The White House plans deep cuts to “Democrat agencies” as the government shutdown continues, a terrorist attacks an Orthodox synagogue killing two and wounding more, and Leonardo DiCaprio stars in a new political blockbuster.
It’s Friday, October 3, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Shutdown Day 3</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-980289" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Shutdown-Cuts-Inbound.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The government shutdown enters its third day, as the blame game continues and President Donald Trump threatens mass firings of federal employees. 
The GOP strategy: The White House wants to make the shutdown about healthcare funding for illegal immigrants. It says the Democrat proposal would result in $200 billion in subsidies going to non-citizens over the next decade, primarily through Medicaid and mandatory emergency care. The White House argues that the American people elected President Trump to cut those exact policies, and by blocking him from doing so, Democrats are denying the will of the people.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1973753810154889282">said</a>: “Trump ran on the promise to end taxpayer-funded benefits going to illegal aliens, and tens of millions of Americans voted him back to this beautiful White House to implement that promise … and now Democrats want to undo it — and they&#8217;re holding our country hostage.”
The White House says the United States will lose $15 billion in GDP revenue each week the shutdown drags on, and it wants to ensure Democrats bear the blame, posting news clips on social media describing national guardsmen going unpaid, food assistance for low-income single mothers drying up, etc.
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A number of federal websites had new banners on Thursday — the official Justice Department homepage, for example, read “Democrats have shut down the government … websites are not currently updated.” 
Trump’s austerity: The president is targeting “non-essential” federal employees for termination as part of his broader government efficiency efforts. He posted on social media that he “had a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut … I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Yom Kippur Synagogue Attack</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-980287" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Manchester-Synagogue-Attacked.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A knife-wielding man targeted a synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The U.K.’s counterterrorism police have deemed the attack a “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10/02/world/manchester-synagogue-stabbing-uk">terrorist incident</a>.”
Timeline: Authorities first received calls at around 9:30 a.m. local time about a man driving his vehicle into pedestrians outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue. The suspect, identified as Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen who is of Syrian descent, then got out of his vehicle and began stabbing people around him. Authorities have confirmed that two people have been killed and four others were injured.
The suspect was shot and killed by police about 7-8 minutes after authorities were first called. 
The attack: The terrorist was not able to enter the actual synagogue because the entrance was locked and barricaded. When he exited the vehicle, he immediately encountered synagogue security and other members who stopped him.
Step back: About 30,000 Jewish people reside in Manchester – outside of London, it’s home to the largest Jewish community in the country. Antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have hit record levels after the October 7th attack by Hamas in Israel. In the first half of this year alone, there have been more than 1,500 reported incidents.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">“One Battle After Another”</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-980285" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Silver-Screen-Politics.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: A new film by celebrated director Paul Thomas Anderson starring Leonardo DiCaprio is earning high praise from critics and solid numbers at the box office – but it’s also stirring up debate about its potentially polarizing political themes.
National Review contributor Giancarlo Sopo joined Morning Wire to discuss the film, “One Battle After Another.”
What is the film about? “I think to understand ‘One Battle After Another,’ you have to understand the book that it&#8217;s based on, and it&#8217;s Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Vineland.’ Essentially, it&#8217;s a story about a bunch of radicals who have gotten burned out, have attempted to attack government installations and institutions using violence. Now they are being hunted. So, it&#8217;s a satire, right? You’ve got radicals on one side, and then on the right, you&#8217;re going to have a bunch of racist, autocratic thugs, essentially, coming after them who are part of this paramilitary organization that is also tied, by the way, to a secret society of races called the Christmas Adventurers Club.”
Is it a political movie? “I think the film&#8217;s political sympathies are obviously with the progressive left. At the same time, though, I wouldn&#8217;t necessarily call it a political movie. I would look at it more as Antifa Star Wars, as a friend told me, where the politics and the radicalism is kind of used as a vehicle to tell a father-daughter story. You have this burned-out dad who spends all day smoking weed and watching ‘The Battle Of Algiers,’ bringing up a young daughter, who&#8217;s a teenager now, entirely by himself. And he&#8217;s having a hard time communicating with her. There are very funny, generational conflicts as tends to happen to those who have kids now are starting to figure that out.”
Is there any sympathy for people considered to be on the right in the film? “The thing with the movie is that no one&#8217;s really in the center, right? Or really the center left or much less the middle. It follows a set of extremists on both sides. And what the story is telling you on the political side is that these ideologies are pulling people away from what matters most to them in life, which should be their own children. There are very clear passages in the film that communicate that. I don&#8217;t think anyone is portrayed here sympathetically in the film, to be candid with you, with the exception of the teenage girl.”
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Morning Brief: Shutdown Day 3, Deadly Synagogue Attack, And Leonardo DiCaprio’s New Political Movie

Donald Trump

Karoline Leavitt

Leonardo DiCaprio

Morning Wire

Movies

Terrorism

United Kingdom

White House

Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, ex-wife of the U.K.’s Prince Andrew, has been dropped from multiple charities after it was revealed that she sent an apologetic email to convicted sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Leaked emails show that the Duchess of York called Epstein a “steadfast, generous, and supreme friend” even after publicly distancing herself from him.
Epstein had pleaded guilty to two prostitution charges in 2008 and agreed to register as a sex offender. Ferguson gave an interview to The Evening Standard in 2011, stating that she would never speak to him again. However, weeks later, she reportedly sent an email to Epstein apologizing for her previous comments and insisting that he was still her friend. 
“I abhor pedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf,” Fergie said during the interview about accepting a $15,000 payment from the sex offender. “Whenever I can, I will repay the money and will have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”
In her email to Epstein, she denied linking his name to pedophilia.
“As you know I did not, absolutely not, say the P (pedophile) word about you,” Fergie’s email reportedly said. &#8220;I know you feel hellaciously let down by me from what you were either told or read and I must humbly apologize to you and your heart for that.&#8221; 
At least five charities have severed ties with Fergie since The Sun <a href="https://www.the-sun.com/royals/15224768/sarah-ferguson-jeffrey-epstein-apology-email/">reported</a> the leaked email over the weekend.
“We were disturbed to read of Sarah, Duchess of York’s, correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein,” Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, the founders of the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said in a statement, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/23/uk/epstein-email-duchess-of-york-intl">CNN</a>.
“She was a patron but, in the light of the recent revelations, we have taken the decision that it would be inappropriate for her to continue to be associated with the charity.”
The Duchess of York was also dropped by the children’s hospice organization, Julia’s House. 
&#8220;Following the information shared this weekend on the Duchess of York&#8217;s correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, Julia&#8217;s House has taken the decision that it would be inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity,&#8221; a spokesperson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/sarah-ferguson-dropped-multiple-charities-after-calling-jeffrey-epstein-generous-supreme-friend">told</a> Fox News Digital. &#8220;We have advised the Duchess of York of this decision and thank her for her past support.&#8221;
Other charities to cut ties include The British Heart Foundation and The Children’s Literacy Charity.
A representative for Ferguson blamed the email on threats she had allegedly received from Epstein after the interview with The Evening Standard.
&#8220;Like many people, she was taken in by [Epstein’s] lies. As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with pedophilia,&#8221; the statement <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/21/sarah-ferguson-apologised-to-jeffrey-epstein-after-disowning-him-leaked-emails-suggest">said</a>. &#8220;She does not resile from anything she said then. This email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats.&#8221;
Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for multiple crimes, including sex trafficking of women and minors as young as 14.

