SEE IT: Flight manifests from disgraced financier’s plane released
The House Oversight committee on Friday released a transcript of its interview with the former U.S. attorney who initially negotiated a controversial plea deal with disgraced financier, in addition to flight manifest records from Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane.
Members of the oversight committee conducted the interview with Alex Acosta in late September, who previously served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Included in the document release by the House Oversight Committee are flight manifests for Epstein’s private plane, which include Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Walter Cronkite and Richard Branson. None of these individuals have been accused of any wrongdoing.
Click here to see the flight manifests:
Former President Bill Clinton also appeared again in the Epstein flight manifests several times. On at least one flight in 2002, he traveled with Secret Service agents, the documents show. Clinton isn’t accused of any wrongdoing.
Acosta helped Epstein in 2008 secure a plea deal that avoided federal charges by serving 13 months in jail and pleading guilty to state charges. Under the deal, Epstein registered as a sex offender and paid settlements to victims.
In explaining the plea agreement, Acosta claimed the case against Epstein was plagued with issues that may hinder a conviction.
EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS RELEASED BY HOUSE DEMOCRATS NAME ELON MUSK, STEVE BANNON AND PETER THIEL
“And so in part it was influenced by that, and in large part it was also influenced by the viability of the case. Every attorney that looked at the case, from the prosecuting attorney, again, through the entire chain, looked at the evidence, and there were evidentiary issues with the victims,” Acosta said. “Many victims refused to testify. Many victims had changing stories. All of us understood why they had changing stories, but they did. And defense counsel would have – cross-examination would have been withering.”
Acosta explained in detail why Epstein was offered the plea deal, saying he was worried Epstein might have gotten away with no jail time.
“Our judgment in this case, based on the evidence known at the time, was that it was better to have a billionaire serve time in jail, register as a sex offender and pay his victims restitution than risk a trial with a reduced likelihood of success,” Acosta said. “I supported that judgment then, and based on the state of the law as it then stood and the evidence known at that time, I would support that judgment again.”
HOUSE DEMOCRATS OPEN PROBE INTO FBI’S HANDLING OF EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS
Acosta claimed that the state attorney in Florida “had let him off entirely.”
“And so our thinking at the time was, you know, the State attorney is letting him get away with this. The State attorney is asking pre-trial diversion. Unacceptable. Entirely unacceptable. But a billionaire going to jail sends a strong signal to the community that this is not acceptable, that this is not right, that this cannot happen,” Acosta said.
During the interview, Acosta also agreed that Epstein’s counsel “got awfully close to the line of unethical,” adding he “resisted” some of their tactics.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In 2019, while Acosta was serving as United States Secretary of Labor, he defended his involvement in negotiating the plea deal.
“Simply put, the Palm Beach state attorney’s office was ready to let Epstein walk free, no jail time,” Acosta claimed. “Prosecutors in my former office found this to be completely unacceptable.”
“We now have 12 years of knowledge and hindsight and we live in a very different world,” he said. “Today’s world treats victims very, very differently.”
Infamous death row inmate set for execution after Supreme Court denies delay
A South Carolina man on death row is scheduled to be executed next month for killing a man, burning his eyes with cigarettes and taunting police by painting “catch me if u can” on a wall with the victim’s blood more than 20 years ago.
Stephen Bryant, 44, will be put to death Nov. 14 after the state Supreme Court issued the death warrant Friday, rejecting a request from Bryant’s lawyers for a delay because they work with the federal court system and the U.S. government is shut down.
Bryant is scheduled for execution for one killing, but prosecutors said he also fatally shot two other men he was giving rides to as they were urinating on the side of the road in Sumter County in October 2004.
He will have until Oct. 31 to choose if he wants to die by lethal injection, firing squad or the electric chair. Since the state resumed executions last year following an involuntary 13-year pause due to trouble obtaining lethal injection drugs, four inmates have selected lethal injection and two have died by firing squad.
SOUTH CAROLINA’S LONGEST-SERVING DEATH ROW INMATE DIES AFTER SPENDING 42 YEARS IN PRISON
Bryant confessed to killing Willard “TJ” Tietjen after stopping by his home in rural Sumter County and saying he had car trouble.
After Tietjen was shot several times, candles were lit around his body.
