LIVE UPDATES: Ivanka Trump thanks her father for peace: ‘I won’t fully celebrate until…’
President Donald Trump’s
daughter, Ivanka Trump, thanked her father for his role in introducing hope for peace between Israel and Hamas.
“I want to thank my father @realDonaldTrump for his unbending leadership in bringing real hope for lasting peace to a region that has known so much pain and heartbreak,” she wrote.
“Deeply proud of my husband @jaredkushner and Steve Witkoff, whose vision and perseverance remind us that even in the darkest moments, progress is possible. Their tireless work has given new hope to families who dream of safety, dignity, and opportunity,” she continued.
But she noted that she will reserve full celebration.
“I won’t fully celebrate until every hostage has been returned and peace prevails. But I hold on to hope that one day we will dance again, and maybe even dance together. Praying for healing, unity, and lasting peace.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., described the Israel-Hamas peace deal as a “welcome development” in a statement issued after President Donald Trump announced the plan that includes the release of all hostages.
But the Democratic congressman’s statement does not mention Trump or credit the administration for its involvement in helping to broker the deal between Israel and Hamas.
“The peace agreement that has been reached is an extremely welcome development, freeing the remaining hostages and bringing an end to years of pain, suffering and destruction. It is my hope that phase one will be fully implemented, the hostages reunited with loved ones, sustained humanitarian relief surged into Gaza, Hamas completely disarmed and the path toward a just and lasting peace in the region firmly established,” Jeffries said in the statement.
“The world will be a better place with a safe and secure Israel living side by side in peace and prosperity with the Palestinian people able to achieve the dignity and self-determination they deserve. We must all recommit to achieve that outcome.”
Maria Corina Machado has been announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, even as many in the U.S. have called for President Donald Trump to win the award, particularly in light of the recently announced Israel-Hamas peace deal his administration worked to help broker.
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 to Maria Corina Machado ‘for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,'” according to nobelprize.org.
The sudden announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire Wednesday night reignited a once-far-fetched question in world politics: could President Donald Trump win the Nobel Peace Prize?
If the ceasefire holds, it would signify a landmark achievement months in the making for a president who has branded himself a global peacemaker. Trump has long insisted he deserves the prize but doubts the committee would ever give it to him.
“I’m not politicking for it,” Trump said when asked about the prospect during the Aug. 8 signing of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House. “I have a lot of people that are.”
The deadline for this year’s nominations was January 31. Some proposals for Trump came in before then, but many arrived after the cutoff date. If he does not win when the prize is announced Friday, he could be considered again next year.
Read more about Trump’s chances of winning the honorary prize.
This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips.
A document obtained by Israeli Channel 11 political correspondent Gili Cohen outlines President Donald Trump’s “Comprehensive End of Gaza War” plan, detailing a step-by-step framework to end fighting, withdraw Israeli forces, and secure the release of all hostages within days.
The first step calls for President Donald Trump to announce the end of the war in the Gaza Strip and confirm that all parties have agreed to implement the steps required to conclude it.
According to step two, “The war will immediately end upon the approval of the Israeli government. All military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment and targeting operations, will be suspended. During the 72-hour period, aerial surveillance will be suspended over the areas which IDF withdraws from.”
The document states that full humanitarian aid and relief operations, as outlined in the proposal and in the January 19, 2025 agreement with Joe Mangano, will commence immediately.
The fourth step states, “IDF will withdraw to lines agreed upon as per map ‘X’ attached herewith, and this will be completed after President Trump’s announcement and within 24 hours of Israeli government approval. The IDF will not return to areas that have been withdrawn from, as long as Hamas fully implements the deal.”
Within 72 hours of the IDF’s withdrawal, “all Israeli hostages, living and deceased, held in Gaza will be released.”
The document then details several subsections related to the release of hostages. For instance, “As soon as IDF completes its withdrawal, Hamas will commence investigating the status of hostages and collect all information pertaining to them. Hamas will compile the results of its findings through the information-sharing mechanism…Israel will provide information on the Palestinian prisoners and detainees from the Gaza Strip held in Israel.”
Within the same 72-hour window, Hamas will release all living hostages, including those held by Palestinian factions, as well as the remains of deceased hostages in its possession and those held by other groups in Gaza. Hamas also agrees to share, within those 72 hours, all information about any remaining hostages or deceased individuals, while Israel will provide details on the remains of deceased Gazans held in the Gaza Strip.
The document concludes by calling for a task force of representatives from the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, and other nations to follow up on the implementation and coordination of the peace deal.
At a Thursday night meeting in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to reflect on the negotiations that led to a historic deal to bring home Israeli hostages and end the war with Hamas.
Netanyahu commended Trump and his envoys for their key role in brokering a deal to return all Israeli hostages, living and dead. He said the agreement marked the culmination of two years of conflict, crediting the mix of military and diplomatic pressure — and the courage of Israeli soldiers — for isolating Hamas and making the deal possible.
“We couldn’t have achieved it without the extraordinary help of President Trump and his team, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” the prime minister said.
Witkoff, who helped craft the Trump peace framework, said Netanyahu’s resolve and timing were crucial to sealing the ceasefire and hostage release. He said Hamas had been cornered by sustained Israeli pressure, leaving the group with no choice but to agree.
“I don’t think we get to this place without Prime Minister Netanyahu playing it out,” Witkoff said.
Kushner said bringing home the hostages has long been one of President Trump’s top priorities and credited the Israeli Defense Forces for their bravery and success in operations across Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. He also cited Netanyahu’s discipline during the negotiations, saying his alignment with Trump on the final outcome was key to achieving the deal.
“Between you and President Trump, you had a lot of alignment on what the end stage should be,” Kushner said.
With Israel’s approval of Phase 1 of President Donald Trump’s peace plan, the countdown is underway for the release of hostages.
The Israel Defense Forces have 24 hours to pull back to the agreed line inside Gaza, retaining control of about 53% of the territory until Phase 2 begins.
After the 24-hour period, Hamas will have 72 hours to release all remaining hostages — 20 alive and 28 deceased — meaning all are expected to be freed by Tuesday.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
The U.S. plans utilize up to 200 troops already in the Middle East to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team involving various nations, a senior official told Fox News.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Up to 200 U.S. personnel, who are already stationed at CENTCOM, will be tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel, and they will work with other international forces on the ground.”
Centcom Admiral Bradley Cooper will oversee the operation to ensure there are no violations, and the team will likely consist of Egyptian, Qatari and other armed forces in the region.
The officials also wanted to emphasize that none of the U.S. troops are expected to go into Gaza. Instead, the troops are going to be located in Israel to help create a Joint Control Center.
