The plane carrying United States War Secretary Pete Hegseth diverted to the United Kingdom on Wednesday, making an emergency landing, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed.
Hegseth was returning to the United States from a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, with other NATO defense ministers when the plane made the “unscheduled landing.” Parnell shared the news in a post on X, making it clear that the situation was related to an equipment failure rather than anything more complicated, and said everyone on board was safe.
“On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On the way back to the United States from NATO’s Defense Ministers meeting, Secretary of War Hegseth’s plane made an unscheduled landing in the United Kingdom due to a crack in the aircraft windshield. The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including…
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanParnellASW/status/1978523799349035408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“All good. Thank God. Continue mission!” Hegseth posted shortly afterward.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
All good. Thank God. Continue mission! <a href="https://t.co/kCMmfOvHLX">https://t.co/kCMmfOvHLX</a>
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1978527712764363087?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Early reports on the situation came from freelance journalist Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) and offered additional details.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a> 
“The aircraft carrying Secretary Hegseth left Belgium and later declared an emergency (#7700) turning around over the Atlantic, heading back to the UK,” Leyden posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The aircraft carrying Secretary Hegseth left Belgium and later declared an emergency (#7700) turning around over the Atlantic, heading back to the UK. <a href="https://t.co/yd6AezOkRj">https://t.co/yd6AezOkRj</a> <a href="https://t.co/E3jZpdNkoF">pic.twitter.com/E3jZpdNkoF</a>
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) <a href="https://twitter.com/PenguinSix/status/1978515666987561259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Leyden followed that with a report stating that Hegseth’s plane — and one other that had also diverted — landed a short time later at RAF Mildenhall, a Royal Air Force station near Suffolk, England.
“Secretary Hegseth’s SAM 153 aircraft has landed at RAF Mildenhall. A C-17 backup aircraft that accompanied him to Belgium also diverted to Mildenhall and will likely pick him up and bring him back to the USA,” he posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Secretary Hegseth&#8217;s SAM 153 aircraft has landed at RAF Mildenhall. A C-17 backup aircraft that accompanied him to Belgium also diverted to Mildenhall and will likely pick him up and bring him back to the USA. <a href="https://t.co/jHha4OBKPh">pic.twitter.com/jHha4OBKPh</a>
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) <a href="https://twitter.com/PenguinSix/status/1978523906752352631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Pete Hegseth

Plane Carrying War Secretary Pete Hegseth Makes Emergency Landing In U.K.

Plane Carrying U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth Diverts To U.K. For Emergency Landing

