By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0
On Wednesday morning, the White House confirmed drone activity from Mexican drug cartels caused the sudden closure of U.S. airspace over El Paso, Texas.
In a statement to Newsweek the White House said: “Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones.
“The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.”
A Trump administration official told Fox News that the initial lockdown came in response to “Mexican cartel drones” that breached U.S. airspace. The FAA had announced Wednesday morning that all flights to and from El Paso were being grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. The restriction was initially set to be effective from February 10 at 11:30 p.m. MST to February 20 at 11:30 p.m. MST.
“Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel,” the official told Fox News.
Restrictions set earlier by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have been lifted and authorities say there remains no threat to commercial air travel.
“The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted. There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal,” the FAA said on its X account.
BREAKING: Mexican cartel drones breach US airspace, are disabled by War Department, Trump administration official tells Fox News pic.twitter.com/AHVwiPRQLh
The FBI arrested the “anti-Trump” gunman who fired three shots into a local ABC studio after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was suspended last week just hours after he posted bail in California.
FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday morning posted on X that Hernandez-Santana was taken into custody “under a federal hold for interference with licensed broadcasts.”
The FBI has taken into custody the suspect linked to the shooting into ABC10’s Sacramento station lobby under a federal hold for interference with licensed broadcasts.
Targeted acts of violence are unacceptable and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. pic.twitter.com/M9yy1tSjGv
He added: “Targeted acts of violence are unacceptable and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.”
Anibal Hernandez-Santana, the 64-year old suspected shooter, was arrested by the FBI on Saturday, one day after he opened fired on ABC 10 in Sacramento in a drive-by shooting. Hernandez-Santana had posted $200,000 bail earlier on Saturday before he was arrested by the FBI for “violating a statute that says no one can interfere with any communication of any station licensed by the U.S. Government,” KCRA 3 reporter Peyton Headlee reported on Sunday.
The suspect is now facing federal charges and is ineligible for bail, according to Mediaite.
Anibal Hernandez-Santana is back in custody and is now facing federal charges.
The FBI arrested him Saturday for violating a statute that says no one can interfere with any communication of any station licensed by the U.S. Government. @kcranewshttps://t.co/5LrM9e6W17
The suspect is now facing federal charges and is ineligible for bail.
Variety, over the weekend, reported Hernandez-Santana’s X account contained “a steady stream of anti-Trump commentary.”
“Where is a good heart attack when we need it the most?? Please Join in my thoughts and prayers for the physical demise of our fearful leader,” Hernandez-Santana posted last Thursday.
His attorney, Mark Reichel, told KCRA 3 that Hernandez-Santana is being overly scrutinized because of his anti-Trump posts.
“If you look at his social media, they’re going to say, ‘Boy, it sure shows that he’s liberal and left wing.’ So you think they’re going to overlook something like that? I don’t think so,” Reichel said.
The shooting happened during the early hours of Sept. 19, a day after a protest was held in front of ABC 10 following Kimmel’s suspension. About 15 people showed up for the protest, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Kimmel had his show pulled after he implied the person who shot Charlie Kirk was a Trump supporter.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
After nearly a year as deputy director of the FBI under President Donald Trump, Bongino has returned to Fox as a contributor, according to a Monday afternoon report from The New York Times media reporter Michael Grynbaum.
His comeback was announced during the Monday night episode of Sean Hannity’s show at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Dan Bongino via Gage Skidmore Flickr
Grynbaum noted that Bongino has expressed regret at times about stepping away from his former life in media. Just weeks into the FBI role, he admitted on Fox & Friends that he missed what he left behind.
“I gave up everything for this,” Bongino said at the time.
🚨 JUST IN: Great news! Dan Bongino is headed back to Fox News –– he starts as a contributor tonight on Hannity. pic.twitter.com/V9IhW7Cvb6
First Appearance Back Focuses on High-Profile Disappearance
Bongino’s first major appearance after returning centered on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC Today co-host Savannah Guthrie.
Speaking on Hannity Monday night, Bongino outlined three troubling possibilities in the case, emphasizing that investigators are still operating with very limited evidence.
“The first [possibility] would be, obviously, it’s a kidnapping. That was an intended kidnapping for a ransom payment…” he said.
He then explained a second scenario — that the situation may have spiraled out of another crime entirely.
