Wherever he happens to be in the world, War Secretary Pete Hegseth often posts photos or videos of himself doing PT (Physical Training) with the troops — and critics are now using some of those videos to mock Hegseth’s fitness level.
Guys, the Secretary of War is not doing PT with the troops to prove to the terminally online fitness experts that he’s the baddest and the buffest soldier of them all. He’s doing it because it signals to every service member that he’s with them. I went through Army Basic Training in 1999, and it&#8217;s more clear than ever that some things never change: the leaders who earn the respect of their soldiers are the ones who get down in the mud with them.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth joins Marines from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing for a workout at the Miramar Sports Complex in San Diego.
The session included push-ups, pull-ups, weighted lunges, burpees and other exercises across 10 stations. https://t.co/fEc5pYOASt
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2107877440949461145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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It&#8217;s also clear that some critics have no idea how military calisthenics are supposed to work. They post their videos and claim that Hegseth is &#8220;struggling&#8221; to finish — and never consider the possibility that the workout was designed to push soldiers to their absolute limits.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Pete Hegseth struggles while working out with troops in San Diego https://t.co/e1sSWtrBDv
— FactPost (@factpostnews) <a href="https://x.com/factpostnews/status/2107864056174358780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Calisthenics workouts, from the very first days of training on, are absolutely brutal and intentionally so. I can recall more than a few core-focused workouts from my time at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, that reduced grown men to tears. If you don&#8217;t look like you&#8217;re dying — or at least feel like you are — by the end of the session, then you&#8217;re not doing it right. Every workout is designed to push limits, test stamina, and drive you to muscle failure — after which you&#8217;re told to walk it off and do it again.
They&#8217;re made to induce failure — and then push you past it — in a safe environment because failure is not an option on the battlefield. The enemy is not going to give you a water break, and if you&#8217;re only halfway to safety when your legs give out, you have to be able to tap into that muscle memory.
So when the War Department posts these videos — even the ones that show Hegseth and some of the other service members eating sh*t at the end of a workout — the point is not that Hegseth is the verybestever™ at PT, and it never has been. It’s that he’s a leader who is willing to put himself in with his soldiers.
And it&#8217;s clear that the troops understand that. During Hegseth&#8217;s recent trip to greet the beleaguered sailors aboard the USS Lincoln, they watched as he held himself accountable for a verbal gaffe in real time. After announcing that at the outset of Epic Fury, they&#8217;d performed &#8220;60 hours of constant combat flight ops,&#8221; someone in the crowd shouted that it was actually more than 100 hours.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll do two push-ups,&#8221; Hegseth said, immediately acknowledging his error and taking the traditional military punishment upon himself. The sailors laughed and cheered as he knocked them out right there on the deck — and then corrected the record: &#8220;160 straight hours with 60 strike hours, okay, I stand corrected!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;I&#8217;ll do two pushups.&#8221;
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth drops to the deck for two push-ups after correcting himself while praising service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln for their combat flight operations during Epic Fury.
The sailors erupt in cheers as Hegseth knocks out the push-ups before jumping back into his remarks.
&#8220;160 straight hours with 60 strike hours. Okay, I stand corrected.&#8221;
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2107908231825666204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
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So does it matter, as critics suggest, if Hegseth lags behind some of the troops on a run? Of course not! He’s 46 years old and no longer on active duty. I’m 47, and it might shock you to learn that I&#8217;m not only quite a bit slower than I was during training (when I was 20), but I can no longer do the nine pull-ups I could at peak condition. The fact that professional soldiers in their late teens and early twenties can outrun a man old enough to be their father is not sad; it’s expected — or at least it should be.
EXHIBIT A: My dad, CPT John Greenplate (1954-2017), was 44 when he received his commission into the U.S. Army Reserve — just two years younger than Hegseth is now — and because the age cutoff at the time was 37, he had to request a waiver in order to be accepted. The recruiter warned that the waiver would hinge on how well he did at PT. Dad just laughed.
A four-minute miler for much of his high school and college career, Dad held the Delaware State High School record in the two-mile (9:21) from 1972-2012 and went to the NCAA championships with William &amp; Mary’s 4th-place cross country team in 1973. At 44, he could still lay down a mile in under six flat.
After several reserve drill weekends, he called me to complain, asking, “What’s wrong with these kids?”
His concern: he was outrunning them. Easily. To him, the younger soldiers were supposed to be faster and stronger than he was, and it worried him that they weren’t.
It&#8217;s also worth noting that any time a big name shows up at PT, the rank and file interpret that as an open challenge — they all know that the guy who outran or did more pull-ups than the War Secretary will never have to pay for a drink again, especially if there&#8217;s proof.
So keep posting videos of Hegseth getting tired at the end of a session, “struggling” to finish a calisthenics workout, and “trailing behind” the troops on a run. You’re missing the point — and making his.

