Appeals court backs Noem move to end TPS protections for Nepal, Honduras, Nicaragua
A federal appeals court in San Francisco granted a stay allowing the government to proceed with terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Nepal, Honduras and Nicaragua. The reliably liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order freezing a lower court ruling that would have vacated Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision to end the protections. The court found the government was likely to succeed on the grounds that the DHS decision was not “arbitrary or capricious,” suggesting that the decision-making process was rational. “The government is likely to prevail in its argument that the Secretary’s decision-making process in terminating TPS for Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal was not arbitrary and capricious,” court documents said. Last year, Noem sought to terminate refugee status for the three long-protected countries, arguing that under TPS, the government must check if the initial reasons for their protection still apply. Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua all originally received TPS protections due to specific environmental disasters. Nepal was designated in 2015 following a massive earthquake, while Honduras and Nicaragua received protections in 1999 after Hurricane Mitch. Noem’s chief spokeswoman, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, previously noted last August that TPS protections were always intended to be temporary. FED COURT OF APPEALS GRANTS TRUMP ADMIN PAUSE ON PROTECTIONS FOR 60K IMMIGRANTS Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the decision, saying it would allow the Trump administration to continue its immigration policies and deport certain immigrants. “This is a crucial legal win from @TheJusticeDept attorneys that helps clear the way for President Trump’s continued deportations,” she said. “As the court found, ‘the government is likely to prevail in its argument’ that ending Temporary Protected Status for some immigrants is sound and lawful policy. We are proud to represent the Trump Administration in court every day.” Noem’s ruling was previously challenged by the National TPS Alliance, who argued it was “arbitrary and capricious” and violated the Administrative Procedure Act. On December 31, 2025, a San Francisco district court judge sided with the plaintiffs and canceled Secretary Noem’s termination order. VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS, PROGRESSIVE GROUP SUE TRUMP ADMIN AFTER NOEM NIXES BIDEN-ERA ‘PROTECTED STATUS’ The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel assigned to the case included Judges Hawkins, Callahan and Miller. Judge Hawkins was appointed by Bill Clinton, Judge Callahan by George W. Bush and Judge Miller by President Donald Trump. While Judges Callahan and Miller appear to have authored the main analysis, Judge Hawkins wrote a separate concurring opinion. He agreed with the result based on recent Supreme Court guidance, but said he would not rule on the plaintiffs’ claims at this early stage. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Trump says he will block US-Canada Bridge unless Canada negotiates on trade
President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to prevent the opening of a bridge that will connect Michigan and Canada unless Ottawa negotiates with Washington on tariffs and the exclusion of American products. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump accused Canada of taking advantage of the United States with unfair trade practices and cozying up to China. In an effort to bring Canada to the negotiating table, Trump said he would not allow the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is named after the legendary Canadian ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings. The bridge, which is currently under construction, will connect Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. “I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve,” Trump wrote. CANADIAN PM CARNEY FIRES BACK AT TRUMP OVER CLAIM THAT ‘CANADA LIVES BECAUSE OF THE UNITED STATES’ “We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” he added. He cited the removal of U.S. alcohol products from Canadian liquor store shelves in Ontario. Trump has previously accused Canada of taking advantage of U.S. trade policies. In his post, Trump said Canada has moved forward with building the bridge with “virtually no U.S. content.” TRUMP CHALLENGES CARNEY AT DAVOS, ASSERTS CANADA SHOULD BE ‘GRATEFUL’ FOR GOLDEN DOME MISSILE DEFENSE He blamed former President Barack Obama for “stupidly” giving Canada a waiver so they could get around the Buy American Act, which mandates federal agencies purchase materials that are manufactured in the U.S. and made mostly from U.S.-produced components. Trump accused Canada of not using American products, including steel. “Now, the Canadian Government expects me, as President of the United States, to PERMIT them to just ‘take advantage of America!’ What does the United States of America get — Absolutely NOTHING!” he wrote. “Ontario won’t even put U.S. spirits, beverages, and other alcoholic products, on their shelves, they are absolutely prohibited from doing so and now, on top of everything else, Prime Minister Carney wants to make a deal with China — which will eat Canada alive. We’ll just get the leftovers! I don’t think so.” By cozying up to China, Canada would be risking its national sport: ice hockey, Trump said. “The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Jeffries accuses Republicans of ‘voter suppression’ over bill requiring voter ID, proof of citizenship
