JOHANNESBURG - President Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to cut off all foreign aid to South Africa because he claimed it is "confiscating" land "and treating certain classes of people very badly" in "a massive human rights violation" has provoked strong reaction from the South African presidency and commentators. 

"The South African government has not confiscated any land", South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded in a statement, adding "We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters". 

Last week, Ramaphosa signed a bill into law permitting national, provincial and local authorities to expropriate land – to take it -"for a public purpose or in the public interest," and, the government stated "subject to just and equitable compensation being paid". However, sources say no expropriation has happened yet.

SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS 

On his Truth Social Media platform, President Trump hit out at South Africa, posting "It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!" Trump later repeated his comments while speaking to the press on Sunday night at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

Pieter du Toit, assistant editor of South African media group News 24, posted on X "The U.S. President, clearly advised by Elon Musk, really has no idea what he’s talking about." 

South African-born Musk is trying to expand his Starlink internet service into South Africa, but President Ramaphosa has reportedly told him he must sell off 30% of his company here to local broad-based so-called Black empowerment interests.

In response to the South African president’s statement, Musk fired back on X, asking Ramaphosa, "Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?"

INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES

Analyst Frans Cronje told Fox News Digital that President Trump may be referring to the ongoing killing of farmers in South Africa when he posted that certain classes of people are being treated very badly.

"President Trump's recent comments on land seizures in South Africa cannot be divorced from his past comments on violent attacks directed at the country's farmers. Whilst these comments have often been dismissed as false, the latest South African data suggests that the country's commercial farmers are six times more likely to be violently attacked in their homes than is the case for the general population." 

Cronje said there may be agendas in play behind President Trump’s statements.

"Such seizures may also apply to the property of American investors in South Africa. Cronje is an adviser at the U.S. Yorktown Foundation for Freedom. He added "with regards to land specifically, the legislation could enable the mass seizure of land which has been an oft expressed objective of senior political figures in the country. To date, however, there have been no mass seizures, in part because there was no legislative means through which to achieve such seizures." 

Now, with the bill having been signed into law, Cronje says that has changed. 

"The comments around property rights in South Africa must be read against broader and bipartisan US concern at developments in South Africa. In 2024 the US/South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act was introduced (in Congress) amid concerns that the South African government's relationships with Iran, Russia, and China threatened US national security interests."

Cronje, who also advises corporations and government departments on economic and political trajectory, continued. "Last week, South Africa’s government, together with that of Cuba, Belize and four other countries supported the formation of the ‘Hague Group’ in an apparent move to shore up the standing of the International Criminal Court, amid the passage through Congress of the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act that prescribes sanctions against any country that is seen to use the court to threaten US national security interests. South Africa has in recent years been prominent in employing both that court and the International Court of Justice in the Hague to press for action against Israel and Israeli leaders."

South Africa’s Ramaphosa played down the importance of U.S. aid, stating "with the exception of PEPFAR (The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) Aid, which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIVAids program, there is no other significant funding that is provided by the United States in South Africa." President George W. Bush introduced PEPFAR in 2003.

Analyst Justice Malala, speaking on South African news channel, ENCA, said that, under the Trump administration, "the United States is going to upend South Africa in many ways."

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said they have recovered the black box from the deadly Jan. 31 Learjet 55 plane crash in Philadelphia.

The announcement, made on Sunday, said investigators located the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) eight feet below the site of the initial impact. 

Investigators also found the aircraft's enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which the NTSB said "could also contain flight data."

"Both components will be sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC for evaluation," a statement said. "NTSB investigators have recovered both engines. Wreckage recovery continues tomorrow and all of the wreckage will be sent to a secure location in Delaware for further examination."

EERIE PHOTOS SHOW INTERIOR OF DOOMED MEDEVAC JET THAT CRASHED IN PHILADELPHIA

Flight data recorders and CVRs are tools that help investigators reconstruct the events that led up to a plane crash. They are orange to make them easier to find in wreckage, and are usually installed in a plane's tail section, which is considered the most survivable part of the aircraft, according to the NTSB's website.

The Jet Rescue Air Ambulance crash that took place near the Roosevelt Mall killed at least seven people and injured 22 others.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VICTIMS OF THE PHILADELPHIA CRASH

Four crew members and two passengers – a pediatric patient and her mother – were on the plane that was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, the company said. They were all Mexican nationals.

A person in a car was the seventh fatal victim of the fiery crash.

Meanwhile, 38-year-old Jason Rodriguez – who was in the area at the time of the crash – remains missing, according to FOX 29. His family says he was shopping when they last heard from him.

Fox News' Andrea Margolis, Greg Wehner and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Fox News Channel's chief political anchor Bret Baier will conduct a wide-ranging interview with President Donald Trump during the Fox Super Bowl Sunday pregame show on February 9. 

The pre-taped interview took place at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and will air in the 3 p.m. ET hour on Super Bowl Sunday. During the interview, Baier asked Trump about the changes the administration has enacted since the Inauguration and the first 100 days of his presidency, as FOX is set to broadcast Super Bowl LIX from in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET. 

Trump announced new tariffs through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) on Saturday, which will impose a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on imports from China.

Additional portions of the interview will air during the Monday, February 10 edition of "Special Report with Bret Baier." The interview will be Baier's first one-on-one interview with Trump since June 2023. 

TRUMP'S ‘SHOCK AND AWE’: FORGET FIRST 100 DAYS, NEW PRESIDENT SHOWS OFF FRENETIC PACE IN FIRST 100 HOURS

Baier has played a pivotal role in coverage of every major political event since joining Fox News as an Atlanta-based reporter in 1998. 

During the 2024 presidential election, Baier interviewed both Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and hosted a town hall with then-candidate Trump. Additionally, Baier co-anchored the network’s "Democracy 2024" coverage of all political events and breaking news, including election night, the Democratic National Convention, the Republican National Convention and Super Tuesday, among others. 

