Top GOP recruit for crucial 2026 Senate race hints when he will make an announcement
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia is well aware that plenty of people are waiting for his decision on whether to run for the Senate next year. The popular term-limited conservative governor is the GOP’s dream candidate to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is considered vulnerable, in the key southeastern battleground state, as Republicans aim to expand their 53-47 Senate majority in the 2026 midterm elections. “We need to flip that seat. We should have a Republican in that seat, and I believe we’ll have one after the ’26 election,” Kemp said in a Fox News Digital interview this past week. Kemp isn’t ready to make an announcement, emphasizing that he’s “really got a lot on my plate right now.” THIS KEY REPUBILCAN GOVERNOR SPOTLIGHTS TRUMP’S FRENETIC PACE “I’m in the middle of my legislative session. We’ve got a big tort reform fight going on. I’m chairing the Republican Governors Association. I made a commitment on that,” he added. But the governor acknowledged that “I know I can’t keep holding out forever, so we’ll have something to say on that down the road.” Georgia’s legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on April 4. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER OPEN DEMOCRATIC-HELD SENATE SEAT IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERMS Sen. Tim Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, has said that Kemp is a top recruit, and he hopes the governor will run. And recent partisan polling in Georgia indicated Kemp topping Ossoff in a hypothetical matchup. But the NRSC is confident of flipping the seat in Georgia even if Kemp decides to take a pass on a 2026 run. Among the Republicans who’ve expressed interest in a run for the Senate seat in Georgia if Kemp opts out are Reps. Buddy Carter, Rich McCormick, Mike Collins, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a top ally of President Donald Trump and a political rockstar on the far right with a very large national profile, along with state Insurance Commissioner John King. Kemp was interviewed as he chaired the Republican Governors Association’s (RGA) winter meeting in Washington D.C. The governor, who has been steering the RGA for three months, emphasized his frenetic schedule to fundraise and recruit candidates. “Doing a lot of stuff in Florida, Texas, been to California, will be traveling to help other governors, but also just in DC, you know, continuing to work hard to raise money, really, all across the board,” he said. And Kemp said he’s aiming to “really grow the organization, grow the donor base, and make people understand why it’s so important to have Republican governors, because we are the incubators of democracy. We’re the ones that are implementing a lot of these new and efficient things that we’re doing that then may filter out to another state and then another state after that.” THIS REPUBLICAN SHERIFF JUST JUMPED INTO THE GOVERNOR’S RACE IN THIS KEY BLUE STATE Republicans held onto their 27-23 gubernatorial advantage in the 2024 elections, thanks in part to the efforts of the RGA. Looking ahead, New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states to hold gubernatorial elections this year, giving them outsized national attention and making them key barometers for the mood of Americans during the start of a new presidential term. A competitive GOP primary is underway in blue-state New Jersey, where Republicans hope to win a gubernatorial election for the first time in a dozen years. REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS SAY WITH TRUMP ELECTION, ‘WE’VE GOT A FRIEND IN THE WHITE HOUSE’ And in Virginia, GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears is aiming to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin [Virginia governors can only serve one consecutive four-year term] and make history as the state’s first woman governor and the nation’s first Black female governor. Next year, 36 states will hold gubernatorial elections. Pointing to the two-year cycle, Kemp said, “There’s a lot of work to do, but we are right on the ideas, and we just got to have the money and the fundamentals to be able to have a playbook and a plan and all these races to make sure we continue to have great Republican governors that are elected around the country.”
