Quote:ISLAMABAD — The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps fired on at least two ships in the waters near Oman Saturday, shortly before Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz was once again closed.
Two IRGC gunboats approached an Indian-flagged tanker about 20 nautical miles northeast of the Gulf country around 1 p.m. local time — and opened fire unprovoked, the tanker’s master reported, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization.
Soon after, another Indian-flagged container ship in the same area was hit by an “unknown projectile,” which reportedly caused damage to some of the containers.
The UKMTO said the incident is under investigation.
The attacks came as the US was weighing plans to board and seize Tehran-linked oil tankers worldwide in an effort to choke Iran’s economy, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Behind the scenes, US officials say the Pentagon is preparing to intercept and take control of commercial vessels tied to Iran — potentially far beyond the Middle East, the outlet reported.
The strategy is aimed at squeezing Tehran’s economy — with the hope it forces the Iranian regime to reopen the strait and bend in nuclear talks, according to the report.
But the acts of aggression on Saturday led numerous ships to back out of the strait, tracking data from Marine Traffic shows.
A third commercial ship also reported a “splash” 3 nautical miles east of Oman, though it did not sustain any damage, according to the UKMTO.
Quote:The burial site of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has yet to be determined as Iranian officials weigh safety concerns for such a massive funeral turnout, while one security expert claims the delay is due to Tehran being too chicken.
Khamenei, 86, was assassinated in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28 that launched the Iran war with the remains of the terror-supporting cleric still unburied, breaking with established tradition.
The last days-long state funeral for his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989 saw millions of Iranians flooding the streets of Tehran in mourning — but similar displays for Khamenei were largely absent during weeks of crippling airstrikes across Iran that took many of the regime’s top leaders.
Tehran is in no position to hold such an elaborate memorial service as the war sits in an uneasy truce, Behnam Taleblu from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told The Post.
“Simply put, the regime is too afraid and too weak to roll the dice,” he said.
The cocktail of reasons to avoid a ceremony include the risk of potential Israeli airstrikes, nationalist counter-rallies similar to the nationwide uprisings earlier this year, and the regime’s need to explain the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei’s son and the new supreme leader who has not been seen in public since his appointment.
“It speaks volumes that the turnout for the funeral of the regime’s founding father in 1989 was such a massive affair, and yet one generation later his successor is still not able to have a funeral well over a month after his passing,” Taleblu continued.
“The Islamic Republic likes to talk a big game about owning the streets, but a 50-day internet blackout tells you all you need to know. The regime fears the consequences of the truth getting out.”
Now, Iranian officials are considering the remote, northeastern city of Mashhad as a potential burial site, according to state media Fars, The Australian reported.
Mashhad — on the border of Turkmenistan and far removed from Israel — is Khamenei’s hometown and serves both practical and symbolic purposes.
Quote:Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces will continue holding territory inside Southern Lebanon as part of efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s military capabilities, even as a ten-day ceasefire remains in effect.
“The IDF holds and will continue to hold all the areas it has cleared and captured,” Katz said in remarks released on Friday.
“The ground maneuver into Lebanon and the strikes against Hezbollah throughout the country achieved many gains, but the mission has not yet been completed.”
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ten-day truce on Thursday following calls between US President Donald Trump and the leaders of each country.
According to Katz, more than 1,700 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed during Israel’s military campaign—more than double the number slain during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
He said Israel has established a security zone extending roughly ten kilometers from the border, stretching from the Mediterranean coast to the Mount Hermon region, designed to prevent infiltration and direct anti-tank fire on northern communities.
“The security zone has been cleared of terrorists and weapons and will continue to be cleared of terror infrastructure,” Katz said, adding that areas between the security zone and the Litani River remain under Israeli fire control but have not yet been fully demilitarized.
Quote:ISLAMABAD — Major hotels are sold out for reservations this week and some transportation and other services have shut down in and near Pakistan’s capital city on Sunday, as the world waits in hope for a successful second round of peace talks between Iran and the US to take place.
Islamabad Police on Sunday announced that traffic routes had been altered in preparation for the arrival of unnamed official delegations — with the city shutting down all streets near where the last round of in-person peace talks took place last weekend.
“Due to the arrival of foreign delegations in Islamabad, Red Zone and Extended Red Zone will remain completely closed for all kinds of traffic,” it said in a post to X. “Citizens are advised to use alternate routes and cooperate with traffic police to ensure smooth flow and security.”
Neither the US or Iran — nor mediator Pakistan — have publicly confirmed that Washington and Tehran will again meet for further peace talks to end the seven-week-long war, but the signs of an impending gathering are stacking up.
All rooms at Islamabad’s luxury Movenpick, which hosted hundreds of local and international journalists during last weekend’s talks, had no rooms available in the coming days. And the city’s Serena Hotel — home to the US-Iran negotiations — is no longer taking reservations.
Additionally, current guests at the Serena and Marriott Hotel in Islamabad were asked to find alternative accommodations beginning Sunday night.
What’s more, the city of Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi announced on Sunday that they were shutting down some forms of transportation for the foreseeable future.
“Heavy transport and public transport in the city are being suspended until further orders,” Islamabad’s district administration announced in a post to X. “Citizens are earnestly requested to cooperate with the security agencies. Thank you.”
Quote:Iran has said it would not participate in a second round of peace talks in Pakistan with the US this week due to America’s demands and ongoing naval blockade in the Gulf.
“Iran stated that its absence from the second round of talks stems from what it called Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire,” the IRNA state-run outlet said.
The statement comes just hours after President Trump told The Post that the peace talks were restarting this week in Pakistan.
While Trump told The Post that US negotiators, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, were heading to Islamabad on Monday, Pakistani mediators have not confirmed the meeting.
The Islamic republic’s refusal to attend the talks highlights the ongoing tension between Tehran and Washington as the cease-fire is set to expire this week.
President Trump had warned Tehran to accept his terms for a peace deal, give up its nuclear materials, and open up the Strait of Hormuz, with the commander in chief renewing his threats to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants.
“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The US seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship after “blowing a hole” in its engine room when it tried to break past the Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump revealed Sunday.
The USS Spruance destroyer intercepted Iran’s Touska cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, taking custody of the ship after it refused warnings to stop, according to the president.
“Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them,” Trump boasted on Truth Social.
“Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel,” the president added. “The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!”
The seizure of the Iran-flagged vessel comes as Trump is pushing to lock down a peace deal with Iran before the two-week cease-fire wraps up on Tuesday.
Trump told The Post earlier in the day, Sunday, that his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will head to Pakistan for the talks.
The White House confirmed that Vice President JD Vance will lead discussions.
But a top Iranian official has said that Tehran won’t partake in the talks, citing concerns that US demands are too tough.
Quote:LONDON — British police said they are investigating possible Iran links to a series of arson attacks on Jewish targets in London, which the UK chief rabbi said showed a sustained campaign of violence against the Jewish community was gathering momentum.
After the latest attack, at Kenton United Synagogue in the Harrow area of the city shortly after midnight, the third such incident in a week, UK counter-terrorism police said they were heading up investigations into the incidents.
A pro-Iranian government group, which says it is also behind a spate of attacks across Europe on US, Israeli and Jewish targets, has said it was responsible.
“As the conflict in the Middle East continues to evolve, counter-terrorism policing and our partners remain alive to the threat of Iranian hostile activity in the UK,” Vicki Evans, Britain’s senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters.
“We are aware of public reporting that suggests this group may have links to Iran. As you would expect, we will continue to explore that question as our investigation evolves.”
‘Sustained campaign of violence’
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said the Kenton fire, which did not cause any significant damage, was the third “cowardly” attack on Jewish sites in the British capital in less than a week.
“A sustained campaign of violence and intimidation against the Jewish community of the UK is gathering momentum,” Mirvis said on X. “Thank God, no lives have been lost, but we cannot, and must not, wait for that to change before we understand just how dangerous this moment is for all of our society.”
Quote:Twisted Hamas terrorists are sexually exploiting women in Gaza, bribing slain members’ desperate widows and young moms with food in exchange for sex, according to residents in the Palestinian enclave.
Harrowing interviews from the Gaza Strip reveal the scope of the rampant sexual abuse by the Iran-backed terrorists as they target vulnerable women trying to feed their families.
“It’s being done by all their employees and members, as though it’s an organization set up for sexual harassment, psychological abuse and harassing young women,” a woman told Jusoor News.
Women said the Hamas members are specifically targeting people who reached out to them in desperation, such as widows, recent divorcees and young or single mothers, promising them even simple things such as rice and sugar in exchange for sex.
“A guy will say, ‘Come, we have a relief package for you.’ He represents an Islamic organization, a movement whose name I won’t mention, but it is a political organization,” a woman told the outlet.
” ‘If you come with me and do so and so, I’ll give you so and so,’ ” Hamas members allegedly tell their victims.
And the women, who have no life experience, end up getting exploited.”
A man who claimed to be with Hamas recalled how the wife of a friend reached out directly to his commander for help before she was taken advantaged of.
“His behavior is disgraceful,” the government employee told Jusoor. “We investigated the matter and found her in a tent in the Gharabli area where a bunch of Qassam members were taking advantage of her.
“We informed the leadership, but they told us we had to keep silent about it,” he said.
Greta Thunberg’s freedom flotilla, which set sail from Barcelona Sunday for another anti-Israel voyage to Gaza, has been rocked by scandal after one of its woke leaders was accused of “sexual misconduct” with at least three volunteers.
“A senior leader within the flotilla — a member of the steering committee, the highest governing body of the organization — engaged in sexual relations with multiple activists while on the boat heading to Gaza. Not one person. Not two. Three different individuals,” claimed Palestinian group Heart of Falastin in a social media post earlier this week.
“To do it on the boat, while heading to a nation undergoing genocide, with volunteers who are under your authority . . . is a clear violation of ethics and power.”
One Brazilian group named the alleged horndog as activist Thiago Avila, in an X post unearthed by media watchdog Honest Reporting and shared with The Post.
“On a ship carrying humanitarian aid, a Brazilian shows up with his d–k swinging and the only thing he manages to do is f–k and get arrested,” Anti Esquerda Esquerda Club, a group that describes itself as criticizing the left from the left, wrote on X Tuesday, pointing the finger at Avila — and referring to the Israeli Navy intercepting the flotilla and taking activists into custody.
Avila, 39, sailed to Gaza in June aboard the 12-person Madleen, where he was pictured in many chummy poses with fellow activist Thunberg — arms around each other’s shoulders and looking gleefully at one another — before they were eventually detained by Israeli forces and deported.
He joined the larger 500-activist Global Sumud Flotilla convoy in September, during which infighting among senior leadership led Thunberg to step down from the steering committee and off the main boat. The activist was then seen dragging her suitcase along a Tunisian dock to transfer to a different ship.
That tumultuous trip also saw her vessel’s radio hacked to pump songs from the Swedish pop group ABBA on full blast in a clear troll at Thunberg.
At the time, Thunberg’s decision to step down stemmed from frustration that leadership was spending too much time bickering about “internal affairs” and was not focusing enough on Gaza, according to Italian newspaper Il Manifesto, which had a correspondent on board.
Quote:A Russian drone breached Romania's airspace during an overnight bombardment targeting Ukraine, the NATO nation's defense ministry has said.
Russian drone attacks on civilian and infrastructure targets took place overnight Thursday, the ministry said. It added that Romanian air defenses monitored two air targets in the border area in Romania's Tulcea county.
"One of the targets entered the airspace of our country, the radar contact with it being lost 16 km southeast of Chilia Veche over an uninhabited area," the ministry said, according to a translation.
Newsweek has contacted the Romanian and Russian defense ministries for comment.
The air alert started at just after midnight Friday and ended at 2.48 a.m. A team has been sent to the area to investigate.
“We strongly condemn the actions of the Russian Federation that endanger regional security, constituting a serious violation of the norms of international law,” the defense ministry statement added.
During the war in neighboring Ukraine, Romania has repeatedly scrambled its fighter jets in response to drone and missile threats posed by Russia, testing NATO's collective defense agreement, Article 5.
Tulcea is across the border from the Ukrainian port of Izmail which has been a focus for Russian drone attacks. On Wednesday, Romania’s Defense Ministry said that two of its F-16 aircraft were scrambled after Russian drones had attacked civilian and infrastructure targets in the county.
The drones were detected near Valcove around 2:30 a.m. local time. While they did not enter Romanian airspace, the aircraft were scrambled from the 86th Air Base in Fetesti, and air defense systems were switched to firing positions.
The previous day, Romanian fighter jets had been scrambled when emergency alerts were triggered for northern parts of Tulcea.
In 2025, Romania's lawmakers passed a law to allow the shooting down of drones that breach its airspace. In March, Ukraine and Romania announced they would work together to produce drones together in Romania in an EU-funded project worth 200 million euros.
Quote:Several of Russia's high-profile influencers have spoken out against the country's top officials, a rare stream of criticism that still sought to steer clear of directly condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Victoria Bonya, a Russian beauty influencer now living in Monaco, posted a lengthy video on Monday which she captioned as an "appeal" to Putin "from all concerned Russians."
She said issues in the country were going unaddressed, like flooding in southeastern Russia, environmental pollution and limited access to the internet on top of clampdowns on social media.
“The people are afraid of you, artists are afraid, governors are afraid," Bonya said, comparing Russia's population to a "coiled spring."
"One day, that coiled spring will shoot out," she said.
Russian authorities have tightened controls on messaging apps, including WhatsApp and Telegram, while forcing Russian users of platforms like Instagram to log in via virtual private networks (VPNs).
But some human rights experts have said many Russian residents do not know how to access VPNs, while the authorities have pushed state-run alternatives more susceptible to surveillance.
Information crackdowns have come hand-in-hand with worsening economic conditions and failed peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, now well into its fifth year.
The war has put increasing pressure on Russia's economy, the focus on pumping out military equipment eating away at government spending in other areas closer to home for Russia's residents.
More than 1.3 million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor in early 2022, according to Ukraine's military.
“War fatigue is really starting to set in," Andrei Kolesnikov, a Russian political scientist, told The Guardian. "It is beginning to click in people’s minds that everything that is happening is a consequence of the war."
Quote:Bulgaria's pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev has swept to victory in the country's eighth parliamentary election in five years, with an exit poll showing his center-left Progressive Bulgaria coalition capturing 39.2 percent of the vote.
The result gives Radev a commanding lead over the outgoing center-right GERB party of veteran leader Boyko Borissov, which is projected to receive just 15.1 percent, but the margin may not be enough to govern alone — setting up yet another potentially fractious coalition process in a country that has struggled with political deadlock for years.
The vote came just one week after Hungarian voters ousted Viktor Orbán, another European leader seen as friendly to Moscow, marking a potential shift in Russian influence across the continent.
Why It Matters
Radev's victory could bring to power a leader who has consistently opposed funneling military support to Ukraine despite Bulgaria's membership in both the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Unlike most other NATO and EU leaders, Radev has favored reopening talks with Russia as a path out of the conflict and has said he will "develop practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect and equal treatment." Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly clashed with Radev over military backing, including a tense 2023 meeting where cameras were asked to leave the room.
The result comes one week after Orbán — who maintained close ties with both the Kremlin and President Donald Trump, and repeatedly blocked financial support for Kyiv — was unseated by center-right challenger Péter Magyar. That outcome was widely seen as a blow to Russian interests in Europe. Radev's win complicates that narrative, potentially replacing one pro-Russian European voice with another.
Quote:Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s war machine is losing an astounding $100 million a day as a result of Ukrainian drone strikes on the country’s oil infrastructure — dealing a staggering financial blow to the Kremlin.
A series of recent attacks on key transport routes have slashed Moscow’s oil shipments by roughly 880,000 barrels a day, Ukraine’s Armed Forces said Saturday.
“Step by step, the enemy’s oil and logistics system is losing its ability to ensure uninterrupted exports,” Commander Robert Brovdi said through Telegram.
“The result of this work is already tangible at the front — the enemy has fewer resources and more opportunities for our units,” Commander Robert Brovdi said through Telegram.
Russia exports an estimated 6.6 million barrels of oil a day — so the dent made represents roughly 13% of its exports.
Ukrainian drone strikes targeted Russian oil refineries overnight into Saturday, hitting four important sites.
Fire raged at the Novokuybyshevsk and Syzran oil refineries in the Samara region, as well as at an oil terminal in Leningrad and the Tikhoretsk oil pumping station in Krasnodar Krai, Ukraine’s Armed Forces said.
Ukrainian drones also hit oil storage sites in the occupied Mariupol region.
Quote:At least six people were killed and more than a dozen hurt in a mass shooting in Kyiv, with Ukrainian authorities killing the suspect – who had barricaded himself inside a supermarket.
Bullets flew in the Ukrainian capital’s Holosiivskyi district, a central urban area, where four civilians were slain on the street, with one more killed inside the market where the suspect, identified as a 58-year-old Russian native, took hostages with an automatic weapon. The sixth victim was injured inside the market and died later at a hospital.
“He took hostages and, tragically, killed one of them. He shot dead four more people right on the street, and one more woman passed away in a hospital due to sustained injuries,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X.
The Mayor of Kyiv revealed the shooter was killed by cops during the supermarket-standoff.
“The shooter in Kyiv was liquidated during the arrest,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app Saturday.
“Special forces of the…national police stormed the store where the attacker was. He took people hostage and shot at a policeman during his detention. Before that, negotiators tried to contact him,” the statement concluded.
The weapon was registered and purchased legally, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing Ukrainian officials.
Fourteen victims were being treated at area hospitals, with that number expected to rise, according to Zelenskyy.
Quote:Moscow is criminalizing the American dream — blacklisting more than a dozen elite US universities and making it illegal for Russians to so much as contact them.
In a sweeping crackdown, Russia’s General Prosecutor’s office has branded 19 top American schools as “undesirable” and turned what used to be a dream — studying abroad — into a legal nightmare, according to the Moscow Times.
The latest target of the Russian Undesirable Organizations law, which was signed by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in May 2015, is Stanford University, which was added to the Kremlin hate list on April 7. The school joins Tufts University and earlier additions like UC Berkeley, George Washington University, and Yale University.
The hostility stems from Russian officials who claim the universities — once symbols of prestige where Russian students routinely came and went on exchange programs — are part of a broader campaign to limit foreign influence in its academic and civic space.
Critics argue this legal framework is being used to deter engagement with global academia and isolate Russian scholars from international networks, according to MSN.
“Yale University was recognized as an undesirable organization at my request,” lawmaker Andrei Lugovoy said on the Russian state television show Evening With Vladimir Solovyov. “Nothing like this has happened before. And we believe it is the right thing to do.”
The prosecutor’s office paid special attention to Yale’s School of Global Affairs, which the Russians claim conducts “training opposition leaders of foreign countries.”
Quote:Five people were wounded in a mass shooting near the University of Iowa campus after a large brawl that broke out early Sunday, police confirmed — as they shared a photo of five “persons of interest” in the carnage.
“One victim is in critical condition and the other four victims are in stable condition,” Iowa City Public Safety said in a Facebook post Sunday afternoon.
The posting includes a picture of five young men, and cops are asking for the public’s help in finding and identifying them.
“Anyone with information on the people pictured here are asked to contact Detective Cade Burma at cburma@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5275.”
Police were responding to a fight at the Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City around 1:45 a.m. involving as many as 100 people when gunshots rang out.
Dramatic video of the melee shared on social media showed dozens of people crowded around a group of men throwing haymakers at each other.
The brawl took place in a popular bar area that is just one block from some parts of the Big Ten campus.
Quote:Eight children including a baby were killed in a mass shooting in Louisiana on Sunday morning when a crazed gunman opened fire at three different homes.
The murdered victims ranged in age from 1 to 14, and at least some of them were “descendants” of the gunman, who was eventually killed by officers, Shreveport Police Department spokesman Christopher Bordelon said at a briefing.
Seven of the slain kids were found dead in one house — while the eighth appeared to have futilely tried to escape off the roof on the back of the house, Bordelon said.
Two women also were shot in the head during the killer’s rampage, with one suffering life-threatening injuries. One of the women is believed to have been in a relationship with the suspect, according to Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith.
“We have three crime scenes just here in Shreveport. One of them is incredibly gruesome in nature,” Bordelon said.
“I know that some of the suspect’s children resided there. I’m not sure if at one point in time he lived there.”
There were audible gasps as Bordelon revealed the ages of the deceased.
The crime scenes in Shreveport were described as “extensive” and spanned two homes on the same street and a third on a nearby street.
After the shootings, the gunman carjacked a vehicle and tried to escape by fleeing to neighboring Bossier City, where he had a connection to a home, but was killed by pursuing cops, according to authorities.
Quote:One person was killed and three others including a young teen wounded in a wild New Jersey shootout that left victims sprawled in the street near a 13-year-old girl’s weekend birthday party.
The violence started around 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Paterson — as party-goers were about to sing, “Happy Birthday” in the birthday girl’s back yard, witnesses said.
Kids screamed and hit the deck as the automatic gunfire broke out near the intersection of East 29th Street and 10th Avenue, leaving people splayed in the street, according to ABC.
The kids reportedly first thought the gunshots were fireworks until they heard sirens, and bystanders were in a state of panic as first responders rendered aid to those in the line of fire.
“Just hearing it — iit was scary to witness, to hear,” the unidentified birthay girl told the outlet. “Especially on my birthday. Like, a time I’m trying to play with my friends, get together.”
She said a friend at the party witnessed the shooting first-hand.
“He was going to the bodega. He went running back, but he had seen two people come out of a car and then shoot, but it was like an automatic gun,” she said.
No details were given on the dead person or the wounded victims, except for authorities noting one of those hurt is a young teen.
Quote:Hundreds of animal rights activists who tried to gain entry Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired tear gas and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles southwest of the capital city of Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett, in a video statement, said between 300 and 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers.
He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence.
Some protesters did get through the fence, but they were unable to get into the facility where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
“I just feel defeated,” activist Julie Vrzeski told the newspaper about three hours into the operation after no dogs had been successfully seized.
Quote:Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson linked the restaurant industry to “slavery” Wednesday as he defended his push to eliminate the tipped wage, doubling down after surviving a City Council effort to block the policy.
Johnson’s remarks came after the Chicago City Council failed to override his veto of a measure that would have halted the city’s phaseout of the subminimum wage for tipped workers — a policy set to raise base pay to the full minimum wage by 2028 that is opposed by restaurant owners who warn it could drive up prices and cut jobs.
He called on Chicagoans to “challenge city council not to do stuff like take wages away from Black and Brown people,” saying that most workers in the service industry who rely on tips are minorities.
“You just watched the entire city council, in transparency, try to take wages away from the very people who are part of an industry that has its ties to slavery is hiding from that,” Johnson said. “I am boldly declaring that we need reparations in this city, and that’s why I’m funding it.”
City aldermen voted last month to end the wage increase for tipped workers, but Johnson vetoed it.
Restaurant owners and associations have pushed back on the city’s phaseout of the subminimum wage, saying it will shrink their already tight profit margins.
Chicago’s City Council failed to meet the 34-vote requirement to overturn the phaseout.
Johnson’s comments came in response to a question from a person who claimed that Johnson’s Reparations Task Force was not in compliance with Illinois state law, which mandates that all public bodies hold public meetings.
Quote:A converted hotel next to a Chinatown playground is still housing violent sex offenders a full 10 months after The Post blew the whistle — and now a second Manhattan shelter is doing the same thing.
At least two registered sex offenders exposed in a July 5 report — including a level 3 offender, the highest risk — are still calling the former Hotel MB building at 61 Chrystie St. home near the Hester Street Playground, while a third only left because he was sent back to prison time and is now on parole.
Now another Big Apple neighborhood is facing the same fears for local parents, with a half dozen sex offenders holed up at a shelter at 197 Bowery, around the corner from the Rivington Street Playground.
“Our society has become deaf to things that matters,” a 40-year-old mom who lives near the playground with her disabled 4-year-old daughter. “It’s like putting fresh, raw, bleeding meat in front of a shark.
“When I see a child alone in the park when I’m leaving, I tell them to leave because I’d cry if I see it in the news that something happened and I did nothing,” said the woman, who identified herself as EJ.
The Post found at least five level 2 offenders registered at the Bowery building, including Marco Cepeda, who was convicted of sodomizing an 11-year-old boy, and Devereaux Davis, who was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The son of right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson has left Vice President JD Vance’s press team to set up his own political consulting firm amid escalating tensions between his father and President Trump.
Buckley Carlson, a 20-something who had served as Vance’s deputy press secretary since the start of the second Trump administration, is joining a group of several White House alumni departing for the private sector.
While such moves can be typical in presidential administrations, Buckley’s departure comes against the backdrop of a growing rift between Trump, 79, and Tucker, 56, once an avid backer.
Trump wrote in a screed against Tucker earlier this month, “Flailing Fools like Tucker Carlson, who couldn’t even finish College, he was a broken man when he got fired from Fox, and he’s never been the same — Perhaps he should see a good psychiatrist!”
Trump jabbed at Tucker again on Truth Social on Friday, linking to a story about CNN data guru Harry Enten suggesting the president was winning the feud in the public eye and writing, “Tucker is a Low IQ person – Always easy to beat, and highly overrated.”
Tucker has publicly railed against the Trump administration for months, all while largely refraining from mentioning the president by name.
Instead, he blamed the president’s allies such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his grievances, including the war in Iran. Tucker privately lobbied Trump against going to war.
Trump for his part had occasionally swiped at Tucker, calling him “kooky,” among other insults, after the latter dinged the Operation Midnight Hammer attacks on Iran.
Quote:A California judge has ruled Sable Offshore Corp. — the company Donald Trump is using to give the state an oil lifeline — did not have the authority to restart its operations.
Judge Donna Geck of the Santa Barbara Superior Court said a state injunction on the gas giant is still in place, blocking its operations from restarting and handing a win to environmental groups and California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“A California court just confirmed what we have said all along: Trump and his Big Oil donors are not above the law,” Newsom said in a statement.
Back in March, Trump signed an executive order to resume oil drilling operations off the Southern California coast, citing national energy security concerns.
The order invoked the Cold War-era Defense Production Act, stemming from concerns of limited oil supply from the US war with Iran.
In response to the order, Sable Offshore resumed operations near Santa Barbara at its Santa Ynez offshore oil platform and pipeline.
The pipeline was shuttered in 2015 after a spill released thousands of barrels of crude into the Pacific Ocean.
The Santa Ynez pipeline restart “marks a 15% increase in California’s in-state oil production, which will replace almost 1.5 million barrels of foreign crude oil each month,” according to the Department of Energy.
Environmentalists and anti-Trump Democrats furiously claimed that Trump’s order was “illegal” and that any restart needed approval by state regulators. They sought the temporary injunction, granted in February.
Sable Offshore argued that Trump’s order under the Defense Production Act bypassed the court injunction. Geck in Friday’s ruling disagreed.
“Every day that oil’s flowing through these pipelines means that Sable is in violation of the court’s preliminary injunction order,” Talia Nimmer, staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, told the Santa Barbara Independent.
Quote:Rep. Nancy Mace is calling for a reckoning in the halls of Congress following the resignation of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell.
She accused the political establishment of shielding predators to protect their own power and introduced a resolution to stop it.
Mace joined “Saturday in America” to discuss the resolution she put forward for the House Ethics Committee to release its records on sexual harassment by lawmakers.
“I think there should be an avalanche of resignations,” Mace said, adding, “I want every single predator that’s in Congress now to be forced to resign. I don’t care how long it takes. If we can do it fast, let’s do it now, regardless of party.”
Mace’s renewed action comes after Swalwell resigned from Congress and ended his California gubernatorial bid earlier this month following multiple sexual misconduct allegations.
At least five women have accused him of misconduct, including Lonna Drewes, who alleges he drugged and raped her in a hotel room in 2018.
Since the allegations surfaced, some journalists and political operatives have said Swalwell’s behavior was widely known on Capitol Hill.
Mace said she wants to end the culture of silence on both sides of the political aisle.
“Both parties decided that they would vote against revealing the sexual harassment records of their own party,” Mace said of a previous vote that failed on the issue.
Quote:A United Airlines Flight heading to LaGuardia was hastily diverted to Pittsburgh after pilots feared there was a “potential bomb” on board.
United Flight 2092 was heading to The Empire State from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport early Saturday when the pilots heard a beeping noise and decided to divert the flight, according to audio of the flight crew’s conversation posted to liveatc.com.
“We are going to have to start treating this as a potential bomb… we are going to need to go and start a diversion and get things settled. It’s a beeping noise, sequential, one beep per second,” a crew member said.
The plane landed at Pittsburgh International Airport at 11:45 a.m., WCVB reported.
The Boeing 737‘s 159 passengers and 6 crew members exited the plane safely via slides and no injuries were reported, a United representative told The Post in a statement.
A firetruck and ambulance greeted the airplane as emergency officials helped the passengers and crew exit, and were seen leaving after everyone was successfully escorted.
The Pittsburgh FBI bomb technicians and Special Agents, local police and the Allegheny County bomb squad were on scene investigating, WCVB reported.
The Allegheny County Police Bomb Squad told the outlet its Explosive Ordinance Disposal team and bomb sniifing dogs conducted a sweep which had “negative results” for bombs.
“Our EOD team and K9s conducted a sweep of the aircraft, passengers and luggage with negative results,” the department told the outlet.
Quote:Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons submitted his resignation letter to Homeland Secretary Markwayne Mullin Thursday, writing that he will stay on through May 31 to assist the transition process, Fox News has confirmed.
According to a source, Lyons said in his letter he wants to spend more time with his family, including his sons, who are "reaching a pivotal point in their lives," and that it's been a privilege to serve under President Donald Trump.
"Director Lyons has been a great leader of ICE and key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists and gang members from American communities," Mullin said in a statement.
"He jumpstarted an agency that had not been allowed to do its job for four years. Thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer."
Lyons has overseen roughly 584,000 ICE deportations since President Donald Trump was inaugurated for a second term last year.
He has served with ICE for 20 years and was previously in special forces in the U.S. Air Force.
"We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector. His last day is May 31, 2026," Mullin concluded.
In a statement to Fox News, Trump border czar Tom Homan praised Lyons' selflessness in serving as director.
"Todd has served selflessly as a highly respected and effective acting Director of U.S. ICE," Homan said. "Under his leadership, ICE achieved a record number of removals in the first year of this Administration, despite unprecedented challenges, delivering on the President’s promise to deport illegal aliens who have no right to be in the U.S., especially those that are public safety risks or pose a threat to our national security.
"I commend him for a distinguished law enforcement career and the countless contributions he has made to protect our country and advance its interests."
For some unknown reason Fox News forgot to mention a very important fact about Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. Yet, you can watch a videoclip on Facebook.
Quote:U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons submitted a letter of resignation to the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday. The announcement followed his testimony before the House Appropriation Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security regarding the ICE budget, where he announced the bust of Chinese illegal aliens allegedly involved in the largest gift card fraud scheme in history.
In a letter revealed by the New York Times, Lyons cited family issues as his reason for resigning. He said leading the agency he served for 20 years a “tremendous honor.”
“My sons are both reaching a pivotal point in their lives, and my wife and I wish to spend as much time as possible with them,” Lyons wrote in his resignation letter. “This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one for me and my family at this time.”
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin responded to the resignation, calling Lyons a “great leader of ICE and a key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from American communities.”
Trump administration border czar Tom Homan called Lyons a selfless servant who achieved a “record number of removals in the first year of the administration,” according to a post on X by Fox News’ Bill Melugin.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller added, “Todd is a phenomenal patriot and dedicated leader who has been at the center of President Trump’s historic efforts to secure our homeland and reverse the Democrats’ sinister border invasion.”
His resignation came hours after his testimony before the House Appropriation Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security, where he disclosed that his ICE Homeland Security Investigations team broke the largest gift card fraud case in history. He said the scheme was carried out by transnational gangs within the Chinese Communist Party who entered the U.S. illegally under the Biden administration. He said the money was sent back to military units in China, according to a post on the White House Rapid Response 47 team’s social media account.
Breitbart News reported extensively on the success of ICE in rounding up the worst of the worst criminal aliens during Lyons’ tenure as director. Lyons led the arrest and removal of violent criminal illegal aliens, the U.S. efforts to combat Mexican and Venezuelan drug cartels and criminal gangs, and the fight against sanctuary city policies that make the country less safe.
Lyons will continue to serve as director of ICE through the end of May.
Quote:An international fugitive was arrested in Dubai this week following a years-long manhunt.
Daniel Kinahan, the alleged leader of one of Ireland’s biggest criminal gangs, the Kinahan cartel, was arrested on organized crime charges on Wednesday in a covert operation involving Irish and United Arab Emirates authorities.
The 48-year-old alleged crime boss is expected to face charges in Ireland related to a gangland feud between the Kinahan cartel and the Hutch gang that has left 18 people dead since 2015.
Dubai police didn’t name Kinahan, saying they had “arrested an Irish fugitive for his alleged role in an organized criminal group involved in international crimes in his home country.”
He was identified by Irish media outlets on Friday.
Ireland’s national police force, the Garda Síochána, said an Irish man in his 40s was arrested under a warrant from the Irish courts.
“An Garda Síochána has been steadfast in our determination that we would pursue those allegedly involved in serious Organized Criminal activity, wherever they go,” the police said in a statement, according to The Irish Star.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:A French paratrooper was killed and three of his fellow peacekeepers wounded in a suspected Hezbollah ambush in southern Lebanon Saturday — less than two days into a fragile 10-day cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon.
A unit that included Staff Sgt. Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment was on a UN mission to clear explosives on a route toward an isolated UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) post in the village of Ghanduriyah when they were attacked at close range.
Montorio was gunned down in a portion of the country that had been cut off due to ongoing skirmishes between Israeli military and Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorists.
“He was caught in an ambush by an armed group at very close range,” French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin said on X.
“Immediately hit by a direct shot from a light weapon, he was pulled back under fire by his comrades, who were unable to resuscitate him.”
Three other French peacekeepers were injured, two of them seriously, according to the UNIFIL.
All four soldiers ambushed wore blue helmets and were working under the banner of the United Nations.
The attack — which Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also condemned — came after a temporary truce was reached Thursday between Israel and Lebanon to halt fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah terrorists that reignited following the start of the Iran war.
French President Emmanuel Macron mourned the loss of Montorio and demanded retribution against the Iran-backed terror group.
“The nation bows with respect and extends its support to the families of our soldiers and to all our military personnel engaged for peace in Lebanon,” Macron posted on X.
Quote:A glamorous Iranian businesswoman with a US green card was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly trafficking arms on behalf of Tehran.
Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was taken into custody on Saturday night and charged with brokering deals for Iranian drones, bombs, and millions of rounds of ammunition bound for Sudan, according to the office of the US Attorney for the Central District of California.
Mafi had allegedly conducted the arms deals while in close contact with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, which provided instruction and funds for her to open a business in the US to operate out of, according to court records.
“She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan,” First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said Sunday, announcing the arrest.
Mafi posted glam pics of herself traveling the world — including posing in a $100,000 Mercedes-Benz roadster.
Mafi, who left Iran in 2013 and became a permanent resident of the US in 2016 under the Obama administration, allegedly used an Oman-registered company, Atlas International Business, to broker weapons deals as recently as 2025, according to court records.
Among the sales was a contract for more than $70 million for Iranian-made Mohajer-6 armed drones from Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.
The drones, along with 55,000 bomb fuses, were transferred in deals with the Sudanese Ministry of Defense, which has been fighting in a bloody civil war since 2023.
Iran has been repeatedly accused of violating a United Nations arms embargo amid the Sudanese civil war, with its drones spotted in use by the government forces.
The civil war has claimed between 61,000 to hundreds of thousands of lives as it enters its fourth year, with the UN’s fact-finding mission identifying the recent mass deaths in Darfur as having the “hallmarks of genocide.”
The conflict has also displaced nearly nine million people, making it one of the worst displacement crises on the planet.
Quote:Iran’s hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leader has effectively taken control of Tehran’s military and negotiation team over the weekend, analysts said.
IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi and members of his inner circle have allegedly taken charge of the Islamic Republic, as evident by Iran’s attacks on ships trying to sail through the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s refusal to join peace talks with the US this week, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said.
The sudden hardline shift also shows that more moderate members of Iran’s leadership, including Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi, have been sidelined.
Araghchi had initially agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend after reaching a consensus with the Trump administration, but the IRGC demanded it remain shut in the face of the American blockade on Iranian ports.
Vahidi reportedly received the backing of Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary and an IRGC veteran, to control the strait — further cementing Vahidi’s grip on Iran.
The IRCG’s fast attack ships remain Iran’s main form of naval force in the key waterway after US-Israeli airstrikes sank more than 150 vessels of Tehran’s conventional navy during the war.
Iran had attacked at least three ships trying to get through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, signaling that the oil chokepoint remains closed off as hundreds of ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf.
Vahidi and Zolghadr’s alliance goes beyond the military blockade, with the IRGC commander tapping his ally to join the Iranian delegation earlier this month.
Zolghadr was specifically sent to make sure the delegation was following the IRGC’s commands and those of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who ascended to replace his father at the insistence of the Islamic Guard.
“Zolghadr sent a complaint to senior IRGC leaders, almost certainly including Vahidi, that Araghchi had surpassed his mandate during the negotiations by expressing flexibility regarding Iran’s support for the Axis of Resistance,” the ISW said of the initial peace talks.
Quote:ISLAMABAD — After Iran claimed it had refused to attend a second round of peace talks on Sunday, Tehran is now “willing for a second round” of negotiations — and its bluster so far is mere posturing for the best deal possible, Pakistani sources exclusively told The Post on Monday.
Iran on Sunday had publicly said it would not participate in the next round of US-brokered talks in Pakistan, accusing Washington of making “excessive demands,” shifting positions and continuing a naval blockade it views as a violation of the fragile cease-fire, according to prior reporting.
“Current hard stance is posturing to extract maximum advantage when second round happens,” the person said, citing takeaways from discussions with the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman. However, Iran still had not yet decided whether it would attend as of Monday afternoon local time, the source said.
“For now, no decision has been taken about whether we will have a second round,” the source said. “Whenever we have a decision, we will share details.”
Islamabad remains trusted as mediator by both US and Iranian officials.
“Pakistan remains the sole trustworthy mediator, which means process is on and Islamabad will be the venue whenever a final decision is taken,” the source said.
The uncertainty comes as President Trump told The Post on Sunday that the US would soon restart negotiations, dispatching top representatives — including special envoy Steve Witkoff — to the region, even as tensions remain high and the cease-fire nears expiration.
Meanwhile, Pakistani officials also forcefully pushed back on a Reuters report that claimed Islamabad’s Field Marshal Asim Munir urged Trump to abandon the US blockade on Iranian ports to advance negotiations.
“No security source has given any input to any news agency, including Reuters,” a source told The Post. “This is classic misinformation and fake reporting.”
The Reuters report had suggested Trump was considering the proposal after speaking with Munir, underscoring the sensitivity surrounding Pakistan’s role as a mediator in the high-stakes talks.
Quote:A Los Angeles dad grieving the death of his teenage nephew in Iran says he received a personal letter from President Donald Trump offering condolences — and a promise to stand with the Iranian people.
Majid Moghadasi, an Iranian American living in Woodland Hills, told The Post his nephew, Erfan Faraji, was killed on Jan. 8 during anti-government protests that rocked the Islamic Republic.
His death, just two days after his 18th birthday, came as the regime killed up to 36,500 in a January crackdown.
Estimates vary from 7,000 to 36,000 killed in the regime’s January crackdown on the unrest.
Two days after learning of the teen’s death, Moghadasi said he reached out directly to the White House, pleading for help.
Moghadasi’s deeply personal plea described how his nephew was fatally shot in the streets of Shahr-e Rey, south of Tehran, just for taking part in protests.
“He was an innocent teenager with dreams and a future ahead of him. His only act was standing up against injustice,” Moghadasi wrote, adding that Iranian authorities had responded to demonstrations “not with dialogue, but with live ammunition.”
He urged Trump to continue taking a firm stand against the Iran.
Just days later on Jan. 13. Trump wrote back that he and First Lady were “devastated” by the loss.
“Erfan will be held in my heart, and I promise never to forget or forgive the terrible events that took him from us,” the letter reads.
“Please know that my Administration will always stand with the Iranian people in their quest for freedom and democracy.”
The president also vowed then that efforts were underway then to hold Iran’s leadership accountable, writing that his administration was “working diligently to ensure that the Ayatollah and his murderous regime are brought to justice.”
Quote:ISLAMABAD — President Trump said he is willing to meet with senior Iranian leaders if a breakthrough is reached — as he brushed off the regime’s threats to boycott the latest round of peace talks.
“I have no problem meeting them,” Trump told The Post Monday. “If they want to meet, and we have some very capable people, but I have no problem meeting them.”
Trump’s willingness to meet with Tehran underscores the urgency surrounding the negotiations as the US-Iran cease-fire is set to expire Wednesday evening Washington time, per the president’s latest deadline.
Trump signaled that Iran must come to the table for serious discussion — just hours after Tehran claimed it would not be meeting the American delegation in Islamabad.
“We’re supposed to have the talks,” Trump said in a brief interview, brushing aside doubts about whether negotiations would fall apart. “So I would assume at this point nobody’s playing games.”
The president confirmed that Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, are set to head to Islamabad to prepare for the meetings.
“They’re heading over now,” Trump said.
The delegation is set to arrive Wednesday, sources told CNN, putting into question how the end of the cease-fire will play out up against the deadline.
Trump said it was “highly unlikely” for the cease-fire to be extended, noting that he expects the fighting to resume if no deal is made by then, Bloomberg reported.
Quote:US stocks fell and oil prices surged Monday as tensions over the Iran war heated up again, after President Trump announced the US Navy had seized an Iranian cargo vessel and Tehran sent mixed signals on resuming talks.
The Nasdaq fell 0.3%, snapping its 13-day winning streak , while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat. The S&P 500 edged down 0.2%.
Brent crude oil prices jumped 5.6% to settle at $95.48 and West Texas Intermediate rose 6.9% to $89.61. National average gasoline prices dipped slightly to $4.04 a gallon – still over 30% higher than prices before the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February.
Traders feared rising tensions in the Middle East after Trump on Sunday announced that the US Navy had blown “a hole in the engineroom” of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that attempted to skirt the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian ship “is under US Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
In a post earlier Sunday, Trump said Iran had fired bullets in the strait at foreign vessels, calling it “A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!”
“Oil likely has further upside in the near term given the scale of disruption through Hormuz, but…the market still sees this as a temporary shock rather than a permanent shortage,” Esther Sholes, senior macro analyst for Take Profit Trader, told The Post.
“While supply could partially recover within weeks if the Strait reopens, a full normalization would take months and depends on a durable ceasefire and the return of insurers and shippers.”
After Iran refused to join another round of peace talks in Pakistan, Trump reiterated his threat to bomb the nation’s power plants and bridges, which critics have claimed would constitute a war crime.
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump told The Post he “will not be rushed” to end the Iran war on its 52nd day — and lashed out at Democrats and Republicans trying to force him to end the conflict.
“How bad is it that when you are in the middle of negotiations and you have got the Iranians in a perfect position, including being militarily defeated, and you have Democrats and some Republicans asking to settle it now?” Trump said in a phone interview.
“As a negotiator — and I am a great negotiator — how bad is it, when you have people from your own country trying to reach a deal?” he fumed.
“They are helping the other side. The other side has nothing, they have no cards, but they are using this to delay. When [Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer was in, he was in Afghanistan for so long.”
“I have only been in this for five weeks. I will not be rushed,” he said.
Trump from the onset predicted a rapid conclusion and last week said Iran privately agreed to core US demands that Tehran abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons and relinquish an estimated 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium — despite less conciliatory Iranian public statements.
The president last week blockaded Iran’s ports following an unsuccessful first round of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan — with a second round expected to start as early as this week.
Trump said one day after the joint US-Israeli attack began on Feb. 28 that he expected the war to last “four weeks or so.”
The War Powers Resolution of 1973, which the White House argues is unconstitutional, says the president must receive congressional approval for conflicts lasting longer than 60 days.
Some of Trump’s Republican allies in Congress say he needs to wrap up the campaign — which over the weekend featured Marines capturing an Iranian tanker that tried to break through the US blockade.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said last week that the “clock is ticking” and that “I hope that we are arriving at an exit strategy here to bring this to a close to preserve our security interests and bring down the cost of gasoline.”
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump told The Post he has two questions for Pope Leo XIV about his opposition to the Iran war — after the pontiff continued to voice opposition.
“Why does the pope think it is fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon and to kill 42,000 unarmed protesters?” Trump said in an early morning interview.
The president expressed irritation at criticism coming from the American-born pope, stressing his case for the war as a two-week cease-fire nears its end on Wednesday.
“This is one of the most important wars. I said to the pope you can’t allow them to have a nuclear weapon because they will use it and millions of people will be dead, including Italians and Catholics around the world,” Trump said.
“And you can’t allow a country to kill 42,000 unarmed protesters, many of which were young people who they hanged from a crane in a public square.”
The Vatican press office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Trump argues that he’s serving the long-term cause of peace by crippling Iran’s military power and nuclear enrichment, and he has bristled for weeks at the Roman Catholic leader’s rebukes.
Leo has called for an end to the “madness of war” and denounced “arrogant” leaders who wage armed conflict.
God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them,” the pope said in a Palm Sunday mass on March 29.
Trump, in turn, has called the pope naive and “terrible for foreign policy.”
The pope opposed the conflict as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth invoked Christianity in support of the US military.
EDITORIAL
OK, I'm not Catholic so I couldn't care any less about Pope Leo's misstatements, yet, I can clearly see that he's unable to see what's truly happening in the Middle East.
How can he treat this war like other conflicts? This is not like Vietnam or Korea where world powers simply wanted to take control of a portion of land and make sure they followed their policies to the letter. Obviously, powers like Russia and China wanted to impose communism while the US promoted capitalism.
This time, the war isn't just about influence, but it's definitely involved here. We're talking about a country that has been calling the USA and Israel the Great Satan and Little Satan respectively. Iranian political and religious leaders have called for the destruction of those countries multiple times since 1979.
They were developing a dangerous nuclear program. Apparently, they were transporting those nuclear materials to secret locations in Iran and possibly China as well. Yes, Chinese airplanes were involved, they have been tracked by other military forces and specialized websites. Iranian authorities didn't let UN inspectors confirm that their uranium enrichment process haven't surpassed the 60% military grade at all. Still, they kept producing more and more enriched uranium. They had purchased the related technologies from other nuclear powers like Russia AND Pakistan. And are we still supposed to believe that they're not producing a nuclear bomb?
Even the events occurring in the last week demonstrate how Iran doesn't care about free trade when they chose to block the Hormuz Strait not once but at least twice now. According to international law, any natural waterway like that strait can be transited freely, without needing to pay ANY toll or extortion to anybody. Even so, Iran is still charging Chinese, Indian and French vessels for transporting oil outside the Persian Gulf.
As of yet, Iran has attacked positions in Cyprus and Turkey, both NATO members, and the EU just preferred to do absolutely nothing about that. I mean, doesn't Cyprus mean anything to them now? And why didn't Erdogan take it personal this time? He's been at odds with Tehran for quite some time, and his forces are still fighting Iranian backed rebels in Syria. Add to this mess the attack against a German military post in the Middle East, too.
Before ending this editorial, I would love to remind you of all those protesters that have been killed in the past few months in Iran. Don't their lives matter to people like Pope Leo or the EU leaders? Are the IRGC and the Basij forces supposed to continue massacring their own people and get off scot-free?
Quote:US Marines took command of the Iranian-flagged vessel that tried to break the US blockade in the Gulf on Sunday, dramatic new video shows.
Footage released by US Central Command shows the moment Marines aboard the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship took off to board the Iranian Touska, which was caught trying to enter the Arabian Sea.
The Marines are seen departing on a helicopter, with a cut showing the aircraft hovering over the Touska as the troops descended onto the ship and took control.
“The Marines rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel, April 19, after guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled Touska’s propulsion when the commercial ship failed to comply with repeated warnings from US forces over a six-hour period,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
President Trump hailed the interception and enforcement of the blockade on Iran’s ports, saying the Spruance blew a hole in the Touska’s engine room to halt the ship in the Gulf of Oman.
“Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel,” the president said on Sunday. “The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board!”
The incident marked the first time the US had taken custody of an Iranian tanker after establishing the blockade last Monday.
Iran slammed the move as a clear violation of the cease-fire, which Trump said is to expire Wednesday night, describing the seizure of the boat as an “act of aggression.”
Quote:The Iranian ship that President Donald Trump said has been captured by U.S. Marines has made many visits to Chinese ports, according to analysis of shipping data by Newsweek.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded on Monday to the seizure of the Iranian-flagged cargo ship the Touska.
"We hope all relevant parties will adopt a responsible attitude, abide by the ceasefire agreement, avoid escalating tensions or intensifying contradictions," spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
The action comes days after Trump announced a naval blockade of Iranian ports, which he said would stay in place until there was a deal between the U.S. and Iran over unblocking the Strait of Hormuz.
"Our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room," Trump said of the capture of the Touska on Truth Social, adding that U.S. Marines had custody of the vessel, which was under U.S. Treasury sanctions.
Touska’s Links To China
The Touska is owned by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, Iran’s national maritime carrier.
The International Maritime Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, assigns an IMO number to each vessel, which it retains throughout its service life even as its owners change its name. The Touska’s IMO is 9773301. It was formerly known as the Adalia and the Sahand.
Since its inclusion in 2019 on the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list, the Touska has made multiple trips to Chinese ports, according to a Newsweek review of historical movement data.
The Touska most recently departed Iranian waters on February 22 via the port of Shahid Rajaee and transited the Strait of Malacca in early March before calling at Zhuhai port in southern China on March 9.
Quote:California oil output is climbing — even as Sable Offshore battles to keep its pipeline restart alive.
The company announced it is accelerating output across its California sites as new wells come online Monday, with a third platform set to begin operations later this year.
Shares rose 3.7% in premarket trading, according to Offshore Engineer.
The push follows last month’s restart of oil flows through the pipeline system linking the Santa Ynez offshore platforms to California refineries — a move now at the center of a legal standoff.
Judge Donna Geck of the Santa Barbara Superior Court said last week a state injunction on the gas giant was still in place, blocking it from restarting and handing a win to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The oil giant vowed to fight the “show-cause” process in court next month and pointed out that the president had given it the green light to reopen.
Despite the ongoing battle, production is already on the rise. Forty wells on Platform Harmony and Platform Heritage are now active, each churning out around 750 barrels of oil daily.
Once all 74 wells are operational, output is expected to average roughly 700 barrels per day per well, the outlet reported.
And another boost is on the way, Platform Hondo is expected to begin production in June 2026, with output projected at about 10,000 barrels per day — lifting volumes from the Santa Ynez Unit.
Back in March, Trump signed an executive order to resume oil drilling operations off the Southern California coast, citing national energy security concerns.
Quote:(FOX40.COM) — Two California men pleaded guilty this week to H-1B visa fraud after claiming foreign workers would get jobs at the University of California.
Sampath Rajidi and Sreedhar Mada, both 51-year-old Dublin residents, submitted their pleas Thursday, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. Both were charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Between June 2020 and January 2023, Rajidi and Mada submitted fraudulent H-1B visa petitions for “numerous beneficiaries,” prosecutors said. H-1B visas are given to foreign workers who are in specialized professions.
