Voting to allow open-carry for ferrets.

(The Center Square) – In the final weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm election, Northern California's race for the seat held by the late U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, is heating up over issues such as taxes. 

In California’s 1st Congressional District, U.S. Rep. James Gallagher, R-Nicolaus, Calif., is running against California state Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg. Gallagher, a former California Assembly minority leader, is the incumbent after being elected in a special election during the June primary following LaMalfa’s death in January. 

Neither Gallagher or McGuire responded to The Center Square's request for an interview.

According to Gallagher’s campaign website, he is running for his first full term in Congress with the aim of lowering taxes for Northern Californians, enact more tough-on-crime policies, expand energy production to lower energy prices, continue President Donald Trump’s border security policies and reduce government regulations on farms and businesses.

McGuire, according to his campaign website, is running on a platform of reversing Medicaid cuts, ensuring taxpayer-funded federal broadband money pays for technology in rural communities and restoring federal funding for roads, bridges and other infrastructure, among other policy priorities.

Gallagher received $1.24 million in campaign contributions, and seven of the 19 highest campaign contributions came from the Gallagher for Congress committee. The panel contributed $283,829 from those six campaign contributions. The National Association of Realtors also contributed $5,000 to Gallagher’s campaign, while Electing Majority Making Effective Republican PAC, also known as EMMER PAC, gave three of the top 19 campaign contributions.

Those three contributions added up to $25,000.

BluePAC, or the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association PAC, contributed $5,000.

Other political action committees who gave substantial amounts to Gallagher’s campaign included the Eureka PAC, who contributed twice to give Gallagher’s campaign $10,000, and Eye of the Tiger PAC, which contributed $5,000.

Some of the most impactful bills passed in the California Legislature this year, including a bill that established a tax on digital software, garnered McGuire’s support. He voted in favor of that bill twice this year when it came up for a vote on the Senate floor. Gallagher did not vote on that bill this year, in large part because he resigned his post as an Assembly member after he won the special election in June to represent Congressional District 1. His last day in the Assembly was June 8, as reported by The Center Square.

Another bill, which established a tax on managed health care organizations, passed the Legislature this year. Gallagher also did not vote on that one, according to the state’s bill tracker. However, McGuire voted in favor of that tax this year. He also voted in favor of a bill that placed a bond measure on the November ballot this year, which would cost California’s taxpayers $11.25 billion of general obligation bonds to pay for housing for veterans, youth and the homeless, The Center Square previously reported. That bill was introduced after Gallagher left for Congress.

Gallagher wrote on social media after the June 2 primary that he was honored voters in Northern California voted for him to succeed LaMalfa in Washington.

“I am humbled that the voters of the First District have placed their faith in me, in the same way, to be a voice and champion for our North State communities," Gallagher wrote in June. "This was only one vote, but it is perhaps the most important one. The communities and people of the North State are united through our history, our jobs, our farms and industries, and most importantly, by our values and roots that run deep into the land. Their confirmation and vote of confidence means everything to me."

McGuire, according to Federal Election Commission filings, has received $1.827 million in campaign contributions. Resource Conservation PAC gave the single biggest contribution to McGuire’s campaign, coming in at $7,000. ActBlue, the political donation platform individuals can contribute through, gave two large contribution amounts of $5,000 each. Advancing Democracy and Mobilization PAC contributed $5,000, while Amalgamated Transit Union – COPE contributed $5,000 twice. America’s Credit Unions PAC of Credit Union National Association, Inc. gave $5,000. The American Association for Justice PAC also gave $5,000 four times to McGuire’s campaign, although the group twice deducted $5,000 from McGuire’s campaign, according to campaign filings.

“The hardworking folks who call the 1st District home are tired of the chaos, corruption and cruelty of the Trump administration – and they’re ready for representation that actually delivers,” McGuire previously told The Center Square. “Come this November, we will flip this seat and give the people what they deserve – a fighter who never folds, a leader who will deliver for rural California, and a representative who will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

(The Center Square) – Taxes, affordability and immigration are among the top issues in a Northern California congressional district that Democrats redrew to pick up a seat in the House.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans, and Dr. Richard Pan, a Sacramento Democrat who's a pediatrician, are running in the 6th Congressional District, which was redrawn under Proposition 50. Kiley, who previously was in District 3 along the California-Nevada border, is now running in a district that took a turn to the left, both geographically and politically. The newly defined District 6 includes the blue county of Sacramento, home to the state's capital.