Secretary Of War Hegseth Hosts Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi

How Hegseth’s Critics Just Handed Him A Win

department of war

military fitness

opinion

pete hegseth

united states military

uss abraham lincoln

War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday that Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Hasan&#8217;s December 3 execution by firing squad will be made public, saying, &#8220;We&#8217;ll make sure that people are able to watch it.&#8221;
Hegseth told &#8220;Human Events&#8221; host Jack Posobiec that he wanted to make sure people understood the serious consequences of Hasan&#8217;s attack, which killed 13 people in 2009.
Hegseth said the execution has been scheduled to mirror Hasan&#8217;s massacre, taking place at Fort Hood on a Thursday at 1 p.m. local time, matching the day of the week and time of the attack.
&#8220;An Army Major betrays his country, radical Islamist, kills a bunch of Americans at Fort Hood — of course we&#8217;re going to do it at Fort Hood. We&#8217;re going to do it on a Thursday, we&#8217;re going to do it at one o&#8217;clock, which is when he did it, and it&#8217;s going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;It hasn&#8217;t been since World War II since we&#8217;ve done that, and I kind of like the mentality that we had in World War II, which was WIN. Which was understand when the enemy attacks you, you stand your ground.&#8221;
&#8220;So it was a radical Islamist terror attack,&#8221; Hegseth continued, asking, &#8220;Remember what Obama called it? Workplace violence? I mean, that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re up against. That&#8217;s the world view we&#8217;re up against. It&#8217;s &#8216;workplace violence.&#8217; We know what it is, it was a radical Islamist attack in uniform, inside the ranks and so he&#8217;s going to get a firing squad of soldiers. As it should be.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ll make sure that people are able to watch it. That it&#8217;s public. Because people need to understand that this is — there&#8217;s serious consequences for these types of things!&#8221; the War Secretary declared.
Posobiec asked whether Hasan had made any special requests, but Hegseth made it clear he wasn&#8217;t interested in hearing any of that.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t care. We&#8217;ll see him on December 3rd,&#8221; he replied.
Hasan opened fire at Fort Hood in 2009, killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 others while yelling &#8220;Allahu Akbar.&#8221; He was sentenced to death in 2013.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Fort Hood Terrorist’s Execution Will Be Public And Mirror His Deadly Attack

death penalty

fort hood shooting

jack posobiec

nidal hasan

Angel Carrasco flashed a wide grin at bystanders Thursday as New York City&#8217;s finest marched him out of a police station in shackles.
The accused killer kept smiling as officers escorted him to a waiting vehicle. Spectators shouted at him as he passed. &#8220;Coward! Coward!&#8221; they yelled. &#8220;I hope they f*cking kill your *ss in jail.&#8221;
Carrasco, 31, is accused of throwing his girlfriend, Nathaly Ramirez, 23, and their eight-month-old baby girl, Angel Novalty Carrasco-Ramirez, from a 15th-floor balcony before sunrise on Tuesday. The fall killed Ramirez, but The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/10/08/us-news/monster-accused-of-pushing-girlfriend-baby-off-nyc-balcony-flashes-demonic-grin-as-hes-hauled-away-by-cops/">reported</a> that the infant is still holding on at nearby Jacobi Hospital.
According to law enforcement, Carrasco arrived at Ramirez&#8217;s apartment with flowers, hoping to reconcile after he&#8217;d been arrested twice at that location for domestic violence. When his reconciliation attempt failed, he allegedly threw Ramirez and the baby off the balcony before fleeing the scene.
&#8220;I heard someone shouting, ‘Jump!’ It was a male voice,&#8221; Robin Mendzies, one of Ramirez&#8217;s neighbors, told The Post on Wednesday. &#8220;Then I heard a big thud and a woman wailing, ‘No, please, no!’ It sounded like she was begging for an inevitable thing not to happen.&#8221;
&#8220;In the last moment of her life she was protecting her daughter,&#8221; Ramirez&#8217;s high school friend Dominique Rosado told The Post. &#8220;That’s what it means to be a mother. She was a good mother.&#8221;
Local law enforcement officers and U.S. Marshals apprehended Carrasco on Wednesday evening.
He was <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/10/07/us-news/thug-in-fatal-15th-floor-shove-of-mom-and-baby-brought-flowers-to-reconcile-for-domestic-assaults-sources/">previously arrested</a> at Ramirez&#8217;s apartment in January and charged with third-degree assault after he allegedly slapped her for complaining that he&#8217;d been talking to an ex-girlfriend. Three days later, he was charged with breaking into the apartment and waiting for Ramirez to return.
He also had at least one prior arrest for sending threatening texts to another ex-girlfriend and two additional arrests for unrelated offenses.