At the time, Mada served as chief information officer of Davis-based University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Officials said Mada could not hire H-1B workers for his department without additional authorization.
Rajidi falsely claimed on the applications that recipients would work at the University of California, and Mada’s status as a UC supervisor lent credibility to those fraudulent claims.
“In reality, both defendants were aware that the positions listed on the petitions did not exist,” officials said in a news release.
The Mada and Rajidi instead turned to other employers, suggesting they hire the H-1B visa recipients. As a result, prosecutors say the pair “gained an unfair advantage” over other firms, depleting the total number of H-1B visas available to competitors.
Rajidi and Mada are set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on July 30.
The University of California was informed of the investigation in 2024, a spokesperson for the office of the university president said. The university initiated its own internal review, determined Mada violated school policy and “took appropriate corrective action.”
“This matter involves the actions of a single individual acting outside the scope of University policy and authority,” the UC spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “There is no finding of, or information suggesting, broader institutional misconduct. The university’s oversight processes functioned as intended by identifying the issue, enabling a thorough investigation, and ensuring prompt corrective action.”
Quote:Emergency officials responded Monday after a small plane crashed in a parking lot in the San Fernando Valley community of Pacoima, California.
The aircraft came down around 11:10 a.m. near Ralston Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard, landing upside down in the parking lot of an O’Reilly Auto Parts store, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) told Newsweek. Aerial footage posted by NBC Los Angeles showed the plane inverted among parked vehicles. High‑voltage power lines were also reported damaged in the crash.
A fire department spokesperson told Newsweek the male pilot was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not immediately known. KTLA reported the pilot was 70-years-old. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that a Cessna 172 crashed in Pacoima around 11:20 a.m. and that the pilot was the sole occupant. The agency said it will investigate.
San Fernando Valley Crash: What to Know
The crash occurred in an area surrounded by several airports that serve general aviation traffic in the San Fernando Valley.
The site in Pacoima is just north of Whiteman Airport, a small general‑aviation facility frequently used for flight training and private aircraft. Van Nuys Airport, one of the busiest general‑aviation airports in the country, is about 4 to 5 miles southwest, while Hollywood Burbank Airport, which handles commercial passenger flights, is about 5 to 8 miles to the south.
“Our thoughts are with the pilot, who was taken to the hospital after today’s accident," the Whiteman Airport Coalition said in a statement. "We are grateful that no one else was injured and that first responders moved quickly to secure the scene. Based on initial reports, a single-engine Cessna operating near Whiteman Airport struck power lines and landed in a nearby commercial parking lot. The aircraft is owned by Vista Aviation at Whiteman Airport and was being rented by the pilot at the time of the incident."
The statement continued: "This accident is now under investigation by the appropriate local and federal authorities. It’s important that the facts are allowed to come forward before any conclusions are drawn.”
Authorities often note the proximity of these airports as part of early investigations while determining a flight’s origin and intended destination.
Quote:When one former Keyport, NJ, resident started keeping tabs on all the cancer diagnoses on and around his childhood street, the numbers were “freaking snowballing.”
In recent interviews with NJ.com, Rusty Morris, 46, recounted how he’d collected the names of so many neighbors that he eventually created a map, marking the houses with red Xs for the sick.
His parents’ house had an X, for his father’s prostate cancer. A house down the street had two Xs, for his uncle and his uncle’s wife.
In total, Morris placed 28 Xs just on First Street, where he grew up, and 41 throughout the borough of Keyport in Central Jersey, about 30 miles south of Newark.
Speaking to the outlet about the map, Alexis Mraz, associate professor at the College of New Jersey’s Department of Public Health, said it looked like a “crazy high percentage [of cancer patients].”
“That looks insane,” she said.
While doctors, local civil servants, state and federal officials and residents can’t say definitively what’s behind the cancer cases and whether they’re connected, many point to the nearby dump that was closed in 1979 — and that it has been oozing carcinogenic chemicals into the surrounding air, water and soil for at least 50 years, per local reports and multiple environmental assessments.
Because of potential toxic exposures, it’s very possible that Morris’ map is an undercount.
“There are likely more cancer cases,” Mraz said. “I think it’s definitely worth looking into.”
NJ.com reporters cite multiple medical experts from around the country who agree that the site needs more — and urgent — study, and that there’s mounting evidence of a potential “cancer cluster.”
The 50-acre plot that eventually became a landfill started in the early 20th century as a small aircraft hub, and bears this legacy in its current name: Aeromarine Industrial Park. In 1962, it transitioned into a dumping site, until it was shut down.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned from her position on Monday amid an internal misconduct probe, making her the third cabinet official to depart the Trump administration this year, sources told The Post.
Chavez-DeRemer, 58, will follow four other staffers out of the Department of Labor who were all investigated and resigned amid the Office of Inspector General’s sprawling inquiry.
Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling will replace her as acting secretary. NOTUS first reported on the secretary’s exit.
White House spokesman Steven Cheung announced minutes after the report that Chavez-DeRemer “will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector.”
“She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives,” Cheung posted on X.
Chavez-DeRemer in a statement on X said she was “looking forward to what the future has in store” and that it “has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration and work for the greatest President of my lifetime.”
President Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March, and Attorney General Pam Bondi the following month, making her the most recent victim of the cabinet shake-up.
Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito had been expected to conclude the DOL investigation in the coming weeks, sources noted.
President Trump had already fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March, and Attorney General Pam Bondi the following month.
Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito had been expected to conclude his Labor Department investigation in the coming weeks.
The Post first exposed a whistleblower complaint filed against the labor secretary in January that alleged she drank in the office during work hours, created a hostile work environment with her top aides and was pursuing an extramarital affair with her security guard.
The complaint also claimed she committed “travel fraud” by having those aides — chief of staff Jihun Han and deputy Rebecca Wright — “make up” official trips to destinations where she could spend time with family or friends on the taxpayers’ dime.
...
Her husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, was also accused by female staffers of sexual assault, but prosecutors declined to bring charges in late February for the alleged incidents inside DOL headquarters in Washington, DC.
According to the DC Metropolitan Police Department report filed in late January, a female DOL staffer cited “sexual contact against her will.”
DeRemer’s attorney James Bell said his client “categorically, unequivocally, and emphatically denies each and every one of the allegations.” He was still barred from entering department headquarters at the time of his wife’s resignation.
Quote:The maniac who slaughtered seven of his children and one of their cousins in Louisiana on Sunday was set to do battle with his estranged wife in divorce court Monday.
Stress-riddled Army vet Shamar Elkins, 31, called his mom, Mahelia Elkins, and stepdad Marcus Jackson on Easter Sunday to tell them that his wife of two years, Shaneiqua Pugh, had filed for divorce — chillingly adding that he wanted to kill himself and was drowning in “dark thoughts,” the New York Times reported.
Jackson said he told his despondent stepson that he could overcome problems if he stood tough.
Elkins replied grimly, “Some people don’t come back from their demons,” Jackson recalled to the outlet.
The killer then ended up shooting the eight children execution-style Sunday morning. He also turned his gun on Pugh, who was hit several times in the head and stomach, and the woman believed to be his girlfriend, Christina Snow, who was shot in the head. Kin identified Snow as the girlfriend, KSLA reported.
Pugh was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, officials said. Snow also was severely wounded.
Elkins had two previous convictions: for driving while intoxicated in 2016 and for the illegal use of weapons in 2019, the outlet said.
In March 2019, a police report detailed that the National Guard vet pulled a .9mm handgun from his waistband and shot at a vehicle five times after a driver pulled a handgun on him — with one of Elkins’ bullets being discovered near a school where children were playing.
He also had a history of alluding to mental-health struggles and marriage woes on Facebook.
“Dear God, Today I ask You to help me guard my mind and my emotions. When negativity arises, remind me to say, ‘It does not belong to me,’ in the name of Jesus,” Elkins wrote April 9.
Quote:D4vd could face the death penalty after gruesome details emerged when the singer was charged with murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas — more than seven months after the teen’s dismembered body was found in a Tesla linked to him.
D4vd, real name David Burke, was charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances — lying in wait, murder of a witness to an investigation and murder for financial gain — in an announcement made by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman on Monday.
He’s also charged with lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old, and mutilating the human remains of a body.
The special circumstance of murder of a witness to an investigation is because Rivas was a witness in the lewd-and-lascivious investigation. Officials say the murder for financial gain circumstance was added because they believe D4vd thought allegations of sexual relations with a minor could derail his music career.
He faces a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole or even the death penalty — which will be determined later.
Evidence against D4vd includes witness testimony and documents, according to Hochman. He also asked other witnesses to come forward during a press conference Monday. Hochman said there is digital, physical and forensic evidence that investigators have also gathered.
The charges come just a few days after the singer was taken into custody at his Hollywood Hills home by the LAPD’s robbery-homicide division Thursday. He was being held without bail.
“We came to the home with a probable cause arrest warrant for him,” LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division commanding officer Capt. Scot M. Williams confirmed to The California Post on the scene.
Exclusive footage obtained by The California Post showed the performer in cuffs and surrounded by LAPD officers as he was escorted away from his Hollywood hideout.
Quote:The top House Oversight Committee Republican, James Comer, said Monday that the growing group of missing or dead scientists was a national security threat that lawmakers were taking seriously.
Speaking to Fox News, Comer, a Kentucky Representative, suggested a lack of shared information between agencies had left missing links between the cases, which have drawn more scrutiny and speculation in recent weeks. The group of 11 people worked in a variety of fields, including national security, pharmaceuticals, and anti-gravity technology.
“It does appear that there’s a high possibility that something sinister is taking place here,” Comer told Fox News. "It's very unlikely that this is a coincidence. Congress is very concerned about this. Our committee is making this one of our priorities now because we view this as a national security threat."
11 Missing, Dead Scientists: Who Are They?
On Thursday, the growing list of deaths or disappearances of U.S. experts in advanced space, defense and nuclear fields in recent years was called “pretty serious stuff” by President Donald Trump, who added that he hoped the series was "a coincidence."
Among the missing are retired Air Force Major General William Neil McCasland, last seen February 27 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and aerospace engineer Monica Reza, who disappeared in June while hiking in California. Both have been cited by online sleuths as part of a pattern, though officials have not linked the cases.
Below is the list of workers with ties to advanced research whose disappearances or deaths have attracted public interest.
Quote:A retired FBI agent said there is not a “conspiracy” behind a series of people in the science-based industry who have died or gone missing in the past four years.
“This isn't some large scale conspiracy to take off people who work/worked in science-based industry,” Jennifer Coffindaffer wrote on X.
Coffindaffer told Newsweek that these are “standalone incidents.”
“I see no strings between them, other than they had similar scientific occupations, that’s it,” she said.
FBI Director Says Agency Will Investigate: What To Know
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News that the agency is investigating the deaths and disappearances of multiple scientists that have attracted widespread attention and online speculation. Officials have not confirmed any links among the recent cases.
“These missing and killed scientists and former professional members of the Department of Energy vary in wide range, and we're working most importantly with our state and local partners who have the jurisdiction on each of these cases, whether they be a homicide or a missing person's case, they have the evidence. What we're going to do is collectively pull it all into one place," Patel said.
He said the agency will then “look for connections on whether there are connections to classified access, access to classified information and or foreign actors, and then we will produce that information to the White House and the world because it's of such great public importance."
President Donald Trump has described the incidents as “pretty serious stuff” and said he hoped the cases are “a coincidence.” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, told Fox News that it is seeking information on the matter from the FBI, NASA, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.
Is she blind? Or did she work for the OBiden administration?
Quote:An armed man opened fire on tourists at the Teotihuacán pyramids outside Mexico City on Monday, killing one and wounding six before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Mexican authorities said. The shooting unfolded shortly after 11:30 a.m. local time at the Pyramid of the Moon, one of the site's most iconic structures.
The tourist killed was from Canada. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she had been in contact with the Canadian Embassy.
Why It Matters
Teotihuacán drew more than 1.8 million international visitors last year, making it one of Mexico's most significant archaeological and tourist destinations. The attack raises fresh concerns about safety at Mexican tourist sites, which millions of Americans and other foreign nationals visit annually. The site had previously conducted security scans at entry points but had discontinued the practice in recent years—a cessation likely to draw scrutiny in the aftermath of the shooting.
What To Know
The gunman opened fire from atop the pyramid's platform as dozens of tourists were visiting, according to a tour guide who witnessed the shooting and spoke to the Associated Press. Some visitors threw themselves to the ground while others fled down the pyramid's steps; a separate group lay motionless on the platform to avoid being targeted. Four people were wounded by gunshots and two others were injured from falls during the chaos.
The victims include Colombian, Russian and Canadian nationals. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed on X that one Canadian was killed and another wounded, saying her thoughts were with their family and loved ones. Police officers stationed within the ruins were first to respond, followed by a National Guard unit. Authorities later recovered a gun, a knife and ammunition at the scene.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued a security alert Monday confirming it was aware of the shooting and noting that local authorities had secured the area and that all injured victims were receiving medical care. The embassy urged any Americans who were in the vicinity and unharmed to contact friends and family, follow the directions of local authorities, and call 911 in case of emergency. Americans requiring assistance can contact the U.S. Embassy at (55)-2579-2000 from Mexico or 011-52-(55)-2579-2000 from the United States or reach the State Department's Consular Affairs line at 1-888-407-4747.
Quote:A disgraced high school teacher is on trial in the UK for allegedly repeatedly sexually and physically abusing a 13-month-old he was in the process of adopting before smothering the baby to death.
Jamie Varley, 37, and his 32-year-old partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, were charged in the July 2023 death of little Preston Davey, who was described by prosecutors as a “perfectly healthy boy” before meeting the couple, BBC reported.
Preston was first placed in the care of Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley in April 2023 when he was just shy of 10 months old.
The couple, hailing from the coastal town of Blackpool, appeared to be “in a seemingly stable and loving relationship” when they were trusted with Preston, according to Prosecutor Peter Wright.
Wright grimly noted that they turned out to be “wholly unsuited to the role of adoptive parents,” which was only revealed when “it was too late” to save Preston.
Preston was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in late July 2023, just over three months into his stay with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley, while suffering from cardiac arrest.
He was pronounced dead within the hour. An autopsy, though, revealed his injuries were far more extensive than the cardiac episode.
Preston’s cause of death was linked to acute upper airways obstruction as a result of smothering. He had also sustained 40 traumatic injuries, including 30 external bruises and a fractured arm, Wright said.
He added that bruises on his thighs, later reviewed by medical experts, were “consistent with a slap with an open hand.” Others on his forehead aligned “with a gripping of the little boy’s head,” as reported by The Guardian.
A speedy investigation led authorities to Varley, who was charged with Preston’s murder.
The morning Preston died, Varley captured multiple images and videos of the visibly abused 13-month-old showing clear signs of respiratory distress while lying on a bed, Wright claimed, as reported by BBC.
Quote:A young woman who started vaping at the age of 15 has been given just 18 months to live — after being diagnosed with lung cancer in her early 20s.
Kayley Boda, 22, of Manchester, in the United Kingdom, was engaging in heavy vaping on a regular basis when she started coughing up a brown substance with “grainy bits” in it in January 2025, news agency SWNS reported.
The retail assistant said doctors turned her away eight times, telling her she had a chest infection — until she began coughing up blood.
After seven biopsies, Boda was diagnosed with lung cancer. She underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy — and in February 2026, got the all-clear, the same source reported.
Two months later, though, doctors said the cancer had come back in the pleural lining. Now she’s been given 18 months to live.
The young woman has now issued a warning to others to be aware of the dangers of vaping.
Boda said she smoked a bit as a young teenager. She took up vaping after that.
Then, “a few months after I switched from reusable vapes to disposable ones, I started coughing up brown, grainy mucus,” as SWNS reported.
“Doctors turned me away eight times with a chest infection…. Then I started coughing up blood, so they did an X-ray and found a shadow on my lung,” she added.
“They told me they were 99% sure, [since I was] so young, that it wasn’t cancer, so not to worry about it. When I got the results back, and they told me it was lung cancer, it felt so surreal.”
Boda said she was “very naive” before her diagnosis and thought that “something like this would never happen to me.”
She said that she had surgery to remove half of her right lung.
Quote:British police have arrested two teenagers in connection with a weekend arson attack on a synagogue in northwest London, as Jewish leaders express concern about a wave of incidents targeting their community.
Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes of London’s Metropolitan Police Service on Monday said officers arrested two young men, aged 19 and 17, overnight in relation to the attack on the Kenton United Synagogue in the borough of Harrow.
The department has made 15 arrests related to six attacks on Jewish targets and a Persian-language media organization critical of Iran’s government that occurred over the past few weeks, he said in an interview with the BBC.
One “serious line of inquiry” is that Iran is hiring local criminals to carry out these attacks amid tensions in the Middle East, including the US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic, Jukes said.
“We’ve seen a pattern with other actors of thugs for hire, people taking cash that looks like quick and easy money,” Jukes said. “This is part of the modern hybrid war fought by proxies.”
In the most recent incident, a bottle containing a flammable liquid was thrown through the window of the Harrow synagogue on Saturday night, causing smoke damage, police said.
Counterterrorism police are investigating the series of incidents, which began on March 23 when an arson attack destroyed four ambulances owned by a Jewish charity that serves people of all faiths in north London.
Police on Friday closed Kensington Gardens, a central London park visited by thousands of tourists and local residents every day, after a group that Israel has linked to Iran posted a video claiming Israel’s nearby London embassy was going to be attacked with drones carrying dangerous substances.
Police said the embassy was not attacked, but the force shut the park as officers examined discarded items including two jars containing powder. Police said nothing harmful was found.
Quote:A groom-to-be auctioned off his vintage Pokémon card collection in hopes it would reel in a couple hundred bucks — but wound up selling for enough to cover his entire dream wedding.
Andrew Braund, a teaching assistant in England, and his fiancée Rachel Moseley have spent months tirelessly planning their picture-perfect wedding.
Braund, 37, dusted off his old Pokémon card collection and explored selling it to help ease the financial burden of the bash.
He estimated it would be worth a measly £500, or $673, which would’ve been accurate, were it not for three rogue Charizard cards.
Charizard is a popular fire type from the first generation of Pokémon whose cards sell for anywhere from a couple hundred to tens of thousands of dollars a piece.
“When my friend told me how much the Charizard cards might be worth, I got quite lightheaded. I almost had a panic attack, quite frankly,” Braund told the Daily Journal.
All three of the cards were from the 2003 “Skyridge” series, hailed as one of the best ever produced in the company’s 30-year history. The holographic Charizard is the unofficial “chase” card and, in a perfect condition, can sell for upwards of $40,000.
Braund had the cards graded by PSA, a professional authenticating company. One holographic Charizard was somehow rated a nine, despite decades of poor storage, and sold for a whopping $21,250.
Another near-mint of the same card sold for $16,250. The third, a reverse-holographic Charizard from the same series, sold for $3,500, the outlet reported.
Each sold for at least $1,000 more than originally estimated, raking in a a potluck that crept over $40,000.
Braund was eager to part with the cards, noting that they had “the lowest sentimental value” compared to the favorites from his collection.
“The ones I loved as a kid look worn from being in my pockets all the time,” he said.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:The German company that owns Lufthansa Airlines and other European carriers said Tuesday that it would cut 20,000 short-haul flights through October as the Iran war drives up oil prices and deepens worries that some countries may run low on jet fuel.
The Lufthansa Group said the cancellation of less profitable routes, focused largely on its hub airports in the German cities of Frankfurt and Munich, would save the equivalent of approximately 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel.
The company last week shut down one of its regional subsidiaries, CityLine, to cut costs. It said a “planned consolidation” within its European network also would involve Lufthansa Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS and ITA Airways, and hubs in Brussels, Rome, Vienna and Zurich.
The price of jet fuel has more than doubled in some markets since late February, when the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Airlines are particularly vulnerable to fuel price shocks because jet fuel typically accounts for one of their largest operating expenses.
For travelers, that is already translating into fewer flight options on some routes and higher fees and fares heading into the peak summer season, with many airlines raising checked bag fees or adding fuel surcharges.
Fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway off Iran’s coast where a fifth of the world’s oil typically passes, has disrupted fuel prices and supplies around the world.
The head of the International Energy Agency estimated on April 16 that Europe had about 6 weeks’ worth of jet fuel remaining and said airlines would start to cut routes from their schedules without more. The European Union’s top energy official is also warning that the energy crisis sparked by the war could impact prices for months “or maybe even years” to come.
“This is not a short-term, small increase in prices,” EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said Wednesday.
Jørgensen said the war is costing Europe around 500 million euros ($600 million) each day.
Quote:Iran has threatened to reveal “new cards” if the cease-fire isn’t extended and conflict restarts, while President Trump warned “lots of bombs” will start going off if there’s no peace deal.
Mohammed-Bagher Ghalibaf, the Islamic Republic’s parliamentary speaker, said Monday the country has “prepared” during the truce — before lashing out at Trump, who renewed his threat to blitz Iranian infrastructure if talks are unsuccessful.
“Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the cease-fire, seeks to turn this negotiating table — in his own imagination — into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering,” Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation in Islamabad last week, wrote on X.
“We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”
Iran hasn’t publicly confirmed if it is sending a team of negotiators to Islamabad, Pakistan, for peace talks with the US — but has reportedly told regional mediators that a delegation will be heading to the Pakistani capital, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, blasted Washington on calls with his Pakistani and Russian counterparts after US forces seized the cargo vessel Touska.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported a delegation from Tehran would only attend talks if the US met certain preconditions.
But the clock is ticking, with Trump telling Bloomberg the cease-fire will end “Wednesday evening Washington time.”
Trump said it’s “highly unlikely” the cease-fire will be extended if there’s no agreement.
The commander-in-chief told PBS Monday, “Then lots of bombs start going off” in response to a question asking about the next steps in a no-deal scenario.
Trump reiterated that Iran cannot have the capability to develop a nuclear weapon.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Murphy, who has drawn 2028 presidential buzz, sparked a firestorm for bizarrely applauding a disputed report that more than two dozen Iranian vessels have slipped through the ongoing US blockade.
“Awesome,” Murphy (D-Conn.) posted on X Monday in response to a report from the shipping journal Lloyd’s List claiming that at least 26 so-called “shadow fleet” vessels had eluded the American shipping siege.
In response to the blowback, Murphy insisted he was merely being sarcastic.
“Ok Twitter, I can’t believe I need to clarify this but obviously Trump’s bungled mismanagement of this war is not ‘awesome,'” Murphy posted on X.
“As I have said a million times here, it’s a disaster and he should end the war immediately. My tweet was something called ‘sarcasm.'”
Murphy later grumbled to a reporter that “I just have to be more careful about sarcasm on Twitter” in the future.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell denied the Lloyd’s List report as “false” and slammed Murphy’s comment as “shameful” in a social media response.
At least one Democratic staffer agreed that Murphy had gone too far, telling The Post: “Stupid sarcasm over life or death issues is beneath a senator.”
“Was it sarcasm? Certainly,” the staffer insisted. “But when so many on the far-left have been openly cheering for the Iranian regime (see Calla Walsh), and when Murphy has shown a willingness to play to the far-left when it suits him politically, Republicans can hardly be blamed for taking him at his word.
“If a Republican had posted something like this in reverse, you bet your ass Dems would be hitting them for it.”
Murphy, 52, who has been a staunch critic of the war in Iran, has repeatedly bashed the US on the world stage over recent weeks. He trekked to Spain last week to claim the US is facing “the most significant threat to American democracy since the Civil War.”
Quote:Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was fired Wednesday after months of feuding with his Pentagon bosses, particularly over his handling of President Trump’s “Golden Fleet” shipbuilding initiative.
Tensions between Phelan, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy War Secretary Stephen Feinberg had been simmering for months, according to the New York Times and a Republican source.
Phelan didn’t get along with Pentagon brass and his management and leadership style was “incongruent” with Hegseth and Feinberg, one GOP source familiar with the fired Navy secretary’s standing at the Pentagon told The Post.
“The administration really wanted to accelerate the shipbuilding program because of the president’s agenda … and the secretary seemed incapable of accomplishing those goals, and he wasn’t well-liked,” the source said. “When you combine incompetence with arrogance, it usually doesn’t end well.”
Feinberg had been gradually diverting responsibility for the major project away from Phelan, the New York Times reported.
The secretary had also butted heads with Hung Cao, the under secretary who is now set to replace him, officials told the outlet.
Phelan is leaving, effective immediately, and Cao will become Acting Secretary of the Navy, the Pentagon said Wednesday. No reason was given for his departure.
“Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced. “We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
A senior administration official told The Post that Trump and Hegseth both agreed it was time to replace Phelan.
“President Trump and Secretary Hegseth agreed new leadership at the Navy is needed,” the official said. “Secretary Hegseth informed John Phelan of this news prior to it being made public.”
Phelan addressed the Navy’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday and spoke to reporters about his plans to ramp up shipbuilding in the service.
“One of the things we are going to do in our contracting is if you beat schedule, you’re going to get a bonus, but you’re going to share it with the workers,” Phelan said.
Phelan is one of the country’s top art collectors and ran a massive private investment firm.
Quote:The War Department has released video of American troops intercepting a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean overnight.
The ship, M/T Tifani, had departed the Sri Lankan port of Galle on Saturday and was bound for Singapore while carrying Iranian oil, according to the Pentagon and tracking website VesselFinder.
The Pentagon said on X the boarding took place “without incident” and did not say whether any cargo was seized.
“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran—anywhere they operate,” the statement read.
“International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”
Video showed the Navy SEALs landing on the Botswana-flagged tanker via helicopter and taking control of the vessel and stationing it in the Bay of Bengal.
The White House will ultimately decide what to do with the sanctioned vessel and the oil its carrying, military officials told The New York Times.
The operation comes after US Marines disabled and seized the Touska Iranian cargo ship on Sunday after it tried to evade the American blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
Quote:Anti-Iranian regime dissidents have been exposing regime-backed professors across the US, but recently the progressive Change.org platform has been deleting petitions they set up to call for them to face justice, they claim.
The Alliance Against the Islamic Regime of Iran Apologists (AAIRIA) said Change.org last week blocked a petition against Sina Azodi, whom it accuses of being a pro-regime professor at George Washington University, and who has been promoting a book he wrote on Iran’s nuclear program.
The group is calling on the university to conduct “an independent and transparent review” of Azodi’s work and recent comments.
“This is a man who stated in a BBC interview that the regime has the right to use coercive power to silence protestors and who has documented ties to NIAC, the de-facto lobby of the Islamic Republic in America, spreading regime-sourced propaganda on US soil,” said Ehsan Nouri of the University of Virginia in an X post last week, referring to lobbying group the National Iranian American Council. Azodi is scheduled to speak at the university on April 27.
Neither Azodi nor Change.org returned a request for comment.
Removing the petition against Azodi is the third time Change.org has taken down one of AAIRIA’s petitions, the group claims.
But a spokeswoman for the company said that the petitions have not been removed but are currently under review by their attorneys.
“Change.org is an open platform where people can make their voices heard. We maintain Community Guidelines that prohibit misinformation, defamation, and content that could harm individuals,” she told The Post. “When complaints are filed about content on our platform, we are obligated to review them — a standard process applied consistently across all petitions.”
Earlier this year, the company that started in 2007 as a grassroots site for social activism removed a petition demanding the firing of Leila Khatami, a professor of mathematics at Union College in Schenectady and daughter of Iran’s former President Mohammad Khatami.
Quote:President Trump rejected calls to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — warning there would never be a deal with Iran “unless we blow up the rest of their country, their leaders included.”
The commander-in-chief said Iran only proclaims it’s closed the waterway to “save face” as he issued the fiery threat Tuesday night — just hours after announcing that the cease-fire had been extended.
“Iran doesn’t want the Strait of Hormuz closed, they want it open so they can make $500 Million Dollars a day (which is, therefore, what they are losing if it is closed!),” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“They only say they want it closed because I have it totally BLOCKADED (CLOSED!), so they merely want to ‘save face.’
“People approached me four days ago, saying, ‘Sir, Iran wants to open up the Strait, immediately.’ But if we do that, there can never be a Deal with Iran, unless we blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included!”
In a subsequent post, Trump claimed the Iranian regime is “collapsing financially” and it’s “starving for cash.”
“Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!” he wrote.
Tehran has not responded to Trump’s latest threat, but Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed the blockade violates the cease-fire — and the war of words appears to be on the rise.
“Blockading Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire. Striking a commercial vessel and taking its crew hostage is an even greater violation,” he wrote on X.
He then vowed Iran knows “how to defend its interests and how to resist bullying.”
Quote:Three container ships were hit by Iranian gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, hours after President Trump announced he was indefinitely extending a cease-fire with the Islamic Republic.
Iranian state TV also reported that two of the vessels had been seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while semiofficial news agencies reported the third vessel was “stranded” on the Iranian coast.
The captured ships were identified as the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Epaminodes. The third vessel was identified as the Euphoria.
Confirmation from non-Iranian sources that the ships had been seized was not immediately available.
The IRGC said in a statement the ships “allegedly operated without authorization, repeatedly violated regulations, manipulated navigational aid systems and sought to covertly exit the Strait of Hormuz, endangering maritime security.”
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump announced Wednesday that Iran will no longer execute eight women after he pleaded Tuesday for their freedom — calling it “very good news” in a social media post.
“I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed. Four will be released immediately, and four will be sentenced to one month in prison,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request, as President of the United States, and terminated the planned execution.”
The announcement came hours after Trump extended a two-week cease-fire with Iran as US negotiators await Tehran’s reply to the latest American offer to end the nearly two-month conflict.
Iran’s judiciary denied that the eight women were ever set for execution, claiming that “Trump was misled once again by fake news” and that “some of them have been released, while others face charges that, if convictions are upheld, would at most result in imprisonment.”
Iran’s claim is contested. One of the women, Bita Hemmati, was sentenced to death for allegedly being part of a group that threw objects onto Iranian forces during protests in January, human rights groups said.
Her case was reported last week by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency and the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center.
Hemmati and four men were convicted of “participation in protest gatherings on January 8 and 9, 2026,” including “chanting protest slogans,” “throwing objects including bottles, concrete blocks, and incendiary materials from rooftops,” and “destruction of public property,” the activist news agency said.
However, two of the eight — Golnaz Naraghi, 37, and Venus Hosseininejad, 28, — have been out on bail since late March, according to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights organization.
Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad, who lives in the US, publicized the cases of the eight women, tweeting their names and photos and specifying which four were believed to be sentenced to death.
Quote:ISLAMABAD — “Good news” about a second round of talks between the US and Iran may be coming as soon as Friday, President Trump and Pakistani sources told The Post on Wednesday.
Sources in Islamabad touted positive mediation efforts with Tehran, renewing the possibility of more peace talks within the next “36 to 72 hours.” Asked about this possible breakthrough by The Post, Trump, in a text message, said: “It’s possible! President DJT.”
The incremental update comes a day after the US president announced he would extend the current cease-fire with Iran until its divided leadership can come up with “a unified proposal.”
“I have … directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” he said in a post to Truth Social on Tuesday.
In the hours since, Islamabad has continued working its diplomatic channels with Iran, and the time period was based on an assessment of that work, a Pakistani source said.
“The ceasefire is holding despite heightened rhetoric, indicating positive intent on both sides,” the source said. “No military escalation from either side.”
“Pakistan remains the key mediator,” the person added.
But without a deal — or even talks — Trump continues to weigh more military options and has kept his blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
The region remains flush with a military presence so high that experts have said it’s the largest group of forces the US has ever amassed since the 2003 ground invasion of Iraq — and there are still more assets en route.
The USS Boxer and its 4,500-person amphibious group reached the Indo-Pacific region on Saturday, with plans to continue on to assist with the ongoing US naval blockade of Iranian ports, according to the San Diego Herald-Tribune.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials continue to threaten that their fingers are on the “trigger” to escalate the conflict back into a shooting war, with warnings that they’ll fire not just on US assets, but on regional allies in Gulf states — which could bring on an ever larger, longer war.
Quote:The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday.
Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran’s trade by sea while Iran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf. Nearly two months after the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran, there is little sign of peace talks resuming during an uneasy ceasefire.
The closure of the strait has disrupted supply of a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies, and caused a global energy crisis. U.S. forces have seized an Iranian cargo ship and an oil tanker in recent days. Iran said it had captured two container ships seeking to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after firing on them and another vessel, its first seizures since the war began.
The U.S. has diverted at least three more Iranian-flagged oil tankers in recent days, according to two US and Indian shipping sources and two separate Western maritime security source who spoke to Reuters on Wednesday.
The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the interceptions.
One of the vessels was the Iranian-flagged Deep Sea supertanker, which was part loaded with crude and last seen on its public tracking transponder off Malaysia’s coast a week ago, according to the sources and ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform.
The smaller Iranian-flagged Sevin, which had a maximum capacity of 1 million barrels and was carrying 65% of its load, was also intercepted. The vessel was last seen off Malaysia’s coast a month ago, ship tracking data showed.
The Iranian-flagged supertanker Dorena was also intercepted, fully loaded with 2 million barrels of crude, and last seen off the coast of southern India three days ago, according to the sources and ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform.
The U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday in a post on X that the Dorena has been under the escort of a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean after attempting to violate the blockade.
U.S. forces may have intercepted the Iranian-flagged Derya tanker, shipping sources said. The vessel failed to discharge its cargo of Iranian oil in India before a U.S. waiver on Iranian crude purchases expired on Sunday. That vessel was last seen off India’s western coast on Friday, according to MarineTraffic data.
U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday that since the start of its blockade against ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, U.S. forces had directed 29 vessels to turn around or return to port.
Quote:Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman blasted his own party on Tuesday, accusing Democrats and the American media of undermining U.S. efforts to topple the Iranian regime.
“Iran must be so excited by the American media and the Democratic Party,” Fetterman said on “Hannity.”
“It’s like, as long as we can hang on… more and more people continue to vote against the Trump administration.”
Fetterman’s remarks come as Democrats ramp up a pressure campaign to check the president’s authority and bring the Trump administration’s action against the Mideast adversary to a close.
The Pennsylvania Democrat has repeatedly broken with his party on Israel and the Iran war, arguing that Washington must remain focused on preventing the regime from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“I’m the only Democrat effectively left in Congress to support Epic Fury,” Fetterman said.
“It’s almost as if we’ve forgotten, on the Democratic side, that the real enemy, the real threat, the real danger is Iran and its proxies too.”
He noted the approaching 60-day deadline to terminate unauthorized military action under the War Powers Resolution.
“Why can we be this close and allow them to acquire a nuclear bomb?” he asked.
“That’s my real concern, andI don’t ever want to be on the wrong side of history to say, ‘I’m going to walk away from it…’ I’ve supported it [the operation] the entire time, and I don’t know where the votes are going to be. If it takes two or three on the Republican side, I don’t know, but I’m going to say where my vote is, because I’m firmly on the side of Israel, I’m firmly on this side of [opposing Iran].”
He proceeded to criticize members of the left for neglecting to mention eight Iranian women allegedly slated to be executed at the hands of the regime
“People on the left aren’t talking about that. Why aren’t they protesting that Iran’s about to hang women in Iran? They are the evil regime…” he said.
“We are at a very important inflection point in the Middle East,” he continued.
“That’s why I’m going to continue to support this, because Iran can’t ever acquire a nuclear bomb. That’s not a radical idea for the Democratic Party… Until you’re… [willing] to even do anything about it, then those are empty words. We should be firmly on this side to hold Iran fully accountable.”
Quote:The son of an ex-Iranian diplomat has gone viral for flaunting his lavish lifestyle as he boarded a private jet with his gal pal bound for Ibiza on Tuesday.
Influencer and expat Sasha Sobhani, whose father, Ahmad Sobhani, is the former Iranian ambassador to Venezuela, was filmed getting into the jet as he celebrated the upcoming Ibiza 2026 opening weekend.
“Thank God for all these blessings,” the 38-year-old said after smooching his partner, Spanish model Laura Neimas, and kicking back on a couch inside the luxurious aircraft.
Sobhani, who is wanted in Iran for alleged money laundering and running illegal gambling websites, has often stirred the pot on social media with photos and videos highlighting his extravagant expat life in Spain, where he moved to in 2019.
The influencer, who boasts nearly 4 million Instagram followers, routinely posts photos of himself surrounded by scantily clad women, alcohol and luxury sports cars as he celebrates his fortune since denouncing the Iranian regime.
Sobhani, whose real name is Mohammad-Reza, had enjoyed a life of luxury under his father, with his decadent lifestyle gaining him followers on the “Rich Kids of Tehran,” Instagram account, which followed the lives of the capital city’s wealthy young elite.
The influencer claimed that his lifestyle choices made him a prime target for the regime, which arrested him and sentenced him to prison for his alleged financial crimes, which he denied.
“I criticize the regime, the lack of freedom they have, I teach them how I live and tell them that they too could live like this,” he told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo in 2021 after Iran asked Spain to extradite him.
Sobhani has avoided being sent back, arguing that he was at risk of torture under the theocratic regime.
Inside Iran, Sobhani has been criticized as a poster child for the errors of Iran’s elite who cater to their children’s every whims while the rest of the nation suffers under a collapsing economy and repressive rule.
Quote:It’s the charge of the not-so-light brigade.
A band of ramshackle Russian forces were recently caught sneaking through Ukrainian lines — but drones quickly caught the crew and eliminated them, shocking footage shows.
The troop of mounted soldiers was intercepted on a roadway in the Donetsk region, with Ukrainian soldiers suspecting they were riding horses in an effort to go undetected, RadioFreeEurope reported.
But the stealth mission didn’t pan out — with footage from a Ukrainian drone capturing the moment the Russians were ambushed.
The soldiers were seen cowering from the drone as it zeroed in, while attempting to ride away as the killing machine hunted them down.
A screen the drone was being operated from ominously read “bomb armed.”
“You feel sorry for the horses,” a Ukrainian drone operator told RadioFreeEurope. “Really sorry.”
The Ukrainians suspected the horses stealth-attempts because their drones had encountered Russians creatively trying to pass through the same corridor in recent weeks — employing obvious attempts to be quieter each time.
“Last week seven motorcyclists were driving along,” the Ukrainian soldier said.
“They were destroyed. There were four-wheelers, too. They realized we detected them from the noise of their engines, so they tried electric four wheelers. That didn’t work either.”
Drones have played a critical role defending against Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s more than four-year-old invasion of Ukraine.
Quote:NATO fighter jets scrambled on Tuesday to intercept Russian military aircraft, including long-range bombers, that flew near alliance airspace over the Baltic Sea, an incident that underscores persistent tensions with Moscow along NATO's eastern flank.
According to NATO and French military officials, Russian long‑range bombers and escort fighters were detected flying over international waters near NATO airspace. Fighter jets from several alliance members, including France, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Romania, were launched to identify and monitor the aircraft.
The Russian formation included two Tu‑22M3 supersonic bombers accompanied by roughly 10 fighter jets, including Su‑30 and Su‑35 aircraft, officials said. French Rafale fighters were dispatched from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania as part of NATO’s long‑running Baltic Air Policing mission.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry, NATO and the Pentagon via email on Tuesday afternoon for comment.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the flight was scheduled and took place entirely over neutral waters, adding that Russian military aircraft routinely conduct long‑range missions over the Baltic and other regions in accordance with international airspace rules.
NATO frequently intercepts Russian aircraft operating near alliance airspace, saying many of the planes do not transmit identification signals or communicate with air traffic controllers. The alliance says such intercepts are defensive and intended to ensure safety and situational awareness.
The Baltic Air Policing mission has been in place since 2004, when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined NATO, and has intensified since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Why the Baltic Sea Is One of NATO’s Most Sensitive Front Lines
NATO’s decision to use fighter jets to intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea this week underscores the growing strain along the alliance’s northern and eastern frontiers as Europe continues to grapple with the fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Baltic region—bordering Russia and the heavily militarized enclave of Kaliningrad—has emerged as one of NATO’s most sensitive flashpoints. Member states, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, have repeatedly warned that Russian air and naval activity near their borders has intensified since Moscow launched its full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
This week’s incident follows a familiar pattern but carries heightened significance amid broader security pressures facing Europe. Russia’s war has pushed NATO to reinforce its eastern flank, expand troop deployments and accelerate defense spending, while Sweden and Finland’s recent accession has further shifted the region’s strategic balance.
European leaders say the air policing missions are defensive and routine, but acknowledge the risk of miscalculation as military activity rises on both sides. With no clear end to the Ukraine conflict in sight, the Baltic Sea remains a key arena where tensions between Russia and NATO play out in real time—often just miles from alliance airspace.
Quote:Republicans are voicing their opposition—some vehemently—to a potential deal involving the Trump administration rescuing Spirit Airlines in a reported $500 million bailout, according to Reuters.
President Donald Trump said on CNBC this week that “Spirit’s in trouble and I’d love somebody to buy Spirit. It’s 14,000 jobs,” adding, “And maybe the federal government should help that one out,” the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Spirit’s finances have been strained by surging jet-fuel prices linked to the war in Iran and a second bankruptcy filing in less than a year, AP added.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas—a prominent Trump loyalist—took to X over the possible federal bailout, saying, "This is an absolutely TERRIBLE idea. The TARP [Troubled Asset Relief Program] corporate bailouts were a huge mistake & the government doesn’t know a damn thing about running a failed budget airline (that the Biden admin killed)."
White House spokesman Kush Desai responded to Newsweek via email on Wednesday night, saying, “Spirit Airlines would be on a much firmer financial footing had the Biden administration not recklessly blocked the airline’s merger with JetBlue. The Trump administration continues to monitor the situation and overall health of the U.S. aviation industry that millions of Americans rely on every day for essential travel and their livelihoods.”
Spirit Airlines declined to comment about the potential deal when reached by Newsweek via email on Wednesday night, a spokesperson said, adding that the airline is operating as normal and that guests can continue booking tickets and using credits and points like usual.
Quote:Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ invitations to “F around and find out” on redistricting efforts in Florida, the next possible battleground in a nationwide struggle to gain partisan advantages from congressional district maps.
“Please. Be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida to campaign,” DeSantis said.
“I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We will take you fishing.”
“There’s nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida than to see Jeffries everywhere around this state.”
His comments follow remarks from Jeffries on Wednesday morning.
“Our message to Florida Republicans is F around and find out. If they go down the road of a DeSantis dummy-mander … the electoral tide is turning in Florida,” Jeffries said.
The standoff demonstrates both parties’ resolve to double down on gerrymandering as a strategy central to winning control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the upcoming 2026 midterms.
Since President Donald Trump urged state lawmakers to expand the GOP’s 217-213 majority by eliminating five Democratic seats in Texas, states including North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, New York and Georgia have followed suit.
Most recently, voters in Virginia approved a redistricting effort spearheaded by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, to turn her party’s 6-5 advantage in the Commonwealth into a 10-1 majority by extending Republican-leaning districts into Democratic strongholds.
Florida is developing plans to be next.
With a Republican trifecta and eight Democratic-held districts to carve up, DeSantis has called a special session this week to explore the Sunshine State’s options.
“Today, I announced that I will be convening a special session of the Legislature focused on redistricting to ensure that Florida’s congressional maps accurately reflect the population of our state,” DeSantis said in his January announcement, citing changing demographics in the state.
Florida’s state constitution forbids individual districts from being drawn “with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.”
Quote:Representative Sheila Cherfilus‑McCormick resigned from Congress Tuesday just hours before the House Ethics Committee was set to consider sanctions against her over findings of misconduct.
The Florida Democrat's exit abruptly halted a rare ethics process that could have led to expulsion and comes amid heightened congressional scrutiny of lawmaker behavior.
Once her resignation formally takes effect, Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is required to issue a writ of election setting the dates for a special primary, if needed, and a special general election to choose her successor, according to federal law and Florida statutes.
Why Did Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Resign from Congress?
Cherfilus‑McCormick resigned from Congress on Tuesday as the House Ethics Committee prepared to consider formal sanctions against her over findings that she violated campaign finance laws and other House rules. In a statement posted on social media, the Florida Democrat criticized the ethics process as unfair, saying the committee denied her and her newly retained attorney enough time to prepare a defense.
“Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away,” she wrote, resigning just hours before the panel was expected to recommend possible punishment, including expulsion.
The committee previously concluded that Cherfilus‑McCormick committed 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards, largely tied to allegations that she used millions of dollars from her family’s health care business to finance her congressional campaign. She is also facing separate federal criminal charges accusing her of stealing roughly $5 million in coronavirus disaster relief funds and using some of the money for personal expenses, charges she has pleaded not guilty to.
Republicans had already called for her expulsion, a rare and severe step that requires a two‑thirds vote of the House, a threshold that lawmakers were expected to debate before her resignation ended the proceedings.
Republican Representative Greg Steube of Florida posted on X, "UPDATE: Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has RESIGNED from Congress. With minutes to spare before Ethics voted to recommend expulsion. This is a victory for our institution and the great state of Florida. Thank you to everyone who stayed involved and kept the pressure on. Now it’s on the DOJ to put her in prison."
Quote:The death of Representative David Scott, an 80‑year‑old Georgia Democrat and the first Black lawmaker to lead the House Agriculture Committee, marks another significant loss for a party already grappling with a string of mid‑Congress vacancies. Scott, who had been seeking a 13th term despite mounting questions about his health and growing primary pressure, was long regarded as a key voice on farm and food‑aid policy and a prominent member of the Blue Dog coalition.
His death prompted tributes from Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who called him a “trailblazer” and praised his decades of service to Georgia. House Speaker Mike Johnson said colleagues were “deeply saddened” by the news. In a statement, Johnson noted Scott’s more than two decades of service to Georgia’s 13th District and his long career in public life, offering prayers for Alfredia Scott, their two daughters, and the congressman’s grandchildren as they mourn.
List of Lawmakers Who Have Died Since 2024 Election
Scott’s passing also adds to a striking pattern that has emerged since the 2024 election: a series of deaths among sitting Democratic lawmakers. In the last two and a half years, seven members of Congress have died in office, all of them Democrats. That list includes:
Representative David Scott of Georgia
Representative Gerry Connolly of Virginia
Representative Raúl Grijalva of Arizona
Representative Sylvester Turner of Texas
Representative Bill Pascrell of New Jersey
Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas
Representative Donald Payne of New Jersey
While some analysts note that Democrats tend to be older on average than Republicans—a FiscalNote analysis found House Democrats were six years older than their GOP counterparts in the last Congress—the cluster of losses has intensified internal debates about age, succession planning, and committee leadership.
Those conversations have been simmering within the party for years, but they accelerated after President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race, which reignited concerns about gerontocracy. Scott himself was replaced as the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee in 2024 as the party sought to elevate younger members.
Who Was David Scott?
Scott spent more than two decades in Congress as one of Georgia’s most influential Democrats, building a career that blended legislative longevity, deep ties to agricultural policy, and a personal story rooted in the rural South. Born in Aynor, South Carolina, and raised partly in Florida, Scott rose from modest beginnings to earn degrees from Florida A&M University and the Wharton School before launching a small advertising business in Atlanta. His political career began in the Georgia Legislature, where he served for nearly 30 years across both chambers before winning election to the newly created 13th Congressional District in 2002.
Quote:Two University of South Florida doctoral students from Bangladesh vanished nearly a week ago, with relatives calling their out-of-character disappearance “suspicious.”
Zamil Limon and Nahida Bristy, both 27 and believed to be dating, were last seen in the Tampa area on the morning of April 16, according to the University of Florida Police Department.
Limon, a doctoral student pursuing a degree in geography, environmental science and policy, was last seen at 9 a.m. at his Tampa residence, police said.
Bristy, who was studying chemical engineering, disappeared roughly one hour later after she was last seen at the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building on the university’s campus, according to cops.
Limon and Bristy were reported missing after a family friend told university police that they couldn’t get in touch with either of them. Both of their phones have also been turned off.
The students are believed to be in a relationship and had recently discussed getting married, Fox13 reported.
Police, meanwhile, confirmed the pair are not in ICE custody, the outlet reported.
Family members described each of them as dedicated students who rarely missed a class — raising alarm bells that their disappearance could be “suspicious.”
“He is a very responsible and punctual person, and that’s why the situation is so unpredictable and unusual to us … like, and very suspicious,” Zubaer Ahmed, Limon’s younger brother in Bangladesh, told the outlet.
“We’re in deep pain and [a] devastating situation.”
Ahmed said he spoke to Limon last Monday, when his brother told him he had been busy working on his thesis — researching how to use AI to study Florida’s shrinking wetlands.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that a grand jury indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center for making fraudulent payments of millions of dollars to members of the Ku Klux Klan and other neo-Nazi organizations.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference that the 11-count indictment filed in an Alabama federal court alleged the left-wing nonprofit had in the past decade paid at least $3 million to eight members of the far-right groups.
One leader of the 2017 Unite the Right protest in Charlottesville, Va., received roughly $270,000 over an eight-year period. Neither that person nor others were identified in the 14-page indictment.
Another embedded in a neo-Nazi organization was paid $1 million to steal 25 boxes of the hate group’s documents
Others had affiliations with the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America, Aryan Nations, the Nationalist Socialist Party of American Nazis and the Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club.
Earlier Tuesday, SPLC CEO Bryan Fair said in a statement that his group was being targeted for “prior use of paid confidential informants to gather credible intelligence on extremely violent groups.”
Starting in the 1980s, the SPLC began using informants who had infiltrated various groups.
But Blanche said in the press conference that the nonprofit never informed law enforcement that it was “paying off the Klu Klux Klan” or other extremist groups.
Several of the informants were also being paid while simultaneously being featured in SPLC publications — including on its public-facing “Extremist File” webpage — as members of the hate groups.
Prosecutors alleged in the indictment that the informants, or “field sources,” were also “engaged in the active promotion of racist groups.”
Quote:‘Storage Wars’ star Darrell Sheets was snapped in a photo smiling allegedly just hours before his sudden death.
The photo, which was obtained by TMZ, showed Sheets at his Lake Havasu, Arizona, antique shop on Tuesday, posing with two people and appearing to be in good spirits. A witness told the outlet that he was “upbeat and friendly.”
The reality star died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and his body was discovered at around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to the Lake Havasu Police Department. He was 67 years old.
Sheets was on the long-running reality show — which follows professional buyers who bid on repossessed, abandoned storage units in California — from 2010 until 2023.
Sheets’ “Storage Wars” rival Brandi Passante shared an emotional tribute to him on Wednesday, saying that she had known him a long time and was “at a loss for words.”
She added that she had “unfortunately lost a parent and a brother to similar situations.”
“I’m just so very sorry, to hear the circumstances of his passing,” she wrote, noting that those who are similarly struggling can reach out for help as they aren’t alone.
Fellow “Storage Wars” star Rene Nezhoda had a more pointed message, saying in an Instagram video Wednesday that he believed cyberbullying played a part in Sheets’ death.
“He had this guy, like, really, really tormenting him lately and cyberbullying [him],” Nezhoda stated.
“Darrell has been posting a lot about the guy that’s been cyberbullying him and tormenting him, and I really hope [law enforcement] look into that guy and it’s just not a pass,” he continued.