Air Travel

Global Politics

Military

United Kingdom

President Donald Trump awards Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, New York Attorney General Letitia James&#8217; grandniece may be a fugitive from the law, and the U.K.&#8217;s Labour Party turns to digital ID to curb illegal immigration.
It’s Wednesday, October 15, 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:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump Honors Charlie Kirk &amp; Letitia’s Hidden Houseguest" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yDYZC4idjYU?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>
If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<div class="ad-wrapper" data-testid="ad-wrapper"><iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-honors-charlie-kirk-letitias-hidden-houseguest/id1576594336?i=1000731955380" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Awards Charlie Kirk The Highest Civilian Honor</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-986115" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Honoring-A-Patriot.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump posthumously honored Charlie Kirk on Tuesday, on what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday, with the country’s highest civilian award: the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In front of a large audience in the Rose Garden, the president presented the award to Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk. The event was attended by many family members, friends, and acquaintances of Kirk from within the administration, Kirk’s conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, and elsewhere.
“Five weeks ago, our nation was robbed of this extraordinary champion. He was a champion in every way — I got to know him so well,” said Trump. “It was a horrible, heinous, demonic act of murder. He was assassinated in the prime of his life for boldly speaking the truth, for living his faith, and relentlessly fighting for a better and stronger America. He loved this country, and that’s why this afternoon, it’s my privilege to posthumously award Charles James Kirk our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
Erika Kirk also spoke at the event.
“Today, we’re gathered not only to celebrate Charlie’s birthday, but to honor a truth that he gave his entire life to defend, and that’s freedom. The very existence of the Presidential Medal of Freedom reminds us that the national interest of the United States has always been freedom,” she said.
“Our founders etched it into the preamble of our Constitution, and those words are not relics on parchment; they are a living covenant. The blessings of liberty are not man’s invention, they are God’s endowment. Charlie lived for those blessings, not as abstract words, but as sacred promises,” she added.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Letitia James’s Fugitive Family Member</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-986113" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Letitia-Shelters-Fugitive.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: New York Attorney General Letitia James may have sheltered a fugitive in her Virginia home for the past five years. 
James was charged with bank fraud last week for allegedly lying on mortgage papers to get a lower interest rate on a house in Virginia. While James owns the home, the current tenant is her grandniece, Nakia Thompson, and her three children, who have lived in the house since 2020. 
Thompson is officially listed as an “absconder” in the database of North Carolina’s Department of Adult Correction, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15187603/letitia-james-niece-virginia-home-fugitive.html">Daily Mail</a>. She’s wanted by authorities in Forsyth County for skipping out on her probation.
A spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Corrections said Thompson was “sentenced to probation for misdemeanor convictions for assault and battery and trespassing.” He confirmed that she is considered a fugitive from the state, but he added that because her crimes are considered low-level, she is “non-extraditable.”
Won’t stay silent: In opposition to the standard legal advice to keep quiet after being charged with a crime, James is loudly speaking out against the Department of Justice, claiming to be a victim of a political prosecution.
“We see powerful voices trying to silence truth and punish dissent and, yes, weaponize justice for political gain. We are witnessing the fraying of our democracy, the erosion of our system of government,” said James at a rally for New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani on Monday evening.
Limiting her ability to attract supporters to her cause, James is perceived widely on the right to be guilty of pushing the same kind of political prosecutions she is now denouncing. James campaigned for New York attorney general on a platform of investigating President Trump.
After winning her election, James eventually pursued Trump on a civil charge related to defrauding banks, though no banks claimed to have ever been defrauded by Trump. James won the case in a bench trial, and Trump was hit with a civil penalty of nearly half a billion dollars. That penalty was later thrown out by an appeals court in a major victory for the president.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">U.K.’s Labour Turns To Digital ID To Curb Illegal Immigration</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-986111" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Britain-Tries-Digital-ID.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The U.K. recently approved a controversial new law that mandates a digital ID as a way to curb illegal immigration. Morning Wire spoke with Guy Dampier, senior researcher on nationhood at the Prosperity Institute, about the new law. (The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.)
Morning Wire: So, Guy, a lot of frustration boiling over in the U.K. right now over immigration, and now we have this heated debate over digital ID. Let’s start with Prime Minister Starmer – he’s defending his party’s immigration policies and accusing the conservative Reform party of pushing supposedly “racist” policies. Catch us up, what’s the story here?
Dampier: The issue is Reform’s policy on residency for immigrants. &#8220;Indefinite Leave to Remain&#8221; means that an immigrant can, after five years, get access to the same welfare benefits as a British citizen. The vast majority of people who get ILR will stay forever. That matters because in the last few years, there was an immigration wave of around 4 million people. Most of those were low-skilled and will be a drain on the taxpayer. One estimate said that it would cost around £80 billion, another said over £200 billion. Whatever the true figure is, it will be a huge cost at a time when the British economy is doing very badly. Reform have announced that they will abolish ILR, forcing those who have come to apply for new visas, which will include new checks on their qualifications and language skills. That also matters because the current rules are incredibly lax. The language test only requires that you have B1 English, which is enough to struggle through a book for small children, but nowhere near enough what you need just to read a newspaper. As most of these 4 million migrants come from Africa and the Indian subcontinent, Labour have branded it “racist.” 
Morning Wire: Now, the Labour Party has actually also admitted that this &#8220;Indefinite Leave to Remain&#8221; law needs to be reformed. What are they suggesting?
Dampier: This is why it is so incoherent. They were calling Nigel Farage racist. On Monday, they announced policies that were not a million miles away. The Home Secretary, Shababa Mahmood, has said that immigrants who want residency will now need better English skills, no criminal record, and evidence that they have volunteered in the community to show that they are integrating. The problem for Labour is that while they want to win over voters who are upset about immigration, they don’t really believe in reducing immigration. So they end up promising things they won’t deliver, and then when they get called out, they lash out. The problem for Britain is very simple: the country has become rapidly more foreign, with over 16% of people born overseas. Most of those came in the last few decades or even the last few years. This is changing the face of the country: around 38% of school children are now from an ethnic minority group. At the same time the economy has ground to a halt. And there is increasing evidence that migrants are overrepresented when it comes to accessing welfare and committing crime. So people are asking a simple question: if we want fewer immigrants, and if immigration isn’t good for the economy, then why are politicians refusing to seriously reduce the numbers?
Morning Wire: As we mentioned at the top, we also have this new digital ID that’s supposed to help crack down on illegal workers. But that has been very controversial. How would that work?
Dampier: This is the so-called Brit card. Labour have long been advocates for digital ID. In fact, the last Labour government, over a decade ago actually introduced ID cards. But they were immediately scrapped by the conservative government which followed them. Labour are now arguing that it would stop illegal immigrants from being able to work and rent. But there is already a digital Visa verification system which is supposed to do this. It just isn’t adhered to. There’s no reason to think that this would be any different. In fact, there are many European countries which already have ID cards and still have a major problem with illegal immigration. In Germany, for example, you are supposed to carry your ID card with you everywhere. But the country has one of the highest numbers of illegal immigrants in all of Europe. This won’t really fix the problem. What it will do is add on another layer of bureaucracy and further reduce the freedom of native British people. There is also another potential danger. Paul Mason, a well-known Labour activist who is close to the senior leadership of the party, suggested that digital ID could be used to help regularise the illegal immigrants who are already here. That is somewhere between 3/4 of 1 million and 2 million people. Instead of discouraging illegal immigration, it could end up being used to reward it.

