Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Years

Duffy blasts Buttigieg: ‘Mayor Pete failed for 4 years’

Current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a post on X, accusing the Biden-era official of “mismanagement.”

He leveled the criticism when responding to a post in which Buttigieg wrote, “The flying public needs answers. How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?”

Duffy responded, blasting Buttigieg.

“Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system. In less than four weeks, we have already begun the process and are engaging the smartest minds in the entire world,” Duffy declared.

SEAN DUFFY TELLS HILLARY CLINTON TO ‘SIT THIS ONE OUT’ AFTER SHE CHIMES IN ON HIS DOGE ANNOUNCEMENT

Left: Sean Duffy, U.S, Secretary of Transportation, during a swearing-in ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. Right: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks to reporters after a groundbreaking ceremony for the Long Bridge Project at the Long Bridge Aquatic Center on Oct. 15, 2024 in Arlington, Va. (Left: Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Right: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Prior to serving in the Biden administration, Buttigieg served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

“Here’s the truth: the FAA alone has a staggering 45,000 employees. Less than 400 were let go, and they were all probationary, meaning they had been hired less than a year ago. Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go,” Duffy continued.

He accused Buttigieg of utilizing the Department of Transportation “as a slush fund for the green new scam and environmental justice nonsense,” and claimed “that over 90% of the workforce under his leadership were working from home – including him. The building was empty!”

PETE BUTTIGIEG BLASTS TRUMP AFTER PRESIDENT EXCORIATES HIM DURING PRESS BRIEFING

“When we finally get a full accounting of his mismanagement, I look forward to hearing from him,” he declared.

Buttigieg fired back, “At least one of the claims here (concerning telework rates) is demonstrably false, so forgive us for seeking more specifics on the rest. Is the Secretary claiming, and will he show, that none of the hundreds of FAA personnel he just fired were important to safety?”

In a post on Sunday, Duffy had indicated that individuals from SpaceX were slated to visit the Air Traffic Control System Command Center on Monday.

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

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg looks on prior to the Playoff First Round game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on Dec. 20, 2024 in South Bend, Ind. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images))

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer,” Elon Musk replied.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 18, 2025
Bud Light exec reveals the ‘four things’ that made this year’s Super Bowl ad a success

UFC president Dana White reacts to making Bud Light UFC’s official beer after the beer giant faced intense backlash following its partnership with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney on ‘Hannity.’

Bud Light’s Super Bowl ad starring comedian Shane Gillis, rapper Post Malone and football great Peyton Manning has garnered the brewer rave reviews online, and a senior executive attributes this success to “putting our fans first.”

“When beginning the process of developing our Super Bowl ad, we prioritized the core components of what makes a Bud Light commercial,” Bud Light Senior VP of Marketing Todd Allen told Fox News Digital.

Bud Light’s ad “Big Men on Cul-De-Sac” featured Gillis and Malone as suburban homeowners who come to a neighbor’s rescue after he “accidentally threw a lame party.” Together, with the help of Bud Light and Peyton Manning, the duo transform the party into an event so raucous that Gillis has to tell his neighbors to settle down lest he invoke the wrath of the HOA board.

BEER INDUSTRY EXPERT SAYS BUD LIGHT IS DOING ‘ALL THE RIGHT THINGS’ WITH SHANE GILLIS SUPER BOWL AD

Bud Light cans are seen in the store in Montreal, Canada on June 16, 2023. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The ad came seventh in USA Today’s ad meter, which had Super Bowl viewers rate their favorite ads from the game. It was the fourth most watched ad of the Super Bowl, Variety reported.

Allen attributes the ad’s resonance with viewers to four things: “Putting our fans first, delivering Bud Light’s classic humor, engaging an A-list cast who are both brand partners and genuine fans of the brand, and, finally, centering the spot around one of our platforms that celebrates easy enjoyment.”

“We wanted consumers to be able to see themselves, their friends or their neighbors in this year’s spot,” Allen said.

The ad won the beer maker praise from industry observer and publisher of Beer Business Daily Publisher Harry Schuhmacher, who told Fox News Digital that Bud Light “did all the right things” in the BMOC ad.

UFC’S DANA WHITE SAYS BUD LIGHT PARTNERSHIP WAS NOT ‘DETERMINED BY MONEY’

Former football quarterback Terry Bradshaw (L) speaks with Philadelphia Eagles owner, chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie as Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback #01 Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia Eagles’ head coach Nick Sirianni watch after they defeated the K (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Bud Light has always been associated with a blue-collar working class. You know, relaxation, barbecuing, those, you know, country music, those type of deal situations and occasions, so yeah, it makes much more natural sense. They’ve done all the right things.”

