Happy New Year 2025

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North Korea vows to expand nuclear forces, blasts US for ‘outdated’ denuclearization plan

North Korea on Tuesday vowed to expand its nuclear forces under Kim Jong Un and criticized the U.S. and its neighbors in Asia for pushing a denuclearization plan against the authoritarian regime.

North Korea’s foreign ministry denounced the joint pledge between the U.S., South Korea and Japan as an “outdated, absurd plan” and warned of “overwhelming and decisive counteraction” against its rivals who threaten its security.

“As long as the U.S. and its vassal forces’ hostile threat exists, the DPRK’s nukes are means for defending peace and sovereignty and a means for legitimate self-defense entrusted by the constitution of the state,” an unnamed ministry spokesperson said in a statement picked up by the North’s Korean Central News Agency, Reuters reported.

The criticism comes after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi met during a security conference in Germany and reaffirmed their commitment to the Hermit Kingdom’s “complete denuclearization” and maintaining sanctions on the country’s weapons program.

TRUMP MUST NOT REPEAT HIS KIM JONG UN MISTAKE WITH IRAN, SECURITY EXPERT WARNS

North Korea’s foreign ministry vowed to expand its nuclear forces under Kim Jong Un, pictured, and criticized the U.S. and its neighbors in Asia for pushing a denuclearization plan against the authoritarian regime. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

The countries also agreed to bolster defense and deterrence, including by expanding three-way military exercises and strengthening Japan and South Korea’s military capabilities, according to a joint statement released after the meeting.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 7, 2025. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

President Donald Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House earlier this month and said the U.S. will have relations with the North Korean regime of dictator Kim Jong Un.

NORTH KOREA SLAMS RUBIO’S ‘ROGUE STATE’ LABEL AS ‘NONSENSE,’ VOWS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

“We will have relations with North Korea, with Kim Jong Un. I get along with them very well,” Trump told reporters alongside Ishiba.

President Donald Trump first met with Kim Jong Un in Singapore in June 2018, during his first term as president. (AP/Evan Vucci)

Trump, who first met Kim in 2018 in Singapore and became the first sitting president to meet with the leader of North Korea, is looking to build off his personal diplomacy he established with Kim during his first term.

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Trump met Kim again in 2019 and became the first president to step foot inside North Korean territory from the demilitarized zone.

Fox News Digital’s Chris Massaro and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

February 18, 2025
Trump admin makes aggressive move to expand illegal immigrant detention: ‘Outside the box’

The Trump administration is using federal prisons to house illegal immigrants as part of an expansive deportation operation, Fox News Digital confirmed on Friday.

In a statement, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said it is helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “by housing detainees and will continue to support our law enforcement partners to fulfill the administration’s policy objectives.”

The bureau said that for privacy, safety and security reasons, it does not comment on the legal status of any individual, “nor do we specify the legal status of individuals assigned to any particular facility, including numbers and locations.”

TRUMP’S ICE LIMITS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASES AMID MOVES TO SHAKE OFF BIDEN ‘HANGOVER’

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, along with other federal law enforcement agencies, attend a pre-enforcement meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Associated Press reported that facilities in Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta are being used for detention.

The move comes as ICE has been over capacity as it has quickly ramped up the number of illegal immigrants being arrested in raids in sanctuary cities and elsewhere across the country.

ICE currently has just under 42,000 beds available to it, and it has been exceeding capacity under the current administration. The administration has been pushing hard to get more beds and detention space, but sources tell Fox that it typically takes around 30 days for contractors to deliver, given the time it takes to identify buildings, hire people, conduct background checks and comply with related requirements. That help is expected soon.

Fox News Digital reported on Thursday that ICE has requested an apportionment of around $575 million from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as an advance of its funding for the year in order to be able to work more quickly and get another step closer to a reported target of 100,000 beds and one million removals per year.

TRUMP DOJ SLAPS ILLINOIS, CHICAGO WITH LAWSUIT OVER SANCTUARY LAWS

Immigration authorities detain an individual in New York City on Jan. 28. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Fox also reported that ICE is working with the BOP to identify space to house illegal immigrants, as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP), where there may be unused space in soft-sided facilities. Fox News Digital was also told that, as of this week, officials are being instructed that any release of an illegal immigrant in ICE custody must be personally signed off on by acting ICE director Caleb Vitello.

Meanwhile, the administration is using Guantánamo Bay to house up to 30,000 detainees, with the second flight of migrants leaving for the facility on Thursday.

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“We are looking well outside the box,” a senior ICE official told Fox News Digital.

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“The Biden administration cut down so many of our beds, and they canceled so many contracts. And the problem with that is you can’t just immediately turn those back on. It’s not a switch, it’s a dial,” they said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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 7, 2025
NFL to expand international footprint over next 2 seasons

The NFL continues to expand its global footprint.

For the first time ever, Dublin, Madrid and Berlin will host NFL regular-season games next season, the NFL announced Friday, just days before the Super Bowl.