The Israeli cabinet voted on Thursday night to accept the first phase of President Donald Trump’s peace deal.
The deal would mean all Israeli hostages will be released, and fighting between Israel and Hamas will come to a stop.
The Jerusalem Post’s cover on Friday will show a silhouette of President Donald Trump, with the headline, “HE’S BRINGING THEM HOME.”
Within the silhouette, the publication put images of the Israeli hostages that are expected to be released as part of a deal reached overnight that could lead to peace in the Middle East.
Under the image is a quote from former Prime Minister Golda Meir.
“Perhaps it is early yet to say ‘in the aftermath of the war,’ for we are actually living under a cease-fire in a war which has not yet ended,” Meir is quoted as saying on Nov. 13, 1973.
Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana lauded President Donald Trump for securing the release of Israeli hostages and brokering a historic regional peace deal, inviting him to deliver an address before Israel’s parliament — the first by a sitting U.S. president in nearly two decades.
“This victory would not have been possible without the sacrifice of our brave soldiers, the resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the close partnership you have forged with him – and with the one and only Jewish State – throughout your life,” Ohana wrote to Trump. “From recognizing Jerusalem as our eternal capital and moving the American Embassy there, to affirming our sovereignty over the Golan Heights, from creating the historic Abraham Accords to eliminating Iran’s nuclear sites, and now to this momentous day: you have demonstrated that under your leadership, America is not only a military superpower but a moral superpower as well – and that peace comes through strength.
“The people of Israel regard you as the greatest friend and ally of the Jewish nation in modern history,” Ohana continued. “It is therefore my profound honor and privilege to officially invite you to deliver a formal address to the nation before the Knesset.
“Your speech would be the first by a sitting U.S. President since President George W. Bush’s visit in 2008 – a deeply meaningful gesture of our eternal gratitude for your once-in-a-century leadership and for the unbreakable alliance between the State of Israel and the United States of America,” Ohana added. “Israel awaits The Peace President.”
In the days leading up to the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump combined regional pressure, public messaging, and trusted backchannel diplomacy to turn a faltering negotiation into a breakthrough.
A senior White House official told Fox News that Trump’s good relations with Qataris were a baseline factor in reaching a deal, but the Israeli strikes in Doha generated a lot of pressure on Hamas from Arab States.
Trump’s post on Truth Social on Sunday, giving Hamas a deadline to agree or face devastation was taken seriously and helped turn things around, the official explained. Before the post, the Trump administration was hearing that Hamas would reject the deal and would put efforts back to the 10-yard line, “like we had been so many times.”
Witkoff reportedly said the unrest from the Doha strikes could be used for good because the Arab world did not want the unrest to spill into a regional conflict affecting their countries, nor did they want Iran to get involved.
Trump also reportedly used the strikes to push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into compliance.
Additionally, Trump used public opinion on Israel and mounting political pressure to demonstrate Israelis want the war to end, telling Netanyahu, “ending the war is a win for you.”
The official noted that having Jared Kushner was a huge benefit because he brought an additional level of trust.
Kushner, the official added, has good credibility with Israelis and the Arab world, dating back to the Abraham Accords. At points during negotiations, Kushner worked with Israel and Hamas to craft statements to ensure things did not go sideways, knowing both sides have to appease their bases but keep an open dialogue.
Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
Fighting continues to occur in Gaza, despite Israel and Hamas striking a deal to end the war and have all hostages returned.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on Thursday evening that its troops struck a Hamas terrorist cell in the northern Gaza Strip that was operating within close proximity to IDF troops.
The IDF said the Hamas terrorists posed an immediate threat to the troops operating in the area.
Palestinian reports say four people were killed and dozens of others are still buried under the rubble.
Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
While a peace deal has been reached to end the Israel-Gaza
conflict and have all the hostages released, it does not appear it will be approved unanimously by lawmakers in Israel.
The Times of Israel reported that Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister said his Otzma Yehudit party will vote against the first phase of the ceasefire deal which stipulates all 48 Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be released in exchange of Palestinian prisoners.
Ben-Gvir also warned that while it has no current plans to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, the party will “bring down the government” if Hamas is not dismantled.
Also reportedly opposing the deal is far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionism party.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb congratulated President Donald Trump on reaching a peace deal in the Middle East, calling it potentially a “huge deal.”
Trump and Stubb met at the White House when the president of Finland praised the Trump administration’s efforts to reach peace in the Middle East.
“I want to congratulate you for what we have seen in the past 24 hours in Gaza. Thank you. I think it’s a historic deal,” Stubb said. “I went through the 20 points. It’s almost like the best record. You really see all the key elements.
“If someone would have said a few weeks back that you and your team are able to push us to a position where there will be a ceasefire, an exchange of prisoners, hostages, and then a pullback. I would not have believed it,” he added. “But…this is what diplomacy is at its best, and I think that’s a potentially huge deal. So congratulations.”
President Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Thursday evening with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem to discuss an agreement aimed at ending the war with Hamas.
During the meeting, the three men discussed the framework Kushner and Witkoff helped negotiate, which is expected to both end the fighting and secure the release of hostages.
Herzog reportedly expressed his deep appreciation to Trump, Kushner and Witkoff for their pivotal role in bringing the hostages home and advancing Israel’s security. He also praised their efforts to strengthen Israeli well-being and help pave the way toward greater cooperation in the Middle East.
Kushner and Witkoff are also scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday night.
Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Former President Barack Obama said Thursday that the world should be “encouraged and relieved” that an end to the Israel-Gaza conflict appears near, urging Israelis and Palestinians to seize the moment to rebuild and pursue a lasting peace.
“After two years of unimaginable loss and suffering for Israeli families and the people of Gaza, we should all be encouraged and relieved that an end to the conflict is within sight; that those hostages still being held will be reunited with their families; and that vital aid can start reaching those inside Gaza whose lives have been shattered,” Obama wrote on X.
“More than that, though, it now falls on Israelis and Palestinians, with the support of the U.S. and the entire world community, to begin the hard task of rebuilding Gaza – and to commit to a process that, by recognizing the common humanity and basic rights of both peoples, can achieve a lasting peace,” he added.
Massive projections of the American and Israeli flags were illuminated on the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City in celebration of the Gaza peace deal on Thursday.
Images out of Israel show crowds celebrating the agreement, which entails Hamas releasing all 48 of its remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire, a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked President Donald Trump for his assistance in the negotiations earlier Thursday.
President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Middle East was praised by MSNBC panelists Jon Meacham, a presidential historian, and David Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, on Thursday.
