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Tulsi Gabbard faces skeptical senators at confirmation hearing to be intel chief

(WASHINGTON) -- If she is confirmed as director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard would be the youngest-ever in that role, the first millennial, the first Asian American, and only the second woman to hold the position.

But she is expected to face questions in her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee about statements she has made that appear to support U.S. enemies and dictators as well as having no significant experience in intelligence. Gabbard can afford to lose the votes of only three Republicans and sources tell ABC News the vote on her nomination is expected to be a close one.

Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., began his opening statement by expressing "dismay" at what he characterized as unfair attacks on Gabbard's patriotism, citing Hillary Clinton's accusation that she was "an asset of a foreign nation," referring, of course, to Russia.

Cotton said he personally "spent two hours" reviewing Gabbard's past background checks and found them "clean as a whistle."

"No doubt she has some unconventional views," Cotton acknowledged, but suggested any criticism from Democrats reflects their frustration that she "saw the light" and left their party.

In his opening statement, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the committee's top Democrat, ticked through a litany of Gabbard's more controversial public statements to demonstrate what he called his "significant concerns about your judgment and your qualifications."

"Now I don't know if your intent in making those statements was to defend those dictators, or if you were simply unaware of the intelligence and how your statements would be perceived," Warner said. "In either case, it raises serious questions about your judgment."

In excerpts from her opening statement, Gabbard confronts her critics.

"The truth is: what really upsets my political opponents is my consistent record of independence, regardless of political affiliation, and my refusal to be anyone's puppet. You know who else is committed to defending our country and reforming Washington with a fierce and unparalleled independence, President Donald J. Trump who ran and won with a mandate for change this November," she says in the excerpt.

For most of her career, Gabbard has broken barriers. She was the youngest woman ever elected to a state house of representatives and the first to graduate from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at the Alabama Military Academy as a distinguished honor graduate. In Congress, she was the first Samoan American, the youngest woman elected at the time, and the first combat veteran to serve -- a distinction she shares with Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

Gabbard has prepared extensively over the past two months for her hearings, meeting with former DNI leaders, including John Negroponte, the first DNI, and Michael Allen, who led Negroponte's confirmation hearing preparations. She also has consulted with former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden, along with Trump allies Morgan Ortagus, deputy special presidential envoy for Middle East peace, and FBI director nominee Kash Patel.

She has sought input from a broad range of intelligence experts, former government officials and lawmakers across the aisle. She has participated in policy roundtables with lawyers, ex-intelligence officials, and national security negotiators, including figures involved in the Abraham Accords.

She also held a full-scale mock confirmation hearing ahead of Thursday's Senate Intelligence Committee proceedings. Former Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who chaired the committee from 2015 to 2020, will introduce her.

Sources on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill tell ABC News Gabbard will likely face scrutiny over her past stances on Russia, Ukraine, Syria, and Iran, as well as her defense of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who reached a plea deal with the Justice Department over disseminating classified documents he had obtained illegally. Gabbard said last year on "Real Time With Bill Maher" that "the charges against him are one of the biggest attacks on freedom of the press that we've seen and freedom of speech."

As a member of Congress, Gabbard introduced a bill in 2020 calling for the federal government to drop all charges against Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked information in 2013 about how the U.S. government surveils the American public.

She's also expected to face question on her reversal on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a key surveillance tool she voted against reauthorizing in 2020, her last year in Congress.

Gabbard argued that Americans shouldn't be forced to choose between security and liberty, saying that the Patriot Act and FISA have "been allowing for the abuses of our civil liberties and overreach by our own intelligence and law enforcement agencies through doing things like warrantless sweeping collection of our data, violating our Fourth Amendment constitutional rights."

Gabbard is also expected to face questions past statements about former President Donald Trump including her decision to vote present on Donald Trump's.

Over the last two months, Gabbard has met with more than 50 senators, primarily Republicans. The meetings have largely served as an introduction -- an opportunity to explain her past positions and assuage concerns about her political evolution. A source close to her told ABC News, "They know they can't put her in a box. She's not a Democrat. She's a new Republican. She has very similar, if not 100% aligned, views with President Trump on 'America First' foreign policy. That makes people uneasy because they can't quite figure her out."

Gabbard, like Trump, is a former Democrat whose policy views have shifted significantly. Her evolution has been shaped by her 22 years in the Army, including deployments to Iraq, Kuwait, and Djibouti. If confirmed, she will be the first female DNI to have served in the military. She plans to continue serving in the Army Reserve, which is permitted under ODNI regulations.

Behind the scenes, Gabbard has earned bipartisan support within the intelligence community for her willingness to engage with a range of stakeholders. Earlier this month, the families of two former ISIS and al-Qaeda hostages publicly endorsed her nomination in a letter shared with ABC News. The parents of Kayla Mueller, who was killed by ISIS, and Theo Padnos, a former al-Qaeda hostage, argued that the radicalization of individuals -- such as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, who drove his truck into a crowd of New Orleans New Year's revelers -- underscores the need for Gabbard's swift confirmation.