Screenshot

Accused Killer Grins At Crowd During Perp Walk After Pushing Girlfriend, Baby Off Balcony

Suspect Flashes Creepy Smile During Perp Walk For Throwing Girlfriend, Baby From 15th Floor

angel carrasco

crime

domestic violence

nathaly ramirez

new york city

U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI) appeared to struggle to decide whether Israel or the Iranian regime posed a greater threat to the United States.
Leland Vittert, host of &#8220;On Balance,&#8221; posed the question in reference to a claim made by one of El-Sayed&#8217;s supporters — who had openly declared Israel to be the greater threat.
&#8220;One of your supporters we interviewed seemed to think that Iran was a bigger threat — Israel — seemed to think Israel was a bigger threat than Iran to the United States. Do you agree?&#8221; Vittert asked.
El-Sayed, rather than answer the question directly, attempted to reframe the conversation by suggesting that Iran was only a threat because Israel had made it so.
&#8220;Well, look, at the end of the day, our job is to address our issues diplomatically,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But, right now, we are in the war in Iran, in part, because of the advocacy of the Israeli prime minister. There&#8217;s no disagreement on that. He came to the Situation Room and advocated for the war.&#8221;
El-Sayed went on to argue that depending on how one defined the word &#8220;threat,&#8221; the fact that the United States sends money to Israel in addition to funding the current military action posed a threat to everyday Americans by making things less affordable.
&#8220;We&#8217;re now paying, what? $1,600 for it — our gas, our groceries are unaffordable. And that&#8217;s on top of the billions in tax dollars that we spend sending our money over there. Now, how we think about a threat, that&#8217;s &#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;You&#8217;re going to be a senator, what do you view as the biggest threat?&#8221; Vittert attempted once more to get a straight answer out of El-Sayed.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been more than extremely clear about this. I don&#8217;t want our tax dollars being used to subsidize war abroad. I don&#8217;t want our tax dollars being used to fund, unconditionally, foreign militaries. I think it&#8217;s important that we be the first among equals to enforce international law against any and every country that breaks it. So, this sort of, like, hypothetical, who&#8217;s a bigger threat is a dumb question,&#8221; he claimed, adding, &#8220;The big question is … what is the public policy we really want?&#8221;
Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), who is running against El-Sayed, argued that the question was not &#8220;dumb&#8221; but the answer was concerning.
&#8220;Radio silence from Abdul El-Sayed about the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks — yet this surfaces today. I wish I could say this is shocking. When people tell you who they are, believe them,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/MikeRogersForMI/status/2107934422280638673">posted</a> on X.

Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Campaigns In Detroit

El-Sayed Asked If Iran Or Israel Is The Bigger Threat, Then Comes The ‘Dumb’ Remark

2026 midterm election

abdul el-sayed

iran

israel

michigan senate race

mike rogers

politics

A Tennessee judge ordered the state Wednesday to preserve all evidence related to the September 30 botched execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike.
Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles granted the request at a status hearing after Pike&#8217;s attorneys argued that evidence from the failed attempt would be needed to challenge any future effort to execute her.
&#8220;The state has made no promises that Miss Pike will not be subject to our future execution, and the evidence that we are seeking to preserve now is relevant for any future challenge that she makes,&#8221; attorney Luke Ihnen argued.
The order covers medical supplies used during the attempt — syringes, needles, tubing, and drugs — as well as the packaging labels that came with them and any notes from the medical professionals involved. It also includes anything that came with those supplies from the manufacturers, any photos or videos, and any notes taken during the proceedings.
Myles further ordered the state to make every effort to &#8220;claw back&#8221; anything that had already been discarded.
&#8220;The state will have no problem doing this because you all are already doing that,&#8221; Myles stated.
Ihnen also petitioned the court to allow Pike&#8217;s shackles to be removed and to give her access to a tablet or a phone.
Myles took the request regarding the shackles under advisement but has not yet ruled. She did allow Pike access to a phone, her tablet from the jail, and visitation with her attorneys.
Pike received two doses of the lethal injection drug pentobarbital during the September 30 execution attempt. She was taken to a hospital after the second dose failed to kill her and regained consciousness six days later.
Her attorneys said she was confused when she woke up and has since asked what happened.
&#8220;I was not in the room when she woke up, so I don’t want to speculate too much, but from our understanding the first thing she said when she woke up was, ‘Where am I, and who are you?’ &#8230; She has wanted to know what happened. She’s asked about her team, the victim’s family.&#8221;
The state confirmed at Wednesday&#8217;s hearing that there is no pending order for another execution attempt, but has left the possibility on the table.
&#8220;There is no pending execution order for Ms. Pike and there is no allegation that one is coming,&#8221; Tennessee Assistant Attorney General John W. Ayers said.
When Myles asked whether the state would rule out a future execution order, Ayers responded: &#8220;I can’t answer that question.&#8221;

