Massachusetts man charged with cyberstalking conservative podcaster Katie Miller

2026-10-01T22:06:03.437Z / CNN

By Hannah Rabinowitz

PUBLISHED Oct 1, 2026, 6:06 PM ET

Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, and his wife, Katie Miller, attend the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn on April 6.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images

The Justice Department charged a military veteran Thursday for allegedly making dozens of disturbing texts and calls to Katie Miller, a conservative podcaster married to White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, and her family.

The man, 41-year-old John Anthony Proia III of Massachusetts, has been charged with one count of cyberstalking. He will make his initial appearance in court Thursday.

Prosecutors allege that Proia used a series of phone calls to reach a “prominent member of the Republican Party” more than 40 times in a two-month period. A source familiar with the case identified the victim as Katie Miller.

Proia allegedly contacted Katie Miller at all hours, sending messages that were at times graphic and threatening.

He also allegedly contacted her parents, saying in one message: “My God, how can you be proud of this filth?”

In another, Proia allegedly said: “Hey (first name of Victim 1’s father), how goes it? Hope your daughter marrying a Jewish Nazi/white supremacist is working out for you and (first name of Victim 1’s mother). Did you raise her to be trash or did that just happen naturally?”

The charges followed an investigation that faced resistance within the Federal Bureau of Investigation, CNN reported. An FBI counterterrorism team in Washington initially determined that the matter did not warrant an further investigation, sources said. The investigation continued, however, and two senior agents were removed from their positions.

Investigators in Boston had also expressed reservations about pursuing the case.

Court documents accuse Proia of encouraging others online to place similar calls to government officials. In one post cited by prosecutors, he wrote that a online directory account “allows great latitude in finding phone numbers and addresses so you can wake folks up late at night and tell them how you feel.”

“For lawful purposes, this is educational,” he added, according to the documents.

In another post, Proia allegedly wrote that the wife of an unnamed cabinet official “really doesn’t like it when you prank call and tell her that he does a lot of cocaine.”

In a post on X after the charge was announced, Katie Miller thanked Attorney General Todd Blanche, Massachusetts US Attorney Leah Foley, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office.

CNN has reached out to Proia’s attorney for comment.

Fox News Poll: It’s a Lone Star Senate showdown between Talarico and Paxton

The contest is defined by Democratic engagement and GOP divisions

October 1, 2026 6:00pm EDT / Fox News

By Victoria Balara, Fox News

The Texas voters who could help Talarico pull off a historic upset

Voters at the State Fair discuss whether Talarico can defeat Ken Paxton, turn Texas blue and end Democrats’ decades-long statewide losing streak.

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Weeks before Election Day, Democratic engagement and positive ratings give Democrat James Talarico a razor-thin edge over Republican Ken Paxton in what is, so far, shaping up to be a photo finish for the Lone Star State’s U.S. Senate seat.

This analysis, released Thursday, is among Texas likely voters, unless otherwise noted.

Talarico enjoys a net positive personal rating of 8 points (52% favorable vs. 44% unfavorable), while Paxton’s is underwater by 18 points (40% vs. 58%). Republicans are six times more likely to view Paxton unfavorably (32%) than Democrats do Talarico (5%).

The GOP also has an enthusiasm gap. More MAGA than non-MAGA Republicans are extremely interested in the midterms (64% vs. 50%) and certain they will vote (76% vs. 65%). By contrast, two-thirds of DSA and non-DSA Democrats are extremely interested, and nearly three-quarters of both groups are certain they will vote.

FOX NEWS POLL: MICHIGAN VOTERS SPLIT BETWEEN EL-SAYED AND ROGERS

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Overall, Texas likely voters split on control of the Senate: 49% prefer a Democratic Senate while 50% favor a Republican upper chamber.Eight percent of self-identified Republicans prefer the Democrats in power versus 1% of Democrats crossing over to pick the GOP.

All this gives Talarico a slim 2-point edge over Paxton (51-49%) in the first Fox News Poll among Texas likely voters (so no comparisons are available). These matchup results are within the margin of sampling error.

Among the larger sample of registered voters, Talarico’s advantage widens to 7 points (just outside the margin of error). That’s up from a 3-point edge in July.

GOP ambivalence is further reflected in Senate preferences because non-MAGA Republicans are more than five times more likely to back Talarico than their MAGA counterparts (22% to 4%). The crossover echoes lingering divisions from the competitive GOP primary and runoff: 20% of likely voters who backed Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the March primary back Talarico.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS QUESTION WHETHER AI’S PROMISE OUTWEIGHS ITS RISK

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Fully 100% of DSA Democrats and 98% of non-DSA Democrats back Talarico, and slightly more of his backers are certain of their support (89%) than Paxton backers (85%).

