社媒照片显示，新西兰首都惠灵顿机场星期五（6月12日）发生火灾并冒出浓烟，导致人员疏散和航班改道，目前暂无人员伤亡。 （路透社）

新西兰首都惠灵顿机场发生火灾，导致人员疏散和航班改道。

据新西兰消防和紧急事务部门发言人星期五（6月12日）发布的消息说，消防人员正与机场消防队一同赶赴现场灭火。

路透社引述发言人称，现场有五辆消防车、两辆云梯车和一个指挥中心，但目前尚不清楚起火原因。

惠灵顿机场发布的声明说，西南候机楼和主航站楼已疏散，目前尚未收到人员伤亡报告。

声明还说：“飞往惠灵顿的航班已暂时改道，建议乘客与航空公司联系，了解具体航班信息。”

乌克兰第65独立机械化旅士兵星期四（6月11日）在扎波罗热前线附近参加军事训练。当天俄乌战争迈入第1569天，持续时间已超过第一次世界大战。 （路透社）

（华盛顿／莫斯科综合电）俄乌战争星期四（6月11日）迈入第1569天，持续时间已超过第一次世界大战的四年三个月。

《纽约时报》报道，俄罗斯总统普京2022年2月下令挥军乌克兰时，原本预期乌克兰会在数天内沦陷。然而，乌军随后击退俄军攻势，战局逐渐演变为旷日持久的消耗战。

最新民调显示，约半数乌克兰人认为战火至少会持续到明年。这也意味着，此战役可能进一步逼近持续六年的第二次世界大战。

乌克兰历史学家赫里察克指出，俄乌战争或与一战一样，成为现代欧洲历史上最具影响力的冲突之一。两场战争都重塑欧洲军事联盟格局，推动数十年来少见的军备扩张，并深刻改变欧洲地缘政治版图。

前法国上校、军事史学家戈亚说：“在许多方面，乌克兰战争是最接近第一次世界大战的一场战争。”

军事分析人士指出，俄乌战争与一战有不少相似之处。1914年，德军企图迅速攻占巴黎；2022年，俄军则一路推进到基辅近郊。两者都想速战速决，却最终陷入长期僵持。随着前线久拖不决，双方转而依靠战壕、防御工事和炮火打消耗战，一些历史学家形容，这是“一战式战壕战”的再现。

不过，无人机的大量投入也打破了传统的战壕战模式。开放式战壕、大规模步兵冲锋和坦克集群行动，如今更容易被侦察和精确打击，战场正逐步演变为以小型掩体、单兵作战和全天候无人机监控为特征的新型作战环境。

专家认为，尽管作战方式已发生变化，乌克兰战场的消耗程度和致命性仍可与一战相比。

英法德驻俄大使罕见集体施压莫斯科

在战事持续胶着之际，英国、法国和德国驻俄罗斯大使星期四罕见前往俄外交部，与俄副外长加卢津会晤，敦促莫斯科与基辅展开直接对话。俄方则指责三国政府奉行“破坏性”的乌克兰政策，试图以欧洲利益为代价延续对俄战争。

美国参议院军事委员会同日通过2027财年《国防授权法案》（NDAA）草案，建议将对乌克兰安全援助授权金额提高至7亿5000万美元，并继续向基辅提供情报支持。草案也规定，不得动用相关资金承认俄罗斯对乌克兰国际公认领土拥有主权。

这是美国国会针对特朗普政府缩减援乌政策所采取的最新反制举措。不过，草案距离正式成为法律仍有多道程序，须分别经参众两院表决、协调版本，并送交总统签署或否决。

Iran-linked group claims hack of FBI drones, threatens World Cup, monitor says

June 12, 2026 7:38 AM EDT / AFP

An Iran-linked hacker group claims to have breached FBI drones and has threatened to target the World Cup that kicked off on Thursday, a monitoring group said Friday.

The SITE Intelligence Group, an organization that monitors jihadist groups, published a statement from Handala saying they’ve had access “for months” to “every image and every suspect” captured by first-person view (FPV) drones used by the FBI.

