Defense Secretary Hegseth threatens military action against Iran
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent a message to Iran on Wednesday night, warning the country that, because of its “LETHAL” support of the Houthis terrorist organization, they will pay the consequences.
“We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,” Hegseth said in a post on X. “You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.”
Earlier this week, a Houthi drone forced the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to make an evasive maneuver, which some believe caused an F-18 fighter jet worth $67 million to fall off the carrier and into the Red Sea.
$70M NAVY F-18 FIGHTER JET FALLS INTO RED SEA OFF THE USS HARRY S TRUMAN
The move came after 47 straight days of U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets.
Hegseth then retweeted a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump from March 17.
“Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN,” Trump posted. “Any further attack or retaliation by the ‘Houthis’ will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that the force will stop there.
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Iran has played the ‘innocent victim’ of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control,” the president continued. “They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, ‘Intelligence.’ Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”
Kamala Harris comes knives out against Trump in first speech since leaving office
Former Vice President Kamala Harris returned to the political scene with a fiery speech on Wednesday night in which she slammed the Trump administration’s first 100 days.
Harris had a very negative, often angry-sounding message in her first speech since she left office, even saying, “we are seeing the wholesale abandonment” of American ideals in reference to President Donald Trump’s priorities.
“Now, I know tonight’s event happens to coincide with the 100 days after the inauguration, and I’ll leave to others to give a full accounting of what has happened so far,” she said. “But I will say this. Instead of the administration working to advance America’s highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals.”
Harris accused Trump of advancing “an agenda [of] a narrow, self-serving vision of America,” threatening to bring a “constitutional crisis” to the nation.
‘PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT’: TRUMP CELEBRATES FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE WITH HIGH ENERGY MICHIGAN RALLY
She accused Trump of bringing “chaos” to the U.S. through his tariff policy, accusing him of being responsible for the “greatest manmade economic crisis in modern presidential history.”
But beyond this, Harris claimed that the Trump administration is advancing an intentional vision to undermine American democracy.
“Some people are describing what has been happening in recent months as absolute chaos, and of course, I understand why, and it’s certainly true of those tariffs,” she said. “But friends, please let us not be duped into thinking everything is chaos.”
She continued: “What we are in fact witnessing is a high-velocity event. Where a vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making. An agenda to slash public education, an agenda to shrink government and then to privatize its services, all while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest among us.”
VANCE PREVIEWS TRUMP’S PLANS TO ‘JUICE THE ECONOMY,’ END RUSSIA–UKRAINE WAR IN NEXT 100 DAYS
“Right now, we are living in their vision for America,” Harris went on. “It’s an agenda, a narrow, self-serving vision of America where they punish truth tellers, favor loyalists cashing in on their power, and leave everyone to fend for themselves, all while abandoning allies and retreating from the world.”
Harris further alluded to the Trump administration’s deportation of illegal alien and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, saying, “It is not okay to detain and to disappear American citizens or anyone without due process.”
She praised the actions of congressional Democrats resisting the Trump administration, naming several lawmakers, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.; Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who she said “all in different ways, have been speaking with moral clarity about this moment.”
The former vice president said she was inspired by the Democrat’s electoral victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election as well as “the courage of judges to uphold the rule of law” and “universities that are defying unconstitutional demands that threaten the pursuit of truth and academic independence.”
‘I AM AFRAID’: ANOTHER PROTECTIVE ORDER FILING AGAINST DEPORTED ‘MARYLAND MAN’ CHAMPIONED BY DEMS SURFACES
Harris went on to say that “if Congress fails to do its part, or if the courts fail to do their part, or if both do their part, but the president defies them anyway. Well, friends, that is called a constitutional crisis.”
CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE FOX NEWS APP
Harris gave her speech at Emerge’s 20th anniversary gala in San Francisco. Emerge, a training organization that seeks to prepare Democratic women to run for office, charged $25 for viewers to gain access to the virtual livestream. Other package options included a $100 fee for young professionals and a $250 general admission ticket.
The former vice president did not address rumors that she may be considering a run for governor of California.
China levels shock accusation against US over COVID-19 origin
China is blaming the United States for the origin of COVID-19, accusing Washington of “evading responsibility” for the virus amid multiple statements by President Donald Trump that it was leaked from a lab in Wuhan.
In a multipage paper, the Communist regime said the infectious disease was present in the U.S. earlier than what was officially determined.
“The US should cease from shifting blame and evading responsibility, stop finding external excuses for its internal malaise, and genuinely reflect on and overhaul its public health policies,” the paper states. “The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House.
CREDIBILITY CRISIS: NEW YORK TIMES HELPED MISLEAD AMERICA OVER COVID LAB LEAK THEORY
The paper came after the White House earlier this month revamped its COVID.gov website, showing the “true origins” of the disease.
