Virginia Democrat gives profanity-laced response to Cruz’s criticism of the state’s redistricting push
Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas delivered a profanity-laden retort to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, amid a tense redistricting fight, arguing that Democrats had “f—ing finished” what she views as gerrymandering started by Republicans. On Friday, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, signed a bill that would allow voters to weigh in on multiple amendments, including one that would allow for a mid-decade redrawing of the state’s congressional districts. Virginia lawmakers are aiming to put the amendments before the people on April 21, 2026, months before the midterm federal elections. “Virginia voters deserve the opportunity to respond to the nationwide attacks on our rights, freedoms, and elections. Everyone deserves the freedom to marry who they love — and Virginia’s Constitution should affirm that all families are welcome in our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said in a statement on her website. “Women in Virginia deserve the freedom to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions without politicians dictating their choices. When Virginians have paid their debt to society, they deserve to regain their right to vote. And when other states take extreme measures, I trust Virginia voters to respond.” VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS MOVE TO SEIZE REDISTRICTING POWER, OPENING DOOR TO 4 NEW LEFT-LEANING SEATS Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, slammed the legislation, saying in a post on X it was “a brazen abuse of power [and] an insult to democracy.” Lucas, the 82-year-old Democrat who spearheaded the plan, hit back at the senator, saying, “You all started it and we f—ing finished it,” referring to a controversial redistricting effort in Texas that sparked fights over districts in several states. Several social media users slammed the Virginia lawmaker, including Braeden Sorbo, son of actor Kevin Sorbo, who asked, “So now gerrymandering is okay?” Many other responses spoke about the origins of gerrymandering as a practice, while some mocked Lucas for her use of profanity and her complaining about Texas’ redrawn maps. Democrats hold six of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats, and the new 10-1 map would likely give them four more. This has prompted some Republicans to say that the map disenfranchises large numbers of voters in the commonwealth. VIRGINIA JUDGE VOIDS REDISTRICTING PUSH, RULES LAWMAKERS OVERSTEPPED AUTHORITY Lucas had previously expressed a similar sentiment about the legislation during a news conference Thursday. “If Donald Trump had not started this power grab … we wouldn’t be in this place right now,” Lucas said, according to The Washington Post. “He started this mess, and Virginia is going to finish it.” Democrats across the country were left fuming after the U.S. Supreme Court moved to allow Texas to use redrawn congressional maps. Many were upset because the proposal appeared to stem from the White House after President Donald Trump proposed the idea of the mid-decade redrawing of maps in June 2025. The president is looking to fortify Republican control of the House, something he was unable to do in his first term when Democrats retook the House majority in 2018. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a vocal Trump critic, quickly jumped into the fight, with his state passing Proposition 50, a ballot initiative that will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature. The move is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning districts in California, with the goal of offsetting the move made by Texas. Several other states have also drawn new maps, including Missouri, North Carolina and Vice President JD Vance’s home state of Ohio. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser, Lindsay Kornick and Greg Wehner and Fox News’ Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.
