INTERNACIONAL
4 key Senate seats Republicans aim to flip in 2026 midterms to expand their majority
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Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s goal in next year’s midterm elections is not only to defend the GOP’s 53-47 margin in the Senate, but to expand the majority.
Scott, the conservative senator from South Carolina, told Fox News Digital soon after taking over late last year as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) that he aimed to increase the GOP’s control in the chamber to at least 55 seats.
And he’s standing by his goal.
«The bottom line is, I believe that we can defend our current seats while adding at least two more seats to our numbers,» the NRSC chair told Fox News Digital earlier this year.
THIS REPUBLICAN JUST JUMPED INTO BATTLEGROUND GEORGIA’S HIGH-PROFILE SENATE RACE
Sen. Tim Scott spoke to a South Carolina GOP delegation breakfast on Wednesday (pictured speaking on the RNC stage). (Getty Images)
Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red to win back the majority.
But the party in power—clearly the Republicans right now—traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. Nevertheless, a current read of the 2026 map indicates the GOP may be able to go on offense in some key states.
In battleground Georgia, which President Donald Trump narrowly carried in last year’s White House race, Republicans view first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat incumbent up for re-election next year.
TRUMP-BACKED RNC CHAIR JUMPS INTO THE NATION’S ‘MARQUEE’ SENATE RACE
They’re also targeting battleground Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring at the end of next year, and swing state New Hampshire, where longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen decided against seeking a fourth six-year term in the Senate.
Also on the NRSC’s target list is blue-leaning Minnesota, where Democratic Sen. Tina Smith isn’t running for re-election.
At the top of their list is Ossoff, who narrowly won election to the Senate in a January 2021 runoff contest.
Republicans view Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat running for re-election in the 2026 midterm elections. (AP)
But Ossoff is off to a very hot fundraising start, and a GOP primary in Georgia between Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former college and professional football coach Derek Dooley, is starting to turn combustible.
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Republicans are also confident they can flip Michigan, another battleground Trump narrowly carried last November.
Former Rep. Mike Rogers, the 2024 GOP Senate nominee who lost last year’s race by a razor-thin margin, has at this point cleared the Republican primary field, thanks in great part to Trump’s endorsement.
Former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican Senate candidate in Michigan for a second straight election cycle, is interviewed by Fox New Digital in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 2, 2024. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News )
Democrats, meanwhile, have a very competitive primary on their hands. The primary race includes three well-known Democrats: Rep. Haley Stevens, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who enjoys the backing of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
With Shaheen, who made history as the first woman in the nation’s history to win election as a governor and a senator, out of the running in New Hampshire, the GOP is hoping to win a Senate election in the Granite State for the first time in 16 years.
Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, seen at a policy event in Concord, N.H. on Oct. 22, 2024, isn’t seeking a fourth term in the Senate when she’s up for re-election in 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
They’re encouraged by the gains Trump made in New Hampshire in last year’s election, as he improved on his showing from four years earlier and came close to carrying the state.
But four-term Rep. Chris Pappas’ announcement in early April that he would run to succeed Shaheen has cleared the Democratic primary field, as of now, of any potential rivals for the party’s Senate nomination.
Meanwhile, a Republican primary in the state—where the GOP hasn’t won a Senate race in 15 years—is heating up between former Sen. Scott Brown and state Sen. Dan Innis, with the possibility of more candidates entering the race.
In Minnesota, the leading candidates in the Democratic primary to succeed Smith are Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig.
Former professional basketball player Royce White, who won the 2024 Senate nomination in Minnesota, and former Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze are currently running in the GOP primary. But another Republican Senate hopeful may soon enter the field.
While Republicans will work to defy political history in next year’s midterms, they point to the Democratic Party’s current brand issues.
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«Democrats have historically low approval ratings because candidates like Jon Ossoff and Chris Pappas keep prioritizing radical policies like men in women’s sports, protecting sanctuary cities for criminal illegal aliens, and raising taxes on working families,» NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez argued in a statement to Fox News.
And Rodriguez touted that «Republicans are delivering on policies that keep Americans safe and let families and workers keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. Voters will reward us for it in 2026.»
midterm elections,elections,senate elections,republicans elections,georgia,michigan,new hampshire,minnesota
INTERNACIONAL
Iran moves hundreds of millions in crypto during nationwide internet blackout, report reveals
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EXCLUSIVE: Cryptocurrency infrastructure linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continued operating during the country’s nationwide internet blackout after the Feb. 28 U.S.–Israeli strikes, a cyber intelligence report reviewed by Fox News Digital claims. It allowed hundreds of millions of dollars in crypto to move out of the country.
