President Donald Trump sues the BBC for billions of dollars as the White House rebuffs a controversial exposé, newly declassified documents cast suspicion on the Mar-a-Lago raid, and the University of Michigan launches an investigation as the Sherrone Moore scandal deepens.
It’s Wednesday, December 17, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the video version can be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251217-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel">seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-sues-bbc-michigan-athletics-probed-12-17-25/id1576594336?i=1000741658046" 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;">Trump Vs. The BBC</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1016197 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Trump-Battles-BBC.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
President Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-files-5-billion-lawsuit-against-bbc-over-malicious-documentary">launched</a> a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the BBC as he continues to clash with media outlets at home and abroad. This week, the president filed a 46-page lawsuit in a federal court in Miami, accusing the BBC of defamation and violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. He is looking for $10 billion from the broadcaster. The suit stems from a documentary the BBC released ahead of the 2024 election titled, “Trump: A Second Chance.” The film spliced together two quotes from Trump&#8217;s speech that were said about an hour apart, making it appear as if the president called for violence at the U.S. Capitol and leaving out Trump’s request to protest &#8220;peacefully and patriotically.&#8221; The lawsuit accused the BBC of “intentionally, maliciously and deceptively doctoring [Trump’s] speech in a brazen attempt to interfere in the 2024 presidential election.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Messages Reveal DOJ Pushed For Mar-a-Lago Raid Over FBI Objections</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1016199 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Mar-A-Lago-Misgivings.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
The FBI did not believe it had the proper justification to raid Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, but the Biden Justice Department pushed for it anyway. Messages <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-agents-worried-there-was-no-cause-to-raid-mar-a-lago-biden-doj-made-them-do-it-anyway?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=FBI+Agents+Worried+There+Was+No+Cause+To+Raid+Mar-a-Lago%3B+Biden+DOJ+Made+Them+Do+It+Anyway">released</a> by the FBI detail that agents involved in the investigation into classified documents kept at President Trump’s Florida home believed that search warrants obtained for the raid lacked proper predicate. FBI agents also discussed a combative relationship the Biden Justice Department had started with Trump’s legal team, and expressed concern about FBI agents standing in the crossfire between the DOJ and Trump’s team.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Michigan Probes Athletics Department After Moore Ouster</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1016201 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Michigan-Scandal-Deepens.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
The University of Michigan is looking into its athletics department following the firing of head football coach Sherrone Moore and his subsequent arrest. Moore was fired last week after an inappropriate relationship with a staffer was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/moore-comes-to-light-after-michigan-head-football-coach-arrested-following-surprise-firing">revealed</a>. Now, the University of Michigan has commissioned an investigation into the practices and culture of its entire athletics department. The investigation will be handled by the same Chicago-based law firm that opened an inquiry earlier this fall into Moore’s affair.

MRN_251217_V1

Morning Brief: Trump Sues BBC, More Revelations On Mar-a-Lago Raid, And Michigan’s Sweeping Athletics Probe

Morning Brief: Trump Sues BBC, FBI Objected To MAL Raid, And UM’s Sweeping Probe After Moore Ouster

Department of Justice

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Michigan

Morning Wire

University of Michigan

Prosecutors said that former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, who was arrested on Wednesday, threatened to kill himself in front of a staffer with whom he had an intimate relationship.
These details were revealed Friday in District Court in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the 39-year-old has been charged with felony home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering.
Moore, appearing virtually for the arraignment, sat handcuffed as the prosecutor described the events that took place on Wednesday after Moore was fired over his alleged inappropriate relationship.
Moore barged into the victim’s apartment on Wednesday, grabbed several butter knives, as well as a pair of scissors, and started threatening his own life, prosecutors said.
&#8220;I am going to kill myself. I am going to make you watch. My blood is on your hands. You’ve ruined my life,&#8221; Moore said, according to prosecutors.
First Assistant Prosecutor Kati Rezmierski said the victim was terrorized: “A series of very intimidating and terrifying statements and behaviors there in that apartment.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
According to new information released by Pittsfield Police, Moore left the apartment after making the threats to harm himself, prior to officers arriving.
Moore was quickly located by officers a few miles south of the apartment. The 39-year-old was taken into custody without incident and transported to a local hospital for evaluation before being booked in the Washtenaw County Jail.
Magistrate Odetalla gave Moore a $25,000 cash bond. He will be GPS tether monitored and has been told not to make contact with the victim or go to her residence. As a condition of his bond, the judge ordered Moore to continue his mental health treatment.
The victim, who isn&#8217;t being named in this case, had an alleged relationship with Moore that lasted years, despite Moore being married with three daughters. The prosecutors said Monday that when the victim broke the relationship off, Moore didn&#8217;t take it very well and continued to call and send numerous texts to the victim. The victim informed Michigan of the relationship on Wednesday, leading to Moore&#8217;s swift termination.
After posting bond, which Moore&#8217;s attorney Joe Simon expects to happen Friday, the former coach cannot leave Michigan without court approval. Simon wouldn&#8217;t comment on where Moore is going after posting bond. His next court appearance is January 22, 2026.
The University of Michigan told The Daily Wire that the school is unable to comment any further on this &#8220;personal&#8221; matter.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/moore-comes-to-light-after-michigan-head-football-coach-arrested-following-surprise-firing">&#8216;Moore’ Comes To Light After Michigan Head Football Coach Arrested Following Surprise Firing</a>

Sherrone Moore

Sherrone Moore Charged With Home Invasion, Threatened To Kill Himself, Prosecutors Say

College Football

Crime

Football

U.S.

