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Quote:The State Department is pausing visa processing for applicants from 75 countries as it reviews how consular officers screen people deemed likely to become a public charge, according to an internal memo first reported by Fox News Digital.
The directive instructs embassies and consulates to halt decisions on immigrant visas, meaning documents for those seeking to live and work in the U.S., beginning January 21, while the department reassesses its vetting procedures under existing immigration law.
Countries affected by the pause include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and Yemen. The move follows stepped‑up scrutiny of public charge rules and comes amid broader changes to immigration policy under President Donald Trump.
The Department of State confirmed to Newsweek that it was pausing visa issuance for 75 countries, but did not clarify the full list.
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State Department Visa Pause: Full List of Countries
The State Department later released the list to Fox News Digital and confirmed the freeze to Newsweek and on its social media, but did not immediately release the list.
The countries affected are:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
What To Know
The State Department is responsible for vetting potential immigrants for visas outside the U.S. and processing them at consulates and embassies around the world. Officers at these posts have already been instructed to change the way they process applications over the past 12 months, including increased social media screening.
Part of the vetting process, and other immigration applications within the U.S., includes working out whether an individual will become a public charge. In other words, whether the state will have to help pay for long-term healthcare, or provide any type of financial support.
Fox reported that the State Department was reviewing the current rules around this issue and had opted to pause visas for the 75 countries while this assessment was carried out. The change did not apply to tourist or temporary business visas, the Associated Press reported.
There has been concern for some time from Republicans that immigrants put too much pressure on federal and state-level benefits, leading some to claim that they are taking away funds from American citizens and fueling the campaign for mass deportations.
Research has frequently debunked this notion, however. In February 2025, the libertarian Cato Institute published a paper showing that native-born Americans consumed, on an average per capita basis, more welfare and entitlement benefits than all immigrants.
Secret Service aware of UMass Lowell-funded radio DJ’s directive to ‘kill JD Vance’
WUML volunteer resigned and authorities determined there was no immediate threat following the Bluesky post
WUML volunteer resigned and authorities determined there was no immediate threat following the Bluesky post
Quote:EXCLUSIVE: A volunteer radio show host has resigned after authorities confirmed they are aware of a post on left-wing-dominated social media app Bluesky, in which a person advocated for killing Vice President JD Vance.
"It's simple, we kill JD Vance," said the person behind an account named hanslopez.bsky.social. The person identified themselves as a host of a radio show on WUML, which is funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. The comment was made in response to another Bluesky user who claimed that, "JD VANCE THINKS BRITAIN & FRANCE ARE AMERICAS [sic] LIKELY ENEMIES."
WUML's website says that it has "given a voice to both the student body of UMass Lowell, and the greater Lowell community" for more than six decades.
"Founded in 1952, WUML functions as a non-commercial FM station located in Lowell, Massachusetts, funded by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and fully managed and operated by student members, broadcasting both terrestrially and online," the description says.
When the school learned of the post, it contacted authorities, according to a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
"UMass Lowell police promptly coordinated with the FBI, Secret Service and Haverhill police the same day to ensure an appropriate response," the school said. "Contact was made with the individual in question, and the necessary assessments were conducted in collaboration with federal partners. Authorities confirmed there was no immediate threat."
Secret Service confirmed to Fox News Digital that it was aware of the post. The Haverhill Police Department directed Fox News Digital to the FBI, which declined to comment.
"UMass Lowell takes seriously any threat of violence involving our community. Statements such as the post in question are inconsistent with the values of our democracy and our university," the statement continued. "The individual in question has since resigned from his volunteer role at WUML and removed the post from his Bluesky account."
The school said that the person behind the violent rhetoric is an alumnus.
Several posts, including the one directed at Vance, have been deleted from the Bluesky account.
University researcher accused of calling for assassination of conservative voices in social media post
Mara Maughan allegedly targeted Educational Freedom Institute Executive Director Corey DeAngelis in Facebook post
Mara Maughan allegedly targeted Educational Freedom Institute Executive Director Corey DeAngelis in Facebook post
Quote:The University of Washington is investigating comments made by a researcher who posted on social media, allegedly calling for the assassination of conservative voices.
Mara Maughan, who uses she/they pronouns according to her bio on the UW Fuller Labs website, is labeled as an RSE1 under the Department of Microbiology’s "research and lab staff."
"May there be tyler robinsons for you all," Maughan posted on Facebook in a comment directed at Educational Freedom Institute Executive Director Corey DeAngelis.
Tyler Robinson is charged with the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
DeAngelis had posted a clip of a Democratic state senator in Washington state with the caption, "he can’t acknowledge that there are biological differences between men and women."
"This kind of violent rhetoric from Mara Maughan and far too many others on the left — wishing for assassins to target conservatives like me and my family — absolutely concerns me, as it not only normalizes political violence but fuels a dangerous environment where radical ideologies in academia and beyond threaten our freedoms and safety without accountability," DeAngelis told Fox News Digital.
"I've seen how the left resorts to these tactics when they're losing the argument on merits, and it's high time institutions like UW step up to condemn and discipline such hate to prevent real-world tragedies."
Maughan is employed through a union-based position at the university, with Glassdoor estimating a similar researcher position under the immunology department at the school earns $4,000 to $5,000 a month with benefits.
The UW Department of Microbiology also has office space listed for Maughan on its website.
In a separate Facebook comment from several months ago unrelated to DeAngelis, the researcher appears to identify as transgender.
"Being an autistic trans vaccine scientist [right now] has turned me into the joker," the comment says.
Adam Guillette, the president of Accuracy in Media, an organization that has been actively investigating radicalism at UW for several years, says the rhetoric from the liberal-leaning university doesn’t come as a surprise.
"UW administrators claim they oppose violence, but their actions speak louder than their word," Guillette told Fox News Digital. "They’ve repeatedly allowed both violence and violent rhetoric from their students and their staff.
"The university is already under federal investigation, and it's now time to revoke its funds."
Quote:Tyler Robinson’s court hearing took a strange turn Friday when a Utah judge barred a media videographer from filming Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin in the courtroom over lip-reading concerns raised by the defense.
Utah District Judge Tony Graf prohibited the pool cameraman from filming or photographing the 22-year-old murder suspect, warning close-up footage of him could prejudice the remainder of the hearing.
“During the remainder of this hearing, the camera shall not photograph Mr. Robinson at all,” Graf ruled.
“That will be the sanction of this court. I will allow the pool camera operator to reposition the camera to adhere to that.”
The decision came after Robinson’s attorneys brought up their concerns with Graf, arguing the videographer zoomed in on their client, capturing their conversation, ABC 4 reported.
Robinson’s counsel showed the judge two clips of previous footage they said violated court rules.
Graf said the court could have held the videographer in contempt and fined them, but opted not to do so.
The drama unfolded during the hearing in which Robinson’s defense attorneys were working to boot Utah County prosecutors from the high-profile case over an alleged conflict of interest.
“The Utah County Attorneys have advised us that a family member of one of the attorneys was present at the incident at which Mr. Kirk was shot and killed,” defense attorney Richard Novak told Graf during an October hearing.
The defense team argued they were informed by prosecutors the relative – a student — “was within 85 feet” of the 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder when he was shot dead at Utah Valley University while speaking to a crowd of thousands as part of his American Comeback Tour on Sept. 10.
The defense added the prosecutor’s daughter was forced to “flee” the campus with police that were “deployed to the area with her safety and status in mind,’ adding that “the Utah County Attorney’s Office was all advised of this,” Novak said.
There are six prosecutors on Robinson’s case and the name of the prosecutor in question was redacted in court papers.
Prosecutors argued that there is no conflict of interest, explaining the relative, who had a “comparatively minor emotional reaction” to the killing, will be among thousands of witnesses called to testify at trial, the outlet reported.
The defense requested that their motion to dismiss be referred to the Utah Attorney General’s Office — but Graf moved to hold an evidentiary hearing instead to rule on the matter.
The judge has not yet ruled on the issue.
Robinson is facing seven felony charges of aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.
He remains behind bars pending trial and could face death by firing squad if convicted.
Quote:The mystery of the so-called Havana Syndrome has stumped experts, intelligence officials and lawmakers for close to a decade.
More than 1,000 officials and their family members are thought to have been plagued by memory loss, hearing problems, trouble sleeping and what appears to be brain injury—yet no credible cause has emerged to explain the common set of symptoms originally linked to the U.S. Embassy in the Cuban capital when the ailment first became public nearly 10 years ago.
But, according to a Monday report from CNN, the Pentagon has been testing a device purchased by undercover homeland security operatives that could finally pull back the curtain on the enigma of what the U.S. officially terms "anomalous health incidents."
