Midwest
Vivek Ramaswamy hosts town hall in Springfield, Ohio, as residents share concerns about city's migrant influx
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy hosted a town hall Thursday in Springfield, Ohio, a city that’s been thrust into the 2024 race, calling for an open conversation on the migrant debate dividing the country.
“We’ve been told, mostly by the media, to shut up, sit down, do as you’re told, to sweep it under the rug, or else you’re guilty of some sin,” Ramaswamy began the town hall Thursday evening. “And I just think that the truth in this country is we don’t have to agree on everything. We really don’t. We never have in America. But the beauty of this country is we should be able to talk about it in the open, and that’s what we’re going to do tonight.”
“Our ground rules for tonight is honesty and respect for your fellow citizens,” Ramaswamy told the crowd.
HAITIAN INFLUX CAUSING ONE MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AMONG SPRINGFIELD RESIDENTS
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy hosted a town hall in Springfield, Ohio, as the city has been engulfed in 2024 politics. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
Ramaswamy, a Donald Trump supporter and Ohio native who grew up in nearby Columbus and frequently made visits to Springfield as a child, met with city officials as well as Haitian community leaders prior to the town hall. It was held at a small banquet venue with roughly 200 Springfield residents in the room, with an additional 100 in an overflow room.
He stressed after meeting with the Haitian group that he didn’t blame them for wanting to come to the U.S., but he faults the “federal policies” of the Biden-Harris administration.
HAITIAN REFUGEES ‘DON’T UNDERSTAND THE LAWS,’ FORMER LAWMAKER SAYS AMID FATAL WRECK, CULTURAL CLASHES
Many Springfield residents shared their concerns about the toll the city has taken since the influx of Haitian migrants.
Chrissy, a resident of Springfield for 66 years, took aim at city officials for not organizing such an event with the public to address their issues.
“How will you know about a city if you’re not bringing the people together, right, and talking to them?” Chrissy complained to Ramaswamy.
Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with residents of Springfield, Ohio, during a town hall on Sept. 19, 2024. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
Ramaswamy responded by saying what he thought “may not be very popular in this room” about the city officials, noting that they had been invited to attend the town hall but did not show up.
“I actually think they do care, at least the subset I met with,” Ramaswamy said. “But I will tell you what I do see happening in the country. I think there’s a culture of fear, actually. I think the reason they’re not here tonight is not because they don’t care about this, it’s because they’re scared.”
“These are just good, patriotic Americans who love their country and city who are struggling, because the people who they elected to run their federal government all the way down have let them down. And you don’t have to be scared of actually being face to face with your fellow citizens,” he added.
SPRINGFIELD PASTORS SPEAK OUT ON HAITIAN REFUGEE CHALLENGES: ‘THE SUFFERING IS REAL’
Brock, a half-Black Springfield resident of over 20 years, sounded the alarm on the “hateful language” that has “spiked” since their town received such national attention.
“I can probably count on my hand, both hands, how many a racial slur has been said my whole life. I’ve been called the n-word twice this week,” Brock said before sharing how friends of his with darker skin have been chased out of stores and accused of being Haitian.
While reiterating his belief that the United States isn’t a “racist country,” Ramaswamy responded by acknowledging the “weird uptick in racial tension in this country” that didn’t exist in his upbringing, tying the surge in bigotry to the DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] ideology he says “creates more racial animus.”
Springfield, Ohio has been at the epicenter of 2024 politics in recent weeks. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox News Digital)
A woman claimed to Ramasawamy her daughter had been stalked at a Walmart by “immigrants,” and she said in a separate incident she was chased by a migrant carrying a “machete” while she was going to work. But after her daughter called the police to file a report about the latter incident, the police “never checked on the crime.”
“So that’s how you know there’s no crime in Springfield, because no one is reporting it,” the mother added.
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Others accused both city officials and the country broadly of prioritizing providing care for migrants versus the homeless and veterans.
While much of the town hall was somber, the crowd broke out with massive cheers after Ramaswamy was asked whether he was going to run for governor of Ohio.
“I’m a little more inclined than I was ten seconds ago,” Ramaswamy quipped.
Springfield has been hit with a tidal wave of national media coverage as the city’s struggles with the migrant crisis have become a wedge issue in the 2024 race.
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Wisconsin
Wisconsin lawmakers react to US and Israel attack on Iran
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -Wisconsin’s congressional delegation is responding to the United States and Israel’s attack on Iran, with members divided sharply along party lines.
Republicans back military action
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a retired U.S. Navy SEAL with multiple combat deployments across the Middle East, released a statement supporting the action.
The current Iranian regime has been sowing the seeds of terror around the world for decades.
They are directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans and it is time they are held accountable.
May God bless our Troops and give them: Strength, Wisdom, and Courage. pic.twitter.com/j1f05DF4Wk
— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) February 28, 2026
“For decades, the Iranian regime has fueled terror and violence across the world. This regime has operated with impunity for far too long, spreading chaos while threatening the security of the United States and our partners. Their hands are stained with the blood of thousands of Americans,” Van Orden said.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) also posted support for the military operation on social media, writing: “May God bless and protect our troops as they attempt to liberate the long suffering people of Iran.”
