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Teen killed after protecting friends in 'senseless' shootout as locals raise alarm over rising crime in Bronx
One teenager has been arrested in connection with what officials described as a "senseless" shooting that broke out in New York City as crowds of children gathered at the bus stop after school dismissal, killing one 16-year-old boy, police said Sunday.
The Wednesday incident occurred in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx amid what officials and witnesses characterized as an escalating wave of violence in the borough, prompting affected family members to criticize Mayor Zohran Mamdani and law enforcement for not doing enough to keep New Yorkers safe.
Authorities identified the slain victim as Christopher Redding, an aspiring football player at John F. Kennedy High School, who sustained a gunshot wound to the back. According to a GoFundMe page, Redding was defending his friends who were being targeted by a group of individuals.
Officials released footage of the suspects and said the group responsible for the escalation that led to the shooting consisted of four people, including three males and one female.
A 17-year-old male tied to the incident was arrested Saturday and currently faces multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a loaded firearm.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said the gunfire began as a street dispute while stressing that there has been "too much violence among young adults."
"This started out as some sort of fight on the street, and it escalated," Gibson said. "And, guess what, someone had a gun. That is usually the issue."
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Regional Hall, a nearby resident who saw the aftermath of the shooting through her window, said that after hearing five gunshots, she saw "hundreds and hundreds of kids" waiting for the bus quickly running from the scene.
Redding reportedly intervened to defend his friends just before the group opened fire, according to a GoFundMe page organized by his coach.
"Christopher was defending his friends who were being targeted by a group of individuals who then opened fire on them in the Bronx," the page said. "His last act on earth was one of courage and selflessness, protecting those he cared about."
The 16-year-old was reportedly a talented athlete. He was a member of the John F. Kennedy High School tackle football team and the Fastbreak flag football team and previously played for the Bronx Colts and LBX teams, according to the GoFundMe page.
Two other young teenagers also sustained serious injuries in the chaos, including a 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. Both sustained a gunshot wound to the right leg and were transported to a local hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.
Hall added that she was terrified that a bullet might go through the window of her first-floor apartment, noting that fear has been widespread in the community due to recent violence in the borough.
"You can't come to the stores," she said. "I had a friend that went to the drug store, and she had to try to run from across the street there to here to get to her house."
She described a pattern of teenagers gathering at the bus stop, running into the streets and fighting regularly, noting that the violence was not entirely unexpected.
"I used to see a lot of policemen around here," she added. "But it's, you know, can't say anymore."
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Gibson also acknowledged that the borough has recently seen a rise in gun violence, "leaving too many of our families and community members feeling unsafe in their own neighborhoods."
District Council Member Eric Dinowitz added that "guns in the hands of high school students should never be the reality, and we must put an end to this senseless violence," according to a post on X.
The grieving father of the slain teen football player added that he was disappointed by the circumstances surrounding the incident and denounced Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent statement Thursday expressing gratitude for the NYPD’s handling of crime in the city.
"They’re still out there, and nothing is really being done," Bryan Corley told the New York Post, referring to the suspects who remain at large. "Mayor Mamdani saying that the police is doing a good job. They’re not doing a good job. It’s disgusting."
When asked whether Mamdani’s office had reached out to the teen’s family, the father reportedly said "no" in frustration.
Last Thursday, Mamdani addressed the recent shootings in the Bronx, characterizing them as "heartbreaking and horrific."
"I am thankful for the work of the NYPD not only in responding to them but also in the actions they are taking to ensure that we work to prevent them in the future," Mamdani said.
Dinowitz noted that "with a new mayoral administration, we have an opportunity to address this crisis once and for all. My colleagues and I in the City Council will do everything we can to support an anti-gun violence agenda that addresses the root causes and saves lives."
100 US troops land in Nigeria as Islamic militants threaten West Africa regional security
Around 100 U.S. troops and military equipment arrived in Nigeria Monday to help support local forces battling Islamic militants and other armed groups in the West African nation, the Nigerian military said.
