‘Designated terrorists’: Extremist groups raked in millions from USAID, multiyear study reveals
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies, according to a report published by Middle East Forum, a U.S. think tank. “The Middle East Forum’s multi-year study of USAID and State Department spending has uncovered $164 million of approved grants to radical organizations, with at least $122 million going to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters,” the conservative think tank wrote in its report published Feb. 4. “Billions more of federal dollars have been given to leading American aid charities which have consistently failed to vet their terror-tied local partners, and show little interest in improving their practices, to the apparent indifference of the federal government.” The Middle East Forum’s report focuses specifically on funds from USAID and the State Department that wound up in the hands of radical groups and organizations tied to terrorism. USAID EMPLOYEE SAYS STAFFERS HID PRIDE FLAGS, ‘INCRIMINATING’ BOOKS WHEN DOGE ARRIVED RUBIO PAUSES FOREIGN AID FROM STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID TO ENSURE IT PUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST’ The think tank reported that among its top findings, USAID was found to have given more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development. The funding began in 2016, and its most recent allocation was made just days before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Bayader describes itself as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that works “to build a civil society” on the Gaza Strip. “Founded in 2007, shortly after Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip, Bayader operates in close cooperation with the Hamas regime. Its 2021 annual report notes ‘coordination’ and ‘meetings’ with Hamas’s Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture,” the report found. ‘VIPER’S NEST’: USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM The funds were secured through other NGOs, such as Catholic Relief Services and medical groups. “But USAID coordinates directly with Bayader as well,” according to the report. “USAID officials have praised Bayader’s work on social media, and even visited Bayader’s offices, where one senior USAID official, Jonathan Kamin, received an award from the terror-linked charity.” The report also found that USAID approved a $12.5 million grant in 2024 to the American Near East Refugee Agency, which is also “a long-standing partner” of Bayader. The American Near East Refugee Agency is an NGO that was established in 1968 in an effort to assist refugees following the Arab-Israeli War. The report found staffers with the NGO have repeatedly and publicly posted “violent ideas, without apparent censure from top charity officials.” The comments on social media posted by employees include: calling on God to “erase the Jews,” expressing support for the “brave prisoners” in Israeli jails during the Hamas-Israel war, and describing Oct. 7, 2023, as a “beautiful morning.” Sam Westrop, the director of the Middle East Forum’s counter-extremism project, Islamist Watch, posted a highlight thread on X of the report’s findings, describing the examples as “horrifying.” “USAID won’t even tell us how much they gave the Unlimited Friends Association, a Gaza terror charity which operates with help from Hamas. The head of the charity promises to ‘cleanse’ their land of ‘impure Jews,’” Westrop posted in the thread of an example. USAID CLOSES HQ TO STAFFERS MONDAY AS MUSK SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTS SHUTTING AGENCY DOWN “USAID gave millions to Islamic Relief, whose Gaza branch openly works with senior terrorist officials in Gaza, including Hamas politburo member Ghazi Hamad. who promised that Hamas would repeat Oct 7 attacks ‘time and again until Israel is annihilated,’” he posted in another example from the report. USAID funds totaling $125,000 were found in the hands of the Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA) in 2015, despite the U.S. Treasury designating the group a global terrorist organization in 2004 due to its ties to Osama bin Laden. WHITE HOUSE FLAGS TOP USAID BOONDOGGLES UNDER ELON MUSK’S MICROSCOPE The report continued that USAID “undoubtedly knew of ISRA’s terrorism activities. In 2010, the executive director of ISRA’s U.S. branch (IARA-USA) and a board member pleaded guilty to money-laundering, theft of public funds, conspiracy, and several other charges. The plea was listed on USAID’s own website,” the report found. IARA-USA stands for the Islamic American Relief Agency. The funds were directed to ISRA via an evangelical charity called World Vision that works to provide clean water to areas of Sudan, according to the report. A World Vision official told Fox News Digital when asked about the report that the charity earned approval to work in Sudan “to help build a better world for the most vulnerable children and their families” and that it takes “compliance obligations seriously.” “As soon as we became aware that a local partner, Islamic Relief Agency, might be on the list of organizations banned from transactions by the United States, we suspended the grant and