What Is Havana Syndrome?
The first cases became public in late 2016, when U.S. government employees and several Canadian diplomats, plus their relatives, experienced similar symptoms after being assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Cases were then reported across the world, including in the U.S.
Intelligence assessments fed back to the public had not been able to identify what causes the symptoms and who may be to blame.
A U.S. intelligence report, published in January 2025, said most of the American intelligence community still doubted that a foreign adversary was behind Havana Syndrome. But one U.S. intelligence agency believed there is a "roughly even chance" that a foreign actor had used a "novel weapon or prototype device" to induce the symptoms, according to the unclassified assessment.
One scientific study commissioned by the State Department and published in 2022 said the symptoms appear to be "consistent with the effects of directed, pulsed radio frequency energy."
"Many of the chronic, nonspecific symptoms are also consistent with known radio frequency effects, such as dizziness, headache, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, cognitive deficits, and memory loss," according to the study.
Another intelligence agency judged that there was the same probability a foreign actor had developed such a weapon that could have caused the reported illness.
One of the most common working theories has put Russia at the heart of deploying or experimenting with some form of sonic or directed-energy weapon. Moscow, an ally of Cuba, has repeatedly denied any involvement in inducing the symptoms.
The device acquired by Homeland Security Investigations—part of the Department of Homeland Security—produces pulsed radio waves, one source told CNN. It contains Russian components but is not entirely Russian-made, they added.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry by email for comment.
In November 2021, then-CIA Director William Burns warned Russian intelligence services that there would be "consequences" if they were found to be responsible for Havana Syndrome, The Washington Post reported.
Quote:The Trump administration has begun laying out contingency plans should the Supreme Court rule against the existing targeted tariffs, although officials remain confident they will ultimately prevail.
“There are a lot of other legal authorities that can reproduce the deals that we’ve made with other countries, and can do so basically immediately," National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said during an appearance on CNBC Friday morning.
Why It Matters
The Supreme Court is currently considering whether President Donald Trump properly invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by imposing tariffs on countries such as China, Canada and Mexico. Critics argue the act only indicates that the president has the power to impose tariffs in cases of a "national emergency."
The court heard oral arguments in November on the case challenging the president's authority to impose the tariffs without congressional approval, but the justices have yet to issue a ruling.
Trump has argued that a ruling against his tariff plan would create "a complete mess" for the government, which could be forced to refund the billions collected so far.
What To Know
Hassett addressed the concern about the future of Trump's tariffs on Friday during a roundup of appearances on various morning shows, including CNBC's Squawk on the Street and FOX Business' Mornings with Maria, where he discussed a range of economic issues, including tariffs.
“There was a big call last night with all the principals to talk about if the Supreme Court were to rule against this IEEPA tariff, what would the next step be?” Hassett told CNBC.
"So our expectation is that we’re going to win, and if we don’t win, then we know that we’ve got other tools that we could use that get us to the same place," he explained, adding that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has been deeply involved in setting out backup plans.
During his appearance on FOX Business, Hassett provided further detail on those contingencies, citing Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows tariffs up to 15 percent for 150 days to address trade imbalances with other countries. The Wall Street Journal reported in May 2025 that this had been under consideration at the time, but the administration has not yet used it.
The president's authority over tariffs is one Trump has already indicated he plans to continue using if validated, having warned on Friday that he would look to impose tariffs on countries that do not support his attempts to acquire Greenland.
Quote:The Department of Justice (DOJ) has made "substantial progress" in its review of the documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, an effort that has faced "inevitable glitches," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a letter to two federal judges.
In the letter to U.S. District Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmeyer, filed on Thursday, Bondi wrote that the department has more than 500 people assigned to the review and make redactions to the files.
The letter did not provide a timeline for when the review may be complete, but said the DOJ "is working to complete this review as expeditiously as possible without compromising victims’ privacy."
Newsweek has contacted the DOJ for comment via an message sent through a contact form on its website.
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What To Know
In the letter, Bondi wrote that the progress made in the review is notable for several reasons.
She said the materials reviewed and redacted to date "include many of the most sensitive categories of information for victims" and that the DOJ is coordinating resources for the review from "various components and offices."
Bondi also said the department is overseeing the "processing, deduplication, and review of voluminous documents using a centralized platform."
She said because of the scope of the review, platform operations "require around-the-clock attention and technical assistance to resolve inevitable glitches due to the sheer volume of materials."
In its last update to the court, DOJ officials said in a January 5 letter that the department had released 12,285 documents so far and that there were "more than 2 million documents" that remain in "various phases of review." "more than 2 million documents" that remain in "various phases of review." The Associated Press and The New York Times have reported that the DOJ had expanded its review of Epstein-related documents to more than five million records.
Multiple hosts argue congressional oversight shouldn't be optional
Quote:Several co-hosts of "The View" pleaded on Friday that former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, should comply with congressional subpoenas on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters Wednesday that the Clintons could face contempt charges for not having complied with the call to testify. Meanwhile, the Clintons' attorneys criticized Comer's leadership of the investigation in a letter and discounted the subpoenas, saying, "President and Secretary Clinton have already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Committee."
But some prominent liberal voices have said that it would be better for America as a country if the Clintons testify
"As someone who wants to see everything in the Epstein files and wants every single person held accountable, I think the Clintons should show up," "The View" co-host Sara Haines said. "It was a unanimous vote to subpoena them, and regardless of these affidavits or anything else, I think when people don’t show up, it makes them look guiltier than they are."
"President Clinton has showed up in tons of pictures with no wrongdoing but images that have been released in the files," Haines continued. "And we’ve known of the friendship for years, and two years after Epstein got his sweetheart deal, Ghislaine Maxwell was invited to Chelsea [Clinton]’s wedding, so there are some associations there that I think you leave — you put everything out there. Let it be public. Let people hear.
"Because otherwise, you give them the bait to say, ‘Well, you’re not doing it, we’re not doing it. This person is not doing it.’ No, if you want the Epstein files, and you want everyone held accountable, they show up, and they do it."
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin shared a similar sentiment, noting Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon were jailed for defying congressional subpoenas about the January 6 investigation.
"I just personally don’t believe that congressional oversight is something that should be optional to people," she said. "I’ve testified before Congress, never under subpoena. I was asked to and showed up and never have seen a congressional subpoena as optional."
Griffin went on to argue that it would be a great opportunity for Bill Clinton to shed light on any actual wrongdoing he saw other people engaged in.
Quote:The Justice Department (DOJ) is investigating Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, over whether they conspired to impede federal immigration agents, multiple people familiar with the matter told CBS News.
CNN also confirmed the CBS report on Friday night. The network also reported that FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche arrived in Minneapolis on the same day that reports of the new investigation surfaced.
One U.S. official told CBS the inquiry is tied to public comments Walz and Frey made as thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents were deployed to the Minneapolis region in recent weeks.
Newsweek has reached out to the DOJ, Walz and Frey via their website contact forms on Friday night for comment.
The reported probe comes amid rising tensions between federal authorities and local leaders following protests, clashes and the fatal shooting of a Minnesota resident, Renee Nicole Good, by an ICE officer, Jonathan Ross, last week.
Walz's office told CNN Friday night, "Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her."
Walz and Frey have remained critical about federal officers in the Minneapolis region.
After Good's shooting, Frey said at a press conference, that ICE should "get the f*** out of Minneapolis" during a news conference. "We do not want you here."
DHS has characterized what happened as being one of several "violent rioters" attempting to "run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them—an act of domestic terrorism."
But Frey called arguments that the ICE agent acted in self-defense "bulls—."
The shooting has prompted calls for Ross to face criminal charges. Vice President JD Vance has said the agent has "absolute immunity," an assessment that legal experts have rejected.
Last week, the FBI told Minnesota officials they would not be allowed to participate in the investigation or review key evidence in the shooting, meaning the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension would not have access to evidence to investigate the matter and provide its findings to local prosecutors who could determine whether the agent should face charges. Local prosecutors said they have jurisdiction in the case and are evaluating their legal options.
President Donald Trump posted earlier Friday, "In Minnesota, the Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists are, in many cases, highly paid professionals. The Governor and Mayor don’t know what to do, they have totally lost control, and our currently being rendered, USELESS! If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY! President DJT"
Quote:The Trump administration is delaying its plan to resume withholding pay and seizing federal payments from student loan borrowers who are in default, stepping back from a policy shift that could have affected millions of Americans. The Education Department announced Friday that involuntary collections on federal student loans — including wage garnishment and Treasury offsets — will remain on hold as the agency completes new repayment options ordered by Congress.
