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House lawmakers have voted to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, after he was thrown out of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.

Ten Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the measure. Green himself voted ‘present,’ along with first-term Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala.

‘Al Green’s childish outburst exposed the chaos and dysfunction within the Democrat party since President Trump’s overwhelming win in November and his success in office thus far. It is not surprising 198 Democrats refused to support Green’s censure given their history of radical, inflammatory rhetoric fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome,’ House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital.

The 10 Democrats who voted to censure Green are Reps. Ami Bera, D-Calif.; Ed Case, D-Hawaii; Jim Costa, D-Calif.; Laura Gillen, D-N.Y.; Jim Himes, D-Conn.; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.; and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.

Republicans raced to introduce competing resolutions to censure Green on Wednesday, with three separate texts being drafted within hours of each other.

Fox News Digital was told that Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., whose resolution got a vote on the House floor Thursday morning, had reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., about working on a censure resolution immediately after Trump’s speech ended on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the House Freedom Caucus had aimed to make good on a threat to censure any Democrats who protested Trump’s speech, and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, crafted his own censure resolution against Green that got more than 30 House GOP co-sponsors.

But Newhouse took to the House floor on Wednesday afternoon to deem his resolution ‘privileged,’ a maneuver forcing House leaders to take up a bill within two legislative days.

Newhouse told Fox News Digital after the vote, ‘President Trump’s address to Congress was not a debate or a forum; he was invited by the Speaker to outline his agenda for the American people. The actions by my colleague from Texas broke the rules of decorum in the House, and he must be held accountable.’

A bid by House Democrats to block the resolution from getting a vote failed on Wednesday. Green himself voted ‘present.’

The 77-year-old Democrat was removed from Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday night after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of the president’s speech.

He shouted, ‘You have no mandate!,’ at Trump as he touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House.

Johnson had Green removed by the U.S. Sergeant-at-Arms.

It was part of a larger issue with Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday night, with many engaging in both silent and vocal acts of protest against Trump. Democrats were also chided for not standing up to clap when Trump designated a 13-year-old boy an honorary Secret Service agent.

The House speaker publicly challenged Democrats to vote with Republicans in favor of the censure on Thursday.

‘Despite my repeated warnings, he refused to cease his antics, and I was forced to remove him from the chamber,’ Johnson posted on X. ‘He deliberately violated House rules, and an expeditious vote of censure is an appropriate remedy. Any Democrat who is concerned about regaining the trust and respect of the American people should join House Republicans in this effort.’

Green, who shook Newhouse’s hand before speaking out during debate on his own censure, stood by his actions on Wednesday.

‘I heard the speaker when he said that I should cease. I did not, and I did not with intentionality. It was not done out of a burst of emotion,’ Green said.

‘I think that on some questions, questions of conscience, you have to be willing to suffer the consequences. And I have said I will. I will suffer whatever the consequences are, because I don’t believe that in the richest country in the world, people should be without good healthcare.’

Other recent lawmakers censured on the House floor have been Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and now-Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

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Two House Democrats, including prominent President Donald Trump critic Jasmine Crockett, suggested during a live stream on Tuesday that the president’s policy agenda is aimed at driving Black people ‘back to the fields’ to the time of slavery.

‘They have decided to go after immigrants and things like that and say, ‘oh they takin your black jobs, they taking your black jobs, not really,’ Crockett told Rev. Franklin Haynes on Tuesday as part of the ‘State of the People’ stream to counter to Trump’s address to Congress. 

‘They are obviously jobs they want us to go back to, such as working the fields, those immigrants that come into our country work the fields, something that we ain’t done in a long time and clearly he is trying to make us go back to the fields.’

Crockett’s suggestion that Trump’s goal is to send Black Americans ‘back to the fields’ was echoed by Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson in the same video.

‘It’s a recipe to make education unavailable to Black people,’ Johnson said about Trump’s plans for education policy. ‘It puts us back to when America was ‘great’ and we were picking cotton and doing the productivity that they’re putting my Latino brothers and sisters who migrate here to do that work because we are not suited intellectually to do it anymore.’

‘But they would have us back, confined to doing that kind of work. We gotta watch out for where we are headed. It’s the people that will save our democracy that will stop this movement toward the past that Trump has us hurtling towards.’

