A Republican member on the House Armed Services Committee told Fox News Digital ahead of the midterm elections that the Trump administration has a key decision to make on the future of the U.S.-Iran war as "continuing to do just enough not to lose, but not enough to win, is not OK."

Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., made the comments as Vice President JD Vance declared during a Fox News town hall on Thursday that he promises "Donald Trump is not going to let Iran become a forever war." Official and military sources also told Fox News this week that movements are being made in the Middle East to give the president options if he decides to resume strikes against Iran.

"I share my constituents and many Americans' perspective that I'm very, very frustrated that this war is not over. The way that ultimately this administration went about conducting the war, it needed to execute it and wrap it up in a very short period of time, and we are not there yet," said Harrigan, who is running for re-election in North Carolina's 10th Congressional District.

"That being said, Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. And so at the end of the day, I do believe that this was a war that was inevitable at some point, but the party that's in power and the administration that decided to pull the trigger on it is responsible for the outcome, and they're responsible for the outcome in a very short period of time. Otherwise, things get really, really difficult," Harrigan continued. "And I think we've been seeing that, both from a political perspective but also from a policy perspective."

TRUMP SUPPORTERS CONFRONT IRAN, AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS WITH A MESSAGE FOR CRITICS: 'GIVE HIM TIME'

"And so while the administration needs to wrap this up, we are not in a forever war, but we need to make sure that we're not... we keep the mission the same. We accomplish the mission. And we do what it takes to either win or come home," Harrigan added. "And that binary decision has to get made by this administration."

Harrigan told Fox News Digital that Trump "needs to involve Congress" if he chooses to renew military action against the Iranian regime.

"I think that that will long-term set the course for the country to be resolute in affirming and actually executing and accomplishing the objectives that exist. Because look, like it or not, Congress is responsible for the funding arm of the government. And if they run out of money to accomplish the objectives, then that is not good for our strategic interests," he said. "So, in my opinion, Congress and the White House need to be very closely involved in making the next set of decisions that exist for this conflict."

GOP CRACKS WIDEN OVER IRAN WAR AS VULNERABLE CANDIDATES BREAK WITH TRUMP, DEMAND ITS END

"And we do need to make sure, again, that we either do what it takes to actually win in Iran, or we need to take the three out of five objectives that we've accomplished and say that, you know what? We've largely accomplished our strategic objectives. We've got more work to do over the long-term that's going to require consistent and persistent over the horizon monitoring of their nuclear program. And we're going to have to mow the lawn every now and again, and everybody's got to realize that, and leave, right?" Harrigan continued, mentioning how the U.S. has prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and eliminated Tehran's missile and drone production.

"But we've got to choose one of those two options because continuing to do just enough not to lose, but not enough to win, is not OK," he said. "It's not OK for the American people, it's not OK for our troops, it's not OK for geopolitical and economic stability. And it does not serve the long-term strategic interests of the United States. So it's time to choose."

Harrigan, a Green Beret and business entrepreneur, is running for re-election on Tuesday in North Carolina. He is facing off against Democrat challenger Ashley Bell, a physician associate, and Libertarian candidate Steve Feldman, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat two years ago.

As a current member of Congress, Harrigan told Fox News there is "no question" the Republican Party's House majority is at stake heading into Election Day.

"Whoever has 218 votes gets to chart the course of the direction of the House, the work that its committees do. And in particular, as it relates to the Trump administration, whether or not President Trump's going to get impeached," he added.

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"What this boils down to is the future direction of the country. Are we going to be stuck looking backwards instead of actually looking forwards, dealing with the actual business of the county and the free world, or are we going to be stuck in some sort of a Democratically-led nightmare that is simply going to be obstructionist to the conservative principles and values that people voted for in 2024?" Harrigan asked. "That's what's on the line this election cycle."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, accused a Democratic colleague of obstructing efforts to protect Maine's lobster industry from Biden-era federal regulations, even as the legislation could gain momentum in the Senate next month.