Trump sat down with Fox News' Sean Hannity in January, his first interview since returning to the White House. 

Trump has signed dozens of executive orders since he was sworn into office, advancing his administration's goals on issues from illegal immigration to withdrawing from the World Health Organization.

FOX NEWS DOMINATES 2024 VIEWERSHIP, TOPPING CNN AND MSNBC COMBINED DURING UNPRECEDENTED YEAR OF NEWS

Baier's "Special Report" has averaged 3.5 million viewers and 422,000 in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54 in 2025 to date, beating CNN and MSNBC combined. Fox News' premier newscast is also watched by more democrats and independents than any other 6 p.m. ET program on cable news.

Baier has also established the Common Ground segment this past election cycle, featuring political leaders from across the aisle discussing the issues of the day with the goal of finding middle ground, featuring guests such as Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Kevin Cramer, Sen. John Fetterman, along with Sen. Katie Britt, Gov. Wes Moore and Rep. Andy Harris.

After Democrats lost in every swing state to President Donald Trump, some party members have been struggling with how to recapture voters, according to a recent report. 

"Twenty big cities, Aspen and Martha’s Vineyard—that’s what’s left of the Democratic Party," former congressional candidate Adam Frisch told The Wall Street Journal. "And I’m not exactly sure those 20 big cities are getting the best version of the Democratic Party."

Democrats have struggled to define a coherent message for voters after their loss to Trump, with some leaders in the party arguing that Democrats should focus on their economic messaging. 

DEMOCRATS ELECT NEW CHAIR WHO BRANDED TRUMP A 'TRAITOR' AS PARTY AIMS TO REBOUND FROM DISASTROUS 2024 ELECTION

"I’m frustrated by the way in which we utilize identity to break ourselves apart," former Bernie Sanders' campaign advisor Faiz Shakir said. "Listen, I worked at the ACLU. I’m supportive of diversity, equity and all the rest," he said. "But we’re competing over the wrong thing when we should be joining together to fight together."

"I think the Democratic brand is hurting because people feel that you cannot, with conviction and integrity, tell me what you honestly feel about some hard issues," he said. 

The recently elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Ken Martin, told party members that Democrats must lead the political battle to beat Trump. 

DEMOCRATS RALLY AROUND LIGHTNING ROD ISSUE DURING UNRULY DNC DEBATE DESPITE VOTER BACKLASH IN 2024

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

"If it’s not us, who is it?" Martin told Democrats after winning his election for leader of the institutional Democratic Party. "Who’s going to be out there actually taking on Donald Trump? It has to be the Democratic Party. We have to get into this fight."

Martin's election is a sign that the Democratic Party leadership continues to focus its attention primarily on opposition to Trump, with Martin once having called for the president to be tried for treason. 

"We have one team, one team, the Democratic Party," Martin said following his victory. "The fight is for our values. The fight is for working people. The fight right now is against Donald Trump and the billionaires who bought this country."

Fox News' Hanna Panreck and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

Wreckage from the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport will start to be removed from the Potomac River Monday morning as officials said they have yet to locate 12 of the victims. 

The collision between a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and a Bombardier CRJ700 airliner operating under PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, on Wednesday night left 67 dead. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly, Sr. told reporters Sunday that the remains of 55 victims have been identified, as the recovery effort continues.

"We believe we're going to be able to recover all of the victims. But no, we don't know where they all are at this point," Donnelly said ahead of Monday’s operation. 

Col. Francis Pera from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers said he anticipates "a successful lift," noting they will cover the wreckage with a tent to protect any human remains. 

55 VICTIMS IN WASHINGTON, DC MIDAIR COLLISION PULLED FROM POTOMAC RIVER 

"We do have a process where we will be watching the lift as it happens," Pera explained. "And then if there are remains in there, that will not move while we're recovering the wreckage. We will bring that wreckage to the surface of the barge. Our process [is] to immediately tent the barge to make sure that we have full discretion." 

"When we begin the lift process tomorrow, our goal is to really lift as much as we can – given the fact that we are also accounting for the human remains component – and then our goal is to then transfer that, those pieces of equipment over to a flatbed trailer that will now take it over to a designated hangar, so that the investigation can begin," he added. 

THIRD SOLDIER INSIDE BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER INVOLVED IN DC MIDAIR COLLISION IDENTIFIED 

Pera said divers at the site are equipped with HD cameras, whose feeds are being monitored inside a support boat. 

"So you honestly, you've got four or five sets of eyes looking inside [the] wreckage at the same time," he said. 

Pera also said that "reuniting those lost in the tragic incident is really what keeps us all going."

"We've got teams that have been working this effort since the beginning and we're committed to making this happen," he said.

On Sunday, families of the victims visited the crash site.  

Connolly said while the lift operation is ongoing, local teams "will continue to search down the shorelines and around the river to make sure that we're getting all the debris that's out there." 

"And if by chance, as a member of the public, you come across some of that, you should call 911 and report it to them, and we will get it taken care of and get it examined," he said. 

Before he chases his first Super Bowl ring, Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley was reportedly down on one knee giving a ring to his longtime girlfriend, Anna Congdon. 

Barkley is now engaged to Congdon, according to People, as he checks off a major life moment ahead of his biggest career game to date as he and the Eagles head to New Orleans to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX this upcoming Sunday. 

"I can’t be the athlete I am and have the success I have so in my career without the help of her," Barkley told the outlet of Congdon. 

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

The two share two children together, daughter Jada, 6, and son Saquon Jr., 2, and their pre-game ritual of special handshakes and kisses has gone viral in Barkley’s first season with the Eagles. 

Barkley and Congdon met at Penn State and have been going strong since 2017. Barkley told People that they will "just sit back and laugh sometimes when [their kids are] over there playing and just smile and think about where everything started."

It started with the New York Giants, who took Barkley second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft after a stellar Nittany Lions career. However, after a rollercoaster six seasons in New York, which ended badly after not getting what he wanted contract-wise, Barkley signed with the Eagles in free agency this past offseason. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Clearly, it was the right move for the running back, as he could have the best running back season of all-time statistically depending on his performance against the Chiefs. 

