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IMMIGRATION

Dem pols battle against national voter ID rule despite 71% of their voters backing it

Top Democratic lawmakers are digging their heels in opposition to a federal voter identification requirement, despite polling showing that close to three-quarters of their voters back it.

A colossal 83% of US adults support requiring some form of government-issued photo ID to vote, including 71% of Democrats and 95% of Republicans, a survey by Pew Research last year found.

Only 16% of American adults oppose it.

“It’s Jim Crow 2.0,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told MS NOW last week when presented with that polling data and asked about his opposition to the GOP’s Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act.

The SAVE Act, which has already cleared the House, would require voters nationwide to show proof of citizenship in order to cast their ballot. Democrats are leveraging the 60-vote filibuster to block it in the Senate.

“I called it Jim Crow 2.0, and the right wing went nuts all over the internet. That’s because they know it’s true. What they’re trying to do here is the same thing that was done in the South for decades to prevent people of color from voting,” Schumer added.

Schumer argued that the measure would potentially hamstring women who get married and change their last name, and individuals who have lost track of their birth certificates from voting.

The top Senate Democrat predicted the SAVE Act wouldn’t get any Democratic votes.

“It’s still going to be something that disenfranchises people that don’t have the proper real ID, driver’s license ID, that don’t have the ID necessary to vote even though they are citizens,” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday when asked about the survey.

“This is another way to simply suppress the vote.”

Critically, it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections. Republican backers of the SAVE Act contend that requiring proof of citizenship will help enforce existing law.

Members of the right flank in the House pressed to tack the SAVE Act into the government funding bill last week as a means of attempting to jam the Senate with it. Ultimately, leadership declined to do that, eager to end the four-day government shutdown as soon as possible.

“I haven’t said that they’re wrong,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday about voter ID.

They should remember that voting for the next president of any country is a right RESERVED for citizens only. There's no valid reason to allow illegal immigrants to vote either in the US or UK or Costa Rica or even in Indonesia.

To better see how ignoring such a requirement like the voter's ID can be self-destructing for a country, let's imagine the following scenario. This would be an alternate world where the Nazi party still exists somewhere and has operatives planted in several key nations like France or even the US. If you don't ask people to show a valid ID before they cast their vote, how would you know beforehand that such person isn't one of those operatives? These agents wouldn't care about real democracy or the republic, they would only focus on giving the Nazi party a political foothold in that particular nation. Once they achieve that stage, things would get a lot easier for them than ever before.

Depending on the number of congresspeople and senators they get in both chambers, if that's how their legislative power is divided, they could even reform the nation's constitution to a point it would only resemble the Nazi laws that enslaved Germany between the end of WWI and WWII. This would allow them to simply torture and kill dissidents the same way the Ayatollah's Iran does now. How would that benefit your country at all?

Appeals court rules Trump can terminate deportation protections for migrants from Nepal, Honduras and Nicaragua

In a major legal victory for the Trump administration, a federal appeals court ruled Monday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can terminate deportation protections for nearly 90,000 migrants from Nepal, Honduras and Nicaragua in the US.

The three-judge panel on the 9th US Court of Appeals unanimously agreed that a lower court erred in blocking the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from the three nations, overturning a December order from District Judge Trina Thompson in San Francisco.

“The government is likely to prevail in its argument that the Secretary’s decision-making process in terminating TPS for Honduras, Nicaragua, and Nepal was not arbitrary and capricious,” the appellate court determined.

“Specifically, the government can likely show that the administrative record adequately supports the Secretary’s action, that the TPS statute does not require the Secretary to consider intervening country conditions arising after the events that led to the initial TPS designation, and that the Secretary’s decision not to consider intervening conditions does not amount to an unexplained change in policy,” the ruling continued.

Since the 1990s, the TPS program has granted humanitarian relief to migrants from disaster-plagued and war-ravaged regions.

The federal program allows migrants to enjoy temporary legal status in the US and obtain work permits.

Hondurans and Nicaraguans had been given the legal status to emigrate and get work permits as a federal response to humanitarian issues following Hurricane Mitch in 1998, when the storm hit both countries, killing almost 7,300 people.

Nepal joined the TPS program in June 2015 after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the country.

Americans may have to pay to bring back alleged members of ‘foreign terrorist cartel’ to US

Alleged members of “foreign terrorist cartel” Tren de Aragua may be brought back to the US after their deportations in 2025, and it could come at taxpayers’ expense.

US District Judge James Boasberg, who has repeatedly butted heads with the Trump administration, ordered the Trump administration Thursday to facilitate the return of 137 migrants deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador, CECOT, in 2025.

Boasberg stipulated in his ruling that the government pay for the migrants’ airfare back to the US, meaning taxpayers are likely footing the bill.

Boasberg argued that it’s “unclear why Plaintiffs should bear the financial cost of their return in such an instance,” noting that “this situation would never have arisen had the Government simply afforded Plaintiffs their constitutional rights before initially deporting them.”

The ruling comes as part of a nearly year-long saga during which the federal judge attempted to halt the Trump administration’s deportation of migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act in March 2025.

The Supreme Court ultimately allowed the Trump administration to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to carry out deportations in April but ordered that detainees receive notice and an opportunity to challenge allegations.

Boasberg has since been wading through legal avenues with the men in El Salvador, issuing a ruling in December that the Trump administration denied them due process.

It is unclear how many of the men will actually take the offer and return to the US, with Boasberg noting that the noncitizens “would be detained upon arrival” back to the US.

CBP supervisor arrested after allegedly harboring illegal immigrant girlfriend – who is also his niece

A US Customs and Border Protection supervisor has been arrested and charged with harboring an illegal immigrant who authorities believe may be related to him and with whom he was allegedly in a “romantic relationship”.

Andres Wilkinson, 52, was released on a $75,000 bond Thursday after making his initial court appearance in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas earlier this week.

Wilkinson, who has served with CBP since 2001 and was promoted to a supervisory position in 2021, faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

The veteran agent, tasked with overseeing the enforcement of customs and immigration laws, helped his paramour, Elva Edith Garcia-Vallejo, cross through Border Patrol checkpoints during the time they lived together, according to the criminal complaint.