Man arrested for allegedly threatening to kill JD Vance was in possession of child sexual abuse materials: DOJ
A man arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance was also found with child sexual abuse materials, according to the Justice Department (DOJ). Shannon Mathre, 33, of Toledo, Ohio, was arrested Friday on suspicion of threatening to kill Vance during the vice president’s visit to Northwest Ohio in January, the DOJ said. Mathre is accused of saying, “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” The DOJ did not give specific details about when or where the threat was made. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a news release, “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.” It suggested the threat could have been made online. SECRET SERVICE AWARE OF UMASS LOWELL-FUNDED RADIO DJ’S DIRECTIVE TO ‘KILL JD VANCE’ “Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Bondi added. The U.S. Secret Service arrested Mathre Feb. 6. A federal grand jury has since returned an indictment charging Mathre with making the threat against Vance. While investigating the alleged threats, federal agents found “multiple digital files of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM)” in Mathre’s possession, according to prosecutors. Subsequently, a grand jury charged that “from about Dec. 31, 2025, to Jan. 21, 2026,” Mathre engaged in the receipt and distribution of CSAM. CALIFORNIA MAN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MAKING ONLINE DEATH THREATS AGAINST JD VANCE DURING DISNEYLAND VISIT “While arresting this man for allegedly threatening to murder the vice president of the United States, a serious crime in and of itself, federal law enforcement discovered that he was also in possession of child sexual abuse materials,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thank you to federal, state and local partners in working together to bring justice twofold to this depraved individual.” David Toepfer, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said “violent threats” such as the one allegedly made against Vance would “not be tolerated.” He vowed that those who make these threats “will face swift justice and prosecution.” Mathre made his initial court appearance Feb. 6, before a U.S. magistrate judge for the Northern District of Ohio, the DOJ said, adding he remains in custody until his detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 11. If found guilty, Mathre faces up to five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for a threat against Vance, according to the DOJ. Additionally, if found guilty on the CSAM charge, Mathre could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison and fined up to $250,000. ATTORNEY FOR SUSPECT IN VANCE HOME VANDALISM RULES OUT POSSIBLE MOTIVATION Vance faced multiple death threats and had his Ohio home vandalized last month. William DeFoor, 26, was arrested in early January in the vandalism of Vance’s home. DeFoor was booked on charges of vandalism, obstruction of official business, criminal damaging or endangering and criminal trespass. “I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home. As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows. I’m grateful to the secret service and the Cincinnati police for responding quickly. We weren’t even home as we had returned already to D.C.,” Vance wrote on X. In another January incident, Marco Antonio Aguayo, 22, of Anaheim, was also arrested after allegedly making multiple threatening comments on Disney’s official Instagram account referencing pipe bombs, imminent bloodshed and violent action against “corrupt politicians” on July 12, the same day Vance and his family were visiting and staying at the resort. Additionally, Fox News Digital reported exclusively that a volunteer radio show host resigned after authorities confirmed they are aware of a post threatening Vance on left-wing-dominated social media app Bluesky. The person revealed being a host of a radio show on WUML, which is funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. The university told Fox News Digital it alerted authorities once it became aware of the post. The Secret Service confirmed to Fox News Digital it was aware of the post. The Haverhill Police Department directed Fox News Digital to the FBI, which declined to comment. Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace, Alexandra Koch and Peter D’Abrosca and Fox News’ Matt Finn contributed to this report.
Will pro-military message bring Thailand’s ‘most hawkish’ party to power?
As Thailand prepares to vote on Sunday in a nationwide election, the country’s months-long border dispute with Cambodia continues to cast a shadow over election proceedings. Brief but deadly armed clashes in May last year on a disputed section of the Thai-Cambodia border escalated into the deadliest fighting in a decade between the two countries, killing dozens of people and displacing hundreds of thousands. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Fallout from the conflict toppled the government of Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra – daughter of the billionaire populist leader Thaksin Shinawatra – before bringing Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to power in September. Now, while the fighting may have ceased, the conflict remains an emotive topic for Thais and a means for Anutin to rally support for his conservative Bhumjaithai Party as a no-nonsense prime minister, unafraid to flex his country’s military muscle when required, analysts say. “Anutin’s party is positioning itself as the party that’s really willing to take the initiative on the border conflict,” said Napon Jatusripitak, an expert in Thai politics at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. “It’s a party that has taken the strongest stance on the issue and the most hawkish,” Napon said of the recent military operations. Anutin had good reason to focus on the conflict with Cambodia in his election campaign. The fighting created a surge in nationalist sentiment in Thailand during two rounds of armed conflict in July and December, while the clashes also inflicted reputational damage on Anutin’s rivals in Thai politics. Chief among those who suffered on the political battlefield was the populist Pheu Thai