The hackers said the drones featured facial recognition and license plate screening deployed for counterterrorism.

“Better tighten your World Cup security, we don’t like some of those teams at all. Don’t forget: FPVs are everywhere; you never know when one might end up right in your team’s bus,” Handala said in the statement quoted by SITE.

The FBI is deploying drones around World Cup stadiums to protect against unauthorized aircraft.

Drone flights will be banned over U.S. stadiums hosting matches, as well as over fan events related to the tournament.

The Justice Department has previously warned of the potential for cyberattacks by Iranian actors following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February that triggered the Middle East War.

Handala published photos and footage that it said were taken from the hacked drones, but SITE disputed that claim.

One video of the supposed hack was in fact produced by a software platform in December 2024 to promote a U.S. police department’s use of its technology for surveying tornado damage, SITE said.

Handala claimed in March to have hacked the email account of FBI Director Kash Patel and published personal photos and other material online.

The State Department has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification of members of the group.

俄乌战争时长超越一战 专家：已成欧洲转折性冲突

2026年6月12日 18:18 / 联合早报

乌克兰第65独立机械化旅士兵星期四（6月11日）在扎波罗热前线附近参加军事训练。当天俄乌战争迈入第1569天，持续时间已超过第一次世界大战。 （路透社）

（华盛顿／莫斯科综合电）俄乌战争星期四（6月11日）迈入第1569天，持续时间已超过第一次世界大战的四年三个月。

《纽约时报》报道，俄罗斯总统普京2022年2月下令挥军乌克兰时，原本预期乌克兰会在数天内沦陷。然而，乌军随后击退俄军攻势，战局逐渐演变为旷日持久的消耗战。

最新民调显示，约半数乌克兰人认为战火至少会持续到明年。这也意味着，此战役可能进一步逼近持续六年的第二次世界大战。

乌克兰历史学家赫里察克指出，俄乌战争或与一战一样，成为现代欧洲历史上最具影响力的冲突之一。两场战争都重塑欧洲军事联盟格局，推动数十年来少见的军备扩张，并深刻改变欧洲地缘政治版图。

前法国上校、军事史学家戈亚说：“在许多方面，乌克兰战争是最接近第一次世界大战的一场战争。”

军事分析人士指出，俄乌战争与一战有不少相似之处。1914年，德军企图迅速攻占巴黎；2022年，俄军则一路推进到基辅近郊。两者都想速战速决，却最终陷入长期僵持。随着前线久拖不决，双方转而依靠战壕、防御工事和炮火打消耗战，一些历史学家形容，这是“一战式战壕战”的再现。

不过，无人机的大量投入也打破了传统的战壕战模式。开放式战壕、大规模步兵冲锋和坦克集群行动，如今更容易被侦察和精确打击，战场正逐步演变为以小型掩体、单兵作战和全天候无人机监控为特征的新型作战环境。

专家认为，尽管作战方式已发生变化，乌克兰战场的消耗程度和致命性仍可与一战相比。

英法德驻俄大使罕见集体施压莫斯科

在战事持续胶着之际，英国、法国和德国驻俄罗斯大使星期四罕见前往俄外交部，与俄副外长加卢津会晤，敦促莫斯科与基辅展开直接对话。俄方则指责三国政府奉行“破坏性”的乌克兰政策，试图以欧洲利益为代价延续对俄战争。

美国参议院军事委员会同日通过2027财年《国防授权法案》（NDAA）草案，建议将对乌克兰安全援助授权金额提高至7亿5000万美元，并继续向基辅提供情报支持。草案也规定，不得动用相关资金承认俄罗斯对乌克兰国际公认领土拥有主权。

这是美国国会针对特朗普政府缩减援乌政策所采取的最新反制举措。不过，草案距离正式成为法律仍有多道程序，须分别经参众两院表决、协调版本，并送交总统签署或否决。

Trump’s allies have another way to pay ‘weaponization’ victims

2026-06-12T10:02:16.835Z / Reuters

WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) – While the Justice Department has said it has abandoned plans for President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion “weaponization” fund, some of his allies are shifting focus to a different way to make payouts to his supporters, including those who took part in the January 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol.

