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Will Trump ask former top GOP rival Nikki Haley to join him on campaign trail during final stretch?

As she faces off against former President Trump in the race for the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris is making a full court press to land the support of disaffected Republicans. While Trump retains vast sway over the GOP, even a small sliver of Republicans supporting Harris could make an important impact in what will likely be a race within the margins in the key battleground states. Many of those Republican voters Harris is targeting backed former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was Trump’s final remaining rival earlier this year in the GOP presidential primaries. HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: VICE PRESIDENT PICKS UP THE PACE ON THE TRAIL Haley eventually supported Trump a couple of months after ending her White House bid, but with one week to go until Election Day, the GOP presidential nomination runner-up has yet to join Trump on the campaign trail. Sources confirmed to Fox News a week and a half ago that Haley, who will be a live guest on “Special Report with Bret Baier” at 6 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel on Tuesday, has been in talks to join Trump on the campaign trail. Haley gave Trump’s team a list of dates on which she would be available to join the former president. And Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie, “Stay tuned,” when asked earlier this month when Haley may join the former president on the campaign trail. WHY TRUMP IS MAKING LAST MINUTE STOPS IN BLUE-LEANING STATES Fox News reached out on Tuesday to the Trump campaign for an update, but had not received a response at the time this story posted. Haley has been out on the campaign trail helping down-ballot Republicans. On Wednesday she makes two stops in battleground Pennsylvania with GOP Senate nominee Dave McCormick, in a race that is among a handful that may determine if Republicans win back the chamber’s majority. And even though she’s yet to join Trump on the trail, Haley’s helped his campaign.  Haley has recorded robocalls for the campaign, made low dollar fundraising appeals, and helped with major dollar donors. In addition, she frequently makes the case against Harris on her radio show and in the national media, including appearances on Fox News. “Kamala Harris and I are total opposites on every issue. Any attempt to use my name to support her or her agenda is deceptive and wrong. I support Donald Trump because he understands we need to make America strong, safe, and prosperous,” Haley said recently on the Harris campaign’s efforts to use her name to gain support. CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION Haley launched her presidential campaign in February of last year, becoming the first major candidate to challenge Trump, who had announced his candidacy three months earlier. And she ended up being his final rival, battling the former president in a contentious two-candidate showdown from the New Hampshire primary in late January through Super Tuesday in early March. Haley announced that she was suspending her White House campaign on March 6, the day after Trump swept 14 of 15 GOP nominating contests on Super Tuesday. As she departed the race, Haley made it clear that she intended to keep speaking out. And she continued to grab up to 20% of the vote in Republican presidential primaries in the months after she dropped out. In late May, in her first public comments since announcing the end of her 2024 campaign, Haley said she would vote for Trump. Haley won a total of 97 delegates during the Republican presidential primaries. And she released all of her delegates and urged them to support Trump.  In July, in a high-profile address, Haley spoke in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In an extended interview on “Fox and Friends” a week and a half ago, Trump appeared to express some frustration regarding whether he would ask Haley to campaign on his behalf in the final stretch leading up to Election Day. When questioned by co-host Brian Kilmeade, Trump responded, “I’ll do what I have to do.” “Everybody keeps saying that. They don’t say, ‘Get [Florida Gov.] Ron [DeSantis]’ and Ron did very well,” Trump said. “But again, I beat everybody by numbers that have never happened before. And they keep talking about Nikki. Nikki, I like Nikki. Nikki, I don’t think she should have done what she did. And that’s fine that she did it.” The former president noted, “Nikki is in. Nikki is helping us already…. Nikki is already in, you know, she’s out campaigning.” But Trump also emphasized, “Nikki Haley and I fought, and I beat her by 50, 60, 90 points. I beat her in her own state by numbers that nobody’s ever been beaten by. I beat Nikki badly.” According to a recent Fox News national poll, 23% of Republicans questioned described themselves as non-MAGA Republicans. Of those non-MAGA Republicans, a fifth said they would support Harris over Trump. Fox News’ Dana Blanton contributed to this report Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Michael Bloomberg becomes 2nd largest Harris donor behind George Soros: Report