In addition, Talarico also gets strong backing from Black voters (79%), moderates (65%), Hispanic voters (64%) and voters under age 35 (62%).

Paxton’s best groups are White evangelical Christians (74%), White men without a college degree (65%), rural voters (57%) and voters ages 65 and over (55%).

Both candidates face ideological concerns. Roughly equal numbers are concerned Talarico is too liberal on the issues (53% concerned) and Paxton is too close to President Trump (51%).

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In 2024, President Donald Trump won Texas by nearly 14 percentage points. Today, his job rating is underwater by 11 points: 44% approve vs. 55% disapprove. Fifteen percent of those disapproving still back Paxton compared to 9% of Trump approvers backing Talarico.

Economic hardships continue to dominate the narrative. Seven in 10 Texans say the cost of living will be extremely important to their Senate vote, and this is another problem for the Republicans because twice as many voters say they are falling behind financially (35%) as getting ahead (16%). Those falling behind back Talarico by 32 points, while those getting ahead favor Paxton by 48 points. Those holding steady (48%), the largest group, narrowly back Paxton by 3 points.

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Nearly half say Trump (48%) and immigration (47%) will be extremely important to their vote, while one-third say the same about artificial intelligence technology (34%).

Talarico holds wide leads among those saying the cost of living (Talarico +19), artificial intelligence (+18) and Trump (+6) will be extremely important to their Senate vote, while immigration-focused voters back Paxton (+20).

In the governor’s race, incumbent Republican Greg Abbott’s positive job ratings give him an edge over Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa. The three-time incumbent has a 52%-47% advantage over the Texas state House representative.

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Over half, 52%, approve of the job Abbott is doing as governor, and that same share backs him in the race. Another 47% disapprove, the same number who back Hinojosa.

Abbott fares better than Paxton because he has slightly higher support among men, Republicans and moderates. Women are more evenly divided in the governor’s race.

Abbott also has a modest crossover advantage: 10% of Talarico supporters back Abbott for governor while just 3% of Paxton supporters do the same for Hinojosa.

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“Democrats in Texas will walk across broken glass to vote against Trump, so the question is whether the average Republican will vote in an election without Trump and where the Senate race features a controversial GOP candidate,” said Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News Polls with Democrat Chris Anderson.

“Ironically, Paxton may owe his political life to Abbott, who is doing most of the get-out-the-vote work for the Republicans.”

Conducted September 24-28, 2026, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,203 Texas registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (127) and cellphones (789) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (287). Results based on the registered voter sample have a margin of sampling error of ±2.5 percentage points, and for the subsample of 881 likely voters it is ±3 percentage points.

Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling errors, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Likely voters are based on a probabilistic statistical model that relies on past vote history, interest in the current election, intention to vote, age, education, race, ethnicity and marital status. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100.

特朗普：若迪拜航空袭击是伊朗所为 将予以猛烈重击

2026年10月2日 07:57 / 联合早报

10月1日，特朗普在白宫南草坪登上“海军陆战队一号”直升机前，向媒体发表讲话。 （彭博社）

美国总统特朗普说，德黑兰方面很可能是迪拜航空机长遭袭击事件的幕后黑手。他还说，一旦查实，伊朗将遭到“猛烈重击”。

法新社报道，事发时，迪拜航空（Flydubai）飞机的副驾驶突然袭击印度籍机长马查尔（Smit Machchhar）。所幸乘客和机组人员合力将袭击者制服，化解了坠机危机。以色列总理内坦亚胡表示，涉事副驾驶此前曾接受“极端伊斯兰主义的灌输”。

白宫记者星期四（10月1日）问特朗普，伊朗是否与迪拜航空袭击事件有关，特朗普说：“根据我目前掌握的情况，答案是肯定的，不过我们正在进行核实。”

记者问美国是否会采取报复行动，特朗普回答说：“噢，他们会遭到猛烈重击，不用担心。”

在美国与伊朗的谈判陷入僵局之际，特朗普对伊朗展现出更强硬的态度。

延伸阅读

消息：美伊对最新和解方案的执行顺序存在分歧 特朗普否认以解除制裁换取伊朗让步

特朗普同天接受《时代》杂志访问时说，下个月美国中期选举结束后，他“有可能”恢复对伊朗的轰炸。

共和党人十分担忧可能会在11月3日中期选举中失去国会控制权。由于对伊战争久拖未决，加之高油价推高了生活成本，特朗普的支持率目前已逼近历史新低。

Man who allegedly harassed Katie Miller indicted for cyberstalking in Massachusetts

2026-10-01 18:16:00 EDT / CBS News

By

A Massachusetts man was indicted on Thursday for allegedly cyberstalking podcaster Katie Miller, who is married to White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, according to the Justice Department and sources familiar with the matter.