Omri Raiter, founder and CEO of RAKIA, a cyber intelligence firm that develops data analysis platforms used by governments and security agencies, told Fox News Digital his team began monitoring Iranian cryptocurrency activity in real time after the attacks and quickly detected a surge of funds leaving Iranian-linked crypto accounts.
«We’ve seen a surge of funds since the first hours of the war,» Raiter said. «It started with tens of millions in the first hours, and it grew to hundreds of millions and more. Money was just flowing out from Iranian crypto accounts.»
Wallets linked to the IRGC received more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, according to the internal report based on blockchain intelligence data cited by RAKIA. The report also cites publicly available data from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, which estimated Iran’s cryptocurrency ecosystem reached $7.78 billion in activity in 2025.
IRAN PROXIES WAGE WAR ON ISRAEL, THREATEN US INTERESTS AS IRAQ SLAMMED FOR NOT DISARMING THEM
Strikes on the Iranian leadership, the IRGC and Iranian naval vessels and oil infrastructure have roiled the markets. ( Sasan/Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
Raiter said the data suggests Iran has developed a significant crypto-based financial infrastructure capable of operating even during heavy sanctions and communications shutdowns.
«The IRGC has been financing proxy operations through the very same crypto corridors that sanctions were designed to shut down,» Raiter said.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned cryptocurrency exchanges tied to Iranian actors Jan. 30, marking one of the first times the U.S. targeted entire digital asset platforms rather than individual wallets for sanctions evasion linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the move was part of a broader effort to disrupt financial networks connected to Tehran, Iran.
«The Treasury will continue to pursue Iranian networks and corrupt elites who enrich themselves at the expense of the people,» Bessent said in a Treasury press release in January. «This also applies to attempts by the regime to use digital assets to circumvent sanctions.»
The recent surge appears to reflect two parallel trends: funds moving to support Iran’s regional proxy networks and money being moved by individuals connected to the regime seeking to protect their personal wealth, according to RAKIA’s analysis.
«The proxy war funding and the personal capital flight are two sides of the same coin,» Raiter said. «They move through the same pipelines.»
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Tehran’s skyline, including the Azadi Tower, became the backdrop to a crisis shaped as much by cyber disruption as by missiles in the sky. (Kurt «CyberGuy» Knutsson)
Raiter said the firm identified cryptocurrency flows connected to networks previously associated with Iran-backed groups.
«Some of the accounts we saw are connected to areas where money historically flows to proxy wars,» he told Fox News Digital, citing activity linked to Lebanon and Yemen.
«Some of it could be people inside the IRGC trying to move their own money,» Raiter said. «But when you see the scale and the timing, it looks coordinated.»
The report produced by RAKIA claims the activity continued even after Iran imposed a sweeping internet shutdown across the country. National connectivity dropped to roughly 1% of normal levels during the blackout, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
FROM MISSILES TO MINERALS: THE STRATEGIC MEANING BEHIND THE IRAN STRIKE
Military members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in western Tehran, Iran (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Despite that shutdown, RAKIA researchers said they detected more than 1,100 active cryptocurrency nodes operating inside Iran.
«When the internet is at one percent and you still see over a thousand active crypto nodes, you’re not looking at retail users,» Tom Malca, RAKIA’s head of cyber and AI research, said in the report. «Those nodes require dedicated bandwidth, stable power and deliberate exemption from the shutdown.»
RAKIA researchers said the activity suggests specialized infrastructure continued operating even as millions of Iranian civilians were cut off from the internet.
Most of the nodes were concentrated in the Tehran–Qom corridor, according to the report, an area that includes major government and IRGC institutions. Smaller clusters were detected in Iranian cities, including Isfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz and Kermanshah, according to the analysis.
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Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps special forces walk on the U.S. flag during a rally commemorating International Quds Day, also known as Jerusalem Day, in Tehran, Iran, March 28, 2025. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
RAKIA said its investigation relied on a combination of network monitoring and publicly available blockchain intelligence.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York declined to comment on the report’s claims.
war with iran,terrorism,cybercrime
INTERNACIONAL
Florida Republicans send SAVE Act–style proof-of-citizenship voting bill to DeSantis’ desk
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Florida lawmakers are sending Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis a strict elections bill modeled after the federal SAVE America Act strongly championed by President Donald Trump that mandates voters verify their citizenship when registering.
