Quote:The State Department is pausing visa processing for applicants from 75 countries as it reviews how consular officers screen people deemed likely to become a public charge, according to an internal memo first reported by Fox News Digital.

The directive instructs embassies and consulates to halt decisions on immigrant visas, meaning documents for those seeking to live and work in the U.S., beginning January 21, while the department reassesses its vetting procedures under existing immigration law.

Countries affected by the pause include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and Yemen. The move follows stepped‑up scrutiny of public charge rules and comes amid broader changes to immigration policy under President Donald Trump.

The Department of State confirmed to Newsweek that it was pausing visa issuance for 75 countries, but did not clarify the full list.
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State Department Visa Pause: Full List of Countries

The State Department later released the list to Fox News Digital and confirmed the freeze to Newsweek and on its social media, but did not immediately release the list.

The countries affected are:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

What To Know

The State Department is responsible for vetting potential immigrants for visas outside the U.S. and processing them at consulates and embassies around the world. Officers at these posts have already been instructed to change the way they process applications over the past 12 months, including increased social media screening.

Part of the vetting process, and other immigration applications within the U.S., includes working out whether an individual will become a public charge. In other words, whether the state will have to help pay for long-term healthcare, or provide any type of financial support.

Fox reported that the State Department was reviewing the current rules around this issue and had opted to pause visas for the 75 countries while this assessment was carried out. The change did not apply to tourist or temporary business visas, the Associated Press reported.

There has been concern for some time from Republicans that immigrants put too much pressure on federal and state-level benefits, leading some to claim that they are taking away funds from American citizens and fueling the campaign for mass deportations.

Research has frequently debunked this notion, however. In February 2025, the libertarian Cato Institute published a paper showing that native-born Americans consumed, on an average per capita basis, more welfare and entitlement benefits than all immigrants.

Quote:EXCLUSIVE: A volunteer radio show host has resigned after authorities confirmed they are aware of a post on left-wing-dominated social media app Bluesky, in which a person advocated for killing Vice President JD Vance.

"It's simple, we kill JD Vance," said the person behind an account named hanslopez.bsky.social. The person identified themselves as a host of a radio show on WUML, which is funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. The comment was made in response to another Bluesky user who claimed that, "JD VANCE THINKS BRITAIN & FRANCE ARE AMERICAS [sic] LIKELY ENEMIES."

WUML's website says that it has "given a voice to both the student body of UMass Lowell, and the greater Lowell community" for more than six decades.

"Founded in 1952, WUML functions as a non-commercial FM station located in Lowell, Massachusetts, funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and fully managed and operated by student members, broadcasting both terrestrially and online," the description says.

When the school learned of the post, it contacted authorities, according to a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

"UMass Lowell police promptly coordinated with the FBI, Secret Service and Haverhill police the same day to ensure an appropriate response," the school said. "Contact was made with the individual in question, and the necessary assessments were conducted in collaboration with federal partners. Authorities confirmed there was no immediate threat."

Secret Service confirmed to Fox News Digital that it was aware of the post. The Haverhill Police Department directed Fox News Digital to the FBI, which declined to comment.

"UMass Lowell takes seriously any threat of violence involving our community. Statements such as the post in question are inconsistent with the values of our democracy and our university," the statement continued. "The individual in question has since resigned from his volunteer role at WUML and removed the post from his Bluesky account."

The school said that the person behind the violent rhetoric is an alumnus.

Several posts, including the one directed at Vance, have been deleted from the Bluesky account.

Quote:The University of Washington is investigating comments made by a researcher who posted on social media, allegedly calling for the assassination of conservative voices.

Mara Maughan, who uses she/they pronouns according to her bio on the UW Fuller Labs website, is labeled as an RSE1 under the Department of Microbiology’s "research and lab staff."

"May there be tyler robinsons for you all," Maughan posted on Facebook in a comment directed at Educational Freedom Institute Executive Director Corey DeAngelis.

Tyler Robinson is charged with the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

DeAngelis had posted a clip of a Democratic state senator in Washington state with the caption, "he can’t acknowledge that there are biological differences between men and women."

"This kind of violent rhetoric from Mara Maughan and far too many others on the left — wishing for assassins to target conservatives like me and my family — absolutely concerns me, as it not only normalizes political violence but fuels a dangerous environment where radical ideologies in academia and beyond threaten our freedoms and safety without accountability," DeAngelis told Fox News Digital.

"I've seen how the left resorts to these tactics when they're losing the argument on merits, and it's high time institutions like UW step up to condemn and discipline such hate to prevent real-world tragedies."

Maughan is employed through a union-based position at the university, with Glassdoor estimating a similar researcher position under the immunology department at the school earns $4,000 to $5,000 a month with benefits.

The UW Department of Microbiology also has office space listed for Maughan on its website.

In a separate Facebook comment from several months ago unrelated to DeAngelis, the researcher appears to identify as transgender.

"Being an autistic trans vaccine scientist [right now] has turned me into the joker," the comment says.

Adam Guillette, the president of Accuracy in Media, an organization that has been actively investigating radicalism at UW for several years, says the rhetoric from the liberal-leaning university doesn’t come as a surprise.

"UW administrators claim they oppose violence, but their actions speak louder than their word," Guillette told Fox News Digital. "They’ve repeatedly allowed both violence and violent rhetoric from their students and their staff.

"The university is already under federal investigation, and it's now time to revoke its funds."

Quote:Tyler Robinson’s court hearing took a strange turn Friday when a Utah judge barred a media videographer from filming Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin in the courtroom over lip-reading concerns raised by the defense.

Utah District Judge Tony Graf prohibited the pool cameraman from filming or photographing the 22-year-old murder suspect, warning close-up footage of him could prejudice the remainder of the hearing.

“During the remainder of this hearing, the camera shall not photograph Mr. Robinson at all,” Graf ruled.
“That will be the sanction of this court. I will allow the pool camera operator to reposition the camera to adhere to that.”

The decision came after Robinson’s attorneys brought up their concerns with Graf, arguing the videographer zoomed in on their client, capturing their conversation, ABC 4 reported.

Robinson’s counsel showed the judge two clips of previous footage they said violated court rules.

Graf said the court could have held the videographer in contempt and fined them, but opted not to do so.

The drama unfolded during the hearing in which Robinson’s defense attorneys were working to boot Utah County prosecutors from the high-profile case over an alleged conflict of interest.

“The Utah County Attorneys have advised us that a family member of one of the attorneys was present at the incident at which Mr. Kirk was shot and killed,” defense attorney Richard Novak told Graf during an October hearing.

The defense team argued they were informed by prosecutors the relative – a student — “was within 85 feet” of the 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder when he was shot dead at Utah Valley University while speaking to a crowd of thousands as part of his American Comeback Tour on Sept. 10.

The defense added the prosecutor’s daughter was forced to “flee” the campus with police that were “deployed to the area with her safety and status in mind,’ adding that “the Utah County Attorney’s Office was all advised of this,” Novak said.

There are six prosecutors on Robinson’s case and the name of the prosecutor in question was redacted in court papers.

Prosecutors argued that there is no conflict of interest, explaining the relative, who had a “comparatively minor emotional reaction” to the killing, will be among thousands of witnesses called to testify at trial, the outlet reported.

The defense requested that their motion to dismiss be referred to the Utah Attorney General’s Office — but Graf moved to hold an evidentiary hearing instead to rule on the matter.

The judge has not yet ruled on the issue.

Robinson is facing seven felony charges of aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

He remains behind bars pending trial and could face death by firing squad if convicted.

Quote:The mystery of the so-called Havana Syndrome has stumped experts, intelligence officials and lawmakers for close to a decade.

More than 1,000 officials and their family members are thought to have been plagued by memory loss, hearing problems, trouble sleeping and what appears to be brain injury—yet no credible cause has emerged to explain the common set of symptoms originally linked to the U.S. Embassy in the Cuban capital when the ailment first became public nearly 10 years ago.

But, according to a Monday report from CNN, the Pentagon has been testing a device purchased by undercover homeland security operatives that could finally pull back the curtain on the enigma of what the U.S. officially terms "anomalous health incidents."

What Is Havana Syndrome?

The first cases became public in late 2016, when U.S. government employees and several Canadian diplomats, plus their relatives, experienced similar symptoms after being assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Cases were then reported across the world, including in the U.S.

Intelligence assessments fed back to the public had not been able to identify what causes the symptoms and who may be to blame.

A U.S. intelligence report, published in January 2025, said most of the American intelligence community still doubted that a foreign adversary was behind Havana Syndrome. But one U.S. intelligence agency believed there is a "roughly even chance" that a foreign actor had used a "novel weapon or prototype device" to induce the symptoms, according to the unclassified assessment.

One scientific study commissioned by the State Department and published in 2022 said the symptoms appear to be "consistent with the effects of directed, pulsed radio frequency energy."

"Many of the chronic, nonspecific symptoms are also consistent with known radio frequency effects, such as dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, cognitive deficits, and memory loss," according to the study.

Another intelligence agency judged that there was the same probability a foreign actor had developed such a weapon that could have caused the reported illness.

One of the most common working theories has put Russia at the heart of deploying or experimenting with some form of sonic or directed-energy weapon. Moscow, an ally of Cuba, has repeatedly denied any involvement in inducing the symptoms.

The device acquired by Homeland Security Investigations—part of the Department of Homeland Security—produces pulsed radio waves, one source told CNN. It contains Russian components but is not entirely Russian-made, they added.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry by email for comment.

In November 2021, then-CIA Director William Burns warned Russian intelligence services that there would be "consequences" if they were found to be responsible for Havana Syndrome, The Washington Post reported.

Quote:The Trump administration has begun laying out contingency plans should the Supreme Court rule against the existing targeted tariffs, although officials remain confident they will ultimately prevail.

“There are a lot of other legal authorities that can reproduce the deals that we’ve made with other countries, and can do so basically immediately," National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said during an appearance on CNBC Friday morning.

Why It Matters

The Supreme Court is currently considering whether President Donald Trump properly invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by imposing tariffs on countries such as China, Canada and Mexico. Critics argue the act only indicates that the president has the power to impose tariffs in cases of a "national emergency."

The court heard oral arguments in November on the case challenging the president's authority to impose the tariffs without congressional approval, but the justices have yet to issue a ruling.

Trump has argued that a ruling against his tariff plan would create "a complete mess" for the government, which could be forced to refund the billions collected so far.

What To Know

Hassett addressed the concern about the future of Trump's tariffs on Friday during a roundup of appearances on various morning shows, including CNBC's Squawk on the Street and FOX Business' Mornings with Maria, where he discussed a range of economic issues, including tariffs.

“There was a big call last night with all the principals to talk about if the Supreme Court were to rule against this IEEPA tariff, what would the next step be?” Hassett told CNBC.

"So our expectation is that we’re going to win, and if we don’t win, then we know that we’ve got other tools that we could use that get us to the same place," he explained, adding that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has been deeply involved in setting out backup plans.

During his appearance on FOX Business, Hassett provided further detail on those contingencies, citing Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows tariffs up to 15 percent for 150 days to address trade imbalances with other countries. The Wall Street Journal reported in May 2025 that this had been under consideration at the time, but the administration has not yet used it.

The president's authority over tariffs is one Trump has already indicated he plans to continue using if validated, having warned on Friday that he would look to impose tariffs on countries that do not support his attempts to acquire Greenland.

Quote:The Department of Justice (DOJ) has made "substantial progress" in its review of the documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an effort that has faced "inevitable glitches," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a letter to two federal judges.

In the letter to U.S. District Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmeyer, filed on Thursday, Bondi wrote that the department has more than 500 people assigned to the review and make redactions to the files.

The letter did not provide a timeline for when the review may be complete, but said the DOJ "is working to complete this review as expeditiously as possible without compromising victims’ privacy."

Newsweek has contacted the DOJ for comment via an message sent through a contact form on its website.
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What To Know

In the letter, Bondi wrote that the progress made in the review is notable for several reasons.

She said the materials reviewed and redacted to date "include many of the most sensitive categories of information for victims" and that the DOJ is coordinating resources for the review from "various components and offices."

Bondi also said the department is overseeing the "processing, deduplication, and review of voluminous documents using a centralized platform."

She said because of the scope of the review, platform operations "require around-the-clock attention and technical assistance to resolve inevitable glitches due to the sheer volume of materials."

In its last update to the court, DOJ officials said in a January 5 letter that the department had released 12,285 documents so far and that there were "more than 2 million documents" that remain in "various phases of review." "more than 2 million documents" that remain in "various phases of review." The Associated Press and The New York Times have reported that the DOJ had expanded its review of Epstein-related documents to more than five million records.

Quote:Several co-hosts of "The View" pleaded on Friday that former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, should comply with congressional subpoenas on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters Wednesday that the Clintons could face contempt charges for not having complied with the call to testify. Meanwhile, the Clintons' attorneys criticized Comer's leadership of the investigation in a letter and discounted the subpoenas, saying, "President and Secretary Clinton have already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Committee."

But some prominent liberal voices have said that it would be better for America as a country if the Clintons testify

"As someone who wants to see everything in the Epstein files and wants every single person held accountable, I think the Clintons should show up," "The View" co-host Sara Haines said. "It was a unanimous vote to subpoena them, and regardless of these affidavits or anything else, I think when people don’t show up, it makes them look guiltier than they are."

"President Clinton has showed up in tons of pictures with no wrongdoing but images that have been released in the files," Haines continued. "And we’ve known of the friendship for years, and two years after Epstein got his sweetheart deal, Ghislaine Maxwell was invited to Chelsea [Clinton]’s wedding, so there are some associations there that I think you leave — you put everything out there. Let it be public. Let people hear.

"Because otherwise, you give them the bait to say, ‘Well, you’re not doing it, we’re not doing it. This person is not doing it.’ No, if you want the Epstein files, and you want everyone held accountable, they show up, and they do it."

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin shared a similar sentiment, noting Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon were jailed for defying congressional subpoenas about the January 6 investigation.

"I just personally don’t believe that congressional oversight is something that should be optional to people," she said. "I’ve testified before Congress, never under subpoena. I was asked to and showed up and never have seen a congressional subpoena as optional."

Griffin went on to argue that it would be a great opportunity for Bill Clinton to shed light on any actual wrongdoing he saw other people engaged in.

Quote:The Justice Department (DOJ) is investigating Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, over whether they conspired to impede federal immigration agents, multiple people familiar with the matter told CBS News.

CNN also confirmed the CBS report on Friday night. The network also reported that FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche arrived in Minneapolis on the same day that reports of the new investigation surfaced.

One U.S. official told CBS the inquiry is tied to public comments Walz and Frey made as thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents were deployed to the Minneapolis region in recent weeks.

Newsweek has reached out to the DOJ, Walz and Frey via their website contact forms on Friday night for comment.

The reported probe comes amid rising tensions between federal authorities and local leaders following protests, clashes and the fatal shooting of a Minnesota resident, Renee Nicole Good, by an ICE officer, Jonathan Ross, last week.

Walz's office told CNN Friday night, "Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her."

Walz and Frey have remained critical about federal officers in the Minneapolis region.

After Good's shooting, Frey said at a press conference, that ICE should "get the f*** out of Minneapolis" during a news conference. "We do not want you here."

DHS has characterized what happened as being one of several "violent rioters" attempting to "run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism."

But Frey called arguments that the ICE agent acted in self-defense "bulls—."

The shooting has prompted calls for Ross to face criminal charges. Vice President JD Vance has said the agent has "absolute immunity," an assessment that legal experts have rejected.

Last week, the FBI told Minnesota officials they would not be allowed to participate in the investigation or review key evidence in the shooting, meaning the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension would not have access to evidence to investigate the matter and provide its findings to local prosecutors who could determine whether the agent should face charges. Local prosecutors said they have jurisdiction in the case and are evaluating their legal options.

President Donald Trump posted earlier Friday, "In Minnesota, the Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists are, in many cases, highly paid professionals. The Governor and Mayor don’t know what to do, they have totally lost control, and our currently being rendered, USELESS! If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY! President DJT"

Quote:The Trump administration is delaying its plan to resume withholding pay and seizing federal payments from student loan borrowers who are in default, stepping back from a policy shift that could have affected millions of Americans. The Education Department announced Friday that involuntary collections on federal student loans — including wage garnishment and Treasury offsets — will remain on hold as the agency completes new repayment options ordered by Congress.

The move reverses earlier plans to restart garnishments this month after the end of the pandemic-era payment pause. Department officials said the delay is intended to give borrowers time to assess updated repayment plans that take effect July 1 under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which requires a broad restructuring of the federal student loan system.

Education Department Delays Collection Efforts like Wage Garnishment: What We Know

In its announcement, the Education Department said wage garnishment and the Treasury Offset Program will remain paused while the agency implements new federal repayment rules. Wage garnishment allows the government to take a portion of a borrower’s paycheck to repay overdue loans. Treasury offsets permit the federal government to seize certain payments, including tax refunds and, in some cases, Social Security benefits.

Officials said earlier plans to resume collections this month were placed on hold because the new repayment system is not yet ready. Last spring, the department signaled it would restart intercepting tax refunds from defaulted borrowers. In December, officials said wage garnishment notices would be sent to roughly 1,000 borrowers during the week of Jan. 7. Both efforts have now been postponed with no new restart date provided.

Nicholas Kent, the department’s top higher education official, said in a statement that the agency concluded involuntary collections “will function more efficiently and fairly” once the broader reforms mandated by Congress are in place. Those reforms require the department to shrink the number of federal repayment plans and simplify the system for new and current borrowers.

Who Is Affected by the Change?

The delay applies to federal student loan borrowers who are already in default or at risk of entering default in the coming months. More than 5 million borrowers were in default as of September, according to department data, and millions more are behind on payments following the end of the pandemic-era payment pause.

Under existing law, borrowers in default can have their wages garnished without a court order and can see tax refunds or federal benefit payments withheld automatically. Restarting those penalties would have affected borrowers who are already deeply delinquent on their loans and could have extended financial strain for people with limited resources.

Borrowers in default will now have additional time to consolidate their loans, begin a rehabilitation agreement or explore the new repayment options available this summer. Advocacy groups had urged the department to delay collections, arguing that resuming garnishment before repayment reforms were completed would risk pushing vulnerable borrowers further into debt.

Quote:Minnesota National Guard Major General Shawn Manke told a Friday press conference that he still did not know if the Guard would be deployed this weekend, but they were "ready" if needed. Manke said that the Guardsmen "have gone through a bunch of training" and have been brought to "various locations" so they can respond quickly if needed. "Again, just as was the case last weekend, it is our hope that they won't be needed. We are optimistic that that will be the case," he said. State safety officials were speaking ahead of the March Against Minnesota Fraud, a right-wing protest organized for Saturday, starting at the outside Minneapolis City Hall at around 1 p.m. A counter-protest - the "Protest To Defend Our Neighbors" - is planned for the same location at around 12.30 p.m.

Meanwhile, a newly released fire department incident report found that Renee Nicole Good, whose death after she was shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week sparked a new wave of protests, was shot four times including once in the head. First responders say in the report that when they reached Good she had blood her on face, an "inconsistent, irregular" pulse and was not breathing. They noted she had been shot twice in the right side of her chest, once on her left forearm and once in the head, leaving "protruding tissue on the left side of the patient’s head," the Minneapolis Fire Department report stated.

What to know

• Video showed ICE officer Jonathan Ross opening fire on Good while she was in her SUV in Minneapolis on January 7.
  
• The footage appeared to show her turning her car away from agents before she was shot. However, officials have said she was deliberately attempting to run Ross over with her car and that he had opened fire as he feared for his life.
  
• Federal agents have been involved in two shootings in Minneapolis within a week, one fatal.
  
• Protests continue across Minneapolis with one family saying they were trapped in their vehicle on Wednesday when federal immigration agents deployed tear gas and stun grenades, leaving their six children — including a 6‑month‑old infant — struggling to breathe.
  
• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has appealed directly to Trump to “lower the temperature” and de-escalate tensions.
  
• Frigid temperatures and dangerous wind chills are expected to complicate demonstrations through the weekend.
  
• Fundraisers for Good’s family have raised over $1.4 million; a separate fundraiser for Ross has raised $740,000.
  

Quote:FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security says it arrested a man in Minneapolis Wednesday night who assaulted a federal immigration agent while carrying a gun and box of ammunition.

The incident occurred several hours after DHS says a separate agent was attacked by an illegal migrant from Venezuela with a shovel. The illegal migrant was shot in the leg, prompting riots to escalate in the city shortly after.

"Last night during a riot in Minneapolis, a U.S. citizen was arrested for assaulting officers while carrying a firearm," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.

"The individual showed up to the protest with a gun and a box of ammunition in a bag. The individual threatened violence against law enforcement officers while pointing at his bag.

"After law enforcement deployed crowd control measures to calm an increasingly volatile crowd, the individual kicked a metal smoke canister at officers. He then pushed an officer, and he was arrested for assault," McLaughlin explained.

"While being arrested, he stated he had a firearm, which was located along with a box of ammunition. He was not carrying his concealed carry permit. This is not the peaceful protesting that the First Amendment protects."

Tensions in Minneapolis have been high as days of riots ravage the city and federal law enforcement officers face off with agitators.

Riots began shortly after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent during an altercation in Minneapolis last week.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem referred to the Good as a "domestic terrorist," alleging she used her vehicle as a weapon after obstructing ICE agents on the roadway.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to "get the f--- out of Minneapolis" during a news conference after Good’s death, and Gov. Tim Walz criticized DHS, posting to X that he saw the video, and referred to Noem’s explanation of the incident as a part of a "propaganda machine."

On Thursday, President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act if people in Minnesota continue to disobey the law and endanger federal officers.

Keep in mind that Trump desisted on invoking that act for the time being.

Quote:President Donald Trump on Friday said there wasn't a reason, in the present, to invoke the Insurrection Act, as agitators continue to clash with federal immigration authorities carrying out enforcement operations in Minneapolis.

Trump was departing the White House when he was asked about the 1807 law, which he threatened to invoke earlier this week.

"I believe it was Bush, the elder Bush, he used it, I think 28 times," Trump told reporters. "It's been used a lot. And if I needed it, I'd use it. I don't think there's any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I'd use it. It's very powerful."

The law allows the president to deploy the military to suppress rebellions and enforce federal laws. It would grant Trump the authority to federalize the National Guard and deploy active duty forces to restore order. It would temporarily override the Posse Comitatus Act, which normally restricts the use of the military for domestic law enforcement.

The law reportedly hasn't been invoked since the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which began after four police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King.

Despite Trump's threat, some Republicans are resistant to the idea of using the centuries-old law.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., seemed to downplay Trump's threat, placing his hope in local law enforcement's ability to "settle things down."

"Hopefully the local officials working with not only the federal law enforcement, ICE and other agencies, but also the local law enforcement officials will be able to settle things down," Thune told reporters.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., cast doubt on whether it would be appropriate to invoke the act, according to The Hill.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., also expressed her concerns about the move, saying that the administration needs to be "very careful," The Hill reported.

In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump said "Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists" that have been seen violently confronting federal officers are "highly paid professionals" in many cases.

"The Governor and Mayor don’t know what to do, they have totally lost control," he wrote. "If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY! President DJT."

Quote:A member of the violent Latin Kings gang was arrested after allegedly stealing government property from an FBI vehicle vandalized during unrest in Minneapolis Wednesday night, federal authorities said.

Fox News confirmed that Raul Gutierrez, 33, was arrested Thursday in a joint operation involving the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The FBI said multiple government vehicles were vandalized and broken into Wednesday night in Minneapolis while agents were responding to a reported assault on a federal officer, adding that federal property was stolen from inside the vehicles.

"One individual who allegedly stole federal government property out of an FBI vehicle in Minneapolis last night has been arrested," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X, adding that the suspect was a member of the Latin Kings gang with a violent criminal history. "FBI personnel are continuing to pursue other subjects involved. There will be more arrests."

Patel added that "any individual who attacks law enforcement or vandalizes federal property paid for by hardworking taxpayers will be found and arrested."

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the suspect allegedly stole FBI body armor and weaponry, and has a history of violent crimes.

"This criminal is a perfect example of what our brave federal law enforcement agents are up against every day as Minnesota leadership ENCOURAGES lawbreaking," she wrote in a post on X.

White House border czar Tom Homan said Thursday on the "The Ingraham Angle" that the individual who stole a firearm from the FBI "is now wearing a set of handcuffs in custody," adding that additional arrests may be on the way amid ongoing clashes between agitators and federal law enforcement in Minneapolis.

"Others are coming," he said. "They're gonna be held accountable."

The alleged theft came as protests erupted in Minneapolis Wednesday following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, and after the Department of Homeland Security said an ICE agent shot an illegal immigrant from Venezuela in the leg after an alleged shovel attack during an ambush.

Quote:FIRST ON FOX: One of the nation’s most prominent teachers unions funneled millions of dollars in union funds to far-left activist groups, ballot initiatives and social justice organizations, according to federal labor filings.

A November Form L-2 disclosure from the National Education Association (NEA) filed in November and obtained by the North American Values Institute (NAVI) shows 2024 fiscal year spending that involved millions given to social justice-oriented groups and far-left causes.

The NEA, which boasts more than 3 million members, sent $300,000 to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal dark money group Fox News Digital has reported on extensively, and tens of thousands of dollars to the Tides Foundation network, which Fox News Digital previously reported has ties to anti-Israel protests and a variety of far left causes.

Among the largest expenditures was more than $3.5 million sent to Education International, a global teachers federation where NEA President Becky Pringle serves as a vice president. The filing also details hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing to organizations backing ballot initiatives aimed at reshaping education policy and election laws in states, including Ohio, Massachusetts, Arizona and Wisconsin.

The union reported spending $500,000 to support a campaign to end standardized testing in Massachusetts, another $500,000 to back an anti-gerrymandering amendment in Ohio and nearly $500,000 to a progressive political consulting firm specializing in ballot initiatives and canvassing.

In addition to electoral spending, the NEA paid more than $166,000 to Imagine Us LLC, a consulting firm focused on racial equity training, and tens of thousands more to groups promoting what they describe as "social justice education," including curriculum materials centered on race, gender identity, and activism in K-12 classrooms.

NEA sent $350,000 to the Schott Foundation, which describes itself as "a BIPOC-led public fund that pools philanthropic funding and fuels racial and education justice movements."

"This is the upshot of social justice unionism," NAVI Director of Research Mika Hackner told Fox News Digital. "Instead of focusing on member's working conditions, unions spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on pet political projects completely divorced from the needs and wants of most teachers but perfectly in line with the political agenda the union has been co-opted to serve."

Quote:China warned the United States on Monday not to use other countries as a “pretext” for its ambitions in Greenland, saying its activities in the Arctic comply with international law and aim to promote peace and stability.

The statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning came after President Donald Trump renewed his push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that Washington must “take Greenland” to prevent Russia or China from gaining control, adding he would prefer to “make a deal” but insisted, “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”

Tensions have escalated this month among Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk as the White House weighs options — including military force — to secure the vast Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American takeover would mark the end of NATO. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and leaders of four other parties issued a joint statement Friday asserting that the island’s future “must be decided by its people” and urging the U.S. to end its “contempt” for the territory.

China, which declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in 2018, has sought greater influence in the region through its Belt and Road Initiative and plans for a “Polar Silk Road.” Asked Monday about U.S. claims that Greenland must be taken to block Chinese and Russian control, Mao said Beijing’s Arctic activities are “in accordance with international law” and focused on “peace, stability, and sustainable development.” She did not detail those activities.

“The rights and freedoms of all countries to conduct activities in the Arctic in accordance with the law should be fully respected,” Mao said, without mentioning Greenland directly. “The U.S. should not pursue its own interests by using other countries as a pretext.” She added that “the Arctic concerns the overall interests of the international community.”

Diplomatic efforts continue as Danish and Greenlandic envoys prepare for talks in Washington this week. U.S. senators are also planning a visit to Denmark amid growing friction over the administration’s Arctic strategy.

Why Does Donald Trump Want Greenland?

Trump has repeatedly argued that acquiring Greenland would strengthen U.S. national security and prevent rivals like China and Russia from gaining a strategic foothold in the Arctic. The island’s location offers military advantages, including expanded radar and missile defense capabilities, and access to shipping lanes that are opening as polar ice melts. Trump has framed the move as essential to maintaining U.S. influence in a region he says is critical for global power competition.

Size of Greenland Compared to United States

Greenland is the world’s largest island, spanning about 836,000 square miles—roughly one-fourth the size of the continental United States. While its population is just over 56,000, the territory’s vast, ice-covered expanse makes it a focal point for climate research and Arctic geopolitics. Its sheer size and location between North America and Europe underscore why it has drawn interest from Washington and other global powers.

What Resources Does Greenland Have?

Greenland holds significant untapped resources, including rare earth minerals, iron ore, and potential oil and gas reserves beneath its ice sheet. These materials are vital for modern technologies, from smartphones to renewable energy systems, making the island economically attractive. As climate change accelerates ice melt, access to these resources—and new shipping routes—has heightened global competition for influence in the Arctic.

Quote:President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he wouldn't rule out leaving NATO in order to obtain Greenland, reiterating his plans to annex the territory.

When asked by a reporter during a press briefing in the Oval Office if he'd be willing to leave NATO, Trump responded, "Well, I wouldn't be telling you what I'm willing to do. But Greenland is very important for national security, including of Denmark. There's not a thing Denmark can do if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland."

"But there's everything we can do. You found that out last week with Venezuela," he added.

The comment came as multiple NATO allies deployed military forces to the territory of Greenland.

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. While it has held broad autonomy since 1979, including its own government and parliament, foreign policy and defense remain under Copenhagen’s authority.

The Context

Trump's renewed push for control over Greenland has driven a sharp wedge between the U.S. and its NATO allies, fueling concerns of an existential crisis within the 75-year-old alliance.

Greenland’s strategic location in the Arctic, its wealth of rare earth minerals, and the accelerating effects of climate change on resource access have positioned the island at the heart of a new geopolitical contest.

Trump’s comments—and Washington’s refusal to rule out use of force or withdrawal from NATO—have prompted an increase in European military deployments to Greenland and bipartisan alarm in the U.S. Congress.

Why did Germany Send Troops to Greenland?

Germany announced it would dispatch military personnel to Greenland this week in what officials described as a measure to support Denmark and NATO allies in securing the territory.

The German Defense Ministry said a 13-member reconnaissance team would assess "framework conditions for possible military contributions to support Denmark in ensuring security in the region."

Denmark, along with Sweden and Norway, also increased their military presence following rising fears that Trump's pressure on Greenland could escalate into a transatlantic military standoff.

The moves came after Denmark’s government declared that the security of Greenland was a NATO and European priority, and in response to U.S. suggestions of unilateral action.

Quote:The Kremlin said it is closely watching the "extraordinary" situation around the self-governing Danish territory of Greenland, as European NATO allies deploy forces to the Arctic island for military exercises in a show of unity against U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive push to secure control of it for Washington.

Russia said it would strengthen its defense capabilities and infrastructure in the Arctic and called NATO's exercises a provocation, while dismissing Trump's claim that Moscow or China would eventually take control of Greenland if the U.S. did not.

Trump says the U.S. needs Greenland because it is vital to its national security and that NATO would also be better off.

The dispute over Greenland threatens to rupture the NATO alliance, the foundation of post-WWII transatlantic security. The White House has refused to rule out military action to take control of Greenland in a pressure campaign to squeeze Denmark into agreeing to cede the territory. NATO disunity is a big strategic win for Russia, in Ukraine and Europe more broadly.

It also reflects a shifting global order, upended by Trump and his new "Donroe Doctrine," a renewal of the 19th century Monroe Doctrine that asserted American hegemony over the Western Hemisphere. Trump, as seen with his seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, views hard power, not rules, as the true arbiter of the world order.

“The situation is unusual—I would even say extraordinary from the standpoint of international law,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday morning, originally in Russian, according to state news agency TASS.

Trump has indicated that "international law does not represent any kind of priority [or] substance for him," Peskov said. “Therefore, the situation is developing along some other trajectory. Together with the entire world, we will watch which one."

Peskov also said the Greenland situation is "very contradictory," noting the U.S. push to take control from Denmark, perhaps via a purchase of the strategically important island, despite a repeated rejection of this idea from leaders in both Nuuk and Copenhagen. We proceed from the assumption that Greenland is a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Peskov said.

Greenland, NATO and Arctic Security

Greenland is of strategic importance to the U.S. largely because its geographic location is crucial for early-warning missile detection and space surveillance, is near emerging Arctic sea routes, and gives it potential access to significant—but largely undeveloped—natural resources, including critical minerals and rare earth elements, as well as possible oil and gas reserves.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Monday that "all allies" agree Arctic security is "a priority" because the melting ice means sea lanes are opening up and there is a risk of increased Russian and Chinese activity. He noted that of the eight Arctic powers, seven are in NATO.

"We have to work together to make sure that the Arctic stays safe," Rutte said, adding that there were discussions underway on the practical ways NATO allies can bolster security in the region.

Russia Responds to NATO's Greenland Exercises

On Thursday, as troops from Denmark and other NATO allies began to arrive in Greenland for military exercises dubbed Operation Arctic Endurance, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called it "yet another provocation" by Western powers in the region and warned of "serious consequences".

"It is important to understand that any attempts to ignore Russia’s interests in the Arctic, especially in the sphere of security, will not go unanswered and will have far-reaching consequences," Zakharova said.

"Our country will continue to firmly defend its positions in the region in order to ensure its sustainable socio-economic development, the preservation of the natural environment, cultural heritage, and the traditional way of life of Indigenous peoples.

"We will continue a course aimed at strengthening national sovereignty in the Arctic zone, first and foremost our own defense capabilities and the infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route."

She also said that "we agree with China's position on the unacceptability of references" to Russian and Chinese activity around Greenland and in the Arctic as "a reason for the current aggravation."

Quote:In an appearance on Breitbart News Daily, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum made the case for Greenland’s strategic value to American national security and Venezuela’s potential to re-anchor U.S. energy dominance in the Western Hemisphere, casting both regions as crucial to President Donald Trump’s foreign policy and economic agenda.

Burgum likened the acquisition of Greenland to historic U.S. territorial expansions. “President Trump understands that the same way that Thomas Jefferson understood the Louisiana Purchase was going to change the course of our country,” Burgum said, drawing another direct parallel to Seward’s purchase of Alaska, which he described as “a resource that is for us today.”

While Greenland remains a self-governing territory of Denmark, Burgum questioned the intensity of Danish attachment to the island, noting, “I’m guessing that the vast majority of people in Denmark have never been to Greenland and have no plans to go.” He suggested that Danish reluctance might be tied to “a holdover of colonial pride.”

Burgum highlighted Greenland’s military significance. “I grew up in North Dakota. We had missile silos practically everywhere because we were the front line in defense of a Russian attack. The shortest distance would have come over the poles. And in an era of the Golden Dome, having our ability to defend our country, early detection is key and Greenland will be just as important as Alaska.”

Burgum also clarified that the Department of the Interior, which he leads, would be the federal agency responsible for Greenland if it became a U.S. territory. “All the territories are part of Interior,” he explained, adding that Greenland is actually “closer to Washington, DC than Anchorage is.”

Pivoting to Venezuela, Burgum revealed that President Trump had created the National Energy Dominance Council, which he now chairs alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright.”

Quote:NUUK, Greenland — Native Greenlander Amarok Peterson was 27 years old when she learned the gut-wrenching truth about why she couldn’t have children — and that Denmark was to blame.

At 13, she became one of thousands of Greenlandic girls subjected to forced sterilization by Danish doctors who implanted an IUD in her womb without her knowledge.

“The Danes don’t see us as humans,” Petersen told The Post in a local Inuit restaurant overlooking Nuuk’s famous fjords. “They think we’re too expensive, too small a population. But they take our land, our children, our lives and expect thanks.”

While the government of Denmark officially apologized last year for decades of forced contraception of Indigenous women and girls, the horrific mistreatment has cast a long shadow on the island that has become the center of an international ownership fight.

This week, the Danes hosted European troops for military exercises on Greenland, asserting they are protecting the island from outside powers — particularly the United States. But for many Inuit, Denmark itself has long been the real threat.

“I will never have children,” Petersen said, with tears of anger and sorrow welling in her eyes. “That choice was taken from me.”

Even in adulthood, medical decisions were made without her consent. Plagued with problems after the IUD, she had repeated surgeries for unexplained pain. It wasn’t until years later that doctors informed her that her fallopian tubes had been removed in one of the operations in the early 2000s.

Her family also suffered under Denmark’s so-called “Little Danes experiment,” in which Greenlandic children were forcibly sent to Denmark for adoption or institutional care — often permanently separated from their families, she said.

The program, which ran from the 1950s through the 1970s, was part of Denmark’s broader effort to assimilate Greenlandic children, often without parental consent.

It happened to her mother’s brother, Petersen said. Other relatives were subjected to medical experimentation, she added.

“They wanted us smaller,” she said. “Easier to manage.”

Denmark recently announced compensation for victims of forced sterilization, but Petersen called the payments another insult. Announced in December, the women are being offered about $46,000 in reparations.

“They think we are worth pennies,” she said. “They destroyed generations, and now they say, ‘Here — be quiet.’”

‘Greenland is for Greenlanders’ — but controlled by Denmark

As the United States renews interest in Greenland — with President Trump recently expressing a desire to buy the island — Danish officials have repeatedly emphasized that “Greenland is not for sale.” But many Greenlanders argue that slogan masks a deeper truth: Denmark still governs Greenland, not Greenlanders themselves.

Greenlanders interviewed by The Post said they are not ready to swap Denmark for US ownership, as Trump has prioritized; they want independence after years of what some described as generations of trauma, displacement and economic exploitation that still shape daily life across the island.

“People say ‘Greenland is for Greenlanders,’” Petersen said. “But that’s not reality. Denmark speaks for us. Denmark decides. They don’t let us speak.”

That imbalance was visible recently in Washington, where the Danish foreign minister dominated nearly the entire press conference following talks with US officials, while the Greenlandic foreign minister was largely sidelined.

Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen of Denmark insisted the roughly 56,000 Greenlanders wouldn’t be bought off by payments from the US or vote in a referendum to become American.

“There’s no way that US will pay for a Scandinavian welfare system in Greenland,” he told Fox News.

For many Greenlanders, US interest has been uncomfortable — but also clarifying. Not because they want annexation, but because it exposes how little autonomy Greenland actually has.

“It was colonial,” Petersen said of Rasmussen’s assertions. “You could see it in his body language. He didn’t want her to speak.

Quote:The Kremlin said U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer to extend the New START treaty, which limits strategic nuclear weapons and is due to expire in February.

Russia had suspended its participation in New START's verification processes in February 2023, as tensions flared with NATO over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, though it did not abandon the treaty entirely.

Putin has since proposed a voluntary one-year extension to the treaty's restrictions on strategic nuclear arsenals from its expiration on February 5, inviting the U.S. to do the same.

The existential threat of nuclear war has hung over the conflict in Ukraine, with the world's two largest arsenals, in Russia and the U.S., on opposing sides, bringing fresh urgency to the control of weapons that have the potential to wipe out humanity.

"Of course, we are waiting for a response to Putin’s initiative," Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said on Thursday, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

"We consider this a very important issue," Peskov continued, originally in Russian. "We believe that, naturally, a more advantageous document, a more advantageous treaty would be needed for everyone.

"But reaching such a treaty is a very complex process that is stretched out over time."

The White House has signaled that it will not extend the current treaty as the deadline approaches.

"If it expires, it expires," Trump said of New START to The New York Times on January 7. "We'll just do a better agreement."

New START Nuclear Weapons Limits

Under New START, parties are limited to 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.

They are also limited to 1,550 nuclear warheads on those deployments, and 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers.

The treaty obliges parties to complex and technical verification processes, including inspections, to ensure compliance.

Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted plans to negotiate an extension to the treaty, which came into force in 2011 under the Obama administration and was last extended in 2021 for five years in the early months of the Biden administration.

It is a successor to earlier nuclear arms control treaties between the U.S. and Russia and, before its dissolution in 1991, the Soviet Union.

Kremlin officials and their allies in state media have repeatedly touted Russia's nuclear weapons during the war, to induce fear and make clear the stakes if NATO's support for Ukraine leads to a direct confrontation between Western allies and Moscow.

Quote:Japan's Defense Ministry said a Russian naval vessel designed to collect intelligence was tracked sailing around the country's southwestern outlying territory near Taiwan, amid tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over a potential Chinese move on the island.

Newsweek has emailed both the Russian defense and foreign ministries for comment. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
...
Since November last year, Japan and China have been in a diplomatic feud after Tokyo raised the possibility of using force for "collective self-defense" should Beijing took military action against Taiwan, a self-ruled island China has long claimed as its own.

Russia, which has voiced concerns over the U.S. military presence in Japan near the Far East, said it would support China in defending its "territorial integrity" in the event of a Taiwan conflict, saying Moscow recognizes the island as an integral part of China.

What To Know

According to Japan's Defense Ministry, a Russian naval intelligence-collection ship assigned hull number "535" sailed southward on Monday between Taiwan's east coast and Yonaguni—Japan's westernmost island—transiting from the East China Sea.

The Russian vessel was tracked the following day on a northbound voyage, entering Yonaguni's contiguous zone—which extends up to 27.6 miles from the coastline—but not sailing within the 13.8-mile-wide territorial sea, before arriving north of the island.

Between Wednesday and Thursday, the Russian spy ship was observed operating north of Miyako Island—after an eastward passage from waters near Yonaguni—and sailing southwest, during which it passed through Japan's contiguous zone for the second time.

A map provided by Japan's Defense Ministry illustrates the Russian naval voyage as the vessel circumnavigated the Sakishima Islands—part of the Ryukyu Islands and including the Miyako Islands and the Yaeyama Islands—clockwise. Last seen south of the island group, the ship was tracked heading southwest.

The Russian ship, first spotted near Japan on January 7 while transiting the Tsushima Strait between the Korean Peninsula and Japan's main islands, was under surveillance by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, including a destroyer and two patrol planes.

It remains unclear what kind of intelligence the Russian vessel was seeking. The U.S. and Japan have agreed to bolster their military presence across Japan's southwestern islands, where the U.S. maintains an air base to support power projection near China.

Quote:An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia would use nuclear weapons against Europe if it ever found itself close to defeat.

Sergey Karaganov, honorary chairman of Moscow's main foreign policy think tank, the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy,  made the threat during an interview with Tucker Carlson on Wednesday.

"What is defeat of Russia? If Russia comes ever close to a defeat, that would mean that Russia now would use nuclear weapons and Europe would be finished physically," he said.

"So I mean, it’s simply impossible even to think about it, but they have been talking because they need a war to rationalize their stay in power, to rationalize their existence."
...
What To Know

During the interview broadcast on January 14, Karaganov, a former advisor of Putin, characterized the belief that Russia could be defeated as a "fantastic illusion" and accused European leaders of having historically low levels of intelligence.

He also claimed that Europeans "believe war will never come to their territory" and that it was Russia’s task "to bring them to senses, hopefully without using nuclear weapons, only with the threat."

He added: "But sooner or later, if they continue to support this war, sacrificing numerous of the Ukrainians and others ... we’ll have to punish them severely. Hopefully in a limited sense".

Karaganov’s commentary expands on themes he has voiced previously. In June 2023, he publicly advocated for Russia to threaten and even use nuclear weapons "to bring those who have lost their mind to reason".

What People Are Saying

Karaganov to Carlson: "I am criticizing my government of being too prudent and too patient with them."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of a peace deal: "President Putin and the Russian side maintain their openness."

Quote:Iran was asked to withdraw from upcoming naval drills with China and Russia in South Africa, according to local media.

South African outlet News24 reported that Iran will no longer take part in the “Will for Peace 2026” joint maritime drill involving BRICS countries alongside Russian, Chinese and Emirati warships.

It comes amid mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump over countries’ relationships with Iran, threatening a 25 percent tariff on any nation doing business with the regime, which has confirmed that around 2,000 people have been killed in nationwide protests.

Newsweek reached out to South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Iranian Embassy in South Africa and the White House via email for comment.
...
What To Know

The “Will for Peace 2026” drills, led by China, were set to take place between January 9 and January 16, with the theme of ensuring “the safety of shipping and maritime economic activities,” according to the South African government.

But Tehran was asked to accept observer status and not take part, according to News24.

This came on the same day that Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: "Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had earlier warned that while Trump would opt for diplomacy, airstrikes remain "on the table."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is "ready for war" and better prepared to battle the U.S. than in its last war, but he has also said he was "ready for negotiations.”

South Africa already has a fractured relationship with America during Trump’s second term. Trump has offered refugee status to white Afrikaner farmers, citing “abuses” such as violence and land seizures, which South Africa has denied. His administration also boycotted the G20 summit, which was hosted there last year.

Quote:The United States issued a sharp rebuke to South Africa after the inclusion—then partial downgrading—of Iran in Chinese‑led military drills in South African waters, which created a diplomatic headache for Pretoria.

China and several other BRICS countries—a group that the East Asian power cofounded and has expanded to 10 members—staged a naval exercise this past week with the stated aim to enhance their ability to safeguard trade routes and economic activities at sea.

"Iran is a destabilizing actor and state sponsor of terror, and its inclusion in joint exercises—in any capacity—undermines maritime security and regional stability,” Washington’s Embassy in Pretoria said in a statement on Thursday.

Newsweek reached out to the South Africa Ministry of Defense by email with a request for comment.
...
What To Know

Three Iranian warships—a Bayandor‑class corvette and two converted tankers serving as logistics vessels—arrived in False Bay for the naval component of the drills, joining ships from South Africa, Russia, China, and the United Arab Emirates, according to The Maritime Executive.

Iranian personnel took part in several events, including inter‑sports games and parades, before maritime drills began on Tuesday.

But at the request of the South African government, the Iranian side withdrew from active participation and agreed to serve as observers instead, The Maritime Executive reported.

