Bioweapon threat exposed as Anthropic sounds alarm on foreign actors plotting virus experiments
Researchers outside the United States used frontier AI models to plan experiments involving highly pathogenic bird flu, chikungunya and other biological agents with potential weapons applications, according to a new threat report from Anthropic. The researchers used AI to study viruses’ transmissibility and immune evasion, investigate orthopoxvirus immune-response genes and help design novel toxins at times while taking steps to evade safeguards meant to restrict access to dangerous biological capabilities. Anthropic detailed five cases in the report published Thursday but withheld the countries, institutions and specific biological agents involved. The company stressed that it is not claiming the researchers intended to develop biological weapons. AI KILL SWITCH BILL COULD SHUT DOWN ROGUE MODELS The findings offer a concrete glimpse at a threat that has largely been discussed in hypothetical terms. Scientists who already possess biological expertise, materials and laboratory access are using increasingly powerful AI systems to accelerate sensitive dual-use research. They also land amid a renewed debate over catastrophic AI risks. Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher, recently resigned while accusing the companies of “racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.” His warning drew more than 100 million views on X. SEN BERNIE SANDERS: YES, WE MUST HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON ON AI BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE Evan Hubinger, Anthropic’s alignment science lead, separately said he personally believed there was a greater than 10% chance AI could kill all humans within the next decade. But Anthropic’s report points to a threat that is already taking shape: researchers using frontier AI for potentially dangerous biological work, circumventing geographic restrictions and adapting when the models’ safeguards get in their way. In one case, Anthropic blocked a grant application for chikungunya gain-of-function research at a military research institute. The proposed work focused on identifying mutations that could increase the virus’s transmissibility and ability to evade the immune system. The researchers planned to engineer those mutations into infectious clones and repeatedly pass the virus through live animals, selecting for variants that caused the most severe disease. That work could help scientists develop better vaccines and treatments for chikungunya. It could also produce a more dangerous pathogen that would be difficult to distinguish from a naturally occurring outbreak, Anthropic said. The researchers accessed Claude through a life sciences platform that tunneled traffic through U.S. infrastructure to evade Anthropic’s regional restrictions. When Claude refused to answer sensitive prompts, the platform routed those requests to another model with more permissive safeguards. Anthropic said the research continued after the company banned accounts connected to the activity. The platform operator reestablished access within days using new identities, while Claude continued to provide editorial assistance on research materials. In another case, a researcher spent weeks using Claude to plan experiments involving mammalian adaptation and airborne transmission in highly pathogenic avian influenza. FDA APPROVES FIRST-EVER MRNA FLU VACCINE FOR MILLIONS OF OLDER AMERICANS The researcher was studying viral traits that could allow bird flu to spread more effectively among mammals and cause severe disease outside the respiratory system. A version capable of efficient human-to-human transmission would pose a significant pandemic threat, according to the report. Anthropic said the researcher appeared to have access to virus isolates and animal-model facilities. The company confined the work to weaker models, limiting the assistance primarily to study design, data analysis and editorial support. The company said the case provided evidence of an active research program developing the knowledge and biological materials needed to create pathogens with enhanced pandemic potential. The researcher also took steps to hide his identity while accessing the models from an unsupported region. A separate user connected to a state-associated infectious-disease laboratory used Claude to draft an orthopoxvirus research grant from start to finish in about an hour. Orthopoxviruses include variola, the virus that causes smallpox, as well as mpox. The grant application proposed studying viral genes that disable the human immune response and included the central hypothesis, experimental design, dosing, statistical plans and contingency strategies. Because the work was framed around weakening the virus, Claude’s safeguards did not block the assistance. But Anthropic said the same knowledge could also help