Personally, the move has been something Barkley says his family has loved, with the city of Philadelphia embracing him right away despite being their rival for years. 

Barkley and his family were at Lincoln Financial Field sharing quite the moment when green and white confetti rained down on the Eagles after dominating the Washington Commanders, 55-23, in the NFC Championship. 

"If I could wrap my arms around this memory, I would…" Congdon captioned an Instagram post of her family celebrating the victory that put them in Super Bowl LIX. Barkley commented, "Love you," with a heart emoji. 

It has been quite a celebratory year for Barkley, who led the NFL in rushing yards with over 2,000, and it could continue on his 28th birthday, which just so happens to fall on Super Bowl LIX. 

"The best birthday gift you can have is playing in the Super Bowl and the only thing better than that is winning the Super Bowl on your Birthday," he said to People. 

Barkley added that he is not focused on his birthday plans at all, hoping to "continue to play at a high level" to help his team beat the Chiefs, a team chasing NFL history as the only squad to win three straight Lombardi Trophies. 

Barkley scored three touchdowns for the Eagles in the NFC Championship victory over the Commanders, and he certainly will try to do so again in New Orleans, where his now-fiancee and family will be cheering him on. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

1. Trump warns 'abusive' countries with midnight deadline.

2. Hegseth heads to southern border with warning.

3. Musk rips 'fraudulent' taxpayer handouts.

ROCKING THE BOAT – Panama pledges major shift on canal deal with China after Secretary Rubio's visit. Continue reading …

EXPIRATION DATE – Former Costco boss sugarcoats 'woke' fine print as scandal heats up. Continue reading …

PARTING SHOT – Mavericks star snubs team in farewell note to Dallas fans after blockbuster trade. Continue reading …

GRAMMYS FASHION – Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Kelsea Ballerini turn heads on red carpet. Continue reading …

--

THAWING RELATIONS – Trump's 'denuclearization' suggestion with Russia and China: How would it work? Continue reading …

SWIFT START – Busy week ahead for Trump, Cabinet picks. Continue reading …

'BEYOND REPAIR' – Trump 'agreed' on shutting down USAID, Elon Musk says. Continue reading …

'EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY' – Texas National Guard deputized to make immigration arrests. Continue reading …

Click here for more cartoons…
 

'BEING ABUSED' – Trump EO restricting sex-change procedures for minors in line with 'do no harm,' doctor says. Continue reading …

‘TOTAL TRASH’ – Newsweek profile of transgender killer feeling 'happy to be alive' trashed as ‘puff piece.’ Continue reading …

ALL THE STOPS – Terrorist sympathizer grad torches own school in commencement speech. Continue reading …

ICED OUT – Chicago leaders encourage residents to exercise 'their rights' in resisting Trump's deportation policies. Continue reading …

AARON GINN – ‘Experts’ fear China’s DeepSeek AI. Econ 101 says they shouldn’t worry. Continue reading …

LANCE IZUMI – Elon Musk needs H-1B workers because math education fails our students. Continue reading …

--

THAT'S ‘AWKWARD’ – Justin Baldoni leaks Ryan Reynolds' texts revealing bond before Blake Lively feud. Continue reading …

LASTING LEGACY – WWE legend Triple H reflects on surprise Hall of Fame announcement. Continue reading …

AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on aviation achievements, Super Bowl spreads and romantic reunions. Take the quiz here …

OFF COURSE – Golf fans fired up over PGA star's outfit choice during tournament.  Continue reading …

HEART OF THE MATTER – Woman's illness is finally caught by doctors. See video …

DOUG BURGUM – Trump admin defends tariffs amid criticism of rising costs. See video …

DJ YOKLEY – East Palestine, Ohio resident slams Biden response to toxic train derailment. See video …

What’s it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Twitter

LinkedIn
 

 
 

Fox News First

Fox News Opinion

Fox News Lifestyle

Fox News Entertainment (FOX411)

Fox Business

Fox Weather

Fox Sports

Tubi

Fox News Go

Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We’ll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday.

Preliminary flight data from the deadly plane crash in Washington, D.C., shows conflicting readings about the altitudes of a passenger jet and Army helicopter that collided near Reagan National Airport and killed everyone on board the two aircraft, investigators said over the weekend.

Data from the American Airlines flight recorder showed an altitude of 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, when the collision happened Wednesday night, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials told reporters on Saturday. Data in the control tower, though, showed the Black Hawk helicopter at 200 feet, the maximum allowed altitude for helicopters in the area.

The roughly 100-foot altitude discrepancy in the data has yet to be explained.

Investigators are working to retrieve data from the helicopter’s back box, which is taking more time because it became waterlogged after submerging into the Potomac River, in hopes of reconciling the difference. They also said they plan to refine the tower data, which could be less reliable. 

55 VICTIMS IN WASHINGTON, DC MIDAIR COLLISION PULLED FROM POTOMAC RIVER AS RECOVERY OPERATION CONTINUES

"This is a complex investigation," said Brice Banning, NTSB investigator in charge. "There are a lot of pieces here. Our team is working hard to gather this data."

Banning detailed the last moments from the jet's two black boxes, which captured sound in the cockpit and flight data just before what became the deadliest U.S. aviation accident since 2001.

"The crew had a verbal reaction," Banning said, with the data recorder showing "the airplane beginning to increase its pitch. Sounds of impact were audible about one second later, followed by the end of the recording."

Investigators did not say whether that change in angle meant that pilots were trying to perform an evasive maneuver to avoid the crash.

The collision happened around 9 p.m. EST while the regional jet was preparing to land at the airport. The jet from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 64 people onboard, while three soldiers were on board the helicopter, which apparently flew into the jet’s path. No one survived the crash.

