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One industry surged DC lobbying 337% under Trump — here’s what’s driving the push
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump has made tariffs a centerpiece of his trade agenda, and businesses are spending more on D.C. bureaucrats to help navigate those rules.
Rachel Greszler, who authored a new report from Advancing American Freedom (AAF), said companies are paying lobbyists to seek exemptions from tariffs instead of using that money to grow their businesses, hire workers or raise wages.
A new report from former Vice President Mike Pence's group found that lobbying disclosures mention tariffs rising 239% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period in 2024. The total spending reported on those filings jumped 337%, though it may include lobbying on issues beyond tariffs.
A MUST-WIN MIDTERM STATE IS THE REAL LOSER OF TRUMP'S CANADA TRADE WAR
"Affordability is top of mind for many Americans," Greszler told Fox News Digital, arguing that changing tariffs are raising costs, threatening jobs and squeezing paychecks.
Businesses are responding by stepping up their lobbying efforts. Fourteen organizations spent more than $1 million on lobbying in the third quarter, up from two in the same quarter of 2024. Another 105 spent more than $100,000, compared with 26 two years earlier.
Tariffs may also be affecting prices consumers pay.
TRUMP BET TARIFFS WOULD BRING BACK AMERICAN FACTORY JOBS. NEW REPORT SAYS IT DIDN'T WORK
FLOURISH NY FED TARIFFS CHART: 30552508
Federal Reserve Bank of New York researchers estimated they added 2.9 percentage points to prices across the consumer goods they studied, including imported and U.S.-made products.
Greszler warned that small businesses unable to afford lobbyists to seek tariff exclusions could be forced to scale back or close.
Trump has defended tariffs as a central part of his trade agenda, arguing they will strengthen U.S. manufacturing and bring jobs and investment back to the country. The White House has also said foreign exporters will ultimately bear the cost.
FLOURISH TARIFF REVENUES CHART: 30871804
A separate analysis from Advancing American Freedom estimated tariffs resulted in about 75,000 fewer manufacturing jobs in their first year and up to 1 million fewer jobs nationwide than would have been expected under pre-tariff trends.
The group said manufacturing was among the hardest-hit sectors, despite being a central target of the administration’s effort to bring factory work back.
The group also said U.S. trade with Canada fell by $50 billion, or 6.5%, before the latest round of Section 338 tariffs took effect. During that period, imports from other countries rose instead of U.S. manufacturing expanding.
As the administration continues to reshape trade policy, businesses will have to decide whether to keep spending on lobbyists and tariff planning or delay investments, hiring and expansion until the rules become clearer.
Inside Arab nation's battle against radicalism as top official warns of threat brewing on Europe's streets
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A senior Emirati official is warning that demonstrations in Europe have crossed a line from political expression into a national security threat, arguing that extremism must be confronted before it turns violent.
"You can go demonstrate, talk, give a speech, but what [we] saw in the street in 11 cities in Europe is not freedom of speech. It is a threat to national security," Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of the UAE's Federal National Council, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.
The remarks come against a wider European debate over radicalization. On Nov. 3, Europol reported that authorities from 16 countries had referred more than 9,000 links to extremist and terrorist material appearing across 47 social media and gaming platforms. The operation targeted online role-playing content promoting jihadist, far-right, far-left and anarchist violence, including material that could draw minors toward extremist networks.
AN IRANIAN REFUGEE'S WARNING TO AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES EMBRACING FOREIGN FUNDING AND RADICALISM
What makes the UAE's response distinctive, officials and experts argue, is its belief that the struggle against extremism begins long before police make an arrest — in classrooms, families and the way people of different backgrounds learn to live together.
"The root is extremism, not violent extremism. … In our school system, we promote coexistence. We promote the values that bring us together, regardless of our religion, our nationality, our ethnic [background], our color. … We have to learn how to live with our differences and to accept everyone as they are," Al Nuaimi said.
At Hedayah, the Abu Dhabi-based International Center of Excellence for Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism, Fox News Digital spoke with Maqsoud Kruse, chairman of the center's International Steering Board and the UAE foreign minister's envoy for countering extremism and terrorism.
Kruse, an organizational psychologist who helped establish Hedayah in 2012, described radicalization as a process that can begin with ideas, develop through emotional responses and, in some cases, lead to violent behavior. Understanding that progression, he argued, creates opportunities to intervene long before violence occurs.
"When we talk about countering extremism and terrorism, we understand and realize that no one country, no one institution, no one individual can deal with this on their own," Kruse told Fox News Digital. "We need that international collaboration, that networking, that bridging, where everyone is part of the solution."
