| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| Moldova extradites ‘Commander Butcher’ neo-Nazi to US for planning mass killings of New York Jews |
| 2025-05-24 |
| [IsraelTimes] A neo-Nazi known as “Commander Butcher” is extradited from Moldova to the US for planning mass casualty attacks against Jewish New Yorkers. Michail Chkhikvishvili, a 21-year-old Georgian national, was arrested in July 2024 and charged with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence. Chkhikvishvili is a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, an international, violent extremist group, the US Department of Justice says. Chkhikvishvili promotes neo-Nazi white supremacist ideology and instructed others to commit violence for ethnic cleansing, including an undercover FBI agent, leading to his arrest. Chkhikvishvili instructed the agent to use arson, explosives, poison and beatings against “low race targets,” including Jews. One of his schemes involved having an assailant dress up as Santa Claus and hand out poisoned candy to racial minorities. — Bx (@bx_on_x) May 23, 2025 |
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| Fifth Column |
| Day 3: Feds charge Capital Jewish Museum killer with murder |
| 2025-05-24 |
| The US Justice Department said Elias Rodriguez, 31, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, as well as other charges, including the murder of foreign officials. An affidavit filed by an FBI agent in support of the criminal complaint said that as police escorted Rodriguez from the building, he shouted, “Free Palestine.” The document said police reviewed security footage showing Rodriguez walking past the victims outside the museum, then turning, pulling a firearm from his waistband, and shooting them in the back. After the victims fell to the ground, he approached them and fired several more times, as Milgrim attempted to crawl away from him. Milgrim then sat up while Rodriguez reloaded, and he shot her again, the video shows, according to the affidavit. Investigators recovered 21 empty shell cases and a 9mm handgun from the scene that matched a firearm Rodriguez purchased in Illinois in 2020. He flew from Chicago to Virginia with the firearm in his checked baggage, the affidavit said. He had declared the firearm for the flight. Rodriguez later told detectives that he admired Aaron Bushnell, an anti-Israel activist who self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy last year in protest, calling Bushnell a “martyr.” Rodriguez, a 30-year-old from Chicago, also said he had bought a ticket to the event at the museum three hours before it started. The case is being investigated by the FBI and Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, and is being prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said the attacker was inside the event before the attack. “He milled around inside the event. We still don’t know exactly what he said, but he said enough that they removed him,” Leiter said at a press briefing at the scene of the attack. “He went outside, waited for embassy workers to come out, and shot them.” Three others escaped the shooting unharmed, Leiter said. At his first appearance in court on Thursday, the suspect waived his right to a detention hearing, and a preliminary hearing in the case was set for June 18. Rodriguez said little during the proceeding except to answer, “I do” to questions from a federal magistrate judge about whether he understood his rights. FBI agents were seen at his apartment in Chicago on Thursday, where law enforcement blocked off the street. ‘He never should have made it inside that building’: Security lapses in DC museum killings [IsraelTimes] Head of local Jewish community relations council calls to ‘extend the perimeter around our institutions,’ notes finite resources limit extent to which possible targets can be hardened On Wednesday night, three armed security officers stood guard as the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington held its annual meeting in the nation’s capital. On the agenda: discussions about the various ways antisemitic rhetoric can lead to violence. Hours later, JCRC CEO Ron Halber said, he found out about the deadly shooting of two Israeli embassy staff at the Capital Jewish Museum. It was a nightmare come to life. “It’s just godawful. There’s no other way to describe it. It was a horrific, antisemitic, anti-Israel, violent attack,” Halber told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Thursday. “For years I’ve said in Washington, we’re lucky we’ve never had anything” of this magnitude attacking the Jewish community. “That record came to an end last night.” In the attack’s aftermath, Jewish community professionals including Halber are refocusing, again, on how to protect their institutions from threats. The shooting has also raised urgent questions: What went wrong? And what needs to change? “Why they failed tonight we obviously have to figure out,” Eric Fingerhut, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, said in an interview with JTA hours after the shooting, regarding security. He added later, “The risks have continued to rise as antisemitism has risen and as anti-Israel behavior in America has risen and our security teams have worked so hard to keep up with that. They obviously didn’t succeed tonight but we will not stop until we’ve ensured the security of our community.” The timeline of the attack is relatively clear and, to security analysts, troubling: According to reports, the attacker shot his victims, the couple Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, on the street outside the museum as the event, organized by the American Jewish Committee, was winding down. He then walked inside the museum, where an eyewitness said organizers offered him water and he remained for around 10 minutes until police arrived and he confessed to the shooting. Both elements of the incident — that the attacker was able to reach his victims outside the event and then proceed inside for an extended period of time — indicate missteps, according to security professionals. “What concerned me as a seasoned law enforcement official is in all the work and the efforts that we put into training civilians, his behavior was almost