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Thune-aligned groups unleash historic war chest to defend Senate majority: ‘Winning message’

August 24, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

Senate Leadership Fund and other allies have raised over $500 million ahead of the 2026 Senate elections

By Leo Briceno Fox News

Senate Majority Leader John Thune analyzes GOP midterm strategy and Iran tensions

Senate Majority Leader John Thune addresses the GOP fundraising shortfall in crucial 2026 midterm races during an interview on ‘America’s Newsroom.’ Thune reacts to Chuck Schumer embracing Democratic Socialists of America candidates and analyzes ongoing maritime tensions with Iran. He also weighs in on the confirmation path for Todd Blanche as attorney general, highlighting the narrow margins in the Senate.

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The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a top GOP campaign group aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., announced that it and other allies have raised over $500 million ahead of the 2026 U.S. Senate elections, setting new records as they look to defend a Republican majority in the upcoming midterms.

Despite a historical precedent that sets long odds for the president’s party in the midterms, Republicans have built a war chest in recent months to put Democrats on the defensive in the House and Senate.

“Thanks to Leader John Thune and our generous investors, Senate Leadership Fund and its affiliated groups have raised more resources than any other Senate effort in history,” SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

NRCC REPORTING RECORD $47.1 MILLION QUARTER, RECORD $28.1 MILLION RAISED IN MARCH

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., prepares to speak during a press conference following a policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on July 21, 2026, in Washington, D.C. They discussed Republican budget proposals and the Iran war.(Getty Images)

“However, we cannot slow down as Chuck Schumer and Radical Democrats seek to take our nation back to open borders, rampant crime and crushing inflation.”

It’s those elements the group hopes to put front and center.

In many of their materials, SLF looks to pin Democrats over their opposition to many pieces of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda and past support for far-left policies.

Across races in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan and North Carolina, they are using ad campaigns to highlight elements like violence caused by soft-on-crime policies, opposition to wage hikes for veterans and past scandals that have followed some of the Democratic candidates.

HOW DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP SANK $40 MILLION MEANT TO DEFEND KEY SEATS ON A GAMBLE THAT BACKFIRED

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during the Senate Republicans’ news conference in the Ohio Clock Corridor in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Logan was a casualty of an agenda,” one featured interviewee said, recounting how his daughter had been killed by Alexander Dickey, a repeat criminal who had faced nearly 40 criminal charges.

In another ad, SLF reminded voters in Iowa how Josh Turek, a Senate hopeful who had won gold for the U.S. in the Paralympic Games, had missed over 50% of his votes while running his campaign.

“We expect our lawmakers to show up, yet liberal politician Josh Turek missed 58% of his votes in the Iowa legislature — votes to help veterans and fund schools, yet still collected his full taxpayer-funded paycheck,” the ad states.

DEM SENATE HOPEFUL RIPPED AS ‘ABSENTEE LEGISLATOR’ AFTER MISSING NEARLY 60% OF VOTES

Iowa Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek speaks during a primary night rally at The Loft on June 2, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa.(Charlie Neibergall/Getty Images)

Latcham said he anticipates SLF’s layered strategy of messaging — and the resources needed to bring that message to voters — combined with the GOP’s candidate strengths will deliver wins in November.

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“With incredible candidates, a winning message and record funding, we are confident that Senate Republicans will maintain their majority this November and continue to deliver for the American people,” Latcham said.

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

美官员：限制数据中心建设 恐使美国输掉AI竞赛

2026年8月24日 17:21 / 联合早报

美国为满足人工智能计算能力需求而推动建设数据中心，引起多地居民反弹。图为弗吉尼亚州一片拟用于建设新数据中心的空地，空地旁是住宅区。 （法新社）

（华盛顿综合电）面对美国民众对建设数据中心的强烈反弹，美国环保署署长泽尔丁警告各州政府切勿禁止这类建设工程，否则美国可能会在人工智能（AI）竞赛中输给中国。

泽尔丁星期天（8月23日）接受纽约77 WABC电台采访时说，美国一些州属正探讨叫停数据中心建设，但多数美国人仍希望美国在AI竞赛中胜出，成为世界AI之都。他强调：“我们不能把这一位置拱手让给中国。”

