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Victor Davis Hanson’s First Episode Back After Cancer Surgery
Every delay has consequences.

Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson has returned for his first episode of his show “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words” in over a month, sharing more details about his recent surgeries to remove lung cancer.

??Victor Davis Hanson RETURNS Tonight@VDHanson: “I've been off for a while, as you may have noticed. This is the first one I've done in over a month, so bear with me.

“I want to talk though, very quickly today about what's going on in Minnesota. What I'm really disturbed…
— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) February 5, 2026

“I’ve been off for a while, as you may have noticed. I had a mucinous adenoma carcinoma. That’s kind of a long name for a very rare non-smokers type of lunch cancer,” shared Hanson. 

Hanson was diagnosed in the fall and was treated at Stanford. He had surgery to remove the cancer on Jan. 1, 2026.  

Notes In Absentia

I want again to thank everyone for the wonderful expressions of concern and reassurance that I have received from listeners and readers.

In response to inquiries, and some quite detailed questions and advice, here is a brief update concerning my current…
— Victor Davis Hanson (@VDHanson) February 2, 2026

“I woke up very happy in the emergency room,” he said thinking the surgery had gone well. But quickly there were complications.  

“There was an arterial aneurysm and two veins popped, so I lost, very quickly, a lot of blood,” said Hanson, looking back on the day.  

“Thank God for the skilled surgeon at Stanford. He got me right back in. They took out all the things they had just closed and started all over again, opened up and they found them just in time. I had five transfusions,” explained Hanson.  

Hanson says he’s still recovering, trying to get his blood volume back up, but hopes to return to the show “slowly and periodically” during his recovery.  

Hanson might still be recovering from the two back-to-back surgeries, but he couldn’t leave his first show of 2026 there. He continues the shorter episode by discussing the immigration protests taking place in Minnesota.  

“I want to talk through very quickly today about what’s going on in Minnesota,” said Hanson. “I know we’ve got people having talked to death the insurrectionary nature of Tim Walz, and, of course, Mayor [Jacob] Frey and [Keith] Ellison, the [Minnesota] attorney general.

“But what I’m really disturbed about is the utter hypocrisy that we’re seeing with this street insurrectionary movement,” he continues.  

Hanson explains the hypocrisy of the Left as they treated protestors on Jan. 6 like criminals while making Renée Good and Alex Pretti martyrs.  

“Take masks for example, “Hanson continued. “We were told that masks were absolutely essential, not just for health reasons but sometimes demonstrators wore them,” he said.  

“The reason we were told Antifa wears them is because they didn’t want to have their identities put out into the popular discourse. … They don’t offer any such latitude for ICE officers,” Hanson explained.  

“All of a sudden, these Democrats are reverting to their original form, and we should remember original because the neo-confederate movement, was a Democratic …

White House says murder rate plummeted to lowest level since 1900 under Trump administration
Who's accountable for the results?

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said murders in major U.S. cities plunged to their lowest level since at least 1900 as federal arrests, gang takedowns and deportations surged under President Donald Trump’s promise to "restore law and order."
Speaking to reporters at Thursday's briefing, Leavitt said newly released data shows Trump is "delivering overwhelmingly on his promise."
"A study from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) shows that the murder rate across America's largest cities plummeted in 2025 to its lowest level since at least 1900," she said. "Let me repeat to put this in perspective, this marks the largest single-year drop in murders in recorded history."
"This dramatic decline is what happens when a president secures the border, fully mobilizes federal law enforcement to arrest violent criminals and aggressively deport the worst of the worst illegal aliens from our country," she added.
LEAVITT SAYS TRUMP WILL NOT ‘WAVER’ ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN DESPITE DEMOCRATIC BACKLASH
According to the CCJ’s report, nationwide homicide data released later this year could show killings in 2025 falling to roughly 4.0 per 100,000 residents – the lowest rate ever recorded in law enforcement or public health data dating back to 1900 and the largest single-year percentage drop on record.
The report found homicides fell 21% from 2024 to 2025 in the 35 cities that reported data, amounting to 922 fewer killings. Thirty-one of those cities saw declines, with Denver, Washington, D.C., and Omaha, Nebraska, each posting drops of around 40%.
Other major crimes also fell sharply in the cities studied. 
TRUMP SAYS CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS ‘MAKE HELLS ANGELS LOOK LIKE THE SWEETEST PEOPLE ON EARTH’
Robbery declined 23%, carjackings dropped 43% in cities that reported that data, aggravated assaults fell 9%, and motor vehicle theft decreased 27%.
CCJ cautioned that its findings are based on a limited group of cities and preliminary police data that could change, and said the report documents crime trends rather than proving that any single policy caused the declines.
"The numbers don’t lie," Leavitt said. "Under President Trump in 2025, the FBI increased violent crime arrests by 100% compared to the prior year. The FBI also conducted more than 67,000 arrests from Inauguration Day 2025 to Jan. 20, 2026, which is 197% more arrests than the same period previously."
TRUMP SAYS IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN NEEDS ‘SOFTER TOUCH’ WITH ‘TOUGH’ STANCE AFTER DEADLY MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTINGS
She also highlighted a drop in crime in Washington, D.C., saying as of last week, …

