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Iran’s arming of Houthi rebels in Yemen is threatening regional stability and global energy security and must stop, foreign ministers of the G7 said.

NY Lawmaker Launches $30 Million Effort To Coordinate Democrat Control Of AI

New York Assemblymember Alex Bores is launching a $30 million effort to unite Democrats behind a common artificial intelligence regulatory agenda ahead of the 2028 elections, taking the issue that defined his unsuccessful congressional campaign to a national stage.

New York State Assembly member Alex BoresHis congressional run was bankrolled by Anthropic’s political money, a PAC funded with $20 million from the company and $401,250 from its employees, and his new group has not said who is funding it.

The organization, “Who Decides,” is launching Tuesday with Bores and his former chief of staff, Anna Myers, leading an effort to “build the winning Democratic answer to AI.” Its objective is to turn concerns about the technology into a shared platform for Democratic candidates, from presidential contenders to candidates further down the ballot.

“Who Decides’ goal is that by 2028, Democratic candidates from the top of the ticket on down run with a common AI safety agenda,” the group’s launch announcement states. “That means addressing the harms people already see and the broader danger that increasingly powerful and out-of-control systems could destabilize our economy, our democracy, and our safety.”

The group plans to concentrate on 11 states it identifies as important to the 2028 presidential primary and general election: South Carolina, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, Virginia, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Its plans include quarterly state and national polling, national conferences and partnerships with local organizations, Politico reports.

Those partnerships would bring together labor unions, parents, educators, civil-rights organizations, faith groups and other constituencies. The organization says it will work with those groups to develop AI policy positions and put them before candidates through questionnaires, forums, endorsements and briefings.

“We don’t let five people write the laws for hundreds of millions of Americans,” Bores says in the announcement, referring to the concentration of decision-making among AI executives. “There is no reason to let them write the rules for AI.”

An Organizing Push Ahead Of 2028

The launch follows a series of warnings from within the AI industry and competing political responses over how aggressively Washington should intervene. Former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon warned last week that increasingly powerful AI could threaten humanity. Leaders at Anthropic and OpenAI subsequently called for slowing development so safety measures could keep pace.

Former President Barack Obama has urged Democrats to make AI a central political issue, with plans addressing both safety and the technology’s economic consequences. His comments included a call for the party’s 2028 presidential candidates to focus on the issue.

The launch comes days after AI techbros agreed that a ‘pause’ in development was needed along with new oversight (something Beijing won’t agree to). In a Saturday essay which set off the calls to slow down, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposes governance that lives largely inside the industry: third-party evaluators embedded in the labs on terms the labs set, with the right to publish their findings; coordination among frontier companies on safety standards, enabled by a narrow antitrust waiver from Washington; and, only later, agreements with foreign governments. He calls federal regulation of every frontier lab the most effective approach but argues that passing laws takes time. Who Decides starts from the premise that “a few executives inside a handful of companies are making all the decisions,” and it refuses their money. The two efforts want many of the same rules, including published safety plans, incident reporting and independent testing of frontier models, and disagree about who should write them and how soon. The industry’s safety wing has already bet on Bores once: Public First Action, a PAC funded by a $20 million Anthropic donation, spent $450,000 supporting him in the primary.

President Trump pushed in the opposite direction Monday, rejecting calls for additional restrictions and arguing that existing government powers were sufficient. He also warned that slowing American development could benefit China.

Incest Is Best?

Bores’ new group grew out of a campaign funded by Amodei’s network – which runs through Effective altruism. The same network produced METR, the evaluator Amodei’s essay names as his preferred watchdog – which itself was bankrolled largely by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. Its most famous adherent, Sam Bankman-Fried, is in prison for fraud, and his $500 million stake in Anthropic, bought in 2022 with FTX customer funds, was liquidated in the exchange’s bankruptcy. Anthropic grew up inside that world: Moskovitz and Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn funded its early rounds; Dario Amodei was an early signer of the movement’s giving pledge; his sister and co-founder Daniela is married to Holden Karnofsky, the Open Philanthropy co-founder who joined Anthropic last year; and the trust with power over the company’s board includes the CEO of the Centre for Effective Altruism.