Collins' criticism comes as Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., prepares to visit Maine to hear from lobstermen after previously opposing efforts to extend regulatory relief. Meanwhile, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pledged this week to advance the legislation when Congress returns in November.

"I'm glad that Sen. Cantwell is coming to Maine to finally listen to our lobstermen," Collins told Fox News Digital. "In 2022, Sen. Cantwell worked against the Maine delegation's effort to halt the Biden regulations that threatened lobstermen's livelihoods, and this year she has been blocking the bill to extend the regulatory pause that we secured in 2022."

The legislation, introduced by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., passed the House in September. The bill would extend an existing pause on new federal regulations intended to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale through 2035, giving Maine's lobster industry additional time before potentially costly restrictions take effect.

Cruz's announcement follows a September letter from Collins and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, urging the Senate Commerce Committee to advance the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act.

"This pause is necessary to protect Maine's lobster fishery, which is essential to the state's economy and coastal communities. According to the Maine Lobstermen's Association, the lobster industry supports an estimated $2 billion in annual economic activity and more than 17,500 jobs," the senators wrote.

In a statement, Cruz credited Collins with helping advance the legislation, saying her leadership has been "instrumental" in efforts to protect "Maine's lobstermen from burdensome regulations."

"I hope we can move this bill without changes or further delay to put on President Trump's desk as soon as possible," Cruz added.

Cantwell is expected to attend a listening session with Maine lobstermen alongside Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson at an event hosted by the Maine Lobster Union.

The visit comes amid accusations from Collins and Cruz that Cantwell previously worked against efforts to provide longer-term relief for the state's lobster industry.

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Cantwell and Jackson did not respond to Fox News Digital’s multiple requests for comment.

Leadership at the Department of Justice is escalating the Trump administration’s fight with California over suspected illegal voting, directing top federal prosecutors to pursue criminal subpoenas of local and state officials.

At least four election workers in California have received federal criminal grand jury subpoenas within the last week, CalMatters reported. At least one of these subpoenas was delivered on Thursday, after a federal judge rejected the DOJ’s request that California set aside mail-in ballots associated with over 20,000 registered voters whose citizenship the Trump administration has called into question.

A subpoena sent to three election employees at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office requested records on how the department stops non-citizens from voting as well as "records relating to or involving evidence collected by your agency which tends to indicate an alien has voted in a federal election." An official in Orange County received a similar subpoena, local media reported.

JUDGE REJECTS DOJ REQUEST TO BLOCK CALIFORNIA FROM IMMEDIATELY COUNTING BALLOTS LINKED TO ALLEGED NONCITIZENS

"This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county employees cease immediately," the judge said during court proceedings. "These threats must stop," he wrote in his Wednesday decision.

A Justice Department spokesperson pushed back against characterizations that the administration was targeting individuals with subpoenas, noting that receiving a subpoena doesn’t mean you are a target and that the DOJ generally doesn’t subpoena targets.

DOJ FIRES BACK AT DEM AG OVER ELECTION DAY GUIDANCE TELLING OFFICIALS WHEN TO CALL COPS ON FEDERAL AGENTS

"To be clear, the district court judge explained that voting unlawfully results in criminal exposure. Consistent with this, California also wrote in its filing that the remedy for unlawful voting is through criminal prosecution," Justice Department spokeswoman Kiersten Pels said in an emailed statement. "Thus, while DOJ maintains that a civil remedy is still available, all agree that noncitizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law."

She declined to comment on the "alleged grand jury subpoenas," citing departmental policy.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CHARGES 16 ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES WITH ALLEGED ILLEGAL VOTING, ELECTION CRIMES

The DOJ’s clash with California is part of a broader effort undertaken by the Trump administration to prove widespread voter fraud. While the administration has turned up a number of examples of non-citizens registered to vote in federal elections, it has yet to prove widespread illegal voting.