Former New York City mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg became the second-largest individual donor to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign after George Soros, following a reported $50 million donation to the main super PAC funding the vice president’s campaign.  Bloomberg donated nearly $20 million over the summer to support President Biden’s re-election campaign, but he conspicuously held out any donations to Harris after she replaced Biden on the Democratic Party’s ticket. However, amid pressure from fellow billionaires, Bloomberg did finally cut a check to support Harris, according to The New York Times, which reportedly spoke with four people who are familiar with the donation.  The $50 million went to Future Forward USA Action, the main dark money super PAC that is supporting Harris. Prior to Harris taking over the ticket, Future Forward was the main political action committee supporting Biden. LEGAL EXPERTS QUESTION HARRIS’ BACKING FROM DONORS WITH GOVERNMENT TIES Bloomberg’s donation follows another $50 million donation to Future Forward from Bill Gates. Sources who spoke to the Times indicated that Bloomberg and his team had been fielding requests from high-profile Democratic donors, such as Gates, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and venture capitalist Ron Conway, urging the former mayor to consider cutting a check for Harris. Two people familiar with the matter said that Bloomberg also recently spoke with Harris over the phone. Michael Smith, president of House Majority PAC, defended Bloomberg’s decision to wait until the final days before the election to donate, calling the move “deliberate” and “sophisticated,” according to the Times. “There should be no expectation that any individual donor is just going to give to you,” Smith argued. “Mike’s not giving money to anyone just to give money.”   Meanwhile, Quentin James, the founder and president of Collective PAC, told The Times that he “very clearly” disagrees with the strategy “because time, not late money, is always our best weapon.” Prior to Bloomberg’s most recent donation, the former New York City mayor had given roughly $47 million in federally disclosed political contributions this cycle, according to reports. That included his nearly $20 million given to Biden before he dropped out, which went to Future Forward, and another $10 million to support Democrats in the House.  PRO-HARRIS SUPER PAC WARNS AGAINST MESSAGING THAT FOCUSES TOO MUCH ON ‘TRUMP FASCIST’ LABEL The Times reported that Bloomberg was hesitant to give additional funds to Future Forward beyond his initial $20 million he gave when Biden was running, with the billionaire citing the success the vice president was already having fundraising. According to The Times, Bloomberg felt spending his money on ballot initiatives and other state initiatives was a bigger priority. Just this week, Bloomberg gave $2.5 million to oppose a ballot measure in Massachusetts that aims to get rid of standardized testing requirements for high school graduates.  Bloomberg’s donations this cycle are much smaller than they were in 2020. After breaking spending records on his own campaign that year, Bloomberg dropped out but continued helping Democrats to the tune of around $173 million. It was reported that he gave $100 million alone to Biden just to help him win in the state of Florida. Bloomberg’s $173 million in 2020 is $126 million more than he spent in this current presidential cycle. Fox News Digital reached out to Bloomberg Philanthropies, but the group declined to comment.

‘Pulling an Alvin Bragg’: Left-wing DA’s ‘flimsy’ suit against Elon Musk’s $1M giveaway slammed by expert

