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WASHINGTON, N.J. — Washington, D.C. is undoubtedly the center of gravity in American politics, but another Washington over 100 miles away could help decide the fate of Congress for the latter half of President Donald Trump's term.

It's a small town in New Jersey where Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., urged GOP supporters to help get Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., re-elected to the House in November. Kean is seeking a third term representing the Garden State's 7th Congressional District, which is notably home to Trump's Bedminster golf course where he spends a significant amount of time.

"We consider this a top three race, not just a top ten. That's how important it is to us. It has a target on its back," Johnson told the room at Hawke Point Golf Club, Fox News Digital heard. "They're investing tons of money to try to take [Kean] down, but they are not going to be successful."

The district happens to be one of the most critical battlegrounds in the country this year. Trump narrowly won the area by two points in 2024, though it flipped for Democrat Gov. Mikie Sherrill by the same margin in 2025.

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Democrats are now betting they have a real opportunity to score another victory in November by sending former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett to the House. And with such a small number of House seats still considered politically neutral, it could prove decisive for which party controls the House next year.

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If Republicans win, that means enacting Trump's agenda for another two years. Johnson told Fox News Digital the GOP has "aggressive" plans to tackle government waste and excessive spending. But if Democrats win the district — and potentially the House — Trump's goals could grind to a halt.

Kean, for his part, told Fox News Digital that he's confident he can win again.

"I've been a really effective legislator who's brought things back to the district, who's listened to my constituents on their needs and their concerns, in contrast to my opponent, who has really been a very abject partisan," Kean said on the sidelines of his event. 

"She's actually stopped going to church because there are Republicans [there]. So when you think about that contrast — a person can't even go to religious services with people of the other party — she'll never work across the aisle. She'll be always in the far-left corner of whoever is in her caucus and whoever is in her leadership. And that's not what this district needs."

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Bennett spokesperson Carly Jones hit back at Kean's accusation, "Rebecca is an active member of her local church and talks openly on the campaign trail about her faith, which inspired her to serve her country in uniform and run for office. She is proudly building a coalition of Democrats, Independents and Republicans to flip this seat in November."

Kean noted he's seen legislative success under both the Biden and Trump administrations, and his bipartisan efforts were on display — by what was not on display. The congressman's name appeared throughout the event, but without mention of "GOP" or "Republican." A sign outside the door only said "Tom Kean for Congress."

Conventional wisdom dictates that the party in power faces significant losses in Congress during the midterms. Critics of whoever is president generally turn out in droves to vote for the other side, in this case, Democrats.

Kean noted that he's had legislation signed into law by former President Joe Biden, but also insisted he backed Trump "fully."

SOCIALIST VICTORIES SHOW DEMS' DESCENT DOWN 'DEADLY PATH OF COMMUNISM,' JOHNSON WARNS

"He's done great things for this country and will continue to do great things for this country. He has been a very effective leader," Kean said of the current president.

And Johnson deployed a pinch-hitter to help gin up enthusiasm on Friday: All-Star professional baseball player Mark Teixeira, who posed for photos with excited attendees. Teixeira is running his own campaign for Congress and is likely to win a safe red seat in Texas.

Republican leaders are also seizing on the far-left insurgency that's toppled establishment Democrats in recent months as evidence that they should not get control of the House.

"It's very effective because people see what's happening. This isn't campaign rhetoric. They give us new illustrations every day," Johnson told Fox News Digital in an interview. "It's a challenge to the very foundational principles of America, and that is increasingly what the Democrat Party represents...The Marxist-communist element is taking over that party, sadly, and it's really alarming for our country."

Kean was notably absent from the campaign trail and the halls of Congress from March through June this year, with few knowing the circumstances until the congressman publicly admitted he was being treated for depression. Upon his return, he introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for people to pay for mental healthcare.

Bennett did not criticize the reason for his absence but has previously accused him of continuing to trade stocks during that time. She similarly told Fox News Digital in a written statement that Kean made millions from the stock market.

"I spent 15 years serving our country in the military, and I felt called to serve once again because I can’t sit on the sidelines while Washington corruption, rising costs, and devastating healthcare cuts crush New Jersey families. Congressman Tom Kean Jr. has failed to show up for our community while trading more than $3 million worth of stocks during his time in office," she told Fox News Digital.

