Happy New Year 2025

Tag: team

NBA star Kevin Durant tears up talking about Team USA, Olympics

Talking about playing for Team USA had perennial NBA All-Star Kevin Durant in tears.

The new Netflix docuseries “Court of Gold” had behind-the-scenes access to all things basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including Team USA, who Durant was starring for in his fourth Olympics.

In Netflix’s teaser video of the docuseries, which released on Monday, an emotional Durant had to stop midway through an interview to wipe his tears while talking about his time with Team USA and how much it means to him.

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Team United States forward Kevin Durant (Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports)

“I come from neighborhoods where people don’t even talk to each other,” Durant said with emotion. “There’s so much hate in the world, too. When people get to start laughing and joking for the game of ball, it’s cool to me.

“So, like, it gets me emotional, dog.”

Seeing the world unite through the game of basketball is something that still fascinates Durant to this day.

“It’s crazy to see people travel so long to come see their favorite player play in the Olympics,” he explained. “They send their money, they bring their whole family. It’s just dope to me.”

Durant went on to say that “the game has saved my life. It brought me and my family out of a lot of bulls—. I’m just grateful for it.”

Durant is one of many Team USA stars featured in the six-part docuseries, but he’s arguably the best player to ever wear the red, white and blue on his jersey.

Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) guards Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant. (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)

Durant didn’t play for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics after his rookie season, but he’s been a part of the gold-medal winning teams over the last four Games. No player in USA Basketball history has four gold medals to their name.

Durant also has the most points ever scored by a Team USA basketball player, men or women, and he did so on his way to helping the U.S. win gold in Paris over France.

The Phoenix Suns star is 36 years old and has spent the past 17 years playing professional basketball after he was selected second overall by the then-Seattle Supersonics in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Durant has gone on to make 15 All-Star teams, win two NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors, be the NBA’s leading scorer four times and make the All-NBA team 11 times.

Kevin Durant (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

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There is no doubting Durant has future Hall of Famer written all over his resume, but he clearly loves playing the game for his country as well as in the NBA.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 19, 2025
CA Christian girls’ team forced to face trans athlete in playoff basketball game

As California continues to defy President Donald Trump’s recent executive order forbidding trans athletes from competing in girls’ sports, the state’s residents will see the ramifications of that decision play out on a basketball court this week.

An upcoming high school girls’ basketball playoff game will feature an openly transgender athlete playing for San Francisco Waldorf against Cornerstone Christian on Saturday. The same trans athlete played for Waldorf’s girls’ volleyball team this past fall, prompting Stone Ridge Christian to forfeit a playoff match on Nov. 16.

However, Cornerstone Christian currently intends to play its upcoming game against the trans athlete.

“As long as the parents are on board with playing the game, we will support the girls’ hard work this season and play the game,” Cornerstone Christian athletic director Madison Alexander told Fox News Digital.

The team came to this decision after a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

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The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is currently under investigation by Trump’s Department of Education (DOE) and Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for its defiance in following the president’s executive order as it continues to instruct schools to allow trans athletes to compete as women.

The DOE’s deputy general counsel, Candice Jackson, told Fox News Digital that the department will be monitoring the state’s girls’ basketball playoffs as it conducts its investigation.

“CIF sets the parameters under which schools compete in these playoffs, and they have responsibility as recipients of federal funds to comply with Title IX. OCR’s investigation into CIF is continuing as it appears that CIF’s disregard for Title IX is continuing,” Jackson said.

The CIF has not responded to a request for comment on the situation involving the upcoming playoff game. The CIF previously told Fox News Digital that it will continue to follow state legislation on the issue of trans athletes that has been in effect since 2014.

“The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records,” the statement reads.

TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND

A law called AB 1266 has been in effect since 2014 and gives California students at scholastic and collegiate levels the right to “participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

Many California residents have protested and threatened lawsuits against the state for its refusal to comply with Trump’s order.

On Friday, California lawmakers introduced three bills in the state legislature aimed to combat trans inclusion. One bill, which was introduced by Assemblymember Bill Essayli, focused specifically on sports. His bill would require that students use all school facilities to only play on sports teams based on their biological sex and not their gender identity, reversing AB 1266.