Left-wing Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner filed a lawsuit against tech billionaire Elon Musk over his $1 million giveaway amid the highly anticipated Pennsylvania election – a suit that is being slammed as riddled with legal issues by an expert.  “As a prosecutor for the city and county of Philadelphia, Krasner has no legal ability to prosecute anyone for alleged violations of federal law. So instead, he is pulling an Alvin Bragg by concocting a flimsy legal theory that Musk somehow is violating Pennsylvania’s lottery law,” Cully Stimson, deputy director of the Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center of Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, wrote in a Daily Signal commentary piece published Monday.  Stimson compared the suit to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charging former President Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records, which prosecutors linked during the spring 2024 trial to an election scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election. Trump was found guilty in the case, and has since maintained his innocence as legal experts rallied that the case was an “absolute joke” and “witch hunt” against the 45th president.  Krasner filed a lawsuit Monday against Musk and his super PAC, the America PAC, for “running an illegal lottery in Philadelphia” and across the state.  Musk announced earlier this month that voters in battleground states, such as Pennsylvania or Michigan, were eligible for a $1 million a day giveaway after signing the America PAC’s petition backing the Constitution. Musk endorsed Trump in July, and recently joined him on the campaign trail to rally support for his re-election bid, most notably in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania.  PHILADELPHIA DA LARRY KRASNER IMPEACHED BY PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKERS IN GOP-LED EFFORT: ‘CRISIS OF CRIME’ The initiative outlines that it only applies to registered voters in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin and North Carolina, and if they sign the petition.  “The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing below, I am pledging my support for the First and Second Amendments,” the petition reads.  HERE’S HOW ELON MUSK’S $1M A DAY GIVEAWAY TO BATTLEGROUND VOTERS WORKS Musk has already announced winners for the giveaway, including one in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.  “Oct 22 – Nov 5: Each day, one petition signer from either PA, GA, NV, AZ, MI, WI, or NC will earn $1,000,000,” the America PAC website reads.  Stimson wrote that Krasner is “one of George Soros’ bought-and-paid-for district attorneys” who “doesn’t care about the law” and launched the suit to quench his alleged thirst “for media attention.” “Musk isn’t paying individuals to register to vote; he is paying already-registered voters to sign a petition, which is entirely lawful,” Stimson explained.  ELON GOES ON CAMPAIGN BLITZ AGAINST GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS, VOWS TO REVEAL BIZARRE ALLEGED SCHEMES “​​In his civil complaint against Musk, Krasner asserts that by ‘lulling’ registered voters into giving their personal identifying information such as their postal address, cellphone number, and email address, voters have paid Musk consideration – as when a person gives a dollar to purchase a Mega Millions lottery ticket,” he continued.  In his suit, Krasner cited the 1976 case “Commonwealth v. Lane,” which detailed that under Pennsylvania law, a lottery is deemed unlawful under three elements: “(1) a prize to be won; (2) a winner to be determined by chance; and (3) the payment of a consideration by the player.”  Stimson said the first two elements are satisfied when considering the Musk giveaway, but “the third element is nowhere to be found.” “Consideration is the payment of money, which is completely lacking in the Musk proposal. Registered voters didn’t pay money to sign the petition. Their personally identifiable information isn’t, under either the Lane case or state law, ‘consideration,’” Stimson explained.  PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT DEBATES FUTURE OF IMPEACHMENT TRIAL FOR PHILADELPHIA PROSECUTOR LARRY KRASNER Stimson, whose background includes extensive investigations into “rogue” prosecutors who have politically benefited from donations made by left-wing billionaire George Soros, added in his commentary piece that it’s a “bit rich of Krasner to sue Musk, since the Philadelphia DA is a two-time violator of state campaign finance laws.” Stimson cited previous research that found Krasner received $1.7 million from Soros-funded groups during his 2017 election, and an additional $1.25 million from the same groups during his 2021 re-election campaign.  FAR-LEFT PHILADELPHIA DA LARRY KRASNER’S COMPANY OWES $86,000 IN UNPAID TAXES “In both races, he broke campaign finance laws and got into hot water with Philadelphia’s Board of Ethics.” The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 2019 that Krasner settled with the ethics board over accepting more than $11,000 in excess in-kind contributions from the Soros-backed Real Justice PAC. Krasner paid a $4,000 fine and agreed to reimburse the city for the excess in-kind contribution from the PAC, while the Real Justice PAC agreed to pay $8,000 in penalties. Following his 2021 re-election, Krasner’s campaign and the Real Justice PAC again admitted to breaking campaign finance law. Krasner agreed to pay $10,000 in penalties, while the Real Justice PAC agreed to pay $30,000 in penalties, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that year. WIDOW OF SLAIN PHILADELPHIA POLICE OFFICER BLAMES PROGRESSIVE POLICIES OF DA LARRY KRASNER FOR HUSBAND’S DEATH “Krasner has been a disaster as Philadelphia’s district attorney,” Stimson wrote. “… Crime has exploded in Philly as a result of Krasner’s pro-criminal, anti-victim, cop-hating policies.” “In the five years before he was elected, an average of 271 homicides occurred per year. Since he was elected in 2017, an average of 368 homicides per year have occurred – an ‘extra’ 97 dead bodies per year.” Fox News Digital reached out to Krasner’s office for a response to Stimson’s arguments, but did not receive a reply.  Following Musk’s announcement of the giveaway this month, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro set the stage that it would likely come under legal scrutiny.  “I think there are real questions with how he is spending money in this race, how the dark money is flowing, not just into Pennsylvania, but apparently now into the pockets

‘Makes me fearful’: Minnesota woman whose attacker freed by Harris-supported bail fund speaks out

