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Mississippi’s GOP governor drops election pledge in huge setback for Trump’s midterm plan
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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.
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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
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Temporal en Chile: al menos dos muertos y más de 300 afectados por las fuertes lluvias y ráfagas de 100 km/h
Al menos dos personas murieron y más de 300 resultaron afectadas debido al fuerte temporal que afecta al centro y sur de Chile, según informaron el sábado las autoridades. Las lluvias provocaron desbordes e inundaciones que mantienen en emergencia a varias comunas desde la región del Maule hasta Los Lagos.
El subsecretario del Interior, Máximo Pavez, confirmó el fallecimiento de dos personas en la región de Los Ríos. “Quisiéramos dar cuenta como gobierno del fallecimiento de dos personas en el contexto de este evento meteorológico en la Región de Los Ríos tras la caída de un árbol a su vehículo”, señaló el funcionario.
Las autoridades mantienen la alerta por las lluvias persistentes, los fuertes vientos y el aumento del caudal de los ríos. La dirección nacional del Servicio Nacional de Prevención y Respuesta ante Desastres (Senapred) reportó el sábado 347 personas damnificadas y 2.052 aisladas, principalmente por la interrupción de caminos tras el desborde de ríos. Además, la institución emitió 13 alertas de evacuación e informó sobre vientos con rachas superiores a 100 kilómetros por hora.
Además, se reportan 11 viviendas destruidas, 107 con daño mayor, 1.007 con daño menor y otras 572 en evaluación, según el levantamiento preliminar de los municipios.
El suministro eléctrico, aunque se mantiene para el 97,7% de los clientes a nivel nacional, presenta interrupciones en 155.891 hogares de las zonas afectadas. Tan solo en la Región del Biobío, más de 34.000 familias permanecen sin energía. En Alto Biobío, 180 personas quedaron aisladas y se reportan múltiples remociones en masa en localidades como Florida, Los Ángeles, Nacimiento, Mulchén y Santa Juana.
En cuanto al desarrollo de la emergencia, el fenómeno meteorológico provocó anegamientos, crecidas de ríos y remociones en masa en varios puntos. En Biobío, se declararon alertas rojas por desbordes en distintas comunas y en La Araucanía permanece vigente la alerta roja desde el viernes por condiciones similares. En total, permanecen activas ocho alertas rojas y once amarillas.
La directora nacional de Senapred, Alicia Cebrián, informó que las precipitaciones moderadas a fuertes continuarían durante la noche del sábado y solo comenzarán a disminuir hacia la madrugada y mañana del domingo. Añadió que sigue vigente el aviso meteorológico por tormentas eléctricas en sectores de La Araucanía y Los Ríos.
Las autoridades activaron en trece ocasiones el Sistema de Alerta de Emergencia (SAE) para las regiones de Biobío, La Araucanía y Los Lagos, principalmente con carácter preventivo para advertir sobre el aumento del caudal en diversos cursos de agua.
En La Araucanía, las comunas de Traiguén, Lumaco, Purén, Los Sauces, Angol, Renaico y Toltén concentran las principales afectaciones. Unas 22 personas permanecen albergadas y cerca de 38.000 clientes siguen sin energía eléctrica. En Los Ríos, continúan las alertas rojas para Valdivia, Los Lagos y La Unión debido a desbordes. Por su parte, en Los Lagos, están activas las alertas rojas para San Pablo —por el desborde del río Bueno— y para Osorno, a raíz de la crecida del río Rahue. En San Pablo, unas 300 personas se encuentran aisladas por el aumento del caudal.
Las autoridades insisten en la importancia de mantenerse informados a través de los canales oficiales, evitar acercarse a ríos y zonas inundadas, y respetar las instrucciones contenidas en los mensajes SAE. El subsecretario Pavez subrayó que, pese a las condiciones atmosféricas adversas, no se han registrado oficialmente tornados durante la jornada.
(Con información de AFP)
Disasters / Accidents,South America / Central America,Weather Markets / Weather
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Twenty-eight children from across Israel who lost a parent killed while serving in the country’s security forces participated in a three-week delegation to North America as part of the IDF Widows & Orphans Organization’s annual Bar/Bat Mitzvah program.
