FIRST ON FOX: Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of the currently incarcerated former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, is a man on an unofficial diplomatic mission in the United States. His objective is to free his father, who is currently serving a 27-year sentence at the Federal Police headquarters in the nation's capital.

Convicted on charges of plotting a coup d'état, leading an armed criminal organization and attempting to violently abolish the democratic rule of law, Jair Bolsonaro remains a popular yet controversial figure in Brazil, and who still commands a devoted following nationwide, especially in the southern strongholds of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Eduardo Bolsonaro has pursued a "maximum pressure campaign" against the current Brazilian regime on behalf of his father, lobbying the Trump administration for sanctions against the country, and for Magnitsky sanctions against the head of the Brazilian Supreme Court Alexandre de Moraes.

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In 2022, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated incumbent Bolsonaro in the closest election since Brazil's 1985 return to democracy. This followed Lula's dramatic release from prison by the Brazilian Supreme Court in 2019, where he was serving a sentence for corruption.

While many expected São Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas to run in 2026, he declined, clearing the way for the former president's other son, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, who declared his candidacy last December.

Speaking to Fox News Digital at the Hispanic Prosperity Gala at Mar-a-Lago Eduardo Bolsonaro discussed the present situation.

"A lot of polls are showing that my brother, Senator Flavio (Bolsonaro), is tied and some of them he's a little bit ahead… Flavio just launched, just announced that he is going to run. It was a big decision that Jair Bolsonaro took, recognizing that it would be impossible for him to run in the October election, for sure, because he's in jail now. Unfairly, but he is. This is a fact."

Eduardo Bolsonaro believes the nation's economic and security issues will propel his brother to victory.

"The strategy of Flavio is to show how bad the Lula administration is, mainly in economy and also in security. These are areas where Flavio is doing very well… everybody's fed up with Lula supporting Hamas, increasing criminality, and not doing a great job in the economic area. So, Flavio, for sure his focus is going to be on the economy and security to defeat Lula."

While Flavio Bolsonaro and Lula are clearly the top two contenders, several other right-wing and center-right candidates have entered the race, including Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema, Parana Governor Ratinho Junior and Goias Governor Ronaldo Caiado. 

Eduardo Bolsonaro dismisses concerns that the current electoral scenario could split the vote and lead to a first-round electoral victory for Lula.

"It doesn't matter who is going to the second round; against Lula, everybody will be together. Because we all know that the worst that can happen to the country is the re-election of Lula da Silva. So these polls that are trying to say that Lula… can win in the first round, if the right-wing movement splits the votes between these candidates, this is a lie. For sure, this is not going to happen."

"And for sure, it's very good that we have more candidates on the right-wing… Why? Because they will all criticize Lula da Silva. So, even Flavio is publicly saying that it would be a good thing to do to support more and more candidates for the right… against Lula."

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While former president Bolsonaro is incarcerated, his movement enjoys strong support in the Brazilian Congress, which recently passed legislation that would dramatically cut his prison sentence. 

However, Lula vetoed the legislation in January, which means that Congress may now seek to override that veto. Additionally, the Supreme Court, which is unfavorably disposed to Bolsonaro, may also review the legislation on grounds of constitutionality.

"Everything that the Supreme Court does not like, they say that this is against our constitution. It's the way that they try to get all of the power over the legislative [branch], and even sometimes the executive power. So, this is one more chapter of this long invasion by the judiciary… Lula da Silva doing the veto against this bill that was approved by the Congress only shows that he is always speaking with the left-wing bubble, he's talking to the radical left people."

Eduardo Bolsonaro believes the Brazilian people support his father over the Supreme Court, and points out that his father was not even present in Brazil for the Jan. 8 riots.

"In Brazil they do not approve [of the veto], they are fed up with all of this… On the very same day [Jan. 8, 2023]… the ‘protest dictator’, Jair Bolsonaro, was in Orlando, in Disney World. So everybody knows this is a fake thing and no one can support any more debates around this."

