Happy New Year 2025

Blog

Rory McIlroy snaps at fan’s caddie critique during Genesis Invitational meltdown: ‘Shut the f— up’

Rory McIlroy’s finish at Torrey Pines over the weekend wasn’t going well, and when one fan criticized his caddie, it pushed the wrong button.

McIlroy fell down the leaderboard at the Genesis Invitational after some poor putting, leaving him T-17th for the tournament at 3-under when the final scorecard was signed.

Well, one fan was heard yelling, “Blame your caddie,” according to golf reporter Dan Rapoport.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Rory McIlroy stands on the first hole during the final round of the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. (Denis Poroy-Imagn Images)

“Shut the f— up,” Rapoport said McIlroy retorted.

The fan’s callout to McIlroy came after a missed 12-foot putt that went just past the hole on the right for a missed birdie.

McIlroy’s caddie, Harry Diamond, has been with the PGA Tour star since 2017. Their relationship as childhood friends runs deeper.

LUDVIG ABERG DRAINS FIRST CAREER HOLE-IN-ONE DURING THIRD ROUND OF GENESIS INVITATIONAL

The struggles for McIlroy on the green came on Saturday, as he finished last in shots gained for the day. And there were no major adjustments in his final round on Sunday.

Putting, though, has been a major sticking point for McIlroy since his disastrous meltdown at the 2024 U.S. Open, which Bryson DeChambeau ultimately won.

McIlroy missed two short putts in the final round at Pinehurst No. 2, and those mistakes led to him missing out on his closest chance at his first major since 2014.

Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. (Denis Poroy-Imagn Images)

Naturally, Diamond was brought into the conversation for the reads on those putts, as well as a club choice on the par-3 15th hole in the final round that led McIlroy to hitting it over the green. He would finish with a bogey there.

“You know it’s certainly unfair,” McIlroy said, via Golf Week, in defense of Diamond after the U.S. Open finish.

“But just because Harry is not as vocal or loud with his words as other caddies, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t say anything and that he doesn’t do anything. I just wish that, you know, these guys that criticize when things don’t go my way, they never say anything good when things do go my way. So where were they when I won Dubai earlier this year or Quail Hollow or the two FedEx Cups that I’ve won with Harry or the two Ryder Cups or whatever? They are never there to say Harry did such a great job when I win, but they are always there to criticize when we don’t win.”

Rory McIlroy hits out of the bunker on the 18th hole during the third round of the Genesis Invitational. (Denis Poroy-Imagn Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

McIlroy won earlier this year as well, taking home the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a 21-under finish to beat Shane Lowry by two strokes. McIlroy took home $3.6 million at the PGA Tour signature event.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
Toronto Pearson Airport suffers plane crash, according to reports

Canadian officials say that there was a plane crash at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday afternoon.

The plane crash, which involved a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Toronto, was first reported by CTV. Peel Regional Police says that it is investigating the number of potential injuries, which are unknown as of now.

Pictures across social media show the plane upside down on a snow-covered runway. Toronto Pearson confirmed the crash on X.

“Toronto Pearson is aware of an incident upon landing involving a Delta Airlines plane arriving from Minneapolis,” the airport’s post read. “Emergency teams are responding.”

The airport added that all of the plane’s passengers and crew “are accounted for.”

Authorities are actively investigating the scene.

HARROWING VIDEO FROM MILITARY BASE SHOWS NEW ANGLE OF MIDAIR CRASH CATASTROPHE

Air traffic control tower at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on a sunny day. (iStock)

Reuters contributed to this report. This is a developing story.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].

February 17, 2025
NBA All-Star Game: Damian Lillard loses challenge to college student

A “life-changing” moment will never be forgotten by 18-year-old college student Jaren Barajas, who can add to his young resume that he beat a perennial NBA All-Star in a 3-point contest.

Jaren Barajas won the “MrBeast Logo Shot Challenge” on Sunday night, as he nailed a shot from deep to not only beat Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard but also win $100,000.

“This is going to mean the world to me, it’s going to help my family a lot and definitely my future,” Barajas said, via The Associated Press. “Hopefully it’ll help me pay for my education, which it will.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Jaren Barajas celebrates after participating in a competition against Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks to win $100,000 during the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)

Barajas just needed to hit one shot from deep, while Lillard was tasked with hitting three logo three-pointers. With the clock winding down, Barajas threw one up as the buzzer sounded and the multi-colored ball splashed through the hoop.