INSIDE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL IN HEART OF ARAB WORLD AS FOUNDER REVEALS WHAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Within the UAE, he explained, the emphasis is on an integrated approach that brings together psychology, sociology, education and economics rather than treating extremism solely as a security problem.
"That integrated approach means we need to shift from a problem-focused approach to a solution based approach where we create patterns of hope," he said.
The distinction is central to the UAE's tolerance strategy: rather than waiting until extremist beliefs turn into violence, Kruse argues that societies must invest in education, community engagement and other preventive measures that address the underlying drivers of radicalization.
He also challenged the assumption that poverty alone drives extremism. Wealthy, educated individuals can embrace extremist ideologies, while millions of people living in hardship never do. Kruse pointed to the experiences of former extremists who abandoned radical movements, arguing that their stories demonstrate the possibilities for rehabilitation and reintegration.
The institution he leads works with governments, researchers and civil society on prevention programs. Kruse's argument is not that education replaces counterterrorism operations, but that security alone cannot address the ideas and human vulnerabilities that recruiters exploit, and a holistic approach is needed.
That philosophy becomes visible in a very different setting across Abu Dhabi: the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
During a visit to the sprawling white-marble landmark, Fox News Digital passed displays on the approach to the prayer halls emphasizing tolerance, mutual respect and the legacy of the UAE's founding president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The messages are difficult to separate from the architecture: bright courtyards, floral inlays and rows of colonnades that draw visitors toward one of the country's most recognizable religious sites.
The mosque, with its 82 domes and architectural influences from across the Islamic world, functions as a place of worship and a destination for visitors interested in the country's religious and cultural traditions.
The vision behind the displays predates the UAE's opening to Israel. Sheikh Zayed helped establish the federation in 1971, and the leadership has long presented tolerance as a central part of national identity. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre points to religious accommodation and the importance of welcoming people from different cultures as elements of his legacy.
The policy became more formal over time. In 2015, the UAE adopted legislation against discrimination and religious hatred. In 2016, it appointed a minister of state for tolerance and launched a national tolerance program. The government updated its legal framework in 2023 to address discrimination, hatred and extremism.
Today, the UAE government says the country is home to more than 200 nationalities, a scale of diversity that creates an everyday test of how different cultures and faiths share public space.
ITALY’S SCHOOL VEIL BAN EXPOSES EUROPE’S ASSIMILATION FIGHT AS EXPERT WARNS US COULD BE NEXT
The UAE has also tried to extend that vision beyond its borders. In February 2019, Pope Francis and Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, signed the Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, calling for dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
Four years later, the country inaugurated the Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island. Its mosque, church and synagogue occupy separate but equally prominent buildings linked by common spaces intended for learning and conversation.
During Fox News Digital's visit to the UAE, the Abrahamic Family House was temporarily closed. Emirati officials told Fox News Digital that the closure followed an Iranian attempt to target the interfaith complex during the war.
In Dubai, Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the B'huth research center, argued that the Emirates' commitment to tolerance cannot simply be credited to oil wealth.
"So it is will, not wealth. It's vision, views, and respect to people," Baharoon told Fox News Digital, describing what he sees as a deliberate policy decision to attract people from different countries and give them a stake in the UAE's development.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VOTES TO CONFRONT MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, 'ISLAMIST ENTRYISM' IN OVERWHELMING VOTE
For Baharoon, the Abraham Accords, brokered during President Donald Trump's first term in 2020, reflected the same thinking on a regional scale. The agreement normalized relations between the UAE and Israel, but he said its ambition went beyond opening embassies.
"The Abrahamic Accords are not just normalization," he explained, in his view, the aim was to challenge a pattern in which the Israeli-Palestinian dispute had increasingly been framed as a confrontation between entire religions and peoples. Diplomatic recognition, he argued, matters only if it creates opportunities for relationships that survive disagreements between governments.
Al Nuaimi similarly described the accords as an investment in people rather than a bet on any particular Israeli leadership.
"We believe in people-to-people diplomacy. We believe that we have to work on the people, build bridges with the people. … Regardless of the government that will be in charge in Israel, … the only solution is to start working on a permanent solution for both sides, where the Israelis and the Palestinians will accept to live as neighbors, will respect each other, [and] will care about the future of each other."
He argued that maintaining trust with Israel has also helped the UAE provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.
"Through that trust, we were able to go and help the Palestinians in Gaza. … We have three hospitals, eight bakeries, and we did the infrastructure for the water, and many facilities. … It's because of this relationship with the Israelis."
There is a tension in the Emirati model. Cultural and religious coexistence does not mean the same freedom to challenge the government. Freedom House's 2026 assessment describes a political system in which parties are banned and freedom of expression and assembly are sharply restricted. Its civil liberties record complicates any suggestion that the UAE's system can be transplanted wholesale into European democracies.