特朗普政府正推动建设更多数据中心，同时要求企业自行承担由此增加的能源成本，避免转嫁给普通消费者。但全美各地居民仍担心，这些中心将导致能源费用飙涨，并对环境造成负面影响。

围绕数据中心的争议已成为美国中期选举的重要议题。福克斯新闻7月公布的民调结果显示，70%的选民反对在自己的选区建设用于支持AI的数据中心；78%的人赞成放缓建设速度，以应对相关担忧。

泽尔丁承认，人们对数据中心的质疑是合理的。“我们必须确保这些项目成为电网的净贡献者，而不是净消耗者……它们也必须是负责任的用水者。”

美国总统特朗普也在同日播出的采访中，为建设数据中心辩护。他称，反对建设数据中心的社区正在“犯下错误”，因为这些中心能带来大量就业机会和经济效应。

他还称，数据中心不会从电网抽走电力，并指美国在AI领域遥遥领先中国。

美国媒体则指出，一些数据中心虽然正在建设专属供电的发电厂，但其他数据中心仍依赖电网供电。

美官员：限制数据中心建设 恐使美国输掉AI竞赛

2026-08-24 17:21 / 联合早报

美国为满足人工智能计算能力需求而推动建设数据中心，引起多地居民反弹。图为弗吉尼亚州一片拟用于建设新数据中心的空地，空地旁是住宅区。 （法新社）

（华盛顿综合电）面对美国民众对建设数据中心的强烈反弹，美国环保署署长泽尔丁警告各州政府切勿禁止这类建设工程，否则美国可能会在人工智能（AI）竞赛中输给中国。

泽尔丁星期天（8月23日）接受纽约77 WABC电台采访时说，美国一些州属正探讨叫停数据中心建设，但多数美国人仍希望美国在AI竞赛中胜出，成为世界AI之都。他强调：“我们不能把这一位置拱手让给中国。”

特朗普政府正推动建设更多数据中心，同时要求企业自行承担由此增加的能源成本，避免转嫁给普通消费者。但全美各地居民仍担心，这些中心将导致能源费用飙涨，并对环境造成负面影响。

围绕数据中心的争议已成为美国中期选举的重要议题。福克斯新闻7月公布的民调结果显示，70%的选民反对在自己的选区建设用于支持AI的数据中心；78%的人赞成放缓建设速度，以应对相关担忧。

泽尔丁承认，人们对数据中心的质疑是合理的。“我们必须确保这些项目成为电网的净贡献者，而不是净消耗者……它们也必须是负责任的用水者。”

美国总统特朗普也在同日播出的采访中，为建设数据中心辩护。他称，反对建设数据中心的社区正在“犯下错误”，因为这些中心能带来大量就业机会和经济效应。

他还称，数据中心不会从电网抽走电力，并指美国在AI领域遥遥领先中国。

美国媒体则指出，一些数据中心虽然正在建设专属供电的发电厂，但其他数据中心仍依赖电网供电。

印度叫停金奈第二座机场计划 将另外选址

2026-08-24 17:32 / 联合早报

印度泰米尔纳德邦首席部长维杰宣布，取消在首府金奈修建第二座机场的计划，将另外选址建造。图为8月24日的金奈街头。 （法新社）

印度南部制造业大邦泰米尔纳德邦宣布，放弃在首府金奈建设第二座机场的计划，转而寻找其他替代地点。

路透社报道，泰米尔纳德邦首席部长维杰（Joseph Vijay）星期一（8月24日）宣布这个消息，并称政府已选定了其他替代地点，新址将显著减少对农田的影响。

有着“印度底特律”之称的金奈（Chennai），是现代汽车、雷诺，以及苹果公司供应商富士康和塔塔电子（Tata Electronics）等制造巨头的工厂所在地。

当地工业界此前强烈呼吁扩大航空运力，以满足产业发展需求，前任政府也已获得印度民航部门的批准，耗资约2740亿卢比（约36亿3000万新元）在金奈附近的帕兰杜尔（Parandur）兴建第二座机场。

