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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is declaring a reboot to his campaign and boasting support from state Republicans after the Lincoln Dinner Friday night. DeSantis scooped up endorsements from multiple state GOP politicians, attempting to cement a new start to his struggling campaign. "The Lincoln Dinner showed that Republicans have a deep bench of great candidates for President in 2024 compared to the train wreck offered by Democrats. Iowans will have a difficult choice for caucusing," said GOP Iowa State Rep. Bill Gustoff.  NBC NEWS ACCUSES DESANTIS OF 'LOOKING FOR A FIGHT' AFTER VP HARRIS LAUNCHED ATTACKS ON FL EDUCATION CURRICULUM "But Gov. DeSantis knocked it out of the park in his short speech packed with a long list of plans to put the country back on track, complete with a record of accomplishment to show why he’s the one to get the job done." The governor has been working to reinvigorate the campaign following several weeks of negative stories spotli...

FIRST ON FOX : Senate Republicans led by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., have signed onto a letter calling for additional hearings on human trafficking, noting the recent blockbuster film "Sound of Freedom" has raised public awareness on the issue. "The United States Senate must continue to conduct much-needed oversight of this administration’s border policies to find immediate solutions to combat one of the most disturbing consequences of inadequate border security: the proliferation of human trafficking," the letter to the Democratic chairs of the Senate Homeland, Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committee states. The lawmakers cite estimates of up to 17,500 trafficking victims each year, with more than 1,300 investigations opened in fiscal year 2022 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and an increase of 50% of trafficking-related arrests.  SUCCESS OF ‘SOUND OF FREEDOM’ PROVES THAT AUDIENCES ARE ‘HUNGRY’ FOR ENTERTAINME...

Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Saturday signed into law a measure that seeks to block state and local officials from closing gun stores during disasters declared by the governor, unless such closures apply to all other businesses. Regarded as a win for Second Amendment supporters and Alaska residents, House Bill 61 — which was championed by Republican House Speaker Cathy Tilton and backed by the NRA — came in response to business closures in Alaska and other states during the coronavirus pandemic and protects a plethora of firearm businesses throughout the state. "Today is a remarkable day for Alaskans, NRA members, and Second Amendment advocates," Aoibheann Cline, the NRA Alaska State Director, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "A decade has passed since the last major pro-Second Amendment legislation, House Bill 24, was signed into law on April 11, 2013, reinforcing our 'Stand Your Ground' rights. Now, with the NRA-backed House Bill 61, champio...

New York Times : Sources: the Biden admin is looking for malware it believes China hid inside critical infrastructure, mainly aimed to disrupt the military if a conflict emerges   —  American intelligence officials believe the malware could give China the power to disrupt or slow American deployments or resupply operations …

The Biden administration is searching for malware it believes China has buried in networks that control a variety of utilities to military bases, according to a report from the New York Times, which Fox News has not yet independently confirmed.  One congressional official told the New York Times that the malware is "a ticking time bomb" which could hand China power to disrupt movement of the U.S. military by shutting off water, power, and communications to bases. U.S. officials also told the New York Times that the malware has the potential to be much more disruptive because civilians in many cases use the same infrastructure. The officials also say that the alleged Chinese malware isn't just apparent on U.S. soil, but on facilities that Americans control abroad. BIDEN SAYS REPUBLICANS ARE 'UNDERMINING' THE US MILITARY Officials speaking anonymously due to the nature of the topic also said that the presence of the malware is more widespread than first though...

Former Vice President Mike Pence is courting Catholic voters in his bid for the 2024 Republican nomination despite no longer being a follower. Pence spoke at the Napa Institute's 13th annual summer conference in California Thursday, one of the largest and most influential gatherings of Catholic leaders in the United States. "I cherish my Catholic upbringing. I truly do," Pence, who converted from Catholicism to Evangelical Christianity in college, told the crowd. PENCE BRINGS IN JUST $1.2 MILLION IN BID FOR PRESIDENT, RAISING DOUBT OVER ELIGIBILITY FOR DEBATES "What the world needs today is men and women of deep conviction and faith who will boldly live out their faith in the public square," the former vice president said. Napa Institute co-founder Tim Busch told Fox News Digital ahead of the conference he believed Pence is sincere in his admiration for the church despite leaving it in his youth. "I would say [Pence] has great respect. He was forme...

