The Texas Senate debate between longtime Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Rep. Colin Allred was not without its share of name-calling and fiery exchanges in the state’s first and only debate before the November election.

Abortion, immigration and transgender issues brought out the most contention between the two candidates.

While Cruz sought to destroy any attempt of Allred being portrayed as a moderate candidate by continually bringing up his voting record throughout the hour-long debate on Tuesday night, Allred painted Cruz as an “extremist” who opposes exceptions to abortions, like in instances of rape.

‘BOYS PLAYING GIRLS’ SPORTS’ AD LANDS TEXAS DEM IN HOT WATER WITH LGBTQ ACTIVISTS ON EVE OF PIVOTAL DEBATE

“You’re not pro-life,” Allred said to Cruz. “It’s not pro-life to deny women care so long that they can’t have children anymore. It’s not pro-life to force a victim of rape to carry their rapist’s baby.”

Cruz, during his opening statement, said, “In Texas, we overwhelmingly support that parents should be notified and have to consent before their child gets an abortion.” 

“In Texas, we overwhelmingly agree that late-term abortions in the eighth and ninth months, that’s too extreme, and I’ll tell you, in Texas, we overwhelmingly agree that taxpayer money shouldn’t pay for abortions,” he added.

At one point during the squabble over abortion, one of the hosts, WFAA’s Jason Whitely, repeatedly probed Cruz but did not do the same to Allred.

“Why is this an issue you won’t address, about saying whether you support or oppose exceptions like rape or incest?” Whitely asked Cruz.

“Why do you keep asking me that?” Cruz shot back. “But yet I’ve asked Congressman Allred twice about his voting record and the fact that he voted to strike down Texas’ parental notification law and parental consent law. You haven’t asked him about that.”

Cruz said during the debate he supports abortion being left up to each state.

TEXAS DEM’S SENATE AD FEATURES BORDER WALL HE ONCE BLASTED AS ‘RACIST’

When it came to border security, Allred contended that Cruz voted against the bipartisan White House deal – which Republicans tanked, arguing it didn’t actually address border security – earlier this year. 

“In fact, he does worse than nothing when the toughest border security bill in a generation came up in the United States Senate, $20 billion for border security,” Allred said. “And you know, listen, this is not this is a pattern for him. He’s never there for us when we need him.”

“He’s voted against the border wall, not once, not twice, but three times, every single time there’s a serious measure in the House to secure the border,” Cruz responded. “Colin Allred is Kamala Harris. Their records are the same.”

During another part of the debate, Allred recounted his experience during the Jan. 6 riot, and said, “You’re a threat to democracy.”

TEXAS DEM ALLRED SAYS HE OPPOSES ‘BOYS IN GIRLS’ SPORTS’ DESPITE PAST OF ALLOWING IT, FIGHTING PARENTAL RIGHTS

Regarding the issue of trans women competing in women’s sports and sharing facilities – topics Cruz has targeted in several attack ads – Allred firmly reiterated that he does not support any of the “ridiculous things he’s talking about.”

To escape the hot seat, Allred redirected the issue back to abortion.

“But what he wants you thinking about is kids in bathrooms, so you’re not thinking about women in hospitals, because it’s indefensible,” Allred said. 

Cruz, the two-term Republican who has held the seat for the last 12 years, kept pinning his main point on Allred at every turn: “He said not a word about his own record.”

In October 2021, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law restricting transgender student athletes from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity.

Texas is one of 23 states with laws in place to prevent transgender inclusion in women’s sports. In June 2023, Allred co-sponsored a bill that would require public schools to permit biological male student athletes who identify as transgender on girls’ sports teams.

The Texas Senate race is a likely GOP win, according to the latest Fox News Power Rankings. The most recent Real Clear Politics polling average shows Cruz with a four-point lead in the race.

Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is celebrating after a Georgia judge temporarily blocked a rule that would have forced election officials to hand count ballots after they have been machine-tabulated.

“From the beginning, this rule was an effort to delay election results to sow doubt in the outcome, and our democracy is stronger thanks to this decision to block it,” a joint statement to several media outlets read.

“We will continue fighting to ensure that voters can cast their ballot knowing it will count.”

The brief comments were released by Georgia Democratic Party Chair Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Ga., DNC acting Co-Executive Director Monica Guardiola, and Harris-Walz Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks.

