SEE IT: Trump writes message to Israelis after all living hostages released by Hamas
President Donald Trump hailed a “new beginning” for the Middle East ahead of his address to Israeli parliament, known as Knesset.
“This is my great honor – a great and beautiful day. A new beginning,” Trump wrote in a guest book.
Trump is expected to address Israeli parliament on Monday as all living hostages are freed from captivity in Gaza
President Donald Trump was met with thunderous applause and a standing ovation as he entered Israel’s Knesset chamber to address the country’s leaders.
Celebrations erupted across Israel on Monday as the 20 living hostages were freed and returned home.
All living hostages that remained in Gaza have been freed and are in Israeli territory, authorities say. After more than two years in captivity, they will reunite with their loved ones.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum celebrated the return of the living hostages to Israel and vowed to fight until every deceased hostage was returned for proper burial, calling it a “moral obligation.”
“After 738 agonizing days in captivity, Ariel Cunio, David Cunio, Avinatan Or, Bar Kupershtein, Eitan Horn, Elkana Bohbot, Evyatar David, Maksym Harkin, Matan Zangauker, Nimrod Cohen, Rom Braslvaski, Segev Kalfon, and Yosef-Chaim Ohana, are returning to us to the embrace of their families who worked tirelessly for their release, to their friends, and to an entire nation that believed and fought for this day to come,” the forum wrote.
“Our struggle is not over. It will not end until the last hostage is located and returned for proper burial. This is our moral obligation. Only then will the people of Israel be whole.”
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff celebrated the return of the remaining hostages, but mourned for the families who would be receiving their loved ones’ remains for burial.
“Today, twenty families are spared the unbearable pain of not knowing if they will ever see their loved ones again. But even in this moment of relief and happiness, my heart aches for those whose loved ones will not return alive,” Witkoff wrote.
Witkoff said he felt his late son Andrew’s presence as he watched the living hostages reunite with their loved ones.
Omri Miran’s family celebrated as they watched the moment he was transferred to Israeli custody after spending more than two years as a hostage in Gaza.
Israeli authorities
announced Monday that all living hostages were freed and on their way home.
Eitan Mor’s family watched as he was transferred into Israeli custody after more than two years of captivity in Gaza. He is one of the 20 living hostages who were freed from captivity on Monday.
The Israel Defense Forces and Israeli Security Agency said that 13 living hostages were transferred to the Red Cross. Seven other hostages had already been given over to Israeli officials, meaning all 20 living hostages are out of captivity.
Twins Gali and Ziv Berman reunited after more than two years in captivity as both were freed on Monday. The brothers were kidnapped from Kfar Aza during the Oct. 7 attacks
, along with several others, including Emily Damari, who was freed in an earlier ceasefire deal.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter posted a photo of himself greeting President Donald Trump
on a tarmac in Israel. The diplomat said that the president told him that his late son, who fell in battle in November 2023, was “looking down at you with a smile.”
“I told you that when Moshe led his forces into Gaza, he said they were going in to bring our brothers and sisters home. He and his comrades began the mission — and you, Mr. President, together with our [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], have completed it,” Leiter wrote.
Israel is paying a steep price to secure the release of 48 hostages held by Hamas, agreeing to free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including some convicted for deadly attacks. The deal excludes top leaders, like Fatah’s Marwan Barghouti, whose release Hamas had sought.
Jerusalem on Friday published a list of 250 Palestinian security prisoners set for release under the deal’s criteria. Named are Ismail Hamdan, who kidnapped and murdered Avi Boaz Braverman in 2002 near Har Gilo; Ziad Awad, freed in the 2011 Shalit deal and later convicted of killing Deputy Chief of Police Baruch Mizrahi; and Muhammad Zakarneh, involved in the 2009 murder of taxi driver Grigory Raginovich.
Under the terms of the agreement, convicted murderers will be deported to the Gaza Strip or to a third country and will not be allowed to return to Israel or to Judea and Samaria permanently.
In addition, Israel will release 1,722 Gazans captured during the current war who were not involved in Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre.
Doctors Without Borders, or Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), is an organization that most assume is focused on delivering much needed aid and supplies in harsh environments without bias or favor. However, one of the organization’s former leaders is criticizing how MSF has handled the situation in Gaza, going so far as to say its members have acted as “accomplices of Hamas.”
Alain Destexhe, who worked as a doctor with MSF in the 1980s before serving as the group’s secretary-general in the 1990s, told Fox News Digital the organization moved away from its impartial, humanitarian roots.
“Well, it would have been impossible at the time when I was secretary-general of MSF to be as biased as MSF — Doctors Without Borders — is now in Gaza. We were defining ourselves as a neutral, impartial and humanitarian organization,” Destexhe told Fox News Digital. “I think now MSF in Gaza is really taking the side [of] Hamas and against Israel.
Read the full article about Doctors Without Borders
by Rachel Wolf
Israel’s Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, says the country is accomplishing a key objective in the war against Hamas as Operation “Returning Home” brings hostages back from Gaza.
