Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Reveals

Trump reveals pick to lead Drug Enforcement Administration

President Donald Trump has nominated a Virginia state official to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in his new administration.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump wrote that he nominated Terry Cole to become the next administrator of the DEA. Cole is currently the secretary of public safety and homeland security for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

According to the Virginia government’s website, Cole was previously the chief of staff and executive officer at the DEA’s Department of Justice Special Operations Division, and also served as the DEA’s representative to the National Security Council. The website also notes that Cole worked for the DEA for 22 years, though Trump wrote that he was employed by the DEA for 21 years.

In a social media post, Trump said that he was “pleased” to announce Cole, who will need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as his nominee.

NOEM, HEGSETH, BONDI PLEAD WITH CONGRESS FOR MORE BORDER FUNDING AMID LARGE-SCALE DEPORTATIONS

Trump has nominated Terry Cole to become the next administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. (AP | Virginia.gov)

“Terry is a DEA Veteran of 21 years, with tours in Colombia, Afghanistan, and Mexico City, who currently serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, leading 11 State Public Safety Agencies, with more than 19,000 employees,” Trump’s post read.

Trump also added that Cole holds a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as certificates from the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame.

“Together, we will save lives, and MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN. Congratulations Terry!” the president’s post concluded.

TRUMP NOMINEE TULSI GABBARD CLEARS LAST HURDLE, HEADS FOR FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

Terry Cole has 22 years of experience working for the DEA. (Virginia.gov)

Trump originally named Florida sheriff Chad Chronister as his first pick to lead the DEA, but Chronister, who serves as the sheriff of Hillsborough County, later withdrew his name from consideration in December.

“To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime,” Chronister wrote in a post on X at the time.

“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration. There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling.”

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A logo reading DEA Special Agent is pictured in the Office of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). (JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

The DEA is expected to work with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fulfill Trump’s campaign promises of restoring safety at the Southern border. At the end of January, federal agents conducted nationwide roundups of more than 1,200 illegal immigrants accused of committing crimes in the U.S.

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

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

February 11, 2025
Top political handicapper reveals what Dems’ chances are at winning back the Senate in 2026

Democrats face “few opportunities” to win back the Senate majority in next year’s midterm elections, a top non-partisan political handicapper predicts.

While the Republicans are defending seats in 22 states in 2026 compared to just 13 for the Democrats, the Cook Report’s first Senate rankings of the new election cycle points to a tough road ahead for the Democrats as they aim to recapture control of the chamber.

Senate Republicans enjoyed a very favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red and stormed to a 53-47 majority in the new Congress, to go along with President Donald Trump’s recapturing of the White House and the GOP’s successful defense of their razor-thin House majority.

Cook Report Senate and governors editor Jessica Taylor, looking to a new Senate battle, suggested that “the challenge for Democrats to net the four seats necessary to win back the majority looks Herculean.”

FIRST ON FOX: SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHTS ‘TEAM EFFORT’

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 Cook Report ranks two seats as toss-ups, and both are controlled by the Democrats.

They are in the battlegrounds of Michigan – where Democrat Sen. Gary Peters announced two weeks ago that he would not seek re-election in 2026 – and Georgia – where Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff faces a rough road to securing a second six-year term in the Senate.

Trump flipped Michigan in last November’s election, while then-Rep. Elissa Slotkin narrowly edged Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in the race to succeed longtime fellow Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Rogers is now seriously mulling a second straight bid for the Senate.

SENATE REPUBLICANS JUMP OUT TO FAST START IN THIS KEY CAMPAIGN METRIC

In Georgia, which Trump also flipped after losing the state in his 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden, the Cook Report calls Ossoff “the most endangered incumbent overall.”

State and national Republicans are urging popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp – who is term-limited in 2026 – to challenge Ossoff.

The Cook Report ranks the key New England swing state of New Hampshire as Lean Democrat.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire speaks before then-President Joe Biden arrives to deliver remarks on lowering the cost of prescription drugs, on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 in Concord, New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Longtime Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a former governor, has yet to announce if she will seek another term in office. Additionally, while plugged in Democrats in the Granite State have told Fox News the past couple of months that they expected the now-78-year-old Shaheen to run for re-election, her recently announced sparse fundraising for the fourth quarter of last year took many politicos by surprise.

