Happy New Year 2025

Tag: shock

Luka Doncic details Lakers trade ‘shock’ at introductory press conference

Luka Doncic was introduced as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday, days after the team acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks.

The trade sent shock waves across the sports world. The Lakers sent Anthony Davis and Max Christie to Dallas in a three-team deal that included the Utah Jazz.

The Slovenian superstar said he woke up in the middle of the night to the call informing him he was on the move.

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The Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, right, and general manager Rob Pelinka field questions during an introductory NBA basketball press conference Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in El Segundo, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

“I was almost asleep when I got a call. I had to check to see if it was April 1. I didn’t really believe it at first. It was a big shock,” the 25-year-old said, via FOX 4 News.

He opened up about the emotions he felt as he had to leave the Dallas area, a place he’s called home since the Mavericks acquired him during the 2018 NBA Draft in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

HOW BAD WAS LUKA DONČIĆ DEAL FOR MAVERICKS? WHO REALLY ‘WON’ THE TRADE?

The Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic speaks during an introductory NBA basketball press conference Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in El Segundo, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

“It was a big shock,” Doncic said. “(Dallas) was home, so it was really hard moments for me. … (But now) I get to play in the greatest club in the world, and I’m excited for this new journey.

“Honestly, it was hard at first,” he added. “That first day was really hard. I felt like these last 48 hours was one month. Emotionally, it was really hard, but today was much better. This is the Lakers. It’s one of the best clubs in history, so I’m excited to be here.”

Doncic said he was looking forward to playing alongside LeBron James, who he’s described as his idol.

“It’s just like a dream come true,” Doncic said. “I always looked up to him. There’s so many things I can learn from him, and I’m just excited to learn everything and get to play with him. It’s an amazing feeling.”

From left to right, Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, Luka Doncic and head coach JJ Redick pose for photos during an introductory press conference Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in El Segundo, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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Doncic has not played since Christmas because he’s been dealing with a calf strain. He will participate in 5-on-5 work Wednesday, and the Lakers will later decide when he will make his debut in purple and gold.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 4, 2025
Gabbard sheds light on Assad visit, expresses shock intelligence community showed no interest at the time

Director of national intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard shed further light on her 2017 meeting with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, a trip that has come under the microscope since President Donald Trump nominated the former congresswoman.

“There is not a great deal in the public record about what you and Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad discussed for so long in January of 2017. And I think there’s a great deal of interest from the American people about what was discussed in that meeting. So what did you talk about? And did you press Assad on things like his use of chemical weapons, systematic torture and the killing of so many Syrians?” Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., asked Gabbard on Thursday.

Gabbard, when she served in the U.S. House, traveled to Syria in 2017, when she met with the dictator, whose government was overthrown years later in 2024. The visit has become a focal point of Democrats’ criticism of the DNI nominee, arguing the visit casts doubt on her worldview and judgment.

‘LIES AND SMEARS’: TULSI GABBARD RAILS AGAINST DEM NARRATIVE SHE’S TRUMP’S AND PUTIN’S ‘PUPPET’

Tulsi Gabbard testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on her nomination to be director of national intelligence, on Capitol Hill on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Mandel NGAN / AFPGetty Images)

“Yes, senator, I, upon returning from this trip, I met with people like then-Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Steny Hoyer, talked to them and answered their questions about the trip,” Gabbard, who served in the U.S. House representing Hawaii from 2013 to 2021, responded.

TENSION BUILDS AROUND TULSI GABBARD’S CONFIRMATION WITH KEY GOP SENATORS UNDECIDED

“And quite frankly, I was surprised that there was no one from the intelligence community or the State Department who reached out or showed any interest whatsoever in my takeaways from that trip. I would have been very happy to have a conversation and give them a back brief. I went with former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who had been there many times before and who had met with Assad before. A number of topics were covered and discussed. And to directly answer your question, yes. I asked him tough questions about his own regime’s actions. The use of chemical weapons and the brutal tactics that were being used against his own people.”

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, seen during the signing of the comprehensive program of strategic and long-term cooperation between Iran and Syria, on May 3, 2023 in Damascus, Syria. (Photo by Borna News/Matin Ghasemi/Aksonline ATPImages/Getty Images)

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also met with Assad in 2007, despite then-President George W. Bush’s criticism of the visit at the time.

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“Were you able to extract any concessions from President Assad?” Heinrich asked Gabbard.

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be director of national intelligence, arrives to testify during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“No, and I didn’t expect to, but I felt these issues were important to address,” she continued.

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“Just in complete hindsight, would you, would you view this trip as, good judgment?” the Senate lawmaker continued.

“Yes, senator. And I believe that leaders, whether you be in Congress or the president of the United States, can benefit greatly by going and engaging boots on the ground, learning and listening and meeting directly with people, whether they be adversaries or friends,” Gabbard said.

Gabbard is appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday as part of her nomination process to serve as director of national intelligence under the second Trump administration.

January 30, 2025
Trump’s ‘shock and awe’: Forget first 100 days, new president shows off frenetic pace in first 100 hours

Buckle up.

President Donald Trump is back in the White House and moving at warp speed.

In his inauguration address, the new president vowed that things across the country would “change starting today, and it will change very quickly.”

And moments later, White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich took to social media to tease, “Now, comes SHOCK AND AWE.”

They weren’t kidding.

