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Summer School: Republicans’ crusade to teach voters the ‘New Math’ on the ‘commie caucus’

July 27, 2026 6:17pm EDT / Fox News

The partisan rift opened up by Trump 2.0 on the Hill will soon be realized at the ballot box

By Chad Pergram Fox News

Chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports as Congress prepares for its August recess.

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The House is gone. But the campaign is on.

“We’re going to have a lot to talk about during this break,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “The contrast on the ballot this November between communism and freedom.”

School is out for the summer in the House until August 31. But Republicans envision a version of summer school for the voters. They intend to educate people about Democratic candidates who are veering to the left.

“The reality is that the communist caucus, the commie caucus is coming to Congress,” claimed Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: HOUSE’S FINAL SPRINT PUTS SAVE AMERICA ACT AND IRAN FUNDING IN PLAY

The House might be a lost cause for Republicans, but their summer campaign to educate voters on the Democrats’ insurgent left flank has just begun.(Emma Woodhead/Fox News Digital)

Republicans hope to cling to their narrow House majority by distinguishing themselves from Democrats – and noting how Democrats tapped far-left candidates in New York City and even Colorado. These “Democratic Socialists of America” candidates will undoubtedly prevail in their districts. But Republicans believe that left-wing Democrats freak out independents and mainstream Democrats. The GOP is banking on that as an insurance policy to maintain control of the House.

House Republicans also enjoyed some relative success last week for the first time in months. The GOP advanced a host of bills important to them. And, simultaneously got Democrats on the record about bills which Republicans think they can boomerang against their adversaries this fall.

“They have to answer for why they voted against funding our troops, against funding the government, against common sense policies like voter ID and proof of citizenship,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

“They have to answer for why they voted against funding our troops, against funding the government, against common sense policies like voter ID and proof of citizenship,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said of the opposition.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The House approved a plan barring stock trades by Members, 232-198. Only 13 Democrats voted yes compared to all Republicans. But the GOP tacked on a voter ID mandate. Democrats argue that provision transformed a once bipartisan issue into a GOP political wedge.

“I proudly voted no because we are not going to sabotage mail-in voting in this country. And we’re not going to fall for that kind of bait-and-switch tactic here,” fumed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Democrats have long campaigned on affordability.

“Today, prices are up over 25 cents a gallon above $4 a gallon in my region,” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa.

SUCCESSION: WHY CONGRESS HAS NO CLEAR PLAN WHEN LAWMAKERS CAN’T SERVE

President Donald Trump has now paused the air campaign against Iran after two weeks of consecutive bombing. But the war in Iran presents Democrats with a political opening.

“Will Democrats recalibrate their message on Iran? Will we see ads on Iran going into the midterms?” yours truly asked House Minority Leader Jeffries, D-N.Y.

“We don’t have to recalibrate our message. We’ve been opposed to Donald Trump’s reckless and costly war of choice in the Middle East from the very beginning,” replied Jeffries.

There was a split decision on Capitol Hill last week. The House voted to shackle the president on Iran war powers. Four Republicans defected and sided with Democrats.

“He ran on no new wars,” said Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt. “He’s making the case for us. He hit voters over and over and over with this promise. And then he did the exact opposite.”

President Trump has paused the air campaign against Iran after weeks of regular bombing.(CENTCOM)

Still, the president’s allies claimed that the vote undercuts American forces in harm’s way.

“To belittle this mission is to belittle and demean the very service these members who gave their lives,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla.

A couple of hours later, the Senate rejected the House’s rebuke of the President.

“I think Democrats have taken that tack from the start,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., of the Democrats hoping to cut off the Iran operation.

“It wouldn’t have passed if it wasn’t for Republicans in the House,” yours truly pointed out.

“A few Republicans,” conceded Hoeven. “But I think there’s strong support in our party (for the President).”

That’s ultimately why the Senate defeated its Iran measure. Some GOPers argued that the U.S. has Iran on the ropes.

“Last time I checked, we’ve wiped these b——s out. An occasional missile strike and boats in the Strait (of Hormuz). That’s not military strength. Those are the flailings of a failing empire,” declared Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont.

HOUSE GOP VOTES TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BATTLE TO AFTER NOVEMBER MIDTERMS

But Senate Democrats chided Republicans for not intervening in the conflict.

“Every time Republicans oppose our war powers resolution and vote against ending this war, they lose the faith of the American people,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “Senate Republicans need to wake up. Not next week. Not next month. Now.”