In a recent interview with The Center Square, Kiley outlined his top priorities for his district, addressing key voter concerns ranging from rising housing costs to immigration enforcement, education reform, and taxes on gasoline and healthcare.

The Center Square reached out to Pan and his campaign for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time.

In 2025, Kiley voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Kiley said he liked that it offered “major tax relief” for Californians. He also praised the legislation for its support for education, defense and border security, as well as its protections of public lands and rural hospitals.

Kiley also expressed concern over recent state tax hikes on healthcare plans, which he noted could raise insurance costs for a California family of four by up to $400 annually.

Kiley partnered with U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Saratoga, Calif., to co-author the Fix-It Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at extending expiring tax credits under the Affordable Care Act to prevent dramatic cost spikes for millions of Americans. However, Kiley expressed frustration with congressional leadership for letting those relief measures expire over political posturing.

"That's a good example of how Congress is really not working the way that it should, and how we need to chart a different course," Kiley told The Center Square during the interview.

Kiley emphasized his campaign’s focus on direct voter interaction, pointing to dozens of town hall-style community conversations held throughout the district.

"Our focus is just on talking to voters, hearing what's on folks' minds, what they want to see in their next representative," said Kiley.

Kiley, a Republican who turned independent in March 2026 after voters passed Prop. 50 in November 2025, drew a sharp contrast between his campaign and Pan's.

He criticized Pan for avoiding open public events and declining televised debate invitations. Kiley also pushed back against campaign advertisements funded by outside super PACs, calling claims about his legislative record and stats manufactured.

"This is someone whose entire campaign is predicated on hiding from voters, and he's hoping that lies will simply fill in the vacuum," said Kiley.

Meanwhile, affordability remains a central concern for district residents, and Kiley pointed to state-level policies in Sacramento as a primary driver of high prices for gas, electricity, housing, groceries and water.

To tackle these financial burdens, Kiley, who served in the California Assembly in 2016 to his election to Congress in 2022, highlighted his efforts to act as a check and balance at both the state and federal levels. In Congress, he introduced a bill aimed at capping the states' gas tax increases, contrasting his stance with past state votes that contributed to tax hikes. At the federal level, Kiley opposed broad tariffs and joined bipartisan efforts in the House to protect consumers from tariff-driven price increases. On the housing front, Kiley supported bipartisan legislation, including the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, to lower housing costs and spur development.

"I think that's what folks are looking for in a representative — someone who will hold both sides accountable, who will be a check and balance against both Sacramento and Washington, and who will actually work with both sides in order to lower costs," Kiley said.

On federal immigration enforcement, Kiley advocated for a targeted approach focused on public safety and commonsense reforms. He stressed that enforcement should prioritize individuals who pose a threat to public safety because they have committed serious crimes, while facilitating better coordination between local law enforcement and federal officials regarding serious offenders. Kiley also called for operational reforms within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including mandatory body cameras, updated training, official search warrants for residential entries and the maintenance of non-enforcement zones around schools.

Regarding local development issues — such as the rapid growth of data centers across Northern California — Kiley emphasized the necessity of local governance and community input.

"Whatever is built needs to be adapted to the character of the local community and done with the consent and buy-in of the folks who live there," Kiley said.

A former high school teacher, Kiley currently serves as chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education. His priorities for K-12 schools include expanding career and technical education programs, supporting special education funding, and addressing the impacts of excessive screen time on devices in classrooms. Kiley also expressed firm opposition to proposals aimed at dismantling the federal Department of Education, maintaining that education must remain an important national priority.

When asked about his political transition from registered Republican to serving as an independent, Kiley framed the decision as a commitment to putting policy results ahead of party politics.