Sarah Ferguson

Charities Sever Ties With Prince Andrew’s Ex After Jeffrey Epstein Comments Surface

Charities Sever Links With Sarah Ferguson After Epstein Comments Surface

Celebrities

Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew

Royal Family

World

Drugmaker Bristol Myers Squibb is set to release a new schizophrenia treatment in the United Kingdom for the same price it’s listed for in the United States, a decision that will certainly please those in the White House who have fought to get Americans the same prices offered overseas.
The announcement, made by Bristol on Monday, follows a push from President Donald Trump for U.S. drugmakers to lower prescription drugs for Americans to the greatest extent possible. Bristol’s approach to the United Kingdom market aligns with the White House’s strategy to secure lower drug prices in the United States.
The pharmaceutical company has never before brought its price for a drug to parity across the United States and the United Kingdom. Adam Lenkowsky, chief commercialization officer at Bristol, said that the drug company is prepared to pull its drug, Cobenfy, from the European nation&#8217;s market if the relevant government authorities do not agree to the price listed in the United States, at $1,850 a month.
“Our intention is to work with NICE and NHS to make this medicine available, but we are prepared to make the difficult decision to walk away if they cannot better recognize the value our medicine brings to patients and society,” Lenkowsky said in a statement.
“We agree with the Trump Administration that other countries need to pay their fair share,” he added.
Cobenfy has not yet been approved for sale in the United Kingdom. Bristol plans to file for approval in the coming weeks and expects to receive approval sometime next year, according to the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/0913ee5f-1631-4e1b-8bd8-99ce2c9dd64f">Financial Times</a>.
Last year, the research group RAND <a href="https://www.rand.org/news/press/2024/02/01.html">found</a> that Americans pay significantly more for prescription drugs than other countries. The research pegged the inflated price at 2.78 times what is charged in other countries.
The Trump administration is determined to end that trend, and has pointed to drug manufacturers.
“The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population and yet funds around three quarters of global pharmaceutical profits,” a May 12 White House <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/delivering-most-favored-nation-prescription-drug-pricing-to-american-patients/">executive order</a> on drug prices says. “This egregious imbalance is orchestrated through a purposeful scheme in which drug manufacturers deeply discount their products to access foreign markets, and subsidize that decrease through enormously high prices in the United States.”
The order aims to pressure drugmakers to push for parity between prices for its drugs in the United States and elsewhere in the world. The president last week said that other countries have treated Americans unfairly when it comes to drug prices.
“For years, we&#8217;ve been paying for a pill $100 and they&#8217;re paying $10,” the president said on Fox News last week. Trump suggested he intends to pressure other countries into raising drug prices to offset the costs of making new drugs for Americans.
“The drug companies agree that I&#8217;m right, and the countries, if they don’t agree, I’ll use tariffs to get them to agree,” Trump said. “We&#8217;re going to be reducing drug costs over the next year, year and a half by not 50% or 60%, by 1,000% … You&#8217;re talking about a monumental change in health care that&#8217;s going to affect Medicare, Medicaid, even Social Security.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;For years, we&#8217;ve been paying sometimes for a pill, $100, and [other countries] are paying $10&#8230; We&#8217;re going to be reducing drug costs over the next year, year and a half&#8230; You&#8217;re talking about a monumental change in healthcare.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Pxnj8vU1hc">pic.twitter.com/Pxnj8vU1hc</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1968758480476528710?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></blockquote>

UK Hosts President Trump And First Lady Melania Trump For State Visit – Day Three

Trump Push Pays Off: Pharma Giant Says Brits Must Pay Same Price As Americans For New Drug

