Fox News - Breaking News Updates | Latest News Headlines | Phot…

@foxnews.com.web.brid.gy

23304 Followers 0 Following

Breaking News, Latest News and Current News from FOXNews.com. Breaking news and video. Latest Current News: U.S., World, Entertainment, Health, Business, Technology […] 🌉 bridged from 🌐 https://foxnews.com/: https://fed.brid.gy/web/foxnews.com

<p>Former <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/us-regions/southeast/florida" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Florida</a> Gov. Charlie Crist is running for St. Petersburg mayor.</p><p>"Well, it's official. I'm now a candidate for mayor of St. Pete. God bless you all," he said in a video <a href="https://x.com/CharlieCrist/status/2048858737226490002" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">posted</a> to X on Monday.</p><p>His post includes the message, "I’m in! #stpete."</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ron-desantis-unveils-new-florida-congressional-map-would-give-gop-extra-four-seats" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>RON DESANTIS UNVEILS NEW FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL MAP THAT WOULD GIVE THE GOP AN EXTRA FOUR SEATS</strong></a></p><p>"I’ve fought for the City of St. Petersburg in the Legislature, as Education Commissioner, Attorney General, and Governor, and as a United States Representative. Now I’m taking that fight back home, to City Hall, where the city government is failing to address issues that matter most to YOU, my neighbors," Crist declared on his campaign <a href="https://charliecrist.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">website</a>.</p><p>Crist <a href="https://dos.fl.gov/florida-facts/florida-history/florida-governors/charlie-crist/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">served</a> as governor of the Sunshine State from early 2007 until early 2011. He was elected to the governorship as a Republican but lost a 2010 U.S. Senate race while running as an independent. </p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-taunts-jeffries-florida-invitedem-leader-responds-20m-warning-shot" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>DESANTIS TAUNTS JEFFRIES WITH FLORIDA INVITE — DEM LEADER RESPONDS WITH $20M WARNING SHOT</strong></a></p><p>He lost the state's 2014 gubernatorial contest while running as a Democrat.</p><p>Crist went on to serve in the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/house-of-representatives" rel="noopener" target="_blank">U.S. House of Representatives</a> as a Democrat from early 2017 through August 2022.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-under-pressure-florida-redraw-could-tip-house-balance-gop-map-fight" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>DESANTIS UNDER PRESSURE AS FLORIDA REDRAW COULD TIP HOUSE BALANCE IN GOP MAP FIGHT</strong></a></p><p>Crist unsuccessfully sought the governorship again, but incumbent Gov. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/ron-desantis" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Ron DeSantis</a> shellacked him in the state's 2022 gubernatorial contest.</p>
<p>A Georgia judge denied Jose Ibarra’s motion for a new trial following his conviction in the killing of nursing student Laken Riley.</p><p>Superior Court Judge Patrick Haggard rejected the request, leaving in place Ibarra’s sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.</p><p>Ibarra, a Venezuelan migrant, was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, hindering a 911 call, tampering with evidence and peeping tom in connection with Riley’s death.</p><p>The ruling means Ibarra’s convictions and life sentence remain intact.</p><p><i>This is a breaking news report. Check back for more updates.</i></p>
<p>Idaho student murders suspect <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/bryan-kohberger" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Bryan Kohberger</a> has accepted a plea deal to spare his life in the murders of four University of Idaho students, two sources close to the case told Fox News Digital Monday.</p><p>Kohberger, 30, is accused of killing Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in a 4 a.m. home invasion attack on Nov. 13, 2022.</p><p>Goncalves' family, in a Facebook page her parents created after the murders, condemned the deal, which spares Kohberger's life.</p><p>"We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho," a new post reads. "They have failed us. Please give us some time. This was very unexpected."</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/bryan-kohberger-returns-court-hearing-pile-evidence-he-wants-thrown-out-before-trial" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>BRYAN KOHBERGER RETURNS TO COURT FOR HEARING ON PILE OF EVIDENCE HE WANTS THROWN OUT BEFORE TRIAL</strong></a></p><p>All four had been stabbed multiple times with a large knife. Police recovered a Ka-Bar sheath that they allege had Kohberger's DNA on it near Mogen's body.</p><p>Kohberger was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. That's 10 miles up the road from Moscow, Idaho, where all four victims were undergrads at the University of Idaho.</p><p>The plea deal came as a surprise – prosecutors had not telegraphed the move and fought hard to keep the death penalty on the table in pretrial proceedings.</p><p>Kohberger's defense failed repeatedly to have it removed, revealing his autism diagnosis and crying foul over discovery deadlines it claimed that prosecutors missed.</p><p>Judge Steven Hippler was unmoved by the arguments from his team.</p><p>The latest deve</p><p><i>This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.</i></p>