"For me, it's the right move for my district, for our state, and for the country to just put partisanship aside and to focus on finding commonsense solutions to improve the lives of the folks I represent," Kiley said.

As Pan campaigns in the race, he has emphasized his career as a pediatrician.

In June, during a press conference outside the California Democratic Party office in Sacramento, Pan said that, as a doctor, he has devoted his life to protecting the life and safety of the region's families. Now, Pan said that he is running for Congress to improve lives and make government work for people.

“Kevin Kiley chose a different path,” said Pan, who is also an educator, small business owner and former state senator for the Sacramento region. “As a career politician, Kiley first ran for Congress in 2022, taking extreme positions on immigration, voting rights, public health and earned Trump's endorsement as his MAGA champion.”

Based on his campaign platform, Pan outlines several core priorities he wants to address if elected to Congress. Central to his platform is protecting and expanding healthcare access — a focus rooted in his background as a pediatrician and former California state senator, where he helped implement the Affordable Care Act and work to reduce insulin prices.

In Washington, Pan said he plans to safeguard the Affordable Care Act and Medicare, lower prescription drug costs, and prevent insurance companies from denying critical doctor-prescribed care. He also advocates for evidence-based policies on public health, vaccinations and the environment, while pledging to hold officials accountable for spreading health disinformation or undermining U.S. agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.

Pan’s platform also addresses the everyday financial and safety concerns of district families.

To lower the cost of living, he pledges to make daily necessities more affordable, ease the burden of educational debt, and oppose tariffs that increase consumer prices. Pan also champions comprehensive, evidence-based gun violence prevention, including universal background checks, bans on assault weapons, secure firearm storage initiatives, and funding for community violence prevention programs.

Finally, Pan highlights immigration reform, small business support and regulatory balance.

As the son of Taiwanese immigrants, he advocates for a clear path to citizenship, strong protections for immigrant rights, and an overhaul of enforcement agencies to prevent family separations and guarantee constitutional rights. Drawing on his experience as a small business owner, Pan rounds out his platform with economic policies designed to reduce regulatory red tape, broaden access to affordable capital, and expand workforce training and apprenticeship programs.

(The Center Square) – The U.S. military and U.S. Coast Guard are expanding their technological capabilities through a range of modernization initiatives, artificial intelligence and drones.

The Department of War said it is implementing a range of technological advancements in response to recommendations made in a White House Office of Science and Technology report, Science: A New Golden Age. 

One advancement is partnering with the National Science Foundation to establish a framework to strengthen a shared research ecosystem, accelerate the transition of promising technologies and collaborate with government, academic, industry and other research partners. Initial areas of joint interest include X-Labs, the Programmable Cloud Laboratories Network, and a $40 million investment in AI Forge. Scientific advancement also involves using artificial intelligence, modernizing research infrastructure, building a new workforce, and developing emerging technologies, it says. 

The DOW is dedicating $200 million to Programmable Cloud Labs in fiscal 2028 through its Future Years Defense Program, it says.

"Maintaining our technological edge requires balancing rapid innovation with responsible program protection,” Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology Joseph Jewell said. "As we accelerate how we move concepts from the lab to the field, we are equally committed to safeguarding federally funded research and ensuring domestic investments deliver tangible capabilities. By modernizing our testing facilities, empowering industry through initiatives like the Defense Patent Holiday, and expanding pathways for domestic scientific talent, we are safeguarding our nation's economic vitality and national security, ensuring this new golden age drives lasting domestic strength and unrivaled technological capabilities for our warfighters."

The DOW is also establishing a new enterprise-wide framework to measure and improve the performance and effectiveness of its in-house laboratories, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and University-Affiliated Research Centers. The initiative will apply “metascience-informed principles to create measures of performance and measures of effectiveness” as metrics, it says. The goal is to improve how research organizations are assessed, governed and resourced. 

