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Pope Francis dead at 88, Vatican says
Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, who worked to instill progressive influences on the global church while maintaining unity with conservatives amid years of turmoil, died Monday morning, Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced.
He was 88 years old.
«Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,» Farrell announced.
«He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.»
U.S. Vice President JD Vance had just met with the pope on Sunday.
«I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul,» Vance said early Monday morning in a post on X.
Pope Francis meets with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his delegation during an audience at Casa Santa Marta on April 20, 2025, in Vatican City, Vatican. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
The pope preached frequently on the Catholic virtues of mercy, kindness and humility. He did not shy away from controversy, and American presidents, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden, were not immune from his views.
Less than a month into President Donald Trump’s presidency, the pontiff criticized the Republican’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and «will end badly.»
In a strongly worded letter to U.S. Catholic Bishops, the pope appeared to counter remarks made by Vice President JD Vance — who had recently converted to Catholicism — after he suggested Americans should care for family, communities and the country before caring about others.
«Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,» the pontiff wrote. «Worrying about personal, community or national identity, apart from these considerations.»
POPE FRANCIS EXPOSES CONFIDENTIAL DETAILS ABOUT HIS ELECTION AND RELATIONSHIPS IN LENGTHY INTERVIEW
Pope Francis meets with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and pastoral workers in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 15, 2022. (Reuters/Pavel Mikheyev)
Pope Francis in 2015 became the first pontiff to ever address a Joint Meeting of Congress where he spoke on a range of topics including immigration, family, the death penalty, climate change, extremism, religious freedom and the refugee crisis.
He joined American bishops and urged American leaders to abolish capital punishment and said Congress has a «role to play» in addressing global warming.
In 2022 he questioned then President Biden’s conscience on abortion in an interview during which he described the commander-in-chief’s religious identity and views on abortion as incoherent. «A month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life,» the pontiff said in the interview with Spanish-language outlet Univision.
He also weighed in on candidates Trump and Harris during the election campaign, where he bashed them both, saying, «Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,″ he said, according to the Associated Press.
Just weeks before President Trump’s second inauguration, he appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy to be the Archbishop of Washington. McElroy had been critical of Trump’s immigration policies during his first term as president.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian immigrant parents in Argentina, Francis made history as the first pope from the Americas — as well as the first Jesuit to hold the office.
He was elected pope in 2013 after the almost unprecedented retirement of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.
Bergolio’s father, Mario, was an accountant for the railway industry, and his mother, Regina, was a homemaker and caregiver for her five children.
POPE FRANCIS FUELS NEW SPECULATION ON FUTURE OF PONTIFICATE
Pope Francis, born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is shown here with his family. From left to right, standing, brother Alberto Horacio, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Oscar Adrian and sister Marta Regina, sitting, sister Maria Elena, mother Regina and father Mario Jose Francisco. (API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Throughout his early years, the future pope worked a number of menial jobs. He labored briefly in the stocking factory where his father was an accountant before moving on to other opportunities, including jobs as a bar bouncer and janitor.
He eventually sought a career as a chemical technician, receiving a diploma in chemistry from the secondary school Escuela Técnica Industrial N° 27 Hipólito Yrigoyen. He also worked briefly in a food laboratory. However, his career in chemistry was short-lived.
He entered the priesthood at the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto in Argentina. Francis was ordained a priest in 1969 and made his final profession with the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, in 1973. The same year, he was appointed as a provincial for the order.
His appointment as provincial was concurrent with the Dirty War, a period of intense state-led persecution of left-wing leaders and political dissidents. Bergolio experienced constant threats to his own safety as he worked to hide or aid in the escape of government targets, including many Catholic faithful.
Pope Francis’ is a fan of Argentina’s San Lorenzo Futbol Club. (API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
During that time, two Jesuit priests under his supervision were disappeared by the government, drugged and left barely alive in a field five months after their kidnapping. Pope Francis has said he was forced to negotiate with the regime for their release.
