ICE names Charles Wall deputy director after Sheahan resignation
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday via X that longtime U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) attorney Charles Wall will serve as the agency’s new deputy director as enforcement operations intensify nationwide.
“Effective immediately, Charles Wall will serve as the Deputy Director of @ICEGov,” wrote Noem. “For the last year, Mr. Wall served as ICE’s Principal Legal Advisor, playing a key role in helping us deliver historic results in arresting and removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods.”
Wall replaces Madison Sheahan, who stepped down earlier Thursday to pursue a congressional run in Ohio. Her departure left ICE leadership in transition at a moment when the agency has faced increasing resistance to enforcement efforts and heightened threats against officers in the field.
The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement against murderers, rapists, gang members and suspected terrorists living illegally in the U.S., even as sanctuary jurisdictions and activist groups seek to block or disrupt ICE actions.
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ICE officials said Wall brings more than a decade of experience inside the agency.
“Mr. Wall has served as an ICE attorney for 14 years and is a forward-leaning, strategic thinker who understands the importance of prioritizing the removal of murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from our country,” Noem added.
Wall most recently served as ICE’s principal legal advisor, overseeing more than 3,500 attorneys and support staff who represent the DHS in removal proceedings and provide legal counsel to senior agency leadership.
He has served at ICE since 2012, previously holding senior counsel roles in New Orleans, according to DHS.
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DHS has described the appointment as part of a broader effort to ensure ICE leadership is aligned with the Trump administration’s public safety priorities.
The leadership change comes as ICE operations have drawn national attention following protests in Minneapolis after the ICE-involved fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good on Jan. 7.
Administration officials have repeatedly emphasized that ICE’s focus remains on what they describe as the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens, warning that local resistance and political opposition increase risks for officers carrying out enforcement duties.
ICE has recently created a specific landing page where these ‘worst of the worst’ offenders can be viewed with names and nationalities attached.
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“I look forward to working with him in his new role to make America safe again,” Noem concluded.
ICE did not immediately provide additional comment to Fox News Digital.
Two teens die in catastrophic collapse doing what kids are told to do, coach says
A Florida community is reeling from the deaths of two teenage best friends who lost their lives while enjoying a day in the sand.
George Watts, 14, and Derrick Hubbard, 14, were digging a hole and tunnel in a sandpit near Sportsman’s Park in Inverness, roughly 70 miles north of Tampa, Jan. 11, according to FOX 13.
“They were just kids,” Corey Edwards, their coach and mentor in the 352 Legends program, told the outlet. “They were just kids doing what we try to tell kids to do, ‘Get outside and play.’”
When the hole was roughly 5 feet deep, it reportedly collapsed on the two teens.
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According to a Citrus County Sheriff’s Office report obtained by FOX 13, their parents became worried when neither Watts nor Hubbard answered their cellphones during lunchtime, and they went to the area to search for them.
Their parents reportedly located the boys’ bicycles and shoes by the sandpit and immediately called for help as they began digging.
When first responders found Hubbard, he did not have a pulse and was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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Watts was located with a pulse but was unconscious and not breathing when he was pulled from the sand. He was transported to a hospital and later flown to UF Health Shands in Gainesville in critical condition, FOX 13 reported.
He was pronounced dead two days later at 4:25 a.m. Tuesday, according to the outlet.
Details regarding the length of time in which the boys were trapped remain unclear.
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“They were digging a hole,” Edwards reportedly said. “They were having fun, being adventurous, using their imagination. They’re doing things that we preach to kids that we want them to do and, unfortunately, this just turned into a tragedy.”
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The two boys reportedly grew up together and were like brothers. They had recently celebrated winning the Citrus NFL Flag Football league championship and are being remembered by loved ones as always being kind, funny and adventurous.
“It really killed a part of all of us, losing them,” Lina Bilodeau told FOX 13. “This is a pain that will never subside. Born together and passed together. A true friendship most of us as adults never even get to experience.”
FBI no longer protecting transgender roommate of alleged Charlie Kirk assassin: sources
PROVO, Utah – A law enforcement source confirmed to Fox News Digital that Lance Twiggs, the transgender roommate and romantic partner of Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin Tyler Robinson, is no longer under FBI protection.
Twiggs has not been charged with any crime. The FBI has not publicly explained why his protection ended.
A relative previously told Fox News Digital that Twiggs moved into a townhome in St. George, Utah, after living with his grandparents when his father kicked him out. The 22-year-old was in the process of transitioning from male to female at the time, the relative said. He was kicked out of his parents’ home at age 18, according to the relative.
The relative said Twiggs struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, was addicted to video games, and was grappling with his gender identity, adding that those issues fueled repeated conflicts with family members.
