INTERNACIONAL
Mississippi’s GOP governor drops election pledge in huge setback for Trump’s midterm plan
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Republicans hoping to hold the U.S. House hit a setback Wednesday when Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves indicated he will not immediately pursue redistricting following a critical Supreme Court ruling, as officials seek to oust the leader of Democrats’ January 6 probe.
Following the Supreme Court’s «Callais» ruling on how race can or cannot factor into redistricting, several Republican-led states have moved to redraw congressional maps, arguing for race-neutral approaches — and officials in Jackson quickly took note.
Mississippi lawmakers were primed to convene a special session next week to redraw state Supreme Court and potentially congressional districts, but Reeves canceled the session Wednesday after the judge who ruled the court district maps inhibited Black candidates was overruled — sparking a now-in-limbo effort to oust entrenched former January 6 Committee chairman Bennie Thompson.
«Understand something, that maybe while it may be in the best interest of some individual politicians in Mississippi to talk about congressional redistricting, what happens in Mississippi doesn’t happen in a vacuum,» Reeves said in a talk-radio spot Wednesday.
MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR SAYS HE WILL CALL SPECIAL SESSION TO REDRAW DISTRICT MAPS AFTER SCOTUS RULING
«I’m going to do what’s in the best interest of Mississippi and I’m going to do what’s in the best interest of America and I’m going work very closely with the Trump administration to accomplish both of those goals.»
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves speaks after defeating Elvis Presley’s cousin Brandon in the gubernatorial race. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Reeves pushed back on claims he flip-flopped on congressional redistricting, noting the Magnolia State’s March 10 primary has passed — complicating any change in voting landscape, and also said he was onboard with ending what he called Thompson’s 33-year «reign of terror.»
However, Reeves suggested it is not a setback to State Auditor Shad White and others’ renewed bid to shift the Magnolia State’s GOP representation from 3-1 to 4-0 and oust Thompson.
Thompson, a firebrand Democrat from Hinds County seeking his 18th term representing the predominantly Black and largely impoverished Delta region, is in danger of losing his reliably blue seat when redistricting commences.
Thompson and Reeves briefly sparred on X, with the Democrat depicting an elephant painting Mississippi «white» while Reeves countered that Thompson was wrong to claim ownership of the district with the term «my» versus the people of Mississippi.
«It must be done to go into effect before the 2026 elections,» replied voting rights activist Scott Presler, while Pastor William Pierce of Columbia drew a state map that comprised evenly divided 22-24-point Republican districts saying «this must be done now» -— as Reeves said the issue is not «if» but «when» and that he plans for the changes to take effect for the 2027 statewide elections.
SUPREME COURT RULES ON KEY VOTING RIGHTS ACT RULE AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WAGE REDISTRICTING WAR
White told Fox News Digital he was the first statewide official to publicly consider drawing-out Thompson and creating a 4-0 map, while Reeves rejected claims of pressure from the White House and Republican Party to redraw now.
As the Supreme Court was set to hand down the Callais ruling, Reeves took to Instagram to say he «do[es]n’t typically make news on a Friday afternoon» but made an «exception» to call a special session 21 days after the decision to consider redistricting.
White, a rising star in the GOP following his major anti-fraud and waste investigations, said that Thompson is «the worst congressman in America» and the state’s map favoring him must be dealt with promptly.
«Among Mississippians; normal taxpayers, Bennie Thompson is incredibly unpopular,» White said in an exclusive Fox News Digital interview Wednesday.
«As chair of the January 6 Committee, anyone who supports President Trump is not happy that Bennie Thompson represents a part of our state.»
TRUMP URGES REPUBLICANS TO ‘BE BOLD’ AS RED STATES PUSH TO REWRITE CONGRESSIONAL MAPS
«[I]t is absolutely both legally and practically possible to change our districts to a 4-0 state,» he said, pointing to Callais and Alabama’s successful bid Monday to get their «Livingston Map» through the courts.