Top Congressional GOP leaders say it’s not necessary for Congress to flex its war powers muscles.

“I don’t think an AUMF (authorization for use of military force) is in order right now. I think we need to bring this to a resolution,” said Johnson.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is calling for “greater clarity” on the Iran conflict.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

However, some Republicans demand answers about the endgame.

“I think we need greater clarity there. I think Congress needs to exercise more of its powers here,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.

Democrats may believe they have an advantage on Iran. But like Roy, they demand a plan.

“This whiplash policy in Iran is not good,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. “You can’t run a war at 2:00 in the morning on Twitter.”

JOHNSON HAS THREE-WORD ANSWER ON WHETHER HOUSE WILL LEAVE EARLY

Despite their criticism, Democrats are vague about how they’d go about ending the war.

“We’ve got to figure that out. But Donald Trump got us into this mess,” said Jeffries.

“But won’t voters demand you guys to have a plan if you’re going to win the majority, Mr. Leader?” I asked as Jeffries walked away.

I posed a similar question to Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., one of the most thoughtful Democrats on foreign policy and national security issues.

“We didn’t start it,” replied Coons.

“But don’t you have to have a plan if you’re going to criticize the president on this?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t have gotten into this war,” said Coons.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., was more blunt – saying outright that he “wouldn’t have gotten into this war.”(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Pentagon is now running short on cash since the defense policy bill is stalled. That’s to say nothing of the budget resolution which could provide $95 billion to the Pentagon. Congressional approval to pay for the war could take months. Perhaps until December. That’s after the election. Democrats may want to see how they fare in the midterms before coughing up money for the military.

Midterm elections are often a referendum on the president.

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In 2006, Democrats flipped the House and Senate by campaigning on ending the unpopular war in Iraq. They had a plan to wind down the conflict. Eighteen years later, Democrats want to run on Iran in this fall’s midterms. But unlike 2006, they don’t seem to have a clear plan on how to end the conflict.

But they know who to blame: President Trump.

Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

Report: WH rush to upgrade new Qatari-gifted Air Force One led to safety trade-offs

7:55 PM EDT, Mon July 27, 2026 / CNN

Report: WH rush to upgrade new Qatari-gifted Air Force One led to safety trade-offs

Erin Burnett Out Front

New York Times Investigative Reporter Eric Lipton tells Erin Burnett how his investigation revealed several key security features used for decades on Air Force One are not visible on new retrofitted jet

5:49 • Source: CNN

缪宗翰：凯道呐喊与厨房炊烟

2026年7月28日 05:00 / 新明日报

台湾中联致癌毒油风暴持续延烧，上万民众不满民进党政府处理方式，在7月25日站上总统府前的凯达格兰大道“反毒油”，表达对食安的诉求。 （香港中通社）

7月下旬的台北，烈日将凯达格兰大道的柏油路面烘得微微发晃，路旁绿荫在热风中沉静摇曳。湿热的星期六（7月25日）下午，这条象征权力核心的大道再次聚集人群。台上的政党要角仍是熟悉面孔，台下举起的标语却换成“我是人，我反毒台”“还我食安”“我要健康”。

隔天的7月26日，恰是一年前台湾首波“大罢免”投票的日子。

2025年7月26日，24名国民党立委与停职中的新竹市长高虹安面对罢免投票；到同年8月23日第二波结束，另七名国民党立委也全数过关。31名蓝委加上高虹安，32案无一通过，立法院席次一席未动。激情过后，“朝小野大”的格局，又多经历了一次民意检验。

一年之间，凯道上的口号从宏大的政治认同，转向家家户户日常不可或缺的食用油，宛如台湾政治的一场转场戏。只是舞台虽然换了背景，朝野对阵的演员与逻辑并未离席。

回顾大罢免历程，随着民进党全面投入，这场原由公民团体发起的罢免运动，也逐渐承载了改写立法院版图的政治期待。结果显示，选民未必满意在野立委的每一项表现，却也不愿轻易以罢免推翻常规选举留下的格局。

罢免行动没有化解原有的朝野对立，反而让双方的政治边界变得更加坚硬。过去一年，政府总预算、军人加薪、警消退休所得替代率、财政收支划分、宪法诉讼制度与国防特别预算，几乎每一项都成为朝野较量的新场域。行政部门指责在野多数掏空中央、削弱国安；在野阵营则反控执政者蔑视立院、选择性执行法律。

