INTERNACIONAL
Reporter’s Notebook: Senate Republicans scrap early exit from Washington as midterm stakes soar
It’s a calculation by Republicans to keep the Senate in session this week.
Yes. The Senate was scheduled to meet anyway over the next few days. But the general consensus early last week was that the Senate would be done then and those facing competitive races would be back home campaigning.
Then Wednesday hit.
Republicans wanted to stay in Washington. For a very specific reason. And many of them told Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as much at their weekly luncheon.
«Odds are we plan on being here next week,» said Thune.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS STRUGGLES TO FIND A MESSAGE THAT RESONATES WITH VOTERS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS
One Senate aide compared the Senate’s schedule to a cat chasing a beam of light from a laser pointer.
But the Senate is in fact meeting. There are reasons. Most of them are political.
The Senate wasn’t quite done with the bill to regulate money in intercollegiate athletics last week. And with the affordability question vexing Republicans, they really didn’t want to pass the college sports bill and promptly vacate Washington. That would be an awkward punctuation point at the end of the legislative sentence before the midterms. GOPers wanted something more substantive. Democrats might have presented that opportunity to Republicans on a platter.
Before the House left for the midterms the week before last, it accentuated its session by passing the Ratepayer Protection Act, 417-3. Let me tell you, not much passes around here with 417 votes. Like their Senate colleagues, House Republicans also worry about voters doubting they’re addressing affordability. So this bill hit the mark for them.
The legislation defrays the costs ratepayers fork out for their utility bills if they’re driven up by data centers. This forces the tech companies which run the data centers to foot the bill.
Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is one of the most vulnerable Republicans on the ballot this fall. Husted’s longtime support for data centers is also dragging him down in the eyes of some voters. Husted tried to fix that. He went to the floor and asked for the Senate to pass on the spot the House bill. However, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., objected, blocking the effort.
POLL: ECONOMIC ANXIETY AND CANDIDATE CONCERNS DEFINE OHIO SENATE RACE
Republicans viewed that as an opening. Democrats stood in the way of passing a bill on affordability which 417 bipartisan House Members supported without blinking. Senate GOPers immediately seized this opportunity as a wedge against their adversaries. And, they interpreted this as a chance to assist their Ohio colleague.
«Tell the data centers we’re happy to have you. But you’ve got to pay your own electricity. People are not going to pay for it,» said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.
Republicans were already leery about the uneven political footing when it comes to AI. Even more so with data centers. Voters are not enamored with the results of the Big, Beautiful Bill, passed last summer. But dealing with data centers is more immediate and might resonate with those who soured on the Republican brand.
«In Missouri, people are absolutely scared to death that these data centers are going to take all the prime farm ground of the state. And then they’re going to raise electricity bills so high, no one will be able to afford them,» said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.
The official schedule intended for the Senate to meet this week. But once September hit and no government shutdown loomed, senators from both sides – especially those facing challenging elections – wanted to skip Washington and campaign back home. Yours truly asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., why his party stood in the way of the Senate aligning with the House on that data center/utilities measure.
«Was this blocked in the Senate last week by Democrats as an effort to prevent Sen. Husted from having a win in this competitive race?» I asked.
«Sen. Husted’s bill is a fraud. It’s voluntary. No company has to do it. The bill we have is mandatory. It is much stronger and is what is needed,» replied Schumer.
There is something to Schumer’s argument about how muscular the bill is. The legislation says public utility regulators must only consider a standard for ratepayers. Nothing is required. Thus, there’s wiggle room for tech firms.
HAWLEY TAKES AIM AT ‘CORPORATE WELFARE’ AFTER GOP-BACKED TAX BREAK BOOSTED CONTROVERSIAL INDUSTRY
«What we’re saying is that we can do much better,» said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. «Is it a little step forward? Yes. But it’s not meeting the moment. So our view is we should expand it to make sure that ratepayers aren’t having to subsidize the richest corporations on the planet.»
But a lot of Republicans aren’t buying what Schumer and Van Hollen are saying. The Democratic objections are all about three things: Politics. An endangered GOP senator in the most expensive Senate contest in the country. And, Democrats hoping to flip the seat in their favor.