VP VANCE CALLS ON US ‘TO DO A BETTER JOB’ WITH AVIATION SAFETY AFTER ‘INCREDIBLY HEARTBREAKING’ DC PLANE CRASH

NTSB member Todd Inman expressed frustration to reporters, noting that the board has made "several hundred" recommendations to improve aviation safety that have not been acted upon.

"You want to do something about it? Adopt the recommendation of the NTSB. You’ll save lives," he said, adding that he has spent hours with victims' families since the crash. "I don’t want to have to meet with those parents like that again."

Families of victims visited the crash site on Sunday and divers scoured the submerged wreckage for more remains after authorities said they've recovered and identified 55 of the 67 people killed.

Officials said they are confident all the victims will be recovered from the chilly Potomac River.

NTSB investigators hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days, though a full investigation could take at least a year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

How are Dallas Mavericks fans dealing with the trade of their superstar guard Luka Doncic? 

Well, some are taking mourning to another level. 

Going through it was an understatement for a group of fans that was spotted at American Airlines Center in Dallas hosting a funeral, or perhaps a protest, after one of the most shocking trades in professional sports history. 

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

Yes, it was a funeral as several fans, dressed in black suits, carried a blue coffin to the steps in front of the arena, where Doncic shirts, jerseys and more were spread out.

"Why?!" one of the men carrying the coffin screamed into the area while Wiz Khalifa’s "See You Again" played over a speaker, per Dallas News.

Mavericks fans may not be going to the extreme as this group did on Sunday, but many are still in shock, and even denial, after the trade went down late Saturday night. 

The trade sent Doncic and Maxi Kleber to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a draft pick. The Utah Jazz were also involved in the deal. 

The NBA world could not believe Doncic, the five-time All-Star who was named Western Conference Finals MVP last season during the team’s Finals run while leading the NBA in scoring (33.9 points), was traded by the franchise who took him third overall in 2018. At just 25 years old, Doncic remains one of the key pieces of the game’s future. 

Even Doncic appeared slighted by the trade after writing a farewell note to Mavericks fans just hours after the trade, which some believed was a fake on social media when reports dropped, became official. 

He did not mention the team’s name at all – only showing love to the fan base. 

"Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level," Doncic wrote. "I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship. The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home.

"In good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed. Thank you not only for sharing my joy in our best memories, but also lifting met up when I needed it most.

"To all the organizations I’ve worked with throughout the Dallas community, thank you for letting me contribute to your important work and join you in bringing light to those who need it. As I start the next part of my basketball journey, I am leaving a city that will always feel like a home away from home.

"Dallas is a special place, and Mavs fans are special fans.

"Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

Reaction to the trade was immense when it went down, and Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, who is preparing for potential NFL history this week at Super Bowl LIX, had time to share his "sick" thoughts about it. 

"Wait what? I’m sick rn…." Mahomes, a Texas native who was spotted at this past season’s NBA Finals rooting for the Mavericks, wrote on X.

Doncic has not played for Dallas since Christmas after exiting the game with a strained left calf. With the trade, he is now prevented from signing a five-year supermax contract extension that would have been worth $345 million. He can, however, sign an extension with a maximum payout of $230 million. 

Mavericks GM Nico Harrison spoke about the trade on Sunday, with his mindset about this shocking trade being a win-now move. Additionally, with the contract looming, Harrison made a judgment call that could alter the franchise – for better or for worse.

"There’s other teams that were loading up," he explained. "He was going to be able to make his own decision at some point of whether he wants to be here or not, whether we want to supermax him or not, or whether he wants to opt out. We had to take all that into consideration and I feel like we got out in front of what could have been a tumultuous summer."

Dallas, without Doncic, dynamic guard Kyrie Irving and Davis not yet in uniform, was embarrassed by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night, 144-101, on the road. 

The Mavericks are 26-24 on the season, which is good for ninth in the Western Conference. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

When entrepreneur Elon Musk made headlines with his vociferous comments supporting the H-1B visa program, the ensuing debate focused on the implications of his position on immigration. 

But this debate obscured the reason America even has such a program in the first place: its homegrown students are being poorly educated in math. 

According to federal law, the H-1B program gives visas to foreigners coming to perform services "in a specialty occupation." A specialty occupation is defined as requiring "theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge," plus higher education requirements. 

US 'REPORT CARD' SHOWS STUDENTS HAVE FALLEN BEHIND IN READING, BARELY BUDGED IN MATH: ‘THE NEWS IS NOT GOOD’

The program is annually capped at 65,000 regular H-1B visas, with another 20,000 for those foreigners who have earned advanced degrees from U.S. universities. 

Given Musk’s vehement support of the program, it is no surprise that a federal report states that in 2023, "computer-related occupations were the largest major occupational area, accounting for 65% of all beneficiaries [of the program]." In comparison, less than 1% of H-1B visas were given to foreigners in the social sciences. 

While much of the coverage of the H-1B debate focuses on the foreign-versus-American-worker angle, the real issue regarding H-1Bs is that the U.S. is failing to produce domestic workers with the requisite math skills required by Musk’s SpaceX and other high-tech companies. 

In 2024, a shocking 72% of eighth-grade students taking the National Assessment of Educational Progress math exam failed to score at the proficient level -- a full 6% increase over the 66% of eighth graders failing to achieve proficiency in 2019.

Why are American students doing so badly in math? The answer lies in the ineffective math instruction they are receiving. 

In the early 2010s, most states adopted the Common Core national education standards, which were touted as a cure for America’s math woes. Unfortunately, Common Core turned out to be bad medicine. 

Common Core confused many students by emphasizing indirect ways to arrive at the right answer instead of just learning straightforward mathematical operations. 

For example, in multiplying numbers, children are often asked to draw pictures instead of simply memorizing the multiplication tables. 

Michael Malione, a professional math tutor in California, said that his students were instructed by their public schools to draw and shade different areas of rectangles when multiplying fractions, rather than simply multiplying the numerators and multiplying the denominators to get the correct answer. Requiring students to learn math this way is both inefficient and ineffective. 