a researcher preserve or enhance the virus’ immune-evasion capabilities. The final two cases involved venom peptides and toxins. One researcher used Claude to build an atlas of toxin peptides from multiple venomous animal lineages and then created a generative pipeline to optimize their characteristics. The stated goal was to develop new painkillers, antidepressants and other treatments. But the atlas also included structures associated with paralytic toxins that could potentially be used as incapacitating agents. Anthropic said the work was part of a state-supported research program. In the other case, a researcher used Claude to computationally redesign several toxins, including a bacterial toxin and a protein from a hemorrhagic fever virus identified by the World Health Organization as a priority disease threat. The researcher used Claude to help prepare progress reports but instructed the model to keep the identities of the toxins deliberately vague. The cases illustrate why biological misuse can be difficult to prevent through automated filters alone. Anthropic’s safeguards blocked the clearest attempts involving enhanced pandemic pathogens, but they were less effective when users framed their work as medical, defensive or therapeutic research. “Biological capabilities are dual use,” Anthropic said in the report. “The same information that can be used to develop a biological weapon could also be used to develop, for example, a vaccine or a cure for a disease.” The company said it recently reviewed 30 days of activity associated with adversarial state institutions and found roughly 35 distinct biological research efforts. Most involved ordinary civilian science, but some had “notable dual-use potential.” Anthropic said the findings do not show that Claude has enabled an imminent biological attack. They do show, the company said, that researchers tied to state-associated programs are attempting to evade access controls and use frontier AI models in biological research that could have weapons applications. The company said future safeguards will likely require more than content
Prosecutor Joseph diGenova resigns from DOJ role investigating Trump-Russia probes
Joseph diGenova has resigned from his Justice Department role investigating the alleged “Grand Conspiracy” surrounding the Trump-Russia investigations, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Fox News has learned diGenova lost the confidence of both the Justice Department and the White House. According to sources familiar with the matter, he had been effectively sidelined well before his departure. His resignation comes after months in which his role had diminished internally, ending his involvement in the investigation amid questions about his standing within both the administration and DOJ leadership. DOJ ORDERED TO FREEZE ANTITRUST WORK WITH CANADA AS TRADE TENSIONS INTENSIFY ABC News first reported his resignation. “It was an honor and a privilege to serve the president and the department,” diGenova told CBS News. He declined to comment further about the circumstances surrounding his departure. DiGenova’s wife, attorney Victoria Toensing, who also joined the federal prosecution team in South Florida, is expected to leave the Justice Department on Friday, according to CBS News. The so-called “Grand Conspiracy” investigation is based out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Fort Pierce, Florida. It examines whether Obama- and Biden-era officials were involved in a long-running effort to prevent Trump from returning to political office. The probe has scrutinized officials involved in past investigations of Trump, including former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey. DiGenova was also overseeing a separate criminal investigation into whether Brennan lied to Congress about the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. MAJOR BLUE STATE HOSPITAL PULLS PLUG ON CONTROVERSIAL CHILD TRANSGENDER TREATMENTS AFTER DOJ INTERVENTION The investigation has issued dozens of subpoenas over the past year. Lawyers for some witnesses were recently notified that their clients would receive grand jury subpoenas, while investigators also sought voluntary interviews with former FBI agents involved in the Mar-a-Lago investigation, according to CBS News. Prosecutors have not filed charges in either case. DiGenova was tapped to oversee the probe in April after career prosecutor Maria Medetis Long was removed from the case. He had criticized delays in the investigation and said indictments could have been brought within 30 days. His departure, along with Toensing’s expected exit, leaves the future of the investigation uncertain. The longtime Washington attorney previously served as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia from 1983 to 1988. He later represented Trump’s campaign during its unsuccessful effort to challenge the 2020 election results.
