America’s heartland comes face-to-face with 9/11 history as 25th anniversary nears
A nearly 17,000-pound piece of steel from the World Trade Center’s South Tower made its way to Cincinnati, giving people hundreds of miles from Ground Zero a rare chance to stand face-to-face with a piece of 9/11 history. “Never forgetting the sacrifice and bravery of our nation’s heroes, as well as our lost loved ones, is a generational promise that every American can help keep,” Tunnel to Towers Foundation Chairman and CEO Frank Siller told Fox News Digital. The 21-foot steel beam is making its way across the country as part of Tunnel to Towers’ Steel Across America tour, a traveling memorial marking 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Former Marine infantryman Scott Nokes, a Tunnel to Towers ambassador and employee, joined local firefighters, FDNY members, veterans, first responders and community members in bringing the beam to the Cincinnati Fire Museum Saturday. TUNNEL TO TOWERS ANNOUNCES STEEL ACROSS AMERICA TOUR TO MARK 25 YEARS SINCE 9/11 ATTACKS “I know firsthand what it means to have the Tunnel to Towers Foundation show up for you when you need it most,” Nokes said at the event. “This foundation changes lives. It changed mine. When I stand before this steel and think about the men and women we lost on September 11, I feel an obligation to make sure their story keeps being told. I am honored to be here today as part of this journey.” MASSIVE PIECE OF 9/11 HISTORY MAKES STUNNING 10,500-MILE JOURNEY ACROSS AMERICA New Jersey native Nokes was deployed twice to Afghanistan before leaving the service to pursue firefighting. In 2016, he went into septic shock, and life-saving treatment left him a double below-the-knee amputee and legally blind. Through Tunnel to Towers’ Smart Home Program, Nokes received a custom, mortgage-free smart home in December 2019 designed to help him live more independently. In addition to working and representing T2T, Nokes mentors for Neptune Emergency Services. The stop gave community members, first responders, veterans and residents a chance to see the artifact in person during a ceremony featuring a color guard, bagpipes, the national anthem, a blessing of the beam, a moment of silence, remarks from fire and city leaders and a steel flag presentation. AS AMERICAN PRIDE HITS A 25-YEAR LOW, A NEW 9/11 EDUCATION PLATFORM URGES THE NATION TO NEVER FORGET The steel beam has served as a traveling memorial to the victims and first responders of 9/11, offering pop-up events across 21 different states leading up to the anniversary of the tragic day. After Cincinnati, the tour heads into its final stretch, with stops scheduled at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Sept. 1, the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Memorial in Boston Sept. 3 and the White House on Sept. 8 before returning to New York City. The foundation provides mortgage-free, fully accessible smart homes for catastrophically injured U.S. veterans and first responders. The foundation is honoring the 343 FDNY firefighters who died on 9/11 by delivering 343 mortgage-free homes this year.
2028 Dem hopeful slaps Trump administration with lawsuit over mail-in voting after major SCOTUS victory
With the November midterms approaching, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is joining attorneys general from 23 states and Washington, D.C., in suing the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) over a Trump-backed mail-in ballot rule that would impose new federal requirements on how states prepare and send mail ballots. “I’m suing the Trump Administration to stop their unconstitutional attempt to change the rules and restrict mail-in voting. I’ll remind the President of my track record going up against him in court — and winning — to protect Pennsylvania’s free, fair, safe, and secure elections. I’m prepared to do so again,” Shapiro wrote on X. “Nothing about voting by mail has changed here in Pennsylvania. You can still vote safely and securely by mail. “While Donald Trump may try to inject chaos into our elections, the Constitution is clear: the authority to set election rules belongs to the states — not the federal government.” The two-dozen state coalition returned to court two days after the Supreme Court stayed an earlier injunction issued by a Massachusetts federal judge against key parts of Trump’s mail-voting executive order, finding the states’ initial challenge premature because USPS had not yet issued a final rule when they filed suit. TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS “The Supreme Court ruling was a major win for the security of American elections. Radical Democrats continue to oppose commonsense measures that protect the security of mail-in ballots and ensure only Americans are electing American leaders,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The Trump administration will continue to lawfully enact the agenda President Trump was elected on, which includes the safety and security of our elections.” At issue is USPS’s newly finalized “Ballot Mail for Federal Elections” rule, which went into effect last week and was published Wednesday. It would require state and local election officials to submit information on intended mail-in ballot recipients to a USPS portal, where the agency would compile state-specific lists of enrolled mail voters. It would also require certain mail-in ballot design requirements, such as trackable barcodes, and require officials to submit ballot-envelope designs to USPS for pre-approval. In their 53-page complaint, the states argue that the rule improperly gives USPS a new role in running elections, forcing election officials to adopt new procedures, share ballot recipient information and potentially replace already-purchased envelopes as the midterms draw closer. They also argue that Congress, not the president or Postal Service, has the authority to alter election rules and that USPS skipped a review process for major nationwide changes to postal services or operations. NEWSOM PROMISES NEW LEGAL FIGHT AFTER TRUMP GETS SUPREME COURT VICTORY ON MAIL-IN VOTING The coalition is asking the court to block the rule while the lawsuit proceeds and ultimately throw it out, arguing that their new challenge answers the Supreme Court’s timing concern. A separate Massachusetts injunction had temporarily blocked the USPS from putting the requirements in place for the November midterms, but the judge lifted that order Wednesday after the Supreme Court’s ruling. “This Court held that ‘no law enacted by Congress delegates authority to control mail-in voting to USPS,’ and that the President’s directives to USPS were ultra vires,” the states wrote in their complaint. “The Supreme Court subsequently stayed the injunction — not because Plaintiff States’ claims lacked merit, but because the States ‘lack[ed] standing to bring’ their claims as to the [Executive Order]. “As the Court explained, USPS had not yet implemented the EO, but if USPS ultimately adopts a final rule that ‘harms the States, they may challenge that rule.’ USPS then published its final rule two days later.” The USPS did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment in time for publication.