EXCLUSIVE: A 79-year-old Somali American woman in Minnesota, who was shot by an assailant ultimately released with the help of a bail fund supported by Vice President Kamala Harris, is speaking out against the vice president, telling Fox News Digital that her record raised questions about her “judgment and priorities in office.”  Halima Farah, who came to the U.S. in 2005 and became a citizen in 2011, recounted her “traumatic experience” on Jan. 2, 2021. She was shot and robbed of her rent money outside her Minneapolis apartment by De’Seanna Williams, police said at the time. Farah said she suffered bone fractures to her shoulder blade and skull, hemorrhages in her skull, lacerations on her face and had a gunshot wound to her upper thigh and buttocks area.  Williams was arrested after the attack but was bailed out by the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a fund that Harris promoted during the George Floyd riots in 2020.  In a blog post on Medium on May 31, 2020, then-Sen. Harris asked for individuals to “make a contribution to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, an organization working on the ground in Minnesota to post bail for arrested protesters.”  KAMALA HARRIS-BACKED ‘FREEDOM FUND’ THAT PUT MURDERERS, RAPISTS BACK ON STREETS STILL UP AND RUNNING Harris also posted in support of the Minnesota Freedom Fund that June as protests over the police death of Floyd in Minneapolis swept the country. “If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota,” she posted, along with a link to donate.  The post is still live on the site, and the link now re-directs to an ActBlue page headlined, “Kamala Harris for the People,” encouraging individuals to “make a donation to the Minnesota Freedom Fund.”  “Your support will help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota,” the website states.  Only a fraction of the more than $41 million raised actually went to freeing rioters, according to a FOX 9 report in 2020. The Minnesota Freedom Fund has reportedly bailed out defendants from prisons in Minnesota who had been charged with murder, violent felonies and sex crimes.  The Minnesota Freedom Fund did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.  MINNESOTA MAN FREED BY KAMALA HARRIS-SUPPORTED BAIL FUND NOW CHARGED WITH MURDER Farah, who does not speak English, provided her responses to Fox News Digital’s questions through her translator via email.  Farah told Fox News Digital that Harris’ promotion of the fund “should spark questions and debates over her suitability for higher office.”  “I believe that a president should not support measures that may lead to the release of violent criminals,” Farah said. “The implications of such policies are serious and warrant careful consideration.”  “Kamala Harris does not deserve to serve as President of the United States, and her tenure as vice president has weakened my rights,” Farah continued. “Also, her encouragement of donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund is terrible to my safety and my life.”  Farah said, “the idea that the vice president would support bail for violent offenders is troubling to me and makes me fearful.” “It raises questions about her judgment and priorities in office,” she said.  After she was released on bail with the help of the Minnesota Freedom Fund for beating, shooting and robbing Farah, Williams committed a non-violent crime of felony check forgery. Williams later pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree aggravated robbery and one count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. She was sentenced to prison as part of the plea agreement and is expected to be released in April 2025.   “I realized that I didn’t get justice at all,” Farah told Fox News Digital, saying the Minnesota Freedom Fund “fosters criminal behavior and leaves victims without a sense of justice.”  BAIL FUND BACKED BY KAMALA HARRIS FREED SAME RIOTER TWICE – NOW HE’S BEEN CHARGED AGAIN Farah went on to slam Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for rising crime in the state.  “I don’t feel safe right now in the United States, especially in our state of Minnesota after the riots of George Floyd and the aftermath under Gov. Walz’ watch,” Farah said.  Minnesota murder rates have risen under Walz’s leadership.  Walz was sworn in as governor in 2019. Data from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety reviewed by Fox News Digital shows that in 2018, the year before Walz took office, the state recorded 104 murders, a figure that increased by more than 12% in 2019, when the state recorded 117 murders. Murders in the state in 2020, when violent crimes spiked nationwide, skyrocketed to 185. In 2021, the state recorded 201 murders, 182 in 2022 and 172 last year.  Data from the state shows that in the four years before Walz took office, from 2015-2018, there was an average of about 113 murders recorded in the state each year, which has increased to 171 murders, according to the yearly average under Walz’s five years as governor.  FBI crime data reviewed by Fox News Digital shows that homicides in 2017, Trump’s first year in office, slightly dipped nationally from 15,320 in 2016 to 15,312 in 2017. The data shows violent crime again dipped in 2018, at 14,604 homicides, and again in 2019 to 14,678, before skyrocketing in 2020 amid the riots to 18,965 homicides.  Farah told Fox News Digital she believes that “former President Donald Trump is tough on crime and criminals.”  “I would feel more comfortable and relieved having Trump in the White House,” she said. “I would also encourage anyone who loves this country not to vote for her.”  Farah said she hopes “to meet former President Trump or his running mate JD Vance before the election to share my concerns and fears.”  The Harris-Walz campaign declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital.

