A Senate Democrat ripped President Donald Trump for a recently released memo that detailed mass firings in the event of a shutdown, and accused the president of engaging in ‘mafia-style blackmail.’

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., railed against the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo sent to federal agencies this week that outlined a plan to reduce employees across the government beyond those that are typically furloughed.

While the House passed a short-term funding extension last week, Senate Republicans and Democrats are at odds over the bill. The deadline to fund the government is Sept. 30, and so far, no progress has been made to reach an agreement to keep the lights on.

Van Hollen charged that Trump ‘is engaged in mafia-style blackmail, with his threats ultimately harming the American people,’ and likened the OMB’s memo to actions taken by tech billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year that led to tens of thousands of federal employees being either fired or incentivized to retire or take a buyout.

‘He is threatening to double down on the failed actions of Elon Musk and his chainsaw — going after patriotic civil servants that provide Americans with critical services — despite having to rehire many of these workers after Americans experienced the negative impact of those cuts,’ he said.

‘These dedicated workers have nothing to do with the ongoing political and policy disputes that have brought us to the brink of a shutdown,’ Van Hollen continued. ‘These threats are not only an attack on Americans’ services and benefits, they’re also likely illegal. We’ll be fighting back with every tool we have.’

Van Hollen’s ire comes as the Trump administration is gearing up for mass firings beyond the standard furloughs in a government shutdown.

The OMB’s memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, directed that in the event lawmakers cannot pass a funding extension, or continuing resolution (CR) by the deadline, agencies should ‘use this opportunity to consider Reduction in Force (RIF) notices for all employees’ in programs that have no other available funding source and that don’t comport with Trump’s priorities.

‘RIF notices will be in addition to any furlough notices provided due to the lapse in appropriation,’ the memo read, and would be issued ‘regardless of whether the employee is excepted or furloughed during the lapse in appropriations.’

Lawmakers are set to return to Washington on Monday, just a day before the deadline to fund the government. Senate Democrats blocked the GOP’s CR last week, and demanded a seat at the table to negotiate with congressional Republican leaders and Trump.

However, Republicans have pushed back against Democrats’ counter-proposal as unserious, and are unwilling to budge on a laundry list of items tossed into their CR, which included permanently extending expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, repealing the healthcare section of Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ and clawing back canceled funding for NPR and PBS. 

A meeting between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Trump was set for Thursday, but the president canceled, and accused Democrats of ‘ridiculous’ demands in their counteroffer to the GOP’s plan. 

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa made history at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, delivering a speech that marked the first time in nearly six decades a Syrian leader has addressed the world body. His appearance in New York drew thousands of Syrian supporters who gathered outside UN headquarters, celebrating what they described as a new chapter for their war-torn country and urging U.S. President Donald Trump to back Syria’s reintegration into the international community.

The moment carried special weight for Syrians abroad, many of whom fled during the country’s 14-year civil war. They waved flags, carried banners, and chanted calls for peace and reconstruction. For them, the sight of a Syrian president welcomed at the U.N. was both symbolic and deeply personal.

Hamza Mustafa, Syria’s information minister, joined the demonstration and told Fox News Digital it was an emotional day. ‘It’s a historical moment for all the Syrian people — after 14 years of conflict, after revolution, after a lot of sacrifice, now we are here representing the Syrian people,’ he said. ‘We are gathering with the Syrian people to say that we are all serious in our struggle for a united and sovereign Syria.’

Mustafa also thanked the Trump administration for steps to ease sanctions, saying, ‘As a government, we say thank you to Mr. Trump for his courage in lifting sanctions on Syria.’

In his U.N. address, President al-Sharaa called for lifting sanctions, pledging to pursue ‘a new Syria built on unity, sovereignty, and peace with its neighbors.’ He said the conflict had brought ‘untold suffering’ and emphasized that ‘Syrians deserve the right to rebuild their lives, their homes, and their country.’

Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raad Saleh, addressed reports of a U.S.-brokered security agreement with Israel, telling Fox News Digital: ‘It’s a political decision, and we are leaving it to our president to take that decision. But Syrians are not looking for any conflict anymore — Syrians are only looking for reconstruction and rebuilding.’

The stakes are high: Israel has carried out dozens of strikes across Syria in recent months, targeting what officials say are Iranian-backed forces, weapons depots and positions near the Israeli border. Israeli officials have framed the operations as both a warning to Syria’s new leadership and a move to protect vulnerable minorities such as the Druze, who have faced attacks and massacres under al-Sharaa’s government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will speak at UNGA on Friday, said in a statement that any deal ‘is contingent on securing Israel’s interests,’ including the ‘demilitarization of southwestern Syria and safeguarding the Druze.’

The rally outside the UN was organized by Dr. Hicham Alnachawati, who emphasized that the new Syrian leadership wants peace — including with Israel.

‘This is a historic moment for us as Syrians. We haven’t seen a president give such a speech at the UN in over 57 years,’ Alnachawati said. ‘We are hoping that this message of peace and prosperity will encourage other world leaders, and especially President Trump, to support lifting the remaining sanctions so we can rebuild a new Syria.’

Alnachawati went further, directly linking Syria’s future to regional reconciliation. ‘We sent a message of peace to establish relations with our neighbors, especially Israel,’ he said. ‘Let’s extend the Abraham Accords here — this is an opportunity for the Trump administration to lead a peace process. Israelis are looking for the same thing, and Syrians are ready for peace, reconstruction, and development.’

Al-Sharaa’s past as a wanted terrorist has drawn sharp criticism from Western officials. When asked about it, Alnachawati responded that people can change, citing U.S. General David Petraeus, who has previously suggested Sharaa had the capacity to evolve into a statesman. 

‘I listened to Petraeus, and he said he saw this man as having hope to change,’ Alnachawati said. ‘He wants to unite Syria, achieve peace in the region, and reflect that peace on the whole world. Syrians are ready to reestablish themselves, to live a normal life like any other citizen, and to extend their hands for peace.’

For many Syrians who resettled in the United States, the day was especially poignant. Shadi Martini, CEO of the Multifaith Alliance and a Syrian who fled at the start of the war and personally met President al-Sharaa in Syria a few months ago, told Fox News Digital, ‘It’s probably been 50 or 60 years since a Syrian president came to the U.N., so it’s very historic and emotional for a lot of Syrian Americans to see. President Sharaa was greeted by so many presidents and foreign dignitaries, and hopefully there will also be a meeting with President Trump.’ 

A shocking new report has found that Jew-hatred in the U.S. dramatically spiked in August.

The report from the Combat Antisemitism Movement monitored 694 antisemitic global incidents, an average of 22.4 incidents per day. The volume of antisemitism amounts to more than15.7% more incidents worldwide compared with August 2024.

The United States recorded the highest number of antisemitism incidents in August, with 162 incidents. That represented a 13.3% increase from the 143 incidents recorded in July, noted the CAM report.

Some telling examples cited were in Oregon, where swastikas were painted on the Jewish Museum and ‘Death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]’ vandalism in St. Louis, where cars were torched. 

CAM stated’ 458 of the 694 incidents (66.3%) recorded in August involved Israel-related antisemitism, reflecting the persistent trend of anti-Zionist rhetoric and attacks directed at Jewish individuals and institutions in the ongoing aftermath of the October 7th massacre.’

Anti-Zionism is defined as the rejection of the Jewish state and translates into efforts to dismantle Israel via the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign (BDS) and comparisons with Hitler movement. The German and Austrian parliaments define BDS as antisemitic campaign that recalls the Nazi boycott campaign of Jewish businesses during the Holocaust.

The clear spike of Israel-related antisemitism in August unfolded in multiple examples, according to CAM. In Utah, a brewer built a ‘Dropkick a Zionist’ cider. In France, a Paris air traffic controller blurted out ‘Free Palestine’ to an El Al flight crew.

