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Tom Brady’s former teammate criticizes Pats great for recent comments

Former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel’s bio on social media website X is ‘Professional S— Talker.’ He backed that claim up with a string of posts targeting former teammate Tom Brady on Feb. 4.

Samuel called out the former New England Patriots quarterback for saying he wasn’t going to root for the Patriots in Super Bowl 60 on the latest episode of his ‘Let’s Go!’ podcast. Brady said he didn’t ‘have a dog in the fight in this one’ and will just be rooting for a good game between his former team and the Seattle Seahawks.

‘Tom Brady I am highly I mean highly disappointed in you not rooting for your ex teammate, (current Patriots head coach) Mike Vrabel who is about to do something special,’ Samuel wrote in one post on X.

Note: Samuel’s posts contain language that may be sensitive for some readers.

About 15 minutes later, Samuel followed up with another post.

‘Brady you can’t be the only one winning super bowls. Let me find out you hating on (Patriots starting quarterback) Drake Maye and Vrabel,’ he wrote. ”I don’t have a dog in this fight’ Not what I wanted to hear. Brady knows how I get down. This ain’t nothing new to him.’

Four hours after his second post ripping into Brady, Samuel posted twice more, calling the former Patriots quarterback ‘Flaw A– Brady’ and giving him 23 hours to respond, threatening to go ‘ape (expletive) about who you are.’

Samuel, 45, won two Super Bowls with Brady, Vrabel and the Patriots early in his playing career. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and member of the 2007 All-Pro first team in his final season with New England.

After five years with the Patriots, he played four seasons with the Eagles and two with the Falcons. Samuel finished his 11-year career after 2013 with 51 interceptions, a category in which he led the NFL in 2006 (10 interceptions) and 2009 (9).

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House GOP moves to require proof of citizenship, photo ID to vote in federal election

House GOP leaders are forging ahead on legislation aimed at imposing new federal guardrails to ensure only U.S. citizens vote in national elections.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., confirmed to Fox News Digital that the chamber would vote on the SAVE America Act introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, next week.

It comes after conservatives threatened to extend the partial government shutdown earlier this week if the legislation was not included in Congress’ bipartisan funding bills. But those lawmakers backed off their demands after getting assurances from the White House that the Senate would give the bill serious consideration.

The House’s vote next week hikes the growing pressure on the Senate to take up the bill, where it will face long odds of passing. Its backers are hoping a little-known maneuver called a ‘standing filibuster’ will be key to breaking through Democratic opposition, however. 

‘These are common-sense measures that protect American voters,’ Scalise explained to Fox News Digital on Thursday.

‘Only Democrats in Congress could oppose these basic requirements that prevent voter fraud, and that’s because they want illegal aliens to vote in our elections. Why else would they support open borders, oppose deporting illegal aliens, and oppose election security like picture ID?’

The SAVE America Act is an updated version of Roy’s Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which passed the House in April 2025 but was never taken up in the Senate.

Whereas the SAVE Act would create a new federal proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process and impose requirements for states to keep their rolls clear of ineligible voters, the updated bill would also require photo ID to vote in any federal elections.

‘It’s all the same concept, right? I mean, you want citizenship, and then you want to guarantee that the person voting is the person voting. Photo ID is, I think, a critically important element to that, and we want to require that for federal elections,’ Roy told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

The bill is expected to easily pass the House — the original SAVE Act got support from all Republicans and four Democrats — but its survival in the Senate is more complicated.

Most legislation needs 60 votes to break through a filibuster, meaning at least seven Democrats will need to vote with Republicans to advance the bill. 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., led a small coalition of conservatives threatening to extend the most recent government shutdown if the SAVE America Act was not attached to the funding bill that President Donald Trump signed into law on Tuesday.

Luna told reporters she spoke with the White House on Monday night where she got assurances that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is looking at using a maneuver called a ‘standing filibuster’ to ensure a vote on the bill.

It would restore antiquated filibuster rules in the Senate that require opponents of a bill to be physically present in the chamber and speaking continuously to delay its consideration. 

The move would also eliminate the need for 60 votes to break a filibuster, which currently does not require lawmakers to be present in the chamber until a vote — rather, it would end when opponents were done speaking. Each senator can give a maximum of two speeches, though without any time constraints.

The downside of such a move is that it would grind Senate proceedings to a halt until the filibuster was over. But Roy argued that any such delay in the upper chamber’s duties would fall squarely on Democrats’ shoulders.

‘What we’re trying to say is that for something as important as sovereignty in our elections, we should force that question,’ Roy said. ‘If Democrats want…a long, drawn-out, talking filibuster, then let them explain that to the American people.’

Scalise told Fox News Digital, ‘Once House Republicans pass this bill — and we will — I urge the Senate to quickly put it on the floor so we can send it to President Trump’s desk. The American people are demanding action — Congress must answer their call and pass this critical legislation.’

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College football must forge new CFP path that looks more like NFL

The College Football Playoff schedule is seen as inefficient compared to the NFL’s postseason.
Leaders recently moved a playoff game to avoid a scheduling conflict with the NFL.
A new, fixed playoff schedule ending with the championship on New Year’s Day would be big improvement.

Of all the change and disruption and uncertainty over the last five years of college football, nothing is more perplexing in the new NIL world. 

Somehow, the sport’s leaders can’t even control the controllable.