Former Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who served as ambassador to New Zealand during Trump’s first term in the White House, is making moves toward launching a second run for the Senate in New Hampshire, a dozen years after narrowly losing to Shaheen.

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

While no Republican held Senate seats are listed as toss-ups, two are rated by the Cook Report as Lean Republican.

They are Maine, where moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins is running for re-election in a state Trump lost last November, and North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is seeking another term in a state Trump narrowly carried last year.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine heads to the Senate floor for a vote on Jan. 23, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

While Cook lists both races as Lean Republican, Taylor notes that “the rating could change if Democrats recruit strong candidates.”

Those Democratic candidates could possibly be former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who finished his second term earlier this year, and Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who is term-limited in 2026.

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

When it comes to potentially competitive races, the Cook Report ranks Ohio as likely Republican. GOP Gov. Mike DeWine last month named Lt. Jon Husted to fill the seat previously held by now-Vice President JD Vance. Husted is now running in 2026 to fill the final two years of Vance’s term.

Once a key battleground state, Ohio has shifted to deep red in recent election cycles and its unclear if former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost his re-election last year, will make another bid in 2026.

Cook also lists Minnesota – where Democrat Sen. Tina Smith is up for re-election next year – as a likely Democrat.

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said last November that he’d “like to see 55,” when asked in a Fox News Digital interview about how many seats he was aiming for in the 2026 midterms.

Additionally, this past weekend at the Senate GOP campaign committee’s winter meeting, Scott reiterated that “we believe we can get to 55 or maybe even stretch for 56,” according to sources attending the confab in Palm Beach, Florida.

The party in power – which this cycle is clearly the Republicans – traditionally faces electoral headwinds in the midterm elections.

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However, Taylor, pointing to recent polling, notes that the Democrats’ “party brand is… deeply unpopular.”

“Even if Democrats were able to defend every incumbent and open seat on their side and flip both those states, it would leave them two short of an outright majority. Additional targets are hard to find,” Taylor emphasized.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 11, 2025
‘Designated terrorists’: Extremist groups raked in millions from USAID, multi-year study reveals

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided millions of dollars in funding to extremist groups tied to designated terrorist organizations and their allies, according to a report published by Middle East Forum, a U.S. think tank.

“The Middle East Forum’s multi-year study of USAID and State Department spending has uncovered $164 million of approved grants to radical organizations, with at least $122 million going to groups aligned with designated terrorists and their supporters,” the conservative think tank wrote in its report published Feb. 4.

“Billions more of federal dollars have been given to leading American aid charities which have consistently failed to vet their terror-tied local partners, and show little interest in improving their practices, to the apparent indifference of the federal government.”

The Middle East Forum’s report focuses specifically on funds from USAID and the State Department that wound up in the hands of radical groups and organizations tied to terrorism.

USAID EMPLOYEE SAYS STAFFERS HID PRIDE FLAGS, ‘INCRIMINATING’ BOOKS WHEN DOGE ARRIVED

Elon Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

RUBIO PAUSES FOREIGN AID FROM STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID TO ENSURE IT PUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST’

The think tank reported that among its top findings, USAID was found to have given more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development. The funding began in 2016, and its most recent allocation was made just days before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency and its chair, Elon Musk, left, investigate the agency’s spending practices and prepare to revamp and potentially shutter the agency. (Getty Images)

Bayader describes itself as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that works “to build a civil society” on the Gaza Strip.

“Founded in 2007, shortly after Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip, Bayader operates in close cooperation with the Hamas regime. Its 2021 annual report notes ‘coordination’ and ‘meetings’ with Hamas’s Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture,” the report found.

‘VIPER’S NEST’: USAID ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT LONG BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN TOOK AIM

The funds were secured through other NGOs, such as Catholic Relief Services and medical groups.