The indictment charges John Anthony Proia III, 41, of Waltham, with cyberstalking a “former political advisor and prominent member of the Republican party” who is married to a “high-level federal government employee” with more than 40 calls and texts between August and September of this year, the Justice Department said.

The indictment does not name the Millers, but sources familiar with the case confirmed to CBS News that they are the victims in the case.

Katie Miller could not immediately be reached for comment.

On X, she retweeted a post about the case by Attorney General Todd Blanche and wrote, “Thank you Todd Blanche, Leah Foley and the Washington Field Office.”

The indictment follows a dust-up at the Washington Field Office of the FBI, which was investigating the alleged threats. Last week, two senior-level counterterrorism FBI agents were demoted from their positions, after the Millers complained that the FBI wasn’t doing enough to investigate the harassment.

The demotion was first reported by Bloomberg Law. Darren Cox, who leads the Washington Field Office, later issued a statement saying that he had made the personnel decision, and not FBI Director Kash Patel.

This is at least the second time Katie Miller has asked the FBI to investigate alleged threats or harassment.

Last year, Katie Miller complained to local and federal law enforcement about local activist Barbara Wien after she distributed flyers near the Millers’ Arlington, Virginia, home that showed Stephen Miller on a “Wanted” poster for “crimes against humanity.”

The flyers contained his Arlington address, and they also provided a QR code that urged people to demand a congressional investigation.

The incident with the protesters prompted the Millers to move into military housing.

A federal investigation into the matter hit a dead end after a magistrate judge twice rejected a search warrant for Wien’s phone, CBS News previously reported.

The state investigation into the matter ended earlier this year, after Arlington and Falls Church Commonwealth Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said in a lengthy court filing that she had reviewed evidence against Barbara Wien and found that “nothing in the proceeds of the search warrant supports criminal prosecution” for violations of a state law that criminalizes using someone’s identity or address as a means to coerce, intimidate or harass.

In the case on Thursday, prosecutors said that Proia called multiple times a day using different numbers, and sometimes left voicemails.

The Justice Department said that Proia also contacted Katie Miller’s mother and left a number of disturbing text messages, including one that greeted her by name, referred to Stephen Miller as “evil” and used an obscenity.

In another text, he allegedly wrote to Katie Miller’s father: “Hey [first name of victim’s father], how goes it? Hope your daughter marrying a Jewish Nazi/white supremacist is working out for you and [first name of victim’s mother].”

Proia was due to appear in federal court at 5 p.m. on Thursday. CBS News could not immediately reach his attorney for comment.

Jennifer Jacobs contributed to this report.

Trump jokingly calls Paxton a ‘pain in the ass’ at Texas event

2026-10-01 7:14 PM ET / CNN

By Molly English

34 min ago

PUBLISHED Oct 1, 2026, 7:14 PM ET

President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the Peterbilt Motors truck plant on October 01, 2026 in Denton, Texas.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

President Donald Trump jokingly described Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton as “a pain in the ass” during remarks in Denton, Texas, on Thursday – the latest in a long line of jabs he has made about his staunch ally who is running in a critical race for the GOP.

Trump praised Paxton’s loyalty, saying that when he had faced criticism in the past, Paxton was “at my side more than anybody.” Then he quipped, “And I have to always remember that because he could be a pain in the ass sometimes. I’ll be honest.”

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/01/politics/ken-paxton-trump-insult-texas

Trump jokingly calls Paxton a ‘pain in the ass’ at Texas event.

0:36

Trump has repeatedly insulted Paxton in public remarks, even though he endorsed Paxton over a safer candidate in the Republican primary and has generally sought to boost his campaign. He has poked fun at the way the Texas attorney general dresses and talks, including at the GOP’s midterm convention, which was held in Paxton’s home state and focused heavily on him and his race.

“Some may not like the way he dresses,” Trump said, adding: “I don’t.”