Following key wins, Trump poised for cabinet completion in record time
The Senate GOP has been working in overdrive to confirm key officials for President Donald Trump’s administration faster than his predecessors. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republicans in the upper chamber have successfully approved 18 of the 22 Cabinet positions. The most recent was former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who was confirmed to lead Trump’s Small Business Administration (SBA). SCOOP: REPUBLICAN DANIEL CAMERON BLASTED BY LIKELY GOP OPPONENT AS MCCONNELL SUCCESSOR FIGHT BEGINS With the successful confirmation of Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick last week, the 17th official put in place, Republicans and Trump officially outpaced former President Joe Biden, who had just seven nominees confirmed at the same point in 2021. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso’s office pointed out that former President Barack Obama had only 16 Cabinet officials confirmed by February 18, 2009, during his first term, meaning that Trump outpaced him as well with Lutnick’s confirmation. His office noted that 17 Cabinet nominees were not confirmed for Obama in 2009 until he had been in office for 36 days, citing official congressional records. Biden did not see 17 Cabinet nominees confirmed for 56 days. KASH PATEL’S CONFIRMATION AS TRUMP FBI PICK ‘WILL HAUNT YOU,’ SENATE DEMS WARN GOP AHEAD OF VOTE The GOP-led Senate confirmed Kash Patel as FBI director last week, giving Trump another win, even though Patel is not a member of the president’s Cabinet. “By the end of today, we will have confirmed 18 of President Trump’s nominees. These nominees are bold and well-qualified,” Barrasso said on the Senate floor before Patel’s vote. “That is more nominees than President Obama had in 2009. It is more than President Biden had in 2021. More than twice as many,” he said. “Americans voted for a bold, new direction in Washington. Senate Republicans are delivering it,” he said. FETTERMAN LOSES TWO TOP STAFFERS AS HE MAKES WAVES BY BUCKING DEMOCRATIC PARTY While they still have a handful of Cabinet nominees left to confirm, the approval of Patel marked a crucial accomplishment for the party, as they officially put in place each of the president’s most controversial picks. Trump nominated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and Patel, each of whom managed to lose the support of at least one Republican. SCOOP: TOP GOP SEN. COTTON TO MEET WITH EMBATTLED TRUMP DEFENSE NOMINEE AS DOUBTS SWIRL And while their confirmations were at some points uphill battles for the administration, each of them successfully got past the finish line. Those still left to be confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet are Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Secretary, of Labor Linda McMahon for Secretary of Education, U.S. Trade Representative nominee Jamieson Greer and Elise Stefanik to be ambassador to the United Nations.
Thief in UK caught on camera climbing through supermarket roof
NewsFeed Watch the moment a man drops through a supermarket ceiling to steal lottery scratchcards in Nottingham, UK. Police say the 50-year-old suspect was arrested within minutes on suspicion of burglary and taken into custody Published On 23 Feb 202523 Feb 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
The Dark Side of Conservation | True Crime Reports
In 2015, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, guards shot and killed an Indigenous boy searching for herbs with his father. This tragedy spotlights the violence faced by Indigenous communities from international conservation efforts. Is human life the cost of wildlife protection? In this episode: Fiore Longo, campaigner at Survival International Members of the Batwa Community Adblock test (Why?)
Israel halts Palestinian prisoners’ release demanding guarantee on captives
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delays the release until Hamas ends its ‘humiliating ceremonies’ while freeing Israeli captives. Israel has postponed the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners until the next release of the remaining captives in Gaza is guaranteed, with Hamas denouncing the move as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said freeing Palestinians under the deal would be delayed until Hamas ends its “humiliating ceremonies” while releasing Israeli captives, issuing a new demand not spelt out in the ceasefire agreement. “In light of Hamas’ repeated violations – including the disgraceful ceremonies that dishonour our hostages and the cynical use of hostages for propaganda – it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday [Saturday] until the release of the next hostages is ensured, without the humiliating ceremonies,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. Hamas on Saturday upheld its side of the deal by releasing six Israeli captives from Gaza, the last group of living captives to be freed under the ceasefire’s first phase. Advertisement Hamas accused Netanyahu of playing “dirty games to sabotage and undermine” the ceasefire. “Over 100 Palestinians have been killed in the first phase [of the ceasefire], much of the agreed humanitarian aid was not allowed into Gaza, and the withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor was postponed,” Basem Naim, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau, told Al Jazeera on Saturday, referring to the militarised zone that divides Gaza into north and south. “We are committed to the deal, and we have abided by all our obligations,” he said. Since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19, Hamas has released 25 Israeli captives in high-profile handovers, with masked fighters parading the captives on stage. The ceasefire deal does not categorically define how Hamas and Israel should release the Israeli captives and the Palestinian prisoners. Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, Jordan, said Israel’s decision to delay the release of the Palestinian prisoners was issued by Netanyahu against the recommendation of Israel’s security establishment. “There are a lot of questions and a lot of dashed hopes, as well as a lot of work for the mediators, who have been working for the release of the Palestinian prisoners and Israeli captives,” Odeh said. In Gaza and the occupied West Bank, Palestinian families waited for hours on Saturday for their loved ones to be released from Israeli prisons. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society advocacy group said Israel would free 620 inmates, most of them from Gaza who were taken into custody during the war. Advertisement “We have been sitting in our chairs waiting for many hours, but after many hours, nothing. But what else can we do?” Khaled Khalil al-Jabarin, uncle of a detainee, told Al Jazeera. Shireen al-Hamamreh, sister of another Palestinian prisoner, told Al Jazeera it was a “very difficult” wait. “We wait for them, to hug them, and see them, but Netanyahu is always stalling,” said Fatiha Abu Abdullah, a mother in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. “God willing, they will be released soon.” Adblock test (Why?)
Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi suggests spending ‘one day as scientist’ to spread curiosity among youth, children about science
The Prime Minister asserted that the interest of youth in science matters a lot.
Earthquake of magnitude 3.7 strikes Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
An earthquake of 3.7 magnitude hit Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi.
Telangana tunnel collapse update: 8 workers still trapped, rescue efforts underway
The official added that the last 200 meters of the collapsed section is completely blocked by debris, making it difficult to confirm the condition or exact location of the trapped workers
SLBC tunnel collapse: 8 workers still trapped under Telangana tunnel; PM Modi calls CM Reddy, assures aid
The collapse took place about 13 km from the tunnel inlet, where drilling work was underway to excavate the remaining section. In the morning, as the team arrived and commenced work, a sudden collapse of the tunnel roof occurred over a stretch of about 10 metres.
President Trump and Justin Trudeau hold call about Ukraine, border security after weeks of tension
President Donald Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Saturday about a variety of issues, ranging from the war in Ukraine to U.S. border security. In a statement released Saturday evening, the White House said Trump and Trudeau began the call by discussing the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament that Canada won, and both leaders “expressed pride in the excellence of both nations’ teams that faced off in a hard-fought hockey championship.” “The discussion turned to Monday’s G7 call that will mark the third anniversary of the invasion and war in Ukraine,” the statement added. “Prime Minister Trudeau echoed President Trump’s desire to see an end to the war and acknowledged that President Trump is the only world leader who can push through a just and lasting peace. “President Trump reminded the prime minister that the war should never have started and would not have had he been president at the time.” TRUMP IMPOSES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS FROM CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA: ‘NATIONAL EMERGENCY’ The leaders also discussed U.S. border security, a sensitive subject for Canadian officials since Trump imposed tariffs in response to drug trafficking at the U.S.-Canadian border. Trump agreed Feb. 3 to pause the tariffs for 30 days, meaning the tariffs are expected in early March. During the call, Trudeau claimed Canada has achieved a 90% reduction in fentanyl crossing into the U.S. from Canada and said his country’s border czar will be in Washington next week for meetings with U.S. border chief Tom Homan. Trump and Trudeau have had a strained relationship in recent weeks, due to both the tariffs and Trump’s stated interest in securing Canada as a U.S. territory. Earlier in February, Trudeau said he believes Trump is serious about turning Canada into the 51st U.S. state. CANADA WILL NOT BE ’51ST STATE,’ AMBASSADOR PROTESTS AMID TRUMP TARIFF THREAT “I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have, but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” Trudeau said, according to CBC. “They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have, and they very much want to be able to benefit from those.” Trump previously complained about the trade deficit the U.S. has with Canada, claiming “there is no reason” for such an imbalance. “We don’t need anything they have,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! “Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State,” Trump added. “Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada – AND NO TARIFFS!” On Thursday, Trudeau posted a cheeky retort after Canada won the 4 Nations Face-Off. “You can’t take our country – and you can’t take our game,” Trudeau wrote on X. Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.