Jurors begin deliberations in Trump golf course assassination attempt trial
Jurors in Fort Pierce, Florida, began deliberations Tuesday in the federal criminal trial of Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at his Palm Beach golf course last year. Routh, 59, faces five federal charges, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Prosecutors used their closing arguments Tuesday to emphasize both the digital and forensic evidence presented at trial and what they described as Routh’s clear intent: to kill Trump. “This was not a publicity stunt,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne told the jury. “The evidence has shown one thing and one thing only — the defendant wanted Donald Trump dead,” Browne said, adding that the worst part was that he “almost got away” with it. Browne told jurors that Routh “excessively” stalked Trump’s locations and whereabouts in the weeks before the alleged assassination attempt on Sept. 15, 2024. He noted that Routh allegedly traveled on 17 separate occasions to scope out the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. These were “reconnaissance” missions, Browne argued. TONY HAWK, TAIWAN AND A FLASHLIGHT: TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT’S BIZARRE DEFENSE Browne reminded jurors that there were 19 rounds found in the magazine of the SKS rifle recovered at the scene, including one in the chamber. There is “no doubt, no reasonable doubt, no doubt whatsoever that it was the man,” Browne said, pointing at Routh, “who was hiding” in the sniper’s nest. Browne told jurors that his motives were also on clear display, pointing to lyrics from a rap song Routh wrote about killing Trump with a sniper rifle — one he penned after he was caught and arrested by the FBI. “It’s not every case where the defendant writes down his intent on a piece of paper,” Browne said. The prosecution spent most of its time Tuesday focusing on count one of the five federal criminal charges Routh is facing: Attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate. JURY SEATED IN TRIAL OF MAN ACCUSED OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT The contrast between Routh’s defense and federal prosecutors is a dynamic that has been on stark display throughout the trial. Federal prosecutors spent roughly two weeks walking jurors through hundreds of exhibits and testimony from 38 witnesses to make their case against Routh. Prosecutors methodically built their case with cellphone data placing Routh at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where they said he created a “sniper’s nest” near the sixth hole. They also introduced bank records, burner phone purchases, and DNA evidence linking him to the SKS rifle recovered at the scene. TRUMP TRIAL CONTINUES WITH MORE FBI TESTIMONY AFTER RIFLE CALLED ‘PREPARED TO FIRE’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has grown increasingly frustrated with Routh’s decision to represent himself without a law degree or formal training. Before adjourning Monday, she warned him that any arguments must be “reasonably tied to the admitted evidence.” Routh confirmed he understood and told Cannon he would not testify on his own behalf, despite her repeated offers for him to reconsider and consult with standby counsel. Fox News’ Samantha Daigle and Jennifer Johnson contributed to this report.
House Oversight probes whether American retirees’ pension funds are being weaponized: ‘Progressive playbook’
FIRST ON FOX: The House Oversight Committee is setting its sights on insurance companies that may have discriminated against entities with right-wing views. The panel is also looking into whether retirees’ pension accounts were being used to invest in progressive policies they may not necessarily agree with, Fox News Digital has learned. “The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating improper restrictions on access to capital and capital markets of individuals and entities based on political viewpoints or involvement in certain industries (such as cryptocurrency, energy, and firearms),” Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., wrote to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). “The Committee has engaged with whistleblowers who had their insurance policies cancelled for widely-held political positions or for operating legal businesses considered out of favor by progressive activists.” HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The move is an expansion of the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing investigation into whether public financial institutions engaged in debanking against people and entities with right-wing views. Comer is also probing whether companies implementing progressive policies are doing so at the expense of millions of retired Americans’ personal investments. He wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in his capacity as acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), that his panel “is investigating the prolific use of proxy proposals and other activism targeting corporate boards of directors by activists pursuing political agendas at the expense of the retirement and personal