‘It’s hidden’: Female genital mutilation and the secret shame of Minnesota’s Somalis
More than half a million women and girls in the United States are living with the physical and psychological scars of female genital mutilation — including many in Minnesota, home to a large Somali community from a country where roughly 98% of women have undergone the procedure, according to United Nations data. Yet despite a state law that makes performing the procedures a felony, Minnesota has never secured a single criminal prosecution under its law — raising questions about enforcement, and whether cases could be going on undetected. Female genital mutilation, or FGM, involves the cutting or removal of parts of a female’s genital organs, typically for cultural rather than medical reasons. The practice is irreversible. “It’s hidden — it’s a cultural practice, and who is doing the cutting could be a family member or a doctor who is also in that same culture,” Minnesota Republican state Rep. Mary Franson told Fox News Digital, noting it may be carried out within tight-knit communities. She said the secrecy surrounding the practice makes it exceptionally difficult to detect and confront. MINNESOTA ‘ON THE CLOCK’ AS HHS THREATENS PENALTIES OVER CHILDCARE FRAUD SCANDAL For some within Minnesota’s Somali community, the issue is less about public crime statistics and more about private silence — a practice survivors say is carried in secrecy, shame and fear. The lack of prosecutions comes amid broader scrutiny of how Minnesota agencies handle oversight failures, including high-profile welfare and daycare fraud cases in which prosecutors allege billions of taxpayer dollars were siphoned off while warning signs went unaddressed. Investigators and watchdogs later concluded that officials were reluctant to probe deeply in culturally sensitive contexts — a reluctance, critics say, allowed large-scale violations to persist in plain sight. The estimate of more than half a million survivors in the United States comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent national analysis, published in 2016. Together, the scale of the issue and the difficulty of detection have raised questions about whether Minnesota’s ban on FGM is being effectively enforced when the crime is often carried out in secrecy. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born activist and author who survived FGM, described the lasting physical and psychological damage she endured and called for legal accountability. “Female genital mutilation is violence against the most vulnerable — children,” Hirsi Ali told Fox News Digital. “It causes infection, incontinence, unbearable pain during childbirth and deep physical and emotional scars that never heal. Religious or cultural practices that deliberately and cruelly harm children must be confronted. No tradition can ever justify torture.” Hirsi Ali, who founded the AHA Foundation as a means to end FGM, said that the pressure placed on parents in these groups to enforce the practice poses an overwhelming risk to girls. “Only legal accountability can help reduce that risk,” Hirsi Ali said. “I survived female genital mutilation and I carry its scars with me. But I refuse to accept that another girl in America must endure what I did in Somalia.” Zahra Abdalla, a Minnesota-based Somali survivor of female genital mutilation, told Fox News Digital that the practice survives in secrecy, shielded by family pressure and silence. Abdalla, who spoke to Fox News Digital on camera but asked that her face be blurred, said she was between six and seven years old when she was forcibly restrained in a refugee camp in Kenya while adult women in her community carried out the procedure without anesthesia, using a razor blade. “They tied my hands and my legs,” Abdalla said. “I remember being held down. I remember the pain — and knowing I could not escape.” Abdalla said she was “lucky” because she fought back during the procedure, kicking one of the women who was pregnant at the time. The disruption, she said, caused the cutting to stop before it was fully completed. She said the wound was later washed with salt water. “That pain — I thought I was going to pass out,” she said. The damage followed her into adulthood, she said, later requiring surgery and, in her view, contributing to multiple miscarriages. She also said intercourse was very difficult. She said the practice is often driven by marriage expectations, adding that in