Paxton has not in any way bit back – and Trump’s insults are often accompanied by praise for how Paxton does his job. But The New York Times on Wednesday published audio of Paxton privately complaining to conservative donors and lobbyists that the convention did more harm than good.

“So, to be honest with you, the numbers – when we did that convention – it dropped our numbers,” the Texas attorney general said. “Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good.”

Pressed earlier Thursday by CNN’s Kristen Holmes on if he had spoken to Paxton following that leaked audio, Trump said, “No, I haven’t.” When reporters asked about the audio Wednesday afternoon during an Oval Office event, he said he hadn’t heard it.

“Is he here?” Trump said in Denton. “By the way – oh, there he is. Good. I didn’t even know if he’s here.”

Trump handing 1 million Americans Obamacare refund checks in 30 states

October 1, 2026 12:06pm EDT / Fox News

The White House tells Fox News Digital the Biden admin overcharged on user fees and residents in 30 states will get paid back

By Peter D’Abrosca Fox News

Trump announces $500 Obamacare rebate checks

President Donald Trump announces $500 rebate checks for nearly 1 million Americans in 30 states who he says were overcharged through Obamacare. Trump says the refunds could cover the full increase in their insurance costs.

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The Trump administration is issuing refund checks to about 1 million Americans, accompanied by a personal letter from President Donald Trump, to people the administration says were overcharged for Obamacare.

An administration official told Fox News Digital that the U.S. Treasury began issuing $500 refund checks to more than 950,000 Americans across 30 states.

Each refund comes with a letter from Trump himself, a copy of which was obtained by Fox News Digital.

“For years, the Biden administration overcharged you to fund the operation of HealthCare.gov,” the letter says. “That money belongs to hard-working Americans, not the Government, and now I’m returning it to you!”

WHITE HOUSE TO YANK 750,000 FRAUDSTERS OFF OBAMACARE, SAVE TAXPAYERS $2.2 BILLION, VANCE SAYS

President Donald Trump speaks during a healthcare affordability event in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 23, 2026.(Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“With this Historic Action, my Administration is taking the surplus funds that accumulated from the Obamacare ‘Premium Tax’ and issuing a one-time $500 REFUND to Americans who use the HealthCare.gov platform to purchase their health insurance, but who do not receive Taxpayer Subsidies to help pay for their Coverage. You have paid into this flawed System, and now you are finally getting something back,” the letter continues.

The 30 states don’t have their own Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges, and instead operate through the federal government’s exchange operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which charges a “user fee” for services. The Biden administration, according to the administration official who spoke with Fox News Digital, sat on a surplus of cash from the fee.

That cash is now being used for the refunds, and the fees have been significantly reduced.

The top three states for refunds are Texas, with 139,000 estimated to receive the checks; Florida, at 127,900; and Ohio at 65,700.

An estimated 58,200 will receive a $500 refund and letter in North Carolina and 55,100 in Michigan.

TRUMP ADMIN CRACKS DOWN ON ESTIMATED $10 BILLION IN OBAMACARE FRAUD, BOOTS MILLIONS FROM ROLLS

Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, speaks during a press conference on healthcare fraud enforcement at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on June 30, 2025.(Mandel Ngan/AFP)

Thousands more will receive checks across Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The 20 states where residents will not receive a check all had their own state-run processes and did not rely on the federal exchange that the administration claims was responsible for overcharging on user fees.

Trump first announced the refunds in September and sought to build on other promises he gave to Americans for checks from initiatives like tariffs and DOGE cuts — neither of which have come to fruition.

The Obamacare refunds apply to Americans who did not receive premium assistance, also known as the premium tax credit, which was supposed to be issued to people who purchased a healthcare plan through the ACA, have an income between 100% and 400% over the poverty line and do not qualify for other government healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES REJECTS MEDICARE FOR ALL, DSA AGENDA AS RO KHANNA CALLS HEALTH PLAN ‘MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITY’

“President Trump is refunding these excess fees to Americans who do not receive premium assistance under the Unaffordable Care Act – and therefore paid the full cost of Biden’s premium tax – in the 30 states that use the federal exchange for the operations of their Obamacare markets,” the September announcement said.

Healthcare costs are, as always, a hot topic of debate heading into the contentious midterm elections, which will decide the fate of each party in both chambers of Congress and significantly impact whether Trump’s agenda will be unmitigated for his final two years in office.