台湾民主擅长投票，却似乎也愈发擅长将对手归类为“不具正当性”的一方。双方都能从各自获得的选票中提炼出绝对正当性，也都能在对方的票数里找出瑕疵。

于是，街头的连署书虽然随着罢免行动结束而收起，那套不再以说服为优先、而以削弱对方为目的的政治逻辑，也逐渐进入预算、法案、人事同意权与宪政救济的攻防。朝野不再寄望各退一步，反而更在意如何让对方为下一次表决付出代价。

这也解释了为何一年后的凯道，依然由蓝白阵营领头集结。大罢免带来的危机感，一度催化两党的共同敌人意识，也推动双方从议事合作逐渐走向选举结盟。

不过，反对执政党或许能够迅速集合队伍，却未必能自动回答地方治理的考验。蓝白掌握立法院多数后，也须面对预算杯葛、法案争议与议事冲突所累积的社会观感。

国民党若要争取2028年重返执政，仍须证明自己有提出治理方案的能力；自诩第三势力的民众党，则必须在蓝白合流中守住自身不被吞没的轮廓。

对执政的民进党而言，考验更为直接。

大罢免落幕后，赖清德政府曾试图将施政重心拉回经济与民生，但一年来立法院争议未歇，执政党的语言仍习惯向“国家安全”与“防卫民主”倾斜。这套宏大论述在两岸形势紧绷时自有凝聚力，但一旦民众厨房里的油出了问题，政治尺度便骤然被拉回日常。

7月初发端的中联油脂大豆沙拉油事件，因检出致癌物苯并芘超标，流向全台数百家下游业者，并波及餐饮、加工食品及多地学校团膳。台湾政府随后展开追查、下架与裁罚，也承诺补强通报与追溯机制；但民众心中的疑惑并未因此消散：为何一套看似完备的食安体系，仍会在最基础的环节出现缝隙？

食安事件没有复杂的意识形态，却有最直接的生活感受。选民未必能全盘掌握繁琐的政府总预算、军购条例项目，也未必能厘清宪法法庭的程序攻防，但他们能够清楚感受到，曾经吃进肚子里的食品突然下架，也不由得担心政府公布的受影响产品与业者名单，明天会不会又多出一页。

当政党精英花了整整一年在政治动员与宪政拉锯上时，基层生活里那些不起眼的安稳，反而更容易显得脆弱。

蓝白在凯道将毒油事件转化为对民进党的控诉，是政党竞争的自然选择。不过，食品安全治理横跨中央与地方，许多在野党执政的县市政府，同样身处稽查与执法链条。若地方环节也出现漏洞，凯道上的口号，终会沿着治理责任的链条折返回来。

因此，将于11月底到来的地方选举，将成为大罢免之后真正的期中考试。选民会拿着相近的考题，衡量每一个手握行政资源的执政者。毕竟，在柴米油盐的现实面前，没有任何政党能够仅凭高声疾呼，就长期免于治理效能的检验。

Trump asks Supreme Court to step into dispute over mail-in voting executive order

July 27, 2026 / 4:36 PM EDT / CBS News

By Melissa Quinn

Washington — President Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to intervene in a 23-state challenge to his executive order that seeks to impose new restrictions for mail ballots and directs the Homeland Security Department to create lists of eligible voters.

The request for emergency relief to the Supreme Court comes after a federal appeals court on Sunday left in place a lower court decision that blocked implementation of key provisions of the president’s executive order in nearly half the states ahead of the November midterm elections.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the district court’s injunction is “extraordinary” because it prevents federal agencies from taking steps to implement Mr. Trump’s directive, which he said “merely sets forth general policy guidance” and aims to promote election integrity.

“The Executive Order functions only to direct the President’s subordinates to take appropriate and lawful action to implement the President’s policy objectives,” he wrote. “By stopping the relevant agencies and officials from implementing that Order with respect to the November 2026 federal election, the injunction operates as ‘an improper intrusion by a federal court into the workings of a coordinate branch of the Government.’”

Mr. Trump signed the executive order at issue in the case in March. The measure directs the Homeland Security secretary to compile and send to each state a “state citizenship list” of U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote. It also instructs the U.S. Postal Service to come up with new rules for mail ballots, including requiring them to be marked in a specific envelope and allowing mail ballots to be sent to voters on their state’s list.