"It is particularly unconscionable that South Africa welcomed Iranian security forces as they were shooting, jailing, and torturing Iranian citizens engaging in peaceful political activity South Africans fought so hard to gain for themselves," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement posted to X.

"The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defense and South African National Defence Force defied a government order regarding Iran’s participation in the ongoing naval exercises," the U.S. Embassy added, seemingly in reference to a September visit to Tehran made by South African Chief of Staff General Rudzani Maphwanya that prompted the invitation—a visit that The Maritime Executive said was not apparently approved by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The embassy added that South Africa’s decision to allow Iranian forces to participate undercut its own policy of strategic nonalignment—“choosing to stand with a regime that brutally represses its people.”

Initially planned for November and intended to feature only South Africa, Russia, and China, the exercise was postponed due to the G20 summit in Johannesburg. The decision was later made to extend invitations to Iran and to invite Brazil, Ethiopia, and Indonesia as observers, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.

Quote:Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected claims of mass casualties amid a recent surge in protests within the Islamic country and blamed any killings that have taken place on an "Israeli plot" intended to create a large number of casualties.

The claim came during a wide-ranging interview on Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier" Wednesday evening, during which Araghchi was told estimates have indicated the death toll in his country could be anywhere between 2,500 to more than 12,000 protesters. But, according to the top Iranian official, the number is in the hundreds.

"When terrorist elements led from outside, entered this, you know, protests and started to shoot, you know, police forces, police officers and security forces. And there were terrorist cells. They came in, they used Daesh-style terrorist operations. They got police officers, burned them alive, they beheaded them, and they started shooting at police officers and also to the people. So as a result, for three days, we had, in fact, fighting against terrorists, and not with the protesters," Araghchi said. "It was completely a different story."

According to Araghchi, these rogue, terrorist-like actors he spoke of started shooting at civilians for "one reason," which he said was to draw the United States into the conflict.

"They wanted to increase the number of deaths. Why? Because President Trump has said that if there are killings, he would intervene. And they wanted to drag him into this conflict," the Iranian Foreign Minister continued. "And that was exactly an Israeli plot. They started to increase the number of deaths by killing ordinary people, by killing police officers, by starting a kind of, you know, fighting inside the different cities."

Iran has seen widespread unrest since the last week of December, as the country faces a massive economic crash that spurred many in Iran to take to the streets in protest.

Contrary to Araghchi's claims are eyewitness reports that describe government forces in Iran firing upon unarmed protesters. Some even spoke of snipers taking aim at innocent Iranians, according to testimony shared with the New York Times.

During Baier's interview with Iran's Foreign Minister, Araghchi also insisted that there are no imminent plans to hang, or otherwise execute, protesters. The top Iranian official tried to downplay the unrest erupting in his country as well, arguing there is now "a calm."   

"We are in full control," Araghchi added. "And let's, you know, hope that wisdom would prevail. And we don't go for a high level of tension, which could be disastrous for everybody."

Quote:U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi “seems very nice” but expressed uncertainty over whether Pahlavi would be able to muster support within Iran to eventually take over.

In an exclusive Reuters interview in the Oval Office, Trump said there is a chance Iran’s clerical government could collapse, blamed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the stalemate in negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine, and dismissed Republican criticism of a Justice Department probe of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where thousands of people have been reported killed in a crackdown on the unrest against clerical rule.

But he was reluctant on Wednesday to lend his full support to Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, who was ousted from power in 1979.

“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country,” Trump said.

“And we really aren’t up to that point yet.”

“I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me.”

Trump’s comments went further in questioning Pahlavi’s ability to lead Iran after saying last week that he had no plans to meet with him.

The U.S.-based Pahlavi, 65, has lived outside Iran since before his father was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and has become a prominent voice in the protests.

Iran’s opposition is fragmented among rival groups and ideological factions – including the monarchists who back Pahlavi – and appears to have little organized presence inside the Islamic Republic.

Quote:Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi unveiled Friday a 6-step plan to exert pressure on the regime, which he declared "will fall, not if, but when."

"My brave compatriots still holding the line with their broken bodies but unbreakable will, need your urgent help right now. Make no mistake, however, the Islamic Republic is close to collapse," Pahlavi declared. 

"Ali Khamenei and his thugs know this. That's why they are lashing out like a wounded animal, desperate to cling to power," he continued. "The people have not retreated. Their determination has made one thing clear. They are not merely rejecting this regime. They are demanding a credible new path forward. They have called for me to lead."

Pahlavi said he has a comprehensive plan for an orderly transition and asked the international community to do six things, starting with protecting the Iranian people "by degrading the regime's repressive capacity, including targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard leadership and its command-and-control infrastructure."

"Second, deliver and sustain maximum economic pressure on the regime, block their assets worldwide, target and dismantle their fleet of ghost [oil] tankers," he said.

"Third, break through the regime's information blockade by enabling unrestricted internet access. Deploy Starlink and other secure communications tools widely across Iran and conduct cyber operations to disable the regime's ability to shut down the internet. Fourth, hold the regime accountable by expelling its diplomats from your capitals and pursue legal enforcement actions against those responsible for crimes against humanity," Pahlavi continued.

"Fifth, demand the immediate release of all political prisoners. Six, prepare for a democratic transition in Iran by committing to recognize a legitimate transitional government when the moment comes," he concluded.

Pahlavi’s remarks came as President Donald Trump seemed to remain ambivalent about the possibility of Pahlavi taking over the country if the Islamic regime were to fall.

"He seems very nice, but I don't know how he'd play within his own country," Trump told Reuters during an interview on Wednesday. "And we really aren't up to that point yet.

"I don't know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me," he added.

When Pahlavi was asked Friday by a reporter about how he plans to win Trump over, he said, "President Trump has said that it's up to the Iranian people to decide, and I totally agree."

Quote:The ruthless slaughter of anti-government protesters in Iran appears to have stopped — but only because residents are being held hostage in their homes by machine gun-wielding security forces that have flooded the streets, sources told The Post Thursday.

After weeks of anti-regime protests across Iran left thousands dead, the mass mobilization of security forces has suppressed the demonstrations, with many too afraid to set foot outside now.

“There were tanks out — there’s tanks everywhere,” the source told The Post after speaking to family in Tehran about the current situation.

“There’s trucks that are covered, with 10 people inside with machine guns just aiming them at everyone on the street.”

Another person in Tehran said fear has gripped the capital as police and security forces patrol the roads and conduct stops.

The local confirmed that the only reason calm returned to Tehran on Thursday was because of the mass killing of protesters, with more than 2,600 people killed since the demonstrations began, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

“There are no protests anymore because of massive killings. With 12,000 dead, people are terrified,” the local said, referencing the higher estimated death toll from activist groups.

The source called on President Trump to intervene — now — despite his claims Wednesday that “the other side” indicated that Iran has stopped the killing of protesters.

“We are waiting for Trump’s action, he promised to support Iranian protesters if the regime killed them! It is the time to attack this brutal regime!” the local said.

Trump had threatened to take military action against Iran if it continued to kill the protesters.

Images out of Tehran on Thursday show residents out and about, trying to carry on with their day as normally as possible while surrounded by vehicles destroyed during the protests.

Some were headed to hospitals and morgues to recover the bodies of their loved ones killed in the demonstrations, with officials allegedly threatening to dump the bodies in a mass grave if relatives don’t claim the corpses soon, one of the sources told The Post.

Iran’s security forces have been accused of enacting one of the most brutal attacks on dissent in the history of the Islamic Republic, with nearly 17,000 people arrested, according to the HRANA.

Shocking video has since emerged of mass shootings of civilians, along with a brutal raid at the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam, where armed troops wounded patients and medical staffers.

Witnesses confirmed that the security forces began firing inside the hospital and deploying tear gas as they searched for people wounded in an earlier protest, with about 11 patients hauled away by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, DW reported.

“We knew the security agents were coming to arrest the wounded or record their identities,” a nurse, who did not reveal her real name, told the outlet.

“People gathered at the entrance to stop them,” she added. “At the same time, we were desperately short of blood, so calls for donors went out on social media.

“But the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and special units prevented donors from reaching us.”

The siege against the hospital lasted more than 24 hours, with patients, doctors, nurses, and even children suffering injuries due to the violence, according to reports highlighted by human rights organizations.

Quote:An Iranian cleric has called for the death penalty for protesters detained during a nationwide crackdown amid ongoing unrest against the Islamic regime.

The cleric's call follows President Donald Trump's threats of U.S. intervention if protesters were met with violence.

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami’s sermon, which was broadcast by Iranian state radio, reportedly sparked chants from those gathered for prayers. The Associated Press reported that the chants included, "Armed hypocrites should be put to death!"

During his sermon, Khatami gave the first overall statistics of the damage from the protests, which began in late December, according to the AP. This information provides a look at the scale of the protests after the regime instituted a nationwide internet blackout on Jan. 8.

The cleric claimed 350 mosques, 126 prayer halls and 20 other holy places had sustained damage, the AP reported. Khatami also claimed that 400 hospitals, 106 ambulances, 71 fire department vehicles and another 50 emergency vehicles sustained damage.

Another 80 homes of Friday prayer leaders had also reportedly been damaged, the AP reported, adding that it could be a sign of demonstrators taking out their frustrations against the government as the leaders hold an important position within Iran's theocracy.

"They want you to withdraw from religion," Khatami said, according to the AP. "They planned these crimes from a long time ago."

Khatami, who was appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and serves on the country’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council, had previously spoken out against protesters. He described them as being "butlers" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "Trump's soldiers."

Khamenei made similar remarks, saying that the protesters were "ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy," referring to Trump.

Trump has been vocal in his support for the Iranian people and said early on that the U.S. was "locked and loaded" and ready to intervene if the regime used violence against protesters. It is unclear if and when the U.S. will take concrete action in Iran, but speculation has circulated following the bombing of the country's nuclear sites in 2025 and the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Quote:Iranian state television aired a vile threat against President Donald Trump earlier this week, referencing the 47th president's near assassination while on the campaign trail in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.

The clip showed a sign held by a demonstrator at a pro-Iranian regime gathering. The sign featured a now-iconic photo of Trump, standing on stage with a bloodied ear after being grazed by a bullet at the Butler campaign stop, while Secret Service agents rushed to his aid.

The caption below the photo, written in Farsi, said, "This time, it (the bullet) won't miss," according to i24 news correspondent Amachia Stein, who posted a screenshot of the television clip on his X account.

The Secret Service confirmed that it is aware of the photo.

At the Pennsylvania rally, Trump turned his head a split-second before the bullet struck him, avoiding what could have been a deadly shot. In defiance of his protective detail, he stood up and raised his fist, yelling, "Fight, fight, fight," before being scuttled off the stage.

The threat comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, and as the Iranian people rise up against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's brutal regime.

The protests stemmed from the cloistered Middle Eastern country's economic crisis, which has become increasingly dire as the value of the Rial, Iran's currency, has plummeted.

The regime has cracked down hard on the protesters, with state-sanctioned killings estimated to be in the thousands.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency announced that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces. Other reports say the death toll is more than 3,000 people, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been weighing military action to stop the slaughter of civilians.

"I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY," Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday.

Quote:An Iranian commander’s distraught daughter has revealed that ruthless regime leaders are slaughtering their own children — as she sobbed that her father has ordered her to go out and kill innocent civilians.

The woman broke down as she detailed the horrors of the Islamic Republic’s deadly crackdown on protesters in a gut-wrenching interview with Persian media outlet Manato TV on Thursday.

“They are killing their own children, suppressing them,” she said of the regime’s commanders.

The daughter, who said she has been beaten in the past for being involved in anti-regime protests, fears she could be next for speaking out about her father’s brutality.

“I have witnessed the crimes that my own father has committed,” she said, describing him as one of the violent “elements of the repressive force.”

“I hate him. We do not want this,” she continued.

“If I could, I would be the first person to kill him.”

As the bloodshed continues across the country, she said commanders have also been ordering their own children to go out and murder anti-regime demonstrators.

“Giving them batons, electric batons, guns, to go and kill fellow citizens,” she said, adding that her father has ordered her “to kill.”

She insisted too that the cowardly regime leaders behind the current bloodshed would be the first to flee, saying many already had fake passports and cash stashed away for a quick escape abroad.

“My father has hidden suitcases and suitcases of dollars in the house. He keeps calling me to come,” she said.

“If anything happens, you know these will be the first ones who run away.”

Elsewhere, she vowed to give up information on the atrocities and “dirty deeds” inflicted by her father and fellow regime leaders.

“My father might kill me. Maybe they might find out,” the daughter said.

“I’ll tell you who these people are, what dirty deeds they did. They started at home raping their children. Do you know what pain we have seen from these hard-hearted fathers?”

“I am very scared and stressed,” she added.

The haunting account came as the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Friday put the death toll, which only continues to rise, at 2,797.

President Trump, who pledged earlier this week that “help is on its way” for the protesters, threatened to intervene if the killings continue and warned Tehran there would be “grave consequences” if there was further bloodshed.

Quote:CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas Thursday to meet with acting President Delcy Rodríguez and other top officials, a U.S. official told Fox News Friday.

The meeting unfolded about two weeks after the Trump administration carried out a military operation capturing Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

A U.S. official told Reuters Ratcliffe met with Rodriguez under the direction of President Donald Trump "to deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship."

The two discussed intelligence sharing, economic stability and the need to guarantee that Venezuela is no longer a "safe haven for America's adversaries, especially narco-traffickers," Reuters added.

On Wednesday, Trump said he had a call with Rodríguez and later described her as a "terrific" person.

"This morning I had a very good call with the Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez. We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

"Many topics were discussed, including Oil, Minerals, Trade and, of course, National Security. This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!"

The same day, Rodríguez announced her government will continue to release prisoners detained under the rule of Maduro in an initiative she touted as a "new political moment," according to The Associated Press.

Quote:The U.S. Department of Energy is weighing a plan to swap heavy Venezuelan oil for U.S. medium sour crude to help refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), two people familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

The Trump administration is considering moving the Venezuelan barrels into storage tanks at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, where they could later be shipped to refineries. In return, companies would provide U.S. medium sour crude that can be sent directly into the SPR caverns.

Newsweek reached out to the Department of Energy via email on Friday afternoon for comment.
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What To Know

Physical exchanges like these have been used in the past to both acquire and release oil, but they are not common. More often, financial agreements between countries or companies allow variable and fixed prices to be swapped to regulate the market instead.

It was not immediately clear how the plan being drawn up by the DOE, as reported by Reuters, would work, but Trump has said previously that all Venezuelan oil would come under the control of the U.S. following Maduro's capture.

Last week, Texas Representative August Pfluger was among GOP lawmakers who argued that using the Venezuelan stock to refill the SPR would be a cheap way to achieve energy stability.

Using Venezuelan heavy oil to bolster SPR reserves could strengthen U.S. energy security, but storing the sulfur-rich crude would not necessarily be viable, as it could damage the infrastructure at the Louisiana site.

Instead, the medium sour U.S. crude cited in the proposal could be used to restock the SPR, leaving the Venezuelan barrels in storage, ready for use elsewhere.

On January 7, the DOE said the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela would lead to "prosperity and peace" in the Western Hemisphere, in part due to efforts to sell Venezuelan oil and use the proceeds for "the benefit of the American people." It also promised cooperation with Venezuelan authorities, so that their citizens would also benefit from U.S. involvement.

What People Are Saying

Representative August Pfluger said on Fox Business on January 9: "I think that the Venezuelan barrels of oil right now, some of the tankers that have been seized, and what President Trump has done should be used to refill our Strategic Petroleum Reserve at a discounted rate. They stole our assets. Let's refill the reserve. By the way, Biden completely drained our reserve for political reasons. Over 300 million barrels still remain to be filled. Let's fill that up at a discounted rate right now."

Quote:SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica (AP) — Costa Rica’s national security chief on Tuesday revealed details of an alleged plot to assassinate President Rodrigo Chaves ahead of presidential and legislative elections.

Jorge Torres, director of the Intelligence and National Security Directorate, told journalists about the plot allegations as he prepared to file a formal complaint at the public prosecutor’s office.

“What we received is confidential information that I would like to put on record in the complaint. I don’t want to go into detail, but I would simply like to tell you that it concerns the life of the president of the Republic,” Torres told local media.

Torres said a call was received from a woman who reported a supposed plot against Chaves, adding a payment had been made to a hitman. Torres also reported that security was being reinforced for the conservative populist leader, who has sought to present himself as a politician who is tough-on-crime.

Torres spoke as El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has gained fame for his controversial security crackdown, was scheduled to visit the country.

On Wednesday, Chaves is scheduled to lay the cornerstone of a new “ mega-prison ” that Costa Rica plans to build, modeled on a facility built by Bukele.

Costa Rica will hold presidential and legislative elections on Feb. 1. While Chaves is ineligible to run for reelection, the ruling party’s Laura Fernández is among the presidential candidates.

Quote:SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica (AP) — A Costa Rican activist and government critic accused of plotting to kill President Rodrigo Chaves said Wednesday that the allegations were ridiculous and politically motivated.

Chaves appeared Wednesday with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele at a groundbreaking for a new prison styled after El Salvador’s infamous gang prison.

Costa Rica’s national security chief Jorge Torres had told prosecutors Tuesday that a hitman allegedly received a payment to assassinate the president, but details of the case were not publicly revealed at the time.

Hours later, local media published screenshots of messages Torres included in his complaint against activist Stella Chinchilla supposedly showing her complaining to alleged hitmen that they hadn’t done their job.

Chinchilla, vice president of the human rights advocacy group Friends for Peace Center, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she appeared Wednesday before the Public Ministry to hear details of the case. She confirmed that the screenshots were part of the case, but said they were fake and that she was being targeted because of her criticism of Chaves’ administration on social media.

“I have not written a single comma of what is there,” Chinchilla said. “Morally, I would not order the killing of this president; he has to leave on his own feet, from the government and the country, because he has done too much damage.”

She said that media outlets aligned with Chaves had access to the alleged evidence before it had even been received by prosecutors, and that the accusations were part of broader government harassment.

The president’s office said on Tuesday night hat his security had been reinforced.

“This is not a minor warning, nor speculation; it is a serious threat to the country’s democratic stability,” said Jeffrey Cerdas, head of presidential security.

The accusation came as Chaves hosted Bukele, who has gained fame and notoriety abroad, and popularity in his country, for his heavy-handed crackdown on criminal gangs.

The two leaders attended the groundbreaking Wednesday of a new prison modeled on Bukele’s mega-prison built for alleged gang members. Chaves has sent Costa Rican officials to El Salvador to learn more about how to emulate Bukele’s style of law enforcement.

“We had a failed state,” Bukele said Wednesday. “When we arrived we had to change everything, courts, judges, prosecutors, laws, Congress, in the elections, of course.”

Bukele said the gang prison he built was a “pillar” of the fight against crime. He said El Salvador’s other prisons had become training grounds for criminals. He applauded Chaves for following his example and Chaves thanked him for sharing his prison’s design.

“If criminality grows, more Costa Ricans will die, but not just that will happen,” Bukele said. “They way of life will change ... tourism will disappear and all of the foreign currency that comes with it. Tourists are not going to come to country where they kill you for crossing the street.”

Costa Rica is experiencing a serious security crisis attributed to drug trafficking gangs that have led historic high homicide rates. The year 2025 ended with 877 homicides, just three fewer than in 2024, while 2023 recorded the highest figure with 907 killings.

Quote:The Secret Service wasted no time this week getting face to face with a twisted lefty agitator in Nebraska after she appeared to write a threatening post about White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on X.

An agent showed up Friday at the home of activist Jamie Bonkiewicz, who posted the day before: “When Karoline Leavitt gets what she deserves, I hope it’s televised.”

During the videotaped conversation, which took place on a front porch and which Bonkiewicz posted on her X account, she denied seeking to physically harm Leavitt, telling the agent that “I want to see her trials.”

The unidentified law enforcement officer told her “you don’t want to perceive any ill-will towards these people,” while asking her if she attends demonstrations or had any weapons in her house.

After a man off camera asked him what would constitute “crossing the line,” the agent explained that a “direct” threat like “I will go kill the president” would be outside the bounds of protected free speech.

He said he would take such a threat to the US Attorney’s office, but  Bonkiewicz wasn’t arrested.

“Something like this, a veiled threat. Is it a threatening nature? Now that I know that you didn’t mean anything by it, it’s basically a non-issue,” he responded.

“I never said anything about killing anybody,” claimed Bonkiewicz, whose Facebook page shows snaps of her flaunting a t-shirt that reads “F— Pete Ricketts,” Nebraska’s Republican senator, and posing with embattled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). In 2023, she streamed controversial Nebraska legislative debates on abortion and transgender health, and in 2024 she spoke at a state Board of Education hearing on sexually explicit books in school libraries.

Given another chance to explain herself, Bonkiewicz appeared to reference the Nuremberg trials, where multiple caged Nazi defendants faced the death penalty for their atrocities.

“Like the trials – the Nuremberg trials, like, when all this s— is over, I want to see all of them go to trial, and I want it to be televised so I can watch it,” she claimed.

Quote:White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned CBS News that President Trump would sue the network if his recent interview was not aired in full, according to an audio recording obtained by The New York Times.

The remark came moments after Trump finished taping a 13-minute interview Tuesday with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil in Michigan.

Leavitt approached the CBS team and relayed that the president wanted assurances the segment would run unedited, adding he would “sue your ass off” if it did not, according to The Times.

“He said, ‘Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full,’” Leavitt told Dokoupil and his colleagues, according to the recording.

“Yeah, we’re doing it, yeah,” Dokoupil replied.

Leavitt added: “He said, ‘If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your ass off.’”

CBS staffers who witnessed the interaction initially thought Leavitt was speaking in jest, according to The Times.

When CBS employees heard her comment, Kim Harvey, the executive producer of “CBS Evening News,” can be heard in audio obtained by The Times as saying: “Oh, great, OK!”

Dokoupil tried to lighten the mood, telling Leavitt: “He always says that!” according to the report.

But Leavitt did not laugh in response, it was reported.

During the interview, Trump took a personal swipe at Dokoupil, telling the newly minted anchor he “wouldn’t have a job right now” if former Vice President Kamala Harris had won the 2024 election.

Dokoupil pushed back, saying that “for the record,” he believed he would still be working at CBS regardless of the outcome, prompting Trump to quip the anchor would be earning “a lesser salary.”

CBS News later told The Post the network had already decided to air the interview in full before it was taped, and that Leavitt’s comments did not alter its editorial plans.

Quote:An outbreak of deadly bacteria at a Bay Area homeless encampment has sparked urgent calls for action in Los Angeles, with officials warning the disease may already be circulating in the city.

The bacterial disease leptospirosis was found in rats at encampments in the hippie college town of Berkeley, leading health officials there to issue an urgent warning to the homeless to clear out.

Officials told them to relocate at least a third of a mile from the “red zone” encompassing several square blocks as soon as possible. The warning comes as authorities attempted remove the encampment last year but were blocked by a federal judge.

Humans can contract leptospirosis by coming into contact with contaminated water or surfaces.

Flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and vomiting appear between five and 14 days. If the infection isn’t detected and treated with antibiotics, it leads to organ failure, internal bleeding, meningitis — and death.

“It’s a breeding ground for disease, where you see people living in squalor and surrounded by trash and human waste. It’s a petri dish.”

“The conditions here are the same as they are in Berkeley. It’s only a matter of time before it’s here as well,” LA Councilwoman Traci Park, whose district covers Venice, where homeless encampments have long plagued the iconic boardwalk, told The Post.

The scourge in Berkeley has raised fears the disease is already in LA because the city’s Homeless Services Authority does not test for the bacteria in homeless encampments.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health declined to answer questions about potential outbreaks, instead referring questions to the Homeless Services Authority.

Quote:New York’s largest nurses’ union has denied that the biggest nurses’ strike in the Big Apple’s history has turned deadly — after claims that an ICU patient had died as a result of the work stoppage.

“NYSNA is not claiming that any deaths directly derived from the strike,” Andrea Penman-Lomeli, press secretary for the New York State Nurses Association, confirmed in an email to The Post.

“Union officials and NYSNA members do not have any direct knowledge of specific incidents or overall conditions inside of the hospitals because we are on the picket line,” she added.

The denial came after Darla Joiner, a striking nurse at the Mount Sinai Health System in East Harlem, claimed on Saturday that at least one death is attributable to reduced care because of the strike.

Katie Duke, a retired nurse practitioner at Mount Sinai who was also picketing on Saturday for NYSNA, told The Post she regularly hears from other hospital staffers that the strike has turned deadly, including a case of an ICU patient on a machine that helps circulate blood and support breathing.

“It is the highest level of life support for somebody who’s waiting on, like, a lung transplant,” Duke said. “So, the patient … wasn’t restrained and sedated properly,” and pulled the tube out of their neck.

“There are things happening inside, because this hospital is settling for staff who are not qualified to take care of patients, because they refuse to negotiate with the nurses and give them their contract,” she claimed.

A hospital official also strongly denied the claims of a strike-related death.

“This is completely false, defamatory, and we are pursuing legal action,” said spokesperson Lucia L. Lee, who refused to comment on the specific case, citing federal privacy laws. City Health Department officials did not immediately return a message.

Quote:California governor hopeful Rep. Eric Swalwell vowed to strip Immigration Customs Enforcement officers of their driver’s licenses in a candidates forum — even though the state grants licenses to illegal immigrants.

“They’re going to lose their immunity, they’re not gonna be able to drive. I will take your driver’s license. Good luck walking to work, a–holes,” Swalwell said at the Empowerment Congress California Governor Forum Saturday.

Swalwell’s pledge to strip ICE officers of their ability to drive legally would create an odd landscape in California, where illegal immigrants are granted driver’s licenses but federal law enforcement would have theirs revoked.

Former California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that allowed illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses in 2013, and the law went into effect two years later.

“There’s only one side of the ball to be on, on behalf of Californians when it comes to ICE, and it’s offense,” Swalwell said at the forum, which was also attended by other California gubernatorial candidates such as Rep. Katie Porter.

The California rep. went on to state that he would direct local law enforcement to use “every power” to prosecute ICE officers.

“I will direct law enforcement to use every power to prosecute [ICE officers] for battery, false imprisonment and murder,” Swalwell said.

Immigration activists have been attempting to sabotage and combat ICE as it has stepped up its enforcement efforts around the country since President Trump returned to office.

Nationwide protests broke out after an ICE agent gunned down a woman who drove at him in her SUV in Minneapolis.

Quote:Rank-and-file police officers have blasted an “activist” federal judge for what they say is a dangerous ruling that strips cops of critical tools needed to control violent street protests In Los Angeles.

In a decision that has sparked fury within law enforcement, Judge Consuelo B. Marshall ruled that the Los Angeles Police Department violated federal law by deploying 40mm “less-lethal” projectile launchers during violent protests sparked by immigration raids carried out by ICE agents in June 2025.

The Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Police Protective League — which represents roughly 8,700 sworn LAPD officers — accused the judge of ignoring the real-world dangers officers face on the streets.

“We urge this activist judge to come down from her ivory tower and witness the behavior of these so-called peaceful protesters who are rioting on the streets of Los Angeles,” the board said in a blistering statement.

“These criminals throw rocks, frozen water bottles, and chunks of concrete at police officers. They shoot military-grade projectiles, light cars on fire, and ransack businesses.

“Yet somehow, they are the victims.”

The 40mm launchers — which fire rubber, foam and plastic munitions — were first restricted in 2020 following their use during widespread protests after the murder of George Floyd. That earlier court order, stemming from litigation brought by Black Lives Matter activists, barred officers from targeting sensitive areas, required warnings when feasible, and limited use to situations involving immediate threats of violence.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, a 40-year veteran of the department who was appointed by Mayor Karen Bass in November 2024, warned the ruling removes a key de-escalation option.

The launcher, McDonnell said, allows officers to “maintain a safe distance from protesters, de-escalate dangerous situations, and protect the public without resorting to higher levels of force.”

Quote:Authorities begged for help trying to contain a “hostile” crowd just moments after Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, frantic 911 calls and incident reports show.

Transcripts of the calls and reports, which were released late Thursday and obtained by the New York Times, shed light on the chaos that unfolded as Minneapolis cops and fire units rushed to the scene of the Jan. 7 shooting.

“Need crowd control and area blocked off,” one report said at 9:47 a.m. — just minutes after paramedics arrived and started treating the 37-year-old anti-ICE protester.

“Crowd getting hostile,” another report noted three minutes later.

At 10:07 a.m., authorities reported: “Contact who is in charge of feds and have them leave scene.”

But reports flooded in roughly an hour later that federal agents were “being surrounded.”

The unruly crowd only calmed when all ICE agents had left the scene at about 11:30 a.m., according to the reports.

Meanwhile, a flurry of calls also came through to 911 dispatchers as frantic witnesses described the moment immigration agent Jonathan Ross opened fire after Good clipped him with her SUV during a tense standoff, the transcripts show.

An incident report from the Minneapolis Fire Department found that Good was shot four times — in the chest, arm and head, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

“There’s 15 ICE agents, and they shot her, like, because she wouldn’t open her car door,” one 911 caller said.

“I witnessed it,” another caller said, adding that a blood-soaked Good “tried to drive away, but crashed into the nearest vehicle that was parked.”

Quote:The Justice Department has reportedly launched a criminal investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to probe whether the two Democrats engaged in a conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents.

The investigation is in its early stages and appears to stem from statements made by Walz and Frey denouncing the nearly 3,000 of federal law enforcement agents deployed to the Minneapolis area in recent weeks, a source told CBS News.

“When the governor or the mayor threaten our officers, when the mayor suggests that he’s encouraging citizens to call 911 when they see ICE officers, that is very close to a federal crime,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi posted, “A reminder to all those in Minnesota:  No one is above the law.”

Walz accused the Trump administration of “weaponizing” the Justice Department in response to the reports.

“Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic,” the governor wrote on X.

“The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her,” he added, referring to last week’s fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.

Frey described the reports of an investigation as “an obvious attempt to intimidate.”

“I will not be intimidated. My focus remains where it’s always been: keeping our city safe,” the mayor wrote on X. 

“America depends on leaders that use integrity and the rule of law as the guideposts for governance. Neither our city nor our country will succumb to this fear. We stand rock solid,” Frey added.

Quote:WASHINGTON — Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decried the immigration crackdown in his city as an “invasion” by the federal government and fretted about the possibility of local cops clashing with the feds.

The Democrat encouraged protesters to remain peaceful and defended their right to record ICE agents as they conduct immigration enforcement operations on city streets.

“We will not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos here,” Frey told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “And we’re not going to give them an excuse to do the thing that clearly they’re trying to set up to do right now.”

“I never thought in a million years that we would be invaded by our own federal government.”

The Trump administration began a crackdown across Minnesota last year in response to a massive welfare fraud scandal roiling the state.

Since then, roughly 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol officers have been deployed to his city, which has a local police force of about 600. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is preparing 1,500 military personnel to enter the city, Reuters reported.

Last week, Frey warned that residents were asking police to “fight ICE agents on the street.”

“We can’t have that in America,” Frey insisted Sunday when pressed about that prior warning. “What we are hopeful for here is the judicial system to do its part to see that necessary check and balance.”

Minnesota and Illinois have sued the Trump administration in a bid to push the surge of federal personnel out of their respective states.

Trump has also publicly floated the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which was last used in 1992, to deploy the National Guard to Minnesota. Frey said that would “be a shocking step.”

Border czar Tom Homan recently claimed that the Trump administration is prepared to scale down the surge if local officials agree to “let us in the jail.”

Quote:Newly sworn in Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, rescinded her predecessor Republican Glen Youngkin's order that mandated state and local law enforcement must cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

"Federal authorities should enforce federal civil immigration laws—law enforcement in the Commonwealth should prioritize the safety and security of all residents in Virginia, the enforcement of local and state laws, and coordination with federal entities on criminal matters," Spanberger's order states.
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What To Know

Spanberger, who is the first woman to hold the office of governor in Virginia, was sworn into office on Saturday. She defeated Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears, who had backing from President Donald Trump.

Following her inauguration, Spanberger got right to work and signed Executive Order No. 10 (2026), which rescinded directives under Youngkin's Executive Order No. 47 (2025) that required and encouraged state and local law enforcement to "divert their limited resources for use in enforcing federal civil immigration laws," according to Spanberger's order.

"Accordingly, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor under Article V of the Constitution of Virginia and under the laws of the Commonwealth, I hereby rescind Executive Order No. 47 (2025), which is not an appropriate use of state or local resources," Spanberger wrote.

The order is effective upon its signing, which was done by Spanberger and Secretary of the Commonwealth Jennifer B. Moon.

Quote:Pardoned January 6 rioter Jake Lang has given an update on his injuries after taking part in protests in Minneapolis.

Lang, a right-wing influencer who was pardoned on charges tied to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack after spending several years in jail, said he was stabbed at a rally outside Minneapolis City Hall on Saturday. Lang alleged that a counter-protester attacked him during his “March Against Minnesota Fraud” event.

Newsweek has not been able to independently verify Lang's claim. A Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) spokesperson told Newsweek that authorities are "aware of social media accounts of him being assaulted," but said no police report has been filed.
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What To Know

Writing on X, Lang said in an update that he had been to hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.

"I was just literally LYNCHED by an anti white mob of liberals & illegal immigrants- I’m at the hospital now getting staples in my skull…Nearly ripped limb from limb in Minneapolis!!!!" he wrote.

Lang has also set up a fundraising page to help pay for his hospital bills, which has so far raised more than $8,000 of a $20,000 target.

On Saturday, Lang first said on social media that he had been stabbed by a "crazie white commie leftist rioter."

Hundreds of counter protesters descended on the site of Lang's demonstration outside Minneapolis City Hall. Videos from the scene show Lang struggling with people while trying to get out of the vicinity.

Before his protest began, Lang announced it on X and said he would "burn a Quran on the steps of Minneapolis City Hall."

Quote:President Donald Trump has taken aim at an Indiana Republican, State Senator Rodric Bray, over redistricting in the state.

Writing on Truth Social this weekend, Trump wrote: "I was with David McIntosh of the Club for Growth, and we agreed that we will both work tirelessly together to take out Indiana Senate Majority Leader Rod Bray, a total RINO [Republican In Name Only], who betrayed the Republican Party, the President of the United States, and everyone else who wants to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! We’re after you Bray, like no one has ever come after you before!"

McIntosh, who is the former Republican representative for Indiana, backed the president. "President Trump and I are aligned. Rod Bray is going down," he wrote on X.

Newsweek has contacted a representative for Bray for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
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What To Know

The Indiana State Senate voted down a proposal to redraw the state’s congressional maps in December, rejecting the measure after it advanced to a third reading. The defeat halted the bill before it could reach the desk of Governor Mike Braun, who had backed the redistricting effort and in October convened a special legislative session to allow lawmakers to debate the issue.

Support for redrawing Indiana’s congressional boundaries also came from Vice President JD Vance—who traveled to Indianapolis in October to meet with state lawmakers to discuss redistricting—and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Vance also took aim at Bray this weekend, writing on X: "I’d like to thank @bray_rodric for not even trying to fight back against this extraordinary Democrat abuse of power. Now the votes of Indiana Republicans will matter far less than the votes of Virginia Democrats. We told you it would happen, and you did nothing.”

Quote:The Nobel Foundation, the group responsible for administrating the various Nobel prizes, on Sunday issued a clarification around the rules for handing out the prizes after Venezuela's opposition leader María Corina Machado offered her peace prize to President Donald Trump, which he accepted.

"The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations," the foundation wrote in a statement posted to X on Sunday. "It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who 'have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,' and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize."

"A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed," the foundation stressed.

Newsweek reached out to the White House by email outside of normal business hours on Sunday morning for comment.
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What To Know

Following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the question as to who would replace him remained open, with the administration supporting the Interim President Delcy Rodriguez while engaging with Machado in her bid to oust Maduro's regime and install a democratically elected government free of the suspicion and doubt that surrounded Maduro's most recent electoral victory.

However, Trump has said that he does not believe Machado has the support of the Venezuelan people to effectively take over as leader of the country, despite overwhelmingly winning the primary to face Maduro in an election in 2024 as the candidate for the Vente Venezuela party. The Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice ultimately disqualified her from running for president, much to the outcry of several world and regional leaders.

During her visit to the White House last week, Machado offered Trump her Nobel prize, which he accepted. Some analysts believed she made the offer in an attempt to bring the president around to supporting her bid to lead Venezuela.

The Nobel Peace Center issued a statement following the exchange between Machado and Trump, stressing in a post on X that the Peace Prize is not designed to be transferred.

"One truth remains," the committee wrote, in part. "As the Norwegian Nobel Committee states: 'Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.' A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot."

The Nobel Foundation followed on Sunday, saying that "one of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration" before also stressing that the prize cannot be transferred, even symbolically.

"A laureate cannot share the prize with others, nor transfer it once it has been announced. A Nobel Peace Prize can also never be revoked. The decision is final and applies for all time," the Nobel Norwegian Committee, the body responsible for handing out the Peace Prize, said in a statement posted on its website.

It added: "The Committee does not comment on laureates’ subsequent statements, decisions, or actions. Any ongoing assessments or choices made by laureates must be understood as their own responsibility. There are no restrictions in the statutes of the Nobel Foundation on what a laureate may do with the medal, the diploma, or the prize money. This means that a laureate is free to keep, give away, sell, or donate these items."

So why do they complain about what Machado did?  I thought she was free to do anything she wanted with her prize or her medal.

Quote:WASHINGTON — Some GOP lawmakers are irked at President Trump’s vow to slap new 10% tariffs on eight European nations as part of his pressure campaign to acquire Greenland.

Trump’s announcement came after those countries deployed troops to the icy island in an apparent show of support for Denmark retaining control over it.

But numerous GOP lawmakers are squeamish that the US is clashing with its NATO ally.

“Congress must reclaim tariff authorities. There’s a reason James Madison put tariff authorities under Article One,” wrote retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who has been no stranger to criticizing Trump, on X.

Trump indicated on Truth Social that he intends to slap the 10% tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland starting Feb. 1.

He then plans to ramp those tariffs up further to 25% in June if the US doesn’t acquire Greenland by then.

But retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) bemoaned on X, “This response to our own allies for sending a small number of troops to Greenland for training is bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies.

“It’s great for [Vladimir] Putin, Xi [Jinping] and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided,” Tillis wrote.

“The fact that a small handful of ‘advisors’ are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid.”

The vowed new tariffs are likely to be implemented under America’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which is currently facing a review from the US Supreme Court.

Quote:WASHINGTON — Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) teased that they are mulling steps to block President Trump from invading Greenland and quash the retaliatory tariffs he announced against eight European countries for sending troops there.

The two senators, who previously teamed up on an unsuccessful measure to restrain Trump from taking more military action against Venezuela, are eyeing a War Powers Act resolution to similarly block him from attacking Greenland.

“Senator Paul and I have talked about that. We are on a recess until a week from tomorrow,” Kaine told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday about a war powers resolution precluding a military invasion of Greenland.

“We’re kind of in discussion about filing that and the timing.”

Last week, Trump managed to kill a war powers resolution championed by Kaine and Paul that had initially made advancements in the Senate, after the president’s team flipped two votes.

“On the war powers, around militarily invading Greenland, I’ve heard of no Republican support for that,” Paul told “Meet the Press,” when asked about the chances of succeeding. “Even the most hawkish members of our caucus have said they won’t support that.”

Numerous GOP lawmakers, such as Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Susan Collins of Maine, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Mitch McConnell, have raised various concerns about Trump’s hot rhetoric about Greenland.

It’s unclear if they’d back a war powers resolution, which, unlike most legislation in the Senate, only requires a simple majority rather than the 60-vote threshold to go into effect.

In addition to a war powers resolution, Kaine revealed that he’s mulling legislation to curb the president’s recently unveiled tariffs against European allies and to block him from either suspending US participation in NATO or denouncing it without congressional action.

Quote:Senate Democrats will try to block President Donald Trump's tariffs on eight of the U.S. closest allies as Washington's crusade to control Greenland further splits NATO unity.
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What To Know

"Senate Democrats will introduce legislation to block these tariffs before they do further damage to the American economy and our allies in Europe," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement late on Saturday.

Schumer called Trump's tariffs "foolhardy," and said the measures had damaged the U.S. economy and spiked prices. "Now he is only making things worse," Schumer added.

European leaders have rallied around Denmark and Greenland, sending military forces to the strategic Arctic island and backing its right to determine its own fate. Copenhagen, which oversees Greenland's defense and foreign policy, said it was upping drills in the Arctic island "in close cooperation with NATO allies."

Greenland's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said earlier this week the territory would stick with Denmark, the European Union and NATO over the U.S., while Washington insisted it needed to control Greenland, not least for its new, extensive missile defense project, dubbed Golden Dome.

The U and the U.S. reached a trade and tariff deal in July 2025. The agreement has not yet been ratified and European politicians suggested over the weekend the deal was in jeopardy over the tariffs.

"Tariffs would undermine trans-Atlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.

"Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context," added French President Emmanuel Macron.

"Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong," British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement. "We will of course be pursuing this directly with the U.S. administration."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told reporters she had spoken with Trump and said the tariffs would be a "mistake."

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, meeting with Danish and Greenlandic officials late this week, said after Trump alluded to tariffs that "continuing down this path is bad for America, bad for American businesses and bad for America’s allies."

Quote:Eight nations targeted by new White House tariffs have hit back at President Donald Trump, accusing the U.S. of undermining trans-Atlantic relationships and risking a "dangerous downward spiral."

"As members of NATO, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared trans-Atlantic interest," Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement published on Sunday. "We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response."
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What To Know

"We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland," the alliance members said in their joint statement.

Many Greenlanders are in favor of the territory eventually cutting ties with Denmark, but opinion polls show the overwhelming majority do not want the island to become part of the U.S.

"Greenland is not for sale. Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States," Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland's prime minister, said on Thursday. Trump officials have derided defenses against Russia and China in Greenland and insisted Copenhagen, which dictates Greenland's foreign and defense policy, is not equipped to be in charge of protecting the territory.

"Europe will not be blackmailed," Danish leader, Mette Frederiksen, said on Sunday.

European politicians have said the tariffs could derail a U.S. trade and tax deal with the European Union, agreed last summer, that is still waiting to be ratified.

The countries slapped with new tariffs have deployed military forces to Greenland in recent days, while high-level talks between U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials failed to resolve the "fundamental disagreement," Denmark's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers had sought to reassure Copenhagen and Nuuk during a visit to Denmark on Friday, ahead of the tariff announcement.

Quote:A Ukrainian delegation was in Miami Saturday to sign off on a pair of key peace documents it hopes to ink with the US next week on the world stage, while the war-torn country faced freezing temps and another wave of Russian attacks on its electricity grid back home.

The Ukrainian team — led by Chief of Staff Kyrylo Budanov — met in a high-level sitdown with US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to iron out details of US security guarantees to deter future Russian aggression and postwar reconstruction for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes to put pen to paper next week in Switzerland, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump said he may meet the Ukrainian leader.

“I would — if he’s there,” he told Reuters. “I’m going to be there.”

An economic deal between the two countries is also close to being finalized in Florida — using the blueprint of the minerals deal signed last year — that grants US companies preferential access to Ukraine’s critical minerals.

Zelensky said Ukraine needs about $800 billion in reconstruction investments over the next decade to get back on its feet after Russia’s invasion is ended.

While in Miami, the Ukrainian delegation also hoped to get clarity from the US on where Russian strongman Vladimir Putin stands in the diplomatic efforts to end the war — with growing pressure on Kyiv to concede the Donbas region.

“I think we have worked well with the American side, we are just not on the same side on some issues,” Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv Friday.

Russia would still need to be consulted on the more contentious parts of the peace proposals, like territorial concessions.

Quote:KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian drone strikes damaged energy networks in Russia-occupied parts of southern Ukraine, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power on Sunday, according to Kremlin-installed authorities there.

Meanwhile, Moscow has kept up its hammering of Ukraine’s energy grid in overnight attacks that killed at least two people, according to Ukrainian officials.

More than 200,000 households in the Russia-held part of Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region had no electricity on Sunday, according to the Kremlin-installed local governor.

In a Telegram post, Yevgeny Balitsky said that nearly 400 settlements have had their supply cut, because of damage to power networks from Ukrainian drone strikes.

Russia has hammered Ukraine’s power grid, especially in winter, throughout the nearly four-year war. The strikes aim to weaken Ukrainians’ will to resist in a strategy that Kyiv officials call “weaponizing winter.”

Russia targeted energy infrastructure in Odesa region overnight on Sunday, according to Ukraine’s Emergency Service. A fire broke out and was promptly extinguished.

At least six people were wounded in the Dnipropetrovsk region from Russian attacks, the emergency service said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post that repairing the country’s energy system remains challenging, “but we are doing everything we can to restore everything as quickly as possible.”

He said that two people were killed in overnight attacks across the country that struck Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa.

In total, more than 1,300 attack drones, 1,050 guided aerial bombs and 29 missiles of various types were used by Russia to strike Ukraine this week, Zelenskyy said.

Quote:The Iranian regime has killed at least 16,500 people and injured over 330,000 more as they continue to ruthlessly target demonstrators – and even uninvolved civilians – in nationwide anti-government protests, a shocking new report claims.

The alarming death toll – far exceeding the roughly 3,100 verified by activist groups – was detailed in a new report from doctors on the ground treating victims amid the slaughter, the Sunday Times reported.

The disturbing figures, compiled from eight major hospitals and 16 emergency departments, revealed between 16,500 and 18,000 people have been killed, with most victims believed to be younger than 30.

“This is a whole new level of brutality,” Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German eye surgeon, who spoke to the outlet on behalf of dozens of medical professionals in Tehran.

“[In 2022] they were using rubber bullets and pellet guns taking out eyes. This time they are using military-grade weapons and what we are seeing are gunshot and shrapnel wounds in the head, neck and chest,” he continued.

