enforcement under President Donald Trump and Patel. He credited the administration’s creation of homeland security task forces and designation of Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations with helping law enforcement pursue its mission. He also said the FBI had made it easier for state, tribal and local officers to join its task forces, adding more than 2,000 task force officers in a year. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED MORE THAN 10,000 SUSPECTED GANG MEMBERS Bailey also pointed to what he described as a 20% reduction in homicides, more than 5,000 violent offenders arrested by the FBI and thousands of child victims identified and rescued as evidence that the administration’s approach is working. The outgoing official also said the bureau had seized 3,258 kilograms of fentanyl in one year and arrested more than 4,200 members of foreign terrorist organizations. He cited 11,000 child victims located and identified, without specifying a time period for those latter two figures. Asked what the public might misunderstand about the FBI, Bailey described the scale of an agency with roughly 38,000 employees and 11,000 armed agents, charged with both criminal investigations and national security work. He said the leadership team had pushed resources from headquarters to field offices, where agents could have a greater impact. KASH PATEL REVEALS FBI’S CAPTURE OF ALL 10 MEMBERS OF MOST WANTED FUGITIVE’S LIST DURING HEARING “We’ve done so much to push resources out of headquarters back to the field where they can maximize their impact,” he said. PROSECUTOR JOSEPH DIGENOVA RESIGNS FROM DOJ ROLE INVESTIGATING TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBES Bailey said more than 1,500 positions had been shifted from headquarters to field offices and that reducing layers of approval allowed agents to follow leads more quickly. He said the FBI processed more than 1.8 million DNA samples and reduced its backlog to zero for the first time in bureau history. Asked about political considerations at the FBI, Bailey said protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution were “the only considerations.” When asked how he protected agents’ ability to follow the facts, he pointed to those staffing and approval changes. He did not address whether he had seen politics influence a specific investigation or personnel decision. He rejected criticism of Patel’s approach as resistance to change inside an organization accustomed to the status quo. Bailey alleged that the FBI had previously been “weaponized” against Trump and his family and said Patel wanted to return it to its core mission of protecting Americans and upholding the Constitution. “That is going to anger those sacred guardians of the status quo,” Bailey said. As for what comes next, Bailey said he expects to return to public service someday, though he did not name a role. He traced a career that took him from the Army and two deployments to Iraq through Missouri state government and the FBI before returning to the reason he is leaving now. “I’ve dedicated my life to public service and anticipate that I’ll look to serve again in the future in some capacity,” he said. “But I’m excited right now to get home to the kids and be able to enjoy time with them and their activities.”