“As ever, it depends on how the chapter ends. But the beginning of this chapter is remarkable. And one of the things about honesty and citizenship and a sense of, I would say, maturity about what people in a democracy should do is even if someone with whom you disagree about 99 things, does the 100 really well, you should say so, because that’s what intellectual honesty is. And so all credit to President Trump and his, as you say, unconventional team,” Meacham told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Hamas agreed this week to a peace deal pushed by Trump to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages, two years after the terror group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Ignatius told the co-hosts that Trump was able to do what former President Joe Biden was not.
“I can remember in the month or so after Oct. 7, an Israeli senior official saying to me, ‘We are so disoriented and traumatized by this war, the United States is going to have to make decisions for us.’ Joe Biden could never do that, and Donald Trump was able to do it — did it at the decisive moment — when he said, essentially, this war must end and Israel cannot annex the West Bank, which many right-wing Israelis wanted,” he said.
Ignatius said Trump’s team, including Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, reached out to the Arabs and developed important relationships.
“What’s interesting about that, Joe and Mika, is that it took ideas from all over the Arab world — from the UAE, from Qatar, from Saudi Arabia, from Tony Blair in Britain — and pulled them all together into a single plan with the U.S. weight of support behind it. That’s how we got here. And in each case, it’s Trump deciding these people, endless combatants, cannot do it on their own. ‘I’m going to intervene forcefully.’ Tragically, that is something that Joe Biden, for all his desire for peace, wasn’t able to do,” he said.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Hanna Panreck
There will be no end to the war in Gaza if Hamas does not hand over all 48 living and deceased hostages and completely disarm per the terms of the agreement finalized overnight between Hamas and Israel, Jerusalem’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, warned in an interview with Fox News Digital on Thursday.
The Israeli government is expected to approve the peace deal first presented by President Donald Trump late last month, and then agreed to by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu.
But concerns remain over Hamas’ commitment and ability to return all the bodies of the deceased hostages within a 72-hour window beginning Friday night local time, as directed under the terms of the agreement.
“They have an obligation to return everyone in 72 hours. Hopefully we’re going be able to keep everything within that framework,” Leiter said when asked about concerns over Hamas’ ability to immediately hand over all the deceased hostages. “There are some glitches that we have to deal with, and this issue is one of them.
“But we need to see all the bodies back, and I don’t think we’re going to be able to move forward until we do have everyone,” he added.
Leiter said a part of the problem is Hamas did not diligently keep track of where it left the bodies of the deceased, but warned that until every body is returned, Israel will not withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Amelie Botbol
TEL AVIV: Two years of pain were drowned out by tears of joy at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square on Thursday, as Israelis celebrated President Donald Trump’s announcement of the first phase of a deal aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hamas.
“I am overjoyed, overwhelmed, happy — all the good feelings in the world,” Daniel Lifshitz told Fox News Digital at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square.
Lifshitz’s grandfather, Oded Lifshitz, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, and was later killed in Hamas captivity. His remains were returned to Israel in Feb. 2025 for burial.
“When your loved one is a deceased hostage, your soul can’t rest. You don’t know what to do; you don’t have a place to mourn. You can’t invent a grave and go there,” Lifshitz said.
“There’s the fear that some of the hostages won’t return on their feet, that some of the bodies won’t be found. We will be here until the last one is brought home, but today is a holiday.”
On Wednesday, Trump announced the agreement, writing, “This means that all of the hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their troops to an agreed-upon line as the first steps toward a strong, durable and everlasting peace.”
President Donald Trump says he will attempt to travel to Egypt to participate in the signing of Israel’s peace agreement with Hamas on Thursday.
Trump said he has “tremendous gratitude” toward Qatar, Egypt and Turkey for their assistance in reaching a peace deal in Gaza on Thursday.
He made the statement while speaking to the press during a cabinet meeting. The president says envoys from the three Arab countries were critical to securing an agreement between Israel and Hamas.
“I think it’s going to be a lasting peace, hopefully an everlasting peace,” Trump said.
Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to phase one of a peace plan on Wednesday, The New York Times’ David E. Sanger argued that his role in securing the deal could be the president’s “pathway to the Nobel Peace Prize.”
“For Mr. Trump, success in this venture is the ultimate test of his self-described goal as a deal maker and a peacemaker — and a pathway to the Nobel Peace Prize he has so openly coveted,” Sanger wrote on Wednesday.
The New York Times White House correspondent maintained that Trump is on the brink of the “biggest diplomatic accomplishment of his second term,” but warned that peace in the region is still far from guaranteed.
“If the peace plan moves forward, Mr. Trump may have as legitimate a claim to that Nobel as the four American presidents who have won the peace prize in the past, though with less bombast and lobbying,” he wrote.
“Much could go wrong in coming days, and in the Middle East it often does,” Sanger cautioned. “The ‘peace’ deal Mr. Trump heralded on Truth Social on Wednesday evening may look more like another temporary pause in a war that started with Israel’s founding in 1948, and has never ended.”
Israeli activist Noa Tishby joined ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss the Israel-Hamas peace deal on Thursday, saying the agreement has reshaped the Middle East.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called for President Donald Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on Thursday.
Netanyahu said he thanked Trump for his leadership in securing Israel’s peace deal with Hamas on Thursday morning.
“Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize – he deserves it!” Netanyahu’s office wrote on X.
House Speaker Mike Johnson praised President Donald Trump for shepherding Israel’s peace agreement with Hamas on Thursday.
Johnson made the remarks during a press conference regarding the government shutdown.
“What President Trump achieved yesterday, was announced last night, is a truly historic foreign policy achievement. I mean, it cannot be understated[sic]. We should give a whole press conference just about that,” Johnson said.
“The deal that he struck between Israel and Hamas will achieve incredible results, not just for that region, but for every peace loving people around the world, everyone around the world. He’s going to return, bring the hostages home. Two years they’ve been in captivity and now finally will be delivered home,” he continued
“He’s going to bring the hostages home. He’s going to bring peace and security back to Israel and truly lay the foundation for a lasting peace in the Middle East,” he added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar offered new details on Israel’s peace agreement
with Hamas in an interview with Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin on Thursday.
Griffin pressed Sa’ar about Hamas’ role in Gaza moving forward as well as Israel’s plans for a military withdrawal.
Sa’ar said Israel is already moving to withdraw its troops behind the “yellow line,” ceding 53% of Gaza’s territory amid Thursday’s ceasefire. He said further withdrawals will be negotiated in later phases of the peace agreement.
He went on to say that, in the meantime, Gaza will be governed by a council of local Palestinians along with input from President Donald Trump. He said the existing Palestinian Authority may also play a role, but only if it adopts certain reforms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the peace deal.
