How the Midterms Could Impact the Future of Abortion Rights

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent ITV in the U.K. has acquired “Bali 2002,” a new four-part drama exploring the everyday heroes directly impacted by the terrorist bombings on the Indonesian island’s tourist hotspots 20 years ago. Represented by Banijay Rights, the drama stars Rachel Griffiths (“Total Control”), Richard Roxburgh (“Rake”) and Claudia Jesse (“Bridgerton”). It will air on the new streaming service ITVX next year. “Bali 2002” was co-produced by Banijay labels, Endemol Shine Australia and Screentime, and marked the first original drama co-commissioned by the Australian streamer Stan and commercial TV group 9Network. The series premiered last month on Stan.

House Republican Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik of New York predicted a "big Republican year" in the 2022 midterm elections, saying inflation is the "top reason" behind the projected gains. During a video interview with Fox News Digital, Stefanik said the "energy and enthusiasm" for Republicans is "contagious" and pointed to key issues such as inflation and crime as drivers of people backing the GOP. "People want safety and security.They want to change," Stefanik said.

President Biden's Secretary of Transportation and economic advisers were pressed on inflation and the state of the economy ahead of the midterm elections on Sunday.  CNN's Dana Bash asked Council of Economic Advisers Chair Cecilia Rouse about the September inflation report and the president's reaction to the numbers during "State of the Union" on Sunday. "The price of food is part of our inflation challenge," Rouse said.

Oversight is one of Congress’s most important functions. Without robust, regular examinations of government agencies and processes, we run the risk of waste and abuse of taxpayer funding.This is why the House Committee on Natural Resources has an entire subcommittee dedicated to oversight, where we investigate both agencies and organizations at large and specific individuals to ensure above board compliance with federal law.   When Republicans were in the majority in the 116th Congress, I served as the chairman of this subcommittee, and we investigated the National Resources Defense Council and others for their ties to China.The organizations’ deep ties with Chinese officials suggested potential violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act disclosure requirements.The American people have a right to know if these purported "environmental" groups are advocating for and lining their pockets with funding from one of the world’s top polluters.  This is exactly the kind of oversight that will remain a top priority for Republicans as part of our Commitment to America.

Atlanta, GA – A first and final face-off between Georgia Senate candidates Friday night ended with each man hoping it was enough to bring undecided voters into their corners to avoid a runoff.  The long-awaited debate between Senator Raphael Warnock and former professional football star Herschel Walker touched on a wide range of issues, including inflation – the top issue for Georgia voters at 25%, according to the latest Fox News Poll. Sen. Warnock said, "[Walker] said he would not have voted for the Inflation Reduction Act and I think he should tell the people of Georgia why he thinks they should have expensive insulin and why the pharmaceutical companies should be able to charge us whatever they like." Walker bit back quickly, saying, "I believe in reducing insulin, but at the same time, you've got to eat, right?" He then said, "you have to get food prices down and you've got to get gas down, so they can go get insulin." In perhaps one of the most unusual moments of the night, Walker pulled out a prop when his opponent brought up a controversy that surfaced early on in the campaign.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Rick Caruso is confident that he’s going to be the next mayor of Los Angeles.  “I’m getting the job,” he says with a grin before sitting down to detail his vision for the future of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles in an interview with Variety‘s “Strictly Business.”  The real estate developer who is behind such retail destinations as the Grove and Glendale’s the Americana is vying against Congresswoman Karen Bass for the job of leading the nation’s second largest city at a time when L.A. is beset with crises — most acutely, the growing ranks of the unhoused.

Connecticut's Democratic state attorney general announced plans Tuesday to appoint a new special counsel for reproductive rights, someone he said would be part of a "firewall" to protect the state's abortion rights laws. Attorney General William Tong said the special counsel, part of his office's new civil rights division, will represent the state's interests in "any court" by taking a leadership role in multi-state amicus briefs filed in abortion cases and be the first to legally challenge efforts to pass a national abortion ban.Tong said he expects there will eventually be more staff for the yet-to-be hired special counsel.

MILWAUKEE – Wisconsin voters sounded off on what they consider the most important issues heading into the midterm elections, with most telling Fox News that the economy and climate change were top priorities. "Inflation is out of control," Matt, from Wisconsin, said. "We gotta get gas prices down because I don’t want to be paying that much at the pump." Inflation, which nationally hit a 40-year-high of 9.1% in June, was the top issue for registered Wisconsin voters, with two-thirds saying they were "very concerned" about soaring prices, according to an August Marquette University survey.