Bores’ new group grew out of a campaign funded by Amodei’s network – which runs through effective altruism, a left-wing ‘movement’ that began with global poverty and animal welfare, preaches earning as much as possible in order to give it away, and over the past decade made preventing an AI catastrophe its central cause, bankrolled largely by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. The same network produced METR, the evaluator Amodei’s essay names as his preferred watchdog. The movement’s most famous adherent, Sam Bankman-Fried, is in prison for fraud, and his $500 million stake in Anthropic, bought in 2022 with what prosecutors said were FTX customer funds, was liquidated in the exchange’s bankruptcy. Anthropic grew up inside that world: Moskovitz and Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn funded its early rounds; Dario Amodei was an early signer of the movement’s giving pledge; his sister and co-founder Daniela is married to Holden Karnofsky, the Open Philanthropy co-founder who joined Anthropic last year; and the trust with power over the company’s board includes the CEO of the Centre for Effective Altruism.

The same network reached Bores. Anthropic’s $20 million gift to Public First Action, which backed him, sits alongside $401,250 that Anthropic employees gave to campaigns supporting him. Who Decides’ pledge bans frontier-lab executives and corporate money – but doesn’t bar the philanthropies that fund the AI-safety field. The group won’t say who supplied the $10 million it has reportedly raised. The movement has tried electoral politics before: in 2022, Bankman-Fried’s super PAC spent more than $10 million on Carrick Flynn’s House primary in Oregon (which Flynn lost). 

Who Decides, meanwhile, is calling for an AI agenda that a future Democratic president could act on during the first 100 days in office.

From A Congressional Defeat To A National Campaign

Bores made AI regulation a central issue in his congressional primary campaign after helping pass New York’s RAISE Act. The legislation requires major frontier AI developers to publish safety plans and report critical safety incidents. Although he lost the primary, Bores and Myers describe the campaign as the foundation for their new organization.

“The lesson Bores and Myers took from those fights was that confronting the AI industry is fertile political ground and that public demand for answers on AI policy exists but remains scattered,” the announcement states.

The organization says it will reject “corporate money or contributions from senior executives at frontier AI companies.” Its website directs prospective donors to a Givebutter fundraising page.

The $30 million figure refers to the overall effort, rather than an established amount already raised. A New York Times report summarized by Techmeme says the nonprofit has raised $10 million and plans to seek another $20 million in 2027.

For Bores and Myers, the stated task is to turn separate concerns about AI into a coordinated political program.

“What’s missing is a coalition capable of turning that energy into a governing consensus before the technology, the economic dislocation, and the partisan battle lines harden,” the launch announcement says.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 09/22/2026 – 06:55