asked the US Government to confirm its status,” the official said. “We would never knowingly put those we serve or our staff at risk by working with a partner on the list of banned organizations. We exist to help build a better world for children and their families, serving in the name of Jesus Christ. We have no evidence that any of our funds have been used for anything other than urgent humanitarian work.” “As a Christian humanitarian organization, we do not compromise our beliefs nor commitment to integrity as we work with governments throughout the world,” the official said. “It is not easy to operate in fragile contexts, yet this is where the Lord is calling us. We remain committed to our vision of bringing life in all its fullness to vulnerable children around the world.” Fox News Digital reached out to Bayader, the American Near East Refugee Agency and Catholic Relief Services but did not receive replies. USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its chair, Elon Musk, investigate the agency’s spending practices and prepare to revamp and potentially shutter the agency. USAID
Lori Chavez-DeRemer: The little-known Trump nominee who may need to rely on Dems to cross finish line
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Labor, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., has left Republicans in the Senate with some questions over her pro-union stances, but at the same time, she has generated some interest from pro-labor Democrats. In particular, the moderate Republican will need to explain to Republicans her support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), a controversial piece of legislation that was proposed a few years ago. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters that “support for the PRO Act is not something that most Republicans have tolerated in the past, but I think she’s attempted to address that, and my hope is that she can further clarify her position on some of those issues when she goes through the hearing process.” SCHUMER REVEALS DEM COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST TRUMP’S DOGE AUDIT The Protecting the Right to Organize Act was championed by Democrats and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters upon introduction. But others, such as most Republicans and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, opposed it. The legislation would effectively kill state-level laws that prohibit employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment. Chavez-DeRemer will have her hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Wednesday. One committee member she’ll have to answer to is Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has already said he doesn’t plan to support her. “Her support for the Pro Act, which would not only oppose national right to work, but it would preempt state law on right to work. I think it’s not a good thing, and it’d be sort of hard for me since it’s a big issue for me to support her. So I won’t support her,” the senator previously told reporters. TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB This puts Chavez-DeRemer in a difficult position, as she will need to rely on Democrats to help her advance out of the HELP committee favorably if Paul follows through on his commitment to voting against her. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who is far from the most pro-union Republican in the upper chamber, is full speed ahead in favor of Trump’s pick as Chavez-DeRemer gears up for her hearing and eventual committee vote. In a phone interview with Fox News Digital, he explained that he and Teamsters President Sean O’Brien were involved in Trump’s selection of her for the key Cabinet role. Mullin further detailed the significance of union members in Trump’s winning 2024 election coalition. He claimed Democrats have “come to us and actually said this is actually a really good pick” because it puts them in a difficult position and is hard to vote against with her support among labor unions. INSIDE SEN TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION The senator didn’t give away any names of Democrats that might see her appeal, however. Paul previously predicted he wouldn’t be the only one unwilling to back her in the Republican conference. “I think she’ll lose 15 Republicans and she’ll get 25 Democrats. She’s very pro-labor, she might get all the Democrats. Who knows? So, we’ll see,” he said. If his vote leaves her nomination tied at the committee level, it could still be reported and scheduled for a floor vote, but without a favorable recommendation. In this case, she would need to amass 60 votes in the full Senate to move on to confirmation. LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN With her appeal among labor groups, Chavez-DeRemer may manage to put together a 60-plus bipartisan coalition to be confirmed. While Paul predicted more than a dozen GOP defectors, Mullin said the real number is likely much smaller. “I haven’t heard from any other Republicans that are a ‘no.’ Rand is the only one,” he said. “I don’t think his numbers are accurate, even close,” the Oklahoma Republican added. A representative for Chavez-DeRemer did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.