MRN_251015_V1

Morning Brief: Trump Honors Kirk, Letitia James Accused Of Housing Fugitive, UK Advances Digital ID

Morning Brief: Trump Honors Charlie Kirk, Letitia James’ Crime Family, And UK Digital ID

Charlie Kirk

Donald Trump

Keir Starmer

Letitia James

Media

Morning Wire

New York

Politics

Virginia

White House

A graffiti exhibition at Canterbury Cathedral, one of the oldest Christian structures in England dating back to 597, has many people baffled and enraged.
The newly unveiled installation by the poet Alex Vellis and curator Jacqueline Creswell includes graffiti-style messages applied directly to the stone walls of the massive cathedral. Questions such as, “What is the architecture of heaven?” and “Does everything have a soul?” can be seen in the customary graffiti style script on the walls and columns of the building.
“Why are you indifferent to suffering?” another message found beneath a stained glass window says, per <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/canterbury-cathedral-graffiti-art-hear-us-controversy-1234756433/">ARTnews</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Church of England decided this week to cover the interior of the oldest cathedral in England in graffiti in order to represent the voices of “marginalised communities.”
The Very Rev David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury, said: “There is a rawness which is magnified by the… <a href="https://t.co/bQ6BYsNU2A">pic.twitter.com/bQ6BYsNU2A</a>
— Drew Pavlou 🇦🇺🇺🇸🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@DrewPavlou) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewPavlou/status/1976571987381395614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Creswell explained the exhibition’s goals on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DPjR6L9gmfG/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1">Instagram</a>, writing, “By collaborating with marginalized communities—including the Punjabi, black and brown diaspora, neurodivergent individuals, and the LGBTQIA+ population—the exhibition promotes inclusivity and representation. It transforms the cathedral into a space where diverse voices can be heard, validating their experiences and fostering a sense of belonging.”
The exhibition has the support of the dean of Canterbury, David Monteith, who <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/canterbury-cathedral-artwork-graffiti-drawings-b2843041.html">said</a> of the display, “There is a rawness which is magnified by the graffiti style, which is disruptive. There is also an authenticity in what is said because it is unfiltered and not tidied up or sanitized. Above all, this graffiti makes me wonder why I am not always able to be as candid, not least in my prayers.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
Meanwhile, social media users are voicing their dismay at temporarily desecrating a house of worship.
Irish author Keith Woods <a href="https://x.com/KeithWoodsYT/status/1976595414565466254">posted</a> on X, “Was horrified to see this graffiti on Canterbury Cathedral, founded by St. Augustine [himself], then I discovered it was actually an initiative welcomed by the Church of England!”
“It’s actually stunning how much the elite of Britain hate their own culture and civilization,” Australian conservative activist Drew Pavlou wrote. “You couldn’t even invent this as satire. They are literally scrawling graffiti on the walls of ancient cathedrals. Everything beautiful is just torn down and destroyed.”
The graffiti display is scheduled to remain until January 2026.

Canterbury Cathedral

‘Horrified’: Graffiti Exhibition At Historic Canterbury Cathedral Sparks Outrage

Graffiti

London

Religion

Wokeness

World

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:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump Eyes Funding Cuts &amp; British Synagogue Attacked" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QjHOs-MhZQE?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>
If you would rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-eyes-funding-cuts-british-synagogue-attacked-10-3-25/id1576594336?i=1000729859597" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<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.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-1322">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a> 
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.”
&nbsp;

MRN_251003-Thumbnail-V1

Morning Brief: Shutdown Day 3, Deadly Synagogue Attack, And Leonardo DiCaprio’s New Political Movie

Karoline Leavitt

Leonardo DiCaprio

Movies

Terrorism

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

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.

Kate Middleton

King Charles III

Melania Trump

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:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Shooter’s Past Uncovered &amp; Britain Raises Colours" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_wjwHTVkqy8?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>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shooters-past-uncovered-britain-raises-colours-8-29-25/id1576594336?i=1000724006117" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2>Minneapolis Shooter’s Manifesto Reveals Transgender Anguish</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-966753" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH1.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
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>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-966749" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
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>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-966751" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.29.25-Fri-SH3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
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

Menu