“The second possibility would be this was just a crime that went awry. Someone was at the house, maybe it was a burglary, maybe something went bad, and you’ve got some bad actors committing another crime unrelated — in other words, requesting a ransom for something you didn’t do just to take advantage of a situation like this.”
Bongino’s third possibility raised an even more unsettling idea: that the disappearance may not involve a kidnapping at all.
The third possibility, he said, is that Guthrie’s disappearance could have resulted from a medical emergency or another non-criminal event that was later misunderstood or misrepresented.
Bongino Highlights Lack of Evidence
Bongino pointed to the complete absence of digital and forensic indicators — no DNA, no license plate hits, no cellphone activity, and no surveillance leads — as a major reason investigators are struggling.
He explained that when authorities cannot locate someone within the first few days, it can suggest either extremely sophisticated perpetrators or something else entirely.
“The story you’ve been told, or you may have believed may not be the story,” he said.
While Bongino declined to push one theory more strongly than the others, he emphasized that the lack of proof-of-life communication is unusual for legitimate ransom kidnappings.
He also referenced commentary from veteran FBI Special Agent Lance Leising, noting that real ransom cases typically involve rapid contact and early confirmation that the victim is alive — patterns missing here.
Multi-Agency Search Continues
Nancy Guthrie vanished from her Arizona home earlier this month, triggering a multi-agency investigation that now includes the FBI.
As the search intensified, Savannah Guthrie issued an emotional public plea, describing the situation as an “hour of desperation.”
Authorities are also investigating an alleged ransom note tied to the disappearance, though the deadline referenced in the note passed Monday night without proof of life or resolution.
Back to Media — and Still on Rumble
Bongino will continue hosting his podcast on Rumble, which he recently rebooted after leaving the FBI in December.
Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham said at the time she wasn’t surprised by Bongino’s departure, noting that he “loved his lucrative media life” and wanted to “get back to it.”
President Trump joined Bongino’s first show back on Rumble.
The president made headlines during his appearance when he said Republicans should “nationalize” the voting process in order to block “crooked” Democrat-led states from allowing illegal immigrants to vote.
“These people were brought to our country to vote, and they vote illegally,” Trump said. “And it’s amazing the Republicans aren’t tougher on it. The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over, we should take over the voting in at least 15 places.’”
The White House initially sought to soften Trump’s remarks, but the president doubled down on Tuesday, arguing that federal intervention could be warranted if states fail to administer elections fairly.
“If states can’t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over,” Trump said. “The federal government should get involved.”
Trump framed his argument as a response to what he described as “corruption” at the state and local level, particularly in more than a dozen states he has criticized in recent months.
In response, Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) said he plans to introduce a Senate resolution on Monday denouncing any effort by a president to “nationalize” or “take over” state-run election systems ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell (D) said that she will resign after being convicted last week on two felony charges.
Nicole Mitchell was convicted of felony first-degree burglary and possession of burglary or theft tools for breaking into her stepmother Carol Mitchell’s Minnesota home in April 2024.
Nicole Mitchell pleaded not guilty, and during the trial, her defense argued that she was at the home to check on her stepmother, who lives with Alzheimer’s.
Nicole Mitchell’s stepmother Carol Mitchell reportedly took the stand, saying that she felt “extremely violated” after finding Nicole Mitchell in her home.
Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said Nicole Mitchell “has gotten the due process she is entitled to and was convicted by a jury of her peers.”
“With the clarity brought by the resolution of this case, the Senate DFL Caucus will continue to focus on issues that improve the lives of Minnesota families and communities,” Murphy said.
GOPSenate Minority Leader Mark Johnson criticized her decision to not resign immediately and blamed Democrats for “refusing to hold her accountable during session.”His caucus tried and failed to expel Mitchell from the chamber in the wake of the charges.
“Senator Mitchell was convicted of two felonies; she doesn’t get to give the Senate two weeks’ notice. Democrats shielded Mitchell for 15 months to protect their political power, but a jury needed just three hours to confirm what was already clear: she shouldn’t be a senator,” he said in a statement.
Gov. Tim Walz’s office is expected to announce details about a special election after Nicole Mitchell’s resignation. There is another special election set for September to fill a vacancy left by former House Speaker Melissa Hortman’s politically-motivated assassination.
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Saudi Arabia has released a United States citizen who was jailed over social media posts critical of the royal family after President Trump’s meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
Saad Almadi, 75, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1976, was arrested in 2021 during a family visit over his remarks online. He was sentenced to more than 19 years on terrorism charges but was released in 2023 and hit with an “exit ban,” which prevented him from leaving the country.
