A Palestinian activist accused of making antisemitic statements and leading anti-Israel protests at Columbia University will not be deported from the U.S., an immigration judge has ruled, according to reports.

Judge Nina Froes determined on Feb. 13 that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not provide sufficient admissible evidence to establish that Mohsen Mahdawi was removable, Reuters reported.

Froes said DHS relied in part on a memorandum purportedly signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio but failed to authenticate the document.

As a result, the government was unable to “meet its burden of proving removability,” according to Reuters.

FEDERAL JUDGE LAUNCHES SCATHING BROADSIDE OF TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO DEPORT PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS

Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi will not be deported after Immigration Judge Nina Froes ruled the government failed to provide sufficient evidence. (Amanda Swinhart / AP )

Mahdawi’s attorneys shared the decision Tuesday in a filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, which has been reviewing a prior ruling that led to his release from immigration custody in April 2025.

Mahdawi, 34, had been detained at that point during a citizenship appointment in Vermont and spent more than two weeks in custody. He was later released on bail after filing a habeas petition.

A federal judge ordered that he not be deported or removed from the state and was released under an order issued by U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford in Burlington.

According to the 2025 court filing, Mahdawi co-founded the Palestinian Student Union at Columbia after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack. He founded the group with Mahmoud Khalil.

Mahdawi’s deportation case also stems in part from allegations dating back to 2015, when he was interviewed by the FBI after reportedly making antisemitic remarks at a Vermont gun store and a firearms museum.

FEDERAL JUDGE AGAIN BLOCKS DEPORTATION OF ANTI-ISRAEL COLUMBIA PROTESTER

Mohsen Mahdawi, accused of antisemitic statements and leading Columbia University protests, wins deportation case after judge finds evidence insufficient. (REUTERS/Ryan Murphy)

According to court documents previously cited by Fox News Digital, the store owner said Mahdawi expressed interest in purchasing firearms, including a sniper rifle and an automatic weapon.

The owner claimed he had experience building modified 9mm submachine guns “to kill Jews while he was in Palestine.”

The owner also alleged that Mahdawi stated at a museum in Windsor, “I like to kill Jews.” Mahdawi has denied making antisemitic comments or expressing violent intent.

At the time, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Trish McLaughlin said in a statement, “As the media works overtime to glorify a ringleader of the Columbia pro-terrorist riots, court documents show Mahdawi allegedly told a gun shop owner that he had considerable firearms experience and he ‘used to kill Jews’.”

MAMDANI TELLS TRUMP ADMIN ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST SHOULD ‘REMAIN IN NEW YORK CITY’ AMID DEPORTATION CASE

Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil attends a rally to welcome him home after being released from immigration custody, outside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, U.S., June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis (REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis)

Mahdawi’s defense team has said federal agents conducted a thorough investigation and found “no evidence” supporting the allegations.

In a statement Tuesday, Mahdawi said he was grateful for the court’s ruling.

“I am grateful to the court for honoring the rule of law and holding the line against the government’s attempts to trample on due process,” he said.

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“This decision is an important step towards upholding what fear tried to destroy: the right to speak for peace and justice. Nearly a year ago, I was detained at my citizenship interview not for breaking the law but for speaking against the genocide of Palestinians,” Mahdawi added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

An 88-year-old billionaire businessman and former Victoria’s Secret chief is the latest person to fall within the House Oversight Committee’s investigative crosshairs.

The crimes of late billionaire sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein are well-known, having gained new media attention in recent months after Congress forced the Department of Justice (DOJ) to disclose millions of pages of documents.

But less is known about the figures who operated within Epstein’s orbit and how they helped him get the vast international sphere of influence he enjoyed before finding himself in a Manhattan jail awaiting trial, where he killed himself in 2019.

Leslie “Les” Wexner, founder of L Brands, the former chief of Victoria’s Secret, is one of those figures, having been named a co-conspirator of Epstein in a recently uncovered FBI document from 2019.

REVEALED: TRUMP CALLED POLICE CHIEF TO SUPPORT EPSTEIN PROBE, AND LAWMAKERS NAMED 6 MEN SHIELDED FROM EXPOSURE

Leslie Wexner, former CEO of Victoria’s Secret and other fashion brands, is named numerous times in the DOJ files on Jeffrey Epstein. (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Fragrance Foundation; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Victoria’s Secret; Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Wexner is the founder of L Brands, formerly known as The Limited, which included Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Pink. He also helped found Abercrombie & Fitch, a clothing brand that was once popular among teens in the U.S.

Wexner has never been charged with crimes related to the late financier, and a spokesperson for the mogul told Fox News Digital that the “Assistant U.S. Attorney told Mr. Wexner’s legal counsel in 2019 that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect.” 

But documents released by the DOJ allege that Wexner was one of the key players in how Epstein built his wealth and later ran his illicit empire.