Dem senator turns ‘leader of the free world’ title on its head with Zelenskyy remarks
Delaware Sen. Chris Coons is facing backlash after declaring that the United States is “no longer” the leader of the free world and pointing instead to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the national leader putting his country “on the line for freedom.” “I would say we are no longer the leaders of the free world. In fact, if anything, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the primary national leader who is putting his country’s men and women on the line for freedom,” Coons said during a town hall earlier this month. “We need to earn our place back as leader in the free world in the future.” Coons’ remarks underscore his long-running alignment with Kyiv at a moment when President Donald Trump is pressing for an end to the war and putting a renewed emphasis on American power and national pride. TRUMP HAILS AMERICA AS ‘MOST EXCEPTIONAL NATION EVER TO EXIST’ IN MOUNT RUSHMORE SPEECH The Delaware Democrat has been one of Congress’ more outspoken supporters of Ukraine, repeatedly backing military aid, tougher sanctions on Russia and continued U.S. engagement with Zelenskyy’s government. Coons spoke with Dover, Delaware, Councilman Andre Boggerty alongside Rep. Sarah McBride in a virtual town hall Tuesday hosted by the Kent County Democratic Committee focused on local issues. Coons has been a vocal advocate for sustained U.S. support for Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, repeatedly pressing for military assistance and tougher sanctions on Moscow. Coons visited Kyiv in 2022 to meet with Zelenskyy and visited Odesa with Senate Foreign Relations Committee members in February to reiterate “the ironclad, bipartisan support” for Ukraine, according to a press release. Nick Adams, special presidential envoy for American tourism, exceptionalism and values, told Fox News Digital Coons’ comments are “the essence of America last.” “The United States is today, has been since 1776, and with God’s grace, always will be the leader of the free world. To suggest otherwise is to ignore our Constitution and the bloodshed by our heroes who made sure that our Declaration of Independence would not just be a theoretical document but the beginning of a new era in the history of humanity,” Adams said. Adams added that no other nation can hold a candle to America, pointing to its constitutional freedoms, founding principles of liberty and belief that natural rights transcend government authority. WORLD LEADERS, DIGNITARIES PAY TRIBUTE TO AMERICA ON HISTORIC 250TH BIRTHDAY “To say otherwise is to reveal an unbelievable ignorance as to what our nation is, where we came from and how our destiny will always be shaped by the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Adams added. Conservative critics seized on Coons’ remarks, accusing him of being “anti-American.” “Wow! This is truly sick behavior. Sen. Chris Coons — a Democrat who nobody has ever heard of, but nonetheless a U.S. Senator — says the U.S. is ‘no longer the leaders of the free world’ because ‘Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the primary national leader,’” the White House’s Rapid Response account wrote on X. “Imagine asserting this. What an absolute clown,” one user wrote. “Chris Coons has always been an anti-American fraud. He’s a total coward,” another person said. ZELENSKYY PRESSURES US AND EUROPE FOR MORE ‘AIR DEFENSE’ ASSISTANCE AMID ONGOING WAR WITH RUSSIA “What an embarrassment he is — Ukraine hasn’t held elections since 2019,” a user commented. The Russia-Ukraine war has dragged on for more than four years, with Kyiv holding off a larger Russian force while facing manpower shortages and relying heavily on continued Western weapons. Zelenskyy met with Trump in the Oval Office July 28, and the two discussed licensing Ukraine to produce Patriot missile interceptors as Kyiv seeks to strengthen its air defenses. Coons’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s press inquiry.
