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Former RNC chairman and ex-governor secure GOP and Democratic nominations respectively in contest that could determine Senate control

By Charles Creitz
Fox News

Published March 3, 2026 8:44pm EST

Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper have secured the Republican and Democratic nominations respectively to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Whatley, of Boone, and Cooper, of Nashville, were heavily favored to win their contests in a state that has been tough for Republicans at the gubernatorial level and for Democrats at the presidential level.

Cooper faced businessman Daryl Farrow and technology sector consultant Justin Dues — both prior candidates for U.S. House — along with Pastor Orrick Quick and several perennial candidates.

Republican Michael Whatley, left; Democrat Roy Cooper, right. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images; Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)(ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images; Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Whatley faced retired Navy JAG officer Don Brown, who previously ran for Congress against Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C. Another major GOP candidate was former Wake County school board candidate Michele Morrow.

Immigration has been a key issue in the race, as Whatley has hammered Cooper for repeatedly vetoing bills from Raleigh’s state legislative Republican majority that would have compelled local cooperation with ICE.

“If Roy Cooper had not vetoed legislation that would have forced sheriffs to honor the ICE detainers, then these people would not have been on the street,” Whatley said.

ICE, along with Tarheel State-native Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, captured at least 120 illegal immigrants in Charlotte and the Triangle during operations last year.

“It’s unfortunate that the Trump administration has to go into a city like Charlotte and help to clean up the city. It would be great if the state and the local officials were to be as concerned for their citizens as they were for the illegal immigration advocates that they’re pushing,” Whatley added at the time.

Cooper vetoed at least three bills during his eight-year tenure dealing with ICE cooperation that were drafted by the GOP-majority legislature.

SWING-STATE DEM IN CRUCIAL SENATE RACE FACING HEAT FOR WEEKS LONG SILENCE ON HEINOUS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME

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In August 2019, Cooper vetoed a bill from current House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Lenoir, that would have required sheriffs to honor ICE detainers and hold suspects until they could be transferred to the feds.

Cooper reportedly said the bill was trying to use “fear to divide North Carolina,” but the effort eventually succeeded as part of a package expanding private-school vouchers.

Cooper has pushed back, with a spokesman telling Fox News Digital that sheriffs in Wake, Mecklenburg and Durham counties all opposed Republicans’ legislation – and backed his own move to veto them. Eight other sheriffs backed Cooper’s veto.

“Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars, and numerous North Carolina sheriffs spoke out against this legislation at the time because of a lack of resources; a problem that Washington, D.C. insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley has made worse because of his support for cuts to local law enforcement,” the spokesman said.

The race sets up a high-stakes fall general election, where Whatley hopes to maintain Republicans’ grip on the seat, and a Cooper win could throw the Senate’s Republican majority into jeopardy.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) departs from a luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol Building on June 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Senate is expected to take up The Fiscal Responsibility Act, legislation negotiated between the White House and House Republicans to raise the debt ceiling until 2025 and avoid a federal default. The House passed the bill last night with a bipartisan vote of 314-117. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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The last time a Democrat held a North Carolina U.S. Senate seat was from 2009–2015 with Sen. Kay Hagan, whom Tillis eventually defeated.

Before that, scandal-plagued vice presidential candidate John Edwards split the state’s representation with Republican Elizabeth Dole, the wife of 1996 GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.

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President Donald Trump said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made “big progress” in embracing the Declaration of Independence during a meeting at the Oval Office, using the moment to spotlight what he described as a significant shift in tone.

“Zohran has come a long way embracing, of course, the Declaration of Independence while at The Oval Office – Big progress! President DJT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump included a photo of Mamdani standing in front of the Declaration of Independence.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.

The post comes less than a week after Mamdani visited President Donald Trump at the White House for a previously unscheduled meeting, where the two discussed immigration and housing issues affecting New York City.

Afterward, Mamdani wrote that Trump told him Columbia University student Elaina Aghayeva, who he said had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier that day, would be released.

“Just got off the phone with President Trump,” Mamdani wrote. “In our meeting earlier, I shared my concerns about Columbia student Elaina Aghayeva, who was detained by ICE this morning. He just informed me that she will be released imminently.”

MAMDANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAVE BEEN TEXTING AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK — AS UNLIKELY BROMANCE BLOSSOMS: SOURCES

Despite the public display of cordiality, Mamdani later criticized the U.S. military strikes on Iran that he said marked an escalation of conflict.

“Today’s military strikes on Iran – carried out by the United States and Israel – mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression,” Mamdani wrote. “Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war. Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change.”

TRUMP TELLS NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI COLUMBIA STUDENT DETAINED BY ICE WILL BE RELEASED

He added that Americans prefer “relief from the affordability crisis” and addressed members of New York City’s Iranian community directly.

“You are part of the fabric of this city – you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders,” Mamdani wrote. “You will be safe here.”

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The post drew criticism from conservatives on social media, who argued Mamdani’s response appeared sympathetic to Iran’s regime and noted his lack of public reaction to Iranian protesters killed in recent years.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

California Democratic chair tells gubernatorial candidates to ‘assess’ their campaigns

March 4, 2026 3:07 AM UTC / Reuters

A sign directing voters to the Beverly Hills City Hall voting center in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., October 30, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab]

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Reuters) – California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks on Tuesday told candidates seeking the party’s nomination for governor to “honestly assess the viability of ​their candidacy and campaign,” citing worries that too large a field could hand ‌the state’s top office to a Republican.

Under California law, the two candidates who get the most votes in the state’s open primary, regardless of party, would advance to the general ​election. This means if two Republicans were to receive the most votes ​in the state’s June 2 primary, there would be no ⁠Democrats on the ballot in November in the heavily Democratic state.

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“Despite the ongoing ​chatter, the likelihood of two Republicans effectively ‘locking out’ California Democrats from the contest for ​Governor in the General Election is relatively low,” Hicks wrote in an open letter to the party’s gubernatorial candidates.

“However, while it is implausible, it is not impossible and I know ​we are collectively committed to taking the steps required to avoid that possibility.”

The ​state adopted an open primary system in 2012. Since then both Republicans and Democrats have been ‌represented ⁠on general election ballots, though Democrats have won all races since 2011.

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Gavin Newsom, who is considered a likely contender for the 2028 U.S. presidential election, is serving in his second term as California’s governor. State law prohibits a person from ​serving more than ​two terms as ⁠governor.

More than a dozen Democrats, including former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and California Democratic Party Vice Chair ​Betty Yee, have already declared their candidacy to represent the ​party in ⁠the gubernatorial race.

Fewer than a dozen Republicans have declared in the race.

The state’s Democratic party has chosen not to endorse any of the candidates amid concerns about the ⁠impact ​of a crowded candidate field, Hicks said.

For this ​reason, Hicks said, candidates should assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign ahead of this Friday’s ​filing deadline.

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伊媒：革命卫队导弹“重击”美国驱逐舰油轮

发布/2026年3月4日 11:23

美国中央司令部发布的照片显示，美军驱逐舰“托马斯·胡德纳”号（DDG 116）于3月1日发射一枚战斧陆攻导弹，支援“史诗狂怒行动”。 （法新社）

伊朗媒体星期三（3月4日）报道，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队发布第19号公告说，伊朗动用“卡德尔-380”等型号导弹打击并击中美国驱逐舰。

伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队公告说，一艘美国油轮在印度洋距离伊朗海岸600多公里处给一艘美国驱逐舰加油时，遭伊斯兰革命卫队导弹“重击”，驱逐舰和油轮“甲板上燃起大火”。

2025年2月，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军公布一处地下导弹设施，卡德尔-380导弹（Qadr-380，也译作Ghadr-380）首次亮相。伊斯兰革命卫队说，这枚导弹射程超过1000公里并具备抗干扰能力。

