News of the World

[kyonides]

USA

Top Biden aide admits to Congress she directed autopen signatures without knowing who gave final approval

A former top aide to President Joe Biden said she was authorized to direct autopen signatures but was unaware of who in the president's inner circle was giving her final clearance, according to a source familiar with the aide's closed-door testimony in front of Congress Tuesday.

Neera Tanden, the former director of Biden's Domestic Policy Council, testified for hours Tuesday during an interview in front of the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the former president's mental acuity and his use of an automatic signature tool that allowed aides to sign pardons, memos and other important documents on Biden's behalf.

During Tanden's interview before Congress, which lasted more than five hours, she told lawmakers that, in her role as staff secretary and senior advisor to the former president between 2021 and 2023, she was authorized to direct autopen signatures on behalf of Biden, an Oversight Committee official told Fox News.

The system of approval used, according to Tanden's testimony relayed to Fox News, was inherited from previous administrations.

Tanden, who reportedly said during her testimony that she had limited interactions with Biden in her role, according to sources familiar with her testimony, described an approval process that left her – at least partly – in the dark about who specifically was giving final approval on the decisions to use the automatic signature tool, even though she simultaneously insisted Biden was in charge.

Tanden reportedly testified that to get approval for the use of autopen signatures she would send decision memos to members of Biden's inner circle. However, she added that she was not aware of what actions or approvals took place between the time she sent the decision memo and the time she received it back with the necessary approval, according to the source familiar.

"Ms. Tanden testified that she had minimal interaction with President Biden, despite wielding tremendous authority," remarked House Oversight Chairman James Comer. "She explained that to obtain approval for autopen signatures, she would send decision memos to members of the President’s inner circle and had no visibility of what occurred between sending the memo and receiving it back with approval. Her testimony raises serious questions about who was really calling the shots in the Biden White House amid the President’s obvious decline. We will continue to pursue the truth for the American people."

Per an Oversight Committee staffer in the minority, the characterization that Tanden testified she was in the dark when it came to who was giving final approval for the autopen is "a lie," noting in a statement sent to Fox News Digital a day after Tanden's testimony that the former White House staffer received "written sign off [from Biden] on every executive action she presented him with."

National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud
Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History
More than Doubles Prior Record of $6 Billion

The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.

Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.

Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.

“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”

“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”

Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Wyoming Case to Defend Documentary Proof of Citizenship Requirement for Voter Registration

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the lawsuit Equality State Policy Center v. Chuck Gray, defending Wyoming’s legitimate interest securing its voting process from fraud by requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Longstanding Supreme Court precedent recognizes that states have a significant interest in preventing fraud and safeguarding voter confidence in the election process. Wyoming’s documentary proof of citizenship law is a mechanism to enforce laws that prohibit non-citizen voting and ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots.

“It is a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and it is important that the American people have confidence in the integrity of our elections.” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Gates of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Requiring documentary proof of citizenship is common sense and ensures that only citizens vote.”

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

Four Family Members Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Tax Refund Fraud Scheme
Defendants Fraudulently Sought Over $8.5M in Tax Refunds

A federal grand jury in Fort Worth, Texas, returned an indictment on June 11, unsealed yesterday, charging four family members with conspiracy to defraud the United States by filing tax returns that sought millions of dollars in false refunds.

The following is according to the indictment: beginning in 2016, David Hunt, of Arlington, Texas, his twin sons Brandon Hunt and Baylon Hunt, also of Arlington, and Brandon and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt, of Mississippi, allegedly conspired to file false tax returns in the name of purported trusts that sought over $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. Brandon Hunt also filed a false return in his own name. Collectively, the defendants allegedly received over $1 million from the IRS based on those false tax returns.

Brandon and Baylon Hunt also allegedly submitted additional fake documents to the IRS as part of their scheme, including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. The indictment further alleges that they shared in the proceeds of their fraud by transferring money between themselves. The defendants also allegedly used the refunds to purchase luxury goods, cryptocurrency, and real estate.

Each defendant was charged with conspiracy as well as aiding and assisting in the preparation of tax returns. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. The defendants also face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson of the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

Canadian Man Arrested and Detained for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy at the U.S.'s Northern Border

A dual Canadian American citizen was arrested on Sunday, June 15, for his role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River. Oakes was arrested as he attempted to enter the United States via the Massena, New York, Port of Entry.

Timothy Oakes, 34, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR), Canada, was previously arraigned on numerous human smuggling offenses in the Northern District of New York District Court and had his detention hearing earlier today and will remain detained. Oakes was indicted on April 9 for conspiring with others to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. United States based co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, and Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, Oct. 8, 2024, and March 6, respectively.

“As alleged, Oakes and his co-conspirators profited from a human smuggling operation with a singular, cold-hearted aim: making money by bringing illegal aliens into the United States, regardless of the danger to human life involved,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their greed resulted in the deaths of a mother, a father, and two small children, as well as one of the defendants’ own brothers. The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and bring justice to smugglers whose actions result in senseless deaths.”

“This case shows the terrible perils of illegally crossing the border,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Four family members died because a smuggling network put them in harm’s way. My office is proud to partner with Joint Task Force Alpha to continue to combat dangerous human smuggling and trafficking organizations that operate on our northern border.”

