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American ‘jihad’ fueled by ‘risky source’ inside US borders, warns national security expert

American ‘jihad’ fueled by ‘risky source’ inside US borders, warns national security expert

After the Justice Department announced charges against an Iraqi militia leader for directing terror attacks inside the U.S., a national security expert warned of a “risky source” contributing to “jihad”-type terrorist activity inside America’s borders. Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a senior member of the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hizballah terror group, is accused of orchestrating nearly 20 terrorist attacks across Europe and plotting attacks on Jewish institutions. Authorities also said al-Saadi publicly threatened President Donald Trump and his family. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, said that vetting failures of supposed Iraqi and Afghan allies and an all-too-generous social welfare system have left the United States vulnerable to terrorism. “It’s not just open borders. We offer so many pathways to immigrate here, either temporarily or permanently, and, unfortunately, every time you offer an immigration benefit, people will flock to it and often commit fraud to obtain it,” said Ries. FBI BRINGS IRAQI MAN ACCUSED OF COORDINATING NEARLY 20 TERROR ATTACKS IN EUROPE TO FACE TRIAL IN NEW YORK “When you combine these factors of a prior open border, millions of deportable aliens inside the U.S., common believers for jihad, then that leads to real terror threats inside the U.S.,” she said. “Al-Saadi calls on others to carry out jihad, and, unfortunately, there are many who are willing to do it.” Ries explained that the U.S. intelligence community’s threat assessments for this year and 2025 included “discussion of Iranian commitment to decades-long attacks against the U.S. using surrogate networks inside the U.S.” In the last year, Ries said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally present in the country, including a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member with Hezbollah ties, other IRGC members and operatives, a former Iranian army sniper and known terrorists. One of these, Asif Merchant, who prosecutors described as a trained IRGC operative, was convicted in April of murder for hire and attempting to commit an act of terror. From this, Ries said, “We have to assume there are more operatives inside the country.” Besides the open-border policies under the Biden administration, Ries said, “There’s so much fraud in the system, whether that’s asylum fraud, whether that is marriage fraud, H-1B fraud, a plethora of visa types.” “Also,” she continued, “We’ve had programs in place for decades to reward those who helped in some fashion the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it’s difficult to vet them thoroughly.” “If people truly assisted the U.S. military, not some attenuated contractor scenario, which is very common, and they deserve protection, then let’s protect them,” she granted. “But that doesn’t mean bring them all here, because that is a risky source of threats inside the U.S.” WATCH: EYE-POPPING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION STAT PROMPTS SENATOR’S DEMAND TO ‘REDOUBLE’ DEPORTATIONS Further, she said America’s generous immigration benefits have created an “unwieldy, unmanageable” system that “just endangers the U.S. from a national security perspective and economic security perspective, public safety, etc.” “You need very thorough vetting for any immigration benefit that’s offered,” she explained, adding, “We need to be choosy, in particular, about the types of benefits we’re giving.” Ries called for the “narrowing” of immigration into the country, saying leaders need to “be very thorough and deliberate about who we are bringing to the U.S.” “We saw people come to the U.S. from at least 180 countries during the Biden administration. There’s only 192 other countries. So truly, most of the world came here,” she said, adding, “We as a nation can be and should be very choosy in particular about who we bring here and why.” PATEL SAYS FBI IS ‘MANHUNTING’ TERROR SUSPECTS AROUND THE GLOBE AFTER TWO HIGH-VALUE CAPTURES She said al-Saadi’s case highlights these dangers, explaining, “He doesn’t even have to have direct contact with those who have similar beliefs inside the U.S., but elsewhere in Europe, Canada, etc., who are perfectly willing to carry out jihad against those they view as the infidels, Americans, Jews, etc.” “So, ICE has a lot of work to do still to conduct mass deportations with terror threats at the top of the list,” Ries added.  