The ad was a tonal departure from their controversial partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Longtime Bud Light drinkers revolted after the company partnered with Mulvaney, causing sales revenue to plunge.

However, BMOC appears to show that Bud Light has learned its lessons, with wholesalers praising the ad as a return to form.

Host Peyton Manning speaks onstage at The 2017 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 12, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images / Getty Images)

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

“This ad is one of the best I have seen in my 40-year career. This ad opens up the Bud Light brand to all consumers and invites Bud Light into every home in America as an approachable and accepted American Lager,” Anheuser Bush/InBev beer distributor Col. John Saputo told Fox News Digital.

February 17, 2025
Trump so far has freed 11 hostages in his first month as president; Biden released around 70 in four years

President Donald Trump’s administration has secured the release of 11 U.S. hostages held by foreign governments since taking office less than one month ago, according to the White House.

The Trump administration has emphasized arranging the release of U.S. hostages under his second administration and welcomed U.S. Marc Fogel, a U.S. history teacher who had been detained in Russia since 2021, back to the U.S. Tuesday.

Other hostages released since Trump’s inauguration include six Americans detained in Venezuela, two Americans detained in Belarus and Israeli-American citizen Keith Siegel, who was held hostage by Palestinian militant group Hamas. There are at least two living American citizen hostages believed to be held in Gaza.

By comparison, former President Joe Biden said in 2024 his White House secured the release of more than 70 hostages during his four years in office, according to an August 2024 statement. Fox News Digital didn’t find any available data to compare numbers from Biden’s first month in office.

ISRAELI PRESIDENT CALLS TRUMP A ‘TRUE FRIEND’ ON INAUGURATION DAY, PRAISES HIS WORK TO RELEASE HOSTAGES

Released American schoolteacher Marc Fogel reacts during a Feb. 11, 2025, event held by President Donald Trump to welcome back Fogel, who had been held in Russia since 2021. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

There were 46 American nationals known to be held captive in 16 different countries in 2024, according to the nonprofit Foley Foundation, which advocates for U.S. hostages and was named after James Foley, a U.S. journalist kidnapped while reporting in Syria in 2012 and killed by ISIS in 2014. That number is now likely closer to the low 30s after the recent releases of hostages in January and February.

On Tuesday, Trump met with Fogel, who was arrested in August 2021 at a Russian airport for possessing drugs and was slated to serve a 14-year sentence. Fogel’s family said the drugs he had on him were medically prescribed marijuana.

“I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all,” Fogel said Tuesday after meeting Trump. “And President Trump is a hero.

FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE SPEAKS OUT FOR FIRST TIME

“These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes,” Fogel said. “The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor — they got me home — they are heroes.”

Following Foley’s return and after announcing the release of another, unnamed hostage held in Belarus Wednesday, Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler said Trump “has made bringing Americans home a top priority, and people respond to that.”

The names of most of the hostages released in February have not been publicly shared.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about which hostages the U.S. was planning to release next.

American-Israeli citizen Keith Siegel has released a video message heaping praise on President Donald Trump after he was freed from captivity by the terrorist group Hamas two weeks ago. (Omar el Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images )

Just before Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20, both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration coordinated to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which included provisions to release dozens of hostages on both sides.

Biden and Trump separately boasted about their individual efforts to secure the deal, and State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the Trump administration’s involvement as “critical” to getting the deal over the finish line.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump also touted his administration’s involvement in a social media post Jan. 15, claiming it occurred “as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies.”

Although Biden said the two teams had been “speaking as one team” during the negotiations, he also mocked suggestions that Trump was responsible for securing the ceasefire deal.

Former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump both took credit for their role in securing the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. (Getty Images)

“Who in the history books gets credit for this, Mr. President, you or Trump?” Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich asked Biden Jan. 15 after a White House news conference.

ISRAEL RELEASES 90 PALESTINIAN PRISONERS AS PART OF CEASEFIRE DEAL TO FREE HOSTAGES

“Is that a joke?” Biden said.

When Heinrich said it was not, Biden replied, “Oh. Thank you.”

The Associated Press and Fox News’ Emma Colton and Landon Mion contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 14, 2025
Amid rumours of separation, Barack and Michelle Obama post Valentine’s Day selfie: ‘Thirty-two years together…’

Putting an end to speculation of their divorce, former US President Barack Obama on Friday posted a Valentine’s Day selfie with wife Michelle.

