Maharashtra Elections 2024: Shiv Sena (UBT) releases 1st list of 65 candidates, fields Aaditya Thackeray from…
Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest 85 seats each.
‘Bold vision’: Historic Bush Cabinet secretary makes key endorsement in 2024 presidential race
FIRST ON FOX: A top official in then-President George W. Bush’s administration, who made history as the nation’s first female Department of Agriculture secretary, is the latest leading Republican to back Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Trump. And the endorsement of the vice president by Ann Veneman – shared first with Fox News Digital on Wednesday – comes as the Harris campaign continues its efforts to court Republicans who didn’t support Trump during this year’s GOP nomination race – and as the campaign aims to cut into the former president’s support among rural voters. “As our nation stands at a critical juncture, the upcoming presidential election presents a stark contrast in leadership and values, particularly for rural communities and agriculture,” Veneman said in a statement. Veneman, who grew up on a peach farm in California and also made history as the first female U.S. secretary of Agriculture – in President George H.W. Bush’s administration – and the first woman to serve as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, argued that “Donald Trump’s current tariff proposal is dangerous for rural America. It would raise prices on essential goods, harm farmers by undermining key trade relationships, and increase costs for consumers.” THIS TOP ANTI-TRUMP REPUBLICAN GOES ON A BATTLEGROUND STATES BLITZ WITH KAMALA HARRIS And pointing to proposals by Harris and her running mate – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – Veneman emphasized that “their plan for rural communities is a bold vision for the future that invests in economic growth, critical infrastructure, and greater access to care for families. Together, they offer the leadership we need to help agriculture and rural America thrive.” Walz last week highlighted the Harris campaign’s plans to improve the lives of rural voters, which include proposals to recruit 10,000 new healthcare professionals in rural and tribal areas through scholarships, loan forgiveness and new grant programs. The Harris campaign aims to put a dent in Trump’s strong support in rural communities. The former president carried rural voters by a nearly two-to-one margin in the 2020 election, according to a Fox News voter analysis. CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION Veneman, with her endorsement, also becomes the latest high-ranking member of former President George W. Bush’s administration to back Harris. At the top of that list is former Vice President Dick Cheney. And Veneman’s endorsement comes two days after Harris campaigned in three key battleground states – Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin – with Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming. The younger Cheney, once a rising conservative star in the GOP, in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to disrupt congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 election victory, has vowed to do everything she can to prevent the former president from returning to power. While Trump retains vast sway over the GOP, even a small sliver of Republicans supporting Harris could make a consequential impact in what will likely be a race within the margins in the key swing states. The Harris campaign is courting such voters with on-the-ground events and through paid media efforts. At a campaign event last week in Pennsylvania where Harris was joined by leading anti-Trump Republicans – including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan – the vice president was introduced by lifelong Pennsylvania Republicans Bob and Kristina Lange. The Langes, who own a family farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, have also starred in a Harris campaign commercial. The Langes say they’ve seen a barrage of hateful and derogatory messages following their appearance in the Harris ad. But in a Fox News Digital interview last week, they noted that their Republican friends say “that they’re on the same page that we are. They’re approaching us and telling us ‘We’re behind you.’ They’re thanking us for what we’re doing. They’re thanking us for being brave because many people are afraid to speak out against Trump because of revenge and other things like that.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trucking groups, farmers file opening brief in lawsuit against EPA: ‘unworkable mandate’
Plaintiffs in a major case challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) new heavy-duty vehicle emissions standards filed their opening brief in litigation, Fox News Digital has learned. The new rules, finalized in March, stipulate that 40% of work trucks and 25% of semis would have to be zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) by 2032, among other restrictions. The American Petroleum Institute (API), a group representing 600 entities that produce and distribute the majority of U.S. energy and a prominent plaintiff in one of the suits, saw the court consolidate its filing with those from half a dozen other similar lawsuits brought by corn growers, trucking interests and a consortium of 25 states led by Nebraska. “Americans overwhelmingly oppose the government telling them what to buy and drive, but this administration’s relentless pursuit of vehicle mandates does just that,” Ryan Meyers, vice president and general counsel for API, said. EPA SUED OVER ‘CAPRICIOUS’ BIG-RIG EMISSIONS STANDARDS CRITICS CLAIM COULD CRIPPLE CORN INDUSTRY “EPA’s misguided effort to force electrification of America’s trucking industry is contrary to law and threatens to disrupt the nation’s supply chain, leaving consumers in the crosshairs,” he added.” Meyers called the mandates “unworkable” and reiterated his call for them to be rescinded. At the same time, several entities intervened in support of the EPA, including the American Lung Association, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, District