Days after the president rolled out his directive, a group of 23 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit arguing that the executive order is unlawful.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who sits on the federal court in Massachusetts, sided with the states in June and barred the Trump administration from implementing provisions related to mail ballots and the state citizenship lists for the Nov. 3 federal elections in the 23 states that sued.

blob:https://www.cbsnews.com/01ee0417-2a26-4fee-b608-0c7fd5307fe4

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-supreme-court-mail-in-voting-executive-order/

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit then declined to let the Trump administration move forward with the executive order.

Sauer argued that Talwani’s injunction was “premature,” since federal agencies are only working to put together plans to put the president’s executive order in place.

He said the states’ challenge is to “hypothetical” agency action, and the president is allowed under the law to direct his subordinates to consider “appropriate” action.

“The harms to voter integrity in that election if the government’s policy is not in place cannot be undone even if the government later prevails on the merits of its appeal,” Sauer wrote.

Newly released Biden audio recordings include references to ‘classified’ material and struggles with memory

2026-07-27T23:49:59.240Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/27/politics/biden-audio-clips-ghost-writer-classified

Audio clips released by the right-wing Oversight Project on Monday of former-President Joe Biden’s conversations with his biographer, Mark Lewis Zwonitzer, appears to support what former Special Counsel Robert Hur found in his 2024 report: Biden disclosed classified material, was forgetful and continued to possess classified material after leaving his post as vice president.

In the audio tapeshttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ-4dWVwWsFI, Biden can be heard cavalierly discussing the notes he kept from his time as vice president as he showed them to Zwonitzer.

“They didn’t even know I had this,” Biden said while apparently showing the ghostwriter his old notes as reference points in their discussion of allegedly classified foreign policy matters during his VP days. The information is still redacted in the audio clips.

The tapes were released by the Oversight Project, a branch of the conservative think-tank powerhouse Heritage Foundation, who had successfully sued the Justice Department to release them. Biden had fought the release to no avail, ultimately deciding to stop the battle by withdrawing his legal challenges on Monday.

In multiple instances in the audio tapes, Biden has trouble remembering dates and information during the interviews with his ghostwriter. In the Hur report, Biden is aptly described as an elderly man “with a poor memory.”

Hur ultimately decided not to bring a case against Biden in part because of Biden’s cooperation, which supported the notion that he had not intentionally broken the law but instead did so mistakenly. But Biden’s poor memory and elderly disposition also weighed into the decision and how a jury might respond to such prosecution.

A representative for Biden declined to comment on the release of the audio clips.

“Since March 2024, the Oversight Project and the Heritage Foundation fought tooth and nail to bring these tapes to light,” the group said in a statement on Monday. “Together, we defeated both the Biden-led Justice Department and his high-price private attorneys. These tapes we are releasing today should have come out a long time ago.”

Biden said to his ghostwriter that he had “just found” classified documents and then proceeded to lay out his case for why in 2009 he argued against then-President Barack Obama sending troops to Afghanistan.

“So this was – I, early on, in ’09 – I just found all of the classified stuff downstairs. I wrote the President a handwritten 40-page memorandum arguing against deploying additional troops to Iraq – I mean, to Afghanistan on the grounds that it wouldn’t matter, that the day we left would be like the day before we arrived” Biden said.

In another interview with the ghostwriter, Biden referred to classified information, but the context was unclear.

“And then — and then the next thing I have here is — this is classified,” Biden said.

Biden said former President Barack Obama used to really “get pissed” at him over disagreements on how to handle the economy in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.

“I was a really lonely voice on housing, I was a lonely voice on the middle class. I mean, I thought we should be much more aggressive than putting these guys in jail and the bankers,” he said. “I mean, he used to really get pissed at me,” he added, referring to Obama.

He said the reason the administration did not do more was because Obama his allies were “subconsciously” beholden to “Silicon Valley.”

“I think the reason why we didn’t do more, by the way, is because I think that — this is a harsh thing to say — But I think subconsciously, at least, Barack and his guys were beholden to Silicon Valley,” he said. “And the valley guys didn’t want the shit that I — you know, I wanted,” he said.

Biden also said that Obama backed away from a “promise” to appoint Larry Summers to the Federal Reserve because the prominent economist was a “liability.”

“He was, you know, Harvard and women,” Biden told Zwonitzer. Summers, who once served as Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and as president of Harvard University, has caught backlash over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Biden said that one thing he wasn’t focused on while the administration was trying to save the economy was “how rapidly the economy was changing.”

“I wasn’t focused on robots and artificial intelligence and, and digitalization and Moore’s law. I mean, it was all about — and I really believed that, and I still believe it, that we could bring back the manufacturing in America,” he said.