"We’re going to draw a picture every time we’re given 10 problems with fractional multiplication, when you could do them in your head?" Malione asks. "That’s insane." 

Malione sees students "who are completely lost and they’re not getting the step-by-step guidance early on." 

Given Malione’s experience, it is unsurprising that a federally funded study found that Common Core had significant negative effects on the math achievement of eighth graders. 

College math professors are shocked at students’ poor math skills. 

One college math instructor in the Silicon Valley lamented that the lack of algebra knowledge is "the number one deficiency and its chronic." He said, "we’re not producing the kinds of students and graduates that Silicon Valley needs."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION 

Sugi Sorensen, a top engineer at famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory who also tutors students in math, urged a return to proven traditional math practices, which includes mastering the basic skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division through "the memorization of math facts and procedures" so that students "can perform computations quickly, accurately, and effortlessly." 

Further, math topics should be sequential, "where new concepts are built upon previously learned ones in a structured, hierarchical manner," Sorensen said. 

Finally, Sorensen recommends that math operations such as long division "should be explicitly taught and practiced until mastery," with an emphasis on accuracy. 

America has nearly 50 million K-12 students. If schools use proven math instructional methods instead of failed progressive techniques, there would be less need for H-1B visas because there would be more than enough young Americans with the skills companies need. The tech titans at Trump's inauguration should lean on schools to do just that. It is time to make math great again. 

Lance Izumi is senior director of the Center for Education at the Pacific Research Institute. He is the author of the PRI book The Great Classroom Collapse: Teachers, Students, and Parents Expose the Collapse of Learning in America’s Schools. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LANCE IZUMI

Chicago political leaders are encouraging local residents' efforts to defy the federal government as it attempts to carry out mass deportations in the city, vowing to "hold the line and push back every single time."

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has faced pushback from local groups aiding illegal immigrants as its agents are sweeping the city as part of a nation-wide illegal immigration crackdown, the Chicago Tribune reported. Windy City non-profits have launched Facebook groups, apps and have put up flyers across the city with instructions on how to avoid being detained by ICE. Left-wing political leaders are cheering the acts of resistance, as ICE is estimated to have detained some 100 migrants so far.

"The actions coming from the White House are rooted in xenophobic, nativist and racist lies. We must hold the line and push back every single time — as we’ve done before," Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García said at an event at Malcolm X College on Wednesday. "People are exercising their rights."

TRUMP'S BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN UNVEILS 'GAME-CHANGING' MIGRANT NUMBERS UNDER NEW ADMIN

Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan has blasted Chicago and other sanctuary cities, claiming that they are obstructing the administration’s efforts to deport criminal illegal migrants from the country.

"Sanctuary cities are making it very difficult to arrest criminals. For instance, Chicago, very well-educated, they’ve been educated (on) how to defy ICE, how to hide from ICE. And I’ve seen many pamphlets from many of the (nongovernmental organizations). … They call it ‘Know Your Rights.’ I call it how to escape arrest. There’s a warrant for your arrest — they tell you how to hide from ICE," Homan said in a CNN interview.

Illinois State Rep. Delia Ramirez, however, considers those resisting Trump’s mass deportation program to be "courageous."

"We have shown them that we are courageous. We have shown them that we are organized. And we have shown them that they will not break us," she said.

CHICAGO HORROR: 2 MIGRANTS CHARGED WITH MURDER AS HOMAN LEADS ICE RAIDS

Illinois is home to 300,000 of the 11 million total illegal immigrants in the U.S. as of 2022, according to Pew Research Data. ICE claims it has made 710 immigration arrests per day from January 23 through January 27. 

Two illegal migrants were charged in the murder of a 63-year-old man whose body was found tied up at his Chicago home on Sunday, the same day that Homan led an immigration enforcement operation in the city. 

Middlebury College’s student commencement speaker encouraged her fellow graduates and alumni to pull their donations and instead support the people of Gaza during her speech.

Film, media, culture and environmental studies major Faith Wood was chosen among a committee of students to represent the graduating class on Saturday with a final address. She spoke to the class wearing a rainbow scarf and keffiyeh and largely mourned the state of Gazan cities.

She suggested holding the school accountable for what she claims is the school's culpability in the suffering of Gaza through their pocketbooks. 

EX-VERMONT GOVERNOR SUES MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE FOR CHANGING NAME OF ITS CHAPEL BASED ON ‘GROSSLY DISTORTED CLAIM’

"Being an alum of Middlebury College gives you power in this world. Leveraging that collective power in this room can be that difference. First step, Middlebury. Then, in the world," Wood said. "Here's one thing you can do. Open up the pamphlets people have been handing out and pledge to donate any money you would have to Middlebury to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency." 

She concluded, "Until Middlebury demonstrates its commitment to prioritizing education here and everywhere over profit through divestment from war profiteering, there is nothing as whole as a broken heart. Loving Middlebury means holding it and ourselves accountable to our promises. To love means to grow together. That is what it's going to take."

Earlier in her speech, Wood called out the school for standing "tall and pretty" while schools in Gaza are destroyed.

"There is simply nothing we as students at one of the eleven NESCACs (New England Small College Athletic Conference) deserve that students of the eleven institutions of higher education in Gaza do not also deserve," Wood said.

She also lamented the "heartbreaking" situation she and her fellow students find themselves in after President Donald Trump returned to office.

"We are literally graduating the same month a fascist has taken office. Within 11 days, he has pulled out of Paris Climate Agreement for the second time, denied the existence of trans people and unleashed a slew of ICE agents to arrest an average thousand people every single day since they began," Wood said.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT IN HANDCUFFS RIPS UP DIPLOMA ON COMMENCEMENT STAGE IN ACT OF PROTEST

Fox News Digital reached out to Middlebury College for a comment.