of Columbia and Appalachian Mountain Club, according to the filing. While the EPA has strenuously argued the new restrictions do not constitute a forthcoming “ban” on conventional big rigs, an official with the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) previously said that the aim is clearly to “phase out” diesel and bio-diesel power. EPA SUED BY CONSUMER, MANUFACTURING, AGRICULTURAL COALITIONS OVER BIDEN’S NEW VEHICLE EMISSIONS RULES “Americans will pay dearly because of [them],” AFPM general counsel Rich Moskowitz told Fox News Digital in June. In the new filing, plaintiffs argue that U.S. industry relies on heavy-duty vehicles that are primarily diesel powered and that “hardly any” electric big rigs are on the road right now. “That market reality bears no resemblance to the [Biden] administration’s ambitious goal that ‘100 percent of all new … heavy-duty vehicles sold in 2040 be zero-emission vehicles” so the Administration has turned to mandates to reshape the nation’s heavy-duty fleet.” The plaintiffs argued there is no law that permits the feds – including EPA – to mandate electric vehicles and that the agency has gone forward with its restrictions without any congressional authorization. They went on to cite a case in which the Supreme Court sided with the State of West Virginia against the EPA in ruling the agency didn’t have the authority to regulate power plant emissions in terms of provisions from former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A spokesperson for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) also offered comment at the time of the suit’s original filing, saying the EPA is trying to “impose a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing climate change by prioritizing electric vehicles over other climate remedies like corn ethanol.” Then-NCGA President Harold Wolle, a farmer from Minnesota, argued that it might take decades to standardize electric vehicles on-the-road. In the interim, corn-based ethanol also offers a lower-carbon fuel option and “saves consumers money at the pump while benefiting America’s rural economies,” he said. When reached, an EPA spokesperson said the agency declined to offer formal comment or additional information, citing pending litigation.
Harris campaign celebrates defeat of new ballot security rules in Georgia
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is celebrating after the Georgia Supreme Court rejected Republicans’ effort to reinstate a new slate of ballot security rules before Election Day. “Donald Trump and his MAGA ‘pit bulls’ in Georgia have tried to create chaos in our elections and sow doubt in the result, but again and again, Democrats have stood strong to protect the votes of all Georgians,” a joint statement from Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson Charles Lutvak, DNC rapid response director Alex Floyd, and Georgia Democrats communications director Dave Hoffman said on Tuesday night. The “pit bulls” remark was in reference to the three members of Georgia’s State Elections Board (SEB) who passed the rules change in a 3-2 vote last month. Former President Trump praised all three by name during a rally in Georgia in August, calling them “pit bulls fighting for honesty, transparency and victory.” GEORGIA GOP CHAIR SHARES 2-PRONGED ELECTION STRATEGY AS TRUMP WORKS TO WIN BACK PEACH STATE The Democrats’ statement to Fox News Digital continued, “After more than 1 million Georgians have already voted, today’s ruling means millions more will be able to do so knowing that Trump won’t be able to interfere with the election results when he loses again.” The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The statement came hours after the state Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) request for an expedited appeal of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox’s decision calling the SEB’s new measures “illegal, unconstitutional, and void.” The appeal is expected to move forward on a regular timeline, but it would ensure the new SEB rules do not take effect until after Election Day. Among the most controversial rules were a requirement for ballots at each precinct to be hand counted by three separate county officials to ensure the total matched the machine-tabulated number, as well as a provision directing county boards to certify election results only after “a reasonable inquiry” into their accuracy, among others. GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE Democrats wrote in an amicus brief ahead of the state high court ruling Tuesday, “The Hand Count Rule would have disrupted election administration across Georgia and brought further disorder on November 5 and beyond — imposing concrete and irreparable harm without any countervailing benefit, given Georgia’s established rigorous ballot counting and tabulating procedures.” The SEB measures struck down by Cox also included heightened ID requirements for people delivering absentee ballots to drop boxes, and a rule requiring video surveillance of drop boxes for votes cast there to be counted. Supporters of the rules, which included state and county Republican Party officials, said they were necessary guardrails to ensure voter confidence in this year’s elections. ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS But Democrats argued they were intended to sow chaos and doubt throughout the election process. Republican opponents of the rules, which include Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and multiple county officials, said they would be unworkable to implement this close to an election and would fuel delays. Meanwhile, nearly 2 million Georgia voters have already cast their pre-Election Day ballots – more than one in four people. President Biden won Georgia by less than 1% in 2020, making it a critical battleground for both parties. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
PM Modi, President Xi hold structured bilateral talks at BRICS Summit, first in 5 years
The two leaders last held a structured meeting during their second informal summit in Mamallapuram in October 2019.