American forces seize an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, the Senate shoots down competing bills on the future of health care, and a prominent college football coach is fired—then arrested.
It’s Friday, December 12, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251212-member-exclusive">video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u-s-defends-tanker-seizure-senate-subsidy-standoff-12-12-25/id1576594336?i=1000740979487" 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;">U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker Off Venezuela Coast</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1013813" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Tanker-Seizure-Shock-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Tanker-Seizure-Shock-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Tanker-Seizure-Shock-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Tanker-Seizure-Shock-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Tanker-Seizure-Shock-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Tanker-Seizure-Shock.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday in an escalation of President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Bloomberg was the first to report that a tanker had been seized earlier Wednesday, and President Trump confirmed the news later in the day at a roundtable with business leaders.
“An interesting day from the standpoint of news. As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large–largest one ever seized, actually,” <a href="https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1998847332616421875">said</a> Trump.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-10695">Christmas Sale &#8211; Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Some administration officials posted a video of the operation that showed American forces dropping onto the tanker and taking control of it. Attorney General Pam Bondi explained that the United States “executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.” She added that the oil tanker had been sanctioned because of “its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations.”
Maduro’s response: The Venezuelan government condemned the seizure in a statement that said Venezuela “strongly denounces and repudiates what constitutes blatant theft and an act of international piracy.”
This development has to be concerning to Maduro. Venezuela is a petrostate, with petroleum accounting for nearly the entire economy. The money the Maduro regime receives from oil sales is the key to its stability. Because the United States has sanctions on Venezuelan oil, Maduro has been forced to do business with regimes that typically are opposed to American interests, such as China. And then at deep discounts to offset the risk of violating American sanctions. If Venezuela is no longer able to sell its oil, that’s a huge blow to Maduro’s revenue.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Battle Over Obamacare Continues</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1013815" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Subsidies-Split-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Subsidies-Split-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Subsidies-Split-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Subsidies-Split-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Subsidies-Split-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Senate-Subsidies-Split.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The battle over Obamacare is in full swing, with Democrats advocating for extended subsidies and Republicans offering alternative healthcare options.
Two votes took place in the Senate on Thursday regarding the looming Obamacare deadline. Neither of the bills passed, but it’s important to break down what Democrats and Republicans are pushing forward, because this deadline is coming up in a matter of weeks.
The Democrat bill: The Democrat-backed bill, called the “Lower Health Care Costs Act,” would extend Obamacare subsidies, which are technically tax credits, for another three years. These started back in 2021 and were only supposed to be in place for two years, but Democrats extended them until December 31.
The plan is pricey; it’s expected to cost taxpayers about $83 billion. But Democrats argue that the extension is necessary, otherwise more than 20 million Americans will see their healthcare costs more than double, on average. Republicans dispute that.
“Twenty-two million of the 24 million people will still get their subsidies, the original Obamacare subsidies, which subsidize the insurance at 91% of the premiums. So, their premiums won’t double,” GOP Sen. Ron Johnson told Morning Wire last month. “Going from zero to a negligible amount is an infinite increase. You can’t put that as ‘doubling premiums.’ The people we’re talking about, the 1.6 million people whose subsidies completely go away—I’m willing to work with Democrats on that.”
Republicans also argue that Obamacare, and specifically these subsidies, are creating massive fraud–another burden on the American taxpayer.
The GOP bill: The GOP-backed bill, called the “Health Care Freedom for Patients Act of 2025,” does let the Obamacare subsidies expire on the timeline Democrats set. But it also offers Americans direct payments to help cover healthcare costs. This was an idea floated by President Trump last month.
The health savings accounts created by the bill would be available to Americans earning up to 700% of the federal poverty limit, and the funds would range from $1,000 to $1,500 for 2026 and 2027. The accounts would restrict use for abortion and certain gender-transition coverage.
Republicans needed 60 votes, which would have to include a handful of Democrats, but that didn’t happen.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Michigan Head Coach Arrested</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1013817" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sherrone-Moore-Saga-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sherrone-Moore-Saga-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sherrone-Moore-Saga-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sherrone-Moore-Saga-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sherrone-Moore-Saga-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Sherrone-Moore-Saga.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The University of Michigan finds itself engulfed in controversy after administrators abruptly <a href="https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/michigan-fires-football-coach-sherrone-moore-621eb019?mod=hp_lead_pos9">fired</a> head football coach Sherrone Moore with cause. Now, he’s in custody on suspicion of assault. Morning Wire spoke to former Michigan quarterback and Daily Wire Crain &amp; Company co-host David Cone about the Moore saga. (This interview has been lightly edited.)
Morning Wire: I&#8217;ve been, honestly, kind of shocked by this story. We looked at it initially and thought, oh, this will be an Evening Wire. And then it turned into a full-blown story that we felt like was worth covering here. What exactly is happening in this case?
Cone: A sad day for Michigan football. A sad day for this country. I just want to say that first and again, I&#8217;m praying for this man because there&#8217;s some very serious allegations here. I&#8217;ll just say to you now that I heard as far back as September, following Michigan&#8217;s loss to Oklahoma, I had a very reliable source closely associated with Michigan football call me and just say it&#8217;s widely known that Sherrone Moore has engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a staff member, and that conduct likely resulted in a pregnancy that was terminated. I heard this in September. I did some due diligence, but every time I would hear something that corroborated that, I would hear something else that says, that&#8217;s just rumor. Come to find out, throughout the fall, many other people and former players close to the program have been hearing something very similar. Wednesday, Warde Manuel, the athletic director, decided to fire head coach Sherrone Moore. … The reports out of Ann Arbor are that Sherrone Moore did not take that news very well, and that allegedly threatened to take his own life. I don&#8217;t know if this was directly with his wife or with the staff member. There is a question here, possibly threatening to even take her life, and he was arrested. I do want to go to as reliable of a source as it gets with the University of Michigan. This is John Bacon, and this is directly from <a href="https://x.com/Johnubacon/status/1998978431154008380">him</a>: “The UM employee presented irrefutable documentation about Moore&#8217;s conduct to UM leaders this morning (Wednesday). The president and regents had seen enough, and Manuel fired him (Wednesday) afternoon. Moore is now detained in protective custody in a mental health institution.”
Morning Wire: One of the big questions here is who knew what when. You say you have the source, it&#8217;s pretty shocking you heard this all the way back in September. Do you feel that this is a cover-up situation by the administration? And that&#8217;s a major allegation to make, but is that possibly the case?
Cone: That is a critical question that you&#8217;re asking, particularly since we are a week now removed from National Signing Day. You have national recruits here who, in good faith, signed their name to a national letter of intent because they thought Sherrone Moore was going to be the head football coach–how does that impact their decision? I lived through this as a recruit at this very place. This was my alma mater. But again, this is way bigger than football. We&#8217;re talking about someone&#8217;s life or family at stake here. So again, I can&#8217;t answer what board members will do when I just know that if I&#8217;m hearing about something in September, the athletic director certainly must have heard about this sooner. At the same time, how does he separate rumors that he must hear on a daily basis versus something that is credible and he must investigate?