The ball smashed off the backboard before going in, and as the expression goes, the bank was open. And it filled Barajas’ own bank account in the process.

WARRIORS’ DRAYMOND GREEN DRAWS BACKLASH FROM NBA GREATS OVER REMARKS ABOUT ALL-STAR GAME, ‘BORING’ GAMES

“It was coming down to the wire, we had 30 seconds left and my dad always tells me, ‘Use the backboard,’” Barajas explained. “That’s what I had to do to make it go in.”

What’s funny is Barajas had no clue he was going to the Chase Center to see the 2025 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, as he’d been hoping to go but didn’t have it on the calendar.

Michael Barajas, his father, found the ticket prices he was looking for and jumped at the opportunity to surprise his son. If that was a surprise to Jaren, imagine how he felt being asked to participate in the contest.

Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots during the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)

“I got surprised with these tickets yesterday, so I didn’t even know I was coming to the game, so to have this experience is so surreal. I’m so thankful,” he said.

Michael added, “He wanted to go to the game, prices were pretty high so I kept watching the prices come down and once I found them where I could afford them, I bought them and surprised him with them yesterday. I can’t believe we’re right here, but I’m glad I did it. He deserves it and I’m proud of him.”

The bank shot is something Jaren will never forget, especially as he celebrated with Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith on the court immediately after it went in. Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry was smiling ear to ear as the crowd roared.

Jaren Barajas poses with his father Michael after beating Damian Lillard in a three-point contest, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Janie McCauley)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

And Lillard found Jaren as well after the defeat to congratulate him, while also showering him with dollar bills.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
DOGE asks public for ‘insights’ on potential waste at SEC

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul joined ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss the need for a gold reserve audit at Ft. Knox and his decision to vote against the Republican budget bill.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is continuing its efforts to find potential wasteful government spending and asking members of the public for their “insights” on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The SEC, which was established in the 1930s, regulates securities markets in the U.S.

The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at SEC headquarters. (Jonathan Ernst / Reuters Photos)

“DOGE is seeking help from the public! Please DM this account with insights on finding and fixing waste, fraud and abuse relating to the Securities and Exchange Commissions,” the Elon Musk-run group wrote Monday on X from an “affiliate” account focused on the agency.

FROM RETURN-TO-OFFICE TO FEDERAL LAYOFFS, HOW TRUMP POLICIES ARE AFFECTING DC HOUSING MARKET: REPORT

The post has notched 1.9 million views and over 16,000 likes to date. Musk posted an emoji of a smiley face with sunglasses in response to it.

The Elon Musk-led group’s appeal to Americans regarding the SEC comes as DOGE has also asked for input from the public on other federal agencies about potentially “reducing waste, fraud, and abuse, along with any helpful insights or awesome ideas.”

DOGE has set up “DOGE affiliate” accounts for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the State Department, NASA, Social Security Administration and multiple other federal agencies.

ELON MUSK’S DOGE PREPARES TO AUDIT US GOLD RESERVES AT FORT KNOX AFTER URGING BY SEN. RAND PAUL

President Donald Trump used an executive order to form DOGE not longer after he took office on Jan. 20. He and Musk have both said the goal of the department is to significantly pare back spending and boost efficiency within the federal government.

President-elect Donald Trump walks with Elon Musk before viewing the launch of a SpaceX Starship rocket, in Brownsville, Texas, Nov. 19, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Pool via / Reuters)

Overall, DOGE is looking to trim $2 trillion in government spending, with Musk telling Stagwell Inc. CEO Mark Penn early last month that it had a “good shot at getting” $1 trillion.

WHAT HAS DOGE CUT SO FAR?

“DOGE is saving the Federal Government approx. $1 billion/day, mostly from stopping the hiring of people into unnecessary positions, deletion of DEI and stopping improper payments to foreign organizations, all consistent with the President’s Executive Orders,” the group said in late January.

The group has said it will soon add a page to its website detailing the “description/amount of each cost reduction” it makes within the federal government. As of Monday afternoon, that webpage said, “Receipts coming over the weekend!”

Eric Revell contributed to this report.

February 17, 2025
ICE arrests ‘predator’ migrant convicted of secretly recording others in bathroom

ICE officials in Houston arrested an immigrant “predator” previously convicted of secretly recording others in a bathroom in one of the latest developments in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

The immigrant, Mexican national Daniel Alejandro Tristan-Guerra, was arrested by Houston Homeland Security Investigations officials “when his guard was down” on Feb. 11, according to an ICE statement released on Friday.