Like Alabama, White said Mississippi officials have «dozens» of already prepared maps to choose from, including some that give each of the four congressional districts an even-keeled level of Trump support totaling 15 points or higher, citing 2024 election results.
«The real question is just whether our politicians here have the courage to actually get Bennie Thompson out. And that question remains unanswered right now,» he said.
White said Mississippi has been stuck with maps featuring a Thompson stronghold for decades, as Thompson himself told Jackson’s NBC affiliate it has been Republicans who have drawn the maps since his 1992 election to Congress.
Thompson said that the issue between the lines in the plans is race.
«I have a voting record that no other person in the [Mississippi] delegation can touch for those things that we need the most: Health care, housing, better educational opportunities… but they’d rather put somebody in position who’s against those things. And the only difference between Bennie Thompson and the rest of the delegation that represent Mississippi in Washington is that I’m Black,» Thompson told Memphis’ NBC affiliate.
REPUBLICAN RIFT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN OVER TRUMP-DRIVEN RED STATE REDISTRICTING
Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, and Vice Chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney participate in the committee’s last public meeting in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 19, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Thompson added Mississippi has a history of requiring federal intervention to provide equal rights to Black people, including during the Civil Rights era and suffrage fights, and compared it to the dynamic today, calling it «Jim Crow 2.0» that he will «fight back with every fiber.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Thompson for further comment.
After Reeves’ comments were reported, White told Fox News Digital that he still hopes «Thompson is redistricted-out as soon as possible – even if it’s not going to happen next week.»
Fox News Digital also reached out to Mississippi House Speaker Jason White, R-West, and Senate Leader Dean Kirby, R-Brandon for their take on Reeves’ latest move and efforts to redraw the map.
Meanwhile, Shad White pointed to New England as precedent for Mississippi drawing out Thompson, saying Kamala Harris’ 38% performance mirrors the GOP partisan makeup of multi-district blue states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine.
State Sen. Michael McLendon, R-Hernando, joined Shad White’s call to redraw the map to «give Speaker Johnson another ‘+1’ and send Bennie Thompson home.»
ALABAMA REPUBLICANS PLOW FORWARD AFTER KEY SUPREME COURT WIN PUTS CONGRESSIONAL MAP IN QUESTION
He disputed timeframe concerns, saying that Democrats successfully sued Mississippi to redraw his region, costing the GOP their supermajority — and he was still able to run in a mid-off-year primary.
«When Democrats demanded redistricting, the establishment’s response was simple: ‘We have a court order, and we’re going to comply,’» McLendon said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. «Now, suddenly, many of those same voices have gone completely silent.»
Asked for his view on the matter, U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell, a Republican from Pascagoula, told Fox News Digital that redistricting is handled by the legislature in Jackson and that he trusts leaders there to «follow the law and do what’s best» for the state.
«My focus remains on serving the people of South Mississippi and fighting for our conservative values in Congress,» Ezell said.
Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville and House Minority Leader Robert Johnson III did not respond to requests for comment.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
With hopes of a 4-0 Mississippi map before the midterms dashed, House Speaker Mike Johnson in neighboring Louisiana will have one fewer likely pickup as he battles a series of Republican retirements and independent voter malaise toward Trump in the effort to keep the House red.
Fox News reached out to the White House for comment.
mississippi, congress, white house, democrats, republicans, politics
INTERNACIONAL
Alerta en Bolivia por una nueva ola de violencia: sicarios asesinaron a siete personas en dos días
Tres hechos violentos ocurridos entre el miércoles y jueves en el departamento de Santa Cruz, al este de Bolivia, dejaron al menos siete personas muertas y generan alerta por la creciente violencia que provoca el crimen organizado en el país.
El primer caso se produjo el miércoles en la estancia Campo Nuevo, ubicada a unos 10 kilómetros del municipio de San Matías, cerca de la frontera con Brasil. Según el reporte preliminar de la Policía, un grupo de hombres armados interceptó una camioneta y abrió fuego contra sus ocupantes, causando la muerte de cuatro ciudadanos bolivianos.