Christa Pike

A Judge Gives Tennessee New Orders After An Execution Went Wrong

Judge's Ruling Lays Out Next Steps In Investigation Of Christa Pike's Botched Execution

botched execution

christa pike

lethal injection

tennessee

Bodycam footage released on Tuesday showed a 6-year-old perpetrator swearing at teachers and police officers after shooting Richneck Elementary School teacher Abby Zwerner in Newport News, Virginia, in 2023.
Immediately after the 2023 shooting, Zwerner and 16 other students fled the room while the alleged shooter — identified only as &#8220;J.T.&#8221; — was being restrained by reading specialist Amy Kovac when the police arrived. Zwerner later collapsed in the school office.
The <a href="https://x.com/_Patriot1776Q_/status/2107644446162767999">footage</a> came from the bodycam worn by Officer Brian Torrez, who responded to the scene with several other officers.
&#8220;The gun is there,” Kovac said, pointing across the room. &#8220;He just admitted that he had one … he had one bullet.&#8221;
The investigation revealed that there were additional bullets in the gun at the time.
&#8220;I got a weapon,&#8221; one of the sheriff&#8217;s deputies confirmed.
&#8220;Both y’all want a f*cking piece of me, b*tch?!&#8221; the boy shouted.
&#8220;Stop!&#8221; Kovac told the boy.
“F*ck you, b*tch,” he turned on her.
&#8220;Leave the gun there,&#8221; Torrez said, and a deputy stood by the weapon to keep eyes on it. It was identified later as a 9 mm Taurus handgun.
&#8220;We have the shooter,&#8221; one of the officers confirmed over the radio.
&#8220;I told the (assistant principal) that there was a threat earlier about it,&#8221; Kovac said.
&#8220;That (racial slur) retired last year,&#8221; the student shouted, but he did not say who he was talking about.
&#8220;How old is he?&#8221; one officer asked.
&#8220;He is 6 years old,&#8221; Kovac replied. &#8220;He has been on a modified schedule. His mother is to pick him up at 2:30. This is his first week without his mother coming to school with him.&#8221;
&#8220;1346, myself, and 2347 — and a sheriff’s deputy — are inside Room 11 with the suspect,&#8221; Torrez said, and he put on gloves. &#8220;Gun is secure.&#8221;
Kovac went on to say that she had been down the hall when she heard the shot and had been the one to call 911.
&#8220;We have some small handcuffs?&#8221; one officer asked, and another asked about the gun — which was still on the floor.
&#8220;Do you want me to stay?&#8221; Kovac asked the officers, still holding the student.
&#8220;You can stay for now if you feel comfortable,&#8221; Torrez said, and then asked of the student, &#8220;Um, is he okay?&#8221;
&#8220;He’s fine,&#8221; Kovac said. &#8220;You fine? Turn around. When you shot the gun, did anything hurt you?&#8221;
&#8220;No,&#8221; he replied.
&#8220;Where is the weapon?&#8221; another officer asked.
&#8220;It’s on the floor,&#8221; Kovac answered.
“It’s over there, whore,” the boy said.
&#8220;Stop,&#8221; Kovac said to him. &#8220;That’s not how we speak to each other.&#8221;
“F*ck you,” he said again. “F*ck you. F*ck you, b*tch.”
After determining that the boy did have what appeared to be gun residue on his hands, the officers instructed everyone not to touch his hands.
&#8220;My mom had that,&#8221; the boy said of the handgun, adding, &#8220;I stole that from my mom.&#8221;
Police asked for his name, which he gave. The audio of his name was muted on the released footage.
&#8220;If you want a piece of me, come get it on, b*tch,&#8221; the boy said. &#8220;I don’t care if you call backup. I don’t care if I go to jail, b*tch.”
&#8220;OK, buddy,&#8221; the sergeant said.
Kovac scolded the boy for his language, at which point she alleged that he punched her, knocking off her glasses.
&#8220;Young man,&#8221; the sergeant took the boy from the classroom then, saying, &#8220;Come here. You’re gonna come with me, son.&#8221;
The bodycam footage was <a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/10/06/richneck-classroom-video/">initially sealed</a> due to the presence of a minor, but was later unsealed with the stipulation that the minor&#8217;s face would be blurred.