“But USAID coordinates directly with Bayader as well,” according to the report. “USAID officials have praised Bayader’s work on social media, and even visited Bayader’s offices, where one senior USAID official, Jonathan Kamin, received an award from the terror-linked charity.”

The report also found that USAID approved a $12.5 million grant in 2024 to the American Near East Refugee Agency, which is also “a long-standing partner” of Bayader. The American Near East Refugee Agency is an NGO that was established in 1968 in an effort to assist refugees following the Arab-Israeli War.

Rockets are launched from Gaza City toward Israel. (Hatem Moussa/Associated Press)

The report found staffers with the NGO have repeatedly and publicly posted “violent ideas, without apparent censure from top charity officials.” The comments on social media posted by employees include: calling on God to “erase the Jews,” expressing support for the “brave prisoners” in Israeli jails during the Hamas-Israel war, and describing Oct. 7, 2023, as a “beautiful morning.”

Sam Westrop, the director of the Middle East Forum’s counter-extremism project, Islamist Watch, posted a highlight thread on X of the report’s findings, describing the examples as “horrifying.”

“USAID won’t even tell us how much they gave the Unlimited Friends Association, a Gaza terror charity which operates with help from Hamas. The head of the charity promises to ‘cleanse’ their land of ‘impure Jews,’” Westrop posted in the thread of an example.

USAID CLOSES HQ TO STAFFERS MONDAY AS MUSK SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTS SHUTTING AGENCY DOWN

USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency and its chair, Elon Musk, investigate the agency’s spending practices. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press)

“USAID gave millions to Islamic Relief, whose Gaza branch openly works with senior terrorist officials in Gaza, including Hamas politburo member Ghazi Hamad. who promised that Hamas would repeat Oct 7 attacks ‘time and again until Israel is annihilated,’” he posted in another example from the report.

USAID funds totaling $125,000 were found in the hands of the Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA) in 2015, despite the U.S. Treasury designating the group a global terrorist organization in 2004 due to its ties to Osama bin Laden.

WHITE HOUSE FLAGS TOP USAID BOONDOGGLES UNDER ELON MUSK’S MICROSCOPE

The report continued that USAID “undoubtedly knew of ISRA’s terrorism activities. In 2010, the executive director of ISRA’s U.S. branch (IARA-USA) and a board member pleaded guilty to money-laundering, theft of public funds, conspiracy, and several other charges. The plea was listed on USAID’s own website,” the report found. IARA-USA stands for the Islamic American Relief Agency.

The funds were directed to ISRA via an evangelical charity called World Vision that works to provide clean water to areas of Sudan, according to the report.

A World Vision official told Fox News Digital when asked about the report that the charity earned approval to work in Sudan “to help build a better world for the most vulnerable children and their families” and that it takes “compliance obligations seriously.”

“As soon as we became aware that a local partner, Islamic Relief Agency, might be on the list of organizations banned from transactions by the United States, we suspended the grant and asked the US Government to confirm its status,” the official said. “We would never knowingly put those we serve or our staff at risk by working with a partner on the list of banned organizations. We exist to help build a better world for children and their families, serving in the name of Jesus Christ. We have no evidence that any of our funds have been used for anything other than urgent humanitarian work.”

“As a Christian humanitarian organization, we do not compromise our beliefs nor commitment to integrity as we work with governments throughout the world,” the official said. “It is not easy to operate in fragile contexts, yet this is where the Lord is calling us. We remain committed to our vision of bringing life in all its fullness to vulnerable children around the world.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Bayader, the American Near East Refugee Agency and Catholic Relief Services but did not receive replies.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press)

USAID is under fire from the Trump administration as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its chair, Elon Musk, investigate the agency’s spending practices and prepare to revamp and potentially shutter the agency. USAID is currently led by interim director Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The agency announced on its website on Tuesday, Feb. 4, that nearly all personnel would be placed on leave by Friday, making a few exceptions for those in roles related to “mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs.” Its overseas missions reportedly also had been told to shut down.

Lawmakers, news outlets and think tanks have dug into past reports related to USAID spending amid the apparent dismantling of the agency, finding countless examples of money channeled to questionable organizations or programs, such as creating a version of “Sesame Street” in Iraq or funding pottery classes in Morocco.

