Virginia Giuffre, the most prominent victim of Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s sexual abuse, has died by apparent suicide, her family announced Friday.
&#8220;It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,&#8221; her family <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/virginia-giuffre-one-jeffrey-epsteins-prominent-abuse-survivors-dies-s-rcna203027?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma&amp;taid=680c30990c1f320001019d49&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement to NBC News. &#8220;She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.&#8221;
Giuffre, who was 41, leaves behind a husband and three children. The family lived in Australia.
Giuffre was involved in several legal actions targeting Epstein.
She <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-predator-prowling-the-streets-the-trial-of-ghislaine-maxwell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a defamation lawsuit against Epstein&#8217;s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, whom she accused of grooming her for Epstein’s abuse when she was a 16-year-old spa attendant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach (Trump reportedly later <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/510604-book-claims-trump-barred-epstein-from-mar-a-lago-after-financier-hit">banned</a> Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007 for harassing another member’s teenage daughter). Giuffre said the sexual abuse she suffered included lessons on Epstein’s oral sex preferences.
Giuffre also sued Prince Andrew, claiming the British royal sexually abused her when she was 17. The prince has denied the accusations.
Last month, Giuffre <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/virginia-giuffre-death-updates-epstein-b2739856.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sparked</a> alarm when she posted a photo on Instagram of herself in a hospital bed, saying doctors had told her she had &#8220;four days to live&#8221; after a car crash with a school bus. However, she was discharged nearly a week later.
Giuffre was one of the first people to call for criminal charges against Epstein, and other Epstein victims credited her with giving them the courage to speak out.
&#8220;Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors,&#8221; the statement said. “In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.&#8221;
Epstein was found dead at 66 in what was ruled a suicide in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019. He was awaiting trial after being accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls.
The lurid details of his alleged sex ring include accusations that he procured underage girls for prominent men on his private island in the Virgin Islands, Little St. James.

US-NEWS-MAXWELL-MI

Most Prominent Epstein Sexual Abuse Victim Virginia Giuffre Dies By Apparent Suicide

Crime

Jeffrey Epstein

Suicide

U.S.

Virginia Giuffre

Luigi Mangione, who faces federal murder charges after the December shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, pleaded not guilty in federal court on Friday.
Mangione appeared in Manhattan federal court in a prison jumpsuit and shackled at the wrists and ankles, entering not guilty pleas to charges of murder, two counts of stalking, and a firearms offense.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the DOJ intends to pursue the death penalty in the case, causing Mangione&#8217;s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, to request that the court prioritize starting his federal trial before his state cases in New York and Pennsylvania, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/us/luigi-mangione-federal-charges/index.html">reported</a>.
According to authorities, Mangione “<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-pamela-bondi-directs-prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-luigi-mangione">murdered</a>” Thompson, a father of two young children, in a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination” as an act of “political violence.”
Thompson was gunned down in Midtown Manhattan on December 4, leading to a five-day manhunt that ended with Mangione&#8217;s arrest in Pennsylvania, more than 270 miles from the shooting scene.
At the time of his arrest, Mangione possessed “fake ID used by the suspect, the gun they believe was used in the shooting and a handwritten ‘claim of responsibility,’ authorities have said,” according to CNN.
Mangione&#8217;s targeting of Thompson appears meticulously planned, according to the DOJ, and three 9mm shell casings recovered from the crime scene had the words &#8220;delay,&#8221; &#8220;deny,&#8221; and &#8220;depose&#8221; written on them, an apparent reference to a 2010 book criticizing insurance industry tactics, according to the NYPD.
The case has sparked considerable public attention, with supporters of Mangione gathering outside the courthouse Friday, some wearing green, referencing Nintendo&#8217;s &#8220;Luigi&#8221; character, and holding banners with messages like &#8220;Luigi Before Fascists&#8221; and &#8220;Stop the Violence: End the Death Penalty Now.&#8221;
Chelsea Manning, the former Army soldier convicted of violating the Espionage Act after leaking documents to WikiLeaks, has appeared at multiple hearings in support of Mangione.
Many people, according to CNN, seem to be channeling their frustration with the health care system through Mangione, with some going as far as calling him a vigilante.
A legal defense fund in Mangione&#8217;s name has raised more than $950,000 from supporters.
Mainstream politicians have condemned Mangione&#8217;s alleged actions. &#8220;In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint,&#8221; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the day Mangione was arrested, adding, &#8220;He is no hero.&#8221;
Judge Margaret Garnett scheduled Mangione&#8217;s next federal hearing for December 5, when a trial date will be set. She indicated she expects the trial to begin in 2026.