“We know the state of California is going to do everything it can to resist and avoid compliance with federal law, so it’s our role to try to force change at the state and local level,” Essayli said at a press conference outside the state Capitol building in Sacramento on Friday.

California State Assembly member Kate Sanchez previously announced on Jan. 7 that she is introducing her own bill to ban trans athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.

California’s enabling of trans athletes to compete with girls and women in the state has resulted in multiple controversies over the last year alone, as one lawsuit has already been filed against California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

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Parents at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, expanded their lawsuit to include Bonta after a girls’ cross-country runner lost her varsity spot to a trans athlete, and then the school administrators allegedly compared the girls’ “Save Girls’ Sports” T-shirts to swastikas.

In San Diego, a middle school was recently thrust into local controversy because of a transgender student using the girls’ locker room. San Elijo Middle School provided a statement to Fox News Digital, crediting its enabling of the transgender student to access the girls’ locker room to the school’s obligation of following state law.

San Francisco Waldorf found itself in a national controversy over the subject after the volleyball playoffs back in November when Stone Ridge Christian forfeited. Former NCAA swimmer and OutKick contributor Riley Gaines then honored Stone Ridge Christian for its decision to forfeit with a ceremony at their high school in early December.

Trump’s executive order vows to cut federal funding for any institution that enables trans athletes to compete against girls and women. According to USA Facts, California public schools receive about $16.8 billion per year, which is 13.9% or one in every seven dollars of public school funding, which is well above the national average.

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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 19, 2025
DOGE team welcomed at the Pentagon but some remain skeptical

The Department of Defense has received a list of DOGE officials tasked with cutting 8% from next year’s budget. “We welcome DOGE to the Pentagon,” said Secretary Pete Hegseth. “And I hope to welcome Elon to the Pentagon very soon.”

The Pentagon employs 3.7 million personnel with a budget exceeding $850 billion, but it has never passed an audit.

Tara Dougherty, CEO of Govini a defense software company, worked for three former Defense secretaries going back to Robert Gates. She says the biggest savings will be found in overhauling the decades-old weapons acquisition process, which still uses manual spreadsheets and fax machines.

ACTING HEAD OF SOCIAL SECURITY QUITS AFTER CLASH WITH DOGE OVER DATE

The Pentagon, headquarters of the Department of Defense – file photo. (DoD photo by Master Sgt. Ken Hammond, U.S. Air Force.)

“I would put a big red bull’s eye on the process by which we manage weapons systems and military platforms,” Dougherty said in an interview with Fox News. “The defense acquisition process is massively broken….It’s too slow. I mean, the United States is issuing missile purchases through fax machines. It’s using spreadsheet sheets and data calls in order to get nuclear capable platforms off of production lines.”

As a result F-35 5th generation stealth fighter jets can’t get out of depot because they’re missing parts and the defense industrial base in the US doesn’t produce what they need. The next generation intercontinental ballistic missile, a key part of the nuclear triad, is $35 billion over budget. And the cost of the B-21 nuclear bomber is rising and behind schedule.

“A lot of the weapons systems and the ships, jets, tanks and other capabilities that the department relies on for the military have such complex supply chains that the Department of Defense doesn’t actually know where all of those parts are coming from. And because they’re using spreadsheets to manage the programs overall means they have no ability to see if there are foreign suppliers or in some cases, Chinese suppliers of critical components like microelectronics in our military systems. This is the kind of thing that Elon Musk, DOGE, and the Trump administration are saying, this is no longer acceptable, and that’s what they’re going to root out,” Dougherty said.

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

The Pentagon employs 3.7 million personnel with a budget exceeding $850 billion. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

To get ahead of the DOGE team the Navy is considering cutting its fleet of frigates, while the Army is looking for savings by eliminating outdated drones and surplus vehicles.

Republican Senator Roger Wicker says it is about time.

“I, for one, as Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, welcome, DOGE coming in to the Pentagon and helping us cut red tape, make the acquisition process more efficient and spend our dollars better,” Wicker said in an interview with Fox’s Maria Bartiromo.

But not everyone is happy that DOGE is coming to the Pentagon where there are many classified systems and a lot of secret information that US adversaries would like to gain access to.