The letter of support came under scrutiny by some lawmakers after rebels toppled Syria's Bashar al-Assad. Gabbard met with Assad in Syria in 2017, which remains a point of controversy. She has previously defended the trip as a "fact-finding mission" and has maintained that U.S. intervention in Syria empowered extremist groups.

Gabbard warned in the same year that she was concerned that toppling Assad's regime could lead to groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda to step in to fill the void and "completely massacre all religious minorities there in Syria."

"I had no intention of meeting with Assad, but when given the opportunity, I felt it was important to take it," Gabbard said in a 2017 statement. "We should be ready to meet with anyone if there's a chance it can help bring about an end to this war."

Padnos, who was kidnapped by the al-Nusra Front in 2012 and held for nearly two years, said Gabbard's willingness to engage with hostage families compelled him to speak out.

"This is a woman with deep compassion for the victims of terrorism and the courage to get things done," he told ABC News. "Nobody else has offered their help -- except Tulsi."

Gabbard told ABC News that she was "honored and humbled by that statement of support."

She has also received backing from law enforcement. The National Sheriffs' Association endorsed her nomination, citing her commitment to bridging intelligence gaps between federal agencies and local authorities. In a statement, the group praised Gabbard's pledge to give sheriffs "a seat at the table" in national security discussions.

Sheriff Kieran Donahue, president of the National Sheriffs' Association, wrote "Gabbard has demonstrated a commitment to addressing the critical disconnect between our intelligence agencies and local law enforcement in preparing for sophisticated and pervasive threats."

A source close to Gabbard told ABC News that her focus as director of national intelligence will be on restoring trust in the intelligence community and reforming what is and isn't classified. Specifically, she aims to ensure that the intelligence provided to the Senate and White House is not information already available to lawmakers through media outlets. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers have expressed concern about the overclassification of information.

The source added that Gabbard intends to provide more accurate, raw intelligence to help lawmakers make informed decisions, rather than relying on overclassified data. She also plans to streamline the process for security clearances and return ODNI to its original mission -- leading the intelligence community by fostering integration, collaboration and innovation.

Her allies argue that her outsider perspective will help modernize the intelligence community -- though critics remain skeptical of her lack of traditional experience.

Thursday's hearing will test whether Gabbard can win over skeptics -- or if her controversial past will derail her bid to become the nation's top intelligence officer.

Trump and Medicaid: Everything to know about the low-income health insurance program

(WASHINGTON) -- When the White House budget office released a memo this week that instructed all federal agencies to cease spending on any financial assistance programs pending internal review, the fate of the nation's largest public health insurance program was propelled into question.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health care coverage to low-income individuals and families. There were over 79 million Americans enrolled in the program as of October 2024.

The online Medicaid reimbursement portal accessible by every state was reportedly down following Tuesday's freeze announcement, despite the White House Office of Management and Budget saying in an updated memo that the program would not be affected.

On Wednesday, after being temporarily blocked by a federal judge and already facing a legal challenge from 22 state attorneys general, the freeze was rescinded.

While federal administrators and private individuals alike scramble to understand which programs could be affected by President Donald Trump's sweeping executive orders, experts say Medicaid's role in America cannot overstated.

"It's really the backbone of many aspects of our health care system," Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families, told ABC News.

From birth to elder care, Medicaid covers newborns, children, low-income individuals and families, people with disabilities and substance abuse issues, and nursing home residents, among others, according to Alker.

"I think we all need to really pay attention to what's going on here, both in the administration but, more importantly, in Congress, where they are contemplating these very large cuts," Alker said.

What is Medicaid?

Medicaid, which turns 60 this year, was established in 1965 as amendments to Social Security by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The program was meant to provide health insurance to individuals and families who could not afford or were not provided private insurance through employment.

Now, it's a nearly $900 billion program funded by both the federal government and individual states, with each state administering its own eligibility, benefits and payment rates based on federal guidelines, according to the program's website.

The federal government reimburses states for a portion of Medicaid costs through the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage program, which covers hospitals, doctors, clinics, pharmacies and nursing homes with little to no copayments by the beneficiaries, according to Medicaid.

"Medicaid serves a key role in the health insurance market, and for many people, there is no alternative," Eric Seiber, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Public Health and director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies at Ohio State University, told ABC News.

"This affects Medicaid beneficiaries, but also Medicaid providers. What is often overlooked is one person's healthcare expense is another person's healthcare income," Seiber added.

How many Americans are on Medicaid?

As of October 2024, the program reported that 79.4 million people were enrolled in Medicaid across the U.S. That includes 41.7 million adults enrolled in Medicaid and 37.6 million Medicaid child and Children's Health Insurance Program enrollees.

Medicaid enrollment is on the rise, with the program seeing a 20% increase in applications since October 2023 and a 66% increase since October 2022, according to the program.

Who is eligible for Medicaid?

Eligibility for Medicaid coverage is based on income, family size, disability status and age, and can vary from state to state.