some communities men are reluctant to marry women who have not undergone the procedure. “It’s tied to dowry. It’s tied to marriage,” she said, referring to the financial and social expectations placed on families when arranging marriages. “It’s tied to what men expect,” she said. “Families believe it protects a girl’s value.” She said silence remains one of the biggest barriers to enforcement. She is the executive director of the nonprofit Somaliweyn Relief Agency (SRA), which seeks to raise awareness about the practice. “You don’t talk about it,” she said. “You’re told to stay quiet.” While she said she cannot confirm specific cases inside Minnesota, she said she believes some families take girls back to Somalia during school breaks to have the procedure performed. Her warning mirrors how some of the only known U.S. cases have surfaced. In a high-profile federal case in Michigan in 2017, prosecutors alleged that two young girls were taken from Minnesota to undergo female genital mutilation. The case later collapsed because the judge ruled that Congress did not clearly have the constitutional authority, at the time, which expanded federal jurisdiction in cases involving interstate or international travel. That ruling prompted Congress to strengthen the statute, a change signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2021 under the Stop FGM Act, which expanded federal jurisdiction in cases involving interstate or international travel. However, a Fox News Digital review of publicly available Minnesota court records, enforcement announcements and professional licensing disciplinary records found no documented prosecutions or sanctions tied to FGM. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office said prosecutions for state crimes like female genital mutilation are handled by county attorneys and did not identify any FGM cases. County prosecutors contacted for this story also did not identify any prosecutions. Those provisions, however,
Greenland rejects Trump’s hospital ship proposal, citing existing free healthcare system
Greenland’s prime minister publicly rebuked President Donald Trump on Sunday, rejecting his proposal to send a U.S. hospital ship to the Arctic territory and urging him to stop making “random” social media posts about its future. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen issued the response in a pointed Facebook post following Trump’s announcement. “We say no thank you from here,” Nielsen wrote. “President Trump’s idea of sending an American hospital ship here to Greenland has been noted. But we have a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens.” The prime minister also contrasted Greenland’s system with that of the U.S., writing that, in America, “it costs money to go to the doctor.” TRUMP TELLS DAVOS US ALONE CAN SECURE GREENLAND, INSISTS HE WON’T ‘USE FORCE’ Nielsen said Greenland is “always” open to dialogue with the U.S. but urged Trump to engage directly. “Talk to us instead of just making more or less random outbursts on social media,” he wrote. “Dialogue and cooperation require respect for decisions about our country being made here at home.” On Saturday, Trump announced on Truth Social that his administration was working with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to send a hospital ship to Greenland to care for people who are sick and “not being taken care of there.” RUSSIA, CHINA SQUEEZE US ARCTIC DEFENSE ZONE AS TRUMP EYES GREENLAND Landry was designated special envoy to Greenland in December and has held formal discussions outlining Trump’s plans to strengthen Arctic security amid threats from Russia and China. In late January, Landry spoke with NATO leaders and expressed support for a “framework of a future deal” to expand U.S. influence in the region. TOP NATO OFFICIAL REVEALS DETAILS OF STUNNING MEETING WITH TRUMP THAT PRODUCED GREENLAND DEAL ‘FRAMEWORK’ Trump’s offer came after Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command evacuated a crew member from a U.S. submarine seven nautical miles outside Greenland’s capital, Nuuk. The crew member was transferred by a Danish Defense Seahawk helicopter to a hospital in Nuuk and handed over to Greenlandic health authorities, the Joint Arctic Command said. The U.S. Navy operates two hospital ships – the USNS Mercy and the USNS Comfort – both of which were last docked in Alabama for repairs, according to Reuters. Fox News Digital’s Eric Mack contributed to this report.
AOC blames critics, Trump after Munich hiccup backlash
An emotional Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attempted to blame critics – and even President Donald Trump’s own off-the-cuff agility – for the backlash she received for her response to a question at the recent Munich Security Conference on American defense of Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. “If you think I don’t understand foreign policy, because of out of hours of discourse about international affairs, I pause to think about one of the most sensitive geopolitical issues that currently exist on earth, I’m afraid the issue is not my understanding, but perhaps the problem is you’ve gotten adjusted to a president that never thinks before he speaks,” a raspy-voiced Ocasio-Cortez said on a late-night Instagram Live video circulating on social media. The leftist congresswoman’s Munich stumbling on Friday, Feb. 13, started the critical firestorm and has conservatives questioning her fitness for a potential 2028 Democrat presidential primary campaign. “Um, you know, I think that this is such a, you know, I think that this is a um — this is, of course, a, um, very long-standing, um, policy of the United States,” she said with pause when asked about America defending Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion to enforce its One China Policy over the island-nation. AOC HIT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH AFTER APPEARING TO STRUGGLE WITH QUESTION ABOUT US DEFENDING TAIWAN “And I think what we are hoping for is that we want to make sure that we never get to that point, and we want to make sure that we are moving in all of our economic, research and our global positions to avoid any such confrontation and for that question to even arise.” Vice President JD Vance, a potential 2028 presidential campaign opponent in a prospective general election matchup, weighed in multiple times this week to Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks. “I think it’s a person who doesn’t know what she actually thinks, and I’ve seen this way too much in Washington with politicians: Where they’re given lines and, when you ask them to go outside the lines they were given, they completely fall apart,” Vance told Fox News’ “The Story With Martha MacCallum” in an in-studio interview earlier this week. “That was embarrassing,” he continued. “If I had given that answer I would say, ‘You know what? Maybe you ought to go read a book about China and Taiwan before I go out on the world stage again.’ I hope that Congresswoman Cortez has the same humility. I’m skeptical.”
President Trump tells Netflix to fire Susan Rice or ‘pay consequences’
President Donald Trump called on Netflix to fire board member Susan Rice immediately or “pay the consequences.” Trump’s comments followed remarks Rice made Thursday on the “Stay Tuned with Preet” podcast, hosted by former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. During the interview, Rice warned that corporations she said had “taken a knee” to Republican pressure should not expect forgiveness from Democrats if they return to power. “This is not going to be an instance of forgive and forget. The damage that these people are doing is too severe to the American people and our national interest,” Rice said. LARA TRUMP WARNS AGAINST DEMOCRATS’ “ACCOUNTABILITY AGENDA” FOR TRUMP ALLIES It was not immediately clear what specific actions the Trump administration might pursue. Netflix did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. BATTLEGROUND STATES SHOULDER BURDEN OF TRUMP’S TARIFFS AS MIDTERM MESSAGING RAMPS UP Rice made the remarks while discussing what she described as corporate retreats from diversity and governance commitments amid pressure from Republican lawmakers. “If these corporations think that the Democrats, when they come back into power, are going to, you know, play by the old rules, and, you know, say, ‘Oh, never mind. We’ll forgive you for all the people you fired, all the policies and principles you’ve violated, all, you know, the laws you’ve skirted.’ I think they’ve got another thing coming,” Rice added. Rice, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, predicted an “accountability agenda” awaited those entities, forecasting an electoral shift in the upcoming midterm elections. She also pointed to waning public approval for Trump’s economic and immigration policies in making her case.
Why keeping lawmakers in DC during shutdown may have caused more harm than good
“I can’t believe they just left!” “Why didn’t they just stay until they fixed it?” “Why didn’t they make them stay?” I must have fielded forty questions last week from colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Even reporters and editorial staff from other news organizations. And that’s to say nothing of a few Congressional aides. Everyone had the same question. They were in disbelief that lawmakers just abandoned the Capitol a week ago Thursday and left the Department of Homeland Security without funding on Saturday at 12:00:01 am et. COAST GUARD CAUGHT AS ‘COLLATERAL DAMAGE’ IN DEMOCRATS’ DHS SHUTDOWN AS CHINA, RUSSIA PRESS US WATERS The Senate tried twice to avert the partial government shutdown on Thursday. The Senate failed to break a filibuster on a placeholder, undetermined funding bill. And then Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., objected to a request by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., to approve a stopgap, two-week funding bill. Passage of the bill would require agreement of all 100 senators. But all it took was one objection. And Murphy, speaking for many Democrats on both sides of the Capitol, interceded to sidetrack Britt’s effort. “I’m over it!” shouted an exasperated Britt on the Senate floor, as Congress pitched at least part of the federal government into its third shutdown since October 1. Democrats are refusing to fund the Department of Homeland Security until there’s a specific agreement to reform U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). And – few Democrats will say this out loud – but their base insists on Democrats shuttering DHS over ICE tactics after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. This is somewhat ironic. Republicans funded ICE through 2029 via last year’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill. So thanks to Democrats, TSA, the Coast Guard and FEMA – all under the DHS aegis – are without money right now. That means tens of thousands of employees are technically working without paychecks as they scan passengers at airports, patrol the seas and respond to natural disasters. This brings us back to the basic question: Why didn’t they just stay until they figured it out? As a reporter, I have covered dozens of shutdowns, partial shutdowns, near shutdowns, flirtations with shutdowns. That’s to say nothing of various permutations of interim spending bills – long and short – known as Continuing Resolutions or CRs. Those bills keep the funding flowing at the old spending level – until lawmakers all agree on something new. Sometimes one CR begets another CR. And even another one after that until everything’s resolved. The exercise can go on for months. HOW ICE WENT FROM POST-9/11 COUNTERTERROR AGENCY TO CENTER OF THE IMMIGRATION FIGHT But as it pertains to DHS, lawmakers weren’t going to solve the issues surrounding ICE right away. So both the House and Senate got out of Dodge last Thursday as the deadline loomed. Lawmakers were everywhere from the Middle East to Munich when the bell tolled midnight Saturday and DHS lumbered into a slow-speed funding crash. Failure to fund the Department of Homeland Security may seem unreasonable from a policy standpoint – regardless of what you think of ICE. But it’s not unreasonable if you understand the politics and Congressional procedure to fund ICE. Let’s say they were on the precipice of an agreement to fund DHS. That may involve some last-minute trading of paper between Senate and House leaders. Maybe a call or two from the President to reluctant Republicans. If lawmakers believed a deal was within range, it’s doubtful that leaders would have cut Members loose. They would have stayed if there was a viable path to nail something down last Friday, have the Senate expedite the process and vote on either Saturday or Sunday (albeit after the deadline) and then have the House vote on Monday. That’s all under the premise of a deal being close. They were nowhere near that stage when lawmakers called it last Thursday. Democrats didn’t send over their offer for days after a brief shutdown of 78 percent of the government more than two weeks ago. Democrats then criticized Republicans and the White House for slowly volleying a counteroffer. Democrats then rejected the GOP plan – only sending back another plan late Monday. Getting a deal which can pass both the House and Senate – and overcome a Senate filibuster – takes time. And there simply wasn’t a deal to be had yet. This is where things get really interesting. With no agreement in sight, you simply don’t anchor lawmakers in Washington with nothing to do. There’s nothing to vote on. There are no committee meetings scheduled. All tethering lawmakers to DC does is stir up trouble. There’s a line in the song “Trouble” in The Music Man by Meredith Willson: “The idle brain is the devil’s playground.” Who knows what kinds of mischief you would have, just making very cranky lawmakers hang around Washington for days – without anything to vote on. Keeping everyone here does not contribute to securing a deal. Yes, all 532 House and Senate Members (there are two House vacancies) must eventually be dialed-in to vote on a bill to fund DHS. But we aren’t there yet. A handful of Members in the House, Senate and people at the White House will be the ones to negotiate an agreement. Rank-and-file Members marooned in Washington with nothing to do but post outrageous things on social media and appear on cable TV is counterproductive. Now, let’s look at the other scenario of being close to an agreement. House and Senate leaders may believe they are still a little short of votes. But if something is viable, leaders know they can nail down the votes with some arm-twisting, legislative and ego massaging and a few forceful phone calls. Yes, that process may require elbow grease. But in that instance, keeping everyone in Washington for a few extra days and blowing up a long-awaited Congressional recess actually helps the process. DHS SHUTDOWN LEAVES LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ON THEIR
Suspect identified after fatal shooting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate: officials
A man was shot and killed early Sunday after allegedly breaching the secure perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, the U.S. Secret Service said. The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. when the suspect made an “unauthorized entry” through the north gate of the resort as another vehicle was exiting. The man has been identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed to Fox News. The suspect was observed carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. Agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) confronted him. “They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun. He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him – at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw told reporters. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.” SECRET SERVICE THWARTS POTENTIAL THREAT NEAR TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS WITH RAPID RESPONSE Bradshaw said the suspect did not exchange any words with law enforcement officers who instructed the man to “drop the items.” The man was pronounced dead at the scene. No Secret Service or PBSO personnel were injured, and no Secret Service protectees were present at the location during the time of the incident, officials said. Trump was at the White House at the time of the breach, even though he frequently spends weekends at Mar-a-Lago, according to The Associated Press. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the man is believed to have bought the shotgun while traveling south, and authorities later discovered the weapon’s box inside his vehicle, The Associated Press reported. The Moore County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that a relative reported Martin missing around 1:38 a.m. Sunday. He was entered into a national missing person database before federal authorities informed local officials they were conducting an active investigation in Florida related to Martin. BONGINO DETAILS FBI’S ‘ZERO-FAIL MISSION’ AFTER HUNTING STAND FOUND NEAR TRUMP’S AIR FORCE ONE EXIT AREA The sheriff’s office said it had no prior history with the 21-year-old and has since turned over the missing person case information to federal authorities. It is not involved in the Florida investigation. The incident, including the suspect’s background, actions and potential motive, as well as the circumstances surrounding the use of force, are under investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said they are working to compile a psychological profile as part of the investigation, according to The Associated Press. FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles said the bureau is assisting in the investigation because the shooting occurred in an area under Secret Service protection. He said the FBI’s evidence response team is processing the scene and collecting evidence, and urged residents who live nearby to review their exterior cameras for footage from Saturday night into early Saturday morning. “If you see anything that looks suspicious or out of place, please contact us,” he told reporters. FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X that his agency is “dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning’s incident,” and “will continue working closely with @SecretService as well [as] our state and federal partners and will provide updates as we are able.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X that the U.S. Secret Service “acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home.” The breach comes after Trump faced two assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign.
Armed man shot and killed after ‘unauthorized entry’ into Mar-a-Lago: Secret Service
A man in his early 20s was shot and killed early Sunday after allegedly breaching the secure perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, the U.S. Secret Service announced. The Secret Service said the incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. when the suspect made an “unauthorized entry” at the property. The individual was observed near the north gate carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. Agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) confronted the man who was pronounced dead at the scene. SECRET SERVICE THWARTS POTENTIAL THREAT NEAR TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS WITH RAPID RESPONSE Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed to Fox News that the suspect was 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina. No Secret Service or PBSO personnel were injured, and no Secret Service protectees were present at the location during the time of the incident, officials said. Trump was also not in Florida when the shooting occurred. The FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office are investigating, including the man’s background, actions and potential motive, as well as the use of force. Bradshaw said at a press conference that a deputy and two Secret Service agents on the detail went to investigate after an individual made his way onto the “inner perimeter” of Mar-a-Lago. BONGINO DETAILS FBI’S ‘ZERO-FAIL MISSION’ AFTER HUNTING STAND FOUND NEAR TRUMP’S AIR FORCE ONE EXIT AREA “They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun. He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him – at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw told reporters. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.” He said the suspect did not exchange any words with law enforcement officers who instructed the man to “drop the items.” FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles said the bureau is assisting in the investigation because the shooting occurred in an area under Secret Service protection. He said the FBI’s evidence response team is processing the scene and collecting evidence, and urged residents who live nearby to review their exterior cameras for footage from Saturday night into early Saturday morning. “If you see anything that looks suspicious or out of place, please contact us,” he told reporters. FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X that his agency “is dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning’s incident,” and “will continue working closely with @SecretService as well our state and federal partners and will provide updates as we are able.”
Exiled Iranian princess: Islamic regime ‘has never been this close’ to falling, people ‘begging’ Trump to help
Exiled Iranian Princess Noor Pahlavi made an impassioned plea for President Donald Trump‘s help this weekend, saying the Iranian had never been so close to overthrowing supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Pahlavi made the statement during an interview with The California Post, saying her “heart breaks” over Iran despite the fact that she has never stepped foot there. Her grandfather, the former Shah of Iran, was deposed roughly 47 years ago. “Imagine if this were happening to you and your country,” she said, referencing a crackdown on regime protesters. “It’s happening at the hands of the government, the government that’s meant to protect them. “It’s literally a government waging war on its own citizens. It’s just incredibly painful to watch, to hear about. And it’s hard for people here to see and hear about. But it’s our responsibility not to look away,” she added. IRAN’S PRESIDENT STRIKES SOFTER TONE ON NUCLEAR TALKS AFTER TRUMP’S WARNING THAT ‘BAD THINGS WOULD HAPPEN’ “It’s never been this close, and the regime has never been this weak,” she continued. “The people really listened when the president told them that help was on the way and that they should continue taking to the streets. They’ve named streets after him. They’re holding up signs with his face on them. They’re begging him to come in and help them because they’re fighting this government empty handed,” she added. The Trump administration has been building up U.S. military strength near Iran for weeks. Potential U.S. military strikes on Iran could target specific individuals and even pursue regime change, according to a new report. GLOBAL PROTESTS CALL FOR IRAN REGIME CHANGE IN MAJOR CITIES WORLDWIDE AFTER BLOODY CRACKDOWN Two U.S. officials who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity reportedly said those are options that have emerged in the planning stage, if ordered by President Donald Trump. They did not say which individuals could be targeted, but Trump, notably, in 2020 ordered the U.S. military attack that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force. Trump already said Friday that he is “considering” a limited military strike on Iran to pressure its leaders into a deal over its nuclear program, when asked by a reporter at the White House. Last week, when questioned if he wanted regime change in Iran, the president said, “Well it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.” Trump on Thursday suggested the window for a breakthrough is narrowing in talks with Iran, indicating Tehran has no more than “10, 15 days, pretty much maximum” to reach an agreement. “We’re either going to get a deal, or it’s going to be unfortunate for them,” he said.
Trump sending US military hospital ship to Greenland to ‘take care’ of sick
President Donald Trump‘s designs to take over Greenland have been quiet for a few weeks, but a Joint Arctic Command medical evacuation by Denmark on Saturday now has the U.S. sending a “great hospital boat” to take care of the “sick.” “Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there,” Trump wrote Saturday night on Truth Social. “It’s on the way!!!” Gov. Landry was designated the special envoy to Greenland in December and held formal discussions of the road map of Trump’s designs to solidify Arctic security from threats from Russia or China. Then in late January, Landry spoke with NATO leadership and expressed support for a “framework of a future deal” to expand U.S. influence in the region. TRUMP WARNS US CAN NO LONGER THINK ‘PURELY OF PEACE’ AS HE PUSHES FOR GREENLAND CONTROL Landry, who was in Washington, D.C., for the national governors meeting late last week, thanked Trump for his support for Greenland. “Proud to work with you on this important issue!” Landry replied on X to Trump’s Truth Social post. The news comes as Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command evacuated a crew member who required urgent medical treatment from a U.S. submarine in Greenlandic waters, seven nautical miles outside of Greenland’s capital of Nuuk. TOP NATO OFFICIAL REVEALS DETAILS OF STUNNING MEETING WITH TRUMP THAT PRODUCED GREENLAND DEAL ‘FRAMEWORK’ The crew member has been transferred to the Greenlandic health authorities via a Danish Defense Seahawk helicopter to a hospital in Nuuk, according to the Joint Arctic Command. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen did not directly reject Trump’s overture, but he did tell Danish broadcaster DR on Sunday that Greenland is all set. “The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs,” Poulsen said. “They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialized treatment, they receive it in Denmark. TRUMP KEEPS MACRON UNDER SPOTLIGHT AS GREENLAND TALKS GRIND FORWARD FROM DAVOS “So it’s not as if there’s a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland.” Danish King Frederik paid a second visit to Greenland in a year last week, an attempt to demonstrate unity with the territory in the face of Trump’s push to buy the island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen did not directly address the Trump post on his own Facebook account hours later, but she did extoll socialist ideology on healthcare “for all.” NORAD AIRCRAFT TO ARRIVE IN GREENLAND FOR ROUTINE EXERCISES “Am happy to live in a country where there is free and equal access to health for all,” Frederiksen wrote in a translated post, sharing a Democrat attack point on Trump’s Republican Party’s struggles to reform what Trump has rebuked as a “failure” of Obamacare. “Where it’s not insurances and wealth that determine whether you get proper treatment. You have the same approach in Greenland.” The U.S. Navy has two hospital ships, the Mercy and the Comfort. Both were last docked in Alabama for repairs, according to Reuters. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
WATCH: Top 5 most memorable moments in American State of the Union history
President Donald Trump will deliver his first official State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday night before a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, as viewers watch for viral moments and headline-grabbing exchanges like those that have defined past speeches. Here are the top five moments from past State of the Union addresses. It’s become commonplace in recent years for presidents to acknowledge guests in the audience during State of the Union addresses, but President Ronald Reagan’s 1982 speech was the first time the practice was rolled out. Reagan’s speech came just weeks after Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into Washington’s 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River shortly after taking off in an accident that killed 78 people. NANCY PELOSI SAYS SHE HAD ‘NO INTENTION’ OF TEARING UP TRUMP’S 2020 STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH Three people survived the crash thanks to civilians on the ground who rushed to their aid, including Congressional Budget Office assistant Lenny Skutnik, who stripped off his shoes and clothes and dove into the frigid waters. Reagan honored Skutnik in his speech, which made honoring people in the crowd a common theme in the years to come. “Just two weeks ago, in the midst of a terrible tragedy on the Potomac, we saw again the spirit of American heroism at its finest — the heroism of dedicated rescue workers saving crash victims from icy waters,” Reagan said. “And we saw the heroism of one of our young government employees, Lenny Skutnik, who, when he saw a woman lose her grip on the helicopter line, dived into the water and dragged her to safety.” Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sparked a social media firestorm and cemented herself in State of the Union infamy in February 2020 when she stood up and tore Trump’s speech into pieces after he had finished. When Fox News asked Pelosi afterward why she did it, she responded, “Because it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives.” She added, “I tore it up. I was trying to find one page with truth on it. I couldn’t.” Pelosi’s outburst came on the heels of Trump’s first impeachment trial, which ended in a Senate acquittal the day after the speech. “Speaker Pelosi just ripped up: One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen. The survival of a child born at 21 weeks. The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller. A service member’s reunion with his family. That’s her legacy,” the White House tweeted after Pelosi tore up the speech, referencing individuals who Trump mentioned during his address. One of the most remembered moments from a State of the Union address came in 2009 when South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson interrupted President Barack Obama’s address, which at the time was far less common than it later became. HOW TO WATCH PRESIDENT TRUMP’S 2026 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS TO CONGRESS LIVE “There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants,” Obama said, talking about his controversial Obamacare plan. “This, too, is false. The reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.” “You lie!” Wilson shouted from his seat on the Republican side of the chamber, causing widespread yelling from other members in the audience. Wilson later apologized to Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. “This evening, I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the president’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill,” Wilson said in a written statement. “While I disagree with the president’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.” “You put them in, 13 of them,” GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert shouted at Biden as he talked about Afghanistan veterans who ended up in caskets due to exposure to toxic burn pits. Boebert was referencing the 13 U.S. service members killed during Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Boebert was wearing an outfit that said “Drill Baby Drill” in opposition to Biden’s energy policies and her outburst drew some boos from the audience. At another point, Boebert started chanting “build the wall” when Biden was talking about immigration. “Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage — I get it — unless I agree to their economic plans,” Biden said to Congress, prompting a shake of the head from GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the background and shouts from the crowd and shots of other Republicans shaking their heads. “Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans, some Republicans, want Medicare and Social Security to sunset,” Biden continued, which caused an even more pronounced shake of the head from McCarthy, who mouthed “no” as Republicans continued to jeer. “I’m not saying it’s the majority,” Biden continued, which resulted in even more boos from the raucous crowd. “Let me give you — anybody who doubts it, contact my office. I’ll give you a copy — I’ll give you a copy of the proposal,” Biden continued to say over increasingly louder shouting from the crowd. “That means Congress doesn’t vote — I’m glad to see — no, I tell you, I enjoy conversion,” Biden said, apparently meaning to say “conversation.” Biden’s speech continued to devolve from there as Republican outrage interrupted him on multiple occasions.