Trump says Democrats have ‘blood on their hands’ after deadly Charlotte train stabbing
President Donald Trump said that “blood is on the hands of the Democrats” after the brutal stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina, who was attacked and killed on a light rail train by a man with a lengthy criminal history last month. Social media exploded over the weekend after surveillance footage, released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), showed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska boarding a Lynx Blue line last month before a man pulled out a knife and began stabbing Zarutska three times, including at least once in the neck. “The blood of this innocent woman can literally be seen dripping from the killer’s knife, and now her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail, including Former Disgraced Governor and ‘Wannabe Senator’ Roy Cooper,” Trump said on Truth Social. “North Carolina, and every State, needs LAW AND ORDER, and only Republicans will deliver it! Additionally, where is the outrage from the Mainstream Media on this horrible tragedy? VOTE FOR MICHAEL WHATLEY FOR UNITED STATES SENATE, HE WON’T LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!” GOFUNDME PULLS FUNDRAISERS FOR FELON ACCUSED OF KILLING COMMUTER IN RANDOM CHARLOTTE TRAIN ATTACK Earlier in the day, the White House posted reaction from Trump on X.com, saying, “The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES. What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP.” The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, was arrested shortly after the stabbing and hospitalized before being arrested on a charge of first-degree murder. Records obtained by The New York Post showed that Brown has a history of arrests going back more than a decade, including charges of felony larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and communicating threats. Police said Brown did not know Zarutska and the attack was random. By taking aim at the Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Trump directly injected the tragedy into the center of the upcoming U.S. senate race in North Carolina, slated for next year. Cooper and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley are the two major front-runners. On Monday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) echoed Trump’s argument, insisting Cooper’s policies “kept violent criminals like this on the streets instead of in jail where they belong.” Meanwhile, Whatley said in a X post on Monday that “a vote for Roy Cooper is a vote for more crime, more violence, more criminals.” REPUBLICAN WANTS JUDGES HELD ACCOUNTABLE IF THEY RELEASE REPEAT VIOLENT CRIMINALS WHO STRIKE AGAIN He followed up later in the day after Trump’s Truth Social post, adding that the president was “spot on” with his assessment of Democrats. “My far-left opponent Roy Cooper’s spineless, soft-on-crime policies have unleashed predators like Decarlos Brown Jr. and countless other violent thugs who unleash hell on innocent people because they know they’ll face no real justice,” Whatley said. A spokesperson for Cooper’s campaign, when reached for comment, accused Whately of “lying again” because “he knows his support for federal policies that cut local and state law enforcement funding is wrong for North Carolina.” “This was a heartbreaking, despicable act of evil and Iryna Zarutska’s family and loved ones are in our prayers,” the spokesperson continued in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Roy Cooper knows North Carolinians need to be safe in their communities; he spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and drug dealers, increasing the penalties for violence against law enforcement, and keeping thousands of criminals off the streets and behind bars.” North Carolina’s Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, was slammed over the weekend, when the video of the stabbing was first released, for not speaking out earlier. He ultimately commented on the matter Monday morning. “I am heartbroken for the family of Iryna Zarutska, who lost their loved one to this senseless act of violence, and I am appalled by the footage of her murder. We need more cops on the beat to keep people safe,” Stein posted on X. “That’s why my budget calls for more funding to hire more well-trained police officers. I call upon the legislature to pass my law enforcement recruitment and retention package to address vacancies in our state and local agencies so they can stop these horrific crimes and hold violent criminals accountable.” During a tour of the Museum of the Bible in the nation’s capital on Monday, Trump weighed in on the event once again after the video of the attack surfaced over the weekend. “We’re all people of religion, but there are evil people,” Trump said. “And we have to confront that.”
