Welcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here. Developing now, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018 - During a 'listening session' at the White House, President Trump vows to strengthen gun background checks and focus on mental health to prevent mass shootings
- The U.S. women's hockey team wins its first Olympic gold medal in 20 years by defeating Canada in a thrilling shootout
- A man with a grenade attacks the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro before blowing himself up
- Secret new charges are filed against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and aide Rick Gates in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe
- Pennsylvania GOP leaders ask the U.S. Supreme Court to block a redrawn congressional map believed to favor Democrats
- Christians and luminaries from around the world remember the life and legacy of the Rev. Billy Graham, who died Wednesday at age 99
THE LEAD STORY - 'WE ARE GOING TO GET IT DONE': President Trump promised students and families impacted by last week's school massacre in Florida that his administration is going to strengthen background checks for gun purchases and "put a strong emphasis on mental health" in a renewed push to prevent mass shootings ... "We are going to be very strong on background checks, and put a very strong emphasis on the mental health of somebody," Trump said. "We're going to talk and get it done." The president, Vice President Mike Pence and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos hosted a "listening session" at the White House for students, teachers and families affected by the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Students and parents from the high school and Parkland City Mayor Christine Hunschofsky attended the White House session, along with members of Sandy Hook Promise, an organization led by family members whose loved ones were killed in the 2012 massacre in Newtown, Conn. AS GOOD AS GOLD: The Americans' gold medal drought in women's hockey is finally over – even though they needed the first shootout in an Olympic women's final to do it ... Twenty long years after taking gold when the sport debuted in 1998 at Nagano, Japan, the underdog United States snapped Canada's streak of four straight Olympic golds Thursday with a 3-2 shootout victory. Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scored in the sixth round of the shootout to start the Americans piling over the boards, throwing gloves in the air before huddling and hugging on the ice. It was sweet redemption for the 10 Americans who watched the Canadians snatch gold from their hands in 2014 at Sochi, Russia. GRENADE ATTACK: The U.S. Embassy in the Balkan state of Montenegro was attacked Thursday by an individual who hurled a hand grenade at the compound before blowing himself up ... The government of Montenegro said an unidentified assailant threw the grenade into the embassy compound in the evening and then blew himself up with another explosive device. The area was sealed off by the police and the embassy warned Americans to avoid the area because of "an active security situation." There are no other reported deaths besides the attacker. The New York Times reported that a witness saw the man throw the object over the wall at around midnight, while the embassy was closed. NEW CHARGES UNDER SEAL IN MUELLER PROBE: Prosecutors have filed at least one new charge under seal in the case against President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and aide Rick Gates ... Fox News observed the filing in the clerk's office at U.S. District Court in Washington on Wednesday afternoon. The filing of new charges was first reported by Politico. It was not immediately clear who the charge is against or whether it is part of a plea deal. The filing came days after prosecutors revealed that they had uncovered "additional criminal conduct" that includes "a series of bank frauds and bank fraud conspiracies" related to a mortgage on one of Manafort's properties. REDISTRICTING CHALLENGE: The Republican presiding officers of Pennsylvania's House and Senate asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a new congressional district map that is widely expected to boost Democratic prospects in the November midterm elections ... The emergency request filed by Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai and Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnetti says the state Supreme Court usurped legislative authority when it issued the new map on Monday, calling it an unprecedented decision. Last month, the Democratic-majority Supreme Court of Pennsylvania threw out a 2011 congressional district map that had been drafted by Republicans, saying it violated the state constitution's guarantee of free and equal elections. FOX NEWS OPINION - HOW 'AMERICA'S PASTOR' SHOULD BE REMEMBERED: Early Wednesday morning, the Rev. Billy Graham died at age 99 at his home in Montreat, N.C. The news drew condolences and tributes from around the globe. ... Graham was remembered for his global reach, having preached live to approximately 215 million people in more than 185 countries or territories, and via television and radio to hundreds of millions more. He met and prayed with every U. S. president from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama, and having preached at funeral services for Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. He was recognized by many Americans—Republican and Democrat, black and white, North and South—as "America's pastor." He was hailed for his opposition to racial bigotry, which once prompted the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.to remark, "Had it not been for the ministry of my good friend Billy Graham, my work in the Civil Rights Movement would not have been as successful as it has been." AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS 'I'M NOT GOING TO SLEEP': "How many schools - how many children have to get shot? I'm very angry that this happened, because it keeps happening ... 