Screenshot/bodycam

Bodycam Shows Foul-Mouthed 6-Year-Old Cursing Out Cops After Shooting Teacher

abby zwerner

newport news

richneck elementary school

school shooting

virginia

A professor at Pennsylvania&#8217;s Haverford College has been arrested for cyberstalking after he allegedly used anonymous X accounts to repeatedly harass and intimidate an unnamed colleague.
The <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/28725585/guangtian-ha-indictment.pdf">federal indictment</a>, unsealed on October 6, stated that <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/haverford-college-professor-charged-antisemitic-141457067.html">Guangtian Ha</a>, a religious studies professor whose focus is Islam in China, had often called for the complete extermination of the Jewish people — and had directed his actions toward one particular colleague personally, publishing the colleague&#8217;s home address and threatening his infant child by name.
Ha has been &#8220;charged with one count of cyberstalking pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2261A(2). The statutory maximum for cyberstalking is five years&#8217; imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.&#8221;
According to the unsealed court documents, Ha allegedly used at least four different anonymous accounts to post more than 50 replies to that colleague between October of 2025 and May of 2026, often targeting his Jewish identity specifically.
&#8220;Let there be an October 7 all day every day. Make it 6 million. Exterminate the jews,&#8221; one such reply read, in a clear reference to the Holocaust.
Another read, &#8220;There is nothing wrong to hate the jews. All normal Americans should, and I am glad to see more are waking up to the demonic evil of the jews.&#8221;
Other alleged comments included:
<ul>
<li>&#8220;Jew, get the f*ck out of my country.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Jew pig, get the f*ck out of Lower Merion.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;If jews are so special then they should also be placed in special camps and receive special treatments.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;LM jews are going to have it big time, jew. Remember this. You scums have had it too easy. Goyim are taking America back, blood-guzzling demons.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Jew, watch your [minor son&#8217;s name]. There will be a sign.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Your family has no future in the U.S. Give it another 10 years, and you shall see a true holocaust.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
As the harassment escalated, the colleague increased security at home — and according to the DOJ, the children were not permitted to play outside in the yard or wait for the school bus. Twice, the colleague&#8217;s spouse felt compelled to move out of the couple&#8217;s home, taking their three young children as well.
Ha made it clear in the messages that he was aware of the new security measures, posting, &#8220;The goyim have woken up, jew. Run. Flee. Leave. Blurring your home on google map and installing a security camera next to your mailbox won&#8217;t help.&#8221;
Haverford College President Wendy Raymond <a href="https://www.haverford.edu/president/news/message-president-wendy-raymond-0">sent out a letter</a> to the college community following Ha&#8217;s arrest, saying that she was &#8220;deeply distressed&#8221; by the news.
&#8220;Earlier today, Professor Guangtian Ha was arrested and charged with online harassment and intimidation. I am deeply distressed by these allegations and want to state in the plainest of terms that any form of harassment or discrimination based on identity is unacceptable, antithetical to our values, and has no place at Haverford,&#8221; she wrote.
Raymond noted that Ha had been on sabbatical and was not teaching – and that following his arrest, he&#8217;d been placed on administrative leave and barred from campus for the duration of the criminal investigation.
&#8220;I am heartbroken and furious at the possibility that an individual within our community would seek to inflict such pain on another. This disturbing news is made even more harmful for many given its proximity to both the Jewish High Holidays and the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks,&#8221; she added.
Haverford College had just recently settled a lawsuit — in which Ha was named — alleging that the institution had violated anti-discrimination laws by failing to ensure that Jewish students could participate in campus life without fear of ostracism or harassment. The lawsuit alleged that Jewish students were being singled out &#8220;if they express beliefs about Israel that are anything less than eliminationist.&#8221;
As part of the settlement, Haverford was <a href="https://www.haverford.edu/institutional-diversity-equity-and-access/combating-antisemitism">required to implement</a> annual antisemitism awareness training for both students and faculty. Ha referred to campus attempts to root out antisemitism as &#8220;Zionist witch hunts.&#8221;
In the wake of Ha&#8217;s arrest, a planned October 7 &#8220;art campaign in solidarity with Palestine&#8221; was canceled.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Haverford College has canceled a planned “art campaign in solidarity with Palestine” after one of its professors was arrested for anonymously cyberstalking a Jewish colleague.
The October 7 event was organized by the college’s YDSA chapter. https://t.co/snts4E3m3g
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) <a href="https://x.com/sfmcguire79/status/2107802797542449348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A message came out from the campus Young Democratic Socialists of America group, which had planned the event, warning students not to go because the college had canceled it.

Haverford College Campus

College Prof Targeted Colleague’s Family With Dark Antisemitic Threats, Court Docs Say