savings of Americans.” BILL BARR TESTIFIES HE DIDN’T SEE INFO THAT WOULD ‘IMPLICATE’ TRUMP IN EPSTEIN CASE, COMER SAYS “Specifically, the Committee seeks to understand how giant investment managers and pension fund managers, aided by proxy advisory firms, sidestepped or abandoned their fiduciary duties to beneficiaries to pursue a political agenda and whether new legislation is needed to protect investors,” Comer stated. “At a minimum, Americans deserve to fully know if their hard-earned savings are being used in a progressive playbook.” The letter accused certain large asset management firms like BlackRock of putting clients’ money into green energy initiatives, for example, rather than more profitable areas, in order to promote a left-wing agenda. BlackRock pushed back on such accusations in a public statement on its website, however. “One of the most critical tasks of an asset manager is to provide clients with insights on short- and long-term trends in the global economy that can impact their portfolios. We do this across all sectors – from healthcare to technology to energy,” the company wrote. “Climate risk is one such trend given its implications for the economy. We believe that companies that better manage their exposure to climate risk and capitalize on opportunities will generate better long term financial outcomes.” BlackRock’s website also asserted that the “choice of where to invest ultimately rests with our clients.” “We are bound to adhere to their investment guidelines and objectives. We do not dictate particular investment strategies,” it said. And on a broader scale, the committee looking into whether publicly-traded companies are running afoul of President Donald Trump’s executive order outlawing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices by simply listing it under another name. “[T]he Committee remains concerned following reports of publicly traded companies intentionally camouflaging or rebranding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies to hide such discrimination from “the Trump Administration, courts or influential activists,’” Comer wrote to several organizations opposing corporate discrimination, including the Alliance Defending Freedom. “At minimum, shareholders and retirement plan beneficiaries deserve transparency around discriminatory practices employed by corporate directors and officers as such behavior is rebranded. Replacing DEI and ESG titles with ’employee engagement’ or ‘inclusion and impact’ represents yet another deceptive practice.” Trump’s order, signed in January 2025, barred financial institutions, major corporations, colleges and universities, law enforcement agencies and specific industries like medicine and commercial airlines from promoting or implementing DEI standards. Comer accused the previous White House of promoting discriminatory practices, however, in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The Oversight Committee is investigating discriminatory practices in the American financial system and the Biden Administration’s role in supporting them,” he wrote. “Whether it is using the boardroom to achieve what the political left could not accomplish at the ballot box, or canceling Americans’ insurance policies and debanking them for their political views, these actions are wrong and deprive Americans of their constitutional rights.” Fox News Digital reached out to the IRS and NAIC for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Trump draws laughs from world leaders moments into UN speech
President Donald Trump drew laughs from world leaders within moments of taking the stage at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. Trump joked about a broken escalator in the UN building as well as the broken teleprompters right in front of him. “Thank you very much, I very much appreciate it,” he said to the applause as he took the stage. “And I don’t mind making this speech without a teleprompter because the teleprompter is not working,” he said as the leaders laughed. OPINION: THE UN IS A STAGE FOR HYPOCRISY: IT’S TIME FOR DEMOCRACIES TO EXIT “I feel very happy to be up here with you nevertheless, and that way you speak more from the heart. I can only say that whoever’s operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” he added, drawing more laughter. Trump again drew laughs later on by recounting his dissatisfaction with the UN’s assistance in global conflicts. TRUMP MUST MAKE UN FUNDING CONDITIONAL ON REAL REFORMS, EX-DIPLOMAT URGES` “I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of these countries and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal,” Trump said. “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up stopped right in the middle.” “If the first lady wasn’t in great shape she would’ve fallen. But she’s in great shape, we’re both in good shape. We both stood,” he added, drawing more laughter. “These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” he said. Throughout his speech, Trump hailed efforts for peace and warned European nations against continuing to tolerate illegal immigration. Trump also blasted the global climate change agenda as a “con job.”