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Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on Sunday said the federal government is committed to "cracking down" on sexual misconduct involving teachers, staff and other adults in positions of authority in schools across the country.

In an interview, McMahon denounced what she described as school districts reassigning, rather than firing, teachers accused of misconduct involving students.

"And it’s not part of their record or anything, so we have really been cracking down on that as well," she said during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union."

McMahon, citing a 2004 Education Department literature review, said about one in 10 eighth- through 11th-grade students reported sexual misconduct by an educator. The review used a broad definition that included physical, verbal and visual conduct; the department cautioned that sexual misconduct should not be equated with the narrower legal definition of sexual abuse.

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California officials at the state’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing did not revoke the licenses of at least 67 educators after school districts determined they committed sexual misconduct against students from 2019 through 2025, according to ProPublica and KQED.

At least 14 of those educators were later hired by other school districts and at least 12 of those were still working in education as of May, according to the reports.

Separately, the Department of Education in May opened a Title IX investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District.

"Our schools must protect America’s children. Parents should never have to wonder whether their kids’ school employs and protects sexual predators," McMahon said in a previous statement. "Schools that receive federal funding have a duty to protect students, report sexual misconduct honestly, and follow the law."

The department said it was investigating an agreement with the United Teachers of Los Angeles that it said appeared to require teachers credibly accused of certain misconduct to be reassigned, rather than terminated or immediately removed from student-facing roles, while officials investigated allegations they engaged in conduct including having a sexual or romantic relationship with a student, creating child pornography or failing to report suspected child abuse.

LAUSD and UTLA disputed the department’s characterization, saying reassignment means an employee is sent home and kept away from students while an investigation proceeds, not transferred to another classroom or school. They said termination remains possible when allegations are substantiated.

COLORADO TEACHER FIRED AFTER STUDENTS ALLEGEDLY PRESSURED TO KISS CLASSMATES IN SKITS

McMahon said in the letter that schools that fail to comply with federal requirements under Title IX and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act risk enforcement action, including the potential termination of applicable federal assistance, pledging a nationwide effort to "crack down" on sexual misconduct by adults in positions of authority.

"Make no mistake, the Department will fully enforce federal law and employ every resource at its disposal to protect children from sexual predators," she wrote at the time. "Those schools that allow sexual misconduct to occur risk the termination of applicable federal assistance provided by the federal government."

"This epidemic of nationwide sexual abuse in our schools must end," McMahon added.

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A man suspected of killing five people in a rural area outside Portland, Oregon, was found dead inside a vehicle in Enumclaw, Washington, on Sunday in an apparent suicide, according to authorities.

Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, was identified as the suspect in a quintuple murder after the bodies of five dead people were discovered on Saturday at a home in a rural community near Forest Grove, Oregon, about 25 miles west of Portland.

"Through their investigation, they believed that Parker was in Enumclaw, WA. Officers from the Enumclaw Police Department located Parker’s vehicle and found him deceased inside. It is believed he died by suicide," the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The Enumclaw Police Department said that an unidentified was found dead behind a Safeway grocery store in connection with the Forest Grove investigation.

PARENTS FOUND BURIED BEHIND HOME IN WEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD AS POLICE LAUNCH INTERNATIONAL MANHUNT FOR SON

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said there is no known threat to the public.

It is unclear how investigators were led to Parker or what connection he had to the victims. Detectives have said they do not believe the killings were random, but authorities have not publicly described Parker’s alleged connection to the victims or a possible motive.

The sheriff's office previously said it responded early Saturday to reports of a vehicle fire at a property in Forest Grove, where the remains of five people and "several domestic animals" were discovered.

Authorities have not released the ages or genders of the victims, how they died or what possible connections they might have with one another. The type of animals found dead at the property was also not disclosed.

Detective Shannon Wilde from the sheriff's office said investigators were still working to determine the victims' identities.

"Any time you have one person deceased, let alone five, that's a logistical challenge," Wilde said, emphasizing the complexity of the investigation and the large crime scene.

Sheriff Caprice Massey encouraged anyone who is familiar with the property or the people who live there to contact authorities with any information they may have.