MRN_251212_V1

Morning Brief: Oil Tanker Tango, Obamacare Subsidy Standoff, & Major College Football Coach Arrested

Morning Brief: Oil Tanker Tango, Obamacare Battle Continues, And UM Football Coach Arrested

Nicolas Maduro

Obamacare

Venezuela

The phrase &#8220;there is more to the story&#8221; is an understatement when it comes to what is currently unfolding in Michigan.
The University of Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore Wednesday, citing an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. That itself is huge news for one of the nation&#8217;s premier football programs, but buckle up. There&#8217;s more.
In just a few short hours, Moore was terminated from his head coaching position and is now in the custody of the Washtenaw County Sheriff&#8217;s Office, according to booking records, though no charges have been filed at this time.
It appears that Moore was initially taken into custody by the Pittsfield Township Police Department. Pittsfield police said it took an unnamed suspect into custody Wednesday evening as part of an assault investigation. According to the department, a man was taken into custody in the 3000 block of Ann Arbor-Saline Road in Pittsfield Township — this is just a few miles south of the University of Michigan. The suspect was then booked into the Washtenaw County Jail, where he awaits his first court appearance on Friday.
Officials with the department said the incident doesn&#8217;t appear to be random in nature, and there is no ongoing threat to the community. The Daily Wire reached out to Pittsfield Police Thursday morning in reference to Moore&#8217;s case and was told no further details on this case are being shared at this time. The police department directed The Daily Wire to a press release involving an assault investigation.
The university said that it fired the 39-year-old coach following an investigation into Moore&#8217;s improper relationship with a staff member.
&#8220;U-M head football coach Sherrone Moore has been terminated, with cause, effective immediately,&#8221; Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel said on Wednesday. &#8220;Following a University investigation, credible evidence was found that Coach Moore engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. This conduct constitutes a clear violation of University policy, and U-M maintains zero tolerance for such behavior.&#8221;
An author who has covered Michigan Football for decades said in an interview Thursday morning with Fox 2 Detroit that Moore and his staffer were investigated this summer and both denied any relationship. John Bacon said Wednesday that the story changed when the staffer reported the relationship to the university.
&#8220;She went on the &#8216;hill&#8217; (where administration offices are) with the receipts, the text messages, the emails, the documents and so on laying out the details of the relationship,&#8221; Bacon said on Fox 2.
Bacon then opened up about what allegedly led to Moore being taken into custody.
&#8220;He broke into the employee&#8217;s home in Pittsfield Township&#8230;grabbed a knife apparently and threatened to harm her and harm himself,&#8221; Bacon said.
Per the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/11/sports/fired-michigan-coach-sherrone-moore-reportedly-attacked-woman-had-stalked-her-for-months-911-call/">New York Post</a>, a University of Michigan employee called 911 on December 10 to report an alleged attack by Moore. The caller said he had been stalking the victim for months, per the 911 call audio, which was obtained by the Post.
Bacon said since Moore&#8217;s arrest he is being monitored by mental health professionals while in custody.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Wednesday after the firing that Michigan investigated Moore this fall after receiving a tip about the situation with the staffer, but the university didn&#8217;t find credible evidence. On Wednesday, however, university officials presented &#8220;overwhelming&#8221; evidence against Moore, and he was quickly dismissed.
ESPN&#8217;s Adam Schefter said on Thursday morning, &#8220;What we haven&#8217;t heard yet is Sherrone Moore&#8217;s side of this, and he gets his say in this particular situation as well. I do know that he felt like people had it in for him for an awful long time there while he was at Michigan. He felt like there were people who are out to get him. So all these things can all be true.&#8221;
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;margin: 1px;max-width: 540px;min-width: 326px;padding: 0;width: calc(100% - 2px)" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSI6UgODz91/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
<div style="padding: 16px">
&nbsp;
<div style="flex-direction: row;align-items: center">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 40px;margin-right: 14px;width: 40px"></div>
<div style="flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 100px"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 60px"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0"></div>
<div style="height: 50px;margin: 0 auto 12px;width: 50px"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px">
<div style="color: #3897f0;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 550;line-height: 18px">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0"></div>
<div style="flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px;flex-grow: 0;margin-right: 14px;margin-left: 2px"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 20px;width: 20px"></div>
<div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 2px solid transparent;border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom: 2px solid transparent"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto">
<div style="width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px"></div>
<div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center;margin-bottom: 24px">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 224px"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 144px"></div>
</div>
&nbsp;
<a style="color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: normal;line-height: 17px;text-decoration: none" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSI6UgODz91/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lynden Blake Balyo (@lyndenblake)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
The firing comes days after National Signing Day, when Moore landed a No. 12-ranked recruiting class.
Before the drama unfolded on Wednesday, Moore was part of another controversy. Earlier this season, he served a two-game suspension for the illegal advanced scouting scheme involving former Michigan Football staffer, Connor Stalions.
Moore leaves Michigan with a 17-8 overall record. His final loss was against rival Ohio State.
Biff Poggi will serve as Michigan&#8217;s interim head coach in the Citrus Bowl against Texas on December 31.