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Crockett and Johnson for comment. 

Crockett’s comment came shortly after she faced criticism from conservatives on social media after claiming that Trump is an ‘enemy to the United States’ and a ‘dictator.’

Crockett has become one of the most prominent faces of the Democrat pushback against Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts and recently said that if she could say anything to Musk it would be, ‘F— off.’

The comments from Crockett and Johnson were made just a few months after Trump made historic strides with Black voters at the ballot box in November. 

A Fox News Voter Analysis showed Trump’s crossover appeal to Democratic constituencies was foundational to his success. He improved on his 2020 numbers among Hispanics (41%, +6 points), Black voters (15%, +7 points) and young voters (46%, +10 points).

These rightward shifts were particularly notable among Hispanic men (+8 points), Black men (+12 points) and men under 30 (+14 points) from 2020.

Trump’s strength with Black voters was felt in Anson County, North Carolina, where the Republican candidate won there for the first time since the 1970s and only the second time in more than 100 years. Trump received 50.9% of the vote compared to 48.2% for then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Black residents make up 47% of the population in Anson County.

Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

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A federal judge has further blocked the National Institutes of Health from implementing a policy to crackdown on how much money it doles out for indirect costs associated with grants it awards.

NIH announced a plan last month to set the rate at 15% across the board.

‘The United States should have the best medical research in the world. It is accordingly vital to ensure that as many funds as possible go towards direct scientific research costs rather than administrative overhead. NIH is accordingly imposing a standard indirect cost rate on all grants of 15% pursuant to its 45 C.F.R. 75.414(c) authority,’ the NIH explained in a notice last month.

But the agency has been blocked from implementing the policy as challenges play out in court.

U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley, who had issued a temporary restraining order last month, granted a preliminary injunction on Wednesday.

‘The imminent risk of halting life-saving clinical trials, disrupting the development of innovative medical research and treatment, and shuttering of research facilities, without regard for current patient care, warranted the issuance of a nationwide temporary restraining order to maintain the status quo, until the matter could be fully addressed before the Court,’ the court document declared.

‘Following full briefing and oral argument by the parties, as well as review of accepted amicus briefs, the Court GRANTS a nationwide preliminary injunction,’ the document states.

After then-President Joe Biden nominated Kelley to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in 2021, Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Susan Collins of Maine voted with Democrats to confirm the jurist to the role.

The judge’s decision comes as various states, universities and other entities challenge NIH’s attempt to adopt the across-the-board 15% rate.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., scolded Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for engaging in ‘shameful and egregious behavior’ during President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress. The speaker, who booted Green from the House chamber, accused the lawmaker of violating House rules ‘deliberately.’

The speaker’s post on X condemning Green’s behavior comes just hours after a resolution to censure the Texas Democrat survived an attempt by his party to table it.

Speaker Johnson wrote in a post on X that Green ‘disgraced the institution of Congress’ with his protest during Trump’s address. He also urged Democrats to join in voting for the censure.

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., introduced the resolution punishing Green on Wednesday. Now that it has survived the Democrats’ push to table it, the resolution will likely be headed for a House-wide vote today.

The resolution likely did not come as a surprise to Green, who, upon his expulsion from the speech, told the press he would be ‘willing to suffer whatever punishment’ came about from the incident. In fact, Green tweeted on Thursday reminding his followers on X about the upcoming censure vote.

While there were multiple resolutions to censure Green, Fox News Digital was told that Newhouse had been in contact with House GOP leadership about his resolution since Trump’s speech ended.

‘I think [Green’s protest is] unprecedented. Certainly in the modern era. It wasn’t an excited utterance. It was a, you know, planned, prolonged protest,’ Speaker Johnson told reporters on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, Green began shouting after President Trump called the 2024 election ‘a mandate like has not been seen in many decades,’ and touting the GOP’s victories.

Johnson issued Green a warning and asked him to take his seat. When Green refused and continued protesting, the speaker asked the Sergeant at Arms to remove the Texas Democrat from the room.

‘The president said he had a mandate, and I was making it clear to the president that he no mandate to cut Medicaid,’ Green told press in the hallway outside of Trump’s address. He then called on President Trump to ‘save Medicaid,’ something that was written on several paddles used in the Democrats’ silent protest of the speech.

