Qatar begins supplying natural gas to Syria through Jordan
Qatar will provide 400 megawatts of electricity daily to Syria, where authorities have struggled with power generation. Qatar has begun providing natural gas to Syria through Jordan to tackle the country’s electricity shortage and power cuts, state news agency QNA has reported. In a statement issued on Thursday, Qatar said the initiative comes as part of a deal signed with Jordan and in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. According to the agreement, Qatar will provide natural gas supplies “generating power from 400 megawatts of electricity daily and gradually increase production at the Deir Ali power plant in Syria”. The electricity will be distributed to several Syrian cities, including the capital Damascus, Rif Dimashq, As Suwayda, Daraa, Al Qunaitra, Homs, Hama, Tartous, Latakia, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zur, it added. “This initiative represents a pivotal step towards meeting the Syrian people’s energy needs and reflects a shared commitment among all parties to work together for the benefit of the region,” said Fahad Hamad Hassan Al-Sulaiti, who heads the Qatar Fund for Development, according to QNA. Advertisement Syrian’s interim authorities have struggled to provide electricity to civilians since they removed former President Bashar al-Assad in December, with much of the country’s infrastructure battered by more than 13 years of civil war. Damascus previously received much of the oil used for power generation from Iran, but supplies were cut after al-Assad’s removal. Adblock test (Why?)
Satellite photos show Gaza darkened by Israeli power restrictions
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Satellite photos from NASA show the widespread impact of Israel’s electricity and fuel cutoffs to Gaza.
Sister of Army soldier murdered at Texas base floats potential congressional challenge to Rep Al Green
The sister of Vanessa Guillén, a U.S. Army soldier murdered and dismembered at what was formerly called Fort Hood in Texas, is floating a potential congressional challenge to Rep. Al Green, D-Texas. Mayra Guillén said she was considering running against Green after watching his outbursts during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress last week. After watching Green “disrespect” not only the president, “but our district, state and country, I believe it’s time for me to get into the fight like I did for my sister Vanessa Guillen!” Mayra Guillén wrote on X on March 6. “It’s time to end the propaganda displayed by these politicians, and time to help support [Trump] and his amazing [administration] to Make America Great Again! Al Green I’m coming for your seat.” FAMILY OF MURDERED FORT HOOD SOLDIER VANESSA GUILLEN FILES $35M LAWSUIT AGAINST U.S. ARMY Local outlets, including the Houston Chronicle, picked up her potential congressional run in reports published Wednesday but said Guillén has yet to file the appropriate paperwork for a campaign. Fox News Digital reached out to Guillén for comment Thursday but did not immediately hear back. Green has represented his heavily blue Houston congressional district since 2005 and was unopposed in last year’s election. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ordered the Sergeant at Arms to remove Green from the chamber when he repeatedly shouted over and wagged his cane at Trump during the president’s first congressional address back in office, and Republicans later voted to censure the long-time Democratic congressman. In 2021, Mayra Guillén founded the “I am Vanessa Guillén Foundation,” an advocacy group intended to give a voice to survivors of sexual violence in the military. MURDERED FORT HOOD SOLDIER VANESSA GUILLEN DESERVES SAME RESPECT AS GEORGE FLOYD, BIDEN MUST ACT, FAMILY SAYS Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Hood, was declared missing in April 2020 from the base outside Killeen, Texas, prompting a months-long search. Authorities eventually said she was murdered and dismembered in an armory room by a fellow soldier, Army Spc. Aaron Robinson, who died by suicide on July 1, 2020, when authorities were closing in on him a day after Guillén’s remains were found. The only person criminally charged in Guillén’s death was Robinson’s girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, who authorities accused of helping him mutilate and hide the body. Aguilar was sentenced to 30 years in prison in August 2023 for accessory to murder. Guillén’s family has said they believe she was sexually harassed during her time at the Texas military base. While Army officials have said they do not believe Robinson harassed Guillén, they admitted in a report a year later that Guillén was harassed by another soldier at the base. Then-U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said during a visit to the Texas base that it had one of the highest rates of murder, sexual assault and harassment in the Army, later adding that the patterns of violence were a direct result of “leadership failures.” State and federal lawmakers passed legislation in 2021 honoring Guillén that removed some authority from commanders and gave survivors more options to report abuse and harassment. Army officials disciplined 21 commissioned and non-commissioned officers in connection with Guillén’s death. Fort Hood was renamed to Fort Cavazos in May 2023. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Massie reveals how much campaign cash he’s hauled in since Trump targeted him for ouster: ‘Fundraising record’
Rep. Thomas Massie told Fox News Digital on Thursday morning that he had hauled in $261,000 in campaign donations in recent days since President Donald Trump targeted him for ouster for opposing a government-funding measure. “In less than three days, I’ve received $261,000 through 3,203 individual donations, without sending an email, a text, or a phone call. It’s a fundraising record for me and it’s boosted my current cash on hand north of $1.1 million,” Massie said in a statement. After Trump took a swing at Massie in a Truth Social post on Monday night, the congressman responded in a tweet on Tuesday by soliciting campaign donations. “I’ve drawn opponents in my last three primaries who knew they couldn’t run to the right of me, so they ran to the Trump of me,” Massie said in his statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday. “Overwhelmingly, in each instance, voters in Kentucky rejected them because I have a decade of consistently putting America and my constituents first. None of my opponents received more than 20% of the vote, but that’s because we ran excellent campaigns with the resources needed to win. For instance, my allies and I spent $2,000,000 in my 2020 primary when Trump attacked me for opposing the COVID bailouts. That’s why I’m taking this threat seriously and asking for grassroots donations on X,” Massie noted. TRUMP PLEDGES TO ‘LEAD THE CHARGE’ AGAINST REP. MASSIE, LIKENS HIM TO LIZ CHENEY The amount of money Massie reported raising had climbed since he tweeted on Wednesday that he had reached $205,000. “I’ve received an amazing outpouring of support since I was attacked for voting No on the Biden-$-level CR. In fact, we just hit $205,000 from 2500 grassroots donors! Can you help me send a ‘huge’ message by reaching $250,000 before the 48 hour mark?” Massie said in a Wednesday post on his @MassieforKY campaign account on X. In a post earlier on Wednesday, Massie had announced, “Y’all sent $175,000 to my campaign in the last 36 hours! For the first time, my cash on hand is over $1,000,000. It’s a great start, but I’m going to need more if POTUS makes good on his threat to retaliate for my vote. Please help me set a 48hr record,” he said. When someone on X asked Massie about whether he could use the funds for a Senate campaign, the lawmaker replied, “Yes I could.” The congressman, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than a decade, ran a poll on his @RepThomasMassie X account last month asking people whether, if they were him, they would opt to remain in the House, run for U.S. Senate in 2026, or run for governor in 2027. With the prospect of a partial government shutdown looming, Trump recently pounced on Massie, who had declared his opposition to a government funding proposal. “HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him,” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Monday night. “He’s just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble, and not worth the fight. He reminds me of Liz Chaney before her historic, record breaking fall (loss!). The people of Kentucky won’t stand for it, just watch. DO I HAVE ANY TAKERS???” MASSIE SAYS HE’S A ‘NO’ ON TRUMP-ENDORSED GOVERNMENT FUNDING MEASURE: ‘UNLESS I GET A LOBOTOMY’ Massie sought campaign donations when reacting to Trump’s broadside. “Why don’t more Representatives stand on principle? Because telling the truth can get you in hot water. I’m going to need your help. I will run again because we need at least one person in Congress who won’t cave. Can you show support by contributing now?” Massie said in a Tuesday morning tweet from his campaign account. Trump targeted Massie again in a post on Tuesday afternoon. “‘Congressman’ Thomas Massie voted to delay the Debt Ceiling Bill from the Biden Administration to the Trump Administration (from September before the Election, to June after the Election!), without getting anything for this horrendously stupid move — When Republicans could have gotten EVERYTHING they wanted,” Trump asserted. “He additionally voted to delay the current Budget Disaster from the Biden Administration to the Trump Administration. I was running for Office at the time, doing my thing, and when I heard about this, it was, quite simply, hard to believe — A catastrophic mistake!” the president added. TRUMP-BACKED BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PASSES HOUSE DESPITE MUTINY THREATS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Now, and virtually on every other vote, he’s a very simple, ‘NO.’ He can’t even approve a Continuing Resolution when he approved them many times during his career as a ‘Congressman.’ Thomas Massie is a GRANDSTANDER, and the Great People of Kentucky are going to be watching a very interesting Primary in the not too distant future!” Massie fired back in a post on X, labeling Trump’s Truth Social post “misleading.” “This tweet from Trump’s account is very misleading. I never voted for a CR that became law. I did vote for a CR under McCarthy that included an 8% cut to all discretionary spending, but unfortunately that CR did not become law. Do research and you’ll find I’ve been consistent,” Massie tweeted. Massie was ultimately the only Republican in the House who voted against passing the Trump-backed government funding measure on Tuesday. Trump later issued another attack against the maverick Republican. “So Massie can vote for Debt Ceiling AND Budget to be put into the Trump Administration, making them both the Republicans problem and responsibility, but can’t give us a simple Continuing Resolution vote allowing us the time necessary to come up with a “GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL??? Republicans only “NO Vote. GRANDSTANDER!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post early on Wednesday. Trump previously attacked Massie ahead of the lawmaker’s GOP primary in 2020, but Massie went on to decisively win that contest in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, earning nearly 81% of the vote, according to the vote totals recorded in
‘This is no drill’: China’s dominance over US shipbuilding sparks bipartisan effort
FIRST ON FOX: China’s dominance over the U.S. in terms of shipbuilding is sending alarms through Capitol Hill, forthcoming legislation suggests. A bipartisan group of military veterans now serving in the House of Representatives – Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C. – are rolling out a bill aimed at revitalizing the flailing U.S. commercial ship sector. “This is no drill. A fundamental pillar of America’s security, our naval supremacy, is under threat from Communist China,” Green told Fox News Digital. TRUMP TOUTS $5 MILLION ‘GOLD CARD’ AS NEW PATH TO CITIZENSHIP Green said China’s Navy was now the largest in the world, surpassing the U.S. with 350 estimated seafaring vessels, compared to 280. “China has used its fleet to erode freedom of navigation, harass civilian ships, and intimidate our allies,” he said. “To maintain our strategic edge, we must invest ‘full speed ahead’ in our maritime industrial base – encompassing commercial shipbuilders, military shipyards, and every link in the supply chain.” The bill would establish a National Commission on the Maritime Industrial Base, and mandate it to launch a probe into the status of American maritime industries, both military and commercial. The goal would be to develop policy and legislative recommendations to revitalize U.S. shipyards. TRUMP DECLARES ‘AMERICA IS BACK’ IN SPEECH BEFORE CONGRESS Kiggans said shipbuilding was the “backbone” of her coastal Virginia district’s economy in a statement to Fox News Digital. “However, due to workforce and supply chain issues, our maritime industrial base is struggling to keep pace with growing global threats. This Commission is a critical step toward identifying the challenges facing our shipyards and strengthening our ability to build and sustain a world-class fleet,” she said. Davis said, “We must collaborate to ensure that both the public and private sectors work together to find solutions that will strengthen our maritime industrial base. Shipbuilding is vital for our national security.” U.S. competition with China has remained among the most bipartisan issues in Congress, even with the current hyper-partisan environment. China has nearly 47% of the global market in shipbuilding, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. South Korea and Japan are second and third, with roughly 29% and 17% of the market, respectively. The U.S. has 0.13% of the market. A single Chinese shipbuilder managed more output by tonnage in 2024 alone than the U.S. has in its entirety since World War II, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which said China’s dominance in the sector was a national security risk.