Insurance CEO Murder Suspect Luigi Mangione Is Extradicted To New York

Luigi Mangione Pleads Not Guilty As DOJ Seeks Death Penalty

Death Penalty

Department of Justice

Luigi Mangione

New York Police Department (NYPD)

Pam Bondi

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Friday that federal agents arrested a Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, judge who is suspected of helping an illegal immigrant from Mexico evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
Last week, ICE agents showed up at a Milwaukee County Courthouse to arrest a Mexican citizen after a hearing before Judge Hannah Dugan. The judge directed ICE agents to wait in Chief Judge Carl Ashley&#8217;s office and then told the defendant to exit the courtroom through a side door, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2025/04/25/fbi-investigating-allegations-that-milwaukee-judge-helped-an-immigrant-avoid-ice-arrest-dugan/83250128007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest,&#8221; Patel said in a post that was initially deleted. &#8220;Thankfully, our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to the public.&#8221; It was not immediately clear why Patel chose to initially delete the post, but he <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1915800907318468626?t=HrEySSHIGQFX5NqPMVpOpQ&amp;s=19">reposted</a> the same statement a short while later.
The FBI director added that the bureau would share more information &#8220;soon&#8221; and thanked the FBI&#8217;s Milwaukee field office for its work in arresting the judge.
United States Attorney General Pam Bondi also confirmed Dugan&#8217;s arrest in a<a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1915799429455516128?t=8UTJOJOvUBSzY_rn896eDg&amp;s=19"> post</a> to X, stating, &#8220;I can confirm that our @FBI agents just arrested Hannah Dugan – a county judge in Milwaukee – for allegedly helping an illegal alien avoid an arrest by @ICEgov. No one is above the law.&#8221; 
According to Chief Judge Ashley, who sent an email to other judges about the incident, ICE agents showed a warrant for the illegal immigrant&#8217;s arrest and followed courthouse protocols. Dugan, who has served on the bench for nine years, responded to that email, however, saying &#8220;a warrant was not presented&#8221; to her.
ICE agents have <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/breaking/2025/04/25/milwaukee-county-judge-hannah-dugan-arrested-by-feds-at-courthouse/83270885007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">routinely</a> shown up at the Milwaukee County Courthouse in recent weeks with arrest warrants. In the past two months, two suspected illegal immigrants were arrested by federal agents in the courthouse hallways.
During Trump&#8217;s first term in office, a Massachusetts judge was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/us/politics/fbi-arrest-judge.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> by the Justice Department with obstructing immigration agents after she and a court officer allegedly helped an illegal immigrant sneak out the back door of the courthouse. The federal government later dropped the charges after the judge agreed to go through potential judicial discipline.

Kash Patel

FBI Arrests Judge Accused Of ‘Intentionally’ Misdirecting ICE Agents Away From Illegal Immigrant

