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States must provide info on undocumented immigrants or lose federal safety-net funds, Trump admin says

2026-09-02T19:49:33.988Z / CNN

By Priscilla Alvarez, Tami Luhby, Hannah Rabinowitz

PUBLISHED Sep 2, 2026, 3:49 PM ET

Federal immigration officers apprehend a migrant during a targeted detainment at immigration court in the Manhattan borough of New York, on January 15.

David Dee Delgado/Reuters/File

The Justice Department moved Wednesday to require states to provide information on undocumented immigrants or lose federal funding for two key public assistance programs, issuing a sweeping revision of a long-standing legal opinion.

It’s the latest move by the Trump administration to force states to cooperate in the president’s aggressive immigration crackdown — this time, threatening to pull federal funding if they don’t turn over information on undocumented immigrants who they believe are residing in the country.

It stems from a new legal opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel stating that when a state chooses to participate in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs — as all states do — they are required to report individuals who are illegally present in the United States to the Department of Homeland Security.

TANF provides cash assistance and other support to low-income households. SSI provides monthly payments to low-income senior citizens or people with disabilities.

The opinion, which the DOJ cast as a clarification of a previous opinion, applies to all agencies within a state, not just those that administer the programs. Previously, under a Clinton-era opinion from 1998, the reporting requirement was specific to state agencies administering TANF or SSI.

“Congress wrote this requirement plainly,” Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser of the OLC said in a statement.

“When a state chooses to participate in TANF, it accepts the obligation to report illegal aliens in the United States. Tax dollars intended to help vulnerable Americans should not perversely encourage illegal entry into the United States, but rather should reinforce our laws and our borders,” he said.

There are also some federal housing programs that are subject to the same reporting requirements, the opinion states.

The opinion, dated Tuesday, only applies to future funding.

It’s unclear how the new opinion will be put into action, and it is likely to face swift legal challenges from critics who argue the federal government is improperly attempting to leverage welfare benefits for access to state data.

The US Department of Agriculture has also tried to gain more information from states about undocumented immigrants possibly receiving food stamps — a key safety net program that is funded by the federal government but administered by states.

Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for food stamps — formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — and other federal benefits.

Last year, USDA requested for the first time that states provide it with their food stamp enrollee records, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins threatened to withhold funding from blue states that didn’t comply. But a coalition of Democratic states sued and won a preliminary injunction.

Earlier this year, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the department from imposing new conditions on USDA funding for food stamps and other nutrition programs. The conditions included barring states from using funding for programs that allow undocumented immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded benefits.

Platner’s replacement faces new Senate campaign headache tied to his son’s lobbying

September 2, 2026 1:16pm EDT / Fox News

Chace Jackson was a registered lobbyist for the academy as his father co-sponsored funding legislation in the Maine Senate

By Robert Schmad Fox News

Maine’s new Democratic Senate nominee, Troy Jackson, tells Fox News Digital ‘I’ve been vetted’

Troy Jackson takes a question from Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser after winning the Democratic Senate nomination in Maine to replace ex-candidate Graham Platner.

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Former state Sen. Troy Jackson, who has replaced Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, backed bills seeking to send millions of dollars in public funds to a college while his son lobbied on its behalf, documents show.

Jackson’s son, Chace, was registered as a lobbyist for the Maine Maritime Academy at the same time his father was serving as president of the Maine Senate, according to state lobbying records.

In 2024, the elder Jackson co-sponsored legislation that would have sent $13.4 million to the maritime academy after pushing a bill providing the institution with an additional $2 million per year in 2023. Both pieces of legislation were drafted while Jackson’s son was lobbying for the college.

“Troy Jackson authored Augusta’s failed status quo and has turned public office into a family affair of self-enrichment,” National Republican Senatorial Committee press secretary Bernadette Breslin told Fox News Digital. “He’ll always prioritize personal kickbacks over the needs of working Mainers.”

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GRAHAM PLATNER ALLY POISED TO TAKE ON SUSAN COLLINS

Former State Sen. Troy Jackson, D-Maine and a gubernatorial candidate, speaks during a Fighting Oligarchy event with Graham Platner(Sophie Park/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Before his son was lobbying on its behalf, Jackson also supported legislation in early 2022 that provided the academy with a one-time $6.8 million payment to fund repairs to one of its buildings.