One file from 2013 that appears to have been in the possession of the Southern District of New York (SDNY) titled “Jeffrey Epstein Source of Wealth,” said Wexner “became a well-known client” of Epstein’s financial management firm in 1987.

At the time, Wexner was identified as the founder and chairman of the Ohio-based women’s clothing brand The Limited.

“Since all but one of his financial clients are anonymous, it has been speculated that much of Epstein’s lavish lifestyle was once financed by Wexner,” reads the document, which appears to be an email. Wexner’s spokesperson declined to comment on the allegations.

That paper also noted that Wexner sold his massive Manhattan townhouse — reported to be the largest private residence in the New York City borough — to Epstein.

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A 2019 FBI witness statement from a man who purported to be Wexner’s bodyguard from 1991 to 1992 said Wexner “sold his mansion in New York to Epstein for $20.”

The same witness statement alleged that “Epstein got all of his money from Wexner.”

A 1998 document obtained by Fox News Digital, however, shows Wexner sold his home to Epstein for a $20 million price tag. Half was paid via cashier’s check, while the other half was covered by a promissory note, the record shows.

Epstein’s Manhattan mansion was raided by the FBI in July 2019 as part of the federal sex trafficking investigation. There, law enforcement officials found vast troves of evidence, including photos of partially or fully nude women and girls, including ones who appeared to be minors.

A residence belonging to Jeffrey Epstein at East 71st Street is seen on the Upper East Side of Manhattan on July 8, 2019, in New York City.  (Kevin Hagen/Getty Images)

TRUMP THANKED FLORIDA POLICE FOR EPSTEIN PROBE IN 2000S, FLAGGED ‘EVIL’ GHISLAINE MAXWELL: FBI DOC

The DOJ’s unsealed indictment against Epstein also said it was one of the places where he “enticed and recruited, and caused to be enticed and recruited, dozens of minor girls… to engage in sex acts with him, after which he would give the victims hundreds of dollars in cash.”

Wexner reportedly bought the mansion in 1989 for $13.2 million before selling it to a corporation partially controlled by Epstein for an “undisclosed amount,” according to Business Insider. It was then reportedly transferred to a U.S. Virgin Islands-based company controlled by Epstein for $0 in 2011.

The home was reportedly valued at $77 million at the time of the raid, making it a massive portion of Epstein’s wealth.

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A heavily redacted email chain from July 2025 that appears to show witness statement summaries, with the subject line, “RE: Epstein – Cellmate Interview,” also said, “Steve Scully stated Wexner was #1 on Epstein’s speed dial.”

Steve Scully appears to be a reference to a former IT contractor who lived and worked on Epstein’s private island of Little St. James from 1999 through 2005. Wexner’s spokesperson declined to comment on Scully’s claim.

Wexner even signed a document in 1991 giving Epstein vast control over his finances via power of attorney, according to the New York Times. That document gave Epstein the power to sign checks, borrow money, and buy or sell real estate on Wexner’s behalf, the report said.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., speaks to reporters after a closed-door deposition with Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and confidante of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 9, 2026. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

A letter Wexner wrote to his nonprofit, the Wexner Foundation, in August 2019 said that while he did give power of attorney to Epstein, their relationship ended soon after the 2007 federal investigation first began into the late financier in Florida.

“[B]y early fall 2007, it was agreed that he should step back from the management of our personal finances. In that process, we discovered that he had misappropriated vast sums of money from me and my family. This was, frankly, a tremendous shock, even though it clearly pales in comparison to the unthinkable allegations against him now,” the letter said.

“With his credibility and our trust in him destroyed, we immediately severed ties with him. We were able to recover some of the funds. The widely reported payments Mr. Epstein made to the charitable fund represented a portion of the returned monies. All of that money — every dollar of it — was originally Wexner family money.”

But other documents released by the DOJ allege that Epstein and Wexner’s relationship went further than financial management.

An FBI witness statement by Robert Morosky, a former executive for Wexner’s fashion brand, said, “He had information regarding the use of ‘Limited’ brand aircraft used in the 1990s to transport young girls from Mexico to the U.S.”

“Morosky did not wish to give any additional information at that time; however if someone would like to pursue this information he could be reached on his personal cellular phone,’” the statement said.

It’s unclear if the lead was ever pursued, but a spokesperson for Wexner told Fox News Digital, “The allegation is false. Mr. Morosky was terminated from the company in 1987 and therefore in no position to know anything about the use of Limited planes in the 1990s.”

GHISLAINE MAXWELL PLEADS FIFTH AMENDMENT, DODGES QUESTIONS IN HOUSE OVERSIGHT EPSTEIN PROBE

A witness statement from 2020, with the identity of the female witness redacted, said she claimed to have “often” seen Epstein and Wexner together.

