California House Republican announces he’s leaving GOP immediately, thinning slim majority
A House lawmaker from deep-blue California is leaving the GOP effective immediately, cutting Republicans’ slim margin even thinner, his office confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday. Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., had already announced his intention to run as an Independent candidate in a Democrat-leaning district in the November midterms, but he is now deciding to take on the new political identity early. “This last week, we registered under no party preference in California,” Kiley told local reporters, according to a recording obtained by Fox News Digital. “I’m also today asking the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to have that reflected in the official roster…so I will be the sole Independent member of the House of Representatives.” House Republicans are already dealing with a razor-thin majority of just one vote, which is expected to grow to a two-vote margin after a special election in a deep-red Georgia district this week. TOP MARYLAND DEMOCRAT DEFIES JEFFRIES ON MID-CYCLE REDISTRICTING PUSH TO BOOT STATE’S LONE REPUBLICAN Kiley said he would still caucus with Republicans, however, in order to retain his committee assignments in the House. “The rules of the House of Representatives essentially force you, as an administrative matter, to caucus with one party or the other, which, by the way, I don’t think is a good thing,” Kiley said. “For example, your committee assignments run through the parties, and so it really, you know, forces you to be associated in that administrative sense with one caucus or another in order to function and be able to serve your constituents in the House.” Kiley’s decision to run as an Independent comes after his current seat in California’s 3rd congressional district was redrawn to lean more heavily toward Democrats. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential White House candidate for the 2028 cycle, led the charge in redrawing the maps to more heavily favor Democrats despite the objections of Golden State Republicans. It was a direct response to Texas Republicans passing a new congressional map that could give the GOP an edge in as many as five new seats. DOJ URGES SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK CALIFORNIA MAP, CALLS NEWSOM-BACKED PLAN A RACIAL GERRYMANDER Kiley had introduced legislation to ban mid-decade redistricting when both fights were ongoing and sharply rebuked the effort by both parties. He also carved out an independent streak months before formally dropping the GOP, becoming one of the party’s most vocal critics of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for both refusing to wade into the redistricting fight and for keeping the House out of session during the entire 43-day government shutdown last year. Kiley announced in a statement last week that he would now run in California’s newly redrawn 6th congressional district, which the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates a “D+5.” “It’s true that I was fully prepared to run in the new 5th, having tested the waters and with polls showing a favorable outlook in a ‘safe’ district. But doing what’s easy and what’s right are often not the same. And at the end of the day, as much as I love the communities in the 5th district that I represent now — and as excited as I was about the new ones — seeking office in a district that doesn’t include my hometown didn’t feel right,” Kiley said. “The new 6th district is Democratic-leaning but open-minded. While this will be a more challenging race, I believe we can build a winning coalition for common sense. Thanks to all for your encouragement and patience.”
EAM Jaishankar first statement on US-Israel-Iran War amid uproar in Parliament, clarifies on Iranian ship docked in Indian waters; WATCH
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar briefed the Rajya Sabha on Monday regarding the conflict situation in West Asia, following a series of US-Israeli strikes on Iran that have triggered a wider regional conflict.
Big relief for Sharjeel Imam in Delhi riots case; gets interim bail for 10 days
A Delhi court has granted 10-day interim bail to activist Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.
Questions about self-driving cars amplify after one blocked an ambulance responding to Austin shooting
While the encounter didn’t significantly hinder response to the shooting, it has raised concerns about the vehicles as they expand to more Texas cities and before new state regulations kick in.
Texas hemp businesses fear an uptick in police raids after more than 15 in the last two years
Attorneys for hemp businesses say the raids have hurt their revenue and reputation, while police said they’re necessary to root out products with illegal levels of THC.
GOP-led fight over allegations of student indoctrination raises tensions at University of Houston
Some professors push back after a five-page curriculum checklist was unveiled and several deans directed instructors to affirm that they don’t indoctrinate students.