UNITED NATIONS — The Middle East will take center stage when world leaders open the UN General Assembly’s annual debate Tuesday, with some of Washington’s most important regional partners arriving in New York facing a question: What will the region look like after months of war with Iran, renewed Houthi attacks and an uncertain future for Gaza?Leaders from Jordan, Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt are expected to address the Assembly during the annual General Debate, which begins Sept. 22. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also scheduled to attend.President Donald Trump is expected to meet Gulf leaders on the sidelines of UNGA to discuss the Iran conflict and the region’s future. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told Fox News Digital that the administration wants to hear directly from Gulf leaders about their concerns, describing the meeting as an important opportunity for diplomacy.TRUMP WELCOMES NETANYAHU TO WHITE HOUSE AS RAGING IRAN WAR THREATENS TO SOUR US-ISRAEL RELATIONSHIPRich Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that the Iran war has fundamentally altered the region’s strategic landscape, creating opportunities for new energy partnerships and closer cooperation between Israel and its Arab neighbors.”The opportunity for regional integration and normalization works alongside energy infrastructure meeting the moment, the crisis of needing bypasses for Hormuz,” Goldberg said.He argued that a network of pipelines carrying Gulf energy overland to the Mediterranean, potentially through Israel, could reduce dependence on vulnerable shipping routes.”We can make the Strait of Hormuz irrelevant,” Goldberg said, describing potential energy links between Saudi Arabia and Israel, as well as routes connecting Qatar to the Mediterranean.IRAN-BACKED TERROR GROUP’S LATEST TERRITORIAL GRAB THREATENS SECOND GLOBAL SHIPPING CHOKEPOINTBut the threat to regional energy supplies now extends beyond Hormuz. The Houthis’ offensive along Yemen’s Red Sea coast has raised new concerns over the Bab el-Mandeb, another critical maritime chokepoint. Washington Institute analysts April Longley Alley and Allison Minor wrote in a Sept. 11 analysis that the offensive had “shattered the status quo” along Yemen’s western coast.NETANYAHU REJECTS BOARD OF PEACE’S GAZA PLAN: NO ‘WITHDRAWAL UNTIL HAMAS IS GENUINELY DISARMED’Gaza presents a separate diplomatic challenge, with Arab governments seeking a political settlement while differing with Israel over Palestinian statehood and the territory’s future.In a Sept. 6 joint statement , the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia and Pakistan rejected proposals to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza and reiterated support for a Palestinian state along the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital. They also warned that displacement proposals risk undermining Trump’s Gaza peace plan.ISRAEL’S E1 PLAN EXPLAINED: THE JERUSALEM-AREA CORRIDOR SPARKING INTERNATIONAL BACKLASHQatar has simultaneously condemned renewed Iranian attacks against Arab states and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping, while insisting that the Palestinian issue remain a priority.In a Sept. 8 joint statement , the leaders of France, Britain and Canada announced plans to ban imports from Israeli settlements and pursue targeted measures against settlements and those who facilitate them. They also said they would co-chair a meeting during UNGA to advance a two-state solution, one year after recognizing Palestinian statehood.The diplomatic divisions will also be reflected in who can address the UN in person. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was denied a U.S. visa for the second consecutive year. The General Assembly voted Thursday to allow him to deliver his address by video.Netanyahu, meanwhile, is expected to travel to New York weeks before Israel’s Oct. 27 parliamentary elections, the country’s first national vote since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, amid declining international support for Israel. A June 2026 Pew Research Center survey found that a median of 67% of adults across 36 countries held unfavorable views of Israel, compared with 25% who viewed it favorably.For Washington, the challenge is balancing its regional security relationships with competing demands over Gaza and the future of relations with Israel.TRUMP CALLS ON ARAB NATIONS TO SIGN ABRAHAM ACCORDSGoldberg predicted that some of the most consequential discussions would take place away from the General Assembly podium, with Arab leaders delivering one message publicly and another in private meetings with Trump and senior U.S. officials.”We may see the old propaganda of criticizing Israel and saying everybody wants a different future and they’re going to support Gaza and the Palestinians, they demand a Palestinian state,” Goldberg said.Behind closed doors, he predicted, the discussions would focus on U.S. security guarantees, the next steps in confronting Iran and expanding regional energy infrastructure.”What will be a pathway forward politically that the U.S. can provide to these leaders so that they can normalize with Israel alongside the necessary infrastructure upgrades that they need to make for their own energy securities and physical securities going forward?” Goldberg said.

President Donald Trump has changed his pitch to wary Republicans who are hesitant to undo a decades-old safeguard in the Senate: if they do nothing, he may be the last Republican president.Trump has long demanded that Republicans nuke the filibuster, which has blocked key parts of his agenda, to pass the SAVE America Act. He has warned that Democrats would eliminate the firewall themselves if they regain power, allowing them to push through their most partisan priorities.Now, he’s warning that if Republicans don’t pull the trigger, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico will become states and elect only Democrats to Congress, likely foiling the chances of a future Republican president to win the White House.DEM INSURGENT TURNS ON THE CHARM WITH PARTY ESTABLISHMENT AS SCHUMER LEAVES BITTER FEUD HANGING”If Senate Republicans don’t TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, the Dumocrats will, and I will be, despite how well our Party is doing, the last Republican President,” Trump said on Truth Social.”The Dumocrats will vote in Puerto Rico (4% Republican Vote), and Washington, D.C. (3% Republican Vote), pick up 4 Senators, 8 Congressmen/women, tremendous numbers of Popular and Electoral College Votes and, importantly, control the Voting Mechanisms and Systems, both Legal and otherwise, throughout the United States,” he continued.”It will be impossible for Republicans to ever win an Election again. In other words, it will be THE END OF AMERICA! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”REPUBLICAN SOUNDS ALARM ON RISING DEM STAR: ‘THIS GUY’S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM’Voters in Washington, D.C., which carries three electoral votes, can vote in both presidential primaries and in the general election thanks to the 23rd Amendment. Those contests tend to heavily skew in favor of Democratic candidates.Voters in Puerto Rico can also participate in presidential primaries, but not federal elections. And given that neither is a state, they don’t have true representation in Congress — Puerto Rico and Washington have non-voting delegates in the House, and the district has a shadow senator in the upper chamber.Democrats have shown a desire to make both states, pushing legislation in 2023 to do so.Meanwhile, the Senate filibuster is the 60-vote threshold that applies to most bills in the upper chamber, and given the nature of the thin majorities that either party has commanded in recent years, that means legislation typically has to be bipartisan to advance.TRUMP DEMANDS THUNE KEEP SENATE IN SESSION UNTIL SAVE AMERICA ACT PASSESBecause of that, some of Trump’s agenda has been stonewalled. Most notably, the SAVE America Act has withered on the vine as Democrats, joined by a handful of Republicans, have continued to block the bill on the floor.The last time the filibuster was put to the test was when Democrats controlled the Senate in 2022. Schumer, who was majority leader at the time, tried to change the rules for a “talking filibuster” to pass voting rights legislation.But it’s a pitch that is going nowhere fast with Republicans, who have dug in their heels against terminating the filibuster throughout Trump’s second term.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has time and again pushed back on the demand, arguing that the GOP doesn’t have the votes to kill the filibuster.Thune earlier this month told the Ruthless Podcast that at least half of the Senate GOP support keeping the filibuster in place.”At some point, Democrats may try and steal the car, but we’re not going to hand them the keys,” Thune said.”We would enable all the crazy stuff they would do, whether it’s adding Puerto Rico and D.C. as states, whether it’s federalizing elections, or packing the Supreme Court,” he continued.