Rep. Green was the first and only Democrat to actively disrupt the president’s speech on Tuesday night. Other Democrats held up signs and many walked out of the speech early.

The resolution to censure, if it passes, does not carry any consequences, rather it serves as a formal condemnation of Green by the House. Other lawmakers who have faced censure include former Rep. Adam Schiff, former Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind and Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.

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A House GOP lawmaker wants to clear the path for President Donald Trump to sell off a federal building named after former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The Stop Wasteful Allocations of Money for Pelosi (SWAMP) Act, led by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., would direct the General Services Administration (GSA) to ‘dispose of the property’ or sell it ‘at fair market value and for the highest and best use,’ according to bill text obtained by Fox News Digital.

It is the latest effort by House Republicans to enact Trump’s agenda through legislative means amid a flurry of bills seeking to codify the president’s executive orders.

‘We are over $36 trillion in debt. Instead of maintaining expensive, underutilized vanity projects for liberal politicians, the federal government should be focused on efficiency and fiscal responsibility,’ Carter told Fox News Digital.

‘Selling the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building is part of a broader effort to rein in federal overreaches, reduce our debt, and put American taxpayers first.’

The Nancy Pelosi Federal Building is an 18-story structure in San Francisco that is home to several aspects of the U.S. government, including Pelosi’s own district office.

It also houses offices for the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration, among others.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported last month that Trump was looking at selling the building named after his chief Democratic rival. However, the GSA denied it was politically motivated in a statement to Fox News Digital sent last week.

‘GSA is prioritizing the reduction of deferred liability costs across our real estate portfolio, including the potential sale of buildings in need of extensive repair. Any suggestion that our planning is driven by politics is absurd,’ a GSA spokesperson said. GSA is actively working with our tenant agencies to assess their space needs, and we’ll share more information on specific savings and facilities as soon as we’re able.’

The building was built with environmental impacts in mind. However, the area surrounding the facility has fallen prey to illicit activities.

A 2020 executive order that Trump signed during his first term, aimed at revitalizing federal buildings, referred to the building as ‘one of the ugliest structures’ in San Francisco.

Fox News Digital reached out to a Pelosi spokesperson for comment but did not immediately hear back.

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A new high-powered microwave system that can knock swarms of drones out of the sky at once is going to ‘touch every aspect of warfare,’ according to Epirus founder, Joe Lonsdale. 

‘It’s kind of like a Star Trek shield,’ Lonsdale, founder of Epirus and a co-founder of fast-rising defense technology company Palantir, explained of its Leonidas counter-drone system. ‘It’s able to turn them off from very far away.’ 

‘This is going to touch every aspect of warfare over the next decade,’ said Lonsdale. ‘We can knock down some pretty advanced drones.’ 

Defense tech startup Epirus secured another $250 million in a Series D funding round, which was announced Wednesday, bringing its total venture funding to over $550 million. 

Epirus’ Leonidas system is a ground-based, directed energy weapon that fires off an electromagnetic pulse to disable swarms of drones, or it can neutralize precision targets. The company aims to help the military shift away from a ‘1 to 1 mindset to a ‘1 to many’ way of thinking for short-range defense,’ according to CEO Andy Lowery. 

Drone swarms have been a key frontline tactic in the Russia-Ukraine war because most defense systems are designed to take out one unmanned vehicle at a time. Additionally, in the Middle East, the U.S. has been using multimillion-dollar missiles to shoot down Houthi drones that are built for around $2,000 or less. 

‘Swarms of drones is where war is going, and currently you have swarms of drones that are very expensive and very difficult to stop,’ said Lonsdale. ‘It’s not just drones, they’re all sorts of different types of uses for this,’ he added, predicting that one day the technology might be deployed to freeze up planes in the sky and protect satellites. The technology has already been successful in Defense Department tests on boat motors and other electronics, according to the company.  

‘This is just it’s just going to touch every aspect of warfare in the next decade.’ 

Rep. Rob Wittman, vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee, warned that the U.S. needs to ‘run to play catchup’ with its adversaries in the counter-UAS space. 