"That's why Jair Bolsonaro is in jail because if he wasn't convicted to 27 years in jail, he would be free to run, and for sure he would be the next president of Brazil. That's the only reason that he is in jail: because of political reasons. That is why when Flavio Bolsonaro gets elected in October and changes the political scenario, this will also change the scenario inside the judiciary of Brazil."

Eduardo Bolsonaro is entirely focused on his brother Flavio's 2026 presidential campaign as the means to freeing his father from prison.

"Now, I only have one role… electing Flávio Bolsonaro, and he will give the pardon to Jair. Not only to Jair, but also to me. I am accused of committing crimes in the United States because I was talking with authorities, American authorities, and they consider this an attack against the sovereignty of Brazil."

"The judge of the Supreme Court, Alexandre de Moraes, who got sanctioned by the Trump administration with the support of Scott Bessent and Marco Rubio, he blames me for that. But as he does not have the courage to sue Trump, Bessent and Rubio, he's suing me for that. So we hope that Flavio is going to get elected and then as president he has the power to pardon me, my father and more than 400 conservative people that are in jail."

While the Bolsonaros have historically performed very well in the vote-rich and wealthy southern states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais, they have underperformed in Brazil's poorer Northeast region, which is where Lula is originally from.

Yet, Bolsonaro promises a strong showing nationwide, and says that voters in the Northeast are ready for a change:

"It's bringing the truth. People nowadays know that the ‘assistencialismo’ (populist social assistance for purposes of vote-buying), that is the way that Lula gets this high amount of votes in the Northeast of Brazil."

"We are also going strong in the Northeast. The Northeast, you're going to see, it's not anymore a region of Brazil that is under the [control of] Lula."

Eduardo Bolsonaro weighed in on recent U.S. military action in Venezuela, and pledged a renewed U.S.-Brazilian geopolitical relationship, and full support for American action against Communist regimes:

"Maduro is not the president anymore and in Nicaragua Daniel Ortega arrested seven opponents… that were running for president. How can you consider this a democracy? So, for sure, it's not a democracy. There is no difference between these guys and Chapo or Pablo Escobar. The difference is only that Nicolás Maduro and Daniel Ortega took over the country, they took over the institutions."

"So everybody, not only Venezuela, but also Brazil, is really happy that the great military of the United States arrested Maduro… It's bringing hope to the people. And for sure, we do support them, not only in public… but also in international forums."

This interview was lightly edited for style and clarity.

An airline is under fire after a vegan passenger was served what appeared to be a moldy sandwich, photos indicate.

Paul Booker, a British tourist who flew from Cancun to London on Jan. 14, posted a picture of the incriminating sandwich — which was served on a Virgin Atlantic flight — on X last month.

The pictures show two limp pieces of zucchini and what appear to be a charred, moldy pepper on a small baguette.

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Booker told Kennedy News he was served the sandwich as a breakfast option toward the end of his 10-hour flight.

When he peeled open the sandwich bread, he was horrified by its contents — and immediately called over a flight attendant.

"It is certainly up there as the worst meal I have ever had. It's certainly the worst offering I have ever had," he said.

There was "no way" he was going to eat the unappetizing meal, he said.

The sandwich "looked like it was rotten," he said. 

"I showed it to my friend, and to be honest, it was almost like shock laughter."

The flight attendant gave him a fruit salad and encouraged him to contact Virgin Atlantic for a voucher.

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"It had this amusing writing on the box, 'We found love in a hungry place,'" Booker said — which he found ironic.

"I certainly didn't find love there, but I was certainly in the hungry place," he added. 

Booker said he spent about $820 on the flight.

In return, Virgin Atlantic gave him a £100 voucher, equivalent to about $136 — an offer he dismissed as inadequate.

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"They could've given me £500 [about $680] and it wouldn't be a drop in the ocean to them," he said.

The passenger said the flight attendant seemed "genuinely embarrassed" by the incident.

The airline told Fox News Digital that it takes dietary requirements very seriously.