Trump’s pick for NIH director clears committee, heads to full Senate vote
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) voted Thursday morning to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to head the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. The vote was strictly along party lines, 12 votes in favor and 11 against, but with the committee having one extra Republican member in the majority, Bhattacharya sailed to the finish line with only GOP support. Bhattacharya now heads to the full Senate for an impending confirmation vote that will be the last hurdle before he becomes the next Director of the NIH. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., expressed concern Thursday over Bhattacharya’s confirmation, saying he feared Bhattacharya would not do enough to help lower the cost of prescription drugs. Sanders and other Democrats have also expressed concern over how Bhattacharya will approach medical research at the NIH, especially considering Trump just imposed a cap on facilities and administration costs associated with NIH research grants. TRUMP NIH APPOINTEE DEFENDS PRESIDENT’S RESEARCH FUNDING CUTS, LAYS OUT NEW VISION FOR FUTURE A physician, Stanford professor of medicine and senior fellow at the university’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, Bhattacharya was a leading voice during the COVID-19 pandemic against lockdown measures and vaccine mandates. Bhattacharya was probed by the Senate HELP Committee roughly a week ago over various issues related to his potential role as NIH director; however, much of the hearing he was forced to defend the president’s decision to put a 15% cap on indirect research costs dispersed by the NIH. Bhattacharya would not explicitly say he disagreed with the cuts, or that, if confirmed, he would step in to stop them. Rather, he said he would “follow the law,” while also investigating the impact of the cuts and ensuring every NIH researcher doing work that advances the health outcomes of Americans has the resources necessary. WHITE HOUSE PULLS NOMINATION OF DAVID WELDON AS CDC DIRECTOR In addition to addressing questions about the Trump cuts, Bhattacharya also laid out what he called a new, decentralized vision for future research at NIH that he said will be aimed at embracing dissenting ideas and transparency, while focusing on research topics that have the best chance at directly benefiting health outcomes of Americans. Bhattacharya added that he wants to rid the agency’s research portfolio of other “frivolous” efforts that he says do little to directly benefit health outcomes. “I think fundamentally what matters is: Do scientists have an idea that advances the scientific field they’re in?” Bhattacharya said last week during his confirmation testimony. “Do they have an idea that ends up addressing the health needs of Americans?” Bhattacharya was notably a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which was a document published in October 2020 by a group of scientists advocating for an alternative approach to handling the COVID-19 pandemic. It argued largely against widespread lockdowns and promoted the efficacy of natural immunity to the virus for low-risk individuals, suggesting the vaccine may not be the best course of action for everyone. Prior to his confirmation hearings, Bhattacharya, alongside several other scientists, including Trump’s pick to head the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, launched a new research journal focused on spurring scientific discourse and combating “gatekeeping” in the medical research community. The journal, titled the Journal of the Academy of Public Health (JAPH), is implementing a novel approach aimed at spurring scientific discourse by publishing peer reviews of prominent studies from other journals that do not make their peer reviews publicly available.