Quote:A California pedophile who raped his underage stepdaughter and got her pregnant was ordered to remain behind bars — after he was previously recommended for early parole under a law supported by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Israel Ceja, 63, was set to walk free from San Quentin State Prison under Newsom’s elderly parole law granting freedom to older convicts, after a two-person panel from the state Board of Parole Hearings in January recommended early release from his 139-year sentence.
One of parole commissioners at the hearing who approved Ceja’s parole even acknowledged that the pedophile was still attracted to young girls, but said his sick thoughts could be overcome by prayer.
Ceja was the latest in a string of sickos set for early parole under the controversial 2020 legislation loosened by Newsom, prompting protests from victims and law enforcement officials.
During Ceja’s January hearing, Parole Commissioner Neil Schneider mentioned the inmate’s plan to relocate to Mexico after his release, calling his intentions “authentic” and “very real,” according to Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig.
Schneider also noted Ceja’s admission that he is attracted to young girls, saying it is something that could be managed with prayer, Reisig said.
Schneider couldn’t immediately be reached for comment, while a spokeswoman for Gov. Newsom declined to comment on the case.
At a press conference to protest Ceja’s parole last week, victim Roxanne Cruz, 42, tearfully begged the parole board not to release her tormentor.
“It’s not just little girls that he likes. He doesn’t care. He’ll go after little boys,” Cruz said.
“I’m just afraid that this time, he won’t get caught,” she added. “Because he won’t leave me alive.”
The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office last month fired off a letter to the governor, urging him to reverse the parole panel’s decision to let Ceja walk.
Quote:Police are seeking a 17-year-old on attempted murder charges following a shooting early Sunday in a nightlife district near the University of Iowa campus, authorities said Wednesday.
Five people were treated for gunshot wounds, including three University of Iowa students. One woman remained in critical condition Wednesday after sustaining a life-threatening injury to her head, Iowa City Police Chief Dustin Liston said.
Officials said an arrest warrant was issued for the 17-year-old who was allegedly engaged in the fight, adding that reports indicate as many as 40 people may have been involved. Officers had been dispatched to the fight and arrived within 45 seconds, Liston said.
After walking away from the other participants, the suspect allegedly fired six times into the crowded pedestrian area, Liston said. Iowa City’s downtown pedestrian mall is lined with shops, bars and restaurants.
The minor from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will initially be charged as an adult, as is required by Iowa law for forcible felony charges against an individual aged 16 or older, said Rachel Zimmermann Smith, Johnson County attorney.
The charges, which include five counts of attempted murder, will be brought when the suspect is apprehended, she said.
Liston said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected. About three dozen search warrants have already been executed.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to hold those responsible fully accountable,” he said, adding that anyone with information on the incident or the suspect are encouraged to come forward.
The five victims were not “targets of the shooting,” Liston said. “We have no reason to believe they were otherwise affiliated with the fight that preceded the shooting.”
Quote:A Mexican national who voted illegally in US elections and falsely claimed to be a citizen has been convicted and could face removal under federal immigration law.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Fox News Digital that Jose Ceballos-Armendariz, a lawful permanent resident who has held a green card since 1990, pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly election conduct following prosecution by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.
Officials said Ceballos-Armendariz unlawfully voted multiple times and falsely claimed US citizenship on voter registration forms, including a 1999 application in which he affirmed he was a citizen of the United States.
He later applied for US citizenship in February 2025. DHS said he falsely stated on that application that he had never claimed to be a US citizen.
Under federal immigration law, false claims to US citizenship can make a noncitizen removable, though DHS has not detailed any potential action in this case.
“This alien has now been convicted of illegally voting in American elections, voting in American elections,” DHS acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. “The SAVE program is a critical tool for state and local governments to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country.”
Records provided by DHS and reviewed by Fox News Digital show Ceballos-Armendariz checked “yes” when asked if he was a US citizen on a Kansas voter registration form and signed to affirm the information was true.
On his naturalization application, however, he marked “no” when asked whether he had ever claimed to be a US citizen despite his prior voter registration.
DHS said Ceballos-Armendariz also has a prior criminal conviction, having been found guilty of battery in 1995.
President Donald Trump has made election integrity a central focus of his administration, with officials pointing to enforcement actions like this case as part of broader efforts to prevent noncitizens from participating in US elections.
Quote:An invasive hornet with striking similarities to the “murder hornet” has several southern states on alert, as experts warn its spread could devastate honeybees and other essential pollinators as the threatening insect develops a deadly reputation of its own.
The yellow-legged hornet has drawn comparisons to the northern giant hornet—better known as the “murder hornet”—because of its appetite for native insects and its natural ability to significantly harm biodiversity and agricultural pollination.
Since its arrival on U.S. soil several years ago, there have been reports of yellow-legged hornet colonies in Georgia and South Carolina – with numerous states in the South taking measures to slow the spread of the threatening insect.
Yellow-legged hornets emerge in early spring and steadily build their numbers through summer into the fall — prompting officials to warn that now is the time to stay alert.
The threat, experts say, is very real – with one study suggesting the invasive hornet can kill 50 honey bees a day – with the ability to decimate entire hives.
“If allowed in the United States, these invasive pests could threaten populations of honey bees – some of which are already endangered – and other native pollinators,” the South Carolina Forestry Commission said.
A North American detection of a yellow-legged hornet colony was first discovered in Savannah, Georgia, in 2023 – though the dangerous insect had developed a reputation around the world long before then.
Native to Asia, the yellow-legged hornet, also known as the Asian hornet, has spread across the world through cargo, taking a devastating toll on honey bees in Europe beginning in the 2010s, before arriving on U.S. soil.
The dangerous insect is known to leave piles of headless bees at hive entrances.
Honey bees are essential to U.S. agriculture, pollinating key crops such as almonds, cherries and blueberries, among many other fruits, and contributing over $20 billion annually.
Already struggling pollinator populations would be under serious threat in the event the yellow-legged hornet becomes established in the U.S. – that’s exactly why several states in the South are mapping the threat and urging the public to keep their eyes out.
First impacts
In Georgia, the Department of Agriculture is proactively working to get the word out about the invasive species they’ve been grappling with for three years as queens emerge from overwintering.
Since 2023, a plant protection team from the Georgia Department of Agriculture has been actively tracking, trapping and working to eradicate the invasive yellow-legged hornet from the state.
Quote:An RAF cadet has been suspended after he said Islam poses the greatest security threat to the UK while taking part in a training exercise.
He made the comment during a question-and-answer session in which he and other cadets were asked about dangers to British security.
It led to him being kicked off the officer-training course, pending an investigation.
Britain has responded to more than 20 plots backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran since 2022 and the Government has said the threat from the country to the UK is ‘persistent and unacceptable’.
The air force has launched a probe into the young cadet’s remarks at RAF Cranwell, where the next generation of officers are trained.
Retired rear admiral Chris Parry last night accused the air force of shutting down the ‘critical thinking’ of new officers around controversial issues and said the cadet should be reinstated.
‘If I’d asked that question and got that answer I would have also asked the cadet to expand on his thinking and got some critical thinking going rather than suspend him,’ he said.
‘Clearly Islamic extremism is the issue and not Islam, but how are young people expected to develop critical thinking around these complex issues if they are shut down in this way?
‘This is the fault of a system that is training its young people but not allowing them to express themselves and develop their thoughts.
'Any mature educational establishment should do just that.’
The cadet was taking part in a 24-week Modular Initial Officers Training course at the training academy at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, just before Easter.
He and 50 other students were asked to give presentations, during which they answered questions about the biggest security threat to the UK.
An RAF spokesman said: ‘We are aware of an alleged incident of inappropriate behaviour involving a cadet at RAF Cranwell.
'An investigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further.’
Rear admiral Perry also said: ‘If this cadet had answered “the far-Right” I doubt he would have been suspended.
'We know that Islam is not a threat, rather it is extremist elements, and this appears to have been a missed opportunity to discuss that for fear of causing offence.’
Quote:A sick Nigerian migrant was caught trying to cook a cat on a makeshift fire at a children’s playground in Italy.
Shocking pictures show the man, who is holding a stick, poking at the flames and crouching over the dead animal near a multicolored slide at a play area in Sarzana, northern Italy, last Tuesday.
Locals reported the shocking scenes to cops — and the man could only tell them he was hungry, Italian outlet Città della Spezia reported.
The fire was already out by the time police arrived.
The migrant was arrested, but cops couldn’t determine if he had killed the animal or if it was already dead when he cooked it.
He avoided animal cruelty charges, a decision that disgusted Mayor Cristina Ponzanelli, who expressed horror at the “cruel and inhumane” act.
“How is it possible that people who demonstrate a disregard for the fundamental rules of civil co-existence can continue to roam freely throughout Italy without real consequences?” the mayor asked.
Quote:A priceless golden helmet dating back 2,500 years was returned to Romania on Tuesday after the national heirloom was stolen from a Dutch museum where it was on loan last year.
The ornate Cotofenesti helmet and three golden bracelets — some of Romania’s most revered national treasures from the Dacia civilization — were taken from the Drents Museum in January 2025 in a raid which shocked the art world and devastated Romanian authorities.
But after 14 months of investigations, diplomatic tensions, and three suspects in an ongoing trial, most of the artifacts arrived at Bucharest Henri Coanda International Airport on Tuesday from where authorities transported them under guard to Bucharest’s National History Museum. They were displayed in a glass cabinet, flanked by masked, armed guards.
Cornel Constantin Ilie, the museum’s interim director, said that the artifacts have been returned “not as simple patrimony items, but as relics of our historical memory, as the legacy of a civilization that continues to define us.”
“For us, this is a moment of joy, but also of contemplation,” he said. “For months, we have lived with the fear that part of our past could be lost forever. Today we can say that an essential part of this treasure has returned.”
Robert van Langh, the Drents Museum director, described the recovery and return of the relics as “an emotional moment for all involved,” and acknowledged “the grief, the anger and now the relief have naturally been even greater” in Romania than in the Netherlands.
“Romanian national heritage has returned home,” he said. “The impact of this robbery was already significant in the Netherlands, but here it must have been truly unparalleled … The police and judicial authorities of both countries have done extraordinary work.”
Quote:China says it is "gravely concerned" after Japan scrapped a long-standing ban on lethal weapons exports in response to what Tokyo called a worsening security environment.
Japan is making "dangerous moves," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, told reporters on Tuesday.
Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said the country would lift the restrictions to help prevent the "outbreak of conflicts" and safeguard its own security by working with other nations, opening the door for deadly weapons sales with 17 countries sharing defense agreements with Japan.
"In an increasingly severe security environment, no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone, and partner countries that support each other in terms of defense equipment are necessary," Takaichi said.
Since World War II, Japan has stuck to a pacifist policy, but has become increasingly concerned about China's military build-up, tensions over Taiwan and persistent North Korean nuclear and missile tests.
Tokyo's relations with Beijing have plummeted to their worst point in decades over suggestions that Japan could defend Taiwan if China attacked the island. Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway part of China, while Taipei has asserted its independence.
Although President Donald Trump's administration had said it wanted to turn its attention to the Indo-Pacific and China, the U.S.'s scorn of many of its traditional allies has forced European countries, and countries across Asia relying on the U.S. for their security, to rethink their defense strategies.
The U.S. has also pulled assets from across the globe to the Middle East for its ongoing war against Iran, thought to include interceptor missiles from the Indo-Pacific that would be key for shooting down incoming ballistic missiles from North Korea or China.
Until now, Japanese defense exports had been limited to search-and-rescue equipment, transportation, surveillance and products to detect and neutralize mines.
But China has railed against what it has called "Japanese militarism," stopping its exports of products that could be used for military purposes to Japan earlier this year.
Beijing has also discouraged its citizens from traveling to Japan, a popular tourist destination, with pointed warnings designed to slash income generated by visitors to the country.
Quote:Two US Embassy officials killed in a car crash in Mexico following a daring raid on a secret drug lab were working for the CIA at the time, according to security officials.
The pair, who haven’t been named, were killed along with two Mexican officials when their car plunged 600 feet off a cliff and burst into flames early on Sunday morning, the Washington Post reported, citing sources familiar with the incident.
Their vehicle was part of a convoy of six navigating the narrow mountainous roads in northern Mexico’s Chihuahua state as they returned from an operation to shut down a clandestine drug laboratory.
It skidded off the road and plunged down a ravine before exploding, according to Mexican officials.
The two CIA officials were working alongside Mexican authorities as part of the agency’s expanded and more aggressive role in counternarcotics under President Trump, according to the sources.
They supervised but did not participate directly in the Mexican raid on the lab, described as “perhaps one of the largest ever located” by Chihuahua’s attorney general, César Jáuregui Moreno.
Mexico’s left-wing President, Claudia Sheinbaum, claimed in a statement that she was “unaware of any direct collaboration between the state of Chihuahua and personnel from the US Embassy in Mexico.”
“The relationship is federal, not state. They must have authorization from the federal government for this collaboration, which necessarily takes place at the state level, as established by the Constitution,” she added.
The CIA has yet to comment publicly on the news or confirm the deaths of two agents.
The US Ambassador to Mexico confirmed the news in a social media post on Sunday.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of two US Embassy personnel, the Director of Chihuahua’s State Investigation Agency (AEI), and an AEI officer in this accident.” Ambassador Ronald Johnson — who worked for the CIA for 20 years — wrote on X.
“This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and US officials who are dedicated to protecting our communities,” he added.
Quote:The gunman who killed a tourist and wounded several others at Mexico’s famous Teotihuacan ruins on Monday may have purposefully planned the date of the horrific terror attack for sickening reasons.
April 20, while widely celebrated innocently as “4/20” among marijuana enthusiasts, also has a much darker history — marking the date of the notorious Columbine High School massacre and what would have been the birthday of Germany’s genocidal Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
The shooter, 27-year-old Julio César Jasso Ramirez, was reportedly a Nazi sympathizer who was seen in photos making the Heil Hitler salute, prosecutors told Mexican outlet Telediario.
He also appeared obsessed with mass shooters, and left at the scene a bizarre AI-generated framed photo of him standing beside Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two friends who shot up the Colorado high school on April 20, 1999.
Harris and Klebold killed 13 classmates and one teacher before they each killed themselves.
Ramirez, a Mexican national, appears to have been a member of a dark online subculture known as the True Crime Community, which glorifies school shootings, especially Columbine, according to the outlet.
In the fake image with the Columbine shooters, he wears a shirt with the phrase “Disconnect & Self-Destruct,” which is reportedly associated with the community.
The TCC movement bases much of its aesthetic on the 1999 attackers and multiple mass shootings around the world have been tied to the group.
Ramirez also appears to have been a Nazi sympathizer after police say they found images of Jasso performing the Nazi salute, which he’d been known to do since he was a teenager, Telediario reported.
In Monday’s attack, he started shooting tourists from halfway up the Temple of the Moon — a nearly 2,000-year-old structure and popular tourist attraction that was once used for ritual human sacrifice — just after 11:30 a.m.
Videos of the attack posted on social media show Ramirez, wearing a black mask and carrying a handgun, pacing around the platform as trapped hostages lie face-down on the stone. At one point, he begins shooting at them, the chilling footage shows.
he killed one Canadian woman, police later confirmed.
Witnesses said he was carrying a digital tablet and shouting, although it’s not clear what he was saying.
He appeared to have been shot during a gunfire exchange with federal police before he took his own life, according to Milenio.
Quote:The Hitler-obsessed gunman who murdered a Canadian tourist and wounded 13 others at an ancient Mexican temple apparently was trying to recreate the gory rituals of the ancient people who built it nearly 2,000 years ago.
“Don’t move, or I’ll sacrifice you,” Julio César Jasso, 27, could be heard shouting in a video taken by one of his hostages, who huddled on the platform on the 140-foot-tall Pyramid of the Moon in the ruined city of Teotihuacan Monday.
Teotihuacan — once the grandest civilization in the Americas before its collapse around 600 CE — began building the Moon Pyramid around 100 CE, in honor of the city’s namesake goddess of water and fertility.
Over the centuries, new temples were built on top of the old, with treasure, animals and foreign captives interred in each layer of earth and stone.
Archaeologists have unearthed skeletons with their hands apparently bound behind their backs, who were decapitated or had spear wounds.
Chemical signatures suggest these victims were brought in from far-flung reaches of Central America.
Teotihuacan was believed by the people who inhabited it to be the birthplace of time itself, where the gods sacrificed themselves to create the sun and moon and set them in motion.
“[Human sacrifice] kept the cycles of creation going, and the debt to the gods paid. People were helping to keep the sun rising,” said David Carballo, an archaeologist at Boston University who helped excavate parts of the pyramid.
But if the Moon Pyramid ran with blood — as Jasso may have envisioned — it happened a long, long time ago — centuries before the Aztecs settled in Teotihuacan around 1300 C.E.
The Aztecs revered the city as a sacred place, but there is no evidence they sacrificed people there, Carballo said.
Not that the Aztecs didn’t make blood offerings of their own in other parts of their civilization — in fact, they kicked it up a notch.
“The Aztecs seem to have taken it to a militarized level. They had this incentive system where you had no credit for killing someone on the battlefield. You were supposed to take people captive,” Carballo said.
Quote:The crazed Nazi-sympathizing gunman who killed a Canadian tourist and injured 13 others after opening fire from atop a pyramid at Mexico’s Teotihuacán ruins plotted the attack for two months – and studied an image of the tourist hotspot that was in his hotel room.
Julio César Jasso sent text messages in February, asking about staying in a hotel room between April 8 and 20, and the distance to what he described as the “Holy City,” Mexican outlet Telediario reported.
Jasso inquired about the availability of a single room at Hotel Villa Meztli – located three miles from Teotihuacán – during a conversation with hotel bosses on Feb. 17.
“What I’m interested in knowing is exactly where this is, and how far away it is from the Holy City,” he wrote in Spanish.
The total cost of his room was 7800 pesos ($451), but Jasso had to pay 50% of that total to reserve the vacancy.
He told hotel management that the room would be booked under the name “Julio Cesar Ramirez” and sent proof of his bank transfer.
The alleged shooter messaged the hotel one week before arriving to make sure everything was in order for his stay and to confirm he could pay his balance in-person.
He stayed in a 4×4 room that had a picture depicting the scene looking out from the Pyramid of the Moon – the pyramid which he scaled – before unleashing a hail of bullets.
Investigators said he would study the picture, plotting the scene of the shooting.
Officials also discovered warped notes in the room where he penned thoughts about being superior.
Jasso visited the tourist attraction several times before Monday’s shooting, Milenio reported.
He was armed with a 1968 Smith & Wesson firearm and there were 58 rounds of unused ammunition, according to the outlet.
Chilling footage has since surfaced showing Jasso pacing back and forth, loading his gun on a platform on the ruins — once used for human sacrifice.
Witness Laura Torres told local media she saw Jasso shooting from “up on top of the pyramid” before saying “there were a lot of people, he had people as hostages.”
Quote:A former Mexican beauty queen was found shot dead in her luxury apartment — with her mother-in-law eyed as the prime suspect, according to reports.
Carolina Flores Gomez, 27, was found with a gunshot wound to the head last Thursday in her apartment in one of Mexico City’s wealthiest neighborhoods, Mexican outlet Reporte Indigo reported.
Authorities believe Gomez, the Miss Teen Universe for northern Mexico’s Baja California state in 2017, was killed a day before they were alerted, raising suspicion as to why her husband, Alejandro Gomez, took so long to raise the alarm.
They believe he was home at the time of the murder — along with his mom, Erika Maria, who is the prime suspect, according to the reports.
Building staff did not report hearing gunshots or unusual activity at the high-end residential complex in Polanco, a district known for its wealth and security. Forensic teams have since combed the apartment for evidence.
Baja California governor Marina del Pilar Avila is among those calling for an urgent investigation.
“No crime against a woman should go unpunished. Our thoughts are with her family during this devastating time,” Avila told reporters.
Campaigners are demanding the death be treated as femicide, with the case sparking fresh outrage over violence against women in Mexico.
Approximately 10 women a day are murdered in Mexico, with only 1% resulting in sentencing, according to official statistics.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Accused White House Correspondents’ Dinner gunman Cole Allen sent a chilling anti-President Trump manifesto to his family just before opening fire — calling himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and revealing he was hell-bent on killing Trump administration officials, The Post has learned.
Allen described his “targets” as including “Administration officials (not including [FBI Director Kash] Patel)… prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest” in the unhinged missive that went out about 10 minutes before the shooting Saturday night, two US officials said.
“I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” Allen wrote, apparently referring to the president.
“In order to minimize casualties, I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls),” he wrote before disturbingly admitting he was willing to kill everyone in the room if it meant getting to his targets.
“I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Allen referred to his Christian faith several times in the document within a list of “rebuttals” to imagined objections to his actions. He also made mention of hot-button political issues like the Trump administration’s strikes on Venezuelan drug boats and the detention of illegal migrants.
“Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial,” Allen wrote in the deranged document, which a relative provided to police, officials said.
“I’m not a schoolkid blown up, or a child starved, or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration. Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said investigators believe he traveled by train from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, via Chicago, which he speculated could have been an attempt to avoid the scrutiny associated with air travel.
Quote:The deranged teacher who allegedly opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner with the intent to kill as many members of the Trump administration as possible posted countless anti-Trump screeds on his social media before the attack.
Cole Allen, a 31-year-old CalTech grad from California, posted and reposted on BlueSky ad nauseam — apparently preferring the alternative platform over X, as he branded its owner Elon Musk a “Hitlerian figure.”
The account had the handle “Coldforce” — the same moniker Allen signed in his manifesto obtained by The Post.
Allen frequently condemned the Trump administration across his 1,000+ posts, with his complaints seemingly heating up when the US support for Ukraine waned.
He wrote that Vice President JD Vance is “a piece of sh-t” for bragging about ditching Ukraine during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Georgia on April 14.
Allen boosted several fundraisers for Ukrainian brigades and students in need of supplies on his account.
In another post, he described President Trump as “a sociopathic mob boss” solely based on references in the Epstein files.
Then, on April 8, the day the US reached a temporary ceasefire agreement with Iran, Allen claimed the deal was a surrender where Trump jumped ship.
“Trump is literally one of those villains that if you beat his ass hard enough, he’ll join your team. Don’t really have any other insights to this, it’s not really actionable cause no way schumer just canes him into acting his age, but, like, it would probably literally work on him,” he wrote.
Allen also went off when Trump shared an AI-generated photo of himself dressed like Jesus Christ.
Allen, a self-proclaimed Protestant Christian, shared several reposts calling out the Trump administration’s Christian hypocrisy and suggesting many members should be categorized as “satanic idolators.”
“i’m not sure that you can work for this admin and be *any flavor of genuine christian believer* and see trump post something like this [Trump as Jesus] without understanding, at some level, deep down, that you are f–king damned, even if you’ll never admit it to anyone,” one repost read.
Allen echoed similar beliefs in his manifesto that he sent to his friends and family before Saturday’s foiled attack. While reflecting on how Christians are called to forgive others, he claimed that the Trump administration is past the point of redemption.
Quote:The attempted attack during Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner has surprised many who knew the shooter, including his former professor.
According to his LinkedIn, Californian gunmen Cole Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Later, he earned a master’s degree in computer science from the California State University Dominguez Hills last May.
There were no signs Allen would commit such an act of violence, according to Bin Tang, a computer science professor at CSU Dominguez Hills.
“He was a very good student indeed, always sitting in the first row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions,” Tang said.
“Soft-spoken, very polite, a good fellow. I am very shocked to see the news,” he added.
A 2017 television news story resurfaced on social media showing Allen in his senior year of college being interviewed. In the clip, Allen had developed a prototype for a new type of emergency brake for wheelchairs.
The 31-year-old man from Torrance was also involved in education in other ways. He reportedly worked for C2 Education, a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to high school students.
Some of the students expressed shock at the news.
“He seemed like a completely average guy,” high school senior Max Harris, who said he was tutored by Allen, told the New York Times. “Like, I never would have expected anything like this from a guy like him.”
Allen sent a chilling anti-President Trump manifesto to his family just before opening fire — calling himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and revealing he was hell-bent on killing Trump administration officials.
He rushed through a security checkpoint before being tackled by security officials and is currently being detained.
Quote:The White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter assembled his arsenal from two California stores in the months and years before the attack.
Cole Allen purchased a Maverick 12-gauge pump-action shotgun from Turner’s Outdoorsman in Torrance last August and a Armscor semi-automatic pistol from CAP Tactical Firearms in Lawndale in October 2023.
Allen was charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon after allegedly trying to storm the banquet in DC last night.
Agents revealed he was carrying a shotgun, a pistol and knives on him when he was taken down by officers just yards from President Trump.
Authorities also revealed Sunday he stored the weapons at his parents’ house in Torrance and regularly trained at a shooting range.
Turner’s Outdoorsman, which is near the suspect’s family home, bills itself as “Texas Freedom, California style” on its website.
It is a general outdoors store selling fishing gear, clothing and accessories — but also sells a wide range of pistols, rifles and shotguns.
It is managed by Jesse Sanchez, but the wider company is ran by CEO Bryan Harris. When Turner’s was asked by The Post if Allen bought a gun at the store and what protocols were conducted an employee responded they were “Unable to confirm or deny that information” and referred questions to their corporate office.
Meanwhile the pistol was bought from CAP Tactical Firearms, a family-run store run by Bill Mullen out of Lawndale.
Mullen, who established the store 10 years ago, sells rifles, handguns, ammo, tactical gear, knives, and shotguns at the modest looking store on Hawthorne Ave.
He told an LA website in 2017 he was fighting the stigma of firearms. “It is sometimes hard to remind people that not everyone who owns a firearm is a criminal,” he said.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Duck, cover, and grab the wine!
A woman was caught on camera blissfully snatching bottles of wine during the chaotic aftermath of the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
While throngs of reporters and other guests fled the Washington Hilton ballroom, an unknown blonde woman wearing posh black fur went straight for a table to stockpile booze.
Because the shooting took place early on during the salad portion of the marquee dinner, there was an abundance of wine left abandoned at tables across the ballroom.
The woman’s identity is not immediately clear, and it’s not apparent whether she was a journalist or some other guest.
Footage of the wine grab quickly went viral. But netizens were torn whether snatching the wine was in poor taste given what could’ve been a tragic evening if the shooter wasn’t stopped, or a fiscally prudent move given the high price tag of the swanky dinner.
“So, there you have press members STEALING wine bottles: this is who the press is! Repugnant!” one user wrote, showing a video of the wine-loving attendee.
So, there you have press members STEALING wine bottles: this is who the press is!
Repugnant! pic.twitter.com/IlLlmdciXV
— TeslaBoomerPapa (@TeslaBoomerPapa) April 26, 2026
“How shameless, after the shooting incident, journalists are stealing liquor bottles in the same hall where President Donald Trump was also present,” a different user fumed.
“How is this stealing? They were placed on the tables for dinner. They were meant to be consumed. Everything was already paid for,” another poster wrote in defense of the pilfering.
“Bro they paid $350+ a plate and the night got canceled early, free wine tax refund is fair game,” a user named Bullz wrote.
Other attendees were similarly caught exiting the ballroom with bottles of wine after chaos engulfed the marquee DC dinner.
I guess that not every single person on earth would run for their lives under such circumstances.
Quote:Two men are believed to be behind the mass shooting near the Indiana University campus in Bloomington that left nine people injured — including five young women hit by bullets or fragments, police said Sunday.
Just before the violence erupted at a celebration over the “Little 500” college cycling race on the city’s popular strip of Kirkwood Avenue, a fight had broken out between two women in front of a Five Guys restaurant, Bloomington Police Chief Mike Diekhoff told reporters.
During the confrontation, two male suspects pulled out their handguns and fired in the dense crowd at around 12:25 a.m., with five women injured by the gunfire and bullet fragments, Diekhoff said.
The two women involved in the fight were not injured, and the motives of the male shooters remain unclear, authorities said.
The other people injured were hurt during the ensuing stampede, officials said.
No students were injured, officials said, adding that the victims were all from out of town.
The injured were identified as a 17-year-old who was hit by fragments in her foot and ankle, an 18-year-old struck in the ankle and shin, a 21-year-old hit in her shin and thighs and a 22-year-old with embedded fragments in the back of her thigh.
A 20-year-old victim suffered a direct gunshot that traveled through her body from her abdomen to her armpit, but it remains unclear which way the bullet entered and exited, Diekhoff noted.
One of the victims remained in the hospital under stable condition, with the rest treated and released Sunday, officials said.
Quote:The head of OpenAI has written a letter apologizing that his company didn’t alert law enforcement about the online behavior of a person who shot and killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
In the letter posted Friday, Sam Altman expressed his deepest condolences to the entire community.
“I am deeply sorry that we did not alert law enforcement to the account that was banned in June,” Altman said.
“While I know words can never be enough, I believe an apology is necessary to recognize the harm and irreversible loss your community has suffered.”
The letter, dated Thursday, appeared on B.C. Premier David Eby’s social media and also on the local news website Tumbler RidgeLines on Friday.
On Feb. 10, police say an 18-year-old alleged shooter, identified as Jesse Van Rootselaar, killed her 39-year-old mother, Jennifer Jacobs, and 11-year-old stepbrother, Emmett Jacobs, in their northern British Columbia home before heading to the nearby Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opening fire, killing five children and an educator before killing herself.
Twenty-five people were also injured in the attack.
After the shootings, OpenAI came forward to say that last June the company identified Van Rootselaar’s account using abuse detection efforts for “furtherance of violent activities.”
The San Francisco technology company said it considered whether to refer the account to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police but determined at the time that the account activity didn’t meet a threshold for referral to law enforcement. OpenAI banned the account in June for violating its usage policy.
At the time, Eby said it “looks like” OpenAI had the opportunity to prevent the mass shooting.
In his letter, Altman said he had spoken with Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka and Eby and they “conveyed the anger, sadness and concern” felt in the community. It was agreed a public apology was warranted but time was needed for the community to grieve.
“I want to express my deepest condolences to the entire community,” Altman said. “No one should ever have to endure a tragedy like this. I cannot imagine anything worse in this world than losing a child.
Quote:A Virginia transgender substitute teacher was arrested for allegedly plotting a chilling “murder spree” at a local school — and bragging online about having a disturbing hit list.
Hadyn Dollery, 19, was busted on school grounds Monday after posting threatening messages on Discord targeting John Champe High School in Stone Ridge, about 40 miles west of Washington, DC, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and multiple outlets.
Police said a tip on the department’s Safe2Talk app exposed the suspect’s sinister online posts.
The accused would-be attacker allegedly unleashed threats against family and friends on the messaging app, including disturbing talks of a mass killing at the school, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Loudon Times-Mirror.
The warped teen, of Chantilly, also claimed to have a “kill list,’ the complaint said.
Dollery worked as a “non-licensed” substitute teacher for the 2025-26 school year but was later scrubbed from the district’s list after being thrown behind bars, the outlet reported.
The long-haired suspect, seen grinning in their mugshot, was charged with threats of bodily harm and is now being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, cops said.
The deranged teen — who identifies as a trans woman — was booked as a male and is reportedly being housed alone, WJLA reported.
Quote:A former North Carolina cop — once awarded “police officer of the month” — allegedly plotted to gun down black people at a Louisiana festival, authorities said.
Christopher Gillum, of Chapel Hill, was wanted in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, for making “terroristic threats” and tracked by authorities to a hotel in Florida where he was arrested Wednesday night, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Gillum had allegedly been “heading to do a mass shooting at a large festival in Louisiana,” when he was found with roughly 200 rounds of ammunition and a handgun in his hotel room on Scenic Highway 98, cops said.
Though authorities didn’t identify the festival Gillum planned to attack, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which routinely attracts hundreds of thousands of patrons, was slated to begin Thursday.
The ex-cop family’s had reported him missing on Tuesday — telling police he had a gun and “expressed recent threats to harm black people,” according to a bulletin from Burlington police and Lt. Clint Lyons of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office.
But Gillum fled North Carolina before paperwork could be prepared to involuntarily commit him to psychiatric treatment, Lyons said.
He was eventually stopped by police in Okaloosa County on Wednesday, but did not “present any grounds for involuntary commitment or criminal charges,” according to police, who let Gillum drive away while telling officers he was headed to “New Orleans.”
Quote:The mother of three of the eight children massacred by deranged Army veteran dad Shamar Elkins in Louisiana still has a bullet lodged in her head and is struggling with her memory — sometimes believing her kids are still alive, according to a relative.
Christina Snow, the girlfriend of 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, was shot in the face early Sunday when the former National Guardsman went on a shooting rampage at two nearby homes in Shreveport.
Three of Snow’s children she shared with Elkins — Braylon Snow, 5, Khedarrion Snow, 6, and Sariahh Snow, 11 — were killed in their home.
Elkins fired a bullet through Snow’s nose which is lodged in her head, and doctors aren’t ready to risk surgery, according to her cousin Jamarckus Snow.
The mom is now dealing with heartbreaking memory loss about the fate of her kids.
“One day, she’ll remember they’re dead. I heard yesterday she woke up and was like, ‘I got to get my kids ready for school.’ She’ll lose memory of what happened,” he told NBC News.
“One day, she’ll know, and the next day, she’s thinking her kids is still there.”
Elkins fatally shot his seven children — the three he shared with Snow and his four daughters with his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh: Jayla Elkins, 3, Shayla Elkins, 5, Kayla Pugh, 6, and Layla Pugh, 7.
He also killed Mar’Kaydon Pugh, 10, the son of his wife’s sister, who was staying at their house.
Quote:Four men were shot and wounded by gunfire inside a notorious Queens nightclub with a track record of gun violence, cops said.
Bullets turned the dance floor inside Amadeus nightclub in Elmhurst into a bloodbath around 3:40 a.m. on Sunday, according to the NYPD.
When cops arrived, they found two 28-year-old men who’d been hit by gunfire – one who had been grazed in the head and another struck in the face, police said.
The two were taken to Elmhurst Hospital by EMS, where they were in stable condition, according to authorities.
Investigators later found two other victims who had been victims of the violence – a 25-year-old man at Elmhurst Hospital with wounds to his abdomen and arm and a 24-year-old man at Kings County Hospital with a wound to his arm.
Those two were also listed in stable condition, according to authorities.
The nightclub is no stranger to shootings, having been the site of gun violence the past few years.
A dispute inside the club became violent and led to a shooting that killed a 19-year-old man and wounded a 31-year-old woman in 2023, cops said.
And just last year, three people were wounded inside a Rolls Royce waiting just outside the club after a gunman started shooting up the car, police said.
Amadeus did not respond to The Post’s request for inquiry at time of publication.
City Council members Phil Wong and Shekar Krishnan issued a joint statement saying they were “deeply troubled by the shooting.”
A roadkill deer was found inside a Chinese restaurant’s freezer — and this isn’t the lo mein joint’s first time running afoul of health code violations, according to reports.
The nauseating discovery was made after a Facebook user accused staff at China Queen in Louisiana of skinning a dead animal in the back outside their restaurant in a now-deleted post on Wednesday, April 22, KALB 5 reported.
Local police officers responded to the eatery and were shown a picture of a male restaurant employee with blood on his hands by a witness, the Pineville Police Department told The Post in a statement.
They later found a deer carcass inside the Chinese restaurant’s freezer, stored next to other food.
The worker told police he found the deer carcass on the side of the road around 10:00 a.m. and intended to turn it into soup.
“Officers on scene were unable to determine whether the meat was intended for personal consumption or for service to restaurant patrons,” officials told the outlet.
The incident has spurred investigations from both the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
“While the consumption of deer is common in Louisiana, state law prohibits the possession of roadkill without prior authorization from law enforcement. Additionally, improper handling and storage of wild game can pose serious public health risks due to rapid bacterial growth,” a Pinveville Police Department spokesperson said.
Quote:A Queens doctor convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting seven women at a NYC hospital and his home — and filming the attacks — also groped a patient on life support, The Post has learned.
The 47-year-old woman, identified as “victim 2” in the case of the monster molestor, was on her death bed at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital in May 2022 when Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng recorded himself grabbing her breasts and genitals, according to court papers.
The sicko doc pleaded guilty in June to four counts of first-degree rape and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, and was sentenced in August to 24 years behind bars.
“He recorded himself sexually assaulting the woman who was unconscious on a ventilator and a feeding tube and nearing the end of her life,” said lawyer Nicholas Liakas, whose namesake firm sued the Flushing hospital in 2023 on behalf of four of Cheng’s victims.
After she died, the family decided not to move forward with a lawsuit out of a desire for privacy, Liakas said.
But his firm continues to demand accountability from the hospital and for a larger investigation into the scope of the crimes.
One of the victims was a 19-year-old at the hospital for gallbladder removal, who was allegedly groped by Cheng in June 2021 after he snuck into her pediatric-ward room, according to hospital documents referenced in court records and provided by the firm.
Security footage showed “an individual in blue scrubs . . . entering the unit,” according to the records. He told the patient he was a stomach doctor and injected her IV with something, the documents said. Cheng also recorded that attack, the documents showed.
Cheng was in the room for 19 minutes. The teenager woke up feeling like “someone was twisting and pulling in her lower abdomen” and “doesn’t remember what happened to her,” according to the records.
“They did their own lineup in the hospital and they didn’t call the police,” Liakas’ law partner, Cassandra Rohme, alleged. “They covered it up.”
The teen and her mother didn’t even learn she was sexually assaulted until they were called to appear at the Queens District Attorney’s Office in April 2024.
The law firm is demanding New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital notify all of Cheng’s patients that they may be victims.
The attorneys also want an investigation into where Cheng got the drugs he used to sedate his victims — accusing him of using “contaminated syringes diverted from other patients on his victims to render them unconscious,” according to a letter the lawyers sent asking a judge to reject Cheng’s plea agreement.
Quote:A California winery owned by Representative Ilhan Omar's husband was shut down weeks after Congressional Republicans demanded answers about the reported wealth of the Minnesota Democrat's family.
Omar, a member of the Squad of progressive Democrats and a political lightning rod, filed a 2024 financial disclosure that put her family assets at between $6 million and $30 million, a surge from the previous year that—at the top of that range—would have placed her among the wealthiest Democrats in the House.
At the heart of the wealth was a Santa Rosa, California-based winery, eStCru LLC, which was co-owned by Omar’s husband Tim Mynett. California business records show the winery shut down on April 4, two months after House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer wrote to Mynett asking for financial records.
In March, Omar revised the filing—a common practice among members of Congress—and downgraded the assets to $0 and the joint assets with her husband to under $100,000. The amended filing also shows that the congresswoman held $15,001 to $50,000 in student loan debt. Omar’s representatives blamed the discrepancy on "incomplete information from Mr. Mynett’s businesses' accountants in good faith and deference to professional judgment."
"The amended disclosure confirms what we've said all along: the Congresswoman is not a millionaire," Jacklyn Rogers, a spokesperson for Omar, told Newsweek. Rogers added that the original filing listed the assets without their respective liabilities and "significantly overstated" Mynett's net worth.
A representative for eStCru told the New York Post in February that the winery was no longer operational, and, according to the California Secretary of State's business registry portal, it was terminated on April 4.
Quote:President Trump claimed Sunday that Iran’s oil infrastructure could explode in about three days because of mechanical issues exacerbated by the US blockade on its vessels.
“When you have, you know, lines of vast amounts of oil pouring through your system, if for any reason that line is closed because you can’t continue to put it into containers or ships, which has happened to them — they have no ships because of the blockade — what happens is that line explodes from within, both mechanically and in the earth,” Trump told Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing.”
“It’s something that happens where it just explodes. And they say they only have about three days left before that happens. And when it explodes, you can never, regardless, you can never rebuild it the way it was.”
Experts have warned that Iran could be forced to shut down its oil fields as early as April 29 because of the US naval blockade, risking long-term damage to its crude production.
That’s because Tehran is effectively running out of storage space after it had been forced to divert its oil to onshore tanks, which can only hold so much, since its exports have been halted.
Both the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute and Energy Aspects, a UK-based fuel analyst firm, estimated that Iran’s storage space will be up in the coming week.
“Once the tanks are filled, Iran would have to shut down its oil fields, which risks long-term damage to the fields,” said Annika Ganzeveld, the Middle East portfolio manager for the AEI’s Critical Threats Project, previously to The Post.
Sudden and long-term halts at oil-production plants risk permanent damage to a fuel reservoir and make it increasingly difficult to restart operations and reach the same level of output as before.
Such a situation would serve as a major blow to Tehran’s already weakened economy.
Quote:ISLAMABAD — Iran’s foreign minister was back in Islamabad on Sunday reportedly hoping to work on a peace plan — while President Trump said his top aides will only participate by phone at this point because Pakistan is too far to go to again.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi did the quick turnaround after leaving Pakistan’s capital without meeting with US officials Saturday, a move that prompted Trump to then swiftly cancel American negotiators’ intended trip to Islamabad.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were expected to leave for Pakistan’s capital Saturday before being called off.
Trump on Sunday doubled down on his refusal to send the US negotiators back to Islamabad, telling Fox News that the 18-hour trip is too far to travel if Iran continues to refuse his nuclear demands.
“Great respect for Pakistan, because they’ve been terrific. They’ve really tried, and they’ll stay involved, but we’re going to do it by telephone, so if they want, they can call us,” Trump said of Tehran.
“But again, they know what has to be in the agreement. Very simple: they cannot have a nuclear weapon — otherwise there’s no reason to meet,” he said.
Iran has previously been willing to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons in deals, but the major hang-up is what to do with the remaining enriched uranium in Iran, Pakistani sources said.
Quote:Prince Harry called on the US to “honor its international treaty obligations” to Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kyiv on Thursday.
The Duke of Sussex — who famously fled the royal family to live with wife Meagan Meghan in California — said America had an obligation to help stop Moscow’s invasion after Ukraine agreed to give up its nuclear weapons in 1994 in exchange for assurances from the US, UK and Russia.
“This is a moment for American leadership. A moment for America to show that it can honor its international treaty obligations,” Harry said.
“Not out of charity, but out of its enduring role in global security and strategic stability,” the prince added.
The address was made as part of Harry’s announced visit to the Ukrainian capital, with the king’s second son set to attend a Kyiv security conference during the two-day trip.
Harry said the US, in particular, had a “singular role in this story,” given its role in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum and its military might.
The former British royal, who has visited Ukraine in the past, said he returned to Kyiv on Thursday to highlight the struggles of the war as much of the world’s attention has shifted to the conflict in the Middle East.
“I am not here as a politician,” he told members of the Kyiv Security Forum. “I am here as a soldier who understands service, as a humanitarian who has seen the human cost of conflict, and as a friend of Ukraine who believes the world must not grow used to this war or numb to its consequences.
“Because what is happening here is not simply a war about territory,” he added. “It is a war about values. About sovereignty. About whether the principles that underpin our shared democracy still hold meaning.”
Harry also touted Ukraine as a “country bravely and successfully defending Europe’s eastern flank” at a time of heightened Russian aggression.
As part of his two-day trip to Ukraine, Harry is expected to visit the de-mining HALO Trust charity that was supported by his late mother, Princess Diana.
Quote:The European Union has approved a long-awaited $105 billion loan to Kyiv and new sanctions against Russia on Thursday — extending a lifeline that will alow Ukraine to continue to pay for the war and government operations.
The loan is set to cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs for the next two years, and it came after economists warned that the nation would run out of money by June if the EU failed to distribute the funds.
“This package will strengthen our army, make Ukraine more resilient, and enable us to fulfill our social obligations to Ukrainians, as set out in law,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said as he arrived in Cyprus, where he was set to meet with EU leaders.
“During meetings in Cyprus, we will also discuss with partners further sanctions pressure on Russia over this war,” he added. “The 20th package has been unblocked, and it must be followed by other sanctions steps.”
Half of the $105 billion will be disbursed to Ukraine this year, with the second half going out in 2027.
Zelensky suggested that the first half of the loan could become available as early as May.
The majority of the loan will be spent on Ukraine’s military budget, with about $20 billion going to Kyiv’s general budget, which handles civilian needs like health and education.
Ukraine is also looking to rebuild its battered energy grid and civilian infrastructure before the next winter, which will likely be a target for Moscow in the future, Zelensky said.
The approval of the loan had been delayed by months due to a veto by EU member and Russian-ally Hungary, whose Prime Minister Victor Orbán suffered a “painful” election loss earlier this month.
Quote:A Russian drone attack overnight on Ukraine’s southern city of Odesa killed an elderly married couple and wounded more than a dozen others, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.
The strike wrecked two two-storey buildings and hit another two-storey one where two people died, emergency services said.
It also wrecked apartments in a three-storey building, triggering fire, they said.
“A married couple, both aged 75, were killed in a night-time attack,” Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military administration, said on Telegram.
Lysak said that 15 people were injured in the attack, while emergency services put the number of injured at 14.
He added that eight of those injured in the attack were treated in hospital.
Lysak posted photos of a building engulfed by fire, and another one with a gaping hole on its side, and emergency crews working inside.
Quote:At least 10 people were killed and 73 wounded across Ukraine in devastating attacks over the past day, as the war-torn country faced one of Russia’s largest bombing campaigns of the war.
Russian forces fired 47 missiles and 619 drones overnight into Saturday — including about 400 Shahed-type “kamikaze” drones, Ukraine’s Air Force said.
The strikes caused “considerable destruction” on the frontline city of Dnipro, which was hit by three waves of attacks.
Explosions were first heard around 3:30 a.m. local time, and the first barrage lasted “for more than 10 hours,” according to Dnipro Gov. Oleksandr Hanzha.
Roofs of apartment buildings collapsed from the deafening blasts, entire floors were ripped to pieces and nearly 1,500 windows were left shattered, according to local officials.
Overnight, 27 houses, two kindergartens and a medical clinic were destroyed, Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov said.
A thick column of black smoke rose into the skyline, towering over the city Saturday morning.
As firefighters pulled four dead bodies from under the rubble, the city was hit by a double-tap strike, killing four more people during the daytime hours.
Two police officers were among those injured in the second strike, and the deputy mayor, other city officials and first responders were “almost killed,” according to Filatov.
Quote:It might have been mummy’s favorite bedtime story.
Archaeologists found part of Homer’s “The Iliad” stuffed inside a 1,600-year-old mummy’s abdomen — a surprising and first-of-its-kind find, experts said.
Researchers from the University of Barcelona said a papyrus fragment written in Greek was discovered during an excavation of a Roman Empire-era Egyptian tomb.
The fragment includes a section of Book Two of the ancient epic, which details the legendary Trojan War, the university said.
The fragment names the famous catalog of ships used against the city of Troy, likely placed inside the mummy’s abdomen during embalming, university researchers detailed.
The discovery, first announced this month, was uncovered by university researchers between November and December 2025 — and is the first time in recorded history that a Greek literary text has been found incorporated into a mummification ritual, scientists said.
The University of Barcelona’s Oxyrhynchus Archaeological Mission had previously documented Greek papyri tucked inside mummies in similar positions, but the text was always magical or ritualistic, according to researchers.
“It is worth noting that, since the late 19th century, a huge number of papyri have been discovered at Oxyrhynchus, including Greek literary texts of great importance,” said Professor Ignasi-Xavier Adiego, who helped lead the research campaign.
“But the real novelty is finding a literary papyrus in a funerary context,” Adiego added.
The male mummy was discovered inside Tomb 65 at the Al-Bahnasa necropolis, the site of ancient Oxyrhynchus, which sits roughly 190 miles south of Cairo.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:A Japanese-owned oil tanker has exited the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the Iran war began, according to Tokyo and Tehran, potentially offering much-needed relief to a key U.S. ally hit hard by global energy disruptions.
The Panamanian-flagged very large crude carrier Idemitsu Maru, managed by a unit of the Japanese refiner Idemitsu Kosan, reached the Gulf of Oman in the early hours of Wednesday carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude, according to the tracking service MarineTraffic.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said three Japanese crew members were on the Idemitsu Maru, which is expected to reach its reported destination of Nagoya by mid-May.
"Our country has, to date, made representations to Iran on every possible occasion, from the standpoint that it is important to ensure the early restoration of free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz for vessels of all countries, including Japan," she said.
Before Iran shut the strait to commercial traffic in response to the U.S. and Israeli attacks that began on February 28, Japan imported over 90 percent of its crude from the Middle East, most of it through the strait.
Cargo ships and tankers linked to China, India, Pakistan, France and Turkey are among those to have exited the strait since the war began, although there did not appear to be a fixed agreement with Iran behind each one.
The transit of the Idemitsu Maru, which was stranded in the Persian Gulf for two months, was the subject of intensive negotiations between Tokyo and Tehran, according to the Japanese press.
The Tasnim state news agency, linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), said on Wednesday that the tanker was let through with Iranian approval.
Unnamed Japanese officials told Japan’s Nikkei newspaper and the public broadcaster NHK that no transit fees were paid, although the ship did appear to utilize an IRGC-designated outbound sea lane near Iran’s Larak Island, according to Newsweek’s review of publicly available automatic identification system data.
The U.S. Treasury Department, in announcing another round of sanctions against Iran’s illicit oil trade on Tuesday, said that "toll" payments to Tehran were a sanctionable offense under the global U.S. financial control regime.
It was unclear whether the U.S. government was aware of the negotiations between Japan and Iran. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of office hours.
Shipowner Idemitsu Kosan couldn’t be reached for comment after hours but told the FNN Prime news website earlier on Wednesday that it couldn’t comment on individual vessels "for safety reasons."
The Idemitsu Maru had passed the U.S. blockade line against Iran and was in the northern Arabian Sea as of 5 a.m. Eastern Time, according to AIS signals captured by MarineTraffic.
Quote:Police have declared a terrorist incident and a man has been arrested after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, in north London, police have confirmed.
The Metropolitan Police has said it arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after two men, one in his 70s and another in his 30s, were stabbed on Highfield Avenue in the suburb of England's capital.
Golders Green is home to a large Jewish population, and there have been a string of antisemitic incidents in recent weeks in which the community has been targeted. The victims were treated by the nonprofit organization Hatzola, whose ambulances were set on fire in the district last month. There is no official update on their condition.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish charity, said it recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents last year. This, the charity said, was the second-highest number of incidents in a single calendar year after 2023—when the war in Gaza began.
In a statement to Newsweek, the White House said antisemitism had "run rampant" in London.
Mark Rowley, the commissioner for the Metropolitan Police, said at a news conference that the man arrested over the attack had a history of serious violence and mental health issues.
He called the attack "another horrendous act of violence directed against our Jewish communities," adding that arresting officers were concerned the suspect "was carrying an explosive device."
Local neighborhood group Shomrim wrote on X that its volunteers had detained a man who was "armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public." One witness told the BBC that one stabbing took place on Golders Green Road outside shops and the other on a side road outside a synagogue.
The head of counterterrorism policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, has said the attack has formally been declared a terrorist incident.
He told reporters: "This has now formally been declared a terrorist incident. Our highly specialized teams of officers are working with the Metropolitan Police to progress this investigation quickly and establish exactly what has happened.
"We're also working with our partners in the security services to ensure we have a full intelligence picture, and one of the lines of inquiry is whether this attack was deliberately targeting the Jewish community in London."
Quote:Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that he has never lied to President Donald Trump about U.S. military strategy in Iran during Wednesday's tense Senate hearing.
