Top federal MN prosecutors officially terminated after dispute over ICE shooting probe
Several federal prosecutors in Minnesota were formally fired on Wednesday after they gave notice that they had resigned in the wake of internal disagreements over the Justice Department’s handling of a shooting investigation involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The DOJ, at the direction of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, terminated the employment of five prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, including Joseph Thompson, the No. 2 official there, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Their resignations and the internal disputes about the shooting probe first surfaced in the New York Times. The prosecutors were positioned to receive paid leave for months prior to their firings on Wednesday, according to the sources.
WHY THE FBI CAN EXCLUDE STATE AUTHORITIES FROM MINNESOTA SHOOTING PROBE
Thompson was spearheading a massive, high-profile investigation into welfare fraud in the state before he submitted his resignation. His exit came after he clashed with officials in Washington, D.C., over the investigation into the ICE shooting, which left 37-year-old Renee Good dead. Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota in an effort to reach Thompson for comment.
Thompson had expressed during a call with DOJ and FBI officials last week that he was on board with investigating the ICE shooting as an assault on or obstruction of a law enforcement officer, a source familiar with the call told Fox News Digital.
Another one of the fired prosecutors, Melinda Williams, who was also involved in the fraud work, was on the call as well, the source said.
Thompson also indicated that he believed the shooting was justified, two sources said. Prior to the shooting, he had already been discussing the possibility of resigning, the sources said.
Videos of the shooting showed an ICE agent opening fire on Good at close range after she was seen accelerating toward the agent in her vehicle while he was standing in front of it. Critics have argued that the agent improperly used deadly force against Good and that she had turned the wheels of her vehicle away from the agent before accelerating.
The FBI is investigating the incident and has excluded Minnesota prosecutors from the probe, which the Trump administration has said is justified because the incident involved a federal officer. Minnesota leaders have denounced that decision and launched their own parallel investigation.
While supportive of conducting the investigation as an offensive against law enforcement — rather than a civil rights matter against the agent — Thompson had reservations during last week’s call about the DOJ’s plan to also investigate Good’s widow and other possible co-conspirators, the source familiar with the call said.
The FBI had developed evidence that suggested Good and her spouse had at some point been following ICE officers on the day of the shooting, the source said.
That revelation echoes Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s allegations during a recent press conference that Good had been “stalking and impeding” ICE throughout the day of the shooting. Noem said Good “weaponized” her vehicle and that the ICE agent who fired shots feared for his life.
In a statement to Minnesota Public Radio, Good’s spouse, Becca, said that on Jan. 7, the day of the shooting, she and Renee “stopped to support [their] neighbors.”
“We had whistles. They had guns,” Becca Good said.
FAMILIAR PROTEST GROUPS MOBILIZE IMMEDIATELY AFTER ICE SHOOTING OF MINNESOTA PROTESTER
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other Democrats have lauded the prosecutors who resigned, framing their departures as a valiant boycott against DOJ.
“These prosecutors are heroes, and the people pushing to prosecute Renee’s widow are monsters,” Frey wrote on X.
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At this stage, there is no sign that the DOJ is planning to bring charges against Becca Good, despite the DOJ and FBI pursuing an investigation into her as part of a broader probe into any conspiracies to hinder federal law enforcement operations.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.
DHS exposes background of NYC city council employee after Mamdani fumed over arrest
Following outrage from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the arrest of a city council employee, the Department of Homeland Security shared that the individual arrested is an illegal immigrant with a previous arrest for assault.
According to DHS, the employee, Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, 53, is a “criminal illegal alien” from Venezuela. The agency said that despite Rubio Bohorquez being employed by the city council of America’s largest city, he has no work authorization and was illegally employed.
Further, DHS said that Rubio Bohorquez has a criminal history, including an arrest for assault in New York.
Rubio Bohorquez entered the United States on a B2 tourist visa in 2017, which required him to depart the same year, according to DHS.