Trump slams UN for ‘creating new problems,’ questions its role in fiery UNGA speech
President Donald Trump slammed the United Nations for not aiding as he and his administration seek peace in conflicts around the globe and for “creating new problems” for the U.S. and member nations, while questioning its purpose and also offering “the hand of American leadership and friendship” to all countries in the body. The president, during his first address of his second administration to the United Nations General Assembly, highlighted renewed American strength while slamming the international body. TRUMP TO GIVE ‘TOUGH TALK’ ON GLOBALISM ‘FAILURES,’ WHILE HIGHLIGHTING ‘RETURN OF AMERICAN STRENGTH’ AT UNGA “Not only is the U.N. not solving the problems it should, it, too often, is actually creating new problems for us to solve,” the president said. “The best example is the number one political issue of our time: the crisis of uncontrolled migration. It is uncontrolled. Your countries are being ruined.” The president said the U.N. is “funding an assault on Western countries and their borders.” “The U.N. is supporting people that are illegally coming into the United States, and we have to get them out,” Trump said. “The U.N. also provided food, shelter, transportation and debit cards to illegal aliens.” He added: “The UN is supposed to stop invasions — not create them and not finance them.” Trump said illegal immigrants are also “pouring into Europe.” TRUMP’S FINAL CABINET PICK, MIKE WALTZ, CONFIRMED BY SENATE IN NARROW VOTE “It is not sustainable and because they choose to be politically correct, they are doing absolutely nothing about it,” Trump said, later adding: “Your countries are going to hell. In America, we’ve taken bold action to swiftly shut down uncontrolled migration.” “Once we started detaining and deporting everyone who crossed the border and removing illegal aliens from the United States they simply stop coming they’re not coming anymore,” Trump said, while thanking El Salvador for “receiving and jailing criminals” that entered the United States. During his address, the president highlighted his successful efforts to negotiate peace around the world—specifically, Armenia and Azerbaijan; Thailand and Cambodia; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; among others. “I ended seven wars, and in all cases they were raging with countless, thousands of people being killed,” he said. “This includes Cambodia India, and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Congo and Rwanda, a vicious violent war that was Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.” He added: “No President or Prime Minister, and for that matter, no other country has ever done anything close to that. And I did it in just seven months. It’s never happened before. There’s never been anything like that.” The president then took another swipe at the U.N. “I’m very honored to have done it. It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them. And sadly in all cases the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them,” Trump continued. “I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal.” “I didn’t think of it at the time because I was too busy working to save millions of lives — that is, saving and stopping of these wars,” Trump said. “But later, I realized that the United Nations wasn’t there for us. They weren’t there.” “That being the case, what is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump asked. “The U.N. has such tremendous potential … But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential. All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up — it’s empty words.” Trump added: “Empty words don’t solve war. The only thing that solves war and wars is action.” Meanwhile, the president touted America under his leadership as having “the strongest economy, the strongest borders, the strongest military, the strongest friendships and the strongest spirit of any nation on the face of the earth.” “This is indeed the golden age of America,” Trump said. WALTZ TO ROOT OUT ANTISEMITISM, ELIMINATE ‘WOKE’ PROGRAMS, GET ‘BACK TO BASICS’ AT THE UNITED NATIONS The president added that the United States is “once again the best country on earth to do business.” “And many people in this room are investing in America, and it’s turned out to be an awfully good investment during this eight-month period,” he said. The president touted his visit to the Middle East in May to “rebuild our partnerships” in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. “My administration has negotiated one historic trade deal after another, including with the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and many, many others,” Trump said. The president also said that under his leadership, America is “respected again, like it has never been respected before.” INSIDE OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER: B-2 COMMANDER REVEALS HOW US PULLED OFF SURPRISE STRIKES ON IRAN “At the NATO summit in June, virtually all NATO members formally committed to increased defense spending, at my request, from 2% to 5% of GDP, making our alliance far stronger and more powerful than it was ever before,” the president said. The president returned to his criticisms of the United Nations, questioning if the U.N. can “play a productive role” in peace around the world. “I’ve come here today to offer the hand of American leadership and friendship to any nation in this assembly that is willing to join us in in forging a safer, more prosperous world,” Trump said. “And it’s a world that will be much happier with a dramatically better futures within our reach. But to get there, we must reject the failed approaches of the past and work together to confront some of the greatest threats in history.” Trump said there is “no more serious danger to our planet today than the most powerful and destructive