This season, the NFL — a financial goldmine of success and popularity — will play 13 playoff games in 30 days, finishing the annual joy ride Sunday with Super Bowl LX. 

Clean, neat, efficient. 

Next season, College football — a financial whirlwind of the overwhelmed, stuck in a glass booth cash grab and frantically stabbing at anything that moves — will play 11 College Football Playoff games in 39 days. 

Dirty, messy, inefficient. 

To say nothing of completely wrecking the college football player procurement calendar, and putting undue stress on coaches and players, and recruitable high school players. 

“It’s not that difficult to figure out,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning told me last month before the CFP quarterfinals. “Too many excuses, not enough action.”

Yet there was the CFP earlier this week, announcing next year’s quarterfinals would move off New Year’s Eve to avoid a scheduling conflict with a regular season NFL game. That’s the game plan, everyone: a malleable CFP, that works for all ― including the NFL.

The questions is why? Why won’t college football’s leaders — apparently, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, at the behest of their 34 university presidents — construct a playoff that begins the week after conference championship games and ends on New Year’s Day?

A day later, the transfer portal opens for two weeks. Clean, neat, efficient. 

You’re not competing with the NFL for television eyes, you’re not pushing the sport well into the second semester. This is your postseason, it will not change year to year. Period.

This is how you build a predictable and successful product that lasts and sustains, and grows year over year. You know, like the NFL.

It’s only the most important piece to the future financial wellbeing of college football, so maybe we should focus on it. Whaddya say, everyone?

The postseason is everything in all sports. It determines champions, it delvers drama, it’s what television craves. It earns big, big dollars.

Yet those in charge of college football can’t stop mucking it up. 

This has nothing to do with the number of teams in the CFP, it has everything to do with when the dang thing is played. That’s the most important piece to this puzzle going largely ignored.

Why wouldn’t the 34 presidents of the SEC and Big Ten simply move back the season one week — to the current Week Zero spot — and play championship week on Thanksgiving weekend? The first person who screeches “tradition!” gets flogged with a wet noodle.

Gimme a break. Tradition? 

You’ve dissected the sport into unwieldy Power quarters, eaten your own in the process, opened the doors to unregulated free agency and all but ignored academics. 

Tradition limped off the road a couple of exits back, bub.

The week after Thanksgiving is the first round of the CFP on campus. The second week of December — where bowl games can still be used and celebrated — is for the quarterfinals. The third week of December is the semifinals, and New Year’s Day is your national championship game. 

I think we can all agree the best place for the national championship game — on a day college football has owned forever — is the majestic Rose Bowl. Every single season, at 4 p.m. ET., with the sun setting on the picturesque San Gabriels at the start of the second half.

There’s your nod to tradition. I’m getting goosebumps just writing it.

A 16-team field doesn’t change this format, but a 24-team field would move the start of the season one week earlier. That’s right, those poor, overworked coaches and players ― in the ridiculous 24-team scenario ― will have to start the season in the third week of August. And take their millions with them.

The postseason is now a multi-billion dollar business. Run it like one.

Build it, sustain its scheduling predictability, and protect its money-generating viability from the NFL’s greedy paws. 

The NFL gets free player development from college football, is given free access to coaches and game tape during the season to scout players, and still refuses to defer to college football with scheduling conflicts.

The NFL is in it for the NFL. It’s time college football becomes all about college football. 

Make a schedule, and stick to it. And make billions. 

Control the controllable. 

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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BYU men’s basketball coach calls out anti-Mormon chants

Following the No. 14 Cougars’ 99-92 upset loss to Oklahoma State, Young expressed disappointment about anti-Mormon chants coming from the student section.

‘There were some ‘F The Mormons’ chants tonight by the student section that I heard,’ Young said in his postgame news conference. ‘It was a great win for Oklahoma State University. I think their fans should be proud, but it would be great if some class was warranted.

‘I got four small kids at home, I’m a Mormon, and when I go home, they’re going to ask me about it, the same way they asked me about it last year at Arizona.’

Similarly, the chants also were also heard during BYU football games against Colorado and Cincinnati. Buffalo was fined by the Big 12 for $50,000 and issued a public reprimand.

‘There’s too much hate in the world to be saying stuff like that,’ Young said. ‘We’ve got enough problems in our world without going after people’s religion and beliefs. … This stuff is unwarranted … And it’s just disappointing.’

In the loss, AJ Dybantsa finished with 36 points and seven rebounds in the loss to Oklahoma State. It marks the third consecutive loss for the Cougars. Oklahoma State fans stormed the court following the victory.

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Follow Winter Olympics live updates and results for Feb. 5

MILAN — The 2026 Winter Olympics continue Thursday with more curling mixed doubles round robin matches, men’s Alpine downhill training and luge training runs. But women’s ice hockey enters the chat, highlighted by Hilary Knight and the U.S. women’s hockey team opening their Olympic slate against Czechia, and ski jumping gets in the mix with training runs, too.

The opening ceremony is set for Friday, and the first medals can be won Saturday. Here is the full Winter Olympics schedule.

USA TODAY Sports is bringing you the latest updates, news and Olympics results from here in Italy. Follow along.

End of second period: USA 4, Czechia 1

Big period there by Tessa Jannecke, who had two assists in her Olympic debut to give the USA a 3-0 lead. The United States had a chance to build on that lead with a power play, but Czechia killed it off, and Barbara Jurickova scored after coming out of the penalty box.

