Ships were seen lining up in front of Ras Al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday as Iran disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. said it took out more than a dozen mine-laying Iranian vessels Tuesday, and the Islamic Republic vowed to block the region's oil exports, saying it would not allow “even a single liter” to be shipped to its enemies. The waterway off Iran's coast, now effectively closed, is so vital for the global economy that governments are working on blueprints to speedily reopen it to shipping when the shooting stops. A UAE navy ship patrols the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Mina Al Fajer, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. The waterway off Iran's coast, now effectively closed, is so vital for the global economy that governments are working on blueprints to speedily reopen it to shipping when the shooting stops. In Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron is leading an international effort to unblock the energy choke point, so that oil, gas and goods could flow freely again “when circumstances permit.” He envisions countries using warships to escort tankers and container vessels through the strait when fighting is less intense, whenever that may be. Former naval officers who have served in the Hormuz passage say vessels would be sitting ducks, with little room for maneuver in the strait's narrow shipping lanes, if foreign naval forces attempted to reopen the waterway before a cessation of hostilities. “In today's context, sending warships or civilian vessels into the Strait of Hormuz would be suicidal,” French navy retired Vice Adm. Pascal Ausseur said in an interview with The Associated Press. A ceasefire agreement with Iran “would make the situation shift from suicidal to dangerous. At that point, military ships could be deployed. And then escort operations could begin,” he said. Here's a look at how Hormuz might be made navigable again: French, American, British and other naval crews already have valuable experience of fighting off missiles and drones in the region. They have escorted and defended cargo vessels through attacks in the Red Sea carried out by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. French frigates used machine guns, cannons and sophisticated air-defense missiles to fend off Houthi strikes. The sea battles also took a toll on U.S. Navy ships and personnel. “There were repeated attacks, either by drones or missiles,” Henry said in an interview. French retired Vice Adm. Michel Olhagaray, a former head of France's center for higher military studies, says that “all navies learned a great deal” about working together and escorting ships from their Red Sea missions and have also drawn on Ukraine's experiences against Russian barrages of missiles and drones during Moscow's war. “It would allow us to deploy to that region with fairly refined know-how and a high level of cooperation — and that is extremely important,” said Olhagaray, who commanded a French frigate that patrolled the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Iran is militarily far better equipped than its Houthi proxies in Yemen, which caused considerable damage and disruption in the Red Sea between November 2023 and January 2025. Iran can reach all of the Strait of Hormuz and its approaches with anti-ship cruise missiles that it developed off Chinese-made weapons, according to mapping by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. It can also target vessels with longer-range missiles, drones, fast attack craft and naval mines, which it used during the Iran-Iraq war. U.S. strikes on mine-laying Iranian vessels in this latest conflict underscore the gravity of that danger. Experts say another challenge will be reassuring shipping insurers and companies that navigating in Hormuz waters is feasible again. Insurance premiums for shipping in the strait have soared to levels that France's transport minister described as “insane,” causing “a big problem” for shippers. If insurance costs are so high that you can't make a profit by sailing through a given area, then you don't sail through that area,” said Ausseur, now a director of the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies, a think tank. Insurance rates for oil tankers that want to transit through Hormuz are many times higher than they were before the war and are approaching levels that have been charged for ships carrying grain from Ukraine during the ongoing war with Russia, said Marcus Baker, global head of marine, cargo and logistics for insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh Risk. Potential naval escorts for commercial ships “would be helpful,” Baker said.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. The Village of Dolton has been served a subpoena seeking records tied to a land development allegedly linked to Mayor Tiffany Henyard's boyfriend. The former embattled Democratic mayor of a Chicago suburb is running for a seat in Georgia as a Republican after relocating to the area following her scandal-plagued tenure in office. Tiffany Henyard, who once declared herself a "super mayor," is the lone GOP candidate for South Fulton County's District 5 on the Fulton County Commission, according to election records. She is facing off against four Democratic opponents. Tiffany Henyard, the former "super mayor" of Dolton, Illinois, is running for a commissioner seat in Fulton County, Georgia as a Republican. While serving as the mayor of Dolton, Illinois, she came under fire over corruption allegations and financial mismanagement of village funds. A financial probe reportedly revealed that the village of Dolton's bank account fell from its initial $5.6 million balance to a $3.6 million deficit. While mayor, the village was delinquent in filing annual financial reports and audits with the state comptroller's office. Amid corruption allegations among officials, residents accused her of using village funds as her own piggy bank by billing taxpayers thousands of dollars for her hair and makeup team, as well as going on a lavish trip to Las Vegas. Tiffany Henyard speaks at a meeting during her time as mayor. After losing her re-election bid, she was ordered to pay $10,000 stemming from a case in which her landlord accused Henyard and her former boyfriend of failing to pay rent for a home she lived in while serving as mayor. Critics dubbed Henyard the "worst mayor in America." She was heavily criticized over allegations related to an alleged sexual assault by one of her allies during the Las Vegas trip. The alleged victim claimed to have been fired after speaking out. Henyard also served as supervisor for Thornton Township, one of the 29 townships in Cook County, Illinois. She was defeated in her re-election bid by Illinois state Senator Napoleon Harris. In January 2025, Henyard was seen on video jumping into a chaotic brawl that broke out between her boyfriend and an activist who called her a "b----" during a heated Thornton Township Board of Trustees meeting. Fox News Digital has reached out to Henyard for comment. Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan and Julia Bonavita contributed to this report. Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions.