Dr. Marty Makary advances out of key committee in bid for FDA confirmation
President Donald Trump‘s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Marty Makary, passed a key committee vote 14-9 on Thursday morning, clearing the way for a full Senate vote on his nomination. If confirmed before the full Senate, Makary will work alongside the nominee for National Institute of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to achieve Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) voted in favor of Makary’s confirmation following his committee hearing one week ago today. “We now have a generational opportunity in American healthcare. President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s focus on healthy foods has galvanized a grassroots movement in America. Childhood obesity is not a willpower problem, and the rise of early-onset Alzheimer’s is not a genetic cause. We should be, and we will, be addressing food as it impacts our health,” Makary said last week. TRUMP FDA NOMINEE TURNS VACCINE QUESTION ON DEM, RECALLING CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN DECISION “Thanks to the courage of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, we now have a generational opportunity to usher in radical transparency to facilitate more cures, meaningful treatments and diagnostics at the FDA to help people take care of their own health,” Makary added. TRUMP PICKS DR. MARTY MAKARY AS FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION COMMISSIONER Makary was grilled by Democrats last week on vaccines, abortion, chronic illness and food safety. When repeatedly asked by Democratic senators on the committee whether he would revoke the approval process for Mifepristone, Makary said any decision on the abortion pill will come down to science. “I have no preconceived plans on Mifepristone policy except to take a solid, hard look at the data and to meet with the professional career scientists who have reviewed the data at the FDA, and to build an expert coalition to review the ongoing data,” he said. Makary, who advocated for natural immunity during the COVID-19 pandemic, flipped a question about vaccine processes around on Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., during his confirmation hearing, telling her to ask former President Joe Biden why he skipped a key step when it came to the COVID-19 booster. “So, if you are confirmed, will you commit to immediately reschedule that FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting to get the expert views?” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., asked Trump’s FDA pick. “I would re-evaluate which topics deserve a convening of the advisory committee members on [Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee] and which may not require a convening,” Makary replied, adding that he was not a part of the decision. When asked again by Murray, he said: “Well, you can ask the Biden administration that chose not to convene the committee meeting for the COVID vaccine booster.” He vowed during his committee hearing to lead his own Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) investigations if confirmed. DOGE has terminated the employment of thousands of probationary HHS employees, including those at the FDA, since Trump took office. “If confirmed, I will do my own independent assessment on personnel. I welcome input on efficiencies at the agency. At the same time, I want to make sure that the scientists and food inspectors and staff, central to the core mission of the agency, have all the resources they need to do their job well,” Makary said last week. Makary has long been a critic of the FDA. He penned an opinion piece in 2021 that called for “fresh leadership at the FDA to change the culture at the agency and promote scientific advancement, not hinder it.” Trump nominated Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor, pancreatic surgeon and former Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marty Makary for FDA commissioner in November. “I am very pleased to nominate Marty Makary MD, MPH, FACS, for FDA Commissioner,” Trump said in a statement. “FDA has lost the trust of Americans, and has lost sight of its primary goal as a regulator. The Agency needs Dr. Marty Makary, a Highly Respected Johns Hopkins Surgical Oncologist and Health Policy Expert, to course-correct and refocus the Agency.” Trump said that Makary will “work under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to, among other things, properly evaluate harmful chemicals poisoning our Nation’s food supply and drugs and biologics being given to our Nation’s youth, so that we can finally address the Childhood Chronic Disease Epidemic.”
Border area bustling under Biden now quiet under Trump, says veterans group: ‘Amazing difference’