‘We are not doing what we need to do,’ he told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the National Security Innovation Base Summit in Washington, D.C. ‘We have failed miserably at counter-UAS. We do okay in CENTCOM [Central Command], but … in places like Langley Air Force Base, we are not where we need to be.’ 

Dozens of drones hovered over Langley for over two weeks in 2023, and lawmakers say they still have not been provided with an explanation. 

Epirus won a $66 million contract in 2023 to supply its Leonidas to the U.S. Army, and the technology is believed to be  in the testing phase by Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, according to comments that Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George made to Congress last year. 

The rapid rise of unmanned aerial vehicles in war has prompted a defensive race to develop systems to counter them, like high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves. 

‘We have a lot of people who are, you know, coming into the [Defense Department]wanting to embrace new technologies,’ said Lonsdale. ‘They’re really excited about this.’ 

The defense entrepreneur suggested there is ‘tons of waste’ in the Pentagon that could be repurposed for new technologies.

‘There’s a ton of cronyism. We’re seeing tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars you could pull out, depending [on] how aggressive you want to be. And these should be put into cutting-edge technologies that actually deter enemies.’

Epirus was valued at $1.35 billion when it raised $200 million in Series C funding, but the company did not disclose its valuation for this round. 

The California-based company will use the new cash influx to expand into international and commercial markets and expand manufacturing in the U.S. 

The company is also planning to open a new simulation center in Oklahoma to train soldiers in counter-drone warfare. 

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INDIANAPOLIS – NFL teams awash in disposable income now have a better idea of how to earmark their funds later this month.

“Free agency is a great roster-building tool,” Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort said at the annual scouting combine last week. “We’re right here on the cusp of the two biggest roster-building opportunities for us in free agency followed by the draft.

“We’re going to be active in both of them,” continued Ossenfort, who is projected to have something close to an $80 million bankroll, among the league’s largest this offseason, to lure veteran players.

“We’re going to make smart decisions and things that we think are the right fit for our team, both the person – (their) makeup – and then also schematically, who can help us the most.’

Ossenfort and his peers across the league have less than a week before they can officially begin recruiting that help in earnest. NFL free agents cannot begin signing contracts with new teams until 4 p.m. ET on March 12, though they can engage in negotiations with outside clubs starting next Monday. The passage of Tuesday afternoon’s deadline to apply franchise and transition tags has brought some measure of clarity to the market, Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins and Kansas City Chiefs G Trey Smith – both likely to be among the top five players available this year if they’d been unrestricted – effectively taken off the shelf after both were franchised.

Though Higgins and/or Smith could still be traded down the line, their tags dilute what was already a fairly thin crop of highly desirable veterans. With franchised players excluded, here is USA TODAY Sports’ updated list of the top 25* free agents available in 2025:

WINNERS AND LOSERS: Of NFL’s 2025 franchise tag deadline

1. QB Sam Darnold

Does he bring an element of concern given the arc of his career, despite its 2024 spike? Surely. But is there anyone else on the market with the potential to have such a franchise-changing impact? Good luck finding one. Last season had a suboptimal ending for Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings with convincing losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 and the playoffs, respectively. Prior to that, Darnold, 27, was something of a belated revelation six years after he was drafted third overall by the New York Jets – driving the Vikes to the cusp of the NFC’s No. 1 seed during a 14-3 campaign that earned him Pro Bowl recognition for the first time as he passed for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and a 102.5 rating, all easily career bests. And now, with Matthew Stafford no longer unofficially available after redoing his deal with the Rams, Darnold could also be the financial beneficiary of a thin class of quarterbacks in the draft at a time when at least a half-dozen teams seem solidly in the market for an answer behind center – which isn’t to say Minnesota might not lure him back once all is said and done … the Vikings just weren’t willing to do it for $40 million.

2. OLB Josh Sweat

At 6-5, 265 pounds, he’s built to man the edge, whether as a base end or stand-up linebacker. Just 27, Sweat has averaged better than eight sacks and 26 pressures over the last four seasons since he was named a Pro Bowler for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. And, unlike Darnold, Sweat, who already mans a highly coveted post, should get a postseason premium attached to his negotiations as a guy who’s played in two Super Bowls over the past three seasons. All he did in the Super Bowl 59 rollover of the Chiefs was generate 2½ sacks and seven pressures (per Pro Football Focus) of QB Patrick Mahomes – an MVP-caliber performance on the NFL’s grandest stage that could especially make prospective contenders salivate.