Bill Clinton letter in Epstein ‘birthday book’ among new files released by House Oversight Committee
The House Oversight Committee has released another tranche of files related to Jeffrey Epstein on Monday night, which includes a message from former President Bill Clinton in the late pedophile’s infamous “birthday book.” The surprise document dump by the GOP-led panel came hours after Epstein’s estate turned materials over to House investigators, pursuant to a congressional subpoena. Among the documents released by the committee is the reported book compiled by Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell for the late pedophile’s 50th birthday. What appears to be an entry by Clinton praises Epstein’s “childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference, and the [illegible] of friends.” HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE The book also appears to include entries by former Epstein attorney Alan Dershowitz and President Donald Trump, though the White House and the president himself have vehemently denied its veracity on multiple occasions. “As I have said all along, it’s very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it. President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X, specifically in reference to a Wall Street Journal story that first mentioned allegations of Trump writing in the book. Fox News Digital also reached out to Clinton’s office for comment. Epstein and Clinton were known to have a cordial relationship, and Clinton is known to have flown on Epstein’s plane on numerous occasions. Neither he nor Trump have been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, however. The birthday book included a letter from Epstein’s mother, Pauline Stolofsky Epstein, who wrote that she’d been “very busy reminiscing since Ghislaine asked me to write about you.” “Jeff[,] you have been a good son since day one and we have been proud of you ever since,” Epstein’s mother wrote. She continued, detailing fond childhood memories of Epstein’s life, from his early childhood to his young adult years. “I recall you refused to sleep unless I read a story from Grandma’s Golden Book that she bought for 25c,” she wrote. “At PTA meetings I begged your teachers to improve your handwriting.” EPSTEIN ESTATE HIT WITH NEW HOUSE SUBPOENA FOR ‘CLIENT LIST,’ CALL LOGS “At age 21 Cosmopolitan magazine featured you as ‘Bachelor of the Month,” she added. “Today you still hold that title.” Stolofsky also referenced nachus, or the Yiddish word for joy, in relation to Epstein’s deceased father. “Jeff, I’m so sorry that Dad can’t share the nachus we have regarding your achievements,” she wrote. “He would have been overjoyed reading the article about you in the New York Magazine.” The birthday book also includes a picture of Epstein holding up a large, fake check for $22,500, with what appears to be Trump’s signature. Beneath the photo, the book reads, “Jeffrey showing early talents with money +women! Sells ‘fully dedicated’ <redacted text> to Donald Trump for $22,500. Showed early ‘people skills’ too. Even though I handled the deal I didn’t get any of the money or the girl!” The book features hundreds of photos, including pictures of Epstein as a child and a teenager, as well as formal school photos and pictures of him hanging out with friends. TRUMP DOJ HANDING EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS TO HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON FRIDAY AS SUBPOENA DEADLINE LOOMS The book also contains pictures of Epstein shirtless, Epstein embracing women and what appears to be a redacted photo of him and Maxwell laughing in a pool. The photo is censored around her body, implying that she was swimming topless. Among the suggestive photos are pictures of mating lions and zebras, along with photos of women in revealing bikinis. A picture of a woman in a bikini is also included with the caption, “Visiting you down in Palm Beach. Can’t get a second of privacy with you and a camera around ha ha!” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters when asked about Trump’s entry in the book, “I’m told that it’s fake.” The entry under Dershowitz’s name references a news article that he took credit for influencing, perhaps in a joking manner, changing the focus from Epstein to Clinton. COMER SUBPOENAS THE CLINTONS, TRUMP’S DOJ IN HOUSE OVERSIGHT’S EPSTEIN PROBE “Dear Jeffrey, as a birthday gift to you, I managed to obtain an early version of the Vanity Unfair article. I talked them into changing the focus from you to Bill Clinton, as you will see from the enclosed excerpt. Happy birthday and best regards,” the entry said. Dershowitz has also consistently denied wrongdoing as it relates to Epstein. A cartoon drawn underneath, that was not attributed to anyone, shows a man at a bar with the caption, “I’ve come to the conclusion that I should be thinking less about money and more