“I’ve spoken to dozens of doctors on the ground and they are really shocked and crying. These are surgeons who have seen war.”

Another 330,000 to 360,000 have been injured, including children and pregnant women, according to the report.

At least 1,000 people have lost an eye, with one hospital in Tehran reporting 7,000 eye injuries.

“There are so many shotgun-related eye injuries that we do not know whom to treat first,” said one ophthalmologist, the outlet reported.

The report comes as an Iranian official, citing verified figures for the first time, estimated that at least 5,000 people have been killed in the protests, Reuters reported.

The official noted that most of the killings unfolded in Iran’s Kurdish areas, with the minority group seeing the greatest violence from Tehran’s security forces.

Shocking video captured one such clash last week, which saw security forces raid a hospital in Ilam’s Kurdish-majority community and attack patients and doctors as they arrested wounded protesters.

The Iranian official added that it was unlikely for the death toll to further “increase sharply,” with the exact number still difficult to pin down given the chaos on the ground.

The protests, which exploded on Dec. 28, spread rapidly across all 31 provinces, morphing from demonstrations over a collapsing economy into the most serious threat to Iran’s clerical rulers since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The regime answered with overwhelming force, deploying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij militia to crush the unrest, according to rights groups and witness accounts.

Quote:We are witnessing the greatest progressive movement of our time, but the loudest progressives are nowhere to be seen.

Courageous men and women, young and old, across over a reported 30 provinces in Iran have been taking to the streets in unified revolutionary fervor to take charge over their futures. They chant for an end to the Islamic Regime, democracy, equal rights and freedom of expression, movement and belief—values upheld in many other nations.

The regime they have risen up to responded with a brutal crackdown and state violence. At least a reported 2,571 Iranians, dubbed "CIA-backed rioters and terrorists" by Islamic Regime officials, have been killed, according to reports from a Regime official to Reuters, but some rights groups fear the death count could have surpassed 12,000. Thousands have been arrested, the majority reportedly under 30. Now, Iranians are reportedly facing a form of undeclared martial law, a communication blackout, and conditions the diaspora have dubbed the largest hostage taking in history.

Iranians have risen up against the regime several times. They have called for free elections, secularism, and equal rights, notably for the nation's women, minorities and animals, in a way that is rarely seen in the Middle East. Despite the push for progressiveness, influential humanitarian figures and groups have remained silent on the tragedy or have spoken up late.

It took the U.N. days to put a statement together on the current unrest, despite getting a statement and a moment's silence sorted within a day of Ebrahim Raisi's death. Raisi, Iran's former president, was nicknamed the "Butcher of Tehran" by many Iranians due to his involvement in mass executions.

Through the ongoing communication blackout, Iranians have been calling on those outside of Iran to be their voice. On top of that, the values they have been trying to restore in their nation are those that humanitarian voices in the West claim to champion—so why did it take many so long to speak up? And why have others remained silent?

Khosro Isfahani is a senior research analyst at the National Union for Democracy in Iran, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization. He told Newsweek that there are several reasons why both the public figures and ordinary people who usually speak up for humanitarian causes have been silent about Iran.

Why Are Progressive Activists Silent?

Isfahani said he knows that it is unrealistic to expect people to speak out about everything, all the time, but feels disappointed in the lack of popular support for the Iranian people—especially by Hollywood figures associated with progressive causes, such as Mark Ruffalo and Angelina Jolie.

"This is a point of frustration for all of us," said Isfahani, who spent most of his life in Iran and now lives in Washington, D.C. "The loudest voices who wouldn't stop talking about Gaza are silent now."

The analyst said that several factors have led to this.

Firstly, people have been conflating the grassroots, decades-long struggle of the Iranian people against the Islamic Regime with the Israel-Palestine conflict. Many, Isfahani said, took the Islamic Regime's performative support for Palestine to heart.

During the Iran-Israel War, posters of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were held up by some protesters in the West while they screamed "hands off Iran." Not all activists of a leftist persuasion feel compelled to prop up the Ayatollah, but the presence of Israel flags by Israelis attending Free Iran rallies taking place worldwide, and the conflation of the regional issues, has prompted some to feel they cannot stand with Iranians, as it would mean they are abandoning their support for Palestinians.

Isfahani also believes that many in the West hold a troubled view of Iran. He said that many Westerners view Iranians as staunch supporters of their Islamic dictatorship—even if recent events have clearly shown otherwise—and believe the unrest is cultural, complicated or even Islamophobic for them to speak out on.

"Iranians last rose up in 2022 trying to reclaim their homeland for the 10th time. We have been on the streets nonstop. We have tried again and again," Isfahani said. "The Islamic Republic has tried to erode life in Iran from existence with mass executions or censorship, and unfortunately, we have people who like to exotify the image of Iranian women in chadors.

Quote:The Trump administration is reportedly asking countries that want a permanent spot on President Donald Trump's new "Board of Peace" to contribute at least $1 billion, according to Bloomberg on Saturday who obtained a draft charter for the proposed international organization.

The White House Rapid Response account on X called Bloomberg's report "misleading," stating the proposal "offers permanent membership to partner countries who demonstrate deep commitment to peace, security, and prosperity."

The charter reportedly reveals that Trump would serve as the inaugural chairman and would decide on who's invited to be members. The draft charter says that member states would serve three-year terms subject to renewal by the chairman, but this term limit would not apply to countries contributing more than $1 billion in cash funds within the first year.
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What To Know

The Board of Peace is described in the charter as "an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict," according to Bloomberg's report. The organization would become official once three member states agree to the charter.

On Friday, the White House announced the executive panel for the Board of Peace that will supervise the temporary governance of Gaza that would include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, with Trump serving as chair. The board also includes private equity executive and billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, Trump adviser Robert Gabriel, and former U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov as high representative for Gaza.

According to the draft obtained by Bloomberg, decisions would be taken by majority vote, with each member state present getting one vote, but all would be subject to the chairman's approval. Trump would also be responsible for approving the group's official seal.

The draft charter's provisions give Trump extensive control over the organization. Trump would have the power to remove a member, subject to a veto by a two-thirds majority of member states. The charter also reportedly states that "the Chairman shall at all times designate a successor for the role of Chairman," according to Bloomberg.

The draft appears to suggest Trump himself would control the money, something that would be considered unacceptable to most countries who could have potentially joined the board, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity.

Israel and Hamas signed off in October on Trump's plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by the international Board of Peace meant to supervise Gaza's governance for a transitional period. A U.N. Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the Board of Peace and countries working with it to establish an International Stabilization Force in Gaza, commanded by Major General Jasper Jeffers, a former U.S. special operations commander.

Quote:World leaders from across the globe have been invited to sit on U.S. President Donald Trump's so-called Board of Peace, a collective that appears to be designed initially for nailing down a path for the devastated Gaza Strip before turning its attention to "world peace."

Multiple heads of state posted to social media over the weekend to confirm they had received requests from the Republican to join the Board of Peace, which will install Trump as chairman.

In his missives, Trump said the organization would become "the most impressive and consequential board ever assembled" and will be "one of a kind."
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What To Know

It is not clear how many countries have been asked to join the Board of Peace since the United Nations Security Council endorsed the idea last year. However, the wording of the U.N. resolution only greenlit the board until the end of 2027 and referred specifically to Gaza.

Also murky is how the Trump-led organization would interact with the U.N. as the latter's global reputation and funding take painful hits.

Jordan, Argentina, Egypt, Paraguay, Pakistan, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Hungary and Cyprus have publicly confirmed they received an invite from Trump.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, said on Sunday he had agreed in principle to the suggestion but details were still to be ironed out.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment via email.

The White House said on Friday that the founding members of the executive board would include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank chief Ajay Banga and Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Also named on the board are Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, U.S. billionaire Marc Rowan and Robert Gabriel, a national security adviser in the U.S.

Witkoff, Kushner, Blair and Rowan will also sit on the Gaza Executive Board, alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, Egyptian intelligence chief General Hassan Rashad and Reem Al-Hashimy, who is currently serving in the Emirati foreign ministry.

Nickolay Mladenov, formerly Bulgaria's foreign and defense minister who was previously a United Nations envoy for the Middle East, will join Cypriot-Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay and former Dutch politician Sigrid Kaag on the board.

Israel, in a rare show of disunity with the U.S., said it had not been consulted and on the membership and it "runs contrary to its policy." No Israeli politicians or officials were listed on the White House announcement.

Permanent membership on the board will come with a $1-billion price tag which will help fund reconstruction in Gaza, although a three-year stint will not require a contribution, an anonymous U.S. official told The Associated Press.

Quote:Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has hailed a thaw in China ties, telling Chinese President Xi Jinping the renewed engagement had put both countries on a path toward what he called "the new world order."

The Canadian delegation also broke with the U.S. and announced plans to a trade deal, in what policy analysts have suggested may signal a sea change in Ottawa's dealings with the East Asian power and the United States.
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What To Know

"Mine is the first visit of a Canadian prime minister to China in nearly a decade. The world has changed much since that last visit. I believe the progress that we have made and the partnership sets us up well for the new world order," Carney told Xi during a meeting attended by top officials from both sides.

"I'm extremely pleased that we are moving ahead with our new strategic partnership," he added. "A partnership founded on five pillars will not only deepen our bilateral ties to the benefit of our peoples but will also, in my judgment, help improve the multilateral system, a system that in recent years has come under great strain."

Xi hailed the progress made since the two leaders met at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea in October, saying the meeting put Beijing-Ottawa ties on "an upward trajectory."

"I am ready to continue working with you with a sense of responsibility for the history, for the people and for the world, to advance the relationship in a positive direction and bring it on a track of healthy, steady and sustainable development for the benefit of the people of both countries," Xi said.

Carney was accompanied by five Cabinet members—the ministers of foreign affairs, natural resources, industry, agriculture and international trade—and the premier of Saskatchewan.

What People Are Saying

Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to Beijing, told NBC News: "The United States used to be a friend and ally. ... [Now] we are treated as an enemy."

He added: "Canadians know also that China is a very difficult partner. We know very well how they can contravene international rules."

Jia Wang, a senior fellow at the University of Alberta's China Institute, wrote in an analysis for the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada: "In an era marked by growing uncertainty and increasingly unilateral actions by Donald Trump's administration to assert American primacy, Beijing is striving to position itself as a more reliable and responsible global power, one that upholds the international trading system and respects the broader international order."

Quote:U.S. President Donald Trump warned there is "no going back" on Greenland after a "very good" call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Trump, who said he will meet with allies at the World Economic Forum's annual event in Davos this week, added in his Truth Social post: "As I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security. There can be no going back — On that, everyone agrees!"

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Trump declined to spell out the extent of his ambitions toward Greenland. Asked by a reporter how far he was willing to go to acquire the Arctic territory, Trump replied simply: “You’ll find out.”

What To Know

• Trump swiped at the U.K. for its moves to hand Mauritius sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, including Diego Garcia, which hosts a U.S. military base: Trump called it an "act of GREAT STUPIDITY" and said it showed why the U.S. must have Greenland: "There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness."
  
• The U.S. president also shared a screenshot of a text from French President Emmanuel Macron, who said they were "totally in line" on Syria and Iran, but that "I do not understand what you are doing in Greenland". Macron invited Trump to meet with the G7 and others at Davos, and also to dinner in Paris before he returns to the U.S.
  
• Speaking at a press conference in Nuuk, Nielsen said Trump’s repeated threats to seize control of the Arctic territory have forced both authorities and residents to consider contingency plans. “It’s not likely there will be a military conflict, but it can’t be ruled out,” he said.
  
• Denmark has deployed yet more troops to Greenland as European NATO allies conduct military exercises on the Arctic island in a show of unity against Trump's aggressive push to secure the territory for the U.S., but also to demonstrate that they take his concerns about regional security seriously and want to address them.
  
• Right-wing populists in Europe who have championed Trump’s nationalist agenda are now breaking ranks, condemning his threat to slap tariffs on nations that oppose his push to obtain Greenland. And in the U.S., Republicans overwhelmingly oppose Trump using military force to take control of Greenland, according to new polling.
  
• The European Union (EU) is considering a 93 billion euro ($107 billion) package of retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. over Trump's threat of Greenland tariffs. It is also mulling its Anti-Coercion Instrument, sometimes dubbed the bloc's trade "bazooka", in response to Trump.
  

Quote:American soldiers would end up fighting Danish troops if President Donald Trump orders the U.S. military to seize Greenland by force, a Danish politician has said.

"If there is an invasion by American troops, it would be a war, and we would be fighting against each other," Rasmus Jarlov, a member of Copenhagen's parliament with the opposition conservative party and the chair of the defense committee, told CNN.
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What To Know

"We will, of course, defend Greenland," Jarlov said. He added that the territory's 57,000 residents had been clear that they did not want to be a part of the U.S. Many Greenlanders are in favor of the island eventually cutting ties with Denmark, but opinion polls show the overwhelming majority do not want Greenland to become part of the U.S.

Greenlandic leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said in an unambiguously worded statement last week: "Greenland is not for sale. Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States."

"We have an obligation to fight for those people, and our forces will do that," Jarlov said. "But it would be a disaster—also for the United States."

A U.S. armed attack on Greenland would be a serious violation of international law, but Washington is by far the most powerful and influential nation in NATO. Its military might has for decades formed the spine of the alliance, and observers wince to weigh up Europe's chances of militarily defending Greenland against a U.S. military operation, despite recent pledges to surge defense spending across the continent.

"For soldiers who trained and lived together for decades, fought alongside each other in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, its horrific to hear politicians talking about the comrade as an enemy," a European military source told Newsweek earlier this month. "It's against the DNA of NATO soldiers to even think about that."

"It is unlikely that military force will be used, but it cannot be ruled out either," Nielsen said on Tuesday. "The other party has made this clear. Therefore, we must be prepared for all possibilities."

The Trump administration has berated Denmark, which is in charge of Greenland's foreign and defense policy, for failing to invest in Arctic defenses on the island. Danish officials acknowledge Copenhagen has not "sufficiently" funded defense in Greenland, but say the country has surged military spending for the Arctic.

U.S. officials have kept the option of cutting a deal to acquire Greenland in play, although Nielsen has forcefully said the island is not for sale.

European countries had broadly united against the U.S. to oppose American designs on Greenland—to which Trump responded by hitting Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom with a fresh 10 percent tariff from the start of February.

He then threatened the same countries with a hike to a 25 per cent duty on June 1 and said the measures would apply "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland." The affected nations criticized the administration for risking a "dangerous downward spiral."

The European Union is weighing up how it could respond, including considering an economic lever colloquially known as the trade "bazooka."

Using this would cut American companies out of European procurement races, but would likely do significant damage to European economies, too. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the E.U.'s executive arm, the European Commission, said on Tuesday the bloc's response would be "unflinching" if Trump's tariffs enter force.

Trump published private texts from French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO chief Mark Rutte to social media in a late-night run of posts, which officials confirmed to Newsweek were authentic messages. Macron told Trump he didn't understand the U.S.'s position on Greenland while Rutte struck a more conciliatory tone by writing: "I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland."

Trump separately told reporters on Monday he would place a 200 percent tariff on French "wines and Champagnes" if Macron snubs a White House invite to join the U.S.'s so-called Board of Peace initiative featuring many world leaders.

A source close to Macron told Newsweek the Élysée Palace had taken note of Trump's remarks and reiterated that tariff threats designed to change Paris' foreign policy were "unacceptable and ineffective."

Quote:A Danish lawmaker was reprimanded after startlingly telling President Trump to “f–k off” during a recent meeting to discuss the US’s campaign to buy Greenland.

“Dear President Trump, listen very carefully. Greenland has been part of the Danish kingdom for 800 years. It is an integrated country. It is not for sale,” European Parliament Member Anders Vistisen said while addressing Trump during a speech to the European Union’s legislative body on Jan. 13.

“Let me put this in words you might understand: Mr. President, f—k off,” he raged.

Vistisen, 38, finished his speech in Danish before leaving the podium, sparking Parliament Vice President Nicolae Ștefănuță to chime in on the profane insult – and threaten consequences for the lawmaker.

“If the translation was correct, the term you used is not allowed in this house and there will be consequences to the message you have used. It is not okay in this house of democracy,” Ștefănuță said, according to a clip of the scene.

“Regardless of what we think about Mr. Trump, it is not possible to use such language,” he continued, to which he received a round of applause.

Vistisen, a Denmark national who belongs to the right-wing Danish People’s Party, sits on the Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality as well as the Delegation for Relations with Iran.

He is currently serving his third parliamentary term.

Vistisen’s outburst came as Trump has recently ramped up efforts to seize control over the autonomous Danish territory, a NATO ally – a plan which he said there’s “no going back” on this week.

Quote:President Trump gave reporters a cryptic answer Tuesday when asked how far he’s willing to go to acquire Greenland during a White House press briefing.

“You’ll find out,” Trump responded tersely.

The president has been adamant in recent weeks that US ownership of Greenland is critical for national security, particularly for identifying and fending off threats from Russia and China.

Trump’s desire to annex the autonomous Danish territory has sparked fears of a potential military conflict over the island, which some critics argue could destroy the NATO alliance.

“We have a lot of meeting scheduled on Greenland,” Trump said of his upcoming trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, “and I think things are going to work out pretty well.”

“I think something’s going to happen that’s going to be very good for everybody,” the president continued, downplaying internal concerns. “Nobody’s done more for NATO than I have.”

“We’ll work something out where NATO is going to be very happy and we’re going to be very happy,” he added, “but we need it for security purposes.”

“We need it for national security and even world security. It’s very important.”

Tensions over Greenland have escalated in recent days as Trump has threatened tariffs on European allies opposing his plan to take over the Arctic island.

Trump also warned Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre via text message, “I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant,” in response to missing out on last year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

In response to Trump’s threats, Denmark requested that NATO organize military exercises in Greenland.

More than 100 Danish combat troops arrived on the frigid island Monday.

Last week, Greenland’s prime minister demanded that NATO ensure its defense from a possible US invasion and noted the territory “cannot accept under any circumstances” a US takeover.

Trump has also taunted Europeans by sharing an AI-generated picture of himself planting a US flag on Greenland, as well as a separate AI-generated picture of European leaders — including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — gathered around a map in the Oval Office that shows Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela absorbed into the US.

The posts came as Trump declared Tuesday that there was “no going back” on his goal to acquire Greenland — and he refused to rule out using military force.

Quote:President Trump was reportedly outraged over the deployment of European troops to Greenland over the weekend for military exercises that some government officials believe may have escalated tensions between the US and Europe.

The sudden flurry of European military activity in Greenland — ostensibly part of a “reconnaissance” mission ahead of future NATO exercises — “baffled” Washington and provoked Trump to threaten tariffs on the nations putting boots on the ground of the Arctic island, the Times of London reported on Tuesday.

“I couldn’t understand the PR part of the deployment,” one government adviser in a European country told the Times. “That does not at all excuse Trump. But I think it enabled some in his vicinity to escalate the issue.”

Trump may have interpreted the troop deployments as a “gesture of hostility,” according to the outlet, and it doesn’t appear the nations involved considered whether the president might take it as provocation.

The hastily arranged “scoping mission” started coming together last Wednesday when Denmark, which administers Greenland as an autonomous territory, ominously announced that it would expand its troop presence on the island because “geopolitical tensions have spread to the Arctic.”

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen noted Denmark’s armed forces, in coordination with “Arctic and European allies,” would “explore in the coming weeks how an increased presence and exercise activity in the Arctic can be implemented.”

France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom all pledged small numbers of troops to join Danish forces in Greenland.
“The ask was to send someone as part of a wider European effort to conduct [reconnaissance], not as a show of force,” one source told the outlet.

UK Defense Minister John Healey claimed the deployment was “part of NATO’s planned exercise program.”

“And that’s exactly what this reconnaissance mission is designed to do. To lay the groundwork for an exercise, a multinational exercise within NATO later this year,” he added, in an interview on British television.

In contrast to Healey’s claim about the mission, one diplomatic source described doing “something together” in Greenland as Europe’s “solution” to the dispute with Trump.

What a coincidence!

Quote:President Trump said Wednesday he would not use military force to invade and acquire Greenland, in a bid to ease nerves in Europe after he previously said he would not exclude the option.

“That’s probably the biggest statement I made, because people thought I would use force,” he told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, of his earlier comments that he wouldn’t “rule out” the use of force.

“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”

“All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland,” he added.

The president and administration officials had previously signaled that all options — both diplomatic and military — were on the table for the acquisition of the world’s largest island, currently under the control of Denmark.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other experts had made the case that Greenland would be a critical component of Trump’s planned Golden Dome missile shield — in order to halt incoming Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) from Russia or China.

“That’s possibly the most strategic piece of real estate in the entire planet,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) told The Post on Tuesday. “You know why? Because Russia can attack us right over.”

“I just got a letter from General [Gregory] Guillot today. He’s the NORTHCOM commander, expressing how incredibly important it is that we integrate Greenland into NORAD that protects us from being attacked by Russia and China with these hypersonic missiles,” Van Orden continued.

However, the GOP lawmaker added: “I have a hard time envisioning a world where we invade an ally. Work with them, fine.”
Greenlandic Premier Jens Frederik Nielsen and Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark, have maintained that the island is “not for sale.”

Trump’s rhetoric — and threat of additional tariffs — initially spooked Europeans, who threatened to pull out of a trade agreement worth hundreds of billions of dollars in possible investments that had been negotiated last year with the US.

“President Trump is ‘America First’ — that doesn’t mean ‘America Alone,'” Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) added when asked about the current state of US-EU relations.

“He’s letting them know where he thinks they need to be,” Meuser said. “And for them to — without discussing, without trying to work with the president, without trying to get it — come out and state that they’re opposing this, that he’s wrong, ‘not for sale’ … Guess what? Let’s see how you like this.”

Quote:President Trump abruptly announced a “framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland” Wednesday — calling off tariffs on European allies and declining to say if he still is demanding US ownership of the world’s largest island.

“We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos, Switzerland.

“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations. Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st.”

The Nasdaq, S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average indices all reacted positively to the news with modest gains as of mid-afternoon.

Trump had spent months developing a crescendo of pressure on Denmark to hand over control of Greenland, insisting that nothing short of US “ownership” would be acceptable, and he was coy about the precise outcome he foresees.

Asked if he still intends to acquire the vast Arctic territory through the framework deal, Trump paused, then deflected.

“It’s a long-term deal. It’s the ultimate long-term deal, and I think it puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and minerals and everything else,” he told reporters.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said that “if this deal goes through, and President Trump is very hopeful it will, the United States will be achieving all of its strategic goals with respect to Greenland, at very little cost, forever.”

“As details are finalized by all parties involved, they will be released accordingly,” she said.
In an interview with CNBC, Trump said he and Rutte established a “concept of a deal” — without specifying whether his yearning for US expansion would be granted.

A White House official told The Post that Trump’s conciliatory public posture hadn’t altered his preferred endgame, however, and that “the goal is to acquire Greenland.”

A European official told The Post that Rutte has floated Denmark transferring to the US sovereignty over Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland.

The strategically important installation has been under US control since a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark, but the land legally belongs to the Danes. It’s possible other pockets of land also would be included in a deal, the New York Times reported.

Quote:The stock market bounced back from its worst day since October on Wednesday after President Trump said he reached the framework of a deal about Greenland, an island he’s long coveted, and won’t impose tariffs he had threatened on several European countries.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed nearly 600 points, or 1.2% to close at 49,077.23. The S&P 500 gained 1.2%, and the Nasdaq advanced 1.2%, or 270 points. All three indexes had their best day of the year.

Trump said the deal, “if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America” and its allies in the North Atlantic region. His announcement triggered an immediate move higher in the stock market, which had found some solace earlier in the day after Trump ratcheted down his rhetoric and told business and government leaders in Europe that he would not use force to take “the piece of ice.”

The de-escalation in tensions, which had ramped up earlier with talk of tariffs crossing the Atlantic, helped the S&P 500 recover much of its 2.1% drop from the day before and pull closer to its all-time high set earlier this month.

Treasury yields also eased in the bond market, a day after jumping in a potential signal of worries about higher inflation in the long term. They got help from a calming of bond yields in Japan, which surged earlier on concerns about the size of its government’s debt. The value of the U.S. dollar also clawed back some of its declines against other currencies after sliding the day before.

Trump has a history of making big threats that send financial markets sliding, only to pull back later and reach deals that are seen as less bad for the economy or for inflation than his initial suggestion.

On one hand, the pattern has given rise to the “TACO” acronym suggesting “Trump Always Chickens Out” if financial markets react strongly enough. On the other, Trump has ultimately struck deals that outsiders may have earlier considered unlikely, ones that he’s crowed about later.

The most obvious example is Trump’s announcement of high tariffs on “Liberation Day,” which eventually led to trade deals with many of the world’s major economies.

Quote:Members of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Democratic Socialists of America have been cultivating ties with officials of the Chinese Communist Party and agreeing to take pro-China positions, according to extensive minutes of internal meetings seen by Newsweek.

The minutes of the DSA meetings show participants discussing contacts with officials from China’s ruling party in the name of "anti-imperialism," with some members saying the organization should avoid topics that are sensitive for Beijing, such as China's threats to invade Taiwan, its security crackdown in Hong Kong and abuses of the Uyghur Muslim minority. They also discuss visits to China. Chinese officials did not take part in the meetings themselves but met with members in China and encouraged the DSA to set up exchanges, according to the minutes.

"China wants to interface with the DSA," one New York-based political activist told a meeting on October 8 last year of the China Working Group of the DSA's International Committee, which helps set policy and advises leaders. "If we develop a killer two-week itinerary, hire locals, and develop further connections with the CPC [Communist Party of China], then we're golden," says the person, whose name is redacted.

The DSA International Committee and Mamdani’s New York City Hall did not respond to requests for comment. Mamdani was not recorded as being present at any of the meetings minuted. Although Mamdani has been a longstanding member of the Democratic Socialists, he has distanced himself from elements of the group’s national platform. He has also not made extensive public comments on China.

Mamdani’s victory in the mayoral election last year highlighted the rise of the Democratic Socialists as a political force and particularly in New York, where China has long sought to influence the leadership of a city with one of the largest Chinese populations outside China. It has used lobbying and campaign donations from dozens of local groups linked to the Chinese Communist Party, on which Newsweek has reported extensively.

While the minutes of the DSA meetings do not indicate any wrongdoing, they do raise new questions over the extent of Chinese influence within the group and more broadly in the United States. They are also an indicator of how China’s Communist Party seeks to build ties with influential political groupings in the United States. The DSA’s website describes the group’s New York chapter as “Zohran’s political home” and says his victory would not have been possible without it.

The DSA member who gave Newsweek access to the materials on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation said they were uncomfortable with the Communist Party links and what they said were efforts to avoid discussing controversial issues. 

"The materials document a sustained pattern of ideological alignment, narrative filtering, and network overlap consistent with influence conducted at the discursive and organizational level," said the person, who is a member of the International Committee. “We value democracy and openness, and this directly contradicts that.”

Asked about contacts between the DSA, Mamdani's administration and the Chinese Communist Party, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek: "Local exchanges and cooperation are the important component of China-U.S. relations, serving as the foundation, vitality, and source of strength for the relations between the two countries." 

Quote:It’s not enough for Mam.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani brushed off Gov. Kathy Hochul’s state budget proposal that came with a pledge not to hike income taxes — saying Wednesday he’s going to push for an increase anyway.

It’s the latest move by Mamdani to pull Hochul to the left to align with him and his liberal supporters’ goal of soaking wealthy New Yorkers to raise billions to pay for a freebie-filled agenda that includes free bus fares.

“Our administration is preparing to make the case that it is the time for New York’s most profitable corporations and wealthiest residents to pay their fair share,” Mamdani told reporters at an unrelated press conference at the Whitney Museum in Manhattan.

The comments came just one day after Hochul unveiled a mammoth $260 billion budget for the Empire State as the Democrat governor faces pressure both from the left and right in an election year.

She unveiled a universal pre-k plan in her budget alongside the push from Mamdani and supporters.

But that wasn’t enough for the mayor, who said the city makes up 54.5% of the state’s tax revenue but only received 40.5% back — and he’ll need Albany to OK any hikes for the Big Apple.

“What we are looking to do is to tackle long standing fiscal issues that both have to do with the need for more revenue from the highest earners, but also the relationship between City Hall and Albany,” he said.

Mamdani, who took office just three weeks ago, is already facing a $12.6 billion budget deficit expected to hit the city in the next two fiscal years. He condemned his predecessor, former Mayor Eric Adams, for Gotham’s fiscal woes but said the state was on steady ground.

“I think that it’s actually the governor’s fiscal stewardship, I think it’s also the strength of our city’s tax base, that the state is on firm financial footing,” he said.

“The issue, however, is that the city is not, and that is a result, a direct result of Eric Adams’s gross fiscal mismanagement,” he added.

The mayor’s comments are the latest blow to Hochul as she tries to balance appeasing the left of the party while trying to appeal to moderates and independents in the suburbs. The governor is already facing a party primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado who is running to her left.

Republican Bruce Blakeman, who is the Nassau County executive, has pounced in the early days of the campaign and portrayed the governor as beholden to the liberal wing of her party.

Hochul had endorsed Mamdani in a shock move during his 2025 campaign, then faced supporters chanting at her to “Tax the Rich” at a large rally of his supporters.

Quote:Mayor Zohran Mamdani unloaded some verbal acrobatics Tuesday to avoid criticizing two close aides who disparaged liberal white women and called home ownership a tool of white supremacy on social media.

Mamdani’s latest word salad was broadcast live on ABC’s “The View” as he dodged answering a direct question from co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin about the unsettling posts from his chief equity officer and tenant advocate.

Griffin asked the socialist mayor about now-deleted comments from Chief Equity Officer Afua Atta-Mensah — whose radical statements included “there’s NO moderate way to black liberation” — and Office to Protect Tenants Cea Weaver who called to “seize private property.”

“Your new chief equity officer made several now deleted comments, disparaging liberal white women,” said Griffin, a former Trump administration staffer. “Your tenant advocate said that home ownership was a weapon of white supremacy and called to elect more communists, among other posts.”

“What message do you think this conveys to New Yorkers, and how would you push back on this?” she asked.

But Mamdani answered about himself instead.

“If you want to know my views or my opinions, you’ll find them in my words,” Mamdani replied. “As the mayor of New York City, and I’m someone who’s looking to make a city that every New Yorker can afford.”

He went on to praise Weaver but without mentioning her by name or directly responding to the question he was asked.

“And I think, frankly, what New Yorkers are also looking for are the outcomes, and that’s what I care about, the outcomes and the excellence we deliver,” he said.

He claimed in 20 days since Weaver’s hiring the city has “taken on a landlord that had more violations than I can count, and we have secured $30 million in guaranteed repairs for thousands of those violations.”

Mamdani also attempted to reassure homeowners in his rambling response adding that his goal for a city that everyone can afford “includes tenants, homeowners, and those who aspire to be homeowners.”
During his appearance on the long-running daytime talk show, Mamdani also said he was in favor of abolishing ICE.

Quote:President Donald Trump urged the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to escalate demands on federal authorities in Minnesota, calling on DHS and ICE to publicly release information about violent offenders arrested in recent immigration operations.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said agents, who are under the direction of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, are “saving many innocent lives” and pressed the agencies to show the “numbers, names and faces” of those taken into custody to bolster support for ICE amid growing criticism.

Trump wrote, "The Department of Homeland Security and ICE must start talking about the murderers and other criminals that they are capturing and taking out of the system. They are saving many innocent lives! There are thousands of vicious animals in Minnesota alone, which is why the crime stats are, Nationwide, the BEST EVER RECORDED! Show the Numbers, Names, and Faces of the violent criminals, and show them NOW. The people will start supporting the Patriots of ICE, instead of the highly paid troublemakers, anarchists, and agitators! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN."

Could Kristi Noem Get Impeached?

Last week, Democratic Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois formally introduced three articles of impeachment against Noem.

Currently, 97 Democrats in the House of Representatives have signed onto the articles, and though the measure is unlikely to move forward given the GOP's congressional majority, the process has sparked media chatter and speculation.

Speaking to Newsweek, William F. Hall, an adjunct professor of political science and business at Webster University in St. Louis, said that "recent events gathering momentum directed toward attempting to impeach Noem appear to be somewhat different and significantly more forceful than earlier efforts directed at attempting to impeach and remove President Trump."

A DHS spokesperson previously dismissed the effort to impeach Noem as "silly" in a statement to Newsweek.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also told Newsweek in another statement: "DHS is a law enforcement agency—enforcing the rule of law passed by Congress. If members don't like the law, it is quite literally their job to change it.

"As ICE officers are facing a 1,300 percent increase in assaults against them, politicians are more focused on showmanship and fundraising clicks than actually removing criminals from our streets.

"We hope these members get serious about doing their job to protect American people, which is what this department is doing under Secretary Noem."

The articles of impeachment against Noem accuse her of obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust and self-dealing. They said she tried to enter a DHS facility used to detain undocumented immigrants unlawfully and directed ICE to make "widespread warrantless arrests, forgo due process, and use violence against United States citizens, lawful residents and other individuals."

The articles also accused Noem of misusing her position for "personal gain while inappropriately using $200 million taxpayer dollars to fund an ad campaign for ICE recruitment," Kelly's office said in a news release.

Quote:He’s making America safe again.

President Trump lauded the work of his “patriot” ICE agents as he flashed mugshots of some of the most heinous illegal immigrant criminals the administration has rounded up in Minnesota for deportation — the “worst of the worst” among the thousands arrested in the last year.

“These are all from one state — out of many,” Trump marveled at a White House press briefing marking the first full year of his second term in the White House.

“Many of them murderers … do you want to live with these people?” the president asked as he held up the pictures one by one, their crimes spelled out beneath their faces in big white letters including murder, lewd acts with a minor, strong-arm rape, affiliation with Hezbollah and many more, some convicted dozens of times.

The monsters he displayed represented just a sliver of the 10,000 arrests ICE has made in Minnesota alone since Inauguration Day, with Trump saying he could easily show a similar stack of photos “30 times” more.

He held up a photo of Abdirashid Adosh Elmi, a Somali national convicted of homicide, and Aldrin Guerrero-Munoz, an illegal immigrant charged with intentionally murdering his three-month-old son.

“This is what they’re trying to protect,” the commander in chief said of the growing throngs of radical protesters who have been fighting immigration agents in Minneapolis for weeks.

“All ICE wants to do is get them out of our country. Bring them to prisons and jails and mental institutions from where they came, that’s all they want to do. They’re patriots.”

The president stressed that bringing these thugs to justice has required a “tremendous amount of work” by immigration agencies and ripped the Biden administration for allowing those illegal immigrants into the US.

One year into the second Trump administration, DHS has arrested 7,000 illegal immigrant gang members, making up some of the most despicable offenders nabbed so far.

“When we say we are targeting the worst of the worst, this is what exactly we mean,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

“Many of these were let in by Joe Biden and should have never been in this country. These vicious criminals murdered, assaulted, robbed, and terrorized innocent Americans for sport. But under President Trump’s and Secretary [Kristi] Noem’s leadership, ICE is turbocharged to arrest even more gang members and make America safe again.”

ICE has busted criminal thugs from more than a dozen murderous gangs, including the Crips, the Bloods, Norentos, MS-13, Tren de Aragua, Asian Boys, Trinitarios, the Latin Kings and many more.

Quote:A swath of businesses and restaurants in Minneapolis is taking a significant financial hit as clashes between anti-ICE agitators and federal agents continue, with some saying the situation feels like the COVID-19 pandemic all over again, according to a city official.

The protests have driven away customers hoping to avoid the unrest, leading to reduced foot traffic, temporary closures and shortened business hours.

They’ve also kept many employees from showing up to work, further hamstringing employers, according to Adam Duininck, CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council.

Duininck estimated that business activity in South Minneapolis, where 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent earlier this month and where most of the protests had occurred, is down 80% to 100%, while downtown businesses are down around 50%.

“January is already a slow time in the restaurant world, but we’re seeing even bigger slowdowns than normal,” Duininck said.

“It’s been reported that a number of restaurants are seeing half of the revenue they normally would see in a January weekday or weeknight.”

Reservations for fine dining have also slowed, he said, adding that manufacturers are struggling to get employees to come to work, creating challenges for both workers trying to earn a paycheck and employers facing broader operational impacts.

“We’re definitely seeing that slow down the impact to the city and its economy,” he said.

“People are saying this is like the pandemic all over again for some of these businesses.”

Duininck warned that things wouldn’t change soon either, as another protest has been planned for this weekend.

Quote:The convicted mastermind of the staggering $250 million welfare fraud scam in Minnesota has moaned in a jailhouse interview about having “lost everything” as she faces up to 33 years in prison.

As the head of the infamous nonprofit Feeding Our Future, Aimee Bock, 45, splurged millions of federal dollars intended to support hungry children during the COVID-19 pandemic on luxury cars, designer handbags, and properties worldwide.

Bock oversaw a network of fraudsters — almost all Somali and East African — that took advantage of a bill co-signed by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) waiving some requirements for school meal programs during the pandemic.

In her first interview about the scandal, Bock told CBS News that it was “heartbreaking” to be convicted of wire fraud and bribery — and blamed her woes on local officials.

“We relied on the state. We told the state, this [meal] site is going to operate at this address, this time, and this number of children. The state would then tell us that’s approved,” Bock said, adding that Omar was among the officials who would often visit the meal sites.

“I wish I could go back and do things differently, stop things, catch things,” Bock said from her jail cell.

“I’ve lost everything,” the convicted fraudster moaned, after describing her conviction on all counts on March 19, 2025, as “heartbreaking.”

Bock used frivolous lawsuits and intimidation to stop state officials from looking into the scheme, which spurred President Trump’s administration to crack down on fraud in Minnesota.

But she rejected the Department of Justice’s description of her as the mastermind behind the operation, despite the release of text messages submitted as evidence in which Bock compared Feeding Our Future to the mob.

“I believe in accountability. If I had done this, I would’ve pled guilty. I wouldn’t have gone to trial. I wouldn’t have put my children and my family through what we’ve been through,” Bock said.

Bock also downplayed the value of her ill-gotten gains, despite a judge last month ordering her to forfeit more than $5 million in proceeds from the scam.

“They found minimal jewelry,” she said of an FBI raid on her home in 2022. “I believe it was like two pairs of earrings, a bracelet, a watch. There was some cash there.”

Quote:WASHINGTON — Conservative journalist Nick Shirley testified before a congressional panel Wednesday that the “red flags” he witnessed while reporting on the welfare scandal in Minnesota were in plain sight.

Shirley, whose viral reporting on the flagrant welfare fraud in Minnesota gained national attention late last year, argued that taxpayers are getting screwed over by the rampant theft and warned that other states, such as California, are likely worse.

“I’m here today to speak on behalf of all hardworking, law-abiding, taxpaying citizens here inside of the United States,” Shirley said during his opening remarks. “We the people have had enough of our hard-earned money going towards fraudsters, as if it’s no big deal.”

“Gov. [Tim] Walz has said that he’s been fighting fraud in Minnesota since 2019 and said the buck stops with him,” he later added. “How long would it take for you to notice $1 million leaving your bank account and not knowing where it was going?”

GOP lawmakers have been investigating the scope of the welfare fraud issue in Minnesota and are trying to figure out what went wrong. Earlier this month, the House Oversight Committee heard from multiple state lawmakers, and the panel is seeking testimony from Gov. Tim Walz (D) next month.

Estimates on how much taxpayer dollars were stolen vary, but it is generally thought to be over $1 billion, with former assistant US Attorney Joseph Thompson estimating last month that it was over $9 billion.

Walz, who dropped his reelection bid amid the growing scandal, has publicly cast doubt on Thompson’s eye-bulging estimate.

“Fraud in California might be worse than the fraud in Minnesota,” Shirley stressed during the Wednesday hearing during an exchange with Rep.

Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) “$24 billion went missing for homelessness. They’ve been trying to build this train for years, yet there’s hardly anything to prove for that. Fires.”

That’s a reference to an audit that found California didn’t have a consistent method for tracking the outcomes of the $24 billion it spent on combating homelessness. Shirley also alluded to the roughly $15 billion spent on a controversial high-speed rail project, which was at one point expected to be completed by 2020 and initially estimated to cost $36.7 billion but later ballooned to $77 billion.

Quote:A crew of NYPD cops were “disrespected” at a Big Apple hospital after being mistaken for federal ICE agents – and police brass is furious over it, The Post has learned.

The flap unfolded Friday night, when three plainclothes detectives showed up at NYU Langone/Cobble Hill hospital after a scuffle with a drug suspect – and things quickly got tense between the cops and hospital staff.

The three cops arrived at the hospital after the suspect scuffled and spat on them during a narcotics investigation by cops in Brooklyn North on Friday, the NYPD said Wednesday.

When they arrived at the Cobble Hill emergency room, the detectives were told they could not go into the ER with their service weapons, so one of the cops agreed to hold the gun while his partner was treated, the department said.

However, hospital staff approached the second detective in the waiting room and told him he had to leave because he was armed — causing enough of a stir that the cop being treated intervened.

“And then at that point the two detectives heard members of the hospital staff say something to the effect of believing they were ICE and that they should care elsewhere,” the department said.

“[Hospital staff] were nasty to the officers in the waiting room, accused them of being ICE and suggested they go elsewhere,” one ticked off source familiar with the incident said.

“They properly identified themselves,” another source added. “Despicable to attempt to deny care or suggest they go elsewhere.”

The NYPD Detectives Endowment Association fired back at the hospital in a statement on Wednesday.

“No individual – especially NYPD detectives injured in the line of duty – should ever be subjected to such treatment,” the statement said. “The DEA is actively investigating this matter and will pursue all available remedies to ensure our members are treated with the dignity, respect, and professionalism they have unequivocally earned.”

Sources said hospital officials later apologized to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

A spokesman for the hospital confirmed the two sides had talked.

Quote:The former superintendent of Iowa’s largest school district, whose arrest by federal immigration agents drew national attention, is expected to change his plea on Thursday in federal court to charges that he falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen and illegally possessed firearms.

Ian Roberts, a native of Guyana in South America, initially pleaded not guilty to the two charges, which together carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Subject to a 2024 final removal order, Roberts could also face deportation.

The change-of-plea hearing was scheduled after Roberts’ lawyers said in a court filing that they had been negotiating with federal prosecutors to reach a resolution ahead of a Jan. 28 deadline.

Roberts was superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, a district of about 30,000 students, when he was arrested on Sept. 26 in a targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation. He allegedly fled from federal agents before they detained him in a nearby wooded area with the help of state troopers.

Authorities say they found a loaded handgun wrapped in a towel under the seat and $3,000 in cash in the district-issued Jeep Cherokee he was driving.
Roberts, an educator and administrator for two decades in districts across the U.S., was beloved for his charismatic and exuberant leadership style. His arrest stunned the Des Moines community.

A federal grand jury in October returned a two-count indictment. According to the indictment, Roberts made a “false attestation” on his U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Eligibility Verification form, known as an I-9, claiming he was a U.S. citizen even though authorities say he knew he lacked authorization. That carries a punishment of up to five years in prison and a fine.

For his position in Des Moines, Roberts completed an I-9 form when he was hired in 2023 and submitted a Social Security card and a driver’s license as verifying documents, according to the district. He also stated he was a U.S. citizen in his application to the state board of educational examiners, which issued Roberts a professional administrator license in 2023.

Federal officials said Roberts first entered the U.S. in 1994 on a nonimmigrant visa. They said he returned in 1999 on an F-1 student visa, which was set to expire in March 2004. He was denied a green card application in 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Quote:California Republicans asked the US Supreme Court on Tuesday to stop Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s bid to redraw the state’s congressional map.

The California Republican Party filed an emergency appeal to the nation’s highest court in a last-ditch bid to halt the alleged gerrymandering triggered by Newsom’s Proposition 50.

The redistricting effort could turn up to five GOP-held districts blue.

The court battle has big implications for the midterm elections, with Democrats favored to win back the House of Representatives due to frustration with the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress.

Prediction markets and pollsters show Dems in a good position to capture the House, but an adverse decision in the Prop. 50 case could stymie those plans.

The ballot proposal was spun up in response to a similar redrawing effort in Texas, where the state’s Republican majority moved to rejigger its maps to give their party an edge in congressional races.

Prop. 50 was championed by Newsom as a plan to cancel out Texas’s attempted gerrymandering. It passed handily in the November election last year.

The GOP filing asks Justice Elena Kagan, who is assigned to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, to issue an injunction to temporarily reinstate the current congressional map, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Republicans contested the maps drawn by Prop 50, arguing the new congressional lines would unfairly benefit Latino voters over other racial groups.

Kagan will either deny the emergency appeal, likely within days, or refer the matter to the full Supreme Court.

If referred to the Supreme Court, justices would likely issue a ruling on the GOP’s emergency motion well before California’s candidate filing deadline on March 6.

Quote:FBI agents who raided Rudy Giuliani’s apartment and office in 2021 didn’t want to touch Hunter Biden’s laptop hard drives — despite the first son being under investigation at the time for potential tax fraud, the former New York City mayor’s lawyer told “Pod Force One.”

Robert Costello, who represented Giuliani for legal challenges related to 2020 election interference, told The Post’s Miranda Devine on the latest episode, out Wednesday, that agents executing the search warrant on the former mayor’s Upper East Side building saw the Biden scion’s hard drives as “radioactive.”

“They knew that Rudy Giuliani had them,” he explained.

“They knew that Rudy Giuliani was giving them to the New York Post, and they knew that their plot to keep all of this stuff secret was falling apart fast.”

The hard drives led to The Post’s bombshell October 2020 reports on Hunter Biden’s efforts to leverage his father’s position as vice president for lucrative business deals with Ukrainian and Chinese energy companies.

Costello also said the FBI raid and the bureau’s other actions to downplay the damning details in The Post’s report was “the best proof of election interference in the 2020 campaign,” after having described agents wanting to ditch the hard drives at Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment.