The most viable path, according to Trump allies and legal experts, may involve compensating these loyalists under a 1946 law called the Federal ​Tort Claims Act. That measure lets people file administrative claims – and subsequent lawsuits – against the U.S. government for alleged wrongdoing, which can then be settled out of court.

“At my level, the fund is dead,” Stanley Woodward, the third-ranking official at the ‌Justice Department, said in an interview. “If somebody wants to submit a claim against the government and sue us, they can still do that.”

The Republican president repeatedly has expressed support for federal payouts to supporters who he has portrayed as being targeted by a “weaponized” U.S. government under his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden.

But the “anti-weaponization” fund, crafted as part of a legal settlement between Trump and the Justice Department to resolve his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over allegedly mishandling his tax records, was put on hold amid fierce opposition from Republicans in Congress. Trump critics derided it as a slush fund to reward supporters with taxpayer money.

Hundreds of people who were prosecuted after taking part in the Capitol attack, ​which was a failed bid by Trump supporters to prevent Congress from certifying his 2020 election loss to Biden, already have filed claims, and at least 10 have sued the government for damages – so far with little response.

The strategy has long been in the works. ​Conservative lawyers debated the plan during a previously unreported strategy session at the 2024 Republican National Convention, according to longtime Trump ally Michael Caputo, who attended the meeting.

Other payout options are still being explored, according to ⁠Caputo, who helped lead “anti-weaponization” efforts in Trump’s 2024 election campaign and filed the first known claim under the now-abandoned “weaponization” fund.

“I’ve heard no indication that they’ve slowed down on trying to get victims paid,” Caputo said, adding that administration officials have told him to “watch this space.”

Caputo, who served as a ​Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson during Trump’s first term, asked Blanche for $2.7 million in “restitution” over investigations by the Biden administration and former special counsel Robert Mueller.

“It’s the most logistically feasible method,” said Patrick Jaicomo, a senior attorney at the libertarian legal group Institute for Justice who specializes in ​Federal Tort Claims Act cases. “The government would have a lot of flexibility.”

Trump’s repeated support for compensating supporters he paints as victims of “weaponization” has raised the question of what avenue he may now pursue to make such payments.

Asked if there are alternative plans to provide such compensation, the White House pointed to previous comments by Trump and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that the weaponization fund would not go forward.

“We have no additional announcements at this time and any speculation about potential future actions is just that – speculation,” a White House official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “President Trump remains committed to addressing Biden-era weaponization.”

A Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said ​there is no effort to encourage people to submit these claims.

‘PEOPLE SHOULD BE COMPENSATED’

Trump has accused the Biden administration and other political opponents of improperly using law enforcement, intelligence and regulatory agencies to target him and his allies. Critics have said these efforts were legally justified by actual or ​suspected wrongdoing by Trump and others.

Trump, for instance, gave executive clemency to his supporters who were prosecuted for their roles in the January 6 riot.

“The people were destroyed by dirty cops and by weaponization,” Trump said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program aired on Sunday. “Many of those people should be compensated.”

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in ‌a social media ⁠post backed the idea of pursuing payouts through the Federal Tort Claims Act, prompting the Justice Department’s Woodward to respond with what looked like an endorsement in a since-deleted post.

“We’re working on it,” Woodward wrote.

Woodward later told Reuters he was trying to send a message that people who believe they were victims of government abuse continue to have a path for compensation even without the $1.8 billion fund.

FROM FRINGE IDEA TO MAINSTREAM

Financially compensating Trump allies has moved from the political fringe closer to mainstream Republican strategy.

Caputo said he was involved in conversations about finding ways to pay victims of “weaponization” dating back to October 2023.

In 1956, Congress created a permanent Judgment Fund for paying settlements of lawsuits against the federal government.

Caputo said that allies of the president and conservative lawyers discussed using this fund for payouts under the Federal Tort Claims Act “ad nauseam” during the 2024 Republican National Convention. Attendees at these discussions opposed ​paying violent felons, including those who assaulted police officers, according to Caputo.

