Amid a wave of early shakeups in the new administration, President Donald Trump has twice this month proposed "denuclearization" talks with U.S. adversaries.

"Tremendous amounts of money are being spent on nuclear, and the destructive capacity is something we don’t even want to talk about today, because you don’t want to hear it," Trump mused in remarks to the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, last week. 

"I want to see if we can denuclearize, and I think it’s very possible," suggesting talks on the issue between the U.S., Russia and China. 

Such an idea could represent a major thawing in U.S. relations with two global adversaries – but begs the question of whether the U.S. could trust the nations to hold up their end of the deal.  

President Vladimir Putin announced Russia would suspend its participation in the New START treaty in 2023 over U.S. support for Ukraine. Russia had frequently been caught violating the terms of the deal. But China has never engaged in negotiations with the U.S. over arms reduction. 

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Trump reiterated to Fox News' Sean Hannity on Wednesday that he'd been close to a "denuclearization" deal with Russia during his first term. 

"I was dealing with Putin about the denuclearization of Russia and the United States. And then we were going to bring China along on that one. I was very close to having a deal. I would have made a deal with Putin on that denuclearization. It's very dangerous and very expensive, and that would have been great, but we had a bad election that interrupted us."

The Defense Department now expects that China will have more than 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, a near-doubling of the estimated 600 they possess right now. 

In a speech on Jan. 17, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that "amid a ‘hybrid war’ waged by Washington against Russia, we aren’t seeing any basis, not only for any additional joint measures in the sphere of arms control and reduction of strategic risks, but for any discussion of strategic stability issues with the United States."

But Putin, in an address on Monday, struck a more diplomatic tone: "We see the statements by the newly elected president… about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia. We also hear his statement about the need to do everything possible to prevent World War III. We, of course, welcome this attitude." 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said of Trump's comments at a news conference on Wednesday: "China's development of nuclear weapons is a historic choice forced to be made. As a responsible major country, China is committed to the path of peaceful development and friendly cooperation with all countries in the world."

Experts argue Russia is using its leverage over nuclear arms control as a means for the U.S. agreeing to favorable terms to end the war with Ukraine.

"Russians are ‘me first’ painstaking negotiators, and what they're doing in this case, is they're clearly laying a bit of a trap," said John Erath of the Center for Arms Control and Non-proliferation.

"It makes sense dangling arms control, which they perceive as something that we want, in front of us and saying, ‘Oh, by the way, we'll talk about reducing nuclear weapons,’ as an incentive to get us to throw the Ukrainians under the bus."

But whether Trump was revealing a policy priority or speaking on a whim with the Davos comments is anyone’s guess.  

The president took heat during his first term for meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to discuss nuclear reduction. That effort fell apart, and Trump resorted to threatening to rain "fire and fury" on North Korea. 

"I think he's very sensitive to the dangers of nuclear war, and realizes that in many ways, we're closer to that today than we have been in many, many decades," said George Beebe, a director at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. 

One thing most experts agree on is that the U.S. nuclear program is expensive and outdated. With some 3,700 warheads in its arsenal, the U.S. is expected to spend $756 billion to store and maintain its nuclear weapons between 2023 and 2032. 

"Regardless of reductions, however, the administration and Congress must continue modernizing and ensuring the reliability of the U.S. nuclear arsenal while eliminating excessive spending where possible," said Andrea Stricker, deputy director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy's nonproliferation program. 

Arms experts admit that Russia has cheated on arms treaties, but U.S. intelligence capabilities have grown to ensure compliance.

"We've done it throughout the Cold War to varying degrees, and I think we've gotten better and more capable in our intelligence community of monitoring compliance with these sorts of things. So that is certainly a feasible approach to take," said Beebe.

MIKE JOHNSON REPLACES POWERFUL INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AFTER RUSSIAN NUCLEAR THREAT WARNING

But China and Russia aren’t the only U.S. adversaries with nuclear weapons. North Korea is estimated to have an arsenal of 50 nuclear warheads, Iran is on the precipice of enriching uranium to potent enough levels for a bomb. 

"Before engaging in arms control talks, Washington needs a strategy for how it will simultaneously deter two peer nuclear competitors, Russia and China, which could combine forces with states like North Korea and Iran to attack or coerce the United States," said Stricker.

In the four decades between the U.S. atomic bombings of Japan in 1945 and the first arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia, the world was on edge as the two superpowers raced to claim the world's largest arsenal. In 1987, Washington and Moscow signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which led to the dismantling of thousands of bombs.