Portland moves toward further cementing its sanctuary status
Portland is set to consider new legislation that would further strengthen the city’s sanctuary policies and limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The City Council’s Community and Public Safety Committee is set to review an ordinance on Tuesday that would codify Portland’s protections into binding city law. It would expand a 2017 resolution that declared Portland a sanctuary city. The draft ordinance prohibits the use of city resources to enforce federal immigration laws and bars employees, contractors and police from helping federal immigration officers looking to investigate or detain suspected illegal immigrants. PORTLAND RAMPS UP PRESSURE ON ICE BUILDING WITH LAND USE VIOLATION NOTICE It also blocks city agencies from collecting or sharing information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), unless compelled by a court order. “The City of Portland recognizes and values the diverse contributions of all individuals and affirms its commitment to treating all persons with dignity and respect, regardless of race, color, national origin, immigration or refugee status,” the ordinance reads in part. All city employees would be required to complete a training course covering sanctuary policies, the difference between administrative and judicial warrants and how to respond if immigration agents attempt to access city property or information. The city would also designate all municipal buildings as “Sanctuary City Safe Spaces” with signage in multiple languages clarifying public and restricted areas. PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS HOW TO BOOT ICE OUT OF CITY FACILITY Another provision requires the city to regularly file Freedom of Information Act requests with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE, and to release legally disclosable information — such as the names of those detained in Portland and the alleged offenses — to the mayor, council and the public at least once a year. Each bureau would also have to submit quarterly reports on training completion and immigration enforcement activity. Exceptions would apply only in cases where Portland police arrest someone formally charged with federal immigration crimes under a judicial warrant. Any such arrests must be disclosed in an annual report to the council, including the names of officials and federal agents involved. More than two dozen people have submitted written testimony on the issue, according to KATU. Only one of the written testimonies opposed the proposal. One of the supporters wrote, “I think it’s important to reflect our shared values in our city code and not rely on state policy.” The Portland City Council is made up of 12 members, all Democrats. The mayor is also a Democrat. Fox News Digital reached out to the Portland mayor’s office and the City Council for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Trump cancels meeting with Schumer, Jeffries over ‘ridiculous demands’ as funding deadline looms
President Donald Trump canceled a meeting with top congressional Democrats on Tuesday over “unserious and ridiculous demands” as the deadline to fund the government fast approaches. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., were set to meet with Trump on Thursday to discuss a path forward to avert a partial government shutdown before the Sept. 30 deadline. Lawmakers are still away from Washington, D.C., this week to observe the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, and the Senate is expected to return on Sept. 29. Meanwhile, the House is expected to be out until the deadline passes. THUNE SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘COLD-BLOODED PARTISAN’ TACTICS AS FUNDING DEADLINE NEARS But Trump nixed the meeting in a lengthy post on his social media platform Truth Social, where he blasted the duo for pushing “radical Left policies that nobody voted for.” “I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive,” Trump said. The now canceled meeting with Trump came on the heels of a letter from Schumer and Jeffries sent over that weekend where the top congressional Democrats laid the possibility of a shutdown on his and Republicans’ feet. They argued that the Trump-backed short-term extension was “dirty,” which would mean it had partisan policy riders or spending attached to it, and panned it for continuing “the Republican assault on healthcare,” ignoring expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies, and possibly leading to the closure of hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the country. “With the September 30th deadline fast approaching, Republicans will bear responsibility for another painful government shutdown because of the refusal of GOP congressional leadership to even talk with Democrats,” they wrote at the time. But Trump argued that their bill would allow for the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts in his “big, beautiful bill” to be repealed, and also blasted the Democratic continuing resolution (CR) for ending his