 In Germany, a Russian national sought to attack the Israeli embassy in Berlin.

 In Spain, the anti-Israel musician Bob Vylan articulated support for ‘armed resistance’ to oppose ‘Israel’s genocide.’  Israel and the Trump administration deny that Israel is engaged in genocidal activity. Critics argue that pro-Hamas and pro-Palestinian activists are spreading disinformation. 

Hamas’ charter calls for a genocide of Israel and its October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, causing the murder of over 1,200 people and the kidnapping of more than 250, was Hamas’ attempt to destroy the Jewish state.

Antisemitism on college campuses across the globe continued to proliferate. CAM noted that in August there 19 acts of antisemitism on institutions of higher learning, 14 of which unfolded in the U.S. The Trump administration launched an aggressive crackdown on academic antisemitism, in contrast to former President Joe Biden’s administration, noted observers of the world’s oldest hatred.

The global surge in denial of the Holocaust also continued. Anti-Israel protesters in Sydney held signs declaring ‘Zionists are neo-Nazis’ and ‘Never again means never again for anyone.’

 In Germany, antisemites vandalized a stone column at a Holocaust memorial in Baden-Baden in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

In France, a Lyon Holocaust memorial was vandalized with the words ‘Free Gaza.’ In the U.S., the radical left-wing and pro-Iran regime group CodePink protested outside the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Fox News Digital has documented the global antisemitic movement on its website titled Antisemitism Exposed.

The Trump administration agency that manages the government’s real estate holdings, procurement and technology services is partnering with Elon Musk’s xAI in a move it says will cost effectively streamline federal workflow. 

The General Services Administration announced on Thursday morning that federal agencies will now have access to Grok 4 and Grok 4 Fast as part of an agreement with xAI, valid until March 2027, that Musk says will make government drive innovation in government. 

‘xAI has the most powerful AI compute and most capable AI models in the world,’ Musk, co-founder and CEO of xAI, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

‘Thanks to President Trump and his administration, xAI’s frontier AI is now unlocked for every federal agency empowering the U.S. Government to innovate faster and accomplish its mission more effectively than ever before,’ Musk added.

‘We look forward to continuing to work with President Trump and his team to rapidly deploy AI throughout the government for the benefit of the country.’

Josh Gruenbaum, federal acquisition service commissioner at the General Services Administration, explained in a press release that the new widespread access to AI models is an ‘essential’ tool not only in fulfilling Trump’s promise that the United States will win the AI race, but also for ‘building the efficient, accountable government that taxpayers deserve.’

As part of the agreement, xAI engineers will provide full support in order to ‘accelerate the adoption of Grok to transform government operations.’

The agreement between GSA and xAI will be effective immediately, allowing federal agencies to ‘begin leveraging the benefits of Grok AI models through GSA’s established procurement channels,’ the GSA press release says. 

Gruenbaum told Fox News Digital the AI tools being deployed are essential to the goal of aligning with Trump’s goal of modernizing government operations and winning the race with China to dominate the AI space, adding that xAI ‘stood out’ as a strong partner that offers ‘world class technical talent.’

‘This technology could be as transformative as the internet, maybe more,’ Gruenbaum said about artificial intelligence. ‘Right now, we’re in the human-augmentation phase, but soon agents will be able to handle tasks more independently. That raises questions of values—what data, history, and perspectives are embedded in these systems. It’s crucial that Western, American values are front and center. We need to work with allies to ensure those values shape the technology that ends up leading the world.’

The agreement, the final frontier model to be unveiled as part of the GSA’s comprehensive OneGov Strategy, will also be providing agencies with an ‘upgrade path’ to the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, a government compliance program standardizing security measures.

‘‘Grok for Government’ will deliver transformational AI capabilities at $0.42 per agency for 18 months, with a dedicated engineering team ensuring mission success,’ xAI cofounder Ross Nordeen said in a statement.