A new DOW research center also has been launched, the Center for Defense Academic Research. The center is advancing two new initiatives, Problem-Based Basic Research Consortium and the Translational Research Initiative for Academia and Defense Partnership. The first “will unite multidisciplinary university research teams and world-class individual investigators to solve pressing scientific challenges, leveraging partnerships with nonprofit research foundations, selective international collaborations, and participation from industry and venture capital observers.” The second will pair transdisciplinary academic research teams with military service laboratories to develop solutions for military missions and readiness. 

The DOW also awarded 750 scholars with a Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation scholarship and is exploring a talent exchange with the Department of Energy's Genesis Mission Fellowship program.  

The Coast Guard is expanding its technological capabilities using drones. It placed a $247.8 million order with General Atomics for four MQ-9B long-range unmanned aircraft systems, ground control stations and supporting equipment through a U.S. Customs and Border Protection contract.

The drones will give the Coast Guard greater ability to monitor offshore waters, protect U.S. borders and critical infrastructure, support search and rescue, combat drug trafficking, improve collecting and sharing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, it says.

“The MQ-9B long-range unmanned aircraft systems will expand our reach and strengthen our ability to protect the nation,” Anthony Antognoli, assistant commandant and program executive officer for robotics and autonomous systems, said. “This investment will give Coast Guard crews a longer-range view of our maritime domain, helping them detect threats earlier, make better-informed decisions and act faster across our missions.”

The MQ-9B acquisition is funded through the historic $25 billion authorized by Congress through the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the largest capital investment in Coast Guard history. Of the $25 billion, the Coast Guard ordered approximately $16.3 billion in new assets and capabilities, it says. 

Among them is a $400 million contract awarded to modernize the Coast Guard’s training center complex in New Jersey and several billion to manufacture new Arctic cutters.

The announcement comes after the Coast Guard surpassed its recruiting goals for the third consecutive year. 

Under the Trump administration, the Coast Guard now has its largest enlisted class in nearly four decades, The Center Square reported.

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it is not planning Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations targeting polling locations.

Popular Democracy Executive Director DaMareo Cooper laid out a list of grievances he said people should watch out for this election.

“You see gerrymandering happening in Tennessee,” Cooper told The States by The Center Square. “You see voter rolls, people getting purged off of voter rolls. You're seeing the voting locations in Georgia being switched around or like limited or reducing the number of ... opportunities for people to participate.”

Those where pre-election concerns he raised.

Another area Cooper raised was what he said was possible intimidation of voters if there’s a federal law enforcement presence at polling locations on election day.

“I'm not saying that we should not secure those places and they should be safe, but if you see ICE agents, … they do not serve an electoral function, but if you see ICE agents at voter locations, that is an intimidation topic,” Cooper said. “It's not ICE's job to enforce an election. Right? Like, that's not their role.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement told The Center Square in an email “ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations.”

“ICE conducts intelligence-driven targeted enforcement, and if an active public safety threat endangered a polling location, they may be arrested as a result of that targeted enforcement action,” the DHS spokesperson said.

To the role DHS plays in elections, the spokesperson said the agency is fulfilling its obligation to protect election infrastructure under existing statutory authority “so that our elections are fair, honest, and accurate.”

According to America.gov, the Help America Vote Act appropriated to states and territories $15 million in fiscal year 2025 from Election Assistance Commission grants. That’s down from $55 million in fiscal year 2024, and $75 million in fiscal years 2023 and 2022.

Other federal taxpayer funds that go to states includes election infrastructure related funding from the Homeland Security Grant Program, plus technical help from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Cooper said local law enforcement is sufficient to protect polling locations.

“I think local law enforcement has been securing elections for a hundred years in this country,” he said. “There's no need for federal officers to be at those locations. Local law enforcement, state law enforcement have done a good job of securing elections.”

The DHS spokesperson further said, in addition to the U.S. Department of Justice, they “are laser focused on prosecuting and removing aliens who vote and preventing the dilution of the votes of U.S. citizens.”

“ONLY Americans should elect American leaders,” the spokesperson said.

Cooper criticized concerns about non-citizens voting in the election.

“When you hear them talking about immigrants or undocumented people voting, that is not a thing. Like, it's point zero three percent probably across millions of voter registrations that that may be happening,” Cooper said. “But when you hear that, it is setting up a play for an election sabotage type of play.”

