As Texas gets redder, John Cornyn could face toughest primary season of his career
Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has hinted at a possible run, has more support than the four-term senator among Republicans, polling shows.
Murkowski and Cassidy announce they’ll vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard to Trump cabinet post
Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., both announced that they would vote to confirm former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence. In a party-line vote on Monday, Murkowski, Cassidy, and the other Republican senators who voted opted to move forward with the confirmation process by supporting cloture, while the members of the Senate Democratic caucus who voted opposed cloture. “I will vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence,” Murkowski declared in a post on X. TRUMP NOMINEE TULSI GABBARD CLEARS LAST HURDLE, HEADS FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE “While I continue to have concerns about certain positions she has previously taken, I appreciate her commitment to rein in the outsized scope of the agency, while still enabling the ODNI to continue its essential function in upholding national security,” the senator continued. “As she brings independent thinking and necessary oversight to her new role, I am counting on her to ensure the safety and civil liberties of American citizens remain rigorously protected.” Murkowski voted against confirming Pete Hegseth to serve as Defense Secretary last month. JOHN FETTERMAN REVEALS HOW HE’LL VOTE ON TRUMP’S TULSI GABBARD AND RFK JR. NOMINATIONS “President Trump chose Tulsi Gabbard to be his point person on foreign intelligence,” Cassidy said in a statement. “I will trust President Trump on this decision and vote for her confirmation.” Gabbard, who served in Congress from early 2013 to early 2021, announced in 2022 that she was leaving the Democratic Party. THE CONFIRMATION JUGGERNAUT: HOW TRUMP IS GETTING EVERYTHING HE WANTS IN BUILDING HIS CABINET Last year she backed Trump in the 2024 presidential contest and announced she was joining the Republican Party.
Trump signs executive order ending ‘forced use of paper straws’
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday ending the “procurement and forced use of paper straws.” The order directs the federal government to stop purchasing paper straws and ensure they are no longer offered in federal buildings, according to a White House fact sheet. It also requires the development of a “National Strategy” to end the use of paper straws within 45 days and “alleviate the forced use of paper straws nationwide.” ‘BACK TO PLASTIC!’: TRUMP VOWS EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING ‘RIDICULOUS’ PUSH FOR PAPER STRAWS The White House said paper straws are more expensive than plastic straws and use chemicals that may carry risks to human health. “The irrational campaign against plastic straws has forced Americans to use nonfunctional paper straws,” the fact sheet reads, adding: “This ends under President Trump.” The order comes after Trump vowed last week to end bans and restrictions on plastic straws. “I will be signing an Executive Order next week ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work,” Trump said Friday on Truth Social. “BACK TO PLASTIC!” Several Democrat-run states, including California, Colorado, New York, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and Washington, have bans or restrictions on single-use plastic straws. Some of those states currently have laws limiting the use of single-use plastic straws in full-service restaurants unless requested by the customer. FEDERAL AGENCIES SCRUB CLIMATE CHANGE FROM WEBSITES AMID TRUMP REBRANDING Democrat-led states have also adopted the use of paper straws as a more environment-friendly alternative, which Trump has criticized for years. He said in a 2019 social media post that “liberal paper straws don’t work.” This comes after former President Joe Biden’s administration announced plans in July to phase out single-use plastic in the federal government. Fox News’ Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.
