INTERNACIONAL
Dems run to the Bluesky block button as Vance trolls them on their own virtual turf for solid week
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Vice President JD Vance is leveraging the social media platform Bluesky, which is an X competitor commonly used by liberals, to troll Democrats just one week after joining the platform and subsequently becoming its most blocked user, Fox News Digital found.
«Hello Bluesky, I’ve been told this app has become the place to go for common sense political discussion and analysis. So I’m thrilled to be here to engage with all of you,» Vance said in his inaugural Bluesky post June 18, before sharing a quote from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ solo concurring opinion earlier in June upholding a Tennessee law banning transgender surgeries for minors.
«To that end, I found Justice Thomas’s concurrence on medical care for transgender youth quite illuminating. He argues that many of our so-called «experts» have used bad arguments and substandard science to push experimental therapies on our youth,» Vance said. «I might add that many of those scientists are receiving substantial resources from big pharma to push these medicines on kids. What do you think?»
Bluesky is a social media alternative to X that is dominated by liberal voters and Democratic elected officials after they fled X following President Donald Trump’s November 2024 victory.
X is owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who was a top Trump ally on the campaign trail and who previously oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration.
JD VANCE ACCOUNT SUSPENDED, THEN QUICKLY RESTORED, ON LIBERAL X COMPETITOR
Vice President JD Vance appears on «Special Report» as President Donald Trump announces a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 23, 2025. (Fox News / Special Report)
Vance’s first BlueSky post followed the platform mistakenly banning his account after it was flagged as a potential Vance impostor account, Fox Digital previously reported.
«We welcome the Vice President to the conversation on Bluesky,» the company told Fox News Digital in an email response, noting, «There have been many past attempts to impersonate Vice President JD Vance on Bluesky as he is a public figure, and the jd-vance-1.bsky.social account was flagged as part of that pattern by our automated systems, and temporarily suspended.»
«The account was quickly reinstated within 20 minutes of the suspension, and we’ve also added a verified badge to help users confirm the authenticity of the profile,» the statement added.
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Vance has become the most-blocked person on Bluesky since he first joined just a week ago, according to data posted by ClearSky, which keeps tabs on social media accounts that have been blocked by fellow users. Vance’s Bluesky account has been blocked by nearly 150,000 other accounts, ClearSky data reviewed by Fox Digital Wednesday afternoon showed.
In the week since Vance joined the platform, he has repeatedly trolled Democrats, including following New York City’s mayoral primaries, when democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani trounced top competitor and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the polls. Mamdani’s victory is viewed as the Democrat Party moving farther to the left in New York City after national voters sounded off in the 2024 election that the party’s embrace of some left-wing policies alienated Americans.
Widely seen as a liberal alternative to X, the Bluesky social media platform saw an explosion in new liberal users following President Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory.
«Congratulations to the new leader of the Democratic Party,» Vance quipped on Bluesky while tagging Mamdani.
A handful of other Republicans also took to social media Wednesday to mock Democrats for nominating the most liberal candidate in their pool of prospective mayors, including New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and the National Republican Congressional Committee, Fox Digital previously reported.
Vance took another apparent shot at Democrats Monday, when he posted to Bluesky, «President Trump just said to Iran’s nuclear program: no way jose.»
MARK CUBAN SAYS LIBERAL ALTERNATIVE TO X HAS BECOME ‘HATEFUL’ DUE TO LEFTIST GROUPTHINK
The message followed outrage among Democrats a few days prior on June 20, when Vance referred to Democrat California Sen. Alex Padilla as «Jose» Padilla when asked about the senator’s removal and detainment from a Department of Homeland Security press conference earlier in June to protest federal immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Sen. Alex Padilla slammed Vice President JD Vance for calling him «Jose Padilla.» (Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
«I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,» Vance said during a press conference on June 20 when asked about Padilla, calling him by the wrong first name. «I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t a theater. And that’s all it is.»
REPUBLICANS USE MAMDANI BOMBSHELL VICTORY OVER CUOMO AS AMMUNITION TO BLAST DEMOCRATS AS EXTREMISTS
Padilla and fellow Democrats, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, criticized Vance for using the wrong first name.
«He knows my name,» Padilla said Saturday during an interview on MSNBC, adding, «He’s the Vice President of the United States — you’d think he’d take the situation in Los Angeles more seriously.»
Vance had only posted nine messages to his Bluesky account as of Wednesday afternoon, including messages that were also posted to his far more frequently used X account.
Vice President JD Vance, left, listens as President Donald Trump speaks to the nation. (Pool)
«I wonder if other VPs had as much excitement as I do,» he posted to X and Bluesky on Tuesday after Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire following the U.S. ordering strikes that destroyed a trio of Iranian nuclear facilities.
