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Polish plan to get fighter jets into hands of Ukrainian pilots complicates Harris’ visit to Warsaw

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Polish plan to get fighter jets into hands of Ukrainian pilots complicates Harris’ visit to Warsaw

The Polish authorities’s resolution to switch fighter jets to the U.S. within the hopes of getting them into the arms of Ukrainian pilots has difficult a go to by Vice President Kamala Harris simply hours earlier than she was set to depart for Warsaw.

American officers have been caught off guard when the Polish authorities introduced on Tuesday that it will ship about two dozen Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter planes to the U.S. air base at Ramstein, Germany. Polish officers apparently had hoped the U.S. would then ship the planes to Ukraine, whose pilots are skilled on the plane and are desperately attempting to fend off a Russian invasion.

However Russia has warned that sending the plane to Ukraine can be seen as an act of conflict, doubtlessly broadening the battle in Ukraine. American officers mentioned they weren’t consulted about Poland’s abrupt resolution and wouldn’t signal on to the plan. Polish officers have been relying on receiving new U.S. fighter jets to interchange these they put at Ukraine’s disposal.

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“It was a shock transfer by the Poles,” Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of State for political affairs, instructed a congressional panel Tuesday.

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby mentioned Poland must take the chance by itself if it needed to ship the planes, given the necessity to fly them over contested airspace.

“It’s merely not clear to us that there’s a substantive rationale for it,” Kirby mentioned in a press release. “We are going to proceed to seek the advice of with Poland and our different NATO allies about this problem and the troublesome logistical challenges it presents, however we don’t consider Poland’s proposal is a tenable one.”

The shock Polish provide despatched U.S. officers scrambling for last-minute explanations. The administration had hoped Harris’ high-level go to to Poland and Romania would spotlight what has been unusually sturdy unity among the many United States and its allies in Europe.

Harris is anticipated to depart Washington on Wednesday and meet with leaders in each international locations Thursday and Friday earlier than returning to the U.S. Harris performed the same position throughout Russia’s buildup final month, assembly with allies on the Munich Safety Convention in Germany.

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Poland and Romania border Ukraine and have been former Soviet satellites. Because the fall of the Iron Curtain, each international locations have joined NATO, signing a treaty that ensures the USA and Europe would defend them towards Russian aggression.

U.S. officers have repeatedly mentioned they may defend any NATO member that’s attacked by Russia if its president, Vladimir Putin, chooses to broaden his conflict. Putin has known as the breakup of the Soviet Union a grievous tragedy within the historical past of his nation.

“The vice chairman’s journey to Poland and to Europe is a part of our effort to indicate our sturdy help for our NATO allies and companions, the safety help they’ve been offering, their position in accepting and welcoming refugees from Ukraine,” White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki instructed reporters touring with the president Tuesday.

Psaki mentioned the USA would additionally discus Poland’s proposal to arm Ukraine.

Poland and Romania are bearing the brunt of the refugee disaster. Poland has accepted greater than 1.2 million individuals escaping Ukraine, whereas Romania has taken in about 82,000 individuals fleeing Russia’s onslaught.

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Anti-Israel agitators set up encampment outside Jewish Dem rep's home on eve of Oct 7 Hamas attack anniversary

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Anti-Israel agitators set up encampment outside Jewish Dem rep's home on eve of Oct 7 Hamas attack anniversary

Anti-Israel protesters set up an encampment outside the home of a Jewish Democratic House member on the eve of the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks, the congressman revealed on social media.

Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, posted on X throughout the evening of Oct. 6, announcing that a group of people with their faces covered congregated outside his house, prompting his family to get police escorts in order to exit and enter their home.

“A group of masked anti-Israel protesters assembled outside my home early Sunday morning and remained through the evening, forcing police to escort my family in and out of our house for safety,” the lawmaker declared in a post that included a photo of the group. “The protesters refuse to leave, setting up tents, cots, and sleeping bags in their encampment in the road, and are spending the night harassing my family outside our home. It’s not clear if or when they will leave,” he added in another tweet.