Ships were seen lining up in front of Ras Al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday as Iran disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. said it took out more than a dozen mine-laying Iranian vessels Tuesday, and the Islamic Republic vowed to block the region's oil exports, saying it would not allow “even a single liter” to be shipped to its enemies. A UAE navy ship patrols the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Mina Al Fajer, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. The waterway off Iran's coast, now effectively closed, is so vital for the global economy that governments are working on blueprints to speedily reopen it to shipping when the shooting stops. In Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron is leading an international effort to unblock the energy chokepoint, so that oil, gas and goods could flow freely again “when circumstances permit.” He envisions countries using warships to escort tankers and container vessels through the strait when fighting is less intense, whenever that may be. Former naval officers who have served in the Hormuz passage say vessels would be sitting ducks, with little room for maneuver in the strait's narrow shipping lanes, if foreign naval forces attempted to reopen the waterway before a cessation of hostilities. “In today's context, sending warships or civilian vessels into the Strait of Hormuz would be suicidal,” French navy retired Vice Adm. Pascal Ausseur said in an interview with The Associated Press. A ceasefire agreement with Iran “would make the situation shift from suicidal to dangerous. At that point, military ships could be deployed. And then escort operations could begin,” he said. Here's a look at how Hormuz might be made navigable again: French, American, British and other naval crews already have valuable experience of fighting off missiles and drones in the region. They have escorted and defended cargo vessels through attacks in the Red Sea carried out by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. French frigates used machine guns, cannons and sophisticated air-defense missiles to fend off Houthi strikes. The sea battles also took a toll on U.S. Navy ships and personnel. “There were repeated attacks, either by drones or missiles,” Henry said in an interview. French retired Vice Adm. Michel Olhagaray, a former head of France's center for higher military studies, says that “all navies learned a great deal” about working together and escorting ships from their Red Sea missions and have also drawn on Ukraine's experiences against Russian barrages of missiles and drones during Moscow's war. “It would allow us to deploy to that region with fairly refined know-how and a high level of cooperation — and that is extremely important,” said Olhagaray, who commanded a French frigate that patrolled the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. Iran is militarily far better equipped than its Houthi proxies in Yemen, which caused considerable damage and disruption in the Red Sea between November 2023 and January 2025. Iran can reach all of the Strait of Hormuz and its approaches with anti-ship cruise missiles that it developed off Chinese-made weapons, according to mapping by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. It can also target vessels with longer-range missiles, drones, fast attack craft and naval mines, which it used during the Iran-Iraq war. U.S. strikes on mine-laying Iranian vessels in this latest conflict underscore the gravity of that danger. Experts say another challenge will be reassuring shipping insurers and companies that navigating in Hormuz waters is feasible again. Insurance premiums for shipping in the strait have soared to levels that France's transport minister described as “insane,” causing “a big problem” for shippers. Insurance rates for oil tankers that want to transit through Hormuz are many times higher than they were before the war and are approaching levels that have been charged for ships carrying grain from Ukraine during the ongoing war with Russia, said Marcus Baker, global head of marine, cargo and logistics for insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh Risk. Potential naval escorts for commercial ships “would be helpful,” Baker said.

A surge in oil prices points to what may be Iran's most effective weapon and the United States' biggest vulnerability in continuing the campaign: Damaging the world economy. Policemen stand on top of their car with pictures of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right and left, and his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the successor to him, center, during a rally to support him in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026. Plumes of smoke rise as strikes hit the city during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, March 5, 2026. People gather in a rally to support Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the successor to his late father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The war with Iran, for all its complexity and global effects, boils down to a single question: Who can take the pain the longest? A surge in oil prices points to what may be Iran's most effective weapon and the United States' biggest vulnerability in continuing the campaign: damaging the world economy. U.S. President Donald Trump appears aware of the danger. On the other side, Iran has to endure a near-constant stream of American and Israeli airstrikes it can't defend against. Although its military has been hit extensively, it continues to launch missiles and drones across the region. The Iranian public, which already rose up against its theocracy in nationwide protests in January, still boils in anger but have stayed home as they try to survive the heavy bombardment. Security forces have been on the street every day to ensure no anti-government demonstrations form. The pressure is on U.S. allies as well. Gulf Arab states, while still not combatants in the war, face seemingly unending and occasionally fatal Iranian fire targeting oil fields, cities and critical water works. And Israel, while boasting of inflicting heavy damage on Iran's missile program and other military targets, continues to be targeted by sophisticated Iranian missiles that send a buckshot-like spray of high explosives on its cities. Frequent air-raid sirens have disrupted daily life, closed schools and workplaces and created a tense atmosphere across the region. “We go forward, more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory that will end this long running danger once and for all.” Iranian Foreign Ministry official Kazem Gharibabadi offered a mirror image comment from Tehran, boasting that the Islamic Republic had rejected contacts about a ceasefire that he said had come from China, France, Russia and others. “Just look at the state of the global economy and energy markets — it has been very painful for them.” Iran has now backed up its threat with barrages of missiles and drones. Qatar was forced to halt its production of natural gas, and Bahrain declared its oil operations couldn't meet their contractual obligations. Other producers like Saudi Aramco are affected, disrupting a key source of energy for Asia — particularly China, which has sent a top envoy to the region. Iran didn't need to mine the waterway — its attacks on several ships prompted companies to stop sending their vessels through the strait. Early Tuesday morning, he threatened that if Iran stops the oil through the strait, “they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far.” “Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. The Revolutionary Guard warned on Tuesday that it won't allow “a single liter of oil” to leave the Persian Gulf. Trump has been vague and contradictory about his aims in the war. That could give him flexibility in declaring that victory has been achieved, especially if real damage starts to show to the U.S. economy. But if the war stopped right now, both the U.S and Israel would be left with major challenges. Now Iran's ultimate ruler, the younger Khamenei has long been viewed by analysts as being even more hard-line than his father, with close ties to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Israel already described him as a target in its campaign, while Trump has said he wanted someone else in the role. Also, Iran still has its stockpile of highly enriched uranium – one reason for the war that Israel and the U.S. have both pointed to. Iran had been enriching up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Mojtaba Khamenei could issue a religious ruling, or fatwa, reversing his father's earlier statements and ordering it to be used to make a weapon. That's something both America and Israel, long believed to be the Mideast's only nuclear-armed state, don't want to see.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. EPA Assistant Administrator of the Office of Water Jessica Kramer joins 'Saturday in America' to discuss a mass sewage spill in the Potomac River. A massive sewage spill that sent more than 200 million gallons of raw wastewater into the Potomac River is still rippling through the region's seafood industry, even as officials say water quality is improving — and just as the region heads into peak oyster season. "It has devastated our market," Robert T. Brown, president of the Maryland Watermen's Association, told WTOP News. "The people who shuck the oysters and stuff and ship them to different states don't want [any] oysters coming out of the Potomac because they [are] afraid of what it may be." Even though watermen are harvesting oysters 60 to 100 miles downstream from where the sewer pipe collapsed, buyers are reluctant to purchase anything from the Potomac River, Brown said, underscoring concerns that perception — not contamination — is now driving the downturn. Fox News Digital reached out to the Maryland Watermen's Association for additional comment. While much of the attention has focused on political finger-pointing and cleanup efforts near the nation's capital, watermen and oyster buyers say their industry may suffer the longest-lasting damage, with demand lagging even as testing shows improving conditions. There are more than 12 billion oysters in Maryland bay waters alone. Oyster growers say demand has dropped sharply. Maryland officials lifted a precautionary shellfish harvesting closure on March 10 after weeks of water samples showed bacteria levels, including E. coli, below detection limits, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment. "Three weeks of test results confirm that water quality meets the rigorous standards for shellfish harvesting," Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said in a statement. Virginia health officials also reported no elevated fecal coliform bacteria in shellfish growing areas and said oysters from approved waters meet national safety standards. The Chesapeake Bay region is one of the nation's most important oyster-producing areas, with more than 12 billion oysters in Maryland waters alone and harvests generating millions in revenue, according to state and federal data. Brown told Fox 5 News that the industry needs to "get some good PR on this because it's devastating us." "Once you put something in a person's head that something may not be safe to eat, it's hard to overcome that," he told WTOP. Buyers and distributors remain wary of sourcing oysters from the Potamic River. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources extended the commercial oyster season by two weeks, through April 14, to help make up for time lost to winter weather and spill-related disruptions. A recent state survey found new oyster levels in 2025 were nearly six times higher than the long-term average, but industry insiders say a strong harvest means little without demand. The Potomac River, a key waterway for the Chesapeake Bay oyster industry, was impacted by a historic sewage spill in January. Mike Lightfoot, who harvests oysters near Coles Point, Virginia, told The New York Times that sales were slow even before the spill and have since plummeted, even though he farms 80 miles downstream from the spill site. Meanwhile, crews continue to work on the damaged 6-foot-wide interceptor pipe. D.C. Water has reported no additional spills into the river since early February and said an independent third-party investigation is underway into the cause. The spill has drawn sharp criticism from President Donald Trump, who blamed local Democratic leaders and pointed to Maryland's C+ wastewater infrastructure grade in a recent American Society of Civil Engineers report. Wes Moore's office has disputed claims that the state bears primary responsibility, noting that the interceptor is operated by D.C. Water. Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital. A look at the top-trending stories in food, relationships, great outdoors and more. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions.