The corner of a potholder was dipped in Tietjen’s blood and “victem 4 in 2 weeks. catch me if u can” was written on a wall, according to officials.
Tietjen’s daughter, Kimberly Dees, called him several times and grew worried when he did not answer. She testified that a strange voice answered on her sixth call to her father.
She demanded that the person at the other end of the line allow her to speak to her father.
“And he said, ‘You can’t, I killed him.’ And I said, ‘This isn’t funny, who are you?’ He said, ‘I’m the prowler. And I said, ‘Excuse me, who are you?’ He said, ‘I’m the prowler,’” Dees told a judge who determined Bryant’s sentence.
Prosecutors said Bryant also killed two other men, one before Tietjen’s murder and one after. He gave the two men rides and shot them in the back when they exited the vehicle to urinate on the side of rural roads.
Bryant’s lawyers said he had been sexually abused by four male relatives when he was a child, which troubled him in the months before the killing. His lawyers said he begged a probation agent and his aunt to get him help because he could not stop thinking about the abuse.
“He was very upset. He looked like he was being tortured. It’s like his soul was just laid wide open. In his eyes you could see he was hurting and suffering, and he was living the abuse over again as it was coming out,” his aunt, Terry Caulder, testified.
Bryant resorted to using meth and smoking joints he sprayed with bug killer to help himself through the pain, his attorneys said.
The six inmates put to death in South Carolina since the state restarted executions in September of last year had argued ahead of their deaths that the state’s methods amount to cruel and unusual punishment.
Attorneys for the inmates say the three volunteers with rifles in the second firing squad execution nearly missed Mikal Mahdi’s heart. They said Mahdi was in agonizing pain for three or four times longer than experts say he would have been if the bullets had hit his heart directly.
The lethal injection procedures have also been criticized by death row inmates. The state appears to now use two doses of the sedative pentobarbital, with the attorneys saying the inmates drown in a rush of fluid into their lungs but are paralyzed and cannot react.
FLORIDA CONTINUES TO EXTEND RECORD EXECUTION YEAR WITH MAN PUT TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE’S FAMILY
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Once one of the busiest states for executions, South Carolina had a 13-year pause in executions before resuming in September 2024 due to trouble obtaining lethal injection drugs after the supply expired because of pharmaceutical companies’ concerns that they would have to disclose that they had sold the drugs to state officials.
But the state legislature later passed a shield law allowing officials to keep lethal injection drug suppliers private. The firing squad was also added as an execution method.
Bryant will become the 50th person put to death in South Carolina since the state restarted the death penalty in 1985 and the seventh executed since the state resumed executions a year ago.
Across the U.S., a total of 39 men have been executed so far this year. At least five other executions are scheduled in the U.S. for the remainder of the year.
Olympic committee slams host country for ‘blatant violation’ against Israeli gymnasts
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) condemned a recent sanction by the government of Indonesia against Israel’s national gymnastics team.
The Indonesian government denied the Israelis visas to enter the country for the upcoming 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, which begins Sunday.
“The IOC’s principled position is very clear: All eligible athletes, teams and sports officials must be able to participate in international sports competitions and events without any form of discrimination from the host country, in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the fundamental principles of nondiscrimination, autonomy and political neutrality that govern the Olympic Movement,” the IOC’s statement said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“It is therefore the direct responsibility of the host country, the organizer and the sports organizations directly concerned to make sure that this principle is fully respected and that all necessary assurances are provided by the relevant authorities of the host country in advance.”
The IOC also claimed its officials will discuss the situation with Indonesia at its next meeting.
“Sport must remain a safe space for athletes to fulfill their dreams; and athletes must not be held responsible for political decisions,” the statement added.
Indonesia said it wouldn’t grant visas to Team Israel because of the war in Gaza. Then, on Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Israel’s request for intervention.
The Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) released a statement addressing the sanction.
“The rules are clear, and Indonesia’s actions constitute a blatant violation of them. It is inconceivable that a country can bar another nation from competing in a World Championship while the governing bodies stand by,” the statement read, via the BBC.
“This decision undermines the very foundations of sport and fair competition, and it delivers a severe blow to the morale of the gymnasts and staff who have worked tirelessly for this moment.”
Indonesia was previously stripped of its right to host football’s Under-20 World Cup when the governor of Bali refused to host Team Israel in a game.
