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EXCLUSIVE: A Democratic county official in Texas announced that she is switching to the GOP, citing support for law enforcement and border security policy as key reasons why. Kleberg County Attorney Kira Talip Sanchez confirmed the political party switch Saturday in a release to Fox News Digital. She addressed the Hispanic Republicans of Texas PAC at their 2024 election season kickoff event. Kleberg County is located in southern Texas and borders the Gulf of Mexico. While it has historically leaned blue, the county voted for former President George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, and narrowly voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020. Sanchez cited the "unprecedented" border crisis as a main reason for her switch. BORDER PATROL SECTORS NEAR OR OVER CAPACITY AS MIGRANT NUMBERS SURGE AT THE BORDER "As County Attorney, I have been proud to work with law enforcement to ensure the safety of the citizens of Kleberg County," Sanchez said in a statement. "There ...

Frank Chaparro / The Block : Analysis: daily trading volumes surge on Coinbase International, an offshore derivatives exchange Coinbase launched in May 2023, reaching $287M on August 18   —  - Coinbase's offshore derivatives exchange has experienced a surge in daily trading volumes, reaching $287 million on August 18.

Sebastian Herrera / Wall Street Journal : Amazon restarts Amazon Shipping, its UPS and FedEx competitor that handles packages from other websites, after pausing the US service earlier in the pandemic   —  Amazon Shipping, paused earlier in the pandemic, handles packages from other websites and selling channels

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he's "ready to do what we need to" at Wednesday's first Republican presidential nomination debate to deliver his message and defend himself from rival candidates. The conservative governor dismissed a leaked debate strategy memo from top advisors at the DeSantis-aligned super PAC, telling Fox News Digital on Saturday that "the memo is not mine. I haven’t read it." The apparent attempt by advisors at Never Back Down to float potential debate talking points to the governor grabbed plenty of headlines since the New York Times first reported on the documents a couple of days ago, and was viewed as another stumble for DeSantis world. Among other things, the memo urged DeSantis to defend former President Donald Trump — the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination — if, as expected, the former president comes under attack from other candidates. The document also urges DeSantis to "hammer" Vivek Ramaswamy — another ...

Cory Weinberg / The Information : Source: in H1 2023, Instacart's revenue grew 30%+ YoY to ~$1.4B but gross transaction volume grew ~5% YoY; Instacart reportedly plans to go public in September   —  When Instacart executives begin their initial public offering pitch to investors as early as next week, they face a challenge.

With Hurricane Hilary forecast to strike Southern California this weekend, Florida Republican governor Ron DeSantis has offered to assist his Democratic rival Gov. Gavin Newsom with storm preparedness and relief efforts. "Hurricane Hilary is approaching Southern California and is projected to make landfall as a tropical storm," DeSantis posted on X on Saturday morning. "In Florida, we know how challenging storms can be and have significant experience responding in their wake — we stand ready to help the people of California in any way we can." There's been no official reply from Newsom at time of publication. Fox News Digital has reached out to the governor's press office for comment.  California is under its first-ever Tropical Storm Watch as state officials mobilize to prepare for the storm's arrival. For the first time, more than 14 million Americans will experience catastrophic, life-threatening flooding as a year's worth of rain is dumped o...

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, unloaded on "radical left elitists" as he defended his vote against President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.  Golden’s leadership as co-chair of the moderate House Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was spotlighted by the Maine Beacon Friday after financial disclosures showed the group got a donation from student loan servicing giant Sallie Mae about two weeks after he voted against Biden’s plan.  He was one of just two Democrats to do so in the lower chamber.  "Sadly, this is what radical leftist elites are learning about ‘democracy’ these days — silence and destroy anyone who disagrees with your views or goals. I stand by my vote and my opposition to forking out $10,000 to people who freely chose to attend college," Golden said in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter. BIDEN’S $39 BILLION STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS MAY FACE LEGAL BATTLE, 'THIS ISN’T THE END' SAYS EX-DOE OFFICIAL He did not directly address the Maine ...