The DOJ has appealed the decision blocking it from compelling California to separate ballots associated with more than 20,000 registered voters it suspects may be noncitizens. Many of these ballots, however, have already been cast by early voters and anonymized, making it virtually impossible to identify them.

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The California governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Friday.

The Senate’s No. 2 Republican believes that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had a hand in the alleged scheme unfolding in the Alaska Senate race.

Operatives for Rep. Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign, along with top aides in Senate Democrats’ campaign apparatus, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), are alleged to have been involved in creating one of the stranger races this election cycle: finding and recruiting another candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against the incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, R-Alaska, according to reporting from The New York Times.

National Democrats have maintained they had no hand in the move, but Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told Fox News Digital in an interview that he believes the campaign received help from the very top.

SEN DAN SULLIVAN BRANDS PELTOLA’S ALLEGED BALLOT SCHEME A ‘SCANDAL AT THE HIGHEST ORDER’

"I mean, this is criminal behavior to steal the Alaska Senate race, it's now been fully exposed," Barrasso said. "And there is proof that the Peltola campaign knew about it, and that Schumer schemed and colluded with them for over a year to try to search for and then coax a decoy of Dan Sullivan onto the ballot with a purpose only to deceive the voters."

Schumer’s office and Peltola's campaign did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

The peculiar situation in Alaska has been ongoing for months and has sparked legal battles at the state and national levels, as well as condemnation from Republicans across the country, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

'DECOY DAN' SULLIVAN CASE LEADS TOP SENATOR TO BREAK FOUR-YEAR X SILENCE: 'PATTERN OF LIES'

Murkowski argued on X that "ballot-stacking should have no place in our electoral process."

"Alaskans deserve the honest truth from Mary and her campaign — what has been revealed is a pattern of lies and coverups and a culture of deception that belongs nowhere in our elections or among our elected officials," she said.

Much of the consternation over the matter is because of Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, meaning that both candidates named Dan Sullivan, Peltola and Gerald Heikes will all appear on the same ballot.

Peltola weighed in on Thursday at an event in Juneau, Alaska, telling supporters she wanted to "clear the air."

PELTOLA CAMPAIGN'S ALLEGED DAN SULLIVAN SPOILER PLOT TAKES NEW TURN AS DOJ FACES MAJOR LEGAL HURDLE

"I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent," Peltola said. "That is all I have ever known about. I am not interested in tricking voters. I know I can beat Dan Sullivan."

The point of the scheme was allegedly to sow confusion among voters as to which Sullivan was which in an attempt to give Peltola an edge. Barrasso said that while he was confident the incumbent Sullivan would win, the plan showed that the "Democratic campaign has secretly been making fun of Alaskan voters for being so easily tricked."

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"I mean, these people just are, you know, dirty, rotten scoundrels — cheaters," Barrasso said.

"I mean, how more cynical can you get than what the Democrats have done here," he continued.

Ahead of the midterm elections, billionaire Elon Musk warned that a Democratic sweep of the White House and Congress in 2028 could spell the "end of democracy," outlining three moves he fears the party would make to cement its political power.

The stark warning comes as Musk pours money into Republican campaigns, arguing that maintaining GOP control of the Senate is essential to preventing what he described as a "permanent one-party state."

Musk outlined his three "biggest" concerns about Democrats gaining unified control of Washington, in an X post, warning that the party would move to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, legalize immigrants living in the country illegally and expand the Supreme Court.

AMERICANS CLASH OVER SUPREME COURT EXPANSION AS FIGHT OVER 9 JUSTICES HEATS UP: ‘LET’S PACK IT NOW’

"My biggest concern is that if there is a clean sweep by Democrats of the House, Senate and Presidency in 2028," Musk wrote, listing three top scenarios he fears.

Musk argued that granting statehood to Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico would help Democrats gain a strong Senate majority, while opening the borders and legalizing immigrants in the country illegally would help the party cement a lasting electoral advantage.

He also warned that Democrats would increase the number of Supreme Court justices to secure an immediate majority on the nation's highest court.