literally screaming that there’s an issue here,” said Paul Goldenberg, the former head of the Secure Community Network, which coordinates security for Jewish institutions nationwide. Goldenberg said that in a widely circulated video of the suspect entering the building, he appeared nervous and disheveled, with jerky movements. Goldenberg says in the future, rank-and-file attendees need to be aware of those signs — and act on them by alerting someone. “The second he walked in after the shooting there should have been a plan,” added Goldenberg, who is now the chief policy adviser and head of global policing at Rutgers University’s Miller Center on Policing. “If we know that he just shot individuals outside, whatever security was in place, he never should have made it inside that building.” Neither the AJC nor the museum immediately responded to JTA queries about who was responsible for security on Wednesday night. But by Thursday afternoon, five of the leading Jewish groups that focus on security put out a series of security recommendations for future events. The recommendations focus principally on expanding the security perimeter of events; withholding the details of events and vetting attendees; and coordinating with law enforcement or hiring security guards. The AJC had done at least some of that: The invitation said the location would be “shared upon registration.” “The Jewish community is already among the most hardened targets in the country,” Oren Segal, who oversees the ADL’s Center on Extremism, told JTA prior to the recommendations being publicized. “Bulletproof glass and metal detectors is the norm. And the question is, how broad does the perimeter need to be for the Jews to feel secure?” Leading up to the event, the museum was broadly conscious of threats. The day before the shooting, it had announced a new security grant from the local DC government — one that Halber said the JCRC had helped arrange — in connection to a new exhibit on LGBTQ Jews. The $30,000 grant was meant to help the museum cover the costs of security guards both at the front desk and roaming around the museum “to make sure that everybody is safe and that we are prepared in the event of an emergency,” executive director Beatrice Gurwitz told local news at the time. She added that the grant “also helps our staff prepare.” Washington shooting suspect was anti-Israel activist, railed against Seattle’s ‘whitening’ [IsraelTimes] Elias Rodriguez, 31, had ‘Tikkun Olam means FREE PALESTINE’ sign in home window, was linked to Party for Socialism and Liberation; apparent manifesto called to ‘bring the war home’ Long. Key associations mentioned:
Yesterday we learnt that Mr. Rodriguez‘s father, Eric Rodriguez, was an activist for veteran’s and federal workers’ rights, for which he was honoured by Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.), who brought him to see President Trump’s joint speech to Congress in March. This report adds that he had served in the Army National Guard, which sent him to Iraq. |
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| Government Corruption |
| Thar's Gold In Them Thar NGOs! |
| 2025-05-24 |
| [HotAir] You'll remember one of the biggest drop-mic revelations was the $20B slush fund new Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin, along with Musk's DOGE waste-huntin' hounds found stashed in a sketchy secret Citibank account. That money was allocated to just eight climate-related NGOs in last-minute 'awards' from the Biden administration as they shoveled bucks out the door like a steam-driven locomotive's fireman flings coal. The most egregious of which was an earmarked $2B award to a Stacey Abrams-connected NGO called 'Power Forward Communities,' which was only a little over a year old and had less than $100 in the bank. The Washington Free Beacon reports that the Biden EPA awarded a group linked to Stacey Abrams with no real track record a 2 billion dollar environmental grant in 2024. Everyone has been dying to know more as Zeldin turned to clawing back the money. In the meantime, other folks started digging into the Power Forward Communities (PFC) NGO, and one of them uncovered the web of deep money progressive tentacles that run all through these seemingly humanitarian organizations. Sadly, they are, in fact, usually only money laundering schemes for progressive elites and their foot soldiers. Integral to the PFC story is a fellow named Shaun Donovan, who cut his political progressive teeth as the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. He left the city to become, first, Obama's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and then his director of the Office of Budget Management. When Obama left, Donovan knew he needed a new gig, so he slid on over to the Ford Foundation, which lobbies the federal government using Henry Ford's fortune. Eventually, through all his connections, he became the new CEO of Enterprise Community Partners (ECP). The previous CEO of this non-profit NGO - one wealthy enough to boast about investing $72B for a million energy efficient homes - earned $900K a year, which is quite a chunk for a charity, you'd think. But, according to Mr Chavous' research, the co-CEO pulled down a cool $800K, and the NGO spent over 27% of all its considerable income on salaries. What does this have to do with Power Forward Communities (PFC)? For one thing, the well-compensated and connected CEO of ECP, Mr Donovan, is the one who then formed that NGO and bragged about scoring the $2B award for his umbrella organization. Small, incestuous, lucrative world, these NGOs, aren't they? It also explains what went down in Lee Zeldin's testimony to Congress yesterday about the specifics that they have been finding about the proposal that came with PFC's grant paperwork. What was in the documents required to meet the 'eligibility requirements' for the federal handouts was so outrageous, it blew even the Biden administration EPA staff's mind. To the point where, when they were screening the paperwork, as internal documents have subsequently revealed, they wrote notes and memorandums about it to cover their own asterisks. One staff member reviewing the proposed salary structure thought they were so out of whack that they worried