Ultimately, Cooper said his push is to ensure people have access to the polls.

“Letting people vote is – and having the right to go and vote and participate in the democracy, which is the core of a republic anyway – is that people get to vote to choose their representatives,” Cooper said. “Creating access for that should be open and always accessible for people who are allowed to do it.”

Cooper had advice for voters heading into the home stretch.

“They should be checking to make sure that they're registered to vote,” he said. “They should make sure that their family members are registered to vote on their rolls. You could do that by calling your board of election.”

The election is Nov. 3. States across the country have already started early voting, and mail ballots are also already being sent out.

(The Center Square) – Despite several federal farm and agriculture assistance programs having stopped in the middle of harvest season, Congress likely won’t reauthorize funding until after the midterm elections.

Congress is woefully behind on passing a federal farm bill, which it is supposed to do every five years but has not since 2018, relying on extensions instead.

Farm bills update and authorize funding levels for a variety of programs that support the agricultural industry and rural areas of the country.

That includes taxpayer funding for farm loans, crop insurance and price support, disaster assistance, federal agricultural research, conservation and forest management programs, animal disease testing, support for rural hospitals and water infrastructure, and energy assistance loans.

With the most recent farm bill extension expiring Sept. 30, some programs have temporarily expired or experienced disruptions as well.

Enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program is paused, as the Farm Service Agency currently has no congressional authorization to approve new contracts.

Additionally, the Rural Economic Development Program and Biorefinery Assistance Program are in operational limbo and lack new funding streams. While the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program received advanced funding in 2025, program operating authority expired Oct. 1, potentially slowing or limiting grant awards.

The Market Access Program, Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, and some animal health and disease prevention programs all face implementation uncertainty.

While the U.S. House passed its version of the legislation months ago, the Senate has lagged behind on its edition, which passed out of committee mid-September and still awaits a floor vote. The chambers must ultimately reconcile the differences to produce and pass a single compromise bill before President Donald Trump can sign it into law.

Part of the reason for the Senate bill’s delay is due to lawmakers haggling over whether to authorize year-round sales of E15 gasoline and whether to delay the new state cost-sharing requirements for SNAP.

In their posts thanking farmers Monday – which is National Farmers Day – several lawmakers acknowledged the challenges the U.S. agricultural industry currently faces.

Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., admitted that it’s “been a difficult season for agriculture,” and Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, wrote that “times are tough” for farmers.

Operational costs have ballooned for farmers since the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict began in January. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a major trade corridor for oil and fertilizer compounds, have spiked costs for both fertilizer and fuel.

On average, diesel prices have risen 45% since the conflict began and fertilizer prices are up 15% from last year, according to a September analysis from the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Total farm debt is projected to break records in 2026, reaching roughly $625 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “U.S. farm sector financial indicators” report, while total production costs are projected to top $478 billion.

(The Center Square) – Democrat Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley 48.8%-40.9% in new polling released Monday of their battle to win a seat from North Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

Pattern history for half a century would put Whatley a favorite and Cooper the underdog, yet reality since each declared formally in July of last year has been Cooper leading the polls since Day 1 and also leading in Federal Election Commission filings. Where Whatley might have had better fiscal strength in super political action committees, they’ve pulled away this month to focus on other tight race throughout the country trying to protect Republicans’ majority.

Sunday night, the president weighed in for the man he picked to lead the Republican National Committee in his pursuit to return to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Whatley's campaign told The Center Square late Thursday that its plans for the coming days and weeks are a doubling down on winning.

The sampling of 1,091 likely voters taken Thursday, Friday and Saturday by the Trafalgar Group carries a +/- 2.9% margin of error.

Inside the numbers Trafalgar shared, respondents numbered more Republicans (40.3%) than Democrats (37.8%) or independents/other parties (21.9%). Most respondents were older, too, with 37.2 ages 50-64, 32.3% age 65 or older, and little more than 30% ages 18-29 (5.9), 30-39 (11.2%) or 40-49 (13.4%).

Cooper led Whatley 67.1%-20.8% among Blacks, though poll participation overall was 71.8% white and only 20.5% for Blacks.