One day earlier, Democratic Representative Jason Crow of Colorado alleged that Hegseth was "repeatedly going behind Donald Trump's back."
Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas also asked Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, whether he had ever lied to Trump, which Caine denied. Cotton said he questioned both Pete Hegseth and Caine about the allegations to give them an opportunity to clear the record.
Hegseth and Caine faced a second day of questioning on Capitol Hill as Democrats press him over his handling of the Iran war, with senators getting their first chance Thursday to confront — or praise — the Pentagon chief.
Hegseth clashed with Democrats, and some Republicans, during a nearly six-hour House Armed Services Committee hearing a day earlier, drawing sharp questions about the war’s costs in dollars and lives, as well as shrinking U.S. stockpiles of key weapons.
The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to cover similar ground as it hears testimony on the Trump administration’s proposed 2027 military budget, which would raise defense spending to a record $1.5 trillion. Hegseth and Caine are expected to again emphasize the need for expanded drone capabilities, missile defense systems and new warships.
Much like Wednesday, Hegseth again issued sharp criticism of his opponents, singling out congressional Democrats and some Republicans.
“As I said yesterday, and I’ll say it again today, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth told the Senate panel in his opening statement.
In defending President Donald Trump’s budget request, Hegseth said the administration inherited what he described as a weakened defense industrial base after years of “America last” policies, arguing that it has reduced the nation’s ability to project military strength.
Echoing remarks he made Wednesday before the House committee, Caine said his responsibility was “to ensure our civilian leadership has a comprehensive range of military options and the associated risks required to make the nation’s hardest and most complex decisions.”
Quote:North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has hailed troops who opted to blow themselves up rather than be captured by Ukrainian forces, confirming previous Ukrainian reports.
North Korean troops were first reported in Russia in October 2024—an initial 1,500 special forces personnel arriving in the far eastern city of Vladivostok. They then deployed to join Russian forces in their fight to contain a surprise Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Russian border region of Kursk, marking Pyongyang's first involvement in a major conflict in seven decades.
The North Koreans are believed to have sustained heavy losses, particularly early in the deployment, when they reportedly mounted high-risk frontal attacks with little coordination or support, showing a lack of preparedness for the realities of modern warfare.
In some cases, hundreds of casualties were reported in a matter of days, according to South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence, reinforcing the view that the troops were being used as cannon fodder.
Out of at least 15,000 North Korean personnel sent to Russia, more than 6,000 were killed, according to South Korean estimates. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow have confirmed these figures. The deployments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim signed an agreement to provide military assistance should either come under attack.
Kim Praises Battlefield Conduct
During a ceremony inaugurating a museum for fallen veterans of the war Monday, Kim hailed "the heroes who unhesitatingly opted for self-blasting" and "suicide attacks" to defend their nation's honor, as well as "those who fell in the vanguard of charges and those who writhed in frustration at the failure to fulfill their duties as soldiers who were given orders, rather than in pain in their bodies torn by bullets and shells," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
North Korean and Russian soldiers "fought in the same trench shoulder to shoulder to defend peace and national sovereignty," Kim said, adding that while this cooperation took place in just one region, the strategic significance was "great."
The joint effort "wiped out the aggressors" and halted a "hegemonic attempt and military adventure" by a United States-led Western alliance, the supreme leader added, echoing the Kremlin's claim that NATO expansion toward Russia's doorstep was a major cause for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Quote:King Charles III took a major gamble by indirectly challenging President Donald Trump's past comments on a raft of issues, including NATO, to repeated standing ovations from both parties in Congress on Tuesday.
The British monarch, 77, cited NATO support in the aftermath of 9/11 through the war in Afghanistan and said the "same, unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine."
Charles also spoke about the NATO alliance at a state dinner on Tuesday night, saying in part that the ties "deepen our technological and military cooperation and ensure that together we can meet the challenges of an increasingly complex and contested world."
The king's speech at the dinner was laced with numerous historical jokes about the White House, including a quip about the Boston Tea Party, which prompted Trump and the first lady to join in on the laughs.
Why It Matters
Royals are not supposed to be political but are generally afforded greater latitude when reflecting British foreign policy and Charles referenced numerous areas on which the president has been at loggerheads with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in recent weeks.
The comments about NATO are particularly relevant because Trump was so explicit in calling the alliance a "paper tiger" and because he said NATO forces, which included the British military, “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”
King Charles' Comments on NATO
"In the immediate aftermath of 9/11," Charles said, "when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time, and the United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered the call together—as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder, through two World Wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and moments that have defined our shared security.
"Today, Mr. Speaker, that same, unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people–it is needed in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.
"From the depths of the Atlantic to the disastrously melting ice caps of the Arctic, the commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other’s defense, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries."
In particular, the king's specific reference to standing "shoulder to shoulder" is a far cry from Trump's account of NATO troops being "a little off the front lines."
Elsewhere, the king acknowledged what he called “times of great uncertainty” as he thanked the American people and marked the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence from Britain during a rare address to Congress, emphasizing the enduring ties between the two nations amid political turmoil.
“For all that time,” Charles said, “our destinies have been interlinked.”
Quote:President Donald Trump has called former FBI Director James Comey a "dirty cop" as he faces charges over an Instagram post from last year.
Comey was indicted in North Carolina this week and surrendered to the authorities on Wednesday over a photo he posted last year of seashells laid out to read “86 47,” which the Justice Department alleges was intended as a threat against Trump.
Comey later removed the Instagram post, saying he had not considered that it might be seen as promoting violence. The phrase "eighty-six" is commonly used in the hospitality industry to indicate that an item is no longer available, and more broadly can mean to cancel or get rid of something.
Writing on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said: "86' is a mob term for 'kill him.' They say 86 him! 86 47 means 'kill President Trump.' James Comey, who is a Dirty Cop, one of the worst, knows this full well! EIGHT MILES OUT, SIX FEET DOWN! Didn't he also lie to the FBI about this??? I think so!"
Comey, a vocal critic of Trump, is now facing federal felony charges that could bring a prison sentence of up to 10 years. He has said he plans to contest the case in court.
Newsweek has contacted the White House and Comey's attorney via email for comment.
The Instagram Post
“Cool shell formation,” James Comey wrote in an Instagram post accompanying the image, which he later deleted.
Following criticism, Comey posted a follow-up note on Instagram.
"I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assume were a political message," he wrote. "I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down."
At the time, Trump said he believed Comey knew what the numbers meant.
"That meant assassination, and it says it loud and clear," Trump told Fox News in an interview in May 2025. "Now, he wasn't very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant."
Quote:Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, on Thursday stressed that the commission's early review of licenses for eight ABC stations is not about a spat between President Donald Trump and late night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Instead, Carr stated the review was tied to a year-long complaint about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) "discrimination" practices, which the administration tackled from the first days following Trump's return to office last year.
"The investigation's all about diversity," Carr said in response to reporter questions at a press conference, adding, "The FCC shouldn't be in the business of being the speech police. What we have to do as an agency is to enforce our rules and regulations and there are rules about non-discrimination that are unrelated to speech that we have been pushing across the board and that's the basis for the early renewal in the Disney case."
The early renewal review is targeting eight Disney-owned ABC stations, and the timing has raised questions and suspicions of retaliation as it comes just days after Trump lashed out at Kimmel and tried to connect the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner over the previous weekend to a joke Kimmel made.
Kimmel, during a pretend roast hosted before the correspondents' dinner, said that First Lady Melania Trump had "a glow like an expectant widow." Kimmel has said the joke is about the age difference between the president - who is about to turn 80 - and the first lady, who is 56 years old.
However, Trump has accused the late night host of issuing a "call to violence" in light of the attempt at the Washington Hilton last week.
Brendan Carr Says DEI is Focus of FCC Review
Carr fielded questions from reporters, trying to discuss a number of initiatives the commission planned to tackle in the coming months - including a plan to push ahead with satellite broadcast and direct-to-phone service - but reporters instead focused on the timing of the ABC station reviews and the fallout following Kimmel's joke.
Carr said that the review relates to concerns over discrimination, noting: "In March of last year, where I wrote a letter to Disney, saying that there was evidence ... or allegations indicating that Disney, through this sort of invidious form of DEI discrimination, was creating, as I specify in the letter to them, racially segregated spaces inside the company."
"There was other allegations that went to Disney forcing racial and identity quotas or preferences, and I said at the time that if that pans out, that's a big deal," Carr said. "You know, we need to sort of end any form of discrimination based on race or protected class."
"So, we announced this investigation going all the way back to March. We said the Enforcement Bureau would be looking at it," Carr said. "I believe it was in June that we sent our first letter of inquiry to Disney on this topic, and they provided us, you know, LOIs is our version of discovery or subpoenas effectively. They provided us with hundreds of documents at the time. And I've been consistent and very public ... I've been saying for months that one thing that we're looking at in that investigation is is an early renewal if that's where sort of the investigative steps tell us it needs to go."
Quote:When New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met King Charles III and Queen Camilla at a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan, the encounter appeared cordial, marked by smiles and polite exchanges.
That contrasted with remarks Mamdani had made just hours earlier, when he renewed calls for the return of the Koh‑i‑Noor diamond—one of the world’s largest cut diamonds—taken from the Indian subcontinent during the era of British colonial rule.
Mamdani is far from the first public figure to press for the diamond’s repatriation, a demand that has long sparked debate given the complex and contested history of the gem’s ownership. The Koh‑i‑Noor’s journey to the British Crown remains a potent symbol of Britain’s imperial past. Newsweek has contacted Mamdani for comment.
What Is the Koh-i-Noor Diamond?
The Koh-i-Noor—Persian for "Mountain of Light"—is a 105.6‑carat oval-cut diamond, among the largest cut diamonds in the world and one of the most contested. Believed to have originated in the Kollur Mine in southern India in the 14th century, the diamond passed through the hands of Mughal emperors, Afghan rulers, and Sikh Maharajas over several centuries before coming under British control.
After the British annexation of Punjab following the Second Anglo‑Sikh War in 1849, the East India Company compelled the 10‑year‑old Maharaja Duleep Singh to sign the Treaty of Lahore, under which the Koh‑i‑Noor was surrendered to Queen Victoria.
Where Is the Koh-i-Noor Diamond Now?
The Koh-i-Noor was initially exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 as a symbol of British imperial authority. Originally around 186 old carats, the diamond was then re-cut in 1852 under direction of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, to improve its sparkle, reducing its weight to 105.6 metric carats.
The Koh-i-Noor later became part of the British Crown Jewels in 1937, set into the front of the Queen Mother's crown—King Charles III's grandmother. The controversial diamond could have made an appearance during the coronation of Queen Camilla, but organizers decided against its inclusion amid fears that it could spark renewed diplomatic tensions.
The Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother featuring the Koh-i-Noor is currently on public display in the Jewel House at the Tower of London in the U.K.
Quote:Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk issued a stark rebuke Wednesday of "radicalized liberal" teachers, blaming them for promoting ideas that many see as driving political violence in the United States as she responded to the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
The shooting has reopened political divides across the country and comes amid a wave of political violence, including attempted assassinations of President Donald Trump, as well as the assassinations of Minnesota legislator Melissa Hortman and Kirk's husband, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot during an appearance at Utah Valley University last September.
Erika Kirk Criticizes 'Liberal Teachers' Over Shooting
"Anyone who stands in their way is labeled hateful, racist, fascist, and every other trigger word that is grossly dishonest," Kirk said in a video posted on X on Wednesday. "We want the best for our country; they don't. This is why Charlie started Turning Point in the first place. He didn't trust the radicalized liberal teachers, and this past Saturday, it was a schoolteacher—of all people—that attempted to change our history for the worse with bullets."
The suspected White House Correspondents Dinner shooter, Cole Allen, was employed by the tutoring company C2 Education as recently as December 2024, when he was honored as "Teacher of the Month" for his work at its Torrance, California, location.
Allen faces charges of attempting to assassinate the president in addition to gun charges.
Kirk lamented those who are "supposed to be teaching our children the future of this country."
"While we may have big problems with illegal immigration in this country. I have to tell you, we have an even bigger problem when it comes to the systemic indoctrination and radicalization of our own citizens," Kirk said.
In the wake of the shooting, at least two teachers have faced discipline over social media posts reacting to the incident.
Quote:Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida announced a hearing on the CIA mind control program MKUltra, scheduled for next month.
The MKUltra program, launched during the Cold War, continues to be a controversial chapter in U.S. intelligence history. Its experiments often targeted unwitting individuals and left lasting psychological damage on participants. In 1973, the CIA director told workers to destroy records of the project.
“Hearing on May 13. MK Ultra. House Oversight Taskforce,” Luna wrote on X on Wednesday.
Newsweek reached out to Luna for comment.
What is MKUltra?
MKUltra was a mind control program established by CIA Director Allen Dulles in 1953, with experiments focusing on behavior modification using electroshock therapy, hypnosis, polygraphs, radiation and various drugs, toxins and chemicals, according to History.com.
Some of the test subjects willingly volunteered, while others volunteered under coercion, and some did not know they were involved in a defense research program, according to the outlet.
The program has led to some conspiracy theories, including ones related to the 1953 death of Frank Olson, a scientist covertly dosed with LSD who died 10 days later in a fall from a New York hotel. His death was officially ruled a suicide.
The program ended in 1963 after the CIA inspector general told the agency to bring all programs involving non-consenting volunteers to an end, History.com reported.
New declassified records related to MKUltra were published by the National Security Archive and ProQuest in 2024.
When is the hearing on MKUltra?
Luna said the hearing is scheduled for May 13.
Who is Anna Paulina Luna?
Luna is a Republican representing Florida’s 13th congressional district in the House of Representatives. She is the first Mexican-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress to represent Florida. She is currently serving her second term.
Luna serves on the Oversight and Government Reform committee and as chairwoman of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets.
Quote:President Donald Trump said Tennessee officials are moving to respond to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on congressional maps, urging Republican Governor Bill Lee to pursue redistricting that could benefit the GOP.
Trump’s comments came as states across the country react to a high court decision that weakened minority protections under the Voting Rights Act and prompted election disruptions in Louisiana, where congressional primaries were suspended after the court struck down a majority-Black district.
Republicans in several states have since signaled plans to revisit House maps, potentially reshaping the 2026 midterm elections.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced plans to leave the group of the world's leading oil exporters, OPEC and OPEC+, on May 1.
The abrupt decision by the UAE, which has been a member of OPEC for six decades, reflects intensified rivalry with Saudi Arabia and current pressures from the Iran war on Gulf countries exporting oil.
The move could deliver a boost for U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused the group of "ripping off the rest of the world" by inflating oil prices.
"This decision reflects the UAE's long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile, including accelerated investment in domestic energy production, and reinforces its commitment to a responsible, reliable, and forward-looking role in global energy markets," the UAE's government said on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Why It Matters
The UAE's announcement comes at a time of crisis for the global energy market, as the war in Iran has hampered the flow of tankers through the critical Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world's oil passes. The UAE has accused its Gulf state neighbors of not doing enough to protect it from Tehran's attacks during the Iran war.
The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, topped $111 on Tuesday, up nearly 4 percent as talks over reopening the strait remain at an impasse.
The exit from OPEC of such a longstanding member is likely to create instability within the group, which has usually sought to present a united front despite internal disagreements.
What To Know
The UAE joined OPEC in 1967, and its departure will mean that the bloc will lose around 15 percent of its capacity.
Nikos Tzabouras, a senior market analyst at Tradu.com, told Newsweek that as one of the top OPEC producers, the UAE's exit threatens to weaken the group and its tight grip on the oil market at a crucial juncture.
"While the exact strategic calculations behind the move remain fluid, the UAE likely seeks greater flexibility to ramp up output in response to the energy shock from the Middle East conflict - a shift that bears bearish implications for oil prices," he said Thursday.
"However, the near-term market impact is likely to be limited. Supply will require significant time and effort to be restored, even if the Strait of Hormuz were to fully reopen."
Quote:A superyacht owned by one of Vladimir Putin’s key allies passed through the Strait of Hormuz as the critical waterway remains effectively closed to commercial ships.
“Nord,” a 465-foot multi-deck luxury vessel valued at more than $500 million linked to Russia’s richest man, Alexei Mordashov, was able to navigate the Strait after undergoing maintenance in Dubai, after neither Iran nor the US objected, a source close to the billionaire said Tuesday.
Sailing under a Russian flag, the yacht left Dubai on Friday and passed through the Strait on Saturday, one of the few private vessels to successfully do so since the start of the war in Iran.
It arrived at Oman’s capital Muscat on Sunday morning according to data on the Marine Traffic platform.
“Iran did not interfere with the movement of the yacht, as it is a civilian vessel of a friendly country conducting a peaceful transit. The American side also raised no questions regarding the yacht’s movement, as it did not call at Iranian ports and has no connection to Iran,” the source told Reuters.
Iran has choked off traffic to the Strait and the US has an ongoing naval blockade of the passage.
Just a handful of ships, mostly merchant vessels, have been able to pass through the Strait, the crucial waterway in the Persian Gulf through which normally passes a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas shipping.
This is a fraction of the 125 to 140 average journeys made through the Strait before the start of the war on Feb. 28.
Mordashov, 60, the CEO of Russia’s largest steel and mining company, Severstal, has an estimated net worth of around $37 billion, according to Forbes.
Quote:The Kremlin on Wednesday warned of “dire consequences” if fighting against Iran resumes amid a ceasefire, after Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the issue in a phone call with President Donald Trump.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin told Trump that renewed hostilities would be “dangerous and unacceptable,” especially any ground operation on Iranian territory. Putin stressed, according to the Kremlin, that such a move would carry serious risks not only for Iran but for the broader international community, Ushakov said.
The concerns came after Trump said earlier Wednesday that he was rejecting Iran's latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, meaning the blockade remains in place and the stalemate over the conflict continues.
Putin-Trump Phone Call: What To Know
Ushakov told Russian state news agency TASS that Putin felt the decision to extend the ceasefire in Iran was "the right one" because it would give negotiations a chance and "help stabilize the situation in general." Trump also laid out his assessment of the military action to this point.
Speaking in the Oval Office Wednesday afternoon, Trump told reporters that Putin had also offered assistance with the enrichment of uranium, "if he can help us get it," he said, adding that he told Putin, "I'd much rather you be involved in ending the war with Ukraine."
Russia, longtime Iran ally, in February surpassed the four-year mark in its war on Ukraine, despite a promise by Trump when he returned to office a year ago that the U.S. president would end the conflict.
Trump said Wednesday he had "a very good conversation" with the Russian leader and that he was under the impression Putin wanted a solution in Ukraine.
Quote:A dangerous dissident republican group, the New IRA, which is allegedly linked to Iran and Hezbollah, claimed responsibility Tuesday for a car bomb outside a Belfast police station before warning of further attacks, according to reports.
The blast targeted a Police Service of Northern Ireland station in Dunmurry, and police increased patrols after the group threatened to target officers at their homes.
A 66-year-old man was also arrested Tuesday under terrorism laws after the explosion, Reuters reported.
In a statement attributed to the “leadership of the IRA,” the group said the bomb was meant to kill officers leaving the station.
It warned that anyone cooperating with police “will be severely dealt with.”
A 2020 report by The Times, citing information from an MI5 informant, alleged connections among the New IRA, Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The report said individuals linked to the group signed a book of condolences after the 2020 killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad, raising concerns about possible external support, including weapons and funding.
“The New IRA–Hezbollah link is a useful data point in a much larger pattern: the operationalization of the so-called axis of resistance,” former Defense Department intelligence officer Andrew Badger told Fox News Digital.
“This joins Russia, Iran, China, North Korea and an expanding bench of aligned non-state actors into a working logistical and tradecraft network across the globe,” Badger said.
“What we are watching is the maturing of a hybrid warfare model, pioneered and led by Russia and Iran, in which adversaries of the Western-led order increasingly share tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) across geographies and ideologies,” said Badger, the co-author of “The Great Heist.”
The New IRA’s latest bombing also follows a similar attempted car bomb attack on another police station outside Belfast just weeks ago.
It is one of several militant groups that oppose the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and want to end British rule in Northern Ireland and establish a united Ireland.
Quote:President Trump has instructed his aides to prepare for an extension of America’s naval blockade of Iran to squeeze Tehran’s already struggling economy, officials said.
To force Iran to get serious about negotiating and giving up its nuclear material, Trump is committed to a longer halt of Iran’s oil exports, the lifeblood of the Islamic regime, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The move comes as experts estimate that Iran has at most 12 to 22 days of oil storage left, as Tehran has nowhere to send its crude under the blockade.
Trump believes that an extension of the blockade, one of the key topics of his meeting Monday in the Situation Room, carries the least risk compared to resuming the war or simply walking away from it, officials told the outlet.
The move comes as the Islamic Republic’s economy is in a death spiral.
At least one million people have lost their jobs since the start of the war, according to early estimates cited by Gholamhossein Mohammadi, an official at Iran’s Labor and Social-Affairs ministry, and reported by the WSJ.
The cost of living has also soared, with the annual inflation rate reaching an eye-watering 67% in the month through mid-April, compared to the same period last year, according to Iran’s central bank.
“Living is not affordable anymore,” Mahdi Ghodsi of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies told the outlet.
“Iran is at its weakest point.”
Trump allegedly made the decision to extend the blockade after Iran proposed a three-step offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil choke point that Tehran has kept shut since the war began on Feb. 28.
Iran’s offer, however, called for the nuclear talks to be postponed, which Trump believed was proof that Tehran was not negotiating in good faith and was trying to string the US along, according to the WSJ.
Trump has maintained that Iran cannot be allowed to keep its enriched uranium, but the administration has kept the fragile cease-fire intact after Iran’s retaliatory strikes threatened vital energy infrastructure in the Gulf.
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump is reviewing options, including renewed strikes on Iran, as negotiating progress stalls.
Trump has doubled down on his 16-day blockade of Iran’s oil exports — after rejecting an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping and set aside nuclear talks for later.
“The blockade is genius, okay? The blockade has been 100% foolproof,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
“Now, they have to cry uncle, that’s all they have to do,” Trump said of his time frame. “Just say, ‘We give up.'”
The US and Iran have had a cease-fire since April 8, and Trump has repeatedly threatened renewed military action without a breakthrough.
The military’s Central Command has drafted plans for “short and powerful” strikes to break through the negotiating deadlock, Axios reported Wednesday, citing three sources.
The president told the publication that for now, the blockade is “somewhat more effective than the bombing.”
The hypothetical strikes could make good on Trump’s longstanding threat to target Iran’s electricity plants and bridges.
It’s unclear when such an attack could happen. Trump has repeatedly floated the possibility of strikes to gain negotiating leverage.
Trump said his team — led by Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner– would no longer be traveling 18 hours to Pakistan for in-person talks with Iran. Rather, negotiations would take place “telephonically.”
Quote:The US military is reportedly considering sending its long-range hypersonic missile to the Middle East — to possibly strike ballistic missile launchers embedded in Iran.
The request, which was made by US Central Command, justified the deployment of a hypersonic missile, arguing that the Iranian regime has moved its launchers out of range of the Precision Strike missile, which can hit targets more than 300 miles away, a person with direct knowledge told Bloomberg.
If given the green light, the move would mark the first time the US has deployed a hypersonic missile, which has not yet been declared fully operational.
The request has not been made public, and the US and Iran have had a tenuous cease-fire in place since April 8. President Trump, however, has repeatedly threatened to reignite the Iran war with renewed military action as talks toward a peace deal remain at an impasse
The Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, known as Dark Eagle, has a reported range of 1,725 miles and is specifically made for “long range conventional precision strike capability” against “time-sensitive and heavily defended targets,” according to the Library of Congress.
Each missile costs roughly $15 million, and there are no more than eight, the source told Bloomberg. Each battery will also cost roughly $2.7 billion, the outlet reported.
Adversaries like Russia and China have already deployed the weapons, the outlet reported.
CENTCOM did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Trump, meanwhile, doubled down on his 16-day blockade of Iran’s oil exports Wednesday — after rejecting an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping, while setting aside the nuclear issue for a later date.
“The blockade is genius, okay? The blockade has been 100% foolproof,” Trump told reporters.
“Now, they have to cry uncle, that’s all they have to do. Just say, ‘We give up.’”
Quote:President Trump on Wednesday leveled a new threat against NATO ally Germany, suggesting he could soon reduce the US military presence there as he continues to feud with Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the US-Israel war against Iran.
Trump made the threat after Merz earlier this week said that the US was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war.
Trump has also repeatedly railed against NATO for the alliance’s refusal to assist the US in its two-month-old war.
“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said in a social media post.
Merz had said earlier Wednesday that his personal relationship with Trump remained “as good as ever,” but he had “had doubts from the very beginning about what was started there with the war in Iran.”
During his first term in the White House, Trump also moved to cut US troops in Germany because he said the country spent too little on defense.
In June 2020, Trump announced he was going to pull out about 9,500 of the roughly 34,500 US troops who were then stationed in Germany, but the process never actually started.
Democratic President Joe Biden formally stopped the planned withdrawal soon after taking office in 2021.
The US has several major military facilities in the country, including the headquarters for US European Command and US Africa Command, Ramstein Air Base and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest American hospital outside the United States.
Merz met with Trump at the White House in March, just days after the US and Israel began their bombardment of Iran.
At the time, Merz told Trump that Germany was eager to work with the US on a strategy for when the current Iranian government no longer exists. Merz also expressed concern that an extended conflict could do great damage to the global economy.
Quote:Pentagon officials revealed Friday that 5,000 US troops will be pulled out of Germany amid the rift between Berlin and President Trump over the Iran war.
“The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground,” he added.
Describing recent German rhetoric about the war as “inappropriate and unhelpful,” a senior Pentagon official told Reuters “the president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks.”
The withdrawal is expected to be completed over the next 6-12 months.
About 35,000 active duty US military personnel are stationed in Germany, which is home to Ramstein Air Base, the largest US military outpost in Europe.
On Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz argued the US had been “humiliated by the Iranian leadership.”
“The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected and the Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either,” Merz said.
Meanwhile, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has described the Iran war as a “disastrous mistake,” accusing the US of violating international law.
In response to Merz’s criticism, Trump fumed on Truth Social that the chancellor “should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!), and fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat, thereby making the World, including Germany, a safer place!”
In 2020, Trump ordered the withdrawal of about 12,000 troops from the country but congressional lawmakers resisted funding the exit and the plan was scrapped when former President Joe Biden took office.
Trump teased the potential for the latest troop reduction earlier this week.
“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday.
Quote:Iran’s severely injured supreme leader remained defiant Thursday as he vowed to protect the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile capabilities — warning that America’s only place in the Gulf was “at the bottom of its waters.”
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has yet to be seen since becoming the supreme leader following his father’s death, issued another statement via state media rejecting President Trump’s peace terms and the American naval blockade on Iran’s ports.
“Ninety million proud and honorable Iranians inside and outside the country regard all of Iran’s identity-based, spiritual, human, scientific, industrial and technological capacities — from nanotechnology and biotechnology to nuclear and missile capabilities — as national assets, and will protect them just as they protect the country’s waters, land and airspace,” Khamenei’s message read.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometers away to act with greed and malice there have no place in it — except at the bottom of its waters,” he added, slamming America as the “Great Satan.”
Trump has made it clear that one of his top goals of the war is to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons, with nearly 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium still located inside the country.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week that under no circumstances could Iran be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons or else the entire Middle East and American allies would be in danger.
“They seek to dominate the region. And imagine that with a nuclear weapon,” Rubio told Fox News.
Iran has denied allegations that it is using its uranium to develop weapons, claiming it’s only meant for a civilian nuclear program.
Along with rejecting America’s demands, Khamenei signaled that Iran would keep the Strait of Hormuz shut, warning that a “new chapter” was coming for the Persian Gulf.
Quote:WASHINGTON — Top congressional lawmakers shrugged off the supposed Friday deadline to reauthorize the war in Iran, given that it’ll be 60 days since Operation Epic Fury began.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) openly questioned whether reauthorization was even necessary, and Senate GOP lawmakers similarly brushed aside the supposed deadline.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth claimed the 60-day clock stopped running after President Trump announced the military cease-fire on April 7.
“We are in a cease-fire right now,” Hegseth said Thursday during Senate testimony. “The 60-day clock pauses or stops in a cease-fire … that’s our understanding, just so you know.”
Under the War Powers Act of 1973, presidents get 60 days to carry out military action abroad and then must terminate the use of force unless Congress has declared war or authorized the use of lethal force.
Presidents can extend military action for 30 days to safely withdraw US forces from hostilities, but they cannot continue an offensive campaign.
“I would defer to the White House and White House counsel on that,” Hegseth told Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) during a Senate hearing when asked if Trump would ask Congress for reauthorization.
The White House has been coy about whether the president would declare an extension or formally ask for more authority to continue the fighting.
“President Trump has been transparent with the Hill since before Operation Epic Fury began, and administration officials provided over 30 bipartisan briefings for members of Congress to keep them apprised of military updates,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Post.
“The president’s preference is always diplomacy, and Iran wants to make a deal.”
Since Trump announced the cease-fire April 7, the administration has been in active talks with Iran on a more permanent end to the war.
For the time being, he’s imposed a blockade on Iranian ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz, through which over a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil supplies flow annually.
Quote:FIFA President Gianni Infantino opened his address at Thursday’s FIFA Congress by affirming that Iran will participate in the World Cup and that the team will play in the United States despite the conflict between the two nations.
“And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, is because we have to unite. We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility. It is our responsibility,” Infantino said.
“Football unites the world. FIFA unites the world. You unite the world. We unite the world.”
In an indication of how fraught the situation is with Iran’s participation in the World Cup, representatives from the Iranian soccer federation were denied entry into Canada this week.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said it was her “understanding” that the Iranian officials were turned away, following a report by Tasnim, an Iranian news agency associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The report said Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj and two other officials were denied entry at Toronto’s airport.
Earlier in the week at the Asian soccer federation’s congress in Vancouver, Iran’s participation in the World Cup or whether the team’s matches should be moved out of the United States was not addressed.
At the roll call for the FIFA Congress where all nations were named, Iran was announced as absent.
Outside the event at the Vancouver Convention Center there was a small group of protestors holding Iranian flags.
Infantino has not wavered on Iran’s participation in the World Cup or in its matches in the United States.
Quote:WASHINGTON – President Trump is tightening the noose on Iran and summoned his top military commander to signal to Tehran that it’s time to make a deal.
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper is reportedly briefing Trump Thursday about military strategy, but experts tell The Post there was a bigger message at play.
“It was a signal to Iran and a political trial balloon to the US,” a former administration official said.
That signal: Tehran should come to the table and make a peace deal or face more US military might.
An economic pressure campaign has been in full force against Iran. The blockade on the Strait of Hormuz is in its third week and without its main waterway, Iran has had to store its crude oil instead of selling it.
And it’s running out of places to keep the 1.5 million to 2 million barrels of oil its wells produce daily. Shutting down production – and then starting it back up – would be an expensive proposition.
Huddling with Cooper – who also briefed Trump two days before the strikes on Iran originally began on Feb. 28 – sends a powerful signal to Tehran.
“The economic pressure is the US main effort but if Iranians don’t agree to his terms as a result of that pressure he has Admiral Cooper on deck,” Joel Rayburn, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute who served as special envoy for Syria during Trump’s first term, said of the president’s strategy.
Trump gave a hint at his strategy when he spoke to reporters in the Oval Office ahead of his briefing with the admiral, as reported by Fox News.
“Their economy is crashing,” he said of Iran. “The blockade is incredible. The power of the blockade is incredible. They’re not getting any money from oil, and hopefully it can be worked out very soon.”
Quote:The Trump administration is calling on allied nations to join a new international coalition to help reopen and control the Strait of Hormuz, officials said.
The Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC) is meant to be a diplomatic and military push to work with allied countries and shipping companies to help reopen the vital waterway, and allow tanker ships to pass through without being molested by Iran.
The pitch for the MFC was sent out in an internal State Department cable to US embassies on Tuesday, urging diplomats to push for countries to sign on, the Wall Street Journal first reported.
“The MFC will take steps to ensure safe passage, including providing real-time information, safety guidance, and coordination to ensure vessels can transit these waters securely,” a State Department official told The Post.
The proposal comes as the Strait of Hormuz, which oversaw the transport of 20% of the world’s oil, remains all but closed due to the war in Iran, with Tehran aiming to create a toll system.
Iran has attacked or threatened any ship that attempts to pass through the strait without its permission.
At the other end of the strait, the US Navy is enforcing a blockade that intercepts Iranian-linked ships.
Despite Trump’s previous insistence that the US does not need help reopening or managing the strait, the State Department memo suggests the administration is looking for foreign countries to manage the future of the waterway.
Quote:Iran is reportedly considering using dolphins armed with mines to launch kamikaze attacks on US warships in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been under a financially crippling military blockade for weeks.
While the tense extended cease-fire with the US holds, a growing number of Iranian hardliners believe that the financial crisis sparked by the US blocking Iran’s oil exports amounts to an act of war and have called for resuming military action.
That military action could include unleashing previously unused weapons to attack US warships deployed in the region — including mine-carrying dolphins, according to Iranian officials, the Wall Street Journal reported.
It wouldn’t be the first time the regime has considered deploying kamikaze dolphins.
Iran bought dolphins trained to kill for the Soviet navy in 2000, the BBC reported at the time.
The animals were trained to attack the Islamic Republic’s enemies with harpoons attached to their backs, the outlet reported.
They were also trained to undertake kamikaze strikes against enemy ships by carrying mines.
Tehran could also send submarines into the waterway, according to the WSJ, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard has already threatened to cut key phone cables running through the strait, which could wreak havoc on global internet communications to escalate tensions further.
“The blockade is increasingly viewed in Tehran not as a substitute for war, but as a different manifestation of it,” Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow specializing in the Middle East at SWP, a Berlin-based research institute, told WSJ.
Quote:President Trump on Friday said Iran’s latest proposal to end the ongoing war with the US is a non-starter — and that all options, including further military strikes, are on the table as he claimed the 60-day War Powers Act limit on military engagement without Congressional approval “unconstitutional.”
“We just had a conversation with Iran, let’s see what happens. But I would say that I am not happy,” he told reporters at the White House. “… They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to.”
Tehran passed its latest proposal to end its war with the US to Washington through mediators on Thursday as diplomacy continues at a snail’s pace, Iranian sources and state media said Friday.
“They want to make a deal so badly, but they’re not there yet. They’re not there,” Trump said. “In my opinion, they’re not there.”
The Trump administration has insisted that Iran give up its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, while Tehran has said issues related to reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping must be dealt with first.
Details of the proposal are unclear, as Trump skirted a question on what specific measures in the draft were nonnegotiable and Iranian and Pakistani sources were mum.
As negotiations continue to falter, the president said the option to launch a new wave of strikes on Iran remains on the table — which he said Chief of the Joint Staff Gen. Dan Caine laid out for him in a briefing Thursday.
“There are the options: Do you want to go blast the hell out of ’em and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal? I mean, those are the options,” he told reporters at the White House.
Asked whether he would move forward with additional strikes, Trump said: “I’d prefer not. On a human basis, I’d prefer not, but that’s the option.”
Trump blamed internal fractures within the Iranian regime for the lack of progress, describing them as “very argumentative with each other” and “very confused.”
Quote:The US Treasury Department imposed sweeping sanctions Friday on three major Iranian currency exchange houses and more than a dozen front companies, The Post has learned, accusing them of laundering billions of dollars in foreign currency to bankroll Tehran’s military and proxy network.
This crackdown, a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s “Economic Fury” maximum-pressure campaign, targets the shadow banking systems that help Iran convert illicit oil revenue.
Because these revenues are largely paid in Chinese yuan, these networks are vital for converting funds into US dollars, euros, and other usable currencies for the regime.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the designations strike directly at the financial arteries keeping Iran’s war machine alive.
“Iran is the head of the snake for global terrorism, and under President Trump’s leadership, Treasury is moving aggressively, through Economic Fury, to sever the Iranian military’s financial lifelines,” Bessent said in a statement. “We will relentlessly target the regime’s ability to generate, move, and repatriate funds.”
The targeted exchange houses — Opal Exchange, Radin Exchange, and Arz Iran Exchange (also known as Tahayyori Guarantee Society) — along with their owners, allegedly orchestrate sophisticated networks of front companies.
These networks handle tens of billions of dollars in annual trade for Iran’s sanctioned entities, including its central bank and the National Iranian Oil Co.
Treasury issued the designations under an executive order aimed at Iran’s financial sector.
Key operators and owners — Iranian nationals Pedram Pirouzan, Hossein Mohammad Rezaei, Masoud Mohammad Rezaei, Nasser Ghasemi Rad, and Ehsan Tahayyori — were also personally hit with Friday’s blocking sanctions.
To operate seamlessly, these exchanges rely on shell companies registered to their owners, who frequently list citizenship from Dominica or St. Kitts and Nevis.
This tactic masks their Iranian ties, allowing them to open foreign bank accounts and move money for Iranian importers, exporters, and military-linked entities, Treasury officials noted.
Friday’s actions sweep up 15 specific front companies scattered across multiple jurisdictions.
Collectively, these illicit networks have processed hundreds of millions of dollars in cross-border transactions, the department said.
Friday’s move compounds more than 1,000 Iran-related designations issued since a February 2025 national security diktat signed by President Trump.
It directly follows earlier actions targeting Iranian “rahbar” companies tied to specific banks and digital asset platforms used to dodge sanctions.
Under these penalties, any assets the designated individuals or companies hold within the United States or under US jurisdiction are immediately frozen, and Americans are barred from doing business with them.
Quote:ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON/DUBAI — Tehran has submitted its latest proposal for negotiations with the United States, Iranian state media and a Pakistani official said Friday, a move that could offer hope for breaking a deadlock in efforts to end the Iran war.
The official, involved in Pakistani mediation over the war, said Pakistan had received the proposal late Thursday and had forwarded it to the US.
Neither the official nor Iranian state news agency IRNA gave details, and the White House declined to comment, while saying negotiations continued.
Global oil prices, which remain well above $100 a barrel, eased following news of the proposal.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused unprecedented disruption to energy markets, choking off 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies and causing a record rally in oil prices.
The blockade of the vital sea channel has also increased concerns that there will be an economic downturn.
The US Navy is blocking exports of Iranian crude oil, and on Friday the US Treasury warned shippers that they risked sanctions if they paid tolls to Iran to pass through the strait.
A cease-fire has been in place since April 8, but reports that President Trump was to be briefed on plans for new military strikes to compel Iran to negotiate had pushed global oil prices up to a four-year high at one point Thursday.
Iran has activated air defenses and plans a wide response if attacked, having assessed that there will be a short, intensive US strike, possibly followed by an Israeli attack, two senior Iranian sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
‘Treacherous aggression’
Washington has not said what its next steps are. Trump said Tuesday he was unhappy with the previous proposal from Iran, and Pakistan has not set a date for new talks on ending a war that has killed thousands, mainly in Iran and Lebanon.
After US and Israeli airstrikes on February 28, Iran fired at US bases, infrastructure and US-linked companies in Gulf states, while the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel, which responded with strikes on Lebanon.
Underlining the concerns of the Gulf states, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said the “collective international will and provisions of international law” were the primary guarantors of freedom of navigation through the strait.
“And, of course, no unilateral Iranian arrangements can be trusted or relied upon following its treacherous aggression against all its neighbors,” Gargash wrote.
Quote:A retired top US general Friday said Iran’s leaders “certainly don’t care” what happens to their people — so President Trump should stop trying to negotiate and resume bombing the Middle Eastern country.
Retired Gen. Jack Keane — acting Army Chief of Staff at the start of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars — told Fox News that Iran’s merciless and violent crackdown on its own citizens show the leadership’s true colors and proves any negotiation is fruitless.
“They certainly don’t care about their people suffering,” Keane said, likely alluding to reports that Iran murdered nearly 40,000 of its own people while putting down protests in January alone, among other well-documented acts of mass violence.
“The people that think this is gonna cause a collapse and they’re gonna make a deal, I think they’re underestimating who these guys really are,” Keane said, referring to the freefall of Iran’s economy caused by the ongoing US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — which some have hoped would bring Iran to heel at the negotiating table.
Keane said that’s wishful thinking.
“We spent three weeks here trying to work something out with these guys,” he said. “What else are our options? I think option one Is return and finish what we started.”
Keane served in the US Army from 1966 to 2003, rising to vice chief of staff as a four-star general in 1999 and then acting chief of staff before he retired. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Trump in 2020, and helped coordinate US actions in the Middle East after 9/11.
His comments come as the US-Iran ceasefire dragged through its fourth week, with zero progress made in negotiations to end the war that started Feb. 28.
Iran has repeatedly refused to disavow its nuclear program — Trump’s no. 1 non-negotiable — and even no-showed and walked out of negotiation meetings during the ceasefire.
Keane said all that proves the “reality” that Iran can only be made to listen if Trump unleashes the might of the US military on Iran again.
“We can go through a list of targets — there’s leadership targets out there, there’s ballistic missiles out there, there’s the remnants of the nuclear weapons program that’s out there,” he said. “There’s drone storage, there’s energy infrastructure, etcetera.
“There’s plenty of targets that we have assigned that we want to finish.”
Quote:A record 76-day government shutdown ended on Thursday when the House voted to restart funding for much of the Department of Homeland Security, ending weeks of disruption for workers and averting looming airport delays—while leaving a fierce fight over immigration enforcement unresolved.
The bipartisan measure, approved after stalling for more than two months, keeps agencies like the Transportation Security Administration operating but excludes funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol.
The funding approval fails to end the immigration clash between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill and GOP leaders have already launched a separate effort to bankroll enforcement operations ahead of the key November midterm elections.
"Despite unrelenting predictions from many of you today in the press that we would fail this week, we did exactly the opposite," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters shortly after the vote while taking a shot at his colleagues across the aisle. "ICE and CBP are funded for 3 years. Democrats got absolutely nothing for their political charade and shenanigans out of that."
Quote:Ex-con former first son Hunter Biden may have to shell out more in child support to his former stripper baby mama, given his alleged lavish lifestyle featuring gourmet food and a mountain home with ocean views.
An Arkansas judge Thursday ordered Biden, a 56-year-old dad of five, to turn over his tax records and other financials and sit for a grilling under oath by lawyers for Lunden Roberts — with whom he shares 7-year-old daughter Navy Joan Roberts.
The ruling came as part of Roberts’ bid to have Biden start coughing up more than the $5,000 a month he currently pays her in support, since his “style of living is higher than it was previously,” Roberts’ lawyer, Clint Lancaster, argued during a video hearing, according to a transcript obtained by The Post.
Neither Roberts, 34, nor Biden were present for the oral arguments.
The fact that Biden lives in a stunning home “on the hill overlooking the ocean” in California was one of several clues showing he has more money than he did when he settled with Roberts in 2023, Lancaster argued.
Hunter’s trips overseas and meals at posh restaurants on Nantucket, a tony playground island for the rich and famous off Massachusetts, with his ex-president dad Joe Biden and stepmom Jill Biden also indicate the child-support payments should be increased, Lancaster claimed.
Navy is at the age where she has started to realize that she is a living a very different lifestyle than her estranged half-siblings, Lancaster previously argued in court papers.
Biden has four other children — three of whom he shares with ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and one he has with current wife Melissa Cohen.
Biden’s lawyer, Brent Langdon, fired back by arguing that his client is living in the same home he did at the time of the agreement and that it’s a rental his landlord renovated after the fires. During that time, Hunter was temporarily forced to move out, Langdon said.
“I just don’t think going out to dinner is a support for modification of child support when you are already paying … at least double the amount, that under child support guidelines, you should be paying,” Langdon said.
Judge Holly Meyer ruled that Roberts is at least entitled to look at Biden’s recent tax records and have her lawyers depose him to find out if he’s making more and whether his payments should increase.
Earlier in the hearing, Biden clinched a win when Meyer agreed to dismiss Roberts’ bid to hold him in contempt — and have him thrown in jail — over paintings he made and promised to give to Navy.
Roberts and Biden have been squabbling over a clause in their settlement agreement that Navy can choose 30 of artworks by Biden by June 2026 and then keep or sell them.
Quote:Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel dared to repeat the “hateful” ill-timed joke he made about first lady Melania Trump looking like an “expectant widow” in a bombed roast he delivered days before the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel, who narrowly dodged outright cancellation for making similarly distasteful jokes about Charlie Kirk’s assassination in September, took to the air with a vengeance in his Monday night show.
“This was like déjà vu for me today,” he said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Kimmel explained that his mock roast featured in last Thursday’s show was intended to mirror those that comedians usually conduct at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which were nixed for this year’s celebration.
One joke during his bit took aim at the first lady.
“Our first lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow,” Kimmel said.
He repeated the tasteless joke verbatim in his Monday night monologue following a failed assassination attempt on President Trump — and after Melania called Kimmel out for “hateful and violent rhetoric.”
At the dinner Saturday, accused gunman Cole Allen stormed into the Washington Hilton with the alleged intent to kill as many members of the Trump administration as possible.
But Kimmel on Monday swore that his performance was “a pretend roast” far removed from the purported assassination attempt.
Quote:Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr said Thursday that the decision to order an early license review for Disney’s ABC television stations is about the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — not President Trump’s clash with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
“This was based on DEI conduct and not speech,” Carr said at a press conference following the FCC’s monthly meeting.
The review, which was announced on Tuesday, came a day after Trump demanded Kimmel’s firing on Truth Social for a joke the comedian made at the expense of first lady Melania Trump on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last week.
The timing of the review has raised eyebrows, leading some critics to believe the review was in connection of the latest escalation of the skirmish between Kimmel and Trump.
The FCC first launched its Disney probe in March 2025 into whether the Mouse House was still engaging in DEI practices that flout the agency’s equal employment opportunity rules.
Carr said the information the FCC has received from Disney has caused him to suspect that the media giant is in violation of the agency’s rules against discrimination based on race and gender.
The chairman added that Disney hasn’t been completely forthcoming in its responses to the FCC’s requests for information.
“It felt like they were playing rope-a-dope,” Carr said of Disney’s response to the agency’s document demands.
Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Carr’s remarks.
A rep for Disney previously said that the company is confident that the “record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels.”
The Mouse House has until May 28 to comply with the FCC’s order. It owns eight television stations in major markets including New York and Los Angeles.
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump has signed an executive order to create retirement accounts for tens of millions of workers who don’t currently have access to a 401(k) or another workplace plan.
“I promised to make the same types of retirement accounts enjoyed by federal employees available to all Americans, and that’s what we’re doing. It only seemed fair,” he said during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office.
Low-income earners without an individual retirement account (IRA) through their employer will receive a yearly federal matching contribution of up to $1,000 each, the president noted.
That designation applies to individuals making less than $35,500 annually, heads of household making $53,250 per year, or couples making $71,000 each year jointly.
“This will be really revolutionary because they’ll be covered,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
“Nobody thought that was possible. For example, if a 25-year-old who is eligible for a Saver’s Match program invests just $165 a month under the matching federal contributions, they will have an estimated $465,000 in their account by the time they’re 65 years old,” he added.
“In other words, they’ll be rich. And there’s something awfully nice about that.”
About 56 million Americans lack access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan at work, according to Pew Research.
Those include gig workers such as Uber drivers, those who are self-employed in the trades as well as freelance and contract workers.
Small-business owners — such as those who run bodegas in the Big Apple — could also benefit.
At least 27 million are already eligible for the retirement plans — but not yet enrolled through a 2022 law that started the Saver’s Match program, allowing for the matching contributions.
A report from the Joint Committee on Taxation in Congress previously projected the Saver’s Match will spend roughly $9.3 billion on those enrolled from 2027 to 2032.
The US Treasury Department will launch the website TrumpIRA.gov on Jan. 1, 2027, to begin fielding applications.
An earlier effort under former President Barack Obama, myRA, was eliminated by the 45th president in 2017.
The initiative comes as Trump touts his administration’s efforts to improve economic outcomes ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Quote:President Trump said Friday he would consider appointing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to a cabinet position next year.
“Well, I like him a lot,” Trump told a reporter in explaining why he might appoint the term-limited governor to a top post.
DeSantis was once among Trump’s 2024 primary rivals for president, but he came in a distant second in the Iowa caucuses, and his campaign fizzled out.
The Sunshine State gov eventually endorsed Trump, and DeSantis now works closely on Trump’s priorities, including his crackdown on illegal immigration.
The ruthless personal attacks that Trump leveled against DeSantis during the primary — including referring to the Florida governor as “Ron DeSanctimonious” — have since given way to kinder regards.
The president declared DeSantis a “10 out of 10 — maybe 9.9,” when touring the Republican governor’s “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility for illegal immigrants in the Everglades in July.
The Sunshine State will also host the president’s eventual library — and the governor has already signed Florida bills to rename roads and even the airport near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate after him.
Earlier this month, DeSantis further praised Trump’s executive action aimed at “restoring order, fairness, and stability” in college athletics by, among other things, only allowing student athletes to transfer to a different school once without the penalty of being forced to sit out a season.
Most recently, DeSantis pushed new congressional maps in Florida that could net Republicans four more House seats in the 2026 midterms as Trump fights to keep Congress under GOP control.
Trump has reshuffled his cabinet in recent months, ousting Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary, Pam Bondi as attorney general and Lori Chavez-DeRemer as labor secretary.
The president has yet to nominate a permanent replacement for the AG and Labor posts.
The Florida governor has previously expressed interest in the position of defense secretary or attorney general, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal and Axios.
DeSantis’s second term as governor ends in January 2027.
Quote:The body of a missing Republican Oklahoma state Senate candidate was found in a truck in a rural area — turning his family’s world “upside down,” his devastated daughter said.
Barry Christian, a 54-year-old Trump-supporting candidate for District 38 in western Oklahoma, was discovered dead Thursday after he mysteriously vanished just two days prior, his campaign said in a news release obtained by KOCO.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed to the outlet that Christian’s 2024 charcoal gray Ram truck was found just off Highway 30, south of Erick, with a body inside.
The truck was located by a ravine near the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area. Because of where the vehicle is located, officials are unable to remove his body, delaying identification, the outlet reported.
A large campaign sign for Christian, however, was photographed eerily tossed onto the prairie land as authorities scoured the area.
The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear. The OSBI did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Christian was reported missing Tuesday after he failed to show up to a scheduled meeting. He was last seen driving his Ram truck, according to the Harmon County Sheriff’s Office.
He last posted on Facebook on Saturday, asking his district’s residents to attend a meet-and-greet at the Mangum Oklahoma Rattlesnake Festival to discuss “issues that matter most to our community.”
Quote:The body of a second missing University of South Florida grad student has been identified after a fisherman snagged his line on the corpse in a Tampa waterway, police said Friday.
The remains of chemical engineering student Nahida Bristy, 27, were confirmed through DNA after the angler found them floating in a plastic bag near the Howard Frankland Bridge, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a press conference.
Bristy’s remains were discovered Sunday not far from the body of her 27-year-old boyfriend, Zamil Limon, which was found five days earlier in a black trash bag.
“We have located Nahida Bristy,” Chronister said. “We have contacted her family. We are now actively working to release both bodies for religious reasons back to the families who live in Bangladesh.
“We were able to confirm DNA, some dental work that she had done, and the clothing that she still had on from the video that we saw.”
