Halloween is only days away, and parents and children are flooding stores in search of the best costumes and the scariest monster, vampire and ghoul decorations.

But the author of new children’s book ‘All Hallows’ Eve’ is calling on families to search for something else: the true spiritual meaning of Halloween.

‘By writing this story, I wanted to try to do my little part to reclaim Halloween for what it truly is: a deeply spiritual holiday centered on prayer, penance, remembrance of the dead,’ said Anthony DeStefano, an author known for his Christian-themed books for adults and children.

‘I wanted to give children and their parents an engaging way to celebrate Halloween in line with their faith without losing the fun, the mystery, and even the scary excitement that kids naturally love about that season.’

DeStefano said he wants his faith-based book to put ‘the ‘hallow’ back in Halloween’ as celebrations and spending hit record highs. In 2025, Americans are expected to spend a record $13.1 billion on celebrating Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation.  

DeStefano says his message is especially relevant today, pointing to the death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and the shooting at a school Mass at Minneapolis’ Annunciation Catholic Church, as reminders of the reality of evil and risks that can come with openly expressing one’s faith.

‘I do not think these are isolated events,’ he said. ‘I think they’re symptoms of a deeper hostility toward faith that’s been very apparent in the way Hollywood, the legacy media, the academic world, and the left have been mocking religion for decades.’ 

‘Halloween isn’t about glorifying darkness,’ DeStefano said. ‘It’s about shining a light on the reality of death, the fact that eternal life has triumphed, and that’s what makes it so powerful if we understand it correctly.’ 

DeStefano warned that modern culture has distanced itself from those roots. He said Halloween has become a ‘festival of evil,’ and embracing the dark side of the holiday can be ‘fundamentally unhealthy.’ 

Halloween has long been marked by ghost stories, cursed dolls and evil spirits. Films and tales often center on exorcisms, haunted houses and witches casting spells from bubbling cauldrons to curse others. 

He said that there has been a growing fascination within the media that ‘glorifies’ evil and that this kind of entertainment can ‘dull our moral senses.’

‘All Hallows’ Eve’ tells the story of a group of friends who stumble upon a mysterious old woman who sweeps graves in a cemetery every night, according to the book description. She prays for the souls of the dead buried below, who are stuck in purgatory, and teaches the children the true meaning of the holiday. 

Purgatory is understood as a temporary and intermediate afterlife state that provides spiritual cleansing to souls before entering heaven, per Catholic doctrine. 

In the Catholic tradition, All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day take place over three consecutive days known collectively as Allhallowtide, a time to honor the saints and pray for the souls of the dead.

DeStefano said he’s not discouraging families from enjoying the usual Halloween traditions but urged parents to teach their children about the holiday’s origins and the importance of honoring the dead.

He said Halloween can also carry a message of hope. He said dressing up as a mummy, ghost, or skeleton can be a good reminder that Halloween is also a time to pray for loved ones who have passed away.

‘If someone we love has died, if our grandmother or grandfather has died, someday we’re going to get to see them again in heaven, and we’re going to be able to run up to them again, kiss them, hug them, and feel the warmth of their skin and hear their voices again,’ he said. ‘That’s what this holiday is about.’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., earned praise from Republicans for calling out his own party as food stamp assistance is on the line amid a partial government shutdown.

‘As a committed Democrat, I’m dismayed my party is playing chicken with the food security of 42M Americans. I reject a political gamble that exposes a vulnerable constituency to widespread deprivation and chaos,’ Fetterman declared in a Tuesday post on X.

A statement posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website warns that ‘the well has run dry’ for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and ‘there will be no benefits issued November 01.’

‘We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. They can continue to hold out for healthcare for illegal aliens and gender mutilation procedures or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive critical nutrition assistance,’ the statement asserts.

Fetterman has repeatedly voted to advance a stopgap funding measure to end the shutdown, but the votes have fallen short of the threshold required to move the measure forward in the Senate.

Some GOP lawmakers responded to Fetterman’s post on X.

‘Thank you @SenFettermanPA for being a voice of reason, compassion and putting Americans first,’ Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., said in a post on Wednesday.

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., wrote on Tuesday, ‘A rare voice of reason in the Democrat party. Sadly, Senators Kelly and Gallego are siding with party loyalty.’ 