"This would result in America becoming a permanent one-party state and the end of democracy in any meaningful sense of the word," Musk wrote.

SENATE CONTROL IS A COIN FLIP — AND DEMOCRATS’ PATH RUNS THROUGH TRUMP COUNTRY

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO argued that Republicans need to hold at least 51 Senate seats following the 2028 elections to prevent those outcomes, making an urgent appeal to voters ahead of the midterms.

"That is why you should vote for Republican senators this election," Musk wrote. "Other reasons are irrelevant compared to this one."

The Senate is still a toss-up with six states to decide the majority, according to Fox News Power Rankings. The best outcome predicted for the Democrats is that their ceiling rises to 54 seats and for Republicans, they could see them retain control with up to 52 seats.

Musk's warning comes amid his financial involvement in Republican campaigns, with the billionaire directing significant resources toward helping GOP candidates win elections.

ARTHUR HERMAN: MUSK AND OTHERS PROVE THAT THIS ELECTION CASH IS KING. WILL IT BE ENOUGH?

He contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to Republican political groups ahead of the November midterms. A representative for his America PAC confirmed to Fox News earlier this month that the billionaire had contributed $276 million to Republican super PACs and organizations over the previous three months.

That includes $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and $10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC, which is backing Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took aim at Musk's political spending, accusing the billionaire of attempting to use his fortune to influence the midterm elections in Republicans' favor.

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"Elon Musk is flooding the midterms with money to help Trump," Clinton wrote on X earlier this week. "But even his millions may not be enough to counteract reality."

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy warned that an alleged Democratic scheme to recruit a second "Dan Sullivan" into the state's pivotal Senate race exposed a deeper vulnerability in its election system, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that his administration is investigating newly surfaced evidence just days before the midterms.

Dunleavy said The New York Times uncovered details that state officials did not have when they initially challenged the second Sullivan's candidacy this past summer — including alleged involvement by operatives connected to Democratic nominee Mary Peltola.

The Republican argued Alaska's relatively new election system helped make the controversy possible, as state and federal authorities pursue separate investigations into potential wrongdoing.

"This would have never happened if we didn't have ranked-choice voting," Dunleavy told Fox News Digital. "If this was a historical primary, a primary that our fathers and grandfathers had, this individual [retired schoolteacher Dan Sullivan of Petersburg] would not have gotten out of the primary."

'DECOY DAN' SULLIVAN CASE LEADS TOP SENATOR TO BREAK FOUR-YEAR X SILENCE: 'PATTERN OF LIES'

Dunleavy cited reporting that the Petersburg Sullivan initially denied having been recruited, but the Times found Peltola-connected operatives had worked to recruit spoilers named "Dan Sullivan" from around the state.

"We're compelled to do an investigation on behalf of the people of Alaska, because as they say in Alaska, which is a big fish state, if you can smell the fish way far from the dock, you've got a real problem," Dunleavy said.

"And so, this really does stink."

Alaska's election system advances the top four finishers from a nonpartisan primary to a general election in which voters rank candidates by preference. Dunleavy argued that traditional party primaries would have prevented the second Sullivan from reaching November's ballot.

"Our job as executives are to make sure that we can provide our people with an election that everyone could look at it and say that was done with integrity. And right now this cast, unfortunately, a pall over all of this," he said.

Dunleavy said the state's initial investigation in June after the Petersburg Sullivan surfaced ultimately led to the state Supreme Court, which allowed both Sullivans' names on the ballot, with Senator Sullivan marked "incumbent."

"Initially, when [Petersburg Sullivan] contacted the Division of Elections, he wanted his name listed as Daniel S. Sullivan. That's not his middle initial. That's the middle initial of our incumbent senator. His website looked very, very, very similar to our incumbent senator. And we went to court over this, and the Supreme Court of Alaska ruled that they were going to put his name on the ballot," he said.

