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Dee Snider resigns from “Twisted Sister” citing health issues, band cancels reunion shows

February 7, 2026 / 2:45 PM EST / CBS News

Heavy metal band Twisted Sister canceled its 50th anniversary reunion shows on Friday after lead singer Dee Snider resigned, citing health issues.

The band posted on social media saying the “sudden and unexpected resignation” of Snider has forced them to cancel all shows starting from April through the beginning of the summer.

“The future of Twisted Sister will be determined in the next several weeks,” the band said.

Dee Snider of Twisted Sister performs on August 30, 2024 in New Jersey. Bobby Bank / Getty Images

Snider said in a statement that at 70 years old, he’s found his body can “no longer push the boundaries of rock and roll fury,” as it had for decades. He wrote that he suffers from degenerative arthritis and has had several surgeries over the years, but regardless of the intervention, Snider said he is in pain after performing only a few songs.

He said he doesn’t want to slow down while on stage, but he recognizes his own limitations.

Twisted Sister is best known for the 1984 hit singles”We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” and the MTV videos accompanying each that were heavily played. “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” was Twisted Sister’s sole Top 40 hit and has morphed into a political anthem throughout the years.

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan usedthe song in 2012 for campaign stops when he was Mitt Romney’s running mate until Snider put a stop to it. During President Trump’s first run for office in 2015, he used the song as exit music after rallies.

The band’s core lineup for the reunion tour included Snider, longtime guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda, drummer Joe Franco and bassist Russell Pzutto.

Ohio man charged with threatening to kill Vance, processing child abuse files

February 7, 2026 / 2:34 PM EST / CBS/AP

An Ohio man was charged with threatening to killVice President JD Vance while he was visiting his home state last month. But the man’s lawyer said his health makes it unlikely he would have been able to carry out the threat.

In addition to the charge for threatening Vance, prosecutors also charged Shannon Mathre with possessing digital files depicting child sexual abuse that were discovered during the investigation. That second charge carries a much stiffer potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The charge related to the threats could lead to a maximum five-year sentence.

Lawyer Neil McElroy said Mathre’s health challenges would have been apparent to anyone in the courtroom Friday when he pleaded not guilty to the charges, so he doesn’t think the threat charge makes sense. McElroy said he couldn’t comment on the charge related to the possession of child sexual abuse files because prosecutors haven’t yet provided any details about that at this early stage of the case.

“Anyone that spends any time in a room with Mr. Mathre or has any knowledge of his condition — physical condition, mental condition — can see that it’s a farce,” McElroy said. He declined to go into detail about Mathre’s health challenges, but the lawyer said that Mathre has “some mental disabilities and a variety of other conditions.”

Still, the Justice Department and Secret Service took the threat very seriously after Mathre said, “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.”

In a news release on Friday, the Justice Department didn’t specify where or when Mathre made the threat in January. The indictment filed in court also doesn’t offer many details about the threat or the images he allegedly possessed, but the Secret Service said the investigation went beyond the online threat to also examine Mathre’s actions and behavior. The 33-year-old Toledo man’s Samsung phone was seized on Jan. 21 as part of the investigation.

“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”

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David M. Toepfer, who is the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said, “Hostile and violent threats made against the Vice President, or any other public official, will not be tolerated in our district.”

Another Ohio man was charged last month after officials said he broke windows at Vance’s Ohio home not long after the vice president returned to Washington following a weekend visit to Ohio. The Secret Service arrested William D. DeFoor, 26, as he ran from Vance’s home on Jan. 5. Also in January, federal prosecutors charged a California man who allegedly threatened to kill Vance during his Disneyland trip last year.

In November 2025, a Michigan man was sentenced to two years in federal prison for threatening to kill President Trump, Vance and two other people online.

Vance is currently in Milan, Italy,attending the start of the Winter Olympic Gameswith second lady Usha Vance, who last month announced that the couple is expecting a fourth child.

The Secret Service agent in charge of the Toledo office, Matthew Schierloh, said there should be zero tolerance for any kind of political violence in this country.