“Oakes’ arrest comes as part of our nearly two-year long investigation into a transnational criminal organization responsible for the large-scale smuggling of aliens from Canada into the United States,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “ICE HSI leverages its full range of authorities to combat and dismantle the heinous networks of greedy criminals who illicitly sell dangerous, sometimes fatal, passage through our nation’s northern border. We are extremely grateful for a multitude of law enforcement agency partners on the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce who join us in this fight to bring smugglers to justice."

Justice Department Charges Two Individuals with Acting as Agents of the PRC Government

Arrests Disrupted Clandestine PRC Ministry of State Security Intelligence Network Operating in the United States

Two nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) made their initial appearances in federal court in Portland, Oregon, and Houston, Texas, yesterday to face charges issued out of the Northern District of California for acting as agents of the Government of the PRC without prior notification to the Attorney General. The defendants, Yuance Chen, 38, a PRC national and legal permanent resident who resides in Happy Valley, Oregon, and Liren “Ryan” Lai, 39, a PRC national who traveled from the PRC to Houston, Texas, on a tourist visa in April 2025, were arrested Friday on a criminal complaint charging them with overseeing and carrying out various clandestine intelligence taskings in the United States on behalf of the PRC Government’s principal foreign intelligence service, the Ministry of State Security (MSS). These activities included facilitating a “dead drop” payment of cash for information relating to the national security of the United States previously provided to the MSS, gathering intelligence about U.S. Navy service members and bases, and assisting with efforts to recruit other individuals from within the U.S. military as potential MSS assets.

Chen and Lai were arrested on June 27, 2025, by the FBI in Happy Valley, Oregon, and Houston Texas, as part of a coordinated counterintelligence and law enforcement operation across multiple states.

“This case underscores the Chinese government’s sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country – we will expose foreign operatives, hold their agents to account, and protect the American people from covert threats to our national security.”

“The FBI arrested two Chinese nationals who were allegedly attempting to recruit U.S. military service members on behalf of the PRC,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The Chinese Communist Party thought they were getting away with their scheme to operate on U.S. soil, utilizing spy craft, like dead drops, to pay their sources. This case was a complex, coordinated effort and is an example of outstanding counterintelligence work done by FBI San Francisco, Portland, Houston, San Diego, and the Counterintelligence Division. The FBI will continue to vigilantly defend the homeland from China’s pervasive attempts to infiltrate our borders.”

“Adverse foreign intelligence services like the PRC’s Ministry of State Security dedicate years to recruiting individuals and cultivating them as intelligence assets to do their bidding within the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Under my leadership, the National Security Division will continue to defend our nation and neutralize our adversaries’ clandestine spy networks.”

Member of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials in Connection with Hit List

The Justice Department announced today that Noah Lamb, 24, was charged in the Eastern District of California in an eight-count indictment for conspiracy, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and other offenses in connection with his work on a hit list of “high value targets” for assassination.

“Transnational criminal networks that promote extremist ideology and seek to commit targeted assassinations and cause terror obviously have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These criminal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to using the full force of the law to disrupt and prosecute those who use hate-driven violence to threaten public safety and national security.”

“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively pursuing those who engage in hate-fueled conspiracies and terrorist threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will use every tool available to protect the civil rights of all Americans and ensure justice for those targeted by such heinous acts.”

“The defendant collaborated with members of the online Terrorgram Collective to create a list of targets for assassination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “Individuals on the list were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, including federal officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.”

“The FBI stands vigilant, protecting our homeland against individuals who seek to use violence to target the American people, our democracy, and the freedoms we stand for,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “These charges send a clear message of zero tolerance to anyone who advocates the use of violence to promote their ideology.”

According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Lamb was a member of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Members of the Terrorgram Collective believe the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate.

Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Conspiring to Murder Law Enforcement and Attack FBI Office

Edward Kelley, 36, of Maryville, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison today in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.

On Nov. 20, 2024, following a three-day jury trial, Kelley was convicted of conspiracy to murder federal employees; solicitation to commit a crime of violence; and influencing a federal official by threat.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kelley developed a plan to murder law enforcement, including agents, officers, and employees of the FBI, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Maryville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department. The evidence showed that Kelley developed a “kill list” of law enforcement and distributed the list – along with videos containing images of his targets – to a co-conspirator as part of his “mission.”

A cooperating defendant, who previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy, testified that he and Kelley planned attacks on the Knoxville FBI office using car bombs and incendiary devices appended to drones. He also testified that the conspirators strategized about assassinating FBI employees in their homes and in public places such as movie theaters.

At trial, the United States introduced recordings of the defendant calling for the development of a “course of action” related to his plan. In one such recording, the defendant gave the instructions to, among other things, “start it,” “attack,” and “take out their office” in the event of his arrest. Kelley was recorded stating, “You don’t have time to train or coordinate, but every hit has to hurt,” and “Every hit has to hurt.”

Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s Knoxville Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Kyle J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Tanya Senanayake and Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.

'Trump effect' touted as southern border numbers stay low, including new record

White House border czar Tom Homan revealed that southern border apprehensions in June were incredibly low – and nobody was released into the U.S. after being apprehended.

"Total Border Patrol encounters for the entire month of June 2025 was 6,070. That is less than a single day under Biden," Homan posted to X on Tuesday, touting "the Trump effect."