Muslim scholar Dr. Qanta Ahmed joined ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s Israel-Hamas peace deal that secures the release of the remaining hostages and strengthens ties between Israel and Arab nations.
Ahmed says Trump was in a unique position to negotiate thanks his more trusting relations with Israel’s Arab neighbors.
“President Trump masterfully motivated all the elements,” Ahmed said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a “warm” phone call with President Donald Trump thanking him for his efforts tom secure a peace agreement with Hamas on Thursday.
Netanyahu spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian confirmed the phone call during a Thursday morning press conference, saying Washington and Jerusalem worked hand in hand to negotiate the deal.
Under the agreement, Israel will
release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for all remaining hostages, both living and dead. Israel will also withdraw its troops from most of Gaza, removing themselves behind a “yellow line” during a 24-hour ceasefire that has already begun.
At the end of the ceasefire, a 72-hour clock will begin, during which Hamas must release all remaining hostages.
Bedrosian said this is only the first phase of the peace agreement. Details of later phases have not been announced.
Israel confirmed Thursday that notorious terrorist Marwan Barghouti is not being released as part of its peace deal with Hamas and will remain in Israeli custody.
The peace agreement includes the release of hundreds of prisoners in exchange for Hamas releasing its remaining hostages. Shosh Bedrosian, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed that Barghouti is not among that group in a Thursday morning press conference.
Nevertheless, she said many of the prisoners being released were being held on terrorism charges.
“Many of these terrorists who are being released are convicted terrorists who have blood on their hands for murdering innocent Israelis,” Bedrosian said.
She said a full list of the prisoners’ names will be released soon.
President Donald Trump praised U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee for his efforts negotiating the peace deal between Israel and Hamas on Thursday.
Trump called Huckabee a “great man” in a post on social media.
“United States Ambassador Mike Huckabee is AMAZING! He worked so hard, and did so much, to bring about Peace in the Middle East. He has very quickly become a Great Man. Thank you Mike!”
Family members of hostages being held by Hamas celebrated the acceptance of the peace plan pushed by President
Donald Trump by calling him on the phone to thank him for his efforts, which include the release of the remaining 48 hostages.
A group of family members were with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Wednesday night when they got the president on the phone for a quick conversation, a video from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum (HMFF) showed.
Upon answering the call, Trump was immediately met with positive remarks and cheers from the group.
Multiple people yelled, “Thank you!” while one person said, “You did it!” and another said, “This is amazing.”
One man could be heard thanking the president for everything he has done for Israel and its people over the past few years.
“Mr. President, we believe in you. We know you’ve done so much for us … Since you became the president. Even before that. And we trust you fulfilled the mission until every hostage, every 48 of the hostages, are home,” the man said. “Thank you so much. Blessed be the peacemakers.”
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a staunch supporter of Israel, congratulated President Donald Trump on Wednesday shortly after the commander in chief announced in a Truth Social post that Hamas and Israel agreed to phase one of a peace plan.
Fetterman said that he and the president are both unflinchingly committed to the U.S. ally.
“I congratulate @POTUS on this historic peace plan that releases all the hostages. Now, enduring peace in the region is possible. Our parties are different but we have a shared ironclad commitment to Israel and its people,” the senator noted on X while including a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post.
Israel launched a war effort in the wake of the heinous Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in which terrorists committed atrocities including murder, rape and kidnapping.
Trump, who has been brokering a peace deal, declared in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.
President Donald Trump says “the whole world came together” to make Wednesday’s Israel-Hamas peace agreement happen, and leaders across the globe are hailing the event.
“So many countries that you wouldn’t have thought of have come together,” Trump said on “Hannity.” “It’s been so great for Israel, so great for Muslims, for the Arab countries — and so great for the United States of America. This is more than Gaza — this is peace in the Middle East.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog chimed in on X, offering an emphatic endorsement of the deal while thanking Trump, adding that “should he visit us in the coming days, he will be received with immense respect, affection, and gratitude by the people of Israel.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the breakthrough and urged swift follow-through.
“I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. The United Nations will support full implementation and recovery efforts. This momentous opportunity must not be lost,” Guterres said.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Christina Shaw
Former White House hostage policy team member Alex Plitsas says Hamas likely needed more time to locate the hostages–dead and alive–who remain in their custody ahead of Wednesday’s peace agreement.
Negotiators assessed that 20 hostages remain alive, while 28 are deceased and their bodies have been “scattered across Gaza.”
According to the deal, Hamas has 72 hours to release all the remaining hostages, both dead and alive.
The countdown to return the 48 hostages held by Hamas for more than two years and the end to the brutal war in Gaza will officially commence Thursday morning after the Israeli security cabinet and government convene to approve the deal signed overnight.
Once the government approves the terms of the deal hashed out by Egyptian, Qatari, Turkish and U.S. mediators, Hamas has 72 hours to release the 20 hostages still assessed to be alive, along with the 28 deceased, “in one fell swoop and without public ceremonies,” according to terms cited by Israel press agency TPS-IL.
It remains unclear if Hamas will be able to adhere to this timeframe after it flagged over the weekend the improbability that it will be able to quickly locate all deceased bodies, some of which are allegedly buried under rubble.
Israel Defense Forces, which will begin withdrawing within 24 hours of the government’s approval to a designated line agreed upon with Hamas, will remain in 53% of the Gaza Strip until all the hostages, dead and alive, are released.
Jerusalem will also authorize the release of some 1,700 Gazans arrested after the October 2023 attacks, along with roughly 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, under the first phase of the plan presented by President Donald Trump late last month.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News’ Caitlin McFall.
President Donald Trump invoked scripture in his announcement of a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday.
Writing on Truth Social, he announced that Israel had agreed to withdraw troops from most of Gaza, while Hamas agreed to release “all” remaining hostages.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
Trump’s statement references Matthew 5:9, from Jesus’ sermon on the mount, which reads, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
‘Her hypocrisy is profound’: Lawmakers react to NY AG Letitia James’ criminal indictment
Lawmakers reacted sharply Thursday to the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James on bank fraud charges, with Democrats calling it a politically motivated act of revenge by President Donald Trump.
A federal grand jury in Virginia charged James with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment centers on James’ purchase of a home in Norfolk. Prosecutors allege she falsely claimed it as a second residence to secure better loan terms before leasing it to tenants. James has denied wrongdoing, describing the charges as “political retribution.”
“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost,” James said in a statement.
James, a longtime Trump adversary, previously sued the president’s business empire for civil fraud and won a nearly $500 million judgment.