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Judge

kash patel

Milwaukee

Politics

Wisconsin

Russia <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/europe/russia-strikes-ukraine-trump-vladimir-intl-hnk/index.html">reportedly</a> continues to hit Ukraine with deadly strikes after President Donald Trump issues a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin. A group of religious parents sue their school district over their children&#8217;s forced exposure to LGBTQ content. And, the White House is warning parents and teens about the rise in child exploitation, enlisting the help of country music star John Rich.
It’s Friday, April 25, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Russia Bombs Ukraine, Frustrates Peace Efforts</h2>
<div id="attachment_912089" style="width: 848px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912089" class="size-large wp-image-912089" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-838x576.jpg" alt="" width="838" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-838x576.jpg 838w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-300x206.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-768x528.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-1536x1056.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-2048x1408.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px" />(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital with a series of missiles and drones on Thursday, and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/europe/russia-strikes-ukraine-trump-vladimir-intl-hnk/index.html">according</a> to CNN, inflicted another round of strikes on Friday. The surprise attacks have derailed United States-led ceasefire negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
Thursday’s attack on Kyiv left at least a dozen dead and dozens more wounded, and also killed what momentum there was toward a ceasefire. The following night, Moscow reportedly launched another round, killing at least eight more people. Before the attacks, the White House had sounded optimistic about a deal, but after Russia&#8217;s Thursday attacks, the President <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioT5YuxsrU8&amp;t=4m">appeared</a> much less sanguine.
<blockquote>TRUMP: We’re in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired, and I was not happy with it…
REPORTER: …If the bombs keep falling, will you consider additional sanctions for Russia, or what will you do?
TRUMP: I’d rather answer that question in a week, I want to see if we can have a deal. No reason to answer it now, but I won’t be happy, let’s put it that way. Things will happen.</blockquote>
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been willing to work with the United States on peace terms – more willing since his disastrous White House meeting in February. Since then, Zelensky has agreed to sign a minerals deal with the United States, and last month, he said Ukraine would agree to a full ceasefire to set up peace negotiations. But Moscow never bought in – all they could agree to was a 30 day pause on attacks against energy infrastructure.
Over the weekend, diplomats released a proposed peace deal constructed by the United States and Europe that recognized Russian control of Crimea and accepted Russia’s control of land in Ukraine’s east. It would also ban Ukraine from NATO membership and start the United States and Russia on a path of economic normalization – with all sanctions lifted from Russia. The proposal didn’t set limits on Ukraine’s military – something Moscow had wanted – and it included the minerals deal with the United States. Notably, it did not include any security guarantees from either the United States or Europe for Ukraine. Vice President JD Vance called it a “very fair proposal.”
Zelensky has already said that giving any occupied territory over to the Russians would be a red line. Zelensky has also taken issue with how the Trump administration has approached the negotiating table. “We would like to have this common understanding that Russia is the aggressor, not [Ukraine],&#8221; Zelensky told Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro in an interview this week.
<h2>SCOTUS Hears Case On Religious Opt-Outs From LGBTQ Curriculum</h2>
<div id="attachment_912091" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912091" class="size-large wp-image-912091" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: The Supreme Court looks poised to rule in favor of religious parents who want the right to opt their kids out of LGBTQ material at school.
In 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland’s largest school district, introduced a new gender and sexuality curriculum. At first, they allowed parents to opt their kids out, but then, the school district decided it was too difficult to allow opt outs and made attendance mandatory. In response, a group of parents that included Muslims, Catholics, and a Ukrainian Orthodox Christian brought a case against the school district.
One of the books in the new curriculum is called “Prince and Knight,” about a prince who rejects princesses and falls in love with a knight. Another book is called “Born Ready” about a boy named Penelope, and another book tells the story of a girl attending her uncle’s same-sex wedding, and yet another book is called “Pride Puppy” about a puppy who gets lost during a Pride parade.
“They can keep the books,” one plaintiff said on the steps of the Supreme Court. “They can read it to their children if there are parents who feel this is appropriate for their 3-year-old, 4-year-old and elementary kids, they can teach it to them, but we don’t think it’s right. We don’t want it read to our kids.”
The more conservative justices seemed highly skeptical of the school district’s arguments. Justice Brett Kavanaugh quizzed the lawyer for the school superintendent about why it’s supposedly too hard to let parents opt out their children from reading LGBTQ books in class. “The plaintiffs here are not asking the school to change its curriculum. They’re just saying look, we want out. Why isn’t that feasible?”
Even some of the usual critics seemed sympathetic to parents in this case. Teachers union boss Randi Weingarten of the ​​American Federation of Teachers admitted she would not actually recommend these books to elementary schoolers, although she still called for “inclusivity.”
<h2>John Rich Promotes Awareness Of Sextortion</h2>
<div id="attachment_912093" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912093" class="size-large wp-image-912093" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by dashu83 via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Country music star and entrepreneur John Rich has teamed up with the Department of Homeland Security to warn Americans about the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-teen-boys-take-their-own-lives-as-online-sextortion-cases-spike">dangers of child sexual extortion</a>.
The Department of Homeland Security has a campaign called “Know2Protect” – you can find that on the DHS website. Its goal is to raise national public awareness about a rapidly growing crime called sexual extortion – also known as sextortion. Sextortion is when a predator coerces or tricks a minor into sending them sexually explicit images or video footage, and then threatens to release that material unless the minor either produces additional explicit content or gives them money. A Daily Wire investigation covered this topic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-teen-boys-take-their-own-lives-as-online-sextortion-cases-spike">in-depth</a> earlier this month, but in summary, there were 36 million reports of suspected online child exploitation in 2023 alone.
John Rich is amplifying DHS’ awareness effort. The country star heard about sextortion a few months ago, after his wife and 15-year-old son attended a related talk from DHI Special Agent Dennis Fetting. Immediately, Rich reached out to DHS with ideas to get out something more accessible to the public. This week, Rich, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and Agent Fetting hosted a livestream event on sextortion. It was <a href="https://x.com/johnrich/status/1915190100058923202">reposted</a> online by President Trump, and so far, it has racked up millions of views.
“I&#8217;m fully aware of the dangers that are out there for our kids right now,” Rich said. “They are being targeted on apps, video games, social media – places you would never dream of, like innocent sounding games like Roblox, Minecraft, things like that, where predators are acting like they&#8217;re another kid and they&#8217;re creating a relationship with your kid, and then they lower the boom, then they start to extort and extort. They do everything from force the kids to send nude pictures of themselves, to take pictures of their parents&#8217; credit cards front and back so they can extort money. They threaten them with killing their family, burning their house down, posting the pictures all online. It results in kids, some of them becoming suicidal – it’s a major, major problem. So to me, millions of parents needed to hear about this.”