The figure is a dip of 15% from March, and a major dip from moments during the Biden administration, such as December 2023 where there were an average of roughly 11,000 encounters daily.

There were only 8,039 apprehensions on a national scale by Border Patrol, which is lower than the record set in March. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the first three days of June 2024 had over 11,000 apprehensions, with the southern border alone having over 7,000 apprehensions in the first two days of that month.

"As a matter of fact, the total number of encounters is less than half of a single day under Biden on many days. Also, none of the 6,070 were released into the U.S. ZERO. President Trump has created the most secure border in the history of the nation and the data proves it. We have never seen numbers this low. Never. God bless the men and women of the US Border Patrol and God bless the men and women of ICE. The interior arrests and consequences help to drive down illegal immigration. The TRUMP EFFECT keeps America winning," he continued.

In June, Fox News reported that the number of apprehensions and gotaways was at new lows midway through the month. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said there were only 137 apprehensions on June 28, the lowest in roughly 25 years on a single day.

Total nationwide encounters, which means encounters not just at the southern border, were the lowest in CBP history at 25,243, which is 12% less than the record low in February 2025. Gotaway numbers also shot down by 90% compared with June of last year.

Obama-appointed judge strikes down Trump order preventing asylum requests, protections for illegal immigrants

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to prevent migrants crossing the border from seeking asylum or applying for withholding of removal in the U.S., a major blow to Trump as he looks to further enforce his broad immigration crackdown.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Daniel Moss, an Obama appointee, said Wednesday that Trump’s Jan. 20 proclamation, which sought to block all migrants "engaged in the invasion across the southern border" from claiming asylum or seeking withholding of removal, exceeds his authority — siding with the ACLU, who brought the suit on behalf of several migrants groups and 13 asylum-seekers earlier this year.

The group urged the court in February to block Trump's proclamation from taking force, arguing that the action was "as unlawful as it is unprecedented."

Moss said Wednesday that Trump "lacks the inherent constitutional authority" to supplant federal statutes governing removals.

"To hold otherwise would render much, if not most, of the INA simply optional," he added in the 128-page opinion.

Moss stayed the order for a 14-day period to allow the Trump administration to appeal the case to a higher court.

The judge also granted plaintiffs' request to certify a class of migrants who would were either subject to Trump's proclamation heard by the court or would be subject to it in the future.

The class certification also allows the lawsuit to proceed under the new limitations set forth by the Supreme Court last week in Trump v. CASA. That ruling limited the scope of injunctive relief that lower courts can provide to plaintiffs, except in certain cases, including challenges brought by a certified class.

Moss on Wednesday did recognize the Supreme Court's ruling in Trump v. CASA, though he said his decision ultimately gave legal room for district courts to pause executive action — a so called "set-aside" provision, when the court determines new government policies are unlawful.

Trump turns to Supreme Court in fight to oust Biden-era consumer safety officials

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking to overturn lower court rulings that blocked the administration from firing three Biden-appointed regulators.

The emergency appeal asks the High Court to allow the Trump administration to fire three members of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a five-member independent regulatory board that sets standards and oversees safety for thousands of consumer products. The appeal comes after the Supreme Court, in May, granted a separate emergency appeal request from the Trump administration pertaining to the firing of two Biden-appointed agency officials from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). 

"It's outrageous that we must once again seek Supreme Court intervention because rogue leftist judges in lower courts continue to defy the high court's clear rulings," said White House spokesperson Harrison Fields.

"The Supreme Court decisively upheld the president's constitutional authority to fire and remove executive officers exercising his power, yet this ongoing assault by activist judges undermines that victory," he continued. "President Trump remains committed to fulfilling the American people's mandate by effectively leading the executive branch, despite these relentless obstructions."

Mary Boyle, Alexander Hoehn-Saric and Richard Trumka Jr. were appointed to serve seven-year terms on the independent government agency by former President Joe Biden. Their positions have historically been protected from retribution, as they can only be terminated for neglect or malfeasance.

After Trump attempted to fire the three Democratic regulators, they sued, arguing the president sought to remove them without due cause. Eventually, a federal judge in Maryland agreed with them, and this week an appeals court upheld that ruling.

However, according to the emergency appeal from the Trump administration, submitted to the High Court on Wednesday morning, the three regulators in question have shown "hostility to the President's agenda" and taken actions that have "thrown the agency into chaos."

House advances Trump's massive agenda bill after fiscal hawks cave

The House of Representatives has voted to advance President Donald Trump’s $3.3 trillion "big, beautiful bill" to its final phase in Congress, overcoming fears of a potential Republican mutiny.

It’s a significant victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., though the fight is not over yet.

Lawmakers voted to proceed with debate on the mammoth-sized Trump agenda bill in the early hours of Thursday – a mechanism known as a "rule vote" – teeing up a final House-wide vote sometime later Thursday morning.

The House adopted the rules for debate on the measure in a dramatic 219 to 213 vote – with all but moderate Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., voting to proceed.

The vote had been stalled for hours, since Wednesday afternoon, with five House Republicans poised to kill the measure before lawmakers could weigh the bill itself.

Several members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and their allies, meanwhile, appeared ready to skip the vote altogether in protest of GOP leaders' compromise bill.

But both Johnson and Trump spent hours negotiating with holdouts, apparently to some success.