Ohio mayor sounds alarm after village rocked by thousands of African illegal immigrants: ‘Unsustainable’

LOCKLAND, Ohio — The mayor of a small village near Cincinnati says he needs help from the federal government after a surge of illegal immigration primarily from Mauritania that nearly exceeds the local population and that he says is “unsustainable.” “Our county officials estimate that we have around 3,000 of those that have come to a village of 3,420 residents. And our complaint is, if the federal government is going to have an open borders policy, with that they need to have a policy directing these immigrants to communities that can absorb that kind of population increase,” Lockland Mayor Mark Mason told Fox News Digital. Officials want to be focused on revitalizing the village and its economy, which was downgraded from a city due to its shrinking population, but they instead find themselves strained by the stress of the enormous number of illegal immigrants. HAITIAN MIGRANTS OVERWHELMING SMALL INDIANA TOWN: ‘IT’S JUST OVERRUN’  There are multiple apartment blocks that officials and residents say are taken over by Mauritanians, who are said to be packed beyond capacity in apartments. Village Administrator Doug Wehmeyer told Fox News Digital recently that it is leading to around $150,000 in losses for the village, as the illegal immigrants do not pay taxes and are displacing local residents who are moving out of those apartments. It is an assessment shared by the mayor. “Our fire and paramedic services have been stressed. Since they moved into these apartment complexes, a lot of the longtime residents have moved out because of multiple fires. It’s been caused by their not understanding how to cook on stoves, and they use high levels of grease in their cooking, which have caused multiple fires,” Mason said. “And so a lot of people don’t want to subject their families to unsafe conditions in these apartment complexes. So, therefore, they’ve moved out – the working residents – and they have moved in. And most don’t have jobs, they don’t contribute to society. They don’t contribute to your earnings tax base. And it’s a real concern,” he said. Other concerns include littering throughout the village. The mayor also says a number of female residents have complained about how they are treated by the Mauritanians.  “If you’re going to let immigrants just come over freely, you’ve got to educate them on the cultural differences in how things operate here and make them understand that some of the things that maybe you’re used to in Mauritania [isn’t] necessarily acceptable here in the United States,” he said. Ultimately, one of the biggest issues is numbers. SWING STATE OFFICIAL WARNS VILLAGE STRUGGLING WITH FINANCIAL LOSSES AFTER INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS  “A village of 1.2 square miles can just not absorb almost a doubling in their population. It’s unsustainable,” he said. He argued that it is up to the federal government to help small communities and to direct migrants to communities, including those that are sanctuary communities. Lockland’s case echoes towns and cities like Springfield, Ohio, which saw a surge in Haitian migration in recent years, and Charleroi, Pennsylvania, which has also been overwhelmed by Haitian migration. Meanwhile, cities like Chicago and New York City have struggled to handle the waves of immigration they have seen move to their sanctuary jurisdictions as the border crisis has moved north. HAITIAN MIGRATION ROILS TOWN IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE WITH SIGNS OF PRO-TRUMP SUPPORT ON THE RISE  Recently, officials and residents in Logansport, Indiana, say they have struggled with an influx of Haitians. “And shame on the federal government for allowing this to happen to small communities like ours. It’s happening throughout the country,” Mason said.  “Pick a state, pick a small community, and you can read about it. It may not be Mauritanians, but immigration has affected small town USA. And it’s just not fair that this is dropped on local governments, local residents to have to deal with these situations,” he said. Fox News’ Emma Woodhead contributed to this report.

Pennsylvania House race: 5 former House Republicans say don’t support Rep Scott Perry