The move reverses earlier plans to restart garnishments this month after the end of the pandemic-era payment pause. Department officials said the delay is intended to give borrowers time to assess updated repayment plans that take effect July 1 under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which requires a broad restructuring of the federal student loan system.
Education Department Delays Collection Efforts like Wage Garnishment: What We Know
In its announcement, the Education Department said wage garnishment and the Treasury Offset Program will remain paused while the agency implements new federal repayment rules. Wage garnishment allows the government to take a portion of a borrower’s paycheck to repay overdue loans. Treasury offsets permit the federal government to seize certain payments, including tax refunds and, in some cases, Social Security benefits.
Officials said earlier plans to resume collections this month were placed on hold because the new repayment system is not yet ready. Last spring, the department signaled it would restart intercepting tax refunds from defaulted borrowers. In December, officials said wage garnishment notices would be sent to roughly 1,000 borrowers during the week of Jan. 7. Both efforts have now been postponed with no new restart date provided.
Nicholas Kent, the department’s top higher education official, said in a statement that the agency concluded involuntary collections “will function more efficiently and fairly” once the broader reforms mandated by Congress are in place. Those reforms require the department to shrink the number of federal repayment plans and simplify the system for new and current borrowers.
Who Is Affected by the Change?
The delay applies to federal student loan borrowers who are already in default or at risk of entering default in the coming months. More than 5 million borrowers were in default as of September, according to department data, and millions more are behind on payments following the end of the pandemic-era payment pause.
Under existing law, borrowers in default can have their wages garnished without a court order and can see tax refunds or federal benefit payments withheld automatically. Restarting those penalties would have affected borrowers who are already deeply delinquent on their loans and could have extended financial strain for people with limited resources.
Borrowers in default will now have additional time to consolidate their loans, begin a rehabilitation agreement or explore the new repayment options available this summer. Advocacy groups had urged the department to delay collections, arguing that resuming garnishment before repayment reforms were completed would risk pushing vulnerable borrowers further into debt.
Quote:Minnesota National Guard Major General Shawn Manke told a Friday press conference that he still did not know if the Guard would be deployed this weekend, but they were "ready" if needed. Manke said that the Guardsmen "have gone through a bunch of training" and have been brought to "various locations" so they can respond quickly if needed. "Again, just as was the case last weekend, it is our hope that they won't be needed. We are optimistic that that will be the case," he said. State safety officials were speaking ahead of the March Against Minnesota Fraud, a right-wing protest organized for Saturday, starting at the outside Minneapolis City Hall at around 1 p.m. A counter-protest - the "Protest To Defend Our Neighbors" - is planned for the same location at around 12.30 p.m.
Meanwhile, a newly released fire department incident report found that Renee Nicole Good, whose death after she was shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week sparked a new wave of protests, was shot four times including once in the head. First responders say in the report that when they reached Good she had blood her on face, an "inconsistent, irregular" pulse and was not breathing. They noted she had been shot twice in the right side of her chest, once on her left forearm and once in the head, leaving "protruding tissue on the left side of the patient’s head," the Minneapolis Fire Department report stated.
What to know
- Video showed ICE officer Jonathan Ross opening fire on Good while she was in her SUV in Minneapolis on January 7.
- The footage appeared to show her turning her car away from agents before she was shot. However, officials have said she was deliberately attempting to run Ross over with her car and that he had opened fire as he feared for his life.
- Federal agents have been involved in two shootings in Minneapolis within a week, one fatal.
- Protests continue across Minneapolis with one family saying they were trapped in their vehicle on Wednesday when federal immigration agents deployed tear gas and stun grenades, leaving their six children — including a 6‑month‑old infant — struggling to breathe.
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has appealed directly to Trump to “lower the temperature” and de-escalate tensions.
- Frigid temperatures and dangerous wind chills are expected to complicate demonstrations through the weekend.
- Fundraisers for Good’s family have raised over $1.4 million; a separate fundraiser for Ross has raised $740,000.
DHS says US citizen threatened violence while carrying gun and ammunition box during unrest Wednesday night
Quote:FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security says it arrested a man in Minneapolis Wednesday night who assaulted a federal immigration agent while carrying a gun and box of ammunition.
The incident occurred several hours after DHS says a separate agent was attacked by an illegal migrant from Venezuela with a shovel. The illegal migrant was shot in the leg, prompting riots to escalate in the city shortly after.
"Last night during a riot in Minneapolis, a U.S. citizen was arrested for assaulting officers while carrying a firearm," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.
"The individual showed up to the protest with a gun and a box of ammunition in a bag. The individual threatened violence against law enforcement officers while pointing at his bag.
"After law enforcement deployed crowd control measures to calm an increasingly volatile crowd, the individual kicked a metal smoke canister at officers. He then pushed an officer, and he was arrested for assault," McLaughlin explained.
"While being arrested, he stated he had a firearm, which was located along with a box of ammunition. He was not carrying his concealed carry permit. This is not the peaceful protesting that the First Amendment protects."
Tensions in Minneapolis have been high as days of riots ravage the city and federal law enforcement officers face off with agitators.
Riots began shortly after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent during an altercation in Minneapolis last week.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem referred to the Good as a "domestic terrorist," alleging she used her vehicle as a weapon after obstructing ICE agents on the roadway.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to "get the f--- out of Minneapolis" during a news conference after Good’s death, and Gov. Tim Walz criticized DHS, posting to X that he saw the video, and referred to Noem’s explanation of the incident as a part of a "propaganda machine."
On Thursday, President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act if people in Minnesota continue to disobey the law and endanger federal officers.
Keep in mind that Trump desisted on invoking that act for the time being.President Donald Trump previously threatened to invoke the 1807 law amid anti-ICE unrest in Minneapolis
Quote:President Donald Trump on Friday said there wasn't a reason, in the present, to invoke the Insurrection Act, as agitators continue to clash with federal immigration authorities carrying out enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
Trump was departing the White House when he was asked about the 1807 law, which he threatened to invoke earlier this week.
"I believe it was Bush, the elder Bush, he used it, I think 28 times," Trump told reporters. "It's been used a lot. And if I needed it, I'd use it. I don't think there's any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I'd use it. It's very powerful."
The law allows the president to deploy the military to suppress rebellions and enforce federal laws. It would grant Trump the authority to federalize the National Guard and deploy active duty forces to restore order. It would temporarily override the Posse Comitatus Act, which normally restricts the use of the military for domestic law enforcement.
The law reportedly hasn't been invoked since the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which began after four police officers were acquitted in the beating of Rodney King.
Despite Trump's threat, some Republicans are resistant to the idea of using the centuries-old law.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., seemed to downplay Trump's threat, placing his hope in local law enforcement's ability to "settle things down."
"Hopefully the local officials working with not only the federal law enforcement, ICE and other agencies, but also the local law enforcement officials will be able to settle things down," Thune told reporters.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., cast doubt on whether it would be appropriate to invoke the act, according to The Hill.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., also expressed her concerns about the move, saying that the administration needs to be "very careful," The Hill reported.
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump said "Troublemakers, Agitators, and Insurrectionists" that have been seen violently confronting federal officers are "highly paid professionals" in many cases.
"The Governor and Mayor don’t know what to do, they have totally lost control," he wrote. "If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved, QUICKLY and EFFECTIVELY! President DJT."
Latin Kings gang member accused of vandalizing FBI vehicle, stealing government property in Minneapolis
FBI Director Kash Patel says Raul Gutierrez, a Latin Kings gang member with a violent past, was arrested on Thursday
FBI Director Kash Patel says Raul Gutierrez, a Latin Kings gang member with a violent past, was arrested on Thursday
Quote:A member of the violent Latin Kings gang was arrested after allegedly stealing government property from an FBI vehicle vandalized during unrest in Minneapolis Wednesday night, federal authorities said.
Fox News confirmed that Raul Gutierrez, 33, was arrested Thursday in a joint operation involving the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The FBI said multiple government vehicles were vandalized and broken into Wednesday night in Minneapolis while agents were responding to a reported assault on a federal officer, adding that federal property was stolen from inside the vehicles.
"One individual who allegedly stole federal government property out of an FBI vehicle in Minneapolis last night has been arrested," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X, adding that the suspect was a member of the Latin Kings gang with a violent criminal history. "FBI personnel are continuing to pursue other subjects involved. There will be more arrests."
Patel added that "any individual who attacks law enforcement or vandalizes federal property paid for by hardworking taxpayers will be found and arrested."
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the suspect allegedly stole FBI body armor and weaponry, and has a history of violent crimes.
"This criminal is a perfect example of what our brave federal law enforcement agents are up against every day as Minnesota leadership ENCOURAGES lawbreaking," she wrote in a post on X.