The ​attendees viewed the Judgment Fund as a “limitless” pot of money that ⁠would avoid the political hurdles of creating a new administrative fund, Caputo said, though they acknowledged these payouts could be controversial.

Some high-profile Trump allies already have received payouts under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Michael Flynn, who briefly served as Trump’s national security adviser during his first term, received a $1.25 million settlement under the statute.

Attorney Peter Ticktin said his office is representing more than 400 people who took part in the Capitol riot who have ​submitted Federal Tort Claims Act claims. Ticktin said he hopes the government will settle the cases before they go to court, but has not been told of any plans to do so.

“We’re asking for ​restitution in the millions of dollars,” Ticktin said, ⁠adding that he trusts that Trump and the Justice Department will ensure that his clients get paid.

‘A TRAVESTY’

The administrative process for a Federal Tort Claims Act claim begins when a person files a form, known as an SF-95, alleging government wrongdoing and demanding damages.

Claims typically must be filed within two years of the incident, but January 6 defendants are arguing that the alleged wrongdoing against them constitutes ongoing harm. It remains unclear how courts or the Justice Department will treat that interpretation.

If the government agrees to the amount requested, officials can authorize payment before a judge is assigned, Jaicomo said, meaning no judge would review the ⁠payment.

If the government ​does not settle, claimants can file a lawsuit, at which point a judge would begin overseeing the case. Ticktin has already filed 10 lawsuits and said he plans to file ​hundreds more.

Rupa Bhattacharyya, a former Justice Department official who oversaw the compensation fund for victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, said department attorneys typically settle only when they face a high risk of losing at trial, though they retain broad discretion on settlements including in January 6 cases.

“That would be a travesty because these are very ​defensible lawsuits,” said Bhattacharyya, who served under presidents of both parties. “It would violate the purpose and spirit of the judgment fund – but it is unlikely it would violate the text of the law.”

Reporting by Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff. Editing by Michael Learmonth and Will Dunham

报道说，希利（左）和卡恩斯的辞职对英国首相斯塔默而言，无疑又是一次打击。 （法新社 / 路透社）

（伦敦综合电）因不满政府的国防投资计划资金方案，英国防长希利和负责武装部队事务的国务部长卡恩斯星期四（6月11日）相继宣布辞职，为正面临下台呼声而处境艰难的首相斯塔默带来更大压力。

希利警告，规划未来10年国防资金的《国防投资计划》，可能会导致英国安全状况恶化。

他在致斯塔默的辞职信中写道：“在当前威胁日益加剧的情况下，您无力，财政部也不愿投入保卫国家所需的资源……我已经向您解释过，如果国防投资协议不能为我们的军队提供所需资源，我无法接受。现在我别无选择，只能递交辞呈。”

斯塔默过后任命前陆军军官贾维斯（Dan Jarvis）为新任防长。斯塔默说，他的首要职责是确保英国人民的安全，而工党政府正在推动自冷战以来最大规模的国防支出持续增长。

前陆军军官贾维斯接替希利，出任英国新国防部长。（路透社）

斯塔默至今仍未公布国防投资计划的详情，但他承诺，从明年起将国防开支提高到国内生产总值（GDP）的2.5%，若工党赢得预计2029年举行的下届大选，则会进一步提升至3%，并在2035年达到3.5%。

不过希利在辞职信中称，他星期一首次看到完整的计划草案，内容显示2030年的国防支出仅提升至GDP的2.68%，“远低于当前危险时期国防和国家所需水平”。

希利和卡恩斯的辞职对斯塔默而言，无疑又是一次打击。

卫生部长斯特里廷上月辞职，并打算竞选工党党魁，取代斯塔默的位子。大曼彻斯特市长伯纳姆也在寻求通过下议院议员补选重返国会，以便向斯塔默发起挑战。

Taylor Swift is youngest woman inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame, at 36

June 12, 2026 6:43 AM EDT / AP

New York — Taylor Swift became the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday night. She’s 36.