Arvind Kejriwal pictured for 1st time after Delhi loss, meets Bhagwant Mann, Punjab CM hits back at Congress, says…
He also slammed Bajwa over his criticism of law and order in Punjab, and said the situation was better than most of the states
‘Designated terrorists’: Extremist groups raked in millions from USAID, multiyear study reveals
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies, according to a report published by Middle East Forum, a U.S. think tank. “The Middle East Forum’s multi-year study of USAID and State Department spending has uncovered $164 million of approved grants to radical organizations, with at least $122 million going to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters,” the conservative think tank wrote in its report published Feb. 4. “Billions more of federal dollars have been given to leading American aid charities which have consistently failed to vet their terror-tied local partners, and show little interest in improving their practices, to the apparent indifference of the federal government.” The Middle East Forum’s report focuses specifically on funds from USAID and the State Department that wound up in the hands of radical groups and organizations tied to terrorism. USAID EMPLOYEE SAYS STAFFERS HID PRIDE FLAGS, ‘INCRIMINATING’ BOOKS WHEN DOGE ARRIVED RUBIO PAUSES FOREIGN AID FROM STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID TO ENSURE IT PUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST’ The think tank reported that among its top findings, USAID was found to have given more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development. The funding began in 2016, and its most recent allocation was made just days before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Bayader describes itself as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that works “to build a civil society” on the Gaza Strip. “Founded in 2007, shortly after Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip, Bayader operates in close cooperation with the Hamas regime. Its 2021 annual report notes ‘coordination’ and ‘meetings’ with Hamas’s Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture,” the report found. ‘VIPER’S NEST’: USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM The funds were secured through other NGOs, such as Catholic Relief Services and medical groups. “But USAID coordinates directly with Bayader as well,” according to the report. “USAID officials have praised Bayader’s work on social media, and even visited Bayader’s offices, where one senior USAID official, Jonathan Kamin, received an award from the terror-linked charity.” The report also found that USAID approved a $12.5 million grant in 2024 to the American Near East Refugee Agency, which is also “a long-standing partner” of Bayader. The American Near East Refugee Agency is an NGO that was established in 1968 in an effort to assist refugees following the Arab-Israeli War. The report found staffers with the NGO have repeatedly and publicly posted “violent ideas, without apparent censure from top charity officials.” The comments on social media posted by employees include: calling on God to “erase the Jews,” expressing support for the “brave prisoners” in Israeli jails during the Hamas-Israel war, and describing Oct. 7, 2023, as a “beautiful morning.” Sam Westrop, the director of the Middle East Forum’s counter-extremism project, Islamist Watch, posted a highlight thread on X of the report’s findings, describing the examples as “horrifying.” “USAID won’t even tell us how much they gave the Unlimited Friends Association, a Gaza terror charity which operates with help from Hamas. The head of the charity promises to ‘cleanse’ their land of ‘impure Jews,’” Westrop posted in the thread of an example. USAID CLOSES HQ TO STAFFERS MONDAY AS MUSK SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTS SHUTTING AGENCY DOWN “USAID gave millions to Islamic Relief, whose Gaza branch openly works with senior terrorist officials in Gaza, including Hamas politburo member Ghazi Hamad. who promised that Hamas would repeat Oct 7 attacks ‘time and again until Israel is annihilated,’” he posted in another example from the report. USAID funds totaling $125,000 were found in the hands of the Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA) in 2015, despite the U.S. Treasury designating the group a global terrorist organization in 2004 due to its ties to Osama bin Laden. WHITE HOUSE FLAGS TOP USAID BOONDOGGLES UNDER ELON MUSK’S MICROSCOPE The report continued that USAID “undoubtedly knew of ISRA’s terrorism activities. In 2010, the executive director of ISRA’s U.S. branch (IARA-USA) and a board member pleaded guilty to money-laundering, theft of public funds, conspiracy, and several other charges. The plea was listed on USAID’s own website,” the report found. IARA-USA stands for the Islamic American Relief Agency. The funds were directed to ISRA via an evangelical charity called World Vision that works to provide clean water to areas of Sudan, according to the report. A World Vision official told Fox News Digital when asked about the report that the charity earned approval to work in Sudan “to help build a better world for the most vulnerable children and their families” and that it takes “compliance obligations seriously.” “As soon as we became aware that a local partner, Islamic Relief Agency, might be on the list of organizations banned from transactions by the United States, we suspended the grant and asked the US Government to confirm its status,” the official said. “We would never knowingly put those we serve or our staff at risk by working with a partner on the list of banned organizations. We exist to help build a better world for children and their families, serving in the name of Jesus Christ. We have no evidence that any of our funds have been used for anything other than urgent humanitarian work.” “As a Christian humanitarian organization, we do not compromise our beliefs nor commitment to integrity as we work with governments throughout the world,” the official said. “It is not easy to operate in fragile contexts, yet this is where the Lord is calling us. We remain committed to our vision of bringing life in all its fullness to vulnerable children around the world.” Fox News Digital reached out to Bayader, the American Near East Refugee Agency and Catholic Relief Services but did not receive replies. USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its chair, Elon Musk, investigate the agency’s spending practices and prepare to revamp and potentially shutter the agency. USAID