Jackson’s son first registered as a lobbyist for the Maine Maritime Academy in December 2022, according to public records. He renewed his lobbying registration in January 2024, just as his father was co-sponsoring legislation that would have sent over $10 million to the academy.

While the Maine Maritime Academy funding boost Jackson backed in 2023 went into effect, his 2024 bill passed the Maine Senate but was never signed into law.

“Troy Jackson has fought for working Mainers and [is] guided by one goal: fixing our broken system, so Maine’s working families stop getting squeezed while the rich get richer,” a spokesperson for the Jackson campaign told The Washington Free Beacon, which first reported on the lobbying records.

LIKELY PLATNER REPLACEMENT’S RESURFACED POSTS ON ‘DEMOCRACY’ COME BACK TO BITE HIM: ‘HYPOCRITICAL SOCIALIST’

Troy Jackson speaks on July 25, 2026, in Bangor, Maine, after he became the Maine Democratic Party’s choice to be their U.S. Senate nominee to replace Graham Platner on the ballot in November.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

In April, Jackson justified his failed run for governor by claiming that the “status quo isn’t working” in Maine because of “special interests, high-priced lobbyists and corporate greed.” In addition to representing the Maine Maritime Academy, Chace Jackson works as one of the expensive lobbyists his father has criticized, at one point representing the multinational alcohol company behind premium beverages such as Johnnie Walker whiskey and Don Julio tequila.

In 2024, while his father was the Maine Senate president, the younger Jackson represented nine clients. That sum dropped to five clients after his father left the chamber in 2025.

AFTER PLATNER IMPLOSION, MAINE DEMOCRATS RUSH TOWARD NEW SENATE NOMINEE DESPITE FRESH WARNING SIGNS

Former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson and Republican Sen. Susan Collins.(Ryan Murphy/Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A bill targeting an oil and gas giant died in the Maine Senate during Jackson’s Maine Senate tenure and while his son was lobbying on behalf of the fossil fuel corporation in question.

The former state senator is facing off against incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins in November. Jackson replaced Platner as the Democrat on the ballot after his campaign was hit with a series of controversies, ranging from crude deleted Reddit posts to a Nazi-linked tattoo, which culminated in an allegation of rape, prompting the self-identified oyster farmer to drop out of the race.

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Jackson, his son and the Maine Maritime Academy did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

Democratic US senator asks Capital One for details on Trump account anti-money laundering review

2026-09-02T16:16:50.927Z / Reuters

U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) speaks as Anthony Fauci (not pictured), the former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and medical advisor to several U.S. presidents, attends a U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S.,… Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabRead more

NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) – A Democratic U.S. senator has pressed Capital One Financial

COF.N
for details about an internal anti-money laundering review that the bank said last month led it to close accounts linked ​to President Donald Trump and his businesses.

In a letter sent to Capital One CEO ‌Richard Fairbank on Tuesday evening and first reported by Reuters, Senator Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat, asked for documents describing the transactions, alerts and other factors that prompted the review, as well as any communications with law enforcement ​or regulators related to the matter.

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“The American people deserve to know,” wrote Hassan, the top ​Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee.

Capital One declined to comment.

Spokespeople for the White House ⁠and Trump Organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Trump Organization and Eric Trump, ​the president’s son, sued Capital One in March 2025 alleging the bank’s closure in 2021 of hundreds ​of affiliated accounts was politically motivated.

The U.S. bank has denied acting on political grounds. In a July court filing, it said the closures were the result of a careful review by Capital One’s AML team “in accordance with bank policies and ​regulatory guidance.” It has never accused the Trump Organization of money laundering. In a subsequent court ​filing, the plaintiffs said the AML review was pretextual.

If Capital One complies, Hassan’s request could shed further light on the ‌financial ⁠dealings of the president’s companies, as well as whether Trump’s “debanking” allegations have merit.

Debanking — denying services on religious or political grounds — has gained prominence during Trump’s second term. The president and administration officials have amplified conservative claims that “woke” — or left-leaning — large financial institutions have targeted conservative-leaning individuals, groups and businesses by restricting access to ​banking services. The industry ​has said lenders merely ⁠followed federal regulations when closing accounts.

