Google DeepMind has introduced a powerful on-device version of its Gemini Robotics AI.This new system allows robots to complete complex tasks without relying on a cloud connection. Known as Gemini Robotics On-Device, the model brings Gemini's advanced reasoning and control capabilities directly into physical robots. It is designed for fast, reliable performance in places with poor or no internet connectivity, making it ideal for real-world, latency-sensitive environments.GOOGLE WORKING TO DECODE DOLPHIN COMMUNICATION USING AIUnlike its cloud-connected predecessor, this version runs entirely on the robot itself. It can understand natural language, perform fine motor tasks and generalize from very little data, all without requiring an internet connection. According to Carolina Parada, head of robotics at Google DeepMind, the system is "small and efficient enough" to operate directly onboard. Developers can use the model in situations where connectivity is limited, without sacrificing intelligence or flexibility.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?Gemini Robotics On-Device can be customized with just 50 to 100 demonstrations. The model was first trained using Google's ALOHA robot, but it has already been adapted to other platforms like Apptronik's Apollo humanoid and the Franka FR3. For the first time, developers can fine-tune a DeepMind robotics model. Google is offering access through its trusted tester program and has released a full SDK to support experimentation and development.Since the artificial intelligence runs directly on the robot, all data stays local. This approach offers better privacy for sensitive applications, such as in healthcare. It also allows robots to continue operating during internet outages or in isolated environments. Google sees this version as a strong fit for remote, security-sensitive, or infrastructure-poor settings. The system delivers faster response times and fewer points of failure, opening up new possibilities for robot deployment in real-world settings.The on-device model does not include built-in semantic safety features. Google recommends that developers build safety systems into their robots using tools like the Gemini Live API and trusted low-level controllers. The company is limiting access to select developers to better study safety risks and real-world applications. While the hybrid model still offers more overall power, this version holds its own for most common use cases and helps push robotics closer to everyday deployment.The release of Gemini Robotics On-Device marks a turning point. Robots no longer need a constant cloud connection to be smart, adaptive, and useful. With faster performance and stronger privacy, these systems are ready to tackle real-world tasks in places where traditional robots might fail.Would you be comfortable handing off tasks to a robot that doesn't need the internet to think? Let us know by writing to us atCyberguy.com/Contact.Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, youll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join myCYBERGUY.COM/NEWSLETTER.Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

After facing several months of backlash, the Colorado state Capitol has replaced a controversial portrait of President Donald Trump, which he claimed was "purposely distorted" by the artist.A new presidential portrait, recently donated by the White House, was installed last week at the Denver Capitol, the Colorado Capitol Building Advisory Committee told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. It replaces Colorado artist Sarah Boardmans painting, which had hung since 2019.Despite the previous portraits six-year run on display, Trump took to social media last spring to criticize the artwork, saying Boardman "must have lost her talent as she got older" and had "purposely distorted" his image. The Colorado Springs artist denied the claims.While Boardmans painting depicted a much younger Trump,the latest display by Arizona artist Vanessa Horabuena mirrors Trumps intense official presidential photo.TRUMPS FRESH WHITE HOUSE PORTRAIT SPARKS INTEREST AMID CONTROVERSY OVER NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY LEADERSHIPCOLORADO TO TAKE DOWN TRUMP PAINTING AT STATE CAPITOL"Thank you to the Highly Talented Artist, Vanessa Horabuena, and the incredible people of Colorado," Trump said Tuesday on Truth Social.Horabuena is a "Christian worship artist" who has done several other depictions of Trump as well as Abraham Lincoln, Mount Rushmore and Jesus Christ, according to her website. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.Boardman told Fox News Digital she had no comment on the new painting.TRUMP WANTS 'DISTORTED' PORTRAIT OF HIMSELF REMOVED FROM COLORADO CAPITOL, SLAMS GOV. POLIS: 'TRULY THE WORST'The Horabuena portrait was installed as a temporary display following a Thursday decision by the advisory committee, which oversees art displays at the Capitol."The Capitol Building Advisory Committee has agreed at the committee's meeting on June 26, 2025, to temporarily display this donated portrait and will consider the disposition of the full presidential portrait collection at a future meeting," the committee told Fox News Digital. "The new portrait is installed in the third floor gallery of the Colorado Capitol."Lois Court, a former state lawmaker who chairs the committee, told the Associated Press that installing the donated artwork was the right move."There was a blank on the wall," Court said. "It seemed inappropriate. We knew that the White House had sent us this replacement and it simply made sense to put it up."Boardmansportrait was removed from the Capitols presidential gallery wall in April, according to the committee, after Colorado Democrats who control the legislature agreed to take it down at the request of local Republican leaders."Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,"Trump said in March on Truth Social. "The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one of me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older."The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Florida police bomb squad used explosives on various household items to educate the public about fireworks dangers ahead of July Fourth.The Fort Lauderdale Police Bomb Squad demonstrated the potential harm fireworks can inflict on the human body, using explosives similar to an M-80 on a paint can, cantaloupe, and watermelon.Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and Broward Health released a video of the demonstration to educate the community about safety and address common fireworks-related injuries."The Fourth of July is one of the busiest times of year for our emergency departments," said Dr. Robert Chisholm, an emergency physician at Broward Health. "We typically see an increase in visits due to fireworks and sparkler injuries, dehydration and heat-related illnesses, food poisoning, severe sunburns, and alcohol-related accidents."CREWS RESPOND TO MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS AT FIREWORKS FACILITY IN CALIFORNIAOfficials also tested sparklers on raw chicken to show what kind of injuries the hand-held firework can cause to human skin.Fireworks-related injuries and deaths typically spike around the holiday.FOURTH OF JULY HISTORY: WHY AMERICANS MARK THE OCCASION WITH FIREWORKSThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urged caution last week, reporting 11 fireworks-related deaths and an estimated 14,700 injuries last year. Most deaths involved misuse or device malfunctions.According to the CPSC, deaths increased 38% in 2024 compared to the previous year, while injuries spiked 52% during the same period.Sparklers accounted for about 1,700 emergency room visits in 2024, the CPSC noted.

Former CIA Director John Brennan, who served under former President Barack Obama, pushed for the so-called "Steele dossier," which featured salacious material and unfounded allegations about President Donald Trump's connections to Russia, to be included in an assessment evaluating Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to a review declassified Wednesday.The CIA, FBI and National Security Agency's Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) evaluating Russias interference in the 2016 presidential election diverted from intelligence standards and featured some "procedural anomalies," according to a new lessons-learned review of the assessment that CIA Director John Ratcliffe ordered for declassification Wednesday.The lessons-learned review determined that the "decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment."TRUMP MISREPRESENTED HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP LETTER, JOHN BRENNAN COMPLAINS AFTER LOSING SECURITY CLEARANCESpecifically, the new review found that the CIAs deputy director for analysis said in a December 2016 email to Brennan that including the dossier in any capacity jeopardized "the credibility of the entire paper.""Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness," the new review stated. "When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier by the two mission center leadersone with extensive operational experience and the other with a strong analytic backgroundhe appeared more swayed by the Dossier's general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns. Brennan ultimately formalized his position in writing, stating that my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report."Brennan served as director of the CIA from March 2013 to January 2017 under the Obama administration.The dossier originated after law firm Perkins Coie hired opposition research firm Fusion GPS to conduct opposition research into then-presidential candidate Trump in April 2016 on behalf of Trump's opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic National Committee.Fusion GPS hired former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, who composed the so-called "Steele dossier." The document included scandalous and mostly unverified allegations, including details that Trump engaged in sex acts with Russian prostitutes.Trump has denied the allegations included in the dossier.DNI DECLASSIFIES BRENNAN NOTES, CIA MEMO ON HILLARY CLINTON STIRRING UP SCANDAL BETWEEN TRUMP, RUSSIABrennan could not be reached for comment by Fox News Digital.The lessons-learned review also found fault with other tradecraft employed while drafting the ICA, including a rushed timeline and atypical involvement of agency heads while compiling the assessment."While agency heads sometimes review controversial analytic assessments before publication, their direct engagement in the ICA's development was highly unusual in both scope and intensity," the review said. "This exceptional level of senior involvement likely influenced participants, altered normal review processes, and ultimately compromised analytic rigor."Additionally, the review said that Brennan sent a note to intelligence community analysts one day before their only session coordinating on the ICA that he had met with then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and then-FBI Director James Comey. The review said that Brennan told the CIA workforce that "there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our recent Presidential election."COMEY SAYS NEW INFORMATION THAT HILLARY CLINTON DRUMMED UP RUSSIA CONTROVERSY TO VILIFY TRUMP DOESNT RING A BELL"While officers involved in drafting the ICA consistently said they did not feel pressured to reach specific conclusions, Brennans premature signaling that agency heads had already reached consensus before the ICA was even coordinated risked stifling analytic debate," the review said.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPRatcliffe ordered the "lessons-learned" review of the ICA earlier in 2025 specifically focused on the ICAs assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin "aspired" to assist Trump win the 2016 election, and declassified the results Wednesday in an attempt to promote transparency, according to a CIA news release."Agency heads at the time created a politically charged environment that triggered an atypical analytic process around an issue essential to our democracy," Ratcliffe said in a Wednesday statement. "Under my watch, I am committed to ensuring that our analysts have the ability to deliver unvarnished assessments that are free from political influence."