But Hilary Knight restored the USA’s three-goal lead with a power move for her 13th career Olympic goal, one shy of tying the U.S. record. The Americans will start the third period short-handed.

Lindsey Vonn set to start training run with torn ACL

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Lindsey Vonn will start 10th in an all-important training run Friday. 

Vonn plans to ski at the Milano Cortina Olympics despite a torn ACL, bone bruise, and meniscus damage in her left knee from a Jan. 30 crash. She said Tuesday that she’d gone skiing and her knee had held up fine, but acknowledged the official training runs would be the true test. 

There will be another training run on Saturday before Sunday’s downhill race. The first training run, which was supposed to be Thursday, was canceled because of heavy snow in Cortina on Wednesday. 

Vonn is one of six U.S. skiers who will participate in the training run. Breezy Johnson will start ninth, Jackie Wiles 20th, Keely Cashman 26th, Bella Wright 29th and Mary Bocock, the only Olympic rookie on the U.S. women’s ski team, will start 41st.  – Nancy Armour, USA TODAY Sports

Vice President JD Vance in attendance

Vice President JD Vance and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio are on hand at the Rho Ice Hockey Arena in Milan to cheer on the U.S. women’s national hockey team against Czechia. Vance and Rubio entered the arena with their entourage, with about six minutes remaining in the first period.

Women’s hockey: USA 1, Czechia 0, End 1

The USA had the first five shots of the game and Czechia the next three.

The USA broke through on a power play when Alex Carpenter tipped in a Megan Keller shot at 15:55 for the lone goal of the period. Shots are 14-3 in favor of the USA.

Weather dispatch from Italy. Warm? Cold? Wet? Snowy? All of the above!

Alpine skier rooting for the Patriots in Super Bowl 60

Vermont’s Ryan Cochran-Siegle is considered Team USA’s best hope for a medal in men’s alpine skiing at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

He’s also a big fan of the New England Patriots.

Those facts will clash in the coming days. Cochran-Siegle is set to compete in the men’s team combined slalom on Feb. 9 in Bormio. That’ll be the day after the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks meet in a Super Bowl that’ll transpire in the middle of the night in Italy.

Competing in the Olympics on a lack of sleep isn’t advisable, meaning that Cochran-Siegle “unfortunately” said he isn’t planning to watch the game live.

‘I’ll probably just be sleeping in my Drake Maye jersey hoping that they are scoring lots of touchdowns,” Cochran-Siegle said.

On Feb. 4, Cochran-Siegle posted the top training time ahead of the Feb. 7 downhill event in Bormio, boosting hopes that he can build off the Super-G silver medal he won in 2022.

Nonetheless, much of a Feb. 5 media Zoom call with members of the U.S. men’s alpine team had to do with the Patriots. Cochran-Siegle’s teammate, Sam Morse, is from Maine, and he said that he will be able to stay up and watch.

“I definitely want to cheer on the Pats,” Morse said.

Cochran-Siegle, meanwhile, showed an impressive knowledge of football when asked to dig into his thoughts on the Patriots’ season. He shouted out first-year New England coach Mike Vrabel for “his ability to build that culture of really bringing the team in.”

Asked if he really brought a jersey of the team’s quarterback with him, Cochran-Siegle immediately held up a Maye jersey for the camera.

“They’ve had an awesome run,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure to be a Patriots fan this year.” – Gentry Estes, The Tennesseean

Olympic curling results: USA keeps rolling in mixed doubles

The United States mixed doubles curling team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin continued their winning ways in the round-robin portion of the competition. The Americans beat Switzerland 7-4.

Earlier in the day, the team started play with an 8-6 win over Norway on Day 2 of the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Can athletes find love at the Olympics?

The 24-year-old from Lake Placid, New York, isn’t picky. She’s open to sip cappuccinos with fans. She’s down to swig Aperol spritzes with fellow athletes.

Kirkby is making her Olympic debut in a brand new event: Women’s doubles luge. Once she and partner Chevonne Forgan finish competing Feb. 11, Kirkby will open up her heart and her dating app profiles. She hopes the following two weeks will provide “crazy stories” to document via journaling and social media posting.

“My married women, my girl friends and my fellow single ladies, I will be there for them to live vicariously through me. Because I, too, am curious. How does an Olympian date?” − Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal

Graphics: How Olympic curling works

Curling has been an Olympic staple for more than a century − it was one of the original sports featured in 1924 when the first Winter Games were held in Chamonix, France.

This year’s competition will be hosted at Italy’s Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, a venue built in 1955 for the Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956 Olympic Winter Games.

The sport, sometimes referred to as ‘chess on ice,’ is characterized by the strategic delivery of granite stones across ice using a broom. The goal is for players to transport the stone to a target circle, referred to as ‘the house.’

Check out USA TODAY’s animated graphics describing the rules, scoring, equipment, strategy and more. − Veronica Bravo, Carlie Procell, Cydney Henderson

Vonn continues to amaze in workout video

Lindsey Vonn is able to do things with a busted knee that regular people can’t when fully healthy.

The 41-year-old posted a video of herself Thursday, Feb. 5 doing squats, side lunges, lifting weights, jumping and kicking her feet against a stability ball. The only sign of the torn ACL, bone bruise and meniscus damage in her left knee is the brace she’s wearing.

