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Senate hopeful says Texas home to the ‘best drag queens in the nation’ in resurfaced comments
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Senate hopeful James Talarico is on the defensive after remarks resurfaced in which he lavished praise on Texas drag queens as «some of the best» in the country.
Talarico, the Democrats’ nominee in Texas’ hotly contested Senate race, made the comment in May 2023 while criticizing a bill in the state legislature banning «sexually oriented performances» on public property and in the presence of minors — a measure that would have likely restricted some drag shows.
He voted «present» on the legislation at the urging of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus after language explicitly referencing drag performers was stripped from an earlier version, arguing the revised bill would better protect their performances, in a statement to The Texas Newsroom.
«I think Texas is obviously the best state in the nation and I think we produce some of the best drag queens in the nation,» Talarico told the outlet. «And I didn’t want any legislation to target them or hurt that industry.»
Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico speaks during the Hispanic Caucus at the Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi on June 26, 2026. (Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images)
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Talarico, a 37-year-old state legislator and seminarian, has repeatedly sparked controversy over past remarks on Christianity and gender issues in which he argued, «God is nonbinary,» claimed there are six biological sexes and gushed over transgender children.
The former middle school teacher also raised eyebrows in a resurfaced clip from 2022 in which he argued that scaling back meat consumption is «existential» to combating climate change and praised a left-wing activist group that advocated for dismantling the state’s massive oil and gas industry.
Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton’s campaign hammered Talarico’s drag queen praise in a statement to Fox News Digital.
«This is just one more addition to the long list of out-of-touch, extreme views James Talarico holds that are out of step with the people of Texas,» Paxton spokeswoman Madison Cercy said.
Talarico’s remarks also prompted sharp criticism from the Republican National Committee (RNC), which is working aggressively to keep the open seat currently held by retiring Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in Republican hands.
«He needs to stay away from kids and stop forcing his creepy trans-for-all agenda on Texas,» RNC spokesman Zach Kraft told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to Talarico’s campaign for comment.
A child listens as drag queen Brigitte Bandit reads a book during a drag story hour at The Little Gay Shop fashion accessories store on Aug. 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
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Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, signed the legislation, known as Senate Bill 12, in June 2023, but its enforcement has been subject to years-long legal challenges brought by LGBTQ organizations over alleged violations of First Amendment rights. Under the law, businesses can face up to a $10,000 fine for hosting a prohibited performance and drag performers could also be subject to criminal penalties.
In February, a federal appeals court allowed the state law regulating drag shows to go into effect, while a legal fight over its constitutionality continues.
«I will always work to shield our children from exposure to erotic and inappropriate sexually-oriented performances,» Paxton wrote in a November 2025 press release. «It is an honor to have defended this law, ensuring that our state remains safe for families and children, and I look forward to continuing to vigorously defend it on remand before the district court.»
Republicans’ criticism comes as Talarico is locked in a dead heat with Paxton just months ahead of the November midterm elections, according to recent polling.
A New York Times/Siena College survey released last week found that both candidates are tied, with 47% of the vote among likely voters in Texas.
According to the poll, approximately half of the respondents said Paxton, a Trump ally aligned with the MAGA movement, is too extreme, while just 43% viewed Talarico that way.
Additionally, less than four in 10 respondents believe Paxton has good character or the right kind of morals, while 56% and 51% of voters, respectively, said Talarico does, the survey found.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is shown during the Texas GOP convention in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on June 12, 2026. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
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However, the poll indicated that Talarico could struggle to overcome Democrats’ toxic brand in the Lone Star state, with 53% of respondents viewing the party as too far to the left.
politics, texas, midterm elections, senate elections, democrats elections
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Conmoción en Damasco: explotaron dos bombas frente al hotel de Macron durante su visita a Siria
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Cuba restablece parcialmente la electricidad tras el tercer apagón nacional en seis meses
Cuba afirmó este martes haber restablecido más del 30% del suministro eléctrico en La Habana tras un nuevo apagón nacional, en un contexto de crisis energética agudizada por el bloqueo petrolero de Estados Unidos. Es el tercer apagón en los últimos seis meses y el octavo desde finales de 2024.
Según el último parte de la Empresa Eléctrica de La Habana, se han restablecido los “circuitos de distribución que benefician a 262.369 clientes (…) para el 30,4% en la ciudad”.
“El restablecimiento se realiza de forma gradual en la medida que lo permitan las condiciones”, añade la empresa, según la cual ya funcionan los servicios “vitales de salud” de 43 centros de atención médica de la capital.
La falta de combustible “complejiza indiscutiblemente el proceso de restauración” de la red eléctrica, había declarado el lunes por la noche en la televisión estatal Lázaro Guerra, director de Electricidad del Ministerio de Energía y Minas.
Miguel Díaz-Canel responsabilizó directamente a la política estadounidense de sanciones contra la isla. “Mientras EEUU trata de inducir un estallido social por asfixia, al bloquear los accesos de combustible a Cuba, la UNE (Unión Eléctrica de Cuba) se moviliza”, dijo en X.
“Es heroico lo que hacen los trabajadores eléctricos en medio de un bloqueo energético genocida”, añadió.
A mediodía del lunes, la compañía eléctrica anunció “desconexión total” del sistema que afecta a toda la isla, donde viven 9,6 millones de personas. No se precisaron las causas.
El envejecimiento del sistema eléctrico sumado al bloqueo petrolero desde enero hace que los cubanos enfrenten apagones de hasta 30 horas en la capital, y de varios días en el interior de la isla.