‘Moore’ Comes To Light After Michigan Head Football Coach Arrested Following Surprise Firing

Three Chinese researchers at the University of Michigan were charged Wednesday in connection with a conspiracy to smuggle biological materials into the United States, the Justice Department announced.
Those charged <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-chinese-national-scholars-university-michigan-laboratory-charged-conspiring-smuggle">include</a> 28-year-old Xu Bai, 27-year-old Fengfan Zhang, and 30-year-old Zhiyong Zhang. The arrests are the latest in a “long <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alarming-pattern-another-chinese-national-arrested-for-smuggling-biological-materials-into-u-s">string of cases</a>” involving Chinese nationals and the University of Michigan, the Justice Department said.
“Allegedly attempting to smuggle biological materials under the guise of ‘research’ is a serious crime that threatens America’s national and agricultural security,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “We will remain vigilant to threats like these from foreign nationals who would take advantage of America’s generosity to advance a malicious agenda.”
Each of the suspects held a J-1 visa and was conducting research at the University of Michigan’s Xianzhong Xu laboratory, also known as the Shawn Xu laboratory. The <a href="https://www.lsi.umich.edu/science/our-labs/s-xu-lab/research">lab</a> is a “sensory biology” research center that focuses on how animals experience their internal and external world through their senses.
In 2024 and 2025, Bai and F. Zhang allegedly received shipments of concealed biological materials related to roundworms sent from a Chinese national, the DOJ said. The Chinese national who sent them the worms was Chengxuan Han, who was recently deported from the United States after pleading no contest to three counts of smuggling and one count of making false statements.
The defendants were fired from their positions at the university after refusing to attend a mandatory meeting to discuss the investigation into their practices, the DOJ said. They later tried to fly out of the country from Detroit and then New York City before they were apprehended by federal law enforcement.
“At some point, pattern becomes practice. And, apparently, these three men are part of a long and alarming pattern of criminal activities committed by Chinese Nationals under the cover of the University of Michigan,” said United States Attorney Jerome Gorgon, Jr.
Agencies involved in the investigation included Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and Customs and Border Protection.
“This case underscores the vital importance of safeguarding the American people and addressing vulnerabilities within foreign student and exchange visitor programs,” said acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “Educational institutions must enhance their admissions procedures to prevent exploitation, which can pose risks to national security, as demonstrated in this instance. I commend the ICE HSI agents and officers who work tirelessly to protect our nation and uphold the rule of law every day.”
In June, FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-arrest-chinese-scholar-for-attempting-to-smuggle-pathogen-used-for-agroterrorism-into-u-s">revealed</a> that a Chinese scholar at the University of Michigan was arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle a biological pathogen into the United States that could be used for agricultural terrorism.

