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Democrats under fire for standing by Virginia AG hopeful who joked about shooting GOP rival

Democrats under fire for standing by Virginia AG hopeful who joked about shooting GOP rival

Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, declined to call on her party’s attorney general hopeful, Jay Jones, to drop out of the race during a Thursday night debate. She stands among many other Democrats who have also declined to do so after text messages surfaced in which Jones fantasized about killing his Republican colleague in 2022. Jones, a former delegate from Norfolk, Virginia, has faced mounting calls – mostly from Republicans – to bow out of the race for Virginia attorney general. But Virginia Democrats and other party leaders around the country have refused to cave to pressure they are getting to demand Jones drop out.  The Jones’ text message scandal has become a flashpoint in Virginia’s elections, particularly considering it came at a time of heightened sensitivity to inflammatory and violent political rhetoric following the assassination of Charlie Kirk and two attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump.  SPANBERGER EXCORIATED ONLINE AS A ‘COWARD’ FOR REFUSAL TO DITCH ‘UNHINGED’ JAY JONES Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., remained silent when asked by Fox News Digital repeatedly if Jones should drop out of the race. Warner was also pressed on whether he would demand Jones return a $25,000 donation made to his campaign in August, or whether he regretted the show of support in light of the controversy about Jones’ violent political speech, but he once again averted his gaze and remained silent.  Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was also unwilling to call on Jones’ to drop out. He told Fox News Digital he’s still a supporter of the embattled candidate for his state’s attorney general seat. “I think those statements were not in character, and he has apologized — I wish other people in public life would sincerely apologize for stuff,” the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee said. “I’ve known Jay Jones for 25 years.” Several other Democrats outside of Virginia who were approached by Fox News Digital similarly walked away, or refused to respond when asked about the Jones controversy, which revolves around a text message exchange he had in 2022 with another lawmaker.  During the texts, Jones fantasized about putting “two bullets” into the head of then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. He also quipped about murdering Gilbert’s children.   “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones wrote. In a subsequent text, Jones also wrote, “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.” “Jay. Please stop,” the lawmaker on the receiving end of the tests from Jones said at the time. Jones has since apologized, calling the remarks “embarrassing and shameful,” and said he had reached out personally to Gilbert and his family. “I’m really not familiar with the situation in Virginia,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said when asked if Jones should drop out.  “Haven’t given it a thought,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.  Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called the texts “horrifying,” but when pressed further on whether Jones should drop out, Wyden said, “I’m going to leave it at that, thank you.” SANDERS, DEM LEADERS DODGE QUESTIONS ON VIRGINIA CANDIDATE WHO JOKED ABOUT SHOOTING GOP LAWMAKER  Other Democrats who Fox News approached, such as Sens. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., condemned political violence but admitted they were not following the matter involving Jones.  “I can’t say that I’ve done my due diligence to really understand, but what I will say is that what I saw was absolutely horrible,” said Kim. “I hope that in a time right now, where there’s so much concern about political violence, we can say that, ‘Yes, we need to make sure that we are holding ourselves up to a high standard, especially those in elected office.’” Republican responses to the Jones text scandal were starkly different. Speaking with Fox News Digital, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the text messages “staggering, particularly with the spate of political violence we have seen.”  “There are far too many on the left that celebrate political violence,” Cruz continued, adding, “When Charlie Kirk was assassinated, we saw leftists, college professors, leftist schoolteachers, politicians, journalists celebrating that heinous murder.” “And every Democrat in Washington is turning a blind eye,” Cruz added. “In my view, the notion that someone advocating for the murder of children because he disagrees politically with their father is manifestly unsuitable for public office, especially the chief law enforcement officer of Virginia. And I wish there were even one Democrat with the courage to say that publicly.” “It’s really sickening calling for the assassination of a rival, calling for the death of his children. I mean, I think, hopefully, all of us can agree that’s beyond the bounds of what is reasonable here, and he ought to step down,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said when asked about the controversy. “What’s amazing though, is, I’ve not heard one Democrat – hopefully you’re asking that question to other Democrats. I’ve not heard anybody say anything about it, which is pretty sad.” During a debate Thursday night between Republican and Democrat candidates for governor in Virginia, Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears repeatedly pressed her Democratic opponent, Spanberger, to call on Jones to step down.  “Jay Jones advocated the murder — Abigail — the murder of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were 2 years and 5 years old. You have little girls. Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it?” Earle-Sears asked Thursday night. “Please ask him to get out of the race. Have some courage.” 

