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Blue-state Republican aims to evict Dems from 20-year occupation of governor’s mansion
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler’s opinion of Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is crystal clear.
«I think Kathy Hochul is the most feckless, incompetent governor in America,» Lawler said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Lawler, who’s in his second term representing the state’s 17th Congressional District, which covers a large swath of New York City’s northern suburbs, is mulling a 2026 GOP run for governor.
«I’ll make a decision at some point – middle of the year. Obviously, you know if we’re going to do it, you got to get out there, and you got to campaign hard,» Lawler said.
LAWLER SOUNDS ALARM OVER DEMOCRATS ‘INCITING FAR-LEFT ACTIVISTS’
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. (REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden/File)
He added, «I haven’t made a decision yet. I think, obviously, there’s a number of factors in play, but you know, we’re working through that right now.»
Lawler is one of three Republicans mulling a gubernatorial run. So are Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman and longtime Bethany town supervisor Carl Hyde Jr.
It’s been 23 years since a Republican won a gubernatorial election in heavily blue New York. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. George Pataki’s second re-election victory in 2002.
KATHY HOCHUL’S POLLING PROBLEMS?
But Hochul’s approval ratings and favorable ratings remain underwater, giving Republicans hope the losing streak will come to an end next year. The governor also faces potential, longshot, primary challenges from her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, as well as Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York City.
«There’s a reason New York leads the nation in out-migration. It has nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with the high cost of living and the declining quality of life from the migrant crisis to the crime epidemic in New York to the overall cost of living,» Lawler said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite/File)
And the former political strategist and adviser-turned-politician said «people can’t afford to live in New York. They want balance and common sense, and I think that’s where there is an opportunity, if you articulate the vision to New Yorkers. They’re pragmatic, they’re commonsense, and they understand the need for change.»
Democrats disagree.
«Whether it’s working to lower costs for families or protecting fundamental rights, Governor Hochul is a fighter for all New Yorkers with a record of getting results,» Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Kevin Donohoe told Fox News.
And Donohoe argued that «while Governor Hochul is laser focused on delivering on the priorities that matter to her state, New York Republicans every day are supporting Donald Trump’s agenda that is hurting the Empire State. By spending their time currying favor with Trump, Republicans are setting themselves up for a messy and chaotic primary that will leave whoever emerges as the nominee badly damaged.»
In 2022, then-Rep. Lee Zeldin had the best performance by a GOP gubernatorial candidate in New York since Pataki’s 2002 victory. Zeldin, who now steers the Environmental Protection Agency in President Donald Trump’s second administration, lost to Hochul by less than six and a half points.
And Trump lost the state to then-Vice President Kamala Harris by 13 points in last November’s presidential election, but that was a 10-point improvement from his loss margin to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS ELECTION BATTLE PLAN
While Republicans have been more competitive statewide in New York the last two cycles, Lawler said next year’s elections will «be determined by a few things.»
«No. 1, does the economy take off?» he said. «And with the tax bill, with energy production increases, you know, if the economy takes off, then I think people are going to be very willing and open to change in New York.»
«Obviously, what we’re doing at the border matters,» Lawler said. «New York has borne the brunt of some of the disastrous decisions of the Biden administration and Kathy Hochul, spending billions of dollars of taxpayer money on free housing, clothing, food, education and health care for illegals.»
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York is interviewed by Fox News Digital on April 7, 2025, in Washington. (Fox News/Paul Steinhauser)
And Lawler pointed to his push to raise the cap on the state and local tax deduction, known by its acronym SALT, which is a pressing issue for many New Yorkers.
«Do I deliver on things like SALT and lifting the cap on SALT? And so, if we get these things done, and you know, things are looking up, I think New Yorkers can be very open to a change,» he said.
Lawler grabbed attention in 2022 by narrowly defeating incumbent Sean Patrick Maloney, the then-chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
But he’s currently one of only three House Republicans who represent districts carried by Harris in November.
Asked if he needs to keep his distance from the president if he seeks statewide office in New York, Lawler told Fox News, «Look, he’s the president of the United States, and [I] certainly would welcome his support.»