“The safety and security of those we protect is paramount to everything we do,” Schierloh said. “Thanks to vigilant members of the public and the tenacious work of our special agents, a comprehensive joint investigation was conducted, resulting in the arrest of a defendant for making threats against the Vice President.”

Mathre made his initial appearance before a judge on Friday. He is due back in court on Wednesday for a hearing to determine whether he will remain in custody as the case moves forward.

Who’s performing at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2026? Here’s a full list of performers.

February 7, 2026 / 3:00 PM EST / CBS News

On the heels of his historic night at the Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny is set to take the stage for the halftime show at the 2026 Super Bowl on Sunday, as the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks meet in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX.

The hugely popular Puerto Rican rapper and singer says he’ll bring “a lot of my culture” to the big game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Who is performing in the Super Bowl halftime show for 2026?

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The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced in September that Bad Bunny will be this year’s halftime show headliner.

The 31-year-old superstar, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, won two top awards at the Grammys last Sunday — Best Música Urbana Album and Album of the Year for his record “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” — the first time an all Spanish-language album earned the night’s biggest award.

“To be honest, I don’t know how I’m feeling. There’s a lot. I’m still in the middle of my tour. I was just at the Grammys last week. All of that,” Bad Bunny said at a Thursday news conference hosted by Apple Music, which is sponsoring the halftime show.

“I’m excited, but at the same time, I feel more excited about the people than even me — my family, my friends, the people who have always believed in me,” he said. “This moment, the culture — that’s what makes these shows special.”

• Read more:Bad Bunny lyrics to know before the Super Bowl halftime show

He was tight-lipped about what the performance would entail or if there would be any other artists joining him onstage.

“It’s going to be a huge party,” Bad Bunny said. “I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture. But I really don’t, I don’t want to give any spoilers. It’s going to be fun.”

Bad Bunny is interviewed during a press conference about the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show on Feb. 5, 2026 in San Francisco. Chris Graythen / Getty Images

The halftime show will also feature interpreter Celimar Rivera Cosme doing Puerto Rican Sign Language.

Bad Bunny will be the first native Spanish speaker to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, and his selection prompted criticism from some, including President Trump. Another wave of backlash cropped up when Bad Bunny said “ICE out” during one of his Grammy acceptance speeches last week.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has repeatedly defended and stood by the selection.

“I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching,” Goodell said in October.

“He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” Goodell said. “That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us. It’s an important element to the entertainment value.”

Asked about Bad Bunny’s comments at the Grammy Awards, Goodell told reporters, “Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world, and that’s one of the reasons we chose him.”

“But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on, and that this platform is used to unite people, and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents, and to be able to use this moment to do that,” he said. “And I think artists in the past have done that. I think Bad Bunny understands that, and I think he’ll have a great performance.”

Bad Bunny won big at the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, 2026 in Los Angeles. Matt Winkelmeyer

Who is singing the national anthem at the 2026 Super Bowl?

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Charlie Puth will take on national anthem duties at the Super Bowl this year. The 34-year-old singer has called the national anthem “one of the most beautiful pieces of music,” but has also said it is “the hardest to sing.”

The New Jersey native started out posting videos of himself singing on YouTube, but his career has since blossomed, and he’s released four albums and been nominated for four Grammy Awards.

Full list of Super Bowl performers for 2026

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• Green Day—The Bay Area-based punk rockers will perform at the Super Bowl opening ceremony.
• Charlie Puth— Puth is singing “The Star Spangled Banner” before the game.
• Brandi Carlile— The 11-time Grammy-winner will sing “America the Beautiful.”

• Coco Jones — The Grammy-winning singer will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” widely known as the Black national anthem.
• Bad Bunny —The Puerto Rican superstar is headlining the halftime show.

Brad Arnold, 3 Doors Down founder and lead singer, dies at 47

Updated on: February 7, 2026 / 3:36 PM EST / CBS News

Brad Arnold, the founder and lead singer of the 3 Doors Down, has died following “his courageous battle with cancer,” the rock band announced Saturday on social media. He was 47.

“With his beloved wife Jennifer and his family by his side, he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones,” the band’s statement read. “His music reverberated far beyond the stage, creating moments of connection, joy, faith, and shared experiences that will live on long after the stages he performed on.”

