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Foreign Espionage Arrests Up 50 Percent: FBI

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Oct. 15 that the agency is cracking down on espionage by foreign adversaries, with an increase in arrests as high as 50 percent.

“We have gone after espionage activities against our main counterparts in China, Russia, and Iran,” he said at a press conference.

“In China alone, we’ve had over a 50 percent increase in espionage arrests alone, and prosecutions,” Patel said. “In Iran, we have had a 50 percent increase, again, in espionage cases. And in Russia, we had a 33 percent increase in espionage cases alone.”

State Department employee Ashley Tellis, arrested on Oct. 12, was accused of removing classified information and meeting with Chinese regime officials.

A former State Department employee, Michael Schena, was arrested in March and sentenced on Sept. 4 for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information to Chinese authorities.

In August, two Chinese nationals were arrested and accused of smuggling sensitive AI chips, subject to export controls, to China.

In June, two Chinese nationals were arrested on charges of spying for Chinese intelligence operations.

In September, an Armenian national was charged with conspiring to export goods and information that would help with semiconductor manufacturing to Russia.

On Aug. 6, Taylor Adam Lee, an active duty soldier, was arrested on charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary, Russia.

In March, two Iranian nationals were charged with conspiring to supply drones and launder money for the IRGC, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Patel also said there have been 125 counterterrorism cases this year, compared to 100 last year. And he cited increased disruptions of cybercrime enterprises.

“This year, you already have 52 arrests. Fifty-two arrests of violent cyber criminals who are stealing from senior citizens, who are violating our children’s rights and freedoms, and who are violating everyday Americans,” he said.

U.S. law enforcement, cooperating with UK law enforcement, announced the seizure of $15 billion in bitcoin from a Cambodian cyberscam ring on Oct. 14. This represents the largest-ever digital currency seizure by U.S. law enforcement.

Chen Zhi and his Prince Group conglomerate allegedly engaged in a massive wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy via at least 10 slave labor scam compounds across Cambodia.

The scam ring also used networks around the world, according to the Justice Department, and one such branch in Brooklyn was responsible for laundering millions of dollars taken from more than 250 victims in the United States.

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Rutgers Moves to Oust TPUSA Officers Who Challenged Antifa-Supporting Professor

The director for student involvement and leadership at Rutgers University is calling for the removal of two officers of the school’s Turning Point USA chapter, for their involvement in a petition calling for the removal of a professor nicknamed ‘Dr. Antifa.’

Karima Woodyard, Rutgers’ director of student involvement and leadership, wrote in an email obtained by Fox News Digital that both Megyn Doyle, the chapter’s treasurer, and Ava Kwan, its outreach coordinator, should be removed from their positions and replaced through new elections. Woodyard argued that both students were ineligible to hold their positions.

The chapter is already facing a petition on Change.org for its removal, which has been signed by at least one professor at the university. The petition as of Wednesday has well over 6,500 signatures.

“I wanted to bring to your attention that Megyn is a Newark student and Ava is a graduate student,” Woodyard wrote in the email directed to the Chapter President Stephen Wallace and Chapter Vice President Victoria Sorbat. “Because your organization is classified as an undergraduate student organization for the New Brunswick campus, both individuals are ineligible to hold executive board positions within your group.” 

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California Governor Vetoes Ban on ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Cookware

California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom halted legislation that would have banned “forever chemicals,” known as PFAS, from several products in his state. 

The legislation, which Newsom vetoed on Oct. 13, would have prevented the sale of cookware, cleaning products, dental floss, children’s products, food packaging, and ski wax containing the chemicals. 

Cookware with harmful substances would have been banned starting in 2030, and the other products in 2028. 

“Forever chemicals” is the nickname given to the group of chemicals called PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are synthetic and used widely in products, including non-stick, waterproof, or heat and stain-resistant items.

When announcing the veto, Newsom voiced concern about the availability of cookware if the ban were put in place.

“The broad range of products that would be impacted by this bill would result in a sizable and rapid shift in cooking products available to Californians,” he said.

“I appreciate efforts to protect the health and safety of consumers, and while this bill is well-intentioned, I am deeply concerned about the impact this bill would have on the availability of affordable options,” he added.

Dr. Anna Reade, director of PFAS advocacy with Natural Resources Defense Council, criticized Newsom for his decision in an Oct. 13 statement, saying, “By vetoing SB 682, Governor Newsom failed to protect Californians and our drinking water from toxic forever chemicals.”

According to Reade, the policy would have aligned with California with other states that have decided to phase out PFAS from these consumer products.