Northern California voters weigh in on Prop 50 redistricting fight

Voting began this week for a statewide special election that would drastically alter California’s congressional map. Proposition 50, or Prop 50, could add as many as five Democratic-held seats in Congress in time for the 2026 midterms. The measure asks California voters to temporarily allow the legislature to decide the state’s district maps through 2030, after which the power would return to the independent California Citizens Redistricting Commission. If Prop 50 wins, it could leave as a few as four Republican-held seats across the state after 2026. Recent polling shows Prop 50 will likely pass. Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats say Prop 50 is a necessary countermeasure to Republican-led redistricting efforts in Texas. ABBOTT SIGNS TEXAS REDISTRICTING MAP INTO LAW, SECURING MAJOR GOP VICTORY AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS However, UC Davis Professor Jim Adams warned a win for the Democrats in the short term could have negative long-term consequences. “I think that even if Prop 50 does help the Democrats win a handful of additional seats in California, by winning the battle in California, the Democrats may make themselves lose the war nationally,” Adams told Fox. Adams, a Democrat, said he agrees with Prop 50 supporters that he wants to see something done to curb Republican redistricting efforts in other parts of the country. TRUMP-BACKED MAP VICTORY IN MISSOURI COULD TRIGGER REDISTRICTING BATTLES IN THESE STATES “There is certainly a visceral satisfaction for the Democrats in feeling that Proposition 50 helps them to fight back. I don’t question the Democrats need to fight back. The question is, are they fighting smart with Proposition 50,” he added. Prop 50 has the potential to spark political backlash, not only within California Republicans or independents in 2026, but on a national scale during the presidential election in 2028. If Prop 50 passes, California’s northern districts risk going from mostly red to completely blue after the midterms. Chico, California, sits in Republican-held District 1, which is represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa. It’s one of the districts targeted in Prop 50. The proposed map would likely flip the district by pulling in voters from closer to the more Democrat-leaning Bay Area.  In 2024, President Donald Trump won Butte County by about 3,000 votes over then-Vice President Kamala Harris. On the streets of downtown Chico, that political split showed when asking voters their feelings on Prop 50. VOTING UNDERWAY IN 2025 ELECTION THAT MAY DETERMINE IF REPUBLICANS HOLD HOUSE IN 2026 MIDTERMS Don Tarman and Martin Bettencourt both said they support the proposition, adding that it’s a reaction to Trump’s presidency. “We agree with Gavin Newsom that Trump is trying to sway the election for the House. He picked up supposedly five votes in Texas. We’ll see how the vote comes out when we get to the election. But yeah, we’re not Trump fans. I think Gavin Newsom is trying to fight back a little bit,” Tarman said. Bettencourt said he doesn’t typically support redistricting, but this is “a different time.” “I don’t like redistricting. I think it’s mean to the voters. I think they take away power from them, because they move it around and adjust it,” he said. “I think we’re in kind of a different time, so we’re reacting off the top of the ticket, which is the president, and we have to do what we have to do to compensate for that until we get someone better in a position of power.” Jim Henderson and Eleanor Engelbrecht are among those who don’t agree with the proposition – both of them saying that redistricting in California is not an ideal response to the efforts in Texas. “When say they do it in Iowa, then do we have to have Oregon do the same thing and the next thing you know everything is being gerrymandered? It’s unfortunate the governor of Texas didn’t recognize that this wasn’t an appropriate way of dealing with the elections, but he made his decision, and I don’t think we should feel compelled to say, well, if you’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it also,” Henderson said. Engelbrecht said the country is going through enough change and things need to just “settle.” “Right now, we’re going through a lot of change already, and I don’t think this is the time we need to be, I don’t know, dusting and cleaning really. I think that we really need to let things settle. I think where our country is at right now, there’s a lot of divide already, and I think really this comes down to defending fair elections,” she said. If Prop 50 passes, there will likely be a legal battle. California Republicans are already filing lawsuits against the measure.