An MS-13 gang leader from the suburbs of New York City is expected to be sentenced Wednesday in a federal racketeering case involving eight murders, including the 2016 slayings of two Long Island teenage girls. Also known as "Blasty" and "Plaky," Alexi Saenz pleaded guilty last July to his role in ordering and approving the killings as well as other crimes during a rash of bloody violence that prompted President Donald Trump to make several visits to Long Island promising to eradicate the criminal organization.Among the killings Saenz oversaw were the deaths of Kayla Cuevas, 16, and Nisa Mickens, 15, lifelong friends and classmates at Brentwood High School who were brutally slain with a machete and a baseball bat. Other victims included Javier Castillo, 15, of Central Islip, who was befriended by gang members only to be hacked with a machete in the head, neck, torso and extremities in an isolated marsh. His remains were buried and not found until a year later.Another victim, Oscar Acosta, 19, was found dead in a wooded area near railroad tracks nearly five months after he left his Brentwood home to play soccer.LAME DUCK BIDEN'S DOJ GIVES BRUTAL GANG LEADER SWEETHEART PLEA DEAL IN MURDER SPREE THAT KILLED 7Cuevas and Mickens were honored during Trump's 2018 State of the Union address, with the victims' parents in attendance.During his first term, Trump announced in 2020 that the Justice Department would be seeking the death penalty against Saenz.Under the Biden administration, however, Attorney General Merrick Garland informed federal prosecutors in November 2023 that the DOJ was pulling its intent to seek capital punishment against Saenz or his brother, Jairo Saenz.Saenzs lawyers are seeking a sentence of 45 years behind bars, but federal prosecutors want the judge to impose the maximum sentence of 70 years and argue Saenz deserves to live out his days in prison for his "senseless" and "sadistic" crimes."The eight victims who lost their lives did nothing to deserve what the MS-13 did to them," prosecutors wrote in legal filings ahead of Wednesdays hearing. "The defendant and the others killed them in service of the gang without remorse or any regard for them as human beings."But Saenz's lawyers have argued for leniency, saying in their own legal filings that the now-30-year-old is remorseful and "on a journey of redemption" while incarcerated.FBI TAKES DOWN ANTI-TREN GANG MEMBERS IN LARGEST BUST YET IN VIOLENT MIGRANT TURF WAR"With the passage of time and much reflection, it is hard for Mr. Saenz to reconcile the person he is today with the person he was when he committed the crimes," their sentencing memo reads. "He is profoundly sorry, and although he knows the families may not accept his apology, it is sincere, and he accepts full responsibility for his participation in these crimes."Saenz's lawyers also say he suffers from intellectual disabilities and lasting trauma from an abusive father and difficult upbringing in El Salvador. They say Saenz was recruited and unwittingly "groomed" into MS-13 because he was an "easily influenced" and "gullible" high school student on Long Island.Prosecutors, however, counter that Saenz has remained "firmly entrenched" in MS-13 while in a federal lockup in Brooklyn for the past eight years. They cited photos of him posing with other gang members behind bars and displaying gang signs and gang paraphernalia. They also say Saenz has been disciplined for assaulting other inmates, refusing staff orders and possessing sharpened metal shanks, cellphones and other contraband."Indeed, the same pattern of violence and mayhem that has marked his life on the street has not waned with the passage of time," prosecutors wrote.The DOJ says Saenz was the leader of an MS-13 "clique" operating in Brentwood and Central Islip known as Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside.He admitted in July 2024 that hed authorized the eight killings and three other attempted killings of perceived rivals and others who had disrespected or feuded with the clique.Saenz also admitted to arson, firearms offenses and drug trafficking the proceeds of which went toward buying firearms, more drugs and providing contributions to the wider MS-13 gang.Trump designated MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in February, shortly after beginning his second term.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