Lawmakers in Tallahassee, Florida, in the GOP-dominated state House approved the measure in a 77–28 vote Thursday, hours after the bill passed the Republican-controlled state Senate 27–12. The votes in both houses of the Florida legislature were nearly entirely along party lines.
DeSantis, a supporter of what he calls «the Florida version of the SAVE Act,» is expected to sign the measure when it reaches his desk.
«Although Florida has already enacted much of what the federal legislation contemplates, this will further fortify our state as the leader in election integrity,» the governor highlighted in a social media post.
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The developments in Florida come as the federal bill faces an uncertain future in Congress.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida supports a bill approved by his state’s legislature which mandates proof-of-citizenship when registering to vote. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
The SAVE Act, which stands for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, narrowly passed the GOP-controlled House in February mostly along party lines. But it’s stalled in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the chamber, far short of the 60 vote threshold needed to pass the bill.
The federal bill would require strict voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements across the country. Republicans say the bill is necessary to secure election integrity.
While polls indicate the vast majority of Americans — regardless of the political affiliation — support voter IDs at the polls and preventing noncitizens from voting in federal elections, Democrats argue the bill is not needed, since citizenship already is a requirement to vote and instances of noncitizen voting are rare.
THUNE GUARANTEES VOTER ID BILL TO HIT THE SENATE DESPITE SCHUMER, DEM OPPOSITION: ‘WE WILL HAVE A VOTE’
Democrats and voting rights groups also claim that the federal bill would create unnecessary barriers, making it harder for voters to cast a ballot.
President Donald Trump has said that passing a federal bill that mandates proof-of-citizenship to register to vote should be the number one priority for Congress. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Trump, who is intent on holding the Republican congressional majorities in the 2026 midterm elections, said earlier recently that the federal bill should be the top priority in Congress and that if passed, it «will guarantee the midterms» for Republicans.
But the Florida bill’s proof of citizenship requirement wouldn’t take effect until January, after the November 2024 midterm elections. And the bill also doesn’t limit the Sunshine State’s allowance for excuse-free mail-in-voting.
Trump has long railed against mail-in-balloting.
SCHUMER DOUBLES DOWN ON GOP VOTING BILL ‘JIM CROW 2.0’ DESPITE DEMOCRATIC VOTER SUPPORT
The Florida measure also would prevent college students from using their student IDs when voting in person, but that provision wouldn’t take effect until 2027.
«This bill creates real barriers for everyday Floridians, especially those with the fewest resources,» Democratic state Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis of Orlando argued in a social media post. «It will disproportionately impact working families, seniors, and college students who want to exercise their voice and right to vote.»
A view of the Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee, Florida. (Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images)
And Florida Democratic Party Chair, Nikki Fried charged, «In the cover of night, Florida Republicans made it harder for U.S. citizens to vote.»
«While Democrats, civic groups, and voters voiced their concerns to stop this harmful policy, Republicans decided citizens’ voices didn’t matter and voted to disenfranchise hardworking Floridians,» she added.
The bill would make Florida the most populous state in the nation to mandate proof-of-citizenship to register to vote.
Arizona and Kansas enacted similar requirements in the past two decades, and Louisiana passed a law two years ago.
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Proof-of-citizenship bills passed recently in the South Dakota and Utah legislatures, and are awaiting the governors’ signatures.
And in 2024, New Hampshire mandated that all first-time voters show proof of citizenship when registering.
donald trump,ron desantis,voting,elections,midterm elections,florida
Panamá y Ucrania dieron un nuevo paso en su relación bilateral con la firma de una hoja de ruta para el periodo 2026-2029 y un memorando de cooperación académica, durante la primera visita oficial al país de un ministro de Asuntos Exteriores ucraniano.
En paralelo, el gobierno panameño reiteró su posición de respaldo a la soberanía de Ucrania y su rechazo al uso de la fuerza contra otro Estado. El conflicto entre Ucrania y Rusia se remonta al 24 de febrero de 2022, cuando Moscú lanzó una invasión a gran escala sobre territorio ucraniano, desencadenando la mayor guerra en Europa desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Desde entonces han transcurrido más de cuatro años de combates que han dejado decenas de miles de muertos entre fuerzas militares de ambos bandos y miles de víctimas civiles.
La agenda del canciller ucraniano Andrii Sybiha incluyó una reunión con el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Panamá, Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, en el Palacio Bolívar, sede de la Cancillería.