In August 2025, Trump signed an executive order aimed at curbing discriminatory debanking practices and sued JPMorgan Chase

JPM.N
in January on ​similar grounds. The bank denies the claims. A top banking regulator, the Office ​of the ⁠Comptroller of the Currency, is also probing the issue of debanking across several institutions.

In the letter to Fairbank, Hassan wrote that additional information is needed for congressional oversight.

The letter asked Capital One to identify the activity that ⁠triggered its ​review, explain the policies it applied, describe the findings that ​led to the account closures and, to the extent permitted by law, disclose any referrals or communications with federal or state ​authorities tied to the matter.

Reporting by Nupur Anand in New York, editing by Michelle Price and Rod Nickel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Coast Guard plane carrying Markwayne Mullin makes emergency landing after engine failure

September 2, 2026 / 3:40 PM EDT / CBS News

By Nicole Sganga

Nicole Sganga Homeland Security and Justice Correspondent

Nicole Sganga is CBS News’ homeland security and justice correspondent. She is based in Washington, D.C., and reports for all shows and platforms.

Washington— A Coast Guard jet carrying Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and other top DHS officials made an emergency landing Wednesday afternoon outside Washington, D.C., after one of its engines failed.

The pilot of the plane, a C-37A, reported the loss of an engine to air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

“We just lost our right engine and would like to declare an emergency and immediate landing at DCA,” the pilot told the airport’s control tower, according to an audio recording of the communication. The pilot told controllers the plane had 14 people on board and 2.5 hours’ worth of fuel.

The C-37A is the military version of a Gulfstream V jet and is routinely used to carry senior Coast Guard and DHS officials, including the secretary. DHS oversees the Coast Guard.

Mullin confirmed the emergency landing in a post on X, writing that “The United States Coast Guard pilots made the single engine landing feel routine. No panic, just straight professionalism.”

“After we landed, the pilots told me that was a first for them! We could not have been in better hands,” he added.

The airport said in a statement that the plane “landed safely, was thoroughly checked by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue personnel then proceeded off the runway.”

CBS News has reached out to the DHS for comment about the emergency landing. The Coast Guard referred CBS News to DHS.

The department has raised concerns about the aging aircraft in the past. Last year, DHS said in a statement that the Coast Guard plane was “22 years old and faces significant avionics and communications obsolescence issues.”

The department’s fiscal year 2025 spending plan sought roughly $50 million to replace its aging Coast Guard executive jet used to transport senior officials. The request drew scrutiny from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including Democratic Rep. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, who questioned Coast Guard leadership about the proposed purchase during an appropriations hearing.

During a May 20 Senate hearing, then-Secretary Kristi Noem defended her request, saying the existing jet had been in service “beyond its usable hours.”

Days later, Democratic Reps. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and LaMonica McIver of New Jersey questioned DHS about why replacing its executive aircraft should take priority over updating older Coast Guard planes used in search-and-rescue missions.

By October 2025, the Coast Guard shifted its request from a proposed $50 million to two new Gulfstream G700s for roughly $200 million, prompting more scrutiny from members of Congress.

Kennedy Center has dismantled ‘Blue’ sculpture

1:53 PM EDT, Wed September 2, 2026 / By Jack Alger, CNN

Kennedy Center has dismantled ‘Blue’ sculpture

The Kennedy Center began dismantling a large stick figure sculpture on its grounds today. The sculpture called “Blue” was created by artist Joel Shapiro and installed outside the center in 2019. A Kennedy Center spokesperson said in a statement to CNN that the venue requested the “deinstallation,” which the person described as “common practice.” It comes as President Donald Trump has worked to reshape the performing arts institution.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/02/politics/video/kennedy-center-dismantled-sculpture-digvid

Abdul El-Sayed dubbed ‘veteran’ by Soros-linked propaganda newspaper distributed in Michigan

The paper received a $500,000 grant from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation and is part of a 13-state network

2026-09-02 15:01 EDT / Fox News

By Peter D’Abrosca

Senior national correspondent Rich Edson reports from Belleville, Michigan, as progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed wins the Democratic Senate primary, narrowly defeating Haley Stevens. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., discusses El-Sayed’s alignment with the Democratic Socialists of America platform, including healthcare and border policies.