Ann Arbor Cityscapes And City Views

Feds Makes More Arrests As ‘Alarming Pattern’ Of Chinese Smuggling Continues

Communist China

Smuggling

The University of Michigan is coming under federal scrutiny for its acceptance of hundreds of millions of dollars from foreign countries, some of which it may not have reported to the federal government.
<a href="https://www.campusreform.org/article/umich-accepted-270m-foreign-funds-campus-reform-audit-finds-feds-launch-probe/28366">According</a> to Campus Reform, the university has received over $270 million from 38 foreign countries over the past ten years. “President Donald Trump signed an April 23 executive order titled ‘<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/transparency-regarding-foreign-influence-at-american-universities/">Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities</a>’ which instructs federal agencies to enforce disclosure rules and require colleges to report the ‘true amounts, sources, and purposes of foreign money’ received,” Campus Reform noted.
On July 15, Paul R. Moore, the Chief Investigative Counsel and Assistant General Counsel Office of the General Counsel U.S. Department of Education, sent a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/university-of-michigan-section-117-investigation-letter-july-2025-110399.pdf">letter</a> to University of Michigan interim president Domenico Grasso in which he stated, “The Department’s review of UM’s Sec. 117 foreign funding disclosures reveals that incomplete, inaccurate, and untimely disclosures may have been submitted by UM, in possible violation of its foreign source funding statutory disclosure obligations.&#8221;
“UM, an ‘R1’ research institution, notes significant total research expenditures of $2.04 billion in FY24, including $1.17 billion in federal research funding from grants and contracts from and with the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, Transportation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and other federal agencies,” the letter continued.
The letter made reference to a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice that Chinese nationals had recently smuggled dangerous biological materials into the U.S. for use at UM laboratories, adding:
<blockquote>
Just five days later, DOJ brought additional criminal charges in a separate matter against another UM-affiliated Chinese national for smuggling biological materials into the U.S. for use at a UM laboratory. These highly disturbing criminal charges against UM-affiliated research personnel follow UM’s decision (January 2025) to close its joint research institute with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 
Announcement of the closure occurred subsequent to a letter to UM from Chairman John Moolenaar (U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party) which raised serious national security concerns related to China’s ability to use the joint institute to contribute to China’s “most sensitive defense programs, including nuclear weapons, carrier rockets, satellites, nuclear submarines, and fighter jets.&#8221;
</blockquote>
“Other prominent UM officials have downplayed the vulnerability of research developed at its joint institutes with Chinese research universities,” Moore wrote. “Since January 2021, UM has submitted foreign funding disclosures valued at approximately $375 million and over 20% of those disclosures – approximately $86 million – were submitted in an untimely manner. Additionally, many of UM’s disclosure reports appear to include transactions in which the counterparty was erroneously identified by UM as nongovernmental.”

University Of Michigan Under Federal Investigation Over Receiving Foreign Funding

Department of Education

Education

Foreign Funding

World

President Donald Trump&#8217;s Education Department opened an <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-opens-foreign-funding-investigation-university-of-michigan">investigation</a> into the University of Michigan&#8217;s foreign funding on Tuesday, weeks after two Chinese nationals with ties to the university were charged by the Department of Justice for smuggling biohazards into the United States.
Michigan has a &#8220;history of downplaying its vulnerabilities to malign foreign influence&#8221; and &#8220;recent reports reveal that UM’s research laboratories remain vulnerable to sabotage,&#8221; according to the Education Department&#8217;s Office of General Counsel (OGC) Chief Investigative Counsel Paul Moore. The Department of Education said that it will look into whether UM is in compliance with federal law after &#8220;a review of the university’s foreign reports revealed inaccurate and incomplete disclosures.&#8221;
&#8220;Unfortunately, tens of millions of dollars in foreign funding in UM’s disclosure reports have been reported in an untimely manner and appear to erroneously identify some of UM’s foreign funders as ‘nongovernmental entities,’ even though the foreign funders seem to be directly affiliated with foreign governments,&#8221; Moore said. &#8220;OGC will vigorously investigate this matter to ensure that the American people know the true scope of foreign funding and influence on our campuses.”
The Education Department is demanding that UM hand over tax records, documents, and lists of all gifts detailing any agreement with foreign governments within 30 days. The Trump administration also wants the names and contact information &#8220;of all university research personnel and contract personnel, undergraduate and graduate, involved in bilateral or multilateral research collaborations with non-U.S. research institutions.&#8221;
&#8220;Today’s investigation into UM reflects the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to hold colleges and universities accountable for failing to comply with federal disclosure laws on foreign funding, consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order on Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence at American Universities,&#8221; the department stated.
Last month, two Chinese scholars at the university were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alarming-pattern-another-chinese-national-arrested-for-smuggling-biological-materials-into-u-s">arrested</a> and charged by the DOJ for attempting to smuggle “biological materials” that could potentially wipe out crops into a laboratory at Michigan. The DOJ said the arrests are &#8220;part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security.&#8221; Michigan, which <a href="https://research.umich.edu/news-and-issues/research-annual-reports/fy24-research-annual-report/fy24-news-release/">boasts</a> of being one of the top public research schools in the world, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-policies-under-review-after-chinese-researchers-charged-with-smuggling-biohazards?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=University+Policies+Under+Review+After+Chinese+Researchers+Charged+With+Smuggling+Biohazards">said</a> last month that it was “actively reviewing all relevant policies” after the arrests of the Chinese nationals.
FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-arrest-chinese-scholar-for-attempting-to-smuggle-pathogen-used-for-agroterrorism-into-u-s">called</a> the arrests &#8220;a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.&#8221;
Earlier this year, UM ended its partnership with the Chinese Shanghai Jiao Tong University over national security concerns after the FBI <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/02/us/5-chinese-nationals-charged-with-covering-up-midnight-visit-to-michigan-military-site">said</a> that five Chinese UM students attempted to mislead investigators about a suspicious late-night trip they took to a Michigan military base in 2023.