"We never want to disappoint our customers, which is why it's disheartening to hear that Mr. Booker was unhappy with the meal served on his flight from Cancun to London Heathrow," a spokesperson said.

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"All customers, including those with specific dietary requirements, should receive food that meets our usual high standards."

The episode highlights continued frustration among many travelers over airline meal quality.

Meanwhile, American Airlines recently announced it will roll out a limited-time, 1920s-inspired in-flight menu on select first- and business-class flights.

The menu will include upscale dishes like beef Wellington and caviar, the airline said.

Long before wedding bells rang for either of them, Jessica Simpson once joked about marrying NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a dream.

During a candid conversation about the early days of her relationship with the sports legend, Amy Earnhardt joked that the pop star "tried to fish my man."

"It’s 2008, maybe [2009]. We had just started dating, and I think I’m still living in Jacksonville, but I come up to Daytona to hang out with Dale. And I hear that Jessica Simpson’s at the racetrack. We’re the same age. We both came from Texas, so I’ve always kind of been a fan of hers," Amy recalled on her "Bless Your 'Hardt" podcast. 

JESSICA SIMPSON FACES UNEXPECTED TURN AT 45 AFTER ERIC JOHNSON SEPARATION

At the time, she said she was excited about the possibility of meeting the "I Wanna Love You Forever" singer.

"And I’m like, ‘Hey, Dale, do you think that you could get Jessica Simpson to come to the bus so I could meet her?’ And he’s like, ‘I don’t think that’d be a really good idea.’ And I was like, ‘Why not?’"

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"And he shows me this clip … of her doing an interview earlier that day, how she had had a dream that she and Dale Jr. got married in a treehouse."

Amy then drew the line.

"And I’m like, ‘Yeah… don’t bring that b---- over here. It’s a good idea," Amy joked as Dale laughed.

She added that the moment left a lasting impression.

"I haven’t bought a Jessica Simpson shoe or a bag — you know, how she’s got all the things — ever since then. I was like, she was f---ing trying to fish my man … Yes, she was. She knew exactly what she was doing."

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The alleged near run-in happened in the late 2000s, when Amy and Dale Jr. were just starting their relationship and Simpson was rising to pop stardom.

Simpson later met former NFL player Eric Johnson in May 2010. The two got engaged six months later and married in 2014 after welcoming their first two children, Maxwell and Ace. They welcomed daughter Birdie in 2019.

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In November 2024, Johnson was spotted without his wedding ring as Simpson focused on a music comeback.

"She's working on music and splits her time between Los Angeles and Nashville. Eric spends all of his time in LA, where the kids go to school," a source told People at the time.

"Jess and Eric very much live separate lives."

Meanwhile, Dale Jr. and Amy tied the knot in 2016 and now share two daughters, Isla, 7, and Nicole, 5.

NPR "Morning Edition" co-host Steve Inskeep said during an episode of the podcast on Wednesday that the suspect on video at Nancy Guthrie's house was wearing clothing similar to that of a federal immigration agent.

The FBI released previously inaccessible doorbell camera images and videos on Tuesday. The footage shows a masked individual wearing gloves and a backpack tampering with the front door camera at Guthrie's Tucson, Arizona, home around the time she vanished on Feb. 1.

"So, let me think about this: we have this man. He walks up to the porch, he’s armed, and his face is covered, a little like a federal immigration agent — although it’s more covered even than that," Inskeep said while speaking to Mary O'Toole, a former FBI agent and profiler, about the footage. "He’s wearing gloves, his head’s down, other times head up, something in the mouth, looks like a flashlight in the mouth, walks up to the security camera. That’s what I see."

A man was detained in connection with Guthrie's disappearance early Wednesday but was released later without charges. 

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Carlos Palazuelos told Fox News that he was the person detained for questioning during a traffic stop but said he had nothing to do with the case. He said he makes deliveries in the Tucson area and that investigators asked him about his recent whereabouts. He said authorities showed his in-laws a picture of someone wearing a mask and "they supposedly looked like my eyes."