“Al final, teníamos tres o cuatro horas de luz al día, así que el mayor impacto ahora es que no sabes cuándo volverás a tener ese poquito de luz”, declaró a la AFP Meybol Font, una trabajadora independiente, de 51 años.
“Es agónico vivir así”, acotó la mujer.
La producción de electricidad en el país depende principalmente de siete centrales térmicas obsoletas, algunas de las cuales llevan más de 40 años en explotación y sufren averías frecuentes o deben parar para mantenimiento, así como de una red de generadores de respaldo alimentados con diésel importado.
La central eléctrica Antonio Guiteras, ubicada en el oeste de la isla y la principal del país, se encuentra paralizada desde hace varios días por una falla.
Esta central ha registrado más de 15 paralizaciones sucesivas por averías desde principios de año. Esta situación provoca cortes y racionamientos constantes, pese a un amplio programa de construcción de parques solares lanzado hace dos años.
Cuba se encuentra sumida en una fuerte crisis económica con escasez de alimentos, medicinas y una inflación galopante.
Los apagones se han intensificado desde que la administración estadounidense de Donald Trump cortó los envíos de petróleo desde Venezuela, principal proveedor de la isla, y amenazó con sanciones a otros países que le vendan combustible.
Un joven programador de 24 años que trabaja para una empresa privada de desarrollo de software en La Habana Vieja regresaba frustrado a su casa.
“No hay wifi, no hay electricidad, no podemos trabajar”, explicó a la AFP el joven, que prefirió no revelar su identidad.
Cuba solicitó para el martes una sesión especial de la Asamblea General, el principal órgano representativo de las Naciones Unidas, para abordar el tema de las sanciones estadounidenses.
En ese contexto, el canciller cubano, Bruno Rodríguez, afirmó el lunes que Washington busca impedir que la Asamblea se pronuncie sobre el impacto del bloqueo petrolero y otras sanciones impuestas a la isla.
“El gobierno de EEUU intenta impedir que la Asamblea General de la ONU se pronuncie. Presiona a gobiernos y busca coaccionar la voluntad soberana de los Estados miembros”, señaló en X Rodríguez, quien participará de la sesión del martes en la sede de la ONU en Nueva York.
Se requiere una votación de los Estados miembros para la apertura de un debate de este tipo ante la Asamblea General.
(AFP)
General Society,Human Interest,South America / Central America,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
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Extremist streamer declares NYC an Islamic republic with popular terror chant: ‘Mamdani’s New York’
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A streamer who broadcasts to more than 1 million followers on a popular online platform set off a viral firestorm after invoking Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s name as he declared Islam would take over New York City.
«Allahu Akbar!» the extremist internet personality Sneako yelled amidst a group of Egypt soccer fans while drums were banged and horns were blown. Egyptian flags waved among the crowd as they chanted along.
Sneako, whose real name is Nicolas Kenn De Balinthazy, has been described as a provocateur and palled around with the online antisemitic far-right during his rise to social media stardom. Before that, he was all-in on his support for the political far-left and supported the presidential campaign of socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in 2016. He reportedly converted to Islam in 2023.
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But Friday night, after Egypt dethroned Australia in the World Cup, he may have made his most controversial splash yet while live broadcasting on the streets of New York City on the video streaming platform Kick.
Mockingly wiping tears from his eyes, Sneak said: «Oh no, oh no. F— you!»
«This is the Islamic Republic of New York-istan,» he continued. «Islam will be in every household. Inshallah the whole world will be Muslim.»
«Welcome to Mamdani’s New York. You see this city? You see how it looks? Inshallah, your city looks just like this too,» he shouted among the crowd.
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«Inshallah» is Arabic for «God willing,» and «Allahu Akbar» is Arabic for «God is great.»
Sneako attends WrestleMania After Dark Las Vegas Hall Of Fame event featuring Metro Boomin at LIV Nightclub at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images) (Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
Mamdani is the first Muslim mayor of New York.
The clip of Sneako quickly circulated the web, garnering tens of millions of views across platforms including Instagram and X, while thousands of people slammed him for the pronouncement.
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One of the sharpest replies came from Rob O’Neill, the Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden in an early morning raid on the terrorist’s compound in 2011.
«These guys sound WAY different when you wake them up at 2am,» he said.
A pair of massive personalities on X, who have a history of bad blood, even teamed up to demand a harsh punishment for the streamer.
«Deport him NOW!!!» conspiracy theorist Alex Jones said in reply to the clip, which elicited a response from X owner and former Jones opponent Elon Musk.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a primary-night watch party for congressional candidate Claire Valdez at 99 Scott Studio on June 23, 2026 in Brooklyn. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
«Yes,» Musk simply replied.
When Musk purchased X — then Twitter — and vowed the return of free speech to the platform, Jones had been permanently suspended. At first, Musk was hesitant to reinstate Jones given the Sandy Hook controversy that surrounded the radio show host. Eventually, however, Musk relented.
One X user labeled the streamer as a «Disgusting creature.»
«Send this dude to Iran if he hates America so much,» said another.
Sneako appeared to cryptically address the controversy in a post of his own on X Sunday night.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, arrived in Beijing aboard Air Force One as part of President Donald Trump’s delegation for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Johannes Neudecker/picture alliance/Getty Images)
«Every knee will bow,» he posted. «Every tongue confess.»
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On Monday, he took a shot at Musk for echoing Jones’ deportation post.
«Go back to Africa,» he told Musk, who is native to South African. «This is my country.»
Mamdani’s office did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Sneako’s comments.
politics, elon musk, islam, zohran mamdani, new york city
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