Fatwas, holy wars and socialism: Inside the Islamic conference where El-Sayed drew a hero’s welcome
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed headlined an Islamic conference over Labor Day weekend where the United States was described as an empire in decline, early Islamic conquests were praised and the aftermath of 9/11 was framed around Islamophobia and discrimination. The event, held annually by the Islamic Society of North America, featured a range of speakers discussing topics from Muslim civic participation to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. Over the course of the conference’s speeches and panel discussions, participants took positions that were generally critical of the United States and the broader Western world and expressed opinions that some may regard as extreme. EXILED MUSLIM SCHOLAR WARNS FAR-LEFT–ISLAMIST ALLIANCE BEHIND ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS ECHOES IRAN’S RISE Fox News Digital attended the event over the weekend, sitting in on many of the panels held on Saturday and Sunday before and after El-Sayed’s speech. The Michigan Democrat is running in one of the most hotly contested Senate races of the 2026 cycle, the outcome of which may decide control of the Senate. At one panel, “Rising Islamophobia in the U.S.,” a speaker described recently passed legislation that could bar colleges participating in certain commercial boycotts of Israel from receiving some federal higher education funds as “an anti-Muslim bill.” Shortly after that, a man in the audience wearing a Pakistani flag pin stood up and called for a fatwa to be issued against the bipartisan group of lawmakers who voted for the bill. A fatwa is a religious ruling or opinion that can range from a formal condemnation to, in some cases, a call for or justification of violence. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., and co-sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. After the man called for a fatwa against members of Congress, members of the audience — and one panelist — applauded. Earlier, during the same discussion, a panelist criticized Congress for moving to censure Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib for making “the most lighthearted comments” Tlaib was censured in part for endorsing the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which calls for the destruction of Israel as bounded by the Jordan River in the east and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. Critics characterized the phrase as a call for ethnic cleansing, while the congresswoman defended it as “an aspirational call for freedom, human rights and peaceful coexistence.” ISNA is a nonprofit Muslim religious organization established in 1981 to provide America’s growing Muslim population with a platform for civic coordination and education. Detroit, where the event took place, is situated in a metropolitan area that has a significant Arab American population concentrated in areas such as Dearborn and Hamtramck. EL-SAYED CAMPAIGN BACKED BY OVER $100,000 FROM DOZENS OF MEMBERS OF GROUP WITH ALLEGED TERROR TIES Panelists also accused billionaire Elon Musk of funding a White supremacist global anti-Muslim movement, suggested that some of the narrative regarding 9/11 taught in American schools has been “debunked” and asserted that Muslims were treated unfairly in the wake of the 2001 attacks. Criticism of America’s response to 9/11 surfaced repeatedly across the conference’s events and breakout sessions. One speaker asserted that one of the most important things to reflect on as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches is that “Islamophobia is at an all-time high.” Another called the War on Terror, a series of post-9/11 military operations that claimed the lives of over 7,000 U.S. military personnel, the “War of Terror.” El-Sayed has sought to moderate his public image since launching his Senate campaign, even as he has maintained ties to prominent socialists and socialist-aligned activists. His attendance at the recent ISNA conference is the latest in a series of associations that have drawn criticism, including ties to Nation of Islam figures, Muslim clerics accused of expressing support for terrorist organizations and activists on the socialist left. In response to these charges, the Democrat has pointed out that GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers has links to individuals who echo conspiracy theories about the 2020 election or who have called for bans on gay marriage. EL-SAYED’S HASAN PIKER PROBLEM FOLLOWS HIM TO DEM CONVENTION AS JEWISH VOTERS BREAK RANKS Before the event, El-Sayed’s campaign moved to distance the candidate from other conference speakers. “Abdul is not affiliated with and does not endorse any other participant of the conference,” a spokeswoman for his campaign told media outlets in the lead-up to the event. The statement followed reports that he would appear alongside Islamic clerics who defended child marriage and praised U.S.