Party, the power base of Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin and his family. Advertisement Pheu Thai sustained a major hit to its popularity in June when a phone call between its leader, then-Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn, and the strongman of Cambodian politics, Hun Sen, was made public. In the June 15 call, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen, an erstwhile friend of her father, as “uncle” and promised to “take care” of the issue after the first early clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops, according to Reuters news agency. For factions in Thailand’s politics and Thai people, Paetongtarn’s deference to Hun Sen was beyond the pale of acceptable behaviour for a prime minister, especially as she appeared to also criticise Thailand’s military – a major centre of power in a nation of more than 70 million people. Hun Sen later admitted to leaking the call and claimed it was in the interest of “transparency,” but it led to the collapse of Paetongtarn’s government. She was then sacked by the constitutional court at the end of August last year, paving the way for Anutin to be voted in as Thailand’s leader by parliament the following month. The border conflict with Cambodia has given a major boost to Thailand’s armed forces at a time of “growing popular discontent with the military’s involvement in politics, and with the conservative elite”, said Neil Loughlin, an expert in comparative politics at City St George’s, University of London. Anutin’s government focused its political messaging when fighting on the border re-erupted in early December. Days later, he dissolved parliament in preparation for the election. “Bhumjaithai has leaned into patriotic, nationalist messaging,” said Japhet Quitzon, an associate fellow with the Southeast Asia programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. “Anutin himself has promised to protect the country at campaign rallies, signalling strength in the face of ongoing tensions with Cambodia. He has vowed to retaliate should conflict re-emerge and will continue protecting Thai territorial integrity,” Quitzon said. ‘War against the scam army’ During the fighting, Thailand took control of several disputed areas on the border and shelled Cambodian casino complexes near the boundary, which it claimed were being used by Cambodia’s military. Bangkok later alleged some of the casino complexes, which have ties to Cambodian elites, were being used as centres for online fraud – known as cyber scams – a major problem in the region, and that Thai forces were also carrying out a “war against the scam army” based in Cambodia. Advertisement Estimates by the World Health Organization say the conflict killed 18 civilians in Cambodia and 16 in Thailand, though media outlets put the overall death toll closer to 149, before both sides signed their most recent ceasefire in late December. While the fighting has paused for now, its impact continues to reverberate across Thai politics, said the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Napon. Pheu Thai is still reeling from the leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, while another Thai opposition group, the People’s Party, has been forced to temper some of its longstanding positions demanding reform in the military, Napon said. Former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra shakes hands with Pheu Thai Party supporters during a campaign event in Bangkok [Patipat Janthong/Reuters] “[The People’s Party] vowed to abolish the military’s conscription and to cut the military’s budget, but what the border conflict with Cambodia did was to elevate the military’s popularity to heights not seen in longer than a decade since the 2014 coup,” Napon told Al Jazeera. “Its main selling point used to be reform of the military, but after the conflict it seems to be a liability,” Napon continued. The party has now shifted its criticism from the military as an institution to specific generals, and turned its focus back to reviving the economy, which is expected to grow just 1.8 percent this year, according to the state-owned Krungthai Bank. In the past two weeks, that messaging seems to be hitting home, Napon said, with the People’s Party once again leading at the polls despite a different platform from 2023. “It will be very different from the previous election,” Napon said. “Right now, there’s no military in the picture, so it’s really a battle between old and new,” he added. Adblock test (Why?)
ICC in Pakistan talks to revive India T20 World Cup clash
Cricket’s global governing body hopes to persuade Pakistan to reverse decision to boycott India T20 World Cup fixtures. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 2 mins info Published On 7 Feb 20267 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The International Cricket Council is in talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board to resolve the boycott of its T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against India on February 15. Any clash between archrivals India and Pakistan is one of the most lucrative in cricket, worth millions of dollars in broadcast, sponsoring and advertising revenue. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list But the fixture was thrown into doubt after Pakistan’s government ordered the team not to play the match in Colombo. The Pakistan Cricket Board reached out to the ICC after a formal communication from the cricket world body, a source close to the developments has told the AFP news agency. The ICC was seeking a resolution through dialogue and not confrontation, the source added. The 20-team tournament has been overshadowed by an acrimonious political build-up after Bangladesh, which refused to play in India, citing security concerns, was replaced by Scotland. As a protest, Pakistan refused to face co-hosts India in their Group A fixture. Pakistan, which edged out the Netherlands in the tournament opener on Saturday, will lose two points if they forfeit the match and also suffer a significant blow to their net run rate. India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said this week that his team would travel to Colombo for the clash. Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments. Adblock test (Why?)