Americans can brew beer in their kitchens and make wine at home, but just try making a bottle of whiskey or gin — and people can run afoul of a federal law that dates back more than 150 years.That distinction caught the attention of Ohio resident John Ream, a former aerospace engineer and home-brewing enthusiast who wants to distill small quantities of spirits at home for himself and his wife.”It is perfectly legal to make beer at home or to make wine at home, but if you make even a single ounce of distilled spirits at home, it is a federal felony,” Robert Alt, an attorney representing Ream, told Fox News Digital.GEORGE WASHINGTON’S 1757 BEER RECIPE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE AHEAD OF AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAYReam’s interest in making his own drinks began when his then-fiancée, now wife, Kristin, gave him a home-brewing kit.”Brewing was the perfect combination of art and science, and my engineering brain just totally latched onto it,” Ream told the Buckeye Institute, an Ohio-based think tank where Alt serves as president and CEO.After years of experimenting with brewing, Ream and his wife opened Trek Brewing Company in Newark, Ohio.But when Ream became interested in experimenting with distilled spirits at home, he encountered a very different set of rules.’GOD BLESS THE USA’ STAR REVIVES PATRIOTIC SPIRIT BRAND BENEFITING VETERANS FOR AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAYFederal law allows qualifying home production of beer and wine for personal or family use — but distilled spirits cannot legally be produced at home. Federal violations can carry significant fines and prison time.The debate has also attracted attention within the home-brewing community. The American Homebrewers Association, a trade group based in Boulder, Colorado, said this year that it does not have an official position on legalizing home distilling. It noted that some of its members distill at home and emphasized education and safety around beverage-making hobbies.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERWhy federal law treats distilled spirits differently from beer and wine has roots stretching back more than two centuries.The federal government began taxing distilled spirits in 1791, a levy that helped spark the Whiskey Rebellion several years later, according to the National Archives. In 1868, amid concerns about tax evasion and the collection of liquor taxes, Congress enacted a broader system regulating distilled spirits that included restrictions on where distilleries could operate.More than 150 years later, that old tax fight has produced a modern question.”To what extent can Congress regulate local non-commercial otherwise lawful [activity] that you engage in, in your very home?” Alt said. “That really is the core question in this case.”TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZTwo federal appeals courts have given different answers to the constitutional question behind that debate.The Sixth Circuit ruled against Ream in April, concluding that the home-distilling restriction could lawfully be used to support the collection of federal liquor taxes.But 11 days earlier, the Fifth Circuit reached the opposite conclusion in a separate challenge, ruling that Congress’ taxing authority did not justify the restriction.Both disputes have reached the Supreme Court, though the justices have not agreed to hear either case.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ”The Supreme Court gets a lot of petitions for review every year, between 7,000 and 10,000,” Alt said. “And the court, at this point, only hears about 60 cases.”The federal government argues that the restriction remains a permissible part of the system used to protect and collect federal excise taxes on distilled spirits.Ream and other home-distilling advocates contend that collecting those taxes does not give Congress the authority to prohibit the hobby altogether.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWSFor home brewers interested in taking the next step from beer or wine to whiskey, gin or other spirits, the dispute could ultimately determine whether a hobby long prohibited under federal law can move out of the commercial distillery and into the home.”This would be a wonderful opportunity to raise a glass to freedom and to limited government,” Alt said.Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Bardolf contributed to this report.