-designated terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda. Of the controversial speakers, only the cleric who had defended child marriage was ultimately disinvited, The Washington Free Beacon previously reported. ISNA appeared to anticipate scrutiny over some of the speakers it invited to the conference. In the conference venue’s main hallway, the organization posted a prominent sign which says, “ISNA does not endorse the actions of convention participants and explicitly disclaims any responsibility for the views expressed, information provided, or materials displayed, sold or distributed by convention speakers, performers, exhibitors, vendors, or attendees.” COUNTERTERRORISM EXPERT WARNS ABDUL EL-SAYED SENATE BID RAISES HOMELAND SECURITY CONCERNS While ISNA sought to distance itself from the controversial views expressed by some conference speakers, the organization itself took actions that also drew scrutiny. Fox News Digital spoke to three Christian evangelists outside the conference who claimed they were removed from it without warning. Each of them said they were simply having conversations with individuals who wanted to speak with them before they were escorted outside by security. Attendance at the conference was open to people of all faiths, and registration did not require attendees to be Muslim. The conference also held an interfaith banquet on Sunday. The disclaimer took on added significance in light of books available for purchase at the conference’s on-site bazaar. Fox News Digital found books that defended Islamic warfare while portraying Christianity as uniquely violent. “Christians are the last people on earth who should bring the charge of bloodshed
For ‘horrible moment,’ Bush White House thought US military shot down Flight 93
Former President George W. Bush discussed his memories of 9/11 with his former secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks this week. Bush and Rice said they both remember sitting in a bunker in the hours after the attacks, coordinating the U.S. domestic response. Rice recounted how they were working to ground civilian flights across the country and said at one point they thought the U.S. military had shot down United Airlines Flight 93. “I do want to say one thing to Gen. [Daniel] Caine, because something in what you said, our paths crossed in a strange way. So you mentioned that you heard that as the president, you have to understand the hard decisions that this man had to make, just like that. And one of them was what would happen if a plane was not properly identifying itself, because every plane had become a missile,” Rice said. FLIGHT 93 HERO’S DAD WARNS ‘ENEMIES FROM WITHIN’ AIM TO DESTROY AMERICA AT THE BALLOT BOX “And so we were trying to land, I remember Norm Mineta, the transportation secretary, trying to land planes on a legal pad, yellow pad, legal pad. But you’d given the order through the vice president that should a plane not squawk properly, it should be shot down. Gen. Caine, we thought initially, standing in that bunker, that Flight 93 had been shot down,” she continued. 9/11 MUSEUM UNVEILS EXHIBITION FOR GENERATION TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER THE ATTACKS: ‘CALLED EVERYBODY TO LEAD’ “Yeah, I thought it was the same thing,” Bush said. “And there was this horrible moment where the vice president kept trying to get confirmation as to what had happened. And for about 10 minutes we thought we’d shot down a civilian aircraft. And that always, to me, represented just how hard the decisions were that you had to take under a lot of pressure,” Rice said. The event, called, “A Legacy of Service: America at the 25th Anniversary of 9/11,” saw Bush host many members of his 2001 administration in Texas. As part of the 25th anniversary commemoration, Bush painted 16 works of art that “reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and resilience that emerged from one of the most defining moments in American history,” that will be displayed at Freedom Hall at the Bush Museum through September. Fox News’ Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
9/11 hero’s memory preserved through massive effort to ‘do good’ for vets, first responders: ‘His legacy’
On one of the darkest days in America’s history, New York City firefighter Stephen Siller strapped on his gear and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the collapsing Twin Towers, ultimately giving his life to save those caught in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Two and a half decades later, Tunnel to Towers, founded by Siller’s family, has continued his legacy through its commitment to “do good” for veterans and first responders and their families across the country. Since its founding, inspired by Siller and his favorite quote, “While we have time, let us do good,” Tunnel to Towers has provided more than 1,700 mortgage-free homes to the families of fallen service members and first responders, as well as to disabled veterans and first responders. The organization has also delivered housing assistance and support services to more than 20,000 homeless veterans and holds hundreds of events nationwide to honor America’s heroes and preserve the memory of those who lost their lives for future generations. Tunnel to Towers CEO Frank Siller, the brother of the 34-year-old firefighter who gave his life on Sept. 11, previously warned in 2020 that America was “very close to forgetting the impact 9/11 had on our nation.” Now, with anti-American sentiment on the rise and some online commentators belittling the Sept. 11 attacks or even justifying them, many worry the legacy of those who lost their lives, including the 343 members of the New York City Fire Department who made the ultimate sacrifice, will be forgotten. Siller, however, has vowed that “Tunnel to Towers will never let that happen.” 