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is hoping he can find a rare area of common ground between Republicans and Democrats on immigration with a bipartisan bill that would streamline the use of temporary visa programs — something he believes will be a first step to more bipartisan work on the issue in Congress. The HIRE Act would focus on the H-2A agricultural worker visa program and the H-2B seasonal worker program, which grants temporary legal status to nonagricultural service workers in seasonal areas such as landscaping, hotel and restaurant work.  The bill would expand the length of the visas from one to three years and would allow officials to waive an in-person interview in order to renew their visa status for an additional three years. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Gonzales said the bill was a crucial tool to end the border crisis and said his aim is "to get Congress working again." WHITE HOUSE AGREES TO ACCEPT MORE FOREIGN NATIONALS LIVING IN MEXICO AS REFUGEES...

Former President Donald Trump has vowed to continue his 2024 White House run even if he is convicted and sentenced on criminal charges. Trump made the promise during a Friday appearance on "The John Fredricks Show," a pro-Trump radio program, when asked whether his potential conviction would terminate his second bid for the White House . "Not at all. There’s nothing in the Constitution to say that it could," Trump said. "Even the radical left crazies are saying, ‘No, that wouldn’t stop!’ And it wouldn’t stop me either." THESE REPUBLICANS HAVE MET QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE FIRST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE Trump is currently facing multiple state and federal charges, including 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York, and 37 federal charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his alleged improper retention of classified records at his Mar-a-Lago home. He pled "not guilty" to the New York charges in April and t...

House Republicans have gotten a cold shoulder from the White House after demanding answers about President Biden's knowledge of Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings. In a July 20 letter to White House counsel Stuart Delery, four prominent Republicans in the House — GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo. — pressed for answers after the Biden administration shifted its messaging about the president's knowledge of Hunter Biden's business interests. The lawmakers, expressing "concern over President Biden's involvement with Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings," said in the letter, which was first reported by the New York Post , the issue raises "national security and ethics concerns." "President Biden and official White House spokespersons have said repeatedly that the President ...

Disputes among House Republicans over spending cuts and abortion policy forced House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to scrap a vote planned for this week on one of 12 major funding bills for the next fiscal year. The agriculture spending bill was expected to hit the House floor late this week, but lawmakers instead went home without any vote – a sign that Republicans may struggle to find agreement in their own party on these issues. On the question of spending, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus have been pushing for a total of $1.47 trillion in discretionary spending next year , while House GOP leaders set out a total of $1.58 trillion and have proposed funding bills based on that higher level. When the agriculture spending bill came up this week, it became clear that conservative lawmakers couldn't support that specific bill or the broader GOP leadership plan. The decision to delay the vote sparked anger from rural Republicans, who said the party shouldn't be lookin...

Zusha Elinson / Wall Street Journal : A look at smart guns, which can only be fired by an authorized user, as Colorado-based Biofire prepares to ship a $1,499 handgun in December, after raising $30M   —  Gun makers have been working for decades on a weapon that can only be fired by an authorized user

President Biden could be facing a potential new challenge for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination , this time from a sitting member of Congress.  According to a Friday report from Politico, Rep. Dean Phillips , D-Minn., will head to New York City next week to meet with donors about a potential Democratic primary challenge to the 80-year-old Biden, something he's reportedly been receiving inquiries about. Phillips, a former gelato company executive who was first elected to Congress in 2018, has staunchly opposed the idea of a third party "No Labels" candidate, and has called for Biden to face more competition in the race considering his advanced age. DESANTIS TAKES SWING AT BYRON DONALDS IN DEFENSE OF FLORIDA'S SLAVERY CURRICULUM: ‘DON’T STAND WITH KAMALA' Politico reported that Phillips is unlikely to mount a challenge to Biden unless the president's health were to worsen, or if he lost a significant amount of political clout. Phillips sees other o...