England vs Nepal: T20 World Cup – teams, start time, lineups
Who: England vs NepalWhat: 2026 ICC T20 World CupWhere: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, IndiaWhen: Sunday, February 8, at 3pm (09:30 GMT)How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 06:30 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream. England are undoubtedly among the frontrunners to lift the T20 World Cup title, but, unlike years gone by, they do not start as one of the red-hot favourites. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Despite his undoubted ability with the bat, questions surround the captaincy of Harry Brook, while English cricket as a whole is licking its wounds following recent woes – including the Ashes humiliation in Australia. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at their open against Nepal. What have England said about the pressure on Brooks? All-rounder Will Jacks said on Friday that under-fire England T20 captain Harry Brook had “100 percent” support from the players after going through a “tough time”. The 26-year-old Brook, in charge at a global tournament for the first time, has recently been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. He had to apologise last month for being involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer during England’s white ball tour of New Zealand last year, something that had been a “terrible mistake”. Jacks has been close to Brook since they were roommates with England Under-19s. “Obviously, it’s been a tough time, and that’s been well documented in the media,” Jacks told reporters before team training in Mumbai on the eve of the tournament. “I wasn’t actually in New Zealand, so I didn’t know anything about it. Advertisement “He’s obviously made the wrong decision, but he’s accepted that. He’s obviously making amends on the pitch, and we all back him 100 percent.” Brook, a richly gifted run-scorer, has an early chance to shift the focus back onto his batting in England’s opening match against Nepal in Mumbai on Sunday. “He wants his cricket to do the talking,” said Jacks. (Al Jazeera] What is England and Brook’s T20 form before the World Cup? England come into the World Cup in good form in T20, heartened by a 3-0 series win in Sri Lanka – one of the tournament co-hosts – this week. In the preceding ODI series against the same opposition, the explosive Brook bludgeoned 136 off just 66 balls. “It’s not so much we are taking momentum from that, but team unity, feeling strong within ourselves,” said Jacks. “We have been performing well over the last 12 months, since Harry’s become captain, and we’re very happy with that. “What we did in the last few weeks in Sri Lanka is another stepping stone.” Who else is in England and Nepal’s group? England are expected to make the Super Eight stage from a Group C that also features two-time winners West Indies, debutants Italy and Scotland. “We come into here full of confidence and belief that we can go a long way in this tournament. “But that doesn’t guarantee us anything. We know that there’s amazing teams in this World Cup.” “India, on home soil, I think everyone knows who’s favourites.” What is England’s T20 World Cup record? England are the joint-record winners of the T20 World Cup with two trophy lifts to their name, alongside West Indies and holders India. Paul Collingwood captained the English to the third edition of the competition, before Jos Buttler’s side sealed their second win in 2022. [Al Jazeera] What is Nepal’s T20 World Cup record? Nepal made their debut at the 2014 edition of the competition, but had to wait until the West Indies and US co-hosted tournament in 2024 to make a second appearance. On both occasions, the Nepalese were eliminated at the first stage, with 12th- and 17th-placed rankings. Salt passed fit for England’s opener Hard-hitting batsman Phil Salt was passed fit as England named their team on Saturday for their first match in the T20 World Cup. He will open the batting alongside wicketkeeper Jos Buttler against Nepal at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Sunday in Group C. Salt missed Tuesday’s third T20 against Sri Lanka with a back spasm, but trained successfully on Friday and will take his place at the top of the order. Tom Banton, fresh from a sparkling 54 off 33 balls against Sri Lanka five days ago, is preferred to Ben Duckett and will bat at number four. Advertisement Left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood gets the nod ahead of Jamie Overton and joins express man Jofra Archer and Sam Curran in the seam attack. England have opted to have four spinners at their disposal, with spearheads Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson backed up by all-rounders Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks. England’s starting lineup Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (capt), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood England squad Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (captain), Josh Tongue, Luke Wood Nepal squad Rohit Paudel (captain), Aarif Sheikh, Aasif Sheikh (wicketkeeper), Dipendra Singh Airee, Basir Ahamad, Kushal Bhurtel, Sundeep Jora, Lokesh Bam, Gulshan Jha, Karan KC, Sompal Kami, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sher Malla, Lalit Rajbanshi, Nandan Yadav Adblock test (Why?)