TRUMP TO FORCE OUT VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR AMID PRESSURE TO INDICT LETITIA JAMES
Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said James faces up to 30 years in prison per count, up to a $1 million fine on each count and forfeiture if she’s convicted.
“No one is above the law. The charges as alleged in this case represent intentional, criminal acts and tremendous breaches of the public’s trust,” Halligan said. “The facts and the law in this case are clear, and we will continue following them to ensure that justice is served.”
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said James has weaponized her office to go after Trump and his allies.
“Her hypocrisy is profound as she campaigned on the mantra that ‘no one is above the law,’ yet she now faces allegations of committing the very type of financial misrepresentation she baselessly pursued against President Trump,” Stefanik said.
“I have spearheaded congressional efforts to expose James’ abuses over the past several years through ethics complaints, bar complaints, public demands for investigations and oversight exposing her corruption“.
TRUMP RIPS TRIAL JUDGE WHOSE $500M PENALTY WAS ERASED ON APPEAL
Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., noted James’ past statement that “no one is above the law.”
“Today, Leti[t]ia James was indicted for bank fraud regarding a mortgage loan,” she wrote on X.
Democrats rallied to her defense, accusing Trump of abusing his power.
“The politically motivated indictment of Attorney General Letitia James is an abuse of power — a weaponization of government — at its most outrageous and egregious,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. “Rather than addressing the grocery and utility bills crushing American families, Donald Trump remains pathologically preoccupied with his personal enemies list.”
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., called the charges a “blatant abuse of power,” while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the case amounted to “nothing less than the weaponization of the Justice Department.”
New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani praised James as “a champion for justice,” saying Trump’s actions showed “fascist tactics — prosecuting his opponents, weaponizing the federal government and attacking the very fabric of our democracy.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Trump was using the Justice Department as his “personal attack dog.”
“This is what tyranny looks like,” Schumer said. “President Trump is targeting Attorney General Tish James for the ‘crime’ of prosecuting him for fraud — and winning. This isn’t justice. It’s revenge.”
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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, called the indictment “political weaponization of our courts, plain and simple — and proof that when you stand up to corruption, they come for you.”
James’ initial court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Norfolk, Virginia.
Top insurance company’s deep ties to communist China exposed in blistering ad
FIRST ON FOX: Consumers’ Research, a leading nonprofit dedicated to consumer information and taking on woke corporations, launched a new campaign Thursday targeting insurance giant Chubb Limited and its CEO Evan Greenberg, alleging “deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”
The campaign, which is facing pushback from a Chubb official and a pair of renowned China hawks accusing the nonprofit of misrepresenting Greenberg’s view, is part of a seven-figure initiative titled “China Chubb.” The campaign accuses the insurance company and its chief executive of “cozying up to the CCP” and “using their market power and resources to push a woke, political agenda on the American people.”
The effort falls under Consumers’ Research’s Consumers First Initiative, aimed at exposing companies the group claims put politics ahead of consumers. Chubb’s business reaches across 54 countries, including China, territories and all 50 states and employs over 40,000 people worldwide.
Consumers’ Research says the campaign will include a national 30-second television advertisement titled “China Chubb,” which will begin airing across the country following the launch.
TOP INSURANCE COMPANY IN HOT SEAT AS BLISTERING NEW AD CAMPAIGN EXPOSES ‘RADICAL WOKE IDEOLOGY’
The campaign also features a new website, ChinaChubb.com; a mobile billboard that will circulate throughout Washington, D.C., including Capitol Hill and Chubb’s Washington office; and a targeted digital push with sponsored content on social media platforms and online news outlets.
The ad campaign received a sharp rebuke from a Chubb spokesperson, who called it “completely dishonest” in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Evan has called out China’s authoritarian approach and predatory practices. He has repeatedly called for the U.S. to stand up and defend its interests,” the spokesperson said.
Robert O’Brien, former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, also pushed back on the ad in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“I’ve worked with Evan Greenberg for several years now on American relations with China,” O’Brien said. “In my dealings with Evan, he has been a proponent of U.S. interests in the region. Through its operations in China, his company has contributed to shrinking the U.S. trade deficit.”
However, a Fox News Digital review found that Greenberg has personal and professional entanglements with the CCP, including meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and offering public statements praising the CCP’s global vision.
Earlier this year, Greenberg reportedly attended China’s prestigious China Development Forum alongside executives like Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman and Mastercard’s Michael Miebach. The annual forum, which includes delegates from all over the world, also includes access to dozens of top CCP officials, according to a list of delegates released earlier this year.
During this same week, Greenberg was pictured in a press release posted by the Chinese government showing him shaking hands with Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, a top CCP position. The press release paraphrased Greenberg saying, “U.S.-China relationship is the most significant bilateral relationship in the world.”
In 2024, Greenberg was photographed not only shaking hands with Xi in Beijing as Chair of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. He was also offering glowing remarks about China’s “resilience and vitality.”
THINK TANK FOUNDER FACES SCRUTINY OVER CHINA CORPORATE TIES DESPITE DECOUPLING ADVOCACY
“China’s exceptional economic growth and transformation over the past decades speak to its strong resilience and vitality,” Greenberg said.
In November 2023, he introduced Xi at a San Francisco event.
“Like many others in this room, I believe that a strong and prosperous China that supports and invests in the international system can be a force for good in the world,” Greenberg said at that event.
“We are gathered today to gain insight from President Xi into his vision for the future of his country and of the relationship between the United States and China. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in warmly welcoming President Xi Jinping.”
That same month, Evan Greenberg was elected board char of the National Committee on
U.S.-China Relations after having been “an exemplary” board member and officer of the National Committee and “supporting the Committee’s mission.” The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations sold $40,000 tickets to Americans and American businesses to sit at Xi Jinping’s table during the welcome banquet in San Francisco featuring several other senior CCP officials and guests, which got slammed in a scathing letter from the House Select Committee on the CCP.
In 2022, Xi sent personal greetings to a gala honoring Greenberg. Meanwhile, Greenberg sits on the advisory board of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, an institution tied directly to China’s national security and defense apparatus. That university operates under a wing of the Chinese government known for defense tech development, a connection that would likely raise red flags for any U.S. executive overseeing sensitive insurance data.
Greenberg is not the only prominent American business leader serving on that board, a group that includes Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Greenberg has also called on the U.S. to “tone down rhetoric about Taiwan” and slammed efforts to contain the CCP as “self-isolating” and doomed to fail. In shareholder letters, he’s warned against treating U.S.-China competition as a “new cold war” and labeled some American trade protections as “wrongheaded” and “unwise.”
Greenberg has acknowledged the complicated nature of the Taiwan situation, however.