Massive explosion at Tennessee munitions factory leaves 19 people missing

Massive explosion at Tennessee munitions factory leaves 19 people missing

Authorities in the southern US state have called the blast ‘devastating’, with many of the missing presumed dead. By The Associated Press Published On 11 Oct 202511 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share An explosion at a Tennessee military munitions plant has left 19 people missing and feared dead, authorities said. The blast occurred on Friday at Accurate Energetic Systems, a manufacturer in rural Tennessee, a state in the southern United States. People reported hearing and feeling the explosion miles away. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said it was one of the most devastating scenes he’s ever seen. He did not specify how many people were killed, but referred to the 19 missing as “souls” and said officials were still speaking to family members. The company’s website says it makes and tests explosives at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 97 kilometres (60 miles) southwest of Nashville. The cause of the explosion, which Davis called “devastating”, was not immediately known, and the investigation could take days, the sheriff said. Aerial footage of the aftermath from the news channel WTVF-TV showed the explosion had apparently obliterated one of the facility’s hilltop buildings, leaving only smoldering wreckage and the burnt-out shells of vehicles. There’s no further danger of explosions, and the scene was under control by Friday afternoon, according to Grey Collier, a spokesperson for the Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency. Emergency crews were initially unable to enter the plant because of continuing detonations, Hickman County Advanced EMT David Stewart said by phone. He didn’t have any details on casualties. Local station WTVF-TV captured the wreckage on the ground after the October 10 explosion  [WTVF-TV via AP] Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwen, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment Friday morning. Advertisement “This is a tragedy for our community,” McEwen Mayor Brad Rachford said in an email. He referred further comment to a county official. Residents in Lobelville, a 20-minute drive from the scene, said they felt their homes shake and some people captured the loud boom of the explosion on their home cameras. The blast rattled Gentry Stover from his sleep. “I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” he said by phone. “I live very close to Accurate, and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.” State Representative Jody Barrett, a Republican from the neighbouring town of Dickson, was worried about the possible economic impact because the plant is a key employer in the area. “We live probably 15 miles [24km] as the crow flies, and we absolutely heard it at the house,” Barrett said. “It sounded like something going through the roof of our house.” Adblock test (Why?)