FIRST ON FOX: Behind the scenes of Arlington’s Memorial Day tribute for America’s 250th birthday

FIRST ON FOX: Behind the scenes of Arlington’s Memorial Day tribute for America’s 250th birthday

FIRST ON FOX: In observance of Memorial Day, country stars, veterans and lawmakers will host a candlelight ceremony to mark America’s 250th birthday at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia Monday. “Memorial Day is a sacred reminder that freedom is never free. We honor the brave men and women who gave their lives defending America and its founding principles that we hold dear,” said the event’s master of ceremonies, Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, to Fox News Digital. “Their sacrifice is the foundation of American freedom, and we thank God for their courage.”  Organizers shared event details and rendering with Fox News Digital for a national celebration honoring America’s heroes during a pivotal year bringing together country music stars and officials. “Set against the sacred grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, the evening will serve as a powerful national tribute to America’s fallen heroes through storytelling, music, remembrance, and reflection,” said Freedom250, the nonpartisan group helping coordinate the broader America250 effort, said in a press release. TRUMP LAUNCHES MASSIVE ‘FREEDOM 250’ PUSH TO IGNITE AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Grammy Award-winning country music artist Gretchen Wilson will take the stage to perform. “I am overwhelmed to have been asked to honor the fallen heroes and their families this Memorial Day. What a sacred place, I pray I do it justice,” said Wilson. A newly released rendering shared first with Fox News Digital showed an aerial view of the amphitheater where the event will take place. COUNTRY SINGER CRAIG MORGAN SAYS HE’S NOT DONE SERVING AFTER ARMY RESERVE PROMOTION AT 61 The program will honor Medal of Honor recipient, West Point graduate and Vietnam prisoner of war Capt. Humbert “Rocky” Versace, highlighting his faith, leadership and resilience during his time in captivity. The evening will also honor Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, a U.S. Army Special Forces officer, Green Beret and Citadel graduate who was killed in Afghanistan while serving alongside Afghan commandos in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Fox News Digital learned.  Eggers was remembered for his humility, courage and unwavering commitment to his fellow soldiers, said Freedom250 in a press release. MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT REMEMBERS SERGEANT MAJOR KILLED IN IRAQ: ‘WE WERE GOING TO AVENGE THAT MAN’ Veteran and national security leader Jason Beardsley, Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. Patrick Henry Brady, noted historian Dr. Mark Moyar and members of the Eggers family are expected to share personal reflections on military service, sacrifice and the lasting human cost of freedom during the evening’s tribute. “Memorial Day is about more than remembrance,” said Beardsley, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Army Special Operations Forces, said in the press release. “It is about preserving the legacy of those who gave everything for this country and ensuring future generations understand the true cost of freedom.” There will also be a wreath-laying and National Memorial Day Observance both streamed live. The wreath-laying pre-program will additionally have a performance by veteran and country singer Craig Morgan. The candlelight tribute will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday and conclude at 10 p.m.

Newsom’s ‘break the glass’ warning fuels Hilton accusation Democrats are exploiting jungle primary fears

Newsom’s ‘break the glass’ warning fuels Hilton accusation Democrats are exploiting jungle primary fears

California Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Steve Hilton blasted Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for “fear mongering” after the governor suggested he had a contingency plan if Democrats appeared at risk of being shut out of the general election. California’s primary election is just two weeks away, and under the state’s jungle primary system — where the top two vote-getters advance regardless of party — both Democrats and Republicans fear they won’t be represented in the general election. Newsom expressed his concern about a Republican shutdown last Thursday during a news conference, explaining that he has a “break the glass scenario” to ensure Democrats aren’t “locked out.” “There’s many people that have a deep understanding of what it would look like if Democrats were locked out, and we’re going to do everything to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Newsom said. “I’ll leave it there.” JOY REID BLASTS CA DEMS FOR LETTING GOP CONTENDERS TAKE LEAD IN GOVERNOR’S RACE Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for further comment. Hilton claimed that Newsom’s comments were a tactic to split Republican voters between himself and Republican candidate Chad Bianco. “He’s not trying to stop a ‘top two Republican’ outcome because that is not possible and never was,” Hilton said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Chad Bianco is far behind in the polls and fundraising, and has no chance of being in the top two.” GOP CANDIDATE BIANCO’S TWO-WORD JAB AT KATIE PORTER DRAWS GASPS FROM CALIFORNIA DEBATE AUDIENCE RealClearPolitics’ polling averages show Hilton leading the pack of candidates, with Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra in a close second. Meanwhile, Bianco trails in fourth place. Hilton argued it would be Newsom’s “ideal scenario” to have two Democrats facing off, saying it would deflect attention from Newsom’s “appalling record” as he eyes a 2028 presidential run. “Newsom and the Democrats are fearmongering over a R vs R matchup in the general election precisely to encourage Republicans to split their votes, thus guaranteeing an all-Democrat top two,” Hilton said in a statement for Fox News Digital. In a video posted to X on Tuesday, Hilton called on his Republican opponent Bianco to drop out of the race, in an effort to ensure a Republican is on the ballot. Political strategists have said there is a valid fear among both Democrats and Republicans that their party could be shut out of the general election due to the jungle primary system, which went into effect after voters approved it in a statewide referendum in 2010. “This is really the first gubernatorial election where there’s no obvious winner, so that’s why it’s such a tense thing,” Richard Winger, owner of Ballot Access News, told Fox News Digital. Winger and former Democratic state Sen. Dario Frommer pointed to other races where the seat was open and two candidates of the same party were running against each other in the general election. “The Republicans were shut out in the California U.S. Senate primary in 2018 when the top two vote getters were Kamala Harris and Rep. Linda Sanchez, and there have been other races where either Republicans or Democrats were shut out of the general election because of the top two,” Frommer, who is now a legislative strategist, told Fox News Digital. “I think early on there was genuine, genuine concern of the Democratic party, because there were so many Democratic candidates that Hilton and Bianco were going to be the top two vote getters,” Frommer told Fox News Digital. “Now that’s changed a bit.” Frommer said that, based on current polling, the top two vote-getters appear likely to be Hilton, Becerra, and Democratic candidate Tom Steyer. But at the same time Frommer said Democrats aren’t in the clear either. “Usually, there’s a lot more people overall voting by this point, and they’re not, and so I think that concern is real for Democrats, that people wait too long to fill out their ballots, and there’s only two Republican candidates,” Frommer told Fox News Digital. The fear of either party being shut out of the general election this fall has prompted Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio to organize a ballot initiative campaign to eliminate the jungle primary system, a measure that could appear on the 2028 ballot. “I think if two Republicans make the ballot, or if two Democrats make the ballot, then voter outrage will be high, and that will only focus on just what a failed experiment this is,” Maviglio said of the jungle primary system.

Bodies of Italian divers recovered from cave in Maldives

Bodies of Italian divers recovered from cave in Maldives

NewsFeed The bodies of two of five Italian divers who died in a deep underwater cave in the Maldives have been recovered. Authorities are investigating what caused the experienced group’s deaths. Published On 20 May 202620 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)