Traditionally Dem leaders in key Michigan voting bloc ditch Harris, endorse Trump
Some Arab leaders in southeast Michigan have heard enough from Vice President Kamala Harris and are now encouraging their community to throw their support behind former President Trump. “Just look where we’re at right now and look where we were before,” Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi told reporters during an online call Monday. Bazzi’s comments represent a growing sentiment among some Arab leaders in Michigan, where there has been increasingly negative sentiment around the Biden administration’s handling of the conflicts in the Middle East. In Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit with the largest per capita Muslim population in the United States, a movement bubbled up earlier this year to “Abandon Biden” during the state’s Democratic primary. While President Biden was still able to secure the nomination, leaders of the campaign against him hailed its success, noting that over 100,000 people failed to support the president and arguing they would continue to use their influence as the general election drew near. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: VOTER OUTREACH, BALLOT EFFICIENCY AND A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING The Democrats’ disconnect with many Arabs and Muslims in Dearborn has failed to improve since, even after Biden’s decision to drop out of the race and Harris’ quick ascent to the top of the ticket, leaving Democrats with a possible large hole in their typical coalition of support in a state that could make or break their chances at winning this year’s election. However, questions remained whether members of a community who have traditionally voted Democrat for so long and where Trump was deeply unpopular could suddenly turn around and support his latest bid for the White House, something Bazzi is now encouraging them to do. “I can tell you, a lot of people are actually swaying to voting for Trump because they really don’t like what going on,” Bazzi said. “They think their future doesn’t look bright with the administration and the way they’re heading.” Bazzi was joined on the call by Hamtramck, Michigan, Mayor Amer Ghalib, who leads the nation’s only Muslim-run city and made waves last month by announcing his endorsement of Trump. ‘MISLEADING’ DEM CONTRACEPTION BILL FAILS KEY VOTE AS GOP SLAMS BROAD PROPOSAL “The current administration has done nothing, and the war is expanding to other countries, and it could be a regional war and maybe even World War Three,” Ghalib said. “President Trump keeps saying that he will end the chaos in the Middle East, and I talked to him personally, I told him ‘your strength is that no wars happened during your term, so we want it to stay that way.’” While Ghalib acknowledged that some of Trump’s past rhetoric offended those in the community, his outreach since has made a difference. That outreach has worked, the mayor argued, noting that there is a “portion of the community that’s considering supporting Trump, and historically, those people used to vote Democrat.” One of those people is Dearborn’s Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center founder and Imam Husham Al-Hussainy, who told reporters on the call that he is now leaning towards support for Trump. “I lean towards Mr. Trump because I found him closer to the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran. Because I support peace, no war,” he said, adding that the country “deserves to have a strong leader where he can bring peace in this world.” Meanwhile, Ghalib had a message for those in his community thinking about voting for a third party or sitting out, arguing that nothing could be worse than keeping Democrats in power. “Some people are trying to vote for a third party because they predict that President Trump may do the same thing or even worse,” he said. “What could be worse than what’s going on now? There’s nothing worse.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
‘Polarizing’ way of picking party nominees targeted in ballot questions in these 6 states
A ballot initiative to implement open primary voting across six states is gaining momentum, according to advocates of the proposal who say it will eliminate “polarizing” and “extreme” candidates from making it onto the ballot, allowing a more diverse group of candidates to represent voters. Proponents hope this year’s success is indicative of future changes to U.S. elections. Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota, Montana and Nevada qualified for an open primary initiative for the 2024 ballot, Unite America – a philanthropic venture fund – found. Other states across the country already have an open primary system, including Alaska, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Virginia, among others. Research from the Unite America Institute reveals that just 8% of voters elected 83% of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. In 2024, 7% have already elected 84%. Unite America attributed this “primary problem” to the polarization and gridlock hindering Congress and state legislatures from addressing key issues important to voters that often go unnoticed come election season. Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, told Fox News Digital that an open primary system “would literally enfranchise millions of Americans closed out, and that includes independents.” CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION In an open primary system, voters can choose which party’s primary to participate in, regardless of their own party affiliation. This allows registered voters, including independents, to vote in any party’s primary, promoting broader participation. By contrast, a closed primary system requires voters to be registered with a specific party to vote in that party’s primary. This approach ensures that only party members can influence the selection of their candidates, often leading to more ideologically consistent nominees but potentially excluding independent voters from the process. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. “So this gives voters a lot more freedom to vote for whom they want, you know, regardless of party. And that’s the belief at the end of the day is that our election system should serve voters, not parties as private organizations,” Troiano told Fox News Digital. Another advocate of the open primary system is former Colorado Congressman Ken Buck. Buck, who retired as a representative earlier this year to work behind-the-scenes on election reform projects, said that many American voters are currently frustrated with their presidential choices. He noted that recent election reforms in various states are primarily focused on Senate and gubernatorial races, rather than the presidential election. This discontent may create an opportunity for meaningful reform in the electoral system, he said. TRUMP OPENS UP LARGEST BETTING LEAD SINCE DAYS AFTER BIDEN’S DROPOUT “AOC beat a member of leadership in the Democratic primary, and she did it again with a very small percentage,” Buck, who endorsed the open primary ballot inititative in his state, told Fox News Digital. “It’s like 12% of the overall registered voters in the in her district, voted for her in that primary, and then, because it’s a blue district, she becomes the member. That’s the example.” Buck believes that these changes could lead to higher-quality candidates, as current primary systems often allow candidates to win with a small percentage of the vote—sometimes as low as 38%—due to a crowded field. He suggested that such candidates often lack broad support among voters and may prioritize social media appeal over addressing the pressing issues facing constituents. Buck and Troiano said so far, typically the party that is most in control of the state are opposed to the ballot measure. “So in Nevada, the Democratic Party, and Idaho, it’s the Republican Party,” Troiano said. “But we make the case that this is good for voters today and is good for democracy.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Obama claims Trump ‘did not solve’ immigration ‘problem.’ The numbers tell a different story
Former President Barack Obama stumped for Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris in Detroit on Tuesday, where he asserted that her Republican rival, former President Trump, failed to address the immigration “problem.” Immigration consistently polls as a top issue for voters in the 2024 election. The Biden-Harris administration has come under withering attack from Trump for reversing his border policies and permitting record high numbers of migrants to cross the southern border unlawfully. At a rally for the Harris-Walz ticket, Obama acknowledged that “immigration is a real issue at our borders.” But he pushed back on criticism of Harris for neglecting to address rampant illegal immigration in her four years as vice president and claimed that Trump’s promise to start “the largest mass deportation in the history of our country” isn’t a real plan. “Wasn’t Donald Trump president for four years?” Obama said. “Wasn’t he in charge before you? If rounding up and deporting millions of desperate people, many of them who are women and children, if that’s the answer to everything, why is it that the number of undocumented immigrants basically stayed the same when he left office?” ‘UTTER BETRAYAL’: NEW REPORT REVEALS DHS OFFICIAL USED SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION “When [Trump] took office, he did not solve the problem,” he added. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Obama’s claim that the number of illegal immigrants “basically stayed the same” when Trump left office is not true. During Trump’s first term, the highest number of illegal border crossings occurred in 2019, when 851,508 people were apprehended or found inadmissible at the southern border, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That number dropped to 400,651 in 2020, when Trump invoked authority under Title 42 to expedite deportations because of public health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. When President Biden took office in 2021, he immediately set about reversing Trump’s immigration policies. On his first day, his administration paused most ICE arrests and deportations from the interior U.S. – a move that was blocked by a federal judge following a lawsuit from Texas. Later, the Biden administration rolled out new guidelines to ICE in 2021, prioritizing national security threats, violent criminals and recent border crossers for deportation. Biden also halted construction of Trump’s border wall and ended his “Remain in Mexico” policy, which required asylum seekers to wait outside the country for their claims to be processed. MIGRANTS CAUGHT AT BORDER BUSED, FLOWN OUT OF SAN DIEGO IN POSSIBLE ‘COVER UP’ BEFORE ELECTION: OFFICIAL Following these actions, illegal border crossings soared to 1.6 million in fiscal year 2021. They hit a record high of 2.2 million the next year, before falling slightly to just over 2 million in FY 2023. Most recently, border crossings have steeply