美伊冲突若拖到4月 台经济部长：燃煤发电是最后手段

发布时间 / 来源：2026年3月4日 11:26 / 联合早报

美伊冲突威胁台湾的能源供给，台湾经济部长龚明鑫说，全面开启燃煤发电是最后手段。

据台湾《上报》报道，台立法院星期二（3月3日）邀行政院长卓荣泰率部会首长就台美关税谈判成果提出专案报告并备询。

国民党立委林沛祥说，台湾约25%的液化天然气从卡塔尔进口，关切中东战事是否冲击供电。

龚明鑫回答，3月上半月天然气已通过霍尔木兹海峡，下半月也从其他市场完成调度，因此3月供应无虞；同时已提前规划4月调货，因应战事可能延续。

对于是否会限电，龚明鑫强调“绝对不会”，称天然气主要用于发电，若出现缺口，仍有非天然气备用机组可随时支援，至于电价是否调涨，仍须由电价审议会决定，全面启动煤炭发电则为最后手段。

尚达曼访法马克龙设宴款待 双方重申新法合作关系

2026年3月4日 11:26 / 联合早报

尚达曼总统星期二（3月3日）受邀出席法国总统马克龙，在巴黎爱丽舍宫为他设的晚宴。

晚宴上，尚达曼与马克龙重申新加坡与法国之间多方面且实质的合作关系。双方也就区域及全球局势交换意见。

尚达曼此行是前往意大利进行工作访问，途中经停巴黎，并与马克龙会面。

尚达曼星期三（4日）会在罗马，主持世界银行集团就业问题高级别咨询委员会会议，并在意大利政府与世行集团联合主办的就业与经济发展高级别研讨会上发表开幕演讲。

尚达曼是世行集团就业问题高级别咨询委员会的联合主席。

尚达曼星期四（5日）则会同罗马天主教教宗良十四世，及教廷国务卿、枢机主教帕罗林（Pietro Parolin）会面。陪同出访的包括外交部、贸工部及总统办公室官员。

阿里千问技术负责人林俊旸称自己将卸任

2026年3月4日 11:40 / 联合早报

阿里巴巴千问大模型技术负责人林俊旸3月3日称自己将卸任。 （路透社）

阿里巴巴千问大模型技术负责人林俊旸称自己将卸任。

林俊旸星期二（3月3日）夜间在X平台发文称“我将卸任，再见我亲爱的千问”（me stepping down. bye my beloved qwen.）

据第一财经报道，作为阿里千问大模型的技术核心人物，林俊旸或将离开千问团队，目前尚不知他是否会离开阿里巴巴。

公开资料显示，林俊旸今年32岁，是阿里最年轻的P10级技术负责人，也是通义千问的核心推动者。他本科就读北京大学计算机科学专业，硕士阶段在北京大学外国语学院学习语言学与应用语言学，研究领域涵盖自然语言处理与多模态表示学习。

陈之财申请出国获批 保释金增至2万5000元

发布时间 / 来源：2026年3月4日 11:54 / 联合早报

[姚可嘉]

前艺人陈之财向法庭申请在保释期间到中国公干以及为个人行程到日本。法庭批准申请，将保释金增加至2万5000元。

现年64岁的陈之财因驾车时未注意路况，导致电单车骑士重伤，今年1月在国家法院承认一项控状后，被判入狱五天，以及吊销各级驾照五年。他在2月针对刑罚提出上诉，目前保释在外等候上诉案审理。

陈之财的案件星期三（3月4日）在国家法院过堂，他向法庭提出在保释期间出国的申请。

律师在庭上代陈之财申请在3月17日至26日间到中国公干，以及在4月15日至5月3日期间为私人事宜到日本。

陈之财早前提出上诉后，获法庭批准暂缓服刑，保释金提高至1万5000元。鉴于陈之财提出出国的申请，控方要求额外增加1万元的保释金。其他条件包括担保人不能与陈之财同行、在国外期间必须与调查人员保持联系，以及在回国后的24小时内上交护照等。

法官批准陈之财的申请和控方要求的保释条件。

陈之财前往日本相信是为了出席儿子陈熙的婚礼。据早前报道，陈熙在2024年5月求婚成功，在2025年7月14日与日籍妻子Mami正式结为夫妻。他接受媒体访问时透露，今年将在日本举行婚礼。