“This is a very significant day,” Zamir said from the Hostage and Missing Persons Headquarters Situation Room, where he is commanding the operation alongside Maj. Gen. (Res.) Nitzan Alon, head of the Hostage and Missing Persons Headquarters, and Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, head of the Intelligence Directorate.
“We are succeeding in realizing a key part of the defined war objectives,” Zamir said. “Today, we want to see all the hostages. This is an event in which you have accomplished something tremendous, together with the IDF troops on the front line. Our mission will not end until the last hostage is returned.”
Zamir praised Alon for his leadership in the operation, calling his contribution “exceptional” and expressing gratitude for his “friendship and partnership.”
“After two years of one of the toughest wars we have known, it has concluded but is not complete — we are closely monitoring developments on the ground,” Zamir said. “The IDF will not cease for a moment from carrying out this sacred mission until the return of the last hostage.”
Israeli hostage Omri Miran returned home after more than 700 days in Hamas captivity, according to a statement released Monday by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.
“Dad Omri is home,” the family said in the statement. “After more than 700 long, painful and agonizing days, Omri will finally receive from Roni and Alma a healing embrace.”
Miran’s family thanked the people of Israel for standing by them “in the darkest hours and on days when this moment seemed like a distant and impossible wish,” calling his return “not a personal victory but a victory of an entire people.”
The family also expressed “deep gratitude to the security forces and the heroic IDF soldiers,” adding that they now face “a complex and challenging, yet moving, journey of recovery.”
“We remain committed to the struggle — until the last hostage returns, and until the complete recovery of our beloved country,” the statement said. “May Omri’s return mark the beginning of this recovery and the unity of our people.”
President Donald Trump arrived in Israel early Monday to oversee a landmark peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, a deal expected to end the two-year war in Gaza.
Trump landed in Tel Aviv after telling reporters before takeoff that “the war is over” and praising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for doing a “very good job” helping secure the deal.
The president is set to meet with families of hostages and address the Knesset in Jerusalem before heading to Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh for an international summit where world leaders are expected to finalize the accord.
Seven Israeli hostages freed from Gaza are on their way back to Israel, according to a joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA).
The IDF said its forces met the hostages inside Gaza and are escorting them to Israeli territory for medical evaluations. “The commanders and soldiers of the IDF salute and embrace the returning hostages as they make their way home to the State of Israel,” the military said, adding that it is asking the public to respect their privacy and rely only on official information.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the hostages’ identities and said their families have been notified. Government agencies, including the Hostages and Returnees Directorate, will support them through the recovery process.
“The Government of Israel embraces our hostages returning home,” the statement said, adding that Israel remains “committed to bringing back all hostages held by the enemy” and will continue the mission “with determination and perseverance.”
In all, 1,966 Palestinian detainees are expected to be released Monday as part of the Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange, according to an official involved in the operation who spoke to Reuters.
All detainees slated for release have boarded buses at Israeli prisons, the official said.
Of those, 1,716 Palestinians from Gaza are expected to be released at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital.
The remaining 250, who had been serving life sentences in Israeli prisons, are expected to be released to the West Bank, Jerusalem and abroad.
Israel prepares to receive the remaining 48 hostages from Gaza following Jerusalem’s approval of the first phase of President Trump’s 20-point plan.
Under the terms of the deal, the following individuals are scheduled to return by Monday.
Presumed alive: Matan Angrest, 22; Gali Berman, 28; Ziv Berman, 28; Elkana Bohbot, 36;Rom Braslavski, 21; Nimrod Cohen, 20; Ariel Cunio, 28; David Cunio, 35; Evyatar David, 24; Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24; Maxim Herkin, 37; Eitan Horn, 38; Segev Kalfon, 27; Bar Abraham Kupershtein, 23; Omri Miran, 48; Eitan Mor, 25; Yosef-Haim Ohana, 25; Alon Ohel, 24; Avinatan Or, 32; Matan Zangauker, 25.
Status unconfirmed (alive or deceased): Tamir Nimrodi, 20; Bipin Joshi, 24.
Presumed dead: Tamir Adar, 38; Muhammad Al-Atarash, 39; Sahar Baruch, 24; Uriel Baruch, 35; Itay Chen, 19; Amiram Cooper, 85; Ronen Engel, 54; Meny Godard, 73; Hadar Goldin, 23; Ran Gvili, 24; Tal Haimi, 41; Asaf Hamami, 40; Inbar Hayman, 27; Guy Illouz, 26; Eitan Levi, 53; Eliyahu Margalit, 75; Joshua Loito Mollel, 21; Omer Neutra, 21; Sontia Ok’Krasari, 30; Dror Or, 48; Daniel Oz, 19; Daniel Peretz, 22; Sontisek Rintalk, 43; Lior Rudaeff, 61; Yossi Sharabi, 53; Arie Zalmanowicz, 85.
The prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas is officially underway, with Red Cross convoys seen moving through Gaza early Monday as part of the operation to transfer hostages and prisoners.
The exchange began around 8 a.m. and is expected to continue throughout the morning.
The International Committee of the Red Cross is coordinating the handover, transporting several Israeli hostages from Gaza to Israeli custody, while Palestinian prisoners are set to be released in return.