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Veterans who have volunteered to help secure the border in Southern California say there has been an incredible difference in what they have seen since President Donald Trump took office in January. “There has been such an amazing difference between what was going on during the Biden administration versus what’s going on under the Trump administration” said Kate Monroe, a Marine Corps veteran who became the founder of Border Vets, a group of U.S. military veterans who have given their own time and money to patch up holes in the border barrier in Southern California. The comments come as Trump has continued his push to secure the southern border, seeking to make good on a promise that became a cornerstone of his third campaign for president. The data seemingly indicates Trump has made good on that campaign promise, with the number of southern border encounters last month hitting lows not seen in about a quarter-century last month, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data that was first reported by Axios. CALIF POLITICIAN PATCHES GAPING BORDER HOLE WITH 400 FEET OF RAZOR WIRE USING HER OWN CASH CBP agents apprehended roughly 8,300 people attempting to illegally cross the border in February, the data showed, the lowest monthly total recorded since fiscal 2000. The data also showed that CBP encounters with illegal migrants attempting to cross the border dropped sharply from this time last year, with the agency recording just shy of 30,000 encounters last month, a drop from 130,000 in February 2023 and 2024. Members of the Border Vets have noticed the difference, telling Fox News Digital that they have observed a drastic decrease in people crossing the border in this once-busy sector. “Things are getting better down at the border,” one Marine veteran who volunteers for Border Vets told Fox News Digital. The area of border these veterans patrol is largely near Jacumba Hot Springs, California, a secluded area about 70 miles east of San Diego. One such area of Jacumba Hot Springs that was noticeably quiet on Tuesday was the previously infamous “San Judas Break,” a hole in the border barrier that had seen more than 3,000 migrants per week spill through as recently as last year. Monroe, who at that time last year was the Republican candidate for California’s 49th Congressional District, decided to take it upon herself to patch the border hole, enlisting a group of veterans to put up a makeshift barrier of razor wire that effectively closed off the small gap. TRUMP GOES TOE-TO-TOE WITH SANCTUARY CITIES OVER DEPORTATION AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN SET TO BEGIN “I felt the anger and frustrations of millions of fellow Americans watching in horror as thousands of people poured through,” Monroe told Fox News Digital last February, noting that the gap her organization helped patch once allowed “terrorists, drugs, and human trafficking to infiltrate while local and national city economies bear the burden of supporting these migrants.” Monroe’s volunteer act quickly went viral and spawned the creation of Border Vets, which has since gone on to plug multiple holes in Southern California’s barrier between the U.S. and Mexico. Border agents have largely welcomed the help of the volunteer group, according to one agent who anonymously spoke with Fox News Digital on Tuesday. Both CBP agents and Border Vets members told Fox News Digital that they have personally witnessed a sharp decrease in attempted crossings since Trump took office, leaving a once-busy sector suddenly quiet after the record crossings of the few years prior. “There used to be hundreds of people crossing every time I came, [now] not a one,” Monroe said. “The difference has been absolutely amazing. I feel like our national security is getting less and less at risk by the day.” At another area of the Jacumba Hot Springs border with Mexico, a makeshift shelter set up by non-governmental organizations that once housed migrants daily sat empty on Tuesday, a sign of the quickly changing situation at the border. Nevertheless, members of the Border Vets say they are remaining vigilant, continuing to check in on known soft spots along the border in an attempt to keep the flow of illegal crossings at its current lows. “Secure the border, plain and simple,” a Navy veteran member of Border Vets explained when asked by Fox News Digital what motivated him to come out to the border on Tuesday. “This is the United States of America, and an open border policy that we’ve dealt with for the last four years has been nothing but a detriment to the country.”
Russian border states eye exit of landmine treaty to fortify defenses and deter Putin
Eastern European countries are eyeing an exit of the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines so they can place lethal underground bombs along their border to prevent Russia from invading, Fox News Digital has learned. Poland is expected to withdraw from the treaty, together with Lithuania and Estonia, multiple eastern European officials predicted. Latvia and Finland are considering the idea as well. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk asked the Ministry of Defense to initiate withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention “and possibly the Dublin Convention,” referring to both the treaty governing anti-personnel landmines and the use of cluster munitions. Pressure among the Baltic States, together with Poland and Finland, has swelled in recent months to stop adhering to the Canada-brokered treaty as a way to bolster defenses at a time when the U.S. has said it will not offer Ukraine security guarantees to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from once again invading and pushing west. RUSSIA HITS ZELENSKYY’S HOMETOWN AS UKRAINE SIGNALS IT’S READY FOR PEACE Lithuania pulled out of the treaty banning the use of cluster munitions recently, making it the first European Union nation to pull out of an international arms treaty. It’s now expected to pull out of Ottawa as well. Russia and Ukraine both use cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines in the current war. Lithuanian National Security Committee Chairman Giedrimas Jeglinskas said that the “threat assessment has changed dramatically” since his nation