Big Pharma

Health

Pharmaceuticals

United States

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were greeted by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Catherine, Princess of Wales when they arrived for an official state visit to the United Kingdom on Wednesday. 
Prince William and Catherine greeted the Trumps on castle grounds during the ceremonial arrival.
Trump said to the princess by way of greeting, “You’re beautiful, so beautiful.”
<div id="attachment_973377" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973377" class="size-large wp-image-973377" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trumps-with-Prince-and-Princess-of-Wales-768x576.jpg" alt="Trumps with Prince and Princess of Wales" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trumps-with-Prince-and-Princess-of-Wales-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trumps-with-Prince-and-Princess-of-Wales-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trumps-with-Prince-and-Princess-of-Wales.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" />Aaron Chown &#8211; WPA Pool/Getty Images</div>
Multiple photos and videos show the president and first lady riding in a carriage to Windsor Castle.
<div id="attachment_973385" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973385" class="size-large wp-image-973385" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession-864x576.jpg" alt="Military procession" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Procession.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Andrew Matthews &#8211; WPA Pool/Getty Images</div>
The president and first lady’s carriage was escorted into the Windsor Castle courtyard by British military servicemen and horses. There is also a joint U.S.-U.K. military flyover planned.
<div id="attachment_973383" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973383" class="size-large wp-image-973383" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2-864x576.jpg" alt="State visit" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-2.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Chris Jackson/Getty Images</div>
President Trump was invited by King Charles III, Prince William’s father, for a state visit that will run from Wednesday through Thursday.
<div id="attachment_973381" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973381" class="size-large wp-image-973381" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-864x576.jpg" alt="State visit" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Carriage.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</div>
The president and King Charles III later <a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-trump-state-visit-king-charles-9e888f6d58da8765ab7e0775d11fb350">toured</a> the Royal Collection Display, which included five tables of artifacts on U.S.-British relations, featuring 18th-century watercolors and documents concerning the United States’ claim of independence from King George III, according to the AP.
<div id="attachment_973391" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973391" class="size-large wp-image-973391" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles-864x576.jpg" alt="Trump and King Charles" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-and-King-Charles.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</div>
King Charles and Camilla gave the Trumps several gifts, including a handbound leather volume celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the Union Flag, which flew on the day of Trump’s inauguration, the outlet noted.
<div id="attachment_973393" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973393" class="size-large wp-image-973393" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle-864x576.jpg" alt="Windsor Castle" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Windsor-Castle.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Chris Jackson/Getty Images</div>
President Trump previously visited the United Kingdom in 2019. He is the first U.S. president ever invited to Britain for a second state visit.
<div id="attachment_973389" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-973389" class="size-large wp-image-973389" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-864x576.jpg" alt="President Trump" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool via Getty Images</div>

UK Hosts President Trump And First Lady Melania Trump For State Visit – Day Two

SEE IT: Stunning Photos From Trump’s Historic Royal Welcome In The U.K.

Global Politics

Kate Middleton

King Charles III

Melania Trump

Politics

Prince William

British Member of Parliament Nigel Farage fended off attacks from Democrats on Wednesday while he warned lawmakers about threats to free speech Americans may face from his home country. 
Farage, the leader of Reform U.K., gave the warning as he testified before the House Judiciary Committee at a hearing on “Europe’s Threats to American Speech and Innovation.” The British politician pointed to the arrest of Irish comedian Graham Linehan for posts he made critical of transgender ideology as a warning for Americans who may hope to visit England one day. 
“This could happen to any American man or woman [who] goes to Heathrow [who] has said things online that the British government and British police don’t like. It is a potentially big threat to tech bosses, to many, many others,” Farage said. “This legislation we’ve got will damage trade between our countries, threaten free speech across the West because of the knock-on rollout effects of this legislation from us or from the European Union.”
Farage, whose party appears poised for a major victory in the next United Kingdom elections, urged American politicians and business leaders to stand up to the British government. 
“I come from a land of Magna Carta, I come from a land that gave us the mother of parliaments, and it doesn’t give me any great joy to be sitting in America and describing the really awful, authoritarian situation that we have now sunk into,” he said. 
The center of Farage’s ire is a law called the Online Safety Act, which he says was written vaguely to allow for a crackdown on speech the British government doesn’t like. 
Farage was repeatedly pressed by Democrats on the committee, who attacked him as a “fringe politician.” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the ranking member of the committee, said that Farage was a “far-right pro-Putin politician” and a “Trump sycophant and wannabe.” 
&#8220;I&#8217;m delighted to reacquaint with the charming Mr. Raskin,” Farage said. “Delightful testimony you gave me earlier on with your speech. But hey, that&#8217;s fine, you can say what you like, I don&#8217;t care. Because that&#8217;s what free speech is.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Reform U.K. leader <a href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nigel_Farage</a>: &#8220;I&#8217;m delighted to reacquaint with the charming Mr.Raskin. Delightful testimony you gave me earlier on with your speech. But hey, that&#8217;s fine, you can say what you like, I don&#8217;t care. Because that&#8217;s what free speech is.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/kfY7mfmJ4X">pic.twitter.com/kfY7mfmJ4X</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1963271950966370363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“We will do whatever we can that is practical to protect kids from serious harm online, but we will get back to the idea that I can insult you, you can insult me, Mr. Raskin and I can have our chats,” Farage later said. “But we do it in a spirit that’s not inciteful and in a way that honors those who built our great countries.”
Georgia Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson also attacked Farage, trying to claim that Trump was Farage’s mentor and pointing out that the British politician attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last year. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
💥💥💥 <a href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nigel_Farage</a> HUMILIATES <a href="https://twitter.com/RepHankJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepHankJohnson</a>!
Watch for yourself. 😂 <a href="https://t.co/XrEDCBKoLt">pic.twitter.com/XrEDCBKoLt</a>
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1963269179206729796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Another witness who testified during the hearing was Alliance Defending Freedom International lawyer Lorcán Price, who testified about the dangers of the European Union’s Digital Services Act. 
“Why should this matter for Americans? Why should you be concerned? Because of the worldwide reach of European law,” Price said. “The so-called Brussels effect changes regulation in every area that the European Union chooses to regulate, and now they’ve entered the business of regulating speech.”
That act empowers the European Commission to impose significant financial penalties on tech companies it claims are not doing enough to combat so-called disinformation. In some circumstances, American tech companies could be fined up to six percent of their global revenue if they violate certain conditions.

MixCollage-03-Sep-2025-01-28-PM-7984

Nigel Farage Spars With Dems As He Warns About ‘Authoritarian’ Crackdown On Free Speech