Iran names Ayatollah Khamenei’s son as new leader after father’s killing
NewsFeed Iranian state television has announced that the Assembly of Experts has chosen Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader after a “decisive vote”. He’s the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was killed by the United States on February 28. Published On 8 Mar 20268 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Iran war live: Mojtaba Khamenei named supreme leader; Israel bombs Tehran
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Iran’s military and political leaders pledge allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei as Saudi Arabia reports two deaths amid Iranian counterattacks. Published On 9 Mar 20269 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Oil soars past $100 a barrel as US-Israel war on Iran rages
Listen to this article Listen to this article | 2 mins info Oil prices have surged past $100 a barrel amid the fallout of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose more than 20 percent on Sunday, at one point topping $114 a barrel, as fears grew of prolonged disruption to global energy supplies. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list After moderating slightly, the benchmark was hovering around $107.50 as of 02:30 GMT on Monday. The surge marked the first time oil rose above $100 per barrel since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. US President Donald Trump, who campaigned heavily on cost-of-living concerns in the 2024 election, brushed off the spike in prices. “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!” US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright also downplayed the prospect of rising energy prices earlier on Sunday, telling CBS News’ Face the Nation programme that any increase in prices at the petrol pump would be “temporary”. Crude oil prices have surged by about 50 percent since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran has brought shipping in the Strait of Hormuz to an effective halt in retaliation, threatening about one-fifth of the global oil supply. Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, three of the biggest producers in The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), have cut production amid an accumulating backlog of barrels with nowhere to go due to the effective closure of the waterway. Advertisement Attacks on energy production facilities in the region have further threatened supplies. Iran has been blamed for multiple attacks on energy facilities across the Gulf, including in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. On Saturday, Israel carried out air strikes targeting Iran’s oil infrastructure for the first time since the start of the war. The strikes hit four oil storage facilities and an oil production transfer centre in Tehran and the province of Alborz, according to Iranian state media. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sunday threatened to target energy facilities across the region in retaliation, warning that oil could soar to $200 a barrel if the US and Israel “continue this game”. A TV cameraman films the screens showing the KOSPI and the foreign exchange rate between the US dollar and the South Korean won at Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, on March 9, 2026 [Lee Jin-man/AP] Stocks in Asia fell sharply on Monday morning, as investors braced for the fallout of rising energy prices. Japan’s Nikkei 225 tumbled more than 7 percent in early trading, while South Korea’s KOSPI plunged more than 8 percent. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index fell by nearly 3 percent. US stock futures, which are traded outside of regular market hours, also saw substantial losses. Futures tied to Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 fell by 1.7 percent, while those for the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped by 1.90 percent. While Trump administration officials have insisted that the war will be over within weeks, the prospect of prolonged disruption to global energy supplies has stoked fears of higher inflation and slowing economic growth. The International Monetary Fund has estimated that every sustained 10 percent rise in oil prices results in a 0.4 percent rise in inflation and a 0.15 percent reduction in global economic growth. “If the shock proves short-lived, the global economy can quickly recover,” Mike O’Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading, told Al Jazeera. “If oil remains at these levels for several weeks, it will be a major global headwind. Thus far, markets have underestimated the risks related to the conflict in Iran.” In an interview published by The Financial Times on Friday, Qatari Minister of Energy Saad al-Kaabi warned that all of the region’s producers could soon be forced to halt production and that prices could hit $150 a barrel. “Everybody that has not called for force majeure we expect will do so in the next few days that this continues,” Al-Kaabi told the newspaper. Advertisement “All exporters in the Gulf region will have to call force majeure.” Adblock test (Why?)
PM Modi congratulates Team India on winning T20 World Cup: ‘Every Indian heart filled with pride’
In a post on the social media platform X, PM Modi said that every Indian heart was filled with “pride and joy.” The Men in Blue defended a mammoth total of 255 runs by bowling out the Kiwis for 159 with an over to spare.