“I pick up the phone, and it’s Rudy on the phone with an FBI agent next to him. They’re in his apartment, and they’re going through things,” recalled Costello, who previously served as deputy chief of the Criminal Division for the US Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.

“So, he puts me on the phone with the lead FBI agent, and I explained to him, I said, ‘Listen, this is a legitimate question. I’m not trying to insult you. Do you know what a hard drive looks like?’” And he said, ‘Yes,'” the lawyer continued.

“He described it accurately, and I said, ‘Okay, now go into Rudy’s office, and you’ll see on his desk either two or three hard drives.’ So, he’s on the phone with me. He says, ‘Yes, I see those.’ I said, ‘Those are Hunter Biden hard drives,’” Costello said.

The lead FBI agent responded immediately, “Oh, we’re not going to touch those,” according to Giuliani’s attorney, contradicting the order on the warrant “to seize every electronic device in his home.”

“I said to the FBI agent, ‘Well, those are electronic devices. Your warrant requires you to take those,’” Costello added. “He said, ‘I’m not touching those at all. They’re staying here.’”

“Now ask yourself this question. Why would they treat those hard drives as radioactive?” he asked Devine. “Because they knew that they were legitimate.”

Subsequent federal and congressional investigations confirmed that the Biden family received tens of millions of dollars from foreign patrons — but The Post’s initial reporting on emails laying bare the influence-peddling scheme resulted in its Twitter, now X, account being locked.

The FBI had “verified” the authenticity of Hunter’s laptop as far back as November 2019 after taking custody of the device, and agents for the bureau had even told content moderators at Twitter that the emails on its hard drive were real when the first Post report was published on Oct. 14, 2020.

Quote:Another earthquake and a series of aftershocks rocked Southern California overnight Wednesday.

The 4.2-magnitude quake struck only 6 miles northeast of Indio shortly after midnight, the same area jolted by a 4.9 temblor on Monday.
Just half an hour after Wednesday’s quake, the USGS detected a 2.5 aftershock in Coachella Valley.

On Tuesday, aftershocks ranging from 2.8 to 3.6 magnitudes rattled the region, part of a relentless wave of 16 quakes that struck Southern California in less than 24 hours, reigniting fears that the “Big One” could soon rip through the area.

The dramatic burst of ground motion, part of an ongoing swarm of quakes, occurred near the infamous San Andreas Fault, which runs past Indio.

Though the aftershocks measured only ‘weak’ to ‘light’ on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, they were strong enough to keep the desert community uneasy, a dark reminder that the ground beneath the Golden State is always restless.

Officials have warned that aftershocks may continue for the next week, with a 6% chance that one will exceed magnitude 5.

The USGC has forecasted a “99% chance of magnitude 3 and above aftershocks” through Jan. 27, and “it is most likely that 1 to 14 of these will occur.”

There have been no reports of injuries or damage.

Quote:President Trump revealed Tuesday that he’s left “very firm instructions” for Iran to be “blown up” if the US adversary makes good on threats to assassinate him.

“Well, they shouldn’t be doing it,” Trump said of the disturbing death threats issued by Tehran, in an interview with NewsNation’s “Katie Pavlich Tonight.”

“But I’ve left notification,” the president continued, “[if] anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the – the whole country is going to get blown up.”
Iran has been threatening to assassinate Trump since 2020, in response to the killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

Trump argued that former President Joe Biden “should have said something” to the regime to tamp down the threats.

“We always said, ‘Why isn’t Biden saying anything?’ Because he didn’t,” Trump fumed. “But a president has to defend a president like, if I were here and they were making that threat to somebody even, not even a president, but somebody, like they did with me, I would absolutely hit them so hard.

“But I have very firm instructions – anything happens, they’re going to wipe them off the face of this earth.”

The latest threat from Iran came just last week, when state-run TV aired an image of Trump from the 2024 Butler rally assassination attempt with the words “This time it will not miss the target.”

The threat followed Trump’s repeated warnings that the US will strike Iran if the regime continues its brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters.

The same year as the Butler assassination attempt, the Justice Department said an Iranian-led plot to kill Trump was thwarted when a man allegedly tasked by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to murder the president was arrested.

In 2022, the Iranian regime posted a video depicting an assassination attempt against the president at his Mar-a-Lago golf course.

Quote:Iran’s top diplomat issued his most direct threat to the US yet on Wednesday, warning that the Islamic Republic will fire “back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.”

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ramped up his anti-US rhetoric in a new opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, warning America to stay out of Iran’s politics despite the brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters.

In the article, Araghchi claimed that a US attack on Iran would not end as it did during the 12-day war last year, where Tehran launched a small-scale attack on a US air base in Qatar that resulted in zero casualties.

“Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” Araghchi wrote.

“This isn’t a threat, but a reality I feel I need to convey explicitly, because as a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war,” he claimed.

“An all-out confrontation will certainly be ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House,” Araghchi added.

“It will certainly engulf the wider region and have an impact on ordinary people around the globe.”

The foreign minister’s comment comes as tensions remain high between Washington and Tehran over the deaths that erupted during the anti-government protests in Iran.

While the exact figure has yet to be verified, the death toll is estimated to have reached at least 4,519 people, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
The mass deaths triggered international backlash against Iran, with President Trump warning of direct military intervention if the killing continued.

Trump, who has called for leadership change in Iran, also said Tuesday that if Tehran were to ever act on its threats to assassinate him, he has left instructions for the US to “blow up” Iran.

Trump did not directly mention Iran in his speech on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which rescinded its invitation to Araghchi over the killing of protesters. 

After tensions flared last week, with an attack on Iran appearing imminent, the US has begun mobilizing some of its forces around the Middle East region.

Quote:Gunfire echoed through Tehran on Tuesday as heavily armed militias were deployed across the Iranian capital, transforming some districts into fortified zones under intense security.

Video footage showed bursts of automatic weapons after dark as government buildings, state media sites, and major intersections were reportedly placed under guard, with armored pickups and masked fighters patrolling the streets in Toyotas.

The trucks were mounted with heavy machine guns and were moving in convoys with weapons firing into the darkness as armed men shouted commands.

In the video, large-caliber guns can be heard rattling as vehicles maneuver through urban streets.

“There has been a deployment of dozens of Toyotas mounted with heavy machine guns and other heavy weapons in Tehran,” Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.

“They are reportedly being used by elements linked to Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces,” he said.

“Their commander speaks in Farsi, and these fighters are Iraqi Hashd al-Sha’bi, Popular Mobilization Force, and Hezbollah fighters who have joined the IRGC. The IRGC are their commanders, and you can hear them shouting in Farsi.”

According to Safavi, the Iranian regime has increasingly relied on foreign proxy forces to maintain control of the capital.

“The regime has brought in at least 5,000 foreign elements now from Iraq and Hezbollah to control Tehran,” he explained.

“They are guarding the government buildings and the state radio and TV and are using heavy machine guns, which are Russian-made and .50-caliber.”

Safavi added that “at night, there are fierce clashes that are ongoing as well as running street battles between the protesters and the special unit forces.”

The footage emerged as the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported what it described as Day 24 of nationwide protests marked by a continued communications blackout.

“The number of confirmed deaths has reached 4,519, while the number of deaths still under investigation stands at 9,049,” the agency said, adding that at least 5,811 people have been seriously injured and 26,314 arrested.

HRANA reports also described an overwhelming security presence, particularly with law enforcement, the IRGC, Basij units, and plainclothes agents after nightfall, creating what the group called an atmosphere of deterrence and fear.

The first protests began Dec. 28 and rapidly spread nationwide, driven by economic grievances and opposition to clerical rule.

Demonstrations have persisted despite mass arrests, lethal force, and internet shutdowns.

“Sometimes the protesters hold their ground to the gunfire, ammunition, and volleys of tear gas,” Safavi said.

He alleged that IRGC units attacked a hospital in Gorgan, killing wounded patients, stationing snipers on rooftops, and firing into surrounding areas.

“They then took around 76 bodies to a warehouse and are refusing to hand them over to families because the forces want to bury them in secret,” he claimed.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly blamed foreign enemies for unrest while backing the IRGC’s response.

President Trump on Tuesday warned Iran that continued assassination threats from leaders in Tehran would trigger overwhelming retaliation.

Quote:Iran’s security forces fired their guns indiscriminately into the streets to suppress anti-regime protesters, killing innocent bystanders in the process, witnesses said.

Despite the nationwide internet blackout in Iran, reports have emerged of the regime’s brutality during the weeks-long protests that erupted on Dec. 28, with one mother telling Reuters that security forces shot her 16-year-old daughter in the heart as they watched a protest in Tehran.

“I was there that night. The security forces opened fire on people. They killed my child,” the grieving mother said.

The woman, who only identified herself as Manijeh, said she was out with her teenage daughter on Jan. 8 when they were watching protesters calling for change in Tehran.

The protesters were quickly met by security forces on motorcycles, with witnesses likening the following events to a war zone where officers fired their weapons at the rallygoers.
Manijeh said she ran with her daughter and hid behind a car as gunfire roared, with the mother and child eventually separated in the chaos.

“I searched street after street, screaming her name,” Manijeh recounted, sobbing during the call with Reuters. “She was gone.”

Two days later, Manijeh and her family found the 16-year-old in a black body bag at the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre, in south Tehran, with officials claiming that “terrorists” had killed the girl.

While Iranian officials have claimed that the mounting deaths during the protests were the fault of “rioters,” “terrorists,” and foreign influence, the accounts from witnesses tell a different story.

One Tehran resident said he was walking with his friend, who he identified as 22-year-old art student Arash, when they were caught up in a protest crackdown at Vanak Square.

In the chaos, the friend said he watched as security officials blasted Arash with a shotgun shell, instantly killing the college student.

Another man who identified himself only as Masoud, 38, said his 43-year-old brother was killed while trying to shelter teenage protesters running away from security forces.

One family in the northern city of Rasht alleged that security forces stormed the apartment of their 33-year-old daughter who was watching a protest from her window.

Quote:Iran’s foreign minister blamed supposed Israeli spies for inciting “maximum bloodshed” during the deadly anti-regime protests, claiming it was all part of an elaborate plot to spark US military action.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s top diplomat, echoed conspiracy theories that foreign actors were behind the violence that erupted on Jan. 8 during protests that resulted in the brutal crackdowns and mass deaths, which ultimately triggered President Trump to make threats of military strikes on Iran.

“The purpose was clear: to drag the US into fighting another war on behalf of Israel,” Araghchi claimed Tuesday in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

The foreign minister said it was no coincidence that the violence began after Trump directly threatened to attack Iran if its security forces killed protesters, with Araghchi suggesting Israel seized the opportunity to push the US into action.

The foreign minister, however, provided no evidence for his claim, sharing only a social media post from former Trump CIA director Mike Pompeo, who was celebrating the protests and suggested Mossad agents were in the streets of Tehran.

There is no evidence that Israel, which supports the anti-regime protests, had its intelligence officers operating during the rallies.

Along with spreading the conspiracy theory, Araghchi claimed that the violence during the protests lasted “less than 72 hours” — despite reports indicating that the chaos went on for nearly an entire week.

The foreign minister also said that the violence was a direct response to armed groups who allegedly attacked Iran’s security forces during the protests.

“Gunfire targeted police and civilians alike. Officers were shot, burned and even beheaded,” he added.

He went on to claim that the majority of those killed were police officers and civilians at the hands of violent “rioters.” Araghchi also asserted that only “hundreds” were killed in the violence.

Araghchi’s estimates are far off from the numbers being verified by human rights groups, with the current death toll at 4,519 people, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

The HRANA’s count includes 4,251 protesters, 197 security personnel, 35 people aged under 18 and 38 bystanders.

The exact death toll has remained hard to independently verify due to the nationwide communications blackout in Iran.

Araghchi justified the blackout as a means to stop “foreign and domestic terrorist actors” from meddling in the country.

Quote:The Department of Homeland Security said a child, whom Minnesota Democrats alleged had been targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was actually "abandoned" during an immigration enforcement operation.

After Democrats, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., shared an image of a 5-year-old boy online and claimed he was arrested by ICE while coming home from pre-school, the White House fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson condemned what the Trump administration views as the mainstream media working "hand-in-glove with Democrats to spread malicious lies about ICE operations."

"It’s shameful that the media so quickly runs with the fake Democrat narrative without first getting the facts," Jackson said. "Here’s the reality: ICE officers work heroically with the utmost professionalism to make American communities safer. In this instance, they stayed with a child who was abandoned by his father — an illegal alien from Ecuador."

"The media’s lies have consequences — assaults against ICE officers have increased by 1300% because of dangerous smears against them by elected Democrats that are amplified by the press," she added. "The Trump Administration is not only removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from the country, but we are also locating the countless migrant children that Joe Biden lost. Thanks to the Administration’s efforts well over 120,000 children have been located."

The comments come as a photo is circulating online purportedly showing a young boy wearing a bunny-shaped winter hat standing next to a black vehicle, with an adult’s hand placed on his backpack.

Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik said the boy had been taken by federal agents from a running car while it had been in the family's driveway Tuesday afternoon.

The child, who at the time was arriving home from preschool, was later sent with his father to a detention facility in Texas, The Associated Press reported, citing school officials and the family's lawyer.

"ICE did NOT target a child. The child was ABANDONED," Homeland Security wrote on X on Thursday. "On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration."

"As agents approached the driver Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias fled on foot — abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias," it added.

"Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administration’s immigration enforcement," DHS also said.

In another post, DHS wrote: "Our officer’s made multiple attempts to get the mother inside the house to take custody of her child. Officers even assured her that they would NOT take her into custody. She refused to accept custody of the child. The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him. Our officers primary concern during the entire operation was the safety and welfare of the child. Following the mother’s abandonment of the child, officers abided by the father’s wishes to keep the child with him. Father and son are together at Dilley [Immigration Processing Center]."

Quote:Federal authorities have arrested two anti-ICE agitators after a mob stormed a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday.

Bondi named Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen and William Kelly as the suspects.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Armstrong's arrest was in connection with a violation of the FACE Act, which prohibits interfering with the exercise of religion at a place of worship. Armstrong is expected to appear Thursday before U.S. Judge Douglas Micko.

Allen is charged with conspiracy to deprive rights, the Department of Homeland Security said.

And just days after publicly daring the Department of Justice to arrest him, agitator William Kelly was, indeed, arrested, Bondi said.

Kelly stormed the Cities Church service in St. Paul and berated congregants, according to video posted online.

"Minutes ago at my direction, HSI and FBI agents executed an arrest in Minnesota. So far, we have arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota," Bondi wrote on X.

"A second arrest has been made at my direction. Chauntyll Louisa Allen has been taken into custody," she announced minutes later.

"We will share more updates as they become available. Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP," she added.

Armstrong, whose website identifies her as a civil rights lawyer and "scholar-activist," helped to organize the storming of Cities Church in in St. Paul on Sunday.

Allen is a member of the St. Paul School Board who also helped organize the protest.

Armstrong continued to harass people connected with the church as recently as Wednesday, when she accused one of its pastors of having a "conflict of interest" due to working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Armstrong claimed in a Facebook post that one of the church’s pastors is a leader at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The demonstration is one of many throughout the Twin Cities in protest of the federal government’s surge of immigration enforcement officials to crack down on widespread fraud taking place in the state.

The Sunday attack saw dozens of agitators storm Cities Church during its service. Video from the incident showed activists screaming at congregants, including children.

Before the Sunday service disruption, Armstrong caused controversy through her far-left views and activism. She has also been a key organizer of the boycotts against Target over its decision to scale back its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Quote:Ryan Wedding — the former Olympic snowboarder-turned alleged El Chapo-esque drug trafficker — has been arrested a year after landing on the FBI’s most wanted list, the feds announced Friday.

Wedding was taken into custody Thursday night in Mexico — where he was believed to be hiding out for more than a decade, evading charges related to what the FBI says is a violent multinational drug empire.

“To tell you how bad of a guy Ryan Wedding is, he went from an Olympic snowboarder to the largest narco traffickers in modern times,” FBI Director Kash Patel told reporters at the Ontario International Airport in Southern California — flanked by US and Canadian agents.

“He’s a modern day El Chapo, he is a modern day Pablo Escobar and he thought he could evade justice,” he said.
He will be transported back to the US to face charges, Patel said.

Wedding was wanted by the feds for running an alleged transnational drug trafficking enterprise, shipping massive amounts of cocaine from Colombia to the US and Canada.

Wedding — whose aliases include “El Jefe,” “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” “James Conrad King,” and “Jesse King” — is also accused of involvement in several murders.

“Wedding went from shredding powder on the slopes at the Olympics to distributing powder cocaine on the streets of U.S. cities and in his native Canada,” said Akil Davis, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office when he was added to the agency’s Most Wanted List in March.

He was arrested in Mexico City, although Patel declined to provide additional details about the operation, which was carried out with Mexican, Canadian and local law enforcement partners.

Wedding’s arrest marks the sixth FBI top-ten most wanted fugitive captured under the Trump administration, according to Patel.

Quote:Former special counsel Jack Smith was asked Thursday at a congressional hearing whether he had any "regrets," a question that drew fresh attention to two criminal investigations that shadowed Donald Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign.

Smith replied to a question from Republican Representative Kevin Kiley of California, in part, “If I have any regret, it would be not expressing enough appreciation for my staff, who worked so hard in these investigations. We followed the facts and the law. These people who worked for me sacrificed endlessly and have endured way too much for just doing their jobs. If anything, I wished I would have thanked them..."

Kiley quipped back, "No mistakes. There's that humility. Mr. Chair, I yield back."

Smith on Thursday defended his investigations of Trump at the contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing, insisting that he acted without political motivation and had no regrets about the criminal charges he brought. The appearance marked Smith’s first public testimony since leaving the post last year and came after he answered lawmakers’ questions in a closed session last month.

The five-hour hearing immediately broke along familiar partisan lines. Republican lawmakers sought to depict Smith as an overaggressive prosecutor determined to target Trump, while Democrats pushed to reinforce the legitimacy of his work and to elicit new insights into the former president’s conduct.

“It was always about politics,” said Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, the Republican chairman of the committee.

“Maybe for them,” Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland replied in his opening statement. “But for us, it’s all about the rule of law.”

Smith reiterated that he stood firmly by his decisions as special counsel to bring charges against Trump in two separate cases. One accused Trump of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election after his loss to Joe Biden; the second alleged that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, after leaving the White House.

He emphasized that he “followed Justice Department policies, observed legal requirements and took actions based on the fact and the law.”

“Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity,” Smith said. “If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Republican or a Democrat. No one should be above the law in our country, and the law required that he be held to account.”

I don't remember Trump trying to get Biden killed or preventing him from becoming the 46th US president. He just flew somewhere else and let them take care of his own ceremony. Claiming that elections have been stolen from him is not a crime per se. How curious that Smith forget facts like Epps working for the FBI to agitate people and provoke them to invade the US Capitol that Nancy Pelosi as then House Speaker did not want to reinforce with National Guard troops.

Smith didn't mention how leftist poll workers produced extra ballots and let the Dominion systems process them as if they were legal votes for Biden most of the time. Responsible citizens denounced those illegal actions and signed affidavits because they were convinced that their coworkers broke the law, and the Biden administration simply jailed them for going against their narrative.

And lastly, Smith's assignment as special counsel to probe Trump's alleged crimes was illegal from the very beginning. They had skipped steps required by law to make his appointment valid.

Before we learned about NATO Chief Rutte speaking about the agreement he had reached with Trump...

Quote:Russian pundits have rejoiced over President Donald Trump's approach to Greenland, which they said was "delivering a catastrophic blow to NATO."

On the Russian TV show One's Own Truth, hosted by Roman Babayan, political scientist Sergey Stankevich said in Trump trying to take Greenland, Americans are "delivering a catastrophic blow to NATO because one country that is a member of NATO is taking away the territory that rightfully belongs to a country that is also a member of NATO, despite all protests and despite international law."

This comes as, on Monday, the Kremlin said "Trump will certainly go down in history" if he took control of Greenland. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added he was not discussing whether such a step would be good or bad—simply stating a fact.

A NATO official told Newsweek: "At NATO, we all agree on the importance of the Arctic and the North Atlantic to our shared security."
...
What To Know

On the show, host Babayan said "Yes, it's wonderful, let them deal with Greenland, I think this benefits us" as pundits continued to discuss Trump's actions toward Greenland and what it could mean for NATO.

American journalist residing in Moscow, Michael Bohm said: "Trump's attempt is very different from all previous ones, because he says that if they don't want to do it nicely, and Denmark doesn't want to, then it will happen the bad way. This is very serious."

Babayan responded: "It's wonderful."

Alongside the pundits' reaction on the NTV show, which is owned by Gazprom-Media, a major Russian media conglomerate that has strong ties to the state, Russian newspapers have also been commenting on the escalations in tensions over Greenland.

One paper, Moskovsky Komsomolets, recently had an article that read: "Europe is at a total loss and, to be honest, it's a pleasure to watch this…" according to the BBC.

The Russian government newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, said "the Old World's keen to keep Greenland for itself, even at the risk of NATO’s collapse," according to a BBC report, but based on the BBC's analysis of the paper, it appeared the Russian government was blaming European leaders for the risk of collapse not Donald Trump, and that there was an absence of criticism toward Trump's actions.

The BBC said that the article almost "borders on praise" for Trump in regards to Greenland. The article read, according to the BBC: "Standing in the way of the U.S. president's historic breakthrough, is the stubbornness of Copenhagen and the mock solidarity with it of a number of intransigent European capitals, including the so-called friends of America — Britain and France."

This also comes as figures close to Russian President Vladimir Putin have welcomed Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on NATO allies over Greenland.

Kirill Dmitriev, a key figure in negotiations with the U.S. over the war in Ukraine, posted on X that "the trans-Atlantic alliance is over." 

On Sunday, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom also issued a joint statement, as shared by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on X, stating in part: "We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland. Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind."

They added: "Tariff threats undermine trans-Atlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty."

Quote:Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join U.S. President Donald Trump's so-called Board of Peace, according to Russian state media agency TASS, citing a senior Kremlin official.

Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email on Monday.
...
What To Know

The Board of Peace is a U.S.-led international body created as part of Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza. It is tasked with overseeing the strip's postwar reconstruction and governance. Structured in three tiers, it includes a top council chaired by Trump alongside global political and business figures, a regional executive board and a Palestinian technocratic committee.

The group seeks to stabilize Gaza, demilitarize Hamas and manage billions in rebuilding funds—while signaling ambitions to expand into other global conflicts.

Several world leaders confirmed over the weekend that they had been invited to join the initiative. Trump's allies have framed the board as a bold alternative to existing global institutions, while critics warn that it could undermine the United Nations and entrench U.S. influence in Middle East diplomacy.

"Indeed, President Putin also received an offer through diplomatic channels to join this Peace Council," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told TASS. "At the moment, we are studying all the details of this proposal."

Trump's initiative has reached more than 60 national leaders, with confirmations from leaders in Jordan, Argentina, Egypt, Turkey, Hungary and Vietnam, among others. The White House denied reports that permanent board membership required a $1 billion contribution, saying, "There is no minimum membership fee."

"This simply offers permanent membership to partner countries who demonstrate deep commitment to peace, security, and prosperity," the White House said, appearing to refer to the $1 billion cost first reported by Bloomberg.

Israel criticized the composition of the board, saying it was not consulted on membership decisions and that no Israeli politicians were among the appointees. The United Nations Security Council endorsed the Board of Peace framework for Gaza through at least 2027, but the mechanism for coordination with existing multilateral organizations remains unclear.

In London on Monday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Trump's efforts in Gaza but declined to endorse the board during a news conference, simply saying he was "talking to allies" about Trump's terms.

Quote:President Donald Trump said that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's invitation for Canada to join the "Board of Peace" is withdrawn, in a post to Truth Social Thursday night.

The “Board of Peace,” launched by Trump this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and intended to guide Gaza’s transition out of war, has drawn mixed responses from allies.

Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for additional information.
...
What To Know

In a post to Truth Social, Trump said, "Dear Prime Minister Carney: Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"

Carney previously told reporters that he had agreed for Canada to join in principle, but details still needed to be resolved.

Trump unveiled the "Board of Peace" at Davos, with an executive panel including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, Tony Blair, Ajay Banga, Robert Gabriel and Marc Rowan to spearhead the initiative.

Other nations have declined or deferred, including France, Norway and Sweden.

Quote:Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is "very much concerned" by what it believes is the ongoing presence of the U.S. Typhon missile system in Japan, in light of deepening military and strategic cooperation between Washington and Tokyo.

Lavrov, speaking to journalists in Moscow, said NATO allies from outside the region had also been part of what he said was the "militarization" of Japan, with drills and other military activity "happening in close proximity to Russia's borders".

Newsweek contacted the State Department for comment outside of normal business hours.

The Japanese Defense Ministry had told Newsweek in October that the U.S. was preparing to remove the Typhon system and it was "not intended to be a permanent deployment." The following month, the Japanese Foreign Ministry responded to Russian concerns about the weapon, saying it was not directed at any country in particular.

Deployments of the Typhon system to the Asia-Pacific are intended to reassure U.S. allies as China, in strategic partnership with Russia, increasingly asserts itself with aggression in the region. China is also rapidly building up its military capabilities.

NATO sees the Asia-Pacific as connected to transatlantic security because of the deepening partnership between China and Russia, which is waging a years-long invasion of Ukraine and posing a broader threat through hybrid war to European allies.

Beijing provides substantial financial support through oil purchases to Russia's sanctions-hit war economy. But the Western alliance also fears that China could bog U.S. military resources down defending Taiwan should Beijing decide to invade the island, and so limiting Washington's ability to defend European NATO members against Moscow.

In August, the U.S. deployed its mid-range Typhon missile system to one of its bases in Japan for the first time, part of Washington's effort to increase its presence and strengthen its military posture in the Asia-Pacific to counter China, its great power rival.

The land-based Typhon weapon is capable of firing the Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) and Tomahawk cruise missiles, and was deployed to the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Iwakuni, in southwestern Japan, for exercises.

"We were told that it was on a temporary basis for some military drills, but according to our information, these offensive systems, the Typhon systems, which are meant to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, are still in Japan," Lavrov said, originally in Russian.

"So maybe it's not just about military drills. Maybe this is more about a permanent presence, if I can say that. We have had no official confirmation that these systems have been withdrawn, so we are still very much concerned about that."

The system was deployed to Iwakuni during a bilateral war game, code-named Resolute Dragon 25, held in September.

The 1,000-mile-range Tomahawk cruise missiles could strike China, Russia, and North Korea from Japan.

The SM-6 has a range of 290 miles and is designed to conduct anti-air and anti-surface warfare operations as well as ballistic missile defense missions.

Quote:While President Donald Trump has pointed to national security concerns surrounding Russia to justify his push to acquire Greenland, Russia has not publicly said it is eyeing the territory.

Moscow has however been very clear that it views the Arctic as an area of strategic significance.

“So far we know Russia has been increasingly active in the Arctic region with various military bases being refurbished, new equipment stationed, and military exercises conducted. Such developments are in direct conflict with the national security interests of the U.S, Canada, and EU,” Dani Belo, director of the Global Policy Horizons Research Lab at Webster University, told Newsweek.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry for comment via email.
...
What to Know

Russia has not made public statements indicating it plans to acquire Greenland.

Vladimir Barbin, the Russian ambassador to Denmark, told Russian state media Tass in a January 14, 2026, interview that Russia has “no claims” toward Greenland.

"Russia has no aggressive plans with regard to its Arctic neighbors. It is not threatening them with military action, not blackmailing them, and is not preparing to lay a claim to their territory,” Barbin told the media outlet.

He accused NATO countries of “broadly using fantasies about a Russian or Chinese threat in order to militarize the Arctic Region,” adding that a “confrontational approach” would lead to a “degradation of security” and “military tensions.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia was not interested in Greenland, but that Greenland was not a “natural part” of Denmark, Reuters reported.

In March 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Trump’s plans for Greenland “is an issue that concerns two specific nations and has nothing to do with us,” as reported by CNBC at the time. He said it would be a “profound mistake” not to take Trump’s remarks seriously and that the U.S. has had plans for Greenland since the 1860s.

“In short, the United States has serious plans regarding Greenland. These plans have long historical roots, as I have just mentioned, and it is obvious that the United States will continue to consistently advance its geo-strategic, military-political and economic interests in the Arctic,” Putin said, according to the report.

In January 2025, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said it was watching Trump’s rhetoric on Greenland “with great interest,” CNBC also reported.

Russian media pundits have celebrated Trump's approach to Greenland, which they have viewed as a "catastrophic blow to NATO."

Dani Belo, director of the Global Policy Horizons Research Lab, told Newsweek “credible intelligence” may provide insights into whether Russia has the “intent and capacity” to claim Greenland.

Russian presence on Greenland could be a “stepping stone for the conduct of military and non-military operations by Moscow closer to the North American continent,” he said.

Robert English, professor of international relations at the University of Southern California, told Newsweek that Russia’s military power in the Arctic has indeed increased in recent years but remains dwarfed by that of NATO.

“From ice-hardened navy vessels and submarine deployments, to long-range airpower projection, NATO is far ahead of Russia,” he said.

Russia has not threatened Greenland, he said, noting that it has “more oil, gas and minerals of its own than it could consume in 50 years and thus has no need of Greenland’s.” Russia’s Arctic deployments are mostly focused on securing shipping routes and port access.

I don't think that 50 years of valuable resources are something you should treat as garbage. Who knows what kind of crises might come along the way...

Quote:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he and Donald Trump have reached an agreement on postwar U.S. security guarantees for his country, following their meeting in Davos on Thursday.

Zelensky told reporters that a document on the guarantees was "finished" and just needed to be "signed by the sides, by the presidents, and then will go to national parliaments."

However, he said those guarantees would only come into play "after the war will stop."
...
What To Know

Zelensky was speaking after his meeting with Trump and several senior members of the administration, which he described as “productive and meaningful."

The Ukrainian president did not outline all specific terms, but said the agreement, when ratified by both countries’ governments, would be a key element of a potential peace framework aimed at ending Russia’s ongoing invasion. He also stressed that while security guarantees were being finalized, territorial issues with Russia remain unresolved.

Zelensky also took aim at Europe in his comments, accusing leaders of having no "political will" and contrasting the European Union and NATO's slow response to Russia with Trump's decisive action in Venezuela.

What Are Security Guarantees?

Security guarantees are formal commitments by other countries to protect Ukraine from future aggression, including potential military support if Russia attacks again. Zelensky said these guarantees are meant to ensure Ukraine no longer has to live in fear that the war could restart.

Unlike full NATO membership, these guarantees would likely be bilateral or multilateral pledges by various partners to uphold Ukraine’s security, without committing Ukraine to an alliance treaty.

What Did Zelensky Say About Europe?

In the same Davos address, Zelensky sharply criticized European allies for their slow and fragmented support.

“Europe looks lost,” he said, urging the continent to build a stronger, unified political voice rather than being reactive.

He compared repeated calls for support to the movie Groundhog Day, saying, “Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed.”

Well, Trump has been trying to make the EU understand how dangerous it is to underestimate Russia for years now.

Quote:Japanese fighter jets have intercepted multiple Russian military aircraft, including nuclear-capable bombers, approaching the country's airspace, according to official reports.

Russia's Defense Ministry said the bomber-led flight was conducted over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea in South Korea, noting that its aircraft operated in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace.

Confirming the incident on Friday, the Joint Staff Office of Japan's Defense Ministry said it would maintain vigilance and take "all necessary measures" against airspace violations in accordance with international law and the Self-Defense Forces Law.
...
What To Know

The Russian Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that Tu-95MS strategic bombers, without disclosing the exact number of aircraft, conducted a planned mission lasting more than 11 hours over the Sea of Japan, escorted by Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets.

According to Japan's Joint Staff Office, three groups of Russian aircraft were tracked over different parts of the Sea of Japan on Wednesday. Each group consisted of at least two Tu-95MS bombers, and two of the groups also included two fighter aircraft each.

No Russian aircraft entered Japan's sovereign airspace, which extends up to 13.8 miles from the coastline, according to a map provided by Japan's Joint Staff Office.

Japan's Joint Staff Office reported the Air Self-Defense Force deployed fighter jets and took appropriate action amid the possibility of airspace violations over the Sea of Japan.

In a post on the social media platform X, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the Russian bombers are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, noting that Russia also deployed bombers for a joint air patrol with China near Japan in December.

"This cannot be seen as anything but a show of force against our country," he wrote, warning that Russia's military movements, along with its strategic coordination with China, have raised "strong defense concerns" in both Japan and the Indo-Pacific region.

Quote:The Kremlin again warned that its war in Ukraine would continue until Russia's goals were met, and that there could be no long-term peace without resolving the territorial issues at the heart of negotiations, after the latest talks in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Witkoff and Kushner headed straight from Moscow to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where a fresh set of trilateral negotiations between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine is scheduled to take place on Friday. On Thursday, Witkoff expressed optimism about the prospect of reaching a peace deal soon, saying the negotiations were down to a single issue that he described as solvable.

U.S. President Donald Trump, a self-styled global peacemaker, has made ending Russia's war in Ukraine a priority for his administration, having initially said he could bring about peace on "Day One" of his second term. But the war continues at a human cost of tens of thousands of lives every month. February will see the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

"The talks lasted about four hours and were exceptionally substantive and constructive and, I would say, extremely—extremely—frank and conducted in a spirit of trust," said top Putin adviser Yuri Ushakov, who gave an update to journalists in Moscow, state news agency RIA reported.

Ushakov also said, originally in Russian: "As Vladimir Putin has emphasized, we are sincerely interested in resolving the Ukrainian crisis through political and diplomatic means. But until that happens, Russia will continue to consistently pursue the objectives set for the special military operation."

He said the "main point is that during these talks between our president and the Americans, it was once again stated that without resolving the territorial issue according to the formula agreed in Anchorage, one should not expect to achieve a long-term settlement.”

Russia is demanding that Ukraine hand over the remainder of its industrial Donbas region, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, not already under the control of the Kremlin's forces. Ukraine still holds two fortress cities in Donetsk—Kramatorsk and Sloviansk—that analysts say could take years for Russia to conquer.

Ukraine says it is constitutionally bound to hold a referendum on ceding territory, but it cannot lawfully conduct a vote while the country is under martial law due to the war.

Kyiv also objects to rewarding Russia for its aggression, a position supported by its European allies, who are concerned about the broader implications for security on the Continent if the Kremlin has designs on other former Soviet states, such as those in the Baltic.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that the Donbas issue would be discussed in Abu Dhabi, according to Ukrinform, a state news agency in Kyiv.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, declined to elaborate on the Anchorage formula referred to by Ushakov. He said the Kremlin does not want to “go into details publicly” about it, state news agency TASS reported, adding: “We consider this to be inadvisable."

Zelensky held a "productive and substantive" meeting with Trump at the annual World Economic Forum gathering in Davos on Thursday. "Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine," Zelensky said, "and this is important for us."

On Wednesday, Trump said Zelensky and Putin would be stupid not to agree on a peace deal.

Quote:Ukraine’s top security official confirmed Friday that his country, the US and Russia had held the first-ever trilateral meeting meant to restart long-stalled efforts to end Moscow’s nearly four-year-old invasion of its neighbor.

In a post on X, Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said the participants — including special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Army Secretary Gen. Daniel Driscoll, Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, and White House senior adviser Josh Gruenbaum for the US— discussed charting a path toward ending the deadliest European conflict since World War II.

“The meeting focused on the parameters for ending Russia’s war and the further logic of the negotiation process aimed at advancing toward a dignified and lasting peace,” he said.

Representing Ukraine in Abu Dhabi were Umerov, Ukrainian parliament majority leader David Arakhamia, chief of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office Kyrylo Budanov, as well as Budanov’s deputy, Sergiy Kyslytsya.

Moscow’s team included intelligence and defense leaders led by chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian army Igor Kostyukov, according to the Kremlin.

“These aspects: Buffer zones, various control mechanisms, are discussed at the meeting along with other important topics,” an unidentified source told Russia’s state-run TASS news.

Additional talks are expected to be held on Saturday, Umerov added.

Zelensky said he has been receiving hourly updates from his team in the United Arab Emirates and Ukraine’s “positions are clear,” but that it’s “too early” to interpret how the discussions are going. 

“The key is that Russia must be ready to end the war it started,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on X.

“[I]t is still too early to draw conclusions,” Zelensky continued. “We will see how the conversation develops tomorrow and what results it produces.

“It is necessary that not only Ukraine has the desire to end the war and achieve full security, but that a similar desire somehow emerges in Russia as well.”

On Thursday, Witkoff indicated that negotiations are down to “one issue,” without elaborating.

“[W]e have discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it’s solvable,” Witkoff said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Quote:A hoard of hundreds of Roman-era silver coins and precious metals was recovered in northern Germany, years after it went unreported to authorities.

The find was announced by the Lower Saxony State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (NLD) in October.

It was found near Borsum, in the district of Hildesheim.

The hoard consisted of 450 silver coins, bars of silver, a gold ring, and a gold coin.

German officials said the 2,000-year-old hoard was discovered by a detectorist in 2017 — but it wasn’t until April 2025 that he reported it.

NLD archaeologists headed to the site in October to find exactly where the hoard was taken, and to “recover objects still in the ground,” the organization said.

“Particular attention was paid to the question whether — despite the destroyed context of the find — information about the type of burial 2,000 years ago could still be obtained through the improper excavation in 2017,” the statement added.

“As part of this investigation, additional coins were found; the treasure trove was completely recovered after the excavation was completed.”
The NLD also described the treasure as “one of the largest treasure troves of Roman coins in Lower Saxony.”

“Given the present state of knowledge, the coins can be dated to the early Roman Empire, a time of co-existence, juxtaposition and opposition between Romans and Germanic peoples,” the statement said.

Officials cautioned that a comprehensive scientific analysis was still needed.

“Only then can it be assessed where the artifacts came from and why they were buried here,” said the NLD. “Were they Romans or Germanic peoples?”

The detectorist who found the hoard will not face legal repercussions, as the statute of limitations expired, officials said.

Sebastian Messal, an archaeologist at NLD, told Fox News Digital that treasures like this are rare to find in Lower Saxony, but not unheard of.

“Comparable discoveries are nevertheless well known in the region… Among other examples, 3,000 coins were recovered in Jever, and more than 1,100 Roman coins are known from Lengerich,” he said.

As of mid-January, Messal added that the finds are still awaiting scientific analysis — but the scientific value of the hoard is “enormous.”

The hoard’s monetary value has not been reviewed.

Messal noted that a single Roman denarius can fetch up to 130 euros depending on its condition.

How the hoard was buried in the first place remains unclear, Messal said, because the detectorist’s improper excavation destroyed the original archaeological context.

Quote:Iran’s security forces are raiding hospitals and arresting wounded suspected protesters — including actors and athletes — in the nation’s latest crackdown on the anti-government movement.

Security forces have stormed hospitals as they carry out mass arrests across multiple cities, detaining patients receiving treatment for suspected protest-related injuries, according to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Those swept up in the ruthless clampdown include actors, athletes, business owners, lawyers, human rights activists and more — all accused of protesting the regime amid a collapsing economy.

“We have indications that the security forces made mass arrests in several cities, even pursing injured people into hospitals, and detaining lawyers, human rights defendants, activists, and ordinary civilians,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk charged during an urgent council session in Geneva Friday.

“The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has reportedly opened criminal cases against athletes, actors, people involved in the movie industry, and the owners of cafes, on charges of supporting the protests. I call on the Iranian authorities to reconsider, to pull back, and to end their brutal repression.”

Turk condemned forces of using live ammunition on protesters, killing “thousands of people, including children,” since imposing a near-total internet blackout on Jan. 8 to conceal the relentless massacre.

Former UN prosecutor and Iranian-Canadian lawyer Payam Akhavan called for a “Nuremberg movement” during the meeting, referencing the post-World War II trials in which Nazi leaders were prosecutors and sentenced to death for their atrocities.

“This is the worst mass murder in the contemporary history of Iran,” he said.

While Iran’s UN ambassador Ali Bahreini reported about 3,000 deaths in the unrest, a UN human rights experts warned Tehran’s crackdown on anti-regime protesters has resulted in up to 20,000 Iranian demonstrators being killed.

The council approved a motion extending and mandating investigations into the Islamic Republic brutalizing its populace and urged Tehran to cooperate fully with the probe.

Seven countries, including China and India, voted against the resolution, while 25 nations, including France, Mexico, and South Korea, voted in favor. Fourteen countries abstained.

The protests, which exploded on Dec. 28, spread rapidly across all 31 provinces, morphing from demonstrations over a collapsing economy into the most serious threat to Iran’s clerical rulers since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The regime answered with overwhelming force, deploying the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Basij militia to crush the unrest, according to rights groups and witness accounts.

Leaked images have since shown the bodies of hundreds of victims piled inside and outside morgues.

President Trump announced Thursday that at least 132,000 tons of US Navy hardware is steaming toward Iran — including the nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers.

Quote:WASHINGTON — Abe will keep Iran honest!

President Trump said he’s got an “armada” was sailing toward Iran — and he meant the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group.

On Thursday, the commander-in-chief told reporters that “maybe we won’t have to use” the carrier strike group but that the US had “a lot of ships” going in Iran’s direction “just in case.”

At least 132,000 tons of US Navy hardware is steaming toward the Middle East — including the nuclear-powered “Abe” and three guided-missile destroyers.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is hauling five squadrons of strike fighters, with a max capacity of 90 aircraft.

These include F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters and EA-18G Growler radar jammers — along with Osprey tilt-rotor transports and MH-60S Seahawk helicopters.

Tehran’s crackdown on anti-regime protesters has resulted in up to 20,000 Iranian demonstrators being killed, according to a United Nations human rights expert.

Leaked images showing the bodies of hundreds of victims of the crackdown emerged after Trump’s threat to send “help” if the Islamic Republic continued to brutalize its populace.

Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the mullahs’ iron-fisted rule and harsh economic conditions.

“We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely. I stopped 837 hangings on Thursday,” Trump added.

“They would have been dead. Everyone would have been hung. This is like from 1,000 years ago.”

“I said, ‘If you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. It’ll make what we did to you around nuclear look like peanuts,’” he continued.

Quote:Some of Iran’s richest residents fled to Turkey so they could party while back home their country’s oppressive government was slaughtering thousands of residents as anti-government protests raged.

The well-heeled unimpeded by the economic crisis that first sparked the national outrage have taken shelter in Van, a Turkish province just over 60 miles away from Iran’s border. Reporters with The Telegraph observed “elite Iranians gathering” in a nightclub.

“These people benefit from the regime. They left Iran for now, because they were worried about staying there. Here, they can feel safe,” one Iranian at the club told the outlet.

“They have made a lot of money from their businesses in Iran, and then they come here to spend it,” he added.

On the other side of the mountain range separating Iran and Turkey, tens of thousands of protesters are still pushing ahead with the weeks-long anti-government protests.

Graphic footage that surfaced from the demonstrations in Iran showed an indiscernible number of corpses lined up in rows outside of multiple morgues.

Survivors detailed their experiences watching the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the state’s core military branch, spraying “everyone with gunfire” and “calmly trying to aim for people’s heads.”

Quote:He really wanted to know everone’s thoughts on Donald Trump.

One journalist really wanted every American Tennis star’s opinion on President Donald Trump and wouldn’t stop asking about it. Many of the country’s biggest stars were asked about President Trump’s second term at the Australian Open.

A reporter at the Grand Slam made it a routine to ask American players their thoughts on the U.S. one year into Trump’s second term. American tennis star Madison Keys said she hoped the U.S. could “come together and get back to the values that I think make our country great.”

Not everybody was receptive to his question. Amanda Anisimova and Taylor Fritz balked at the question.

The reporter said, “Congratulations on the win. I’ve been asking a lot of the American players just how it feels to play under the American flag right now. And I’m curious how you feel?”

Anisiomova replied, “Yeah, I mean, I was born in America, so I’m always proud to represent my country. And yeah, a lot of us are doing really well, and it’s great to see a lot of, you know, great athletes on the women’s side, on the men’s side. So, yeah, I feel like we’re all um doing a great job representing ourselves.”

Not willing to give up on his political questions, the reporter followed up, “Sorry. Just to clarify a little, I mean, sort of in the context of the last year of everything that’s been happening in the U.S., does that complicate that feeling at all?”

Anisimova said, “I don’t think that’s relevant.”

Quote:Close-up videos of the fatal Minneapolis shooting showed protester Alex Jeffrey Pretti was armed with a gun — with the agent who fired the more than a dozen shots clearly reacting to something that alarmed him amid the chaos.

It’s unclear if Pretti had drawn the weapon and was immediately disarmed, if an officer had pulled it from his clothing or if he was in the process of pulling it out when a separate federal officer was seen taking it from the 37-year-old as he was pinned to the ground.

Videos of the incident show officers shouting “he’s got a gun,” as the unidentified agent reached into Pretti’s waistband to retrieve the weapon.

At one point an officer in gray coat is seen emerging from the melee with the gun, which officials said was a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. According to close up video of that moment, as the officer holds the gun, the gun’s slide moves, meaning it may have fired, causing a loud noise of a gunshot shortly before other officer fired at Pretti.

In various videos,the agent who fired the fatal shots could be seen shooting the armed protester at close range, then pumping at least 9 more rounds into his body as Pretti lay motionless on the ground.

Moments before the fatal incident, one video showed Pretti gripping his phone while helping a woman who was pushed to the ground by an immigration agent, who relentlessly sprayed the pair with tear gas.

A hoard of federal officers pulled him away from the woman and brought him to the ground, where Pretti struggled on his hands and knees for several seconds before an agent wearing a gray jacket appeared to seize his gun — and the fatal shots rang out moments later.

The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti had approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun as they were conducting a “targeted” arrest.

“The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said at a press conference Saturday night.

“Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots. Medics were on the scene immediately and attempted to deliver medical aid to the subject, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump’s top lieutenants Sunday joined him in blaming Minnesota Dems for “inciting” the anti-ICE chaos that has led to two protesters’ deaths at the hands of federal agents — claiming immigration authorities have battled unprecedented obstacles since arriving in the state to address widespread fraud accusations.

“We saw a resistance in Minneapolis like we haven’t seen anywhere else in this country,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News — as the feds and local law enforcement began squabbling about the investigative jurisdiction of the latest shooting scene involving Saturday’s killing of protester Alex Pretti’s

Noem said the Minnesota immigration crackdown was sparked by an alleged multibillion-dollar benefits scam largely carried out by local immigrant communities – but that Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey encouraged” radicals to “take to the streets and to resist law enforcement” during the feds’ effort.

“It really is [an] irresponsibility that we haven’t seen out of someone in any other state,” she said, repeating a sentiment Trump first levied Saturday after the 37-year-old Pretti was killed by Border Patrol agents who found a gun on him at a Minneapolis protest.

Pretti – an ICU nurse for a veterans hospital – put himself between a woman who had been pepper-sprayed by federal agents. He was then tackled and found to have a gun, which was legally registered to him.

The agents appeared to have removed the handgun from him before a hail of about 10 shots was fired by Border Patrol and Pretti was killed, video showed.

But some footage may also show Pretti’s handgun accidentally discharging after an agent had taken it, suggesting the authorities who fatally fired on him may have been responding to that.

President Trump quickly kicked off laying the blame on Frey and Walz soon after the smoke settled.

“The Mayor and the Governor are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!” Trump fumed on Truth Social on Saturday. “These sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that [have] been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States.”

Trump administration officials took up the call soon after – including Noem and Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino, who called his agents “the victims” and speculated that Pretti had answered Democrats’ supposed calls and taken to the streets to resist ICE.

“Was he there for a reason? Did he fall victim to that violent and heated rhetoric by Mayor Frey and Gov. Walz?” Bovino said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.

An investigation into the shooting is under way, according to Noem and Bovino, though neither clarified whether Pretti was armed with another weapon as he was pinned down and had his 9mm pistol removed.

Quote:U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz demanding the state take three specific actions before federal immigration agents would consider reducing their presence in Minneapolis, including handing over voter rolls.

In the letter, Bondi blamed both state and local leaders for the unrest that has come in response to the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations. She said that Walz could "restore the rule of law."

The Context

The letter comes after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, during a federal immigration enforcement operation. The shooting of Pretti comes less than three weeks after Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot dead by an immigration agent in the same city.

Both incidents have sparked widespread protests and condemnation. In the case of both shootings, conflicting narratives have come from federal and state officials, and video footage taken by bystanders at both incidents has sparked questions and criticism.

Federal agents said that Pretti resisted violently, and Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said that an official fired "defensive shots." Walz, though, has said that this account is "nonsense" and "lies."

Following the shooting, the odds of a government shutdown have surged after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said his party will block a Department of Homeland Security funding package.

What To Know

Bondi set out a list of three demands in the letter, including that the Department of Justice be given the state’s voter registration records, that the state repeal the "sanctuary policies," and share its records on Medicaid, and Food and Nutrition Service programs.

The attorney general said that there had been a 1,300 percent increase in violence against ICE officers and a 3,200 percent increase in vehicular attacks against federal agents, using these figures as justification for continued operations.

She blamed the rhetoric of Minnesota officials for the violence and wrote, "You and other Minnesota officials have refused to support the men and women risking their lives to protect Americans and uphold the rule of law."

She criticized Walz specifically for describing federal law enforcement as "Trump's modern-day Gestapo" and criticized Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for saying "ICE: Get the f*** out of Minneapolis."

The letter has prompted criticism online from Democratic voices.                                                     

Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, wrote on X, "This has never been about safety or immigration. It’s a pretext for Trump to take over elections in swing states."

Democratic Strategist Matt McDermott also addressed the letter in a post viewed over 4 million times, where he wrote, "As insane as this sounds, it’s true: Pam Bondi sent Minnesota officials a letter today saying ICE would leave the state if Minnesota turns over its voter files to the Trump Administration."

Well, Trump went a little bit further than Bondi...

Quote:President Donald Trump issued five specific demands to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, all Democratic governors and mayors, and Congress on Sunday, calling on them to "formally cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation's Laws" following the fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis.

Newsweek reached out to Walz and Frey's office via email on Sunday for comment.
...
Trump on Truth Social

The president posted on Sunday:

US President Donald J. Trump Wrote:"That is why I am hereby calling on Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and EVERY Democrat Governor and Mayor in the United States of America to formally cooperate with the Trump Administration to enforce our Nation's Laws, rather than resist and stoke the flames of Division, Chaos, and Violence:

1. Governor Walz and Mayor Frey should turn over all Criminal Illegal Aliens that are currently incarcerated in their State Prisons and Jails to Federal Authorities, along with all Illegal Criminals with an active warrant or known Criminal History, for Immediate Deportation.
   
2. State and Local Law Enforcement must agree to turn over all Illegal Aliens arrested by Local Police.
   
3. Local Police must assist Federal Law Enforcement in apprehending and detaining Illegal Aliens who are wanted for Crimes.
   
4. Democrat Politicians must partner with the Federal Government to protect American Citizens in the rapid removal of all Criminal Illegal Aliens in our Country. Some Democrats, in places like Memphis, Tennessee, or Washington, D.C., have done so, resulting in safer streets for ALL.
   

In addition, I am hereby calling on the United States Congress to immediately pass Legislation to END Sanctuary Cities, which is the root cause of all of these problems. American Cities should be Safe Sanctuaries for Law Abiding American Citizens ONLY, not Illegal Alien Criminals who broke our Nation's Laws.

All of these requests are rooted in COMMON SENSE, and will provide the best possible circumstances to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The Trump Administration is standing by, and waiting for ANY Democrat to do the right thing, and work with us on these important matters of MAKING AMERICA SAFE like it is in all sections of our Country where we are, together with Local Leadership, participating and involved.

DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"

But there's a question remaining on the air, who was ICE trying to arrest when the shooting happened?

Quote:The accused criminal migrant in the operation that resulted in the shooting death of a Minneapolis anti-ICE protester Saturday has been identified as illegal alien Jose Huerta-Chuma.

Huerta-Chuma, of Ecuador, was arrested by Department of Homeland Security officers on Saturday and apprehended for driving without a license, according to Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino and the Washington Times.

Huerta-Chuma’s criminal record includes charges for domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and driving without a license, federal authorities said.
Details about his illegal entry into the country and the nature of his crimes were not provided by the Department of Homeland Security.

The traffic stop apprehension was disrupted by anti-ICE protesters — resulting in the deadly scuffle between uniformed officers and civilians on the icy Minneapolis streets.

Protester Alex Jeffrey Pretti was part of the street-side struggle, according to video, and became the center of a scrum of roughly six officers who tackled the 37-year-old after he attempted to separate ICE agents from demonstrators.

Pretti was armed with a semi-automatic pistol and two magazines of ammunition at the time, DHS said.

Bovino claimed Pretti approached officers with the weapon and “violently resisted” agents when they attempted to wrestle the gun from him, he said in a news conference.

Quote:As much of the Northeast digs out from the biggest snowstorm in half a decade, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston could all be on track to see another major system on its heels.

New York City recorded 11.4 inches of snow in Central Park early Monday, while Boston topped 20 inches from this massive snowstorm, dubbed Winter Storm Fern.

New York City is investigating seven deaths that are potentially weather-related.

In Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, the coroner’s office said three people died in separate medical incidents while they were cleaning up snow on Sunday.

Meanwhile, life-threatening temperatures are now the focus of states across the Northeast as a large dip in the jet stream parks over the eastern US, ushering in days of Arctic temperatures associated with the polar vortex.

The Arctic air will refreeze existing ice and snow, which means the impressive snow totals from this weekend will likely not melt this week, and freezing temperatures will likely remain through the end of the month.

Unlike the sprawling cross-country nature of the historic storm this past weekend, this next threat would be a coastal system.

The FOX Forecast Center is closely monitoring an evolving weather pattern around the Northern Hemisphere that could open the door for a potential nor’easter this coming weekend.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, a robust disturbance in the upper layers of the atmosphere could get caught up in this massive dip in the jet stream and potentially spawn a storm off the mid-Atlantic or Southeast coast.

The dip will serve multiple roles, including reinforcing cold air across the region and suppressing the storm track farther to the south.

Later this week, a strong upper-level disturbance moving through the jet stream could trigger the formation of a low-pressure system off the East Coast as the trough shifts eastward.

However, there is a large degree of uncertainty among computer forecast models regarding this outcome.

FOX Weather meteorologists Bob Van Dillen and Jane Minar noted Monday that both the traditional European and the AI-driven European forecast models indicated more impacts for the mid-Atlantic coast, while the American GFS forecast model was less bullish on a major impact.

Quote:Where did you go, Toronto!

Toronto’s mayor was ruthlessly roasted online Monday after she confused meters with centimeters — making it sound like the city was wiped off the map — when discussing the historic snowstorm that battered it.

Olivia Chow, the 68-year-old mayor, flubbed at on-air press briefing while trying to explain the record-breaking amount of snow dumped on her Canadian city over the weekend.

“Some areas received up to 56 meters of snow, and this is a record-breaking storm,” she announced.

The mistake made it sound like Toronto was buried alive — 56 meters equates to 2,204 inches of snow!
Toronto was actually hit with 22 inches, or 56 centimeters, of snow.

Her captive audience, largely made up of her snowed-in constituents, didn’t miss her gross miscalculation.

“It was worse than that during the last ice age apparently,” one person posted to X.

“Feel so lucky still alive, not buried by the 56m snow,” another teased.

“Hey, Toronto, are you okay?” one Instagram user joked.

Others pinned her gaffe on Canada’s delayed conversion to the metric system — half a century ago.

At the same presser, Chow said that 600 plows were deployed across the city on top of the 1,300 workers who were “actively and relentlessly plowing,” CP24 reported.

“The roads now, you can get from one place to another place, and so the city is not paralyzed like perhaps was 21 years ago or something like that where the mayor at the time called in the army,” Chow assured.

Quote:At least 10 New Yorkers were found dead outdoors as below-freezing temperatures and a bruising snowstorm gripped the Big Apple over the weekend, officials said Tuesday.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed the grim death toll since Saturday, sparking questions about whether city government was doing enough to take care of its most vulnerable residents.

It’s unclear how many of those fatalities were directly related to the brutal conditions with the causes of their deaths still under investigation.

But Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park said at a Tuesday press conference that a number of the victims previously used the city’s shelter system.

“When the cold is this deadly, we need to meet the moment and leave no stone unturned,” Mamdani said at the press conference.

Advocates for the homeless said deaths show the city needs to do more to get people off the streets.

“The fact that this many people have passed away shows the city needs to do a much better job of making people feel safe when they come inside,” said David Giffen, the executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless.

“It’s not that most of the people on the streets are unaware of the shelter system, but that they’ve had experiences there that make them not want to return.”

Mamdani has been less willing to force homeless New Yorkers off the streets in a break with his predecessor, Eric Adams. Before he began his mayoralty, he announced his intention to end homeless encampment sweeps that led to a windfall of criticism.

Quote:The director of a controversial Muslim nonprofit is accused of misleading US Senators over how it spent more than $20 million in cash earmarked to resettle refugees, according to watchdog groups.

Senators are probing what happened to the tens of millions of taxpayer funds used for a humanitarian parole program that allowed almost 77,000 Afghan refugees into the country following the 2021 Taliban takeover.

Some of that money was distributed through the California Department of Social Services’ Afghan Legal Services Project (ALSP) and handled by the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

The director of CAIR-CA, Hussam Ayloush, told in a Jan. 9 letter to Senators CAIR-CA “had no input or role in identifying the organizations chosen to provide direct legal services (to Afghan refugees) under the grant.”

He went on to write that “the State of California selected the PAs and subgrantees after an extensive application and review process.

“CAIR-CA and its regional offices were amongst numerous other non-CAIR-CA organizations that received funds from the state of California….All selected organizations were required to submit reports to the State of California, regarding the fiscal and programmatic status of the grants throughout the grant period to ensure compliance.”

However, that statement “flatly contradicts contracts he personally signed” in 2022 and 2023, according to two whistleblower groups — the Intelligent Advocacy Network (IAN) and the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI).

“Ayloush personally signed every one of these ALSP grants as executive director of CAIR-LA,” said a spokesman for NCRI and IAN who argue that “an entity contractually charged with administering funds and subgranting services necessarily plays a role in identifying subgrantees and their performance under the grant.” 

In addition to heading of CAIR-CA, Ayloush is also listed as the executive director of the group’s Greater Los Angeles Area office.

“He accepted those duties in writing,” the whistleblowers said. “He certified compliance. He agreed to oversight and accountability provisions that directly contradict the claims he later made to Congress.”

Quote:Alex Pretti was known to the feds and suffered a broken rib in a violent confrontation with agents a week before Border Patrol officers killed him in Minneapolis, according to a report.

Pretti, an ICU nurse, told a pal he saw ICE agents chasing what he described as a family on foot, and stopped his car during the earlier incident around a week before he was shot last Saturday, CNN reported.

He said he pulled over in his car and began shouting and blowing on a whistle, at which point he was tackled by five agents, the source said.

Pretti claimed that one of the agents had left him with a broken rib after leaning on his back, the friend told CNN.

“That day, he thought he was going to die,” the source said, adding that Pretti had been released by agents at the scene.

Federal immigration officers had documented details about Pretti, along with other anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis in recent weeks, CNN reported.

A memo sent this month to agents dispatched to the city asked them to “capture all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protestors, etc., so we can capture it all in one consolidated form,” the network reported.

Although Pretti’s name was known to federal agents, according to the source, it isn’t known whether his information had been shared via the new intake form.

It also isn’t clear whether Pretti recognized or was recognized by the federal agents he confronted in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Video appears to show him being wrestled to the ground by agents before one of them removes Pretti’s gun from his waistband and another fatally shoots um.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied that the agency has a database of alleged domestic terrorists.

Quote:WASHINGTON — Two federal immigration officers discharged their weapons in the fatal shooting of armed anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend, according to a preliminary Department of Homeland Security review of the incident.

Pretti, 37, and another woman who had been blowing a whistle at the officers refused to move out of the street on Saturday after having received “several verbal requests” to do so, prompting an attempted arrest, Tuesday’s review stated.

“The woman and Pretti did not move,” according to DHS, which prompted a Customs and Border Protection officer to pepper-spray the pair.

When Customs and Border Protection officers tried to take him into custody, Pretti, who was carrying a loaded Sig Sauer pistol, “resisted” and “a struggle ensued” during which a Border Patrol agent began shouting, “He’s got a gun!”

Five seconds later, one of those Border Patrol agents began firing his handgun at Pretti.

A CBP officer also discharged his firearm in the scuffle.

Video footage of the incident shows that at least 10 shots in total were fired, though it’s unclear if Pretti’s gun also misfired.

The review noted that a Border Patrol agent made other federal officers and agents aware after the gunfire that he had taken possession of Pretti’s Sig P320.

The feds tried to provide emergency medical aid as well to Pretti, who worked as an ICU nurse. He was pronounced dead within half an hour of the confrontation.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office is currently conducting an autopsy.

Quote:President Trump is keeping Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in her job — despite bipartisan calls for her ouster.

But, he also made clear Tuesday that new leadership is needed in the aftermath of the Minnesota shootings fallout.

“We’re going to de-escalate a little bit,” Trump said of his deportation operation in Minneapolis after the shootings of a pair of 37-year old US citizens by federal agents, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Noem, fighting for her political life, asked for an Oval Office meeting with the president on Monday evening after he dispatched border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to calm the situation on the ground after repeated clashes between anti-ICE agitators and federal agents.

Noem made her case with her top adviser and former trusted Trump campaign aide, Corey Lewandowski, at her side.

Trump focused on the optics following the latest death of Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse killed in an altercation with federal agents.

As Washington D.C. was pelted with seven inches of snow on Sunday, he was inside the White House, monitoring more video angles of the shooting and raising questions about Noem’s assessment, which she called “domestic terrorism.”

Trump wanted a change on the ground, pulling back Noem’s Border Patrol commander, Gregory Bovino, from the state, saying his hard-charging tactics may not have been “good here.”

Noem, however, made her case. Her meeting with the president lasted nearly two hours.

Also in the Monday night meeting was the communications team – press secretary Karoline Leavitt and communications director Steven Cheung – and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

Notably missing was Stephen Miller, who drives immigration policy for the Trump administration.

Noem reportedly blames Miller for the stance that DHS took after Pretti’s death, saying it was his idea to label Pretti an “assassin.”

“Everything I’ve done, I’ve done at the direction of the president and Stephen,” Noem told a person who then told her remarks to Axios.

Miller said he got his information from border patrol officers on the ground in Minnesota.

“The initial statement from DHS was based on reports from CBP on the ground. Additionally, the White House provided clear guidance to DHS that the extra personnel that had been sent to Minnesota for force protection should be used for conducting fugitive operations to create a physical barrier between the arrest teams and the disruptors. We are evaluating why the CBP team may not have been following that protocol,” he told The Post in a statement.

Quote:Authorities deployed robots and drones today to respond to a Sacramento house where four people were shot dead after getting a call from the alleged shooter, a military veteran, who said it was booby-trapped.

When the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department  learned of the suspect’s specific background and after hearing reports of gunshots, they arrived at the Rancho Cordova home ready with a SWAT team, a Special Enforcement Detail unit, drones and robots.

The suspected shooter called 911 himself at 8:35 a.m., and reportedly confessed to the shooting and stated that he had “planted booby traps in the house.”

“They told the occupants to arrest themselves, but no one responded,” a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said.

Fearing for officer safety due to the booby-trap threat, tactical units deployed a robot to scan the entryway and interior for potential explosives.

A drone was then sent over the home, where it located an unresponsive male. Only after the aerial footage confirmed the suspect was down did officers make their entry.

Inside, deputies discovered a grim scene. In addition to the man, they found a woman and two juveniles–one boy and one girl–who were all pronounced dead at the scene.

Police declined to say if the killings were a murder suicide, or characterize any motive.

Quote:A human trafficking suspect with a long criminal record was shot and critically wounded by a Border Patrol agent Tuesday morning after fleeing a traffic stop and opening fire about 10 miles from the US-Mexico border in Arizona, authorities said.

Federal agents tried to stop a pickup suspected of human trafficking near Arivaca, about 60 miles south of Tucson, around 7:30 a.m., when the lone occupant failed to step and eventually fled on foot, firing shots at a manned CBP helicopter and officers, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

During the pursuit, a border patrol agent shot and wounded the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Patrick Gary Schlegel, a US citizen from Sahuarita, Arizona, about 40 miles northeast of the shooting site.

Schlegel was transported to the hospital and is in stable condition recovering from surgery, authorities said at a Tuesday evening press conference.

No border patrol agents were injured in the gunfire.

Schlegel has a “significant criminal history,” including an active federal warrant from 2025 for escaping custody after a previous alien smuggling conviction, according to FBI special agent Heath Yonke.

The suspected trafficker will be charged with assault on a federal officer, alien smuggling and felon in possession of a firearm, federal officials said.

“We have and will continue to conduct witness, victim and subject interviews, review and analyze surveillance footage, and recover and analyze evidence,” Yonke told reporters.

“Let me be clear, any assault on law enforcement officers will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate those who harm or threat to do harm. We would ask for the community’s patience in allowing the investigative and prosecutive process to continue.”

Quote:Enraged Palisades wildfire victims are slamming “Commiefornia” Democrats for dunking on President Trump’s executive order that would expedite the rebuilding process — and get them back home.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass were ripped Tuesday for their lackluster efforts to get the devastated enclave get back on its feet — and for then having the gall to pooh-pooh Trump’s generous plan.

“Totally deflecting and not even sitting on the topic,” one Palisades resident fumed. “I don’t understand why the state would [oppose the aid], other than they want to oppose anything that this current administration does.”

“If the feds are coming in to help streamline things and make it better and easier for us, I’m all for it,” he added, saying that his neighbors are “almost hopeless” on being able to rebuild under the current process.

“The federal government is going to manage the process because California doesn’t seem to have the ability to keep track of its money and manage its money.”

Newsom caught most of the ire after The California Post broke the news Monday that Trump would sidestep state Democrats with an executive order that would fast-track the permit approval process for residents to rebuild the homes that were torched in last year’s inferno.

Wildfires destroyed an estimated 16,000 structures, but Los Angeles city and county officials have only issued 2,600 permits to rebuild so far, a sad figure Trump blamed on Newsom and Bass’s incompetence.

The governor whined on X that “an executive order to rebuild Mars would do just as useful” — an inane comment that only fueled the brewing frustration of the people the order would benefit.

“We all know what happens when federal funding is sent to commiefornia, it disappears,” one user commented under Newsom’s post.

“People who live in LA can see with our own eyes. You are a liar and a failure,” another wrote.

“[Trump] Please do not allow Newscum to be in control of any federal funds. He won’t even allow people to claim their tips on their state taxes,” said another.

Quote:St. John’s University blocked a bid by the late Charlie Kirk’s conservative Turning Point USA group from opening a chapter on campus shortly after his assassination last fall, The Post has learned.

The student government of SJU — one of the largest Catholic universities in the country — denied the application to open a Turning Point chapter months after Kirk was shot dead by a sniper on Sept. 10.

The student government has “sole authority” to approve or deny new organizations, a spokesperson told The Post on Tuesday. Clubs or organizations looking to open or “revitalize” chapters on campus have to pass a four-round “Power to Organize” process, he added.

“During the Fall 2025 semester, only 4 of 19 proposed organizations successfully navigated the approval process,” spokesperson Brian Browne said. “St. John’s students interested in Turning Point USA are encouraged to reapply to SGI in the Spring or pursue other existing alternatives for department-sponsored organizational support.”

Founded by Kirk in 2012, Turning Point USA’s mission is to identify, educate, train and organize students “to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.”

Critics said the refusal of St. John’s to open a Turning Point USA chapter at its Queen campus smacks of liberal bias and cancel culture run amok.

“Charlie Kirk was an advocate for civil discourse on campus. That was his trademark,” said Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

“Why any school, especially a Catholic one, would find fault with that boggles the mind. St. John’s idea of inclusion clearly extends to the LGBTQ cause, but not the cause of free speech.

Quote:The attorney wife of an elite Texas law firm partner, an event planner and a pilot who joined the company less than a year ago were among six people killed when a private jet flipped over and burst into flames at a Maine airport over the weekend — just after a voice over the radio said, “Let there be light.’’

Tara Arnold — a 46-year-old powerhouse lawyer who lived with her two kids and mega-wealthy husband in a Houston mansion — was en route to Paris with those on board the plane when it crashed Sunday evening, killing everyone, according to records and reports.

The plane was registered to Tara’s husband Kurt Arnold’s successful personal injury firm — Arnold & Itkin Law — where she also worked.

Kurt Arnold and his business partner Jason Itkin were not on the plane when it crashed, sources told ABC 13.

But Kurt’s wife was a passenger on the doomed aircraft, the sources said.

Local Texas lawmaker Lesley Briones on Monday spoke highly of Tara — but later acknowledged not having firsthand knowledge she was killed in the plane wreck.

“I am close friends with Kurt and Tara Arnold,” Briones reportedly said.

“She is a phenomenal person, a bold leader, and someone with a heart of service,” Briones said.

Jacob Hosmer, a 47-year-old Houston-area pilot who was the captain of the flight, also died during the wreck, his father confirmed to KPRC2.

“He’s in Heaven now with Jesus,” grieving dad Gary Hosmer told the outlet.

Hosmer had been working as a pilot for Arnold and Itkin since May 2025. He had held previous positions with Wing Aviation, Apollo Aviation and Priester Aviation, all of which frequently run private charter jets, according to his LinkedIn.

Friends of Hosmer described him as a loving and kind father and husband.

“I would describe him as a great pilot, a loving husband, and a phenomenal father,” a longtime friend told the outlet.

“He was always kind. He was always laughing.”

A third victim was identified by ABC13 as event planner Shawna Collins.

Collins’ daughter confirmed her mom’s death to the outlet and said the passengers aboard the plane were going to Europe for a business trip.

Quote:The daughter of one of Iran’s most powerful officials was quietly ousted from her position at Emory University following a wave of public outrage over her employment, the California Post confirmed.

Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, an assistant professor at Emory’s prestigious Winship Cancer Institute, is no longer employed by the prestigious Atlanta-based school, a university spokesperson said Sunday.

Ardeshir-Larijani’s father, Ali Larijani, is a top dog in the Islamic Republic’s brutal regime, serving as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

“A physician who is the daughter of a senior Iranian government official is no longer an employee of Emory,” said Andrea Clement, a PR director at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute.

Pressure had been building for Ardeshir-Larijani to be canned — and possibly deported from the US — in light of Iran’s bloody crackdown on protesters that began in late December.

Pressure to address Ardeshir-Larijani’s immigration and employment status gained steam after The Post reported on an online petition that nearly 100,000 people signed that called on the US government to immediately deport her.

The heat on Emory intensified when furious demonstrators descended on the medical center on Jan. 19, waving signs that read, “Did you know Iran terror chief’s daughter is your co-worker?”

US Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-Ga.) fired off a letter to Emory and the Georgia Medical Board demanding that Ardeshir-Larijani be fired and stripped of her medical license.

Quote:A heavy Russian drone bombardment of Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa injured 23 people, including two children and a pregnant woman, officials said Tuesday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for U.S. efforts to end Russia’s almost 4-year-old invasion of his country to move faster.

The Odesa attack involved more than 50 drones, some of them models recently upgraded by Russia to improve their range and strike power, according to Ukrainian authorities. The drones targeted the power grid, which Russia has repeatedly bombarded during the coldest winter in years, and also hit five apartment blocks, officials said.

“The rescue operation will continue until the fate of all people who may be under the rubble is clarified,” Zelenskyy said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that an informal Protestant place of worship was also damaged.

“Each such Russian strike undermines diplomacy, which is still ongoing, and hits, in particular, the efforts of partners who are helping to end this war,” he said.

A diplomatic push by the Trump administration to end the war has made progress, according to officials, but has delivered no breakthrough on the key issue of what happens to Russian-occupied Ukrainian land and other territory that Moscow is demanding.

Analysts says that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in no rush to find a settlement, despite his army’s difficulties on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line. He believes that time is on his side, that Western support for Kyiv will fade and that Ukraine’s resistance will eventually break under pressure, according to analysts.

To replenish its forces and keep up the pressure on Kyiv, Moscow is offering cash bonuses, freeing convicts from prison, and luring foreigners to its army.

An Associated Press investigation found that unwitting Bangladeshi workers were enticed to Russia under the false promise of civilian work before being thrown into combat in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said late Monday the next round of talks with the United States and Russia is penciled in for Feb. 1. but that “it would be good if this meeting could be accelerated.”

Quote:The number of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers killed, wounded or missing during the war will reach 2 million by the spring, according to a study published Tuesday.

The latest estimates show that Moscow has suffered about 1.2 million casualties so far, double that of Ukraine’s 600,000, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank.

When it comes to deaths alone, Moscow has lost close to 325,000 soldiers since the invasion of Ukraine began four years ago, a reality that goes against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s boasts of an approaching victory, according to the CSIS report.

“No major power has suffered anywhere near these numbers of casualties or fatalities since World War II,” Seth Jones, the study’s lead author, told The Post.

At the current pace the war is going, Russia is projecting an average of 35,000 troops killed or injured per month, with Putin seeing 415,000 casualties in 2025 alone.

When compared to other major Russian conflicts, Moscow has lost more than 17 times the soldiers killed during the 1980s offensive in Afghanistan and 11 times more than troops lost in the First and Second Chechen Wars.

The current death toll is also more than five times greater than all Russian and Soviet wars combined since World War II.

The high loss of life was attributed to Russia’s failure to properly strategize, train its troops, address low morale, and plan for Ukraine’s effective defenses, according to the study.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has seen 100,000 to 140,000 soldiers killed since the war began in February 2022, a comparatively larger loss to its smaller army, the CSIS found. 

The estimated casualties highlight Russia’s main strategy of the war, one where it sends its soldiers to the meat grinder to eventually overwhelm Ukraine’s forces, the study said.

Quote:Russian military commanders reportedly tied a pair of soldiers accused of desertion and failing to follow orders to a tree and shoveled heaps of snow down their throats — all while berating them near the frontline.

The jarring video footage, obtained by East2West, shows two soldiers taped to trees in nothing but their underwear in the numbing cold.

Both men choked out apologies for their alleged disobedience — but one’s cries are muffled as a superior officer forces a clump of snow into his mouth.

“[They] wanted to f—k off from their positions, not follow orders,” one commander barks.

Eat, you f—king b—h,” he snaps as the men continue to plead.

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” one soldier, who was hanging upside down, croaked.

The men allegedly failed to reach a destination to which the commander ordered them, though it’s unclear where and why.

The Russian commander takes an extra jab and starts calling the men “f—ts” for their alleged rebellion.

The leaked footage of the inhumane punishments comes amid months-long peace talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine War.

Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that he would not pull back the troops unless Ukraine ceded part of its territory — the very land the Ukrainians have fought to retain through the entire war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected Putin’s demand.

“We have no right to give anything away — not under our laws, not under international law, not under moral law,” Zelensky told reporters in December. “Russia is, of course, insisting that we give up territory. We, of course, do not want to give up anything — that is precisely what we are fighting for, as you are well aware.”

War Archive, a channel in Ukraine, explained that the torture seen in the video is consistent with the Russian military’s “updated methods” used against those “who refused to take part in an assault.”

Nevzorov Telegram, another Ukrainian outlet, explained that Russian generals are continuing to press on even as soldiers start to drag and have resorted to inventing “new types of torture for their personnel.”

Quote:China’s top general has been accused of leaking nuclear secrets to the US and accepting bribes as President Xi Jinping purges the country’s senior military leadership.

General Zhang Youxia, 75, once considered one of Xi’s most-trusted military allies, allegedly leaked core technical data on China’s nuclear weapons to the US, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Zhang, the first-ranked vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was officially placed under investigation on Saturday.

He was detained by military corruption investigators earlier this week, according to reports from Chinese outlets.

President Xi has reportedly sent a special task force to Shenyang in northeast China, where Zhang was previously stationed.

Xi’s task force is staying in local hotels rather than military bases, where Zhang may have a network of support, the Journal reported.

As well as leaking nuclear weapons secrets, the general is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for official promotions, before leaking the technical information to the CIA for personal gain, according to the outlet.

Chinese state media accused Zhang and fellow People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Liu Zhenli of “threatening the Communist Party’s absolute leadership,” as well as “undermining the system of ultimate responsibility,” which rests with President Xi.

In addition to being one of Xi’s most trusted military allies, Zhang comes from a long line of communist heroes, with a decades-old connection to the president’s family dating back to the Chinese Civil War.

Quote:WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent trashed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for cutting a deal with China on electric vehicles, warning the US neighbor of penalties if it lets Beijing “dump goods” in America.

President Trump initially downplayed the move, telling reporters, “If you can get a deal with China, he should do that.” Then, on Saturday, Trump threatened to slap 100% tariffs on Canada in response.

“There’s a possibility of a hundred percent tariffs if they do a free trade deal, if they go further — if we see that the Canadians are allowing the Chinese to dump goods.,” Bessent explained to ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday.

“The Canadians, a few months ago, joined the U.S. in putting high steel tariffs on China because the Chinese are dumping,” Bessent added. “The Europeans also have done the same thing. And it looks like Prime Minister Carney may have done some kind of about-face.”

Canada had imposed a 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs similar to the US in 2024, but under the new deal, China will be able to sell 49,000 EVs at a 6.1% most favored nation rate. That came as part of a broader deal between Ottawa and Beijing to increase cooperation on green energy.

Carney’s opening up to China was widely seen as an indirect rebuke of Trump, who imposed sweeping tariffs on Canada last year for alleged drug trafficking and border security concerns.

“I don’t think he’s doing the best job for the Canadian people,” Bessent said of Carney.

Trump had joked about the US annexing Canada, and his pressure campaign prompted former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to cry in public.

Last week, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Carney told world leaders the “old order” had changed as Trump had threatened to take control of Greenland.

“We know the old order is not coming back,” Carney declared. “We shouldn’t mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy, but we believe that from the fracture, we can build something bigger, better, stronger, more just.”

“This is the task of the middle powers, the countries that have the most to lose from a world of fortresses and most to gain from genuine cooperation.”

Quote:President Trump’s “big armada” featuring an aircraft-carrier strike group has arrived near Iran — with the commander in chief warning Tehran to cut a deal to end its deadly crackdown on anti-regime protesters, according to new reports.

Trump on Monday hailed the arrival of the US forces, saying the chaos in Iran would soon be sorted out thanks to his latest show of force in the region, Axios reported.

“We have a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela,” he said, referencing the forces in Latin America that captured former dictator Nicolas Maduro.

In the face of the American “armada” off Iran and repeated reports of Trump’s willingness to leave an option for military force in the region on the table, the president said he genuinely believes Tehran is ready to negotiate.

“They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions,” he told Axios. “They want to talk.”

Tensions have remained high between Washington and Tehran since the deadly crackdown on Iranian protesters earlier this month, with human-rights groups warning that the death toll will likely exceed 5,000.

Iran has warned Trump to stay away from the nation’s affairs, threatening attacks on US soldiers in the region if the Islamic Republic comes under attack.

Trump is reportedly scheduled to meet with his team to discuss military options involving Iran, after the president vowed to protect those protesting authoritarian rule in the Islamic State earlier this month.

Those options are enhanced by the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the region, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The Lincoln and its accompanying warships entered Central Command’s zone of responsibility Monday, bringing additional F-35C and F-18 jet fighters that can target deep inside Iran, according to the outlet.

The strike group can also deploy the same EA-18 Growler warplanes that crippled the Venezuelan army’s radars and left Maduro vulnerable to capture.

Back on Monday...

Quote:US military assets headed to the Middle East could face a serious threat from Iranian drone swarms as reports emerge that Iran’s supreme leader has gone underground, according to a leading military drone expert.

Cameron Chell, CEO and co-founder of Draganfly, warned that Iran’s growing reliance on low-cost unmanned systems poses a credible danger to high-value US naval assets, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group.

“Iran’s drone capabilities are worth well into the tens of millions of dollars,” Chell told Fox News Digital.

“By pairing low-cost warheads with inexpensive delivery platforms, essentially remotely piloted aircraft, Iran has developed an effective asymmetric threat against highly sophisticated military systems.”

Chell said Iran can launch large numbers of relatively unsophisticated drones directly at naval vessels, creating saturation attacks that could overwhelm traditional defenses.

“If hundreds are launched in a short period of time, some are almost certain to get through,” Chell said.

“Modern defense systems were not originally designed to counter that kind of saturation attack. For US surface vessels operating near Iran, warships are prime targets.”

The warning comes as a senior US official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group had not yet crossed into US Central Command’s area of responsibility in the Indian Ocean.

“It is close, but technically not in CENTCOM yet,” the source said. This would indicate the carrier strike group is not yet in a position to strike Iran.

US officials say Washington is reinforcing its military posture in response to growing instability inside Iran, boosting its presence by air, land and sea, while closely monitoring developments in Syria.

A squadron of F-15 fighter jets has deployed to the region, and C-17 aircraft carrying heavy equipment have arrived.

Quote:The family of the final Israeli hostage whose remains were recovered from Gaza heartbreakingly hailed him as a hero as his body was brought home Monday — noting he chose to fight even while injured.

Ran Gvili, 24, was killed when he jumped into action during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack despite orders for him to stay home because of a broken collarbone.

“You dummy, you had every chance to stay at home,” said Gvili’s grieving father, Itzik, when presented with Gvili’s coffin during a heartbreaking ceremony Monday — 843 days since Gvili was slain and his corpse taken by Palestinian Hamas terrorists back with them to Gaza, the Times of Israel said.

“But you said, ‘Dad.’ What did you tell me? ‘I won’t leave my friends to fight alone,’ ” Itzak said.

Gvili, a member of the Israeli Police Special Forces, was at home recovering from a broken collarbone when Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Despite his injuries, Gvili rushed to protect residents from the nearby Kibbutz Alumim, where he was badly wounded in the fight against Palestinian terrorists and died on the journey into Gaza, Israeli officials said.

Itzik said his son likely died with zero regrets as he fought to protect others, with the father thankful for the display put on for Gvili’s coffin as it was brought to the Jewish nation awaiting the return of its final victim.

“You should see the respect that you’re getting here, everyone who brought you,” Itzik said, addressing his late son as he walked beside the military procession entering Israel.

“The whole police force is with you, the whole army is with you, the whole nation is with you. I’m proud of you, my son,” the father added.

Itzik said he took some solace in the fact that his son helped unite the nation, which was eagerly awaiting the return of Gvili’s remains to close a chapter on a painful part of Israel’s history.

Gvili’s mother, Talik, gave a special thanks to President Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, his envoy Steve Witkoff and the people of Israel for their work in returning her son’s body.

“Our pride is much, much stronger than our pain,” she said. “The people of Israel live and are strong.”

Israeli Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, who helped lead the procession for Gvili’s homecoming, said the young man was the “DNA” of the force, with the chief lamenting that Gvili was unable to return home alive like many of the other hostages.

Quote:Los Angeles (AP) — A California woman was sentenced Monday to more than three years in prison in a long-running case over a business that helped pregnant Chinese women travel to the United States to deliver babies who automatically became American citizens.

US District Judge R. Gary Klausner gave Phoebe Dong a 41-month sentence and ordered her immediately taken into custody from his federal court in Los Angeles. Dong and her husband were convicted in September of conspiracy and money laundering through their company, USA Happy Baby.

The sentencing came as birthright citizenship has been thrust into the spotlight in the US with the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. Since taking office, Trump issued an executive order to narrow the definition of birthright citizenship, a move quickly blocked by a federal judge who called it “blatantly unconstitutional.”

Dong and her husband, Michael Liu, were among more than a dozen people charged in an Obama-era crackdown on so-called “birth tourism” schemes that helped Chinese women hide their pregnancies while traveling to the US to give birth. Such businesses have long operated in various states catering to people from China, Russia, Nigeria and elsewhere.

Under the 14th Amendment, any child born in the United States is an American citizen. Many have seen these trips as a way to help their children secure a US college education and a better future – especially since the tourists themselves can apply for permanent residency once the children turn 21.

During her sentencing hearing, Dong wiped away tears as she recalled growing up without siblings due to China’s strict “one-child ” policy and told the court that the Chinese government forced her mother to have an abortion. Moving to the US was challenging, she said, but Dong grew hopeful after having children of her own and saw she could help Chinese women who want to have additional children in California.

“I don’t want to lose my kids,” she told the court. “I hope you can give me fair judgment. I will take all my responsibility.”

Federal prosecutors sought a more than five-year sentence for Dong and argued that she and Liu helped more than 100 pregnant Chinese women travel to the US. They said the pair worked with others to coach women on how to trick customs officials by flying into airports believed to be more lax while wearing loose-fitting clothing to hide their pregnancies.

“For tens of thousands of dollars each, defendant helped her numerous customers deceive US authorities and buy US citizenship for their children,” prosecutors said in court filings. They declined to comment after the sentencing.

In December, Liu was also sentenced to 41 months in prison. Dong’s lawyer, John McNicholas, asked that she be allowed to serve her term after Liu completes his sentence because of their three children. The youngest is 13.

Federal prosecutor Kevin Fu agreed to the delay but Klausner refused and had her taken into custody immediately. Dong removed a necklace and gave it to a family member before she was led away.

The USA Happy Baby case was part of a broader probe into businesses that helped Chinese women travel to give birth in California. The operator of another business is believed to have fled to China, McNicholas wrote in court filings, while another was sentenced in 2019 to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and visa fraud for running the company known as “You Win USA.”

McNicholas said he feels Dong was given a much longer sentence because the government and Klausner blame her for the babies that were born US citizens. That, he said, is unrelated to the allegations that she and Liu helped women travel to the United States to give birth.

“Our position was these children are born in America. They’re citizens,” McNicholas said, adding that Dong will appeal. “Implicitly, he’s saying being born here is not enough.”

Quote:A man accused of impersonating a federal agent in a bid to allegedly free Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down the CEO of United Healthcare in 2024, has been arrested.

Mark Anderson, 36, is accused of going to the New York jail where Mangione is being housed and allegedly posing as an FBI agent, a criminal complaint states. He allegedly said he had paperwork that had been "signed by a judge" to free the accused killer.

Though the complaint does not name Mangione, a law enforcement source told the BBC that Anderson allegedly sought to free him.

He appeared before a judge on Thursday but has not entered a plea. The BBC has contacted an attorney said to be representing him.

Anderson approached the intake area of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday and is accused of telling officers that he was an FBI agent, the criminal complaint states. He said he had paperwork "signed by a judge" to authorise the release of an inmate.

When officers asked him for credentials, Anderson provided a Minnesota driver's licence, claimed be in possession of weapons, and "displayed and threw" what authorities described as "numerous documents" at jail staff, according to the complaint.

Bureau of Prisons officials then detained Anderson and searched his bag, where they found a large "barbecue type fork" with two prongs and a tool that resembles a pizza cutter.

The suspect had travelled to New York City for a job opportunity from Mankato, Minnesota, and had been working at a local pizzeria, according to the law enforcement source.

Anderson is facing a charge of impersonating an officer.

Mangione has been held at the Brooklyn jail since 2024. He was arrested in a McDonalds in Pennsylvania after a multi-state manhunt and then extradited to New York.

He faces both state and federal charges in the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and has pleaded not guilty.

Since his arrest, Mangione has attracted a legion of supporters both online and at his court appearances. The killing also launched a debate in the US over healthcare costs.

Jury selection for Mangione's highly anticipated federal trial is currently scheduled for September.

Quote:As agitators and federal law enforcement continue to clash in Minneapolis, the funding behind the groups fueling the anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unrest is beginning to come to light.

One of the alleged financial backers of these agitators is a Chinese Communist Party advocate traced to a multitude of dark money organizations known to fuel far-left, CCP-influenced extremism in the U.S. and across the globe.

Earlier this week, a Fox News Digital investigation found several organizations are acting as lead voices in physically mobilizing agitators in Minneapolis, as well as communicating through multiple channels to encourage agitators to take to the streets in Minnesota and other cities. The Party for Socialism and Liberation and The People’s Forum are two of the core groups who allegedly have been behind facilitating and pushing agitators to organize on multiple occasions.

Both organizations are largely subsidized by American former tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, according to reports and congressional probes. Despite Singham facing federal investigations stretching back decades, a former federal prosecutor tells Fox News Digital that the multi-millionaire's move to China essentially shields him from being subpoenaed by U.S. authorities.

Singham, therefore, remains virtually untouchable as his dark money networks continue to wreak havoc on U.S. soil, the former prosecutor added.

Singham sold his IT consulting company in 2017 for $785 million and moved to Shanghai was the focus of a 2023 New York Times exposé that unveiled his alleged connections to the CCP and his determination to finance extremist groups to embolden his radical ideology. The Times reported that Singham has funneled over a quarter-billion dollars to dark money organizations in the U.S. with little to no footprints, and some of these organizations are vaguely named with office addresses under suspicious locations like general UPS mailboxes.

The 71-year-old U.S. citizen turned Shanghai resident reportedly shares office space with the Maku Group, a Chinese media company that is funded by Singham and is associated with pro-CCP propaganda, including a mission to "tell China's story well."

Singham’s first run-in with federal investigations dates back to 1974, when the FBI investigated him for potentially being "engaged in activities inimical to U.S. interests."

Fast-forward several decades to 2025, when Singham and the organizations he funded face a slew of congressional investigations from multiple committees in both the House and the Senate. Committee chairs also sent multiple letters to top administration officials under the Biden and Trump administrations pushing for further examination of Singham’s dark money network.

Last June, the House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., launched an investigation into Singham for his alleged involvement in funding the anti-ICE riots that took place in Los Angeles last summer.

Quote:A criminal illegal immigrant was detained Saturday after allegedly ramming his car into a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle in Minnesota, according to federal authorities.

Tranquilino Sixto-Anorve, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested after allegedly striking an ICE vehicle and a civilian car Saturday morning in St. Paul, officials said.

According to ICE, Sixto-Anorve has multiple DUI convictions and was being targeted for arrest because his criminal history indicated he was a "public safety threat."

"This ramming highlights increased risks our brave men and women of ICE face amid hostile rhetoric and actions from anti-ICE agitators and politicians," ICE said in a statement.

A spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Fox News Digital that Sixto-Anorve entered the country illegally at an unknown date and location.

Sixto-Anorve is in ICE custody.

The incident comes amid heightened concern over illegal immigration and reports of anti-ICE agitators attempting to violently disrupt federal law enforcement operations.

DHS said earlier this month that ICE officers are facing a 3,200% increase in vehicular attacks.

According to DHS, from Jan. 21, 2025, to Jan. 7, 2026, ICE officers experienced 66 "vehicular attacks," compared to two during the same period the previous year.

ICE also arrested an illegal immigrant in San Antonio, Texas, earlier this month whom the agency said "weaponized" his vehicle by ramming two ICE vehicles and nearly running over an agent.

Cuban illegal immigrant Robyn Argote Brooks is accused of ramming two ICE vehicles in a San Antonio parking lot in an attempt to evade arrest during a targeted vehicle stop, according to DHS.

Video of the incident shows Brooks driving a sedan that was boxed in by agents’ vehicles when he allegedly defied law enforcement commands and suddenly reversed, narrowly missing an agent and striking a federal SUV.

Quote:A CNN panelist and co-host of “The View” described Alex Pretti this week as the “perfect guy,” shortly before video emerged of him kicking and spitting at federal agents several days before the fatal altercation.

On CNN’s “NewsNight,” Navarro called Pretti the sort of man you’d want your daughter to date.