MAJORITY IN NEW YORK WANT CHALLENGER TO DEMOCRATIC GOV KATHY HOCHUL: POLL
President Donald Trump (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File)
But he also said «New Yorkers will make a determination, though, based on the choice before them» rather than on Trump.
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«If you present a viable alternative vision to New Yorkers and explain how you’re going to deal with housing, how you’re going to deal with infrastructure, how you’re going to deal with crime, how you’re going to deal with the fact that Wall Street is leaving New York in droves, these are significant issues that we have to tackle,» Lawler said. «And it requires leadership. It requires a plan. And I think if that is presented to New Yorkers, they’ll make a determination based on that.»
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President Donald Trump is doubling down on his nomination of Alina Habba after federal judges in New Jersey declined to extend her term as interim U.S. attorney, and instead chose to replace her with a different prosecutor, whom the DOJ subsequently fired.
The unusual chain of events has led to confusion over who will become the next interim U.S. attorney in the District of New Jersey, as Habba’s 120-day term is set to expire this week.
A White House spokesman said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital that Trump supports Habba becoming the permanent U.S. attorney, a position that requires Senate confirmation.
DOJ SWIFTLY FIRES HABBA’S COURT-APPOINTED REPLACEMENT FOR US ATTORNEY
President Donald Trump listens as White House Presidential Counselor Alina Habba delivers remarks before being sworn in as the interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey in the Oval Office at the White House on March 28, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
«President Trump has full confidence in Alina Habba, whose work as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey has made the Garden State and the nation safer,» White House spokesman Harrison Fields said. «The Trump Administration looks forward to her final confirmation in the U.S. Senate and will work tirelessly to ensure the people of New Jersey are well represented.»
But Habba’s vote in the Senate does not appear to be happening anytime soon, if at all. New Jersey’s two Democratic senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, are currently blocking Habba’s nomination through the Senate’s «blue slip» tradition, and a person familiar with the process said the Senate has not received materials needed to vet her nomination in any case.
In the meantime, arcane laws surrounding the authority to fill federal vacancies have become pertinent.
Trump appointed Habba as the temporary U.S. attorney in March, but that term expires on Friday, according to the Department of Justice. Statutes indicate that federal judges have the authority to extend an interim U.S. attorney’s term or vote on replacing that person.
The district court judges of New Jersey, most of whom were appointed by Democratic presidents, convened behind closed doors on Monday and chose to replace Habba with her top assistant, Desiree Grace, a career DOJ prosecutor since 2016. Grace rose through the ranks to become head of the criminal division in New Jersey before becoming Habba’s No. 2 in April.
ALINA HABBA: WE MUST REFOCUS TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON IMPORTANT THINGS
Trump lawyer Alina Habba speaks at a campaign rally for then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 29, 2024. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
However, Attorney General Pam Bondi alleged that the judges infringed on Trump’s authority to appoint U.S. attorneys by voting to replace Habba. Bondi said she «removed» Grace in response to the judges’ actions.
«[Habba] has been doing a great job in making NJ safe again,» Bondi said in a statement. «Nonetheless, politically minded judges refused to allow her to continue in her position, replacing Alina with the First Assistant. Accordingly, the First Assistant United States Attorney in New Jersey has just been removed.»
Grace could not be reached for comment. An anonymous source with knowledge of the matter told the New York Times that Grace received an email Tuesday informing her that she was fired.
WHITE HOUSE HITS BACK AT DEM MAYOR SUING US ATTORNEY AFTER ICE ARREST: ‘DESPERATE ATTEMPT’
In this Sept. 4, 2018, photo, Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. speaks during the committee’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s nominations hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)
A Habba spokeswoman told Fox News Digital that Habba is still the interim U.S. attorney through Friday. But the tension between the DOJ and the judges leaves open the question of who will assume the role come Saturday.
Booker said that firing a court-appointed U.S. attorney was part of a «pattern» of the DOJ flouting the law.