The journey began earlier this month in Chicago, where the children spent a weekend with host families before traveling to Camp Chi in Wisconsin for nearly a week of activities with American kids. They then continued to New York City, where they visited Times Square and saw The Lion King on Broadway, before heading to New Jersey. For many, it was their first visit to the United States.
FREED HOSTAGE ROM BRASLAVSKI DETAILS ABUSE, STARVATION DURING 738 DAYS IN GAZA CAPTIVITY
The IDF Widows & Orphans Organization’s annual Bar/Bat Mitzvah program delegation in NYC at Times Square. (Yiftach Moran)
«Everything is planned very carefully. The Lion King, for instance, is more than a Broadway show for them. It’s the story of an orphan who is able to honor his father’s memory and move forward because of the support of his friends. Nothing about this trip is accidental. It is deliberately designed to give them as powerful and meaningful an experience as possible,» Daniel Elbaum, executive director of the IDF Widows & Orphans Organization, told Fox News Digital.
With the United States home to the world’s largest Jewish population outside Israel, the trip gave the children an opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds and levels of religious observance while, for many, experiencing international travel independently for the first time — which Elbaum said reflects their entry into the covenant with the Jewish people in a tangible and meaningful way.
Although the trip was not designed as an initiative to combat antisemitism, Elbaum said fostering a strong Jewish identity, pride in Israel and solidarity with its people are among the most important ways to help American Jews confront the world’s oldest hatred.
Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, on Monday, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images )
«As much as I think we are doing something important for these Israeli children, whose families have paid the highest price for Israel, what we are doing for the American children is almost as important in giving them a sense of pride and connection they might not otherwise experience,» he added.
INSIDE ISRAEL’S MISSION TO TRAIN CIVILIANS TO STOP THE NEXT OCT 7-LIKE TERROR ATTACK
Founded in 1991, the IDF Widows & Orphans Organization supports more than 18,000 widows, widowers and orphans through assistance programs, rehabilitation, advocacy and legislative efforts. Since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 massacre and the ensuing war, 359 widows and widowers — including 48 pregnant widows — and 910 new orphans have joined Israel’s circle of bereavement.
Among this year’s participants was 11½-year-old Tal Goldstein-Almog from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, who was taken hostage to Gaza with his mother and two siblings on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. His father, Nadav, and sister Yam, an IDF soldier, were murdered during the attack.
Tal did not tell the other children he had been held captive until one evening, when he felt ready to share his experience.
The IDF Widows & Orphans Organization’s annual Bar/Bat Mitzvah program delegation in NYC after seeing the Lion King on Broadway. (Yiftach Moran)
«It’s not hard to tell people, but it’s not easy either. Once you’ve said it, you don’t know how others will react or treat you. That night, it felt safe to open up, and nothing has changed in the way they treat me since,» he told Fox News Digital.
The trip was Tal’s first extended journey without his family. He learned about the program from a friend from the kibbutz who also participated.
ISRAEL’S NEW EXHIBIT EXPOSES YEARS OF HAMAS TERRORIST PLANNING BEFORE OCT 7 MASSACRE
«Now that I came, I think I will continue taking part in these things after meeting new kids, feeling comfortable around them and understanding that we experienced the same things,» he said.
Tal said that since Oct. 7, the connections in his life have helped him maintain a sense of normalcy.
«My motto is that life is always going to continue,» he added. «It feels refreshing to come to a new country and experience fun things here.»
Shadan Knefiss first participated in the program as an IDF orphan and has since returned as a counselor, supporting the next generation of bereaved children. A member of Israel’s Druze community, she also joined the delegation to help translate for participants whose first language is Arabic.
«I met a lot of people here who don’t know about the Druze. We serve the country, we love our country, and we even die for it. We pay the same price as everyone else. Most terrorists in Israel are Arab, but because we speak Arabic and serve our country, it’s a bit of a twist,» she told Fox News Digital.
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Shadan Khnefiss (left) enjoying New York pizza with other participants in the IDFWO delegation. (Yiftach Moran)
Shadan became an orphan at the age of three. Her father, a Border Police officer stationed in Jerusalem, transferred to northern Israel after her brother was born with a serious skin condition so he could be closer to the family. He was killed in a car accident during his first shift there.