Lori Chavez-DeRemer: The little-known Trump nominee who may need to rely on Dems to cross finish line
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Labor, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., has left Republicans in the Senate with some questions over her pro-union stances, but at the same time, she has generated some interest from pro-labor Democrats. In particular, the moderate Republican will need to explain to Republicans her support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), a controversial piece of legislation that was proposed a few years ago. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters that “support for the PRO Act is not something that most Republicans have tolerated in the past, but I think she’s attempted to address that, and my hope is that she can further clarify her position on some of those issues when she goes through the hearing process.” SCHUMER REVEALS DEM COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST TRUMP’S DOGE AUDIT The Protecting the Right to Organize Act was championed by Democrats and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters upon introduction. But others, such as most Republicans and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, opposed it. The legislation would effectively kill state-level laws that prohibit employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Chavez-DeRemer will have her hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Wednesday. One committee member she’ll have to answer to is Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has already said he doesn’t plan to support her. “Her support for the Pro Act, which would not only oppose national right to work, but it would preempt state law on right to work. I think it’s not a good thing, and it’d be sort of hard for me since it’s a big issue for me to support her. So I won’t support her,” the senator previously told reporters. TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB This puts Chavez-DeRemer in a difficult position, as she will need to rely on Democrats to help her advance out of the HELP committee favorably if Paul follows through on his commitment to voting against her. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who is far from the most pro-union Republican in the upper chamber, is full speed ahead in favor of Trump’s pick as Chavez-DeRemer gears up for her hearing and eventual committee vote. In a phone interview with Fox News Digital, he explained that he and Teamsters President Sean O’Brien were involved in Trump’s selection of her for the key Cabinet role. Mullin further detailed the significance of union members in Trump’s winning 2024 election coalition. He claimed Democrats have “come to us and actually said this is actually a really good pick” because it puts them in a difficult position and is hard to vote against with her support among labor unions. INSIDE SEN TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION The senator didn’t give away any names of Democrats that might see her appeal, however. Paul previously predicted he wouldn’t be the only one unwilling to back her in the Republican conference. “I think she’ll lose 15 Republicans and she’ll get 25 Democrats. She’s very pro-labor, she might get all the Democrats. Who knows? So, we’ll see,” he said. If his vote leaves her nomination tied at the committee level, it could still be reported and scheduled for a floor vote, but without a favorable recommendation. In this case, she would need to amass 60 votes in the full Senate to move on to confirmation. LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN With her appeal among labor groups, Chavez-DeRemer may manage to put together a 60-plus bipartisan coalition to be confirmed. While Paul predicted more than a dozen GOP defectors, Mullin said the real number is likely much smaller. “I haven’t heard from any other Republicans that are a ‘no.’ Rand is the only one,” he said. “I don’t think his numbers are accurate, even close,” the Oklahoma Republican added. A representative for Chavez-DeRemer did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.
‘Tug of war’: Chagos Islands deal tearing families apart in Mauritius