The House of Representatives’ top Democrat claimed Republicans’ election security bill was tantamount to “voter suppression” on Monday. House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized the House GOP-led SAVE America Act during his weekly press conference ahead of an expected vote on the bill coming as early as Wednesday. “Republicans have adopted voter suppression as an electoral strategy. That’s what the so-called SAVE Act is all about,” Jeffries said. He said the bill getting a vote this week is “worse than” a previous iteration simply called the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House in April 2025 with support from all Republicans and four Democrats. SCHUMER NUKES GOP PUSH FOR ‘JIM CROW-ERA’ VOTER ID LAWS IN TRUMP-BACKED SHUTDOWN PACKAGE The main thrust of the SAVE Act was implementing a new proof of citizenship requirement in the voter registration process in all 50 states. The new bill, led by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, would also create a federal voter ID standard at the polls, requiring people to show a form of identification when casting a ballot in national elections. Jeffries also pointed to a provision that would require information-sharing between state election officials and federal authorities in verifying citizenship on current voter rolls, accusing Republicans of trying to give Americans’ data to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). SCHUMER FACES BACKLASH AFTER CALLING SAVE ACT ‘JIM CROW’ DESPITE PREVIOUS ALLEGATION FALLING FLAT “This version, as I understand it, will actually give [the Department of Homeland Security] the power to get voting records from states across the country. Why would these extremists think that’s a good idea?” Jeffries said. “Who’d want DHS and ICE, who have been brutally, viciously and violently targeting everyday Americans, to have more data about the American people? It’s outrageous. Something is really wrong with these folks. I think they’re trying to lose elections at this point.” There is no validated evidence to date that non-citizen voting has swayed the results of any federal election. But Republicans have argued that the influx of illegal immigrants under the Biden administration has made the problem a real possibility in coming elections. Nevertheless, voter ID provisions have proven popular in multiple public surveys. A Pew Research Center poll released in August 2025 showed a whopping 83% of people supported government-issued photo ID requirements for showing up to vote, compared to just 16% of people who disapproved of it. Jeffries also said the bill would die in the Senate, where at least some Democrats are needed under current rules to overcome a filibuster and advance the legislation. “It’s not going to pass. If it squeaks by the House, it’s dead on arrival in the Senate. They’re wasting time,” he said. The real possibility of the bill failing in the Senate is why a group of House conservatives are pushing for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to upend the chamber’s rules on the filibuster to get rid of the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome one. Thune has not committed to any route.
House passes bipartisan housing bill as Trump zeroes in on affordability crisis
The House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at making it easier for everyday Americans to purchase a home, an issue that’s become a cornerstone of the affordability crisis plaguing much of the United States. The legislation, which passed with a 390-9 vote, is a rare show of bipartisanship in an increasingly polarized Congress, having gotten a significant amount of support from both Republicans and Democrats. Housing affordability is also an issue that President Donald Trump has promised to tackle during his second term in office. Last month, he signed an executive order making it harder for large investment firms to buy single-family homes that could otherwise be purchased by American families, and his One Big Beautiful Bill Act also included tax incentives aimed at development in economically distressed communities. TRUMP SIGNS NEW LAW HELPING VETERANS AVOID FORECLOSURE WITH PARTIAL CLAIMS PAYMENT PROGRAM The legislation that passed on Monday is a wide-ranging bill with various measures aimed at growing the supply of affordable housing in the U.S., including incentivizing the construction of multifamily homes, taller buildings on smaller lots, and less restrictive permitting processes in state and local jurisdictions. The streamlining would include establishing a new pilot program under the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award grants for creating “pattern books” of pre-approved housing designs that are already compliant with local building codes. Parts of the bill are chiefly aimed at expanding “missing middle” housing, which is the range between single-family homes and larger apartment buildings. I TRIED FOR YEARS TO BUY A HOME. WALL STREET ALWAYS BEAT ME — TRUMP MADE THE RIGHT CALL The measures are primarily aiding first-time home buyers as well as lower-income Americans, and housing developers focused on small and mid-sized housing rather than larger luxury construction. Multiple public surveys released in recent months have found that Americans have a strong desire for more affordable housing. One poll shared by the site Affordable Housing Finance found that more than 60% of people surveyed supported increasing missing middle housing. The bill was also pushed by lawmakers across the political spectrum. Its two main leaders in the House were House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., a longtime Republican congressman, and progressive stalwart Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the committee. Another proponent of the bill, Main Street Caucus Chairman Brian Flood, R-Neb., hailed it as “landmark legislation.” PRO-TRUMP GROUP UNLEASHES BLUEPRINT FOR CRUCIAL HOUSING INITIATIVE FEATURING TOP MAGA INFLUENCER “It doesn’t matter if you’re in a blue city or a red city, whether you’re a Habitat for Humanity in Omaha or, you know, a housing developer in Birmingham, Alabama, these issues aren’t partisan,” Flood told reporters on Monday. “In order to solve the housing crisis, we have to be able to remove a lot of the barriers.” Hill told reporters that the legislation did not get in the way of areas that had an oversupply of housing, either. “If there’s not a demand for housing, this doesn’t get in the way of that. I mean, this requires a bank to be willing to lend a community development program to say that we should spend these dollars to build housing. And if there is a surplus of housing and pricing is affordable, then there wouldn’t be that market signal that says we need new housing,” Hill said. It comes as affordability appears to be an increasingly important topic in the coming November midterm elections. Other supporters of the legislation include Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., and Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., the latter of which championed a bill whose core tenets got folded into the final piece. “If House Republicans and Democrats can agree on this package to increase housing supply and lower prices across the nation, the Senate should be able to swiftly send it to the president’s desk,” Stutzman told Fox News Digital. “Our constituents need the relief this bill offers.” Stutzman introduced a bill in September of last year aimed at streamlining the environmental review process for new rural housing projects. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it must pass with bipartisan support before getting to Trump’s desk for his signature.
ICE nabs convicted pedophiles and murderers over weekend despite smears at Super Bowl: ‘Risking their lives’
FIRST ON FOX: A spokesperson for the Trump Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital that despite ICE being “demonized” at the Super Bowl, agents continued to carry out operations, arresting pedophiles, murderers and rapists over the weekend. President Donald Trump and many conservatives took issue with the Super Bowl, especially the halftime show, which featured Latin trap artist Bad Bunny. The performer, whose real name is Benito Ocasio, has been highly critical of ICE and even cursed at agents in a video posted to social media. DHS said that “while ICE law enforcement officers were demonized at the Super Bowl, our officers were risking their lives to arrest public safety threats from American neighborhoods.” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that “despite smears from Hollywood, ICE is making our country safer every single day.” BAD BUNNY’S SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW IGNITES TRUMP’S FURY, DIVIDES VIEWERS “While ICE law enforcement was being demonized at the Super Bowl, the heroic men and women of ICE continued risking their lives to arrest criminal illegal alien murderers, pedophiles and rapists from our communities,” said McLaughlin. According to DHS, among those arrested over Super Bowl weekend was Mario Rosales-Figueroa, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was arrested a few hours from the stadium in Visalia, California. The agency said Rosales-Figueroa was convicted of sex with a minor. A few hours further away, DHS said that agents arrested Salvadoran illegal Luis Edenilson Ortiz-Lopez in Las Vegas. According to the agency, he was convicted of gross or open lewdness. Also in Nevada, ICE arrested Guillermo Arturo Ramirez-Londono, a Colombian illegal who is convicted of two counts of sexual assault on a minor under 14 years old in Lyon County. In New York, ICE arrested Rudy Roa-Fuentes, an illegal from the Dominican Republic who was convicted of murder, and Anderson Mejia-Bonilla, from El Salvador, who was convicted of rape. NFL’S ROGER GOODELL BELIEVES BAD BUNNY ‘UNDERSTANDS’ SUPER BOWL LX PLATFORM IS MEANT TO UNITE AMID ICE OUTCRY Not far from New York, ICE arrested Guatemalan national Eduardo Ramos-Domingo, who was convicted of aggravated assault, attempts to cause or cause bodily injury with a deadly weapon in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. In Wake County, North Carolina, ICE arrested Darwin Sorto-Pineda, from El Salvador, who was convicted of driving while impaired and assault on a