RUSSIA-POLITICS-RELIGION

Morning Brief: Russia Bombards Ukraine Amid Peace Talks, SCOTUS School Case & Sextortion Awareness

California Supreme Court

Child Abuse

Donald Trump

LGBTQ

Russia

Sexual Abuse

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Volodymyr Zelensky

World

A 19-year-old man was arrested on arson charges for the massive fire that burned thousands of acres in New Jersey earlier this week, law enforcement announced Thursday.
The Ocean County Prosecutor&#8217;s Office charged Joseph Kling on Wednesday with aggravated arson with the purpose of destroying the forest and arson over the blaze that has burned around 15,000 acres in Ocean County. The fire prompted thousands of evacuations and led to a state of emergency being declared.
Kling was determined by law enforcement to be the &#8220;individual responsible for setting wooden pallets on fire &#8211; and then leaving the area without the fire being fully extinguished,&#8221; Ocean County prosecutors said. Kling, from Watertown, is currently behind bars at the Ocean County Jail. The county has <a href="https://coroms.co.ocean.nj.us:8087/IML" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> no information about when Kling will appear in court. 
Investigators determined that the fire was incendiary, likely from an improperly extinguished bonfire, and used GPS to determine its origin. 
The fire prompted around 5,000 people to evacuate from the area, though the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Thursday that the evacuation orders for Lacey and Ocean Townships had been lifted. The forest service also announced that the blaze had been 50% contained. 
On Wednesday, Lacey Township Mayor Peter Curatolo <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nj-wildfire-ocean-county-barnegat-lacey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the fire may &#8220;very well end up being the largest wildfire in New Jersey in 20 years.&#8221;
There have been no reported deaths or loss of homes from the fire, though at least one commercial building was destroyed alongside multiple vehicles and outbuildings.
The investigation involved Ocean County&#8217;s Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and the New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office.
&#8220;Thanks to the incredible, heroic work of the good men and women of our New Jersey Forest Fire Service, folks&#8217; homes and lives have been saved, and we&#8217;ve truly averted a major disaster,&#8221; New Jersey Forest Fire Service Commissioner Shawn LaTourette<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nj-wildfire-ocean-county-barnegat-lacey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> </a>said Wednesday. &#8220;This wildfire is not under full and complete control, we still have a lot of work to do to achieve complete containment of the wildfire. But there were 1,300 homes that were threatened during the course of fighting this fire.&#8221;

MixCollage-24-Apr-2025-12-11-PM-7379

Police Arrest 19-Year-Old Over Massive New Jersey Fire, Reveal Cause Of Blaze

Arson

Fire

New Jersey

wildfire

Wildfires

A former intelligence officer with the U.S. Army was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison for selling critical military documents to an individual believed to be tied to the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, 25, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/army-intelligence-officer-pleads-guilty-to-selling-defense-information-to-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pled guilty</a> last year to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange for sensitive government information. The sale of the documents, which included information on American military technology, took place over a three-year period from May 2022 to March 2024, according to the Justice Department. 
“This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-us-army-intelligence-analyst-sentenced-selling-sensitive-military-information">said</a> Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”
He could have faced 65 years in prison if given the maximum on all counts.
Schultz was paid $42,000 for sending the information to an unidentified foreign national living in Hong Kong believed to be connected to the Chinese government.
The information that he provided included his unit&#8217;s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe, information applying lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war to Taiwan, technical manuals for the Army&#8217;s HH-60 helicopter and F-22A fighter aircraft, manuals on Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems, American intelligence on the Chinese military and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, details on American military exercises in South Korea and the Philippines, and documents on American military satellites and missile defense systems.
Schultz was first contacted to sell the secrets over a freelance web-based work platform by an individual pretending to work for a geopolitical consulting firm, according to the Justice Department. The department added that Schultz attempted to recruit a friend who worked for the Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command to take part in the scheme as well.
The FBI&#8217;s Nashville office led the investigation, with assistance from the Department of Defense and the Army Counterintelligence Command.
“This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”