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The joint statement lauding the ruling is a reflection of how lockstep state and national Democrats have been in opposing the new measure.

Slated to go into effect Oct. 22, the rule would have required three county elections officials at each polling place to manually count the ballots cast – not tally the votes themselves – after ballots were tabulated by a machine.

It was passed in a 3-2 vote by the State Elections Board (SEB), which is now facing several lawsuits against the measure and other changes by the GOP-majority board.

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Democrats have argued that the rule was created to purposefully sow division and uncertainty in the presidential election in Georgia – which was decided by less than 12,000 votes in 2020.

In Tuesday night’s ruling, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney did not take issue with the intent of the rule itself but criticized the SEB’s decision to make changes so close to Election Day.

He noted that no training had been implemented or developed to prepare election workers for the new procedure, nor had funds been allocated for that purpose.

“The administrative chaos that will – not may – ensue is entirely inconsistent with the obligations of our boards of elections (and the SEB) to ensure that our elections are fair, legal, and orderly,” McBurney wrote.

GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE

Georgia Republican Party officials and allies of former President Trump held up the rule as a fair guardrail to increase voter confidence in the election process.

McBurney wrote that the rule “on paper” appeared consistent with the SEB’s goal to ensure fair and legal elections but added any new measure “that allows for our paper ballots – the only tangible proof of who voted for whom – to be handled multiple times by multiple people following an exhausting Election Day all before they are securely transported to the official tabulation center does not contribute to lessening the tension or boosting the confidence of the public for this election.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on the ruling.

Longtime Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick sparred over “lies” during their second debate on Tuesday, with McCormick saying he won’t “take any preaching” from his Democratic rival. 

“I’m not going to take any preaching from a guy who spent 30 years in public office and hasn’t gotten much done. So I’m not going to take any preaching from you, Bob Casey, on that. And your lies, which are completely unworthy of you and your family and your service,” McCormick said Tuesday evening, while directing his attention to Casey. 

McCormick’s remarks came as the two were questioned about their views on the escalating war in the Middle East, with Casey claiming McCormick, while working at the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, invested funds in a Chinese arms manufacturer. 

“We’ve got to continue to support Israel’s efforts, not just to defend itself, but to take the fight to those terrorists that are threatening them every single day. And I’ll continue to support Israel, as I always have,” Casey said regarding the war in Israel.

“But a big difference in this race is, while I was doing that, supporting Israel all these years, my opponent was running that hedge fund in Connecticut. The largest hedge fund in the world. I mentioned the investments in China and Russia. He also invested in a Chinese arms manufacturer that had ties to Iran, and those weapons that they produced made their way to Hamas. That is disqualifying,” Casey said while discussing his support of Israel amid its ongoing war against Hamas. 

‘LIES THROUGHOUT’: TRUMP-BACKED CHALLENGER, LONGTIME DEM SENATOR FACE OFF IN HEATED BATTLEGROUND DEBATE

McCormick shot back that Casey has consistently “lied” about his record and encouraged Pennsylvania voters to visit a website called CaseyLies.com for more information. 

“I just want to say, I’m not going to take any preaching as a guy who went to West Point, went to Ranger school, was the honor graduate, went to the 82nd Airborne Division, went into Iraq in the first wave – when it looked like there will be tens of thousands of casualties – I’m not going to take any preaching,” McCormick shot back. 

Casey commended McCormick for his military service, while adding “he’s just preaching at me.”

“When Mr. McCormick said I was preaching, he’s just preaching at me. He mentioned his service. It’s commendable service to the people of our country. But this isn’t a race about his service or what we were doing at that age in our life. It’s about my work in the United States Senate and his work as a hedge fund CEO. And he doesn’t like the fact that I talk about his record as a hedge fund CEO,” Casey said. 

The pair took the same debate stage for the second time this campaign cycle on Tuesday evening, where they sparred over abortion, immigration and the economy. The 60-minute debate was hosted by 6ABC in Philadelphia, and was moderated by Action News anchors Matt O’Donnell and Sharrie Williams, and Univision 65’s Ilia Garcia.

MCCORMICK SEIZES ON PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE GAP, LAYING BORDER BLAME ON CASEY

Casey has served in the Senate since 2008, ultimately becoming a stalwart within the Democratic Party, voting on legislation President Biden supported, for example, 98.5% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight data. 