«Sen. Schumer, what he cares about is the midterm election and politics. And I don’t think he cares about the substance of this,» said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. «Obviously there’s a hot and heavy Senate race going on in Ohio and he doesn’t want to let Sen. Husted have something he can talk about when he goes home.»
Republicans view the opportunity to turn the affordability issue against Democrats – capitalizing on Schumer’s remark and forcing Democrats to take a stand. Either you’re for affordability (especially as it pertains to the toxic issue of data centers) or you’re not. Moreover, this could boost Husted in his competitive contest with former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. In fact, it was the Senate GOP’s campaign arm which specifically flagged vulnerabilities for Republicans generally and Husted in particular over the summer.
Thune tees up a test vote on Wednesday to dare Democrats to either start debate on the bill or block it again. That vote requires 60 yeas. So Democratic cooperation is required. Although there’s skepticism anything happens, some Democrats may vote for it. That means the Senate is on the bill. And it’s open to debate and amendments. Thune would have to forge a bipartisan time agreement to finish the measure quickly.
Otherwise – by the book – this would drag into the weekend. And no one wants that. Especially Republicans with competitive races.
12 RACES SCRAMBLE SENATE BATTLEFIELD AS DEMOCRATS EYE COMEBACK
Thune and Schumer want senators back home campaigning. If Democrats impede the legislation Wednesday, the Senate might hang around Thursday or that’s it until after the midterms. Regardless, Republicans will have engineered a vote which they can boomerang against Democrats. Or, at least help Husted and send him back to the Buckeye State with a win.
While it’s not the best optic for Democrats to oppose this bill, their resistance might not directly wound anyone this fall. The reason: Democrats have a lot of chances to pick up seats. But vulnerable Democrats aren’t on the ballot. None of the Democratic Senate nominees in competitive seats like Maine, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, Kansas and Alaska currently hold office. The only sitting Democrat in cycle who has a mild race is Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.
So for the Democrats, this is about playing defense. For Republicans, this is about playing offense. And the GOP is on offense primarily for Husted.
But the willingness of Senate GOPers to spend an extra week in Washington speaks volumes. It underscores how worried they are about the affordability issue. And in particular, their concern about elevating the work of Husted.
politics, senate, republicans elections, chuck schumer, midterm elections
When Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed could not say Iran is a bigger threat to the U.S. than Israel, it was a warning of elections in a post-Oct. 7 world, Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) president Morton Klein says.
American and even Israeli leaders are failing to show strength against hate as anti-Zionist voices gain power, Klein told Digital in a Monday interview.
«Ilhan Omar is one of the most vicious Jew haters in America,» Klein said, speaking on behalf of himself and not as the leader of the ZOA. «And it is very painful to me that the leaders of the Democratic Party have not continuously and vigorously condemned her» and other antisemitic political leaders, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., El-Sayed and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
They are not merely «pro-Palestinian» voices, Klein says: «They’re anti-Israel voices. They don’t really give a damn about the Palestinians either. They just hate Jews in the Jewish state. That’s my opinion.»
RESCUE EXPERT WARNS FLYDUBAI HIJACKING ATTEMPT SHOWS US, ALLIES ARE ‘PLAYING CHECKERS’ AGAINST TERROR THREAT
The ZOA is a 501(c)(3) that is unpermitted by law to talk candidacies as opposed to their positions, Klein stressed, before unloading on the voices that take aim at Israel and ostensibly handing political power to the antisemites and terrorists – which even includes Israeli elections just two weeks from now.
«Viciously antisemitic members of Congress have not been condemned in any significant way by the Democratic Party,» he continued. «So it’s disappointing to me as an American that we don’t condemn people who are filled with hate and not filled with what’s best for America.»
Anti-Israel rhetoric has moved from the political fringe into elected office, he said, warning that Democrats have not forcefully condemned members of their own party who he says traffic in antisemitism.
TERROR CELLS INSIDE FOREIGN AIRLINES ‘CERTAINLY A POSSIBILITY,’ RETIRED PILOT WARNS
It has even forced Israeli leaders to move toward a dangerous level of «appeasement,» according to Klein.
«I blame the Jewish leaders and the Israeli leaders themselves: You might find that surprising,» he said. «The Israeli government over the years has not made it clear that the Hamas Charter has two clauses that say, murder every Jew on earth, destroy Israel. And, most recently, El-Sayed not only refused to clearly name Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, as a greater threat than Israel during a Michigan Senate debate, «he said worse,» Klein lamented.