This U.S. Senate seat is viewed as a major player nationally in the quest for a majority in the chamber. Republicans have 53 seats today. In no particular order, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Maine, Iowa, New Hampshire, Alaska, Texas and Montana are the other top battlegrounds among 35 races. Two of those are special elections, the other 33 are in regular rotation.

Cooper’s bid to succeed Republican Sen. Thom Tillis would be trend-breaking if successful. Tillis, Richard Burr and Ted Budd have made Republicans 5-for-5 since Democrat Kay Hagan won election to the U.S. Senate in 2008. Democrats haven't won a midterm U.S. Senate seat since John Edwards in 1998.

Republicans in statewide races for this decade – 2020, 2022 and 2024 – are 32-10 against Democrats, a party with significantly declining voter registrations for more than 20 consecutive years, according to State Board of Elections data analyzed by The Center Square.

Absentee voting began on Sept. 4 with the mailing of ballots to the nearly 50,000 requesting them, opening a 61-day window to Nov. 3. Friday was the voter registration deadline.

Absentee requests do not require a reason; anyone can file with their respective counties. The deadline for an absentee ballot in the mail to be in a county election board office is when the polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3; the request deadline is 5 p.m. on Oct. 20.

Early in-person voting is Thursday through Oct. 31, and same-day registration is permitted.

(The Center Square) – Republican U.S. Sen. Darline Graham’s polling lead over Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews for South Carolina’s seat in the U.S. Senate seat was again narrow in a sampling released Sunday.

There hasn’t been a Democrat from the state in the U.S. Senate since Sen. Fritz Holdings retired in 1998, and this particular seat hasn’t had a Democrat since the day – Sept. 16, 1964 – the late Sen. Strom Thurmond during his second term switched to the Republican Party, becoming the state’s first GOP senator since 1879. Graham won a special election primary to take the spot on the ballot of her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Long believed a secure Republican seat, super political action committees have shifted resources of late to be sure it remains. Republicans have 53 seats in the chamber, and 35 seats – including two special elections – are on the ballot.

In Sunday’s poll from Rasmussen Reports, Graham led Andrews 49%-45%. The poll sampled 837 likely voters Oct. 5-8 and carries a +/- 3% margin of error. The same pollster in September had Graham ahead 48%-43%.

In results released Oct. 2, InsiderAdvantage’s poll of the candidates Sept. 28-29 was a statistical tie – meaning within the +/- 2.8% margin of error. Graham led 46%-45%.

InsiderAdvantage added the caveat, “Almost 10% of Republicans say they are voting for the Democrat. This is likely a ‘hangover’ with Republicans devoted to Ralph Norman from a race that is too fresh in their minds to forget.

“However, Republicans are 10 points more ‘enthusiastic’ about the race than Democrats, and as we are seeing in surveys all over the country, younger voters are not enthusiastic. Were we to weight the survey, based on expected turnout based on enthusiasm, Graham would likely be in the lead. However, it is too early to see if such trends will hold.”

Early in-person voting begins Monday of next week and runs through Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 3.

The special election became necessary when Lindsey Graham died July 11. Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to fulfill the remainder of the term in the 119th Congress that ends on the first of January, and she decided to seek the six-year term by succeeding her brother on the Nov. 3 ballot.

From a crowded field, and after a failed run for governor in the June primary, Norman emerged second to Graham in the special primary two weeks ago. Without achieving 50% plus one of the votes, a runoff was necessary.

(The Center Square) – Following last month’s foiled terror plot against a United Kingdom base hosting American bomber jets, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday that Iran likely was  involved in planning it.

Before Burnham’s speech on the floor of the House of Commons, President Donald Trump had said multiple times that he believed the Islamic Republic was involved in the plot at the Royal Air Force Fairford Base.

“I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard,” said Burnham.

The prime minister vowed to “crack down” on Iran, despite the UK’s slightly hesitant approach in America’s Operation Epic Fury.

“We will not tolerate these threats on our soil. We will crack down on Iran’s use of criminal networks, using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams, and we will bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm,” the prime minister added.