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DETROIT —A propaganda newspaper that once accepted a massive grant from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation falsely described beleaguered leftist Michigan U.S. Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed as a veteran, according to a copy of that paper obtained by Fox News Digital.

“El-Sayed — veteran, doctor, and former health official — is Democratic Senate pick,” reads a headline in the August 2026 edition of The Michigan Independent.

The papers were distributed in Michigan, and photos of the headline made the rounds on social media last week. The breadth of the paper’s circulation is unclear, but Fox News Digital obtained a physical copy in Michigan.

Abdul El-Sayed, US Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, speaks during the Michigan Democratic Party’s 2026 nominating convention in Lansing, Michigan, US, on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. Since scoring a surprise victory in the Michigan Democratic primary, progressive Senate candidate El-Sayed is trying to push toward the middle to reach the more moderate electorate in a must-win state for the party in November. (Back) Newspaper clipping from The Michigan Independent falsely labeling Abdul El-Sayed a veteran.(Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Obtained by Fox News Digital)

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The purportedly independent paper circulating in Michigan has a Washington, D.C. non-profit’s name and address — The American Independent Foundation at 800 Maine Ave SW — emblazoned in the bottom left corner of the front cover.

As it turns out, the papers aren’t independent at all.

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In 2024, The American Independent Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, received a $500,000 grant from George Soros’ Foundation to Promote Open Society, according to that organization’s IRS 990 disclosure form.

Soros, a billionaire businessman, investor and philanthropist, is a renowned leftist mega donor known for his support of progressive and Democratic causes. The Washington Free Beacon first reported the Soros connection.

The content of the Michigan Independent story mentions nothing of El-Sayed being a veteran, nor does it clarify that while El-Sayed holds an M.D., he has never been a physician.

George Soros pictured on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2020.(Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

El-Sayed’s campaign forcefully condemned the publication’s classification of the candidate.

“Abdul has never claimed to be a veteran, he never would out of his respect for those who served, and any outlet or group writing about our campaign should do their homework and not allow this to happen again,” spokesman Cole Wozniak told Fox News Digital.

The American Independent did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

JONATHAN TURLEY: FAKE POLLSTER’S STUNT WAS A RECKLESS GAME WITH REAL RACES

Twelve other state-based newspapers are part of the network Soros helped fund, including papers in key swing states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Virginia and others that have become increasingly important in the 2026 midterms due to competitive U.S. Senate races, including Maine and Alaska.

Some of the outlets share the same featured stories. At the time of this writing, both The Ohio Independent and The Pennsylvania Independent feature a story titled “Report: Trump and Big Oil see financial windfall as Americans pay more at pump”.

SOROS NETWORK REBUILDS PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTOR PUSH AFTER STRING OF ELECTION LOSSES

Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to members of the media ahead of the Michigan Democratic Party’s 2026 nominating convention in Lansing, Mich., on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026.(Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

An associated 501(c)(4) political activism organization, American Independent Media, is also affiliated with the network of news outlets. Each state-based website says it is a project of American Independent Media whose mission is “to use journalism to educate the public, giving them the information they need about local and federal issues.”

David Brock, founder of the far-left media watchdog Media Matters and a high-profile Democratic operative, is also connected to the shadowy network of papers.

He is the founder of the 501(c)(3) American Bridge, also a titan in left-wing politics. American Bridge’s 501(c)(4) arm, the AB Foundation, donated $23.5 million to American Independent Media in 2024.

DEM SENATE HOPEFUL’S ‘PHYSICIAN’ CAMPAIGN PITCH UNDER FIRE AFTER LICENSE RECORDS REVEAL KEY GAPS

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed claps during a press conference in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue on Aug. 5, 2026, in Detroit.(Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

The story about El-Sayed was penned by Alyssa Burr, whose LinkedIn page says she’s the Michigan Politics Reporter at The American Independent.

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She previously worked at MLive Media Group, which publishes prominent state newspaper Michigan Live, and before that, the New York Times.

Peter D’Abrosca is a politics reporter at Fox News Digital.

Trump’s nominee for Navy secretary once said military needs ‘alpha males and alpha females’

2026-09-02T17:34:34.134Z / CNN

By Kaanita Iyer, Alejandra Jaramillo

Updated 2 hr ago
Updated Sep 2, 2026, 1:41 PM ET
PUBLISHED Sep 2, 2026, 1:34 PM ET

Donald Trump Trump appointments Congressional news

Hung Cao, acting secretary of the Navy, attends a Medal of Honor Ceremony in the East Room of the White House on June 18.