然而，这个计划因涉及农田征用，自公布以来一直面临来自当地农民的阻力。

印度工业联合会（Confederation of Indian Industry）南部负责人说，政府必须迅速敲定替代方案，并优先推进新机场建设，以支持金奈快速扩张的工业、制造业、物流和商业服务业。

印度官方数据显示，泰米尔纳德邦的工厂数量和制造业就业人数约占全国的15%，高居全国各邦之首。

AI’s massive appetite for power, water ignites fight in high-stakes Texas Senate race

August 24, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

Paxton, Talarico propose repealing sales tax exemptions as voters raise concerns over power and water costs

By Alex Miller, Fox News

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FIRST ON FOX: There’s an ugly political fight brewing in the Lone Star State over data centers, and both candidates running for Senate are racing each other to unveil their plans to slow the AI boom in Texas.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is rolling out his own plan to address what has become a political pressure point in Texas politics during this midterm cycle: how to add guardrails to the explosion of data centers across the state as voters’ concerns rise about skyrocketing power and water costs.

The four-point plan, first obtained by Fox News Digital, details steps at the federal and state levels on the issue and comes in the waning weeks of a closely watched contest for power in the Senate between Paxton and state Sen. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee.

LONGTIME GOP AIDE DEFECTS TO DEM RISING STAR AS TEXAS SENATE BATTLE FOR CORNYN’S SEAT HEATS UP

Ken Paxton unveils a four-point plan targeting data centers in the Lone Star State as he and James Talarico trade blows over rising power and water costs.(Brandon Bell/Getty Images; Brandon Bell Bell/Getty Images)

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the United States will beat the Chinese Communist Party in the AI race,” Paxton said in a statement. “This plan will ensure that happens while putting Texas First, protecting our culture and land, and safeguarding our families and communities. My plan will also work to ensure that data centers are not utilized to power AI platforms that endanger our children.”

His plan comes after Talarico, who has used the issue of data centers as a political cudgel against Paxton, convened bipartisan roundtables and hit the Republican nominee for taking in nearly $500,000 in campaign donations to a variety of political action committees (PACs) that support him.

“Ken Paxton took nearly half a million dollars from data center companies and has ignored Texans in Hood County who asked him to help block a data center development in their community,” Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told Fox News Digital.

“While Ken Paxton funnels data center money into his campaign, James is fighting to hold data centers accountable. Texans can’t afford a Senator who’s bought by big data center companies,” he continued. “Texans can’t afford Ken Paxton’s corruption.”

A SOUTHERN STATE JUST TOOK THE TOP SPOT IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST-GROWING INDUSTRIES

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403060495112

He’s also not scot-free from receiving data center-adjacent money, either.

Talarico’s political operation, through his Lone Star Rising PAC, has received about $10 million from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, an advocate for data centers who has argued about the value that they present in the AI arms race against China.

“While James Talarico and his campaign infrastructure accept millions of dollars from data center-affiliated donors and put their interests first, I will lead with Texans at the forefront. That’s exactly why I am proud to release my 4-Point Plan that will put Texans First and protect our communities,” Paxton said.

The first three pillars of Paxton’s plan address actions against data centers at the federal level.

They would see Paxton author two bills in the Senate to prevent Chinese technology from powering data centers or being used in American infrastructure and creating criminal liabilities for data center companies if the centers empower AI chatbots that undermine children’s safety.

ONE MONTHLY BILL AMERICANS CAN’T AVOID IS QUIETLY SURGING THANKS TO EMERGING INDUSTRY: DATA

Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott is warning of Chinese using medical technology to spy on Americans and his state.(Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)

He would also join as a co-sponsor on the DATA Act, a bill from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., that would create a new federal category for data centers to produce their own independent power away from preexisting power grids.

Talarico’s offering would repeal state tax exemptions for data centers, mandate that data centers cover 100% of grid connection costs, and require closed-loop water recycling systems. It would also give local governments the power to veto project developments.