“We’ve already seen that this DOGE, I call it the Department of Government inefficiencies, is causing a reign of terror chaos across the federal government,” Cong Eugene VIndman of Virginia told CNN. “Just this week, they released classified information about a US intelligence agency. They have access to the American people’s personal information, bank accounts and things like that that that they’re frankly not entitled to. And so I have a major, major concern about them going into the Department of Defense and sitting around with, you know, the internal systems there and US national security.”

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) found code linking US Treasury payments to a budget line item that was not required before, and accounts for nearly $4.7 trillion in payments and left blank. (Musk: Reuters / Money: iStock / Trump: Getty)

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Concern the DOGE team will move too fast at the expense of national security materialized after it purged 2000 federal workers from the Department of Energy, including 350, many of whom oversaw the nation’s nuclear arsenal. Many of these federal workers were working at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, reassembling nuclear warheads, one of the most sensitive jobs that requires the highest level of security clearance.

The administration did an about-face last week and quickly tried to locate and rehire the Department of Energy employees overseeing the nukes.

At the Department of Veterans Affairs, the agency announced the dismissal of over 1000 employees, following DOGE guidance. Veterans Affairs employees joined Democratic lawmakers outside the D.C. headquarters to protest DOGE’s actions at the VA last week.

Jennifer Griffin currently serves as a national security correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) and is based out of the Washington D.C. bureau. She joined the network in October 1999 as a Jerusalem-based correspondent.

February 18, 2025
4 Nations Face-Off: Team USA falls to Sweden; set to face Canada in title game

Team USA lost its first game in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Monday night, falling to Sweden, 2-1, at the TD Garden in Boston.

However, despite the blemish on the record, they will still be playing in the championship game on Thursday night in the same arena against Canada, who they defeated, 3-1, on Saturday.

Team USA wasn’t at full strength in this matchup, as Matthew Tkachuk was absent from the bench with a lower-body injury. Auston Matthews also took the night off to battle an illness.

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Team Sweden forward Adrian Kempe (10) and Team USA defenseman Zach Werenski (8) battle for the puck in front of goalie Jake Ottinger (30) during the second in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

Also, his brother, Brady, was injured early in the first period during an attack in Sweden’s zone, which is worth monitoring heading into that title game against Canada.

Still, it was the U.S. getting on the board first thanks to Chris Kreider, the New York Rangers star, who scored his first goal of the tournament.

Kreider hadn’t played yet in the tournament, but was needed with the number of forwards out. And he wasted no time getting involved, scoring before one minute ticked off the first period clock.

BOSTON CROWD BOOS CANADIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM AFTER TEAM USA HEARD SAME JEERS DURING 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF

Zach Werenski had gotten a pass from Jack Eichel and took a shot on net that was saved by Samuel Ersson, but the deflection went right to Kreider’s stick. Kreider didn’t waste any time, one-timing the deflection to find the back of the net.

But Sweden made sure to take the lead into the locker room after the first period after Jesper Bratt sniped his first goal of the tournament with just 56 seconds left to play.

That goal gave Sweden the lead after Gustav Nyquist tied things up earlier with his first goal of the tournament as well.

The second and third periods both went scoreless, but Team USA was threatening late in the third when Jake Oettinger was called back to the bench to allow an extra U.S. attacker on the ice.

Team Sweden forward Jesper Bratt (63) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal during the first period in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game against Team USA at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

Multiple chances were seen with the 6-on-5, but Sweden was able to thwart any comeback from the U.S. to come away with its first win of the tournament.

Prior to this matchup, Sweden had lost to both Canada and Finland in overtime, which gave them two points total.

It may be a loss, but Team USA will be pitted against Team Canada in what’s expected to be another fiery clash after what transpired over the weekend.

Three fights broke out in nine seconds, as United States players took exception to the Montreal crowd booing during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Canada got on the scoreboard first thanks to Connor McDavid, but Team USA responded with three unanswered goals to win the rivalry game.