Iran has denied any involvement in the alleged plot.

Despite multiple arrests in the foiled terror plot, a handful of suspects were released on bail, leading to Trump criticizing UK officials for the move, saying he was surprised by the move and "wouldn't have done that."

UK authorities have been guarded in releasing too many details about the suspects, but confirmed that those initially arrested were all UK nationals living in London and in their 20s.

Since the incident, the U.S. relocated the bombers from RAF Fairford, with Trump pointing to security concerns over the base.

Despite the latest developments, Trump maintains that Iranian officials want to make a deal; however, the president remains open to more military strikes but continues to believe the conflict with Iran will be “over soon.”

(The Center Square) - Arizona has two congressional races that could determine which party controls the U.S. House, according to a pollster.

Both races are focusing on issues such as taxes, the economy and immigration enforcement as Democrats work to take back the U.S. House in the Nov. 3 general election. Republicans currently control the House with a four-seat majority over Democrats: 218 to 214.

Noble Predictive Insights CEO Mike Noble said Arizona’s 6th and 1st congressional districts are competitive races that could decide whether Democrats control the House.

He told The Center Square that NPI’s internal model showed the Democrats with a slight advantage in these races.

NPI’s internal model said Democrats are up 1 percentage point in the 6th District and 3 percentage points in the 1st District.

With still over three weeks until Election Day, Noble said that with the amount of money being spent in these battleground districts, campaigns can still influence people's votes until then.

Noble said Arizona is no longer a reliable Republican state.

1st District race

In the state’s 1st District, Republican Jay Feely is facing off against former Democratic State Rep. Amish Shah, D-Phoenix, to replace U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, R-Scottsdale, who lost the Republican primary in the gubernatorial race to U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs.

The Center Square reached out to Feeley and Shah, but neither responded before publication time.

Feely, a former NFL kicker, says on his campaign website that he supports reducing regulations, expanding tax cuts and increasing domestic manufacturing.  

Shah, a doctor, supports eliminating tariffs, according to his campaign website. In August, Shah said the 2025 tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill should be repealed, calling the bill “abominable.”

At last week's debate, Shah said he supported no-tax policies for tips and overtime, adding that he supports cutting taxes for working people, not billionaires.

On data centers, Feely said he supports them. At the debate, he noted the centers could add $27 billion to the state’s gross domestic product and bring in $1 billion in tax revenue. Shah said he did not support data centers in District 1, despite voting for tax breaks for the industry as a state legislator.

Project 48 Arizona, an Arizona research organization, said data centers would produce more than $1 billion in state and local tax revenues, as well as more than 20,000 jobs. It cited data from PricewaterhouseCoopers.

On immigration, Feely said on his campaign website he supports finishing America’s border wall and deporting violent offenders.

Shah said at the debate that he does not believe in “open borders,” noting he doesn’t support illegal immigration. However, he said he supports a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and a “guest worker program.”

And Shah's campaign website says he supports universal healthcare. Feely said he supports market-driven healthcare solutions, such as price transparency measures.

According to FEC records, Feely has raised more than Shah: $2.5 million to $1.8 million. Feely also has more cash on hand than Shan: $794,475 to $401,745.

Feely donated $330,000 of his own money to his campaign while also receiving large sums from Republican joint fundraising committees such as Grow the Majority and Emmer Majority Builders.

Grow the Majority has given Feely $84,018, and Emmer Majority Builders, which is associated with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Delano, Minn., has donated $181,286.

Like Feely, Shah self-financed part of his campaign. FEC records show he donated $430,655. This represents nearly 25% of his total donations.

Shah has also received $33,033 from the IA Victory Fund, a Democratic joint fundraising committee, and $53,661 from 314 Action Impact Slate, a Democratic fundraising committee that gives money to candidates with science and medical backgrounds.

Other congressional races

Beyond the 1st and 6th districts, seven other Arizona congressional races are taking place.

In the 2nd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Eli Crane, R-Flagstaff, will compete against Democrat Jonathan Nez.