Indonesia’s latest sanction against the IGF is just the latest example of restrictions placed on Israel’s sports teams and fans in recent months.
CRUZ SLAMS UN’S ISRAEL ‘GENOCIDE’ CHARGE, PUSHES FOR CONSEQUENCES
The Israel Premier Tech cycling team has been excluded from an upcoming race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, scheduled for Oct. 4, over potentially disruptive pro-Palestinian protests.
The UEFA Europa League, Europe’s biggest soccer body, was reportedly moving toward a vote to suspend Israel over the war in Gaza in September.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced no action would be taken against the team on Oct. 3. He reportedly later met privately at FIFA headquarters with the leader of the Palestinian soccer federation, Jibril Rajoub, and praised his organization “for their resilience at this time,” per The Associated Press.
Meanwhile, fans of Israeli teams have been barred from recent major events as well.
Fans of the Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv are prohibited from attending a Europa League game in Birmingham, England, Nov. 6, over safety concerns, after the team’s fans were attacked in Amsterdam at a game against Ajax last fall.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
President Donald Trump oversaw the historic ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last week.
As part of the ceasefire, Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages held in Gaza, while Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Staff member dies after student’s brutal chest kick during academy showdown: officials
A 53-year-old staff member at a Massachusetts school died Thursday after being struck in the chest by a 14-year-old student during an incident inside a dormitory, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
The district attorney’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that on Wednesday at 6:55 p.m., a 14-year-old student attempted to leave her dorm building at the Meadowridge Academy in Swansea, Massachusetts, without permission.
As staff, including 53-year-old Amy Morrell, and other employees intervened to stop her, the student allegedly kicked Morrell in the chest.
The staffer collapsed and staff immediately performed CPR and called 911, the DA’s office said. Swansea EMS transported her to a hospital, where she remained overnight in critical condition. The following afternoon, Morrell was pronounced dead. Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death.
VICTIM’S GIRLFRIEND AMONG 9 TEENS ARRESTED IN 16-YEAR-OLD’S BEACH TOWN MURDER
The unidentified 14-year-old student was charged with assault and battery causing serious bodily injury and arraigned Thursday in Fall River Juvenile Court. The investigation is being handled by Swansea Police and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Bristol County DA’s office.
According to Meadowridge Academy, the school is a residential therapeutic school in Swansea serving youths ages 12 to 21 with behavioral, mental health or trauma-related challenges. It’s located about 50 miles south of Boston.
911 CALLS, POLICE REPORT DETAILS DARK TIMELINE TO ARIZONA GIRL’S TRAGIC DEATH
In earlier years, Meadowridge garnered scrutiny in a report by the Disability Law Center, which found substantiated incidents of abuse and neglect between 2014 and 2016. However, the report concluded that the school had taken extensive corrective actions, such as increasing surveillance video placement, revising reporting protocols and enhancing staff training.
A spokesperson for Meadowridge Academy told Fox News Digital the community is “deeply saddened” by Morrell’s passing, and that support services are being made available for both students and staff.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Amy’s family during this difficult time,” they said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Friends and family described Morrell as deeply committed to her role, someone who “loved her job.”
“It never crossed my mind. Never thought of it. I couldn’t believe it when I got the call today,” Andrew Ferruche told WCVB-TV.
Pennsylvania governor reveals coffee shop confrontation with Biden: ‘Not going well’
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro recalled to “The Breakfast Club” in a new interview how he tried to deliver then-President Joe Biden bad news about the election before Biden dropped out of the race.
Nearly a year after the 2024 election, which was seen as a reckoning for Democrats, the party is still trying to make sense of where they have gone wrong in recent years.
Shapiro, who presents himself as a moderate for the party who goes out of his way to engage with conservatives, spoke candidly about his sober warnings to Biden when Biden was still the de facto 2024 Democratic nominee.
“I went directly to the president and spoke to him about what I saw were, you know, his challenges in Pennsylvania. I was really honest with him,” Shapiro said. “We got together at a coffee shop in Harrisburg. I think this has been reported. I mean, I’ll just share with you. He said, ‘How’s it going?’ I was very clear: ‘It’s not going well.'”
JOSH SHAPIRO SAYS KAMALA IS ‘GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER’ FOR WHY SHE NEVER RAISED CONCERNS OVER BIDEN’S HEALTH
He then recalled what he had told Biden at the time.