3. CB Byron Murphy Jr.

He erupted for the Vikings in 2024, named a Pro Bowler for the first time after recording career highs for interceptions (6), passes defensed (14) and tackles (81) – all while often working on an island given Minnesota’s propensity to blitz. Quarterbacks only managed an 80.5 rating when targeting him. Murphy, 27, should be especially valuable given he’s comfortable lining up wide or playing in the slot.

4. DT Milton Williams

Yet another Philly player in line for a Lombardi bump, Williams excelled in 2024, when he played a career-high 501 snaps and responded with a personal best five sacks to go along with 28 hurries (per PFF). A third-round pick in 2021, the 25-year-old has started 17 times over the past two seasons but appears to be in line for a front-liner’s playing time – and a starter’s money. Given the Eagles’ depth on the D-line, he’s not likely to get that in Philly. But Williams had to be smiling Tuesday, when the Dallas Cowboys rewarded fellow DT Osa Odighizuwa with a four-year, $80 million extension in order to keep him off the market.

5. LT Ronnie Stanley

The two-time Pro Bowler is definitely the most talented blind side protector on the market and just played a full season for the first time in his nine-year career, attributes that should fetch him a fat bag. Stanley is also almost 31 … and just played a full season for the first time in his nine-year career, attributes that may give several teams pause. Still, his value likely got a further bump after the Rams recently took LT Alaric Jackson out of play by extending him for three years.

6. S Jevon Holland

On the plus side, he’ll be 25 at the start of next season and – when on top of his game – is an impact player, whether as a pass rusher or ball hawk, Holland responsible for nine takeaways in his four seasons to go along with five forced fumbles. But consistency has been an issue at times, and he’s missed seven games over the past two seasons. Regardless, good bet Holland lands financially at the summit of the safety market currently topped by Antoine Winfield ($21 million per season).

7. CB D.J. Reed

Still only 28, he also mans a position where demand always outstrips supply. Reed has averaged double-digit passes defensed over the past four seasons even if he’s not necessarily an interception machine (four total over that stretch). But he’s durable and a willing tackler, a trait that distinguishes him from many of his peers. However penalties have been an issue in recent years with the Jets, and he has had the benefit of playing opposite of Sauce Gardner the past three seasons.

8. WR Chris Godwin

He was having a monster season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 – and on pace for a career year – with 50 catches for 576 yards and five TDs in seven games. But Godwin, who just turned 29, suffered a dislocated ankle in October that obviously required surgery and relegated him to injured reserve. Such a setback is concerning for a middle-aged (by NFL standards) wideout. Yet perhaps it will be offset not only by the fact Godwin can line up anywhere and is tough as nails, but also because he could command more suitors (and money) with Higgins spoken for and this year’s draft not nearly as stocked with high-end wideouts as 2024’s was.

9. LT Cam Robinson

Stanley is more gifted when it comes to safeguarding quarterbacks. But Robinson, 29, is slightly younger and generally more likely to remain in the lineup – though he was suspended four games at the start of the 2024 campaign, while in Jacksonville, for violating the performance-enhancing substances policy before later being dealt to Minnesota. Jackson’s deal, which averages $19 million annually, should also boost Robinson’s market.

10. S Justin Reid

He posted one of his best seasons in years in 2024. Reid, who turned 28 last month, is an extremely bright player, a reliable tackler and has literally been the last line of defense for Chiefs coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has counted on him with confidence the past three years. Yet Reid typically doesn’t make a ton of splash plays – i.e., generating turnovers or as a blitzer – so it’s little surprise that K.C. prioritized Smith, especially given the need to safeguard Mahomes.

11. C Drew Dalman

Looking for a highly reliable snapper to anchor your line who’s only 26 and has Stanford smarts? Then Dalman might be your guy, though he did miss eight games last season for the Atlanta Falcons with an ankle injury. Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get a deal that pays him at least $15 million annually.