The tapes also included a several-minutes-long recollection from Biden of a lunch meeting with Obama, where Biden said the then-president gave him advice about whether he should run for president in 2016.

“He said it’s my decision to run or not. It doesn’t have to do with the field,” Biden recalled.

Biden indicated that Obama questioned whether his vice president could win the nomination over Hillary Clinton, saying that it would “really be an uphill battle,” according to Biden.

“The fact is that he didn’t think it was doable at that time, that I could, that I could actually go out and get the nomination,” Biden said. “That was my read at the time.”

It’s not clear from the recording when the meeting between Biden and Obama took place, though Biden provided the details to his ghostwriter just days before the 2016 election, on November 3, 2016.

Biden talked to the ghostwriter about various other meetings he had with top advisors strategizing about whether he should announce a run, how he should frame his candidacy and when he should announce.

Biden talked to the ghostwriter about various meetings he had with top advisors strategizing about whether he should announce a run for president, how he should frame his candidacy and when he should announce. In the audio recording, Biden does not specify the year the meetings took place.

“Consensus is that it’s no longer a question about is the race doable, it is, the question was when would I need to show my hand to be plausible, he said.

In another meeting, Biden recalled one of his advisers telling him, “you have the ability to be a unifier, a reassuring skill. Hillary is divisive and Bernie is too angry.”

Biden also discussed with aides what some of his challenges as a candidate would be and one mentioned his gaffes as one of the many obstacles he would have to overcome.

“Gaffe issue, is like a virus. I’s dormant, when you make a mistake again they’ll bring it up” Biden said, appearing to be reading from his notes.

“I can’t read my own writing” the former president said at one point.

This headline and story have been updated with additional detials.

中国官员促日本提供在华遗留化武线索 加快处置进程

2026年7月28日 07:22 / 联合早报

日本持续处置在华遗留化学武器之际，中国外交部亚洲司司长刘劲松敦促日本提供有效的埋藏线索，并全方位加大投入，加快处置进程。

据中国外交部亚洲司微信公众号“亚洲雄风”消息，刘劲松上星期天（7月26日）赴吉林省敦化市，督导哈尔巴岭日遗化武处理作业，实地查看化武挖掘回收和销毁情况，并检查安全管理工作。

刘劲松与日本作业现场负责人及主要代表会面时说，日遗化武是日本军国主义在侵华战争期间犯下的严重罪行，日本应切实履行国际公约和双边协议义务，向中国提供有效日遗化武埋藏线索信息，加大投入，全链条加快处置进程，“早日彻底清除日遗化武毒害，还中国人民以净土”。

据日本共同社此前报道，日本内阁府6月17日参加有关日军在华遗留化学武器处理项目的专家会议。专家报告显示，中国东北地区新发现两处埋有炮弹的地点，使日军在华遗留化武地点增至11处。

日本内阁府透露，吉林省哈尔巴岭埋藏最多数量的化武，政府将在2027年11月底前完成相关化武处理项目工作。

根据1997年生效的《禁止化学武器公约》，日本有义务销毁在华遗留化武。1999年7月，日中双方就销毁遗弃化学武器的基本框架达成共识，并签署了备忘录。日本内阁府的资料显示，截至去年3月底，总计已销毁约11万8000枚化武。

根据公约规定，这项计划原定应在2007年完成，但目前销毁计划已多次逾期，销毁作业目前仍在推进。中国外交部近几个月多次要求日本加大投入，加快日遗化武处置进程。

中国孟加拉启动延宕多年工业园区项目 望创数万就业岗位

2026年7月28日 07:50 / 联合早报

孟加拉星期一（7月27日）启动靠近港口城市吉大港的中国经济工业园区建设。图为摄于当天的中国经济工业园区。 （法新社）

孟加拉星期一（7月27日）启动靠近港口城市吉大港的中国经济工业园区建设。这个延宕多年的孟中合作项目，预计将吸引外资并创造数万个就业岗位。

据法新社报道，孟中两国官员当天为中国经济工业园区举行启动仪式。这座占地800英亩的园区，早在10多年前已达成建设协议。

目前，孟加拉正寻求扩大工业生产和吸引外资，北京也通过大型基础设施项目不断扩大在南亚的经济影响力。

孟加拉财政与规划部长乔杜里（Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury）说，工业园区将助力孟加拉国实现到2034年发展成万亿美元经济体的目标。“我们期待在高科技晶片、医疗设备和制造业等领域获得战略投资。”