USAID was established in 1961 under the Kennedy administration, operating as an independent agency that works closely with the State Department to allocate civilian foreign aid. Under Rubio, the agency could be abolished after its reorganization over the coming days, he said in a letter to bipartisan lawmakers on Feb. 3.

“In consultation with Congress, USAID may move, reorganize, and integrate certain missions, bureaus, and offices into the Department of State, and the remainder of the Agency may be abolished consistent with applicable law,” Rubio wrote.

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Musk, meanwhile, has posted on X that USAID is a “criminal organization” and that it is “time for it to die.”

February 11, 2025
Brett Favre reveals Super Bowl LIX prediction – and its similar to Trump’s

Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre has made his pick for the winner of Super Bowl LIX.

Favre revealed his pick in a video post on X, but prefaced his prediction by saying, “I’m not a betting man.”

“I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I would put my money on the Chiefs, and I’m not saying [that] because I want them to win or I don’t want them to win, I’m just saying they find a way to win,” Favre said.

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The Chiefs are currently 1.5-point favorites and are also the official pick of President Donald Trump, who revealed his prediction of a Kansas City win during a pre-Super Bowl Fox News interview on Sunday.

Favre has been aligned with Trump on many political beliefs in recent years, and now they also share an expectation for a historic Chiefs win. If Kansas City does pull off the victory, it will be the first team in history to win three straight Super Bowls.

Many Chiefs critics have pointed out that while the Chiefs won a franchise-record 15 games and made it back to the Super Bowl, many of their wins came by very small margins.

HOW TO WATCH SUPER BOWL LIX BETWEEN CHIEFS, EAGLES STREAMED ON TUBI

Stream Super Bowl LIX coverage on Tubi for free. (Tubi)

But for Favre, this is even more of a reason to believe in the Chiefs.

“I’ve had people say, ‘Well, they won 15 games in the last second,’ and I go ‘But they won 15 games in the last second,’” Favre said. “And until someone knocks them off the pedestal, I have to go with the Chiefs.”

Still, the legendary quarterback added one caveat to his pick.

“It just so happens that, in my opinion, the best team that is built to beat the Chiefs is representing the NFC, the Eagles,” Favre said. “The Eagles could beat them, they very well could beat them.”

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But the reason Favre has to go with the Chiefs is because of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“Patrick Mahomes is prolific with or without receivers, he can make it happen, so good teams find a way to win,” Favre said.”

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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.

February 9, 2025
Tom Brady reveals he took 15-minute nap before playing in 1st Super Bowl

Tom Brady won seven Super Bowl championships during his career with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During the 2001 season, Brady had to step up as the starting quarterback for an injured Drew Bledsoe and led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance in several years. At that point, Brady was only in his second season in New England, and he appeared to be as cool as the other side of the pillow.

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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in action against the St. Louis Rams during Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Feb. 3, 2002. (USA Today Sports)

He explained to FOX colleagues Erin Andrews and Michael Strahan on “The Madden Cruiser Tour: A Bayou Adventure with Bill Belichick” that he decided to take a quick snooze before Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams. The game was played in the Superdome in New Orleans.

“We had to warm up on the field and then we have 50 minutes before we went back out. So, I took my pads off and I was like, you know, I’m just gonna lay down and rest and I literally took a 15-minute nap before the game,” he explained.

HOW TO WATCH SUPER BOWL LIX BETWEEN CHIEFS, EAGLES STREAMED ON TUBI

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady looks to pass against the St. Louis Rams during Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans, Feb. 3, 2002. (USA Today Sports)

Strahan was stunned and said he would’ve been jittery the entire day.

“The difference is, when you’re young, you don’t realize the enormity of what you’re going through because I had not really been in the league that long. Eighteen years later, when I was playing in the Super Bowl, I couldn’t sleep the night before the game,” Brady said.

Brady will be coming back to where he won his first Super Bowl.