«This program helped me in so many ways throughout my life. The people around me have not all lost their father, so sometimes I can’t relate to them. Sometimes I want to share how I feel, but they don’t understand. This program made me feel comfortable talking about things I can’t discuss with people in my everyday life,» she said.
Noor, 13, was one of three participants whom Shadan helped during the trip. His father, Yosef Saleh, served in the IDF before joining the Israel Police, where he was killed in the line of duty in 2013.
Noor told Fox News Digital that it was his first trip to the United States. «My message to other children like us is to go on trips, meet new kids and make new friends,» Noor said.
anti semitism, israel, judaism, terrorism
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Inside the behemoth Smithsonian museum network drawing fire from the Trump administration
Trump orders warning signs outside Smithsonian over ‘woke’ exhibits
President Donald Trump orders warning signs outside the Smithsonian, alleging politicized exhibits that emphasize activism over history. The institution faces scrutiny for promoting racial reparations and for a 2020 infographic criticizing ‘white culture.’ A congressional hearing further ignited debate over the museum’s ‘woke’ displays and their historical accuracy, highlighting the growing tension.
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The Smithsonian Institution, whose museums in Washington, D.C. have come under fire from conservatives and President Donald Trump over what they describe as increasingly left-wing messaging, is the world’s largest museum complex, comprising a sprawling network that spans the country and influences millions of people each year.
Founded in 1846 with funds from the will of British scientist James Smithson, who never visited the United States but left his fortune to establish an institution «for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,» the Smithsonian steadily grew from a single museum into the world’s largest museum, education and research complex.
Today, the Smithsonian owns or leases nearly 700 facilities across eight states, Washington, D.C., and Panama, encompassing roughly 13.6 million square feet of museums, laboratories, archives, warehouses, research stations and support facilities.
The organization now houses more than 157 million artifacts and specimens, operates 21 museums along with the National Zoo and 14 education and research centers, maintains 21 libraries, and partners with more than 200 affiliate museums and cultural institutions nationwide.
TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is being called out for being ‘ideologically captured’ and presenting woke revisionist history on the weekend of America’s 250th birthday. (Kevin Carter)
Visitors see only a fraction of the Smithsonian’s overall collection. Roughly 99% of the Smithsonian’s more than 157 million artifacts and specimens are kept in storage facilities, laboratories and archives, where they are preserved and studied by researchers.
The Smithsonian as a whole welcomes over 30 million in-person visitors each year, while its educational resources and digital platforms reach millions more. The institution operates on an annual budget of more than $1 billion.
The Smithsonian isn’t just a museum operator, it’s effectively a national education and research institution that has a vast reach across school campuses nationwide as it helps shape the educational experience of the nation’s students.
GOP LAWMAKER DEMANDS ANSWERS AFTER SMITHSONIAN CHIEF URGED MOVING BEYOND ‘AMERICA FIRST MENTALITY’
President Donald Trump speaks during the re-scheduled White House Correspondents Dinner in the Presidential Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria on July 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)
Through initiatives like the Smithsonian Learning Lab and Smithsonian Science Education Center, the institution provides millions of free lesson plans, classroom activities, virtual field trips and other educational resources used by teachers and students nationwide. It also offers professional development for educators and educational programming that extends well beyond its museums.
On college campuses, the Smithsonian is actively involved in partnering with schools across the country on internships, fellowships, research collaborations and joint academic programs which put the organization in touch with thousands of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students each year.
People walk on the National Mall near the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C., on May 10, 2021. President Donald Trump has ordered signs installed outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History directing visitors to a White House report criticizing the museum’s portrayal of American history. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier this month, the White House released a sweeping report warning about an alleged infiltration of leftist politics inside the Smithsonian, a report an expert told Fox News Digital is an example of the «long march through the institutions» that socialist and communist activists have been pushing in the United States for decades.
«That shift from history to activism is clearly documented in this report. Anthea Hartig, NMAH’s director since 2019, has explicitly stated that she sees history as a ‘prime tool of social justice’ and one of her roles as connecting ‘research and scholarship to activism and advocacy,’» the White House report stated.
Last week, President Trump ordered his administration to install signs outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History directing visitors to what the White House describes as «accurate» information about the nation’s past, guaranteeing that the controversy over the Smithsonian’s cultural influence will remain a topic of conversation for months to come.
science education, museums exhibits, trending news, education, politics, smithsonian
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