“They killed the wrong guy, because this is like the perfect guy,” she said. “Alex Pretti is the guy you’d want to date your daughter, the guy you want your son to grow up to be, a decent human being who was serving humanity, serving sick veterans.”

“There is nothing that has been said about that man that isn’t wonderful. And so they can’t malign him,” Navarro added.

Her remarks reflected a broader media narrative that cast Pretti in overwhelmingly positive terms following his death.

Pretti, an ICU nurse who worked with veterans, was killed by Border Patrol agents on Jan. 24.

He had been protesting immigration enforcement and recording federal agents when they pushed him to the ground and then shot him.

Bodycam footage of the incident showed federal agents grabbing a pistol from Pretti’s waistband before he was shot.

State officials have said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, and his death has touched off a national debate over whether it was justified, with some critics even saying he was murdered.

An unearthed video released Wednesday shows Pretti spitting at federal agents during a separate protest on Jan. 13.

The News Movement published the clip, and his family confirmed to the Minnesota Star Tribune that it was him.

In the video, Pretti can be seen shouting, spitting and kicking out a federal SUV’s taillight.

The man repeatedly shouts “f— you” and flashes his middle fingers at the agents before being taken to the ground. He was not arrested.

Quote:“Breaking Bad” star Giancarlo Esposito called for a “revolution” Tuesday after another fatal shooting in Minneapolis involving Border Patrol agents and growing unrest with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city.

“This is a time for a revolution, and they don’t even know that’s what they’re starting,” the actor told Variety in an interview. “We have to stand up to it. They can’t take us all down. If the whole world showed up on Putin’s doorstep or the Iranians’ doorstep or in Washington, they’d kill 500 or 50 million or however [many], but the rest of us would survive with a new [world].”

A Border Patrol agent shot Alex Pretti over the weekend during a confrontation at an enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Esposito made the comments during an interview at the Sundance Film Festival.

“Some very rich, old, White men are exerting their power to suppress our own people, thus creating a feeling of civil war in the streets, preparing the haters to hate, teaching them how to shoot,” Esposito told Variety.

“This is all a preparation for a very insidious problem that’s happening in our world. And, for me, I have to speak out. We will not be ICE’d out. This is not going to happen,” the actor added.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Esposito’s co-star in “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,” Tatiana Maslany, wore an “ICE OUT” pin, according to Variety.

During an appearance at the Sundance Film Festival Saturday, Olivia Wilde, who was promoting her film “The Invite,” also wore an “ICE OUT” pin during her red carpet appearance and shared her thoughts about the “appalling” circumstances.

“We’re all here getting to celebrate something really beautiful and hopeful in film storytelling,” she told Variety. “But the world is hurting right now, and this country is hurting. And it’s appalling.

“I’m appalled and sickened,” Wilde continued. “We can’t go another day just sort of accepting this as our new norm. It’s outrageous. People are being murdered. And I don’t want to normalize seeing people being murdered on the internet. On film. … It’s hideous. And so if we can do anything out here to support the movement to cast ICE out, to delegitimize this unbelievably criminal organization, then that’s what we should be doing.”

Quote:The Senate passed legislation Friday to fund most federal operations through the end of September, but a partial government shutdown, likely lasting at least through the weekend, still went into effect.

Funding for 78% of the federal government lapsed at midnight Saturday despite a deal struck between Senate Democrats and the White House aimed at averting a shutdown.

The deal separated funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – which oversees the federal law enforcement agencies handling the Trump administration’s controversial immigration crackdown – from a six-bill package that cleared the House last week.
The $1.2 trillion bill cleared the Senate in a 71-29 vote.

But with the House in recess until Monday, the lower chamber was not in a position to approve the Senate’s changes to the so-called “minibus” before the shutdown deadline.

The impacts of a partial weekend shutdown are expected to be limited.

Several agencies, including the departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Interior, Energy, Justice and Commerce are already fully funded through the end of the fiscal year.

Washington, DC’s Smithsonian museums and national parks are funded and will remain open over the weekend.

The Pentagon and departments of Labor, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development and State are among the federal entities impacted by the latest lapse in funding — which follows the record, 43-day-long shutdown last fall.

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought instructed federal workers Friday night to prepare for a shutdown.

“As it is now clear that Congress will not complete its work before the expiration of appropriations, affected agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown,” Vought wrote in a memo. 

“Employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities,” he added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said the Democratic caucus would “evaluate the spending legislation passed by the Senate on its merits” before voting to send it to the president’s desk.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) signaled that he was “vehemently opposed” to breaking up the funding package, but pledged to “move it as quickly as possible.”

Senators struggled to pass the House version of the spending bill in the wake of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, 37, by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis.

Some lawmakers refused to fund DHS without tying restrictions on federal law enforcement practices to the spending bill.

The deal, backed by Senate leaders and President Trump, provides DHS with two-weeks of funding while lawmakers negotiate limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tactics.

Quote:The House is set to vote Monday on a bill that would reopen the government after a shutdown began early Saturday – while lawmakers will have just days to negotiate over ICE and border enforcement or face seeing the agency that oversees it grind to a halt.

Congress dodged disaster when the Senate hammered out a spending agreement last week to keep critical federal agencies running, avoiding the high drama of the recent 43-day government shutdown.

The Senate voted 71-29 Friday night to pass a collection of spending bills to finance much of the government.

But with tensions running high over Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and congressional Democrats and some Republicans demanding changes, the deal split off Homeland Security programs, funding them for just two weeks at 2025 levels.

That sets up high-stakes talks under the national spotlight as ICE agents continue crackdown on illegal migrants and protesters blast their tactics.
“It creates a bullseye fight on DHS and ICE,” said one congressional source.

The government shut down at 12:01 AM Saturday despite the deal.

Since the House had gone home on a recess, its members weren’t there to pass the latest bill language into law. But impacts were mitigated due to the weekend, when most non-essential feds were off work anyway.

Now, after President Trump installed border czar Tom Homan in Minneapolis and said he will “deescalate a little bit,” Senate Democrats have more leverage. Passage of the bill will require 60 votes, so Senate Republicans will need to find seven Democratic supporters to move forward.

The weekend shutdown means employees for the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and DHS face temporary furloughs – although during the weekend when most wouldn’t be working anyway.

Quote:House Democrats are poised to rebel against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's spending deal with the White House, Fox News Digital is told, an act that could prolong the ongoing partial government shutdown.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made clear to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that the plan by Republicans to fast-track the legislation on Monday evening would fail, four House GOP sources told Fox News Digital.

That means Johnson will need to lean heavily on his razor-thin House GOP majority to pass the bill through multiple procedural hurdles before it can see a final vote, likely Tuesday at the earliest.

The federal government has been in a partial shutdown since the wee hours of Saturday morning after Congress failed to find a compromise on the yearly budget by the end of Jan. 30.

Some areas of the government have already been funded, but spending for the departments of War, Transportation (DOT), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among others, is now in question.

House Democrats do not feel bound by the deal their counterparts in the Senate struck with President Donald Trump's White House, the sources told Fox News Digital.

The sources said House Democrats are also frustrated that Schumer put them in a position where they were expected to take the deal on.

"Democrat division creates another government shutdown," one House Republican told Fox News Digital.

But it could be difficult for House GOP leaders to corral all the votes needed as well. Multiple Republicans have already expressed concerns about the compromise requiring them to negotiate with Democrats on reining in Trump's immigration crackdown, while others like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., are pushing their own priorities to be included in exchange for their support.

Luna told Fox News Digital that she would not support the legislation if it did not include an unrelated measure that would require proof of citizenship in the voter registration process, a separate but widely-accepted GOP bill.

Quote:New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday appointed an ex-con-turned prison reformer as commissioner of the Department of Correction as his administration pushes a rehabilitation-focused overhaul of corrections.

Stanley Richards, who did time in the 1980s for robbery, will be the first former inmate to serve as corrections commissioner.

"Stanley will make history in this role as the first ever formerly incarcerated person to serve as commissioner," Mamdani said. "I will turn to Stanley as we work to build a city where justice is at the heart of our corrections system," the mayor added.

Richards was convicted of robbery in the late 1980s and served roughly two and a half years on Rikers Island before spending an additional four and a half years in state prison, according to reporting from Gothamist and NY1. He was released in 1991.

In his first remarks as commissioner, Richards aligned himself closely with Mamdani’s vision and rejected what he described as a punishment-centered approach to incarceration.

"Today we turn the page and we start a new era under Mayor Mamdani," Richards said.

Richards also pointed to his experience within the correctional system, including serving as first deputy commissioner of programs and operations at the Department of Correction and as vice chair of the Board of Correction’s Task Force to Close Rikers.

The appointment comes as New York City’s jail system remains under heightened federal scrutiny. Earlier this week, a federal judge appointed an outside remediation manager to oversee reforms at Rikers Island after years of violence, staff shortages and federal court findings that city leadership failed to fix conditions inside the jails. Rikers was originally set to be demolished by August 2027 by former Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Asked whether he had spoken with the remediation manager, Mamdani said his administration had already been in contact and emphasized cooperation.

"My administration has, and we look forward to working with the remediation manager on improving conditions in our city’s jails, both for those in custody and for correction officers," Mamdani said.

The appointment has drawn caution from the union representing correction officers, which warned that safety must come before political ideology.

In a statement, Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association President Benny Boscio said the jails "cannot and will not operate as safely as possible if the concerns of our members are brushed aside," adding that Richards must demonstrate a commitment to "putting safety and security before any political ideology."

Quote:Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday touted sweeping Transportation Security Administration (TSA) operations at Miami International Airport, saying the efforts have played a critical role in protecting U.S. transportation networks.

Speaking at a news conference at the airport, Noem said TSA officers prevented more than 10,000 people with suspected ties to narcoterrorism from traveling over the past year. She added that an additional 85,000 people linked to terrorism or listed on the U.S. terrorism watch list were also stopped from boarding flights.

"What has happened here at this airport is that over the last year they have prevented over 10,000 individuals from traveling that had ties to narcoterrorism, 85,000 individuals that had similar ties to terrorists and to terrorists on the watch list in the United States," Noem said.

Noem also highlighted Miami International Airport’s human trafficking unit, which conducted more than 2,200 inspections in the past year. Those efforts resulted in 24 arrests related to child exploitation.

The unit also confiscated 85 firearms from travelers — 82 of them loaded at the time of discovery, according to Noem.

"It's incredible the work that they have done to keep people safe, which is the mission that the Department of Homeland Security seeks to do every single day," Noem said.

One of the busiest airports in the world, Miami International employs more than 1,700 TSA officers and serves an average of 70,000 passengers per day. Officials recently screened nearly 100,000 travelers in a single day, setting a new record on Jan. 4. More than 25 million passengers traveled through the airport in 2025, Noem said.

As travel continues to surge, Noem pointed to a $9 billion airport modernization project aimed at strengthening security. TSA is contributing $100 million to the effort, alongside DHS’s previously announced $1 billion nationwide investment in upgraded security technology.

Planned upgrades include expanded canine units, advanced computed tomography scanners, and enhanced imaging systems.

Quote:A powerful nor’easter is likely to ‘bomb’ out and slam the Carolinas just days after a massive winter storm carved a 2,300-mile path through the United States and brought life-threatening ice and heavy snow to several areas.

Areas in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast are still working to dig out after receiving significant snow over the weekend.

At least 65 deaths have already been reported across 16 states.

The FOX Forecast Center is forecasting a powerful nor’easter to develop off the East Coast this weekend, which has the potential to develop into a bomb cyclone.

It is nearly certain that a powerful winter storm will now impact the Carolinas and Virginia.

But from there, uncertainty remains regarding where the storm tracks.

Winter Storm Warnings have already been issued for all of North Carolina, much of South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has issued a State of Emergency in preparation for this weekend’s snowstorm.

He said the State Emergency Response Team is being activated to assist affected communities with any response needs.

“As another round of winter weather moves into North Carolina, this time possibly bringing snow, I urge everyone to stay alert and take precautions,” Stein said in a statement.

Building the storm

A large reservoir of cold air associated with the Polar Vortex will surge south out of Canada this week and spread across the Great Lakes, eventually making its way into the Southeast.

As this unfolds, the system’s energy will swing through the Southeast and offshore along the East Coast this weekend.

This allows very cold air to establish itself across the Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas.

Quote:Mayor Zohran Mamdani told other US city leaders that he “struggles” to imagine how his job “could be better” at the moment — even as 10 New Yorkers died in the recent deep freeze and the Big Apple faces a $12 billion budget gap.

The cheery remarks, during a panel at the US Conference of Mayors’ annual winter meeting Thursday, reported on by Politico, came after Winter Storm Fern brought around a foot of snow, below-freezing temperatures and turned deadly last weekend.

“I’m new to the job. I know the burdens will get heavier, but right now I struggle to imagine how it could be better,” Mamdani said, according to a prepared speech shared with Playbook.
“At a moment where so many Americans are searching for genuine leadership and tangible change from government, each of us hold a mighty ability to deliver just that,” he said.

Mamdani delivered the sunny spiel virtually at the event’s “Big City Alliance” panel, and wasn’t expected to attend the two-day conference in-person as New York was still digging itself out from the winter storm.

Hizzoner’s optimistic outlook came despite him ringing alarm bells earlier in the week over the city’s $12 billion budget hole — ahead of his first spending plan that’s expected to be unveiled in mid-February.

He addressed the potential fiscal problems during his panel appearance.

“Some of your cities, like New York, might contend with budget deficits. Others might be reckoning with rollbacks in federal funding, or the myriad of other challenges we face,” Mamdani said, according to Politico.

“But no matter how hard it often feels, I try to remember every day the intimacy that defines the relationship between city government and the people of a city.”

His comments about his first month in office being better than he could imagine, drew outrage and confusion from politicians and pundits.

Quote:The federal government laid out its case against Don Lemon by detailing 29 “overt acts” he and an group of agitators allegedly committed as they stormed a Minnesota church, leaving kids wondering “if their parents were going to die.”

Four activists, including Lemon, disrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18 and were arrested Thursday night in connection to the raid on the house of worship.

As a result of defendants’ conduct, the pastor and congregation were forced to terminate the church’s worship service, congregants fled the church building out of fear for their safety,” the unsealed federal indictment viewed by The Post reads.

“Other congregants took steps to implement an emergency plan, and young children were left to wonder, as one child put it, if their parents were going to die.

Lemon live-streamed the “takeover-style attack” under the guise of “chronicling” the events, but repeatedly revealed he was in league with the activists through his footage, the indictment says.

Notably, videos showing the church action have been deleted from his YouTube page.

In describing one of the overt acts, the indictment goes into great detail about how “The Don Lemon Show” host and his alleged co-conspirators “oppressed, threatened, and intimidated the church’s congregants and pastors by physically occupying most of the main aisle and rows of chairs near the front of the church.”

It says that they engaged in “menacing and threatening behavior… yelling loudly at the pastor and congregants, and/or physically obstructing them as they attempted to exit and/or move about within the church.”

The indictment points out that Lemon began live-streaming his internet-based show from a snowy parking lot a stone’s throw away from where the group “was gearing up for a ‘resistance’ operation” against the government’s immigration policies.

“[H]e took steps to maintain operational secrecy by reminding certain co-conspirators not to disclose the target of the operation and stepped away momentarily so his mic would not accidentally divulge certain portions of the planning session,” the indictment reads.

Lemon also thanked Black Lives Matter activist and civil rights attorney Nekima Armstrong “for what she was doing.”

Quote:Frequently fired lefty news commentator Don Lemon was caught off guard by his arrest Thursday night at a swanky Los Angeles hotel in connection with his participation in a violent takeover of a Minnesota church service, law enforcement sources tell The Post.

Lemon, 59, who was in town covering the Grammy awards, was arrested by Department of Homeland Security and FBI agents in an elevator at the Beverly Hilton and taken into custody.

He was brought to the downtown Los Angeles Homeland Security Investigations field office and interviewed before being brought to the federal courthouse nearby.

The arrest came hours after he was spotted at a swanky pre-Grammys soiree at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel rubbing elbows with celebs like singer Brandy and rapper Busta Rhymes.

The disgraced former CNN anchor-turned-activist was one of four people arrested by federal agents early Friday “in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Attorney General Pam Bondi later confirmed in a statement.

Lemon filmed himself meeting with the group of agitators – which included a local Black Lives Member chapter – just before the group stormed into Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18.

Under the paper-thin guise of covering the church takeover as a journalist, Lemon proceeded to stick his microphone in the face of several parishioners and the pastor, who asked him to leave. Lemon spent the night in jail and is expected to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon. He was due to be on the red carpet to cover the awards on Sunday.

Justice Department officials tried to issue arrest warrants for Lemon after the protest, only to be repeatedly shot down by federal judges.

But a federal grand jury ultimately indicted Lemon on the charges of conspiracy to deprive rights and interfering with First Amendment rights, White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair posted on X.

He’s also charged with a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, a 1994 federal law that deals with access to health clinics but also covers interference with religious worship, according to law enforcement sources.

Quote:News anchor-turned-activist Don Lemon has been released with no bail or restrictions on his travel despite prosecutors claiming he “knowingly joined a mob to terrorize” members of a Minnesota church congregation.

Lemon sauntered into a federal courtroom in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon sporting the same cream-colored double-breasted suit he wore at a pre-Grammys bash the night before. Lemon was arrested just after the party by federal agents at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The disgraced TV host was caught off guard during his arrest and led through the hotel lobby in handcuffs, escorted by four agents, a law enforcement source told The Post.

He blew a kiss to his husband Tim Malone, who was seated in the third row of the public gallery behind LA Mayor Karen Bass and her team before taking a seat next to his defense attorney Marilyn E. Bednarski.

Prosecutor Alexander Robbins said Lemon was accused of a “very serious felony” and that he had “knowingly joined a mob to terrorize” members of Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18.

Robbins asked Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue that Lemon be made to surrender his passport and not have any contact with witnesses, victims or co-conspirators.

He requested a $100,000 bond, which the defense objected to as “unnecessary” before challenging the request to restrict Lemon’s travel, largely owing to an annual weeklong boat trip in France he attends each year.

Bednarski said Lemon was “not a flight risk” and “not a danger of any kind,” calling him “one of the most well-known figures in the world.”

Quote:An alleged crack-smoking, sexual-predator migrant wanted by ICE was allowed to flee through a back door of a Manhattan courthouse — infuriating federal agents, The Post has learned.

Gerardo Miguel Mora, 45, was arrested Thursday for shoplifting and possession of stolen property after allegedly snatching $130 in items from an H&M display case in Midtown that day, court records show.

Mora, whose country of origin was not disclosed, was collared on the Upper West Side on Jan. 7 for possession of alleged crack cocaine, according to a criminal complaint. That case is pending in court.

In 2011, Mora was busted for attempted rape and strangulation after he allegedly followed a 21-year-old woman home in Midtown, choked her and tried to remove her clothes, police sources said.

He was stopped by a bystander who heard the woman’s cries and came to her aid, holding Mora down until cops arrived, the sources said.

He was presumably deported after that, and was off the radar for 12 years. But in 2023 he was back in the US and arrested for showing a false ID.

Federal authorities had been looking for Mora on a criminal arrest warrant under a section of the US code that concerns “reentry of removed aliens,” law enforcement sources said.

But on Thursday in a court hearing on desk appearance tickets, the judge let Mora waltz out of the courtroom, sources said.

The shoplifting charge itself was not bail eligible, but Judge Sheridan Jack-Browne, a Democrat who won a special election last year in Brooklyn, would have had the federal arrest warrant, two sources told The Post.

The warrant is actually put in a folder for the judge to peruse on the bench.

“Everything was sent over” to the courthouse by ICE, a federal law enforcement source said.

But instead of handing him over to waiting ICE agents, Mora was allowed to simply slip out the back door of Manhattan Criminal Court, law enforcement sources said.

“They refused to hand him over,” the irate fed said. “They let him out the back to avoid ICE.”

ICE agents realized Mora had been released, and chased him down outside, a source said.

Quote:The Washington Post’s White House team directly pleaded with owner Jeff Bezos, the uber-rich Amazon founder, to halt rumored plans of massive layoffs across the newsroom, according to reports.

The scribes emphasized their reliance on colleagues who could be on the chopping block amid unconfirmed rumors WaPo is gearing up to fire around 300 people as the paper grapples with declining readership, after its political coverage was long considered an audience draw.

“Newsroom leaders have conveyed that our team … directly brought in tens of thousands of new subscribers last year,” the reporters wrote Bezos, according to a copy of the missive obtained by Semafor. “But some of our most impactful, most-read articles… have relied on collaboration with all corners of the newsroom.”

In the letter to Bezos — which began with a chummy “Dear Jeff” — the ink-stained wretches asserted that many of their stories that drew new subscribers relied on teamwork with the international and metro desks, along with sports.

White House bureau chief Matt Viser explained the letter to colleagues on an internal Slack channel thus: “If the plan, to the extent there is one, is to reorient around politics we wanted to emphasize how much we rely on collaboration with foreign, sports, local — the entire paper, really. And if other sections are diminished, we all are.”

The plea came after WaPo recently told reporters it was scrapping plans to cover the Winter Olympics, sparking speculation the paper could be planning to eliminate its sports desk entirely.

The outlet has since backtracked, announcing plans to send a small team of journos to Italy, according to the New York Times.

Meanwhile, staffers are reportedly at a breaking point after years of layoffs and a growing distrust of Bezos and publisher Will Lewis after the paper killed an endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024 and added more conservative voices to its Opinion section — along with making newsroom reorganization moves that came across as half-baked.

“There’s now a strong sense that neither Jeff Bezos nor Will Lewis are serious, good-faith stewards of The Washington Post,” a veteran correspondent told CNN.

Quote:Five people were killed after a Russian drone hit a Ukrainian passenger train during an overnight assault, which President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed as a blatant “act of terrorism.”

The train was transporting more than 200 people in the Kharkiv region when a Russian drone struck a wagon, with two other UAVs hitting the area alongside it.

Harrowing video and images of the aftermath show that at least two train carriages were destroyed and set ablaze by the impacts, with Ukrainian prosecutors saying that the fragments of five bodies were found at the scene of the strike.

Along with the dead, at least 18 others were wounded by the attack, Zelensky said.

“In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be considered in exactly the same way — purely as terrorism,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “There is not and cannot be any military purpose in this.”

“There is, and can be, no military justification for killing civilians in a train carriage,” the Ukrainian president added.

Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, CEO of the Ukrainian national railways Ukrzaliznytsia, said rescue teams and passengers worked quickly to evacuate the burning cars.
The officials also vowed to keep the trains running for Ukrainians despite the deadly attack.

“Keeping things moving is becoming more difficult,” Pertsovskyi wrote on Facebook. “We are regrouping. There will be additional strict security measures in some places, but even on those most frightening days, we cannot give up.”

The attack on the train was part of a large overnight assault across Ukraine that left at least 10 people dead and dozens wounded, according to Kyiv.

The attack, which saw more than 50 Russian drones fired, killed three people and left more than 30 wounded in Odessa, with another person killed in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Quote:Ukraine awaited signs Friday that Russia is abiding by a commitment that US President Donald Trump said it made to temporarily halt attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, as Kyiv and other regions are gripped by the bitterest winter weather for years.

Trump said late Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to his request not to target the Ukrainian capital and other towns for one week, as the region experiences frigid temperatures that have brought widespread hardship to civilians.

Trump didn’t say when the call with Putin took place or when the moratorium would go into effect, and the White House didn’t immediately respond to a query seeking clarity about the scope and timing of any limited pause. There was no immediate confirmation from the Kremlin that Putin has committed to the move.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was skeptical about Putin’s readiness for such a step as Russia’s all-out invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, approaches its four-year anniversary next month with no signs that Moscow is willing to reach a peace settlement despite a US-led push to end the fighting.

“I do not believe that Russia wants to end the war. There is a great deal of evidence to the contrary,” Zelensky said Thursday in comments made public on Friday.

Drone and missile attacks continue

He said that Ukraine is ready to halt its attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, including oil refineries, if Moscow also stops its bombardment of the Ukrainian power grid and other energy assets.

While there was no official word on whether those conciliatory steps had been taken, the grinding war of attrition dragged on.

Russia fired 111 drones and one ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, injuring at least three people, the Ukrainian Air Force said. The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that its air defenses overnight shot down 18 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions, as well as the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea.

Quote:Ukraine saw a rare overnight lull in attacks on energy infrastructure after President Trump personally urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to pause strikes — but the Kremlin said Friday the brief reprieve will last only through Sunday.

There were no overnight strikes on energy facilities in Ukraine after Trump called on Putin to spare them as frigid temperatures leave civilians in danger of freezing to death, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post to X.

“Over the past night, there were no strikes on energy facilities,” Zelensky wrote.

But that didn’t stop Moscow from continuing to hit other civilian infrastructure across the country.

“Drone attacks on ordinary residential buildings in cities also continue,” the Ukrainian president said. “A ballistic missile was used against the Kharkiv region – civilian production warehouses were damaged, including those of an American company.”

President Trump on Thursday revealed he personally asked Putin to suspend attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy systems for a week during a brutal cold snap that has left millions vulnerable to power outages and heating failures.

Ukrainian, Russian and American officials had also discussed an energy infrastructure cease-fire during their trilateral meeting earlier this month, according to Zelensky.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday confirmed that Russia would maintain a limited cease-fire on heating and power sources.

“President Trump did indeed make a personal request to President Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv for a week until Feb. 1 in order to create favorable conditions for negotiations,” he said.

However, the halt on energy strikes only began Thursday night, as Zelensky said “there were hits specifically on energy infrastructure in several regions” earlier that day.

That means that if the limited cease-fire ends on Sunday, it would last only half as long as Trump requested.

Despite the calmer night for the power grid, Zelensky said Russia continued to intensify attacks on logistics networks and residential areas, including drone strikes on apartment buildings in major cities.

Quote:Russian strongman Vladimir Putin reneged on his deal with President Trump to briefly pause the war in Ukraine, killing at least five and injuring more than a dozen in strikes across the battered country overnight into Saturday.

Moscow continued its relentless assault on Ukraine — despite a personal plea from Trump to suspend fighting for one week — while the war-torn country and its decimated energy infrastructure go through a deadly cold snap that’s left millions vulnerable to power outages.

“I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting on Thursday. “It’s extraordinary cold — record-setting cold over there.”

Trump said the Russian dictator had agreed to his request — calling Moscow’s response “very nice.”

But Putin’s troops launched 85 drones against Ukraine into Saturday — 55 of which were Shahed-type drones, Ukraine’s Air Force said on Telegram.

Kyiv was spared from the latest attack, but the contested frontline region of Donetsk was badly hit. Two people were killed in the Russian strikes that damaged homes, cars and heating infrastructure, and three others wounded, regional Gov. Vadym Filashkin reported.

Close to 200 people had to be evacuated from their homes, including 35 children, he said.

In Kherson, in the south of the country, two people were killed, and 10 others injured, including a 14-year-old boy, regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said.

The strikes damaged 14 high-rise buildings and 5 homes, he added.

Moscow tried to spin the deal on Friday claiming that it had only meant Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, was off limits — letting reporters believe it was using “Kyiv” to denote the whole country, when it was only referring to the city.

“President Trump did indeed make a personal request to President Putin to refrain from striking Kyiv for a week until Feb. 1 in order to create favorable conditions for negotiations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow Friday.

Asked to confirm that Putin had agreed, he said: “Yes of course, there was a personal request from President Trump.”

You didn't think that Putin would make sure his troops wouldn't strike Ukraine for a couple of days, did you?

Quote:A suspected Hamas member has been busted in Germany for allegedly plotting a terror attack on Jews.

The suspect, only identified as Mohammad S., 36, was the fourth Hamas member to be arrested in the plot, with three other members of the same alleged cell detained in October, prosecutors told Der Spiegel.

Mohammad S. allegedly procured around 300 rounds of ammunition in preparation for Hamas attacks on Israeli or Jewish targets in Germany and other European countries, prosecutors said.

He was arrested at Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport on Friday upon returning from Lebanon, German prosecutors said.

During the October arrests of three other suspects, police seized an AK-47 assault rifle, several pistols, and a large amount of ammunition, investigators said.

Mohammad S. was transported over the weekend from Berlin to Karlsruhe in southwestern Germany, where he is due to appear before an investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice.

Quote:The chief executive of German automaker Mercedes-Benz reportedly rebuffed the Trump administration’s offer to relocate company headquarters to the United States.

Ola Källenius told German-language publication The Pioneer that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made the pitch about moving Mercedes’ HQ last year.

Källenius told Lutnick that while the company was global, it could not be “uprooted,” according to the publication.

“The star has been a global company for more than 100 years, but we are rooted in Swabia,” the CEO told the German-language publication.

“Those roots cannot — and should not — be pulled out of the ground.”

“The star” is a reference to Mercedes-Benz’s three-pointed logo. Swabia, which is known in German as Schwaben, is the region in southwestern Germany where the company’s Stuttgart headquarters are located.

Källenius — a Swedish-born executive and the first non-German to be chairman and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group — noted that Lutnick’s proposal reflected “the fierce global competition for capital that industrial center in Europe are facing.”

While he rejected the idea of moving the HQ, Mercedes later announced it would shift production of a sport utility vehicle from Germany to its plant in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Bloomberg noted.

The Post has sought comment from Mercedes-Benz and the Commerce Department.

The Trump administration has used tariffs as a tool to encourage companies to build and expand manufacturing operations in the United States.

Quote:IDF soldiers overnight identified eight terrorists emerging from underground infrastructure in eastern Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, prompting an airstrike that killed at least three of them, the Israel Defense Forces said on Friday.

According to the IDF, the Israeli Air Force carried out additional strikes against areas where the remaining terrorists attempted to flee.

“The results of those strikes are under review,” the arm said, adding that troops were continuing ground searches in the area to locate and eliminate remaining threats.

Forces operating under Southern Command remain deployed in accordance with the ceasefire agreement with Hamas and will continue acting to remove any immediate danger to Israeli troops, the military said.

The ceasefire, which took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, remains in place despite ongoing security incidents.

The operation followed a separate precision strike targeting a terrorist planning what the IDF described as an imminent attack against troops operating in southern Gaza.

Ahead of that strike, the army took steps to mitigate harm to noncombatants, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the military remains focused on completing two core missions: disarming Hamas and dismantling terrorist infrastructure in Gaza.

“I hear even now the statements that we will allow the reconstruction of Gaza before demilitarization. That will not happen,” Netanyahu said.

Speaking to lawmakers at the Knesset, Netanyahu said Hamas disarmament “will happen—as our friend Donald Trump said—the easy way or the hard way, but it will happen.”

Senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzouk, however, told Al Jazeera this week that the group never agreed to disarmament as part of the US-brokered ceasefire framework.

Quote:The Ayatollah resurfaced from his secret underground bunker Saturday for a brief appearance as deadly unrest continues to grip Iran.

Ali Khamenei’s reemergence was to mark the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, when the cleric’s brutal regime usurped power in 1979.

He was seen praying at the tomb of ex-Iranian Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, in photos shared by his official X account.

It was the first time the Ayatollah had been seen in public since the protests erupted in late December over the country’s collapsing economy, which sparked a brutal crackdown by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps where as many as 35,000 protestors may have been killed.

Last week, Khamenei, 86, went into hiding reportedly over fears US airstrikes were imminent, after President Trump boasted the US Navy was sending a massive “armada” to Iran’s doorstep.

The supreme leader retreated to a fortified shelter in Tehran connected to a series of elaborate underground tunnels, leaving his youngest son in charge of the day-to-day management of the Islamic Republic, after senior military officials warned of the increasing likelihood of a US attack.

His resurfacing comes the same day that mystery explosions were heard in cities across the country, killing at least six people, and injuring more than a dozen.

It’s not yet clear who’s behind the blasts.

Quote:The US and Israel are denying involvement in the mysterious blasts that killed six and wounded more than a dozen others across Iran Saturday.

US officials said the explosion in the Iranian port city Bandar Abbas was not related to any military activity in the region, CNN reported – even though a massive US naval “armada” is set to arrive in the Persian Gulf as tensions with Tehran mount.

The Israeli government also refuted claims they had launched a targeted drone strike on an Iranian military target, the outlet reported.

One child died and 14 others were injured in a blast that rocked a residential building in Bandar Abbas on Saturday, with state media initially blaming the blast on a gas leak while continuing to probe.

Across the Strait of Hormuz, a second blast was heard in the southwestern Khuzestan province where five people were killed in a separate gas explosion, according to The Jerusalem Post.

There were also unconfirmed reports of explosions in other parts of the country.

Iranian state media pushed back against viral social media reports on Saturday that Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps naval officers fell victim to targeted drone attacks.

The mysterious explosions come as US Central Command issued a stark warning to Iran as the repressive regime prepares to conduct live-fire war games in the Strait on Sunday.

“Any unsafe and unprofessional behavior near US forces, regional partners, or commercial vessels increases risks of collision, escalation, and destabilization,” CENTCOM wrote on X Friday.

Despite heightened tensions, Iranian officials claimed they are progressing toward a deal with the US.

Quote:The Islamic Republic appears to be gauging its nuclear capabilities decimated in the 12-day war with Israel in June, as satellite images have picked up activity at two key Iranian sites for the first time in months.

Roofs have been built over two damaged buildings at the Natanz and Isfahan facilities in the past few weeks, according to images picked up this week.

The activity signals efforts by Tehran to obscure the International Atomic Energy Agency’s ability to monitor the sites, rather than the rebuilding of nuclear capacity, according to experts who examined the battered locations.

“They want to be able to get at any recovered assets they can get to without Israel or the United States seeing what survived,” said Andrea Stricker, an Iranian expert with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Stricker said the regime is likely assessing whether key assets — such as limited stocks of highly enriched uranium — survived the devastating strikes.

Because Tehran has refused to allow IAEA inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities since the crippling attacks by the US and Israel, satellite images was their only means of monitoring them.

The Natanz site, 135 miles south of Tehran, is especially key as it produced the majority of Iran’s uranium enrichment.

An Israeli strike on June 13 left it “functionally destroyed,” “seriously damaging” its enrichment capabilities. according to the IAEA. A US attack a few days later with bunker-busting bombs is thought to have decimated whatever was left.

Images show the regime began building a roof over the damaged plant in December, completing work there by the end of the month, and by early January at the Isfahan site.

It has also ramped up work to build a new underground nuclear facility a few hundred feet from the Natanz complex, that’s been described as so deep that US airstrikes likely couldn’t reach it.

Quote:A Gaza doctor who slammed Israel in a pair of New York Times op-eds is a colonel with terror group Hamas, according to an Israeli watchdog group and the Israeli Defense Forces.

Hussam Abu Safyia was photographed wearing a Hamas camo military uniform while at a gathering of Hamas elites to celebrate the completion of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in 2016, according to the Jerusalem-based watchdog NGO Monitor.

Safyia’s photo appeared on the Gaza Medical Services‘ Facebook page — a group overseen by the Hamas-run health ministry.

The ceremony was attended by ranking members of the brutal terror group, including Gen. Abu Obaida Al-Jarrah, Director of Military Medical Services Saeed Saoudi and National Security Forces commander Col. Naeem Al-Ghoul, according to the post.

Following Hamas’ massacre of over 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, which led to the war in Gaza, Safyia penned two screeds in the Times bashing Israel on Oct. 29, 2023, and Dec. 2, 2024.

“We are suffering and paying the price of the genocide that is happening to our people here in the northern Gaza Strip,” Safyia wrote in one op-ed.

Critics decried media giving the alleged Hamas member any ink.

“Those who platformed Abu Safyia must do some serious soul-searching, and figure out how they ended up promoting the propaganda of a literal Hamas terrorist,” NGO Monitor senior researcher Vincent Chebat said.

The Times referred to the colonel as a “pediatrician and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza” in each op-ed.

Neither Safyia nor the Times disclosed his alleged affiliation with the terror group, even though Palestinian media refers to him by his military rank. He is also referred to as a colonel in a 2020 Facebook post on the Gaza Strip Medical Services page.

Quote:Panama’s highest court has voided the contract of a Chinese-linked company that operated key ports at the Panama Canal — handing the Trump administration a major victory in its push to curb China’s influence over the strategic waterway.

Panama’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the long-standing port concession held by a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison was unconstitutional, stripping the company of its legal right to operate the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal.

The affected terminals — Balboa on the Pacific side and Cristóbal on the Atlantic — sit at the physical entrances to the canal, making them among the most strategically sensitive commercial assets in global shipping.

In 1997, Panama granted a long-term concession to Panama Ports Company, a CK Hutchison subsidiary, to operate the two ports as the canal transitioned from US to Panamanian control ahead of the 1999 handover.

Friday’s ruling invalidated not only the original concession but also subsequent extensions, citing constitutional and procedural defects.

Panama Ports Company blasted the Supreme Court ruling as legally flawed, warning it threatens the country’s rule of law and investment climate.

In a statement issued Thursday, PPC said it had not yet been formally notified of the decision and argued the ruling is “inconsistent with the relevant legal framework and the law that approved the contract which has been the basis for PPC’s operations at the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal for nearly three decades.”

The company described the decision as “the latest development in a campaign by the Panamanian State impacting PPC and its investor over more than a year,” citing what it called a series of surprise actions targeting the concession.

The decision reopens the question of who controls the canal’s entry ports and under what terms.

The court decision also threw a proposed $23 billion sale of CK Hutchison’s global port business into jeopardy, dealing a blow to a deal that would have transferred control of the Panama terminals to a Western-led consortium that included BlackRock.

President Trump has repeatedly warned that the US would not tolerate what he described as creeping Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, framing control of canal-adjacent infrastructure as a core national-security issue.

Trump publicly criticized Panama for allowing CK Hutchison to operate ports in the waterway, arguing that the arrangement threatened US strategic interests in the Western Hemisphere.

Quote:LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A suspected biological laboratory raided by Metro police and the FBI may be connected to a similar incident in California, where officials found infectious agents such as HIV and malaria, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned.

Police and the FBI searched the home on Saturday, Jan. 31, finding a “possible biological laboratory,” including “refrigerators with vials containing unknown liquids,” police said.

Shortly before 6 a.m., a Metro SWAT team served a search warrant at the home on Sugar Springs Drive near Washington Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard to search for a possible “biological laboratory” inside the home. A second location was also searched, but no lab was located.

An LLC tied to the home’s county records matches the name of a company that is part of an ongoing federal case in California involving a biological laboratory there, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported. In that case, a Chinese citizen, David He, faces federal charges for allegedly manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices, according to federal prosecutors.

As part of that investigation, local and federal officials raided the suspected biolab in Reedley, California, in Fresno County.

“Inside the Reedley Biolab, officials observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and thousands of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material,’ raising the concern that they contained pathogens,” according to a federal report from the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Some of these vials were labeled with the names of pathogens in English or Mandarin.”

Investigators also located “pathogen-labeled containers” with labels such as “dengue fever,” “HIV,” and “malaria,” the report said, along with 1,000 mice.

The man connected to the Reedley biolab remained in federal custody ahead of a spring trial. His name is listed as the registered agent of the Las Vegas-based company that owns the Sugar Springs Drive property. The LLC purchased the home in 2022.

Two other people connected to the LLC are tied to a Spring Valley business address. The company appears to have a warehouse location in Las Vegas as well, according to documents.

In court documents, He previously told a judge he no longer runs the companies, though he remained listed in Nevada business records as of Sunday. There was no indication as of Sunday that he was charged with a crime connected to Saturday’s raid.

During a joint news conference with the FBI on Saturday, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill noted one person was in custody connected to the raid; however, no case appeared filed in state or federal court as of Sunday.

And it might be linked to this old article...

Quote:June 3 (UPI) -- The Justice Department on Tuesday announced charges against two Chinese scholars accused of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen with agroterrorism potential into the United States.

The scholars, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, are facing charges of conspiracy, goods smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud.

"The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals -- including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party -- are of the gravest national security concerns," U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said in a statement.

"These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme."

The biological pathogen the couple are alleged to have smuggled into the United States has been identified as fusarium graminearum, a fungus that causes head blight, which poses significant threat to wheat, barley, maize and rice.

What the couple intended to do with the noxious fungus was not apparent, but the complaint filed against them states that Jian, an alleged member of the CCP and a scholar at the University of Michigan, is accused of receiving funding from Beijing for her work on the pathogen and that Liu, her boyfriend, conducts research on the same fungus at a Chinese university.

According to the complaint, Liu lied about smuggling fusarium graminearum into the United States through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport with the intent to conduct research on it at a laboratory at his girlfriend's school.

Federal prosecutors said that Liu has admitted to smuggling the pathogen into the country.

"These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety," Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement.

The pair were arrested by the FBI, and Jian was to appear in federal court in Detroit on Tuesday afternoon.

The University of Michigan released a statement in response to the charges, stating they "strongly condemn any actions that seek to harm, threaten national security or undermine the university's critical public mission."

"It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals," the school added.

"We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution."

The charges were announced a week after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they were working to "aggressively revoke" visas of Chinese students, without citing a reason.

Chinese academics stealing technology and intellectual property was a large concern for the first Trump administration, whose Justice Department had launched a controversial program to specifically prosecute Chinese accused of corporate espionage -- a program the Biden administration shuttered under criticism that it fueled intolerance and bias.

"This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences... putting American lives and our economy at serious risk," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on X.

Quote:TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Investigators found signs of forced entry at the Arizona home of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, a person familiar with the investigation said Tuesday, as the host asked for prayers to help bring back the 84-year-old, who is believed to have been taken against her will.

The host described her mother, Nancy Guthrie, as “a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant” in a social media post late Monday. She asked supporters to “raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home.”

The Pima County sheriff and the Tucson FBI chief held a news conference Tuesday and urged the public to offer tips, but they revealed few new details about the investigation. The sheriff said they don’t have credible information indicating Guthrie’s disappearance was targeted.

Sheriff Chris Nanos has said Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it. Asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, “We hope we are.”

DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis as part of the investigation. “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects,” Nanos said.

Motive still a mystery

The person who spoke to The Associated Press said investigators found specific evidence in the home showing there was a nighttime kidnapping. Several of Guthrie’s personal items, including her cellphone, wallet and car, were still there after she disappeared.

Investigators are reviewing surveillance video from nearby homes and working to analyze data from cellphone towers. Police are also reviewing information from license plate cameras in the area, according to the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the case and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

The motive remains a mystery. Investigators do not believe at this point that the abduction was part of a robbery, home invasion or kidnapping-for-ransom plot, the person said.

Quote:Olympic hopeful Katie Uhlaender reacted to the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after she made a case to join Team USA for the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

The CAS said it had no jurisdiction to consider her case against Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) coach Joe Cecchini and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) over the results of the IBSF North American Cup Race and Skeleton qualification for a spot in the Winter Olympics.

Uhlaender appeared on Fox News Channel’s "America’s Newsroom" and told anchor Dana Perino that she didn’t necessarily disagree with the ruling but she is now at a crossroads.

"I don’t know that I disagree that it was out of their jurisdiction to be fair. The dispute happened prior to the 10-day window," she said. "What I want to happen is – something. I don’t know what the solution is at this point because I’ve exhausted all of these pathways within the system and from what I could understand, it will be up to the IOC and potentially the IBSF to allocate an extra spot for extreme circumstances. But we don’t know who should ask for that or exactly how to do it. This is where I’d ask (Vice President) Vance for help."

Uhlaender sought qualification after she missed out on the chance to qualify when Team Canada withdrew athletes from the North American Cup race in early January, reducing the number of points that the event could award. The point reduction made it impossible for Uhlaender to earn enough to qualify.

An investigation by the IBSF found that Team Canada intentionally manipulated the points at the competition in Lake Placid, New York. However, the IBSF also did not revise any of the results or deliver any penalties as a result. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) petitioning to have Uhlaender granted a spot. Fifteen other countries have joined that petition.

"This is all within the rules. There’s nothing wrong with those things. And people can be strategic in the races that they participate. And she was doing that, and other nations were doing that, because you want to put your best foot forward," Cecchini said. "This is a system flaw, if anything. But we were within the rules."

Cecchini also took aim directly at Uhlaender, saying she isn’t a "top-tier athlete."

"I don’t really wanna speak negatively about Katie, but Katie was not on the World Cup team. She wasn’t a top-tier athlete in that program anymore. She was at the end of her career. I would personally would  rather race against Katie. She’s not as competitive as the other athletes," he said. "It’s probably really unfair to say and not really where I want to go with this, but that’s where we are with that."

Uhlaender said on Fox News Channel that Cecchini wasn’t really addressing the issue at heart.

Quote:Former Cy Young Award finalist Emmanuel Clase is suspected of throwing rigged pitches to aid gamblers four times more than originally thought, a report said, citing a court document filed Thursday.

The three-time all-star and AL saves leader for the Cleveland Guardians was accused by federal prosecutors of throwing suspicious pitches in nine games over a three-year span when his indictment was unsealed in November.

However, the lawyer for teammate and alleged co-conspirator Luis Ortiz said the feds have accused Clase of manipulating his pitches in 39 other games as he asked for the cases to be severed over “markedly different levels of culpability,” ESPN reported.

Christos N. Georgalis, the lawyer for Ortiz, said his client will not receive a fair trial unless that happens.

ESPN said it had yet to receive a comment from Clase’s lawyer and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case. MLB declined to comment further on the case, ESPN reported, but said previously that it was co-operating with prosecutors.

Co-accused’s lawyer wants cases split

Ortiz is accused of rigging pitches in two games in June 2025, while Clase is accused of conspiring with bettors between 2023 and 2025, according to the indictment.

They have both pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting events by bribery with the top charges worth up to 20 years in prison.

The filing asked for the case to be split due to the difference in scale of the alleged crimes, while highlighting that the indictment does not contain evidence that Ortiz communicated directly with bettors.

A jury presented “with 26 months of alleged criminal conduct by Mr. Clase — including suspect pitches during 48 games, dozens of communications with (a bettor), cash transfers and co-ordination of illegal wagers” could find Ortiz guilty by association, Georgalis said in the filing, via ESPN.