Pete Evans / CBC News : Evacuees from the wildfires threatening Yellowknife say that Meta's news fight with Canada's government makes it harder for them to share lifesaving information   —  Meta notes government sources not blocked as northerners duck ban by sharing screenshots of information

President Biden has taken fire this week for reportedly using aliases and "secret" email addresses as vice president in messages to his son Hunter Biden, who had business in Ukraine at the time. Under former President Obama's administration, White House officials defended the use of alternate email addresses. During a 2013 press briefing, the Obama-Biden White House , amid accusations that individuals within the administration had been using "secret" email addresses for correspondence, highlighted its belief that using "alternate email addresses" for high-ranking officials made "eminent sense." While fielding questions from reporters at the briefing, Jay Carney, White House press secretary at the time, was asked about a story from The Associated Press that claimed a variety of senior administration officials possessed secret email addresses. Additionally, Carney was asked by the same reporter what the protocol would be for the administrat...

Bloomberg : Draft IPO filing: Arm's revenue fell 1% YoY to $2.68B in its fiscal year ended on March 31, 2023; sources: Arm plans to sell ~10% of its shares in its listing   —  - Decline in revenue is according to US accounting standards  — Arm's parent SoftBank posted gains for unit under IFRS

Congressional Democrats are pushing the federal government to make it easier for LGBTQ federal workers to access fertility treatments. More than 30 House Democrats, plus Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., wrote a letter to the Office of Personnel Management claiming the definition of "infertility" in existing government employee health plans was "outdated and lacks inclusivity." "By adopting an inclusive definition that recognizes the full spectrum of reproductive needs and removing unnecessary barriers to coverage, we can ensure that all federal employees, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status, have access to the comprehensive reproductive health care they deserve," the lawmakers said.  HOSPITAL INSIDER WARNS TRANS KIDS ON HORMONES FREQUENTING ER FOR HARMING THEMSELVES IN CRY FOR HELP   The letter is also led by Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., among othe...

Todd Spangler / Variety : In a post on X, Elon Musk says “Block is going to be deleted as a ‘feature’, except for DMs” as it “makes no sense”, without giving further details   —  “Block is going to be deleted as a ‘feature’, except for DMs,” the tech mogul posted on X Friday.  “Makes no sense.”

Ashley Carman / Bloomberg : Internal doc: Spotify weighed removing white noise podcasts and redirecting users to “talk” content, which would boost the company's annual gross profit by €35M   —  An internal document shows that white noise podcasts account for 3 million daily consumption hours on the platform

A Florida felon filed a motion Wednesday to block Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis from removing the state attorney handling his case, an official the governor says is soft and refuses to adequately prosecute crimes. The felon, Melizaire Dorsica, petitioned Florida's Ninth Judicial Circuit court to revoke DeSantis' executive order removing State Attorney Monique Worrell. DeSantis accused Worrell of "dereliction of duty" and being "soft" last week and replaced her with Florida Judge Andrew Bain. Dorsica's filing argues that the executive order was unconstitutional, and he is requesting that Bain be removed and Worrell be reinstated to prosecute his case. Dorsica was convicted of his first felony in 2022, pleading guilty to possession of dimethylpentylone, a drug similar to amphetamines. He is now facing another felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon as a convicted felon, making him precisely the sort of defendant granted "extremely reduced sentenc...

A hate speech watchdog group Republicans have accused of coordinating with the federal government to censor conservatives on social media says GOP lawmakers are mistaken. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) responded to an inquiry from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Thursday, writing in a letter that Republicans "may not have a clear understanding" of the group's mission or work.  Jordan previously sent a letter to CCDH accusing the organization of participating in a "censorship regime" facilitated by the Biden administration with cooperation from social media companies. "Given the stated purpose of the letter and its requests for documents and information, we fear that the Committee may not have a clear understanding of CCDH’s mission or work," a lawyer representing CCDH wrote in response to the House Judiciary Committee Thursday.  HATE SPEECH WATCHDOG CEO FIRES BACK AT ELON MUSK, SAYS HE PUT UP ‘BAT SIGNA...

Sara Ashley O'Brien / Wall Street Journal : Nonprofit Garbo shuts down its background checking tool used in Match Group dating apps and says “most tech companies just see trust and safety as good PR”   —  After a news report that sex offenders were using its dating apps, the company funded a nonprofit tool meant to protect users.

EXCLUSIVE: The House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department and the FBI for documents related to its investigation into Big Tech censorship , Fox News Digital has learned. Fox News Digital exclusively obtained and reviewed the subpoenas Thursday, which compel the DOJ and FBI to turn over responsive documents and communications to the House Judiciary Committee by Sept. 18 at 9:00 a.m.  "The Committee on the Judiciary is conducting oversight of how and the extent to which the Executive Branch has coerced and colluded with companies and other intermediaries to censor speech," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan wrote in letters to both Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray Thursday. HOUSE WEAPONIZATION COMMITTEE: BIDEN ADMIN 'COLLUDED' WITH BIG TECH, 'FACILITATED THE CENSORSHIP OF AMERICANS' Jordan, R-Ohio, and committee Republicans have asked for communications between the Justice Department, privat...

The Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature finalized late Wednesday a far-reaching elections bill that would end a grace period for counting mailed absentee ballots, toughen same-day registration rules and empower partisan observers at polling places. The House voted 69-47 for changes it made to a measure that the Senate passed in June, followed quickly by senators agreeing to those alterations by a similar party-line vote of 27-18. GOP supporters and their allies argue the changes are needed to streamline election activities in a growing state and to restore the people's confidence and trust in voting and the results. The first election that most changes would affect is a primary next March. DEMS, EDUCATION LEADERS IN NORTH CAROLINA CRITICIZE GOP FOR BUDGET DELAYS, CAUSING STAFFING ISSUES "The aim of the bill is to improve our elections," Rep. Grey Mills, an Iredell County Republican shepherding the measure, told House colleagues earlier Wednesday. "A...

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday responded after lawyers for Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized his handling of the migrant crisis that has assailed the city and surrounding areas.  Taking questions at a news conference, Adams said the crisis is a statewide issue that has "dropped into the lap of New York City residents." He called for Hochul to issue an executive order that will stop localities surrounding New York City from passing ordinances banning migrant housing from being constructed in their regions. He said these ordinances are "really tying up a lot of time."  "We are going into individual court cases where everyone is finding creative ways to not be the state and country that we are," Adams told reporters.  The mayor reiterated that New York City is picking up the costs for housing migrants wherever they send them. Even so, dozens of New York counties have tried to stop Adams from housing asylum seekers in their towns, pointing to secur...

Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego , who is running for Senate as a Democrat, says that owning a gun has become as much a part of Republican culture as "little cow nuts" on lifted pickup trucks. Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the video footage of Gallego making the claim during a Thursday campaign event at Chalice Christian Church in Gilbert, Arizona. Gallego was responding to an audience question on addressing gun violence, in particular school shootings. DEM AZ SENATE CANDIDATE VOTED TO PROTECT FRIEND AND DONOR'S ‘WOKE’ BANKING PLATFORM HE'S INVESTED IN The Arizona Democrat said "school shooting-level casualties happen every day in the streets of America" and that "we don't focus on trying to stop everyday gun violence because a lot of politicians are afraid of the NRA and the gun lobby." "And also, even beyond the gun lobby, there is now weapons — and I don't really call them guns. As a Marine, I call them weapons," Gallego...

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, on Wednesday, erupted during an interview and called for Congress to reject further funding for "that smirking son of a b----" Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Roy, a border and deficit hawk, told KSEV radio host Chris Salcedo that Republicans in the House must withhold funding from the Department of Homeland Security until the crisis at the southern border is resolved. His heated remarks come after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy floated a short-term continuing resolution to extend Congress' Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government. McCarthy's proposal is largely considered a "nonstarter" for Roy and other conservative House Freedom Caucus members, who want Congress to cut back spending to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels.  "I will use every tool at my disposal to stop a continuing resolution structured that way," Roy vowed. He said Republicans must confront the Biden administration and force policy changes ...

Candice Ortiz / Mediaite : Conservative radio host Glenn Beck says all podcast episodes of The Glenn Beck Program “have been removed from Apple/iTunes with no explanation”   —  Commentator Glenn Beck's entire show was removed from Apple's podcast network on Wednesday, allegedly without warning or explanation.

A former fundraiser for Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y. , is facing wire fraud and identity theft for allegedly impersonating a high-ranking congressional aide, Fox News has learned.  Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn say Miele impersonated the former Chief of Staff of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy while soliciting contributions for Santos’ campaign.  Miele was charged with four counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in an alleged scheme to defraud donors and obtain money for Santos under false pretenses. He was arraigned Wednesday morning and released on $150,000 bail.  Prosecutors said Miele used a fake name and email address to trick at least a dozen prospective donors. Santos was not charged in the case. The indictment did not name the person who was impersonated by name.  GEORGE SANTOS HAS ‘PUT A STAIN’ ON US, SAYS RETIRED NEW YORK CITY COP TAKING ON SCANDALIZED GOP CONGRESSMAN Miele pleaded not guilty to the charges in Brooklyn federal court and was r...