12. OLB Joey Bosa

*QB Aaron Rodgers

Technically, he’s not a free agent – yet – but he is effectively, permitted to speak with potential employers after the Jets signaled their intention to end their two-year relationship with the four-time league MVP prematurely. Rodgers’ age (41) is just one red flag on what’s a sterling résumé from a football standpoint. Yet despite the off-field baggage he lugs into a locker room, he’s also a quarterbacking savant and a tough one – starting all 17 games despite a litany of injuries to his lower body in 2024. Yet over his final nine starts with the NYJ, Rodgers passed for 218 yards per game with 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions (95.1 QB rating). It wasn’t on par with his Green Bay heyday, but those modestly impressive figures should certainly be sufficient to get him a starting job in 2025 … maybe even with a contender like Pittsburgh given the mutual man crush coach Mike Tomlin and Rodgers seem to have.

13. CB Carlton Davis

A solid player who’s just 28 and has 17 takeaways in seven NFL years. However Davis tends to get banged up, having never played a full season – a broken jaw cutting his 2024 stint with Detroit short at 13 games.

14. WR Davante Adams

Released by the Jets on Tuesday, he’s 32 and two years removed from his most recent All-Pro season. In fairness to Adams, he’s played on two bad teams (Las Vegas Raiders, NYJ) and more than a half-dozen quarterbacks during that period, yet seemed to be recapturing his deadly form in the second half of 2024 after getting reacquainted with Rodgers. Even after a bumpy assimilation following his trade to New York last October, Adams’ numbers projected over 17 games with the Jets would have translated to 104 receptions for 1,320 yards and 11 TDs … which seems like a typical campaign during his peak. His market might actually be more limited by choosing to remain hitched to Rodgers – if that, in fact, transpires – than his ability to, at minimum, perform at a 1A wideout level. As a ‘street free agent’ – meaning his contract was terminated prior to its expiration – Adams is already free to sign with a new club.

15. S Talanoa Hufanga

Two years ago, he looked (literally) like the next Troy Polamalu, earning All-Pro honors for the San Francisco 49ers while wreaking havoc all over the field. Hufanga has yet to regain that form since suffering a torn ACL late in the 2023 season, but this might be the right time to invest in a guy who recently turned 26.

16. CB Charvarius Ward

Like Hufanga, Ward, 28, is coming off a disappointing season with the Niners. However given he was dealing with a knee injury and, more importantly, the death of his 1-year-old daughter, Ward’s struggles were more than understandable. He was a dominant player in previous seasons and very well could be again.

17. QB Russell Wilson

If you want a Super Bowl-proven quarterback with a different set of issues than Rodgers’, then Mr. Unlimited might be your guy. Wilson was named a Pro Bowler for the 10th time this season … though only after enough AFC quarterbacks declined the invitation. Overall, his passing numbers in 2024 (63.7% completion rate, 2,482 yards, 16 TDs, 5 INTs, 95.6 rating), his first in Pittsburgh, were generally in line with his career norms on a per-game basis. But the 36-year-old’s late-season decline (which bookended a training camp calf injury that cost him six regular-season starts) also mirrored the downfall of the Steelers, who lost their final five games and weren’t even competitive in most of those. He’s basically no longer a threat with his legs, either, which can amplify his tendency to struggle from the pocket. Still, Wilson might still find an opportunity to start – a reunion with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas? – even if those days appear decidedly numbered.

18. QB Justin Fields

If you want a younger passer with scads of talent – and a far more pronounced ability to make plays with his legs than Darnold – rather than a veteran, then Fields, who turns 26 on Wednesday, might be your guy. Though Wilson initially justified Tomlin’s decision to bench Fields, many never understood the logic given how well he played while winning four of his six starts to begin the 2024 campaign. And Fields showed noticeable improvement along the way, earning his teammates’ trust while adding what seemed an ideal dimension to OC Arthur Smith’s offense given his dynamic ability to make plays outside the pocket. Seems like there’s a much stronger chance Pittsburgh would choose to run it back with Fields in 2025 than Wilson.