Tristan-Guerra, 28, was arrested in a small town called Hallettsville in Lavaca County, Texas. After his arrest, he was taken to the Victoria County Jail pending his removal from the U.S.

TOM HOMAN ON SUCCESS OF IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN: WON’T BE HAPPY UNTIL EVERY CRIMINAL MIGRANT IS ‘ERADICATED’

Mexican national Daniel Alejandro Tristan-Guerra was arrested by Houston Homeland Security Investigations officials “when his guard was down” on Feb. 11, according to an ICE statement released on Friday. (ICE/Adobe Stock)

While several law enforcement entities in Democrat-controlled cities and states are refusing to cooperate with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations, this arrest was made following a joint investigation by ICE and the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office.

Tristan-Guerra was convicted on two counts of invasive visual recording in a bathroom in August 2021 after an investigation by ICE HSI Houston and the Victoria County Sheriff’s Office.

ICE and federal agents in Houston have been very active in recent weeks, making several arrests in addition to Tristan-Guerra, including the arrest of several suspected members of the international criminal migrant group Tren de Aragua.

FIRST 10 ‘HIGH THREAT’ ILLEGALS TO ARRIVE TO GUANTÁNAMO BAY ARE ALL TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS

This image shows migrants boarding a military flight to Guantánamo Bay. (Department of Homeland Security)

On Feb. 12, HSI Houston arrested three suspected Tren de Aragua associates wanted for their involvement in a multi-state sex trafficking ring operated by the group.

Elsewhere in Texas, a South Texas man named Eusebio Cavazos, 33, pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle 36 illegal aliens in a tractor-trailer after an investigation by ICE and U.S. Border Patrol.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Commenting on the recent operations, ICE HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz said “the days of transnational criminal organizations raking in billions in illicit profits each year by trampling on our nation’s sovereignty and flooding our country with millions of unvetted aliens who could present a threat to public safety or national security are over.”

TRANS MIGRANT FINDING SANCTUARY IN NYC ACCUSED OF RAPING 14-YEAR-OLD

(Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)

“The law enforcement community in Southeast Texas is united in our effort to restore law and order along the southern border by aggressively pursuing and dismantling human smuggling organizations and other criminal organizations who are bold enough to test our collective resolve,” he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Addressing Tristan-Guerra’s recent arrest, Plantz commended local law enforcement for cooperating with ICE, which he said ensured the safety of the community.

“Working alongside our partners in Lavaca County, ICE HSI special agents were able to safely apprehend him when his guard was down and minimize any threat to the public,” said Plantz. “The residents in Southeast Texas can rest easier today knowing this predator has been removed from the community.”

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
California sheriff and Trump supporter launches GOP bid to succeed Gov. Newsom

A tough-on-crime Republican sheriff who was a supporter of President Donald Trump in last year’s election on Monday launched a campaign for California governor.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco announced his candidacy at an event Monday in Riverside, California, about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“As Californians we want leadership that actually cares about the cost of living …and leaders who will do something about it,” Bianco said in his address, according to prepared excerpts.

He emphasized that “we want homes we can afford. We want air conditioning when it’s hot, not rolling blackouts. We want water for the crops and animals that feed us. We want the opportunity to achieve the California Dream, not be prevented from it because of red tape and regulation from government. We want honesty and transparency from our elected officials. We want lower taxes and less government waste. We want sanity restored and common sense to prevail.”

TOP TRUMP OFFICIAL TEASES CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL BID IF FORMER VP HARRIS RUNS

Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Bianco, a vocal critic of Newsom and other state Democratic leaders when it comes to the issues of crime and punishment, was one of the leaders who helped push California’s Proposition 36 ballot measure to a landslide victory in last November’s elections. The measure, which took effect in December, mandates stiffer penalties and longer sentences in California for certain drug and theft crimes.

“I am running for Governor because our beautiful state – which I absolutely love – is heading down the wrong track and has been for years. Everyone knows it, except those sitting in the Sacramento echo chamber. For decades the party in complete control of our state government has tried the same failed ideas and implemented the same failed policies,” Bianco argued, as he took aim at Newsom and the Democratic majorities in the state legislature.

Bianco, who has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades, was first elected sheriff in 2018. He’s been openly flirting with a 2026 gubernatorial run since at least last spring.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana., center, listens to Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County, Calif., speak during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol to recognize law enforcement as part of Police Week on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

It’s been nearly two decades since a Republican won statewide office in heavily blue California. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election victory.

