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.
El-Sayed’s tribute to Dolly Parton after her death sparks internet fury as critics cry foul: ‘Gimme a break’
As millions of Americans across the country issued heartfelt tributes following the death of country music superstar Dolly Parton, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing heat online over what critics call a politicization of Parton’s passing. “Dolly Parton used her gift for music to highlight the challenges of poverty, inequality, and struggle in ways that uplifted and inspired working people,” El-Sayed posted on X on Tuesday shortly after Parton died at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer. “And I told ’em all the story / Momma told me while she sewed / And how my coat of many colors / Was worth more than all their clothes,” El-Sayed added, quoting Parton song lyrics. El-Sayed’s post was “ratioed” on social media, yielding far more negative comments and quote tweets that positive ones from users accusing the far-left candidate of injecting his political message into his Parton tribute. DOLLY PARTON REFUSED TO PICK POLITICAL SIDES FOR DECADES: ‘I’M NOT IN POLITICS, I’M AN ENTERTAINER’ “Leave it to you to exploit her death for political gain,” Twitchy Managing Editor Sam Janney posted on X. “D-ck.” “I didn’t think anyone would actually politicize Dolly Parton’s death, but here we are,” Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross posted on X. “Quiet,” Townhall Media’s Storm Paglia posted on X. ‘You hate America .” “Stay away from her,” Senate Leadership Fund rapid response director Chloe Smith posted on X in meme form. EL-SAYED’S DEFENSE OF SHARIA LAW STANCE SPARKS ONLINE ERUPTION FROM CHRISTIANS, CONSERVATIVES: ‘HE’S DONE’ “Gimme a break, Abdul is no fan of Dolly and I doubt she of him,” another user posted. “Dolly is a hard working kind person, NOT a socialist.” Conservative writer Debbie Schlussel slammed El-Sayed for messaging she views as contrived. “Hilarious watching this privileged spoiled rich kid from wealthy Bloomfield Hills… pretend he’s down with the struggle of America’s working poor because he googles a Dolly Parton song. Total fraud. How many believe this phony knew the lyrics to any Dolly song?” she said. One X user sporting more than 150,000 followers responded to El-Sayed with only two words. “Pandering buffoon,” she said. “Your religious laws would have had her covered from head to toe and restricted her from playing music or expressing herself publicly,” said another account with more than 83,000 followers. El-Sayed has previously said he follows Sharia in his personal religious life. Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign. Parton died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, according to a press release obtained by Fox News Digital. Her representatives confirmed she faced a “brief battle with cancer.” Parton’s catalog included enduring hits such as “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “Here You Come Again,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” The latter song became a global phenomenon again when Whitney Houston recorded it for 1992’s “The Bodyguard.” Beyond her impressive career, Parton built a business empire centered in her home state of Tennessee. Dollywood became one of Tennessee’s most popular attractions, while her charitable work through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library left an equally lasting mark. “Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” her team said in a statement. Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
US kills 4 alleged drug smugglers on boat in Caribbean, bringing total to 227 in 68 strikes
U.S. Southern Command announced another strike on “narco-terrorists,” killing four in the Caribbean, bringing the roughly one-year total to at least 227 dead among the 68 reported strikes, including back-to-back days after months of calm in the area. “On August 25, under Gen. Donovan’s direction, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed a lethal kinetic strike on a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean,” SOUTHCOM wrote in a Tuesday night X post. “Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel’s active involvement in narco-trafficking. The operation killed four narco-terrorists.” Since September, President Donald Trump’s administration has been striking suspected cartel vessels in the Atlantic and Pacific that it accuses of transporting narcotics. US KILLS TWO ‘NARCO-TERRORISTS’ IN STRIKE 2 MONTHS SINCE LAST ANNOUNCED ANTI-‘NARCO-TRAFFICKING’ ATTACK “Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere continues executing precise, lethal operations against the cartels,” SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan said in a statement quoted in the X post. “We will hunt, disrupt, and defeat these narco-terrorist networks. “SOUTHCOM is resolved to neutralizing cartel terror and violence throughout the region and into the U.S. homeland.” The U.S. military said Monday two were killed in a strike it launched on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific over the weekend. That strike marked the first in more than two months. US EYES IRAN FAST BOATS WITH ‘KILL’ TACTICS TESTED IN VENEZUELA DRUG-BOAT STRIKES The video posted on X showed an image of what appeared to be a moving boat followed by a flash. The Associated Press reports that this makes at least 227 total deaths from such strikes. The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama this month that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March. Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. Reuters and AP contributed to this report.