But over the years, the U.S. and Russia lost their monopoly on civilization-ending weapons: now nine countries are nuclear-armed, rendering bilateral treaties less and less effective. 

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, is taking aim at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and, according to senior congressional sources, moved to seize control of the independent agency over the weekend.

The senior congressional sources told Fox News that more than 50 senior USAID staff members were placed on administrative leave and subjected to a gag order, meaning they were not allowed to communicate with anyone outside the agency without approval.

Signs were also removed from USAID’s headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., and the DOGE team took over the computer systems, the sources said. USAID is responsible for distributing civilian foreign aid and development assistance to countries around the globe. 

The agency managed approximately $40 billion in appropriations last year, according to the Congressional Research Service.

RUBIO PAUSES FOREIGN AID FROM STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID TO ENSURE IT PUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST’

President Donald Trump complimented Musk's decision-making on Sunday during a quick interaction with reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. When asked if he felt Musk was "delivering on his promises," the president responded with much praise.

"I do think Elon is doing a good job," Trump said. "He's a big cost cutter. Sometimes we won't agree with it and will not go where he wants to go, but I think he's doing a great job. He's a smart guy, very smart, and he's very much into cutting the budget of our federal government."

On Sunday, The Associated Press reported that the Trump administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID on leave after refusing to turn over classified material in restricted areas to DOGE.

After initially being refused access to USAID’s classified information, DOGE gained that access on Saturday, allowing them to see things like intelligence reports, a current and a former U.S. official told the AP.

The DOGE team members lacked high enough security clearance to access the information, so the two USAID security officials – John Voorhees and deputy Brian McGill – believed they were legally obligated to deny access.

On Sunday, Musk took aim at USAID on his social media platform X, writing, "USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die."

AFTER RAUCOUS FIRST WEEK IN OFFICE, DONALD TRUMP TO KEEP HIS FOOT ON THE GAS

He also wrote several other posts about the agency, saying things like, "USAID was a viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America" and "USAID is evil."

The latter was in response to a post suggesting USAID helped fund coronavirus research in Wuhan, China, which referred to an interaction posted on Forbes between Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and now former USAID Administrator Samantha Power in April 2023.

Trump echoed Musk's posts by saying USAID has been run by "a bunch of radical lunatics" and his administration is "getting them out." 

ABC News reported that those familiar with USAID were questioning whether the moves at USAID were being made in an effort to move the agency under the State Department, where there could be better accountability.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NEEDS MORE PLANES TO CARRY OUT DEPORTATIONS: REPORT

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., turned to social media on Sunday to sound off on the "dismantling" of USAID.

"Trump and Musk are recklessly and illegally dismantling USAID, an essential national security agency that saves lives, advances U.S. interests, and promotes peace," Booker wrote. "Their malicious actions are putting the health of people, especially children, at grave risk, and will surely lead to future public health and migration crises in the U.S. – let alone suffering around the globe." 

Last week, at least 56 USAID officials were placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits, and several hundred contractors based in Washington and elsewhere were laid off.

The actions came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, acting on Trump's executive order, paused all U.S. foreign assistance funded by or through the State Department and USAID.

The 90-day pause has halted thousands of U.S.-funded humanitarian, development and security programs worldwide and forced aid organizations to lay off hundreds of employees because they can't make payroll.

Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump defended his recent tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night – and hinted that the European Union may suffer a similar fate.

The tariffs, which were authorized in an executive order on Saturday, will go into effect Tuesday. Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 25% additional tariff will be levied on imports from Canada and Mexico, and a 10% tariff on imports from China.

In the executive order, Trump said that the tariffs stem from an "extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, [that] constitutes a national emergency."

The tariffs have invited international criticism from leaders and citizens alike in Canada and Mexico. During his exchange with reporters on Sunday evening, Trump accused Canada of being "abusive" toward the U.S. in terms of trade.

TRUMP IMPOSES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS FROM CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA: 'NATIONAL EMERGENCY'

"Canada has been very abusive of the United States for many years. They don't allow our banks," Trump claimed. "And you know that Canada does not allow banks to go in, if you think about it. That's pretty amazing. If we have a U.S. bank, they don't allow them to go in."

"Canada has been very tough for oil on energy. They don't allow our farm products in, essentially. They don't allow a lot of things in. And we allow everything to come in as being a one-way street."

Trump also claimed that the U.S. subsidizes Canada "by the tune of about $200 billion a year."