GEORGIA PAIR CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER BARTENDER'S DISMEMBERED REMAINS FOUND IN LAKE OUTSIDE ATLANTA

"I will say that in my 22 years here, I have not been a part of or witnessed a scene quite this complex involving this type of an investigation," she said.

A dozen law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation.

Authorities are continuing to investigate.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people — including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.

This week's quiz highlights presidential portrayals, summer sips — and more.

Can you get all 8 questions right?

Give it a try and see how you do!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

To try your hand at more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click here. 

Also, to take our latest News Quiz — published every Friday — click here.

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As President Donald Trump looks to revive summit diplomacy with Kim Jong Un, he faces a North Korea with a larger nuclear arsenal, a powerful new partner in Russia and far less incentive to strike a deal than it had during his first term.

Trump’s renewed outreach comes as he remains locked in a nuclear standoff with Iran, reopening another piece of unfinished business from his first term. Unlike Iran, however, North Korea already possesses a mature nuclear arsenal and multiple delivery systems, leaving Trump with little prospect of eliminating the threat militarily and a narrower path to a deal than he had eight years ago.

Victor Cha, the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Trump may see renewed North Korea diplomacy as both a chance to shift attention from Iran and an opportunity to reduce the number of adversaries confronting the United States.

"I think he frankly wants to take the headlines off of Iran," Cha told Fox News Digital, arguing that Trump also sees North Korea as a fundamentally different nuclear challenge. "There really isn't a military solution for a country like North Korea that has 50, 60, 70 nuclear weapons and several delivery systems for those weapons."

TRUMP REVEALS EXACT NUMBER OF NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS

That leaves a sweeping denuclearization agreement increasingly out of reach. A more limited negotiation could instead focus on restricting nuclear and long-range missile tests, establishing crisis communications, weakening Pyongyang’s growing ties with Moscow or reaching a peace agreement that leaves Kim’s nuclear arsenal intact.

"There is no grand bargain with North Korea that quickly eliminates the country's nuclear arsenal," Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, told Fox News Digital. "North Korea can drive a harder bargain now than it could have in 2018."

Trump said this week that he expects to meet Kim before the end of the year. He has cast the personal relationship that produced their earlier meetings as an asset for restarting diplomacy.

"I get along with him," Trump said. "And you know what? The fact that I get along with him, that's a good thing, not a bad thing."

A White House official told Fox News Digital on background that the leaders "will meet at the appropriate time," but the official did not provide a date, location or details about preparations.

Trump’s potential payoff is a limited agreement that reduces the immediate nuclear danger rather than eliminates North Korea’s arsenal. Cha identified several objectives short of denuclearization, including formally banning nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, reducing Pyongyang’s ties with Moscow and establishing a crisis-management channel between the United States and North Korea.

Cha said Trump is also likely interested in a peace declaration or treaty that would allow him to claim progress on a conflict that has remained technically unresolved since the 1953 armistice.

Washington’s bargaining chips include phased sanctions relief, reductions in military exercises or U.S. force posture, a possible peace agreement and the political value of direct engagement with the U.S. president. For Kim, a deal that leaves his nuclear weapons intact could itself look like progress toward the regime’s long-running goal of winning de facto acceptance as a nuclear weapons state.

Kim may also have another reason to keep Trump engaged. Cha pointed to the president’s willingness to use military force during his second term, arguing that North Korea may see continued contact with Trump as a way to reduce the risk of a confrontation.

Trump may have already made his first negotiating play. Cha pointed to the president’s reduction in joint exercises with South Korea, a step Trump also took during his first round of diplomacy with Kim.

North Korea dismissed the move as insufficient and launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters the following day.

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Anthony Ruggiero, who served as the National Security Council director for North Korea during Trump’s first term, said the reduced exercises fit a pattern established during the president’s earlier diplomacy with Kim.

"I'm kind of surprised that people are surprised. President Trump took the same action in his first term, and the only thing that's really surprising is not that he did it; it's that he waited this long to do it," Ruggiero told Fox News Digital.

At their 2018 Singapore summit, Kim signed a broad pledge to work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The agreement set no timetable or verification terms, and Pyongyang now rejects denuclearization as the basis for negotiations.

Eight years ago, Kim was under heavier pressure from U.N. Security Council sanctions and a worsening food situation, Cha said.

"And in many ways, Trump had the leverage. It's a very different situation now," Cha said.