FBI must release Mar-a-Lago probe records despite Trump’s criminal immunity: judge
FBI records from the Mar-a-Lago classified documents probe will soon be released despite the dismissal of the case against President Donald Trump and his presidential immunity, according to a federal judge’s ruling Monday. In a court filing first obtained by Politico, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found that the FBI must disclose more information related to the case by Feb. 20. The decision concerned a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case brought by journalist Jason Leopold. Leopold filed a request with the FBI in 2022 after reports that Trump during his first term “allegedly flushed some presidential records down the toilet when he was still in the White House and brought presidential records, including sensitive classified documents, to his personal residence in Florida,” according to the filing. The FBI asked the court to authorize withholding the records under Exemption 7A, which concerns “records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that production of such law enforcement records or information…could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings.” CBS STAFFERS UPSET OVER ‘60 MINUTES’ DRAMA, ADMIT KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEW EDITS WERE AN ‘UNFORCED ERROR’ In light of the SCOTUS ruling on presidential immunity as well as Trump’s election win in November, Trump is exempt from criminal proceedings, but Howell found the documents could still be released because of that fact, as there are no law enforcement proceedings against him. “Somewhat ironically, the constitutional and procedural safeguards attached to the criminal process include significant confidentiality mechanisms…. with a parallel safeguard in Exemption 7(A) to help preserve the necessary confidentiality of ongoing criminal investigations leading to anticipated enforcement actions, but for an immune president, Exemption 7(A) may simply be unavailable, as it is here,” Howell said. DEMOCRAT LAWMAKERS FACE BACKLASH FOR INVOKING ‘UNHINGED’ VIOLENT RHETORIC AGAINST MUSK “Defendants’ motion for summary judgment seeking judgment in their favor as to the legality of relying on Exemption 7(A) to withhold entirely the FBI’s investigative files from the processing of the FOIA request at issue and to assert a Glomar response to the sixth category of requested information, must be denied, and plaintiff’s cross motion for summary judgment as to these legal issues is granted,” the decision concluded. “The parties are directed to submit jointly, by February 20, 2025, a status report proposing a schedule to govern future proceedings to conclude this case expeditiously.” Howell also noted that though Trump is immune from prosecution, anyone who may have helped to “aid, abet and execute criminal acts,” is not. “Of course, while the Supreme Court has provided a protective and presumptive immunity cloak for a president’s conduct, that cloak is not so large to extend to those who aid, abet and execute criminal acts on behalf of a criminally immune president,” Howell wrote in a footnote. “The excuse offered after World War II by enablers of the fascist Nazi regime of ‘just following orders’ has long been rejected in this country’s jurisprudence.”
Google Maps, FAA officially acknowledges Gulf of America after Trump declaration: ‘Isn’t it beautiful?’
The name change from the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” began rolling out across the U.S. on Monday, just a month after President Donald Trump announced his intention to Americanize the name. On Monday, the FAA sent out a charting notice confirming that its systems were in the process of updating the name, in addition to updating the newly-named Mount McKinley in Alaska, formerly known as Denali. “Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts to show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley. This will be targeted for the next publication cycle,” the notice read. “This Charting Notice implements President Trump’s direction in Executive Order 14172, ‘Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,’ that the names be changed.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES $20 BILLION IN NEW DATA CENTERS IN POST-CERTIFICATION ADDRESS On Jan. 7, Trump announced that the Gulf of Mexico would be given a new name, and signed an executive order finalizing the decision weeks later. “We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory,” Trump said on Tuesday. “The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate.” The decision was received well by social media users on Monday, who began noticing Google Maps implementing the changes. “Google Maps FINALLY recognizes the Gulf of America!” one X user wrote. “Isn’t it beautiful?” “I hate google, but tbh, mine says Gulf of America zoomed all the way out,” another said. “And boy is it glorious.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES $20 BILLION IN NEW DATA CENTERS IN POST-CERTIFICATION ADDRESS “Google Maps bows to Trump,” a different commentator wrote. The changes also come after Trump signed a proclamation on Sunday that declared Feb. 9 as “Gulf of America Day.” Trump was flying over the body of water on his way to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans when he signed the presidential order. “Air Force One is currently in international waters, the first time in history flying over the recently renamed Gulf of America,” the White House wrote in an X post. In the proclamation, Trump wrote that he took the action “in part because, as stated in that Order, ‘[t]he area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico has long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America.’” Google previously confirmed that it intended on updating the gulf’s name in accordance with local authorities. “We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps,” Google said in an X post. “We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources…everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too.” Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