Garcia-Vallejo overstayed a non-immigrant visa she obtained in 2023, according to the complaint, which notes Wilkinson “was aware of her unlawful status in the United States” yet maintained a romantic relationship with her and allowed her and her daughter to live in his Laredo, Texas home.

Law enforcement conducted surveillance at Wilkinson’s residence between June and November of last year and observed Garcia-Vallejo and her minor child living at the home, according to prosecutors.

Wilkinson is referred to as Garcia-Vallejo’s “boyfriend” in the complaint, however, the document notes that records reviewed by investigators determined that the illegal immigrant was the CBP supervisor’s niece. Her father is the agent’s brother, according to the complaint. 

Investigators interviewed Garcia-Vallejo earlier this month and she revealed that she had been “living with her uncle” since August 2024.

Judge dismisses California deportation case for Mexican father of 3 U.S. Marines

An immigration judge has dismissed the deportation case against a landscaper who was arrested in Southern California last year, and the father of three U.S. Marines is now on a path toward legal permanent residency in the U.S.

The June detention of Narciso Barranco, who came to the U.S. from Mexico in the 1990s but does not have legal status, caught widespread attention as the crackdown on immigration by President Donald Trump’s administration drew scrutiny and protests.

Witnesses uploaded videos of the arrest in Santa Ana, a city in Orange County. Federal agents struggled with Barranco and pinned him to the ground outside an IHOP restaurant where he had been clearing weeds.

Barranco was taken to a Los Angeles detention center and placed in deportation proceedings. In July, he was released on a $3,000 bond and ordered to wear an ankle monitor.

In a Jan. 28 order terminating the deportation case, Judge Kristin S. Piepmeier said that Barranco, 49, had provided evidence that he was the father of three U.S.-born sons in the military, making him eligible to seek lawful status.

“I feel happy,” Barranco said in a phone interview in Spanish. “Thank God I don’t have that weight on top of me.”

Barranco said he is still staying mostly at home and not taking any chances going out until his legal paperwork has been finalized.

The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that it would appeal the judge’s decision, which was first reported by the New York Times.

Barranco’s lawyer Lisa Ramirez said her client feels “extreme relief” now that immigration officers have removed his ankle monitor and discontinued his check-ins.

Well, he was an illegal apparently so the officers had to detain him anyway. The issue here is if it was convenient for the government, especially after they had learned about his children being US Marines. IMHO and assuming they served the country faithfully, I wouldn't mind him staying in the US as long as he doesn't commit any other crime.

DHS slams ‘activist judge’ for releasing four illegal migrants with attempted murder and child sex crime convictions

The Department of Homeland (DHS) slammed a federal judge in Louisiana Wednesday for ordering the release of four illegal immigrants, including ones with attempted murder and child sex crime convictions, from an ICE detention facility.

The four men all have disturbing rap sheets and have been released from ICE’s “Louisiana Lockup” at Angola Prison in accordance with the judge’s order, according to DHS.

“Judge John deGravelles, appointed by Barack Obama, released FOUR violent criminals back onto American communities, and unfortunately, the ramifications will only be the continued rape, murder, assault, and robbery of more American victims,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

The released individuals are:

Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, an Ethiopian national who was issued a final order of removal in September of 2024 and has a previous conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor, according to DHS.

Luis Gaston-Sanchez, described by the DHS as an illegal immigrant from Cuba with convictions for homicide, assault, resisting an officer, concealing stolen property and two counts of robbery, who had been issued his final order of removal in September 2001.

Ricardo Blanco Chomat, also from Cuba, and previously convicted of homicide, kidnapping, aggravated assault with a firearm, burglary, robbery, larceny, and selling cocaine, according to DHS. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal in March 2002.
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Sanctuary policies let alleged child predator roam free until DHS made Oregon airport arrest

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrested an illegal migrant who was charged with rape, purchasing sex with a minor, and sexual abuse in Oregon, after the migrant was released on bail by sanctuary policies.

Manuel Cruz-Ramirez, who still faces the slew of charges, was not referred to immigration officers upon his arrest and release due to Marion County’s sanctuary status.

The illegal immigrant from Mexico was apprehended only because he was using a fraudulent Mexican passport at the Portland International Airport.

TSA and CBP agents were flagged when his falsified name did not return full data, according to DHS.

“Manuel Cruz-Ramirez was arrested for rape, purchasing sex with a minor, and sexual abuse in Oregon,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “The state’s sanctuary politicians allowed this pedophile to be released from jail back into American communities.”

In non-sanctuary cities, Cruz-Ramirez would have referred to immigration officers, who would have apprehended him before he was released from detention.

“Americans can be proud of the swift actions of TSA and CBP for protecting them and our judicial system by preventing this monster from fleeing the country,” McLaughlin explained. “Criminal illegal aliens should not be released from jails back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans.

“Oregon’s sanctuary politicians must stop this reckless insanity of releasing child predators from jail back into our neighborhoods to prey on more innocent children,” she added.

DHS also told Fox News Digital that Cruz-Ramirez had been deported from the US in 2018, though he re-entered the country at an unknown location and time.

He is now in ICE custody and his removal order has been reinstated.

Portland has been one of several cities where agitators have mobilized to confront and protest federal law enforcement.

On Thursday, Fox News Digital reported that DHS launched an investigation into an Oregon resident who was arrested during a traffic stop with knives and materials to make Molotov cocktails.

Texas governor exposes ‘hypocrisy’ of Dem push for states’ rights in Minnesota after Biden years
'Our goal is to make sure we continue to pass policies that keep Texas attractive,' Gov Abbott told Fox News Digital

EXCLUSIVE: Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called out the "hypocrisy" of the Democratic Party advocating for states’ rights in Minnesota after he was widely lambasted, and even sued, for his efforts to enforce the border during the Biden administration.

Abbott remarked that "hypocrisy is the word choice that really applies to them, because, suddenly, these Minnesota states, they want to insist on states' rights," during an interview with Fox News Digital.

In 2021, Abbott launched "Operation Lone Star," which deployed state troopers and the Texas National Guard to the border and funded barrier construction to deter illegal crossings. He was sued by the administration that same year. Abbott said that Texas’ struggle with the Biden administration is fundamentally different from the controversy in Minnesota and other sanctuary states.