‘We will work hand in glove with the entire government to not only deploy AI, but to deeply understand the needs of our government to make America the world leader in advanced use of AI ‘

Gruenbaum called it ‘impressive’ from a ‘milestone perspective’ how ‘quickly we got all these frontier models onto the GSA schedules—at dollar deals or less.’

‘This one is the best value yet, and with the longest duration. That’s a big deal.’

Last month, GSA announced the launch of a new tool it says will be instrumental in enabling agencies across the federal government to efficiently implement artificial intelligence at scale and take a major step forward rolling out the president’s ‘AI Action Plan.’

The Trump administration rolled out it’s A.I. Action Plan in July after Trump ordered the federal government in January to develop a plan of action for artificial intelligence in order to ‘solidify our position as the global leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans.’ 

Trump has made U.S. artificial intelligence growth a cornerstone of his administration, such as notching multi-billion deals with high-tech firms such as Oracle and OpenAI for the Stargate project, which is an effort to launch large data centers in the U.S, as well as a $90 billion energy and tech investment deal specifically for the state of Pennsylvania to make it the U.S. hub for AI. 

After completing his tenure with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in late May and a public falling out with Trump, Musk was seen sitting next to and talking with Trump at the memorial service for Charlie Kirk last weekend in Arizona, suggesting a possible rekindling of their friendship.

‘Elon came over and said hello,’ Trump said to reporters after the event. ‘I thought it was nice, he came over, we had a little conversation.’

A GSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital the agreement with xAI has been in the works for weeks. 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report

Industry insiders are touting progress made by the Trump administration and local law enforcement to crack down on illicit Chinese vapes, which they say will both protect the youth and bring clarity to the domestic vape retail industry. 

The World Vape show announced earlier this month was forced to postpone a Miami, Florida event ‘due to customers experiencing difficulty importing products into the marketplace’ in an industry where the vast majority of imported vapes come from China. 

‘Illicit Chinese vapes are a clear warning sign of a broader and violent  criminal network. These same organizations trafficking fentanyl – and the violence that comes with it – are turning to counterfeit vapes as a low-risk source of cash flow,’ Hugo Barrera, director of South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, told Fox News Digital.

‘That’s why South Florida HIDTA is actively training law enforcement on how to combat this emerging threat, while also working with prevention partners to educate the public. We’re seeing progress – even trade shows where these illegal deals once took place are shutting down – but there’s still much more to do.’

Over the past 8 months, the administration has vowed to combat the problem of illicit Chinese vapes and choke off the supply chain at the borders and ports after critics in the industry hammered the Biden administration for not doing enough to combat the issue.

Those promises appear to be taking shape at the federal and local level including news of a federal raid earlier this month in Illinois where CBS News reported federal agents seized flavored vaping products. 

‘The Chinese are getting richer while our children get sicker,’ HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted on X at the time. ‘We’re putting an end to that.’

‘We are targeting illegal Chinese vapes and we will stop them from poisoning our children. Just last week, I stood with @AGPamBondi after law enforcement seized 50 truckloads of illegal vapes from a Chicago-area warehouse — 90% of them from China.’

In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in a press release it seized almost two million units of ‘unauthorized e-cigarette products’ in Chicago that represented an estimated retail value of just over $33 million. 

‘Responsible community retailers are working hard to provide adult smokers with less harmful alternatives to cigarettes,’ Scott Shalley, president and CEO of Florida Retail Federation and Georgia Retailers, told Fox News Digital.

‘Unfortunately, years of inconsistent (or non-existent) regulatory enforcement has allowed unscrupulous retailers to knowingly sell illicit and illegal Chinese products that continue to flood the market and place consumers – and particularly, our youth – at risk. We applaud the recent uptick in enforcement as we work to weed out the bad actors, protect our youth and provide much needed clarity to the retail industry.’