Trump Admin Probes University’s Foreign Funding After Chinese Biohazard Smuggling Arrests

Investigation

Trump Administration

Regents of the University of Michigan — who serve unpaid — now have 24-hour security because of threats and harassment from pro-Hamas factions.
UM Regents Jordan Acker, Mark Bernstein, and Sarah Hubbard told <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-859787">The Detroit News</a> that the university assigned them around-the-clock security after their residences were vandalized with pro-Hamas, anti-Israel messages.
“Since Nov. 17, 2023, our regents and executive officers have been subjected to extensive and targeted criminal acts, including vandalism of private residences and businesses,” University spokeswoman Colleen Mastony stated. “These incidents, detailed in a press release, underscore the unacceptable level of threats and harassment directed at our institution’s leaders and their families.”
“We have taken prudent steps to support our regents and executive officers and will continue to rely on our public safety team to continuously assess risk, consult with external law enforcement partners, and allocate resources commensurate with those assessments,” she added.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
“The three regents said they continue to get threats via email and social media, as recently as June 9,” The Detroit News reported, noting that in May 2024, activists erected tents on Regent Hubbard&#8217;s front lawn and left on her doorstep &#8220;scenes of genocide in Palestine.&#8221; Her Instagram account was tagged with the message, “Regents, respond to our demands by the end of your board meeting this Thursday.”
Last December, vandals targeted Regent Acker’s home. Acker, who has three young children, said he has been getting death threats as recently as June 9. Reacting to a jar of urine being thrown through one of his home’s windows, he said, &#8220;Any time your family is being attacked for who you are and for what you believe, I think that&#8217;s a pretty scary moment as an elected official, but it&#8217;s unfortunately the world that we live in these days.&#8221;
“It&#8217;s been really hard on them. It&#8217;s been really hard on my wife. It&#8217;s been really, really hard on my kids, especially my 10-year-old, who was woken up by the glass breaking,” Acker added.
The homes of former President Santa Ono and the university&#8217;s chief investment officer, Erik Lundberg, were vandalized last October. “In March, someone spray-painted ‘Free Palestine’ on the side of UM Provost Laurie McCauley&#8217;s Ann Arbor home,” The Detroit News noted.
“This is something that the university has decided, it&#8217;s important to provide this support to their leadership. So it&#8217;s the regents and it&#8217;s also a number of other leaders at the university that have experienced these threats,” Hubbard said. “I feel that I can have this civil debate with people who have a different opinion than I do, and so it&#8217;s too bad that it has ramped up to this point where we&#8217;re concerned for our safety. It&#8217;s not a concern I have every moment of every day, but it&#8217;s certainly something I worry about because we see it going beyond the vandalism in so many areas around the country and in the world, and we don&#8217;t want to suffer that same result.&#8221;

US-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-PROTEST-EDUCATION

Pro-Hamas Activists Trigger 24/7 Security For University Of Michigan Regents

anti-Israel

antisemitism

Hamas

Pro-Hamas

Security Detail

The University of Michigan said on Tuesday that it is &#8220;actively reviewing all relevant policies&#8221; after two Chinese nationals working with the school were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alarming-pattern-another-chinese-national-arrested-for-smuggling-biological-materials-into-u-s">arrested</a> for smuggling potentially dangerous &#8220;biological materials&#8221; into the United States.
The university, which <a href="https://research.umich.edu/news-and-issues/research-annual-reports/fy24-research-annual-report/fy24-news-release/">boasts</a> of being one of the top public research schools in the world, has come under the microscope as two Chinese researchers doing PhD and post-doctoral work at U-M were charged by the Department of Justice this month after they were caught allegedly smuggling hazardous materials that could wipe out crops.
&#8220;Recently, several individuals have been accused of trying to transport materials across international borders in violation of federal laws and U-M policies, and of making false statements to law enforcement. The university takes these situations extremely seriously,&#8221; said Arthur Lupia, U-M&#8217;s interim Vice President for Research and Innovation. &#8220;That is why the university is: Fully cooperating with federal investigations about these matters; Actively reviewing all relevant policies; Reexamining internal protocols to determine how to improve training and provide additional guidance; and Ensuring that failure to comply with all laws, regulations, and policies will have consequences, up to termination.&#8221;
Earlier this week, a PhD student from Wuhan, China, was arrested at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport for attempting to smuggle “biological materials” into a U-M laboratory. Chengxuan Han told authorities that she had previously sent packages to the United States with biological material related to <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2023/bioluminescence-may-shine-light-on-roundworm-secrets/#:~:text=Even%20though%20roundworms%20are%20nearly,crop%20losses%20worldwide%20each%20year." target="_blank" rel="noopener">roundworms</a>, a parasitic worm that can “pose major problems in corn, soybean, peanut and other crops,” according to the DOJ.
The arrest of Han marked the second time this month that a Chinese citizen with connections to the University of Michigan has been charged with smuggling potential biological threats into the country. Michigan scholar Yunqing Jian, along with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, were also charged by the federal government with attempting to smuggle a fungal plant into the country that could potentially cause &#8220;head blight,&#8221; a disease that can wipe out wheat, barley, corn, and rice crops.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. called the arrests &#8220;part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security.&#8221;
&#8220;The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions,” Gorgon added.
Last year, U-M <a href="https://research.umich.edu/news-and-issues/research-annual-reports/fy24-research-annual-report/fy24-news-release/">said</a> it spent $1.17 billion in &#8220;federally sponsored research expenditures,&#8221; adding that &#8220;Federal funding now accounts for 57% of the university’s total research volume.&#8221; Some of that funding has been <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2025/06/08/trump-administration-federal-funding-cuts-michigan-public-health-agencies-university-research/84007389007/">affected</a> by President Trump ripping up numerous federal grants to universities across the country.
FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the arrest of Jian and Liu last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-arrest-chinese-scholar-for-attempting-to-smuggle-pathogen-used-for-agroterrorism-into-u-s">saying</a> it “is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”
The Trump administration has moved to &#8220;aggressively&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-promises-to-aggesively-target-students-tied-to-chinese-communist-party">revoke</a> the visas of Chinese students studying at American universities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that the administration would start by focusing on revoking the visas of students with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and those studying in &#8220;critical fields.&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-unveils-terms-of-done-trade-deal-with-china?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Unveils+Terms+Of+%E2%80%98Done%E2%80%99+Trade+Deal+With+China">announced</a> on Wednesday, however, that his administration is close to finalizing a trade deal with China that includes allowing Chinese nationals to use &#8220;our colleges and universities.&#8221;
In January, U-M ended its partnership with a Chinese university over national security concerns after five Chinese students were <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/02/us/5-chinese-nationals-charged-with-covering-up-midnight-visit-to-michigan-military-site">charged</a> with attempting to mislead investigators about a suspicious late-night trip they took to a Michigan military base in 2023.