California Dems trigger outrage after siding with convicted child sex offenders in shocking vote
California Senate Democrats rejected Republican Sen. Suzette Valladares’ effort to close a “loophole” allowing some people convicted of sex crimes against minors to seek public office, including school board seats. At issue is AB 2691, a proposal to add sexual assault and human trafficking to the felony convictions that disqualify Californians from elected office. Valladares’ amendment sought to undo Democratic-led changes that allow people convicted of certain sex crimes against minors to remain eligible to seek public office. “Right now in California, someone convicted of sexually abusing a child can still sit on your school board. That’s not a loophole. That’s a choice. And in my perspective, and most, that’s wrong,” Valladares, R-Santa Clarita, said on the California Senate floor while urging colleagues to adopt an amendment that Senate Democrats later rejected on a party-line vote, according to her office. “Predators who sexually abuse children have no place holding public office. None, not in the Capitol, not on city council, and definitely not on our school boards. AB 2691 was supposed to guarantee that. It started as a simple ban,” she continued. “Convicted sex offenders don’t get to hold public office. Period. But amendments added this summer gutted it, narrowing the bill to cover only tier three offenders and deliberately exempting tier one and tier two.” SEX CRIMES COULD COST LAWMAKERS TAXPAYER-FUNDED PENSIONS UNDER HAWLEY’S NEW PROPOSAL Under the bill’s current language, the new public-office ban would apply to sexual-assault convictions requiring lifetime Tier 3 sex-offender registration. People whose convictions place them in Tier 1 or Tier 2 — categories requiring at least 10 or 20 years on the registry before they can ask a court for removal — would not be disqualified under the proposed law. Concern was also raised months ago during a Senate committee hearing, when Republican California state Sen. Steven Choi asked Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, the bill’s Democratic author, why people convicted of certain sex crimes against minors could remain eligible to seek office under the amended measure. Addis did not address the specific offenses Choi identified, instead calling AB 2691 a “first in the nation” proposal that would protect survivors and saying she was open to working with lawmakers on other crimes. “We’re doing a first in the nation bill that would protect the public trust of survivors and would make sure that survivors are really in the lead,” Addis responded. “Happy to continue working with the committee or others if there are other kinds of crimes folks feel need to be addressed. But at the moment, I feel like we have a really important bill that is nation leading, that will uplift survivors and enhance public trust here in California.” DRAG QUEEN SCHOOL BOARD VICE PRESIDENT ARRESTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND ENDANGERMENT CHARGES California state Sen. Scott Wiener, the Democratic chair of the committee that considered the bill, argued that a broader prohibition based on all three registry tiers would be overbroad. He said California’s registry had historically included both “sexually violent predator[s]” and others who have committed less serious crimes, citing an example of “a gay guy who had sex in a park or in a car and got arrested.” “Sex offender registry is not punishment,” Wiener argued. “It is a tool for law enforcement to be able to monitor people who may potentially cause a risk. And when we use the sex offender registry as a proxy for anything else, we get into problems.” But Sen. Valladares told Fox News Digital that the issue “isn’t complicated” for her. “I’m a mom. This one isn’t complicated for me. Today, 40 senators had the chance to say convicted sex offenders should NEVER hold public office in California,” she told Fox News Digital. “Ten Republicans stood up to vote for what is right. My amendments would have closed the door. No loopholes. No exceptions. No convicted sex offenders serving in positions of public trust, including on our school boards. Protecting our kids should NEVER be partisan. I’m deeply disappointed, and I’m not done fighting.”