The U.S. personnel touched down as part of a broader security cooperation effort between Washington and Abuja with 100 more arriving over time.
The arrival came at the request of the Nigerian government, which sought assistance with training, technical support and intelligence sharing as it confronts violence, the Associated Press reported.
About 200 U.S. Africa Command personnel are expected to deploy to Nigeria in total and in what officials have described as a support mission aimed at strengthening the capacity of Nigerian forces.
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The effort is focused on combating Islamist extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, both of which have carried out attacks in northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.
The first batch of troops represents the initial group of what is expected to be a roughly 200-person deployment of others, including U.S. intelligence analysts, advisers and trainers.
The move follows recent visits by senior U.S. Africa Command officials to Abuja to reinforce military-to-military ties and expand counterterrorism cooperation.
DEADLY STRIKE ON US TROOPS TESTS TRUMP’S COUNTER-ISIS PLAN — AND HIS TRUST IN SYRIA’S NEW LEADER
On Feb. 8, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu met with a high-level U.S. delegation led by U.S. Africa Command commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson at the State House in Abuja, according to Nigeria’s presidency.
The meeting included senior officials from Nigeria’s military, security and intelligence agencies and focused on expanding intelligence sharing and operational coordination.
Monday's deployment came as tensions between Washington and Abuja have eased following earlier friction over religious violence and civilian protection.
AMERICANS CAN’T CLOSE OUR EYES TO THE MURDER OF CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA
President Donald Trump had previously accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from what he described as a genocide, citing attacks by extremist groups and armed bandits.
Trump ordered airstrikes on Dec. 25 targeting Islamic State militants and said they were responsible for killing Christians.
Africom conducted strikes in Sokoto State in northwest Nigeria targeting what it described as Islamic State terrorists and said they were coordinated with Nigerian authorities.
"The United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social at the time.
Controversial skier Eileen Gu settles for silver after defending gold medal bid falls short in Milan
Eileen Gu, the controversial big air skiing star who competes for China despite being American-born, was unable to defend her gold medal on Monday night at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.
Gu came away with the silver medal in the women’s freeski big air competition, while Canada’s Megan Oldham won gold.
Gu notched a 90.00 on her first run, which was tied on the list of competitors for third place, as Oldham and Austria’s Lara Wolf had better scores.
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But Gu’s mistake was on the second run, where she wasn’t able to grab the tail of her ski cleanly and her landing was shaky, leading to a 61.25 score.
At that point, Gu was out of a medal spot with one run remaining. In this competition, the top two scores are combined for each skier.
On the final run, Gu managed to score an 89.00, which gave her a 179.00 final tally. That was enough for second place, but Oldham had a slight, 1.75-point advantage over Gu in the end.
CONTROVERSIAL OLYMPIAN EILEEN GU UPSET OVER ‘REALLY UNFAIR’ WINTER GAMES SCHEDULE
Italy's Flora Tabanelli finished with bronze in the event.
Gu wasn’t upset at the result, though, pointing out that she’s won five Olympic medals in her two appearances at the Games. Her first was in Beijing in 2022, where she took home gold in big air and halfpipe, while winning silver in Slopestyle.
In this year’s Games, Gu secured a silver medal in Slopestyle, with halfpipe the remaining event for her later this week.
"‘Five-time Olympic medalist’ kind of has a nice ring to it," Gu told reporters after the event.
Before this medal event, Gu called out the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) over how tight the Olympic schedule has been for her, saying it prevents her from getting proper training sessions she needs for a freeski event.
Gu is the sport’s only three-event athlete, and she says competing on Monday night makes it impossible for her to properly prepare for the qualifying round of the halfpipe final, which begins on Thursday.
"I’m disappointed in FIS," she said. "I think the Olympics should epitomize aspiration, and I think being able to do something that’s beyond the ordinary should be celebrated instead of punished.