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Paxton similarly wants to undo sales tax exemptions for data centers, something he notably supported over a decade ago while in the state legislature.

Back in 2013, when he was serving as a freshman state senator in the Texas Legislature, Paxton voted in favor of 100% sales tax exemptions for data centers, which passed on a nearly unanimous vote out of the state Senate.

While that exemption required a hefty ground-floor investment of $200 million and employment requirements to receive, it also sparked the present-day boom in data centers.

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Meanwhile, at the state level, Paxton would also push Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s new directive unveiled earlier this month to effectively freeze the data center explosion.

Abbott touted earlier this week that his directive has so far halted roughly 1,800 data center projects in the Lone Star State. It requires data centers to disclose how much power they’re using and whether they will produce independent power, their water consumption, financial incentives they’ve received, a plan to lower the impact on local communities and documented ownership of the center.

“These guidelines are now the universally applied standard in Texas,” Abbott said on X.

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

印度叫停金奈第二座机场计划 将另外选址

2026年8月24日 17:32 / 联合早报

印度泰米尔纳德邦首席部长维杰宣布，取消在首府金奈修建第二座机场的计划，将另外选址建造。图为8月24日的金奈街头。 （法新社）

印度南部制造业大邦泰米尔纳德邦宣布，放弃在首府金奈建设第二座机场的计划，转而寻找其他替代地点。

路透社报道，泰米尔纳德邦首席部长维杰（Joseph Vijay）星期一（8月24日）宣布这个消息，并称政府已选定了其他替代地点，新址将显著减少对农田的影响。

有着“印度底特律”之称的金奈（Chennai），是现代汽车、雷诺，以及苹果公司供应商富士康和塔塔电子（Tata Electronics）等制造巨头的工厂所在地。

当地工业界此前强烈呼吁扩大航空运力，以满足产业发展需求，前任政府也已获得印度民航部门的批准，耗资约2740亿卢比（约36亿3000万新元）在金奈附近的帕兰杜尔（Parandur）兴建第二座机场。

然而，这个计划因涉及农田征用，自公布以来一直面临来自当地农民的阻力。

印度工业联合会（Confederation of Indian Industry）南部负责人说，政府必须迅速敲定替代方案，并优先推进新机场建设，以支持金奈快速扩张的工业、制造业、物流和商业服务业。

印度官方数据显示，泰米尔纳德邦的工厂数量和制造业就业人数约占全国的15%，高居全国各邦之首。

Out-of-control Hawk Fire in Reno, Nevada keeping tens of thousands evacuated

August 24, 2026 / 7:51 AM EDT / CBS/AP

An out-of-control wildfire that jumped over fire trucks and made it difficult for crews to reach hot spots destroyed homes in northwest Reno, Nevada, on Sunday. Shifting winds challenged firefighters trying to bring it under control, and authorities urged some 90,000 people to evacuate.

At least six people – three first responders and three civilians – were injured. Officials said the fire was “human-caused” but didn’t provide details on how they reached that conclusion, or whether it was intentionally set or accidental.

The Hawk Fire began Saturday and grew to more than 23 square miles as it spread Sunday across the Peavine Peak area of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, where rugged foothills are ringed by homes and businesses near the California state line. There was zero containment.

Some 42,000 residents have been ordered evacuated as the “GO NOW” zone expanded, reaching the edge of the University of Nevada. An additional 45,000 people were in the adjacent evacuation warning zone. Authorities urged people to be prepared to stay away for several days, because shifting and strengthening winds were expected to make the fire even more unpredictable.

“Please get out if you can right now,” Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said.

A Sunday evening update said crews observed “extreme fire behavior” as gusts pushed flames through dry brush.

“Over the next 12 hours, the fire is expected to continue to make moderate to high intensity runs in pockets of dense fuels,” the statement said.