Trump jokes he ‘hangs around’ Mike Johnson because he feels ‘protected’ at Prayer Breakfast
This affects the entire country.

President Donald Trump joked about House Speaker Mike Johnson’s religious devotion during remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, recounting how Johnson asks to pray before meals, even during lunch, as Trump described it.
The 74th annual bipartisan event was held in Washington and attended by lawmakers, faith leaders and dignitaries.
"Did you know that, Mr. Speaker, you know, Mike Johnson’s a very religious person, that he does not hide it?" Trump said. "He’ll say to me sometimes at lunch, ‘Sir, may we pray?’ I say, ‘Excuse me, we’re having lunch in the Oval.’ It’s okay with me. But, he’s a very religious person and he is popular, and he’s doing an unbelievable job."
Trump followed the joke with praise for Johnson, saying, "I think God is watching over you. God is watching over him."
EL SALVADOR’S BUKELE SAYS VIOLENT GANG BANGERS ARE LITERAL SATAN WORSHIPPERS IN SHARP IMMIGRATION WARNING
"I don’t know about me," Trump added, before continuing: "So I hang around with him because I feel I’m protected a little bit."
The comments came as Trump used the annual gathering, according to his remarks, to emphasize what he described as a renewed embrace of religion in public life.
"In 2025, more copies of the Holy Bible were sold in the United States than at any time in the last 100 years," Trump said. He also claimed that, in the last year, "young Americans attended church at nearly twice the rate as they did four years ago."
TRUMP GETS IT: PRAYER ISN’T THE PROBLEM. SILENCING IT IS
Trump also announced plans for a national prayer gathering on the National Mall later this year.
"I’m pleased to announce that on May 17th, 2026, that we’re inviting Americans from all across the country to come together on our National Mall, to pray, to give thanks, and to return," Trump said. "We’re going to rededicate America as one nation under God."
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican and evangelical Christian, has frequently spoken publicly about the role of faith in his personal life and leadership since becoming speaker.
"Today, President Trump will unite our country through the power of prayer at the 74th National Prayer Breakfast," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital leading up to the event.
"President Trump has made unprecedented strides to protect our God-given rights and has delivered on his promise to reverse Joe Biden’s divisive policies that weaponized the federal government against men and women of faith. President Trump has secured major victories for religious freedom – from defending innocent life to restoring biological truth and …

Mamdani endorses Hochul for reelection, touting partnership with governor

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) for reelection on Thursday, touting their results-driven partnership together since he assumed office last month.

In a new op-ed published by the Nation, Mamdani said Hochul “earned my endorsement” because she is a leader who believes in “transformation” instead of maintaining the status quo. The mayor cited the New York governor’s decision to provide more than $1 billion in state funding to help launch universal child care in New York City.

“We delivered this historic win together,” he wrote, going on to tout their similar values.

“Together, we have fought to protect New Yorkers from ICE,” he said. “Together, we have defended our party, our democracy, and the ability of working New Yorkers to raise a family in the city they love. And together, we have forged a new era in the relationship between Albany and City Hall after too many years defined by pettiness instead of productivity.”

Mamdani also noted their political differences, particularly regarding an income tax hike on wealthy residents and businesses. Mamdani has openly called for such a tax increase, but Hochul excluded it from her recent proposal for the state’s $260 billion budget.

Despite their disagreement on taxing the rich, Mamdani vows not to let “difference” fester into “distrust” for them.

“Over the course of our relationship, I have come to trust Governor Hochul as someone willing to engage in an honest dialogue that leads to results,” he said. “As we face threats from Washington, she has defended our social safety net and protected funding for critical infrastructure projects.”