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Free Speech

Great Britain

House Judiciary Committee

Jamie Raskin

Nigel Farage

Parliament

Actress Robin Wright, best known for starring in cult classic films like “The Princess Bride” and “Forrest Gump,” as well as the Netflix series “House of Cards,” said she fled the United States in favor of life in the United Kingdom.
The 59-year-old star also described America as a “sh** show.”
“It’s liberating to be done,” Wright told The <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/celebrity/article/robin-wright-parenting-with-sean-penn-moving-to-england-and-my-new-man-gztccccv0">Times of London</a>. “Be done with searching, looking and getting 60% of what you wanted.”
“I love being in this country,” the Texas native said of moving to the coast of England. “There’s a freedom of self here. People are so kind. They’re living. They’re not in the car in traffic, panicked on a phone call, eating a sandwich. That’s most of America. Everything’s rush, competition and speed.”
The Golden Globe winner added, “Everyone’s building a huge house, and I’m just done with all that — I love the quiet. And I’ve met my person. Finally.”
Wright, who has been married three times before, moved to the U.K. with her current boyfriend, architect Henry Smith. The actress was married to outspoken leftist activist Sean Penn from 1996 until 2010.
She is one of several celebrities to leave the United States since Trump was elected president. Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Rosie O’Donnell, and Richard Gere are just some of the stars to leave. 
While Wright didn’t mention politics specifically while discussing her departure from the U.S., other celebrities were more explicit about their reason for leaving.
“We got here the day before the election and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis, and I was like, ‘He got in,’” comedian Degeneres <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ellen-degeneres-confirms-rumor-she-moved-to-united-kingdom-because-of-trump">said</a> of moving away permanently post-election. “And we’re like, ‘We’re staying here.’”
O’Donnell said she moved to Ireland to protect her trans-identifying child. 
“I miss many things about life there at home, and I’m trying to find a home here in this beautiful country,” the comedian said after her move overseas earlier this year. “And when, you know, it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America, that’s when we will consider coming back. It’s been heartbreaking to see what’s happening politically and hard for me personally as well. The personal is political, as we all know,” she added.

Robin Wright

‘House Of Cards’ Star Becomes Latest Celeb To Ditch U.S., Calls America A ‘Sh** Show’

Actress Robin Wright Becomes Latest Celeb To Flee U.S., Calls America A 'Sh** Show'

Entertainment

Right-wing parties are simultaneously leading polls across Europe’s biggest economies in a first for the continent’s nationalist and populist movements.
In France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, known together as Europe’s “Big Three,” right-wing parties have surged in popularity on angst over lax immigration policies and high inflation, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/right-wing-europe-dd4f1156?mod=hp_lead_pos10">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
The National Rally has led polls in France consistently for the past year, and National Rally’s presidential candidate would likely win the first round of voting. National Rally is led by Jordan Bardella, who took over the party after Marine Le Pen.
National Rally is already the largest single party in France’s National Assembly.
Reform UK, the newly founded British party led by Nigel Farage, has overtaken the ruling Labour Party in polls within the last six months. Farage founded the party partly out of frustration with the Conservative Party, which has dueled the Labour Party for control of government over the past century. Farage launched Reform after accusing Conservatives of abandoning their voters.
In Germany, Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has edged ahead of the ruling centrist Christian Democratic Union.
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, like the rest of Europe, have experienced a period of high inflation after pandemic-era spending binges led to aggressively rising prices, which have left many goods at significantly higher price points than they were five years ago. Europe has also lagged behind the United States in economic growth, which could offset the impact of those higher prices.
The governments of the Big Three have also faced increasing grassroots pressure over permissive immigration policies.
In France, citizens have reacted against the country’s growing Muslim population which many see as a threat to French values. The slogan “Let’s block everything” has <a href="https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/block-everything-france-braces-for-a-september-in-flames/">grown</a> popular on social media in France in reaction to unsustainable spending, in part on immigration that has little direct benefit for French citizens, that has led to austerity measures.
In Germany and the United Kingdom, both countries have experienced record waves of immigration in recent years. Germany’s foreign-born population has surged from 15% of its total population in 2017 to 22% last year.
The United Kingdom has seen raw immigration numbers comparable to the surge that swamped the United States immigration system under Biden within the same time frame. Unlike the United States, however, the United Kingdom’s population is about a fifth the size of the United States’.
Europe’s immigration policies have received attention and criticism from the United States, from high-profile figures such as Elon Musk to top officials in the White House.
“[G]overnment that puts foreigners above their own people is, by definition, TREASONOUS and ILLEGITIMATE!” Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1962212945233895500">posted</a> on X on Sunday. “The people of Britain deserve a government that represents their interests, not those of shadowy foreign organizations!”
Musk has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-backs-right-wing-german-party-after-christmas-terror-attack-the-only-hope-for-germany">voiced</a> support for AfD in Germany, while the Trump administration has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-nations-grapple-with-growing-free-speech-problem-under-trumps-gaze">criticized</a> European officials for restricting free speech across the continent, often to avoid upsetting foreign populations that have swelled within its borders, such as in Germany and the U.K.