Earlier this month, HHS announced a massive seizure of imported vaping products amounting to 4.7 million units of unauthorized e-cigarette products with an estimated retail value of $86.5 million.

‘Almost all the illegal shipments uncovered by the operation originated in China,’ the government said in a press release. ‘FDA and CBP personnel determined that many of these shipments contained vague and misleading product descriptions with incorrect values, in an apparent attempt to evade duties and the review of products for import safety concerns.’

State and local jurisdictions appear to have increased vigilance in pushing back on China flooding the market with illicit vapes as well.

In Louisiana, Operation ‘Vape Out’ has resulted in 34,000 illegal vapes being seized and at least 10 arrests while Operation ‘Smoke Signals’ in Florida has yielded at least 27 arrests across 20 vape stores. 

Edgar Domenech, former deputy director and COO of the DOJ’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives and a strategic advisor for the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network, told Fox News Digital ‘this is more than unauthorized tobacco smuggling.’

‘Federal state and local law enforcement leadership is starting to recognize that these are sophisticated criminal networks trading Chinese vapes alongside hard drugs and guns while they launder profits and evade taxes to cover it all up,’ Domenech said. ‘We need an all-of-government approach to break this monster’s back once and for all.’

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, was among a select group of Democrats who then-Vice President Kamala Harris sought to bolster via a top secret ‘Stars Project,’ the 2024 White House hopeful’s new memoir reveals.

Harris dove deep into her brief presidential campaign in a new book released on Tuesday called ‘107 Days,’ with the title referencing the time between the beginning and end of her 2024 bid.

In one section, Harris discussed planning the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and said it was ‘in the party’s interest to highlight our stars, while we make it as entertaining as possible.’

‘When I became VP, I had a secret project – I called it the Stars Project – that only my senior team knew about. We’d brainstorm about the younger talents in the party and then, on Friday afternoons, I’d invite one or another to visit my office in the West Wing or the residence,’ Harris wrote.

Several were nervous, she recounted, but Harris recalled telling them, ‘No, I think you’re very talented. What are you working on, and how can I help you?’

‘Many of those on my list spoke at the convention: Lauren Underwood, Robert Garcia, Angela Alsobrooks, Lateefah Simon, Maxwell Frost, Joe Neguse, Lina Hidalgo, Jasmine Crockett,’ Harris listed.

Crockett, who has received backlash from conservatives for comparing ICE to ‘slave patrols’ and supporting defunding police, appeared to reference the passage in content she cross-posted on her personal Instagram account.

The post was from a Texas politics-based account called ‘howdypolitics’ that shared, ‘Kamala Harris had a secret project only known to senior staff called the ‘Stars Project,’ to privately mentor rising stars in the party. She made sure that many of them received speaking slots during the convention. That is what Jasmine Crockett was talking about in her speech at the DNC.’

Crockett did reference a meeting with Harris in her speech at the DNC in summer 2024.

‘When I first got to Congress, I wasn’t sure I made the right decision. The chaos caucus couldn’t elect a speaker and the Oversight Committee was unhinged. I was going through all of this when I visited the vice president’s residence for the first time. As I approached Vice President Harris for our official photo, she turned to me and asked, ‘What’s wrong?’’ Crockett recalled.

‘Mind you, we’d never met. But she saw right through me. She saw the distress. I immediately began crying, and the most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened.’

She said Harris told her, ‘You are exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you. And so do I.’

‘The next month I went viral for the first of many times to come for hitting Republicans with a dose of their own medicine. That brief but impactful interaction gave me my legislative legs and I’ve been running ever since,’ Crockett said.

Crockett recently ignited backlash from conservatives after slamming White lawmakers for honoring Charlie Kirk after his assassination.

‘And to be clear, you can wave all the flags you want to, but I am telling you right now that the most unpatriotic people that we have in this country are MAGA and this president. We are the real patriots. And it is time for us to take our flag back and show people what America is about,’ she said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett for further comment on Harris’ book excerpt and her speech at the DNC.