That leverage has shifted in part because of North Korea’s deepening relationship with Russia. Pyongyang’s weapons and troop support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine have brought it closer to a powerful partner capable of providing economic and military support while shielding North Korea from additional accountability at the U.N. Security Council. China also remains a crucial economic partner.

Even so, sanctions relief could still be a powerful incentive. Ruggiero said pressure loses force if the United States does not keep closing the workarounds North Korea uses to evade it.

"The North Koreans always complain that the sanctions don't hurt them, but then that's the first thing they always ask for," he said.

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The recovery of American war dead could also provide Trump with a concrete humanitarian result. The Singapore agreement included a commitment to recover the remains of U.S. service members killed in North Korea during the Korean War, and Pyongyang returned 55 boxes believed to contain American remains in 2018.

A future agreement could seek to restart recovery efforts inside North Korea, where joint U.S.-North Korean recovery operations last took place in 2005.

But a sweeping disarmament deal remains unlikely. Davenport said Trump should instead focus on measures that reduce nuclear risk and slow the program’s growth, including a missile-test moratorium, crisis communication and a potential freeze on nuclear development.

"The ideal would be a return of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, but that's not going to happen early in the process," Davenport said.

She said satellite imagery could still help monitor reactor operations, plutonium reprocessing and missile testing, even if verifying a halt in uranium enrichment would be far more difficult.

A direct crisis-management channel could carry value of its own — Washington has no established direct military line to Pyongyang.

"If all of a sudden our radars pick up a ballistic missile flying through the air, we have no way of contacting North Korea to ask them, ‘Is this your intent? Did you send this?’" Cha said.

Cha also sees a measure of restraint in North Korea’s recent record. Pyongyang conducted several intercontinental ballistic missile tests during the Biden administration, including launches in 2022, 2023 and 2024, but has not tested an ICBM in flight since Trump returned to office. North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test since 2017.

Any agreement would also test the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Seoul may welcome renewed dialogue after years without negotiations, Cha said, but it will be wary of concessions involving U.S. troop levels or exercises.

Cha said South Korea likely did not know in advance that Trump would reduce military exercises, but Seoul could still view renewed U.S.-North Korea negotiations as a net positive if they restart diplomacy. Longer term, however, South Korea would want a role in the negotiations and assurances that its alliance interests are not sacrificed in a deal with Pyongyang.

"Where the rubber really hits the road on this is the whole question of U.S. troops in Korea because North Korea would like them out, South Korea would like them to stay, and it's not entirely clear what President Trump wants," Cha said.

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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., on Saturday dismissed "AI doomsdaying," warning that China benefits from "overreaction" by the United States as the two countries compete for dominance in artificial intelligence.

Fetterman shared an article on X highlighting a Bloomberg analysis examining what it described as the narrowing U.S. lead over China in the AI race and the faster pace at which Chinese companies are deploying advanced models.

The Pennsylvania Democrat reacted to the report by arguing that advancements in AI are critical to national security.

"AI supremacy and energy dominance underpins our national security," Fetterman wrote.

CHINA IS BUILDING AN AI WAR MACHINE. WASHINGTON MUST WAKE UP BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Fetterman added that pulling back on the emerging technology would only benefit America's competitors.

"China continues to fuel and benefit from our overreaction," he wrote. "I reject the political pandering and hyperbole over data centers or AI doomsdaying."

Saturday's post was Fetterman's latest call for the U.S. to aggressively pursue AI development.

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Fetterman's stance puts the Pennsylvania Democrat largely in step with Trump on the need to accelerate AI development and expand the nation's data center infrastructure.

Earlier this month, Fetterman reacted to an article reporting that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was eyeing a potential pause on AI development, arguing such a move would be welcomed by China.

"America must lead in the development of AI, otherwise we live under China's rules," Fetterman wrote. "That must not happen."

Fetterman has also championed the development of data centers. In March, he pushed back against the prospect of imposing a moratorium on new AI data centers in the U.S., blasting the proposal as "China First."

His comments came after President Donald Trump earlier this week encouraged governors and local officials to welcome the construction of AI data centers.

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"The construction jobs are enormous. We're building the biggest plants anywhere in the world. And I can say, if I were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state, and I had a chance to get a big plant in an AI plant or a data center, I would absolutely want it because the jobs are enormous, and the money paid, the taxes paid are just enormous," Trump said at the White House on Wednesday.