ASIAD-2025-CHN-OPENING

Former Army Intel Officer Sentenced After Selling U.S. Military Secrets To China

China

Communist China

Hong Kong

Spying

U.S. Army

A twice-deported illegal alien who killed a young couple in a drunk driving accident was set to be let out of a California prison more than six years early.
Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano, a Mexican national, was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison after he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-trump-officials-file-charges-against-illegal-immigrant-after-fox-news-exposes-early-release-plans">killed</a> Anya Varfolomeev and Nicholay Osokin in a drunk driving accident in Orange County, California, in November 2021.
The young couple was burned alive after Ortega-Anguiano barreled into their vehicle while high, drunk, and driving nearly 100 miles per hour. The family was notified by the state that the illegal alien was set to be released from prison after serving just over one-third of his ten-year sentence.
Anya Varfolomeev’s father <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/illegal-immigrant-convicted-killing-teens-high-speed-crash-released-early">decried</a> the planned early release of the illegal alien. “It&#8217;s disgusting. You have two young, unbelievable future, productive American citizens killed for nothing and that illegal immigrant who already has been deported twice is going to be released again? For what?” Anatoly Varfolomeev said. “If even he is deported, he will come back.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed an immigration detainer on the illegal alien, and after public backlash, Governor Gavin Newsom&#8217;s press office has announced that the state will be <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1915107716688962033">honoring the request</a>.
“After being deported in 2013, this individual unlawfully re-entered the US &amp; committed heinous crimes,” the governor’s press office said in a post on X. “CDCR will again coordinate with ICE — as they have w/ 10,000+ inmates — to transfer him before release.”
Ortega-Anguiano will face new federal charges from the Department of Justice (DOJ) for illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported.
“My office has filed a felony immigration charge against this defendant. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted for 8 USC 1326,” Bill Essayli, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California wrote on X. “If the State of California will not seek the full measure of justice against this individual, the [Department of Justice] will.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My office has filed a felony immigration charge against this defendant. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted for 8 USC 1326.
If the State of California will not seek the full measure of justice against this individual, the <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> will. <a href="https://t.co/wTuQdun1as">https://t.co/wTuQdun1as</a>
— US Attorney Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyEssayli/status/1915069030349648125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
“This is absolutely unconscionable. What about Justice for these teens? What about the rights of their parents?” Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1915040349937954960">said on X,</a> adding that the DOJ “will work with ICE to make sure this illegal alien receives full punishment for his crimes.”

Illegal alien car crash

California Nearly Freed A Twice-Deported Illegal Alien Drunk Driver — Now Newsom Is Backtracking

California

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Tom Homan

The Department of Justice (DOJ) unleashed unprecedented criminal charges against members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, invoking a law that is best known for its use against the mafia in the fight against the foreign terror organization.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that it charged a total of 27 current and former Tren de Aragua members under the Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for the first time ever, marking a new development in how the federal government prosecutes the cartels.
The indictment, Bondi says, will decimate the criminal network’s infrastructure.
“As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities,” Bondi charged. “Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.”
The indictment targets both current and former members of Tren de Aragua, charging them with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, robbery, and firearms offenses. Of the 27 individuals charged by the DOJ, 19 of them are alleged to be members of a Tren de Aragua splinter group referred to as “Anti-Tren.”
The unsealed indictment outlines a number of specific charges against the alleged current and former Tren de Aragua members, accusing them of sex trafficking, drug trafficking, carjacking, and a litany of firearms charges.
The DOJ also explained that the foreign terror organization has been particularly active in New York City, specifically in the Bronx and Queens.
“Tren de Aragua is one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, and the NYPD has taken significant action to shut down their operations in New York City,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch remarked. “For the first time ever, TdA is being named and charged as the criminal enterprise that it is. This isn’t just street crime—it’s organized racketeering, and this gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers.”