BATTLEGROUND STATE DEM DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM DEFUND MOVEMENT, BUT POLITICAL RECORD SHOWS DIFFERENT STORY 

The longtime senator, however, is facing what is described as his most difficult re-election effort to date.  

McCormick is an Army combat veteran and former CEO of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, who served as the under secretary of commerce for industry and security as well as under secretary of the treasury for international affairs under President George W. Bush’s administration. 

The race was rated as “leans Democrat” by Fox News Power Rankings, with Casey himself acknowledging earlier this year that it will be a “close, tough race.”

McCormick continued to defend his record as Bridgewater’s CEO and its investments, citing that they were approved by the U.S. government. 

“I ran a great investment firm. It invested around the world, as many investment firms do. It had exposure to China. All the investments that were made were approved by the U.S. government. But the richness of a career politician. Bob Casey, as the treasurer of Pennsylvania, approved using Bridgewater, which was the firm I worked with and for, before I ever got there. All these investments that were happening, were happening under Bob Casey as treasurer,” he said, which Casey said was “not true.” 

PHILLY VOTERS SOUND OFF ON ECONOMY: ‘EVERYBODY IS STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW’ 

During the debate, McCormick painted Casey as an out of touch career politician who has overwhelmingly voted in line with the Democratic Party, and who has flip-flopped on policies in order to keep pace with the party’s harder swing to the left. McCormick notably took issue with Casey’s “flip-flop” on abortion. 

“There is no senator in the United States Senate who has flip-flopped more on this issue than Sen. Casey. Sen. Casey, previously as a senator, said that he wanted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Sen. Casey said that there should be only one exception: Life of the mother. Sen. Casey was one of the most pro-life senators in the Senate, and he has now moved his position, flip-flopped his position,” McCormick said. 

Casey characterized McCormick as a Keystone State outsider and out-of-touch former CEO who spent years living in Connecticut before launching the 2024 campaign. 

FOX NEWS POLL: HARRIS, TRUMP LOCKED IN TIGHT RACE IN BATTLEGROUND PENNSYLVANIA 

“He’s also the candidate in this race, when he was a hedge fund CEO, who invested millions of dollars in the largest producer of fentanyl in China. And Chinese fentanyl is coming to our country,” Casey argued. McCormick has previously pushed back that Bridgewater’s investments in a Chinese phar­ma­ceu­ti­cal com­pany was for fentanyl’s le­git­i­mate med­i­cal use, not illicit products. 

At a later portion of the debate, McCormick shot back that deaths attributed to fentanyl in the U.S. last year alone equated to “two Vietnam” wars, pinning blame on Casey. 

“Meanwhile, 116,000 people died last year from fentanyl on your watch,” McCorimick said. “That’s two Vietnams. Eight years of war in Vietnam, 58,000.… The fact that you and Biden and Harris aren’t standing up and taking accountability is a true disgrace.” 

Political eyes have been locked on Pennsylvania this election cycle after it yet again emerged as a key battleground state for the presidential race this cycle. Former President Trump narrowly won the state in his successful 2016 election against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while President Biden declared victory in the Keystone State in the 2020 election. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.    

A local Democratic Party chair in North Carolina resigned this week after he was arrested for allegedly ripping out and stealing roadside signs supporting former President Donald Trump. 

Lowell Simon, the now former chair of the Moore County Democratic Party, who is also running for North Carolina House in November, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor larceny of political signs. 

The Moore County Democratic Party announced in a Facebook post on Monday that 68-year-old Simon had resigned as chair “following recent allegations and arrest related to the theft of political signs.” 

The Moore County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy working in the West End area observed Simon removing campaign signs from the roadside along Seven Lakes Drive at approximately 5:25 p.m. Thursday. 

“The deputy, who was responding to an unrelated call at the time, later followed up at Simon’s residence, where the signs were found in his vehicle,” according to the office. “Simon admitted to removing the signs, which were then recovered and returned to their original owner.” 

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A warrant for Simon’s arrest was issued Saturday. He was released “under a written promise to appear in court,” according to the sheriff’s office, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30. 

“While we appreciate the hard work and dedication he has shown to the Democratic Party and the community, the Moore County Democratic Party cannot and will not condone the tampering of political signs or any other illegal activity,” the local party wrote on Facebook. “Mr. Simon has offered an apology for his actions, as well as his resignation, both of which have been accepted by the MCDP.”