9/11 IS BECOMING HISTORY. MY GENERATION MUST MAKE SURE AMERICA NEVER FORGETS The Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Institute has helped to educate students from kindergarten through 12th grade on the “extraordinary heroism and goodness of everyday people” on Sept. 11, “while demonstrating the strength and resilience of America’s spirit.” Its mobile 9/11 exhibit has traveled to nearly all 50 states as well as Canada. This year, Tunnel to Towers launched its “Steel Across America” display, in which a 16,000-pound steel beam pulled from the wreckage of the World Trade Center traveled more than 10,500 miles to 35 stops across 21 states and the District of Columbia, culminating in New York City. NEW 9/11 MUSEUM EXHIBIT AIMS TO CONNECT YOUNGER AMERICANS TO THE ATTACKS THROUGH POWERFUL ARTIFACTS To mark the 25th anniversary, Tunnel to Towers also launched its 343 Homes Initiative this year to honor the 343 New York firefighters who died on Sept. 11. According to the group, this initiative will deliver 343 mortgage-free homes to the families of fallen service members and fallen first responders as well as to catastrophically injured service members across the country. This initiative builds on Tunnel to Towers’ “In the Line of Duty Programs,” which have provided more than 1,700 mortgage-free homes to the families of fallen service members and first responders, as well as to catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. More than 220 of those homes have been custom “Smart Homes,” modified to be fully accessible to catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER In a recent Fox News opinion piece, Siller put it simply: “Stephen’s life and heroic death serve as a reminder to us all to live life to the fullest and to spend our time here on earth doing good—this is his legacy.”
Supreme Court again blocks Missouri from using Trump-backed congressional maps
The Supreme Court turned back another effort to use Missouri congressional maps supported by President Donald Trump. “The application for stay presented to Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh and by him referred to the Court is granted,” Thursday’s ruling read. The court’s brief order was unsigned and gave no explanation, as is common when the justices handle emergency matters. No justice publicly dissented from the decision. MISSOURI AG FILES PETITION ASKING SUPREME COURT TO REVIVE TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING MAP While the Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling paved the way for use of the old maps, the state’s Aug. 4 primary was already held under the new maps. “After repeated legal victories defending Missouri’s fair and lawful map, this 11th-hour ruling pulls the rug out from under voters who already cast their primary ballots,” RNC Election Integrity Communications Director Ally Triolo wrote in a statement. “Changing the rules mid-election is reckless and wrong.” The court’s decision came after U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark ordered Missouri to use the new map, conflicting with a unanimous ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court that said the districts had not legally taken effect and that the state’s older map should be used unless voters approve the changes. Republican state officials have argued it would violate voters’ federal rights to switch districts before the general election. MISSOURI HIGH COURT BLOCKS GOP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS; TRUMP BLASTS ‘RIDICULOUS’ RULING The Missouri Supreme Court also ordered Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to appear at a contempt hearing Thursday, after he instructed local election officials to use the new districts. A federal judge declined to halt that hearing before the Supreme Court issued its order. The redrawn map was approved by Missouri Republicans in 2025. It dismantles the Kansas City-based 5th Congressional District held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., by shifting portions of the seat into neighboring districts and extending the remainder into heavily Republican areas. The way the map was designed gave Republicans a strong chance of winning seven of Missouri’s eight House seats, compared with the current six-to-two Republican advantage. Opponents of the map, including the group People Not Politicians, submitted hundreds of thousands of petition signatures seeking a statewide referendum. The Missouri Supreme Court ordered that referendum to appear on the November ballot, meaning voters will decide whether the redrawn map can be used in future elections. Republicans currently hold a 219-214 majority in the House, including one independent who caucuses with the GOP. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Mamdani, touting RI socialist’s victory, answers question of ‘What is the Democratic Party?’