«The firing of a career public servant, lawfully appointed by the court, is another blatant attempt to intimidate anyone that doesn’t agree with them and undermine judicial independence,» Booker wrote on X.
Booker is among the critics who have deemed Habba unqualified for the job. Habba, who served as Trump’s legal spokeswoman and personal defense lawyer during his criminal prosecutions, had no experience as a prosecutor before Trump appointed her as lead prosecutor in New Jersey.
Upon taking the job, Habba was accused of politicizing the role after she advocated turning New Jersey «red,» and she drew a rare rebuke from a judge for ordering Newark’s Democratic mayor arrested and then quickly dismissing the charges.
But Trump and DOJ leadership are standing firmly by Habba. The Trump administration found a workaround in the Northern District of New York when John Sarcone’s term as U.S. attorney recently expired there, but it is unclear if a similar option is available for Habba.
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Anne Joseph O’Connell, a Stanford Law School professor, wrote on Bluesky that she believed Trump had the authority to fire Grace and possibly re-appoint Habba to serve out another temporary term.
«The question now is, will they name Habba to a new 120-day interim US attorney appointment or will they turn to the Vacancies Act and name a different person as acting U.S. attorney,» O’Connell wrote.
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At least 12 people have died as violent clashes escalate along the Thailand-Cambodia border. Amid the rising tensions, Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia.
One of Thailand’s six F-16 fighter jets along its disputed border fired into Cambodia and destroyed a military target, according to Reuters, which cited the Thai army. The outlet added that Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense said the jets dropped two bombs on a road. The ministry said that it «strongly condemns the reckless and brutal military aggression of the Kingdom of Thailand against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cambodia,» according to Reuters.
People rest at a shelter, following recent clashes along the disputed border between the two countries, according to authorities people have been killed across three border provinces, in Surin province, Thailand, July 24, 2025. (REUTERS/Pansira Kaewplung)
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Late on Wednesday, Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and announced it would expel the ambassador from Cambodia. On Thursday, Cambodia downgraded its diplomatic relations with Thailand to the lowest level and recalled all staff from its embassy in Bangkok, the Associated Press reported. Additionally, the Cambodian Foreign Ministry demanded all Thai diplomatic staff leave the country.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he would speak to the leaders of both countries by the end of the day, according to the BBC. Malaysia is currently serving as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), putting Ibrahim in a position to mediate, as both Cambodia and Thailand are member states.
Royal Thai Army soldiers are pictured on armored vehicles on a road in Chachoengsao province on July 24, 2025. (Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images)
PAKISTAN WARNS OF A ‘NUCLEAR FLASHPOINT,’ URGES TRUMP TO STEP IN AMID RISING TENSIONS WITH INDIA OVER KASHMIR
The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok and the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh advised American citizens living in or traveling near the border area to follow the directions of local security personnel.
This comes almost exactly one month after both embassies warned U.S. citizens in their respective countries against going near the border. The State Department issued a «Level 1 with risk» travel advisory — just above the lowest level — urging Americans to exercise caution, though travel is permitted.
Cambodian soldiers reload the BM-21 multiple rocket launcher in Preah Vihear province on July 24, 2025. Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on July 24 as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing a civilian, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbors. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
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While it is unclear how the latest clashes between Cambodia and Thailand began, the violence follows a dispute in May, during which troops from both sides exchanged fire. According to The Associated Press, both sides said they acted in self-defense and one Cambodian soldier was killed.
Following the flare-up in May, both countries took retaliatory actions, with Thailand stopping nearly all border crossings before ultimately closing them entirely. Meanwhile, Cambodia banned Thai movies and TV.
INTERNACIONAL
La hambruna en Gaza, contada por una enfermera en primera línea: “Cada semana los números son mayores”
La enfermera Daniela de Oliveira Mota había trabajado en países con grupos armados, pero nunca había visto nada como Gaza. “Es todavía peor de lo que imaginé”, dice por teléfono a Infobae desde la Ciudad de Gaza, donde lleva dos meses como gerente de actividades de enfermería de Médicos Sin Fronteras (MSF). “Falta todo”. No se refiere solo a la destrucción visible tras 21 meses de guerra, sino a algo más profundo: la ausencia de lo más básico para la supervivencia humana.