University Policies Under Review After Chinese Researchers Charged With Smuggling Biohazards

China

research

A Chinese national from Wuhan studying for a PhD was arrested on Sunday for attempting to smuggle &#8220;biological materials&#8221; into a laboratory at the University of Michigan, the Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/alien-wuhan-china-charged-making-false-statements-and-smuggling-biological-materials">announced</a> on Monday.
The arrest of Chengxuan Han at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport is the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-arrest-chinese-scholar-for-attempting-to-smuggle-pathogen-used-for-agroterrorism-into-u-s">second time</a> this month that a Chinese citizen with connections to the University of Michigan has been charged with smuggling potential biological threats into the country. According to the United States Attorney&#8217;s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Han sent four packages containing &#8220;concealed biological material&#8221; from China to the United States. The packages were all addressed to people &#8220;associated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan,&#8221; the DOJ said in a press release.
“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China—to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory—is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security. The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”
Han is studying at a university in Wuhan — the city where the COVID virus likely leaked from a lab before it shut down the world&#8217;s economies and killed millions of people. The Chinese PhD student was questioned by Customs and Border Protection officers at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Sunday. During the questioning, Han &#8220;made false statements about the packages and the biological materials she had previously shipped to the United States,&#8221; which she later admitted to the FBI, according to the DOJ.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
Han also allegedly told the FBI that she had previously sent the packages and said that they contained biological material related to <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2023/bioluminescence-may-shine-light-on-roundworm-secrets/#:~:text=Even%20though%20roundworms%20are%20nearly,crop%20losses%20worldwide%20each%20year.">roundworms</a>, a parasitic worm that can &#8220;pose major problems in corn, soybean, peanut and other crops,&#8221; according to the U.S. government. There are many species of roundworms, many of which are uncommon in the United States. Some can cause health issues for humans, such as abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea, if they get into the digestive system, the Cleveland Clinic <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15240-roundworms">states</a>.
FBI Director Kash Patel revealed last week that a Chinese scholar at the University of Michigan was arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle a biological pathogen into the United States that could be used for agricultural terrorism, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-arrest-chinese-scholar-for-attempting-to-smuggle-pathogen-used-for-agroterrorism-into-u-s">reported</a>.
According to federal prosecutors, Michigan scholar Yunqing Jian, along with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, tried to <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/chinese-nationals-charged-conspiracy-and-smuggling-dangerous-biological-pathogen-us">smuggle</a> Fusarium graminearum into the United States. Fusarium graminearum can cause “head blight,” a disease that can wipe out wheat, barley, maize, and rice crops and “is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.” The pathogen can also cause “vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock.”

U.S. – China biohazard

‘Alarming Pattern’: Another Chinese National Arrested For Smuggling ‘Biological Materials’ Into U.S.

