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Heir on trial for murdering financier dad at luxury Irish hotel once tried to perform ritual SACRIFICE of stranger’s baby on flight, court told

An American on trial for allegedly murdering his millionaire father in Ireland during a mental health crisis once tried to sacrifice a stranger’s baby aboard a flight, a jury was told.

Prosecutors testified in a Dublin courtroom that Henry McGowan was aboard a flight to Paris in 2022 when he had his first diagnosed psychotic episode, according to the New York Times.

McGowan, who was 30 at the time of the alleged murder, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. 

McGowan is on trial for allegedly murdering his father, John, in the five-star Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Laois. He escaped the watch of his family and friends at his Brooklyn apartment back in November 2024 and frantically purchased a flight at Newark Airport.

His family called the authorities, who checked on the disturbed man at the terminal, but he apparently masked his symptoms and was deemed to be fine.

While aboard the plane, 30,000 ft in the air, McGowan felt he needed to perform a ritual sacrifice of an infant.

He made his way to a couple with their newborn and tried to snatch their baby from a bassinet, according to testimony read in court.

Upon arrival in Paris, McGowan was arrested and spent a month at a psychiatric hospital in the city, noted the outlet.

He was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a condition combining symptoms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

After his release, he regained his footing and, in 2023, he followed a treatment plan for his bipolar I diagnosis and was destined to make positive changes.

All hell broke loose less than a year later, in October 2024, when he allegedly relapsed into a manic episode and fled to Europe again.

Though he stayed in touch with his family, a friend met up with McGowan in London and expressed immense concern for his well-being.

The acquaintance called the McGowan family to say that he was ‘roaming the city in a hot pink faux fur jacket and had a wild look in his eyes.’

Without hesitation, his father booked a flight to Dublin on November 11, the next stop on his son’s voyage.

He had planned to corner his son when they connected at the airport, but after McGowan’s plane landed, he was missing, and his phone’s location stopped updating.

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Judge Blasts DA Over AI ‘Hallucinations’ in Filing

A Wisconsin prosecutor just got a real-world lesson in what happens when AI “hallucinations” enter a courtroom. Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis was sanctioned after a judge tossed out one of his filings for relying on undisclosed artificial intelligence and bogus legal citations, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Circuit Court Judge David Hughes said Solis’ written response in a case involving two defendants used AI tools without telling the court and cited cases that simply didn’t exist. The court record says Solis acknowledged he hadn’t revealed his use of AI.

Court records show that Hughes slammed Solis for using “hallucinated and false citations,” WPR reports. Kenosha County court policy calls for anybody using AI to prepare documents to submit a disclosure detailing the AI tool and its “limitations or potential biases.” The policy says the person making the filing needs to ensure they have “verified the accuracy and appropriateness of any AI-generated content in the filed document.”

The Feb. 6 hearing involved brothers Christain Garrett, 26, and Cornelius Garrett, 32, who had faced a combined 74 charges, including dozens of felonies tied to alleged break-ins of trucks and trailers. The case had dragged on for nearly two years when defense attorneys moved to dismiss in August 2025, arguing prosecutors hadn’t produced enough evidence. Hughes dismissed all charges against both men without prejudice, meaning they could be brought again. Defense lawyer Michael Cicchini said the dismissal was rooted in the judge’s review of the earlier evidence, not the AI-tainted brief, adding that Hughes found no probable cause the crime had been committed.

Solis, a former defense attorney who took office as DA in January 2025 with no prior prosecutorial experience, stressed in a statement that the dismissal “was based on the court’s independent review of the preliminary hearing records, not on AI.” He said the judge dealt with his AI use separately from the probable-cause ruling. Solis added that his office has now “reviewed and reinforced” its internal practices, including checking future citations for accuracy.

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“They Thought They Were Untouchable”: US Seizes 134 Acres In Texas Used By Mexican Cartel

More than 134 acres in Texas that was being used by a drug cartel for smuggling activities has been taken over by U.S. authorities, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a Feb. 10 post on X.

“We took the land and everything on it,” the post said.

A video shared with the post showed law enforcement officers arresting several people.

“They thought they were untouchable. They were wrong. Over 134 acres of land and property, taken from the westside Gulf Cartel, a terrorist organization operating near Rio Grande City, Texas,” according to the video.

The Gulf Cartel is a drug trafficking organization from Mexico that moves arms and migrants into the United States, and has engaged in the kidnapping and murder of American citizens. Drug cartels have been known to use U.S. lands to grow marijuana, with such activities exploiting sanctuary state policies and the sovereignty of native tribal lands.

In a message to the cartels, CBP said, “You think this is just about arrests? It’s not. We are dismantling your operations from the ground up. We’re cutting out your safe houses, your staging areas, your corridors. This is your warning.”

Over the past year, authorities have seized several cartel-linked assets.

In May, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two high-ranking members of the Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a drug trafficking organization from Mexico. As a result, all assets and interests in assets of the designated individuals in the United States were blocked.