Still, during reporting in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the emphasis on coexistence appeared in settings as varied as the Grand Mosque's visitor displays, discussions with counter-extremism specialists and the country's effort to sustain ties with Israel while supporting Palestinians.
On Saadiyat Island, the temporarily closed Abrahamic Family House offers a stark image of the challenge. Three places of worship were built to stand beside one another, yet the wider regional conflict has disrupted the setting in which they were intended to bring people together.
For Kruse, the answer begins with preventing radicalization at its earliest stages. For Baharoon, it requires political will rather than wealth alone. And for Al Nuaimi, whose warning to Europe opened the debate, it means teaching coexistence at home while seeking a diplomatic future in the region.
Whether those ambitions can outlast the pressures of war — or travel beyond the UAE — remains the question.
Texas takes on LSU with College Football Playoff hopes on the line in must-win matchup tonight
College Football is very close to the finish line of the regular season. There are just a few weeks remaining, and then the Conference Championship games. The season has flown by, and it has been a wild one. It seems like every single week we have a new team at the top of the charts for the Top 25 ranking. Even if the #1 seed doesn’t get rearranged, it doesn’t seem like anyone is truly locked into their spot. Two teams that are still figuring it out are taking each other on tonight as Texas takes on LSU.
Texas is 7-2 for the season and has been one of the more annoying teams in football this season. This is a team that really can’t be given extra excuses. The Longhorns don’t really have any glaring weaknesses on paper, but for some reason the team just can’t get it together. Maybe it is nerves, maybe it is a tough schedule; I really don’t know what the issue is. Either way, this team has the potential to win the National Championship, but I also wouldn’t be shocked if the Longhorns missed the College Football Playoffs altogether.
Arch Manning came into the year with buzz that he would be the top pick for the NFL Draft this summer. Manning has been average at best this season. His numbers aren’t terrible. He has completed about 66% of his passes this season for just more than 2,000 yards. He has 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but there are more passes that feel like they should’ve been picked off. In the Longhorns' four games against ranked opponents, Manning is 83-for-124 for 905 yards with five touchdown passes and five interceptions.
I’m not really sure what to make of LSU this year. The Tigers are 6-3 for the season, their first under Lane Kiffin. Kiffin came into a solid roster, but I think the Tigers will need to have his recruiting take root before we fully assess this move. Unfortunately, that means we have to wait and see how the team performs over the next few years to judge his impact on the team. The Tigers still have an outside shot at making the Playoffs, but if they lose today, that hope is completely gone.
The team is led by Sam Leavitt under center. He has put together a decent year, but it feels like if you traded him and Arch Manning, neither team would be that much better or worse. Leavitt is completing 71% of passes for roughly 2,500 yards. He has also thrown 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions this year. Most of his success has come when targeting Jackson Harris, who has 800 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
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LANE KIFFIN IS ALREADY GETTING HIS EXCUSES READY FOR LSU'S DISAPPOINTING REGULAR SEASON
This should be one of the best games on the schedule. The loser is likely out of the College Football Playoffs. I don’t know how you can justify putting Texas in after losing to Florida and Oklahoma. I know their wins have been good, but that victory over Ohio State actually looks worse than before. LSU has lost to Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Alabama. Both teams have had plenty of challenges, and LSU is a tough place to play, but I think the line has gotten out of hand. Texas is now a +3.5 dog, and that just feels like it is too high. I really don’t think the Longhorns will lose this game, but I’ve bet, and lost, too much on them this season. I think this game goes over the total of 46.5. It opened at 54.5 and has dropped significantly, but now I think it has adjusted too much. Give me the over.
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GOP newcomer who toppled Cory Mills sets sights on fraud, inflation as he heads to Capitol Hill
EXCLUSIVE: Florida Republican congressman-elect Ryan Elijah told Fox News Digital that he is heading to Washington with an "appetite" to crack down on fraud, protect consumers and tackle inflation, while calling for bipartisan cooperation in the incoming Congress.
Elijah, a former Central Florida sports broadcaster, made his remarks amid heightened scrutiny of fraud involving taxpayer-funded federal programs across the country.
"I'm going to lean into consumer protection — that's something I fought for my whole life — and lean into fraud," Elijah told Fox News Digital. "There is so much more Washington could do against fraud. I hope there is a bipartisan appetite on both sides to not only protect consumers but also target some of this fraud that is wasting so much of our tax dollars."
The incoming Republican, who beat embattled Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., in the Republican primary in August, expressed optimism that lawmakers from both parties could find common ground on addressing fraud and rising costs, arguing that voters sent a clear message during Tuesday's midterm elections.
Elijah said voters "made it loud and clear to both parties" that they "want change, they want inflation to come down, and they want life to become a little easier. So I think both parties need to look at that."