Hisham Saleh Abugharbieh, Limon’s roommate and a former USF student, has been charged with first-degree murder in the couple’s deaths.
A kayaker was fishing with a friend on Sunday when Chronister said he stumbled upon Bristy’s body.
“He has to go further into the mangroves. He smells something as he describes as undescribable,” the sheriff said.
“When he went and got closer to remove his fishing line, he sees that a plastic bag has been opened, there’s been salt water in there, he can’t tell what it is, but it looks like a human body. He does the right thing and contacts law enforcement.”
Limon appeared to be stabbed several times and was bound by his hands and ankles, Chronister said.
Both doctoral students hail from Bangladesh and were last seen alive on April 16.
Quote:A former JPMorgan staffer whom sources identified as Chirayu Rana has been accused of making fabricated sexual harassment claims against a high-ranking executive at the bank after an internal investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing, The Post has learned.
Multiple sources told The Post that 35-year-old Rana, now a principal at investment firm Bregal Sagemount, is the man who brought the bombshell lawsuit against Lorna Hajdini earlier this week.
Rana’s suit, filed on Monday under the pseudonym John Doe, accused the 37-year-old executive director of turning him into her “sex slave” by drugging him with Rohypnol and Viagra and threatening to slash his bonus if he did not comply.
The Daily Mail broke the story on Wednesday evening, citing lurid details from a now-retracted court document that has been withdrawn for “corrections.”
The British tabloid, quoting the now-deleted court papers, reported that Hajdini, executive director on JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team, even turned up unannounced at Rana’s apartment and forced him to have sex.
Hajdini hit back in a statement issued to The Post via her lawyers: “Lorna categorically denies the allegations. She never engaged in any inappropriate conduct with this individual of any kind and has never even been to the location where the alleged sexual assault supposedly took place.”
Rana, who did not reply to The Post’s multiple requests for comment, claimed that the alleged coercion began shortly after he joined JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team in the spring of 2024.
He filed an internal complaint in May 2025, alleging race- and gender-based harassment and abuse of power, before trying to negotiate a payoff that ran into “millions” to leave the company, sources said.
The suit also named JPMorgan Chase as a defendant, accusing the bank of retaliation and failing to investigate properly.
Daniel J. Kaiser, the attorney listed on the New York County Supreme Court docket as representing “John Doe,” did not return The Post’s calls seeking comment.
A former Chick-fil-A employee was arrested for stealing $80,000 with a mac & cheese scheme at a Texas restaurant, police say.
Keyshun Jones was fired from the store in Grapevine, outside Dallas, last November, but authorities say he would repeatedly slip back in, enter food orders on the register, and refund them to his personal credit card, Fox 4 reported.
Jones was taken into custody on April 17 after allegedly ringing up 800 orders of mac and cheese, according to the outlet.
Investigators began investigating the fromage fraud after the restaurant reported hundreds of phony refunds.
Security camera footage shows Jones behind the counter carrying out the bogus transactions, prosecutors say.
An arrest warrant was issued on April 6, court records show.
He was finally brought in by the Texas Attorney General’s Fugitive Task Force and the Fort Worth Police Department.
Jones faces charges of property theft, money laundering and evading arrest.
Quote:The University of California-Berkeley is facing heightened backlash after a Palestinian Political Prisoners Day event included a speaker with a terrorism conviction.
Israa Jaabis, a failed car suicide bomber, was released from prison in November 2023 as part of a deal to return Israeli hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. Jaabis was convicted of attempting to set off a car bomb in 2015 during a traffic stop. The incident occurred near an area where Israeli soldiers would often gather and attempt to hitchhike. Jaabis and an Israeli officer, Moshe Chen, were severely burned during the attack.
UC Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine, one of the event organizers, posted Jaabis' message to the students on Instagram.
"Firstly, I would like to thank [the students] for their attentiveness, for listening with their hearts. For many reasons, even their attendance is enough to make us feel — as liberated Palestinian prisoners — that there is someone who cares about us," Jaabis said, according to the video's English-translated subtitles.
UC Regent Jay Sures told Fox News Digital that the event featuring Jaabis was "disgusting and abhorrent."
"I think when you talk about in the larger context of the University of California, I can tell you, as one of just a couple of the Jewish regents, I'm very satisfied with the steps the administration has taken to try to curb antisemitism on campus. Having said that, there's just going to be circumstances across the campuses, across all college campuses, where there's going to be groups of people that are going to promote and justify and glorify antisemitism," Sures said.
Sures noted that the event was put on by Students for Justice in Palestine, a far-left, rabidly anti-Israel group that has been suspended or banned from multiple universities, including Columbia, American and Duke. He added that the group promotes "anti-Zionistic behavior" and said there was "absolutely no doubt that anti-Zionistic rhetoric leads to antisemitism."
"Under the First Amendment, these groups have the right to free speech. And that's just part of what it's like to live in a country where you have a First Amendment," he said.
UC Berkeley Law recently told Fox News Digital that when it came to the event with Jaabis, its hands were tied.
"As a public university, UC Berkeley has a non-discretionary obligation to abide by and support the First Amendment in a completely content-neutral manner," Alex Shapiro, assistant dean of communications, said. "We do not have the legal ability to sanction or censor constitutionally protected expression.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map Wednesday, finding the Pelican State unconstitutionally added a second majority-black House district in a major decision that is likely to pave the way for Republicans to make major redistricting gains across southern states.
Louisiana had been forced by a federal judge to create a second majority-black district in 2024 to comply with Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA), which restricts states from diluting minority votes.
The Trump administration and state officials challenged the new map, arguing it was a racial gerrymander in violation of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees all citizens equal protection under the law.
The high court agreed, with all six conservative justices voting to get rid of the 2024 boundaries.
However, the majority opinion by Justice Samuel Alito stopped short of finding Section 2 of the VRA unconstitutional, as many activists had feared.
Instead, the Supreme Court for the first time explicitly held that compliance with Section 2 can “provide a compelling reason for race-based districting” — but Louisiana’s situation did not meet that bar.
“In short, [Section 2] imposes liability only when the evidence supports a strong inference that the State intentionally drew its districts to afford minority voters less opportunity because of their race,” Alito wrote. “Not only does this interpretation follow from the plain text of [Section 2], but it is consistent with the limited authority that the Fifteenth Amendment confers.”
“Section 2 does not provide a compelling interest [in Louisiana] because the State did not need to create a new majority-minority district to comply with the Act,” he later added.
Alito’s ruling relied heavily on 1986’s Thornburg v. Gingles, which laid out four criteria for courts to determine whether a state needs to redraw its districts due to a Section 2 violation: Geographic distribution of minority voters, whether a district is “reasonably configured,” whether the minority group votes as a bloc, and the “totality of the circumstances.”
Wednesday’s opinion updated each of the four Gingles criteria to make it clear that plaintiffs have to account for partisan interests when alleging that a congressional map was an illegal racial gerrymander.
Quote:Venezuela has signed agreements with two U.S. energy firms to operate in the country as a growing number of international oil and gas companies are vying to return to the world's biggest crude resource holder.
The Venezuelan government of interim President Delcy Rodríguez has just signed agreements with U.S. firms Hunt Overseas Oil Company and Crossover Energy, which plan to operate in the Orinoco Belt, the South American country's prime oil province of heavy and extra heavy crude. The deals were signed in the presence of Jarrod Agen, President Trump's energy adviser and executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council, who arrived in Venezuela on the first direct Miami-Caracas flight in nearly a decade.
Many international companies have explored the opportunity to return or establish operations in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the U.S. taking control of Venezuelan oil sales, and the eased sanctions on operations with the Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA.
Before the January blitz in which U.S. forces captured Maduro and flew him to face drug-trafficking charges in the United States, only Chevron was authorized to operate in the country and export Venezuelan oil to the U.S.
Now European majors such as Eni, Repsol, and BP are returning to Venezuela with preliminary deals to boost oil and gas production or explore for resources, while large U.S. firms, including ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, have reportedly sent teams on the ground to evaluate opportunities.
In recent weeks, representatives of Exxon and ConocoPhillips have met with Venezuelan officials and the companies have sent technical teams to the country to evaluate opportunities, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Earlier this week, Italy's Eni and Spain's Repsol, two of the largest European energy companies, said they plan to increase natural gas production from their jointly owned Cardon IV gas field in Venezuela.
Also this week, UK-based BP signed a memorandum of understanding with Venezuela, establishing "potential areas for co-operation in material gas and future exploration," with the supermajor potentially exploring for offshore gas resources.
Quote:The number of people killed in a bombing in a volatile region in southwest Colombia rose to 20, officials said Sunday.
The attack happened Saturday when an explosive device was detonated on a bus traveling along the Pan-American Highway in the municipality of Cajibio. So far, 15 women and five men are among the victims, according to Octavio Guzmán, governor of the region of Cauca.
He wrote on X that the attack injured 36 others, three of whom are in intensive care. Guzmán noted that five of the injured are minors who are expected to recover.
Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine said that specialists including dentists, anthropologists and forensic doctors are identifying the victims.
The bombing is the latest attack in the region, with more than two dozen incidents reported in the past three days in southwestern Colombia. The region is home to illegal armed groups who vie for control of coca leaf cultivation areas and for sea and river access routes to run drug trafficking operations to Central America and Europe.
Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia’s armed forces, has described the incident as a "terrorist act." He blamed it on the network of a man known as "Iván Mordisco" — one of Colombia’s most wanted figures — and the Jaime Martínez faction. Both are dissidents of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that operate in the region.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the attacks against the civilian population and called on authorities to investigate the incidents and "guarantee justice for the victims."
Guzmán declared three days of mourning on Sunday in memory of the victims.
Quote:A Hasidic dad from Brooklyn who mysteriously disappeared in Colombia was found dismembered inside a bloodstained wardrobe — after traveling to the South American nation to meet a potential wife, his friends say.
Nachum Israel Eber’s mutilated remains were discovered inside the abandoned closet after it was dumped on a street in Bogota on Sunday — just days after his family reported him missing, local media reported.
The 51-year-old divorced father, a member of the Belz Hasidic community in Borough Park, was looking for a love connection, a pal told The Post.
“It’s a terrible tragedy,” friend Motti Dresdner said. “A person, a gentleman in his prime. He was always talking about his future, how he was going to get remarried and find a perfect bride and have a beautiful life. And to be cut off like this is very sad,” he said.
He was originally mistaken for a rabbi by Colombian police and media, but his pal said he’s a property developer and plumber.
Authorities started searching for Eber after relatives in the Big Apple reported he had suddenly gone silent and stopped answering their calls.
Surveillance video captured Eber for the last time as he left his Airbnb in Bogota shortly after 9 p.m. on April 21 before he vanished without a trace.
Quote:The son of two senior Norwegian diplomats under investigation over their ties to Jeffrey Epstein has died by suicide — after files revealed his parents took him to the pedophile’s island when he was just 10 years old.
Edward Juul Rød-Larsen, 25, who had been bequeathed $5 million by the disgraced financier, was found dead in Oslo on Wednesday, the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang reported Thursday.
His parents, Mona Juul and Terje Rød-Larsen, are both under investigation by Norwegian authorities after their alleged links to Epstein were uncovered in the files released by the Department of Justice.
In a statement released by the couple’s lawyers, they blamed the speculation about their financial ties to the dead pedophile as a contributing factor in their son’s suicide.
They called out “months of a public spotlight that has long since ceased to be critical, and has instead become suspicious, speculative and at times limitless,” Verdens Gang reported.
“A spotlight that has not only affected two parents, but has also drawn their children involuntarily into the relentless machinery of the public,” their statement continued.
The news comes just two days after Norwegian and French police announced a joint corruption investigation into the couple.
Juul was forced to resign as Norway’s ambassador to Jordan and Iraq in February as a result of the scandal, while her husband, a former president of the International Peace Institute, is also accused of gross corruption.
Rød-Larsen was pictured in the Epstein files holding up his phone, showing a social media page of a woman in a bikini.
The couple appears to have visited Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, with their children in 2011, when Edward and his twin sister would have been around 10.
Quote:An Austrian man who authorities said pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group pleaded guilty Tuesday to a foiled plot to attack one of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna.
The attempted plot in August 2024 forced the cancellation of three shows that were supposed to take place in the Austrian capital during Swift’s Eras Tour. The defendant, a 21-year-old Austrian citizen known only as Beran A. in line with Austrian privacy rules, faced charges including terrorist offenses and membership in a terrorist organization.
Anna Mair, his defense attorney, said Tuesday that her client pleaded guilty to the charges related to the concert plot.
"Of course, he deeply regrets it all," Mair added outside the court, adding that "he says it was the biggest mistake of his life."
Austrian media reported that Beran A. also pleaded guilty to being a member of a terrorist organization, according to The Associated Press.
He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and has been in custody since August 2024.
Beran A. is facing trial alongside Arda K., whose full name also has not been made public. They, along with a third man, planned to carry out simultaneous attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates during Ramadan in 2024 in the name of the Islamic State group. Beran A. and Arda K. never carried out their attacks.
Only Beran A. was charged in connection with the concert plot. He pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the plot for simultaneous attacks.
He allegedly planned to target onlookers gathered outside Ernst Happel Stadium — up to 30,000 each night, with another 65,000 inside the venue — with knives or homemade explosives.
Quote:A trainee French bus driver crashed in Paris early Thursday — sending her and her passengers into the River Seine, where the bus ended up submerged.
The bus, carrying three passengers, had just left a station around 9:30 a.m. in the Juvisy-sur-Orge region of the French capital when it hit a parked car and veered into the water, dragging the vehicle with it.
Astonishing images showed the bus submerged with a blue car floating nearby.
Bystanders rushed to pull the four people from the river as emergency crews responded with 16 fire trucks, 34 firefighters, 60 police officers and river rescue teams.
“I realized something was happening when I heard screams and I looked out the window and saw people in the water, three people who were swimming,” a witness who gave her name as Natasha told local media, according to the Telegraph.
She said she threw a lifebuoy to a young woman.
“The person grabbed it and managed to get on my terrace. She was in shock and wasn’t coherent … it was really remarkable,” she said.
Rowing coach Doriane Ledain said she saw the bus fall into the river and rushed to help.
“Two women clung to my boat. They were in shock and certainly could not swim,” she said. “They were out of strength. They weren’t talking anymore.”
“They were very lucky,” rescuer Merlin Sacotte said, adding that if help had arrived minutes later, “We wouldn’t have seen the accident and wouldn’t have been able to intervene.”
Mayor Lamia Bensarsa Reda said all four people onboard were safe.
Quote:A 13-year-old schoolboy discovered a rusty coin in a field on the outskirts of Berlin that researchers identified as a rare artifact from ancient Greece — but no one knows how it got there.
The abandoned relic was found in a field that was a popular archaeological site between the 1950s and 1970s, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.
The boy wound up becoming the first to ever find a Greek artifact in the German capital, the outlet reported.
Most goods previously excavated from the field were linked to the Iron Age, which spanned from 800 to 450 BCE.
The burgeoning antiquarian pocketed the coin and, in November 2025, innocently showed it off to researchers at a local archaeology lab.
Even the experts struggled to identify the coin.
“Nobody knew exactly what it was because it was so small. That it was something old was clear,” Jens Henker, an archaeologist with the Berlin Heritage Authority, told the magazine.
A numismatist, or a professional coin enthusiast, from the lab later identified it as a Trojan coin minted between 281 and 261 BCE, according to a news release.
The faded bust stamped on it depicts Athena, the Greek goddess of war and wisdom, wearing a Corinthian helmet. The tail features the same deity in a kalathos headdress, armed with a spear in one hand and a spindle in the other, the release said.
Experts originally suspected a well-known collector in Berlin might have misplaced the coin before they learned about the field where the boy found it.
Henker surmised that Germanic-speaking nomads who used to live in what is now Berlin likely used the precious metal in the 12-millimeter coin to make supplies.
Coins that weren’t melted down were commonly left in burial grounds “as a kind of grave gift,” Henker told German outlet Deutsche Welle.
“This appears to be like a souvenir used to remember something—perhaps even an experience in one’s life,” he said.
No one, though, could determine how the coin traveled from ancient Troy to Berlin.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:The US is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran vowed Saturday that the waterway is not open to negotiation.
The alert posted Friday by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control on Friday adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
It comes during an ongoing US blockade designed to prevent Tehran from exercising control over the strait and compel the regime to finally agree to end its nuclear program.
About a fifth of the world’s trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.
Iran effectively closed the critical waterway to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to strike ships after the US and Israel launched its war on Tehran on Feb. 28.
It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through narrow, alternative routes closer to its shoreline, while also charging fees at times for the service.
That “tollbooth” effort is the focus of the US sanctions warning.
There have been reports Iran has been shaking down shipping companies to the tune of $2 million per vessel to secure safe passage. If allowed to persist, the scheme could allow Iran to obtain a hard currency lifeline even while fending off international sanctions.
Meanwhile, violators of US sanctions risk fines of up to $1 million and 20 years in prison, according to prior Treasury Department announcments.
The payment demands that fall under the Trump administration’s warning could include transfers not only in cash but also “digital assets, offsets, informal swaps or other in-kind payments,” including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.
Quote:The war between the US and Iran is “likely” to restart, a senior Iranian official predicted on the heels of comments by President Trump that the US might be “better off” without an agreement.
A “renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely,” said Mohammad Jafar Asadi, a high-level officer in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran wants the US to test its strength, said Ali Rafiei Atani, an IRGC commander in Qazvin province.
“We hope America makes a mistake and tests its power on the ground as well. It was defeated at sea and in the air, and we would like it to test itself on the ground too,” claiming the conflict had “shattered America’s hollow power.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an Iran hawk and a prominent Trump ally, is calling on the president to “finish the job” with more strikes if Tehran continues to be “provocative.”
“We have the capability to increase ship flow” through the Strait of Hormuz, Graham told the Financial Times in an interview conducted Thursday and published Saturday.
The US should do “whatever combination of events is necessary to start the flow” through the Strait, which handles 20% of the world’s oil shipping, Graham said.
Iran’s leadership, which has been decimated by US strikes, wants to reopen the Strait and end the US blockade before reestablishing nuclear talks, according to details of its latest counterproposal, which was presented to intermediaries in Pakistan.
Quote:Iran fired off its latest rhetorical shot at the US — unveiling a huge billboard in Tehran of President Trump’s face with an image of a choked Strait of Hormuz draped across it.
The strait, a vital waterway that is just 21 miles across at its narrowest point, is depicted as stitched shut right between Trump’s nose and upper lip.
The building-sized image, seen Saturday in Tehran, includes only a short blurb of text in Farsi and English: “At the Breaking Point” — and comes as the two countries trade threats about a return to military hostilities.
The regime in Tehran has long used propaganda to needle the US, even before it began lobbing missiles at Israel and Gulf allies in response to the devastating joint US-Israeli attack on Feb. 28.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been communicating only through written statements since he succeeded his late father — who was killed in the war’s opening strikes — once again called the US the “great Satan” in a message last week.
The strait has become the key economic pressure point in the war and the fragile yet continuing cease-fire.
Tehran has threatened ships and demanded “toll” payments in exchange for safe passage through the corridor, in turn driving up the price of oil in the global market, while the US imposed a blockade on Iran’s economic lifeline.
The waterway’s nearly complete closure has caused oil prices to spike above $116 per barrel — a nearly 60% jump since the start of the conflict.
Another much smaller billboard seen inside Tehran’s subway also pictures Trump, kneeling in submission with his head bowed, while extending his hand with a wad of cash.
It includes commentary stating Iran could haul in $110 billion each year by charging each vessel $2 million to get through the strait — a “toll” system that the US and the UN International Maritime Organization have said the Iranian regime cannot be allowed to impose on an international waterway.
Quote:A cargo ship was struck by multiple small craft while sailing near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, UK military officials said.
The ship, which was not immediately identified, was hit right off the coast of Sirik, Iran, just east of the strait, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre.
All crew members were reported safe, with no group immediately claiming responsibility for the attack.
Iran’s military, however, has repeatedly warned any ship that tries to navigate the strait would be attacked unless they pay a toll and prove they are not affiliated with the US or Israel.
The vessel was heading north into the Persian Gulf — not trying to exit it.
There have been at least two dozen attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the war with Iran began, with Sunday’s strike marking the first since April 22.
Tehran has effectively shut down the key oil chokepoint with repeated attacks and threats on cargo ships and tankers that tried to sail through.
Despite the US and Israel sinking Iran’s navy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps maintains a fleet of small patrol boats along the strait.
President Trump ordered last month to “shoot and kill” any small boats that pose a threat to shipping traffic.
The Islamic Republic has warned that the Strait of Hormuz, which once saw the transport of 20% of the world’s oil supply, will remain under its control regardless of the outcome of the tenuous peace talks with the US.
“[Tehran] “will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions,” Iran’s deputy parliament speaker said Sunday.
Quote:President Trump said late Saturday that he is reviewing Iran’s latest proposal for ending the war as tensions with the Islamic Republic continue to mount.
“I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump made the post shortly after talking to reporters as he boarded Air Force One in Florida, and expressed skepticism about the possibility of a deal.
“I’ll let you know about it later,” he said, adding that “they’re going to give me the exact wording now.”
The announcement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scheduled a meeting of his security cabinet for Sunday.
Trump told reporters in West Palm Beach earlier Saturday there was a chance the U.S. could restart strikes on the Islamic Republic.
“If they misbehave, if they do something bad — but right now, we’ll see. It’s a possibility that could happen, certainly,” Trump said.
Worries of renewed armed conflict have been mounting after President Trump said he wasn’t satisfied with an apparent earlier Iranian offer amid prolonged diplomatic talks over the country’s nuclear weapons program and closure of the Straight of Hormuz.
“They want to make a deal, I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters at the White House Friday.
He claimed that the Iranian government wanted to make a deal “so badly” but was too disjointed to make the concessions necessary to reach an agreement with the United States.
“They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to,” Trump said.
Iran has demanded the U.S. lift its blockade of the Straight of Hormuz before discussing the nuclear issue.
The U.S. blocked Iranian ships from using the maritime passageway after the Ayatollah regime cut off use of the straight for international commerce.
Iranian officials warned of a return to kinetic war after Trump suggested that the United States might be better off without a deal at an event in West Palm Beach also on Friday.
Quote:Iran’s imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been urgently transferred from prison to a hospital in northwestern Iran after a “catastrophic deterioration” of her health, her foundation said Friday.
The Narges Mohammadi Foundation said the Nobel Prize laureate had two episodes of complete loss of consciousness and a severe cardiac crisis.
Earlier Friday, Mohammadi had fainted twice in prison in Zanjan in northwestern Iran, according to the foundation.
She was believed to have suffered a heart attack in late March, according to her lawyers who visited her a few days after the incident.
At the time, she appeared pale, underweight and needed a nurse to help her walk.
The hospital transfer comes “after 140 days of systematic medical neglect,” since her arrest on Dec. 12, the foundation said.
“This transfer was done as an unavoidable necessity after prison doctors determined her condition could not be managed on-site, despite standing medical recommendations that she be treated by her specialized team in Tehran,” the foundation said.
Help may be little too late, family says
Mohammadi’s family had advocated for her transfer to adequate medical facilities for weeks.
The foundation, quoting her family, said her transfer Friday to a hospital in Zanjan was “a desperate, ‘last-minute’ action that may be too late to address her critical needs.”
Mohammadi’s brother Hamidreza Mohammadi, who lives in Oslo, Norway, said in an audio message shared with The Associated Press by the foundation that her family is “fighting for her life.”
Quote:OPEC+ has agreed an increase in oil output of 188,000 barrels per day, the cartel said on Sunday, as it pushes on with production in the first meeting since the loss of its key member, the United Arab Emirates.
The group of seven major oil producers announced it would increase June production by slightly less than May's output hike of 206,000 bpd. Sunday's figure excludes the United Arab Emirates share of output, which officially departed OPEC on May 1.
The seven countries included Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman.
"In their collective commitment to support oil market stability, the seven participating countries decided to implement a production adjustment of 188 thousand barrels per day from the additional voluntary adjustments announced in April 2023," OPEC said in its statement.
Oil supply has been choked since the Iran war began on February 28, as the Strait of Hormuz – a vital shipping route for global oil and gas supplies – has remained effectively closed.
Oil prices fell Friday after Iran sent an updated peace proposal to mediators in Pakistan, raising hopes again that a settlement with the U.S. is still possible.
U.S. crude oil futures fell 3% to close at $101.94 per barrel. The international benchmark Brent crude lost nearly 2% to settle at $108.17. Both are nearly 78% higher since the start of 2026.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had been told about the concept of a deal with Iran, but was waiting for the exact wording, while warning there was still the possibility of restarting strikes on the country if Tehran misbehaves.
Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official as saying on Saturday that an Iranian proposal so far rejected by Trump would open shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. blockade of Iran while leaving talks on Iran's nuclear program for later.
Concerns around production were amplified further on Tuesday with news of the shock departure of the UAE, the cartel's third-largest producer.
The Gulf state concluded that exiting the group was in its national interest following a comprehensive review of its production policy and capacity, the Energy Ministry said in a written statement.
The UAE had played an influential role in OPEC's decisions over nearly six decades and was the group's third-largest oil producer in February, behind Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
Quote:Iran has received a US response to its latest peace proposal, Iranian state-linked media have said.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said the response - which was delivered via Pakistan - was now being reviewed, according to Tasnim news agency.
The US is yet to confirm it has replied to Tehran. On Saturday, President Donald Trump he would "soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can't imagine that it would be acceptable".
Iranian state media said Tehran's 14-point plan asked Washington to withdraw its forces from near Iran's borders, end its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and for all hostilities - including Israel's offensive in Lebanon - to cease.
It also called for an agreement between the two countries to be reached within 30 days.
Iranian state media added that the proposal urged the two warring sides to focus on "ending the war" rather than extending a current ceasefire.
Referring to the proposal, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social late on Saturday: "They have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years."
Speaking to reporters on the same day in Palm Beach, Florida, he said he had yet to look over the plan in detail.
"They told me about the concept of the deal," he said. "They're going to give me the exact wording now."
Asked by the BBC about the possibility of renewing military strikes against targets inside Iran, Trump said that it was "a possibility".
"If they misbehave. If they do something bad," he said. "But right now we'll see."
Trump appeared disinclined to withdraw from the conflict entirely, saying that "we're not leaving" and that "we're going to do it, so nobody has to go back in two years or five years."
The Iranian state-linked agencies said Tehran's latest proposal was in response to a nine-point US plan, which envisaged a two-month ceasefire.
Quote:US Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is calling out the Pentagon for sitting on $400 million in aid to Ukraine authorized by Congress.
McConnell, who heads the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, directly called out Undersecretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby, saying he has filed to furnish Ukraine with the aid approved by congress in December.
“The Ukraine aid we passed months ago is now collecting dust at the Pentagon,” McConnell, the former longtime Senate Majority Leader, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed.
“When Senate appropriators have sought an explanation from the department’s policy shop, led by Undersecretary Elbridge Colby, they’ve been stonewalled,” the senator added.
Republican majorities approved a $900 billion National Defense Authorization Act that earmarked $400 million for Ukraine in 2026, and another $400 million next year.
The funds were specifically set to pay for the production and transport of high-priority weapons crafted by US companies for Ukraine’s armed forces, which have been beating back Russia’s invasion for more than four years.
McConnell, who hailed support for Ukraine as a boon for America’s defense industrial base, accused Colby of repeatedly getting in the way of assisting Ukraine.
“This doesn’t seem to be a first for Colby. Last year, he was reportedly behind the decision to suspend arms shipments to Kyiv — a decision that one source said caught President Donald Trump ‘flat-footed,’” McConnell wrote.
“Colby also determined that security assistance to Ukraine and America’s NATO allies in the Baltics was ‘wasteful’ and removed these long-standing efforts from the fiscal 2026 budget request,” he added.
“The Pentagon’s approach of withholding or slow-rolling support to Ukraine is in effect the same strategy President Joe Biden deployed.”
Quote:Ukrainian officials said Saturday that “unusual activity” and “minor provocations” were seen on the Belarusian side of its border, leading to fears of escalation in its four-year long war with Russia.
The Russian ally has increased military activity in recent weeks — building roads toward the neighboring war-torn country and setting up artillery positions, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
“Yesterday, there was rather unusual activity along sections of the Ukraine–Belarus border – on the Belarusian side,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X without offering specifics.
“Ukraine is ready to defend its people and its sovereignty. Everyone who is being drawn into any aggressive actions against Ukraine must understand this.”
Belarus and Aleksandr Lukashenko, its autocratic leader, are one of the Kremlin’s most loyal allies. Its territory was used as a staging ground for the launch of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
But the recent activity along the Ukrainian border marks a concerning escalation for Kyiv.
Zelensky believes the move is a ruse by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to draw Ukrainian troops to the northern border as the number of his own dwindle.
“We believe that Russia may once again attempt to drag Belarus into its war,” Zelensky warned this month.
“We are also observing attempts by the occupying forces to regroup — most likely in order to compensate for a shortage of personnel. In this context, it is becoming increasingly clear why military activity in Belarus has increased.”
Quote:NATO air forces were scrambled after Russian drones approached alliance airspace during overnight attacks near Ukraine, with one drone briefly entering airspace and triggering security alerts.
Two Romanian F‑16 fighter jets took off around 02:00 local time on the morning of Saturday, May 2, from the 86th Air Base in Fetești after Russian drones approached NATO airspace, prompting authorities to issue emergency RO‑Alert warnings in northern Tulcea County, according to Romania's Ministry of National Defense.
The incident underscores how Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to spill toward NATO territory, increasing the risk of escalation through miscalculation rather than intent.
Residents in northern Tulcea County were placed on alert, while Romanian forces coordinated in real time with NATO allies and raised air‑defense readiness.
Why It Matters
Russian drone activity near NATO borders has become a recurring feature of the war, forcing alliance members into repeated defensive responses.
Each incident tests NATO’s air policing posture and raises the risk of miscalculation, particularly given that any attack on a member state could, in extreme circumstances, trigger Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty, which treats an attack on one ally as an attack on all.
What To Know
Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said Russian forces launched overnight drone attacks on Ukrainian civilian and infrastructure targets near the Danube River border with Romania.
"The Ministry of National Defense informs allied structures in real time about the situations generated by the attacks, remaining in permanent contact with them," the department said.
Military radar systems tracked a group of 20 Russian Federation aerial drones operating near NATO airspace, moving towards the area of Ismail, Ukraine, with some objects confirmed to have crossed into Romanian territory.
As a precaution, NATO fighter jets assigned to Romania’s Air Police combat service were scrambled.
Quote:Two senior US Republican lawmakers have criticised a decision by the Pentagon to cut 5,000 US troops stationed in Germany, saying it risked undermining deterrence and would send the wrong signal to Russia.
Roger Wicker and Mike Rogers, who chair the Senate and House armed services committees respectively, said that rather than being withdrawn, those troops should be moved further east.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell on Friday said the move followed a thorough review and recognised "theater requirements and conditions on the ground".
On Saturday, President Donald Trump said further cuts could take place, without providing details. The US has more than 36,000 active duty troops in Germany.
Germany's defence minister said the Pentagon decision was "foreseeable".
Speaking to the DPA news agency, Boris Pistorius also stressed "the presence of American soldiers in Europe, and particularly in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the US".
The Nato military alliance said it was seeking clarification from Washington.
In a joint statement, Wicker and Rogers said they were "very concerned by the decision to withdraw a US brigade from Germany" as European allies move towards spending more of their economic output (GDP) on defence.
"Prematurely reducing America's forward presence in Europe before those capabilities are fully realised risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin," the statement said.
"Rather than withdrawing forces from the continent altogether, it is in America's interest to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe by moving these 5,000 U.S. forces to the east."
The senior Democrat on the House armed services committee, Adam Smith, said the decision was "not grounded in any coherent US national security policy, strategy, or even analysis" but based on "the hurt feelings of a president who is seeking political vengeance".
However, Clay Higgins, a Republican on the same committee, appeared to support the administration's move while taking a dig at perceived time-wasting by the upper chamber of Congress.
"Pulling 5K American troops from the arrogant Germans. Maybe we should send them the Senate," he said on X.
"Better match, and western Europe would be so well protected by the League of the Royal Filibuster."
Quote:Russian drone and missile strikes in Ukraine have killed 10 people and injured at least 76 over the past day, Ukrainian officials say.
Officials in five regions around the country reported fatalities as Moscow continues to target Ukrainian cities with regular drone and missile attacks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said three Russian oil tankers, a cruise-missile carrier warship and a patrol boat were struck in separate attacks on two Russian ports.
There are no details on damage to the ships, but Zelensky said the tankers were part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to evade Western sanctions imposed over Moscow's full-scale invasion launched in 2022.
Ukraine's air force said 269 drones were fired by Russia overnight, but 249 of them were shot down or jammed.
It confirmed 19 direct drone hits and one ballistic missile hit in 15 locations, as well as damage caused by falling debris from one drone.
Ukrainian officials said three people were killed in separate incidents in Kherson region, while two died in each of Odesa, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and one in Sumy region.
At the same time, Russia's military said Ukraine had fired at least 334 drones, with the north-western Leningrad region heavily targeted.
Export terminals there and in other regions have been targeted by Ukraine in recent weeks in a series of successful strikes launched by Ukraine on Russian oil infrastructure, which Kyiv says has knocked out billions of dollars worth of exports.
On Sunday, Zelensky said infrastructure of the north-western Primorsk terminal on the Baltic Sea, near Finland, had been significantly damaged, and an oil tanker and a patrol boat were hit.
He added that the third vessel struck there was a Karakurt class corvette designed to carry Kalibr cruise missiles.
The Ukrainian leader earlier said that another two oil tankers were hit by Ukrainian drones at the entrance to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
"These tankers were actively used for transporting oil. Now they will not be," he wrote on Telegram.
The post was accompanied by black-and-white video footage apparently showing a naval drone approaching one of the tankers.
Russian authorities have mostly downplayed the impact of such attacks, but the Kremlin is clearly concerned about the deep reach of Ukrainian drones into its territory.
On Wednesday the Kremlin announced it was paring back its annual military parade to mark Victory Day - the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two, on 9 May - due to what it said was the "terrorist threat" from Ukraine.
Ukraine has recently intensified its drone strikes deep inside Russia, more than four years into Russia's full-scale invasion.
Kyiv says it is hitting legitimate military targets, and in turn accuses Moscow of attacking civilians in Ukraine.
Quote:The retired Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden told The Post there’s one mission he would have come back for.
“The Maduro raid — I had two immense feelings: I felt extreme pride and a little . . . jealousy,” Robert O’Neill said.
The stealth operation in January saw US forces snatch Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro at his Caracas home. He is now being held in a federal prison in Brooklyn, awaiting trial on narco-terrorism charges.
“Oh man, I wish they recalled me to do that mission, that was so much more complex than what we did — you’re taking out the president of a country without killing him. You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.”
O’Neill says the Maduro raid and the ongoing war with Iran are not isolated events. He sees them as moves in a larger chess game vs. communist China.
“This is a big push to take away China’s ability to invade Taiwan,” he said. With Venezuelan and Iranian oil cut off, China will lack the resources to launch a full-scale invasion of the island nation.
“They can’t invade Taiwan if they don’t have power,” he explained.
Taiwan represents an essential strategic interest of the US, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. It produces 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors and lies at a key chokepoint in the South China Sea.
Quote:Liberal icon, former Rep. Barney Frank, who is dying of congestive heart failure, spoke out from hospice to deliver a stark warning to Democrats for swinging too far to the left on social issues — and said it will cost them with voters.
The 86-year-old former congressman, who is famous for fighting to legalize same-sex marriage and pushing to regulate Wall Street after the 2008 financial meltdown, hopes his lefty bona fides will help his message resonate with the far left.
“It’s precisely because I have been on the left that I have undertaken this,” Frank told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “Many of us fought to get inequality on the Democratic agenda.”
“But the problem was, as we succeeded in bringing the mainstream of the left into a concern with inequality, we also enabled people who wanted to use that as a platform for a wide range of social and cultural changes, some of which the public isn’t ready for.”
Frank is set to release a scathing book rebuking the left flank of the Democratic Party later this year. His main message to lefties is to be more strategic about how far to push on social issues.
“We didn’t get to marriage until after these other things had been resolved,” Frank argued.
“And that’s what I’m suggesting that we do today. The analogy is males and female transsexuals playing sports that are for women.”
“I understand there’s a lot of anger about that,” he continued. “And I think, in the interest of the transgender community, as well as others, it would be better to go at that in a more granular way, and not simply announce that, if you don’t support it, you’re a homophobe.”
Quote:U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the government now has evidence suspected gunman Cole Allen shot a federal agent during an alleged attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump at last weekend’s White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner.
“We now can establish that a pellet that came from the buckshot from the defendant's Mossberg pump-action shotgun was intertwined with the fiber of the vest of the Secret Service officer,” Pirro said during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday.
Why It Matters
Until now, it had been unclear whether investigators would be able to produce direct forensic evidence linking the suspect’s weapon to an injury during the chaotic exchange of gunfire.
Early accounts focused on intent and the rapid intervention by security, with officials noting the Secret Service officer was protected by a ballistic vest and no serious injuries were immediately reported. Determining whether a round physically struck an officer—and conclusively tying that projectile to a specific weapon—can take time, making Pirro’s disclosure of ballistic evidence a significant development in the case.
What to Know
Pirro’s comments come as Allen faces federal charges connected to the shooting, including attempted assassination of the president and assault on a federal officer. Authorities allege Allen rushed a security checkpoint outside the dinner at the Washington Hilton armed with a shotgun, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service personnel tasked with protecting Trump and other attendees. The president was not injured.
"It is definitively his bullet he hit at that Secret Service agent," Pirro told host Jake Tapper on Sunday about Allen. "He had every intention to kill him, and anyone who got in his way, on his way to killing the president of the United States. This was a premeditated, violent act, calculated to take down the president, and anyone who was in the line of fire."
Sunday's disclosure by Pirro strengthens the government’s narrative Allen fired directly at law enforcement during the incident, a key element in supporting the most serious charges filed in the case. Allen has not entered a plea, and his attorneys have previously questioned aspects of the government’s evidence. The investigation remains ongoing as the case moves through federal court.
Quote:Cole Allen thought he was “Rambo” and armed himself “to the teeth” to try to kill President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, DC’s top law-enforcement official revealed Sunday.
Jeanine Pirro, US attorney for the District of Columbia, stressed it wasn’t friendly fire but Allen, 31, who shot a Secret Service officer when he stormed the Washington Hilton last month, and that she is confident her team can prove the “brilliant Caltech grad intended to kill Trump.
“Clearly, the president is a target. And make no mistake, it is not just the manifesto. It is his actions,” Pirro told CNN’s “State of the Union,” referring to Allen’s alleged hate-fueled missive in which the mechanical-engineering grad and former NASA intern outlined his violent plans while calling himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen.”
“I mean, this guy thought he was Rambo,” said Pirro, who was among the administration officials at the dinner at the time of the shooting.
“I mean, he was armed to the teeth.
“And he takes a picture of himself. He is smug, he is proud, and he is focused on what he’s doing,” she said, noting selfies the suspect took in his hotel before the shooting.
Allen, the son of a church leader, was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives when he stormed the security perimeter a floor above the ballroom where Trump, administration officials and hundreds of reporters were on April 25, according to authorities.
In the suspect’s alleged manifesto, which was first revealed by The Post, he stated his targets were “Administration officials (not including [FBI chief] Mr. [Kash] Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.”
The manifesto did not mention Trump by name, though there was one line that said, “And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”
Pirro was unsure about whether that was a reference to Trump when asked about it Sunday.
“You’re going to have to ask him that. I don’t really care,” she said, referring to Allen.
Quote:An unruly man was hauled into custody by the Secret Service at President Trump’s Florida golf course Saturday afternoon – just one week after gunfire erupted at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The unidentified suspect was arrested at a security checkpoint at Trump Doral National Golf Club around 4:15 p.m. after allegedly causing a chaotic scene, defying orders, and getting physical with a Secret Service agent, according to the Secret Service and the Doral Police Department.
Trump was not on site when the incident unfolded.
Video shared on social media by conservative provocateur Nick Sortor showed the individual shuffling in place as he was cuffed after allegedly “setting off magnetometers” at an entry screening area.
The security stop was manned by federal agents and law enforcement officers.
“At no point did this situation impact the established security posture for any upcoming visits to Trump Doral National Golf Club by Secret Service protectees,” Michael Townsend, acting special agent in charge of Secret Service Miami told The Post.
The agitator was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting without violence.
He is now being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami, police said.
The incident comes after alleged shooter Cole Allen charged through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton while armed with a shotgun, knives and other weapons, in an attempt to assassinate Trump and members of his cabinet during last weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The California teacher is charged with attempting to assassinate the president, transporting weapons across state lines with intent to commit a felony, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
If convicted, the 31-year-old would-be assassin faces up to life in prison.
Quote:Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has revealed he has more damning evidence of former FBI Director James Comey’s alleged threats against President Trump — and said it wasn’t just the viral “86 47” Instagram post that got him arrested again.
“Rest assured that the career assistant United States attorneys in North Carolina, the career FBI agents, the career Secret Service agents that investigated this case didn’t just look at the Instagram post and walk away,” Blanche told Kristen Welker on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“That’s why you saw an indictment last week, notwithstanding the fact that it was last May that the post was made,” he added.
“So I am not permitted to get into the details of what the grand jury heard or found, as you know. But rest assured that it’s not just the Instagram post that leads somebody to get indicted,” Blanche said.
Comey was indicted on Tuesday by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina over his alleged threats against Trump.
The only potential threat mentioned in the three-page indictment was a photo he posted on Instagram in May 2025 of seashells on a beach spelling out “86 47,” which the Justice Department said was a threat to kill the president.
But on “Meet the Press,” Blanche said that other people who wore or posted those letters would not be indicted.
“[It is] posted constantly — that phrase is used constantly,” Blanche said.
Quote:The chair of the California Republican Party and other conservatives on social media are calling for the vice mayor of Los Altos, California, Larry Lang, to resign after he posted “86 47” on social media multiple times, including in response to one of the state Republican Party’s Facebook posts.
The now-deleted posts, screenshots of which were shared by the California Republican Party and reviewed by Fox News Digital, show that at some point this week Lang updated his Facebook “cover photo” so it was the same image of a “86 47” seashell formation reading that resulted in former FBI Director James Comey getting indicted in federal court last month for threats against the president.
Meanwhile, Lang also commented “86 47” on a post shared by the California Republican Party earlier this week on Facebook. The clip included a news segment featuring California GOP Chairperson Corrin Rankin talking about a recent debate between California’s current gubernatorial candidates. She argued during the segment that Democrats in the state “have no solutions,” adding that Californians are ready for new leadership after 16 years of Democratic Party rule in the state.
“This death threat directed at Donald Trump is unacceptable. Either this elected ‘leader’ is completely unaware of recent events, or he is somehow fueling the violence that erodes our political system,” Rankin said Friday in a post on X that included calls for Lang to resign. “Los Altos deserves leaders who unite the community and focus on solutions.”
The California GOP also echoed Rankin’s remarks, pleading with Democrats to “stop advocating for the death of Donald Trump and Republicans.”
When reached for comment about the “86 47” posts, Lang’s email address returned an automatic response indicating he was “traveling” until May 4. His Facebook “cover photo” indicated it had been changed Friday.
Lang is the vice mayor of the Los Altos City Council and also sits on over half-a-dozen regional boards of directors. Fox News Digital also reached out to city council members in Los Altos for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Quote:A Southwest Airlines flight attendant prayed for President Trump’s assassination on social media after a gunman breached security at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Michele Carpino made the perverse plea on her Facebook page just minutes after news broke that would-be assassin Cole Allen stormed the annual black-tie Washington press bash last Saturday.
“Oh please sweet baby Jesus,” Carpino wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post, Libs of TikTok reported.
“WE NEED BETTER ASSASSIN’S! [sic],” she commented after Allen was thwarted by Secret Service agents.
Carpino has a history of posting disturbing anti-Trump screeds on social media.
“One day we will wake up to his obituary,” read one post from July 10, 2024, just three days before the Butler, Pa., assassination attempt on Trump.
Another post uncovered by Libs of TikTok, Carpino posted the phrase “86 47.” The term “86” is commonly used in restaurants and bars to mean that an item should be discarded or that service should be refused. “47” referred to Trump.
That term was posted to social media by former FBI director James Comey on May 15, 2025, leading to his federal indictment April 28. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called Comey’s post an illegal threat to “take the life of” the president.
Elsewhere, Carpino referred to MAGA as “hillbilly ISIS” and had multiple Facebook posts using the phrase “F–K ICE.”
Potential Southwest customers were mortified by the posts.
That flight attendant is totally crazy! How could she ask for Trump's assassination!?
Quote:Nine people were arrested as a mob of anti-ICE protesters descended on a Brooklyn hospital and tangled with law enforcement in a chaotic, caught-on-video clash on Saturday night, cops said.
The unruly group of around 100 activists arrived outside Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick after they got wind that federal immigration agents were in the neighborhood and had taken a man in their custody to the hospital for medical attention, City Council member Sandy Nurse said on X.
The mob quickly flooded the streets in front of and around the hospital in what appeared to be an attempt to block the ICE agents from leaving with the man, video shows.
Cops responded to the disorderly crowd – who were blocking traffic and emergency entrances and exits to the hospital – around 10:25 p.m., the NYPD said.
Officers on the scene requested that protesters disperse and step back onto the sidewalk, cops said.
But tensions between cops and protesters quickly heated up, leading to an hours-long standoff between the groups.
Videos on social media show scenes of bedlam around the hospital.
Protesters are seen jeering and yelling obscenities at cops as trash cans are strewn across the street.
In one instance, a small scuffle between a police officer and a protester turns into a massive brawl, with cops and demonstrators tackling and swinging on each other.
The chaos came to its peak when ICE agents left the hospital with the man in their custody around 2 a.m. Sunday morning, wildly dousing the crowd with pepper spray and speeding away in an SUV – but not before banging into a person in the crowd, amNY reported.
Quote:An illegal migrant on Long Island fatally butchered a beloved mom of two and another woman in separate savage attacks — before calling cops and calmly confessing he “killed somebody,’’ police said.
Rony Yahir Alvarenga Rivera, 22, of El Salvador — who entered the US as an unaccompanied 12-year-old in 2016 — knifed a 42-year-old coworker to death at an Island Park Wendy’s around 12:30 a.m. Friday, authorities said.
The victim, identified by CBS-TV News as Ana Maria de Aguila Cordova, a mother of two from Long Beach, was taking out the trash when she was ambushed.
“I can’t stop crying,’’ a weeping female Wendy’s coworker told The Post on Sunday, pointing to the blood-stained spot on the sidewalk outside the fast-food restaurant where the hardworking mother was killed.
Three hours earlier, around 9 p.m. Thursday, Rivera had hacked his 32-year-old roommate to death at their Valley Stream apartment, according to Nassau County police.
He later went to his job at Wendy’s and killed his second victim, cops said.
Both of the dead women suffered brutal stab wounds to the neck and torso.
Rivera then allegedly called the police and told them what he had done.
“While we were at the [Wendy’s] scene, we received information that an individual was stopped at 169 Atlantic Avenue in Lynbrook,” Detective Lt. George Darienzo said.
“He asked to see police and when police arrived, he said he killed somebody that night,” he said.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said at a press briefing, “This didn’t have to happen.
“This is just an example of what happens when you have open borders.
“Why are we letting an unaccompanied minor into our country to run around, basically without any supervision whatsoever?” Blakeman said. “And then that individual grows up and automatically gets legal status in our country. This is a policy today that resulted in two women getting killed.
Durianzo said police had first responded to a 911 call at the Wendy’s at 33 Austin Blvd. in North Long Beach on reports of a man with a knife.
Quote:A crazed United Airlines passenger has been arrested after allegedly attacking a flight attendant and trying to storm the cockpit as the plane landed at Newark Liberty International Airport.
United Flight 1837 had just arrived from the Dominican Republic at around 6 p.m. Saturday when the pilot was forced to declare an emergency on board.
Wild audio of the conversation between air traffic control and one of the crew members captures the chaotic scenes on arrival at the New Jersey hub.
“We’re declaring an emergency, seems like someone just attacked one of our flight attendants,” the crew member tells air traffic controllers.
The crew member asks for emergency vehicles to come and meet the plane on the runway and deal with the passenger.
“A gentleman just attacked one of the flight attendants and tried to open the forward main cabin door,” the crew member continues.
United Airlines Flight 1837, a Boeing 737 Max, declared an emergency at Newark this evening after a passenger allegedly attacked a flight attendant and attempted to access the cockpit. pic.twitter.com/Bwls83oYEU
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 3, 2026
“Tried to gain access to the flight deck.”
“Oh my god,” the ATC worker responds.
Police detained a 48-year-old passenger at the gate and took him to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, Newark Airport’s operator The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told The post.
Quote:Passengers were left scrambling to find their way home from Los Angeles International Airport over the weekend after Spirit Airlines abruptly shuttered operations.
“There’s no way that we can get it back, especially the Airbnb and all the expenses that we did for trips,” Paloma Zuniga, who was supposed to fly from LAX to New York this week, told NBC Los Angeles. “It’s crazy what’s going on.”
The budget airline made the shocking announcement on Saturday, citing the increase in oil prices and “other pressures” that left the company with “no choice” but to shut down after 34 years in business.
“The wind-down follows the Company’s extensive and comprehensive efforts to restructure the business and pursue transactions to strengthen Spirit’s financial position and create a sustainable path forward,” the company said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, despite the Company’s efforts, the recent material increase in oil prices and other pressures on the business have significantly impacted Spirit’s financial outlook.”
The Spirit counter at LAX in Terminal 2 looked like a ghost town, with no one working the counters and the kiosks informing passengers the airline is no longer in business, according to the outlet.
“All Spirit flights have been cancelled, and Spirit Guests should not go to the airport,” the company said in a statement.
Frequent flyers are now demanding Spirit issue refunds as they struggle to find a new way home with the high cost of travel and booking a last minute ticket that costs hundreds of dollars with a different airline.
“We need to be compensated,” Artyna Thomas Luke, who was planning to head back home to Texas from LA, said. “We need to be taken care of and we need to be able to get back to our destination.”
While Spirit said it will automatically issue refunds, some flyers told the outlet that they have yet to receive any money.
Luke questioned why the airline didn’t give passengers more of a notice.
Quote:Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., pushed back against criticism of U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner over his "Nazi tattoo" and past online comments, arguing that Platner’s behavior may be linked to PTSD stemming from his deployment to Afghanistan and that he deserves a second chance.
Platner, an Army and Marine Corps veteran, is vying to unseat Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Now that Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her Senate campaign Thursday, Platner has become the leading Democratic candidate in Maine’s U.S. Senate race.
In an interview with Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer, Van Hollen described Platner as a candidate that "can beat Susan Collins" and appeal to a broad coalition of supporters, particularly blue-collar workers, labor groups and Native American tribes. Van Hollen said although Platner has had his "ups and downs," he has proven able to connect with voters.
"The dude has a Nazi tattoo," Sherman asked. "How do you view that?" He went on to suggest that would be "disqualifying" to run for office.