An administration official told Fox News Digital that the U.S. Treasury began issuing $500 refund checks to more than 950,000 Americans across 30 states.(Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images; Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

During the Republicans’ unprecedented midterm convention in Dallas last month, Trump said in his remarks that he would issue $5,000 so-called “dividend checks” to every America adult if the GOP retained control of the House and Senate after November’s election.

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While far-left progressive candidates in high profile races — including Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Troy Jackson in Maine — pitch voters on universal healthcare and Medicare for all, the Trump administration has touted its successes in bringing down the cost of healthcare.

The administration official noted to Fox News Digital Trump’s negotiations with 26 pharmaceutical manufacturers to drop the cost of drugs to prices similar to other developed nations. The administration, they added, also expanded access to health savings accounts for millions of Americans on Obamacare through backing the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.

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

10 Democrat-held House seats Republicans could flip to save their majority

October 1, 2026 12:45pm EDT / Fox News

Fox News Power Rankings show 19 toss-up races, with Democrats leading 215-201 while the final majority still up for grabs

By Elizabeth Elkind

The battle for control of Congress is entering its final sprint, with Republicans and Democrats just over a month away from learning who will wield power for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s presidency.

House Democrats lead House Republicans in the most recent Fox News Power Rankings, with the left projected to win 215 seats in the lower chamber compared to 201 for the GOP. But 19 seats are still ranked as toss-ups, meaning the final majority is still anyone’s to claim.

One issue that’s given Republicans a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak cycle is the far-left insurgency that’s gripped the Democratic Party. Several key victories by socialist candidates could threaten to push the party further left than most Americans are, a warning that GOP candidates across the country have shared.

FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: DEMOCRATS LEAD IN THE HOUSE, BUT REDISTRICTING KEEPS THE GOP IN THE GAME

Below is a list of 10 House districts currently held by Democrats where Republicans could see key victories that help them retain control.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks onstage at the 2026 National Association of Black Journalists Convention at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta on Aug. 13, 2026.(Getty Images)

Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District

Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., is running for re-election in a congressional district that’s been redrawn to significantly favor Republicans.

SUPREME COURT ALLOWS ALABAMA GOP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAP FOR MIDTERMS

A 2023 Supreme Court decision ordered Alabama to create a second Black opportunity district ahead of the 2024 election, meaning Black voters there would have meaningful sway in the general election. The resulting boundaries helped Figures win his seat, which was previously held by Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., who ran in a neighboring district that cycle.

But the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais earlier this year significantly curbed the Voting Rights Act’s enforcement of racial considerations in congressional maps, paving the way for southern states to alter district boundaries that were drawn to give minorities more representation.

BLOCKBUSTER SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING IGNITES REDISTRICTING WAR ACROSS SOUTHERN STATES

That hit Figures particularly hard. The new district would have voted for President Donald Trump by roughly 14% in 2024, according to 270ToWin. Both Fox News Power Rankings and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report (CPR) rate it as “likely Republican.”

Florida’s 9th Congressional District

Florida lawmakers also altered their state’s map ahead of November, aimed at giving Republicans a slight edge in the already-red state.

Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., who is running for a sixth term representing his district, was one of the Democrats whose seat was hit the hardest.

His newly redrawn district voted for Trump by nearly 18%, 270ToWin’s analysis states.

REDISTRICTING GIVES REPUBLICANS AN EDGE, BUT AFFORDABILITY WILL DECIDE THE MIDTERMS

Fox News Power Rankings rates it as “lean Republican” while CPR ranks the seat as a “likely” Republican pickup.

Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., speaks at a press conference on healthcare with other members of the House Democratic caucus in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12, 2025.(Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Florida’s 14th Congressional District

The Tampa-area House seat held by Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., was also among the blue seats redrawn by the Sunshine State’s government to make it more competitive for Republicans.

The longtime moderate Democrat has served in Congress since 2007 and represented her current district since 2013.

She’s facing off against a former Florida state lawmaker, Republican Mike Beltran, who also has name recognition in the area.

Under its new lines, which remove more Democrat-leaning places around the city of St. Petersburg in favor of more rural and suburban areas in the south and east, Trump would have won the district by 10.5% in 2024, according to 270ToWin.

Both Fox News Power Rankings and CPR rate it a “toss-up,” meaning it’s anyone’s game.

Florida’s 22nd Congressional District

Republicans redrew Florida’s 22nd Congressional District in a way that could have pitted incumbent Reps. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., against each other in a likely expensive and bruising primary.

But both opted to run in other districts, leaving the seat currently occupied by retiring Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., as a potential opportunity for both parties.