The terrorism charges were later decreased to “cyber crimes.”
“This day would not have been possible without President Donald Trump and the tireless efforts of his administration,” the Almadi family said in a statement Wednesday. “We are deeply grateful to Dr. Sebastian Gorka and the team at the National Security Council, as well as everyone at the State Department.”
The statement came shortly after Trump’s Wednesday speech at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum.
The Almadi family said the release “would not have been possible” without the work of the president and the “tireless efforts” of the administration, expressing gratitude to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh for keeping Almadi “safe.”
One of Almadi’s posts on social media that landed him in trouble called for a street in the nation’s capital to be renamed after Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who was murdered in 2018 while at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Crown Prince Mohammed has denied involvement in the killing of the journalist, who fled Saudi Arabia in 2017, but U.S. intelligence reports in 2021 stated the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia “approved” the operation to detain or kill the columnist.
The 9/11 Families United organization shared similar sentiments in regards to Trump’s interactions.
“The crown prince knows nothing of the pain of the 9/11 families. He is actively working to impede our efforts to ensure extensive evidence of Saudi government support for al-Qaeda and the terrorist hijackers are brought to light, harboring a former agent that produced a casing video of the U.S. Capitol building, and trying to rewrite history with investments,” 9/11 Families United told The Hill in a statement.
Trump said Tuesday that the crown prince “knew nothing” about Khashoggi’s murder, triggering harsh criticism from press groups.
“We are so excited for the family that Mr. Almadi is finally on his way back to the United States! We know how long and hard the family fought to make this day possible,” the Foley Foundation, which advocates for American hostages and wrongful detainees held overseas, said Wednesday in a statement to The Hill.
Newsweek senior editor-at-large Josh Hammer came under fire Wednesday after publishing a column that some critics mischaracterized as calling for harm against Tucker Carlson — an accusation Hammer says is rooted in bad faith and deliberate misinterpretation.
In his Daily Mail piece, Hammer criticized Carlson for his recent interview with controversial commentator Nick Fuentes, arguing that Carlson’s platforming of Fuentes’ “repugnant beliefs” undermines what Hammer described as “the forces of civilizational sanity on the MAGA Right.”
The line that drew the most attention, however, came at the end of the article:
“The fox is now comfortably ensconced in the hen house. And unless the fox is neutralized, the victim could be the entire extant GOP coalition itself.”
Critics — many of them fellow conservatives — quickly pounced on the word “neutralized”, accusing Hammer of reckless rhetoric, particularly in light of recent violence targeting right-leaning public figures.
Conservative Figures Sound the Alarm Over Dangerous Climate
Among those voicing concern was The Blaze host Jason Whitlock, who called the phrasing “irresponsible,” noting that the statement came just weeks after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. “Josh Hammer calls for Tucker Carlson to be neutralized,” Whitlock wrote on X. “This is a Keith Olbermann-style Twitter post, not something that should be published by a news outlet. We just witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This is irresponsible by the Daily Mail.”
This is a Keith Olbermann-style Twitter post, not something that should be published by a news outlet. We just witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk. This is irresponsible by the Daily Mail. https://t.co/U10wvt2E06
The article was also condemned by Kirk’s former friend Candace Owens, who wrote, “I cannot believe the @DailyMail allowed this to be published.”
Josh Hammer is about to call for public executions again. I cannot believe the @DailyMail allowed this to be published. Josh behaves like a psychopath behind the scenes. Given his lies about Charlie Kirk’s true feelings in the wake of his death, we should pray for Tucker. https://t.co/uUmBvZsM5A
Whitlock’s remarks reflect a growing anxiety across conservative media as political violence against the right has intensified. In addition to the shocking murder of Kirk, former President Donald Trump has survived multiple assassination attempts — including a rally shooting this summer that left several attendees wounded. Other conservative officials and commentators have faced threats, doxxing campaigns, and physical harassment in recent months.
Republicans argue that these attacks are part of a broader cultural and political escalation — one amplified by a media ecosystem that downplays or outright ignores violence directed at conservatives, while eagerly condemning right-wing rhetoric as “dangerous.”
Hammer Pushes Back: “Quit Lying”
In response to the online backlash, Hammer took to social media to clarify his meaning and denounce what he described as willful misrepresentation.