A Chinese scholar at the University of Michigan was arrested by the FBI and charged with attempting to smuggle a biological pathogen into the United States that could be used for agricultural terrorism, according to documents unsealed in federal court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said that Michigan scholar Yunqing Jian, along with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, tried to smuggle a biological pathogen into the United States last July, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/06/03/chinese-scholar-at-um-tried-to-smuggle-biological-pathogen-into-the-u-s-feds-say/84008953007/">reported</a>. The pathogen, called Fusarium graminearum, causes &#8220;head blight,&#8221; a disease that can wipe out wheat, barley, maize, and rice crops and &#8220;is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year,&#8221; <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/chinese-nationals-charged-conspiracy-and-smuggling-dangerous-biological-pathogen-us">according</a> to the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The pathogen can also cause &#8220;vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock.&#8221;
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. accused the suspects, who include &#8220;a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party,&#8221; of pursuing a &#8220;scheme&#8221; of &#8220;the gravest national security concerns.&#8221;
&#8220;These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme,&#8221; Gorgon said.
FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://x.com/fbidirectorkash/status/1930044884284523001?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q">said</a> the arrest of Jian and Liu &#8220;is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences&#8230; putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.&#8221;
Jian&#8217;s boyfriend was caught with the pathogen by Customs and Border Protection officers at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
&#8220;When Customs and Border Protection officers questioned Liu, he made false statements to CBP officers about the purpose of his visit to the United States, and his knowledge of the existence of the biological pathogen in his possession,&#8221; an FBI special agent wrote in the criminal filing, according to The Detroit News.
&#8220;Ultimately, Liu admitted to smuggling the pathogen and stated that he brought the pathogen into the United States so that he could conduct research on it at a laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked,&#8221; the agent added.
After receiving a doctorate in plant pathogens from China&#8217;s Zhejiang University, Jian was given money through a Chinese foundation funded by the communist government to conduct post-doctoral research on Fusarium graminearum, according to prosecutors. Jian will make her first court appearance on Tuesday afternoon. Both Jian and Liu are charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud.
Jian&#8217;s case marks the second criminal complaint unsealed in the past week involving a Chinese citizen at the University of Michigan. Last Friday, prosecutors unsealed a criminal case against a Chinese student who illegally voted in the 2024 election. The Chinese national, who was in the United States legally, successfully obtained a ballot and cast his vote at an early voting location last October, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/non-citizen-from-china-charged-after-casting-ballot-in-michigan-his-vote-will-still-count">reported</a>. The Chinese student recently fled the country and went back to China, according to the criminal complaint.
Last week, the Trump administration said that is moving to &#8220;<a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/05/new-visa-policies-put-america-first-not-china/">aggressively revoke</a>&#8221; Chinese student visas, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/06/01/china-us-students-national-security-threat/">adding</a> that the United States &#8220;will not tolerate the [Chinese Communist Party’s] exploitation of U.S. universities or theft of U.S. research intellectual property or technologies to grow its military power, conduct intelligence collection or repress voices of opposition.&#8221;

Pathogen

Kash Patel Says Chinese Smuggled ‘Dangerous Fungus’ Into U.S. To ‘Target Food Supply’

Pathogens

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel dropped all charges against seven University of Michigan students on Monday, a twist that shocked defense attorneys after Nessel had pushed for felony charges against the anti-Israel protesters.
The seven students faced misdemeanor charges of trespassing and felony charges of resisting and obstructing police stemming from an anti-Israel protest on Michigan&#8217;s campus last year, The Detroit Free Press <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/05/05/michigan-attorney-general-dana-nessel-drops-all-charges-university-michigan-diag-protesters/83452242007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The courtroom, which was packed with people supporting the anti-Israel students, erupted in cheers and chants of &#8220;Free Palestine&#8221; when it was announced that the charges had been dropped.
Last September, Nessel pushed for the felony charges against the students, which could have put them behind bars for up to two years if they had been convicted. The attorney general alleged that the protesters used &#8220;physical force to counter&#8221; police officers who were attempting to clear them out of the area.
Nessel, who is Jewish, was pressured to recuse herself from the case last month as critics alleged that she was biased against Muslims. Nessel said that a letter from the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor defending her amid the accusations influenced her decision to drop the charges. The Democratic attorney general claimed that the letter — which said that Nessel &#8220;has a strong history of uplifting those in both the Muslim and Arab American communities&#8221; — was inappropriate.
&#8220;We have learned that a public statement in support of my office from a local nonprofit has been directly communicated to the court,&#8221; Nessel said. &#8220;The impropriety of this action has led us to the difficult decision to drop these charges.&#8221;
The defendants, Oliver Kozler, Samantha Lewis, Henry MacKeen-Shapiro, Michael Mueller, Asad Siddiqui, Avi Tachna-Fram, and Rhiannon Willow, were also surprised by the decision and will now walk away from the charges in this case. Lewis, who said she faces charges in a separate case over another protest, mocked the attorney general, saying that &#8220;the possibility of recusal was going to be so embarrassing for Nessel that she just couldn&#8217;t bear it.&#8221;
&#8220;And so while all of us, and that includes all of you, refused to cower, she did. And that just goes to show that the bullies and badges and the top pig are just cowards,&#8221; Lewis told a group of her supporters.
The University of Michigan called in police to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-break-palestinian-camp-university-michigan-rcna153229" target="_blank" rel="noopener">break up</a> an anti-Israel encampment on its campus last May as university leadership faced calls to push back on antisemitism at the school. Michigan was one of the numerous universities where anti-Israel students set up camp in the spring of 2024, disrupting campus life and forcing schools to ask law enforcement for help in dispersing the protesters.

Dana Nessel

Michigan Dem AG Takes Shocking Turn, Drops Charges Against UM Anti-Israel Protesters

Courts

Protesters

Protestors

Menu