9/11 happened once and they fixed everything ... I'm not going to sleep until it's fixed. Mr. President, we're going to fix this. The right idea is school safety. It's not about gun laws right now." – Andrew Pollack, a father whose daughter, Meadow, was killed in the Parkland, Fla., massacre, making a plea for school safety at Wednesday's listening session at the White House. WATCH THE HALLS OF INJUSTICE: "There's a lot of rot in our halls of power. The federal courts may be the [most] decayed institution of all." – Tucker Carlson, on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," detailing several examples of perceived judicial activism by upper-tier court judges. WATCH 2018 WINTER OLYMPICS Humiliation for NBC as ABC's evening newscast wins an Olympics week for the first time in over 25 years. U.S. figure skaters suffer rough falls during women's short program in Winter Olympics. U.S. medal winners | Full coverage THE SWAMP Woman in affair that brought down ex-GOP Rep. Murphy announces House run. Supreme Court to hear anti-abortion and free speech case: A breakdown of NIFLA v. Becerra. USDA staffer stuns agency gala by publicly accusing supervisor of dangling promotion for sex. ACROSS THE NATION Suspect captured after terrifying attempted rape of coffee shop barista caught on video, police say. This country may soon be spying on smartphones worldwide, report claims. Woman reportedly sued by bank after ATM dished out $100 bills instead of $5s. MINDING YOUR BUSINESS Trump's pro-growth agenda to power U.S. economy for a decade: White House Move over gas tax, here's the new fee that could hit drivers. Applebee's to close 80 more restaurants. FOX NEWS OPINION Stop the intelligence games over Russia - release the documents! Why are the salaries of a quarter-million federal employees - paid with your tax dollars - a state secret? Want infrastructure? Washington can help by getting out of the way. HOLLYWOOD SQUARED NBA team owner Mark Cuban fined $600G for comments made about tanking. Meryl Streep slams Harvey Weinstein for using her statement in his defense. Roseanne Barr teases ABC reboot will skewer Hillary and Trump, tackle politics from a working class perspective. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? Blue whale carcass carved into, stomped on by tourists taking selfies on top of the creature. Massive dust storm turns entire town orange. How 5,000 pencil-size robots may solve the mysteries of the universe. STAY TUNED On Fox News: Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Fox & Friends will be live from CPAC all morning! Alveda King and a panel will reflect on the life and legacy of the Rev. Billy Graham. Judge Andrew Napolitano sizes up the latest Mueller indictments. The Story with Martha MacCallum, 7 p.m. ET: Juan Williams and Pastor Robert Jeffress face off over evangelical support of Trump. Tucker Carlson Tonight, 8 p.m. ET: Ex-Google engineer James Damore reveals what it's like to be a conservative in Silicon Valley. Hannity, 9 p.m. ET: Sean will be live from CPAC 2018 for a second straight night with special guests! The Ingraham Angle, 10 p.m. ET: Eric Trump sits down for an exclusive, wide-ranging interview. Fox News @ Night, 11 p.m. ET: Gov. Scott Walker discusses Wisconsin's welfare reform and its implications. On Fox Business: Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Guests include: Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr.; Art Laffer, economic adviser under President Reagan. Varney & Co, 9 a.m. ET: Rep. Marsha Blackburn; Rep. Claudia Tenney; Rep. Todd Rokita. The Intelligence Report, 2 p.m. ET: Dennis Gartman; editor and publisher of The Gartman Letter; GOP strategist Ford O'Connell. Countdown to the Closing Bell, 3 p.m. ET: Peter Schiff, Euro Pacific Capital CEO and president; Tom Porcelli, RBC Capital Markets' chief U.S. economist On Fox News Radio: The Fox News Rundown podcast: Ruth Graham looks back on the life and legacy of her father, the Rev. Billy Graham. In addition, this fall, the city of Stockton, Calif., will start giving several dozen families a $500 stipend per month for a year. Fox News Bay-area correspondent Claudia Cowan discusses what critics are saying about the "no-strings-attached" program. Plus, commentary by Judge Andrew Napolitano. Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: Dana Perino, Chris Wallace and Steve Doocy will at the state of the gun debate after President Trump's "listening session" at the White House; Joseph Califano discusses his new book, "Our Damaged Democracy: We the People Must Act"; and "Red Sparrow" author Jason Matthews gives the story behind upcoming movie starring Jennifer Lawrence. #OnThisDay 1997: Scientists in Scotland announce they have succeeded in cloning an adult mammal, producing a lamb named "Dolly." (Dolly, however, would be put down after a short life marred by premature aging and disease.) 1980: The "Miracle on Ice" takes place in Lake Placid, NY, as the United States Olympic men's hockey team upsets the Soviets, 4-3. (The U.S. team would go on to win the gold medal.) 1959: The inaugural Daytona 500 race is held. Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day, and we'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday morning. |