government official. In the Midwest, ICE arrested Wilson Perez-Guzman, from Guatemala, who was convicted for statutory sodomy/attempted statutory sodomy in Bridgeton, Missouri, and Tung Huy Nguyen, from Vietnam, who was convicted for gross sexual imposition in Steubenville, Ohio. In the South, ICE arrested Mexican illegal Gustavo Alvarado-Sanchez, who is convicted for kidnapping and assault in Hidalgo, Texas, and Cuban illegal Carlos Manuel Legra-Ramirez, who is convicted for aggravated alien smuggling in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. NOEM RESPONDS TO BAD BUNNY, BILLIE EILISH BASHING ICE AT GRAMMYS: ‘I WISH THEY KNEW’ While accepting an award for Best Música Urbana Album at the recent Grammys, Bad Bunny remarked “ICE out,” adding,”We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens — we are humans, and we are Americans.” The Independent reported last June that Bad Bunny blasted ICE in a clip posted to Instagram in which he called agents “motherf—ers” and “sons of b—-es.” According to McLaughlin, 70 percent of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. She said this statistic “doesn’t even include foreign fugitives, terrorists, and gang members who lack a rap sheet in the U.S.” She added that “this heated rhetoric about ICE law enforcement is leading to our officers facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them.”
Experts rip college students as reports expose them for abusing system with fake disabilities
Reports reveal this week that college students across the United States, including up to 40% of students at Stanford University, are claiming to have a disability in order for special accommodations like more time on tests is prompting pushback from education experts. Recent data reveals, according to The Atlantic, that at schools like Brown and Harvard, more than 20 percent of undergraduates are now registered as disabled. At Amherst, that number hits 34 percent. But professors warn that this isn’t a surge in physical impairments. Instead, it’s a wave of students acquiring “dubious” diagnoses for disabilities like ADHD, anxiety, and dyslexia that come with coveted perks: extra time on exams and better campus housing. “She, of course, didn’t have a disability,” a Stanford University student wrote in The Sunday Times in an article suggesting that 40% of Stanford students claim to be “disabled.” “She knew it. I knew it. But she had figured out early what most Stanford students eventually learn: the Office of Accessible Education will give students a single room, extra time on tests and even exemptions from academic requirements if they qualify as ‘disabled.’” GOT A SCOOP ON CAMPUS? SEND US A TIP HERE Fox News Digital spoke to several education experts who said that the systems in place at American colleges are being abused and students with real disabilities will be hurt the most. “College Students with real disabilities—like mine— are being passed over for those who, as a result of insufficient high school preparation or otherwise, have sought to make things as easy as possible for themselves in the ordinarily rigorous college environment,” Sarah Parshall Perry, Vice President and Legal Fellow at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital. “The fact that we’re seeing a surge in students presenting with ‘disabilities’ is evidence that the youngest generation is ill prepared for life in the real world.” SUBSCRIBE TO THE CAMPUS RADICALS NEWSLETTER Erika Sanzi, Senior Director of Communications for Defending Education, told Fox News Digital that this story “reflects our perverse incentive structure that encourages students to claim identity labels that come with special accommodations, even when they don’t have an actual disability.” The “gaming” of the system doesn’t stop at medical claims. Sunday Times also reported a trend of students claiming “religious dietary restrictions” to opt out of Stanford’s mandatory $7,944-a-year meal plan. “Reasonable accommodations rightly exist to ensure equal opportunities for all students,” University of Kentucky Professor and Campus Reform editor-in-chief Zachary Marschall, Ph.D, told Fox News Digital. “However, being uncomfortable is not a disability and it is unreasonable to scheme for a single dorm room or easier testing conditions. This trend is symptomatic of Gen Z’s toxic entitlement to feel comfortable, which higher education enables by accommodating students’ self-centered expectations.” Fox News Digital reached out to Brown and Harvard universities for comment. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Stanford University said that recent press inquiries have “prompted us to take a deeper look into our federal reporting practices.” “We have determined that our previous practice did not accurately reflect the number of students who are actually receiving accommodations, and we will correct this in future IPEDS reporting,” the statement said. “The previously reported numbers (38% for 2023) reflected students who simply registered with the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) during the course of a given year rather than students who received academic accommodations. The number of students who received academic accommodations is less than half of the reported number. For fall 2025, 12.5% of undergraduates received academic accommodations.”