Landsman’s communications director told Fox News Digital via email that as of Monday morning, the individuals were still outside the congressman’s home in Cincinnati.

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A group of anti-Israel protesters can be seen gathered outside the home of Rep. Greg Landsman. (@RepGregLandsman via X Oct. 6, 2024)

Landsman noted that Monday marks the grim anniversary of the heinous Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack against Israel in which Hamas committed atrocities.

“On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the October 7th terror attacks, when Jews were brutally murdered and kidnapped, these people came to the home of a Jewish family at night, dressed in all black and fully masked,” the congressman said in a statement.

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Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio

Rep. Greg Landsman is interviewed in his Longworth Building office on Nov. 3, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“Today, my daughter and I will be attending a service to bear witness to the atrocious terror attacks of October 7th. Meanwhile, these people will be outside of my house, in an attempt to intimidate my Jewish family every time we try to leave our home,” he continued. 

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“They’ve done this to my staff and me for nearly a year, and now they’re doing it to my family and neighbors. I don’t think they have any boundaries at this point. Our family hopes they leave soon and protest in a more appropriate and less intrusive manner. We’re grateful to the Cincinnati Police Department for their ongoing efforts and work to keep us all safe,” the lawmaker said in the statement.

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Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio speaking

Rep. Greg Landsman speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol on March 30, 2023. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., decried the protest and urged his colleagues to do the same.

“On the anniversary of the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, this is unacceptable intimidation of a Jewish member of Congress and his family,” Goldman wrote on X. “I call on all of my colleagues to condemn this conduct. This has no place in America,”

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Supreme Court turns down challenge of California labor lawsuits by Uber, Lyft

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Supreme Court turns down challenge of California labor lawsuits by Uber, Lyft

The Supreme Court refused Monday to hear appeals from ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft, which were asking to block California state labor lawsuits that seek back pay for tens of thousands of drivers.

Without comment, the justices turned down appeals from both companies. At issue, they said, was the scope of the arbitration agreements between drivers and the companies.

A state appeals court ruled last year that state labor officials are not bound by arbitration agreements which they did not sign or support.

In their appeal to the Supreme Court, lawyers for Uber and Lyft, joined by a coalition of California employers, contended the Federal Arbitration Act overrides state laws and blocks broad lawsuits seeking money for employees who had agreed to arbitrate claims as individuals. They said the case “represents California’s latest attempt to create a loophole” in the law.”

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Four years ago, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower sued the ride-hailing companies for the “misclassification of drivers as independent contractors” rather than as employees.

This left “workers without protections such as paid sick leave and reimbursement of drivers’ expenses, as well as overtime and minimum wages,” Garcia-Brower said at the time. The suit sought money “for unpaid wages and penalties owed to workers which will be distributed to all drivers who worked for Uber or Lyft during the time period covered by the lawsuits.”

The lawsuit continued even after voters approved Proposition 22 in 2020 to uphold the authority of companies to classify drivers as independent contractors.

Last year, the state appeals court in San Francisco ruled the state lawsuits may proceed because the state officials did not agree to be bound by the arbitration agreements.

“The people and the labor commissioner are not parties to the arbitration agreements invoked by Uber and Lyft,” said Justice Jon Streeter for the California court of appeals. He said the state officials are not suing on behalf of drivers, but instead enforcing the state’s labor laws.

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“The relevant statutory schemes expressly authorize the people and the labor commissioner to bring the claims (and seek the relief) at issue here,” he said. “The public officials who brought these actions do not derive their authority from individual drivers but from their independent statutory authority to bring civil enforcement actions.”

In January, the state Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal. Uber and Lyft then asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in.

In recent years, the conservative high court has regularly clashed with California judges over arbitration and ruled for businesses that sought to limit lawsuits.

Two years ago, the justices struck down part of state law that authorized private attorneys to sue on behalf of a group of employees, even though they had agreed to be bound by individual arbitration.