Five former House Republicans penned a letter on Monday urging voters in the battleground state of Pennsylvania not to re-elect Republican Rep. Scott Perry.  Former Republican Reps. Barbara Comstock, of Virginia, Adam Kinzinger, of Illinois, Denver Riggleman, of Virginia, Dave Trott, of Michigan, and Joe Walsh, of Illinois, told fellow Republicans that “they know how difficult it is to vote for a member of the other political party,” but to join them in supporting Perry’s Democratic challenger, Janelle Stelson. Among other concerns, the five mostly condemned Perry’s “brazen self-interest” and “involvement in the plot to overturn the results of the 2020 election.”  Pennsylvania’s 10th district has been represented by Perry, the former chair and current member of the House Freedom Caucus, since 2013. Perry is the only sitting member of Congress whose cellphone was seized by the FBI in its investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, and that has also become a theme in television ads. The race between him and Stelson recently moved from leaning Republican to a toss up, according to the Fox News Power Rankings.  “After playing a direct role in the effort to nullify the will of Pennsylvania’s voters, Perry had his cell phone seized by the FBI and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on legal defense fees,” the letter says. “Former White House staffer Cassidy Hutchinson testified under oath that Perry requested a presidential pardon for his actions in the leadup to the deadly January 6th insurrection.” OBAMA SLAMS PRO-TRUMP MEN AT PHILADELPHIA RALLY; SPRINGSTEEN WARNS GOP NOMINEE IS ‘AN AMERICAN TYRANT’ The five former House Republicans go on to say Perry’s “lack of remorse for his actions is a slap in the face to every public servant who has made the United States the greatest country in the world. Our nation deserves better than someone who was so easily willing to break his sworn oath to the Constitution for political expediency.”  “At this moment of great consequence in American history, we need leaders who will tell the truth and be willing to work in a bipartisan fashion no matter what party to deliver for Americans,” they wrote, according to the letter obtained by Mediaite. “Janelle Stelson is the candidate in this race who will do just that. Janelle was a Republican for most of her life and she is running on a mainstream platform of cutting taxes for the middle class, securing the border, lowering the cost of living, adhering to the Constitution, and supporting democracy and fair elections.”  Perry’s district has favored Republicans since it was redrawn in 2018, and Trump won it by four percentage points in 2020, according to The Associated Press.  HARRIS HECKLED AT PENNSYLVANIA CHURCH, SAYS VOTING FOR HER FULFILLS GOD’S EXPECTATION ‘FOR US TO HELP HIM’ Now, as Perry runs for a seventh term, he faces a vigorous challenge.  Stelson, a former TV news anchor and former Republican, has raised over $1 million more than Perry, forcing top House Republicans to come to his aid as they try to hold their narrow majority. Democrats have outspent Republicans in the race so far, according to AdImpact, which tracks campaign ad spending. They have spent more than $7 million as of last week, compared to more than $4 million spent by Republicans. In shifting the contest between Perry and Stelson more toward the Democrat earlier this month, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report surmised that while the “political environment should still favor Perry, his unique vulnerabilities, coupled with Democrats’ spending advantage, moves this race from Lean Republican to Toss Up.”  The letter from the former GOP lawmakers claims Stelson “will work with Republicans and Democrats to find common ground,” while Perry “is consistently rated as one of the least bipartisan members of Congress” and “is routinely the only member of the Pennsylvania delegation – Republican or Democrat – to oppose common sense measures that would improve the lives of his constituents, including legislation to protect firefighters and crack down on human trafficking.” They claim Perry “also turned his back on our brave veterans by being the only Republican or Democrat in the Pennsylvania delegation to vote against legislation to house homeless veterans. He also opposed the bipartisan PACT Act, the largest expansion of VA benefits in history, which provided healthcare and compensation to servicemembers who suffered from toxic burn pit exposure.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “These are the men and women who risked – and in many cases, gave – their lives to defend our freedom,” the five former House Republicans said.  Fox News’ Remy Numa and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

J-K: Light snowfall in higher reaches of Kashmir, IMD predicts cloudy weather for…

However, Srinagar and other weather stations across the valley experienced relatively warmer nights for this time of the season.

USPS gives critical warning about mail-in ballots as Election Day looms next week

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is warning Americans looking to vote by mail to post their ballots today to ensure they are counted. The USPS said it has already enacted “extraordinary measures” in preparation for Election Day on Nov. 5 in a press release posted Monday. “If you choose to vote by mail, please mail early as every day counts,” the USPS statement said. “We continue to recommend that it is a good common-sense measure for voters who choose to mail in their ballots to do so before Election Day and at least a week before their election office needs to receive them. If a ballot is due on Election Day, the Postal Service recommends mailing the ballot by this Tuesday (October 29).” ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS A majority of U.S. states currently do not accept mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, 18 states and Washington, D.C., have varying grace periods to account for postal delays.  Alaska gives voters a 10-day window for their ballots to arrive if postmarked by Election Day, while Texas gives an extra day. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ Among those 18 is the battleground state of Nevada, where ballots received up to four days after Election Day but postmarked by Nov. 5 are still counted. Ballots with unclear postmarks that arrive up to the third day after Election Day are also counted. Battleground states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona, Wisconsin and Georgia all require mail-in ballots to arrive on or before Election Day to count. GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE “In addition to the processes and procedures specific to Election Mail that the Postal Service deploys all year long, as in previous general elections, the Postal Service is deploying extraordinary measures in the final weeks of the election season to swiftly move Ballot Mail entered close to or on Election Day and/or the state’s return deadline,” USPS said. The postal agency said those measures began last week and include additional delivery and pick-ups scheduled, “specialized sort plans” to expedite the movement of ballots, and “local handling and transportation of ballots.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. 