"Texas insisted on states’ rights, but actually, what we were doing in Texas during the Biden administration, we were very simply trying to enforce the federal immigration laws that Joe Biden was refusing to enforce," he explained. "What we see in Minnesota, however, is total chaos, total anarchy, because what they are doing is not trying to enforce the law; they're trying to interfere with the enforcement of the law."

"My job as governor was to make sure we used every tool to secure the border, and it worked," he explained. "Joe Biden required Texas to take matters into our own hands because of the lack of safety that he instilled in the country. Look at the millions of people who've crossed the border illegally. Look at the criminals, the rapists and murderers who came into Houston, Texas, that Joe Biden allowed in."

"We are a nation that was built upon the rule of law, and the rule of law has to be enforced. When it is enforced, it leads to safer communities," he added.

The result, according to Abbott, was an over 85% decrease in illegal immigration in the state and a simultaneous over 40 percent decrease in fentanyl deaths.

Now, Abbott is running for re-election on a platform that he says will double down on making Texas a top destination for people seeking not only economic opportunity, but also "the opportunity of freedom to live their own life."

One of the core issues Abbott is running on is a plan to slash property taxes in Texas during the next legislative session. Abbott has proposed a five-step overhaul of the Texas property tax system that includes limiting local government spending growth to population growth or inflation, requiring two-thirds voter approval for local property tax increases, allowing voters to trigger rollback elections with a 15% petition threshold, capping homestead appraisal growth at 3% and expanding that cap to all properties, requiring appraisals only once every five years, and pursuing a constitutional amendment to let voters eliminate school district property taxes for homeowners.

Colorado should face DOJ probe over law giving illegal immigrant students cheaper tuition over Americans: watchdog

WASHINGTON — A Colorado law that allows illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition should be investigated for “discriminating against American-born students,” a civil rights watchdog charges.

The Equal Protection Project is calling on the Justice Department’s Division of Civil Rights to probe Colorado’s Advancing Students for a Stronger Tomorrow (ASSET) tuition program, arguing it is giving illegal aliens benefits that out-of-state Americans don’t get.

Existing federal law prohibits higher education institutions from giving benefits to illegal immigrants that are not afforded to American citizens.

“We have found a number of schools and indeed statewide systems that maintain scholarships that are available only to DACA and undocumented students, thereby discriminating against American-born students,” William Jacobson, Equal Protection Project president and founder, told The Post.

“These in-state tuition break laws are simply a variation on a theme which privileges people who are in the country illegally over US citizens. And so we think that’s an important issue.”

Under ASSET, prospective students without lawful immigration status can quality for in-state tuition and financial aid if they meet two requirements: they must have attended a Colorado high school for one year and they must have lived in the state for at least 12 consecutive months before applying for postsecondary school.

In-state tuition typically provides a considerable discount. For example, one undergraduate semester with 18 credits worth of classes at Colorado State University costs $6,762.13 for residents, compared to $18,277.41 for non-residents.

The Equal Protection Project team stumbled upon the ASSET program while investigating scholarships at Colorado’s Metropolitan State University that appeared exclusive to non-white students. Some of those programs were specific to ASSET students.

“Colorado’s ASSET law crosses that line by conferring in-state tuition and related taxpayer-funded postsecondary education benefits based on lenient Colorado residence criteria, while similarly situated U.S. out-of-state citizens remain ineligible,” the Equal Protection Project wrote in its Friday complaint.

Jacobson’s group highlighted examples of how the DOJ has filed lawsuits over similar laws in California and Virginia, while contending that Colorado’s ASSET program might even be worse, because it has looser requirements to accept illegal immigrants.

Wealthy Maryland school district PTA trains parents in how to disrupt ICE enforcement operations

Parent Teacher Association officials in one of the wealthiest school districts in the country hosted a training session last month instructing families on how to respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.

The virtual PTA session in Montgomery County, Maryland, was held on Jan. 20 and was headed by Councilwoman Kristin Mink. The meeting was titled “ICE Response & Organizing Tools for PTAs, Parents & Guardians.”

According to the National Review, Mink has previously hosted multiple sessions on ways schools can equip themselves with “tools to slow ICE down and protect each other.” The training guided parents on how to escort students with illegal immigrant parents, and encouraged volunteers to monitor ICE activity during drop‑off and pickup, and introduced ways to support families affected by ICE arrests and deportations.

During the session, Mink reportedly presented comprehensive “rapid response” guidance she had created and shared publicly three days earlier.

In one slide, Mink outlined how “White allies” could assist and support the community, advising them not to use whistles to counter “ICE violence,” which has become a widespread form of community resistance. She argued that White individuals should avoid using a tool that, in her view, reinforces authority associated with Whiteness.

“Especially for White allies, whistles can represent a subconscious desire for authority, protection, or control in moments of crisis,” the slide said.

“But rapid response is not about assuming authority. . . . When we question decisions made by those impacted, we risk centering our own comfort instead of impacted people.”

She added that “What feels ‘activating’ or empowering to some can cause stress to others,” noting that “Black and Brown communities are already overexposed to chronic noise pollution due to racist zoning, redlining, and disinvestment.”

GUTHRIE CASE

FBI reveals new evidence, including backpack details, in Nancy Guthrie disappearance, doubles reward to $100K
'Identifying details' released even as sheriff blocks FBI from key evidence in case

TUCSON, Ariz. — The FBI announced Thursday it is doubling its reward to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of anyone involved in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance after releasing new details about a potential suspect.

FBI Phoenix said new "identifying details" about Guthrie's potential abductor have been confirmed after a forensic analysis of the doorbell camera footage by the FBI’s Operational Technology Division.

The suspect is described as a man, roughly 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with an average build.

Officials also specified the brand of backpack the suspect was seen wearing in a video released Tuesday, confirming it was a black, 25-liter "Ozark Trail Hiker Pack" backpack.

The search for Guthrie has stretched into its 12th day as authorities scramble to locate the 84-year-old mother of NBC host Savannah Guthrie.

A U.S. law enforcement source told Fox News Digital Thursday that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, who is leading the Nancy Guthrie case, is blocking the FBI from key evidence, Reuters first reported.

The source said the FBI asked Nanos for physical evidence in the case, including a glove and DNA from Guthrie's home, to be processed at the FBI's national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, but Nanos has "insisted instead on using a private lab in Florida."