about naked women, and biomathematical research.” Other entries in the “birthday book” appear to be Epstein during various stages of his life. Another entry appeared to make a joke about Epstein being a U.S. intelligence asset. Below a photo of Epstein next to a woman with her face redacted reads a note, “He is the boyfriend of [redacted]…We think he works for the CIA.” A photo on another page shows a young Epstein in front of what appears to be a store counter, with the accompanying caption, “Are you sure this will make my ‘winkie’ grow?” The tranche of documents released by the House Oversight Committee also includes details of Epstein’s last will and testament, what appears to be an address book of contacts, and details of his 2007-2008 non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Southern Florida. HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE RELEASES THOUSANDS OF EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS In a statement upon the files’ release, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., criticized Democrats for earlier releasing only the portion of the files that included Trump’s name – and asserted that the president was not implicated in any wrongdoing. “It’s appalling Democrats on the Oversight Committee are cherry-picking documents and politicizing information received from the Epstein Estate today. Oversight Committee Republicans are focused
Barrett says justices ‘wear black, not red or blue’ in response to partisan critics in Fox News interview
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett pushed back against partisan portrayals of the Supreme Court, telling Fox News’ Bret Baier that justices “wear black, not red or blue” and follow the Constitution, not politics. She appeared on Fox to promote her new book, “Listening to the Law,” and to address public perceptions of the Court’s work and independence. Barrett stressed that the Court is not divided into partisan teams. She also defended its approach to presidential power, clarified misconceptions about the Dobbs decision, and reflected on her originalist judicial philosophy. Her book touches on details such as assigned seating, courtroom traditions, and the gap between outside perception and inside reality. AMY CONEY BARRETT DETAILS BATTLE BETWEEN HER OWN PERSONAL VIEWS AND THE LAW IN NEW BOOK “You know, we don’t wear red and blue, we all wear black because judges are nonpartisan. And the idea is that we are all listening to the law. We’re all trying to get it right. We’re not playing for a team,” she told Baier. “We don’t sit on specific sides of the bench, left and right. You know, we sit in order of seniority.” Barrett underscored the disconnect between public perception and the Court’s inner workings, noting: “I often ask new law clerks what surprised you most when you started? And one of the most common answers is the difference between what’s happening on the inside and what people think is happening on the inside.” JUSTICE BARRETT OPENS UP ABOUT ‘AWKWARD’ START ON SCOTUS, SHADOW DOCKET AND MORE IN FORTHCOMING MEMOIR Critics on the left argue the Court is shielding former President Donald Trump, a view reflected in headlines from outlets such as The New York Times and NBC. Barrett responded by placing the Court’s work in historical context, stressing that cases on presidential power extend beyond any one occupant of the office. “We’re not deciding cases just for today, and we’re not deciding cases based on the president,” Barrett said. “As the current occupant of the office, we’re deciding cases about the presidency. So we’re taking each case, and we’re looking at the question of presidential power as it comes. And the cases that we decide today are going to matter. JUSTICE BARRETT DEFENDS JACKSON JABS AS ‘WARRANTED’ IN RARE PUBLIC APPEARANCE “Four presidencies from now, six presidencies from now, and so on. Each of these cases that we’re getting, you know, well, I mean, some of them overlap, but many present different constitutional issues,” she added. She stressed the Court rules on the presidency as an institution, with decisions that resonate across administrations. Turning to the Dobbs decision, Barrett said the ruling did not outlaw abortion but returned the issue to the political process—a point she argued has been widely misunderstood. “Dobbs did not say that abortion is illegal. Dobbs said it belongs to the political process,” Barrett said. Barrett acknowledged growing threats to judges, stressing violence should not be “the cost of public service.” Returning to public perception, she said the Court must follow the law even when rulings are unpopular, stressing integrity over public opinion. “The court… can’t take into account public opinion in making individual decisions… you have to follow the law where it leads, even if it leads in a place where the majority of people don’t want you to go,” she said.