TRUMP UNPLUGGED: WHAT THE NEW PRESIDENT IS DOING THAT BIDEN RARELY DID

President Donald Trump holds a document as he issues executive orders and pardons for January 6 defendants, in the Oval Office at the White House, on January 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

Trump signed an avalanche of executive orders and actions in his first eight hours in office, which not only fulfilled major campaign trail promises, but also allowed the returning president to flex his executive muscles as well as settle some longstanding grievances.

The president immediately cracked down on immigration, moved towards a trade war with top allies and adversaries, reversed many policies implemented by former President Biden, including scrapping much of the previous administration’s federal diversity actions and energy and climate provisions.

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He also sparked a major controversy by pardoning or commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 supporters who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to upend congressional certification of Biden’s 2020 election victory. Among those whose sentences were commuted included some who violently assaulted police officers on one of America’s darkest days.

Trump also fired some top government officials, made a high-profile half-trillion dollar tech investment announcement, held unscripted and wide-ranging, informal, and impromptu news conferences during his first two days back at the White House, and even renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

“I think it’s brilliant how they’ve been handling it, to immediately meet the moment with action. It’s exactly what he needs to do and its exactly what the people voted for,” veteran Republican strategist Kristin Davison told Fox News.

“Americans vote for decisive, fast action, and true leadership. And Trump understands that more than anyone. I think he and his team knew how important it was out the gate to show that they heard what the people wanted and are answering with leadership,” Davison argued.

WATCH: TRUMP SITS DOWN IN OVAL OFFICE WITH FOX NEWS’ HANNITY

Longtime Republican consultant Alex Castellanos agreed

“He’s flooding the zone. He’s making a case for action. He’s demonstrating action. He is rallying a wave of American support for a massive transformation of government,” Castellanos, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, told Fox News.

Seasoned Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo didn’t dispute Trump’s frenetic actions.

“The pace of this shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. Trump made it abundantly clear he was going to act quickly, he was going to act boldly, and he was going to do exactly what he told voters he would do,” Caiazzo said.

But he argued that “the things he is doing is going to directly negatively impact working families from coast to coast. It’s also a signal he has no respect for the rule of law.”

TRUMP’S AVALANCHE OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Asked if Trump’s actions were what Americans voted for this past autumn, Caiazzo replied “of course not. What Americans voted for was cheaper groceries. What Donald Trump is going to give us is a litany of policies that work to deteriorate our institutions, that work to enrich the wealthy and solidify his standing among the oligarchy in this country.”

There’s another reason for Trump’s fast pace – even though he’s the new president, he’s also a term-limited and lame-duck president. And by Labor Day, much of the political world will start looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections.

“This is his second term. He’s got to move quickly,” Davison emphasized.

President Donald Trump reviews the troops during his Inauguration ceremony in Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Greg Nash/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump’s show of force in the opening days of his second administration is also in contrast to eight years ago, when he first entered the White House.

The president and his team are much more seasoned the second time around, and the supporting cast is intensely loyal to Trump.

“In the past administration, there would be logjams and bottlenecks because there were people who didn’t agree with him,” a senior White House source told Fox News. “Now we have a whole infrastructure and staff that’s built around him, in support of him. When he says something, it’s getting done. It’s testament to him and the team that he built.”

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Credit is also being given to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who, as co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid, kept the trains on the tracks.

“What Susie has done is look at the totality of Trump and found the best players and put them in the best positions to support the president. Trump is surrounded by Trump people who’ve all proven themselves over the years not just to be loyal but ultra-competent operators,” added the adviser, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

January 23, 2025
American-made space heaters sold on Amazon recalled due to electric shock, fire hazards

Home appliance expert shares tips

Nearly 8,000 American-made space heaters were recalled in the U.S. after officials found they could cause electric shock and fire hazards.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday recalled 7,780 Vornado VH2 Whole Room Heaters, which are sold exclusively on Amazon.

The CPSC claims the power cord can “partially detach” from the heater enclosure, potentially leading to cord damage over time, posing electric shock and fire hazards.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled thousands of Vornado VH2 Whole Room Heaters. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission / Fox News)

MORE THAN 500,000 ELECTRIC SPACE HEATERS RECALLED DUE TO OVERHEATING CONCERNS

No injuries have been reported, as of Tuesday afternoon, according to officials.

The recall involves Vornado VH2 Whole Room Heaters with a “JUL24” or “AUG24” date code and “TYPE VH2” printed on the silver rating label on the bottom of the heater, according to the commission.

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The heaters are off-white and have thermostatic temperature control, automatic or continuous fan operation, and two heat settings, according to the CPSC. “Vornado” with a red “V” behind it is printed on the front of the unit. Only units with a “JUL24” or “AUG24” date code are included in the recall.

The heaters in question were sold on Amazon from August to October for about $90, according to the commission.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled thousands of Vornado VH2 Whole Room Heaters. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission / Fox News)

AMAZON’S RING RECALLS 350,000 VIDEO DOORBELLS FOR FIRE HAZARD

The product was sold by Vornado Air LLC, of Andover, Kansas, and manufactured in the United States, according to officials.

“Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled heaters and contact Vornado to confirm that their product is part of the recall and receive instructions on how to receive a free replacement heater,” according to the CPSC.

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To receive a replacement, contact Vornado by calling 844-205-7978 or by emailing [email protected].

January 23, 2025