De acuerdo con los primeros testimonios recogidos por los investigadores, cuatro presuntos sicarios de nacionalidad brasileña participaron en el ataque, que es investigado como un posible ajuste de cuentas.
Vecinos alertaron a las autoridades después de escuchar una intensa balacera. Cuando efectivos del Comando Fronterizo EPI-San Matías llegaron al lugar encontraron a dos personas sin vida y posteriormente se confirmó el fallecimiento de los otras dos debido a la gravedad de sus heridas.
Ese mismo día, la violencia volvió a golpear al departamento de Santa Cruz. Dos cuerpos decapitados fueron hallados la mañana del miércoles en un camino de tierra del municipio de Yapacaní, una zona situada a unos 300 kilómetros de San Matías y considerada un corredor estratégico entre el oriente y el occidente de Bolivia.
Las víctimas, dos hombres identificados como Bismark Gómez, de 25 años y Matías Tapia, de 22 años, fueron encontrados con signos de violencia. Los cuerpos fueron encontrados junto a un mensaje de advertencia cuyo contenido se analiza para determinar el móvil del doble homicidio y la posible participación de organizaciones criminales.
El tercer caso ocurrió en la localidad de Ascensión de la Frontera, también cerca de la frontera con Brasil, donde una balacera dejó dos personas muertes el jueves. De acuerdo con reportes de la prensa local, cuatro personas interceptaron una camioneta, dispararon con armas de grueso calibre e incineraron el vehículo antes de darse a la fuga. Los dos ocupantes murieron en el ataque, uno de ellos el subteniente de la Policía boliviana, Yerson Salazar Aliendres.
Según el comandante policial de Santa Cruz, David Gómez, el agente policial investigaba los asesinatos ocurridos el día antes en San Matías. Tras su ejecución, los atacantes se llevaron el cuerpo del policía sin que hasta ahora se haya logrado recuperarlo.
La Fiscalía y la Policía iniciaron las investigaciones en estos casos y por el momento se tiene un aprehendido por el último crimen. Los tres episodios se producen en un contexto de creciente preocupación por la violencia asociada al narcotráfico y a las disputas entre grupos delictivos que operan en el departamento de Santa Cruz.
San Matías y otros municipios fronterizos con Brasil, han sido escenarios recurrentes de operaciones contra el narcotráfico y de ataques armados atribuidos a organizaciones criminales transnacionales. En tanto, Yapacaní, ubicado entre las ciudades de Santa Cruz de la Sierra y Cochabamba, también ha sido identificado por las autoridades como un punto de tránsito utilizado para el traslado de droga y otras actividades ilícitas.
Los tres ataques dejaron un saldo de siete fallecidos en dos días y mantienen a las fuerzas de seguridad en busca de los responsables y esclarecer si ambos hechos forman parte de una misma dinámica de violencia criminal.
Según un recuento realizado por Infobae en base a reportes de la prensa local, en lo que va del año hubo al menos 23 muertes violentas o ejecutadas por sicarios, la mayoría concentradas en el departamento de Santa Cruz, la región del Trópico de Cochabamba y regiones fronterizas del sur del país.
Entre las víctimas de la ola de violencia de este año figuran el magistrado del Tribunal Agroambiental, Víctor Hugo Claure, asesinado a tiros en mayo en un crimen investigado por un presunto conflicto de tierras, y el caso reciente del subteniente Salazar, quien participaba en las pesquisas de los asesinatos de San Matías ocurridos horas antes.