Quote:California’s already sky-high gas prices are expected to surge after Valero abruptly shuttered its Benicia refinery amid a spiraling “oil crisis,” a new report claims.

The Benicia refinery began shutting down on Saturday, four months earlier than planned, a former Valero manager told the California Globe Tuesday.

Thermal imaging showed the facility went cold as the Crimson Pipeline – which transports crude oil from Southern to Northern California – was also taken offline.

“We are in an unprecedented oil crisis,” oil expert Mike Ariza told the publication.

Valero Energy Corp. announced its plans last spring to pull the plug on its 145,000-barrel-per-day refinery by April, a move that is expected to send fuel prices skyrocketing and hobble the state’s refining capacity.

Californians already pay the second-highest gas price in the nation behind only Hawaii. In January, the average price was $4.23 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.

Refineries are fleeing the Golden State as regulations drive operating costs 26 to 37% higher than the national average. Chevron moved its operations from the Bay Area to Texas, while Phillips 66 powered down its 140,000-barrel-per-day Los Angeles refinery in October.

Ariza warned that as refineries go dark, more Californians will also skip town, noting that the oil and gas industry supports 536,770 jobs and pumps $338 billion into the state’s economy, the outlet reported.

He said Valero’s accelerated shutdown comes after the company scrapped its crude oil contracts back in October.

“Now, Valero is not even seeking to try and sell the refinery,” Ariza told the outlet in December.

“Even after the state tried to convince Valero to remain open, they elected to shut down. And instead of shutting down in April, they shutdown in January. All due to the state’s egregious regulations and unprecedented unjustified fines.”

Quote:Melania Trump welcomed to the White House on Wednesday freed Israeli hostages Keith Siegel and wife Aviva, who played a role in her newly released film.

And she had strong words for a reporter who tried to question her about Ghislaine Maxwell.

“We are here celebrating the release and the lives of these two incredible people so let’s honor that,” Trump said.

The first lady kept the focus of the event on her work and denied she was promoting her self-titled documentary even though she and the former Hamas captives mentioned the movie that hit theaters on Friday in their remarks.

In her “Melania” film, she met with Aviva to discuss Keith’s captivity and helped to eventually free him.

“It was emotional meeting,” Trump said of her sitdown with Avivia, “and it is captured on camera and available to see by the film, Melania.”

She praised Aviva’s dedication to her husband. “Aviva was a warrior. She is a warrior. She was fighting very hard for Keith. And I know he suffered a lot.” And told Keith: “I’m happy to see you healthy at home with your children, with your grandchildren, with your family.”

Both Keith and Aviva mentioned the film when they thanked Melania Trump for her support.

“I want to thank you for being a caring, compassionate person and for supporting and helping Aviva,” he said.

“I also want to end by congratulating you on the release of your movie. So much looking forward to seeing it, and so grateful for you deciding to have Aviva be a part of your movie. Thank you.”

Aviva added in her thanks: “I knew how important it was for you to go back home and talk to President Trump and sharing your feelings. So I want to thank you for that, and I want to thank you for putting me in your special Melania film.”

The first lady denied her meeting with the couple was a business promotion when pressed by a reporter.

“This is not promotion,” she said. “We are here celebrating the release of the hostages of Aviva and Keith. They were in Washington, DC, and they called me. They called me. They said they would like to come over to thank me and to give hugs, and that’s why we’re doing it. It’s nothing to do with promotion.”

Keith and Aviva Siegel were two of the roughly 250 people captured during the Oct. 7th attack and spent 484 days in captivity in Gaza.

Aviva was released during a cease-fire in November 2023. She met with Melania Trump after President Trump won the 2024 election – an event that was documented in the first lady’s self-titled documentary.

Quote:A City Council staffer who has been in ICE custody since mid-January was denied bond by an immigration judge Monday after federal lawyers successfully argued he posed a danger to society, according to a report.

Data analyst and Venezuelan national Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez will remain in a Hudson Valley facility for now after he was detained by federal agents when he showed up to a Jan. 12 court check-in on Long Island.

Department of Homeland Security attorneys argued during the hearing that Rubio Bohorquez should stay locked up, citing a 2023 arrest for allegedly punching his roommate’s face and breaking his nose during a fight, The City reported.

While the charges against Rubio Bohorquez were later dropped and sealed, a DHS lawyer argued he lied about his criminal history on paperwork seeking asylum and Temporary Protected Status, the outlet reported.

A lawyer for the staffer, Roger Asmar, argued Rubio Bohorquez didn’t think he was required to mention the arrest because the charges were erased.

Video of the altercation also showed Rubio Bohorquez didn’t sock the roommate, who was also arrested during the scuffle, Asmar claimed, according to The City.

“I don’t see any reason my client shouldn’t be released,” he said – though Conroy shot back, “He’s failed to demonstrate he’s not a danger.”

An email to Asmar was not immediately returned.

Elected officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin, have rallied to the defense of Rubio Bohorquez, who started working for the legislative body in January 2025.

City officials have argued he had permission to be in the United States at least until October 2026 – despite President Trump ending a Biden-era legal protection program for Venezuelans.

Quote:WASHINGTON — A US Senate panel launched a probe Wednesday of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration, citing “serious concerns” about the “rescission of executive orders related to antisemitism and boycotts of Israel.”

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wrote a letter to Mamdani asking whether the scrapping of the orders would hamper the enforcement of civil rights law — thus risking the revocation of $2.2 billion in federal funds.

“Antisemitism is not an abstract concern in New York City; it is a lived reality for millions of students and residents, and its consequences are very serious,” Cassidy told Mamdani in the letter reviewed by The Post.

“Decisions by your administration that weaken established safeguards for Jewish students in New York and are out of alignment with federal executive orders warrant careful scrutiny,” he said.

“Jewish students deserve clear assurance that their safety and civil rights will not be compromised by your administration’s actions.”

A January survey found that a majority of Jewish voters (53%) in the Big Apple felt threatened by the Democratic socialist mayor’s statements and similar remarks by his allies.

Mamdani voided every executive order signed by former New York City Mayor Eric Adams since the day his predecessor was indicted on federal corruption charges in September 2024.

That included a June 8, 2025, order that “created the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism to identify and develop efforts to eliminate antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crime,” and the Dec. 2 order that year opposed boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) policies regarding Israel.

Mamdani called Israel an apartheid state and backed the controversial BDS movement before taking office.

Cassidy in his letter said the former order used the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

Quote:WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is demanding a public congressional hearing about her and her husband Bill’s relationships with deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell — despite both having already agreed to closed-door depositions.

The Clintons caved on Monday to avoid a vote to hold them in contempt of Congress for refusing to appear for depositions as part of the House Oversight Committee’s Epstein investigation.

But by Friday, the former first lady accused Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) of having “moved the goalposts” regarding the subpoenas — which were issued last August — “and turned accountability into an exercise in distraction.”

“For six months, we engaged Republicans on the Oversight Committee in good faith. We told them what we know, under oath,” Hillary Clinton wrote on X. “So let’s stop the games.”

“If you want this fight, @RepJamesComer, let’s have it—in public,” she added. “You love to talk about transparency. There’s nothing more transparent than a public hearing, cameras on. We will be there.”

Former first son Hunter Biden pulled the same move with the Oversight panel before sitting for a deposition in February 2024.

Former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz replied to the post, “I’m with her,” referencing the slogan from the Democrat’s failed 2016 presidential campaign, suggesting some Republicans may be open to the hearing.

But a House Oversight panel spokeswoman fired back: “The Clintons are going to Clinton and try to spin the facts since no one is buying their claims.”

“The only ones moving the goalposts are, as usual, the Clintons and their attorneys. The Clintons were issued bipartisan subpoenas for depositions—not a hearing,” the spokeswoman said.

“In the wake of facing contempt of Congress proceedings, the Clintons’ attorney finally agreed to filmed, transcribed depositions on February 26 and 27,” she added.

President Trump voiced unease on Wednesday about Bill Clinton having to sit for a deposition.

Asked by “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas if he was concerned that he might face a similar threat after leaving office, Trump replied: “I think they might say that. But they’ve already brought me. … I’ve been indicted many, many times.”

“These depositions are in accordance with House and Committee rules. All witnesses appearing for interviews as part of our Epstein investigation are being treated fairly and consistently.”

That included former Attorney General Bill Barr and ex-Labor Secretary and South Florida US Attorney Alex Acosta, who both sat for filmed depositions with the committee.

“It bothers me that they’re going after Bill Clinton. I like Bill Clinton,” he also said. “I liked his behavior towards me. I thought he got me. He understood me.”

The Clintons provided written declarations through their attorneys to the Oversight Committee last month denying any knowledge of Epstein or Maxwell’s sickening sex crimes against young girls.

Quote:President Donald Trump said Monday the United States plans to lower tariffs on goods from India to 18 percent, down from 25 percent, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to halt purchases of Russian oil, a move Trump cast as both an economic reset and a step toward ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The announcement followed a call between the two leaders and comes after months of pressure from Trump on India to reduce its reliance on discounted Russian crude. Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India has sharply increased oil imports from Moscow as Western nations moved to isolate the Kremlin through sanctions.

Trump said the agreement would also see India reduce import taxes and non‑tariff barriers on U.S. goods to zero and commit to buying roughly $500 billion worth of American products, including energy, technology and agricultural exports.

Trump Links Trade Deal to Push to End Ukraine War

Trump explicitly tied the tariff reduction and India’s shift away from Russian oil to his broader effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, which has now dragged on for nearly four years.

“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social announcing the deal.

The president has repeatedly argued that curbing Russia’s oil revenue is the most effective way to pressure Moscow into negotiations, a view that aligns with his heavy reliance on tariffs as a foreign policy tool. Since returning to office, he has frequently imposed import taxes without going through Congress to advance economic and diplomatic objectives.

At the same time, Trump has struggled to fulfill a campaign pledge to quickly end the conflict and has been reluctant to directly confront Russian President Vladimir Putin, drawing criticism from allies who favor a harder line against Moscow.

Modi Welcomes Tariff Cut, Praises Trump’s Leadership

Modi responded positively to the announcement, saying he was “delighted” by the planned tariff reduction and praising Trump’s leadership.

“President Trump’s leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity,” Modi wrote in a post on X. “I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights.”

Trump and Modi have long portrayed their relationship as warm, but it has become more complicated in recent years amid the war and disputes over trade imbalances and market access.

Quote:Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, once asked Jeffrey Epstein to “marry me” and made a crude remark about her daughter’s sex life, newly released emails show.

The former Duchess of York, known widely as Fergie, heaped praise on the late pedophile in various chummy exchanges over the years, the latest Epstein files drop shows — even taking her daughters to see him soon after he left jail for sex offenses against an underage girl.

“You are a legend. I really don’t have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness,” she wrote in one 2010 email, when he was already a convicted pedophile.

“Xx I am at your service. Just marry me.”

In another email exchange a year earlier, Ferguson gushed over Epstein as she updated him on potential business opportunities for her brands and books.
“In just one week, after your lunch, it seems the energy has lifted”, she wrote in the missive.

“I have never been more touched by a friends [sic] kindness than your compliment to me infront of my girls,” the mom of two continued.

“Thank you Jeffrey for being the brother I have always wished for.”

Meanwhile, the former Duchess of York’s two daughters — Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — were also referenced in various email exchanges.

“ny [New York]?” Epstein wrote in a 2010 email to Prince Andrew’s ex-wife.

“Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a shagging weekend!!” Ferguson fired back, using the British slang term for sex.

Eugenie, who is now 35, was just shy of turning 20 when the emails between her mom and Epstein were sent.

Separate emails from 2009 suggested, too, that Epstein had joined Ferguson and her two daughters for lunch.

Quote:British police are reviewing explosive new allegations that Jeffrey Epstein sent a woman to the UK to have sex with then-Prince Andrew in his Royal Lodge.

The unidentified accuser claimed she was trafficked to have sex with the ex-royal at his now-former residence when she was in her 20s — and even got a tour of Buckingham Palace after.

“We are aware of reports about a woman said to have been taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for sexual purposes,” a Thames Valley Police spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.

“We are assessing the information in line with our established procedures. We take any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously and encourage anyone with information to come forward.

“At this time, these allegations have not been reported to Thames Valley Police by either the lawyer or their client.”

UK police previously investigated claims that Andrew had sex with longtime accuser Virginia Giuffre in London, which the royal has always vehemently denied.

The latest allegations are the first time an Epstein accuser has claimed to have had sex with Andrew at a royal residence.

“We’re talking about at least one woman who was sent by Jeffrey Epstein over to Prince Andrew,” Brad Edwards, the woman’s lawyer, told the BBC.

“And she even had, after a night with Prince Andrew, a tour of Buckingham Palace.”

Pressure is ramping up for Andrew to testify in front of a US congressional committee over his links to Epstein, and Vice President JD Vance appeared to endorse the idea of Andrew giving evidence.

Quote:Already-struggling UK Leader Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to step down over the latest scandal involving his former ambassador to America’s shocking close links to Jeffrey Epstein.

The prime minister, whose popularity was already at a near-record low since his 2024 election, faced revolt even from his own party over the fresh revelations about former diplomat Peter Mandelson, who was even seen in his underwear with an unknown woman in photos in the latest Epstein files.

Starmer went into a desperate damage-control mode Thursday, accusing his one-time close ally of “deceit” — even though Mandelson’s friendship with the now-deceased pedophile was well known when Starmer gave him the cushy role as the UK’s ambassador to Washington in December 2024.

“I was lied to, lied to,” Starmer said — while conceding that he knew Mandelson was still close with Epstein after he was convicted of sex offenses in 2008.

“I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointing him,” Starmer said in a groveling apology to Epstein’s victims.

“None of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship,” Starmer insisted, saying he was also filled with “anger and frustration” at the escalating revelations of the close ties, which seemingly involved the once-powerful minister leaking government documents to the perverted moneyman.

Nigel Farage — whose anti-immigration Reform UK party is currently leading in the polls — called the Mandelson controversy the “biggest scandal” in British politics for over 100 years.

Members of Starmer’s own Labour Party have also gone on the attack, with one Welsh Labour MP telling the BBC: “Starmer has to go.”

“I’m personally not sure I could trust myself to back the prime minister in a confidence vote,” another MP told the Guardian.

A former minister warned that the scandal was enough to take down the party, urging Labour leaders to drop Starmer.

“It’s time for a fresh start, the sooner the better,” the former minister told the Guardian

Quote:The son of Norway’s crown princess pleaded not guilty to rape charges as he went on trial Tuesday for multiple alleged offenses, opening weeks of proceedings in a case that has cast a shadow on the royal family’s image.

Marius Borg Høiby, 29, is the eldest son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit from a previous relationship and the stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon. Høiby has no royal title or official duties.

Høiby stood for 24 minutes while prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø read out the 38 counts against him at the Oslo district court, asking him if he pleaded guilty. He replied “no” to each of the most serious charges, including the four counts of rape.

The charges also include abuse in a close relationship against one former partner, acts of violence against another and transporting 7.7 pounds of marijuana. Others include making death threats and traffic violations.

Høiby pleaded guilty to several driving offenses, to an aggravated drugs offense and breaking a restraining order, and “partly” to threats and aggravated assault. Wearing glasses, a brown sweater and beige trousers, he spoke quietly and conferred regularly with his lawyer. A court official moved the microphone to better pick up his answers.

Prosecutors have said that Høiby could face up to 10 years in prison, if convicted in the trial, which is scheduled to last until March 19. Seven alleged victims are expected to testify.

“There is equality before the law,” Henriksbø told the court. “The defendant is the son of the crown princess. He is part of the royal family. He shall nevertheless be treated in the same way as any other person who is charged with the same offenses.”

Even Russia needs its own Disneyworld...and claim Winnie the Pooh is Russian.

Quote:When you wish upon a czar.

Move over, Mickey and Minnie — one Moscow politician is plotting to turn his war-mongering and economically failing country into the “Happiest Place on Earth” by building an all-Russian version of Disneyland.

Airat Gibatdinov, a member of Russia’s Council Committee on Culture, is proposing the Kremlin build its own version of the iconic US-based theme park populated with Soviet-era cartoon characters, Russian outlet TASS reported.

He believes that Russian cartoons are ‘Putin’ on better shows than foreign cartoons.

“Our beloved Cheburashka, Crocodile Gena, Winnie the Pooh, Carlson, the characters from ‘Well, Just You Wait!’ and ‘Prostokvashino’ have become a cultural universe truly capable of competing with Western franchises,” Gibatdinov told TASS.

Cheburashka and Gena the Crocodile are Russian cartoon characters created by the Soviet Jewish children’s author Eduard Uspensky in 1966. They became household names in Russia and the subject of animated television series and movies.

Gibatdinov mused naming Russia’s Disney after the character, calling it Cheburlandia.

The Soviet-era cartoon character, Cheburashka, which has large fuzzy brown ears and a circular head, is an animal “unknown to science.”

It has enjoyed a cultural resurgence in Russia after the release of its self titled 3D-animated movie in 2023 and sequel released in December 2025. Both films broke Russian box office records.

Quote:Poland temporarily restricted civilian air traffic over part of its airspace after what were likely balloons entered the NATO member from neighboring Belarus, Warsaw has said.

The objects entered Polish airspace overnight Friday two days after a similar incident caused the closure of airspace in the northeast of the country.

Newsweek has contacted the Belarusian foreign ministry for comment.
...
What To Know

Poland’s armed forces said on X that overnight Friday that objects had entered Polish airspace from Belarus and there was a “high probability” that they were balloons. 

Military radar systems monitored their flight and to ensure safety, civil aviation restrictions over the Podlaskie province in the northeast of the country were introduced, but no threat to Polish airspace safety was recorded.

The statement did not say that any aircraft had been deployed, which has happened during Russian drone strikes on Ukraine that have threatened to encroach on Polish airspace.

The Polish armed forces said it was another in a series of hybrid incidents in the eastern area of Poland, whose armed forces remained ready to respond.

Earlier in January, Poland had summoned the Belarusian chargé d'affaires over a previous airspace breach by objects thought to be smuggling balloons, Polish media reported.

On January 17, the NATO member had recorded an increase in smuggling balloons filled with illegal cigarettes near the Belarusian border. Polish police said on December 26 several dozen flying objects, most likely smuggling balloons, had crossed into the country from Belarus on Christmas Eve.

NATO announced in September it would beef up its air presence along the alliance eastern edge after around  20 Russian drones crossed over into Poland on September 10. 

Moscow denied it had targeted the country, but Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the incident marked "the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II."

Quote:Russia has launched a ballistic missile and drone assault on Ukrainian infrastructure, Kyiv has said, in what marks the end of a brief pause on strikes following a request by President Donald Trump. 

Dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones were reported over Ukraine overnight Monday, in a barrage that precedes talks in the United Arab Emirates aimed at ending the war.

Energy sites across the country were struck in what private energy company DTEK called "the most powerful blow" so far this year. The attack came as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
...
What To Know

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Moscow had fired around 450 long-range drones and 70 missiles overnight Monday as it targeted the country's power grid in freezing temperatures.

The strikes were launched as temperatures dropped to -20C (-4F). Tower blocks in the capital were left without heating and a power plant in the eastern city of Kharkiv was damaged beyond repair.

At least 10 people were injured in Russia’s attack on at least five regions and was aimed at denying civilians light, heating and running water amid the coldest winter in years, Zelensky said.

Ukraine's air force said on Telegram that Moscow launched four Zircon/Onix anti-ship missiles, 32 Iskander-M/S-300 ballistic missiles, seven Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles, and 28 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles.

Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 38 missiles and 412 drones but at least 27 missiles and 31 drones made it through, striking 27 locations, according to the Ukrainian statement.

Air defenses in Kyiv were activated after midnight as Russian drones approached the city and explosions were reported shortly afterward, according to public broadcaster Suspilne.

Explosions continued throughout the night and Ukraine's Air Force warned of a ballistic missile attack on the capital. Air raid sirens sounded in several regions of Ukraine on Tuesday morning after Russia launched missiles toward Chernihiv, Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts.

Russian forces damaged thermal power plants operated by DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, with strikes causing power outages on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kyiv's eastern districts, according to the company.

Quote:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would most likely win an election in the country after the war, the governor of Ukraine's southern Mykolaiv region has said, as fresh U.S.-led talks on a ceasefire kicked off on Wednesday and Russia renewed strikes Ukrainian cities.

Zelensky is the "best candidate for the future president," Vitaliy Kim, a long-term ally of the president, told Newsweek on Tuesday, insisting a return to peacetime would allow the Ukrainian leader, who gained office in 2019, to focus on reforms he had planned before Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Kim's comments came just hours after Russia hit Ukraine's largest cities, including Kyiv and Kharkiv, with a bombardment of drone and missile strikes—the year's largest attack so far.

The attacks targeted the country's power facilities, leaving tens of thousands without electricity and heating on Tuesday and Wednesday amid freezing -25C (-13F) temperatures. Three people were also killed in the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia during persistent attacks across both days, the regional governor said.

The strikes on civilian areas came immediately after what appeared to be a pause in Russian attacks brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump last week. Last Thursday, Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed "not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week."

The Kremlin said Trump had "made a personal request to Putin" to not strike the Ukrainian capital until February 1, a shorter timeline, but did not elaborate further. Moscow resumed strikes on February 2.

Trump, when probed on whether he was disappointed by Russia restarting attacks, said Putin had "kept his word."

Kim declined to comment on what the latest round of trilateral peace talks could achieve, but said Ukraine was exhausted by nearly four years of grueling war against Moscow. The country is "looking forward" to a peace deal, Kim said.

Ukraine has ruled out the prospect of elections taking place during the war, while under the country is still under martial law.

But as Trump has called for elections in Ukraine, and at times criticized Zelensky's standing in office, including calling him a "dictator," the Ukrainian leader has said his government could set up ballots if the U.S. and other backers could ensure voters' safety.

Zelensky's elected time in office expired last year. Russia has painted Zelensky as illegitimate, while Trump has repeatedly accused the Ukrainian leader of "using war" to avoid elections. Zelensky has remained popular, although corruption scandals touching his inner circle have fueled discontent with the government and pulled down his approval rating, according to recent polls.

Quote:The Russian Foreign Ministry warned Wednesday that it was ready to take decisive action to stop threats against the country, following the expiration of the New START Treaty on nuclear weapons between it and the U.S.

In statements shared with Russia's TASS News Agency, the ministry said that Russian officials had not heard from the U.S. ahead of the lapse set for Thursday, which would lift caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in over 50 years.

"As you know, on September 22, 2025, we proposed to the Americans to extend the key quantitative limits for one year as voluntary self-restrictions," Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said Wednesday. "However, we have not yet received an official response from the Americans."

A U.S. State Department official told Newsweek that President Donald Trump would make a decision on his own timeline.
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What To Know

Russian officials said Wednesday that they would proceed in a balanced manner and act responsibly once not bound by the New START Treaty, adding that the country was moving forward without a response from the U.S. The lack of response was branded "erroneous and regrettable," TASS reported.

Despite this, Russia said it remained open to finding new political and diplomatic solutions.

Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that he did not have an announcement on the treaty's expiration but added that Trump was open to talks with Russia and China.

What Is The U.S.-Russia Nuclear Treaty, New START?

New START was signed by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev 15 years ago. The treaty restricted each side to no more than 1,550 nuclear warheads on no more than 700 missiles and bombers—deployed and ready for use.

The deal was originally supposed to expire in 2021, but Trump extended it toward the end of his first term in the White House in 2020.

In February 2023, Putin said he was ending Moscow's participation because he could not allow U.S. inspectors to visit nuclear sites when Washington and NATO allies were opposed to his 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin said it would still honor the caps set out in the treaty.

Quote:President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wanted to seek a new nuclear treaty rather than extend the New START Treaty with Russia expiring the same day.

Trump's post on Truth Social, which touted his efforts to bolster the U.S. military, came as Reuters reported that he wants to include China in any new deal.

"Rather than extend 'NEW START' (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future," Trump said, in part.

On Wednesday, Russia warned that it was prepared to move forward without the limitations set by the treaty first signed by President Barack Obama, after not hearing back from the U.S.
...
What To Know

Trump's post on Thursday seeking a new treaty came after Russia indicated it wanted to temporarily extend New START while negotiations continued.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed the issue with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during a phone call on Wednesday, saying that Russia “will act in a balanced and responsible manner based on thorough analysis of the security situation,” per Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov.

For its part, China has said it regrets the expiration of the Russia-U.S. treaty and has called for dialogue between the two countries. Chinese officials, however, have tried to distance themselves from a three-country deal.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said on Wednesday that Trump wanted to work with China and Russia moving forward.

Quote:WASHINGTON — Russia and Ukraine agreed to release 157 of each others’ prisoners of war on Thursday after another round of talks with the US, a move that some analysts say was a largely symbolic show of commitment to peace.

The talks began on Wednesday, with Kyiv agreeing to move forward with the diplomatic discussions despite Russia breaking President Trump’s requested weeklong cease-fire on Ukrainian heating and power infrastructure as frigid temperatures sweep the country.

“Negotiations took place while Russia continues its relentless attacks on Ukrainian cities, pushing the people toward the edge of survival,” Ukrainian ambassador to the US Olga Stefanishyna exclusively told The Post. “Yet Ukraine remains steadfast in its pursuit of peace and is ready to seize every opportunity.”

The diplomat welcomed the return of prisoners as “good news,” noting that “many of those freed endured captivity and mistreatment since 2022.”

“We are grateful to the American side for helping make this possible. Return of our people is priceless,” she said.

The Thursday exchange was the first to happen in more than four months — but some officials and analysts say if Russia is attempting to show progress, they should start by respecting even a temporary cease-fire.

“Prisoner exchanges are always valuable, but additional things that can be done to show good faith towards ending the war beyond prisoner exchanges, like a permanent or extended hiatus against strikes on energy infrastructure,” Atlantic Council senior fellow and former Pentagon official Alex Plitsas said Thursday.

Shortly after the talks began early Wednesday, Russian forces hit a crowded market in eastern Ukraine, killing at least seven people and leaving another 15 wounded,  Donetsk region’s Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

The attacks followed another major assault on Ukraine’s energy grid, with Moscow firing more than 500 drones and missiles across five different regions on Tuesday.

Trump on Feb. 29 said he had convinced Putin to agree to a weeklong cease-fire on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. While the Kremlin initially appeared to respect the request, it unleashed the massive drone and missile attack on the energy sector just four days later.

Stefanishyna suggested that a Russian sanctions-related bill greenlit by Trump but still languishing in Congress could “compel Putin and his inner circle to engage seriously with peace efforts led by the United States.”

“The Kremlin and [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin have shown that force is the language they understand best,” she said. “To respond effectively, we must step up pressure on the aggressor and limit their ability to wage war.”

Meanwhile, Moscow painted the talks with a brighter interpretation, with Kremlin henchman Kirill Dmitriev declaring the exchange resulted in “positive advancement” — and claiming suggestions to the contrary came from “warmongers” who are “trying to thwart it,” Russia’s state-run TASS news website reported.

Quote:OPEC+ agreed to keep its oil output unchanged for March at a meeting, the producer group said on Sunday, even after crude prices hit six-month highs on concern the US could launch a military strike on OPEC member Iran.

The meeting of eight OPEC+ members comes as Brent crude closed near $70 a barrel on Friday, close to the six-month high of $71.89 it hit on Thursday, despite speculation that a supply glut in 2026 would push prices down.

The eight producers — Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Iraq, Algeria and Oman — raised production quotas by about 2.9 million barrels per day from April through December, roughly 3% of global demand.

In November, they froze further planned increases for January through March because of seasonally weaker consumption.

Sunday’s brief meeting reaffirmed that decision for March, after earlier gatherings did the same for January and February.

Sunday’s statement made no mention of what OPEC+ could decide for specific months beyond March, and the lack of forward guidance is significant, said Jorge Leon, a former OPEC official who now works as head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy.

“With rising uncertainty around Iran and U.S. tensions, the group is keeping all options firmly on the table,” he said.

“OPEC’s own numbers point to a lower call on OPEC+ crude in the second quarter, which could limit the scope for production increases,” Leon added.

OPEC+ includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, plus Russia and other allies. The full OPEC+ pumps about half of the world’s oil.

A separate OPEC+ panel called the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee also met on Sunday. The JMMC does not have decision-making authority on production policy.

Quote:WASHINGTON — Iran’s ruling clerics knew a nationwide revolt was coming — and plotted a brutal, premeditated crackdown months in advance, according to explosive new audio recordings and secret regime documents released Tuesday by the most prominent Iranian opposition group in the US.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran, whose intelligence first identified Iran’s nuclear program in 2002, said the Tehran regime coldly mapped out a mass slaughter of protesters — including orders to cut off the internet, unleash live fire on crowds, embed undercover agents in demonstrations and manipulate protest chants to weaken the uprising.

“This was not panic. This was a plan,” NCRI US Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh told reporters at a briefing in Washington. “They anticipated a national uprising — and prepared to crush it.”

Protests erupted in more than 400 cities across all 31 provinces, sweeping in students, workers, women, ethnic minorities and entire families — a scale NCRI called “unprecedented” under the Islamic Republic.

Crowds chanted “Death to Khamenei” and “Death to the dictator,” directly challenging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in scenes that, Jafarzadeh said, “terrified the regime.” Even Khamenei recently admitted the unrest threatened the regime’s survival, calling it an attempted coup.

“This uprising caught the mullahs by surprise,” Jafarzadeh said. “It shook the foundations of their rule.”

The opposition group unveiled a 129-page “Comprehensive Tehran Security Plan,” drafted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Sarallah Garrison in fall 2024 — months before the protests erupted.

The plan, parts of which The Post has reviewed, details identifying “high-risk” citizens and families likely to protest, at what point to deploy IRGC forces, when to impose internet blackouts and isolate protesters and how to escalate the crackdown from police control to military suppression.

It also laid out the main reason behind civilians’ distaste for the radical Islamist regime, indicating Khamenei knew well in advance that his people disapproved of his leadership bringing on sanctions for his pursuit of nuclear weapons and support of proxy terrorist groups — and why.

“What currently causes the greatest public dissatisfaction is people’s concern and frustration over the repeated fluctuations in the exchange rate, and consequently the disruption of prices in the market, which has affected other areas such as cultural, social, political, sports and so forth,” the document said.

Another top-secret Interior Ministry directive outlined a four-stage crisis response, including pre-authorized orders to slow or completely shut down internet access once unrest reached a critical stage to isolate protesters and prevent the world from observing the scenes.

Quote:U.S. Central Command said a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, marking the latest confrontation between U.S. and Iranian forces in the region.

In an emailed statement Tuesday to Newsweek, Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said the drone “aggressively approached” the carrier with “unclear intent” and continued flying toward the ship despite de‑escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters. The military said the shootdown occurred within hours of a separate incident involving Iranian forces and a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

The drone, identified as a Shahed‑139, was destroyed by an F‑35C fighter jet launched from the Abraham Lincoln, which Central Command said was operating about 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast. No U.S. personnel were injured, and no equipment was damaged in the incident, the military said.

The incident was also reported on by Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which cited an unnamed source as stating that a drone identified as a Shahed-129 had "been engaged in identification, monitoring and imaging in its regular and legal mission in the open waters, and this is considered a routine and legal action."

"The drone successfully sent its surveillance and reconnaissance images to the center, but then lost contact," the source said, according to Tasnim. "However, the reason for this loss of contact is being investigated and details will be announced once it is confirmed."

Newsweek reached out to the Iranian Mission to the United Nations for comment.

Later the same day, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps harassed the U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel Stena Imperative, according to Central Command. The military said two Iranian boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached the ship at high speed and threatened to board and seize the tanker.

Central Command told Newsweek, "During a separate incident hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel lawfully transiting the international sea passage. Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker."

The statement continued, "Guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) was operating in the area and immediately responded to the scene to escort M/V Stena Imperative with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force. The situation de-escalated as a result, and the U.S.-flagged tanker is proceeding safely."

Turkey had been working behind the scenes to host the talks later this week as U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff traveled through the region. A Turkish official later said the location of the discussions had not been finalized but that Turkey stood ready to support the diplomatic effort.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that those talks are still on.

“President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango,” Leavitt said after the incidents. She added, “As always, though, of course, the president has a range of options on the table with respect to Iran.”

Quote:US Central Command showed off the workings of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Thursday as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.

Time-lapse video aboard the nuclear-powered warship shows scores of sailors and CENTCOM personnel launching American jets from the Lincoln, which had recently intercepted an Iranian drone flying in its direction.

“Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are trained to work as a team to launch and recover safely and on time, every time,” CENTCOM touted on X.
The USS Lincoln is part of the “massive Armada” President Trump is building up in the Middle East as negotiations with Iran continue to heat up over its nuclear program and violent crackdown on protesters.

The nuclear-powered vessel arrived in the region earlier this year accompanied by its strike force, bringing additional F-35C and F-18 jet fighters that can target deep inside Iran.

The Lincoln saw its first test of the latest conflict on Tuesday when it shot down an Iranian suicide drone over the Arabian Sea after it “aggressively approached” the US warship.

“Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated,” CENTCOM said.

“Iran’s unnecessary aggression near US forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation, and regional destabilization,” the military added.

Quote:President Trump said Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei should be “very worried” ahead of on-again, off-again diplomatic talks on Friday.

“We’ve had [protesters’] back and, look, their country’s a mess right now because of us,” Trump told NBC news, referring to the administration’s efforts to wipe out Tehran’s nuclear program.

The US will attend Friday talks with Iranian leaders in Oman — not Turkey — after Tehran demanded major changes to the venue and content of the discussion.

The update came after Axios had earlier reported the Trump administration had refused to bend to Tehran’s demand to change the venue, seen as a last-minute tactic to steer the discussion away from its troubling ballistic missile supply and brutality on protesters, citing unnamed US officials.

As the US moved roughly 10 warships to the waters near Iran following Tehran’s brutal crackdown on protesters last month, Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had agreed to meet Iranian officials for de-escalatory talks in Istanbul on Friday.

Throughout the week, Iran had been attempting to steer the talks to only involve the prospect of a nuclear deal — which they were suddenly amenable to discussing after Trump destroyed their nuclear weapons facilities in strikes last summer as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.

American officials ultimately to bowed to Iran’s demands, accepting the change of venue after unnamed Arab world leaders urged the administration to move forward with the talks.

“They asked us to hold the meeting and to listen to what the Iranians have to say. We told the Arabs that we would hold the meeting if they insist. But we are very skeptical about the chances of success,” a senior US official told Axios.

Earlier on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed doubt over whether the talks would produce meaningful results for the president’s priority issues, but said Witkoff was “ready to go” if Tehran agreed to show up in Turkey as originally planned.

Quote:After years of talks, Israel is set to establish an international airport in southern Israel, in a major economic boost for the Negev region, the government announced on Thursday.

The new airport, which will be located in the area of the Ziklag archaeological site, about 17 miles northwest of Beersheva between the cities of Netivot and Rahat, is expected to be formally approved by the Cabinet on Sunday, a joint statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, Transport Ministry, and Finance Ministry said.

The site, which is in the area infiltrated by Hamas-led terrorists during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, is slightly west of a location previously under consideration at Moshav Nevatim.

“The establishment of a supplementary international airport is a national necessity in light of the continued growth in the number of passengers traveling to and from Israel,” the government said in a statement. “The decision to build the first airport in the south is significant news for Israel’s aviation sector and even greater news for the entire Negev.”

Construction of the airport, which is expected to take a decade, “will create thousands of new jobs, strengthen the local economy, and is part of an expanded process the government is leading to reduce gaps and effectively end the concept of the periphery,” the statement continued.

The future airport is intended to alleviate congestion at Israel’s main international gateway, Ben-Gurion International Airport, approximately 55 miles, or an hour’s drive, away.

Ben-Gurion Airport, centrally located east of Tel Aviv, has an annual passenger capacity of 40 million.

Some 24 million passengers traveled through the airport in the record-breaking year for tourism in Israel in 2019, including more than 4.5 million tourists.

“This is a historic decision that strengthens Israel’s skies, the economy, and the Negev,” Transport Minister Miri Regev said. “A complementary international airport in the south is a powerful growth engine that will generate employment, open new opportunities, and connect the Negev to Israel’s centers of activity and to the world.”

Quote:Amid the recent start of phase two of the U.S.-brokered cease-fire between Hamas and the Jewish state, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims that Hamas has violated the deal through its misuse of ambulances, hospitals and schools to regain control of the northern Gaza Strip.

The IDF provided Fox News Digital with exclusive video footage of what it alleges is Hamas operatives using an ambulance to transport terrorists and weapons from the “inner yard of the Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital” to various checkpoints in northern Gaza.

“You see an armed suspect going into the ambulance with a Kalashnikov. The ambulance is connecting the dots for us. We passed the information to the American headquarters of the footage of the militants,” an IDF official said of the video shared with Fox News Digital.

The first phase of the agreement required that Hamas return all hostages held in Gaza.

The second core part involves the disarming of Hamas, the U.S. and EU-designated terrorist movement.

An IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “There are disturbing developments over the last few weeks. We see the return of Hamas to the front line, to the yellow line.”

The yellow line separates IDF-controlled territory in Gaza, which is estimated to be 53%, from the enclave area not under Israeli control.

“Hamas has returned to schools, hospitals and kindergartens and is turning them into military bases. A Hamas commander is in charge of each school in Jabalia in northern Gaza,” the IDF official claimed.

They continued, “We have seen Hamas with Kalashnikovs and, over the past few weeks, Hamas has been using ambulances. We have tracked over several weeks that Hamas uses ambulances to do checks in Jabalia. It is a big change. We see the confidence of Hamas using ambulances. It is a symbol for Hamas that it is gaining confidence and rebuilding itself, a sign of a potential raid on our bases in the future.”

The city of Jabalia was the scene of intense combat for the IDF during the over two-year war with Hamas.

In May 2024, Fox News Digital reported the IDF secured the bodies of seven hostages from Jabalia.

Hamas turned the “civilian area into a fortified combat compound,” the IDF said at the time about Jabalia.

When asked about the number of Hamas fighters in Jabalia in January 2026, the IDF official told Fox News Digital, “There are 3,000 Hamas operatives in Jabalia. 75,000 citizens have returned to Jabalia.”

The official said, “In the Jabalia refugee camp there are still functioning tunnels. We are working on destroying tunnels inside of the yellow line and are at an advanced stage of clearing tunnels.”

Fox News Digital has reported extensively during the war on Hamas’ use of hospitals as military centers.

The IDF operation against Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza resulted in the capture of roughly 100 suspected Hamas terrorists.

Shortly before the cease-fire came into effect in Oct. 2025, the IDF showed international reporters a Hamas terrorist tunnel adjacent to the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza City.

Quote:The Hamas terrorist who murdered surveillance soldier Corporal Noa Marciano while she was held captive in Gaza has been eliminated, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Wednesday.

The strike on a group of terrorists, including Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, had reportedly followed a Hamas attack overnight that wounded IDF troops in northern Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

Al-Habil, a key Hamas cell commander, was killed in the airstrike in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp, the IDF said in a statement.

“In response to the blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement overnight, earlier today (Wednesday), the IDF and ISA struck and eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Issam Hassan al-Habil, head of a Hamas terrorist cell,” the IDF confirmed.

The IDF also said that via Israeli Security Agency (ISA) questioning, al-Habil had brutally murdered Marciano, 19, while in Hamas captivity.

The IDF soldier had been abducted from the Nahal Oz outpost during the terrorist organization’s October 7th massacre.

She was wounded in an IDF airstrike on Nov. 9, 2023, while being held by Hamas and was later taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

At the time, Hamas claimed Marciano died in an Israeli airstrike.

Her body was eventually recovered by Israeli forces in November 2023 and returned to Israel for burial in Modi’in, where she had lived with her family.

Following the announcement of al-Habil’s death, Marciano’s mother, Adi Marciano, said the family had been promised that everyone involved in her daughter’s murder would be brought to justice, according to The Times of Israel.

“There is no real comfort in this,” she said.

“But there is knowledge that justice was done, even if only partially. Nothing will bring Noa back to us.”

“This elimination brings closure for the Marciano family, and to the IDF and ISA,” the IDF said.

“The IDF and ISA will continue to operate against any terrorist involved in the brutal Oct. 7 massacre and against any attempts by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip to carry out terror attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians.”

Quote:American Airlines announced Thursday it plans to reinstate nonstop service between the U.S. and Venezuela, signaling a broader thaw in commercial and travel ties between the two nations.

The carrier said it is ready to resume its daily service to the country once it gets government approval.

This would make it the first U.S. carrier to announce plans to reconnect Venezuela with nonstop service to the U.S.

The Texas-based airline said it will share additional details about its return to service in the coming months and that it is working closely with federal authorities “on all necessary permissions and security assessments” prior to doing so.

America’s announcement comes as President Trump announced that the commercial airspace over Venezuela would reopen following the Federal Aviation Administration’s emergency notice earlier this month to block civil flight operations of U.S. aircraft in Venezuela airspace.

The notice was issued as the U.S. conducted strikes in Venezuela and captured dictator Nicolás Maduro.

The Trump administration has said that the U.S. would run Venezuela until a peaceful transition could occur and is working to restore diplomatic relations with Caracas, Venezuela.

“I just spoke to the president of Venezuela and informed her that we’re going to be opening up all commercial airspace over Venezuela,” Trump said Thursday during a Cabinet meeting. “American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there and be safe. It’s under very strong control.”

Trump said that he’s instructed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the U.S. military to open the airspace over Venezuela by the end of Thursday.

American first suspended service in the country in 2019 due to the deteriorating security situation, pilot safety concerns, and rising political tensions. It was one of many major carriers that decided to stop operating flights in the country. American, according to reports, was the last of them to stop operations there.

Quote:Venezuela is set to release hundreds of political prisoners and close down a notorious facility as part of an amnesty bill being championed by acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

“May this law serve to heal the wounds left by the political confrontation fueled by violence and extremism, may it serve to redirect justice in our country,” Rodriguez said in a televised statement.

The country’s new boss also announced that she would be shutting down Helicoide, a Caracas prison known for torture and human rights abuses. She said that the facility would become a sports and cultural center.

There are an estimated 711 political prisoners across Venezuela, according to the prisoners’ rights group Foro Penal.

It’s unclear how many prisoners would be granted amnesty, but Rodriguez said that it would cover the “entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present.”

Relatives of prisoners held inside Helicoide gathered outside the facility and livestreamed Rodriguez’s speech, crying and chanting “freedom! freedom!” the Associated Press reported.

The US has pressured Venezuela to increase civil liberties after its daring raid that captured dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday that the Trump administration seeks a “democratic [Venezuela] in which all elements of society are represented in free and fair elections.”

In response to concerns raised by senators that the US, though having removed Maduro, is still cooperating with his repressive regime — Rodriguez was his vice president — Rubio said that political change in Venezuela would take time to accomplish.

“I get it, we all want like something immediately, but this is not a frozen dinner you put in a microwave and in two and a half minutes it comes out ready to eat, and these are complex things,” he told the senators.

Exiled Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said in a statement that Rodriguez’s moves were made under “pressure from the US government.”

Quote:India will begin purchasing oil from Venezuela to replace some of the petrol it purchases from Russia a month after President Trump threatened to increase the 50% tariffs the US has already imposed.

The president signaled on Saturday that Delhi — the world’s third-biggest oil importer — would be open to renew business in Latin America after India stopped buying oil from Caracas last year due to US sanctions.

“We’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal,” Trump told reporters.

The president did not elaborate further on what an oil deal between the US, Venezuela and India would entail.

While the president initially claimed that the deal would stop India from buying crude from Iran, Delhi had already stopped buying from Tehran in 2019 due to US sanctions.

Instead, India served as the top buyer of Russian oil, reaping in crude at a discount as Moscow faced heavy sanctions from the West over its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Trump had repeatedly warned India to stop purchasing Russian oil, slapping 50% tariffs on the country. He threatened to raise the rate again last month if India did not curb its purchases.

Quote:President Trump launched his TrumpRx website on Thursday, vowing Americans would “save a fortune” from cheaper drug prices on everything from Ozempic to fertility treatments.

“This is a very big deal. People are going to save a lot of money and be healthy,” Trump declared at an event announcing the new program.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, was at the launch and boasted that “America will lose about 100 million pounds this year” from cheaper GLP-1s drugs.

With regards to more affordable fertility medications, Oz quipped: “We’re gonna have a lot of Trump babies with these costs.”

The website is designed to be a competitive marketplace for Americans to purchase cheaper prescription drugs.

“Find the world’s lowest prices on prescription drugs,” TrumpRx.gov reads. It has a search function that allows users to type in the name of their prescription and view the results.

Joe Gebbia, the country’s Chief Design Officer,  gave a tour of the site, advising users to find a cheaper drug option, then print out a coupon and take it to pharmacies for cheaper drugs.

Oz pointed out that use of the website is free.

“You get to look at all the prices, and you should not be buying drugs anymore going forward without at least checking to see if those medications are available at these discounted prices,” he said.

Trump pledged prices of drugs in the US would drop, while predicting costs worldwide would increase.

“The United States will pay the lowest price paid by any other country,” the president said.

“We will pay equal to whatever the lowest price anywhere in the world. So in many cases, the drug costs will go up by double and even triple for them, but they’re going way down for the United States.”

Trump complained America was subsidizing the cost of medication for other countries “by hundreds of billions of dollars every year,” and vowed that would end.

The administration has already made deals with five big pharmaceutical companies, the White House said in a fact sheet: AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer.

And Americans will see “massive price reductions on 40 of the most popular and expensive branded medicines in the nation,” the sheet noted.

The president eagerly promoted the website, which is a major part of his “great healthcare plan.”

“You’re going to see numbers that you’re not going to believe,” Trump said.

“Americans have long been paying the highest drug prices anywhere in the world, while other countries often paid pennies on the dollar for the exact same drugs.