Last year, Fox News Digital reported that the StandWithUs (SWU) organization filed a lawsuit against Middlebury College alleging that the school "failed egregiously to provide adequate protection for Jewish students seeking to remedy persistent antisemitic bigotry on campus." Students at Middlebury also requested to remain anonymous on their comments out of fear of retaliation.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Across all sports, every new class in their respective Hall of Fame brings about spirited debate. This year for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is no different. 

But for one finalist, the circumstances surrounding his place in Canton are more than just a case of championships and stats. His place in the Hall of Fame will likely come down to a tragic case of a murder-suicide. 

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

There are five total finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame senior class, including a coach and a contributor. The players up for vote are Maxie Baughan, Sterling Sharpe and Jim Tyrer. 

Of the three, the biggest questions surround Tyrer.

Born in Newark, Ohio, on Feb. 25, 1939, Jim Tyrer is largely considered one of the most dominant offensive tackles of his era. 

After playing football at Ohio State, where he was an All-America choice, Tyrer began his 14-year playing career with the Dallas Texans of the American Football League in 1961. His sheer size and strength at left tackle translated to early success on the field, which carried over with the team’s move to Kansas City and the eventual merger with the NFL.

Tyrer was a three-time AFL champion and nine-time AFL All-Star, and he helped the Chiefs win the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 1970. He was a starter in each of his 13 seasons with Chiefs, playing in 180 consecutive games for the third-longest streak in team history. 

Tyrer was selected as a member of the AFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s and is in the Chiefs’ Hall of Fame. He played his final season for Washington in 1974. 

It’s no doubt that Tyrer’s career is worthy of consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but the tragic events that took place on Sept. 15, 1980, have kept his name off the ballot for more than 40 years. 

FORMER NFL STAR FRANK WYCHECK SUFFERED FROM CTE PRIOR TO DEATH, RESEARCHERS SAY

Tyrer was a finalist for the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility and was largely expected to be selected. But in the fall of 1980, that would change. 

According to KCTV’s reporting at the time, Tyrer shot his wife, Martha, dead just after 4 a.m. in the bedroom of their home while their four children slept before eventually taking his own life. He was 41 and Martha was 40. 

While those closest to the family, including teammates, were shocked by the news, reports would soon surface that there were issues. 

ESPN reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada told NPR last week that Tyrer had struggled to find work after his playing career had ended and that the family was experiencing financial struggles. There were also rumors that Tyrer had been dealing with "depression" and "paranoia." 

But in the nearly 45 years that have passed and with the development of science with regard to the long-term effects of playing in contact sports, many argue that Tyrer likely suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).  

Dr. Doug Paone, who treated Tyrer days before the murder-suicide, told the Kansas City Star’s Vahe Gregorian in December that he is confident that Tyrer had CTE. 

"If it walks like a duck, it quacks, it has webbed feet and water goes off its back, it’s not a zebra: It’s CTE," he said. "(Tyrer) would be the poster child for CTE."

At least three of the five senior finalists will be elected to the Pro Football Hall. They will need 80% of the votes from the Selection Committee, who will be allowed to vote for three finalists. If none receive that percentage, then the sole finalist with the most votes will be inducted into the 2025 class.  

For Tyrer, the voters appear divided. ESPN spoke to some last month when Tyrer was named a finalist. 

"It's morally abhorrent and unacceptable to put a murderer in the Hall of Fame if you have the power to do otherwise," longtime voter Jason Cole told the outlet, adding that he has "incredible compassion for the family."

Cole noted that considering CTE would be "opening up a giant can of worms."

Opposite of that, Gregorian told ESPN that CTE could be used to explain the tragedy that led to Tyrer and his wife’s untimely death. 

"I think when you see that this is a man, who had for decades lived a life that was admired by many, that this change in him was caused by [CTE]," Gregorian said, "... I think to me, it says this was because of severe brain damage, not being of a willful act by this person. I don't know, that makes me look at it differently."

The bylaws of the selection process instruct voters not to consider any off-the-field contributions – good or bad – in their decision-making. The class of 2025 will be announced next Thursday at the NFL Honors in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Paul "Triple H" Levesque was surprised at WWE HQ last week when CEO Nick Khan and legends Shawn Michaels and Undertaker revealed he would be the first member of the 2025 Hall of Fame class.

Levesque will go into the Hall of Fame as a solo wrestler. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the D-Generation X tag-team with Michaels, who were both integral parts of the "Monday Night Wars" against World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s.

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

He spoke about receiving the honor at the Royal Rumble post-event press conference.

"In business for me, outside of the ring, there’s nobody that I respect more, nobody, than him," he said of Khan. "He’s my partner in all of this. So him doing that for me was incredibly meaningful."

Last week, Khan was addressing the company when Michaels and Undertaker, whose real name is Mark Calaway, interrupted and surprised Levesque with their own announcement.

"From a guy who usually has something to say about everything, I’m speechless," Levesque said on Wednesday. "I’m gonna kill Nick when we leave here. If you see someone flying off of the roof, just ignore it. I don’t really know what else to say."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Levesque was a 14-time world champion in WWE, winning the WWE Championship nine times and the World Heavyweight Championship five times. He had significant feuds with The Rock, Mick Foley, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Michaels, Undertaker and countless others throughout the duration of his career.

He became WWE’s chief content officer in 2022 and helped usher in a "new era" in the company following the departure of Vince McMahon, his father-in-law, due to sexual misconduct allegations. He has since been the main voice behind the company's creative work.

Levesque’s WrestleMania XX match against Chris Benoit and Michaels, his WrestleMania 22 match against John Cena and WrestleMania XXIV match against Undertaker are considered some of the best in the event's history.

The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is usually set for the Friday before WrestleMania, which would be April 18. He is the only person in the class so far.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

American Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles called out Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill after he won the 60-meter at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix on Sunday.

Lyles crossed the finish line in 6.52 seconds, beating out the Bahamas’ Terrence Jones, Italy’s Marcell Jacobs and fellow Americans P.J. Austin and Trayvon Bromell. After he crossed the finish line, Lyles turned his bib around to the camera.