Hagerty urges FCC to punish Verizon over release of Senate phone data
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., filed a formal complaint against Verizon on Monday after the carrier handed over his phone data to the Biden-era Department of Justice during its probe of President Donald Trump and the 2020 election – a move Republicans say violated the Constitution. Lawyers for Hagerty wrote in the complaint to the Federal Communications Commission, reviewed by Fox News Digital, that Verizon should publicly admit wrongdoing and discipline employees who were involved in complying with a subpoena for his phone data. Otherwise, the FCC should declare that Verizon violated federal law and assign an independent monitor to watch over the company, Hagerty’s lawyers wrote. “Such discipline by the FCC would send a clear message that companies cannot collude with politically motivated prosecutors to violate customers’ rights,” Hagerty’s lawyers wrote. “Verizon is not above the law.” JACK SMITH FACES PUBLIC GRILLING ON CAPITOL HILL ABOUT TRUMP PROSECUTIONS The Tennessee Republican’s complaint detailed how Verizon complied with former special counsel Jack Smith’s team by giving the prosecutors a narrow set of Hagerty’s and several other GOP senators’ phone data as part of Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump and the 2020 election. Verizon justified its actions in a letter to the Senate in the fall, saying the subpoenas appeared “facially valid” and only contained phone numbers. They did not identify the subscribers or include information about Smith’s investigation, Verizon said. The phone company said it did not notify the senators about the subpoenas because they were accompanied by court-authorized gag orders. Fox News Digital reached out to a Verizon spokesperson for comment on the FCC complaint. Republicans have widely condemned the subpoenas, saying they violated the Constitution’s speech or debate clause, which gives Congress members an added layer of protection when it comes to prosecutorial matters. Smith has repeatedly stood by them, saying he handled them according to DOJ policy at the time. The policy in question has since been changed to require prosecutors to notify the courts if requested gag orders pertain to Congress members. Previously, it did not include that requirement, leading the courts to authorize gag orders against the senators and deprive them of the ability to try to quash the subpoenas. GRAHAM THREATENS SHUTDOWN DEAL OVER HOUSE-BACKED REPEAL, WARNS JOHNSON: ‘I WON’T FORGET THIS’ Hagerty’s FCC complaint is the latest instance of a senator seeking recourse for the subpoenas. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was also targeted in Smith’s probe, supported a controversial provision in the government spending bill last year that gave senators the ability to bring $500,000 civil lawsuits against the DOJ. The provision caused significant infighting because of the perception that it would allow senators to enrich themselves, and the House later voted 426-0 to repeal it. Hagerty’s complaint comes one day before Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., another of Smith’s targets, holds a Senate hearing called “Arctic Frost Accountability.” Witnesses set to testify include executives of Verizon and AT&T.