Taking to X, Barack wrote, “Thirty-two years together and you still take my breath away. Happy Valentine’s Day, Michelle Obama!”

Obama’s post arrived amid rumours the couple is heading for divorce after being married for 32 years.

Though it is unknown when the image was taken, the former First Lady shared the same selfie on her own X account.

Responding back to Barack’s post, Michelle wrote, “”If there’s one person I can always count on, it’s you, Barack Obama. You’re my rock. Always have been. Always will be. Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!”

The Obama couple was last spotted together in December when they stepped out for dinner in Los Angeles, stated reports.

In January too, Barack Obama had also posted on the occasion of Michelle’s birthday.

“Happy birthday to the love of my life, Michelle Obama. You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor, and grace – and you look good doing it. I’m so lucky to be able to take on life’s adventures with you. Love you!” he wrote.

According to details, the rumours about divorce between Barack and Michelle fueled after the former president attended Jimmy Carter’s state funeral and Donald Trump’s second inauguration without Michelle.

But Obama post an image on X with his wife, saying, “President Carter taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man.”

There were also rumours that the former US president was dating actress Jennifer Aniston. Though in October 2024, Jennifer publicly denied the rumours, calling them “absolutely untrue”, claimed by a US gossip magazine.

February 14, 2025
‘Playing with the courts’: Trump admin hit with dozens of suits after years of president condemning ‘lawfare’

President Donald Trump’s court battles have not ended now that he’s back in the Oval Office — instead, dozens have piled up against his administration as Democrats and activists vow to fight Trump and his policies in the judicial system.

Trump faced four criminal indictments during the interim of his first and second administrations, which landed accusations of “lawfare” on the national stage as Trump maintained his innocence and slammed the cases as efforts by the Democratic Party to hurt his political chances for re-election during the 2024 cycle. Despite the left-wing efforts to ensnare Trump in a web of legal cases, Trump was re-elected president — with a resume that now includes “convicted felon” and a famous mugshot frequently displayed on pro-Trump apparel.

Upon Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20, he has issued near-daily executive orders and actions to shift the federal government to fall in line with his “America First” policies, including snuffing out government overspending and mismanagement, banning biological men from competing in women’s sports, and deporting thousands of illegal immigrants who flooded the nation under the Biden administration.

Trump has signed more than 60 executive orders, in addition to other executive actions, as of Tuesday, which has resulted in at least 49 lawsuits against Trump and his administration, Fox News Digital has found.

‘ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY’: LEGAL EXPERTS SHRED NY V. TRUMP AS ‘ONE OF THE WORST’ CASES IN HISTORY

New York Attorney General said she is “prepared” to ask the judge to seize former President Donald Trump’s assets if he cannot pay the $354 million judgment handed down in his civil fraud case. (ABC News/Screenshot | Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images)

The lawsuits come as Democratic elected officials fume over the second Trump administration’s policies, most notably the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is investigating various federal agencies in the search of cutting government spending fat, corruption and mismanagement of funds.

“Right now, we’re going to keep focus on the need to look out for everyday New Yorkers and everyday Americans who are under assault by an extreme MAGA Republican agenda that is trying to cut taxes for billionaires, donors and wealthy corporations and then stick New Yorkers and working-class Americans across the country with the bill,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in January.

CLIMATE LAWFARE IS RUNNING INTO A POWERFUL FORCE LIBERALS DIDN’T EXPECT

“That’s not acceptable,” he said. “We are going to fight it legislatively. We are going to fight it in the courts. We’re going to fight it in the streets.”

President Donald Trump has signed more than 60 executive orders, in addition to other executive actions, as of Tuesday, which has resulted in at least 49 lawsuits against Trump and his administration. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a–es, and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said at a protest over DOGE and its chair, Elon Musk, earlier in February.

With just over three weeks back in the Oval Office, at least 49 lawsuits have been filed against Trump or the federal government over Trump’s policies and executive actions. Among the list of plaintiffs are a handful of groups that brought forth suits against Trump in previous years, most notably New York Attorney General Leitita James, as well as labor unions and left-wing advocacy groups.

James, a former city council member in New York and public defender, launched her run for New York attorney general during the 2018 cycle, while emphasizing that if she were elected she would aggressively pursue legal charges against Trump.