Democratic socialist David Morales’ victory in Rhode Island’s mayoral primary Wednesday night got the attention of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who says it is evidence of where the party as a whole is headed as November’s midterm elections draw near. “I think it comes back to what I’ve said before, which is what is the Democratic Party, if not its voters?” Mamdani asked during a Thursday morning news conference on the first day of school in his city. “We’re seeing that the voters across this country are eager for not only a change, but also for a vision of something that we are fighting for,” Mamdani added. “And, you know, I’ve spoken a lot about childcare this morning. I’ve often couched it as the second driver of the cost of living crisis. The first driver is housing.” MAMDANI CLAIMS DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS CAN WIN ‘ANYWHERE’ AS DEMOCRATS FEUD OVER PARTY’S FUTURE Mamdani was hailing a new free education program for 2,000 needy families, as Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a pledge for $425 million more in next year’s state budget to expand early childhood programs, including services for families with disabilities. At the end of Thursday’s news conference, Mamdani responded to a question about Morales, a 27-year-old state representative and Democratic socialist who defeated one-term Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, 47, in the Democratic primary. Republicans hold no seats on the Providence City Council, and Democrats make up a majority of registered voters in the city. Former Vice President Kamala Harris beat President Donald Trump in the city by 51 points in 2024. Mamdani hailed Morales’ campaign for rent stabilization and affordability in the deep-blue city. MAMDANI RIPPED OVER RECORD-HIGH NYC RENTS WITH CRITICS POINTING TO POLICY THEY SAY IS FUELING CRISIS “The little that I do know about this soon-to-be new mayor is that one of the central issues in his race was around rent stabilization and around the importance of delivering on affordability, not just as a goal, but as a result,” Mamdani concluded. “And what we’ve seen is that his constituents agreed with exactly that.” Morales, who was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., won roughly 54% of the vote to Smiley’s 46%, ousting the incumbent after one term. If he wins the November general election, Morales would become Providence’s youngest mayor. “Few believed that a 27-year-old democratic socialist could ever, few believed that we could ever take on big money, corporate real estate interests and endless attack ads — and we took them on and we won,” Morales said in his victory speech. SOCIALIST SURGE: MAMDANI FLEXES GROWING POLITICAL MUSCLE AS HE TAKES ON DEM ESTABLISHMENT The Providence contest unfolded amid a broader debate within the Democratic Party over the influence of democratic socialists and progressive candidates. Housing costs and rent control were key issues in the primary, with Morales backing rent control while Smiley argued that the policy could discourage development. Providence rents have risen sharply since 2020 and the race centered on how to address the city’s housing affordability crisis. Republicans, particularly Vice President JD Vance, argue that former President Joe Biden’s open border policies and blue-state sanctuary for illegal migrants brought exploding demand for a finite supply of housing in Democratic-run sanctuary cities like Providence. “The city of Providence must use every tool that we have at our disposal to defend our immigrant community and protect us from the fascist ICE agents,” Morales said in his primary victory speech.