The expansion of Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act made adults with incomes of up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or about $20,783 for an individual, eligible in 2024, according to the program.

Not everyone to enrolls in Medicaid remains on it indefinitely, according to Seiber.

"Medicaid often serves as a trampoline, not a safety net. People land on Medicaid and often bounce right back off," Seiber told ABC News of Medicaid's role in the American health care system.

"I would say that Medicaid protects people's health, but also their future," Seiber added.

Medicaid during Trump's first administration

Trump's first administration saw threats to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act that were ultimately rejected, perhaps most dramatically in 2017 when Sen. John McCain, who died of brain cancer the following year, returned to Washington, D.C., to vote against the so-called "skinny repeal" of the ACA and hundreds of billions in cuts to Medicaid.

Trump was attempting to replace the ACA with the American Health Care Act, which would have repealed the individual mandate and the employer mandate, amended Medicaid eligibility and weakened protections for patients with pre-existing conditions.

In December 2017, a Republican tax reform law was passed that eliminated individual mandates, which Gallup later said may have reduced participation in the insurance marketplace.

At the end of 2019, 13.7% of adults were without health insurance, the highest level seen since early 2014, according to Gallup data.

Fast-forward to the 2024 election cycle: Trump made little mention of Medicaid amid various campaign trail comments about possible changes to Medicare and Social Security.

In March, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that he was "not running to terminate" the ACA but said he wanted to make it "better" and "less expensive."

During the September presidential debate, he said he had "concepts of a plan" and said it would be "better health care than Obamacare," but offered few details.

"Medicaid will be turning 60 this year, so we are very concerned that that proposal may arise again," Alker said of possible cuts to federal Medicaid funding.

"So our future is really at stake here, and I think with an aging population, with a growing need for long-term care, there's no way that states can manage this," she added.

‘Hearts are heavy’: 14 figure skaters among victims of DC plane crash

Emergency units respond to airplane wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. An American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided with a helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- Fourteen figure skaters are among the victims of the first major commercial plane crash in the United States since 2009, officials said.

Many have come forward to share statements of grief and devastation toward those lost in the deadly crash on Wednesday, including Doug Zeghibe, the CEO and executive director for the Skating Club of Boston, who said six of the victims, including two coaches, two teenage athletes and two moms of athletes, were from the Boston club.

"Our sport and this club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy," Zeghibe said. "Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together six or seven days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words."

The figure skaters and coaches returning from the recent U.S. national championships in Wichita, Kansas, were aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday evening, officials said. No survivors were expected in the crash, officials said Thursday. There were 64 people aboard the plane and three in the helicopter, according to officials.

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu also offered her condolences during a press conference, becoming emotional when stating there are not any survivors.

"Our hearts are heavy as a city," Wu said. "Our hearts are heavy as a city council, and we are here to provide the support needed for our community."

Zeghibe identified the skaters from the Skating Club of Boston as Jinna Ha and Spencer Lane. Ha's mother, Jin Han, and Lane's mother, Molly Lane, were also on board. Zeghibe also identified the two coaches as Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The two were 1994 World Pair Champions who joined the club in 2017, Zeghibe said.

"Six is a horrific number for us but we're fortunate and grateful it wasn't more than six," Zeghibe said. "This will have long reaching impacts for our skating community."

Natalya Gudin, the wife of Alexandr Kirsanov, a coach of two youth ice skaters on board the flight, said she has "lost everything." Gudin, also an ice skating coach, decided to stay home in Delaware while Kirsanov flew to Kansas for the development camp. She says she spoke with her husband as he boarded the flight on Wednesday.

"I lost my husband, I lost my students, I lost my friends," Gudin told ABC News. "I need my husband back. I need his body back."

The U.S. Figure Skating organization confirmed that "several members" of the skating community were aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which took off from Wichita, Kansas, and collided with the helicopter as it approached Reagan National Airport shortly before 9 p.m.

"These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas," the organization said.

"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts," the organization said. "We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available."

There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the jet and three personnel aboard the Army helicopter, which officials said was on a training flight at the time of the crash.

Officials have not publicly confirmed the number of fatalities in the crash.

At an early Thursday morning news conference, officials said they were continuing search-and-rescue operations in the icy Potomac River but did not say whether anyone had been pulled from the water alive, or confirm any deaths.

Meanwhile, Russian media reported that two Russian figure skaters were on board the American Airlines flight, and the presidential spokesman expressed condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the plane crash.

"There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday morning.

Earlier, several Russian state media outlets reported that the 1994 world figure skating champions in pairs, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were on board the plane, though U.S. authorities have not confirmed these reports.

Oklahoma City figure skating coach Jackie Brenner was in Wichita with the skaters, coaches and officials who were aboard the flight.

"I was there on Sunday at a coaching workshop, which was the first day of U.S. figure skating development camp as they were coming into their two days of training," Brenner said. "Huge excitement in the arena and lobby of all these families."

