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Year: 2025

Former Brown University student and friend to Ella Cook blames ‘spending priorities’ for lack of security

Former Brown University student and friend to Ella Cook blames ‘spending priorities’ for lack of security

A former Brown University student and friend of Ella Cook, who was murdered by a lone gunman at the University earlier this month, said the Ivy League school’s lack of preparedness and resources to catch the killer didn’t come as a surprise. Brown’s misguided financial priorities are the root cause of how a killer was able to enter and exit the university’s facilities essentially undetected, Alex Shieh told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview, “I don’t think it’s particularly surprising that the old buildings on campus have never been retrofitted with updated security systems, because that’s not what the priorities are with the spending, and that they know that people will want to come to Brown anyway, irrespective of the facilities, because of the Ivy League name,” Shieh said.  “It is sort of confusing to people that you have a school that costs $100,000 a year, you have an $8 billion endowment,” Shieh said. “How come the building doesn’t have cameras?” BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTING: TIMELINE OF TERROR THAT LEFT 2 DEAD, 9 INJURED Shieh is no stranger to what he says is bloated and wasteful spending by Brown. During his time at the school, he served as the publisher for the university’s student-run paper, the Brown Spectator, and caused a stir when he started asking questions about how much administrators make and what they do at work.  Shieh sent out a survey to administrators, asking them to detail their jobs after being inspired by President Donald Trump’s DOGE, but was met with opposition from faculty. He noted that administrators are making millions, while facilities and students’ quality of life suffer. Brown took disciplinary action against the former student, first claiming he was causing emotional and psychological harm, invading privacy, misrepresenting the university, and violating operational rules. NOEM ANNOUNCES PAUSE ON IMMIGRANT VISA LOTTERY THAT ALLOWED ALLEGED BROWN SHOOTER TO ENTER US “There’s about 4,000 administrators at a school of about 11,000 students,” Shieh said. “And this struck me as odd, and it struck me very clear that this growth and ballooning in the number of staff administrators is what’s been leading to the cost of tuition rising precipitously all across the country, but particularly at a school like Brown University.” “The classes aren’t necessarily what distinguishes [Brown] from other schools, not the caliber of the facilities, not the caliber of the dorms, but [what] really distinguishes Brown and makes it worth the price in the eyes of some people is the fact that Brown is in the Ivy League,” Shieh added. Brown’s aggressive reaction to Shieh’s reporting sparked a House Judiciary Committee hearing in June, with Shieh as a witness, to discuss free speech concerns as well as misguided and excessive Ivy League spending. HUNT FOR BROWN UNIVERSITY KILLER HANDICAPPED BY SECURITY LAPSES, CAMPUS BUDGET CUTS The University ultimately dropped all charges against Shieh, who wonders if some of the waste he was hoping to expose could be the reason that facilities weren’t equipped with cameras or better security.  “They use their money in really silly ways,” Shieh said. “Like paying their athletic director of a small Ivy League school millions of dollars a year and having an inordinate amount of administrators on staff.” FOX NEWS TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER: BROWN AND MIT SHOOTING SUSPECT, NICK REINER’S LAWYER, BRIAN WALSHE’S SENTENCE Shieh, who like Cook was a member of the school’s College Republicans, said he was shocked when he learned she had been murdered.  “She was just somebody who was very nice and everybody respected, and nobody really had a problem with her on campus, which is why it was so surprising that it happened to her, of all people,” Shieh said.  On Nov. 13, Claudio Neves-Valente entered Brown’s campus and took the lives of Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov before driving 50 miles to Brookline, Massachusetts and killing MIT nuclear physicist Nuno Loureiro two days later, according to authorities. Neves-Valente avoided capture and a manhunt lasting several days followed. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot in a storage shed Thursday night in Salem, New Hampshire. Law enforcement officials and investigators credit a homeless man who lived on Brown’s campus for providing an account of his interaction with Neves-Valente that eventually led to the shooter.  Had Brown University been equipped with preventative technology and had cameras in the facilities which the gunman targeted, it’s possible the shooter would have been apprehended and the MIT professor would not have been killed.

AmericaFest honors Target employee Jeanie Beeman after viral video shows calm response to harassment

AmericaFest honors Target employee Jeanie Beeman after viral video shows calm response to harassment

