INTERNACIONAL
Key Trump ally jumps into New York governor’s race days after shocking Mamdani mayoral victory
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Rep. Elise Stefanik will officially launch her long-anticipated campaign for New York governor on Friday, entering the 2026 race as a Republican challenger to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, multiple sources confirmed to Fox News on Thursday.
Stefanik, a top House Republican and one of former President Donald Trump’s closest allies, represents a conservative-leaning district in upstate New York and has been weighing a gubernatorial run for months.
«It will be very, very soon and people are very excited,» Stefanik said Thursday in an interview on Fox News’ «The Story with Martha MacCallum.»
«There’s been an outpouring of support from Republicans, Democrats, independents, all across our great state,» Stefanik touted. «Many Democrats who previously supported Kathy Hochul are lining up in support.»
STEFANIK WRITING NEW BOOK AMID GUBERNATORIAL RUN BUZZ
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York headlines a Staten Island GOP fundraising dinner in New York City on June 2, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News )
Stefanik, a member of the House Republican leadership, for months has repeatedly charged that Hochul is «the worst governor in America.»
And Stefanik has blasted Hochul over the governor’s endorsement earlier this autumn of Zohran Mamdani, who this week was elected mayor of New York City.
REPUBLICANS AIM TO LINK VULERNABLE DEMOCRATS TO MAMDANI
«People are looking for strong, commonsense leadership to be a check on this radical insanity that we’re seeing play out in New York City with Zohran Mamdani as a tax-hiking, defund the police, antisemite socialist,» Stefanik said in her Fox News interview, again linking Hochul to the progressive mayor-elect.
Stefanik, who once criticized Trump, has since become one of his staunchest defenders in Congress.
Rep. Elise Stefanik with then-former President Donald Trump, during the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race. (Getty Images)
After Trump’s White House victory last year, he briefly considered naming Stefanik U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, but ultimately backed off amid concerns that her departure would shrink the GOP’s razor-thin House majority.
It has been more than two decades since a Republican last won a New York gubernatorial race. The last was former Gov. George Pataki’s re-election in 2002.
COULD THIS TRUMP ALLY BREAK THE GOP’S 20-YEAR LOSING STREAK IN THIS KEY STATE?
Hochul, meanwhile, could face a tough re-election fight.
A former lieutenant governor, Hochul took office in 2021 after Democrat Andrew Cuomo resigned amid multiple scandals.
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is running for re-election in 2026. (Julia Nikhinson/AP Photo)
She defeated then-Rep. Lee Zeldin by just over six points in 2022 to win a full four-year term. But Zeldin’s showing was the best by a Republican gubernatorial nominee since Pataki won re-election to a third term in 2002.
Meanwhile, Trump, who lost New York by 23 points in the 2020 presidential election, trimmed his deficit by 10 points last November.
Hochul, a moderate Democrat from Buffalo, is facing a primary challenge from New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, in a very rare move by a lieutenant governor to primary challenge a sitting incumbent.
Stefanik is expected to hammer Hochul as she focuses her campaign on the issue of affordability.
«People are very concerned about affordability and I have a strong record of delivering for families,» she highlighted in her Fox News interview.
And she charged that Hochul had made New York «the most unaffordable state in the nation. We have the highest taxes, the highest energy prices, the highest utility prices, the highest grocery prices, and rent that continues to skyrocket.»
Democrats notched double-digit victories this week in New Jersey and Virginia, emphasizing affordability as a top issue. Stefanik said those results show Republicans must put forward a clear economic vision.
«You have to have a vision, and you have to put forth policies to make your state affordable again,» she said. «We are going to win the affordability message because her [Hochul] record is making it the most unaffordable state in the nation.»
But New York State Democratic Party Spokesperson Addison Dick charged that «Elise Stefanik is a rubber stamp in Washington for Trump’s deeply unpopular agenda that is raising costs, gutting health care, and defunding New York schools, hospitals, and police.»
And Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Kevin Donohoe charged that «from gutting health care to backing cost-raising tariffs, Stefanik’s record as Trump’s cheerleader in chief could not be more toxic with New York voters.»
Earlier this year, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York seriously mulled a run for governor. But Lawler announced in July that he would seek re-election and forgo a gubernatorial run.
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Stefanik, however, has already begun assembling a seasoned campaign team that includes veteran Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, who served as chief pollster for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
But Stefanik may not have the Republican nomination to herself.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Trump ally who was re-elected this week, may be eyeing a run for governor, GOP sources in New York confirmed to Fox News.
donald trump,kathy hochul,elections,nyc mayoral elections coverage,zohran mamdani,gubernatorial,new york,republicans elections
INTERNACIONAL
Top Iranian cybercriminal on FBI most wanted list reportedly killed in US-Israeli strike
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A top Iranian hacker long wanted by the FBI was killed last week following a joint Israeli strike on Iran, according to an Iranian media outlet.