Bergolio would spend the next two decades bouncing from position to position at the direction of his superiors. He served as a professor of theology, seminary instructor, rector, doctoral student and parish priest.
In 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed Bergolio as titular Bishop of Auca and as an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. This was done at the request of Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who consecrated him to the episcopacy.
Bergoglio proved vital to the nation’s Catholic community, and he was quickly raised to the dignity of Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, serving alongside Quarracino and taking over the archdiocese entirely after his death the following year.
Bergoglio was given the crimson hat of a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
In 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was elected to the papacy, selecting the pontifical name «Francis» after St. Francis of Assisi — a choice that set the tone for the rest of his papacy.
POPE DERIDES BIDEN’S ABORTION VIEWS, CATHOLIC SELF-IDENTITY AS ‘INCOHERENCE’
Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected by the conclave of cardinals, at the Vatican on March 13, 2013. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney, and the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang out, signaling at the time that the Roman Catholic cardinals had elected a pope to succeed Benedict XVI. (Tony Gentile/Reuters)
Pope Francis’s teachings as a priest, bishop, cardinal and pope were deeply influenced by his Jesuit vocation — viewing each person as a unique creation of God, with whom they can have a personal relationship. His ministry and leadership were committed to keeping doors open and making the church approachable to the public.
It was not only American politics that he had strong opinions of.
He faced criticism for specific remarks he made against Israel’s military operation in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave «very serious and shameful.» During that same speech, he condemned the growth of antisemitism throughout the world, Reuters reported. He also called for an end to the war in Ukraine and expressed concerns over climate change.
In 2023, seemingly looking to strike a balance, he formally allowed Catholic priests to give same-sex couples a blessing, which was seen as being a radical shift in church policy, the Associated Press reported at the time.
Pope Francis is also remembered for living a life of intense simplicity, denying himself a lavish papal apartment in the Vatican upon his election, and opting instead for a two-room suite in the Domus Santa Marta, a residence built by Pope John Paul II.
Pope Francis celebrates the traditional rite of the washing of feet at the Casal del Marmo juvenile penitentiary on April 6, 2023, in Rome, Italy. On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis went to the outskirts of Rome to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Casal del Marmo juvenile penitentiary, where he carried out the traditional rite of the washing of the feet of twelve of the young people there. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
In contrast to his immediate predecessors, Pope Francis eschewed ornate robes or luxurious clothing. His outfit rarely consisted of more than a plain, white cassock tied with a papal fascia.
Pope Francis even dressed down his Ring of the Fisherman — a piece of gold jewelry worn by popes to signify their office — by having it made with silver and only wearing it for ceremonies.
Francis’s tenure continued the ongoing efforts to investigate decades of sexual abuse claims against priests across the world, including in the United States, with Francis vowing transparency in 2019.
«Transparency is now being implemented at the highest level,» said Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Archbishop of Malta and Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, after Francis gave legal authorities access to documents about sexual abuse cases and abolished the «pontifical secret» of the cases.
POPE FRANCIS DEFROCKS NOTORIOUS BISHOP WHO CONFESSED TO ABUSING HIS NEPHEW
Pope Francis meets President Donald Trump during his first term in the Private Library of the Apostolic Palace with his wife, Melania, his daughter, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. (Vatican/Pool/Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori via Getty Images)
He continued Benedict’s work to root malicious clerics out of the Church hierarchy «with the wrath of God,» appointing task forces and establishing victim aid groups.
Pope Francis proved frustrating for a wide variety of conservatives, liberals, traditionalists and progressives.
His gentle — at times vague and confusing — language on key social issues, such as sexuality and divorce, frustrated conservatives hoping for a more aggressive champion of Catholic moral teaching.
In July 2017, a group of Catholic clergy and academics sent Pope Francis a «Filial Correction» document alleging seven serious theological mistakes made by the pontiff in public statements. The document’s assertions proved controversial within the Catholic Church and the document was never explicitly addressed.