TdA Arrest

DOJ Unleashes Unprecedented Charges Against Tren De Aragua Members

Tren De Aragua

Today is Earth Day, a good time to remember that the guy who claimed to have founded this &#8220;peace and love&#8221; environmental celebration was a convicted murderer.
Ira Einhorn was a tie-dye-wearing, long-bearded hippie &#8220;guru&#8221; in Philadelphia who originally <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42711922#.WPudZ4jytPY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">became</a> known for his environmental activism in the 1960s and &#8217;70s.
Today, he&#8217;s better known for killing his girlfriend and stuffing her body in a trunk.
A famous <a href="https://time.com/5242190/earth-day-founder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photo</a> shows Einhorn flashing a peace sign on stage at the first Earth Day in Philadelphia on April 22, 1970, and he later claimed that Earth Day was his idea.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just your annual reminder that one of the original <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EarthDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EarthDay</a> leaders murdered and composted his girlfriend.
(The Left and the media—but I repeat myself—have tried to distance the festival from Ira Einhorn, but the photos and history books don&#8217;t lie.) <a href="https://t.co/PLciuHG6YW">pic.twitter.com/PLciuHG6YW</a>
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1253000708749582337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
He became popular with ecological groups during the counterculture movement of the &#8217;60s and protested the Vietnam War. He was a teacher at Temple University, but his contract was not renewed after he <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=YEVIDQAAQBAJ&amp;q=temple#v=snippet&amp;q=temple&amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he offered students &#8220;straight answers about the delights and dangers&#8221; of cannabis and LSD. Their parents were definitely thrilled.
<div id="attachment_910865" style="width: 313px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910865" class=" wp-image-910865" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1603199-229x300.jpg" alt="" width="303" height="397" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1603199-229x300.jpg 229w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1603199-439x576.jpg 439w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1603199-768x1007.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1603199.jpg 781w" sizes="(max-width: 303px) 100vw, 303px" />Ira Einhorn (Getty Images)</div>
He nicknamed himself &#8220;Unicorn&#8221; because his last name translates to &#8220;one horn.&#8221; Later, he became known as the &#8220;Unicorn Killer.&#8221;
In 1977, Einhorn&#8217;s girlfriend of five years, Holly Maddux, broke up with him and moved to New York City. In September, she returned to their Philadelphia apartment to get her belongings, which Einhorn had allegedly threatened to throw out on the street. She was never seen again.
<div id="attachment_910863" style="width: 308px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910863" class=" wp-image-910863" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1479906-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="298" height="397" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1479906-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1479906-433x576.jpg 433w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1479906.jpg 769w" sizes="(max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px" />Holly Maddux (Getty Images)</div>
It was a year and a half later, when a neighbor <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42711922#.WPudZ4jytPY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complained</a> about a reddish-brown, stinking liquid leaking from the ceiling right below Einhorn&#8217;s bedroom closet that police showed up and searched his apartment.
They found Maddux&#8217;s mummified, somewhat decomposed body stuffed in a trunk along with Styrofoam, air fresheners, and newspapers.
&#8220;It looks like we found Holly,&#8221; a cop <a href="https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?rev_t=20110224092300&amp;url=http%3A%2Fwww.time.com%2Ftime%2Fnation%2Farticle%2F0%2C8599%2C168382%2C00.html#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&amp;tab=url" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> to Einhorn.
&#8220;You found what you found,&#8221; he allegedly replied.
When police questioned Einhorn about his girlfriend&#8217;s disappearance, he claimed that in true hippie fashion, she had gone out to the neighborhood co-op to buy some tofu and sprouts and never returned.
Making matters even more darkly comical, his new girlfriend <a href="https://www.anothergaze.com/cecelia-condits-body-of-becoming-women-and-the-dark-forest-of-dreams/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> could not smell the body in his apartment thanks to a medication she was taking that affected her sense of smell.
Days before his murder trial was to begin in 1981, Einhorn fled the country and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42711922#.WPudZ4jytPY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lived</a> in Europe for 20 years before he was finally extradited back to the United States.
<div id="attachment_910869" style="width: 378px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-910869" class=" wp-image-910869" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-542412654-1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="368" height="245" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-542412654-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-542412654-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-542412654-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-542412654-1.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 368px) 100vw, 368px" />Ira Einhorn (KLEIN STEPHANE/Sygma via Getty Images)</div>
When the murder case began, Earth Day organizers distanced themselves from Einhorn.
Two organizers of Philadelphia’s first Earth Day wrote to Time Magazine to complain about the idea that Einhorn had come up with the event, saying he was not even a member of the committee that organized it.
&#8220;The photo you ran was taken during a one-hour period when Einhorn literally occupied the podium, refusing to get off the stage and delaying Senator Edmund Muskie’s keynote speech,&#8221; the organizers <a href="https://time.com/vault/issue/1997-11-03/page/20/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Time. &#8220;It was an unsuccessful attempt — at least at that time — to seize 15 minutes of fame. Now a notorious murder, flight, trial in absentia and foreign capture are giving Einhorn the national media attention he so desperately craved.&#8221;
Einhorn was eventually extradited from France and took the stand in his own defense, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100831230541/http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2002/10/18/einhorn/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claiming</a> his girlfriend had been murdered by CIA agents who framed him — we&#8217;re dealing with an extremely stable hippie here, folks.
He was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He died in prison in April 2020 at age 79.
Happy Earth Day!