"I think it’s really unfair. I think it’s punishing excellence, to be completely honest with you. Because I dare to do three events, and this is making it completely impossible to train fairly for the third event."
Gu became a controversial figure in action sports in 2019 when she made the decision to ski for China instead of the United States in the upcoming 2022 Olympics. She grew up in California and went to Stanford, though her mother is a first-generation Chinese immigrant in the U.S.
Gu said at the time that it was an "incredibly tough" decision, and Americans weren’t too fond of her decision given the geopolitical tension between the U.S. and China.
Meanwhile, Gu was celebrated in China for her choice, but a giant question still looms as she continues to be one of the best in the sport.
With China not allowing dual citizenship for its athletes, requiring Chinese nationality for those competing, has Gu renounced her American citizenship? She has not answered the question.
As Gu looks ahead to the halfpipe qualifiers on Thursday, the final for the event is this Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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California school board member temporarily banned from school after clash with principal over ICE protests
A California school board member is banned from entering a high school campus for two weeks after school board counterparts voted to approve a stay-away letter last week.
The Office of the Superintendent prepared an agenda item to discuss Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee Gabe Medina’s confrontation with Pajaro Valley High School principal Todd Wilson. The confrontation was about Pajaro Valley High School students joining the national walkout protests against U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) on Jan. 30.
After Medina confronted Wilson, he faced scrutiny and a stay-away letter was created that stated he couldn't access school grounds for two weeks.
During a school board meeting on February 11, Medina’s colleagues voted 4-1 agreeing to approve the stay-away letter. The vote also mandated that Medina and Wilson are required to have a mediated conversation.
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"One of our board colleagues was at the school and got into a verbal altercation with a district employee. Staff reported that the board member was aggressive, getting in the employees' face nose to nose…," Board President Carol Turley said.
"The board member was not acting in his official capacity but rather as a private citizen. Based on those events, the employee and staff expressed concerns about their safety and well-being and have requested proper protections are in place," Turley continued.
Medina said in an Instagram video that he confronted Wilson about him allegedly threatening to tow students' vehicles for participating in the protests.
Medina received both support and criticism.
"Medina has been the only member on this board who has constantly showed up for our students," one of the speakers said during the public comment session addressing the stay-away letter. "He sees the students as people, not as money signs. He advocates for students when they feel they have no voice."
Two sophomores from Pajaro Valley High School, Karina Aguilar and Alyah Mendoza, read a statement together criticizing Medina’s behavior.
SCHOOLS THAT LET STUDENTS LEAVE CLASS TO PROTEST ICE HAVE FAILING ACADEMIC RECORDS
"Trustee Medina, you are sitting here on this board as someone that we can clearly not trust and confide in when it comes to showing up for our school and our students, specifically regarding the incident that happened on the day of our walkout," Aguilar said. "That day you showed us students what a perfect example of immaturity and a lack of clarity can cause within our school community."
Medina responded that students were not informed enough in advance about their legal right to participate in the protest. He issued a statement the next day expressing disappointment about the outcome. He cited California law SB 955 that allows students to leave class "provided that the pupil notifies the school ahead of the absence."
"Last night’s vote to approve a 14 day stay away letter is disappointing, but not surprising," he continued. "I believe the action was unnecessary and disproportionate. There was no completed investigation, no formal findings shared publicly, and no genuine attempt at mediation before escalation. That raises serious concerns about fairness and governance."
During the Jan. 30 walkout protest, Pajaro Valley High School students initially planned to meet in the quad on campus for a rally to hear remarks from an organization called Your Allied Rapid Response.
What was planned to be an on-campus event ventured into an off-campus gathering.
As Pajaro Valley High School students met on campus in Watsonville, CA, they were encouraged to leave to join the larger protest event that was organized to march to a rally in Watsonville's Civic Plaza. Some of the students joined. The board took issue with criticism that the students were not encouraged to join the larger protest, claiming "student suppression."
The board said that school officials "cannot encourage students to leave campus" and took issue with Medina’s characterization of the district’s handling of the student-led protest.