Team Sweden forward Leo Carlsson (91) controls the park while Team USA defenseman Brock Faber (14) defends during the second period in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

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Now, the scene will be Boston for this championship bout, and Canada, who defeated Finland, 5-3, earlier on Sunday, will be looking for some revenge and the ultimate bragging rights before the second half of the NHL season kicks off.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 18, 2025
4 Nations Face-Off: Team USA’s GM talks fight vs Canada, has message for Trump

Bill Guerin, a former hockey star and the general manager for the U.S. men’s team at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, rehashed the fight that jump-started the Americans’ win over Canada in their game over the weekend and had a message for President Donald Trump.

The game started with Canadian fans in Montreal booing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Then, three American and three Canadian players threw down their gloves and began to fight. There were three fights in the first nine seconds. The U.S. got the last laugh as they topped Canada, 3-1, and secured a spot in the championship game later this week.

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The United States’ Brady Tkachuk, #7, fights Canada’s Sam Bennett, #9, during first period 4 Nations Face-Off hockey action in Montreal on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Guerin appeared on “America’s Newsroom” on Monday and was asked whether the brawl was ignited because of the booing, previous heat between players or the political strife between the U.S. and Canada. Guerin said he thought it was all of the above.

“I think a little bit of everything. Canada-U.S. is a huge rivalry in hockey,” he said. “I think there was a little bit of a political flare to it. It’s just the time that we’re in. I think our guys used that as inspiration. If you let it get the better of you, then you’re in trouble. But I really do think the players used it as inspiration.”

Guerin touted the intensity of play between the two teams, calling it the “highest level of hockey ever played.”

US HOCKEY STAR CHARLIE MCAVOY RECEIVES PRAISE FOR BIG HIT ON CANADA’S CONNOR MCDAVID IN INTENSE 4 NATIONS GAME

Canada’s Brandon Hagel, #38, and United States’ Matthew Tkachuk, #19, fight during first period 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game in Montreal on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

The U.S. will play Thursday night in the final. Canada will play Finland on Monday, and a regulation win for either team would get them to play the Americans for the title.

If the Canada-Finland game goes into overtime, Sweden could advance to the final with a regulation win over the U.S.

The final will be played in Boston, and Guerin said Trump should attend.

“We would love it if President Trump was in attendance. We have a room full of proud American players and coaches and staff,” he said. “And listen, we’re just trying to represent our country the best way we can.”

Former NHL player and Olympic team member Bill Guerin speaks with NHL Network host Kathryn Tappen during a ceremony unveiling the 2014 USA Olympic hockey jersey as part of the 2013 U.S. men’s national team camp at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia, on Aug. 27, 2013. (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)

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Trump was at Super Bowl LIX and the Daytona 500 already this month.

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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
Elon Musk DOGE team finds millions in Social Security database aged 100 to 159

Elon Musk indicated in a post on X that millions of people listed in a Social Security database are recorded as centenarians “with the death field set to FALSE!”

“According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE! Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security,” Musk posted, adding a couple of rolling on the floor laughing emojis.

His post features a chart indicating there are more than 20 million listed with ages 100 and higher, including more than 3.9 million in the 130-139 age range, more than 3.5 million in the 140-149 range and more than 1.3 million in the 150-159 range.

DUFFY BRINGS UP CLINTON WHILE NOTING SPACEX WORKERS WILL VISIT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM COMMAND CENTER

Elon Musk delivers remarks as he joins President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to the Social Security Administration for comment on Monday.

While the U.S. population count in the 2020 census was more than 331 million, the count of people ages 100 and older was more than 80,000, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

DEMOCRATS LOVED IDEA OF DOGE BEFORE TRUMP, WHITE HOUSE QUIPS

“The logic flow diagram for the Social Security system looks INSANE. No one person actually knows how it works. The payment files that move between Social Security and Treasury have significant inconsistencies that are not reconciled. It’s wild,” Musk declared in a post on X.

In another post, Musk said, “There are FAR more ‘eligible’ social security numbers than there are citizens in the USA. This might be the biggest fraud in history.”

TREASURY DEPARTMENT RECOUPS $31 MILLION IN IMPROPER GOVERNMENT PAYMENTS TO DEAD PEOPLE

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President Donald Trump tapped Musk to spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency, an effort to uncover waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
Meet Trump’s Russia-Ukraine negotiation team

President Donald Trump announced a team of four U.S. officials will work on negotiating with Russia and Ukraine to end the war that has raged between the two nations since 2022.