Elijah also emphasized that members of Congress represent "100% of the people in their district, not just 50%," arguing that bipartisan solutions are necessary to restore public trust and accountability in Washington.
Beyond fighting fraud, Elijah pledged to restore a spirit of public service to Congress, criticizing lawmakers who use their positions to enrich themselves.
"What you do see is the people that enhance themselves, and people don't want to see that. None of that should be taking place," Elijah said while discussing congressional insider trading.
"Members of Congress should not sit on a committee and be able to trade stocks, and that is something that I would support if it moves forward in the next Congress," he continued. "We all have to be on the same playing field, the person back home and the person on Capitol Hill."
Elijah outlined his preferred committee assignments, telling Fox News Digital that he would like to serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee or the House Financial Services Committee, where he could focus on consumer protection and financial oversight.
He also expressed interest in serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, describing it as "a great way to bring projects back to my district."
Elijah said his district has "so much growth ahead of us," arguing that a seat on the committee could help address its infrastructure needs.
The incoming lawmaker addressed the challenges facing Republicans after losing control of Congress in the midterm elections, urging his party to remain united.
Elijah said Republicans must "hold the line" on the "progress we've made so far" while working to advance their priorities in a divided Washington.
Elijah is expected to be sworn into the 120th Congress in January.
The 2028 presidential race is already full of surprises, prediction markets say
The 2028 presidential election seems far away. Or is it already here?
The midterm ballots are barely counted, and a long list of would-be candidates is already elbowing for a lane in a campaign that, by Election Day, will feel like it started during the Truman administration.
Outside the Super Bowl, few things are as popular on prediction markets as a presidential race. Two years before anyone casts a ballot, Kalshi's 2028 markets have already drawn nearly half a billion dollars in trading.
While prediction markets have an excellent long-term record of accuracy, this far from an election, you can't expect surgical precision.
STU BURGUIERE: PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS: PREDICTION MARKETS WON THE MIDTERMS
What the markets can show us is who's trading like a blue chip, who's stuck in the middle, and whose campaign feels like a penny stock that needs a miracle rally to be competitive. So let's look ahead with a way-too-early presidential market report, starting at the top.
What if I told you the Democratic front-runner for 2028 is a man a third of Democrats have never heard of? That's what a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found when it comes to Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, and plenty of other Americans are drawing a blank too.
Still, a Democrat who wins Georgia by 18 points, in a state President Trump carried in 2024, doesn’t stay anonymous for long. Kalshi gives him a 26% chance of winning the Democratic nomination, the best in the field. Not bad for a guy much of his own party couldn't pick out of a lineup.
NEW POLL COMPLICATES VANCE’S STATUS AS TRUMP’S LIKELY 2028 HEIR APPARENT
On the Republican side, Vice President J.D. Vance leads the pack, with a 33% chance of winning the nomination but only a 12% chance of winning the presidency. That gap fits what election analyst Nate Silver calls the VP curse. Vice presidents whose bosses are underwater in the polls tend to win their party’s nomination, then lose in November. Then again, Vance has been underestimated before, and he seems to be at his best in high-leverage situations.
Both men have also hinted they might not run at all. Coming from politicians, that promise has roughly the credibility of a vow of celibacy from Jensen Huang.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom looked like a blue chip a year ago. His chance of winning the Democratic nomination has since cratered from 37% to about 12%. He leaves office in January, which frees him up for a full-time campaign and gives even more airtime to a man who has never been accused of camera shyness. Whether voters want that is another question.
AOC TAPS POWER PLAYER WHO HELPED BERNIE SANDERS DEFY THE ODDS AS MAJOR 2028 DECISION LOOMS
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sits around 13% to win the Democratic nomination. The bigger question is which race she's running in. Traders actually think she's more likely to run for the Senate than for president. Either way, somebody is going to claim the democratic socialist lane. If it's not her, maybe Bernie Sanders takes a third crack at it. He'll only be 87.
Like Ocasio-Cortez, Secretary of State Marco Rubio faces a which-job question. He's at 18% to win the Republican nomination, and the market sees him as just as likely to be the running mate as the nominee.
VANCE, CRUZ AND DESANTIS DIAGNOSE GOP'S MIDTERM DISASTER AS BATTLE OVER PARTY'S FUTURE BEGINS
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran in 2024 and also leaves office in January, has been the biggest riser in the Republican market since the midterms. He was under 5% to win the nomination before the votes were counted and is now at 17%, nipping at Rubio's heels.
Then come the penny stocks. On the Democratic side, that's a crowd in the single digits for the nomination: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Former Vice President Kamala Harris lands here too, a somewhat embarrassing showing for the woman at the top of the ticket two years ago.