The U.S. Figure Skating community has been struck by tragedy in a plane crash before. In February 1961, an entire U.S. figure skating team died in a plane crash on Feb. 15, 1961. The plane, Sabena Flight 548, was carrying the team to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Along with the team, 16 family members, coaches and friends of the skaters died in the crash.

Note: A source earlier incorrectly listed one of the victims as Christine Lane. Her name has been corrected to Molly Lane.

Guantanamo could be used to hold up to 30,000 migrants

(WASHINGTON) -- According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is "a perfect place" where the Trump administration could hold up to 30,000 migrants while they await being deported from the United States to their home countries.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security to prepare the base to hold what he had earlier said might be 30,000 migrants described as “high-priority criminal aliens unlawfully present in the United States.”

Hegseth, who at one time served as a junior Army officer at the detention facility at Guantanamo that housed enemy combatants from the war on terror, explained that deported migrants would not be housed at that location.

“That's one part of Guantanamo Bay. The other part of Guantanamo Bay, Will, is a naval station where it has long been, for decades, a mission of that naval station to provide for migrants and refugees and resettlement,” Hegseth said in a live interview on Fox News' "The Will Cain Show"

Over the last week, U.S. military aircraft have been been used to carry out deportation flights, taking deported migrants back to their home countries. The military flights are in addition to the chartered flights that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has undertaken for years. However, the pace of those flights can be slow as the U.S. has to secure commitments from countries that they will agree to take back their citizens.

“We want somewhere else to hold them safely in the interim," Hegseth said. "Guantanamo Bay, Will, is a perfect place."

Hegseth described how the base could be used to house deportees on their way to their home countries or a third country "and it's taking a little time to move with that process and with the paperwork."

He said that as that process drags on, it is "better they be held at a safe location like Guantanamo Bay, which is meant and built for migrants. Meant and built to sustain that away from the American people as they are processed properly, to where they came from.”

“This is a temporary transit which is already the mission of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, where we can plus up thousands and tens of thousands, if necessary, to humanely move illegals out of our country where they do not belong, back to the countries where they came from in proper process," he added.

Hegseth described the grounds of the Navy base's golf course as a place that could possibly house as many as 6,000 migrants.

“So this is a plan in movement, but not in movement because we're behind, but because we're ramping up for the possibility to expand mass deportations, because President Trump is dead serious about getting illegal criminals out of our country," Hegseth said. "And the DOD is not only willing to, he's proud to partner with DHS to defend the sovereignty of our southern border and advance that mission."

Kash Patel, Trump’s controversial pick for FBI director, set to face Senate grilling

Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin)/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) -- As Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, appears Thursday for his Senate confirmation hearing, some of the rhetoric he has espoused for years to defend Trump and promote Trump's reelection is sure to elicit sharp questions about whether he is fit to lead one of the nation's premiere law enforcement agencies.

Patel has derided the FBI as the "Federal Bureau of Insanity." He's announced "a mission to annihilate the 'Deep State'" -- what he calls a "cabal of unelected tyrants" inside government, undermining Trump. He's said the conspiracy theory QAnon, claiming a secret global plot to traffic children and take down Trump, is right in many ways and "should get credit for all the things" it has accomplished. And he once promised to "come after" and prosecute "the conspirators not just in government, but in the media" who "helped Joe Biden rig the presidential election."

On a podcast two years ago, Trump adviser Roger Stone told Patel his critics are right about one thing: "You are a Trump loyalist."

Patel chuckled and nodded affirmatively.

But that's just what Democrats -- and even some Republicans -- on the Senate Judiciary Committee may wonder about most: If confirmed, is Patel so loyal to Trump that he would use the FBI to push Trump's political agenda and target Trump's perceived enemies?

'An existential threat'

According to Patel, the FBI has already become a political weapon -- especially with its multiple investigations of Trump, including the unprecedented search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022 -- and that's what he wants to change.

"The rot at the core of the FBI isn't just scandalous, it's an existential threat to our republican form of government," Patel wrote in his book, published two years ago, titled "Government Gangsters."

Trump, on social media, called Patel's book "the roadmap to end the Deep State's reign" when it came out.

Many of Trump's allies in Congress have lauded Patel's nomination, touting him as the change agent needed at the top of an embattled agency. Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has called Patel's career "a study in fighting for unpopular but righteous causes, exposing corruption, and putting America First."

Democrats, however, not only point to what they see as Patel's concerning rhetoric -- but also what they've described as his relative lack of experience for such a significant position.

After meeting with Patel last week, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he has "grave concerns" about Patel's nomination, declaring, "Mr. Patel has neither the experience, the temperament, nor the judgment to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

'I just got to my breaking point'

Now in his mid-40s, Patel grew up on New York's Long Island, ultimately deciding to attend law school after caddying for a group of criminal defense attorneys at the Garden City County Club. By his own account, in 2005, he graduated from Pace University Law school in the bottom third of his class -- something he was "very proud of," he once joked.

After law school, he spent nine years as a public defender, and in late 2013 he moved to Washington, D.C., to join the Justice Department's National Security Division as a terrorism prosecutor, helping U.S. attorneys' offices around the country prosecute their cases.