Marine Le Pen, Nigel Farage

Right-Wing Parties Are Surging In Popularity Across Europe’s Biggest Players

France

Germany

Marine Le Pen

New details from the Minneapolis school shooter&#8217;s manifesto reveal his anguish over his transgender identity, sparking a fierce national debate over motive. A patriotic &#8220;flagging&#8221; movement sweeps the U.K. as public backlash grows against the government&#8217;s mass migration policies and a surge in migrant crime. The multi-billion dollar college football season kicks off this weekend amid a new era of paid athletes and an expanded playoff.
It’s Friday, August 29, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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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>Minneapolis Shooter’s Manifesto Reveals Transgender Anguish</h2>
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Topline: Newly deciphered writings from the trans-identified shooter who attacked a Minneapolis Catholic school reveal his anguish over his gender identity, sparking a fierce national debate over the motive for the massacre.
Two days after the horrific attack that left two children dead and 17 others injured, authorities have deciphered parts of the shooter’s cryptic manifesto. According to a translation from the New York Post, the writings reveal a deep internal struggle: &#8220;I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brain-washed myself,&#8221; one passage reads. &#8220;I regret being trans. I wish I was a girl I just know I cannot achieve that body with the technology we have today.&#8221;
Many on the Right are pointing to a growing number of mass shootings committed by transgender offenders and arguing that affirming a transgender identity, which they view as a form of mental illness, creates mental anguish that can lead to violence. The White House said Thursday that HHS is investigating potential links between &#8220;gender affirming drugs&#8221; and violence.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Many on the Left and in the legacy media have either avoided the transgender component or insisted that discussing it is bigoted. &#8220;Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community&#8230; has lost their sense of common humanity,&#8221; said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. MSNBC&#8217;s Jen Psaki claimed that discussing the shooter&#8217;s identity is an attempt to &#8220;distract from what matters,&#8221; which she said is gun control. Several outlets, including The New York Times, have run headlines claiming the shooter&#8217;s motive is a &#8220;mystery,&#8221; despite his explicitly anti-Christian and anti-Trump writings.
&nbsp;
<h2>‘Flagging’ Movement Sweeps U.K. Amid Migrant Backlash</h2>
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Topline: A new patriotic movement known as “flagging” is sweeping the United Kingdom, as public anger grows over the government&#8217;s mass migration policies and a surge in violent crime committed by migrants.
The organic movement involves citizens raising the Union Jack and the St. George’s Cross flags on lampposts and in public spaces. It grew out of protests against the government&#8217;s practice of housing illegal immigrants in local hotels, which has led to a number of rapes and assaults on local people.
Critics have labeled the movement &#8220;xenophobic,&#8221; but supporters point to a double standard, as local councils that have been quick to take down British flags have been afraid to remove Palestinian flags from heavily Muslim areas.
The backlash comes as government data shows a surge in crimes committed by foreign nationals. According to the Centre for Migration Control, convictions of foreign nationals for sexual offenses increased by a &#8220;staggering 62%&#8221; between 2021 and 2024. A recent viral video from Scotland shows a 12-year-old girl brandishing an axe and a machete to defend herself and her 14-year-old sister from a man with a foreign accent who appears to have been harassing them. The girl has since been <a href="https://x.com/PoliceScotland/status/1960745568747102433">charged</a> by police with possession of a knife &#8212; the man involved has not been charged and has <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/migrant-confronted-schoolgirl-12-wielding-104332586.html">publicly</a> denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the girls approached him.
&nbsp;
<h2>College Football Kicks Off in New Era of Paid Athletes</h2>
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Topline: The multi-billion dollar college football season kicks off this weekend, ushering in a new era of paid athletes, an expanded 12-team playoff, and a slate of high-stakes opening matchups.
This season marks the second year of the expanded 12-team playoff and the first full season since the House v. NCAA settlement, which allows universities to pay athletes directly through revenue sharing, in addition to existing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.
The opening weekend is packed with marquee games. On Saturday, the action kicks off with preseason number one Texas, led by quarterback Arch Manning, visiting the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes. The afternoon features Alabama traveling to Florida State, and the primetime game is a top-10 showdown between LSU and Clemson.
The action continues through the holiday weekend with Miami hosting Notre Dame on Sunday, and the collegiate head coaching debut of eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick on Monday night, when his North Carolina Tar Heels host TCU.

MRN 8.29.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Minneapolis Shooting Fallout, UK Immigration Backlash, A New Era Of College Football

College Football

Crime

Immigration

Jen Psaki

Minneapolis

School Shooting

Sports

U.K.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump&#8217;s Federal Trade Commission is firing a warning shot at top tech companies, The Daily Wire can exclusively report, reminding major companies in a series of letters of their obligation to protect American privacy even under pressure from foreign governments.
&#8220;President Trump has put a swift end to the weaponization of the federal government against Americans and their freedoms, but foreign governments present emerging and ongoing threats to the free exchange of ideas,&#8221; FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson wrote on Monday in letters first obtained by The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Companies might be censoring Americans in response to the laws, demands, or expected demands of foreign powers,&#8221; Ferguson states. &#8220;And the anti-encryption policies of foreign governments might be causing companies to weaken data security measures and other technological means for Americans to vindicate their right to anonymous and private speech. Specifically, there have been numerous recent attempts by foreign governments to pressure your company to censor content or degrade security for users of your services.&#8221;
Letters were sent individually to tech giants, including Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple, as well as eight other companies in the messaging, social media, and cloud storage or web hosting spaces.
The FTC chairman reminded the companies that they have &#8220;independent obligations to American consumers&#8221; under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, prohibiting &#8220;unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.&#8221; A foreign government&#8217;s laws will not be taken as a valid excuse to break that obligation, the letter makes clear.
&#8220;As the nation’s consumer protection agency, the FTC has taken action for over two decades against companies that fail to keep their data security or privacy promises to consumers,&#8221; he says. &#8220;The Commission has steadfastly maintained that companies that collect, use, share, or transmit consumers’ personal data must employ reasonable security measures, including encryption of sensitive information, to protect such information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.&#8221;
Ferguson points to several recent examples: the European Union&#8217;s Digital Services Act, the United Kingdom&#8217;s Online Safety Act, and, most notably, the United Kingdom’s decision to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jd-vance-worked-behind-scenes-to-push-brits-to-drop-data-demands-of-apple?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=JD+Vance+Worked+Behind+Scenes+To+Push+Brits+To+Drop+Data+Demands+Of+Apple">drop demands</a> that Apple allow “back door” access to customer data.
The European Union&#8217;s Digital Services Act incentivizes &#8220;tech companies to censor speech, including speech outside of Europe,&#8221; Ferguson says, while the United Kingdom&#8217;s Online Safety Act pushes online platforms to remove content they deem &#8220;illegal&#8221; in order to &#8220;protect&#8221; users. The United Kingdom had pushed for companies to weaken their encryption measures under its Investigatory Powers Act in order to enable its law enforcement to access data that was stored by users.
&#8220;I am concerned that these actions by foreign powers to impose censorship and weaken end-to-end encryption will erode Americans’ freedoms and subject them to myriad harms, such as surveillance by foreign governments and an increased risk of identity theft and fraud,&#8221; Ferguson wrote.
&#8220;I am also concerned that companies such as your own might attempt to simplify compliance with the laws, demands, or expected demands of foreign governments by censoring Americans or subjecting them to increased foreign surveillance even when the foreign government’s requests do not technically require that,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Indeed, foreign governments seeking to limit free expression or weaken data security in the United States might count on the fact that companies have an incentive to simplify their operations and legal compliance measures by applying uniform policies across jurisdictions.&#8221;
Companies that are promising users that their service is secure or encrypted but are not using appropriate end-to-end encryption may be deceiving consumers who &#8220;reasonably expect that level of confidentiality,&#8221; Ferguson wrote. And certain circumstances might require &#8220;reasonable security measures&#8221; — and failure to use these security measures might constitute unfair practice.
Ferguson says that companies that weaken encryption or other security measures at the direction of a foreign government may be in violation of Section 5.
&#8220;If a company promises consumers that it encrypts or otherwise keeps secure online communications but adopts weaker security due to the actions of a foreign government, such conduct may deceive consumers who rightfully expect effective security, not the increased susceptibility to breach or intercept desired by a foreign power,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Consumers may be further deceived if companies fail to prominently disclose that weaker security measures were adopted due to the actions of a foreign government, information that might be material to a consumer’s decision to use a service.&#8221;
He also suggested it could be &#8220;an unfair practice to weaken the security of Americans’ communications to placate foreign powers&#8221; that do not have the best interests of Americans at heart and may be trying to surveil Americans.
Other companies that received a letter on Thursday morning were Snap, Signal, X, Discord, Slack, Cloudflare, GoDaddy, and Akamai.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson Testifies During House Hearing

EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s FTC Fires Warning Shot At Big Tech: Honor American Privacy, Or Else

Apple

Ferguson

J.D. Vance

Around a decade ago, when viral videos were just starting to become commonplace, a woman uploaded a video entitled, &#8220;10 hours of walking in NYC as a woman.&#8221; Like many viral videos, it wasn&#8217;t actually as spontaneous as it looked. It was the brainchild of an anti-harassment organization by the name of &#8220;Hollaback!&#8221; along with an ad agency called Rob Bliss Creative.
The premise, as the name of the video implies, is that a young white woman named Shoshana Roberts would walk around New York — &#8220;all areas of Manhattan,&#8221; they said — wearing jeans and a crewneck. She wouldn&#8217;t say anything to anyone. In front of her, someone would be carrying a hidden camera, which would capture all of the misogynistic men who would inevitably catcall her. It was intended to be feminist propaganda, in other words. You might remember the video, but if not, here&#8217;s some of it. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b1XGPvbWn0A?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Credit: Rob Bliss/YouTube.com
According to the caption on the video, to her horror, this woman was catcalled more than 100 times in just 10 hours. And after releasing this piece of groundbreaking investigative journalism, the feminists who created it were convinced that they had a winner on their hands. It was being shared everywhere. People were horrified by the plight of women in New York City.
But very quickly, the mood changed. Leftists noticed that, inconveniently enough, pretty much every single catcaller in the video was black or Hispanic. There was one white guy who said something like &#8220;Nice,&#8221; although it wasn&#8217;t even clear he was talking to her. In any event, he&#8217;s clearly respectful and keeps things moving. He simply compliments her and continues walking.
By contrast, there were dozens of black and Hispanic catcallers in the video. And they went far beyond saying &#8220;nice.&#8221; One black guy follows her down the street for five minutes, staring at her the entire time. Another &#8220;person of color&#8221; tells her to &#8220;say thank you more.&#8221; Another guy says &#8220;God bless you, Mami.&#8221;
And you know what this means. The video was determined to be highly racist. NPR and Slate, among many other Left-wing publications, ran lengthy pieces on how problematic the video was. The author Roxane Gay, for example, wrote: &#8220;The racial politics of the video are [f*****] up.
Like, she didn&#8217;t walk through any white neighborhoods?&#8221; Never mind the fact that she walked all over Manhattan, which the footage clearly shows.
As the hysteria grew, the organization that produced the video released a groveling (and very confusing) statement of apology, which threw their <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/11/01/360422087/hollaback-video-calls-out-catcallers-but-cuts-out-white-men">own video</a> under the bus: 
<blockquote>We regret the unintended racial bias in the editing of the video that over represents men of color. &#8230; We are committed to showing the complete picture. It is our hope and intention that this video will be the start of a series to demonstrate that the type of harassment we&#8217;re concerned about is directed toward women of all races and ethnicities and conducted by an equally diverse population of men.</blockquote>
On Reddit, the ad agency <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/11/01/360422087/hollaback-video-calls-out-catcallers-but-cuts-out-white-men">added</a>: 
<blockquote>We got a fair amount of white guys, but for whatever reason, a lot of what they said was in passing, or off camera.</blockquote>
Obviously, one of the biggest issues with this claim is that everything in the video was said &#8220;in passing, or off camera.&#8221; So it doesn&#8217;t make sense to claim that the white people were &#8220;edited out&#8221; for that reason. Nor does it make any sense to state that, in the future, they&#8217;ll be committed to demonstrating that catcallers come from a, &#8220;equally diverse population of men.&#8221; After all, they just captured video evidence demonstrating, via a recorded experiment, that catcallers are not in fact diverse. So what&#8217;s the basis for saying that, in the future, they&#8217;ll prove that white people are just as likely to catcall women?
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1641-the-matt-walsh-show?contentProgram=The%20Matt%20Walsh%20Show&amp;contentType=ShowEpisode&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h3>
They don&#8217;t have any basis for saying that, of course, because it&#8217;s not true. Catcalling women to the point that they become uncomfortable — sort of like playing music loudly on a Bluetooth speaker at the park, or committing armed robbery — is one of those behaviors that, from a statistical perspective, simply isn&#8217;t perfectly distributed among various ethnic groups. Even if you tried to stack the deck by conducting this experiment in a neighborhood that’s nearly 100% white, it still wouldn’t work. In fact, that would only prove the opposite conclusion, because we all know that a woman can walk through a predominantly white suburb not just for 10 hours but for 10 years and never get catcalled at all.
That was the real lesson of &#8220;10 hours of walking in NYC as a woman,&#8221; even though the ad agency would never admit it. They proved, rather publicly, that different demographic groups engage in catcalling at very different rates. And so, ever since the publication of this video, in the name of racial justice, Leftists have mostly stopped talking about catcalling. They&#8217;ve left the topic alone.
But as we all know, every lesson of history must be re-learned at some point. It&#8217;s sort of like the old maxim, &#8220;Never fight a land war in Asia.&#8221; Everyone agrees it&#8217;s a bad idea. But eventually, someone else tries again, to disastrous results. And indeed, that&#8217;s the case with catcalling. Once again, Leftists are trying to make a big deal out of it. Specifically, in England, the Surrey Police Department recently sent undercover policewomen out on the streets, in jogging clothes, in an attempt to elicit catcalls. And then, when the policewomen were catcalled, back-up cars swoop in, sort of like a drug bust. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="How these joggers are tackling catcalling | LBC" width="422" height="750" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CbcXB4jY_g4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Credit: @LBCOfficial/YouTube.com
Well, they&#8217;ve convinced me. This policewoman is constantly being told by strangers that she&#8217;s attractive. And that&#8217;s a horrible, horrible thing. It&#8217;s hard to imagine anything worse than receiving unsolicited compliments, frankly. And indeed, you can just see the abject pain and horror in her voice as she&#8217;s having to process all of this. Last week I upset some people by suggesting that female cops shouldn’t be out on patrol because they lack the strength and other attributes necessary for that job. But I guess I should revise my statement. This is one job — walking around and fishing for compliments — that female cops are highly suited for.
It’s enough to make you wonder what would happen if some police officers are assigned to this detail, and they get no cat calls whatsoever. Would they be giving interviews about how happy they are about the fact that no one in the entire city, during their 8-hour shift, bothered to compliment them? Is that the conversation that would take place, back at the station? It seems doubtful, but at this point, we can&#8217;t say.