White House border czar Tom Homan said Thursday on the "The Ingraham Angle" that the individual who stole a firearm from the FBI "is now wearing a set of handcuffs in custody," adding that additional arrests may be on the way amid ongoing clashes between agitators and federal law enforcement in Minneapolis.
"Others are coming," he said. "They're gonna be held accountable."
The alleged theft came as protests erupted in Minneapolis Wednesday following an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation, and after the Department of Homeland Security said an ICE agent shot an illegal immigrant from Venezuela in the leg after an alleged shovel attack during an ambush.
Unearthed filing shows top teachers union funneling millions to far left orgs: 'Social justice unionism'
A nonpartisan watchdog calls the filing 'completely divorced' from the union's purpose
A nonpartisan watchdog calls the filing 'completely divorced' from the union's purpose
Quote:FIRST ON FOX: One of the nation’s most prominent teachers unions funneled millions of dollars in union funds to far-left activist groups, ballot initiatives and social justice organizations, according to federal labor filings.
A November Form L-2 disclosure from the National Education Association (NEA) filed in November and obtained by the North American Values Institute (NAVI) shows 2024 fiscal year spending that involved millions given to social justice-oriented groups and far-left causes.
The NEA, which boasts more than 3 million members, sent $300,000 to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a liberal dark money group Fox News Digital has reported on extensively, and tens of thousands of dollars to the Tides Foundation network, which Fox News Digital previously reported has ties to anti-Israel protests and a variety of far left causes.
Among the largest expenditures was more than $3.5 million sent to Education International, a global teachers federation where NEA President Becky Pringle serves as a vice president. The filing also details hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing to organizations backing ballot initiatives aimed at reshaping education policy and election laws in states, including Ohio, Massachusetts, Arizona and Wisconsin.
The union reported spending $500,000 to support a campaign to end standardized testing in Massachusetts, another $500,000 to back an anti-gerrymandering amendment in Ohio and nearly $500,000 to a progressive political consulting firm specializing in ballot initiatives and canvassing.
In addition to electoral spending, the NEA paid more than $166,000 to Imagine Us LLC, a consulting firm focused on racial equity training, and tens of thousands more to groups promoting what they describe as "social justice education," including curriculum materials centered on race, gender identity, and activism in K-12 classrooms.
NEA sent $350,000 to the Schott Foundation, which describes itself as "a BIPOC-led public fund that pools philanthropic funding and fuels racial and education justice movements."
"This is the upshot of social justice unionism," NAVI Director of Research Mika Hackner told Fox News Digital. "Instead of focusing on member's working conditions, unions spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on pet political projects completely divorced from the needs and wants of most teachers but perfectly in line with the political agenda the union has been co-opted to serve."
GREENLAND
Quote:China warned the United States on Monday not to use other countries as a “pretext” for its ambitions in Greenland, saying its activities in the Arctic comply with international law and aim to promote peace and stability.
The statement from Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning came after President Donald Trump renewed his push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that Washington must “take Greenland” to prevent Russia or China from gaining control, adding he would prefer to “make a deal” but insisted, “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Tensions have escalated this month among Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk as the White House weighs options — including military force — to secure the vast Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American takeover would mark the end of NATO. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and leaders of four other parties issued a joint statement Friday asserting that the island’s future “must be decided by its people” and urging the U.S. to end its “contempt” for the territory.
China, which declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in 2018, has sought greater influence in the region through its Belt and Road Initiative and plans for a “Polar Silk Road.” Asked Monday about U.S. claims that Greenland must be taken to block Chinese and Russian control, Mao said Beijing’s Arctic activities are “in accordance with international law” and focused on “peace, stability, and sustainable development.” She did not detail those activities.
“The rights and freedoms of all countries to conduct activities in the Arctic in accordance with the law should be fully respected,” Mao said, without mentioning Greenland directly. “The U.S. should not pursue its own interests by using other countries as a pretext.” She added that “the Arctic concerns the overall interests of the international community.”
Diplomatic efforts continue as Danish and Greenlandic envoys prepare for talks in Washington this week. U.S. senators are also planning a visit to Denmark amid growing friction over the administration’s Arctic strategy.
Why Does Donald Trump Want Greenland?
Trump has repeatedly argued that acquiring Greenland would strengthen U.S. national security and prevent rivals like China and Russia from gaining a strategic foothold in the Arctic. The island’s location offers military advantages, including expanded radar and missile defense capabilities, and access to shipping lanes that are opening as polar ice melts. Trump has framed the move as essential to maintaining U.S. influence in a region he says is critical for global power competition.
Size of Greenland Compared to United States
Greenland is the world’s largest island, spanning about 836,000 square miles—roughly one-fourth the size of the continental United States. While its population is just over 56,000, the territory’s vast, ice-covered expanse makes it a focal point for climate research and Arctic geopolitics. Its sheer size and location between North America and Europe underscore why it has drawn interest from Washington and other global powers.
What Resources Does Greenland Have?
Greenland holds significant untapped resources, including rare earth minerals, iron ore, and potential oil and gas reserves beneath its ice sheet. These materials are vital for modern technologies, from smartphones to renewable energy systems, making the island economically attractive. As climate change accelerates ice melt, access to these resources—and new shipping routes—has heightened global competition for influence in the Arctic.
Quote:President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he wouldn't rule out leaving NATO in order to obtain Greenland, reiterating his plans to annex the territory.
When asked by a reporter during a press briefing in the Oval Office if he'd be willing to leave NATO, Trump responded, "Well, I wouldn't be telling you what I'm willing to do. But Greenland is very important for national security, including of Denmark. There's not a thing Denmark can do if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland."
"But there's everything we can do. You found that out last week with Venezuela," he added.
The comment came as multiple NATO allies deployed military forces to the territory of Greenland.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. While it has held broad autonomy since 1979, including its own government and parliament, foreign policy and defense remain under Copenhagen’s authority.
The Context
Trump's renewed push for control over Greenland has driven a sharp wedge between the U.S. and its NATO allies, fueling concerns of an existential crisis within the 75-year-old alliance.
Greenland’s strategic location in the Arctic, its wealth of rare earth minerals, and the accelerating effects of climate change on resource access have positioned the island at the heart of a new geopolitical contest.
Trump’s comments—and Washington’s refusal to rule out use of force or withdrawal from NATO—have prompted an increase in European military deployments to Greenland and bipartisan alarm in the U.S. Congress.
Why did Germany Send Troops to Greenland?
Germany announced it would dispatch military personnel to Greenland this week in what officials described as a measure to support Denmark and NATO allies in securing the territory.
The German Defense Ministry said a 13-member reconnaissance team would assess "framework conditions for possible military contributions to support Denmark in ensuring security in the region."
Denmark, along with Sweden and Norway, also increased their military presence following rising fears that Trump's pressure on Greenland could escalate into a transatlantic military standoff.
The moves came after Denmark’s government declared that the security of Greenland was a NATO and European priority, and in response to U.S. suggestions of unilateral action.
Quote:The Kremlin said it is closely watching the "extraordinary" situation around the self-governing Danish territory of Greenland, as European NATO allies deploy forces to the Arctic island for military exercises in a show of unity against U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive push to secure control of it for Washington.
Russia said it would strengthen its defense capabilities and infrastructure in the Arctic and called NATO's exercises a provocation, while dismissing Trump's claim that Moscow or China would eventually take control of Greenland if the U.S. did not.
Trump says the U.S. needs Greenland because it is vital to its national security and that NATO would also be better off.
The dispute over Greenland threatens to rupture the NATO alliance, the foundation of post-WWII transatlantic security. The White House has refused to rule out military action to take control of Greenland in a pressure campaign to squeeze Denmark into agreeing to cede the territory. NATO disunity is a big strategic win for Russia, in Ukraine and Europe more broadly.
It also reflects a shifting global order, upended by Trump and his new "Donroe Doctrine," a renewal of the 19th century Monroe Doctrine that asserted American hegemony over the Western Hemisphere. Trump, as seen with his seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, views hard power, not rules, as the true arbiter of the world order.
“The situation is unusual—I would even say extraordinary from the standpoint of international law,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday morning, originally in Russian, according to state news agency TASS.
Trump has indicated that "international law does not represent any kind of priority [or] substance for him," Peskov said. “Therefore, the situation is developing along some other trajectory. Together with the entire world, we will watch which one."
Peskov also said the Greenland situation is "very contradictory," noting the U.S. push to take control from Denmark, perhaps via a purchase of the strategically important island, despite a repeated rejection of this idea from leaders in both Nuuk and Copenhagen. We proceed from the assumption that Greenland is a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Peskov said.