In March, the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned six people and seven entities for being involved in money laundering activity to support the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel, resulting in blocking their assets in the United States.

“Laundered drug money is the lifeblood of the Sinaloa Cartel’s narco-terrorist enterprise, only made possible through trusted financial facilitators like those we have designated today,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the time.

“Treasury, as part of a whole-of-government approach to addressing this pressing national security threat, will use all available tools to target anyone who assists the cartels in furthering their campaign of crime and violence.”

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has introduced the Cartel Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act to seize cartel assets, according to a Dec. 18 statement from the lawmaker’s office.

The bill would authorize President Donald Trump to commission private U.S. operators under letters of marque to take over cartel assets on land and sea. A letter of marque is a written authority granted to a person by the government to seize the goods of enemies. Such letters once used to be a common tool against piracy.

Under the bill, private operators would have the right to employ “all reasonably necessary means” to seize assets outside the United States.

“The Constitution provides for Letters of Marque and Reprisal as a tool against the enemies of the United States,” Lee said.

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Australia seeking criminal charges over aid workers slain by IDF in Gaza

Canberra is demanding criminal charges over an Israeli drone attack on Gaza that left aid workers dead, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said.

Seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers were killed in a 2024 Israeli airstrike, which the NGO has described as “targeted.” The victims included Australian Zomi Frankcom, three British nationals, a Polish national, a dual US-Canadian citizen, and a Palestinian.

The issue was raised this week as Israeli President Isaac Herzog is visiting Australia to express solidarity with the country’s Jewish community in the wake of a deadly mass shooting which took place in December.

Albanese told Australia’s parliament on Wednesday that he had confronted Israel regarding the slain aid workers, calling it “a tragedy and an outrage” and saying Canberra had made clear its “expectation that there be transparency about Israel’s ongoing investigation” into the incident.

“We continue to press for full accountability, including any appropriate criminal charges,” he said, noting that Herzog had agreed to “engage.”

The aid workers were traveling through a de-conflicted zone in central Gaza in two armored cars with the WCK logo on them as well as a soft-skin vehicle when struck, despite the WCK coordinating its movements with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), according to the NGO.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that the IDF was behind the airstrike but is insisting that it was an accident.

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‘No Privacy’ CBDCs Will Come, Warns Billionaire Ray Dalio

American billionaire and hedge fund manager Ray Dalio has warned that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are coming, offering benefits but also potentially allowing governments to exert more control over people’s finances.

“I think it will be done,” said Dalio on CBDCs in a wide-ranging interview on the Tucker Carlson Show on Monday, which also included topics on the US debt crisis, gold prices, and even a potential civil war. 

Ray Dalio is a billionaire hedge fund manager who has been co-chief investment officer of Bridgewater Associates since 1985, after founding the firm in 1975. 

During the interview, Dalio said CBDCs could be appealing due to the ease of transactions, likening them to money market funds in terms of functionality, but he also cautioned about their downsides.

He said there will be a debate, but CBDCs “probably won’t” offer interest, so they will not be “an effective vehicle to hold because you’ll have the depreciation [of the dollar].”

Dalio also cautioned that all CBDC transactions will be known to the government, which is good for controlling illegal activity, but also provides a great deal of control in other areas. 

“There will be no privacy, and it’s a very effective controlling mechanism by the government.”

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State Department Says Far Left Group ‘Code Pink’ is Linked to the Chinese Communist Party

The State Department has just reported to Congress that the far left group ‘Code Pink’ is linked to the Chinese Communist Party. This should come as a surprise to no one.

Code Pink began making a nuisance of themselves during the presidency of George W. Bush. They portrayed themselves as an anti-war group. Of course, once Obama became president and continued most of Bush’s foreign policy and the wars, they became curiously silent. Some of them were even guests at Obama’s inauguration.

Now that Trump, a Republican, is president again, they are back to their old tactics of showing up in places where they were not invited and being generally annoying.

This move by the State Department has the potential to change the game.

The New York Post reports:

State Department identifies Code Pink and other far-left groups as vectors of Chinese influence operations

The State Department transmitted a report to Congress Tuesday linking lefty nonprofits Code Pink and the People’s Forum to Chinese influence operations.

“Partisan hacks spent years peddling the phony Russia collusion hoax while turning a blind eye to the sprawling web of far-left activist organizations who push the agendas of the Chinese Communist Party,” Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers said in a statement provided to The Post.

“Organizations like Code Pink and the People’s Forum denigrate the United States, whitewash the violence of Marxist regimes, and run cover for China while enjoying an influx of cash from a donor network with connections to the Chinese Communist Party,” Rogers added.

“The State Department will pursue complete transparency for the donor and NGO networks that lobby for our adversaries and seek to weaken the resolve of the United States.”

The report on “Countering Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference” alleges that China “spreads propaganda through influence campaigns run by nonprofit organizations like Code Pink, the People’s Forum and groups linked with the notorious Singham network.”

This has been a long time coming.

