Midwest

Noem says DHS can ‘always do better’ when pressed on agency’s ‘mistakes’ before Homan’s deployment

Published

2 months ago

February 3, 2026

Noem says DHS can ‘always do better’ when pressed on agency’s ‘mistakes’ before Homan’s deployment

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged her department could “always do better” when pressed Sunday on alleged mistakes ahead of border czar Tom Homan’s deployment to Minneapolis.

“I would say that we can always do better, and we learn from every situation that we’re in,” she told “Fox & Friends Weekend.”

“We see a very organized, well-funded campaign of violent protests against our law enforcement officers, so we’re going to continue to get as much information as soon as possible to give a strategy to protect people, protect our federal buildings, like the president laid out yesterday, and we’re going to make sure that the American people are safe, that we still continue to go after violent criminals who are trafficking drugs, trafficking our children, and bring them to justice and get them out of our country.”

Noem’s comments follow President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy Homan to Minnesota after heated clashes between anti-ICE agitators and federal agents sparked unrest across the Twin Cities.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES SAYS DEMS WILL NOT BACK FUNDING BILL FOR ‘KILLING MACHINE’ DHS EVEN IF NOEM IS FIRED

Secretary Kristi Noem holds a news conference at Miami International Airport on Jan. 31, 2026, in Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The unrest resulted in the law enforcement-related deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, which only exacerbated the outrage.

After a “very productive” meeting with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Homan vowed during a Jan. 29 news conference to stay in Minnesota, leading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations there “until the problem is gone.”

Meanwhile, House Democrats ramped up the pressure on Noem in light of tensions in the Twin Cities, calling for her firing and threatening impeachment if she remains in office.

NOEM SAYS MINNEAPOLIS SUSPECT COMMITTED ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM,’ ACCUSES WALZ, FREY OF INCITING VIOLENCE

Border czar Tom Homan speaks during a news conference about immigration enforcement operations on Jan. 29, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“We will continue to do our work, and this job is an honor to do. I’m very blessed that I get the chance to lead the department,” she said, responding to the criticism on Sunday.

“It’s an important position to protect our homeland and to make sure that these agencies are responding to people, that we’re stopping terrorists and criminals from harming the American people. I always tell people that the days that you don’t hear about us are the days that we were successful, because that meant that we stopped so many dangerous people from perpetuating violence and have gotten those terrorist threats and criminals out of our country before they had the chance to do something that would have devastated families.”

Despite calls for Noem’s removal by Democrats, Trump has praised her performance in the role.

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“I think she’s doing a very good job,” he recently told reporters.

“The border is totally secure. You forget, we had a border that I inherited where millions of people were coming through. Now, we have a border where no one is coming through.”

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.

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Nebraska

NCAA Tournament Big Ten report— Nebraska makes first Sweet 16

Published

18 minutes ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

NCAA Tournament Big Ten report— Nebraska makes first Sweet 16

The Big Ten dominated Saturday in the NCAA Tournament with four wins. Michigan and Illinois both looked like teams that were far superior to their opponents. Nebraska still has some magic left in what has been a very magical season.

Here are the scores and the rest of my analysis from the Big Ten games in the NCAA Tournament from second-round Saturday:

No. 1 Michigan 95-72 vs No. 9 Saint Louis

The Wolverines defense held Robert Avila in check and the rest of Saint Louis’s top guys. Yaxel Lendeborg for the Wolverines went in takeover mode, and it added a dangerous element to Michigan’s offense. Lendeborg went off for 25 points, shot 3-5 from 3, and had 6 rebounds. To complement Lendeborg’s great showing, Michigan held in 40 rebounds and shot 47.8% from 3. It was another game where Michigan looked miles ahead of its competition. It’s hard not to view this team as one that will be one of the final teams left at the end of March.

No. 3 Michigan State 77-69 vs No. 6 Louisville

Without star guard Mikel Brown Jr. for Louisville, it was going to be a steep hill to climb to get this victory. Coen Carr and Jeremy Fears Jr. make things even worse with stellar performances. Carr had 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Jeremy Fears Jr. had a solid scoring night but was still an elite facilitator with 16 assists. The Spartans’ offense was on par, even with 34 rebounds, and as an offense, shooting 42.3% from 3. Tom Izzo and the Spartans keep the momentum high with another big tournament win.