Hamas released seven hostages into Red Cross custody on Monday, the first freed under the ceasefire deal: Alon Ohel, Matan Angrest, Eitan Mor, Ziv Berman, Gali Berman, Omri Miran and Guy Gilboa-Dalal.
Their conditions were not immediately known.
The announcement sparked emotional scenes across Israel, as families cheered and crowds gathered in Tel Aviv and other cities to watch the live coverage.
Hamas said 20 hostages will ultimately be exchanged for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces and Israeli Air Force are on site to assist with the transfers and expect additional hostages to be handed over later today.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, said each hostage will receive a care kit prepared by Israel’s Hostage Affairs Directorate, which includes clothing, personal items, a laptop, phone and tablet.
Netanyahu and his wife also included a personal note for each of the returnees that read:
“On behalf of all the people of Israel, welcome back! We have been waiting for you, we embrace you. — Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu.”
The Red Cross convoys are expected to continue moving between Gaza and Israel throughout the day as the exchange progresses.
Red Cross convoy seen in Gaza ahead of hostage-prisoner exchange.
Red Cross buses and vehicles were spotted on the move in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis early Monday as preparations continue for a highly anticipated prisoner exchange between Israel and Palestinian groups.
Video captured by Reuters shows a convoy of Red Cross vehicles moving through local streets a sign the exchange is nearing.
The exchange follows weeks of tense negotiations aimed at easing the ongoing conflict in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has complete confidence in President Donald Trump’s commitment to ensuring that all parties uphold the Gaza peace agreement, Caroline Glick, the prime minister’s international affairs advisor, told Fox News Digital.
“We have deep faith in President Trump — in his sincerity, his support for Israel, and his leadership — and we are confident in his commitment to holding all parties accountable to the deal, in partnership with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Glick said.
She noted that Trump’s plan, if implemented, would give Israel the means to dismantle Hamas and prevent Gaza from once again threatening the Jewish state. She pointed to Phase Two of the framework, which calls for Hamas’ demobilization and demilitarization, followed by efforts to deradicalize the population of Gaza.
Read the full article about the ceasefire plan by Amelie Botbol
The emerging Gaza peace framework crafted by President Donald Trump could reshape regional dynamics, but analysts warn that unless Hamas is fully stripped of its weapons and power, this will amount to little more than a pause for the terrorist group before it renews conflict.
Dr. Michael Milshtein, head of the Moshe Dayan Forum at Tel Aviv University and one of Israel’s foremost experts on Hamas, says any plan that assumes the group will dissolve misunderstands its nature.”Forget words like peace and coexistence — that won’t happen,” he told Fox News Digital.
Hamas leaders, he explained, have made clear they will not accept an international mandate or a Tony Blair-style trusteeship.
Read the full article about the Trump peace plan by Efrat Lachter
Vice President JD Vance warned Sunday that some of the hostages killed while held by Hamas may never be returned to their families.
“The reality is that some of the hostages may never get back, but I do think, with some effort, we’ll be able to give them to their families so they at least have some closure,” Vance said on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
The vice president continued, noting that while rescuing living hostages remains the Trump administration’s top priority, returning the remains of those killed is also an important effort to give families closure.
Read the full article about JD Vance by Taylor Penley
A prominent Hamas leader lost his temper and stormed off from a live interview after being pressed on the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the devastating subsequent war in Gaza.
Mousa Abu Marzouk, Hamas’ longtime foreign relations chief and a co-founder of the terror group, tried to justify his organization’s crimes by saying Hamas “fulfilled its national duty” and acted as “resistance to occupation” in an interview on Arabic television.
The host shot back and questioned whether the Hamas attacks had helped the Palestinian cause and if they had achieved anything meaningful for the Palestinians, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Read the
full article about Mousa Abu Marzouk by Michael Dorgan
U.S. service members will arrive in Israel by Sunday to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire with Hamas, Fox News has learned.
The U.S. troops, all of whom come from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), will set up the civil military command center as the ceasefire unfolds, a senior U.S. official said.
Some of the service members are coming from the U.S., and some were already in the region. Most are with the Army.
They are experts in logistics, security, engineering and transportation.
Read the full article about the ceasefire by Brie Stimson, Jennifer Griffin and James Levinson
Egypt is slated to host several world leaders at a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, a resort city near the Red Sea, on Monday.
An Egyptian presidential spokesperson told the Times of Israel that the meeting will focus on finalizing an agreement to end the war in Gaza.
Over 20 leaders will be present, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Foreign officials from France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the U.A.E. and the U.K. will also attend.
Reports state that the U.S. expanded the list to also include attendees from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Canada, Cyprus, El Salvador, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, Kuwait and Spain.
Israel was not invited to the event, according to reports.
President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan involves two phases. The initial step was a ceasefire, which went into effect on Friday, along with Israeli troop withdrawals from urban parts of Gaza that same day. Israel will control at least 53% of the Gaza Strip as part of the first phase of the peace deal.