If you're shopping the bargain bin, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore at 2.2% and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at 0.7% might be in your wheelhouse.
(In dead last, at 0.0%: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.)
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On the Republican side, the penny stocks include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley could be value plays. And somewhere in that mix is President Donald Trump, who I wouldn't put past publicly flirting with a constitutionally prohibited third run just to annoy the media.
Many of these names won’t make it to the first primary. Today’s penny stock could be next summer’s blue chip. That’s the fun of watching these markets this early: prices will move with every speech, stumble and suspiciously timed book tour between now and then.
Check back in a year. A few of these stocks will have soared, and plenty will have been quietly delisted.
Restaurant chain may rethink controversial 20% service charge in some venues after customer pushback
Ford's Garage may be reconsidering a controversial policy that automatically adds a 20% service charge to customers' checks at select Florida restaurants, with the chain's president acknowledging that some diners are unhappy with the mandatory fee.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Billy Downs said the policy, which is being tested by one franchisee at five Florida locations, remains under review.
"I think that we need to listen to the consumer on those things, to be honest with you," Downs said. "So, we are, and we may be encouraging a change to that program."
RESTAURANT 'ADMIN' FEES SPARK BACKLASH AS DINERS QUESTION WHAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR
Marc Brown, president of franchisee 23 Restaurant Services, told Fox News Digital the program has been largely successful, resulting in higher wages for employees without alienating most customers.
"Our servers in the locations that run our service charge program are making significantly higher average hourly pay than our servers and bartenders in locations that do not have it," Brown said.
The policy is part of a team service model introduced by 23 Restaurant Services, which operates Ford's Garage restaurants throughout Florida.
Rather than relying on traditional tipping, the model automatically adds a 20% service charge to each check to support a commission-based compensation structure.
Servers and bartenders earn commissions based on sales, while the model is also designed to provide more equitable compensation for kitchen and support staff, according to the franchisee's website.
Additional tips are optional.
Downs said the experiment was intended to explore whether a different compensation model could help control costs while rewarding employees for their service.
"It certainly was a test to see if this can help keep the cost down to the consumer, as well as reward the server," he said.
The Ford's Garage location in Plantation near Fort Lauderdale is among the restaurants that have implemented the policy "in lieu of a traditional gratuity," according to its website. That location also adds a separate 1% entertainment fee assessed by the shopping center.
"This fee is passed directly to the retail center, is not a gratuity and is not retained by Ford's Garage or distributed to employees," the website states.
APPLEBEE'S CUSTOMER PUSHES BACK ON SUGGESTED TIP AFTER CHECKING THE MATH
Brown said the service charge is disclosed to customers multiple times verbally and in writing before they order, giving them the choice of whether to dine there.
"So, to us, it's no different than just charging a higher price on the menu," he said.
Most guests aren't bothered by the fee, Brown said, "because they like the Ford's Garage experience."
But Downs acknowledged the policy has produced some controversy.
"There's been some big wins, and there's been consumers that just do not want to pay a service charge," he said.
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The experiment comes as restaurant operators grapple with rising labor costs and changes to tipped minimum wages.
"But the biggest pushback is people don't want to have a mandated service charge, and I get it," Downs said. "You know, I'm not sure I want it either in certain times."
Brown, however, said the criticism appears to come from a relatively small percentage of diners, noting that most participating restaurants have experienced year-over-year growth after operating under the model for multiple years.
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He also rejected the notion that an automatic service charge diminishes a server or bartender's incentive to provide quality hospitality, saying employees are expected to "provide great service to every guest regardless of what they expect to get in terms of additional tip."
Founded in Fort Myers in 2012, Ford's Garage has grown to 36 restaurants across nine states. Downs said the chain has prioritized affordability, with an average customer check of about $26 and weekday value meals starting at $10.99.
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Downs, who previously spoke to Fox News Digital about the chain's emphasis on old-fashioned hospitality, said providing consistently good service can help address customer concerns.
"If you give great service all the time, that can help to eliminate problems," Downs said.
As for whether the service-charge policy could change, Brown said discussions are ongoing.
"We have not made any decisions, but we talk about it regularly," he said.
Prince William, Kate Middleton get unexpected help enforcing strict rule for George at elite school: experts
Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly giving Eton College's smartphone ban the royal thumbs-up — especially for their eldest son, Prince George.
The 13-year-old began his studies at the prestigious boarding school in September, where first-year Etonians are banned from using smartphones, according to The Telegraph. Instead, Year 9 students like George are issued basic "brick phones" with no internet access, limiting communication with their parents to calls and texts outside school hours.
Eton College said the decision to ban smartphones for first-year students is intended "to balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools." Eton reportedly tightened restrictions on first-year students' school-issued iPads in September 2026, following parental concerns about gaming and internet browsing.