A diferencia de otros casos atribuidos a ajustes de cuentas entre organizaciones criminales, ambos eran funcionarios del Estado, lo que refleja una expansión de la violencia hacia quienes ejercen funciones de seguridad y administración de justicia y plantea nuevos desafíos para las autoridades en materia de protección institucional, investigación criminal y control del crimen organizado.
camioneta,camino de tierra,zona rural,asalto,arma
Sen Marsha Blackburn slams Jack Smith over alleged text message spying
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., strongly condemns former Special Counsel Jack Smith for allegedly illegally obtaining text messages from 44 members of Congress. Blackburn accuses Smith of breaking the law and abusing power, citing past denials by Smith regarding phone record acquisition. She demands a thorough investigation into the ‘Arctic Frost’ probe, highlighting concerns over privacy and due process.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
EXCLUSIVE: The Senate investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s «Arctic Frost» probe is widening, as Republican lawmakers question Verizon’s handling of subpoenas for senators’ phone records after the telecom giant failed to disclose one during an earlier congressional records search.
As part of Operation Arctic Frost — the codename for the FBI’s Trump-election-interference probe with Smith placed at the helm — prosecutors subpoenaed Verizon and other phone carriers for toll records tied to members of Congress and other Republican figures. Several conservative entities were swept up in the probe, including the late Charlie Kirk.
Verizon later acknowledged omitting Smith’s subpoena from its congressional record search.
The dispute centers less on Verizon’s compliance with the subpoena than on what the company knew afterward, whether it should have notified Congress and why it failed to disclose the subpoena during an earlier records search.
BIDEN SPECIAL COUNSEL’S ‘RUNAWAY TRAIN’ SCOOPED UP SENSITIVE LAWMAKER INFO: ‘ABUSE OF POWER’
The Senate investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s «Arctic Frost» probe is widening. (Getty Images)
Smith’s investigation has faced increased scrutiny in recent months, and now Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa — whose records were among those obtained — and a slew of his colleagues want to know what Verizon knew, when it knew it and whether the company should have notified affected members of Congress after turning over their phone records to Smith’s team.
«Jack Smith oversaw a sweeping and unprecedented investigation that swept-up records from hundreds of Republican entities, including the phone toll records and text messages from myself and dozens of my colleagues,» Grassley told Fox News Digital Friday.
Toll records are essentially the metadata of a telephone call — and exclude the contents of the conversation. They often include the phone numbers involved, date, time, duration and often the operative cell-tower location.
MAJOR PHONE CARRIERS REVEAL JACK SMITH’S SUBPOENAS FOR REPUBLICAN SENATORS’ RECORDS
«Congress deserves to know the full picture of how Smith carried out Arctic Frost so it never happens again.»
«As part of our investigation, we need to fully understand what Verizon knew about Smith’s subpoenas, when they became aware members were impacted and why the company didn’t inform members like they were supposed to,» he said.
In a Thursday letter to Verizon CEO Daniel Schulman, Grassley, Senate Investigations Subcommittee chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and more than a dozen senators said they remain concerned not only by the alleged «abuse of power by federal government actors… but also with Verizon’s disclosures of (m)embers’ phone records pursuant to a May 25, 2023, subpoena (and) its failure to disclose this information to affected Members.»
JACK SMITH THRUST BACK INTO SPOTLIGHT AT BLANCHE HEARING OVER EXPOSED SENATORS’ MESSAGES’
In its original October 2023 response to Grassley, Verizon wrote that it often limits retention of legal processes received to a period of four years, and attested it had no records to produce prior to October 2019. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Of the signatories, Sens. Bill Hagerty IV and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Rick Scott, R-Fla., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Josh Hawley, R-Mo., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., also had their phone toll records or text messages swept up by Smith.
Their inquiry noted he asked Verizon in October 2023 to identify Justice Department or other federal law enforcement requests involving Senate devices used by his staff dating back to 2016.
The senator wrote that the subpoena was not disclosed in Verizon’s initial response, and Grassley said Congress did not learn of it until Verizon acknowledged in 2025 that «human error» had caused its omission.
In its original October 2023 response to Grassley, Verizon wrote that it often limits retention of legal processes received to a period of four years, and attested it had no records to produce prior to October 2019.