“Now, California is a laggard. It’s unfortunate that misinformation and greed by some in the cookware industry tanked this policy.

“But people are increasingly aware of the health and pollution risks associated with forever chemicals and are demanding PFAS-free alternatives for their homes and families.”

PFAS can stay in soil and water for centuries, and there has been a link found between the chemicals and health problems, including some cancers, and changes in immune and hormone systems.

However, those in opposition to the legislation said it wasn’t a clear-cut support of PFAS. 

The California Manufacturers and Technology Association stood against the legislation, saying, “We support targeted efforts to address harmful PFAS chemicals.”

However, the association said, the bill “continues an overreach by banning broad categories of PFAS used safely in cookware and by establishing unworkable standards for sectors like cleaning products.”

“SB 682 fails to distinguish between harmful PFAS and inert, stable fluoropolymers like PTFE, which are FDA-approved for food contact and used in medical devices,” it said.

“These materials do not pose environmental or health risks and have been safely used for decades.”

The association continued, saying that because the bill bans the distribution of affected products, it could push manufacturers to relocate logistics operations out of state, “costing California jobs.”

Similarly, the Cookware Sustainability Alliance said, “The fluoropolymers used by our industry, primarily polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), do not have the same characteristics of nonpolymeric PFAS of concern, which should be the focus of environmental and public health policy.”

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Ireland Rejects EU Hate-speech Dictate

The deadline to bow down to the European Union’s “hate speech” dictate has passed, and Ireland remains defiant. Last week, the country’s minister for justice, Jim O’Callaghan, said the government would not “reintroduce hate speech legislation previously rejected by parliament,” even though the EU continues to pressure them to do so.

“I’m fairly satisfied Ireland has transposed the European Council framework decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia in a manner appropriate and tailored to domestic law,” O’Callaghan said, according to reports.

In June, the EU told Ireland it had a two months left to comply with its censorship dictate or risk being dragged into international court. Ireland is accused of violating laws outlined in the EU’s 2008 EU Framework Decision, which requires member states to criminalize “hate speech” based on race, color, religion, descent, or ethnicity, as well as on Holocaust denial. Supposedly, the law is intended to prevent the incitement of violence.

But, as we recently reported, the idea of “hate speech” is a ploy for brainwashing people into believing that thoughts by themselves can be crimes.

Irish officials believe they already have sufficient laws to address the EU’s concerns without intruding on free speech. The “Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989” punishes those who incite hatred based on characteristics such as race, religion, or nationality. According to the Irish Courts Service, five convictions have been recorded under the act since 2017.

But EU officials say that the legislation is not good enough.

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Trump Admin Withholds $41 Million From California Over English-Language Trucking Rules

The Trump administration is withholding $40.6 million in transportation funding from California after an investigation found the state failed to comply with the federal English language proficiency requirement for truck drivers, officials announced on Oct. 15.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will keep $40.7 million in federal grant funding for California from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP). The funding is awarded to states to conduct roadside inspections, traffic enforcement, safety audits of trucking companies, and public education campaigns.

“The Golden State thinks it’s OK to ignore [the U.S. Department of Transportation’s] English language requirements for truckers,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X. “You can play all the games you want, but not at the expense of American lives.”

Duffy announced this summer that he would enforce the Trump administration’s new English language requirements for truck drivers, threatening to withhold the grant funds for states that did not meet the standards.

California, Washington, and New Mexico were given until Sept. 26 to comply with new federal rules requiring truck drivers to be proficient in the English language. States that failed to comply were told they risked losing up to 100 percent of their MCSAP grants.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s spokeswoman Diana Crofts-Pelayo denied the federal government’s accusations.

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States Go It Alone On ‘Forever Chemicals’ As EPA Delays Federal Action

States are taking action to protect agriculture and waterways from harmful “forever chemicals” as they await federal regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Critics say this has resulted in inconsistent and inadequate regulations exposing much of the country’s soil, air, and water to contamination by the chemicals.

According to the EPA, it is working through a very complex problem concerning a huge category of chemicals.

“The agency is committed to working closely with our partners to take a fresh look at the risks and the tools available to support our rural and agricultural communities on this issue,” the EPA told The Epoch Times in a statement.

At issue are perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a group of more than 14,000 chemicals that have been used in stain- and water-repellent fabrics, nonstick cookware, food packaging, and firefighting foams since the 1940s because of their resistance to heat, oils, stains, grease, and water.