‘Captain Canada’ firebrand unloads on Trump with profane one-liner as trade war escalates
A simmering trade rift between President Donald Trump and Canadian officials burst into the open Monday as Ontario Premier Doug Ford sharply escalated his attacks on the president amid a widening tariff fight between the longtime allies. “He can kiss my a– as far as I’m concerned. We’re going to go at him full steam, and we buy 400% more cars than anyone in the world,” Ford said in an interview with Toronto radio station Newstalk 1010 Monday in response to Trump’s threat of new tariffs on Canadian autos, auto parts and steel. Trump mocked Ford on Monday as “less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive” than his late brother, former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who became embroiled in a major 2013 scandal over his use of crack cocaine, which he later admitted. The Ontario premier, dubbed “Captain Canada,” has since emerged as one of the country’s most outspoken critics of Trump’s trade threats. TRUMP TRADE CHIEF WARNS CANADA WALKED AWAY FROM ‘THE BEST DEAL’ TO TRIGGER 50% U.S. TARIFFS The tariff fight is unfolding on two tracks: new 50% U.S. tariffs on certain Canadian goods took effect Aug. 22, with Canada set to retaliate Sept. 8, while Trump separately threatened to raise tariffs on Canadian autos and auto parts to 50% beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s Truth Social posts when approached for additional comment. “America has been carrying Canada for decades, but no longer! The U.S.A. will always be far bigger, richer, and stronger than Canada. Without the United States, Canada couldn’t survive — It’s where they get all of their money and, because of their current bad leadership, primarily Governor Carney, and his Flunky, Ford, they will not be allowed to keep taking advantage of the United States — Their key to survival,” Trump added in a post. TRUMP MUST CLOSE THE BACK DOOR CHINA USES TO EXPLOIT NORTH AMERICAN TRADE He claimed Canada imposes tariffs of 400% or more on U.S. farmers and said he plans to end what he describes as unfair trade treatment of American companies and producers. Trump also threatened further economic pressure, claiming much of the electricity, oil and gas Canada receives is transported through the U.S. and calling on the country to “fall in line.” CANADA REPORTEDLY SCRAPS JOINT BRIDGE CELEBRATION WITH US AFTER TRUMP RENEWS TARIFF THREAT Beyond tariffs, Trump also escalated the rhetoric Tuesday by floating a proposal to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America.” The current tariff fight traces back to late 2024, when Trump threatened 25% tariffs on Canadian goods and later joked during a meeting with then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that Canada could become the 51st state. Fox News Digital reached out to Ford for comment.
Trump-endorsed candidate clears key hurdle in red state gubernatorial race
Mike Mazzei, a former Oklahoma state senator and financial planner, won a primary election runoff on Tuesday evening with the backing of President Donald Trump to secure the GOP nomination for governor in Oklahoma. Having beaten out Gentner Drummond, the current Oklahoma attorney general, Mazzei is now the heavy favorite to become the Sooner State’s next governor. His win is also a political victory for outgoing Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has opposed Drummond for years. Stitt and Drummond have sparred over lawsuits, pointed letters and public criticisms. At one point, Stitt even described Drummond as a “longtime political enemy” in a quote to local outlets. TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE SPARKS RUNOFF AGAINST POPULAR PROSECUTOR IN KEY GUBERNATORIAL RACE The feud between them centers on Drummond’s attacks of Oklahoma poultry companies for what he sees as decades of phosphorus pollution in water supplies. Stitt has rebuffed those characterizations, calling them an overreach of Drummond’s role as attorney general and warning that litigation against the companies could threaten jobs and the agricultural industry of the state. Stitt endorsed Mazzei, stating that “we want a pro-business governor in there to take the lead for the next four years.” Stitt is prevented by term limits from running again. His exit prompted a crowded field of hopefuls to replace him, but after an initial primary on June 2, no candidate secured the 50% support needed to lock up the nomination outright. Only Drummond and Mazzei advanced to a runoff. Like Stitt, President Donald Trump also endorsed Mazzei, calling him a “MAGA warrior.” “As a successful Businessman, and former Chairman of the State Senate Finance Committee, and later, as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Budget, Mike knows the AMERICA FIRST Policies required to Grow our Economy, Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE,” Trump wrote in a May post to Truth Social. TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN Mazzei based his campaign on promises to cut taxes, among other state-government reforms. “I have a detailed plan to eliminate Oklahoma’s income tax in six years. I have a plan to eliminate property taxes for seniors and veterans,” Mazzei said in a campaign video posted to Instagram. In addition to tax reforms, Mazzei