HOW TRUMP, AG BONDI CAN PERSUADE DEMOCRATS TO ABANDON LAWFARE

“I’m running for attorney general because I will never be afraid to challenge this illegitimate president when our fundamental rights are at stake,” James declared in September 2018. “From the Muslim ban, to efforts to deport immigrants, to denying transgender students the ability to choose whatever bathroom they want, rolling back regulations to protect our planet, colluding with foreign powers, putting profits over people, dividing us in ways we haven’t seen in generations.”

“And what is fueling this campaign, what is fueling my soul right now, is Trump and his abuses, abuses against immigrants, against women, against our environment. We need an attorney general who will stand up to Donald Trump,” she said during a debate in August 2018.

James won her election that year, about two years into Trump’s first administration, and took a victory lap while vowing to expose the “con man.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James launched her run for New York attorney general during the 2018 cycle, while emphasizing that if she were elected she would aggressively pursue legal charges against President Donald Trump. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation)

James brought forth a civil fraud suit against Trump, the Trump Organization and its senior leadership in 2022, frequently sitting in the courtroom throughout the proceedings, and celebrated the prosecution of Trump in the Manhattan criminal trial over the 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump was ordered to pay a $454 million civil fraud judgment in James’ lawsuit against him, which is currently on appeal.

All in, James said back in November 2024 that her office took nearly 100 legal actions against Trump’s first administration — vowing to restart the efforts during the second administration.

AS DEMOCRATS REGROUP OUTSIDE DC, GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL ADOPT NEW PLAYBOOK TO DEFEND TRUMP AGENDA

“We did not expect this result, but we are prepared to respond to this result. And my office has been preparing for several months because we’ve been here before,” James said following Trump’s election win in November 2024. “We faced this challenge before, and we used the rule of law to fight back. And we are prepared to fight back once again because, as the attorney general of this great state, it is my job to protect and defend the rights of New Yorkers and the rule of law. And I will not shrink from that responsibility.”

So far in 2025, James has spearheaded at least five legal actions against the Trump administration, including leading a coalition of state attorneys general to sue the federal government to halt DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department’s internal systems, as well as another lawsuit related to the Trump admin slashing grant funding to research institutions and universities.

“As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law,” James said of the DOGE suit. “President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans’ private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress. Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans’ private information and some of our country’s most sensitive data. I am taking action to keep our information secure, and to prevent any unconstitutional freeze on essential funding that Americans rely on every day.”

Trump slammed New York as the “most corrupt State in the Union” in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, calling on even-handed judges and elected officials to crush the “lawfare” in the Empire State.

“We need great Judges and Politicians to help fix New York, and to stop the kind of Lawfare that was launched against me, from falsely valuing Mar-a-Lago at $18 Million Dollars, when it is worth, perhaps, 100 times that amount (The corrupt judge was replaced by another judge, only to be immediately put back on the case when the Democrat political leaders found out that a change of judges was made. It has become a great embarrassment for the New York Judicial System!),” he posted to Truth Social, referring to James’ civil fraud case against Trump.

Labor unions that previously sued the first Trump administration are also back in court. (Jabin Botsford/Pool via USA TODAY NETWORK)

“To a woman that I had no idea who she was, making a FAKE and ridiculous accusation, to a ‘case’ that was made up by a corrupt and highly conflicted Judge in order to criminally attack me for political purposes,” he continued, referring to two-year E. Jean Carroll court cases.

Labor unions that previously sued the first Trump administration are also back in court, including the American Federation of Teachers suing over DOGE’s access to private information at the Education and Treasury departments, and the American Federation of Government Employees suing the administration in at least two cases related to DOGE and federal employment policies under the 47th president.

“We wouldn’t bring so many lawsuits if they wouldn’t break the law so often,” Andrew Huddleston, American Federation of Government Employees’ director of communications, told Fox News Digital when asked about the lawsuits.

TRUMP HAS HIGHER APPROVAL RATING THAN AT ANY POINT DURING FIRST TERM: POLL

While the American Civil Liberties Union — which took at least 400 legal actions against the first Trump administration — filed a lawsuit against the second Trump administration earlier in February regarding an executive order that prevents transgender and nonbinary individuals from changing their passports to reflect their gender identity and not their biological sex.

REPUBLICAN AGS BACK TRUMP FEDERAL EMPLOYEE BUYOUT AS JUDGE DECIDES ‘FORK IN THE ROAD’ DIRECTIVE’S FATE

Another nonprofit, the State Democracy Defenders Fund, recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of FBI agents who investigated Trump-related cases in an effort to block the DOJ from releasing their names. The State Democracy Defenders Fund previously was involved in other Trump-related cases, including filing an amicus brief in January advocating that Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan sentence Trump in the Manhattan case just days ahead of his inauguration.