陈之财在案件下判后，重新委任律师提出上诉，新代表律师为Contigo Law的王凯民和周迪顺。

陈之财涉及的车祸发生在去年3月4日中午约12时零9分，地点是亚逸拉惹快速公路（AYE）往中央快速公路（CTE）方向的路段，伤者是一名21岁男骑士。

陈之财在分叉路发现走错车道后，将车速减慢至几乎停止。就在他要转换车道时，从后方骑电单车过来的伤者来不及闪避，撞上陈之财的车。

事后，陈之财停车协助伤者，伤者随后送院治疗，右手及手腕骨折，动手术两天后出院，请了99天住院假，没有留下永久伤势。

韩元兑美元汇率一度跌破1500 为金融危机以来首次

发布/2026年3月4日 11:38

分析认为，美以空袭伊朗风险恐波及整个中东地区，美元急剧升值，导致韩元汇率在交易量相对较少的夜间交易时段短线下挫。 （彭博社）

美国和以色列联手空袭伊朗导致美元强势升值，韩元对美元汇率在夜盘交易中一度跌破1500韩元（约1.30新元）关口，为自2009年全球金融危机以来的首次。

韩联社报道，在首尔外汇市场，截至星期三（3月4日）凌晨2时（新加坡时间凌晨1时），韩元对美元汇率夜盘收报1485.7韩元，较日间收盘价下跌19.6韩元。3日下午3时30分收盘时，韩元对美元汇率报1466.1韩元，较前一交易日大跌26.4韩元。进入夜盘后，韩元对美元汇率跌幅持续扩大，于4日零时05分许失守1500关口，一度触及1506韩元，之后回升至1480关口。

自全球金融危机爆发后的2009年3月以来，韩元对美元汇率首次跌破1500关口。分析认为，在美国和以色列对伊朗发动空袭后，战争风险恐波及整个中东地区的背景下，美元急剧升值，导致韩元汇率在交易量相对较少的夜间交易时段短线下挫。加上伊朗宣布将封锁霍尔木兹海峡，国际油价强势上涨，恐对作为原油进口国的韩国经济造成负担，这也对韩元走软产生一定影响。

Noem and Senate Dems sparred for hours Tuesday in an action-packed DHS oversight hearing; here’s what you missed

By Breanne Deppisch | Fox News
Published March 3, 2026 7:16pm EST

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem sparred with Senate Judiciary Committee lawmakers Tuesday over ICE actions, court orders and more as the agency’s partial shutdown neared the one-month mark.

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sparred with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown, a long-awaited hearing after the agency has come under scrutiny in recent months for its hard-line immigration enforcement effort and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January.

The department’s handling of the Minnesota unrest has placed Noem and ICE officers squarely in Democrats’ crosshairs in recent weeks and has prompted Democrats — and two Senate Republicans — to call for Noem to resign.

The hours-long hearing comes as the Senate remains deadlocked on a plan to fully fund DHS through September. Democrats in the chamber previously outlined a list of 10 demands they said immigration officers must meet before they would agree to pass the short-term funding measures.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and others have criticized Noem for asking them to fully fund DHS despite the weeks that passed between the two ICE shootings in Minnesota and Noem’s testimony. She “expects us to rubber stamp her record-breaking budget in the meantime,” Durbin said previously.

Republicans and Noem used the hearing Tuesday to warn of the knockdown effects the partial shutdown has had on the myriad federal departments and agencies housed under DHS’s sprawling umbrella, including the Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard, among others.

Here are the biggest moments from Tuesday’s hearing.

[image_1]

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing.(Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)

‘Reckless’ and ‘unnecessary’: Noem blasts Senate Dems for DHS shutdown

Noem focused her ire during Tuesday’s hearing on Senate Democrats, whom she blamed for failing to keep DHS funded through September even after the House passed a bipartisan, full-year funding bill.

“Despite the House passing a bipartisan, bicameral, full-year DHS funding bill, it is Senate Democrats who have chosen not to fund the department and have held this department hostage,” Noem said Tuesday, mentioning critical national security efforts that could be hampered as the result of a protracted shutdown, including, but not limited to, issues of border security, immigration enforcement, aviation security, disaster response, cybersecurity and the protection of critical infrastructure.