WRAL, the outlet that interviewed Simon over the phone after his arrest, said the local chair complained that signs he had already placed in support of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein, the state’s current attorney general running against Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, were obstructed by new signs later set up in front of them that read: “Trump low taxes, Kamala high taxes.” 

RETIRED NORTH CAROLINA POLICE OFFICER DELIVERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN SUPPLIES, FOOD TO HELENE SURVIVORS

“My worse angels got the better of me and I removed the signs,” Simon said. “I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t do it in the stealth of night or anything. I did it when it was five o’clock in the afternoon.”

“We believe in the importance of freedom of expression and speech, and hope that local law enforcement will continue to enforce such laws that protect those freedoms fairly and without bias across party lines,” the local party added. “As we move forward, our focus will remain on electing Democrats up and down the ballot in this critical election. Together, we are committed to promoting the values of justice, fairness, and freedom that our Party holds dear, and we look forward to building a better future for all in Moore County.”

Last week, Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields, a Republican, also issued a reminder to the public after Simon’s arrest “that the removal or theft of campaign signs is a violation of North Carolina General Statute § 136-32(e), which protects the lawful placement of these signs during election periods.” 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will have to turn over unredacted copies of a White House officials’ correspondence with DHS that refers to VP Kamala Harris as the “border czar,” if Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., gets his way. 

Last month, Rep. Matt Gaetz demanded all correspondence from the DHS that refers to Harris as the “border czar” by Aug. 30. According to documents from a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the Heritage Oversight Project, Ian Sams, a White House official, reportedly intervened to block the release of the documents.

“At the time [Sams] was engaged in a cover-up for her using government resources, he already had lined up his job on her campaign, which he officially started less than two weeks later,” Gaetz wrote in a letter to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Tuesday. “This is shady.”

HERITAGE FOUNDATION SUES DHS FOR DOCUMENTS THAT SAY ‘HARRIS’ AND ‘BORDER CZAR’

Gaetz is requesting unredacted copies of the correspondence involving Ian Sams related to his oversight request by Oct. 25. 

“In fact, the day before the due date, on August 29, 2024, they raised the issue again to political appointees. Kudos to them. But the reason they did not respond to my request, apparently, is that the White House got involved,” Gaetz wrote.

Gaetz suggests that Sams’ actions may have violated the Hatch Act and other ethics rules, and he expects DHS to produce the requested emails as well as his initial request for emails with the term “border czar” by the end of the month.

The Heritage Foundation submitted their FOIA request on July 30, but DHS denied it, saying it was “too broad in scope and did not specifically identify the records which you are seeking,” the lawsuit states. The plaintiffs were asked to specify what records they wanted. 

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“If she wasn’t the border czar then there shouldn’t be any. Amongst other excuses, DHS says this request is too big a burden for them,” the Oversight Project posted on X. 

Harris’ immigration record has been a major talking point since she announced her candidacy for president after President Biden dropped out of the race.

Harris was widely dubbed the “border czar” after Biden tasked her in March 2021 to address the root causes of mass migration from Central and South America. 

The term has become a cornerstone of GOP attacks on Harris as she continues her White House bid.

The Biden administration has rejected “border czar” as an unofficial title for Harris’ role, but the term was embraced by multiple news organizations before she ascended to the top of the presidential ticket.

Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for comment but did not hear back by publication deadline.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton can continue investigating allegations of so-called vote harvesting through the November elections, a U.S. appeals court said Tuesday, a decision critics fear could have a chilling effect on voter outreach and turnout in the state.

The three-judge appellate court for the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court on Tuesday granted a temporary stay for certain portions of S.B. 1, or the 2021 Texas voting law, including a provision of the law that allows Paxton’s office to continue its investigations into alleged illegal “vote harvesting” efforts at least through the Nov. 5 elections. 

The stay will remain in place until a full appeal of the law is either granted or denied, according to the appellate decision.

Their decision temporarily overturns the ruling issued by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez late last month. Rodriguez ordered an immediate halt to the vote harvesting provision of S.B. 1, siding with plaintiffs in their contention that the provision is overly vague and a restriction of free speech.

He also acknowledged their “widespread confusion” as to what constitutes the illegal practice of vote harvesting in Texas. 