The California Employment Law Council, which represents about 80 private employers in the state, had urged the court to hear the Uber case and rule that the state may not sidestep arbitration agreements.

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“The California courts have been clear. They don’t like arbitration,” said Paul Grossman, a Los Angeles lawyer with the Paul Hastings firm who represents private employers.

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Early voting begins in California, Texas, 5 other states

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Early voting begins in California, Texas, 5 other states

The country’s two most populous states, California and Texas, begin early voting on Monday along with Montana, Georgia, Nebraska, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Here is everything you need to know about the voter registration and early voting plans for each state.

Georgia is one of the most competitive states this cycle, and Montana offers a hotly contested Senate race

Georgia has voted Republican in all but two elections in the last four decades. The first was former President Clinton’s landslide win in 1992, and the second was 2020, when President Biden brought the state back to the Democrats by 11,779 votes.

A win for either candidate here would make their path to victory easier. The Peach State has 16 electoral votes on offer, and with recent polls showing a tight race, it’s ranked Toss Up on the Fox News Power Rankings.

Democrats do well in metro Atlanta, home to more than half the state’s population, and particularly its densest counties, Fulton and DeKalb. There is a higher concentration of Black and college voters there. The surrounding suburban areas also help Democrats run up the vote.

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Republicans win big with rural voters, who can be found just about everywhere else. The GOP won all but 30 counties in the last election, with many of the largest victories in the sparse northwest and southeast regions.

Over in the northwest of the country, Montana is a Republican stronghold at the presidential level, but it also hosts one of the most competitive Senate races in the country this cycle. Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester faces Republican Tim Sheehy in a race where Trump’s popularity and Sheehy’s discipline gives the GOP an edge. It’s Lean R on the rankings.

Finally, absentee in-person voting begins today in Nebraska, where absentee voting is already underway. The state is home to three competitive races.

Key downballot races in today’s early voting states

Voting also begins today in nine House districts ranked Lean or Toss Up on the Fox News Power Rankings. For a full list of competitive races, see the latest Senate and House rankings.

  • California’s 13th district: Incumbent GOP Rep. John Duarte is a freshman in this San Joaquin Valley district. He won the race by 564 votes in the midterms. Biden won the same area by more than 25,000 votes two years prior; a 10.9 point victory (Dave’s Redistricting). That’s what makes this such a competitive race this year. Duarte faces Democratic state assemblyman Adam Gray in this Lean D race.
  • California’s 22nd district: It’s the same story in the 22nd district, home to east Bakersfield. Rep. David Valadao, one of two Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021, kept this district on a three-point margin in the midterms, but Biden won it by 13 points in the last presidential election. Valadao’s strong centrist brand keeps this race, against former assemblyman Rudy Salas, at Toss Up this cycle.
  • California’s 27th district: The 27th is another GOP-held, Biden-won district. Incumbent GOP Rep. Mike Garcia won here by more than six points in the midterms; Biden won the same area by more than 12 points two years prior. The 27th is north of Los Angeles and includes some parts of that county, including Santa Clarita. Garcia faces Democrat George Whitesides, the former CEO of Virgin Galactic, in this Lean D race.

Early voting begins in a smattering of states across the country. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)

