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A Staten Island judge has thrown out New York City's rollout of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's new "pied-a-terre" tax on luxury second homes worth over $5 million, ordering the administration to cancel notices sent to property owners and restart the process. Justice Wayne Ozzi ruled the city improperly sent notices to roughly 17,000 homeowners before determining which properties actually qualified, after the Department of Finance later found about 35% of those flagged were actually primary residences not subject to the surcharge. The city says it plans to seek a stay of the ruling.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us...

Photo: Billionaires' Row, Manhattan, by Itrytohelp32, CC BY-SA 4.0. #breakingnews

Three Florida counties — Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco — have declared local states of emergency over a dengue fever outbreak, with 179 confirmed cases so far this year. Hillsborough County accounts for the bulk of cases at 134, followed by Pinellas with 7 and Pasco with 2. The disease is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and health officials say heavy rains left standing water that accelerated breeding. Authorities are conducting door-to-door inspections and urging residents to remove standing water from their properties.

Source: https://www.theepochtimes....

Photo: Aedes aegypti mosquito, CDC/James Gathany, public domain. #breakingnews

A jury has found former "American Idol" contestant and pastor Caleb Flynn guilty on all nine counts in the February 2026 shooting death of his wife, Ashley, at their Tipp City, Ohio home. Prosecutors said Flynn shot Ashley and staged the scene to look like a break-in, pointing to more than 107,000 messages between Flynn and a mistress discussing harming his wife as evidence of motive. His defense had argued prosecutors failed to prove guilt, citing the missing murder weapon and lack of gunshot residue on Flynn. He faces up to life in prison on the most serious charges.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us...

Photo: Miami County Courthouse, Troy, Ohio, by Christopher L. Riley, CC BY-SA 4.0 (file photo of the county courthouse, not the trial itself). #breakingnews

Iranian security forces have flooded Tehran and other major cities with motorcycle patrols, checkpoints, and plainclothes agents as the regime braces for renewed unrest. The buildup comes as university students have resumed street protests over compulsory hijab rules, rising education costs, and political repression. Sources say security personnel are searching phones for "anti-regime" material, and reports indicate roughly 51,000 personnel from the IRGC, Basij, and police have been deployed across Greater Tehran alone, with similar measures extending to cities like Isfahan.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/wo...

Photo: Tehran skyline, by Sasan Geranmehr, CC BY 3.0 (file photo, not the security deployment itself). #breakingnews

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling for an independent, third-party investigation into how Cornell University handled sexual assault allegations against members of the Chi Phi fraternity. A former student alleges she was assaulted by seven fraternity members in October 2024; her initial report led to the fraternity's suspension but no criminal charges at the time. The Tompkins County District Attorney has since reopened a criminal investigation after new evidence surfaced through a civil lawsuit filed this month. A Cornell vice president disputed characterizations that the university's response was inadequate, saying "consequential punishments" were imposed.

Source: https://www.washingtonexam...

Photo: Cornell University's Arts Quad, by Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0. #breakingnews

Never in my life...

Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, defending his two criminal investigations of President Trump. "I stand by my decisions as special counsel, including my decision to bring charges against President Trump," Smith said, adding he would make the same call "regardless of whether that President was a Republican or a Democrat." Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley accused Smith's operation of being "a partisan weapon that broke the rules," while Sen. John Kennedy sharply criticized Smith's subpoena of lawmakers' phone records during a heated exchange. Both of Smith's prosecutions were dismissed before trial after Trump won a second term.

Source: https://www.washingtonexam...

Photo: Former Special Counsel Jack Smith, U.S. Department of Justice photo, public domain. #breakingnews

The United States government now has their own ChatGPT where you can search for different things that you need from the government directly from the sources
https://America.gov

Download this and install it
https://github.com/debpala...

Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips, 30, was fatally shot Monday during a traffic stop on Interstate 65 in Warren County. Phillips, a three-year KSP veteran and father of three, had stopped a Honda Civic when the driver opened fire and fled. A statewide manhunt and Blue Alert led to the arrest of suspect Emonnie Branch, 51, who was taken into custody by Louisville Metro Police about three hours later and faces a first-degree murder charge.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us...