Arnold announced in May 2025 in a video that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 clear cell renal cell carcinoma, a common type of kidney cancer, which forced 3 Doors Down to cancel its summer tour. Despite the grim diagnosis, the singer-songwriter said he had “no fear.”

Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down performs at Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center on Sept. 24, 2016, in Birmingham, Alabama. David A. Smith / Getty Images

Born in Escatawpa, Mississippi, Arnold formed 3 Doors Down in 1996 with guitarist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell. Roberts died in 2016 of a suspected drug overdose. Harrell is no longer with the band following several DUI charges and a vehicular homicide charge.

Arnold himself struggled with alcoholism, but he said he had been sober for a decade. In January 2025, he told heavy metal news website Blabbermouth.net that the years without alcohol were “the best years” of his life.

The band’s biggest hit was the 2000 song “Kryptonite,” which was nominated for a Grammy Award. It was written by Arnold when he was just 15 years old in math class, the group’s statement said. Its first studio album, “The Better Life,” went platinum six times over.

“He was a devoted husband to Jennifer, and his kindness, humor, and generosity touched everyone fortunate enough to know him,” the band’s statement read. “Those closest to him will remember not only his talent, but his warmth, humility, faith, and deep love for his family and friends.”

Virginia Democrat gives profanity-laced response to Cruz’s criticism of the state’s redistricting push

‘You all started it and we f—ing finished it,’ Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L Louise Lucas said

By Rachel Wolf
Fox News
Published February 7, 2026 3:21pm EST

Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas delivered a profanity-laden retort to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, amid a tense redistricting fight, arguing that Democrats had “f—ing finished” what she views as gerrymandering started by Republicans.

On Friday, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, signed a bill that would allow voters to weigh in on multiple amendments, including one that would allow for a mid-decade redrawing of the state’s congressional districts. Virginia lawmakers are aiming to put the amendments before the people on April 21, 2026, months before the midterm federal elections.

“Virginia voters deserve the opportunity to respond to the nationwide attacks on our rights, freedoms, and elections. Everyone deserves the freedom to marry who they love — and Virginia’s Constitution should affirm that all families are welcome in our Commonwealth. Women in Virginia deserve the freedom to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions without politicians dictating their choices. When Virginians have paid their debt to society, they deserve to regain their right to vote. And when other states take extreme measures, I trust Virginia voters to respond,” Spanberger said in a statement on her website.

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS MOVE TO SEIZE REDISTRICTING POWER, OPENING DOOR TO 4 NEW LEFT-LEANING SEATS

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill that will allow voters to weigh in on four amendments, including one that would change the commonwealth’s congressional districts.(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, slammed the legislation saying in a post on X that it was “a brazen abuse of power [and] an insult to democracy.”

Lucas, the 82-year-old Democrat who spearheaded the plan, hit back at the senator, saying, “You all started it and we f—ing finished it,” referring to a controversial redistricting effort in Texas that sparked fights over districts in several states.

Several social media users slammed the Virginia lawmaker, including Braeden Sorbo, son of actor Kevin Sorbo, who asked, “So now gerrymandering is okay?” Many other responses spoke about the origins of gerrymandering as a practice, while some mocked Lucas for her use of profanity and her complaining about Texas’ redrawn maps.

Democrats currently hold six of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats, and the new 10-1 map would likely give them four more. This has caused some Republicans to say that the map disenfranchises large numbers of voters in the commonwealth.

Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore L. Louise Lucas fired back at Sen. Ted Cruz over his criticism of Virginia’s redistricting push, saying, “You all started it and we f—ing finished it.”(Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

VIRGINIA JUDGE VOIDS REDISTRICTING PUSH, RULES LAWMAKERS OVERSTEPPED AUTHORITY

Lucas had previously expressed a similar sentiment about the legislation during a news conference on Thursday.

“If Donald Trump had not started this power grab… we wouldn’t be in this place right now,” Lucas said, according to The Washington Post. “He started this mess, and Virginia is going to finish it.”