Fox News Digital reached out to Eton College and Kensington Palace for comment.
In 2025, William told actor Eugene Levy on the Apple TV+ series "The Reluctant Traveler" that "none of our children have any phones, which we’re very strict about."
That same year, William told Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck during the 2025 Earthshot Prize events in Brazil that it had been "really hard" to protect his children from the harms of social media.
WATCH: PRINCE GEORGE'S FUTURE AT ETON COLLEGE COULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT: EXPERT
"Our children don't have phones," he explained at the time. "I think when George moves on to secondary school, then maybe he might have a phone that has no internet access. And to be honest, it's getting to a point where it's become a little bit of a, like, tense issue."
"But I think he understands why," William continued. "We communicate why we don't think it's right. And again, I think it's the internet access I have a problem with. I think children can access too much stuff they don't need to see online, and so having a phone and text message, the old sort of 'brick phone' as they call them, I think that's fine."
"It has been rumored that William and Kate were having battles with George over having a smartphone with internet access," royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital. "Usage could get him into trouble but also allow him access to views on the royal family, good and bad, which may worry him."
"It is now becoming more common practice for schools to ban smartphone usage during school days, and parents want age-appropriate locks on internet technology," Turner added.
British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that Eton's smartphone policy is "music to Prince William and Princess Catherine's ears."
"Prince William and Princess Catherine restrict smart devices to protect their children from internet safety risks," she explained. "A healthy rule of accessing only 'brick phones' at Eton only enables essential communication and calls and texts at home. The couple take great comfort in knowing that Prince George will not be wasting his time gaming, 'doom-scrolling,' or accessing inappropriate online content."
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"Prince George has never owned a smartphone," Chard continued. "He will be more than happy with a brick phone. As Princess Catherine has shared, smartphones can create an emotional disconnection. Prince George has years of smartphone access ahead of him and certainly will not go without!"
Eton College, a world-renowned all-boys boarding school, was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI. It serves students between the ages of 13 and 18. About 1,350 students attend Eton, where they live in 25 boarding houses, each housing approximately 55 pupils, according to the school's website. People magazine reported that tuition was about $80,000 for the 2025-26 academic year.
William and his younger brother, Prince Harry, attended Eton, making them both "Old Etonians." Princess Diana's father, John Spencer, and brother, Charles Spencer, also attended the school, as did Queen Elizabeth II's cousins, the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent.
Hugo Vickers, author of "Behind Closed Doors" and a fellow "Old Etonian," told Fox News Digital that Eton College's use of "brick phones" is "sensible." Vickers has written several books about the British royal family.
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"In my day, most of our communication was by writing a letter home," he said with a smile.
"And there was about, if I remember rightly, about four telephone boxes planted at different places around the school. On a Sunday morning, if you wanted to ring your parents, you had to get there, and then you'd have to queue up while other people were in there. It sounds very archaic now. And sometimes you never got into the telephone box because it's time to go to chapel or something."
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"So I think the whole thing about communicating with parents is a whole new concept," Vickers continued. "Basic communication with parents is a good thing, but of course, to get the full advantage of the school, it's probably better not to be linking to things all over the world via internet."
Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of The Good Schools Guide, told People magazine that Eton College's phone decision "was very much welcomed by parents."
"And the boys are so busy, they don't have time to be sat on their beds scrolling TikTok," she said.
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George was recently on Eton's "Long Leave," a 16-day break that ended Nov. 8. The royal family lives at Forest Lodge in Windsor. When George returns to Eton, the school's restrictions on first-year students' smartphones could offer some additional privacy, although older students and parents may still have access to the devices.
"I do know that when George and his siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis … if one of them was going to play a match at a neighboring school, the headmaster would send out a message saying … 'Please, no photographs, no posting,'" Vickers said.
"And the parents would respect that because they're all well brought up. … We never saw any pictures of them at other schools. Nothing was ever leaked because people respect William and Catherine very much."
Inside the House GOP strategy to capitalize on Democrats' warring factions in the new Congress
EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are heading into the next Congress ready to brawl.
Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who is set to go from the No. 3 most powerful House Republican to No. 2 next year, told Fox News Digital that the GOP will hold the new Democrat majority "accountable" for their far-left faction's ideas over the next two years, even if they cannot control what bills get a vote.
Emmer, who has served as House majority whip for the past four years, was elected Tuesday to serve as minority whip alongside incoming House Minority Leader Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. The Speaker of the House position turns over to Democrats, and will likely be won by current minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
And despite Jeffries poised to take control of what legislation gets to the House floor, Emmer signaled House Republicans would find ways to push their agenda as well.