But the process could still take hours. Democrats could still call up various procedural votes to delay the final measure, as they did when the legislation passed the House by just one vote for the first time in late May.

Plus, the bill itself could still face opposition from both moderates and conservative Republicans.

Alleged cannibal attempted to eat himself during deportation flight, says Noem

An alleged cannibal incarcerated by federal agents attempted to eat himself while on a deportation flight, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed during a Tuesday press conference.

Speaking with reporters during a roundtable that included President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Noem said the bizarre incident was relayed to her by U.S. Marshals working with ICE. The purpose of the roundtable was to discuss the new "Alligator Alcatraz" illegal immigrant detainment facility in Florida. 

While commenting on the need for increased deportations of dangerous illegals, Noem claimed that an alleged cannibal attempted to eat himself while detained, inflicting wounds on him that necessitated immediate medical attention.

Noem said the incident illustrates how former President Joe Biden "let the worst of the worst come in here."

"The other day, I was talking to some marshals who have been partnering with ICE. They said that they had detained a cannibal and put him on a plane to take him home. And while they had him in his seat, he started to eat himself, and they had to get him off and get him medical attention," said the secretary.

"These are the kind of deranged individuals that are on our streets in America that we're trying to target and get out of our country because they are so deranged they don’t belong here," Noem went on. "They shouldn't be walking the streets with our children, and they shouldn't be living in the communities with our families who just want to… raise their children to grow up and get a job, and to live the American dream."

"We are going after murderers and rapists and traffickers and drug dealers and getting them off the streets and getting them out of this country," she said.

DOJ indicts suspect who went viral for delivering protective gear to anti-ICE protesters on live TV

A man who went viral after he was captured on live TV allegedly dropping off a pickup truck full of face shields for protesters to use amid demonstrations and riots in Los Angeles last month was indicted Wednesday.

Alejandro Orellana, 29, is charged with conspiracy to aid and abet civil disorders.

Federal prosecutors said Orellana met up with other people on June 9 to load up his Ford F-150 pickup truck with Uvex brand Bionic Face Shields, masks, water bottles and other items as anti-ICE protests raged in Los Angeles.

He then drove the truck to a crowd of protesters and distributed the items, the Justice Department said.

"We have made it a huge priority to try to identify, locate and arrest those who are involved in organizing, supporting, funding or facilitating these riots," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli told Fox News at the time of Orellana's arrest.

"It appears they're well-orchestrated and coordinated and well-funded, so we want to understand who these people are and where this organization's coming from, and today was one of those first arrests, the key arrests that we did," he added.

A group Orellana is allegedly associated with, CENTRO CSO, is raising funds for his legal defense and is planning a protest on Thursday to demand the charges against him are dropped.

"Orellana is facing 5 years for protesting ICE Raids, Protesting is Not a Crime! Alejandro did nothing wrong!" the group wrote on Instagram.

Congressional intern gunned down in DC street shooting wasn't intended target: police

A University of Massachusetts-Amherst student who was a Congressional student intern was killed in a triple shooting in Washington, D.C., on Monday.

Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, 21, a rising senior who was majoring in finance with a minor in political science, died at the hospital after being one of three people shot in northwest D.C., according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

He was a Granby, Massachusetts, resident who started interning for U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan., in June, according to police.

Third District officers responded to gunshots on 7th Street and discovered Tarpinian-Jachym unconscious with gunshot wounds. An adult female and a 16-year-old male were also found shot at the location, but were conscious.

Police said multiple suspects began firing shots at a group after exiting a vehicle at the intersection of 7th and M Street, Northwest. The suspect's vehicle was recovered and detectives said in a statement that they believe Tarpinian-Jachym was not the intended target.

"The university has learned of a student’s death in Washington, D.C. and is in communication with the student’s family. We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew him and will be communicating with the campus shortly to offer support," UMass Amherst told FOX 5 DC.

Estes and his wife, Susan, released a statement expressing their deepest condolences and prayers to Tarpinian-Jachym's family.

"I will remember his kind heart and how he always greeted anyone who entered our office with a cheerful smile," Estes said. "We are grateful to Eric for his service to Kansas’ 4th District and the country. Please join Susan and me in praying for his family and respecting their privacy during this heartbreaking time."

State Committeeman Chris Ryan also released a statement on behalf of the Massachusetts Republican Party, saying "The loss of DC Congressional student intern and Granby resident Eric Tarpinian-Jachym is a loss for Massachusetts and our nation. His family is now without its son, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst will be missing a promising young graduate from its Class of 2026."

Pastor's crucifixion murder suspect says on video he planned to kill 14 more

The man accused of brutally crucifying a rural Arizona pastor has not only admitted to the alleged crime, but said that he planned to kill more than a dozen other Christian leaders.

Adam Sheafe, 51, told FOX 10 in an interview that he murdered Pastor Bill Schonemann, 76, head of the New River Bible Chapel in New River, Arizona.

On April 28, Schonemann was found dead in his bed with his arms spread wide and pinned to the wall behind him. The bizarre display left the community reeling.

Sheafe's plan was to crucify 14 more Christian leaders of no particular denomination, he told FOX 10, ascribing his motive to a belief that Christian churches were leading their congregants astray by teaching them to follow Jesus, whom he says is a false God.

He titled his mission "Operation First Commandment."