However, they do not degrade naturally and are almost impossible to destroy, earning them the “forever chemicals” appellation. According to the EPA, PFAS have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, immune disorders, reduced vaccine response, hormonal issues, and weight gain.

In the early part of the 1970s, PFAS chemicals began to show up in soil to which biosolids had been applied.

Dredged as sludge from the bottom of wastewater treatment tanks and treated to reduce or eliminate harmful substances, biosolids have been sold or given to farmers as a low-cost fertilizer for more than 50 years.

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Digital Clues Suggest Prior Knowledge in Charlie Kirk Shooting, James Li Reports

“When was the first time you heard the name Tyler Robinson or the Losi Center?” Li asks, referencing the alleged shooter and the rooftop location at Utah Valley University where Kirk was killed. “For me—it was in the days and weeks after Charlie Kirk’s tragic assassination on September 10th. But what if I told you somebody, maybe multiple somebodies, were searching those terms before September 10th?”

According to Li, Google Trends data showed a blip for “Tyler James Robinson” searches originating from Washington, D.C. at 11 a.m. the day before the shooting. “Why would anybody be searching the name Tyler James Robinson one day before he allegedly assassinated Charlie Kirk?” Li asks.

The significance, Li notes, is heightened by the fact that this was a name unknown to the public until the media first reported the alleged shooter two days after the killing.

“The fact that the searches are localized to D.C.—a city synonymous with the federal government, intelligence, national media, and political organizations—strongly shifts the interpretation away from random noise or perpetrator checking his own name into a strong potential signal of pre-event institutional knowledge or activity,” he explains.

Li pushes deeper, reporting that similar Trend anomalies surfaced regarding the private jet tail number “9888KG,” which took off from Provo, Utah shortly after the assassination. Again, trend spikes occurred before major news coverage. “Once again, September 9th, one day before the shooting, there is a blip. Why? We don’t know,” Li says. “Of course they’re telling us there’s nothing to see here, don’t look any further.”

Li also highlights searches for “Losi Center,” the key venue in Utah, which spiked in the D.C. metro area on September 8th—two days prior to the shooting.

“Somebody in DC was doing a search a couple of days beforehand of the Losi Center,” he notes, suggesting an unusual interest in the geographic details of the crime scene.

Li adds a note of caution: “Let’s be skeptical for a second because we should always be skeptical. And I’m throwing myself into that category. You should be skeptical of what I’m saying. Do your own research.”

Turning to Baron Coleman, the podcast host credited for the research, Li verifies his credentials as a veteran Alabama radio personality before lauding his meticulous data work. “At the very least, he didn’t just pop out of nowhere. And I want to give props to his great research,” Li says.

Further oddities surface in trends for vintage rifle searches like “Mauser 98,” the weapon type connected to the case. “Mauser 98, a rifle that the feds tell us is powerful, vintage, and hard to trace,” Li notes, referencing Google Trends hits in D.C. two weeks prior to the shooting.

Li concludes that while coincidences sometimes happen, “once has happened stance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action. Well, this is now four different coincidences.” Acknowledging his own attempts to replicate the data, he adds, “After his video was released and it kind of went viral, the trends results had been since scrubbed.”

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ACLU loses last-ditch effort to stop SCOTUS from evaluating state bans on males in girls’ sports

When the Supreme Court agreed to consider whether Idaho and West Virginia can ban males from girls’ sports, two weeks after upholding Tennessee’s ban on medicalized gender transitions for minors, the transgender track athlete who defeated Idaho at trial and appeals courts got cold feet and tried to stop SCOTUS from hearing Idaho’s part of the case.

Lindsay Hecox, who is male, decided to “cease playing women’s sports in any context covered by H.B. 500” and dismissed the suit with prejudice so it cannot be filed again, claiming that continuing the litigation through SCOTUS will threaten Hecox’s “mental health, my safety, and my ability to graduate as soon as possible.”

U.S. District Judge David Nye, whose injunction against Idaho’s law as applied to Hecox was upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, doesn’t think the ACLU-represented athlete is playing it straight.

The President Trump nominee, who saved Hecox’s challenge three years ago when the 9th Circuit questioned whether the lapsed athlete would resume competing and thus maintain legal standing to sue Idaho, interpreted Hecox’s late-breaking about-face as “somewhat manipulative to avoid Supreme Court review” and ruled it “should not be endorsed.”

Nye granted Idaho’s motion to strike Hecox’s notice of voluntary dismissal, in the latest setback for the ACLU’s quest to preempt state laws that favor sex over gender identity, through federal regulation and the federal courts, while keeping SCOTUS from hearing close cases.