Democrats condemning Hasan Piker as backlash spreads through party
Prominent Democrats are lining up to condemn far-left streamer Hasan Piker after he warned that American Jews could face violence if they continue to be seen as strongly supporting Israel. The backlash follows a stream last week in which Piker displayed an image of Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, who is Jewish and the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. Moss has said a fake audio clip is being circulated that falsely portrays him as saying he ran for Congress solely to ensure continued U.S. support for Israel. “If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews,” Piker said. PIKER DEMANDS DEMOCRATS DEFEND HIM FROM ATTACKS, CLAIMS HE’S NO ‘TOXIC RADICAL FORCE’ Piker’s comments drew criticism from top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and DNC Chair Ken Martin, as well as lawmakers who have criticized him before. Others who have appeared with Piker or defended engaging with him are now pushing back on his remarks. Here are the Democrats speaking out: Jeffries joined the backlash Monday, initially without mentioning Piker by name. The House Democratic leader called the claim that American Jews were inviting violence against themselves “dangerous and antisemitic.” Asked on CNN the following day whether he was referring to Piker, Jeffries said yes. “Those comments were dangerous, malicious and antisemitic and should not be tolerated by anyone in the public square,” Jeffries said. Schneider was one of the first Democratic lawmakers to publicly take on Piker, calling him an “unapologetic antisemite” in March and warning fellow Democrats against giving a platform to people who espouse hate. PIKER DEMANDS DEMOCRATS DEFEND HIM FROM ATTACKS, CLAIMS HE’S NO ‘TOXIC RADICAL FORCE’ Schneider renewed that criticism Tuesday, saying Piker’s latest remarks were consistent with his “history of antisemitic statements.” “Hasan Piker’s hateful ideas and antisemitic remarks have no place in America or our nation’s politics,” Schneider said. Slotkin, who had previously criticized Piker and his involvement in Michigan Democratic politics, spoke out again after his latest comments. “No community should face the threat [of] violence for their political views,” Slotkin said, rejecting the idea that Jewish Americans should be blamed for antisemitism directed at them. Stevens criticized Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed earlier this year for campaigning with Piker and made clear she would not do the same. Piker was the “exact opposite” of someone she would campaign with, Stevens said. She later said she believed Piker should be condemned. Booker’s team had already kept its distance from Piker, turning down an appearance with the streamer over his past comments. Booker went further this week, directly condemning Piker’s rhetoric about Jewish Americans and saying it has no place in public discourse. In April, McMorrow criticized Piker’s role in Michigan Democratic politics and his inflammatory style. She compared Piker’s approach to that of far-right commentator Nick Fuentes, arguing that both use inflammatory rhetoric to attract attention. Gottheimer has been among Piker’s most persistent Democratic critics. In April, he joined Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York in introducing a bipartisan House resolution condemning antisemitic rhetoric from Piker and Candace Owens. In an interview on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” Gottheimer praised Jeffries pushback against Piker, calling the streamer’s comments something “right out of the Nazi playbook,” emphasizing them as “a call for violence against Jews.” Gottheimer on Tuesday also called on House leaders to bring the resolution up for a vote. He also told CNN in an interview that anyone who does not condemn Piker’s comments is “complicit.” HASAN PIKER CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSE ABDUL EL-SAYED TO BE ‘PUNISHED’ Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville drew a line between himself and part of the Democratic Party embracing Piker earlier this month. Carville said he would leave the party if Piker’s wing took control, arguing there was no room for both of them under the same political tent. He later told Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” he is not concerned about socialists taking over the Democratic Party, dismissing the party’s socialist flank as a “pack of fools” and “a bunch of silly people.” Fetterman earlier this month took aim at El-Sayed over his ties to Piker during Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. “I dare you to continue to campaign with people like Hasan Piker,” Fetterman said. Fetterman’s comments were aimed primarily at Democrats associating with Piker rather than a direct response to the streamer’s latest remarks. Moskowitz distanced himself from Piker last week after defeating a Democratic primary challenger who had Piker’s backing. The Florida Democrat made clear after the race that he wanted no association with Piker or his politics. Auchincloss rejected Piker’s politics during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” drawing a clear distinction between the streamer and the Democratic Party. “The Democratic Party does not stand for what Hasan Piker stands for,” Auchincloss said. HASAN PIKER STANDS BY ‘INTENTIONALLY PROVOCATIVE’ CLAIMS THAT HAMAS IS ‘A THOUSAND TIMES BETTER’ THAN ISRAEL Scholten issued one of the sharpest responses after Piker’s comments about American Jews and Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss. “Hasan Piker’s talk of violence against American Jews and directly naming a Michigan elected official and future member of Congress, Jeremy Moss, is unacceptable. Full stop,” Scholten said Monday. She also called Piker a “hack who thrives on hate, shock and awe” and said his rhetoric had no place in Michigan or the country. Moss, who was directly discussed during Piker’s stream, on Monday pushed back after Piker displayed his image while talking about American Jews and Israel. Moss said there was “no room for extremism in Michigan.” Khanna’s response was notable because he has appeared on Piker’s show and previously defended his decision to engage with the streamer. But on Monday, Khanna rejected Piker’s latest argument, saying antisemitism should be condemned unequivocally and that Jewish people and supporters of Israel are not responsible for antisemitism directed at them.