The remnants of burned buildings, vehicles, and vegetation destroyed by the Hawk Fire are seen on August 23, 2026, in Reno, Nevada. Trevor Bexon / Getty Images

One family’s harrowing tale

It wasn’t known how many homes were destroyed. Cari Kieffer said a video posted on social media showed her house entirely burned down, with only a scorched basketball hoop still standing.

“I woke up this morning and just started crying – all my kids, they lost everything,” Kieffer said Sunday. “We lost all our stuff. Everything we own is gone.”

Kieffer had been watching her son’s football game Saturday when she learned that their home on the outskirts of Reno was in the evacuation zone. An app the family used to track the fire’s progress had been lagging significantly behind its actual location, she said, so they thought firefighters had kept the blaze from their neighborhood.

Instead, Kieffer, her husband and their four children ages 3 to 16 raced to save their dogs and whatever possessions they could retrieve. Ash rained down, and the wind blew like an oven blast from a wall of flames advancing down the hillside toward their neighborhood, she said.

“I kept looking outside and the flames just kept getting closer and closer every time I looked,” Kieffer said. “I was like, we gotta go like now.”

Eyes watering and throat burning, Kieffer grabbed a handful of clothes, a Bible, her wedding photos and her mother’s ashes. In the frenzy, as firefighters yelled at her family to leave immediately, she said she forgot her family’s birth certificates and was unable to salvage her childhood photos.

The family drove to a friend’s home but had to evacuate again. They learned later Saturday evening that their own home was gone.

A firefighting-equipped helicopter flies over the Hawk Fire on August 23, 2026 in Reno, Nevada. Trevor Bexon / Getty Images

Intense impact detailed

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County and mobilized the Nevada National Guard to support aerial firefighting with two helicopter crews as well as 60 troops to help police safeguard evacuated neighborhoods. Also responding were 800 fire personnel.

Nearly 10,000 customers were without power in Washoe County on Sunday, down from 60,000 on Saturday. Portions of U.S. Route 395, a major north-south highway, were closed due to the fire. Reno, with more than 280,000 residents, is the largest city in Nevada outside of metro Las Vegas.

Washoe County emergency officials opened the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to evacuees, but said they couldn’t bring their pets – small animals and large animals were to be left at two other locations. Casinos in Reno offered discounts on hotel rooms to evacuees.

The University of Nevada, where many of the 20,000 undergraduates moved into their housing this weekend, was just outside the evacuation zone Sunday.

Two hospitals evacuated patients and the sheriff said his office was keeping a close watch on whether to evacuate the county jail.

The Reno-Stead Airport was closed to commercial flights but remained open for firefighting and military aircraft, CBS Reno affiliate KTVN reported. Reno-Tahoe International was unaffected.

Officials said some structures were damaged or destroyed but didn’t give any specific numbers, KTVN noted.

The fire moved exceptionally fast Saturday night, jumping over fire trucks and making it difficult for responders to get to hot spots while residents were trying to get out, the sheriff said.

“It was extremely confusing,” Balaam said, describing how changing winds sent the flames in different directions.

The fire was so small Saturday morning that it wasn’t even a concern, said Tyler Duvall, who went camping over the weekend. By the next day, his house was in the evacuation zone.

“The wind really blew it up,” Duvall said.

On Saturday alone, 15 new fires popped up across Nevada. Months of dry weather and a record lack of snow this past winter across the American West have created prime fire conditions. Earlier this month, wildfires in eastern Washington state forced the evacuation of 60,000 people in the Spokane area, while three wildfires north of Reno forced more than 13,000 residents from their homes.

Jaida Hargrove’s grandfather, Rick Arrate, lived alone on Peavine Mountain, which overlooks Reno and Sparks. Firefighters used a bulldozer, cut down trees and applied fire retardant in their attempt to contain the flames, Hargrove said.

“They all thought it would be OK,” she said. “And then, in about 30 minutes, the winds just changed and it came way too fast.”

Arrate and the firefighters were quickly forced off the mountain. “All he was able to take with him was his two golden retrievers,” Hargrove said.

Arrate spent Saturday night with Hargrove’s parents, his next steps unknown.