Slam poet Geraldine Baptiste pulls no punches when telling the story of her “Granpapa”, one of the 1,500-plus people ripped from a peaceful existence on the Chagos Islands by the British to make way for a United States military base, most shipped “kouma zanimo” (meaning “like animals” in her native Creole) to a hellish fate more than 1,000 miles (1,610km) across the Indian Ocean in Mauritius. Belting out her poems in the Port Louis suburbs, the 26-year-old relates her grandfather’s memories of fishing in the crystalline waters of Peros Banhos atoll and feasting by firelight on “seraz pwason” (fish curry) and “kalou” moonshine, contrasting happy times with the horrors of his violent expulsion in the early 1970s and the decades of impoverished exile that followed – many did not survive. “Pena okenn antidot; Pou geri sa blesir; Ki ankor pe soupire,” she says – there is no cure for those wounds, still weeping more than half a century on. That line hits especially hard right now, as Mauritius prepares to assume sovereignty over the 60-island Chagos archipelago after vanquishing the United Kingdom in a landmark decolonisation case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) six years ago. The nation is on a knife edge as it awaits the final nod from the US, which wants cast-iron guarantees on the security of one of its most valuable bases on the atoll of Diego Garcia. Advertisement Mauritius has been intent on reclaiming Chagos for decades, having been strong-armed by the UK into selling the jointly administered colonial territory for 3 million pounds in exchange for its independence in 1968. The ICJ victory is further sweetened by the promise of billions of pounds that the UK will reportedly pay in rent and back rent for Diego Garcia under a lease arrangement spanning 99 years. In a bid to heal past wounds, Mauritius will manage a trust fund for Chagossians, allowing them to resettle on two of the Chagos Islands – Salomon and Peros Banhos. But the islanders, some with roots on the territory stretching back to the 18th century, were locked out of the interstate talks. And, as Baptiste describes it, local families have been torn apart by rows over whether they should accept Mauritian sovereignty over their homeland. “It’s like being in a tug of war between two sides that are killing each other,” says Baptiste. “We’re already a tiny community. It makes me so sad.” Sidelined Karen Walter, deputy editor-in-chief of Mauritius’s L’Express newspaper, has followed the twists and turns of the bilateral negotiations in recent years, noting that the views of the estimated 10,000 Chagossians now scattered across the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles “have not counted for much”. The sidelining of Chagossians was apparent during last year’s election, held 10 days after the UK and Mauritius announced they had reached a political agreement on the transfer. Former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth hit the campaign trail running, trumpeting “billions of rupees” in annual rent for Diego Garcia and opportunities to build hotels on the archipelago – but many noted he made no mention of Chagossians. Advertisement Jugnauth has since been replaced by Navin Ramgoolam, who condemned his predecessor’s draft deal with the UK as a “sellout”. Last Tuesday, Ramgoolam told the Mauritian parliament that his new team had renegotiated an “inflation-proof” draft, featuring an undisclosed “front-loaded” payment. Crucially for Mauritius, the new terms appear to give it veto powers over future extensions of the 99-year lease arrangement for Diego Garcia. Ramgoolam said he was “confident” everything would be finalised “in the coming weeks”. Though with US President Donald Trump yet to weigh in, as hawkish right-wingers whip up a transatlantic panic about Mauritius opening the door to Chinese spies (even if “Little India”, as Mauritius is sometimes called because of its large Indian-origin population, is far closer to New Delhi than it has ever been to Beijing), the deal still hangs in the balance. Ramgoolam kick-started the legal drive for sovereignty after WikiLeaks published a US diplomatic cable in 2010, exposing a British scheme to establish a marine-protected zone in Chagos that was aimed at greenwashing the ban on Indigenous islanders – or “Man Fridays”, as they were called by one official – returning home. From then on, the two causes of Mauritian sovereignty over Chagos and the Chagossian struggle for justice were twinned. The country’s eventual victory at the ICJ may have been predicated on the UK’s botched decolonisation of Mauritius, but Chagossians provided the knockout emotional punch. Peros Banhos native Liseby Elyse testified over a videolink, telling the stunned court how she had been crammed onto the eviction ship while four months pregnant and had lost her baby on arrival in Mauritius, swinging international opinion in favour of Mauritius. Advertisement Mauritian lawyer Robin Mardemootoo, who has long represented the community, says Mauritius owes its victory at the ICJ to Chagossians. Having “surfed the waves” of the Chagossian struggle, Mauritius now has “a golden opportunity” to do things the right way and should insist they have a place at the table, he says. Apart from anything else, Chagossians are best placed to hold the UK and US feet to the fire, particularly when it comes to proper reparations for the wrongs committed by both countries and the costs of the planned resettlement programme, a mammoth project involving the construction of infrastructure, institutions and housing on islands untouched for half a century. Mauritius does not have the means, says Mardemootoo. “If Mauritius is not smart about this, it is going to inherit a bunch of islands with no means to rehabilitate them. And this is going to drag on and come back and haunt them,” he says. Time running out Olivier Bancoult, leader of the Chagos Refugees Group (CRG), solicited Mardemootoo’s help in his long battle to win a right of return in the English courts. He secured a landmark victory at the High Court in London in 2000, but the ruling was overturned with new legislation four years
Corruption derailing climate fight, watchdog warns