President Biden on Friday suggested that Republicans will impeach him because inflation has come down so much that his opponents can no longer attack the Biden economy. The president made those remarks in Auburn, Maine , where he delivered a stump speech arguing that "Bidenomics" is strengthening the middle class, creating jobs and bringing inflation down.  "In fact, we have the lowest rate of inflation among the world's major economies," Biden said. "While there's more work to do, earlier this week the Washington Post suggested that Republicans may have to find something else to criticize me for, now that inflation is coming down.  "Maybe they'll decide to impeach me because it's coming down, I don't know," Biden said. "I love that one. Anyway, that's another story." DOOR MAY BE OPEN TO IMPEACHING BIDEN FOR MISDEEDS COMMITTED PRIOR TO PRESIDENCY: LEGAL EXPERTS House Republicans have floated launching an impeach...

The Biden administration proposed new fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks which it said would save Americans hundreds of dollars at the gas pump – but will also drive car prices higher.  The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards — unveiled Friday afternoon by the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — requires passenger cars and light trucks to improve fuel efficiency 2% and 4%, respectively, beginning in 2027. Under the rules, pickup trucks and work vans must boost fuel efficiency 10% every year starting in 2030. By 2032, the agency said average U.S. fleet fuel economy could reach 58 miles per gallon. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the estimated average fuel economy for model year 2022 cars was 26.4 miles per gallon, meaning the proposed standards Friday would mandate automakers more than double fuel efficiency in less than a decade or face substantial penalties. "Bett...

Matthew Orf / Counterpoint Research : US smartphone shipments fell 24% YoY in Q2 2023, the third consecutive quarter of decline; Samsung shipments fell 37% YoY, and Apple's fell 6%   —  - Shipments declined YoY for the third consecutive quarter amid weak consumer demand.  — Android smartphone shipments declined 38% while Apple shipments fell 6% YoY.

Jay Peters / The Verge : Reddit starts testing an “Official” label to indicate that an account is authentic, visible on its iOS and Android apps, and unveils accessibility improvements   —  Reddit is starting to test a new “Official” label that will make it easier to spot if an account is authentic.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre batted down a reporter's question about President Biden's age a day after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., froze in front of news cameras. McConnell, 81, trailed off from his comments at a news conference Wednesday and stared blankly for nearly a minute before he was assisted away from the podium for a rest. He reappeared about 10 minutes later insisting he was fine and finished taking reporters' questions, but the episode renewed concerns about the advanced age of several members of Congress and the president.  At a press briefing on Thursday, Jean-Pierre was asked what the president can do to "reassure Americans" about the octogenarians in high positions of the U.S. government. She refused to address McConnell's age or speak about anyone in Congress, but she did come to the 80-year-old Biden's defense. MCCONNEL FREEZES UP DURING PRESS CONFERENCE, LATER SAYS ‘I’M FINE' "This is a ...

Hunter Biden admitted to a federal judge Wednesday that he received over $600,000 from a Chinese Communist Party-backed company, contradicting President Biden’s insistence that nobody from his family "made money from China." Hunter made his first appearance in a Delaware federal court Wednesday, pleading not guilty after Judge Maryellen Noreika rejected his plea deal that was criticized by Republicans as too lenient. Prosecutors said in their proposed plea agreement with Hunter Biden that he received $664,000 from a "Chinese infrastructure investment company," according to the official court transcript. HOUSE REPUBLICANS CHEER ‘BIG WIN FOR THE RULE OF LAW’ AFTER HUNTER BIDEN’S ‘SWEETHEART’ DEAL COLLAPSES Hunter then confirmed to the judge that he earned $664,000 from a company he formed in 2017 with the chairman of the CCP-backed CEFC. "I started a company [in 2017] called Hudson West, your Honor, and my partner was associated with a Chinese energy compa...

New York Times : In four new studies with collaboration from Meta, researchers find Facebook's algorithm is “influential” but doesn't necessarily change beliefs, and more   —  In four new studies, researchers found complicated results from experiments on Facebook's and Instagram's algorithms …

Medha Singh / Reuters : Dish partners with Amazon to sell a Boost Infinite postpaid wireless plan with unlimited talk, text, and data services at $25/month for Amazon Prime subscribers   —  Dish Network Corp (DISH.O) is partnering with Amazon.com (AMZN.O) to sell wireless postpaid service plans through its platform …

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are in "support" of Hunter Biden following a federal court appearance Wednesday in which he pleaded "not guilty."  The president's son was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax, as part of plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge.  But Judge Maryellen Noreika in Delaware did not accept the plea agreement, questioning the constitutionality – specifically the diversion clause and the immunity Hunter Biden would receive.  "Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and this was a personal matter for him. As we have said, the president, the first lady, they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life," Jean-Pierre later said during Wednesday’s White House press briefing.  HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS ‘NOT GUILTY’ AS PLEA DEAL FALLS APART DURING DELAWARE COURT APPEARANCE   ...