There has been plenty of speculation since former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat last November to Trump regarding her next political move, with the two potential options likely being launching a 2026 gubernatorial run in her home state of California or seeking the presidency again in 2028.

MAJOR CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT PREEDICTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WOULD CLEAR GUBERNATORIAL FIELD

Harris served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and U.S. senator before becoming vice president.

Sources in the former vice president’s political orbit say no decisions have been made about any next steps.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The Democrats’ field for governor in the heavily blue-leaning state is already crowded.

Among the more than half-dozen candidates already running for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Harris ally, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Former Rep. Katie Porter, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Senate nomination last year, has expressed interest in launching a campaign.

Additionally, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who served in Congress and as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, is also seen as a potential contender.

Former Fox News Channel host and conservative commentator Steve Hilton is considering a Republican run for California governor.

And one of Trump’s top aides is floating a potential bid for California governor if Harris also runs.

Ric Grenell, U.S. envoy for special missions in President Trump’s second administration, speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Richard Grenell, a longtime Trump loyalist who is serving as U.S. envoy for special missions in the president’s second administration, told reporters late last week, “If Kamala Harris runs for governor, I believe that she has such baggage and hundreds of millions of dollars in educating the voters of how terrible she is, that it’s a new day in California and that the Republican actually has a shot.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Grenell, who served as ambassador to Germany and as acting director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, considered a run for California governor during the 2021 recall election that Newsom eventually ended up easily winning, but he ultimately decided against launching a campaign.

In California, unlike most other states, the top two finishers in a primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 17, 2025
Homan takes victory lap after illegal immigrant crossings plummet during Trump admin: ‘He is delivering’

President Trump’s border czar Tom Homan is touting the administration’s dramatic drop in illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border compared to the Biden administration.

Homan took to X to say that Border Patrol “has encountered a total of 229 aliens across the entire southwest border.”

“That is down from a high of over 11,000 a day under Biden,” he said. “I started as a Border Patrol Agent in 1984, and I don’t remember the numbers ever being that low.”

HOMAN, AOC CLASH OVER WEBINAR TO HELP IMMIGRANTS’ ‘EVADE’ ICE RAIDS: ‘I THOUGHT I EDUCATED HER’

Border czar Tom Homan speaks to reporters at the White House, Feb. 6, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

“President Trump promised a secure border and he is delivering,” he said.

The Trump administration has come in with an agenda to launch a historic mass deportation campaign and to provide additional border security. Trump signed orders on day one restarting border wall construction, limiting the ability to claim asylum, declaring a national emergency and ending Biden-era parole programs.

Army Maj. Gen. Henry S. Dixon, left, talks with Marines near San Ysidro, California, Jan. 28, 2025. U.S. Northern Command is working with Homeland Security to add additional security to curtail illegal border crossings. (Department of Defense )

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

His administration has expanded expedited removal, removed limits on “sensitive places” on ICE agents, and launched raids across the country – while also suing “sanctuary” jurisdictions.

Fox News Digital reported last week that illegal immigrant arrests have soared. According to Department of Homeland Security data, obtained by Fox News Digital, there were 11,791 interior ICE arrests from Jan 20 to Feb 8., compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024. That’s a 137% increase.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS SKYROCKET UNDER TRUMP ICE COMPARED TO BIDEN LEVELS LAST YEAR

Arrests of aliens with criminal histories have soared by nearly 100% from 4,526 in the same period in 2024 to 8,993 under Trump this year. Arrests of fugitive aliens at-large, meanwhile, have gone up from 2,164 to 5,538 – a 156% increase. Arrests of criminal aliens in local jails have gone up 59%.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News also reported that the daily average number of known gotaways – illegal migrants who successfully entered the U.S. without apprehension – at the southern border since the beginning of February has plummeted to just 132 per day, down 93% from the highest numbers when former President Joe Biden was in office.

On “America’s Newsroom,” Homan was asked when he is likely to run out of criminal illegal immigrant targets.

“We got almost 600,000 illegal aliens in the United States with a criminal conviction. So I won’t be happy till we eradicate every one of those,” he said.

Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.

February 17, 2025
DOGE’s access to critical IRS system containing taxpayer information is imminent

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, will soon have access to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) system that contains sensitive taxpayer information, Fox News has learned.

DOGE has requested access to the IRS Integrated Data Retrieval System, which allows IRS workers to view taxpayer accounts.