She also cited the effect the agency-wide shutdown has on DHS employees in about 22 federal departments and agencies within DHS.

“More than 100,000 dedicated DHS employees are once again being asked to work without pay for the third time in just five months at a time when we produced the most secure border in history and removed nearly 3 million illegal aliens from our country,” she said.

“Disrupting the department responsible for those gains is indefensible.”

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[image_2]

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington Sept. 16, 2025(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Durbin, Noem spar over criminal statistics, removals

Earlier Tuesday, Durbin pressed Noem to explain what he said was DHS’s lack of compliance with federal court orders that have sought to block or pause some of the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement efforts and removals.

“Sir, we ensure that we follow the law that applies to our department, and who we detain and who we deport back to their home countries,” Noem told Durbin.

Durbin followed up by referencing a statistic from Trump’s first term that found 85% of the migrants ICE arrested”had no violent criminal record.”

“Sir, when you talk about violent crimes, what you’re saying is the crimes that don’t matter, that you aren’t counting, are the ones that affect American families every single day,” Noem responded. “You’re not counting DUIs. You’re not counting embezzlement. You’re not counting theft. And you’re not counting the other crimes against people and drug trafficking and proliferating that.

“_ If you were counting crimes that these individual illegal aliens in this country have committed, it would be well over 65% to 70% of the individuals that are detained today have those crimes on their record,” Noem said. “Besides the crime of being in this country illegally.”

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[image_3]

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is recognized as President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House April 2 in Washington.(AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

Noem: DHS has no plans to deploy ICE officers to polling sites on Election Day

In one notable moment, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., pressed Noem on whether DHS planned to deploy ICE officers to polling sites on Election Day, echoing a view recently endorsed by former Trump advisor Steve Bannon.

Asked whether she would rule out deploying ICE or CBP agents to polling places during the upcoming November midterm elections, Noem responded that there are “no plans to have ICE officers at our polling locations.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Coons responded. “But would you rule it out? Would you say it will not happen?”

In response, Noem shot back, “Do you plan on illegal aliens voting in our elections?”

That moment earned wide praise from conservative commentators on social media.

[image_4]

Anti-ICE protesters gathered in Minnesota Feb. 7, 2026.(AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Noem says Biden administration ‘paid’ for children to be trafficked to US

Noem also updated Grassley on the status of HHS’s Unaccompanied Children (UC) program, which, under the Biden administration, placed more than 11,000 migrant children with non-vetted sponsors to house the children who were not a parent or legal guardian, according to information shared by his office. Grassley’s office previously submitted multiple oversight requests to DHS on the program, citing concerns that it placed children with dangerous or unvetted sponsors and restricted sharing information with law enforcement.

Grassley and the Trump-led DHS have alleged that the Biden administration turned a “blind eye” to children who needed proper supervision and care and cited concerns over background check failures, a lack of documentation in some cases and lax vetting procedures that allowed migrant children in the program to be “lost” or otherwise released to dangerous sponsors.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General released a report on the programlast year, and Noem appeared to reference it during her testimony Tuesday.

Noem told lawmakers Tuesday that 450,000 children who entered the U.S. as “unaccompanied alien children” were “lost by the Biden administration and not tracked.”

“We’ve located about 145,000 of them, and we’ve done that through the investigative work of our Homeland Security Investigations team,” Noem said.

“The one thing that has been challenging is that, under the Biden administration, the government paid sponsors in HHS in order to host these children and those sponsors. Many times, we found instances where they trafficked these children themselves,” Noem continued.

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“So, under that administration, we not only had children that were in this country as a part of a program, the government was paying individuals that were knowingly trafficking them and abusing them,” Noem said. “That has stopped. We have gone through and found these children and put them back with their families when we have the opportunity to do so and with loved ones that will care for them.”

Related Article

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‘You should be ashamed!’: Protester dragged from Kristi Noem’s Senate hearing

Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI and other national news. She previously covered national politics at the Washington Examiner and The Washington Post, with additional bylines in Politico Magazine, the Colorado Gazette and others. You can send tips to Breanne at Breanne.Deppisch@fox.com, or follow her on X at @breanne_dep.