In the 3rd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Phoenix, will face Republican write-in candidate Jacob Parkman, Green Party candidate David Redkey and No-Labels candidate Alan Aversa.

District 4 sees U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Tempe, facing Republican Zuhdi Jasser. In District 5, U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Lee, D-Gilbert, will face Republican Mark Lamb.    

In the 7th District, U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Casa Grande, will go up against Republican Daniel Butierez in a rematch. Grijalva beat Butierez in the special election on Sept. 23, 2025, to serve the rest of the term of her father, U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Tucson, who died earlier that year.

U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Surprise, seeks reelection against Democratic challenger Bernadette Greene-Placentia in the state’s 8th Congressional District.

In District 9, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Buckeye, will face Democrat Dani Sterbinsky.

(The Center Square) – With the federal government borrowing $2 trillion over the past 12 months, 88% of U.S. voters say addressing the federal deficit is important – yet they disagree on what the best solution is, new polling shows.

When federal spending in a year is higher than collected revenues – such as money from taxes and tariffs – the U.S. government runs a deficit, which adds to the national debt. The most recent year that the government ran a surplus instead of a deficit was 2001.

The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll found that 47% of voters surveyed think that simply cutting government waste, fraud, and abuse can “significantly reduce” the deficit.

By contrast, 41% think reducing the deficit will require "major changes to federal spending and taxes” and 12% of voters are unsure.

The poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights from Oct. 5-7, 2026, and surveyed registered voters nationally via opt-in online panel and text-to-web cell phone messages. The weighted sample included 2,527 respondents comprised of 1,136 Republicans, 1,171 Democrats, and 220 True Independents (Independents who, when asked if they leaned toward one of the major parties, chose neither).

Independents as a whole slightly preferred cutting wasteful and fraudulent spending. True Independents, however, were the most evenly split, with 38% choosing the latter compared to 36% choosing spending and taxation changes. A large chunk, 26%, of True Independents remain unsure.

Only 39% of Democrats polled thought that cutting waste, fraud, and abuse would meaningfully reduce the deficit, compared to 57% of Republicans. Nearly half of Democratic voters instead favored changing spending and taxation policy, compared to just 34% of Republican voters.

Eliminating “waste, fraud, and abuse” has become a mantra for the second Trump administration, which has devoted significant resources to the effort.

After the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed early in Trump's second term by billionaire Elon Musk, became mired in controversy, the White House shelved the project but replaced it with the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, headed by Vice President J.D. Vance.

Notably, The Center Square’s poll revealed that within all age groups, racial groups, education levels, income levels and geographic areas; the option to cut waste, fraud and abuse always outranked the option of making major changes to spending and tax policy.

Both males and females were also more likely than not to favor cutting wasteful and fraudulent spending over implementing major fiscal policy changes.

But when compared to male respondents, female voters were slightly more likely to choose cutting fraud and excess by a two-percentage point margin. Men, on the other hand, proved much more likely to choose spending and tax policy changes compared to women, 45% to 37%, respectively.

The poll’s margin of error is +/- 1.95%.

The national debt is currently $40.28 trillion, according to U.S. Treasury data. Eliminating fraudulent and improper payments alone would likely not significantly reduce annual deficits, fiscal watchdogs say.

The Government Accountability Office found that 15 federal agencies together made an estimated $186 billion in improper or fraudulent payments in fiscal year 2025.

Fiscal watchdogs like the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget have continuously warned Congress about the consequences of high spending.

In response to the Voters’ Voice Poll results, CRFB President Maya MacGuineas said “[e]verything needs to be on the table” to address skyrocketing federal deficits.

"When the budget deficit is reaching $2 trillion outside a war or national emergency, that's about as clear a sign as you can get that things are no longer normal nor sustainable. Given the consequences of high and rising debt on affordability, borrowing costs, and our national security, this has become a major challenge requiring major changes,” MacGuineas told The Center Square.

“That means rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse where we find it, but it also means shoring up the major drivers of our borrowing — the rapidly-rising costs of Social Security and federal health care programs — as well as raising sufficient revenues to fund our priorities.”