Harrison Fields, the White House principal deputy press secretary, told Fox News in a statement that access to this system is necessary to identify fraud and fix the system.

“Waste, fraud, and abuse have been deeply entrenched in our broken system for far too long,” Fields said. “It takes direct access to the system to identify and fix it. DOGE will continue to shine a light on the fraud they uncover as the American people deserve to know what their government has been spending their hard-earned tax dollars on.”

WHAT HAS DOGE CUT SO FAR?

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump talk about DOGE’s efforts to investigate wasteful U.S. government spending from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11, 2025. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

The IRS website states that the system allows workers “to have instantaneous visual access to certain taxpayer accounts.” Other functions of the system include “researching account information and requesting returns,” entering transactions and collection information, and “automatically generating notices, collection documents and other outputs.”

The Musk-led DOGE will soon have access to an IRS system that contains sensitive taxpayer information, Fox News learned Monday. (Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)

Musk is leading DOGE to aggressively slash government waste when it comes to federal spending under President Donald Trump. It was created via executive order and is a temporary organization within the White House that will spend 18 months carrying out its mission.

DOGE PUTS DEI ON CHOPPING BLOCK WITH TERMINATION OF OVER $370M IN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GRANTS

The group has faced criticism over its access to federal systems, including the Treasury Department’s payment system, as well as moves to cancel federal contracts and make cuts at various agencies. Attorneys general from 14 states are suing to block DOGE from accessing federal data, arguing Musk and Trump’s administration have engaged in illegal executive overreach.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The newly formed cost-cutting agency scored a win on Friday when a federal judge in Washington declined a request to temporarily block it from accessing sensitive data from the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Eric Revell contributed to this report.

Hillary Vaughn is a correspondent for FOX News Channel and FOX Business Network and is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Twitter: @hillary__vaughn

February 17, 2025
Trump administration firing hundreds of FAA workers

Boyd Group International President and aviation expert Mike Boyd argues that there is a ‘major problem’ in the aviation industry on ‘Mornings with Maria.’

Hundreds of workers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been laid off despite rising concerns about understaffing, as the Trump administration seeks to rein in federal spending.

David Spero, president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said in a statement that several hundred probationary employees were notified Friday evening by messages from an “exec order” Microsoft email address, not an official government email address. The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists is the union that represents the employees.

“Troubled” by the decision, Spero expected more employees to be notified over the weekend and believes it’s possible that some may even be “barred from entering FAA buildings,” on Tuesday.

RECOVERY EFFORTS UNDERWAY AFTER AMERICAN AIRLINES JET, MILITARY HELICOPTER COLLIDE MIDAIR NEAR DC

“These are not nameless, faceless bureaucrats. They are our family, friends and neighbors. They contribute to our communities. Many military veterans are among them. It is shameful to toss aside dedicated public servants who have chosen to work on behalf of their fellow Americans,” he added.

The control tower at the Reagan National Airport. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the aviation safety organization in the U.S. that represents nearly 20,000 workers, said in a statement Monday that it was “analyzing the effect of the reported federal employee terminations on aviation safety, the national airspace system and our members,” according to The Associated Press.

FOX Business reached out to the Trump administration for comment.

Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander posted on LinkedIn that he was among those who were fired, The Associated Press reported.

“My unlawful termination from my national security critical position with the National Defense Programs of the FAA – less than a week after DOGE got upset that I criticized Tesla and Twitter on my personal Facebook page – and on my personal time,” Spitzer-Stadtlander posted on the platform.

An air traffic control tower at Miami International Airport in Miami on May 9, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

He said that “the mass firings of hardworking Federal workers are unlawful” and that “retaliatory firings of national security critical workers and FAA air traffic control specialists are dangerous. We must make our voices heard. This is not okay.”

The firings come amid calls to ramp up staffing in the air traffic control system and weeks after a U.S. Army Black Hawk collided with an American Airlines regional jet on Jan. 29 in what was the deadliest U.S. air disaster in more than 20 years. Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River after the collision. Sixty-seven people were killed.

TRUMP FIRES 17 GOVERNMENT WATCHDOGS AT VARIOUS FEDERAL AGENCIES

The sun flares next to the sign marking the location of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) headquarters on Feb. 9, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (J. David Ake/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association acknowledged the “chronic understaffing” of the air traffic control system earlier this month, saying that focusing on this issue as well as “modernizing the nation’s air traffic control infrastructure, would better serve the safety and reliability of the aviation system.”