The Los Angeles Rams will also host a game in Melbourne, Australia, in 2026, the first time an NFL game is played on that continent.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during NFL Live Munich at Augustiner-Keller. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

The Pittsburgh Steelers will play at historic Croke Park in the Irish capital, with their opponent yet to be determined.

“I think the emotion you hear from all of us is the excitement to bring a regular-season game to Ireland with the Steelers and how special that will be. And, yes, it ultimately comes back to the fans,” Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president for international events, said in a statement.

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“We see Irish fans travel to games in London or Germany or elsewhere, but this is a game on Irish soil, in Dublin, at Croke Park, and an opportunity to create an incredible atmosphere.”

The Steelers played the Chicago Bears in a 1997 preseason game at Croke Park, which has a capacity of more than 82,000.

The Indianapolis Colts will be the home team for a game at Olympic Stadium in Berlin, and the Miami Dolphins will be the home team in Madrid.

The Dolphins are playing at Bernabéu, the home stadium of Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin congratulates Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) after a long catch against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., Nov. 10, 2024. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)

The Rams will be the home team when they play in Melbourne, Australia, in 2026. They will play at Melbourne Cricket Ground, a venue that holds about 100,000 spectators, as part of a multiyear deal to have games in Australia.

“This is a big statement,” O’Reilly said. “Probably a few years ago, you may not have thought this was a reality. I’d say the commissioner, the 32 owners, there’s a commitment to become a true global sport property. That means expanding our footprint. That means going to different parts of the world and exposing more fans around the world, in this case fans in Australia and Melbourne, to our great sport.”

O’Reilly also said the game in Melbourne will likely be played in Week 1 to give teams as much time as possible to acclimate to the difference in time zones.

The NFL could play up to eight games internationally in 2025. London is hosting three of them, with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns each being the home team for a game at Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

The Jets are also going to be the home team for a game at Wembley Stadium.

As international consumer markets go, Ireland would be by far the smallest that the NFL has entered so far.

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Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)

The NFL is also considering having a team play back-to-back weeks in different European cities as it continues to try and expand the game globally.

The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

FOX’s Super Bowl coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. Coverage can be streamed live on Tubi for the first time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.

February 7, 2025
Record breaking haul for Senate Republican campaign committee as it aims to expand majority

The Senate Republican campaign committee is touting that it is off to a strong fundraising start as it aims to defend and expand its majority in the chamber in the 2026 midterm elections.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) announced on Monday that it raked in a record $8.5 million in January, which the committee says is its best ever off-year January haul.

“To deliver on the promises President Trump made to the American people, we must protect and grow our Republican Senate Majority,” South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the new NRSC chair, said in a statement.

TRUMP-BACKED 2024 GOP SENATE NOMINEE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE MOVING TOWARDS ANOTHER RUN IN 2026

Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, speaks during the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Scott teased that “the NRSC’s record-breaking January is just the beginning. We will work tirelessly to ensure Republicans have the resources and operations needed to win in battleground states across the Senate map.”

MEET THE REPUBLICAN SENATOR TASKED WITH DEFENDING THE GOP’S SENATE MAJORITY IN 2026

However, in a memo sent to Senate Republican chiefs of staff, NRSC Executive Director Jennifer DeCasper noted that the committee will “enter this cycle with nearly $24 million in debt and unpaid bills from last cycle and limited cash on hand.”

The NRSC ended 2024 with $2.7 million in its coffers.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, the new chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is interviewed by Fox News Digital on Dec. 11, 2024 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The rival Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has yet to announce its January fundraising.

Republicans won control of the Senate in November’s elections by flipping an open seat in West Virginia, and ousting Democratic incumbents in Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The GOP currently holds a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

DEMOCRATS’ NEW SENATE CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS KEYS TO WINNING BACK MAJORITY IN 2026

Senate Republicans enjoyed a very favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they won back control of the majority. An early read of the 2026 map shows they will continue to play offense in some states, but will be forced to play defense in others.

Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is interviewed by Fox News Digital at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The GOP will target an open Democrat-held seat in battleground Michigan, where Sen. Gary Peters announced last week that he would not seek re-election in 2026. They will also target first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff in battleground Georgia and longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in swing state New Hampshire.

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However, Democrats plan to go on offense in blue-leaning Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins is up for re-election, as well as in battleground North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is also up in 2026.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 3, 2025
Rosen, Ernst tag team bipartisan childcare bill to expand access, affordability

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., is rolling out a new measure to ease the current childcare issues for families across the country due to lack of affordability.

To address the childcare crisis, the Nevada Democrat’s bill would allow certain nonprofit institutions that provide childcare to have access to loans through the Small Business Administration.

PETE BUTTIGIEG GIVING ‘SERIOUS LOOK’ TO 2026 SENATE RUN IN TRUMP-WON MICHIGAN

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., is rolling out a new bipartisan bill that looks to make childcare more accessible and affordable. (Getty Images)

“The lack of affordable childcare options in our communities hurts hardworking families at a time when they are already being squeezed by rising costs,” Rosen said in a statement.