Al Drago/Getty Images

President Donald Trump has nominated acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent position — a move that, if confirmed by the Senate, would elevate a former GOP Senate candidate who once said that the US military needs “alpha males and alpha females.”

“I am pleased to nominate a true WARRIOR, Hung Cao, to become the next Secretary of the Navy. We need Patriots like Hung leading our Navy and Marine Corps, and I can think of no one better than him to make sure our Great Navy and Marine Corps remain the FIERCEST and BEST Force the World has ever seen,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“The Senate needs to confirm this Warfighter, ASAP,” Trump added.

The nomination now heads to the Senate, where Republicans hold a razor-thin majority.

Cao thanked the president for the nomination in a post on X, adding, “It’s an honor of a lifetime to lead the great warriors of the Navy and Marine Corps team. I’m grateful for your leadership and support as we continue to get after shipbuilding and ensure the defense of the homeland.”

The previous Navy secretary, John Phelan, was fired amid tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his implementation of shipbuilding reform and his close relationship with Trump.

Cao, a retired Navy captain and the former Navy undersecretary, has been serving in the service’s top civilian role in an acting capacity since Phelan’s ouster in April.

Cao ran for Congress in Virginia in 2022 after leaving the Navy and then ran an unsuccessful, Trump-backed bid to oust the state’s Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine in 2024.

During a 2024 debate with Kaine, Cao gave a controversial answer to a question about military recruiting.

“When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want,” Cao said. “What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat ’em and ask for seconds. Those are young men and women that are going to win wars.”

His previous comments are in line with Hegseth’s reshaping of US military culture. The defense secretary has focused on culture wars, prioritizing his own image of the “American warfighter” and pushing “warrior ethos.”

Cao’s portfolio as undersecretary included being the senior defense official for Guam, where Cao’s family first arrived decades earlier as refugees after fleeing the Vietnam war. He also headed up recruitment and personnel policy for the Navy, including implementing Trump’s executive order to reinstate service members who were discharged from the military over its Covid-19 vaccine mandate in 2021.

But during his tenure as the deputy, Cao was often cut out of decision-making by his boss, one source familiar with the situation previously told CNN, who said Phelan put Cao “in a box.”

He wasn’t allowed to represent Phelan in official meetings that Phelan didn’t attend, something a typical undersecretary would do, the source said.

Cao is a decorated special operations officer. Over a three-decade career, Cao worked as a Navy diver and explosive ordnance disposal officer. His deployments included Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. He also had a stint at the Pentagon working on budgets and acquisitions.

CNN has reached out to the Pentagon and the Navy for comment.

CNN’s Jeremy Herb and Haley Britzky contributed to this report.

Family blames suicide of 20-year-old Haitian immigrant on ICE crackdown

September 2, 2026 / 3:41 PM EDT / CBS News

Twenty-year-old Haitian native Pierre Damas Bel was an outstanding student and soccer player in Springfield, Ohio, according to his family and local advocates. He had also been part of his high school’s junior ROTC program.

On Monday, Bel died by suicide, his family says, a death his father said was driven, at least in part, by feelings of despair and humiliation after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fitted him with an ankle monitor earlier this summer.

“After my son was outfitted with an ankle monitor, he felt like he was treated like an animal,” Bel’s father said in a statement.

Bel’s father said his son asked ICE to remove the ankle monitor because he felt “embarrassed” and “humiliated” wearing it in front of his classmates in college.

The Ohio Highway Patrol said Bel parked his car on the right shoulder of a highway outside of Springfield and walked into oncoming traffic. He was struck by a tractor-trailer.

“Bel succumbed to fatal injuries at the scene,” the Ohio Highway Patrol said in a statement, noting the death remains under investigation.

Pierre Damas Bel Pierre Damas Bel

In a statement to CBS News, ICE said it fitted Bel with an ankle monitor on July 29 “while he continued in his immigration proceedings.”

ICE also confirmed Bel entered the U.S. with the government’s permission in 2024 under a now-defunct Biden-era program that allowed migrants waiting in Mexico to request a time to enter the country through a smartphone app known as CBP One.