Sheafe was captured by police near the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona, where he planned to kill two priests, he said.

"The day I was going to execute that priest, I tried getting into the back of his car. There was like a little lady on a bike that got in my way, and I was just going to get in the back seat and tell him to drive to his house," Sheafe said.

He later defiantly refused to apologize for the alleged killing.

In an interview with 12News, Sheafe explained further how he planned Schonemann's killing.

"I saw that he had a Wednesday evening Bible study, so I sat there and waited for them to arrive, so that I could locate which one was the priest, and then I just followed him," Sheafe said. "And then I returned on Sunday to execute and crucify him to this wall." 

IRAN

Far-left actor John Cusack says Iran 'should get' nukes to protect Middle East from US and Israel

Anti-Israel and anti-Trump actor John Cusack expressed hope last Friday that Iran will get a nuclear weapon.

In a post shared to X, the actor said Iran should get a nuclear weapon so that it can deter the U.S. and Israel’s aggression in the Middle East.

"Iran will surely rush to get a nuclear weapon- and they should get one," he wrote, adding, "it’s the only way to deter US and Israel from bombing every country in Middle East."

Cusack published his post almost a week after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. military strikes on three major Iranian facilities believed to be developing nuclear weapons.

Long-range B-2 stealth bomber aircraft dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on the locations on June 21 in an attack that Trump called "a spectacular military success."

Cusack has been harshly critical of Israel’s actions in its war in Gaza and war with Iran on social media. Prior to posting support for Iran getting nukes, he appeared to suggest that U.S. support for Israel meant the country was supporting a "genocidal" regime.

He wrote, "Blind allegiance for Israel is alliance to a genocidal regeme[sic] -  it’s a nation state - run [by] a murderous gangster - not some fixed star."

Iran, following Trump strikes, says 'the doors of diplomacy will never slam shut'

Iran’s foreign minister is vowing that "the doors of diplomacy will never slam shut" following the Trump administration’s airstrikes -- a statement an Iran expert says shows that Tehran is trying to buy time.

Abbas Araghchi was quoted as making the remark to CBS News after President Donald Trump told reporters last Wednesday that the U.S. would meet with Iranian officials this week.

"I don't think negotiations will restart as quickly as that," Araghchi added. "In order for us to decide to reengage, we will have to first ensure that America will not revert back to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations. And I think with all these considerations, we still need more time." 

Behnam Ben Taleblu, the senior director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Iran Program, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that "Tehran’s strongest weapon when it is weak is actually diplomacy.

"Negotiating to buy time and bail out the regime is an art form for Iranian political elites. Even when done from a position of weakness, one reason Tehran will not shut the door on talks is because it seeks to prevent widening military action from stiffening the spine of domestic dissidents at home.

"No doubt, the Islamic Republic will cause a ruckus about engaging in negotiations post-strike, but ultimately agreeing to talk when it has been conventionally bested on the battlefield does mean its mission accomplished," Taleblu added.

The State Department did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Trump said following the conclusion of a NATO summit in the Netherlands last week that "I could get a statement" that Iran is "not going to go nuclear."

"We're probably going to ask for that... but they're not going to be doing it anyway. They've had it," Trump added. 

Iran to suspend work with UN nuclear watchdog, president says

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian enacted a law passed by the country’s parliament last week that would end Tehran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The legislation was approved within days of the U.S. carrying out Operation Midnight Hammer, in which it struck three major nuclear sites in Iran: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.

The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the IAEA must be approved by the country’s Supreme National Security Council, according to Reuters. Iran maintains that the IAEA sided with the U.S. and Israel in the recent conflict. Additionally, Tehran claims that the IAEA’s resolution in early June paved the way for Israel’s strikes.

Pezeshkian’s order reportedly had no timetable or details about what the suspension of cooperation would entail, The Associated Press reported.

IAEA head of Media, Multimedia and Public Outreach Section and spokesperson Fredrik Dahl told Fox News Digital that the agency was still awaiting confirmation from Iran.

Nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran have been on pause since Israel launched Operation Rising Lion. Iran then wavered on whether it would continue the talks, claiming that the U.S. was complicit in Israel’s actions. However, President Donald Trump appeared hopeful that the two countries would return to the table, even after the U.S.’ historic strikes. On June 25, the president told reporters that the U.S. would talk with Iran the following week.

Danish national wanted in Germany arrested after allegedly spying on Jewish targets for Iran

A Danish national was arrested in Denmark on allegations of gathering information on Jewish locations and people in Berlin for Iranian intelligence and will be extradited to Germany, German and Danish authorities announced Tuesday.

The man, identified only as Ali S. under German privacy law, was arrested Thursday in the Danish city of Aarhus, according to German prosecutors.

He was directed by an Iranian intelligence service earlier this year to gather information on "Jewish localities and specific Jewish individuals" in Berlin, prosecutors said.

The suspect is accused of spying on three locations in June, presumably in preparation for further intelligence activities, including possible terrorist attacks on Jewish targets, prosecutors said.

Iranian Ambassador to Germany Majid Nili Ahmadabadi was summoned to the German Foreign Ministry Tuesday.

"If this suspicion were confirmed, it would be an outrageous incident that would once again demonstrate that Iran is a threat to Jews all over the world," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said after visiting a Jewish synagogue in the Ukrainian city of Odesa during a visit to the country.