highlighted preventing foreign nationals from buying up state land, bolstering the Oklahoma education system and government spending accountability. In turn, Mazzei tried to paint Drummond as a fake Republican with a penchant for expanding government. “His solution to every problem is to raise taxes and grow government,” Mazzei said. “He doesn’t understand money and finance. Crunching numbers is a skill you pick up when you earn your wealth rather than inherit it.” In his own campaign, Drummond, a multigenerational rancher and former fighter pilot, highlighted his record as attorney general. On his website, he touted having confronted Chinese criminal operations growing illegal marijuana farms, shutting down thousands of their illegal grow operations and enforcing immigration law. “As a tough-on-crime attorney general and decorated fighter pilot, I have proven I will always fight for our freedom and defend our values,” Drummond said in a campaign video. TRUMP SWITCHES SUPPORT IN OKLAHOMA CONGRESSIONAL RACE AS FORMERLY ENDORSED PASTOR CANDIDATE SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN “I’ll keep standing strong with President Trump to secure the border, deport illegals and stop the flow of drugs and crime,” Drummond said. The Club for Growth, a pro-small-government group that advocates for lower taxes and free-market principles and contributed $9 million in support of Mazzei, praised his win. “Mike Mazzei is a principled conservative who will advocate for lower taxes, fewer regulations, and for Oklahoma parents to have a voice in their children’s education,” Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Meanwhile, Gentner Drummond has spent his career putting radical education bureaucrats ahead of families by opposing school freedom. The message is clear, if you oppose school freedom and call yourself a Republican, expect to lose your next primary.” Having cleared the primary, Mazzei will face off against Democratic nominee Cyndi Munson, House minority leader in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The general election is set for Nov. 3.
Dolly Parton refused to pick political sides for decades: ‘I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer’
Dolly Parton spent decades singing about love, heartbreak, faith and working “9 to 5,” but there was one arena the country music legend repeatedly resisted entering: partisan politics. “I am not political, and I refuse to get caught up in political things,” Parton told USA Today in a 2020 interview. Parton, who died Tuesday at 80, maintained that position through the presidential elections, pointed questions about President Donald Trump, offers of the nation’s highest civilian honor and controversies involving some of her fellow entertainers. KENNY CHESNEY TELLS BILL MAHER THE KEY REASON HE REFUSES TO TELL HIS LISTENERS HOW TO VOTE “I don’t like to get involved in politics, because first of all, I have as many Republican fans as I do Democrats,” Parton told USA Today. “I don’t want to offend anybody, I have a right to myself.” “Like God gave us free will, America gave us free speech, but you’ve got to be responsible for anything you say and do,” she added. Two years earlier, Parton was repeatedly pressed about Trump during an interview with ABC’s David Wright, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON REJECTS HOLLYWOOD’S POLITICAL OBSESSION, BLASTS CELEBRITY ATTACK CULTURE “I have a lot of fans out there, and I don’t want to offend anybody,” Parton said. When Wright attempted to draw a parallel between Trump and the sexually abusive boss in Parton’s 1980 film “9 to 5,” she refused to bite. “I’m not addressing that,” Parton said. “I learned a long time ago, keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. … I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer.” When Wright pointed out that Parton was also a role model, she responded: “Yes I am. That’s why I don’t talk about people.” JOHNNY CARSON’S FRIEND SAYS LATE-NIGHT KING WISELY AVOIDED PARTISANSHIP AS KIMMEL CONTROVERSY GROWS Parton’s determination to avoid partisan politics with one of America’s highest honors. She revealed in 2021 that the Trump administration had twice offered her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Parton said she declined the first offer because her husband, Carl Dean, was ill and the second because she would not travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the BBC. By then, the Biden administration had also approached her about the award. “Now I feel like if I take it, it’ll be doing politics, so I’m not so sure,” Parton told NBC’s “Today.” MICK JAGGER DOESN’T WANT TO ‘LECTURE’ FANS, SAYS HIS JOB IS TO MAKE PEOPLE ‘HAVE THE BEST TIME’ Her aversion to political camps did not mean she kept quiet about everything she believed. “I know whatever I say, people are going to listen, and they’re going to make more of it than maybe what I meant. So I have to be careful,” Parton told People in 2021. “Of course I have my opinion, but I’m not an opinionated person as a rule. You’re allowed your own beliefs and your own faith, but you don’t have to use it like a weapon when it could be a tool.” Parton’s political neutrality was something she could joke about. “My daddy was a Republican, my mama was a Democrat, and I’m a hypocrite!” Parton famously quipped, pronouncing ‘hypocrite’ as ‘hypo-crat’ in her iconic Tennessee drawl. DOLLY PARTON DEAD AT 80 Parton’s philosophy was tested again when she recorded a duet with Kid Rock for her 2023 album, “Rockstar.” Parton defended working with the conservative musician after she was questioned about the collaboration, telling The Hollywood Reporter that she had recorded the song before a controversy involving Kid Rock but would likely have worked with him anyway, according to Rolling Stone. “Hey, just because I love you don’t mean I don’t love Kid Rock. Just because I love Kid Rock don’t mean I don’t love you,” Parton said. “I don’t condemn or criticize. I just accept and love.” Parton said she still would “probably” have recorded the duet because she considered Kid Rock talented and believed accepting someone did not require agreeing with everything they did. BILLY RAY CYRUS URGES PRAYER FOR TRUMP, SAYS BEING COMMANDER IN CHIEF IS A ‘TOUGH JOB’ “I think that’s terrible,” Parton said, according to Rolling Stone. “We all make mistakes. We don’t all get caught at it.” Parton tied that belief to her Christian faith, arguing that people deserved forgiveness and second chances. “I ask God every day to let Him shine through me. He’s given me that gift to be able to talk to them, and I’m very careful with it. And people don’t really come to see me be me — they come to see me be them, the parts of me they can relate to,” she told People in 2021. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Parton clarified that she had not endorsed Hillary Clinton after comments she made about the Democratic nominee were interpreted as an endorsement, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. Asked later about the race between Clinton and Trump, Parton jokingly called the campaign “the greatest show on television,” and described both candidates as “nuts.” Even running for president herself wasn’t entertained by the iconic entertainer for a moment. “No. I don’t think anybody could actually do a great job at that,” Parton told Metro in 2023, according to People. “I think we’ve had enough ‘boobs’ in the White House.” Parton said she preferred trying to make a difference through music and the way she treated others. “I’m not smart enough to be in politics, or maybe I’m too smart,” she said. “Either way, I’m not qualified for that type of a job. But I’m pretty qualified to do what I do, which is to point people in the right direction, to write about it in songs or speak about things.” Parton died after a “brief battle with cancer,” according to her representatives. At her request, a small, private service will be held for her immediate family, with the family asking for donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library rather than
Hochul remains defiant after sheriffs sue over law banning cooperation with ICE: ‘Bring it on’
More than a dozen New York sheriffs are suing over a state law prohibiting law enforcement from entering into or maintaining certain agreements with ICE for civil immigration enforcement, as Gov. Kathy Hochul dared the agency heads to “bring it on.” A federal lawsuit led by Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault argues that the law is unconstitutional and unlawfully restricts elected sheriffs’ ability to enter into federally authorized immigration-enforcement agreements. “Today, Kathy Hochul escalated her administration’s war on the police and she expanded polices to put criminals before the citizens of New York,” Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said on Tuesday. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which Hochul signed in May, took effect on Tuesday, barring local and state law enforcement agencies from entering into partnerships with federal authorities to assist on civil immigration matters. The law also bars new agreements to house civil immigration detainees; existing detention agreements must be terminated under their applicable termination provisions within three months of the law’s effective date. BORDER CZAR HOMAN VOWS TO ‘FLOOD’ NEW YORK WITH ICE AGENTS DESPITE HOCHUL’S RESISTANCE Police may still assist ICE in cases of violent or other forms of non-immigration crime, but officers may not divert local resources to help with civil immigration enforcement as part of an effort to advance President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Hochul threatened to sue localities that refuse to end cooperation agreements with ICE, setting up a confrontation between herself and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, as his county is among those with agreements with ICE. “No county executive should think that they are above the law in the state of New York,” Hochul said at a press conference on Tuesday. She said any police department or sheriff’s office that ignores the law and maintains an agreement with ICE will face legal action. “And to those suing us, those trying to block the implementation of this law who’ve tried before and failed, our law has already been upheld by the courts, but if you try me again, I say, bring it on,” the governor declared. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS NEW YORK LAW BANNING ICE AGENTS FROM WEARING MASKS New York Attorney General Letitia James also issued subpoenas to law enforcement agencies that either did not confirm plans to end their agreements or failed to provide what her office viewed as a satisfactory response. The subpoenas were sent to the sheriff’s offices of Broome, Steuben, Nassau and Rensselaer counties, as well as the Nassau County Police Department. If the agencies fail to comply, the attorney general is vowing to file a civil suit, a spokesperson for her office told CBS News. Hochul has said law enforcement will assist ICE “only if a real crime has been committed” but officers cannot use resources to help on civil immigration matters. “Because we need local cops hunting down criminals, not kindergartners. Breaking up drug rings, not breaking up families. Arresting gun runners, not grandmas,” Hochul said. Blakeman, who held a press conference at the same time as Hochul’s, did not address whether he would comply with the state’s orders, but he later told the New York Post he would “probably” join the sheriffs’ lawsuit. He has previously defended working with ICE to remove illegal immigrants, claiming at a recent event with Trump that about 2,000 of these individuals in his county have criminal records. “Kathy Hochul, where do you want those guns? What neighborhood do you want to destroy? Where do you want those drugs? What community do you want to destroy? Where do you want those illegal immigrants with criminal records to live? You want it back in New York? We say no,” Blakeman said at the time. The Department of Homeland Security said Hochul “must stop putting politics above public safety.” “This type of insanity leads to more crimes and more innocent victims,” a department spokesperson told the New York Post.
Trump endorsement boosts sister of late Lindsey Graham to historic runoff victory
A powerful name and an endorsement from President Donald Trump proved more than enough to score an unlikely candidate a win in the latest runoff election in South Carolina. Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., toppled Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., in a whirlwind race to replace her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, as the GOP nominee for the Senate after his sudden death in July. Just a little over a month after his death at 71 years old, South Carolinians opted to stick with a familiar name in Graham, who despite having little political experience prior to her appointment to finish out the remainder of her brother’s term, scored Trump’s coveted endorsement. DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER’S SENATE SEAT Though her appointment by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was viewed as temporary, Trump pushed her to run beyond the five months left in her brother’s term. “Darline is somebody I’ve known for a long time,” Trump said during a rally for her in Myrtle Beach last week. “I asked her to do this. I said, ‘Darline, you got to do it,’ because everyone loves her. Everyone respects her.” “So I’ve known her through Lindsey — I’ve known her for so long,” he continued. “I think Lindsey respected Darline more than any other person he knows, including me.” LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER ADMITS SHE’S ‘NOT THAT INFORMED ON NATIONAL SECURITY’ WHILE SEEKING FULL SENATE TERM And Trump sent in last-minute financial reinforcements to help her, following a gaffe during her final debate with Norman when she admitted that she had little knowledge of the strategic importance of Taiwan. Graham has styled herself as a much different politician than her brother, focused more on domestic issues than foreign. Trump’s mammoth, $400 million campaign war chest through MAGA Inc., which has largely been untapped this cycle despite a handful of Senate races shifting in power dynamics across the country, dumped over $800,000 into a phone campaign in support of Graham over the weekend, according to campaign finance records. While Graham styled herself as a more home front than abroad focused candidate, she made one thing clear through debates and limited campaign time: a vote for her was a vote for the Trump agenda. RALPH NORMAN SUGGESTS SPECIAL GOP PRIMARY RUNOFF RIVAL DARLINE GRAHAM IS THE ESTABLISHMENT’S CHOSEN CANDIDATE She targeted Norman for bucking House Republican leadership, and, at times, Trump, but noted, “We already have enough problem Democrats, we don’t need a problem Republican.” And though she’s only been in the Senate for a handful of weeks, Graham argued to voters that she’d done more than Norman had in his entire congressional career, touting the passage of the long-awaited bipartisan Russia sanctions package initially pushed by her brother, but at times slowed by the White House. “I was in Washington for only two weeks before I passed the Russia and Iran Sanctions Act through the Senate,” Graham said. “I then passed the deciding vote to confirm President Trump’s attorney general, Todd Blanche.” “Simply put, I’ve done more in 20 days than Ralph Norman has done in 20 years.” Despite the bruising battle between Norman and Graham, Norman said he would be throwing his support behind her following his loss Tuesday, and planned to call Graham to say congratulations. “As I said earlier, I’m going to support the Republican. I’m not supporting a Democrat. So, I will support her – Darline – as best I can,” Norman said during his concession speech Tuesday evening.