In any event, in the video, they admit that catcalling isn&#8217;t even criminal, which raises the obvious question of why the police are doing this. They explain that, in truth, they&#8217;re just trying to wag their finger at people who catcall, because catcalling is like a gateway drug to more criminal activity. Apparently, people who catcall are more likely to commit murder, tax evasion, arson, and so on. But even if that&#8217;s true — and there&#8217;s not much evidence that it is — it still doesn&#8217;t come close to justifying a police stop. If the police are allowed to pull you over because you might commit a future crime, in their judgment, then you effectively have a police state. And of course, that&#8217;s exactly what the UK has become.
But as it turns out, contrary to what&#8217;s stated in that video, some people are indeed being arrested in the UK as part of this sting operation. 
The Telegraph <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08/12/undercover-officers-pose-as-joggers-to-stop-catcalling/">reports</a>: 
<blockquote>Surrey Police said the approach was designed to protect women and girls in public places. According to the force, the [operation], which lasted a month, led to 18 arrests for offences such as harassment, sexual assault, and theft.</blockquote>
The implication, I guess, is that they picked up people with outstanding warrants for assault and theft, since there&#8217;s no indication that these officers were actually attacked during their runs. But what&#8217;s notable about this report, and every other report like it, is that we don&#8217;t have any information about the identities of the offenders. They also don&#8217;t explain what conduct constitutes &#8220;harassment&#8221; exactly. Instead, they simply state that this was a one-month trial for a sting operation, which has now concluded. So there was more transparency from a viral video produced by feminists a decade ago in New York City, than the British police are willing to provide about their taxpayer-funded catcalling bust.
We can all draw the obvious conclusion here. It&#8217;s almost certain that this particular sting operation backfired, just like that viral video did. They came up with this plan in order to entrap heterosexual white men who shout compliments at attractive women. That&#8217;s the great crime that British police decided to spend their time on — something that isn&#8217;t even a crime at all. In fact, it&#8217;s not even morally objectionable in many cases. And yet, in their bid to criminalize heterosexuality and lock up white men for non-crimes, the British police probably realized, to their horror, that the worst and most aggressive catcallers — the real menaces of the catcalling community — were not white at all. And therefore, this operation will end, and it will never be resumed again.
That&#8217;s not really a guess. This is how things work in Britain. For many years, the British government concealed the systematic sexual abuse of children that was being committed, right out in the open, by foreign gangs in England and Wales. 
According to one recent <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clynyyqdnrdo">report</a>, prepared by UK government official Louise Casey: 
<blockquote>We found that the ethnicity of perpetrators is shied away from and is still not recorded for two-thirds of perpetrators. &#8230; We found many examples of organisations avoiding the topic altogether for fear of appearing racist, raising community tensions or causing community cohesion problems.</blockquote>
With the protection of the government, so-called &#8220;grooming gangs&#8221; have operated with impunity in the UK. The normal tactic that these gangs used, as Casey&#8217;s report notes, was for men to target vulnerable adolescent children — &#8220;often those in care, or children with learning or physical disabilities.&#8221; Those children were then drugged, passed among various men and transported via taxis throughout the country to other clients.
The total number of victims is unknown, because most of these perpetrators have never been caught. But a recent <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2r2ejlvm1o">estimate</a> suggests that a minimum of 700 children were victims of &#8220;group-based child sexual exploitation&#8221; in the UK in 2023 alone. Roughly <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9y0lvpyqvo">1,400 children</a> were sexually abused by men in the UK town of Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. In several cases, the police also <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9y0lvpyqvo">participated</a> in the sexual assaults. They also made it clear that they were extremely uninterested when victims came forward. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="007 UK Grooming Gangs" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/82_vZrv78E8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&nbsp;
Credit: The Free Press/Honestly/YouTube.com
In response to the latest government report on this scandal, police in South Yorkshire <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9y0lvpyqvo">told the BBC</a> that they had, &#8220;a dedicated team of detectives working on this case who have worked diligently to explore all lines of enquiry.&#8221; That was their response just a few weeks ago, in July of this year So they&#8217;re claiming it&#8217;s a top priority for them. And yet, just a couple hours away in Surrey, the police are busy trying to arrest catcallers. They&#8217;re chasing down men who honk at women, even though there&#8217;s nothing criminal about it.
Not that we should really be surprised by this. Sociopathic sting operations, in the service of extremely dumb policies that happen to target native white citizens, are becoming the norm in police departments all over the country. In Canada, they&#8217;re <a href="https://x.com/JeffEvely/status/1953971918312251707">rounding</a> up people who try to hike in the woods, and handing out $30,000 fines. In Australia, as we <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5MA8S3ugXQ">discussed</a> a few months ago, they&#8217;ve essentially outlawed prayer. If you try to pray with a man who thinks he&#8217;s really a woman, or vice versa, you could face a decade&#8217;s worth of prison time. In fact, parents can&#8217;t even pray with their children, under that law.
There&#8217;s no way to make sense of any of these crackdowns without recognizing that the governments of the West harbor a deep and abiding disdain for the native populations of their respective countries. And these governments have realized that, if they can&#8217;t completely eliminate the police force and leave the population defenseless, then they can discredit the police, at the very least. They can turn law enforcement into laughing stock and eliminate its legitimacy that way. It&#8217;s the same reason the police chief in D.C. can <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-insanely-incompetent-dei-hire-running-one-of-americas-most-dangerous-cities?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Matt+Walsh&amp;category=Opinion&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=The+Insanely+Incompetent+DEI+Hire+Running+One+Of+America%E2%80%99s+Most+Dangerous+Cities">barely understand</a> English. In other words, the latest war on policing, incredibly enough, is one that the police themselves are participating in. Police departments can either realize what&#8217;s going on, and refuse to participate in the charade. Or they can continue to contribute to their downfall, one extremely ill-advised sting operation at a time.