megabill’s $50 billion rural hospital fund. TRUMP-APPROVED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SCUTTLED BY SENATE “We must keep the Government open, and legislate like true Patriots rather than hold American Citizens hostage, knowing that they want our now thriving Country closed,” he said. “I’ll be happy to meet with them if they agree to the Principles in this Letter,” Trump continued. “They must do their job! Otherwise, it will just be another long and brutal slog through their radicalized quicksand. To the Leaders of the Democrat Party, the ball is in your court. I look forward to meeting with you when you become realistic about the things that our Country stands for. DO THE RIGHT THING!” Schumer and Jeffries last month demanded a meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to strike a deal, given that Thune will need Democratic support in the Senate. However, that meeting has so far not come to fruition — though Thune has pushed back on Schumer’s characterization and argued that if the Democratic leader wants to talk, it’s on him to make it happen. “After weeks of Republican stonewalling in Congress, President Trump has agreed to meet this week in the Oval Office,” they said in a joint statement. “In the meeting, we will emphasize the importance of addressing rising costs, including the Republican healthcare crisis. It’s past time to meet and work to avoid a Republican-caused shutdown.” The last time Schumer went to negotiate with Trump at the White House ahead of a looming deadline in 2018, the government shut down for 35 days, which marked the longest partial closure in history. At the time, Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., were at odds with Trump on a deal to fund construction of a wall on the southern border. Prior to the meeting being announced, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued that if the government shuttered, it “would be the fault of the Democrats.” “We want a clean funding extension to keep the government open, that’s all we’re advocating for,” she said. SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK DEMOCRATS’ ‘FILTHY’ COUNTEROFFER AS SHUTDOWN DEADLINE LOOMS However, the House Republicans’ bill is relatively “clean,” save for tens of millions in spending for increasing security measures for lawmakers in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Congressional Democrats’ counter-proposal, which also failed last week, included more funding for member security, but also sought to repeal the healthcare portion of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” claw back billions of canceled funding for NPR and PBS, and permanently extend the expiring ACA credits. Thune noted last week that CRs “aren’t places to load big health policy changes in.” “I think that we are open to the conversation about what we do with the ObamaCare premium tax credit,” Thune said. “Is that something in which members, Republican senators, and I think, for that matter, Republican House members, have an interest, as well.” “But this isn’t the place to do that,” he continued. “This is the place to fund the government, to allow our appropriations process to continue that issue.”
Harris accuses Biden of ‘perceived blank check’ for Netanyahu in Hamas war
In her new book, former Vice President Kamala Harris indicates that President Joe Biden’s unpopularity harmed her 2024 presidential bid, suggesting that among the issues was the president’s “perceived blank check to [Israeli leader] Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza,” Axios reported. “I had pleaded with Joe, when he spoke publicly on this issue, to extend the same empathy he showed to the suffering of Ukrainians to the suffering of innocent Gazan civilians,” she wrote, according to the outlet. “But he couldn’t do it: While he could passionately state, ‘I am a Zionist,’ his remarks about innocent Palestinians came off as inadequate and forced.” KAMALA HARRIS SAYS SHE ‘HAD NO IDEA’ SHE ‘PULLED THE PIN ON A HAND GRENADE’ WITH ‘THE VIEW’ ANSWER ABOUT BIDEN Trump trounced Harris in the 2024 contest — she lost the Electoral College and the popular vote. Harris claimed in her book that Netanyahu “wanted [Donald] Trump in the seat opposite him. Not Joe, not me,” according to Axios. The former vice president’s book about her whirlwind presidential campaign, “107 Days,” was released on Tuesday. SEN TED CRUZ CALLS OUT VP KAMALA HARRIS FOR PALESTINIAN SYMPATHY PUSH: ‘UNDERMINING ISRAEL’ “I believe Israel was right to respond to the atrocities of October 7,” she wrote, according to Axios. “But the ferocity of Netanyahu’s response, the number of innocent Palestinian women and children killed, and his failure to prioritize the lives of the hostages had weakened Israel’s moral position internationally and created angry dissent within Israel itself.” HARRIS OFFERS TIMID ENDORSEMENT OF MAMDANI, QUICKLY PIVOTS TO OTHER ‘STAR’ DEMOCRATS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A December 2023 Politico article titled “Kamala Harris pushes White House to be more sympathetic toward Palestinians” quoted Harris press secretary Kirsten Allen claiming that “there is no daylight between the president and the vice president, nor has there been” and they “have been clear: Israel has a right and responsibility to defend itself; humanitarian aid must be allowed to flow into Gaza; innocent civilians must be protected; and the United States remains committed to a two-state solution.”
