Cruz back in Texas after photo of him boarding plane sparks backlash ahead of winter storm
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, returned to the Lone Star State Friday after a photo went viral on social media of him boarding a plane as the state prepares for a potentially historic winter storm. The senator appeared to poke fun at himself on Friday as online chatter swirled over the past few days about whether he would once again be absent as his constituents hunkered down during a major weather event. “I’ve returned home from my work trip. It’s 66 degrees & beautiful. A storm is expected tomorrow night,” Cruz wrote in an X post Friday. “But I am reliably informed by Twitter that if I simply raise up my hand on Texas soil, the storm will turn around & sunshine, rainbows & unicorns will emerge. Let it be,” he continued. TRUMP MOCKS ‘ENVIRONMENTAL INSURRECTIONISTS’ AS AMERICANS BRACE FOR MASSIVE WINTER STORMS: ‘GLOBAL WARMING?’ In 2021, Cruz was slammed for traveling to Cancun, Mexico, with his family the same week that Texas dealt with a winter storm that left millions of people without power and ultimately caused 246 deaths, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Cruz later admitted that the decision was “obviously a mistake.” His comments Friday came after a photo was posted on X on Tuesday showing Cruz aboard a plane that was reportedly heading to Laguna Beach, California. FOX WEATHER TO PROVIDE EXTENDED LIVE COVERAGE OF WINTER STORM IMPACTING THE NATION The post quickly went viral, gaining more than 9 million views, with users both defending and blasting the senator. “I’m noticing a pattern,” one person responded. A spokesperson for Cruz confirmed to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth that the senator had left Tuesday on a pre-planned trip, vowing that the senator would return ahead of the inclement weather. The winter storm is expected to impact 235 million Americans across 40 states this weekend, according to FOX Weather, and many areas will experience life-threatening cold weather, heavy snow and crippling ice.
Johnson warns House Republicans to ‘stay healthy’ as GOP majority shrinks to the edge
Republicans are clinging to a razor-thin 218-213 House majority. But House Speaker Mike Johnson shouldn’t expect many reinforcements anytime soon. This month’s shocking early House retirement of MAGA firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and the unexpected death of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California further shrunk the GOP’s margins in the chamber. And that has House GOP leaders keeping a tight leash on the party’s rank and file members. DEMOCRATIC TAKEOVER FEARS SOAR AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS CLING TO FRAGILE MAJORITY “They’d better be here,” Johnson recently said of his members. “I told everybody, and not in jest, I said, no adventure sports, no risk-taking, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and be here.” And House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office confirmed it is advising members that “outside of life-and-death circumstances,” they expect Republican lawmakers to be on Capitol Hill. REP. LAMALFA’S DEATH FURTHER SHRINKS REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY There are currently four vacant House districts, which means four special elections to fill the seats. But it’s the Democrats rather than the Republicans who will likely benefit more from the ballot box results in the short run. Here’s a look at the special elections that are on deck: Voters in Texas’ Democrat-dominated 18th Congressional District, which is anchored by downtown Houston and surrounding areas, head to the polls on the last day of January to choose a successor to fill the seat left vacant when Rep. Sylvester Turner died last March. Democrats Christian Menefee, a former attorney for Houston’s Harris County, and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards are facing off in the special election. They were the top two finishers in a field of 16 candidates that faced off in an initial election in November. While Texas has redrawn its congressional maps for the 2026 midterms, as part of the high-stakes redistricting battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats, the special election will use the state’s current district lines. FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY WARNS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE IS ‘THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE’ The winner of the special election will give the Democrats one additional House member, giving Republican leadership further headaches. Eleven candidates are running in the Democratic Party primary in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. The seat was left vacant after now New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning November’s gubernatorial election in the Garden State. The winner of the Democratic primary will face off with Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file for the special election, which will be held on April 16. The suburban district in northern New Jersey leans to the left, with Sherrill winning re-election in 2024 by 15 points, the same margin she carried the district in November’s gubernatorial showdown. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: HOUSE EXODUS THREATENS JOHNSON’S GRIP ON POWER AS OVER 40 MEMBERS HEAD FOR EXIT But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just eight points in the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP some hopes of possibly flipping the seat. A whopping 22 candidates, including 17 Republicans, are running in a special election in the 14th Congressional District, in the race to succeed Greene. According to Georgia state law, all the candidates will run on the same ballot. If no contender tops 50% of the vote, a runoff election between the top two finishers will take place on April 7. The district in northwestern Georgia is solidly Republican, with Greene winning re-election in 2024 by nearly 30 points and Trump carrying the district by 37 points. Primary Day in California for the 2026 elections will also include a primary for the special election in the state’s 1st Congressional District, in the race to fill LaMalfa’s seat. The general election will be held on Aug. 4. The district, in northeastern California, is solidly Republican. Similar to Texas, California is also altering its congressional maps as part of the redistricting wars, but the special election will be held under the current district lines. The White House and congressional Republicans criticized the decision by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to not hold a special election to fill LaMalfa’s seat until August, six months after the late congressman’s death. But Democrats similarly complained about Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas not scheduling the special election to fill Turner’s seat until eight months after the late lawmaker died. Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this story.
Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao says personnel discharged over vaccine mandate were ‘failed’
The Department of the Navy issued an apology letter Friday to former military personnel “unjustly removed” from service because of the COVID vaccine mandate during the Biden administration. Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao emphasized that the Department of War is committed to “righting past wrongs” and welcoming back former service members who were dismissed during the pandemic. “To the sailors and marines who were wrongfully discharged during COVID, we failed you,” Hung said in a video posted on X. “We will never allow this to happen again, not on my watch. We are ready for you to come back, and we want to correct your records.” Cao, the Department of the Navy’s chief operating and chief management officer, overseeing roughly one million Navy, Marine Corps and civilian personnel, acknowledged the impact of the mandate on those it forced out. HEGSETH ORDERS ABOUT FACE ON PENTAGON’S SLIPPING GROOMING STANDARDS “We are righting this wrong and it starts with this formal letter of apology,” he said. President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14184 shortly after returning to office last January, directing federal agencies to identify service members affected by the former vaccine requirement and take steps to reinstate them or restore certain benefits. The order applies to former members of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force and Coast Guard who were discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. VA REVERSES BIDEN ADMIN POLICY PROVIDING ABORTION SERVICES AGENCY CALLS CONTRARY TO FEDERAL LAW The former secretary of defense mandated in 2021 that all service members receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a policy that was rescinded in 2023. “The military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received,” Trump’s executive order states. The Department of War issued guidance to all the secretaries of military departments to contact former service members with information about potential reinstatement and to correct their discharge records. TRUMP DECLARES ‘REAWAKENING’ OF ‘WARRIOR SPIRIT,’ UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR MILITARY: ‘I HAVE YOUR BACKS’ According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 8,000 service members were separated after the Biden administration’s Department of Defense issued the vaccination mandate. “It is unconscionable that thousands of former Service members who held true to their personal and religious convictions were not just separated, but separated with general (under honorable conditions), rather than honorable, discharge characterizations,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a December memo. “While many have applied for and received relief from our Military Department review boards, I believe the onus is on us to make this right.” Hegseth said he directed a proactive review of personnel records to identify individuals involuntarily discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and facilitate appropriate discharge upgrades. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Navy for additional information.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,430
These are the key developments from day 1,430 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 23 Jan 202623 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is where things stand on Saturday, January 24: Fighting Four people were killed and five were injured in Russian attacks on Cherkasy, in an area of Ukraine’s Donetsk region that is still controlled by Ukraine, Governor Vadym Filashkin said on the Telegram messaging app. Filashkin said that Russian forces shelled settlements in the Donetsk region 10 times over the past day, and that 109 people, including 17 children, were evacuated. Russian forces attacked the village of Komyshuvakha in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region with glide bombs and other weapons, killing one person, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Russian forces launched drones at Kherson city and several villages in the Kherson region over the past day, killing one person and injuring two others, the regional military administration said. Russian forces killed a 72-year-old man and injured two others, including a child, in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Hanzha, said. Ukraine’s Air Force said it shot down 76 Russian drones of 101 launched towards Ukraine over the past day. Several people were injured in Ukrainian attacks across front-line Russian areas and Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, including five people injured on a bus in Russia’s Belgorod region, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency. The General Staff of Ukraine’s military claimed that Ukrainian forces hit a fuel depot and radar facilities, causing a fire, at the Penzanefteproduct fuel depot in Russia’s Penza region. The Russian Ministry of Defence said that its forces captured the village of Symynivka, situated about 47km (29 miles) northeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Ukraine-Russia-US talks Advertisement The first day of trilateral talks involving negotiators from the United States, Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi concluded late on Friday night, the Ukrainian presidency said in a post on X, adding that talks would continue on Saturday. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a statement after Friday’s talks, saying “it is still too early to draw conclusions” about the substance of the negotiations. “By now, our team should already have at least some answers from Russia,” said Zelenskyy. “We will see how the conversation develops tomorrow and what results it produces,” he added. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said on X that the meeting had “focused on the parameters for ending Russia’s war and the further logic of the negotiation process aimed at advancing towards a dignified and lasting peace”. The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that the talks were scheduled to last for two days “as part of ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and identify political solutions to the crisis”. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that talks between US and Russian officials on the eve of the Abu Dhabi meeting were “substantive, constructive and very frank”. Ushakov said that Russian Admiral Igor Kostyukov would be leading Moscow’s team in Abu Dhabi, and investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev would meet separately on economic issues with Steve Witkoff, the envoy of US President Donald Trump. Energy Crisis Maxim Timchenko, the head of Ukraine’s top private power producer DTEK, told the Reuters news agency that the energy situation in Ukraine was nearing a “humanitarian catastrophe” following repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state grid operator, says there are emergency power outages in most regions of the country following Russia’s latest aerial attacks. Regional Security The Swedish Air Force said on Friday that it “intercepted two Su-35S escorting a Tu-22M [Russian military aircraft] over the Baltic Sea” on Thursday. France’s navy redirected the oil tanker “Grinch” to the port of Marseille-Fos for inspection, suspecting it is part of a “shadow fleet” of vessels Russia uses to export sanctioned oil, according to Reuters. Adblock test (Why?)
Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker diverted to French port by naval forces
French prosecutors say Russia-linked tanker ‘Grinch’ under investigation after interception in western Mediterranean. Published On 24 Jan 202624 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The French navy has diverted an oil tanker, suspected of being part of Russia’s sanctions-busting “shadow fleet”, towards the port of Marseille-Fos for further investigation, according to reports. The office of the prosecutor in the southern French city of Marseille, which handles matters related to maritime law and is investigating the case, said on Friday that the ship had been diverted, but did not specify where to. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list A source close to the case told the AFP news agency that the tanker is expected to arrive on Saturday morning at the port of Marseille-Fos in southern France. The ‘Grinch ‘ tanker was intercepted by French naval forces on Thursday while on the high seas in the western Mediterranean, between the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco, France’s maritime police said in a statement. It added that navies of other countries, including Britain, supported the operation. Video footage released by the French military of the operation showed a unit of soldiers descending from a helicopter onto the deck of the Russia-linked ship. The boarding of the vessel involved a navy boat and two navy helicopters, according to reports. The Grinch, which was sailing under a Comoros flag, left the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk in early January and is suspected of operating under a false flag and of belonging to the secretive fleet of ships that enables Russia to export oil around the world despite international sanctions due to Moscow’s war on Ukraine. The AFP news agency reported that a ship called “Grinch” is under United Kingdom sanctions, while another named “Carl” – with the same registration number – is sanctioned by the United States and European Union. Advertisement Prosecutors in Marseille said they were investigating the ship’s alleged failure to confirm its nationality. The EU has imposed 19 packages of sanctions against Russia, but Moscow has adapted to most measures and continues to sell millions of barrels of oil to countries such as India and China, typically at discounted prices. Much of the oil, which is key to financing its war in Ukraine, is carried by what is known as a shadow fleet of vessels operating outside of Western maritime industry regulations. In October, France detained another Russian-linked sanctioned tanker, the Boracay, off its west coast and released it after a few days. The Boracay’s Chinese captain is to stand trial in France in February over the crew’s alleged refusal to cooperate with investigators, according to French judicial authorities. This aerial picture taken on October 1, 2025, off the coast of western France shows French soldiers on board a tanker from Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’. Named the Pushpa or Boracay, the Benin-flagged vessel is blacklisted by the European Union [Damien Meyer/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
Turkiye’s FM Fidan says Israel ‘looking for opportunity’ to attack Iran
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says he has conveyed concerns of possible Israeli attack to leadership in Tehran. Published On 24 Jan 202624 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there were signs that Israel was seeking an opportunity to attack Iran, warning such a move could further destabilise the region. “I hope they find a different path, but the reality is that Israel, in particular, is looking for an opportunity to strike Iran,” Fidan told Turkish broadcaster NTV in an interview broadcast on Friday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Asked specifically whether this assessment applied to both the United States and Israel, Fidan stated that Israel, in particular, was seeking such an opportunity, the Turkiye Today news outlet reported. The foreign minister added that he had conveyed concerns directly to Iranian officials during a recent visit to the country. “When I went to Tehran in recent days, I told them everything about the process as their friend,” Fidan said. “And you know, a friend speaks bitter truths,” he said, according to Turkiye Today. Fidan’s warning followed after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in a phone call on Thursday that Turkiye was opposed to any foreign interventions in Iran and that it valued its neighbour’s peace and stability. A senior Iranian official told the Reuters news agency on Friday that Tehran would treat any attack by its enemies “as an all-out war against us” – the latest sabre-rattling in an escalating war of words between Washington and the Iranian leadership. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that he had sent an “armada” of naval ships towards the Gulf region with Iran in its sights, once again ramping up rhetoric against Tehran after cooling his comments last week after apparently backing away from threats to attack Iran amid widespread antigovernment protests. Advertisement “If the Americans violate Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we will respond,” the senior Iranian official told Reuters. “This military buildup – we hope it is not intended for real confrontation – but our military is ready for the worst-case scenario. This is why everything is on high alert in Iran,” the official said. “This time we will treat any attack – limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it – as an all-out war against us, and we will respond in the hardest way possible to settle this,” the official added. “A country under constant military threat from the United States has no option but to ensure that everything at its disposal can be used to push back and, if possible, restore balance against anyone who dares to attack Iran.” US media has reported that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group of vessels have diverted from the South China Sea to the Middle East and are expected to arrive in the Gulf region in the coming days. The US military last staged a major buildup of naval forces in June 2024 in support of Israel’s 12-day war on Iran and in advance of US attacks on Iran’s nuclear programme. Adblock test (Why?)
Will gold and silver prices drop or become more expensive after Union Budget 2026? What investors expect
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting her 9th consecutive Union Budget on February 1, 2026. Investors and jewellery industry players are expecting a relief from the Centre in the prices of gold and silver. Will their demands be listened?
Jharkhand: Bodies of 17 Maoists, including 5 women, recovered in Saranda forest
Security forces killed senior CPI (Maoist) leader Patiram Majhi alias Anal da in a major anti-Naxal operation in Jharkhand’s Saranda forests. The two-day encounter left 17 Maoists dead, while recent surrenders in Odisha and Chhattisgarh signal a broader crackdown.
Congressman Wesley Hunt draws scrutiny for missed votes amid campaign for U.S. Senate
The Houston Republican, who has missed 44 of 48 votes this month, said such absences are typical for those seeking higher office. Rep. Chip Roy, a candidate for Texas attorney general, has not missed any votes in 2026.
Pentagon plans to give South Korea primary role in deterring North Korea threats under new strategy
The Pentagon said in an unclassified national defense strategy document titled “Restoring peace through strength for a new golden age of America” on Friday, that it plans to shift more of the responsibility of deterring North Korea to South Korea. The U.S. would take a “more limited” role in keeping North Korea in line, the Pentagon said in the document obtained by Fox News Digital. “With its powerful military, supported by high defense spending, a robust defense industry, and mandatory conscription, South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more limited U.S. support,” the document said. It added, “South Korea also has the will to do so, given that it faces a direct and clear threat from North Korea. This shift in the balance of responsibility is consistent with America’s interest in updating U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula. In this way, we can ensure a stronger and more mutually beneficial alliance relationship that is better aligned with America’s defense priorities, thereby setting conditions for lasting peace.” IRAN ALLEGEDLY AIRS 97 ‘COERCIVE’ CONFESSIONS’ AMID RECORD-BREAKING NORTH KOREA-STYLE INTERNET BLACKOUT The new policy plan on North Korea followed similar strategies for other parts of the world, with the wide-ranging document adding that the department will “no longer be distracted by interventionism, endless wars, regime change, and nation building. Instead, we will put our people’s practical concrete interests first.” The document clarified the policy doesn’t mean “isolationism,” but rather a “strategic approach to the threats our nation faces.” Further down it added, “We will insist our allies and partners do their part and lend them a helping hand when they step up.” NORTH KOREA TEST LAUNCHES HYPERSONIC MISSILE SYSTEM IN FRONT OF KIM, NATION SAYS The document said under a section titled “Increase Burden-Sharing with U.S. Allies and Partners” that it plans to deter China “through strength, not confrontation,” and as the “Department rightly prioritizes Homeland defense and deterring China, other threats will persist, and our allies will be essential to dealing with all of them. Our allies will do so not as a favor to us, but out of their own interests.” On Russia, it said the country “will remain a persistent but manageable threat to NATO’s eastern members for the foreseeable future,” and on Iran, it stated that President Donald Trump has made it clear that Iran won’t be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. This year, South Korea raised its military budget by 7.5% while around 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed there in defense of North Korea.