He was involved in Justice Department cases all over the world, including ones stemming from the 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi and the 2010 World Cup bombings in Uganda.

But in his book and in media interviews, he said he grew frustrated with his time at the Justice Department, especially after a dust-up with a federal judge that made national headlines.

In early 2016, while Patel was in Tajikistan for work, the judge presiding over one of his cases in Texas called for an in-person hearing back in the United States. Patel didn't have a suit or tie with him in Tajikistan, and after racing halfway around the world to make the hearing, the judge badgered him to "dress like a lawyer" and "act like a lawyer," according to a transcript of the exchange.

"You don't add a bit of value, do you?" the judge added.

As Patel recounted in his book, his bosses at the Justice Department privately expressed support for him, but when the Washington Post wrote a story about it two weeks later, the Justice Department, in Patel's telling, refused to defend him publicly, so the newspaper "dragged my name through the mud."

Patel has also described how he grew upset over the Justice Department's handling of the Benghazi case following the 2012 attack by Islamic militants, believing that "terrorists went free" despite his disputed assertion that the Obama administration had enough evidence to charge even more people for the attack.

"I just got to my breaking point," Patel once recalled. So in 2017, he left the Justice Department to become a senior investigator on Capitol Hill, where he helped lead the House Republicans' probe of "Russiagate" -- which, as he describes it, exposed FBI wrongdoing in its 2016 investigation of alleged ties between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia.

'Not a credible witness'

Patel's work on the Russia probe led to him joining the Trump administration in 2019, and in the final year of Trump's presidency he was appointed acting deputy director of national intelligence -- the second-in-command of the entire U.S. intelligence community -- and then chief of staff to the acting U.S. defense secretary, a position that critics claimed he was unqualified to hold even for just the 10 weeks he was there.

After Trump's first administration ended, Patel regularly appeared on conservative media outlets, frequently praising Trump and criticizing the Justice Department for investigating and then prosecuting Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office and his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Patel has claimed -- despite the Justice Department's inspector general finding otherwise -- that the FBI played a part in pushing pro-Trump protesters to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. And he has claimed in media interviews and court testimony that Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deserve blame for the attack -- not Trump -- because, Patel insists, Trump days earlier had authorized up to 20,000 National Guard to secure the Capitol.

The judge who listened to his court testimony in a case about Trump’s eligibility to be on Colorado’s ballot in the November election ruled that Patel "was not a credible witness," saying his testimony was "not only illogical" but "completely devoid of any evidence in the record."

After Trump left office, Patel launched a tax-exempt charity, now known as the Kash Foundation, which made national headlines in 2023 with revelations that it provided thousands of dollars to at least two so-called "FBI whistleblowers" who helped House Republicans push disputed claims of corruption inside the Justice Department.

Patel has said his charity helps fund defamation lawsuits, supports whistleblowers, buys meals for families in need over Christmas, supports Jan. 6 families, and more recently funds "rescue operations" out of Israel.

But he has refused to offer specifics about who is benefiting from his charity, and, as ABC News previously reported, experts have questioned whether it was following the law. At the time, Patel declined to speak with ABC News about its reporting.

After Trump announced his latest presidential campaign, Patel traveled the country to promote Trump's reelection, saying that Trump would fire "thousands and thousands and thousands" of government employees to root out the "Deep State."

Three weeks after Trump was reelected president, he named Patel as his pick to lead the FBI.

Washington leads the Mavericks to a 137-136 victory over the Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — P.J. Washington scored 25 points, making all four of his 3-point attempts in the fourth quarter, and Kyrie Irving added 25 points and six assists as the Dallas Mavericks outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 137-136 on Wednesday night.

Washington had missed all three of his long-range tries until he hit three in the first 4:16 of the final period. Daniel Gafford had 22 points, going 9 of 9 from the field, and added 12 rebounds and five blocks.

Klay Thompson had 20 points for Dallas, shooting 6 of 11 from deep. Washington grabbed 14 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season.

Dallas scored 80 points in the second half, shooting 65.9% from the field.

Trey Murphy led New Orleans with 32 points, and Zion Williamson had 29 points in 28 minutes.

The Pelicans, who lost their fourth straight, closed to 137-136 on a 3-pointer by CJ McCollum at the buzzer. That gave McCollum the most 3s in franchise history (629), moving him past Jrue Holiday (628). McCollum finished with 23 points.

The Mavs pulled ahead with a 40-30 third quarter, using a 19-9 run to take a 97-93 lead into the final period. Quentin Grimes had nine points in the quarter.
Takeaways

Mavericks: Naji Marshall returned from an illness but was limited to five points in 15 minutes against his former team. … Luka Doncic missed his 18th consecutive game with a left calf strain. The Mavs are 7-11 in his absence.