Meet the ex-Biden appointee who could be major force against Trump’s AI agenda: ‘Doomsayer’
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s push to establish “America’s global AI dominance” could run into friction from an unlikely source: the “effective altruism” movement, a small but influential group that has a darker outlook on artificial intelligence. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year titled, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.” This week he met with top technology industry leaders, including Mark Zuckerburg, Bill Gates and others, for meetings at the White House in which AI loomed large in the discussions. However, not all the industry’s leaders share the president’s vision for American AI dominance. Jason Matheny, a former senior Biden official who currently serves as the CEO of the RAND Corporation, is a leader in the effective altruism movement, which, among other priorities, seeks to regulate the development of artificial intelligence with the goal of reducing its risks. Effective altruism is a philanthropic social movement where proponents claim to be aiming to maximize the good they can do in the world and give to what they calculate are the most effective charities and interventions. Part of this movement includes powerful donors from across many sectors, including technology, where funds are poured into fighting against what the group sees as existential threats, including artificial intelligence. NEW AI APPS HELP RENTAL DRIVERS AVOID FAKE DAMAGE FEES Some in the movement have also pledged to give away a portion of their income, while others have argued about the morality of earning as much money as possible in order to give it away. A former Defense Department official familiar with the industry’s leaders told Fox News Digital that since a 2017 speech at an effective altruism forum in which he laid out his vision, Matheny has “been very deliberate about inserting personnel who share his AI-doomerism worldview” into government and government contractor roles. “Since then, he has made good on every single one of his calls to action to explicitly infiltrate think tanks, in-government decision makers, and trusted government contractors with this effective altruism, AI kind of doomsayer philosophy,” the official continued. A RAND Corporation spokesperson pushed back against this label and said that Matheny “believes a wide range of views and backgrounds are essential to analyzing and informing sound public policy. His interest is in encouraging talented young people to embrace public service.” The spokesperson added that AI being an “existential threat” is “not the lens” through which the company approaches AI, but said, “Our researchers are taking a broad look at the many ways AI is and will impact society – including both opportunities and threats.” In his 2017 speech, Matheny discussed his vision of influencing the government from the inside and outside to advance effective altruistic goals. “The work that I’ve done at IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity) has convinced me that there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit within government positions that we should be picking as effective altruists. There are many different roles that effective altruists can have within government organizations,” Matheny told an effective altruism forum in 2017, before going on to explain how even “fairly junior positions” can “wield incredible influence.” GOOGLE CEO, MAJOR TECH LEADERS JOIN FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP AT WHITE HOUSE AI MEETING Matheny went on to explain the need for “influence” on the “outside” in the form of contractors working for government agencies specialized in fields like biology and chemistry along with experts at various think tanks. “That’s another way you can have an influence on the government,” Matheny said. Matheny advanced the philosophy’s ideals in the Biden White House in his roles as deputy assistant to the president for technology and national security, deputy director for national security in the Office of Science and Technology Policy and coordinator for technology and national security at the National Security Council. According to reporting by Politico, RAND officials were involved in writing former President Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.” The order mirrored many effective altruist goals regarding AI, such as the idea that “harnessing AI for good and realizing its myriad benefits requires mitigating its substantial risks.” However, a RAND spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Matheny had “no role” crafting the Biden EO, but said its “researchers did provide technical expertise and analysis to inform the EO in response to requests from policymakers.” The order read that “responsible AI use has the potential to help solve urgent challenges while making our world more prosperous, productive, innovative, and secure. At the same time, irresponsible use could exacerbate societal harms such as fraud, discrimination, bias, and disinformation; displace and disempower workers; stifle competition; and pose risks to national security.” Its solution was to increase regulations on the development of AI and add new government reporting requirements for companies developing the technology. For many in the industry, this was seen as an example of government overreach that stifled innovation and hurt the U.S.’s ability to compete with countries like China. The order has since been revoked by Trump’s AI order, which was signed in the first few days of his second administration. However, as head of RAND, a public policy and research advising group, Matheny and RAND have continued to push their vision for AI regulation and warn about the potential pitfalls. RAND has posted on social media in recent months warning that AI will “fundamentally reshape the economics of cybersecurity” and that the “growing use of AI chatbots for mental health support means society is ‘deploying pseudo-therapists at an unprecedented scale.’” Semafor reported earlier this year that the Trump administration was butting heads with Anthropic, a top artificial intelligence company with ties to the EA movement and the Biden administration, on AI policy. “It’s hard to tell a clean story of every single actor involved, but at the heart, the Doomerism community that Jason’s really at the heart of, what they are really concerned with is they truly believe about a runaway super-intelligent model that takes over the world like a