19. DE Chase Young

Despite the outlandish pre-draft comparisons in 2020, he’ll never become the next Lawrence Taylor. But the New Orleans Saints may have hit on something, solely using Young as a situational pass rusher in 2024. He responded with 5½ sacks and a career-best (by far) 34 pressures. Young, still only 25, may not break the bank, but he should do better than having to settle for another one-year deal.

20. RB Rico Dowdle

Is he the next Saquon Barkley? Hardly. But Dowdle, 26, did explode for a career-best 1,328 yards from scrimmage (on 274 touches) when Dallas finally gave him a chance to play in 2024 – and the Cowboys almost certainly would have been better off had they given him more reps rather than force Ezekiel Elliott into the rotation early in the season. Newly promoted head coach Brian Schottenheimer has already expressed his hope that Dowdle, who ran with maximum effort after finally getting his NFL opportunity, returns. But he might fetch more money – whether as a starter or change-of-pace back – elsewhere … and might be especially attractive given his relative lack of usage (387 career touches) since the Cowboys signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2020.

21. RB Najee Harris

22. LB Nick Bolton

He’s unlikely to sniff the three-year, $51 million extension Zack Baun raked in from Philadelphia on Wednesday. But Bolton has been a staple in Kansas City the past four seasons, his touchdown in Super Bowl 57 the turning point of that contest. And for anyone looking to steal a little Chiefs magic, why not poach a productive backer who will celebrate his 25th birthday Monday?

23. OLB Khalil Mack

His age (34) will almost certainly suppress what’s left of his earning power. Nevertheless, he has been a Pro Bowler in nine of his 11 NFL season – and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 – and was ranked by PFF as the fifth-best player on the edge in 2024. Mack has always been stout against the run, however his 2023 sack total (17) plummeted to six last season while his 22 pressures were barely half the previous year (36). He should certainly be an asset to a contender, but it’s a stretch to ask him to anchor a defense at this juncture. He might be more valuable to the ascending Bolts than anyone given Bosa’s release.

24. G/T Mekhi Becton

The 11th overall pick of the 2020 draft, he rarely came close to fulfilling his potential with the Jets, who expected Becton, 25, to be their long-term left tackle. But, not all that surprisingly, his career was revived in Philadelphia by O-line guru Jeff Stoutland, who shifted the massive (6-7, 363) blocker inside to guard. Becton might have priced himself out of Philly, but he will do much better financially after earning $2.75 million during his year with the Eagles – maybe far better if another team wants to give him another shot at the blind side.

25. OLB Haason Reddick

Between 2020 and ’23, he averaged better than 12½ sacks and nearly 36 pressures per season, eye-popping numbers for teams looking for pass-rush enhancement – and precisely why the Jets traded for Reddick last year. However his obstinate holdout in 2024 didn’t shed him in the best light, and that was exacerbated by his complete lack of production (1 sack and 7 pressures in 10 games after he reported to the team). Reddick will be 31 in September, and his relative age and low snap count last season might create a better market for him than, say, Mack’s. But hard to believe there won’t be a buyer-beware label Reddick will have to overcome.

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Democrats displayed their internal party divisions in the wake of President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress. 

Democrats who are a part of leadership or more aligned with the establishment are clashing with progressives, many of whom heckled Trump throughout his more than 90-minute speech on Tuesday. The party is facing pressure from grassroots organizations to take a more combative approach – in lieu of decorum – to the Trump administration’s dismantling of the federal bureaucracy. 

While moderate Democrats are frustrated over the progressives’ disruptions, progressives complained about a lack of direction and clear strategy ahead of Trump’s first joint session address to Congress since he began his second term. 

‘People are pissed at leadership too,’ one senior House Democrat told Axios. ‘Everyone is mad at everyone.’

Rep. George Latimer, D-N.Y., told Axios he believed the outbursts were ‘inappropriate.’ 

‘When a president — my president, your president — is speaking, we don’t interrupt, we don’t pull those stunts,’ he said. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, escorted out of the chamber after the Democrat repeatedly jeered at Trump, waving his cane during the speech. Some Democrats had warned their colleagues against protesting Trump, with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., saying they should let him ‘stew in his own juice.’