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,325

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,325

Here are the key events from day 1,325 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 11 Oct 202511 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is how things stand on Saturday, October 11, 2025: Fighting More than 450 Russian drones and 30 missiles targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure through the early hours of Friday morning in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called a “cynical and calculated attack” that injured at least 20 people nationwide. Throughout Friday, repair crews raced to restore power to more than 725,000 families in Kyiv and other cities amid widespread outages. In a video message discussing the attacks, Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “clearly taking advantage of the moment” as world leaders focus on implementing a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Zelenskyy separately told reporters that Russia deliberately waited for bad weather before launching its assault, with inclement conditions reducing the efficiency of Ukraine’s air defences by 20 to 30 percent. Russian forces killed three foreign soldiers fighting on behalf of Ukraine near Otradnoye, a village in northeastern Ukraine, where Russian troops claimed to have taken control earlier this week, Russia’s state TASS news agency reported. Ukraine’s military said it struck Russia more than 70 times last month, decreasing oil refining in the country by more than 21 percent. Peace process The “E3” leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom condemned Russia’s “escalatory” attacks against Ukraine’s national infrastructure, promising to increase pressure on Russia as Putin “continues his stalling tactics and abhorrent attacks in response to peace talks”. The leaders added they were “ready to progress towards using, in a coordinated way, the value of the immobilised Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s armed forces” in order to pressure Russia to negotiate. During a three-day visit to Tajikistan, Russia’s Putin told reporters he remained “committed to the discussion that took place in Anchorage”, referring to his Alaska summit with United States President Donald Trump in August. Putin’s comments were a sharp reversal from those of Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov earlier this week, who said that “powerful momentum” for peace talks has been lost since August. US First Lady Melania Trump said she and Putin are discussing the repatriation of children caught up in the war, with some already returned to their families and more expected to be reunited soon. Politics and diplomacy Advertisement Zelenskyy said he had spoken with several leaders in light of Russia’s overnight strikes – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz  – and thanked all three for their support. Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, visited North Korea for the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea. Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defence treaty last year, and Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops and vast quantities of weapons to support Moscow’s war against Kyiv. Putin told reporters that Trump “does a lot for peace” and praised the Gaza ceasefire deal. Trump quickly reposted a clip of Putin’s comments about his peace efforts to Truth Social with a note of thanks to the Russian leader. Regional security Ukraine and the Netherlands signed a memorandum of understanding for the co-production of drones. Amsterdam has provided almost $9bn in support to Ukraine throughout the war, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry. European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU must seek a “common European vision for defence”, and that Russia must be prevented from winning its war against Ukraine. Putin said that Russia is developing new weapons of deterrence, and noted that it’s “not a big deal” for Moscow if the US declines to extend the warhead limits set out in a nuclear arms treaty that expires next year. Adblock test (Why?)

US President Trump says Israeli captives to be released from Gaza on Monday

US President Trump says Israeli captives to be released from Gaza on Monday

The US president told reporters that the bodies of Israelis who died in captivity in Gaza are ‘being unearthed’. Published On 11 Oct 202511 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Israelis held in Gaza by Hamas and other armed groups are slated to “come back” on Monday, United States President Donald Trump said, with 20 living captives and the bodies of 28 others who died in captivity due to be handed over as part of the US-backed ceasefire deal. Speaking to reporters at the White House late on Friday, Trump said Monday will be “big” as Hamas exchanges all 48 Israeli captives, both living and deceased, for roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “Some of those bodies are being unearthed right now, as we speak. They’re working on it right now,” Trump said. “It’s a tragedy. It’s a tragedy,” he said. Of the living captives still held in Gaza, the US president added, “they’re in some pretty rough places, where only some people know where they are”. Trump said he plans to travel to Cairo this weekend and separately speak at the Israeli Knesset before returning to the US. Under the terms of the US-brokered peace deal for Gaza, Hamas agreed to release all captives within 72 hours following the start of a ceasefire. Israel’s government ratified the ceasefire in the early hours of Friday, and it came into force later in the day. Israeli troops then began to withdraw from areas in Gaza to designated locations, and the countdown began on the 72 hours for Hamas to release captives. Reports surfaced earlier this week that Hamas may struggle to locate and gather the remains of all the deceased captives, potentially complicating the planned exchange on Monday. Advertisement As Palestinians began to return to their war-torn homes on Friday amid the Israeli pullback, key questions about Gaza’s future remain uncertain – including plans for a future Palestinian state. Trump, however, maintained an optimistic tone about both the first and later phases of his unfolding ceasefire plan. Both Hamas and Israel, he said, are “all tired of fighting”. “There is consensus on most of it and some of the details, like anything else, will be worked out,” Trump said. “Because, you’ll find out that when you’re sitting in a beautiful room in Egypt, you know, it’s easy to work something out,” he said. “But then sometimes it doesn’t work from a practical standpoint. But for the most part, there’s consensus,” he added. The US president also appeared to be pleased with support for the deal from the European Union, Iran and Russia, saying that the peace plan will extend “beyond Gaza”. “This is peace in the Middle East, and it’s a beautiful thing,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)