"Let's take a couple issues, including the comments he's made in the past," Van Hollen said. "I mean, he's been very clear that he went into combat on behalf of the United States. He went through a really rough period, a PTSD-type period."
"He himself said there are lots of things he's done and said that he completely regrets, and I do believe people should have second chances and that people can learn from their mistakes, and I think he's been doing that," Van Hollen continued.
In October, Platner told reporters that a tattoo on his chest resembling the Totenkopf, a skull-and-crossbones symbol associated with Nazi police, had been covered.
In past Reddit posts, Platner said he was a "communist," accused rural White Americans of being racist and stupid, and said police officers were "bastards." Platner said he was seeking "to get a rise out of people" with his Reddit posts.
Platner has received the endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and shares his vision of implementing socialist policies like "Medicare-for-all" and dismantling the billionaire class.
Quote:A US Senate candidate in Michigan is under fire for past social media posts where she not only looked down on “Middle America” but also proclaimed her love for California — so much so that she even voted in California elections while supposedly in Michigan.
Democrat Mallory McMorrow deleted thousands of tweets, some of which defended “coastal elites,” after The New York Post first reported on them last year.
McMurrow wrote in her 2025 autobiography that she “relocated permanently” to Michigan in 2014. But there are tweets where she said she was a California resident and voter as late as July 2016.
Born in New Jersey, the candidate had lived in the Golden State to work various jobs, according to her LinkedIn.
She was a designer for toy company Mattel in El Segundo in 2012, and she was later back in the state after a stint in New York as a director of creative strategy for a production studio in Venice, California, until 2015.
Her first Michigan-based job listed on her LinkedIn began in July 2017.
McMurrow’s campaign explained the discrepancy to news outlets, saying her move was a “process” completed by mid-2016 and that she remained registered in California until then.
Analysis of the deleted posts indicated that she voted in California’s June 2016 Democratic primary and November 2014 election. Public records showed she registered to vote in Michigan in August 2016.
In her tweets, she reminisced often about the West Coast.
“There are days like these that make me miss California even more,” McMorrow groused on Jan. 5, 2017, the day before Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton was certified by Congress.
She seemed to agree with the sentiment that white working-class voters in the Midwest were sheltered and needed to understand diverse communities on the coasts more, not the other way around.
McMorrow is up against Representative Haley Stevens and former Detroit public health official Abdul El-Sayed in a tight primary race of national interest.
Quote:China has touched sensitivities in Latin America after ramping up detentions of Panamanian ships in what is widely viewed as retaliation over the seizure of two Panama ports previously leased to Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison.
Five countries in Latin America and the Caribbean joined the United States on Tuesday in issuing a joint statement, saying they were monitoring "China’s targeted economic pressure and the recent actions that have affected Panama-flagged vessels."
"These actions—following the decision of Panama’s independent Supreme Court regarding the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals—are a blatant attempt to politicize maritime trade and infringe on the sovereignty of the nations of our hemisphere," it said.
Panama-flagged ships accounted for 91 of the 123 detained for inspections in March by China's state port controllers, according to Loadstar’s analysis of records released by 22 maritime authorities in the Asia-Pacific region.
In February, China detained only 45 ships, of which 19 were Panamanian.
Latin American Solidarity
China is the second-largest trading partner for Latin America, trailing only the United States, and the largest for South America. Beijing’s increasing clout has heightened competition in a region Washington has long considered its backyard.
Though only a handful of countries—Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago—signed onto the statement, China’s strong response against Panama has undercut its pitch as a favorable alternative to the United States, whose popularity has dipped in parts of the region amid the hardline policies of President Donald Trump.
China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday insisted that the inspections were routine and in accordance with laws and regulations.
Quote:A 39-year-old man has been arrested in Austria in connection with a case in which rat poison was found in jars of baby food, police say.
Two weeks ago, a jar of carrot and potato purée was found to contain the poison in the eastern state of Burgenland, prompting manufacturer HiPP to recall an entire range of its products.
A total of five contaminated jars were safely recovered in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia before they could be consumed.
Austria's Die Presse newspaper reported that an email demanding €2m (£1.73m) had not been noticed by HiPP until after the ransom deadline expired.
The German firm's CEO told the newspaper the message, which gave the company six days to pay the money, was sent on 27 March to an email address that is checked every two to three weeks.
The arrest was announced on Saturday by police in Burgenland. Spokesman Helmut Marban told the BBC no further details regarding the suspect or the circumstances of his arrest could be disclosed, as the investigation was ongoing.
Authorities believe at least one more poisoned jar is still in circulation and have issued guidance on how to recognise tampered jars.
Consumers have been urged to look out for damaged or open lids, a missing safety seal, an unusual or spoiled odour, or a white sticker with a red circle on the bottom of the glass jar.
The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety warned parents whose babies had consumed the brand's food to consult a doctor if their children showed signs of bleeding, extreme weakness or paleness.
Quote:A British tech tycoon’s luxury superyacht that sank off the coast of Sicily wasn’t caused by a catastrophic storm — but was doomed because of the actions of the ship’s crew, a bombshell report argued.
Experts contracted by Italian prosecutors were asked to investigate the weather over the Tyrrhenian Sea on Aug 19, 2024, when billionaire Mike Lynch’s Bayesian yacht capsized and sank, killing him, his teen daughter and five others.
An initial report found the perceived deadly storm was “a little more than a squall” and manageable when it collided with the 184-foot ship in the Italian waters, Sky News reported.
The preliminary report pinned blame on crew members for underestimating the storm’s strength, taking improper actions during the chaotic scene, and the lack of certain security devices used.
Experts have previously theorized that the craft capsized during a “black swan” event when a spontaneous formation of a tornado-like waterspout struck the vessel.
The public prosecutor’s office in the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese is running a criminal investigation into the deadly shipwreck, The Post exclusively reported last May.
Captain James Cutfield, chief engineer Timothy Parker Eaton and deckhand Matthew Griffiths could face criminal charges, including negligent shipwreck and multiple counts of manslaughter.
Griffiths, who was on the night watch at the time, “did not realize … that the boat had taken on water” and is accused of being negligent through “malpractice, recklessness and inexperience,” according to the prosecutor’s decree.
Quote:Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te has arrived in Eswatini, days after his government said a trip had been cancelled due to China pressuring African countries to stop him flying over their territories.
His visit to Eswatini - Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Africa - followed "days of careful arrangements by the diplomatic and national security teams", he said, without giving further details on how he reached the country.
China described the visit as a "stowaway-style escape farce". China views Taiwan as part of its territory with no right to state-to-state relations.
Images showed Lai being welcomed by Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Dlamini as he walked past a guard of honour.
Taiwan's delegation also included Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and National Security Council Adviser Alex Huang, according to its presidential office.
Lai's visit this time was not announced in advance by either government.
The trip had originally been set for 22 to 26 April, to mark the 40th anniversary of Eswatini's King Mswati III's accession. It was suspended after Taiwan said Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar had unilaterally revoked flight permits for Lai's aircraft to cross airspace they manage, citing Chinese pressure.
On social media, Lai said: "Taiwan will never be deterred by external pressures. Our resolve & commitment are underpinned by the understanding that Taiwan will continue to engage with the world - no matter the challenges faced."
In another post, he praised Eswatini for "standing firm against various diplomatic and economic pressure, speaking out for Taiwan's international place through concrete actions".
"I hope this trip will contribute to even deeper friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini, thanks to closer economic, agricultural, cultural and educational links, as well as promote Taiwan's international co-operation," he said.
Lai's schedule in Eswatini includes bilateral talks with Eswatini's King Mswati III and signing an agreement on customs, according to Taiwan's presidential office.
Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is one of just 12 small states that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Keeping these ties is a priority for the Taiwanese government.
China has for years pressured countries to end diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Quote:Two US service members have gone missing during military exercises in Morocco, the US African Command (Africom) has said.
Officials said they were last seen on Saturday near ocean cliffs in the vicinity of the Cap Draa Training Area, which is close to the city of Tan Tan in Morocco.
Initial reports indicate the missing soldiers, who were participating in African Lion 2026, an annual joint training exercise, may have fallen into the ocean, a US defence official told the BBC.
A search and rescue mission involving ground, air, and maritime resources from the US, Morocco and other countries is underway for the service members, Africom said.
"The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing," Africom said in a statement released on Sunday. "Our focus is on the service members involved and their families."
Authorities believe the incident was an accident and was not an act of terrorism or kidnapping, a US official told the BBC.
The soldiers were reported missing after they failed to return to the training area, and US and Moroccan forces then launched a search, the official said.
African Lion is an annual joint exercise designed to strengthen operations between US forces, Nato allies, and African nations.
It is the continent's largest annual joint military exercise, and is hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia.
It focuses on all-domain operations, crisis response, and multinational coordination to enhance regional security and prepare for emergencies.
The exercise, which involves 5,000 personnel from over 40 countries and more than 30 US-based industry partners, is scheduled to run from 27 April to 8 May.
Quote:Nigeria has summoned South Africa's acting High Commissioner over a spate of recent attacks on foreigners in the southern African nation.
Nigeria will formally convey its "profound concern" at a meeting on Monday over incidents in South Africa, saying they could affect existing relations between the countries, according to a foreign ministry statement, external.
The meeting will focus on recent marches held by anti-immigrant groups and "documented instances of mistreatment of Nigerian citizens and attacks on their businesses", it said.
At least two Nigerians and four Ethiopians have been killed in recent weeks, local media reported, while there have been attacks on citizens of other African countries.
As Africa's most industrialised country, people from elsewhere in the continent have long travelled to South Africa to seek work.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the attacks but also cautioned foreigners to respect local laws.
He used his Freedom Day address last week - marking the country's first democratic elections in 1994 - to remind South Africans of the support other African nations had given in the struggle against the racist system of apartheid.
But some South Africans accuse foreigners of being in the county illegally, taking jobs from locals and having links to crime, especially drugs trafficking.
Anti-immigrant groups have been stopping people outside hospitals and schools demanding to see their identity papers.
During a march by one such group in the capital, Pretoria, last week, foreign-owned businesses were urged to close in case of violence.
At the time, one Nigerian man told BBC Pidgin: "It is not okay because we are blacks, we are brothers... everybody comes here just to survive."
A security guard, who was unable to go to work because of the protest, told the BBC: "It's not what we expected as fellow Africans."
"It's just making us scared - imagine if we're scared in our own African continent - what if we go to Europe?" he asked.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:Beijing has ordered Chinese companies to defy U.S. sanctions over refineries linked to Iranian oil, in a challenge to U.S. efforts to extract further concessions from Iran in negotiations for a lasting ceasefire.
The unprecedented move sets the stage for a potential showdown just days before President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated state visit to Beijing.
China has regularly condemned unilateral sanctions by the U.S. and others, criticizing them as a form of "long-arm jurisdiction" used to enforce domestic laws extraterritorially. However, the Ministry of Commerce’s Saturday announcement marked the first time Beijing has explicitly directed its firms to defy such measures.
The ministry invoked a sanctions-blocking mechanism introduced in 2021 to safeguard Chinese firms from foreign laws viewed as unjust. It cited the need to "safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, legal persons or other organizations."
The move followed a U.S. Treasury Department warning that it would bring to bear "the full range of available tools," including secondary sanctions, against any entities found to have done business with so-called "teapot refineries" that import Iranian oil.
Primarily located in Shandong province, teapot refineries are small, privately owned facilities that process the bulk of China’s sanctioned crude from Russia and Iran, often shipped by vessels in the so-called "shadow fleet," providing those governments with critical revenue streams.
Since March 2025, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated five such refineries: Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group Co., Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group Co., Shandong Shengxing Chemical Co., Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co. and Hengli Petrochemical Refining Co.
U.S. officials on both sides of the aisle have recently stepped up calls for tougher action on these refineries, seen as a key sanctions gap that blunts enforcement.
Quote:The Trump administration has been cracking down on a handful of Iranian residents who have ties to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and have even allegedly been involved in gun-running while living lavish lifestyles in LA. That may leave the impression that this community might not support attempts to overthrow the Islamic Republic.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
In reality, California’s Persian community is overwhelmingly opposed to the regime.
A survey done recently by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans found that barely 3% of Iranian-Americans favor the current regime, while an additional 8% would welcome a reformed Islamic Republic.
Among regime opponents, 11% would like to see a constitutional monarchy, while 55% would like a parliamentary democracy.
That suggests that any attempt from the outside to put Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah, on the throne would likely be opposed by many Iranian-Americans.
“A lot of people who support the Shah have never lived under him,” suggests 81-year-old Kamron Jabbari, a prominent publisher of books about Iranian culture, who came to the US at age 19.
To be sure, some pro-regime Iranian “nepo babies” live here, and have done so with an abandon that would get them whipped or worse back in the home country.
This includes Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, the niece of the late Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani, a man with American blood, and other blood, on his hands. Afshar and her own daughter backed the oppressive regime even as they lived the high life. The great-niece even showed herself off in skimpy outfits forbidden in Iran on social media while extolling the puritanical regime back home.
But these revelations do not cancel out the fact that most Iranian-Americans despise the regime. After all, the bulk of Iranians here, notes a new Chapman report from geographer Ali Modarres, came either shortly before or after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. They have no more reason to back the mullahs than Cuban Americans in Miami favor the communist regime in Havana.
This is very true of the Iranians here California, many of whom are active opponents of the regime. Our state, notes Modarres, is home to the largest Persian community in America, accounting for over 45% of the estimated 500,000 Iranians in the country.
Quote:US forces Monday sank six small Iranian boats deployed to harass vessels stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly before President Trump warned that the Islamic Republic will be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it interferes with efforts to reopen the crucial waterway.
Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), told reporters in a press call that while Iran historically has deployed “between 20 and 40 small boats” to threaten commercial shipping in the strait, “Today, we saw just six and eliminated them quickly.”
“We have an enormous amount of capability and firepower concentrated in and around the strait, including AH-64 Apache and MH 60 Seahawk helicopters,” said Cooper, emphasizing that Iran’s military capability has been “dramatically degraded.”
Monday’s strikes occurred after Trump’s announcement Sunday evening of “Project Freedom,” a US initiative to move maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since it has been backed up for months from the start of Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28.
Iran has warned it would resist any effort to force open the strait and insisted that any ships attempting to move through the waterway must coordinate with Tehran first, prompting Trump to tell Fox News that the Middle Eastern regime would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it attacks US-flagged vessels.
“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst. “We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”
The president claimed that Iran has become “much more malleable” regarding peace talks that have stagnated since mid-April.
Cooper did not say whether America’s strikes on Iran’s fast-attack boats and Tehran’s claims that it fired at US warships constitute a collapse of the fragile cease-fire secured last month.
Quote:Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday rejected rumors that Iran is using trained dolphins armed with explosives to block the Strait of Hormuz — but left the public wondering whether the US might have such a fantastical capability.
“It’s still pretty low-level kinetics at this point in time, and I can’t confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins — but I can confirm they don’t,” he said.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine chuckled at the notion.
“I haven’t heard the kamikaze dolphin thing. It’s like sharks with laser beams, right?” he said, referring to a plot point in the 1997 secret agent satire “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.”
The conversation came after a Wall Street Journal report last week suggested Iran has at least explored reviving Soviet-era programs that trained dolphins for military use — including potentially equipping them to carry mines toward enemy ships in the narrow, heavily trafficked strait.
Iran bought dolphins trained to kill for the Soviet navy in 2000, the BBC reported at the time. The animals were trained to attack the Islamic Republic’s enemies with harpoons attached to their backs, the outlet reported.
They were also trained to undertake kamikaze strikes against enemy ships by carrying mines.
US officials have long warned that the regime leans on unconventional tactics — from naval mines to fast-attack boats — to threaten shipping through the critical oil chokepoint.
Quote:President Trump claimed in an interview Monday evening that US hostilities with Iran could last another two or three weeks while refusing to say whether a cease-fire between the two countries remained in effect.
“We’ve taken out much of what we’d have to do, probably another two weeks, two weeks, maybe three weeks,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “And time is not of the essence for us.”
Soon after the US and Israel began attacking Iran on Feb. 28, Trump estimated the war would last “four weeks or so.” This past Saturday marked the conclusion of nine weeks of fighting, though a nominal cease-fire has been in place since April 8.
“One way or the other, we win,” Trump added. “We either make the right deal, or we win very easily. From the military standpoint, we’ve already won that. You know, you’ve heard me say it a million times, and other people say it. They had 159 ships, Hugh. Now, they have none. They’re all at the bottom of the sea. Today, we took out eight of their, you know, they’re reduced to these small, little, fast ships.”
Earlier Monday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported two American-flagged merchant ships successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz on the first day of a Trump administration initiative to force shipping traffic through the vital waterway. Adm. Brett Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, added on a press call that the American military sank six small boats that were targeting commercial vessels.
In response, Iran fired nearly two dozen missiles and drones toward the United Arab Emirates. The UAE’s defense ministry said it had intercepted 15 missiles and four drones, with authorities in the eastern emirate of Fujairah reporting one drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility, wounding three Indian nationals. The British military also reported two cargo vessels ablaze off the UAE’s coast.
Quote:Iran attacked major oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates for a second day in a row on Tuesday — as the regime tries to disrupt a pipeline that is the biggest alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks on the UAE appear centered around the terminus of the Habshan-Fujairah oil pipeline, also known as the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP).
The 235-mile pipeline, which opened in 2012, carries about more than 1 million barrels of oil per day and serves as a key transport route for crude in the region outside of the Strait of Hormuz.
The pipeline has notably seen an increase in use after crude stopped being transported by sea through the strait, with the conduit averaging 1.62 million barrels per day in March, Kpler analyst Johannes Rauball told Reuters.
Should the pipeline be severely damaged, it would eliminate one of the top alternatives for oil producers in the Gulf attempting to avoid the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Taking out the pipeline would give Iran more control over the flow of crude in the region while also dealing a serious blow to the UAE, which is one of America and Israel’s top allies in the region.
The attack on the UAE also came just days after the country exited OPEC, the multi-nation body that exerts great control over the oil markets.
The UAE had served as the fourth-largest producer of OPEC, which Iran is also a member of.
“Air defense systems are currently responding to a missile threat,” UAE said Tuesday as it warned civilians to take shelter.
The assault on Monday saw Iran fire 15 missiles and drones at the UAE’s ships and facilities around the Strait of Hormuz, Abu Dhabi officials said.
It was the first such attack since the cease-fire with Iran went into effect, with Tehran taking aim at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, the largest commercial storage hub for refined crude in the Middle East.
Quote:Israel is coordinating with the US to carry out a “short campaign” against Iran if the cease-fire falls apart over escalations in the Strait of Hormuz, officials said.
The Jewish state is making preparations for a new round of airstrikes on Iran aimed at senior officials and key energy infrastructure, an Israeli source told CNN.
“The intention would be to carry out a short campaign aimed at pressuring Iran into further concessions in negotiations,” the source claimed.
The targets would be similar to the ones that the US and Israel had ready before the cease-fire went into effect in April, which saw President Trump warn that he would blow up Iran’s power plants, bridges and leadership.
With peace talks stagnating and the US and Iran trading fire in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump has reportedly grown frustrated and is now daring the Islamic republic to either concede or restart the war.
The president, however, has remained optimistic that a deal can be secured and insisted that the recent attacks in the strait do not violate the cease-fire with Iran.
The president has repeatedly declined to say what exactly Iran could do that would constitute a cease-fire violation.
“You’ll find out, because I’ll let you know,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Trump’s remarks echoes that of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said the cease-fire was still active.
Quote:President Trump announced the pause of “Project Freedom” in the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday, indicating that “great progress” has been made toward a peace agreement in Iran.
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
Project Freedom is a defensive military operation aimed at making it safer for ships to get out of the narrow waterway in the Persian Gulf, according to the Pentagon.
Trump’s surprise announcement comes as at least 11 ships crossed through the critical oil chokepoint in the 24 hours under the now-paused initiative – an improvement from Monday, when just two ships passed through.
Ahead of the pause, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Project Freedom as a “favor to the world” to rescue innocent sailors stuck at sea because of Iran’s takeover of the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio said nearly “23,000 civilians from 87 different countries” have been “trapped inside the Gulf, and left for dead in the Persian Gulf by this Iranian regime” since the war broke out on Feb. 28.
The secretary of state further declared that the shift to Project Freedom meant attacks against Iran under Operation Epic Fury were officially “over.”
Quote:Russia will hold a two-day cease-fire in its war in Ukraine from May 8 to 9 to commemorate the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe — as Kyiv announced its own cease-fire for two days earlier.
President Vladimir Putin declared the cease-fire plans Monday and said the Kremlin would launch a massive strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv if the temporary truce was broken.
“Despite the capabilities at our disposal, Russia has previously refrained from such actions on humanitarian grounds,” the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to Reuters.
“We are warning the civilian population of Kyiv and staff at foreign diplomatic missions of the need to leave the city in a timely manner,” it added.
The cease-fire falls on the 81st anniversary of Victory in Europe day – May 8, 1945 – when Nazi Germany finally surrendered and ended World War II’s main theater of combat. The war didn’t fully end until months later on Aug. 15, when Japan surrendered to the US.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the cease-fire announcement — which it said had been declared without any communication from Russia – with a declaration of his own cease-fire for days earlier, beginning May 6.
He suggested that Ukraine would maintain its cease-fire for as long as Russia kept the peace – possibly opening the door for a longer cease-fire in the war that has raged between the countries since 2022.
“We will act reciprocally starting from that moment,” Zelensky said on social media.
“It is time for Russian leaders to take real steps to end their war, especially since Russia’s Defense Ministry believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s goodwill.”
Quote:KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian drone and missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s power grid during the night killed at least five people and wounded 39 others, Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday, less than a day before Kyiv said that it would enact a ceasefire and three days before Moscow promised its own pause in hostilities.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuked Moscow for what he said was its “utter cynicism” in launching the attacks after Russia announced a unilateral ceasefire over two days later this week while it marks the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
“Russia could cease fire at any moment, and this would stop the war and our responses,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Peace is needed, and real steps are needed to achieve it. Ukraine will act in kind.”
The proposal to stop fighting follows a familiar pattern of Russia declaring short unilateral ceasefires during the war timed to various holidays, most recently Orthodox Easter.
Those suspensions of combat don’t produce any tangible results amid deep mistrust between Moscow and Kyiv more than four years after Russia launched an all-out invasion of its neighbor. US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the war have come to nothing.
The Russian Defense Ministry declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday, but said that it would strike back at the country if it tries to disrupt the festivities on Victory Day, which Russia marks annually on May 9.
Zelenskyy replied that Ukraine would observe a ceasefire beginning at the end of Tuesday and would respond in kind to Russia’s actions from that moment on. He didn’t put an end date on the move.
Ukrainian leader expands Gulf cooperation
Zelenskyy was in Bahrain on Tuesday where he met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, proposing a bilateral drone defense partnership amid the Iran war.
The Ukrainian leader said that he offered to share Ukraine’s air defense expertise with Bahrain, drawing a parallel between Iranian attacks on Gulf states and Russia’s daily aerial strikes on Ukrainian territory, which often use Shahed drones initially developed by Iran.
Quote:Russian attacks throughout eastern Ukraine killed at least 27 people on Tuesday, including 12 in one of the worst strikes so far this year, hours before a midnight deadline ushering in an open-ended cease-fire proposed by Kyiv.
Russia announced a cease-fire for May 8 to 9 to coincide with commemorations of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two and a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square.
Ukraine, in response, announced a proposal for an open-ended cease-fire starting at midnight local time on Wednesday, urging Russia to reciprocate.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was not an option for Russia to halt strikes for one day for its military parade while having heavily pounded Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, writing in English on X, said: “With mere hours until Ukraine’s cease-fire proposal comes into force, Russia shows no signs of preparing to end hostilities. On the contrary, Moscow intensifies terror.”
Within minutes of the deadline passing, Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-appointed head of Crimea, annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, wrote on Telegram that a Ukrainian drone attack had killed five civilians in the city of Dzhankoi.
It appeared likely that the attack had taken place before the deadline expired and there was no evidence of any strikes taking place immediately after the Ukrainian cease-fire went into effect.
Russian officials had paid scant attention to the Ukrainian offer.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin offered greetings after midnight praising World War Two veterans and expressing admiration for servicemen in Ukraine as being “worthy of their ancestors and reliably defending” the country.
Quote:A DC federal judge apologized Monday to the man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump and his top aides at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, saying the suspect’s jail conditions are too harsh.
US Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui told alleged wannabe killer Cole Allen, 31, he was sorry that the suspect had been held under suicide watch despite a mental-health exam finding he did not pose a threat to harm himself, according to Politico.
Faruqui said it was the court’s job to make sure Allen was jailed responsibly and fairly — and that the accused killer was “being treated differently than anyone I’ve ever observed.
“Whatever you’ve been through, I apologize for the prior week,” the judge told Allen, according to a report by USA Today.
The move prompted furious US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro to tweet, “Welcome to Washington, DC, where U.S. Magistrate Judge Faruqui believes a defendant armed to the teeth and attempting to assassinate the president is entitled to preferential treatment in his confinement compared to every other defendant.”
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine had argued that the FBI recommended the measure because Allen told agents after his apprehension April 25 that “he did not expect to survive the attempted assassination of the president.”
Tony Towns, a lawyer for the DC lockup, said Allen was in an isolated cell because of “ongoing” psych exams and that the decision to keep him there was made by medical staff at the facility.
But Faruqui said he didn’t think Allen’s statement in custody meant he planned to kill himself but rather that he expected to be shot during his assault on the black-tie soiree at the Washington Hilton hotel.
What did the criminal deserve then? A 5-star hotel room instead?
Quote:Secret Service officers engaged an armed man near the White House on Monday in what turned into a shootout that left the suspect and a juvenile bystander injured, according to the agency.
The incident unfolded a few blocks south of the White House, along the National Mall and near the Washington Monument, when plainclothes agents on patrol “identified a suspicious individual that appeared to have a firearm,” Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said during a press briefing.
After spotting the “visual print of a firearm” on the suspect, the plainclothes agents called in support from uniformed Secret Service police.
“Upon making contact, that individual fled briefly on foot, withdrew a firearm and fired in the direction of our agents and officers,” Quinn said.
Secret Service officers returned fire and struck the suspect, who was transported to a local hospital.
“We believe only one bystander was hit by the suspect,” Quinn said, noting the juvenile sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was being treated at a hospital.
Plainclothes agents trained to identify potential threats routinely patrol the outer perimeter of the White House, according to Quinn.
Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade departed the White House and transited through the area of shooting “not long before” the incident took place, the deputy director added.
The condition of the suspect is unclear.
There is no indication that the suspect was targeting the vice presidential motorcade or the White House.
Journalists at the White House were ushered into the briefing room for a safety lockdown as law enforcement responded.
Video posted on social media showed some reporters running to get off the North Lawn of the White House and inside the building.
Footage from the scene of the shooting showed dozens of Secret Service officers and National Guard members in the area, with a part of the sidewalks roped off in yellow police tape.
Quote:Federal prosecutors have charged Dean DelleChiaie, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor in New Hampshire, with threatening to kill President Donald Trump, the latest in a series of cases involving alleged threats against the president.
The incident comes as new research shows violent rhetoric targeting U.S. public officials, particularly Trump, has surged sharply in recent years, alongside recent security scares in Washington. The trend has heightened concerns for law enforcement, political leaders and their families as authorities respond to an increasingly volatile threat environment.
Monday's arrest came just over a week after a gunman was charged with attempted assassination of the president after attempting to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, underscoring the real‑world risks tied to escalating threats.
A February report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue found that violent threats against public officials have more than tripled since 2021, with threats against Republicans rising faster than those targeting Democrats and Trump among the most frequently targeted figures.
Who Is Dean DelleChiaie?
Authorities identified Dean DelleChiaie as a 35‑year‑old FAA contractor and mechanical engineer based in Nashua, New Hampshire, who allegedly sent a direct threat to the White House after months of online activity that drew the attention of federal investigators.
According to court documents, DelleChiaie used his government-issued computer in January to search for how to bring a gun into a federal facility, past assassination attempts, and the percentage of the population that wants the president dead. He also looked up the location of Vice President JD Vance’s residence and the names of his children, along with other sensitive information about senior officials, raising additional concern among investigators.
Those searches prompted the FAA’s IT department to alert authorities after DelleChiaie asked that his search history be deleted, according to court records, and he was subsequently suspended from his job.
Federal investigators interviewed DelleChiaie at his home in early February, where he admitted to making the searches and said it was “crazy” to do so on his work computer, according to an affidavit. He also acknowledged owning three firearms and told agents he was upset with the administration over a range of issues.
Quote:A man was arrested near a busy Koreatown shopping mall in suburban Dallas on Tuesday, accused of fatally shooting two people and injuring several others.
The suspect, identified as 69-year-old Seung Han Ho, was arrested after a foot chase, Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo said during a news conference. Three people were also wounded in the deadly mass shooting; details on their genders and ages were not provided.
Police described the gunfire as an isolated attack and said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The Carrollton assault comes during a year marked by persistent mass‑shooting violence nationwide. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. recorded 98 mass shootings through March 31, leaving 115 people dead and 377 wounded. The archive defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, minus the attacker.
The violence has occurred in homes, parking lots, schools, shopping centers and public gatherings—a pattern archive analysts say reflects multi‑victim gunfire becoming a routine scourge in the U.S.
Although overall shooting deaths have declined slightly from recent years, the pace of mass shootings in 2026 remains consistent with the elevated levels seen since the COVID-19 pandemic.
What to Know
A motive has not been established but the police chief said the victims had gathered with Ho for a business meeting, according to a report from local news outlet Fox 4.
“We don’t know exactly what the meeting was about, but we understand it to be a business relation,” Arredondo told reporters at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
After the shooting, police said, Ho fled the neighborhood and officers tracked him several miles away to the Koreatown shopping center, where he attempted to run from authorities.
Arredondo said officers chased him on foot and arrested him without further violence. A firearm was recovered.
Police have not released details about the nature of the business meeting or what may have prompted the attack.
Carrollton is about 20 miles north of Dallas. Of Carrollton’s 130,000-plus population, over 4,000 are of Korean descent, according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey.
Quote:FedEx driver Tanner Horner has been sentenced to death for the murder of 7-year-old Athena Strand by a Texas Jury following a gut-wrenching trial that detailed his psychotic behavior during the killing.
The confessed killer learned his sentence at a court in Fort Worth, Texas, some 40 miles southeast of where Strand’s naked body was dumped in a creek on Nov. 30, 2022.
Jurors deliberated for about three hours after arguments rested Tuesday.
Horner appeared utterly unmoved by the verdict – with not a flicker of emotion on his face as the judge said he’d die by lethal injection “before the hour of sunrise” at a future date.
And his face was equally blank when he turned to listen to Athena’s uncle, Elijah Strand, address the court.
“You will be judged. You will face the wrath of god,” Athena’s uncle said, pointing at Horner as he spoke.
“But I want you to know that you are nothing. You are a footnote in Athena’s story,” he added. “Her name will forever be remembered. Her name will be forever celebrated.”
“Everyone will forget you. You wanted your 15 minutes of fame. You got it. And no one is going to remember you after this,” the uncle said, fighting back tears.
Athena’s mother – her hair dyed the her daughter’s favorite color, pink – also wiped away tears in the gallery, the arm of a loved one around her.
His death sentence was automatically appealed, which is standard procedure when capital punishments are handed down in Texas.
All Horner said during the sentencing was “Yes sir,” when the judge asked him about the appeal.
Horner was rushed from the room moments after the uncle finished speaking.
Quote:A hateful mob of keffiyeh-clad anti-Israel protesters flooded the streets near a historic Manhattan synagogue Tuesday night — clashing with cops as they repeatedly shouted “Israel should not exist.”
About 100 agitators waving Palestinian flags and banging drums swarmed about a half-block from Park East Synagogue, chanting “Palestine will never die” and “Stop the sale of stolen land” during an event promoting real estate in Israel and the West Bank, according to shocking footage.
While the East 67th Street synagogue was sealed off by police barricades, footage captured the rowdy protesters clashing with cops who were trying to force their way past the barriers into the street.
Police yelled “step back” as they shoved the unruly crowd onto the sidewalk, video shows, while counter-protesters rallied nearby.
One officer suffered a leg injury in the chaos and was hospitalized, the NYPD said.
“They’re a bunch of brainwashed fools,” Karen Lichtbraun, co-sponsor of Zionist group Herut New York City, told The Post of the pro-Palestine protesters.
“Israel does not occupy anything. It’s the Jewish homeland. And this is all anti-Zionism, which is antisemitism, which is Jew hate.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani — a staunch critic of Israel — has not commented on the protest.
The 7 p.m. protest was led by the anti-Israel activist group Pal-Awda NY/NJ, which promoted the rally with slogans such as “No settlers on stolen land” and “Stop the sale of stolen Palestinian land.”
The antisemitic group previously spearheaded a November rally at the synagogue, where about 200 demonstrators heckled people attending an event hosted by Nefesh B’nefesh, a Zionist group that helps Jews immigrate from the US to Israel.
In response to the first protest, Council Speaker Julie Menin crafted legislation to allow the NYPD to set up buffer zones around synagogues and other houses of worship to protect congregants.
The bill, which faced intense opposition from Mamdani’s DSA allies, passed with a veto-proof 44-5 majority.
Quote:Jimmy Kimmel joked about Rudy Giuliani rising from “the grave” in a monologue just days before the former New York City mayor was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
“So last night, America’s mayor, Rudy Giuliani, rose from the grave to weigh in on the ongoing drama involving me,” Kimmel said in a monologue on Tuesday, referencing his ill-timed joke about first lady Melania Trump looking like an “expectant widow” days before the attempted assassination of President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
During “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” Kimmel played a clip of Giuliani, 81, remarking on his podcast that the embattled talk show host is “one of the most distasteful human beings in this country.”
“I have to say, it hurts to be called distasteful by a man who farted his own pants off in front of Borat’s daughter,” Kimmel, 58, responded.
“Kimmel was making believe that he was hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which I think he did once, I don’t know. Probably once … and about four people probably watched it, and he bombed like usual,” the two-term mayor continued in the clip.
“This is supposed to be a comedian,” Giuliani raved. “He’s also like an incompetent jacka—.”
“I have to say, it’s confusing to be called an incompetent jacka— by a man who accidentally held a press conference outside a dildo store, who doesn’t seem to have any understanding of when videos are running and when they aren’t, and has a gallon of squid ink dribbling off the top of his head,” Kimmel fired back at “America’s mayor.”
“Does this man have any family members who can come get him already?” said the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” frontman.
Five days later, on Sunday, Giuliani was hospitalized in critical but stable condition for an unspecified ailment, a spokesperson for the former Trump attorney said.
“Mayor Rudy Giuliani is currently in the hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Quote:Ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani has turned a corner in his recovery from pneumonia — and is even “cracking jokes” after being in critical condition, his son, Andrew Giuliani, revealed Tuesday.
“Good news update: Thank you for the love and support you’ve shown my Dad over the past few days,” the younger Giuliani said.
“Just yesterday he was in critical condition, so I’m incredibly grateful to share that he is now conscious, off the ventilator, and even cracking jokes.”
Rudy Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized over the weekend after he came down with pneumonia, apparently exacerbated by a respiratory illness that he contracted around the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
He fell into a coma, but emerged from it Monday, his friends revealed.
Tom Von Essen, the former mayor’s friend and fire commissioner during 9/11, said this morning that things are looking up for “America’s mayor.”
“It looks like Rudy has turned a corner. We hope he continues to improve,” said Von Essen, who has been briefed on his condition.
“I worry about him. What he has done for New York City and the compassion he showed 9/11 families is remarkable. I hope he has a great recovery.”
Quote:Seattle’s socialist Mayor Katie Wilson is facing fierce blowback on social media after a 77-year-old man was seen on video being beaten by two individuals in a crime that was captured by closed-circuit television cameras, a tool that Wilson has denounced in the past as something that makes the community feel unsafe and “vulnerable.”
The elderly man was walking down the street in downtown Seattle last month when two men walking by him stopped, without any provocation, shoved him to the ground and beat him, KOMO News reported.
Ahmed Abdullahi Osman, 29, was later arrested and charged with second-degree assault, and police are looking for the second suspect. Osman was reportedly booked into jail the night of the assault and then released back onto the streets before a bail hearing.
“Turning on more cameras won’t magically make our neighborhoods safer, but it will certainly make our neighborhoods more vulnerable,” Wilson said in 2025 after Seattle City Council’s approval of expanding the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) CCTV pilot program, the program used to capture the video of this specific crime, according to KOMO News.
Conservatives on social media quickly pointed to Wilson’s policies, which have been much maligned as “soft on crime,” as a contributing factor, as well as her previous comments on CCTV.
“They elected a SOCIALIST,” Heritage Foundation senior fellow Mike Gonzalez posted on X. “What did they think would happen?”
“Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson remains clueless on the job,” journalist Jonathan Choe posted on X. “So she’s allowing far-left activists to make public safety decisions for the city.”
“Go ahead and explain the ‘sOCiONoMic rOoT cAusES’ of this heinous crime,” Manhattan Institute fellow Rafael A. Mangual posted on X.
“Ahmed Abdullah Osman beat a 77-year-old in Seattle,” conservative influencer account End Wokeness posted on X in a clip that has been viewed over a million times. “Police ID’d him thanks to street video cameras. Mayor Wilson: ‘CCTV puts refugees at risk.’”
Quote:Two Ohio brothers who posed as Middle Eastern royalty were sentenced Tuesday for their roles in a series of fraud schemes totaling roughly $21 million, which prosecutors say were carried out with the help of a former East Cleveland mayoral aide.
Zubair and Muzzammil Al Zubair, roughly 42 and 31, were sentenced to 24 and 23 years in prison, respectively, according to local outlet Cleveland.
“You stole a lot of money, defrauded people and put East Cleveland in a terrible light,” US District Judge Donald Nugent said, referring to the brothers.
“You basically flaunted it by driving around in a Rolls Royce and taking private planes.”
The mayoral chief of staff the pair bribed, 56-year-old Michael Smedley, was also sentenced to just over eight years behind bars for providing the brothers with the cover they needed to carry out their schemes between 2020 and 2023, according to the outlet.
Authorities said the brothers built a façade of extreme wealth and elite connections, with Zubair falsely claiming to be married to a United Arab Emirates princess, and Muzzammil claiming to be a hedge fund manager based solely on watching YouTube videos.
Their lavish lifestyle ultimately included private jets, luxury watches, a fleet of high-end vehicles, dozens of firearms and even a custom-made, gold-plated AK-47-style rifle.
They also chartered private jets for domestic and international shopping trips to destinations such as Aspen, Miami, London, Bucharest and Madrid, according to federal officials.
Prosecutors said that over the years, the brothers carried out multiple schemes to steal money and property from victims, including Zubair’s former girlfriend, from the UAE, who lost $737,000, the outlet Cleveland reported.
56-year-old Brian Mattson, a Sacramento-area man, was quickly released after a knife incident, sparking outrage.
Misdemeanor trespassing charge and probation denial led to Mattson’s 90-minute release, angering residents.
Mattson was re-arrested hours later in Arden-Arcade; a probation hold was approved, sparking community action.
A Sacramento-area man accused of terrifying a neighborhood with a knife spent only 90 minutes locked up before he was released and arrested again, triggering anger from residents.
56-year-old Brian Mattson, was first arrested Thursday night in the Arden-Arcade area near La Sierra Drive. He was seen on Ring camera holding a knife, approaching homes and acting erratically.
Doorbell camera footage of the encounter spread quickly and alarmed residents, he was arrested Saturday.
Despite the circumstances, investigators said the only charge available was misdemeanor trespassing.
Because Mattson is on felony probation, deputies requested a probation violation to keep him in custody. That request was denied by the Sacramento County Probation Department, leading to his release.
“We asked probation for a probation violation to hopefully keep him in custody longer. That was declined,” Sgt. Amar Gandhi told KCRA. “So he was out within, I want to say, about 90 minutes or so. So he got in and out of jail super fast.”
The quick release sparked immediate frustration in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood, where residents were already shaken by the scary, knife-wielding man approaching homes.
Neighbor Michael Deauville told KCRA, “It makes us want to dive back in understanding how the system works, because clearly there’s a system in place here that I will admit I’m not as familiar with 48 or 72 hours ago as I feel like I am now.”
Quote:An airliner approaching John F. Kennedy Airport and a small propeller plane came within 500 feet of each other on Monday — at least the second close call near the Queens travel hub in two weeks.
The pilot of a Delta plane reported the situation around 5:15 p.m. as the jet was at an altitude of 2,100 feet while the smaller aircraft, made by Cirrus, was at 2,575 feet, according to FlightRadar24.
Air Traffic Control audio recordings indicate that a controller alerted the pilot of the Delta plane, operated by subsidiary Endeavor Air, of a personal aircraft that was about 500 feet above them, according to ABC7.
The FAA said in a statement that “Endeavor Air Flight 5289 was on final approach to Runway 22L at John F. Kennedy international Airport (JFK) when a Cirrus SR22 crossed over to land on Runway 22R.”
“Air traffic control provided traffic advisories to both pilots, and each reported the other in sight. The required separation was maintained,” the statement continued.
Endeavor Air Flight 5289 was en route to JFK from Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport in upstate New York.
The air traffic controller was not in contact with the smaller plane when the two crossed paths.
The Delta pilots were told to hold still instead of maneuver and they reported back to Air Traffic Control that they had a small propeller plane within sight continuously.
Quote:A senior Republican senator on Sunday sharply criticized the Department of Justice's (DOJ) prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey, breaking with the Trump administration and raising fresh questions about whether the case amounts to political retaliation.
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who is not running for reelection this year, said he does not support what he called a “vindictive prosecution” of Comey, even as he reiterated harsh criticism of the former FBI chief. Tillis made the remarks during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, pushing back against the administration’s handling of the case.
Newsweek reached out to the White House on Sunday.
Why It Matters
Tillis’ comments mark one of the most prominent instances of a Republican lawmaker publicly distancing himself from the Trump administration’s legal strategy against one of the president’s longtime adversaries. As a senior GOP senator, Tillis’ intervention underscores unease within parts of the president’s own party about the appearance of politicized prosecutions.
The case against Comey has become a flashpoint in a broader debate over whether the DOJ is being used to target President Donald Trump’s critics. The president has repeatedly argued his opponents have weaponized the legal system against him, while critics say the administration is now doing the same in return.
What to Know
Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury last week over a 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged to spell “86 47.” He appeared in court on Wednesday. Prosecutors argue a reasonable person familiar with the circumstances would interpret the post as a serious expression of intent to harm Trump, the 47th president.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday: "86' is a mob term for 'kill him.' They say 86 him! 86 47 means 'kill President Trump.' James Comey, who is a Dirty Cop, one of the worst, knows this full well! EIGHT MILES OUT, SIX FEET DOWN! Didn't he also lie to the FBI about this??? I think so!"
Comey has denied any intent to threaten violence, saying he deleted the Instagram post after learning some people associated the phrase with harm and that violence “never occurred” to him.
Quote:At least two people are dead, and 25 others are injured after a car plowed into a crowd in central Leipzig, Germany, on Monday, Radio Leipzig reported. Officials confirmed to the Associated Press that at least two victims suffered severe injuries.
The incident occurred on Grimmaische Strasse, a major pedestrian route that leads into Leipzig’s central shopping district, around 5 p.m. local time.
Officials said the suspect is a 33-year-old German-born resident of the Leipzig area, the AP reported.
Police spokesperson Susanne Lübcke said the driver stopped the car and was in the vehicle when he was detained.
Prosecutors said a suspect is under investigation on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. There was no immediate word on a possible motive.
The incident comes as political violence has become a focus worldwide, including in the U.S., where vehicle ramming events have occurred in numerous cities in recent years, including highly-visible incidents Charlottesville, Virginia, Minneapolis and New Orleans.
Germany has faced several high‑profile vehicle‑ramming events in recent years. In December 2024, two people died, and 68 others were injured when a car plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg. Authorities typically respond with heightened caution until the driver’s motive and circumstances are clear.
Quote:A U.S. military Mid-Range Capability missile system was test-fired on Philippine soil, Manila confirmed Tuesday, in a first for the Southeast Asian country amid ongoing drills that are being closely watched by China.
The U.S. Army moved its Mid-Range Capability, nicknamed the "Typhon," to the Philippines ahead of joint training in April 2024, as the Mutual Defense Treaty allies strengthened defense ties amid rising tensions with China. The week marks the first known instance of the platform being fired.
The Tomahawk missile was fired from Tacloban Airport on Leyte Island in the Visayas region, located southeast of Manila, and successfully struck its target approximately 390 miles to the northwest at Fort Magsaysay in the Philippines' Luzon region, Colonel Dennis Hernandez, spokesperson for the ongoing Balikatan exercise, told the press in a phone interview, ABS-CBN reported.
In addition to Tomahawks, whose more than 1,000-mile range potentially puts much of China's eastern seaboard within reach, the Typhon can also fire supersonic Standard Missile-6s, which can fly up to 290 miles.
This puts within reach much of China's eastern seaboard, its militarized islands in the South China Sea, and any People's Liberation Army aircraft or warships in strategic Luzon in the event of a war over Taiwan.
China has repeatedly demanded that the U.S. remove its medium-range missile systems from the Philippines.
The Philippine government has said the deployment is not aimed at any third country and has said it is considering acquiring additional units from the United States.
China Denounces US-Philippine Drills—'Sow Division'
Balikatan—Tagalog for "shoulder-to-shoulder"—is the largest U.S.-Philippine military exercise. This year's is the largest yet, drawing participation from 17,000 troops and seven countries, including, for the first time, Japan. The missile fired was an inert round rather than explosive and used to test accuracy not destroy targets, Hernandez clarified.
Quote:WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) – China is slowing its efforts to repatriate Chinese nationals who are in the US illegally, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters, warning that Washington was prepared to increase travel restrictions on the country if Beijing didn’t reverse course.
The new US threat toward China comes just days before President Donald Trump’s planned May 14-15 visit to Beijing, where, among other issues, he is expected to raise the deportation issue during meetings with his counterpart, Xi Jinping.
The trip is an important one for Trump, who is hoping to win trade concessions from Beijing that he can present to voters ahead of November’s midterm elections that polls suggest could deliver losses for the president’s Republican party.
Since returning to the White House early last year, Trump has threatened tariffs and sanctions on numerous countries for failing to accept deportees, a central pillar of his campaign for the White House and hard-line immigration policies.
China, for years, has resisted US requests to take back tens of thousands of its citizens who have overstayed or illegally entered the country.
When Trump took office, China had suggested it was willing to repatriate “confirmed Chinese nationals” following verification. But Beijing has said doing so takes time.
After accepting about 3,000 deportees via charter and commercial flights in early 2025, China has scaled back cooperation in the past six months, the senior US official said.
Quote:A blast at a fireworks factory in China’s Hunan province has killed 21 people and injured 61, prompting a call from President Xi Jinping for a thorough investigation, state media reported on Tuesday.
The explosion in Liuyang, under the administration of Hunan’s capital city of Changsha and a hub for fireworks manufacturing, occurred on Monday at around 4:40 p.m. (0840 GMT), according to reports by CCTV and Xinhua.
Social media footage showed massive plumes of smoke billowing up into clear blue skies against a backdrop of lush, green mountains. Reuters verified the location shown in the footage, which was posted on social media on May 4, as Changsha.
A Xinhua video showed thick clouds of smoke rising from a large site littered with collapsed buildings and debris.
Five rescue teams of nearly 500 personnel, together with three rescue robots, were dispatched to the scene, adopting a “human–machine coordinated approach” to conduct grid-style searches, according to Xinhua.
Two black powder storage warehouses within the factory compound posed high-risk hazards, the report said, adding that authorities had evacuated residents from danger zones, established a 1 km rescue area and a 3 km control zone.
The blast happened at Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company, state media said.
Reuters could not find a telephone listing for the company to seek comment.
The person in charge of the company has been detained and the cause of the accident was being investigated, state-run China Daily reported.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:China continues to support Iran's right to civilian nuclear energy, the country’s top diplomat said during discussions with his Iranian counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday.
"China commends Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons while recognizing that Iran has the legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, according to a ministry readout.
Wang and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have spoken on the phone at least three times since the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks against the Islamic Republic on February 28, though this is their first face-to-face meeting. Iran and the U.S. remain at an impasse over a lasting deal to replace the ceasefire the two sides reached on April 8.
Though President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials have given various reasons and objectives for the war, the Trump administration has continued to demand that any lasting agreement include Iran's guarantee to completely halt its enrichment program.
Iran has long denied it was pursuing nuclear weapons, and it refused to meet that demand during two rounds of talks with U.S. negotiators last month that were organized by Pakistan.
While many nuclear enrichment and conversion sites across Iran were heavily damaged during the recent conflict, as well as during the U.S. and Israel's 12-day offensive against Iran in June 2025, the attacks were a major setback. Trump administration officials have said they are determined to prevent Tehran's nuclear program from rebounding.
Prior to the war, the International Atomic Energy Agency assessed that Iran had been enriching uranium to 60 percent—far above levels needed for civilian purposes and an enrichment level that could be brought to weapons grade relatively quickly.
Araghchi briefed the Chinese diplomat on the latest developments in Iran-U.S. talks and Iran's planned next steps, the ministry readout said.
Quote:France has deployed its sole, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Middle East as part of a joint effort with the UK and Europe to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, military officials said Wednesday.
The French Armed Forces ministry said the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, along with its strike group escort, had crossed the Suez Canal and was en route to the Red Sea.
The carrier is expected to enforce safe travel through the Strait of Hormuz once a US-Iranian peace deal is secured and Tehran agrees to open the waterway, which has remained shut since the war began.
“Geographically, it’s closer to the Strait of Hormuz and will therefore enable us to react faster, once the conditions are met,” Col. Guillaume Vernet, spokesman for the French armed forces chief of staff, said of the Charles de Gaulle carrier.
The Charles de Gaulle, launched in 1994, carries about 40 aircraft and helicopters on board with a crew of nearly 2,000.
The aircraft carrier is sailing with eight warships and two amphibious assault ships, and its deployment in the Red Sea allows its assets to be within range of the Strait of Hormuz without entering the contested waters.
Vernet stressed that the Gaulle’s deployment is part of a multinational mission separate from President Trump’s “Project Freedom,” which saw US forces escort two ships out of the Strait of Hormuz before being put on pause Wednesday.
Vernet warned that attempts to cross the Strait of Hormuz will likely fail without Iran’s cooperation, as seen by Tehran’s repeated attacks on foreign vessels that tried to cross the strait earlier this week.
“Today the Strait of Hormuz is stuck because of the threat and the insurance premiums are so high. Not a single ship will jeopardize their trip or go there,” he added.
Quote:The US military fired on and disabled an Iranian-flagged tanker that tried to break the naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, officials said.
The M/T Hasna was intercepted by American forces at around 9 a.m. EST, with a fighter jet firing its auto-cannon at the ship when it attempted to sail towards an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman, said US Central Command (CENTCOM).
“After Hasna’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, US forces disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon gun of a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72),” CENTCOM wrote on X.
“Hasna is no longer transiting to Iran,” the military added.