Greenland, NATO and Arctic Security
Greenland is of strategic importance to the U.S. largely because its geographic location is crucial for early-warning missile detection and space surveillance, is near emerging Arctic sea routes, and gives it potential access to significant—but largely undeveloped—natural resources, including critical minerals and rare earth elements, as well as possible oil and gas reserves.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Monday that "all allies" agree Arctic security is "a priority" because the melting ice means sea lanes are opening up and there is a risk of increased Russian and Chinese activity. He noted that of the eight Arctic powers, seven are in NATO.
"We have to work together to make sure that the Arctic stays safe," Rutte said, adding that there were discussions underway on the practical ways NATO allies can bolster security in the region.
Russia Responds to NATO's Greenland Exercises
On Thursday, as troops from Denmark and other NATO allies began to arrive in Greenland for military exercises dubbed Operation Arctic Endurance, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called it "yet another provocation" by Western powers in the region and warned of "serious consequences".
"It is important to understand that any attempts to ignore Russia’s interests in the Arctic, especially in the sphere of security, will not go unanswered and will have far-reaching consequences," Zakharova said.
"Our country will continue to firmly defend its positions in the region in order to ensure its sustainable socio-economic development, the preservation of the natural environment, cultural heritage, and the traditional way of life of Indigenous peoples.
"We will continue a course aimed at strengthening national sovereignty in the Arctic zone, first and foremost our own defense capabilities and the infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route."
She also said that "we agree with China's position on the unacceptability of references" to Russian and Chinese activity around Greenland and in the Arctic as "a reason for the current aggravation."
Quote:In an appearance on Breitbart News Daily, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum made the case for Greenland’s strategic value to American national security and Venezuela’s potential to re-anchor U.S. energy dominance in the Western Hemisphere, casting both regions as crucial to President Donald Trump’s foreign policy and economic agenda.
Burgum likened the acquisition of Greenland to historic U.S. territorial expansions. “President Trump understands that the same way that Thomas Jefferson understood the Louisiana Purchase was going to change the course of our country,” Burgum said, drawing another direct parallel to Seward’s purchase of Alaska, which he described as “a resource that is for us today.”
While Greenland remains a self-governing territory of Denmark, Burgum questioned the intensity of Danish attachment to the island, noting, “I’m guessing that the vast majority of people in Denmark have never been to Greenland and have no plans to go.” He suggested that Danish reluctance might be tied to “a holdover of colonial pride.”
Burgum highlighted Greenland’s military significance. “I grew up in North Dakota. We had missile silos practically everywhere because we were the front line in defense of a Russian attack. The shortest distance would have come over the poles. And in an era of the Golden Dome, having our ability to defend our country, early detection is key and Greenland will be just as important as Alaska.”
Burgum also clarified that the Department of the Interior, which he leads, would be the federal agency responsible for Greenland if it became a U.S. territory. “All the territories are part of Interior,” he explained, adding that Greenland is actually “closer to Washington, DC than Anchorage is.”
Pivoting to Venezuela, Burgum revealed that President Trump had created the National Energy Dominance Council, which he now chairs alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright.”
Quote:NUUK, Greenland — Native Greenlander Amarok Peterson was 27 years old when she learned the gut-wrenching truth about why she couldn’t have children — and that Denmark was to blame.
At 13, she became one of thousands of Greenlandic girls subjected to forced sterilization by Danish doctors who implanted an IUD in her womb without her knowledge.
“The Danes don’t see us as humans,” Petersen told The Post in a local Inuit restaurant overlooking Nuuk’s famous fjords. “They think we’re too expensive, too small a population. But they take our land, our children, our lives and expect thanks.”
While the government of Denmark officially apologized last year for decades of forced contraception of Indigenous women and girls, the horrific mistreatment has cast a long shadow on the island that has become the center of an international ownership fight.
This week, the Danes hosted European troops for military exercises on Greenland, asserting they are protecting the island from outside powers — particularly the United States. But for many Inuit, Denmark itself has long been the real threat.
“I will never have children,” Petersen said, with tears of anger and sorrow welling in her eyes. “That choice was taken from me.”
Even in adulthood, medical decisions were made without her consent. Plagued with problems after the IUD, she had repeated surgeries for unexplained pain. It wasn’t until years later that doctors informed her that her fallopian tubes had been removed in one of the operations in the early 2000s.
Her family also suffered under Denmark’s so-called “Little Danes experiment,” in which Greenlandic children were forcibly sent to Denmark for adoption or institutional care — often permanently separated from their families, she said.
The program, which ran from the 1950s through the 1970s, was part of Denmark’s broader effort to assimilate Greenlandic children, often without parental consent.
It happened to her mother’s brother, Petersen said. Other relatives were subjected to medical experimentation, she added.
“They wanted us smaller,” she said. “Easier to manage.”
Denmark recently announced compensation for victims of forced sterilization, but Petersen called the payments another insult. Announced in December, the women are being offered about $46,000 in reparations.
“They think we are worth pennies,” she said. “They destroyed generations, and now they say, ‘Here — be quiet.’”
‘Greenland is for Greenlanders’ — but controlled by Denmark
As the United States renews interest in Greenland — with President Trump recently expressing a desire to buy the island — Danish officials have repeatedly emphasized that “Greenland is not for sale.” But many Greenlanders argue that slogan masks a deeper truth: Denmark still governs Greenland, not Greenlanders themselves.
Greenlanders interviewed by The Post said they are not ready to swap Denmark for US ownership, as Trump has prioritized; they want independence after years of what some described as generations of trauma, displacement and economic exploitation that still shape daily life across the island.
“People say ‘Greenland is for Greenlanders,’” Petersen said. “But that’s not reality. Denmark speaks for us. Denmark decides. They don’t let us speak.”
That imbalance was visible recently in Washington, where the Danish foreign minister dominated nearly the entire press conference following talks with US officials, while the Greenlandic foreign minister was largely sidelined.
Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen of Denmark insisted the roughly 56,000 Greenlanders wouldn’t be bought off by payments from the US or vote in a referendum to become American.
“There’s no way that US will pay for a Scandinavian welfare system in Greenland,” he told Fox News.
For many Greenlanders, US interest has been uncomfortable — but also clarifying. Not because they want annexation, but because it exposes how little autonomy Greenland actually has.
“It was colonial,” Petersen said of Rasmussen’s assertions. “You could see it in his body language. He didn’t want her to speak.
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:The Kremlin said U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin's offer to extend the New START treaty, which limits strategic nuclear weapons and is due to expire in February.
Russia had suspended its participation in New START's verification processes in February 2023, as tensions flared with NATO over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, though it did not abandon the treaty entirely.
Putin has since proposed a voluntary one-year extension to the treaty's restrictions on strategic nuclear arsenals from its expiration on February 5, inviting the U.S. to do the same.
The existential threat of nuclear war has hung over the conflict in Ukraine, with the world's two largest arsenals, in Russia and the U.S., on opposing sides, bringing fresh urgency to the control of weapons that have the potential to wipe out humanity.
"Of course, we are waiting for a response to Putin’s initiative," Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said on Thursday, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
"We consider this a very important issue," Peskov continued, originally in Russian. "We believe that, naturally, a more advantageous document, a more advantageous treaty would be needed for everyone.
"But reaching such a treaty is a very complex process that is stretched out over time."
The White House has signaled that it will not extend the current treaty as the deadline approaches.
"If it expires, it expires," Trump said of New START to The New York Times on January 7. "We'll just do a better agreement."
New START Nuclear Weapons Limits
Under New START, parties are limited to 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.
They are also limited to 1,550 nuclear warheads on those deployments, and 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers.
The treaty obliges parties to complex and technical verification processes, including inspections, to ensure compliance.
Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted plans to negotiate an extension to the treaty, which came into force in 2011 under the Obama administration and was last extended in 2021 for five years in the early months of the Biden administration.
It is a successor to earlier nuclear arms control treaties between the U.S. and Russia and, before its dissolution in 1991, the Soviet Union.
Kremlin officials and their allies in state media have repeatedly touted Russia's nuclear weapons during the war, to induce fear and make clear the stakes if NATO's support for Ukraine leads to a direct confrontation between Western allies and Moscow.
Quote:Japan's Defense Ministry said a Russian naval vessel designed to collect intelligence was tracked sailing around the country's southwestern outlying territory near Taiwan, amid tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over a potential Chinese move on the island.
Newsweek has emailed both the Russian defense and foreign ministries for comment. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Since November last year, Japan and China have been in a diplomatic feud after Tokyo raised the possibility of using force for "collective self-defense" should Beijing took military action against Taiwan, a self-ruled island China has long claimed as its own.