<p>There are 35 U.S. Senate seats up for election in 2026, with at least four battleground states expected to decide the balance of power – and whether Republicans maintain control of all three branches of government during the second half of <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/donald-trumphttps://www.foxnews.com/category/person/donald-trump" rel="noopener" target="_blank">President Donald Trump</a>'s term. </p><p>In 2025, Republicans control the Senate 53-47, including two independent senators who caucus with the Democrats. Republican Sens. Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Jon Husted, John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy could all face fierce fights to maintain their U.S. Senate seats next year. </p><p>The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) announced in January that Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., will chair the DSCC with Sens. Mark Kelly, Adam Schiff and Lisa Blunt Rochester as vice chairs during the 2026 election cycle. The DSCC has not yet announced their target races for next year. </p><p>"Democrats have a Senate map that is ripe with offensive opportunities, particularly when coupled with the building midterm backlash against Republicans. Republicans have more seats to defend, and they’re doing it in a hostile political environment," DSCC Spokesman David Bergstein said in a statement to Fox News Digital. </p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-gear-up-challenge-georgias-dem-senator-state-trump-won-2" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>GOP GEARS UP TO CHALLENGE GEORGIA'S DEM SENATOR IN STATE TRUMP WON BY 2%</strong></a></p><p>As the party in power tends to struggle more during the midterm elections, Democrats are already identifying "offensive opportunities" to regain Republican Senate seats. </p><p>"I am confident that we will protect our Democratic seats, mount strong challenges in our battleground races, and look to expand our efforts into some unexpected states. Over the course of my career, I’ve won in red and purple places, and I look forward to helping the next generation of Senate candidates do the same," Gillibrand said when she was named DSCC chair. </p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/we-are-bullish-house-gop-takes-aim-these-26-dem-seats-midterms" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>'WE ARE BULLISH': HOUSE GOP TAKES AIM AT THESE 26 DEM SEATS IN MIDTERMS</strong></a></p><p>Sen. Thom Tillis was censured by the North Carolina Republican Party in 2023 <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/north-carolina-gop-censures-senator-thom-tillis-straying-party-guns-immigration-lgbtq-rights" rel="noopener" target="_blank">for reportedly veering</a> from Republican ideology on gun control policies, LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights. </p><p>Tillis is considered a moderate Republican for his commitment to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/ukraine" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Ukraine funding</a>, support for gun control legislation that expanded background checks and implemented red flag laws, voting to codify same-sex marriage and supporting legal pathways for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. </p><p>The bipartisan senator was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2020. He went against his more conservative colleagues by voting to certify <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/joe-biden" rel="noopener" target="_blank">former President Joe Biden</a>'s victory over Trump in 2020. </p><p>Tillis has fallen in line with Republicans in 2025 by voting to confirm <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/elections/presidential/trump-transition" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Trump's cabinet nominees</a>, even as some expressed concern over his more controversial picks. However, that does not mean Tillis has been able to escape the ire of Trump's orbit. </p><p>"Thom Tillis is running 20 points behind DJT in North Carolina. We’re going to need a new senate candidate in NC unless we want to hand the gavel back to Schumer," a political advisor to Donald Trump Jr., Arthur Schwartz, <a href="https://x.com/ArthurSchwartz/status/1897666941927440513" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">said on X</a> earlier this month. </p><p><a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Cook