«This raises questions as to whether Verizon discovered legal process from DOJ for Senate devices and lines, including the May 2023 Arctic Frost subpoena, in its search from October 1, 2019, to October 27, 2023, for responsive records to Chairman Grassley’s request,» Grassley wrote in his new letter.
Therefore, Grassley and 15 other senators are demanding Verizon brass explain when they first learned Smith’s subpoena sought phone records that included members of Congress and when they discovered it had provided «tolling data» connected to those members and transmitted it to Smith.
Fox News Digital reached out to Verizon for comment.
Grassley’s new letter suggests the October 2023 exchange may be the key to determining whether Verizon merely missed the subpoena or discovered it and failed to disclose it.
«On what date were Daniel Schulman, Vandana Venkatesh, Hans Vestberg, and Craig Silliman first informed about the May 25, 2023, subpoena?» they asked of Verizon’s front office.
The senators also asked that Verizon explain its «human error» revelation in more specificity and produce internal records from May 2023 to October 2025 that discuss whether the company believed it was obligated to notify the implicated members of Congress or the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (SAA).
The «human error» explanation also left unanswered why Smith’s May 25, 2023, «Arctic Frost» subpoena was omitted from Verizon’s review of legal process involving SAA phone lines, even though the company acknowledged that two SAA numbers were included in the subpoena.
In 2025, documents provided to Grassley revealed Verizon complied with Smith while AT&T resisted the requests.
SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER
However, both subpoenas were accompanied by gag orders signed by Obama-appointed District of Columbia federal Judge James Boasberg, a frequent foil of President Donald Trump’s. Boasberg directed Verizon and AT&T not to disclose the subpoenas to lawmakers for a period of one year.
The DOJ has issued subpoenas for lawmakers’ information in the past, but former inspector general Michael Horowitz cautioned against it except in limited circumstances in a report published in 2025, saying that doing so «risks chilling Congress’s ability to conduct oversight of the executive branch.»
Grassley’s letter gives Verizon until Aug. 13 to explain when it knew senators’ records were involved, who inside the company was informed and why the May 2023 subpoena did not surface in its earlier response to Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans have branded Smith’s «Arctic Frost» as «worse than Watergate.»
Fox News Digital reached out to counsel for Smith for comment.
senate elections, verizon, justice department, congress, chuck grassley, joe biden, donald trump, republicans
INTERNACIONAL
El Ejército de Kuwait anunció que sus defensas respondieron a un ataque de Irán con drones
Las defensas aéreas de Kuwait respondieron a ataques con drones tras una reciente agresión por parte de Irán este sábado contra su territorio, según informó el Estado Mayor del Ejército. En ese sentido, la institución señaló que cualquier explosión que fuera escuchada correspondía a la interceptación de estos ataques por parte de los sistemas de defensa aérea.
Las autoridades instaron la población, vía redes sociales, a seguir las instrucciones de seguridad emitidas por los organismos competentes.
El viernes, la agencia de noticias Fars, vinculada a la Guardia Revolucionaria Islámica de Irán, incluyó importantes instalaciones energéticas de la región del Golfo Pérsico e Israel en una lista de posibles objetivos de represalia iraní, en medio del aumento de tensiones con Estados Unidos.
El informe menciona como potenciales blancos el yacimiento petrolífero de Ghawar en Arabia Saudita, las instalaciones de Abqaiq y Khurais, la refinería de Ruwais y el yacimiento petrolífero de Zakum en Emiratos Árabes Unidos, el yacimiento de GNL de North Field y Ras Laffan en Qatar, el yacimiento petrolífero de Burgan en Kuwait, la refinería de Sitra en Bahréin y los yacimientos de gas Leviathan y Tamar en Israel.
El medio recordó también ataques anteriores durante el conflicto, señalando que, tras la ofensiva contra las instalaciones de gas de South Pars en Irán, Teherán respondió con un ataque contra las instalaciones de gas de Ras Laffan en Qatar. El régimen también suele bombardear la base aérea Ahmed Al Jaber en Kuwait, ya que alberga fuerzas militares estadounidenses.