Waltz to root out antisemitism, eliminate ‘woke’ programs, get ‘back to basics’ at the United Nations
EXCLUSIVE: Newly confirmed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz will work to “Make the U.N. great again,” while working to root out antisemitism, eliminate “woke” programs and become more aggressive in telecommunications, aviation, space and more, sources familiar with his priorities told Fox News Digital. Waltz, a retired Army National Guard colonel and former Green Beret, previously served as a House Republican from Florida before being tapped to serve as Trump’s national security advisor. TRUMP’S FINAL CABINET PICK, MIKE WALTZ, CONFIRMED BY SENATE IN NARROW VOTE Waltz was confirmed as U.N. ambassador Friday, ending a nearly nine-month gap during which the U.S. was without a representative at the U.N. His confirmation also came just before the U.N. General Assembly began in New York City. A source familiar with Waltz’s plans told Fox News Digital that he will reform the U.N. by working to “clean up the woke nonsense that’s infected the U.N., like so many other government institutions.” The source told Fox News Digital that Waltz plans to reform U.N. agencies focused on climate and “woke” programs. The source stressed that Waltz will also reform the way the United States is represented at the U.N. “President Trump is the president for peace,” another source familiar with Waltz’s plans told Fox News Digital. “The U.N.’s original mandate was to bring everybody together and prevent wars or stop wars.” The source added: “We need to get back to basics.” That source also told Fox News Digital that Waltz will work to root out antisemitism at the U.N. WALTZ PROMISES US WILL DEFEND ‘EVERY INCH’ OF NATO TERRITORY AFTER RUSSIAN JETS FLEW INTO ESTONIA Waltz also has signaled that he plans to be more aggressive in international standard-setting bodies which affect U.S. businesses and the economy. For example, China has been “very aggressive” in agencies that govern how aviation, telecommunications, space and international shipping work,” a source said. “We need to be more aggressive,” the source said. Waltz also plans to support Trump’s agenda and priorities set by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During his confirmation hearing, Waltz advocated for reforms at the U.N. and argued that “we should have one place in the world where everyone can talk.” “Where China, Russia, Europe, the developing world, can come together and resolve conflicts,” he said. “But after 80 years, it’s drifted from its core mission of peacemaking.” Meanwhile, on his first day at the U.N., Waltz warned Monday that the U.S. and its allies will defend “every inch” of NATO territory after Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace. “The United States stands by our NATO allies in the face of these airspace violations, and I want to take this first opportunity to repeat and to emphasize the United States and our allies will defend every inch of NATO territory,” Waltz said during opening remarks of the U.N. General Assembly high-level week. “Russia must urgently stop dangerous behavior.” The warning marked one of Waltz’s first public statements since his Senate confirmation. It came days after three Russian MiG-31 jets flew deep into Estonian airspace — the closest such incursion to the Baltic nation’s Parliament building in years — raising fears Moscow is testing NATO’s resolve. Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Lawsuit claims baby monitors marketed as safe may be feeding data to Beijing
FIRST ON FOX: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers will file a lawsuit Tuesday against home security camera maker Lorex, alleging the company misled consumers about the safety and privacy of its devices, Fox News Digital has learned. Few people know the name Lorex, but its cameras, sold at retailers like Costco and Best Buy, are quietly monitoring homes across the U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTS RAISE CONCERNS AFTER MICROSOFT EXPOSED AS POSSIBLE AVENUE FOR CHINESE SPYING The 39-page lawsuit, filed in Nebraska state court, claims the company marketed its cameras as “private by design” and safe for places like children’s bedrooms, while concealing that the devices rely on a Chinese firm sanctioned by the U.S. over national security and human rights violations. Lorex did not immediately respond to Fox News Digitial’s request for comment. According to Hilgers, Lorex devices depend on technology from Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., a Chinese surveillance firm legally bound to assist Beijing’s sweeping intelligence apparatus. “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) poses a direct threat to American security, including through market actors who create or exploit security to American consumers,” Hilgers told Fox News Digital. “This is a national issue, and we are leading the fight in Nebraska against these companies who enable the CCP influence and surveillance.” CHINA IS EXPLOITING OUR GOVERNMENT’S TECH WEAKNESS. WE NEED A RAPID REBOOT The complaint notes that the Lorex 2K Dual Lens Indoor camera, sold by major U.S. retailers such as Costco, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Home Depot, closely mirrors Dahua’s “H5D-5F” and “H3D-3F” models. Hilgers said Lorex markets its surveillance products for use in highly private areas, including children’s bedrooms, without warning families of potential security risks. “This marketing is deceptive, as Nebraskans are not warned about security risks,” he said. “When it comes to products that may be used to monitor children and inside Nebraska homes, this deception is both alarming and unacceptable.” Hilgers isn’t alone in sounding the alarm. Others in the security space say Lorex’s products represent a broader national threat. Michael Lucci, CEO of State Armor, has been the leading voice pushing states to act. “Lorex products shouldn’t just say ‘Made in China,’ they should say ‘Watching from China,’” Lucci said in a statement to Fox News Digital. CHINA TARGETS US MILITARY MEMBERS IN OVERSEAS SPY OPERATIONS, FORMER CIA CHIEF WARNS He continued, “By hiding its reliance on a CCP-controlled company sanctioned for human rights abuses and national security risks, Lorex is lying to American families.” “Marketing these cameras as ‘private by design’ while all the data is back-doored by Beijing is not just false advertising, it’s a direct threat to individual privacy and American national security,” he added. Lawmakers from both parties have long raised concerns that the Chinese government exploits educational exchanges, research partnerships and business investments in the U.S. as cover for espionage activities. These warnings have intensified in recent years amid growing scrutiny of Beijing’s influence operations on U.S. soil.