“It was instinctual. No one taught me how to do it,” she said of songwriting through a raspy voice she attributed to screaming along to the night’s performances and Wednesday night’s historic NBA game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

She told the room about her family uprooting their lives to move her from Pennsylvania to Nashville as a tween.

“I will never be able to express my gratitude,” the singer-songwriter said while holding back tears – crediting their sacrifice for her career.

She offered young songwriters advice: “You really have to prioritize what you love, down to your very core. Because you’ll need that.”

Taylor Swift at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 55th Annual Induction and Awards Gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 11, 2026 in New York City. Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

Steven Spielberg introduced Swift with a surprise speech about the power of songwriting. “There is something undeniable about how songs imprint on our souls,” he said, before changing his focus to Swift. “Somehow Taylor knows us all too well.”

Swift started her speech by acknowledging Spielberg. “Because of examples like Steven’s, I trusted my imagination,” she said.

The Gen Z singer Sombr launched Swift’s segment by performing “Cardigan” and “Dear John” in front of her.

Swift has brought new eyes to this year’s ceremony and undeniably shaped contemporary pop music trends with her songwriting. Swift is the youngest woman inducted, but Stevie Wonder, who started his recording career at 13, was the youngest ever inducted, it was announced on stage.

It was a notable moment in an evening full of them: Swift, Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, Alanis Morissette, Kenny Loggins and more were honored.

Numerous others in the night’s spotlight

Tamar Braxton opened the gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City with a spirted tribute to a new inductee – the game-changing R&B songwriter, producer and rapper Christopher “Tricky” Stewart – with one of the biggest songs he’s known for: Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.”

He’s also responsible for singer-songwriter Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”

Dallas Austin, a songwriter and producer known for work with Boyz ll Men and Madonna, introduced Stewart. “Think about that catalog,” he said, listing off those zeitgeist-shifting records. “Those are cultural moments.”

Stewart thanked God, his family, artists he’s worked with and mentors – giving a special shout out to Grammy award-winning music producer Antonio “L.A.” Reid and the iconic singer-songwriter Babyface. “I wanted to be like L.A. and Baby,” he reflected.

Kiss founders Simmons and Stanley – two and a half years after the band’s farewell – were also recognized for their glam rock classics “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “I Love It Loud.” The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan covered the former, a fittingly fiery introduction for the band. He was joined by Goo Goo Dolls’ frontman John Rzeznik for the latter.

Simmons wasn’t present; Stanley said that he had a family emergency.

“Songs are the messenger,” he said – the foundation of “every show.”

Soft rock legend Kenny Loggins (“Footloose,” “Danny’s Song”) and the alt-rock icon Morissette were also inducted.

For the latter, Brandi Carlile performed “Uninvited” alongside SistaStrings, before introducing Morissette.

“Writing to me is not a hobby,” Morissette said, it’s critical. “It’s write or die.” Then she performed “Mary Jane” and “You Oughta Know” from her 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill.”

For Loggins, Gavin DeGraw performed “Danny’s Song,” before Loggins told the story behind the tune in his acceptance speech.

Taylor Dayne and Madison Cunningham performed Tina Turner classics written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle in honor of their induction; John Fogerty was honored with the Johnny Mercer Award.

“I got my songs back!” Fogerty said, ending a nearly 30-minute speech, referencing the fact that he won the rights back to his catalog at age 80. Then he ran through a medley of his hits: “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son,” and “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” among them.

The songwriter Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”) was also recognized, a segment that began with an introduction by actor Jeremy Renner and included a monster medley of his biggest songs by R&B singer Sheléa, kicking off with his Christmas classic six months early.

“I wanted to be The Beatles,” he said of falling in love with songwriting in his speech. “Sixty years later, I got to produce Paul McCartney.”

British singer-songwriter RAYE received the prestigious Hal David Starlight Award. She ended her speech by stating that songwriters deserve a cut of master royalties.

Last year’s inductees included George Clinton, The Doobie Brothers, Ashley Gorley, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, The Beach Boys’ Mike Love and Tony Macaulay.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

Some already in the hall include Gloria Estefan, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and Phil Collins.