Transparency International says corruption holds back global cooperation on climate change policy. Corruption threatens to “derail” global cooperation to tackle climate change, according to graft watchdog Transparency International (TI). The watchdog’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024, published on Tuesday, reported that many nations crucial to climate diplomacy have seen their scores decline. Overall, the CPI found that global corruption remained “alarmingly high” last year. More than two-thirds of the 180 countries ranked had scores below 50 out of 100. The global average was unchanged from 2023 at 43. While 32 countries have made significant progress against corruption since 2012, 148 countries have stagnated or declined over the same period, TI noted, adding that the results underscore ‘the urgent need for concrete action against corruption”. ‘Devastating’ TI noted the “devastating” effect of global corruption on the fight against climate change. “Amidst record-breaking global heating and extreme weather events, corruption is exacerbating the climate crisis,” the report read. Advertisement The watchdog warned of the effects of corruption on climate-vulnerable countries and key international climate conferences. Countries, including hosts of high-profile events like United Nations climate summits, are seeing declining CPI scores, it said. Brazil, for example, the host of this year’s UN COP30 climate talks, received a score of 34, its lowest-ever rating. Wealthier countries which also lead climate talks like the United States, received a score of 65. The report also highlighted the growing risk to billions of dollars of life-saving climate finance, often in countries that need it the most. South Africa, Vietnam and Indonesia exemplify how corruption is derailing climate initiatives, it read. The countries most exposed to climate change were among those with the lowest scores, including South Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela. “Corrupt forces not only shape but often dictate policies and dismantle checks and balances,” Transparency International CEO Maira Martini said in a statement. “We must urgently root out corruption before it fully derails meaningful climate action.” Weather-related disasters have seen calls for more action on climate change, but Transparency International says corruption is a major obstacle [AFP] The report said the one solution to tackle corruption and make sure funds are used efficiently, would be to have better “metrics and frameworks for climate transparency and accountability”. The watchdog also said that enhancing anticorruption bodies would help deter environmental crimes and reduce impunity. Advertisement The international watchdog’s CPI ranks 180 countries according to levels of public-sector corruption and is calculated using independent data sources. A score of zero is considered “highly corrupt”; a score of 100 “very clean”. Adblock test (Why?)
Luka Doncic makes LA Lakers debut with win against Utah Jazz
Five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic begins Los Angeles Lakers career just over a week after his blockbuster trade from Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic produced 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in his Los Angeles Lakers debut and LeBron James added 24 points, seven rebounds and eight assists as the newly formed star duo led the way to a 132-113 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz. Austin Reaves logged 22 points and nine rebounds and Rui Hachimura added 21 points as the Lakers extended their winning streak to six games while coming out on top for the 10th time in the past 11 games. Jordan Goodwin scored 17 points in his second game with Los Angeles on Monday. Doncic, acquired from the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster deal on February 2, played for the first time since Christmas Day, having recovered from a left calf strain. The Slovenian guard was on the court for 24 minutes and shot 5 of 14 from the floor, including 1 of 7 from 3-point range. Lauri Markkanen and John Collins each scored 17 points and Jordan Clarkson added 16 as the Jazz saw their road losing streak reach nine games. Johnny Juzang scored 14 points as Utah lost its third consecutive game overall and fell for the 12th time in its last 14 contests. Advertisement Collins, who had 11 rebounds, joined Isaiah Collier, who amassed 13 points and 10 assists, each posted a double-double for Utah. Doncic had one turnover and one missed shot just over two minutes into the game before making his first basket in a Lakers uniform on a 3-pointer with 8:05 remaining in the opening quarter. The Lakers led 37-25 after one period and were well in control by half-time, going into the locker room up 72-47. Reaves had 15 points before the break, James added 13 and Doncic had 11. The Lakers shot 60 percent over the opening two quarters, while the Jazz were at 40 percent. Los Angeles opened the fourth quarter with a 100-75 lead and cruised to their third victory in three tries against Utah. The teams face each other for the final time this season on Wednesday in Salt Lake City. The Lakers’ only reason for concern came early in the fourth quarter when James went to the locker room briefly due to abdominal discomfort. He returned to the bench with just over eight minutes remaining but remained out for the rest of the game. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, celebrates with teammate forward LeBron James during the first half of an NBA basketball game, February 10, 2025, in Los Angeles [Mark J Terrill/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
Amid rumours of dissent, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal holds meeting with Punjab CM Mann, MLAs in Delhi
AAP, which had governed Delhi for a decade, suffered a major setback in the February 5 elections, winning only 22 seats out of 70 in the Assembly elections. The BJP’s victory ended AAP’s rule in the capital, raising concerns over the party’s future.