Fox News Politics Newsletter: LAPD pulls Harris security after union backlash
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -SCOTUS temporarily greenlights firing of Biden-appointed FTC commissioner -Trump condemns ‘lunatic’ in Charlotte stabbing: ‘If we don’t handle evil, we don’t have a country’ –Rand Paul rips JD Vance’s assertion that executing cartel members is the ‘best use of our military’ A specialized unit with the Los Angeles Police Department is no longer providing former Vice President Kamala Harris security, according to a new report. Officers with LAPD’s Metropolitan Division, which falls under the police department’s special operations group, stepped in to provide Harris with security after President Donald Trump yanked Harris’ security detail in August, The New York Times reported. But that protection ended on Saturday following backlash from the LAPD’s union, The Los Angeles Police Protective League. The union called the arrangement “nuts,” arguing that “LA taxpayers should not be footing the bill for this ridiculousness.”…READ MORE. DEADLY OBSESSION: Ryan Routh trial: Jury selection begins in Trump assassination attempt case COURT WIN FOR TRUMP: Supreme Court allows Trump ICE raids to resume in California VERDICT STANDS: Federal appeals court upholds $83.3M E. Jean Carroll judgment against Trump ‘RIGHTS VIOLATIONS’: ‘The View’ co-host urges people to take videos of ICE agents ‘TREMENDOUS ASSET’: New FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey begins transition to FBI role alongside Bongino FOREIGN WORKER FALLOUT: ICE raids Georgia Hyundai battery plant, sparking firestorm with South Korea – what to know INSIDE THE FILES: Epstein estate hands over ‘birthday book,’ contact list to House investigators PUSHING TO THE RIGHT: From ‘legislative terrorists’ to center of Trump’s DC revolution: Where key conservative caucus is now PARTY CIVIL WAR: Bernie Sanders rips Dem leaders for snubbing Mamdani in mayoral race: ‘This is our guy!’ DROPPING THE HAMMER: Republican wants judges held accountable if they release repeat violent criminals who strike again SANCTUARY SHOWDOWN: DHS confirms probe of former ‘undocumented’ Boston lawmaker sentenced in corruption case DEFYING TRUMP: Chicago cops struggle to staff streets as Trump presses on crime ‘SHIFT THE BLAME’: Dem governor breaks silence on murder of Ukrainian refugee after social media backlash Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Dems flood defense bill with far-left amendments aimed at Trump
The House is preparing to take up its annual defense policy bill this week, with Democrats filing hundreds of amendments — many aimed at rebuking President Donald Trump’s administration and current GOP priorities. Lawmakers submitted roughly 450 proposed amendments to the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Among them are measures dealing with diversity, Israel funding and Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The House Rules Committee will review the bill Monday afternoon and set parameters for debate, paving the way for a floor vote later this week. Most of the progressive amendments are unlikely to survive, underscoring their symbolic nature. Still, Democrats are using the traditionally bipartisan defense package to spotlight opposition to the White House and Republican leadership. HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, filed several amendments, including one to strike the NDAA’s prohibition on using defense funds for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Similarly, Reps. Luz Rivas, D-Calif., and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, offered an amendment to block a ban on DEI programs at the Pentagon. Crockett also introduced language aimed at halting construction of migrant detention facilities on military installations, directly challenging Trump administration policy. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., put forward an amendment barring Defense Department funds from supporting migrant processing and detention operations. The Pentagon announced last month it is building the country’s largest federal migrant detention center in Fort Bliss, Texas. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., filed two amendments targeting Trump-era immigration policies. One would prohibit funding for family separation, while another “prohibits funds from being used to transfer non-citizens to foreign prisons, except under treaties and extradition laws,” according to the Rules Committee website. The latter proposal would effectively block deportations to El Salvador. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., introduced measures aimed at limiting U.S. support for Israel. FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP Tlaib’s amendment would ban U.S. arms sales to countries whose governments include officials with outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants. The ICC issued warrants in late 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials. Omar’s proposal seeks to repeal Israel’s emergency access to a U.S.-managed weapons stockpile located in the country. The NDAA is a bill passed every fiscal year that sets national security and defense policy for the U.S. government. More than 1,000 total amendments have been introduced to this year’s bill.