Turning Point USA honored a Target employee who went viral after a customer accosted her for wearing a Charlie Kirk shirt to work this weekend. Jeanie Beeman, 72, received a flood of support from conservatives on social media after a woman filmed herself confronting Beeman about the shirt. The woman in the video hurled expletives at Beeman and condemned her as a “racist,” but Beeman reacted calmly and de-escalated the situation. “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to stand here and argue with you,” Beeman tells the woman in the video before wishing her a good day. Conservative activists Benny Johnson and Jack Posobiec welcomed Beeman to the stage at AmericaFest on Saturday. ERIKA KIRK WELCOMES ATTENDEES TO FIRST AMERICAFEST SINCE HUSBAND’S DEATH, ENDORSES JD VANCE FOR PRESIDENT “Jeanie, the woman who was harassed at Target for wearing a Charlie Kirk shirt, just joined me ON STAGE at AmericaFest,” Johnson wrote on X after the event. “Patriots have donated over $260,000+ to her since the incident where she defended Charlie’s name. From being harassed at work to standing on stage at TPUSA’s biggest event of the year. This is how we fight darkness with light.” The four-day AmericaFest event held at the Phoenix Convention Center features big names from the world of conservative politics, including Vice President JD Vance, who is expected to be the event’s keynote speaker on Sunday, and Erika Kirk, who is headlining the event. The conference comes as the organization grapples with the September assassination of Kirk, who was gunned down at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. RILEY GAINES PRAISES TO ERIKA KIRK BEFORE OLE MISS TURNING POINT EVENT: ‘SHE IS A FORCE’  “At AmericaFest 2025, we gather to honor Charlie’s legacy — to continue the mission he began and to celebrate the country he loved,” TPUSA wrote. AmericaFest is expected to attract over 30,000 attendees over the course of the weekend, with organizers saying this year is set to see the biggest turnout yet. It also comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with organizers looking to energize a new demographic of young voters with the hopes of strengthening the conservative base before a new flock of students heads to the polling place next year. Attendees can also expect to hear from several other conservative heavyweights at the conference, including Donald Trump Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, as TPUSA looks to rebuild after the tragic death of its founder while staying true to its roots of facilitating conversations across the political spectrum. Fox News’ Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.

DNI Gabbard warns ‘Islamist ideology’ threatens Western freedom at AmFest

DNI Gabbard warns ‘Islamist ideology’ threatens Western freedom at AmFest

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a blunt warning about “Islamist ideology” at a high-profile conservative gathering Saturday, casting the threat as fundamentally incompatible with Western freedom. “The threats from this Islamist ideology come in many forms,” Gabbard told an audience at Turning Point USA’s (TPUSA) annual AmericaFest conference. RIFT IN MAGA MOVEMENT ON FULL DISPLAY AT TPUSA’S AMERICAFEST “As we approach Christmas, right now in Germany they are canceling Christmas markets because of this threat.” Gabbard, who oversees the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, said the ideology stands in direct conflict with American liberty. “When we talk about the threat of Islamism, this political ideology, there is no such thing as individual freedom or liberty,” she said. Gabbard’s remarks were notable given her role overseeing the nation’s intelligence community, a position that traditionally avoids overt ideological framing in public remarks, particularly at partisan political events. TPUSA BEGAN AS A SCRAPPY CAMPUS GROUP AND GREW INTO A NATIONAL, MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR POLITICAL FORCE Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest has become a marquee gathering for conservative activists, lawmakers and influencers, where national security, immigration and cultural issues are increasingly framed as part of a broader ideological struggle. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment clarifying whether Gabbard’s remarks reflected official U.S. intelligence assessments or her personal views. TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk positioned the organization as a hub for conservative youth activism, frequently hosting high-profile figures who frame political and security debates in ideological terms. Kirk carried that influence onto college campuses nationwide, drawing large crowds for live, unscripted debates on religion, Islamism, free speech, immigration and American culture. It was at an event at Utah Valley University, where he was fielding open-mic questions from thousands on Sept. 10 when he was shot and killed. The charged nature of modern political activism has also raised alarms about political violence, with authorities increasingly warning of threats tied to large public gatherings. European security officials have raised security alerts around holiday events in recent years following a series of Islamist-inspired attacks, including deadly incidents in Germany, France and Belgium, prompting heightened police presence or temporary cancellations at some Christmas markets.

After rough 2025 elections, top GOP hopeful says conservatism’s future runs through sound economic message

After rough 2025 elections, top GOP hopeful says conservatism’s future runs through sound economic message

All 100 of North Carolina’s counties are on the schedule for Michael Whatley, who is running for an open Senate seat as the GOP looks to course-correct after losses in 2025. Whatley, the former  Republican National Committee chairman, is facing former Gov. Roy Cooper in a bid to succeed Sen. Thom Tillis, a two-term Republican who decided not to run for re-election. Whatley joined President Donald Trump in Rocky Mount on Friday night, just before he flew to Phoenix to speak at AmericaFest. Republicans are also looking to flip the state’s First Congressional District, which currently includes the noted Interstate 95 waypoint. Whatley said the reception both at the rally and across the state has been “absolutely fantastic,” and that it is important for any candidate to travel to every corner of an expansive, diverse state like North Carolina. NC SENATE CANDIDATE SAYS ICE CHARLOTTE OPS THE RESULT OF EX-GOV OPPONENT REPEATEDLY BLUNTING COOPERATION “The conservative movement is very, very strong, and we’ve got a lot of champions right now, especially when you compare us to what the Democrats are doing,” he said. “You know, we won when we focused on the issues that the American people cared about, right? President Trump said he was going to rebuild our economy, restore our borders, and make sure America is respected again around the world.” “The Democrats ran exactly the opposite: Inflationary spending, open borders, and a weak America. So we feel very good about where we are as a conservative movement. And we feel very good about our ability to win these elections as long as we’re going to be focused on what the voters care about.” CHARLOTTE PROMISES TO RESIST PENDING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘CAMPAIGN OF TERROR’ Asked about Republicans coming up short in key races this past November, Whatley said his response will be to remain focused on issues that people in the Tarheel State care about. “We’ve got an agenda that is focused on creating jobs and raising wages and lowering prices. We need to focus on keeping our kids and our communities safe,” he said. “And we need to make sure that our men and women in uniform based in North Carolina around the country have what they need to protect our interests and allies around the world.” CHARLOTTE TRAIN MURDER FRONT AND CENTER IN CRUCIAL 2026 SENATE BATTLE: ‘SOFT-ON-CRIME POLICIES’ Whatley was also a proponent of ICE’s Operation Charlotte’s Web, which targeted criminal illegal aliens in and around Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. He told Fox News Digital that the immigration issue is key to keeping America’s communities safe. Democratic border policy, Whatley said, has turned even North Carolina into a border state – despite its farthest west town, Murphy, being 1,300 miles from Mexico. “We have many, many violent criminal illegal aliens in North Carolina. Many of them get arrested We had legislation that was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly to require sheriffs to honor the ICE detainers and move those criminals out,” he said. “I’m very glad that President Trump was there to make sure that we’re getting these types of violent criminal illegal aliens off of the streets.” Fox News’ Olivia Palumbo contributed to this report.