Under Florida’s new map, 270ToWin projects Trump would have won the district by roughly 10% in 2024.

Democrat Pia Dandiya, a political newcomer, is running against Republican businessman and Marine Casey Askar.

Both Fox News and CPR rank the district a “toss-up.”

Florida’s 25th Congressional District

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., is running in Florida’s 25th Congressional District after the GOP’s aforementioned redistricting play, a seat that on paper was amended to give Republicans a slight edge.

Redistricting shifted the seat from one that ex-Vice President Kamala Harris won by single digits to one that Trump would have won by nearly 10 points.

Moskowitz has long touted his bipartisan work in Congress and as Florida’s emergency management director under Gov. Ron DeSantis, giving Democrats some confidence that he could overcome the political shift in Republicans’ favor.

Fox News’ latest projections have the seat leaning Democrat, while CPR ranks it a “toss-up.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., speaks during a press conference on Dec. 13, 2023 in Washington, D.C.(Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project)

Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District

Rep. Cleo Fields, D-La., is retiring at the end of this year, making his seat another open race.

But the same 2023 and 2026 Supreme Court decisions that affected Figures in Alabama are at play in the Bayou State this year.

After the most recent decision rolling back the Voting Rights Act, Republicans were able to redraw the 6th district in a way that diluted the Black population, who primarily voted Democrat in 2024, to factor in more red-leaning areas.

Because of the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed legislation delaying the state’s House primary races to Nov. 3 and the general election to Dec. 12.

Both Fox News’ and CPR’s rankings project the seat to fall into Republican hands.

Maine’s 2nd Congressional District

The retirement of moderate Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, has opened up a rare opportunity for a GOP pickup in the American Northeast.

Golden, who is known for frequently breaking from his own party on key issues like immigration and tariffs, represents a district that Trump won by 9% in 2024, according to 270ToWin.

Republicans have a particularly strong candidate in that open race, former Gov. Paul LePage.

Fox News rates the district a “toss-up,” while CPR projects it as a likely Republican victory.

North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District

Perennial battleground Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., is facing one of his toughest re-election battles yet thanks to North Carolina also joining the nationwide redistricting fight ahead of November.

Like Golden, Davis also won a district that went to Trump over Harris in 2024.

But under the state’s new maps, Trump’s margin of victory in that state widened considerably — and with it, Republicans’ chances of winning.

Davis is facing Republican Laurie Buckhout, who he defeated in 2024 by less than 2%.

Fox News rates the district a “toss-up,” while CPR’s rankings say it leans slightly for Republicans.

Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., speaks at a campaign event for then-Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at East Carolina University, Oct. 13, 2024, in Greenville, N.C.(David Yeazell, File via AP)

Texas’ 35th Congressional District

Lone Star State Republicans kicked off the nationwide redistricting fight ahead of the 2026 midterms with a map that was redrawn to win the GOP up to five more seats in November.

Among those is a district currently represented by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar, D-Texas.

But Casar is now running in the nearby 37th Congressional District, leaving the 35th a wide-open race that both parties see opportunity in.

Under the new boundaries, Trump would have won the district by roughly 10%, according to 270ToWin.

A GOP victory there, however, will depend heavily on its considerable Hispanic population shifting to the right again this year.

Both Fox News and CPR project the district leaning slightly in favor of Republicans.

Ohio’s 9th Congressional District

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, is also running a tougher race this year thanks to her state’s new congressional map.

Kaptur’s battleground district was shifted slightly to include more Republican-leaning areas, making an already difficult re-election bid even more of an uphill battle.

Trump would have won the district by 10.5% under its new lines, according to 270ToWin.

But Kaptur has survived several attempts at redistricting by Republicans since her first victory in 1982. She is the longest-serving woman in congressional history and the longest currently-serving House member from Ohio.

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Both Fox News and CPR rated the district a “toss-up” in November.

Fox News’ Remy Numa contributed to this report.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

Reporter’s Notebook: Congress dodged a fall shutdown, but the real fight looms

With spending only funded through December 11, a Democratic flip of the House or Senate could spark a fiscal standoff

October 1, 2026 2:32pm EDT / Fox News

By Chad Pergram Fox News

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“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall…” – Oscar Wilde

Congress certainly collapsed into fall this year. It lacked the usual mayhem of an imminent government shutdown for the first time in years. The government is usually only funded through September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. Lawmakers solved that fiscal riddle early.