California illegal immigrant with 49 prior arrests tops ICE’s latest ‘worst-of-the-worst’ list
In its latest operations targeting the “worst of the worst” illegal immigrants residing in the U.S., ICE officials told Fox News Digital one particular suspect was found to have an astounding rap sheet. ICE has arrested tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with additional criminal records since Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took over for Alejandro Mayorkas in January. Miguel Barrera-Corona, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was living in California when he was arrested over the weekend. Barrera-Corona has 49 prior criminal arrests, according to law enforcement. ICE HAULS IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF CHILD CRIMES IN NATIONWIDE WEDNESDAY SWEEP: ‘CLEAR MESSAGE’ His convictions include burglary, vehicle theft, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats to terrorize, DUI, carrying a loaded firearm in public, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, shoplifting, trespassing, property damage, petty theft, carrying a concealed dagger, and vandalism – and Trump administration officials blame sanctuary state policies for allowing him to roam free. “Over the weekend, ICE arrested drug traffickers, human traffickers, child predators, and sex offenders. One of the criminal illegal aliens was previously arrested 49 times,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. DHS ARRESTS FIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF SERIOUS CRIMES, INCLUDING MURDER AND CHILD ABUSE “Sanctuary politicians allowed this serial criminal to terrorize American citizens. President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to arrest the worst of the worst and get these criminal illegal aliens out of our country.” Other illegal immigrant suspects arrested included convicted pedophiles, drug dealers and human traffickers. “Carlos Guzman-Santiago, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicted of second-degree forcible sex offense,” read one mugshot description. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Another captured illegal immigrant, Dominican national Juan Carlos Jimenez, had a sexual assault conviction relating to “intercourse with kindred.” Carlos Sipriano Moreno-Pineda of Honduras had been convicted of abusing a spouse or cohabitant, while Glenda Molina-Sorto of El Salvador was convicted of child abuse and drug offenses. Benigno Carrillo-Hernandez, Mauricio Barrios-Satay, Miguel Perez-Herrera, Jorge Carmona-Martinez and Karen Hernandez-Medrano, were also captured in the latest operations. “ICE will continue to enforce U.S. immigration laws to ensure criminal illegal aliens are identified, arrested, and removed, safeguarding communities across the nation,” DHS said in a statement.
Secretary of War Hegseth lands in Puerto Rico as US ramps up Caribbean cartel fight with naval forces
The U.S. ramped up its fight against Caribbean drug cartels Monday as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine touched down in Puerto Rico to bolster military operations. Puerto Rican Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón and First Gentleman Dr. José Yovín Vargas welcomed the pair, framing the visit as the Trump administration’s show of support for troops training on the island. “We thank President Trump and his administration for recognizing Puerto Rico’s strategic importance to our national security, and for their commitment to combat drug cartels and the narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro,” the governor said. “We fully support America First policies that protect our borders and fight illicit activities in defense of the American people.” The meeting took place at Muñiz Air Base in Carolina, outside San Juan, and drew top brass including Puerto Rico National Guard Adjutant General Carlos José Rivera-Román, Public Safety Secretary Brig. Gen. Arthur Garffer, and other senior military leaders. RUBIO SAYS TRUMP ‘WANTS TO WAGE WAR’ ON VENEZUELAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS: ‘BLOW THEM UP IF THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES’ Hegseth spoke to nearly 300 soldiers at the base, thanking and describing them as “American warriors.” The secretary of war also provided affirmation that those serving in the Armed Forces will be the best equipped and prepared in the world. The visit comes as the U.S. military expands its naval footprint near Venezuela, part of President Donald Trump’s push to choke off drug flows from Latin America. Naval and air assets have been dispatched to confront traffickers and secure key maritime routes, with some already used this week against alleged narco-terrorists. US BOLSTERS MILITARY PRESENCE IN CARIBBEAN NEAR VENEZUELA AMID TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO HALT DRUG TRAFFICKING Last Tuesday, Marines hit a vessel in the southern Caribbean Sea that was allegedly ferrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang smuggling narcotics to the U.S. While the U.S. military has long worked to counter cartel and international gang organizations beginning in the late 1980s, the strike killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua – which the Trump administration designated as a terrorist organization in February – marked a definite shift from previous seize and apprehend operations. President Donald Trump has made it clear since his first administration that he strongly opposes Maduro’s regime and even announced a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. TRUMP TOUTS US STRIKE AS MADURO SLAMS MILITARY ‘THREAT’ OFF VENEZUELA Hegseth has also sent major firepower to the region—including the USS Iwo Jima, USS Lake Erie, USS Jason Dunham, USS Gravely, and USS Sampson—to hunt criminal networks and narco-terrorists. Trump’s decision to deploy U.S. troops off of the South American nation prompted Maduro, last Monday, to decry the move as an attempt to seek regime change and said, “Venezuela is confronting the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years.” Against that backdrop, González-Colón cast Puerto Rico as America’s frontline in the regional crackdown. “President Trump’s leadership in the fight against narcotrafficking places Puerto Rico—our nation’s Caribbean border—at the forefront of our security and interests,” González-Colón added. “For the first time, I believe we are confronting the problem at its root, striking directly at the source of the drug flow.”