Russia, which has voiced concerns over the U.S. military presence in Japan near the Far East, said it would support China in defending its "territorial integrity" in the event of a Taiwan conflict, saying Moscow recognizes the island as an integral part of China.
What To Know
According to Japan's Defense Ministry, a Russian naval intelligence-collection ship assigned hull number "535" sailed southward on Monday between Taiwan's east coast and Yonaguni—Japan's westernmost island—transiting from the East China Sea.
The Russian vessel was tracked the following day on a northbound voyage, entering Yonaguni's contiguous zone—which extends up to 27.6 miles from the coastline—but not sailing within the 13.8-mile-wide territorial sea, before arriving north of the island.
Between Wednesday and Thursday, the Russian spy ship was observed operating north of Miyako Island—after an eastward passage from waters near Yonaguni—and sailing southwest, during which it passed through Japan's contiguous zone for the second time.
A map provided by Japan's Defense Ministry illustrates the Russian naval voyage as the vessel circumnavigated the Sakishima Islands—part of the Ryukyu Islands and including the Miyako Islands and the Yaeyama Islands—clockwise. Last seen south of the island group, the ship was tracked heading southwest.
The Russian ship, first spotted near Japan on January 7 while transiting the Tsushima Strait between the Korean Peninsula and Japan's main islands, was under surveillance by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, including a destroyer and two patrol planes.
It remains unclear what kind of intelligence the Russian vessel was seeking. The U.S. and Japan have agreed to bolster their military presence across Japan's southwestern islands, where the U.S. maintains an air base to support power projection near China.
Quote:An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia would use nuclear weapons against Europe if it ever found itself close to defeat.
Sergey Karaganov, honorary chairman of Moscow's main foreign policy think tank, the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, made the threat during an interview with Tucker Carlson on Wednesday.
"What is defeat of Russia? If Russia comes ever close to a defeat, that would mean that Russia now would use nuclear weapons and Europe would be finished physically," he said.
"So I mean, it’s simply impossible even to think about it, but they have been talking because they need a war to rationalize their stay in power, to rationalize their existence."
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What To Know
During the interview broadcast on January 14, Karaganov, a former advisor of Putin, characterized the belief that Russia could be defeated as a "fantastic illusion" and accused European leaders of having historically low levels of intelligence.
He also claimed that Europeans "believe war will never come to their territory" and that it was Russia’s task "to bring them to senses, hopefully without using nuclear weapons, only with the threat."
He added: "But sooner or later, if they continue to support this war, sacrificing numerous of the Ukrainians and others ... we’ll have to punish them severely. Hopefully in a limited sense".
Karaganov’s commentary expands on themes he has voiced previously. In June 2023, he publicly advocated for Russia to threaten and even use nuclear weapons "to bring those who have lost their mind to reason".
What People Are Saying
Karaganov to Carlson: "I am criticizing my government of being too prudent and too patient with them."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of a peace deal: "President Putin and the Russian side maintain their openness."
IRAN + ALLIES
Quote:Iran was asked to withdraw from upcoming naval drills with China and Russia in South Africa, according to local media.
South African outlet News24 reported that Iran will no longer take part in the “Will for Peace 2026” joint maritime drill involving BRICS countries alongside Russian, Chinese and Emirati warships.
It comes amid mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump over countries’ relationships with Iran, threatening a 25 percent tariff on any nation doing business with the regime, which has confirmed that around 2,000 people have been killed in nationwide protests.
Newsweek reached out to South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Iranian Embassy in South Africa and the White House via email for comment.
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What To Know
The “Will for Peace 2026” drills, led by China, were set to take place between January 9 and January 16, with the theme of ensuring “the safety of shipping and maritime economic activities,” according to the South African government.
But Tehran was asked to accept observer status and not take part, according to News24.
This came on the same day that Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: "Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America. This Order is final and conclusive.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had earlier warned that while Trump would opt for diplomacy, airstrikes remain "on the table."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is "ready for war" and better prepared to battle the U.S. than in its last war, but he has also said he was "ready for negotiations.”
South Africa already has a fractured relationship with America during Trump’s second term. Trump has offered refugee status to white Afrikaner farmers, citing “abuses” such as violence and land seizures, which South Africa has denied. His administration also boycotted the G20 summit, which was hosted there last year.
Quote:The United States issued a sharp rebuke to South Africa after the inclusion—then partial downgrading—of Iran in Chinese‑led military drills in South African waters, which created a diplomatic headache for Pretoria.
China and several other BRICS countries—a group that the East Asian power cofounded and has expanded to 10 members—staged a naval exercise this past week with the stated aim to enhance their ability to safeguard trade routes and economic activities at sea.
"Iran is a destabilizing actor and state sponsor of terror, and its inclusion in joint exercises—in any capacity—undermines maritime security and regional stability,” Washington’s Embassy in Pretoria said in a statement on Thursday.
Newsweek reached out to the South Africa Ministry of Defense by email with a request for comment.
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What To Know
Three Iranian warships—a Bayandor‑class corvette and two converted tankers serving as logistics vessels—arrived in False Bay for the naval component of the drills, joining ships from South Africa, Russia, China, and the United Arab Emirates, according to The Maritime Executive.
Iranian personnel took part in several events, including inter‑sports games and parades, before maritime drills began on Tuesday.
But at the request of the South African government, the Iranian side withdrew from active participation and agreed to serve as observers instead, The Maritime Executive reported.
"It is particularly unconscionable that South Africa welcomed Iranian security forces as they were shooting, jailing, and torturing Iranian citizens engaging in peaceful political activity South Africans fought so hard to gain for themselves," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement posted to X.
"The United States notes with concern and alarm reports that the Minister of Defense and South African National Defence Force defied a government order regarding Iran’s participation in the ongoing naval exercises," the U.S. Embassy added, seemingly in reference to a September visit to Tehran made by South African Chief of Staff General Rudzani Maphwanya that prompted the invitation—a visit that The Maritime Executive said was not apparently approved by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The embassy added that South Africa’s decision to allow Iranian forces to participate undercut its own policy of strategic nonalignment—“choosing to stand with a regime that brutally represses its people.”
Initially planned for November and intended to feature only South Africa, Russia, and China, the exercise was postponed due to the G20 summit in Johannesburg. The decision was later made to extend invitations to Iran and to invite Brazil, Ethiopia, and Indonesia as observers, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied concerns that protesters would be hung for challenging the government
Quote:Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected claims of mass casualties amid a recent surge in protests within the Islamic country and blamed any killings that have taken place on an "Israeli plot" intended to create a large number of casualties.
The claim came during a wide-ranging interview on Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier" Wednesday evening, during which Araghchi was told estimates have indicated the death toll in his country could be anywhere between 2,500 to more than 12,000 protesters. But, according to the top Iranian official, the number is in the hundreds.
"When terrorist elements led from outside, entered this, you know, protests and started to shoot, you know, police forces, police officers and security forces. And there were terrorist cells. They came in, they used Daesh-style terrorist operations. They got police officers, burned them alive, they beheaded them, and they started shooting at police officers and also to the people. So as a result, for three days, we had, in fact, fighting against terrorists, and not with the protesters," Araghchi said. "It was completely a different story."
According to Araghchi, these rogue, terrorist-like actors he spoke of started shooting at civilians for "one reason," which he said was to draw the United States into the conflict.
"They wanted to increase the number of deaths. Why? Because President Trump has said that if there are killings, he would intervene. And they wanted to drag him into this conflict," the Iranian Foreign Minister continued. "And that was exactly an Israeli plot. They started to increase the number of deaths by killing ordinary people, by killing police officers, by starting a kind of, you know, fighting inside the different cities."
Iran has seen widespread unrest since the last week of December, as the country faces a massive economic crash that spurred many in Iran to take to the streets in protest.
Contrary to Araghchi's claims are eyewitness reports that describe government forces in Iran firing upon unarmed protesters. Some even spoke of snipers taking aim at innocent Iranians, according to testimony shared with the New York Times.
During Baier's interview with Iran's Foreign Minister, Araghchi also insisted that there are no imminent plans to hang, or otherwise execute, protesters. The top Iranian official tried to downplay the unrest erupting in his country as well, arguing there is now "a calm."
"We are in full control," Araghchi added. "And let's, you know, hope that wisdom would prevail. And we don't go for a high level of tension, which could be disastrous for everybody."
Quote:U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi “seems very nice” but expressed uncertainty over whether Pahlavi would be able to muster support within Iran to eventually take over.