antisemitism

campus antisemitism

cyberstalking

hate crime

haverford college

Convicted murderer Christa Pike is conscious and speaking nearly a week after Tennessee&#8217;s attempt to execute her by lethal injection failed, her attorneys said Tuesday.
Pike was hospitalized immediately after the September 30 execution attempt, and it was initially unclear whether she would regain consciousness. Her attorneys <a href="https://apnews.com/article/christa-pike-tennessee-execution-85ea61961fc14ce01f78dbd9bdd728cb">issued a statement</a> on Tuesday saying that she was making the first steps in what they expected to be a &#8220;long recovery.&#8221;
&#8220;Against all odds, Christa Pike is conscious, speaking, and continues to receive critical medical care. Despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she is still handcuffed and shackled to the bed. Her recovery is medically unprecedented. Her prognosis remains unclear but, at a minimum, we expect a long recovery,&#8221; the statement read.
Attorney Stephen Ferrell appeared on Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; calling on Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) to commute Pike&#8217;s death sentence after the botched execution attempt.
&#8220;We don&#8217;t know the prognosis and may not know for several days,&#8221; he said at the time. &#8220;I think at the very least the governor should commute Ms. Pike&#8217;s death sentence to a life sentence. We don&#8217;t know what her physical state will be, but it is clear that she has endured a torturous attempt at executing her.&#8221;
Pike survived <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/governor-pauses-executions-after-notorious-killer-survives-lethal-injection">two lethal doses</a> of pentobarbital, prompting an immediate inquiry into how that could have happened. Injuries documented on Pike&#8217;s arms raised questions about whether the IV lines had been placed properly or her veins had ruptured, potentially allowing the drug to enter surrounding tissue rather than a vein.
In the wake of the botched attempt, Correction Commissioner Frank Strada said he believed the state had followed protocol to the letter but offered his resignation anyway, saying it was &#8220;in the best interest of Tennesseans.&#8221;
Pike&#8217;s <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/christa-pikes-prognosis-still-unknown-as-her-lawyer-calls-for-sentence-to-be-commuted-take-death-off-the-table-081613268.html">attorneys</a> said Strada&#8217;s resignation &#8220;is justified, but it does nothing to help Christa now.&#8221;
Pike was sentenced to death for her prominent role in the 1995 torture and murder of her 19-year-old classmate Colleen Slemmer. Pike, then 18, along with her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp and friend Marissa Barr, repeatedly beat and cut Slemmer, carving a pentagram into her chest.
In the end, it was Pike who killed Slemmer by dropping a heavy piece of asphalt on her head. She kept a piece of Slemmer&#8217;s skull as a souvenir and was arrested two days later after showing it to others. She was 20 years old when she was sentenced to die — the youngest death row inmate in Tennessee.

Christa Pike Is Conscious And Speaking After Botched Execution

Christa Pike Is Conscious And Speaking After Execution-Gone-Wrong

bill lee

A panel of self-described &#8220;committed Democrats&#8221; told liberal network MSNOW they could not vote for Michigan&#8217;s Democratic Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed.
During a group discussion that aired Tuesday on &#8220;Morning Joe,&#8221; several Michigan voters who described themselves as lifelong Democrats said they wanted to support the party&#8217;s candidates in November but could not bring themselves to back El-Sayed.
&#8220;You&#8217;re committed Democrats,&#8221; the moderator said, drawing agreement from several voters. &#8220;You want to vote for the Democratic candidate, but you just can&#8217;t.&#8221;
&#8220;They&#8217;re tying our hands,&#8221; one woman replied.
The moderator asked whether El-Sayed could do anything to win their support, adding, &#8220;But it doesn&#8217;t sound like there&#8217;s really anything — the damage has already been done.&#8221;
&#8220;I just would love for him to make a definitive statement, like just say, &#8216;I would like everyone to know I support Israel. You know, I support the Jewish people — you know, their right to exist without hatred.&#8221;
&#8220;Would you believe it?&#8221; another woman asked. &#8220;How could we?&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know,&#8221; the first woman conceded.
Another <a href="https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/2107480976091947187">similar discussion</a> included several black voters who also said they weren&#8217;t prepared to vote for El-Sayed — in part because they felt like he was taking their support for granted.
&#8220;I think there&#8217;s some missed opportunities for him to help us know who he is, help us understand him,&#8221; one woman said, adding, &#8220;We don&#8217;t know him.&#8221;
&#8220;And I think he&#8217;s taking advantage that we, as black people, are Democratic and he thinks we&#8217;re going to vote for him anyway, and I&#8217;m like no sir, and I&#8217;m going to put &#8216;uncommitted&#8217; down on the little circle, and move on,&#8221; another woman said, prompting others in the room to voice their agreement.
&#8220;Amen to that,&#8221; one said.
&#8220;If you&#8217;re going to Congress to represent me, I need you to talk about what&#8217;s going on in this community,&#8221; the second woman continued.
El-Sayed has spent much of his campaign doing damage control after critics raised concerns about his associations with radical pro-communist streamer Hasan Piker — who has aligned himself with communist dictators like Mao Zedong and claimed that America &#8220;deserved 9/11.&#8221;
Locked in a tight race with former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6131612-el-sayed-challenges-trump-michigan/">El-Sayed</a> attempted to bait President Donald Trump into making a campaign stop in Michigan ahead of the midterms.
&#8220;So, Donald, here is the gauntlet, here’s the challenge. I think you are too afraid to come to Michigan because you know when I beat your candidate and you came, I’m actually beating you. So, Donald, welcome to Michigan. I dare you to come,&#8221; he said, apparently believing he&#8217;d fare better if people felt like he was running against Trump rather than Rogers.
Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-turn-to-obama-to-prop-up-a-controversial-nominee">Barack Obama</a> is already slated to appear at a Michigan rally on El-Sayed&#8217;s behalf in late October.