Ryan Routh trial opens with bizarre jury questions and witness drama
The first day of jury selection kicked off Monday in Fort Pierce, Florida, for the high-profile federal trial of Ryan Routh, who allegedly sought to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. Routh, who is representing himself, appeared at the federal courthouse on Monday morning wearing a gray suit and ankle shackles as the voir dire process began, with prosecutors and Routh questioning jurors to determine whether they can fairly participate in the trial. The jury selection process will identify 12 jurors and four alternates for the trial. RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE During jury selection, Routh asked potential jurors their views on the war in Gaza, their position on the U.S. potentially acquiring Greenland as the president has floated, and how they would act if they were driving and spotted a turtle in the middle of the road. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed Routh’s questions as “politically charged,” and said that they were unnecessary for jury selection. “None of the questions on your list have any bearing whatsoever. They were off base, sir, and have no relevance to jury selection,” Cannon said. When Routh attempted to speak in protest, Cannon warned him not to interrupt. Routh also said a former co-worker listed on his witness list, Eric Zuniga, would not testify on Routh’s behalf because Zuniga lives in Costa Rica and “likes his freedom and doesn’t want to get arrested or deported.” Routh then withdrew Zuniga’s name as a potential witness. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CHALLENGES PRESIDENT TO ROUND OF GOLF Routh also said another potential witness he’d listed would also unlikely to appear, due to scheduled travel to Vietnam during the trial. After the morning session wrapped up, Cannon asked if there was anything else, prompting Routh to say that he is “still in a situation at the jail where I can’t sleep.” “I don’t know if they could move me to general population or something,” Routh said. But Cannon once again shut Routh down, and said that the statement wasn’t appropriate at that time. Twenty-seven out of the 60 prospective jurors claimed that they had a hardship that would prevent them from participating on the jury for Routh’s case. Meanwhile, Routh claimed he had reservations about many potential jurors, but couldn’t identify specific concerns. Prosecutors claim that Routh sought to kill Trump for weeks, and staked out a spot in shrubbery on Sept. 15, 2024, when a Secret Service agent detected him pointing a rifle at Trump while the then-presidential candidate played golf at his West Palm Beach country club. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, but abandoned his weapon and the scene after the Secret Service agents opened fire. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN’T SEE CLASSIFIED INFO RELATING TO CASE, JUDGE RULES Routh faces federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and various gun violations. The charges carry a potential life sentence if the jury finds him guilty. Meanwhile, Routh has maintained he’s innocent and pleaded not guilty to all federal charges, in addition to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. Opening statements for the trial are expected to kick off on Thursday, and prosecutors are poised to launch into their case immediately afterward. The court has allocated four weeks for Routh’s trial, although it is expected to wrap up sooner. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph, Heather Lacey, Jake Gibson, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
French no-confidence vote: What’s next if the government collapses?