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La Linea: The Mexican Cartel Controlling the El Paso-Juarez Metropolitan Area

A recent cartel operation sent drones from Mexico into the United States, triggering a national security alert that temporarily shut down the airspace around El Paso, Texas, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

While the Department of War disabled the drones, Breitbart Texas reported, it remains unclear how large the drones were or if the cartel aircraft were moving drugs, being used for surveillance, or carrying improvised explosive devices, a tactic that has become prevalent in Mexico.

El Paso is directly north of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, a city with various criminal organizations present, which remains largely under the control of La Línea, a former faction of the Juárez Cartel that has since become the dominant criminal organization on the Mexican side of the border.

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State senator tells Congress: ‘Minnesota is ground zero for the fraud epidemic’

A Minnesota state senator took the national stage Tuesday and delivered a blistering assessment of the state’s handling of taxpayer dollars.

Sen. Mark Koran, R–North Branch, testified before a U.S. Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs subcommittee during a hearing titled “Examining Fraud and Foreign Influence in State and Federal Programs.”

The hearing, chaired by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., focused in part on what lawmakers described as widespread fraud in Minnesota’s social welfare programs.

Koran, who has served nine years in the Minnesota Senate and on the Legislative Audit Commission, painted a picture of systemic failure.

“I appreciate the opportunity to share my insight on the fraud as I’ve seen it in my nine years as Minnesota state senator as well as being on the Legislative Audit Commission,” Koran began.

He described the bipartisan commission as responsible for appointing the nonpartisan legislative auditor, whose job is to review programs across state government and flag misuse of taxpayer dollars.

“I can tell you that most of these audits are bad,” Koran said. “One of the most common failures is state agencies not verifying that grant recipients did the work that they were paid to do.”

He cited a January 2026 audit in which, he said, “state employees were backdating and fabricating documents after an audit had started, looking to mislead our auditors.”

“Fraud in Minnesota is pervasive and systemic, from the executive branch through the state agencies,” he said. “Even when the legislature puts safeguards in place, they’re often ignored and there are rarely any real consequences.”

Koran did not mince words when describing the scope of the problem.

“The devastation of this incompetence and complicity totals far more in dollars than the media, Gov. [Tim] Walz, or the Democrats admit in public. It’s not millions, it’s not hundreds of millions, it’s billions of dollars stolen,” he testified.

He placed part of the blame squarely on Gov. Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison.

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Leftist Medical Orgs Try To Shut Down Debate On Vaccines

Left-wing medical associations have banded together to block an upcoming federal meeting in an attempt to table vaccine discussion and debate in a public forum.  

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), set to meet Feb. 25-27, is expected to discuss the recently updated childhood vaccine schedule. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its cohorts are attempting to suppress open exchange through a court-ordered injunction scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 13. 

Shouting Down Dissent 

In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut the number of recommended vaccines for American children from 17 to 11 following an executive order to investigate the vaccine schedule. The comparative report found that the U.S. schedule demands far more injections than other developed nations. Several vaccines on the schedule had never undergone large-scale double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trials before being approved by the Food and Drug Administration, safety reviews have been incomplete or nonexistent for decades, and liability protections for vaccine makers incentivize production over protection.  

The update is reasonable, aligning the U.S. with most other developed nations; but the American Academy of Pediatrics responded with outrage, blasting the government’s “dangerous” decision-making and adding another complaint to its 2025 lawsuit against Health and Human Services (HHS). 

The updated recommendations are “causing unnecessary confusion … compromising access to lifesaving vaccines and weakening community protection,” railed American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Andrew D. Racine. A co-plaintiff organization official warned of the threat of “increased illness and suffering by children and their families,” if the updated schedule is enacted.  

None of this is expected based on comparative data, but the American Academy of Pediatrics’ response continues to follow the same pattern — shout down dissent and sue to suppress debate. 

In June, the American Academy of Pediatrics protested HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s removal of all 17 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices members, calling Kennedy’s replacement picks “vaccine skeptics” and the overhaul “an escalating effort by the Administration to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in lifesaving vaccines.” 

The group then sued Kennedy for allegedly violating federal law in changing Covid-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women, amended the suit multiple times with additional complaints, and filed for an injunction to stop Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices from meeting altogether later this month. 

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Three unidentified names in Epstein files raise questions about hidden connections

Three names newly unredacted from the Jeffrey Epstein files remain shrouded in mystery, with no clear public record connecting them to the convicted sex offender or explaining how they fit into his network of powerful associates.

Leonic Leonov, Zurab Mikeladze, and Salvatore Nuara were among six men whose identities lawmakers forced the Department of Justice to reveal this week after a review of the files found their names had been improperly redacted. While two of the six—billionaire Leslie Wexner and Dubai executive Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem—are well-known figures with documented ties to Epstein, the other three have proven difficult to trace.

Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie discovered the redacted names during a two-hour review of unredacted Epstein documents at the DOJ on Monday. After the lawmakers publicly identified them, the department partially unredacted the files where the names appeared.

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