She “stated that often Wexner would have models who could not have been over 18 years old do private viewings for him and Epstein. She said the models would be wearing [swimsuits] and some were in lingerie,” the document read.

Wexner’s spokesperson declined to comment on those claims and called her account of seeing the pair together “vague.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi conducts a news conference at the Department of Justice on December 4, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

The female witness said she “would help with getting people to work at parties at Wexner’s compound in catering and other positions,” and that “anyone who went to work there had to have a full background check and there were certain areas of the house where they could not go without an approved escort.”

However, there was no indication of what years or period of time her claims are focused on.

A source with knowledge of company procedures argued the situation could not have happened, however. Model fittings always involved teams of 15 to 20 professionals and Epstein was never a part of that, the source maintained.

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Wexner is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee in Ohio on Wednesday morning.

Fox News Digital reached out to Wexner’s attorney for comment on the deposition and on the aforementioned claims.

America Increases Military Power In The Middle East: America has increased its military strength in the Middle East. In the last 24 hours, America has sent more than 50 fighter jets to the area. This step has been taken at a time when new diplomatic talks are going on between America and Iran regarding Tehran’s nuclear program. American officials say that this deployment is to strengthen both air and naval power. Axios first reported this information and a US official confirmed the deployment of the jets.

Independent air surveillance and flight tracking data have recorded multiple F-22, F-35 and F-16 jets in flight. Air refueling tankers have also been seen along with them, indicating readiness for long-term operations. An American official said that more than 50 fighter jets have been sent in the last 24 hours.

Second aircraft carrier strike group on the way

Meanwhile, USS Gerald R. The Ford Aircraft Carrier Strike Group has left the Caribbean and is now in the mid-Atlantic and moving towards the Middle East. A Navy official said that it is accompanied by three guided missile destroyers – USS Mahan, USS Bainbridge and USS Winston Churchill. However, considering its current situation, this group may take more than a week to reach Iran. Already, USS Abraham Lincoln and other significant US naval and air forces have been deployed to the area.

Positive momentum seen in talks

Despite increasing military power, both the US and Iran have adopted an optimistic stance regarding diplomacy. According to American officials, progress has been made in the meeting held in Geneva, but many issues still remain to be discussed. Iranian representatives have said that they will return with a more detailed proposal in two weeks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the talks as “serious, constructive and positive”. He said that compared to the last meeting, good progress has been made and now a clear path is visible. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who brokered the talks, said the talks ended with good progress and helped identify common goals and technical issues.

New Delhi. There will be a match on Wednesday (February 18) at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo that will decide the fate of Pakistan. It is necessary for Pakistan to win the match against Namibia in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, because in case of defeat, Salman Ali Aga’s team will have to be eliminated from the tournament in the group stage itself. Salman Ali Aga’s team is in a difficult situation after losing its third Group A match against India by 61 runs on Sunday, February 15.

Due to this defeat, Pakistan’s Net Run Rate (NRR) also fell, due to which it has come below America. America is the team which Pakistan had defeated in the first tournament, but now it is above Pakistan in the points table. If Pakistan loses to Namibia, the US will qualify by being tied on four points with a better net run rate as they have also defeated Netherlands and Namibia earlier.

Colombo weather forecast

There is a possibility of cloudy weather during the Pakistan-Namibia match, but there is not much chance of rain. The match will start at 3 pm local time. The temperature will be around 24-28 degrees Celsius, humidity in the area can reach around 80 percent and the wind will blow at a speed of 10-15 km/hour.

What will happen if the match is washed out due to rain?

According to the current situation of the points table in Group A, if the match gets canceled due to rain, Pakistan will reach 5 points. America, which is at second position, has four points. If the match against Namibia is not held, Pakistan will benefit from it. Both teams will be given 1 point each. Just like Australia was out after the match between Zimbabwe and Ireland was washed out due to rain, similarly UAE’s hopes will be dashed.

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Aga (captain), Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Salman Mirza, Khawaja Nafay.

Namibia: Lauren Steenkamp, ​​Jan Frylink, Jan Nicol Lofty-Eaton, Gerhard Erasmus (c), JJ Smit, Zane Green (wk), Malan Kruger, Ruben Trumpelman, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Max Hingo, Dylan Leichter, Jack Brassell, Jan Balt, Willem Myburgh.

Texas Democrat James Talarico took a swipe at CBS for “selling out” to the Trump administration as the network denied an explosive claim made by its outgoing “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert.

Colbert told viewers Monday his network blocked his interview with Talarico from airing as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cracks down on its longstanding equal time policy, something CBS itself disputes. 

Fox News Digital previously reported Talarico’s appearance on ABC’s “The View” earlier this month triggered a probe into the daytime talkshow.

“Do you mean to cause trouble?” Colbert asked Talarico in the interview, which was released on the show’s YouTube page.