Photo: A Kentucky State Police Dodge Charger patrol car, by Charles Edward Miller, CC BY-SA 2.0 (file photo, not the specific stop). #breakingnews

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Pentagon to mobilize its cyber and intelligence capabilities to defend the 2026 midterm elections from foreign interference. In a memo dated September 22nd and announced Monday, Hegseth ordered U.S. Cyber Command and defense intelligence agencies to prioritize defending election infrastructure from "foreign malign influence," working alongside the Department of Homeland Security. The directive does not send military personnel to polling places, and Hegseth called protecting the election "a no-fail mission."

Source: https://www.washingtonexam...

Photo: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, official DoD portrait by Chad J. McNeeley, public domain. #breakingnews

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from withholding counterterrorism grant funding from states and cities that don't comply with specific election administration changes. Judge Amir Ali of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that DHS lacked congressional authority to condition the grants, after the agency threatened to cut 20% of funding for communities that didn't adopt five election security measures it favored, including hand-marked paper ballots and manual audits. Ali also found the administration failed to show how the election changes related to counterterrorism, the grant program's actual purpose.

Source: https://www.washingtonexam...

Photo: E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, Washington D.C., by Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0. #breakingnews

The Trump administration has canceled $810 million in congressionally approved spending through a "pocket rescission," a rarely used budget maneuver that Congress and the GAO say exceeds presidential authority. About $567 million of the cuts hit HHS programs supporting refugees and non-citizens, with the rest affecting migrant student education, international education programs, and diversity initiatives. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins condemned the move as an attempt by the Office of Management and Budget "to undermine Congress's Constitutional power of the purse," and says she is now exploring legislation to ban pocket rescissions in the next spending bill.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/po...

Photo: Sen. Susan Collins, official U.S. Senate photo, public domain. #breakingnews

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing backlash from fellow conservatives over a new campaign ad promoting her welfare-to-work proposal. The ad features a fictional character named "Brad," a young white man shown playing video games and avoiding work while collecting benefits, to argue for requiring able-bodied adults without dependents to work, train, or volunteer. Critics including The Federalist's Sean Davis and commentator Matt Walsh say the ad is dishonest and could alienate young white male voters, noting that women and Black Americans are statistically more likely to receive welfare than the demographic depicted. Sanders has defended the underlying policy as "great," even as critics say the ad itself undermines it.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/po...

Photo: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, U.S. Embassy Jerusalem photo, public domain. #breakingnews

A migrant caravan of several hundred people, made up mostly of Hondurans, Guatemalans, Salvadorans, Ecuadoreans and Haitians, departed San Pedro Sula, Honduras on September 20th and is moving north through Mexico toward the U.S. border. The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning in response, stating the border has remained closed and secured for the last 16 months and that anyone attempting to illegally enter the United States will be apprehended, prosecuted, and removed. U.S. Border Patrol says it is closely coordinating with international partners to monitor the caravan's movement.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us...

Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Southwest Border Arizona fence line, by Donna Burton/CBP, public domain (file photo of the border, not the caravan itself). #breakingnews

Love is in the air

NYPD has released bodycam footage of the fatal Times Square shooting of Pamela Cisneros, 49, who stabbed Bank of America vice president Erin Piacenti and a 68-year-old man on August 31st. The footage shows officers spending roughly four minutes trying to talk Cisneros into dropping her knives before she advanced on them; a Taser deployment failed to stop her, and two officers opened fire. Piacenti, a 32-year-old New Jersey mother, died from her injuries; the second victim survived. Cisneros was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us...

Photo: Times Square police substation, by Luigi Novi, CC BY 3.0 (file photo of the area, not the incident itself). #breakingnews

https://openclassactions.c...

A Delta Air Lines flight from Barcelona to Boston was diverted to Porto, Portugal on September 27th after smoke was detected in the cabin. The Airbus A330-300 was carrying 283 passengers and 13 crew members when the diversion occurred. Portugal's civil protection service said 14 passengers required medical attention, with four hospitalized for smoke inhalation described as lightly affected. Delta attributed the incident to a reported mechanical issue and said the flight landed safely.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/tr...

Photo: Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-300, by Masakatsu Ukon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (file photo, not the specific aircraft involved). #breakingnews

New York Times Games engineering director Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was fatally shot Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of the Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California. His parents-in-law, Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were arrested on suspicion of murder within minutes, after witnesses helped officers detain them at the scene. McKinsey had worked at the Times since January 2023. Investigators have not yet disclosed a possible motive, but say there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us...
Photo: The New York Times Building, Manhattan, by Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0 (headquarters building, not the crime scene). #breakingnews

The Ratepayer Protection Act, which passed the House 417-3 and would require data-center operators to cover the utility rate hikes they cause rather than passing costs to consumers, hit a wall in the Senate this week. Majority Leader John Thune scheduled a test vote to pressure Democrats, framing it as a boost for vulnerable Ohio Sen. Jon Husted ahead of the midterms. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the bill as "a fraud," arguing Democrats' own version has stronger, mandatory protections, and is urging colleagues to block it.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/po...

