Contributing Writers

Every time there’s a government shutdown, I turn to an unconventional barometer to understand the depth of the impasse.I always observe the first few moments of the Senate session.Logical, right?GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN KNOWLEDGE: GAMING OUT ITS POTENTIAL ENDAny congressional reporter worth their salt would surely want to hear the musings of the Senate majority and minority leaders on the floor to digest where things stand with the shutdown.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted the annual White House Halloween celebration featuring a trick-or-treat event Thursday, Oct. 30.

Vice President JD Vance spoke at length during a large Turning Point USA gathering at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in honor of Charlie Kirk, during which he shared the slain conservative activist’s impact on his faith and told students that “a properly rooted Christian moral order” is key to the future of the country.

The legal team representing two boys suspended for questioning a transgender classmate’s access to the boys’ locker room have now filed an amended federal complaint alleging fresh factual claims and a new conspiracy charge, as they escalate their federal case against the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) in Virginia.

President Donald Trump announced that he has ordered the United States to resume nuclear weapons testing “immediately,” saying he directed the Department of War to match other nations’ programs. He called the move a necessary step to maintain global parity.Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday night: “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country.

FIRST ON FOX: Fairfax County officials are in the hot seat after the Trump Department of Homeland Security says the county’s sanctuary policies allowed an illegal alien to walk free despite having been arrested ten times and having 19 criminal charges, including for malicious shooting and unlawful wounding.The top Fairfax County official is disputing DHS’ characterization of it as a sanctuary county.

The Department of Veterans Affairs said the federal government shutdown has forced nearly 37,000 employees to be furloughed or work without pay.  The department’s medical centers, outpatient clinics and veterans centers remain open and are operating normally during the shutdown because of advanced appropriations from Congress, the agency said.

During the final leg of his Asia trip en route to South Korea, President Donald Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One, expressing confidence in his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of their meeting at an economic summit. Asked about U.S. efforts to curb fentanyl trafficking, Trump said the issue would be central to his discussions with Xi.

President Donald Trump spoke to the press while en route to South Korea on Tuesday aboard Air Force One and made remarks about his authority to deploy U.S. military forces domestically — something that will likely draw legal and political concerns.Trump was traveling to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), where he is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.During the media availability, Trump claimed he could deploy U.S.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom invoked biblical teachings while criticizing Republican leadership and the Trump administration for the federal government shutdown’s impact on food assistance, arguing that Scripture commands care for the hungry and that Washington is failing that moral test.

The Pentagon has pulled key protections for its civilian workers and instructed managers to move with “speed and conviction” to fire underperforming workers, according to a memo issued last month.The guidelines were issued on Sept. 30, just one day before the government shutdown, in a memo titled “Separation of Employees with Unacceptable Performance” to eliminate workers with “unacceptable” performance reviews.

A controversial comparison between law enforcement and the Israeli military (IDF) is landing New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in hot water after the unearthed clip from a 2023 socialist conference went viral on social media.

Even up until the last hour, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., played it coy about endorsing Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayor’s race.”Early voting, as you know, starts tomorrow,” observed a reporter to Jeffries at 11:06 a.m. on Friday. “Are you ready to endorse Mamdani?””Stay tuned,” replied Jeffries.”What more do you need to hear at this point?” asked another scribe.

The man who went viral for lobbing racially charged insults at Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears during a college football game earlier this month, subsequently filed a police report claiming he was getting harassed after the incident went viral.

The Trump administration signaled to a federal judge on Monday during a hearing that it would rather deport Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Africa than follow through with prosecuting him on charges of transporting illegal migrants.Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland grilled a Department of Justice lawyer over the plans, asking if the administration would remove Abrego Garcia to Liberia this week if it could overcome legal hurdles.

New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani offered up a clarification on Monday about an anecdote that sparked controversy on social media related to an anecdote he told about his “aunt” not using the subway in New York City due to post-9/11 Islamophobia.

FIRST ON FOX: Small business owners are losing billions in funding due to the government shutdown, with industry leaders publishing a letter Monday demanding lawmakers pass a “clean CR” and reopen the federal government. “On behalf of our organizations representing millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners, we are calling on U.S.

Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson erupted at a reporter on Friday after they used the term “illegal aliens” during a press briefing, slamming the phrase as “racist” and “nasty.”In a video posted Saturday to the official Instagram account of the Chicago mayor, a reporter asked Johnson about a report on city spending related to “illegal aliens” in Chicago that he was allegedly required to file with the White House.

In a first for New Jersey politics, Orthodox Jewish leaders across Ocean County have united behind Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, forming one of the state’s most influential faith-based voting coalitions, according to a report.

History is being rewritten on the White House grounds, where a new formal ballroom is rising in place of the East Wing. The project has become a political lightning rod, as images of its construction reignite debate over President Donald Trump’s imprint on the nation’s most iconic address.While the White House has hosted countless ceremonial events, it has never had a dedicated ballroom.

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism over a resurfaced video of him claiming to be the victim of anti-Muslim discrimination in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.The video shows Mamdani talking with voters during his campaign for New York State Assembly in February of 2020. He describes a number of instances of alleged discrimination against him and argues that there are “exceptions” to tolerance in America.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said the next Democratic presidential nominee must vow to demolish President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom, proposing the pledge a litmus test for the party’s 2028 contenders.”Don’t even think of seeking the Democratic nomination for president unless you pledge to take a wrecking ball to the Trump Ballroom on DAY ONE,” Swalwell wrote on X on Saturday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday said that the U.S., Israel and other mediators of the Gaza peace deal had shared intelligence to avoid a possible attack last weekend and would do so going forward. “We put out a message through State Department, sent it to our mediators as well, about an impending attack, and it didn’t happen,” he told reporters while flying from Israel to Qatar.

The anonymous donor who gave $130 million to the Pentagon to pay troops during the government shutdown has been identified as Timothy Mellon, a reclusive billionaire and a major financial backer of President Donald Trump, according to a report.Trump announced the donation on Thursday, but declined to reveal the donor’s identity, only describing him as a “patriot” and a friend.

President Donald Trump on Saturday said Hamas needs to start returning the bodies of deceased hostages held captive by the terror group during the war in Gaza “quickly, or the other countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action.”While all the living hostages have been returned from Gaza, the remains of 13 deceased hostages have not been handed over by Hamas.

President Donald Trump on Saturday said he won’t waste time meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin again unless a deal on the war in Ukraine is likely.”I’m going to have to know that we’re going to make a deal,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after taking off from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, when asked about arranging a meeting with Putin. “I’m not going to be wasting my time.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s rebuke of the Justice Department’s move to monitor the November election in his state is getting strong pushback, including from a DOJ official who noted the move is not out of the ordinary.