“Oil markets are global so the response to major disruptions needs to be global too,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement. IEA said in a statement that the emergency stocks will be released on timelines appropriate to each member country and will be supplemented by additional emergency measures by some countries. Oil prices have soared since the U.S. and Israel carried out strikes on Iran. Both Brent crude, the international benchmark, and West Texas Intermediate peaked at $119 per barrel this past weekend. In a statement released on Tuesday, Birol said IEA member countries hold over 1.2 billion barrels of public emergency oil stocks and have another 600 million barrels of industry stocks under government obligation. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox News on Wednesday that “certainly, these are the kinds of moments that these reserves are used for, because what we have here is not a shortage of energy in the world.” “We've got a transit problem which is temporary,” he added. “When you have a temporary transit problem that we're resolving militarily and diplomatically, which we can resolve and will resolve, this is the perfect time to think about releasing some of those to take some pressure off of the global price.” President Donald Trump has criticized former President Joe Biden for releasing oil from the SPR to address the increase in prices that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Republicans have criticized the Biden administration's SPR drawdowns, arguing that it puts national security at risk. At the end of 2025, SPR crude oil was at 411 million barrels, according to the Energy Department, versus a total capacity of 714 million barrels. French President Emmanuel Macron is set to host another video conference call on Wednesday morning with leaders of the G7. Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said her country would begin to release oil from its strategic reserves as early as Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“Oil markets are global so the response to major disruptions needs to be global too,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement. IEA said in a statement that the emergency stocks will be released on timelines appropriate to each member country and will be supplemented by additional emergency measures by some countries. Oil prices have soared since the U.S. and Israel carried out strikes on Iran. Both Brent crude, the international benchmark, and West Texas Intermediate peaked at $119 per barrel this past weekend. In a statement released on Tuesday, Birol said IEA member countries hold over 1.2 billion barrels of public emergency oil stocks and have another 600 million barrels of industry stocks under government obligation. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox News on Wednesday that “certainly, these are the kinds of moments that these reserves are used for, because what we have here is not a shortage of energy in the world.” “We've got a transit problem which is temporary,” he added. “When you have a temporary transit problem that we're resolving militarily and diplomatically, which we can resolve and will resolve, this is the perfect time to think about releasing some of those to take some pressure off of the global price.” President Donald Trump has criticized former President Joe Biden for releasing oil from the SPR to address the increase in prices that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Republicans have criticized the Biden administration's SPR drawdowns, arguing that it puts national security at risk. At the end of 2025, SPR crude oil was at 411 million barrels, according to the Energy Department, versus a total capacity of 714 million barrels. French President Emmanuel Macron is set to host another video conference call on Wednesday morning with leaders of the G7. Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said her country would begin to release oil from its strategic reserves as early as Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens as President Donald Trump speaks to reporters while traveling aboard Air Force One en route from Dover Air Force Base, Del., to Miami, Saturday, March 7, 2026. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Washington. WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing jittery global markets and drooping poll numbers since launching a war with Iran, President Donald Trump has cycled from calls for “unconditional surrender” to sounding amenable to an end state in which Iran trades one hard-line ayatollah for another. Trump, during the course of one speech at a House Republican gathering Monday, went from calling the war a “short-term excursion” that could end soon to proclaiming “we haven't won enough.” The vacillation has fueled criticism from those who say Trump lacks a clear goal. “They didn't have a plan,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told reporters. And because of that, they have no exit strategy.” Over the past few days, Trump has called for the “unconditional surrender” of Iran's leaders, while suggesting he was already succeeded in achieving his objective of decimating Iran's military. The U.S. military says it has effectively destroyed the Iranian navy and made huge strides in defanging Iran's ability to launch missiles and drones at its neighbors. Yet the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world's oil passes on a typical day, remains essentially closed to business, and Iranian leaders are unbowed. Ali Larijani, Iran's top national security official, offered a menacing message on Tuesday after Trump had threatened to attack Iran “TWENTY TIMES HARDER” if Tehran stopped oil flowing through the strait. “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn't fear your empty threats,” Larijani wrote on X. “Even those bigger than you couldn't eliminate Iran. “If they can't keep it open, this war will in fact be an American defeat before very long, because the entire world, including the American people, will react to the price of oil if the strait stay closed very long,” Gingrich said in an appearance on Fox Business. Trump has struggled to make his case to Americans about why preemptive action against Iran was necessary and how it squared with his pledge to keep the United States out of the “forever wars” of the past two decades. One of several reasons Trump has offered to justify launching the war was that he had a “feeling” that Iran was getting set to attack the U.S. But Pentagon officials have told congressional staffers in private briefings that the U.S. does not have intelligence indicating that Iran was planning to preemptively attack the U.S. Recent polling shows Trump's decision to attack Iran has not come with the rallying-around-the-flag effect that has typically accompanied the start of recent U.S. wars. European allies are treading carefully after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez faced the wrath of Trump, who deemed them not sufficiently supportive in backing his war of choice. Even German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has been broadly supportive of the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, said on Tuesday that “more questions arise with every day of war.” “Above all, we're concerned that there is apparently no joint plan for how this war can be brought quickly to a convincing end,” Merz said. On Monday, after the investigative group Bellingcat posted verified video that showed a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile hitting a Revolutionary Guard facility near the school, causing the explosion, Trump again insisted it could have been Iran's fault but said that he would accept whatever a U.S. investigation into the matter might find. The president erroneously claimed that Tehran had access to Tomahawks, a U.S.-manufactured weapon system that is only available to the U.S. and a few close allies. Asked by a reporter, Leavitt did not directly answer why Trump falsely asserted that Iran has access to the U.S.-made missile. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters that Trump's claim “is beyond asinine.” “Again, he says whatever pops into his head no matter what the truth is,” Schumer said. Cramer said the military must “do everything you can to eliminate those mistakes going forward.” “But you also can't undo it,” he added.