Media ‘complicity’ blamed as feds say Minnesota fraud crisis could reach $9B: ‘Shown their true colors’

Media ‘complicity’ blamed as feds say Minnesota fraud crisis could reach B: ‘Shown their true colors’

Minnesota’s sprawling fraud crisis has garnered national headlines in recent weeks, but several critics say the problem festered for years, aided by local media that appeared uninterested in holding people in power accountable.  “In newsrooms, they’re told, ‘We can’t run that because we’re going to be accused of being racist,’” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage recently told Fox News Digital about news outlets in Minnesota essentially enabling the fraud by not calling out shocking taxpayer waste occurring primarily within the local Somali community. The outlet that is considered by many the top news source in the region, the Minnesota Star Tribune, has faced criticism on social media in recent days over some of its headlines, including “Minnesota Somali community grapples with fraud cases while pushing back against stereotypes” on Nov. 26 and “Trump claims Minnesota lost billions to fraud. The evidence to date isn’t close” on Dec. 11.  On Thursday, federal prosecutors held a press conference where they revealed that the true scope of the fraud scandal could end up costing taxpayers around $9 billion, prompting some conservatives on social media to point out the Dec. 11 headline. MINNESOTA’S FRAUD SCANDAL WAS ‘SHOCKINGLY EASY’ TO PULL OFF, IS LIKELY WORSE THAN REPORTED: EX PROSECUTOR “The Minnesota Star Tribune masquerades as a newspaper,” New York Post columnist Miranda Devine posted on X. “It’s actually a Democrat front, hiding news, twisting facts, lying outright. One of the worst in the country.” Additionally, the paper’s CEO is Steve Grove, who served as Gov. Tim Walz’s former commissioner of employment and economic development, which has sparked criticism from some who say that the paper is hesitant to pin Walz to the fraud crisis.  Fox News Digital spoke to several locals who argued that media outlets either didn’t cover the scandal thoroughly enough or, in cases where it was covered, Walz’s oversight role was downplayed. “The Minnesota Star Tribune has proven itself to be nothing more than communist fish wrap,” Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota 6th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital.  “They’ve shown their true colors throughout their sorry coverage of the massive fraud in my home state. Fraudsters stole over a billion dollars from taxpayers on Tim Walz and [state Attorney General] Keith Ellison’s watch. However, the blame also falls on the largest, most widely read newspaper in the state for failing to hold Minnesota’s so-called ‘leaders’ accountable as decent journalism requires. Their bias stinks to high heaven, but that’s not surprising given that their top dog is a former Tim Walz appointee.” INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT Last week, the conservative media watchdog Newsbusters reported that even after the scandal broke into the national spotlight, major news broadcast networks were still downplaying the fraud issue and focusing more on President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on the matter. Grage told Fox News Digital the news landscape has shifted over the last decade or so from a point where the news was covered fairly in the era of governors like Independent Jesse Ventura and Republican Tim Pawlenty, into “complicit media that carries water for Democrats.” “Conservatives in these newsrooms, they have told me that they try to push stories, but a lot of the time they bump into roadblocks with their newsrooms,” Grage told Fox News Digital. Grage painted a general picture of newsrooms in Minnesota filled with staffers sympathetic to the DFL, Minnesota’s Democrat Party apparatus, and said a key problem is the fear of being labeled “racist” in their coverage of fraud in the Somali community. “In regard specifically to the Somali fraud scandal, newsrooms will come back at them and say, ‘Well, we can’t run that because we’re gonna be accused of being racist.’ And at the end of the day, that’s where a lot of this has stemmed from,” Grage told Fox News Digital. “I mean, we can talk about the media complacency, the severe funding deficits for Republicans in our campaigns, but a lot of the time it’s just simply put, people are afraid of being called a racist.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Minnesota Star Tribune for comment.