BJP names Ritu Tawde as Mahayuti candidate for Mumbai Mayor, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Ghadi is named as her Deputy
The Mahayuti alliance has announced BJP leader Ritu Tawde as Mumbai’s next mayor, ending days of speculation. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Shankar Ghadi will be the deputy mayor after the alliance secured a majority in the BMC civic elections.
Delhi Police arrest Jal Board sub-contractor in Janakpuri pit death; FIR registered for fatal negligence
Delhi Police arrested a DJB sub-contractor after a 25-year-old biker died falling into an uncovered pit in Janakpuri. An FIR for culpable homicide has been filed as police probe safety lapses, alleged negligence, and accountability of officials involved.
Uttar Pradesh: Yamuna City to get Rs 3.5 lakh crore AI hub near Noida Airport, here’s all you need to know
The foundation for the AI hub was laid during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, where the company’s representatives met with Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna and expressed their interest in developing the AI hub in the state.
Who is Ritu Tawde? 2-time Ghatkopar corporator set to be BJP’s second-ever Mumbai mayor
This is the first time in more than two decades that the position would be held by a member of a party other than the Shiv Sena. The elections for India’s richest municipal body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), were held on January 15.
Trump says nuclear talks in Oman were ‘very good,’ claims Iran wants a deal ‘very badly’
The indirect nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Oman were “very good,” according to President Donald Trump. “Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly. We’ll have to see what that deal is. But I think Iran looks like they want to make a deal very badly, as they should. Last time they decided maybe not to do it, but I think they probably feel differently,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday. The president added that the U.S. had a “big Armada” heading towards Iran, something he has spoken about in the past. When he was pressed on how long the U.S. would be willing to wait to make a deal with Iran, the president indicated some flexibility, saying that he believes the two nations can reach an agreement. TRUMP WARNS IRAN, DELAYS STRIKES AS RED LINE DEBATE ECHOES OBAMA’S SYRIA MOMENT “It can be reached. Well, we have to get in position. We have plenty of time. If you remember Venezuela, we waited around for a while, and we’re in no rush. We have very good [talks] with Iran,” Trump said. “They know the consequences if they don’t make a deal. The consequences are very steep. So we’ll see what happens. But they had a very good meeting with a very high representative of Iran,” the president added. American and Iranian representatives held separate meetings with Omani officials on Friday amid flaring tensions between Washington and Tehran. Oman’s Foreign Ministry said that the meetings were “focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations.” IRANIAN OFFICIAL SAYS NUCLEAR TALKS WILL CONTINUE AFTER US, TEHRAN NEGOTIATIONS HAD ‘A GOOD START’ IN OMAN On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that indirect nuclear talks were “a good start” and that there was a “consensus” that the negotiations would continue. “After a long period without dialogue, our viewpoints were conveyed, and our concerns were expressed. Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side’s views were also heard,” Araghchi said. “It was a good start, but its continuation depends on consultations in our respective capitals and deciding on how to proceed,” he added. IRAN SEIZES OIL TANKERS, THREATENS ‘MASSACRE’ IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ HOURS BEFORE US TALKS While both sides expressed optimism about a possible deal, the U.S. moved to impose fresh sanctions on Iran after the talks. The State Department announced that the U.S. was sanctioning “15 entities, two individuals and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products.” “Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilizing activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran,” the statement read. “So long as the Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behavior and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable.” The Iranian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment on the sanctions.