The first part requires that the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza release roughly 20 Israeli hostages who are believed to be alive and the bodies of 28 hostages. Trump said the hostage release could unfold either on Monday or Tuesday because “getting them is a complicated process.
” After the hostages are transferred to Israel, the Jewish state will release 250 Palestinian terrorists and criminals who are incarcerated in Israeli prisons. Israel will be obligated to free 1,700 Palestinian Gazans who have been detained during Israel’s war against the Iran-backed Hamas.
The second phase will be a heavy lift, according to experts, because it requires that Hamas lay down its weapons and be disarmed. Hamas would play no role in the future governance of the Mediterranean enclave. The Gaza Strip would be a military-free zone with all “military, terror and offensive infrastructure” destroyed.
Dozens killed in Gaza as violence erupts between Hamas and armed clans
Dozens have been killed in Gaza during violent fighting Sunday and within hours of the expected release of hostages in the war-torn region, according to local reports.
The clashes between local militias also came ahead of a televised address in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the imminent hostage release “the beginning of a new path.”
The Israeli president had cautioned, “The campaign is not over. There are still very great security challenges ahead of us.”
Locals said gunfire had sent families fleeing in panic.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: ISRAELI HOSTAGE FAMILIES PLEAD, PEACE FALTERS, AND WAR GRINDS ON IN GAZA
“This time people weren’t fleeing Israeli attacks. They were running from their own people,” one witness told the BBC.
According to reports via Israeli outlet Ynet, the violence erupted when Hamas militants raided the neighborhood of Sabra in Gaza City, home to a clan called Doghmush, also known as the Al Doghmush family militia.
The report said the Hamas Interior Ministry had accused a militia of attacking its forces, while members of the Doghmush clan said Hamas had exploited the ceasefire to target them over alleged cooperation with Israel.
“Children are screaming and dying, they are burning our houses,” a relative of the clan told Ynet.
“We are trapped. I don’t know how they entered with all kinds of weapons. Where were they when the Jews were here? They arrested all the youths, lined them up against walls, pointed weapons at their heads. There is a massacre here,” another member said.
In total, Ynet reported 52 members of the Doghmush clan were killed and 12 Hamas militants were killed.
AS TRUMP’S GAZA DEAL NEARS, FAMILY WARNS ISRAEL NOT TO FREE ANOTHER SINWAR
Hamas’s television channel claimed that among those killed was blogger Salah al-Ja‘farawi, who reportedly celebrated the Oct. 7 attacks online. The terrorist-run station claimed the blogger was shot dead by “armed gangs operating outside the law” while covering the clashes.
Also killed was the son of senior Hamas official Basem Naim, according to reporting by the Jerusalem Post.
A senior clan member told Ynet, “We still say – you must not shed Muslim blood by a Muslim.”
AFTER SETBACK TO IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM, TRUMP EXPECTED TO LEVERAGE MILITARY SUPPORT IN NETANYAHU MEETING
Hamas’s Interior and National Security Ministry later announced a “clemency framework” allowing militia members and criminals not involved in bloodshed to surrender by next Sunday, warning that those who do not comply will be “punished severely.”
Amid the bloodshed, three anti-Hamas militias publicly declared their support for President Trump’s peace proposal, rejecting Hamas’s authority in the Gaza Strip.
Israel said Hamas is expected to release 20 living hostages to the Red Cross by 5 a.m. Eastern (noon in Gaza) Monday.
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The hostages are to be transported in six to eight vehicles under Red Cross supervision, and handed over to Israeli forces inside Gaza. They will then be driven to southern Israel to reunite with loved ones.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Israeli Government for comment.
More than 30 children rescued in trafficking crackdown as expert dispels ‘biggest myth’
Federal and local authorities rescued more than 30 missing children and uncovered multiple trafficking operations targeting vulnerable youth during a coordinated crackdown across Texas.
The effort, centered in San Antonio, led to arrests, felony warrants and several new investigations under a joint mission known as “Operation Lightning Bug.”
Teams from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) out of San Antonio, Del Rio, Midland, and Pecos joined forces with San Antonio Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit, Special Victims Unit, Street Crimes Unit and covert operatives. Together, they combed through Texas and national crime databases to identify at-risk juveniles and coordinate recovery efforts.
SEXTORTION SCAMS AGAINST TEEN BOYS SKYROCKET AFTER COVID, WATCHDOG SAYS
The results included:
- Three arrests for harboring runaways
- Nine felony warrants executed
- Six sex trafficking survivors rescued and connected with support services
- Five new trafficking investigations opened
- More than 30 missing juveniles located
- More than 120 additional juveniles voluntarily returned home, clearing their names from missing persons databases
Each recovered child was interviewed by SAPD’s Special Victims Unit to determine whether they had been victimized. Survivors were referred to support services provided by agencies such as Health and Human Services to ensure long-term care and protection.
U.S. Marshal Susan Pamerleau, for the Western District of Texas, said in a statement that protecting children remains central to the Marshals Service’s mission.
“The safety of our children is the safety of our communities, and justice demands that we protect those who cannot protect themselves,” Pamerleau said. “Through Operation Lightning Bug, we reaffirm our promise to safeguard the most vulnerable and strengthen the safety of our communities.”