it might look bad should the public catch a glimpse. But, if you look at the mothership, ECP, that's where they all are as far as numbers go. On 12 May, PFC filed a status report with the D.C. district court claiming 'irreparable harm,' as they still could not access their Citbank funds because of mean old Lee Zeldin. Related: Lee Zeldin 05/15/2025 Texas mom purchased ammunition and tactical gear for son as he planned 'mass violence' at school Lee Zeldin 04/23/2025 Court orders Trump to restore funding to Voice of America Lee Zeldin 04/22/2025 Mexican sewage gushing into Navy SEAL training waters is US' 'next Camp Lejeune,' vets warn; UPDATE: EPA sect’y Lee Zeldin flies out to handle it Related: Power Forward Communities: 2025-04-19 DC Circuit Court of Appeals Blocks Judge Chutkan''s Order Requiring Citibank to Disburse $Billions From Biden''s Climate Slush Fund Power Forward Communities: 2025-03-09 Stacey Abrams-linked Group Got $2 Billion in 'Gold Bars' Scheme to Greenwash Appliances Power Forward Communities: 2025-03-05 Zeldin: EPA Working with DOJ, FBI on NGO Corruption After Eight Groups Tied to 'Gold Bars' Scheme Related: Shaun Donovan 03/25/2021 Poll: Dem primary for NYC mayor wide open, half of voters still undecided Shaun Donovan 07/15/2016 Final Budget Deficit Under Obama Projected At $600b Shaun Donovan 09/27/2013 White House to announce $300M in aid to Detroit |
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| Government Corruption |
| ActBlue officials decline to testify, Congress threatens subpoenas in foreign donations probe |
| 2025-05-24 |
| [JustTheNews] The witnesses initially agreed to voluntary interviews but pulled back after President Donald Trump signed an order instructing the Justice Department to probe ActBlue, correspondence shows. The chairmen of three powerful House committees on Thursday threatened to issue subpoenas after several current and former top officials of the Democrat online fund-raising platform ActBlue declined to testify in a probe into possible foreign and fraudulent political donations, according to correspondence obtained by Just the News. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., revealed in the letters that several of the witnesses initially agreed to voluntary, transcribed interviews, then pulled back through their lawyer earlier this month after President Donald Trump signed an order instructing the Justice Department to probe the platform. “As we have explained, the Committees are examining allegations that ActBlue, a leading political fundraising organization, allowed bad actors, including foreign actors, to exploit the company’s online platform to make fraudulent political donations,” the chairmen wrote in letters to the witnesses, which were sent to a lawyer representing them, Danny Onorato. "Fraudulent political donations corrupt American elections could amount to interstate criminal conduct," the letters also state. The letters laid out the testimony flip-flops for each of the witnesses, including ActBlue’s former chief revenue officer, Peter Slutsky. “On April 21, Mr. Onorato indicated that you had agreed to appear for a voluntary transcribed interview and began the process of scheduling your appearance. However, on May 7, Mr. Onorato notified the Committee that you had changed course and now would not appear for a voluntary transcribed interview,” the chairmen stated. “He cited a reported Executive Branch investigation into ‘the unlawful use of online fundraising platforms to make ‘straw’ or ‘dummy’ contributions or foreign contributions to political candidates and committees’ as the basis for your refusal to cooperate voluntarily with the Committees,” the letter to Slutsky and Onorato also states. You can read that letter here: Similar language was used for nearly all the witnesses who got the letters, which told the witnesses that an ongoing DOJ probe wasn’t a valid excuse for refusing to testify to Congress. “The relevant precedent is clear that the mere existence of state or federal law enforcement investigations has no bearing on Congress’s oversight power,” the lawmakers wrote. “As such, an Executive Branch investigation into matters related to versight by the Committees is not a legitimate basis on which you may decline our request.” The letters demanded each witness schedule their interview by no later than May 29 or risk facing a subpoena. “The Committees are prepared to resort to compulsory process, if necessary, to obtain compliance with our requests,” the lawmakers warned. The committees have been probing ActBlue over lax security measures and whether those vulnerabilities allowed foreign entities to donate to U.S. political campaigns, which is illegal. In October, Steil and Sen. Ron Johnson, a fellow Wisconsin Republican, wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines about concerns that four U.S. adversaries may have donated through the platform. “We write to you to raise an urgent concern regarding potential illicit election funding by foreign actors,” the lawmakers wrote Yellen in a letter dated Thursday. “CHA has been investigating claims that foreign actors, primarily from Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and China, may be using ActBlue to launder illicit money into U.S. political campaigns.” They also said: “Our investigation has indicated that these actors may be exploiting existing U.S. donors by making straw donations without their knowledge.” The lawmakers specifically demanded access to any Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) related to money passing through the fundraising platform generated by any U.S. financial institution as part of their anti-money-laundering activities. Congress has been pouring through those SARs in recent days after gaining access to them under the Trump administration. ActBlue has acknowledged to Congress that it has updated its donor verification policy to automatically reject donations that “use foreign prepaid/gift cards, domestic gift cards, are from high-risk/sanctioned countries, and have the highest level of risk as determined,” by its solution provider, Sift. The change occurred just three days after Steil introduced the Secure Handling of Internet Electronic Donations (SHIELD) Act, on