Mohammad Mehdi Farhadi Ramin, an Iranian man accused of stealing the identities of American citizens and accessing national security data, died in the city of Hamadan, Iran International said, adding that his funeral was held on Monday.
Farhadi had been wanted by U.S. authorities since 2020 for his «alleged involvement in malicious cyber activity» dating back to at least 2013, according to the FBI.
Among his alleged crimes, Farhadi reportedly targeted companies, universities, U.S. defense contractors, and nonprofits to access sensitive data. Authorities say he also stole credit card information and Social Security numbers belonging to U.S. citizens to fund illicit activities, while marketing some of the stolen data on the black market.
HISTORIC US-ISRAEL STRIKES ON IRAN UNDERWAY AS TEHRAN FACES REGIME SURVIVAL TEST
Mehdi Farhadi has been wanted by U.S. authorities since 2020. (FBI)
Ramin was first indicted on Sept. 15, 2020, by a federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, for his alleged involvement in a massive, coordinated cyber intrusion campaign on behalf of the Iranian government.
Ramin and a co‑defendant reportedly vandalized websites with ideological messaging meant to project Iranian influence, including images of burning Israeli flags and threats that appeared to «signal the demise» of countries viewed as rivals to Iran, including the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia.
AFTER THE STRIKES, HOW WOULD THE US SECURE IRAN’S ENRICHED URANIUM?
An aerial view shows the cityscape of Hamadan, Iran, on Dec. 14, 2025. (Mobina / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
«They brazenly infiltrated computer systems and targeted intellectual property and often sought to intimidate perceived enemies of Iran, including dissidents fighting for human rights in Iran and around the world,» the Justice Department previously said.
«This conduct threatens our national security, and as a result, these defendants are wanted by the FBI and are considered fugitives from justice.»
An FBI wanted poster alleges that Mehdi Farhadi committed «malicious cyber activity» targeting the U.S. and other countries. (FBI)
Authorities alleged that the suspect also compromised email accounts by creating hidden automated forwarding rules that secretly sent all incoming and outgoing emails directly to him and his co-conspirators.
Top Iranian hacker Mehdi Farhadi was reportedly killed last week in Iran. (FBI)
Officials emphasized that these actions allowed Iran to access a massive volume of stolen information, including hundreds of terabytes of data related to national security, foreign policy, civilian nuclear research, aerospace and unpublished scientific studies.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Pentagon for more information.
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A senior Trump administration official and former acting U.S. attorney for D.C. is under disciplinary review for his role in President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative — sparking outrage from the Justice Department, which assailed alleged ethics violations against Ed Martin as a «partisan» effort, and one that unfairly targets Trump and his allies.
The disciplinary charge, filed Friday to the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility and published Tuesday, centers on a letter sent by Martin to Georgetown Law last February while Martin was serving as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
Martin allegedly demanded in the letter that Georgetown Law provide information about its DEI practices and teachings, according to the ethics complaint. It states that without «further explanation,» and without receiving a response from Georgetown Law, Martin then announced he would be imposing sanctions on the school — instructing his staff not to hire any students, fellows, or interns affiliated with the university.
EXCLUSIVE: BONDI TRANSFERS FORMER DEATH ROW INMATES COMMUTED BY BIDEN TO ‘SUPERMAX’ PRISON
A sign at the U.S. Department of Justice is seen on June 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The Justice Department blasted news of the ethics complaint, telling Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the complaint represented yet another «clear indication» of unfair and «partisan» treatment from the D.C. Bar, a body they argued has continued «to target and punish those serving President Trump while refusing to investigate or act against actual ethical violations that were committed by Biden and Obama administration attorneys,» representing what DOJ spokesperson described as «a clear indication of this partisan organization’s agenda.»
The complaint was signed by the disciplinary counsel for the D.C. Bar, Hamilton Fox, whose role allows him to function similarly to a prosecutor for attorney misconduct cases. Fox previously donated thousands to Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008, according to FEC records reviewed by Fox News Digital.
The complaint accuses Martin of violating the First and Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by using his role as a government official to demand that the university change its teachings; failing to give the university a time frame to respond; and threatening adverse action against Georgetown Law for teaching a particular viewpoint.
It also accuses Martin of conducting unauthorized, ex parte communications with the chief judge and senior judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after he was asked to respond to a complaint about his remarks to Georgetown Law. «In that letter, he stated that he would not be responding to Disciplinary Counsel’s inquiry, complained about Disciplinary Counsel’s ‘uneven behavior,’ and requested a ‘face-to-face meeting with all of you to discuss this matter and find a way forward,’» the complaint said, noting that Martin had copied White House counsel onto the email.
JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA
Ed Martin speaks during a press conference on May 13, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Craig Hudson For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The Justice Department’s second-highest-ranking official, Todd Blanche, sharply criticized the complaint on social media Tuesday, noting: «The DC Bar is such a blatantly Democrat-run political organization.»