TED CRUZ WARNS TEXAS SENATE RACE IS ‘INCREDIBLY CLOSE’

Paxton had immediately vowed to appeal that decision, arguing that the vote harvesting component of S.B. 1 is crucial to protecting election integrity in Texas and preventing voter fraud.

“Blocking our ability to investigate certain election crimes would have been a serious disruption to the electoral landscape with only a month left before Election Day,” Paxton said at the time.

Still, the vaguely-defined scope of vote harvesting has prompted some advocacy groups and voter outreach groups in Texas to halt their canvassing, volunteering and other in-person election events altogether, citing fears of being swept up in a raid, or providing volunteers with food or transportation that could potentially be perceived as “compensation,” which is illegal under the law.

In writing for the three-judge appellate court on Tuesday, Judge James Ho appeared to back Paxton’s contention, noting that the provision in question had been on the books for “over three years” before the federal judge’s decision last month.

Still, plaintiffs in the lawsuit say their confusion remains over the vaguely worded definition of vote harvesting, which in turn they say has had a chilling effect on volunteer efforts in the state. 

That is, in part, due to the steep punishment for individuals convicted of the crime, which is classified under S.B. 1 as a third-degree felony.

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Individuals who give, offer, or receive some “compensation or other benefit” for so-called vote harvesting services can be convicted of the third-degree felony, S.B. 1 states, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

“Vote harvesting services” include any “in-person interaction with one or more voters, in the physical presence of an official ballot or a ballot voted by mail, intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure,” according to the law’s text.

Paxton’s office has said previously that “secure elections are the cornerstone of our republic.” 

In August, his office’s Election Integrity Unit executed searches in three South Texas counties as part of the ongoing probe, which it says was conducted only after officials gathered enough evidence to obtain proper search warrants. 

Plaintiffs, however, allege that his office has used the provision to carry out illegal “voter raids” against advocacy groups and organizers in Texas.

Juan Proaño, the CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, lamented the ruling, telling Fox News in an interview Tuesday his group would appeal the case all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.

“It’s really frightening to our community,” Proaño told Fox News of S.B. 1, noting the provisions have already had a “significant” chilling effect on voters and advocacy groups in Texas – which they have argued are both unjustified and used as a potential means of voter suppression.

“There’s no data at all that actually would show that non-citizens are participating in the election process,” he said, adding that LULAC “stands for election integrity.”

“And so we will continue to litigate that all the way up to the Supreme Court, if we have to.” 

Vice President Harris continues to hold a slim lead over former President Trump, even as Trump extends his lead on the top issues for voters, according to a new poll.

A Tuesday poll from Reuters/Ipsos found Harris leading Trump in a 45%-42% match-up nationally, well within the margin of error. Meanwhile, Trump sits at 45% support on the economy, compared to Harris’ 40%. Reuters had previously polled just a 3-point lead for Trump on the issue in late November.

Harris, however, holds a commanding lead when it comes to healthcare, where she is 14 points ahead of Trump. She also holds a 43%-38% lead on handling political extremism and protecting democracy.

The Reuters poll surveyed 938 U.S. adults online, nationwide, including 807 registered voters. Among these, 769 were considered the most likely to turn out on Election Day. The poll closed on Sunday.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLS IN THE 2024 ELECTION SHOW

Voters on both sides of the aisle say they are deeply motivated to head to the polls, according to the survey. Roughly 86% of Democrats and 81% of Republicans said they are “completely certain” that they would cast a ballot in the presidential election.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION

Reuters noted that 74% of the wider electorate said they were certain to vote in the 2020 election, but 78% say the same for the 2024 election.

The poll comes as the Harris campaign is sounding the alarm regarding a lack of support among Black male voters.

HARRIS UNVEILS NEW AGENDA AS SHE COURTS BLACK MALE VOTERS

Former President Obama, in comments that went viral, admonished Black male voters for a lack of enthusiasm for Harris this weekend. Obama’s comments came as polls indicate Trump is making gains with the demographic, who are traditionally some of the Democratic Party’s most reliable supporters.

During a stop at a Black-owned coffee shop and record store in Erie, Pennsylvania, – located in another crucial battleground state – the vice president also showcased her agenda including providing 1 million loans that are fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business, championing education, training and mentorship programs that help Black men get good-paying jobs in high-demand industries and lead their communities, including pathways to become teachers.