Conversely, his refusal to back down from traditional church teachings on abortion, gay marriage, women’s ordination and priestly celibacy frustrated progressives hoping for a more modern church.
Echoing his time as a prelate in Argentina, Pope Francis was at times criticized from both sides of the aisle for his heavy hand enforcing Catholic unity on national and international levels.
Traditionalists voiced intense opposition to his apostolic letter «Traditionis custodes,» which restricted the celebration of the traditional Latin mass in an attempt to squash increasingly separatist conservative movements within the Church.
Pope Francis meets with then-President Joe Biden during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on Oct. 29, 2021 in Vatican City. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool)
He similarly shut down discussion of many social issues that progressives have sought to reform.
In 2019, Pope Francis told a nun asking him to approve the ordination of women that «if the Lord didn’t want a sacramental ministry for women, it can’t go forward,» adding, «We are Catholics, but if anyone wants to found another church they are free [to do so].»
The hyper-progressive leadership of the Catholic Church in Germany was a target of his ire after the country’s clerical leaders attempted an upheaval of traditional teachings regarding gender and sexuality. The Vatican issued a series of letters, approved by Pope Francis, accusing the German church of risking separation from the Catholic Communion.
The conflict with German bishops encapsulated his papacy’s recurring themes of authority and unity, best exemplified in a passage from his «Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany.»
POPE FRANCIS URGES CATHOLIC VOTERS TO ‘CHOOSE THE LESSER EVIL’ BETWEEN TRUMP AND HARRIS
Pope Francis delivers a speech during the Holy Mass with newly appointed Cardinals. (Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In the letter, Pope Francis wrote, «The universal Church lives in and of the particular Churches, just as the particular Churches live and flourish in and from the universal Church. If they find themselves separated from the entire ecclesial body, they weaken, rot and die. Hence, the need always to ensure that communion with the whole body of the Church is alive and effective.»
Pope Francis visited dozens of countries, including the United States and Cuba in 2015, and went as far afield as Papua New Guinea, as well as visits to predominantly Muslim countries including Egypt, Morocco and Jordan.
Pope Francis struggled with health complications throughout his reign.
The pontiff dealt for many years with sciatica, a nerve condition that caused immense pain in his leg and at times hindered his ability to walk.
In 2021, Pope Francis was hospitalized for an intestinal surgery that removed 13 inches of his colon.
In March 2023, Francis was again taken to the hospital after experiencing intense chest pain and difficulty breathing. He was treated for a respiratory infection and released after antibiotic treatment.
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Pope Francis is welcomed as he arrives at the Apostolic Prefecture on Sept. 1, 2023 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. According to the Vatican, the trip was Pope Francis’s 43rd Apostolic Journey abroad and the 61st country he visited as Pope. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
In June of the same year, the pope was brought back for another abdominal surgery to repair an incisional hernia. He was released after making a full recovery.
He took a fall at his residence and suffered a contusion on his right arm in January 2025.
In February, he was once again hospitalized after a bout of bronchitis.
Following Pope Francis’ death, the Vatican has entered a time of sede vacante — in English, «empty seat.»
The Associated Press, Reuters and Fox News’ Annie Butterworth contributed to this report.
Casi tres semanas después del inicio de la guerra, Trump no tiene ningún plan evidente para lograr la caída del régimen iraní, algo que dijo que buscaba. Si su objetivo es más modesto, como la incautación del material nuclear iraní, no ha ofrecido ideas creíbles para lograrlo. Y no planificó una consecuencia previsible de una guerra en Medio Oriente: una interrupción del suministro de petróleo que provoque un aumento de los precios y perjudique a la economía mundial.