Federal judge strikes down Texas restriction on drag shows, offers people a ‘simple’ solution
A federal judge in Texas struck down a state-level ban on drag shows Tuesday, saying the law violated the First Amendment. The ruling from U.S. District Judge David Hittner, a Reagan appointee, prevents Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from enforcing the ban and also rejects Paxton’s request for a new trial on the case. The Texas law, Texas Senate Bill 12, imposed up to a $10,000 fine on business owners for hosting drag show events. Performers at the events could have also been charged with a class A misdemeanor. IOWA TEACHERS SUSPENDED OVER VIRAL STUDENT-RUN DRAG SHOW REACH SETTLEMENT BEFORE TRIAL Hittner offered advice to supporters of the law and “those who find such activities as described in this case offensive.” “The solution is relatively simple … just don’t go,” he wrote. GOP LAWMAKERS URGE SUPREME COURT TO STRENGTHEN FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS FOR STREET PREACHERS This is the second time Hittner has struck down the Texas law in a ruling. He did the same thing in 2023, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals handed the case back down with further instructions on how to decide the case. The Texas law sought to justify its ban on the claim that drag shows appeal to “the prurient interest,” but Hittner brushed that claim aside. SEATTLE PRIDE PARADE PANDEMONIUM AS NUDE MARCHERS PRANCE THROUGH STREETS IN FRONT OF CHILDREN “There are ‘erotic’ elements in countless popular performances that could be subject to both civil and criminal penalties under S.B. 12,” he wrote, going on to list “cheerleading, dancing, live theater, and other common public occurrences,” as activities that could be banned under the law. Hittner also referenced Dolly Parton, saying her performances could easily have met the definition due to her being “a voluptuous sex symbol because of her big hair, flamboyant clothes and breast exposure.” GEORGIA PRIDE GROUP RECRUITING KIDS AS YOUNG AS 13 INTO DRAG SHOWS SPARKS BACKLASH The ruling comes weeks after a federal appeals court approved a Florida law restricting children from sexually explicit performances, including many drag shows. The Florida law defines an “adult live performance” as a live show that “depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or specific sexual activities … lewd conduct, or the lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts” and that also predominantly appeals to a “prurient, shameful, or morbid interest,” is “patently offensive” for the age of the child present and, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for that child’s age.
‘He’s so thirsty’: Newsom’s ‘enthusiastic’ praise for Trump policy turns heads
California Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s unusual public praise for President Donald Trump is raising political eyebrows, with observers suggesting the break from his usual posture could foreshadow how the Democrat positions himself ahead of 2028. Newsom heaped praise on Trump accounts, or 530a accounts, which the president created with the help of Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Cory Booker, D-N.J., to provide a market-indexed nest egg beginning at $1,000 for children born during his second term. “Gavin Newsom, who fancies himself a 2028 nominee, has come out and said that he completely supports this and that he thinks it’s the best thing President Trump has ever done,” conservative writer Charles Hurt said in response. “He is so thirsty,” Hurt went on, adding on “Fox & Friends Weekend” that the remark reminded him of how some Democrats broke ranks to praise Trump’s “No Tax on Tips” plans that reduced federal levies on restaurant and service gratuities. DEMOCRATIC MARYLAND GOV WES MOORE PRAISES TRUMP ACCOUNTS AS ‘SMART POLICY’ Former George W. Bush White House press secretary Dana Perino said on Fox News’ “The Five” that she believes Newsom’s comments are indeed a “2028 play.” “I think this is going to pit some of the 20 candidates [against each other at debates if they are collectively asked] ‘Will you keep Trump accounts?’” she said. Perino suggested Newsom would have the upper hand and could point to his early support to counter allegations of political expediency. California Assembly Minority Leader Alexandra Macedo told Fox News Digital that the rare collaboration on Trump accounts is encouraging but should be the rule, not the exception. “It is good to see Gavin Newsom working with the Trump administration and recognizing a good idea when he sees one,” said Macedo, R-Tulare. “Hopefully this is not Halley’s Comet. Californians should not have to wait another 75 years for Newsom to do it again,” she said. During a news conference Friday, Newsom said Californians should consider opening a Trump account for their newborns, comparing the program to a Sacramento-based one championed by his wife. “I’m enthusiastic about encouraging people to get a Trump account. I think it’s incredibly important,” Newsom said at an event alongside first lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom. “It’s one of the best things he’s done, and so we’re here to encourage people to take advantage of this.” SEN DAVE MCCORMICK: TRUMP ACCOUNTS GIVE ALL AMERICANS A STAKE IN PROSPERITY Newsom warned Californians not to “fall prey” to politics or cynicism, or “even the fear that if I download a Trump account somehow that means something.” “It doesn’t, it just means something for your kid. It’s not Trump’s money. It’s your child’s money.” Siebel-Newsom spoke about a similar California program aimed at education expenses called “CalKIDS,” which the Sacramento Bee reported has not had the same successful launch as Trump accounts. Newsom recently called 2028 presidential conjecture “wildly premature,” but acknowledged toying with the idea while taking steps that signal potential interest, including a nationally televised debate with potential Republican contender Gov. Ron DeSantis on Fox News Channel in 2023. He also told the Los Angeles Times more recently that “I’d be lying” if he said he hasn’t thought about running. Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom for comment. Some social media users also expressed surprise at Newsom’s tack. JENNIFER SIEBEL NEWSOM DODGES QUESTION ON HUSBAND GAVIN’S PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS “Uh oh… Newsom might have a decent campaign manager telling him to sound moderate, rational and team-building,” one X user said. “The outgoing Golden State governor and 2028 White House hopeful said that he is ‘enthusiastic’ about Trump accounts, the Republican leader’s initiative that created investment accounts for children under 18, with the federal government depositing $1,000 into accounts for babies born during the president’s second term,” read a tweet from conservative podcaster Chad Law. “Did something happen to Newsom?” added Defiant L’s, an account known for posting examples of liberals’ self-owns and perceived hypocrisies. Fox News host Jesse Watters compared the effort to Bush’s much-maligned plan to privatize Social Security, calculating that returns for seniors would have doubled and the program would be solvent instead of facing potential insolvency in the 2030s. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Newsom also reiterated in a post on X that California was the “first state in the country” to make 5.5 million students eligible for the CalKIDS program for college and career expenses. Newsom is one of several potential Democratic candidates representing different segments of the party, including socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Biden administration Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Army vet lawmaker marks Abbey Gate anniversary with blistering message for Biden-Harris: ‘Abject failure’
FIRST ON FOX: Former Army aviator Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., said he “vividly” remembers the moment five years ago when he heard the U.S. was withdrawing from Afghanistan with scant shreds of a plan in place. “I remember my boss at the time in Tennessee state government asked me, like, ‘Hey Matt, are you OK?’ And, you know, I think the frank answer is no, I’m very upset about this,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview. “And as I talked to my colleagues, some who were serving with me in government, others that were still active-duty Army and in the military, I think the feeling was generally the same, that we spent so much time and effort and to see that unfold the way that it did was just beyond frustrating.” To this day, Van Epps believes neither the Biden administration nor former President Joe Biden himself have been “adequately held responsible in the aftermath of just an absolutely chaotic withdrawal that did not have to happen.” It’s part of what motivated him to introduce a resolution marking Wednesday’s fifth anniversary of the tragic bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, which took the lives of 13 U.S. service members in addition to over 100 Afghanis near the Abbey Gate. GOLD STAR FATHER SAYS PRIOR AFGHANISTAN REVIEW SMELLED ‘LIKE A COVER-UP’ AS NEW LOOK EXAMINES MILLIONS OF DOCS “We’ve introduced this resolution, first and foremost, to remember that, coming up on five years ago, those 13 brave service members made the ultimate sacrifice at Abbey Gate,” Van Epps said. “And then second to that is that the Biden-Harris administration absolutely failed to withdraw in Afghanistan, and it didn’t have to be that way. And it’s important for the American people to remember what the Biden-Harris administration did in that abject failure, withdrawing from Afghanistan.” AMERICA’S PROMISE TO OUR AFGHAN ALLIES IS STILL UNFINISHED FIVE YEARS LATER Van Epps served 10 years of active duty that included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, spending part of that time as an air mission commander. He then served in the Tennessee Army National Guard. And his ties to the withdrawal are personal, Van Epps said — two of his friends were on the ground in Kabul when the evacuation was taking place. “I had two very close friends who were there as part of that evacuation. And they served honorably and heroically and did incredible work with the hand that they were dealt, they just should never have been put in that situation to begin with,” he said. The Biden administration faced bipartisan backlash for how it handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan amid the Taliban’s lightning-fast takeover of the country. TALIBAN WIPES OUT DECADES OF PROGRESS AS 2.4M AFGHAN GIRLS REMAIN LOCKED OUT OF SCHOOL, UN AGENCY SAYS The majority of Democrats, however, have defended Biden. Many have said he was carrying out the work of President Donald Trump’s agreement with the Taliban during his first administration in February 2020, which called for the U.S. to withdraw within 14 months. DEMOCRATS CONDEMN DNC FOR POLITICIZING FALLEN SOLDIERS IN DELETED MEMORIAL DAY POST Van Epps defended Trump’s peace deal, arguing it cleared the way for a “very deliberate withdrawal from Afghanistan that had conditions that the Taliban and the Afghan government had to meet for us to withdraw our soldiers.” “And then the Biden team gets in, totally ignores the Doha agreement where they could have enforced those accountability measures on the Taliban, totally missed and ignored all of these warning signals as the Taliban was gaining ground across the country. They were more interested in optics than operations,” he said.