NOEM SAYS ZOHRAN MAMDANI COULD BE ‘VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTION’ WITH ADVICE ON EVADING ICE AGENTS
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin called the fact that “a criminal illegal alien with no authorization” was employed by the New York City Council “shocking.”
“This takes sanctuary city to a whole new level,” said McLaughlin.
“This criminal illegal alien has no authority to be in the U.S. and has a previous arrest for assault. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, the United States is no longer a safe haven for criminals.”
Mamdani and other city leaders demanded the man’s release on Monday.
“I am outraged to hear a New York City Council employee was detained in Nassau County by federal immigration officials at a routine immigration appointment,” Mamdani wrote in a statement on X.
DHS DEMANDS LETITIA JAMES TAKE ACTION OVER NEW YORK’S REFUSAL TO HONOR ICE DETAINERS
He called the arrest “an assault on our democracy, on our city and our values. I am calling for his immediate release and will continue to monitor the situation.”
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin held a news conference demanding the employee’s release Monday. She claimed the employee had been cleared to remain in the U.S. until October 2026.
DHS, however, maintains that he has no authorization to even be in the U.S.
“DHS confirmed that this employee had gone in for a routine court appointment and was nevertheless detained. They provided no other basis for his detainment,” Menin said during a press briefing Monday. “On the contrary, he was a city council employee who is doing everything right. He went to the court when he was asked.”
NOEM REPORTS MAMDANI, DHS TALKS HAVE ‘NOT BEEN PRODUCTIVE,’ SAYS NYC MAYOR ‘CHOSE TO STAND WITH ILLEGALS’
Menin said the employee works as a data analyst and has held the job for roughly one year.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James threw her weight behind calls for the employee’s release later Monday.
A spokesperson for James shared a statement from James saying, “We will not stand for attacks on our city, its public servants and its residents.”
Fox News Digital also reached out to Mamdani and the New York City Council for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Trump claims Iran killings stopping as Kurdish fighters allegedly breach border
Armed Kurdish separatist groups tried to cross into Iran from Iraq in recent days, stoking fears that the country’s spiraling unrest has attracted dangerous foreign militants who could destabilize the wider region, according to reports.
Iranian officials said the attempted breach came amid a sweeping crackdown on nationwide protests against the country’s regime, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leading the response, Reuters reported.
The Tasnim News Agency also reported armed militia groups operating in Iraq crossed the border in western and northwestern Iran, according to Middle East Monitor.
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Reuters had reported that three sources, including a senior Iranian official, said Turkey’s intelligence agency, known as MIT, warned the IRGC that Kurdish fighters were trying to cross the Iran-Iraq border.
The Iranian official said clashes also broke out after the attempt to cross and accused the fighters of trying to exploit the unrest and create further instability.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, around 30 million Kurds live in the Middle East, mainly in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘STARTING TO’ CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
Turkey has designated Kurdish militant groups in northern Iraq as terrorist organizations and has carried out cross-border military operations against them. The Turkish military has also targeted PKK bases in Iraq.
In 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) said it would disarm and end its decades-long battle against Turkey.
Reuters said MIT and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s office did not comment on the Iran crossing, though it warned that any interference in Iran would inflame regional crises.
‘LEAVE IRAN NOW’: US EMBASSY POSTS WARNING TO AMERICANS STILL IN THE COUNTRY
Iranian authorities alleged the fighters were dispatched from Iraq and Turkey and said the Iranian regime has asked both governments to stop any transfer of fighters or weapons into Iran.
The number of deaths during the crackdown on protesters rose to at least 2,571 on Wednesday, accordin g to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
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President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had been told the killings had halted, and he believes there is no plan for large-scale executions.
Asked who told him, Trump said they were “very important sources on the other side.”
Iran closed its airspace to most flights Wednesday, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, with the closure lasting a little more than two hours.