It is unclear why Nanos may have requested the use of a private lab.

Since Guthrie's disappearance Feb. 1, the FBI said it has collected over 13,000 tips from the public related to the case.

Every tip is reviewed for credibility, relevance and information that can be acted upon by law enforcement, officials said.

Threat Intake Examiners at the National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) and FBI personnel are supporting a 24-hour command post in which dozens of agents and investigators are assigned leads and tips to action each shift.

Arizona sheriff blocking FBI from key evidence in escalating Guthrie case: source
Federal official says decision 'risks further slowing a case that grows more urgent by the minute'

TUCSON, Ariz. — A federal law enforcement source has confirmed to Fox News Digital that Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos is blocking the FBI from obtaining key evidence in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.

The evidence requested by the FBI includes a glove and DNA found inside Nancy Guthrie’s Tucson, Arizona, home, according to information first reported by Reuters.

Federal officials have asked Nanos for the items so they could be processed at the FBI's national crime laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. However, Nanos has insisted on sending the evidence for testing at a private lab in Florida, according to the source.

"It risks further slowing a case that grows more urgent by the minute," the official told Reuters, citing unspecified "earlier setbacks" in the investigation.

The unnamed official also reportedly cited "earlier setbacks" in the investigation and criticized Nanos for not requesting FBI assistance in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance sooner.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Office is the primary investigative agency in the search for Nancy Guthrie, with the FBI only permitted to take part if requested by local officials.

The official added that Pima County has spent roughly $200,000 on sending evidence to the private lab in Florida, with which the department contracts.

"It’s clear the fastest path to answers is leveraging federal resources and technology. Anything less only prolongs the Guthrie family’s grief and the community’s wait for justice," the official said, according to Reuters.

The revelation comes as signs of strife between the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Office are beginning to surface as the search for Nancy Guthrie closes in on the two-week mark.

Earlier this week, the FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance footage of a masked suspect approaching Nancy Guthrie’s front door in the moments before her disappearance.

Latest Nancy Guthrie ransom note sent to TMZ includes clue into possible suspect’s whereabouts: ‘Be prepared to go international’

The latest alleged ransom note sent to TMZ in connection to Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance suggests several people were involved in her abduction – and that one of them has fled the US.

In an email sent to the outlet on Friday afternoon, the sender said law enforcement should “be prepared to go international” in order to locate the “main individual” behind the baffling Guthrie case, TMZ reported.

The author of the email — the third one sent to TMZ on the same day — claimed to know the identity of the 84-year-old woman’s abductor and said he knows her current condition.

The ransom price for information about the case was also upped, from the 1 bitcoin — worth about $68,000 — to the $100,000 FBI reward.

The person behind the ransom emails said they are contacting TMZ as an “intermediary” because he doesn’t trust law enforcement, telling authorities, “You don’t trust me, and I don’t trust you,” TMZ reported.

The latest ominous ransom letter comes as the frantic search for Guthrie, mom of “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie, and her captor entered its 13th day.

Authorities have not identified any suspects behind the kidnapping, in which the elderly grandmother seems to have been forced from her Arizona home, leaving a trail of blood behind.

She was last seen at her Tucson home on Jan. 31, when she was driven home by her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, after having dinner with him and her daughter, Annie.

Local authorities have been asking residents within a 2-mile radius of Nancy’s Tucson home to check for any suspicious footage throughout the entire month of January — and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

On Thursday, the FBI released a description of an armed person caught on Guthrie’s Nest camera luring at her front door.

The alleged abductor is described as a male, approximately 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall, with an average build — and was seen wearing a 25-liter Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpack in the original doorbell footage, according to the feds.

3 people detained as SWAT team descended on home near Nancy Guthrie’s house: report

Three people were detained Friday night in connection to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie shortly after a SWAT team with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department swarmed a home near the 84-year-old’s Tucson property, according to reports.

Acting on a tip, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a home about 2 miles from the missing grandma’s house and took two men — along with one of their mothers — into custody, a local police source told Fox News Digital.

It’s unclear if anyone is a suspect.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Police officials announced on X late Friday night a statement would be “forthcoming,” but didn’t specify what the announcement would be about.
The SWAT operation came hours after investigators recovered DNA evidence from somebody not known to be “in close” contact with Guthrie from her property.

The unidentified DNA was sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Guthrie — mom of “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie — was last seen on Jan. 31 at her Tucson home, in which the elderly grandmother seems to have been forced out, leaving a trail of blood behind.

Multiple ransom notes have surfaced since she vanished at the hands of her self-proclaimed kidnappers, but authorities still haven’t identified any suspects as the desperate search entered its 13th day.

A local delivery driver in the Tucson area was briefly detained earlier this week — but told cops he had never heard of the TV personality or her missing mom despite the intense spotlight on the case.

OTHERS

NJ tech boss Paul Caneiro found guilty of killing his brother and family in mansion

A New Jersey jury Friday convicted tech boss Paul Caneiro of slaughtering his business partner brother and the brother’s family in their posh Colts Neck mansion, which he then burned down.

Caneiro appeared stoic as the jury read out their verdict, finding him guilty of murder, arson, weapons possession charges and related crimes after a month-long trial featuring nearly 50 witnesses in Monmouth County.

The panelists reached the verdict after roughly five hours of deliberations that began Friday morning.
He faces a maximum of life in prison at his May 12 sentencing.

“The jury agreed, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Paul Caneiro was guilty of all charges,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said outside court after. “I know the impact that this has had, not only on the family, friends and the community at large in Monmouth County, but Keith, Jennifer, Jesse and Sophia have waited for over seven years for accountability to come forward.”

“The rule of law prevailed today,” the prosecutor said.

Caneiro, 59, is accused of shooting Keith Caneiro — with whom he shared two businesses — on Nov. 20, 2018, after the sibling confronted Paul hours earlier about allegedly stealing nearly $80,000 from him.

Paul allegedly cut the power to the tony house on a hill, shut off the generator and waited in the dark for Keith, 50, to come outside, before shooting him five times.

He went inside the home shooting and stabbing Keith’s wife, Jennifer, 45, and then stabbing his niece Sophia, 8, and his nephew Jesse, 11, prosecutors claimed.