joined the convention in 2003. Jeglinskas, who has led the charge to leave the treaty in Lithuania, said the nation had wanted to withdraw from the treaty for a long time, given it shares a border with Russian vassal state Belarus, but needed the agreement from other border nations, so Russia could not just “go around” Belarus and through Poland or Latvia. “We hold that Latvians and Estonians will move in the same direction,” he said. Canada urged Eastern European states to remain in the treaty, but laid blame on Russia for their moves to withdraw. “Support for the convention and universal adherence remain a priority for Canada,” Global Affairs office spokesperson Brittany Fletcher told Fox News Digital. “These debates are taking place as a result of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s actions in the region are forcing states to act out of necessity, not by choice,” the office said. “While we understand the need to consider all options … such measures need to be balanced with the long-term impacts, including impacts on civilians.” RUSSIA PRESENTS US WITH DEMANDS THAT NEED TO BE MET BEFORE ENDING UKRAINE WAR: REPORT Finland, meanwhile, has asked for “a couple weeks more” to come to its own decision, according to the chairman. Estonia’s defense ministry said that its “military assessment has not changed” on the treaty. “At the same time, this is a wider political question, on which a decision has not been made in Estonia,” according to a defense ministry official. Latvia, meanwhile, has to consider the 1,700 Canadian troops stationed within its borders as part of the withdrawal. Finland began a report to assess the need and deterrent effect of anti-personnel land mines within its borders, which will be finalized in the spring and the Ministry of Defense will then make a recommendation to parliament on whether to leave, according to Finnish press counselor Riikka Hietajärvi. Two other European officials said behind the scenes Finnish, Estonian and Latvian officials expressed an openness to the idea of leaving the treaty. EUROPE STEPS UP TO FUND ITS OWN DEFENSE, PROVIDE SECURITY FOR UKRAINE AFTER TRUMP THREATS For Lithuania to withdraw, the president needs to notify his defense council and then propose the withdrawal to parliament, where it needs a 60% vote. Jeglinskas said he expects such a vote would pass without widespread dissent. “There might be some lone voices expressing their concern, but it should pass without issue.” As of now, 164 nations are party to the agreement. No EU country has ever left the Ottawa Treaty. The United Nations holds that the “number of casualties has sharply declined” since the agreement and 40 million stockpiled mines have been destroyed. Tusk acknowledged that this is “not a pleasant” decision but insisted that Poland must consider its current security needs. “Anything that can strengthen Poland’s defense will be implemented. We will use all available options,” he stated. The U.S. is not party to the treaty and in November the Biden administration began supplying Ukraine with anti-personnel mines. Critics of landmines argue that they are indiscriminate and can instantly kill and maim civilians who step into the wrong area. “No matter what decision we make – and I think this decision is very, very clearly going towards withdrawal – it’s still a difficult decision,” said Jeglinskas. “Just the situation … it just does not allow us the privilege to remain part of this coalition on anti-personnel mines, and it’s with a heavy heart, I would say that, that’s unfortunate, but that’s just the military reality.” The Russian military has the supreme edge against any of its border states on their own, necessitating lethal deterrence like land mines, according to Hudson defense analyst Can Kasapoğlu. “The Russian military has the upper hand over the Polish armed forces, and it has a gigantic, gigantic upper hand over the entire Baltic nations. So for these nations to keep being a part of the Ottawa treaty and and ditching the landmines, for the sake of some international image, it doesn’t make sense.” The anti-personnel mines would need to be combined with anti-tank mines and artillery and drones stationed along the border to effectively deter an enemy. “It forms a kill box that the Russians can’t evade.” He said that such mines have advanced to self-destruct after a set period of time so that the fallout does not last for generations like in wars past. The new movement comes as Europe has moved at a rapid-fire pace to account to take charge of its own defense since President Donald Trump took office and brought along his critiques of
Pete Buttigieg expected to make major announcement regarding his political future
Pete Buttigieg is expected to rule out a run for an open Democrat-held Senate seat in his adopted home state of Michigan, according to two sources familiar with his plans. And the likely move by the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, who served four years as Transportation secretary in the Biden administration, appears to clear the path for a potential 2028 White House bid by Buttigieg. The news regarding Buttigieg was first reported earlier on Thursday by Politico. BUTTIGIEG APPEARANCE ON THIS RADIO SHOW SPARKS MORE 2028 SPECULATION Buttigieg had been eyeing a possible Senate run for months. “I’ve been looking at it,”he said earlier this month as he pointed to the emerging race to succeed Sen. Gary Peters. The two-term Democrat announced in January that he won’t seek re-election in 2026. “I’m going to continue to work on