John Harbaugh reportedly picks next team after job search, fulfilling Trump’s suggestion
John Harbaugh and the New York Giants are working on an agreement to make him the team’s next head coach, per multiple reports.
The deal reportedly hasn’t been finalized, but Harbaugh is expected to end up in New York, pending any unforeseen setbacks.
Harbaugh interviewed in person with the Giants on Wednesday, spending hours at the team facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Super Bowl-winning former coach of the Baltimore Ravens was believed to be New York’s top candidate in the search for Brian Daboll’s full-time successor.
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Fired by the Baltimore Ravens after missing the playoffs on a missed field goal attempt at the buzzer in the season finale, Harbaugh is on track to pick the Giants over other possible landing spots, including Tennessee and Atlanta.
Harbaugh’s release from the Ravens made him the most sought-after coaching candidate of the current cycle and, arguably, one of the most coveted coaching candidates in recent NFL history.
President Donald Trump even endorsed Harbaugh in a Truth Social Post, then in a later post specifically endorsed the idea of the Giants hiring Harbaugh.
“The New York Football Giants should hire, without question, John Harbaugh – And John, a great guy, should TAKE THE JOB!!!” Trump posted to Truth Social Saturday.
JOHN HARBAUGH REPORTEDLY NOT PLANNING TO INTERVIEW FOR CERTAIN HEAD COACH OPENINGS
Trump seemingly got his way as Harbaugh and the Giants appear set to come to an agreement.
Veteran sports agent Leigh Steinberg previously told Fox News Digital that he also believed the Giants stood out as a top destination for Harbaugh.
“I don’t know why, but the New York Giants stand out to me,” Steinberg said.
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The Ravens made the playoffs 12 times with Harbaugh in charge and won the Super Bowl in the 2012 season, a year after the Giants’ most recent championship.
General manager Joe Schoen, who’s back for a fifth season running the football operations department, said he would cast a wide net in the coaching search. Interviewing Raheem Morris and Antonio Pierce satisfied the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirements for minority or female candidates, and Harbaugh’s visit to northern New Jersey paved the way to make a hire before any of the more than half-dozen teams with a vacancy.
University under fire for researcher comment calling for assassination of conservatives
The University of Washington is investigating comments made by a researcher who posted on social media, allegedly calling for the assassination of conservative voices.
Mara Maughan, who uses she/they pronouns according to her bio on the UW Fuller Labs website, is labeled as an RSE1 under the Department of Microbiology’s “research and lab staff.”
“May there be tyler robinsons for you all,” Maughan posted on Facebook in a comment directed at Educational Freedom Institute Executive Director Corey DeAngelis.
Tyler Robinson is charged with the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
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DeAngelis had posted a clip of a Democratic state senator in Washington state with the caption, “he can’t acknowledge that there are biological differences between men and women.”
“This kind of violent rhetoric from Mara Maughan and far too many others on the left — wishing for assassins to target conservatives like me and my family — absolutely concerns me, as it not only normalizes political violence but fuels a dangerous environment where radical ideologies in academia and beyond threaten our freedoms and safety without accountability,” DeAngelis told Fox News Digital.
“I’ve seen how the left resorts to these tactics when they’re losing the argument on merits, and it’s high time institutions like UW step up to condemn and discipline such hate to prevent real-world tragedies.”
Maughan is employed through a union-based position at the university, with Glassdoor estimating a similar researcher position under the immunology department at the school earns $4,000 to $5,000 a month with benefits.
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The UW Department of Microbiology also has office space listed for Maughan on its website.
In a separate Facebook comment from several months ago unrelated to DeAngelis, the researcher appears to identify as transgender.
“Being an autistic trans vaccine scientist [right now] has turned me into the joker,” the comment says.
GRAPHIC ANTI-ICE IMAGERY AT UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SHOWS AGENT WITH BULLET IN HEAD: ‘SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE’
Adam Guillette, the president of Accuracy in Media, an organization that has been actively investigating radicalism at UW for several years, says the rhetoric from the liberal-leaning university doesn’t come as a surprise.