Sept. 6, 2024, to ensure foreign money stayed out of online political fundraising. Before the change, Steil said, donations made with foreign gift cards were not automatically rejected by ActBlue before the change, Just the News reported. ActBlue has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and says that it is fully cooperating with ongoing investigations. "Democratic and progressive campaigns have trusted ActBlue’s two-decade-long track record of innovation and dependability to deliver during big fundraising moments," the firm said in a statement in June 2024 celebrating its 20th anniversary in business. According to internal company documents reviewed by the committees, during the 2024 campaign cycle, ActBlue issued new standards encouraging staff to “look for reasons to accept contributions.” Before the policy change, the platform already failed to require CVV numbers for credit card transactions, increasing fraud risks. An internal assessment by the company determined the policy change led to “between 14 and 28 additional fraudulent contributions each month,” the committees said. The documents also show the platform began monitoring potential fraudulent donations from several foreign sources, including hundreds of donations from Brazil, Colombia, India, Iraq, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, and other countries. The lawmakers and Trump have both asked DOJ to probe ActBlue for possible criminal conduct. Related: ActBlue 04/23/2025 FBI claims alleged neo-Nazi killed parents as part of Trump assassination attempt ActBlue 04/20/2025 Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (D-OR) announces she will travel to El Salvador to 'demand the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia' ActBlue 04/11/2025 FEC Opens Probe of Rep. Jasmine Crockett Donations Related: Suspicious Activity Report: 2025-03-17 501c4 charities being given dark money to fund anti-Tesla protests Suspicious Activity Report: 2025-03-16 James Carville Says He's 'Telling' Dem Donors That Party Needs To Stop Pulling 'Stunts' Against Trump Suspicious Activity Report: 2025-03-14 Rep. James Comer and the FBI to bring CRIMINAL CHARGES against those behind ActBlue |
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| Home Front: Politix | ||
| DHS ends Harvard's student visa program over 'pro-terrorist conduct' | ||
| 2025-05-23 | ||
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is eliminating the student visa program at Harvard University due to "pro-terrorist conduct" at campus protests, Fox News Digital has learned. It's a severe consequence for what DHS claims is Harvard's refusal to comply with its requests for behavioral records of student visa holders. "This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country." Harvard may no longer enroll foreign students in the 2025-2026 school year, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status to reside in the U.S. before the next academic year begins. "As a result of your brazen refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas rhetoric, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege," Noem wrote in a letter to Maureen Martin, the university’s director of immigration services. Noem offered Harvard 72 hours to provide the information requested for an opportunity to regain its visa program for the next school year. She called the move the "direct result of Harvard’s epic failure to comply with simple reporting requirements." Harvard, meanwhile, asserted the termination was "unlawful." "The government’s action is unlawful. We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably. We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission," university spokesperson Jason Newton told Fox News Digital. The records requested include any footage of protest activity involving students on visas and the disciplinary records of all students on visas in the last five years. Noem said last month she had requested records related to visa-holding students enrolled in the university and Harvard’s counsel did not provide adequate information to meet the demand. After the DHS general counsel asked again for the information, Harvard provided an "insufficient, incomplete and unacceptable response," she said. "Consequences must follow to send a clear signal to Harvard and all universities that want to enjoy the privilege of enrolling foreign students, that the Trump administration will enforce the law and root out the evils of antisemitism in society and campuses," said Noem. Requested records also include footage or documentation of illegal, dangerous or violent activity by student visa holders, any records of threats or the deprivation of rights of other students or university personnel. Harvard could not immediately be reached for comment. Last month, Harvard announced it would allow foreign students to accept admission to both Harvard and a foreign university as backup amid the Trump administration’s threats to move to block Harvard’s authorization to host them. Typically, students must accept enrollment at Harvard by May 1 and can’t commit to another university. At least a dozen Harvard students have had their authorization to study in the U.S. revoked over campus protest activity. The Trump administration has already frozen close to $3 billion in federal funding to the university, largely dedicated to research, and launched investigations across the departments of Justice, Education and Health and Human Services. They claim that Harvard has failed to address campus antisemitism and eradicate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in its policies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress this week that the State Department had probably revoked "thousands" of student visas by this point and would "proudly" revoke more. "We're going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities," he said Tuesday. "A visa is a privilege, not a right." The crackdown on university policies comes after a wave of pro-Gaza student protests and encampments swept schools across the nation since the beginning of Israel’s offensive campaign to eradicate Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks to pressure university administrations to divest from Israel.