We are only two games into the NFL season and already multiple teams need to be in full-on panic alert.That’s because the season offers only 17 games and losing the first two is, well, a major problem. Forty teams have started a season 0-2 since 2021 when the league went to a 17-game schedule.Of those 40 teams, only eight rallied to make the playoffs. That means 20% of the teams starting 0-2 since 2021 made the postseason.And 80% did not.COMMANDERS FACE CRITICAL DECISION ON JAYDEN DANIELS’ ELBOW AS SPECIALISTS REVIEW MRI RESULTSIf the math holds, that means maybe only one of the eight teams that started the season with a 0-2 record will make it to the postseason.So, yeah, fanbases are panicking. Pundits invested in their opinions looking good are panicking.And teams are trying to resist the urge to panic.But which of the NFL’s eight winless teams legitimately should panic? Here are the answers:Los Angeles Chargers: Definitely time to panic. John Harbaugh has never been 0-2 in his life and there is nothing that suggests he knows how to handle the crisis. He handed the reins of the offense to new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who is busy ruining quarterback Justin Herbert. McDaniel flipped Herbert’s shotgun stance, gave him an offense built to have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle but lacks both, and isn’t known for making adjustments. Oh, yeah, check out the killer schedule for the next seven games.Houston Texans: Not time to panic yet because this team under coach DeMeco Ryans has been a notoriously slow starter. They started 0-2 in 2023 and again last season, and made the playoffs both seasons. But this year they’ve lost two home games to open the season, and another loss will have fans and media in Houston losing their minds. The offensive line is a problem, there is no dynamic playmaker at running back, and the defense which finished second in points allowed last season is currently ranked 25th.Indianapolis Colts: Head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard must win or they’ll be fired. Problem is, the Colts have lost nine consecutive games dating back to last season. Cornerback Sauce Gardner, who joined the team last November in a blockbuster trade that sent two first-round picks and a player to the New York Jets, has not won a game with the Colts in the United States. Another loss Sunday, coincidentally against the Texans, will make this a serious panic situation because jobs are at stake.Miami Dolphins: No panic here. The Dolphins are a borderline Triple-A team and ownership, the personnel department and the coaching staff pretty much knew this before the season because that’s how they authored it. It’s one reason coach Jeff Hafley actually said, “success is not gonna be measured in wins and losses.” The Dolphins are on a March to Arch (Manning) and they’re right on course.THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!Tennessee Titans: It’s not correct to say they’re panicking because it’s a first-year coaching staff and quarterback Cam Ward is only in his second NFL season. But owner Amy Adams Strunk in recent years has not blinked at getting rid of a couple of highly touted QBs while they were still on their rookie contracts, and a coach who lasted less than two seasons. This is not a stable or patient franchise, so panic is not far off barring a change of direction.Washington Commanders: This is a desperate team. They have not only lost games but lost starting quarterback Jayden Daniels to a dislocated elbow. He may need surgery, which would end his season and effectively dash the team’s postseason hopes. The Commanders badly need good news on the Daniels front because panic is this close to setting in.BAKER MAYFIELD LOSES BET TO COACH TODD BOWLES, HAS ‘ROUGH COUPLE OF DAYS’ INCLUDING AT PRESS CONFERENCETampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles wouldn’t have panicked if he’d woken up in a flooded stateroom on the Titanic. But quarterback Baker Mayfield isn’t wired like that. He’s passionate, sensitive, and often led by raw emotion. So the danger of panic is real for a player pressing after getting a big contract and, so far, not living up to the bigger bucks.Atlanta Falcons: They’re not panicking yet because Michael Penix Jr. will start his first game of the season on Thursday. Any team getting its presumptive starting quarterback back in the lineup for the first time is actually upbeat rather than panicking. But Penix Jr. better perform, and the results must change.FOLLOW ARMANDO SALGUERO ON X: @ARMANDOSALGUERO

Wholesale Gas Prices Are Reaching Consumers Faster, ECB Says

By Michael Kern of OilPrice.com

The surge in wholesale natural gas prices is set to pass through the retail and electricity inflation in the Eurozone faster than in the past, the European Central Bank (ECB) said in its Economic Bulletin on Monday.