“I think that Donald Trump is worried that we’re about to flip Texas,” Talarico responded, sparking massive cheers from the liberal audience.

CBS DENIES IT BLOCKED COLBERT FROM BROADCASTING TALARICO INTERVIEW AFTER HOST CLAIMED NETWORK LAWYERS HALTED

CBS denied blocking Stephen Colbert’s interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico from airing amid the FCC’s crackdown of the broadcast networks. (Scott Kowalchyk ©2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

“This is the party that ran against cancel culture. And now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read. And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top,” he continued. “They went after ‘The View’ because I went on there. They went after Jimmy Kimmel for telling a joke they didn’t like. They went after you for telling the truth about Paramount’s bribe to Donald Trump.”

“Corporate media executives are selling out the First Amendment to curry favor with corrupt politicians and a threat to any of our First Amendment rights is a threat to all of our first rights,” Talarico added.

COLBERT FUMES AT CBS, SAYS IT BARRED HIM FROM INTERVIEWING TEXAS DEM AMID FCC CRACKDOWN

Colbert provided a “fact check” to Talarico, citing CBS’ decision to cancel his show as purely a financial one and that he “remains very grateful for the last 11 years.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a CBS spokesperson said, “THE LATE SHOW was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico. The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled. THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options.”

Representatives for the FCC nor the Talarico campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Talarico accused CBS and others of “selling out the First Amendment” to the Trump administration. (Scott Kowalchyk ©2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Last month, the FCC announced it will require the broadcast networks to adhere to the “statutory equal opportunities requirement,” citing the Communications Act of 1934, “including their airing of late-night and daytime talk shows.” The talk shows were previously exempt from the policy when classified as “bona fide” news programs.

The policy requires all legally-qualified candidates who appear on the ballot to receive equal airtime. In Talarico’s case, his Democratic rivals — which are Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett and little-known candidate Ahmad Hassan, should receive the same airtime ahead of the primary in March.

Talarico’s appearance on “The View” marked one of the first candidates to appear on the three broadcast networks since the FCC announced its policy push.

FCC CHAIR BRUSHES OFF KIMMEL, COLBERT OUTRAGE OVER LATEST POLICY PUSH

Talarico’s appearance on “The View” earlier this month triggered an FCC probe into the ABC daytime talk show. (ABC/TheView)

“On my watch, we’re going to enforce this regulation,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr previously told Fox News Digital in an interview. “There’s lots of ways of distributing programming these days that you don’t need to comply with this regulation. If you’re a cable channel, it largely doesn’t apply. If you’re a podcaster, no. If you are a streamer, no.”

Colbert, who called Carr’s policy push an effort to silence him and his liberal colleagues in late night, put his own network on blast for halting the Talarico interview from airing.

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“Let’s just call this what it is — Donald Trump’s administration wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV because all Trump does is watch TV, OK? He’s like a toddler who has had too much screen time,” Colbert said, later adding, “”At this point, [Carr has] just released a letter that says he’s thinking about doing away with the exception for late night. He hasn’t done away with it yet, but my network is unilaterally enforcing it as if he had. But I want to assure you, this decision was purely for financial reasons.”

Fox News Digital’s Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.

The cold that started in February in the capital Delhi and the scorching heat within a few days had already surprised the people that now the chances of rain are also visible. On February 17, the highest temperature of this year was recorded in Delhi at 30.9 degrees Celsius, 6.5 degrees above normal, while the minimum was 12.4 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, today on February 18, scattered rains along with strong winds are being predicted. According to India Meteorological Department, the weather may change suddenly in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Changing weather pattern in Delhi-NCR

At present, strong sunshine and mild warmth is being felt in the capital. However, there is a possibility of light rain in the afternoon of 18th February. There may be lightning along with thunder and strong winds at a speed of 30 to 40 kilometers per hour. The Meteorological Department says that rain will cause a temporary drop in temperature and people may get some respite from the heat. But after this there are signs of rapid rise in temperature again.

Alert across the country, chances of snowfall in the mountains

The weather will change in many states in the next 24 to 48 hours, there may be strong winds and rain in some places. Snowfall is also possible in hilly areas. Due to active Western Disturbance, clouds have started appearing in many states. Due to strong sunlight during the day the temperature is being felt high. There is also a possibility of sudden rain, hailstorm and lightning.

Condition of Delhi-NCR and AQI status

Even in Delhi-NCR Season There are signs of change. On February 17, winds blew at a speed of 8 to 10 kilometers per hour. Between February 19 and 23, the maximum temperature is expected to be 27 to 31 degrees and the minimum will be 13 to 15 degrees Celsius. The average AQI recorded in the capital till 4 pm on February 17 was 249, which falls in the poor category, while the air quality at nine monitoring centers was in the very poor category.