Political Report</a>, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, rated Tillis' 2026 re-election bid as "lean Republican." </p><p>Maine has long been a political outlier as one of only two states to split its electoral votes for the presidential election. Former Vice President <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/kamala-harris" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Kamala Harris</a> won Maine in 2024, but Trump still secured one electoral vote for winning Congressional District 2. </p><p>Republican Sen. Susan Collins is considered another moderate Republican – which could serve her once again in the politically split state. </p><p>Collins voted against the Senate confirmations of Trump's nominees for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel. She has not shied away from criticizing Trump either, slamming his Jan. 6 pardons and proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health grants. </p><p>Collins has been a U.S. senator since 1996, surviving many primary and general election challenges from both sides of the political aisle. She became the first Republican woman to win a fifth term in the Senate in 2020. </p><p>She is already facing two 2026 challengers – Democrat Natasha Alcala and Independent Phillip Rench. Maine's Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who sparred with Trump over transgender athletes playing in women's sports, has not ruled out a run for Collins' Senate seat. </p><p> <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Cook Political Report </a>also rated Collins' race "lean Republican."</p><p>Ohio's Republican Sen. Jon Husted finds himself in a unique position heading into the 2026 midterms. He was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine on Jan. 17, 2025 to fill the vacancy left by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/jd-vance" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Vice President JD Vance</a>. </p><p>Husted is Ohio's former lieutenant governor. He also served as Ohio's secretary of state and as a state legislator. </p><p>Because Husted was not elected U.S. senator, he will need to campaign in 2026 for the special election. If he wins, Husted will retain his seat and complete the remainder of Vance's term – through 2029. </p><p>Rumors swirled that DeWine could choose Trump-ally Vivek Ramaswamy to replace Vance this year, but the moderate Republican governor ultimately chose his politically similar ally. Meanwhile, Ramaswamy has launched his own bid for Ohio governor. </p><p>The race is rated "likely Republican" by <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Cook Political Report.</a></p><p>Sen. John Cornyn has been the senator for Texas since 2002. While Cornyn is solidly conservative and has supported Trump, he has expressed private disagreement with the president on issues such as budget deficits and border security.</p><p>Cornyn is already gearing up for tough potential primary challenges from Trump-ally Rep. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/person/h/wesley-hunt" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Wesley Hunt</a> and conservative Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. </p><p>Both Hunt and Paxton have not formally announced campaigns to primary the long-time Texas senator, but both candidates would set up a competitive race for Cornyn to keep his seat. </p><p>The race is ranked "solid Republican" by <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Cook Political Report</a> with some GOP infighting expected if Hunt or Paxton announce Senate campaigns. </p><p>Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy is also expected to face a tough primary challenge in 2026. John Fleming, the Louisiana state treasurer and former representative, has declared a Senate bid.</p><p>Rep. Clay Higgins, who was also expected to challenge Cassidy, announced on Thursday that he will not pursue a Senate campaign in 2026. </p><p>Cassidy voted to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment trial, alienating him from the Trump-loyalists of the party. </p><p>The former physician raised concerns over Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during his confirmation hearing. While he ultimately voted to confirm Kennedy, Cassidy questioned Kennedy's vaccine skepticism as it conflicted with his own medical background.  </p><p>Cassidy has served in the Senate since 2015, after starting his political career in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Louisiana State Senate. </p><p>While Republicans work to maintain incumbent Senate seats, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has identified four battleground states in 2026 as opportunities to pick up seats and widen their slim majority in the U.S. Senate. </p><p>"Every battleground state — Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire and Minnesota – is in play, and we play to win," NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement to Fox News Digital last week. </p>