Pelicans: Rookie center Yves Missi, selected the Western Conference rookie of the month for January, was added to the West’s Rising Stars team. He had four blocks but went scoreless. … Brandon Ingram, sidelined for the last 24 games with a sprained left ankle, continues to ramp up his conditioning work in pregame warmups.
Key moment

Leading 97-93 entering the fourth, the Mavericks made five 3s in the first 4:16 of the period to build a 115-105 advantage.
Key stat

The Mavericks went 20 of 43 from long distance compared to 15 of 31 for the Pelicans.
Up next

Dallas visits Detroit on Friday night, the second stop on a five-game trip. New Orleans hosts Boston.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Frustration boils over for Spurs’ Wembanyama after shove by Zubac sends him flying

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama has had enough.

The San Antonio star charged after Ivica Zubac after the Los Angeles center shoved him to the court during the Clippers’ 128-116 victory over the Spurs on Wednesday night.

The frustration with what Wembanyama sees as a lack of calls, and respect, from officials boiled over late in the third quarter — and during his postgame press conference.

“So … it’s not even about Zubac,” Wembanyama said. “It’s just frustration, no matter who it was.”

When asked if he believes he gets a fair whistle from officials, Wembanyama curtly said, “No.”

The shove from Zubac was just the latest overt physicality Wembanyama has had to deal with.

Zubac yelled at the officials earlier in the third quarter for not calling a foul on Harrison Barnes after the Spurs forward blocked his layup. The frustration boiled over when Wembanyama blocked Zubac’s attempted dunk with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter and no foul was called.

Zubac flailed his arms in frustration and was late defensively, watching as Barnes tossed in a 3-pointer that cut the Clippers lead to 85-78. Still, Zubac rushed into the paint as the shot was up and gave a hard hip check and elbow to Wembanyama’s back, sending him flying to the baseline.

Wembanyama gathered himself and charged at Zubac but was held back by the Spurs coaching staff and players, who had filed onto the court as Clippers coach Ty Lue called a timeout immediately after Barnes’ 3-pointer.

“I reacted a little,” Zubac said. “I thought I got fouled (on the previous play). I was mad at the refs. So, then I was late (on Harrison Barnes’ 3-point shot). I saw it going up. I saw Wemby crashing, so I knew I had to box him out. I bumped him a little harder. I let emotions take over a little bit, but I apologized to him. That’s not the way I want to be on the court and compete.”

Zubac finished with 21 points and 22 rebounds. Wembanyama had 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Despite Zubac’s shove, no foul was called. Officials also did not call a technical foul on Wembanyama and, after a brief discussion, did not review the play.

The lack of a call angered Wembanyama and the Spurs.

“I thought there was a few plays that should have been taken care of a little bit earlier,” San Antonio acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “You’ll get reactions like that. It’s probably surprising he hasn’t reacted like that earlier, to be honest. He gets a lot of contact and at some point he’s going to have to continue to protect himself if the people controlling the game, supposedly, are not going to do that.”

It’s something that Wembanyama sais he has had to deal with as teams attempt to limit his unique ability to shoot 3-pointers and dribble like a guard by leaning against and pushing his 235-pound frame.

“So it’s a hard thing to fight, because it feels unfair sometimes,” Wembanyama said. “But, of course, we talk about it with the staff and there is some stuff I have to do to help myself. First of all, being strong and not bailing out shots, but also there is some work to do. Talking to the refs, of course, explaining myself. But for me, it doesn’t feel like it’s something I should influence. I’m a basketball player, I’m here to play, and yeah, this is why it’s frustrating. It’s not my job to do politics.”

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Rockets’ Dillon Brooks fined $25,000 for using profane language in televised interview

NEW YORK (AP) — Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for using profane language during a live televised postgame interview.

The interview took place after Brooks made 10 3-pointers and scored 36 points in a 114-112 road victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday.

The NBA announced the fine Wednesday.

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NFL confident in Super Bowl security plan in wake of New Orleans terror attack

The NFL’s security chief projected confidence in the league’s security plans as New Orleans prepares to host the Feb. 9 Super Bowl in the aftermath of a terror attack that killed 14 people there on New Year’s Day.

NFL chief security officer Cathy Lanier said Wednesday there will be heightened security measures around the game.

“I think the most important thing is, very clear and unequivocal, saying without hesitation that we are really confident in our security plan going into the Super Bowl,” she said.

The 11th Super Bowl hosted by New Orleans next weekend is expected to draw an estimated 100,000 visitors to the city, according to Collin Arnold, director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Multiple investigations are now reviewing how an Islamic State-group inspired attacker was able to drive his F-150 truck onto the city’s famed Bourbon Street and plow into New Year’s revelers. A lawsuit alleges the city and multiple contractors failed to instigate security measures that could have prevented or mitigated the attack.

Lanier said the NFL — which had already developed a security plan over the last two years — had worked with federal, state and local authorities and reassessed security plans after the Jan. 1 attack to make fans feel comfortable going into the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

“I think the biggest thing that you’ll see that’s different following the attacks is just a lot more visible law enforcement presence,” she said. ”We are still prepared to make new modifications should something change between now and the Super Bowl. That’s kind of our job is to be flexible and make changes, as needed.”