报道说，希利（左）和卡恩斯的辞职对英国首相斯塔默而言，无疑又是一次打击。 （法新社 / 路透社）

（伦敦综合电）因不满政府的国防投资计划资金方案，英国防长希利和负责武装部队事务的国务部长卡恩斯星期四（6月11日）相继宣布辞职，为正面临下台呼声而处境艰难的首相斯塔默带来更大压力。

希利警告，规划未来10年国防资金的《国防投资计划》，可能会导致英国安全状况恶化。

他在致斯塔默的辞职信中写道：“在当前威胁日益加剧的情况下，您无力，财政部也不愿投入保卫国家所需的资源……我已经向您解释过，如果国防投资协议不能为我们的军队提供所需资源，我无法接受。现在我别无选择，只能递交辞呈。”

斯塔默过后任命前陆军军官贾维斯（Dan Jarvis）为新任防长。斯塔默说，他的首要职责是确保英国人民的安全，而工党政府正在推动自冷战以来最大规模的国防支出持续增长。

前陆军军官贾维斯接替希利，出任英国新国防部长。（路透社）

斯塔默至今仍未公布国防投资计划的详情，但他承诺，从明年起将国防开支提高到国内生产总值（GDP）的2.5%，若工党赢得预计2029年举行的下届大选，则会进一步提升至3%，并在2035年达到3.5%。

不过希利在辞职信中称，他星期一首次看到完整的计划草案，内容显示2030年的国防支出仅提升至GDP的2.68%，“远低于当前危险时期国防和国家所需水平”。

希利和卡恩斯的辞职对斯塔默而言，无疑又是一次打击。

卫生部长斯特里廷上月辞职，并打算竞选工党党魁，取代斯塔默的位子。大曼彻斯特市长伯纳姆也在寻求通过下议院议员补选重返国会，以便向斯塔默发起挑战。

Talarico’s move to swap out ‘woman’ resurfaces amid backlash over similar bill in NY: ‘Insane individual’

June 12, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

The Democrat is trying to paint himself as sufficiently conservative to defeat Republican Ken Paxton

By Leo Briceno, Fox News

Kayleigh McEnany: Talarico’s claims are ‘blatant mistruths’

‘The Five’ co-hosts discuss President Donald Trump’s comments about Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico and the candidate’s campaign.

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James Talarico, a candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, once swapped out the term “woman” with “pregnant individual” in a bill that would have created protections for abortion in the Lone Star State.

The bill would have prevented “the prosecution of a pregnant individual on whom an abortion is performed or induced” and eliminated any Texas law that would have regulated or prohibited an abortion.

It never made it past consideration in committee.

Despite its stalled progress, the 2023 bill runs counter to Talarico’s efforts to paint himself as sufficiently conservative to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate as he wages an uphill campaign to defeat Republican challenger Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general.

‘GOD IS NON-BINARY’: TEXAS DEM NOMINEE TALARICO’S PAST REMARKS ON ABORTION, RACE AND GENDER DRAW SCRUTINY

James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and U.S. Senate candidate, speaks at a campaign event in Round Rock, Texas, U.S., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.(Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I’ve called out the extremes in both parties,” Talarico said in an interview with CBS last month.

When asked about his position on gender and previous comments that there were as many as six sexes, Talarico clarified his stance.

“I know there are two sexes, men and women. I also know there’s a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities and I believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”

When asked about the bill, Talarico’s campaign emphasized the abortion-related aspect of the bill, leaving the gender wording unaddressed.

“James agrees with a majority of Texans that women should make decisions about their own bodies. While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton spread lies to divide Texans, James will continue to stand up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system and support Texas families,” JT Ennis, a campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital.

The bill’s resurfacing coincides with a very similar bill making its way through the New York legislature.

JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS ‘MISSED THE MARK’ WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS ‘NON-BINARY’

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke during a news conference at the WIN NYC family shelter on March 5, 2026, in New York City.(Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

That bill would “adjust language in the law to a more inclusive and gender-neutral form.” Among other changes, it swaps out the term “mother” for “gestating parent.”