Sergiu Gatlan / BleepingComputer : The CISA warns US federal agencies to secure their systems against an Ivanti flaw that's been exploited as a zero-day to hack Norway's government systems   —  The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned U.S. federal agencies today to secure their systems …

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch : Stability AI launches Stable Diffusion XL 1.0, an open-source text-to-image model that can yield 1MP resolution images “in seconds” in multiple aspect ratios   —  AI startup Stability AI continues to refine its generative AI models in the face of increasing competition — and ethical challenges.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the tiny kingdom of Tonga on Wednesday, as the United States continues to increase its diplomatic efforts in the Pacific while China's influence in the region grows. Home to just over 100,000 people, Tonga last year was the site of a massive volcanic eruption that created a tsunami, killed four people in Tonga and sent millions of tons of water vapor into the atmosphere. Blinken dedicated a new U.S. Embassy in Tonga, which opened two months ago, and praised the return of Peace Corps volunteers following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic . Blinken told reporters he had concerns about China's actions in the region including some "predatory" economic activities, its assertion of "unlawful" maritime claims and an increased focus on militarization. AP REPORTER CALLS OUT BLINKEN COMPLAINING GOP IS BLOCKING VOTES ON NOMINATIONS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN MADE YET "As China’s engagement in the region has grown, there has...

President Biden and Vice President Harris took veiled swipes at GOP presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the White House Tuesday, while announcing a new national monument in memory of Emmett Till, a Black teenager whose 1955 lynching catalyzed the Civil Rights Movement.  "Our history as a nation is born of tragedy and triumph, of struggle and success. That is who we are. And as people who love our country, as patriots, we know that we must remember and teach our full history even when it is painful, especially when it is painful," Harris said. "Today, there are those in our nation who would prefer to erase or even rewrite the ugly parts of our past."  "Those who attempt to teach that enslaved people benefited from slavery," Harris continued. "Those who insult us in an attempt to gaslight us. Who try to divide us with unnecessary debates. Let us not be seduced into believing that somehow we will be better if we forget. We will be bett...

FIRST ON FOX : The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is telling DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to "be prepared" with data for a key House hearing on Wednesday, in which the Homeland Security head is expected to receive another grilling over his handling of the crisis at the southern border by the Republican majority. Mayorkas will appear Wednesday before the GOP-led committee in a hearing called: "Oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security." The secretary has clashed repeatedly with Republicans at congressional hearings, who have taken aim at his handling of the border crisis now into its third year and which saw historic migrant numbers in both FY 2021 and FY 2022 -- with some even calling for his impeachment over what they have branded as the administration's "open borders" policies – a label the administration has rejected.  In a letter to Mayorkas on Tuesday, obtained by Fox News Digital, Chairman Jim Jordan says that dur...

David Pierce / The Verge : The Browser Company launches Arc on macOS and iOS after a two-year waitlist; the browser helps users take notes, redesign webpages, organize tabs, and more   —  Arc, the Mac and iOS browser from The Browser Company, is finally ditching its waitlist.  The company has been testing the app …

Do you believe the government is hiding something? What about if we asked if you think the government is hiding something about UFOs? "I believe there is something else out there," said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., at a recent press conference. "Dadgumit, whatever the truth may be, we're done with the cover-up." Burchett leads the House’s second big hearing on UFOs in 15 months Wednesday. GOVERNMENT ‘100%’ COVERING UP UFO INFORMATION: REP. TIM BURCHETT Burchett certainly falls into the category of believing the government is hiding something. He says his constituents do, too. "I’m stopped every weekend back in Knoxville," said Burchett. "People will stop me and tell me about their experiences (with UFOs). Decorated veterans. Why would they risk their reputations and careers over something that they’re lying about?" Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is an Air Force veteran who aligns with Burchett when it comes to UFOs. "If we con...