New poll reveals Mamdani still holds commanding double-digit lead over rivals in NYC mayoral race
With six weeks to go until Election Day 2025, Zohran Mamdani remains far ahead of his rivals for New York City mayor, according to a new public opinion poll. Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from Queens who shocked the political world in June with his convincing win over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party’s mayoral nomination, holds a 20-point lead over Cuomo. Mamdani grabs 45% support in the Suffolk University CityView poll of New Yorkers very or somewhat likely to vote in November’s general election for mayor. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF THE NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL SHOWDOWN Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid multiple scandals and who is running as an independent candidate in the general election after losing the primary, stands at 25% support in the survey, which was conducted Sept. 16–18. Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who for a second straight election is the Republican mayoral nominee in the Democratic-dominated city, stands at 9%. And embattled incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent after deciding to skip the Democratic primary amid anemic polling, grabbed 8% support in the survey. MAMDANI LANDS CRUCIAL ENDORSEMENT IN NYC MAYORAL SHOWDOWN Three other candidates on the ballot combined for 1% support, with 9% undecided. Suffolk highlighted that theirs is the first public poll that includes all seven candidates listed on the official ballot, and the nine affiliated political parties or designations. “The official ballot lists Mamdani and Sliwa twice each because they represent multiple political parties or designations,” Suffolk University Political Research Center director David Paleologos said. “This helps Mamdani because he is listed first on the ballot as the Democratic Party nominee, and then again fourth on the ballot as the Working Families Party nominee.” Cuomo is listed once and is the eighth selection out of nine ballot choices. TRUMP REVEALS NEW NICKNAME FOR MAMDANI The Suffolk poll is the latest to show Mamdani remains the clear frontrunner in the Democratic-dominated city. Four other surveys conducted earlier this month indicated Mamdani’s lead over Cuomo and the rest of the field ranging from 15 to 22 points. Both Sliwa and Adams have repeatedly committed to staying in the race in recent weeks amid multiple reports that President Donald Trump’s advisors floated administration roles for both mayoral hopefuls if they dropped out. Trump, a native New Yorker who now calls Florida home, has urged that the field narrow in order to offer Cuomo a better chance at possibly defeating Mamdani, whom the president repeatedly derides is a communist. The Ugandan-born Mamdani, if elected, would become the first Muslim and first millennial mayor of the nation’s most populous city. Mamdani surged to the Democratic primary victory thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City’s high cost of living. It was fueled by a grassroots army of supporters and backing from top national progressive champions, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering free child care for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores. Mamdani has been heavily criticized by his rivals not only for his far-left proposals, but also for his criticism of Israel, his past negative comments regarding the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and his proposal to shift certain responsibilities away from the NYPD and focus on social services and community-based programs. The new poll indicates affordability, at 21%, is the top issue on the minds of New York City voters, followed by crime at 20%, economy/jobs at 14%, and housing at 9%. The survey also indicates voters are debunking much of the negative social media narratives about Mamdani and Cuomo. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP According to the poll, 59% of those questioned disagreed that Mamdani is antisemitic. And 52% disagreed that Mamdani, if elected, would raise taxes, causing businesses to flee the city. Additionally, 53% disagreed that Cuomo, if elected, would continue the unwanted touching and groping that were among the controversies that caused him to resign as governor.