In an exclusive Reuters interview in the Oval Office, Trump said there is a chance Iran’s clerical government could collapse, blamed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the stalemate in negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine, and dismissed Republican criticism of a Justice Department probe of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where thousands of people have been reported killed in a crackdown on the unrest against clerical rule.
But he was reluctant on Wednesday to lend his full support to Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, who was ousted from power in 1979.
“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country,” Trump said.
“And we really aren’t up to that point yet.”
“I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me.”
Trump’s comments went further in questioning Pahlavi’s ability to lead Iran after saying last week that he had no plans to meet with him.
The U.S.-based Pahlavi, 65, has lived outside Iran since before his father was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and has become a prominent voice in the protests.
Iran’s opposition is fragmented among rival groups and ideological factions – including the monarchists who back Pahlavi – and appears to have little organized presence inside the Islamic Republic.
Reza Pahlavi says the Islamic Republic is 'close to collapse'
Quote:Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi unveiled Friday a 6-step plan to exert pressure on the regime, which he declared "will fall, not if, but when."
"My brave compatriots still holding the line with their broken bodies but unbreakable will, need your urgent help right now. Make no mistake, however, the Islamic Republic is close to collapse," Pahlavi declared.
"Ali Khamenei and his thugs know this. That's why they are lashing out like a wounded animal, desperate to cling to power," he continued. "The people have not retreated. Their determination has made one thing clear. They are not merely rejecting this regime. They are demanding a credible new path forward. They have called for me to lead."
Pahlavi said he has a comprehensive plan for an orderly transition and asked the international community to do six things, starting with protecting the Iranian people "by degrading the regime's repressive capacity, including targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard leadership and its command-and-control infrastructure."
"Second, deliver and sustain maximum economic pressure on the regime, block their assets worldwide, target and dismantle their fleet of ghost [oil] tankers," he said.
"Third, break through the regime's information blockade by enabling unrestricted internet access. Deploy Starlink and other secure communications tools widely across Iran and conduct cyber operations to disable the regime's ability to shut down the internet. Fourth, hold the regime accountable by expelling its diplomats from your capitals and pursue legal enforcement actions against those responsible for crimes against humanity," Pahlavi continued.
"Fifth, demand the immediate release of all political prisoners. Six, prepare for a democratic transition in Iran by committing to recognize a legitimate transitional government when the moment comes," he concluded.
Pahlavi’s remarks came as President Donald Trump seemed to remain ambivalent about the possibility of Pahlavi taking over the country if the Islamic regime were to fall.
"He seems very nice, but I don't know how he'd play within his own country," Trump told Reuters during an interview on Wednesday. "And we really aren't up to that point yet.
"I don't know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me," he added.
When Pahlavi was asked Friday by a reporter about how he plans to win Trump over, he said, "President Trump has said that it's up to the Iranian people to decide, and I totally agree."
Quote:The ruthless slaughter of anti-government protesters in Iran appears to have stopped — but only because residents are being held hostage in their homes by machine gun-wielding security forces that have flooded the streets, sources told The Post Thursday.
After weeks of anti-regime protests across Iran left thousands dead, the mass mobilization of security forces has suppressed the demonstrations, with many too afraid to set foot outside now.
“There were tanks out — there’s tanks everywhere,” the source told The Post after speaking to family in Tehran about the current situation.
“There’s trucks that are covered, with 10 people inside with machine guns just aiming them at everyone on the street.”
Another person in Tehran said fear has gripped the capital as police and security forces patrol the roads and conduct stops.
The local confirmed that the only reason calm returned to Tehran on Thursday was because of the mass killing of protesters, with more than 2,600 people killed since the demonstrations began, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
“There are no protests anymore because of massive killings. With 12,000 dead, people are terrified,” the local said, referencing the higher estimated death toll from activist groups.
The source called on President Trump to intervene — now — despite his claims Wednesday that “the other side” indicated that Iran has stopped the killing of protesters.
“We are waiting for Trump’s action, he promised to support Iranian protesters if the regime killed them! It is the time to attack this brutal regime!” the local said.
Trump had threatened to take military action against Iran if it continued to kill the protesters.
Images out of Tehran on Thursday show residents out and about, trying to carry on with their day as normally as possible while surrounded by vehicles destroyed during the protests.
Some were headed to hospitals and morgues to recover the bodies of their loved ones killed in the demonstrations, with officials allegedly threatening to dump the bodies in a mass grave if relatives don’t claim the corpses soon, one of the sources told The Post.
Iran’s security forces have been accused of enacting one of the most brutal attacks on dissent in the history of the Islamic Republic, with nearly 17,000 people arrested, according to the HRANA.
Shocking video has since emerged of mass shootings of civilians, along with a brutal raid at the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam, where armed troops wounded patients and medical staffers.
Witnesses confirmed that the security forces began firing inside the hospital and deploying tear gas as they searched for people wounded in an earlier protest, with about 11 patients hauled away by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, DW reported.
“We knew the security agents were coming to arrest the wounded or record their identities,” a nurse, who did not reveal her real name, told the outlet.
“People gathered at the entrance to stop them,” she added. “At the same time, we were desperately short of blood, so calls for donors went out on social media.
“But the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and special units prevented donors from reaching us.”
The siege against the hospital lasted more than 24 hours, with patients, doctors, nurses, and even children suffering injuries due to the violence, according to reports highlighted by human rights organizations.
Top Iran prayer leader who dubbed protesters 'Trump's soldiers' calls for executions amid ongoing unrest
Iran state radio broadcast sermon claiming 350 mosques, 400 hospitals damaged in protests
Iran state radio broadcast sermon claiming 350 mosques, 400 hospitals damaged in protests
Quote:An Iranian cleric has called for the death penalty for protesters detained during a nationwide crackdown amid ongoing unrest against the Islamic regime.
The cleric's call follows President Donald Trump's threats of U.S. intervention if protesters were met with violence.
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami’s sermon, which was broadcast by Iranian state radio, reportedly sparked chants from those gathered for prayers. The Associated Press reported that the chants included, "Armed hypocrites should be put to death!"
During his sermon, Khatami gave the first overall statistics of the damage from the protests, which began in late December, according to the AP. This information provides a look at the scale of the protests after the regime instituted a nationwide internet blackout on Jan. 8.
The cleric claimed 350 mosques, 126 prayer halls and 20 other holy places had sustained damage, the AP reported. Khatami also claimed that 400 hospitals, 106 ambulances, 71 fire department vehicles and another 50 emergency vehicles sustained damage.
Another 80 homes of Friday prayer leaders had also reportedly been damaged, the AP reported, adding that it could be a sign of demonstrators taking out their frustrations against the government as the leaders hold an important position within Iran's theocracy.
"They want you to withdraw from religion," Khatami said, according to the AP. "They planned these crimes from a long time ago."
Khatami, who was appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and serves on the country’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council, had previously spoken out against protesters. He described them as being "butlers" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "Trump's soldiers."
Khamenei made similar remarks, saying that the protesters were "ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy," referring to Trump.
Trump has been vocal in his support for the Iranian people and said early on that the U.S. was "locked and loaded" and ready to intervene if the regime used violence against protesters. It is unclear if and when the U.S. will take concrete action in Iran, but speculation has circulated following the bombing of the country's nuclear sites in 2025 and the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Broadcast showed photo of bloodied Trump from Butler rally assassination attempt with threatening caption in Farsi
Quote:Iranian state television aired a vile threat against President Donald Trump earlier this week, referencing the 47th president's near assassination while on the campaign trail in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024.
The clip showed a sign held by a demonstrator at a pro-Iranian regime gathering. The sign featured a now-iconic photo of Trump, standing on stage with a bloodied ear after being grazed by a bullet at the Butler campaign stop, while Secret Service agents rushed to his aid.
The caption below the photo, written in Farsi, said, "This time, it (the bullet) won't miss," according to i24 news correspondent Amachia Stein, who posted a screenshot of the television clip on his X account.
The Secret Service confirmed that it is aware of the photo.
At the Pennsylvania rally, Trump turned his head a split-second before the bullet struck him, avoiding what could have been a deadly shot. In defiance of his protective detail, he stood up and raised his fist, yelling, "Fight, fight, fight," before being scuttled off the stage.
The threat comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, and as the Iranian people rise up against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's brutal regime.
The protests stemmed from the cloistered Middle Eastern country's economic crisis, which has become increasingly dire as the value of the Rial, Iran's currency, has plummeted.
The regime has cracked down hard on the protesters, with state-sanctioned killings estimated to be in the thousands.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency announced that 1,847 of the dead were protesters and 135 were members of Iran’s security forces. Other reports say the death toll is more than 3,000 people, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been weighing military action to stop the slaughter of civilians.
"I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY," Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday.