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He will be on the FOX broadcast to call Super Bowl LIX with Kevin Burkhardt. Pregame coverage is ongoing on FOX with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. ET. The coverage can be streamed on Tubi for free.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 9, 2025
Days before Trump halted funding, ex-Israeli hostage reveals she was held at UNRWA school in Gaza

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After the release of British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari, she and her mother, Mandy, revealed Emily was held captive in a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) center in Gaza, a location tied to Hamas operations.

During a phone call with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Emily, 28, and Mandy described how Emily was denied proper medical care while being detained in one of UNRWA’s schools, where Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) later discovered tunnels and ammunition linked to Hamas.

Emily was abducted Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists who shot her in the hand and leg. She was denied treatment, with only an outdated bottle of iodine provided as medical aid. The IDF’s discovery of Hamas infrastructure beneath UNRWA buildings, including tunnels linked to terror activities, has raised serious concerns about the agency’s role in Gaza.

NEW REPORTS CLAIM UNRWA WORKS WITH TERRORISTS, TEACHES HATE AS AGENCY HITS BACK AT CRITICS

Emily Damari, right, and her mother Mandy are seen near kibbutz Reim, southern Israel after Emily was released from captivity by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, on Sunday, Jan. 19. (AP/Israeli Army)

Emily and Mandy emphasized the need for international pressure on Hamas and UNRWA to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to the remaining 82 hostages.

“We are asking for maximum pressure to be placed on Hamas and UNRWA to allow the ICRC access to the remaining hostages,” Mandy Damari told Starmer. “The suffering is far from over for those still in captivity, many of whom are elderly or severely injured.”

This followed revelations the U.K. government is still an active supporter of the controversial U.N. agency.

Released hostages Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, wearing green, are greeted by Israeli soldiers after their arrival in Israel after being held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack. ( Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Reuters)

Last week, President Donald Trump reinforced his administration’s stance on UNRWA by continuing a freeze on U.S. funding to the agency. Trump’s decision, initially enacted during his first term, remains in effect amid ongoing investigations into the agency’s ties to Hamas. This move reflects growing concerns over UNRWA’s failure to meet international standards of neutrality and accountability.

The troubling allegations of UNRWA facilities being used by Hamas to hold hostages emerged early in the crisis, but the U.N. and UNRWA initially dismissed the claims. Despite growing evidence, both have been criticized for their slow response.

When the accusations surfaced, the U.N. dismissed them as “big accusations,” failing to conduct a thorough investigation. It wasn’t until significant public pressure mounted that UNRWA, in a tweet Jan. 21, acknowledged the claims and said it was taking them “extremely seriously.”

Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA’s commissioner-general, expressed relief at Emily’s release in his Jan. 21 tweet but continued to downplay the gravity of the allegations.

“Claims that hostages have been held in UNRWA premises are deeply disturbing & shocking. We take any such allegations extremely seriously,” Lazzarini wrote.

However, Lazzarini also said UNRWA was forced to vacate its northern Gaza facilities, including those in Gaza City, Oct. 13, 2023, and had no control over them after military evacuation orders were issued.

He added, “UNRWA has not been involved in any negotiation related to hostage release as it is not within its mandate.”

Photos released by the Israeli Defense Force show three individuals the Israeli military claims are Hamas terrorists inside an UNRWA compound in Rafah. (IDF)

Peter Gallo, a former U.N. investigator, questioned his statement.

“So who has control? UNRWA has 12,000 staff in Gaza, and the agency has been begging for money and aid to support people sheltering in its premises. Does UNRWA want it both ways? Yes, they want funding to support those in the facilities, but they also claim no responsibility for what goes on inside them,” Gallo said.

TRUMP CUTS US OFF FROM UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, BANS UNRWA FUNDING

“Somebody must have been distributing — even if it was just two sacks of potatoes among 1,000 people. Somebody must have been reporting the conditions, the numbers of people in these facilities while UNRWA tried to function. And you’re trying to tell me that nobody knew about a young Israeli woman with gunshot injuries? We didn’t know where she came from?” Gallo added, emphasizing the inconsistency in UNRWA’s position.

The continued lack of transparency and accountability from both the U.N. and UNRWA in response to the allegations has drawn widespread criticism. Gallo has heavily criticized the internal investigation carried out by UNRWA, describing it as a “farce.”