EXCLUSIVE: Former first lady Melania Trump is releasing a special collector’s edition of her new memoir containing exclusive images she photographed at the White House and around the world. 

The collector’s edition of the former first lady’s first-ever memoir, “Melania,” features 256 pages in full color, with each copy signed by Trump. 

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The collector’s edition includes photos hand-selected by Trump, many she photographed herself surrounding her home and various trips she has taken around the world. 

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained several photos taken by the former first lady featured in the collector’s edition, including a photo of her and former President Donald Trump on their very first date. 

“Donald and I on our first date night,” she told Fox News Digital. “It was an enjoyable and memorable evening.” 

Another photo expected to be featured in the collector’s edition is one that Trump took herself, a photo of Marine One outside the first lady’s room in the White House. 

“The striking view from my room as my husband returns to the White House aboard Marine One,” Trump told Fox News Digital, as she described the photo she captured. “The helicopter’s iconic silhouette against the skyline symbolizes his commitment to service, while the surrounding landscape serves as a reminder of the responsibilities he carries.” 

Another image Trump photographed that will be featured in the collector’s edition is one inside the historic West Wing residence.  

“The West Wing hallway, in the residence, characterized by its iconic window, serves as a significant architectural feature that allows natural light to brighten up the space,” she told Fox News Digital. 

Fox News Digital has learned the collector’s edition of the book is printed on “premium art paper with a special custom white binding and adorned with black foil, blocking, and a ribbon marker.” 

“Writing my memoir has been an amazing journey filled with emotional highs and lows,” the former first lady told Fox News Digital. “Each story shaped me into who I am today.” 

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She told Fox News Digital that “although daunting at times, the process has been incredibly rewarding, reminding me of my strength, and the beauty of sharing my truth.” 

The memoir, according to the press release, is “a powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path, overcome adversity and defined personal excellence.” 

“The former First Lady invites readers into her world, offering an intimate portrait of a woman who has lived an extraordinary life,” the press release says. “Melania includes personal stories and family photos she has never before shared with the public.” 

“Melania” is the former first lady’s first book. 

MELANIA TRUMP TO RELEASE FIRST MEMOIR, WILL REVEAL STORIES AND PHOTOS ‘NEVER BEFORE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC’

During her time as first lady, Trump hosted virtual roundtables on foster care as part of her “Be Best” initiative and focused on strengthening the child welfare system. She worked with members of Congress on legislation that secured funding for grants awarded to youth and young adults currently or formerly in foster care to help pay for college, career school or training. The bill ultimately was signed by then-President Donald Trump in December 2020.

Since leaving the White House, the former first lady has also created special edition Non-Fungible Tokens. A portion of those proceeds also went toward her initiative “Fostering the Future” to secure educational opportunities and scholarships for children in the foster care community.

“Fostering the Future” students are currently enrolled in multiple colleges and universities across the country, with areas of focus primarily on technology and computer sciences. 

Earlier this year, the former first lady also rolled out a jewelry line to honor “all mothers,” telling Fox News Digital that mothers are “the bedrock of the American family.”

A portion of the proceeds from the jewelry line are going toward her “Fostering the Future” initiative.

The memoir is being published by Skyhorse Publishing. 

The Biden-Harris administration now admits that an Afghan national accused of plotting an Election Day terror attack did not undergo certain vetting they previously claimed he passed. 

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, was never vetted or approved by the State Department for special immigrant (SIV) status, though officials from other agencies had claimed he cleared that stringent process. 

Additionally, sources familiar with the investigation tell Fox News that Tawhedi was not well known to the U.S. government when the administration facilitated his departure to the states, despite his security role with the CIA in Afghanistan. Fox News has learned Tawhedi was employed as a local guard outside the base perimeter and he would not have been among the most thoroughly vetted U.S. partners. 

The news upends claims officials made last week that Tawhedi was vetted three times: first to work for the CIA in Afghanistan, then to come to the U.S. on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) humanitarian parole during the withdrawal and a third time when he was approved for special immigrant (SIV) status after arriving in the U.S. 

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Officials now acknowledge Tawhedi was never vetted or approved for special immigrant (SIV) status, a thorough State Department process which can take years to complete. The State Department has maintained all along it had no role in Tawhedi’s refugee status, despite what a DHS case agent told investigators – leading to its inaccurate mention in the DOJ criminal complaint. 