\The Wisconsin Supreme Court's newly elected liberal majority on Wednesday voted to strike down a near-total state abortion ban, voting 4-3 to overturn the stringent, 176-year-old law.The decision reflected a deeply partisan split, with all four liberal justicesvoting to invalidate the 1849 abortion law and the three conservative justices dissenting.It also crystallized the impact of the state's Supreme Court election earlier this year that raked in millions of dollars in donations, the highest amount in U.S. history for a judicial race. It included involvement from then-Trump ally Elon Musk, former President Barack Obama and others.Writing for the majority, Justice Rebecca Dallet said the law had been superseded by more recent precedent, including a 1985 statute that allowed for abortions up to the point of fetal viability, or around the 20-week mark.AFTER STINGING ELECTION DEFEATS, DNC EYES RURAL VOTERS AS KEY TO 2026 MIDTERM SUCCESS"We conclude that comprehensive legislation enacted over the last 50 years regulating in detail the 'who, what, where, when, and how' of abortion so thoroughly covers the entire subject of abortion that it was meant as a substitute for the 19th century near-total ban on abortion," Dallet wrote."Accordingly, we hold that the legislature impliedly repealed [the 1849 ban] to abortion, and that [that law] therefore does not ban abortion in the State of Wisconsin."Conservative Justice Annette Ziegler, in a dissent, described the ruling as "a jaw-dropping exercise of judicial will" and charged that the liberal justices ruled on the matter based on their personal preferences.The 1849 law, and efforts to revive it, came to the fore in Wisconsin in 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade effectively snapping back into place the state law that had been dormant for decades.JUDGES V, TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDAThe Wisconsin law made it a felony for individuals in Wisconsin to perform abortions, including when the health of the woman was at risk, and without exceptions in cases of rape or incest.Though the law was not enforced by the state in recent years, at least some Republicans had urged the state Supreme Court to keep it in place, prompting opponents to push more urgently for it to be struck down.The 4-3 decision puts to rest the possibility that it could be revived.NINTH CIRCUIT REJECTS TRUMP'S BID TO REINSTATE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDERIt's also the clearest sign to date of the impact that liberals on the bench could have after they regained the court majority in 2023 for the first time in 15 years.The closely watched state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin was the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, attracting more than $100 million in donations and far eclipsing the $56 million spent on the state Supreme Court race just two years earlier, according to figures compiled by the Brennan Center for Justice.Susan Crawford ultimately beat out conservative candidate Brad Schimel, who was backed by President Donald Trump and Musk.Musk personally donated $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party earlier this year, while his two super PACs spent more than $17 million on Schimel's behalf.Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers praised the state Supreme Court decision Wednesday, describing it as a win "for women and families" and healthcare professionals in the state."Threeyears ago, the U.S. Supreme Court upended five decades of precedent and threw reproductive freedom in Wisconsin and across our country into chaos," Evers said in a statement. "I promised then to fight like hell to ensure every Wisconsinite has the freedom to consult their family, their faith and their doctor and make the reproductive healthcare decision that is right for them, and I've never stopped."Today, the Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld that basic freedom."