“Taiwan presents the most proximate risk of conflict for the U.S.-China relationship,” he said in 2022. “Beijing has made its ambition clear that it wants to pull Taiwan into its orbit and, increasingly, is matching resources to its ambitions. Washington is improving coordination with allies to collectively deter China from using force, while at the same time supporting Taiwan’s efforts to improve its self-defense.”
Also in 2022, Chubb secured Chinese government approval to acquire majority control of Huatai Insurance Group, a Chinese firm with over $10 billion in assets. That stake has since grown to 85.5%. Meanwhile, Greenberg’s father, Hank Greenberg, orchestrated business deals and meetings with CCP officials, including a Xi-endorsed event ahead of a key U.S.-China summit.
That same year, Greenberg’s father led a group of executives meeting with Chinese officials ahead of Xi’s summit with President Biden in Bali. A think tank affiliated with China’s foreign ministry
organized the Chinese delegation.
Additionally, a company owned by Greenberg’s father, C.V. Starr, owns over 90% of a Chinese insurer formerly known as Dazhong.
Greenberg has not exclusively been complimentary of China and has voiced concerns and critiques about China, saying last year, “China has undermined its appeal in many parts of the region through its revanchist efforts to demand acquiescence to its territorial claims and mismanagement of its own economy.”
“Beijing’s dimming domestic performance is reducing its appeal, and its bullying behavior is driving many countries closer to the United States.”
A 2022 Chubb annual report states that the U.S. is seeking an Indo-Pacific region that “remains free from Chinese hegemony.” The insurance company’s 2023 annual report was also critical of China, saying, “China is viewed both as important and as a source of anxiety for many countries around the world. China is a revisionist and revanchist power that is pursuing a large-scale expansion in military capabilities.”
Fox News contributor and China expert Michael Pillsbury told Fox News Digital Greenberg has been playing a role communicating with China to benefit the Trump administration.
US DIPLOMAT FIRED FOR ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMAN WITH TIES TO CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY
“Over the last few months, before China accepted President Trump’s request to meet with Xi Jinping, Evan Greenberg played a backstage role to get American complaints by bringing together American CEOs to meet Xi Jinping,” Pillsbury said.
“Learning how badly American companies have been treated helps President Trump because he is determined to end outrageous mistreatment of American companies. White House friends of mine tell me Evan Greenberg developed a list of grievances of how badly treated our companies are in China. One CEO even used the term China ‘gangsterizes our companies.’”
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Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild told Fox News Digital Chubb’s leadership has ignored clear national security warnings about China.
“Despite growing warnings from U.S. intelligence about the risks posed by the Chinese Communist Party, Chubb has invested billions of dollars in Chinese companies, and Greenberg continues to treat Chinese President Xi Jinping as a partner and friend, even meeting personally with Xi Jinping and publicly introducing him as a force for good,” Hild said.
“As the saying goes, your friends show who you really are, and Greenberg’s actions have made it clear he is all in on the CCP. Our campaign exposes the uncomfortable truth: When American corporations cozy up to communist dictators and push woke policies at home, they betray not just their country, but their customers,” he added.
Shutdown staffing shortages hitting air traffic operations nationwide: FAA
The Federal Aviation Administration issued an updated operations plan on Thursday outlining how staffing shortages and weather are continuing to impact Air Traffic Control (ATC) facilities nationwide.
At least nine ATC facilities were identified by the FAA as affected by staffing shortages and weather:
- PHL AREA C (Newark)
- BDL (Hartford-Bradley)
- ZDC AREA 5 (Washington, D.C.)
- ZBW AREA D (Boston/Northeast)
- ROA Ops (Roanoke, Virginia tower)
- ORD Ops (Chicago tower)
- F11 Ops (Central Florida)
- ZAB Southeast/Southwest AREA (Albuquerque Center, covering Arizona and New Mexico)
- ZID AREA 1 (Indianapolis)
FAA BRACES FOR NATIONWIDE FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS AS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SHORTAGES HIT MAJOR AIRPORTS
As of Friday morning, the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center website did not show active ground delays at any airport and said, “air traffic is currently experiencing delays of less than 15 minutes.”
However, ground delays were reported at Houston, Calgary, LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR) on Thursday evening because of staffing shortages, weather, low visibility and wind.
The update comes amid nationwide air traffic disruptions propelled by the federal government shutdown.
Earlier reports by Fox Business cited controller shortages at Washington, Philadelphia, Albuquerque, Denver, Los Angeles and Central Florida, with more than 2,000 delays and 50 cancellations recorded Wednesday.
AMERICAN AIRLINES JET CANCELS TAKEOFF AFTER LAX RUNWAY INCURSION
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News’ Will Cain on Wednesday that staffing shortages typically account for about 5% of flight delays, but that figure has surged to about 53% in recent days.
“Normally, about 5% of flight delays are because of staffing shortages. In the last few days, that number has jumped to 53% because of understaffing,” Duffy said.
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He added that many controllers were working extended shifts and emphasized that “safety comes first.”
As of Thursday evening, the FAA said no national ground stop was in effect and that flights were being managed through standard traffic initiatives.
Winsome Earle-Sears slams opponent: ‘Love is not a shutdown’ as Virginia workers impacted
During a particularly heated exchange during Thursday night’s Virginia gubernatorial debate, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears challenged her opponent to deliver a pointed message to the state’s two Democratic senators — “Do your job” — and vote to end the government shutdown.
Earle-Sears knocked her opponent, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, for not doing more to urge the state’s two Democratic senators, Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, to end the shutdown, which has impacted hundreds of thousands of federal workers and military service members living in Virginia.
“My opponent all summer long has been playing political football with federal workers by trying to say that she loves them more than anyone else. Well, let me tell you what love looks like. It looks like Abigail calling Senators Kaine and Warner and telling them, ‘Go back, do your job, and vote against a government shutdown,’” said Earle-Sears.
“We only need eight Democratic senators, that’s all we need, and we cannot find eight. And yet we can find two in Virginia. When are you going to publicly say to Senators Kaine and Warner, ‘Go and do your job and keep federal workers working?” Earle-Sears went on.
SPANBERGER DEFENDS ABORTION AD CRITICIZING SEARS AFTER BERNIE WARNS AGAINST HIGHLIGHTING ISSUE
“That’s the way you stop the shutdown, because right now they’re having to work, and especially our military, without any pay,” she said. “I’m a United States Marine veteran, and it is definitely hard, especially in the enlisted ranks, to work without pay.”
She added, “You can do something about that. You’re the one who’s been talking about all that love. Well, show love, keep them in their jobs.”