"We knew there was a problem, but the courts had decided. And then of course, the article comes out in the Times and there's a whole list of issues that we were never privy to."

The new reporting identified contradictions in accounts of what transpired over the summer, including whether there was contact between Petersburg Sullivan and any campaigns.

RNC REJECTS NARRATIVE OF SPOILER CANDIDATES 'ON BOTH SIDES,' CALLS ALASKA SCHEME 'FRAUDULENT'

"There's a lot more smoke and a lot of fishy smell after this article came out," he said.

In Alaska, elections are overseen by the lieutenant governor, not the governor, and Fox News Digital reached out to Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom for comment on whether or how her office is investigating.

"They're obviously shoulders deep now in an election with all the people and all the polls open here with early voting. The governor's office is in charge of making sure that there's execution of the laws. That's what this investigation is going to look at to see if there were any violations of law or if there was a civil violation as well," Dunleavy added.

Peltola's campaign has denied involvement with either Sullivan campaign. Peltola also dismissed the controversy as a distraction during a campaign appearance Wednesday, while the New York Times reported that operatives connected to her campaign participated in efforts to recruit potential spoiler candidates.

Fox News Digital reached out to Peltola for additional comment.

Former FEC Chair Hans von Spakovsky told Fox News Digital that something investigators should look at is whether individuals paid by Peltola or another political organization were providing any "in-kind" services to the Petersburg Sullivan.

"In-kind services are considered a contribution to a campaign. Failure to disclose such services is a violation of federal law. Also, if the fair market value of the services provided to the campaign exceeds the maximum contribution allowed to a federal candidate, that is also a violation of federal law. If this was knowingly and intentionally done, it moves from being a civil violation to a criminal violation of the law," von Spakovsky said.

Von Spakovsky pointed to an FEC case involving socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, which accepted campaign assistance from Australian Labor Party members whose travel expenses and stipends were paid by the foreign political organization.

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The FEC determined that the arrangement constituted a prohibited $24,422 in-kind foreign contribution. Sanders' campaign and the Australian Labor Party each agreed to pay $14,500 in civil penalties to settle the matter without admitting liability.

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With Election Day approaching, the governor said the investigation would continue for as long as necessary, warning that the alleged effort could foreshadow new attempts to manipulate elections through misleading candidacies and other tactics.

Fox News Digital's Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Four U.S. cities will share almost $300 million in federal funding after competing to show how they would reduce violent crime and strengthen local law enforcement.

Jacksonville, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and St. Louis, Missouri, were selected for the Justice Department's new Model Cities Initiative, according to details obtained by Fox News Digital.

The four winners represent markedly different policing environments, from Jacksonville, where murders have fallen sharply in recent years, to Baton Rouge, where officials have struggled with a significant officer shortage, and Jackson, where DOJ says officials proposed a technology-driven strategy to combat persistent violent crime.

Attorney General Todd Blanche and other DOJ leaders will visit each city over the next 10 days to present the awards, when the department plans to reveal the individual funding amounts.

KASH PATEL TO TOUT 'LARGEST' YEAR-TO-YEAR VIOLENT CRIME DROP IN US HISTORY

The DOJ launched the competition in June as part of President Donald Trump's focus on reducing crime in U.S. cities. It invited cities nationwide to submit comprehensive plans for reducing violent crime and improving public safety.

The awards could represent a sizable addition to the cities' existing law enforcement budgets.

Jacksonville budgets about $674 million annually for its sheriff's office, while St. Louis budgeted about $147 million for its police department in fiscal 2026. With nearly $300 million to be divided among just four jurisdictions, each award could amount to tens of millions of dollars, though DOJ has not yet disclosed how the funding will be split.

BILL BARR SAYS TODD BLANCHE ISN'T 'A TOADY,' URGES SENATE TO CONFIRM TRUMP'S AG PICK

"The Model Cities Initiative reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime across the country and ensuring the safety of every American," Blanche said.