«Thank God I’m not a member, and trust me, I never will be,» Blanche said in a post on X.Martin, a former defense attorney who helped represent individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, has made headlines during his short time at DOJ. His path to confirmation to serve as U.S. Attorney for D.C. stalled last year amid concerns from some Senate Republicans, prompting Trump to install Martin last May as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney.
EX-JUDGES BLAST TOP TRUMP DOJ OFFICIAL FOR DECLARING ‘WAR’ ON COURTS
Emil Bove, now a U.S. Judge for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals speaks with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche before his confirmation hearing in 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Trump also tapped Martin at the time to head up the Justice Department’s so-called «Weaponization Working Group,» or the newly formed internal body within DOJ tasked with probing federal prosecutions viewed by the administration as unfairly partisan.
Martin was removed last month from his role heading up the working group, though no reason for his removal was immediately provided.
The complaint will now be kicked to D.C. Court of Appeals for next steps and review — a notoriously lengthy process that will likely take months, if not longer.
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News of the ethics complaint comes just days after the Justice Department filed a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that would allow the department to suspend state bar investigations while the DOJ conducts its own review.
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INTERNACIONAL
Estados Unidos anunció la destrucción de 16 embarcaciones iraníes utilizadas para minar el Estrecho de Ormuz
El Comando Central de Estados Unidos (CENTCOM) anunció este martes que fuerzas estadounidenses destruyeron 16 buques minadores iraníes cerca del Estrecho de Ormuz, en una operación militar que se produce en medio de informaciones de que Teherán está intentando desplegar explosivos navales en uno de los corredores energéticos más importantes del mundo.
Según informó el propio CENTCOM en una publicación difundida en redes sociales, la acción estuvo dirigida contra varias embarcaciones vinculadas con operaciones navales iraníes en la zona.
“Fuerzas estadounidenses eliminaron múltiples embarcaciones navales iraníes, el 10 de marzo, incluidos 16 buques minadores cerca del estrecho de Ormuz”, indicó el comando militar estadounidense.
El organismo acompañó su comunicado con un video en el que se observan ataques contra varias embarcaciones en el mar, seguidos de explosiones que destruyen los barcos. Las imágenes muestran proyectiles impactando contra los objetivos y columnas de humo elevándose desde los buques alcanzados.
El Estrecho de Ormuz conecta el Golfo Pérsico con el océano Índico y constituye uno de los puntos más sensibles del sistema energético global. Aproximadamente una quinta parte del petróleo que se consume en el planeta circula diariamente por esa estrecha vía marítima, utilizada por grandes productores de crudo de la región para exportar sus recursos a los mercados internacionales.
La posibilidad de que se coloquen minas en el área genera preocupación por el impacto que podría tener en la seguridad de la navegación y en el suministro energético mundial. Incluso interrupciones limitadas del tráfico en ese corredor pueden provocar efectos inmediatos en los precios del petróleo y en las cadenas logísticas internacionales.
Horas antes del anuncio del CENTCOM, el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, había informado que el ejército estadounidense había destruido varias embarcaciones relacionadas con estas actividades. En un mensaje difundido en redes sociales, el mandatario aseguró que las fuerzas estadounidenses habían atacado y destruido diez barcos utilizados para colocar minas.
“Me complace informar de que, en las últimas horas, hemos atacado y destruido por completo diez buques o embarcaciones minadores inactivos. ¡Y seguirán otros!”, escribió Trump.
Trump también lanzó una advertencia a Irán sobre las consecuencias de desplegar minas navales en esa ruta estratégica.
“Si por cualquier motivo se colocaran minas y no se retiraran de inmediato, las consecuencias militares para Irán serán de un nivel jamás visto”, afirmó el presidente estadounidense.
En el mismo mensaje, el mandatario añadió que la retirada de cualquier artefacto explosivo que haya podido ser colocado sería interpretada como un gesto positivo.
“Si, por el contrario, retiran lo que hayan podido colocar, será un paso gigantesco en la dirección correcta”, señaló.
Además, Trump indicó que las fuerzas estadounidenses están preparadas para actuar contra cualquier embarcación que participe en operaciones de minado en el estrecho. Según explicó, los buques implicados serían atacados con el mismo tipo de misiles utilizados por Estados Unidos para interceptar embarcaciones del narcotráfico en otras regiones.
“Serán tratados de forma expedita y violenta. ¡CUIDADO!”, advirtió el presidente.
El anuncio sobre la destrucción de los buques minadores se produce en un contexto de guerra regional que ha elevado significativamente las tensiones en Medio Oriente durante las últimas semanas. Desde el inicio de las hostilidades, Irán ha lanzado ataques contra Israel y contra intereses estadounidenses en varios países de la región.
En paralelo, el tráfico marítimo en el Estrecho de Ormuz se ha reducido considerablemente ante el aumento de los riesgos para la navegación, mientras los gobiernos y las compañías navieras siguen de cerca la evolución de la situación en uno de los puntos más estratégicos del comercio global.
(Con información de AFP)
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