No. 3 Illinois 76-55 vs No. 11 VCU

VCU played better than in this game than they did in their prebopsi win over North Carolina. Losing Nyk Lewis early in this game was a tough blow, but even with an improved showing, they needed another 30-point masterclass from Terrence Hill Jr., and they didn’t get that. Hill Jr. only posted 17 points off the bench, while Illinois dominated VCU. Tomislav set the game on fire with his poster dunk, and that really sealed the fate of this game. He also chipped in 14 points and played a huge part in the Fighting Illini’s dominant performance on the glass. Andrej Stojakovic led the way with his 21-point performance. Illinois now heads to the Sweet 16.

No. 5 Vanderbilt 74-72 vs No. 4 Nebraska

Just another game showing why college basketball is amazing in March. 8 seconds left in the game, and the Cornhuskers do not call a timeout and immediately take the ball up and get a game-winning layup. Vanderbilt gets two seconds for a half-court heave, and it is as close as it gets to sinking in before rattling out. What a game. The perfect season keeps going for Nebraska. This game was too close for comfort all the way through, and down the stretch, both teams were trading buckets. The Cornhuskers got 4 of their players to reach double figures, and it was their shooting 47.4% and 55.8% from the field that made the difference. The Cornhuskers made the shots, and they head to the sweet 16 now after getting their first tournament win ever.

Overview

The momentum is still high in the Big Ten as the top teams from the regular season are having similar success in the NCAA tournament. Nebraska’s dream season has yet to come to an end, and they top their only tournament win in program history with a thrilling win over Vanderbilt.

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North Dakota

New York Giants met with WR RaJa Nelson at North Dakota State Pro Day

Published

54 minutes ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

New York Giants met with WR RaJa Nelson at North Dakota State Pro Day

The New York Giants have their eyes on North Dakota State wide receiver RaJa Nelson this offseason.

KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson reports that the Giants spoke with Nelson at NDSU’s Pro Day on March 19.

Nelson recorded 404 receiving yards in 2025, along with four touchdowns. His 14.4 yards per reception marked a career high. The Minnesota native also contributed in the return game, totaling 168 kick return yards on eight attempts last season.

The Giants lost slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson to the Tennessee Titans in free agency. Robinson was New York’s leading receiver in 2025, finishing with 1,014 yards. The Kentucky native’s departure leaves the Giants without one of their two 1,000-yard wide receivers heading into next season.

Nelson is a prospect with whom the Giants have done their due diligence this offseason. New York has just under five weeks remaining before the draft begins on April 23.

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Ohio

Who are best OHSAA girls swimmers, divers in central Ohio? See our list

Published

1 hour ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Who are best OHSAA girls swimmers, divers in central Ohio? See our list

Three individual state champions, two of whom won two events each, and three anchors of Upper Arlington’s third consecutive Division I team championship squad highlight The Dispatch’s 2025-26 All-Metro girls swimming and diving team.

Eleven of the 12 honorees have appeared in multiple state meets, and the 12th might be poised to join that club.

The Athlete of the Year in each sport – 30 in all – will be announced at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 22 at Upper Arlington High School.

Maren Berg, Upper Arlington

The junior and North Carolina commit was state runner-up in the 50-yard freestyle (23.09 seconds) and fourth in the 100 free (50.62) – an event in which she repeated as district champion (50.28). Berg, a three-time state qualifier who also won the 50 free at district in a meet-record 22.85, anchored UA’s state-title 200 free (1:33.67) and 400 free (3:25.21) relays.

Alexa Briseno, Gahanna Lincoln

The Division I district champion in the 100 backstroke (54.79) and runner-up in the 100 free by 0.05 of a second, Briseno was third at state in both the 100 back (54.85) and 100 free (50.2). The sophomore also anchored the Lions’ sixth-place 400 free relay (3:32.88) and led off the seventh-place 200 free relay (1:37.06).

Olivia Crock, Watkins Memorial

A senior who has signed with Cleveland State, Crock was Division I district champion in the 200 free (1:52.7) and runner-up in the 500 free (5:01.98) before placing seventh (1:52.55) and fourth (5:02.31), respectively, in those events at state. The three-time state qualifier, who was fifth in the 500 free as a junior and sixth as a sophomore, earned her first top-eight finish in the 200.