Trump has cracked down on campus anti-Semitism, which surged nationwide under Biden Related: Department of Homeland Security: 2025-05-21 ICE captures illegal immigrant wanted for allegedly killing mother in DUI crash Department of Homeland Security: 2025-05-17 Warning to Leave US: Thousands of Afghan Refugees in California receive deportation letters Department of Homeland Security: 2025-05-16 MAGA demands immediate arrest of former FBI director James Comey after he 'called for assassination' Related: Student visa: 2025-05-11 Tufts Turkish student who penned anti-Israel op-ed returns to Massachusetts after over 6 weeks detained Student visa: 2025-05-11 Israel claims it’s promoting Palestinian emigration from Gaza. So why are so few leaving? Student visa: 2025-05-11 America’s universities, still fighting against Jews and Israel: week of 5/4-5/10 Related: Harvard: 2025-05-20 UCLA Pro-Palestine protester rushed to the hospital after collapsing on Day 9 of her hunger strike Harvard: 2025-05-18 NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani doubles down on bizarre refusal to sign resolution condemning Holocaust Harvard: 2025-05-18 Paleo-love/Jew hate at America’s universities: week of 5/11-5/17/2025 | ||
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| Home Front: WoT | ||
| 2 people with Israeli embassy ties shot dead near DC's Capital Jewish Museum, murderer shouted “Free Palestine” as arrested | ||
| 2025-05-22 | ||
| [NYPost] Two Israeli embassy staffers were killed and three others injured when gunfire erupted outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, Wednesday night — by a gunman who shouted “Free free Palestine,” officials said. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon called the shooting “a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.” “Harming diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line,” he said on X. “We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives — everywhere in the world.” One of the slain staffers was a diplomat, NBC 4 reported, citing two sources. It was not immediately clear if the three wounded were part of the embassy staff. The gunfire erupted in front of the museum at 575 3rd St NW, near the FBI field office and the US attorney’s office, the outlet reported, adding that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating. Cops are on the hunt for a man with a goatee wearing a blue jacket and jeans who was last seen on F Street in the Northwest area of the city. Ted Deutch, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee, told NBC 4 that his organization hosted an event at the museum. “We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue,” he said. “At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.” FBI Director Kash Patel said his is working with the Metropolitian Police Department “to respond and learn more,” he wrote in a tweet. “In the immediate, please pray for the victims and their families. We will keep the public updated as we are able.” US Attorney General Pam Bondi and US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro were at the crime scene late Wednesday. “Praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more,” Bondi tweeted. Homeland Security Krisi Noem vowed to bring the “depraved” shooter to justice. “Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC,” she posted online. “We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share. Please pray for the families of the victims.” The shooting comes amid a surge in antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Washington Jewish Museum shooter yelled ‘Free Palestine’ while being arrested — NBC [IsraelTimes] The Foreign Ministry says the assailant who carried out the shooting near the Jewish Museum in Washington has been apprehended. Citing senior law enforcement sources, NBC News reports that the suspect shouted “Free Palestine” while he was apprehended.