declined after the Biden administration announced tighter restrictions on immigration over the summer. The president issued an executive order that suspended the entry of migrants across the border once it reached a certain level. The policy has led to a more than 50% drop in border encounters. Looking forward, Trump has vowed, if elected, to relocate military troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and authorize ICE to raid workplaces and round up criminal illegal aliens for deportation. Harris, on the other hand, has not articulated a specific plan for immigration. She has instead criticized Trump for lobbying Republicans against a bipartisan border security bill that failed to advance in the Senate. The bill would have increased funding for border agents, detention facilities and fentanyl detection technology. It also would have restricted entries to the U.S. when border encounters reached a certain level. WHAT VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS LEFT OUT ABOUT BIDEN ADMIN’S ROLE IN BORDER CRISIS: A TIMELINE Conservatives opposed the legislation, arguing that it set a floor for high levels of illegal immigration. Some liberals also objected to the emergency border authority contained in the legislation. Harris has said that any solution to the illegal immigration problem must come from Congress. “I was just down at the border talking with border agents, and they will tell you… we need more judges. We need to process those cases faster. We need this support for those cases that should be prosecuted. They need more resources, and Congress, ultimately, is the only place that that’s going to get fixed,” Harris said last week. “We worked on supporting what was a bipartisan effort, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Congress, to actually strengthen the border. That border bill would have put 1500 more border agents at the border, which is why I believe the Border Patrol agents supported the bill,” she continued. “It would have allowed us to stem the flow of fentanyl coming into the United States, which is a scourge affecting people of every background, every geographic location in our country, killing people. It would have allowed us to put more resources into prosecuting transnational criminal organizations, which I have done as the former attorney general of a border state.” “Donald Trump learned about that bill and told them to kill it because he preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.” Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
2 swing districts in New York split as GOP incumbents fight to hold seats
Two swing districts in New York appear to be split, as GOP first-term incumbents fight to hold their House seats. Republican Rep. Nick LaLota holds a three-point lead over Democrat challenger, former CNN anchor John Avlon, in New York’s 1st Congressional District, which includes most of Suffolk County on eastern Long Island. LaLota has 47% support, while Avlon has 44%, according to a new Newsday/Siena College poll. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, the first-term Republican representing New York’s 4th Congressional District encompassing central and southern Nassau County on Long Island, is behind by 12 percentage points. The poll found 53% of likely voters in the district support Democrat challenger, former Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen, while 41% support D’Esposito, who previously served on Hempstead Town Council. NEW JERSEY BATTLEGROUND HOUSE DISTRICT POLL FINDS TIGHT RACE AS GOP SEEKS TO RETAIN SEAT Their race is a rematch from 2022, when D’Esposito edged a slim victory over Gillen by four points. The majority of voters in the 1st Congressional District, which includes the Hamptons and rural farmland, supported former President Donald Trump in 2020 and 2016, and Avlon has faced questions over the extent of his residency in the district. The race moved from leaning Republican to likely Republican, according to the Fox News Power Ranking. According to the Newsday/Siena College poll, Vice President Kamala Harris is ahead of Trump by one percentage point in LaLota’s district. In D’Esposito’s district, the poll shows Harris ahead of Trump, 54-42%. TRUMP, HARRIS CAMPAIGNS MAKE PENNSYLVANIA MOST EXPENSIVE BATTLEGROUND, SPENDING $538M COMBINED: REPORT Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat who has represented New York since 2009, is leading in both districts. The poll also showed that 55% of likely voters in New York’s 1st District and 49% of likely voters in New York’s 4th District view Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as unfavorable. Hochul is not up for re-election until 2026. Eleven districts within a 90-mile drive of Manhattan are expected to be among the country’s most closely contested House races on Election Day and could decide which party controls the U.S. House. The nearly contiguous circle starts in the Long Island suburbs, cuts through Connecticut and New York’s Hudson River Valley, then carves through eastern Pennsylvania before curling back into New Jersey. Trump struggled in the area outside of New York City in 2020, but Republicans picked up wins there in the 2022 midterm elections. Fox News’ Remy Numa and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
‘India supports dialogue and diplomacy, not war’: PM Modi at BRICS Summit
In his address, Modi flagged concerns over pressing challenges such as wars, economic uncertainty, climate change and terrorism and said the BRICS can play a positive role to take the world in the right path