«He said both of them are dangerous to America, and he said Israel is as evil as Hamas,» he continued.
«The Democratic Party has not condemned him. Worse, [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer endorsed him, has given him tens of millions of dollars to run,» Klein said. «Elissa Slotkin, the senator from Michigan, Jewish senator, has endorsed him. And [Dana] Nessel, the attorney general, Jewish attorney general has endorsed them. This is disgraceful.»
ILHAN OMAR ON TRACK FOR FIFTH TERM AS MINNESOTA VOTERS MAINTAIN FAR-LEFT STREAK
«If this guy was unequivocally anti-Black, they would have all condemned him. Why don’t they condemn people who hate Jews for no reason whatsoever? It’s very, very frightening,» he said.
During his push to hold the Michigan Senate seat for Democrats, Abdul El-Sayed described Judaism as «a light unto the world,» expressing deep gratitude for the Jewish community’s contributions.
«My commitment to Jewish safety is equivalent to the commitment to the safety of my own daughters,» he said.
Klein also weighed in on Mamdani for declining to condemn the phrase «globalize the intifada,» a call to violence against Jews around the world, he warned.
«Mamdani was asked to condemn the phrase, globalize the intifada … he refused to condemn this phrase,» Klein said. «This guy is a monster. He is a jihadist Jew-hater supporter of terrorism.»
Despite the criticism, Mamdani has pledged to «protect our Jewish neighbors» and stated his commitment to «mourning with them, and committing to fight against evil and antisemitism.»
As Mamdani has done explicitly, Israel is often portrayed as the aggressor and perpetrator of a so-called «genocide» in Gaza, Klein observed, stating that the reality is those atrocities were committed by Hamas terrorists Oct. 7, when terrorists invaded Israel specifically to kill «Jews,» not merely «people,» Klein said.
MICHIGAN STUDENT CONFRONTS EL-SAYED OVER IRAN STANCE IN TENSE EXCHANGE: ‘DO YOU STAND WITH US?’
«They went in house to house, door to door, murdering every single family,» Klein said. «Can you imagine? They go in and there’s a mother and a father and children sitting, they’re scared out of their minds, and they shoot them to death. And oftentimes they raped the mother first and then they murdered them. Then they put babies into ovens and killed them that way. It’s just a nightmare what they did.»
«Yes, their goal is to murder every single Jew. In fact, the leaders of Hamas have said repeatedly: ‘We will have many, many more Oct. 7s; you wait, many, more Oct. 7s,» he added.
Klein said any future Israeli government after the Oct. 27 elections must be «as tough as nails, responding with overwhelming force for any terrorism,» and do as the «the people demanded: destroy Hamas.»
Klein warned, however, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be weakened politically if he is forced to form an alliance with left-of-center parties after Israel’s elections.
«The polls show that it’s likely that Netanyahu will win again, but he may have to have a broader coalition to bring in people from the left of center,» Klein warned. «I think the odds are high Bibi will continue to be the prime minister. But his hands will be somewhat tied if he’s forced, and I think he will be forced, to bring people from left of the center to have coalition.»
JEWISH DEMOCRATS ABANDON EL-SAYED FOR GOP RIVAL IN ALL-IMPORTANT BATTLEGROUND STATE
Asked whether the process of forming a coalition could weaken Israel’s response, Klein answered, «Yes.»
«Yes, because some of the left-of-center people are appeasement-oriented,» Klein said. «They still believe just give the Arabs more, it’ll be all right.»
«And people have to understand, and these people don’t quite understand, this is not a war about land or about a Palestinian state. This is a war about destroying Israel and killing Jews.»
He argued that Israel should reject further concessions and project strength until its enemies accept that the Jewish state cannot be destroyed and the decades of calls for a Palestinian state are a proven failure.
«They had it; they controlled it,» Klein said. «They could have just said a new country of Palestine has now emerged. No, because the goal is not that. The goal is Israel’s destruction.»