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“But the real reason he was acting out was because he was using drugs and alcohol, and was addicted to gaming,” the relative said.
She added that Twiggs would often present himself as reformed despite ongoing issues.
“He had always tried to put on the act that he had changed,” she said.
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According to the relative, Twiggs initially moved into the townhome with multiple college roommates and paid full rent while maintaining employment.
“He was maintaining a job and able to pay rent, and was technically an adult,” she said.
The other roommates eventually moved out, and Robinson later moved in. The two entered a romantic relationship, according to the relative, and lived together until Robinson’s arrest.
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A relative also told Fox News Digital that while Twiggs was later described as cooperative, authorities initially had to locate and bring him in for questioning. The relative said Twiggs and members of his family were given an FBI security detail in the weeks after the shooting because of threats, but that protection has since ended.
Robinson is accused of assassinating Kirk during a Turning Point USA event on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, authorities said.
Court documents allege Robinson texted Twiggs shortly before the killing, asking him to “look under my keyboard.” Investigators say the message referred to a handwritten note.
“I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it,” the note read, according to authorities.
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After the shooting, prosecutors say Twiggs exchanged text messages with Robinson, questioning whether he carried out the attack.
“You weren’t the one who did it right????” Twiggs allegedly asked.
“I am, I’m sorry,” Robinson allegedly responded, according to court filings.
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Federal law enforcement sources say the decision to end protection was not unusual. Retired FBI special agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital that the Bureau typically reevaluates witness protection once a cooperation phase is complete.
Pack noted that Robinson’s partner provided key evidence early in the case, including text messages in which Robinson allegedly confessed, a handwritten note found under a keyboard, and communications about the rifle, and once investigators secure that material, the need for ongoing protection often diminishes.
Pack added that threat assessments are a central factor, and with Robinson in custody since September and no known credible threats against the partner, the FBI may have concluded federal protection was no longer warranted.
He also pointed to resource constraints, saying protective details are costly and labor-intensive and cannot be maintained indefinitely absent a clear danger.
While the partner has since moved out of state and retained an attorney, Pack said that from the Bureau’s perspective, its role in protecting the witness “is done — though it can always be reevaluated if circumstances change.”
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Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of justice, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of witness tampering, and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Officials claim Robinson told investigators he killed Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred,” adding that “some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
A judge is scheduled to hear arguments Friday, Jan. 16, on Robinson’s motion to remove the entire Utah County Attorney’s Office from the case. If granted, a special prosecutor would be appointed, potentially delaying trial proceedings — including the state’s pursuit of the death penalty.
US spot named ‘worst’ tourist designation worldwide in comprehensive new study
A recent report is shining a light on popular destinations considered the “worst” for tourists to visit because they fall short of the hype they’ve received over the years.
Analysts looked at more than 100 tourist attractions around the world and came up with a list of the “worst” destinations that “underwhelm visitors despite their global fame,” according to the report.
Stasher, a travel company specializing in luggage storage, released the findings based on Google Reviews ratings, TikTok engagement, airport accessibility, country safety and local accommodation quality.
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Grabbing the “worst” label of all was the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.
“Located [23 miles] from the LAX airport, this sidewalk of celebrity stars had the lowest Google rating and safety score,” analysts noted.
There are over 2,800 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring achievements in film, TV, music, radio and live performance, according to its website.
The stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are located on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
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Trip Advisor ranks the site 3.4 out of 5 stars on its website and puts it at no. 64 on a “to-do list” for those visiting Los Angeles.
“The area is run down, dirty and full of shady figures,” one person wrote on Trip Advisor. “Prices in restaurants and shops are completely different. Celebrities are hardly met here, but [there are] plenty of homeless people. We walked down the street once and then moved on quickly.”
Another visitor said, “[The] Hollywood Walk of Fame was definitely not what I expected based on TV and movies. The whole area felt unsafe during our visit, and I wouldn’t recommend taking young children.”
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Another person had a different take.
“OK, it’s a bit shabby, tacky and touristy, but if you’re a tourist, then why not! We loved looking at all the stars’ names etc. and going in and out of the tourist shops … Done, ticked [it] off the list.”
“It’s an iconic piece of Hollywood.”
One tourist wrote, “If you’ve never been to Hollywood before, then the Walk of Fame is definitely worth seeing. Famous throughout the years, it’s an iconic piece of Hollywood.”
Another visitor said, “The Hollywood Walk of Fame is simply part of a visit to Los Angeles. The many stars of famous artists are exciting to [see], and it is fun to discover familiar names.”
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A person wrote, “Don’t expect to see the glamour of Hollywood, as it’s disappointing. The image you have of the Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of stardom and glitz, but the reality is your average city center with expensive gift shops.”