Federal courts including President Biden’s nominees blocked his administration’s Title IX regulation conflating sex and gender identity as his lone term closed, leaving the first Trump administration’s sex-based Title IX regulation in place. Second-term President Trump’s executive orders against gender ideology left SCOTUS the ACLU’s last hope.

That hope was dashed in June when a 6-3 court rejected the ACLU’s argument, on behalf of transgender children’s families, that gender identity is a protected trait like sex and race in the context of Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery as treatment options for gender-confused youth.

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President Trump Authorizes CIA To Conduct Lethal Covert Action in Venezuela

The Trump administration has authorized the CIA to take covert action inside Venezuela, including lethal operations, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, as the administration’s push toward regime change heats up.

President Trump later confirmed that he authorized the covert action and said the US was considering attacks on Venezuelan territory. “We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,” he said.

US officials told the Times that the authority allows the CIA to take action against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or his government, either unilaterally or in conjunction with the US military. The report said it is not known whether the CIA is currently planning operations inside Venezuela or if the authority will be used for future plans.

The US military has been drawing up plans to launch strikes on Venezuelan territory and potentially capture strategic ports and airfields, actions that would almost certainly lead to a full-blown war. The US military campaign in the region has so far involved a buildup of warships and about 10,000 US troops in the Caribbean and strikes on five boats that the US has claimed, without providing evidence, were running drugs.

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Dems Make A Mockery Of The Word ‘Temporary’ By Pushing For Extension Of Biden Covid Credits

As Milton Friedman warned us more than 40 years ago, “Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.” Imagine what the late, great free market economist would think of the tyranny of the left’s latest political gambit — shutting down the federal government to extend the massive expansion of Obamacare subsidies sold as pandemic relief. 

The political hill that Democrats are daily dying on as the shutdown molders into a third week is the preservation of the debt-busting Biden Covid credits, costing taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars more and once again making a mockery of temporary.

‘Supersizing Taxpayer Payments’

In March 2021, then-President Joe Biden signed the so-called America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the nearly $2 trillion money suck identifying as a “stimulus” package ostensibly to save America from the pandemic. Among many bigger big government initiatives, the boondoggle vastly expanded subsidies in the failed socialist experiment known as Obamacare. The expansion was extended in the ill-named Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, “supersizing taxpayer payments to insurers,” writes the Foundation for Government Accountability’s Trevor Carlsen and Brian Blase in a pointed policy paper urging Congress to call the time of death on the insanely expensive Biden Covid credits. 

How expensive? Taxpayers will be on the hook for an estimated $450 billion if Republicans give in to the Democrats’ hostage demands: reopening the government in exchange for extending the Covid credits beyond its expiration date of Dec. 31. 

“The expansion occurred under the argument that we needed to do this because we were in the midst of a pandemic,” Carlsen, Senior Research Fellow at the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) and former policy adviser in the U.S. Department of Labor, said in an interview with The Federalist. By the time ARPA passed, many of the state lockdowns were coming down and so-called non-essential businesses were up and running again. By 2022, when majority Democrats voted to extend the Biden Covid credits, the health emergency was well over. 

‘We’ve Got to Get Back to Normal’

Carlsen said the higher healthcare subsidies that were sold as necessary during the pandemic are hard to justify years removed from the “health emergency.”  

“The American people rightfully are saying that, at a certain point, we’ve got to get back to normal,” the policy expert said. 

That point is long past due. Particularly, as Americans learn more about just how generous the expanded Obamacare benefits have been. As the policy paper notes, the Democrats’ subsidy enhancements that have been hanging on for four-plus years made two fundamental changes to “the nature of the ObamaCare subsidies.” 

Households with incomes above 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), were included, “subsidizing even affluent households’ health insurance,” note Carlsen and Blase, the Foundation for Government Accountability’s Visiting Fellow and former Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy at the White House National Economic Council. 

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, 7 percent of households enrolled in the heavily subsidized health insurance exchanges in 2024 and 2025 reported income greater than 400 percent of the federal poverty level. That number was 8 percent in 2022 and 2023. That’s annual earnings of $62,600 or more, according to the Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines.  

The Covid credits also expanded subsidies across all income categories. 

“The extra subsidies were meant to prevent health insurance coverage rates from declining during the pandemic. But the public health emergency ended nearly two and a half years ago.”

Taxpayers are on the hook for more than two-thirds of the plan’s premium for average enrollees with earnings between 200 and 250 percent of the poverty level, the policy paper states. 

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