中国驻孟加拉大使姚文形容，这座园区是两国合作的旗舰项目，目前已有超过100家中国企业派团考察。

姚文说，园区目前已吸引约5亿美元（6.4亿新元）的潜在投资，预计将在成衣、电动车、电池和医疗设备等领域创造约10万个就业岗位。

孟中两国2014年为这个项目签署谅解备忘录，但由于委任开发商、落实融资及取得行政审批等工作延误，项目多年来进展停滞。孟加拉国总理拉赫曼（Tarique Rahman）今年6月访华后，项目重新获得推进动力。

孟加拉国上月撤销2015年授予印度的蒙格拉港经济区开发权，并将这个占地110英亩的项目转交中国开发。这座工业园区随后正式启动。

Fox News Poll: Cool your servers! Voters reject data centers

July 27, 2026 6:00pm EDT / Fox News

More favor the slow approach over rapid AI development

By Victoria Balara, Fox News

Trump touts economic benefits of data center contracts

President Donald Trump details how data centers are transforming local economies while speaking at the Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters.

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While U.S. tech companies race for AI dominance, the latest Fox News nationwide survey finds voters hitting the brakes on data centers, as more prefer taking time to address local concerns than rushing expansion to maintain a competitive global edge.

By a 40-point margin, voters oppose building data centers in their area to support artificial intelligence (30% favor, 70% oppose).

MAGA supporters (46% favor) and Republican men (45%) are the groups most likely to favor data centers, while White women with a college degree (84% oppose) and liberal voters (80%) are the most opposed.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT MAJOR CHANGE AMID ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DISCONTENT

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Among those favoring data centers, 60% cite economic benefits, including jobs, economic growth, community investment, and tax revenue as the reason for their support. Another 21% point to technological benefits, saying the centers are useful, necessary, or important for future progress. Just 2% say staying ahead of competitors is the primary reason for their support.

Those opposing data centers emphasize a different set of considerations. Half (50%) say environmental issues are their main concern, including energy and water use, pollution, noise, and overall environmental impact, while far fewer mention quality-of-life concerns (14%), economic effects (11%), or simply having a negative view of AI (11%).

FOX NEWS POLL: SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOR BOTH VOTER ID LAWS AND MAIL-IN BALLOTS

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While data centers are broadly unpopular, views of artificial intelligence technology itself are somewhat less negative. Overall, 45% view AI favorably versus 54% unfavorably, underwater by 9 points. In April, it was -11 points.

Positive views of AI are higher among MAGA Republicans (55% favorable), voters with graduate degrees (52%), conservatives (50%), and men (49%) than among Democrats (41%), those without a college degree (43%), liberals (37%), and women (40%).

Nearly 8 in 10 voters prefer slower data center construction to address environmental and community concerns, while 2 in 10 favor building them as quickly as possible to maintain a competitive advantage over China and other countries.

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While majorities across the board prefer the slow adoption of the centers, MAGA Republicans (36%) and very conservatives (35%) are the most likely to prioritize rapid expansion to maintain international competitiveness.

AI won’t find an ally in the under 30 crowd

Although younger voters are often viewed as more tech-savvy, that does not translate into warm views of artificial intelligence.

Voters under age 30 are the least likely to view AI favorably, at 38%, compared with 48% of those ages 30-44 and 44% of those 45 and over.

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Regardless of differences in views of AI, attitudes toward data centers are pretty consistent across generations. Roughly 7 in 10 in every age group oppose building data centers, and about 8 in 10 prefer slowing construction to address environmental and local concerns.

Conducted July 17–20, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,003 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (70) and cellphones (681) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (252). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. The survey includes an oversample of 200 voters aged 18–29, bringing the sample size for that subgroup to 350 (±5). Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling errors, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Biden tapes, released after legal battle, include references to notes containing classified material

2026-07-27T17:07:00-0400 / CBS News

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Updated on: July 27, 2026 / 5:40 PM EDT / CBS News

Audio recordings that former President Joe Biden fought for years to keep private have now been released.

The roughly 70 hours of audio recordings, shared with CBS News, were cited in a 2024 special counsel’s report, which said Biden kept volumes of notes at his home that included classified information.

Biden, now 83, is at one point in the recordings heard telling his ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer: “Some of this may be classified … So, be careful. I’m not sure … It’s not marked classified but —”

At another point in the recordings he says again: “The next thing I have here is, um, this is classified …”

The recordings were made while Biden worked with his ghostwriter on his 2017 memoir, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose.” No classified material was ever alleged to be in the published book.