Then Paul set a slow burning fire at the home before returning to his Ocean Township hosuse where he turned off the security cameras before setting a blaze there too to make it appear he was also a target, prosecutors claimed. Paul, his wife and two daughters all made it out unscathed.

Paul’s motive was to silence his brother before it was confirmed he pilfered the money from his brother’s trust, meant to fund Keith’s life insurance policy, prosecutors alleged.

Big mistake to legalize marijuana? Health experts warn of ‘worse outcomes'
New York Times acknowledges cannabis dangers, calls for more regulation

After years of backing the legalization of marijuana in the U.S., The New York Times changed course in an editorial published Tuesday.

In the piece, entitled "It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem," the editorial board stated that the U.S. "has recently gone too far in accepting and even promoting its use."

This is a stark departure from the publication’s longtime support of making marijuana mainstream. In a 2014 editorial, the Times argued the federal ban on the drug should be repealed, and the decision should be left up to the individual states.

"Prohibition has proved to be a costly failure, with harsh consequences for millions of Americans," the 2014 piece stated. "The criminalization of marijuana has been a boon for illegal drug markets and has disproportionately burdened minority communities."

Now, however, the Times is acknowledging that many of its predictions were wrong — and that marijuana’s legalization has led to more problems than anticipated, chiefly that its use is far more widespread.

A 2024 survey from Carnegie Mellon found that approximately 18 million Americans used marijuana daily or near-daily — a "a deeply disturbing number," according to Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst.

By comparison, 14.7 million people are daily or near-daily drinkers.

Between 1992 and 2022, daily marijuana use became about 15 times more common, according to the survey, which relied on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher who led the study at Carnegie Mellon University, pointed to some trends that may have contributed to the increased use.

"Greater use of ‘new’ product forms — meaning vapes, dabs and edibles, versus joints and bongs — are fairly longstanding, and I would guess that more likely than not, they probably have continued," he told Fox News Digital.

ICYMI: “Violent crime plummets across major U.S. cities”

“Violent crime dropped sharply across America’s biggest cities in 2025,” Axios reports — yet another resounding validation of President Donald J. Trump’s unwavering commitment to restoring law and order. After years of chaos, skyrocketing crime, and soft-on-crime policies under Biden plunged the nation’s biggest cities into anarchy and disorder, President Trump took office on a promise to restore public safety — and he has delivered in historic fashion.

The new data confirms steep declines across every major violent crime category in 2025 compared to the prior year: overall murders down 19%, robberies down 20%, and aggravated assaults down nearly 10%.

These gains build on earlier reports showing America’s cities are now safer than they’ve been in over a century under President Trump’s leadership. The murder rate in the nation’s biggest cities has fallen to its lowest level in at least 125 years — marking the largest single-year drop in recorded history. Beyond murders, the nation also saw dramatic reductions in rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, shooting deaths (fewest since 2015), on-duty law enforcement officer deaths (80-year low), traffic fatalities, and overdose deaths.

This is the direct result of President Trump’s aggressive, no-nonsense approach to public safety. By surging federal resources to Democrat-run cities that had devolved into war zones, removing savage criminal illegals from our streets, supporting police and prosecutors, and rejecting the Radical Left’s weakness, President Trump’s decisive actions have turned the tide, saved countless lives, and restored peace to communities long abandoned by Democrat politicians who prioritized criminals over citizens.

Under President Trump, America is safer, stronger, and winning again — and the era of Democrat-inspired lawlessness is over.

Thomas Massie Reacts to Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem Exit After Epstein Reveal

Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, responded to the ouster of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem as the chair of logistics company DP World after naming the Emirati businessman as the individual Jeffrey Epstein had emailed about a "torture video.”

Newsweek has reached out to Massie’s office and DP World for comment via email.
...
What to Know

DP World, a logistics firm based in the United Arab Emirates, announced bin Sulayem’s resignation from the company “effective immediately” in a statement on Friday—marking the latest resignation or ouster of a prominent individual who was named in the files.

Massie responded to the news in post to social media platform X.

“DOJ redacted information necessary to identify who sent Epstein the ‘torture video email,’” he wrote. “@RepRoKhanna and I first discovered his name and released it Monday. Today he resigns.”

Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who has also been a leader on the Epstein files release, also responded in a post to X, writing, “@RepThomasMassie & I called on DOJ to stop protecting this man & underact his name. They relented. Then I took to the House floor to name names. Today, he resigns. We will not rest until there is elite accountability for the Epstein class.”

The emails were released by the DOJ in the Epstein files, but one sender's name was redacted. Lawmakers have been able to view the unredacted files.

Epstein sent an email on April 24, 2009, that read: "where are you? are you ok , I loved the torture video"

The recipient's email address and name were redacted. The nature of the mentioned video is unknown.

Massie shared a screenshot of the email to X on Monday, writing, “A Sultan seems to have sent this. DOJ should make this public.”

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche responded later that day and wrote on X: “You looked at the document. You know it’s an email address that was redacted. The law requires redactions for personally identifiable information, including if in an email address. And you know that the Sultan’s name is available unredacted in the files. See EFTA00666117. Be honest, and stop grandstanding.”

South Carolina State University Shooting: Campus in Lockdown After 2 Killed

South Carolina State University (SCSU) said a campus shooting on Thursday left two dead and another wounded.

The Orangeburg campus went into lockdown at approximately 9:15 p.m. Thursday following a shooting report in an apartment at the Hugine Suites student residential complex, the university told Newsweek. The identities of the victims and the condition of the wounded person have not yet been revealed.

University officials lifted the campus lockdown at around 5 a.m. on Friday but all classes have been canceled for the day.

Newsweek contacted the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, via email outside of normal working hours on Friday.

The Context

The shooting highlights ongoing concerns about gun violence and emergency preparedness at American colleges and universities. It comes after two shootings at the same Hugine Suites student residential complex last October.

SCSU is a historically Black college where over 3,200 students are enrolled, according to the college's website.

As with many shootings in the country, this one may also trigger more debate about gun control, with New Hampshire state Representative Sam Farrington, a Republican, and the New Hampshire Libertarian Party discussing the shooting within the context of South Carolina state law prohibiting the possession of firearms on college and university property without permission.