«Only when they understand that, that it’s hopeless for them to destroy the Jewish state of Israel, only then might they finally lay down their arms and say, we give up.»
anti semitism, politics, ilhan omar, abdul el sayed, benjamin netanyahu, hamas, chuck schumer, rashida tlaib
INTERNACIONAL
Macron rechazó la violencia que sacude a Francia: “Los que intentaron derribar la República, tendrán que responder”
El presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron, afirmó que “nada justifica” ni “excusa” la violencia desatada durante las protestas en Francia y advirtió que “los que intentaron derribar la República, tendrán que responder”.
Lo hizo en un discurso a la Nación transmitido por la televisión francesa, después de dos días consecutivos de saqueos, disturbios y choques entre manifestantes y fuerzas de seguridad en movilizaciones contra el costo de vida.
“Nada lo justifica, nada lo explica, nada lo excusa”, dijo Macron en su discurso televisado. Además, llamó a no confundir a los alborotadores con los cientos de miles de personas que manifestaron pacíficamente el sábado contra el encarecimiento de la vida.
También subrayó su disposición al diálogo por las reivindicaciones de los manifestantes.
Las protestas dejaron casi 2400 detenidos y 1000 policías heridos, según el ministerio del Interior.
“Violencia inédita”
Macron reconoció que los servicios de información de la policía subestimaron la violencia de la jornada de protestas del sábado.
Denunció además que las fuerzas del orden “pese a su profesionalismo tuvieron que sufrir una violencia inédita en muchas ciudades”.
Según afirmó, pidió al Ejecutivo que “saque todas las lecciones en materia de información y de anticipación para que eso no se vuelva a producir” una situación de este tipo.
“Los que destruyeron deben pagar, los que saquearon, deben devolver. Los que intentaron derribar la República, tendrán que responder”, alertó.
Macron
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Sunday that four service members were killed and dozens more seriously injured after a fire broke out during military training at a base in Alberta, calling it one of the country’s worst peacetime military tragedies on domestic soil.
The deadly fire erupted Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, where fierce winds fueled flames that spread beyond the installation and into surrounding rural areas. Canadian military officials said there were no indications of terrorism, though the cause remained under investigation.
Carney said in a televised address that the families of the four service members killed had been notified and that the situation was still evolving.
AT LEAST 1 KILLED, 34 FIREFIGHTERS AND EMS WORKERS INJURED IN ‘MAJOR’ STATEN ISLAND SHIPYARD EXPLOSION: FDNY
Paramedics load an injured person into an ambulance at the Wainwright Health Centre as injured military members are treated after a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, outside of Wainwright, Alberta Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP)
The prime minister said those affected included reservists and soldiers from Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, one of Canada’s oldest military regiments. Personnel had traveled from bases across the country to participate in training exercises at Wainwright.
Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers a statement on Parliament Hill following a deadly fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta, in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty initially confirmed fatalities and injuries but did not provide a casualty count, Fox News Digital previously reported.
«I cannot recall such an incident in my short time for sure as a minister, but I cannot recall an incident like this in recent memory,» McGuinty told reporters.
The exact number of injured service members remained unclear Sunday, with victims receiving treatment at hospitals in Wainwright, Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary.
Several hospitals across Alberta activated a «Code Orange,» an emergency designation for mass-casualty incidents, as medical personnel scrambled to treat the wounded.
Paramedics work at the Wainwright Health Centre as injured military members are treated after a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, outside of Wainwright, Alberta Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP)
«This number of patients would overwhelm the city of Edmonton,» Dr. Warren Thirsk, an emergency department physician at Royal Alexandra Hospital, told CBC News. «It is more patients than any of us want to count right now. It’s a disaster.»
MARINE CORPS OSPREY CATCHES FIRE DURING EXERCISE IN NORTH CAROLINA; 4 INJURED
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said officers responded to reports of a fire in a training area at the base shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday. Firefighters battled intense winds, with gusts reaching up to 62 mph, as flames spread beyond the installation.
By late Saturday, local officials said the fire was being held and that property and critical infrastructure were protected. No evacuation order had been issued for nearby residents.
McGuinty said the RCMP was involved in investigating the incident, describing the situation as «very, very active and delicate.»
Carney announced that flags would fly at half-staff on federal buildings nationwide in honor of those killed and injured. He also praised emergency crews who battled the flames through the night.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
canada, fires disasters, world, disasters us, armed forces
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El crédito que nadie te cobra