“One has to be truly stupid or willfully disingenuous (or both, as the case may be) to think that ‘neutralized’ here means anything other than its most common usages,” he wrote. “Quit lying.”
He later posted a screenshot of a dictionary definition of “neutralize,” which reads: “To make (something) ineffective; counteract; nullify.” Hammer emphasized that his critique of Carlson was political — not personal — and that he was calling for Carlson’s influence to be curtailed, not for violence of any kind.
On Monday afternoon in Berkeley, a bloody confrontation broke out near the campus of the University of California, Berkeley as the conservative student-activist group Turning Point USA (TPUSA) held its final stop of the “This Is The Turning Point” tour. The event featured noted conservative voices Dr. Frank Turek and actor-activist Rob Schneider, and came just two months after the murder of TPUSA’s founder, Charlie Kirk, at a campus event in Utah on Sept. 10.
According to video from Fox News Digital, the skirmish began around 4:30 p.m. PST. Two men were seen grappling in the altercation, with one suffering a serious facial injury and blood clearly visible. A mob of agitators—many wearing keffiyehs and carrying left-wing protest signs—surrounded the fight. The local police, including officers donning shields and batons, appeared challenged to regain control of the crowd.
UC Berkeley is currently a war zone and ANTIFA has tried to rush the barriers into tonight’s TPUSA event multiple times.
The Berkeley Police Department reported at least two arrests by 6 p.m.—one individual was arrested for battery. A university spokesperson clarified the brawl occurred off campus grounds and declined further comment.
TPUSA met with violence from the left at the first stop of this tour, and now we see more of it again tonight
Turek, in a recent interview ahead of the event, said he urged Kirk to make the Berkeley stop of the tour: “If I could go to any one event with him, it would be that one… I wanted to go to UC Berkeley because it is so progressive and liberal in their views, and I wanted to provide evidence that Christianity was indeed true.”
As departure began, protesters reportedly surrounded all exits to the venue, heckled attendees, and shouted obscenities as they filtered out. It remains unclear how many individuals were injured in the fight.
Kirk, Trump & the Conservative Youth Movement Charlie Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, with the mission of mobilizing conservative students on college campuses. His organization became a central pillar of conservative youth activism.
Kirk’s relationship with Donald Trump evolved into a potent alignment:
Kirk was considered a key figure in helping Trump make inroads with younger voters, a segment Democrats long dominated.
He developed a direct line to the Trump orbit; multiple sources note that his influence extended beyond student activism into campaign strategy.
Kirk’s impact on the GOP’s youthful base, combined with his focus on campus organizing, made him a strategic asset to the Trump-aligned Republican coalition. As one analysis put it: “Kirk’s efforts significantly contributed to Trump’s appeal among younger voters.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating the protests at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, in the wake of several arrests at a Turning Point USA event.
“We saw all of this at Berkeley back in 2017. @UCBerkeley was sued, and settled the case,” Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon wrote on the social platform X Tuesday, responding to another post claiming that “Antifa has turned Turning Point’s event at UC Berkeley in California into an absolute WARZONE.”
We saw all of this at Berkeley back in 2017. @UCBerkeley was sued, and settled the case.
The @CivilRights will investigate what happened here, and I see several issues of serious concern regarding campus and local security and Antifa’s ability to operate with impunity in CA. https://t.co/aN7JzouXwl
“The @CivilRights will investigate what happened here, and I see several issues of serious concern regarding campus and local security and Antifa’s ability to operate with impunity in CA,” she added.
The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a pardon of Sean “Diddy” Combs after he was found guilty of prostitution charges earlier this month.
A jury found Combs guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. More importantly, he was found not guilty of the most serious charges of racketeering, conspiracy, and sex trafficking. Due to the fact that he likely avoided a lengthy prison sentence, the verdict was considered a major win for the defense.
Now, Combs’ team reportedly wants the president to do away with those lesser charges, as well. According to a Tuesday report from Deadline, sources from within the administration said Trump has given serious thought to pardoning the music mogul.
The report continued:
Nearly two months after Trump publicly entertained the notion of a Diddy pardon in an Oval Office gaggle, a comprehensive get out of jail card for Combs is being “seriously considered,” an administration source tells Deadline.
Additionally, as several associates of the much-accused and currently incarcerated “All About the Benjamins” performer have been pitching the White House, other insiders confirm the topic has leveled up from “just another Trump weave to an actionable event” since Combs was found partially guilty in the his NYC sex-trafficking trial earlier this month. Of course, as a number of parties attest, this being the roller coaster of Trumpworld, any decision on a Combs pardon is in flux until POTUS actually puts his signature on paper.