The Iranian Embassy in Berlin denied the allegations as "unfounded and dangerous accusations" that it argued appeared to be an attempt to distract from recent Israeli attacks on Iran.

"Previous discussions with relevant German authorities have already highlighted that certain third parties are attempting to divert public perceptions from the actual events through artificial staging," the embassy said in a statement.

German security authorities stepped up protection for Jewish and Israeli sites in response to the 12-day war last month between Israel and Iran. During the conflict, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany was prepared for Iran to target Israeli or Jewish targets in the country.

The suspect allegedly took photos of buildings, including the headquarters of the German-Israeli Society and a building where the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, was believed to sometimes stay, according to Der Spiegel magazine.

"The extended arms of Iranian terror must have no place in Germany," a statement from the German-Israeli Society said, calling on the European Union to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization.

ISRAEL

Trump could arm Israel with US B-2s and bunker busters if Iran tries to go nuclear under new proposal

A bipartisan pair of lawmakers has proposed authorizing President Donald Trump to transfer B-2 stealth bombers and 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bombs to Israel if Iran is found to still be developing a nuclear weapon after last week’s strikes.

Proposed by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., the Bunker Buster Act would allow Trump to "take actions to ensure Israel is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon."

B-2 bomber pilots launched 14 bunker buster bombs on Iran’s top three nuclear sites, in a move that Trump claims "totally obliterated" the Iranian regime’s nuclear program.

Israel, for its part, hit a number of Iranian sites and took out top military brass. However, it doesn’t possess the 30,000-pound GBU 57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, precision-guided munition bombs developed for the U.S. Air Force. The 20-foot-long weapons can travel 200 feet deep inside a target before exploding.
As of 2024, the U.S. had 19 B-2s in operation. It does not transfer custody of its B-2 stealth bombers to any of its allies.

"Iran, the leading state sponsor of terror, and one of America’s top enemies, can never have a nuclear weapon. That’s why I strongly supported our military actions earlier this month. Iran has killed scores of Americans, including our service members, and repeatedly attacked our key democratic ally, Israel. Israel must be able to defend herself against Iran, and ensure that Iran cannot rebuild its nuclear capabilities," Gottheimer said in a statement.

"This bill gives the President the authority to equip Israel with the tools and training they need to deter Tehran and make the world a safer place," said Lawler.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Chair Rafael Grossi told Radio France Internationale the centrifuges at Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear site are "no longer operational," after the U.S. strikes.

Trump to meet with Netanyahu as he pushes for ceasefire between Israel, Gaza

President Donald Trump is slated to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday, according to an administration official.

Trump is also pushing for Israel to reach a ceasefire with Gaza, and told reporters Tuesday that a ceasefire was likely in the next week.

"We hope it's going to happen, and we're looking for it to happen sometime next week," Trump told reporters Tuesday.

An administration official confirmed Netanyahu’s visit to Fox News Digital.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that Trump is seeking to resolve the conflict between both Israel and Gaza and secure the release of the remaining American hostages in Gaza.

"It's heartbreaking to see the images that have come out from both Israel and Gaza throughout this war," Leavitt said. "And the president wants to see it end. He wants to save lives and, however, the main priority for the president also remains to bring all of the hostages home out of Gaza. As you know, his tireless effort has brought home many of the hostages, including all of the American hostages who were held there."

The visit comes shortly after Trump expressed his disapproval with Israel, after Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 24.

However, both sides quickly launched accusations that the other had violated the agreement, prompting Trump to tell reporters that both had failed to uphold the terms of the deal.

Tensions rise as Israel strongly denies firing on Palestinians at Gaza humanitarian site

Drone footage released by the Israel Defense Forces shows armed and masked people in Gaza shooting civilians, Israel said Sunday, amid claims, which have been staunchly denied, that the IDF killed dozens of people collecting humanitarian aid.

The IDF said it was releasing additional information amid false reports that its soldiers fired upon civilians at an aid distribution site.

"Findings from an initial inquiry indicate that the IDF did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site and that reports to this effect are false," the IDF said in a statement. "The IDF is cooperating with the American Civil Organization (GHF) and international aid organizations in order to enable the distribution of aid to the Gazan residents — and not to Hamas."

The agency also said that Hamas has done everything it can to disrupt food distribution efforts in the Gaza Strip.

Israel quickly pushed back amid reports that at least 26 Palestinians were killed and some 175 were wounded while attempting to get food, according to officials from the Hamas-run health ministry and witnesses.

Witnesses said Israeli forces fired on crowds around 1,000 yards away from an aid site run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). A Palestinian journalist told the BBC that thousands had gathered near the aid site outside Gaza's southern city of Rafah when Israeli tanks approached and opened fire on the crowd.

The GHF has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, which are in Israeli military zones where independent access is limited.

Israel releases conversations with Gaza residents amid criticisms of aid delivery system

Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees humanitarian and civil efforts in Gaza, released two revealing conversations between Gaza residents and officers from the Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) for Gaza.

The Gaza residents, who COGAT — an Israeli agency — says were at humanitarian aid distribution sites, told a CLA officer about how Hamas tries to disrupt the aid system through violence and manipulation. The testimonies reveal that "Hamas fires at Gaza residents near the aid distribution sites, spreads false claims about IDF fire, publishes fabricated data about large numbers of casualties, and circulates fake footage," according to COGAT.