'We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act,' Danon said. 'Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives – everywhere in the world.' The American Jewish Committee was hosting a Young Diplomats event at the museum on Wednesday night, CEO Ted Deutch confirmed. The sold-out event was touted as a night 'bringing together Jewish young professionals (22-45) and the D.C. diplomatic community.' The evening was 'dedicated to fostering unity and celebrating Jewish heritage', featuring 'appetizers, cocktails, conversations, and a special guest speaker.' It was scheduled to take place 6.30pm and 9pm, and the shooting occured about 9.15pm. Tal Naim Cohen, a spokeswoman for the Israeli Embassy, said the duo were shot 'at close range' as they attended the event. Initial reports suggested one of the victims died at the scene while another was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Later updates confirmed both victims had tragically died. Arizona Congressman Abe Hamadeh said: 'An assassin screamed "Free Palestine!" outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, and murdered an Israeli diplomat and her companion. Less than 24 hours ago, the Capital Jewish Museum was awarded a security grant amid ongoing concerns about the safety of guests and staff. 'Jewish institutions all around town, all around the country, are concerned about security due to some very scary incidents that some institutions have faced and because of a climate of antisemitism,' Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz said. 'So, we invest a lot of money in security to make sure that we can keep our doors open to the broad public, that this is a welcoming space, but that people are also safe in this space.'
Tal Naim Cohen, a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, says two of its staff members were shot “at close range” while attending a Jewish event at the museum. The Israeli embassy does not immediately respond to questions about the shooter, the victims or the motive for the attack, but other officials provide details and say the victims were a couple about to be engaged. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed two Israeli embassy staff members were killed. “We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share,” Noem wrote in a post on X. “We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.” Washington, DC, Police Chief Pamela Smith says that “despite all life-saving efforts, both victims succumbed to their injuries.” She says both victims were exiting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum. “Prior to the shooting, a suspect was observed pacing outside of the museum,” she says, adding that he opened fire at a group of four, killing a man and a woman. “The suspect chanted, ‘Free, free Palestine,’ while in custody. The suspect has been identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriquez of Chicago, Illinois,”she says. “The couple that was gunned down tonight in the name of ‘Free Palestine’ was a couple about to be engaged,” she says, adding that the man had bought a ring last week with the intention of proposing next week in Jerusalem.
Eyewitnesses on US shooting: People brought water to man in distress, only to learn he’s the suspect [IsraelTimes] Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher say they were inside the Capital Jewish Museum when they heard gunshots outside and a man came inside looking distressed. Kalin says people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect in the shooting, which killed two Israeli Embassy employees. When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,’” Kalin says. “This event was about humanitarian aid,” Kalin says. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.”
…associations with them by deleting articles and pages where he is mentioned. While being arrested after the killings, Rodriguez shouted, "Free, free Palestine!" | ||
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| Fifth Column |
| Chinese student has been arrested for using a drone to fly over a US Navy shipyard and taking photos |
| 2025-05-21 |
[X]
…Even more concerning, this isn’t the first time it’s happened. This is the same Naval Shipyard another Chinese National arrested for taking photos of: The “case comes as US military bases have intercepted a growing number of Chinese nationals posing as tourists. This March, an illegal Chinese immigrant was arrested after breaching a Marine Corps base in California. In 2019, a Chinese student was sentenced to a year behind bars for taking photos at the same military base” “Authorities said Xi violated the Espionage Act” “This comes as growing concerns regarding Chinese land purchases around sensitive facilities.” |
| Link |
| Home Front: Politix |
| 'Flood the system': US attorney unleashes new task force to crack down on blue state's sanctuary policies |
| 2025-05-20 |
| [FoxNews] New task force filing up to 50 warrants weekly to get more illegal immigrants into federal custody United States Attorney for the District of California Bill Essayli is taking major action to crack down on "sanctuary" policies in the Golden State. He’s launching "Operation Guardian Angel," which is a task force, made up of assets from ICE, HSI, DEA, FBI, ATF, and Border Patrol, to begin scanning a criminal database every single day to identify arrested illegal aliens in local jurisdictions that DOJ can charge with felony illegal-reentry. "They've made it almost impossible for ICE to do their job, issue detainers and get criminal illegal immigrants out of jails. So what we're doing instead is we're going to start issuing warrants," he told Fox News. "We're going to flood the system with warrants for criminal illegal immigration that are in county jails, they can ignore a detainer, but they