Sophie Dankof, Bexley

One of several talented underclassmen for the Lions, who finished third in the Division II state meet for the second year in a row, Dankof won district in the 100 back (58.31) and was second in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.4). At state, the sophomore was fourth in the 100 back (57.92) and ninth in the 100 breast (1:05.45) and led off the second-place 200 medley relay (1:45.67).

Katie Drummond, Bexley

The sophomore enjoyed a stellar season despite coming up 0.26 of a second shy of repeating as Division II state champion in the 50 free. Drummond won the event at district (23.26) and was second at state (23.21), and in the 100 butterfly was first at district (55.98) and third at state (55.83). She also was on the 200 medley relay and third-place 400 free relay (3:35.65).

Riley Hollingsworth, Upper Arlington

A three-time state qualifier, Hollingsworth was on the winning 200 medley (1:42.99) and 400 free relays and finished fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:05.87) and sixth in the 100 fly (55.12). A junior, Hollingsworth was district champion in the 100 fly (55.05) and runner-up in the 200 IM (2:03.38).

Brooke Nagy, Olentangy

A sophomore sprint specialist and two-time Division I state qualifier, Nagy was third in the 50 free (23.43) and fourth in the 100 fly (54.99) on the season’s final weekend after placing third (23.5) and second (55.14), respectively, at district. Nagy, who was fourth in the 50 free and fifth in the 100 free at state as a freshman, also was on the Braves’ third-place 200 free relay (1:35.24) and sixth-place 200 medley relay (1:46.48).

Leah Nebraska, Olentangy Berlin

The Akron signee finished her high school career with two Division I state championship swims, winning the 50 free (22.84) and 100 free (49.98). A three-time state qualifier who was seeded second and fourth, respectively, for those events at state, Nebraska was district runner-up in the 50 free (23.16) and third in the 100 free (53.98). She also was on the Bears’ seventh-place 200 medley at state (1:47.95).

Alexis Peltcs, Hilliard Darby

A senior and three-time state qualifier who has signed with Purdue, Peltcs was Division I district champion in the 100 breast (1:03.28) and fourth in the 200 IM (2:05.03) before finishing third (1:02.04) and fourth (2:03.87) in those events at state. Peltcs was breaststroke state champion and runner-up in the IM as a sophomore.

Sammy Petroff, New Albany

The freshman diver capped a dominant season by sweeping the Division I district and state championships, winning district with 504.15 points and state with 480.4. Petroff was the first big-school diving champion for central Ohio since Olentangy Liberty’s Olivia Lynch in 2020 and first for her program since Nikki Watters in 2016. The top five finishers were all from the Columbus area.

Kiera Powers, Upper Arlington

The sophomore won her first state championships, taking the 200 IM (1:59.79) and 500 free (4:55.92). She also led off the winning 200 free and 400 free relays, securing UA’s third straight team title and 15th all-time. Powers also swept her events at district (2:01.11 and 4:56.49, respectively) and was the No. 1 seed in both at state. She was seventh in the 200 free and eighth in the 500 free at state as a freshman.

Lily Schneider, Jonathan Alder

The Southern Indiana signee and four-time Division II state qualifier dominated the 100 breast in her prep career, winning district (1:03.96) this winter before placing second (1:02.96) at state, 0.27 of a second out of first place. Schneider, who reached state in the breaststroke every year, also excelled in the 200 free, finishing third at district (1:57.43) and eighth (1:57.38) at state.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Ruslan Gaziev, Watterson

A former Ohio State and Canadian national swimmer in his second year as head coach, Gaziev has helped steer a remarkable turnaround for Watterson.

Two years after the Eagles had only one Division I state qualifier and did not score as a team, they had four individual qualifiers, advanced all three relays to state and finished 10th overall – 42 places better than a year ago. That came a week after Watterson placed second in the district meet, its best finish since tying for second in 2012.

A native of Moscow who was raised in Toronto, Gaziev was a four-time first-team All-American in the 100 free and 200 and 400 free relays with the Buckeyes. He also was a two-time first-team all-Big Ten swimmer and eight-time honorable mention All-American. Gaziev participated in the 2021 Olympic Games with Team Canada, helping the 400 free relay to fourth place.

High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at dpurpura@dispatch.com and at @dp_dispatch on X.

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