President Donald Trump repeatedly seethed that “lawfare” was running amok of American politics, including, left to right, former Special Counsel Jack Smith, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis. (Getty Images)

Ahead of taking office, Trump repeatedly seethed that “lawfare” was running amok of American politics, frequently targeting James, Merchan, as well as former special counsel Jack Smith, Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and others.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“They’re playing with the courts, as you know, they’ve been playing with the courts for four years,” Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago after Congress had certified his election win in January. “Probably got me more votes because I got the highest number of votes ever gotten by a Republican by far, actually, by a lot. And, you know, we had a great election, so I guess it didn’t work. But even to this day, they’re playing with the courts and their friendly judges that like to try and make everybody happy… It’s called lawfare. It’s called weaponization of justice.”

February 12, 2025
Chiefs’ Travis Kelce reveals what he hopes to be doing in 3 years

Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce’s football future has been a discussion topic among fans ahead of Super Bowl LIX.

The 35-year-old tight end was asked about where he plans to be in three years at a press conference on Super Bowl LIX opening night on Monday.

“Hopefully still playing football,” Kelce said.

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce during Super Bowl LIX Opening Night at Caesars Superdome. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

“I love doing this, I love coming into work every day. I feel like I still have a lot of good football left in me. We’ll see what happens. I know I’ve been setting myself up for other opportunities in my life. That’s always been the goal, knowing football only lasts for so long. You have to find a way to get into another career and another profession. I’ve been doing that in my offseason. But for the most part, I plan on being a Kansas City Chief and playing football.”

Prior to the season, Kelce told Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid he believes he has two more “good years” left in his career, a team source told The Athletic.

This season, the 12-year veteran had a down year by his standards but was still productive, catching 97 passes for 823 yards and three touchdowns, making the Pro Bowl for the 10th consecutive time.

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

Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

The three-time Super Bowl champion is under contract for one more year, as he signed a two-year, $34.25 million contract in June 2024 that runs through the 2025-2026 season.

In the AFC divisional round, Kelce delivered his best performance of the season, catching seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans.

Against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship, Kelce wasn’t nearly as much of a factor in the passing game, catching just two passes on four targets for 19 yards.

Kelce has the most receptions in NFL playoff history with 174. If he were to keep playing for three more seasons, he would have a chance to pass Jerry Rice as the all-time NFL playoff leader in yards as well.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

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

Rice has 2,245 yards in the playoffs, while Kelce has 2,039. Barring an historic receiving output from Kelce in Super Bowl LIX, he will likely need at least one more deep playoff run with strong numbers to pass Rice.

The Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

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

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

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

February 4, 2025
Super Bowl 2025: What this year’s game meal with cost

FOX Business’ Kelly Saberi has the details on ‘The Big Money Show.’

Wells Fargo economists said navigating the supermarket for the Super Bowl food will be a challenge, as game-day food pricing will fluctuate like a “seesaw.” Some fan favorites will cost as much as 12% more compared with last year, while others will see significant price decreases.

A menu of food and drinks for 10 people is estimated to cost just over $139, Wells Fargo Chief Agricultural Economist Michael Swanson said in a recent report. It’s in line with the same price paid in 2024, which was only about 10 cents more.

“Consumers are faced with the new challenge of becoming ‘food fluent’ given ongoing price fluctuation,” the report said. The reason for this is that some categories can grow supply much faster, like field vegetables versus avocados, which take years to expand. Secondly, some categories just have strong consumer demand, according to Swanson.

A menu of food and drinks for 10 people is estimated to cost just over $139, Wells Fargo Chief Agricultural Economist Michael Swanson said in a recent report. (Scott Suchman for The Washington Post / Getty Images)

“Unlike the last four years, there are both food prices that are falling as well as rising,” Swanson told FOX Business. “The option the last couple of years were whether they went up a lot or a little.”

SUPER BOWL ADS FEATURE BILLY CRYSTAL, SHANIA TWAIN, POST MALONE AS STARS GEAR UP FOR THE BIG GAME

He said that there are “important categories that are noticeably lower than last year.” For instance, he referenced categories like frozen pizza, which saw its price decline year over year.

“That speaks to a competitive supply taking advantage of good harvests for crops,” Swanson said.