Democrats across the country were left fuming after the U.S. Supreme Court moved to allow Texas to use redrawn congressional maps. Many were upset because the proposal appeared to stem from the White House, as President Donald Trump proposed the idea of the mid-decade redrawing of maps in June 2025. The president is looking to fortify Republican control of the House, something he was unable to do in his first term when Democrats retook the House majority in 2018.

Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump.(Getty Images)

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a vocal Trump critic, quickly jumped into the fight, with his state passing Proposition 50, a ballot initiative that will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature. The move is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning districts in California, with the goal of offsetting the move made by Texas.

Several other states have also drawn new maps, including Missouri, North Carolina and Vice President JD Vance’s home state of Ohio.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser, Lindsay Kornick and Greg Wehner and Fox News’ Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

Ilia “Quad God” Malinin stunned by Yuma Kagiyama, but U.S. holds lead over Japan in Olympic team figure skating

2026-02-07T16:28:00-0500 / CBS/AP

Ilia Malinin’s quest for Olympic figure skating gold might not be so easy after all.

Same goes for his American team.

Yuma Kagiyama landed a pair of near-perfect quads, one in combination with a triple toe loop, and scored 108.67 points in his short program on Saturday night. That topped Malinin in the segment — he was second with 98.00 — and helped to keep the Japanese team within distance of the defending champion U.S. heading into the final day of competition.

Thanks to a brilliant free skate by Madison Chock and Evan Bates later in the night, the U.S. ended the day with 44 points. Japan was five points back going into the men’s, women’s and pairs free skates to decide the medals Sunday.

“You know, I think I got to buckle down and see what happens and get better next time. We will work it out,” said Malinin, the two-time reigning world champion, who is unbeaten in his last 14 full competitions stretching back more than two years.

Ilia Malinin reacts with his teammates as his score comes through after performing his routine during men’s single skating short program at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in the Winter Olympics on Feb. 7, 2026. Tim Clayton / Getty Images

“Being here, I’m trying to enjoy every single moment and just be grateful for everything,” Malinin continued, “because there’s a lot of unexpected things that can happen in life and I’m taking everything to heart.”

As the U.S. and Japan duel for gold, the race for bronze also is tight: Italy has 37 points, Canada has 35 and Georgia has 32.

The top five teams advanced after short programs, and the Canadians squeaked through thanks to Stephen Gogolev’s personal-best 92.99 score. Kevin Aymoz was unable to match him for France, leaving his team one point below the cut line.

Ilia Malinin competes in the short program at Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Feb. 7, 2026. Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images

“I’m focusing more on myself,” Gogolev said, “and obviously that is going to translate to the highest ranking possible for the team.”

As for Malinin, he had stalked through the tunnels inside Milano Ice Skating Arena before his Olympic debut, wearing a black tank top that read “Quad God,” the nickname borne of the way that he performs his otherworldly four-revolution jumps. The name came about when he tried changing his Instagram handle.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I landed a quad? Quad God, there it is, okay, let’s put it in,’”he told CBS Newsin an interview last week. “And from there everyone’s like, ‘Why’d you name yourself Quad God? You only have one quad.” And I’m like, ‘Well, now that I think about it, maybe I should try to land all of them to get the Quad God status.’”

The 21-year-old wunderkind did not attempt the quad axel, the 4 1/2-revolution jump only he has ever landed in competition, on Saturday night and did a shaky version of a triple instead. Malinin hit a big opening quad flip and finished his program with a quad lutz-triple toe loop, getting bonus points for the combination in the second half of the program.

Yuma Kagiyama of Team Japan competes in men’s single skating – short program. Feb. 7, 2026. Joosep Martinson / Getty Images

But when his score was read, Malinin seemed almost stunned that Kagiyama had beaten him — and by a 10-point margin.

“That’s only 50% of my full potential here,” Malinin said.

Malinan, whose parents were Olympic figure skaters for Uzbekistan and whose grandfather was a figure skater for the USSR, started skating at 6.

He won gold at both the 2024 and 2025 ISU Figure Skating World Championships.

Kagiyama opened with a quad toe-triple toe combination, landed a quad salchow and finished his short program with a peerless triple axel. And unlike Malinin, when Kagiyama’s score was read, he jumped out of his seat with clenched fists raised high.