Quote:A Maryland Man has been charged with the attempted murder of the Trump-appointed Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Colin Demarco, age 26, who reportedly feared Trump’s reelection would lead to a “fascist takeover,” was charged after he appeared at Vought’s Northern Virginia home wearing a surgical mask and gloves, court records show. U.S. Marshals Service reportedly found during the investigation that Demarco had claimed to have written a manifesto that detailed weapons and a “Body Disposal Guide,” per CBS News.

The court records show that Demarco is accused of plotting to murder a victim with the initials “R.V.” who, according to the criminal complaint, “has served as a presidential appointee.”

The complaint adds that the alleged victim was involved in the creation of Project 2025 — a project funded by the conservative Heritage Foundation- to produce a policy agenda for the next GOP administration. It called for a radical reshaping of the government in ways that consolidate power in the executive branch.

Sources familiar with the case separately confirmed to CBS News that Demarco’s alleged target was Vought.

“We are grateful for the work of law enforcement in keeping Director Vought and his family safe,” a spokesperson for OMB said in a statement.

Vought played a role in the formulation of Schedule F, which would make it easier for the federal government to fire workers, which prompted numerous death threats.

Since the alleged attempted murder charge, Vought has been under U.S. Marshals Service protection.

The criminal complaint filed in Arlington County reportedly said that Ring doorbell camera captured Demarco at Vought’s front door wearing gloves, a backpack, sunglasses, and a surgical mask. He was also seen looking through Vought’s mailbox and asked a neighbor if anyone was home.

Demarco had also told agents that he found the November 2024 election to be the “lowest point in his life” and feared “impending war and a fascist takeover.” He also had expressed support for alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione.

Quote:Tuesday on MS NOW’s “The 11th Hour,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should not be wearing masks during their operations in American cities.

Paul said, “I think the main thing is if you want trust to develop again, I’m not somebody who wants to abolish ICE. I want ICE to behave within the rules and enforce the law. But I want them to behave in a normal, rational law enforcement manner.”

Host Stephanie Ruhle said, “Do you think it’s OK for ICE to be wearing these masks?

Paul said, “I think that anonymity and wearing a mask leads to less responsible behavior. I’m not saying there might not be a value on the border where the cartels are running large and things are a little bit more murky, and mayors’ heads are being chopped off by the cartel. I have a little more sympathy there. The images where I’ve seen ICE agents in masks, in an elevator, in a courthouse in Chicago, I think are inappropriate. Look, the local police in Chicago, the bail of everybody else is unmasked. I don’t know why we would have one group of men apprehending. The image I saw was arresting women and their children in an elevator in the courthouse in Chicago. I think one that reduces trust by the public but doesn’t seem appropriate. And I do think when you’re anonymous, like any time you’re anonymous, you tend to do things that you might not do if you were recognizable.”

I wouldn't be surprised if those agents get doxxed by professional protesters if they ever show their faces.

Quote:Nancy Guthrie’s purported kidnappers claimed in a ransom note sent to TMZ that the TV host’s mom is “safe but scared” — and knows exactly what chilling demands are being made for her return.

The note, which was sent to the outlet two days after Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mom was reported missing over the weekend, demanded millions in bitcoin be turned over to avoid “consequential” repercussions.

“I will say the letter begins by saying she is safe but scared, and they go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is,” TMZ boss Harvey Levin told Fox News’ Sean Hannity late Thursday.

“They are, through us, telling the family exactly what they are demanding, and they are saying that Nancy is aware of it,” he said of the terrifying ordeal for the “Today” show co-host’s family.

“They are also saying … that this will be their only communication and they are done communicating and negotiating — here’s the deal and that’s it.”
“As the clock ticks, that’s one of the reasons the FBI and other authorities have gotten desperate here,” he added.

Without elaborating further, Levin said there were details included in the note that led him to believe that Guthrie — who authorities believe was taken against her will from her home in Tucson over the weekend — was still within the area.

He also added that the note highlighted insider details about her suspected abduction — including information about her Apple Watch and a damaged floodlight at her million-dollar home.

The note was sent before those details were publicly revealed, Levin noted, which spurred alarm that it was legit.

“That was what really put my antenna up and we immediately called the sheriff,” he told CNN’s Erin Burnett.

“They do mention an Apple Watch, as the FBI said, and they do mention the floodlight, the damaged floodlight,” he added.

“There is something else, and it is the placement of the Apple Watch, which has not come out. If that placement is accurate, I’m sure that is something that puts this letter on the FBI radar.”

Investigators have already said they are taking the note, as well as several others sent to various media outlets, seriously.

Quote:Law enforcement agents confiscated a SUV parked inside the garage of Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home Friday, where they also removed a wired device from the roof after they received a tip from a neighbor.

Over 10 police cars converged on Guthrie’s residence in the Catalina Foothills north of Tucson and began searching the property in the late afternoon amid the large-scale search for the missing 84-year-old.

A tow truck was called in and removed a Blue Subaru SUV — believed to be owned by Guthrie — before police escorted the truck to an impound lot near the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, Fox News reported.

Officials did not reveal why the vehicle was taken from the home, where the elderly woman is believed to have been kidnapped sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Guthrie’s daughter, NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, alongside her siblings, has pleaded with her mother’s alleged captors to release the matriarch.

Footage captured FBI agents scaling the elder Guthrie’s home and walking around the roof before taking what was believed to be a camera, according to Fox News reporter Michael Ruiz.

Retired NYPD Inspector Paul Mauro said the device was a camera that could have been overlooked during the first days of the investigation.

“Apparently on that roof, the agents recovered a new camera, a camera that apparently they hadn’t been aware of and they took it into their custody. I don’t know anymore than that as to why it hadn’t been recovered, what it might see,” Mauro told Fox News’ Jesse Watters on Friday.

Mauro added that residents of the area put up wildlife cameras that could have potentially picked up human movement.

Guthrie’s neighbor, Laura Gargano, said she tipped off the police to investigate the roof because of how clean it looked compared to other homes in the neighborhood.

“I did notice on an aerial shot that it looked like her roof had been recoated recently,” Gargano told CNN on Friday. “When you recoat your roof it gets dirty pretty quickly and we’ve had lot of rains the previous three weeks, so it would be normal for a roof to be a little dirty.”

Quote:The driver of a semi-truck at the center of a multi-vehicle crash that left four dead in Indiana is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after a detainer was placed on him.

Indiana State Police said the fatal crash happened Tuesday around 4 p.m. in the area of State Road 67 and County Road 550 East in Jay County, where the truck collided with a van. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Fox News that driver Bekzhan Beishekeev is a Kyrgyzstani national who entered the U.S. via the Biden-era CBP One cell phone app on Dec. 19, 2024, at the Nogales, Ariz., port of entry, and he was released into the U.S. via parole by the Biden administration.

Beishekeev, 30, was reportedly driving on SR 67 in Indiana when he didn’t stop for another slowed semi-truck, swerving instead into oncoming traffic and crashing head-on into a van, killing four people, several of whom were reportedly Amish.

"The investigation shows that a 2019 International semi tractor trailer, driven by Gert Pretoruis (44) of Geneva, was traveling east on State Road 67 near County Road 550 East when it slowed down for traffic," Indiana State Police said.  "A 2022 Freightliner semi tractor trailer, driven by Bekzhan Beishekeev (30) of Philadelphia, PA, that was also eastbound did not stop and swerved into the westbound lane hitting a 2011 Chevrolet van that was driven by Donald Stipp (55) of Portland."

Indiana State Police, citing the Jay County Coroner’s Office, identified the four victims killed in the collision as Henry Eicher, 50, Menno Eicher, 25, Paul Eicher, 19, and Simon Girod, 23 of Bryant, Ind.

"ICE issued an immigration detainer against Beishekeev with the Jay County Jail on Feb. 4. And, because the state of Indiana cooperates with ICE, we were able to take him into custody on the morning of February 5," DHS said in a statement. "He will remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings."

"Not only was Bekzhan Beishekeev released into our country by the Biden administration using the CBP One app, but he was also given a commercial driver’s license by Governor Shapiro’s Pennsylvania. These decisions have had deadly consequences and led to the death of four innocent people in Indiana on Tuesday," added DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. "It is incredibly dangerous for illegal aliens, who often don’t know our traffic laws or even English, to be operating semi-trucks on America’s roads. These sanctuary governors must stop giving illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses before another American gets killed."

State Police also said, "The Indiana State Police Critical Incident Reconstruction Team is working with the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Division, Jay County Sheriff’s Department, and Jay County Coroner’s Office to complete this investigation."

A GoFundMe page purportedly set up by a family member of Stipp’s said he is in stable condition and underwent surgery for a broken arm.

Quote:Newly named CBS News star contributor Peter Attia made plans to hang out with convicted pedophile Jeffery Epstein as his wife pleaded with him to come see their infant son in the hospital after the tiny boy stopped breathing, according to the anti-aging influencer’s own words.

In his book, “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity,” Attia, 52, recounted the harrowing moment he received a call from his wife, Jill, telling him that his son, Ayrton, had suddenly stopped breathing on the evening of July 11, 2017.

“I stayed in New York, busy with my ‘important’ work,” he admitted in the book. “Ayrton’s cardiac arrest happened on a Tuesday, but I did not come home to San Diego until Friday of the following week. Ten days later.”

What Attia failed to mention, however, was that during this harrowing time, he was making plans to meet up with Epstein, the disgraced New York financier who was already embroiled at the time with allegations of trafficking minors, according to newly released emails between the two.

Attia confessed to feeling guilty about his decision, describing himself as a “blind, selfish, checked-out husband and father” who would likely never forgive himself for ignoring his family.

“Even today, just thinking about what happened, I feel nauseous about my behavior,” he wrote. “I can’t believe I did that to my family.”

Just a day after speaking with his wife about their ailing son, Attia made plans to meet with Epstein on July 13 — even offering to change his own schedule to make the convicted sex offender’s day easier.

“Can you do before 10 am? tomrow,” Epstein wrote.

“Sure,” Attia responded. “I can come earlier, also, if you have a hard stop at 10. Let me know.”

It remains unclear if Attia and Epstein actually met on July 13, 2017, or what they did together if so.

Along with his July 13 emails, the latest trove of Epstein documents unveiled Attia’s chummy correspondences with the convicted sex trafficker including an email in which he told the pervert that “p—y is, indeed, low carb.”

Attia is mentioned in the files 1,741 times in the 3 million documents released on Friday, many of which featured his questions on Epstein’s wellbeing and alluded to the convicted sex offender’s “outrageous” lifestyle.

On Monday, Attia issued a groveling apology in which he said he was “ashamed” of conversations with Epstein.

Quote:Jeffrey Epstein cultivated close relationships with at least two influential Russian government figures in the 2010s, files released by the Department of Justice reveal.

One of these was with Sergey Belyakov, Russia’s deputy economic minister at the time and a Kremlin secret service trained spy, who Epstein often appeared to use as his personal fixer in Moscow.

Belyakov, described by Epstein as a “very good friend” in one email, helped the disgraced financier secure visas and try to arrange meetings with powerful figures between 2014 and 2018 including Russia’s finance minister, deputy head of the central bank and even strongman Vladimir Putin. There was no reported sit-down between Epstein and Putin or the other two men.

Belyakov also presented Epstein with investment opportunities in the Motherland, including in a Bitcoin processor in 2016.

He even prepared a “dossier” to help Epstein deal with a Russian model he complained was blackmailing some of his rich friends in New York.

“I need a favor,” Epstein wrote in a 2015 email. “There is a Russian girl from Moscow [name redacted]. She is attempting to blackmail a group of powerful biznessman in New York. It is bad for business for everyone involved. She arrived New York last Saturday staying at the Four Seasons on 57th. Suggestions?”

“Give me a few days to get information about her,” Belaykov responded, before arranging a meeting between Epstein and some of his sources.

Epstein also returned the favor, telling Belyakov in a February 2016 email “I will do anything that is helpful to you” as he offered to set up a meeting between his Russian friend and hacker Vincenzo Iozzo. A rep for Iozzo said he was not on the emails between Epstein and Belyakov and has never met Belyakov.

Epstein also corresponded with Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, between 2015 and his 2017 death, saying his Palm Beach house was “always available for you as your rest spot.”

The pedophile helped Churkin’s son, Maxim, secure work in the United States but insisted they must keep his involvement secret.

Quote:Borrowing from novelist James Hilton, who coined the word “Shangri-La” to describe a Tibetan utopia in a 1933 novel, Franklin Roosevelt gave that name to the peaceful retreat we know as Camp David.

For California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Democrats, Shangri-La hasn’t become synonymous with a place that connotes peace on earth. It stands for a hellish homeless housing nightmare, eye-popping alleged fraud, and the ease and scale with which alleged con-artists rip off taxpayers.

In October, federal agents arrested Cody Holmes, the 31-year-old former CFO of Shangri-La Industries, a downtown Los Angeles-based developer who was supposed to be providing housing for homeless people in Southern California. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California, a Trump appointee, charged him with mail fraud.
Holmes, who pleaded not guilty, is accused of embezzling more than $2 million in taxpayer funds slated for homeless housing construction to host extravagant parties; a $46,000-per-month Beverly Hills mansion; private jet travel; leases of exotic cars; high-end handbags totaling $128,000; a $35,000 diamond watch; and 20 VIP passes for the 2023 Coachella Music and Arts Festival.

Meanwhile, Shangri-La Industries executives showered Newsom and Los Angeles County Democrats with political donations as they were applying for some $100 million in state contracts that the CFO later allegedly looted to fund his and his ex-girlfriend’s lavish lifestyle.

Even after federal prosecutors exposed the massive fraud, Newsom and L.A. Democrats haven’t severed ties with the embattled developer and have kept political donations from the firm’s executives. Newsom has also allowed the construction firm to continue to tout his endorsement on its social media.

Powerful Friends

Holmes allegedly defrauded the California Department of Housing and Community Development by submitting fabricated bank accounts in its applications for state contracts to build homeless housing. Acting on behalf of Shangri-La, Holmes allegedly falsified $160 million in assets controlled by Shangri-La and its affiliates to demonstrate that the firm had liquid funds to contribute to the construction projects, according to court documents.

According to the government, most of those funds never existed. The FBI traced only an estimated $24,000 that the developer had on hand at the time of the applications for Newsom’s signature Homekey contracts, a program launched amid the COVID pandemic lockdowns that converted empty motels into homeless housing. Holmes is accused of providing false bank statements for Shangri-La Industries to acquire the more than $100 million in state grant money for seven Homekey projects, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint and other court documents.

Former President Bill Clinton has been linked to Shangri-La Industries and served as a strategic adviser for the firm. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Shangri-La Industries has historic roots to billionaire Steve Bing and Bill Clinton, whom the Bing-led company paid more than $2.5 million to serve as a strategic adviser. Bing died by suicide in 2020, more than a decade after founding the investment, entertainment, and philanthropic empire.

California housing authorities are also suing Shangri-La Industries for breaching contracts under Newsom’s signature Project Homekey homeless housing project in a likely futile attempt to recover the missing millions. Yet, no criminal action was taken against anyone involved until Essayli issued his indictment against Holmes last fall.

Shangri-La Industries CEO Andy Meyer, who also goes by Andy Abdul-Wahab, according to court documents, has blamed Holmes for the bank and mail fraud and filed a lawsuit against him. The suit accuses Holmes, his former intern, of embezzling company funds by moving the money to accounts and shell companies that he controlled while allegedly also transferring money to Madeline Witt, his then-girlfriend. Witt is named as a co-defendant in the suit.

Quote:Victims of rapists and murderers are distressed by a quiet change in California law that allow violent offenders to walk free decades earlier than expected.

Victims across the state are pleading with officials to keep their attackers behind bars after a controversial expansion of so-called “elder parole,” which now allows inmates to seek early release at just 50 years old.

Under the previous rules, inmates were eligible for elder parole only after serving at least 25 years of their sentence and reaching age 60.

But in 2021, the law was loosened in an effort to ease prison overcrowding, allowing inmates to apply for parole after serving just 20 years once they turn 50.

One victim, Jennifer Carvalho, wrote an emotional letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom urging him to intervene and keep her rapist, Thomas Martinez, despite him turning 54, KCRA reported.

“Please, I beg you to review this case. He is a repeat violent offender and a rapist. Lives are at stake,” Carvalho wrote.

Martinez was sentenced to 56 years to life for raping Carvalho and another woman.

“As he had the knife to my neck, I remember thinking, ‘If I scream, he’s going to kill me, and my son’s going to wake up in the morning and find his mom dead,’” Carvalho said.

Martinez was convicted in 2004, and Carvalho said she initially felt safe knowing he was “going to go away for life.”

Quote:A Minneapolis anti-ICE protest one month after the death of Renee Good grew bizarre Saturday when the demonstrators started waving sex toys — and even hurled them at one of their own who helplessly shouted “I’m on your side” as he was pelted.

The randy rioters were first seen hurling the objects over fencing at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, where officers later gathered discarded sex toys from the street while crowds chanted against ongoing immigration raids in the Minnesota city.

At one point, the anti-ICE mob was caught on video slamming what appeared to be dildos onto the passerby’s pickup truck — even as he repeatedly insisted he supported their cause during a chaotic protest.

The driver had anti-ICE signs displayed in the back of his truck, including one reading “NUREMBERG 2.0,” and could be heard shouting at the crowd, “Do you see my f–king sign?” as protesters surrounded the vehicle.

At one point, the man pulled out additional placards, including one that read “We all have eyes,” but the effort did little to slow the confrontation as several demonstrators continued striking the hood with dildos.

One protester approached the driver and ripped a sign directly from his hands, prompting him to protest, “Hey, give back the sign,” according to the 32-second clip circulating online.

Only toward the end of the video did two other protesters step in, signaling to the crowd that the driver was, in fact, “on their side,” as the confrontation began to de-escalate.

The explicit protest tactic echoed a broader theme that has emerged during weeks of unrest in Minneapolis, where sex shops and adult retailers have become unexpected symbols of resistance and mutual aid amid the federal crackdown.

The rally was tied to the Jan. 7 shooting death of the 37-year-old Good and the later killing of VA nurse Alex Pretti during a separate encounter with immigration agents.

A woman was photographed collecting the tossed sex toys as the protest continued outside the federal complex, which houses immigration operations and a detention facility.

Authorities said the gathering later escalated after protesters began throwing ice chunks and bottles toward police guarding the building.

Quote:A protester in downtown Los Angeles threw objects at federal agents early Saturday morning before turning toward offices and brandishing a gun as they sought to detain him, prompting agents to fire pepper balls as the suspect fled on foot, authorities said.

The encounter unfolded in the Civic Center area along Alameda Street between Aliso and Temple streets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The area has been a hotbed of political activity over the last year, as protests against President Trump’s policies and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement actions have frequently devolved into riots and violent clashes with police.

Police said the suspect turned toward the agents during the encounter and displayed a gun. Agents responded by firing pepper-ball munitions, but the suspect escaped and remained at large as of Saturday afternoon.

No injuries were reported, and police did not immediately release a description of the suspect or the firearm. Authorities said the investigation was ongoing and urged anyone with information to contact law enforcement.

The incident comes after protests erupted last week across Los Angeles, leading to dozens of arrests.

What began as a raucous protest on Jan. 30 quickly escalated into confrontations between demonstrators and police in riot gear, as anti-ICE protestors engaged in a standoff with officers outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building.

Jose Guillen, 27, was arrested after he allegedly used a slingshot to fire metal projectiles at LAPD officers as they attempted to disperse the crowds and open up street intersections.

Prosecutors charged Guillen with two felony counts, including assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and one felony count of vandalism causing damage in excess of $400, according to court records.

Court filings say that in addition to assaulting two officers, Guillen also smashed an LAPD patrol car windshield during the riot. His bail was listed at $150,000 and he was released on his own recognizance before being due in court Feb. 18.

Quote:An Ivy League-educated activist and a socialist union worker are plotting to take their California anti-ICE playbook coast-to-coast – assembling a network of protesters to block federal immigration operations.

Caleb Soto, a Los Angeles lawyer for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, and Thomas Malone, a San Fernando Valley Democratic Socialists of America leader, traveled east last week to school New York socialists on militant tactics to interfere with federal immigration enforcement at local businesses.

Soto – who branded ICE and Border Patrol agents “armed thug kidnappers” during a radical huddle in the Big Apple – touts a Harvard University degree in social studies on his LinkedIn profile.

The rabble-rouser, who has reportedly participated in a string of LA-based standoffs with federal authorities, graduated from the elite institution in 2009 before heading to Yale Law School, where he earned his law degree in 2014.

A year later, Soto joined the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, a nationwide group aimed at improving the lives of day laborers, as a workers’ rights director, his profile shows.

Soto whined to Al Jazeera last June that a downtown LA standoff with federal agents erupted into chaos, leaving at least 80 people detained – and only three lawyers scrambling to provide legal aid.

“The chaotic manner of the raids that we saw today happening throughout Los Angeles and different day-labour worksites and garment worker work sites was an example of the purpose of what this Trump administration has set out to do, which is create as much fear as possible,” Soto told the outlet.

He accused ICE agents of raiding Golden State worksites and arresting immigrants without warrants, claiming the officers lie in wait for suspects to flee before swooping in.

“They use that as the pretext to start arresting people who are there in that area and around them,” Soto said, adding, “We find that to be pretty unconstitutional.”

Quote:Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard denied any wrongdoing on Saturday as Democrats question why a whistleblower complaint filed against her last May took nearly a year before it was referred to Congress.

“[Virginia Democrat] Senator Mark Warner and his friends in the Propaganda Media have repeatedly lied to the American people that I or the ODNI ‘hid’ a whistleblower complaint in a safe for eight months,” Gabbard wrote in a lengthy X post on Saturday. “This is a blatant lie.”

She continued, “I am not now, nor have I ever been, in possession or control of the Whistleblower’s complaint, so I obviously could not have ‘hidden’ it in a safe. Biden-era IC Inspector General Tamara Johnson was in possession of and responsible for securing the complaint for months.”

The highly classified complaint by a US intelligence official alleging wrongdoing on the part of Gabbard was filed eight months ago with the intelligence community’s watchdog office and was first reported on by the Wall Street Journal.

The complaint has been locked in a safe since its filing, according to the Journal, with one US official telling the newspaper that the disclosure of its contents could cause “grave damage to national security.”

The whistleblower’s lawyer has accused Gabbard’s office of slow-walking the complaint, which her office has denied, calling it “baseless and politically motivated.”

Meanwhile, Democrats are also questioning why it took her office so long to hand the complaint over to Congress.

“The law is clear,” Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Thursday, according to NPR, adding that the complaint was required to be sent to Congress within 21 days of its filing. “I think it was an effort to try to bury this whistleblower complaint.”

Neither the contents of the complaint nor the allegations against Gabbard have been revealed.

Gabbard wrote on Saturday that the first time she saw the complaint was “when I had to review it to provide guidance on how it should be securely shared with Congress.”

“As Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Warner knows very well that whistleblower complaints that contain highly classified and compartmented intelligence—even if they contain baseless allegations like this one—must be secured in a safe, which the Biden-era Inspector General Tamara Johnson did and her successor, Inspector General Chris Fox, continued to do,” she continued. “After IC Inspector General Fox hand-delivered the complaint to the Gang of 8, the complaint was returned to a safe where it remains, consistent with any information of such sensitivity.”

Quote:For the first time in nearly two decades, Floridians seeking a driver’s license will be required to pass the state’s exams entirely in English — a move that came in response to a fatal crash involving an illegal immigrant who failed a test 10 times prior to the accident.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced the English-only policy last week.

The rule went into effect Friday and is aimed at “promoting clear communication, understanding of traffic laws, and responsible driving behavior.”

The move was prompted by a deadly crash last summer involving Hardjiner Singh, an illegal immigrant who had obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, authorities said.

Singh attempted an illegal U-turn with his tractor-trailer, triggering a crash that killed three people, according to officials.

State authorities later determined that Singh received his California license despite failing an English proficiency test.

The incident sparked backlash from public officials and renewed scrutiny of language requirements for commercial drivers.

“Good reform by (Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles) to require driver exams be conducted only in English,” Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on X last week.

“Need to be able to read the road signs!”

The policy also drew criticism from Democrats.

Nikki Fried, the former state agriculture commissioner and current chair of the Florida Democratic Party, condemned the change.

“In one of the most multilingual states in the country, Florida is going to implement driver’s license exams exclusively in English,” Fried wrote Jan. 30 on X.

“This is not about safety, this is about racism.”

Authorities said Singh entered the United States illegally in 2018 and was living in California at the time of the crash.

Records showed he failed the CDL knowledge exam 10 times in Washington state over a two-month period and twice failed the air brakes exam before ultimately being licensed.

OK, just to help people get a healthy perspective on this kind of issues, let me explain you this process in case you ever visit Costa Rica.

Basically, if you are living down here and you want to get the Costa Rican nationality or even a driver's license, you do write an exam in Spanish. Yes, in Spanish only. I don't remember anybody calling my government racist because of that basic requirement. Spanish is the officially recognized language, not English nor German nor Chinese. If you need to travel from point A to point B, you are required to read signs written in SPANISH. Not in any other language. So it makes sense that Florida, one of the 50 US States, demands people to speak English before taking the exam.

Let's just say some Greek guy travels to any US state, and needs to get a job as a truck driver. Wouldn't he need to read many signs in ENGLISH to make sure he'll get to his actual destination? I know Waze and other apps exist, but we must realize that there are official signs that provide you with very specific information on procedures they must complete before they pass a emissions test or security check or anything else. This means you better speak English or else you'll have a hard time trying to figure out what's happening there.

If you move to another country, it's your duty to adapt to that culture and language, and make sure you won't break the law. It's doesn't work the other way around.

Quote:With $6.3 million worth of expiring American booze about to go bad, Quebec is putting US bottles back on the shelf — and the decision isn’t going down smoothly with some Canadians.

American booze was yanked from liquor stores in March and put in warehouses during the trade war with President Trump. But next week it will flow once more in Quebec, the province just north of New York state.

“This is an exceptional measure,” the province’s finance minister, Eric Girard, announced Thursday. “The ban on reordering American products remains in effect.”

He said the province will unload American bottles set to expire by March 2027 and send the cash, up to $8.6 million, straight to food banks.

With American distillers and winemakers getting hammered by the boycott, the Trump administration warned last month that a renewed US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement hinged on provinces lifting their US booze bans.

Quebec is the seventh of the Great White North’s 10 provinces to bring back Uncle Sam’s booze to stores in recent months.

Most are only selling off the booze they bought before the trade war and still banning imports. Saskatchewan and Alberta, where some want to be part of a 51st US state, were the only provinces to resume imports of alcohol from their southern neighbor.

But despite Quebec’s government promising to sell the bottles at a discount and give all profits to charity, some are still promising to boycott the goods.

Quote:NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Canada and France planned to open diplomatic consulates Friday in the capital of Greenland, showing support for NATO ally Denmark and the Arctic island in the wake of US efforts to secure control of the semiautonomous Danish territory.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand was traveling to Nuuk to inaugurate the consulate that officials say also could help boost cooperation on issues like climate change and Inuit rights.

She was being joined by Canada’s Indigenous governor general, Mary Simon.

France’s Foreign Ministry said Jean-Noël Poirier also would take up his duties as consul general, making it the first European Union country to establish a consulate general in Greenland.

Poirier will be “tasked with working to deepen existing cooperation projects with Greenland in the cultural, scientific, and economic fields, while also strengthening political ties with the local authorities,” the ministry said.

Canada pledged to open a consulate in Greenland in 2024, before Trump’s recent talk of a takeover, and the formal inauguration was delayed from November because of bad weather.

Anand met Danish counterpart Lars Løkke Rasmussen in Denmark on Thursday and posted on social media that “as Arctic nations, Canada and the Kingdom of Denmark are working together to strengthen stability, security, and cooperation across the region.”

France says the decision to open its diplomatic outpost was taken when President Emmanuel Macron visited in June.

US President Donald Trump announced in January he would slap new tariffs on Denmark and seven other European countries that opposed his takeover calls, only to abruptly drop his threats after he said a “framework” for a deal over access to mineral-rich Greenland was reached with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s help. Few details of that agreement have emerged.

Last week, technical talks started between the US, Denmark and Greenland to put together an Arctic security deal.

Quote:MUSCAT, Oman (AP) — Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf on Thursday, state television reported, claiming the vessels had been smuggling fuel.

The report did not provide a nationality of the tankers or say what flag they were flying under.

Gen. Heidar Honarian Mojarrad, a regional commander with the Revolutionary Guard’s navy, said the tankers had been carrying about 1 million liters of fuel (about 6,300 barrels), including diesel and were seized near Farsi island and transferred to Bushehr.

Fifteen crew members on board the two tankers are “in custody of judicial bodies,” he said, without providing their nationalities.

Iran occasionally seizes oil-carrying vessels over similar charges in the region.

In December, it seized a foreign tanker as it traveled the strategic Strait of Hormuz, detaining 16 crew. It had also seized a ship in the Strait of Hormuz in November.

The West has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021. Those attacks began after U.S. President Donald Trump, in his first term in office, unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The seizure comes the day before the U.S. and Iran are expected to meet for highly-anticipated nuclear talks in the Omani capital of Muscat. Tensions between the countries remain high following Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.

I dunno why Trump would like to negotiate with people that seize tankers and kidnap sailors. It's clear to pretty much anybody now that Iran only cares about increasing its weaponry, and it doesn't even admit they're killing their own citizens as if they were mere flies. Plus, they're going through a serious water crisis in several provinces.

Quote:A deputy chief of Russian military intelligence was shot and wounded in Moscow on Friday in an attack that follows a series of assassinations of senior military officers that Russia has blamed on Ukraine.

Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, 64 was shot several times by an unidentified assailant at an apartment building in Moscow’s northwest and hospitalized, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement.

Petrenko didn’t say who could be behind the attack on Alekseyev, who has served as the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence since 2011.

He was decorated with the Hero of Russia medal for his role in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria and in June 2023 was filmed speaking to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin when his Wagner Group seized the military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don during his botched mutiny.

The shooting came a day after Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators wrapped up two days of talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian delegation was led by the military intelligence chief, Adm. Igor Kostyukov.

President Vladimir Putin was informed about the attack, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who added that law enforcement agencies need to step up protection of senior military officers during the conflict in Ukraine.

Since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine nearly four years ago, Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for several assassinations of military officers and public figures in Russia.

Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of them. It has not yet commented on the shooting of Alekseyev.

In December, a car bomb killed Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff.

In April, another senior Russian military officer, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car parked near his apartment building just outside Moscow.

A suspected perpetrator was quickly arrested.

Quote:A surprise weapon is hitting Russian tanks in Ukraine: US laser-guided Copperhead 155mm artillery rounds from the 1980s.

This is not just the US Army dumping some of its outdated stock to an ally grateful for anything it can get; the precision artillery rounds have become useful because more modern US weapons no longer work on the battlefield.

And that is a powerful sign that the Army needs to look again at the vulnerability of its modern systems-technology mix and develop a new version of the laser-guided munition as a backup.

Laser-guided or “smart” bombs were introduced in the 1960s and revolutionized air power.

Moving fins steered the bomb precisely to a point illuminated by a laser designator, carried either by the bombing plane or a wingman.

Instead of a massive bomber raid, one aircraft could precisely put a bomb on a bridge or bunker.

Copperhead applied the same idea to artillery: Instead of having a battery of guns firing a barrage of shells into the target area in the hope that one of them would hit, why not have a laser-guided shell and guarantee a hit with the first shot?

This approach needs an operator with a laser designator in direct line of sight of the target, easier for aircraft than artillery.

The Army set out to solve the problem with the Lockheed Aquila, a drone for target location and laser designation, but it was a disaster.

Aquila resembled some modern drones, with a 12-foot wingspan and a 24-horsepower piston engine, but 1980s electronics were not up to the task.

A billion dollars were poured into the project before the Army pulled the plug.

Yet the Army ordered thousands of Copperhead rounds anyway, planning for observers on foot or in special vehicles to put a laser spot on the target from a few miles away.

Copperhead shells were used in Iraq during Desert Storm in 1991, but only on a small scale; 90 were fired and reportedly performed well, despite dust and smoke that could disrupt the laser beam.

By this time, the Air Force’s satellite Global Positioning System was changing everything.

With GPS guidance, an artillery shell could be programmed to hit a target far out of sight with no need for a designator nearby.

And unlike the laser-guided Copperhead, it would not be affected by smoke, dust or sand.

The remaining Copperheads were put in storage, and new Excalibur GPS-guided shells were widely used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Ukrainians received a small number of Excalibur guided shells in addition to unguided artillery rounds.

These performed well at first, but by May 2024, they started missing targets: The GPS satellite signal was being blocked by Russian jamming, and the shells were unable to find their way.

Excalibur is supposedly jam-resistant, but jammers are constantly evolving, and this time the Russians had the edge.

Someone thought of dusting off the Copperheads, which do not rely on GPS and so are immune to radio jamming.

Ukraine already had a fleet of drones ready which could carry laser designators. These include fixed-wing drones like Raybird — carrying out the role that Aquila was designed for — and various multicopters.

Both types have been fitted with lightweight designators.

Quote:The Ukrainian capital city will get just four to six hours of electricity a day in February, after relentless Russian strikes decimated key parts of the country’s energy infrastructure.

A massive attack this week — the largest on Ukraine’s power grid since the start of the year — targeted two key substations, including one in Kyiv.

“These strikes were especially devastating,” Stanislav Ihnatiev, head of the Board of the Ukrainian Renewable Energy Association, said in an interview with Ukrainian outlet Telegraf. “It is these facilities that ensure the distribution of large amounts of power on a national scale.

“Damage to substations of this class is not a local accident, but a strategic blow to the entire energy system.”

The attack happened in the midst of a deadly cold snap that plunged temperatures to -13 degrees, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian strongman Vladimir Putin of tactically agreeing to pause strikes for a few days — only to stockpile weapons to launch an even larger attack during one the coldest days of winter.

“They postponed the strike, increased the number of missiles and drones, and struck during the coldest days,” Zelensky said.

Four years into its invasion, Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s already battered energy grid, frequently plunging millions into darkness and cold for hours.

With the attacks so frequent, officials have been unable to fully repair the infrastructure, forcing them to introduce emergency power cuts during what’s been Ukraine’s coldest winter in a decade.

Kyiv, like many other cities across the war-torn country, was already on a rolling blackout schedule, with residents often going long stretches without electricity.

Quote:President Trump has set a June deadline for Ukraine and Russia to strike a peace deal to end its four-year war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Zelensky made the comments while speaking to reporters, suggesting the timing was due to the high-stakes November midterm elections in the US.

“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,” Zelensky said Friday.

“The elections are, for them, definitely more important. Let’s not be naive. They say they want to achieve everything by June, and they will do everything possible to ensure the war ends that way.”

Zelensky also expressed fear the US and Russia could strike a bilateral deal that excludes Ukraine.

“Intelligence showed me the so-called ‘Dmitriev package’ that he presented in the US,” he said referring to a $12 trillion economic cooperation package Russian envoy Kirill Dimitriev would have apparently presented during one of his meetings in Miami with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

“There are also various signals, both in the media and elsewhere, that some of these agreements could also involve issues related to Ukraine — for example, our sovereignty or Ukraine’s security,” the Ukrainian leader added.

“We are making it clear that Ukraine will not support any such potential agreements about us that are made without us.”

The next round of trilateral talks have been proposed to take place in Miami, the first time negotiations will have taken place in the US, according to Zelensky.

“We confirmed our participation,” he said.

The concerns came as Moscow unleashed a barrage of about 400 drones and 40 missiles on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, according to Zelensky.

Four people died and 25 more were wounded across the country as a result of the shelling, including a four-year-old boy in the Dnipro region, regional authorities said.

The strike was the second biggest of the year on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, according to the state energy grid operator, plunging large parts of the war-torn country into the brutally cold winter, where temperatures have dipped to -13 degrees.

Quote:President Trump’s Board of Peace organization plans to hold its first session in Washington this month as it prepares to ask the world for an influx of cash to help rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip.

The much-hyped international organization, consisting of as many as 30-member countries, will have its first official working meeting on Feb. 19 as it begins fundraising for the reconstruction of the besieged Palestinian enclave, the Times of Israel reported.

The meeting will coincide with the start of the Muslim holiday Ramadan, which may complicate plans for Arab countries to attend, as possible donors may have to stay home.

Eight Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar accepted Trump’s invitation to serve on the board.

Some countries, such as France and Ukraine, declined to participate due to Russia’s inclusion on the board and concerns that the body could undermine the UN.

Hungary’s President Victor Orban, a longtime Trump ally, said he plans to attend the event, according to the outlet.

“I got an invitation: two weeks from now we will meet again (with the US president) in Washington, because the Board of Peace, the peace body, will have an inaugural meeting,” Orban reportedly said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his country would not join the organization because Italy’s constitution prohibits it from joining an international organization headed by a single foreign leader, according to ASNS.

The Board of Peace’s charter named Trump the chairman indefinitely.

The board was unveiled by the US president last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos — alongside representatives from 20 other countries — and envisioned to oversee post-war Gaza Strip as outlined in the US-brokered cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that the Board of Peace could be Trump’s next project after he completes his second term in January 2029.

Quote:The US and Iran will meet again “early next week” after President Trump said the two sides held “very good talks” in Oman, even though the risk of armed conflict remains high as both country’s continue to trade warnings.

“We likewise had very good talks on Iran, Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly … we’re going to meet again early next week,” Trump painted a rosy picture to reporters aboard Air Force One Friday.

The US has called on Iran to curb its ballistic missile stockpile and halt its support for terrorist proxies in the region.

But Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi slapped down talk of progress, telling state media Saturday that Tehran would not negotiate on any other issue aside from its nuclear program.

“Our talks are focused solely on the nuclear issue, and we are not engaging with the Americans on any other subject,” he said in an interview with Iran’s Press TV.

Araghchi also vowed to continue the country’s nuclear enrichment program, calling it an “inalieable right” in an interview with Al Jazeera.

The diplomatic talks were the first since the US struck Tehran’s nuclear facilities in June, during Iran’s 12-day war with Israel.

Trump later boasted Friday that the US has a “big Armada” heading towards Iran if a deal cannot be reached.

After engaging Araghchi in diplomacy, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the USS Abraham Lincoln stationed in the Arabian Sea Saturday.

Trump dispatched the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, along with five squadrons of strike fighters, toward the Islamic Republic last month after the Islamic Republic brutally suppressed widespread protests — that spawned into nationwide calls for regime change — across the country.

Quote:DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran sentenced Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to over seven more years in prison after she began a hunger strike, supporters said Sunday, as Tehran cracks down on all dissent following nationwide protests and the deaths of thousands at the hands of security forces.

The new convictions against Mohammadi come as Iran tries to negotiate with the United States over its nuclear program to avert a threatened military strike by President Donald Trump. Iran’s top diplomat insisted Sunday that Tehran’s strength came from its ability to “say no to the great powers,” striking a maximalist position just after negotiations in Oman with the US.

Mohammadi’s supporters cited her lawyer, who spoke to Mohammadi. The lawyer, Mostafa Nili, confirmed the sentence on X, saying it had been handed down Saturday by a Revolutionary Court in the city of Mashhad.

“She has been sentenced to six years in prison for ‘gathering and collusion’ and one and a half years for propaganda and two-year travel ban,” he wrote. She received another two years of internal exile to the city of Khosf, some 460 miles southeast of Tehran, the capital, the lawyer added.

Iran did not immediately acknowledge the sentence. Supporters say Mohammadi has been on a hunger strike since Feb. 2. She had been arrested in December at a ceremony honoring Khosrow Alikordi, a 46-year-old Iranian lawyer and human rights advocate who had been based in Mashhad. Footage from the demonstration showed her shouting, demanding justice for Alikordi and others.

Mohammadi a symbol for Iranian activists

Supporters had warned for months before her December arrest that Mohammadi, 53, was at risk of being put back into prison after she received a furlough in December 2024 over medical concerns.

While that was to be only three weeks, Mohammadi’s time out of prison lengthened, possibly as activists and Western powers pushed Iran to keep her free. She remained out even during the 12-day war in June between Iran and Israel.

Quote:Russia’s Federal Security Service said Sunday that the man suspected of shooting a deputy chief of Russia’s military intelligence agency in Moscow was detained in Dubai and handed over to Russia.

Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev was hospitalized after being shot several times Friday by an assailant at an apartment building in northwestern Moscow, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said.

The attack followed a series of assassinations of senior military officers that Russia has blamed on Ukraine.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said a Russian citizen, Lyubomir Korba, was detained in Dubai on suspicion of carrying out the shooting. In a statement on its website, FSB said it had also identified two “accomplices,” one of whom was detained in Moscow and another who “left for Ukraine.”

Asked about the shooting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday it would be up to law enforcement agencies to pursue the investigation but described it as an apparent “terrorist act” by Ukraine intended to derail peace talks.

There was no immediate response from Kyiv to a request for comment on the Russian allegations.

The shooting came a day after Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators wrapped up two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, aimed at ending the nearly 4-year-old conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian delegation was led by Alekseyev’s boss, military intelligence chief Adm. Igor Kostyukov.

Alekseyev, 64, has served as the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, since 2011.

He was decorated with the Hero of Russia medal for his role in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria. In June 2023, he was shown on state TV speaking to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, when his Wagner Group seized the military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don during his short-lived mutiny.

Quote:LONDON – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, quit on Sunday, saying he took responsibility for advising the appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador despite Mandelson’s known links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Starmer is facing what is widely seen as the gravest crisis of his 18 months in power over his decision to send Mandelson to Washington in 2024, after files revealed the depth of the Labour veteran’s relationship with the late sex offender Epstein.

The departure of McSweeney, 48, a political strategist who was instrumental in Starmer’s rise to power, is yet another blow to the government, less than two years after the Labour Party won one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British history.

With polls showing Starmer is hugely unpopular with voters, some in his own party are openly questioning his judgment and his future, and it remains to be seen whether McSweeney’s exit will be enough to silence his critics.

New evidence about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein came to light in the last 10 days, opening an old wound for Starmer and his Labour Party and sparking a police investigation into Mandelson. The files suggested the former ambassador had leaked government documents to Epstein in 2009 and 2010.

MANDELSON APPOINTMENT WAS ‘WRONG’

McSweeney said it was right for him to resign because Starmer had appointed Mandelson on his advice.

“The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself,” McSweeney said in a statement.

“When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.”

Quote:ROME — Saboteurs damaged rail infrastructure near the northern Italian city of Bologna on Saturday morning, disrupting train journeys on the first full day of the Winter Olympic Games, the Transport Ministry said.

Police reported three separate incidents at different locations, which caused delays of up to 2-1/2 hours for high-speed, Intercity and regional services.

The ministry called it an act of “serious sabotage”, adding that it echoed the opening day of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, when saboteurs struck France’s high-speed TGV train network, causing travel chaos.

“These actions of unprecedented seriousness do not in any way tarnish Italy’s image in the world, an image that the Games will make even more compelling and positive,” said the ministry, which is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.

The state-owned railway Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) had to temporarily close its high-speed station in Bologna, but traffic was slowly returning to normal by Saturday afternoon, it said.

Police said a cabin housing a track switch was set on fire before dawn near the Adriatic city of Pesaro. Several hours later, electrical cables used to detect train speeds were found severed in Bologna, while a rudimentary explosive device was discovered by a track at a nearby location.

A spokeswoman said no one had claimed responsibility for the incidents, which appeared to have been coordinated.

Bologna is a major junction for Italy’s east-to-west rail lines, and is also the key hub linking the south to northern cities such as Milan and Venice.

Milan is a co-host of the Winter Games alongside Cortina, which is reachable via train from Venice.

Quote:Two American pilots have been imprisoned in the Republic of Guinea for six weeks — after authorities said they violated the country’s airspace for a simple fuel stop, The Post has learned.

Fabio Nicolas Espinal Nunez, 33, of Ewing, New Jersey and Bradley Scott Schlenker, 63, of Chicago are now asking the Trump administration to step in to secure their release as they remain locked up since Dec. 29 in a prison in Conakry, Guinea’s capital city.

Their loved ones are hoping the US State Department is able to end their nightmare.

“It’s devastating. It’s very scary. Every day is a roller coaster,” Lauren Stevenson, Nunez’s fiancée, told The Post.

Stevenson has been in contact with Nunez and the US Embassy in Guinea, but she’s frustrated by the lack of progress.

The contract pilots were flying a Brazilian family of five — including two children — from Suriname to Dubai on a Gulfstream GIV when they landed at Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport for refueling. The pair had been in communications with air traffic controllers the entire time, according to the pair and family.

But Guinean government and military officials who hold enormous sway in the country claimed Nunez and Scott did not have authorization to land at the airport in the west African country.

They were both charged with violating Guinean airspace, making an unauthorized landing and jeopardizing the African country’s national defense.

The pilots’ lawyers filed an emergency appeal and an appellate court ordered Nunez and Scott released from jail pending the resolution of the case. The court required them to stay in the country and report to a judicial office three days a week, according to court papers reviewed by The Post.

But the pair is still behind bars, Stevenson said.

“The prosecutor refused to sign off on their release because of pressure from the military,” she said.

The pilots’ appeal will now be taken up by Guinea’s Supreme Court.

“This seems so strange. The charges are bogus and three judges agreed the charges are bogus,” Stevenson said.

Quote:A man has died and six others have been taken to hospital following a dance music festival at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday.

The man, who was in his 40s, died after suffering a medical episode at the Dreamstate festival at about 11:30 p.m.

The man died at the scene and is yet to be formally identified.

Another six people were also hospitalized.

One remains in a critical condition.

Officers from the South West Metropolitan Region were patrolling the site of the festival on Saturday night when several festivalgoers became ill.

The incident is now under investigation and a report will be prepared for the coroner.

The festival, which describes itself online as the “Ultimate Trance & Techno Destination”, was held at Sydney on Saturday, with day two scheduled to be held in Melbourne on Sunday.