the things that I care about,” Buttigieg said as he appeared on CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” “I have not decided what that means professionally, whether that means running for office soon or not. But I will make myself useful.” THESE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028 In a sign of just how seriously he had been contemplating a Senate campaign in the pivotal Great Lakes battleground state, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News that Buttigieg recently met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the longtime leader of the chamber’s Democrats. The 43-year-old Buttigieg, a former naval intelligence officer who deployed to the war in Afghanistan and who served eight years as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was a long-shot candidate when he launched his 2020 presidential campaign. But his campaign caught fire, and he narrowly edged Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to win the Iowa caucuses before coming in a close second to Sanders in the New Hampshire presidential primary. But Buttigieg, along with the rest of the Democratic field, dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden as the then-former vice president won the South Carolina primary in a landslide, swept the Super Tuesday contests and eventually clinched the nomination before winning the White House. But the millennial Democrat has maintained popularity within the Democratic Party as one of its younger stars. DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR’S TRIP TO THIS KEY STATE SPARKING 2028 SPECULATION Buttigieg in recent months has highlighted that he aims to stay involved. In a radio interview in December near the end of his tenure as transportation secretary, he said, “I will find ways to make myself useful, and maybe that’s running for office, and maybe that’s not. I’ll take the next few weeks and months to work through that.” That interview, on a news-talk program in New Hampshire – the state that has held the first-in-the-nation presidential primary for over a century – sparked some 2028 Buttigieg buzz. While Buttigieg enjoys strong name recognition and is a proven fundraiser, he could have faced carpetbagger attacks if he had run for Senate in Michigan. TOP POLITICAL HANDICAPPER REVEALS DEMOCRATS CHANCES OF WINNING BACK THE SENATE MAJORITY After his 2020 presidential campaign, Buttigieg and his spouse, Chasten, moved from red-state Indiana to neighboring Michigan, and have a home in Traverse City. Buttigieg wasn’t the only Democrat taking a hard look to succeed Peters. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, the majority whip in Lansing, is likely to launch a Democratic campaign. McMorrow grabbed national attention in 2022 after delivering a floor speech in the Michigan Senate that was seen as a model for countering GOP attacks. Among the other Democrats who’ve expressed interest in running are two-term Michigan Attorney General Dana Nesse and Congresswoman Haley Stevens. Meanwhile, former Rep. Mike Rogers announced at the end of January that he was “strongly considering” a second straight Republican run for the Senate in Michigan. ONLY ON FOX: SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE’S GUNNING FOR IN 2026 Fox News confirmed on Wednesday that Rogers is likely to announce his campaign in the coming weeks, and that he’s hiring veteran Republican strategist and 2024 Trump’s co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita as a senior advisor. Rogers won the 2024 GOP Senate nomination in Michigan but narrowly lost to Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democrats’ nominee, in last November’s election in the race to succeed longtime Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who retired. Slotkin, who vastly outspent Rogers, edged him by roughly 19,000 votes, or a third of a percentage point. Rogers is a former FBI special agent who later served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee during his tenure in Congress. While Rogers was the first Republican to publicly make a move toward launching a 2026 Senate campaign in Michigan, GOP sources told Fox News last month that others who may consider running are Rep. John James – who’s in his second term in the House and was the GOP Senate nominee in Michigan in 2018 and 2020 – and longtime Rep. Bill Huizenga. The Michigan Senate race is considered a “Toss Up” by top nonpartisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report. The Republicans currently control the Senate 53-47, after flipping four seats from blue to red in last November’s elections. The party in power – clearly the Republicans right now – traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. Nevertheless, an early read of the 2026 map indicates the GOP may be able to go on offense in some key states. Along with Michigan, Republicans will also be targeting battleground Georgia, where first-term Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is considered vulnerable. And in swing state New Hampshire, longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced on Thursday that she won’t seek re-election next year. The National Republican Senatorial Committee emphasized in a memo on Thursday that “the Granite State was already a great opportunity for Senate Republicans to expand the Majority, but yet another retirement vaults the seat into toss-up status, making it ripe for the taking in 2026.” The GOP is also eyeing blue-leaning Minnesota, where Democratic Sen. Tina Smith last month announced