“’Polls are showing it’s not going well,” he said. “I don’t think you’re handling the cost question. Back to what we talked about before with rising costs. It was a big theme in the campaign. Big issue in Pennsylvania. I didn’t think they were handling that well. I expressed that I thought people thought he wasn’t up to the job.”
Shapiro argued that his personal style and approach shaped the way he handled this conversation.
“Look, maybe it’s old school, but I believe that if you got something to say, you say it directly to that person’s face, and he’s the president of the United States. I respected him, still respect him, and I respect him enough to say it directly to his face,” he said.
When asked how this sobering assessment was received at the time, Shapiro replied, “I think he heard it. He told me that their poll numbers were different, and he seemed committed to continuing forward. And, listen, that’s his call.”
KAMALA HARRIS REVEALS WHAT BIDEN TOLD HER JUST BEFORE CRUCIAL DEBATE WITH TRUMP THAT LEFT HER ‘ANGRY’
He also recalled arguing to Biden that part of his issue was that Biden’s team wasn’t straightforward with its own boss.
“Breakfast Club” host Charlamagne tha God argued that such stories need to be told by any future Democratic Party contenders for the presidency, arguing that “anybody that wants to lead this party in the future has to throw that old regime under the bus.”
Shapiro, however, disagreed.
“I don’t believe that you get ahead in life by throwing people under the bus,” he said. “I don’t believe that I got to kick somebody in order to get ahead. I think you’ve got to show your work. I think you’ve got to show a vision. I think you’ve got to tell people what you’re all about.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Shapiro was vetted as a possible running mate for Kamala Harris, but she ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Shapiro was prescient about Democrats’ issues in his state because Trump went on to win Pennsylvania and the presidency.
Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s staff and did not receive an immediate response.
Mike Johnson takes bold step to ratchet up shutdown pressure on Chuck Schumer
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has once again instructed House lawmakers to remain in their home districts next week, keeping attention — and heat — in Washington on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for over a month.
A clerk in the House of Representatives announced on Friday that Johnson is designating Oct. 20 through Oct. 23 as a “district work period,” meaning no votes or House hearings are expected to be held for that time.
It’s part of the pressure strategy Johnson has implemented against Democrats amid the ongoing government shutdown, which is barreling into a fourth week with the GOP’s federal funding plan stalled in the Senate.
The House GOP passed its federal funding plan on Sept. 19, a seven-week extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 government spending levels, called a continuing resolution (CR).
SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES
It was aimed at giving congressional negotiators more time to strike a longer-term deal on FY 2026 spending.
But Democrats, infuriated by being sidelined in the talks, are threatening to reject any deal that does not include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of December.
Democrats reason that millions of Americans are expected to see their healthcare premiums skyrocket even before the subsidies themselves expire at the end of this year, and with no plan in place.
Republican leaders have signaled openness to having those discussions at a later date — albeit not without reforming the system — but are holding firm to their demand that the CR be passed without any partisan policy riders attached.
Johnson told reporters earlier on Friday that he would give House members 48 hours’ notice before they had to return for any votes, something he’s stated both publicly and privately for weeks.
HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
But while his House GOP conference is holding largely united behind him, there are several Republicans growing uncomfortable with the lengthy recess period.
Both Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., expressed concern about the extended time at home during a private call among House Republicans earlier this month.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., has been more public with his pushback. He told MSNBC live on television Wednesday, “It is absolutely unacceptable to me and I think only serves further distrust.”
And Rep. Dave Valadao, while not explicitly pushing back on Johnson’s decision, told Fox News Digital that he was “kind of torn on that” before blaming Senate Democrats for putting the GOP in this situation.
Meanwhile, Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., the lone House Democrat who was in the chamber when the district work period was declared, criticized Johnson for keeping the chamber out of session.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Congress has been absent here in the House for almost a month when there are critical conversations that need to be happening about reopening the government, lowering the cost of healthcare for millions of Americans, and also moving forward on critical issues,” Olszewski said.
In a sign of a likely lengthy shutdown, the Senate is preparing to hold a standalone vote next week on paying government workers who are forced to work during the shutdown, including active-duty military members.