cannot ignore a criminal arrest warrant," Essayli continued. "As soon as an illegal immigrant is booked into a county jail, we're reviewing their file. And if they meet the elements of illegal reentry, which is a federal crime, we are filing a complaint and getting an arrest warrant issued before they're released from state custody." Essayli said that the first-of-its-kind program will make the Golden State a "testing ground" for other sanctuary jurisdictions throughout the country, as the administration aims to get illegal aliens with criminal charges and convictions swiftly out of the United States. While border crossings have plummeted, the administration is aiming to boost the number of removals. The CBP One app was turned into the CBP Home app, where those in the country illegally can now self-deport with a paid-for flight and an $1,000 stipend once they have been confirmed to leave the country. As for illegal aliens in the criminal justice system, the attorney said they plan to file up to 50 warrants a week in his jurisdiction, which covers Los Angeles – there’s already been 350 filed since Trump took office. "They have no choice, they will comply. And if they don't comply, if they interfere in our ability to arrest a federal felon, they can expect to face consequences for that. So I don't expect any resistance from the local authorities," he said. Felony re-entry was largely not prosecuted during the Biden administration. Essayli says his predecessor, the US Attorney in Los Angeles under Biden, only filed 17 of these cases in two years. The attorney said transferring from local to federal custody is one of the better ways to get hold of illegal aliens with criminal charges. "This is the safest way for us to get criminal illegal immigrants. Get them while they're still in state custody, where they've been searched. They have no weapons, and we can do a safe transfer," he said. Related: Bill Essayli 04/13/2025 A Tale Of Two Sanctuary Cities: Chicago Hits Back At Trump, L.A. Stays Quiet Bill Essayli 06/09/2023 California man who pummeled, shot at female deputy found not guilty despite video of attack |
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| Home Front: Politix | ||
| FBI’s Kash Patel and Dan Bongino hit the talk circuit to explain everything | ||
| 2025-05-19 | ||
| FBI's top boss Kash Patel says bureau ran cover for Hillary but it all ends under Trump [FoxNews] Kash Patel claims former FBI leadership also 'bastardized the FISA process' and hid documentation in Crossfire Hurricane investigation FBI Director Kash Patel hinted at a "wave of transparency" on the horizon as the agency struggles to rebuild public trust, especially in the wake of longstanding controversy over alleged politicization and selective prosecution. Sitting alongside FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino for a "Sunday Morning Futures" exclusive interview, Patel pointed to the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation as an example of political bias and institutional failure. He claimed senior officials within the Department of Justice "hijacked" their constitutional responsibilities by selectively deciding which cases to pursue. "You asked in the beginning how the FBI was weaponized," he said to host Maria Bartiromo. "Well, the FBI hijacked the constitutional responsibility of the Department of Justice and the Attorney General, and James Comey and others specifically decided what cases to prosecute and not prosecute. Don't believe me? Go to the videotape in the Hillary Clinton investigation." "We don't decide prosecutions, and neither does any agent or intel analyst. We have great partners under Attorney General [Pam] Bondi. We work with them and discuss the matter with them, but the prosecutorial decision is with them," he said. Patel said that new agency leadership has uncovered additional details regarding the Crossfire Hurricane investigation into President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia and are working with Congress to put out information surrounding the episode. "That's how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. Not only did they bastardize the FISA process and lie to the American public, they withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren't supposed to look," Patel said. "It's a good thing we're here now to clean it up, and you're about to see a wave of transparency… Just give us about a week or two." FBI Director Patel Says Transparency on Russia Collusion Claim in 'a Week or Two' ‐ 'The Biggest D.C. Deception Game We Have Ever Seen' [Breitbart] During this week’s broadcast of FNC’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” FBI Director Kash Patel discussed the 2017 claim that President Donald Trump’s first presidential election win resulted from Russian collusion. Despite the statute of limitations having expired on prosecuting any criminality, Patel told host Maria Bartiromo to expect a “wave of transparency” in a week or two. Partial transcript as follows: BARTIROMO: I watched it with you and Devin Nunes, when you were truth-tellers on all of this, and you were as well, Dan, throughout the Russia collusion story and the rest.
[Real Clear Politics] FOX News host Maria Bartiromo asked FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino when we will learn more about the assassination attempts against President Trump last summer during an interview on "Sunday Morning Futures." Worth the time to watch. ‘We're Gonna Ruin Your Summer': Dan Bongino Warns Americans Not To ‘Buy Movie Tickets' In Unhinged Rant About FBI (video) [MSN-Maria Sara Bartiromo] Former podcaster and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino warned Americans not to buy movie tickets, and that he will 'ruin their summer' during an interview this morning.