"We are NOT what Trustee Medina represented of us on his public platforms," the district wrote in a letter.
The board, Wilson, nor Medina did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
Thune guarantees voter ID bill to hit the Senate despite Schumer, Dem opposition: 'We will have a vote'
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is ready to put Senate Democrats to the test on voter ID legislation.
The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has earned the backing of 50 Senate Republicans, including Thune, which is enough to break through a key procedural hurdle.
Whether it can pass from the Senate to President Donald Trump’s desk is, for now, an unlikely scenario if lawmakers take the traditional path in the upper chamber. Still, Thune wants to put Democrats on the spot as midterm elections creep closer.
"We will have a vote," Thune told Fox News Digital.
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His comments came as he crisscrossed his home state of South Dakota, where he and Republicans in their respective states are out selling their legislative achievements as primary season fast approaches.
Thune viewed the opportunity of a floor vote as a way to have Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus explain to voters why they would block a legislative push to federally enshrine voter ID and proof of citizenship to register to vote.
"We will make sure that everybody's on the record, and if they want to be against ensuring that only American citizens vote in our elections, they can defend that when they have to go out and campaign against Republicans this fall," Thune said.
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But the political makeup of the Senate will prove a tricky path to navigate if Republicans want to pass the bill.
Though the majority of the Senate GOP backs the bill, without at least a handful of Senate Democrats joining them, it is destined to fall victim to the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
And Schumer has time and again made clear that he and the majority of Senate Democrats view the legislation, which passed the House last week, as a tool of voter suppression that would unduly harm poorer Americans and minority groups.
So Senate Republicans are looking at their options.
One, which Thune already threw cold water on, is nuking the Senate filibuster. The other is turning to the talking, or standing, filibuster. It’s the physical precursor to the current filibuster that requires hours upon hours of debate over a bill.
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Some fear that taking that path could paralyze the Senate floor. Thune acknowledged that concern, having previously made it himself, but noted another wrinkle.
"A lot of people focus on unlimited debate, and yes, it is something that could drag on for weeks or literally, for that matter, months," Thune said. "But it's also unlimited amendments, meaning that every amendment — there's no rules — so every amendment will be 51 votes."
He argued that there are several politically challenging amendments that could hit the floor that would put members in tough reelections in a hard spot and possibly cause them to pass, which "could also be very detrimental to the bill in the end."
Thune didn’t shut down the idea of turning to the talking filibuster, especially if it ended in lawmakers being able to actually pass the SAVE America Act. But in the Senate, outcomes are rarely guaranteed on politically divisive legislation.
"I think that, you know, this obviously is a mechanism of trying to pursue an outcome, but I don't know that, in the end, it'll get you the outcome you want," Thune said. "And there could be a lot of ancillary damage along the way."
Swalwell's 'I should be working' gym, pool videos resurface as Dem rival hammers his missed House votes
One of Rep. Eric Swalwell's, D-Calif., top Democratic opponents in the race for California governor unleashed a "savage" campaign ad using Swalwell's own words against him.
Billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer, who was also unsuccessful in running for president in 2020, used multiple videos Swalwell posted on social media during the 2025 government shutdown by the pool and at the gym as an attack on his missed votes in Washington, D.C.
The Swalwell videos, which were initially intended as an attack on Republicans and blaming them for why he wasn't working during the 40+ day shutdown, repeatedly say, "I should be working."
"Eric Swalwell's job is to vote in Congress," the ad starts out in between videos of Swalwell in the pool and at the gym telling his followers that he "should be working" right now. "In 2025, Eric Swalwell missed 95 votes. That's more than Rep. Raul Grijalva missed. Rep. Grijalva died in March 2025."
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According to GovTrack.US, Swalwell missed 102 out of 139 roll call votes, or 73%, between Sept. 19, 2025 and Feb. 9, 2026. In late November, he announced his run to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom as California's next governor. In Steyer's ad, the billionaire's campaign claims Swalwell has missed 68% of votes since declaring his candidacy.