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus echoed those sentiments, praising the effort as an example of law enforcement unity.
“Every suspect arrested, juvenile returned home and survivor taken out of harm’s way matters,” McManus said. “This operation demonstrates what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies unite to protect children.”
The U.S. Marshals conducted the sweep under the authority of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, which empowers the agency to recover missing or endangered children, even when no fugitive is involved. That law also led to the creation of the USMS Missing Child Unit, which leads similar recovery efforts nationwide.
FOUR CHARGED IN TEXAS WITH SMUGGLING CHILDREN ACROSS BORDER WHILE POSING AS PARENTS
Kirsta Leeberg-Melton, founder and CEO of the Institute to Combat Trafficking, said operations like this one underscore the larger issue of exploitation in Texas and beyond.
“Trafficking is something that the city of San Antonio and the state of Texas and the nation have been grappling with for a considerable period of time,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
She said traffickers often target instability — children without consistent housing, food or family support.
“They are easy pickings for traffickers to take advantage of,” she warned. “They exploit these needs by offering those items and then calling in debts and putting those kids in a position where they are able to exploit them for sex or for labor.”
YOUNGKIN CREDITS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WITH BOLSTERING ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING EFFORTS
Leeberg-Melton said the public often underestimates how widespread trafficking is — and how much it has evolved, especially online.
“Trafficking is the exploitation of men, women and children for forced sex or forced labor by a third party for their profit or gain. That’s been around forever,” Leeberg-Melton said. “What hasn’t really been around is people’s understanding of that crime and their knowledge that it’s happening everywhere!”
She added that traffickers increasingly use technology to recruit and control victims.
“As technology advances, traffickers…are early adopters and adapters of technology,” she said. “The internet allows them to connect with victims and buyers far beyond their local area.”
MIGRANT SEX CRIME SURGE IN MAJOR US CITY TIED TO BIDEN’S OPEN BORDER, MEXICO ‘SAFE HAVEN’: FORMER JUDGE
Leeberg-Melton emphasized that trafficking is not limited to border regions.
“American citizens can traffic American citizens on American soil,” she said, adding that most trafficking cases prosecuted in the U.S. involve American perpetrators exploiting American victims.
“The biggest myth is that it happens somewhere else, and it happens to someone else,” she said. “Until we start recognizing that people have value, no matter who they are, where they come from, what they’ve done or what’s been done to them, we will continue to excuse some level of exploitation.”
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Leeberg-Melton also described sextortion as a growing form of trafficking that uses coercion to force sexual conduct or imagery.
“When you have someone that you are holding something over their head and then you are asking them for additional photographs or additional sexual conduct with the threat…that is a form, frankly, of human trafficking,” she said.
If you suspect someone is a victim of trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or report anonymously at humantraffickinghotline.org.
Trump AG responds to ‘SNL’ mockery with surprisingly positive X comment
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi gave a playful response to actress Amy Poehler’s parody of her on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
Poehler, who hosted Saturday’s episode, appeared in the cold open as Bondi during her testimony at a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing last week.
“My name is Pam Bondi. I spell it with an ‘i,’ because I ain’t gonna answer any of your questions,” Poehler said. “My time is valuable. The DOJ has many ongoing operations, and we’re moving like Kash Patel’s eyeballs—very quickly in multiple directions at once.”
SNL SAYS TRUMP’S BEEN IN OFFICE ‘100 YEARS’ WHILE MOCKING PAPAL AMBITIONS AND EXECUTIVE ORDER FRENZY
During the skit, Poehler was later joined by her fellow former “SNL” cast member Tina Fey, who played Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem carrying an AR-15 rifle.
“That’s right. It’s me, Kristi Noem,” Fey said. “I spell my name with an ‘i’ because that’s how I thought it was spelled. And I’m the rarest type of person in Washington, D.C.: a brunette that Donald Trump listens to.”
Though the show took many jabs at Bondi’s demeanor during the hearing, Bondi appeared to enjoy the parody on Sunday morning and invited Noem to respond on X.
AMY POEHLER SAYS ‘WE ALL PLAYED PEOPLE WE SHOULD NOT HAVE’ AS SHE REFLECTS ON CONTROVERSIAL SNL SKITS
“@Sec_Noem, should we recreate this picture in Chicago? Loving Amy Poehler!” Bondi wrote.
In a comment to Fox News Digital, DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin simply responded, “SNL is absolutely right—the Democrats’ shutdown does need to end!”
The long-running sketch comedy series has often mocked President Donald Trump and his administration, usually with some backlash from Trump himself. However, the show’s 51st season premiere went largely unremarked on by the president despite another parody of him by cast member James Austin Johnson.
SNL COMPARES TRUMP TO JESUS IN EASTER SKETCH MOCKING ECONOMY AND FAITH: ‘DONALD JESUS TRUMP’
In a comment after the premiere, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed the show, saying she has “more entertaining” things to do with her time.