The website, which previously focused on promoting the vaccine to Americans, walks readers through evidence supporting the lab leak theory, how former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci promoted the idea that COVID-19 originated naturally, former President Joe Biden pardoning Fauci for “any offenses against” the U.S. he may have committed, and providing details on the origin of the “social distancing” rules and mask mandates.
The new site outlines that a biological characteristic found in the virus was not found in nature, bolstering the lab-leak theory, while noting that Wuhan, China, where the first coronavirus case was found, is also home to China’s “foremost SARs research lab” and that “if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced. But it hasn’t.”
TRUMP MADE ME DO IT: LIBERAL MEDIA BLAMES ITS DISMISSAL OF LAB LEAK THEORY ON EX-PRESIDENT’S ‘XENOPHOBIA’
The Trump administration’s CIA reported earlier in 2025 that a lab leak was the likely origin of the COVID-19 virus, which had been passed off by media outlets and scientists as a likely conspiracy theory during the early days of the pandemic.
However, China said in its paper that a past joint study conducted with the World Health Organization (WHO) found that COVID-19 was most likely transmitted from bats to humans via another animal.
The report also accused the U.S. of not doing more to combat the virus.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“The slow and ineffective US response during the early stages of the outbreak set an appalling example to the international community and made the US performance in handling the pandemic the worst of all countries,” Chinese officials wrote. “Instead of facing this issue squarely and reflecting on its shortcomings, the US government has tried to shift the blame and divert people’s attention by shamelessly politicizing SARS-CoV-2 origins tracing.”
“The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct,” the report said.
Trump reveals what he told Zelenskyy during viral meeting at the Vatican
President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday evening what he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed during their viral meeting at the Vatican when both were in attendance for the late Pope Francis’ funeral.
“I was telling him that it’s a very good thing if we can produce a deal, that you sign it, because Russia is much bigger and much stronger,” Trump said Tuesday evening during a town hall hosted by NewsNation, which he participated in by phone.
The pair met face-to-face for the first time since their contentious Oval Office meeting in February, while both attended the papal funeral. Neither White House or Ukrainian officials gave many details on the nature or content of the talk, other than that it was “productive” and “symbolic.”
UKRAINE SIGNS DEAL TO GIVE US ACCESS TO RARE MINERALS WITH TRUMP ADMIN ‘COMMITTED TO A PEACE PROCESS’: BESSENT
“We discussed a lot one on one,” Zelenskyy posted on X following the viral meeting. “Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”
Despite few details being released about the meeting, Trump did tell reporters over the weekend that part of the pair’s discussion revolved around the U.S. sending more weapons to Ukraine.
“He told me that he needs more weapons, but he’s been saying that for three years,” Trump said. “We’re going to see what happens – I want to see what happens with respect to Russia. Because Russia, I’ve been surprised and disappointed – very disappointed – that they did the bombing of those places after discussions.”
TRUMP HAS BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH PUTIN AND ZELENSKYY, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF SAYS
While Trump did not divulge any further details about the meeting to reporters, the president did add that he thinks Zelenskyy will be willing to give up Crimea in order to secure a peace deal. Russia’s annexation of the current Ukrainian territory has been a major sticking point amid negotiations between the two warring nations, with Zelenskyy indicating he would not be willing to sign a deal that includes giving up the territory.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
House Dem demands Congress act on securing US border after ‘transparent’ ICE facility visit
Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., reflected on his visit to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Stewart County, Georgia, last week, emphasizing that he remains optimistic that there is room for congressional achievements on related policies.
“It was a very transparent visit,” Davis told Fox News Digital in an interview, noting he also had the opportunity to speak with detainees. “We were able to move around and go to places. I was even able to engage, again, with detainees.”
“Probably the best word I would use, which one of the senior administrators used, was ‘busy,’” he added.
TEXAS HOSPITALS HIT WITH $122 MILLION BILL FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS’ CARE IN SINGLE MONTH
The North Carolina Democrat emphasized that although there have been rapid changes in border and immigration policies in recent months, the legislative branch needs to step up to make changes.
“I believe there are broader steps we need to take in Congress to act. I believe we need to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform. I believe that we, without any doubt, need to secure the border as next steps. The number of unlawful entries indeed have come down, but again, we can’t just stop where we are now. We need to continue to make sure, you know, that we protect the American people,” Davis said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE
“We have to crack down on the illegal fentanyl that’s making entry into the country,” the lawmaker added.
SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM: TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN
Since Trump took office, migrant encounters at the border have plummeted with just over 7,000 apprehensions in March, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
“We have the most secure border in the history of this nation, and the numbers prove it. President Trump’s policies are saving lives every day,” border czar Tom Homan said at the 100 days White House news conference on Monday.