"He hasn't been showing up to work, and now he's asking for a promotion," the advertisement concluded, as it continued showing clips of Swalwell bench pressing and talking about how he should be in a suit on Capitol Hill and not pumping iron.
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"Savage," Democratic commentator Kaivan Shroff posted on X.
"Steyer going negative on Swalwell this early is the latest piece of evidence Dem primaries this cycle are going to be nastier than they've been in a while," senior Huffington Post editor Kevin Robillard posted on X.
"Brutal ad," Washington Free Beacon reporter Jon Levine posted on X.
Swalwell began posting these videos last summer, complaining that Republicans had sent him home for political reasons.
"I should be working right now. I should be in Congress. I should be voting to lower your costs. But, instead, I'm in a pool because Republicans sent everyone home because they don't want to release the Epstein files," Swalwell said in a late July video he posted to his social media accounts from a glistening pool on the water. "We could be working to lower your costs, make sure healthcare is affordable, and make sure we are restoring the rights of everyone in our community. I should be working right now."
"Swalwell has, however, kept constituents informed of his workouts even if he is not actually working," Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley posted on X last summer. "It turns out that the shutdown was not the problem since he is being outvoted by deceased colleagues."
According to Swalwell and other Democrats, at the time, Republicans sent everyone in Congress home early to avoid voting on an Epstein transparency app, later passed. However, Republicans said that Democrats were trying to ram through measures already being pursued by the executive branch at the time.
The pool video was part of a series of other "I should be working right now" videos from Swalwell at the time, including one he took while throwing out the first pitch for his hometown's minor league baseball team and another one of him bench pressing 135 pounds at the gym.
Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell and his representatives for comment on the criticism about him missing votes, but did not hear back in time for publication.
Actress Natasha Rothwell goes off-prompter to say ‘f--- ICE’ at Independent Spirit Awards
Actress Natasha Rothwell went off-script and condemned ICE as she spoke at the Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday.
As with the Grammys earlier this month, many celebrities used the award show as an opportunity to condemn the men and women in uniform at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as President Donald Trump’s administration works to enforce immigration law.
Natasha Rothwell, a writer and actress known for her involvement with "The White Lotus," "Insecure," and "Saturday Night Live," took a step beyond simply wearing an anti-ICE pin.
"Hi, everyone! I'm going to go to the prompter, but I just want to say, ‘f--- ICE,’" she said, as applause erupted from the audience. She then went on to introduce the series "Chief of War," which went on to win the Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series award.
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"’ICE OUT’ pin-wearers at the Indie Spirit Awards included Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, Tessa Thompson, and Lake Bell," pop culture news outlet Vulture reported.
The same outlet noted another celebrity used this award ceremony as a moment of political reflection.
"Train Dreams" director Clint Bentley mused upon the purpose of art in the current political climate as he accepted the award for Best Director, saying, "I’ve been thinking a lot, I think as we all have, like, what’s the point at times?"
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He continued, "And yet, in a world where there’s so many people trying to put up walls and put people in cages and divide people, we’re making little communities and we’re putting goodness into the world. And when there’s a lot of people trying to do the opposite, I think that’s worth doing. Who knows where it’ll lead us, but I think it’s worth trying to make the world a little bit better every little step we can."
Tom Emmer blasts Democrats' double standard on SAVE Act: 'They require photo IDs' at their own DNC
EXCLUSIVE: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., is accusing Democrats of being hypocritical in their opposition to Republicans' latest election integrity bill.
The No. 3 House Republican ripped the rival party after nearly all of them voted against the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act last week, specifically over its provision mandating federally accepted photo identification at the polls. It's also sometimes referred to as the "SAVE Act."
"These guys are doing the same old broken record about voter suppression," Emmer told Fox News Digital. "Why aren't they screaming about photo IDs at the airport? Why aren't they screaming about photo IDs when you check out a book at the library?"