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“Reacting to this would require me to waste my time watching it,” Jackson said. “And like the millions of Americans who have tuned out from SNL, I have more entertaining things to do — like watch paint dry.”
Trump signals Tomahawk diplomacy in new warning to Putin over Ukraine
President Donald Trump said he may send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not settle the war, calling the weapon “incredible” and “very offensive.”
Trump, while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, was asked about his recent conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and military aid.
Trump said he spoke with Zelenskyy on Sunday morning, and Zelenskyy asked about Ukraine’s need for additional weapons in its fight against Russia.
Trump said the U.S. sells and sends weapons to NATO, unlike the Biden administration, which, he said, gave Ukraine $350 billion.
TRUMP FINDS NEW LEVERAGE IN UKRAINE FIGHT WITH TOMAHAWK THREAT AND LONG-RANGE STRIKE AUTHORIZATION
“We gave him nothing, but we gave them respect and some other things,” Trump said.
He said he hopes the U.S. can provide more arms, but added that the country must also keep enough to defend itself.
“They need Patriots very badly. They’d like to have Tomahawks. That’s a step up,” Trump said. “We talked about that, so we’ll see.”
TRUMP SAYS US WILL SEND PATRIOT MISSILES TO UKRAINE, ADDS THAT PUTIN ‘TALKS NICE AND THEN HE BOMBS EVERYBODY’
Before agreeing to send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, Trump said he may first speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin to see if Moscow wants missiles headed its way.
“I don’t think so,” Trump said. “I might speak to Russia about that, in all fairness. I told that to President Zelenskyy because Tomahawks are a new step of aggression.”
As for a potential conversation about Putin, Trump said he might have to tell him, “if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks.”
TRUMP AND PUTIN’S RELATIONSHIP TURNS SOUR AS PRESIDENT PUSHES FOR RESOLUTION WITH UKRAINE
“The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, a very offensive weapon, and honestly, Russia does not need that,” Trump said. “I may tell him that if the war is not settled, we may very well. We may not, but we may do it. I think it’s appropriate to bring up.”
“I want to see the war settled,” Trump added.
Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X on Sunday that his talks with Trump “covered all the aspects of the situation,” including Ukraine’s defense of life and efforts to strengthen its air defense, resilience, and long-range capabilities.
TRUMP’S NATO DEAL TO ARM UKRAINE WINS OVER GOP SKEPTICS
Zelenskyy added that they also discussed “many details” involving the energy sector, though he did not elaborate.
“President Trump is well informed about everything that is happening,” Zelenskyy wrote. “We agreed to continue our dialogue, and our teams are doing their preparations.”
Trump’s talks with Zelenskyy come as Moscow continues to strike Ukraine with drones and missiles, wounding at least 20 people in Kyiv and causing widespread blackouts Friday. A child was also killed in a separate Russian attack in the southeast.
Late Saturday and early Sunday, Russia attacked Ukraine’s power grid in an effort to degrade the country’s energy infrastructure ahead of winter.
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The latest grid attack, similar to Russia’s annual pre-winter strikes, came as Moscow expressed “extreme concern” over the U.S. potentially providing Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Mahomes snubbed by Lions player sparks violent postgame melee after Chiefs win
A hard-fought win by the Kansas City Chiefs over the Detroit Lions took a wild turn once the final whistle blew on Sunday night as a brawl broke out among players.
Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes was going up to Lions defensive back Brian Branch for a postgame handshake. Branch snubbed Mahomes’ sportsmanship and it appeared wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took exception to that.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Smith-Schuster and Branch exchanged words before the defensive back shoved the wide receiver in the helmet. Smith-Schuster went down on one knee and running back Isiah Pacheco was trying to hold the Lions player back. Smith-Schuster came back at Branch, trying to take him down.
Despite being held back by Pacheco, Branch still managed to rip Smith-Schuster’s helmet off. Players from both teams got into the mix trying to pull the two counterparts off each other. Another punch was thrown as the skirmish ended.
CHIEFS BOUNCE BACK WITH DOMINANT HOME VICTORY OVER LIONS AS PATRICK MAHOMES CONTRIBUTES 4 TOUCHDOWNS
Once the brouhaha subsided, the players said their final farewell to each other and headed back into the locker room.
The NFL is likely to dole out some punishment over the fracas.
Kansas City won the game, 30-17, bouncing back from a tough loss on Monday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chiefs are now 3-3.
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The Lions’ streak of scoring at least 30 points ended at four consecutive games. The Lions fell to 4-2.
Columbus’ tiny ships reveal stunning truth about American history critics won’t admit
Earlier this year I visited Huelva, Spain, which is very close to the border with Portugal. It is where Christopher Columbus launched the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria on his journey to America. There is a waterfront exhibition with life-size replicas of the three ships built in 1992 for Columbus’ 500th anniversary. And there is a museum next to the boats commemorating Columbus’ life.
I walked in the ships, and they were quite small. The Santa Maria was the largest ship at about 70 feet long. It is remarkable to see the size of the ships and realize what it would be like to launch in one from the southern coast of Spain and head out across the Atlantic Ocean.