While the pass-through is faster and can manifest in the inflation numbers within one to three months for most Eurozone members, the pressure on electricity prices has been lower so far in 2026 compared to 2022, partly due to the higher shares of electricity generated from renewables, the ECB’s economists wrote.

“The impact of wholesale gas prices on wholesale electricity prices – which is typically strong with gas prices being the marginal price-setter for electricity prices – was dampened by a shift towards electricity generated from renewables,” they noted.

Natural gas prices have doubled since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, while oil prices have increased more modestly, by about 40%.

For Europe, soaring energy prices have rekindled inflation fears in Europe mostly due to the spike in wholesale gas prices.

The Iran war and the intensified competition for spot LNG supply from Asia came just as Europe was trying to build in the spring and summer natural gas inventories for winter.

The ECB, which in June raised the key interest rate for the euro area for the first time since 2023, raised the rates once again in September, by 0.25 percentage points, as inflation at over 3% is running well above the long-term ECB policy target of 2%.

“The outlook remains highly uncertain, with risks to the upside for inflation and to the downside for economic growth,” the ECB said in its monetary policy decision on September 10, the day on which Saudi Arabia’s onshore oil pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz was attacked with drones.

“The pass-through of wholesale prices to retail prices has sped up for gas prices overall, but the broad pattern of lagged and uneven transmission remains for both gas prices and electricity prices,” the ECB economists said today.

An ECB survey of central banks in the Eurozone showed that changes in wholesale gas prices are expected to be passed on to consumer gas inflation within 1-3 months in more than half of the euro area, within 4-6 months in around one-tenth of the euro area, and within 7-12 months in around one-third of the euro area – all higher than in 2022.

“Notably, the share of countries to report a slow pass-through within 13-24 months has decreased from around 40% to around 5% since 2022,” the ECB noted.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 09/22/2026 – 06:30