SEE IT: LA Dem candidates torched by disgusted residents after ‘disgraceful’ debate: ‘Both bad’
Los Angeles’ Democratic mayoral candidates were torched by residents after a debate night in America’s second-most populous city that one voter described as “disgraceful.” Besides being home to Hollywood, Los Angeles is one of America’s most economically important cities. The city, however, has struggled with recent fires, rising living costs, homelessness and outmigration. Those problems have fueled a particularly contentious mayoral race this year, which included a surprisingly competitive but ultimately unsuccessful bid by Republican Spencer Pratt. With Pratt out of the race, Democrats Karen Bass, the incumbent, and Nithya Raman, a democratic socialist city council member, are locked in a competitive and bitter runoff for Los Angeles mayor. During last week’s debate, Bass and Raman traded personal attacks and insults, leaving some voters frustrated over what solutions the candidates could offer. After the debate, voter Stacey Segarra Bohlinger told Fox News Digital she believes Bass and Raman are “both bad” and said, “I wish they could both lose.” ‘SEND HELP’: LA GOP LEADER ISSUES DESPERATE APPEAL AFTER DEM MAYOR’S CAMPAIGN VID SHOCKS VIEWERS Bohlinger, who until July served as a committee member on the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, said that although she was initially “a huge champion” for Raman, “I don’t see substantive differences between the two of them.” Bohlinger said Raman “reneged on a lot of the initial campaign promises she made” and also criticized the councilwoman’s approach to homelessness, which she described as “a very capitalist approach to what she thinks solving the issue of homelessness is.” Regarding criticism of Bass, Bohlinger said, “I also agree with a lot of what said about the city not being in a good place right now.” “She responded really terribly to the Palisades fires. She did not respond well to the Lineage fires,” she said, concluding, “I don’t have much good to say about either of them.” Asked about her top issue, Bohlinger said the Los Angeles government “has a long sort of history of immense corruption.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION YANKS FUNDING FROM LA HOMELESS AGENCY AMID EXPLOSIVE FRAUD PROBE: ‘NECESSARY STEP’ “If you look up, you know, recent Los Angeles officials who have conviction records for corruption, it’s a really long list. So, I think along with the housing affordability issue [is] accessibility, transparency, more accountability, less corruption,” she said, adding, “We have a lot of sort of political dynasties in the city, and I think that’s a real fly in the ointment. I don’t think much is going to change until the corruption is dealt with.” Meanwhile, Wayne Spindler, an Encino resident and regular City Hall critic, told Fox News Digital that “a lot of people… are upset.” “They don’t like either one of them. And a lot of them are going to walk out of this [debate] and not vote,” he said. Based on the debate, Spindler predicted the election is “going to be close” because “there was not a lot of enthusiasm.” He said he will be voting for Raman, saying, “What I tell people is you got to go for one of the two.” “You can’t write in Spencer [Pratt]. Spencer would have been the dream come true. That would have been amazing,” he said. Another debate attendee, Gregory Wright, a committee member on the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, told Fox News Digital, “For me, it’s more important that Democrats win whatever part of the Democratic spectrum they’re in.” “I am in favor of visionary ideas for the future,” he said, adding, “I think socialism is the right direction for the entire world.” After the debate, Fox News Digital contacted the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, which co-hosted the event, for comment. Council President Howard Katchen clarified that “the comments by Stacey Segarra Bohlinger and Gregory Wright are their opinions as individuals and do not represent the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council.” Katchen reiterated that the two spoke as individuals and that their comments did not represent the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council. He called the debate a “success as determined by over 400 attendees, over 700 virtual viewers, NPR LAist live broadcast to what I was told over 500,000 listeners and covered by local, state, national and international media outlets.” He also clarified that “Neighborhood Councils don’t endorse candidates for elected office.” Joey Tuccio, an animal rights advocate who previously supported Pratt publicly, told Fox News Digital he was outraged after the debate. Referring to his work helping animals and people on Skid Row, he said, “We are doing their job.” EXCLUSIVE: LA ICE DIRECTOR REVEALS OFFICERS FOLLOWED HOME, HARASSED AS POLICE FAIL TO HELP IN SANCTUARY CITY “We’ve been catering Skid Row for years for free. We’ve got no support from the city. We have rescued over 150 animals. My rescue partner rescued a seven-year-old child that was being sex trafficked by his father. And Karen’s office just said that they are avoiding us because we are ‘haters,’” he said. “I think that is one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever heard in my life, and it’s disgraceful.” He said that, for now, “I’m going to be not supporting either of them.” Asked what he is looking for in a candidate, Tuccio said, “We want people that will enforce laws.” “Specifically on Skid Row, every day, every time we go, we see somebody overdosing, we see dogs that are abandoned, we see children without their parents, and we see good people living on the streets that are so scared,” he said, adding, “It is lawless, and it’s not getting better.” “People are being robbed there, people are being attacked, people are getting murdered,” he continued. “There’s people hanging themselves… people dying and rotting before anybody finds them. And from the animal side, there are animals that are left there for days and days starving to death. But then we get calls from caseworkers because they can’t get the support of the city.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “So, we need people to actually take the reins of this and stop pretending that everything