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| -Lurid Crime Tales- |
| '400 Illegal Aliens Arrested, 500 Deported in Week-Long ICE Raids in Houston |
| 2025-05-18 |
| [Breitbart] U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out a targeted enforcement operation last week that landed more than 400 illegal aliens in jail. During the same period, the Houston Field Office deported more than five hundred aliens who exhausted their due process and had been ordered removed from the United States. “In recent years, some of the world’s most dangerous fugitives, transnational gang members, and criminal aliens have taken advantage of the crisis at our nation’s southern border to enter the U.S. illegally,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said in a written statement. “After illegally entering the country, these violent criminal aliens have infiltrated our local communities and reigned terror on law-abiding residents, leaving countless innocent victims in their wake.” From May 4 through May 10, Houston ERO officers and other federal and state of Texas law enforcement agencies rounded up 411 illegal aliens. Officials said these included 2296 criminal aliens — many with convictions for violent offenses. Those arrested included:
“Illegal activities breed further crime, and our collaborative efforts through these enforcement operations have allowed us to do what the DEA does best, remove drugs off the streets that are devastating lives and dismantle drug networks, safeguarding our communities,” said DEA Houston Division Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell. “These operations have allowed us to share our resources with our federal partners and expand our scope of DEA drug trafficking investigations to achieve the common goal of making communities safer.” ERO carried out expedited removal operations that led to the deportation of 528 illegal aliens. “To expedite the removal of these aliens during the operation, ICE Houston leveraged an initiative established under the current administration to funnel aliens to designated hubs on the southern border where they are quickly processed and removed to their country of origin within 24-72 hours of their arrest,” ERO officials stated. FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams added, “Our intel support is as strong as our tactical support. By working together and sharing what we know with our partners, we have been able to prioritize the worst of the worst criminals, and that’s what we will continue to do.” CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) participated in the roundup and removal process by providing transportation support. “Our team is ensuring these operations are carried out safely, efficiently, and in full coordination with our federal partners,” AMO Houston Air Branch Acting Director Jeremy D. Battenfield concluded |
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| -Great Cultural Revolution |
| 'Black Fatigue' Goes Viral: Everyone Including Blacks Is Tired Of Ghetto Behavior |
| 2025-05-18 |
| [ZERO] The progressive ideal is largely to blame for the monstrous creation that is ghetto culture. The idea that racial narcissism among blacks should not only be tolerated but celebrated has led to a surge in open animosity for societal rules and standards within the US. Far more than any other group, the black community makes up the largest share of physical crime according to their percentage of the population. This includes robbery, aggravated assault, and homicides. For example, black Americans make up only 13% of the population but commit around 52% of all homicides according to FBI statistics. The recent case of Karmelo Anthony comes to mind, a black teen who admitted to stabbing a white teen and killing him because the white teen allegedly "pushed him" (which he argues was a threat that made deadly force justifiable). The concept of "disrespect" as an offense that justifies murder is only one problem. There is an identifiable trend of theatrical sociopathy within the black community that goes far beyond the norm. The prevailing theory is that this is predominantly cultural - Black Americans have the highest rate of single parent households in the country (50% of black homes compared to 20% of white homes in 2023). Most of these households are run by single mothers. Single mother homes are a notorious indicator of future criminality among juveniles. |
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| -Lurid Crime Tales- | ||
| One person dead in Palm Springs explosion called an 'intentional act of terrorism' | ||
| 2025-05-18 | ||
Davis said this is "one of the largest bombing investigations we've had in Southern California," comparing it to the scale of the Aliso Viejo bombing in Orange County in 2018. He said, "We have a person of interest in this investigation, but we are not actively out searching for a suspect." Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills said it appears to be "an isolated incident," and "I am confident that the community is not at risk any longer." The percussive boom was heard and felt across Palm Springs at 10:52 a.m. and was initially reported to be a car explosion near the American Reproductive Centers clinic on North Indian Canyon Drive at East Tachevah Drive. Police declined to comment on whether the explosion was caused by a bomb. While several buildings were damaged, some severely, the fertility clinic reported on social media that all staff are safe, and no eggs or embryos were damaged. Read the rest at the link
Related: Palm Springs: 2024-07-12 Shelley Duvall, Robert Altman Protege and Tormented Wife in 'The Shining,' Dies at 75 Palm Springs: 2024-02-11 CEO of Nigerian bank among dead in fatal California helicopter crash Palm Springs: 2023-12-10 Biden's TSA Designates Special Airport Screening Line for Migrants Without Required ID Related: Aliso Viejo: 2022-05-17 Orange County Church Shooting Called Chinese vs. Taiwanese Hate Crime Aliso Viejo: 2020-09-20 California man arrested for allegedly punching 84-year-old female Trump supporter in face Aliso Viejo: 2017-11-14 Rabid Anti-Trumper Arrested in Calif. after Threatening to Go on Killing Spree Related: Pam Bondi 05/17/2025 Interview: NYC mayoral frontrunner Cuomo calls vote a ‘litmus test’ on far-left foes of Israel Pam Bondi 05/14/2025 Gov. Greg Abbott has officially halted construction of the 402-acre Muslim-only EPIC City in Texas Pam Bondi 05/08/2025 Not a girl, but a 'fruit platter.' Why do the Epstein defendants die? | ||
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