"And for what? What do we get out of it? We don't get anything out of it," he added. "I love the people of Canada. I disagree with the leadership of Canada and something is going to happen there."

The Republican leader also said that he will "definitely" impose tariffs against the European Union, which he said the U.S. has a $300 billion trade deficit with.

"They don't take our cars, they don't take our farm products, they take almost nothing," Trump said. "And we take everything from them. Millions of cars, tremendous amounts of food and farm products. So the UK is way out of line and we'll see the UK, but the European Union is really out of line."

In a statement on Saturday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that her country "categorically reject[s] the White House's slander against the Mexican government of having alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of intervention in our territory."

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"Mexico not only does not want fentanyl to reach the United States, but anywhere," the statement read. "Therefore, if the United States wants to combat criminal groups that traffic drugs and generate violence, we must work together in an integrated manner, but always under the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, collaboration and, above all, respect for sovereignty, which is not negotiable."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slighted the U.S. by encouraging Canadians to "buy Canada" in response to the tariffs.

"Now is the time to choose products made right here in Canada," Trudeau wrote on X. "Check the labels. Let’s do our part. Wherever we can, choose Canada."

During Sunday's exchange with reporters, Trump also discussed the prospect of cutting off aid to South Africa after its president signed a controversial land seizure measure.

"Terrible things are happening in South Africa," Trump said. "The leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things. So that's under investigation right now."

His remarks came after he accused South Africa of "treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY" in a Truth Social post on Sunday.

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"It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention," Trump's statement read. "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!"

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?"

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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"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. 

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"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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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."

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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. 

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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. 

President Donald Trump's administration has reached a deal to grant the Texas National Guard new authority to make immigration arrests this weekend.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott referenced the deal on social media, saying it would "boost manpower for border security." Under the agreement, Texas National Guard troops would be able to arrest illegal immigrants so long as there is a U.S. immigration officer or Border Patrol agent present. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Abbott said the deal was "effective immediately" as of Sunday night.

The deal is only the latest front in Trump's nationwide blitz against illegal immigration. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other border security groups have leaned into their deportation efforts since Trump gained office.

TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES SLAMMED FOR POST-NYC ICE RAID COMMENTS: ‘GET ON THE SAME PAGE’

Trump's 2024 campaign promised to curb illegal immigration that flourished under the Biden administration. The 47th President promised to deport migrants, including those who had long rap sheets or ties to gangs or terrorist organizations.

On the first day of his second term, Trump issued ten executive orders aimed at overhauling U.S. immigration law and policy. Less than a week back in the Oval Office, Trump touted that he is keeping his promises.

"Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency at our southern border. I sent active duty troops on the border to help repel the invasion. Tom Homan is leading the charge. You know that. We like Tom Homan. Doing a great job," Trump said at a recent rally.

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"We immediately halted all illegal entry and began sending every border trespasser and violator back to the places from which they came. I signed an order that will designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. It's a big deal, it's a big deal. Biden didn't want to do that," he added. "Biden didn't know he was alive. He didn't want to do it."

Federal officials deported some 7,300 illegal immigrants in the opening week of Trump's administration alone.

Fox News' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) staffers said that they tracked over 600 workers who reported getting locked out of the USAID computer systems overnight, according to the Associated Press. People who remained in the system got emails stating that "at the direction of Agency leadership" the headquarters facility "will be closed to Agency personnel on Monday, Feb. 3."

Elon Musk, who is spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, had said during an X spaces conversation that President Donald Trump agreed that the USAID should be shut down.

Musk indicated that the shut-down process is underway. 

He said that unlike an apple contaminated by a worm, the agency is "a bowl of worms."

MUSK'S DOGE TAKES AIM AT ‘VIPER’S NEST' FEDERAL AGENCY WITH GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

"There is no apple," he said. "It's beyond repair."

Musk noted that the more he has gotten to know Trump, the more he likes the president.

"Frankly, I love the guy. He's great," the business tycoon said of the commander in chief.

USAID WORKERS PUT ON LEAVE AS TRUMP OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE RESISTANCE TO AID PAUSE

Musk has been excoriating USAID in posts on X.

"USAID is a criminal organization. Time for it to die," he tweeted.

"USAID was a viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America," he asserted.

RUBIO PAUSES FOREIGN AID FROM STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID TO ENSURE IT PUTS ‘AMERICA FIRST’

"We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper. Could [have] gone to some great parties. Did that instead," Musk noted.

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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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."

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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.

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