Demonstrations Held Outside Migrant Accommodations Across The UK

As Migrants Terrorize Britain, Police Wage War On Catcalls

Child Sex Abuse

England

Immigrants

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Rape

Teenagers

The CEO of Jaguar is stepping down from his position not long after after the company went viral for an avant garde rebrand that many deemed ultra woke.
Adrian Mardell is reported to be retiring from his role after spending three decades at the luxury car company. The exec worked in finance for most of his tenure before stepping in to serve as CEO for the past three years, per a Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/jaguar-land-rover-says-ceo-mardell-step-down-2025-07-31/">report</a>. No reason was given for his upcoming departure.
An ad campaign for Jaguar sparked massive criticism online following its November release. The “Copy Nothing” campaign included a colorful commercial of people dressed in vibrant, outlandish outfits. The characters could be seen grabbing sledgehammers, painting over the camera lens, and striking poses as the music played.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Copy nothing. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jaguar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jaguar</a> <a href="https://t.co/BfVhc3l09B">pic.twitter.com/BfVhc3l09B</a>
— Jaguar (@Jaguar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jaguar/status/1858800846646948155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
One of the chief criticisms viewers have is that the ad doesn’t have any cars in it.
Instead, disjointed phrases such as “create exuberant,” “live vivid,” “delete ordinary,” “break molds,” and “copy nothing” appear on the screen.
Tesla founder Elon Musk responded to the ad, writing, “Do you sell cars?”
The social media account replied to many commenters questioning the ad, saying things like, “The story is unfolding. Stay tuned,” “We’re shifting gears, not our purpose,” and “Consider this the first brushstroke.”
The ad was part of a huge brand overhaul, which has been described as going in a new EV-only direction.
Managing director Rawdon Glover complained about the backlash during an interview with the Financial Times, saying the campaign messaging was drowned out in “a blaze of intolerance” on social media. Glover also claimed that the colorful new ad was not meant to be “woke.”
“If we play in the same way that everybody else does, we’ll just get drowned out. So we shouldn’t turn up like an auto brand,” Glover said at the time, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woke-is-dead-jaguar-gets-mocked-for-colorful-car-free-brand-re-launch">reported</a>.
“We need to re-establish our brand and at a completely different price point so we need to act differently. We wanted to move away from traditional automotive stereotypes.”

Adrian Mardell

Jaguar CEO Steps Down Months After Woke Rebrand Commercial Went Viral

Business

Cars

Wokeness

President Trump showed European allies the ‘art of the deal’ this week as his own luxury resort in Scotland played host to negotiations for one of the largest trade deals in history.
Accompanied by bagpipes, the President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europe-laughed-at-trump-now-theyre-going-to-cut-a-big-energy-check">shook hands</a> with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and heralded a major new US-EU trade pact — encompassing a 15% tariff rate on European imports.
But while Scotland was hosting talks on open markets, its own government continues to close off a core tenet of liberal democracy: the freedom to speak — even, in some cases, to silently pray.
In April 2024, Scotland enacted the Hate Crime and Public Order Act, which criminalizes words that amount to subjectively “stirring up hatred” based on a wide range of characteristics, such as someone’s “gender identity.” One may be found guilty of using the wrong words even if offence was only taken, but not intended. The consequences include up to seven years in prison.
Legal scholars, writers, and civil liberties groups have raised serious concerns. The law invites the state to police not just conduct but private expression — even within a family home. What was once a proud tradition of robust, even unpopular debate, is being eroded in favor of subjective standards of offense.
Meanwhile, new legislation in Scotland has imposed “buffer zones” around hospitals, vaguely criminalizing “influence” on the matter of abortion within 200 meters of the building. That radius can encompass private homes. <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/26/praying-at-home-a-crime-depending-on-who-is-passing-window/">According</a> to the law’s own architect, Gillian Mackay MSP, a person praying silently near a window in their home could be guilty of a crime, “depending on who’s passing the window.”
One recent case under a similar “buffer zones” law across the English border drew international attention: Livia Tossici-Bolt, aged 62-years-old, was arrested simply for standing with a sign reading “Here to talk, if you want.” She was not disruptive. She was not loud. She simply offered consensual conversation to other adults.
The U.S. State Department <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/03/31/free-speech-row-threatens-starmers-us-trade-deal/">took notice</a>. A senior official confirmed “concern” about the state of free speech in the UK, adding, “It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression.”
Vice President JD Vance raised similar concerns in his landmark speech at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, even highlighting Scotland’ notorious prayer problem, noting, “free speech, I fear, is in retreat.” Who can blame him? In the UK, police are <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/05/15/britains-police-are-restricting-speech-in-worrying-ways">arresting</a> over 30 people per day for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-the-people-around-the-world-on-trial-for-a-tweet?author=Lois+McLatchie+Miller&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Meet+The+People+Around+The+World+On+Trial+For+A+Tweet%C2%A0">online posts</a> deemed offensive.
Such statements reflect a growing discomfort with what appears to be a widening values gap between the U.K. and its allies. Free societies are built not just on GDP and diplomatic summits, but on the intangible infrastructure of liberty — the right to live and speak freely, according to one’s own conscience. Trade flows best when rooted in mutual trust, shared principles, and the confidence that citizens on both sides of the Atlantic are protected by the same basic freedoms.
The U.K. cannot credibly advocate for open markets while tolerating closed discourse. A nation cannot speak loudly on the world stage while silencing its citizens at home. If Britain wishes to remain a trusted partner in the transatlantic alliance — not just economically but morally — it must reaffirm its commitment to the freedoms that define liberal democracy.
No ally is perfect. But the U.K. must meet the standards it helped to set. Free trade among free nations requires more than signed agreements. It requires trust in mutual political courage to protect liberty where it is most easily lost: quietly, at home.
 * * * 
Lois McLatchie Miller is a Scottish commentator on free speech, and a senior legal communications officer for ADF International.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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