“Back to the Future” film trilogy, reunited at this year’s New York Comic Con nearly 40 years after the sci-fi films were released.On Saturday, the two teamed up for a panel at the Javits Center event to talk about the saga, while fans grew teary-eyed watching the pair remember the good ol’ days.“The best part of the movie was working with Chris,” Fox, 61, said of 83-year-old Lloyd, recalling when they first met. Fox, calling him a “genius,” said there was “immediate chemistry” between them, referring to Lloyd as the “King of Exposition.”But reliving their sci-fi glory days onstage fell to the wayside for audiences online, who noticed Fox’s evident health decline.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Of all the issues currently threatening U.S. democracy, attacks on the voting system may be the most severe. Yet as the 2020 election showed, despite those threats, the system can still work — and the best thing people can do is, in order, vote, and get involved. Leading the charge for the music industry for the past 18 years is HeadCount, the not-for-profit, non-partisan organization that you’ve probably seen at any number of concerts, registering voters at a table in the venue’s lobby or merch areas at festivals including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and many more. With support from Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Panic! At The Disco, David Byrne, Anderson .Paak, Tinashe (pictured above), Bonnie Raitt, Dave Matthews Band, Dead & Company, Paramore and many more, the organization has registered more than 145,000 voters already this year — the most it has seen to date for a midterm election (the previous peak was 89,000), and has led hundreds of thousands of others to check their registration status. (Head here for information on the organization and volunteering.)

NBC, CNN and ABC panelists said Sunday that the OPEC+ announcement was "bad news for Democrats" as the midterm elections get closer and gas prices are expected to increase. During ABC's "This Week," host Martha Raddatz said the Democrats were "hopeful" about their midterm chances and asked ABC's Terry Moran if they were still feeling confident.

Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Rita Wilson, Maggie Smith and Jennifer Saunders have joined a whole galaxy of stars who have shared their own personal experiences with breast cancer.EXCLUSIVE: Remembering Olivia Newton-John - Her family, Dolly Parton, Sir Cliff and more share memoriesNot only does it raise awareness but celebrities who choose to speak out about their own diagnosis can also help remove the stigma associated with cancer. In our Breast Cancer Awareness Month special, HELLO! spoke to Cancer Research UK about why celebrities telling their stories can make a difference...Information nurse at Cancer Research UK, Julia Frater, said: "It can have a huge impact when celebrities diagnosed with cancer choose to speak about their experiences publicly.

Our nation is once again in a perpetual state of energy dependence.Twice now, the president of the United States has pleaded with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to come to the rescue of the American economy, and twice he has been snubbed.The most recent instance only confirms what everyone has known for nearly two years — the emperor has no clothes.  This week OPEC and its plus one Russia (OPEC+) announced they would curb production by 2 million barrels per day.This happened despite the Biden administration’s quid pro quo scheme to purchase OPEC barrels to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in exchange for a guarantee to not lower production. According to Goldman Sachs, we are likely to see oil prices return to $110 per barrel, and gasoline prices will likely return to $5-$6 a gallon nationally.  It’s understandable to see this announcement as a betrayal by OPEC, but the real betrayal is the Biden administration’s actions in weakening America’s energy independence and dominance.

Cast members from Veep and The West Wing reunited for a virtual fundraiser for the Wisconsin Democratic Party on Sunday, an event that was a mix of amusing memories, their own brushes with fame and warnings about what was at stake in the upcoming midterms.

As gas prices have risen for 15 consecutive days and OPEC+ announced production cuts – which could drive prices even higher – Fox News contributor and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove argued Republicans stand "a good chance" of gaining control in the Senate after the midterm elections, on "Cavuto Live" Saturday, as inflation remains a top concern for voters. : The Senate is a difficult picture for the Republicans because there are 21 Republicans up and only 14 Democrats, none of the Democrats are up in states that Donald Trump won.

Democratic operatives are reportedly behind dozens of outlets presenting themselves as local news websites while pushing pro-Democratic Party content.  A network of approximately 51 separate U.S. news sites have disguised themselves with local names in order to push politically advantageous reports under the guise of regional journalism, according to Axios.  The individual sites are held under the umbrella of a for-profit company called Local Report Inc, which was first incorporated in Florida in 2021. Each site boasts numerous articles and editorial contribution from The American Independent, a progressive media group started by Media Matters co-founder David Brock, Axios reports.

The FBI released its annual report on national crime in 2021, showing murders slightly increasing above 2020's historic numbers.The data comes just a month ahead of midterms and as voters say crime is one of their top concerns as they head to the polls. "No question that the GOP has an advantage on crime, as [Democrats] are still saddled with the ‘defund’ movement from two years ago. Both crime and immigration could play important secondary roles in the campaign, especially if the inflation issue begins to fade.

A parents rights group is filing a complaint with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights over a high school theater production which appears to limit participation only to students of color.  Newton North High School’s Theater Ink program is putting on a production in January 2023 titled "Lost and Found: Our Stories as People of Color." According to the show audition packet, "Lost and Found will be a reserved safe space for this exploration and for people of color to be vulnerable and support one another." Parents Defending Education filed complaint alleging that the action is "in violation of both Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 … and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution." "The performance description does not assert that participation in this performance is open to all," the complaint continues.  Theater Ink, according to its website, is "Newton North High School's Teaching and Working Theatre, is a student-centered community that emphasizes the process of artistic collaboration and instills a disciplined work ethic." The site links directly to a Black Lives Matter website, and the audition for "Lost and Found" asks students how they "identify racially/ethnically." The audition pamphlet also specifies that weekly rehearsals for the production will include "organized discussions about race and identity in our lives."  "Regardless of intent, American public schools may not offer opportunities to students on the basis of skin color.

UPDATE, 9:42 AM PT: The January 6th Committee’s next hearing will take place on Oct. 13.