“I always receive good motivation from Ilia because he is one of the skaters who created this figure skating moment,” Kagiyama said. “He’s a good jumper, and he can do quads, so I always think that I want to catch him.”

The Americans have been on a mission ever since the 2022 Beijing Games, where their Olympic triumph was overshadowed by a Russian doping controversy. The ensuing investigation held their gold medals in limbo for more than two years, until Chock and Bates were part of the squad that finally received them in a ceremony during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Japan has long been considered their biggest rivals. And they have lived up to those expectations, getting short programs by Kaori Sakamoto and pairs world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara to go with Kagiyama’s triumph Saturday night.

Madison Chock and partner Evan Bates of Team USA compete in figure skating ice dance team event on day one of the Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 7, 2026, in Milan, Italy. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images

It was only fitting that Chock and Bates would perform — and win — both of their programs during the team competition.

Their free dance, a flamenco-styled program set to “Paint It Black” from the dystopian sci-fi western “Westworld,” had the crowd on its feet by the end. Their season-best score of 133.23 points gave a big boost to a U.S. squad in need of some momentum.

US plans inaugural meeting of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ as questions remain over group’s mandate

By Jennifer Hansler
Updated 42 min ago
Updated Feb 7, 2026, 5:22 PM ET
PUBLISHED Feb 7, 2026, 2:29 PM ET

US President Donald Trump speaks at the “Board of Peace” meeting during the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, 2026.

Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

The Trump administration is planning its first meeting of the “Board of Peace” this month in Washington, according to a US official and a diplomat from an invited country, as the multinational organization tasked with resolving global conflicts faces lingering questions about its broader mission.

The US sent invites for the February 19 event on Friday, according to an invitation seen by CNN. It is slated to be held at the US Institute of Peace, which President Donald Trump has renamed after himself.

The board, chaired by Trump, was originally pitched as a limited body tasked with overseeing the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which was devastated by the Israel-Hamas war. However, according to the charter draft, its mission has since expanded to tackle conflicts the world over. The draft, which was sent along with the invitations to join, does not even reference Gaza.

The US official said the meeting is intended in part to be a fundraiser but stressed that details are still being worked out. CNN has reached out to the White House for comment.

The gathering, first reported by Axios, would be the first time the group has assembled since a signing ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month. Around two dozen countries have signed on to the Board of Peace.

The group has been met with skepticism about its mandate and questions about whether it is seeking to supplant the United Nations. Most of the US’ European allies have not agreed to join. Israel has not formally signed the charter despite accepting Trump’s offer to join the organization, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country would.

It is unclear which countries will attend the February 19 meeting and at what level they will be represented.

The upcoming meeting comes as the administration works to push forward Phase 2 in its peace plan for Gaza and to garner support for its reconstruction. The US announced the start of the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan in mid-January but has not provided concrete plans for how it plans to address one of the thorniest issues: the demilitarization of Hamas.

Last month at the World Economic Forum, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner unveiled a flashy 11-page slide deck presenting the board’s vision for rebuilding and investing in Gaza, complete with more than 150 skyscrapers lining the coast.

Kushner said at the time the administration’s “master plan” for redeveloping Gaza does “not have a Plan B” beyond its multi-step effort to end the war and transform the region. The president’s son-in-law stressed that much of that plan relies on Hamas demilitarizing. He vowed the US is “going to enforce” that part of the ceasefire agreement, without providing specifics.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, Hungary, Morocco, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Argentina and Paraguay have all signed on as members of the Board of Peace, as have the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, and the Southeast Asian nations of Indonesia and Vietnam.

Netanyahu’s office said he will meet with Trump in Washington on Wednesday, though it indicated the meeting will regard negotiations with Iran.

CNN’s Aleena Fayaz, Helen Regan, Kara Fox and Dalia Abdelwahab contributed to this report.

Trump twice defends his homeland security secretary, crediting her for ‘the strongest border in the history of our country’

Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem has been a lightning rod for criticism amid anti-ICE riots that have rocked the country, sparked a government shutdown and left many wondering whether the nation’s 8th DHS secretary would keep her job.