‘Well said @SenFettermanPA,’ Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., noted on Tuesday.

In a post on Wednesday, Fetterman stated, ‘Our workers are forced to get a loan just to get by. As a Democrat, this stalemate doesn’t feel like support for working families to me. End the shutdown or own the fallout.’

The State Department is deploying teams that are expected to arrive in the Caribbean as early as Thursday to support disaster response after Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica Tuesday.

The State Department announced it would deploy a regional disaster assistance response team (DART) and had activated U.S.-based urban search and rescue (USAR) teams to support response efforts in the region following Hurricane Melissa.

A senior State Department official told Fox News Digital Wednesday that these teams are expected to arrive in Jamaica Thursday since the airport hasn’t suffered too much damage, but plans are in place to coordinate with the Department of War for a potential airlift in case commercial operations are not available.

Likewise, the State Department also has requested the Department of War provide airlift support to provide food, water and other nutritional supplies to those in need throughout the island.

Another disaster assistance response team is expected to provide assistance to Haiti Thursday. The Bahamas also are expected to request a declaration of humanitarian need later Wednesday, which will allow the State Department to activate a disaster assistance response team there too, which could arrive as early as Friday, the official said.

Additionally, the State Department has signed off on nearly $1 million to go toward administering food and other resources, pulling from predesignated supplies housed in 12 different warehouses across the region. This includes six warehouses based in Haiti, one in the Dominican Republic, another in Barbados and one in Miami.

‘We have stood up resources to assist our American citizens who are on the ground, in addition to deploying Disaster Assistance Response Teams who will help provide critical coordination in overseeing U.S. assistance,’ State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane — the highest level — and is the most powerful to strike Kingston since the island started tracking its storms 174 years ago.

Jamaica is reporting at least one death as a result of the storm, and significant damage to the island that has wiped out power for a majority of citizens. Roughly 77% of the island does not have power, Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s education minister said Wednesday.

Additionally, more than 25,000 people in Jamaica have headed to shelters after the storm destroyed their homes.

‘It’s not going to be an easy road, Jamaica,’ said Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council.

The hurricane is now on its way to Cuba as a Category 2 storm. Other Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Turks and Caicos, also expect to experience fallout from the storm.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Senate Democrats railed against Republicans and the Trump administration’s argument that the well had run dry on federal food stamp benefits given that President Donald Trump funded the program during the last shutdown.

Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Agriculture warned in a memo that because of the ongoing shutdown and lack of appropriations, funding for food stamps, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), would run out by Nov. 1.

Despite there being an emergency contingency fund of roughly $5 billion, the USDA argued that the emergency funding was not ‘legally available.’

However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats argued at a press conference on Wednesday that Trump had funded SNAP during the last government shutdown in 2019. Sonny Perdue, Trump’s agriculture secretary at the time, announced that SNAP funding would be available while Washington was still in the throes of that partial government shutdown.

‘They funded it under Trump in the last shutdown,’ Schumer said. ‘So, don’t believe the bull.’

Both Senate Republicans and Democrats have made legislative efforts to avert the SNAP funding cliff, which, if not avoided on Saturday, would see 42 million people lose their food benefits.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., doubled down on his stance against one-off bills, or so-called ‘rifle shots’ that would fund certain programs or pay some federal workers, which lawmakers have been pushing in the background.

‘I think that the quickest way to end it is to just open everything up and then everybody gets paid,’ Thune said. ‘You’re not picking winners and losers or having to explain to this group why you open it up to this group. I mean, that just doesn’t make any sense to me.’

Schumer said Senate Democrats would support bills from both Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., that would fund the program. Lujan’s bill, which was announced earlier this week, would also fund the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

Luján argued that the administration had changed course from a previous plan that would have seen SNAP funded.

‘It’s bull—-,’ he said. ‘I’ll say, I come from a small farm, I know the difference of good soil and the bull—- that goes in. And this is the bull—- taking these plans down to try to lie to the American people and justify why it’s OK for people to go hungry, 40 million people.’

It’s not clear, meanwhile, whether the same appetite for such legislation exists in the House.

Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., led a press conference alongside Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee to demand the Trump administration tap into the SNAP emergency fund before Nov. 1.

When asked by Fox News Digital whether he was coordinating with the Senate on either the GOP or Democrat-led bills, Neguse said, ‘I’m familiar with the proposals, and I know that many of my colleagues … have proposed legislation here in the House as well. Those conversations will continue.’