Democratic newcomer scores runoff upset in Oklahoma, vows to impeach Trump if elected
A political newcomer just scored a victory in ruby-red Oklahoma, and, if elected, she would put all her energy into impeaching President Donald Trump. N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse who has never run for office before, bested Jim Priest, a lawyer and nonprofit executive, in the runoff race for the Democratic Senate nomination in Oklahoma. Thomas, though a new face, scored the highest percentage of votes in the June primary contest that featured five total candidates vying for the nomination. It tees up a battle against history in Oklahoma, where voters haven’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in more than three decades. PRIMARY TAKEAWAYS: DEMS’ LEFT-CENTER BATTLE INTENSIFIES AS SCHUMER TAKES ANOTHER HIT; SPLIT DECISION FOR TRUMP And Thomas, who lists a host of policy proposals on her campaign website, including beefing up teacher pay, restoring Roe v. Wade, and expanding Obamacare, among other boilerplate Democratic proposals, also wants to accomplish one thing in the early days of her Senate career: impeaching Trump. During an interview with NPR affiliate KOSU last month, Thomas was asked about the Republican nominee, Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., and his “fierce” backing of Trump, and how, if elected, she would approach a working relationship with the president. “Like I said, I’m kind, not nice. So I will make sure that I work as diligently as I can to make sure that within my first 100 days that we impeach, remove and convict,” Thomas said. “They will have to pry that pen out of my cold, dead hands before I go any further with allowing this administration to continue doing what they’re doing.” DEM SENATE CANDIDATE CALLS TO ‘SHUT THE WHITE HOUSE DOWN,’ IMPEACH 2 SUPREME COURT JUSTICES “So, I mean, hopefully that’s a good answer,” she continued. “But I am going to remove, impeach, remove and convict. That’s it. Like that’s all. That’s the answer.” First, she’d have to survive Election Night in November against Hern, a tall task given that Trump won Oklahoma by nearly 35 points in 2024. Though Thomas has pulled off two underdog performances, earning roughly 45% of the vote during her first go-round for the Democratic nomination and then defeating Priest with no political experience, Hern is a different matter. DARLINE GRAHAM FACES MAKE-OR-BREAK GOP RUNOFF IN HISTORIC BID TO KEEP BROTHER’S SENATE SEAT He’s amassed an impressive campaign war chest that at one point peaked at nearly $10 million so far this cycle. Thomas, however, has raised just shy of $60,000. He also boasts the endorsement of Trump and has touted his desire to pass the president’s biggest policy priority, the SAVE America Act. Hern noted in a statement to Fox News Digital that Oklahomans “love President Trump and the America First Agenda.” “Socialist Democrats like N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas are wildly out of touch with the values of Oklahomans and the direction they want our country moving toward,” Hern said. “President Trump and Republicans are focused on delivering results. N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas and the radical left are focused on partisan politics against a president Oklahomans overwhelmingly elected.”