DHS employee warned colleagues that Walz’s nomination ‘feeds into’ China’s efforts to influence DC

FIRST ON FOX : An official within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told colleagues that Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to name Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate “feeds into” activities the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were conducting “with him and local government,” warning that Beijing could “target” him to exert influence on U.S. policy.  House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., launched an investigation in August into Walz’s alleged “longstanding” ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  Last month, Comer subpoenaed DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for records relating to those alleged connections after a whistleblower notified the committee of the existence of a non-classified Microsoft Teams group chat among DHS employees, as well as additional intelligence reports that allegedly contained information regarding Walz’s alleged connections to the CCP.  COMER SUBPOENAS DHS FOR RECORDS RELATING TO WALZ’S ALLEGED TIES TO CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY On Tuesday, Comer penned a letter to Mayorkas, making public the fact that DHS has been “unresponsive to the subpoena.”  Now, Comer has unilaterally released a portion of DHS internal communications it received from the whistleblower.  “Walt’s [sic] got the Vp,” reads the message, with the identity of the sender redacted. “You all have no idea how this feeds into what prc has been doing here with him and local gov.”  The official added, “It’s seriously a line of the intel. Target someone who is perceived they can get to DC.”  “The Committee is releasing the above message as an example of communications within DHS’s possession in which DHS officials express concern about the CCP targeting politicians and their influence operations at the state and local levels — and specifically, concerns about the CCP’s influence operations as they related to Governor Walz,” Comer wrote in a letter to Mayorkas Tuesday.  Comer explained that the message was sent using a Microsoft Teams group chat among DHS employees, entitled “NST NFT Bi-Weekly Sync,” the same chat identified in Comer’s subpoena.  Meanwhile, Comer said that a whistleblower provided further information to the committee that indicates officials from DHS’ Office of Intelligence and Analysis and Homeland Security Investigations have been involved in the agency’s investigative and/or intelligence work connected with the CCP, the state of Minnesota and Walz.  “The Committee’s concerns surrounding CCP elite capture operations seeking to influence public officials like Governor Walz have intensified given recent reports about Governor Walz’s extensive travel history, unusual interactions in the People’s Republic of China, and recent inability to answer basic questions about his involvement in China,” Comer wrote.  Comer is also subpoenaing all intelligence information reports and regional intelligence notes from November 2023 to present related to Walz.  Last month, Comer revealed that Walz had “engaged and partnered with” Chinese entities, making him “susceptible” to the CCP’s strategy of “elite capture,” which seeks to co-opt influential figures in elite political, cultural and academic circles to “influence the United States to the benefit of the communist regime and the detriment of Americans.”  HOUSE OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATING WALZ OVER ‘LONGSTANDING CONNECTIONS’ TO CHINA Comer has pointed to reports that Walz, while working as a teacher in the 1990s, organized a trip to China for Alliance High School students. The costs were reportedly “paid by the Chinese government.”  Comer is investigating Walz’s 1994-created private company named “Educational Travel Adventures, Inc.,” which coordinated annual student trips to China until 2003 and was led by Walz.  The company reportedly “dissolved four days after he took congressional office in 2007.”  Comer said Walz has traveled to China an estimated “30 times.”  Comer also pointed to Walz’s time in Congress, when he served as a fellow at the Macau Polytechnic University — a Chinese institution that characterizes itself as having a “long-held devotion to and love for the motherland.”  In 2019, Walz headlined the 27th National Convention for the U.S. China Peoples Friendship Association in Minnesota. Walz also spoke alongside the president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. A year later, the State Department exposed that organization as “a Beijing-based organization tasked with co-opting subnational governments,” including efforts to “directly and malignly influence state and local leaders to promote the PRC’s global agenda,” the House Oversight Committee revealed.  WALZ APPOINTEE WITH APPARENT CCP TIES COULD EXPOSE POTENTIAL VEEP’S NATIONAL SECURITY WEAKNESS, LAWMAKER SAYS Additionally, in March of this year, Walz had a meeting with Consul General Zhao Jian to discuss “China-U.S. relations and subnational cooperation.”  As for the subpoena, Comer said that DHS has been “unresponsive” and is not operating in “good faith.”  Comer said the DHS “did not produce responsive documents.”  Last week, Comer said he spoke with DHS’ senior advisor for legislative affairs during an Oct. 21 phone call, but said that official “offered no substantive information, nor any assurance that substantive information would be forthcoming.”  “DHS has been wholly unresponsive, and the Committee is considering all available options,” Comer wrote. “The documents covered by the Committee’s subpoena will inform the Committee’s understanding of CCP political warfare against the United States and how effectively federal agencies are countering the communist regime’s infiltration operations.”  Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign and DHS for comment.

