Joe Kaufman knows what it’s like to lose a close race in a historically Democratic District. In fact, in the 2024 election cycle, Kaufman ran in the closest congressional race in the state, narrowly losing in the 23rd district to incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., a two-term congressman who has sought to build a moderate profile.

Florida has just completed its redistricting process, and this time around, Kaufman is confident that he can win, despite the Republicans facing headwinds.

Kaufman confirmed to Fox News Digital that in 2026, he will be running in the new 25th District, although it remains unclear exactly who his opponent will be or if he faces a primary challenger.

Moskowitz said on Monday that if he runs, it will be in the 25th District, while it appears that incumbent Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who would be seeking her 12th term in Congress, is also weighing running in the same district.

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Kaufman brings a battle-tested strategy and message to the race, on the heels of his near-victory in 2024:

«Yes, we had 48% of the vote. It was the closest race in all of Florida and the highest percentage of any Republican to ever run for that seat. But back then, I got in very late in the game and this time around our numbers are much better, and we’ve been able to form those coalitions that we needed to last time. We’ve done that now, and I will win this seat this time.»

Kaufman bills himself as a «terrorist hunter» and brings strong foreign policy credentials to the table.

«I do counter-terrorism research, writing and lectures.» He says he’s been involved in «the shutdown of terrorist charities and the imprisonment of terror-related individuals. Recently, I led the shutdown of a pro-Hamas conference that was to take place in Coral Springs, and the organizers, including CAIR and the South Florida Muslim Federation, they were upset, so they sued me and the Marriott Corporation in federal court. They sued us not once, but twice and I’m proud to say that we won not once, but twice.»

«He says in regard to foreign policy, «I’ve been very involved these past few years in what’s been taking place. 17 years ago, I was honored to co-found a group called Cyrus Force with his majesty, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who we believe is going to be soon to be a future leader of Iran.»

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., speaks during a press conference on new legislation to support Holocaust education nationwide at the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 27, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Despite being a foreign policy hawk, Kaufman is opposed to putting troops on the ground in Iran.

«No, I don’t support ground troops, at least not from the United States. I don’t want to see what took place in wars past happen here with seeing Americans come back in body bags. I feel the same way about our friends in Israel. 

«But there are third parties that want to get involved, and I say, give them the green light to do so. So, if there’s any ground troops…they shouldn’t be from America or Israel. It should be from these third parties.»

Kaufman is a strong advocate for vocational training in high school, and a critic of the Affordable Care Act.

«Well, for one thing, I support putting vocational training in all of the high schools in America. And it’s a project I want to initiate as a congressman. Too many kids today are staying home with their parents after they graduate high school. They need to have real job skills so they could make money, get out of their parents’ homes, be able to have their own families, and eventually, purchase their own house of their own. 

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) speaks during a press conference. Moskowitz currently represents the 23rd district of Florida. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project)

«Also, I don’t like the Affordable Care Act. It was never affordable. It’s been taking hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies, thanks to the Democrats. And I think we need a new health care system that costs the American government less and costs the American taxpayer less and better quality. And I think we could have that without Obamacare.»

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Historically, the party of the incumbent president loses seats in midterm elections the vast majority of the time. In what is widely believed to be a difficult year ahead for Republicans, Kaufman acknowledges the current engagement in Iran and the lingering effects of Biden-era inflation as challenges.

«Well, a lot of it has to do with the war overseas, but I believe that that’s going to be short term. I think that’s, that’s going to end soon. Also, with regards to inflation, we’re still dealing with the Biden years where Joe Biden initiated very heavy inflation for our country.

Donald Trump (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

«And thank you, President Trump, for doing the things that would bring inflation down. So I’m looking forward to low inflation, better affordability and very soon an end to the war, and results overseas that allow us to have peace in the Middle East and more peace in world.»

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Kaufman says the Democratic Party is fundamentally broken, and Republicans can win on messaging in 2026.

«Well, the Democrats, they’ve allowed people, an untold amount of people, to cross our borders, some of which have been terrorists and members of terror cells. They’ve hurt the values in the United States. They’ve destroyed our healthcare system with an Affordable Care Act that was never affordable. They’ve done everything possible to destroy our nation, and we need to make that change.»

La Agencia Mexicana de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo y el Gobierno de El Salvador activaron este lunes la segunda fase del programa Sembrando Vida, un proyecto bilateral orientado a consolidar la seguridad alimentaria y el desarrollo rural sostenible mediante acciones directas en los territorios.

El lanzamiento tuvo lugar en el departamento de La Libertad con la apertura oficial del registro de participantes y la presencia de autoridades mexicanas y salvadoreñas, marcando un compromiso renovado con las comunidades locales y su desarrollo autónomo, según informó la Agencia Mexicana de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AMEXCID).

La implementación en esta nueva etapa busca ampliar significativamente el alcance del programa: de acuerdo con el embajador de México en El Salvador, Ricardo Cantú, se espera que el proyecto llegue a alrededor de 10.000 agricultores, una escala que, según destacó el diplomático al medio AMEXCID, supera los habituales beneficiarios de otras iniciativas de cooperación: “Cuando reviso informes de cooperación internacional de otros países, generalmente los beneficiarios son 100, 200 o 300 personas, no miles. Esa es una de sus virtudes: el beneficio llega directamente al agricultor”.