“UW administrators claim they oppose violence, but their actions speak louder than their word,” Guillette told Fox News Digital. “They’ve repeatedly allowed both violence and violent rhetoric from their students and their staff.
“The university is already under federal investigation, and it’s now time to revoke its funds.”
STUDENTS FIND MORE VIOLENT IMAGERY NEAR UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN CAMPUS AFTER ANTI-ICE DISPLAYS PROBED
When Fox News Digital reached out to Maughan, a spokesperson from the university responded to the email inquiry with a statement.
“UW Medicine denounces violence against all people and takes seriously the concerns reported to us regarding this matter,” a UW spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “We are reviewing the specifics of this situation — including a detailed review of the facts, university policy and the law — and will determine next steps.”
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DeAngelis was not fully satisfied with the university’s response.
“I’m glad UW Medicine is finally looking into this after the massive public outcry, but their actions will speak louder than this boilerplate statement that says nothing of substance. If they truly denounce violence, they’ll take real disciplinary action against Mara Maughan and bring meaningful accountability to prevent such hateful rhetoric from their employees in the future.”
Moms unleash fury as chaotic brawl descends upon Catholic youth basketball game
Footage has captured the disastrous moment when multiple parents erupted into a massive fight during a Catholic youth basketball game last month in Staten Island, New York.
The violent courtside brawl unfolded on Dec. 20 at St. Teresa in Castleton Corners during a 6th grade boys game between the school and Saint Clare, according to SILive. It was monitored by the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), which oversees the parish-based sport.
Video obtained by the Staten Island Advance initially shows two moms locked in a heated exchange that quickly escalated. Tensions boiled over when one shoved the other, sparking a furious exchange of chaotic punches.
Spectators, other parents and school staff then rushed to the scene in an attempt to separate the two mothers, who had begun clutching each other by the hair, with one landing a relentless barrage of punches at the other’s head.
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After several men finally pulled the two women apart, a separate fight erupted during the disruptive melee, the video shows. Chaos reignited as the women returned to each other, continuing their violent struggle amid the ongoing turmoil.
According to CYO County Director Michael Neely, the two women were parents, and some of those who became involved in the altercation were their family members, SILive reported.
Neely added that the two women, along with the family members who became involved, have been suspended indefinitely from attending CYO games.
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“Two families got involved and, in the end, their families have been banned from CYO indefinitely,” Neely said.
Until now, leaders reportedly said altercations at Catholic Youth Organization games are typically handled on a case-by-case basis.
However, the fight has prompted officials, including Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella and CYO, to announce new rules on Tuesday aimed at preventing spectators from acting out of bounds.
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Spectators ejected by a referee for disruptive behavior at a CYO basketball game will now face a one-year ban.
“The mission was about the kids,” Fossella, whose children reportedly played CYO basketball, said during a press conference. “The mission was about teaching them responsibility. The mission was about them having a good time: the kids. The kids are the center of this universe here. And every once in a while some spectators get out of control and ruin it for the kids and ruin it for everybody else.”
WATCH: Gunman ambushes officer in patrol car as bullets light up the night
A Greenville, South Carolina, police officer was ambushed in his patrol car after a suspect pulled up beside him and opened fire in an attack captured on surveillance video and ending with the gunman dead.
Video released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) shows a vehicle pulling into a parking lot and stopping directly alongside the driver’s side of a marked patrol car. Seconds later, gunfire flashes in the darkness as the suspect opens fire before driving away, leaving the officer wounded inside the patrol car.
The wounded officer was rushed to a hospital for treatment and has since been released.
Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said deputies later located the suspect’s vehicle, setting off a brief pursuit.