Bush revives ‘Islam is peace’ message with fresh focus on post-9/11 mosque visit
DALLAS – As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, former President George W. Bush reflected on his decision to visit a mosque six days after the attacks, saying he wanted Muslim Americans to know they were not to blame for the terrorism. “This decision, shortly thereafter, was to go to a mosque,” Bush said on Wednesday evening. “I did so because I was deeply concerned about stories of women in coverings being harassed at shopping centers, particularly in Michigan.” Bush revisited his 9/11 response during a conversation with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at “A Legacy of Service: America at the 25th Anniversary of 9/11,” held at his presidential center in Dallas. The mosque visit became a prominent part of Bush’s response to the attacks as he sought to distinguish Islam and Muslim Americans from the terrorists responsible for 9/11. Six days after the attacks, Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington, where he declared, “Islam is peace.” REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: 9/11 IS JUST A HISTORY CHAPTER FOR A NEW GENERATION OF AMERICANS “It became clear to me that if this was an ideological struggle, which is what I viewed it as, and we forego one of the most important parts of our ideology, which is the freedom to worship the way you want to worship,” said Bush. “I want you to talk about a couple of those events. You talked about going to the Islamic Center and trying to make sure that our Muslim American citizens knew that we didn’t blame them for what had happened,” said Rice. 9/11 IS BECOMING HISTORY. MY GENERATION MUST MAKE SURE AMERICA NEVER FORGETS “I also made it clear that Islam was a religion of peace, not a religion of war, and that these people subverted their religion,” Bush added. Bush visited the Islamic Center of Washington on Sept. 17, where he sought to draw a sharp distinction between Islam and the terrorists responsible for killing nearly 3,000 Americans. He met with Muslim leaders and specifically raised concerns about Muslim women who wore head coverings, saying he had been told some were afraid to leave their homes or go shopping because they feared being intimidated. “That should not and that will not stand in America,” he said in 2001. ABDUL EL-SAYED HITS BACK AT ISRAEL QUESTIONS, SUGGESTS HIS NAME AND FAITH ARE BEHIND PRESS SCRUTINY Bush’s remarks come as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches and as the attacks and their aftermath have returned to the political spotlight.
Trump dangles $5,000 checks as debt surges — but only if GOP can clear major midterm hurdle
President Donald Trump vowed to issue Americans a $5,000 “dividend” that could cost the federal government more than $1 trillion — but it’s contingent on Republicans retaining control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump made the pledge Wednesday night during his nearly two-hour speech at the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas, promising to issue the payment to every adult citizen if the GOP wins both the House and Senate in November. “Here is my promise: If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” Trump said. FOLLOW FOX NEWS DIGITAL’S COVERAGE OF THE GOP’S 2026 MIDTERM CONVENTION The president’s proposal comes as the national debt hovers just north of $40 trillion and the federal government recorded a budget deficit of roughly $1.8 trillion in fiscal year 2025, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The payments could cost approximately $1.2 trillion, based on the roughly 240 million adult citizens in the United States, potentially adding significantly to the government’s eye-watering borrowing. It’s unclear where the money would come from, but the motivation behind the idea is crystal clear — Trump wants to incentivize voters who are feeling a pocketbook squeeze to keep his party in power so his agenda is not brought to a screeching halt should one of the congressional chambers flip blue in this year’s midterms. Vice President JD Vance suggested after Trump’s speech that wealthy Americans could be excluded from the payments, potentially reducing the plan’s overall cost. “What the president is talking about is fundamentally a dividend for American workers,” Vance told Fox News. He also defended the proposal’s funding by pointing to the administration’s tariff revenue. “We’re taking an extraordinary amount of revenue because the president of the United States is standing up to both foreign companies but also foreign countries who have been taking advantage of America’s workers,” Vance said. Treasury data shows the government collected a record $34.2 billion in customs duties in a single month. Since January, those collections totaled approximately $208.5 billion, still far below the estimated $1.2 trillion cost of Trump’s proposed $5,000 payments. However, those figures reflect gross tariff collections and do not account for refunds tied to tariffs that were later struck down by the Supreme Court. The administration has since returned billions of dollars to importers, meaning the amount ultimately available to the government could be lower. “If you keep us in power and allow us to continue to do these things, then you’re going to share in some of the benefit of this incredible wealth that we are creating in the United States of America,” Vance added. ‘WE WERE RIGHT’: HE TOOK TRUMP’S TARIFFS TO THE SUPREME COURT AND WON The White House has not provided specific eligibility requirements or a detailed funding proposal. Trump said the dividend would be similar to a cash distribution from a successful company to its shareholders and indicated that the money would need to be spent in the United States. The proposal would require approval from Congress before any payments could be issued. Trump does not have the unilateral authority to distribute the checks. Trump has previously floated other direct-payment proposals, including a $2,000 tariff dividend and a plan to return a portion of government savings to taxpayers. Neither proposal has become law. The president’s latest pledge came as he urged voters to treat the midterm elections as a referendum on his administration. “If the Republicans win, you win with us,” Trump said. “Now all we have to do is win.”