Elizabeth Hurley is officially in summer mode.On July 1, the "Austin Powers" star posted a photo of herself on Instagram enjoying some sunshine while aboard a small boat. Wearing a leopard-print swimsuit, Hurley gave a smile as a rainbow was on full display across the sky behind her."Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true," she wrote in the caption.HEIDI KLUM, EVA LONGORIA SHOW OFF CURVES IN BODY-BARING GOWNS: PHOTOSAPP USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST"Thank you for sharing our song in such a sweet beautiful and truly wholesome way!!!! You are one of a kind young lady!!! Truly an original," her boyfriend, country superstar Billy Ray Cyrus, commented.Fans were quick to share their positive feedback in the comment section."Smile, joy, femininity, sex appeal, grace, allure, beauty, beautiful body, knowledge, experience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, principles..., it's a wonder this speedboat didn't sink from the weight of Elizabeth's qualities," one fan wrote.LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS"Damn girl youve still got it. I think you and Billy make a cool couple. Hope it works out for you both," another wrote.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERHurley debuted her new romance with the country singer on Easter Sunday. In a photo posted on Instagram, Cyrus had his arm wrapped around Hurley and was kissing her on the cheek, as she leaned into his body.Hurley gushed about her relationship while speaking with European news outlet RTL TV in May."We are very happy, we both love country music, we both love the country, and we both love our kids. We're happy together," she told the outlet, per People.The new couple previously worked together with Kelsey Grammer on the 2022 romantic comedy, "Christmas in Paradise."When speaking about his relationship, Cyrus told "The Ty Bentli Show" that while they didn't share many scenes together on screen, anytime "we were in the same scene, there was a chemistry there," and that she would make him laugh during a hard time in his life."It's just been beautiful," Cyrus said, adding there are "no expectations of where we go from here other than her and her son. I do love him a lot, and its great that God brought them into my life when he did. Its just a good thing. Its been a long time since Ive been this happy."

The U.S. men's national team is vying for the coveted Concacaf Gold Cup winners trophy. But, as the USMNT prepared for Wednesday's semifinal match against Guatemala, a flying object caused a disruption at the team's training grounds.An unidentified party was believed to have been operating what appeared to be a drone in the vicinity of the team's training facility in St. Louis, CBS Sports reported.The U.S. Soccer Federation did deploy three drones ahead of Tuesday's practice session, per the Associated Press. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino ultimately made light of the fourth, unexpected drone.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"If someone want some clips we can send. Its not a problem," Pochettino said. "We are not going to hide nothing. Its not the NASA here. It is the national mens national team. No problem."The drone in question eventually landed outside the training facility's fenced perimeter.2025 GOLD CUP, ODDS: FOR BOOKMAKERS, 'USA-MEXICO FINAL IS PREFERRED'ESPN reported that U.S. soccer staffers are working to identify the drone.Aside from the aerial disruption, the USMNT had to contend with a situation at ground level. A group of individuals had to be asked to cease what appeared to be unauthorized filming of the session, CBS Sports reported. It remains unclear whether the incident had any correlation to the flying object.The U.S. men have not advanced to the Gold Cup final since 2021. The Americans brought home the championship that year. Guatemala's national team has never appeared in the final.As it relates to the crucial semifinal, Pochettino said it was not clear whether midfielder Johnny Cardoso will be available for Wednesday's match. Cardoso missed Sundays quarterfinal win over Costa Rica."He was today training a little bit, but hes feeling... a problem again in his ankle," Pochettino said. "Its not a big issue, but its an uncomfortable situation."The Associated Press contributed to this report.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss was noticeably absent from several broadcasts of ESPN's long-running "Sunday NFL Countdown" down the stretch of last year's NFL season.The former wide receiver was forced to step away from his broadcasting duties when he learned of a cancer diagnosis. He made his health situation public last December.