Separate GoFundMe crowdfunding campaigns were set up to assist Arrate and the Kieffer family.

Retired police officer and firefighter Ted Melden has seen his share of Mother Nature’s fury since moving to Reno with his wife earlier this month from Chapin, South Carolina. So far, he’s experienced a hailstorm with flash flooding, two different power outages and, now, the second wildfire incident in the region in two weeks.

“Just another natural disaster,” Melden said.

In the two years he lived in South Carolina, Melden said Hurricane Helene knocked over trees in his yard, while a tornado did some damage in his neighborhood.

For now, Melden hasn’t been ordered to leave his home, but he has his bags packed just in case.

“You just have to roll with the flow and be ready,” he said.

美国内华达州大型林火逼近居民区 逾4万人紧急撤离

2026年8月24日 17:36 / 联合早报

美国内华达州里诺市的林火失控狂烧，迫使4万多名居民紧急撤离。图为8月23日，一架消防飞机正试图灭火。 （法新社）

（洛杉矶综合电）一场大型林火星期天快速逼近美国内华达州第三大城市里诺市郊，迫使当地约4万2000名居民紧急撤离，另有4万5000人接到撤离通知。

当地官员星期天（8月23日）在记者会上说，相信这场大火是人为引起的，火势目前处于失控状态，过火面积已超过6000公顷，至少造成六人受伤，多栋建筑物被烧毁。

里诺市（Reno）距离美国西部著名观光度假胜地塔霍湖（Lake Tahoe）只有约60公里。

内华达州州长隆巴尔多周六晚间宣布，里诺市所在的沃肖县进入紧急状态，并下令动员内华达州国民警卫队。当地目前有约一万用户处于断电状态，多条主要公路被迫关闭。

电视画面显示，猛烈的火焰向道路逼近。当地官员说，里诺-斯特德机场已关闭，暂停通用航空交通，但里诺-塔霍国际机场仍保持开放。

在高温和干旱气候下，美国西部多州近期野火频发，仅内华达州内目前就有多处大规模野火正在燃烧。

For Republicans, Dallas convention is both rally and rescue mission

2026-08-24T10:04:43.642Z / Reuters

Aug 24 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s Republican Party is increasingly viewing its first-of-a-kind midterm convention in Dallas next month as crucial to regaining momentum at a time when opinion polls show voter frustration over the economy and the Iran war, according to party officials, donors and convention planners.

When Republicans announced the convention earlier this year, some strategists dismissed it as a distraction as campaigns entered the final stretch. They questioned the need for a national gathering with no official party business.

Now, after months of negative headlines tied to the war and rising living costs, party officials see the September 9-10 gathering as their best opportunity to rally voters behind Trump’s agenda as Democrats mount a serious challenge to Republican control of both houses of Congress in the November 3 election. Some Republicans, however, remain skeptical it can meaningfully shift voter sentiment.

The party officials said the event offers a platform to refocus voters on Trump’s tax cuts, immigration policies and other achievements. Organizers plan to spotlight Americans they say have benefited from those policies while portraying the Democratic Party as increasingly dominated by socialist ideas and activists, according to a source familiar with the planning.

The party plans to put Trump at the center of the convention, a tactic some strategists warn could backfire by drawing attention to a president with a low approval rating who has repeatedly urged Americans to endure the economic costs of the Iran war.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said the convention would rally voters behind Trump’s agenda, including efforts to lower drug prices, cut taxes and secure the southern border with Mexico.

“President Trump turns out voters like no other candidate, and this convention will provide the momentum needed to expand our majorities in November,” Baldassarre said in a statement.

CANDIDATES FACE TRUMP CONVENTION DILEMMA

It remains unclear which congressional candidates will speak during the two-day event. Advisers to three campaigns in competitive districts told Reuters they had yet to be informed whether their candidates would be offered speaking slots.

Reuters contacted representatives for Republican candidates in 37 competitive U.S. House races and eight closely contested U.S. Senate races to ask whether they planned to attend the convention and deliver a speech.