Allí ambos funcionarios sostuvieron primero un encuentro privado y luego un diálogo ampliado con sus respectivas delegaciones, en el que abordaron temas bilaterales, regionales y multilaterales, además de asuntos vinculados con la seguridad internacional y la cooperación entre ambos países.
Un antecedente relevante de este acercamiento bilateral fue la reunión que sostuvieron en septiembre de 2024, en Nueva York, el presidente panameño José Raúl Mulino y su homólogo ucraniano, Volodímir Zelenski, en el marco de la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas.
En ese encuentro, ambos mandatarios abordaron oportunidades de cooperación y comercio, mientras Ucrania adelantó su intención de abrir una embajada en Panamá, una decisión que ahora se concreta. Panamá, además, reiteró entonces su respaldo a los esfuerzos orientados a alcanzar la paz.
Durante las conversaciones, los ministros subrayaron la importancia del respeto a los principios contenidos en la Carta de las Naciones Unidas, en especial la soberanía, la integridad territorial de los Estados y la primacía del derecho internacional. Panamá también expresó su preocupación por el deterioro de la paz y la seguridad internacionales desde el inicio de la guerra en 2022 y por las consecuencias humanitarias que ese conflicto ha tenido sobre la población civil.
En ese contexto, el gobierno panameño reiteró su rechazo a cualquier violación de la soberanía, la independencia política y la integridad territorial de Ucrania.
También reafirmó su condena al uso de la fuerza de un Estado contra otro, en línea con la posición que ha sostenido en distintos foros internacionales desde el inicio de la invasión rusa. Uno de los principales resultados de la visita fue la firma de la Hoja de Ruta para el Desarrollo de las Relaciones entre la República de Panamá y Ucrania para el periodo 2026-2029.
El documento servirá como marco para profundizar la relación bilateral y promover una mayor cooperación en distintas áreas, entre ellas el intercambio político, la coordinación diplomática y el desarrollo de iniciativas conjuntas.
A ello se sumó la suscripción de un Memorando de Entendimiento sobre Cooperación Académica entre el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de Ucrania y el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Panamá.
El acuerdo prevé una colaboración activa entre la Academia Diplomática de Ucrania “Hennadii Udovenko” y la Academia Diplomática y Consular “Ernesto Castillero Pimentel”, con miras a impulsar programas de formación, intercambio de experiencias y fortalecimiento profesional.
Las delegaciones también expresaron interés en ampliar la cooperación en educación, ciencia e innovación tecnológica. Según lo planteado durante el encuentro, ambos países ven espacio para promover proyectos científicos conjuntos, compartir conocimientos y fortalecer los vínculos entre sus instituciones académicas y técnicas.
La visita del canciller ucraniano también incluyó una reunión en la Asamblea Nacional con la presidenta de la Comisión de Relaciones Exteriores, la diputada Walkiria Chandler, y otros legisladores.
En ese encuentro se abordaron temas relacionados con la cooperación parlamentaria y con el fortalecimiento de los vínculos políticos entre Panamá y Ucrania. Otro de los momentos relevantes de la jornada fue la inauguración de la nueva sede diplomática de Ucrania en Panamá, una decisión que refleja el interés de Kiev en reforzar su presencia en América Latina.
El acto fue acompañado por el canciller panameño y por miembros de la delegación oficial ucraniana. Sybiha llegó a Panamá acompañado por una delegación integrada por su esposa, Tetiana Sybiha; la directora para América Latina y el Caribe del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de Ucrania, Oksana Dramaretska; el portavoz de la Cancillería, Heorhii Tykhyi; la consejera de la Dirección de Seguridad Internacional y Defensa, Karyna Rohuila; y el encargado de Negocios de la Embajada de Ucrania en Panamá, Oleksandr Rummo.
La visita tiene un peso diplomático particular porque es la primera vez que un ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Ucrania realiza una visita oficial a Panamá desde que ambos países establecieron relaciones diplomáticas en 1993.
En más de tres décadas, Panamá y Ucrania han firmado siete acuerdos bilaterales y mantienen otros seis en negociación en áreas como comercio, cooperación técnica, intercambio de información tributaria y combate al tráfico de estupefacientes. Con esta visita, ambos gobiernos buscaron dar una señal de continuidad al diálogo político y abrir nuevas áreas de cooperación.
Tanto Panamá como Ucrania coincidieron en que existe espacio para seguir profundizando los vínculos en ámbitos diplomáticos, académicos, comerciales y tecnológicos en los próximos años.
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