As the report stated, the idea of Trump pardoning Combs is not a new one. Back in May, fellow music executive Suge Knight predicted that the president would lend Combs a hand in the event that he was convicted.
Americans may know more about the man who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a legal watchdog filed a federal lawsuit for documents being concealed by the Justice Department.
The non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch announced in a statement it “filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for all records regarding Thomas Matthew Crooks, who attempted to assassinate President Trump on July 13, 2024.”
“No more delays and excuses, the FBI should release what it has on the man who tried to kill President Trump a full year ago in Butler. Attorney General Pam Bondi should direct a full and immediate records response to this Judicial Watch FOIA lawsuit,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
Judicial Watch notes it sued after the FBI “failed to respond to a July 24, 2024, FOIA request for:”
All records, including but not limited to, investigative reports, interview summaries (Forms 1023), letterhead memoranda, photos, audio/visual recordings, database inquiries, interagency communications, and any other records, whether contained in the Central Records System or cross-referenced files, related to Thomas Matthew Crooks, born September 20, 2003 in Butler Township, PA and died on July 13, 2024, who attempted the assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13, 2024.
All records of communication in any form, including but not limited to emails, text messages, encrypted app communications and voice recordings, between FBI officials and/or FBI sources, contractors, and assets on the one hand, and Thomas Matthew Crooks on the other hand.
“On July 13, 2024, then-Republican presidential candidate Trump survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear by 20-year-old Crooks, who fired eight rounds from his perch on top of a nearby building,” Judicial Watch explained, adding, “Crooks also killed one audience member, firefighter Corey Comperatore, and critically injured two others. Crooks was shot and killed by the counter sniper team of the United States Secret Service.”
Judicial Watch has been pursuing the information for nearly a year, noting:
In March 2025, Judicial Watch sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for records related to security provided for the July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, PA, during which there was an assassination attempt on President Trump (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:25-cv-00704)).
In September 2004, Judicial Watch sued the Department of Homeland Security for Secret Service and other records regarding potential increased protective services to former President Trump’s security detail prior to the attempt on his life at his July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:24-cv-02495)).
In August 2024, Judicial Watch obtained records from the district attorney’s office in Butler County, PA, detailing the extensive preparation of local police for the rally at which former President Trump was shot. The preparation included sniper teams, counter assault teams and a quick response force. On August 9, in response to a separate open records request, Judicial Watch obtained bodycam footage of the July 13 assassination events from the Butler Township Police Department.
Thor Brødreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Newly released Epstein files include private messages from 2018 between Steve Bannon and Jeffrey Epstein, revealing previously undisclosed political discussions involving President Donald Trump.
According to reporting based on the documents, Bannon described Trump in late 2018 as “beyond borderline” and referenced the 25th Amendment, the constitutional mechanism for removing a president who is unable to perform the duties of the office.
Bannon has come under fire from a wide variety of critics — including conservatives — in recent days over his his relationship with Epstein.
Documents released by the Department of Justice revealed that on the very day Epstein was arrested on charges of sex trafficking in July 2019, he was texting with Bannon about the aforementioned documentary.
A few months before that, Bannon advised Epstein: “First we need to push back on the lies ; then crush the pedo/trafficking narrative ; then rebuild your image as a philanthropist.”
Another text exchange between the two men, dated Dec. 31, 2018, is under intense scrutiny.
The conversation reads:
EPSTEIN: Hell of. Year. Next will be biblicl
BANNON: We either own 2019 or it will surely own us
EPSTEIN: Im back in the f and b biz only
BANNON: F and B director
EPSTEIN: No it does not stand for fck and blw
EPSTEIN: Spoke to my dems. This weekend. Boy are emotions running high
BANNON: Going to blow him up right our of the box– WH has zero plan to punch back– Fort Apache with no cavalry enroute
EPSTEIN: And no soldiers in the fort. He really is borderline. Not sure what he may do.
BANNON: I think it’s beyond borderline — 25 amendment
The communications also reference handling critical coverage following the Miami Herald’s 2018 investigative series on Epstein, which is widely credited with prompting renewed federal scrutiny and Epstein’s eventual 2019 arrest.
The documents do not allege criminal conduct related to the exchanges.