Abdul El-Sayed Launches Town Hall Tour As He Campaigns For Senate In Michigan

WATCH: ‘Committed Democrats’ Say They’re A Hard No On Abdul El-Sayed

WATCH: 'Committed Democrats' Say They're A Hard No On Abdul El-Sayed

hasan piker

Germany&#8217;s former foreign intelligence chief was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of espionage and attempted treason in an alleged scheme involving roughly 2,000 internal intelligence documents.
August Hanning, who led the Federal Intelligence Service, known by its German acronym BND, from 1998 to 2005, allegedly obtained confidential material from a former aide and used it in his private consulting work, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/germany-arrest-espionage-allegation-former-intelligence-chief-47bb15543a3e2404e3f756dbb517d14c">according</a> to The Associated Press.
Hanning sought to sell information from the documents to at least one foreign power, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/06/germany-arrests-former-intelligence-chief-espionage-case/">reported</a>, citing German prosecutors.
German officials also arrested the former aide, identified only as Manfred D., who is alleged to have aided Hanning in procuring the classified information in exchange for payment. That man, according to the report, had worked as an office manager and former bureau chief — and had served as Hanning&#8217;s chief of staff for a time as well. He had allegedly made a deal with Hanning to provide information in exchange for money.
&#8220;Both suspects are believed to have agreed in the spring of 2010 to have Manfred D. continuously transmit valuable intelligence from the Federal Intelligence Service to Hanning in exchange for remuneration,&#8221; the federal prosecutor said in a statement. &#8220;Hanning is strongly suspected of treasonous espionage, obtaining state secrets, attempted treason and espionage.&#8221;
Prosecutors said Manfred D. provided Hanning with approximately 2,000 documents, including executive briefings meant for internal BND use only, and that Hanning used the material in his private consulting work and, on at least one occasion, to prepare an analysis for an officer of a foreign intelligence service. Prosecutors did not identify the service, and it is unclear whether the analysis reached its recipient.
Current BND President Martin Jäger said internal investigations began immediately when the suspicions came to light, adding, &#8220;There can be no compromises on internal security.&#8221;
The investigation into Hanning began in 2025, as The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/world/europe/germany-spy-chief-hanning-arrested-espionage.html">reported</a>, with a separate investigation into heiress Christina Block, who&#8217;d allegedly arranged the abduction of her own children from her estranged husband. That investigation led to a search of Hanning&#8217;s home — and the subsequent discovery of classified material there.
Other reports indicated that he&#8217;d been struggling financially in recent years, losing much of his pension in a bank investment that had gone poorly.
While Hanning is the first former agency head to be arrested on espionage allegations, prosecutors arrested a BND manager in 2022 — Carsten Linke — who was alleged to have sold state secrets to Russia. The case against Linke is still ongoing and is expected to conclude in January.

Former BND Director Hanning Arrested

Former Top Spy Arrested For Treason, Selling Intel To Foreign Power

august hanning

espionage

federal intelligence service

germany

treason

world

More than 1,200 aircrew members from nations with no diplomatic ties to Israel have reportedly entered the country over the past year, a disclosure that emerged as Israeli lawmakers examined possible security failures surrounding the attempted hijacking of an Israel-bound Flydubai flight FZ1073.
The Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/some-1240-aircrew-from-countries-that-dont-recognize-israel-reportedly-entered-country-in-past-year/">reported</a> Tuesday that the information was leaked from a closed-door meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. That meeting was called to address any possible security failures that had led up to the attempted hijacking allegedly perpetrated by the Omani co-pilot.
According to the leaked details, some 1,240 individuals have entered. Additional <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/former-airport-worker-air-crew-members-holding-lebanese-syrian-passports-flew-to-israel/">reporting</a> described foreign airline crew members holding dual citizenship, including Lebanese and Syrian citizenship, arriving in Israel.
&#8220;I personally saw air crew — pilots and flight attendants — with Lebanese, Syrian and other passports at the counter. This happened with all airlines, not just with the Emirati [ones],&#8221; a former worker from Israel&#8217;s Ben Gurion Airport told N12 News Israel. &#8220;Even then, we didn’t understand how pilots from hostile countries could fly to Israel.&#8221;
The former worker said some crew members tried to enter Israel but were refused when the screening system flagged their second passports from enemy or hostile states.
Under the aviation agreement governing Flydubai&#8217;s service to Israel, pilots operating flights into the country must hold passports from countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-most-troubling-detail-about-the-terror-flight-happened-before-takeoff">according</a> to Israeli officials previously cited by The Daily Wire.
Following the attempted hijacking — which was ultimately stopped by wounded Indian pilot Smit Machchhar and several Israeli passengers — that security rule quickly became one of the focal points of the ensuing investigation.
Because Oman does not have a diplomatic relationship with Israel, Israeli officials questioned how the Omani co-pilot was able to join the crew of a plane destined for a flight bound for Ben Gurion Airport.
Following the narrowly averted disaster, Doron Spielman, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, said that going forward, Israel would seek to know the identity of pilots flying into the country and conduct higher levels of security screening.
“Anywhere that an Israeli is going to be flying into Israel, our job right now is to do our best — even if they’re not on Israeli airlines — to make sure that those security procedures are much higher,” Spielman <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israel-to-ramp-up-pilot-checks-after-flydubai-hijacking-attempt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.