But this seesawing means that consumers will have choices that can save them money. For instance, Swanson noted that consumer demand drove up costs for things like avocados and chicken wings, but consumers can use shrimp tacos for savings with lower prices than a year ago.

If saving money this year is top of mind, Swanson said this year’s Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute pricing chart identifies what to avoid.

Chart showing food price differences from last year. (Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute )

SYDNEY SWEENEY JOINS MEG RYAN, BILLY CRYSTAL FOR ‘WHEN HARRY MET SALLY’ SUPER BOWL AD

Vegetables:

Certain vegetables like broccoli saw costs fall 7.2% compared with 2024. But cherry tomatoes are up 11.9% compared with this time last year.

Avocados:

Fresh avocado prices are up 11.5% compared with a year ago. Prepared guacamole dip is up only 1.5% over the same period. Making guacamole from scratch, despite the rise in avocados, will be cost-effective, according to Wells Fargo.

Avocados are seen in a grocery market in New York. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Chicken Wings:

Chicken wing prices are up 7.2% versus last year.

Shrimp:

Whole frozen shrimp have come down 4% compared with last year.

Snacks

The costs for tortilla and potato chips are down, with the total cost of chips and guacamole dip two cents higher than in 2024.

Beverage

Beer and wine prices are up 2% compared with last year. Consumers who are opting for soda should grab two-liter bottles versus 12-ounce cans.

February 4, 2025
‘No credible threats’ on Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans following New Year’s terror attack, Kristi Noem says

Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday the Department of Homeland Security has “no credible threats” on Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

Noem spoke at a press conference ahead of the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. While it’s all about football in the “Big Easy” this week, discussions about safety for this massive event naturally came up following the New Year’s Day terror attack on the city’s historic Bourbon Street.

Terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar killed 14 civilians and injured 57 others after ramming his Ford F-150 truck through crowds celebrating on the famous street around 3 a.m. on Jan. 1. Jabbar was killed during a shootout with police.

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

Gov. Kristi Noem during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 17, 2025. (Getty)

The NFL held a public safety press conference on Monday in New Orleans where Noem spoke alongside Cathy L. Lanier, the league’s chief security officer, Eric DeLaune, Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge, Col. Robert P. Hodges, Louisiana State Police superintendent, and Anne Kirkpatrick, New Orleans Police Department superintendent.

Noem discussed the reality of the danger around the world, but when it comes to events here in the United States, she was clear with how safe the Super Bowl would be.

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

“The world is a much more dangerous place, but here in the homeland, we are safe, and I will tell you that right now we have no specific credible threats to this event at the Super Bowl, which I think should give us all a sense of security, but also knowing we will adjust that as needed,” she explained. “Today, there are no credible threats that we have that are on the radar for this event that is coming up on Sunday.”

Noem also touched on safeguarding “our traditions,” like the Super Bowl, when it comes to everyone doing their part to provide a safe environment for those traveling to the city for the big game.

“[It] exemplifies how we come together to safeguard our traditions,” she said. “How we come together to make sure that the public is well-informed and gets the chance to celebrate something that’s very special to us, to our culture, to our people, to our families. But we also do it in a way that is reactive to the current environment we see in the world today.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during the Republican National Convention, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

New Orleans is expecting upwards of 125,000 visitors to converge on its city limits, beginning Wednesday, where parties, concerts and other events will be happening throughout the week leading up to the game.

“We’re going above and beyond what we’ve seen in the past when we’ve hosted previously,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said during a news conference. “We know we’re safer than we’ve ever been before.”

Safety will be at the forefront with state, federal and local law enforcement officers with boots on the ground during the Super Bowl, Lanier said, though details about protocol were left unsaid.

Agencies including the FBI and Secret Service will be around the stadium and downtown New Orleans, per DeLaune. That will include rooftop snipers, BearCat armored SWAT vehicles and more.

Authorities patrol Bourbon Street as it is reopened in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 2, 2024, after the New Year’s Eve attack. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

There will also be federal air marshals, who are armed, stationed around the city’s public transportation hubs scanning for suspicious people and activity, while also guarding against drones. There is a ban on drones around the Superdome and downtown New Orleans throughout the week and flight restrictions up to 18,000 feet, per the Federal Aviation Administration.

New Orleans has already begun starting to shut down, and limit traffic, on roads near the Superdome. DeLaune also mentioned the perimeter of the Superdome will have blast barriers, requiring trucks to go through giant X-ray machines typically seen at border crossings to ensure safety around the site of Super Bowl LIX.