How Trump might get rid of the penny — and what could come next for your pocket change
President Donald Trump unveiled plans Sunday to halt production of the penny — but getting that initiative underway requires a few additional steps and possibly congressional approval. Additionally, while Trump said he instructed the Treasury Department to stop minting them due to their high costs, supporters of the penny claim it’s wiser to evaluate changes to the nickel instead. “For far too long, the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. “This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies.” MUSK’S NEXT TARGET? TRUMP SAYS DOGE WILL LOOK AT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, PENTAGON FUNDING In fact, producing pennies is even more expensive than Trump’s numbers. According to a 2024 U.S. Mint report, it costs nearly 3.69 cents to mint a single penny. The coins are primarily made of zinc and then covered in copper. Trump’s statement comes after Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who is heading up the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), posted on X in January how expensive minting pennies is. DOGE is tasked with identifying ways to eliminate waste, and has so prompted changes, including gutting the $40 billion U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides aid to impoverished countries and development assistance. Still, proponents of the penny exist. Americans for Common Cents, an organization that provides Congress and the White House with research on the value of the penny, claimed that efforts are better targeted at reducing the cost of the production for the nickel. Nickels, worth five cents, cost approximately 13.8 cents to mint, according to the 2024 U.S. Mint report. “The logical and fiscally responsible solution is not to eliminate the penny but to focus on producing a cheaper nickel,” Americans for Common Cents Executive Director Mark Weller said in a Jan. 23 statement. “This approach would address the real driver of losses while preserving the functionality of small denominations in everyday transactions.” While the waters are a little murky on the next steps, experts say Congress likely would need to become involved and pass legislation to fulfill Trump’s wishes. And, historically, previous attempts in Congress to eliminate the coin have failed. USAID STAFFERS STUNNED, ANGERED BY TRUMP ADMIN’S DOGE SHUTDOWN OF $40B AGENCY “The process of discontinuing the penny in the U.S. is a little unclear. It would likely require an act of Congress, but the Secretary of the Treasury might be able to simply stop the minting of new pennies,” Robert Triest, an economics professor at Northeastern University, told the Northeastern Global News. Even so, there is bipartisan interest on Capitol Hill to modify minting pennies. In 2023, Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Maggie Hasson, D-N.H., reintroduced legislation to alter the composition of the penny to cut down on costs. “It’s absolute non-cents that American taxpayers spend ten cents to make just one nickel. Only Washington could lose money making money,” Ernst said in a statement in April 2023. “This commonsense, bipartisan effort will modify the composition of certain coins to reduce costs while allowing for a seamless transition into circulation. A penny saved is a penny not borrowed.” Even so, a composition change will unlikely yield cheaper results. The 2024 Mint Report said that options for different metal compositions aren’t available to reduce production costs down to face value. There’s still some precedent for change though, and Congress has acted previously to discontinue minting new coins. The legislative branch authorized discontinuing new half-cent coins in 1857. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DOJ moves to dismiss federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams
FIRST ON FOX: The Justice Department is moving to dismiss federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Fox News has learned. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove sent a letter to the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) on Monday instructing SDNY to drop the federal case against Adams and dismiss it without prejudice. BONDI’S DOJ DAY 1 DIRECTIVES: FIGHT WEAPONIZATION OF JUSTICE, ELIMINATE CARTELS, LIFT DEATH PENALTY BAN Adams was indicted in September on charges including bribery, soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals, wire fraud and conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Fox News obtained the memo Bove penned to the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York titled: “Dismissal Without Prejudice of Prosecution of Mayor Eric Adams.” The memo cites President Donald Trump’s executive orders regarding combating the weaponization of law enforcement and federal immigration policy. “You are directed, as authorized by the Attorney General, to dismiss the pending charges in United States v. Adams…as soon as is practicable, subject to the following conditions: the defendant must agree in writing to dismissal without prejudice; the defendant must agree in writing that he is not a prevailing party under the Hyde Amendment…and the matter shall be reviewed by the confirmed U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, following the November 2025 mayoral election, based on consideration of all relevant factors,” Bove wrote in a memo. “The Justice Department has reached this conclusion without assessing the strength of the evidence or the legal theories on which the case is based, which are issues on which we defer to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at this time,” Bove continued. “Moreover, as I said during our recent meetings, this directive in no way calls into question the integrity and efforts of the line prosecutors responsible for the case, or your efforts in leading those prosecutors in connection with a matter you inherited.” NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS BELIEVES FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST HIM