Charlie Kirk continues to inspire Republicans as party rallies for midterm battle: ‘Have courage’
A year after the shocking assassination of conservative titan and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Republicans gathered at the GOP’s midterm convention shared the profound ways in which the young leader and family man impacted their lives. “Charlie Kirk is a wonderful man, and he is very much missed,” Marsha Landry of Texas told Fox News Digital during an interview at the American Airlines Center, where the Republican Party is rallying to try to keep control of the House and Senate in November. “He was making a lot of progress in this country, especially among the youth. I know personally some of our children have really started paying attention.” Jacquez Jones, a young convention attendee, said Kirk’s legacy lives on. REMEMBERING CHARLIE KIRK: TURNING POINT USA’S ANDREW KOLVET REFLECTS ON CONSERVATIVE GROUP’S CHALLENGING YEAR “It’s a daily reminder that we have to have courage to go out there and spread the message, not only of just conservatism, but our faith as well,” he said. “And so on this anniversary, I look back at not only what Charlie Kirk was able to accomplish, but the things that even in his passing he’s still able to do.” On this day last year, Kirk, 31, was speaking at Turning Point’s “American Comeback Tour” event at the Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, just after noon, when he was shot in the neck. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly thereafter. The suspect in the killing, then-22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is accused of firing one shot from a rooftop overlooking the quad where Kirk was speaking. A shocked crowd scattered as Kirk was rushed away from the scene. Kirk, who was a father, left behind his wife Erika and two young children. ERIKA KIRK REFLECTS ON FIRST YEAR OF GRIEF AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION IN NYT ESSAY “I think it’s an extremely somber reminder of what we have in this country, that free speech is not free, that somebody died for that right, and Charlie Kirk [was] somebody who was brave enough to go out there on the college campuses and talk about conservatism and prove to the American people and the young generation that the conservative policies still work,” Jones said. Another Republican convention-goer, Mike Hurst of Mississippi, described what he remembers after first hearing the news that Kirk had been killed. “It was one of the most gut-wrenching feelings I’ve ever seen, and of course, I went online, I saw the video, and to this day I’m still shocked that that could happen in our country,” Hurst said, adding that we need more people like Kirk who encourage civil dialogue instead of political violence. ACCUSED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN ALLEGEDLY CONFESSED IN TEXTS, APOLOGIZED AND DESCRIBED MOTIVE, AGENT TESTIFIES Robinson allegedly fled the rooftop, ditched his rifle in a wooded area across the street from the UVU campus, and fled the scene. A statewide manhunt persisted until the following night at around 10 p.m. when Robinson surrendered to authorities in St. George, Utah, about four hours south of the UVU campus. His parents reportedly convinced him to turn himself in. Pre-trial proceedings in Robinson’s case are ongoing after a protracted battle regarding media access to the courtroom, and motions attempting to remove the death penalty as a possible sentence should Robinson be convicted. Alex Stone of Missouri said young people are looking for a leader to fill Kirk’s shoes, though his memory remains. “Since Charlie’s assassination, people have been lost,” he said. “People have been looking for a voice or a leader to lead them in the right direction, and so we need people who are going to stand up and rise up and say, ‘this is what is good, this is what is true, this what is beautiful.’ And ‘this is wrong, and here’s what we should do in the face of it.’”