Lanier said the Super Bowl was given the second highest security rating possible by the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of the attack.

“I feel very confident that we’re going to the Super Bowl in an environment that people are going to feel comfortable, they’re going to feel safe and they’re going to enjoy the Super Bowl,” she said.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Cowboys and VP of player personnel Will McClay agree on multiyear extension

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have agreed on a multiyear contract extension with vice president of player personnel Will McClay, who has overseen the club’s draft process since 2014.

The deal announced Wednesday comes the same week the Cowboys introduced new coach Brian Schottenheimer, who replaced Mike McCarthy, and hired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen.

Dallas also announced the hiring of three more assistants in linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi, defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton and defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis.

McClay’s success in the draft, which includes 15 players who have made at least one Pro Bowl, has led to interest over the years from other teams wanting to interview him for general manager openings.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has held the GM title since buying the club in 1989, and McClay has said frequently he had no desire to leave the storied franchise.

The 58-year-old McClay has been with the Cowboys since 2002, when he was a scout while also on the coaching staff of the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League. He was the AFL team’s head coach for five seasons.

McClay was promoted to VP of personnel in 2017. Among the picks in his tenure of running the draft are six-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, two-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons and star receiver CeeDee Lamb. All were first-round picks. Franchise quarterback Dak Prescott was a fourth-round choice in 2016.

Borgonzi and Curtis were on Eberflus’ staff in Chicago. The Bears fired Eberflus 12 games into his third season in 2024. This is Eberflus’ second stint with the Cowboys. Whitecotton was most recently the defensive line coach with the New York Jets.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

JT Toppin has 18 points and 14 rebounds in No. 22 Texas Tech’s 71-57 win over TCU

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — JT Toppin had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Chance McMillian scored 16 points and No. 22 Texas Tech beat TCU 71-57 on Wednesday night in its first game as a ranked team this season.

Elijah Hawkins added 13 points to help the Red Raiders (16-4, 7-2 Big 12) win their fifth consecutive game in what is their best start in conference since 2004-05, when Bob Knight was the coach.

Noah Reynolds scored 14 points before fouling out for the Horned Frogs (10-10, 3-6). They have lost three in a row since beating then-No. 25 Baylor on the road.

Texas Tech led most of the way despite starter Darrion Williams missing the game with a lower-body injury.
Takeaways

TCU: Vasean Allette, a sophomore averaging nearly 12 points per game, went to the locker room in the second half with an apparent injury.

Toppin made a layup 26 seconds after Brendan Wenzel put TCU ahead 39-38 with a 3-pointer early in the second half. The Red Raiders didn’t trail again and took their first double-digit lead with 9 1/2 minutes remaining.
Key moment

Texas Tech went more than six minutes without a field goal late in the second half, but the drought ended on a 3-pointer from Christian Anderson. He hit the shot moments after McMillian blocked Trazarien White’s layup attempt, which would have pulled the Horned Frogs within five with two minutes to go.
Key stat

The Red Raiders were below average from the 3-point line at 32%, but five of their seven players made a shot from deep. Four of them had at least two.
Up next

TCU plays three of its next five games at home, starting Sunday against Colorado. Texas Tech visits No. 6 Houston on Saturday.

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Harris scores 20, Cross adds double-double and SMU defeats Cal 76-65

DALLAS (AP) — Chuck Harris scored 20 points, Matt Cross had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and SMU defeated California 76-65 on Wednesday.

B.J. Edwards had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists for SMU (16-5, 7-3 ACC), which won for the fifth time in six games. Boopie Miller had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists.

The Golden Bears, who trailed by double digits for much of the second half, got within 61-55 near the five-minute mark before a three-point play by Harris helped SMU rebuild a 12-point lead at 67-55 with 3 1/2 minutes to go.

A 3-pointer by Cal’s Jeremiah Wilkinson cut SMU’s lead to 69-62 with 2:25 remaining then the Mustangs wrapped up the win with five made free throws in six attempts.

Rytis Petraitis had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Cal (11-10, 4-6). Wilkinson scored 16 points and Javon Blacksher Jr. added 13 points.

After a scoring slump of six points in 5 1/2 minutes in which they fell behind 21-17, the high-scoring Mustangs (83.1 points per game) regrouped and scored 22 points in the final 6-plus minutes of the first half. SMU led 39-29 at halftime.

Cal returns home to play Syracuse on Saturday when SMU hosts Stanford.

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Harris scores 20, Cross adds double-double and SMU defeats Cal 76-65

DALLAS (AP) — Chuck Harris scored 20 points, Matt Cross had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and SMU defeated California 76-65 on Wednesday.

B.J. Edwards had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists for SMU (16-5, 7-3 ACC), which won for the fifth time in six games. Boopie Miller had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists.

A 3-pointer by Cal’s Jeremiah Wilkinson cut SMU’s lead to 69-62 with 2:25 remaining then the Mustangs wrapped up the win with five made free throws in six attempts.