Imagine what it would be like 533 years ago to get on a ship with hopefully enough food and water to get you all the way across the Atlantic. It’s hard to believe anyone would be willing to put themselves through the uncertainty and deprivation of sailing in a tiny boat on the vast ocean.
And then there is the actual navigation of such a journey. Columbus had no sextant. He didn’t have some of the most basic navigational tools seafarers have used for hundreds of years. He literally relied on the sun and the moon to pilot his ship.
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Columbus’ goal was to get to Asia, but his original calculations were incorrect. So instead, after five weeks at sea, on Oct. 12, 1492, he landed in what is now the Bahamas. It’s an absolutely amazing story of exploration and adventure. He never would have accomplished such a feat if he hadn’t had the courage to try.
Today we celebrate that courage.
Columbus is remembered for his epic journey that was a key turning point in world history – connecting Europe with the Americas. He was from Genoa, Italy, so Italian Americans are particularly proud to celebrate his legacy. The District of Columbia, the seat of our government, is named after him. Columbia University, an Ivy League college, as well as many cities and towns in America, are named in his honor.
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In more recent times there has been controversy surrounding Columbus. Some believe celebrating him glorifies the legacy of colonization, including the mistreatment, displacement and deaths of Indigenous peoples. This debate has led to the rise of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which aims to honor native cultures, histories and contributions.
But our focus is on his courage. The courage to discover, to explore, to not settle in life. The courage to take risks and do what is demanding. The courage that is necessary to succeed.
What can stand in the way is discouragement. To be discouraged means literally a loss of courage. Have you lost your courage? Do you need to get your courage back? Do you have anxiety, fear, worry? You overcome it by practicing courage.
REMEMBERING THE COURAGE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
Joshua 1:9 tells us, “I’ve commanded you to be strong and courageous. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged. I am the Lord your God and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” You can be courageous because God is with you to help.
You can run away, or you can run after it. You can run to your destiny, chase after the God-ordained opportunities in your life, or you can shrink back. But less demanding means less fulfilling.
Have the courage to pursue it. Have the courage to not be stagnant, to not settle for where you are, to not give up on your future.
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Maybe it’s a big dream you need to pursue. Maybe it’s an addiction, a life-controlling habit you need to break. Maybe it’s your mindset, the negative self-talk and nagging self-doubt you must change. Maybe it’s doing the right thing, even though it will be hard. Have the courage and just do it.
Stop giving the lies permission to stay. Stop rehearsing the criticism. Stop accepting defeat before you’ve even tried. Make room for courage. For the courageous voice in you to say, “I can do it.”
You might stumble or fall along the way, but doing nothing guarantees you never move forward. Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s choosing to act in spite of it. The real risk isn’t in failing, it’s in never trying.
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It’s courage that turns conviction into action and sacrifice into legacy.
Discover your courage today.
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Former Canadian PM caught in steamy embrace with pop star after recent split
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau are putting their romance on display.
In photos obtained by Fox News Digital, the new couple was spotted sharing some PDA while aboard Perry’s yacht, the Caravelle, off the coast of Santa Barbara last week.
In one frame, the former Canadian prime minister is seen kissing the “Dark Horse” crooner’s cheek while pulling her in close for a hug. In another frame, Perry – who was wearing a dark-colored swimsuit – cozied up to Trudeau as the 53-year-old former Canadian prime minister placed his hand on her bottom.
KATY PERRY, JUSTIN TRUDEAU FUEL ROMANCE BUZZ WITH MONTREAL TOUR STOP APPEARANCE
A representative for Perry did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The pair were first spotted dining together in July at Le Violon in Montréal, per footage obtained by TMZ.
An eyewitness told the outlet that the pair enjoyed cocktails and shared several dishes together, including one with lobster.
NEWLY SINGLE KATY PERRY ENJOYS INTIMATE DINNER WITH FORMER CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER DURING WORLD TOUR BREAK
Security guards reportedly watched the duo while they dined, and after dinner, they allegedly walked into the kitchen to thank the staff for their meal.
Days after the pair were spotted dining together, Trudeau attended the “Teenage Dream” crooner’s sold-out concert in Canada.
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In various photos and videos posted to social media, Trudeau – who was accompanied by his 16-year-old daughter, Ella-Grace – was seen beaming as he watched Perry entertain the crowd at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
In another video, Trudeau was seen singing along to Perry’s 2013 hit, “Dark Horse.”
“This is genuinely the happiest he’s been in a while,” one fan wrote on X.
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“World leader by day, teenage dreamer by night,” another wrote.
The new romance comes after Perry’s recent split from Orlando Bloom – with whom she shares a 4-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove.
WATCH: Katy Perry performs in Montreal with Justin Trudeau smiling from the audience
Perry and her former fiancé confirmed their breakup in July after more than a decade together.
“Due to the abundance of recent interest and conversation surrounding Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry’s relationship, representatives have confirmed that Orlando and Katy have been shifting their relationship over the past many months to focus on co-parenting,” a representative for the former couple told People.
“They will continue to be seen together as a family, as their shared priority is – and always will be – raising their daughter with love, stability, and mutual respect.”