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Vance added in another Bluesky message also found on his X account Tuesday, «We are seeing a foreign policy doctrine develop that will change the country (and the world) for the better: 1) clearly define an American interest; 2) negotiate aggressively to achieve that interest; 3) use overwhelming force if necessary.»
Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo, Paul Steinhauser and Marc Tomasco contributed to this report.
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Video footage captured the fiery aftermath of a ballistic missile strike that hit Ramat Gan, a neighborhood east of Tel Aviv, overnight Tuesday, killing at least two people, according to Israeli officials.
The footage shows a car engulfed in flames, with wreckage scattered across the street as emergency responders assess the scene and ambulance sirens sound in the background.
The missile was launched by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which said it targeted central Israel to avenge the killing of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and one of the country’s most powerful figures.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it launched Khorramshahr-4 and Qadr multiple-warhead missiles, which it claims have an increased chance of evading missile defense systems and can overwhelm radar tracking.
ISRAEL HITS BACK AFTER COORDINATED IRAN-HEZBOLLAH MISSILE, DRONE STRIKES, URGES BEIRUT TO REIN IN TERRORISTS
Emergency workers respond to a ballistic missile attack in which a couple in their 70s were killed, according to published reports, on March 18, 2026 in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, Israel. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Israel said the two victims killed in the overnight strike were a couple in their 70s.
The attack is part of a rapidly escalating tit-for-tat conflict that began Feb. 28 following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, which have since killed multiple senior Iranian officials. Those include Larijani and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Revolutionary Guard’s Basij militia, who was killed Tuesday.
A first responder on scene after a deadly Iranian ballistic missile attack lands near Tel Aviv. (Magen David Adom)
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also said Iran’s Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib was killed in an overnight strike, though Iran has not confirmed his death.
Iran launched a retaliatory missile against Israel overnight Tuesday. (Magen David Adom)
Iran has responded with a widening campaign of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, U.S.-linked positions and energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, including strikes reported in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.
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The broader conflict has raised fears of a regional war and potential disruptions to global energy supplies, as Iran has also threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical transit route for the world’s oil.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
israel,iran,middle east
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Lawmakers will get to grill President Donald Trump’s top intelligence and spying officials on the Iran war publicly for the first time, just a day after the nation’s top counterterrorism official resigned in protest over the conflict.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, FBI Director Kash Patel, National Security Agency chief Lt. Gen. William Hartman and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. James Adams are all set to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.
The hearing comes after Joe Kent, Trump’s pick to lead the National Counterterrorism Center under Gabbard, suddenly exited the job on Tuesday.
TOP COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL RESIGNS IN PROTEST OF US WAR AGAINST IRAN
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard talks to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 23, 2025. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
«I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,» Kent said on X. «Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.»
While Venezuela and Cuba could be points of discussion, Iran will likely be a major topic during the annual Worldwide Threats hearing, given that Senate Democrats have clamored for public hearings from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the ongoing war.
Gabbard, who built her political career bucking war with Iran and the U.S. getting involved in regime change, will likely be grilled over Kent’s resignation from his post.
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Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, is sworn in to the House Homeland Security Committee hearing titled, «Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,» in the Cannon building on Dec. 11, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Following his announcement, Gabbard said that her job as DNI chief is to help «coordinate and integrate all intelligence to provide the President and Commander in Chief with the best information available to inform his decisions.»
«After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat, and he took action based on that conclusion,» Gabbard said on X.
The hearing will be led by Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who is the top-ranking Democrat on the panel.
DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO GRIND SENATE TO A HALT TO FORCE PUBLIC IRAN HEARINGS
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., argued that the war with Iran would continue for weeks, not days, as the U.S. continues to kneecap its offensive abilities. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Both have been at odds in their view of the war — Cotton fervently backs Trump’s decision, while Warner argued that Iran posed no «imminent threat» to the U.S.
«So the decision to put our service members in harm’s way and bases around the region in harm’s way was entirely based upon the president’s decision, not an imminent threat to America,» Warner told CNN earlier this month.
Cotton speculated that the conflict would end in a matter of weeks, and reaffirmed that position when pressed.
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«I’ve said that, based on my conversations with the President and my understanding of Iran’s military capabilities, I would expect it to take weeks, not days, and we’re only a couple weeks into it,» Cotton said.
«And again, every single day brings hundreds, if not 1000s, of strikes into Iran that steadily and methodically degrade their military, and the end state will be a country … without the offensive capabilities to continue to terrorize the United States, Israel, our Arab friends and the civilized world,» he continued.
politics,senate,tulsi gabbard,donald trump,war with iran
INTERNACIONAL
Panamá impulsa su primera carretera ecológica en Colón en medio de dudas de ambientalistas
La construcción del Corredor del Caribe, considerada la primera carretera ecológica de Panamá, avanza en medio de una combinación de expectativas económicas y exigencias ambientales que han marcado su desarrollo desde el inicio.