Of the 45, only one campaign offered a substantive response: Republican Representative Tom Barrett, seeking reelection in a tight race in Michigan, who plans to skip the convention and remain on the campaign trail.

“He’s in a tough reelection campaign and his voters are in his district,” said Jason Cabel Roe, a strategist working for the Barrett campaign.

Still, most of the dozen party insiders interviewed by Reuters, including convention planners and Republican National Committee members, described the convention as the party’s best chance to energize Republican voters, whose enthusiasm trails that of Democrats, according to polls.

“There is no better salesman for the country than Donald Trump. I don’t think it’s going to hurt at all,” said Rob Steele, a Republican National Committeeman from Michigan.

Ray Washburne, a Republican donor co-chairing the convention with his wife, told Reuters he expected about 30,000 attendees, a figure that would exceed the seating capacity of the American Airlines Center in Dallas by some 8,000 people. He said organizers raised $42 million and will fully fund the event.

The timing, just at the start of the school year, could pose challenges for some attendees. One state party chair told Reuters he had returned many of his delegation’s allotted seats after members said they could not make the schedule work.

While declining to provide a complete speaker list, Washburne said most of Trump’s cabinet secretaries would attend, along with “pretty much everyone running in a hot race.” Vice President JD Vance will speak on September 9, followed by Trump on September 10.

Dave Wilson, a South Carolina-based Republican strategist, said he was skeptical a rally-style convention would move the needle unless it was used to unveil a major response to voters’ top concern: the cost of living.

“I don’t know that we’re going to see a convention in Dallas change what happens in Cheyenne, Wyoming, or Charleston, South Carolina,” Wilson said, invoking places far from the convention to illustrate his point. “I don’t think the average Republican voter even knows there’s a convention going on.”

CANDIDATES SEEK DONORS AND SPOTLIGHT

Though it falls outside the traditional four-year presidential election cycle, the convention is expected to serve a familiar purpose as a fundraising and networking hub for candidates and donors. The RNC has already launched a website selling official convention hats, T-shirts and mugs.

Washburne said the event would give candidates significant media exposure to promote their campaigns. U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton of Texas, whose campaign has been dogged by scandal, was someone who could benefit from the attention generated by a convention in his home state, Washburne added.

With Trump’s approval rating at 33%, some Republicans questioned the wisdom of the event. One strategist working on a competitive race, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it made little sense to tie candidates more closely to Trump when many are trying to focus on local issues and win over independent voters.

Oscar Brock, an RNC member from Tennessee, said many candidates would feel obliged to attend the Dallas gathering to court donors and raise their profiles through media appearances, even as some remain wary of embracing Trump.

Reporting by Nathan Layne, Steve Holland and Richard Cowan; Editing by Ross Colvin and Howard Goller

美国内华达州大型林火逼近居民区 逾4万人紧急撤离

2026年8月24日 17:36 / 联合早报

美国内华达州里诺市的林火失控狂烧，迫使4万多名居民紧急撤离。图为8月23日，一架消防飞机正试图灭火。 （法新社）

（洛杉矶综合电）一场大型林火星期天快速逼近美国内华达州第三大城市里诺市郊，迫使当地约4万2000名居民紧急撤离，另有4万5000人接到撤离通知。

当地官员星期天（8月23日）在记者会上说，相信这场大火是人为引起的，火势目前处于失控状态，过火面积已超过6000公顷，至少造成六人受伤，多栋建筑物被烧毁。

里诺市（Reno）距离美国西部著名观光度假胜地塔霍湖（Lake Tahoe）只有约60公里。

内华达州州长隆巴尔多周六晚间宣布，里诺市所在的沃肖县进入紧急状态，并下令动员内华达州国民警卫队。当地目前有约一万用户处于断电状态，多条主要公路被迫关闭。

电视画面显示，猛烈的火焰向道路逼近。当地官员说，里诺-斯特德机场已关闭，暂停通用航空交通，但里诺-塔霍国际机场仍保持开放。

在高温和干旱气候下，美国西部多州近期野火频发，仅内华达州内目前就有多处大规模野火正在燃烧。