As some prominent Jewish Democrats in Michigan throw their support behind Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, the state’s GOP chair told Fox News Digital he is confident that opposition to Abdul El-Sayed will spark a significant Jewish defection from the Democratic Party on Election Day.”The big issue is Democratic donors who are Jewish, and what we’re hearing most of the angst is about from them, is El-Sayed,” Michigan GOP Chairman Jim Runestad told Fox News Digital. “His off-the-charts comments and his associations are actually striking fear into the Jewish community here in the state of Michigan.”Indeed, roughly 500 individuals identifying as Jewish Democrats or independents living in Michigan have signed an open letter calling Rogers a “friend to the Jewish community” and warning that an El-Sayed victory could allow “far-left and anti-Jewish elements” to become dominant within the Democratic Party.JEWISH DEMOCRATS ABANDON EL-SAYED FOR GOP RIVAL IN ALL-IMPORTANT BATTLEGROUND STATEAmid his allegedly faltering Jewish support, El-Sayed released a video on social media where he showed himself spending Rosh Hashanah, essentially the Jewish New Year, with two Jewish women. The two women’s pro-Palestinian activism, along with criticism of their apparent unfamiliarity with the Hebrew prayers featured in the video, drew scrutiny from critics — including one Democratic state lawmaker.”Man I really hate tokenism,” Democrat state Rep. Noah Arbit, who represents the heavily Jewish town of West Bloomfield, wrote.EL-SAYED TRIES TO MAKE PEACE WITH JEWISH DEMOCRATS BUT DRAWS LINE AT DUMPING HASAN PIKER”This isn’t designed to appeal to the Jewish community. It’s for any non-Jews concerned about his bigotry who won’t immediately be suspicious,” Jonathan Greenberg, a rabbi who leads the effort to combat antisemitism at a conservative advocacy group, wrote.El-Sayed’s video nonetheless drew significant engagement on social media, generating thousands of interactions across X and TikTok.Even if El-Sayed alienates Jewish voters, it is unclear if that will have lasting, or even down-ballot, effects for Democrats in Michigan. The open letter endorsing Rogers, for instance, makes clear that signatories do not necessarily support President Donald Trump and states that their support is specific to “this year and in this Senate race.”As it relates to the short term, the Rogers campaign claims that their Jewish outreach efforts have been successful.JEWISH DEM DEFECTIONS THREATEN EL-SAYED IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE DECIDED BY RAZOR-THIN MARGINSA source within the Rogers campaign told Fox News Digital that their social media inboxes are “constantly” being filled with positive messages from Jewish voters and that they’ve been “inundated” with outreach more generally. The source also claimed that the fundraisers they held with donors have gone well, though did not provide specific numbers.Runestad, however, is confident that Republicans can make lasting gains with the Jewish community if they play their cards right.”We think there’s also an opening for Republicans long term to start getting the Jewish community to look at the Republicans from a different perspective,” he told Fox News Digital. “We have been very connected to so much of what the Jewish community believes in terms of being entrepreneurial, supporting lower taxes and reducing regulation.”While Jewish voters swinging significantly toward Rogers could benefit the Republican, he will also have to contend with El-Sayed’s strong support in Michigan’s Arab American community, particularly in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, where he built a commanding advantage in the Democratic primary.EX-HILLARY CLINTON STAFFER WARNS DEMOCRATS THAT COURTING FAR-LEFT COULD COST THEM JEWISH VOTERS”We have been outreaching to the Jewish community here in Oakland County, which is a very substantial community, and I think we’re going to see a real sea change this cycle,” Runestad said.”The real concern for the Jewish community is someone like Hasan Piker. Anybody who has looked at his comments — they’re off the charts,” he added. “This is like the right-hand man of El-Sayed, and some of his despicable antisemitic comments are certainly going to be brought to bear in this election. The Jewish community is becoming more and more aware of just how dangerous someone like Hasan Piker is and his connection to El-Sayed.”El-Sayed has dismissed his proximity to Piker as insignificant to Michigan voters and called the streamer’s assertion that America “deserved” 9/11 “dumb.” He has also pushed back against claims that his campaign is floundering among Jewish voters.”Abdul is grateful for the good conversations he’s had with Jewish leaders across Michigan, and he’ll continue to be actively engaged with communities to build the coalition that will defeat Rogers, restore Democratic control of the U.S. Senate, and put a much-needed check on Trump’s reckless agenda,” campaign spokesman Cole Wozniak told Fox News Digital.In response to the pro-Rogers open letter, liberal Jewish leaders in Michigan have collected signatures from over 800 people identifying as Jewish Michiganders affirming their support for El-Sayed, though noting that some of them disagree with him on foreign policy and other issues. El-Sayed has made assuaging the concerns of Michigan Jews a priority for his campaign, courting endorsements from high-profile Jewish lawmakers and meeting frequently with members of the community. 

Outgoing Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, has endorsed his colleague Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., for re-election, backing the Republican in an opinion piece ahead of the 2026 midterm election.”The Congress we get is the one we elect, and the country needs fewer members who treat the job as a stage and more who treat it as work. In New York’s Hudson Valley this fall, that is the choice on the ballot. Mike Lawler has been a true partner to me and a friend to fishing families he will never represent,” Golden wrote.”I strongly back him, and I hope voters send him back to work. Wherever you live, find the members who pass laws with the other party, and keep them,” the Democrat noted.REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: DEM REBELS EXPOSE CRACKS IN JEFFRIES’ HOUSE LEADERSHIPGolden, who has served in the House of Representatives since early 2019, announced last last year that he would not run for re-election in 2026.Lawler, who has served in the House since early 2023, is currently seeking re-election this year.”It’s an honor and a privilege to accept the endorsement of my friend, Democratic Congressman Jared Golden,” Lawler noted in a post on X.VULNERABLE HOUSE REPUBLICANS EMBRACE TRUMP AS GOP BETS ON DEFYING MIDTERM HISTORY”While we are from different parties and different states, Jared and I have worked during our time together in the House to find common ground on issues that matter both to us and our constituents. We share a firm belief that what’s best for the people should come before one’s party, and that if more members on both sides of the aisle took that approach more often, the country would be better off for it,” the Republican wrote.Lawler is facing Democratic candidate Cait Conley in the contest to represent New York’s 17th Congressional District.Conley, a combat veteran, has served as the National Security Council director for counterterrorism and has also worked with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.ARMY COMBAT VETERAN CHALLENGING MIKE LAWLER CALLS HEGSETH NATIONAL SECURITY ‘HAZARD,’ BACKS IMPEACHMENTFormer Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg rallied with Conley last week, and wrote in a post on X that he was “proud to be in Cait’s corner.”