The tapes first became the topic of intense scrutiny and controversy when they were referenced by Justice Department special counsel Robert Hur in a February 2024 report on Biden’s handling of classified documents. Hur began investigating after documents that were marked classified, dating back to his time as vice president, were found in his home and private office. He ultimately did not recommend charges.

Hur also characterized Biden as “struggling to remember events,” exhibiting “diminished faculties” and having “painfully slow” conversations as early as 2016. On the tapes, Biden speaks haltingly at times. If he is struggling with his memory during that period, the signs of it are subtle.

At one point, Biden seems to lose his way, saying: “Alright — what was I going to ask you? Something else… Uh… um. Oh gosh. I can’t think of anything else.”

The recordings were released after a two-year court battle by the Oversight Project, a conservative nonprofit that says its goal is to “expose and root out corruption in government.”

Biden’s legal team had initially sought to enjoin the release, but after a series of adverse rulings, declined to pursue the matter further.

CBS News has reached out to an attorney for Biden on the matter. At the time of the Hur report, Biden told reporters: “I did not share classified information. I did not share it with my ghostwriter.” He added that he wasn’t aware how boxes containing classified documents ended up in his garage.

Recordings shared with CBS News include Biden describing to Zwonitzer potentially classified meetings, including “a big meeting with the CIA and everyone,” “a big meeting down in the Situation Room,” and “a long meeting where DOD brief … POTUS.”

In an Oct. 10, 2016, recording, he tells Zwonitzer that he has notes that the White House was not aware of.

“I have extensive notes over this period of time… They didn’t know I have this,” he said.

Biden also says in a Feb. 16, 2017, recording, “I just found all the classified stuff downstairs” — a comment that Hur cited as evidence Biden had classified material in his Virginia rental home, despite leaving office a month earlier. Hur called his tone “matter-of-fact” and said he may have quickly forgotten about the documents.

But Biden appears to be more cautious in some recordings, telling his ghostwriter about the “non-classified part of my discussion with POTUS” on Nov. 3, 2016, while he was still serving as vice president.

Hur investigated whether Biden illegally stored and shared classified information, and highlighted examples in his report, including Biden, then age 75, showing Zwonitzer “classified notes from a National Security Council meeting” of the Obama administration.

But Hur concluded the Justice Department would be unlikely to achieve a conviction, in part because the jury would side with Biden, viewing him as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”

Justifying his decision not to prosecute, Hur wrote that “Mr. Biden’s recorded conversations with Zwonitzer from 2017 are often painfully slow, with Mr. Biden struggling to remember events and straining at times to read and relay his own notebook entries.”

“For these jurors, Mr. Biden’s apparent lapses and failures in February and April 2017 will likely appear consistent with the diminished faculties and faulty memory he showed in Zwonitzer’s interview recordings and in our interview of him,” the report said.

Last year, the Justice Department released audio recordings from Biden’s 2023 interview with Hur’s team. At times, Biden spoke in a hoarse and halting tone, and he struggled at one point to remember the year when his son Beau died and the year when President Trump was first elected.

Questions about Biden’s age and mental acuity dogged him throughout his term, flaring up when moments of slurred speech, apparent vacancy or tripping on stairs were caught on camera. The White House repeatedly sought to downplay those concerns, highlighting Biden’s command during key events such as his final State of the Union address.

But Biden’s run for a second term ended abruptly after he appeared slow and confused during a disastrous June 2024 debate with then-candidate Donald Trump.

Classified documents were found in Biden’s home and office several months after classified materials were found at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. Biden called Mr. Trump’s handling of those materials “totally irresponsible” in an interview with “60 Minutes.” In Mr. Trump’s case, a separate special counsel decided to file charges against him, which were later dismissed. Hur said there were “several material distinctions” between the cases, including that Mr. Trump was accused of obstructing justice.

The Heritage Foundation, the Oversight Project’s sister nonprofit, filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act on Feb. 9, 2024, asking for the “records relied upon by Special Counsel Hur in drafting passages in the Report relating to President Joseph R. Biden’s memory and mental faculties.”

When the Biden administration’s Justice Department failed to turn over the files for a month, the Oversight Project sued in Washington, D.C., federal court to compel the audio’s release.