The French government looks set to collapse in a vote of no confidence and tip the eurozone’s second biggest economy into a political crisis. Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is expected to be ousted, casting doubt over President Emmanuel Macron’s future. Monday’s vote hinges on Bayrou’s unpopular budget proposal for 2026, designed to slash France’s fiscal deficit. The 74-year-old political veteran, who called the vote himself in a bid to pressure lawmakers to back his plans, has been in office for only nine months. France has had four prime ministers in less than two years, and a fifth probably won’t be enough to break the country’s political deadlock. The paralysis is reminiscent of the instability last observed in 1958 when the Fifth Republic was established. Ahead of the no-confidence vote, Bayrou spoke on Monday afternoon in the National Assembly, France’s lower house of parliament, where he told lawmakers that the economy faced serious risks because of its deep indebtedness. He is expected to field questions from parliamentarians. The vote itself will take place in the evening with the result expected between 8pm and 9pm (18:00 and 19:00 GMT). Here’s what you need to know: What could happen next? For several weeks, lawmakers have made it clear they will vote against Bayrou’s state-slashing budget. Opposition parties from the far left to the far right hold 330 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly – more than enough to oust him. If Bayrou loses Monday’s vote and the government falls, he would stay in office until President Emmanuel Macron decides what to do next. Unfortunately for the president, France lacks a consensus figure to replace Bayrou. Advertisement Macron is faced with uniquely hard choices – appoint another prime minister in the hope he or she can pass an unpopular budget, call new elections to try to re-establish a parliamentary majority or stand down himself, something he has refused to do before his term ends in 2027. Most experts expected Bayrou to lose the vote, which would force Macron to find a replacement. But with the arithmetic in parliament unchanged, that risks simply repeating the events from last year when Bayrou succeeded Michel Barnier. A fiscal conservative, Macron is unlikely to appoint a premier who advocates for higher state spending. But after the government recently tried to cut deals on the right of the political spectrum, some wonder if Macron might try something new. According to Stefano Palombarini, assistant professor of economics at the University of Paris VIII, “the two previous appointments, Barnier and Bayrou, both failed. He [Macron] lost a lot of credibility in that process, and if he tries a similarly centrist approach, he’d lose even more.” Palombarini told Al Jazeera that “in this context, it would make the scenario of a relative opening towards the left possible. Some Macronist, Socialist and Green politicians say they’re ready for compromises to form a government that lasts until 2027.” Does this mean there is a clear political path? Not really. According to an opinion poll this month for Le Figaro Magazine by the Verian Group, just 15 percent of the electorate has confidence in Macron, down 6 percentage points since July. However, the president has consistently ruled out resigning from office. Separate surveys by Ifop, Elabe and Toluna Harris Interactive indicated that 56 to 69 percent of French people want snap parliamentary elections, indicating growing dissatisfaction with current party politics in a country run by minority cabinets since 2022. For Palombarini, “there’s general political malaise [in France] and also dissatisfaction specifically with Macron. So overall, opinion polls are actually quite stable.” Indeed, the latest polls show no material change in voting intentions over the past year. This means there is no certainty that a new prime minister would be safe from a similar fate as Bayrou. What are the origins of this crisis? At the heart of France’s political paralysis is Macron’s risky decision to call snap parliamentary elections last year. That came after he was re-elected in 2022. Macron’s gamble in June 2024 was an effort to shore up support for the political centre. But French voters edged towards the extremes, leaving Macron with a weakened minority government and limiting his ability to pass legislation. Advertisement The vote resulted in a hung parliament split between three groups. A left alliance won the most seats but fell far short of a majority. The far-right National Rally won the most votes but also doesn’t have a majority. Macron’s centrist coalition lost seats but still forms a significant third bloc. This parliamentary shake-up has made France hard to govern. Divisions have shown up most clearly around spending. How does the budget fit into it? The immediate reason for Bayrou’s fall is his budget proposal for next year. His unpopular 44-billion-euro ($51bn) deficit-reduction plan, including freezing most welfare spending and scrapping two public holidays, has been widely rejected by parliamentarians. On August 25, Jordan Bardella, head of the National Rally, said his party would “never vote in favour of a government whose decisions are making the French suffer”. Bayrou in effect has announced “the end of his government”, Bardella said. The French budget deficit is now nearly 169 billion euros ($196bn), or 5.8 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), well above the 3 percent limit set by the European Union for countries using the euro. Bayrou is trying to lower the government’s borrowing to 4.6 percent of GDP in 2026 and to 2.8 percent by 2029. In turn, that would lower the overall debt-to-GDP ratio to 117.2 percent in 2029, compared with 125.3 percent if no changes are made. Bayrou recently said young people will be saddled with years of debt payments “for the sake of the comfort of boomers” if France fails to tackle its fiscal pressures. Born in 1951, Bayrou himself qualifies as a baby boomer, the generation born in the years soon after World War II. But any attempt to curtail social benefits is politically difficult in France, as made clear by conflicts in 2023 over Macron’s