The agency rejected “any attempt to blame ICE for the death.”

“No one is required to stay in the United States illegally and wear a GPS monitor,” ICE added in its statement. “Illegal aliens have a lawful, voluntary option: they can self-deport through the CBP Home app. Eligible participants receive a government-arranged flight home and a $3,000 check.”

Bel wrote in a recent Instagram post that he had not come to the U.S. “to commit a crime or hurt anyone.”

“Yet now I’m walking through the streets of the United States with a GPS monitor on my leg carrying a feeling of shame and humiliation that I never imagined I would experience,” he wrote in that post.

ICE started placing ankle monitors on Haitian immigrants like Bel after the federal government terminated their deportation protections under the Temporary Protected Status program. Following a Supreme Court ruling, more than 300,000 Haitians lost their TPS protections in late July, becoming eligible for arrest and potential deportation overnight.

Bel had been a recipient of TPS, according to a Haitian American activist who is in touch with the family.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.

For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.

Talarico’s ‘proud capitalist’ about-face collides with resurfaced call to ‘dismantle’ capitalism

The Texas Dem called capitalism an ‘oppressive’ system and predicted Texas’ fossil fuel industry was ‘not gonna last’

2026-09-02 09:11 EDT / Fox News

By Paul Steinhauser Fox News

Published September 2, 2026 9:11am EDT | Updated September 2, 2026 9:14am EDT

Ken Paxton pressed on potential electability concerns as he trails Talarico in Texas Senate race

Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton addresses the latest polls in his race with Democratic opponent James Talarico, the state’s deal with Meta and more on ‘The Sunday Briefing.’

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The James Talarico campaign says the Democratic Senate nominee in Texas is a “proud capitalist,” even though he once described capitalism as an “oppressive system” that needed to be dismantled — and predicted that Texas’ fossil fuel industry was “not gonna last.”

The remarks, made during a resurfaced 2020 Zoom call with Sierra Club activists, are drawing fresh scrutiny as Talarico faces Republican nominee and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a Senate race that could help determine control of the chamber.

The comments were first reported by CNN early Tuesday and were seized on by Lone Star Liberty PAC, an outside political group aligned with Paxton, and Senate Leadership Fund, a leading super PAC backing Senate Republicans.

THESE 12 MIDTERM RACES WILL DECIDE WHICH PARTY CONTROLS THE SENATE

Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, left, is facing off with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the GOP nominee, in a crucial Senate showdown in the 2026 midterm elections.(Brandon Bell/Getty Images; Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

On the call, Talarico is heard saying that the U.S. was facing a “multi-faceted threat” of a climate, economic and social crisis.

After an activist asked how to address the harm suffered by communities of color by climate change, Talarico responded, “I’m so thankful that you asked this question and also thankful that young activists have really drawn the link between climate change and White supremacy and capitalism in our country.”

“I think only understanding the ways that all three of those oppressive systems work together are we going to be able to begin the process of dismantling them.”

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

State Rep. James Talarico is the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee in Texas.(John Moore/Getty Images)

Talarico, during the same forum, forecast that Texas’ fossil fuel industry wouldn’t last.

“We all know that Texas has been a leader in oil and gas, but in many ways that’s like being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s. That industry is not gonna last,” Talarico said.

Asked for comment, Talarico campaign spokesperson J.T. Ennis told Fox News Digital, “James is a proud capitalist and agrees with the majority of Texans that racism, natural disasters, and a billionaire-controlled economy are all problems we need to address.”

“James has already said he missed the mark on some of his past statements, while Ken Paxton has refused to address his comments that the school shooting in Uvalde was ‘God’s plan’ and that Texas’ abortion ban is good for interstate commerce,” Ennis added.

The Talarico campaign also spotlighted that the state lawmaker had “taken many votes” in support of the oil industry. And the campaign website states that he aims to make sure that Texas “not only maintains, but extends” its energy dominance.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE MIDTERM RACES SHOW

Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general and Republican U.S. Senate nominee, arrives to speak during a runoff election night event in Plano, Texas, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.(Antranik Tavitian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Paxton campaign and Republicans have repeatedly targeted Talarico for past comments he’s made on social issues, including his prior suggestion that “God is nonbinary,” that he “hates Christianity,” and that “there are many more than two biological sexes; in fact, there are six.”