We “agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately.”

“I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, to lead the negotiations which, I feel strongly, will be successful,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday, announcing that Russia was ready to hash out negotiations over the ongoing war.

Negotiations over ending the war reportedly kicked off “immediately,” with Trump previewing on Wednesday that he believes they will reach “a cease fire in the not too distant future.”

TRUMP SAYS RUSSIA AGREES TO ‘IMMEDIATELY’ BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS TO END WAR IN UKRAINE

President Donald Trump’s negotiation team, from left, national security advisor Mike Waltz, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. (Getty Images)

Fox News Digital took a look at the team of U.S. officials Trump tapped to lead the negotiations as they get underway.

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff

Steve Witkoff is a real estate mogul who served as a key figure in striking a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel ahead of Trump taking office. (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Witkoff was tapped as the special envoy to the Middle East and served as a key figure in striking a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel ahead of Trump taking office, according to Trump’s recent remarks to the press and sources who spoke with Fox News Digital.

Witkoff traveled to Israel in January to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem before it was announced a ceasefire had been reached between Israel and Hamas.

Witkoff recently also traveled to Russia to secure the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel, who had been in Russian custody since 2021 when he was arrested for possession of marijuana at an airport.

FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY

Witkoff, similar to Trump, is a real estate mogul, who founded real estate firm the Witkoff Group in 1997.

National Security Advisor Michael Waltz

Michael Waltz is a longtime Trump ally and a decorated retired Green Beret who also served in the National Guard as a colonel. (John Nacion/Getty Images)

As national security advisor, Trump appointed Mike Waltz, who served as a Republican U.S. congressman representing Florida from 2019 to 2025.

Waltz said during a recent interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that conversations to end the war between Ukraine and Russia have weighed heavy on leaders across the globe.

RUSSIA SAYS US RELATIONS ‘ON THE BRINK OF A BREAKUP,’ WON’T CONFIRM TRUMP-PUTIN TALK

“We need to get all sides to the table and end this war,” he said in the interview. “And it has come up in conversations with President Xi, with Prime Minister Modi, with leaders across the Middle East. Everybody is ready to help President Trump end this war. Let’s get all sides to the table and negotiate.”

Waltz is a longtime Trump ally and a decorated retired Green Beret who also served in the National Guard as a colonel.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe

Newly minted CIA Director John Ratcliffe also will lead negotiations on reaching peace in Russia and Ukraine. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Newly minted CIA Director John Ratcliffe also will lead negotiations on reaching peace in Russia and Ukraine. Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021, during the first Trump administration.

Ratcliff warned during his Senate confirmation hearing to lead the CIA that the nation’s premier foreign intelligence agency was falling behind nations such as Russia and China at leveraging technology for intelligence purposes.

OBAMA OFFICIALS, TRUMP CRITICS TARGET HEGSETH’S UKRAINE ‘CONCESSIONS’ AS ‘BIGGEST GIFT’ TO RUSSIA

“We’re not where we’re supposed to be,” Ratcliffe told the Senate Intelligence Committee in January.

Ratcliffe served in the U.S. House as a Republican representing Texas from 2015 to 2020.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio, the first member of Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed and sworn in under his second administration, serves as the nation’s 72nd secretary of state. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

Rubio, the first member of Trump’s Cabinet to be confirmed and sworn in under his second administration, serves as the nation’s 72nd secretary of state.

Rubio headed to the Munich Security Conference on Thursday – a high-profile annual conference focused on security issues at the international level – where he and Vice President JD Vance met with Zelenskyy on Friday.

Trump announced that he also spoke with Zelenskyy on Wednesday and that the Ukraine leader wanted to reach a peace deal.

“He, like President Putin, wants to make PEACE. We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the War, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the Delegation. I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous War, where there has been massive, and totally unnecessary, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!” Trump wrote.

Rubio served as a Republican U.S senator representing Florida from 2011 to 2025, which included serving as a senior Senate Foreign Relations Committee member, and vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the media when asked about the negotiations that President Donald Trump views Putin as both a “great competitor” and “at times an adversary.” (AP/Evan Vucci)

Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Russia invaded its neighboring nation. Trump said on the 2024 campaign trail that he would end the war if re-elected, while claiming it would never have begun if he had been in the Oval Office at the time.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the media on Wednesday when asked about the negotiations that Trump views Putin as both a “great competitor” and “at times an adversary.”