‘I’m not giving up,’ Vonn said in the Instagram post, ‘working as hard as I can to make it happen!’ − Nancy Armour

Virus outbreak postpones Canada-Finland hockey

Thursday’s preliminary women’s hockey matchup between Finland and defending Olympic champion Canada has been postponed following a norovirus outbreak among the Finnish team, the 2026 Milano Cortina organizing committee announced Thursday afternoon, hours ahead of the originally scheduled puck drop.

The match will now played Thursday, Feb. 12, at 8:30 a.m. ET.

The announcement came shortly after an afternoon practice session where only 10 players from Finland’s 23-woman roster were present. The remaining 13 players were either sick with norovirus or quarantined. − Cydney Henderson

US women’s hockey begins quest for gold

The U.S. women’s hockey team’s pursuit for its first Olympic gold medal since 2018 begins today with a preliminary matchup against Czechia.

The U.S. women won silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but are clear favorites to claim gold after winning a World Championship title in April and sweeping Canada in the 2025 Rivalry Series in December to close out the year.

The Americans are the top seed in Group A, which also features reigning Olympic champion Canada.

Follow the action live, with the opening faceoff set for 10:40 a.m. ET. − Cydney Henderson

USOPC security chief: ‘No ICE agents’ at Olympics

After hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Milan to protest the announcement that ICE officers would be accompanying the American delegation to the Milano Cortina Winter Games, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said Thursday there aren’t any ICE agents in Italy with Team USA.

“I can tell you unequivocally, there are no ICE agents that are part of the team USA delegation on the ground here in Milan,” said Nicole Deal, Chief of Security and Athlete Services for the USOPC. “When it comes to securing major events, a lot of people don’t know what the capabilities and the resources that are needed, so there’s a lot of misinformation and assumptions that are made.’

Deal’s comments contradict what government officials previously said, that the U.S. immigration agency would assist in security operations for these Olympics, as it has done in the past. − Jordan Mendoza

Olympics schedule today

All times Eastern.

4:05 a.m.: Curling – Mixed Doubles Round Robin | Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)

GBR vs. EST; SWE vs. CZE; NOR vs. USA; KOR vs. ITA

5:30 a.m.: Alpine Skiing – Men’s Downhill 2nd Official Training | Stelvio Ski Centre (Bormio, Valtellina)
6:10 a.m.: Ice Hockey – Women’s Preliminary | SWE vs. GER | Milan Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)
8:30 a.m. & 9:27 a.m.: Luge – Men’s Singles Official Training (Runs 3-4) | Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
8:35 a.m.: Curling – Mixed Doubles Round Robin  | Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)

USA vs. SUI; NOR vs. CAN

8:40 a.m.: Ice Hockey – Women’s Preliminary (Italy vs. France) | Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)
10:40 a.m.: Ice Hockey – Women’s Preliminary (USA vs. Czechia) | Milan Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)
11 a.m.: Luge – Women’s Singles Official Training (Runs 1-2) | Cortina Sliding Centre (Cortina d’Ampezzo)
11 a.m.: Ski Jumping – Women’s NH — Official Training 1 | Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium (Predazzo)
1:05 p.m.: Curling – Mixed Doubles Round Robin  | Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium (Cortina d’Ampezzo)

CAN vs. ITA; SUI vs. KOR; EST vs. SWE; CZE vs. GBR

1:30-3:45 p.m. : Snowboarding – Men’s Big Air Qualifying Runs 1, 2 and 3 | Livigno Snow Park (Livigno, Valtellina)
2 p.m.: Ski Jumping – Men’s NH Official Training 1 | Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium (Predazzo)
3:10 p.m.: Ice Hockey – Women’s Preliminary | FIN vs. CAN | Milan Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)

2026 Winter Olympics TV schedule today

Peacock is streaming every event live today.

Steam Olympics on Peacock

Olympic curling results

The American mixed doubles team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin rallied to defeat Norway, sending the 2022 silver medalists to 0-2 at this year’s Games. Cory and Korey get a brief break before facing Switzerland at 8:35 a.m. ET.

Elsewhere during round robin play, hosts Italy defeated South Korea (8-4), Sweden beat Czechia (7-4) and Great Britain handled Estonia (10-5).

Olympic Alpine skiing results

The U.S. men are saving their best runs for the downhill race.

No American was in the top 15 in Thursday’s training run. Kyle Negomir was the fastest, in 19th place, and his time of 1:55.1 was more than two seconds behind Italy’s Mattia Casse. Bryce Bennett and Ryan Cochran-Siegle were 27th and 28th, Sam Morse was 30th and River Radamus was 33rd.

Cochran-Siegle, a three-time Olympian who took silver in the super-G at the 2022 Olympics, posted the fastest time in the first training session on Wednesday. He finished third in downhill last weekend in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and was second in the downhill at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in December. He’s traditionally done well in Bormio, his only World Cup win coming there in super-G in 2021.

The Americans weren’t the only ones taking it easy. Several of the top racers, including much of the mighty Swiss contingent, were clearly coasting as they approached the finish line.

Italians posted the top three fastest times of the day: Casse (1:52.85), Florian Schieder (1:53.30) and Giovanni Franzoni (1:53.72).