Talarico, a 37-year-old former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, defeated progressive firebrand and vocal critic of President Donald Trump Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the March Democratic Senate primary.

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Paxton, a longtime Trump ally, captured the GOP nomination in late May, after defeating longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn in a primary runoff election. The combustible clash between the two Texas titans shaped up as a fight between the Republican establishment and Trump’s MAGA and America First supporters. Trump stayed neutral in the intra-party battle until giving Paxton an 11th-hour endorsement.

The general election face-off in deep-red Texas between Talarico and Paxton is one of roughly a dozen races that will likely decide if Republicans hold the Senate majority or if Democrats win back control of the chamber.

Democrats haven’t won a Senate election in Texas in nearly four decades, but they view Paxton as vulnerable because of the slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered him over the past decade. And Paxton is dealing with a messy divorce, with his wife citing “biblical grounds” based on “recent discoveries” in filing last year to end their marriage.

Talarico enjoys a large fundraising advantage over Paxton.

Meanwhile, the most recent Fox News poll in the Texas Senate showdown, conducted in late July, indicated Talarico holding a slight 51%-48% edge over Paxton among registered voters.

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The survey suggested that Paxton had yet to fully unite Republicans. While virtually all Democrats supported Talarico (98%), slightly fewer Republicans were unified behind Paxton (89%).

Meanwhile, the most recent Fox News Power Rankings, released last month, shifted the Senate race in Texas from Lean Republican to toss-up.

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News

黄仁勋在G20促各国建设数据中心 警告AI监管过度恐落后

2026年9月2日 23:18 / 联合早报

英伟达首席执行官黄仁勋星期三（9月2日）在北卡罗来纳州举行的G20峰会第二天说：“每个国家都必须认识到，AI是基础设施，就像水、道路、电力和互联网一样。每个国家都需要建设基础设施，才能支撑本国经济。” （法新社）

英伟达首席执行官黄仁勋敦促G20各国部长建设更多数据中心，以支持人工智能革命，并警告称那些大肆渲染人工智能技术危险的领导人可能会让自己的国家落后。

法新社报道，黄仁勋星期三（9月2日）在北卡罗来纳州举行的G20峰会第二天，发出上述呼吁。这次峰会由美国总统特朗普政府召集，旨在让全球主要经济体的部长们向顶尖人工智能（AI）企业高管阐述他们的愿景。

黄仁勋在会上对部长们说：“最终，每个国家都必须认识到，AI是基础设施，就像水、道路、电力和互联网一样。每个国家都需要建设基础设施，才能支撑本国经济。”

他说，此类设施能够提供“支持研究人员、学生、社会、产业和初创企业所需的数码化智力资源”。

黄仁勋也驳斥AI可能会威胁就业的观点，这种担忧正是公众反对这项技术的原因之一。他说：“认为所有工作都会被淘汰或消失的想法，简直是无稽之谈。”

他认为，工作将被重新定义，而不是被淘汰。“工作任务将会自动化，但我们工作的意义依然存在。”

他警告说，如果各国领导人“带着恐惧和不确定来谈论这项技术”，各国将会遭受损失。“最糟糕的结果是你们没有利用这项技术，被时代抛在了后面。这是最糟糕的结果。”

黄仁勋也敦促各国政府不要过度监管这项技术，相关说法与全球首富马斯克前一天的言论相近。

黄仁勋说：“不要监管假设性的理论危害，而要监管实际存在的、务实的危害。”

黄仁勋的出席活动由美国商务部长卢特尼克主持，卢特尼克称黄仁勋是“美国的瑰宝”。卢特尼克说：“贵公司正引领我们走向一条我们年轻时从未梦想过的道路。”

这次会面正值美国国内对AI数据中心建设的反对声浪日益高涨之际。随着美国即将迎来11月的中期选举，这一问题已然具有了政治意义。

特朗普总统星期一（8月31日）也抨击AI数据中心的反对者，称他们最终会“落后且贫穷”。

英伟达是推动生成式AI热潮的关键公司，使英伟达一跃成为全球市值最高的上市公司。

英伟达生产的图形处理器（GPU）位于世界各地新建的专用数据中心中，是训练AI模型的关键组件。