EXCLUSIVE: State Dept reveals Portland Antifa connection to Hamas, Iran’s IRGC in sweeping terror action
EXCLUSIVE: A State Department memo reveals that an international technology collective, now under a U.S. global terrorism designation, provided services to overseas terrorist groups and violent far-left agitators causing chaos in American cities, according to a copy obtained by Fox News Digital. “Far-left terrorism poses a profound threat to the United States and the broader West,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Today, the United States sanctioned Autistici/Inventati – a major far-left tech collective whose services are used by the most active and violent Antifa cells in the United States and across the world.” Autistici/Inventati, called the A/I Collective by the State Department, is an Italy-based group that builds highly sophisticated digital infrastructure used by violent left-wing organizations in the United States and Europe, along with Islamic terrorists, according to the State Department. The collective’s services include encrypted chats and email, web hosting, secure video conferencing and streaming and anonymity shields, according to the memo. ‘LEFT-WING EXTREMISTS,’ CARTELS MOVE INTO CROSSHAIRS IN TRUMP TERROR SHIFT BEYOND ISIS “These tools are specifically designed to support the operations of far-left terrorist networks, built to enable them to organize, recruit, communicate, disseminate propaganda, share target information and tactics, and carry out violent attacks – all while remaining anonymous, untraceable, and beyond the reach of the law,” says the State Department’s memo. A/I Collective has officially been deemed a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The designation bars Americans and U.S. financial institutions from doing business with the group and freezes any assets it has under U.S. jurisdiction. Violators can face civil or criminal penalties. The memo identifies Portland-based Rose City Antifa, known for its violent rioting and destruction, as one of the U.S. groups that relied on A/I Collective tools and services. FORMER MARINE GETS 100 YEARS IN PRISON AS JUDGE CALLS ICE DETENTION CENTER AMBUSH ‘AN ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY’ Rose City Antifa is listed in the memo alongside a media organization that the State Department says uses A/I Collective tools to disseminate information to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is proliferating inside the United States, Hamas, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hezbollah and others. The memo also accuses the militant abortion-rights group “Jane’s Revenge” — which declared “open season” on pro-life organizations and threatened escalating attacks after the leaked Supreme Court draft signaling Roe v. Wade would be overturned — of using the collective’s services. The State Department memo says the collective provides its services exclusively to left-wing extremists, screening users for ideological alignment before allowing them access to its tools. The collective claims to host roughly 16,000 mailboxes, 1,500 websites, 5,500 mailing lists and 10,000 “blogs” on a custom-built platform. The State Department says militants frequently use those services to disseminate target information, tactical manuals and techniques and communiqués about recent attacks. RUBIO’S CALL TO COMBAT GLOBAL FUNDERS OF FAR-LEFT TERRORISM COULD PUT SINGHAM IN CROSSHAIRS The memo stressed that while the infrastructure is overseas, it supports domestic far-left groups that for years have wreaked havoc in the United States, mostly under the label of Antifa, or antifascism. TRUMP’S COUNTERTERRORISM STRATEGY SCORES BIG WINS AGAINST GLOBAL TERROR THREATS “There will be no refuge for violent extremists who wage war on our civilization and plot to undermine law and order, destroy critical infrastructure, assault political opponents, or conspire to conceal their crimes from authorities,” Rubio said. “We will use all the tools and authorities at our disposal to fight terrorism and protect our way of life from terrorist coercion.” The memo cites several examples of violent or terrorist activity that the State Department says was facilitated through A/I Collective technology. SECRET SIGNAL CHATS REVEAL HOW ANTI-ICE AGITATORS COORDINATED NEWARK RIOTS The memo identifies a far-left extremist media group that describes itself as a “tool” for militants worldwide to share “essential information” to be “acted upon.” According to State, the group relies on A/I Collective services to publish official communiqués and calls to action for U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations. The memo says Rose City Antifa relied on A/I Collective tools and services to organize and incite violent and criminal acts, including disseminating an online flyer urging supporters to use laser pointers against U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopters. ANTI-ICE