Despite the mounting pressure, Noem appeared calm, collected, and confident during a trip this week that included a stop in Mississippi to assess winter storm damage recovery efforts, visits to the southern border in Texas and Arizona as well as the northern border in North Dakota, and a BBQ dinner hosted and served by Noem herself to Border Patrol agents in Arizona.

During the first half of the four-day stint, Congress was still dealing with a partial government shutdown largely over how to fund DHS. The House ultimately reached an agreement, funding the agency through Feb. 13, but Noem’s focus remained the same before and after the bill passed, and her schedule was left unchanged.

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Sec. Kristi Noem speaks at a press conference along the border wall in Nogales, AZ on Feb. 4.(DHS photo by Mikaela McGee)

During an exclusive interview along the border wall in Nogales, Ariz., Noem told Fox News Digital that the national security functions of the agency are too vital to be sidelined by a spending fight.

BORDER CROSSINGS HIT 55-YEAR LOW — AFTER DEMOCRATS SAID REFORM WAS THE ONLY FIX

“Every day [DHS is] finding terrorists and removing them from our country, protecting our cybersecurity systems, our critical infrastructure,” Noem told Fox. “Only 11% of the DHS budget is ICE. The rest of it is FEMA, TSA, that runs our security checkpoints at our airports.”

“It is also the Coast Guard, which is absolutely critical to our maritime protection and also partnering with the Department of War,” Noem added. “We have weapons of mass destruction, science and technology, our national labs.”

“We have a lot of responsibilities that we absolutely need to fund in order to do them properly. So I’m hopeful that Congress will recognize that and pass this bill quickly,” Noem said.

KRISTI NOEM TO TESTIFY BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH

But the debate around government spending wasn’t about the Coast Guard, FEMA or TSA. It was almost entirely based on one of the 23 agencies which Noem oversees – Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Specifically, it centered around ICE’s actions in Minneapolis, a so-called sanctuary city in which the local authorities provide only minimal support to federal officers enforcing immigration laws.

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Federal law enforcement agents detain a demonstrator during a raid in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. Minnesota officials are suing over the unprecedented surge of US immigration authorities in the state, taking the Trump administration to court days after a federal agent shot and killed a Minneapolis woman.(Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Since the beginning of the year, DHS estimates that Operation Metro Surge has resulted in the apprehension of 4,000 criminal illegal migrants in Minneapolis. The operation was launched mainly due to a fraud scheme that involved members of the Somali community in Minnesota.

The mission then evolved into a heated clash between agitators and federal officers that ultimately left two U.S. citizens dead, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both killed by federal immigration agents.

NOEM VOWS CRIMINAL PROSECUTION AFTER CATCHING ALLEGED DHS ‘PROLIFIC LEAKER’

Noem quickly labeled both Good and Pretti as “domestic terrorists” and said their deaths were due to impeding “law enforcement operations,” sparking outrage from Democrats and some Republicans who began to call for her resignation.

Rumors swirled whether Noem would actually resign or if President Donald Trump would fire fire her, but the president told reporters shortly after the death of Pretti that he had no intention of relieving her from her position as head of DHS.

When Fox News Digital asked Noem what she believed the American people want when it comes to ICE enforcing the law using the same tactics that led to riots, deaths and assaults on both agitators and agents, Noem said “I think people would want less conflict.”

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President Donald Trump has repeatedly backed DHS chief Noem in public comments in January.(Jim Watson/Getty Images)

LEAVITT SAYS TRUMP WILL NOT ‘WAVER’ ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN DESPITE DEMOCRATIC BACKLASH

“[The American people] want to know that we’re enforcing our laws and that we are going after dangerous criminals, and they don’t want them to be released on the streets to perpetuate more crimes,” Noem explained.

At some stops along Noem’s trip, agitators appeared. At a dinner she hosted inside a hotel in Tucson, Arizona, for CBP officers, protesters with drums, megaphones and seemingly pre-made signs gathered at the entrance of the hotel. Every other car driving by the demonstration honked, though it’s unclear whether they were honking in support or in disagreement with the protesters.

A Quinnipiac University survey taken from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2 showed 58% of those questioned saying that Noem shouldn’t have the job.