Davis is a second-term congressman who represents parts of eastern North Carolina, in one of the few districts that backed President Donald Trump in November but elected a Democrat to Congress.
Last June, Davis and three other Democratic lawmakers called for the Biden administration to ramp up border security.
“This order is an overdue step, but our southern border is still not secure,” the group said regarding an executive order at the time.
TRUMP ADMIN RELEASES SHOCKINGLY LOW NUMBER OF ILLEGAL ALIENS COMPARED TO BIDEN YEARS: ‘UNPRECEDENTED’
Davis noted that he observed some detainees actively going through the judicial process that could determine their future, which could entail deportation.
“Iwas able to observe a detainee actually going through a judicial review and having a hearing,” Davis said, noting he “also witnessed others that were in private security areas, talking to their attorneys.”
“So the takeaway for me is, as we’re seeing more detainees coming through detention centers, it is important that we walk away prioritizing public safety. We cannot compromise on public safety whatsoever. And I believe we can still do it in a way in which we are able to abide by our Constitution.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
There’s been an ongoing discussion about due process for those in the country illegally, as many suspected of criminal gang activity through designated terrorist groups like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 have been transported to El Salvador.
Legendary NFL quarterback breaks silence on agent’s death after golf cart crash
Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway broke his silence Wednesday night after his longtime agent, Jeff Sperbeck, died from injuries sustained in a golf cart crash in California.
“I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, business partner and agent Jeff Sperbeck,” Elway said in a statement, via ESPN.
“There are no words to truly express the profound sadness I feel with the sudden loss of someone who has meant so much to me.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
“My heart and deepest sympathies go out to Jeff’s wife, Cori; his children Carly, Sam and Jackson; and everyone who knew and loved him. Jeff will be deeply missed for the loyalty, wisdom, friendship and love he brought into my life and the lives of so many others.”
Sperbeck’s family also released a statement.
“We are deeply saddened to share the passing of our beloved Jeff Sperbeck. He was a wonderful father, husband, brother, son and friend to many and will be profoundly missed by all,” they said in a joint statement. We are grieving this unimaginable loss as a family alongside our dearest friends the Elway’s and the many other clients Jeff called friends.
“We are grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support that we have received and ask for privacy for our family at this difficult time.”
Sperbeck died early Wednesday at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, days after Saturday’s accident in La Quinta, the Riverside County Coroner’s Office confirmed. Sperbeck was 62.
Elway was driving the golf cart, and Sperbeck fell off and struck his head on asphalt, TMZ reported earlier Wednesday. Sperbeck was put on life support after the accident.
Sperbeck was sitting in the passenger seat of the golf cart, according to ESPN.
FALCONS’ JEFF ULBRICH BREAKS SILENCE ON NFL FINE, SON’S ‘INEXCUSABLE’ ACTIONS
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation, and there was no indication Elway was driving the golf cart recklessly, TMZ reported.
Sperbeck first became Elway’s manager in 1990 and represented hundreds of NFL players through multiple agencies.
Some of his other clients included Hall of Famers Ronnie Lott and Jim Plunkett.
In 2015, Elway and Sperbeck founded 7Cellars, which produces premium wines from central California and Napa Valley.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Elway spent his entire 16-year career with the Broncos, winning two Super Bowls. He also spent time in the Broncos’ front office.
Richard Gere, wife share plans to return to the US months after relocating
Richard Gere and his wife Alejandra Silva are already planning on moving back to the U.S. after relocating to Madrid at the end of 2024.
At the 2025 Gala: Carnaval in New York City, Alejandra spoke to the Daily Mail about her family’s plans now that they live in her home country.
“For a few years [we’ll live in Spain], and then come back. But we’re always coming back,” she said, referring to her sons Alexander, 5, and James, 4.
“We’ll come back here in the summer because we have the kids at camp. We just have to balance our lives there and here,” she continued.
RICHARD GERE AND HIS FAMILY ARE THRIVING IN SPAIN AFTER LEAVING US
After years of living in New York City with Gere, the couple decided to move to Spain, where Alejandra is from, and raise their children there.
“For a few years [we’ll live in Spain], and then come back. But we’re always coming back.”
“I’m with my family… I missed them a lot. But I miss the U.S. So we come back and forth,” she told the outlet.
Gere first talked about their imminent move to Spain last spring.
“For me, going to Madrid is going to be a great adventure because I have never lived full time outside the United States,” the 75-year-old told Vanity Fair Spain.
“And I think it will also be very interesting for my children. For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends and her culture. She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so I think it’s fair that I give her at least six others living in hers. In any case, I love Spain and I think your lifestyle is fabulous. Also, your ability to live, transmitting joy and happiness. It is a beautiful place, the food is extraordinary and people exude sensitivity and generosity, as well as a strong will to laugh and enjoy. So I’m looking forward to going there.”