Photo: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, official U.S. Senate photo by Jeff McEvoy, public domain. #breakingnews

House Republicans are summoning ActBlue attorney Ronald Machen for a closed-door interview before October 9th, citing contradictions in his prior statements about the platform's donor-verification practices. The probe, led by Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan alongside House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil and Oversight Chairman James Comer, follows a 2024 internal review that found a "substantial risk" some ActBlue-processed donations came from foreign nationals. ActBlue's CEO previously invoked the Fifth Amendment when questioned by the same committees earlier this year.

Source: https://www.washingtonexam... #breakingnews

SpaceX's Starship reached orbit for the first time on Flight 14, launching Monday morning from Starbase, Texas and successfully deploying a batch of Starlink V3 satellites. The Super Heavy booster and upper stage both executed controlled maneuvers, with Starship completing a planned splashdown in the North Pacific Ocean after roughly an hour in flight. SpaceX called the mission a full success, marking a major milestone toward the vehicle's eventual use for deep-space and lunar missions.

https://www.space.com/news... #breakingnews

NASCAR driver Corey Heim jumped and punched at Martinsville hot dog stand after race

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Corey Heim was jumped and punched multiple times by members of Chad Bryant Racing's team at Martinsville's famous hot dog stand, following a late model race where Heim went airborne over rival driver Treyten Lapcevich's hood in a wild wreck. Video showed at least three people throwing punches at Heim as he tried to get away; police and security escorted him back to his team's hauler. The race itself was won by Caden Kvapil, with Heim finishing second and Lapcevich third.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/ou...

Photo: Corey Heim testing at Rockingham Speedway, 2025, by Monday Morning Racer, CC BY 3.0 #breakingnews

King Charles, Prince William 'furious' after Princess Diana's brother's new book

Charles Spencer's new memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," has reportedly left King Charles III and Prince William furious, reopening old wounds from Diana's 1997 death. Spencer writes that he clashed with then-Prince Charles over plans for William and Harry to walk behind their mother's coffin, and claims Charles reacted to her death by saying he'd "sounded giddily elated - like a lottery winner" and that they'd "forget her soon enough." Buckingham Palace responded that grief can "cloud reason" over the years, while Spencer has stood by his account.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/en...

Photo: Prince William, Prince of Wales, at Trooping the Colour 2023, by Katie Chan, CC BY-SA 4.0 #breakingnews

AOC's Cornell warmup act leads crowd in 'from the river to the sea' chant

Cornell University's Young Democratic Socialists of America hosted a town hall for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Ithaca, New York, where the group's leaders led roughly 2,000 attendees in chanting "from the river to the sea" after declaring "long live the student intifada." Ocasio-Cortez made no apologies when she took the stage afterward, instead accusing Cornell of censorship. The phrase has been condemned as antisemitic by a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/po...

Photo: Official portrait of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, U.S. House Office of Photography (public domain) #breakingnews

Democrats blame RFK Jr. for food safety lapses; experts say it's more complicated

Democrats are pointing to a record cyclospora outbreak this summer and a string of subsequent food recalls as evidence that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has mishandled food safety. Food safety specialists push back on that framing, noting that outbreaks and recalls involve multiple federal and state agencies as well as manufacturers and distributors, making it an oversimplification to pin the blame solely on Kennedy's leadership.

Source: https://www.washingtonexam...

Photo: Official HHS portrait of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (public domain) #breakingnews

Supreme Court's 'long conference' to sort through thousands of petitions before new term

The Supreme Court holds its closed-door "long conference" the week before each new term begins, where justices work through thousands of petitions that piled up during the summer recess since June 30. This year's stack includes disputes touching on free speech and even lobster-fishing surveillance, among many others. Most petitions will be turned down, but some may be relisted for further discussion or granted oral argument during the 2026 term; 25 cases have already been accepted for argument, with dozens more expected.

Source: https://www.washingtonexam...

Photo: U.S. Supreme Court building, USDA photo by Ken Hammond (public domain) #breakingnews