Respecto a la campaña militar de EEUU en Medio Oriente, el Comando Central de Estados Unidos (CENTCOM) informó el viernes que las fuerzas estadounidenses desviaron 30 buques mercantes, inutilizado dos y abordado otros dos como parte de los esfuerzos para hacer cumplir el bloqueo naval contra Irán. Además, se permitió el paso de casi 30 barcos que transportaban ayuda humanitaria.
“Un helicóptero MH-60R Sea Hawk de la Armada de EEUU se prepara para volar a bordo del USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), mientras el buque de guerra apoya el bloqueo estadounidense contra Irán navegando en aguas regionales. Al 31 de julio, el CENTCOM había desviado 30 buques comerciales, inmovilizado 2 y abordado 2 para garantizar el pleno cumplimiento. Las fuerzas armadas estadounidenses también han permitido que casi 30 barcos atraviesen el bloqueo para brindar ayuda humanitaria”, publicó el CENTCOM en X.
En paralelo, los dos primeros aviones militares de Estados Unidos destinados a brindar apoyo a las operaciones en Medio Oriente arribaron el viernes a una base aérea en el sureste de Bulgaria, lo que provocó una queja de Irán y protestas de residentes búlgaros.
La administración del presidente Donald Trump ha enfrentado resistencia de algunos aliados europeos por el uso de bases aéreas en respaldo a la guerra con Irán. Bulgaria, miembro de la OTAN y la Unión Europea, aprobó a principios de julio el despliegue de hasta ocho aviones cisterna KC-135 estadounidenses, junto a 250 efectivos con armas personales, municiones y equipos para el aeródromo en la Base Aérea de Bezmer.
De acuerdo con un tratado de defensa bilateral firmado en 2006, la instalación de Bezmer —ubicada a unos 260 kilómetros al sureste de Sofía— es de uso conjunto, y cualquier nuevo uso requiere aprobación parlamentaria. El despliegue, solicitado por la embajada estadounidense en Bulgaria, está autorizado hasta el 1 de octubre de 2026.
El inquilino de la Casa Blanca agradeció al primer ministro búlgaro Rumen Radev en una publicación en Truth Social por permitir el despliegue “a pesar de las amenazas de Irán”.
Middle East
Caputo viaja al G20 en busca de sumar respaldo internacional al programa económico: expectativa por el encuentro con Bessent
Rodri Sánchez: ‘La gente habla mucho de dinero, pero no me arrepiento de haber venido a Qatar’
El durísimo relato de la prima de Thiago Medina tras denunciarlo por abuso: «Él tiene dos nenas, tienen que saberlo»
Se aproxima un “profundo ciclón extratropical” que provocará 72 horas de tormentas fuertes, ráfagas de hasta 70 km/h, 60 mm de lluvia y un cambio abrupto de temperatura: las zonas afectadas
Tensiones diplomáticas: qué puede pasar en la industria automotriz si se acentúan los cruces con otros países
Berensztein analizó el escenario electoral: por qué cree que el malestar social no se traduce en votos contra Milei
La pelea con Lula y el verdadero desafío que enfrenta Milei
Cómo manejar en el hielo y la nieve: técnicas y precauciones para usar el auto en la montaña en vacaciones de invierno
El BCRA cortó la racha de compra y en el mercado vuelan rumores de maniobras para frenar al dólar
World-famous Catholic shrine torched, ‘Devil in a skirt’ scrawled on Virgin Mary statue
INTERNACIONAL2 días agoTrump admin invokes 30-year dormant terror court as it seeks to deport Afghan woman tied to Election Day plot
- INTERNACIONAL3 días ago
Antisemitic violence reaches deadliest level since 1994, new global report finds
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
Creció la oferta de frutas importadas en las verdulerías: cuáles son las que más llegan y por qué