At the time, she lost by more than 13 points. Democrats were eager to gloat over their major state victory. “Bad day for the NHGOP,” New Hampshire Democratic Party communications staffer Marissa Hebert posted on X. “Tuesdays are becoming a headache for state Republicans across the country as they suffer one stunning defeat after another. Bobbi Boudman's flip in New Hampshire tonight is just the latest in a string of 28 Democratic state legislative flips since Trump's election,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams said Tuesday night. That race was one of many special election victories for the party. “These wins aren't a flash in a pan – together, they tell an undeniable story of Democratic momentum as voters reject Republicans and blame them for soaring costs,” Williams added. This is the year to transform power in state legislatures – we're only just getting started.” The New Hampshire House is currently controlled by Republicans, who hold 40 more seats than Democrats. All 400 seats are up for grabs this election cycle. The Democratic National Committee attributed Boudman's election victory to her focus on rising costs for Granite State residents while touting the upset win as a sign of things to come for Republicans later this year. Boudman is taking the place of Republican former state Rep. Glenn Cordelli, who resigned last fall after being in the state House for nearly 13 years. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), who is running for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire this year, congratulated Boudman. “Change is possible when we work hard and stand up for our communities.”

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. The fatal crash of a police helicopter during the pursuit of an active shooter in Arizona last month may have been caused by a mechanical issue, according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report released Tuesday. Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper-paramedic Hunter Bennett and aviation supervisor pilot Robert Skankey were both killed in the crash on Feb. 4 in Flagstaff. The preliminary NTSB report said there was no evidence that the Bell 407 helicopter, known as Ranger 56, was hit by gunfire. It also stated there were no known issues with the aircraft, citing recent maintenance records. Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper-paramedic Hunter Bennett had radioed, "We're going down," before the crash. As the helicopter "descended rapidly toward terrain," Bennett radioed, "We're going down," the report said. While the report stopped short of a definitive cause, it said data from the helicopter's engine control unit showed the main rotor speed suddenly dropped from 97% to 0% in less than a second. This image from a preliminary NTSB report shows the helicopter's flight path and airspeed before the crash. An examination of the wreckage found "angular cuts" to the tail rotor driveshaft, which also had "deep grooves with blue paint transfer consistent with contact with a main rotor blade," according to the report. Police had responded to a domestic violence call around 8:30 p.m. before engaging in a two-hour gunfight with the suspect, who fired at officers with a semi-automatic rifle as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. The suspect, later identified as 50-year-old Terrell Storey, remains in county jail. Skankey, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and joined the DPS in 2021, is survived by his wife and four children. Bennett joined DPS in 2022 and is survived by his wife, Breanna, FOX10 Phoenix reported. The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal. By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Prince William and Kate Middleton once made up at a "Freakin' Naughty" party where they dressed to thrill in racy costumes. The couple met as freshmen at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, forming a close friendship before their relationship turned romantic. After several years of dating, they briefly split in 2007 when William realized he wasn't ready for marriage. Prince William, Prince of Wales, known as the Duke of Rothesay and Catherine, Princess of Wales, known as the Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, smile to well-wishers as they arrive for a visit to Aros Hall, a local community hub on April 29, 2025, in Tobermory, Scotland. But one party would "change everything," Myers told Fox News Digital. Humor has always been a part of Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship, Russell Myers told Fox News Digital. "He is friends with both of the couple. They were just slowly and tentatively exploring the possibility of getting back together. And what happened at that moment was a real realization for both of the couple — that they could not live without each other." According to the book, William, who was heartbroken and "missing" Kate, reached out to her, asking if she would be attending a party that had been in their diary for months. Kate, reluctant to commit over the phone, said she would consider it. The party was taking place at Waley-Cohen's family home, a 17th-century manor in Oxfordshire. Kate Middleton and Guy Pelly (right) dance at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's pre-Wimbledon party hosted by Sir Richard Branson of Virgin, at The Roof Gardens on June 22, 2006, in London. "Keen to make an impression, and perhaps to help break the ice when he saw Catherine for the first time in months, William dressed in tight black hotpants and a plastic policeman's helmet," Myers wrote. "Catherine also turned heads when she arrived in a showstopping 'naughty nurse' outfit, complete with fishnet tights and a short dress." Kate Middleton, her sister Pippa and their friends attend the Day-Glo Midnight Roller Disco in 2004. "Fellow guests said as soon as William and Catherine set eyes on one another, it was clear their love had not extinguished," he wrote. Catherine listened intently as William attempted to break the deadlock, laying out his reasons for doubting what they had." "He talked of his fear of letting someone truly experience the world in which he lived, and also his fear of rejection if he did let himself get too close," Myers continued. "Catherine, of course, knew that she still loved William deeply." Myers told Fox News Digital that during the pair's intimate conversation at the party, they both realized "they really needed to make a commitment to one another." And Kate, he remarked, would only take the prince back if he was willing to commit completely to their relationship. New graduate Kate Middleton wears a traditional gown to the graduation ceremony at St. Andrew's University to collect her degree on June 23, 2005. "She certainly put her heart on the line. She said to William, 'There is a situation here where I need your support. And I will support you in any decision you make, whether that is going into royal duties straight away or having a bit of a break.'" Queen Elizabeth II, seen here with her grandson Prince William at Royal Albert Hall in 2015, was supportive of his relationship with Kate Middleton. "The queen and then-Prince Charles at the time had said that he didn't need to rush into royal duties," Myers pointed out. "But also, she needed some certainty, not only in the relationship, but she needed some certainty on her future as well. And she also had a lot to deal with in terms of the attention from the British media, and also whether she was going to be introduced to the institution. So, I think that was a real integral moment." "And it shows you their fun side as well," Myers laughed. And I don't think they've lost that throughout their relationship." Kate Middleton made her stance crystal clear — Prince William had to commit completely, Russell Myers told Fox News Digital. According to the book, Catherine was "explicit" in her demands. She would agree to a future "if only he would stop allowing outside factors to affect his judgment." Britain's Prince William (right) and his fiancée Kate Middleton share a joke with wedding florist Rachel Gibson (not pictured) at Greenmount College during a visit to Northern Ireland on March 8, 2011. "Sam Waley-Cohen later denied being the matchmaker that changed the course of history, saying in a newspaper interview a month after their April 2011 marriage: 'There's an idea that I was like Cupid with a bow and arrow. Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace previously told Fox News Digital, "We don't comment on such books." Two months after reconciling, William and Kate booked a secret getaway to the Seychelles, Myers wrote. They used the names Martin and Rosemary Middleton. In between snorkeling and kayaking, "William made a promise to Catherine that, despite their previous troubles and his uncertainty over his future, she was the only person he could see himself spending the rest of his life with." Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales during a visit to Long Meadow Cider on Oct. 14, 2025, in Craigavon, Northern Ireland. One person who was delighted about William and Kate getting back together was the royal's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth II watch part of a children's sports event while visiting Vernon Park during a Diamond Jubilee visit to Nottingham on June 13, 2012. "The late Queen Elizabeth was hugely supportive of their relationship," Myers told Fox News Digital. "I tell in the book [about] when she'd invited Catherine over to a one-on-one lunch. They had a discussion about headstrong husbands before William and Catherine got married. I think that tells you about how the queen was looking out for Catherine, but also about her humor as well." Prince William and Kate Middleton are seen at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre during the 20th Commonwealth Games on July 28, 2014, in Glasgow, Scotland. "William was discussing with his father and grandmother about whether he really had the appetite for royal duties or whether he wanted to pull back and have a bit of a life for himself and continue with the military first," said Myers. Prince William and Kate Middleton officially announce their engagement at St. James's Palace on Nov. 16, 2010, in London. You have to follow the path that is supported by faith.' "The secret to William and Catherine's long relationship is very simple, I think," said Myers. Prince William is heir to the British throne. They're obviously two people who are deeply in love, but you see the compassion that they both have for each other and the support, not only in their working life, but also in their family life as well." "We've seen William and Catherine break the mold of what it means to be a senior member of the royal family," Myers shared. "They're very much centered on their own family unit. And they both believe that if you get the family right, then you've got every chance of really improving what your public life will look like as well. And certainly, the way that they're there for their children, they don't really go on huge, long royal tours anymore. They try to structure their working life around the school run." "Admittedly, they will readily say that they're in a very privileged position to do that, because wouldn't we all like to spend more time with our family or be there for every school pickup, drop-off or sports day?" "But they're a great support for each other emotionally. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes.

At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can't do it on our own. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today? Warren's written iconic hits like “I Don't Want to Miss a Thing.” But she's historically bad at winning Oscars. At the Academy Awards on Sunday, we will either see one of the longest losing streaks of all time come to an end or see history being made. Songwriter Diane Warren never won an Oscar for Best Original Song, despite being nominated so many times. Warren's dry spell is confounding because it's based on her greatness. With hits like “How Do I Live” (Con Air) and “I Don't Want to Miss a Thing” (Armageddon), this woman has written some of the greatest movie songs of all time. How is Diane Warren so incredibly good at making songs that get Oscar nominations, but so incredibly bad at making songs that win? It's a good time to examine the history of the category, what Oscar voters like in an original song, Warren's chance this year, and whether she could win in the future if she misses out on Sunday (which seems likely since KPop Demon Hunters' “Golden” has dominated awards season). A common descriptor that pops up around certain movies, actors, and actresses is that it's “Oscar bait.” Slightly insulting, the term refers to the kind of films (epic war dramas, monologues, period pieces, “important” movies) and performances (portrayals of musicians and famous leaders, and roles where actors get “ugly”) that Academy voters have historically rewarded. It can also refer to movies that appeal to voters on paper (see: A Complete Unknown and Maestro) but don't necessarily win. “If you look back at the last 25 years of Best Song winners, what you will find is that they tend to line up in a couple of different categories. Some recent examples of the “big name-big movie song” wins include Billie Eilish's Barbie hit “What Was I Made For?” in 2024 and “No Time to Die,” which she penned for the eponymous Bond movie; Elton John's “Love Me Again” for Rocketman in 2020; and Lady Gaga's “Shallow” for A Star Is Born in 2019. Pop stars, like revered actors and directors, do have clout with voters. Historically, Burlingame explained, there have been instances in which some voters are “desperate to be seen as hip.” A popular music star like Gaga or Eilish could be seen as the type of cool that voters want, especially since Eilish had such a massive Grammys haul in 2020, prior to her Bond song winning. “When Bob Dylan wrote a song for Wonder Boys in 2000, everybody said, ‘God, we got to give Bob Dylan an Oscar,'” Burlingame said. But Sloan pointed out that animated features fall into this grouping (see: Disney's five wins in the early '90s) and, more loosely, a musical-ish feature like La La Land does too. “The odds makers probably put ‘Golden' [from KPop Demon Hunters] up there because it's such a smash. Probably right behind it would be, ‘I Lied to You' from Sinners because music was such an important part of its plot,” Sloan said. Both Sloan and Burlingame said that there are some exceptions to these general trends. Still, they both expect “Golden” to get the win this year. It checks the “hit song from a musical” box. And while a superstar isn't attached, “Golden” is just as big as any pop song released in the past year. “I think if you look at the list of the last 10 years or so, how many of those [nominees] were really radio hits,” Burlingame said, pointing out that Original Song nominees don't usually chart. Given how popular “Golden” is and how many awards it's already won, it's not looking too good for “Dear Me.” If this isn't Warren's year, what might it take for her to finally bring home the award in the future? Warren was first nominated in 1987 for “Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin. She then reeled off a trio of hits — “Because You Loved Me” with Celine Dion in 1996, “How Do I Live” with Trisha Yearwood in 1997, and “I Don't Want to Miss a Thing” with Aerosmith in 1998 — that, under the Oscar-bait rubric of big pop star and big movie song, could've easily won. Unfortunately for Warren, sometimes the Original Song category is stacked. “How Do I Live” lost to “My Heart Will Go On,” Celine Dion's Titanic love song. Similarly, “I Don't Want to Miss a Thing” couldn't beat “When You Believe,” which was performed by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey for The Prince of Egypt. One could easily make the argument that either of those Warren songs may have had a different outcome in a different year. She's written some of the biggest hits of the 20th century…but I feel like she's just getting further and further from a win,” Sloan said. “I feel like the sound of movie music is moving further away from what she does.” “I think she'll keep getting nominated,” Sloan said, noting Warren's name recognition and history. If there was a time for Warren to sneak a win, Sloan said, it might've been last year when “El Mal” from Emilia Perez took the prize. The prospect of going 0 for 17, or 18, or 20, raises another question: Would there ever be a point where the Academy rewards Warren for a good enough song that reflects her impressive body of work? Directors, actors, and actresses have all had wins that are widely considered to be more about rewarding a respected colleague who's overdue rather than their performance in that year's specific work. Burlingame, the screen scoring professor, pointed out that songwriter and composer Randy Newman received 16 nominations across score and song before nabbing his first win in 2009 for “If I Didn't Have You” from Monsters Inc. “It was his time and people thought, oh God, this poor guy, he's been nominated so many times, let's just give him an Oscar,” Burlingame said, noting that Newman's “You've Got a Friend in Me” is considered his career highlight. “And they gave it to him for — I mean, does anybody really remember the song from Monsters Inc?” Burlingame believes that something similar could happen for Warren. Unfortunately for Warren, that time is probably not this year. Every detail matters in puzzles, and details are where AI art often falls short.

Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team have been struggling to find consensus behind an election-year agenda to address Americans' chief concerns over affordability and their cost-of-living. But now they have a new problem: Rising gas prices. After hammering Democrats relentlessly over $5-per-gallon gasoline, a threshold that was crossed when Joe Biden was president, Republicans are confronting a similar dilemma in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to wage war against Iran. Gas prices are threatening to spike indefinitely with the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint where roughly 20% of crude oil shipments pass through, virtually shut down as a result of the conflict. Republicans are left with this message: Just hope that the war ends soon and crude oil prices settle in time for November. It's not what the GOP thought they'd be discussing weeks ago, as they hashed out their agenda for their three-day retreat here at Trump's golf resort in Doral. Johnson is leaning hard on Republicans to get behind another big legislative push this spring – in the wake of successfully enacting Trump's “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” last summer. But he's facing growing doubts from within his own conference and in the Senate. And even his top taxwriter, Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, says it's time to drop the effort. “I said all along that we needed to do one big, beautiful bill because I never saw a pathway that two different reconciliations would happen. Some Republicans think they'll need to pass a party-line bill to replenish munitions stocks depleted in the Iranian war effort. Otherwise, they'll need at least seven Democrats in the Senate to help them overcome a filibuster and pass new funding. But Republicans had an excruciatingly difficult time wrangling the votes to pass Trump's massive bill last summer. And with an even slimmer House majority now, leaders will need near unanimity in their conference to get anything out of the House. Any member with an objection to the legislation would have outsized leverage in influencing it – and there are sharp divisions on what to include in the bill and how to pay for it. Plus Johnson hasn't even laid out what he wants to see in a new election-year bill that he says will focus on cost-of-living issues, indicating he is still trying to get consensus within his conference. At the Tuesday session in Doral, Republicans heard presentations from some of Trump's senior advisers, including top White House aide James Blair and his former campaign aide, Chris LaCivita. But GOP lawmakers later said the challenge remains in staying unified on their message – a challenge with a mercurial president – and to make sure they can break through to voters as Iran and other crises dominate the headlines. “People who are frustrated with the increased price of oil and gas. That's to be expected,” said Rep. Dale Strong, an Alabama Republican. But the president's top legislative priority has not been on an economic agenda – it's been on passing the so-called SAVE America Act, a measure that would require proof-of-citizenship and voter ID to cast a ballot and has virtually no chance of passing the Senate. “It must be done immediately,” Trump posted on Truth Social. It's even animated House conservative hardliners who are demanding that Johnson include the legislation into a party-line bill to advance the GOP economic agenda. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly said he doesn't have the votes to bypass a filibuster to otherwise pass the legislation. “It's just a reality, and I'm a person who has to deliver sometimes the not-so-good news that the math doesn't add up. But that's just, those are the facts,” Thune said Tuesday. “It's going to be part of the Democrat playbook,” Newhouse said. CNN's Alison Main and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.

Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team have been struggling to find consensus behind an election-year agenda to address Americans' chief concerns over affordability and their cost-of-living. But now they have a new problem: Rising gas prices. After hammering Democrats relentlessly over $5-per-gallon gasoline, a threshold that was crossed when Joe Biden was president, Republicans are confronting a similar dilemma in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to wage war against Iran. Gas prices are threatening to spike indefinitely with the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint where roughly 20% of crude oil shipments pass through, virtually shut down as a result of the conflict. Republicans are left with this message: Just hope that the war ends soon and crude oil prices settle in time for November. It's not what the GOP thought they'd be discussing weeks ago, as they hashed out their agenda for their three-day retreat here at Trump's golf resort in Doral. Johnson is leaning hard on Republicans to get behind another big legislative push this spring – in the wake of successfully enacting Trump's “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” last summer. But he's facing growing doubts from within his own conference and in the Senate. And even his top taxwriter, Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, says it's time to drop the effort. “I said all along that we needed to do one big, beautiful bill because I never saw a pathway that two different reconciliations would happen. Some Republicans think they'll need to pass a party-line bill to replenish munitions stocks depleted in the Iranian war effort. Otherwise, they'll need at least seven Democrats in the Senate to help them overcome a filibuster and pass new funding. But Republicans had an excruciatingly difficult time wrangling the votes to pass Trump's massive bill last summer. And with an even slimmer House majority now, leaders will need near unanimity in their conference to get anything out of the House. Any member with an objection to the legislation would have outsized leverage in influencing it – and there are sharp divisions on what to include in the bill and how to pay for it. Plus Johnson hasn't even laid out what he wants to see in a new election-year bill that he says will focus on cost-of-living issues, indicating he is still trying to get consensus within his conference. At the Tuesday session in Doral, Republicans heard presentations from some of Trump's senior advisers, including top White House aide James Blair and his former campaign aide, Chris LaCivita. But GOP lawmakers later said the challenge remains in staying unified on their message – a challenge with a mercurial president – and to make sure they can break through to voters as Iran and other crises dominate the headlines. “People who are frustrated with the increased price of oil and gas. That's to be expected,” said Rep. Dale Strong, an Alabama Republican. But the president's top legislative priority has not been on an economic agenda – it's been on passing the so-called SAVE America Act, a measure that would require proof-of-citizenship and voter ID to cast a ballot and has virtually no chance of passing the Senate. “It must be done immediately,” Trump posted on Truth Social. It's even animated House conservative hardliners who are demanding that Johnson include the legislation into a party-line bill to advance the GOP economic agenda. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly said he doesn't have the votes to bypass a filibuster to otherwise pass the legislation. “It's just a reality, and I'm a person who has to deliver sometimes the not-so-good news that the math doesn't add up. But that's just, those are the facts,” Thune said Tuesday. “It's going to be part of the Democrat playbook,” Newhouse said. CNN's Alison Main and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.