There is one more training run Friday before Saturday’s downhill race.  — Nancy Armour

Alysa Liu gets US Figure Skating nod for women’s short program team event

U.S. Figure Skating has selected its lineup for the first day of the team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The biggest decision was the women’s short program, with Alysa Liu getting the selection in what felt like a toss-up between the reigning world champion and 2026 U.S. national champion Amber Glenn. Liu’s short program to Laufey’s ‘Promise’ is a strong performance, but it could have gone to Glenn with her ‘Like a Prayer’ by Madonna routine. Now, Glenn could be set up to be in the free skate portion of the team event, which is Sunday, Feb. 8. — Jordan Mendoza

Olympic Alpine skiing results

Americans Kyle Negomir (1:55.10), Bryce Bennett (1:55.75) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (1:56.04) finished up their second training runs, and currently sit in 17th, 24th and 25st place, respectively.

Several of the top skiers appeared not to be going all out in this, the second of two training runs. Overall leader Marco Odermatt of Switzerland looked decidedly nonchalant, standing up as he approached the finish line rather than being in an aerodynamic tuck as he would in a race. France’s Alban Elezi Cannaferina even did a snowboard-style twist of his legs after he went over the final jump on the course. 

Italy currently has the top three spots, and four of the top five.

Where are Winter Olympics 2026?

The Winter Olympics always sprawl because of the need for mountains. But the Milano Cortina Games are the most geographically spread out in Olympic and Paralympic history, with a footprint just slightly smaller than the entire state of New Jersey.

When is Olympics opening ceremony?

The opening ceremony is Friday, Feb. 6, starting at 2 p.m. ET and lasting around three hours. This year’s opening ceremony will be held at San Siro Stadium in Milan, a 100-year-old venue that will now play host to the likes of Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli and athletes from more than 90 countries around the world. Officials previously announced an inclusive theme featuring a show inside the stadium as well as ‘satellite events’ in Olympic territories.

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House Oversight GOP rejects Hillary Clinton demand for public Epstein hearing: ‘No one is buying their claims’

The House Oversight Committee is rejecting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s demand for a public hearing after she and ex-President Bill Clinton agreed to being deposed in the panel’s Jeffrey Epstein probe.

‘The Clintons are going to Clinton and try to spin the facts since no one is buying their claims. The only ones moving the goalposts are, as usual, the Clintons and their attorneys. The Clintons were issued bipartisan subpoenas for depositions—not a hearing,’ a spokeswoman for the committee’s GOP majority told Fox News Digital.

‘Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight Committee voted to recommend the House hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress for defying duly issued subpoenas for six months. In the wake of facing contempt of Congress proceedings, the Clintons’ attorney finally agreed to filmed, transcribed depositions on February 26 and 27.  These depositions are in accordance with House and Committee rules.’

The spokeswoman said that all witnesses who appear in front of the committee ‘are being treated fairly and consistently.’

The Clintons were two of 10 people subpoenaed for testimony before the committee as it probes the federal government’s handling of Epstein’s case. So far just two people subpoenaed by the committee, former Attorney General Bill Barr and ex-Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, have appeared in person.

The former president and former Secretary of State both agreed to terms for testimony set by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., after months of back-and-forth.

Their attorneys sent Comer an email hours before the House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most bills see a chamber-wide vote, was set to advance a pair of contempt of Congress resolutions against the former first couple.

Hillary Clinton posted on X on Thursday morning, ‘For six months, we engaged Republicans on the Oversight Committee in good faith. We told them what we know, under oath. They ignored all of it. They moved the goalposts and turned accountability into an exercise in distraction.’

‘So let’s stop the games. If you want this fight…let’s have it—in public. You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there,’ Clinton wrote.

Comer announced on Wednesday that the former first lady will sit for a closed-door transcribed interview on Feb. 26, and the former president will appear on Feb. 27 under the same terms. Both interviews will be filmed, Comer said in a press release.

The Clintons were both facing contempt of Congress votes in the House this week if they did not agree to come to Capitol Hill for in-person interviews with the Oversight Committee.

Those votes were likely to succeed as well. Late last month, nine Democrats on the House Oversight Committee joined all Republicans in voting to advance Bill Clinton’s contempt of Congress resolution to a House-wide vote. Three Democrats voted to advance the resolution against Hillary Clinton.

A contempt of Congress vote would have referred both Clintons to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal prosecution.

‘Republicans and Democrats on the Oversight Committee have been clear: no one is above the law — and that includes the Clintons. After delaying and defying duly issued subpoenas for six months, the House Oversight Committee moved swiftly to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings in response to their non-compliance,’ Comer said in a statement.

‘Once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved and will appear for transcribed, filmed depositions this month. We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors,’ he added.

Their attorneys wrote to Comer last month calling his subpoenas legally invalid and a violation of separation of powers, arguments the Kentucky Republican rejected.

‘President and Secretary Clinton have already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Committee. They did so proactively and voluntarily, and despite the fact that the Subpoenas are invalid and legally unenforceable, untethered to a valid legislative purpose, unwarranted because they do not seek pertinent information, and an unprecedented infringement on the separation of powers,’ the letter read.

The two sides then went back-and-forth discussing various terms as Comer continued to forge ahead with contempt proceedings.

Comer twice rejected offers for himself and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the committee, to travel to New York with limited staff to interview Bill Clinton. 

Meanwhile, Democrats had accused Comer of pursuing the contempt charges for political motivations rather than to get closure for Epstein’s victims.