“The U.N. investigation FAILED to actually prove that ANY of them were involved in acts of terrorism,” Gallo said.

He claimed the staff members who were “fired” by the U.N. after being seen on cameras participating in the Oct. 7 massacre were not actually terminated for misconduct. Instead, they were made redundant and received severance payments.

“You’ve had U.N. staff members engaged in crimes, crimes recognized by the ICC as crimes against humanity, and the U.N. is now going to give them a severance package because they were dismissed from their positions,” Gallo said.

A U.N. vehicle enters the UNRWA offices in Jerusalem April 2, 2024. (Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS)

While an UNRWA spokesperson did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on Gallo’s allegations, Lazzarini released a statement Friday in response to critics.

“UNRWA has the most robust systems in place to ensure adherence to neutrality compared to other similar UN organizations and entities,” Lazzarini said. “This applies to both the Agency’s staff and our programs across the region, as confirmed by an independent review conducted last year under the leadership of France’s former foreign minister.

“Safeguarding the Agency’s neutrality is central to our ability to continue delivering lifesaving aid in Gaza, as well as education and primary health services across the region. As one of the largest U.N. agencies in the world, UNRWA is committed to U.N. values and principles, which strengthens our response during one of the most challenging periods in the history of the Palestinian people. We remain dedicated to staying and delivering.”

Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East during a press conference in Geneva Jan. 24, 2023 (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Yona Schiffmiller, director of research at NGO Monitor, further illuminated Hamas’ involvement in the humanitarian aid process.

“Hamas used the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) to direct aid distribution. The head of MoSD, Ghazi Hamad, who was recently designated by the U.S. Treasury as a Hamas leader, met with U.N. officials and international NGOs while promoting Hamas interests,” Schiffmiller explained.

“The data from MoSD influenced aid distribution across various organizations, solidifying Hamas’ grip on Gaza’s humanitarian aid. We’ve got pictures of Hamad meeting with U.N. officials, and if you look closely in the background, you can actually see the Hamas logo on the map on the wall where they’re meeting.”

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The Israeli Knesset passed legislation banning UNRWA from operating in Israel, which took effect at the end of January. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its position on UNRWA’s ties to terrorism.

“Humanitarian aid doesn’t equal UNRWA, and UNRWA doesn’t equal humanitarian aid. UNRWA equals an organization infested with Hamas terror activity,” its statement said. “Israel remains committed to facilitating humanitarian aid through alternative organizations that are independent and not complicit in terror.”

February 9, 2025
Bill Belichick’s girlfriend clarifies jewelry drama, reveals dress motivation

After not working in the NFL this season for the first time in nearly five decades, Bill Belichick had to remind everyone who the GOAT is.

Belichick attended the NFL Honors wearing all eight of his Super Bowl rings, but his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, was also showing off some jewelry of her own.

It was initially thought Hudson was wearing one of Belichick’s eight rings, six of which he won as Patriots head coach and two he won as Giants defensive coordinator.

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Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson on the red carpet before the NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

However, Belichick was actually wearing all eight of his rings. The one ring Hudson was wearing, she said, was the national championship ring she won with the Bridgewater State University cheerleading team.

Hudson won the title as a member of the 2021 team, according to her Instagram bio. The team also won the national title in 2011, 2014, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

She also said she picked her silver dress for a reason.

“My antics often go over everyone’s head. … I chose this gown because it is reminiscent of a Lombardi Trophy,” Hudson revealed.

Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson at the 14th Annual NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre Feb. 6, 2025, in New Orleans. (Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)

HOW TO WATCH SUPER BOWL LIX BETWEEN CHIEFS, EAGLES STREAMED ON TUBI

The couple attended Thursday night’s NFL Honors in New Orleans roughly two months after Belichick took the North Carolina head coaching job.

Belichick, 72, and the 24-year-old former cheerleader were first publicly linked last year, three years after meeting on a flight to Boston.

She attended Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony in June, shortly before reports surfaced she and Belichick had been dating.