With Team Venezuela leading 6-2 in the seventh inning of their first World Baseball Classic game, a dance party erupted on the concourse behind third base. It didn't take long for the throng to form a dance circle with a number of eager participants. The concourse became impassable, but no one seemed to mind. Fans of all ages abandoned plans to return to their seats and gave up on wherever they were going, choosing to twerk and shimmy and shout, “Eyyy, Venezuela!” in unison. They faced off against the Netherlands, with a player pool and fanbase populated by Caribbean expats from former Dutch colonies. But the vast majority of the crowd was Venezuelan and came to celebrate their country with auspicious hope, raucous revelry, and, of course, baseball. For Venezuelan players, who make up the second-largest foreign-born population in MLB, it's a chance to show that even though baseball was a ticket out of their country, it also ties them to it. It's a sentiment shared by many members of the diaspora. And part of what makes the WBC so special is the chance to be surrounded by so many other Venezuelans all exulting in their shared heritage. “Being together, sharing our culture in the stadium here, and I feel very excited because we feel like we are in Venezuela again,” said Ángela Ramírez, who had traveled from Orlando with her husband and their friends for the game. They have lived in the US for nearly a decade. “It feels like home,” said Jorge Galicia, who has been in the US for eight years and Miami for four, but still thinks of Venezuela when he references the comfort he found in the stadium this weekend. He was at the game alone, draped in a Venezuela flag that he repeatedly lent out to his compatriots who asked to borrow it for photos snapped from the centerfield concourse, a field full of Venezuelans winning behind them. For Galicia, Ramírez and many other Venezuelans living in the states, the approximation of home at a ballpark in Miami is as close as they can get — for now. Safety concerns have kept many who fled Venezuela from returning. In the stands, some fans FaceTimed friends and family back in Venezuela, whom they may not have seen since they left. “It's difficult because I cannot see baseball anymore in Venezuela because of all the political situation, but it's refreshing to have some of that here in the city where I live now,” he said. “I'm waiting for a good moment to return.” After the capture and removal of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the Trump administration, some expats believe that moment is approaching. It has made them even more proud to cheer for a team with Venezuela emblazoned across the chest. “That was a great day,” he said. Juan Sánchez, who has been living in the States for 20 years, 15 of which in Miami, was at work when the news broke. Been waiting for this more than 20 years, and now it happens,” he said. “I have to go home and celebrate with my family. All of the Venezuelan fans CNN Sports spoke to in Miami were happy to have Maduro out, but they wavered on what it meant for the future of the country. For now, the Trump administration has thrown its support behind Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president who has assumed the presidency. “I think we need to be patient. “Of course, I want to see free and fair elections. I like the changes that we're seeing.” The conditions under Maduro drove many of them to flee a country that they miss terribly. Now, they are hopeful that no matter what the future brings, it will be different. “We always be having hope that one day it's going to happen,” said Andrés Pacheco, whose face was painted yellow, blue, and red with white stars across the bridge of his nose like the Venezuelan flag. We don't know what's going to happen later. Pacheco had traveled all the way from Oklahoma, where he works at a restaurant, to attend the WBC. He watched Team Venezuela when it played exhibition games in West Palm Beach. He was there when the team had a workout day before pool play in Miami. He follows Venezuelan players on MLB teams closely, collecting their baseball cards. Even when they are playing for American cities, their success redounds on the heritage. But this, the opportunity to see them explicitly representing their shared homeland, was too powerful to pass up. “Now that they have (the WBC) and they come to Miami, it's the most amazing thing because I love Venezuela and baseball,” he said. Omar López, the manager of Team Venezuela, looked around the sparsely attended news conference and asked if he could wait a few minutes before starting to see if more reporters would arrive. But López had something he needed the world to hear. “I want to say something before we start. I hope that you can pass this on to journalists from other countries,” he began solemnly, speaking in Spanish. I have been working in baseball for 29 years. He referenced a question from a couple days prior when he had been asked about the “very unusual political times” in Venezuela. He had deflected vociferously – insisting “I'm not here to talk about anything about political situations around the world, around my country” – but evidently that had not been a definitive enough distancing from the issue. At the risk of undermining López's very emphatic testimony – that he didn't know about politics, doesn't really want to think about it and definitely didn't want to talk about it – the opening statement belied an obvious truth: It seemed to be something that, in fact, he had given quite a bit of consideration. All of that consideration led to him deliberately deciding to stay away from taking any particular position. It was a stark, but unsurprising, contrast to the unanimity of the fans' eagerness to celebrate Maduro's ouster. Salvador Pérez, the team's captain, a 14-year MLB veteran who is now playing in his fourth WBC – said he doesn't pay attention to the outside noise, citing the fans who just want to see their team win. “Everybody knows how hard it is,” he conceded obliquely in Spanish. The rest, God has control of that.” Whether it's true or not that Pérez is able to ignore the upheaval in his home country, it would be difficult to get him to say otherwise. Venezuelan players and coaches are incredibly cautious commenting publicly on politics of the country – to do so could draw additional attention to themselves. Big leaguers playing in winter leagues back in Venezuela have historically brought bodyguards with them to the ballpark. In 2011, big leaguer Wilson Ramos himself was abducted and held for two days in a targeted kidnapping before being rescued. “We're going to say today, in the baseball game, ‘¡Maduro, c****a de tu madre! '” Rachel Pérez said shortly before Saturday's game. Her son, Victor, offers a rough translation: “It's like, ‘F**k you, Maduro. They left Venezuela when Victor was a teenager studying law. “But definitely my home country is Venezuela, so I want to be there.” But at least for now, they are surrounded by people who can understand that dichotomy because they feel it too. If they win it all, it would be the first time since the WBC debuted in 2006. “Maybe, this is the year cause things are getting better for us,” Galicia said. Pacheco tried to imagine what that would feel like. ”Oh my God, I don't even know because I have been waiting for it,” he said. “The same way we've been waiting for the political (situation to improve), we've been waiting for this.”