The “Runaway Bride” star told Fox News Digital in November that he had lived in New York City since his early 20s.
WATCH: Richard Gere is looking forward to ‘living in another culture’ with move to Spain
“New York gets in your blood. It’s very hard to remove that. It infects your DNA. But I love Spain too. I love Madrid. And it’s time for my wife to be around her family and friends and culture,” he said. “And good for our kids. I think it’s great to be living — not just visiting — but living in another culture.”
Gere told Jimmy Fallon in November that he thought his kids would “flourish” in the country.
“My kids are bilingual, so they’re going to flourish there,” he said on “The Tonight Show.”
He said they would be spending Thanksgiving in Spain, and later that month Alejandra shared a photo on Instagram of their sons Alexander and James decorating their Christmas tree, with the caption, “this year finally, Christmas in Spain!”
“My wife, she grew up in a very big Spanish family,” Gere told Fallon. “And her grandmother was kind of the glue that held all of that together. And the grandmother passed away. It was about a year and a half ago, two years ago. So, my wife, I can see her morphing into the new grandmother of this extended family. So, she’s already planning for 35 people for Sunday lunches.”
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
In January, Gere told Elle España that the couple are “happier than ever” living abroad.
“We are happier than ever. She, because she is home and I because, if she is happy, I am happy,” he said.
Alejandra called her and her husband “soulmates.”
The pair met 11 years ago when they were both going through divorces.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
“We are like soulmates,” she told Elle España. “We have the same values, we see the world in the same way and from the first moment we felt that we had known each other for a long time.”
Gere couldn’t help but rave about his wife, with whom he shares two sons and a third son from her previous marriage.
He also has a 24-year-old son from his second marriage to Carey Lowell.
“My wife has a glow about her, [an] openness and her genuine sense of graciousness, of gratitude, of generosity,” Gere said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Epstein accuser’s family shares final handwritten note before her death
Days after the third Jeffrey Epstein abuse accuser to die in recent years took her own life, her family shared an excerpt from a heartbreaking journal entry Virginia Giuffre left behind.
In the portion of the note shared by Giuffre’s family, she encouraged other abuse victims to “stand together” and continue to fight.
“Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, and Brothers need to show the battle lines are drawn, and stand together to fight for the future of victims. Is protesting the answer? I dont know. But we’ve got to start somewhere,” Giuffre wrote.
Her family said they found the quote while going through Giuffre’s journal entries, according to a post on their Facebook page.
JEFFREY EPSTEIN CASE: VIRGINIA GIUFFRE’S DEATH MARKS THIRD LOSS, EXPERT SAYS PREDATORS NEED TO BE ‘PUNISHED’
“While spending time with family and celebrating our sister, we were going through journal entries that Virginia had written over the years and stumbled upon this quote and thought it was a beautiful moment to share with you all,” Giuffre’s family explained in the post, sharing the note.
Giuffre, 41, died in Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while inside a New York City jail cell after he was federally charged with sex trafficking.
Giuffre is survived by her three children.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia. She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” Giuffre’s family previously told Fox News. “Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.”
VIRGINIA GIUFFRE, JEFFREY EPSTEIN AND PRINCE ANDREW ACCUSER, DEAD AT 41 BY SUICIDE: REPORT
On Wednesday, her family shared that they had received information about a march being held in Washington D.C. in Guiffre’s honor and shared the message in hopes of uplifting abuse survivors.
“Survivors should know that she’s with you and her voice will not be silenced. I know that it’s so important, and her wish is that we continue to fight,” the family wrote. “To all survivors and those protesting. We stand with you in solidarity and know the fight is not over!”
Guiffre once told interviewers that her childhood was shattered when she was sexually abused as a grade schooler by a man her family knew. She later ran away from home and endured more abuse, she said.
JEFFREY EPSTEIN ACCUSER’S SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENT STORY UNDER FIRE FROM PARENTS
Giuffre, a native of Florida, said she was recruited by Epstein’s friend Ghislaine Maxwell to work for Epstein when she was just 16 years old.
She is the third Epstein accuser to die since 2017. She was one of the most outspoken accusers and filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in 2021, claiming she was forced to have sex with him three times between 1999 and 2002 when she was underage.
She also appeared in an infamous photo as a teen alongside Andrew and Maxwell allegedly taken in the latter’s London townhouse during a party in 2000.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Andrew has denied Giuffre’s allegations of wrongdoing and settled a civil lawsuit she brought against him out of court in 2021.
Giuffre went on to become an advocate for sex trafficking survivors and a central figure in Epstein’s prolonged downfall.