The Trump administration already fired the head of the Transportation Security Administration and gutted the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, which advised on aviation security matters, including the development, refinement and implementation of policies, programs, rulemaking and security directives pertaining to aviation security.

The group was established in 1989 after a terrorist attack on Pan Am Flight 103.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Shortly after his re-election, Trump also ordered the Transportation secretary and FAA administrator to immediately stop Biden-era diversity hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring.

February 17, 2025
Rubio meets Saudi crown prince, foreign minister ahead of US-Russia talks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Arabian officials Monday ahead of planned talks in the country between United States diplomats and their Russian counterparts meant to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war.

Rubio was joined by U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, in a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at his palace in the capital city of Riyadh. Rubio also met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud earlier Monday after traveling to Riyadh from Israel during his first trip to the Middle East as secretary of state.

Talks are scheduled for Tuesday in Saudi Arabia between the U.S. and Russia. Ukrainian officials are notably expected to be absent from the negotiating table.

Rubio, Waltz and Witkoff will meet the Russian delegation, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SAYS PUTIN, ZELENSKYY AGREE ‘ONLY PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD GET THEM TO THE TABLE’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Feb. 17, 2025. (EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov set off for the Saudi capital on Monday, according to Russian state TV.

Addressing reporters in Moscow on Monday, Lavrov said he looked forward to putting an “absolutely abnormal period” of estrangement between the U.S. and Russia behind them, according to the Washington Post.

“We want to listen to our partners,” Lavrov reportedly said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks will be primarily focused on “restoring the entire range of U.S.-Russian relations, as well as preparing possible talks on the Ukrainian settlement and organizing a meeting of the two presidents.”

Bruce said the meeting is aimed at determining how serious the Russians are about wanting peace and whether detailed negotiations can be started.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud receives Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Saudi Foreign Ministry headquarters in Riyadh on Feb. 17, 2025. (EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

“I think the goal, obviously, for everyone is to determine if this is something that can move forward,” she told reporters traveling with Rubio in Riyadh, according to the Associated Press.

Bruce said that even though Ukraine would not be at the table for Tuesday’s talks, actual peace negotiations would only take place with Ukraine’s involvement.

Tuesday’s talks are expected to lay the groundwork for the summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said he spoke to Putin on the phone last week and they “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.” The call upended years of U.S. policy, ending the isolation of Moscow over its Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine. Trump phoned Zelenskyy afterward to inform him about their conversation.

Trump on Sunday told reporters that Zelenskyy “will be involved” but did not elaborate.

ZELENSKYY NOT YET SIGNING US ECONOMIC AGREEMENT ‘SHORT-SIGHTED,’ WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL SAYS

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron is convening an emergency meeting between the main European powers in Paris on Monday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Speaking on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Witkoff said he and Waltz will be “having meetings at the direction of the president,” and hope to make “some really good progress with regard to Russia-Ukraine.”

Witkoff didn’t directly respond to a question about whether Ukraine would have to give up a “significant portion” of its territory as part of any negotiated settlement. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and suggested Kyiv should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back from Russia.

The Ukrainian president said Monday his country had not been invited to the upcoming talks and won’t accept the outcome if Kyiv doesn’t take part. The U.S.-Russia talks would “yield no results,” given the absence of any Ukrainian officials, Zelenskyy said on a conference call with journalists from the United Arab Emirates, according to the AP. Zelenskyy said he would travel to Turkey on Monday and to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, but that his trip was unrelated to the U.S.-Russia talks.

Rubio meets with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Feb. 17, 2025. On a separate couch are Waltz and U.S. charge d’affaires Alison Dilworth. Witkoff, not pictured, was on another couch in the room. (EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

In an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Waltz rejected the notion that European allies are not being consulted on negotiating an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, noting how Rubio, Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spent last week in Europe meeting with allies. Bessent, in particular, traveled to Kyiv, while Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Waltz said one of the key tenants in negotiating a peace deal would be ensuring “a permanent end to the war,” describing how the conflict has devolved “into a World War I-style meat grinder of human beings.” He said long-term military security guarantees have to be European-led, criticizing how a third of NATO countries are not contributing what they agreed upon a decade ago.

As for the billions in U.S. aid sent to Ukraine during the Biden administration, Waltz said the American people “deserve to be recouped, deserve to have some type of payback for the billions they have invested in this war.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X: @danimwallace.

February 17, 2025