So the beginning of fall in Congress is usually anything but enjoyable. Others are devouring cobbler, enjoying spiced pumpkin lattes and viewing leaves of amber. When a government shutdown looms, the infernality of summer continues to stew on Capitol Hill. Imagine simmering political temperatures mixed with boiling urban concrete and a soupçon of petrichor. That epitomizes the customary fall tension in the halls of Congress when lawmakers are on the precipice of a shutdown.

But this year is different.

TRUMP SIGNS GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL, AVOIDING A SHUTDOWN AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

The U.S. Capitol past traffic on North Capitol Street in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025.(Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

No shutdown. That’s a good thing, considering last year’s 43-day shutdown odyssey which crawled from October 1 into mid-November. Everything is funded through December 11. So at least members and journalists can enjoy some of those autumnal fall trappings and dash to the pumpkin patch. That’s because we don’t know what’s going to await everyone for the next spending round in mid-December.

Lawmakers are recovering from the battle scars of last fall. So with the midterms approaching, no one wanted to return to the 2025 contretemps. The sides are willing to tussle over spending. But only after the midterms.

Does that mean a shutdown in December? Unclear.

If Democrats seize control of the House or Senate — or both — that could compel House and Senate Republicans to fund the government the way they want through the fall of 2027 right away. They won’t want an interim spending bill which punts things into early next year when Democrats may have power.

That said, if Democrats capture either the House or Senate, they will argue that the voters have spoken and it’s incumbent on them to decide how to spend taxpayer money next year. Under those scenarios, Democrats will push for a stopgap bill, hoping to tangle with President Trump in the early days of 2027.

The only thing which is known is that President Trump will in fact still be in office come January. This scenario could spark a shut down next year – if not December.

The reason? You still need 60 votes to clear a filibuster (and probably two) in the U.S. Senate. That means Republicans just can’t ram through whatever spending package they want. That may work in the House. And the GOP could even test the willingness of Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., to buck their party and assist passing a GOP-favored spending measure in the lame duck.

FETTERMAN STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE FILIBUSTER AS TRUMP URGES SENATE REPUBLICANS TO SCRAP IT

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, attends a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, July 17, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But in the Senate, Republicans will certainly need the cooperation of at least seven Democrats to help them hit the 60 vote threshold. Those Democrats won’t be anxious to assist unless they won the majority and think they can apply their stamp on federal spending in the first quarter of next year.

This is the same problem which vexed the Senate during the shutdown of 2025.

The House passed a partisan spending bill to re-up all current funding on an interim basis. But Senate Republicans could never break a filibuster to lug that spending package across the finish line. The same circumstances may be true in December.

So could the 120th Congress begin in January with a shutdown?

It’s happened before. In fact, under very similar circumstances.

Democrats flipped control of the House during the 2018 midterms – two years into President Trump’s first term. But the President and outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., balked at a bipartisan spending package the Senate cleared just before Christmas that year. So the government closed. There was no way to resuscitate the Senate-approved package. So the 116th Congress began with a shutdown. It ran a then-record 35 days.

A possible government shutdown over spending disputes frankly serves as a symptom for what could be ahead if voters flip either or both bodies of Congress. Democrats will convulse at spending plans made by Republicans and the President. Plus, House Democrats likely add several progressives and Democratic Socialists to their ranks in November in solidly blue districts. Granted, those left-wing politicians won’t take office until January. But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., must court the support of candidates Melat Kiros in Colorado along with Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez in New York to win the Speaker’s gavel. Any missteps by the Democratic brain trust in the lame duck could ignite an internecine firestorm – before Democrats potentially seize the majority in January.

Republicans could face their own issues, too.

SCHUMER PREACHES AFFORDABILITY IN DEM MIDTERM PITCH WHILE SABOTAGING GOP FIXES FOR SOARING COSTS

Democratic congressional candidate Melat Kiros speaks after winning the Democratic nomination during a primary election night watch party at The Broadway, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Denver.(Rebecca Slezak/AP Photo)

Some rank-and-file Republicans are ready to move on from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Granted, it is said that Johnson is Speaker as long as President Trump wants him in the job. But what’s not clear is what happens if Republicans lose control of the House. Will the President and others support Johnson for Minority Leader? Does Johnson want that job? What happens to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and House Minority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.?