But ,’ultimately,’ he said, ‘legislation doesn’t need to be passed in order for these funds to be released. It is the law.’

‘The Trump administration is required to release those funds today. That is why the administration is now embroiled in federal litigation in federal court, in Massachusetts, that I ultimately think will be successful,’ Neguse said.

Still, Senate Republicans argue that the best path forward to avert the SNAP funding cliff, along with other upcoming paydays and deadlines, was to reopen the government. So far, Schumer and Senate Democrats have voted 13 times against reopening the government as the shutdown inches toward shattering the 35-day record etched into the history books in 2019.

It runs counter to the congressional Democrats’ previously held position, too. For example, in 2023, when lawmakers were again tasked with averting another shutdown, Schumer warned that if funding was not extended, millions of New Yorkers would go without food benefits.

Schumer shifted blame for the ongoing shutdown and the likelihood that SNAP benefits will run dry to Republicans.

‘We are saying the Republicans can fund it now, and they’re using these people as hostages, plain and simple next, that’s the answer,’ Schumer said. ‘The answer is they can fund it right now.’

Federal judges will tackle antisemitism at an annual convention next week, joining a rare multi-judge panel in a forum typically reserved for one-person lectures, Fox News Digital has learned. 

U.S. District Judge Roy Altman, who will moderate the discussion, said the panel is ‘unprecedented’ and a needed change to address what he said was a rise in antisemitism in the aftermath of Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel in 2023. The panel is part of the Federalist Society’s annual National Lawyers Convention.

‘This conversation on faith, understanding, and moral responsibility could not be more timely,’ Altman said. ‘It reflects the importance of the moment, the endurance of Western values, and Judge [Robert] Bork’s abiding belief in moral clarity and in the strength that comes from open dialogue.’

The event has for years been named after the late Bork, who, incidentally, once helped break a law firm’s avoidance of hiring Jewish lawyers, according to Senate testimony by his peers in 1987. 

The judges who will participate in the discussion include seven Trump appointees, including Altman, one appointee of former President George Bush, and a justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Altman, a vocal Jewish judge who is based in the Southern District of Florida, said he has also arranged numerous trips for federal judges of varying faiths to visit Israel after the Oct. 7 attack.

He said that although his personal conversations about Israel had largely been centered on campuses, ‘it became clear’ to him that the judiciary needed to chime in because heated discourse surrounding the topic involved legal questions.

The deadly attack in Israel reignited conflict in Gaza and led to nationwide anti-Israel protests, especially on U.S. college campuses. Protesters claimed Israel was killing thousands of innocent Palestinians in Gaza indiscriminately, while the Israeli government said it gave fair warning about its offensive and that its targets were Hamas terrorists.

‘Those claims, is Israel violating the laws of war? Is it an apartheid state? Does it occupy land that doesn’t belong to it?’ Altman said. ‘Those are just legal questions with legal answers, and I thought, who better than federal judges to understand what the applicable legal rule is, to adduce and find out what the relevant facts are, and then to apply the facts to the law and issue a judgment, than a federal judge.’

Some of the judges who will participate on the panel have been on Altman’s Israel trips.

The Federalist Society indicated that the judges plan to speak about their personal experiences talking with people of other faiths about anti-Jewish sentiments. They also plan to address First Amendment concerns surrounding antisemitism.

The discussion comes as the Trump administration has aggressively targeted noncitizens for speech that it has claimed in court is at odds with its national security posture because it is too critical of Israel and potentially supportive of Hamas.

Free speech proponents have warned that offensive and politically charged speech is protected under the Constitution. In the case of Mahmoud Khalil, which has become a flashpoint in these discussions, the courts have been examining the extent to which noncitizens enjoy First Amendment protections.

Altman said he has observed a one-sidedness in the opposite direction on campuses and that pro-Israel expression has been suppressed. Just this year, New York University canceled Jewish legal scholar Ilya Shaprio’s talk there because of what it said were security risks from protesters.

‘I was shocked, honestly, to discover that so many young people in our country, especially on our college campuses, had a totally incorrect view about the one Jewish state in the world and its role in the Middle East and its history and how it came to be, and it also became clear that the sort of debate that was taking place on campus wasn’t really a debate, because only one side of the story was being told,’ Altman said.