Asked by reporters if the House would come back to vote on the measure if it passed the Senate, Johnson said Friday, “If we have a viable path, yes, but I suspect the Democrats are going to bat it down again.”
Officer’s reckless gunfire at armed suspect leads to millions for innocent victims
Six bystanders injured during a 2022 police shooting in Denver will share nearly $20 million in damages after a jury ruled in their favor, their attorneys announced on Friday.
The $19.7 million award stems from a civil lawsuit filed against the Denver Police Department over the July 17, 2022, shooting.
Officer Brandon Ramos earlier pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, receiving probation and losing his certification to serve as a police officer.
Ramos resigned in February 2024, according to a Denver Police spokesperson, who declined to comment on the verdict.
FAMILY SAYS OFF-DUTY MILWAUKEE OFFICER ACTED APPROPRIATELY IN FATAL SHOOTING CAUGHT ON DASHCAM VIDEO
At the time of the shooting, Ramos was assigned to a gun violence prevention team that patrolled Denver’s Lower Downtown neighborhood – home to Coors Field and a nightlife corridor – when he and two fellow officers opened fire on a man, later identified as Jordan Waddy, after he had drawn a handgun.
The other two officers did not face charges in connection with the shooting. Waddy survived the injuries he sustained in the incident.
A grand jury found that Ramos was not in immediate danger since Waddy did not turn and face him. Jurors concluded that the officer failed to account for the large crowd standing behind Waddy.
COLORADO DRIVER WALKS AWAY FROM DANGEROUS 300-FOOT HIGHWAY CRASH WITH MINOR INJURIES: ‘A MIRACLE’
The victims included one who was shot in the arm and required surgery, another who was struck in the back by a bullet that exited through her arm and a third who was grazed on the foot.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a joint statement that the jury’s award for damages “recognizes the suffering that these six victims endured at the hands of an officer who vowed to serve and protect.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Attorney Omeed Azmoudeh said the award sends “a clear message about police conduct” and that bystanders “are not just a backdrop that you can’t think about.”
Billionaire warns NYC faces ‘mass exodus’ if socialist frontrunner wins mayoral race
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is escalating his commentary on the New York City mayoral race, claiming Republican Curtis Sliwa’s refusal to exit has pushed democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani to a 90% chance of victory, according to prediction market data.
Ackman, the founder of Pershing Square Capital, argued that Sliwa staying in the race is helping Mamdani secure the win.
On Friday, Ackman posted new Polymarket odds on X showing Mamdani near 90%, well ahead of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Sliwa.
“It was not Zohran Mamdani’s debate performance. It was Curtis Sliwa’s statement after the debate that he is not leaving that has tipped the odds to 90% for Mamdani,” Ackman wrote on X.
Sliwa had said he would not drop out after the most recent debate.
FINAL STRETCH: MAMDANI’S LARGE LEAD SHRINKING AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC MAYORAL RACE
Ackman’s remarks mark a rare public foray by a high-profile investor into a local election. A spokesperson for Pershing Square told Fox News Digital there was “no additional comment beyond Ackman’s posts.”
Ackman has supported Cuomo’s independent bid and earlier in the week urged Sliwa to exit the race to give Cuomo “a better shot.”
Sliwa is not backing down. His campaign, in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, rejected the idea that Ackman or any donor should influence the race.
“Billionaires aren’t going to decide the outcome — it’s the voters. It’s the people. Let the people decide,” said Maria Sliwa, the candidate’s spokeswoman.
“Cuomo lost the primary as a Democrat. He’s running as an independent. Curtis is on a major party line just like Mamdani. If anything, Cuomo should drop out, not Curtis.”
She said Sliwa has always planned to stay in the race to give Republicans a choice.
“This race won’t be decided by millionaires, billionaires or professional politicians. It will be decided by the voters on Nov. 4.”
Sliwa’s refusal to exit has become a flashpoint in the campaign. Ackman and others say a one-on-one matchup between Cuomo and Mamdani would be more competitive.
NEW POLL REVEALS MAMDANI’S LEAD IS SHRINKING AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC SHOWDOWN
Some polls suggest Cuomo could close the gap without Sliwa in the race. But Sliwa’s team and several analysts question whether his voters would support Cuomo.