En el centro sanitario donde trabaja —uno de los cinco que MSF opera en Gaza— atiende actualmente a más de 1.000 pacientes por desnutrición: niños de entre seis meses y cinco años, mujeres embarazadas y lactantes. “Cada semana los números son mayores”, constata. Pero admite que estas cifras son solo la punta del iceberg: “Sabemos que son muchísimos más” debido a las limitaciones de suministros y personal.
Su testimonio ilustra una realidad que las organizaciones humanitarias llevan meses denunciando: Gaza vive una hambruna provocada. Más de 100 ONG, entre ellas MSF, Save the Children y Oxfam, advirtieron el miércoles de una “hambruna masiva” que se extiende por la Franja, donde incluso los propios trabajadores de ayuda “se están uniendo a las mismas filas para recibir alimento”.
“Antes del 7 de octubre prácticamente no existía desnutrición aguda en Gaza”, explica De Oliveira Mota. Los centros de alimentación terapéutica que ahora dirige no existían antes de la guerra. La desnutrición infantil se ha convertido en una epidemia que comienza incluso antes del nacimiento.
“Lo que más me impacta son los niños con menos de seis meses, porque [la desnutrición] empieza ya cuando la mujer está embarazada”, relata. “Tenemos muchísimas mujeres embarazadas desnutridas. Es como un ciclo que nunca para, desde antes del nacimiento”. Médicos Sin Fronteras había reportado previamente que las mujeres con seis meses de embarazo a menudo no pesan más de 40 kilos.
Los datos oficiales confirman la gravedad de la situación. Solo en las últimas 72 horas antes del testimonio de la enfermera, 21 niños murieron por desnutrición o hambre, según confirmó el director del hospital Al Shifa, en el norte de Gaza. La Agencia de Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados Palestinos (UNRWA) reporta que uno de cada diez niños menores de cinco años presenta desnutrición. El Programa de Alimentos de la ONU estima que medio millón de personas sufren la hambruna en el enclave.
El caso que más marcó a De Oliveira Mota involucra a un bebé de 40 días que llegó con su abuelo. El padre había muerto en la guerra, la madre había abandonado al niño, y el anciano llevaba dos días dándole solo agua porque no conseguía fórmula láctea. “Me quedé en el teléfono por tres o cuatro horas llamando a diferentes organizaciones para intentar conseguir una lata de fórmula”, recuerda. “Algo que normalmente es tan simple, acá ahora es prácticamente imposible”.
La crisis se agravó dramáticamente el 2 de marzo, cuando Israel impuso un bloqueo total que prohibió durante casi tres meses el ingreso de alimentos, agua, medicamentos y otros suministros básicos. Aunque en mayo Israel comenzó a permitir el ingreso de ayuda “mínima”, según la definió el primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu, los efectos persisten.
“Sabemos que tenemos lo que necesitamos en el otro lado de la frontera”, dice De Oliveira Mota con frustración. “Hay muchísimos alimentos, suministros, todas las cosas que necesitamos están esperando para poder entrar”. Para la enfermera, “cuando hablamos de la hambruna que está pasando ahora, es intencional. Podría terminar mañana”.
Israel defiende el bloqueo como una medida para presionar al grupo terrorista Hamas a liberar a los 50 rehenes que aún mantiene del ataque del 7 de octubre de 2023, menos de la mitad de los cuales se cree que siguen vivos. El Gobierno israelí acusa a Hamas de desviar ayuda humanitaria, aunque la ONU asegura que no ha habido desviación significativa.
La desnutrición de las madres complica aún más el panorama. “Una buena parte de las madres están desnutridas”, explica De Oliveira Mota. “Pueden continuar, pueden lograr amamantar aun cuando están desnutridas, pero el problema no es solamente la desnutrición”. El acceso limitado al agua, las condiciones de vida en tiendas de campaña y el trauma emocional afectan la producción de leche materna, explica la profesional.