Inskeep asked O'Toole for her perspective on the video released by the FBI as well.

"I see things a little the same, but also from a different perspective," she said. "I look at, overall, the behavior that he demonstrates while he's on the porch. He's not racing around, he's not jumping up and down, he's not looking over his shoulder." 

"He actually seems to be casual," O'Toole continued. "He appears to be somewhat comfortable on a porch to a home where he does not belong. He seems to be used to almost having been there before. I see someone that's walking around in very odd attire, at least from the waist up. He's wrapped up very tight, almost squeezed into his outfit."

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O'Toole said that made her question why he chose to dress like that and speculated it could indicate he had done something similar before.

"I look at that behavior, and then based on working other kidnapping cases, especially ones where the offender kidnapped the person from their home, often times — not always, but often times — the kidnapper had been inside other people's homes before doing whatever they do, just looking around or taking things, or they've actually been inside the victim's home before or on the victim's porch before. So that's why they have a comfort level with being there; it's not the first time," she said.

O'Toole said the man in the video had heavy-duty gloves on, and the gloves went into the jacket. She also said the man's face was covered and he appeared "illuminated" in some way

"So, why do you dress like that for an event you've never experienced before?" she said. "Or the reverse is perhaps more likely: you have gone into an event like this before, so you know how to dress. And very likely, the reason for dressing like that is to minimize leaving behind any forensic evidence."

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The FBI announced Wednesday that numerous agents are conducting an "extensive search along multiple roadways in the Catalina Foothills area" of Tucson related to the Nancy Guthrie investigation.

"We are asking the media and motorists to follow all traffic laws and to remain especially cautious when passing law enforcement personnel near the roadways," the FBI's Phoenix office said.

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"We appreciate the assistance and support we have received from the Tucson community. The FBI continues to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie. You can help by submitting tips to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI," the bureau added.

Sturla Holm Laegreid earned a bronze medal in the Olympics this week, but he was not able to share it with one special person: a woman he recently cheated on.

The Norwegian took bronze, his first individual Olympic medal, in the biathlon on Tuesday and fought back tears in a post-event interview — not about the medal, but about "the biggest mistake of my life."

"There's someone I wanted to share it with who might not be watching today. Six months ago, I met the love of my life — the most beautiful and kindest person in the world. Three months ago, I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her," Laegreid said to NRK in Norway.

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"I told her about it a week ago. It's been the worst week of my life."

Laegreid referred to the woman as his "gold medal in my life." He was actually part of the relay team that took gold at the Beijing Olympics.

But instead of celebrating Tuesday, he was distraught, crying and hugging friends after the race. During a news conference, he explained why he decided to tell the world about his personal situation on the broadcast.

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"It was the choice I made. We make different choices during our life and that's how we make life," he told a room full of journalists. "So today I made a choice to tell the world what I did, so maybe, maybe there is a chance she will see what she really means to me. Maybe not."

"There are probably many who look at me with different eyes, but I only have eyes for her," he added. "Sport has taken a slightly different place in my life the last few days. Yes, I wish I could share it with her."

In a separate media availability, Laegreid seemed to regret giving the interview, as he felt he may have upstaged gold medal winner Johan-Olav Botn, his Norwegian teammate.

"Now I hope I didn’t ruin Johan’s day. Maybe it was really selfish of me to give that interview. So yeah, I don't know. I was, I'm a bit, I don't know ... I'm not really here mentally. So yeah, we will see what happens."

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fired back at boxer Jake Paul on Monday after the fighter called Bad Bunny a "fake American citizen" and vowed to boycott the Super Bowl LX halftime show.

Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was among those fawning over the Grammy Award-winning artist’s act during a game that saw the Seattle Seahawks take home their second Super Bowl title in a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots.

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"A ‘fake American citizen?’ Didn’t you MOVE to Puerto Rico to avoid paying your taxes while kids across America go hungry?" the congresswoman wrote on X.

"Meanwhile Benito actually funds low income kids’ access to arts and sports programs, while you defund them. Of course you’re mad. He makes you look small."