ARE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED: ‘DID NOT BREAK THE LAW’ Bove added: “However, the Justice Department has determined that dismissal subject to the above-described conditions is necessary for two independent reasons.” Bove also said that the “timing of the charges and more recent public actions by the former U.S. Attorney responsible for initiating the case have threatened the integrity of the proceedings, including by increasing prejudicial pretrial publicity that risks impacting potential witnesses and the jury pool.” “It cannot be ignored that Mayor Adams criticized the prior Administration’s immigration policies before the charges were filed, and the former U.S. Attorney’s public actions created appearances of impropriety that implicate the concerns raised in the Attorney General’s February 5, 2025 memorandum regarding ‘Restoring the Integrity and Credibility of the Department of Justice, as well as in Executive Order 14147, entitled ‘Ending the Weaponization of the federal government,’” Bove wrote. “These actions and the underlying case have also improperly interfered with Mayor Adams’ campaign in the 2025 mayoral election,” he added. Bove also said the pending prosecution has “unduly restricted Mayor Adams’ ability to devote full attention and resources to the illegal immigration and violent crime that escalated under the policies of the prior administration.” “We are particularly concerned about the impact of the prosecution on Mayor Adams’ ability to support critical, ongoing federal efforts to ‘protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement,’” Bove wrote, pointing to an executive order signed by the president. “Accomplishing the immigration objectives established by President Trump and the Attorney General is every bit as important—if not more so—as the objectives that the prior Administration pursued by releasing violent criminals such as Viktor Bout, the ‘Merchant of Death,’” Bove continued. “Accordingly, based on these additional concerns that are distinct from the weaponization problems, dismissal without prejudice is also necessary at this time.” Bove’s memo comes after he and top DOJ officials recently met with lawyers representing Adams at the Justice Department. Adams also met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago before his inauguration last month. Adams suggested in December that he was charged after speaking out against the Biden administration’s immigration policies. During a sit-down interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on “The Story” in December, Adams said: “I did not break the law.” “I did nothing wrong — that is how I live my life,” Adams said. “And that is how I’m going to continue to live my life.” The move to dismiss the charges also comes after Attorney General Pam Bondi last week established the “Weaponization Working Group,” which will review the activities of all law enforcement agencies over the past four years to identify instances of “politicized justice.”
Trump says ceasefire should be canceled if hostages aren’t released by Saturday: ‘Let all hell break out’
President Donald Trump said if Hamas does not return all hostages by noon on Saturday, he will call for the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to be canceled and “let all hell break out.” Trump made the comments after signing executive orders in the Oval Office Monday evening. When asked if he felt the ceasefire deal should be canceled, the president said that is “Israel’s decision.” “If all the Gaza hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 p.m., I would say cancel the ceasefire,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Let all hell break out; Israel can override it.” HAMAS SAYS IT’S DELAYING NEXT HOSTAGE RELEASE, CLAIMING CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS Trump stressed that Hamas needs to release “all of them—not in drips and drabs.” “Saturday at 12pm and after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out,” Trump said. A Hamas spokesperson said Monday that the terrorist group will delay the next planned release of hostages in the Gaza Strip after accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement. PARENTS OF AMERICAN MURDERED BY HAMAS MAKE ‘PLEA’ TO TRUMP AFTER LATEST HOSTAGE RELEASE “Over the past three weeks, the resistance leadership has monitored the enemy’s violations and failure to fulfill its obligations under the agreement; including the delay in allowing the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with direct shelling and gunfire in various areas across Gaza, and denying relief supplies of all kinds to enter as agreed, while the resistance has implemented all its obligations,” Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, said. “Therefore, the release of the Zionist prisoners next Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation commits to and provides compensation for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively,” he said. “We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement, as long as the occupation remains committed to them.” Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire, during which Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023 attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and more than 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange, scheduled for next Saturday, calls for three more Israeli hostages to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. “Hamas’ announcement to stop the release of Israeli hostages is a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and the hostage release deal,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday. “I have instructed the [Israeli Defense Forces] IDF to maintain the highest level of readiness for any possible scenario in Gaza and to fortify the defense of Israeli communities. We will not allow a return to the reality of Oct. 7.” Hamas released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages – civilians Eli Sharabi, 52; Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 – on Saturday after forcing them to speak at a handover ceremony. Israel in turn freed 183 Palestinian prisoners that day. On Sunday, Trump commented on the conditions of the released Israeli hostages, saying they “looked like Holocaust survivors” and “like they haven’t had a meal in a month.” “I don’t know how much longer we can take that,” Trump said, referring to the treatment of the hostages, adding, “You know, at some point, we’re gonna lose our patience.” Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Yonat Friling and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump nominee Tulsi Gabbard clears last hurdle, heads for final confirmation vote