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"What's their answer to dealing with costs and wages? We're going to investigate Trump," Emmer said in reference to Democrats. "That's not going to solve the problems that they created. So that's going to be the job of the whip, is to make sure that we have a coordinated process — committee hearings, floor votes — to expose and define exactly who these people really are."
Emmer, in his first print interview since winning the House minority whip job, would not go into detail about how Republicans would utilize floor votes, however.
"There's a toolbox with a bunch of different tools, and you're going to have to build that strategy as you go from week to week," he said.
The Minnesota Republican also signaled there would be little appetite for bipartisanship over the next two years, a sentiment he suggested would come from the other side of the aisle.
"Well look, they're not going to work with us, that's pretty clear, and I don't even know if they're going to be able to work with each other," Emmer said.
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He repeated a short time later, "I see nowhere where they're going to work with Republicans. And Republicans who think they are should think again, because they will tell you nice things, and then they will just go do what they do."
Meanwhile other House Republicans are already coming up with ideas on how to put Democrats on the spot on the House floor in the new Congress.
"We'll file amendments," said Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla. "And I think that'll be where having good debaters and communicators would be important."
Holding amendment votes is commonplace before large pieces of legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Congress has enacted annually for decades to update and reauthorize critical national security policies.
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., suggested an emphasis on a parliamentary procedure called the "motion to recommit," which allows the minority party to get a vote on altering or even killing a bill in its tracks.
"I expect we'll use that smartly," LaLota said. "But as well, a Speaker Hakeem Jeffries will be wise to work these problems backwards, to know that anything he puts on the floor that he wants to become law or budget needs President Trump's signature and probably 60 votes in the Senate."
Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., said "there's been a lot of conversation about going on offense."
"We want to make sure that they know when they come to the floor, they're gonna dread it, I hope," Harris said.
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But there's another mechanism for forcing a House vote that's been used more and more often in recent years — often by their fellow Republicans.
Privileged resolutions allow lawmakers on either side to get a vote on a given bill within two days of its introduction. It generally begins with a procedural vote on whether to "table" the bill or refer it to committee in order to stop it, before a vote on the measure itself.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., most recently invoked it to force the House to consider impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. But that was defeated when the rest of the House GOP banded together to refer the bill to committee.
The GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital, however, signaled little appetite for using it.
"I think either party would be wise to build consensus around things that help actually deliver for the American people," LaLota said. "The privileged resolutions have been abused in my time here, and there's a better way to do business."
And Emmer said his main goal for the next two years would be winning back the House majority in 2028 — which he insisted was a realistic goal.
He said at least 38 seats flipped by Democrats would be "ready to return to Republican hands," and could see some old faces return.
Asked whether he wanted to see some of those losing GOP incumbents run for their seats again, Emmer said, "I absolutely hope so, I've talked to several already."
Trump keeps signaling an end to Iran war, but expert warns a crucial piece of his strategy is missing
President Donald Trump declared Thursday that the United States no longer needs a deal with Iran, abruptly shifting his diplomatic message just three days after expressing optimism about negotiations and directing Vice President JD Vance to focus on domestic issues instead.
"We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!"
Trump's latest declaration came just one day after he proclaimed victory over Iran during a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, while acknowledging that the conflict had not yet formally ended.
"We won," Trump said Wednesday. "It’s just a question of when we end it. I want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93 percent victory."
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The president also thanked veterans "working to ensure the world’s number one sponsor of state terrorism, the Islamic Republic of Iran, will never have a nuclear weapon."
An administration official defended Trump's strategy, arguing that the United States has substantial leverage over Iran through its naval blockade and continued military pressure, even as questions remain about how the conflict will end.
"The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing. The President has been clear that the greatest naval blockade in history, Operation Economic Outcast, and the new Operation Iron Gate will continue with full effect," a U.S. official told Fox News Digital.
"President Trump holds all the cards, will do what is best for the United States, and will make sure that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon," the official added.
Trump's latest words follow months of predictions that an agreement could be reached soon, including comments earlier this week that Tehran "would love to make a deal."
Trump's declaration raises questions about the future of U.S.-Iran negotiations, including whether diplomatic efforts will continue through other administration officials as Washington maintains its military and economic pressure on Tehran.
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Trump has suggested on at least a dozen occasions since February that Iran wanted to negotiate or that an agreement could be reached soon, according to a preliminary review of his public remarks.
Ludovic Hood, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said the administration's combination of economic coercion, military force and regional partnerships is sensible, but warned that a crucial diplomatic component remains underdeveloped.
"What’s lacking is disciplined diplomacy to complement the economic squeeze and possible airstrikes," Hood told Fox News Digital. "Our Gulf partners are singing from different hymn sheets and we need to draw European partners in more meaningfully."