President Donald Trump still has a major meeting on the agenda, but he’s already touting the success of his tour in Asia, saying it returned ‘trillions’ to the U.S.

‘Bringing back trillions of Dollars to USA! A great trip. Dealing with very smart, talented, and wonderful leaders,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘Tomorrow, President Xi of China. It will be a great meeting for both!!!’

Despite what he has been able to accomplish during his trip, all eyes will be on Trump as he sits down with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. Before he left for his trip, Trump vowed he would reach a ‘fantastic deal’ with China. The meeting will be the first in-person sit-down between the two leaders since Trump returned to the Oval Office in January.

While en route to South Korea, where he is expected to meet with Xi, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that fentanyl trafficking would be one of the focuses of the meeting. He also said he expected to make progress on ‘a lot of problems,’ including trade and tariffs.

‘The two heads of state will have in-depth communications on strategic and long-term issues,’ a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters, confirming the highly anticipated meeting.

While abroad, Trump inked deals with Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan and South Korea. He also worked out reciprocal trade frameworks with Thailand and Vietnam. The trade agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia eliminated or significantly reduced tariffs on U.S. exports. The White House said that under these agreements, non-tariff barriers will be addressed and market access for U.S. products will be expanded. 

While in Malaysia, Trump was also able to secure billions in investments and a critical minerals deal that the White House says will expand trade and investment. Additionally, in Thailand, Trump landed a critical minerals deal that would promote partnerships between American and Thai companies, according to the White House.

In Japan, Trump announced that Tokyo agreed to expand its previous $550 billion investment commitment to the U.S. Additionally, he signed a critical minerals agreement and deepened cooperation between the U.S. and Japan to combat illegal drug trafficking. 

The investment commitments from Japan stretch across several industries, including artificial intelligence and energy. Additionally, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae announced that they directed ‘relevant ministers and secretaries to take further steps for a NEW GOLDEN AGE of the ever-growing U.S.-Japan alliance.’

While in South Korea, Trump secured deals that the White House said were worth billions. This includes a deal in which Korean Air will purchase 103 new Boeing aircraft valued at $36.2 billion. In another deal, the Korea Gas Corporation committed to purchasing 3.3 million tons of U.S. liquefied natural gas per year via long-term agreements with sellers.

South Korea gifted Trump with the ‘Grand Order of Mugunghwa,’ the country’s highest decoration, according to Reuters. He also received a replica of a royal crown from the ancient Silla Kingdom, symbolizing Seoul’s recognition of his prior diplomatic efforts.

Additionally, Trump kicked off his trip at the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords, ending the military conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. Trump had previously threatened higher tariffs against both countries to push them into agreeing to end the fighting, which left dozens of people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

While Trump expressed openness to sitting down with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, no meeting has been scheduled.

Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion and Christina Shaw contributed to this report.

A new ‘quiet’ supersonic X-59 jet designed to revolutionize air travel successfully completed its first test flight, Lockheed Martin announced this week. 

The sleek, needle-point aircraft built for NASA is designed to break the sound barrier while reducing the sonic boom to a ‘thump,’ according to the aerospace contractor. The aircraft aims to overcome one of the major hurdles to supersonic travel, which is noise restrictions over land. 

The plane took off from Palmdale, Calif., at Skunk Works’ facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42, accompanied by a NASA chase plane. It landed safely about an hour later at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center.

The plane’s unique shape is designed to greatly lower the volume of the sonic boom typically produced when a plane breaks the sound barrier. 

The long, pointed nose prevents adequate forward-facing visibility, so the pilot flies relying on a monitor in the cockpit. 

NASA has paid Lockheed over $500 million since 2018 to develop the plane. 

The plane, which measures just under 100 feet nose to tail, flew at subsonic speeds on its first flight, around 230 miles per hour and reached 12,000 feet. 

The plane is built to eventually reach a cruising speed of 925 mph, or Mach 1.4, and fly at an altitude of 55,000 feet. 

‘This aircraft is a testament to the innovation and expertise of our joint team, and we are proud to be at the forefront of quiet supersonic technology development,’ OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said in a statement. 