Earlier this week, the New York and New Jersey attorneys general sued the Trump administration to protect more than $16 billion in funding for the Gateway Tunnel project that was pulled last fall during the government shutdown. Hochul has been openly critical of the funding freeze.

Mamdani argues the Democratic Party is at its best when it “channels conflict toward progress,” and he believes that is true of his collaborative relationship with Hochul.

The elected socialist leans further to the left of Hochul, who positions herself as a centrist.

She is currently seeking reelection this year, running against her very own lieutenant governor in the Democratic primary. The two candidates announced their running mates this week.

Meanwhile, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is running unopposed on the Republican side with the president’s …

Blackburn demands investigation into Justice Jackson over Grammy appearance applauding anti-ICE rhetoric
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is urging U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to launch an investigation into Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson over her attendance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday amid anti-ICE rhetoric from celebrities and artists at the event. 
Jackson was in attendance at this year's politically-charged event because of her nomination for narrating the audiobook version of her memoir, "Lovely One." 
However, critics said Jackson clapped as various speakers criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
CRUZ DEMANDS IMPEACHMENT OF BOASBERG AND JUDGE WHO SENTENCED KAVANAUGH’S ATTEMPTED ASSASSIN
"While it is by no means unheard of or unusual for a Supreme Court justice to attend a public function, very rarely—if ever—have justices of our nation’s highest Court been present at an event at which attendees have amplified such far-left rhetoric," Blackburn wrote in a letter to Roberts. 
Blackburn, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for an investigation into whether Jackson’s actions violate the high court's Code of Conduct and would require her to recuse herself from certain cases. 
"To that end, in the interest of a fair-minded, impartial, and independent federal judiciary, I urge you to initiate an investigation into Justice Jackson’s attendance at this event and if her participation in any way would require recusal from matters that will come before the Court," her letter states. 
BARRETT SAYS JUSTICES 'WEAR BLACK, NOT RED OR BLUE' IN RESPONSE TO PARTISAN CRITICS IN FOX NEWS INTERVIEW
Attendees at the awards were seen wearing "ICE Out" lapel pins, and some winners spewed anti-ICE rhetoric such as "No one is illegal on stolen land" and "F— ICE."
Jackson's appearance at the event raises questions considering the court is slated to take on cases revolving around the Trump administration, including birthright citizenship and immigration. 
Fox News Digital has reached out to Blackburn's office and the Supreme Court. 
In her letter, Blackburn noted that Democrats and the news media have smeared Republican-appointed justices to the court as "corrupt" and "partisan."
She recalled how Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI., wrote a letter to Roberts urging him to ensure that conservative Justice Samuel Alito would recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election and Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot because his wife put up a Revolutionary War-era flag at their home.
"Unlike these meritless claims against Justice Alito and Justice Thomas, there are serious questions regarding Justice Jackson’s …

The International Olympics Committee Is Urged to Drop Oil Company Sponsors
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

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/ February 5, 2026

The International Olympics Committee Is Urged to Drop Oil Company Sponsors

Global warming means the future of Winter Games “is literally melting away.”

Mark Hertsgaard

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Members of the International Olympic Committee speak during a press conference in Milan, Italy, in February 2026.(Jiang Qiming / China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Some of the world’s greatest winter sports athletes have called on the International Olympics Committee to stop taking fossil fuel industry money, including from Italian oil giant ENI, a “Premium Partner” of the 2026 Winter Olympics. “The time has come to question the ethical implications of…normalizing the connections between our sports and the detrimental effects of the product that [fossil fuel companies] sell,” reads a petition delivered yesterday to IOC officials in Milan, Italy, where the Games’ opening ceremony takes place on Friday.

Burning oil, gas, coal, and other fossil fuels is the main driver of global warming, which is raising winter temperatures and reducing the snow cover that skiing and other winter sports require. Winters are rapidly warming across much of the Northern Hemisphere, threatening not only the Olympics but also communities economically and culturally dependent on skiing and other winter recreational activities.

To date, the petition to the IOC and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation has attracted more than 20,000 signatories, including Alex Hall of the US, who won the Olympic gold medal in freestyle skiing at the 2022 Winter Games; Helvig Wessel of Norway, the 2024 Freeride World Tour skiing champion; and Nikolai Schirmer, also of Norway, whose nonprofit Ski Fossil Free organized the petition and hand-delivered it to IOC officials on February 4; a full list of signatories is available here.