OFFICER INJURED AFTER SUSPECT RAMS LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES DURING CHARLOTTE IMMIGRATION RAIDS
Authorities say there were multiple exchanges of gunfire during the chase, which ended with a crash and the suspect dead inside his vehicle. The Greenville County Coroner identified the suspect as David William Lane, 42.
“This incident stemmed from an ambush-style attack against a Greenville city officer,” Lewis said.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Fox News Digital that it had prior contact with Lane before Sunday’s ambush. In a statement, the sheriff’s office said deputies received multiple complaints from neighbors Jan. 1 and Jan. 2 regarding Lane’s comments and behavior.
SUSPECT IN SHOOTING OF 3 PENNSYLVANIA OFFICERS WAS BEING SOUGHT ON STALKING, TRESPASSING CHARGES: REPORT
Deputies responded to and investigated each complaint, determining that while the behavior was concerning, it did not rise to the level required for a criminal arrest warrant.
Out of an abundance of caution, the sheriff’s office said administrators at the Hunting Downs apartment complex coordinated with deputies to hire off-duty sheriff’s deputies for security. That detail began on Jan. 8 to help ensure the safety of residents.
A mother whose daughter lived at the complex shared security video with Fox Carolina that appears to show Lane approaching her daughter’s apartment earlier this month while carrying a gun. The woman told the outlet Lane had been stalking her daughter and others at the complex and made threatening statements.
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SLED was asked to investigate the ambush by both the Greenville Police Department and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. The agency says it will conduct a thorough, independent investigation, including witness interviews and forensic testing, before submitting its findings to prosecutors. No additional details are being released at this time.
The agency said the incident marks the second officer-involved shooting in South Carolina in 2026 and the first involving the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office this year. SLED said the state recorded 45 officer-involved shootings in 2025, seven of which involved the sheriff’s office.
‘Can men get pregnant?’: Senate abortion pill hearing erupts in tense exchange
Republican senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ashley Moody of Florida weighed in Wednesday after a tense exchange during a Senate hearing on chemical abortion drugs went viral online.
The moment unfolded during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) hearing titled “Protecting Women: Exposing the Dangers of Chemical Abortion Drugs,” held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
After the hearing, Hawley reacted in a post on X alongside the video, writing, “SPOILER ALERT: Men cannot get pregnant.” He later followed up with a second post, adding, “Can men get pregnant? Not a difficult question.”
Moody also posted about the exchange with a video clip shortly afterward, asking simply, “Can men get pregnant?”
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During her questioning at the hearing, Moody asked OB-GYN Dr. Nisha Verma whether men could get pregnant.
Verma responded cautiously, explaining that she was unsure where the line of questioning was headed and noting that she treats patients with a range of identities.
According to a transcript of the exchange, Hawley then interjected, telling Verma, “Well, the goal is, is the truth. Can men get pregnant?
“The goal is to establish a biological reality,” Hawley added, continuing to push for a direct answer. “I just want to know, based on the science, can men get pregnant? That’s a yes or no question. It really is, I think.”
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Verma pushed back, arguing that framing the issue as a yes-or-no question was political in nature and said she wanted to avoid further polarization during the exchange.
As the questioning continued, Verma declined to give a direct answer and instead said she preferred to have a broader conversation rather than respond in a binary way.
Hawley then tied the exchange back to the focus of the hearing.
“For the record, it’s women who get pregnant, not men,” Hawley said. “We are here about the safety of women and science that shows that this abortion drug causes adverse health events.”
The hearing featured testimony from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, Verma and Dr. Monique Chireau Wubbenhorst as lawmakers clashed over federal abortion pill policies.
Hawley’s office referred Fox News Digital to the senator’s X posts.
“The agenda-driven and radicalized Democrats will overlook not only scientific fact but the harsh and dangerous consequences of their mission to ensure there are absolutely no restrictions to abortion on demand,” Sen. Ashley Moody told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Today’s hearing put that on full display.”