“The reality is your average city center with expensive gift shops.”
Other notable destinations making the report’s “top 10 tourist traps that just aren’t worth it” are the Dead Sea, between Israel and Jordan, and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey.
The Great Wall of China was also among that group.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Hollywood Walk of Fame for comment.
On its website, the location shares its full history. It notes that “today, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce continues to add stars to the Walk of Fame as the representative of the City of Los Angeles. An average of two stars are added to the Walk on a monthly basis. The Walk is a tribute to all of those who worked so hard to develop the concept and to maintain this world-class tourist attraction.”
Dodgers sign star outfielder to four-year deal with second-highest annual salary in MLB
Former Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros star outfielder Kyle Tucker has agreed to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per multiple reports.
Tucker’s $60 million average annual value would be the second-highest in baseball history, not factoring discounting, behind Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million in his 10-year deal with the Dodgers that runs through 2033.
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When healthy, Tucker is among the best all-around players in the majors. But the outfielder has played in just 214 regular-season games over the past two years.
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He batted .266 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs with the Chicago Cubs last season. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Houston in December 2024 that moved slugging prospect Cam Smith to the Astros.
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Tucker was slowed by a pair of injuries in his lone season with the Cubs. He sustained a small fracture in his right hand on an awkward slide against Cincinnati on June 1. He also strained his left calf against Atlanta on Sept. 2.
Carville warns Democrats to stay away from talking about these two issues
Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville warned the Democratic Party Thursday it should refrain from talking about transgender athletes competing in women’s sports and defunding law enforcement agencies.
During Thursday’s episode of “Politics War Room,” a listener asked Carville and his co-host, Al Hunt, why Democrats have not been able to create effective messaging like the Trump campaign did in 2024 with an ad depicting then-Vice President Harris supporting sex changes for inmates.
“We’re not as disciplined as they are, and I think that they know their crap is unpopular, so they got to be more disciplined in how they portray things,” Carville said.
“But I think the Supreme Court is probably going to rule on this trans athlete issue, which will probably take it off the table a little bit more than it was.
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“We didn’t get our messaging right on this whole thing, I have to say that,” Carville said. “I think that we have done, because of this flubbing it, we’ve actually done more harm to trans people than we would have wanted to. It hasn’t been very ineffective, our messaging on this.”
“Let me raise a different messaging issue,” Hunt interjected. “I don’t want any Democrats out there talking about ‘abolishing ICE.’ You talk about ‘reforming ICE.’ You talk about ‘making ICE work.’ You don’t — I mean, we should have learned that lesson last time. When you say ‘abolishing ICE,’ you know what they’re going to say? ‘You want them pouring across the borders.’
“And what you want to do in immigration is go back to the Obama policy, a tough border policy with a pathway to citizenship. Don’t talk about abolishing ICE.”
Carville, who often urges Democrats to stay away from the fringes of the left, said the “three stupidest words in the history of the English language” are “defund the police.”
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“The left is universally wrong about everything,” Carville said, adding that ICE has flaws and needs to be reformed.
“Some of these ICE agents are dedicated law enforcement professionals. I’ll be the first to admit that. Although I suspect it might be a smaller percent than you imagine. And a lot of them are just a pack of people that couldn’t get a job anywhere else that figured they got a chance with not very much training to carry a badge and a gun and shoot people,” Carville claimed.
“And … that’s the real danger. The danger is not that we have an immigration and customs force. We need that. The danger is we don’t have a necessarily expert workforce dealing with that at all, and it needs to be exposed about training and the backgrounds and the tests and the social media scrubs and everything else we do before we hire these people.”
ICE didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Wharton economist slams Trump’s credit card cap as ‘dangerous’ for average Americans
Conservative influencer and Wharton Business School graduate Arynne Wexler was critical in a new post of President Donald Trump’s suggested credit card rate cap, saying it was essentially a socialist policy.
Wexler shared the video with her more than 386,000 Instagram followers, and it received over 54,000 views as of Thursday morning.
She pointed out that she attended the same business school as Trump and doesn’t agree with the president on “everything.”
“This 10% interest cap is being sold to you as if it will mean that people who currently pay high rates will simply have their rates lowered to 10%. And that is just not how this works,” she said.
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Trump floated capping credit card interest rates at 10% for one year over the weekend, arguing it would help Americans catch up on their debt.
“I want a cap on credit card interest rates because some of them are almost 30%,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “And the people don’t know they’re paying 30%. No way. They’ve really abused the public. I’m not going to let it happen.”
Wexler warned this can hurt people trying to qualify for credit cards.