  • California’s 41st district: The Golden State’s 41st district is represented by Republican Ken Calvert, who has served in the House since 1993. He won his most recent race by under five points, and this year, he’ll face the same competitor: former federal prosecutor and Democrat Will Rollins. This race is a Toss Up.
  • California’s 45th district: President Biden won this southern California district by six points last cycle; its heavy and right-leaning Asian American population makes it highly competitive. Incumbent Rep. Michelle Steel faces Democratic lawyer Derek Tran in this district, which includes parts of Los Angeles. It moved to Toss Up last month.
  • California’s 47th district: Democratic Rep. Katie Porter ran unsuccessfully for the Democrats’ Senate nomination this cycle, leaving the 47th district wide open. This race will now feature Democratic state senator Dave Min and Republican former state assemblyman Scott Baugh. The district includes Orange County, which has leaned towards the Democrats in the Trump era. It’s a Power Rankings Toss Up.
  • Montana’s 1st district: Montana’s 1st district is the less Republican of the two; incumbent GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke took it by a slim three-point margin in the midterms. He has an edge in this western district established just two years ago following redistricting, and will compete against the same Democrat he faced two years prior: Olympic rower Monica Tranel. It’s a Lean R race.
  • Texas’ 28th district: Longtime 28th district Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is seeking his tenth term this year. He won his last race by 13 points in the midterms; Biden won the area by seven in the last presidential election. In May, the Department of Justice indicted him on money laundering, conspiracy, and bribery charges. The embattled incumbent goes up against Republican former Navy commander Jay Furman. This race is Lean D.
  • Texas’ 34th district: Down to southeast Texas, where incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez is seeking a fifth term in congress. He won by eight and a half points in the midterms. He is facing Republican former congresswoman Mayra Flores, who briefly represented the district in 2022. This Gulf Coast district is ranked Lean D.

How to vote in California

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for California.

Voting by mail

California began absentee voting on Monday, and the state will proactively send absentee ballots to actively registered voters. That ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

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Early in-person voting

California offers early in-person voting, but the dates vary by location. Check the state’s website for more information.

Voter registration

California residents can register to vote online or by mail through Oct. 21. They can register in-person during early voting from Oct. 7 through election day.

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How to vote in Montana

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Montana.

Voting by mail

Montana began absentee voting on Monday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse in order to receive a ballot. State officials must receive a ballot request by Nov. 4, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

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Early in-person voting

Montana offers early in-person voting beginning Oct. 7 and running through Nov. 4.

Voter registration

Montana residents can register to vote by mail through Oct. 7. They can register in-person during early voting from Oct. 7 through election day.

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Election 2024 Trump

Former President Trump and Vice President Harris remain in a neck and neck race. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

How to vote in Georgia

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Georgia.

Voting by mail

Georgia began absentee voting on Monday. Residents do not need to provide an excuse in order to receive a ballot. State officials must receive a ballot request by Oct. 25, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

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Early in-person voting

Georgia offers early in-person voting beginning Oct. 15 and running through Nov. 1.

Voter registration

Georgia residents must have registered to vote by Oct. 7.

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How to vote in Nebraska

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Nebraska.

Voting by mail

Nebraska began absentee voting last month. Applicants do not need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Oct. 25, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

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Early in-person voting

Nebraska began early in-person voting on Oct. 7, and it will run through Nov. 4.

Voter registration

Nebraska residents can register to vote online or by mail through Oct. 18. They can register in-person through Oct. 25.

Minnesota early voting

Early voting has begun in most states across the country. (Christopher Mark Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images)

How to vote in New Hampshire

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for New Hampshire.

Voting by mail

New Hampshire began absentee voting on Monday. Applicants will need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Nov. 4, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting

New Hampshire does not offer early in-person voting.

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Voter registration

New Hampshire does not offer voter registration by mail or online. Residents can register to vote in-person on election day. Check the state’s website for more information.

How to vote in South Carolina

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for South Carolina.

Voting by mail

South Carolina began absentee voting on Monday. Applicants will need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Oct. 25, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting

South Carolina will begin early in-person voting on Oct. 21, and it will run through Nov. 2.

Voter registration

South Carolina residents can register to vote online, in-person and by mail by Oct. 14. 

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Kamala Harris waving

Trump and Harris continue to battle over a handful of swing states. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

How to vote in Texas

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Texas.

Voting by mail

Texas began absentee voting on Monday. Applicants will need to provide an excuse to receive a ballot. The state must receive a ballot application by Oct. 25, and that ballot must be delivered to state officials by Nov. 5.

Early in-person voting

Texas will begin early in-person voting on Oct. 21, and it will run through Nov. 1.

Voter registration

Texas residents must have registered to vote by mail or in-person prior to Oct. 7. By-mail requests must be postmarked by Oct. 7.

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