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

"Tyreek could never," he said referencing the NFL star wide receiver.

He talked about his challenge to Hill with NBC Sports.

"When you’re ready to actually put some words down, and you’re actually ready to race, see me," he said. "I’m right here. I ain’t going nowhere. But all I know is, your football season’s over. You ain’t got no excuse now."

HOW TO WATCH SUPER BOWL LIX BETWEEN CHIEFS, EAGLES STREAMED ON TUBI

Hill responded in a post on X. "Get a load of this guy."

He challenged Lyles back in August when the Olympic sprinter won 100-meter gold, but he refused to wager his gold medal in a race. Lyles said he would not even put his medal on the line if Hill wagered his Super Bowl ring, which he won with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 season.

Hill's teammate, Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert, told Fox News Digital in August he believes a few of their other teammates could also hold their own against Lyles in a race.

"I feel like we all could run with him," Mostert said of Lyles. "And I know that Noah Lyles brought up the fact that he would race Tyreek in a 60-yard dash or something like that. Or whatever the case may be. I feel like we all could run that 60-yard dash."

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

A former Costco executive is fed up with attacks on the grocery club’s DEI policies, saying that critics don’t understand the company’s culture. 

"The term DEI didn’t even exist to us, it was the way we ran our business… it’s who we are," former Costco International Division Senior Vice President Roger Campbell told Fox News Digital.

Campbell, 82, who retired from the company in 2015, began his career at Costco as a store manager trainee in 1986 and worked his way up the executive ranks. He spent 29 years at Costco and is fiercely defensive of it as the grocery chain faces an onslaught of attacks for its refusal to jettison its DEI initiatives. 

The former executive claims that Costco has always valued the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, even before the term "DEI" existed. Costco executives see the company’s culture as a key factor in its success and that, to his ears, DEI is synonymous with the way the company has always done business. 

While Campbell emphasized he does not speak for the company or any current executive or board member, he feels the reason Costco has been stalwart in defense of its DEI policies is because the board sees attacks on them as attacks on the business itself.

COSTCO SHOPPERS RESPOND AS COMPANY'S DEI PRACTICES FALL UNDER SCRUTINY

"Our whole idea was taking care of the employee. Our whole idea was a very simple thing — if you hire good people, pay them good wages and give them good benefits, then likely good things are going to happen," Campbell said.

Costco board members recently shot down a shareholder proposal to analyze the risks of its DEI policies. In response, 19 states’ attorneys general issued a letter to Costco CEO Ron Vachris demanding the company drop their DEI programs to conform with President Trump’s recent executive order banning DEI from the federal government. 

Trump’s executive order comes in the wake of numerous companies announcing that they’re terminating their DEI initiatives following intense public backlash, with Facebook, McDonald’s, Boeing, Harley-Davidson and others all rolling back or outright nixing the programs. 

But Costco, unlike other companies, has the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion hardwired into its DNA, Campbell claims, and feels no need to drop the programs despite the fact that they are no longer politically fashionable.

"It was the rules at some point in time. Somebody said ‘okay everybody has to get into DEI’ and you saw all these companies get into it and then get out of it because they never had one to start with," Campbell claims, "Call it what you want to call it, but we had something that worked."

O'LEARY RIPS COSTCO FOR BUCKING DEI TREND: 'BAD FOR BUSINESS'

Campbell said that when it came to hiring, Costco always sought to ensure the employees at their warehouses and stores reflected the communities they were located in demographically. He says that Costco had no trouble achieving this goal, and never had to consciously alter its hiring practices to meet a certain quota.

"Diversity was a word that was used, but it was never ‘My gosh, we need to get a program. We need to train diversity.’"

Costco based its promotions on merit, not race or gender, Campbell claimed, adding that he had never heard anyone complaining they lost an opportunity because they were a White man. However, he conceded that when he decided on promotions he would take race into account if both candidates were "equally qualified" for the job.

"If I absolutely was looking at a promotion, and there were two people where either one of those two could do this job, I think, internally, there could be a couple times where I said, ‘you know what, I need to give this diverse person an opportunity instead of holding them back,’" Campbell admitted.

COSTCO, TEAMSTERS, REACH 'TENTATIVE AGREEMENT' LIKELY AVERTING STRIKE AS COMPANY'S DEI CONTROVERSY RAGES ON

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST MEDIA AND CULTURE NEWS

Costco introduced its formal DEI initiatives as Campbell was leaving the company, but in practice he had not observed nor heard of any changes to the company’s core values.

"[The board is] associating DEI with the history of our company," he said. "If it's in our books or its in our program it’s just because it existed. We just never called it DEI, we just always thought of it as our culture."

Costco, which is facing a potential strike from unionized employees in some of its stores, has always had a pro-worker image. The grocery chain lays claim to an 8% turnover rate according to Harvard Business Review, and its average hourly rate is reportedly $31.

The grocery club’s Chairman of the Board, Hamilton E. James, donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democratic-aligned PACs in the last election cycle, with several other board members following suit. 

Campbell, who identifies as a conservative, rejects the idea that the board forces its politics on the business.

Though Campbell maintains that Costco’s commitment to diversity has been longstanding, it has not seemed to translate to the highest ranks within the company. Of its top managers, 72% are men and 81% White, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"We need more diversity at the top levels," Campbell conceded. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Shot putter Ryan Crouser parlayed his record-setting third gold medal into an acting gig.

The USA Olympian became the first person to win three golds in the shot put this past summer in Paris, and now he is set to appear in a Super Bowl commercial next Sunday.

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

"For me as a track and field athlete, [I] never would’ve even thought that a Super Bowl commercial could be a possibility. It’s been great," Crouser said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"I mean, I don't know how much of an acting career I would call it, because I'm kind of playing myself. But no, it was a really fun shoot, a lot of fun out flying out to L.A. Really just a dream come true, and I’m really excited about it."