Quote:An Iranian commander’s distraught daughter has revealed that ruthless regime leaders are slaughtering their own children — as she sobbed that her father has ordered her to go out and kill innocent civilians.
The woman broke down as she detailed the horrors of the Islamic Republic’s deadly crackdown on protesters in a gut-wrenching interview with Persian media outlet Manato TV on Thursday.
“They are killing their own children, suppressing them,” she said of the regime’s commanders.
The daughter, who said she has been beaten in the past for being involved in anti-regime protests, fears she could be next for speaking out about her father’s brutality.
“I have witnessed the crimes that my own father has committed,” she said, describing him as one of the violent “elements of the repressive force.”
“I hate him. We do not want this,” she continued.
“If I could, I would be the first person to kill him.”
As the bloodshed continues across the country, she said commanders have also been ordering their own children to go out and murder anti-regime demonstrators.
“Giving them batons, electric batons, guns, to go and kill fellow citizens,” she said, adding that her father has ordered her “to kill.”
She insisted too that the cowardly regime leaders behind the current bloodshed would be the first to flee, saying many already had fake passports and cash stashed away for a quick escape abroad.
“My father has hidden suitcases and suitcases of dollars in the house. He keeps calling me to come,” she said.
“If anything happens, you know these will be the first ones who run away.”
Elsewhere, she vowed to give up information on the atrocities and “dirty deeds” inflicted by her father and fellow regime leaders.
“My father might kill me. Maybe they might find out,” the daughter said.
“I’ll tell you who these people are, what dirty deeds they did. They started at home raping their children. Do you know what pain we have seen from these hard-hearted fathers?”
“I am very scared and stressed,” she added.
The haunting account came as the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Friday put the death toll, which only continues to rise, at 2,797.
President Trump, who pledged earlier this week that “help is on its way” for the protesters, threatened to intervene if the killings continue and warned Tehran there would be “grave consequences” if there was further bloodshed.
LATIN AMERICA
CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas on Thursday, Fox News learns
Quote:CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas Thursday to meet with acting President Delcy Rodríguez and other top officials, a U.S. official told Fox News Friday.
The meeting unfolded about two weeks after the Trump administration carried out a military operation capturing Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
A U.S. official told Reuters Ratcliffe met with Rodriguez under the direction of President Donald Trump "to deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship."
The two discussed intelligence sharing, economic stability and the need to guarantee that Venezuela is no longer a "safe haven for America's adversaries, especially narco-traffickers," Reuters added.
On Wednesday, Trump said he had a call with Rodríguez and later described her as a "terrific" person.
"This morning I had a very good call with the Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez. We are making tremendous progress, as we help Venezuela stabilize and recover," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
"Many topics were discussed, including Oil, Minerals, Trade and, of course, National Security. This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!"
The same day, Rodríguez announced her government will continue to release prisoners detained under the rule of Maduro in an initiative she touted as a "new political moment," according to The Associated Press.
Quote:The U.S. Department of Energy is weighing a plan to swap heavy Venezuelan oil for U.S. medium sour crude to help refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), two people familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
The Trump administration is considering moving the Venezuelan barrels into storage tanks at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, where they could later be shipped to refineries. In return, companies would provide U.S. medium sour crude that can be sent directly into the SPR caverns.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Energy via email on Friday afternoon for comment.
...
What To Know
Physical exchanges like these have been used in the past to both acquire and release oil, but they are not common. More often, financial agreements between countries or companies allow variable and fixed prices to be swapped to regulate the market instead.
It was not immediately clear how the plan being drawn up by the DOE, as reported by Reuters, would work, but Trump has said previously that all Venezuelan oil would come under the control of the U.S. following Maduro's capture.
Last week, Texas Representative August Pfluger was among GOP lawmakers who argued that using the Venezuelan stock to refill the SPR would be a cheap way to achieve energy stability.
Using Venezuelan heavy oil to bolster SPR reserves could strengthen U.S. energy security, but storing the sulfur-rich crude would not necessarily be viable, as it could damage the infrastructure at the Louisiana site.
Instead, the medium sour U.S. crude cited in the proposal could be used to restock the SPR, leaving the Venezuelan barrels in storage, ready for use elsewhere.
On January 7, the DOE said the Trump administration's actions in Venezuela would lead to "prosperity and peace" in the Western Hemisphere, in part due to efforts to sell Venezuelan oil and use the proceeds for "the benefit of the American people." It also promised cooperation with Venezuelan authorities, so that their citizens would also benefit from U.S. involvement.
What People Are Saying
Representative August Pfluger said on Fox Business on January 9: "I think that the Venezuelan barrels of oil right now, some of the tankers that have been seized, and what President Trump has done should be used to refill our Strategic Petroleum Reserve at a discounted rate. They stole our assets. Let's refill the reserve. By the way, Biden completely drained our reserve for political reasons. Over 300 million barrels still remain to be filled. Let's fill that up at a discounted rate right now."
Quote:SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica (AP) — Costa Rica’s national security chief on Tuesday revealed details of an alleged plot to assassinate President Rodrigo Chaves ahead of presidential and legislative elections.
Jorge Torres, director of the Intelligence and National Security Directorate, told journalists about the plot allegations as he prepared to file a formal complaint at the public prosecutor’s office.
“What we received is confidential information that I would like to put on record in the complaint. I don’t want to go into detail, but I would simply like to tell you that it concerns the life of the president of the Republic,” Torres told local media.
Torres said a call was received from a woman who reported a supposed plot against Chaves, adding a payment had been made to a hitman. Torres also reported that security was being reinforced for the conservative populist leader, who has sought to present himself as a politician who is tough-on-crime.
Torres spoke as El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has gained fame for his controversial security crackdown, was scheduled to visit the country.
On Wednesday, Chaves is scheduled to lay the cornerstone of a new “ mega-prison ” that Costa Rica plans to build, modeled on a facility built by Bukele.
Costa Rica will hold presidential and legislative elections on Feb. 1. While Chaves is ineligible to run for reelection, the ruling party’s Laura Fernández is among the presidential candidates.
Quote:SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica (AP) — A Costa Rican activist and government critic accused of plotting to kill President Rodrigo Chaves said Wednesday that the allegations were ridiculous and politically motivated.
Chaves appeared Wednesday with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele at a groundbreaking for a new prison styled after El Salvador’s infamous gang prison.
Costa Rica’s national security chief Jorge Torres had told prosecutors Tuesday that a hitman allegedly received a payment to assassinate the president, but details of the case were not publicly revealed at the time.
Hours later, local media published screenshots of messages Torres included in his complaint against activist Stella Chinchilla supposedly showing her complaining to alleged hitmen that they hadn’t done their job.
Chinchilla, vice president of the human rights advocacy group Friends for Peace Center, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she appeared Wednesday before the Public Ministry to hear details of the case. She confirmed that the screenshots were part of the case, but said they were fake and that she was being targeted because of her criticism of Chaves’ administration on social media.
“I have not written a single comma of what is there,” Chinchilla said. “Morally, I would not order the killing of this president; he has to leave on his own feet, from the government and the country, because he has done too much damage.”
She said that media outlets aligned with Chaves had access to the alleged evidence before it had even been received by prosecutors, and that the accusations were part of broader government harassment.
The president’s office said on Tuesday night hat his security had been reinforced.
“This is not a minor warning, nor speculation; it is a serious threat to the country’s democratic stability,” said Jeffrey Cerdas, head of presidential security.
The accusation came as Chaves hosted Bukele, who has gained fame and notoriety abroad, and popularity in his country, for his heavy-handed crackdown on criminal gangs.
The two leaders attended the groundbreaking Wednesday of a new prison modeled on Bukele’s mega-prison built for alleged gang members. Chaves has sent Costa Rican officials to El Salvador to learn more about how to emulate Bukele’s style of law enforcement.
“We had a failed state,” Bukele said Wednesday. “When we arrived we had to change everything, courts, judges, prosecutors, laws, Congress, in the elections, of course.”
Bukele said the gang prison he built was a “pillar” of the fight against crime. He said El Salvador’s other prisons had become training grounds for criminals. He applauded Chaves for following his example and Chaves thanked him for sharing his prison’s design.
“If criminality grows, more Costa Ricans will die, but not just that will happen,” Bukele said. “They way of life will change ... tourism will disappear and all of the foreign currency that comes with it. Tourists are not going to come to country where they kill you for crossing the street.”
Costa Rica is experiencing a serious security crisis attributed to drug trafficking gangs that have led historic high homicide rates. The year 2025 ended with 877 homicides, just three fewer than in 2024, while 2023 recorded the highest figure with 907 killings.
"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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My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