DHS SECRETARY NOEM STANDS BY BODY CAMERA REQUIREMENT FOR FEDERAL AGENTS FOLLOWING TRUMP COMMENTS

Fox News Digital spoke with a GOP insider who pointed to Noem’s inexperience on the national stage, saying her time as governor of South Dakota didn’t prepare her for one of the most challenging roles in the presidential cabinet.

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem meets with CBP officials at Eagle Pass, Texas, Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Noem assesses the progress been made since she became head of the agency a year ago.(Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

Despite the critics, Noem’s record on securing the border has proven successful, according to figures provided by the department and the Trump administration. Trump’s goal to deter illegal migrants from crossing the border, which was Noem’s mandate, has been a priority for the White House.

More illegal migrants crossed the southern border in one average month under former President Biden’s watch than have crossed under Noem’s entire watch, according to DHS.

NOEM DEPLOYS TO BOTH BORDERS, SAYS ICE WON’T BE DETERRED BY SANCTUARY OFFICIALS WHO ‘WANT TO CREATE CONFLICT’

“We have over three million people that have deported, and that includes probably about 700,000 that we have detained and removed,” Noem told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “Beyond that, over 2.3 million have self-deported.”

“You know, you send the message around the world that America is now going to be enforcing its laws and making sure that if you’re in this country illegally, that you should go home, and we’ve been incentivizing that through a $2,600 payment and a flight,” Noem added. “Millions of people have taken us up on that.”

Trump defended Noem for a second time during remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday when discussing if he would relinquish her command at DHS.

[image_5]

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (not pictured) displays a momtage of photos showing the illegal border crossing a year ago as she meets with CBP officials at Eagle Pass, Texas, Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Noem assesses the progress been made since she became head of the agency a year ago.(Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

HOUSE DEMOCRATS HOLD ‘SHADOW HEARINGS’ AS THEY BUILD CASE TO IMPEACH KRISTI NOEM

“Why would I do that? We have the strongest border in the history of our country,” Trump said. “We have the best crime numbers we’ve ever had going back to the year 1900. That’s 125 years. We have the lowest crime numbers.”

Trump also appointed Tom Homan, the former ICE director during Trump’s first term and the executive associate director of Enforcement and Removal Operations under President Barack Obama, to serve as border czar, a role previously held by Kamala Harris.

Some reports painted a picture of an unspoken rivalry between Homan and Noem following Trump’s decision to put Homan in command of the situation in Minneapolis.

NOEM SLAMS DEMS, BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR LACKING ‘COMPASSION’ AMID ANTI-ICE TENSIONS

But Noem told Fox News Digital she credited Homan for working to get local leaders in Minneapolis to come to the table and negotiate order in what has been a chaotic scene in the Twin Cities.

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a roundtable in the State Dining Room of the White House on Wednesday Oct. 8, 2025.(Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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“What people need to remember is that Democrat policies were destroying our country,” Noem said. “And President Trump came in and said, I’m going to protect the American people. It’s not going to happen anymore. “

“Since [the Biden administration], thousands of people’s lives have been saved just here, just right here on the border, because those migrants are not victimized anymore,” Noem added.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news.

Nancy Pelosi to endorse Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s grandson, for US House seat

By Camila DeChalus, Aleena Fayaz | 9 min ago | PUBLISHED Feb 7, 2026, 5:39 PM ET

From left, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., center, joins Caroline Kennedy, and Jack Schlossberg, at the podium to receive the 2019 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, Sunday, May 19, 2019, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

Josh Reynolds/AP

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to endorse Jack Schlossberg in his run for a hotly contested US House seat, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy’s grandson and a cousin of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced his run in the Democratic primary to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District last November. He is JFK’s first direct descendent and latest member of his family to run for elected office.

The seat is held by retiring Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, who has represented the New York City district since 1992.

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Pelosi, one of the most powerful figures in Democratic politics for decades, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. While retiring at the end of her term, the California lawmaker hasn’t shied from voicing opinions about her party.

In a private meeting last month, Pelosi blasted members of her party after nearly half of the House Oversight Committee’s Democrats voted to hold the Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas in its Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Schlossberg, 33, is the youngest child of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg.