President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, cleared her last procedural hurdle on Monday evening, paving the way for a final confirmation vote later this week. The motion passed by a vote of 52-46, along party lines. At one time considered perhaps the most vulnerable of Trump’s picks, the former Democratic congresswoman got past another key vote, defeating the legislative filibuster’s threshold on nominations. SCHUMER REVEALS DEM COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST TRUMP’S DOGE AUDIT The Monday vote’s outcome was much more certain than that of her Senate Select Committee on Intelligence vote last week, which depended on a handful of senators who had potentially lingering concerns. TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB But Republicans signaled confidence in her confirmation in the full Senate, evidenced by their slating it while Vice President JD Vance is in Europe representing the U.S. at events and meetings, and is not around to break a tie in the upper chamber. Vance notably had to break a tie to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The vote teed up a final confirmation vote on Wednesday, as Democrats are expected to use all 30 hours of post-cloture time to debate, rather than reaching a time agreement with Republicans to expedite it. INSIDE SEN. TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION Gabbard advanced out of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last week, snagging the support of crucial GOP Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Todd Young, R-Ind. In a final vote, Gabbard can only lose 3 Republican votes, assuming she does not get any Democratic support, as was the case in the committee vote. LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN Gabbard already has an advantage over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as Collins supports her. The senator was notably one of three votes against Hegseth.
Super Bowl inspires bipartisan wager as Pennsylvania senators go ‘all in for the birds’
Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., put party politics aside to support the Philadelphia Eagles at SuperBowl LIX, trading in their partisan feud for a friendly wager with Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. The Pennsylvania senators are both Pittsburgh Steelers fans who were “all in for the birds” at the big game. Before the birds could fly Sunday night, Marshall, who is a Kansas City Chiefs fan, announced the senators’ friendly bet. With the Eagles’ win, Marshall will have to wear Eagles gear and owes McCormick and Fetterman Kansas City barbecue. “@RogerMarshallMD, you’re on. May the best team win. Looking forward to eating some KC BBQ and seeing you sport some @Eagles gear,” McCormick replied to Marshall. “Gotta stop by @SenMcCormickPA’s office to get some of that barbecue since we’re winning this wager,” Fetterman added. TRUMP RECEIVES RAUCOUS RECEPTION AS HE SALUTES DURING SUPER BOWL LIX NATIONAL ANTHEM While McCormick joined forces with his Democratic counterpart to support the Eagles, the Republican senator caught a ride to the game on Air Force One with President Donald Trump, Marshall and other senate colleagues. TRUMP SIGNS PROCLAMATION DECLARING FEBRUARY 9 ‘GULF OF AMERICA DAY’ AHEAD OF SUPER BOWL: ‘ANOTHER BIG WIN’ President Trump signed an executive order declaring Feb. 9 as “Gulf of America Day” as Air Force One flew over the newly renamed body of water on the way to Super Bowl LIX. After the game, McCormick said he spoke to the president about keeping his campaign promises for Pennsylvania. “[I] had the chance to talk to him and advocate for Pennsylvania to keep the promises we made to unleash energy dominance, prevent the threat of fentanyl from devastating our communities, and bring down the cost of living,” McCormick said. Fetterman trolled McCormick online throughout his 2024 senatorial campaign, calling him “Connecticut Dave.” But McCormick and Fetterman have found common ground for Pennsylvania since the election — on more than just football teams and friendly wagers. McCormick and Fetterman agreed to “break bread” in January, meeting for dinner with their wives to discuss policy for Pennsylvania. Fetterman has been one of few Democratic senators willing to work across the aisle under Trump’s second term. He met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and met with his cabinet nominees on Capitol Hill. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital has reached out to McCormick and Fetterman about the bet.
FBI uncovers thousands of undisclosed records connected to JFK’s assassination
The FBI has uncovered thousands of records connected to the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy as a result of President Donald Trump’s executive order to release the files. Axios first reported that the FBI released 2,400 records tied to the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination of Kennedy, which were not provided to the board that reviewed and disclosed the files. DEADLINE LOOMS FOR RELEASE OF JFK ASSASSINATION FILES When the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) submitted its plan to release the JFK files, it reportedly disclosed the existence of the records. Fox News has confirmed with a person familiar with the records that the files were uncovered during the review. The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment on the matter. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.