Jeff Clark, the Oversight Project’s vice president of litigation, told CBS News that when Mr. Trump took power, the Justice Department agreed to hand over the files.

But Biden’s own lawyers joined the legal case and prevented disclosure, until a federal appeals court ruled against Biden on July 20.

In a statement, the Oversight Project called the ruling a “complete and total victory.”

Biden received an $8 million advance for the 2017 book, and plans to release a sequel, “Promise Me, America,” in November, detailing his presidency, his 2024 reelection run and the decision to step aside.

Daniel Klaidman contributed to this report.

Trump asks Supreme Court to let him curtail mail voting

2026-07-27T20:11:27.436Z / CNN

President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Monday to allow the administration to move forward with implementing a sweeping executive order aimed at mail voting that lower courts blocked in nearly two dozen states — setting up a major elections dispute at the high court months before the midterms.

Trump’s order would give the US Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security new roles in screening state voter rolls for potential non-citizen voters.

Signed in March, the president’s directive would require states to submit lists of eligible mail voters to the US Postal Service, which would be barred from sending ballots to anyone not on those lists. It would also require states to use individualized ballot tracking barcodes on ballot envelopes. And it would “prioritize” federal prosecution of state election officials who send or receive ballots to non-citizens or others ineligible to vote.

Despite revelations this month that about 400 non-citizens had cast improper ballots in New Jersey elections, improper voting remains exceedingly rare, and the administration has never provided evidence of widespread fraud on a scale that could influence the outcome of an election. Trump has for years nevertheless touted conspiracy theories about voting as a way to discredit the 2020 presidential election that he lost.

Concerns grow over 2026 midterm elections amid new Trump attacks on mail-in voting, election fraud probes
https://www.cnn.com/

In its appeal to the Supreme Court on Monday, the administration framed its executive order as “general policy guidance” and stressed that the Postal Service had not finalized any regulations.

Twenty-three Democratic-led states challenged the order, noting that the Constitution leaves the running of elections largely to states, not the White House. A federal district court blocked its implementation for this year’s election in the states that sued, and the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision over the weekend.

Two of the three appeals court judges in that decision were appointed by former President Joe Biden. A third judge, who Trump named to the bench last year, agreed with part of the court’s decision but would have allowed some of the president’s executive order to take effect.

Despite its ostensible scope to just about half the country, the ruling effectively puts the USPS directives on hold nationwide, because the agency is unable to implement Trump’s order in some states but not others, according to court filings. A dozen Republican-led states have intervened in the case to defend the executive order.

In addition to the directives for USPS, another section of Trump’s order instructs Homeland Security to provide lists of state residents it believes are eligible to vote, though the government has acknowledged in court that its own databases of US citizens are incomplete.

Rather than defend the merits of its executive order, the Trump administration has instead argued that the Democratic states challenging it sued prematurely because much of Trump’s effort has yet to be implemented.

“The executive order is an intra-branch directive from the president to his subordinates — which, of its own force, does not change anything at all about elections in any state,” US Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the Supreme Court in the appeal. “It does not require the states to do (or refrain from doing) anything at all.”

The administration asked for an immediate “administrative” order to put the lower court decisions on hold.

But the 1st Circuit reasoned that local election officials have already had to devote resources away from preparing for this year’s election to figure out how to comply with the executive order. And some of them have already purchased ballot envelopes for this year’s election.

“Given their limited resources, the states’ efforts have necessarily entailed a diversion of staff time and attention from other pressing election-related tasks – such as preparing public-education materials for voters and rolling out new voting technology – to coordinate the implementation of the changes articulated in the EO,” the appeals court wrote.

US Circuit Judge Joshua Dunlap, a Trump appointee, agreed that the states should be allowed to sue over the envelope requirements. But he would have allowed DHS to create and send the lists of voters it believes are eligible to the states because the order technically doesn’t require state election officials to do anything with that information.

Even before the March 2026 order, the Trump administration was ramping up efforts to use federal immigration data to hunt for non-citizens. However, the DHS citizenship data program that has been commonly used in that exercise is known to turn up false positives, prompting fears that eligible voters will be wrongly purged from the voter rolls.

Trump’s emergency appeal marks the first time the administration has raced up to the Supreme Court with a short-fuse request since March — only the third such appeal this year. That is a marked departure from last year, when the administration filed nearly 30 emergency appeals on what critics have called the court’s “shadow docket.”

The court requested a response to the administration’s appeal on August 3.

Supreme Court justices make rare appearance before Congress
https://www.cnn.com/