El objetivo central, señaló la viceministra de Relaciones Exteriores, Adriana Mira, es “contribuir a la seguridad alimentaria y al incremento de la productividad, especialmente de las personas en situación de retorno”.

La segunda fase de Sembrando Vida cubrirá 11 departamentos, con La Libertad como primer punto de partida y 320 personas inscritas ya en esta zona. Cada beneficiario recibirá un apoyo económico mensual durante ocho meses, junto con insumos agrícolas, plantas, herramientas y capacitación técnica continua.

Sembrando Vida: capacitación y arraigo territorial para transformar el campo salvadoreño

La directora ejecutiva de la AMEXCID, Alejandra del Moral Vela, aseguró que el proyecto contribuye directamente a fortalecer el tejido social y a generar oportunidades, impulsando alternativas de desarrollo local que permiten a las personas vivir con dignidad en su lugar de origen.

Según Del Moral Vela, el programa prioriza la capacitación, el acompañamiento técnico y la adopción de prácticas agroecológicas, estrategias que buscan mejorar la productividad, el autoconsumo y la comercialización, así como fomentar la permanencia y el bienestar de las comunidades rurales.

En la presentación oficial participaron además la directora de la Escuela Nacional de Agricultura (ENA), Odette Varela, y responsables de ambas delegaciones.

El embajador Cantú recalcó el valor estratégico de la colaboración bilateral, al afirmar: “Sembrando Vida, junto con otros proyectos que impulsa el Gobierno, está encaminado a alcanzar la soberanía alimentaria. Me alegra que la cooperación de México contribuya a este propósito (…) Las relaciones con El Salvador son excelentes y continuaremos fortaleciendo los lazos de amistad y respaldo entre nuestros pueblos”.

La segunda fase de Sembrando Vida se apoya en la experiencia y resultados de la etapa previa, que sentó bases para una cooperación estructurada desde el territorio y en alianza con las organizaciones locales.

Además de la transferencia de técnicas y recursos, las autoridades resaltaron el protagonismo de las comunidades y su papel en la generación de bienestar y futuro sostenible, una premisa que, según la directora de la AMEXCID, implica “sembrar vida y sembrar futuro para toda la región”.

El Proyecto Sembrando Vida fue lanzado en julio del 2019 en El Salvador, y consiste en otorgar apoyo económico, en especie y acompañamiento a los participantes para incentivar la implementación de Sistemas Productivos Agroforestales, los cuales combinan la producción de los cultivos tradicionales con el sistema de Milpa Intercalada entre Árboles Frutales (MIAF), en conjunto con hortalizas, árboles frutícolas y maderables.

Amsterdam has reportedly become the first capital city in the world to ban public ads for meat and fossil fuels — wiping burgers, gas-powered cars, and airline promotions from billboards, tram stops and metro stations.

Since May 1, the Dutch capital and tourist hotspot’s advertising landscape has undergone a dramatic shift. Ads once showcasing chicken nuggets, SUVs, and budget flights have been replaced with promotions for museums and concerts, according to BBC News.

Local politicians say the sweeping move is part of an aggressive climate agenda, with goals to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and cut meat consumption in half, the outlet reported.

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«The climate crisis is very urgent,» Anneke Veenhoff from the GreenLeft Party said. «I mean, if you want to be leading in climate policies and you rent out your walls to exactly the opposite, then what are you doing?»

But critics argue the policy crosses a line — calling it an overreach that attempts to engineer personal choices, according to BBC News.

The Dutch Meat Association blasted the ban as «an undesirable way to influence consumer behavior,» warning that meat provides essential nutrients and should remain visible and accessible, the outlet reported.

Meanwhile, travel industry leaders say the restrictions unfairly target businesses. 

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An ad is displayed at a tram stop in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Nov. 16, 2023. (Peter Boer/Bloomberg)

The Dutch Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators called the ban on airline advertising a disproportionate blow to commercial freedom, according to BBC News.

Supporters, however, are framing the policy as a broader cultural shift — even comparing meat ads to cigarette campaigns of decades past.

«Because if I look now back at like old pictures, you have Johan Cruyff,» Hannah Prins, a paralegal at Advocates for the Future, told the outlet. «The famous Dutch footballer. … He would be in advertisements for tobacco. That used to be normal. He died of lung cancer.»

Prins added, «I don’t think it’s normal to see murdered animals on billboards. So I think it’s very good that that’s going to change.»

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Climate activists hold posters demanding peace during a march in Amsterdam on May 1, 2026. (Ana Fernandez/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)

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Other Dutch cities — including Haarlem, Utrecht and Nijmegen — have rolled out similar restrictions, while cities across Europe continue pushing to curb fossil fuel advertising, BBC News reported.

Meanwhile, in the United States, federal officials have taken a markedly different approach to food policy. 

The Department of Health and Human Services earlier this year unveiled updated dietary guidance featuring an inverted food pyramid. The top of the pyramid, now the wider part of the structure, is built on meat, fats, fruits and vegetables, while whole grains are at the narrow bottom.

Fox News Digital’s Angelica Stabile contributed to this report.