Although neither the IOC nor ENI have yet commented on the petition, the IOC did purchase 2.4 million cubic meters of artificial snow to enable reliable conditions for events taking place in the Italian Alps town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. ENI, which has said it aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, announced in December that “90% of the fuels that Eni…will supply to power the Games will be derived from renewable feedstocks.”

February temperatures have warmed by 3.6 degrees Celsius (6.4 degrees Fahrenheit) over the 70 years since Cortina hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1956, according to new research from the scientific nonprofit Climate Central. Cortina now experiences 41 fewer freezing days per year than it did in 1956. Globally, only half of the locations deemed …

RNC rolls out ‘powerful’ new TikTok strategy to win over key demographic after Trump's 2024 success
Trust is earned, not demanded.

FIRST ON FOX: The Republican National Committee is upping its social media presence and following President Donald Trump’s lead by officially launching a TikTok account, marking a strategic shift for the party as it continues to look to connect with younger voters.
The RNC’s plan to make an impact on the digital front lines involves the official launch of @Republicans on TikTok, which is designed to engage a critical demographic, voters under 30 who may not follow traditional political news but rely heavily on social media for information.
The move comes at the same time polling from Pew Research shows that 63% of Americans aged 18-29 use TikTok. The platform has become an essential battleground for reaching the next generation of voters.
Trump has credited TikTok with being a key part of his election victory in 2024.
TIKTOK AFTER THE US SALE: WHAT CHANGED AND HOW TO USE IT SAFELY
"I wasn't a fan of TikTok, and then I got to use it," Trump said last fall. "And I became a fan, and it helped me win the election in a landslide."
The data shows that TikTok was a valuable tool for Trump and his administration. Reuters reported he amassed roughly 3 million followers in just 24 hours after joining the platform and quickly began drawing tens of millions of views. 
In 2025, the White House joined TikTok and quickly gained traction, racking up 5 million followers and 80 million-plus likes as of early January. In addition to launching its own account, the RNC is encouraging Republican candidates across the country to follow its lead and join the platform to engage with voters and level the playing field in a space where Democrats have historically dominated. 
11 DEMOCRATS RUNNING TO KEEP BLUE-LEANING SEAT IN PARTY HANDS AS GOP HOUSE MAJORITY ON THE BRINK
"President Trump proved how powerful TikTok can be and took decisive action to secure this platform for American users," RNC Chair Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital. 
"Our new account will deliver America First content directly to younger voters who get their news online, and we’re encouraging Republican candidates nationwide to do the same now that the platform is safe."
Earlier this year, TikTok announced it reached a historic deal to launch a majority American-owned joint venture, a move guided by Trump and aimed at averting a potential U.S. ban on the popular social media app and hoping to alleviate concerns about China’s ability to influence Americans on the app.
"I am so happy to have helped in saving TikTok! It will now be owned by a group of Great American Patriots and Investors, the Biggest in the World, …

Minnesota prosecutor seeks ‘immediate’ relief amid influx of 427 immigration lawsuits
This isn't complicated—it's willpower.

The top federal prosecutor in Minnesota is urging an appeals court to move quickly over a key immigration enforcement dispute, saying his office is buckling under a flood of lawsuits against the Trump administration’s mass deportation push in the Twin Cities.

U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, an appointee of President Donald Trump, said his short-staffed office has been forced to abandon “pressing and important priorities” to manage hundreds of emergency habeas petitions filed by immigrants arrested and detained during Operation Metro Surge. In a Jan. 30 filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, Rosen disclosed that 427 immigration-related habeas cases were filed in the District of Minnesota in January alone, with the pace expected to continue into February.

Federal immigration agents detain a man during an operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 27, 2026. (Photo by Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images)

“To respond to this wave of habeas petitions, this Office has been forced to shift its already limited resources from other pressing and important priorities,” Rosen wrote in a declaration submitted to the appeals court. “The MN-USAO has canceled all [affirmative civil enforcement] work and any other affirmative priorities … and is operating in a reactive mode.”

Rosen, a Trump appointee confirmed by the Senate in October, said his office’s civil litigation team in his office is “down 50%” following a wave of resignations and departures at the start of Operation Metro Surge. Remaining attorneys, he said, are appearing daily for emergency hearings, often on nights, weekends, and holidays.

“The Court is setting deadlines within hours, including weekends and holidays. Paralegals are continuously working overtime. Lawyers are continuously working overtime,” Rosen wrote, adding that swift appellate intervention is “desperately needed.”