La guerra se ha convertido en un ejemplo del enfoque caótico y egoísta de la presidencia de Trump. A la hora de ordenar una acción militar, ha recurrido a un círculo de asesores más reducido que el de presidentes anteriores, y ha evitado el cuidadoso proceso diseñado para señalar objeciones y posibles problemas. Ha hecho declaraciones públicas ridículas y contradictorias, incluida la afirmación de que la guerra casi ha alcanzado sus objetivos. Ha intentado engañar al mundo sobre la trágica muerte de decenas de escolares iraníes, causada por un misil estadounidense mal dirigido. Casi a diario demuestra por qué no se le puede confiar los asuntos más trascendentales del gobierno.
Leé también: Sin la OTAN y con críticas internas, Trump busca cómo abrir el estrecho de Ormuz y terminar la guerra con Irán
A pesar de todo esto, la guerra ha tenido algunos éxitos tácticos, y creemos que es importante reconocerlos, aunque sigan sin estar vinculados a una estrategia. Los instintos de Trump sobre Irán fueron acertados en algunos aspectos. Su gobierno es claramente peligroso: durante décadas ha oprimido a su propio pueblo, patrocinado el terrorismo, intentado destruir Israel, convertido al Líbano en un Estado fallido, protegido a un régimen atroz en Siria y ha desarrollado un programa nuclear. Trump también reconoció que el régimen de Irán era más débil de lo que aparentaba y podía debilitarse aún más mediante la confrontación.
En los últimos años, la combinación de sanciones económicas impuestas por Estados Unidos y sus aliados, junto con ataques militares, principalmente israelíes, ha debilitado la capacidad de Irán para generar conflictos regionales. El valor de su moneda se ha desplomado. Muchos de los dirigentes y científicos nucleares iraníes han muerto. Sus defensas aéreas están casi destruidas y sus arsenales de misiles están agotados. Dos de sus grupos aliados terroristas, Hamas y Hezbollah, están debilitados. Su Estado satélite en Siria fue derrocado por rebeldes locales.
Pero al lanzar esta guerra hace dos semanas y media, Trump planteó objetivos más ambiciosos que simplemente contener a Irán. “Al gran y orgulloso pueblo de Irán, esta noche les digo que la hora de su libertad ha llegado”, dijo poco después de los primeros ataques. Ha pedido la rendición incondicional del gobierno iraní y ha dicho que debe aprobar al próximo dirigente del país. Ha prometido volver a hacer grande a Irán. Una mujer se sienta sobre los escombros de un edificio residencial dañado durante la campaña aérea de Estados Unidos e Israel en Teherán, Irán, el jueves 12 de marzo de 2026. (AP Foto/Vahid Salemi)
Trump ni siquiera ha empezado a explicar cómo logrará ninguno de estos objetivos. Sus defensores han afirmado que su ambigüedad es una táctica para mantener abiertas sus opciones y mantener a su enemigo en incertidumbre. Cada vez más, la verdad parece ser que el presidente de Estados Unidos ha iniciado una guerra sin tener ni idea de cómo terminarla.
Leé también: La “batalla del agua” en Medio Oriente: monarquías del Golfo temen ataques iraníes a plantas desalinizadoras
Tres problemas estratégicos han quedado claros desde que comenzó la guerra.
Primero, Trump repitió un error que presidentes estadounidenses han cometido durante décadas –en Afganistán, Irak, Vietnam e incluso en el propio Irán en los años cincuenta– al imaginar que un cambio de régimen sería más fácil de lograr y mantener de lo que realmente fue. En este caso, su arrogancia ha sido asombrosa. El poder aéreo por sí solo casi nunca derroca un gobierno. Solo las tropas sobre el terreno pueden apoderarse de los instrumentos del poder estatal e instalar a un nuevo líder.
En desafío a esta historia, Trump y el primer ministro israelí Benjamin Netanyahu han soñado con un cambio de régimen. A veces se habla de armar a la minoría kurda de Irán o de acelerar el regreso de Reza Pahlavi, el hijo del sha depuesto, que ahora vive en un acomodado suburbio de Washington. Otras veces, Trump anima a las fuerzas de seguridad iraníes a desertar o a su pueblo a que “tomar las riendas” de su gobierno. No hay pruebas de que nada de esto esté funcionando. Después de que Trump alentara las protestas callejeras en enero, el régimen de Irán masacró a miles de manifestantes y permaneció firmemente al mando del país. Desde entonces, las protestas han cesado en gran medida.