“Our bipartisan bill will help increase the number of childcare providers in Nevada and across the country by bolstering non-profits with access to much-needed federal resources, giving families greater access to care. I will continue working to lower costs of the everyday essentials that Nevadans rely on.”

GARY PETERS, DEMOCRATIC SENATOR FROM TRUMP STATE, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is chair of the Small Business Committee. (Reuters)

Rosen is introducing the Small Business Child Care Investment Act on Wednesday alongside Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair.

“Finding affordable and high-quality childcare is one of the most pressing issues facing small businesses looking to hire and retain capable staff,” Ernst said in a statement.

“As chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I’m proud to help alleviate the pressure on hardworking families, especially in rural areas,” Ernst added. “This commonsense legislation will clear the Washington red tape, expand options, and drive down costs in Iowa and across the country.”

TRUMP’S MOST VULNERABLE NOMINEES RFK JR, TULSI GABBARD GET BACK-TO-BACK HEARINGS

Rosen was re-elected in 2024. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

The bipartisan bill would additionally let some nonprofit childcare providers access loan programs such as 7(a) and 504, which are eligible to be used for real estate, construction and remodeling, among other expenses.

According to Rosen’s office, the bill would create local jobs and give families more options. The access to loans would also help those institutions maintain their childcare operations and expand.

PETE HEGSETH CONFIRMED TO LEAD PENTAGON AFTER VP VANCE CASTS TIE-BREAKING VOTE

The bill would make loans accessible to nonprofits that provide childcare. (iStock)

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Affordability and the strain of high inflation was a prevailing issue during the 2024 election, which saw President Donald Trump earn the support of most voters.

While Trump won in swing states, including Nevada, Rosen was one of a handful of Democrat senators who managed to get re-elected.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

January 29, 2025
Bryson DeChambeau using Saudi-funded $125M LIV Golf salary to expand size of town by 200 acres

LIV Golfer Bryson DeChambeau has a grand plan for the $125 million he’s receiving from his Saudi Arabian bosses.

The controversial 31-year-old golf star said during an interview on “The Joe Pomp Show” he bought 200 acres of land in his hometown of Modesto, California, and plans to expand the town by 30%.

“We are doing a mega project,” DeChambeau said. “It’s been in the works for a couple of years now, and we’re at the place where we are getting permits to build. People know about it now.

“We have acquired massive amounts of land in my hometown, and it’s a three-phase process to build a whole community and increase the size of where I grew up by 30%”

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Bryson DeChambeau of LIV Golf before The Showdown: McIlroy and Scheffler v. DeChambeau and Koepka at Shadow Creek Golf Course Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The Showdown)

DeChambeau says his intention is to create a prominent golf presence in the community, adding the timeline for completing this project is just over a year.

“It’s a full-scale plan, fully thought out. It’s not only to bring golfers to the game but also to bring people to the central valley. You build a community around a multisport complex center,” he said.

“It’s going to take 12-15 months to get the permits approved for the full scope. It’s over 200 acres of land what we have right now. It’s going to be a multisports complex center — driving range, golf course, residential community center, the whole thing.”

DeChambeau was paid a reported $125 million to join LIV Golf in June 2022. He says his latest project is only possible because of the massive salary from the Saudi-funded organization.

WOMEN’S GOLF STAR CHARLEY HULL FAWNS OVER ‘BRILLIANT, LEGEND’ TRUMP AFTER DOING HIS DANCE AT TOURNAMENT

Bryson DeChambeau reacts after putting on the fifth hole during the third round of the U.S. Open. (Jim Dedmon/USA Today Sports)

“A lot of the reason why I have been able to do this is because of LIV. They gave me the economic viability to do these things and the platform to be able to do it, growing on YouTube,” he said.

DeChambeau was one of many American golfers to incite widespread backlash from fans for choosing to compete in the Saudi-backed league when it launched due to humanitarian concerns with Saudi Arabia and its relations with the west.

Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Jon Rahm were other prominent PGA stars who chose to accept the massive LIV paychecks during the league’s aggressive pursuit of the sport’s biggest names.

DeChambeau is also a close friend of President Donald Trump’s and invited Trump to play with him in a video on his YouTube channel.

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Bryson DeChambeau cradles the U.S. Open trophy after his win in the final round of the 2024 U.S. Open Championship on the No. 2 Course at The Pinehurst Resort June 16, 2024, in Pinehurst, N.C. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

DeChambeau told Fox News Digital at the time he had no regrets about it.

“There’s always risk associated to that. But, from my perspective, it was focused on entertainment,” DeChambeau told Fox News Digital in August at Maridoe Golf Club, site of the LIV Golf Team Championship.

“We can talk about politics. That’s a whole different conversation, something that I was not trying to do on my YouTube channel. It was solely on providing great entertainment.”

DeChambeau joined Trump, Elon Musk and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to watch the SpaceX rocket launch in November.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

January 24, 2025