The US has maintained a blockade against all ships attempting to enter or depart Iranian ports as a means of strong economic pressures against the Islamic republic.
Iranian-linked ships were the only vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran shut down the oil chokepoint, which saw more than 130 ships cross its waters every day before the war.
President Trump recently said that the blockade will remain in place despite the apparent progress in US-Iranian peace talks.
Iran, which claimed that the peace talks had made no progress, has yet to comment on the latest ship to be caught by the US blockade.
Just an hour after the interception took place Wednesday, US CENTCOM said that 52 commercial vessels had been stopped and redirected by US forces since the blockade went into effect last month.
Quote:The US military unleashed a wave of “self-defense” strikes on an Iranian port Thursday after Tehran launched an “unprovoked” attack targeting US Navy ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, officials said.
US Central Command said the retaliatory attack was carried out after US forces intercepted multiple missiles, drones and small boats targeting three guided-missile destroyers traveling through the vital waterway to the Gulf of Oman.
President Trump said the destroyers – USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason – were not damaged.
But Trump said the “Iranian attackers” were “completely destroyed along with numerous small boats, which are being used to take the place of their fully decapitated Navy.”
The retaliatory strikes hit Iran’s Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas as the US waited for Tehran’s response to a proposal aimed at halting the months-long conflict, Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin posted on X, citing a senior US official.
Trump described the US strikes as just a “love tap” in an interview with ABC News.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces including missile and drone launch sites; command and control locations; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes,” officials said on X.
“CENTCOM does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces.”
Trump threatened additional attacks if Iran doesn’t sign a peace agreement.
Quote:Federal investigators are probing at least four suspiciously timed oil trades worth more than $2.6 billion that were placed just minutes before major announcements about the Iran war sent crude prices tumbling, according to a report.
The Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are investigating whether traders improperly obtained advance information tied to military and diplomatic developments involving the US, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, ABC News reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The suspicious trades allegedly involved huge wagers that oil prices would fall shortly before President Trump and a senior Iranian official made market-moving announcements during the conflict.
Data obtained by ABC News from the London Stock Exchange Group showed that on March 23, traders placed more than $500 million in bets that oil prices would decline just 15 minutes before Trump announced he would delay threatened attacks on Iran’s power grid.
Oil prices dropped sharply after that announcement.
On April 7, traders wagered about $960 million against oil prices hours before Trump revealed a temporary ceasefire.
Another suspiciously timed trade came on April 17, when traders placed $760 million in bearish oil bets about 20 minutes before Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on social media that the Strait of Hormuz was open to commercial shipping.
The strait is one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints, and its closure has rattled energy markets throughout the conflict.
On April 21, traders were found placing another $430 million worth of bets on falling oil prices just 15 minutes before Trump announced an extension of the ceasefire.
Reuters first reported several of the trades earlier this year.
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump suspended a plan to have the military escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Saudi Arabian officials warned Riyadh would not allow the US to use its airspace or air bases to support the initiative.
“Project Freedom,” which the president announced Sunday evening, was paused Tuesday following pushback from the Gulf nation — as well as a phone conversation between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that did not resolve the issue, NBC News reported.
The military operation had been intended to stop Iran from blocking the vital waterway, through which at least one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes.
Trump said in a Tuesday post on his Truth Social that he delayed Project Freedom at “the request of Pakistan and other Countries,” and due to “the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran.”
A US-imposed naval blockade on sanctioned vessels seeking to exit or enter the strait remains “in full force and effect,” the president also said.
A Gulf source familiar with the US-Iran negotiations previously told The Post that the “cease-fire is still intact, but its stability is limited and dependent on continued restraint from both sides.”
Iran has launched at least 10 attacks on US forces since the start of the April 8 cease-fire, in addition to strikes on Persian Gulf neighbors, according to Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Small skirmishes between American warships and Iranian boats still occurred Monday — with six small vessels from Tehran’s regime sunk.
“You know, they fired them in little boats with pea shooters. You know, peas shooters, little boats,” Trump said of the clash. “You know why? Because they don’t have any boats anymore. Their navy is comprised of, they call them, little boats.”
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump’s “Project Freedom” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be back on in days after a previously secret spat with Gulf allies which halted the military operation was resolved.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have quietly reopened their bases and airspace to the US military, which could restart the currently paused “Project Freedom” mission to protect ships from Iranian attacks, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The Gulf countries had previously balked at letting the US use their territory for “Project Freedom,” which Trump called off on Tuesday less than 48 hours after it took effect, citing a request from Pakistan and “other countries.”
While it remains unclear when exactly Project Freedom would restart, Pentagon officials have signaled that escorts could begin as early as this week, according to the WSJ.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, appeared to warn the US to avoid restarting the operation in a veiled threat on Thursday.
“Making the same mistake again and again won’t get you a different answer; only a stronger one,” Aziz wrote on X. “Respect the new Maritime Regime of Iran.”
Iran had warned neighboring countries not to help the US, raising fears of retaliation as Tehran launched missile and drone attacks across the region. The Strait of Hormuz carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply, making it one of the planet’s most critical shipping lanes.
The previous restrictions were lifted after talks between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the WSJ, which cited “US and Saudi officials.” Pakistan later confirmed that Saudi Arabia was among the other nations the US consulted.
The White House, however, denied that the Gulf nations had restricted the US from using their bases.
Quote:JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, May 7 — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday there was no “immunity” for Israel’s enemies, a day after the Israeli military targeted a Hezbollah commander in its first strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs since a cease-fire was declared last month.
Israel said the attack killed the commander of the Iran-backed group’s elite Radwan force.
Hezbollah, which controls Beirut’s southern suburbs, has yet to issue any statement on the strike or the commander’s status.
“He likely read in the press that he had immunity in Beirut. Well, he read it and it is no longer the case,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reignited on March 2 when the group opened fire at Israel after Tehran came under US-Israeli attack.
Wednesday’s strike raises pressure on the Lebanon cease-fire that emerged in parallel to a truce in the wider Middle East war, with a halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon being a key Iranian demand in Tehran’s negotiations with Washington.
Announced on April 16 by US President Donald Trump, the Lebanon cease-fire has led to a reduction in hostilities: the Beirut area was not struck by Israel for weeks before Wednesday’s attack.
But the sides have continued to trade blows in the south, where Israel has carved out a self-declared security zone.
Netanyahu said the Hezbollah commander, identified as Ahmed Ali Balout by the Israeli military, “thought he could continue to direct attacks against our forces and our communities from his secret terrorist headquarters in Beirut”.
“I say to our enemies in the clearest possible way: No terrorist has immunity,” he said.
Lebanese PM: Too early for ‘high-level’ meeting
More than 2,700 people have been killed in the war in Lebanon since March 2, Lebanon’s Health Ministry says. Some 1.2 million people have been driven from their homes in Lebanon, many of them fleeing from southern Lebanon.
Israel has announced 17 soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon, along with two civilians in northern Israel.
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes in three different areas of south Lebanon on Wednesday, according to a tally of Lebanese health ministry announcements.
Quote:Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch has threatened to advance legislation imposing financial sanctions on educational institutions unless they commit to keeping politics out of academia, he confirmed on Tuesday.
“We are putting an end to the politicization of university presidents,” Kisch tweeted.
“For academic institutions that enter the political arena, we will advance legislation that would deny them funding.”
“If they are interested in promoting a political agenda, they are welcome to resign from their positions and run in elections,” the minister added.
Kisch confirmed a Channel 14 News report that he had sent a letter to the heads of Israeli universities and colleges demanding they pledge by Thursday to refrain from expressing official political positions, prevent politically motivated strikes and ensure uninterrupted academic activity.
If the presidents refused to sign the pledge, Kisch warned he would back legislation proposed by fellow Likud Party lawmaker Avichai Boaron, imposing financial penalties on their institutions, the broadcaster reported.
“Over the past 50 years, the funds of Israeli academia have not been managed by the government and have not been supervised by the Knesset,” Boaron told Channel 14.
“This caused severe politicization within Israeli academia.”
“The law that I submitted does two things. First, it returns the funds to government management and Knesset oversight, and second, it uproots politics from Israeli academia,” the Knesset member added.
Israeli coalition lawmakers have accused the country’s universities of fostering left-wing activism, particularly during the mass protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 2023 attempt to reform the judiciary.
Quote:WASHINGTON — A US government watchdog has found at least four more staffers for the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee aid agency “kidnapped” Israelis and aided Hamas’ terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023, information that is likely to feed into a federal criminal probe, sources told The Post.
The USAID Office of Inspector General, in an April 30 investigative summary, cited “four additional current or former staff” at the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, three of whom were teachers and one of whom was a social worker.
The unnamed staffers were “alleged to have participated in the holding of civilian hostages kidnapped from Israel and/or the terrorist activities in Israel on October 7, 2023,” the summary stated.
More than 100 UNRWA officials are being investigated by the IG’s office — with evidence now supporting at least 21 were affiliated with Hamas or participated in the terror group’s massacre of 1,200 in the Jewish state, including 46 US citizens. More than 250 hostages were also taken back to the Gaza Strip.
“The recent investigation by the USAID IG confirms that the UN is deficient in vetting its own staff for ties to terrorist organizations,” a senior State Department official told The Post.
“As the UN itself doesn’t consider Hamas a terrorist organization, both UN agencies and local NGOs [non-governmental organizations] may still hire Hamas-affiliated staff that place programs at high risk for diversion. This will not be tolerated.”
All 21 UNRWA staffers have since been proposed for suspension or debarment from receiving federal funds for the next decade. Past USAID OIG reports have called out the risk of hundreds of millions of dollars in US taxpayer funding to the UN agency being diverted to terror groups.
In response to the IG probe’s findings, Department of Justice senior counsel Leo Terrell also posted on X of the four most recent employees flagged for Hamas ties: “Jail them!”
— Leo Terrell (@LeoTerrellDOJ) May 3, 2026
The DOJ and FBI have already been looking into allegations that UNRWA employees assisted Hamas, according to two sources familiar with the matter. One of those people noted that USAID OIG’s evidence could be forwarded eventually to prosecutors should they decide to bring a case.
“The FBI is definitely involved in it on the counterterrorism side,” the other source noted, adding that “the murder of Americans” in Israel had prompted their involvement.
UNRWA had already faced a civil suit that alleged it “aided and abetted” Hamas by providing more than $1 billion to Gaza, but a Manhattan federal judge ruled last October that the agency has immunity from such legal claims since it is part of the United Nations.
Quote:The White House ripped “Star Wars” star Mark Hamill as “one sick individual” on Thursday after he blasted out a mocked-up image of President Trump dead in a grave.
The 74-year-old actor, best known for playing the original Luke Skywalker, posted the AI-generated image on Bluesky of Trump lying beneath a tombstone with the words, “Donald J. Trump: 1946–2024″ — and the words, “If only.”
“Mark Hamill is one sick individual,” the administration’s Rapid Response 47 account posted on X.
“These Radical Left lunatics just can’t help themselves. This kind of rhetoric is exactly what has inspired three assassination attempts in two years against our President.”
Hamill, a known Trump critic, accompanied the image with a lengthy caption again attacking the president — just days after a suspect was nabbed for trying to assassinate Trump and his top aides at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“If Only,” the actor wrote of Trump lying in his grave. “He should live long enough to witness his inevitable devastating loss in the midterms, be held accountable for his unprecedented corruption, impeached, convicted & humiliated for his countless crimes.”
“Long enough to realize he’ll be disgraced in the history books, forevermore. #don_TheCON.”
Hamill has a lengthy history of bashing Trump.
He claimed he nearly fled the US in favor of the UK or Ireland after Trump’s 2024 election victory — but was ultimately persuaded to stay by his wife.
“She’s very clever. She didn’t respond right away, but a week later she said, ‘I’m surprised you would allow him to force you out of your own country,’” Hamill previously told the Times of London.
Quote:WASHINGTON — FBI agents raided the office of a powerful Virginia Democratic state senator on Wednesday as part of a public corruption probe, federal law enforcement sources told The Post.
A cannabis dispensary that State Sen. L. Louis Lucas has said she co-owns, and which is located across a parking lot from the Portsmouth, Va., office, was also searched, Fox News first reported.
The federal probe involves alleged bribery by the highest-ranking Democrat concerning the retail marijuana business, one source familiar with the probe noted.
Photos and videos from Fox showed armed agents executing what authorities later said was a court-authorized search warrant — and Lucas later arriving on scene.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” the 82-year-old legislator told Fox News correspondent Alex Hogan. “I just came from a medical appointment.”
Agents removed several boxes from the office and also entered The Cannabis Outlet. Three individuals were reportedly taken into custody, and Lucas was seen circling the parking lot several times during the raid.
Lucas is listed in state business records as recently as 2024 in relation to the property
Lucas has previously claimed that former Virginia GOP attorney general Jason Miyares was looking into her business as far back as 2021. She’s also shared posts on X bragging about the hemp and cannabis business.
The longtime Democratic power broker in Virginia politics has served in the legislature since 1992 — and was also instrumental in pushing for a redistricting referendum that passed in April and is expected to net their party four seats in the US House of Representatives this November.
“You all started it and we f–king finished it,” she goaded Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) shortly after it passed by a 51.7% to 48.3% margin among Virginia voters.
Since 2019, she’s served as president pro tempore of the state Senate.
Quote:A Democratic lawmaker is drawing backlash after saying she spoke with foreign ambassadors about getting oil to Cuba despite US sanctions, defending the outreach as “literally our right and responsibility.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., made the remarks during a recent Seattle briefing following a congressional delegation trip to Cuba, where she discussed the island’s worsening fuel shortages and US policy toward the communist regime.
“I was in conversations with the ambassadors from Mexico and some other places … trying to figure out how to get oil there,” Jayapal said during the briefing, calling the situation on the island “a crisis beyond imagination.”
Jayapal said the event was part of a broader briefing on the humanitarian situation in Cuba following her recent visit.
“As many of you know, I traveled to Cuba as part of a congressional delegation last month,” she said. “It is part of my role to see how US foreign policy is actually affecting the people in the countries where that policy is being implemented.”
She said she met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, senior government officials, political dissidents, civil society groups and foreign diplomats during the trip.
Video of the remarks circulated widely on X, where users criticized the progressive lawmaker’s comments and raised legal concerns.
Quote:California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is escalating accusations against his Democrat rival Xavier Becerra, claiming a taxpayer-funded nonprofit is helping build a political ground game powered by immigrant communities, including those without legal status.
At the center of the dispute is the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and its political arm, the CHIRLA Action Fund, which formally endorsed Becerra for governor on April 13.
Hilton, pointing to findings from the California Department of Government Efficiency (CAL DOGE), alleges the group is benefiting from millions in public funding while engaging in political organizing tied to Becerra’s campaign.
“NEW FROM CAL DOGE: California taxpayer $$$ funding illegal immigrants to campaign for Xavier Becerra, in violation of federal law,” Hilton wrote on X.
CAL DOGE is an anti-fraud and waste-cutting initiative launched on Jan. 26 by Hilton to root out corruption in the state government.
A document highlighted in the investigation outlines what it calls a “pipeline” approach: beginning with immigration legal services such as DACA renewals and naturalization, then moving individuals into civic engagement activities like voter registration and mobilization.
The same materials describe efforts to “create as many citizens as possible” and to build a new voter base capable of influencing state politics.
Organizers are said to target newly naturalized citizens and maintain repeated outreach, “4–7 pre-election contacts per voter,” through canvassers described as “ranging in status from undocumented to LPR (lawful permanent resident).”
The CHIRLA Action Fund ultimately endorses candidates and spends to support them, according to the outline.
CAL DOGE claims this structure effectively links taxpayer-funded services to political activity, alleging that individuals without legal work authorization are being paid to participate in campaign-related outreach.
Quote:The Justice Department has launched an investigation into a radical Northern Virginia prosecutor who allegedly discriminated against US citizens by offering preferential treatment “only to illegal alien” criminal defendants.
The DOJ notified Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano on Wednesday that it is looking into potential civil rights violations related to his office’s plea bargaining, charging decisions and sentencing policies.
“Under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow local prosecutors to pick and choose winners based on their immigration status,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement.
“This investigation will uncover whether this prosecutor is putting the community at risk in offering sweetheart deals to illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes,” the head of the DOJ’s civil rights division added.
The investigation centers on Descano’s adoption of policies that instruct prosecutors to “consider immigration consequences where possible” and “consider … the collateral immigration consequences of the specific crime(s) the defendant is charged with” during plea bargaining, charging and sentencing.
The DOJ is examining whether Descano “engaged in unlawful discrimination in violation of Title VI and the Safe Streets Act and whether [his office] is engaged in a pattern or practice of law enforcement misconduct that deprives persons of rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States” by implementing that policy after his 2019 election.
During his campaign, Descano’s website included language similar to the current Fairfax County DA’s office’s policy.
“If two people commit the same crime, but only one’s punishment includes deportation, that’s a perversion of justice and not a reflection of the values of Fairfax County,” read the since-deleted line on Descano’s website, The Post previously reported.
Quote:A ring of elite corporate lawyers were accused of illegally trading on inside info about blockbuster deals over a decade, using a bizarre code that referred to one merger as a “rabbi” as they raked in tens of millions of dollars in ill-gotten profits, according to federal prosecutors.
Nicolo Nourafchan, a former mergers-and-acquisitions attorney at Goodwin and Latham, was accused of raiding confidential law-firm databases for secret deal documents tied to at least two dozen corporate transactions.
According to indictments unsealed Wednesday in Boston federal court, Nourafchan, 43, and associate Robert Yadgarov, 45, built a massive insider-trading pipeline that netted them a fortune by trading ahead of major acquisitions involving companies including Anadarko Petroleum, Care.com, iRobot, Qualcomm and Tim Hortons.
The ring allegedly tried to hide their plans with code words like “rabbi,” “doctor” and “surgery.”
Prosecutors said alleged conspirator Simon Fensterszaub, 50, asked at one point, “I really need to know when the rabbi is scheduled for surgery” — a reference to a pending deal — following up with, “How’s the rabbi?”
“He’s stable,” alleged conspirator Gavryel Silverstein, 43, replied, according to authorities, who said the response was meant to convey that an expected acquisition announcement would take place as planned.
Pending corporate takeovers and trading opportunities were allegedly described as “flights,” with traders alerting associates when a deal was “taking off” and telling them to get their “passport ready.” Insiders themselves were allegedly referred to as “travel agents” and “pilots.”
“We cannot miss this boat!!” Fensterszaub wrote while discussing an upcoming deal, according to prosecutors.
The indictments do not name the law firms Nourafchan and Yadgarov allegedly targeted for insider information. But Bloomberg News identified the firms as including Wachtell Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Latham & Watkins and Goodwin Procter, citing transaction details and employment histories laid out in the indictments.
“The responsible party left Wachtell Lipton over four years ago,” a Wachtell spokesperson told Bloomberg News in a statement. “There are no allegations of wrongdoing against the firm. Wachtell Lipton has cooperated fully with the US Attorney’s office and will continue to do so.”
Goodwin told Bloomberg News, “We are deeply disappointed that a former employee is alleged to have violated the trust placed in him and misused confidential information as part of a broader criminal scheme affecting multiple law firms and their clients. We have been cooperating and continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement.”
And a Latham & Watkins spokesperson said, “The former associate charged today has not been associated with our firm for five years, and the conduct as alleged would reflect a serious violation of our robust policies and procedures.”
The Post has sought comment from Nourafchan, Yadgarov and the other law firms.
The alleged scheme stretched from around 2014 through 2024 and ultimately involved 30 defendants across two federal indictments.
Quote:Ted Turner, the outspoken media pioneer who launched CNN and ushered in the era of 24-hour global news, died Wednesday at 87, according to Turner Enterprises. The Ohio-born Atlanta businessman built a far‑reaching media empire and became one of the most influential figures in modern broadcasting.
What to Know
Turner founded CNN, creating a nonstop global news model that reshaped how audiences consumed information.
He earned the nickname “The Mouth of the South” for his bold, unfiltered public persona throughout his rise in media.
His empire included cable’s first superstation, multiple entertainment channels, and ownership of the Atlanta Braves.
Turner became a major philanthropist, establishing the United Nations Foundation and donating heavily to global causes.
He was a leading conservationist who helped reintroduce bison to the American West and became one of the country’s largest landowners.
Turner disclosed a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia in 2018 and was hospitalized with pneumonia in early 2025 before recovering.
Quote:Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged suicide note was finally revealed — and the convicted pedophile appears to claim investigators “found nothing” on him.
“They investigated for month — found nothing!!!” read the barely legible note, released by a New York court order Wednesday in response to a New York Times petition.
“So 16 year old charge results!” the note appeared to read. “It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye.”
“Watcha want me to do — bust out crying!!” it continued. “NO FUN — not worth it!!”
The note was purportedly written after Epstein tried to hang himself in his Manhattan jail cell in July 2019, just days after his arrest for sex trafficking.
He was unsuccessful in that attempt and blamed his cellmate — disgraced cop and convicted quadruple murderer Nicholas Tartaglione.
Tartaglione found the note and gave it to his lawyers as purported proof that he did not attempt to murder the disgraced financier.
Tartaglione’s lawyer claimed the note was later verified as being written by Epstein, according to the Times.
Epstein succeeded in killing himself in August 2019, the month after the note was supposedly written for the initial attempt.
The verbiage in the supposed suicide note was similar to another scrawl he’d written while being held in Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he complained about being fed bad food and living with “giant bugs.”
“No fun!!” he also wrote on that note.
It languished in Tartaglione’s case file at his attorney’s office after it was found, then spent years locked in the vaults of a White Plains court after a judge ordered it sealed for the ex-cop’s ongoing litigation.
But Tartaglione hinted at its existence after he was convicted of murder in 2023.
The head of a Texas Islamic group that rented out a taxpayer-funded waterpark for an event that was advertised as “Muslim only” runs a childhood education center with the exact same unfortunate ‘Learing Center’ typo first seen at an infamous daycare in Minneapolis.
The “Excellence Early Learing Center,” as its misspelled website header reads — located in the Fort Worth suburb of Hurst — offers a variety of programs for youngsters from infants to pre-K, and promises to provide children with “the loving, personal care that they need to thrive and feel confident.”
The center boasts “multiculturalism, small classroom sizes, healthy eating and a warm, loving environment that feels like home” and staff with degrees in “education, accounting, biology, pharmacology, science, nursing and mathematics from their home countries.”
Its owner, head operator and curriculum designer is Aminah Knight, who boasts a master’s degree fro the University of Southern California and a doctorate from Vanderbilt University.
Earlier this week, Knight and her DFW Epic Eid organization drew massive criticism for a flyer advertising an event at Epic Waters in Grand Prairie billed as “Muslim only” and requiring modest swimsuits for all attendees.
Epic Waters, a sprawling, 80,000-square-feet indoor waterpark opened in 2017 at a cost of $88 million — funded by a 0.25% sales tax hike residents approved at the ballot box in 2014.
The FAQ for the third-annual event, which was being held to celebrate the Muslim holiday Eid, initially proclaimed “the entire waterpark has been exclusively reserved for Muslims.”
After the backlash, Knight modified the advert to omit the exclusionary language, and acknowledged to The Post in an email that the original messaging wasn’t intended to bar non-Muslims.
Quote:An accused narco queen and her boyfriend were the alleged masterminds behind a drug ring that funneled fentanyl and methamphetamine into crime-ridden MacArthur Park, bombshell charges revealed.
Mallaly Moreno-Lopez and beau Jackson Tarfur allegedly controlled a string of storefronts along Alvarado Street on the park’s perimeter that were responsible for the lion’s share of illegal narcotics feeding desperate addicts that flooded the park daily, prosecutors said.
A swarm of Drug Enforcement Agency officers raided the couple’s South Los Angeles home on Wednesday as part of a broader operation that led to nearly 40 arrests and the recovery of millions of dollars in potentially deadly drugs.
Both have been hit with federal charges of drug possession and distribution, and they face 10 years to life in prison.
Investigators say they caught the couple delivering narcotics to local storefronts for street-level dealers to sell, according to a criminal complaint.
“Moreno-Lopez, and her boyfriend, Jackson Tarfur, were hand-delivering drugs to the Alvarado Corridor here across from MacArthur Park,” LA’s top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, said at the park on Wednesday. “And they were storing and stashing the drugs at the business, as you see across the street.”
The pair is accused of working for the brutal 18th Street gang, a violent, transnational criminal organization thousands of members involved in drug trafficking, extortion and murder.
Moreno-Lopez was born into the gang and both her parents are active in the group, prosecutors said. Her mother was arrested during another raid in March, authorities said.
In one brazen move, investigators watched as the couple allegedly met an associate at a Food4Less to transfer a brown Nike bag stuffed with nearly 1,000 grams of fentanyl and meth, the complaint said.
Moreno-Lopez was even caught on camera unloading a foldable black shopping cart from a white Jeep Wrangler and stuffing it with eight large paper bags before wheeling it into a business, according to prosecutors.
Quote:A pro-Palestinian professor charged with killing a 69-year-old Jewish dad during an anti-Israel protest in southern California in 2023 will not stand trial after he plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
The 54-year-old Moorpark resident Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji pleaded guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter and felony battery causing serious bodily injury related to the death of Paul Kessler, the Ventura County District Attorney’s office said in a press release on Tuesday.
Alnaji-who teaches computer science at Moorpark College-and Kessler were both protesting the Israel-Hamas war during dueling pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrations in Thousand Oaks in 2023 when Alnaji struck the Jewish demonstrator in the head with a megaphone.
The DA said the blow to the head caused Kessler to fall to the ground, where he then struck his head on the pavement, later dying from injuries he sustained in the clash.
In addition to pleading guilty, Alnaji admitted the “aggravating factors that he used a weapon and that the victim was particularly vulnerable” and that he had “personally inflicted great bodily injury to Kessler,” the DA noted.
Because Alnaji was not convicted he will likely get formal probation with up to a year behind bars, per the DA. He was facing up to four years in prison for the crime.
“Alnaji should be sentenced to prison for his violent behavior, and our office strongly objects to any lesser sentence,” Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a statement.
Quote:Cops in Tucson, Arizona, rushed to investigate human remains that a streamer discovered in a wash less than five miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home Thursday – but they appear to be at least 50 years old, possibly even “prehistoric.”
The bone was discovered by a livestreamer searching the area for the missing mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, with the area quickly being cordoned off by police.
It was soon confirmed the bone was human – but officials said it they appeared to be far older than 84-year-old Nancy, who hasn’t been seen since vanishing from her home in February.
“This will be a prehistoric anthropological investigation,” Tucson Police Department told KVOA, confirming there was no criminal investigation into the remains.
The University of Arizona’s Anthropology Department is helping with the investigation.
Numerous Native American artifacts have been previously discovered in the area where the bone was discovered.
The find comes just over three months since Nancy was last seen on Feb. 1, and after countless hours-worth of searches from law enforcement, who have combed the desert terrain for any sign of her.
But so far, all searches have been completely fruitless.
The bone was just the latest discovery which cast the integrity of the investigation into doubt, however.
Quote:Families hoping to make memories on a cruise were unknowingly surrounded by alleged child predators working aboard the ships, according to law enforcement officials.
US Customs and Border Protection boarded five cruise ships, including a Disney cruise docked in San Diego, between April 23 and 25 as part of ongoing child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) enforcement operations, a CBP spokesperson told The California Post.
“After boarding the vessels and interviewing 26 suspected crew members from the Philippines, one suspected crew member from Portugal, and one from Indonesia, officers confirmed all subjects were involved in either the receipt, possession, transportation, distribution, or viewing of CSEM or child pornography,” the CBP spokesperson said.
“CBP cancelled their visas and these criminals are being removed from our country,” the spokesperson continued.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for this type of behavior and fully cooperated with law enforcement. While the majority of these individuals were not from our cruise line, those who were are no longer with the company,” a Disney spokesperson told The California Post.
It’s unclear which other ships the additional crew members may have worked on outside of Disney.
Passengers aboard a Disney cruise ship docking in San Diego were stunned as they documented multiple employees getting arrested last month.
Vacationers watched as immigration officials cuffed several employees on the Disney Magic ship while it was being unloaded. Passenger Dharmi Mehta took a video of the moment, saying one of those detained was her server.
Prior to the news about what the arrests were allegedly for, several immigration rights groups were up in arms about the Disney arrests, and also claimed four “seafarers” were arrested on the Holland America MV Zandaam cruise ship.
The port said local police were not involved in the arrest.
Quote:A twisted Texas man allegedly gunned down two people and injured three others in a botched murder-suicide plot against his business partners, court documents revealed.
Seung Han Ho, 69, opened fire at the K-Towne strip mall in Carrollton in a purported pre-meditated attack against the shopping center’s owners and their employees, according to an affidavit obtained by Fox 4.
Ho first confronted four of the victims — Sung Rae Cho, Olivia Kim, Yo Sung Kim and Young Yoo — at the mall. He told them that he didn’t have their rent, but did have a pistol, the affidavit said.
The jilted entrepreneur was on the hook for a sushi restaurant at the plaza, the owner of the mall, Yoo, and Edward Schleigh, a local real estate agent, “convinced” him to purchase last summer for upwards of $75,000, court documents said.
The two also persuaded him to invest in a separate property in Georgia.
When the deals “eventually fell through,” Ho demanded his money back — but he was rebuffed. Kim also separately talked Yoo into hiking the rent for the sushi spot an additional $2,000, according to the affidavit.
An enraged Ho collected the four victims’ cellphones and opened fire after a heated, minutes-long discussion, as alleged in the affidavit.
He fatally shot Cho while he was running towards an exit. He also shot Yoo and the Kims, the affidavit said — although they are all expected to survive the shootings.
From there, Ho set his sights on Schleigh, who lived at an apartment complex four miles away from the mall.
Ho allegedly told detectives he knew Schleigh left his apartment unlocked, so he stormed in and fatally shot the real estate agent twice, the affidavit stated.
Quote:An Egyptian illegal immigrant who killed an elderly woman and injured a dozen other people in an antisemitic firebombing in Colorado last June was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty Thursday — but he could still face the death penalty.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 46, who admitted to state charges for the fiery ambush, has pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges stemming from the attack against a demonstration in support of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Federal prosecutors say they could still seek the death penalty in their case against him.
Soliman, who was in the country illegally on an expired tourist visa, lobbed two Molotov cocktails at the group, who had gathered at a popular pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder, and later told investigators he was motivated by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.”
Karen Diamond, 82, was injured in the attack and later died. A dozen others were also injured.
Speaking to the court through an interpreter for nearly a half hour, Soliman offered apologies to the victims and condolences for Diamond’s death. “There are no words that can express my sadness for her passing,” Soliman said.
He said he wasn’t asking for leniency at sentencing for his convictions in state court and wants prosecutors pressing federal hate crime charges against him to seek the death penalty.
“If I went back, I would not have done this as this is not according to the teaching of Islam,” Soliman said. “What I did came out of myself and only myself.”
In a statement read earlier in court by a prosecutor, Diamond’s sons asked that Soliman not be allowed to see his family again “since he is responsible for our mother never seeing her family again.”
Quote:A local Chinatown community leader ran a secret Chinese spy outpost out of a nondescript Manhattan office building — helping his communist handlers track a pro-democracy dissident, prosecutors charged Wednesday.
Lu Jianwang, who goes by Harry Lu, “opened a satellite office for the Chinese government in the heart of New York City,” prosecutor Lindsey Oken told jurors at the start of a Brooklyn federal court trial expected to shed light on Beijing’s alleged shadowy US influence campaign.
Lu, a Bronx resident who has been a naturalized US citizen for decades, “was living in New York City but he was working for the Chinese government,” the prosecutor added.
The alleged Chinese agent took orders from China’s Ministry of Public Security to monitor a Big Apple-based dissident from the glass-windowed six-story building at 107 East Broadway — where a banner was hung proudly announcing that the site was a “Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station,” the feds allege.
But a lawyer for the 64-year-old leader of the America Changle Association — which advocates for New Yorkers hailing from China’s Fujian Province — shot back that the alleged secret “police station” was merely an innocuous community center where locals gathered to play ping pong and mahjong.
The community relied on Lu for help renewing their Chinese driver’s licenses remotely as travel back to their homeland was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, defense lawyer John Carman claimed.
“He’s not an agent of Chinese intelligence … He’s an agent of the people of his community,” Carman told jurors.
The dueling claims came at the start of a one-week trial where the dissident is expected to testify. Lu has pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to register as a foreign agent and obstructing justice by allegedly deleting WeChat messages with his purported Beijing handler.
With an American flag pin affixed to the lapel of his dark suit, Lu didn’t betray much emotion as he listened to a Fujianese translation of the opening statements through an earpiece Wednesday morning.
Quote:A 64-year-old Chinese national has been convicted by a federal jury of selling more than a million fraudulent COVID-19 tests nationwide out of a Fresno biolab during the pandemic.
The Department of Justice said that Jia Bei Zhu was found guilty of fraudulently selling nearly $4 million worth of the faulty tests out of his Fresno-based company Universal Meditech Inc (UMI) to customers across the US.
He was convicted on nearly a dozen counts including, one for making a false statement to the FDA, eight counts of substantive wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“This verdict holds the defendant accountable for actions that exploited a public health crisis for his own gain,” US Attorney Eric Grant said about the conviction.
“He flouted the lawful authority of the FDA and deliberately deceived the public by repackaging low-quality, foreign-made test kits at a time when accuracy and reliability were critical.”
Between August 2020 and March 2023, Zhu, his romantic partner Zhaoyan Wang and others at UMI “conspired with each other to import faulty COVID tests from China and then sell them to customers based” on lies.
The DOJ said that Zhu lied that the tests were approved by the FDA, that they were made in the USA, that they came from a certified lab, and that they actually worked.
It was revealed at trial that Zhu and Wang hired employees that wouldn’t ask questions.
Some of those employees testified that they knew what was going down but they were either too afraid of losing their job or too scared of Zhu to stop selling the fraudulent tests and blow the whistle.
Quote:China’s top diplomat said Thursday that ties with the US have been in general stable despite “many twists and disruptions,” and called on both countries to find a way to contribute to global peace, a week before President Donald Trump is expected to visit.
During a meeting with members of a US bipartisan congressional delegation, led by Sen. Steve Daines, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi credited Presidents Xi Jinping and Trump for “helping steer the direction of bilateral relations at critical moments.”
“Over the past year, China-US relations have gone through many twists and disruptions, but we have still managed to maintain overall stability,” Wang said.
Daines, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a strong supporter of Trump, agreed and said that both countries should look for stability.
“I strongly believe that we want to de-escalate, not decouple. We want stability, we want mutual respect,” he said.
Daines added that after the leaders meet next week, “perhaps we could see some more Boeing airplanes purchased, which I know would be something we would like to see.”
The senator also recognized China’s efforts to help reduce tensions in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
He said that Wang’s meeting on Wednesday with the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was proof of China’s engagement.
Ahead of Trump’s visit to China, scheduled for May 14-15, the US government has been pressing Beijing to use its influence with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil normally flows.
It was Daines’ second trip to China since Trump took office last year.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
Quote:The man who ran security at 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Games — where a bomber killed two and wounded more than 100 — warns that Iranian “sleeper cells” are likely plotting attacks during next month’s World Cup, as federal officials race to secure the 39-day competition.
“I’m fairly confident there are Iranian sleeper cells or surrogate sleeper cells, and this would be an incredible opportunity for sleeper cells to attack,” Former LAPD Deputy Chief Bill Rathburn told The Post.
His comments came after the feds warned about Iranian “prepositioned sleeper assets” in the US while the war with Iran raged. The fighting is down to a simmer after the US launched strikes on Iranian targets Thursday following attacks on three US ships in a response President Trump called a “love tap.”
Chris Swecker, who ran security for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, held in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, also pointed to Middle East turmoil as a concerning threat factor.
“There’s an animation around the sport to begin with,” said Swecker, who served as assistant director of the FBI. “You’ve got the presence of foes coming to the World Cup from different parts of the world. It’s not like it can escape the radar of terrorist organizations. It’s right there front and center.”
He cited the threat from “card-carrying terrorist cells, as well as the influence those that have been radicalized on the Internet.”
Iranian sleeper cells would be at the “top of the list,” Swecker said, and mentioned those backed by Hamas and Hezbollah — “but also Al Qaeda . . . all the different iterations of ISIS. I mean, all of them. And then there’s nut cases that sort of loosely align themselves with one or more of these terrorist organizations and the causes they espouse. And they’re out there. And all they need to do is add water and they’re activated.”
So-called soft targets are as much of a concern as the stadiums themselves, officials said.
“You have to have the best intelligence that you could put in place,” Rathburn said.
The Secret Service is the lead agency of designated National Special Security Events like the World Cup, but the agency has been faulted for security breaches.
Quote:WASHINGTON — An ugly internal power struggle in Iran is muddying mediation talks with the US, as pro-war and pro-deal factions battle it out over whether Tehran should ever surrender, sources familiar with mediation efforts tell The Post.
Though Iran’s political elites — including its president, foreign minister and parliamentary speaker — have been at the center of efforts to hammer out peace terms, regional sources told The Post that it’s Iran’s military leadership that ultimately has the power to accept or reject any agreement.
“One faction there right now is at its highest point ever in its history — the IRGC,” a source told The Post. “The nationalist feeling (that comes with war) gives them the highest pedestal.”
As a military force, the IRGC’s power surges in times of conflict — and with the group at the helm, some within Tehran have an interest in seeing the war continue, sources familiar with the negotiations told The Post this week.
The split helps explain why Iran has repeatedly tested US patience — launching attacks that provoke American retaliation without fully shattering the fragile cease-fire.
President Trump himself has shied away from defining what level of attack, exactly, would warrant a return to full-scale war, cryptically telling a reporter this week that “you’ll find out” when he determines a strike reaches the level of breaking the cease-fire.
Those tests came to a head on Friday, when the US launched airstrikes targeting three empty Iranian-linked tankers that tried to barrel through the US blockade of Iranian ports, according to US Central Command.
A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet disabled two tankers attempting to break past the American blockade on Tehran’s ports “after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks,” CENTCOM said in a post to X.
The ships — the Iranian-flagged M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda — were attempting to breach the blockade to reach an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman.
The strikes stopped the ships from reaching port, as video showed thick black smoke rising from the vessels after the strikes.
A third ship was also stopped when an F/A-18 Super Hornet “disabled the unladen oil tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from a 20mm cannon gun,” the combatant command said.
Quote:The glitzy coastal city of Dubai is known for several things, not least its spacious malls and the luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by expats flocking toward the glamor of the Emirati tax haven.
But it's gained another reputation. Dubai, a hub for global commercial travel, also boasts a "humanitarian city" housing the world's largest logistics center for aid agencies, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The nearly 200 national aid groups under this banner coordinate food, medicine and other supplies across the Middle East, Africa and beyond from Dubai, the heavily transited city an ideal gateway for aid flows toward some of the most deprived or conflict-ridden spots in the world, like Iran, Somalia and Sudan.
But the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and other influential aid groups, say that since the start of the Iran war on February 28, they've struggled to deliver vital supplies because of Iranian and U.S. blockades on the key Strait of Hormuz shipping route.
The spike in oil prices caused by the blockage of the international waterway has also sent up the costs of overland deliveries on truck convoys. Only limited amounts of aid can be dispatched by air, in smaller quantities and at higher prices.
Delays mean medicine isn't making it to thousands of people who need it in Sudan, while millions more could go hungry, particularly in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, as fertilizer shipments fail to arrive in time for crops to be planted.
International agencies had already been hit by the withdrawal of U.S. humanitarian aid funding last year and other major donors dropping out.
While U.S. President Donald Trump this week said Iran was close to making a deal that would end the war and re-open the strait, the closure of the critical waterway for more than eight weeks has been immense. Maritime traffic in the strait is still a fraction of what it used to be, less than 90 percent of what typically passed through the area daily.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The US military launched a new series of airstrikes Friday, targeting a group of empty tankers in the Strait of Hormuz that were trying to barrel through the blockade of Iranian ports, according to US Central Command.
A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet struck two empty Iranian tankers that were attempting to break past the American blockade on Tehran’s ports, disabling them both “after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks,” CENTCOM said in a post to X.
The ships — known as the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda — were attempting to breach the blockade to reach an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman.
The strikes successfully prevented from reaching the port, as video showed thick, black smoke rising from the hulking vessels after the strikes.
A third ship was also stopped when an F/A Super Hornet “disabled the unladen oil tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from a 20mm cannon gun,” the combatant command said.
The US has roughly 15,000 troops enforcing the blockade, which took effect on April 13.
CENTCOM revealed in a separate post to X on Friday that “[t]here are currently more than 70 tankers that US forces are preventing from entering or leaving Iranian ports.
“These commercial ships have the capacity to transport over 166 million barrels of Iranian oil worth an estimated $13 billion-plus.”
CENTCOM and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Analysts have warned that high tensions over the blockade could accidentally trigger a return to full-scale war.
However, the US has avoided formally ending the ongoing cease-fire with Iran despite multiple skirmishes in recent days, including American retaliatory strikes Thursday evening that President Trump downplayed as “love taps” after Tehran targeted three US warships in the strait.
It’s not only US vessels that have been under Iranian attack as Tehran continues to consider the strait closed and under its sovereignty.
Quote:Oil is oozing through the ocean near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, according to satellite photos released Friday, raising questions about the state of Iran’s central energy production hub located there.
Between May 6 and 8, the spill spread to an area of 20 square miles inside the channel, amounting to as much as 3,000 lost barrels of oil, reps for Orbital EOS, a global oil spill monitoring service told The New York Times.
It’s unclear what has caused the spill. The US has struck Kharg Island several times during its conflict with Iran, but the most recent actions took place in early April — long before the spill.
“Large volumes of crude [oil] stored in tankers are increasing spill risks. A possible rupture in the old undersea pipeline to Abuzar field is another source,” suggested Dalga Khatinoglu, who spoke as an Iranian energy expert to the Times.
Roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports depart from the island, with China being one of the main purchasers.
Hundreds of oil tankers and other vessels carrying fertilizer and critical supplies out of the Persian Gulf have been bottlenecked since joint US-Israeli strikes began on Feb. 28.
Iran forced energy prices to surge globally after shutting the strait down shortly after the bombing commenced. At least one-fifth of the world’s supply of seaborne oil passes through it.
But Tehran’s oil has also been blockaded by US ships since April 13, with no Iranian-flagged vessels being allowed to transit the strait amid a tenuous cease-fire with American forces that started days before.
Nima Shokri, a professor of environmental engineering at the Hamburg University of Technology, also told the Times that “the naval blockade has likely pushed Iran’s oil system into a dangerous state.”
Quote:President Trump told reporters Friday that he expects to hear from Iran “tonight” on a proposal to end hostilities in the region.
“I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight. So we’ll see how that goes,” Trump said as he prepared to depart the White House for a dinner at his golf course in Northern Virginia.
When asked if he thought Iran was slow-walking the process, the president responded: “I don’t know. We’ll find out soon enough.”
The one-page memorandum of understanding Trump is waiting to hear back on is expected to serve as the foundation for a broader treaty to be negotiated at a later date.
The US has offered to ease sanctions in exchange for Iran halting uranium enrichment and the reopening of commercial shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, sources familiar with negotiation efforts have told The Post.
“We should know something today,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at the US Embassy in Rome. “I mean, we’re expecting a response from them. We’ll see what their response entails.
“The hope is it’s something that – it can put us into a serious process of negotiation.”
Rubio noted that the Iranian government is “still highly fractured and a bit dysfunctional” which “may be serving as an impediment.”
He also warned that efforts by Tehran to control ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz would be “unacceptable.”
“The normalizing of their controlling of an international waterway is both illegal and it’s just something that’s unacceptable,” Rubio said. “And the world has to start asking itself what is it willing to do if Iran tries to normalize a control of an international waterway. I think that’s unacceptable.”
Other major sticking points include where Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium would go – Trump insists the radioactive material must be turned over to the United States rather than to a third country – and whether or when Tehran would be allowed to resume any enrichment activity in the future.
Quote:President Trump was still waiting for Iran’s counter-offer to his latest bid to settle the war Saturday, while threatening to flex American military muscle if Tehran doesn’t agree to terms.
A broader cease-fire between the US and Tehran appeared to hold, two days after the US struck two Iranian sites and the United Arab Emirates said it shot down incoming Iranian missiles and drones.
Pressure has been building on the Iranian regime to move the ball forward in peace negotiations – with flare-ups in the Strait of Hormuz threatening to derail talks.
Trump warned Saturday that he may resume Project Freedom, which would have US destroyers guide commercial ships through the strait, if talks with Tehran flame out.
“We may go back to Project Freedom if things don’t happen, but it’d be Project Freedom-plus, meaning Project Freedom plus other things,” he told reporters.
While Iran stalled their response to the US peace proposal, Britain’s Defense Ministry announced it was sending the HMS Dragon to the Middle East from the eastern Mediterranean, where it has been defending British defense assets from the threat of Iranian strikes.
A UK military spokesperson called it “prudent planning” as part of a “multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the Strait of Hormuz, when conditions allow.”
It follows a move by Paris earlier this week to deploy its carrier strike group to the southern Red Sea — accompanied by Italian and Dutch warships.
French President Emanuel Macron said a joint mission with the UK “can help restore confidence among shipowners and insurers” and was “distinct from the parties to the conflict.”
After the outbreak of war on Feb. 28, Iran managed to effectively close the strait, which handles about 20% of the world’s oil shipping.
Trump countered by announcing a blockade on April 12, before sending US destroyers to search fo Iranian mines and be positioned to escort commercial ships through the waterway.
Macron called for all sides to end the blockades of the strait “immediately and without conditions.”
Quote:A British Royal Navy destroyer is headed to the Middle East where a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is underway – as part of a multi-country mission that could finally unlock commercial shipping in the critical waterway.
The HMS Dragon is joining a “freedom of navigation” mission in a move that signals an important international shift toward ending Iran’s stronghold of the strait. President Trump has long demanded other US allies, including those dependent on Persian Gulf oil, share the burden of getting commercial traffic through the strait.
Iran effectively closed the vital waterway during the war, and the US in response imposed a blockade that remains in place.
Britain’s Defense Ministry announced Saturday that the Dragon is being deployed from the eastern Mediterranean, where it had been guarding UK military bases from Iranian drone strikes, the Times of London reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron posted about a multilateral mission between France and the UK on Friday that “can help restore confidence among shipowners and insurers” and was “distinct from the parties to the conflict.”
Quote:Germany's finance minister has blamed Donald Trump's "irresponsible war in Iran" for a big drop in his country's expected tax revenues.
Lars Klingbeil said the US president's actions in the region had caused a "global energy shock".
German officials have slashed the projected tax revenue for 2026-2030 by around €70bn ($82bn; £60.52bn). The downgrade "shows just how much the war in Iran is harming our economy", Klingbeil said in Berlin.
Last month, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz infuriated Trump with his suggestion that the White House had been "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators - comments which prompted the US president to threaten to withdraw thousands of US troops from bases in Germany.
Since coming to office a year ago, Chancellor Merz has often indicated that Trump's policies have changed the traditionally close relationship between the US and Europe.
In February, for instance, Merz said "a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States". But the German chancellor has visited the White House twice in a year in an effort to smooth the strains in trans-Atlantic ties.
Alongside other European countries, Germany has been critical of the war that the US and Israel launched against Iran on 28 February, which has considerably raised fears of a global economic downturn.
Germany's coalition government has been struggling to boost the economy which has been stagnant for years, with high energy costs and a weak demand for exports playing a significant role.
Last month, Merz told students that "the Americans clearly have no strategy" and he could not see "what strategic exit" they were going to choose.
"The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result," he said.
The "entire nation" was being "humiliated" by the Iranian leadership, he added.
Trump responded the following day with a post to Truth Social, where he said Merz thought it was "OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon" and "doesn't know what he's talking about."
"No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!" the post read.
Dragging the row on, Trump later suggested Merz should focus more on "fixing his broken Country, especially Immigration and Energy, and less time interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat".
Earlier this month and just days after Merz's initial comments, the US defence department announced a plan to withdraw 5,000 troops form Germany - an order which has been attributed to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Germany's defence minister said the Pentagon decision was "foreseeable".
The US military deployment in Germany is by far its biggest in Europe, with about 12,000 troops in Italy and a further 10,000 in the UK.
Trump is a longtime critic of the Nato alliance and has berated allies for not joining in his plans to reopen the strategic shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by Iran.
About 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) usually passes through the Strait and hostilities have sent global fuel prices soaring.
The warring sides are observing a ceasefire, meant to lead to a deal to end the war.
Quote:Continuing to expand its local defense industry, Turkey unveiled its first domestically developed intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of up to 6,000 km., putting most of Europe, Africa, and much of Asia in its crosshairs.
The missile, the Yildirimhan, was developed by Turkey’s National Defense Ministry R&D Center and shown off for the first time at the SAHA Expo 2026 defense and aerospace exhibition in Istanbul on Tuesday.
The missile is said to have a payload capacity of up to 3,000 kg. and, using liquid nitrogen tetroxide and four engines, can reach speeds of between Mach 9 and Mach 25.
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, who was at the unveiling, was quoted by Hurriyet News as saying that recent conflicts, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the recent war against Iran by the United States and Israel, had deeply affected global security.
“These conflicts and wars have provided very critical data for security doctrine while also increasing our responsibilities,” Güler said.
Domestic defense industry
The debut of the Yildirimhan comes as Turkey has made defense autonomy a national priority, aiming to meet nearly all of its military needs domestically by 2030; investing heavily in missiles, unmanned platforms, air defense systems, and more. The NATO nation is also attempting to build a reputation as a reliable defense supplier.
“In this era where economic cost has become an asymmetric weapon, Turkey offers its allies not only weapon systems but also technology and a sustainable security economy,” Güler was quoted by local media as saying at the event.
In the missile domain, Ankara is pushing aggressively into long-range and hypersonic systems. The Tayfun Block-4 ballistic missile is capable of reaching speeds above Mach 5 with a range of 800 km., and it carried out successful testing last week. Turkey has plans for mass production of the missile by 2026.
After being kicked out of the F-35 program, Ankara’s flagship projects include the KAAN fifth-generation fighter jet, now in the prototype stage, and the Altay main battle tank, which began deliveries in 2025. At sea, the Turkish Navy is pursuing a modernization plan that adds new submarines and air-defense destroyers,
Alongside these developments, Turkey has launched the $6.5 billion Steel Dome program, a multi-layered air defense network designed to rival Israel’s Iron Dome or Greece’s Achilles’ Shield and provide protection against aircraft, drones, and ballistic threats.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that the Steel Dome “will instill confidence in friends and fear in enemies.”
Quote:For nearly 20 years, Russia's annual Victory Day parade on May 9 has been a less-than-subtle flexing of its military muscles.
Tanks, artillery systems that fire rockets over short distances, and even Russia's long-range nuclear missiles capable of reaching the U.S. have snaked through Moscow's Red Square, surrounded by thousands of troops marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II.
In 2022's parade, just weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, President Vladimir Putin told soldiers they were “fighting for the same thing their fathers and grandfathers did."
But this year the Kremlin announced ahead of the commemorations that it would scale back its display, citing concerns that Ukraine would choose this moment to send drones packed with explosives into the center of the Russian capital.