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Emmer pointed out that a photo ID was required for attendees to watch former Vice President Kamala Harris accept the Democratic Party's nomination for the White House in Chicago last year.
"By the way, if they think it's voter suppression, why do they require photo IDs at the Democrat National Convention to get in?" Emmer said.
"I mean, I think Americans are so much smarter than these people can understand, can let themselves understand," he said.
The SAVE America Act passed the House on Wednesday with support from all Republicans — an increasingly rare sight in the chamber — and just one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas.
A previous iteration of the bill, just called the SAVE Act, passed the House in April of last year with support from four House Democrats.
Whereas the SAVE Act would have created a new federal proof-of-citizenship mandate in the voter registration process and imposed requirements for states to keep their rolls clear of ineligible voters, the updated bill would also require photo ID to vote in any federal election.
That photo ID would also have to denote proof-of-citizenship, according to the legislative text.
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Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have both panned the bill, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling it "voter suppression" and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., dismissing it as "a modern-day Jim Crow."
Jeffries also specifically took issue with a provision that would enable the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to initiate removal proceedings if an illegal immigrant was found on a state's voter rolls, arguing DHS would weaponize the information.
But voter ID, at least, has proven to be a popular standard in U.S. elections across multiple public polls.
A Pew Research Center poll released in August 2025 showed a whopping 83% of people supported government-issued photo ID requirements for showing up to vote, compared to just 16% of people who disapproved of it.
A Gallup poll from October 2024 showed 84% of people supported photo ID for voting in federal elections.
GOP reaches key 50-vote threshold for Trump-backed voter ID bill as Senate fight looms
Senate Republicans now have enough support within their conference to pass Trump-backed voter ID legislation, but a major hurdle remains.
The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act has secured the backing of 50 Senate Republicans, following a pressure campaign by the White House and a cohort of Senate conservatives over the past several weeks.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has led the charge in the upper chamber, ramping up his efforts last week as the bill moved through the House.
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Lee told Fox News Digital that he was "ecstatic" about the progress made in shoring up support for the legislation and hoped the Senate would move as quickly as possible to consider it.
"I would love to see us turn to it next week, perhaps the day after the State of the Union address," Lee said. "I think that would be good timing. But I think this needs to get done sooner rather than later."
That multifaceted campaign — both on social media and behind closed doors in the Senate — proved successful, drawing support from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and several others.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, became the 50th senator to back the bill. That gives Republicans the internal support they need to advance the legislation procedurally, but only if they turn to the standing, or talking, filibuster.
Before leaving Washington, D.C., for a weeklong break last week, Lee and other supporters, including Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., pitched the voter ID proposal and potential pathways to pass it to colleagues.
"We had some good senators stand up and say, ‘No, we got to fight for this,’" Johnson told Fox News Digital. "I'm with them. We need to fight for this."
COLLINS BOOSTS REPUBLICAN VOTER ID EFFORT, BUT WON’T SCRAP FILIBUSTER
Still, the effort faces heavy resistance from Senate Democrats, who are nearly unified in their opposition.
The only potential outlier is Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has pushed back against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, D-N.Y., characterization of the bill as "Jim Crow 2.0" but has not said whether he would ultimately support the SAVE America Act.
Despite that possibility, Schumer and most of his caucus plan to block the legislation.
"We will not let it pass in the Senate," Schumer told CNN’s Jake Tapper. "We are fighting it tooth and nail."
Not every Senate Republican is onboard, either. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has announced she will vote against the measure, while Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have not signed on as co-sponsors.
One option to bypass Democratic opposition would be nuking the filibuster and its 60-vote threshold — a move some congressional Republicans argue has effectively become a "zombie filibuster," since legislation can be blocked simply by withholding votes rather than holding the floor.
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Despite previous pressure from President Donald Trump to eliminate the filibuster, the move does not have the votes among Republicans to succeed — a point Thune underscored last week.
"There aren't anywhere close to the votes — not even close — to nuking the filibuster," Thune said.