From bomb-sniffing dogs, to improved security infrastructure, to more manpower and resources, all the stops are being pulled out to ensure the safety of every individual heading to New Orleans to experience the NFL’s final game of the 2024 season.

This security will carry over into New Orleans’ famous Mardi Gras season, which has already begun.

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

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“New Orleans will be the safety place to be anywhere in the country,” Phillip Constantin, adviser with U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 3, 2025
Reagan National Airport has bothered lawmakers for years, but quick access to power has stalled change

Ask many of Congress’ frequent fliers, and they’ll tell you Ronald Reagan National Airport has sent up red flags for years.

“I’ve long been very, very nervous about congestion at Reagan National,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

“The congestion of the airspace around Reagan and D.C. as a whole definitely played a part in this,” said Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., a former firefighting pilot. “The sheer number of aircraft in the air is as high as it’s ever been.”

“A lot of aircraft transit up and down the Potomac,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut. “Getting in and out of certain areas. The Pentagon. Other military installations. Reagan right there in that highly trafficked area.”

“Whenever I’m at Reagan and I see new gates being built, the terminal getting larger, I realize that there will never be another inch of runway. The skies are pretty congested,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. “I often think there’s too much activity for this small plot of land. And I’m sure there’ll be a reevaluation of all of that.”

REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT CRASH: MILITARY BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER COLLIDES MIDAIR WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES JET

A JetBlue Airlines Airbus A320 jet flies past the U.S. Capitol dome as it comes in for a landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The nation’s worst air disaster in nearly a quarter-century spilled into the Potomac River just short of Washington’s Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. Sixty-seven people died after American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kan., collided with an Army Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter feet from the runway.

Aviation experts say flying in and out of Reagan National is one of the most complicated airports in the country. The approach from both the north and south is over water. Pilots must navigate a narrow corridor above the river – but not fly over the nearby Pentagon. That’s to say nothing of piercing Washington, D.C.’s super-protective airspace. The White House and U.S. Capitol are clearly visible when planes take off to the north.

Moreover, the airport is known for notoriously short runways. The runway on which the American Eagle flight attempted to land stretches a little more than 5,200 feet. Slightly less than a mile in length.

That’s not even the main runway. Standard commercial runways average around 13,000 feet. The longest runway at Reagan National is about 7,000 feet. Plus, all three runways cross one another. Such a configuration is rarely seen at modern airports.

DC PLANE CRASH: ATC STAFFING LEVELS UNDER SCRUTINY AS BARGES ARRIVE TO HELP SALVAGE OPS

The midair crash between an American Airlines jet and Black Hawk military helicopter near Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., was seen on dashcam video from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. (Storyful)

Last spring, there were two incidents where planes nearly crashed into one another while crossing runways.

The runways are some of the most overused in the entire American flight system. The airport was designed to handle 14 million passengers annually. But that number spiked to 25 million in 2023. The airport accommodates a staggering 800 takeoffs and landings each day.

There were efforts to close Reagan National when Dulles International Airport opened in 1962. Dulles is a monstrosity of a campus. However, it resides nearly 30 miles from Washington, D.C., proper. The nation’s movers and shakers never gravitated to Dulles when it was so easy to fly into Reagan National, deplane, catch a cab and arrive at the State Department for a meeting 15 minutes later.

Lawmakers, aviation, national security officials and the Secret Service conducted serious conversations about permanently closing the airport after 9/11. It was thought that air traffic in and out of Reagan National posed too much of a risk to the seat of government. It wouldn’t take much for hijackers to commandeer an aircraft and reroute it to Capitol Hill.

After all, one plane crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11. The fourth plane – which went down in a field near Shanksville, Penn. – was ultimately bound for the Capitol.

DC PLANE CRASH: POTOMAC RIVER DIVERS’ SEARCH FOR BODIES COMPLICATED BY CONDITIONS OUT OF THEIR CONTROL

Emergency workers recover debris from the Potomac River in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter, as seen from Virginia, Jan. 30, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

That said, advocates for maintaining Reagan National argued it was nearly impossible to hijack a plane taking off and immediately send it barreling toward the Capitol. It takes a while to engineer a hijacking. There was simply not enough time to execute such a plan seconds after takeoff.

Still, authorities shuttered Reagan National for more than three weeks following 9/11. New safety rules were in place once the airport re-opened. Planes couldn’t have more than 156 seats. All passengers were required to be seated a half-hour before landing. Air marshals patrolled most if not all flights in and out of the airport.