The 48-year age gap was the butt of one of Snoop Dogg’s jokes during the NFL Honors.

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

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“I’ve been a football fan for a long, long time. … Bill Belichick’s girlfriend wasn’t even born yet,” Snoop joked.

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February 7, 2025
Noem reveals 2nd flight of ‘dangerous criminal aliens’ left for Gitmo ahead of her visit

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Friday that a second flight to Guantanamo Bay carrying “dangerous criminal aliens” had departed a day earlier – just as she is heading to the site where up to 30,000 migrants could eventually be held.

“A second flight of dangerous criminal aliens took off for Guantanamo Bay yesterday. ALL are known gang members from Venezuela,” she said on X.

She said that those on board included an immigrant who confessed to homicide and another wanted in Venezuela for escaping jail and for aggravated robbery with a weapon/intent to commit homicide.

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

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

Other crimes said to be committed by passengers include weapons trafficking, robbery, drug distribution, assault and impersonation fraud.

Fox News reported Thursday that DHS had said there were 13 Venezuelan men on the plane, some of whom are suspected members of Tren de Aragua.

The Thursday flight was the second after a similar flight on Tuesday. Noem will visit the Guantanamo Bay facility on Friday, when she will see the detention and processing center and have tours and briefings on the site.

President Donald Trump announced last week that he was instructing the Pentagon to prepare to hold 30,000 nationals at the military base.

MEXICAN TROOPS BEGIN ARRIVING AT US-MEXICO BORDER FOLLOWING DEAL MADE TO PAUSE TRUMP-APPROVED TARIFFS

Homeland Security Kristi Noem joins an ICE raid in New York City on Tuesday. Noem said communities will be safer because of targeted raids that go after criminal illegal immigrants. (Department of Homeland Security)

About 380 service members are supporting the holding operations at Naval Station Guantanamo, U.S. Southern Command said Tuesday, adding that the number of service members will continue to fluctuate based on DHS requirements.

The Department of Defense (DOD) stated that these migrant criminals are being housed in vacant detention facilities. The DOD said that is only a temporary arrangement being made to “ensure the safe and secure detention of these individuals until they can be transported to their country of origin or other appropriate destination.”

DHS clarified that the Guantánamo Bay prison will be used to house only “the worst of the worst” criminals.

It is part of a broader mass deportation operation launched by the Trump administration on day one in office. President Trump declared a national emergency at the border and deployed the military to the border as part of a rapid-fire series of measures to crack down on illegal immigration.

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DHS has since taken a number of measures to free up ICE agents to arrest and deport illegal immigrants, and officers are frequently arresting over 1,000 a day.

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Fox News Digital reported on Thursday that any releases of illegal immigrants from ICE custody will now need the signature of the acting director, while the agency has also requested an apportionment of around $575 million from the Office of Management and Budget as an advance of its funding for the year in order to be able to work quicker and get another step closer to a reported target of 100,000 beds and 1 million removals a year.

Fox News’ Alexis McAdams, Peter Pinedo and Bill Melugin 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
Cowboys star Micah Parsons reveals plan if he doesn’t have new contract by training camp

Had Micah Parsons not missed four games this season due to injury, he would easily be a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year – again.

In each of his first four seasons, including in this injury-riddled season, the Dallas Cowboys stalwart pass rusher has recorded a dozen sacks. He finished second, second and third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of his first three years.

His 52.5 career sacks are the sixth-most by any player in his first four seasons. It is safe to say, he deserves to break the bank.

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Micah Parsons, #11 of the Dallas Cowboys, reacts against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Nov. 5, 2023 in Philadelphia. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Parsons was eligible for a contract extension last year but never got one. Now, he is entering his fifth season (obviously, Dallas exercised his fifth-year option), but without a contract this time next year, he would be a candidate for the franchise tag.

Parsons has said he wants to be a Cowboy for life, perhaps losing some leverage at the negotiating table. He even admitted he does not need to be the highest-paid defensive player ever.

But, he does want to be paid, and without a contract, he said he will be limited at training camp this year.