Democrats protested nonetheless, including remaining seated as Trump celebrated his policies, and held up signs reading ‘false,’ ‘lies,’ ‘Musk steals,’ and ‘Save Medicaid.’ Some female Democratic lawmakers wore pink suits in protest of policies they claim are anti-woman, while other Democrats were heard jeering Trump throughout the speech. 

A centrist, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, told Axios, ‘I didn’t take that approach myself, so obviously I don’t condone it.’ 

‘If anyone is thinking that it was an effective strategy, they’re probably in an echo chamber,’ Golden added. ‘My take is that the average American thought the optics were pretty bad. 

‘I think it was a big mistake,’ Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., told Axios of the disruptions. ‘I’m an old school traditional type guy, I think we should be treating the president with deference. So I think it was inappropriate.’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., took to X to condemn the ‘sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance.’ 

‘It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained,’ he wrote of the Democrats’ outbursts. ‘We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to – and it may not be the winning message.’ 

‘I don’t think that’s the way forward,’ Fetterman added to Axios. 

DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old boy who survived cancer, stole the show Tuesday evening when Trump introduced him to the audience and officially swore him in as a member of the Secret Service. Daniel received a standing ovation from a majority of the crowd, although some Democrats were seen sitting at various times while Trump was speaking about the 13-year-old.

‘Not standing for Trump would have been a fine strategy, but you need to separate him from the kid with cancer,’ another centrist House Democrat told Axios, condemning his party’s messaging. 

‘It would be a compliment to call it a strategy,’ the lawmaker added, noting the progressives’ signs were edited online to read ‘TDS,’ referring to the term known as ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome.’ 

Progressives, meanwhile, argued that a lack of direction from leadership forced them to develop their own approach.

‘There was definitely frustration about lack of guidance [or a] plan,’ one progressive member of Congress told Axios. 

‘People are super pissed that we didn’t get more direction from leadership,’ another progressive added. 

Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., is planning on bringing a resolution Thursday to censure Green for ‘breach of proper conduct,’ and some Democrats, including Golden and Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., have not ruled out supporting it, Axios reported. 

‘What [Green] did was inappropriate — and he became the story, not the price of eggs,’ a centrist House Democrat told Axios. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.

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The Hamas terror group on Thursday dismissed President Donald Trump’s latest threat and refused to release more Israeli hostages without a permanent ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua said the ‘best path to free the remaining Israeli hostages’ is through negotiations on a second phase of the ceasefire agreement. 

The first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted 42 days, ended on Saturday. A second phase was supposed to begin in early February, though only limited preparatory talks have been held so far.

Hamas’ response comes after Trump met with eight former hostages in Washington and posted what he called a ‘last warning’ to Hamas on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.

‘‘Shalom Hamas’ means Hello and Goodbye – You can choose,’ the president’s post began. ‘Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is OVER for you.’

Trump added that he is ‘sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job,’ and that ‘not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.

‘Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages,’ the president wrote. ‘If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!’

Hamas is believed to still have 24 living hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that led to the ongoing war. It is also holding the bodies of 34 others who were either killed in the initial attack or in captivity, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 war.

Hamas terrorists killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and took a total of 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.

Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A federal appeals court cleared the way for President Donald Trump to fire Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, on Wednesday.

Dellinger, appointed to the role by former President Joe Biden, sued the Trump administration in Washington, D.C., federal court after his Feb. 7 firing.

D.C. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson had argued in a filing last month that Dellinger’s firing was ‘unlawful.’

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia sided with the Trump administration in a Wednesday ruling, however. Dellinger is likely to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.

Jackson claimed that the court ‘finds that the elimination of the restrictions on plaintiff’s removal would be fatal to the defining and essential feature of the Office of Special Counsel as it was conceived by Congress and signed into law by the President: its independence. The Court concludes that they must stand.’

Dellinger has maintained the argument that, by law, he can only be dismissed from his position for job performance problems, which were not cited in an email dismissing him from his post.

Earlier in February, liberal Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson voted to outright deny the administration’s request to approve the firing.

Conservative justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissented, saying the lower court overstepped. They also cast doubt on whether courts have the authority to restore to office someone the president has fired. While acknowledging that some officials appointed by the president have contested their removal, Gorsuch wrote in his opinion that ‘those officials have generally sought remedies like backpay, not injunctive relief like reinstatement.’

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