The feds loosened many of those restrictions anywhere from a few months to nearly four years after 9/11. But that didn’t diminish questions about the safety of this particular airport.

VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES JET AND MILITARY HELICOPTER

However, proponents of maintaining Reagan National had some of the most powerful allies in the nation: Members of Congress.

Lawmakers keep insane schedules. In fact, the invention of the jet airplane contributed to such bedlam. Lawmakers are in high demand in their districts or states – and on Capitol Hill. That’s to say nothing of conferences in Aspen or Halifax – and glitzy fundraisers in New York or San Francisco. So air travel, coupled with access to a nearby airport, is paramount in the modern Congress.

The importance of aviation is even incorporated into the Congressional vernacular.

Mondays or Tuesdays are often deemed “fly-in” days. The House and Senate don’t truly get going until late in the day during the first day of the week. Thus, votes on Monday might not unfold until 5:30 pm et in the Senate and 6:30 in the House. Depending on if the House (and sometimes the Senate) convenes on a Monday or Tuesday, Thursdays and Friday are considered “getaway” days. The House might cut town by late morning or noon on a getaway day. If the Senate doesn’t toil for five days (which has happened a lot this year, but not this week), the last vote often hits around 2:15 or 2:30 pm. on a Thursday.

Thus, lawmakers have a vested interest in keeping Reagan National operational. Even after 9/11.

Congress reauthorized programs for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for five years in 2024. But one of the most contentious issues in the bill was whether Congress should authorize additional daily “slots” for Reagan National. New, regular flights commence in a few weeks to Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, San Antonio and San Francisco. Lawmakers have blessed an increase of about 50 additional daily “slots” at Reagan National since the turn of the century.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

It’s telling that only four senators opposed the FAA bill last year. All four were the local Washington, D.C., area senators: former Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., – who just retired – along with Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Kaine.

The Senate confirmed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on a bipartisan vote Tuesday. Duffy faced a crisis by Wednesday night. By Friday, the new secretary tightened up airspace around Reagan National for helicopters.

But like everything in Washington, the key to Reagan National is all about access. It’s hard to find any major airport on the planet located so close to the levers of power.

And as long as the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, a myriad of federal agencies and lobbying shops exist in Washington, it’s doubtful that Reagan National is going anywhere.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

February 1, 2025
Disgraced ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in bribery case

Judge Sidney Stein sentenced disgraced former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to 11 years in prison on Wednesday, concluding his trial for a “long-running bribery and foreign influence scheme of rare gravity.”

Prosecutors had requested a 15-year sentence for Menendez, 71, after he was convicted on July 24 on 16 counts of bribery, extortion, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. He is the first U.S. Senator in American history to be convicted of working as a foreign agent. His co-defendents, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also sentenced to 8 years and 7 years respectively.

“As proven at trial, the defendants engaged, for years, in a corruption and foreign influence scheme of stunning brazenness, breadth, and duration, resulting in exceptionally grave abuses of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the United States Government,” prosecutors wrote.

Menendez’ conviction came after a nine-week-long trial. The former Democratic lawmaker was accused of accepting gifts totaling more than $100,000 in gold bars as well as cash.

DEMOCRATIC SEN. BOB MENENDEZ GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES IN FEDERAL CORRUPTION TRIAL

Sen. Bob Menendez resigned in disgrace and was convicted of working as a foreign agent. (Getty Images)

The disgraced Democrat was accused and convicted of participating in a yearslong bribery scheme involving the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Menendez’s wife, Nadine, who is set to go on trial on March 18, also allegedly participated in the scheme. She is accused of receiving paychecks for a job that did not exist.

BOB MENENDEZ TO RESIGN FROM SENATE AMID DEMOCRATIC PRESSURE AFTER GUILTY VERDICT

“Menendez, who swore an oath to represent the United States and the state of New Jersey, instead put his high office up for sale in exchange for this hoard of bribes,” prosecutors wrote ahead of the sentencing.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, left, and his wife Nadine Menendez arrive at the federal courthouse in New York, Sept. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Menendez, who was charged in 2023, made history in July 2024 when he became the first US senator to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent. His conviction came after a nine-week-long trial. The former Democratic lawmaker was accused of accepting gifts totaling more than $100,000 in gold bars as well as cash.

Jamie Joseph, Rachel Wolf, and Maria Paronich contributed to this report

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

January 29, 2025