Para los bebés menores de seis meses, MSF intenta orientar la lactancia materna y tratar a las madres con suplementos nutricionales. “En los casos muy graves tenemos algunos centros de internación para referir, pero muchas veces estamos casi esperando que el niño esté en un estado peor” para poder hospitalizarlo, reconoce.
MSF tiene actualmente 700 mujeres embarazadas y lactantes y 500 niños con desnutrición grave y moderada inscritos en solo dos centros.
COGAT, la autoridad israelí responsable de coordinar la ayuda humanitaria en la Franja, afirmó que no restringe la entrada de alimentos para bebés, incluida la leche de fórmula, en la Franja de Gaza. La agencia añadió que en las últimas semanas se habían entregado más de 1.400 toneladas de alimentos para bebés en Gaza.
La distribución de ayuda se ha convertido en otra fuente de sufrimiento. De Oliveira Mota presenció cómo llegó al servicio de urgencias un hombre atropellado por un camión de distribución de alimentos. “Aparentemente tienen una orden de las fuerzas israelíes de que el camión no puede parar hasta que llegue al punto de distribución, aun si hay personas”, explica. El hombre murió junto a su hijo de seis años.
Según la ONU, más de 1.000 palestinos han sido heridos o muertos por fuerzas israelíes mientras intentaban recoger ayuda desde finales de mayo. Para De Oliveira Mota, el sistema actual, gestionado por la Fundación Humanitaria de Gaza (GHF) con apoyo de Estados Unidos e Israel en lugar de los mecanismos tradicionales de la ONU, está “diseñado intencionalmente para crear el caos”.
“Las organizaciones humanitarias estamos acostumbradas a cómo se organiza un punto de distribución de manera segura”, explica. “Esto que están haciendo… simplemente las personas van a buscar comida y vuelven heridas de bala todos los días”.
(Nour Alsaqqa/MSF)
Los cortes eléctricos agravan la situación. Con combustible para apenas tres días, los centros médicos funcionan con generadores durante pocas horas. “Durante la noche solamente podemos tener el generador por dos o tres horas. El equipo se queda a oscuras, los pacientes también”, describe De Oliveira Mota.
A esto se suma el hambre, que también afecta a los trabajadores sanitarios. Oliveira Mota confirma que sus colegas palestinos han tenido que trabajar sin comer. “Tuvimos algunas situaciones en que los compañeros se fueron a trabajar sin comer”, dice. MSF ahora garantiza una comida diaria para su personal, pero muchos trabajadores humanitarios no pueden acceder a alimentos incluso teniendo salario porque “no hay comida en el mercado o los precios también son muy altos”.
Cada día, De Oliveira Mota enfrenta el dolor de no poder ofrecer respuestas completas a madres desesperadas. “Todos los días hablo con por lo menos tres pacientes que están pidiendo suplementos y no son del grupo objetivo”, dice. Cuando las madres llegan sin fórmula láctea o pañales para sus bebés desnutridos, ella intenta explicar las limitaciones: “Les digo que lo lamento mucho, que no tengo una solución ahora mismo… pero intento mirar cuáles otros apoyos podemos ofrecer a esa mujer o a esa familia”.
Para De Oliveira Mota, la situación no tiene precedentes. “Nunca, nunca hubo un bloqueo de ayuda humanitaria”, enfatiza.
El conflicto, que comenzó con el ataque terrorista de Hamas del 7 de octubre que mató a unas 1.200 personas, ha causado más de 59.000 muertes palestinas, según las autoridades de Gaza. UNICEF reporta que en 21 meses murieron más de 17.000 niños —un promedio de 28 diarios, “el equivalente de una clase entera”.
“La población civil está sufriendo muchísimo”, concluye De Oliveira Mota. “No tienen un minuto de paz. No tienen comida. No tienen seguridad. Nada en la vida está funcionando normalmente”. Su solución para acabar con el sufrimiento es clara: “Abrir las fronteras, permitir el acceso humanitario” sin restricciones. “Hay suficientes suministros, con organizaciones que saben distribuirlo de una manera segura”.
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