(FILE PHOTO)  Ira Einhorn Found Guilty Of Murder

Guy Who Claimed To Invent Earth Day Was A Hippie Who Murdered His Girlfriend

Earth Day

Environment

Environmentalism

A Minnesota state fiscal policy analyst who <a href="https://www.startribune.com/suspect-in-tesla-vandalizing-spree-in-minneapolis-to-be-entered-into-diversion-and-not-charged/601334027">reportedly</a> admitted to vandalizing six Teslas, causing a reputed $21,000 in damages, will not be charged with criminal conduct by the local Democrat county attorney.
Dylan Bryan Adams, 33, who <a href="https://x.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/1913268726813827421" target="_blank" rel="noopener">describes himself</a> as a fiscal policy analyst for the state Department of Human Services on social media, was caught on video keying different Teslas in the Minneapolis area. One owner of a victimized Tesla told the <a href="https://www.startribune.com/suspect-in-tesla-vandalizing-spree-in-minneapolis-to-be-entered-into-diversion-and-not-charged/601334027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Minnesota Star Tribune</a> that the marks on her car appeared to be a failed attempt to carve a swastika.
“Our main priorities are to secure restitution for the victims and hold Mr. Adams accountable,” Hennepin County Attorney&#8217;s Office spokesman Daniel Borgertpoepping stated. “As a result, we will file for pre-charge diversion to best facilitate both of those goals. This is an approach taken in many property crime cases and helps to ensure the individual keeps their job and can pay restitution, as well as reducing the likelihood of repeat offenses. Criminal prosecution remains a possibility should unlawful behavior continue.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
4/ Let&#39;s take a look at the mindset of Gov. Tim Walz&#39;s state employee Dylan Bryan Adams, who is suspected of damaging several Teslas in the heart of MAGA Country in downtown Minneapolis. <a href="https://t.co/bJtqeTCMMB">pic.twitter.com/bJtqeTCMMB</a>
&mdash; CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrimeWatchMpls/status/1913297668681461939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Participants in the county attorney’s diversion program are expected to sign a contract which could include conditions like community service and restitution payments,” the Star Tribune noted.
“The Minneapolis Police Department did its job,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara reacted. “It identified and investigated a crime trend, identified and arrested a suspect, and presented a case file to the Hennepin County Attorney&#8217;s Office for consideration of charges. This case impacted at least six victims and totaled over $20,000 in damages. Any frustration related to the charging decision of the Hennepin County Attorney should be directed solely at her office. Our investigators are always frustrated when the cases they poured their hearts into are declined. In my experience, the victims in these cases often feel the same.”
“We are reviewing the matter at this time,” Minnesota DHS stated to the Star Tribune. “State employees are expected to follow our code of conduct and hold themselves to the highest ethical standards through their words and actions.”
Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County Attorney, was a former public defender who became Hennepin County Attorney in January 2023. “She vowed to make police more accountable and change the culture of an office she believes had long overemphasized punishment without addressing the root causes of crime,” KFGO <a href="https://kfgo.com/2024/07/30/hennepin-county-prosecutor-facing-backlash-but-vows-to-endure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in July 2024.
Attorney Gretchen Gray-Larson, who retired in July 2023 from the county attorney’s office after 33 years, said colleagues of hers who kept working in the office were not happy, adding, “People are afraid to talk. The morale is horrible.”

Maplewood, Minnesota. Tesla car dealership. Cars at charging stations. Tesla, Inc. is an American electric vehicle and clean energy company.