El proyecto, que conecta Quebrada Ancha con María Chiquita en la provincia de Colón, registra un avance cercano al 40% y se ha convertido en una de las obras de infraestructura más observadas del país por su ubicación dentro de un corredor biológico estratégico.
La iniciativa busca equilibrar desarrollo y conservación, aunque ese mismo objetivo ha sido el centro de una controversia que obligó a rediseñar su ejecución.
Desde su concepción, la obra fue planteada como una vía de 28 kilómetros destinada a mejorar la conectividad hacia la Costa Arriba de Colón, una región históricamente rezagada en términos de acceso vial.
El proyecto apunta a dinamizar el turismo, la agricultura y el comercio, facilitando el traslado de personas y productos en una zona con alto potencial económico.
Además, se estima que beneficiará directamente a más de 150,000 personas, lo que refuerza su importancia dentro de la estrategia de desarrollo regional impulsada por el Estado.
Sin embargo, el elemento que distingue al Corredor del Caribe es su enfoque ambiental. La carretera ha sido rediseñada bajo un modelo ecológico, incorporando criterios que no formaban parte del contrato original.
Entre las medidas más relevantes destacan la construcción de al menos 35 pasos de fauna —aéreos, terrestres y pluviales—, diseñados para permitir el desplazamiento seguro de especies como jaguares, pumas, ocelotes y monos.
A esto se suman restricciones operativas como límites de velocidad de 40 km/h, control de acceso mediante garitas y la prohibición de circulación de vehículos pesados en ciertos tramos.
El componente ecológico también se articula con la creación del Parque Nacional Sierra Llorona, una nueva área protegida de más de 16,700 hectáreas. Esta zona cumple una función clave dentro del Corredor Biológico Mesoamericano, al conectar ecosistemas entre el Parque Nacional Chagres y el Parque Nacional Portobelo.
La coexistencia entre la vía y el parque ha sido presentada por el Gobierno como un modelo de integración entre infraestructura y conservación, aunque expertos advierten que este equilibrio dependerá de la ejecución efectiva de las medidas de mitigación.
El impacto esperado de la obra trasciende lo económico. El proyecto busca transformar la dinámica social y territorial de la región, mejorando el acceso a servicios básicos, educación y oportunidades de empleo.
Asimismo, se proyecta que impulse el turismo ecológico hacia destinos como Portobelo y María Chiquita, aprovechando la riqueza natural del área. No obstante, estos beneficios están condicionados a que la intervención no degrade los ecosistemas que precisamente constituyen su principal atractivo.
La controversia ambiental ha sido uno de los factores determinantes en el desarrollo del proyecto. Organizaciones ambientalistas cuestionaron desde el inicio el trazado de la carretera, señalando que atraviesa zonas sensibles como la reserva de Sierra Llorona y afecta fuentes hídricas críticas.
Uno de los principales puntos de conflicto fue la categoría del Estudio de Impacto Ambiental (EIA), ya que sectores técnicos consideraban que el tramo más delicado debía evaluarse bajo categoría III y no II, debido a la magnitud de los posibles impactos.
Estas tensiones derivaron en un proceso legal que frenó temporalmente la obra. En junio de 2024, la Corte Suprema de Justicia ordenó la suspensión provisional del proyecto, lo que obligó a revisar su diseño y enfoque.
La posterior reactivación en enero de 2025 estuvo condicionada a ajustes técnicos y ambientales, marcando un punto de inflexión en la ejecución. Como resultado, el trazado fue dividido en dos obras con estudios de impacto diferenciados, lo que permitió avanzar bajo estándares más estrictos de evaluación.
El debate de fondo ha girado en torno a la disyuntiva entre desarrollo y conservación. Mientras sectores empresariales y comunidades locales respaldan la carretera como motor económico, grupos ambientalistas insisten en que existen alternativas menos invasivas, como la rehabilitación de rutas existentes. Esta discusión refleja una tensión estructural en la planificación territorial del país, donde los proyectos de infraestructura suelen intersectar con áreas de alto valor ecológico.
A pesar de las críticas, las autoridades sostienen que el Corredor del Caribe representa un cambio de paradigma. El proyecto incorpora por primera vez en Panamá un enfoque sistemático de conectividad ecológica, integrando infraestructura vial con conservación de la biodiversidad.
Sin embargo, expertos coinciden en que el verdadero reto no está en el diseño, sino en la ejecución, fiscalización y cumplimiento de las medidas ambientales a lo largo del tiempo.
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