What To Know

State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are investigating the shooting while the university’s Department of Public Safety, the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office are patrolling on and around the campus.

Counselors have also been made available to students, SCSU said.

Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican who is running for governor of South Carolina, called for prayer for the students, staff and their families.

In South Carolina, state law generally prohibits people from bringing or possessing a firearm on the grounds of colleges, universities and other post-secondary schools unless they have express permission from the authorities in charge of the campus.

It comes after SCSU suffered two shootings on the same day last October, during homecoming weekend, when at least one person was killed and two more were injured.

In the first shooting, which took place at the Hugine Suites student residential complex, a female guest on campus was shot and pronounced dead after she was taken to the hospital, while a male guest was wounded and flown by helicopter to hospital in the second shooting, , a spokesperson for the university told Newsweek at the time.

Both occurred during the university’s annual Homecoming celebration, the university went into lockdown then too.

EUROPE

Greece is offering wealthy Americans a fast-track path to citizenship

With the growing popularity of “golden” visas among wealthy Americans, one country is expanding the pathways for those interested in gaining citizenship in this fashion.

Greece has introduced the “Greek Startup ecosystem,” expanding citizenship opportunities beyond just an investment in real estate.

Those eligible can invest around $259,000 in select startups listed on the country’s National Startup Registry in sectors that include real estate, defense and finance, according to the official platform Elevate Greece (EG).

“A strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship drives the public and private sectors to join forces through Elevate Greece and reach out into global markets, promoting Greece as a major innovation hub in Southeast Europe,” the EG website says.

Americans have been increasingly seeking second citizenship residencies as an “insurance” against global uncertainty, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Canada-based Mohamed Bennis, senior vice president at Arton Capital, a global financial advisory and consultancy firm, told Fox News Digital “golden” visa programs have become “mainstream” today.

“We’re seeing a clear shift away from passive real estate toward more active investments that directly support the local economy, including startups, operating businesses and private equity, with more risk but also more potential reward,” said Bennis.

He added that countries need to innovate and adapt to new investor expectations.

“Greece is playing to win, using popular residency policy tools to pull in tech money, while other countries are still stuck in red tape,” said Bennis.

“This is a country saying, ‘If you invest and build, we’ll make it easy for you to stay.'”

Island cracks down as tourists are slapped with new fees, fed-up locals revolt
Popular destination rolls out stricter trail charges, mandatory reservations as residents slam mass tourism

Dubbed the "Hawaii of Europe," the island of Madeira — about 600 miles from mainland Portugal — is known for its volcanic cliffs, stunning waterfalls and picturesque hiking trails.

But anyone looking to explore the destination's famous walking paths will be slapped with new fees this year.

With locals fuming over what they call overcrowding and potential environmental damage, fees have now been imposed on non-residents who want to enjoy some of the most popular hiking trails.

The stunning archipelago has become a beloved cruise ship destination. The Port of Funchal reached 700,000 cruise passengers in 2025.

"This significant milestone highlights the growing interest of the cruise industry in the region," reported MedCruise, the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports.
All hikers now need to book a 30-minute time slot in advance through the SIMplifica platform.

Non-residents will need to pay about $5.30 for the use of standard trails — and those trails used via a registered tour operator will carry a reduced $3.60 fee, according to numerous travel sites, including the "Hiking Madeira" blog.

The PR 1, Madeira’s most famous day hiking trail, takes visitors between some of the highest mountains on the island. After renovations to it, access to its trail starting in April will cost about $12.50 for members of the public and $8.30 for those who use the guided tours, according to "Hiking Madeira."

"I definitely get where these destinations are coming from. When it gets overcrowded it drives up costs for locals, and it kind of makes life difficult," J.Q. Louise, a Boston-based travel influencer and writer, told Fox News Digital.

In 2023, Madeira welcomed 279 ship calls, with a record-breaking number of passengers.

Business was booming — yet the trails were harder to enjoy.

'Archaeological sensation' discovered at ancient Roman military camps

Archaeologists unearthed over 1,500 artifacts, including coins and brooches at sites dating to early 200s AD

Archaeologists recently unearthed the remains of ancient Roman marching camps in Saxony-Anhalt — a first for one of Eastern Germany's larger states.

The discovery was announced by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt (LDA Saxony-Anhalt) in January.

The camps were found at a site between the northern Harz Mountains and the Elbe River.

Pictures from the site show aerials of the field — as well as a cross-section of sediment layers exposed during archaeological work.

Radiocarbon analysis determined that the camps were likely established in the early third century A.D.

Officials say the site "documents Roman advances in the third century A.D.," providing physical archaeological evidence that had previously been missing in the region.

"Until now, concrete evidence for these campaigns had been lacking in the territory of Saxony-Anhalt," LDA Saxony-Anhalt said in a translated press release.

"In particular, the highly standardized marching camps that the Roman military constructed daily after reaching a marching destination were expected."

Archaeologists used metal detectors to unearth over 1,500 artifacts, including nails, coins and fragments of fibulas, or brooches.

They also uncovered remnants of V-shaped defensive ditches, a hallmark of Roman military camps used to prevent enemy entry.

"These are the northeastern-most Roman camps in free Germania identified to date," the release said.

The Louvre’s most valuable paintings gallery damaged by water leak: Is the Mona Lisa affected?

The Louvre museum’s Denon gallery, where its most valuable paintings are displayed, was hit by a water leak on Thursday evening, though the area of the famous Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was unaffected, a union representative told Reuters on Friday.

“Due to a technical failure on the upper floor during the night, the area is closed to the public and a scaffolding has been set up,” the representative said.

A spokesperson for the museum had no immediate comment on the incident.

The leak happened in the room 707, where paintings from 19th century French artist Charles Meynier and 16th century Italian artist Bernardino Luini are displayed.

No evaluation of possible damage was available as of Friday at noon, the union representative said.

The water leak is the second in less than three months in a museum that has gone through a spate of recent setbacks — including a spectacular jewel heist, strikes and a massive ticket fraud investigation — that have put its management under intense scrutiny.

UKRAINE WAR

US ‘Not Going to Disappear’ From Europe, NATO Senior Commander Says

U.S. relations with Europe and Canada are still "extremely strong," the deputy commander of NATO forces in Europe has said, despite questions over America's future footprint in Europe.