The Michelob Ultra commercial features Crouser, Randy Moss and Sabrina Ionescu playing pickleball. What makes the commercial great, though, is that Crouser wasn't exactly doing a whole lot of acting while on the court.

"For me, being competitive, it made it pretty easy. The reason I'm good as a professional shot-putter is because I hate losing and [am] competitive by nature," he said. "They had me lined up against a professional pickleball coach, player, and he was just bringing the heat on these serves. And I was trying to return them. It was a little bit of acting, but it was also pretty genuine.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST SAYS DC PLANE CRASH HITS HOME AS AN ATHLETE: 'THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ME'

"And I got a $60,000 camera in front of me, so they’re like, "Try to return it, but don’t hit the camera."

Crouser has partnered with Michelob Ultra for some time now, which he calls a "genuine partnership."

"They’ve been great. They do a lot to support Team USA, track and field. They’ve been so supportive of me through the Olympics. I don't drink too much, especially in season, but when I'm out of season, it's a beer that I tend to drink. What I’m doing 24 hours a day, I have to be accountable as a professional athlete. So a high-quality light beer is something that if I do drink, I can bounce back from the next day and have a quality training day. It’s a true genuine partnership, which always makes it so much easier," Crouser said.

As for his camera skills, Crouser gave himself a pat on the back.

"I think I did pretty well," he quipped.

"I’ve played pickleball. It’s a fun weekend activity. As a professional athlete, you have to find that balance between low risk but still fun activities. Nobody wants to be injured, like, skiing as a professional athlete, so pickleball’s a good happy medium. I can see why it’s so popular."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Demonstrators in Arizona took to the streets to protest against President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan on Sunday, and police say officers were assaulted amid the demonstration.

Glendale Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that there was a large group of people who gathered in protest of federal immigration policies.

A police spokesperson said a police vehicle was stolen by one protester but no arrest has been made.

The demonstrator "jumped into one of our patrol vehicles and drove it a short distance before it was quickly recovered," the spokesperson said, adding that the suspect was unknown at that time.

LA FREEWAY BLOCKED BY ANTI-DEPORTATION PROTESTERS IN RESPONSE TO CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Traffic was still shut down in all directions in the area of the protest as of early Monday morning. Glendale and Phoenix Police were on the scene monitoring the situation, which Glendale Police said had begun "to fizzle out due to the excellent work conducted by Glendale and Phoenix Police Officers on scene."

Officers deployed chemical agents to disperse the "unruly and defiant crowd," the Glendale Police spokesperson said.

Several officers were assaulted, police vehicles were damaged and surrounding businesses and personal property were damaged, the spokesperson said.

Investigators will be looking into possible crimes at the protest and will work towards identifying suspects.

Anti-deportation protests were held over the weekend in multiple other cities across the country, including Los Angeles, Houston and Atlanta.

This comes amid the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts — with officials admitting that higher deportation numbers is the goal rather than the removal of violent migrants in the country illegally.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were directed by Trump officials to aggressively increase the number of people they arrest from a few hundred per day to at least 1,200 to 1,500 because the president had been disappointed with the deportation numbers, The Washington Post reported last week.

The president also reversed a directive under the Biden administration that had told immigration officials not to make arrests in sensitive areas like schools and churches.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that the administration is seeking the removal of all immigrants in the country illegally — not just those who committed criminal offenses — and falsely alleged that all migrants accused of being in the U.S. illegally are "criminals."

'DEPORTATION FLIGHTS HAVE BEGUN' AS TRUMP SENDS 'STRONG AND CLEAR MESSAGE,' WHITE HOUSE SAYS

"I know the last administration didn't see it that way, so it's a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that's exactly what they are," she said at a press briefing, declining to say if all the migrants in the U.S. illegally had criminal records.

People who cross the border illegally have committed a crime, but simply being in the U.S. illegally is a civil violation, not a criminal one. Someone could be in the country illegally without breaking laws to enter, such as overstaying a Visa.

Trump said in his inauguration speech last month that his administration would quickly deport "millions and millions" of migrants with criminal records, although the number of migrants with criminal records who are in the country without authorization is significantly less than those millions, according to Axios.

Studies also show that both legal and illegal migrants commit crimes at lower rates than U.S. citizens.

Super Bowl Sunday has the potential to be extra special for Saquon Barkley.

For one, he'll be playing for the Lombardi Trophy for the first time. It will also be his 28th birthday.

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

However, aside from the coveted trophy, he has a chance to win another grand prize next week: one of Jake Paul's Ferraris.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Paul gave his word in a social media post last week.

"This is a message for Saquon Barkley and Saquon Barkley only. If you win the Super Bowl MVP, I think you can do it brother … I will give you one of my Ferraris," Paul said in the video.

In a video where Oz The Mentalist visited the Philadelphia Eagles, Barkley was spotted wearing a shirt from Paul's men's personal care brand, W.

Barkley has dominated all season, much to New York Giants fans' chagrin. After the team opted to move off him, he became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. Had he not rested in Week 18, he very well could have broken Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record.

In 19 games played this season, including the postseason, Barkley has rushed for 2,447 yards and 18 touchdowns, five of which have come in his last two games.

Seven running backs have won the Super Bowl MVP, but it's been almost 30 years since the last one: Terrell Davis in 1997.

Barkley is 30 yards away breaking Davis' record for the most rushing yards in a season including playoff games. 

NFL SET TO PLAY IN AUSTRALIA IN 2026 WITH MARQUEE TEAMS: REPORT

The superstar running back joined the Eagles on a three-year deal this past offseason, and it's proving to be perhaps their best move in recent memory. Out of his 19 games played, he's rushed for 100-plus 12 times and has eclipsed the 200-yard mark twice.

Including the playoffs, Barkley is averaging 128.8 rushing yards per game. So, it's certainly not out of the question that he could break the running back drought.

He'll just have to do it against the back-to-back reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.