A growing number of Republican-led states are moving swiftly to implement new voting restrictions, plowing ahead on a key plank of President Donald Trump's agenda that has so far been stuck on Capitol Hill. Last week, Republican-controlled legislatures in Utah and South Dakota approved legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections. On Wednesday, the state Senate in Florida — home to more than 13 million registered voters — is slated to take up a citizenship verification bill. A companion measure has already passed the Florida House. Meanwhile, in states where Democrats control the levers of power, proponents of election-rule changes that Democrats oppose are working to enact them through ballot measures. That includes California, where a voter ID measure appears headed to the November ballot and will affect the state's 23 million voters, if successful. Those state efforts mean tens of millions of voters around the country could face new rules and restrictions in future elections, even if national legislation never moves forward. The president — who repeatedly makes baseless allegations that US elections are rife with fraud — has stepped up his rhetoric about the bill in recent days, saying he will refuse to sign any legislation until Congress enacts new voting rules. He's also called for lawmakers to add more elements to the proposal, including ending no-excuse mail-in voting and banning transgender athletes in sports. “It'll guarantee the midterms,” he said Monday during a retreat of House Republicans at his golf club in Doral, Florida. “If you don't get it, big trouble, my opinion.” Voters whose citizenship cannot be verified could eventually be removed from the rolls if they don't provide proof of citizenship. Persons-Mulicka said voters will be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate their eligibility before removal. Opponents say the change will ensnare many voters in additional paperwork requirements — especially younger, first-time voters and disabled residents who might lack a driver's license, along with older Floridians who may have given up their driver's license years ago. “Tens of thousands, if not more, US citizens who are seniors who are already registered will be removed or have to provide additional documentation to provide their citizenship,” said Brad Ashwell, Florida director of All Voting is Local, a voting rights group opposed to the measure. The Democrat said she has spent a year trying to obtain a birth certificate to help her elderly aunt renew her Florida's driver's license. “This is what a lot of Black folks who were born during the Jim Crow era have to contend with,” she said. In California, where Democrats control state government, a battle is shaping up over a proposed ballot measure that would impose voter ID and citizenship verification requirements. Proponents of the voter ID initiative recently announced they had collected more than 1.3 million signatures on petitions — far exceeding the nearly 875,000 required under state law — to put new voting requirements to voters on the November ballot. In California, there's no requirement that voters produce identification at the polls. Gavin Newsom — a potential 2028 presidential contender — signed legislation that barred local governments from imposing voter ID, after the city of Huntington Beach sought to do so. Additionally, those who vote by mail — a widely used option in California — would be required to include the last four digits of a “unique identifying number” on file in their voter registration records when they return their ballots. DeMaio, who oversees a group called Reform California, insists the changes will make it easier to cast ballots, in part because voters' signatures will no longer have to match those on file. (In November's special election on redistricting in California, more than 83,000 mail-in ballots were rejected because they either lacked voters' signatures or the signatures didn't match in election records, according to a report by the California secretary of state's office. Nearly 10.5 million mail-in ballots were returned in that election.) DeMaio said people attending his organization's focus groups welcomed an alternative to signature-matching. Julia Gomez, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of South California, argues that voters could just as easily make mistakes when asked to add the correct four-digit number to their returned ballot. The initiative also would require election officials to verify whether registered voters are US citizens and to publicly report each year the percentage of voters in each county whose citizenship could not be determined. While those voters will remain on the rolls, DeMaio said: “It will be quite apparent and transparent to the public, ‘Hey, I live in a county where X percent of our voter file has been not been verified for citizenship. It's already illegal for people who are not US citizens to vote in federal elections, and violators face potential criminal charges and deportation. Election experts note that noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare. Last year, for instance, Florida's Office of Election Crimes and Security identified “at least” 198 likely noncitizens on the voter rolls out of 13.3 million registered voters. Officials said 170 of them were referred to law enforcement. Despite Trump push for voter ID law, Senate Republicans say votes aren't there to change filibuster rules At the same time, voter ID and citizenship requirements are broadly popular. Eighty-three percent of Americans backed requiring voters to show government-issued identification, Pew Research Center found in a 2025 survey. A 2024 survey conducted by SSRS for the liberal-leaning Brennan Center for Justice, VoteRiders and other groups showed that roughly 9% of eligible voters — estimated at more than 21 million people — would have a difficult time obtaining the required documents to prove their citizenship, and 2% lack access to them altogether.

A contentious ballot measure in Virginia that could reshape the state's congressional map in favor of Democrats is facing a series of legal challenges that experts say will not be resolved even after voters cast their ballots. Virginians are set to vote April 21 on a state constitutional amendment that would temporarily allow the legislature to redraw the state's congressional districts before the 2030 census. Supporters say the move is necessary to counter mid-decade redistricting efforts by Republican-controlled states nationwide, while those against the measure argue the proposal is itself a partisan attempt to redraw Virginia's map in Democrats' favor ahead of the midterm elections, skewing representation for a state home to millions of Republicans. “The Virginia Supreme Court has said they're taking all these challenges and they're taking briefing on them, and then they're not going to decide anything until after all the votes have been cast,” Kincaid told the Washington Examiner. “So it's still a live challenge,” Kincaid said. “If any one of these different things sticks, then it would invalidate the referendum.” Michael Morley, a law professor at Florida State University who studies election law, told the Washington Examiner that the ballot measure's phrasing could raise constitutional concerns due to a Supreme Court precedent requiring governments to remain neutral when presenting choices tied to congressional elections. In its 2001 decision in Cook v. Gralike, the Supreme Court ruled that states cannot attempt to influence congressional elections through ballot design that favors or disfavors candidates. “The issue with Cook,” Morley said, is “that by using normative language about restoring fairness, the [ballot measure] seems to be putting its weight behind one position on the issue rather than representing it to voters in a neutral fashion.” Morley said the Virginia referendum presents a novel question because it is not itself a congressional election but directly affects how congressional elections will be conducted. “This ballot measure isn't immediately a congressional election,” Morley said. “But it directly impacts the outcomes of congressional elections. It's closely tied to determining those outcomes.” Because of that connection, Morley said courts could apply the same neutrality principles to ballot language that affects congressional redistricting. “One thing the Virginia amendment did not do was repeal or otherwise revise the compactness requirements within the Virginia Constitution,” Kincaid said, adding that the proposed districts are “very, very not compact.” Compactness refers to the geographic makeup of districts, including whether districts are twisted and stretched to ensure they are friendly to one party over the other. The amendment has also attracted heavy spending from national political groups. The Washington Examiner reported on Monday that Virginians for Fair Elections, a committee backing the referendum, raised more than $21.3 million in outside funding in less than a month. Opponents of redistricting, organized under Virginians for Fair Maps, have raised considerably less, reporting roughly $2.8 million over several days in early March. A central dispute that is still playing out in court is over the language that Virginia voters will read when they head to the polls to vote on redistricting. Public polling suggests the proposal currently has narrow support among Virginia voters. A January survey from the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University found that 51% of registered voters backed the amendment, while 43% opposed it and 7% said they were unsure.