In a video announcing his campaign, Schlossberg slammed President Donald Trump and focused his message on affordability, saying, “We deserve better, and we can do better, and it starts with the Democratic Party winning back control of the House of Representatives.”

The Kennedy grandson emerged as an outspoken voice calling for Democratic Party reforms after its losses in 2024.

Schlossberg has become known for his viral, freewheeling videos on social media. He previously told CNN he thinks his understanding of how to communicate in the age of vertical video will help him connect with younger people.

Schlossberg has aligned himself with the young, progressive wing of the Democratic Party pressing for generational change. He backed Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayor’s race, remarking, “I don’t give a f**k” about crossing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was previously married to Kerry Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s niece.

Three generations of Kennedys have served in elected office, including John F. Kennedy’s brothers Robert, a former attorney general and New York senator, and Ted, the longtime senator from Massachusetts.

Much of the stalwart Democratic family has rebuked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who serves in Trump’s Cabinet. Schlossberg in September called his cousin “a loser” and “a threat to public health and American scientific leadership.”

Among the 14 candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 12th District are state Assemblymembers Micah Lasher and Alex Bores; prominent lawyer and Trump critic George Conway; and Cameron Kasky, an activist and survivor of the Parkland High School shooting.

CNN’s Dana Bash, David Wright, Annie Grayer and Eric Bradner contributed to this report.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis celebrated how the Department of Justice reportedly decided to dismiss a complaint into the Hope Florida scandal that rocked the former presidential candidate and became a talking point for DeSantis critics.

The Floridian reported that President Donald Trump’s DOJ looked into the controversy in late 2025, but a source within the agency told the local outlet that there is “no predicate to open up an intake on this” and that “no further action is anticipated.”

“The witch hunt against the Hope Florida Foundation was orchestrated by left-wing media and their RINO allies,” DeSantis said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital in response to the report. “As we’ve said from day one, all agency actions were appropriate and legally sound.”

“The Hope Florida initiative continues to be the most successful conservative anti-poverty initiative of any state in the country,” DeSantis added.

TRUMP-BACKED DONALDS VOWS TO MAINTAIN DESANTIS ‘TRAJECTORY,’ TAKE FLORIDA TO ‘WHOLE NEW LEVEL’

The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed the complaint has been dropped. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.

The controversy originated after Centene, a major health insurance company focused on government-sponsored programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, agreed to return $67 million to Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration to settle allegations that it overbilled Medicaid. After the settlement was finalized in September 2024, $10 million of the recovered funds was directed to the Hope Florida Foundation.

The Hope Florida Foundation then distributed the $10 million as two $5 million grants to 501(c)(4) organizations: Save Our Society from Drugs and Secure Florida’s Future, Inc.

Of the funds distributed, $8.5 million ultimately flowed to Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee known for its efforts to defeat Florida Amendment 3, which would have legalized recreational marijuana through a constitutional change. Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife who has been floated as a potential candidate for governor herself, has consistently expressed opposition to the legalization of marijuana.

Critics argue that the funds that wound up at Keep Florida Clean, which existed due to a government settlement, should never have been funneled into a political action committee for political campaigning.

The funds were originally unearthed by Florida state Republican Rep. Alex Andrade, who told Fox News Digital in June that DeSantis’ then-chief of staff turned attorney general, James Uthmeier, was allegedly the lead culprit of the movement of funds.

Andrade noted at the time that he didn’t “see how Casey or [Ron] DeSantis are involved.”

DESANTIS SIGNALS RESET WITH TRUMP AS FLORIDA BACKS ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ PLAN

Trump’s DOJ reportedly dismissing the complaint is yet another example of the president breaking bread with a governor who was once a fierce opponent for the Oval Office.

DeSantis’s relationship with Trump has evolved since the two faced off in what was thought to be a toss-up GOP primary election for the White House. DeSantis’s highly anticipated run was stopped short just before the New Hampshire primary, with the Florida governor stating he didn’t see a path to victory.

Rumors continue to swirl whether Casey DeSantis will enter the race for Florida governor in 2026, though Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., has already declared his candidacy and received an endorsement from Trump.

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June 12 is the filing deadline to run for governor in the Sunshine State, should Casey DeSantis decide to enter the field.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news.