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“I believe this nation views Putin and Russia as a great competitor in the region, at times an adversary,” Leavitt said when asked how Trump views Russia and Putin. “But as the president has said, as well, he enjoys having good diplomatic relations with leaders around the world. Finding that common ground, also calling them out when they are wrong. Leading from a position of peace through strength. That’s the president’s greatest strength.”

February 17, 2025
Team USA stars brace for rivaled showdown vs Canada as tensions rise over national anthem controversy

Team USA and Team Canada are facing off in international best-on-best hockey at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday in Montreal, and the stakes are high.

It is the first time in nine years that NHL players will be able to compete in the bitter rivalry, as the NHL stopped allowing players to play in such an event since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

“I’ve thought about this game for nine years,” Team USA star Matthew Tkachuk said via Sportsnet.

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Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

Adding to what is already going to be a hotly contested game on the ice, there is another part of the highly anticipated matchup that fans will be watching: the national anthems.

Prior to Team USA’s 6-1 win over Finland on Thursday, which was also in Montreal, the Canadian fans booed during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“I didn’t like it. That’s all I got,” Tkachuk said postgame of the boos.

And Tkachuk played like someone who didn’t like it as he and his brother, Brady Tkachuk, each scored two goals in the win.

The Canadian fans would be wise to not give the Tkachuk brothers or Team USA any more reason to be fired up against team Canada on Saturday,

“I think it’s going to be the biggest game that I’ve ever played in my career. I’m really looking forward to that. There’s a big buildup to it. USA vs. Canada is bigger than just the guys on the ice,” Brady said postgame.

TEAM USA STAR MATTHEW TKACHUK DELIVERS STERN ONE-LINER AFTER CANADIAN FANS BOO DURING AMERICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

“There’s so many people past, present and down the road [that it affects]. We’ve been talking about this game especially. It’s going to be a long couple days [waiting] until it happens, but it’ll be exciting.”

Team Canada star and Boston Bruins captain, Brad Marchand, wasn’t happy with the boos from Canadian fans during the national anthem.

“They should not be booing the Americans during that anthem. They have nothing to do with the political things that are going on. I do feel bad for those guys in that moment. I don’t think it’s right,” Marchand said via The Athletic.

“We respect the anthems; I’ll leave it at that,” Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby said via ESPN.

Since President Donald Trump’s threat to issue tariffs on Canada and even saying that the country could become the “51st state,” it has been common for boos to be heard during the USA’s national anthem.

CANADIAN HOCKEY FANS BOO TEAM USA PLAYERS, NATIONAL ANTHEM AT 4 NATIONS TOURNAMENT IN MONTREAL

Charlie McAvoy, #25, Jake Guentzel, #59, Zach Werenski, #8, Auston Matthews, #34, and Jack Hughes, #86 of Team United States stand at their blueline during the singing of the United States national anthem before the 4 Nations Face-Off game between the United States and Finland at Bell Centre on February 13, 2025, in Montreal, Quebec. (Vitor Munhoz/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)

Both Toronto Raptors and Ottawa Senators fans have booed the USA’s national anthem since the tariffs were set to begin.

Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke via phone last week just before additional 25% tariffs were to take effect on Canadian goods coming into the United States.

Trudeau said that Canada will implement a $1.3 billion border plan and appoint a fentanyl czar, in a post to X.

Trump had promised to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian and Mexican goods, as well as a 10% tariff on Canadian energy, as he has long said that the countries have not done enough at the borders.

With the Canadian crowd now supporting their own team on Saturday, the boos could be thunderous during the United States national anthem.

PANTHERS’ MATTHEW TKACHUCK ‘GRATEFUL TO BE AN AMERICAN’ AS TEAM CELEBRATES STANLEY CUP TITLE WITH TRUMP

Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates with his teammates his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

Team USA forward JT Miller said the booing gets them fired up.

“I think we like it. Not politically, but just in the sense of we know where we’re at, in Canada. I think that fires us up more than anything,” Miller said via the NY Post.

Team Canada also won their first game of the tournament, a 4-3 overtime thriller on Wednesday.