Spanberger, meanwhile, said, “Everyone from Virginia, the most impacted state in a time of shutdown as our communities are suffering after months of DOGE attacks on our federal workforce, everyone in Virginia should be coming together and urging the president to re-enter negotiations.”
She accused Earle-Sears of having “not stood up for Virginia workers” as lieutenant governor, especially during the Trump administration’s DOGE cuts.
TRUMP VOICES SUPPORT FOR GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, ADMITS SHE HAS ‘TOUGH RACE’
“At this moment, when Virginia’s federal workforce and contract workers and communities across the Commonwealth are suffering because of this government shutdown, it is only increasing the challenge that they are facing after months and months of the attacks from this White House under DOGE,” said Spanberger.
“The entirety of that time,” she went on, “my opponent has made light of federal workers losing their jobs, saying it’s not a big deal and that everyone loses their jobs.”
Pressed on whether she would urge Kaine and Warner to vote to end the shutdown, Spanberger said, “I would encourage everyone, our Democratic senators, our Democratic House members, our Republican House members to work together and drive an effort to come back to the table.”
In response to whether she would ask President Donald Trump to work on a compromise to end the shutdown, Earle-Sears answered, “The president has already said that he would do that.”
WINSOME EARLE-SEARS REBUKES SPANBERGER PLAN TO UNDO VIRGINIA’S ICE PACT: ‘THIS IS NOT HARD’
“But you know, before anything gets to the president, it’s in the Senate right now. The House Republicans have voted, and it’s in the Senate. And all we need for it to get to the president so the shutdown stops is eight Senate Democrats. That’s just it, eight Senate Democrats. And we cannot find any because they’re playing political football, as you have been, Abigail, all this time,” she said.
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“Love is a verb. It’s a show me. It’s a doing. Love is not a shutdown,” she went on. “When are you going to ask Senator Kaine and Warner to please keep federal workers working?”
Former VP confesses Democrats knew biological males in women’s sports was ‘unfair’
Nothing woke America up to the realities of gender ideology quicker than the photo of Riley Gaines standing next to her National Championship opponent, a 6’1″ male towering over her with his broad shoulders and smoldering grin. You felt it in your bones –
The moment sparked a nationwide campaign to try and convince everyday Americans that this feeling was not just instinct; it was internalized bigotry and evidence that there was noble, progressive work still to do. Only one problem. It was all a lie. And recent admissions show that not even the top Democratic leaders believed what they were selling.
Just five years ago, I was a freshman in college, testifying in my dorm room about a bill that stated men cannot compete on women’s sports teams. “Politics are crazy,” I thought, “Why do I even need to testify on something so obvious?”
I quickly learned of my own naivety when the bill did not pass in my very conservative state. “This isn’t a real issue,” they insisted while I, a female athlete who had previously competed against a man, sat in front of them. There was clearly much more to this problem than I realized.
USA VOLLEYBALL’S ANTI-WOMAN AGENDA LIVES ON, DESPITE TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER
When the spotlight on the issue grew, it was somehow immediately deemed partisan. The issue was linked to the Democrats’ pro-LGBTQIA+ position, which they had insisted was the civil rights issue of our time, and now it was squarely at odds with something plainly unjust. But they were in too deep.
At every turn, those who tried to find solutions to the problem of men in women’s sports, including traditionally far-left organizations like Women’s Liberation Front, found themselves up against the powerful political operatives of the Democratic Party. Though the ties between LGB and T were fading, the radical left insisted that to be pro-gay or pro-woman, you had to also stand for men in women’s sports. Democrats obliged.
In some ways, this makes sense. If the Democrats acknowledge that sex exists in sports, then what does this mean to other parts of their agenda that rely on sex-denying ideology? The crusade to abolish sex is one that spans decades, and they are not about to budge now. So, they doubled down, even redefining “sex” as “gender identity” wherever they could, including in landmark pro-woman legislation like Title IX, and they continued to label anything contrary as “extreme” through the 2024 election.
DEFINING FAIR PLAY: WHY SWING-STATE DEMOCRATS ARE OUT OF STEP ON PROTECTING WOMEN’S SPORTS
Concerned Women for America LAC exit polling suggests this issue played an outsized role in the election, and the Democrats paid the price with a resounding loss in both chambers of the federal government and the White House. Voters did not buy the lie that their concerns were merely internalized bigotry. And at least some Democrats are finally ready to face the music and speak more openly about it.
The Democrats’ highest-ranking figure has finally addressed one of the biggest political flops of modern history, and while her confession is unsurprising, it should shake the party to its core.
In her recently released book about her presidential candidacy, former Vice President Kamala Harris admits that she, too, shares concerns: “I agree with the concerns expressed by parents and players that we have to take into account biological factors such as muscle mass and unfair student athletic advantage when we determine who plays on which teams, especially in contact sports.”
But she added, “There was no way I was going to go against my very nature and turn on transgender people.”
And there it is. Tension unmasked. When reality collides with allegiance, the Democrats choose allegiance.
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The highest leaders of the party know they were ignoring the real, reasonable and consequential concerns of millions of women. Abandoning women and their safety was a calculation worth making in their eyes.
Harris is not alone. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has publicly admitted that this is “an issue of fairness – it’s deeply unfair.” Yet, his state is one of the worst offenders of women’s rights in this area.
On this Worldwide X/X Day (Real Women’s Day), the good news is that some party members are choosing reality and abandoning ship. Just a few weeks ago, 10 House Democrats voted, for the first time, for a National Defense Authorization Act amendment that would keep men from competing on women’s athletic teams at service academies. Just a few months ago, most of these same members refused to vote for a bill with similar protections.
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As we hope this issue joins the parade of failed civil rights attacks of times gone by, voters and candidates alike should heed the warning. Never stand for a lie. Truth is our only sure foundation. Policy must be based on reality.
We know wrong when we see it. It is instinctive, and often clearly on display, like that photo of Riley Gaines’ medal being given to a male.
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‘Friends’ star reveals painful truth behind childless rumors after decades of silence
Jennifer Aniston is setting the record straight on why she never became a mother.
During a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K., the 56-year-old “Friends” star opened up about why she chose to write an op-ed for The Huffington Post in 2016, addressing the long-standing rumors regarding why she never had children.
“They didn’t know my story or what I’d been going through over the past 20 years to try to pursue a family because I don’t go out there and tell them my medical woes,” she said about the rumors. “That’s not anybody’s business. But there comes a point when you can’t not hear it — the narrative about how I won’t have a baby, won’t have a family, because I’m selfish, a workaholic. It does affect me. I’m just a human being. We’re all human beings.”