Trump's optimistic assessments began before U.S. military operations against Iran commenced. On Feb. 13, he suggested Tehran could avoid an attack by accepting Washington's terms. After military operations began, he increasingly emphasized Iran's weakened capabilities and the prospect of ending the conflict.
On March 20, Trump said the United States was "getting very close" to achieving its military objectives.
The administration agreed to a ceasefire in April and continued pursuing a diplomatic settlement, but subsequent military actions and disagreements over Iran's nuclear program and regional shipping have left the broader conflict unresolved.
Trump continued expressing confidence that Iran wanted an agreement, including in May, when he suggested Tehran was eager to negotiate because of the damage inflicted on its military.
During an unscheduled appearance in the White House briefing room Monday, Trump said, "Iran, militarily, is effectively over," while warning that U.S. forces remained "locked and loaded" should circumstances change.
Hood said Trump's seemingly contradictory messages could be part of a deliberate negotiating strategy.
"The administration is pursuing a sensible hybrid strategy of economic coercion, selective use of force, and reliance on capable regional allies," Hood said.
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"Trump’s messaging seems designed to both signal his preference for a diplomatic solution while preserving the option of force," he added.
Hood defended the president's willingness to maintain military pressure.
"Bluster, bluffing and brinkmanship are inherent in the public dimension of negotiations like this; Trump does it, Rubio does it, and senior figures in Tehran do it," he said.
"Strategic patience is essential in this standoff, which has essentially been 40 years in the making."
But Hood also suggested that securing meaningful nuclear concessions or a more cooperative government in Tehran would require coordination with regional partners.
Sexual predator deported to Mexico hauled back to US for assault and murder of American mom
A serial rapist from Mexico who murdered an American woman more than two decades ago and terrorized other women in the United States has finally been brought to justice.
Miguel Angel Urbano-Vazquez, who was previously deported to Mexico before being extradited back to the U.S., was found guilty earlier this month of aggravated first-degree murder in the March 2002 rape and strangulation of 39-year-old Sharon Van Gilder in Washington state. Her body was discovered along a rural road in Pierce County, Washington.
Van Gilder's cousin, Brenda Doty, told Fox News Digital the fact that her killer was finally convicted nearly 25 years later is an overwhelming relief.
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"I'd wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it," Doty said. "She didn't deserve that."
Van Gilder, a mother of two, was very close with her family.
"We just had so much fun together, riding ponies and horses and playing in the barn," Doty said.
Doty remembers her cousin not just as a wonderful friend, but as a hero who decades ago saved her own daughter from drowning in a lake during a family outing.
"[Sharon] jumped into the water, swam over there, dove underneath and pulled her up. She saved my daughter's life," Doty said. "
"My daughter was 8 years old, and she's 40 now," she said.
Van Gilder was last seen leaving a bar in Tacoma with the killer and another man in March 2002, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office said.
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Hours later, her naked and badly beaten body was discovered on the side of a road in Spanaway, southeast of Tacoma. Investigators determined she had been strangled.
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Prosecutors said Van Gilder was the first victim in a series of violent sexual assaults that unfolded between March and October 2002.
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Urbano-Vazquez was deported to Mexico sometime after Van Gilder's killing, the FBI Seattle said.
Knowing his history, Doty suspects the trail of violence is even longer.
"I'm sure [from the time] when he was in Mexico, there are more [victims]," she said.
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She went on to say, "He's such a violent, violent person."
The Pierce County Prosecutor's Office said, "In 2012, DNA tests linked the 2002 rape and murder of Sharon Van Gilder to three other nearby rapes. Suspect Miguel Urbano-Vazquez was captured abroad in 2023 and extradited in 2025, when a DNA sample could be taken and compared to the 2002 samples."
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A jury found Urbano-Vazquez guilty on Nov. 3. He will be sentenced on Dec. 11.
In addition to murder, he was convicted of rape charges stemming from attacks on three other women in the Tacoma area during the same year, bringing an end to a decades-long effort to hold him accountable for the crimes.
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Doty praised the immense courage of those three survivors who took the stand against the killer.
"The gals that testified, they were so brave to come. Now this is 24 years ago, their stories were heartbreaking and they came in and put themselves in front of juries," Doty said.
She went on to say, "when each one left the courtroom, my cousin and I went out and hugged them and told them that we loved them. It wasn't their fault. We thanked them because their testimonies were key in getting the guilty plea."
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In Washington, the punishment for a charge of aggravated murder is life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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For Doty, the verdict is a victory not just for her family, but a beacon of hope for others waiting for answers.
"So many people had been part of this and it was a win, and it feels good to have a win," Doty said.
"If there anybody out there with a cold case, don't give up," she said.
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