That leaves a return to the standing, or talking, filibuster — the precursor to today’s procedural hurdle. Under that approach, Senate Democrats would be required to hold the floor and publicly debate their opposition, as senators did for decades before the modern filibuster became standard practice.
The idea appears to be gaining traction among some Republicans, though critics warn it could effectively paralyze the upper chamber for days, weeks or even months, depending on Democrats’ resolve.
Lee said that many senators he's spoken with are open to the idea, and that those who were reluctant didn't believe it wouldn't work.
"I understand why people might have questions about a procedure that we're not familiar with," Lee said. "It doesn't mean we don't have to do it, because we do."
Meanwhile, Trump has suggested he could take matters into his own hands if Congress cannot pass the SAVE America Act.
In a Truth Social post last week, Trump called the legislation a "CAN’T MISS FOR RE-ELECTION IN THE MIDTERMS, AND BEYOND."
"This is an issue that must be fought, and must be fought, NOW! If we can’t get it through Congress, there are legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted," Trump wrote. "I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order."
Sarah Michelle Gellar stuns in burgundy lace bra and sheer skirt in New York City
Sarah Michelle Gellar turned a Manhattan sidewalk into her own runway.
The "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" actress was photographed Feb. 16 wearing a lace bralette and coordinating sheer skirt layered beneath an oversized blazer in the same deep wine tone, with the look revealing high-waisted burgundy underwear underneath.
She finished the look with satin pumps and drop earrings that shimmered with diamonds and deep red stones. Her blonde hair fell loose as she smiled for cameras while striding down the sidewalk.
Gellar’s appearance comes as she promotes Netflix’s revived live competition series "Star Search," where she serves as a judge alongside Chrissy Teigen and Jelly Roll. Anthony Anderson hosts the show.
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The updated version of the iconic talent competition runs as a five-week live event, with contestants performing across categories including singing, dance, comedy and variety acts. Viewers cast votes in real time, helping determine which performers advance each week.
During her visit to "Live with Kelly and Mark," Gellar opened up about her role on the judging panel.
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"Well, I was the mean judge like in the beginning, and it was like hard for me because I don't think of myself as the mean judge, but then Chrissy finally gave a score lower than I did. So, I feel like it's now a little bit more even," she said.
Gellar also revealed she once auditioned for the original "Star Search" and didn’t make it on.
"We um we both auditioned for Star Search and didn't make it on," she said, referring to John Legend. "That's why I'm back now to fix the mistakes of the past."
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Unlike the syndicated series that aired in the 1980s and 1990s, the Netflix revival incorporates live global voting directly through the streaming platform. Performances air Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, with audience participation playing a central role in determining outcomes.
"The coolest thing about this show is that it is live worldwide," Gellar said. "So, if you have a remote, you can vote. So, no app to download, no phone number."
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She added that the competition has become a family affair.
"Oh, not only are my kids watching, they're there every week. They love it," she said. "And they are quite vocal in their opinions about how they don't agree with what I do." "I'll look over and I just see this face," she said, recalling how her kids react when they disagree with her scores.
Gellar has also been reflecting on how her work life has shifted in recent years. On the "Shut Up Evan Podcast," which aired Jan. 7, 2026, she spoke about stepping away from acting for a stretch while prioritizing home life.
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"Well, I mean, I think, you know, I took a lot of years off. You know, I took a lot of years off, and I think I feel like I'm first getting my sea legs back now and like ready to work now that my kids are older," she said.
"I needed to take a break. And I'm so glad I did on so many levels. Like, first of all, I'll never get that time back with my kids. I didn't miss a show, a performance, a first step, a lost tooth. Like, there was every moment I was able to be there for, and that's not something you can do as a working actor," she added.
Gellar is also set to appear in the upcoming horror sequel "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come," which arrives in theaters this spring. The film brings back Samara Weaving’s character for another high-stakes chapter, with Gellar joining Kathryn Newton and Elijah Wood among the new additions to the franchise.