The Justice Department echoed those concerns in a filing submitted Thursday in the case at hand, Herrera Avila v. Bondi, urging the 8th Circuit to resolve the appeal on the briefs or, alternatively, to expedite oral argument. DOJ attorneys said the “crushing burden” of immigration litigation has forced U.S. attorney offices across the circuit to divert resources from “other critical priorities, including criminal matters.”

A significant part of the burden facing the federal government is the lack of clarity from federal circuit courts on the …

House Judiciary subpoenas US e-commerce giant targeted by South Korea
Ask who never gets charged.

The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed e-commerce giant Coupang on Thursday to obtain its documents and communications with the South Korean government regarding the country’s alleged discrimination against the U.S. technology company.

Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) led a letter outlining South Korea’s unfair treatment of Coupang.

The Amazon-like company has been subjected to a number of investigations, raids, and inspections initiated by the Korea Fair Trade Commission, the country’s primary antitrust regulator, in recent years. However, regulatory pressure on Coupang intensified further after the e-commerce giant suffered a data breach perpetrated by a former Chinese employee in November.

In the aftermath of the incident, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung openly called for tougher penalties and higher fines against Coupang “so severe that they go out of business,” while his party threatened to criminally indict a Coupang executive who’s a U.S. national.

“Over the past few months, the KFTC and other agencies within the Korean government have escalated their discriminatory attacks on American technology companies, including by threatening U.S. citizens with criminal charges,” Jordan wrote in a letter before stating the purpose of the subpoena.

“To develop effective legislation, including new laws protecting American companies and citizens from foreign governments’ discriminatory laws and enforcement decisions, the Committee must investigate the extent and nature of these efforts and the effect they have on Americans’ right to due process and U.S. companies’ ability to effectively compete in the global market,” he continued.

Congress has repeatedly expressed concern about South Korea’s treatment of Coupang and other U.S. tech companies in letters and hearings. Thursday’s move reflects lawmakers’ significant interest in how foreign allies treat American companies.

Beyond the requested records, the House Judiciary chairman is requiring Coupang Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel Harold Rogers to appear for a deposition at a future date.

In response to the congressional request, Coupang affirmed its compliance.

“Coupang will fully cooperate with the U.S. House Judiciary Committee investigation, including production of documents and witness testimony as required by the subpoena,” the company said.

Tensions are straining between the United States and South Korea despite both nations having agreed to a …

FDA relaxes labeling rules on 'no artificial colors' claims amid crackdown
Every delay has consequences.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Thursday that it will relax federal regulations governing when companies may label their products as free of artificial coloring.
The FDA said businesses can now label products as "no artificial colors" if the coloring is natural or plant-based.
"Companies will now have flexibility to claim products contain ‘no artificial colors’ when the products do not contain petroleum-based colors," the FDA said. "In the past, companies were generally only able to make such claims when their products had no added color whatsoever — whether derived from natural sources or otherwise." 
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised the policy shift, saying it will ease the transition for companies while advancing efforts to make food safer.
FDA BANS RED FOOD DYE DUE TO POTENTIAL CANCER RISK
"This is real progress," RFK Jr. said in a statement. "We are making it easier for companies to move away from petroleum-based synthetic colors and adopt safer, naturally derived alternatives. This momentum advances our broader effort to help Americans eat real food and Make America Healthy Again."
The agency also expanded its list of approved naturally-sourced food colorings, adding beetroot red and broadening the approved use of spirulina extract.
The new additions bring the total number of food color options approved under the current administration to six, the FDA said. 
FDA BANS ARTIFICIAL RED DYE: WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CONSUMERS
Health officials said the changes were made in recognition that coloring derived from natural sources should not be classified as artificial.
"We acknowledge that calling colors derived from natural sources ‘artificial’ might be confusing for consumers and a hindrance for companies to explore alternative food coloring options," FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement. "We’re taking away that hindrance and making it easier for companies to use these colors in the foods our families eat every day."
As part of the Trump administration’s initiative to Make America Healthy Again, the HHS and the FDA in April 2025 began a series of actions to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic colors from the nation’s food supply.
Previously, in January 2025, health officials banned red food dye known as Red 3, or erythrosine, citing potential cancer risks.
Food manufacturers were given until January 2027 to remove it from their products, while drug manufacturers will have until January 2028 to do the same.