While their national anthem may not be booed, they will certainly be ready to roll for Saturday night.

“It’s a big game,” Team Canada superstar Connor McDavid told reporters after practice on Friday.

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Team Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) prepares for a face-off against Team Sweden in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

“Playing the Americans in Montreal, best-on-best tournament, it’s what you dream of.”

In addition to the excitement of NHL players being able to take part in the USA-Canada hockey rivalry, there is a scenario that if Team USA wins, they can clinch a spot in the final in Boston next Thursday night.

It’s safe to say both of these teams will be bringing their best on Saturday night.

Fox News’ Louis Casano and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

February 15, 2025
Judge extends order blocking Musk’s DOGE team from Treasury payment system

A federal judge on Friday extended a temporary order that blocks Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team from accessing payment systems within the Treasury Department.

The extension comes after 19 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over DOGE’s access to the payment system, which has information about Americans’ Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ benefits, tax refund information, and much more.

The lawsuit claims the Musk-run agency illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s central payment system at the Trump administration’s behest.

TREASURY ‘MISTAKENLY’ GAVE MUSK DOGE WORKER ABILITY TO CHANGE PAYMENTS SYSTEM: COURT DOCS

A federal judge on Friday extended a temporary order that blocks Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team from accessing payment systems within the Treasury Department. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)

The lawsuit was filed in New York by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office and includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT SAYS DOGE WILL HAVE ‘READ ONLY’ ACCESS TO PAYMENT SYSTEMS IN LETTER TO CONGRESS

The lawsuit claims DOGE illegally accessed the Treasury Department’s central payment system at the Trump administration’s behest. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan on Friday said that she wasn’t going to issue a ruling yet on the attorneys general request for a longer preliminary injunction, leaving the temporary order issued last Saturday in place.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told FOX Business last week that the concerns about DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department are not valid.

“DOGE is not going to fail,” he said. “They are moving a lot of people’s cheese here in the capital, and when you hear this squawking, then some status quo interest is not happy.”

The lawsuit was filed in New York by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ (pictured) office and includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)

He continued, “At the Treasury, our payment system is not being touched. We process 1.3 billion payments a year. There is a study being done — can we have more accountability, more accuracy, more traceability that the money is going where it is? But, in terms of payments being stopped, that is happening upstream at the department level.”

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The newly-created DOGE aims to cut government waste and has been given access to more than a dozen government agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Education and the Department of Labor.

February 15, 2025
Giants looking to sell minority stake in team: report

The New York Giants are looking to sell up to a 10% stake of the team, according to Sports Business Journal.

The Giants released a statement about the report Thursday.

“The Mara and Tisch families have retained Moelis & Company to explore the potential sale of a minority, non-controlling stake in the New York Giants. There will be no further comment in regard to the process,” the statement said, according to The Athletic.

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President and CEO John Mara stands on the sideline before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium Dec. 29, 2024. (Imagn)

The Mara and Tisch families each own 50% of the franchise.

Tim Mara, current owner John Mara’s grandfather, established the franchise in 1925 for $500.

Bob Tisch, father of current owner Steve Tisch, bought half the team from the Mara family in 1991 for about $75 million.

AT LEAST 2 PEOPLE SHOT NEAR EAGLES’ SUPER BOWL PARADE CELEBRATION: REPORTS

New York Giants helmets on the sideline during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers during at Acrisure Stadium. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)

Forbes’ most recent valuation of the Giants came in at $7.3 billion, making it the fourth most valuable franchise in the NFL.

Only the Dallas Cowboys ($10.1 billion), Los Angeles Rams ($7.6 billion) and New England Patriots ($7.3 billion) had higher values.

The sale of the team would not change much for the Giants because the Mara and Tisch families would still control the franchise.

The reason for the sale of the team is unknown, according to the report.

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New York Giants co-owner John Mara watches warmups before a game against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

If the Giants received roughly 10% of their last Forbes evaluation, they would end up with around $700 million from the sale.

The Giants have the worst record in the NFL over the last eight seasons, but because they play in such a large market and have had success in the past, there should be plenty of interest.

The Giants went 3-14 in 2024 and have the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft.

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

February 15, 2025