Having cleared the New York General Assembly and the New York Senate, it is poised to receive Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature to become law.

Although Talarico’s bill falls short of similarly reframing the state’s entire legal language, his opponents believe the very attempt to pass a bill using the same kind of terminology is emblematic of someone out of step with Texans’ principles.

“James Talarico’s entire career has been dedicated to replacing the Christian and family values of Texans with his transgender-for-all agenda,” RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft said.

BILL REPLACING ‘MOTHER’ AND ‘FATHER’ WITH GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS PASSES IN NEW YORK, HEADS TO HOCHUL’S DESK

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico urged voters to reduce meat consumption in a 2022 clip that went viral on Tuesday.(Mark Felix/Getty Images)

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“He is a threat to Texans’ way of life and a truly insane individual who has been fully broken by the woke mind virus.”

Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

How Trump decided to host a UFC fight at the White House

2026-06-12T10:00:08.485Z / CNN

• President Donald Trump decided to host a UFC fight at the White House after his post-election appearance at a UFC fight at Madison Square Garden.
• The $60 million event on the South Lawn comes as Trump faces low approval ratings amid a war with Iran and rising inflation.
• Some allies worry the spectacle will exacerbate perceptions Trump is focused on personal pet projects rather than governing.

AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.

Donald Trump was at the height of his power when he decided to stage a UFC fight on the South Lawn of America’s most famous address.

Fresh off his 2024 presidential win, he made a triumphant trip to Madison Square Garden for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.

Kid Rock’s “American Bad Ass” blared as he entered the arena flanked by billionaires and politicians who had left him for dead just three years earlier. Celebrities lined up to shake his hand. Chants of “USA” rained down from a crowd filled with the young men who Trump had made the backbone of his new political coalition.

And as he basked in the ovation, the president-elect determined the White House should host an even bigger and better spectacle.

“That’s when he officially decided he wanted to do it,” said one White House official with knowledge of the private deliberations.

Nineteen months and an estimated $60 million later, Trump will get his wish on his 80th birthday. The president is set to preside over a slate of UFC fights on Sunday held in the hulking, 87-foot octagon that now consumes much of the South Lawn.

But the event itself — billed as a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary — is perhaps the only element of Trump’s original vision that’s gone to plan.

Far removed from those post-election highs, he will take the stage this weekend at the weakest point of his presidency, mired in an unpopular war abroad and struggling to contain rising costs at home. A growing majority of Americans disapprove of his performance, polls show, threatening the GOP’s grip on power in the midterms and exposing cracks in Trump’s base.

And now, instead of a legacy-making manifestation of Trump’s success, some allies worry, the UFC fight risks becoming just the latest and biggest symbol of the personal excesses that have contributed to his unpopularity.

“I’ll be there, but I’m not thrilled about it,” Joe Rogan, the popular podcaster who endorsed Trump in 2024 and will commentate the fights, said of the event in March. “It just doesn’t seem like a wise idea.”

Still, the event has also prompted extraordinary jockeying within Trump’s MAGA base, with aides, allies and supporters all trying to score access. Supporters described running into roadblocks with their usual connections inside the administration — with some senior officials even advising ticket-seekers to take their asks straight to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, or just try their luck on Ticketmaster.

“Forget it,” one longtime Trump ally said of the odds facing those still trying to get into the event. “It’s the hottest ticket in Trumpworld by far.”

Trump first casually mentioned the idea of a UFC fight when his transition team was brainstorming ways to replicate the nontraditional but attention-grabbing events they staged on the campaign trail, like when the GOP nominee drove a campaign-branded garbage truck in Wisconsin, two people familiar with the discussions said. And now the president’s closest advisers are relishing how a UFC fight at the White House is similarly pushing the envelope.

But the high-profile event underscores Trump’s fixation on a slate of personal projects across Washington, DC, the political utility of which has prompted concerns among some Republicans worried about the midterms.

The president is overseeing construction of a massive White House ballroom, pushing for the creation of a 250-foot “triumphal arch” and seeking to redevelop a local golf course. Those come on top of a weekslong repainting of the Reflecting Pool and several smaller efforts to make over key parts of the White House, including the Oval Office and Rose Garden.