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) also expressed support for the military operation.
“My thoughts are with the brave U.S. forces carrying out these precision strikes and with the safety of American personnel in the region,” Tiffany said.
My thoughts are with the brave U.S. forces carrying out these precision strikes and with the safety of American personnel in the region. https://t.co/LnaMs91Z7z
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) February 28, 2026
Democrats condemn strikes as unconstitutional
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) criticized the military action on social media, suggesting the strikes were intended to distract from domestic issues.
“Eliminating a nuclear program (that Trump already said was eliminated) & Regime Change. Don’t look at your wallets & what you are paying more for due to Trump’s tariffs OR care about the Epstein files. Trump wants to divert your attention & is willing to kill people to do it,” Pocan said.
Last night, Donald Trump put American troops in harms way without Congressional authority. He is liable for every drop of blood spilled. Congress must immediately vote on a War Powers Resolution to end this illegal war before Trump destabilizes the entire region.
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@RepMarkPocan) February 28, 2026
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called the strikes illegal and demanded the Senate return to vote on the matter.
“President Trump illegally bombed Iran, totally disregarding the Constitution, putting American troops in harm’s way, and starting another war in the Middle East with no end in sight,” Baldwin said. “The Constitution is clear: if the President wants to start a war, Congress – elected by the people – needs to sign off on it.”
Baldwin also drew comparisons to previous military engagements.
“Have we learned nothing from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Doubling down with another open-ended war without realistic goals or a strategy to win is not only foolish, but also recklessly puts Wisconsin’s sons and daughters at risk,” she said.
Baldwin noted that Trump had pledged to avoid foreign wars. “President Trump pledged to the American people that he would not get involved in another foreign war, and this is yet another broken promise from this President,” she said.
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Midwest
‘Family Mob’ gang members, associates charged in major Minneapolis fentanyl trafficking case: DOJ
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Five alleged members and associates of the “Family Mob” street gang have been charged in a major fentanyl trafficking case in Minneapolis, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Three indictments and two criminal complaints were unsealed in the District of Minnesota accusing the defendants of distributing fentanyl, crack cocaine and other controlled substances in south Minneapolis.
Authorities allege the group collectively possessed with intent to distribute more than seven kilograms of fentanyl since July 2025 and operated a de facto open-air drug market near Lake Street and Park Avenue, using force to push out other dealers.
Those charged include Silk Lamond Davis, 48, of Minneapolis; Alexisus Jarmon Mosby, 44, of Bloomington; Kiron Jamoll Williams, 43, of Minneapolis; Rashshon Jamahl Taggett, 44, of Minneapolis; and Lakendrick Darnell Gilliam, 38, of St. Paul.
Seized narcotics are displayed as authorities announce the preliminary results of a large-scale investigation involving local and federal agencies on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
The charges range from possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine to distribution of fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Law enforcement agencies executed multiple arrest and search warrants Wednesday morning targeting the gang and its members, officials said.
If convicted, the defendants face penalties of up to life in prison on the most serious drug trafficking charges.
FBI BUSTS LATIN KINGS GANG NATIONWIDE, NEARLY 50 ARRESTED IN SWEEPING CRACKDOWN
Federal and local law enforcement announced that they seized 3.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (KMSP)
“Our investigation shows that combined, those charged were responsible for the distribution of enough fentanyl for more than 3.5 million lethal doses in the last seven months,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen at a press briefing.
He told reporters that seven others were also taken into custody on related state charges, bringing the total number arrested to 12.
Rick Evanchec, interim special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office, said the coordinated operation to dismantle the “Family Mob” gang involved a sweeping, multi-agency effort across the metropolitan area.
Before dawn, eight SWAT teams and law enforcement personnel from the FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed 14 search warrants targeting narcotics, firearms and other evidence tied to the alleged criminal enterprise.
DEM VOTERS WERE LESS ENTHUSIASTIC WHEN TRUMP TOUTED CRACKDOWN ON CARTELS AND FENTANYL, SOTU DIAL REVEALS
Seized narcotics are displayed as authorities announce the preliminary results of a large-scale investigation involving local and federal agencies on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2026. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
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Evanchec said the gang has operated since the 1990s, distributing narcotics and using violence to control territory in Minneapolis neighborhoods.
“The Family Mob Gang ruled by intimidation and violence, and wrongly assumed they could operate with impunity,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said in a statement. “Today, the combined efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement imparted a significant blow to the drug trafficking efforts of a gang that has spread poison through a beloved Minneapolis community.”
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Detroit, MI
Preview: February 28 vs. Detroit | Carolina Hurricanes
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes will try to extend their point streak to a dozen games on Saturday, when they go head-to-head with the Detroit Red Wings.
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When: Saturday, February 28
Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network South, FanDuel Sports Network App | Learn More
Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App
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Canes Record: 37-15-6 (80 Points, 1st – Metropolitan Division)
Canes Last Game: 5-4 Win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Feb. 26
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Red Wings Record: 34-19-6 (74 Points, T-2nd – Atlantic Division)
Red Wings Last Game: 2-1 Win (OT) over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, Feb. 26
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