Paul later clarified that he was rebuking Bad Bunny because of his stance against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations despite being an American citizen.

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"To clarify: I wasn’t calling anyone a ‘fake citizen’ because they’re from Puerto Rico. I live in Puerto Rico, and I love Puerto Rico. I have used my platform to support Puerto Rico time and time again and will always do so," Paul wrote on X. "But if you’re publicly criticizing ICE who are doing their job and openly hating on America, I’m going to speak on it. Period. That’s the same reason I called out Hunter Hess.

"If you benefit from a country and the platform it gives you, but publicly disrespect it at the same time, that’s what I mean by being a fake citizen. And I agree love is more powerful than hate. Love America."

Bad Bunny prominently spoke out against ICE when he received his Grammy Award for Album of the Year earlier this month.

"ICE out," he said. "We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens — we are humans, and we are Americans."

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A lifelong dream led one man to plan an extreme road trip of thousands of miles across several continents — just to see the northern lights.

In an extended journey that would likely defeat most people, Malik Al-Sultan, 28, drove more than 5,600 miles from Saudi Arabia to northern Norway — spending thousands of dollars on the trip — to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis.

He planned the long journey for over a year, news agency SWNS reported.

Rather than flying, he chose to make the trip by road so he could experience other countries along the way.

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The freelance digital creator from Saudi Arabia set off on Dec. 20, 2025, driving his Toyota Land Cruiser pickup truck across Europe and Scandinavia.

The three-week journey took him through 19 countries, with a final destination of Bodø, Norway.

He said the idea for the trip came about roughly a year before his departure.

That's when he began mapping out a route, saving money and preparing his vehicle for long-distance travel.

In the five weeks leading up to his departure, Al-Sultan spent a lot of free time making sure his truck was road-ready and securing the necessary travel documents, he said — including a Schengen visa required for Saudi citizens traveling across much of Europe.

The cost of his trip, which included fuel, food and hotel stays in every city where he spent the night, totaled about $12,300, SWNS reported.

His route took him through countries such as Kuwait, Turkey, Serbia, Italy, Germany and Sweden.

Along the way, he made an unplanned detour to the United Kingdom — where he visited London for the first time and decided to remain for a few days.

"At first, the United Kingdom was not part of the plan," he said. "But when I visited it, I was amazed by the beauty of the roads. When I arrived in London and saw it, I decided to stay for a couple [of] days and enjoy the atmosphere."

After logging approximately 5,600 miles, Al-Sultan arrived in Bodø — and was finally able to witness the aurora borealis lighting up the night sky.

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"It was quite a long journey, traveling through so many different cultures and lands," he said.

"It made the whole journey worth the trouble," Al-Sultan said.

"I was so amazed [at] watching the lights," he said.

Al-Sultan said his journey itself became just as meaningful to him as the ultimate destination.

"I will always remember both together, because one could not exist without the other for me," he said.

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After soaking in the experience, Al-Sultan said he plans to continue driving back to Saudi Arabia — possibly taking a different route home.

"Love his camping set-up," wrote a social media commenter. "Would love to sit by his fire and listen to his stories."

In another extreme journey that made headlines recently, a man's longtime friendship led him to make a one-day, 14,000-mile journey to say goodbye to a dying pal, as. Fox News Digital recently reported. 

Bob Walker traveled from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Arbroath, Scotland, and back again, just to spend a few hours with his friend Peter Gould, 82, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in December. 

The two men had been friends for more than four decades, first meeting while working as aircraft engineers in Papua New Guinea in the 1980s. Despite living in different countries for much of their lives, they stayed in close contact over the years.

"There's not many opportunities where you can actually say goodbye to people, so I really wanted to [make] the journey," Walker said.

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On Jan. 16, the friends sat together in Gould’s hometown — sharing cans of their favorite beer and reminiscing about their years working, traveling and raising families.

"I'm very grateful for what Bob did," he said. "He didn’t have to do it."