The president also said the AI industry needs "a little public relations help" as Americans have expressed concerns about data centers being built in their communities.

A Gallup poll from May found a majority of Americans opposed the construction of new data centers near where they live.

Those surveyed who opposed the facilities cited concerns including their electricity and water consumption and potential environmental impact.

THE WAR ON DATA CENTERS JEOPARDIZES OUR ECONOMY AND NATIONAL SECURITY

Trump signed an executive order in July aimed at expediting the permitting process for data centers.

Regarding the regulation of AI, Trump suggested the industry "may be bigger than the internet."

"We're leading by a lot with AI. We want to keep it that way. We want to regulate, but we want to have regulation where they can continue to lead, not regulation that's going to stifle a very important industry," Trump said.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and James Cirrone contributed to this report.

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Jessica Bowie, a 35-year-old woman from upstate New York, is now facing terrorism charges after authorities allege she converted to Islam, swore allegiance to the Islamic State group and plotted to bomb the State Capitol building — just weeks before the U.S. will mark 25 years since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

According to the FBI, she became a Muslim five years ago and took on a new name, Aisha Saif.

The FBI arrested Bowie after she allegedly enlisted a group of confidential informants in her plot, thinking they were ISIS handlers, under the impression she was arranging for them to turn bomb-making materials she'd purchased into an explosive device and to provide her a handgun.

FBI ARRESTS WOMAN WHO ALLEGEDLY PLOTTED ISIS-LINKED ATTACK ON NEW YORK STATE CAPITOL BUILDING

Bowie allegedly praised the terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks that killed 2,977 people on Sept. 11, 2001, according to court documents.

The federal criminal complaint has few details about her alleged embrace of terrorism from before May 2026, but authorities say she was radicalized at some point online.

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She had also allegedly lost multiple social media accounts for violating their terms of service with her posts, according to the criminal complaint — in separate posts in May, she allegedly wrote about poisoning "infidels" and "praise be to Allah for September 11th." By the end of the month, she'd allegedly sworn allegiance to ISIS.

"The key with these sorts of cases is the initial lead," said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor with experience working counter-terrorism cases. "This can come in a number of ways. We criticize social media plenty, but the fact that she was repeatedly banned on these platforms could have been a crucial pointer."

By July, according to the complaint, she was allegedly using encrypted apps to post support for radical Islamic terror and anti-American rhetoric.

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On July 16, she allegedly told an FBI informant that she had begun thinking about "Jehad" more seriously over the past several months. She was also allegedly posting online about how she was sharing ISIS propaganda and attempting to recruit.

In July and August, Bowie allegedly made five visits to scout the State Capitol.

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On Aug. 5, photos released by the Justice Department allegedly show her buying bomb-making materials at a Rensselaer Home Depot store, including a large bucket of nails that was allegedly meant for shrapnel. "We definitely want to make sure the senators get killed for sure," she allegedly told an informant.

On Aug. 13, she allegedly asked an FBI informant whom she thought was an ISIS operative for help obtaining a handgun, according to the complaint.

On Aug. 19, the FBI arrested her after she allegedly gave $350 to a pair of FBI informants and got out of their vehicle carrying an inert handgun and dummy explosive that they'd given her, according to the complaint.

"There's no helping me," she allegedly told the FBI after being read her Miranda rights. "You guys know enough...I'm going to prison for the rest of my life."

She added that she'd already looked up potential sentences online.

"Material support is up to 20 years in prison," she said, according to the complaint. "I already googled it before. I know I'm going to jail."

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Earlier that day, she allegedly told an FBI informant that she had grown from "a little girl waving an American flag after 9/11 to now having stickers of the falling towers." She was 10 years old on Sept. 11, 2001.

Bowie, who also has addresses listed in Schenectady, allegedly planned to hide a bomb in a DoorDash delivery bag at the New York State Capitol, according to the complaint.

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"I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting," she allegedly told an informant. "I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well"

Then she allegedly wanted to escape to Syria before returning to the U.S. in the future for more attacks.

A woman who picked up a call to the number listed for Bowie's mother hung up when contacted by Fox News Digital Friday.

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