Few of the projects have proven popular with Americans. And his efforts suffered a major blow when a federal judge said his name had to be removed from the Kennedy Center. But despite the scrutiny — and a slew of lawsuits challenging his authority — Trump has maintained an intimate role in the planning and execution of those undertakings.

That personal enthusiasm has extended to the UFC fight, which has been months in the making and has transformed the White House’s South Lawn. Trump worked closely with UFC head and longtime friend Dana White since that November Madison Square Garden appearance to plot out a multiday celebration that will include a Saturday fan festival on the Ellipse south of the White House.

The members-only club Executive Branch, meanwhile, is slated to host a far more exclusive party on Sunday for the MAGA elite descending on Washington, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by CNN.

The fights will take place in the massive South Lawn octagon nicknamed “the Claw,” with roughly 4,000 people in attendance.

“It’s right at the front door to the White House,” Trump boasted in an interview last month. “It’s never happened before, and you’ll never see it again.”

Within Trump’s orbit, some allies hope that the spectacle will help reenergize some of the young men who helped power his 2024 victory but have since partially drifted away from the GOP.

“It’s a cool thing to use the trappings of the White House to promote the UFC and bring a new audience closer [to Pennsylvania Ave.], something that many might never have the opportunity to do,” said White House communications director and longtime Trump adviser Steven Cheung, who previously ran communications for the UFC. “And the president is an honest, true fan. He knows the fight cards, he knows their stats.”

In addition to Rogan, conservative podcasters and influencers who played key roles in promoting Trump’s 2024 campaign are expected to be at the fight, including the YouTuber Nelk Boys and businessman Patrick Bet-David.

The UFC, which is footing the roughly $60 million bill for the event, has retained control of most of the tickets. Trump is personally selecting who among his staff gets the rest, two White House officials said. In a further sign of the importance he’s assigned to the fight, Trump’s Cabinet and first lady Melania Trump are expected to attend.

Yet even with all the hype, it remains unclear whether an event that the president has touted as “the greatest show on Earth” will resonate beyond his most devoted supporters.

He’s bled support among men and younger voters who enthusiastically backed him in 2024 but have since grown more skeptical amid continued cost-of-living concerns and frustration with the war with Iran.

The president has repeatedly downplayed concerns about the domestic impact of the conflict, brushing off rising inflation as a minor side effect to his pursuit of greater national security. One poll this week found just 16% of Americans believed it was appropriate to hold the star-studded event, which comes days after Trump again downplayed the rising inflation making everyday goods more expensive.

Against that backdrop, one night of UFC fighting is unlikely to allay the broader concerns weighing on many of his supporters, said Art Davie, one of the original founders of the tournament that eventually became UFC.

Davie, who also once roomed with Trump as young cadets at the New York Military Academy, told CNN that he supported and voted for the president in 2016, 2020 and 2024. He applauded Trump’s bid to bring the UFC to the South Lawn, hailing it as a legitimizing event for a sport that once faced years of political and cultural opposition, including the late Sen. John McCain’s characterization of it as “human cockfighting.”

But like others, he’s since grown concerned by Trump’s foreign entanglements. The Iran war amounts to a betrayal of the president’s initial pledge to avoid the missteps of his predecessors and not start any new conflicts, said Davie, a longtime Republican voter. Trump’s subsequent suggestions that he may take Cuba by force have only deepened that disappointment.

“He made a number of campaign statements about no wars that I found to be viable and appealing,” Davie said. “So I’m not happy that he decided on Feb. 28 to pursue a war with Iran, and I’m not sure that’s been a good decision.”

In Trump’s attempts to reshape both the White House grounds and the global balance of power, Davie added, he sees a theme that’s common among his contemporaries: An increasing focus on the legacy that they’re going to leave behind.

“He’s very much legacy-oriented at this point,” he said. “But it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that with something like these foreign entanglements, you have to figure out ahead of time how far you want to go or where you want to go.”

CNN’s Isabelle Khurshudyan contributed to this report.