State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce acknowledged Hamas’ use of violence to "interfere with aid deliveries to the people of Gaza."

"This is how Hamas operates — they deliberately fire at people and want it to appear as though the army is the one shooting, so that no one will approach the aid distribution areas," one Gaza resident told a CLA officer, according to COGAT’s translation.

Another Gaza resident told a CLA officer that Palestinians trying to get aid "encounter thugs on the way" and that "those thugs definitely kill 2, 3, 5 people."

Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify the identities of the residents.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.- and Israel-backed group,  has faced backlash over reports of violent and even deadly incidents around its secure sites. In response to the videos released by COGAT, a GHF spokesperson said that "Hamas is working to destroy the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation because our model is working."

GHF has pushed back on claims that Palestinians are being killed at its sites. However, it does say that Hamas has killed some of its staff members, "put bounties on our American workers and threatened civilians for accepting aid."

"To date, there has not been a single casualty at or in the surrounding vicinity of any of our sites. Many of the alleged incidents had no correlation to our sites but deliberate misinformation orchestrated by Hamas-controlled [Gaza] Health Ministry," a GHF spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

SYRIA

Trump signs order lifting sanctions on Syria

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to formally lift all sanctions on Syria on Monday afternoon.

"The United States is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors," the order stated, while directing the secretaries of State, Commerce and Treasury to relieve sanctions and waive export controls.

"This is in an effort to promote and support the country's path to stability and peace. The order will remove sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on the former president Assad or his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, persons linked to chemical weapons activities, ISIS and their affiliates, and Iranian proxies," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Trump is "committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified and at peace with itself and its neighbors," Leavitt said.

Ambassador Tom Barrack, Trump's envoy to Syria, called the new order a "tedious, detailed, excruciating process" of unraveling the sanctions that had been in place for decades on the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who oversaw a nation at civil war for more than a decade.

Brad Smith, the Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said sanctions would remain "where appropriate," including on Assad and his associates and any other destabilizing regional actors.

Smith said the fall of Assad represented a "new beginning" for the Syrian people and Trump had decided U.S. sanctions "would not stand in the way of what could be a brighter future for the country."

But he warned: "The United States will remain ever vigilant where our interests and security are threatened, and Treasury will not hesitate to use our authorities to protect us and international financial systems."

Some sanctions will still need to be lifted by Congress, and others date to 1979, when Syria was designated a state sponsor of terrorism. The administration has not yet lifted that designation.

Trump met last month with Syria’s new interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, during a Middle East visit.

From having a $10 million bounty on his head to sitting down with the U.S. president, the turnaround of the Syrian leader has been remarkable.

Al-Sharaa’s group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Syrian militant organization founded as an offshoot of al Qaeda, overthrew Assad in March.

UNITED NATIONS

Revealed: The extensive perks UN officials receive amid budget crisis

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has directed staff to slash budgets ahead of the 2026 budgetary vote as part of a wider reform effort through his UN80 Initiative.

Much of the belt-tightening comes at a time when the Trump administration has looked to save money with the help of DOGE. In March, Guterres warned about cuts to U.S. spending at the U.N., stating that "going through with recent funding cuts will make the world less healthy, less safe, and less prosperous." The U.S., as the top funder to the world body, has given billions over the last few years, while paying around a third of its budget.

However, organizational belt-tightening does not appear to have hit senior-level U.N. staff.
"The American people don’t even see this," a diplomatic source told Fox News Digital. "These people that are appointed to care for the poor of the world, get better perks than any investment banks out there."
The diplomatic insider told Fox News Digital that the current "zero-growth" budget for 2026 still includes "a lot of perks" for professional- and director-level U.N. staff along with assistant-secretaries, under-secretaries and the secretary-general.

Fox News Digital recently reported that Guterres earned $418,348, which is a higher base salary than President Donald Trump receives. And that doesn't include some of the perks the U.N. chief gets, including a plush Manhattan residence and chauffeur-driven car.

Additionally, though U.N. documents say senior-level U.N. staff are "going to be the first thing to be reduced," the source says that "in the budget of 2026, none of that is touched."

Here is a list of perks:

Salary and Multiplier

U.N. professional staff, including Guterres, are paid a general salary as well as an additional multiplier of their salary based on their post. Multipliers are meant to "preserve equivalent purchasing power for all duty stations" and can range from 16% in Eswatini, Africa, to 86.8% in Switzerland, according to data provided to Fox News Digital by a U.N. source.

The U.N. pay scale has been set to compare with "equivalently graded jobs in the comparator civil service in Washington, D.C.," with compensation about "10 to 20% ahead of the comparator service" to "attract and retain staff from all countries, including the comparator."

Housing Allowance and Tax Exemption

Other expenses that may be compensated for include taxes paid and housing costs.

U.N. staff’s rent may be subsidized by up to 40% if it "exceeds a so-called rent threshold" based on an employee’s income.

Many member states exempt U.N. employees from paying taxes, but employees of the organization who must pay taxes at their duty station are reimbursed for the cost.

Dependent Costs

There are substantial benefits for staff with dependents.

Staff receive an allowance of 6% of their net income if their spouses earn less than an entry-level general service U.N. salary.