Although experts say this worry did, in all likelihood, motivate the decision, the move also raised questions about whether Russia may simply not have the gear to spare from the frontlines of eastern Ukraine as the war drags on.
"It's a bit of both," said Natia Seskuria, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) defense think tank in London.
Ukraine has no reason not to attempt to strike a huge reputational blow against the Kremlin on one of its most symbolic, publicized days, she told Newsweek.
But with peace talks stalled, Russia is also looking ahead to possibly years more of war and planning for the long term, rather than parading and posturing, Seskuria said.
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump said Friday that Ukraine and Russia will embark on a three-day cease-fire that could be the “beginning of the end” of the more than four-year-old war — as both nations pause to celebrate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the truce would last three days, including Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
“This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country. This request was made directly by me,” Trump wrote.
“Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War. Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced plans for the cease-fire earlier this week, though the dates did not initially align.
Trump has admitted that resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict is more difficult than he initially hoped, after claiming during the 2024 campaign that he could end it with a single phone call.
Trump has attributed the difficulty to bitter enmity between Putin and Zelensky.
“There’s tremendous hatred between President Putin and President Zelensky, tremendous hatred,” Trump said in March. “I’ve seen it before, but I’ve never seen maybe to this extent. And I think that’s calming down a little bit.”
Zelensky last May rejected a Putin-proposed three-day cease-fire over the same holiday, calling it a “theatrical show” intended to “create a soft atmosphere of an exit from isolation” for Russia.
Quote:President Trump said he is ready to send a high-powered US delegation into Moscow as part of an intensified push to end the four-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine.
“I would do that,” Trump told reporters during a press gaggle near the White House Saturday, when asked if he would send negotiators directly to the Russian capital.
“I would very much like to see the end of the conflict … where 25,000 young soldiers died last month,” he added of the fighting that’s been Europe’s deadliest since World War II.
“It’s madness.”
The remarks come with negotiations stalled due to the ongoing Iran war, and on the heels of a fragile three-day cease-fire between the warring countries brokered by Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed not to disrupt Russia’s annual Victory Day parade in Moscow Saturday — marking the Soviet Union’s historic victory over Nazi Germany in World War II — as the countries exchanged 1,000 prisoners of war on each side over the weekend.
The temporary cease-fire appeared to hold overnight, without any major attacks reported by either side after midnight Friday. The pause in fighting is supposed to remain in place until Monday.
The truce marks a rare — and at three days one of the longest — period without an air raid alert over Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022.
Quote:Secretary of State Marco Rubio described himself as “a strong supporter of NATO” amid tensions between President Trump and the members of the alliance.
“I’ve been a strong supporter of NATO throughout my career in the Senate and even now,” Rubio told reporters in Italy after he met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday.
But, the secretary added, the point of being in NATO is for allies to help “in case of contingencies,” which did not happen when the US attacked Iran.
“We had a contingency. And some countries in Europe – some countries in Europe like Spain, as an example – denied us the use of those bases for a very important contingency, that in some ways the denial of those bases actually impeded the mission,” he said.
Trump has described the bloc as a “paper tiger” and threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain. Rubio said he had no announcements to make about American forces, noting it was the president’s decision.
And he wouldn’t guarantee the president’s attacks would stop.
“The president will always speak clearly about how he feels about the US and US policy,” Rubio said. “The president of the United States is always going to act on what’s in the best interest of the United States.”
Still, the secretary of state tried to charm Meloni and Pope Leo XIV after Trump called them weak for not supporting his war efforts.
He came bearing gifts, including a crystal football engraved with the State Department’s logo for the pope.
Meloni had her own gift for Rubio, a family tree showing proof of his Italian ancestry. The document charted his family’s origins to the northern Piemonte region.
Quote:Two drones crashed in NATO nation Latvia early on Thursday as neighboring Lithuania said fighter jets based there were patrolling Latvian airspace.
The drones fell on Latvian soil after crossing into the Baltic nation's airspace from Russia, Riga's military said in a statement.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas, told Lithuania's LRT broadcaster fighter jets took off from Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania, to "patrol the Latvian sky" before returning to their original base at around 6 a.m. local time.
The drones were likely launched by Ukraine toward targets in Russia, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds said in comments reported by national broadcaster LSM.
Drones have repeatedly breached NATO airspace since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago, but have not so far been treated as attacks on the alliance.
During long-range strikes, drones can veer off course because of signal jamming that affects their navigation systems.
Although drones from Russia are much more likely to enter NATO airspace, a Ukrainian drone homing in on oil infrastructure in western Russia strayed into Latvia in late March, while more drones packed with explosives landed in neighboring Estonia and Lithuania.
NATO members are obliged to see assaults on any member state as an attack on all. This is meant to deter any adversary nations from attacking a part of NATO because it would have to face a response from all 32 alliance members.
Quote:Greek authorities have rendered safe a naval drone carrying explosives after it was discovered in the Ionian Sea by fishermen.
The unmanned vessel, suspected to be of Ukrainian origin, was found in a cave near Lefkada on Greece's western coast on Thursday with its engine still running. Greek bomb disposal experts removed its detonators and battery.
The incident has raised questions about Greece's maritime security and its vulnerability to emerging military technology.
Authorities are now investigating how the drone ended up in Greece's territorial waters and why it may have been in the Mediterranean.
Ukraine has used naval drones to target Russian warships, tankers and naval bases since Moscow's full-scale invasion began in 2022, but much of this activity has been constrained to the Black Sea, which the two nations border.
Ukraine's military has so far not commented. Both Greek and Ukrainian media have identified it as likely a Ukrainian-made Magura drone.
Two reputable Greek news outlets are reporting that notes handwritten in Ukrainian were found aboard the vessel.
It was estimated to be carrying around 100kg (220lb) of explosives, prompting Greek authorities to conduct a controlled explosion in the sea near Astakos.
Specialist teams in the Greek armed forces are now inspecting the drone for clues as to its origin and purpose.
Greek newspaper Ta Nea reports that theories being considered are that the drone - with an estimated range of 432 miles (700km) - fell into the sea while being transported or was intended to target Russian shipping in the Mediterranean but lost contact with its operator.
The vessel had a built-in GPS that could have been affected by bad weather and sensors that were broken when it was discovered, according to public broadcaster ERT.
But the drone's presence has prompted criticism that Greece's Navy was ill-prepared for a new era of warfare.
"Unfortunately, all Greek women and men are realising that the country is an open vineyard," opposition defence spokesman Michalis Katrinis commented.
Meanwhile, Greece's Communist party said in a statement: "What business did the Ukrainian naval drone have in Greek territorial waters? What was its goal? Did the Greek government know if and in which operational plan it was part of? [...] Are other similar drones of other 'allies' also operating in Greek territorial waters?"
The nationalist pro-Russian Hellenic Solution party called it a "conscious military provocation".
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias sought to downplay the significance of the drone's discovery on Saturday, saying: "Because we know what it is and what it contains, we have nothing to envy."
He said that the Greek government was implementing policies that meant "our homeland can produce and be able to equip the Navy with the most advanced drones and anti-drone systems that currently exist".
The discovery has put Greece's national security agency, armed forces and several ministries on red alert.
Ukrainian drones have repeatedly attacked Russian tankers carrying sanctioned oil and naval installations in the Black Sea, with the intention of disrupting both Moscow's revenue stream and warfighting capability.
Quote:When a man identifying himself as Chris Chen reached out this winter to an aide on a House committee focused on threats from China, he came armed with a lucrative offer.
The staff member, Mr. Chen proposed, could earn $10,000 or more by barely lifting a finger. All he would need to do is agree to phone calls every other week to share information about the committee’s work and U.S. foreign policy about China.
Insights into U.S. trade or national-security issues, including the Trump administration’s plans for Venezuela in the aftermath of the January military operation there, would be especially valuable, Mr. Chen said. To sweeten the pot, Mr. Chen repeatedly promised to send the aide $2,000 up front.
The offer seemed too good to be true. Instead of quietly accepting the deal, the aide, whose identity The New York Times agreed to withhold because he works on sensitive policy issues related to China, reported it to his bosses on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. The panel quickly concluded Mr. Chen was not the Singapore-based business consultant he claimed to be, but instead likely a Chinese intelligence officer or contractor seeking a new recruit.
...
Rather than cut off contact, the committee’s Republican majority staff agreed to keep talking to Mr. Chen. They recorded a series of calls this winter to learn more about Mr. Chen’s tactics and interests.
Transcripts of those calls, which the committee shared with The Times alongside some of the recorded audio, depict a determined, at times impatient, individual eager to earn the trust of his mark and get down to business. Mr. Chen mixes holiday greetings with elaborate questions about manufacturing in Vietnam and Mexico and the future of Venezuela’s oil industry.
Beijing and Washington have been aggressively spying on one another for decades, an inevitable byproduct of the world’s two largest economies competing across the globe. But by their nature, those shadow games rarely surface such a detailed look at how either side plies its trade.
The outreach by Mr. Chen to an aide on the very committee responsible for investigating Chinese national-security threats appears to provide an unusually vivid portrait of how Beijing’s spy services seek to gain access to sensitive information from within the corridors of power in Washington.
By some measures, the spying on both sides has intensified in recent months, as the bilateral relationship — which will be tested next week during a summit in Beijing between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping — has grown more strained.
Quote:Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has been roundly scorned after she claimed on a podcast this week that the idea anyone can earn their way to billionaire status is a “myth.”
“You can’t earn a billion dollars. You just can’t earn that,” the Bronx and Queens rep told comedian Ilana Glazer on Thursday on the latter’s podcast, “It’s Open.” “You can get market power, you can break rules, you can do all sorts of things.
“You can abuse labor laws, you can pay people less than what they’re worth. But you can’t earn that, right? And so you have to create a myth that — since you didn’t earn that, you have to create a myth of earning it.”
AOC doubled down in a post on X Thursday evening, writing: “The single largest form of theft in America is wage theft. $50 billion a year are stolen from American workers … Some people get enraged that I draw attention to this. That’s on them. Let them call me shrill, dumb, inexperienced, girly, uneducated – these folks will say anything to distract from or undercut the truth that working people are getting screwed, and giving people a fair shake means we must have a grown conversation about reigning [sic] in abuse of power.”
Critics were quick to clap back at the “Squad” member, with many suggesting she was engaging in projection.
“There are a remarkable number of people who proceed from the premise ‘I could never do anything of a certain value’ to the conclusion ‘no one could do something of that value,'” one X user mused. “Those people are narcissists.”
“No, Alexandria … YOU can’t earn a billion dollars,” responded Rafael Mangual of the Manhattan Institute. “You see, those who can and have don’t share the limits of your knowledge and imagination. I understand that it’s psychologically soothing to chalk the disparity up to immorality on their part; but that doesn’t make it true.”
“Socialists don’t run businesses,” noted author Helen Raleigh. “They produce nothing valuable or desirable that others want. They enrich themselves only by taking from others by force. Therefore, they don’t understand how entrepreneurs can be so wildly successful in a free market simply by providing goods or services many people want and are willing to pay for.”
Quote:“Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is under fire for radically rewriting history by claiming the American Revolution was all about fighting against “billionaires” — similar to the fight she and other fellow socialists are waging on capitalism.
“The American Revolution was against the billionaires of their time, and we are declaring independence from such an extreme marriage of wealth and the state,” claimed a clueless Ocasio-Cortez during an appearance Friday at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics with longtime Democrat strategist David Axelrod.
Critics schooled the Boston University grad by noting the American Revolution was a rebellion against the British government over unfair taxation without representation and monarchical control — not a fight over wealth.
Others also noted that George Washington and some other Founding Fathers were among the wealthiest in the colonies. In fact, Washington himself was worth the equivalent of nearly $600 million in today’s money.
“No, AOC, the American Revolution was NOT ‘against the billionaires of their time,’” said US Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). “It was against a large, distant, overly intrusive government that recognized no limits over its own authority to tax, regulate, and eat out the substance of the citizens it claimed to serve.”
Marina Medvin, a lawyer and conservative political pundit, said “AOC doesn’t comprehend America’s founding at all. She thinks raising taxes is consistent with the American Revolution.”
She also asked AI chatbot Grok to back her argument: “In which grade do American schools teach the Boston Tea Party and the reasons for the Revolutionary War?
Quote:A Minnesota state lawmaker is asking a powerful House committee to subpoena US Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for refusing to cooperate with an investigation into her possible ties to Somali fraudsters who bilked Twin Cities taxpayers out of $250 million.
State Rep. Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove), who is chairing a fraud oversight investigation in Minnesota’s legislature, wrote to US House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) on Thursday requesting that his panel compel Omar to hand over “her staff’s communications with defendants” implicated in the fraud.
“As you may be aware, Rep. Ilhan Omar has documented ties to criminals convicted in the Feeding Our Future case, including holding her 2018 election party at the Safari Restaurant and appearing in a video promoting the MEALS Act, which was filmed at the Safari Restaurant,” Robbins told Comer.
“In the federal case U.S. v. Bock, several text and email exchanges between Rep. Omar’s office and the defendants in the case were listed in the trial exhibits,” she also said, noting that she sought the information and an interview from the congresswoman — but was rebuffed.
“Although we cannot compel Rep. Omar to turn over the communications, we respectfully request that the House Oversight Committee consider requesting or subpoenaing this information,” Robbins emphasized.
“It is essential to understand the genesis of the largest COVID-related fraud scandal by getting the documents and the facts about Rep. Omar’s and her staff’s communications with defendants in this case.”
A proposed subpoena submitted to the Oversight panel lists internal records related to Minnesota Department of Education food programs, as well as communications “with the owners and staff of Safari Restaurant” about the same programs as well as with Omar’s ex-staffer Guhaad Hashi Said.
Said worked for Omar’s 2018 and 2020 congressional campaigns as an “enforcer” overseeing voter mobilization in the Somali community, according to local conservative outlet Alpha News.
The 49-year-old pleaded guilty in August 2025 to conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering as part of a scheme that defrauded taxpayers out of $3.2 million for a bogus food center called Advance Youth Athletic Development.
Quote:President Donald Trump accused House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., of inciting the most recent assassination attempt against him, further escalating his feud with the top Democrat.
Trump argued in a Truth Social post on Thursday that Jeffries should be arrested after promoting “warfare” against Republicans just days before the assassination scare at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April.
“This lunatic, Hakeem “Low IQ” Jeffries, should be charged with INCITING VIOLENCE!” Trump wrote on social media.
He included images of Jeffries standing with a sign displaying the words “maximum warfare” and the faces of Trump and his aide James Blair alongside an image “three days later” of alleged assassin Cole Allen storming the Secret Service checkpoint at the Washington Hilton.
“Should Hakeem Jeffries be charged with inciting violence?” Trump’s post asked his 12.6 million followers to ponder.
A spokesperson for Jeffries referred Fox News Digital to a social media post where the top Democrat labeled Trump’s comments as “another deranged rant” and dinged the president on affordability.
“Gas prices are sky high, grocery bills are surging and families can’t catch a break,” he wrote on X. “Democrats are about to take back the House and you’re losing your mind.”
The online skirmish came after Jeffries already defended his “maximum warfare” language amid GOP backlash in late April.
“I don’t give a damn about your criticism,” he told Republicans.
Jeffries also justified his decision to use the phrase when discussing the nationwide redistricting battle by arguing that an anonymous White House staffer first deployed the phrase to threaten Democrats with GOP-friendly gerrymanders during an interview with The New York Times last year.
“That phrase ‘maximum warfare everywhere, all the time’ came from the White House in the summer of 2025, when they started this redistricting battle, and now they’re big mad,” Jeffries said at a news conference.
“Why? Because Democrats have decided to finish it. Get lost.”
Quote:Some helpful advice for the candidates seeking Nancy Pelosi’s coveted endorsement in the race to succeed the two-time former House speaker — don’t hold your breath.
San Francisco’s congresswoman of four decades appears to have no intention of throwing her support to any of the top three candidates in the June primary election, whether it be state Sen. Scott Wiener, city Supervisor Connie Chan or progressive centimillionaire Saikat Chakrabarti.
Pelosi has been mum on the reasons for her decision to stay out of the race, and her office delcined comment, but she told a reporter late last year that an endorsement was “not my current plan.”
Chan, a labor-backed Democrat who met with Pelosi in the speaker emerita’s Washington, D.C. office last month, seemed like the most obvious match for an endorsement, and she lamented the lack of a blessing in a recent interview with the San Francisco Standard.
“I certainly was hoping for that,” Chan said. “If I didn’t say, ‘Yes, I was hoping for the endorsement,’ then you’d be like, ‘Clearly she’s not being honest.’”
The honest assessment among political insiders in San Francisco is that Chan hasn’t done enough to earn the endorsement, as paltry fundraising numbers — less than $460,000 raised by the end of March — would make it nearly impossible to compete.
David Latterman, a political analyst in San Francisco, told The Post that the lack of money makes Chan a “non-factor,” while Wiener’s decision to launch an exploratory committee in 2023 started the clock on Pelosi’s retirement.
In November, she formally announced her decision to leave office at the end of her current term.
“Clearly, Pelosi is not happy about how any of this has turned out,” Latterman said.
“There’s no question why Pelosi is not going to endorse Connie today. The real question is: why didn’t Pelosi endorse her months ago?”
Quote:Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used a commencement address to bizarrely compare Lincoln’s fight to save the Union to the left’s never-ending quest to rescue “democracy” from President Trump.
Pelosi, one of a parade of lefties dominating the graduation speaker circuit this season, used part of her 20 minutes on stage May 2 at California’s Notre Dame De Namur University’s graduation ceremony to give the crowd a revisionist history lesson.
“Our founders believed that they could establish a democracy because they believed in the goodness of the American people,” she told the roughly 300 graduates.
“Because each generation has a responsibility to build a future better than the one before. Healthier planet, fair economy, safer security, and a stronger democracy. You graduates today, you give us hope.”
She referenced the words of one of the America’s Founding Fathers, writer Thomas Paine, from his pamphlet “Common Sense”: “The times have found us.”
“The times found them to declare independence to win a war against the greatest naval power of the time,” Pelosi said.
She moved on to the Constitution, saying “it wasn’t perfect because it was a compromise, but it was smart enough to be amended.”
“The abolition of slavery, black men having the right to vote, women finally having the right to vote, all the other freedoms that have been traced to privacy and the Constitution, the president of the court, all making us freer,” the 86-year-old Democrat continued.
“But there’s some challenges now and that’s what you must be ready for,” she warned.
“The times found Abraham Lincoln to save our democracy to save our union and the times have found us now to save our democracy.”
Meaghan Mobbs, the director of the Center for American Safety and Security at the conservative nonprofit policy group Independent Women, ripped Pelosi’s radical call-to-action.
“Nancy Pelosi’s speech reflects a dangerous trend in American politics: treating ordinary democratic disagreement as an existential battle for the survival of the republic,” she told The Post.
“When senior political leaders compare political opponents to threats on the scale of the Civil War or the collapse of democracy, they help fuel the paranoia, rage, and moral absolutism that have contributed to a surge in left-wing radicalization and political violence.
Quote:Congressional staffers were allegedly harassed and propositioned by the lawmakers they worked for — according to secret settlements costing US taxpayers more than $300,000 and preventing the accusers from ever speaking publicly about what they endured, documents viewed by The Post reveal.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) forced out the “slush fund” documents after obtaining a subpoena voted through by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in March.
Mace, who has undertaken multiple high profile crusades on behalf of assault victims, opened the files for The Post’s review this week. Neither Congress nor any court substantiated the allegations contained in the files.
One female aide claimed Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), who represented Detroit for 52 years, coerced her into sharing a hotel room on a 2003 trip to Las Vegas. “You know what I want, you know I have needs,” he told her, according to a document outlining her accusations.
“I felt that Rosa Parks would be turning in her grave if she had known of his double personality,” the alleged victim said, referencing the civil rights icon who worked for Conyers for decades.
The alleged harassment continued on a 2005 trip to Chicago in Conyers’ hotel room, where “he switched the conversation to me meeting his sexual needs and that either I was going to ‘touch it’ (meaning his penis) or I needed to find him a woman who would satisfy his sexual needs,” she alleged.
Conyers called the allegations untrue when he quit Congress in 2017, telling WJBK “my legacy can’t be compromised or diminished in any way by what we are going through now.”
The Office of Congressional Workplace Rights records show a payout of $50,000 in 2010, plus a $27,000 severance payment in 2017. Conyers died in 2019.
Since 2018, following #MeToo revelations and action by Congress, lawmakers must foot the bill for their own settlements when confronting harassment allegations. The newly revealed settlements came between 2004 and 2018 under the old system.
The claims also exploded disgraced former Rep. Eric Massa’s “tickle” defense to an aide’s accusations of misconduct. Massa cast it as a fun pile-on — which got the matter lampooned on “Saturday Night Live.”
Quote:California drivers are paying the highest gas prices in America, and Gov. Gavin Newsom still refuses to suspend the state gas tax as critics warn Sacramento’s energy policies are pushing the crisis toward a breaking point.
The statewide average for a gallon of gas climbed to $6.16 on Friday, compared to the national average of $4.54, as refinery shutdowns, foreign oil dependence and tensions in the Middle East squeeze California’s already battered fuel supply.
Despite growing pressure for relief, Newsom dismissed the idea of a gas tax holiday on Friday and instead pointed the finger at President Trump.
“Now, as it relates to the cost of fuels, California hasn’t changed anything as it relates to cost. Those baseline costs have been static. But the cost at the pump has not been, for one reason: Donald Trump’s recklessness as it relates to the war in Iran,” Newsom said.
The comments came after lawmakers, economists and energy officials gathered at a tense state Capitol hearing this week focused on California’s worsening fuel crisis.
Even experts at the hearing acknowledged that California’s punishing fuel taxes, environmental mandates and regulatory costs are the main reasons drivers here pay dramatically more than the rest of the country.
Severin Borenstein, an economist with UC Berkeley Haas, told lawmakers a temporary gas tax suspension would provide immediate relief.
“There’s no question it could help consumers,” Borenstein told KCRA.
He also floated a proposal to adjust fuel taxes so they fall when crude oil prices spike instead of piling even more costs onto drivers.
But Newsom appears unwilling to take accountability.
Quote:In a major shakeup that puts California’s beleaguered bullet train firmly under Gavin Newsom’s thumb, the governor has installed two of his closest allies to the High-Speed Rail Authority board.
Jason Elliott, a longtime political adviser and former deputy chief of staff in the Newsom administration, was appointed Friday to the board along with Steve Kawa, who’s also served as an adviser after working as Newsom’s chief of staff during his time as mayor of San Francisco.
The pair will replace outgoing board Chair Tom Richards and Vice Chair Nancy Miller.
Newsom’s appointments come as the high-speed rail project confronts ballooning costs — a new report found the original plan would cost as much as $231 billion to complete, leading the authority to make a number of changes that have raised eyebrows.
Before joining the governor’s office in 2019, Elliott served as chief of staff to former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, where he worked closely on housing and homelessness issues that later became central to Newsom’s statewide agenda.
As one of Newsom’s top advisers in Sacramento, Elliott helped shape the administration’s homelessness and housing strategy during a period when the crisis became one of California’s defining political issues.
In a New Yorker profile published earlier this year, Elliott defended Newsom’s approach to homelessness, arguing the administration inherited a decades-old crisis. He described Newsom’s early homelessness policies as “an artifact of its era” while defending the governor’s efforts to expand supportive housing and state intervention.
Elliott also told the magazine that Newsom confided in him that he’d dreamed of being governor since he was young.
“He campaigned on bringing universal health care to California, having passed it in San Francisco as mayor,” the piece noted.
Quote:Gov. Gavin Newsom is getting blasted by San Luis Obispo County prosecutors after he declined to intervene in the parole of a convicted murderer, a decision that cleared the way for a man who served more than 50 years for a brutal 1974 killing to be released from prison.
District Attorney Dan Dow is sharply criticizing both the parole decision and the governor’s refusal to act, saying the outcome represents a failure of California’s criminal justice system and a devastating denial of justice for the victim.
Alberto Tamez was convicted of kidnapping, raping and strangling Genevieve Adaline Moreno in Nipomo in 1974.
“I am deeply troubled that our criminal and victim justice system has reached a result where the man who brutally murdered Genevieve Moreno over 50 years ago will now walk free,” Dow said.
Prosecutors say the attack began outside the bar where she worked and ended nearby where her body was later discovered.
Moreno was attacked during the late-night hours of June 17 into the early morning hours of June 18, 1974.
Her body was found later that morning in a grove of eucalyptus trees roughly a quarter mile from the bar.
San Luis Obispo County Medical Examiner Dr. Karl Kirschner determined Moreno died from “homicidal strangulation.”
She also suffered multiple bruises, abrasions and cuts to her face, forearms, abdomen and thighs during the attack.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The Virginia Supreme Court gave Republicans a massive victory Friday by ruling that Democrats unlawfully ratified a lopsided congressional map to give themselves four more House seats in the midterm elections.
The 4-3 decision declares the recently voter-approved gerrymander “null and void” — giving Republicans a clear advantage in the nationwide redistricting war.
Virginia is currently represented by six Democrats and five Republicans in the House. The ruling dashes Democratic dreams of cruising to a 10-1 delegation.
“On the first day Democrats tried to enact this scheme, we said it was illegal and unconstitutional,” said Mike Young, president of Virginians for Fair Maps. “Here we are months later, and it’s illegal and unconstitutional.”
Analysts said the map drawn by state Democrats and narrowly passed in the April 21 referendum would have bolstered Democratic odds of retaking the House in November with four additional seats.
Dave Wasserman, senior editor and redistricting expert at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said the court decision was “a massive setback for Democrats” who will now need to pick up a net of “more like 10 seats to win control of the House, rather than just three.”
Wasserman now projects Republicans “will pick up somewhere in the six to seven-seat range from redistricting” alone because of GOP redrawn maps that have either passed or are pending in Texas, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina and Alabama.
While Democrats are “still the favorites to regain the House,” Wasserman said, “Republicans have a more realistic chance of holding their majority than they did prior to this ruling and the [Louisiana] Supreme Court decision.“
The US Supreme Court last week upended a section of the Voting Rights Act in a ruling that favors Republicans by allowing states to carve up majority-minority congressional districts represented by Democrats. As a result, Louisiana postponed its primary election to update its congressional map; Tennessee passed a new map that got rid of its Democratic district, and Alabama is seeking to do the same.
Quote:A Utah Supreme Court justice has resigned amid a probe into an alleged relationship with an attorney who worked on a redistricting lawsuit.
Justice Diana Hagen appeared to reference the investigation and the toll it has taken on her loved ones in a resignation letter to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, which was obtained by Fox News Digital.
“As a public servant for twenty-six years, I am keenly aware that public service requires sacrifice,” Hagen wrote. “I have willingly accepted those sacrifices for the privilege of holding a position of public trust, where I could do my part to uphold the rule of law and protect the constitutional rights of every Utahn.”
“I also understand that public officials are rightly held to a higher standard and must accept a greater degree of public scrutiny and diminished privacy,” she said. “But my family and friends did not choose public life. They do not deserve to have intensely personal details surrounding the painful dissolution of my thirty-year marriage subjected to public scrutiny.”
The resignation was effective immediately, a spokesperson for Utah’s Administrative Office of the Courts said.
Hagen was accused by her former husband of sending “inappropriate” text messages to an attorney who helped challenge a Republican-friendly map that maintained four red congressional seats in Utah.
David Reymann, who worked on behalf of progressive voting rights groups in the case, was named as the lawyer in a complaint that an attorney for Hagen’s husband submitted to Chief Justice Matthew Durrant and the Judicial Conduct Commission, according to local outlet KSL.
Hagen and Reymann previously denied the allegations.
The Judicial Conduct Commission—described on its website as an independent body comprising several state lawmakers, judges, and members of the public—conducted a preliminary investigation based on the complaint and chose not to pursue the matter further, KSL reported.
Quote:The Justice Department is fighting to yank citizenship from a convicted Cuban spy who briefly served as a US ambassador to Bolivia in the early 2000s, while quietly feeding secrets to Havana.
Federal prosecutors filed a civil denaturalization complaint Thursday against Manuel Rocha, arguing that his history of aiding the Cuban government against the US for decades is grounds to void his citizenship.
“Victor Manuel Rocha was not a low-level operative. He was a former United States Ambassador and senior government official who admitted he secretly served the Cuban regime for decades,” US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement.
“This civil denaturalization case is about finishing the job,” Quiñones added. “A person who secretly serves communist Cuba should not keep the privilege of United States citizenship, even while in prison.”
Rocha, 75, who the DOJ has dubbed one of the “most prolific Cuban spies” ever found in the US, was arrested in 2023 and sentenced to 15 years behind bars. He pleaded guilty to the charges against him.
The former ambassador, who also briefly served as chargé d’affaires — top diplomat during the absence of an ambassador — to Argentina under the Clinton administration, allegedly helped the Cuban government for four decades.
Havana instructed Rocha to “lead a normal life” and act like a “right-wing person,” according to his indictment. At one point, he called the US the “enemy” to an undercover agent.
Quote:A top Padres prospect has self-deported to Mexico after pleading guilty to transporting undocumented immigrants within the United States.
Humberto Cruz, a pitcher ranked as the Padres’ fifth-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to receiving money for the transport, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, and acknowledged it was a “virtual certainty” he’d be deported.
The Athletic confirmed that Cruz, 19, had decided to self-deport and was back in Mexico.
The Padres’ understanding is that Cruz would lose his work visa for 10 years, but could reapply after five years of good behavior, the Union-Tribune reported.
Prosecutors had been seeking a felony charge for Cruz, whom the Padres signed in 2024 for a $750,000 bonus.
He was reportedly arrested in October near an Arizona border town, when cops suspected him of transporting illegal immigrants into the U.S. in a 2020 BMW SUV.
According to the Union-Tribune, Cruz waived his Miranda rights and said to agents that he knew the people he was transporting were illegal, and that he expected to be paid $1,000 for every individual he picked up.
Cruz had been rehabbing his elbow following Tommy John surgery when he was apprehended.
“To my teammates, the organization, our fans, and my family, I want to express my sincere regret for a recent lapse in judgment that has caused disappointment to many people I deeply respect,” he began in a statement released through the team.
Quote:Migrants quitting asylum claims and volunteering to leave the US have increased at least seven-fold under President Trump — with the administration touting the increase as a success for the rule of law, but critics arguing it’s a sign detention practices have gotten out of hand.
More than 80,000 “voluntary departure” orders were issued by US immigration judges between Jan. 2025 and March 2026 — a more than 600% increase from the 11,400 issued during the last 15 months of former President Joe Biden’s term, according to numbers from the Vera Institute of Justice reviewed by the Washington Post.
And it seems to be on the rise — 6,370 took a voluntary departure order in July, while more than 9,000 did in March, the data shows.
By comparison, about 750 per month were voluntarily departing in the second half of Biden’s presidency.
It remains unclear how many of those numbers fall under the “self deportation” option President Trump has been pushing, which allows migrants to turn themselves in via a Department of Homeland Security app in return for a cash stipend and free flight home.
Voluntary departures are orders granted by a judge to immigrants who have decided not to pursue their asylum case and have historically been an option for people who aren’t expected to be granted asylum.
People who choose voluntary departure are not issued formal deportation orders, which makes it much easier to return to the US and try their hand at the immigration system at a later date.
Immigrants can’t have a serious criminal record to qualify, and generally must leave the country at their own expense.
Quote:A man who entered the US illegally from Haiti and murdered a Fort Myers store clerk will face the death penalty, prosecutors said.
State Attorney Amira Fox announced Thursday that a Lee County grand jury returned an indictment against Rolbert Joachin, 40, in connection with the April 2 killing of Nilufa Easmın, a 51-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh, at a gas station in Fort Myers, Florida.
According to prosecutors, Joachin is accused of attacking the victim outside a gas station, striking her repeatedly in the head with a hammer and killing her.
Surveillance video captured the assault, which showed the victim being repeatedly struck in the head with a hammer after confronting the suspect for smashing her car window. Authorities described the video as “extremely brutal and incredibly violent.”
Investigators say Joachin fled the scene following the attack, prompting a citywide search before Fort Myers police located and arrested him.
“This crime was so violent, so extreme, so unwarranted. It is something that once seen, is never to be forgotten. I want to thank the Lee County Grand Jury who watched and reviewed the gruesome evidence in this case and gave their full attention. I know it was not easy. This defendant entered the United States illegally and brutally ended the life of a mother simply at her job, working to provide for her family,” State Attorney Fox said.
“He will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. We will seek the death penalty in this case,” Fox said.
President Donald Trump condemned the violent video, and blasted the Biden administration for releasing the suspect in 2022.
Quote:The city’s detective union is escalating its war against rabid cop haters, pushing to have NYPD officers added to a federal law that requires protesters stay 25 feet away from ICE officers, The Post has learned.
The Halo Act would fine or imprison protesters who get within the buffer zone and impinge on the law enforcement officers’ ability to do their jobs, according to Detectives Endowment Association President Scott Munro, who said he’s traveling to Washington, DC this week to meet with legislators.
“What’s exciting about this is if the federal government jumps in we don’t have to wait around for local politicians and their far-left agendas,” Munro told The Post.
Right now, the act is written to specifically protect federal immigration enforcement officers from harassment that causes “substantial emotional distress” and “serves no legitimate purpose.”
Leftist agitators have been harassing cops on the job, filming the exchanges and then posting the videos to social media, where they also list the names of New York’s Finest along with their complaint records. Some people have looked up the cops’ addresses and made them public too, the union said.
The DEA along with the National Association of Police Organizations and members of the New York State Public Safety Alliance, which is made up of hundreds of cops from around the state, are meeting with federal legislators to look for a way to protect cops from targeted harassment, the DEA said.
“Enough is enough,” Munro said. “What our detectives and the cops across this country are dealing with is not just unacceptable — it’s dangerous. This is not about politics. It’s about safety.”
People who don’t obey the federal law could be hit with fines and/or jail time.
Quote:Cameras will be allowed at the trial of Tyler Robinson, the twisted Utah man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, a judge ruled Friday, siding with the late activist’s widow and news agencies.
Lawyers for Robinson, 23, lost their argument that if the public continues to see images of the accused gunman in court, it could prejudice potential jurors against him. Robinson’s team claimed the press has sensationalized the case, pushed political agendas and villainized him.
Robinson is accused of assassinating the 31-year-old conservative podcaster and dad of two in September in front of a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University in Orem, where he was speaking as part of his Turning Point USA.
Kirk’s widow Erika, who is a victim representative in the case, has pushed for maximum press access – as have lawyers representing the media.
Press attorneys claimed the more access the public has, the easier it is to debunk conspiracy theories that have plagued the case.
Graf ruled against Robinson’s request, claiming that examples of coverage vilifying him doesn’t mean some outlets aren’t “using live media coverage to educate the public about the progress of the legal proceedings or the justice system as a whole.“
“It is the motives of these specific news reporters, the requesting reporters, that the court must question,” he said.
He ruled that outlets that want to bring cameras into the courtroom must submit a request at least 14 days in advance to give the defense time to raise a specific challenge.
Graf also granted Robinson’s request to push back the date of his preliminary hearing, overriding prosecutor Ryan McBride’s argument that the team had sufficient evidence for the early-stage hearing as he pushed to keep the May 18 date. The hearing date has been postponed to July 6.
Prosecutors can opt for a preliminary hearing in lieu of seeking a grand jury indictment.
Robinson’s team argued in court last month that they hadn’t received critical DNA evidence and were behind wading through the 200 terabytes of data from the prosecution — all of which would prevent them from preparing for the upcoming hearing.
“We shouldn’t punish the state and the victims and everyone else by delaying the proceedings,” McBride said.
Quote:White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting suspect Cole Allen wants two top prosecutors booted from his case since they were at the political soirée where he allegedly tried to kill President Trump.
Lawyers for Allen — who is accused of crashing the April 25 event armed with two guns and knives — says the fact that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro were both at the WHCD means they have a conflict prosecuting the case.
The dinner, which had President Trump, wife Melania and Trump’s top cabinet members in attendance, was forced to be evacuated after Allen tried to enter a security checkpoint a floor above.
Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, Calif., opened fire and struck a Secret Service member, who was saved by their bullet proof vest. The agent returned fire but did not hit Allen.
Blanche and Pirro “both heard gunshots, which presumably forced them to duck below the tables with the rest of the occupants,” the filing says. “They were quickly evacuated.”
“Both were potential victims and targets in what they have described as an attempted ‘mass shooting,” the court papers claim.
Pirro even posted to her X account about the harrowing incident roughly 30 utes after the melee, saying: “I’ve been taken out of the ballroom after the sounds of shots fired.”
Blanche and Pirro’s involvement in Allen’s case presents “grave concerns about whether they are making prosecutorial decisions as representatives of the government or as witnesses,” the docs claim.
And on top of the fact that Pirro was present, she is also an alleged 30-year friend and loyalist of Trump — who she says was Allen’s intended target of the shooting.
Even if a judge doesn’t find the two prosecutors don’t have a conflict they would still need to be disqualified from the case because of the “appearance of such a conflict,” the papers say.
Allen was indicted on Tuesday and has yet to be arraigned.
He was in court on Monday during a hearing about the extremely restrictive conditions he was allegedly unnecessarily being subjected to in jail.
Quote:GREENBELT, Md. — A former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci proclaimed on Friday he’s “innocent” of criminal charges that he conspired to stop investigations into the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. David Morens, 78, pleaded not guilty to five counts before Magistrate Judge Ajmel Ahsen Quereshi in Maryland federal court during an arraignment hearing Friday with his defense attorneys Timothy Belevetz and Morgan Taylor.
Morens, who faces up to 51 years in federal prison if convicted, told The Post, “I’m innocent” ahead of the hearing while seated in the courthouse lobby — and carried on calmly solving what appeared to be a Sudoku puzzle.
Asked in the hearing whether he had reviewed the indictment, he told the judge: “Yes, I scanned it. I haven’t read it word for word.”
Fauci had disavowed Morens in a June 2024 congressional hearing, saying he “knew nothing” of his alleged use of a private Gmail account to discuss official government business and claimed he wasn’t even his adviser.
Morens stared straight ahead and declined comment when asked by The Post after the hearing why Fauci had denied knowledge of his underling’s actions at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) — before driving away in a white BMW.
An April 16 indictment charged the NIAID official with one count for conspiracy against the US, two counts for concealing government records and two counts for destroying them — with the help of two as yet unnamed co-conspirators.
He’s accused of conspiring to conceal or destroy federal logbooks by using a private email account regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Morens and his co-conspirators “concealed, removed, destroyed and caused the concealment, and removal of federal records to evade FOIA [Freedom of Information Act] and FRA [Federal Records Act],” per the indictment.
The scheme helped “suppress alternative theories regarding the origins of COVID-19,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement announcing the indictment on April 28.
Quote:A vicious Venice resident is on the run after he allegedly used a samurai sword to nearly hack off another man’s arm, leaving a bloody scene and shocking neighbors.
The psychotic sword fighter allegedly used a 16-inch samurai blade to assault a 27-year-old victim on the street in front of a low-income housing complex at 720 Rose Ave. on Thursday around 6:30 p.m., according to the police and fire officials.
The attacker was identified as 720 Rose Ave. resident Justin Tucker by the building’s management, nonprofit Venice Housing Corporation, which provides low-income housing and job services to the neighborhood’s inhabitants.
“You may be aware that there was an incident in front of Rose Apartments this evening,” states a wanted posted circulated in the area Friday by the nonprofit, which includes photos of Tucker
“Unfortunately, our neighbor Justin Tucker was involved,” the poster continues. “He is suspected to be armed and dangerous.”
Venice Housing Corporation didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Police would not confirm Tucker as a suspect in the attack. He is described as a white man in his late 20’s, with a short haircut.
Two witnesses said the man identified as Tucker had just returned to 720 Rose Ave. from a shopping trip to a nearby Smart and Final when he was accosted by a man in front of the building who asked Tucker if he had any drugs.
Quote:The maniac accused of pushing a 76-year-old man down a flight of Manhattan subway stairs to his death appeared in an NYC court just hours after the heinous attack — and strolled out, because no one realized he was the killer, The Post has learned.
Rhamell Burke acted crazy when he showed up Friday morning at Manhattan Criminal Court for a hearing on a third-degree assault case, sources and records showed.
“He was acting like a nut all morning,” a law enforcement source said. “Even if they didn’t know he was a suspect, what kind of system lets a guy acting like that just walk out without an evaluation of any kind.”
Burke, 32, was at one point walking with his hands up as if he were surrendering, a screenshot of surveillance video obtained by The Post shows.
He appeared before Judge Elizabeth Shamahs at a 9 a.m. hearing on a third-degree assault charge, records show. His case was adjourned and he left the courthouse about two hours later.
The evening before, authorities said, Burke had followed retired teacher Ross Falzone near a Chelsea subway station before suddenly shoving the 76-year-old down the subway steps, killing him.
“They didn’t know he was the perp,” a police source said of Burke’s court appearance the next day in the other case.
Two detectives with the NYPD’s Warrants Division who were working transit overtime later saw him walking into Penn Station and grabbed him in relation to Falzone’s death, police sources said.
Burke — who has been arrested four times since February — had been released from Bellevue Hospital’s psych ward five hours before he pushed Falzone at 18th Street in Chelsea.
Quote:A 33-year-old man was slashed in front of a Midtown subway station early Saturday.
The bloody attack occurred at around 4:10 a.m. at the 35th St and 6th Ave entrance of the 34 Street-Herald Sq station, police said.
The sharp weapon-wielding culprit immediately fled the area and authorities took the victim to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition with his left arm sliced.
Haunting pictures from the crime scene show caution tape around the entrance with blood staining the sidewalk and building near the assault.
It’s unclear what happened leading up to the attack, but the victim is allegedly not cooperating with the police.
This incident comes just days after an elderly retired teacher was fatally shoved down the steps of a subway entrance by a crazed repeat offender.
Rhamell Burke, 32, has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly pushing Ross Falzone, 76, down the entire flight of stairs at the 18th St. 1 train station on Thursday night.
Quote:The US State Department is set to begin revoking the passports of thousands of Americans who owe substantial unpaid child support, according to officials.
Revocations will begin Friday and will initially focus on parents who owe $100,000 or more in past-due child support.
That group includes about 2,700 passport holders, according to figures supplied by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Under Federal law, anyone with more than $2,500 in unpaid, court-ordered child support can be denied a passport or have an existing one yanked, according to a release by the State Department Thursday.
Officials said the department is expanding coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services to include parents above that threshold.
The enforcement push is intended to pressure delinquent parents to comply with court-ordered child support obligations, officials said.
Once a passport is revoked, it may no longer be used for travel, even if the debt is later paid, according to State Department guidance.
The State Department advised any American with significant child support debt to contact the relevant state agency and arrange payment before any passport action is taken.
“Eligibility for a new passport will only be restored after child support debt is paid to the relevant state child support enforcement agency and the individual is no longer delinquent according to HHS records,” they said.
Affected individuals must work with the state child support enforcement agency where the debt is owed. HHS must then update its records before the State Department can process a new passport, a process the department says can take at least two to three weeks.
It was not clear on Thursday how many passport holders owe more than $2,500 because HHS is still collecting data from state agencies that track the figures, but it could encompass many more thousands of people, officials told the Associated Press.
Quote:A town council in a small north Georgia mountain community passed an ordinance Friday reinstating the community’s police department and restoring the jobs of the police officers two days after the mayor fired them all.
A standing room-only crowd of townspeople, news media and the police officers attended the special meeting of the Cohutta Town Council, council member and Vice Mayor Shane Kornberg told The Associated Press afterward.
The officers were reinstated immediately and will receive back pay, Kornberg said.
A sign posted earlier this week in the town of about 930 people announced that the police department had been dissolved “per Mayor Ron Shinnick.” It told people who need help to call a nonemergency county number.
The jobs of the chief and about 10 officers were terminated as of Wednesday morning. Exact reasons haven’t been shared publicly.
Shinnick said he took action because of some comments officers posted on social media.
The now-former Sgt. Jeremy May said it involved a complaint that he and other officers had raised about the mayor’s wife, Pam Shinnick, who had served as the town clerk.
“This all comes to personal vendetta from the mayor, and I wholeheartedly believe that,” May told WRCB-TV. “We took a stand for transparency, and in result, every one of them has lost their jobs.”
The now-former Cohutta Police Chief Greg Fowler told WRCB that he couldn’t comment in detail as the officers were clearing out the police department and removing equipment from the building this week.
The mayor told the station he’s not sure what will happen next.
Phone calls and emails left Friday for the mayor were not immediately returned.
Quote:A Delta Airlines worker is dead after a vehicle crashed into a jet bridge on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport.
The worker died when a “tug” aircraft-towing vehicle hit a passenger boarding bridge connected to Delta Flight 2593 around 10:55 p.m. Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Operations were paused at Delta’s Orlando station as authorities investigated the deadly incident.
“The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of a team member while on the job … We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred,” Delta told The Post in a statement.
Passengers evacuated the aircraft via the rear door, and the flight was cancelled. No aircraft were directly involved in the crash, the FAA told The Post.
Police are investigating the crash for any wrongdoing, but early evidence suggests it was “accidental in nature,” the Orlando Police Department told WFTV 9.
“The investigation is taking place within the airside terminal and is having minimal impact on airport operations,” the department told the outlet.
Quote:Congestion pricing is choking some of the Big Apple’s poorest neighborhoods.
Air quality in the South Bronx has significantly worsened since the controversial toll went into effect — despite its backers touting lofty environmental promises — an alarming new report found.
Researchers found fine particulate matter concentration increased after the $9 base tax scheme to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours was enacted in January 2025, according to an analysis by Columbia University and grass roots organization South Bronx Unite.
Two years of data analyzed from 19 air quality sensors around the Bronx found four “exhibited significant increases” in fine particulate matter, according to the findings, Gothamist reported.
Exposure to the pollutant can cause cardiovascular and respiratory issues and even premature death for people with preexisting heart or lung disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
And the South Bronx is already known as “Asthma Alley” due to its notoriously poor health outcomes, high rate of respiratory disease and long-standing air quality issues.
Around 1 in 5 children are diagnosed with asthma in the Mott Haven-Port Morris sections of the South Bronx, according to South Bronx Unite.
City health data also shows a startling 20.7% of South Bronx adults have asthma — or 79,000 — compared to the Big Apple’s 14.2% rate.
Congestion pricing has outperformed revenue expectations, generating a whopping $526 million in net revenue in its first year – a windfall critics blasted as proof the toll is nothing more than a cash grab.
The MTA tried to pour cold water on the report, however, pointing to other studies that have shown drops in overall New York City air pollution since the toll kicked off.
A Cornell University study previously found air pollution plummeted 22% in the Congestion Relief Zone – the Manhattan roads south of 60th Street –and also discovered more modest drops across the Big Apple.
Quote:WASHINGTON: U.S. employment increased more than expected in April while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%, pointing to labor market resilience and reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates unchanged for some time.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 115,000 jobs last month after an upwardly revised 185,000 advance in March, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls rising by 62,000 jobs after a previously reported 178,000 rebound in March.
Estimates ranged from a loss of 15,000 jobs to a gain of 150,000 positions. Economists said it was too early for the effects of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran to show. The conflict has raised gasoline and diesel prices as well as the cost of other commodities that are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.
Payrolls have been choppy since mid-2025, alternating between gains and losses. Economists have attributed the swings to an adjustment to the birth-and-death model, which the government uses to estimate how many jobs were gained or lost because of companies opening or closing in a given month. Some said a large turnover in firms created was making it hard for the BLS to estimate job creation associated with new companies.
Weather, strikes and government job cuts as well as big changes to the labor force as President Donald Trump's administration cracks down on illegal immigration have also added to volatility, they said. Economists recommended looking at the three-month moving average of payrolls.
The labor market has been stuck in what economists and policymakers have called a "slow hire, slow fire" zone, a paralysis blamed on trade and immigration policies. Lower immigration and an aging population meant the economy needed to create between zero and 50,000 jobs per month to keep up with growth in the working-age population, economists estimated.
With the so-called breakeven level of job growth much lower than in prior years, they did not expect a surge in the unemployment rate, even if employment gains slowed considerably.
The report bolstered financial market views that the Fed would leave interest rates unchanged into 2027. The U.S. central bank last week left its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 3.50%-3.75% range, citing inflation worries.
Quote:A man was arrested after reports of a security incident in which Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was reportedly charged at by a man in a balaclava near King Charles III's estate on Wednesday.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the former Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles by King Charles III in October over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, was walking his dogs when he was confronted by the man who had been sitting in a car about 50 yards away.
According to the newspaper, the man charged at Mountbatten-Windsor, who fled to his own car at around 7:30 p.m. near the Sandringham Estate, in Norfolk. The royal was accompanied by private security.
Norfolk Constabulary said in a statement released to Newsweek: “Officers were called to Wolferton shortly after 7.30pm yesterday (Wednesday 6 May 2026) following a report a man was behaving in an intimidating manner in the village. Officers attended, and the man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and possession of an offensive weapon. He was taken to King’s Lynn Police Investigation Centre for questioning and remains in custody.”
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
Why It Matters
Mountbatten-Windsor has become highly unpopular in Britain following allegations that he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre in 2001 when she was a 17-year-old sex trafficking victim of Epstein.
Giuffre sued Mountbatten-Windsor and he settled for an undisclosed sum in 2022 while denying liability. He has always denied her allegations.
What to Know
More recently, Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office in February after reports that he shared confidential government documents with Epstein around 2010. He has always denied Epstein-related wrongdoing.
In October, King Charles stripped him of his royal titles and forced him out of his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, over new revelations in emails from Epstein's estate that were made public by the House Oversight Committee in the U.S.
Charles moved Mountbatten-Windsor, who is his brother, to Sandringham, where it has been widely reported in Britain that he was living at Marsh Farm.
Police said the security incident happened in Wolferton, a village just outside the estate by the entrance that leads to Marsh Farm.
Quote:At least three people have been killed after a volcano erupted in Indonesia on Friday morning.
Mount Dukono in Indonesia's Maluku Islands erupted at 7.41 a.m. local time, sending a plume of ash around 10 kilometers into the air, according to the Volcanological Survey of Indonesia.
Two foreigners and one local resident died in the eruption, the North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu said, according to the BBC.
Pasaribu added that a group of 15 hikers who were on the volcano at the time of the eruption had been evacuated.
What To Know
Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism had closed Mount Dukono's hiking zone ahead of the eruption due to safety risks, the country's National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) said.
Pasaribu said that some hikers had ignored warnings put up at the entrance to walking trails. "Local residents understand and don't want to climb. Many [hikers] are foreign tourists who wish to create content," he said, according to The Guardian.
The country's National Search and Rescue Agency said discussions were being held over "possible negligence by tourism operators or individuals" who went ahead with hikes.
"The government is continuing to gather information to establish a complete account of the incident," the agency said.
Tourists and climbers have been urged to refrain from hiking within four kilometers of the volcano's main crater since December 2024 due to the threat of rocks, ash and lava.
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
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blind? Or did she work for the OBiden administration? 
That flight attendant is totally 
crazy! How could she ask for Trump's assassination!? 
criminal deserve then? A 5-star hotel room instead? 