Bill Clinton was known to have a friendship with Epstein before his federal criminal charges and is among many high-profile names to appear in the trove of files being released on the late pedophile by the DOJ. But there has been no implication of wrongdoing by either of the Clintons as it relates to Epstein.

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Targeted for their faith overseas, persecuted Christians get a White House welcome under Trump

The White House is welcoming a cohort of persecuted Christians from around the globe on Thursday following President Donald Trump’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, Fox News Digital has learned. 

The White House Faith Office, led by senior adviser Pastor Paula White-Cain and faith director Jenny Korn, will welcome at least six Christians who have been persecuted in their home countries, such as China, Nigeria and Cuba.

The White House meeting comes as Trump addressed the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning, which draws hundreds of lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle, business leaders and foreign dignitaries each February to discuss faith and pray for the nation’s future.

Trump said from the dais that ‘no administration in modern history has done more to confront the plight of persecuted Christians around the world than we have.’

‘It’s a mission. It’s actually a mission. On Christmas Day and in close coordination with the government of Nigeria – we worked with them, but they got to get tougher — I ordered powerful airstrikes to decimate the ISIS terrorists who have been slaughtering Christians in that country by the thousands. It’s not even believable. We hit them so hard,’ Trump said. 

Among the persecuted Christians attending the White House meeting are: Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam of Nigeria; Grace Drexel, who faced persecution in China; Pastor Andrew Brunson, who faced persecution in Turkey; Mariam Ibraheem, who faced persecution in Sudan; Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso of Cuba; and Y Phic ‘Jack’ Hdok of Vietnam.

Para-Mallam, a Nigerian pastor who founded the Gideon & Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, has worked with survivors of attacks on Christians in the nation and leads advocacy and humanitarian relief efforts in some of Nigeria’s hardest-hit communities. 

The U.S. launched airstrikes in northwest Nigeria on Christmas night targeting ISIS militants Trump accused of killing Christians, which Para-Mallam said led to ‘one of the most peaceful Christmas seasons for Nigerian Christians in recent history.’

The group also includes Pastor Andrew Brunson, the American pastor who spent more than two decades ministering in Turkey before his 2016 arrest on what supporters said were false accusations. His high-profile case ended with his release in 2018 after Trump pushed for it.

Grace Drexel is the daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin, who was detained in China on Oct. 10, 2025, alongside nearly 30 other church leaders in what supporters describe as a major crackdown on unregistered churches. Mariam Ibraheem drew global attention after a Sudanese Shariah court sentenced her in 2013 to 100 lashes and death by hanging for alleged apostasy after leaving the Islamic faith while she was pregnant.

Cuban pastor Barroso, who said he had been detained 21 times and sent to a labor camp for his faith before fleeing Cuba in 2016, and Y Phic ‘Jack’ Hdok, a Montagnard Christian advocate who fled Vietnam in 2018, are also attending. 

The meeting comes just ahead of the one-year anniversary of the creation of the White House Faith Office on Feb. 7, 2025. Trump launched the White House Faith Office via executive order, tasking it with leading the executive branch’s outreach to faith-based groups, community organizations and houses of worship.

In honor of the anniversary and as lawmakers and others gathered for the National Prayer Breakfast, the Faith Office said there are ‘150 reasons why President Trump is the most pro-faith, pro-life and pro-religious liberty president in American history.’

‘He protected religious liberty and affirmed faith in America. He has fought anti-Christian, antisemitic, and other forms of anti-religious bias while ending the weaponization of government against all people of faith. He has expanded school choice, protected parental rights, restored biological truth, uplifted families, ended illegal and divisive DEI policies, stopped taxpayer funding for abortion, restored free speech, and stood side-by-side with Israel,’ the Faith Office said of Trump. 

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Watchdog releases scathing report on Tlaib’s alleged ties to terrorist groups, warning of ‘potential risks’

A comprehensive new briefing document from a prominent nonpartisan research and policy group is sounding the alarm on ‘serious ethical and national security concerns’ related to Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib and her affiliations with individuals and organizations linked to designated foreign terrorist entities.

‘The conduct of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, including her rhetoric, affiliations, campaign infrastructure, and ideological alignment with certain individuals and organizations, raises serious concerns about potential risks to the ethical and institutional integrity of the United States government,’ the report, released by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy’s advocacy and policy-oriented arm, states.

The report details a ‘recurring pattern’ of behavior that it says suggests an ideological affinity for radical movements, ranging from participation in conferences featuring convicted terrorists to significant campaign payments made to activists linked to Hamas and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-aligned networks.

The briefing covers Tlaib’s financial history and says her campaign apparatus poured large sums of cash to anti-Israel activists, including almost $600,000 between 2020 and 2025 to Unbought Power, a consulting firm headed by Rasha Mubarak.

Mubarak has faced scrutiny for her past affiliations with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2009 Holy Land Foundation terror-financing trial, and the Alliance for Global Justice (AFGJ), which has been investigated for ties to the PFLP-linked group Samidoun.

Tlaib, according to the briefing, has shared the stage with a variety of questionable figures highlighted by a conference alongside Wisam Rafeedie, a convicted PFLP operative, who defended the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack as ‘resistance.’