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The HELP Committee hearing marks one of the first flashpoints on Capitol Hill this year, suggesting discussions on gender and abortion are likely to remain front and center heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
GOP senators, Vance kill war powers resolution with rare move after Trump pressure
Senate Republicans successfully spiked a bipartisan attempt to curb President Donald Trump’s war powers authority after a pair of key GOP lawmakers reversed their positions.
Republicans turned to a rarely used Senate procedure previously used by Senate Democrats in a similar situation to nullify the Venezuela war powers resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. The successful effort came after five Senate Republicans joined all Senate Democrats to advance the resolution last week.
Their move drew heavy criticism and anger from Trump, who demanded that they “should never be elected to office again.”
SENATE GOP MOVES TO BLOCK DEMS’ WAR POWERS PUSH, PRESERVE TRUMP’S AUTHORITY IN RARE MOVE
The resolution was tanked on a 51 to 50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance coming in to break a tie in favor of Trump.
Turning to the arcane procedural move served as a victory for both the president and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., after last week’s rare defeat on the floor.
Thune, like several other Republicans, contended that the resolution was not germane to the issues at hand in Venezuela.
“We don’t have troops in Venezuela. There is no kinetic action, there are no operations,” Thune said. “There are no boots on the ground. And I think the question is whether or not there ought to be expedited consideration or privilege accorded to something that’s brought to the floor that doesn’t reflect what’s what is current reality in Venezuela.”
“And so I think it’s very fair for Republicans to question why we ought to be having this discussion right now, particularly at a time when we’re trying to do appropriations bills,” he continued.
TRUMP RIPS INTO GOP DEFECTORS AS ‘REAL LOSERS’ AS SENATE READIES FOR FINAL VOTE
Thune, Senate Republican leadership, Trump and several administration officials launched a pressure campaign on the five original defectors who helped Senate Democrats advance the bill. While not every lawmaker flipped, Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Todd Young, R-Ind., proved the decisive votes to help kill the resolution.
Hawley’s primary concern was whether the administration would place troops in Venezuela, but after several meetings and conversations with Trump administration officials, he was convinced that no further military action would take place.
“To me, this is all about going forward,” Hawley said of his reversal. “If the president decides we need to put troops on the ground in Venezuela, then Congress will need to weigh in.”
Young kept tight-lipped about his plan until the vote opened, and explained before walking onto the Senate floor that the deliverables and guarantees he had received from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the administration were enough for him.
Among those were promises that if Trump did want to use force against Venezuela, he would first request authorization from Congress, and that Rubio would appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a public hearing in the coming weeks to give an update on the situation in the region.
“Those who understand how Congress works, the good and the bad and the ugly, understand that votes like this, in the end, are communications exercises,” Young said. “They’re important communications exercises, but unless you can secure sufficient votes, not only to pass the United States Senate, but to get out of the House, with which is highly questionable, right, and then to override what was an inevitable presidential veto, which is impossible. No one can tell me how we get there.”
“I had to accept that this was all a communications exercise,” he continued. “I think we use this moment to shine a bright light on Congress’ shortcomings as it relates to war powers in recent history.”
Still, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., joined Senate Democrats to try and save the effort.
Most Senate Republicans who were briefed on the matter last week argued that the strikes in Venezuela were justified and that the military was used to assist in a law enforcement operation to capture Maduro.
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Rubio, in a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Chair James Risch, R-Idaho, affirmed, “There are currently no U.S. Armed Forces in Venezuela.”
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“Should there be any new military operations that introduce U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities, they will be undertaken consistent with the Constitution of the United States, and we will transmit written notifications consistent with section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148),” Rubio wrote.
Kaine, who was confident that he would have the votes, panned that move ahead of the vote.
“If people want to just say, ‘Hey, President Trump, do whatever the hell you want,’ Let them vote that way, but don’t change the rules of the Senate in a way that might disable future Senates that do have a backbone,” Kaine told reporters.