"These cities are setting an example of proactive law enforcement that will strengthen the rule of law and improve public safety in their jurisdictions. As violent crime rates continue to fall to historic lows, the Department of Justice is redoubling our efforts to invest in local communities and keep American families safe."

Rather than funding a single policing program, the initiative takes what DOJ describes as a "whole-of-city" approach, bringing together law enforcement, local government officials and community partners to develop strategies tailored to each jurisdiction's public safety challenges.

The money can be used to hire sworn and non-sworn law enforcement personnel and other public safety workers, purchase technology and equipment, expand forensic capabilities and fund programs addressing mental health, substance abuse and recidivism.

Jacksonville's selection comes after a sharp drop in killings. The city recorded 59 murders in 2024, its lowest total since at least 1995 and less than half the number recorded a year earlier, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. DOJ said murders fell 38% between 2023 and 2025, while robberies declined 25% and aggravated assaults fell 21%.

DOJ pointed to Jacksonville's use of advanced training and technology and efforts to strengthen investigative capabilities in selecting the city. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which has more than 3,600 police, corrections and civilian employees, has an annual budget of roughly $674 million.

FIRST ON FOX: DHS POINTS TO ‘COMMON SENSE’ REASON FOR COLLAPSING CRIME: ‘NO SURPRISE’

St. Louis' selection is particularly notable given the city's long struggle with violent crime. The city recorded 263 homicides in 2020, but that figure fell to 150 in 2024, its lowest total since 2013, as overall crime declined 15% year over year.

The decline continued into 2025, when homicides during the first three months of the year fell another 45% compared with the same period a year earlier.

DOJ said St. Louis' proposal calls for expanding law enforcement personnel by more than 300, modernizing policing technology and strengthening public safety operations.

Baton Rouge is confronting a different challenge: manpower. The Baton Rouge Police Department was roughly 150 officers short earlier this year, prompting officials to approve what they described as the largest police pay raise in department history. Starting salaries increased from $40,000 to $58,000 as part of an effort to recruit and retain officers.

The department also operates a Real Time Crime Center that uses data analytics and other technology to support officers and investigators.

DOJ said East Baton Rouge Parish stood out for its partnerships among law enforcement, local government and community organizations and its broader approach to combating violent crime.

Jackson, Mississippi, meanwhile, was selected for what DOJ described as an ambitious, technology-driven strategy to address persistent violent crime.

The Jackson Police Department already operates a Real Time Command Center and specialized units focused on gun crime, vice and narcotics and other investigations, while assigning officers to outside task forces. Its proposal calls for greater coordination among law enforcement agencies, expanded investigative capabilities and targeted enforcement, according to DOJ.

"President Trump and this Department of Justice have demonstrated that Americans need not accept unsafe streets as a fact of life," Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said. "We have made tremendous strides in restoring public safety, and the Model Cities Initiative offers an opportunity to build on that progress. These cities have the potential to set a new standard for safer communities across America."

The four winning jurisdictions will now work with DOJ to finalize and implement their public safety plans.

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Blanche and other Justice Department officials will travel to all four jurisdictions over the next 10 days to present the awards in person and reveal how the nearly $300 million will be divided among them.

Syrians are grappling with the end of state subsidies and rising prices, testing public support for President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government as it tries to rebuild the economy after Bashar al-Assad's fall.

The UN human rights office said Israeli forces are treating an expanding buffer line inside Gaza, known as the Yellow Line, as a 'kill zone', raising fears that Palestinians are being forced out of ever-shrinking territory.

China and the United States have expanded uncrewed aircraft patrols across the Indo-Pacific, with Chinese drones operating near Japan and a US Marine detachment active near contested islands in the South China Sea. Japan's defense ministry reported a rise in Chinese military aircraft activity in waters that link Beijing's navy to the open Pacific. The moves came as Tokyo and Washington held joint military exercises in the region.

Egypt's deputy ambassador to Malawi was hospitalised after being attacked and beaten in the capital Lilongwe, police confirmed. Officers said an investigation into the assault has been opened, though the motive remains unclear. The incident has raised diplomatic security concerns in the Malawian capital.