‘Through public endorsement, co-sponsorship, and amplification, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has consistently engaged with a range of organizations known to maintain operational or ideological ties to terrorist networks,’ the briefing states. ‘Tlaib has engaged with and disseminated the messaging of these groups and has shared related content on social media platforms, has participated in events organized by these groups, and has referenced their terminology and conceptual frameworks in official congressional communications.’

Tlaib is no stranger to being accused of promoting hostile foreign actors, and the House of Representatives has already taken formal action against the Michigan Democrat twice. 

She was first censured in November 2023 for promoting alleged false narratives regarding the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. A second resolution was introduced in September 2025 following her appearance at the ‘People’s Conference for Palestine,’ where speakers allegedly ‘whitewashed’ convicted Hamas financiers.

Tlaib’s language made another appearance in the briefing as ISGAP Action described antisemitic ‘tropes’ used by the Michigan congresswoman on multiple occasions.

The report cites an August 2021 event where Tlaib referenced ‘people behind the curtain’ making money off ‘racism’ from ‘Gaza to Detroit.’

The briefing goes further than issuing warnings about Tlaib’s record and calls on government agencies to take specific action. 

The briefing calls for a formal congressional inquiry into Tlaib’s conduct that specifically reviews her public statements that allegedly align with terrorist organizations, her attendance at events honoring convicted terrorists and a thorough review of her campaign fundraising sources.

Additionally, the briefing asks the Department of Justice’s National Security Division to conduct a legal review to determine if Tlaib or her affiliates have violated 18 U.S. Code §2339B, which prohibits providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations.

The Federal Election Commission, according to the briefing, should perform a forensic audit of Tlaib’s campaign finances focusing on donations from individuals tied to terror networks.

‘Tlaib’s conduct demonstrates how extremist ideologies can infiltrate mainstream democratic institutions,’ the report concludes. ‘If left unchecked, her actions will continue to legitimize hate.’

Last year, Tlaib’s name came up in another ISGAP Action report that highlighted what it called a multi-generational campaign by the Muslim Brotherhood to ‘transform Western society from within’ and covertly infiltrate the United States. 

‘The election and re-election of congresswomen such as Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), who have openly defended positions aligned with Brotherhood perspectives on Israel, counterterrorism, and international relations, demonstrates the intersection of identity politics and Brotherhood narratives,’ the report stated.

‘While neither congresswoman has a documented formal affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, both have appeared at events organized by Brotherhood-aligned organizations, have received campaign support from Brotherhood-aligned donors, and have consistently advocated positions aligned with Brotherhood objectives.’

Fox News Digital reached out to Tlaib’s office for comment.

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Division I school in South Carolina adding women’s flag football

Women’s flag football is booming in South Carolina.

A week after Charleston Southern announced it was adding the sport, USC Upstate followed on Wednesday. Women’s flag football will be the 18th varsity sport offered by the public university in Spartanburg, South Carolina, becoming the 13th Division I program to launch a team.

The Spartans aim to begin playing next spring, in the 2026-27 academic year.

USC Upstate athletic director Matt Martin called the addition an “exciting milestone.”

“Women’s flag football is experiencing incredible growth nationwide, and we are proud to be part of that movement while creating new and meaningful opportunities for women to compete at the varsity level,’ Martin said in a statement.

USC Upstate chancellor Bennie L. Harris added: “Flag football is becoming one of the most popular sports in the country… Girls and women represent a skyrocketing segment. USC Upstate is committed to giving them a place to play and compete at a high level.’

Joining Charleston Southern, USC Upstate is the second school in the Big South Conference to add women’s flag football at the varsity level. Another conference member, Radford, has started a club team and plans to grow it into a varsity sport. Big South member, UNC Asheville, announced the addition of a club team on Wednesday ‘with plans to integrate the program into a varsity intercollegiate sport in the future,’ according to a news release.

‘By embracing this opportunity, USC Upstate is helping accelerate the growth of flag football and developing a pathway to the sport for female student-athletes,” said Jesse Schulman, NFL Manager of Flag Football. “Their launch sends a strong message about the future of the game and the growing momentum behind women’s flag football, creating new opportunities for young women to compete and succeed at the collegiate level.”

In addition to Charleston Southern and USC Upstate, the other Division I schools who have started a varsity women’s flag football program or officially announced plans to launch one include Mount St. Mary’s, UT Arlington, Alabama State, Cal Poly, Fairleigh Dickinson, Mercyhurst, Long Island University, Manhattan, Mississippi Valley State, North Alabama and Nebraska — the first Power 4 program to do so.

A handful of these programs have been announced in the past month, following the news flag football was added to the NCAA’s Emerging Sports for Women program. The NCAA reported last year that at least 65 schools across all divisions planned to sponsor women’s flag football at the varsity or club level.

To become a championship sport, one that would feature an official NCAA Tournament, the sport has to be sponsored by at least 40 schools and meet minimums in games played and player participation.

Ahead of the sport’s Olympic debut in 2028, the NCAA seems to be barreling toward that direction. In addition to the Division I programs who have started programs or have declared intentions to do so, the sport is also blossoming at the Division II and III levels. In Division III, the Atlantic East played a full varsity season and held a conference tournament last year. In Division II, Conference Carolinas will do that this spring and the CIAA plans to do the same next season.

The NFL is playing a big role in pushing the rise of women’s flag football. The Carolina Panthers are supporting Conference Carolinas, and the Eastern College Athletic Conference will launch a women’s flag football league — made up of club and varsity teams — this spring with a $1 million backing from the New York Jets.