In an interview with Newsweek, Admiral Sir Keith Blount played down fears of fracture between America and its closest allies, describing U.S. pressure on the continent over military spending as "an absolute rallying cry."

"I have absolutely no doubt that transatlantic union is extremely strong," he said.

The outgoing Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) spoke to Newsweek ahead of this weekend's Munich Security Conference in Germany where the focus will be squarely on how the White House has hacked away at decades of close bonds with Europe, tearing apart the certainty states had in their relationship with Washington.

Vice President JD Vance used last year's Munich gathering to berate the continent's leaders, accusing European governments of suppressing free speech - an early indication of the disdain the administration would continue to harbor for Europe.

"You can't make an assumption that America's presence will last forever," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth separately warned a year ago.

President Donald Trump has long indicated he wants Europe to shoulder more responsibility for its own defense; and most European officials agree the continent has dropped the ball.

But the way American critiques were delivered packed a real punch, as did the administration's insistence it must control Greenland. Part of NATO member Denmark, the American desire to control Greenland — apparently at any cost — undermined the very basis of the alliance for some of its members and observers.

The U.S. is by far the most influential member of NATO, having long propped up Europe by providing most of the alliance's most expensive military capabilities, such as space-based assets and intelligence.

NATO's nuclear deterrent also hinges on the US's vast arsenal of strategic and tactical nuclear weapons.

Panicked by the U.S.'s warnings, and the reality of what an American focus on the Indo-Pacific could mean for a Europe still contending with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO members quickly pledged to increase their own military spending.

NATO collectively agreed last summer to spend 5 percent of each country's GDP on defense, a figure that was unfathomable at the start of 2025.

Rubio Issues Europe Warning Ahead of Critical Meet

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned Europe of a "new era in geopolitics" ahead of the Munich Security Conference this weekend.

"The world is changing very fast right in front of us," Rubio told reporters as he boarded a flight to Germany on Thursday night. "We live in a new era in geopolitics, and it's going to require all of us to sort of reexamine what that looks like and what our role is going to be."
...
What To Know

While Rubio did issue his warning, he struck a softer tone than Vance last year, as he also added: "We’re very tightly linked together with Europe. Most people in this country can trace both, either their cultural or their personal heritage, back to Europe. So, we just have to talk about that."

Rubio is heading the U.S. delegation to Munich, where he will stay for two days, before heading to Slovakia and Hungary, according to The Associated Press.

He said on Thursday that he is expecting to be asked about Greenland.

Trump’s rhetoric about America taking Greenland from Denmark has only toughened, and last month he announced a 10 percent tariff on the nations that opposed his proposal.

Meanwhile, multiple European countries have united against Trump in the name of defending Danish and Greenlandic sovereignty, including the U.K, Germany and France.

This is one of the many things driving a wedge between America and Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron urged EU leaders to increase reforms to boost the bloc's competitiveness against China and the U.S. just a few days ago, arguing that Trump’s push to acquire Greenland should be a wake-up call for European leaders.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday called for the U.S. and Europe to "repair and revive trans-Atlantic trust together."

Opening the Munich Security Conference, he said that a "divide, a deep rift" has opened up across the Atlantic and urged leaders to work toward a "new trans-Atlantic partnership."

He said that Europe’s "excessive dependency" on the U.S. was its own fault but spoke against "writing off NATO."

"We will (leave the dependency behind) by building a strong, self-supporting European pillar in the alliance, in our own interest," he said.

Topics on the agenda will likely include America’s nuclear discussions with Iran, the war in Ukraine and China.

Ukrainian Olympian Vladyslav Heraskevych disqualified over ‘helmet of remembrance’

Ukraine’s skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Milano Cortina Winter Games on Thursday over the use of a helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia, the International Olympic Committee said.

He was informed of his disqualification after a meeting with IOC President Kirsty Coventry early in the morning at the sliding venue, shortly before the start of his competition.

His team said they would appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Coventry told reporters she had wanted to meet the athlete face to face in a last-ditch effort to break the impasse.

“I was not meant to be here but I thought it was really important to come here and talk to him face to face,” Coventry told reporters. “No one, especially me, is disagreeing with the messaging, it’s a powerful message, it’s a message of remembrance, of memory.

“The challenge was to find a solution for the field of play. Sadly we’ve not been able to find that solution” she added, choking up. “I really wanted to see him race, It’s been an emotional morning.”

“It’s literally about the rules and the regulations and that in this case… we have to be able to keep a safe environment for everyone and sadly, that just means no messaging is allowed.”

The IOC had offered him the opportunity to display his “helmet of remembrance” depicting 24 images of dead compatriots before the start and after the end of Thursday’s race at the Games, while also allowing him to wear a black armband while competing.

Ukraine’s Olympic Committee, which supported Heraskevych in the case, said it was not planning to boycott the Games over the disqualification.

NO BETRAYAL

“I am disqualified from the race. I will not get my Olympic moment,” said Heraskevych.

“They were killed, but their voice is so loud that the IOC is afraid of them. I told Coventry that this decision plays along with Russia’s narrative.

“I sincerely believe that it is precisely because of their sacrifice that these Olympic Games can take place at all today.

Ukrainian brothers, including 8-year-old, killed in Russian attack on port, officials say

Feb 13 — Three Ukrainian brothers, including an eight-year-old, were killed near the eastern front line and a Russian drone attack killed one person and injured six others at one of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports near Odesa, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.

The mother and grandmother of the brothers — two of whom were 19 — were injured in the attack late on Thursday, the local prosecutors in the Donetsk region said on Friday.

The ports are Ukraine’s key maritime export arteries, crucial for its foreign trade and the survival of its wartime economy.

Moscow has stepped up its attacks on both them and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, and Kyiv has targeted Russian oil facilities, as US-led efforts to end the war stall.

“Russia launched massive strikes on port and railway infrastructure,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba wrote on Telegram.

Infrastructure belonging to a business as well as fertilizer warehouses and vehicles, including freight wagons, were damaged, Kuleba said, adding that the attack sparked a fire.

The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority did not name the port, saying only that it was one of the three around Odesa and continued to operate despite damage to infrastructure.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 154 drones in total and one ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight.