There are signals that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is interested in moving into leadership. Especially if the GOP loses the majority. Jordan is tight with President Trump. He lost a bid to become Speaker three years ago after Republicans unceremoniously ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

If Republicans lose the majority, it’s not clear that some Republicans will back Johnson for the top GOP job in the House – regardless of what President Trump says. Some House Republicans will blame the President if the party loses the House. Especially since they believe he’s responsible for the toxic political climate they face right now. It’s unknown if a Republican party out of power might begin pushing back against President Trump, frustrated by the economy, tariffs, the price of gasoline and the war in Iran. Most GOPers have shown a reluctance to break with the President so far. But that could change if voters hand Congressional Republicans their head in the midterms.

We haven’t even raised the question about the future of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. – although the New York Democrat insists he isn’t going anywhere. But questions would emerge if Democrats don’t flip the Senate, considering that progressives and younger activists want to move on from the 75-year-old Schumer.

The same with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. President Trump and Thune have never been close. If Republicans lose the Senate, would the President use that as a reason to call for the removal of the South Dakota Republican?

All of this will color those questions about spending bills, maybe renewing FISA – or even getting the House to sync up with the Senate on the college sports bill during the lame duck Congress.

Summer collapsed into fall. Capitol Hill was bereft of the usual autumnal mayhem.

So go pick out some pumpkins. Sip a cinnamon spice latte. Prepare for trick or treating. Fall is here.

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But that autumn Congressional bedlam is only delayed. It will hit Capitol Hill after the election.

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.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6405987759112

The first early vote numbers are in—and there are reasons for Democrats to feel bullish

2:36 PM EDT, Thu October 1, 2026 / CNN Politics

By Dana Bash, CNN

The first early vote numbers are in—and there are reasons for Democrats to feel bullish

Inside Politics

Ron Brownstein joins the Inside Politics panel to help break down what the early data from the first days of early voting means for the final month of campaigning. And with President Trump beginning a multi-state campaign swing, Brownstein says that “Republicans are caught in sort of a conundrum here… As a Republican candidate, you may want President Trump to help gin up your turn out, but you have the risk that highlighting or association with him will drive away independent and swing voters, where he is deeply underwater.”

4:23 • Source: CNN

Iranian accused of involvement in $3 billion hacking scheme extradited to US

2026-10-01T19:33:28.872Z / CNN

By Sean Lyngaas, Josh Campbell

Updated 12 min ago

Updated Oct 1, 2026, 3:54 PM ET

PUBLISHED Oct 1, 2026, 3:33 PM ET

The Middle East Digital security

See all topics

Amir Barati, who has Iranian and Turkish nationality, is escorted by Montenegro police officers following his arrest, in Podgorica, on June 26.

Savo Prelevic/AFP/Getty Images

An Iranian man accused of being part of a hacking scheme that breached more than 150 US universities and companies while targeting data worth over $3 billion has been extradited from Montenegro to the US to face criminal charges, police in the European country and a person familiar with the case said Thursday.

Amir Barati, 40, is expected to face wire and computer fraud charges in the US Southern District of New York, where he and 16 other Iranian nationals were charged in a superseding indictment in August. Montenegrin police arrested Barati, who is also a Turkish citizen, in June at the request of the FBI.

Barati’s extradition is welcome news for US law enforcement as it tries to blunt Iran’s cyber capabilities during the US’ ongoing war with the country Accused Iranian hackers rarely see a US courtroom.

Barati and his co-defendants are accused of participating in a yearslong campaign that began in 2013 to steal data from universities and companies around the world, breaching about 8,000 email accounts belonging to professors in the US, Europe and elsewhere. The academic data and intellectual property the hackers targeted cost the US universities about $3.4 billion to “procure and access,” according to the indictment.

CNN was unable to reach a lawyer for Barati.

One of the companies allegedly victimized included the network HBO, a subsidiary of CNN’s parent company Warner Brothers Discovery.

Barati allegedly helped track the progress of the hacks of universities and helped create “targeting lists” for the private sector, according to US court documents. Among the breached private US companies were 11 tech firms and two defense contractors, according to the Justice Department.

Other members of the conspiracy aside from Barati allegedly hacked the Department of Labor, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the United Nations.

Many of the intrusions were conducted on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to prosecutors.

A spokesperson for the US Southern District of New York declined to comment on Thursday about Barati’s extradition.

Iran’s sizable hacking capabilities have offered Tehran a way to threaten US critical infrastructure during seven months of war with the US and Israel. Over that time, Iran has been a key suspect in cyberattacks on US water systems, tank readers at gas stations, a major medical device maker and FBI Director Kash Patel’s private email account.

CNN’s Kara Scannell contributed reporting.