Turning Point issues major endorsement in critical Senate race as Trump hints at weighing in
EXCLUSIVE: Turning Point Action, the political arm of the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his bid to unseat longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in a race that could determine whether the GOP maintains its Senate majority. Turning Point’s endorsement of Paxton is the fourth such endorsement of a Senate candidate in this cycle and emphasizes the importance of the race on the national stage. This comes as Democrats see an opening to possibly flip a Texas Senate seat blue, which would deal a devastating loss to the GOP’s chances of retaining its majority. In response to the endorsement, Paxton told Fox News Digital, “I’m honored to be endorsed by Turning Point Action as we fight to defend our conservative values and preserve the freedom of the next generation.” “The movement and the organization that Charlie Kirk built has inspired millions of people across the world, and the work that Turning Point Action continues to do is critical for safeguarding our nation’s future,” Paxton went on. “I am proud to be standing alongside Turning Point Action in that mission and carrying on in the fight to save this country for our young people.” TURNING POINT USA DECLARES ‘ALL-AMERICAN HALFTIME SHOW’ A ‘MASSIVE SUCCESS,’ COMMITS TO 2027 RETURN “Together, we will protect our freedom and secure our nation’s future,” he said. Paxton and Cornyn are locked in a bitter primary contest that also includes Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. Whoever emerges victorious will face off against prominent Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, or rising star state Rep. James Talarico. The attorney general is a hard-line conservative and longtime vocal supporter of President Donald Trump. He has served as the attorney general of Texas since 2015. Since launching his Senate bid in April, he has touted himself as an “America First Warrior” and framed his candidacy as an anti-establishment effort to push back against “RINO [Republican-In-Name-Only] Republicans.” Though Trump has so far opted out of getting involved in the race, his presence looms large, with both candidates emphasizing their cooperation with the president. If elected, Paxton has promised to “champion President Trump’s legislative priorities.” JASMINE CROCKETT SAYS SOME REPUBLICANS WOULD ‘ABSOLUTELY’ VOTE FOR HER IN A GENERAL ELECTION Meanwhile, Cornyn, a high-ranking member of the Republican Party who has held the seat since 2002, has also touted conservative bona fides and his working relationship with Trump, emphasizing he “votes with President Trump 99% of the time.” Turning Point’s endorsement pits the group against the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the GOP’s Senate campaign arm, which has endorsed and supports Cornyn. Though silent thus far, Trump recently hinted he may issue an endorsement in the Texas Senate race soon. The Hill reported the president announcing, “I’m giving it a very serious look.” GOP FIREBRAND URGES TRUMP AGENCIES TO CLAW BACK MASSIVE TAXPAYER BENEFITS PAID OUT TO IMMIGRANTS “You know, my problem is I’m friendly with all of them. I like all of them, all three,” Trump said. “But you’ll be seeing soon,” he went on. “They say whoever I endorse wins. That’s probably right.”
Epstein victims use Super Bowl commercial to pressure Pam Bondi over withheld files
Numerous women urged Attorney General Pam Bondi in a high-profile Super Bowl ad on Sunday to release more files from Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking cases, signaling their dissatisfaction with the Department of Justice’s efforts to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., immediately elevated the ad, which came in the wake of the DOJ releasing more than 3 million pages of files and concluding its review. Schumer shared a video of it on X, calling it “the most important ad” of the day. “You don’t ‘move on’ from the largest sex trafficking ring in the world. You expose it. #StandWithSurvivors,” Schumer wrote. MASSIE, TOP OVERSIGHT DEMOCRAT CALL FOR SECRETARY LUTNICK TO RESIGN FOR ‘LYING’ ABOUT ALLEGED EPSTEIN TIES Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who has been leading Democrats’ inquiries into Epstein matters in the House, shared a similar message. The women in the commercial conveyed their disapproval of the DOJ as the words “Tell Attorney General Pam Bondi it’s time for the truth” flashed across the screen. The commercial comes after the DOJ announced last month the release of more than 3 million pages from the case files. The department said it started with more than 6 million pages but withheld a major portion for a variety of reasons, including because the information could identify alleged victims or was protected by legal privileges. The omitted files led top supporters of the Epstein legislation, including Epstein’s victims and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to contend that the DOJ failed to comply with the transparency law. The DOJ has disputed that claim, saying its review was “very comprehensive” and that it did not hide any information for the purpose of protecting President Donald Trump or other wealthy and politically connected people, including former President Bill Clinton, who were once friends with Epstein but were never accused of crimes associated with him. Massie is among lawmakers who said they planned to visit the DOJ on Monday to review undisclosed files. The Super Bowl commercial was created by World Without Exploitation, a project of the Tides Center, a progressive nonprofit. LAPSED EPSTEIN DEADLINE UNDERSCORES CHALLENGE OF REVIEWING TROVES OF FILES IN 30 DAYS It flashed images of several women holding photos of their younger selves and images of redaction marks, a nod to frustrations surrounding the DOJ heavily redacting some files while neglecting to redact names in others. “After years of being kept apart, we’re standing together,” one of the women says. “Because this girl deserves the truth.” The department said it has moved swiftly to correct any redaction mistakes that have been brought to its attention. The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment on the commercial.