A vote to establish women’s flag football as a championship sport could happen as early as 2027 at the NCAA’s annual convention.

In the meantime, the organization behind the Fiesta Bowl is hosting a national championship tournament this spring in Arizona, inviting eight club and varsity teams from around the country to participate.

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U.S. women’s hockey vs. Czechia live updates: Score, highlights, TV

MILAN — The U.S. women’s hockey team’s pursuit for its first Olympic gold medal since 2018 begins Thursday with a preliminary matchup against Czechia to open the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.

The U.S. women won silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but are clear favorites to claim gold after winning a World Championship title in April and sweeping Canada in the 2025 Rivalry Series in December to close out the year. Meanwhile, Czechia is looking for its first podium finish at the Winter Games.

Veteran forward Hilary Knight is set to become the first U.S. hockey player, male or female, to appear in five Olympics. She was named team captain in what will mark her final Games and more history is on the line — Knight is three goals away from becoming the U.S. women’s all-time leading Olympic scorer.

The American women are the top seed in Group A, which also features reigning Olympic champion Canada, 2022 Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Finland, Switzerland and Czechia. Group B features Japan, Sweden, Germany, Italy and France.

USA TODAY is providing live updates from the USA vs. Czechia Olympic women’s hockey game. Follow along:

Midway through first period

Shots remain 5-1 USA.

USA controlling play early

USA gets the first five shots. Czechia gets its first shot more than seven minutes into the game.

Game underway

USA’s Aerin Frankel vs. CZE’s Klara Peslarova in net.

When is U.S. women’s hockey vs. Czechia?

All times Eastern Time

The U.S. women’s national hockey team takes the ice against Czechia on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 10:40 a.m. at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.

How to watch U.S. women’s hockey vs. Czechia?

Date: Thursday, Feb. 5
Time: 10:40 a.m. ET
Location: Rho Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)
TV channel: USA Network
Streaming options: NBCOlympics.com | NBC Olympic App | Peacock

Goaltending matchup

USA’s Aerin Frankel vs. CZE’s Klara Peslarova

Team USA women’s hockey lines

Forwards Hannah Bilka, Alex Carpenter and Hilary Knight are on the first line for Thursday’s matchup against Czechia, a slight changeup from the 2025 Rivalry Series, where Tessa Janecke was on the starting line alongside Carpenter and Knight in four consecutive games. On defense, Megan Keller and Laila Edwards are on the first pairing.

The second line features forwards Britta Curl-Salemme, Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy, in addition to defenders Caroline Harvey and Haley Winn.

USA vs Czechia Olympic history

The two teams have met once in the Olympics, in the 2022 quarterfinals in Beijing. Czechia scored the opening goal, but the Americans rallied to win 4-1.

12 U.S. players making Olympic debut

More than half of the U.S. women’s national hockey team is set to make their Olympic debut in Thursday’s matchup against Czechia. The 12 players making their first appearance are Rory Guilday, Haley Winn, Kirsten Simms, Britta Curl-Salemme, Taylor Heise, Ava McNaughton, Aerin Frankel, Hannah Bilka, Tessa Janecke, Laila Edwards, Joy Dunne and Gwyneth Philips.

The PWHL Effect: Why Olympic women’s hockey looks different in 2026

When the Minnesota Frost and Seattle Torrent squared off in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) in early January, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hilary Knight lined up on opposite sides of the puck.

On Thursday, they’ll be U.S. national teammates once again at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

‘Hillary (Knight’s) going to be my archnemesis on Seattle … then she’s going to turn around and be our leader and captain and I’m going to get to play with her,’ said Coyne Schofield. ‘When you look at the landscape (of women’s hockey) from the 2022 Games to now, (it’s) changed significantly.”

The PWHL didn’t exist during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. But in the two years since its launch in 2024, the league has created a competitive ecosystem that has transformed how elite players prepare for the Games. The PWHL’s influence is on full display as each nation named its Olympic roster ahead of Milano Cortina.

Of the 23 players named to the U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team, 16 are on PWHL rosters, including six from the defending champion Frost. Check out PWHL’s full impact here.

Sweden downs Germany in opener

Lina Ljungblom scored twice as Sweden rallied past Germany 4-1 in Thursday’s early game. Germany’s Katarina Jobst-Smith opened the scoring in the first period, but Ljungblom tied it less than four minutes later. Mira Jungaker and Thea Johanssson also scored for Sweden, and goalie Ebba Svensson Traff made 15 saves.

Today’s Olympic women’s hockey schedule

There will be three women’s hockey games played today, including USA vs. Czechia (10:40 a.m. ET).

Sweden is taking on Germany in the early game at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Italy and France will play at Milano Santagiulia at 8:40 a.m. ET.

A fourth game, Canada vs. Finland, was postponed until Feb. 12 because of a norovirus outbreak on the Finnish team.

Canada vs. Finland game postponed

The Canadian women’s hockey team will have to wait a little longer to take the ice at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Thursday’s preliminary matchup between Finland and Canada has been postponed following a norovirus outbreak among the Finnish team, the 2026 Milano Cortina organizing committee announced Thursday afternoon, hours ahead of the originally scheduled puck drop.

The match will now played Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8:30 a.m. ET.

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