Walz Admin Staffer Walks Free After Doing $20K Damage To Teslas

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Tesla

Tim Walz

Nadine Menendez, the wife of former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), was convicted on Monday of accepting bribes in a scheme that involved her husband while he was chairing one of the most powerful committees in the Senate.
The 58-year-old wife of the former senator was found guilty on 15 counts in the same New York courtroom where her husband was convicted last year, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-21/bob-menendez-s-wife-convicted-of-bribery-scheme?srnd=homepage-americas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Prosecutors said that Nadine and her 71-year-old husband, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison, were &#8220;partners in crime.&#8221;
Nadine&#8217;s charges included bribery, obstruction of justice, and conspiring to make Bob Menendez an agent of Egypt, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/nyregion/nadine-bob-menendez-wife-guilty-bribery-trial.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. During her husband&#8217;s time in office, Nadine helped Menendez collect bribes, including cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz. In return, the former Democratic senator who chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee pushed for military aid for the Egyptian government and helped secure a monopoly for an Egyptian American businessman, according to prosecutors.
“This is about the defendant being partners in crime with a U.S. senator, helping a politician put his power up for sale,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Monteleoni said during closing arguments last week. “When there’s money on the line for her, the defendant sprung into action to get Menendez to take an official act or to promise that he would.”
The jury ultimately agreed with the prosecution after deliberating for over six hours. Nadine is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12. She faced a separate trial from her husband as she battled breast cancer. Last month, the former senator said it was &#8220;cruel and inhumane&#8221; to start the trial for Nadine while she struggles with breast cancer.
&#8220;My wife, who had breast cancer reconstructive surgery just days ago, is being forced by the government to go to trial tomorrow. Only the arrogance of the SDNY [Southern District of New York] can be so cruel and inhumane. They should let her fully recover!&#8221; Menendez <a href="https://x.com/SenatorMenendez/status/1901646953290568135" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
The couple began dating in 2018 and were married in 2020. During former Sen. Menendez&#8217;s trial, his lawyers attempted to shift blame to Nadine for accepting bribes without his knowledge. Menendez&#8217;s attorney, Avi Weitzman, argued that Nadine &#8220;kept him in the dark&#8221; about her financial struggles, and the couple had separate bank accounts and credit cards.
During a raid in 2022, authorities found hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars in a closet and seized a Mercedes at the couple&#8217;s New Jersey home. Lawyers for former Sen. Menendez argued that he did not have a key to his wife&#8217;s closet. Menendez remained in his Senate seat following the bribery charges and throughout the trial. He finally resigned from the Senate after the guilty verdict.
The former Democratic senator is <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/biden-sen-bob-menendez-seeks-pardon-trump-rcna188214" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump after he failed to get clemency from former President Joe Biden.

Bob and Nadine Menendez

‘Partners In Crime’: Wife Of Disgraced Former Dem Senator Convicted Of Bribery Scheme

Bob Menendez

Bribery

Democrat

Senate

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem&#8217;s handbag, containing about $3,000 in cash, her DHS badge, passport, and other sensitive items, was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/21/politics/homeland-security-kristi-noem-purse-stolen/index.html">reportedly</a> stolen by a man wearing a medical mask at a Washington, D.C. restaurant on Sunday night.
Noem confirmed the incident on Monday while attending the White House Easter Egg Roll, but indicated that the matter remains unresolved.
Secret Service agents reviewed security camera footage at the Capitol Burger restaurant, which showed an unknown white male wearing a surgical mask stealing her unattended bag before quickly exiting the establishment.
Other stolen contents include Noem&#8217;s driver&#8217;s license, apartment keys, medication, makeup, and blank checks.
A DHS spokesperson <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/why-kristi-noem-had-3000-cash-purse-when-it-was-stolen-2062146">told</a> Newsweek that Noem had such a large amount of cash on hand to &#8220;treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.&#8221;
&#8220;We can confirm this occurred last night. Her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren,&#8221; DHS said.
A law enforcement source confirmed that the Secret Service has initiated an investigation to trace any potential unauthorized use of Noem&#8217;s financial instruments.
“This is a security breach that actually has high consequences, and it needs immediate and further review by the Secret Service and DHS, and other law enforcement partners,” former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow told CNN.
“If necessary, the Secret Service will need to make operational changes on how they deal with these types of private events moving forward,” Wackrow said.
He added that Noem remains “at higher risk for targeted threats, both by foreign and domestic actors, and just her public profile alone makes her a symbolic target.”

Connecticut Democrats And Survivors And Families Of Gun Violence Victims Mark 12th Anniversary Of Sandy Hook School Shooting

Kristi Noem’s Purse — With DHS Badge, Passport, $3,000 Cash Inside — Stolen

Kristi Noem

Restaurant

Theft

Washington D.C.

Menu