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMMoss was able to make an appearance on ESPN in February on Super Bowl Sunday. "It's been hard but I got a lot of love and a lot of people believe in me, man. So I'm happy to be here," Moss said on Feb. 9 during his return to the ESPN set inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.The former Minnesota Vikings star is now set to return to the "Sunday NFL Countdown" on a full-time basis in time for the start of the 2025 season, ESPN confirmed to The Athletic.FOOTBALL COMMUNITY RALLIES AROUND NFL LEGEND RANDY MOSS AFTER REVEALING CANCER DIAGNOSISESPN described Moss' return as one of this offseason's watershed moments."Randy's return on Super Bowl Sunday was an emotional lift not just for our team but for the entire football community and knowing he will resume his full Sunday NFL Countdown schedule, beginning in Week 1, has been the highlight of the offseason," the network said in a statement sent to The Athletic.In December, Moss went to his social media platform to reveal he was "battling something internally." He later stated that he was hospitalized after he underwent a procedure to treat cancer located in the bile duct between the pancreas and the liver.Shortly after his announcement, ESPN confirmed Moss would take some time away from his role with the network."They found it in the bile duct right between the pancreas and the liver, and that the cancer was sitting right outside the bile duct," he said on Dec. 13.The treatment plan for Moss included radiation and chemotherapy.The upcoming 2025 NFL season will coincide with Moss' 10th season with ESPN.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Outgoing Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin headlined a major rally Monday for the statewide Republican ticket in the 2025 election, visiting the heavily-Democratic confines of Fairfax County to deliver their message and draw contrasts between themselves and blue states like their trans-Potomac neighbor.Youngkin, his potential successor, GOP nominee Winsome Earle-Sears, lieutenant gubernatorial nominee John Reid, Attorney General Jason Miyares and former FBI Agent Stewart Whitson; the Republican hoping to win a major upset for the late Rep. Gerry Connollys seat, all spoke to a crowd of more than 500 that packed into the sweltering Vienna fire hall on Monday."Are you ready to sweep?" Youngkin fired up the crowd, hearkening back multiple times to his own sweep in 2021, when he, Earle-Sears and Miyares all won upset victories against former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who was leading the Democratic ticket then.Youngkin said he and the statewide candidates assembled all proved that Virginia could bounce back from the McAuliffe-Northam era, which he characterized as pockmarked by COVID-19 lockdowns, and businesses and families fleeing the state.POTENTIAL YOUNGKIN SUCCESSOR FOCUSED ON MESSAGE IN TOUGH RACE TO KEEP SWING-STATE 'RED'"The last time the Democrats had full control of the commonwealth of Virginia, they tried to turn her into California. Or as Winsome said, maybe even Maryland," Youngkin said, contrasting the Old Dominion with the Old Line State in terms of taxation, education and business-friendly environs.Youngkin said that since about the end of the administration of Gov. Bob McDonnell in 2014, Virginia progressively sank to the bottom third of the U.S. in job growth, and a decade straight of more people leaving than moving in."Don't Maryland my Virginia," he said.Across the Potomac, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has been widely rumored as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, while Republicans, including predecessor Larry Hogan, have criticized tax hikes and budget woes.Fox News Digital reached out to Moore for a response to Youngkin.Both Youngkin and Earle-Sears had just returned from the Monday ribbon-cutting of the countrys now-northernmost Buc-ees travel center near Harrisonburg, which the duo said proved Virginia is "open for business" and added hundreds of jobs in Rockingham County.That theme carried into Wednesday, as Earle-Sears pledged to build on the past four years of progress and focus on convincing rural communities that Richmond hasnt forgotten them.There were also references made to New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist from Queens.VIRGINIA REPUBLICANS PICK RADIO HOST TO RUN ALONGSIDE WINSOME SEARS IN RACE TO REPLACE YOUNGKINEarle-Sears warned that some candidates in Virginia in this years election are espousing "ideas that are socialist in nature."Virginias GOP ticket is notably diverse, with Earle-Sears, Reid who would be the first gay statewide officeholder and Miyares, who is of Cuban descent.Outside the fire hall, amid sporadic thundershowers and incredible humidity, a few dozen left-wing demonstrators utilized a megaphone to protest the event, holding signs and banners claiming Republicans are trying to kill Medicaid.Also in attendance was Whitson, who has a major climb to defeat Connolly confidant and Fairfax County Supervisor James Walkinshaw.But the ex-G-man was upbeat, saying Democrats who ushered in years of "destructive" policies like DEI and reckless spending have "destroyed our economy," and the folks in the Washington suburbs he hopes to represent are realizing that as well.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"It's time for us to have a U.S. congressman in Northern Virginia who actually cares about the people and the issues that matter," he said.Miyares reflected on the changes hes seen under four years of Republican control of the executive branch, quipping that Virginia in 2021 had been "like when you watch those mafia movies and the guy wakes up in the trunk of the Buick and he doesnt know where hes headed, but he knows its not a good final destination."Reid called Wednesday "commitment day," as he spoke before the assembled GOP ticket.Miyares faces Del. Jerrauld "Jay" Jones, D-Norfolk, Reid faces state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, and Earle-Sears faces former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va, in the general election.