Rytis Petraitis had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Cal (11-10, 4-6). Wilkinson scored 16 points and Javon Blacksher Jr. added 13 points.

Cal returns home to play Syracuse on Saturday when SMU hosts Stanford.

Late free throws, defensive stops carry No. 23 Mississippi past Texas, 72-69

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Davon Barnes made two free throws with eight seconds remaining and No. 23 Mississippi got two defensive stops in the final 10 seconds to hold off Texas 72-69 on Wednesday night.

Sean Pedulla had 19 points and five assists to help Ole Miss (16-5, 5-3 Southeastern) end a three-game losing streak. Jaemyn Brakefield scored nine of his 18 points in the final six minutes, and Dre Davis added 17.

Tre Johnson led Texas (14-7, 3-5) with 22 points, but misfired twice in the final 10 seconds on potential tying or go-ahead shots. Arthur Kaluma had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Barnes made both free throws after Johnson’s first miss with 10 seconds remaining for the final margin. Johnson missed an uncontested 3-point shot from the corner that was rebounded by Davis at the buzzer.
Takeaways

Texas: Texas plays three of the next five games at home and a strong February performance will be critical in the chase for an NCAA Tournament berth.

Ole Miss: The win was a much-needed positive start to a three-game homestand that included No. 1 Auburn and No. 12 Kentucky. The Rebels lost two games in overtime or at the buzzer in regulation play over the past two weeks.
Key moment

Pedulla gave Ole Miss a 70-68 lead on a jumper in the paint with 1:02 left. The Rebels never trailed again, setting up the decisive free throws and defensive stops in the final 10 seconds.
Key stat

The lead changed hands 14 times and the game was tied 11 times. Neither team led by more than five points in the second half.
Up next

Both teams are back in action Saturday. Texas is at LSU, and Ole Miss hosts No. 1 Auburn.

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Strength-sapping defense fuels No. 6 Houston’s 13-game winning streak

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s Javon Small gestured and yelled for a teammate — any teammate — to get open closer to the basket. When that didn’t work, the Big 12’s leading scorer forced up a 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired.

Clank.

Small was the latest star stifled by No. 6 Houston, which has been making a habit out of sapping opponents’ strengths.

The Cougars (17-3, 9-0 Big 12) are riding a 13-game winning streak behind the nation’s stingiest defense and priding themselves in slowing down the other team’s top scorers.

“We’re a defensive-minded team,” Houston guard L.J. Cryer said after a 63-49 win over the Mountaineers on Wednesday night. “We go to practice and we emphasize defense a lot. You achieve what you work on and what you emphasize. When the ball’s not going in, you’ve got to rely on your defense. And on the nights that the ball isn’t going in, we’re going to win because of that.”

Opponents have to find a Plan B when Houston throws double and triple teams at them. Cryer, Joseph Tugler, J’Wan Roberts and Terrance Arceneaux took turns harassing Small, who attempted just seven shots and was held to eight points, nearly 12 below his league-leading average.

It’s happened quite often this month.

UCF’s Keyshawn Hall, who scored a career-high 40 points in his previous game, was held to six points against Houston on 2-for-12 shooting.

Utah’s Gabe Madsen was limited to eight points on 3-of-10 shooting against the Cougars. The Utes, who have scored at least 80 points 10 times this season, were held to 36 points, their lowest scoring output since 2011.

BYU’s Richie Saunders managed just nine points against Houston one game after scoring a career-high 30 against Arizona State.

Houston, whose 18-game league winning streak dating to last season is the second longest in Big 12 history, is allowing 55.6 points per game, 2.4 points fewer than the next best defensive team, Drake. Opponents are shooting a national-worst 36% from the field against the Cougars.

Houston started the season ranked at No. 4 but started 4-3 with overtime losses to San Diego State and No. 4 Alabama in Las Vegas and a five-point loss to top-ranked Auburn.

It hasn’t lost since.

Kelvin Sampson, who has been Houston’s coach since 2014, said defense has been the Cougars’ bread and butter for nearly a decade. He’s especially proud that in this era of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness opportunities, he’s able to teach the same players. Eight of Houston’s top 10 players returned this season, including four starters.

“And that does make a difference,” Sampson said. “Part of our secret sauce is our program. And then having great kids. Character matters. Having kids you don’t mind losing with. There’s some teams, whether it’s bad attitudes or wrong attitudes or what, you’re always having to coach that. I never have to worry about effort or attitude. I’m blessed that way. I’ve got a great staff. That’s buoyed us here for a long time.”

Cryer is Houston’s top scorer averaging 13.5 points per game — which is 18th in the Big 12 — followed closely by Emanuel Sharp at 13.4. But Houston is filling the basket enough that its average 21-point scoring margin leads the country, and the Cougars are forcing 6.1 more turnovers than they commit, good for fourth best.

“Defensively, they’re just well connected,” West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said. “They’re very aggressive. They really load to the ball. It’s hard to really crack them.

“Not many teams have.”

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