Reed Albergotti / Semafor : Sources: Eric Schmidt is building an organization, modeled on OpenAI, to tackle scientific challenges using AI's help; most of the funding comes from his wealth   —  Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is building an ambitious new organization to tackle scientific challenges with the help …

Marking the one-year anniversary of President Biden and the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on Wednesday, more than 40 energy groups and think tanks demanded that Congress put an end to what they described as "Green New Deal-type policies" in the law that serve to benefit China over the U.S. The national nonprofit Power the Future released a report titled "Where Green Meets Red: How the Environmental Agenda is Making America Dependent on China," which targets Biden's green energy policies, including the IRA. Power the Future also joined a letter signed by 41 other energy groups and think tanks saying the IRA includes "harmful energy and environmental provisions," and that legislators should push back against the law with "policy riders in appropriation bills and Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions of disapproval." Daniel Turner, the founder and executive director of Power the Future, said American tax dollars from the IR...

President Biden nearly flew directly over East Palestine, Ohio, on Tuesday, the town he promised to visit in March following a disastrous train derailment that took place there a month earlier, but has yet to do so. Biden's flight path aboard Air Force One while heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for an event touting "Bidenomics," his administration's economic agenda, flew within 20 miles of East Palestine, according to public flight data. A freight train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine on Feb. 3, spurring environmental and health concerns among residents there.  BIDEN IGNORES PRESS QUESTIONS WHILE LEAVING WH AFTER SPECIAL COUNSEL APPOINTMENT IN HUNTER BIDEN PROBE On March 2, Biden promised he would visit the small town "at some point" after growing pressure to do so from both sides of the aisle, but White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the next day that the administration didn't "have a plan" for him to v...

Democratic lawmakers in California could soon nix a law requiring health providers to report to law enforcement officials when a patient is suspected to be a victim of abuse.  Assembly Bill 1028, authored by Reps. Tina McKinnor and Buffy Wicks, would eliminate the mandate for health care practitioners to report to law enforcement if they suspect a patient has sustained physical injury due to assaultive or abusive behavior. If the bill is signed into law, it would criminalize health providers for notifying law enforcement about potential patient victimization, reversing the existing law that makes failure to report a misdemeanor. The bill doesn't apply to situations where patients have sustained wounds or physical injuries due to self-inflicted acts, firearm-related incidents, child abuse, sexual assault or elder abuse. CALIFORNIA DOCTORS SUE MEDICAL BOARD OVER MANDATORY 'IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING' Proponents of the bill argue it will help victims access help by removing...

Patrick Sisson / New York Times : Drones, cameras, apps, robots, and ML are helping speed up huge construction projects; one company expects to cut up to 5% off a UK railroad project's $11B cost   —  Developers are embracing artificial intelligence tools like drones, cameras, apps and robots, which can reduce the timelines …

New York City Mayor Eric Adams unloaded on the Biden administration Tuesday, repeating his claim that for the federal government to deny approximately 100,000 migrants who have arrived in the Big Apple the right to legally work in the United States is staunchly "anti-American."  Adams, a Democrat, also called on the city to show a "God-like spirit" in continuing to accept asylum seekers, demanding that "it’s not acceptable for immigrants to turn on immigrants."  "This city is supposed to be displaying what the God-like spirit is, and it doesn't mean stating that we don't want those people," he said. "I don't care if you are Irish Americans coming here. If you were Caribbean Americans coming here. If you are African Americans migrating from the South, if you were Jewish, Polish, Indonesian, Chinese, everyone heard this same rhetoric that's coming from the body of hateful people."  "What is more anti-American tha...

Helene Braun / CoinDesk : Binance to shut down its fiat-to-crypto service Binance Connect that supported payment methods including Visa and Mastercard and was formerly known as Bifinity   —  The service was rolled out in March last year, in an effort to make traditional financial companies “crypto-ready.”

Navy Admiral Lisa Franchetti is the first woman to lead a military branch in an acting capacity under the Defense Department, following a ceremony at the U.S. Naval Academy on Monday.  President Biden nominated Adm. Franchetti to serve as chief of naval operations in July, but Franchetti will serve in an acting capacity until officially confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, Franchetti would be the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Franchetti is now one of 300 military officers whose nominations are held up in the Senate following a hold from Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville. The U.S. Navy is the third branch without a Senate-confirmed leader, following the "relinquishment of office" ceremony for Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on Monday.  Gilday’s relinquishment followed both the retirement and relinquishment from Army Chief Gen. James McConville earlier this month and then-Commandant of...