At a certain point, she recalled thinking, “What the hell?” and wrote the op-ed “because I knew a lot of women at the time who were trying to have kids” and were going through the process of IVF. She explained that her decision to write the piece “was not only for myself but for any women who were struggling with the same issue.”
JENNIFER ANISTON WARNS OF HOLLYWOOD SAFETY CONCERNS AFTER MAN RAMMED CAR INTO HER GATE
Rumors of the actress putting her career over starting a family began after her divorce from actor Brad Pitt in 2005, with many speculating he left her because she didn’t want to have a child. In reality, Aniston had privately been trying IVF, which ultimately was unsuccessful.
In the 2016 op-ed, Aniston slammed the media for defining “a woman’s value based on her marital and maternal status,” saying she and her husband at the time, Justin Theroux, were being “harassed by dozens of aggressive photographers staked outside our home” trying to snap a photo of her and “uncover whether or not I am pregnant (for the bajillionth time… but who’s counting).”
“I have grown tired of being part of this narrative. Yes, I may become a mother some day, and since I’m laying it all out there, if I ever do, I will be the first to let you know. But I’m not in pursuit of motherhood because I feel incomplete in some way, as our celebrity news culture would lead us all to believe,” she wrote.
“I resent being made to feel “less than” because my body is changing and/or I had a burger for lunch and was photographed from a weird angle and therefore deemed one of two things: ‘pregnant’ or ‘fat.’”
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The actress discussed her fertility journey in a November 2022 interview with Allure, in which she admitted, “It was a challenging road for me, the baby-making road.”
She further explained that the “years and years and years of speculation” were difficult for her and now that she is past that point in her life, she “actually feel[s] a little relief now because there is no more, ‘Can I? Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.'”
“I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it. I was throwing everything at it. I would’ve given anything if someone had said to me, ‘Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favor.’ You just don’t think it. So, here I am today. The ship has sailed.”
While she felt it was important to speak her truth at the time, Aniston now says, “The older I get, the less I care about correcting a narrative,” because eventually the truth will come out on its own.
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“The news cycle is so fast, it just goes away. Of course, there are times when I feel that sense of justice – when something has been said that isn’t true, and I need to right the wrong,” she told Harper’s Bazaar U.K. “And then I think, do I really? My family knows my truth, my friends know my truth.”
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Kylie Kelce gives hilarious reaction to Taylor Swift’s explicit song about Travis
Taylor Swift was not exactly subtle in one of her latest songs.
The pop superstar released her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” last Friday, and the ninth track, “Wood,” turned the heads of just about every listener.
The song included lyrics that just about everybody could assume were about fiancé Travis Kelce’s anatomy that “opened [her] thighs.”
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Swift also sings that the “redwood tree … ain’t hard to see” and said her beau had “new heights of manhood,” a play on the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s podcast title with his brother, Jason.
Jason’s wife, Kylie, just like about everyone else, gave a listen to her future sister-in-law’s album, and she said she is a fan. She even put “Wood” in her top three favorite songs on the album.
But she was understandably a little bit uncomfortable.
ESPN PUNDITS, INCLUDING RYAN CLARK AND PAT MCAFEE, APOLOGIZE FOR CLAIMS ABOUT KYREN LACY
“Here’s the detail? Do I need that much detail, specifically about my brother-in-law? Probably not,” she said on the latest edition of her podcast. “But also, good job, Trav. That’s it. Yes. 1,000% yes, that’s women supporting women. Proud of ya.”
Travis discussed the album on the newest “New Heights” episode, and Jason pitched the idea of hosting a live listening party for their father.
“Dude, I’m terrified,” Travis said.
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The album has been a massive hit even before it was released. It had over 6 million pre-saves, the most ever on Spotify. Its lead single, “The Fate of Ophelia,” also broke the record for most streams in one day.
Tourists told to visit iconic destination ‘on doctor’s orders’ as pushback emerges
Sweden has launched a novel tourist campaign that urges boosting mind and body by traveling there, yet some are already sharing differing thoughts.
The “Prescribe Sweden” campaign has partnered with medical professionals to help people benefit from the country’s “restorative experiences,” as announced by Visit Sweden.
Stress management, lifting one’s spirits and balancing everyday life are among the benefits of taking a trip to the country, according to the program.
DOGS TREATED LIKE FAMILY IN MAJOR AMERICAN CITY NOW FACE CANINE CANCEL CULTURE
Visitors can fill out a referral forum to bring to their doctor to serve as the basis for taking a medically prescribed trip.
“Medical doctors can generate a prescription and advise patients to spend time in Sweden,” notes Visit Sweden on its site.
Professor Yvonne Forsell at Karolinska Institute created a list of recommended nature, lifestyle and cultural activities.
Swedish saunas, for example, are suggested to promote relaxation, social connection and physical recovery.
Regular sauna bathing is linked to a 65% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Visit Sweden said, citing a 2018 study published in the National Library of Medicine.
Another activity listed is foraging in the wild — highlighting the tradition of looking for fresh berries and mushrooms.
Foraging supports well-being, said Visit Sweden, through stress reduction, connection to nature and mental restoration.
The tourist board states that it does not cover “any costs incurred with a prescription to visit Sweden.”
Dr. Sam Everington, British Medical Association vice president, is listed as a medical professor who supports the “prescription.”
“Spending time in nature and engaging with culture are evidence-based ways to support both mental and physical health. Sweden offers an ideal setting for this kind of care,” Everington is quoted as saying on the Visit Sweden site.
About 9.15% of foreign travelers were American in 2024, according to Visit Sweden.
In the “r/Sweden” forum on Reddit, one traveler called the Nordic country the best in the world.
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“Just got back home (to the USA) from Sweden with utter depression. Visiting Sweden has taught me what a country ought to look like,” the user wrote.
The traveler added, “I got to pick some mushrooms! They were delicious. I’ve never seen beard moss until I went to the Swedish forest.”
Another person, however, claimed to be Swedish and wrote on the forum, “Not wishing to be a downer, but it is a bit disheartening to hear our streets being described as clean, pristine and impeccable.”
“I see tons of plastic, paper, cans … pretty much everywhere l go,” the person added.
Another person warned, “Just be aware [of] the thick winter darkness.”
MAJOR CRUISE LINE SUSPENDS CARIBBEAN DESTINATION VISITS AMID KIDNAPPINGS, SAFETY CONCERNS
“It’s a great country, but not without its problems,” said yet another person.
On Facebook, a different person posed this question: “And who will pay for travel and visa?”
Said another, “Even if my doc prescribes me to visit Sweden, my [job] won’t allow it.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Swedish government for comment.