Staff who are parents receive a flat allowance of $2,929 for children under 18, or who are under 21 and in secondary schooling. A second child allowance for staff without spouses is set at $1,025.

UKRAINE WAR

Ukraine moves toward withdrawing from treaty banning anti-personnel mines

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree withdrawing his country from an international agreement banning the use of anti-personnel mines on Monday.

The 1997 Ottawa Convention bans the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines under the reasoning that it causes too much danger to civilians after hostilities have ended. Ukraine was one of roughly 160 countries that had agreed to the treaty, though Russia never did.

"Russia has never been a party to this convention and uses anti-personnel mines extremely cynically," Zelenskyy said in a statement. "And not only now, in the war against Ukraine. This is the signature style of Russian killers — to destroy life by all methods at their disposal."

Zelenskyy's announcement is not the final step in formally withdrawing from the treaty, however, as Ukraine's parliament must now vote on the issue.

Ukraine has suffered greatly in recent years from Russia's own use of anti-personnel landmines. Regions that Ukrainian forces have liberated from Russian invaders have been strewn with the devices, leading to injuries for both civilians and soldiers.

News of Kyiv's pending withdrawal comes just a day after Moscow fired 537 aerial weapons toward Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles, according to Ukraine's air force. Ukraine said it was the largest aerial attack so far in the war.

Among the weapons, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost, likely electronically jammed.

Pentagon halts some weapons shipments to Ukraine over concerns about US stockpiles

The Pentagon has frozen some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot missile interceptors and 155 mm artillery shells, at a pivotal moment in Kyiv’s war with Russia, Fox News has confirmed.

According to U.S. military officials tracking the shipments, the weapons were already staged in Poland before the order came down.

The halt was driven by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby after a review of U.S. munitions stockpiles that showed dangerously low reserves, Politico first reported.

"This was made to put America’s interests first," White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said n a statement also shared with Fox News Digital. "The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran."

Colby, a principal Trump defense official and architect of the 2018 National Defense Strategy, has long pushed for a hard shift toward countering China over continued involvement in Ukraine. Before rejoining the Pentagon, he led The Marathon Initiative and authored The Strategy of Denial, a widely cited blueprint for great power competition.

According to Politico, the withheld arms include air defense munitions, precision-guided shells and Hellfire missiles used by Ukrainian F-16s.

A senior defense official told Politico the Pentagon’s review revealed that stockpiles of Patriot interceptors, precision-guided 155 mm shells and other critical munitions had dropped to levels deemed insufficient to meet U.S. contingency plans.

The Army has already quietly quadrupled its procurement targets for Patriot interceptors, but defense analysts say replenishment will take time.

Tearful Kim Jong Un seen mourning North Korean troops killed fighting for Russia in war against Ukraine

Footage aired on state media Monday showed dictator Kim Jong Un getting emotional as he mourned over the coffin of North Korean troops reportedly killed while fighting for Russia in its war with Ukraine.

The footage, released by Korean Central Television and reported by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, showed Kim placing a North Korean flag on a casket.

The images aired as part of a cultural performance Sunday at the East Pyongyang Grand Theater, held to mark the one-year anniversary of North Korea’s "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty with Moscow.

Kim, joined by Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, was shown standing beside the coffin, hands pressed on it and lips tightly closed.

Yonhap reported that other images in the broadcast included photos of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian troops, as well as a bloodstained notebook allegedly recovered from the battlefield in Russia’s Kursk region.

The notebook reportedly contained a message that read, "The decisive moment has finally come," and, "Let us bravely fight this sacred battle with the boundless love and trust bestowed upon us by our beloved Supreme Commander," referring to Kim.

Also present at the ceremony was Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, who was shown wiping away tears, according to Yonhap. Others in the audience were seen doing the same.

Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told Yonhap the images appear designed to shape a "victory narrative" following joint operations in Ukraine.

Russia claims gains in Ukraine as US attention focuses on Iran war

Russia on Monday evening claimed to have captured the entirety of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, marking the first time since its illegal invasion began three years ago that it may fully occupy an entire region.

Fox News Digital could not independently verify the claim made by Leonid Pasechnik, the Moscow-appointed leader of Luhansk, which Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed in 2022 along with the regions of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Kyiv has not yet commented on Pasechnik’s claims issued Monday evening when speaking with Russian state TV outlet Channel One, in which he said "literally two days ago" he had received a report that "100%" of the region was now fully occupied, first reported the Associated Press.

Russia is still assessed to occupy less than 20% of Ukraine, which includes Luhansk as well as some 70% of the other three regions it has claimed to have annexed, according to Reuters – though it is unclear if this figure also includes Russia's occupation of Crimea.

Reports on Monday showed that Russia had amassed some 50,000 troops on Ukraine's northern border near the Sumy region, sparking concerns that Putin could be planning another major offensive.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had been moved to the region a week ago in preparation of any Russian offensive.

"The Russian plan for an offensive in Sumy is not being realized, and that is thanks to every Ukrainian unit operating in the area," he said in a social media post on Telegram.

When asked about Russia's plans on Tuesday, President Donald Trump told reporters, "We will see what happens, I'm watching it very closely."

Moscow over the last two months has drastically intensified its war efforts in Ukraine despite attempts by Trump to push a ceasefire and an end to the war.