Last week, Biden administration officials defended the error, explaining that Tawhedi first entered the country on DHS humanitarian parole – which had its own vetting process – but later applied for SIV status, subjecting him to another round of vetting which he also cleared. Those same officials now admit that claim was wrong, and Tawhedi was never vetted or approved for SIV. 

However, officials now say Tawhedi was subjected to “recurrent” vetting as part of his DHS humanitarian parole under Operation Allies Welcome – but this raises new questions. 

DHS has repeatedly stated that no red flags were identified at any point in Tawhedi’s vetting, but three sources forcefully disputed DHS’ characterization of the vetting process as “thorough.” 

AFGHAN CHARGED WITH ELECTION DAY TERROR PLOT RAISES QUESTIONS, FEARS FROM LAWMAKERS: ‘THIS IS REAL’

According to a 2022 DHS Inspector General Report, DHS did not provide data or evidence to support its claim that “recurrent vetting processes were established for all paroled Afghan evacuees for the duration of their parole period.” The report also stated that DHS admitted or paroled evacuees who were not fully vetted into the United States, in many cases because information used to vet evacuees through U.S. Government databases, such as name, date of birth, identification number, and travel document data, was inaccurate, incomplete, or missing. 

The 2022 audit by the DHS Office of the Inspector General revealed 417 records with a first name unknown, 242 records with a last name unknown and 11,110 records with a birthdate recorded as “January 1.”  Additionally, 36,400 travel records listed “facilitation document” as the document type, and 7,800 records had invalid or missing document numbers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not maintain a list of individuals paroled or admitted into the country without proper identification. 

MAYORKAS REFUSES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON AFGHAN ACCUSED OF ELECTION DAY TERROR PLOT

Recurrent vetting was initiated by CBP for Operation Allies Welcome parolees prior to their arrival in the United States. CBP shared biographical information collected during the initial screening and vetting process with the National Vetting Center (NVC) and designated Vetting Support Agencies (VSAs) – external to DHS –  for recurrent vetting against classified information in NVC and VSA data holdings. 

DHS stated in the 2024 final report that “the National Vetting Center recurrent vetting is ongoing and active for all OAW parolees”, but the agency has also told Fox News, “Vetting is a point-in-time check that evaluates information available to the U.S. Government at that time.” 

Prosecutors say Tawhedi obtained firearms and ammunition to conduct a violent attack on U.S. soil, as well as taking a number of steps to prepare for the alleged plot. He is charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS and receiving a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism. 

Investigators are still working to determine whether Tawhedi was radicalized before or after coming to the U.S.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casioano and David Spunt contributed to this report.

A Georgia judge stopped a planned hand count of ballots on election night, ruling Tuesday that it would create “administrative chaos” if poll workers were required to handle millions of ballots without being trained.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney found that the controversial rule was “too much, too late” to implement for the 2024 election – which is less than three weeks away.

“The public interest is not disserved by pressing pause here,” he wrote in his decision. “This election season is fraught; memories of Jan. 6 have not faded away, regardless of one’s view of that date’s fame or infamy. Anything that adds uncertainty and disorder to the electoral process disserves the public.”

LOCAL OFFICIALS FACE OFF AGAINST GEORGIA’S ELECTIONS BOARD OVER RULE THAT COULD SHAKE UP NOVEMBER

McBurney said in his ruling that his decision was not final and would be further detailed at a later date, but not until after the election.

“Our Boards of Election and Superintendents are statutorily obligated to ensure that elections are ’honestly, efficiently, and uniformly conducted,’” he said. “Failure to comply with statutory obligations such as these can result in investigation by the SEB, suspension or even criminal prosecution.”

READ THE RULING – APP USERS, CLICK HERE:

The rule, passed by the Republican State Election Board, was set to go into effect Oct. 22, just two weeks before the election, and after early voting in the Peach State is well underway.  

The rule, which McBurney temporarily halted, was pushed through in September on a 3-2 vote but prompted a lawsuit filed by Georgia Democratic officials.

The rule would have required precinct poll managers and poll officers to unseal ballot boxes and count the ballots by hand individually to ensure the tallies match the machine-counted ballot totals.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.