Rubio blasts China over ‘unjust and tragic’ 20-year sentence for Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai
The U.S. urged China to reverse what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called an “unjust and tragic” sentence against Hong Kong publisher and democracy activist Jimmy Lai, after Beijing-backed courts handed the 78-year-old a 20-year prison term under the national security law. “The conviction shows the world that Beijing will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong,” Rubio said in a statement. “The United States urges the authorities to grant Mr. Lai humanitarian parole.” The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used Hong Kong’s courts to sentence Lai on Monday, cementing one of the most consequential national security cases since Beijing imposed a sweeping new law in the wake of months-long anti-CCP protests. Lai, a billionaire media entrepreneur, founded the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper in 1995, once Hong Kong’s most outspoken pro-democracy publication. He is among the highest-profile figures arrested under the 2020 National Security Law Beijing imposed following the unrest. The protests, sparked by fears Beijing was eroding Hong Kong’s promised autonomy, were followed by a sweeping security crackdown that criminalized dissent and reshaped the city’s legal system. MARCO RUBIO VOICES CONCERN THAT AMERICANS MAY SOMEDAY BE ARRESTED FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS WHEN VISITING EUROPE The sentence also puts renewed pressure on President Donald Trump, who has previously spoken out about Lai’s detention and is expected to travel to Beijing in April amid broader negotiations with China. Human rights advocates and some lawmakers have urged Trump to raise Lai’s case directly with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, warning that silence would be read in Beijing as acquiescence. Trump said in December 2025 that he had personally urged Xi to release Lai. “I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release,” Trump said. “He’s not well, he’s an older man, and he’s not well, so I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens.” Hong Kong authorities convicted Lai of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, a national security offense under the Beijing-imposed law. Prosecutors argued that Lai and his co-defendants used his media platform and international network to lobby for sanctions, blockades or other hostile actions by foreign governments against China and Hong Kong — actions the court said threatened national security. Judges labeled Lai the “mastermind” of the alleged plots. RUBIO SAYS COMMITMENT TO TAIWAN WON’T CHANGE AMID TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA Lai also was convicted of conspiracy to publish seditious materials under a separate provision of Hong Kong’s colonial-era Crimes Ordinance, applied in conjunction with the national security regime. Prosecutors cited hundreds of Apple Daily articles they said were designed to “incite public hatred or contempt” against authorities. Lai and his defense team rejected that characterization as criminalizing expression. Sebastian Lai, the publisher’s son, said the sentence effectively amounts to a life term given his father’s age and deteriorating health. “Twenty years, he’s 78 years old now. This is essentially a life sentence — or more like a death sentence, given the conditions he’s being kept in,” Sebastian Lai told Fox Monday. He said his father has lost significant weight in detention and now suffers from heart issues and diabetes, adding, “We’re incredibly worried about his life.” Sebastian Lai said his father, a Catholic, remains “a man of deep faith” despite years in detention, believing “no matter how hard the conditions he was under, that he still did the right thing.” He also recalled that his father declined multiple opportunities to leave Hong Kong before his arrest, choosing instead to stay rather than abandon his principles or colleagues. The younger Lai said his father’s case should serve as a warning for Taiwan, arguing that Beijing’s promise of autonomy under a “one country, two systems” model in Hong Kong has revealed how tightly mainland China ultimately controls the territory. Lai already has spent more than five years in prison, serving a separate sentence for a fraud conviction and for organizing unauthorized assemblies during the protests. His defense has argued the case criminalized political speech and journalism rather than genuine national security threats. They say Lai’s calls for international pressure on Beijing amounted to lawful advocacy and that meetings with U.S. officials and media appearances were routine for a prominent publisher and democracy advocate, not evidence of conspiracy.