“I think I’ll report, because at the end of the day, with all of the new coaches, things like that, you need to be around the guys, they need a voice. I think I’ll be there,” Parsons said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. “Will I be doing activities? Probably not.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, #11, walks on the field before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

HOW TO WATCH SUPER BOWL LIX BETWEEN CHIEFS, EAGLES STREAMED ON TUBI

“I want to make sure I’m doing what I need to do to respect my future, but I don’t believe in punishing the team. I want to be around my guys, making sure we’re leading and trending in the right direction of where we want to be.”

Nick Bosa’s $170 million is currently the most money ever given to a non-quarterback. However, for reference, Von Miller got $120 million at the age of 32 – Parsons is just 25. Sandwiched between them are Chris Jones at just shy of $159 million (aged 29 when he signed), Josh Hines-Allen, who inked a $141.25 million deal at age 25, and the $141 million deal Brian Burns signed this past offseason, also at 25 years young.

Jerry Jones has said he has zero plans to trade Micah Parsons. However, it may need some exploration, considering Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are already combining for over 45% of the team’s salary cap.

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

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Parsons will be a $24 million cap hit in 2025, meaning their three biggest stars will account for roughly 54% of their cap. One figures he wants a lot more money than that. It is safe to say, they need to be creative if they want to retain their star defender.

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

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February 7, 2025
John Fetterman reveals how he’ll vote on Trump’s Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr. nominations

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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., announced that he will vote against confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to serve in President Donald Trump’s cabinet.

Trump tapped Kennedy to serve as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence.

“I have met with most of the cabinet nominees and have carefully watched their confirmation hearings. After considering what’s at stake, I have voted against moving forward to the confirmation of Ms. Gabbard and Mr. Kennedy, and will be voting NO on their confirmations,” Fetterman declared Thursday night in a post on X.

PRO-LIFERS POUNCE ON FETTERMAN FOR OPPOSING ‘BORN-ALIVE ABORTION SURVIVORS PROTECTION ACT’: ‘INFANTICIDE’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., talks with West Point cadets in the senate subway on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Kennedy announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2023, before switching to an independent White House bid later that year. In 2024 he dropped out and endorsed Trump.

Kennedy’s former running mate, Nicole Shanahan, replied to Fetterman’s post, calling the lawmaker — who is known for his penchant for wearing shorts and hoodies — a “lazy slob.”

“Fetterman toys with the ideal of being a strong American Man, but he is a lazy slob who can’t get to the gym in spite of wearing gym clothes all day long. I do not expect someone who can’t manage to dress themself to make good decisions, let alone those as important as the health of a nation,” Shanahan declared in a tweet.

SCORCHED-EARTH SHANAHAN: RFK JR’S FORMER RUNNING MATE THREATENS POLITICAL WAR AGAINST CONFIRMATION OPPONENTS

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., attends the Inauguration of Donald J. Trump in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Lamarque – Pool/Getty Images)

“I’m not trolling. This is an honest assessment given the outfit he wore to the President of the United State’s Inauguration. What can you realistically expect from someone who treats the American people like this?” she added in another post.

Gabbard, who served in Congress as a Democrat from early 2013 through early 2021, launched a presidential bid in 2019, but dropped out in 2020 and backed Joe Biden.

In 2022, she announced that she was ditching the Democratic Party. And in 2024, she endorsed Trump and announced that she was joining the GOP.

While Fetterman has thrown his support behind some of Trump’s nominees, he joined the rest of the Senate Democratic Caucus in voting against the confirmation of Russell Vought on Thursday. Despite Democratic opposition, Vought was confirmed in a 53-47 vote.

Vought served as Office of Management and Budget director during part of the first Trump administration and is taking on the role again.

RUSSELL VOUGHT CONFIRMED TO HEAD GOVERNMENT’S LEADING BUDGET OFFICE AFTER DEMS HOLD 30-HOUR PROTEST

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“Last year, I called out the dangers of Project 2025 and the damage it’d do to our country. Americans were assured the Trump team had no ties to it—then nominated one of its authors to lead OMB. My view has not changed and I will be a hard NO on Mr. Vought,” Fetterman said in a post on Thursday.

February 7, 2025