Appearing Friday morning on “Sid & Friends in the Morning” on WABC radio, Cuomo accused Sliwa of playing spoiler and warned Republicans that staying loyal to Sliwa could hand the election to Mamdani.
“Curtis cannot win,” Cuomo said. “No Republican voted to put Curtis on the ballot. No Democrat voted to put Curtis on the ballot. He was put on by the party bosses — the Republican county chairs — because he is a spoiler. And they want Mamdani to win.”
Cuomo argued that GOP leaders are backing Sliwa for strategic reasons, not to win City Hall.
“They’ll take Mamdani and run him around the country saying, ‘Look at how crazy this Democratic Party is — they elected a 33-year-old socialist who’s anti-cop, anti-business, antisemitic.’ It’ll help them politically, but it’ll kill the city,” Cuomo said.
He added that voters who support Sliwa are effectively helping Mamdani.
“You vote for Curtis, just save yourself the time and vote for Mamdani,” Cuomo said. “He’s the candidate of the Republican Party chairs. And what Republicans are going to have to decide is whether partisan loyalty is more important than loyalty to the city.”
FOX NEWS POLL: UNHAPPY WITH NYC’S DIRECTION, VOTERS FAVOR MAMDANI FOR MAYOR BY A WIDE MARGIN
Cuomo also attacked Mamdani’s public safety policies, warning, “You defund the police, you close Rikers — he’s talking about releasing 7,000 people from Rikers when it closes. There are no new jails. There will be a mass exodus from this city. It will never be the same.”
The 2025 NYC mayoral race has drawn national attention. Mamdani, 33, is a socialist state assemblyman from Queens who upset Cuomo in the Democratic primary. If elected, he would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, and he has the backing of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Cuomo, 65, is running as an independent four years after resigning as governor. He is trying to frame himself as a centrist who can beat Mamdani. Since Mayor Eric Adams dropped out, Cuomo has gained ground in polling.
Sliwa, 69, is best known for founding the Guardian Angels patrol group and has built his campaign around crime and quality-of-life issues. He won 27% of the vote in the 2021 mayoral race.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Ackman’s involvement has sparked renewed interest in Polymarket, a prediction site where users bet on political outcomes.
The contract for the NYC mayoral race has already passed $190 million in trading volume, one of the largest for a local U.S. election. Ackman’s posts have fueled speculation and a surge in trading activity.
Voters head to the polls Nov. 4.
Polymarket did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Southwest Airlines is totally transforming the way you get on the plane for your flight
Southwest Airlines will soon roll out a sweeping overhaul of its boarding process.
The Texas-based airline, which has used open seating for more than 50 years, will shift to assigned seating starting Jan. 27 and introduce a completely new boarding system, according to its website.
The revamp, known internally as “Project USA,” has been in testing for months in Houston and Cancun, Mexico.
Under the new “WILMA” boarding method, passengers with window seats will board first, followed by those in middle seats and then aisle seats, beginning from the back of the aircraft, The Wall Street Journal reported.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES REVEALS REDESIGNED CABIN, NEW SEATS IN SHIFT TO ‘ELEVATED’ FLYING EXPERIENCE
Southwest is also scrapping its current numbered stanchions at gates with nine boarding groups. Gates will feature just two lines, one for the group boarding and one for the group boarding next, according to The Wall Street Journal.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES BEGINS USING FAA-MANDATED COCKPIT BARRIERS ON NEW BOEING JETLINERS
Travelers, including frequent flyers and credit card holders with boarding benefits, and those who purchase extra legroom will automatically be assigned to early boarding groups. The airline is also introducing a last-minute “priority boarding” option with pricing that varies by flight.
“Our premium fares and our most loyal customers will have access to better seat types and will board earlier in the process,” Southwest’s website says.
Basic economy passengers will typically board last, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Southwest is also launching redesigned boarding passes that will display not only seat numbers but also whether it’s a window, middle or aisle seat, The Wall Street Journal reported.
SOUTHWEST ROLLS OUT NEW CONDITIONS FOR PLUS-SIZE PASSENGER REFUNDS
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
Earlier this week, Southwest unveiled its first Boeing 737 Max 8 with a refreshed interior complete with an extra legroom section, new high-end seats and refreshed lighting, underscoring the company’s broader push to modernize its fleet and offer new perks to customers.
Southwest Airlines did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.