Utah law granting broad immunity to government entities and their employees could make it difficult for Charlie Kirk’s family to pursue a wrongful death claim against the state and Utah Valley University — but there’s a key piece of evidence they’ve raised in legal filings that could clear the hurdle, according to a trial attorney and legal analyst.”Utah law makes it very difficult for the Charlie Kirk family to proceed with a civil claim against the state and the university,” said Randolph Rice, a Maryland-based attorney and former prosecutor who is following the case.The Utah Governmental Immunity Act shields government entities and employees from many civil damages claims, he said.CHARLIE KIRK’S FAMILY ALLEGES UVU KNEW OF ROOFTOP SECURITY RISK BEFORE HIS ASSASSINATION: LEGAL FILINGA lawsuit from the family of Gabby Petito against the Moab Police Department alleged that officers were negligent in their response to a traffic stop involving Brian Laundrie two weeks before he killed her. A judge dismissed the case on governmental immunity grounds. The Petito family is appealing.GABBY PETITO’S MOTHER URGES PUBLIC ‘RIPPLE EFFECT’ TO HELP FIND THE MISSING 5 YEARS AFTER DAUGHTER’S MURDER”Generally speaking, they are immune from any type of civil suit, meaning money damages,” Rice said — but there is a potential exception.Kirk’s family filed a notice of claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, last week — alleging that Utah Valley University, the state of Utah and key officials failed to properly secure the event even after acknowledging responsibility for rooftop security, leading to his wrongful death.CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: NEW UVU PRESIDENT SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE TO ‘HOST THE FRAYS,’ EMBRACE FREE SPEECHAmong the claims in the filing, UVU Police Chief Jeffrey Long allegedly told Turning Point USA organizers “I got you covered” when they raised concerns about rooftop access around the campus courtyard.That text message could be key to overcoming Utah’s immunity law, he said, because Kirk was shot and killed by a sniper on a rooftop.SURVEILLANCE VIDEO TIMELINE TRACKS ACCUSED CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSIN ACROSS UVU CAMPUS BEFORE FATAL ROOFTOP SHOTFOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XSIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWSLIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE”What they’re going to try to do is, and I’m guessing this, is they’re going to say, look, because of the fact that they detrimentally relied on that, we’re not bound by the Governmental Immunity Act,” Rice said.”That goes away or we get around that. We pierce that veil and therefore we can now go after the school, the police chief, the government agencies, because we detrimentally relied on the text message and that assurance that that rooftop was going to be protected.”GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAILSEND US A TIPThe notice of claim alleges that not only was there no physical police presence, no one was watching the camera feeds as the suspect came and went in real time.TYLER ROBINSON HEARING COULD DECIDE DEATH PENALTY FATE, FINALLY SEE PLEA IN CHARLIE KIRK CASEGOT A TIP?Lawyers for the suspect, 23-year-old Tyler Robinson, pleaded not guilty on his behalf at his arraignment on Sept. 1. He could face the death penalty if convicted of the top charge of aggravated murder.LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST”His murder was entirely preventable and, in fact, would not have happened had the State of Utah and UVU followed through on their stated security promises, which included protecting the rooftops surrounding the quad where Charlie was speaking,” said Brett Parkinson, counsel for the Kirk family. “Those failures not only robbed Charlie Kirk of his life, but also robbed his family of their husband, father, son, and brother, with impacts that will compound for the rest of their lives.”Skye Lazaro, a Salt Lake City-based attorney who is also following the case, told Fox News Digital that she can’t say definitively whether the chief’s text is enough to clear the hurdle — but is would bolster the case if Kirk’s family does follow-up with a lawsuit.”Utah has broad government immunity laws that specifically protects government agencies and employees from liability for someone else’s criminal actions, even when they fail to perform their job functions,” she said. “That being said, these cases often get settled out of court for various reasons.”