Armed gunmen linked to the Lakurawa and Mamudawa groups killed a police inspector and 11 villagers in a series of raids across Kebbi State in northwest Nigeria. Residents of Karwa, Kestu and Waiwayi fled the riverine Besse/Shanga area as the attacks unfolded. Local authorities say extra security forces have been deployed to the area.

The European Union has moved to accelerate disbursement of a €45 billion aid package for Ukraine as Kyiv faces an acute shortage of funds to sustain its war effort. For 2027, the plan allocates €32 billion for military support and €13 billion for budget assistance. EU officials have warned that further funds will likely be required as Russia's offensive continues.

Brazil has allocated 147.68 billion reais, about $27 billion, to defence for 2027, with 73% of that going toward salaries and pension payments. Only 8.6% is earmarked for investment. The budget bill sent to Congress will shape the pace of fighter jet and nuclear submarine programmes.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for elections after returning to the country following nearly a year in exile. She said the transition in Venezuela's government would be "irreversible, organised, pacific." The statement renews pressure on the ruling administration over the country's political future.

On election night, Tuesday, November 3, at 10 p.m. ET, Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi go live for Freed Up to react to the midterm results as they roll in. Expect the same smart, unserious, happily unhinged riffing Freed Up is known for, with plenty of roasting, a few real debates, and no shortage of jokes at the politicians' expense. Skip the doomscrolling and spend the night with two libertarians who'd rather laugh than panic.

Watch here: https://youtube.com/live/yBFGLqfumrw

The post <em>Freed Up</em>: Live Midterm Reactions appeared first on Reason Magazine.

Early voting is still ongoing in Washington, D.C.'s elections, but everyone already knows who the winner of the mayoral race is going to be. 

In June, Councilmember Janeese Lewis George won a commanding 54 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary. In one of the bluest cities in America, that all but assures she'll be the next mayor. 

She will replace retiring three-term Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has developed a reputation for a go-along-to-get-along administration, neither a bold good-government reformer nor a progressive activist. 

Her successor is more ambitious. Lewis George is a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America in the mold of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (whose endorsement she sought). Her campaign platform called for more childcare subsidies, more housing subsidies, more rent control, more taxes, and, perhaps most importantly of all, a more confrontational approach to President Donald Trump. 

For the past several months, District politicos have been furiously trying to read the tea leaves on what a Lewis George administration will look like in practice. 

Will D.C.'s precarious fiscal situation and tense relationship with the Trump administration force her to moderate? Or will she stick to her ideological guns come hell or budget crisis and federal takeover of the city? 

Budget Blues

When it comes to spending, Lewis George has the biggest ambitions and the least room to maneuver. 

As D.C.'s Democratic mayoral primary was wrapping up, the District was also in the midst of a bloody fight over its FY 2027 budget. 

Bowser had proposed some $450 million in cuts to bring the budget into balance as required by law. The D.C. Council, with Lewis George's enthusiastic support, rejected those cuts and filled the gap by tapping one-time revenues and the city's fiscal reserves. 

Bowser let the budget bill become law without her signature in late June, warning in a letter that the council's rejection of her cuts would leave an $837 million fiscal cliff come the next budget cycle. 

Lewis George, by now the presumptive mayor, clapped back with her own statement calling Bowser's proposed cuts "devastating" and "irresponsible." 

In the run-up to the general election, she's promised to balance the budget and enact her new spending programs without having to raise taxes on working and middle-class residents. 

This will allegedly be accomplished through "forensic" audits of government departments to identify inefficient spending.  

As we learned with DOGE, however, the fraud, waste, and abuse fairly often fails to deliver the money needed to cover new permanent spending programs or tax cuts. 

In this way, Lewis George's position is similar to that of fellow DSAer Mamdani in New York, who came into office with grand spending pledges, fiscal gaps to close, and only so much room and power to raise taxes. 