ISRAEL-UAE-SAUDI-TRANSPORT-AVIATION

The 1,200-Person Security Question Hanging Over Israel’s Near ‘9/11’

SECURITY FAILURE: Despite Rules, More Than 1200 Foreign Aircrew Members Have Entered Israel

aviation security

flydubai

knesset

oman

President Donald Trump is set to announce a deal on Tuesday that will pump over $6 billion into manufacturing Virginia-class submarines at a soon-to-be built facility in Maryland.
The deal includes a $3.7 billion investment from California-based defense and technology company Anduril Industries — coupled with a $2.9 billion contract given to Anduril by the United States Navy — to build a state-of-the-art shipyard that will be named Arsenal 2.
“This delivers on President Trump’s promise to bolster America’s defense industrial base while revitalizing our manufacturing industry, creating over 13,000 direct and indirect jobs and driving $2 billion in annual economic output,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly.
&#8220;In line with the president’s maritime action plan released earlier this year, the Trump administration is rebuilding US shipbuilding capacity and capabilities, reforming workforce, education and training, protecting our maritime industrial base, and eliminating burdensome industry regulations,&#8221; she added.
Despite his own disagreements with the Trump administration, Governor Wes Moore (D-MD) recognized the deal as a boon to his state and thanked Anduril Industries for choosing Maryland as the home for its new project.
&#8220;This massive new project will deliver the largest private investment, drive billions of dollars in economic activity, and create the most jobs in Maryland in history. That means thousands of Marylanders will have a new pathway to work, wages, and wealth through advanced training and high-skilled maritime manufacturing jobs. We thank Anduril for choosing Maryland, and we&#8217;re ready to build the future of our aerospace and defense economy together,&#8221; he said.
According to a release from Anduril provided to The Daily Wire, the new shipyard will be built at Tradepoint Atlantic in Baltimore County, and will provide an estimated 3,100 direct jobs and 11,000 more indirect jobs. Arsenal 2 will also generate approximately $2 billion annually in economic output, with $312 million of that being paid wages.
Anduril also touted the historical connection between United States maritime operations and Baltimore Harbor: &#8220;Baltimore&#8217;s shipyards produced the first Liberty Ship during World War II, and Sparrows Point was once known as the &#8216;Patriarch of U.S. Tanker Builders.&#8217;; Arsenal-2 will return shipbuilding to a site that once helped define American naval power.&#8221;
Arsenal 2 will produce ship components such as torpedo tubes and eventually other parts, and with two million square feet of operating space, it will be capable of high-volume production at the scale the U.S. Navy demands. The United States currently has 26 Virginia-class submarines in service, and is aiming to build another two per year.
Kerry Doyle, managing director of Tradepoint Atlantic, made it clear that Arsenal 2 would be a welcome addition to the Baltimore Harbor area.
&#8220;Today&#8217;s announcement is about more than welcoming a new tenant—it&#8217;s about restoring one of America&#8217;s most important industrial assets to its historic purpose. For generations, Sparrows Point helped build the ships that defended our nation. Today, that legacy continues as Anduril reactivates this iconic shipyard to support the next generation of American defense capabilities,&#8221; Doyle said. &#8220;Tradepoint Atlantic is uniquely built for this mission. Our strategic East Coast location, deep-water port, robust rail and interstate connections, and access to a world-class workforce make this one of the most capable industrial sites in the country. Together with Anduril, we&#8217;re bringing a legacy industry back to Baltimore, creating thousands of skilled jobs, and helping strengthen America&#8217;s defense industrial base for decades to come.&#8221;
Since Trump&#8217;s return to the White House, the U.S. Navy has taken several steps to ensure an increase in maritime dominance — including the cancellation of a Biden-era plan to overhaul the USS Boise (a Los Angeles-class submarine). The money set aside for the overhaul has since been redirected into production on the Virginia-class submarines.
Construction on the site is set to begin immediately, with initial operations to begin as early as 2030.

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Virginia Kruta