Segundo, sigue sin estar claro cómo logrará Estados Unidos un objetivo crucial: garantizar que el régimen asesino de Irán no se convierta en una potencia nuclear. Se cree que sus reservas de uranio altamente enriquecido permanecen intactas, en un complejo de túneles bajo las montañas cerca de la ciudad de Isfahán. Si la guerra termina con Irán aún en posesión de ese arsenal, tendrá una vía para construir una bomba. Las humillaciones militares que ha sufrido en los últimos años le dan un incentivo para dar los pasos finales hacia un arma que antes no había dado.
Cuando empezó esta guerra, el Secretario de Estado Marco Rubio reconoció que los soldados sobre el terreno podrían ser la única manera de capturar el uranio. “Habrá que ir a buscarlo”, dijo. Sin embargo, cuando un presentador de Fox News Radio preguntó a Trump sobre el uranio la semana pasada, respondió: “No estamos enfocados en eso”. Aquí no hay respuestas fáciles. Pero el enfoque disperso de la planificación de la guerra no inspira confianza.
El tercer problema afecta a la economía mundial. Las guerras de Medio Oriente son conocidas por provocar turbulencias económicas al elevar el precio del petróleo. Irán tenía una forma clara de repetir ese patrón: al restringir el tránsito de embarcaciones en el estrecho de Ormuz. Sin embargo, Trump intentó hacer que esta situación desapareciera por arte de magia.
Antes de la guerra, su principal asesor militar, el general Dan Caine, le advirtió de que Irán probablemente respondería atacando barcos en el estrecho y cerrándolo de facto. Trump respondió con sugiriendo que el gobierno de Irán capitularía antes de poder cerrar el estrecho o que el ejército estadounidense podría mantenerlo abierto, según The Wall Street Journal. Se equivocó, como debería haber sido obvio. Desde entonces, el precio del petróleo ha subido más de un 40 por ciento. Fuego y columnas de humo se elevan desde una instalación petrolera en Fujairah, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, por un supuesto ataque iraní el sábado 14 de marzo de 2026. (AP Foto/Altaf Qadri)
Sus respuestas han tenido un aire de desesperación. Levantó temporalmente las sanciones petroleras a Rusia, lo que es un regalo a un enemigo. Durante el fin de semana, recurrió a suplicar al Reino Unido, Francia, Japón, Corea del Sur –aliados a los que ha despreciado durante años– e incluso a China que enviaran fuerzas navales para proteger el estrecho.
La guerra es incierta, y aún es posible que cualquiera de estos problemas empiece a parecer menos grave en las próximas semanas. Quizá surja de alguna manera una oposición iraní y el actual régimen colapse tan rápido como lo hizo el gobierno de Al Assad en Siria a finales de 2024. Quizá las fuerzas especiales retiren el uranio enriquecido sin víctimas. Quizá el ejército estadounidense, cuyo desempeño sigue siendo en gran medida impresionante, colabore con sus aliados para reabrir el estrecho de Ormuz. De hecho, acogeríamos con satisfacción cualquiera de estos resultados.
Sin embargo, las primeras semanas de esta guerra no inspiran confianza. Más bien sugieren que la planificación entre bastidores de la Casa Blanca podría haber sido tan imprudente como su comportamiento público. No solicitó la aprobación del Congreso para la guerra, como exige la Constitución. No planificó con aliados en Europa ni en Asia Oriental. Ofreció al pueblo estadounidense solo justificaciones superficiales para la guerra.