‘X-59 is a symbol of American ingenuity. The American spirit knows no bounds. It’s part of our DNA – the desire to go farther, faster, and even quieter than anyone has ever gone before. This work sustains America’s place as the leader in aviation and has the potential to change the way the public flies,’ said Sean Duffy, acting NASA Administrator. 

The supersonic Concorde aircraft, developed by France and the U.K., began transatlantic flights in 1976, reached max speeds of over 1,300 miles per hour and flew passengers from New York to London in just 3.5 hours. 

But high operating costs meant ticket costs were about four times higher than a standard first-class ticket, and the supersonic boom meant the plane could only fly at such high speeds over water. 

A crash in 2000 deeply affected public confidence in the plane, and it was retired in 2003. 

NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several U.S. cities in the coming years, gathering public feedback that could help regulators update decades-old bans on supersonic flight over land.

If successful, the data could open the door for a new generation of commercial jets capable of cutting cross-country flight times in half — bringing back supersonic travel for the first time in more than two decades, but this time with far less noise.

A coalition of 25 Democratic governors and attorneys general on Tuesday sued the Trump administration over its refusal to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits during the ongoing government shutdown — arguing that a suspension of the aid threatens to disproportionately harm millions of vulnerable and low-income Americans.

The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts, asks a federal judge to force the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release a portion of the $9.2 billion in SNAP benefits allocated for the month of November. 

The Trump administration said Friday that it would not use the Agriculture Department’s roughly $5 billion contingency fund to cover the food stamp benefits provided by SNAP for the month of November. Instead, they said, the agency is planning to keep it on hand to respond to natural disasters. 

States warned in the lawsuit Tuesday that halting the SNAP payments, even in the near-term, threatens disproportionate harm for the roughly 42 million Americans that currently receive SNAP aid beginning on Nov. 1, when the food assistance is slated to expire. 

‘Shutting off SNAP benefits will cause deterioration of public health and well-being,’ state leaders said in the lawsuit. 

‘Ultimately, states will bear costs associated with many of these harms,’ they added. ‘The loss of SNAP benefits leads to food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition, which are associated with numerous negative health outcomes in children, such as poor concentration, decreased cognitive function, fatigue, depression, and behavioral problems.’

The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of attorneys general and governors from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. 

In the near-term, the states asked U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, the federal judge in Massachusetts assigned to the case, to order the Trump administration to release the USDA contingency funds to help ensure there is not a lapse in SNAP program benefits beginning Nov. 1.

Judge Talwani will hear from both parties during an emergency status hearing Wednesday, during which she will weigh the states’ request for an emergency order to force USDA to release a portion of its emergency funds to SNAP recipients. 

The USDA, for its part, has not yet shared details on the policy decision or decision not to funnel the contingency funds to SNAP beneficiaries.

A note on its website states simply that, ‘[T]he well has run dry.’

 ‘At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01,’ the agency said. 

An investigation into the autopen controversy involving former President Joe Biden is gaining momentum in Delaware and Washington, D.C., Fox News has learned.

A source familiar with the situation told Fox News on Wednesday morning, ‘It looks like the investigation has heated up in recent weeks and it appears there’s a focus in Delaware as well as Washington, DC.’

On Tuesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a post on X that her ‘team is reviewing the Biden administration’s reported use of autopen for pardons.’

Bondi’s post came as the House Oversight Committee released a 100-page report on Tuesday morning detailing findings from its monthslong probe into Biden’s White House, specifically whether his inner circle covered up signs of mental decline in the ex-president, and if that alleged cover-up extended to executive actions signed via autopen without Biden’s full awareness.

The report also detailed a ‘haphazard documentation process’ for pardons made by Biden, which the committee argued left room for doubt over whether the former president made those decisions himself.

‘In the absence of sufficient contemporaneous documentation indicating that cognitively deteriorating President Biden himself made a given executive decision, such decisions do not carry the force of law and should be considered void,’ the GOP report said.

A Biden spokesperson pushed back on the committee’s conclusions in a statement to Fox News Digital made Tuesday morning, however.

‘This investigation into baseless claims has confirmed what has been clear from the start: President Biden made the decisions of his presidency. There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, and no wrongdoing. Congressional Republicans should stop focusing on political retribution and instead work to end the government shutdown,’ the spokesperson said.

In an interview with The New York Times in July, Biden affirmed he ‘made every decision’ on his own.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

This is a developing news story; check back for updates.