In what he described as an effort to "compete in all 50 states," former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich took his surging campaign to New York City, holding a private one-on-one meeting with Donald Trump and a fundraiser at the Union League Club's New York headquarters.

Gingrich met with "The Donald" in his midtown Manhattan office Monday morning and, arriving in a black SUV, was immediately swarmed by dozens of members of the media jostling for a word with the newly minted frontrunner. About 50 tourists were among the crowd, taking a break from their holiday shopping along Fifth Avenue for an unexpected surprise.

Following the nearly hour-long meeting, both men emerged from Trump's 26th floor office to take questions from reporters. Praising Trump for being an "American icon," Gingrich talked about an idea he pitched to Trump: creating a mentoring program in one of New York City's poorest school districts. Trump called it "a great idea" and, never missing an opportunity to self-promote, said he would be happy to get on board creating ten "apprenti," which is a word he made up to pluralize the word "apprentice." (read more)

Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-NY, has traveled to Israel to escort his former intern Ilan Grapel, 27, back to his home in New York City. Egyptian authorities accused Grapel of spying for Israel and arrested him in June.  

After discussions between the United States, Israel, and Egypt, The Jerusalem Post reports that the Israel Prison Service plans to exchange Grapel for 22 Egyptian soldiers.  

Israeli authorities have assured Ackerman that Grapel was not, in fact, a spy.

Grapel, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship, is expected to be released Thursday. His arrival in the United States is yet to be determined.

The race was over Tuesday night, but the post-game analysis over the special election in which Democrat Kathy Hochul won in a previously Republican district continues unabated.

Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel, the man tasked with winning back the majority for the party in 2012 said that the race in upstate New York greatly increases his party's odds. "I fundamentally believe that the House of Representatives is in play, and that Democrats can win a majority in November 2012."

Israel told reporters Thursday that the Hochul win would "inform our strategy, but it will not be our strategy." During the campaign, the Democratic candidate repeatedly hammered her Republican opponent, Jane Corwin, over her support for the House GOP budget plan, which proposes major changes to the Medicare health care entitlement program for the elderly.

"Voters wanted a candidate that would protect Medicare, not end Medicare," said Israel. (read more)

The race for Congress in New York's 26th District, a traditionally conservative part of the state, is shockingly close. Democrat Kathy Hochul is surging in the polls by attacking Republican State Assemblywoman Jane Corwin for her support of Rep. Paul Ryan's proposed overhaul of Medicare, arguing the approach will hurt seniors.

"My opponent has said that she would have voted for the Ryan budget had she been in Washington. Those are her words, not mine, so you can check the record," said Hochul.

Medicare coverage is a central theme in the battle. Corwin, a millionaire businesswoman, has fired back alleging that it's Hochul, the Erie County Clerk, who plans to slash funding for Medicare and Social Security.

"There have been a lot of lies and distortions about what my position on Medicare is, and it scares seniors quite frankly and I'm shocked and appalled by that. And I think it's important seniors understand that I'm trying to save the program," said Corwin in the waning hours of the campaign. "I want to protect it for them and for future generations."

Third party candidate and multimillionaire, Jack Davis, has tried to claim the Tea Party moniker. Trailing distantly in the polls, Davis still resents implications he could cost Corwin the election.

"They're taking votes from me. I'm not taking them from them, alright," he said. (read more)

In the coming weeks, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., will introduce new legislation that calls on the Veterans Affairs Department to be more proactive in informing and providing veterans with the services they're entitled to receive.

The legislation is called the Pro-Vets Act and would require the VA to offer each service member a thorough assessment of benefits and the materials they need to apply. Service members leaving the military would be automatically enrolled in VA health care. Gillibrand's office says that even though they are eligible for up to five years of free care, many never claim the benefit.

The senator is also calling for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which offers incentives to companies that hire veterans, to become permanent. Gillibrand is pushing for businesses to be permitted to write off 40 percent of the first $6,000 paid to returning troops. (read more)

The campaign arm of the House GOP is making a major ad buy in this month's special election to fill the vacant seat in New York's 26th congressional district.

The National Republican Congressional Committee  on Wednesday authorized funding to back Republican candidate Jane Corwin in the upstate New York race and a GOP strategist tells Fox News the group will make an initial ad purchase of around $265,000 in Buffalo and Rochester.

A Democratic official told Fox News earlier this week that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee would spend about the same amount in support of Kathy Hochul, the Democrat opposing Corwin.

New York's 26th district is a traditionally Republican district but the special election to replace Republican Rep. Chris Lee has become more competitive of late.

The special election will be held May 24th.

The campaign arm of the House GOP is getting involved in the increasingly competitive race to fill the vacant New York 26th district seat.

Republican Jane Corwin is facing Democrat Kathy Hochul in the special election to replace Republican Rep. Chris Lee who resigned earlier this year after a Craigslist photo scandal.

According to an official from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the group's Independent Expenditure Committee, which focuses on advertising and polling, has been authorized to spend money in the race. At this point, there are no firm plans for the campaign but the move makes funds available.

On Tuesday, a Democratic official told Fox News the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee plans to spend $250,000 on ads for Hochul in traditionally Republican upstate New York district.

The special election to fill the empty seat will be held on May 24th.

Congressman Ted Poe is demanding answers from NASA. The Texas Republican says he was shocked to hear that Houston was denied one of the four retired space shuttles.

On Tuesday, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced Atlantis will go to Florida, Endeavour will be sent to California and Discovery was awarded to the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport.

The prototype orbiter Enterprise, which was used for testing but never flew in space, will be sent to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.

"NASA made a mistake," Poe said during a Sunday interview with Fox News. "People understand the center of space exploration is at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It has been for almost 50 years. It is a historical snub, if you will, to take the shuttle and put it somewhere else."

Poe added that sending Enterprise to New York was "like putting the Statue of Liberty in Omaha." (read more)

There are various allegations of possible voter fraud across the country, against both parties, but nowhere does there seem to be a more unusual case than in Troy, New York.

A special prosecutor investigating allegations of voter fraud, Trey Smith, is collecting DNA from the majority of the city council...all Democrats. Five city councilmen, including the council president, as well as four other city and county public officials and political operatives, have been ordered to or have had their saliva swabbed for DNA samples to compare to absentee ballots and absentee ballot applications that were allegedly forged.

The investigation centers on what has been called "a massive voter fraud scheme," that involved absentee ballots for the Working Families Party, in September 2009. It has been alleged that Democrats tried to steal the primary election for city council and county legislature, by forging absentee ballots and ballot applications to ensure that their candidates also won the Working Families Party primary line.

'No comment," is what Democratic Council member Gary Galuski told us, as well as several other public officials who are under investigation.

But some were willing to talk about the scandal. (read more)

During the political season, we often hear from analysts, experts, former candidates and consultants on TV. But what about the people who put politicians in office to represent us?
And what are the important issues that American voters care about? 
Each week, we'll ask the same questions across a cross section of America and listen to what they have to say.
This week, we spoke with baseball fans in Atlanta, New Yorkers in Union Square and shoppers at Pike Place Market in Seattle.
Here's what they had to say about their mood as a voter, if they're planning to come out to the polls and if they're voting locally or nationally.

Take a listen: