EXCLUSIVE: Gabbard answers Democrats — and explains why Trump personally sent her to Fulton County
EXCLUSIVE: Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard detailed her ongoing election security assessment in a letter to congressional lawmakers Monday, saying President Donald Trump “specifically directed” her to be present for the execution of a search warrant in Fulton County, Georgia, last week as part of the probe. Gabbard sent a letter, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, addressed to Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. The letter was also sent to House and Senate leadership, as well as GOP leadership on both committees. The letter is in response to one sent in late January by Warner and Himes, in which they requested Gabbard brief them on why she was present at the FBI search of an election office in Fulton County, Georgia. Gabbard announced in April 2025 that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) was investigating electronic voting systems in order to protect election integrity. TRUMP CONFIRMS WHAT TULSI GABBARD WAS DOING AT GEORGIA ELECTION CENTER In the letter, Gabbard said Trump instructed her to be present at the FBI’s execution of a search warrant at the Office of the Clerk of the Court of Fulton County, Georgia, Wednesday. “For a brief period of time, I accompanied FBI Deputy Director Bailey and Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Ellis in observing FBI personnel executing that search warrant, issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia pursuant to a probable cause finding,” she wrote. Gabbard said her “presence was requested by the President and executed under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security, including counterintelligence (CI), foreign and other malign influence, and cybersecurity.” “The FBI’s Intelligence/Counterintelligence divisions are one of the 18 elements that I oversee,” she said. DNI Press Secretary Oliva Coleman told Fox News Digital in a statement, “President Trump’s directive to secure our elections was clear, and DNI Gabbard has and will proudly continue to take actions within her authorities, alongside our interagency partners, including the FBI, to support ensuring the integrity of our elections.” Gabbard said senior FBI officials in twelve field offices nationwide, including Atlanta, are “dual-hatted” as Domestic DNI-Representatives under a program established through a 2011 memorandum of understanding between ODNI and the FBI, adding that she has visited several of those officials as part of her oversight of domestic threats, including risks to critical infrastructure. “While visiting the FBI Field Office in Atlanta, I thanked the FBI agents for their professionalism and great work, and facilitated a brief phone call for the President to thank the agents personally for their work,” Gabbard said. “He did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directives.” FBI AGENTS SEARCH ELECTION HUB IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA Gabbard stressed that the ODNI’s Office of General Counsel “has found my actions to be consistent and well within my statutory authority as the Director of National Intelligence.” In late January, FBI agents were seen carrying out a search at an election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, a location that became ground zero for concerns and complaints about voter fraud beginning in 2020. The search warrant authorized the seizure of election records, voting rolls, and other data tied to the 2020 election, according to a copy of the warrant reviewed by Fox News. Gabbard went on to address specific questions initially posed by Warner and Himes, detailing how election security “is a national security issue.” “Interference in U.S. elections is a threat to our republic and a national security threat,” she writes. “The President and his Administration are committed to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. elections to ensure that neither foreign nor domestic powers undermine the American people’s right to determine who our elected leaders are.” Gabbard said Trump “tasked ODNI with taking all appropriate actions” under her statutory authorities toward “ensuring the integrity of our elections” and specifically directed her to observe the execution of the Fulton County search warrant. She added that ODNI has been “actively reviewing intelligence reporting and assessments on election integrity” since she took office. “As part of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center’s responsibility to lead, manage, and coordinate counterintelligence matters related to election security, NCSC personnel traveled with me to Fulton County to support this effort,” she wrote, noting that they were not present during the execution of the warrant. In the letter, Gabbard stressed that the DNI has “broad authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security.” She also said ODNI is “the lead intelligence agency in the Joint Cyber Planning Office,” which coordinates and oversees the nation’s strategy to secure critical cyber infrastructure, “including cyber infrastructure used for elections.” The DNI told lawmakers that ODNI “will not irresponsibly share incomplete intelligence assessments concerning foreign or other malign interference in U.S. elections.” “As I publicly stated on 10 April 2025, there is information and intelligence reporting suggesting that electronic voting systems being used in the United States have long been vulnerable to exploitation that could result in enabling determined actors to manipulate the results of the votes being cast with the intent of changing the outcome of an election,” she wrote. ODNI and the intelligence community continue to collect and assess intelligence related to the threat, she added, to ensure the security and integrity of U.S. elections. Gabbard previously raised similar concerns during an April 2025 Cabinet meeting, when she said ODNI had evidence that electronic voting systems have long been vulnerable to exploitation and argued the findings supported a broader push for paper ballots. Meanwhile, in the letter, Gabbard explained that the process of assessing the intelligence “ensures that the IC’s finished intelligence products are objective, independent of political considerations, and based on all available sources.” “I will share our intelligence assessments with Congress once they are complete,” she said. Gabbard said that the National Security Act of 1947 specifically highlights that the law
DHS Secretary Noem to testify before key House committee amid spotlight on deportation agenda
FIRST ON FOX: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has agreed to appear before the House Judiciary Committee next month, marking her second commitment to testify before Congress amid heightened scrutiny of the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation agenda. Noem will sit for a hearing with the House panel on March 4, Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital in a brief interview. Jordan said Noem’s appearance was part of routine oversight of Cabinet members over whom his panel has jurisdiction. He noted that it was unrelated to committee Democrats’ recent demand letter to Jordan that he bring Noem in for questioning about the two high-profile killings of U.S. citizens in Minnesota during immigration operations. BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN VOWS TO STAY IN MINNESOTA ‘UNTIL THE PROBLEM’S GONE’ Both incidents are under investigation by the FBI, but the Democrats, led by ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., accused Noem of making premature remarks as a “cover-up” for her department’s mistakes. Jordan said one of his focuses during the hearing will be on so-called sanctuary cities and states, which typically have policies in place that limit or block local law enforcement from notifying federal authorities about anyone who has been detained in a local jail who has a questionable immigration status. Jordan said sanctuary jurisdictions raised a “fundamental question.” “You’ve got a guy in your jail who’s done some bad thing — that’s why he’s in your jail. — and, oh, also happens to be here illegally, and you’re not going to work with ICE. … I think the vast majority of the country thinks that’s just stupid,” Jordan said. “So I think that’s a point we have to stress.” Noem is also set to appear on March 3 before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Both testimonies come as DHS has been caught up in hundreds of court cases challenging arrests and detentions of suspected illegal immigrants. It also comes after Noem initially said both Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the two U.S. citizens killed by immigration authorities during chaotic altercations in Minnesota, were “domestic terrorists.” Noem and other Trump administration officials’ jump to make such comments on the killings before the conclusion of an investigation spurred backlash, including from some Republicans. President Donald Trump responded by rearranging immigration operations in Minnesota, pushing out their leader, Greg Bovino, and bringing in border czar Tom Homan. NOEM SAYS DHS CAN ‘ALWAYS DO BETTER’ WHEN PRESSED ON AGENCY’S ‘MISTAKES’ BEFORE HOMAN’S DEPLOYMENT Federal authorities are continuing to investigate whether agents legally used lethal force in the two incidents. Trump recently defended Noem in a Truth Social post, accusing “Radical Left Lunatics” of targeting her “because she is a woman, and has done a really GREAT JOB!”
Clintons agree to testify after House threatens contempt in Jeffrey Epstein probe
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation after lawmakers moved toward holding them in criminal contempt of Congress. The committee said in a post on X that the Clintons were “trying to dodge contempt by requesting special treatment,” adding that “The Clintons are not above the law.” Angel Ureña, deputy chief of staff to Bill Clinton, confirmed in a post on X that both Clintons will appear before the panel. “They negotiated in good faith. You did not,” Ureña wrote. “But the former president and former Secretary of State will be there and look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone.” CLINTON SPOKESMAN LASHES OUT AT COMER OVER EPSTEIN PROBE AS CONTEMPT VOTE NEARS The committee is examining what the Clintons may have known about Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, including scrutiny of Hillary Clinton’s role overseeing U.S. efforts to combat international sex trafficking while serving as Secretary of State. A source familiar sent Fox News Digital text of the email the Clintons’ attorneys sent to the House Oversight Committee confirming they would testify on terms set by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. DEMOCRATS DODGE QUESTIONS AS HOUSE GOP PREPARES CONTEMPT VOTES AGAINST THE CLINTONS “Please be advised, and please advise the Chairman, that my clients accept the terms of your letter and will appear for depositions on mutually agreeable dates,” the text read. “As has been the Committee’s practice, please confirm the House will not move forward with contempt proceedings, as the Chairman stated in his letter this morning.” CLINTON SPOKESMAN LASHES OUT AT COMER OVER EPSTEIN PROBE AS CONTEMPT VOTE NEARS Ranking member Robert Garcia said the message amounted to full compliance with the committee’s demands. “I mean, they sent us and the Republicans affirmation that they’ve accepted every single term that James Comer has asked for, and that they’re willing to come in and testify,” Garcia said. Comer, however, disputed that characterization, telling Fox News Digital the agreement lacked specificity. “The Clintons’ counsel has said they agree to terms, but those terms lack clarity yet again, and they have provided no dates for their depositions,” Comer said. “The only reason they have said they agree to terms is because the House has moved forward with contempt. I will clarify the terms they are agreeing to and then discuss next steps with my committee members.” The Clintons’ change of heart led the House to temporarily pause proceedings on holding them in contempt on Monday night. The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation gets a chamber-wide vote, had been preparing to advance the contempt resolutions but abruptly changed course late Monday. It’s not clear when the postponed effort will continue, or if it will. Democrats on the committee have pointed out that Comer has not pushed to hold others who did not appear in contempt, nor has he made any threats against the DOJ for failing to produce all of its documents on Epstein by a deadline agreed to by Congress late last year. The department has produced a fraction of the documents expected so far.
House GOP majority shrinks to just one vote as Johnson swears in new House Democrat
The House Republican majority just got reduced to a perilously slim one-vote margin thanks to a Democrat’s victory in Texas over the weekend. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., swore in newly minted Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, on Monday evening, bringing the overall House of Representatives margin to 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats. That means if a bill gets no Democratic support and the House is in full attendance, losing more than one GOP vote will result in a 216-216 tie — meaning it would fail to pass. DEMOCRATIC TAKEOVER FEARS SOAR AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS CLING TO FRAGILE MAJORITY Johnson is no stranger to dealing with slim margins and has eked out significant GOP victories while dealing with majorities between two and three seats. But this is a particularly difficult week for House GOP leaders who are scrambling to end an ongoing partial government shutdown. The House is expected to vote on a funding compromise hashed out between Senate Democrats and the White House sometime on Tuesday, and Republicans will need nearly everyone in lockstep for the legislation to survive a chamber-wide “rule vote.” Rule votes are procedural hurdles that traditionally fall along partisan lines. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: HOUSE EXODUS THREATENS JOHNSON’S GRIP ON POWER AS OVER 40 MEMBERS HEAD FOR EXIT Menefee, a former attorney for Houston’s Harris County, won a special congressional election in a left-leaning district in Texas that has been vacant for nearly a year. He’s replacing the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, who died while in office in March 2025. The Associated Press reported that Menefee defeated former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards, a fellow Democrat, in Saturday’s runoff election to fill the seat left vacant when Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner died last March. Sylvester, a former longtime state lawmaker, served two terms as Houston mayor before winning election to Congress in 2024 to fill the seat of the late longtime Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. While Texas has redrawn its congressional maps for the 2026 midterms, as part of the high-stakes redistricting battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats, the special election used the state’s current district lines. The addition of another lawmaker into the House Democrats’ ranks will give Republican leadership in the chamber further headaches. And House GOP leaders are painfully aware of the politically difficult situation they’re in. “They’d better be here,” Johnson said of his Republican members last month. “I told everybody, and not in jest, I said, no adventure sports, no risk-taking, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and be here.”
Fox News Poll: Too Fast, Too Unchecked? Voters sound off on rapid AI use & government regulation
As the emphasis on implementing artificial intelligence across society grows, voters think the use of AI technology is happening too fast — and they have little confidence the federal government can regulate it properly. The latest Fox News poll finds 6 in 10 registered voters feel the use of artificial intelligence is moving too quickly in the United States, while another 3 in 10 feels it’s progressing at the right pace. Just 6% say it’s moving too slowly. Although most think the use of AI is going too fast, there are some differences along demographic lines: Women, White voters, those ages 65+, and Democrats are more likely to say things are moving too fast compared to men, nonwhite voters, those under age 30, and Republicans. FOX NEWS POLL: AN EARLY LOOK AT THE 2026 MIDTERMS In addition, 63% lack faith in the federal government’s ability to properly regulate AI, a view that has been largely consistent since 2023. Thirty-six percent have a great deal or some confidence in the government’s ability. The main demographic groups where more than half are confident in the government regulating AI include MAGA supporters (57%), Republican men (55%), and very conservatives (52%). FOX NEWS POLL: 59% OF VOTERS SAY ICE IS TOO AGGRESSIVE, UP 10 POINTS SINCE JULY Despite all the hype, a slim majority of voters (53%) say artificial intelligence has not made much difference in their life, while the remaining half splits between saying AI has personally helped them (26%) vs. harmed them (20%). Those most likely to feel artificial intelligence has helped them are subsets of men, including dads (46%) and men under age 45 (43%). Voters under age 30 also feel AI has more likely benefited them (45% helped, 28% harmed). Those most likely to feel harmed are nonwhite women (33%) and moms (29%). CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted January 23-26, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,005 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (106) and cellphones (645) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (254). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
Kristi Noem orders immediate body camera deployment for Minneapolis federal officers after deadly shootings
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said DHS will immediately deploy body cameras to every federal officer in the field in Minneapolis, with plans to expand the program nationwide as funding allows. The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of body camera use in federal immigration enforcement operations, as recent shootings in Minneapolis highlighted uneven policies across agencies and raised questions about transparency and accountability. “I just spoke with @RealTomHoman @ICEdirector @CBPCommissioner,” Noem wrote on X. “Effective immediately, we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis. “As funding is available, the body camera program will be expanded nationwide,” she continued. “We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country. The most transparent administration in American history — thank you President Donald Trump.” BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN VOWS TO STAY IN MINNESOTA ‘UNTIL THE PROBLEM’S GONE’ Noem concluded with, “Make America Safe Again.” Trump said Monday that the decision to deploy body cameras in Minneapolis was made by Noem, telling reporters he deferred to her judgment and said the devices are “generally” beneficial for law enforcement because they document encounters. DHS PROBES WHETHER AGENTS KILLED VA NURSE FOLLOWING ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE DURING MINNEAPOLIS ICE RAID Trump added that body cameras are “80% good for law enforcement,” arguing they help prevent false claims about what happens during encounters and said he was comfortable with the rollout if Noem wanted to move forward. The issue has come into sharper focus in Minneapolis following recent immigration enforcement shootings, including the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers who were wearing body cameras and the separate killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was not. NOEM UNLOADS ON WALZ OVER ICE RAID CRITICISM: ‘REALLY? YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS?’ Good, 37, was shot and killed by the ICE agent during a federal operation in south Minneapolis earlier this year. ICE has been gradually rolling out body-worn cameras nationwide, including during recent high-profile arrests, but the team involved in the operation that led to Good’s death did not have the devices equipped, sources said. Persistent gaps in camera deployment across federal immigration operations have raised questions about consistency and accountability.
Longtime Trump aide’s Mar-a-Lago wedding draws top admin officials
Dan Scavino, White House deputy chief of staff and a longtime aide to President Donald Trump, got married Sunday at Mar-a-Lago in a ceremony attended by the president and a host of senior administration officials. Speaking briefly to reporters ahead of the wedding, Trump called it a “big day” and praised the attendees as “very loyal, very fantastic people.” Among those in attendance were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Billionaire Elon Musk was also present. Other senior figures included White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and policy chief Stephen Miller. KAROLINE LEAVITT IS EXPECTING A BABY GIRL IN MAY 2026, SAYS MOTHERHOOD IS ‘CLOSEST THING TO HEAVEN ON EARTH’ Several members of the Trump family attended, including Donald Trump Jr., his fiancée Bettina Anderson, his ex-wife Vanessa Trump, and their daughter Kai. WHITE HOUSE TOUTS TRUMP’S ‘BOLD VISION’ FOR TOWERING INDEPENDENCE ARCH FOR AMERICA 250 “Congratulations! Wonderful wedding with amazing people,” Musk wrote on X following the ceremony. First lady Melania Trump was not in attendance. Scavino, 50, announced his engagement in September, sharing footage of the proposal online. A fixture in Trump’s inner circle since 2015, Scavino has served in multiple senior communications roles across both administrations.
PETA’s push to retire Punxsutawney Phil sparks rare bipartisan backlash
Pennsylvania Democrats and Republicans are finding rare common ground — defending Punxsutawney Phil from animal rights activists. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) and GOP lawmakers are jointly rejecting pressure from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to retire the famed groundhog after he predicted six more weeks of winter on Monday. Shapiro amplified the moment on social media by posting an image of a yellow Gadsden flag — a symbol associated with conservative politics and the 2010s Tea Party movement — but with the typical snake replaced by a groundhog. GROUNDHOG DAY: PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL MAKES 140TH WEATHER PREDICTION Meanwhile, the leader of the Pennsylvania House Republican caucus told Fox News Digital that PETA’s latest idea, to replace Phil with a groundhog hologram, is off base. “PETA lacks as much good taste as they do credibility here. Punxsutawney Phil and the celebration of Groundhog Day are core parts of what it means to be Pennsylvanian and are cherished by the nation,” said House Minority Leader Jesse Topper of Bedford. “On top of that, Phil is treated like royalty, and rightfully so,” Topper said, referencing his spacious library digs that also include a large window allowing sunlight and the smiles of passersby. “It sounds like it is time PETA be forcibly retired from bad takes and outlandish viewpoints.” In a statement, PETA said it wants to give Groundhog Day a “much-needed glow-up.” “Retire Phil to a reputable sanctuary with his family, and we’ll provide a giant, state-of-the-art, 3-D projection hologram of a groundhog along with a vocal prognostication to light up the Gobbler’s Knob stage,” PETA said in a statement. Pennsylvania Deputy Tourism Secretary Anne Ryan said in a statement that Punxsutawney Phil “draws national and international attention” to Pennsylvania every year. “Six more weeks of winter means more time to enjoy everything that makes this season special — from skiing and snowboarding to cozy small towns, historic sites, and festive winter events,” Ryan said, alluding to the commonwealth’s latest tourism slogan, “The Great American Getaway.” Punxsutawney Phil lives with his wife Phyllis and their young kit at the Jefferson County Library in downtown Punxsutawney, halfway between Altoona and Erie. The famed groundhog’s support extends well beyond his burrow. Across Pennsylvania’s historically German regions, including the Lehigh Valley and Dutch Country, Groundhog Day is marked by feasts hosted by more than a dozen “Grundsau Lodsch,” or Groundhog Lodges, featuring traditional food, music and weather forecasts delivered in the Pennsylfaanisch dialect. There is also the famous 1993 Bill Murray film named after the holiday.
Education experts warn Mamdani plan could gut NYC gifted programs, hurt low-income students
Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has outlined plans to scale back the city’s Gifted and Talented program, prompting some education experts to warn that doing so could deprive high-achieving students, particularly those from low-income families, of critical academic opportunities. Recent media reports indicate that Mamdani, who took office in January, intends to end the city’s Gifted and Talented program for kindergarten students and delay entry until third grade, a move critics argue would amount to a major weakening of accelerated learning options in the nation’s largest school district. The plan is drawing sharp criticism from Defending Education, a national education watchdog group that previously fought, and won, a years-long legal battle to preserve New York’s gifted programs after it was argued that the admissions system had discriminatory effects and reinforced racial inequities in education. “The Court of Appeals rightly concluded that the role of the judiciary is not to make education policy,” Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital, adding that the program complied with state education law and equal protection requirements. GOT A SCOOP ON CAMPUS? SEND US A TIP HERE But Perry warned that Mamdani’s policy agenda could undo what the courts upheld. “As we suspected he might, newly minted democratic socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani — himself, a product of expensive private schools — has pledged to shut down the gifted and talented program, despite the fact that it has helped countless students from humble backgrounds achieve their full academic potential,” Perry told Fox News Digital. “Depriving kids of much-needed advanced learning opportunities is not only foolhardy, but it’s also the height of hypocrisy coming from someone who was born into affluence and attended costly private schools. Apparently, Mamdani believes only the privileged should have access to various educational opportunities.” ‘FULL-BLOWN BATTLE’ BREWING IN DEM PARTY AS MAMDANI-STYLE CANDIDATES RISE IN KEY RACES Mamdani has argued that early gifted testing contributes to inequities in the school system, though critics counter that dismantling selective programs does little to improve outcomes for struggling students while actively harming high performers. Paul Runko, senior director of strategic initiatives for K-12 programs at Defending Education, echoed Perry’s concerns, emphasizing the impact such changes could have on working-class families. “On behalf of parents who simply want the best possible education for their children, Defending Education spent years in court fighting to preserve New York City’s gifted and talented programs against efforts to use the courts to inject race into every aspect of the school system,” Runko said. “Those efforts may succeed if Mayor Zohran Mamdani moves forward with eliminating these accelerated learning opportunities,” he warned. “Students, particularly those from lower-income families who benefit from NYC’s gifted and talented programs, deserve opportunities for academic excellence, not a one-size-fits-all approach that could weaken learning for all students.” Mamdani’s office pushed back on Defending Education’s characterization, telling Fox News Digital that the administration opposes testing five-year-olds for gifted and talented programs but is not eliminating advanced learning opportunities across all grade levels. Mamdani’s office said the focus is instead on reshaping the public school system to provide “rigorous” instruction for all students, rather than separating children at an early age. Mamdani faced heated criticism from his opponents in the mayoral race regarding his plans to change the program, as well as from the Washington Post editorial board in October. “Who could have guessed that Zohran Mamdani (D), the leading candidate to become the next New York mayor, would provoke a firestorm by announcing this week that he intends to phase out the city’s early elementary school programs for gifted students in the name of equity? Parents of bright children want access to schooling that meets their needs?” The Post wrote. “Shocking.”
Sanctioned Russian jet touches down in Cuba, echoing secret flights before Maduro’s ouster
A Russian cargo plane typically used to transfer military equipment landed at a military airfield in Havana Sunday night, echoing flight patterns seen ahead of the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. The U.S.-sanctioned Ilyushin Il-76, operated by Russian state-linked airline Aviacon Zitotrans, was tracked landing at San Antonio de los Baños Airfield, a Cuban military installation roughly 30 miles south of Havana, according to public flight data. Flight-tracking records show the aircraft stopped in St. Petersburg and Sochi in Russia; Mauritania, Africa; and the Dominican Republic. Each landing would have required approval from host governments, offering a window into which countries are continuing to permit Russian military-linked aviation activity despite Western sanctions. The same aircraft conducted flights to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba in late October 2025, as tensions between Washington and Caracas escalated. That movement preceded U.S. military action in Venezuela that ultimately ended Maduro’s rule — a sequence U.S. officials and analysts have since pointed to as a warning indicator when evaluating similar Russian aviation activity in the region. MARCO RUBIO EMERGES AS KEY TRUMP POWER PLAYER AFTER VENEZUELA OPERATION Now, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel finds himself under mounting pressure from President Donald Trump, who has sharply intensified U.S. policy toward Havana in recent weeks. On Thursday, Trump declared a national emergency related to Cuba, asserting that the Cuban government poses an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The administration also said it would impose penalties on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba without U.S. authorization. Trump confirmed Sunday that the U.S. is engaged in direct talks with Cuban officials. TRUMP SAYS CUBA IS ‘READY TO FALL’ AFTER CAPTURE OF VENEZUELA’S MADURO “Cuba is a failing nation. It has been for a long time, but now it doesn’t have Venezuela to prop it up,” Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Florida. “So we’re talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba, to see what happens. I think we’re going to make a deal with Cuba.” Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both have indicated support for political change in Havana, though the administration has not said whether it would pursue that objective through military action. Russian military ties to Cuba have repeatedly triggered concern in Washington. While the Soviet Union’s footprint on the island receded after the Cold War, Moscow has steadily rebuilt defense and intelligence cooperation with Havana over the past decade. U.S. officials have warned that renewed Russian activity in Cuba could pose security risks close to the U.S. mainland. The Il-76 is a heavy transport aircraft capable of carrying roughly 50 tons of cargo or up to 200 personnel, a capability that has drawn scrutiny given the operator’s history. Aviacon Zitotrans has been sanctioned by the United States, Canada and Ukraine for supporting Russia’s defense sector. “Aviacon Zitotrans has shipped military equipment such as rockets, warheads, and helicopter parts all over the world,” the U.S. Treasury Department said in January 2023, when it added the airline to its sanctions list. It remains unclear what cargo the aircraft carried on its most recent flight. During earlier operations in Venezuela, Russian state media and a Russian lawmaker said the same aircraft delivered Pantsir-S1 short-range and Buk-M2E medium-range air defense systems to Caracas.