A lo largo de su carrera empresarial y política, Trump a menudo ha intentado crear su propia realidad. Cuando la verdad es inconveniente, la ignora y dice falsedades que lo favorecen. A menudo le ha funcionado. Pero la guerra suele ser menos susceptible a la manipulación narrativa que la política o la mercadotecnia. La realidad inicial de la guerra con Irán no se presta a la fanfarronería de Trump.
*Por el Comité Editorial de The New York Times, conformado por un grupo de periodistas de opinión cuyos puntos de vista se basan en su experiencia, investigación, debates y unos valores muy arraigados. Es independiente de la sala de redacción.
The New York Times, Donald Trump
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GOP overperforms in Virginia special election, fueling early momentum talk in blue-trending state
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A Republican running in a Virginia special election significantly outperformed expectations Tuesday night, sparking chatter on social media that Republicans could have momentum in the blue-trending state where Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has faced backlash for her progressive agenda since taking office.
In the race to replace Republican Virginia House District 98 Delegate Barry Knight, who died of cancer last month, Andrew Rice defeated Democrat Cheryl Smith by 25 points in a climate where voters in the commonwealth have been turning to Democrats in recent elections.
Conservatives on social media were quick to point out that Rice, who, despite holding onto a Republican seat, outperformed the candidate for Republican governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, in November and outperformed President Donald Trump’s 2024 total by 10 points, sparking belief in possible GOP momentum and backlash toward Spanberger.
«Republican Andrew Rice is currently ahead +29 in a district that was Sears +7 in November,» conservative commentator Greg Price posted on X. «A 22 point swing to the GOP.»
MIGRANT ACCUSED OF GROPING MULTIPLE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS FACES CHARGES AS DHS WARNS SPANBERGER AGAINST RELEASE
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has ended agreements between state law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
«Radical Dems are overreaching in Virginia & voters have noticed,» Republican Virginia House of Delegates member Tim Griffin posted on X. «Big REPUBLICAN WIN in Virginia tonight, congrats Delegate-Elect Rice!»
«The momentum is REAL, and Virginians are paying attention and are fed up with the progressive liberal agenda trying to take over our Commonwealth,» Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans posted on X.
«Whoa!» Kerry Dougherty, co-host of a Virginia Beach radio show and longtime journalist, posted on X. «This is a red district but looks like backlash against our insane governor and the left-wing nuts in the General Assembly. Congratulations to Andrew Rice. A determined prosecutor (which will make the lefties crazy).»
VIRGINIA DEMS SEND SWEEPING GUN BAN TO SPANBERGER AS WEST VIRGINIA WEIGHS EXPANDING MACHINE-GUN ACCESS
The Virginia Capitol during the inauguration ceremony of Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger in Richmond Jan. 17, 2026. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via Getty Images)
Also at play is what Virginia elections analyst Sam Shirazi called the «elephant in the room» on his «Federal Fallout» podcast.
«I think one explanation of what happened is the Republicans are fired up, and they’re upset about the redistricting referendum,» Shirzi said about Rice’s victory and a possible connection to an April referendum that would trigger a mid-cycle redrawing of the state’s congressional map to heavily favor Democrats.
«Potentially, they could also be generally upset at what’s been going on in Richmond since the Democrats took over in January. So, perhaps they’re upset with some of the bills that have been passed.»
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Former President Obama and Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger. (Win McNamee/Getty)
Reacting to Rice’s victory, Republican Virginia Delegate Karen Hamilton posted on X, «If we could get some funds, we can win this redistricting fight in Virginia and secure the midterms for @POTUS.»
«Republicans in Virginia are overperforming so strongly that the gerrymander attempt is suddenly looking much riskier for Dems,» conservative commentator and writer Ben Braddock posted on X.
Spanberger has faced some intense criticism from conservatives since taking office in January, particularly over the allegation she campaigned as a «moderate» candidate but quickly began implementing a radical agenda as soon as she took office.
Since taking office, Spanberger has ended state cooperation with ICE, reduced mandatory minimum sentencing, raised taxes and prioritized DEI in government contracts, Fox News Digital reported in January.
Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
politics,virginia,midterm elections,abigail spanberger
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Iran’s hidden mountain nuclear site raises urgent threat, must be ‘neutralized’: reports
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Iran’s potentially most dangerous nuclear site is buried as deep as 100 meters below a granite mountain, according to new assessments, and one nonproliferation expert warned it must be «neutralized» before the U.S. war with Iran ends.
This came as new figures released Wednesday by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) show that U.S. and Israeli forces launched Operation Epic Fury in late February and have since struck more than 7,800 targets in Iran as the conflict enters Day 18.
«Before the United States and Israel end major combat operations against Iran, they must complete two urgent tasks,» Andrea Stricker, deputy director of the Nonproliferation Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said in a policy briefing.
WHILE UN ISSUES MIXED SIGNALS, WITKOFF EXPOSES IRAN’S NUCLEAR EVASION ‘PRIDE’
Satellite imagery shows reinforcement efforts at the Pickaxe Mountain site. Trump says Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapon. (Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
«First, they must neutralize Pickaxe Mountain. Second, they must recover or eliminate highly enriched uranium stocks to prevent them from falling into the hands of surviving regime elements, other adversarial states or terrorist proxies.»
High-resolution satellite imagery from mid-February shows Iran’s accelerated efforts to reinforce the site at Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, known as «Pickaxe Mountain,» against potential airstrikes, according to the Institute for Science and International Security.
«At one of the eastern tunnel entrances, rock and soil can be seen pushed back and leveled on top of the tunnel portal,» the institute’s report said.
«Additionally, over the last month, a concrete-reinforced headworks for the tunnel entrance extension was added. This allows for additional overburden in the form of rock, soil or concrete.»
STRIKES MAY SET IRAN BACK — BUT LIKELY WON’T END NUCLEAR PROGRAM, UN WATCHDOG CHIEF SAYS
A satellite image shows an overview of the Pickaxe Mountain tunnel complex in Natanz. (Vantor/Handout via Reuters)
The report added that «these efforts strengthen the tunnel portals and provide additional protection against an airstrike,» noting visible piles of construction materials near the entrances.
Preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon is one of President Donald Trump’s stated war aims.
In June 2025, U.S. forces carried out strikes against nuclear sites, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Iran had roughly 441 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% as of June 2025, enough material, if further enriched to weapons-grade levels, for multiple nuclear weapons, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Rafael Grossi, its director general, also said March 9 that the U.N. watchdog believes roughly 200 kilograms of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile are still stored in deep tunnels at a nuclear complex outside Isfahan.
SATELLITE IMAGES REVEAL ACTIVITY AT IRAN NUCLEAR SITES BOMBED BY US, ISRAEL
President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. launched strikes on Iran Feb. 28, 2026. (The White House via X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Grossi added that additional quantities of highly enriched uranium are believed to be at another nuclear center in Natanz, where Iran has constructed a new fortified underground facility at Pickaxe Mountain.
On March 9, Trump pointed to Iran’s efforts to resume nuclear activity at a deeper site and said Tehran has continued pursuing a nuclear weapon «even after we obliterated their key nuclear sites.»
«They were starting work at another site, a different site … that was protected by granite. … They wanted to go a lot deeper, and they started the process,» Trump said, according to reports.
According to Stricker, the «different site» referenced by Trump is Pickaxe Mountain, where Iran has said it has been building a centrifuge assembly plant at the site since 2021. The site is a mile from its Natanz enrichment plant.
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«The size of the facility, as well as the protection provided by the tall mountain, raised immediate concerns about whether additional sensitive activities are planned, such as uranium enrichment,» the Institute for Science and International Security also noted in its report.
At the beginning of March, a vehicle was struck outside the site, presumably by Israel, The Wall Street Journal reported, before suggesting that the vehicle strike was evidence the U.S. and Israel are watching the mountain carefully.
war with iran,nuclear proliferation,iran,donald trump,wars
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