Air defenses downed or neutralized 111 of the drones, it said.

Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said that energy, industrial, and residential infrastructure in the region was also targeted after reporting earlier that the attack caused “substantial” disruption to power, heat and water supplies.

Ukraine’s major private energy company DTEK said the damage to energy infrastructure in the city was “extremely serious” and the repairs will take a long time.

Melania Trump says she reunified displaced Ukrainian and Russian children with their families

WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump’s office said Thursday that she played a role in the return of an unspecified number of Ukrainian and Russian children separated from their families during the four-year-old conflict.

Trump “successfully united Russian and Ukrainian children with their families today,” her office said.

“For the third time, the US First Lady has helped facilitate the return of children to their families after they were separated because of the regional conflict.”

The statement did not say how many children of each nationality were affected.

Ukraine’s government says as many as 20,000 children have been taken from homes, orphanages, and boarding schools to Russia since the February 2022 invasion by Moscow — of whom 1,984 have been returned.

The Kremlin claims the children were taken for humanitarian reasons during fighting in eastern Ukraine, though Kyiv says they were abducted to be raised as Russians.

“I appreciate that Russia and Ukraine are dedicated to bringing back the children who have been displaced because of the circumstances surrounding this conflict,” Melania Trump said Thursday.

“Although all parties are cooperating and our communications remain robust, I urge Russia and Ukraine to intensify their efforts to ensure the safe return of every child to their families and guardians.”

The first lady, who is currently promoting a self-titled documentary, announced in October that she established an “open channel” with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss child reunification, leading to the return of eight children and plans for another five.

Her office said in December she helped with seven additional cases.

Trump says Zelensky must ‘get moving’ with Ukraine peace talks

WASHINGTON — President Trump jabbed at Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky Friday — blaming him for a lack of progress in peace talks to end Russia’s nearly four-year invasion.

“Zelensky is going to have to get moving,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for North Carolina.

“Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelensky is going to have to get moving. Otherwise, he’s going to miss a great opportunity.”

Zelensky, with whom Trump has had a hot-and-cold relationship, insists that he cannot make a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin that changes Ukraine’s borders — Putin’s central demand — without a national referendum.

Responding to Trump at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Zelensky claimed the Ukrainian people were “90% against elections now” because they feel it would be too difficult for citizens living abroad and soldiers at the front to cast ballots.

“If President Trump will give me [an effort at] pushing Putin [for a] cease-fire for two, three months, we will do elections,” Zelensky told Politico reporter Dasha Burns.

Zelensky insisted that “Russia is not not winning” the war and called on Trump to consider the use of “total sanctions” by NATO allies against Moscow to bring the war to a favorable end.

“President Trump made, by the way, strong steps. We are thankful to him on Lukoil. He put sanctions on Lukoil, [but] he can put [sanctions] on all their energy, on nuclear energy,” Zelensky said.

He also said Trump should tell Russian elites with property and children based in the US to “f–k away to Russia. Go home … They have a lot of real estate. They have children, relatives everywhere.”

Ukraine unveils revolutionary ‘Sunray’ laser that can silently take out Russian drones: ‘Invisible lightning’

Ukraine has developed a silent, undetectable laser that can take out Russian drones as if “struck by invisible lightning” — and all at a fraction of the cost of similar high-tech weapons made in the US, according to a new report.

Kyiv’s Sunray laser, which has been in the works for two years, was able to take out a small drone hundreds of yards away in an instant during its first test run in front of journalists, The Atlantic reported after witnessing the prototype in person.

“Within seconds, the drone began to burn as if struck by invisible lightning, then fell to the ground in a fiery arc,” reporter Simon Shuster wrote of the spectacle.

The test was the first time Ukraine unveiled the Sunray weapon, which had previously been called “Trident,” with the laser system emitting neither noise nor visible light.

The laser cannon could easily be loaded into a pickup truck, with its aim sight appearing no different from that of a hobbyist’s telescope, according to the Atlantic.

Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, had previously touted that the Sunray was capable of shooting down Russian aircraft flying as far as 1.2 miles in the sky.

While America’s own laser weapon, the Helios, cost the US Navy $150 million to develop, the creators of the Sunray claimed their system only cost a few million dollars.

Pavlo Yelizarov, the newly appointed commander of Kyiv’s air-defense forces, said the military is expected to buy the Sunray for only a few hundred thousand dollars, a testament to the personal stakes of Ukrainian arms companies in the fight against Russia’s invasion.

“Many American companies are driven by money. For them, it’s a job. They do it. They get paid,” Yelizarov told the Atlantic. “We have another component at play: the need to survive.” 

Ukraine has been rapidly innovating new weapons and defense systems in the face of Russia’s constant bombardments, which sees Moscow fire hundreds of drones every day.

CHINA

China quietly paid US-born Olympian Eileen Gu this whopping sum in 2025: report

American-born Olympian Eileen Gu scored millions from China in 2025 – a staggering payout exposed in a public budget before officials quickly scrubbed her name from the record, according to a report.

The champion freestyle skier, who competes for China, cashed in on a jaw-dropping $6.6 million from the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau last year – a hefty sum that was shared with fellow US-born Olympian figure skater Zhu Yi, according to the country’s budget, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Yi – who renounced her US citizenship – also performs under China’s flag.

The fiscal report shows that the star athletes were also slated to pocket a jaw-dropping $14 million, or nearly 100 million yuan, over the past three years from the sports bureau.

The latest chunk was tied to qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics, the outlet reported.

The eye-watering payday came to light after China’s budget, released in early 2025, accidentally named both Gu and Yi.

The faux pas resulted in officials erasing both names from the record, but not before the mega cash hauls ignited fury among China’s cash-strapped public, whose social media gripes also mysteriously vanished, according to the Journal.

It’s unclear just how much each athlete was paid from the pot of money, though the windfall only boosted Gu’s already massive bankroll.

The 22-year-old, who sparked controversy during the 2022 Winter Games over her decision to represent her mother’s native China, has made a whopping $23 million from off-field endorsements and netted an estimated $100,000 from competitions, Forbes reported.

The two-time gold and silver medalist earned about $40,000 for World Cup slopestyle and halfpipe triumphs in January 2025 and December 2025, respectively, according to the outlet.