“Interest rates on credit cards aren’t some random punishment,” she said. “It’s how lenders price risk, because lending money is risky. If you make lending unprofitable or too risky, it will just disappear.”
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Wexler pointed out that democratic socialists like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., supporting the idea is concerning.
“When socialists like Bernie Sanders and AOC are in favor of an economic issue like this, that should make you pause,” she said.
“I’m actually pretty surprised at this move by Trump since the headline will only last about a week. By the midterms, Americans won’t be spending because credit is going to be totally dried up if this actually happens.
“There is an argument, by the way, in favor of credit card caps that I could agree with,” Wexler added. “Maybe not everyone should have credit cards because it makes it easy to overspend, but that’s not what they’re selling you on
She worried instead that some people who couldn’t get access to credit would go to predatory payday lenders.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also pushed back on Trump’s credit card proposal, which he noted couldn’t be done unilaterally.
“I talked with him about it briefly yesterday,” Johnson said at a news conference Tuesday. “The president is the ideas guy,and he’s laser focused on the same thing that we are. And that is reducing the cost of living
“One of the things that the president probably had not thought through is the negative secondary effect; they would just stop lending money, and maybe they cap what people are able to borrow at a very low amount.”
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Sources say aircraft carrier en route to Middle East as tensions rise to fever pitch in Iran
At least one U.S. aircraft carrier is being moved toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to build, military sources confirm to Fox News.
It is not yet clear whether the carrier is the USS Abraham Lincoln, currently operating in the South China Sea, or one of two carriers that departed Norfolk and San Diego earlier this week. Transit to the region is expected to take at least a week.
U.S. military assets from air, land and sea are expected to flow into the region in the coming days and weeks to provide the president with military options should he decide to carry out strikes against Iran, sources said.
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The movements are part of what officials described as a process of “setting the force.”
One well-placed source said if the president decides to carry out military action, “This will be different, more offensive.” The source said U.S. military planners are preparing a range of options that would depend on how Iran’s regime acts in coming days.
U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News there are currently about 30,000 U.S. troops assigned to the U.S. Central Command region. There are no U.S. aircraft carriers or carrier strike groups operating in the CENTCOM area at this time.
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The current U.S. naval presence in the region includes three destroyers and three Littoral Combat Ships. Three U.S. aircraft carriers are currently deployed elsewhere, officials said: The USS George Washington in Yokosuka, Japan; USS Abraham Lincoln in the INDOPACOM area; and USS Gerald R. Ford in the SOUTHCOM area.
Two additional carriers near Norfolk and San Diego are not actively deployed.
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Missile defense systems are also expected to be sent to the region to bolster the defense of U.S. bases and Israel. The systems would include missile defense assets, according to sources.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Troops from Europe deploy to Greenland in rapid 2-day mission amid US takeover push
Troops from several European countries deployed to Greenland and are on the ground there Thursday for a quick two-day mission to bolster the territory’s defenses.
France, Germany, Sweden and Norway are participating in the exercise, Fox News has learned. Leaders say the mission is meant to demonstrate they can deploy military assets “quickly.”
The development comes as the Trump administration is pushing to acquire the Danish territory. Germany deployed a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel, France sent 15 mountain specialists and Sweden, Norway and Britain sent three, two and one officers, respectively, according to Reuters.
“The geopolitical tensions have spread to the Arctic. The Government of Greenland, and the Danish Ministry of Defense have therefore decided to continue the Danish Armed Forces’ increased exercise activity in Greenland, in close cooperation with NATO allies,” the Danish Ministry of Defense said in a statement Wednesday.
“From today, there will be an expanded military presence in and around Greenland — in close cooperation with NATO allies. The purpose is to train the ability to operate under the unique Arctic conditions and to strengthen the alliance’s footprint in the Arctic, benefiting both European and transatlantic security,” it added.
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“As part of the increased presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic, the Danish Armed Forces are, from today, deploying capabilities and units related to the exercise activities. In the period ahead, this will result in an increased military presence in and around Greenland, comprising aircraft, vessels and soldiers, including from NATO allies,” the Danish Ministry of Defense also said.
It said the exercise activities in 2026 “could include guarding critical infrastructure, providing assistance to local authorities in Greenland, including the police, receiving allied troops, deploying fighter aircraft in and around Greenland, and conducting naval operations.”
“Some officers from the Swedish Armed Forces are arriving in Greenland today,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X on Wednesday. “They are part of a group from several allied countries. Together they will prepare upcoming steps within the framework of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance. It is at the request of Denmark that Sweden is sending personnel from the Armed Forces.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Reuters on Thursday that, “The American ambition to take over Greenland is intact.”
“That is of course serious, and therefore we continue our efforts to prevent this scenario becoming a reality,” he added.
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Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Wednesday.