AGITATORS THROW WOODEN PALLETS, MATTRESSES AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING CHAOTIC NJ DETENTION CENTER CLASH “All you need is a laser. Leave home – they can see where the laser is coming from,” the flyer said. “Go to a park, a field, or some other public place, and once the clock strikes 9 unleash your beam at the cop copter. Mask up. Coordinate with friends to throw a laser party!” “Let’s take back the night together!” it continued. “It won’t take many of us to ground the helicopters!” The memo says at least one man answered the call to action. Federal records show he later pleaded guilty to aiming a laser at a CBP helicopter, forcing the aircraft to abort its planned landing. The memo says Rose City Antifa also used A/I Collective tools to disseminate personal information about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel and calls for targeted attacks against ICE agents “in their homes” and in public. “Jane’s Revenge” used A/I Collective tools to “publish official communiqués and claims of responsibility for violent and criminal acts and to incite copycat attacks,” according to the State Department. Notably, Jane’s Revenge claimed responsibility for the May 2022 firebombing of a crisis pregnancy center in Madison, Wisconsin. The following day, a cryptic message appeared on a blog affiliated with the group. THREE ALLEGED ANTIFA-LINKED PROTESTERS INDICTED IN ATLANTA POLICE TRAINING CENTER CONTRACTOR FIREBOMBING “This was only a warning. We demand the disbanding of all anti-choice establishments, fake clinics, and violent anti-choice groups within the next thirty days,” the message said. “This is not a mere ‘difference of opinion’ as some have framed it. We are literally fighting for our lives. We will not sit still while we are killed and forced into servitude. We have run
SEEING DOUBLE: Second Dan Sullivan advances, setting up bizarre Alaska Senate ballot
Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a Senate candidate in Alaska who has made headlines for sharing a name with incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, R-Alaska, has officially advanced to the general election, The Associated Press announced on Wednesday. He joins Sen. Sullivan and former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, as the third of the final four candidates. Alaska has yet to announce the fourth. Sullivan Jr.’s advance, which seemed likely after the polls closed last Tuesday, complicates the picture for Republicans as they work against the clock to explain why two candidates have the same name — as well as which one to vote for. Unlike the primary, the general election picture is further clouded by ranked-choice voting (RCV), which raises more questions about how voters will react to the name overlap. MORNING GLORY: ALASKA’S ‘REAL’ SENATOR DAN SULLIVAN STOOD UP OVER CHALLENGER Under this system, voters rank their preferred candidates. If their top choice is eliminated, their support passes on to their next-ranked option. While supporters of the process argue it expands voters’ power and greatly increases the influence of candidates that may not otherwise be a top choice, critics — like Sen. Sullivan — believe it also introduces confusion. “Like many others who did not support ranked choice voting in 2020, I still believe that this new election system has created unnecessary confusion among voters,” Sullivan told local Alaskan media in 2024. Fears of that confusion were amplified by the emergence of the second Sullivan. Sullivan Jr., a logger, appeared among the 16 candidates on the ballot as an independent in last week’s primary, snapping up 2.5% of the vote. Sullivan Jr.’s campaign announcement did not list a party affiliation. His website does not state his position on any political issues. Instead, it leaned into the name overlap. “Dan Sullivan challenges Dan Sullivan for U.S. Senate Seat, urges Alaskans to defeat incumbent, elect a Sullivan who stands up for Alaska,” it read. ALASKA REPUBLICANS SCRAMBLE TO EDUCATE VOTERS ON SUSPECTED DEM PLANT AS ‘BALLOT FATIGUE’ THREATENS RACE According to his biography, Sullivan Jr. spent his early career working blue-collar jobs like logging, construction, bartending and forestry but decided to enter his bid for Senate after growing frustrated with government mismanagement. A Fox News Digital review of the campaign earlier this year uncovered that Amber Lee, a progressive consultant, had helped author some of Sullivan Jr.’s campaign materials. Lee previously supported Peltola, the former congresswoman. The campaign has drawn criticism from Republicans who believe it’s an effort to put two “Dan Sullivans” on the ballot in November and, through ranked choice voting, intentionally draw away votes from the senator. Alaska state Sen. James Kaufman, a Republican, said he personally remains worried about conflation between the two. He believes there are still some voters in Alaska, especially Republicans, who refuse to use the RCV system, citing disagreements with its implementation. “Some people have a pretty strong traditionalist perspective: one person, one man, one vote,” Kaufman said. JUDGE RULES REPUBLICAN WITH SAME NAME AS SEN DAN SULLIVAN CAN STAY ON ALASKA PRIMARY BALLOT “And so, the ballot fatigue where people just don’t rank because maybe they disagree with it; there’s a pretty strong segment of the population here that just patently disagrees with the ranked-choice voting system we ended up with. And they don’t necessarily believe in utilizing it.” Having cleared the primary, Sen. Sullivan, Sullivan Jr. and Peltola will face off in the general election on Nov. 3.