Republican Thomas Massie who stood up to Trump defeated in Kentucky primary

Republican Thomas Massie who stood up to Trump defeated in Kentucky primary

With an estimated 72 percent of the vote counted, Ed Gallrein led with 54.4 percent to Massie’s 45.6 percent. US President Donald Trump has tightened his grip on the Republican Party as Kentucky voters ousted one of the few conservative lawmakers willing to openly challenge his authority. Congressman Thomas Massie‘s defeat, which was predicted by US news networks, including NBC and CNN, about two hours after polls closed on Tuesday, marks another victory in Trump’s campaign to punish dissent within Republican ranks. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list With an estimated 72 percent of the vote counted, former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein led with 54.4 percent of the vote to Massie’s 45.6 percent. The Associated Press news agency called the race for Gallrein, whose campaign was backed by Trump’s endorsement as well as millions of dollars from pro-Trump and pro-Israel political lobby groups. The contest, widely described as the most expensive House of Representatives primary in US history, saw more than $32m spent on advertising and offered the latest evidence of Trump’s hold over Republicans. It followed the primary defeat on Saturday of another Trump critic, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, as well as losses for dissenting Republican state lawmakers in Indiana earlier this month. “Massie got Trumped. Donald Trump is the sun and the moon and the stars in the Republican Party in Kentucky,” Kentucky-based Republican strategist TJ Litafik said. A test of Trump’s influence The Kentucky vote was closely watched as a test of whether Trump’s hold on Republican voters remained firm despite concerns over his war on Iran, growing inflation and declining personal approval ratings, and whether there was still space in the party for lawmakers willing to break with him. Advertisement Massie had angered Trump by opposing US military action in Iran and Venezuela, criticising aid to Israel, resisting parts of the president’s agenda, and backing efforts to release files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The president spent months attacking Massie, a libertarian-leaning seven-term congressman, calling him a “moron”, a “nut job” and a “major sleazebag”. “Dealing with him is just horrible. I don’t think he’s a Republican… He’s not a libertarian,” Trump told reporters after polls opened on Tuesday. “Sometimes they say he’s really a Dumb-ocrat. He votes against us all the time,” Trump said, using a nickname he frequently deploys against Democrats. ‘I’m not running against President Trump’ In the northern Kentucky city of Covington, Rob Barkley, a former Trump supporter who backed Massie, said the president’s attacks had pushed him further towards the congressman. “He’s on the Republican side, so he has a conservative mindset,” Barkley told US media after casting his ballot. “But he’s not as far-right leaning as Trump’s politics,” he said. Massie, who voted with Trump roughly 90 percent of the time during the president’s second term, framed the contest as a broader test of independence within the Republican Party. “I’m not running against President Trump. Most of the people voting for me support President Trump like I do,” Massie said. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also made a rare appearance in Massie’s district on Monday to campaign for Gallrein. Federal law restricts government employees from engaging in partisan political activity while on duty, but Hegseth’s office said he attended in a personal capacity and that no taxpayer money was used. Trump later revealed that Hegseth’s campaign appearance came just hours before the US had expected to launch a new military assault on Iran, although the operation was later postponed. Several US states, including Georgia and Pennsylvania, held primaries on Tuesday in advance of November’s midterm elections, but the Kentucky race emerged as one of the night’s most closely-watched contests. Massie, first elected in 2012, had long been one of Trump’s most persistent Republican critics. Adblock test (Why?)

China’s Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Beijing

China’s Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Beijing

BREAKINGBREAKING, Xi and Putin hold talks just days after US President Donald Trump made an official visit to China. Published On 20 May 202620 May 2026 A meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin has started in Beijing, Chinese state media reports. Xi welcomed Putin on Wednesday to the Chinese capital, shaking hands with the Russian leader outside the Great Hall of the People in advance of their talks, video by Russian media showed. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Before entering the Great Hall, Putin and Xi walked down a red carpet, rolled out to greet the Russian leader, and stood as a military band played their two national anthems. Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, said the visit by Putin and that of the recently concluded trip by US President Donald Trump are very different as the Russian leader is marking 25 years of Sino-Russian friendship and Putin has already visited China 25 times so far. “So this visit will really be about deepening existing coordination and cooperation,” Yu said. “We are expecting that the two sides will update each other on the situation in the Middle East as well as Ukraine. No doubt Xi Jinping will also talk to Putin about what was discussed with Donald Trump last week,” Yu said. Putin is being accompanied by a large delegation of Russian businesspeople and government leaders, Yu said, adding the Kremlin had announced the two leaders will sign some 40 different agreements covering everything from the economy and tourism to education. “But I think for Putin the main topic of discussion with Xi Jinping is going to be on energy security,” Yu added. This is a breaking news story. More to follow soon. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)