Faith leaders react to Kamala Harris’ comments about her prayer life: ‘What do you do with your faith?’

Faith leaders from multiple denominations shared their reactions on Monday to Vice President Kamala Harris‘ recent public remarks about her prayer life and her campaign’s broader effort to focus on faith and religion during the final days leading up to the election. Last week, Harris told CNN’s Anderson Cooper during a town hall appearance that she prays “every day” and “sometimes twice a day.”  While some of the faith leaders commended Harris for her public testimony about her faith, all of them indicated that – at the end of the day – it is actions that really matter the most, not words. “I think it’s a good thing when public officials do share the fact that they are people of faith and that they pray,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, who serves as associate dean and director of Global Social Action at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. “I think those kinds of expressions are important – they’re positive.”  HARRIS HECKLED AT PENNSYLVANIA CHURCH, SAYS VOTING FOR HER FULFILLS GOD’S EXPECTATION ‘FOR US TO HELP HIM’ However, Cooper added that “the most important thing” is what one does with one’s faith. “How does it display what kind of person you are? How do you interact with others?” Cooper’s take was echoed by a former Catholic priest and Fox News religion contributor Jonathan Morris, who insisted “we need candidates who are willing to express not only in words, but in actions,” that they are faith-centered, God-fearing people.  Morris said he wished that Harris would have been asked a follow-up question about the details of her daily prayer life. “I would have loved to have heard Anderson Cooper respond in this way: “What does your daily, and sometimes twice daily, prayer look like, sound like, or feel like? What does it mean to you?” Morris noted that he would never make a judgment on someone’s internal faith and prayer life, but he said that in Harris’ case, she is choosing to be public about it, and that opens her up to follow-up questions.  CATHOLICVOTE CALLS OUT HARRIS FOR PHOTO WITH CONTROVERSIAL SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE DRAG NUNS The Faith & Freedom Coalition, a nonprofit that represents evangelical Christians, also echoed the argument that actions speak louder than words when it comes to faith. However, the group argued that Harris’ actions as a public official have been antagonistic to people of faith. “In an eleventh-hour attempt to appeal to America’s largest voting bloc, Vice President Harris is suddenly visiting churches and pretending she’s had nothing to do with the Biden-Harris administration’s posture of antagonism toward people of faith for the past four years,” said Timothy Head, the coalition’s executive director. “Harris has refused to defend religious freedom or take seriously the concerns of church-going Americans while pandering to pro-abortion radicals, making this last-minute effort both insincere and destined to fail. If ever there were an illustration of ‘too little, too late,’ this is it.” Harris, the daughter of a Hindu mother from India and an Anglican father from Jamaica, was influenced by a Christian woman throughout her upbringing, according to The Washington Post.  HARRIS’ CATHOLIC DINNER SNUB IS JUST THE LATEST IN CAREER FULL OF SWIPES AT THE FAITHFUL, CRITICS CHARGE “I grew up in the Black church,” Harris said in a recent interview. During the interview, Harris discussed her relationship with her pastor, Rev. Amos Brown, noting that she called him immediately after she learned about becoming the Democratic nominee for president. Earlier this month, the Harris campaign launched a “Souls to the Polls” initiative, led by the campaign’s National Advisory Board of Black Faith Leaders. One of those advisory board members, Bishop Leah Daughtry, told CNN that faith leaders have been canvasing the country to make a case for Harris.  Harris has also been campaigning at numerous churches as of late, where she frequently quotes Scripture verses, and on Monday, Harris received an endorsement from more than 1,000 faith leaders across the country. Meanwhile, this week, a Catholic advocacy organization, CatholicVote, released an ad calling on Harris to denounce a controversial drag group whose members have mocked nuns and other Christian symbols in their performances. In the ad, Harris can be seen in a picture with members of the group, which CatholicVote claims “intentionally mock[s] and degrade[s] Christians.”