At the time, a source told People that both Perry and Bloom had been living “on an island of stress” for months.
“Katy and Orlando have been suffering through the same problems that have plagued them for years,” the source said. “[They had] too much going on in their lives, which makes it hard to find time for each other and iron out disagreements. When they don’t communicate properly, their relationship dips to a low level.”
“Sometimes love isn’t enough to keep two people with different styles and outlooks on how things are done [together],” another source told the outlet. “It can overshadow the love.”
Trudeau and his ex-wife Sophie separated in 2023 after an 18-year marriage.
Diane Keaton’s heartbreaking final moments captured in 911 audio from her LA home
More details surrounding Diane Keaton’s death continue to emerge.
According to the 911 audio obtained by TMZ, a dispatcher revealed there was a “person down” in the early hours of Saturday morning.
“Rescue 19, person down,” the dispatcher said on Oct. 11, before revealing the actress’ address. The outlet reported that Keaton was transported to a local hospital by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
DIANE KEATON DEAD AT 79 IN CALIFORNIA FOLLOWING LEGENDARY HOLLYWOOD CAREER: REPORT
Keaton died at the age of 79, her family confirmed to People magazine.
A close friend of the Hollywood icon told the outlet that Keaton’s health had rapidly declined.
“She declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her,” a friend of the Oscar winner told People. “It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit.”
“In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening,” the friend added.
Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager detailed her final visit with Keaton just weeks before her death.
“I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin,” Sager, who co-wrote Keaton’s single, “First Christmas,” told People. “She had lost so much weight.”
“She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside [from the L.A. wildfires], and they had to clean everything,” she continued. “She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she’d lost.”
Despite her health struggles, said Sager, “she was a magic light for everyone.”
“I just loved her. She was so special, she just lit up a room with her energy. She was happy and upbeat and taking photographs of everything she saw. She was completely creative; she never stopped creating.”
Another friend of the star said Keaton “was funny right up until the end.”
“She lived exactly how she wanted to, which was on her own terms, surrounded by the people and things she really loved,” the friend told People. “In these last few years, she kept a close circle and she liked it that way. She was funny right up until the end and she had this way of making even ordinary moments feel special. That was just who she was.”
After news broke of Keaton’s passing, there was an outpouring of tributes to the Hollywood legend from her former co-stars and other celebrities.
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Goldie Hawn, Steve Martin, Kimberly Williams-Paisley were among the many stars who honored Keaton’s legacy.
Martin, who played Keaton’s on-screen husband in the hit 1991 comedy “Father of the Bride” and its 1995 sequel “Father of the Bride II,” which also starred Martin Short, shared a humorous remembrance of the actress as he posted a screenshot of quotes from a joint interview with his co-stars.
“Who’s sexier? Me or Steve Martin?” Short asked in the article, published by Interview magazine in 2021.
“I mean, you’re both idiots,” Keaton replied.
“Don’t know who first posted this, but it sums up our delightful relationship with Diane,” Martin wrote in the caption.
Williams-Paisley, who portrayed Annie Banks, the daughter of Martin’s George Banks and Keaton’s Nina Banks in the “Father of the Bride” movies, commented on the “Only Murders in the Building” star’s post, writing, “I can absolutely hear her saying that,” adding a crying laughing smiley face emoji.
Williams-Paisley also shared her own Instagram tribute to Keaton, posting photos of herself with her on-screen mother.
“Diane, working with you will always be one of the highlights of my life,” Williams-Paisley wrote in the caption. “You are one of a kind, and it was thrilling to be in your orbit for a time. Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, your talent, and above all, your laughter.”
Hawn, who co-starred with Keaton and Bette Midler in the 1996 hit ensemble comedy “The First Wives Club,” shared an emotional post on Instagram.
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“Diane, we aren’t ready to lose you. You’ve left us with a trail of fairy dust, filled with particles of light and memories beyond imagination,” Hawn wrote alongside a photo of Keaton.
She continued: “How do we say goodbye? What words can come to mind when your heart is broken? You never liked praise, so humble, but now you can’t tell me to ‘shut up’ honey. There was, and will be, no one like you. You stole the hearts of the world and shared your genius with millions, making films that made us laugh and cry in ways only you could.”
“I was blessed to make ‘First Wives Club’ with you, our days starting with coffee in the makeup trailer, laughing and joking, right through to the very last day of filming,” Hawn added. “It was a roller coaster of love.
“We agreed to grow old together, and one day, maybe live together with all our girlfriends,” Hawn wrote. “Well, we never got to live together, but we did grow older together. Who knows… maybe in the next life.
“Shine your fairy dust up there, girlfriend. I’m going to miss the hell out of you. My heart goes out to your beautiful children, Dex and Duke,” the Academy Award winner concluded.
Midler also paid tribute to Keaton, posting a black-and-white image of the actress on her Instagram page along with a heartfelt caption.
“The brilliant, beautiful, extraordinary Diane Keaton has died,” she wrote. “I cannot tell you how unbearably sad this makes me.
“She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star,” Midler added. “What you saw was who she was…oh, la, lala!”
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