Mamdani, at least, has a relatively friendly partner in the form of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who's assented to some new taxes and state aid to the city's budget. 

Lewis George is likely to benefit from a Democratic takeover of Congress, which will be more likely to assent to local tax increases. But for her first two years in office, she'll still be left dealing with a Republican president who's proven remarkably willing to interfere with local D.C. policy. 

The Trump Question

The most thankless task a D.C. mayor can have is appeasing a Republican president. In his second term, Trump has made this task more thankless still. 

In August 2025, he surged federal law enforcement personnel and National Guard members onto D.C. city streets and placed the city's Metropolitan Police Department under federal control as part of a showy anti-crime crackdown in the District. 

Under the Home Rule Act, which established D.C.'s elected municipal government, Trump was well within his rights to federalize MPD for a period of 30 days. But the president made a number of comments about how he might try to extend his control over the police department for longer still. 

The move outraged the liberal city. Protests were held. Sandwiches were thrown. Stickers and yard signs demanding the feds back off appeared everywhere. 

Bowser, whose control of MPD was being usurped, largely tried to calm everybody down. At a press conference on the day that Trump announced federalization of the police, she described the move as "unsettling and unprecedented."

But she also vowed to cooperate with the administration and even said that increased police presence in some areas could be a "positive." 

Her "tenor will be appropriate for what I think will be appropriate for the District," she said at that August press conference. 

If the goal was to avoid prolonged federal control of MPD, the mayor's tenor worked. After 30 days, the mayor regained control of the department. 

But that even-handed approach was not what the city's left wanted to hear. 

Lewis George called it an "outrageous action" and vowed to fight the "weaponization" of Home Rule. 

In a Democratic primary in which voters were eager to vent their frustration at the new administration, this undoubtedly helped her. 

In the days before the primary, Trump threatened an end to Home Rule if Lewis George won the election. "Residents said to me, 'If Trump doesn't like you, I love you,'" she told a reporter in response. 

Here too, there remains an open question whether Lewis George will continue to play the role of Trump foil once in office. Fighting the administration at every turn would cause the new mayor a lot of headaches. It was also, to a large degree, what she was elected to do. 

Thus far, Lewis George has been somewhat cryptic about what her posture toward the White House will be. 

"I'm willing to work with this administration to the benefit of D.C. residents, and I'm willing to stand up to this administration when it comes to just that," she told Fox 5 in late October. 

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Mayor of D.C. is generally not a great job to have for a left-wing ideologue to have. You have to balance your budget. You can't print money. Taxpayers and capitalists can escape your redistributive schemes by moving a couple of metro stops away. We don't even have any agricultural land to collectivize. 

Bowser, like her last couple of predecessors, understood that paying for a large city government required keeping economic growth up and keeping the occupant of the White House happy. 

Neither will be an easy task for the next mayor. 

The city's economy is already in a slump. Unemployment is up. Housing development is down. And Trump has threatened time and again to end D.C.'s Home Rule and run the federal government directly. 

One would hardly choose a DSA member with a long list of expensive new programs to fund and an eagerness to "fight" as the ideal mayor for the moment. 

A potentially telling moment came in October, when Lewis George called for delaying consideration of a bill that would have eventually allowed autonomous Waymo taxies onto city streets. The jobs of existing drivers were too important, she said. 

People who are already nervous about a left-wing mayor saw in the announcement a signal that she would not bow to reality and sensibly moderate once in office. 

For an already troubled city, that would spell more trouble ahead.

The post After 11 Years of Muriel Bowser, D.C. Readies Itself for Its First Socialist Mayor appeared first on Reason Magazine.

Palestinian voter turnout gave Arab parties a potentially decisive role in Israel’s parliament, but leading Jewish opposition figures remained reluctant to work with them.

The funding mechanism for the project was changed in the Chancellor’s Budget this week.

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One in three London homes will not be eligible for John Healey’s winter energy handout

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